Maybe in 9 Years Jeter Will Get His Ass Kicked by a Woman Scorned

2000 SI Sportsman of the Year:
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods

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Kissing Craig Sager

I almost wish I could spend an extended vacation in Cleveland (until I remember it's Cleveland).

From the gal who brought us Airbrushed Brady Quinn...

Last summer, when the Cavs were in the playoffs, I was sitting outside of a bar/pizzeria in downtown Cleveland when along walks (stumbles) a man wearing a TNT polo. I almost didn't recognize him without the usual light purple coat and tie combo, but as he entered the bar I yelled, "Hey Sager!" to which he spun around and greeted our group. After taking pictures and hanging out for a minute, he slid up to the bar, ordered a slice of pizza and a beer, faced both, and then disappeared into the night.

-Katie (and Rick)

"I want to kiss you..."

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Tony's Reality

Apparently Tony Reali does a weekly fantasy column in the Philly Inquirer. However, the only thing fantasy about this article is Stat Boy's pompadour. Word on the street is that this is the head shot he used during his unsuccessful bid to join the cast of Grease 2.

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Super Bowl Halftime Show to Reach Whole New Level of Perversion

After the poopstorm that the infamous Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake titty show at Super Bowl XXXVIII caused, the NFL has done very little to clean up its halftime acts.

Since the 2004 performance, the Super Bowl has featured, among others:

An ambiguous gender bender who entertained football fans with a phallic silhouette.


A skeletal rocker best known for folksy pot songs.


And a guy from Jersey who used the show to shove his crotch in America's face.


Yet, it had never before featured a performer who spent years on national a sex offenders list after paying for kiddie porn...until now.

Pete Townshend, you're a pioneer many times over.

Screw you, FCC.

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Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

Mid-Major College Sports
Cadillac Mescallade

Whether it's basketball, soccer or water polo, it is fun to root for the proverbial underdog. The school without the bigger budget, the school that not everyone knows, the school that has sneakers made by one company and uniforms by another, you know where this is going. Anybody can cheer for Duke or Texas but knowing the journey it takes for a mid major to be really successful is always fun to watch. It's what makes the first round of March Madness so fun. I bet you can name a 15 seed that beat a 2 seed as fast as you can rattle off the recent national champions in college football. That is what I'm thankful for.

Thanksgiving Football ALL DAY
Lucas

Can you imagine if you had to sit and talk to your whole extended family for an entire day? Sitting around the table, eating, and conversing for hours on end about a second cousin's new house, a sister in-law's passionate rant on how the president really is a Muslim (the internet says so!), or grandpa's recap of the weather in the southwest would be enough for most of us to consider passing smallpox-laced napkins around the table. But thanks to all-day football, we can eat and drink and engage in polite banter and then retire to any area with a TV, where we can satisfy our need to break awkward silences by getting another beer or commenting on the game instead of an uncle's ill-advised hairpiece or new wife. The time passes quickly (even with a Lions game on) and before you know it your bizarre family members have drifted out of your house and you haven't had to get up to say good-bye or anything - in fact, there are some you didn't even see at all! And if you're keeping score, that's the two-point conversion of family avoidance.

The next generation of sports fans
The Cynic

Earlier this year, I got to take my daughter to her first football game. I can't tell you how much fun it was to watch her eyes light up when she got to meet the cheerleaders and see the band before the game. She's a little young to grasp all the intracices of football yet. (She still thinks its cute to line up in a cover-2 on 3rd and 6 and bring the strong side linebacker on a blitz, even though she knows it'll open up the tight end on an 8-yard slant route. But she's only 3, so I cut her some slack.)

I am also thankful that I have a TV better than the ones available to SEC replay officials.

Rivalries
Rev. Shaw Moore

Watching sports just to admire the skill and determination of athletes isn't enough - it means so much more when there's pride, honor and glory on the line. What would baseball be without the Yankees and Red Sox? Basketball without Duke-UNC? Rivalries add so much to the world of sports and gives us, the fans, something to brag about and occasionally something to rub in the face of so-called "friends" who cheer for the wrong team. So here's to rivalries - may my team win big, and your team die a slow, miserable death.

Pairs
Special Agent Blue Pulaski (DC Bureau)

Look, I'm an old, old man. I've seen about everything there is to see in the game of football and frankly the game is old and sick, just like me. But there is one thing that'll still get a rise out of this old sailor: BOOBS. I like boobs on cheerleaders like the big ones on the Cowboys sidelines, the ones in the stands at the SEC college games and the ones on Colt McCoy's girlfriend. I really like the ones on Tim Tebow's fake girlfriend. I like that they come in sets of two, so maybe there are two things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving...

