Yet Another Reason to Root Against the Nets

I'm not going to go into all the many, many ins-and-outs of the highly contentious Atlantic Yards development project, which consists of a new arena for the New Jersey Nets and 16 residential/office towers right in the heart of Brooklyn. For a full reckoning, take a look over here. By my unofficial tally, however, there are probably 1,000 or so reasons to be against the project. But until developer and Nets owner Bruce Ratner had the gaul to fire architect Frank Gehry in favor of Ellerbe Becket, the architectural equivalent of trading Michael Jordan for Kerry Kittles, nobody of institutional import dared to chime in against Ratner's plan. Enter the New York Times, whose line in the sand is, apparently, bad architecture:  

In a stunning bait-and-switch, Forest City Ratner (which was the development partner for The New York Times Company’s headquarters in Midtown) has now decided that it can’t afford an architect of Mr. Gehry’s stature. Neglecting to tell the public, the firm went out months ago and hired Ellerbe Becket, corporate architects known for producing generic, unimaginative buildings. And although it has refused to release details of the design, the renderings, obtained by The New York Times, tell you all you need to know.

A massive vaulted shed that rests on a masonry base, the arena is as glamorous as a storage warehouse. A rectangular window overlooks Atlantic, but without the other buildings it lacks the sense of mystery and surprise that was such an essential part of the Gehry design. A trapezoidal brick and glass box at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush is obviously intended as an echo of Gehry’s public space. But Gehry’s room, several stories tall, soared over the intersection. Ellerbe Becket’s, lower to the ground, just sits there, adding nothing.

Building this monstrosity at such a critical urban intersection would be deadly. Clearly, the city would be better off with nothing. But what’s at issue here is more than the betrayal of a particular community, as tragic as that could be. It is the way the city makes decisions about large-sale development.

Forget about displaced residents; save the architects.

Vinsanity, Indeed

The metropolitan area is still abuzz today about the US Airways passenger jet that crash-landed on the Hudson River yesterday afternoon, after a flock of birds flew into its engine. And rightfully so. Let me repeat: A US Airways passenger jet fucking crash-landed on the Hudson River yesterday afternoon.  

While most people only caught taped footage of the plane bobbing on the Hudson like an oversized bath toy, Vince Carter actually witnessed the emergency landing as it happened, from his apartment in Weehawken, New Jersey, which is probably a lot nicer of a place to live than it sounds.

I was just sitting there, looking out the window -- dead even where the plane hit.

[. . .] I thought I was watching TV. It landed like it was a movie. It hit like nose first, and you could (hear) the impact. Couldn't believe it. Just couldn't believe it.

A few hours later, a still-incredulous Carter shot a miserable 4-14 from the floor against the Portland Trailblazers, although he did manage to finish with a respectable-ish 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in the Nets' 105-99 loss. 

In comparison, US Airways pilot Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger III saved the lives of the 155 people aboard Flight 1549, managed to avoid the George Washington Bridge, the West Side Highway and a bunch of tall buildings, and still had enough left in the tank to check the overhead compartments twice, before finally calling it quits.    

I'll let you decide, dear reader, which man had a better day at the office.

Line of the Night

47 points. 8 assists. 7 rebounds. 1 steal. Devin Harris.