Just A Little Somethin' to Break the Monotony...

My top 20 music videos. Not songs, music videos.

20. The Pharcyde, "Drop"


19. Radiohead, "Karma Police"


18. Madonna, "Like A Prayer"



17. B.I.G., "Sky's the Limit"


16. The Game, "Wouldn't Get Far"


15. Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity"


14. Busta Rhymes, "Gimme Some More"


13. Geto Boys, "Mind Playin' Tricks On Me"


12. Ghostface Killah, "All That I Got Is You"


11. Madvillain, "All Caps"


10. Pearl Jam, "Do the Evolution"


9. Busta Rhymes, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See"


8. Ol' Dirty Bastard, "Got Your Money"


7. Gnarls Barkley, "Smiley Faces"


6. Jay-Z, "99 Problems"


5. The Roots, "What They Do"


4. Beastie Boys, "Sabotage"



3. The White Stripes, "Fell In Love With A Girl"



2. George Michael, "Freedom '90"


1. Jeru The Damaja, "Ya Playin' Yaself"

Women I'd Settle For, Vol. II

Fill in the blank:

After ____________________ , Kim Kardashian became the league leader in double-doubles.

Keep It Pimpin'?

Tuesday night's episode of Costas Now was a one hour synopsis of why I can't stand the NCAA-or Bob Costas. I wish I could provide the entire video, but here's a recap:

After a series of interviews with college athletes and professors which reinforce the notion that many revenue producing student-athletes are essentially cash cows whose last concern is the classroom, a panel discussion is held.

Sally Jenkins, Washington Post: "The NBA and NFL are using the NCAA as a developmental league and the NCAA is more than willing to take the money."

Reggie Miller, NBA Legend: "I agree with you 100%"

Myles Brand, NCAA president: "Um, er, ah..."

Bob Costas, Hypocrite: "But doesn't the media bear some responsiblity for promoting it?"

Bob then proceeds to fellate Coach K



Why do I suddenly want to switch to State Farm Insurance? Who put this American Express application in my pocket?

Enjoy the tournament.

Jason Whitlock's Scarecrow.

I really didn't want to talk about Jason Whitlock again. But alas, I'm merely a moth drawn to the flames of his sagacious observations.

*Via Lion in Oil (He asked the important questions, but I have a few followups....)

Q: What was the impetus that made you call for another civil rights movement and label a certain segment of the African-American community “the black KKK?”

“I think that to some degree and extent people are misguided and think that there is a lack of dissent in the black community. Meaning, basically, that African-Americans are all good with what is going on in the community. But I hear black people having these conversations all the time. I’m aware that we are not all good with it. Yet, we rarely offer any type of dissent. If we ignore it, it’s only going to get worse. We are going down a slippery negative slope. The hip-hop, prison values.... No one is coming out and saying this isn’t healthy for young people and that these aren’t appropriate values. "

So Jason, you're saying that there is dissent in the black community but it's not publicly offered? Are you serious? Maybe if you weren't continually showing us an ostrich impression with that bag of Cheetos you wouldn't have missed the past decade.

Q: Some say that your comparison of what you define as the “Black KKK” to the KKK that most Americans are familiar with is foolish, absurd and even dangerous. How do you respond to such criticism?

“Well, why don’t we count the bodies? Body by body- The tears are the same and the pain is the same. The violence is just so senseless. The fear that the gang-bangers prey on in the community is the same type of fear generated by the KKK. I understand that this is a strong analogy and I knew some people would be offended. But I’m trying to spark a new consciousness. These gang-bangers are alleging to be pro-black when they really are anti-black.”

It's ignorant and disingenuous to just compare body counts Jason, especially if you're not going to even address intent or influence.

Q: I’ve noticed in the last two columns you’ve written involving the African-American community you are quite blunt in describing various problems within it. However, you skirt the issue of offering solutions. What are some solutions that might have a tangible and ameliorating affect?

“I think the most important thing is embracing education. We can’t let kids go to school and continue to be ridiculed for talking properly. Getting an education is not acting white. People are called ‘sell-outs’ for talking properly. Additionally, hip-hop culture has become an expression of prison values. 25% of guys in my generation in the black community are incarcerated because of our country’s punitive drug laws. We can’t keep continuing to build prisons and creating these punitive cages. We have to rehabilitate people. Some people even need to be ‘habilitated.’ Non-violent offenders need to be treated differently than violent-offenders.”

That's your solution Jason? Stay in school, don't do drugs? Inspiring.

Q: Do you think African-American athletes are partly to blame for some of the ills we are now witnessing the African-American community struggle with?


“No, not at all. We can’t single out athletes. A lot of these kids are coming out of hip-hop culture and don’t know any better. But we are now seeing the major sports shop for talent outside of the African-American community. Major League Baseball has made a concerted effort to shop outside. They are in love with foreign athletes and I think it’s definitely an intentional decision on their part. I think there is some racism to it and also some rejection of the culture.

David Stern, who I think is a very, very fine commissioner, has been bending-over backwards to get guys to see the big-picture. But you have league-owners who are very uncomfortable with hip-hop culture. People will be entertained by whatever color athletes are, but this culture has made owners really uncomfortable. We have to learn to accept that people have a problem with this prison/hip-hop culture. Chris Rock, Bill Cosby talk about it. Black people talk about it all the time, believe me. We have to sit down and talk about this in a serious manner. It’s limiting us and our opportunities.”

Again, you're addressing an imaginary mass-referred to as "people". People who are unaware of the uproar in the black community. People who have a problem with hip hop. Prison too. Who are these "people" Jason? White people, black people, you? I thought the masses were unaware of the dissent within the black community, how can you subsequently reference Chris Rock and Bill Cosby, two of Americas favorite comedians? What's with comedians anyway? Why don't you have a bigger frame of reference?