Fall Classic with the Phils
ElleBellesMom

While I love my Phils regardless, the fact that they made it to the fall classic a second year in the row brought about a new level of adoration. Apparently, this a second trip to the World Series meant that Philadelphia and our beloved baseball team was "celebrity" enough to make it onto Access Hollywood and into US Weekly, thus combining two of my favorite things - Sports and Celebrity Gossip. Thank you, Billy Bush, for putting Chase Utley into another half-hour of television, even if only for one-week out of the year. That face (and a bunch of others on the team) deserve more prime-time, network coverage.

The End of Andy's Road
Don

I'm thankful that every year that goes by is one year closer to Andy Reid not being the Eagles coach anymore.

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The Cynic's Guide to College Football: Week 12

Thanksgiving is always my favorite holiday. What's not to love? Every kitchen becomes my own personal buffet. I don't have to worry about what racial, ethnic, religious, etc. group might get pissed off about celebrating the holiday. A few hours of peace and quiet while the women all leave the house before I'm awake on Friday morning. And football. Lots and lots of football.

Football solves so many of the world's problems. It's the best thing ever for dealing with family. Crazy relative wants to tell you about all her medical maladies? "Sorry Aunt Martha, the game's on." Your father nagging you to move out of the basement and get a real job (insert gratuitous blogger joke here)? "Hey dad, can we talk about this when the game's over?" Mom wants to tell how glad she is you could make it home for the first holiday since Grandpa passed away? "You stupid %$%#!!! Why would you call a quarterback draw on 3rd and 12 with less than two minutes left, you dumb ^&*@#$%!!!!"

Yep, it's the perfect holiday. With that, a few football notes.

Time, Time, Time is on Our Side

Somewhere in Baton Rouge Sunday morning, an LSU graduate student was passed out with several empty bottles of vodka sitting on top of the tattered and tear-stained remains of what was supposed to have been his MBA thesis entitled “The Business Applications of Coach Les Miles’ Time Management Principles.”

Way to man up there, coach. Maybe now you can help wash the bus tire tracks off your quarterback.

Separated at Birth

Texas Tech QB Taylor Potts and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Use the Force, Nick.

How to Ruin the Holidays

Pity the poor football fans in San Antonio. The local ABC affiliate, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to air two hours of infomericals and a rerun of Oprah instead of Friday afternoon’s Nebraska/Colorado game. Look, I know there’s not much on the line in this game (Nebraska has already clinched the Big 12 North; Colorado is 3-8). But don’t you think there are more than a few folks in south Texas who are interested in the game? Like, say, Texas fans interested in seeing Nebraska play once before they meet the Longhorns in next week’s Big 12 championship game? And besides, IT’S COLLEGE FREAKIN’ FOOTBALL FOR CHRISSAKES!!! KSAT is reportedly the only ABC affiliate in the country that will not be airing the game. The decision is made even stranger by the fact that the station is preempting its local programming to show the early game, Illinois vs. Cincinnati.

So while you’re enjoying day 2 of your turkey and football coma on Friday while your wife or girlfriend is out shopping, be thankful for how much better you have it than those poor schmucks in San Antonio. [Ed. Note: shortly after this post was written, KSAT decided to reverse course and will show the NU/CU game on Friday. Thanksgiving is saved!]

One is a giant 300 pound freakishly unstoppable force of nature. The other is Ndamukong Suh.

A Season to Forget

Connecticut is currently sitting at 5-5, with all five losses by four points or less. So it's been a tough enough season on the field. But add in the tragic murder of UConn CB Jasper Howard and this year has been the stuff of nightmares. So it was good to see them get arguably one of the program's biggest wins ever on the road over Notre Dame. While most media outlets have been focusing on the game as the final nail in Charlie Weis’ time at Notre Dame, it was good to see UConn pull out a huge overtime win after a very challenging season.

Congrats on the win, Coach Edsall. Here's hoping you never have to go through a season like this again.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Ball-tapping, kid's swollen testies are bigger in Indiana than basketball

We've all done it. Had it done. Enjoying a nice mac and cheese lunch in the cafeteria and YAM someone gently slaps you in the babymaker and the room spins around faster than Anderson Cooper's head in a crowded gym locker room.

It's all in good fun. Except in Indiana where it's a state of emergency.

"It's a disturbing game with devastating consequences, and a new WTHR survey suggests it is rampant in Indiana schools."

