Ready to Run . . .

Hopefully things (i.e., life) will lighten up soon. As it was, it took me two nights to write this, and more stuff happened, but I've updated where necessary. So until that light day, here goes nothing:

1. #24 Kansas State (a.k.a. Michael Beasley) finally beat #2 ranked Kansas in college basketball on Wednesday night. Kansas had won 35 or their last 36 meetings, and K State hadn' won on Kansas' floor since 1983, before most of the players who played last night were even born. Since Michael Jackson's Thriller album debuted . . . If you were expecting an MJ joke to follow, keep loooking. MJ is the man! And so is Beasley. Get a good look at him now, folks, because he will be gone in a few months.

2. The MLB has ruffled some feathers by asking potential umpire hirees whether they belong to the KKK. Asking whether they beat their wives or have a drug problem are OK, but the KKK is somehow offensive. A simple "no" would suffice. Thou dost protest too much . . . And since I wrote this yesterday, Jesse Jackson, Jr. has spoken out against such "ill-contrived questions" being asked.

3. Miami dropped its 17th game in the last 18 they have played. This time to the (spin the wheel, it has stopped on . . .) the Orlando Magic. And to add insult to injury, Shaq didn't make the All-Star roster. He would have made it for a record 15 years (wow, I'm getting old, and so is he) but, alas, it was not to be. They might want to just scrap the season and start over next year. Maybe they can get Michael Beasley if they lose badly enough. That's not the position they need the most, but I don't see any other really talented big men coming up the ranks, so I say start building up a solid roster.

4. Pacman Jones is getting charged dropped left and right. After avoiding charges that he punched a woman in a night club, his latest escape is frommisdemeanor public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges in Tennessee. Just one more charge for whooping some guy's _____ in Georgia, and he's a shoo-in for reinstatement to the NFL. This Super Bowl Sunday will be his first major test of the new year. Study hard, Pacman.

5. 5'5", 133 lb. Earl Boykins is back in the NBA with the Charlotte Bobcats. This will be Boykins 7th year in the league after he opted out of a $3 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he put up solid numbers. Let me just say that anyone who can make it in the NBA at 5'5" for one day much less seven years has to be one of the most talented players in the game. Yao Ming is about two feet taller than him, and Shaq weighs about 200 more pounds than he does. "Impossible Is Nothing" personified.

'Run'ning Out of Gas

No, not Chris Webber. Me. I think I'm coming down with something, probably because I've been running to and fro with little rest. Quickly so I can get some rest:

1. A reader sent me an article discussing allegations involving the Howard University men's soccer coach who was allegedly caught soliciting a 13-year old (undercover officer) on the Internet. I hope this isn't true, but he has been suspended without pay pending the investigation. The coach is in his first year. Not the way you want your tenure to begin.

2. Shout out to the young woman of Asian descent who I saw lugging her hockey equipment through the airport with a woman who appeared to be her mother. Breaking the conventions. You go, girl!

3. The Oregon University AD apologized for how his school's fans booed Kevin Love when he returned there during UCLA's game versus the Ducks. Quack kills.

4. Just to add some perspective to the Boston Celtic's one point escape over the Minnesota Timberwolves, that would have been the Celtic's 8th loss of the season . . . and the T-Wolves 8th win. And the season is almost halfway over. Ick.

5. C Webb, pictured above, is back with the Golden State Warriors, the team who acquired him in a draft day trade with the Orlando Magic in 1993, and traded him to the then-Washington Bullets after a year. C Webb will also be reunited with coach Don Nelson, with whom C Webb did not often see eye to eye. Now that's what I call coming back full circle.

And what I call a great place to end. I'm praying that I'm just tired and not coming down with the flu . . . although that would give me more time to write.

1 Broken Jaw; 5 Butts on the Bench

Five players from the University of Missouri ("Mizzou") basketball team have been suspended indefinitely by their coach for misconduct apparently related to an incident over the weekend in which their star player, Stefhon Hannah, had his jaw was broken.

Some people may think the coach Mike Anderson is going too far (mainly the boosters, I'm sure) but I think it's great that a coach has put his foot down and shown that he's not afraid to lose (they were just 12-8 and had only won one game on the road prior to this) for the sake of instilling some discipline in his players.

And to be honest, it's about time something drastic occurred because these players weren't getting the picture. Among the prior happenings:

Anderson implemented what he called a "zero-tolerance" policy after junior forward DeMarre Carroll -- his nephew -- was shot in the ankle outside another Columbia nightclub over the summer. Police said Carroll was a bystander trying to break up a fight.

Along with the injuries suffered by Hannah and Carroll, three other Tiger players have been involved in off-court violence or misconduct since Anderson was hired less than two years ago.

One of those was Butterfield, who was arrested on charges of third-degree domestic assault for allegedly punching an ex-girlfriend. He was suspended before the season started but was reinstated after missing one exhibition game and an intrasquad scrimmage.

Butterfield has since pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor, and was given a six-month suspended sentence and two years of probation. He also was ordered to attend 20 hours of anger management classes.

Kalen Grimes, the school's leading rebounder and starting center last season, was dismissed from the team after being arrested for hitting a man in the face with the butt of a shotgun in St. Louis in July.

And last February, reserve guard Mike Anderson Jr., the coach's son, was suspended from the team after a drunken-driving arrest but was later reinstated.

Wow. Your son and your nephew. That's a lot for one team in the course of two years. The coach is lucky he still has a job - that just means the team is doing OK on the court. This is the kind of punishment all coaches should consider when the rules are violated. Ignoring the little incidents just leads to bigger ones, not including the fact that the team will be decimated in its future games, having lost 5 of its regular players, and having only 9 players suited for each game. Maybe they'll start doing tryouts from the gen pop (that's "general population"). Now that would be interesting.

Five But Still Alive

I know I said that there would be something coming by midday Monday, but life happened which made that impossible. And if you are reading this, then you're witnessing dedication at its finest because I am one pillow shy of a passing out. Ahem . . .



1. Federer's 10 years of making it to all of the Grand Slam finals (ok, not that many, but a lot) came to an end when he lost to Novak Djokovic - the eventual winner of the Australian Open. Hey, Tiger loses every now and then. Whether this signals the beginning of the end for Fed, I am not quite ready to predict his demise just yet. At least we know he's really human. When pressed, he admitted that he had a little food poisoning that could have affected his preparation, but he was sure not to blame the loss on that. After that match at the U.S. Open where Pete Sampras puked out his guts courtside from the flu and winning the match in five sets, that excuse isn't really available, so good choice, Fed.



2. After starting 29-3, the Boston Celtics are now 5-5, or pretty average. Their latest loss (I almost wrote "laws" - I need sleep) came at the hands of Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The game before that, they beat Kevin Garnett's old team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, by 1 point. Of course, KG has been sitting out now (taking turns with Ray Allen) but I still think you're looking at their playoff team. Why? One of these guys is bound to be hurt by then (Allen, most likely), so they better figure out a way to drive the tricycle with at least one flat tire.



