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  • Eddy Curry Down, Not Out

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    Eddy CurryIt's not rare to see a player head for the lifeboats when the ship starts to sink (see: Wade, Dwyane; Marbury, Stephon), but Eddy Curry is determined to see this wreck though: despite being diagnosed with a slight cartilage tear in his right knee, he's decided to postpone surgery and play out the rest of the season.

    It's admirable, but it's also somewhat ironic considering Curry is a big part of the reason New York's ship is sinking: he's a seven footer who can't average five rebounds a game and has been rendered almost useless when paired next to Zach Randolph. Isiah Thomas is still going to bat for him, even if only because pointing out Curry's flaws would remind people what a mistake bringing Randolph aboard was. From Newsday:
    Tossing candor aside, Thomas said "conditioning's never been a problem" for Curry, who hasn't looked nearly as in shape as he did last season. A reporter, stunned at that statement, said, "Really?" Said .Thomas, "Never been a problem."

    In fact, he said Curry's weight isn't an issue. "We're very comfortable with the weight that he's at," .he said. "He's just a big man. A very big man."
    A very big man whose knees would probably appreciate him losing 20 to 30 pounds. I can't say for sure that his injury and his weight are linked, but c'mon, it's not making things easier.
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  • Pat Riley Talks Out of Both Sides of His Mouth

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    Smush Parker and Pat RileyPat Riley hates buyouts. Hates 'em!
    "The thing about the disgruntled player crying about 'I don't like it here anymore and I want out because we're not winning and I want a chance to win, but I want you to let me go and pay me,' I don't think there should be any buyouts," Riley said. "You want to go? OK, we save all the money. We won't buy you out. We'll waive you."
    Also, Riley hates Smush Parker. Hates 'em!
    The team announced before Monday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers that Parker has been waived, offering no further details. Parker, who had an additional season remaining on his contract, received a significant buyout, including a significant payout for the $2.5 million 2008-09 option year he had on his Heat contract.
    If Riles is against buyouts, then why did he grant Parker his walking papers? (Or sign Alonzo Mourning after 'Zo refused to play for the Raptors in in 2005? Or take back Eddie Jones after he got bought out by the Griz?) I will say, though, if Riley was really trying to screw Parker (above and beyond that whole "banishing him since November" thing), he did it the right way, releasing him after the March 1 deadline to make him ineligible for the playoffs.
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  • YouTubesDay: The 1980 Rose Bowl

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    Ohio State is scheduled to travel out west this fall to play USC in a much-anticipated contest between national powers.

    This won't be the first go-round between the teams, as the two played in the 1980 Rose Bowl. USC ended up winning that matchup 17-16 thanks to a game-winning late touchdown drive punctuated by tailback Charles White going "over the top" of the pile and into the end zone.

    Smart television executives will be sure to make a play on all these 28 weeks/months later films, and note that USC/Ohio State '08 marks the 28-year anniversary of the 1980 Rose Bowl.

    Notable:

    Frank Sinatra (RIP) made the official coin toss. Heisman Trophy winner Charles White was named game MVP rushing for over 200 yards. Future Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen paid his dues as a fullback until White graduated. Current USC coach Pete Carroll was a defensive assistant for Ohio State in this game (related video here). O.J. Simpson conducts the postgame interview of Trojan coach John Robinson.
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  • The Bubble Gets Smaller and Crowded

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    There's going to be a lot of sweating on Selection Sunday. Virginia Commonwealth got added to the at-large bubble mix over the weekend. Just as Ohio State, Kentucky, Syracuse, Ole Miss, Oregon, Dayton and UNLV improved their standings. All have legitimate cases as long as they can at least win a game or two in their conference tournaments.

    South Alabama failed to make it out of the semi-finals of the Sun Belt Conference. Falling to Middle Tennessee State. The Jaguars have a solid resume for an at-large bid with an RPI in the 20s, a 3-2 record against RPI top-50 teams -- wins over Mississippi State and San Diego along with a double-OT road loss to Vandy -- and a respectable non-con schedule. They have a better resume than Dayton, Virginia Tech, VCU, Ohio St., and Syracuse among others.

