(making sure the Portaloos were set up, earlier this afternoon)
I’m on my way to Trailer Space, so Da Bears and Brett Favre will have to play out the string without me. As for the MPC Computers Bowl, that’s OK. I’m sure everything will be a ghastly blue color in about 6 hours.
Wherever you are and whatever you’re up to, have a terrific night. And thanks for a fun year.
Apparently, 7 bowl appearances in 8 seasons (after a 12 year drought) wasn’t good enough for University Of Minnesota head coach Glen Mason to keep his job. Of course, there’s the small matter of blowing a 31 point 3rd quarter lead to Michael Lewis Texas Tech, but all if coaches were held responsible for their teams’ utter lack of poise, Tom Coughlin would’ve been fired weeks ago.
It took a pair of INT-tossing Jays to make Walt Harris’ day in Denver, and the Broncos’ red zone woes are hard to fathom. There’s at least one New York Post columnist who’d like to blame it on Carmelo Anthony’s tattoos, but I’ll let him write his own column.
With nothing to play for except a paycheck pride in Philly, the Falcons have sat Michael Vick in favor of Matt “Stump The” Schaub, as the host Iggles cling to a 24-17 lead with 4:41 remaining. As such, I feel very safe in congratulating Jon Solomon for his decisive championship win in the Don’t Worry, It’s Only A Bruise league. Jon, I’ll need your shipping address. There’s a particularly cruddy trophy with your name on it.
All season long, I’ve been mocking Motown’s Roy Williams for his insistence that nobody knew how close the Lions came to hanging 40 points on the Seahawks in Week 1 (they lost, 9-6). So it would kind of figure that the 2-13 Lions would come into Irving and light up Dallas for 39. The Cowboys will limp into the playoffs having lost their last 3 home games, and while I didn’t stick around to watch the post-game wrap, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re still trying to scrape Tony Romo off the carpet after his failed QB draw in the final seconds.
Williams and teammate Mike Furrey made John Kitna look super impressive — which isn’t easy if you’ve ever seen Kitna with his helmet off.
As the Patriots put an end to Tennessee’s slim playoff chances, I’m hopeful that a) Vince Young beats out a ridiculously strong Rookie Of The Year field and b) we’ve seen Vinny Testaverde throw his final TD pass.
A missed FG at the death knell by Cincy’s Shane Graham spared the defending champs the blushes of a losing season, along with shutting the door on the hosts’ postseason hopes. Biker Ben and Santonio Holmes hooked up for a 67 yard TD pass in OT to give Pittsburgh a 23-16 win, possibly the last time we’ll see Bill Cowher celebrating a Steelers victory.
When the season began, I’ll admit I was super skeptical about the Jets’ chances. They’d lost Curtis Martin for the year, Chad Pennington was coming back from injury, and while rookie coach Eric Mangini (above) was terrific in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, who knew if he was ready for such a huge challenge? So with all that in mind, congrats to Gang Green on punching their playoff ticket with today’s 23-3 defeat of Oakland, thus ensuring some incredibly anguished sounds eminating from Joe Benigno Gazingo’s microphone a week from tomorrow.
From the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Dwain Price.
Mark Cuban has a kinship with Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley because both received their ownership papers April 11, 2000.
Thus, when Heisley recently announced that he was selling the Grizzlies, it affected Cuban. On Saturday night, the Mavs owner responded in usual fashion.
“At David Stern University, we learn that it’s not about individual jobs,” Cuban said. “It’s about a 50-year-plus tradition.
“We’re setting a history of getting it right, and sometimes sacrifices are made. Pau [Gasol, who had a foot injury earlier this season] gives up his foot, Michael gives up his franchise, [recently fired coach Mike] Fratello gives up his job, but NBC gets great ratings at the Olympics.
“What more can you ask for? That’s what we learn at David Stern University.”
…particularly, broadcasters in the Dallas /Ft. Worth Area.
Tom Landry Face, indeed.
While tossing a few barbs in the direction of Miami’s James Posey (”he mostly hits guys from behind, so it’s not like he has toughened up. More likely he has watched Bill Laimbeer tapes,”), the Chicago Tribune’s Sam Smith wonders what happened to the NBA’s old style of physical play.
The fact is, there aren’t many dirty players in the NBA anymore because it’s too costly to be dirty.
Heck, guys used to be proud of being dirty players. The Pistons’ Laimbeer especially, though he was the face of NBA evil and well beyond being respectably dirty, like Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland, known as McFilthy and McNasty when they played for the Washington Bullets and opponents finished layups on their back.
Old school, they called it then, and there was a difference, as in all sports today. Players weren’t as big and strong, and they didn’t work out like they do now, so the collisions weren’t as violent. Take a look at some of the old game films. Even most of the strong guys were skinny by today’s standards.
But the money became obscene, at least to us, and image became a concern to the NBA, so draconian measures were put in place. Hit someone, fight, you could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars and your career.
So no one is truly that Laimbeer-dirty anymore.
There was a transition to this era through Karl Malone, John Stockton and Charles Oakley, some of the names you heard players complain about most often in the 1990s. Pat Riley, the current Heat coach, also came in for some blame—he had Oakley, John Starks and Anthony Mason wreaking havoc in New York. Many say Riley’s demands create an atmosphere for such mayhem and cite Posey, though I disagree. It’s like blaming Chuck Daly for the Bad Boys.
Or Gregg Popovich for Bruce Bowen. Bowen generally pops up on today’s dirty list after an early-season debate with Isiah Thomas and previous episodes with Vince Carter, Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton. Lakers coach Phil Jackson agreed, though Bowen always seemed to me more like Stockton.
Kobe Bryant’s 58 points in a triple OT loss to Charlotte Friday night might’ve caught your eye, but the New York Post’s Peter Vescey is quick to remind that whoever Kobe’s supposed to be guarding might be putting up gaudy numbers, too.
Gilbert Arenas scorched him up for the majority of his 60. Michael Redd scalded him for 45, Dwyane Wade fricasseed him for 40. Vince Carter barbecued him for 31 in three quarters before Maurice Evans came to his rescue. And Gerald Wallace and Matt Carroll (career high 27) combined to pan-sear him for 55.
I know, I know, Kobe’s surgically-repaired knee restricts his mobility, especially lateral movement. Then again, it didn’t seem to inhibit him from uncorking 45 field-goal attempts.
Jay Williams’ brief tenure with the D-League’s Austin Toros has come to an end. Williams was waived yesterday as Austin picked up BC’s Troy Bell (above), the 16th overall pick in the ‘03 NBA Draft, and a guard whose resume includes cups of coffee with the Grizzlies and Hornets.
Reminding one and all the Red Sox failed to acquire Mike Gonzalez, Chad Cordero or Brad Lidge this offseason (nor Eric Gagne), the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo addresses a glaring hole in the Fenway bullpen.
Barring a closer falling from the sky, there exists a tremendous opportunity for someone on the current staff to be on the ground floor of a profitable career. If this sounds like the 2003 season, when the pertinent phrase was “closer by committee,” that’s true, but this time there appear to be more options.
More than one executive at the winter meetings wondered whether Boston would turn back to Papelbon if he shows that, with a healed shoulder, he can take the up-and-down and pitching three or four times a week.
Short of that, the candidates are Julian Tavarez, Brendan Donnelly, Mike Timlin, Craig Hansen, Manny Delcarmen, Devern Hansack, Runelvys Hernandez, and Edgar Martinez. And Reliever X thrown into the mix.
Who will graduate from Fort Myers to Boston and pitch the ninth inning?
If there were ever a time for Hansen to assume the role of “closer of the future,” it would be now. If there were a time and a place for Delcarmen to seize the moment, it would be now as well. Or if there were a time for Hansack to defy all odds and give the Sox a find of all finds, it is the present.
It appears that Tavarez (above, left) will get the greatest opportunity to take the job. Throughout his career, his stuff has been at times unhittable. Yet last season he was relegated to mop-up duty before the Sox used him in the rotation late in the season. Tavarez seemed to have a ball as a starter. He was happy again, thriving. Would he be the same if he’s given the closer job? He does, after all, thrive on adrenaline. He seems to get up for situations in which the team needs him. Let’s see.
“Of all the guys they have, I would think it would be Tavarez,” said one AL executive. “He’s got the mind-set for it. He’s actually done it in Pittsburgh [11 saves in 2003].”
The New York Daily News’ Bill Madden and Anthony McCarron report the proposed return of Randy Johnson to Arizona might hinge on the Snakes’ willingness to grant the Unit a contract extension.
The Diamondbacks, who already owe Johnson about $40 million in deferred money, apparently are looking for a way to factor some of that cash into the extension, the source said. Arizona also is trying to convince the Yankees to kick in some of Johnson’s $16 million salary for next season.
But if the Yankees are going to include money in the trade, they want at least three players back – either all bona fide prospects or two top prospects and a major leaguer who would help them this year, another baseball official said.
The Yankees have targeted three young pitchers in Arizona’s talent-filled system – Dustin Nippert, Micah Owings and Ross Ohlendorf, all righthanders. Some published reports have them also liking righty reliever Brandon Medders, who has gone 9-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 87 games over the last two seasons.
Faith & Fear In Flushing’s Greg Prince has picked his Top 500 Songs Of All Time, and with apologies to Ronald Thomas Clonte, this might be the ultimate argument starter. Where’s Bobby Soxx’s “Learn To Hate (In The 80’s)”?