3. Come on, boys. Let's raise the level.



4. I read an article in the SportsBusiness Journal discussing the intersection between politics and sports. The article included a pie chart showing the breakdown of Democratic vs. Republican support by executives acrosss several of the major sports (I think hockey was included, too). According to their contribution history, NFL execs are overwhelmingly Republican supporters, and the NBA execs are overwhelmingly Democratic supporters. Does that really surprise anyone? What did surprise me is that 1) a lot of execs support both parties; and 2) our friend and Atlanta Falcons' owner Arthur Blank has given money to both Hillary Clinton'a and Barack Obama's campaign; and one thing that did not surprise me: I don't recognize any of the three execs listed as supporters of John Edwards. That's all I'll say.



5. Back to tennis. Regular people were talking about Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who lost to Djokovic in the final. it's funny when you have unique knowledge or experience with something the average person does not - i.e., competitive tennis. Whenever something happens in tennis, people ask me questions like I get e-mail updates on every player. (They stopped sending those e-mails years ago.) Unfortunately, I don't know that much about Tsonga nor was I able to see many points of the final, but from what I did see, this kid could definitely be great if he keeps working and getting more consistent. He wiped out Rafael Nadal like Nadal was #200 not #2 in the world. Although, on hard court, that just might be a more accurate ranking for him.

And congrats to Maria Sharapova on winning the Australian Open on the women's side. She played some very tough matches and made them look easy. But it's not.

Yes, I ended on tennis. If you read this far and don't like tennis, pat yourself on the back. And keep living on the edge in 2008. It's good for you.

MYSM: The Kobe and Tyra Performance

Look out for the midday rundown.

In the meantime, please enjoy this oldie but goodie of Kobe Bryant and Tyra Banks performing during All-Star weekend back in 2000. This blog discusses how this came to be and the plan for the debut album, K.O.B.E., that thankfully never debuted.

Right here, see, I was going to post just an excerpt of the lyrics, but upon further review (and because it's worth it, trust me), I'm going to give you the entire song. Don't say I never gave you anything.

[Tyra] Kobe, how many girls have said, "I love you?" Not like 'I love you Kobe!' like a fan But like, for real, like, baby, marry me I love you

[Kobe] You're sweet Once again (Once again) Flawless (Flawless) C'mon Right

Uh, uh huh Yo, yo, it's like this Uh, what I live for? Basketball, beats and broads From Italy to the US, yes, it's raw I'ma search for the one that make my wealth feel poor Who can ignore the spotlight life of Grandma My falldown is how I found the aura, so I searched in There's plenty of women with sex appeal when it's filled Can even complete the package, all I date is actresses Can play it safe with them, my money ain't bait But I must take risks to find a honey that's legit Whether she push a buck and a six, bumpin' some mad chips Out on her own, or live out of moms and pop's home Watch time, fashion, Adidas attire or Timbo's I don't know, yo, these women come and go Like the wind they blow, how do I know it's you for sure? When God talk to me, give me a signal But until then, all my ears hear, just let me flow C'mon

HOOK (2x)

[Tyra Banks] K-O-B-E, I L-O-V-E you I believe you are very fine If you give me one chance, I promise to love you And be with you forever more

[Kobe] Check this out though Real love last, now do you love me or my cash? My name, fame, drop top, Benz or the wooden dash? You know my stash, from Georgie cash Platinum, US express, no paper cash Spend it all now, or kiss to be rich cash Hash, stocks and bonds, laugh when they crash Are you the type that brag the jewels you flash The type-type with your ex-man and push his Jag The type that love no scrubs or pigeons and got mad The type that can't stand a women with her own cash You know, like lime, claim she ain't rat The type that get loud in public, refrain my hand from a slap No time for y'all, too busy for y'all Plenty of dimes turn me on and turn me off tryin' to show off Get lost, grow up, real women, roll up Let yourself go, if you feel this, let me know C'mon

HOOK [Tyra] [Kobe] K-O-B-E, I L-O-V-E you Bounce wit' me, bounce wit' me K-O-B-E, I L-O-V-E you Right, right, uh, uh, uh

[Kobe] Think ya eyein' me, all along, I'm eyein' you The hunter becomes the hunted, girl, I'm preying on you Beautiful, the feelings we share are mutual Passion that's telling me so for us is suitable Un-controllable desire flows through me When you say my name, such lust in your slang No time for games, the games I play, all the same Can't get witcha, when the door hitcha, when the Lord splitcha I figure, hour-glass figures could be dangerous Cuz if your time runs out, they frame you for your clout And having a past, well, I stereotype glass All dimes ain't money, ass, and feignin' for a brother's cash Slash fame, slash power, slash respect All the above, makes me a supreme threat to scrubs Love but do you want? One more 'gain, let me know The words flow, from the bottom of your soul C'mon

HOOK (till fade)

[Kobe] It's like that Right KB TB Flawless Like that, spit it out

Awesome.

If anyone has the rest of the songs that were supposed to be on this album, PLEASE let me know.

Happy Monday!

Four for Four . . .

I warned you yesterday that today was going to be a long day, and it was, and the result is a rundown. I might stop giving an intro after this one . . .

1. The Miami Heat lost its 15th game in a row, this one to the San Antonio Spurs. By one point. Yep, it's still an L. They haven't won in over a month, and their coming schedule isn't getting any easier with their next six games including the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons. These are all good teams who will probably beat up on the Heat unless they figure out a way to get out of this mess. This has sped past ridiculous and is now in the territory of busting apart at the seams.

2. Kelly Tilghman returned to the air and gave an apology. Rehearsed but pretty good. She has learned her lesson, and hopefully people will start thinking before they speak. She is lucky to still have her job in the post-Imus era, so hopefully this is the last out of line thing we hear from her. I won't hold my breath, though.

3. I love (no pun intended) how Oregon still hates Kevin Love so much for going to UCLA to play baskebtall that they boo him when he comes home. Yes, they booed when his name was announced in the starting line up in Thursday night's game against the Oregon Ducks. I know that the kid said he was prepared for it, but all the preparation in the world won't take away the sting of hearing your hometown boo you. If it had been just a few booes, then fine, but it sounded like the entire arena. Come on, people, grow up. How many NCAA basketball championships does Oregon have again?

4. I saw this article discussing a "caddy snack" and was curious as to what was meant by that. I'll give you 10 guesses, I don't think you would come close. What happened? Two caddies in Hawaii stole and ate a man's dog for whom they were caddying. A German shepherd puppy. Would that happen on the mainland U.S.? We have some sick people here but that might be too brazen even for us. The fact that it was two people makes it even more crazy. I've heard of puppy chow, but this crosses the line.

5. World #2 Rafael Nadal was summarily swept out of the semifinals of the Australian Open by France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Some may call this an upset but real tennis fans know that "Rafa's" ranking is artificially inflated because of his awesomeness on clay. Now he's definitely a great player, and has notched some wins on other surfaces, but he is not the #2 player in the world on the hard courts like the ones they are playing on now. Great win for Tsonga though, catapulting him into his first ever Grand Slam final where he will meet the winner of the other semi between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Djokovic has the goods, but this is Fed in a slam so my money is with him. Either way, Tsonga has his work cut out for him, but kudos are in order for just making the final. On ESPN, they said Tsonga (pictured above) resembles Muhammad Ali. They also said he has a head the size of a turkey. So are they implying that Ali's head is the size of a turkey? Or is that a faulty syllogism?