Q: Are there any athletes out there today who are working to make the changes that you think are needed?

“I don’t think it’s possible for one person to be able to change everything. I definitely think there can be guys like Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali. But none of the guys are doing that. Yet, sometimes we forget that charismatic black leaders told Ali, Brown, Tommie Smith and John Carlos (1968 Olympic medal winners who famously raised their fists in a black power salute) what to do. These guys were led. No one is leading them today. It’s a failure of black leadership. But we can’t blame athletes. They are too immature.”

Now you're challenging black leadership as a whole? Athletes are too immature? Perhaps you should pass me the Twinkies and show 'em how it's done.

Q: Have you read Dave Zirin’s, “An Open Letter to Jason Whitlock.” If so, what are your feelings regarding the comments he made?

“I think Dave’s heart is in the right place. But Dave needs to let black people handle this. We need to have this series of arguments and debates. I say this nicely as possible, but Dave just needs to mind his own business. That doesn’t mean non-blacks can’t help. Obviously, some white people played a great role in the civil-rights movement. I don’t know if Dave just wants to draw attention to his blog or what, but he should just mind his business.”

Dave wanted to draw attention to the facts. Given your aversion to logic and research, you might be a bit more niggerish than you thought, Jason.

Q: What is it going to take for African-Americans to have this “conversation” that you consistently bring up?


“I think we are already there. It’s been bubbling. There are prominent blacks out there discussing this. Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Juan Williams. They are out there. I knew when I gave the Big Lead interview that people were ready for this. I made the decision to go to AOL because of its association with pop culture. I knew I’d have the freedom to discuss this and spur debate. I knew it was just a matter of time before this conversation could happen. It is taking place right now. And I’m going to continue pushing the need for conversation. But now, I want to take it to another level. People need to really think about hip-hop culture. This stuff is straight out of the penitentiary and you cannot live that way out here in the real world.”

Again with the comedians? Think bigger Jason. Or are you ignoring the efforts of others in a vainglorious attempt to build your own profile? Do you realize you're hindering honest discussion by trivializing our country's past and current ills with your fear mongering? Do you even realize that this issue is rooted in things much bigger than sports, and that it may require analysis by someone other than a fucking sportswriter, especially one as limited as yourself?

Q: While there are prominent African-American sports writers and journalists out there, African-Americans are still under-represented in the field. Two questions:
(1) How did you get your start out of Ball State? (2) What advice would you give a young African-American sports journalist fresh out of college who is hoping to embark on a journalism career?

“Well, I studied journalism in college and worked for the school newspaper. My first job was in Bloomington, Indiana for the Bloomington Herald Times. I made five dollars an hour. Then I moved to South Carolina and covered high school sports for two years. After that, I moved to Ann Arbor, where I covered the Fab Five. As for advice, I would start off by telling the kid to not be afraid to move to another city. Work at a small newspaper and hone your skills. Don’t be afraid to be different and definitely don’t go in with the expectation that the ride will be smooth and easy. You have to be committed.”

Thanks for the advice, Jason. Are you gonna eat that? Ouch! Sorry, stupid question.

Women I'd Settle For, Vol. I

Q:Kerry Washington is to Scarlett Johansson as:

a)Elgin Baylor is to Jerry West
b)Magic Johnson is to Larry Bird
c)Kobe Bryant is to Steve Nash
d)All of the above

A: A, why choose between them if you can get them to play together? And in throwback shorts?

Not That It Matters...

I've come to learn that this little blog of mine shares it's title with an A.A. Milne book. Yes, the Pooh guy. After reading it, I'm more than pleased with this coincidence. No top stories will ever be broken here, nor will there be any exclusive interviews. To my right are several salient scribes who have left the lot of us searching for falling scraps off of their table. They run the gamut of news and opinion on practically all things NBA rendering any subsequent offerings redundant at best. As others, I blog in the spirit of the esteemed and offer my occasional two cents, but perhaps that isn't enough. What are my motivations? I don't need this space to egoize or malign. I have no personal agendas, vendettas nor connections. What then, is there to gain from this exercise? Is this how I want to spend my life? Throwing silly questions into the wind? Among other things, yes. Long live the NBA.

What is the state of the NBA? How did we get here? Where are we going? Who will lead?

Not me, I'm just watching like the rest of you. When I say that "it" doesn't matter, I mean not only what I think, but all of this. Only a lowbottom, down to the last link, NBA fiend could have stumbled upon this dimly lit corner of the interwebs, scouring it's scant pages for just one more hit of anything be it video, stat or opinion. Whilst you point and click down the ol' Carpal Tunnel, let me remind you-I get high on this shit too. I can identify with the incredulous tongue lashings you must have received from a more conscious and responsible citizenry-those who want to know "how you can watch so much of that shit? None of it matters."Of course you could remind them of the NBA's worldwide social and economical impact, but their recurring question would be what do you as the indivdual reap from this fool's bargain? Like a fool, you should respond monosyllabically. Joy. From a willingness to sacrifice for the greater good. Long live the NBA.

Tyler tells me that on a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everything is zero and that this will end up as another waste of my time. I wholeheartedly agree with him, but I care for these things nonetheless. He tells me that I line the pockets of tyrants who mock what I hold dear. I say I am the building block of an empire of love. This game has touched lives and inspires greatness. All of these things matter because of fans, and as others, I am proud of that.

He tells me the Lakers are a bunch of pussies these days.

Long live the NBA.