    San Diego winning the WCC Tournament means that St. Mary's and Gonzaga should get at-large bids. That's one less at-large bid than expected.

    Kent State will have a lot of fans to win the MAC Tournament. Their win over Akron on Sunday moved their RPI into the 20s. They have a 2-2 record against top-50 RPI teams, but has a 7-1 record against 51-100 RPI teams. They had a solid non-con that included wins over St. Mary's on the road, Illinois State and George Mason. If they lose the MAC, they should still make it as an at-large.

    Butler will also be heavily supported for tonight's Horizon League championship game against Cleveland State.
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  • YouTubesDay: Knowshon Moreno in March

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    Why not?

    Nothing too spectacular here, but that's just how Georgia likes it on offense. Toss left, toss right, bounce it outside and easy does it for Georgia's new offensive star. As a redshirt freshman (why in the world did they redshirt him!) Moreno rushed for 1334 yards (5.4 average) and 14 touchdowns.

    If past is precedent, the sampling below hints at the encore.

    (H/T: Get The Picture)
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  • When Billy Met Joba: Crystal to Suit Up for Yankees on Thursday

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    It's not a big secret that Billy Crystal is a Yankee fan. He directed 61* and City Slickers features a long speech devoted to the majestic moment when you walk into Yankee Stadium for the first time. The team has decided to pay him back for that longtime support during their game with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, one day before his 60th birthday.

    He'll be throwing out the first pitch? Singing the National Anthem? Doing five minutes of his Muhammed Ali impersonation? No, no and no. Crystal will sign a one-day minor league contract, wear #60 and be eligible to play in the game.
    "I've been waiting 50 years for this call," Crystal said. "I'm overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and commissioner Selig. I know this'll be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I'm looking forward to helping the younger players, which by the way is all of them. Oops, I have to go, Scott Boras is on the phone."
    What purpose this serves is beyond me. It does remind the Pirates that absolutely nobody in baseball takes them seriously, I guess. Crystal turning 60, is about four and a half feet tall and not exactly known for his athletic abilities, but, hey, it's only the Pirates.

    I'm not really sure I get the Yankees these days. Running over a catcher blocking the plate during a game is poor sportsmanship but letting the guy from Forget Paris play is kosher? Which really damages the integrity of baseball more?
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  • Mark Cuban Bans Bloggers From the Mavericks' Locker Room

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    In a fairly curious decision, Mark Cuban (blogger) has directed his team to implement a policy against allowing bloggers into the Mavericks' locker room. The ban came about after Cuban had discovered that a regular reporter for the Dallas Morning News was in fact writing the paper's blog about the team.


    At first glance, Cuban's decision seems unfairly slanted against those who don't have the power of a major media outlet behind them, but who still have an opinion and the passion to share that opinion about the team or the game on their blog. But according to Cuban (again, on his blog), it's really the opposite: he doesn't think the media should be using their power to get their own blogs preferential treatment over the ones that aren't printed in say, a daily newspaper.

    What I didn't like was that the Morning News was getting a competitive advantage simply because they were the Dallas Morning News. I am of the opinion that a blogger for one of the local newspapers is no better or worse than the blogger from the local high school, from the local huge Mavs fan, from an out of town blogger. I want to treat them all the same.

    Unfortunately, there isn't enough room to allow any and all bloggers in the locker room. There also are no standards that I have been able to come up with that differentiate between bloggers to the point where I should or should not credential one versus the other.

    That seems fair enough, I suppose. Although at one point Cuban says that he thinks blogs don't necessarily need media access to do what they do, and while that might be true, the prime example of where media access provides invaluable blog material can be found at Dan Steinberg's D.C. Sports Bog. But despite what the new policy claims, this may not be about every blogger, it might just be about the one from the Dallas Morning News, Tim MacMahon.