It’s nice that the New York Post’s Phil Mushnick is the last man in the sports media biz with a conscience. But it might be equally useful if he actually paid attention every now and then.
One of 2006’s most remarkable happenstances was that the sports media, for the most part, wasn’t particularly shocked by gun stories.
That a starting NFL lineman – the Bears’ Tank Johnson – was arrested for a second time with an assortment of assault rifles, and that his bodyguard and close friend, a man with felony convictions for drugs and guns, was shot dead by a reputed gang member – with Johnson nearby during an early morning nightclub hassle – should have made huge news outside of Chicago.
But it didn’t.
Could it be that the media have become numb to such news? Or is it that we lack the stomach for it?
Or could it be that the story in question did receive major coverage —- in print, online, on television and yack radio — and Phil would have us believe otherwise in order to promote his tired “the world is going to hell” spiel?
Likewise, Mushnick claims that Carmelo Anthony’s cameo in the infamous Baltimore “Stop Snitching” DVD (”a homemade rap video”, according to Phil) was “an under-played story.”
Simply googling “Tank Johnson guns” or “Carmelo Anthony Stop Snitching” will reveal that neither story has escaped the notice of the news media. Johnson’s case, in particular, was sports radio fodder for days.
No Strahan, no Petitgout and the complete meltdown last week have finally convinced me. The young guys are worn out, the older guys either don’t care or are also worn out, and the rest… Some are hurt, some are retiring. And some aren’t that good, I guess.
Redskins 27, Giants 17. Then the real fun begins. – Arthur Staple, Newsday, December 30
Though Staple was hardly alone in making such a gloomy prediction, he failed, like so many others, to remember just how much the Giants can accomplish when Tiki Barber puts the team on his back.
And with that, I have to full credit to Colonel Coughlin for making the bold move in demoting offensive coordinator Jim Huffnagel and putting Kevin Gillbridge in charge of play calling earlier in the week. Clearly, the only way to restore Eli Manning’s confidence was to make sure he handed the ball to Tiki 25 times.
Fans in Atlanta, St. Louis and Carolina no longer have any reason to watch football this Sunday, but should be thrilled to learn the following classic is on Lifetime at 1pm :
Murder On Pleasant Drive : Based on a true story. When Fran Smith mysteriously disappears, her daughter Deanna and her sister Sherrie will stop at nothing to find her. Suspicion begins to fall on Fran’s husband John, and the two women are convinced he murdered their loved one, yet, without a body, there is no evidence a crime has been committed. With Sherrie’s assistance, Deanna embarks upon a tireless, 11-year quest, relentlessly investigating John’s past. But when they uncover a 25 year-old missing person’s case involving John’s first wife who also disappeared under mysterious circumstances, the case against him takes an unexpected turn. Starring: Adam Arkin, Kelli Williams, Amy Madigan.
(who needs football when you can bask in the thespian chops of Adam Arkin?)
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette’s Ed Bouchette lists the various reasons why Bill Cowher might be coaching his last game for the Steelers later today. I’m not sure which fact is more outrageous — that Cowher is paid half of what Mike Holmgren earns, or that The Chin’s salary next season is dwarfed by that of Aubrey Huff.
Boston College 25, Navy 24 (Meinke Car Care Bowl)
(the filth, the fury, the walk-on foot of Sid Vicious)
While stuck in traffic during the commute to San Antonio, I had to settle for the radio call of Matt Ryan and Steve Aponavicius’ late heroics. However, I did managed to stay glued to the CSTB couch long enough to pry my jaw off the floor as ESPN saw fit to give former B.C. coach Tom O’Brien a chance to explain his decision to bolt for N.C. State.
Apparently, the sideways move to another ACC school represented “a huge opportunity” for O’Brien, who was “knocked out” by the facilities in Raleigh during B.C.’s visits.
Even Judith Regan thought this was a huge turn-off.
Much as I enjoyed the traffic jam and all the projectile vomiting I witnessed in downtown San Antonio today, Georgia’s come from behind win over Virginia Tech was a close second on the thrill-o-meter. I liked it better when it was called the Peach Bowl, mostly because I have a problem with Chick-fil-A being closed on Sundays. G-d can’t stop me from buying a Peach on Sunday, but apparently he can prevent me from chewing on a breaded chicken sandwich. It doesn’t seem right.
Anyhow, if Frank Beamer is feeling bad this morning, it could be worse. He could be Glen Mason.
Alamo Bowl : Texas 26, Iowa 24
While I won’t make too much of Texas’ ability to hand Iowa their 6th loss in their last 7 games, it can safely be said that any worries about Colt McCoy’s physical condition were unfounded. And while this was largely a lost season for Drew Tate, he came awfully close to winning the Alamo Bowl for the Hawkeyes…and if you ask Kirk Ferentz, he was robbed.
With Iowa up, 14-3, A 2nd quarter TD pass from Tate to Scott Chandler was nullified when the latter was ruled an ineligble receiver. It shouldn’t be necessary for me to describe how bad my eyesight is (too many art films when I was young) but even I could read Ferentz’ lips from section 336. On the ensuing play, Tate was picked off in the end zone by Texas’ Aaron Ross (above).
Trailing 26-24 with about 3 minutes to play and taking possesion at midfield, the Hawkeyes merely needed to move the ball another 15-20 yards to set up a game winning field goal. Instead, what was probably meant to be a pass downfield by Dominque Douglas turned into a 9 yard loss when the Iowa WR was pulled down by Marcus Griffin.
Not to add too much insult to injury, but if this was Ferentz’ audition for the New York Giants gig, I think he flunked.
And on that note, with the Giants leading the Redskins, 20-7 at intermission, it certainly looks as though the New York media will have Tiki Barber (2 TD’s, 143 yards on 14 carries) to kick around some more, at least for another week.
Just the other day, a wise man pondered, “if (Barry) Zito can command a contract of such size and length, what’s Johan Santana going to be worth on the open market?”
OK, that’s not exactly what I asked. But either way, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s Patrick Reusse can read the writing on the wall.
Johan Santana became a full-time starter halfway through the 2003 season and has been baseball’s best since then. He will turn 28 in March. If he continues that excellence through 2008 and then becomes a free agent, he will be the first $200 million pitcher.
Goodbye, Twins. Hello, New York City.
There will be two options for General Manager Terry Ryan: A) Trade Torii Hunter this summer, no matter where the Twins are in the standings; or B) keep him for a potential pennant race, then allow Torii to leave as a free agent.
If Ryan goes with B, that would create an anguished scene for Twins followers during the next offseason. Hunter would be signing elsewhere at the same time Ryan was taking offers for Santana.
You can let Hunter leave as a free agent and get away with it. You can’t possibly do the same with Santana, perhaps the most valuable individual commodity in the game at the moment.
Johan will be dealt before the Twins report to spring training in 2008. That became a given when the Giants presented $18 million per year to Zito.
Darren Dreifort just muttered something about today’s starters being wildly overpaid.
(since there were no Rangers highlights worth showing, you’ll have to settle for this classic moment in recent Norwich history, instead)
If QPR’s visit to Norwich could be characterized as the Higsons vs. Pigbag, it’s fair to say the porridge eaters (with apologies to R. Hitchcock) came out on the better end. The Canaries captured the 3 points courtesy of Dion Dublin’s clinical finishing in the 69th minute, and with that, the R’s have now lost 7 of their last 8 and seem to be looking forward to trips to picturesque locales like Carlise and Yeovil Town next season.
Weirdly, Dublin’s goal came from a cross by Robbie Earnshaw, whose disappearing act while playing for Cardiff City against QPR in the 2003 playoff final led to an appearance by that match’s eventual hero, Andy Campbell.
A pair of goals by Cristano Ronaldo in Manchester United’s 3-2 defeat of Reading, coupled with a late equalizer by Fulham’s Carlos Bocanegra in the West London Derby combined to extended Manchester United’s Premiership lead over Chelsea to 6 points.
At the other end of the spectrum, a terrific header by Bryan Hughes in extra time gave Charlton Athletic a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, Allen Pardew’s first win since taking the reigns at the Valley.
In Saturday’s late game, a 41st minute strike by Christian Nade, his first in the English top flight, has provided Sheffield United with a 1-0 advantage over Arsenal. I can’t say my enjoyment of FSC’s telecast has been helped one bit by the halftime advertisements for the Midwest Center For Stress & Anxiety Inc. I truly feel as though Lucinda Bassett is looking right through me.
The New York Futile Giants could become the first team to finish the season 2-6 (or 1-7) and make the playoffs, a situation the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz describes as “either shameful or fortuitous or perhaps a little bit of both.” With tonight’s visit to DC marking Tiki Barber’s regular season finale and Big Blue’s last shot at redemption, save for backing in, the New York Daily News’ Ralph Vacchiano thinks Tom Coughlin’s a goner.
“You think the fans don’t like him?” one player said this week. “The players don’t like him, either. We’re tired of listening to him.”
After tonight, they may not have to listen to him much longer.
According to multiple sources in the organization, the Giants’ management team – headed by co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch – has grown increasingly frustrated with both the play of Coughlin’s team and the seemingly constant chaos that swirls around it. Mara and Tisch haven’t returned calls.
One source suggested the only thing that could save Coughlin is a very unlikely run to the NFC Championship Game. Another indicated it was possible that just one postseason win might do the job.
Vacchiano was on ESPN Radio late last night, picking the Redskins to prevail, sagely noting it’s 5-10 Washington who’ve played with the urgency of a club fighting for a playoff spot more recently than the Giants.
