I’m so bored. Is this what my evenings are going to be like without the NBA? Mindless Internet surfing and Twitter feed perusing? Wait, that’s what I do all the time anyway. It’s just that usually the NBA is on the TV in my left eye’s periphery and not an all day Monk marathon. Anyway, here is what the muse™ has been noodling on tonight…
Just when you think T.J. Simers is the biggest dipshit columnist in L.A. It’s since been removed, but L.A. Times columnist Ted Green (some no-name guy getting lots and lots of free publicity today) wrote a seemingly benign column about all the reasons Laker fans should hate the Celtics (like they need a list? Really? The 2008 ass kicking wasn’t reason enough for people?) until the part where he made fun of Paul Pierce getting stabbed. Yes, that’s right… getting stabbed is funny! Sigh. Dumbass. [NESN: Los Angeles Times Writer Jokes About Paul Pierce's Stabbing]
Revenge is a dish best served lukewarm
If you follow Matt Barnes on Twitter (and if you’re not, you should be — he’s not big on censoring himself and it’s fabulous) then you know that he’s been simmering like a tea kettle for the last couple of months over some beef with the ladies of VH-1′s Basketball Wives. Well, I guess the pot finally boiled over:
Seasons over I’m waitn 4 one of u bball groupies 2 say sumthen NOW!! No 1 would know any of u if u kept ur legs closed. B EZ tricks!!!
Hmmm, that’s it? That’s the big truth he threatened to divulge about these women after the season was over — that he thinks they’re groupie whores? Gosh Matt, why don’t you just tell me that you think the sky is blue while you’re at it? It would be equally news breaking. [James Poling: Matt Barnes Challenges Groupies and Tricks on Twitter to Keep Their Legs Closed]
I know I’ve been comparing him to Manny, but that doesn’t mean I won’t embrace him. He was always my favorite member of the Pistons and I think he’s great. I just feel like his departure from Detroit had some Mannyesque similarities. But, much like the L.A. faithful have welcomed Manny into their fold with open arms, so will I (and Boston) to Sheed.
Side note: If you missed it the other night, check out the Red’s Army podcast where John & Chuck talk Sheed with the woman behind the super creative Need4Sheed.com website, Natalie Sitto. I get bored easily with podcasts sometimes, but this one held my interest all the way through. I enjoyed it and you will too… The Two Man Game: Sheed-tastic Show
The more I think about it, the more similarities I see in Rasheed Wallace and Manny Ramirez. They’re both whimsical nuts. Not batshit crazy like Artest & Starbury seem sometimes, but light-hearted and yet still moody nuts. Like a cracker jack box amount of nuts, not a whole can of Planters. Every article I read lately from the Detroit faction just reaks of the same bitterness that the post-Manny Boston commentary contained. As a card carrying bitter no-lifer (thanks TJ Simers!) and president of the Manny haters club, I can totally understand and relate to their mixed feelings. In fact, the comparison is what keeps me from writing that “Welcome to Boston, Sheed” post that I probably should have written already. Oh I’m glad he chose Boston. I am. He’s a great player. I loved him with Detroit. I just never pictured him in green. Ever. It’s going to take some getting used to, so I guess I’m just waiting until I actually see it. I’m not kidding myself about what my team is now either. A finely tuned, aging, championship hunting machine… with no soul. Danny Ainge told Leon Powe that the team has 2 years to hunt down another championship and good luck with your new team. That about sums it up. Abuntu is just a Linux operating system and if Danny has to suit up Beelzebub in the triple six jersey to get that 18th banner, well damn it, he’s going to do it. Not that I’m comparing Sheed to the devil. Although… he is a Tarheel.
An NBA source said tonight that Detroit free agent forward Rasheed Wallace has committed to sign with the Celtics on July 8 when free agents are able to sign. Wallace is expected to get a two-year deal using the mid-level exception (expected to be about $5.6 million to $5.8 million).
There is no such thing as loyalty in professional sports. I guess it makes sense. The team owners are running a business and the only way to keep butts in seats is to win. For the GM, the only way to keep your job is to win and the only way to win is to make the best possible decision at any given time about who to keep and who to dump to keep the wins coming. I know all this. I do. But, as a fan, it’s next to impossible to love your team without identifying with and loving the players. I guess the more years you watch and the more you get your heart broken, the more you come to realize that you’ll be happiest if your only loyalty is to the team. Easier said than done though. So besides Leon Powe getting tragically dumped by Danny Ainge like yesterday’s garbage (too much? perhaps. don’t care. still pissed.) there were some other free agency and trade goings-ons lately and here they are:
Trevor Ariza – from Lakers to Rockets (said he was down forever for the Lakeshow until they didn’t show him the money)
Ron Artest – from Rockets to Lakers (you think he was front row at all those Laker games during the finals for no reason? pishaw!)
Hedo Turkoglu – from Magic to Trailblazers to Raptors (something about more money and his wife’s preference for red maple leaves)
Ben Gordon – from Bulls to Pistons (still having trouble picturing the identity of this team)
Charlie Villaneuva – from Bucks to Pistons (see above)
Richard Jefferson – from Bucks to Spurs (great pickup by the Spurs. damn it.)
Courtney Lee – from Magic to Nets (love CLee, but very happy I won’t have to hear “Courtney Lee, the rookie out of Western Kentucky” ever EVER again)
Marcin Gortat – from Magic to Mavericks (should be fun watching the polish hammer with a bigger role)
Jamal Crawford – from Warriors to Hawks (traded for a can of potato sticks)
Shaq – from Suns to Cavs (the big diesel says he’s going to “win a ring for the king”.. if that’s not a bumper sticker, I don’t know what is)
That’s a whole lot of changes and I didn’t even include them all. This is going to be a crazy off-season. It’s going to be super weird seeing some of these guys in different jerseys. I can’t WAIT for the season to start up again!
I’m so bored. Is this what my evenings are going to be like without the NBA? Mindless Internet surfing and Twitter feed perusing? Wait, that’s what I do all the time anyway. It’s just that usually the NBA is on the TV in my left eye’s periphery and not an all day Monk marathon. Anyway, here is what
The more I think about it, the more similarities I see in Rasheed Wallace and Manny Ramirez. They’re both whimsical nuts. Not batshit crazy like Artest & Starbury seem sometimes, but light-hearted and yet still moody nuts. Like a cracker jack box amount of nuts, not a whole can of Planters. Every article I read lately from the Detroit faction just reaks of the same bitterness that the post-Manny Boston commentary contained. As a card carrying bitter no-lifer (
