A Kobe BOW? Say It Ain't So

So has Kobe Bryant become a member of the BOW club? I never thought I'd have to include him in this group, but apparently the NBA thought what he did to Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday was more intentional than it appeared and suspended the star guard from tonight's game against the New York Knicks. You can read the story here. In the closing seconds of regulation Sunday, Ginobili blocked Kobe's shot from the wing, but on the follow-through Kobe's arm came angling down in a strange fashion with his elbow catching Ginobili's face. To be honest, at the time it did cross my mind that what he did was done with a purpose but nothing was called so I quickly forgot about it. No foul, no technical, no ejection, nothing. It probably didn't help that Kobe seemed to coldly walk away after Ginobili was in obvious pain (as the photo shows) on the floor, although you could attribute Kobe's reaction as being in the spirit of the game since it came at a crucial moment and he was bound to be wrapped up in intensity. The other thing I thought was that maybe Kobe was trying to draw a foul call and therefore exaggerated the motion of his arm to draw the referee's attention. But now I've got to wonder if it had been Bruce Bowen or Michael Finley or Robert Horry guarding him and coming up with the blocked shot, would Kobe have flailed the same way? Incidentally, Kobe had this to say about the suspension: "I'm surprised. Shocked, by it, actually. I unintentionally caught Manu Ginobili. What do you say? It's a basketball game. You unintentionally catch people with elbows every once in a while." But NBA discipline czar Stu Jackson saw it differently, saying: "... this particular action by Kobe was an unnatural basketball motion... We did not view this as an inadvertent action." Hmm, that speaks volumes for the BOW theory. The other interesting factor here is that none of the Spurs players nor coach Greg Popovich said what Kobe did was intentional. Even Ginobili seemed to accept that this was just part of the game. See the video for yourself below and make your judgement.

Suns Lose, Suns Lose, Suns Lose!

The semi-fictional rock band Spinal Tap had a song on its "Break Like The Wind" album called "The Sun Never Sweats," which also was the title of a "concept album" the group put out in 1975. For whatever reason, that seemed to be a motto that the NBA's Phoenix team had adopted this season, having lost only twice in its previous 35 games before Monday and never looking the least bit worried doing it. But that was before Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves put an end to the ridiculous notion that the Suns -- or any team for matter -- could actually challenge the 1971-72 Lakers' streak of 33 in a row after handing the Suns a 121-112 loss, appropriately in the city where the Lakers were born, Minneapolis. Phoenix's streak had reached 17 after a 115-100 victory over Cleveland on Sunday, which for some reason convinced LeBron James to breathlessly utter: “The way they’re playing right now, they’re unbeatable.” Well, at least for about 32 more hours anyway. Steve Nash thankfully kept it in perspective after media types started bringing up thoughts of thirty-three after the Cleveland victory. Said Nash: “I don’t feel unbeatable. We’ve got a lot of improving to do.” Don't forget that Phoenix started this very season 1-5 before recovering. Also, it's nice to see negative things happen to guys like that cod-knocker Raja Bell.

Barbaro: Down The Stretch He Went

I just gotta say this, but does anyone really care about the Barbaro story? Now, I'm not an animal hater or anything like that, but I just don't get why we (as a nation) are devoting so much time and attention to this. (If you didn't hear, Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner last year, was euthanized early Monday after an injury in the Preakness left him with ailments for the last eight months that were too much to overcome.) Of course, I don't wish ill on the horse and it was sad to see him get hurt, but that's where it ends for me. I mean people sending him get-well cards, e-mails, apples and carrots, that's just absurd. What about the 700 thoroughbred horses that die every year in the U.S. and Canada? And did you know that during his "illness," Barbaro was still able to impregnate his stablemate, which will produce a possibly lucrative offspring? But I'm sure this wasn't about money, right? OK, I've droned on long enough on this, but I'd love to hear if you think I'm crazy and if all this attention for a horse is justified, or if I'm being too callous. Someone please explain it to me. Photo with this article was found on Deadspin, by the way.