Rebuilding Year’s Josh Rosen may or may not be relieved to know that Coughlin is very much alive.
Easily Rattled Eli — already trying to make do without Armani Toomer, will have to get it done tonight sans the services of TE Jeremy Shockey. Whether or not an injured ankle will be enough to prevent Shockey from announcing Joe Gibbs outcoached Colonel Coughlin after the game, remains to be seen.
The Boston Globe’s Neil Reed reports that while newly acquired P Daisuke Matzusaka is already hawking Ashai Super Dry beer, dressed in Red Sox gear, he might be in line for an endorsement with a well-known New England firm.
Tom Manchester , director of sports marketing for Dunkin’ Donuts, said the company hasn’t officially negotiated for a Dice-K sponsorship, but would like to do an ad similar to those it did with Red Sox Curt Schilling , who in 2004 was cast by Dunkin’ listening to a book on tape to learn how to speak with a New England accent.
“The win for us would really be to introduce Dice-K to what New England runs on, and that’s Dunkin’ Donuts,” Manchester said. Dunkin’s sister company, Baskin-Robbins Inc., has more than 800 ice cream shops in Japan, so Matsuzaka could be a marketing asset to the company overseas. too.
I can only assume Manchester has seen the footage below, and he’s not troubled.
Perhaps in response to being dubbed “the best thing (baseball) has seen in a long time” by Scoop Jackson, the Phillies’ Ryan Howard is expecting a substantial raise writes the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes.
In what could be a significant move in the pursuit of a big payday, Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard has dismissed agent Larry Reynolds.
According to the Phillies, Howard, who won the 2006 National League MVP in his first full season, is looking for new representation. He has not informed the club who that will be, though he might be fortifying his camp with a higher-powered entity than Reynolds.
Whomever Howard chooses, the new agent can expect to deal with the Phillies relatively quickly, even though Howard will not be eligible for arbitration until after the 2007 season. Maybe he can get some of the cash the Phillies earmarked for the righthanded power hitter they failed to sign as his protection in the lineup.
Howard made $355,000 last season.
Though Reynolds’ website appears to be down, you can check out a cached version here.
According to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, the only thing holding up Randy Johnson’s return to Arizona is the matter of how much, if any, of the Unit’s salary the Yankees will be expected to eat.
The two sides have discussed more than 10 permutations, depending on the finances. The Yanks may budge on the money to continue their recent quest to inflate their farm system. Among Arizona’s most advanced pitching prospects, the Yanks favor Micah Owings, and also Dustin Nippert and Ross Ohlendorf.
…like pretentious broadsheet editorials and sweeping generalizations. Armed with a copy of Franklin Foer’s “How Soccer Explain The World”, the Independent’s Robert Fisk declares football and violence to be “mutually interchangable.”
Foer wades in at the deep end with a visit to Belgrade’s top- scoring Red Star, a team nurtured by Serbia’s equally top war criminal Arkan, who took his well-armed footballers down the Drina Valley in 1992 on an orgy of killing, plunder and mass rape. Arkan (above, right) drove a pink Cadillac and sported a football wife – the gorgeous retro singer Ceca (above, left) – whom he married in full Serb uniform. Red Star’s pre-war match against the Croatian Partizans – beloved of its fascist president Franjo Tudjman who had adorned the team he once led with wartime Ustashe icons – ended in a pitched battle.
It was Margaret Thatcher who famously described football hooligans as “a disgrace to civilised society” – the very words we later used about the murderers of Serbia. In Glasgow, Protestant supporters of Rangers would sit in separate stands – “We’re up to our knees in Fenian blood,” they would roar in unison – from fans of the Catholic Celtic football club.
Vandalism, assault and murder have now become so much a part of European football that it has become a habit. “Football fan shot dead after racist mob attack,” read a headline as I passed through Paris the other day. Typically, the story – of an off-duty French cop who killed a white supporter of the Paris Saint-Germain team as he screamed anti-Semitic insults while trying to murder a French Jewish fan of Israel’s Tel-Aviv’s Hapoel – was printed on page 27. It is quite normal, you see, for racist football fans to try to kill their opponents – and for the police to open fire.
I remember a more disturbing moment in the Middle East when I was investigating one of the many – and all too true – incidents of brutality by British soldiers against Iraqi prisoners. In a Basra hospital, I listened to a badly wounded ex-prisoner of the British Army as he described how his tormentors had entered the room in which he and his friends were being held.
“Before they assaulted us, your soldiers gave us all names – the names of world-famous footballers,” he said. “Then they started beating and kicking us until we screamed and begged for mercy. Why would they do that?”
Suns 56, Knicks 39 (halftime)
Wednesday’s triple OT defeat of the Pistons seems like a very distant memory for the Knicks this evening, as Steve Nash is running rings around Stephon Marbury, while noted Steph-sparring partner Kurt Thomas (above) has 10 points against his former club.
From the backhanded compliment file, the New York Post’s Peter Vescey pays tribute to Isiah Thomas’ shorthanded Knicks winning 4 of 5.
Thomas’ coaching noticeably improved the moment his rotation got shortened by suspensions and injuries, meaning fewer genius thoughts and fewer chances to cause substitution and situational slip-ups. That translates into happier and less inhibited (as well as lengthier) players. Their fear factor of being yanked has been greatly diminished. Minutes and roles are more consistent and clearer.
Thomas wasn’t the only one rooting against the fog ever lifting on the Baltimore tarmac. Surely that explains why Quentin Richardson’s therapy for back spasms is extended “Limbo” lessons. And some of you dared to believe Nate Robinson’s warning label states he’s an anti-coagulant.
Alas, the flaming five-game western swing to wring out the old and ring in the new begins tonight in Phoenix. If I’m Thomas, I’m twitching in apprehension; fans and the free media may expect more nights like Wednesday. This tends to be the case when your payroll hovers around the national debt and your team is wont to perform like a national disgrace.
The Daily News’ Frank Isola, while not printing playoff tickets just yet, prefers criticism of the more constructive variety.
The one thing Isiah Thomas learned in the aftermath of the brawl is that less is more. Marbury and Crawford should be the starting backcourt and Thomas should find a veteran backup –- an Anthony Johnson type –- who can play either position. The Knicks don’t need Steve Francis and he doesn’t want to be here anyway.
You have to wonder about where Nate Robinson fits in. I’ve never big on undersized guards and I’ve always felt that Earl Boykins is one of the most overrated players in the league. As a 12th man, Nate would give Isiah some insurance in the backcourt. Otherwise I would drop him from the rotation.
Since Isiah seems committed to using David Lee off the bench, Lee should be used to play all front court positions. His rebounding and hustle are the same intangibles that Charles Oakley and Marcus Camby once gave the Knicks.
Lee has been the team’s most important player to date, followed by Eddy Curry, Crawford and Marbury. Not surprisingly, those players have logged the most minutes this season.
The Nets received strong contributions from their big 3 of Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson (above) and Jason Kidd in tonight’s 91-81 defeat of the Heat, playing sans D-Wade and the suspended James Posey.
Stu Jackson can do whatever he wants to the latter, just so long as he doesn’t interfere with the cinematic career of James’ sister Parker.
Speaking of Flash, I suppose we’re all very lucky neither he nor members of his family were recruited to make a late season cameo on the Miami-based “Nip/Tuck”.
Basketbawful did a nice job of chronicling Al Harrington’s mohwak-mania, but neglects to mention that Al might’ve well been inspired by the early hair styles of his former Hawks coach, Terry “Richie” Stotts.
While “Pedro Martinez and Zito and even Jeff Suppan, (the Plan B who shocked everyone by signing with the Brewers) are just vapor in the Mets’ once-lofty plans,” the Bergen Record’s Bob Klapisch wonders just what sort of starting rotation the Mets’ Omar Minaya will cobble together.
The options are limited, unless you’re intrigued by free agent Jeff Weaver, who already failed once in New York, or a trade for Javier Vazquez (ditto) or think it’s worth being fleeced by Billy Beane just to pry Rich Harden away from the A’s.
Minaya has been sweet-talking Beane in recent weeks. Give him credit for at least trying. The two spoke 10 days ago, when Minaya again tried to persuade the A’s to take Aaron Heilman and Lastings Milledge for Harden. Beane wouldn’t budge. By telephone Thursday, the GM said, “We have some personnel here that would be difficult for us to consider moving.” In not so many words, Beane told the Mets it would take Milledge, Philip Humber (above) or Mike Pelfrey and Carlos Gomez, a 20-year-old can’t-miss prospect, to complete a deal for Harden or even Dan Haren.
The Mets knew there was no competing with the Giants’ cash, not at $18 million a year. The Wilpon family and Minaya decided Zito simply wasn’t worth that much. One GM said, “This is one time Omar realized something we all try to remember in this business, there’s always another star who’ll be available. It’s never about one guy.”
But will that restraint mean anything next summer, when half the rotation is decomposing, and the bullpen is burned out by July? The Mets have every right to feel good about the money they saved Thursday, but in the heat of a pennant race, cash is no substitute for wins. The scouting report for the ‘07 Mets is already in: They had better hit.
Always Amazin’s Ryan McConnell is pretty satisfied that long-term, the Mets have dodged a bullet.
