Buftex

I will take your word on that KRC, I didn't even realize that Jeff Nixon was writing for a living. Good for him! I wasn't necessarily knocking Nixon, because I feel that former players should be taken care of. I am sure I don't have to retell the horror stories of what these guys have sacrificed, for our entertainment, to you least of all. It just seems whenever I hear the ex-players, who are lobbying for their cause, it seems like they just want to go after the players, and, in the case of Gene Upshaw particualarly, their representation. I am not even saying their complaints against the players and their union have been un-warrented, but as they say, "hate the game, not the player".

Maybe it is our business, but it seems to me, Nixon has an ax to grind, and is just throwing a bunch of stuff against a wall here...it seems this could be very incomplete information. Current players are going after owners, and former players are going after current players. I completely agree that former players deserve more than they have gotten in the past, it seems like Nixon is just going after D Smith, to show how much money is being made. He has some information about the NFLPA, but discounts what the owners are making, and what they are doing with their money. I really feel for the former players, every time I here Joe DeLamieleurre talk about it, I get amped up...but, sometimes, it seems like the former players are barking up the wrong tree.

The Ravens signed him during the playoffs last year, IIRC...the Ravens season was over, at that point...so he signed a "letter of commitment" so to speak, with the Ravens, before the NFL season was officially over, and before the lockout began.

If I have one complaint, throughout the series, we get to see a little too much of Cranstons' ass...funny, I have only seen "Malcolm in the Middle" (his other best known show) and he is normally half naked in that too...and then, one night, I am flipping stations, and come across a rerun of "King Of Queens" and the hilarity ensues as the Kings (Kevin James) is annoyed that his new neighbor built an above ground pool, which he and the wife can see while they are eating dinner...and the neighbor likes to walk around on the deck in his speedos...who plays the neighbor? You guessed it, Bryan Cranston! WTF...like he has something in his contract that says he must walk around in his skivees for a minimum number of scenes... I think the son is great...AJ is right, they don't milk his handicap, and the actor himself actually has cerebral palsy. How often does that happen on television? I like AJs observation. One of my oldest, and best friends has cerebral palsy. And you know, sometimes I feel bad, because I forget he has it. He used me as a job reference once (I was his boss years ago) and they asked me what sort of affect his cerebral palsy had on his work...and honestly, I laughed out loud, because I never think of him as having it. He uses the caines/braces and has some issues with walking, but he never lets it keep him from anything. The son on Breaking Bad reminds me of him, quite a bit...even looks like him. The only time I really remember them using his condition in a storyline was in either the first or second one, where the kids in the store are making fun of Walt Jr, and Walt Sr gets a previously unnoticed spine, and puts them in their place...it was a great scene, I think, more than anything, to show how much Walt loves his family, but has a difficult time standing up for himself...he overcompensates, big-time!

Walt is terrific, and Bryan Cranston is amazing...but as the show goes on, I think you will start to appreciate Jessie/Aaron Paul even more...like I said, season 2 is pretty much, note for note, perfect in my opinion. Season 1 was shortened by the writers strike that year, so you sort of get what would have been a terrific end for season 1 (though the way season 1 ended was fine too), and a whole incredible story arc that is fascinationg, and seemingly, very realistic. Good stuff!

Even more amazing, he just died a few months ago!!!

IIRC, that was the begining of the end for the Shaq and Kobe relationship...when Kobe had his incident in Colorado, it came out that he told investigators that "all the guys have women on the road, Shaq does it all the time..." or something to that effect. Things being what they are nowadays, his words made it out to all the media outlets, and Kobe kind of broke a code, amongst his NBA brethren...now, I think Shaqs wife filed for divorce on the grounds of infideltiy, but it was long after the Kobe thing...but I do know, it pissed Shaq off tremendously.

If Rondo ever develops a more consistent shot, he would be unbelievable. Right now, he can do a lot of things, because teams don't respect his shooting ability. He is young...he gets a little better every year. I think he will develop that shot.

I wish people who use words like that could be re-smarted!