ACC Admits "Timing Error" ... Duke Sucks

So the ACC admitted today that there was a "timing error" in the closing seconds of Duke's victory over Clemson a night earlier. Coordinator of basketball officials John Clougherty said the league acknowledged that an "error was made in not stating the game clock at the correct time." Also, the situation was apparently resolved "internally" and there was no elaboration. A Duke spokesman said that school officials would have no comment (big shocker there!). Clemson coach Oliver Purnell, taking the high road, said, "I am satisfied with their review in this matter." The video below does a better job than the one from yesterday to show exactly how much time should have been on the clock and how the play transpired.



This next video is about three minutes long and shows the situation as it unfolded live. I just don't understand how the refs could decide to put 4.4 seconds on the clock after it was down to 1.8. Basically, they're saying the inbounds play on the turnover to Clemson and then the made three-pointer took 0.6 seconds? Impossible. Eff Duke!

College BOW

No. 7 Oregon lost Thursday night at Washington and it was no coincidence that the Ducks struggled without senior guard Aaron Brooks. But read this Associated Press account to find out why Brooks, pictured at right, didn't play.

SEATTLE (AP) — Justin Dentmon, benched for the last month for erratic play, scored 24 points and had seven assists to lead Washington to an 89-77 victory over No. 7 Oregon on Thursday night.
Ryan Appleby (pictured below) had 16 points and Spencer Hawes added 15 on a bad ankle as the Huskies (12-7, 2-6 Pac-10) overcame Dentmon’s six turnovers. Washington has won eight of its last nine home games against ranked teams.
No Pac-10 team has ever made the NCAA tournament without a winning conference record. Washington must win eight of its last 10 games inside the Pac-10 to finish 10-8 in the league. The Huskies now have wins over then-No. 12 LSU and the Ducks.
Bryce Taylor scored 19 points to lead Oregon (18-2, 6-2), which was playing without the suspended Aaron Brooks, the Pac-10’s scoring leader. The Ducks’ sixth straight loss in Seattle, and first road loss in seven games this season, ruined their best start in 80 years.
Their 1926-27 team started 24-1. That was also the last time Oregon began 7-1 in conference play.
Brooks, averaging 18.4 points per game, sat out as his final penalty for elbowing Appleby in the face during a conference tournament game last March.

Duke Is Really Good At Cheating

Anyone see the Duke-Clemson game tonight? Duke stole another victory with the benefit of their generous clock operator, who should be fired after what transpired. The video below does a good job explaining what happened although it doesn't show the winning play (maybe that's a good thing since the sight of Blue Devils jumping all over each other is enough to trigger the gag reflex). The situation was Duke led 66-63 with 5.0 seconds left when they made a turnover on the inbounds pass, allowing Clemson to get it and make a three-pointer to tie the score. What isn't shown is that Duke takes the next inbounds pass and scores on the other end at the buzzer to win it. But had they not had those precious extra tenths of a second, the shot wouldn't have counted and the game would have gone to overtime and who knows what would've happened. How many times are these cheaters going to get away with crap like this? It's disgusting. Rat Krzyzewski should be ashamed. Here's a good Esquire article on the rat himself.

"You're Much Too Pretty To Be A Margaret"

In honor of this blog's namesake (you have to think about a little bit if you haven't figured it out yet), I present the following beer commercial for Keystone Light. It came out a while ago and, believe me, I make it a point to razz my loved one every time I can when it's on. The beauty of it is that the other girl's name in the commercial is Melissa (the other girl in my life), who by the way has complained ceaselessly that I haven't ever blogged about her. Well, Mel, there you go. Now don't you have a balance sheet to fill out or a Calculus test to study for or something?

4.8 Seconds To Glory

Had searched for this video below a while back and couldn't find it. Now, since I'm in the college spirit, I tried again and lo and behold, there it was. Sheer brilliance. The only thing missing are a few of Marques Johnson's "Yeah baby, yeah baby, yeah baby." God bless you Tyus Edney.

Never Graduate

If you spend any time watching sports on ESPN, you've no doubt seen the commericials for ESPNU -- the conglomerate's college-exclusive channel -- that implore "Never Graduate" after showing how deep certain collegiate rivalries can run. My favorite is the most recent installment, which showcases the Duke-North Carolina rivalry. There's a guy in his garage, cutting out articles like a mad scientist with Mozart playing in the background (or maybe in his head) as he meticulously douses them in papier-mache while making a pinata for his child's birthday party. Anyway, here's the video below. One last thing though: Notice the kid in the light-blue (Carolina blue?) polo shirt with his arms folded. He's the only one of the group not going crazy. That had to be done on purpose. Subtle but brilliant.

