In this never ending quest of mine to be recognized as the least unbiased NBA fan in the Universe, a couple of thing are starting to make me wonder.  One is you Michael Kahn. Here's why.

Of all the NBA writers that I read regularly it seems fairly clear to me that you and I agree on most things NBA. At least when it comes to rating players by position. However, and yes there is always that however with you and i, you always manage to make me go Huh?

Last time it was the point guards. Without a care in the world, without a single stat to back yourself up, with what can only be described as an amateur blogging fan of his, you reared back and named Gilbert Arenas as the third best point guard in the NBA. Other than having to be given oxygen after nearly laughing myself to death, I found myself pretty much in agreement with your list. At least nothing worth going straight to brain hemmorage after the shock of Arenas in third.

Had to take a few days off for family business last week and while deep in contemplation of all things sorrowful and sad, I found myself thinking GILBERT ARENAS?

But I'm over it. Thanks to you. You've gone over the edge back to back now. Once more and you're going to hockey to report on the skills required for the hat trick.

Despite being one of the most despised players in the NBA few still have the nerve to rant about Kobe being overrated and those 8-10 people are most likely not allowed to vote. I nodded with you choice of him being the best  talent at shooting guard. Nodded again knowingly at Dwade in second and strolled on.

Grabbed a dog off a cart and watched the girls go by while contemplating TMac over Allen since both are long time favorites and decided to go with you on this despite being a long time fan of both and having more confidence in Allen's health than Tmacs.

The you hauled off and caused me to choke on the dog and had to be given the Hemlich by some woman who was a dead ringer for Rosie O'donnel who kept yelling "call the Donald, ask him how many lives he's saved today?"  Yeah, Yeah, I know I should be grateful I didn't have to have CPR, but really Michael? Vince Carter ahead of Michael Redd? Name me three GM's other than the three stooges (Mitch, Kevin and Isiah) who wouldn't take Redd over Carter?    You justify VC by saying he's an outstanding dunker? After all the years and experience and megabucks as an NBA authority and you come with "hotshot dunker"? That alone is inexcusable.

You also offer up career highs in assists and rebounds. Don't suppose the Knicks lack of front line rebounding had anything to do with that do you? VC had proven his lack of big game ability and you criticize Bryant for attitude then laud VC? The guys dogs it all the time unless everything is going well for the team. At this point in both's career I'd even take Joe johnson over VC.

Do you do this on purpose just to see if I'm still reading?

 

 

 

Got a little something that is on page two honoring a couple of Fox sports bloggers that is just for fun (in regards to them) but thought they might enjoy it and it is used with permission. Give em a howdy.

badlandproductions.com

Man the letters we get around here you'd think we were in trouble with the Lakers. I got 13.00 at the recycling plant for paper and paper don't pay that good. Here's a couple.

Sup?

Gfed. Short for Fedup. Chillin. Freaked on this. Does Jerry make Jim go to the bathroom with you and tell you if you stand up or sit down?

Hi Mitchell,

Your father asked me to write you (they cut the phone lines again) and ask you if you remembered to get the national guard for halloween so they won't burn the house again like last year. We're all hoping you won't come over so we can turn out the lights and wear our Boston Jerseys.

Cupcake,

Britney here. So are we dancing with the has beens or what?

Mitch,

Jerry. What the hell is going on? You call yoursel####eneral manager? Kobe's not coming, Jim tried to trade Odom for a tree sloth making 18 million in Boreno in the High Leaves League , just lucky Phil took a bat to him. Jim, not the kid from Boreno. And I'm over here in Hawaii with the new Laker girls and not a single one of them thinks I'm as cute as Hefner. You better suck it up.

Mitch you ole fool,

Mildred, Kwame's grandmother. He said to tell you he ain't feeling good. His fingers are shrinkin again....KWAME GET OFF THE COUCH. HOW MANY TIMES I GOT TO TELL YOU THE COUCH IS FOR GUESTS. YOU DON'T SEE THE PLASTIC ON THE COUCH?

Uh Mitch?

If you're not busy or doing anything like important or anything I was wondering if you would mind giving me another contract extension. Yours very truely Brian Cook. I'll just tiptoe out, let me know. No hurry. Nice to talk to you again.

HEY MITCH,

SNOW'S UP. GET IT ON DO THE BOOGIE SHAKE IT SHAKE SHAKE IT, SNOW' S UP AND I GOT THE MOVES AND I..........................UH OH.