Maybe not, but it sure is sounding more and more that something went down between Kobe and Gasol, off the court. Gasol and his fiance (who had been togehter for "a while", not sure how long that means) did split up...I could see that affecting someone to a degree...but it sure did look strange to see the Lakers playing so "laissez faire" during the Mavs series...very un-Laker like, in cruch time.

Have you been wathcing "The Killing" on AMC? I won't put in the same class as "Mad Men" or "Breaking Bad", because it is sort of just your conventional cop show, in some ways...but it is getting to the point, 6 episodes in, where I am starting to get pissed when it ends...masterful job of leaving you wanting more....last nights end was a mind-blower... Also, I love the show "Treme". Second season has started out strong. It is a David Simon show ("Homicide" "The Wire"), but it has nothing to do with cops, for the most part. Being a bit of a music person, I have never seen anything that so accurately portrays musicians....not superstar musicians, but people who make their living playing in bars, and on the streets...really powerful show. It does have a political slant to it...New Orleans after Katrina, go figure. Great cast.

Actually, I don't really have that much of a problem with what Odom or Bynum did. At least Odom admitted it was a bad play on his part, and, as a Celtics fan, I would be a hypocrite if I condemned Bynum for his play on Barrera. It may have been cheap, it may have been dirty, but at least it showed someone was upset. And, honeslty, I don't think the hit was that bad...just like I think it is possible, as ghastly as it may have looked Saturday night, Rondo didn't really get hurt that bad in his tet-a-tet with Wade. I just think guys have learned to overreact to everything, to draw fouls. And the ESPN chuckleheads love to make everything epic! Bynum, taking his shirt off, as he walked off the court, would bother me more as a Laker fan. It just shows a bit of immaturity, and lack of respect for the game, your teammates, and yesterday, most importantly, Phil Jackson. I have done my fair share of hating on Jackson since he went to La-la land (but I liked him in Chicago!), but the guy just deserved a much more professional effort out of his "kids", as he referred to them as. What he has done as a head coach is amazing, and would be in any sport. I know it has been rumored that Howard will go to LA, but I don't see it happening, at least not next season. I don' think the Magic will agree to trade him, unless they got something stellar in return (not Bynum and his iffy knees), so, like Cleveland, they may just play the season out with him, and hope that he decides not to leave... To me, as a Celtics fan, it is kind of bittersweet. The Celtics/Lakers rivalry is, maybe, the defining mathcup in all of sports for me, and my love for sports. I realize the Celtics "mini-run" is over, or close to it. It would be awesome to see them come back and knock Miami out, make it past Atlanta/Chicago, but going to the finals and playing Dallas or Memphis/OKC just does not get my adrenalyn going like the Lakers/Celtics. Oh, I would still root, hard as hell, but it still bothers me that the Celtics were 1-2 against the Lakers in the finals, during the Showtime Lakers era... I don't think the Lakers are done either, they just need to sit this one out... who you think will end up coaching them? btw- if the Heat run the Celtics out of the gym tonight, I wouldn't be surprised to see KG and Wade get into it...something is brewing there...and I will love it! If the Celitcs beat Miami as convincingly tonight, this thing is going 7!

I loved season 3, but I think season 2 was near perfect...can't wait for July, season 4!

I apply this pricnciple to the NFL, but not as much to the NHL.

Wow...that was a meltdown. Lots of rumors coming out of LA about what is "really going on" in the Lakers locker-room. No wonder Phil seemed like he couldn't wait to get out of there....he actually said that he was "happy this season is over, and that this is my last game coaching." They are saying that the problems stemmed from Kobe's wife playing a role in breaking up Pau Gasol and his fiance...Vanessa discouraged Gasols' fiance from marrying him...it caused a blow-up between Kobe and Pau, where some not so nice words were said about eachother's ladies...pretty ugly stuff. There really did seem to be something up with the Lakers. The Mavs are pretty good, but not 4-0 good, on the Lakers? It kind of reminded me a bit of LeBrons apparent dis-interest in going to the finals, about halfway through the Celtics-Cavs conference finals series last year. Apparently, Gasol admitted that he let some off the court stuff affect his game...Jackson really deserved a better send-off than that, from these players. They should be embarassed and ashamed, IMO. Whoever coaches the Lakers next has a big job ahead of them. I can't help but think, if they can work things out off the court, that Bryant, Gasol and Bynum are still a pretty formidable trio. Just keep the ladies out of it!