This next one is of the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry and the A&M guy refusing to utter his rival's motto during a game of charades. "Taco meat." Classic.

I had never seen this next one before until I went searching for these videos and it actually isn't as good as the first two. But since it involves UCLA-USC and it shows the UCLA guy having the upper hand, it's great anyway.

And finally, this last one involved the Auburn-Alabama rivalry. I can only pray I'm this passionate at that age.

But Does She Have Her SAG Card?

So a co-worker of mine went to the USC-Arizona State men's basketball game over the weekend at the school's stately new Galen Center. He said the setting is very intimate and that even from the top row in the second deck the view is still very good. Although I'm a staunch UCLA fan, even I have been intrigued by possibly seeing a game there and perhaps I'll do that some day. But that isn't the basis for this post. My co-worker went on to say that during a timeout the scoreboard was showing something about USC freshman point guard Daniel Hackett, pictured above. On the scoreboard, it asked various questions that you'd find in a media guide: favorite food, favorite movie, favorite music, etc. But one of the questions was favorite actress. So how did the little Brain Surgeon answer? Jenna Jameson! If you don't know who Jenna is, I won't bother explaining it here, but you can click on the safe for work link with her name to find out. Hackett's answer was a huge hit with the frat-boy segment of the crowd, as apparently many of them stood and cheered when it was flashed on the screen, but the answer probably went unnoticed by most of the crowd. Still, I'm shocked that no one on USC's sports information staff had the foresight to nix this interesting but probably inappropriate answer. Perhaps they're champions of free speech at the South Central school. Yeah, that's it.

Windy City Blowhards

This photo was seen at Sunday's Chicago Bears-New Orleans Saints NFC championship game at Soldier Field. It was posted on the website Deadspin (a fantastic site by the way) and the folks there say that the sign stayed up the entire game! Now we all know that this is the town that made Michael Jordan and that Ditka (we don't even have to say his first name anymore) is a cottage industry all his own, but jeez, I mean are these people serious? It's one thing to be devoted to the cause and quite another to think this is anywhere even close to the line of appropriateness. Oh well, hadn't see this anywhere else so thought I'd put it up.

If The Crown Fits...

In light of the Chicago Bears making it to Super Bowl 41 (I refuse to use the Roman numerals), I thought I'd post this video of now-former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green. I know Pat C. will love it as we had an extensive conversation about this on New Years' Eve. Looks like we might have to crown their asses after all. My favorite part of this whole video is at the very end, when after Green rants, the room goes silent and you hear some PR flack, say "Thanks, coach."

Here's another good video of pro football coaches going on rants (sorry for the repeat of Green at the end). Always great stuff though.

Kelly Clarkson Is Cool

OK, so just for the record, I'm not a Kelly Clarkson fan. I mean I think she can look cute, and all, sometimes, but her music doesn't do anything for me. I don't hate her though either. The video below has been circulating for months now, but I was having a conversation with someone recently and Kelly Clarkson's name came up and it reminded me of this. Anyway, it's a video of the band Metal Skool performing. During their show, the lead singer noticed Kelly Clarkson in the audience and he made it a focal point of the show for a little while and even got her to come up on stage and sing a song with them. The lead singer of Yellowcard is also up there and it's funny how they only refer to him as "the lead singer of Yellowcard" and never actually call him by his name. What the hell is his name anyway? From what I can gather, it's Ryan Key, for the record and he's been photographed with Clarkson at other events so I don't know if they're going out or what. The video shows a different side of Clarkson and it actually made me like her more after seeing that she could be playful and a good sport (despite her short hair, which is not a good look for her). The video, which actually is fairly long (over nine minutes I think) is pretty raunchy from the start because of the way that the Metal Skool singer carries himself on stage and the way he speaks and whatnot, so be careful when you watch if it matters who is around you. Just thought this would be something funny to post.