Yes, there was a study done. The head of the study is in the hospital. His nuts are a pale crimson shade.

It was not only a study but they have quotes, like this gem:

"I have had on occasion had a student come in complaining of pain in that area, and never a reasonable explanation of why he hurts in that area. I am better informed to possibly identify that this is taking place."

School officials were quick to blame 7th grader Denis Hatchet. She is such a tease. Let's you get so close then...

Statewide survey shows "ball tapping" problem widespread (WTHR.com)

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 11

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 11 Here.



We get a very interesting perspective on sports and media from author, producer, columnist, speaker and professor Dave Hollander. After going from music promotion to interviewing various legendary sports figures (whom we quiz him on in Skyped Up) and compiling the conversations in 52 Weeks: Interviews with Champions!, Hollander has been a columnist for AOL Sports, The Huffington Post, SI.com, New York Press, Interview and Penthouse (among others).

He is also an adjunct professor at the New York University Tisch Center for Sports Management, where he teaches a graduate course on Sports Management that "focuses on the marketing concepts and strategies involved in developing and implementing initiatives for sports and leisure products" with "emphasis is placed on positioning, programming sub-strategy, distribution, pricing strategies, regional sports networks, managing media, the Internet, building relevance for younger generations, and the unique nature of non-profit marketing."

It's a very candid conversation on what journalism as a whole has become and an uncensored look at online media from someone who has both practiced in the medium and teaches about its relationship to marketing.

This week’s links of interest:

• Blogs With Balls
• DaveHollander.com
• Dave Hollander at the The Huffington Post
• Dave's Various Columns and Articles
• 52 Weeks: Interviews with Champions! (Amazon)

Unconfirmed Player Note: Nothing turned on Ricky more than seeing himself nude in the clubhouse mirror.

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Jon Runyan Hits a Different Campaign Trail First

Below is the official statement of Jon Runyan regarding his decision to sign with the San Diego Chargers for the remainder of the NFL season and its impact on his plans to seek the Republican nomination for the US House of Representatives in NJ's 3rd Congressional District:

"Yesterday, I received an offer to pursue my professional dream of winning a Super Bowl, and have decided to sign with the San Diego Chargers for the remainder of this season through the playoffs. Win or lose, these will be my final games as an NFL player. Last night, I personally informed the Republican County Chairmen in NJ's 3rd Congressional District that after the season is over I plan to officially retire from football and pursue a campaign for the United States Congress. I want to thank all of the people who have been encouraging me to run next year and let them know that I look forward to a successful end to my career on the field, and a spirited campaign against Congressman Adler in 2010."

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Preserving History: Jimmie Wins Record 4

After each major sporting event, HHR takes a look at how it is portrayed in news print in some of the nation's leading dailies. Part out of curiosity, and part to preserve the dying medium.

While it might not have been huge news in the Northeast or West Coasts, JJ's record stetting Cup win was huge down South.

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Separated at Birth: Norv Turner's Inconvenient Truth

He not only looks like Principal Skinner, but also the former Vice President.

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What Do Yinz Get a Lawmaker for His Birthday?

When his family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, apparently you get him an officially licensed team Snuggie.

Photo: Politico via Rooney's Office

From Politico, Rep. Tom Rooney's (R-Fla.) staff bought him one for his 39th. whose extended family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, thus ensuring some of the best Super Bowl seats in the house?

When asked "Would he ever wear a Snuggie in public," the Congressman responded, "I would wear a maroon Snuggie. People might think I was a monk or something cool like that."

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Fat Students Must Drop Pounds to Earn Degree

Pa. university students upset about fitness class

"A Pennsylvania university's requirement that overweight undergraduates take a fitness course to receive their degrees has raised the hackles of students and the eyebrows of health and legal experts.

Officials at historically black Lincoln University said Friday that the school is simply concerned about high rates of obesity and diabetes, especially in the African-American community."

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Maui Invitational: The Best Part Of Thanksgiving Week

While NFL doubleheader will be a key way I spend parts of Thursday that I won't be eating, I'm more pumped for college hoops. Though pre-conference schedule tournaments have gone on and been very exciting, and the pre-season NIT is coming this weekend at Madison Square Garden, the top early season tournament for me each year is the EA Sports Maui Invitational. Many hoops pundits have pointed to the recently completed Puerto Rico Tip-Off as having the best overall field, but something about the event in Maui just signals the real start of college basketball.