The Pleasure of Writing, by A.A. Milne



Sometimes when the printer is waiting for an article which really
should have been sent to him the day before, I sit at my desk and
wonder if there is any possible subject in the whole world upon
which I can possibly find anything to say. On one such occasion I
left it to Fate, which decided, by means of a dictionary opened
at random, that I should deliver myself of a few thoughts about
goldfish. (You will find this article later on in the book.) But
to-day I do not need to bother about a subject. To-day I am
without a care. Nothing less has happened than that I have a new
nib in my pen.

In the ordinary way, when Shakespeare writes a tragedy, or Mr.
Blank gives you one of his charming little essays, a certain
amount of thought goes on before pen is put to paper. One cannot
write "Scene I. An Open Place. Thunder and Lightning. Enter Three
Witches," or "As I look up from my window, the nodding daffodils
beckon to me to take the morning," one cannot give of one's best
in this way on the spur of the moment. At least, others cannot.
But when I have a new nib in my pen, then I can go straight from
my breakfast to the blotting-paper, and a new sheet of foolscap
fills itself magically with a stream of blue-black words. When
poets and idiots talk of the pleasure of writing, they mean the
pleasure of giving a piece of their minds to the public; with an
old nib a tedious business. They do not mean (as I do) the
pleasure of the artist in seeing beautifully shaped "k's" and
sinuous "s's" grow beneath his steel. Anybody else writing this
article might wonder "Will my readers like it?" I only tell
myself "How the compositors will love it!"


But perhaps they will not love it. Maybe I am a little above
their heads. I remember on one First of January receiving an
anonymous postcard wishing me a happy New Year, and suggesting
that I should give the compositors a happy New Year also by
writing more generously. In those days I got a thousand words
upon one sheet 8 in. by 5 in. I adopted the suggestion, but it
was a wrench; as it would be for a painter of miniatures forced
to spend the rest of his life painting the Town Council of
Boffington in the manner of Herkomer. My canvases are bigger now,
but they are still impressionistic. "Pretty, but what is it?"
remains the obvious comment; one steps back a pace and saws the
air with the hand; "You see it better from here, my love," one
says to one's wife. But if there be one compositor not carried
away by the mad rush of life, who in a leisurely hour (the
luncheon one, for instance) looks at the beautiful words with the
eye of an artist, not of a wage-earner, he, I think, will be
satisfied; he will be as glad as I am of my new nib. Does it
matter, then, what you who see only the printed word think of it?

A woman, who had studied what she called the science of
calligraphy, once offered to tell my character from my
handwriting. I prepared a special sample for her; it was full of
sentences like "To be good is to be happy," "Faith is the lode-
star of life," "We should always be kind to animals," and so on.
I wanted her to do her best. She gave the morning to it, and told
me at lunch that I was "synthetic." Probably you think that the
compositor has failed me here and printed "synthetic" when I
wrote "sympathetic." In just this way I misunderstood my
calligraphist at first, and I looked as sympathetic as I could.
However, she repeated "synthetic," so that there could be no
mistake. I begged her to tell me more, for I had thought that
every letter would reveal a secret, but all she would add was
"and not analytic." I went about for the rest of the day saying
proudly to myself "I am synthetic! I am synthetic! I am
synthetic!" and then I would add regretfully, "Alas, I am not
analytic!" I had no idea what it meant.

And how do you think she had deduced my syntheticness? Simply
from the fact that, to save time, I join some of my words
together. That isn't being synthetic, it is being in a hurry.
What she should have said was, "You are a busy man; your life is
one constant whirl; and probably you are of excellent moral
character and kind to animals." Then one would feel that one did
not write in vain.

My pen is getting tired; it has lost its first fair youth.
However, I can still go on. I was at school with a boy whose
uncle made nibs. If you detect traces of erudition in this
article, of which any decent man might be expected to be
innocent, I owe it to that boy. He once told me how many nibs his
uncle made in a year; luckily I have forgotten. Thousands,
probably. Every term that boy came back with a hundred of them;
one expected him to be very busy. After all, if you haven't the
brains or the inclination to work, it is something to have the
nibs. These nibs, however, were put to better uses. There is a
game you can play with them; you flick your nib against the other
boy's nib, and if a lucky shot puts the head of yours under his,
then a sharp tap capsizes him, and you have a hundred and one in
your collection. There is a good deal of strategy in the game
(whose finer points I have now forgotten), and I have no doubt
that they play it at the Admiralty in the off season. Another
game was to put a clean nib in your pen, place it lightly against
the cheek of a boy whose head was turned away from you, and then
call him suddenly. As Kipling says, we are the only really
humorous race. This boy's uncle died a year or two later and left
about œ80,000, but none of it to his nephew. Of course, he had
had the nibs every term. One mustn't forget that.

The nib I write this with is called the "Canadian Quill"; made, I
suppose, from some steel goose which flourishes across the seas,
and which Canadian housewives have to explain to their husbands
every Michaelmas. Well, it has seen me to the end of what I
wanted to say--if indeed I wanted to say anything. For it was
enough for me this morning just to write; with spring coming in
through the open windows and my good Canadian quill in my hand, I
could have copied out a directory. That is the real pleasure of
writing.

Sleeping With the Enemy?

Just Jared-“I don’t think my features are entirely feminine. Yes, I have full lips and obviously I have no facial hair. But…take somebody like Penelope Cruz. She’s so feminine. Think about it. She has, like, long eyelashes, and to me she just looks very feminine. When I wake up in the morning and I have no makeup on, like right now, I think I look like a young boy.”

If you're a young boy, then call me Father Airington baby. But first things first, we gotta get you some new kicks...

Stu Jackson's Neighborhood Watch

Intentional. Flagrant foul. Suspension.


Intentional. Flagrant foul. Suspension.


