From Across The Pond To The US And Now He's Here Givin' It To You Straight From The Hip ………….No B_lls_it !
It’s True There’s Still News Out There That’s As Ridiculous As Ever
It’s True There’s Still News Out There That’s As Ridiculous As Ever
Well it had to happen in the midst of the NBA Playoffs being in full swing with the respective conference finals the players’ union the NBPA has filed a grievance lodged within the National Labor Relations Board an agency within the federal government that deals with employment issues on behalf of employees across the nation . Will the madness never stop ? Have neither side of the NBA labor issue learned anything as of yet concerning the absolute idiocy that has been conducted and is still ongoing between the NFL and its the players in the form of their now defunct union but still known as the NFLPA ?
David Stern and union counterpart Billy Hunter along with union President Derek Fisher have steadfastly stated that they would like to avoid a work stoppage under any circumstance . But I find that premise hard to believe when the union itself has stated that they are prepared to decertify and challenge the league’s antitrust exemption status within the Federal Court System . This being the same maneuver that is now being tried by the NFLPA itself , albeit that the players behind that particular suit are some of the league’s more high profiled players in Tom Brady , Peyton Manning , and Drew Brees .
It’s extremely hard to believe that the fans could be on the cusp of seeing two of the four major professional sports actually shutter down for no other simple reason other than pure unadulterated greed ! If the hierarchies of both the NBA and the NFL simply can’t split their revenues equally amongst themselves and the respective unions then it simply shows how out of touch these individuals are with reality ! While the nation is suffering economic strife the sides here are essentially acting like kindergarten pre schoolers acting out because someone is about to take away their favorite play thing . The concerns of the fans at this juncture may well be the farthest thing from their minds at present as they simply bicker and whine amongst themselves.
I’m not so sure that while the NBA Playoffs continue that I am all that liable to take that much interest , knowing that once this spectacle is over there as well we are liable to see that sport simply close up shop !
As if baseball hasn’t had its hits this season now it seems that the family of Giants’ fan Brian Stow who was brutally attacked by several assailants at a Dodgers’ Giants game have filed a civil suit against the Los Angeles Dodgers . With the LAPD (Los Angeles PD) having apprehended one suspect , Giorgio Ramirez , a member of an infamous Latino street gang the local community is looking to put this episode behind them. However with there being three other suspects known to have been participants in this attack law enforcement is intent on capturing those suspects as well. This is one issue that I do believe that all of the most avid MLB fans are in agreement with ___ the sooner these heinous thugs are brought to justice and justice is duly served the better off we will all be as well as the image of the game at this point.
In lieu of New York Mets’ owner Fred Wilpon voicing his discontent over the malaise of his team this season and calling out several prominent players for their lack of intensity and performance . It really shouldn’t come as a surprised that this already beleaguered organization is now becoming even more ridiculous with each passing moment . What we already knew as to the team’s financial instability is now becoming even more apparent with the news that the Mets are on track to lose in excess of $ 70 million this season . And here we have idiots within this medium trying to create the perception that the game is simply going through a small economic downturn ? The fact of the matter is baseball has been going through this problem for close to a decade as the team owners and the league hierarchy have been non-plussed and ambivalent to many of the inherent problems that they have been facing . Just because there have been multiple teams competing for the game’s biggest prize (World Series ) over the past few years doesn’t mean that the game is in a healthy state. The financial state of Major League Baseball (MLB) has been mired in mismanagement and the idiocy of a league hierarchy , wherein Commissioner Bud Selig has shown about as much astuteness as a blind man playing hopscotch in a mine field.
Well what would the PGA Tour be without a little bit of news about the beleaguered and self serving tidbit from Tiger Woods ? The player has slipped so far down the World Golf rankings where he now sits at his lowest level in his fourteen years on the PGA Tour. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem knows that the Tour needs Woods far more than they are likely to let on because without Woods , the Tour and its events become mundane and completely devoid of character. Not that Woods has that much to begin with___ with his mono-syllabic tone and lack of any real candor .