Hockey Is Very Gentlemanly

I bring the video below to your attention since it involved a Los Angeles Kings player. Not sure when it happened though. I saw it first at sports blog With Leather and it really is amazing how these guys handle the fighting part of hockey. One of the combatants, Georges Laraque, who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes, was wearing a microphone. So first, check out the fight and then listen to how these players decide they are going to fight and what Laraque says right before they go at it. Apparently, Laraque is one of the most polite players in the league. It's amazing how calm and cool he is about it. I wonder if all hockey fights start this way.

Another great thing about this is how the announcers describe it. It's like a boxing match. They even have a tale-of-the-tape graphic ready for it. Here is another Laraque fight.

Another Laraque fight

Last word on Laraque: Here is a compilation of some of his best fights.

Getting back to players having a microphone. Ever wonder what these guys say to each other uncensored? This link here is a video of Pittsburgh Penguins players Kevin Stevens and Bryan Trottier talking major trash to Brian Bellows of the old Minnesota North Stars from many years back. Stevens and Trottier are on the bench yelling out to Bellows as the teams get ready for a faceoff. The language is extremely not safe for work so make sure you're in a place where you have privacy when viewing. It's pretty damn funny though.

BOW Leads to Ejections

Don't be fooled by the headline on the Associated Press story below. There was more to Antonio McDyess and Kevin Garnett being ejected from their NBA game on Friday night. One of the featured players though was former Lakers fan favorite Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen. I miss Mad Dog. Anyway, it's another documented BOW.

McDyess and Garnett booted for fighting in Pistons-Wolves game

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett chucked a dead ball at Detroit’s Antonio McDyess in the fourth quarter with the Timberwolves and Pistons tied at 70 Friday night, leading to an angry tangle and technical fouls and ejections for both players.
McDyess gave a forearm shiver to knock over Minnesota’s Mark Madsen while they were underneath the basket jockeying for position on a rebound. Garnett got mad and fired the ball at McDyess, who charged at him with his fist cocked.
Garnett retreated, but was also ready to throw a punch. No blows were thrown, and teammates and officials stayed between the two to prevent any serious trouble.

Lleyton Hewitt Moves On Up

So I'm not a huge fan of tennis, but the Grand Slams usually get my attention, and this week happens to be the first one of the year as the Australian Open began in Melbourne. While watching ESPN2's coverage Wednesday night (and, by the way, can we ever tell, what's live and what's taped when it comes to covering an event that's 15 hours ahead of us?) it was a match between Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and someone named Dancevic. Anyway, during the match they showed a picture of Hewitt's wife Bec Cartwright (right). First off, I'm sure Bec is short for Becca, which is short for Rebecca, and is anyone with me that "Becca" is hot and "Bec" is even a little hotter? Apparently Hewitt proposed to Cartwright, a former Aussie soap-opera star, about two years ago, so this is anything but breaking news although I hadn't been aware of her until now. Anyway, the proposal came four months after Hewitt broke up with his previous girlfriend, female tennis player Kim Clijisters, and after only six weeks of dating Cartwright, although the two had been friends for years since both are considered celebrity-types Down Under and often ran in the same social circles. Hewitt's relationship with Clijisters had lasted a whopping four years, so obviously it didn't take the vertically-challenged tennis icon long to bounce back. Now we know why. Anyone going from this to this would agree that the mourning period probably would be a short one. Clijisters, who is said to be retiring after a last year around the circuit, must have a great personality though.

Fiesta Bowl Revisited

OK, now that the hoopla has died down from the amazing Fiesta Bowl game between Boise State and Oklahoma, which saw Fox force removal of all highlight video on YouTube in the days after the game's conclusion, we are seeing the videos crop back up in various forms. There are a ton of versions, some straight forward, some sappy. Here are a few, beginning with a sappy one set to music -- "Nessun Dorma" from the Puccini opera "Turandot." As a closet opera fan, I enjoyed it:

Here are the highlights from SportsCenter:

ABC national news doing its own report, including Ian Johnson's marriage proposal:

The "Around The Horn" guys blather on about the game:

ESPN's Brian Kinney, Mark May and Lou Holtz debate whether this was the best bowl game of all time:

Finally, video highlights with the actual play-by-play call as it happened:

So is it hook and ladder or hook and lateral? Maybe both are OK.