I’m appreciative that Omar Minaya isn’t Steve Phillips. Much like Bobby Bonilla’s deal with the Mets in ‘92, Zito’s deal with the Giants is astoundingly bad; it’s the type of contract that not only throws the market completely out of whack, but cripples a team’s financial flexibility for years to come. While Zito’s a solid pitcher and I’m disappointed he won’t be playing for the Mets, I have little doubt that passing on him will be the right decision for the future of the franchise. Resisting the “win now” mentality isn’t easy, especially in New York. But it’s these kinds of decisions that make a decade-long dynasty more possible.
Much as it pains me to write the following, the notion of bring Steve Traschel back to the Mets is not only inoffensive in light of recent events, it might even be downright prudent (assuming Traschel isn’t looking for Jeff Suppan money, and if he was, we’d have probably heard about it by now). The single/seperated life led to a career year in ‘06 for Paul Lo Duca, so perhaps Traschel and Captain Red Ass can room together?
SI.com’s Jon Heyman casts an obstinate no way (Jose) vote against Mark McGwire’s Hall of Fame candidacy (”With eight years to learn and reflect, there’s almost no doubt in my mind McGwire was not only artificially enhanced but that he was more enhanced than just about anyone else,”), and I for one, am completely stunned. How did Heyman get a ballot?
I don’t know when or if the former Pride Of Peabody, MA, Jeff Allison will be making his Yard Work debut. But he’ll have to try pretty hard to live up to the standard set by Shea Hillenbrand.
Michael Jordan and his wife of 17 years, Juanita, filed for divorce today.
Deadspin’s A.J. Daulerio, showing all the charm and panache of A.J. Benza, marked the occasion by observing, “those rustling noises you hear are the sounds of millions of opportunistic vaginas twitching simultaneously.”
A pop psychologist could have a field day with that particular statement. But if Daulerio can fashion a vocation out of pandering to a readership that actually believes there’s such thing as an opportunistic vagina, best of fucking luck to him.
And best of luck to Michael Jordan. Presumably, putting this chapter behind him was the only thing preventing MJ from making the Bobcats every bit as successful as he made the Wizards.
(finally, some year-end accolades for these two hard working broadcasters)
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from “‘Tits Out Teenage Terror Totty” author / Philly exile Steven Wells, and his final column of 2006 for the Guardian tackles a subject near and dear to many of our hearts (even if it’s been rehashed a thousand times) : ABC and ESPN’s painful coverage of the 2006 World Cup.
The Best We’re Not-in-Islington-Now-Toto Moment Award goes to … ABC/ESPN for explaining that “Ecuador are the Denver Broncos of world soccer.” This beat out literally hundreds of other entries, including: “If this was basketball, it’d be like Shaq vs. Kobe”; “Trinidad & Tobago – The George Mason of the World Cup”; “Is he going to use the driver or the pitching wedge?”; “Wayne Rooney is a little bit like an American linebacker”; “Nakata is the Terrell Owens of this Japanese team”; and “Australia don’t have many men on the end line”.
The Worstest Soccer Commentator Ever Award … goes to ABC/ESPN’s Marcelo Balboa for starting every single freaking sentence with “You know what?” and his relentless excusing of every single bit of diving, cheating and time-wasting as “part of the game”. Never has the Wells TV screen come so close to being booted in so many times.
The First Ever Ian St John Award for the Most Improved Commentator of the World Cup 2006 goes to … (hushed silence) … former play-by-play announcer for baseball’s Florida Marlins and New York Mets – ABC/ESPN’s David O’Brien (ecstatic applause). Dave started the tournament defending ABC/ESPN’ s deliberate dumbing-down policy and alienating every single soccer fan in America by calling them an “antsy mean-spirited … petulant little clique”. But after receiving an avalanche of antsy, mean-spirited and petulant criticism, (”When the US team boards a plane to head home in disgrace, O’Brien should be handing out the peanuts on the flight” – Tom Hoffarth, LA Daily News), O’Brien relented, easing up on the “volume of items” (the non-stop barrage of “facts” of the sort used to fill the long aching gaps between adverts in televised baseball) in favour of more “foot-to-foot action”. Well done that man.
From the San Diego Union Tribune’s Garance Burke.
Ghost riding the whip” – a stunt in which a driver gets out of his car and dances around and on top of the slowly moving vehicle to a thumping hip-hop beat – has gotten at least two people killed, led to numerous injuries and alarmed police on the West Coast and beyond.
A fad among devotees of a West Coast strain of hip-hop music called “hyphy,” the stunt has been celebrated in song and performed in numerous homemade videos posted on YouTube.
“It did not take Einstein to look at this thing and say this was a recipe for disaster,” said Pete Smith, a police spokesman in Stockton. “We could see the potential for great injury or death.”
Earlier this month, Davender Gulley, a ghost-riding 18-year-old, died after his head slammed into a parked car while he was hanging out the window of an SUV in Stockton, police said. In October, a 36-year-old man dancing on top of a moving car fell off, hit his head and died in what authorities said was Canada’s first ghost riding fatality.
Hyphy was born in the San Francisco Bay cities of Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo in the late 1990s, and devotees often hold late-night car rallies called “sideshows” where crowds perform risky stunts, including ghost riding.
“Ghost riding” refers to the absence of a driver. “The whip” is urban slang for your car. Typically, the driver drops the car into neutral and dances around and on top of the vehicle while it inches forward.
Sometimes it is a solo act; sometimes a half-dozen or more passengers get out and dance, too. The stunt is usually performed late at night, on a deserted road or in a parking lot.
The Vallejo-bred rapper E-40 introduced mainstream listeners to ghost riding with the single “Tell Me When to Go,” whose lyrics describe how to pull it off. Another single, “Ghostride It,” by Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B., offers a step-by-step guide: “Pull up. Hop out, all in one motion. Dancing on the hood, while the car still rollin’.”
Alan Vega, unavailable for comment?
From the AP (link swiped from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory) :
The former owner of the Hagerstown Suns has acknowledged that the minor-league baseball club was at fault when two patrons were served french fries doused with oven cleaner.
(not so bad with a dash of paprika, by the way)
Still to be determined in a lawsuit against the owner is whether the ballpark visitors were injured from eating the fries, as they claim, and whether they are due compensation.
Big Game Maryland LLC admitted in a stipulated agreement filed in Washington County Circuit Court Dec. 19 that it breached a duty owed to plaintiffs Stephen Parrotte and Brian L. Marquiss, both of Hagerstown.
The plaintiffs claim they ordered vinegar on their fries at a game in Municipal Stadium on April 24, 2003, and instead were served fries inadvertently doused with oven cleaner from an unmarked plastic jug. They claim to have suffered serious, permanent injuries from eating the fries.
I’m not sure which part of this story is more surprising, that someone in Maryland wants vinegar on their fries or that the Suns ever cleaned their ovens.
The Dallas Morning News’ Tim Colishaw insists “Texas fans should embrace the Giants’ decision to lure Zito across the Bay Bridge with a seven-year, $126-million contract. The Rangers have a better chance of becoming the best team on paper in the West (they are close right now) without Zito at $18 million per year than with him.”
By that logic, it seems only fair the Rangers should pay some portion of Zito’s salary.
Christmas greetings from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedineja (link swiped from Boing Boing)
Frankly, if Jesus Christ – the Messiah (peace be upon Him) was present today, how would He react? And whom would He stand with and against?
If Jesus Christ (peace be upon Him) was present today, he would order an encounter against those who would propagate corruption, obscenity and perversion, and try to nullify and exterminate the merits and the rights of women and diminish their position – a position that virgin Mary (peace be upon Her) – is their role model and sample.
Considering that Peter Davis once sent me an Xmas card of Santa shooting up, this might not be the worst holiday greeting of all time.
It’s well established that the New York Post’s Phil Mushnick is an veteran ambulance chaser. These days, however, he’s following the meat wagon in a Rascal.
Later in the second quarter (during Monday’s Jets/Dolphins game), ESPN’s Steve Young, this week’s special in-booth guest/needless distraction, was asked to assess Miami’s QB situation. He suggested injured Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper lacks dedication. “I see where he’s been missing meetings,” said Young.
In the fourth quarter, after Culpepper, who heard Young’s comment, confronted Young off-air to tell him that he doesn’t know what he’s talking (to a national audience) about – he had not missed any team meetings other than when he had knee surgery – Theismann issued a clarification on Young’s behalf.
That, too, is typical of the new ESPN, where ex-star players are hired by the ton, then thrown on national TV to say anything about anyone, no accountability needed, as if it’s one big blog. Last year, Young declared that Chris Simms was disadvantaged by his soft upbringing, which not only enraged Chris’s dad, Phil, it was a terrible guess presented as insight.
Actually, Phil, if it was one big blog, there might’ve been a note about said incident (or a reference to Young’s earlier remarks), within, say, 24 hours of the shit going down. And if it were one big blog, chances are, the reporter or news organization that first brought the Culpepper/Young confrontation to light would’ve been credited
But that’s our Phil — always quick to bash the fuck out of the Worldwide Leader when they take credit for a story someone else broke, but loathe to acknowledge he’s commenting on “news” that’s all but done and dusted for anyone with an internet connection.
(Slipknot, bitterly disappointed over the dis from Kelso)
Perhaps ignoring the contributions of Tom Harkin, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Johnny Carson, John Wayne and, uh, Tom Arnold, the Springfield Shopper’s Austin American-Statesman’s resident curmudgeon John Kelso has little nice to say about the state of Iowa.
I had a chance to go to the Alamo Bowl Saturday in San Antonio to watch Texas play Iowa, but I decided to go to Amarillo instead.