Mitch,

Listen man I'm not the kind to complain and I'll give you what I got but I got a bad feeling that 0.4 is not going to cover this one. ARE YOU A ####?

Mitch,

I appreciate you guys bringing me back after a year out with the ankle but I landed here in Hawaii and walked into the terminal and some ref gave me three fouls and it's just as well. My ankle don't feel good at all. Do you have Grant Hills number? Do you know some girl in Hawaii ran screaming thru the terminal. thought I was Chris kamen? I don't look that bad do I?

Mitch,

This had to be the most incredible show of a NBA player coming off the bench in the past 40 years. Two rebounds and a put back in 8 minutes. James Beudreaux is 12' 11' and everyone says he's clumsy. You need to see this....dad? Would you stop? Don't do that. People allready think I'm dumb. Use your own phone. I'm sorry Mitch. That was my dad not Luke.

Mitch,

Lamar Check it out. There are 2,478 holes in every ceiling tile at Staples arena. But I'm gonna count them again this season so don't hold me to this.  You suppose it would be OK if I just super glued my feet to the floor this year so maybe I can get out from under these injuries every year?

Mitch,

You either pull off a shocker and stun the world or we're going from zen to getting a rope. You're slacking. I got two artifical hips and I can play better than most these guys.

Mitch,

Drew. I changed my mind. I want to go to the Nets for Kidd. And if they won't give you Kidd take a second round draft pick. Take their mascot if they got one. I gotta go man. I'm buff and this ain't cool for buff.

MITCHELL,

THIS IS YOUR FATHER.YOUR MOTHER HAS BEEN LETTING YOU GET AWAY WITH STUFF FOR YEARS NOW. I'M GOING TO COME RIGHT TO THE POINT. YOU COME WITHIN 2 MILES OF THIS HOUSE AND ME AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD REGULATORS ARE GOING TO HAVE YOU TARRED AND FEATHERED. WE'VE LIVED IN THIS HOUSE FOR 45 YEARS AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE EMBARASSED BY THE LIKES OF YOU. GET A JOB.

Mitch,

This is Madame Stephanie. I'll expect you on wednesday for your spanking.

Mr K.

Warned you. BWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPPP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Listen man, we got to talk. How long has it been you and me? I mean we even went to different high schools together. I been a fan of your writing and proven my loyalty time and time again by not going off on you and trying to get a write in campaign to get you tossed. I mean when, have I said a single bad word about you before? You and Shakira about the only two alive I haven't had to take to task.

But buddy you need to give back half your check from this Point Guard column. Let me prove to you how far off you are. While you and all the others over at Fox were laying around in Cancun hitting on the honeys and resting up for the big push to take over when the NBA starts us amateurs were getting no byline but getting stuff posted on the NBA page and I had the Point guards noticed and we're almost right down the line. Now either I know my stuff (which I do and don't mind saying so) or else someone (no names MIKE KAHN) is getting paid to write almost the same thing I write. I know, I know, no thanks needed for holding down the fort (knox) until you get back and they unlock it for you to reap the spoils of war. Whatever that means.

But you got no game with naming Arenas the third best point guard in the game. ARE YOU NUTS? May I remind you we're talking POINT guards here. Arenas with two 20 point scorers on the wing leads the NBA in racing down court and jacking up a three while those scorers are on the baseline 10 feet from the rim and an open lane to it?

Arenas shoots as much as Kobe and Kobe has less shooters. Arenas is both the worst shooting % wise of the top 10-12 point guards and the worst 3 point shooter % wise, one of the very worst assist ppg of the point guards and doesn't play a lick of defense.

What in the name of Wyatt Earp are you rating him this high for? What does he do to get this rating? I'd love to hear it. The guy is a loose cannon, he's up one day down the other, he fights with his coach in the press, granted his quotes rival Yogi Berra's at times but this doesn't make him third in the league. DANG!!!

There is just no excuse for this one. You will report on Monday for a drug test and I'm docking your pay next week.

This blog is posted here because I can't get it to show on the NASCAR section

 

Didn't really pay much attention to the Miller Lite NASCAR writing contest. In a 5 writer contest about the only sport I much follow anymore I'd get sixth on Fox so naturally being an egomaniac I shrugged it off.