Hurra Torpedo Is Upscale Eurotrash

My brother-in-law has a DVD of Rush that he was showing me the other night. The point of the DVD was that Rush was celebrating its 30th anniversary, so it showed a concert of theirs in Germany. Anyway, while watching it I noticed that this three-member band had a running dryer on stage with actual clothes spinning inside. I thought it rather odd that a household applicance would be used as a prop at a rock concert. But then I remembered what perhaps is one of the funniest, wtf? videos I've ever seen by another three-member band -- Norway's own Hurra Torpedo. I know some of you have seen this before as this is not a new video, but I just had to post it here for posterity's sake. Anyone else think the guy in the back with the longer hair looks a little like Mike T? The band has been descibed as "the world's leading kitchen appliance rock group." Sorta like being one of England's loudest bands. Behold Hurra Torpedo:

The video below is an interview with Hurra Torpedo, which I think was done more recently because the guys look a little older. In this one, anyone think the guy on the right with the glasses looks like Mike C. if he were a mountain man? Also, see this interview through to the end as Hurra Torpedo performs a rendition of Prince's "When Doves Cry" that you won't believe. Horrifying beauty if there ever was, I must say.

Growing Up To Be Morrison

I just had to post this photo that one of my loyal readers sent me. It's great stuff. Apparently, they sell these Adam Morrison kits in Charlotte, so you, too, can look like a 70s porn star. At least Morrison (or the kid for that matter) wasn't crying.

I also like this photo below. Kids these days, they're just so creative.

Stackhouse Takes A BOW

Haven't seen any video on this since as of the time of posting this the game is still in progress, but the NBA seems to have produced its latest BOW incident. If you don't know what I'm talking about, click here. But as this wire story reports, Jerry Stackhouse was kicked out of Dallas' game against Utah because of two flagrant fouls, the first of which fits the description since it came against Matt Harpring. Even the foul on Jarron Collins might fit if you really think about it.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dallas swingman Jerry Stackhouse was kicked out of the Mavericks’ game at Utah on Tuesday night after getting called for his second flagrant foul.
Stackhouse, who also received a technical in the first half for an argument with Utah coach Jerry Sloan, fouled Jazz center Jarron Collins hard as he went to the basket with 7.8 seconds left in the third quarter.
His first flagrant was a shot to Utah forward Matt Harpring’s jaw in the first quarter. Stackhouse and Sloan exchanged a few words before Stackhouse’s teammates led him back to the bench.

UPDATE: (Here is a bit more detail. I'd venture to say that Stackhouse's incidents with Hornacek and Snyder also qualify as BOWs).

With 32 seconds left in the first quarter, Stackhouse caught Harpring square in the jaw and dropped him in an attempt to clear the ball. The officials immediately called a flagrant foul on Stackhouse.
Stackhouse then got a technical foul after he jawed with Sloan near midcourt.
Stackhouse, who had 11 points, was ejected with 7.8 seconds left in the third quarter when he flagrantly fouled Jarron Collins on his way to the hoop.
“It’s just another team that I can be passionate against. They’re going to hold and grab try to play a fake physical game,” Stackhouse said.
Stackhouse and the Jazz have a history of fighting. In 1996, Stackhouse grabbed former Utah guard Jeff Hornacek by the throat and hit his face at least two times. After a game in 2005, Stackhouse and Utah’s Kirk Snyder scuffled in a hallway near the Jazz team bus.

Joumana Kidd Scares Me

Have you heard about the recent news in Jason Kidd's private life? He filed for divorce from his wife Joumana, who by the sounds of it is one crazy woman. Take a read of the wire story below and make up your own mind. I've tried to highlight some of the more salacious details. Anyone else think she's got the crazy eyes?