You’d be better off staying home and flogging yourself.
Not only did Iowa finish 6-6 and lose its last five games, the entire state of Iowa just isn’t very interesting. Iowa is the Indian word meaning, “How ’bout some corn?”
Iowa is the spot where they hold the Iowa caucuses, where the process of picking the next president begins. And look what good that’s done us lately.
Then there’s the Alamo Bowl destination. For people in Austin, going to San Antonio isn’t a road trip. It’s a commute.
What kind of road trip offers a stop at the Hooters in Selma as the highlight?
Besides, Texas has nothing to win in this game and everything to lose.
If Texas wins, people yawn. If Texas loses, people whine. This is probably the worst bowl game Texas has been to since the 1984 Freedom Bowl, when the Longhorns got stomped 55-17 by, you got it, Iowa.
This is not to say that the Alamo Bowl doesn’t serve a purpose. It gives people in Iowa a chance to get out of Iowa. And this is no small matter.
I looked up Iowa City customs online, and it showed a picture of a guy in his apartment sitting there with his grandmother.
“People in Iowa are friendly and will often strike up a conversation with strangers,” the text said. “If you get lost, they are happy to give directions. Some will even lead you themselves.”
Of course they’ll lead you themselves.
They’re hoping you’re leaving the state, so they can follow you the heck out of there.
From the Scottsdale Republic :
Mike Tyson was arrested early today on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of cocaine after police stopped him shortly after he left a Scottsdale nightclub.
Sgt. Larry Hall said the boxer was stopped after his car almost struck a sheriff’s vehicle while leaving the club at about 1:45 a.m.
“He showed signs of impairment and voluntarily submitted to field sobriety tests,” said Hall, a member of the Buckeye Police Department who was working in the area as part of a holiday DUI task force.
Sherrif Joe Arpaio said Tyson was being kept isolated from other prisoners for his own safety.
The sheriff said Tyson has been to the county jail before – as a guest talking to juvenile offenders about the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
“The irony is he did a great job with these kids – stay away from drugs, don’t drink, stay out of trouble,” Arpaio said.
This is truly a human tragedy — the next time the Scottsdale Police need to find someone to mentor juvenille offenders, they might have no choice but to summon Albert Belle.
That’s the question posed (ok, not in those exact words) by the New York Times’ Ben Shpigel who notes the customarily bold Omar Minaya (above) has failed to obtain Daisuke Matzusaka, Kei Igawa, Jeff Suppan, Barry Zito or Freddy Garcia this winter.
With unattractive options remaining on the free-agent market, Minaya will have to take another look at the Mets’ minor league prospects and decide if he is willing to part with any of them for what he termed “an impact pitcher.”
That label does not appear to apply to pitchers like the Oakland Athletics’ Danny Haren or the White Sox’s Jon Garland or Javier Vázquez, pitchers who have interested the Mets. All are good, solid pitchers and would fit nicely into the front section of their rotation.
But if the Mets consider dealing Lastings Milledge or, less likely, Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber, Minaya seemed to suggest that they would want someone with a more established pedigree.
“How many impact guys are out there?” Minaya said during a conference call yesterday. “They don’t just become available. To make trades, we could do things. But who are the impact guys? Those impact guys come around once in a while. But that being said, we’ve always been aggressive and proactive in pursuing those guys.
“We have a lot of quality prospects. Scouts use the term ‘high ceiling.’ If you have those kinds of premium prospects, those kinds of impact pitchers become available in trades.”
I’ll submit that Minaya might very well have an impact pitcher already in his possession. But there’s no sign of any inclination to give Aaron Heilman another try at starting, not with the losses of Chad Bradford and Robert Hernandez (nor Duaner Sanchez’ status still questionable).
In the eyes of Newsday’s Ken Davidoff, Minaya’s inability to sign Zito (”a pitcher who would have cost them only money”) means the Mets have “officially taken a step back.”
Minaya, who should’ve won The Sporting News’ Executive of the Year award for 2006, deserves plenty of leeway, given what he has done in his first two years. But it’s fair to look at the Mets’ current pitching staff, scan the trade and free-agent markets, and wonder how they’re going to work their way back into the playoffs.
With Jeff Suppan off the board, Mets fans should feel better if the club can sign Jeff Weaver, who like Zito gives you innings and is represented by Scott Boras. Weaver is no Zito, however. As for trade options, to get a Brad Penny, Jon Garland or Dan Haren, the Mets would have to take away from the very stash of young pitchers to which they now point as an asset. And it’s not certain the price will drop.
Yes, the Mets won 97 games and made the NLCS last season, even though Pedro Martinez missed so much time. But it can’t be stressed enough how fluky 2006 was for the Mets. When you take a double-digit division lead by June, you can kick back, experiment and not sweat Martinez’s absences. There almost certainly won’t be such a cruise to October this next time around.
In which case you need people to get important outs for six months, not three. Tom Glavine, who turns 41 in March, now becomes the bona fide ace again. He hasn’t faced such expectations since the Art Howe days. Orlando Hernandez’s 162 1/3 innings pitched marked his highest total since 2000. Bank on a regression.
Though Davidoff’s points are well taken, let’s not lose sight of the enormity of what Brian Sabean has done. The Giants GM has elected to proffer the richest pact ever given to a pitcher to a lefty that’s won 20 games or more exactly once in his 7 year big league career. He’s committed $126 million over 7 years to a pitcher with an ERA of more than 4 runs a game over the last 3 seasons. I don’t think anyone will argue that Barry Zito is a quality pitcher that warranted a more lucrative deal than Gil Meche or Ted Lilly. But if Zito can command a contract of this size and length, what’s Carlos Zambrano going to be worth on the open market? Johan Santana? Dontrelle Willis?
The New York Sun’s John Hollinger hears Pat Riley’s cries for help and surmises, “it’s hard to fathom Kurt Hinrich as a danger to other players’ safety — well, unless his barber is involved.”
Watch out Mardy Collins, there’s a new goon in town. He comes from the mean streets of Sioux City, Iowa, and doesn’t weigh 200 pounds soaking wet. But if you believe Pat Riley, this menace to society is going to claim another victim soon if he isn’t stopped.
The villain Riley speaks of is none other than Bulls bully Kirk Hinrich. Miami’s coach claimed it was a dirty play by the Chicago guard that resulted in a wrist injury to Dwyane Wade in the first quarter of the Heat’s loss in the Windy City on Wednesday.
“Hinrich pulled his hand. He does it all the time,” Riley told reporters afterward.”That’s what he does. Anytime Dwyane comes off screens, they will always grab his shirt or grab his hands. It’s a tactic down below the body — the official can’t see it. He had Dwyane’s hand, and [when Wade] tried to pull it out of there, I think something happened.”
The footage of Wade’s injury has been replayed far and wide, and it is an innocuous-looking play. There was some hand fighting byWade and Hinrich away from the ball, and then Wade’s pulling up and grabbing his wrist at the top of the key. This kind of hand-to-hand combat goes on away from the ball all the time in the NBA game, particularly between wing players trying to get into position to receive passes.
Hearty congratulations are in order for the D-League’s Austin Toros, who earned their first win of the season with Thursday’s 96-85 decision over Sioux Falls. The Toros (1-12) were led by 24 points from former Georgia Tech G B.J. Elder, while Brock Gillespie — recovering from a miserable shooting performance Tuesday against L.A., sank 3 of his 5 three-point attempts. This victory puts Dennis Johnson’s side a mere 8 1/2 games behind Fort Worth in the race for the NBDL’s Eastern Division crown.
Crap protection for K-State’s Josh Freeman, 200+ yards on the ground for Rutgers’ duo of Ray Rice (above) and Brian Leonard (the vast majority to the ever-dependable Rice), and you’ve got an almost unwatchable, lopsided game that few persons in the New Brunswick area can see, thanks to the NFL Network’s clearance issues.
There’s no shortage of empty seats at Reliant this evening — perhaps the locals thought it was Mario Williams Appreciation Night.
I wasn’t planning on watching OSU/Bama but I wouldn’t be exaggerating one iota in saying the Independence Bowl was the best late afternoon, midweek football game I’ve seen this week.
How easily has Cal been moving the ball up and down the field against Texas A&M tonight? Peyton Manning is preparing his post game notes to he can call out the Aggies’ defense.
I know this is totally off-topic, but I saw the score of A&M’s hoops victory over Grambling State flash past on the ticker a few times today and had to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. Even George Karl thinks something is unseemly about this.
The Memphis Commerical Appeal’s Ronald Tillery reports that Mike Fratello has been dusted in Memphis, the Grizzlies’ 6-24 record rendering the club little more than a lottery contender for the rest of the season.
Not to say the Grizzlies haven’t been painful to watch this season, but if Michael Heisley wants to blame someone for the franchise’s on-court woes, he might want to fire the guy that allowed Pau Gasol to play in the World Championships.
Over at the Lil’ Blogging Conglomerate that could, one of Marcel Mutoni’s loyal readers saw fit to lambaste Poison Pete Vescey for his attacks on Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith (”they played the sport and understand it. You don’t.”) Vescey proves even worse at answering reader mail than me.
“Judging by your response it only confirms what level of IQ Barkley and Smith appeal to; I have no doubt you learn plenty from them. Just as I have no doubt you’re part of Stephen A-Hole’s studio audience”
Y’know, I had the recent misfortune of staying at the Hotel Pennsylvania (yikes) and I have to take issue with Vescey on this one. Stephen A. Smith doesn’t really have a studio audience. As Will Leitch confirmed ages ago, they’re practically dragging tourists by their earlobes into “Quite Frankly” tapings. The Washington Times sales department Moonie recruiters could learn a thing or two from Smith’s staff.