Yes, I get that...but, I bet, if they had called travelling, you wouldn't have heard many arguments.

You just, unwittingly, exposed yourself as a major nerd! Na-nu Na-nu!

Rush, Paul Shanklin...are these the great "patriots" they used to rail on and on about? Yes, I am sure they are trying to hide something insidious...

Pooj...I love the NBA, at least as much, or more, than anyone here. Please don't misconstrue what I said...I am not one of those "the game was so much better before" types. I do think it went through a pretty miserable period after Jordan retired, for the final time, from the Bulls. I really think that teams like the Spurs and Pistons, in the 2000's, kind of saved the game...and returned it to the great team game that it can be. My point was really, if there is one problem I have with the game now, it is the officiating. You can make the same complaint about any sport, I suppose, but in the NBA, home court, and status of the players involved play too big of a roll in how a call goes. Lebron made a nice play, no doubt...however, I still think, if that same thing had happened in Boston, it would have been a charge.

No, it wasn't traveling, because they didn't call it. They rarely call it in the NBA, particularly when a player is making a "power move"...and I am not implying that LeBron, or Wade are the only ones who get away with it...they pretty much let everyone (or at least "superstars") get away with it...when I played hoops, a zillion years ago, most of these type plays would get a traveling call...the NBA (and Stern has admitted as much) has a looser interpretation of what traveling is. You see it all the time...guys hold the ball, almost like a running back, as they "turn the corner" into the lane, and then launch themselves, with a running start, over the defenders. They let it go, because it is an exciting way to score, for many viewers. On this play, perhaps it wasn't traveling, but what they used to call "palming" (after he knocks Rondo over and changes direction), or double dribbling. I am a Celtics fan, I know Rondo is one of the better defensive players in the NBA. What I meant was (my fault for poor choice of words), LeBron has had his way with guys who are much closer to his size...guys like Garnett and Pierce, who are not defensive slouches either. When Lebron is making a power move, a guy Rondos size can offer very little resistance. Windshield beats bug, every time. Pooj, did you miss Lebron's left shoulder to the chest of Rondo, as he was catching the pass? Lebron is about 150 pound heavier than Rondo...

My hatred for the Miami Dolphins is so great (I was born into it), I can not, under any circumstance, root for any team, at any level, from the state of Florida. If the Dolphins and Bucs ever made it to the same Super Bowl, I think my head would just explode...but I would pull for the Bucs, no doubt!

Yes, Lebron has been having his way, with much better defenders than Rondo. He is also getting away with a lot of contact, and, unbelievably (for the NBA!!-sarcasim) traveling. Wade and James carry the ball better than Jim Brown. I suspect, the next two games, in Boston, Miami isn't going to get away with as much...the officiating the first two games was pretty one-sided. That is just the way it goes in the NBA...on another night, in another city, James "sick move" might have been a charge. Miami obviously has two more vastly talented players than Boston, but I still think Boston can be a better team, when they play the way they are capable. They seemed to be stymied, defensively, by Miami. If Shaq returns, and can actually contribute something, that would help...just my sour grapes! Whatever happens, happens.

I get the feeling that Brandon realized he couldn't run the team successfully, as far as the product on the field. But, I think he may excel at certain parts of the job, the more administrative parts. I give him credit for realizing, and accepting that.

The first video I ever watched on this new Youtube thing:

And twice a year, BB blows smoke up our ass and waxes poetic (for him) about what a difficult time his Patriots will have, just scoring points on the Bills, let alone win a game... I would be shocked if the Pats added Ocho Stinko...