From the games played in a tiny gym similar to that of my high school, to the announcers which usually include Bill Raftery, to the teams which are routinely in the Top 25, it all makes for a great few days of games. Tiny Chaminade, most known for their upset of Virigina back in the 80s, hosts this event, and, while they often get their doors blown off, there is always the chance they might upset somebody. Then you have seven other teams that are likely to be in the mix for a berth in the field of 65, if not a crack at the Final Four. The field this year is no different as it is a group of household names in college hoops including Arizona, Cincinatti, Colorado, Gonzaga, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin (and the aforementioned Chaminade). Of course these teams aren't currently at their strongest in recent years, but they book these fields several years out and at the end of the day the "name" teams will be in the building at the Lahaina Civic Center. I'll admit it is odd that not a single team in this year's field is currently in the Top 25, but give it time, Maryland and Vanderbilt are knocking on the door.

Miahlo! Onions!

The ESPN platform of networks will cover every game in this tourney with the championship to be decided on Wednesday evening. So make sure to tune in starting on Monday, the tourney will seem as if games are being played at every hour of the day when you factor in the Hawaii time difference, and enjoy coaches wearing ridiculous Hawaiian shirts and perhaps a chance to dream of a warmer climate.

This is what the Maui Invitational is all about

As for predictions, this is just one part of what is a murderous early schedule for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs must be right on the brink of Gold Elite Status on Continental because they are flying all over the place. Maryland gets what should be the walkover first game against Chaminade to start things off while Arizona and Wisconsin could be one of the top first round matchups. Vandy and Maryland are on a collision course for a semi-final matchup which could very well open things up for Gonzaga on the other side of the bracket although the Zags will still have to knock off some quality teams to advance. Regardless I think this is the time for Gonzaga to pick up some critical early season wins and prop themselves up before they have to deal with Wake Forest, Duke, Oklahoma, and Illinois. Who does Mark Few think he is with this schedule? Dan Monson at Long Beach State (now this is a tough schedule)

Colorado and Gonazga get us started on Monday 10am Hawaii/3pm EST. Now the season will have begun. Oh and if your curious, next year looks pretty nice in Maui also.

-Posted by Cadillac Mescallade

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Yalie L's Uncensored

What happens when your Ivy squad gets upset by your long-time bitter rival?

Obscenity ensues.

"Go ahead and take my f*cking picture, a$$hole."
(At least he's not in pink skivvies)

You can check out John Wise's full Harvard-Yale gallery & recap at OneGreatSeason.com.

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Real Men of Genius

Today we salute you, Mr. Portable Beer Pong Kit Inventor.

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 10

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 10 Here.



Today we feature our good friend John Karalis' RedsArmy.com as the Ballsy Blog of the Week.

You may remember John as the star of our pre-BwB 1.0 Kobe spoof video:

Blogs With Balls from BLOGS WITH BALLS on Vimeo.

You should remember him for the fantastic work he puts out on RedsArmy.com.

Reds Army is continually evolving and bettering itself and has become a standard-bearer for team-oriented sites. In addition to posts, John and cohort Chuck "talk Celtics, the NBA, and whatever else come to mind" on Blog Talk Radio's The Two-Man Game, and John is 1/8 of the The 8th Seed Podcast.

This week we dig into a big issue always on the minds of sports bloggers - monetization.

We talk with Rich Gallagher, Senior Account Executive for Digital & Emerging Media at Taylor, a "sports, lifestyle and entertainment public relations firm" that has been very active in engaging sports blogs in promoting its clients.

One of those brands - Diageo Liquors (whose portfolio includes Guinness, Captain Morgan and Cuervo) was an early and energetic part of both or our Blogs With Balls events. We talk about what the brands are looking for in online partners, how they see the value in events like BwB, and we touch a little on the FTC's new online disclosure guidelines.

Rich shows just how forward-thinking some brands and firms can be in embracing online media.


This week’s links of interest:

• Blogs With Balls
  
• RedsArmy.com
• The Two-Man Game
• Taylor
• Twitter.com/RedsArmy
• Diageo

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SI's Andrew Pefloff: McNabb's Not as Good as He's Perceived Nationally

Philadelphia fans have long been accused by the national media and football-loving community of not fully appreciating the quarterback they have in Donovan McNabb. The Philly phaifthful counter that watching him week to week they've been long exposed to his inconsistency and inability to perform in the clutch.

This morning on 610 WIP in Philadelphia, Sports Illustrated's Andrew Perloff defends the McNabb haters' perspective.