By BETH DeFALCO
Associated Press Writer

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Nets star Jason Kidd filed for divorce from his wife of 10 years Tuesday, accusing her of “extreme cruelty” throughout their marriage.
In the dissolution papers, filed in state Superior Court in Bergen County, Kidd accuses Joumana Kidd of physically and mentally abusing him, threatening to make false domestic violence complaints against him to police, and of interfering with his relationship with his children.
“The defendant’s extreme and unwarranted jealousy and rage has left the plaintiff concerned about her emotional stability,” the papers say.
The divorce filing came less than a day after the 33-year-old NBA player filed a domestic violence complaint seeking a temporary restraining order against his wife.
“Jason Kidd filed for divorce from his wife today on the grounds of extreme cruelty over a long period of time,” Kidd’s attorney, Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, said in a statement Tuesday.
Kidd scored 10 points Tuesday night as the Nets beat the Toronto Raptors 101-86.
“I can’t talk about my personal stuff,” he said afterward. “I hope you guys will respect this tough situation my family is going through and that we can resolve this as quickly as possible.
“There is really no distraction,” Kidd said. “This is my job.”
His complaint, however, paints a detailed portrait of Joumana Kidd as a vitriolic, jealous and paranoid wife prone to public outbursts and threats, including during a recent Nets game.
According to the complaint, Joumana Kidd used the couple’s 8-year-old son on Dec. 27 to sneak into the Nets locker room and rummage through Jason Kidd’s locker to find his cell phone. After looking up the names and numbers on it, the complaint said she left her son behind as she went upstairs to take a front row seat, where she shouted insults at Kidd throughout the game.
The papers accuse Joumana Kidd of kicking, hitting, punching and throwing household objects at her husband as she became “increasingly controlling and manipulative” in the last few years of their union.
According to Kidd, his wife had tracking devices installed on his cars and computers and has harassed his trainer, friends and family.
The Kidds were married in 1997 and live in Saddle River. They were involved in a domestic violence matter six years ago when he was playing for the Phoenix Suns.
In that incident, Jason Kidd was arrested in January 2001 after his wife told police he hit her during an argument over their son, Trey Jason (T.J.), who was 2 at the time. Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse, was fined $200 and ordered to take anger management training.
Besides 8-year-old T.J., the Kidds have 4-year-old twin daughters, Miah and Jazelle.
Despite the numerous accusations by Kidd in the complaint, he did not ask for sole custody of the children.
“It is in the best interest that the parties share physically and legal custody of the children,” the complaint said.
Kidd will make more than $18 million this season.
The Kidds’ home phone number is unlisted. An after-hours message left for Joumana Kidd’s lawyer was not immediately returned.

What's Gotten Into Matt Barnes?

There are 10 former UCLA players dotting the rosters of NBA teams at the moment, but the one who has been making the most noise recently is Matt Barnes of the Golden State Warriors. Barnes has become an instant hero in the world of fantasy leagues, but the biggest surprise has been how fast he has come on strong. Before scoring only two points in a loss to Phoenix on Sunday, Barnes had scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, including a 36-point effort against Memphis. What's amazing is that before this season, Barnes had been with six NBA teams in the four previous seasons. He also played for the Long Beach Jam of the irrelevent ABA. He was a second-round draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002 but didn't play in the league that year (his draft rights were traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers that first season as well). He has since played for the Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks. He signed with the Warriors before this season, and whatever Don Nelson is doing up there has worked (although Nelson's up-tempo style certainly seems to fit Barnes' game). When he was at UCLA, I always thought Barnes would be a good NBA player because of his athletic ability. He is 6-7, but I felt he often played larger than that most of the time and his versatility seemed valuable and suited for the pro game. Still, it took until now for Barnes to flourish, but the biggest difference between now and his days as a Bruin is that Barnes has become a consistent three-point shooter. He had seven three-pointers in a Dec. 26 victory over Philadelphia to tie a franchise record and, eight days later, had seven more in that aforementioned loss to Memphis. Turns out, Barnes had plenty of incentive in that game against the 76ers:

"I felt like I never really got a shot to play the whole time I was there, so I kind of have a chip on my shoulder," Barnes told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm very fortunate to be here in the NBA, don't get me wrong. I don't take anything for granted and I appreciate Philly even giving me the opportunity to be on their team, but I wanted to play. Any person in the NBA wants to play."

Two weeks before his "revenge" game against the 76ers, Barnes did the same thing to another of his former teams -- the Sacramento Kings -- by scoring 32 points in a Warriors' victory:

"It felt good, especially doing it against Sacramento. It's always fun to play against guys I work out with in the summer and hang out with, but it was more important to get on track," said Barnes, who attended nearby Del Campo High, in comments to the Sacramento Bee.