Jimmy Flemion (Frogs, Sebastian Bach)
Follow That Bird!
Directions to Trailer Space
(tube pic by @ndy K, used without permission)
AOL Sports’ Jason Whitlock — in no way shape or form trying to draw greater attention to himself — seriously advocates that when and if the Cowboys part ways with Terrell Owens, the rest of the league should banish the wide receiver.
I know NFL owners must avoid the appearance of collusion, but why can’t commissioner Roger Goodell quietly suggest to owners that the league would be better off with T.O. involuntarily retired?
If I’m an NFL player, I’d want Owens out of the league. He is single-handedly damaging the image of the modern-day professional football player. Owens draws so much attention from ESPN that he has come to symbolize today’s pro athlete.
If the NFL is truly serious about controlling its players and preventing its players from dragging the perception of the league to NBA levels, running Owens out of the league would send a strong message to the T.O. imitators. Fifteen-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for taunting are fine, but T.O. sitting at home, shopping for lip gloss online and gossiping with his publicist Lil Kim would be superior.
From Owens to Larry Johnson to Chad Johnson, there are a growing number of players who are going out of their way to make controversial statements or draw attention to themselves. In order to appear young, hip and open-minded, members of the media, particularly at ESPN, are going out of their way to talk about how cute, entertaining and “refreshing” the behavior is.
I’m sure Jason knows exactly what he’s talking about when characterizing ESPN’s coverage of T.O., and his remarks are in no way related to his own contentious departure from the Worldwide Leader. Sadly, I’ve only been able to bear witness to the commentary of hip, open-minded youth culture icons like Sean Salisbury and Mike Ditka, and the words “cute” and “refreshing” don’t seem to figure in their judgements of Owens’ behavior. Perhaps my satellite dish is picking up signals from another ESPN?
With the revived Jeff Garcia providing the catalyst for the Iggles’ playoff push, at least one person is firmly fixated on the single most important consideration : what does this all mean for Donovan McNabb’s career? (link taken from Pro Football Talk)
The win this week was great and I could actually say that’s what I wanted for Christmas. Yes, now we have solidly beat the Cowboys with my son and without him. But I can hear you asking, mama McNabb what are you really thinking? Well here it is, the real deal. It’s kind of bitter sweet for me as my son, the quarterback sits out on injured reserved watching the game during his rehab. I polled my family too and they feel the same. We want our team to win and even go to the Superbowl and win it in Miami especially if they continue to play as they have. But oh oh, if they win the Superbowl without my son, what would be the real outcome with the fans? Will they crucify him? Maybe, then the trade talks would begin. Off season madness, worse than last year’s fiasco. But guess what, I guess I’ll have to take the beating if it comes. I would have to hope that scenario of the madness would not happen or be that bad. Well let’s wait and see. Bitter sweet.
Published reports would have us believe the mooted Corey Maggette / Ron Artest trade is far from certain, and accordingly, the Sacramento Bee’s Sam Amick quizzed Kings GM Geoff Petrie about the Tru Warier’s state of mind.
“His happiness level is fine,” Petrie said before the Kings faced Philadelphia on Wednesday night at Arco Arena. “He has a very large performance bank account. A lot of people have forgotten what it was like around here before he got here.
“I guess you could sum (the trade talk) up this way. It’s a lot of noise, mostly white noise, like when a hen oodles — wow, lays an egg — and it makes a sound like it made a meteor.”
Asked about Artest’s locker room impact and any potential influence on teammates, Petrie said: “He has some esoteric qualities. A lot of people do.”
As for whether Artest has approached management with a desire to be traded, Petrie would only say, “That’s a hypothetical question that you’re going to have to save.”
Though the Journal News’ Mike Doughtery isn’t willing to proclaim the Knicks “a legitimate contender outside a pedestrian Atlantic Division,” he insists that last night’s triple OT defeat of the Pistons “ranks among the best I’ve ever witnessed.” But most crucially, he’s got the scoop on Stevie Franchise’s unexcused absence from practice the other day.
Fog is the official reason Steve Francis gave after missing practice on Tuesday, or so he would have you believe. Want to know the actual reason? Francis got an electronic Deal or No Deal setup for Christmas and was busy pushing buttons in the locker room prior to the Detroit game. “I’ve been playing this thing for two days straight,” he said. And now we know.
I’ve got some truly scary sports swag in my wardrobe, but I’ve got to give it up to Doug Moe, owner of an Albany Patroons cap. Speaking of which, if you’re wondering what Felipe Lopez is up to, he’s currently playing for Albany’s CBA entry.
From the SF Chronicle’s Susan Slusser :
Barry Zito, the longtime A’s ace and member of “the Big Three,” will be introduced as the newest member of the San Francisco Giants at a press conference, possibly as soon as today, the Chronicle has learned.
“This is a Bay Bridge free agency,” said one person with knowledge of the negotiations. “I think Barry Zito will be the face of the Giants franchise for a long time.”
Zito will recieve $126 million for seven years, the largest contract ever for a pitcher.
There’s a club option for an eighth season that will vest automatically if Zito pitches 200 innings in the final year of the deal, or 400 in the final two years or 600 in the final three years. After that option vests, it becomes a player option and Zito can accept or decline it.
Mike Hampton and I remain hopeful that although Surfin’ Barry is a bachelor, he’s done his due dilligence regarding the state of the San Francisco public school system.
Not since “Network”’s Howard Beale encouraged his viewers to turn off their televisions has any media figure so bravely dared his audience to fuck off. Substituting for Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio this morning, John Kincaid was in full-fledged tirade mode, opining that those concerned with “the integrity of baseball statistics….must have something missing in their lives.”
“Maybe you should get a hobby,” sneered the host. “Or a girlfriend.”
Whether or not the likes of Rob Neyer, Keith Law or Peter Gammons will take Kincaid’s advice remains to be seen. But there is something truly fantastic about a media company that makes crazy money on fantasy games, a stats-heavy website, enourages all sorts of analysis on their television programs, etc., employing some schmuck to get on the radio and disparage their clientele.
(Gammo : hobby, check. girfriend : wife might not approve)
The tastiest part is that if indeed, the scourge that is “taking America down the drain” (in Kincaid’s words) were eliminated tomorrow — the obsessive interest in the competitive pursuits of others —- the radio host in question would undoubtedly have all sorts of interesting things to fall back on.
“Baseball Is A Fun(eral) Game” muses Repoz, who forwarded the following item from the East Valley Tribune’s Paul Giblin and Daryl James.
Arizona Diamondbacks broadcaster Joe Garagiola Sr. had front-row seats for the 1976 presidential election. The Paradise Valley resident and his wife stayed that night in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House and watched election coverage on television with President Gerald Ford and his family.
Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter had gained a slight lead, and the president decided to go to bed when it appeared no quick winner would emerge.
Garagiola, a former St. Louis Cardinals catcher and “Today Show” panelist, shared the story Wednesday, a day after Ford’s death at his California home. Garagiola, now 80, said watching the election unfold with Ford was like living inside a page of history.
“He said, ‘Let’s go to bed, and let’s have a good night’s sleep and see what happens in the morning,’ ” Garagiola recalled. “But I don’t think he slept very well. I know I didn’t.”
Garagiola had always stayed on the political sidelines, but he grew to admire Ford and decided to campaign for him when he ran for his own term. He traveled with the president on Air Force One and hosted speaking engagements that were designed to resemble talk shows.
Garagiola, whose father was an immigrant, found himself attending meetings and functions with Ford and political heavy hitters such as Dick Cheney, Bob Dole and Henry Kissinger. They were all on a first-name basis with each other.
“I was like a kid in the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory,” Garagiola said.
I had a pretty late night, so forgive me if I am haunted by the image of Cheney, Dole and Kissinger as Oompa Loompas.
From MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan :
The Rangers have been told that Barry Zito is signing elsewhere.
One source said that the Rangers expect Zito to sign with the San Francisco Giants. The Rangers offered Zito a six-year, $84 million contract. They also added a vesting option for $15 million for a seventh year with a $4 million buyout. The option would have kicked in if Zito pitched 200 innings in the sixth year of the contract. But apparently it wasn’t enough to lure Zito to Texas.
If Sullivan’s source is correct, the NY Post’s Joel Sherman comes off looking rather prophetic, having described the Giants as the “front-runner” for Zito’s services earlier today.
The Houston Chronicle’s Richard Justice mentions the possibility of Paul Wilson signing with the Astro, and while I’m not usually given to Generation K nostalgia, perhaps the Mets will extend a spring training invite to Bill Pulispher. He’s a cheaper lefty than Barry Zito and he already knows his way to the ballpark.
Beyond that, I’m stunned by the possibility the most glittering prize left on the free agent market might end up with someone besides the two New York clubs. I knew it was bad idea for Omar to stress Flushing’s strong Caucasian-American community ties —- as Carlos Delgado could’ve told us, that kind of thing just smacks of pandering.
Starting the last game of the season this Sunday in place of the injured Matt Leinart has convinced the graying Kurt Warner (above, right) that “I feel like I have a lot of football left in me.” He says he’s committed to the contract he signed, and I’m sure the Cardinals will welcome his 10 fumbles in four starts.