I tried for a minute. Offical sites and unoffical sites and fighting and argueing and whining and sniveling (I even joined in for the fun of it) and it really was a mess in the beginning seemed to me. Then pretty much ever NASCAR writer I "knew" from the past couple of years was dropping like flies so it came down to me either admitting the ones I thought could write actually stunk or I could admit Fox knew more about writers than me. Give you one guess which direction I went with. Fox blows.

Then somewhere around the final eight I started noticing Tvill and Klvaus. I thought Tvill's name might have looked familar but seldom post on NASCAR and it's usually Photo or Forsenic or someone who occassionaly posts on my blog. But I noticed the these two having similar writing styles seemed to me and different that the rest in my opinion.

I thought they seperated themselves from the pack.

Came down to the final vote and I read Klvaus's first just by chance. Voted and went and read Tvill's. I almost gave them the same vote then thought to myself "well how dumb is that? why vote".I couldn't take my Klvaus vote down and couldn't put Tvill higher so I sat there a good oh, say, 15 seconds which is a lifetime for a hyperactive attention disorder know nothing about the sport and irritated another award went by (1,592,482) that I didn't win and said to hell with it and gave Tvill one number lower.

In my mind that's how close that contest was. And I would have not complained if it had gone the other way except for what I'm about to complain now for two reasons.

1.) If I'm not complaining Fox might actually let my hit count back on the rows but since I'm pretty much an institution for being in trouble, that's not a real consideration.

2.) We here in America make a pastime out of declaring second place to be losers and immediately forgetting them. I don't since second place is my first place in history but most do and I don't like it in this case. This was not your usual blowout, not your usual sweep.

I don't know what the prize is, upset she gets it and I get nothing. Heh. But whatever it is, I think Fox and Miller Lite are both wealthy enough to recheck that counting and I got a su####ion this was probably a tie and even if it wasn't they can afford both of them. (and yep, I cheated. I voted 83 times under different names on different computers.) Make this right will you?

 

Here's the second installment of the regular feature that takes a sideswipe at some of the funniest and/or dumbest things said/done around the NBA since the last installment. Today's featured person is none other than the mouth of DC, the talk the talk all the time.and walk the walk only if you're feeling it that day, Gilbert Arenas. Let's take a peek shall we?

Gil says he's back from surgery on his knee and ready to roar. He mentions "it'll be proof when I go out and score 80 but I'm not about that. I'm about winning".

Sure you are Gil. And we appreciate it. Must have been that mouse in your pocket throwing his voice talking about 80 before you spoke to winning right?  Then you stated you're one of the best point guards in the league. Funny how this works huh? One of the best point guards in my view would be speaking to improving his very marginal assist ability and talking to distributing the ball to his shooters. Oh and one last thing? Do you plan on jacking up 3's when you have Antwan and the boys wide open on the wing with a clear drive to the rim this season even more than ever? Looking forward to it. 

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 The Pacers Shawne Williams missed his mandatory court hearing  and the Judge gave him one more chance to show up before issuing a bench warrant. Now let's not be bitter here just because you and I would not get a second chance before being the star of said bench warrant. There are things at work you probably wouldn't instantly think about if you read the article. First off all he got pinched for was driving without a lisence and pot posession (which was later dropped). He's a Pacer for goodness sake. Driving without a lisence bust is almost embarassing for a Pacer. It only carries a max sentence of 6 months in jail and we know that won't happen. How do you explain to the guys at the strip club "I got popped for no driver's lisence". when you're a Pacer and other Pacers have had going into the stands, capping off some rounds outside the club, beating your woman, hang gliding with your ears (Ok I made up that last one but I miss Reggie). Can you imagine being a Pacer and going to county jail with the Pacer bad boys of the past image and telling the thugs in jail this? Doesn't it sound better if you say "yeah I got busted for bud and no lisence and I told them to stuff it. I didn't even show for court". Now we got some stature right? Thing are not always what you think at first read. Always consider the traditions that must be upheld.

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Here's another one that you may have not thought through completely. Baron Davis is demanding a max contract extension from the Warriors or threatening to leave after this year.  Now this is not news as everyone in the NBA does this today. But in Baron's case he has wisely demanded this take place before he plays this year. Smart thinking you gotta admit.  With his track record of injury and attitude (95% of it bad),. he's covering his bases here. What if he actually had to go out and show everyone he's a team player and he'll not a ballhog for a PG,  play a little defense oh say once every 30 games and not badmouth his coach and everyone within the state in order to secure a max contract somewhere else after opting out? This could be total disaster for him. And expect him to not get hurt on top of that? I'm suprised he didn't announce this at mid season last year and just sit out until he got what he feels he deserves.