Unintentional? Offensive foul. No suspension.


Intentional. Defensive foul. Suspension?


ESPN-The league cited Artest for his foul on Ginobili in the third quarter of the Spurs' 122-88 victory. Ginobili caught Artest's elbow in his jaw while attempting to run through the lane, and the Argentine star fell to the ground as Artest got a personal foul.

Though Spurs coach Gregg Popovich jumped off the bench to argue for a flagrant foul, Ginobili got right back up, and the game continued. Afterward, Ginobili said he wasn't injured on the play and didn't consider it particularly serious, while Popovich said he had no problem with Artest's aggressive style of play.

"I didn't even see the play, but it couldn't have been that bad," said Mike Bibby, who declared himself "amazed" by the league's decision.

"There was no flagrant foul or technical foul on the play. They look at things differently for certain people, you could say."

Popovich said the Spurs didn't even contact the NBA about the play, something many teams -- including the Kings -- will do for any questionable play, particularly in the playoffs.

Ginobili was shocked when he heard about the suspension after practice at the Spurs' suburban training complex.

"For us it's good, because he's a great player, but we don't have much to do with it," Ginobili said. "It didn't hurt me. I said it after the game. But the league [watches] everything we do."


Intentional. Flagrant foul. On Kaman? $10,000 fine for Evans? No suspension?!

ESPN-"Certainly one clear difference is in the case of Reggie Evans we didn't have a clear view exactly what happened," Stu Jackson, the NBA vice president who handles such punishments, said Thursday. "We understand he reached underneath the player, but you couldn't see the end result. It's really an apple and an orange."


Intentional. Flagrant foul. Suspension.


Intentional. No foul. Suspension.

ESPN-Spurs point guard Tony Parker said justice was served.

"Jason Terry has been throwing a lot of punches in the series," Parker said. "He's gotten me so many times with cheap shots."


Intentional. Flagrant? Suspension?! (For Game 5 in a Finals tied at 2?! Wow.)

Chicago Sun Times- Dallas coach Avery Johnson spoke with the media a few hours before the suspension was announced, and made it clear he did not feel one was warranted.

"Shaq was just in an awkward position," Johnson said. "When you're in an awkward position and Stack comes in and tries to give a hard foul and not a layup ... I always talk to them about giving hard fouls, but we definitely don't want to injure players.

"Shaq was going up [and Stackhouse] made a hard foul on him. Just like [in Game 1] when Stack went up and Shaq gave him a hard foul and almost broke his nose.

"If that's a suspension ... they will have to ... review everything that's happened throughout the playoffs, and there may have to be some retribution or something and maybe go and suspend some other players maybe they forgot."


Unintentional. No foul. Suspension?

MSNBC-“It’s just unintentional,” Bryant added. “I felt horrible about it. It’s just basketball, it happens.”

Stu Jackson disagreed, and offered the NBA’s explanation on a conference call.

“Some of the determining factors were the fact that there was contact made with Ginobili above the shoulders and the fact that this particular action by Kobe was an unnatural basketball motion. Following a shot, he drove a stiff arm in a backward motion and struck Ginobili in the head,” Jackson said. “We did not view this as an inadvertent action.”

No foul was called on the play.

“This blow was so swift in real time that it’s understandable why, in fact, an official would have missed the contact,” Jackson said. “In our view, this was not an attempt to draw a foul.”

Boston Globe-"They said it was intentional," Kobe sniffs. "I challenge anyone to find a player who is going up to take the winning shot and tries to intentionally hit someone in the face. What kind of sense does that make?"

Ginobili hit the deck on the play, clearly smarting from Kobe's errant forearm. Kobe called his friend, Bruce Bowen, of the Spurs to check on Ginobili the next day, and Bowen told him the NBA had contacted Ginobili about the incident.

"Bruce told me Manu told them it was completely unintentional," Kobe says. "I figured that was that. But then I got word later I was suspended.

"I don't understand it. I guess if someone gets hit in the face, they feel they have to do something. If they don't want players to flare their arms out when they are shooting, then call us and let us know at least.

"Guys have been doing that as long as I've been in the league. [Former Pacers star] Chuck Person has been doing it for years."

ESPN-Of greatest significance, there was zero clamor from the Spurs for Bryant to be disciplined. There was minimal media attention devoted to the incident, until Monday morning, because prominent Spurs insisted that there was no incident.

Ginobili and coach Gregg Popovich immediately dismissed the notion that the hit was deliberate. "That's not his style," Pop said of Kobe after San Antonio's 96-94 overtime victory. Ginobili later told league security officials and the NBA Players Association that he hoped Bryant wouldn't be punished.


Unintentional. Flagrant foul. No suspension?

ESPN-With the Heat up 87-86 with 20.4 seconds left, Wade took a hard foul in the face, courtesy of his good friend James -- who was called for a flagrant foul as Wade writhed in pain near midcourt. Wade made both free throws to push the lead to 89-86, then made one more after being fouled again 2.4 seconds later.

"He was just going for the steal," Wade said.

"D-Wade knows it's not intentional," James said. "But it's part of the rules, you've got to call it."


Unintentional. Offensive foul. Suspension?!

ESPN-Nobody should be surprised that Kobe Bryant drew another one-game suspension for knocking someone else in the nose with his elbow, but the guy on the receiving end of that elbow actually thought the penalty was undeserved.

"As players, we know during a game when someone is trying to hurt you or be mean, and I never thought that was what was happening. So I'm really surprised by the decision," Minnesota's Marko Jaric told me this afternoon via cell phone about an hour after the NBA announced Bryant's one-game suspension.