Foot-In-Mouth Disease As Contagious As The Flu

Three straight days of sleepy, and tomorrow is not looking any better. Without further ado, I bring you the rundown:

1. Apparently another female sportscaster, this time ESPN's Dana Jacobson, landed herself in some hot water over some comments she made during a roast of Mike and Mike hosts (Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic) about Notre Dame (Golic's alma mater and Jesus Christ. It is virtually impossible to find exactly what she said without having been there myself, but apparently the Catholic church knows because they said she's anti-Jesus. Well, I don't know what she said so I can't say much about this. Even though her alleged comments sound inappropriate, I will say that I think women take a lot of flak that men don't for the things that they say. More on that when my eyes aren't shutting.

2. Five overtimes in the Baylor University vs. Texas A&M basketball game on Wednesday night. In one of the OT's the teams only scored 8 points combined. I can't say I have ever heard of 5 OT's before. That's 3 1/4 halves of basketball played. One of them must be regretting that decision to eat that full rack of BBQ ribs before the game. Five players fouled out for Baylor but they still managed to pull out the win against #16 A&M. The game even lost a ref, who went down with a pulled hamstring ($1 to anyone who can locate this video). Great for Baylor. If any team in college basketball could use some good news, it's Baylor. I'm not sure if they have fully recovered from the murder of Patrick Dennehy (I'm sure mention of the murder still makes its way at the end of any big story outside of Texas about the school), but pulling out tough games certainly helps.

3. NCAA crying "foul" for USC's O.J. Mayo taking tickets for a Denver Nuggets game from Carmelo Anthony. Eh. The coach is trying to take the fall, saying he gave Mayo permission after Mayo asked him if it was OK. I know there could be some undue influence if college kids were getting handouts from NBA teams, but I haven't been an NCAA fan before, so I'm not going to start now. Give the kid a break. Smack (on the hand, of course) the coach, though, because he definitely knows better.

4. The Toronto Raptors beat the Boston Celtics, further proving that the Celts are just another team. The stat line shows some pretty good percentages in this game from the floor and behind the arc for the Raptors, who held on for a two-point win, but I am most impressed - of course - with the fact that they went 100% from the free throw line. I can accept a miss or three, but a perfect percentage is . . . something that we shouldn't marvel at that should happen more often. Darn it.

5. Ah, the life of a kicker. Just ask the NY Giants' Lawrence Tynes. If he misses that last field goal (that sent the Giants into the Super Bowl), after missing previous ones, he says he is looking at real estate in Wisconsin. But, he made it, so he's on The Late Show with David Letterman talking about the dress shoes his wife picked out for him. Brett Favre could have thrown 5 interceptions and lost the game on a bonehead play and gotten carried out of Lambeau Field, but if the kicker misses from half a field away (because his offense couldn't get him any closer), he has to move his family to another state. Life's just not fair.

6. Even though I like to do an odd number of rundowns, I couldn't leave without updating you on the Australian Open happenings (I know you read the first five just to get to this point). Maria Sharapova ripped apart Jelena Jankovic, who is shockingly up to #3 in the world. I saw Jankovic at the U.S. Open and she doesn't really have the weapons and is fairly inconsistent, as she proved so aptly in her semifinal against Sharapova. Like I said, Sharapova's pretty much got this one on lock.

7. Splitting up men's and women's tennis gives me a #7. Woohoo. Over on the men's side, Roger Federer dusted off James Blake, per usual, in straight - but well fought - sets. I feel bad for Blake because he really is a good guy and a good player, but Federer is more than a thorn in his side, he's the chloroform cloth to Blake's mouth and nose. He'll get you one day, Federer, one day.

Rundown . . .

My apologies for doing this two days in a row, but I lost several hours earlier that I can never regain and now I am paying for it. On to RFTR . . .

1. First Serena, now Venus has lost in Australia. But Maria Sharapova outlasted Justine Henin, hitting her with a bagel (that's 6-0) in the second set. This means all of the people who would normally beat Sharapova are gone, and absent some hiccup, she will probably win it all.

2. Shaquille O'Neal is out again for at least two weeks. Shaq is missing about 1/4 of the season or more every year. This time he's out with a hip ailment, proof that he really is getting old. When you're 7'1" tall, I don't think your body can take too much stress for too long. I would say his team needs him, but after losing 14 games in a row, it can't get much worse, and maybe they will start winning with him on the sidelines. Hopefully.

3. People are making a big deal about the above picture (and others like it) of Tom Brady in a foot cast - carrying flowers no less, allegedly on his way to Gisele Bundchen's home. Sounds staged to me. I don't know why he'd even walk down the street in NYC. He's just trying to psych out Eli, that's all. I believe if he had a crushed foot, I believe he would still play, so I don't expect this to mean that he won't be in the Super Bowl. Carry on.

4. Proving that the depth in the college basketball is very real, University of Kentucky beat the #3 ranked University of Tennessee Volunteers Tuesday night. Kentucky has been up and down (more down than up) this season but every now and then, they can produce a good game. I did not get home until really Wednesday morning so I missed this game, but this is obviously a great win for them. As I said before, in a single-elimination format, this year is going to make for a very interesting NCAA tournament.

5. R.I.P. Heath Ledger. I know this is not sports related, but it's my blog so I can break the rules every now and then. A very talented, underrated actor, in my opinion. Just a reminder to cherish every day you have with the people around you.

Rundown From the Run-Down: 'Jones'ing For Some Rest

Running it down before I retire:

1. I hate to say I told you so. Actually, no, I don't. So I do have a record saying that UNC was going to receive their first check in the "L" column fairly soon. I can't say that I didn't think it would be this soon, because I did. I can say that I'm surprised they held on as long as they did. Then came the University of Maryland, with a just OK record (including losses to VCU and Ohio(?)), who exposed their defense. No fluke here, though, because Maryland coach Gary Williams enjoys a great rep as a top team slayer. And UNC is starting to enjoy a rep as a team that doesn't play D. Back to the basics for the other Williams (UNC coach Roy).

2. Speaking of holding on as long as he could, did anyone catch the Roy Jones, Jr./Felix "Tito" Trinidad fight? If you saw Jones knock out Tito twice (FYI, that second time was not a slip, he lost his balance after getting HIT. It counts.) then you know that Jones is as much a showman as he is a fighter, and I can appreciate that. He is honestly a bit of a nut, but judging by their talk post-fight (where Jones won in a unanimous decision), I think Trinidad "gets" him, so he probably didn't mind the antics as much as one might have thought. If it brings more fans to the sport, they all win. So says Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, who are, as we speak, planning a Part Deux of their last affair. Just because they get punched in the head doesn't mean they aren't shrewd businessmen.

