Tag: Sports

The Court of King James.

Senators Obama and Clinton aren’t the only people sending reinforcements to Ohio. At the trade deadline, Lebron James gets some much-needed help in Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, and Delonte West, giving up Drew Gooden and the underperforming Larry Hughes to Chicago and Donyell Marshall to Seattle. Elsewhere in the league, Bonzi Wells and Mike James went to N’Orleans, and former Knick Kurt Thomas ended up in San Antonio (which will help take the sting out of the Spurs winning another championship, if that’s in the cards, around these parts.)

Speaking of the 16-38 Knicks, they…stood pat. I must say, it’s been a tough season to be a Knicks fan. My TiVo conscientiously tapes all of their losses for me, so I caught the second half of Wednesday’s 40-point stinker against the lowly Sixers, 124-84. Look away! It is hideous.

Dallas Dilemma | Bibby Checkmated.

As the rumored Kidd-to-Dallas deal looks to enter its death throes (partly due to what might’ve been an illegal arrangement involving Stackhouse), the Sacramento Kings say goodbye to the final remaining piece of their memorable squad of early-00’s contenders (Vlade, Webber, Peja, Bibby, Christie, Turkoglu) by sending Mike Bibby to Atlanta for Shelden Williams and a bunch of expiring contracts. I always kinda hoped that Kings team would won a title…(and I’m with Ralph Nader: preferably one of Kobe’s.) Update: A revised Kidd to Dallas deal goes through.

Sir Charles: Conservatives are not in my 5.

“I don’t like what the Republicans have done to our country.” Obama supporter, former Republican, and 2014 Alabama gubernatorial candidate Charles Barkley is mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. “Every time I hear the word ‘conservative’ it make me sick to my stomach, cause they’re really just fake Christians, as I call them. That’s all they are…They want to be judge and jury…These Christians are not supposed to judge other people, but they’re the most hypocritical judges of people we have in this country. And It bugs the hell out of me. They act like they’re Christians and they’re not forgiving at all.“

Shaq in Eclipse (and he’s ok with it.)

“‘I’m a historian of the game, so I understand that on this team I’m probably a big role player, and I have no problem with that…Kareem was fortunate enough to have those style of players around him toward the end of his career, and I sort of feel like him now,’ O’Neal said. ‘I’m no idiot. I’m not going to come in here trying to take over and take 30 shots. I’m going to fit in very nicely — rebound, outlet to Steve, get some easy buckets, play some defense. That’s all we need to do.” Whether or not the Shaq experiment works out in Phoenix, the Big Fella seems to be saying the right things.

Superman under a Red Sun?

“‘It looks like it’s going to happen,’ said one source close to the situation. ‘We should know for sure by [Wednesday].” Is Shaq headed to the Phoenix Suns? Strange…and unexpected. Granted, Shawn Marion has been pushing for a trade, but — in the manner of all great centers — Shaq’s aging in dog years at the moment, and he’s not exactly what you’d call a master of the fast break. I guess Phoenix wants to get a ring before they become one of those classic contenders that never made it, a la the old-school Trailblazers or the Vlade-Bibby-Webber Sacramento Kings. Still, it wouldn’t seem to make much sense on paper. Update: It’s done — Shaq’s in Phoenix.

Giant Upset.

In easily one of the most exciting Superbowls in recent memory, Eli Manning and the NY Giants score an upset 17-14 victory over the seemingly inevitable New England Patriots. (The big losers? NE’s offensive line and pass protection, which looked terrible last night.) Inasmuch as I’m an NFL fan, I root for the Jets. Still, I’m all for a good game, and backing the NY-area underdog against the (increasingly suspect) Patriot machine was an easy call. Besides between the Sox last year and arguably the Celts this summer, a perfect Patriot season would’ve made Hub-area fans totally insufferable. So, congrats to the Giants, and let’s hope Sen. Obama benefits from a similar kind of underdog magic tomorrow…

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich…’s T.O. Jersey.

“Cheering and screaming! Every Sunday I would cheer and scream for what?! How can they do this! 13-3 and home field advantage and they lost to the f**king New York Giants!…ELI SUCKS!” How did William Shirer miss this? As seen at TNR: From deep within his bunker, Adolf Hitler laments the Dallas Cowboys’ season. Perhaps in poor taste, as jokes making light of the Nazis often are, but still, I found this pretty doggone funny. (And it brought back fond memories of Mr. Bimmler.)

Isiahfield.

“Isiah’s rhetoric has always been persuasive. He’s been dealt a bad hand. He had to make extreme moves. Every trade he’s made, the Knicks have come out ahead on talent. No one, he implies, could’ve done any more. But to get a handle on what Isiah’s done as a GM, I’ve evaluated every major move he’s made during his tenure, from trades to free-agent signings to draft picks to coaching hires. The record seems to be seriously at odds with Isiah’s claims.” In a two-part series, ESPN’s Chad Ford surveys the colossal wreckage made of the New York Knickerbockers, and suggests the way to start digging out.

Twenties Yard Line.

“You’re the kind of cocktail that comes on like sugar but gives you a kick in the head.” Star and director George Clooney takes a period-piece page from his Coen buddies in the new trailer for his football comedy Leatherheads, also with John Krazinski and Renee Zellweger. Given Clooney’s track record with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and Good Night, and Good Luck, I’d probably have seen this anyway. But throw in the mid-twenties flavor and Brazil‘s Jonathan Pryce and it’s a lock.