Jaric said his only scar from the incident was a small marking above his eye, which is probably pretty fortunate since the elbow from Bryant gave Jaric a bloody nose, and as anybody who's ever been struck in the nose knows, a black eye often comes next. Just ask Manu Ginobili, who walked around with a shiner for two weeks after getting hit by Bryant's elbow in the Jan. 28 incident that previously earned Bryant a one-game suspension.

"I haven't seen the replay, but if you ask me what I thought about the play when it happened, I don't think he did it intentionally, and I don't think players should be suspended for things that happen unintentionally," Jaric said. "I think he was trying to draw a foul, and he swung his hand out to make it look dramatic, and he hit me by accident. He apologized right after."

Jaric said the pain from the strike was only a "2 or 3" on a scale of 1 to 10.

Stu, we need to talk. You're a busy man, I'll try to keep it brief. Do you watch The Simpsons? I know, again with the TV, but it's a good icebreaker. I don't watch it anymore-at least not the new episodes-but I'll still catch a rerun occasionally. There's a nostalgia to it, no? I only mention this because there was a scene that reminds me of you. Homer had formed a 'neighborhood watch' of mercenaries to catch a cat burglar and return Lisa's beloved saxophone. His brand of justice was not only vigilante, but ill advised and irrational. He was doing more harm to the community than good, and finally Lisa had to confront him.

"Dad, if you're the police, then who will police the police?"
"I don't know, Coast Guard?"

You are the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. Besides David Stern, you're the league's most influential officer, because you control the rules of the game. The stars are aligned for the game to redefine itself and you're acting like Homer Fucking Simpson.

Please, don't be offended, I say this out of love-and fear. A genuine love for this game, and a fear of you taking it over. You're on the short list of candidates to succeed the commish, yet you've shown a disheartening inability to perform your current job requirements. You don't even know a reach around when you see one.

The recurring complaints about the NBA-on the court-are about the bad officiating, star treatment, and some even go as far as to say the games are rigged. Last year's playoffs certainly didn't help you any, but let's not forget how the game got to this point . Sure, Money received his share of calls, but he also took his lumps, just like every other star. Not those Dwyane Wade, "Ooh, that'll look good in the commercial!" lumps either. It was a different league back then. Of course after Michael left, things changed. Pat Riley's bullyball had taken over. The League already had enough reminders that it was 'thuggish', and they certainly didn't need their premier teams playing that style of ball, so they changed the rules. No more hand/hip check defense, no bumping, no nothing. A decade later, we have a league with few true centers, and a perimeter full of lightning fast players who can't touch each other. (That, combined with the ensuing influx of Euroballers are what make a 195lb point guard a possible three-peat MVP, not his skin color. I hope.)

I understand that some of these circumstances are beyond your control. You're just the new guy and you're looking to make some improvements. Problem is, you're inconsistent and many times looking in the wrong direction. You want to make some retroactive calls? That Wizards v. Warriors debacle would've been a good one. You want to talk about "unnatural basketball motions"?



Oh, that's right, you meant Kobe. Way to prioritize. Okay, no more sarcasm. I know you've already taken Bruce Bowen to task, and perhaps you're only going to focus on rule infractions committed by premier players, since they're the ones who set the example. (It would explain why you didn't suspend Brian Cook for making the exact same play in that Knicks game you kept Kobe out of. Oh, sorry. Bad habit. No more sarcasm starting...now!) But again your rationale, and it's application are inconsistent. Are you punishing Kobe for his intentions or the result of the play? You couldn't be punishing by intent, since neither 'victim' saw any and if you were punishing based on result, LeBron should've been suspended too. Or is this part of your crackdown on flopping? I'll withhold judgment on that until Mr. "Fall down seven times, shoot fourteen free throws" comes back.

Regardless, the point I'm trying to make Stu, is that the League is ripe with young talent that shouldn't be tethered to these outdated rules. The game needs opening up, not more restrictions. If you want to get rid of flopping, how about allowing hand checks? The defenders can go back to physical play and not have to resort to baiting for a whistle. The officials were already emasculated, now you've gone and completely neutered them with your post factum suspensions. They all want the same thing, quality basketball, but it seems as though you have your own ideas of how to achieve this. The thing is, if you're the police....ah, forget it.

Double feature. Just because.

Jason Whitlock Is Going To White Heaven

Several more capable minds have weighed in on Uncle Ruckus' weekend in Vegas, but let's look at them in juxtaposition to similar statements made by Bill Cosby. (*via Straight Bangin' ) The problem of 'mainstream' hip hop peddling violence, misogyny, homophobia and corrosive misrepresentations of the black community is hardly a new one, an ever growing movement of dissent having existed within the culture for years now. The NBA had shed it's notorious label of being "too black" during Michael Jordan's tenure, only to have the issue rear it's ugly head again in the past decade with it's marriage to hip hop. Which leads us to Whitlock's diatribe, disguised as "Real Talk". While he and Dr. Huxtable may be delivering the same message, I doubt they have the same motivations.

It's certainly within reason to question whether these types of statements should be made publicly by anyone-black or not-and if so, whether Bill Cosby should be the one to express them given his history. However, his commitment to the education and empowerment of black youth is unassailable. He's spent countless hours promoting the necessity of a robust learning experience to minorities, and has backed that talk up with money-lots of it-including a one time $20 million donation to Spelman College. A man of such means has no need for self promotion, Cosby's only agenda is to draw attention to the problems at hand. A willingness to step outside of his gregarious public image and become a controversial lightning rod in the process, in my opinion, is indicative of a genuine desire to save the future of his race.

