Biography
Brian Schmitz is the longest-tenured member of the Sentinel's sports staff, having left the Midwest chill to join the paper in 1975 upon graduating from the University of Iowa. He currently covers the Orlando Magic, a beat he inherited four years ago. Schmitz served as a columnist for 13 years at the Sentinel, earning various writing awards. During his career, Schmitz has covered 22 Super Bowls, 12 World Series, eight NBA Finals, five Olympics, various championship boxing matches as well as Florida, FSU and the Miami Dolphins.
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A closer look at teams the Orlando Magic could emulate to get back to NBA playoffs
May 3, 2013
Obviously, Magic fans have known for some time — say, since January — that the club was not going to receive a postseason invitation. (Thanks again, Dwight.)
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Magic will send lucky charm Pat Williams to NBA lottery
April 26, 2013
Magic fans should have been worried about the possibility of another loss.
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Cautious Magic won't rule out Noel
April 19, 2013
Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan has not taken a risk to acquire players with injury histories, such as Andrew Bynum and Jared Sullinger, but don't automatically cross off the name of Nerlens Noel.
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Magic veterans could be vulnerable
April 18, 2013
Power forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis nodded toward the large white banner with the blue border that hangs high on a wall at the Amway Center practice facility. The banner heralds the Magic's 2008-09 Eastern Conference title.
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1st season without Dwight painful
April 15, 2013
And so my dear Magic faithful, that's that.
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Magic need to repeat. Uh, what?
April 13, 2013
The Magic will finish with either the worst — or second-to-worst — record in the NBA.
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No reason to shed tears for J.J.
April 10, 2013
A creature of habit who lives by a day-planner, J.J. Redick didn't want anything to throw him in his return Wednesday night.
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J.J.'s return worthy of a standing O
April 9, 2013
Funny, but when J.J. Redick's name is announced Wednesday night, he'll hear something very different on the road: Cheers.
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Updates for the Orlando Magic's 'We Will' slogan
April 5, 2013
Rebuilding and realizing they might get beat up this season, the Magic created an upbeat slogan: We Will.
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Magic's Al Harrington has no plans to retire
March 29, 2013
Magic F Al Harrington didn't endure a grueling comeback to disappear into the shadows.
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Lottery could impact Magic starters
March 16, 2013
Pardon their dust. The Magic are a young team under construction.
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Magic tradition sadly continues
March 12, 2013
There was plenty of Hack-A-Howard, even more Hate-A-Howard.
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Dwight return to echo Shaq's: Booooo!
March 11, 2013
Dwight Howard has followed Shaquille O'Neal's NBA blueprint most of his career. He has taken on Shaq's Superman persona, clanked free throws, delved into the entertainment world and left the Magic behind for the L.A. Lakers.
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Hearing advice from 'Ice'
March 10, 2013
The text messages or phone calls to Magic power forward Tobias Harris come weekly from the legend.
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Magic's Nik Vucevic heading for a big payday
March 8, 2013
Moments after he had demolished the Heat again, Magic center Nik Vucevic knew he had left an impression on the defending champions Wednesday night. The King came calling.
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Magic must wait on Heat era to run its course
March 5, 2013
MIAMI – The Magic might well get steamrolled here on Wednesday night, serving as the Miami Heat's 16th consecutive victim. They are light years -- certainly Dwight years -- from threatening the Heat's dominance, if not their pending dynasty.
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Time to see Tobias as a starter
March 3, 2013
It's one thing when a young player replaces a well-worn veteran for a rebuilding team.
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Mom helped 'coach' Magic's Lamb
March 1, 2013
Mother knows best. Just ask new Magic guard Doron Lamb.
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No need to 'wait for next season'
February 27, 2013
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I'd like to introduce next season's Orlando Magic.
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Young, inexperienced Magic lineup gives it the old college try
February 23, 2013
A few more transactions, and the Magic will be ready to qualify for March Madness.
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Best thing for Bucks? Keep J.J.
February 22, 2013
The best thing for the Milwaukee Bucks is if they can persuade J.J. Redick to become a fan of ice fishing and stay for a while.
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Magic trade Redick as part of rebuilding
February 21, 2013
The tremor felt in Orlando was another aftershock of the Dwightmare.
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Magic look lottery-deserving
February 19, 2013
The latest installment of the Ping-Pong Ball Invitational was held Tuesday night at Amway Center.
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Small ball changes NBA All-Star Game
February 15, 2013
The center position in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game has gone the way of the phone book, lickable stamps and folding road maps — things we have no use for anymore.
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End of road in Orlando for Turk
February 13, 2013
Hedo Turkoglu didn't have firm footing in the Magic's future as it was.
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Hennigan proving value as talent scout
February 10, 2013
As we're seeing, Magic GM Rob Hennigan already has had a pretty decent draft — and his team isn't even on the clock until June 27.