Woods now recovering from a recurring knee injury in a recent press conference stated that it would be his intent to play in the US Open taking place at Congressional Golf Club in Bethseda, Maryland , from the 16th to 19th June 2011. Given his performances this season and the steady decline and inconsistency of his play I am not so sure that Tiger Woods will be a legitimate contender for the event ! Even if he plays I for one don’t believe that his game much less his confidence is anywhere near where it should be but any sound byte by Woods nowadays where he’s not trying to deflect questions concerning his private life and bachelor status has got to be better than him talking about his game . I mean what’s the use at this juncture ? Woods knows that if he’s not confident in his own game even with the changes made , the chances of an outright victory is about as likely as there being a sighting of John Daly hitting five straight birdies in a row in a PGA Tour sponsored event !.
Woods has yet to say when he will make a return to the Tour while he still recuperates . If he is to make a return to the PGA Tour to acclimatize himself to the rigors of the game then it might well be at The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club , Muirfield , Ohio , an event that’s sponsored by Nationwide Insurance but brought into being by Jack Nicklaus on a course that he designed . With a purse of $6,200,000 and a first prize of $1,080,000 to the winner it would be the right tournament for a tune up before the penultimate tournament the Fedex St Jude Classic , leading up to the US Open . Whether or not this will be part of Woods’ itinerary remains to be seen at this juncture.
In what I for one felt might well have been a clear cut decision it would appear that the leading candidate to officially fill coach Phil Jackson’s shoes with the Los Angeles Lakers will not be one of his assistants , in this case the heavily favored Brian Shaw . Sources around the NBA believe that now heading the running for the vacancy is none other than former Cleveland Cavaliers’ coach Mike Brown . The Lakers’ hierarchy led by owner Dr Jerry Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak must obviously feel ….”out with the old in with the new ” ….. is now the best policy and step to take . And given the team’s abysmal performance in their conference semi finals’ demise to the Dallas Mavericks wherein they were summarily dispatched in a 4-0 series sweep things at this juncture can’t seem any gloomier after that improbable result .
This may well be the lowest that this franchise has been in quite a while as they’ve simply began to show their age. Other than Kobe Bryant there was little to suggest that this Lakers’ team actually had the stomach for a fight during the latter stages of the playoffs . They may well have dealt with the New Orleans Hornets in the first round of the playoffs with consummate ease . But once they went up against a well prepared and determined Mavericks’ team Phil Jackson and his players simply had no idea what they had been hit with. The Mavericks’ constant bombardment of the Lakers was relentless and with Dirk Nowitzki playing like an All Star while being ably assisted by Jason Terry , Shawn Marion , Tyson Chandler , Jason Kidd and J J Barea the Lakers simply had no answer for the Dallas Mavericks at any point during this series.
Brown, who coached LeBron James for five seasons in Cleveland, could soon sign a three-year deal worth about $4 million a season. If he turns the offer down, Rick Adelman would remain a candidate.
By Broderick Turner , Los Angeles Times
The Lakers have put together a deal to hire former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown as their new coach, an NBA official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter said late Tuesday.
If Brown agrees to the deal, he’ll sign a contract worth between $4 million and $4.5 million per season, the official said. Brown would sign for three years, with a team option on the fourth season that would give him partial pay if he was not retained.
Brown, 41, became the front-runner because Jim Buss, the team’s executive vice president of player personnel, was impressed with his defense-minded style.
Former Houston Rockets coach Rick Adelman also was in the mix for the job and will remain a candidate to replace Phil Jackson if Brown turns down the deal from the Lakers.
Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw also was considered for the head position.
The Lakers had to wait until General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Buss returned from pre-draft camps in Chicago and Minneapolis on Tuesday night before they could get a deal done.
Lakers owner Jerry Buss did an interview with Sirius XM Radio on Tuesday, saying the team was “very close” to filling its coaching vacancy.
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Click on link to read this article in its entirety.