On the contrary, Jason Whitlock's hateful denunciations draw attention solely to himself. A reasonable man would assume that someone as committed in theory to a black renaissance as Whitlock has also committed the time, effort, or money that are prerequisite to making such incendiary statements. Ha. Whitlock probably thinks a collection plate is something restaurants use to pile up uneaten food for him. Has he ever provided any true analysis or solutions? Ha. In his eagerness to brand Scoop Jackson and practically an entire culture as savage caricatures of black incivility, he seems oblivious to the fact that he easily fits the description of another narrow minded stereotype, ol' Uncle Tom...



So is all of this just his plan to get into white heaven? Could be. It would definitely explain the Gospel of Jeff George. Why else would Big Greasy paint his vitriolic masterpieces with such broad strokes, ignoring the fact that violence and misogyny are lucrative for, and detrimental to, all races? WWF? Girls Gone Wild? The Sopranos? No, Whitlock saves his love for The Wire, which provides him the opportunity to mar someone else's canvas with his senselessness. David Simon is another man who has invested in his words, blessing the idiot box with a piercing portrayal of postmodern decay, neglect, and their consequences. The Wire is universally lauded by critics for it's resolute depictions of the drug war, disillusioning viewers to contemplate the complex nature of good and evil. I have trouble believing that Simon, Ed Burns, or anyone else associated with this show would see their work in such a simplistic manner as "The Adventures of the Black KKK". Instead of joining the talking heads in tossing around irresponsible generalizations, why doesn't Whitlock emulate Simon or Cosby, and direct his efforts towards achieving an improved sense of public discernment? (He could start with how Joe Kennedy was Stringer Bell's blueprint. Or how the Nu Klan held their rally in a city built by organized crime. A city that promises discretion to it's visitors while they cheat on their spouses and feed their addictions might attract 'undesireables'.) Because like those talking heads, and those whom he despises, Big Dummy is only interested in self advancement.

The only thing Big Wasteofsperm succeeded in doing was taking a bite out of something bigger than he could finish. David Stern is well aware of the "landmine issues"-race and class-and he's also astute enough to sidestep them. Are we really asking the Commissioner to become W.E.B. Du Bois? These are issues reflected by the NBA, not rooted in it. I'm not a big Sinatra fan, I can't stand Brooks & Dunn, and Wayne Newton frightens me. The NBA hasn't exactly embraced hip hop as a collective, and until the percentages of black folks in the stands match those on the court it's going to stay that way. I understand it, and I don't find anything particularly wrong with it. "It's just business." Tell 'em, String. However, what I would like to see more of from the league is an embracing of the communities that produce it's workforce. This is not to rally for a Lil' Weezy performance at next year's halftime show, but to ask for more stories like a Caron Butler. Stories of human frailties and redemption that can shatter stereotypes. Lord-and Reagan-knows Jason Whitlock won't write them.

* 2/26 Dave Zirin. Ether.

Damn.

R.I.P. The Kobe & Kidd Era.
?-February 22, 2007.

It would've been beautiful. I'm posthumously reserving a spot for them in the greatest alleys and greatest backcourts of all time. Refreshments will be served in the community room after a processional from brother Ruffin.

jimmy ruffin - what becomes of the..(Tv)
Uploaded by capitainfunkk

Hova's Witness?

"Get used to it, bitches."

New York Magazine, Oct. 27, '03-

...“Basketball is the right thing for Brooklyn now,” Ratner says firmly. “Just as baseball was the right thing when the Dodgers started up more than a century ago.”

This is the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets that Ratner, the president of Forest City Ratner Companies, has in mind—or, soon, if Ratner has his way, the Brooklyn Nets. The team would play its home games in a spectacular arena designed by Frank Gehry, the architect who created the enviable Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. This arena would rise from a platform constructed over the Long Island Rail Road yards on Atlantic Avenue, a short stroll from the late-night halal chicken joints favored by Syrian gypsy cabbies...

...At some point soon, “New Brooklyn” may indeed need a cheerleader, a Trump all its own. But it won’t be Bruce Ratner. “That’s the last thing I’d want to do,” he says a bit awkwardly. “It’s not my nature, and at the end of the day, I’m a real-estate developer.”...

... The Bloomberg administration is feverishly pushing the interagency Downtown Brooklyn Development Plan, which would rezone significant swaths of the city’s commercial quarters, mostly around Fulton Mall, to accommodate as many as ten Manhattan-style commercial skyscrapers, plus new parks and housing. All of this could—should—happen over the next ten years, Burden says. The idea is to “knit” together all of Brooklyn’s isolated assets—from the hip bistros of Smith Street to the design studios in Williamsburg to the ever-expanding bam to the ambitious waterfront parks planned to stretch from Brooklyn Heights to Greenpoint—into a cohesive bloc. “This is an absolutely huge priority,” Burden says. “Downtown Brooklyn is a key element of the administration’s citywide economic-development strategy. The city is very prepared in order to attract this growth, and we are willing to invest scarce public dollars and public open space to catalyze this growth.”

Ratner figures to be a serious player in this redevelopment. Adjacent to a new arena, Ratner plans to build a $2 billion, 21-acre development featuring both retail and office space and some 5,500 units of housing, which he says will come in various-size buildings and serve various income levels....

...Borough President Marty Markowitz is as Old Brooklyn in manner as a Junior’s egg cream, but he lights up when talk turns to the New Brooklyn Nets. “Brooklyn is the only location that works for the Nets,” enthuses Markowitz. “They left Long Island for a reason. They wouldn’t even be thinking about New Jersey if they realized that the natural fan base is here. All we can do is hope. Football, we don’t have room for an 80,000-seat stadium. Baseball, the Mets and the Yankees have complete veto power over a third team in New York City. The only sport is basketball. If we don’t get this team, the next time this comes around probably will not be in our lifetime.”