3. Eli! In the NFC Championship game, I was sentimental for the Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre, because I wanted to see the "old-timer" defeat the odds and make a run for another Super Bowl title. But alas, the bigger underdog won and won me over, and his name is Eli Manning. Manning has finally emerged in the fastest time ever (an instant) from the shadow of big brother Peyton to make the premier national stage. I've always liked Eli because he was the "other" Manning, behind his brother and his dad, Archie, who never really got the glory even though he was a starting QB in a major sports market (the NY Giants). Reminds me of a post I once wrote. I am sure Giants fans are still reeling from the shock. The fact that exactly no one is expecting them to beat the New England Patriots has to make this that much better because Eli will still be a hero (forever, to little brothers everywhere) either way. Bravo, kiddo.

4. Serena Williams made an exit out of the Australian Open Monday night. I can't say that I watched a single point, but I've seen her play enough to get an idea of what happened. If you are not familiar with the term "unforced errors," watch a match where Serena is losing and you will hear it a lot. Why? Because when she's not making errors, this woman is virtually unstoppable, which is how she won the Australian Open crown last year as an unseeded, 81st ranked player in the world. But when she's off, she can be hard to watch. And apparently she was pretty off at times. She did lose to the 3rd seed, but like I said, on a good day she can dust anyone, so I'm not impressed. . .

5. In other Australian Open news, Justine Henin, the #1 ranked player in the world (yeah, I have to tell you, and that's sad. Not for you, but for tennis) is playing Maria Sharapova (a little more familiar, I hope) at 3:30 a.m. Eastern standard time on Tuesday. To some that's Tuesday morning, but I prefer to call it Monday night when it's before 5 a.m. What tennis should be calling it is a total waste of what could be the best match of the tournament.

G'day, mate!

MYSM: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In honor of the birth (and life) of a great man, I have two videos: one featuring the "I Have A Dream" speech, and another featuring NBA players reflecting on what the man and/or the day means to them.

I hope that on your day off you also take some time to find out more about the man who was not only instrumental in the lives of African-Americans, but who carries an important message for people all over the world, as timely today as it ever was.

Happy birthday, Dr. King.

UPDATE: Noose Nets the Axe

As an update on the Golfweek tangle, the editor who allowed the noose to be placed on the front cover has been "replaced." They also asked for forgiveness:

"We apologize for creating this graphic cover that received extreme negative reaction from consumers, subscribers and advertisers across the country," said William P. Kupper Jr., president of Turnstile Publishing Co., the parent company of Golfweek. "We were trying to convey the controversial issue with a strong and provocative graphic image. It is now obvious that the overall reaction to our cover deeply offended many people. For that, we are deeply apologetic."

The new editor says that the firing had to happen to that that they were "very sorry." A sacrificial slaying, it seems. I see that I was not the only one who thought this situation had Reverend Al's name written all over it, but apparently he wasn't needed this time. And as I surmised, the article was not the great piece on social issues.

I can't wait to see Kelly Tilghman's first day back on the job next week.

Run It, Run It

Rundown from the Run-Down, quick and dirty:

1. $3 million to be an assistant head coach? More than a lot of head coaches - good ones, too - are making. All of the reward and none of the pressure? I'll take that! In his press conference, Garrett said that especially in coaching, there's a natural inclination to want to advance. I thought about it and said, well don't most people want to advance in any job? Then I see people do the exact same job for 20+ years (that's definitely going to change with the newest generation), so I guess he has a point. Hopefully the Dallas Cowboys won't be so disappointing next year and will make him earn his keep.

2. Starbury is out indefinitely following his ankle surgery. I have been going easy on the guy since he lost his dad, but the New York Knicks are playing better without him. Despite his flaws, I think he has a good heart overall, though, and I do wish him a speedy recovery.

3. The San Antonio Spurs are showing they are capable of slumping, losing at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a "rematch" of last year's final. In an 82-game season, there's not too much shock when one team beats another. If they actually beat them in a series, then I'll be shocked.

4. The Australian Open is going on. I haven't kept up with it much because it comes on around what should be my bedtime. All the seeds are pretty much advancing as usual. The most exciting event thus far is some controversy over alleged anti-Turkish comments made by one player that appeared on YouTube - don't worry about his name, just know that he beat Roger Federer. Apparently he sparked an Israeli-Palestinian-type conflict with his comments, and he's not apologizing for them either. I hope he has security.

5. The woman who sought a restraining order against Randy Moss defended herself following comments from Moss claiming his innocence. Among other things, Moss said, "In my whole entire life of living 30 years, I've never put my hand on one woman, physically or in an angry manner." Is he coming out?

Not Your Best Work

I was going to do a Rundown from the Run-down but I decided one story needed its own post.

Now I am sure Golfweek magazine thought that putting a noose on its cover to highlight the Kelly Tilghman controversy was a good idea that might sell more issues and capitalize on her comments.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that no one who is African-American took any part in the decision to place the above image on the cover. Tiger's the only prominent African-American (among other races) in the sport today, so I'm guessing there aren't too many working at Golfweek either. And they probably didn't see The Great Debaters either.

I really don't care what they thought they were trying to say because this image is in poor taste. The lighting gives the noose an ominous look, too, which I'm sure was intended but did not achieve the intended effect.

Some might liken it to putting a burning cross or a swastika on the cover, but the difference here is that the noose is not only used to kill, but to kill a particular race of people.

This from the New York Times:

Dave Seanor, the editor, said the intention was not to be “racially
provocative,” but to illustrate a noose tightening around Tilghman, the Golf
Channel and golf.

He said: “There weren’t a lot of other ideas for the cover;
either you put Kelly out there or this image, which is emblematic of what this
controversy is about.”

The magazine, with a circulation of 160,000, nearly
all of it by subscription, has received about 100 to 150 demands for
cancellations, but as far as was known, no advertisers have pulled out.

I will tackle this in pieces. First, well if that was the intention, then why isn't there a picture of a noose tightening around Tilghman's neck? Too much? Well so is the noose. Especially with recent noose placings around the country fueling racial episodes, most notably in Jena, Louisiana.

Second, if you are the editor of a publication, never in your life should you ever explain why you went with a poor choice by there were not many other ideas. Put a picture of Kelly, a picture of Tiger, or a picture of Kelly and Tiger. Anything but a noose.

And I haven't read the article but I am sure it is not some great expository on race in golf.

Magazines are struggling now as it is. While 100 people might not make a huge difference to a subscriber base of 160,000, I wonder how many people won't pick it up off the newstands, and if those 100 might turn into more as this story gains traction. My guess would be that none of that would make a dent in their bottom line now, but just wait until Reverend Al leads the boycott. Be afraid, Golfweek, be very afraid.

Judge Jackie Is Not Having It

Every now and then, judges provide excellent quotes that let the regular folks know how much power they really wieldin there. I guess this past Wednesday counts as "now." Without further ado, I present to you the words spoken to O.J. Simpson by the judge in his case after he tried to contact a co-defendant in his case, in clear violation of his probation terms. She stated:

"I don't know Mr. Simpson what the heck you were thinking -- or maybe
that's the problem -- you weren't," Clark County District Court Judge Jackie
Glass told Simpson.

"I don't know if it's just arrogance. I don't know if it's ignorance.
But you've been locked up at the Clark County Detention Center since Friday
because of arrogance or ignorance -- or both."