Kupchak and Jackson’s successor whoever that may well be , their first order of business will be to assess this roster and to simply get rid of the dead weight that there is there. To my mind Derek Fisher is past his prime , Lamar Odom based on his postseason performances simply did nothing to suggest he warranted winning the Sixth Man of The Year Award and can someone tell me if Ron Artest underwent a frontal lobal lobotomy prior to the playoffs starting ? What he brought to the Lakers postseason can be best described as pigs in a blanket covered in fecal matter ! Complacency may well have set in once the Lakers got past the Hornets in the first round but hell , this was said to be an experienced team and the two time defending — NBA champions . Instead what we all witnessed in the conference semi finals searching for an identity and one that was completely outplayed in every facet of the game by a determined Mavericks team whose coach Rick Carlisle simply out-coached his opposite number .
With the upcoming NBA Draft set for 23 rd June 2011 and there being a plethora of college talent on display the Lakers will have to certainly make some prudent choices if their roster is to be truly strengthened . Their first pick in the upcoming draft will come in the second round as the sixteenth pick to be taken . Kupchak may well want to move up and look for something more beneficial but at this juncture who really knows the mindset inside of the Lakers’ organization ? There has to be a reason why Jackson has chosen not to return and having seen his team succumb like a wilting flower starved of water , there’s no reason that his return to the organization would have been a guarantee of success given the team’s lackluster performance during the playoff loss to the Mavericks. If Phil Jackson can’t instill a will to win this bedraggled bunch I’m not so sure that Mike Brown or whoever happens to be Jackson’s successor unless they get it into their heads that the rest of the league has actually caught up and in some cases passed them .
What thoughts if any do you have on the points raised within this piece ? Simply leave a comment as you deem fit and as always thanks for the continued support as it is greatly appreciated !
(1) MIAMI, FL – MAY 24: Derrick Rose (1) of the Chicago Bulls walks up court as LeBron James (6) and Dwyane Wade (3) of the Miami Heat look on in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 24, 2011 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. The Heat won 101-93 in overtime. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images …..
(2) Derrick Rose (1) of the Chicago Bulls looks to pass the ball before going out of bounds against Udonis Haslem (40) of the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 24, 2011 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Getty Images / Marc Serota …….
(3) Cordial now but for how long ? NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter (left) and NBA Commissioner David Stern . The two sides are adamant they say that they’ll do their utmost to avoid a shutdown of the league but saying and believing are two different things wouldn’t you agree ? AP Photo / Myles Jackson ……
(4) Giants’ fan Brian Stow seen here with two young family members . The paramedic was the victim of a heinous assault that took place at Dodgers’ Stadium earlier in the season . One assailant (Giorgio Ramirez) has been apprehended while three others still remain at large ( one of which was a female getaway driver) . The LAPD Chief of Police Charlie Beck has asked for the public’s help in providing any information that will lead to the arrests of the assailants still at large . AP Photo ……
(5) Tiger Woods reaches over to shake a friend’s hand after a news conference at Aronimink Golf Club for the upcoming AT&T National golf tournament, Tuesday, May 24 2011, in Newtown Square, Pa. Woods said he us using crutches and wearing a protective boot on his left leg to make sure he’s healthy enough to play the U.S. Open. AP Photo/The Inquirer, Michael Bryant …….
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(6) PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem is seen here presenting the trophy for the Bridgestone Invitational won by Tiger Woods in 2009 . AP Photo/ Michael McClendon …..
(7) Lakers’ point guard Steve Blake is seen here with team GM Mitch Kupchak . The player was an offseason signing by the team . Courtesy of LA Times/Ramon Espinoza ………
(8) Phil Jackson is seen here with assistant coaches Brian Shaw and to Shaw’s immediate right Jim Cleamons . It appears that both Shaw and Cleamons are out of the running to fill the vacancy of the Lakers’ head coach’s position with what appears to be the imminent signing of Mike Brown as Jackson’s successor. Courtesy of AP Photo/ Gil Nettles ….
(9) Guard Jason Terry (31) of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2011 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Getty Images/ Ronald Martinez ……
(10) Guard Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers hugs DeShawn Stevenson (92) after a loss against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2011 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks swept the series 4-0 against the Lakers and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Getty Images / Ronald Martinez ……..