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This Kudo goes to a headline writer at Fox. "Oden expects a 40 inch vertical after recovery from surgery". I rushed onto the article to see what his vertical was before the surgery but left in a deep funk since the article didn't say anything whatsoever about his vertical either before or after. Man i could write headlines like this. Where do I apply?

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Read today that the Lakers are not likely to trade Odom and Cook for Marion since "they don't see this as being much o####ain and doubt that it would get the Lakers any further than the first round exit again". Consistency is what we're looking for here I'm sure aren't you? They know from the past two years first round exits they can accomplish  with Odom and Cook so why rock the boat and take a chance on someone who shoots 3's better, defends better, rebounds better, is more durable and overachieved every year of his career vs Odom underachieving as a Laker ever year plus getting rid of the mistake made by extending Cooks contract? In related news Mitch Kupchek announced he is changing his name to Mitch Ostrich.  Mitch did share some advice for you amateurs. "When in doubt, back up 10 yards, announce you see no reason to think Kobe wouldn't come to camp and waffle. Waffling being the key ingredient here of course". (Appreciate the advice Mitch but I think you missed a golden opportunity here to announce you're in partnership with Jerry and Jim to open a nation wide chain of "International  House of Waffling".)

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Our last peek at the absurdity of it all goes to fellow blooger and Laker fan JDizzle for placing the Lakers in the 8th spot league wide in his pre camp Power rankings. Before you laugh him off the blog (and trust me, after seeing him in action last season this will be no easy task. Bring everyone you know, mob up and don't forget to bring lunch and dinner for everyone.) the reason he has done this is because I was a realist and admitted the Lakers may well not make the playoffs. In the interest of balance he picked them 8th and had you been paying attention since I'm all about seriousness and no clowning around, so when I pick them this low and he picks them this high it's on you to understand that they will probably get the 8th seed in the west and go out in the first round again. Which means I put them too low and him too high but there is the number 8 in there. Pay attention next time so I don't have to explain this to you, would you?

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BONUS $$$$ NEWS

For those among us keeping score at home, Forbes Magazine has released the numbers for the top earning music acts for the past year. Included in their totals was everything the artists did such as sales, touring, movies, clothing or owning a label ,etc., and this was the totals to their personal pocket. Now naturally this wouldn't include whatever money an artist was able to hide from the tax man on the gross side so it wouldn't be taxed.

1.) Rolling Stones - 88 million as the Stones wrapped up their highest grossing tour of all time at over 300 million for a tour that started in 2005.

2.) Jay-Z - 83 million.  much of this is said to come from his clothing line.

3.) Madonna - 72 million

4.) Bon Jovi - 67 million

5.)  Elton John 53 million

6.) Celine Dion 45 million

7.) Tim McGraw - 37 million

8.) 50 cent - 33 million

9.) U2 - 30 million

10.) Diddy - 23 million

11.) Justin Timberlake - 20 million

The thought crosses my mind WOW!!!  And I thought athletes were overpaid!!! Notice how many of these didn't even have a song hit the charts in 2006. Dang.

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QUESTION OF THE DAY:  Two teams. as below. Which of these two teams would win a best of 7 finals?

New Kids on the Block:

PG: Deron Williams and Chris Paul

SG: Dwayne Wade and Gilbert Arenas

SF:  Lebron James and Carmello Anthony

PF: Amare Stoudemaire and Dirk Nowiski

C: Dwight Howard and Yao Ming

Or:

The We May Be Old and Injured But We Got Game Team

PG:  Steve  Nash and Jason Kidd

SG: Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson

SF: Sean Marion and Paul Pierce

PF: Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett

Center:  Shaquille O'Neal and Ben Wallace

Before  you decide you can substitute for  one person from either team in order to strengthen them in your view.

Now why would your choice win?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again Michael Vick roars back into the news. Before having my say let me say that I am a member of NORML, I think marijuna has been proven to help a wide variety of pain sufferers and 7 states currently have medical marrijuana with more on state ballots ever single time related national elections are held. In California simple possession is a 100.00 gross misdemeanor fine plus court costs and we do have medicinal marijuna.