"When you need to come back, does McNabb really have that Peyton Manning thing? Or even you see Phillip Rivers in the 4th quarter has his confidence. I'm not sure McNabb has the consistency to do that...There are probably ten other quarterbacks in the NFL I would take going into the fourth quarter when they're losing. But nationally, they just see the numbers and they see the highlights and they see the long passes and they think he's great. A lot of people think he's underappreciated in Philly and would be better in a situation like Chicago. I personally don't think that...

I think he's good, but I don't think he's quite as good as he's perceived nationally."

On behalf of Eagles fans, I'd like to thank you for saying the what needed to be said.

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Separated At Birth: When a Man Loves a Woman

According to NJ.com, "Former NBA star Jayson Williams is expected to appear in court Friday for a plea deal in the 2002 death of a limousine driver in Hunterdon County, according to people with knowledge of the case."

Sources cannot confirm whether or not he will don his Percy Sledge disguise.

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Coors Light Right Brain Fantasy Football Report

What does virginity have to do with football? Everything.



Check out Dewey's breakdown every Thursday at Yardbarker's Right Brain Fantasy Report.

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Audio: Bird and Magic on LeBron James' Pending Free Agency

As part of promotion for their recently release book, When the Game Was Ours, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird took questions from journalists and bloggers.

Here, Magic talks about the change in atmosphere in NY (or NJ) that LeBron would bring should he come to the Knicks or Nets, whereas Bird extols the virtues of Cleveland's fans and expresses hope that the King stays put in the state that he's from and on the team that drafted him - for the betterment of the game and League as a whole.

Magic adds that staying in Cleveland also gives him the best chance at winning, noting the salary purge that the Knicks would have to make in order to free up money to get James.

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Audio: Magic Johnson Addresses Book Statements About Isiah

As part of promotion for their recently release book, When the Game Was Ours, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird took questions from journalists and bloggers. Upon the book's release, among the most talked about passages regarded Magic's admission that he was part of the opposition that likely prevented Isiah Thomas from joining the famed 1992 Olympic Dream Team. While seemingly content on letting bygones be bygones, Magic is still unapologetic about his revelations and apparently still disappointed by how his relationship with Thomas deteriorated. Magic also addresses the question as to whether Zeke's personality shortcomings had to do with his tumultuous tenure and subsequent divorce from the Knicks - a gig in which Johnson admits in the book he vouched for Thomas.

Magic on Isiah's Reaction and Looking to Move on



Magic on what made him reveal the nature of the incidents that led to their parting ways



Did Isiah’s personality attribute to his problems with the Knicks?



CLICK HERE to hear Magic and Bird talk about Free Agent-to-be LeBron James.

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Bird & Magic: When the Game Was Theirs

This past March marked the 30th anniversary of perhaps the most pivotal event in NCAA and NBA basketball history - the 1979 NCAA Championship Game between Larry Bird's Indiana state Sycamores and Magic Johnson's Michigan State Spartans.

After reading Seth Davis' When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball and speaking with the author/analyst, I noted that the legacy which followed that game "helped reshape the pro and college games and ushered in a new era of televised basketball."

From an April 2009 HHR post:

Their equally uncertain and tumultuous recruiting experiences aside, their paths to stardom couldn't have been more contrasting, and as such, the Bird-Magic rivalry which ushered in an unprecedented era of hoops could, in many ways, have never come to fruition.

With ESPN still in its infancy, March Madness hardly a nationwide cultural phenomenon as we know it today, and the NBA a fledgling league struggling to appeal to mainstream America, the attention-shunning, but competition-driven, "Hick from French Lick" and the charismatic, camera-friendly and freakishly skilled 6'9" point guard from Michigan captured the country's attention throughout the ensuing decade.

The league and broadcasters learned how to effectively capture that attention and market sport around its superstars. The rest, as they say, is history.

As their Hall of Fame careers progressed, their paths to the Hall of Fame - often seen as stark contrasts to one another (Showtime vs. Blue Collar, and, yes, Black vs. White) - actually ran almost exactly parallel, with each man's drive and intensity derived directly from the other. Once bitter rivals, Magic and Bird's mutual admiration helped dissolve the competitive hatred that early defined their relationship.

Today, their places in history are nearly inseparable.

What the 1979 Championship game did for the NCAA and televised hoops, the Magic and Bird Rivalry did for the NBA. Without the duo, along with David Stern, the NBA as we know it might not exist - not just the game, but the culture, as their revolutionary, bank-breaking "Choose Your Weapon" Converse campaign upped the ante with Nike to go all out with Air Jordan, and paved the way to the shoe endorsement racket ever-present today.

