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.