I think it should be legalized myself. I could make arguements against alcohol for a week.  Now having said that just how stupid are we? Not how stupid is Michael Vick for being busted for smoking pot while awaiting sentencing , we know he's dumber than a post. How stupid are we? I personally don't care that he smoked pot. He's setting around with his homies that he hasn't dumped on and them dumped back and it can be a little boring for the biggest dogfighter on the Eastern seaboard when you don't have any dogs to torture or fights to bet on or women to give #### to. This I understand how a subhuman sociopath can get bored and fire up a blunt.

But when the man stood before America and said "I'm straightening up. I found God through all this. I accept responsiblity for what I done and it's nobody else's fault and I'm need to grow up" In a nutshell that's all he said. Then the writers came running. An easy column to make their money with. I can't think of a Fox writer, either football or at large who didn't give him the benefit of the doubt. Particularly black writers. As Jason Whitlock, I think it was, if not I apologize, but I think he said words like "rehearsed but not read speech?". Well right off they found his notes he left on the podium. Ok you got that right almost. Not read but cliff notes nearby. And this is Michael Vick. He can't even say I'm sorry without checking his notes.

He is due to be sentenced on Dec 10th. As I noted in previous blogs, this was a mistake on Vick's part not asking for immediate sentencing but I'm not a million dollar lawyer. I'm sure their thinking was the longer before sentencing the longer Vick had to build good will and the shorter the sentencing. My thinking was this #### will get in trouble again. And he has.

He's forfeited on a 2.5 million dollar loan at the bank already. How can this be? Sure he got suspended without pay but so what? How much money has he blown already? All of it? The bank loan was susposedly a "business development loan". What business? Dog fighting perhaps?  If he hasn't totally blown all his money wouldn't you want to keep from making the news forfeiting on a loan before sentencing? Once you're in prison who cares? They can't retroactively add to it just for not paying your bills. But by defaulting now it makes it look like he's just leaving a trail behind him like a tornado ripped alongside of him.

And how in God's name do you get busted in a month for smoking pot when you know you're being drug tested? You don't even have the money to run down to your local headshop and get some clean system? Can't stop in time to test clean? It's not the smoking pot that is the problem. It's the ever increasing reality that lying and crime is his nature. He has no respect for anyone or anything.

He has another two months and two weeks before sentencing. What's next? He robs the evening flyer train with his brother (who's turning out to be the lessor thug of the family and there is a suprise) claiming they're  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

What all this shows me is that it was no accident that he commited felonies for the entire college and professional career. Football is incidental to Michael Vick. Being a thug is who he is and what he is. I call for the maximum sentence and a lifetime ban from the NFL. And get this man in prison before he does kill someone. He's a sociopath.

 

Introducing a new feature for those of you have the desire to be foolish without being ridiclous. (I plan on keeping the latter covered myself.) We'll start this inagural look by taking our best shot at what a conversation between Mitch Kupchek and Steve Kerr would be having concerning trading Lamar Odom for the Matrix.

(ring) Phoenix Suns, how may I help you?

Good morning. This is Mitch Kupchek, may I speak with Steve Kerr Please?

Who?

Mitch Kupchek, the General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Please hold......Sir, I'm sorry, we have no one in our phone directory named Mitch Kupchek.

No Miss, I'm Mitch Kupchek, I'm calling from Los Angeles. Will you please tell Kerr?

If  you're the general manager then why don't you have his direct number sir?

I did but you must have not paid your phone bill. The number is disconnected.

That's highly unlikely Sir, please hold.

You know Danny, when people say Danny Ainge isn't persistent, I tell them.........

Steve? It's me. Mitch Kupchek.

Who?

Very funny, now listen. I know you're the legend and all that but you don't have that much experience at GM so I'm here to tell you, I'm going to help you out and not let something happen to you like happened to us with Shaq. You play this too tight to the vest and you wind up........

Losing KG to Boston? What's on your mind Mitch? I have Ainge on the other line.

Great.Let me cut to the chase. Odom reeks. I gotta unload this stiff before Kobe bails on us and Jack refuses to take his free stinking 4,000.00 chair for free. I got a #### mob on my hands. Extended Cook and he hasn't hit a shot since. You can come out of this smelling like a rose. Both of them are due big time. What do you think? Now is not the time to slowplay.

I may be short but that don't smell like no rose to me. More like the south end of a north bound burro to me.  You want Marion for two guys you busted out on?