If you're really asking, Judge Glass, I'd go with both. With that, she doubled his bail to $250,000. Anymore funny business, she said, and she's locking him up.

Oh, O.J.

You Read That Right: Yes, New York, There Is A Knicks Team*

New feature I just devise: Any sports story that's completely out of the ordinary is going to be tagged "You Read That Right."

For the inaugural post, to the surprise of everyone, including the team and their fans, the New York Knicks are on a three-game winning streak. A team that hadn't won ten games prior to this streak now winning three in a row is a bit extraordinary. That's with Stephon Marbury going down with bone spurs in his ankle, which he says will require surgery. It's almost sad, because the Knicks had become the running joke in town. What will New Yorkers complain about now?

And the Knicks finally winning has brought attention to another disaster called the Miami Heat, which as of a Wednesday night 30-point blowout to the Chicago Bulls has now lost its 11th game in a row. That's with Shaq and D Wade both scoring 24 points apiece, but virtually no bench scoring compared to the Bulls. Another team that needs to make moves, and soon, or they might need to change their name to the Miami Ice.

* Play on the the New York Sun's response to Virginia's question as to whehter Santa Claus existed.

Delete Pacman, Insert Moss

Just as one man is being cleared, another one goes on the hook.

Amazingly, the lawyer in the Pacman Jones warrant case related to an alleged punching at a Georgia strip club has decided to drop the charges. No details on why or what happened, but I don't know if this one passes the smell test. Hopefully this is the last we will hear of Adam (Pacman) Jones having run-ins with the law.

Instead, on Wednesday, a woman placed New England Patriots WR Randy Moss in the hotseat. A woman in Florida is claiming that she was battered by Moss in her home on January 6, and he allegedly refused to get her medical help. The woman sought and received a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Moss requiring him to stay at least 500 feet away from her.



Moss, as you can see above, was very vocal about his innocence. I don't say this often, but even without hearing her side, I would tend to believe him. No charges have yet been pressed. People are speculating that this was a scheme to get money from Moss. Who knows.

Once again, the truth will come out and if this woman is lying, this upsets me. Every false claim makes it that much harder for people who have serious situations to be taken seriously. If the TRO was granted, it's likely that Moss was at least with her or nearby her in some capacity, and while I sincerely hope that Moss is innocent, I also hope she had some basis for the TRO.

They May Be #1, But Will They Finish #1?

Has anyone else noticed how close UNC's games have been lately? Yeah they've squeaked out wins, so perhaps they deserve to be highly ranked, but I'm not sure about #1. Wednesday night's game against Georgia Tech, who is at the bottom of the ACC barrel and has a losing record, nearly pulled off a win against the still-undefeated Tar Heels had a few more calls gone their way.

Maybe these teams are just getting up for UNC. But in a one-and-done format like the NCAA tournament, I don't see them going all the way. Their offense can struggle if Hansbrough gets shut down inside, they don't have "the long arms of the law" Brandan Wright in there, and I haven't seen much defending on the perimeter when they face good shooters. Remember I said this.

This Pacman Game Is Over

Pacman Jones obviously didn't learn his lesson from his last run-in at a strip club. Nearly a year ago, he was involved in a shooting at a strip club involving some of his entourage during the NBA All-Star weekend (which I attended, but somehow managed to avoid any issues).

Today, a woman is asking that he be arrested for punching her in a strip club. The woman, Wanda S. Jackson, is not just any woman, but an attorney at that, and the attorney working on Mr. Jones divorce case. I'm guessing that she works with his soon-to-be ex-wife?

But the worst part is that her arrest warrant application, filed in court in Fulton County, Georgia, says that he sucker punched her. Apparently Mr. Jones was upset because he believed that the club was involved in the disappearance of his money and jewelry, and according to Ms. Jackson:

I was sitting in the office and he lunged at me numerous times in an
effort to do grave bodily harm," Jackson wrote in the warrant application
filed Jan. 7. "Veronica Jones, an owner, went into the hall to deal with a
member of his entourage. I followed to gawk. He was in the hall, surprisingly reached over or around a security guard and sucker punched me in my left eye.

I'm not sure what "I followed to gawk" really means or why it is here. Or why she thought saying that would help her tell the story. In any event, we won't know until about a month whether the magistrate judge will issue the arrest warrant. If he is arrested and charged, then this could throw a wrench in the attempted murder case in which he received special perks (i.e., avoided doing time) by cooperating with the investigation.

I can't help but think that Pacman thinks his actions are without consequence. He has been arrested 6 times since 2005(!) and he doesn't show any signs of really changing, at this rate. We don't know all the facts here, but it seems that it will be easy to prove whether he did or didn't punch her.

I have a few suggestions for him:

1. Stay out of strip clubs and entertain at home, if you must.

2. If you are tempted to go out to a strip club, remember your criminal run-ins and how much money you lose by not playing in the NFL for an entire season.

If he did this, he can expect to not play some more this upcoming season. (NFL Commissioner Roger) Goodell don't like ugly.

Two Times Not The (Lucky) Charm

Uh oh, are the Washington Wizards the Boston Celtics' kryptonite?

Once may be a fluke, but twice in a row sounds like they have your number. And twice is the number of times that the Wizards have now beaten the Celtics. Unbelievably, the Celtics are 2-3 in their last five games. Not the golden children!! Maybe the luck of the Irish is running out.

More tomorrow on the "slump" . . .

101 MPH? If I Feel Like It

I used cruise control when I drove out of town this past weekend, careful not to go too far over the speed limit because of the ticket-happy officers who pave the highways at all hours of the night.

LeBron James? Not so much. He just got a ticket for going 101 miles per hour in a 65 MPH zone. 36 over the limit, good for a reckless driving charge in some jurisdictions. LeBron's reaction? Big whoop:

When James was asked if he will continue traveling at such speed, he said: "I
don't know, maybe at times. It's not a big deal to me. You've just got to
abide by the rules that's all. I made a mistake and I'll live with it.

He's so . . . cavalier. King James is right.

MYSM: LT's Focused Owner, Phil

In honor of the San Diego Chargers win over the Indianapolis Colts, I thought I'd share with you this commercial featuring the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson about getting picked #1 by his fantasy football owner, Phil. Some of you may relate to this if you had your own fantasy team. Having picked LT #1 in my fantasy league, this commercial hits close to home.

Happy Monday!

2 Quickies.

Two other items that I am waiting for more details to develop before I comment:

1) The father of a California high school (female) basketball standout was gunned down during half time of her game. The father was apparently very involved with the team and his daughter's development as a basketball game. The game was called before it ended after officials learned what had occurred. The man's daughter had been pulled from the game prior to that. No word on a motive. Very sad.

2) Orenthal James Simpson may be heading back to jail for violating the terms of his bail by contacting one of his co-defendants in the case to discuss testimony. If this is true, he should be tethered to his lawyer at all times.

MJ Gets Six Months

While the other MJ - Michael Jackson - has thus far avoided jail time, Marion Jones was not so lucky. She will be doing 6 months in the slammer for lying to investigators ("obstruction of justice") in the investigation into the BALCO labs and her steroid use, and for lying about her role in a check fraud scheme. Her former coach got over 5 years for his role in the check fraud.