Black Enterprise, Jan. 23 '04-

Prior to teaming with Ratner, Carter retained an investment bank to explore the possibility of putting in a bid for the team. Later, the two decided they'd both stand to benefit if they worked together. Carter officially joined Ratner's investment group in early December as a minority shareholder, though the amount of his financial stake has not been released.

Brooklyn-born Carter, CEO of the multimillion-dollar Roc-A-Fella Records and Roc-A-Wear clothing line, who also owns Armadale Vodka and the 40/40 sports bar/restaurant in New York City, looks forward to the new team. Although he never got a chance to experience the Dodgers, he says "This is the new Dodgers. It's the Nets… I look forward to bringing prosperity and bringing pride [to Brooklyn].”

MTV News, Jun. 23 '05-

Jay says James' inclusion in the shoot is just a show of solidarity between chums and nothing more — especially not a business relationship.

"It's absolutely no Def Jam Sports or anything like that," Jay says, quashing a rumor that he might be managing LeBron. "No tampering going on; just a good friend of mine. He's been a friend since before he was in the NBA. If you look back on the tapes, I'm there at the McDonald's High School [All-American] games, supporting him. We're just friends, we have no business dealings at all. I can't do it because I have an interest: I sit on the board of the [New Jersey] Nets. It's a conflict."

Jay also clarified that LeBron will not be signing to the Roc as a rapper or, for that matter, rhyming at all: The superstar is sticking to the court. "I want him to be the greatest," Jay says. "My job is to keep him focused, not to take him outside of his arena."

True Hoop via S.I., Apr. 21, '06-

A little tampering, or so it would seem, from Nets owner Jay-Z: "'I tell people all the time, he's my friend first. If Cleveland is building a championship team around him, then my advice is to stay there. If it's the Nets who are building a championship team that could be around him, then my advice is to come to the Nets.'"

The Star Ledger, May 23, '06-

And most of it is based on educated guesses -- his friendship with Jay-Z, the fact that Aaron Goodwin had the foresight to negotiate increases from Nike, Coke, etc., if LBJ plays in one of the top three markets, and LBJ’s mindset after losing a tough series. The question(s) we have are these: 1) Is Jersey considered a top 3 market? Nike might not think so, considering the number of people who come to Nets games – and they’re not moving into Brooklyn for another two years after LBJ’s free agent summer of ’07. 2) He better be happy with that Nike raise, because he might have to play for peanuts for a year, because there’s no guarantee the Cavs would be feeling cooperative enough to consent to a sign-and-trade. 3) And finally, you have to wonder whether he’s daring enough to make such a crucial basketball decision based on a few million extra bucks of endorsement income, because such a move would destroy his overly-contrived image with the public, which would hate his guts -- especially in his own hometown. Anyway, here’s the bottom line: Come July 1, when the sting of the postseason loss wears off, he’ll announce that he’ll sign an extension with the Cavs. In the meantime, the league wants Jay-Z to know that if he continues to flaunt his friendship with the kid in Sports Illustrated, that constitutes tampering, and they told him that future attempts should be less brazen and amateurish.

Bron only re-upped for three more years with an option on the fourth in 2010. The Nets will be in Brooklyn by then, with a team option on two of only four contracts currently on the books for that year. Who threw the biggest party this past All Star Weekend? Together? Stern didn't want to get in the picture and make it too obvious, but why wouldn't he want the future of the league in New York with the prevailing culture's most media friendly mogul? Who else is going to fill that arena? Why else would Stern ignore what's obviously tampering? This is going to happen.

"Tonight we're gonna party like it's, 2010?"

P.S. Couple more quick questions. Has Jay been planning this from the very begining? How long until Bron has the upper hand in this relationship? The only folks who age faster than NBA centers are rappers.

Weiden & Kennedy's Greatest Hits.

Nike's top 20 commercials. Enjoy. (I rationed the Jumpman spots since they would've dominated the list, but this one deserves an Honorable Mention. Aren't you glad money stuck with the bald head? Much respek to Jack Ruby for the find.)

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P.S. I couldn't find the Fun Police. Sorry.

Gilbert Arenas should reproduce. Several Times.

Washington Post-Moments after a group of Elvis Presley impersonators finished jumping off trampolines and dunking during a second-half timeout, Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas sneaked off the East bench, grabbed a ball, bounced off one of the trampolines and dunked. According to Arenas, the stunt was the result of a dare by Shaquille O'Neal, who has to donate between $50,000 and $100,000 to a charity of Arenas's choice. "I was nervous," Arenas said. "I was like, 'If I miss this and get hurt, I'm in trouble.'

Arenas said that one of the reasons he decided to terminate his agent, Dan Fegan, was because he wanted to be in complete control of how he was presented, flaws and all.

"I'm not going around saying I'm a good-old boy. I'm just like everybody. I make mistakes. I'm just your average kid. I'm not saying I'm this uppity guy who doesn't do anything wrong, who doesn't eat at Burger King. Hey, I eat Burger King before games." Arenas said. "You have these marketing teams and everyone is trying to create these golden images, these untouchable images -- and all of these untouchable images falter. Why? Because you've [portrayed] yourself like that, that means you're walking on eggshells. If you do anything wrong, you're down the toilet. You can't live your life."

Gil's Blog-We were sitting there in the timeout watching them Elvis guys dunk, and my big mouth, I was like, “Man, I can do that better than them.” And then they missed a couple so I was like, “When they finish up, I’m going to go do it.” Shaq was like, “Yeah, right.” He said, “I’ll put $100,000 in your foundation.” I was like, $100,000 or get in trouble by David Stern? $100,000 or get in trouble by David Stern? Oh man, I’ll take that fine. So I did it for my Zer0 2 Her0 charity. It was great though. Between the legs…Yea-ahhh! I used to practice those trampoline dunks back at Golden State. I can flip and everything. But I didn’t want to flip and crack my neck.