Well hey if that dog won't fight, how about I give you Odom, Cook, Radmonvitch, Kwame Brown and and a second round unrestricted pick for Marion and Amare?

Must be harvest time over on the coast eh? You wouldn't throw in Farmar if I throw in Nash would you?

You serious? You could twist my arm I guess.

Sounds like you been doing some twisting of your own. You haven't been at the Ouiji board again have you? McHale told me about that one.

You got jokes eh? Listen I hope you don't go around clowning around with the other senior GM's around the league like this. You could get a bad reputation and.....

No, I been lucky for the most part in ducking guys I would be clowning on. Usually don't hit the one hold button.

Lucky for them. So what's it going to take to get a deal down. This phone call. End of today latest. You can announce. Marion wants to play with Kobe and we'll get a top four seed so you don't kick outr tails until the second round. Sound fair?

How about Odom and Bynum and a first round pick?

You don't want Bynum, trust me. We're only keeping him in case the Goodyear Blimp needs an emergency replacement. He's making Oliver Miller look like Wilt Chamberlain. I couldn't do that to you.

Well call me a sucker. I always had a soft spot for Miller.

You'd be better off with Kwame I'm telling you. He wore hand extenders all summer long. His fingers are at least six inches longer. He spelled Cat two out three times right just yesterday on the flash cards. This gives you some beef up front.

Unfortunately we're not a cattle processing plant or I'd be there. Let me think. I'd like to help you....uh...man talk about a brain lag...what was your name again...oh right Mitch. Sorry Mitch......we might work something out...you're going with Odom and a first round unprotected and all we need to agree on is the cap balance right?

Now you're thinking. How about Cook? The guy can hit the three on the break.

If he's the only one breaking. How about Bynum?

You know Steve I'm going to let you in on a veteran GM secret here. Owners are idiots. They see a stiff as something and they won't let them go. This is the hang up here on Bynum. Me, Kobe, Phil the entire organization including Bynum wants him gone but Buss won't have it. How about Cook?

Beat me to death why don't you? You old pro's flat out show no mercy do you? Tell you what, Odom, the first round unprotected in 2008 and 2009 and I'll take Cook and we got a deal.

Kid you are out of your mind. No way both years unprotected. 2009 unprotected and 2008 if we fall below 25th.

Deal.

Give me your private cel and I'll send the papers over right now and to the league.

Two hours later (ring)

Steve Kerr

Steve, Mitch, did you....

Who? 

Mitch Kupchek. We haven't heard a peep from Stern. You hear anything?

Fraid I got bad news Mitch. I was actually reaching to feed the papers in from this end when I got a call from Memphis. Looks like I got overriden on this one. Like you said, Owners are idiots. What are ya gonna do? I feel like such a fool. I'm really sorry I blew this one.

Well I wouldn't be saying that, but since you did. Hey you kids gotta live and learn. You'll catch up one of these days. That's basketball. Who'd they take you with?

Gasol and one stinking number one.  Oh and a couple of nobodies.  I guess their owner was freaking out about losing money hand over fist and out of nowhere he went looney tunes.

That's the sign of an new guy son, you're gonnna.....hello? Hello? They must be in real trouble over there themselves. Phone cut off again.

Hey Danny? He's bummed. We'll keep playing him and Marion for a few days and I'll have you your guy. We'll get Bynum and Odom and you can have Bynum on the deal we're working on.

 

 

 

The rumor is floating, Marion for Odom and second stringer, probably Cook. If you were the Lakers would you do it?

Here's my view.

Odom has been injury prone as a Laker missing significent time each of the three years. Marion is durable.

Neither has much of a lane game but Marion does get more rebounds and therefore more putbacks.

Odom is the better passer and to some degree knows the triangle.

I don't see either one of them as being any great shakes on defense.

Neither one has much in the way of creating their own shot, Marion is  the guy who will drop the outside shot on the kick out undefended while Odom is shaky on this.

Pretty obvious what I think. And you?

Personally I'm sick of hearing about it.  Is there racism in the NBA? Of course there is. There is racism in every walk of life. Having said that let's try just for this one moment in time, regardless of your race, your age, your gender, your personal life experiences, our own stereotypes and put this thing into perspective.