(11) FILE – In this May 3, 2010 file photo, then Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown screams at his team in the third quarter of Game 2 against the Boston Celtics in the second round of an NBA basketball playoff series in Cleveland. A person with knowledge of the discussions says the Los Angeles Lakers are in serious talks with former Cleveland coach Mike Brown about their coaching vacancy. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday, May 25, 2011, on condition of anonymity because the Lakers’ coaching search isn’t complete yet. AP Photo/ Mark Duncan ……..
7 thoughts on “It’s True There’s Still News Out There That’s As Ridiculous As Ever”
I’ve got to hand it to Buss and Kupchak as I never saw this particular hire coming . They pretty much now have assured themselves that the present coaching staff has now ran its course with Jackson leaving and now Shaw and Cleamons likely to follow suit .
Tiger please no one is interested in your well being unless it has anything to with you layin’ down with porn stars or you actually winning tournaments ! And this season you’ve done and won fu_k all ! ‘nough said !
Tiger can be a real winner like Charlie Sheen . What a dick ! And for the misguided idiots who still think that Sheen has a career what’s happening with it now ? Winning !
Fred Wilpon needs to take a leap off a bridge head first into the Hudson River !
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck ought to let his officers actually do some work rather than thinking that some CI will actually snitch on a gang member in LA ………….. isn’t that akin to committing suicide and placing your immediate family members in danger ?
——
‘It was an oral contract and I said at the time I would pay after the act was done ………..damn it I want satisfaction ‘.
‘Yes Mr Mayor I understand that one of my undercover detectives working vice refused to offer you oral sex and you should understand that’s not part of her duties as an undercover office in vice But you have to understand what you were asking her to do was illegal and against the law .’ LAPD Chief Charlie Beck speaking with LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa .
tophatal ………
I hope they catch those bastards that did that to that poor innocent man. What these clowns in management and the players don’t understand if we the fans hate the players we won’t pay the bucks to buy their stuff or come and see em play. I for one have had it with the NFL and their high ticket prices, high jersey prices and the cost of watching my team play on the dish or the red zone. The NFl will never get another dime outta me again. We the people are hurting. we don’t have the money to pat for these extras in life.
Bobby Gee
They may well catch the culprits or they may not but to my mind this is simply one more thing that further blackens the image of the game of baseball and the very fact that the league hierarchy much less the owners or MLBPA have said little on the event rather just simply sitting aside and burying their head in the sand as usual !
As to the NFL , Goodell , the owners and players represented by the NFLPA couldn’t give a shit what the fans think at this juncture as it’s more about them ……. what they want and the means that they use in going about getting what they feel that they deserve. And if it means an added cost to the fans then so be it in their eyes because that’s what it usually comes down to in the end. And as a consumer the fan either chooses to pay the price or they don’t .
tophatal …………..
It’s starting to look like an NBA lockout is the only thing that’ll keep the Heat from rattling off consecutive future championships.
Let’s just say that if the league/NBA shuts down they can forget any sentiment that the fans will continue to love the game.
As it is the NFL is struggling to even show now that they’re competent . The team owners come off making Ebeneezer Scrooge seem decent and the NFLPA are struggling to even look good in spite of the fact that the NFL coaches have come out in support of them through the NFL Coaches Association .
If they back the stance of the players in terms of their legal position then surely that’s an indication that they approve what they’re doing ?
Ah but here’s its Shanahan and his butt-hole buddies that are the ‘skins’ coaching staff that’ve come up with their idiotic response .
tophatal ………..
Al…
If the Heatles rattle off six championships in a row, fans might stop watching anyway.
Chris Humpherys
So which one of you mutha’ fuck_ers is down for dinner with the Mavs ?