    Continue reading Mark Cuban Bans Bloggers From the Mavericks' Locker Room

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  • Former Ram Willie Gary Drops Lawsuit Alleging Patriots Cheated Him Out of Super Bowl Ring

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    Former St. Louis Rams safety Willie Gary filed a lawsuit last month alleging that the New England Patriots had taped the Rams' final practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, depriving him of a Super Bowl ring that would be worth $125,000 on the open market.

    But now that lawsuit has been dropped. Pro Football Talk has the link to the Rule 41 dismissal of Wille Gary et al vs. New England Patriots et al, in which Gary's attorneys say they're dropping the case, basically because they have no evidence, although they leave room for the possibility that they'll re-file if former Patriots employee Matt Walsh comes forward with evidence that the Patriots did, indeed, tape the Rams.

    The whole thing comes across as fairly ridiculous, as Gary and his lawyers seem to have filed this lawsuit based solely on one article they read in the Boston Herald -- and a misreading of the Herald article at that. There may be merit to the Herald article that got this whole Patriotgate Part 2 started, but there does not appear to be any merit to Gary's lawsuit.
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  • Tayshaun Prince Disrobes, Female Fans Scream in Excitement

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    It's fairly routine for a player to be forced to change jerseys when one becomes soiled with blood during play, but usually they do this on the bench. Tayshaun Prince chose to make the switch on the court during his team's win over the Bulls, which apparently delighted many of the female fans in attendance at the Palace. Just listen to them shriek in excitement once the shirt comes off.



    Based on his teammates' reactions, I'm sure they had plenty more to say about this after the game, and it'll probably be a while before they let him forget a moment like this one.


    [via Awful Announcing]

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  • Olympic Website Features Pirated Video Game While Promising 'Harsh Penalties' For Pirates

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    Human rights violations, genocide in Darfur, poor air quality, these are just a couple reasons why China has come under scrutiny in the lead up to the Summer Olympics. And China is trying very hard to make the Beijing Olympics their coming out party. But with every step forward they make, they take two steps back.

    So what did they do now? Yep, pirated video games on the Official Beijing Olympics website.
    New York-based games developer Cadin Batrack claimed in a blog posting that "the Olympics stole my game". Batrack highlighted what he claims are strong similarities between his Snow Day game, and a game on the Olympics website titled Fuwa Fight the Winter Clouds.
    A trip over to Mr. Batrack's blog post will give you a good idea as to the very minor differences between the two games. And really, if you're going to steal something you probably don't want to put it on what will probably be one of the more popular websites in the world as the games get closer. While the game was removed from the Olympics website this morning, there are still two other games Batrack claims are stolen from fellow game developer Ferry Halim. Yeah, in case you didn't know it software developers get mad when you steal their work.

    And in a humorous twist of irony, the Beijing Olympic Committee is threatening severe penalties on anyone that pirates any of the "intellectual property" located on the site.
    The Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee threatens harsh penalties under Chinese law for anybody who pirates its intellectual property, such as the official Olympics cartoon mascots that appear in the Fuwa game. These include confiscation of income generated by the illegal use, as well as a fine of $7,000 or up to five times any illegal income.
    We'll let you know when the committee's trail date is set for. But please don't hold your breath.
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  • Don't Miss the Worst Promotion Ever: Win Chance to Have Tiger Woods Be Your Caddie

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    This is great news for Buick-driving hackers everywhere: you'll have a chance to win Tiger Woods as your caddie for nine holes. Sound like fun? (To me, it sounds like two hours the most stressful golf you could experience. Is Tiger mentally critiquing my swing through the uncontrollable fits of laughter? Do you think he saw me skull that 8-iron from the middle of the fairway? Does he know I always play "winter rules"? Will Tiger sign this photo of Elin in a bikini? So on and so forth.)

    Back on earth, here are the details: predict Woods' score for each hole over four rounds and win Tigers' "personal Buick vehicles he uses that week." And not only that, but every "Buick vehicle will come with a Tiger Woods autographed plaque, which is authenticated by Upper Deck." (Thank God for the certificate of authenticity because, I mean, who knows how many people would go around lying about that.)