The idea that someone is going to prison for using steroids does not sit well with me, but again, the judge who sentenced her is trying to make the point made in Michael Vick's legal proceedings: you can do bad things but if you lie about it, we're throwing the book at you. Six months was the maximum recommended by prosecutors, which was only suggested because of the age of Jones' sons, one of whom she says she is still nursing.

This is a sad day for Marion and for track and field, but it is an especially sad day for her sons. Hopefully, they are just young enough and the sentence is just short enough that it won't affect them too negatively.

I don't know if this is all part of an elaborate scheme to set up some athletes, while others are being treated with kid gloves, but in any event, please, people, stop lying to the feds.

Perfect Shooting and Mulligans

Interesting past few days in the NBA.

First, the New Orleans Hornets' star Chris Paul shot perfectly from the field in the Hornets game against the Miami Heat on Friday night. Like, really, perfect, as in did not miss a shot. 7 for 7. And it was not just him, his teammates Bobby Jackson and Jannero Pargo were perfect, too, going 9 for 9 and and 4 for from the field, respectively. Jackson is not being promoted as a star like Paul, so that's why his 9 for 9 gets second-billing, although Jackson's performance was more impressive to me (7 for 7 from behind the 3 point line). And not one of them even attempted a free throw. Of course, this is minus Shaq, but even without him, only two starters had two fouls, while the rest of the team had about one foul apiece. That's great defense, Heat. If you don't believe me, check out the caption on ESPN for the above photo: "Looking on is Miami Heat guard Jason Williams."

This was in striking contrast to the Detroit Pistons shooting against the New York Knicks on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. Who won this game? If you said the league-terrible Knicks, then you would be correct. The Pistons shot about as awfully as they could have. How awful? Second worst scoring performance in the history of the franchise. That bad.

But, the Miami Heat can take solace in receiving the rarest of the rare kind of gift from the NBA. No, not a good team. No, they received the chance to re-play part of a game that they lost.

In a December 19 game against the Atlanta Hawks, the official scorers incorrectly reported that Shaq had fouled out of the game with 51.9 seconds remaining, when in fact he only had 5 fouls. Alas, Shaq "fouled out" and the Hawks won the game, 117-111.

The Heat protested the game's outcome because of the foul discrepancy, and Commissioner David Stern has decided they were right. So on March 8, the team will re-play the game with 51.9 seconds on the clock, when the Hawks were leading 114-111. From Stern's comments, the closeness of the game is the reason for the re-play. And the Heat lost an "L" in the loss column - although I don't think it would make much of a difference.

Not only that, but Stern fined the Hawks $50,000 for their "grossly negligent" conduct. Yes, Stern is still an attorney at heart.

If that sounds unusual, it's because it is. I can't recall ever hearing of anything even remotely like that. That's because nothing like this has happened since 1982, when the San Antonio Spurs benefited from a do-over against the Los Angeles Lakers (ironically, involving the same scores involved here, 117-114). I'm intrigued as to how this will be handled logistically. It appears that the end of this game will take place prior to the beginning of a regularly scheduled meeting between the two teams, so that the fans will get something of a doubleheader. I would be mad if I had tickets to the last outing, though, and couldn't witness the history in the making. I will be tuning in for this one, for sure . . . hmm, maybe that is the whole point? Stern is no dummy, folks.

Shake 'Em Up

This year is shaping up to be an interesting playoff series. Saturday's game featuring the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. the New Englad Patriots was predictable.

Sunday's games were anything but. This is why the NFL has an advantage in the excitement area over other sports, rivaling maybe the men's NCAA basketball tournament. No series, no second shots. One game.

Two teams who took full advantage and struck first were the San Diego Chargers (minus LT, and at the end of the game, their starting QB) and the New York Giants, who took down the Indianopolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys, respectively. Also, the defending Super Bowl champs and America's team, respectively.

I won't give much ink to this because you can find everything you need to know about the games on your big sports sites. I will say that I heard a lot of talk recently about how the Colts weren't getting much press this season despite being last year's champs . . . well, now we see why. A few key injuries here and there, but I think they'll be back.

The Cowboys? They looked pretty invincible all year, but after playing the Giants twice during the regular season, eventually it had to be the Giants turn, right? This one was still a stunner to the Cowboys, who have now gone 11 years without a playoff win. They somehow managed to score two touchdowns in the second quarter, and none in the other 3. Yeah, that was not going to get them very far. I do like seeing the other Manning (Eli) getting his time to shine. This whole "Tony Romo can go back to sunning in May-hee-co with with Jessica Simpson" story is probably not Romo's first choice. Just a guess.

Sometimes, I like to see Cinderella teams make it, but only if they have the ability to go all the way. What I hate to see (and which happens much more often than not) is the team/individual has an emotional let down after a large win, and then get blown out by a team that is not as good as the one they just beat.

Here's to the Giants beating the Green Bay Packers, and the Chargers taking out . . . the Patriots. Hey, like Kobe Bryant says, impossible is nothing.

"Giant" Exploitation?

Wednesday night I caught a little bit of the UNC-UNC Asheville game. Of course, everyone was talking about the 7'7" Kenny George with the size 28(!) feet on UNC Asheville's team.

I watched him play. He looks like a giant. Seriously, I've watched a decent amount of basketball and he makes 6'10" guys look like midgets. But he doesn't really look happy, and he seems to be laboring in his movements. I wonder if he's not in any pain and people are just pushing him for the novelty and the (eventual) money. Here's his take on himself. He can't do a lot of things regular people do, like riding in a car or fitting on an airplane. I actually feel kind of sad for him. But on the other hand, he's the leading shot blocker in the NCAA and, let's face it, he's going to block a lot of people by just standing there.

But he didn't block Tyler Hansbrough's dunk. The funniest part in the entire link is George's statement about why he got dunked on:

“I saw him coming to the basket. I just kept my hands straight up,” George said.
“I had him. I just forgot to jump. He jumped. I didn’t jump. I should have known
than a 6-10 player as athletic as him was able to jump over my hands even if I
go straight up.”

I'm going to read between the lines a little bit and speak for George. What he wanted to say was "White men can't jump, and I thought this was going to be no exception."

No, instead, "Psycho T" gets press for dunking on George, who is tall and can block the shots where he's standing but otherwise I'm not sure how developed his skills are.

He wants to play in the league, and I am sure that he can. I just hope he stays healthy.

Would You Fire This Guy For $100k? What About $200k And Another Guy?

A reader sent me this link about how serious the fans/supporters/boosters at the University of Washington take their sports. I guess the Seattle Seahawks and the Supersonics just aren't doing it for them.

Apparently, people were not too happy with the team's performance this year (they ended up 4-9) and decided to let the school know about it. One guy - a lawyer, I might add - offered the school $100,000 to fire current coach Ty Willingham, and another $100,000 for a law school scholarship if the school agreed to fire the athletic director, Todd Turner. (So technically, UW could hire Mickey Mouse and Goofy, and still end up with $200,000.) The end result? Apparently the law school needs the money more because the AD is gone but Willingham is staying put.