While its coverage of their early years and much of their playing career isn't ground breaking, the release of this month's joint memoir When the Game Was Ours. (with Jackie MacMullan) provides a fresh, first person perspective of their rivalry.

Much of the attention with the book's release surrounded the comments made by Magic regarding Isiah Thomas' alleged blacklisting from the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. However, those anecdotes are really just a small part of the book. Johnson places his own animosity towards Zeke on the Pistons guard's (and once good friend and confidant's) lack of support and unfounded accusations of Magic's homosexuality in the wake of his HIV revelations.

"Isiah kept questioning people about it. I couldn't believe that. Everyone else - Byron, Arsenio, Michael, Larry - they were all supporting me. And the one guy I thought I could count on had all these doubts. It was like he kicked me in the stomach."

"Our relationship was really strained at that point. We didn't speak for years, and Isiah knew why. He questioned me when I got my HIV diagnosis. How can a so-called friend question your sexuality like that? I know why he did it, because we used to kiss before games, and now if people were wondering about me, that meant they were wondering about him too."

The HIV revelations are among the most captivating in the book. The myriad struggles of Johnson had to deal with upon the diagnosis of a then-misunderstood virus were almost heart-wrenching.

In terms of calling out players, I was more amused by his thoughts on Kareem Abdul Jabbar:

"Thank God Kareem was my teammate, because I used to cringe at the way he treated people. There was a way to say no if you didn't want to sign an autograph...but Kareem didn't do it in a very kind way. Sometimes he'd have people in tears. It's hurt him now that he's done playing."

But for all the readers' hopes of dirt-dishing, the book is more a reflection on their thoughts throughout milestones and hardships in their careers, and their post playing careers - Magic Johnson Enterprises and Bird's coaching and executive roles. This includes a great few pages on Bird's relationship with Ron Artest during the fallout of the The Malice at the Palace.

To their credit, for all their collective bravado and rightful claims to having created the league's resurgence, the recurring theme in the book is their respect for the game, desire to be the best, and insistence that their teammates follow suit.

In follow up posts, I'll be publishing audio from a recent remote press conference where Bird and Magic talked with journalists and bloggers about When the Game Was Ours.

Here is a clip on why they now pushed forward with the project 30 years in the making.




Look for the following shortly:

ON THEIR RIVALRY & RELATIONSHIP

• On playing the "Right Way"
• A quarter a century later why they are still popular
• At the height of the rivalry how did they honestly feel about one another
• Recounting the joint ’85 Converse ad
• Favorite memories against each other
• Their relationship today

ON TODAYS GAME

• What obstacles would they as players face today in light of changes in officiating and rules today?
• Are players too close to ever have another true rivalry?
• Thoughts on the coziness of players with one another
• Are there two players in the league that might develop into a Magic-Bird type rivalry?
• Biggest differences between today and their day

ON ISIAH

• Magic refuses to take bait to elaborate on Isiah
• What made him reveal the nature of the incidents that led to their parting ways?
• Did Isiah’s personality attribute to his problems with the Knicks?

ON LAKERS/CELTICS

• On today’s Lakers/Celts and their leadership
• On Kevin Garnett in Boston.
• Could the rivalry have happened anywhere but LA & Bos?
• Would Bird-Magic have been as big in other cities?

ON PLAYERS

• On LeBron / NYC
• On Doctor J
• On Brandon Jennings
• Influence on AAU, Recruiting of Star Athletes.
• 1 and Done rule.
• Who today plays in the same style they did?

OTHER

• Thoughts on the Pistons Back-to-Back Championships
• Laimbeer as an NBA coach and Rambis’ hiring of him
• On their versatile game and who influenced it?
• Contributions of Role Players: Praise for Rambis, Cooper and DJ
• On Kareem’s Coaching Prospects

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The Cynic's Guide to College Football, Week 11

Well, we're coming into the home stretch. Some teams have their six wins. Some will be home in time for Thanksgiving. The bitching about the bowl system is going full force. Ohio State has punched their ticket for their annual BCS bowl loss. Coaching rumors are swirling. Somehow, inexplicably, Lou Holtz and Mark May still have jobs. (Seriously, do these guys have incriminating photos of the ESPN brass or something? I can't explain it.) At any rate, here's a look back at the week in college football weirdness.

The Great Filling Station Holdup

By now I’m sure you’ve probably heard that three Tennessee football players were arrested for armed robbery last Thursday. There are a lot of angles to go here, so I just ask this: what is the most f’ed up part of this whole situation?