Per Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic:
This year might have been his last shot to be a regular starter, and he contemplated retiring at the end of the season.
But after much thought he’s decided to return in 2007, although he left himself some wiggle room.
“I’m going to come back and play,” he said. “I want to play. I feel like I have a lot of football left in me. That’s my plan as of right now, not that that can’t change when the off-season comes around and me and family sit down. But I signed a contract to be here with the Cardinals. That’s where I go into the off-season thinking.”
As GC might say, God not available for comment.
There’s been a Paolo Di Canio sighting, and fortunately for once, there’s no sieg heiling involved. Currently toiling for Serie C2’s Cisco Roma, Di Canio brings a bit of whimsy to the training ground. (link courtesy The Offside)
Sure, it would be more impressive if he pulled this off in an actual match, but I’m not sure we’d want to see the celebration afterwards.
Having seen how well this flexible scheduling thing has worked out for NBC and the NFL (ahem), Sky and the Premiership are mulling a similar shift for a Manchester United/Chelsea finale.
Through the auspices of Bedazzled, we learn the creators of Digger The Dog weren’t the innovative geniuses we thought they were. (quicktime video)
Hey, how’s this for a convenient segue? Though I’m tempted to tell this guy to suck my dick,
a) his pic dissuaded me from doing so, and
b) I suspect such an overture wouldn’t be nearly “wannabe homosexual” enough for him.
Still, I’m encouraged to see New Jersey’s foremost expert on race has graduated from imaginary friends to the real thing. It’s totally awesome the way the internet brings people together.
Much as I hate to harp on the subject of David Wells’ late twin brother of different mothers, this might be the greatest radio advertisement of all time (mp3 courtesy of your host with the most, Derek Erdman). For starters, the Geege managed to singlehandedly kill the power pop revival before the original subgenre was finished. What’s more, if this isn’t the first commercial to drop a recording artist’s real home digits, it has to be the first and last radio spot in history to conclude with the tagline, “represented by Genya Raven”.
Knicks 151, Pistons 145 (3 OT)
(Channing Frye, draining a jumper at the end of the 2nd overtime and promptly forgetting there was another 5 minutes to play)
I’ll resist the temptation to go hyperbole crazy and tell you Ali/Frazier I and II had nothing on this game. But I don’t think it would be any exaggeration to say tonight’s slugfest at the Garden has been the most hotly contested Knicks game since, well….the last time they were relevant. Rip Hamilton (51 points) showed no ill-effects from last night’s tough game with the Nets, while on the other side of the ledger, Stephon Marbury scored a season-high 41 points before fouling out, and Eddy Curry delivered an eye-popping 33 (and these days, you no longer have to look twice to make sure that isn’t a typo).
How is it that David Lee — being shoved around by players with far more impressive resumes — pulls down so many crucial rebounds? How is that the infuriatingly erratic Jamal Crawford connects on so many long-range shots in such (Chris Russo voice here) big spots? Well, other than at the end of regulation. Save for the Philly debacle, if the Knicks could bottle the sort of tenacity they’ve shown since the The Brawl…Isiah could have it made into his own signature scent, the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that special work colleague.
To flip the cynical switch for a moment, the Knicks came into tonight on 3 days’ rest, while the Pistons had to tangle with the Nets on Tuesday. But they all count, and I don’t know very many persons who’d have picked a shorthanded New York squad to go 4-1 after the fight with Denver.
Rip Hamilton had a chance to cut New York’s lead to 148-147 with 13 second remaining, but he was bumped by Renaldo Balkman when driving the lane. No foul was called, and Hamilton was hit with a technical moments later. Vince Carter knows exactly how you feel, Rip.
David Scheid sounds the sneaker fetish alarm : Nike’s limited edition Dunk High Pro Melvins model (above).
Not to be confused with the same company’s limited edition Dinosaur Jr. shoe.
Despite having missed more than a quarter of the Chargers’ games due to suspension, OLB Shawne Merriman is a leading contender for juiced menace man of the year honors. None of this sits well with the saintly Jason Taylor (above), who demonstrated for the AP’s Steve Wine that he doesn’t need to wait for retirement or an ESPN commentary gig to become a self-righteous blowhard.
Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor says the candidacy of his likely chief rival for NFL defensive player of the year, Shawne Merriman, was tainted by a four-game steroid suspension in November.
“You really shouldn’t be able to fail a test like that and play in this league, to begin with,” Taylor said Wednesday. “To make the Pro Bowl and all the other awards, I think you’re walking a fine line of sending the wrong message.”
“A performance-enhancing drug is, obviously, what it is,” Taylor said. “You enhance your performance by doing that. You fail that test, I think it’s not right, it’s against the rules and ultimately I think it’s sending the wrong message to the youth in America and the people who look at this game not only as entertainment but also to learn lessons from it.”
“He’s always making plays,” Taylor said. “He’s one of the best young talents we have in this game right now as far as defensively, and he has had an unbelievable year. With that being said, there are certain rules and guidelines we have to abide by to play in this game.”
From the Mirror’s Aidan Mcgurran.
The father of Stuart Lubbock – the man found dead in comedian Michael Barrymore’s pool – yesterday welcomed the news that police were investigating a new clue.
Terry Lubbock, 61, thanked the Mirror for a “wonderful Christmas present” after our exclusive report that a “middleaged gay man” may have been there that night.
Butcher Stuart, 31, died after a drink and drug-fuelled party at Barrymore’s home in Roydon, Essex, in March 2001.
A postmortem found he had horrific anal injuries.
Of course, it would help if there was a more detailed description. I mean, there’s all sorts of middle-aged gay men who might be hanging around Michael Barrymore’s swimming pool. Perhaps, with a robe monogrammed “M.B.”?
From the AP’s David Kravets and Paul Elias :
The names and urine samples of about 100 Major League Baseball players who tested positive for performance enhancing drugs three years ago can be used by government investigators in their probe of steroids in sports, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday.
The ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could bolster the government’s case against Barry Bonds if his name is among those who tested positive. The San Francisco Giants slugger has been the target of a perjury investigation since he testified before a grand jury that he didn’t knowingly ingest performance enhancing drugs.
The samples had been collected by the league in 2003 as part of a survey to gauge the prevalence of steroid use. Baseball players and owners agreed in their labor contract that the results would be confidential, and each player was assigned a code number to be matched with his name.
Quest Diagnostics of Teterboro, N.J., one of the largest drug-testing firms in the nation, analyzed more than 1,400 urine samples from players that season. Comprehensive Drug Testing, of Long Beach, coordinated the collection of specimens and compiled the data.
Though I have no inside knowledge of the identities of any of the players that tested positive, I shudder to think what the next batch of revelations might do to Manny Alexander’s Hall of Fame chances.
(an inspiring symbol of hope and resurrection the well compensated Reggie Bush)
Charles Star wonders “why does all of the coverage of the New Orleans Saints sound like reporting at the Special Olympics?”
I don’t want the pity party. I don’t want the bullshit story lines about the post-Katrina emotion and I don’t want every Saints fumble to be turned into a kidney punch for some poor blind woman in the 9th Ward who has nothing left but a beat up transistor and the voice of Hokie Gajan to get her through her bleak days.
I love this team. I was thrilled when we (yes, “we,” asshole) signed Drew Brees and even more thrilled when the Texans decided to whiff on the easiest draft choice ever. When I was asked at the beginning of the year, I said that if the schedule breaks right, the Saints could win 10 or 11 games. It sounded crazy at the time but I knew that it was true (I also said that 4-12 was possible and I’m not at all sure that was wrong either (see week 15)). Now that it has come true, now that the Saints are 10-5, I’d like to enjoy the success of my favorite football team. They are not a metaphor. They aren’t a metaphor this year; they are winning with good players. They weren’t a metaphor last year; they lost becuase their QB was functionally retarded.
It is really tiresome to have to listen to all the crap about destiny and rebuilding and, most of all, Hurricane Katrina. The devastation wrought by the hurricane is too serious to be reduced to cheap motivation for a football game and football doens’t have the necessary heft to bear the burden of Katrina.
I think Star makes an excellent point, and with the above in mind, perhaps Stuart Adamson’s estate can contribute mechanical royalties from the U2/Green Day cover of “The Saints Are Coming” to someone truly needy. Because I don’t think Aaron Brooks will be earning an NFL salary in the future.
The New York Daily News’ Gary Myers has the pleasure of chatting with an anonymous member of Big Blue while trashing the “desperation phase” of Tom Coughlin’s tenure.
Coughlin finally fired offensive coordinator John Hufnagel as his playcaller yesterday, but it’s much too late in the season for the move to have an impact. And instead of Coughlin handing the job to quarterbacks coach Kevin Gilbride, the other part of the tandem that has done such a wonderful job with Eli Manning, he should have taken control of the Titanic and called the plays himself Saturday night in Washington.
At this point, why trust anyone else when it’s your job on the line?
I asked one Giant in the days after Sunday’s debacle against the Saints how the players feel these days about Coughlin – did they want him back, and what has gone wrong?
“We are tiring of his act,” the Giant said. “He is pushing too hard. We’re still in full pads for part of practice, despite all the injuries we have and the fact that it’s the end of a long season. He is very ‘me’ oriented, always talks about doing things his way – his hard-ass, no-give approach – but we’re not winning or sustaining games, so the disconnect is widening and we are tuning him out.”
It’s a shame Jeff Feagles isn’t willing to step up and take credit for such an astute observation.