This message is worth sharing here:

One alumnus, an elementary-school teacher in Seattle, despaired: "We are
Washington. At Washington you win football games or it just isn't Washington
anymore." He said he'd bought his infant daughter a Huskies cheerleader outfit,
but now vowed to stop purchasing UW merchandise and attending games until
Willingham was fired. "Because now Husky Saturdays are days of sadness and why would I want my daughter to share that?"

Yeah, why would he? Babies should not know sadness that early.

What A Difference A Day Makes

Last night, the Detroit Pistons stunk up the entire American Airlines Center the Dallas Mavericks.

On Thursday night, they put a beating on the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs.

All day Thursday, the sportswriters talked about the "slumping" Pistons, whose 9 game winning streak ended against Boston (top record in the league) on Saturday and who lost again to Dallas (second best record in the West; third in the league) on Wednesday night. And the Pistons have the second best record in the entire league and are one of the four teams who has beaten the Celtics. Slumping. Right.

Anyway, they redeemed themselves tonight by never letting San Antonio come up for air. The Pistons ended the first quarter up 30-15, and even though the Spurs got within 6 or 7 at one point, they were never really in the game. The key to the Pistons is not going ice cold down the stretch, and not making adjustments on defense, and they didn't and did, respectively. Solid win.

With this much depth in the league, this is going to be a very good year to be an NBA fan come playoffs time.

Please Crawford, Don't Hurt 'Em

Don't ever get "AND 1"'d like this on national TV!



The reaction of Kirk Hinrich's home crowd to how badly he got shook by Jamal Crawford is priceless.

Va Tech RB Takes the Stand in Crack Cocaine Trial

Not a good past week for Virginia Tech's star running back, Branden Ore. First, his Hokies lost in the Orange Bowl to the Kansas Jayhawks.

On Wednesday, he had to take the stand in a drug case. Ore was subpoenaed (i.e., threatened with imprisonment if he failed to ) to secure his testimony. Appearing as a witness in the "possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute" trial of Tony Majette in a Western District of Virginia courtroom, Ore testified that Majette, the driver of the car he was riding in at the relevant time, threw a baggie of crack in his lap in a panic when they passed by police officers. At first Ore claimed that he didn't know anything about the drugs, but when faced with the prospect of not playing football if he went down for drug possession, he decided to speak up.

Well, I can't blame the man for speaking up. I wouldn't lose my shot at the big time (to gain a shot in the big house) over someone else's baggie of crack cocaine, either, especially if he tried to set me up first. Why he was even anywhere near any crack in the first place is a different story. I'll take the time here to make my usual plug: please, please, talk to these athletes about how getting caught up can ruin their lives. After last year's fiascoes, including the Michael Vick saga, I really need them to get this.

Celts Eaten By 'Cats*

Well here's one that you didn't see coming: The Charlotte Bobcats beat the Boston Celtics.

Apparently none of the photographers at the game saw it coming either because the above photo of the Bobcats' Gerald Wallace taking a charge against the Celtics' Rajon Rondo against is the only photograph that I could find showing a Bobcat in a positive light. Seriously. You should see the ones I didn't post.

The Bobcats are 13-21, not terrible but definitely not good. The Celtics were playing without Ray Allen and Glen "Big Baby" Davis, which is apparently all they need to look average. Not a good sign come playoff time, when Ray Allen (most likely) or one of the other two (KG, Paul Pierce) falls.

And the Celts were at home. Coming off their tight win against the Detroit Pistons (looking much like the Pistons who have lost deep in the playoffs every year starting after 2004) on Saturday night, maybe they just didn't get up for the game. Or maybe they are just overrated . . . Oh well. Can't win 'em all.



And on a sidenote, Isiah Thomas, coach of the New York Knicks (but you knew that), was ejected after arguing with a ref on the floor during the Knicks game (loss) to the Houston Rockets. Some reports say he bumped the official prior to being ejected. Good job, Zeke.



* Am I the only one who is still not used to 'Cats referring to an NBA team?

Two Weeks Suspension Ought To Cure It

Even the vote of confidence from Tiger Woods couldn't save Kelly Tilghman from being suspended from her job on the Golf Channel for two weeks.

As I discussed yesterday, golf announcer Tilghman stated during a broadcast that lynching Tiger "in a back alley" was the only way that young up and comers could take over his throne. Tiger's agent says Tiger didn't bat an eye, and that he and Tilghman are friends (and some of my friends have their own thoughts on why Tiger didn't mind . . . ).

But the Golf Channel cared. In truth, they had to do something. Don Imus can't get his show cancelled for using offensive language calling black women names, and then nothing happens to dear Kelly when she talks about killing America's sports darling in a racially offensive manner.

Perhaps it was Al Sharpton's call for her firing, and Tiger's treatment of it as a non-issue. The Golf Channel just split the difference.

The more that I think about it, I have to wonder if Tilghman's comment set the ladies back a big. Unfortunately, as is often the case with minorities, when one woman does something, we all tend to take the blame. It's hard enough for us to get on TV doing announcing in a men's field as it is. The fact that she couldn't come up with a witty response to Nick Faldo's comments on Tiger's "prowess" unfortunately reflects on all of us, providing the bigwigs just another reason to keep us in the reporting jobs and away from the color commentary.

Now Kelly has time to finish reading that best selling self-help book "How To Recover From An Unfunny, Racist Joke About Tiger Woods" by her own sportsmen, Fuzzy Zoeller, whose racial joke Tiger actually said he found amusing. Happy reading, Kel.

Riley Running?

Sources are saying that Pat Riley may be out as coach of the Miami Heat at the end of this season, although I have heard other rumors that he could be out by the All-Star break which would be about a month from now. Before the Heat's game Wednesday night, Riley denied reports that he plans to go anywhere before his contract is up in the '09-'10 season.

Riley currently serves as President and coach for the Heat, and his move likely means that he would stay on as President and step down as coach.

Well, we all know Pat Riley's a winner. And if he's not winning, he probably doesn't want to be a part of it. With the team at 8-27, and an injured Dwyane Wade, he's at the helm of a sinking ship.

I don't know if he should get credit for having just enough of an in-check ego to let someone else do the job, or if he should be called out for trying to get out when the going gets tough. I'm going to guess that most people would say the latter, especially after he fired Stan Van Gundy and replaced him with himself, and managed to win a championship the year that he took over.

No matter what Riley's motives are, I am all for fixing what is broken. Something has to give because they really stink.

My Two on The Five

Adding a little twist on the RFTR theme, I present my two cents on the following stories, a few of which I might devote more ink space to in the coming days:

1. Congrats to LSU football for capturing the BCS title. It wasn't much of a title game, in that it didn't look like Ohio State was really the #2 team in the nation. Now they are finally getting serious about a playoff format for college football. I have no idea how they made it this long with the current system. I guess tradition really counts for a lot.

2. Dwyane Wade may be permanently injured for the rest of his playing career. I would say I hope he doesn't end up like Grant Hill, but Grant's actually not playing too badly these days, and at least Wade has one ring under his belt. He's so young, though. If I were him, I'd secretly hope that Miami doesn't make the playoffs so that he has more time to heal. At this rate, he will be able to get plenty of rest.