The minimum pay for an NBA contract player for a full year without a lick of NBA experience is 427,000.00 plus and at three years is nearly 800,000.00 per. The average player earns is 4.9 million a year (The highest among all American Sports.) They don't pay for their plane rides, their hotels, their meals are paid for by "pier diem" which if memory serves was somewhere around 105.00 a day when on the road. This is supposed to also cover dry cleaning and what have you.  (This article is fairly interchangeable with NFL and MLB to some extent as well in my view)

Name me one job, Mr and Ms. average American can have where you can choke out your manager and your union will go to court and win, to get you back on the job? This is just one of many in pro sports player unions. It's the exception rather than the rule when the union doesn't defend clearly fireable offenses.

Name me one job where have you a contract and you can "opt out" early and go shopping your services while you still got something to shop without fearing that your leaving this job may well cost you your home, your kids college, your retirement. Not in pro sports. Guys who get Opt outs are set before they ever have to consider opting out. Hell breaking a lease is tougher than breaking an NBA contract today.

When playing at home and sometimes away depending on the arena, there may be lavish buffet spreads. We're not talking some dried up roast beef here and some taco shells two weeks old folks. I used to know the senior manager of the "Gold Rush" or whatever it was called, (the best restaurent in the Forum, I forget today}. back in the day and the Players were porking out for free after games on Lobster, King Crab, Prime Rib and the like. Probably not doing any worse these days would you think?

Forget the near mind blowing shoe contracts we hear about the Superstars getting. Here in Los Angeles Mike Madsen had a couple of commercials.  So did Brian Cook and Ronny Turiaf (car commericals) The 15th man on a team can get a sweetheart deal on a new SUV just for coming down to the lot and getting filmed with the boss. If not one, another one will. You can get into almost any club or restaurent you want within reason. The clubs and restaurents that have a 12 year waiting period for you or I.

Did you ever think a particular actress or singer might like you if you could just meet her but you know the truth is that if you even send her a letter suggesting maybe a little harmless get to know each other date, you're gonna find yourself served with a cease and desist stalking order, right? Maybe the 15th  man on an NBA team isn't going to have access to her number but I bet you his buddy who is the 3rd option can get it for him. At least he has a shot without being arrested.

Did they ever have a day for you at your old high school and put you in their hall of fame despite the fact you played 14 games and averaged .02 and .07 per game while making that  800,000.00? last year?

When they decided you had not panned out the way they thought you would on a job did they ever call you in and told  you "money's too tight to mention"and we just gotta do this despite our enormous respect for you and we wish you nothing but the best" and hand you a 10 million buy out to either go play for who you want to while we pay you or hey you can just sit it out like you've been doing.

Incidentally there are 82 non American born players now in the NBA today according to an actual count of team rosters. Now you can claim all you want these 82 are "not minorities" but when you don't speak the language or speak it well and you're one of maybe 4-5 in the league I can assure you they consider themselves minorities. And for those of you who think a German and a Croation and a Serb all just consider themselve's " just white" anymore than a Sudanese and a Congalese and a Sengalese consider themselves "just black", you got some serious rationalizing going on.

All over the net I see people drawing battle lines over people like Vick, people like OJ, people like Isiah. The latter particularly befuddles me. I saw a rash of statements similar to "white people can't stand a brotha that got money. Get off  Isiha's  back".  Point me where I went wrong? I thought this was an African American woman suing an African American man.

And I see it the other way going back. This may get me terminated but it's what's said. "Dumb #### Ni**a can't be happy being a pro QBack. Gotta do what Ni**a's do. "

I made more than most for a number of years. Rich? Never was. But when you break it down and you're been in the top 30% for a good many years it's not like you're buying mansions and the Hope Diamond and stuff but it ain't where I came from nor is it where many people, no MOST are today and always have been. Everytime I say this someone says "why you always bragging?". There's a difference in bragging and being thankful. (and top 30% is nowhere near the bottom NBA guy who is top 20% or maybe better, The real money is in the hands of the top 5% Now that's rich.)

But even so I have no concept of the amount of money virtually every NBA player that lasts over a season has. Racism? Sure, to some degree. It's anywhere you want to define it down to the single last minute defination of the word.  But Racism like many in America and around the world deals with every single day? No.

Finally let me repeat myself. I'm sick of hearing about it everytime some primadonna gets upset because a coach benches him for not playing the way the coach wants. And what prompted this blog was Kirilenko's veiled suggestions that his situation was racist against him/Russians? Who knows. It's all the rage. Got a problem? I'll bet 20.00 on the race card.

Two words. STOP WHINING.