NY SportsDog claims “the latest rumour that appears to have traction is that Giants will go hard for both Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to replace Coughlin and Patriots V.P./player personnel Scott Pioli to replace outgoing GM Ernie Accorsi,” a curious assertion given that Steve Serby already recommended the Giants pursue Pioli (along with the Hooded Casanova’s former colleague, Charlie Weis). Given Bob Kraft’s history of losing coaches to the Swamp, I have a hard time imagining the Casanova and Pioli escaping Foxboro, contracts or not.
From The Hindu :
In one of the harshest punishments to a chess player, the All India Chess Federation has banned Umakant Sharma of Southern Railway for 10 years for cheating during a FIDE rating tournament at Delhi early this month.
The AICF at its Central Council meeting at Chennai yesterday decided to ban Umakant, the second seed at the Air Marshal Subroto tournament, for being caught with a blue tooth device hidden in his cap.
AICF Treasurer and Delhi Chess Association President Bharat Singh Chauhan, who exhibited the cap and device at the meeting, said the decision was taken after a long deliberation on the pros and cons of the nature of the offence and the punishment, besides the complete record of the player, who climbed from ELO ratings 1989 to around 2480 in only the last six months.
“The matter was discussed at length at the meeting and it was decided that such acts were not welcome in chess,” Chauhan told PTI.
“The Council also checked Umakant’s complete record, including his games and even financial background and was surprised to learn that he had expensive mobile set despite being unemployed,” he said.
“It is only recently that he got a job with the Southern Railways in Chennai,” he said.
The Knicks’ Steve Francis is AWOL and there’s not even a Super Bowl party for an excuse. From the NY Post’s Marc Berman.
As the Knicks gathered for practice today after a two-day Christmas Break, Steve Francis did not make it. He was delayed because of “fog” back in his hometown Maryland.
“Fog” is a good description on where Francis’ head is at right now. Isiah Thomas fined Francis for not showing up, even though he probably wasn’t going to play tomorrow vs. Detroit and even though he was back in Maryland on Christmas Day for a charity function for his Steve Francis Foundation.
Yes, Francis is stealing money – about $16 million this season. If Francis is angling for a medical retirement (the insurance would pay a good chunk of his remaining salary), the Knicks would probably be all for it. The Knicks will have just two guards tomorrow in Marbury and Jamal Crawford.
Kill Marbury all you want. But he wants to play basketball, wants to be a Knick. You can’t say that for Francis. Isiah must be killing himself for making the trade on Larry Brown’s behalf, giving up a sound prospect in Trevor Ariza. Check the standings. Orlando is doing quite well without Francis.
The LA Times’ Jason Reid is amongst those who predict a Ron Artest/Corey Maggette swap between the Kings and Clips to happen sooner rather than later. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel assesess the likelihood of an Artest/Hedo Turkoglu trade by saying of the Tru Warier “to put it diplomatically, has been loony tunes throughout his NBA career.” I wasn’t aware we were expected to know all these clinical terms.
Randy Foye : not wearing a Sixers jersey as some of us figured last month, and bailing out the T-Wolves, who came very close to blowing a 25 point lead at home to Da Bulls.
I’m not sure which of the following two items is more satisfying ; Carmelo Anthony taking boxing lessons, or the significance of Shaq calling Phil Jackson “Benedict Arnold” being lost on history buff Kobe Bryant.
There’s no shortage of quality blogs about the New York Mets. So many, in fact, that the old joke about “wouldn’t it novel to meet a Mets fan who didn’t have a blog?” seems like less of a gag with each passing day. But with all due respect to the quality sites listed to your right, I maintain a soft spot deep down inside for Steve Keane’s Ed Kranepool Society. Not only does Keane’s effort predate most of the nuevo breed, but he recalls no other columnist (with the possible exception of The Weekly World News’ Ed Anger) in his uncanny ability to go positively batshit over the sort of minor annoyances most persons are oblivious to. Much like Al Goldstein’s “Fuck You” segments on “Midnight Blue”, Keane raises life’s petty injustices to the level of war crimes with the sort of tone that makes me genuinely fearful for his family and neighbors.
In short, he’s the closest thing to a role model I’ve had in years.
Yesterday, he surveyed the state of the Mets’ SportsNet NY. (link swiped from Repoz and Baseball Think Factory) This isn’t the first time Steve’s done battle with the forces of cable television, and I doubt it will be the last.
As much as I hate to say it the YESSSH Network runs rings around SNY. As far as programing goes. It’s a real head scratcher how the Highlanders can show games from the 70’s and early 80’s (as does MASN with Orioles Classics) and all SNY can come up with is Game 6 and 7 of the 1986 World Series. There has to be archive over at Ch. 9 in Seacaucus that has footage of Lindsay Nelson’s sports coats or of John Matlack giving up Roberto Clemente’ 3,000 and last hit ever or Willie Montanez and his stutter step home run trot, or George Theodore and Don Hahn colliding in the outfield or of stud pitcher Craig Swan or how about a rookie phenom named Dwight Gooden. How could there not be any tape of Gooden’s incredible rookie season?
What’s the saddest part of the SNY fiasco is how elated Mets fans were when we found out “we” were getting our own network. Little did “we” know that the “we” who should be happy are NY Jets fans as the Jets get more air time than the Mets. Fucking incredible!
Whoever is in charge of programing has to have a last name of Wilpon or Katz or maybe even Mangini because anyone else would not only be banned from programing a TV network they would be banned from ever getting possession of a remote control.
Where is coverage of Winter League Baseball? Why not have a live call in show? How about hiring anchors who are actually alive? Make a deal with ESPN for the rights to Home Run Derby. Give Petey his own show kind of a Dominican Joe Franklin Show. How about a show that features Mets players of the past and by past I don’t mean the 1986 Mets. A kind of Where Are They Now. I want to know what Don Bosch, Ken Boswell, Wayne Garrett and Duffy Dyer are up to these days. How about a reality show that features Keith Hernandez trying to find his way home after a night on the town?
(With apologies to all surviving Jody Foster’s Army fans)
Last night’s 92-91 loss to the Pistons was one of the more soul-crushing of late for the struggling Nets, and the Newark Star-Ledger’s Dave D’Allessandro was on hand to transcribe the testimony of the aggrieved party.
To a man, they thought — they knew — that Jim Clark’s crew cost them the game by failing to whistle Rasheed Wallace for hard contact on Carter, just one second before he released the final shot.
“Blatantly obvious,” said Lawrence Frank, who had shouted “That’s (bleeping) horrible” at ref Tom Washington as he left the floor, before being redirected toward the locker room by assistant Tom Barrise. “I saw it on tape. That’s how the game works. They ain’t going to change it. It’s obviously a foul. I’m sure if it was looked over again, they would say it’s a foul. But the call wasn’t made. It’s a shame. It’s a real shame.”
Jason Kidd, nominated to vent for the team, let the crew have it with several separate remarks.
“Officials take pride in their job, but tonight was a disgrace in officiating coming down the stretch,” the Nets captain said. “It’s disheartening. … If we’re gonna get screwed like that, we might as well not show up.”
(video footage of the fouls-that-weren’t, via ESPN.com)
Golf buff, 38th American president, and the single biggest boost to the career fortunes of Chevy Chase.
(Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome — unconcerned with D-League trivia, but wouldn’t mind seeing a YouTube highlight of another Ovechkin goal)
a) England’s cricket team, well on their way to a 4th consecutive defeat to Australia in this year’s Ashes.
b) Washington Capitals goalies Brent Johnson and Ollie Kolzig, who combined to allow 6 Sabres goals in the space of 11 minutes.
c) the Memphis Grizzlies, currently trailing the Wizards, 95-66 in the third quarter in DC, with Gilbert Arenas having missed just 3 quality shots from the floor while tallying 31 points.
d) Queens Park Rangers, 2-1 losers at Birmingham City this morning, their 6th defeat in their last 7 matches. While the Stupor Hoops are staring relegation the face, Birmingham will enter 2007 with a comfortable lead in the Football League’s highest division.
e) anyone who is participating or witnessing the Motor City Bowl.
With all due disrespect to the above examples of futility, I’m going to look closer to home for December 26th’s saddest case. Austin’s NDBL entry, the Toros will have a hard time avoiding their 12th consecutive loss, as they currently trail the Lakers’ feeder team, the Defenders, 65-47 at intermission.. Though to be fair, from the looks of the Defenders, no one is going to be fed anytime soon.
Though the always reliable B.J. Elder has 13 points for Austin, LA’s Andre Patterson adn Aloysisus Aanagonye are having a particularly easy time in the paint, while Brian Chase’s shooting touch might not be nearly so hot if a few of his attempts were actually contested.
Brad Buckman’s not removed his warmup top. And that’s not because it’s chilly in here.
I’m not sure what training room facilities they have at the Convention Center, but former Dookie Jay Williams has been rubbing a balm of undetermined orgin all over his thighs while occupying a seat behind the Toros’ bench. Supply your own Jackie Childs joke : Williams has connected for one 3-pointer in a little less than 10 minutes of play.
As usual, I’m surrounded by empty seats. Hat’s off to the D-League’s scheduling genius that decided it would be a great idea for a team in a college town to play 4 home games between December 23rd and 30th. Though the 3rd game of said homestand on Thursday is going head-to-head with a Longhorns home game, Saturday’s clash with Idaho will afford CSTB’s local readership a rare opportunity to reconnect with Peter John Ramos.