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Tanking – or whatever it is – can pay off
February 9, 2013
After the all-star break, the Magic might hear questions about improving their defense, getting to the line, limiting turnovers and … whether they're really trying to win.
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Hill ready to retire after season
February 6, 2013
On Wednesday night, the Magic and their fans saw the last of Grant Hill, who they didn't see much of during his star-crossed career here.
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Magic fans facing more misery
February 1, 2013
The Magic are in the midst of one of their all-time losing ruts, and they've again lost Glen Davis. They need to shut down Big Baby for the season and develop their young'uns, turning to 2013-14.
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Coach cools J.J. when Pistons couldn't
January 27, 2013
Forgive me my press passes. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe Jacque Vaughn was right after all:
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Vaughn has passed first-half test as coach
January 26, 2013
Their record at the turn tells us the Magic are a bad basketball team, losing games at an alarming rate. You'll just never hear Jacque Vaughn confirm it.
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Lakers' melodrama tops midseason review
January 25, 2013
It's always amazing and amusing when players on bad teams are holding team meetings to air out their differences – at midseason.
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Vucevic must be Magic's center of attention
January 24, 2013
For eight seasons everything evolved and revolved around Dwight Howard.
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Players try to deal with trade-rumor mill
January 20, 2013
Among other things, Jacque Vaughn has dealt with injuries, rookies and a 10-game losing streak in his first season as a head coach. He also noticed along the way that he did not have Dwight Howard.
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The Magic's trade deadline history has been colorful
January 18, 2013
The NBA's Hot Stove League is heating up, but the trade winds mostly leave players cold. With the Feb. 21 deadline looming, it is an uncomfortable time of year.
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Big Baby takes football attitude to court
January 16, 2013
The question was whether the shoulder of Magic power forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis could hold up to contact.
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Atkins giving his old school a lift
January 11, 2013
You could hear the coach's booming voice outside the dressing room, challenging his players behind locked doors.
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Dwight needs to sit tight
January 5, 2013
Déjà Dwight?
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Magic want to avoid character issues
January 4, 2013
If you haven't noticed, it's all rainbows and gumdrops for the post-Dwight Howard Magic.
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Ish's wish comes true
January 2, 2013
Ishmael "Ish" Smith had to make it to the NBA the hard way, as if he knew any other way.
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Vucevic delivers big Dwight Lite board impression | Video
January 1, 2013
The Magic played the defending champion Heat for the first time since Nik Vucevic left in that nasty trade saga.
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Magic at a loss without Big Baby
December 29, 2012
The Magic's MVP at this point of the season is a guy who isn't playing and hasn't scored a point the past five games. A 290-pound ghost.
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Magic's winning ways take drama out of lottery
December 28, 2012
Well, it's obvious to see what the Magic have accomplished so far: They've taken any suspense out of their participation in the NBA draft lottery … by winning. Winning way too much already.
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New Magic nothing like old Magic
December 26, 2012
The Magic have completed a calendar year of basketball (thanks to the lockout) that has gone from being the weirdest and wildest to the calmest and most composed.
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Dear Santa: Cure cancer, please?
December 23, 2012
"Dear Santa,
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Anderson still mourns late teammate
December 21, 2012
Former Magic star Nick Anderson doesn't need to see a TV special to remember his beloved high school teammate, Ben "Benji" Wilson.
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Trade talk: J.J. Redick is a keeper
December 19, 2012
The last thing Magic fans probably want to hear is trade talk.
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Sandy Hook tragedy sent "chill" through Nelson
December 17, 2012
Jameer Nelson headed home from work Monday morning and later planned to pick up his kids from school.
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Harkless decision backs rebuilding plan
December 14, 2012
The Magic chose tomorrow over today when they made the decision to keep rookie small forward Maurice Harkless in the starting lineup.
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Andrew Nicholson is letting game do the talking
December 12, 2012
Sure, some players say they let their game do the talking.
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New Orleans' proposed Pelicans' name is for the birds
December 7, 2012
The latest dispute in the NBA is for the birds.
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Stern did the right thing, Pop deserved fine for flopping
November 30, 2012
This just in: The Rolling Stones announced they are holding out Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood for next Saturday's concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. They're old and tired, and have been on the road forever, you see.
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Magic GM's next move his biggest
November 28, 2012
He isn't recognized as the Wizard of Orlando yet, but pay attention to the man behind the curtain.
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Big Baby pins Celtics loss on himself
November 25, 2012
Glen Davis took a hard spill last Friday night and, luckily, all he hurt was his pride.