• The robbery took place less than a day after UT head coach Lane Kiffin had been extolling his program’s arrest free record.
• The robbery took place at a convenience store owned by a former UT player and one of the school's bigger athletics donors.
• The victim says he doesn’t want the players to miss any playing time because he’s a Vols fan and, besides, “It's Tennessee. That's the way it is sometimes."
• The getaway car was a Toyota Prius.

America’s first “green certified” stick-up

Win or Go Home

Championship or Bust! That was probably a slogan for many schools going into this season. But with last week's upset loss to Missouri, Kansas State finds itself in that position very literally. With a win over Nebraska this weekend, the Wildcats will win the North Division championship and put themselves in the Big 12 title game against Texas and a possible (albeit unlikely) shot at the Fiesta Bowl. If they lose, however, they’ll be home for the holidays. Yes, K-State has six wins, but two came against FCS (aka I-AA) teams, of which they can only count one. So they still need another win just to get bowl eligible. Not sure exactly what kind of bowl game and division title bonuses Bill Snyder has in his contract, but I think it’s safe to say he’s got a lot of money riding on this one.

Fiesta Bowl payout=$17.5 million.
Other Big 12 Bowl options=$750K to $3 million
6-6 record=$0
No pressure, Bill.

Bulls, Bears and Broncos

You can now buy stock in the Boise State Athletic Department, with the money raised going to fund improvements to the Broncos’ athletics facilities. The bigger question is will Dan Hawkins use the golden parachute buyout he’s about to get from Colorado to become the majority shareholder and get his old job back via hostile takeover?

Who says you can’t go home again?

What Happens in Juarez . . .

When the season started, I’m pretty sure the Sun Bowl wasn’t real high on the list of goals for Oklahoma and USC. But with their seasons in a tailspin, that is what some bowl projections are now predicting.

On the plus side, the folks at the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce will be the doing the dance of joy. This could be the biggest thing to hit El Paso since Marty Robbins.

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Kate Hudson Neither Confirms nor Denies ARod Centaur Rumors

When shown an image of her BF Alex Rodriguez depicted as a mythical centaur, Hudson responded, "What is that? That's horrible. That is the craziest thing anyone has ever asked me. I don't indulge in those types of stories. As humorous as you might think they are."

To date, no one has asked ARod or Hudson to confirm the ARod/Manbearpig story.

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Fernandomania!

I am now the proud owner of a Fernando Valenzuela Kern's Strawberry Nectar "Delicioso!" poster.

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Manny Pacquiao: The Greatest Fighter Ever?

On the heels of his historic victory this weekend against Miguel Cotto, friend of HHR Gary Andrew Poole pens a piece on Manny Pacquiao, who has now won seven world-title belts in seven weight classes "with speed and brutality," for Atlantic Monthly.

The PacMan's Power

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AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Michelle Wie Finally Realizes Dream of Having Beer Poured on Her

Michelle Wie finally got her first win on the LPGA tour. For somebody who has been saddled with so many expectations over the last several years it was nice to see her finally get a victory and perhaps pick up what is the first of many tour wins. One interesting quote involved the post tourney celebration after the final tap in. Full article below, but here is Wie's quote, read by itself, it has to make you laugh.

"Just seeing them come out and pour beer all over me, it was a great feeling," Wie said. "I've always seen it on TV and I've always wanted people to pour beer on me. It was as great as I thought it was."


Wie shoots 13-under for 1st pro win

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Nationals Take a Positive Step Towards Racial Progress

This week, the Washington Nationals finally broke down the social stigma that has plagued them for years, and became the last franchise in Major League Baseball to hire a white manager.

Before giving the nod to (white) Jim Riggleman, owner Ted Lerner was long criticized for his strong opposition to hiring Caucasians to manage his squad, despite having no issues signing physically-talented whites to play on the team.

An anonymous source close to the team stated, "Lerner just doesn't believe that old white men have what it takes to coach this young, inexperienced franchise. I really feel the only reason Riggleman was even considered was due to pressure from the League, the Players Association and the Congressional White Caucus. "

Another official pointed out the fact that Lerner goes so far as to mock whites by having interns dress as stereotypical caricatures and run the bases for fans' amusement during every game. "Whites are good for entertaining the masses, not managing small-ball. The Riggleman move shocks me."

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Chris Illuminati, you are a Thunder fan now!

After compelling arguments for the Celts, Nets, Bulls, Suns and others, congratulations to Brian K. for convincing Illuminati to root for the Seattle SuperSonics Oklahoma City Thunder in our latest contest.