Through Sunday, Barnes, who has a tattoo that says "Sac Town's Finest" on his left arm, was shooting 43% from beyond the arc and led the team with 61 makes. That total ranks tied for 15th in the league, but Barnes only averages 4.2 attempts per game while every player above him on the list tries at least 4.6 per game. Jason Kapono, another former Bruin, leads the NBA in three-point percentage (53.0). This link here gives you a look at Barnes' game-by-game production this season. Coming into the season, Barnes had played in 137 career games, averaged 3.7 points and made a total of 10 three-pointers. It's probably premature to crown Barnes as the NBA's next rising star, but it is nice to see persistence paying off.

In case you're interested, here are UCLA's other players in the NBA:

Trevor Ariza, Orlando Magic

Baron Davis, Golden State Warriors

Jordan Farmar, Lakers

Dan Gadzuric, Milwaukee Bucks

Ryan Hollins, Charlotte Bobcats

Jason Kapono, Miami Heat

Darrick Martin, Toronto Raptors

Dijon Thompson, Atlanta Hawks

Earl Watson, Seattle SuperSonics

William Shatner Is The She-Ought

Not sure if anyone saw the recent roast of William Shatner on Comedy Central. If not, you missed a raunchy and racous tribute to one of America's most revered run-of-the-mill actors. I'm not sure why Shatner has become so popular during the latter stages of his career (and life for that matter), but it probably has to do with the way he has learned to laugh at himself, including his over-the-top acting style. So it was fitting that at age 75, there was Shatner sitting on a throne being lambasted by "colleagues" (read: mostly stand-up comedians who probably had never met him until that night) and taking it all in stride. Comedy Central showed the roast late at night and was able to broadcast it unedited, so things got very blue to say the least. If you happen upon a rebroadcast, make sure the kiddies are tucked safely in their beds, preferably with ear plugs. I was roaring throughout the show. They showed some great clips of Shatner signing, including the one below of Elton John's "Rocket Man" at the 1978 Science Fiction Awards, although I'm sure some of you have seen this.

How can you not love this man after such a performance? I know Shatner put out CDs of his music as well (John was a big fan I think). The one I remember the most was a version of the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" when Shatner belts out: "And she's gone, and she's gone, and she's gone!!!" The next video is a montage of Shatner, including some of the Rocket Man stuff, which I think is the clip they show on the roast.

Finally, this is clip from "Family Guy" that does a spoof of Shatner. Actually, I think Shatner does his own voice in the cartoon. It's pretty funny. (And yes, I know some of you hacks aren't Family Guy fans, but I'm posting it anyway).

Bottom line is try to check out the Shatner roast. If not, YouTube has a ton of clips from the roast. Greg Giraldo, Betty White, George Takei are some of my favorites from the show.

Cover Your Face and Take A BOW

One of my loyal readers knows about a theory I have regarding the NBA and its players and why certain "incidents" seem to happen more frequently under certain circumstances than others. I'm not going to explain the theory here, but I did want to use this space as a place to document these "incidents" so there it is. The following except just moved over the Associated Press sports wire:

NEW YORK (AP) — Phoenix Suns guard Raja Bell was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA on Friday for kicking Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani.
The incident occurred in the third quarter of a game in Toronto on Wednesday night.

These "incidents", henceforth, will be referred to as a "BOW" or "BOWs". As in: "The NBA saw another BOW incident take place last night." or "Joe Blow is the latest NBA player to commit a BOW." or "There were 32 BOWs committed in the NBA this month."

Is This Man An Abuser?

You all remember sportscaster Jim Lampley, who is known these days for his role as a blow-by-blow announcer on HBO's boxing telecasts. Lampley also was a local sports anchor for Channel 2 in Los Angeles back in the 80s, worked for NBC, and began his career as a reporter for ABC and worked at the 1980 Winter Olympics when the U.S. hockey team stunned the Russians in what was voted the greatest sports moment of the 20th century. Lampley has been in the news recently after being arrested for an alleged domestic dispute. Lampley, 57, has been married three times, including once to another former L.A. news anchor, Bree Walker (she of the lobster claw hands, although there's actually a medical name for her deformity), but had been shacking up with the woman who has accused him of the domestic abuse. We've come to find out that the alleged victim is 28-year-old Candice Sanders. Not only could Lampley be the girl's father, but she is a former Miss California. Yowzah! How hot is this chick? I mean, even her name is hot. Here is another link on her. We'll keep you up to date if it's in important enough.