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Freethrows still aren't free for Dwight Howard
November 23, 2012
Here's a sentence that was never, ever written in the last eight years:
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Sweet kid helps troops
November 21, 2012
Around Halloween, Trinity Prep junior Andrew Weinstock collected 10,400 pounds of candy, overrunning his parents' house with the likes of Snickers bars and M&Ms.
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Time for Magic to start Harkless
November 16, 2012
Even though the Magic point toward the future, there's no time like the present to start teenage rookie Maurice Harkless.
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Magic can play spoiler role
November 13, 2012
For the past five seasons or so, when all things seemed possible with Dwight Howard, there's one thing you could never call the Magic:
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Reality of rebuilding sets in on Magic
November 13, 2012
If rebuilding is a headache, reality is a heartache.
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Net result for Brooklyn: No Dwight
November 9, 2012
As far as we know, Dwight Howard was an innocent bystander in Mike Brown's demise. No fingerprints have surfaced. And at least nothing was caught on tape to file next to his YouTube classic with Stan Van Gundy.
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Magic revel in underdog role
November 4, 2012
OK, we get it.
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Big Baby: 'This is what I've waited for'
November 2, 2012
Among other things, Glen "Big Baby" Davis' new-found patience will be tested this season. He has a championship ring from his days with the Celtics and, naturally, abhors losing.
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Magic's future tied to Harkless
October 30, 2012
The Magic's future is 19 years old, didn't take basketball seriously until high school and still calls his mother "mommy."
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Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel
October 28, 2012
Let's do the math:
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We tip-off NBA season with predictions
October 26, 2012
The NBA will open the regular season on Tuesday, a prediction you couldn't have made last season at this time.
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Bathing glove? It's Orlando Magic rookie initiation
October 21, 2012
Being a rookie in the NBA is tough enough. You don't want to have to run around town to find a teammate a bathing glove, too.
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NBA cracks down on high-fiving slowpokes
October 19, 2012
Sounds counterintuitive: The NBA creating a rule to speed up the game of basketball.
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Look for Nikola Vucevic to take Dwight's job
October 5, 2012
Reality hits the Magic and their fans Sunday in Mexico, square in the la cara (face).
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NBA stars oppose Olympic age limit
July 21, 2012
Kobe Bryant called NBA Commissioner David Stern's idea of a 23-and-younger age limit for Team USA in future Olympics "stupid."
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Solution for Dwight dilemma: Go to Hollywood
July 14, 2012
Dwight Howard's theme music ought to be "I love L.A."
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Jameer Nelson was surest option for Orlando Magic
July 7, 2012
Like it or not, the Magic are Jameer Nelson's team now.
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Monty Williams due some heartwarming luck
June 2, 2012
The thought crosses former Magic forward Monty Williams' mind from time to time. He can't escape it.
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Dwight's tattered image needs wins
May 26, 2012
There's really only one way Dwight Howard can clean up this oil spill on his image as a coach-killing conspirator and wrecking-ball flip-flopper.
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Magic's off-season plate overloaded
May 19, 2012
Never in the 23-year history of the Magic franchise has ownership had so much on its off-season plate.
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Without Dwight Howard, Magic-Pacers deserves an asterisk
May 5, 2012
The Pacers are saying what the Magic already know.
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Former Magic GM John Gabriel battling Parkinson's
April 28, 2012
John Gabriel was reading a magazine article when he noticed his ring finger quivering again.
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Magic lose identity to scalpel
April 21, 2012
Next weekend we'll watch a Stan Van Gundy team we've never seen before in a Magic playoff series.
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Magic sure to face more hard knocks
April 7, 2012
The Magic are producing an NBA reality show. They just didn't announce it before the season.
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Otis Smith preaches family first with Magic
April 1, 2012
Otis Smith stood outside the Magic's lockeroom 90 minutes before Sunday's game, wearing a motorcycle-themed T-shirt, ballcap and jeans.
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Magic's Adonal Foyle: General manager in training
March 31, 2012
Adonal Foyle sees one problem after another appear on Otis Smith's plate, and he questions the sanity of his chosen career path.
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Magic's best move: Hanging on to Howard
March 3, 2012
For the longest time, Dwight Howard has been looking for reasons to leave.
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Brian Schmitz: Tough guy Liggins overcomes tragedy
February 11, 2012
Rookie DeAndre Liggins didn't feel well and left the Magic's morning shootaround Friday at Amway Center. Hours later, he was back at it, working on a jump shot you'll never see this season before the club faced the Atlanta Hawks.
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Dwight Howard's trade plan: It's complicated
January 7, 2012
The truest mission statement for the Magic is not about winning a title this season.
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Heat lead series 1-0, but Magic are out to get even
November 23, 2010
Everything was great for the Miami Heat until they moved onto the basketball portion of the program.
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Visiting an old friend, Amway Arena
October 1, 2010
While the celebration of the new place was going on up the street, the old place was eerily quiet.