Breaking News: Amechi still gay, Hardaway still 'aint likin that shit

He played in Miami for how long? What are the chances that Tim Hardaway has been in a threesome? At least he doesn't sugarcoat his hypocrisy.

Update 2/21: "It puts the lotion on it's skin or else it gets the hose!"

Just Because.

Happy Valentines Day.

Congratulations?

NBA midseason awards are like prediciting the storyline on LOST, well intentioned, but pointless. Everything is held together by an unpredictable set of circumstances-which is why it's always better to just watch and discuss the results-but that would rob us of the joy of pontification. Our Losties have a credo, "live together, die alone", and that seems to be conventional thinking when it comes to handing out postseason awards. "Did your play contribute to any team success, or did you just get yours?" While sound in it's basis, it can also be a double edged sword-ask Kobe. Or Sawyer. With that in mind let's give out some...conjecture?

Coach of the Year



You've both instilled hope in neophytes and led them through the wild, giving them glimpses of the promised land. They are the stronger for it and every instance of their performance under duress is a testament to a true belief in your words. This is not your first clash of philosophical differences, but since it may be your last, it is the quintessential one. Is it better to prod or praise? Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson are my leading candidates this year since they've both overacheived in a strong conference. Whoever has the better record should win the award.





Most Improved Player



Yeah, you've shaken your bad habits and proven yourself capable of handling responsibilities, but are you sincere about this? Or are you trying to compensate for your abandonment issues by pretending you can protect and provide for that girl and her baby? No, not you Kevin Martin, I was talking to Charlie. Now that you mention it though, your numbers are amazing, but aren't they just reflective of a good player getting more minutes? Have you realy improved more than Luke Walton, who is playing well above his career averages and is now starting for a noticeably improved playoff team? Or Andrew Bynum? Monta Ellis has stepped up too you know, and Golden State could finally be going places. Now that I think about it, you're just another schmuck in the right place at the right time, who has deluded himself into thinking he's useful. Oh, no, not you Kev-Charlie again. God, I hate that kid.



Defensive Player of the Year



Ah, they know better than to mess with you, Eko and Emeka. You're both broad, quick and fearless. But are you doomed to a frustrating existence in the middle of nowhere? Or worse? Neither one of those bald guys have a history of good decision making. Good luck, you'll need it.



Rookie of the Year



Who wouldn't feel that way about being drafted by Portland? Here's lookin at you Brandon Roy, left by dumb fate (a.k.a. Kevin McHale) to put up consistent numbers without thanks in a powder keg. Don't give up.



Sixth Man of the Year



Yes, it's an honor, but you can't be happy with this. Are you? Those other five have what you really want, don't they? Everyone talking about them and what they're doing, how they contribute, who they're kissing. That love triangle going on between three of them still might tear the team apart. And that big guy? He barely does anything! Why does everyone love him so much?! Five other fools are stealing your shine, and all you guys get is a trophy proclaiming you as the best backup option. A hulking, burdensome reminder. A physical manifestation of the the fact that no matter how many times you bail their asses out, you'll never get to be in their little club. Actually, Sayid you don't even get that, but Ben Gordon might let you borrow one-he should have two now. Barbosa is just one more scoring option in Phoenix, but BG is the only scoring option on many nights for the offensively anemic Bulls.



Most Valuable Player

Let's discuss this later.

There's More Than Corn In Indiana....

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley and teammates Marquis Daniels and Keith McLeod were involved in a fight with a bar manager after a home loss to Golden State, police said.

No one was immediately arrested or charged after the fight early Tuesday. Indianapolis police Lt. Doug Scheffel said Wednesday it would take several days to complete the investigation to determine if charges would be filed.

The police report said the bar manager of the 8 Seconds Saloon might have a fractured jaw and severed earlobe. He told officers that Tinsley had threatened to kill him, the report said. Witnesses told officers that McLeod shoved people during the scuffle.

The confrontation followed another fight involving a person who employees thought was trying to steal coats from the coat check area, police said.

The manager and witnesses told officers that Tinsley, Daniels and a man with them punched the manager in the face and head.

The manager "stated that he was unable to defend himself, at which time both witnesses ... stated that they felt that the life of the victim was in danger," according to the report.

Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said in a statement Wednesday that the team was aware of the allegations but would have no further comment until police complete the investigation.

Further details are not yet available, but I imagine something like this happened...



Stories like these are always cues for the national media to regurgitate the same questions. (i.e. "Why are NBA players always in trouble?" "Are atheletes targets?" "Do they need guns?") But instead of diving headfirst into racial and socioeconomic hyperbole, shouldn't one of the fundamental questions be "Why can't these guys be more discreet?" "Or at least go to a nicer club, you know-one with actual security?" Most of these incidents occur in some seedy bar or strip club that's a health code violation away from being shut down, and employ 'dancers' that are interchangable with the average NBA groupie. More importantly they are frequented by a somewhat 'undesirable' patronage who have absolutely nothing to lose except a few crumpled dollar bills. That's who those bars are for, so why would a multi-millionaire waste any time in there? Are these guys married? If so, creep and get a hotel room. If not, what's wrong with your house? Don't want these freaks to know where you live? Pool your money and rent a party pad. Anything is better than exposing yourself to an uncontrolled envrionment fueled solely by intoxicants and machismo. NBA players don't start all the fights they get in, but they most certainly are the ones who pay for them, so you might want to think about "ordering in" next time fellas.

Gilbert Arenas should reproduce. Several Times.