    But it gets better: the top-10 entrants will have a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE:
    The winner will receive two round-trip, coach airfare tickets to La Jolla, Calif., site of the 2008 Buick Invitational and U.S. Open, two nights' hotel accommodations, golf merchandise and more. Woods will serve as the winner's caddy for nine holes on Oct. 20 at Torrey Pines.
    Eh, like I said, that would be more nerve-racking than enjoyable. If I'm running the promotion, I offer an alternative first prize: a chance to walk inside the ropes with Tiger Woods as he plays 36 holes against Rory Sabbatini.

    And then I would immediately rig the whole thing so this guy won. Just seems like the right thing to do.
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  • Warrick Dunn Signs With Buccaneers

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    Adam Schefter of NFL Network is reporting that free agent running back Warrick Dunn has reached an agreement on a two-year, $6 million contract to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

    Dunn spent the first five seasons of his NFL career playing for Tampa Bay, where he was the featured runner throughout his tenure and twice ran for more than 1,000 yards in a season. He left for Atlanta as a free agent and has spent his last six seasons with the Falcons before they released him last week.

    Dunn is a good guy who has been a good player for several years, but $3 million a year, including $2 million guaranteed, is more than he's worth at this point. As Schefter notes, Dunn is the oldest running back in the league, and he averaged just 3.2 yards a carry last season. If the Bucs want him around because he adds good character and a good veteran presence in the locker room, fine. But $3 million is a lot to pay for that.
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  • Now or Never for the Seattle SuperSonics

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    The Washington State Legislature today refused to make a decision on the late proposal from local investors to renovate KeyArena; it would have required the extension of restaurant and car-rental taxes in Seattle to fund. The investors, led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, fired back with a (theoretically sound) deadline: If the state doesn't accept the proposal by April 10 (a week before NBA owners vote to allow the Sonics' relocation), the fight is over and the NBA in Seattle is finished.

    We've sort of said all we can on this for now, so let the gurgling rage below, direct from the Emerald City, complete the thought (via CSTB).

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  • Brett Favre Through the Years in Video Games

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    Bill Barnwell of IGN.com has an interesting look at the career of Brett Favre, using the way he was depicted in video games to demonstrate his career progression. It starts with the early days when an often inaccurate passer was portrayed with horrifyingly bad graphics, and ends as the gray-haired gunslinger went out in the modern Madden era.

    Favre, who was one of the last players left from the days before Madden had an exclusive deal with the NFL Players Association, didn't appear in any video games as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, but he did appear in video games with the Packers before he was a star. Barnwell writes that it was the 1995 version of Madden that first gave Favre the star treatment:
    EA also started to believe in Favre, with his rating rising 22 points from the year before. The rating scale was still undergoing some change at this point from year-to-year -- while modern versions of Madden and most games rank players on a scale ranging from 55 or so to 99, these versions of Madden were more like 20-99, resulting in Favre's rating in both years being better at the time than it appears now.
    With a few dozen images of Favre in video games through the years, the whole thing is worth a look.
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  • Bud Selig Laughs at Roger Goodell's Paycheck

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    Bud SeligTake a stab at what Bud Selig made last year. Do you have a number in mind? If your guess was the same as mine, you'll need to double it to even get close. According to the Sports Business Journal (via The Biz of Baseball), Selig raked in $15.06 million last year, making him the highest-paid commissioner in all of sports.

    You hear the owners complain about player salaries being out of control, and yet Selig made more than all but 10 players last year. Think about that: the man took home more money than Albert Pujols, and for what? The Mitchell Report? An All-Star Game that "means something?"

    I'm not as down on Selig's legacy as some people are, but there's no chance at all that he's the top commish in all of sports. Just to put it in context, the NFL's Roger Goodell made $6.5 million in his first eight months on the job, putting his annual salary right around $10 million, which is roughly what the NBA's David Stern reportedly makes. The NHL's Gary Betteman makes around $6 million, which seems about right given his sport's standing below the Big Three.

    Here's what I don't get: the reason why companies pay their CEO's big bucks is so that they won't bail for another company, right? But where could Selig possibly go? What other job in the world could he reasonably expect to make $10 million a year at?
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