The Heat as a team hasn’t the same sort of glamor that the Bulls had at their very best . Fans see this Heat team as conceited and arrogant and it was simply epitomized by LeBron and his statement about winning six titles . Fu_k it they’ve won nothing as of yet and ’til they do and do so convincing they’ll simply be thought of as just another team. Less we forget can we all remember when the Lakers had Malone, Kobe , Payton and Shaq ? The Pistons pounded their ass like a Catholic priest at play with an altar boy .
Theoraclesays's Blog 
I’ve got to hand it to Buss and Kupchak as I never saw this particular hire coming . They pretty much now have assured themselves that the present coaching staff has now ran its course with Jackson leaving and now Shaw and Cleamons likely to follow suit .
Tiger please no one is interested in your well being unless it has anything to with you layin’ down with porn stars or you actually winning tournaments ! And this season you’ve done and won fu_k all ! ‘nough said !
Tiger can be a real winner like Charlie Sheen . What a dick ! And for the misguided idiots who still think that Sheen has a career what’s happening with it now ? Winning !
Fred Wilpon needs to take a leap off a bridge head first into the Hudson River !
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck ought to let his officers actually do some work rather than thinking that some CI will actually snitch on a gang member in LA ………….. isn’t that akin to committing suicide and placing your immediate family members in danger ?
——
‘It was an oral contract and I said at the time I would pay after the act was done ………..damn it I want satisfaction ‘.
‘Yes Mr Mayor I understand that one of my undercover detectives working vice refused to offer you oral sex and you should understand that’s not part of her duties as an undercover office in vice But you have to understand what you were asking her to do was illegal and against the law .’ LAPD Chief Charlie Beck speaking with LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa .
tophatal ………
I hope they catch those bastards that did that to that poor innocent man. What these clowns in management and the players don’t understand if we the fans hate the players we won’t pay the bucks to buy their stuff or come and see em play. I for one have had it with the NFL and their high ticket prices, high jersey prices and the cost of watching my team play on the dish or the red zone. The NFl will never get another dime outta me again. We the people are hurting. we don’t have the money to pat for these extras in life.
Bobby Gee
They may well catch the culprits or they may not but to my mind this is simply one more thing that further blackens the image of the game of baseball and the very fact that the league hierarchy much less the owners or MLBPA have said little on the event rather just simply sitting aside and burying their head in the sand as usual !
As to the NFL , Goodell , the owners and players represented by the NFLPA couldn’t give a shit what the fans think at this juncture as it’s more about them ……. what they want and the means that they use in going about getting what they feel that they deserve. And if it means an added cost to the fans then so be it in their eyes because that’s what it usually comes down to in the end. And as a consumer the fan either chooses to pay the price or they don’t .
tophatal …………..
It’s starting to look like an NBA lockout is the only thing that’ll keep the Heat from rattling off consecutive future championships.
Let’s just say that if the league/NBA shuts down they can forget any sentiment that the fans will continue to love the game.
As it is the NFL is struggling to even show now that they’re competent . The team owners come off making Ebeneezer Scrooge seem decent and the NFLPA are struggling to even look good in spite of the fact that the NFL coaches have come out in support of them through the NFL Coaches Association .
Redskins’ coaches say they don’t back players in lockout
If they back the stance of the players in terms of their legal position then surely that’s an indication that they approve what they’re doing ?
Ah but here’s its Shanahan and his butt-hole buddies that are the ‘skins’ coaching staff that’ve come up with their idiotic response .
tophatal ………..
Al…
If the Heatles rattle off six championships in a row, fans might stop watching anyway.
Chris Humpherys
So which one of you mutha’ fuck_ers is down for dinner with the Mavs ?
The Heat as a team hasn’t the same sort of glamor that the Bulls had at their very best . Fans see this Heat team as conceited and arrogant and it was simply epitomized by LeBron and his statement about winning six titles . Fu_k it they’ve won nothing as of yet and ’til they do and do so convincing they’ll simply be thought of as just another team. Less we forget can we all remember when the Lakers had Malone, Kobe , Payton and Shaq ? The Pistons pounded their ass like a Catholic priest at play with an altar boy .
Hopefully in the Finals the Mavs aren’t runnin’ scared as they were in 2006 ?
tophatal ……..