Brian will receive a Full Year Subscription of NBA LEAGUE PASS Broadband.

Chris noted that the deciding factor came down to the fact that the team is a novelty and he can start somewhat fresh, "I'd rather root for a team that's new. I can't be a Celtics/Bulls fan. I'll have to check the unis first." He was also quite fond of one line: "So welcome to the Thunder family. Have a seat anywhere."

Here's Brian's submission:

There are a number of reasons you should pledge you allegiance to the Oklahoma City Thunder. First, it seems that much of your previous fandom was player based. That is fortunate because the Thunder have one of the most exciting young players in the league in Kevin Durant. Beyond that, they have recent third overall pick James Harden and the excellent and anonymous Jeff Green. They also have Nenad Krstic and it is always fun to have a lanky Eastern European on you team.

Second, the team needs more blogging fans. There is, from what I can tell, one independent Thunder blog, Bend It Like Bennett. After that, there is an SB Nation blog and some incomplete and barren urls The team needs more fan representation in new media formats.

Third, you aren't adopting a team, you are adopting an odd municipal rivalry. Did you know that the Oklahoma City Thunder once played in Seattle? It's true. They weren't even called the Thunder, even though it rains there like God wants someone to build an ark, but everyone is too high to listen. Seattle hates that they lost the team that played games they didn't attend. Seattle residents hate Oklahoma City for "stealing" their team. Screw them. Attending a Thunder game is no less legitimate than ignoring a Sonics game.

So welcome to the Thunder family. Have a seat anywhere.

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Nationally and locally televised games are subject to blackout and are therefore not available via NBA LEAGUE PASS BROADBAND (regardless of whether team is home or away).

This contest is for US participants only. By entering the sweepstakes you agree to release Sponsor, the NBA Entities, HuggingHaroldReynolds.com and their respective affiliates and agencies from any and all liabilities for injuries, damages or losses of any kind to in connection with the sweepstakes, prize or any prize-related activity.

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Chris Illuminati fancies himself some type of authority on things. He is actually an asshole. So much so he wrote a book.

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(Still) Undefeated Dewey's Coors Light Right Brain Fantasy Football Report

For the record, this would go over great in South Jersey, where they have roadside shrines to Bazooka Joe's unibrow.

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Expert Advice: The Most Misleading Cover Story Ever

Get yours today, Mets fans!

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Pacquiao Talks About Fighting His Way out of Asia

The world's greatest pound-for-pound boxer talks about some of his early fights and foes - including King Hippo and Super "Douche Bag" Macho Man.

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/video?vid=c597de1b-0150-4955-9da0-e9766190d124&from=IV2_en-us_foxsports_videocentral" target="_new" title="Cubed: Manny Pacquiao's Punchout">Video: Cubed: Manny Pacquiao's Punchout</a>

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Cadillac Mescallade: Good Thing Knicks Didn't Take Brandon Jennings

Chris Duhon's stellar -11 impact on last night's loss by the Knicks to the Hawks made me think of the point guard they don't happen to have. While Duhon, the team captain, turned in a 0-6 performance from the field to go along with 3 turnovers, Knicks fans have to wonder about their lottery pick. While Jordan Hill remains nearly riveted to the bench (he logged just under two minutes in the 114-101 loss to the Hawks), the "big gamble" Brandon Jennings had his best night for the Milwaukee Bucks posting 32 points and 9 assists as the Bucks topped Denver to move to 4-2 on the year. This makes me very sad. While I'm thrilled at what (another guard)Toney Douglas has done as a later draft pick, the Knicks could have had this guy Jennings.


You remember, Jennings didn't go to Arizona after some possible eligibility issues, instead played overseas in Italy and seems to have made himself quite NBA ready. Most people felt this draft was only 7 picks deep anyway, since New York was sitting at eight, why not take an alleged gamble and try out Jennings. Isn't everyone in agreement the team is just biding time until the summer of 2010 anyway? Isn't this the time to take a risk when there isn't much at stake? The playoffs would be a big accomplishment for this year and there is no lottery pick to try and get ready for next spring so a guy like Jennings would have been totally worth it. My apologies for going off on the deep end, I feel like the old Bennett Brauer skits on Saturday Nite Live, until "John Q. Public" realizes that we don't need "bad draft picks" and should take a risk on an exciting "point guards" we will be mired in a situation that "doesn't make New York an appealing place for LeBron James." Right now the New York Knicks "scare children." At least they have one more win than the New Jersey Nets, I guess that will have to be enough for right now.

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