I'm On A Soccer Kick

Since we were on the subject of soccer in the last post, I thought I'd revive these two commercials by Adidas that aired during last summer's World Cup. I love these spots because no matter what your culture, as a boy you can relate to playing a game against your best friend and pretending you are a superstar player whether it's soccer, baseball, basketball or whatever. In case you never saw these, they are pretty good. For the uninitiated, all the players are world-famous soccer talent (although no Americans are included in the bunch, since I think the American soccer players that do have endorsement deals are probably with Nike).
This is part one:

Part two:

Can't we all relate to the final scene when the mom screams for the kid to come home? Classic stuff. The kid's reaction is exactly how soccer players react to a bad call by the referee with that little wave of the arm as he looks away in disgust.
One last soccer thing: The link at the end is one of my favorite photos, showing members of Argentina's national team during, I believe, the 2002 World Cup. It's a picture taken of players forming a wall during a free kick and the picture is snapped at the precise moment when the players are reacting to not wanting to be hit by the ball, leaving them with interesting expressions and body language. Someone has cleverly photoshopped items into the picture to add to the effect. See it here.

Fox Soccer Channel Bouncing Ball

I know I'm one of the few soccer fans out there, but I really like this commercial that Fox Soccer Channel airs and I thought I'd share it since most of you probably aren't regular viewers. Also, I love the song they use but have no idea who the artist or the title is. Can anyone help? (That's actually my ulterior motive for posting this)

Ashlee Simpson Still Sucks

As I watched tonight's Orange Bowl halftime show with the "legendary" American Idol Taylor Hicks and the why-is-she-lowering-herself-to-this-level Gladys Knight, it reminded me of the performance of a few years back of Miss Ashlee Simpson, when Jessica's younger sister was booed off the stage after her horrific performance. Enjoy.

2007 Fiesta Bowl Highlights

If you didn't see this game Monday, do yourself a favor and watch these highlights. One of the most amazing (if not THE most) finishes in sports history. The teams scored 21 points in the final 86 seconds, the underdog (Boise State) built a big lead, blew it, rallied to tie to send the game to overtime and won it by going for two points and running the freakin' Statue of Liberty play for the clincher. The game-tying play by Boise also was amazing -- the old hook and ladder. My words don't do this justice.

Where There's Smoke ... There's Cigars

Cigars are one of those things that you either love or you hate. There's not a lot of middle ground, but when you finally cross that tobacco line, you can be fairly sure that you'll never turn back. This is quite different than cigarettes, which obviously have a less-than-favorable reputation in our society. Europe this ain't. But getting back to cigars, which somehow portray a more stately image. I mean what's better than standing around a fire with your buddies with a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other while your wives and kids make themselves scarce in the other room? I tell you, it doesn't get much better, especially when the winter air is crisp and the mood screams out for philosophical meanderings that don't even need to make sense to resonate. It's not that you don't love your family, it's just that men need to have that time to be with their own kind every now and then. Of course, just because you smoke ONE cigar doesn't mean you'll develop a box-a-day habit, but go ahead and try to refuse an offer of a cigar after you've dipped your toe into the pool. I dare you. But perhaps that's the allure of the cigar -- it's not dripping with ubiquity. This is where cigarettes fall flat because if someone is a "cigarette smoker" it's difficult to avoid it in everyday existence. But smoking a cigar on New Year's, or to celebrate the birth of a child, or to toast at your daughter's wedding has a certain charm all its own. The phrase "absence makes the heart grow fonder" certainly applies to cigars and makes those moments when you whip one out all the more special. Certainly, there are things to learn (are you listening JC?) to maximize the cigar-smoking experience, and at this point I'm proud to be a novice, eager to improve. I never expect to be the type to frequent cigar bars or own a smoking jacket or have a subscription to Cigar Aficionado, but I do expect this to remain part of my life. I'm also glad that I'm surrounded by comrades willing to partake ever so often, although that can sometimes go to another level. That will make the next half of my life all the more enjoyable, knowing there will be these moments to look forward to and realizing that it's important to slow down and stop and smell the ... cigar smoke every now and then.