John Smallwood is an award-winning sports columnist for the Daily News. He came to the newspaper in 1994 as the beat writer for Villanova. He served in that role for less than two years before being promoted to general columnist in September 1995. As a columnist, he has covered the NBA Finals since 1996, the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2005 Super Bowl, several NCAA Men's and Women's Final Fours and College Football National Championship Games. He regularly offers commentary on sports, focusing on the Philadelphia region but not forgetting the rest of the sports world. A 1987 graduate of the University of Maryland, Smallwood previously worked at the Baltimore Sun, Roanoke Times & World-News (Va.), and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle (N.Y.) before coming to the Daily News. His columns appear several times a week in the Daily News. He can be reached at (215) 854-5700 or smallwj@phillynews.com.
Email John at smallwj@phillynews.com
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John SmallwoodNo rookie wall for Read
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John Smallwood: Matt Read wasn't going to acknowledge that he could not wait for February to end. The Flyers rookie puts little credence in the thing commonly referred to as the "rookie wall."
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John SmallwoodSixers' reruns not entertaining
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John Smallwood: What happened to the Sixers last night was virtually the same thing that's happened almost every time they have come up against a top team. The talent gap is just too wide to bridge.
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John SmallwoodPlayoff expansion spells excitement
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John Smallwood: It looks as if MLB will soon expand its playoffs from eight to 10 teams. I'm all for it. I don't see how adding another wild card for a one-game playoff diminishes the regular season.
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John SmallwoodStage set for NBA's second half
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John Smallwood: The NBA All-Star break is considered the midway point only in theory. Still it's close enough to reflect on the first half of the season and set the stage for the second.
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John SmallwoodDo as Shaq says, not as he did
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John Smallwood: If Shaq meant to say on a conference call this week that it would be a "tragedy" if Dwight Howard were to leave the city for a brighter NBA spotlight, that's fine. It's also hypocrisy.
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John SmallwoodLock up Cole Hamels now
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John Smallwood: Since team president David Montgomery said that he doesn't "think it's difficult" to get a long-term deal done with Cole Hamels, the Phillies just need to do it.
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John SmallwoodSixers show they've learned
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John Smallwood: The 76ers' win over the Lakers represented about a quarter of a season's worth of growth in three days. This was all about a team growing up, building confidence and not quitting on itself.
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John SmallwoodLove him or hate him, Kobe's one of us
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John Smallwood: Though he's played his entire career for the Lakers, Kobe Bryant should be a revered son of Philly. But he's not.
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John SmallwoodConvinced by the 76ers?
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John Smallwood: This is the stretch a lot of fans said they have been waiting for. The Sixers started it off by doing the same things they've been doing for most of the season.
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John SmallwoodEagles should fly to Peyton
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John Smallwood: If the Eagles truly are the risk-takers and innovators that Jeffrey Lurie continually claims they are, they should sign Peyton Manning if he becomes available.