3. Interesting lawsuit involving the NCAA that looks to be near settlement. Basically, the plaintiffs want the NCAA to relax restrictions on what scholarship money can pay for - including travel, health insurance, and laundry. BRAVO! I have A LOT more to say about this and will devote a post to this topic in the very near future. Funny how most of the major sporting news outlets haven't run this story . . .

4. And speaking of lawsuits, Roger Clemens is trying to show that he means business by filing a defamation case against his former strength coach, Brian McNamee, because of what he claims are false allegations that he used steroids and other performance enhancing medicament (great word), as noted in the infamous Mitchell report. Well, everyone knows that if you are really serious about denying bad rumors, then a defamation suit is one of the first courses of action taken. Here, he has an even greater interest because of all of the awards he has won and the fact that he just might want to be a Hall of Famer one day, so the suit seems almost obligatory regardless of the actual truth. Good luck to you, Roger. Good luck to us all.

5. Finally, in part because I didn't want to end with #4 (groupings of odd numbers just look better), Tom Brady took AP honors for Offensive Player of the Year, with his wide receiver Randy Moss coming in second. I, for one, was surprised. I thought for sure T.O would take the award for his Keyshawn Johnson rant, but I guess they meant on the field.

Did I Say That Out Loud?

Sometimes, people say things that they don't mean. Sometimes, they say things that are insensitive.

And sometimes, people just don't think before they speak and what comes out is, to put it bluntly, just plain dumb.

Golf Channel (yeah, I'm surprised anyone caught it either) announcer Kelly Tilghman, the first full-time female play-by-play golf announcer, and a former golfer at Duke University, was apparently trying to say that the young players will not be able to touch Tiger Woods unless they physically take him out of the game.

What she ended up saying was that the players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley." Two days later, she apparently apologized.

Yeah, I can't even get mad at this one because it is too obviously ignorant to invoke any real deep-seated emotions. Following on the heels of Don Imus, this just goes to show how difficult it is for us to step into the shoes of people who are not like us. It's one thing to say something seemingly racist in private, but when it is said in public, I must assume that the speaker didn't think there was anything wrong with what he or she said.

And then you get heat for it, and you learn to think before you make jokes that might offend people. I wouldn't fire her, though. She's relatively new to the game (the broadcast game), and she made an insensitive joke about Tiger Woods, the most hallowed American athlete there is. That is punishment enough.

MYSM: Well, We Know Roger Clemens Wasn't Shooting Up Muscle Relaxants*

Notes to self (and others): 1) Hire a water boy who doesn't cut corners. 2) Do not take muscle relaxants before the big game.



I love the guy running randomly in the opposite direction and false-starting.

Happy Monday!

* Title refers to 60 Minutes interview in which MLB pitcher Roger Clemens denied shooting up with anything (i.e., steroids, HGH) except B12. Roger that.

RFTR* . . . What Number Are We On Now?

Quick rundown from the run-down of the weekend's events since I am trying to get up early tomorrow:

1. The Detroit Pistons laid a turd Saturday night against the Boston Celtics, allowing a bench player and rookie (nicknamed "Big Baby" - accurate, if I do say so myself) to have a career night, taking very bad, ill-advised shots at the end of the game, and my pet peeve - missing free throws! Oh well. It's just one game. At least the Big 3 were kept relatively quiet. And I was not far off in my score prediction, I just didn't think the Pistons would be the ones with 85 points. This will be a very interesting playoff series, for sure.

2. End of the line for the Washington Redskins. Too bad that they couldn't win the wild card game for their fallen teammate, Sean Taylor, but the Seattle Seahawks are just too good.

3. Kudos to the Jacksonville Jaguars for taking out the Pittsburgh Steelers in the other wild card game Saturday night, and coming back for the crazy win. I left the sports bar after the Steelers got behind 28-10 and I thought for sure that was all she wrote. Too bad Maurice Jones-Drew couldn't have big games like that during the regular season! I guess now is a good time, too . . .

4. Did I mention that I am not a fan of Kevin Garnett? Almost as much if not more than I am not a fan of LeBron James. I don't like stars who think they are entitled to calls and who whine if they don't get their way. Put them in the same category as players who seek to draw fouls rather than take shots when the game is on the line. And I believe KG does both. Yuck.

* Short for Rundown from the Run-Down

Celtics v. Pistons, Part Deux

It's not often that an early season game in an 82 game schedule takes on any significance in the NBA these days, but Saturday night's game may just be one of them.

On Saturday night, the Detroit Pistons will host the Boston Celtics in what many are predicting will be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals, and at the least, will be a great game between two teams with the best records in the league right now.

The Pistons took them out last time these two met a few weeks ago and I am not ashamed to admit that nothing would make me happier than to see the Pistons take them out again. Anything that will slow down untested hype is a positive in my book.

Both teams look pretty good. I had the opportunity to watch a full Celtics game recently and I must admit that they are operating well on all cylinders, outside of just the "Big 3" with good play from Eddie House, Tony Allen and Rajon Rondo. They had a good west coast swing, including a win over the always tough Utah Jazz. The Pistons have also found their offense that seemed to have disappeared earlier in the season a few times, and they are playing consistent basketball again.

If the Pistons lose their offense, I wouldn't expect them to win against the Celtics who have multiple scoring options - at least one of whom typically has a good game - but if they can play like they've been playing as of late, I don't see the Celtics beating them. The Celtics have more to gain by winning this game, since the Pistons have already proven that they are capable.

My prediction: Pistons 89, Celtics 85

Rundown from the Run-Down - 2008

Happy 2008!!

Pleats 'n Cleats took a much needed vacation, and I could still use another one. I will be back in the full swing of things next week but instead of leaving you for a full two weeks, I thought I'd give you the first rundown from the run down for 2008.

So without further ado:

1. So the Boston Celtics went 4-0 on their west coast trip. Yeah, yeah. Whoop-dee-do. They also lost to the Detroit Pistons - placing them second in ESPN's power rankings for the week. Get back to me come playoff time.

2. The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Celtics on Sunday, in a game featuring a montage of the storied Lakers-Celtics rivalry and in which the Lakers donned short shorts in true throwback fashion. Said Kobe Bryant:

"I don't know what it feels like to wear a thong, but I imagine it feels something like what we had on in the first half," he said with a grin. "I felt violated. I felt naked. It's one thing to see films with guys wearing those things. ... I'd rather stay warm, man."

Um. I believe you, Kobe.

3. By now you are fully aware that the New England Patriots went 16-0. Their final game against the New York Giants was kind of close but not they-might-not-make-it close. Pretty anticlimactic if you ask me. Way to go, Pats.

4. The Georgia Bulldogs put a beating on the Hawaii Warriors football team in Tuesday night's Sugar Bowl, 41-10. It was sad hearing the commentators say they had no business being in the bowl game, but it was even sadder to see all the fans who traveled from Hawaii and got all dressed up just to see their team score when the game was pretty much over. But they still get to go back to school in Hawaii. Don't feel too bad.