Midnight Revelations: The Return

While watching an entertaining Oklahoma City/Los Angeles opener.
Yeah, the NBA (aka the Free Throw Association) still absolutely sucks. HARD.

1) With all due apologies to the 90% legit fans of the two teams, whose bandwagon is full of more absolute posers: Red Sox Nation or Kobe-era Laker fans???

2) Charles Barkley is good for one memorable quote...a minute.
"The rest of the NBA better get their wins against Oklahoma City and Chicago now. Because in a few years, they're gonna be REAL good. Better beat that butt (he used a different word, mind you) now, before you can't in a few years."

Call me a homer (go ahead, you wanna), but this guy can be very good...sooner than later.
Credit: Blog.Newsok.com

3) Eric Maynor is fully capable of being a starting point in the NBA. Russell Westbrook may be a potential rising phenom, but I see Maynor (who Utah idiotically gave up in a far-too-lazy-cap relief move) successfully starting for a team in less than 3 years (i.e. his next contract)...against the likes of Westbrook and the Thunder.

How do you say "boo hoo" in Spanish? Anyone? Anyone?
Credit: Buttheadsports.com

4) Pau Gasol's mannerisms make me want to die. Why pretend to act like you're tough, Pau? Why act like you're too physical (by pounding your chest down the court) for your opponent, when you're clearly not, Pau? We saw what KG did to you in 2008. That tape will never lie. You're incredibly skilled, Pau. And a Spanish fugazi on the court. Only in your facial expressions, of course.

5) They need to end people being rewarded a timeout while rolling around on the floor with the ball in a crowd. Isn't that traveling? The NBA did well to end the Rodman-rule (diving out of bands and calling a timeout). Time to end this nonsense.

Jeff Green needs to get rid of the shakes too when he's 1-on-1.
Credit: DailyThunder.com

Oklahoma City just needs a solid big and some time to develop. And to stay healthy, of course. But they're getting swept this series. Oh well.

Tuesday FourCast: Week 12

You can't write a better script than what happens in the NFL on a weekly basis. This season has been far from disappointing. If I were Siskel and Ebert, I'd give it two thumbs up. If I was IMDB, I would give it an 8.5 out of 10. Right now, the only football movie that could top it is Goldie Hawn's "Wildcats" (yes, that was sarcasm).

1. Role Models

We've all heard Charles Barkley say, "Athletes are not role models." We've also heard him say "Knucklehead". About a year ago on Monday night football, he called Donovan McNabb "Fuhntastic". Yesterday, however, McNabb was T-R-B-L, Turrrrrible. Andy Reid felt the same, and yanked McNabb for the second half in favor of Kevin Kolb. Wait. That was Reid who told him right? No? Reid had an assistant coach deliver the bad news? To steal a term from Sum, that was some serious douche-baggery. Kevin Kolb played like a knucklehead. Altogether, in Philly's case, the athletes (and coaches) are not the role models. They are the juveniles in need of a role model. Look for McNabb to be throwing passes in Minnesota next year, and for Reid to be working in a broadcasting booth. As for Kolb and the Eagles...good luck.

2. Quantum of Solace

Like your average Bond flick, the Titans are going to start off taking on all evil and prevailing. Then Bond hits a snag. He makes a mistake. He gets caught. His love interest is murdered. The Titans made their mistakes. The Jets caught them with their pants down. Luckily nobody was murdered. The question now remains: Do the Titans come back like Bond and conquer their opponents in the end? Or, will they veer off the path and play down to the level that one looking at their roster on paper would think they would play? The NFL is a league of copy-cats. For the Titans' sake, hopefully teams can't take much away from the strategy used by the Jets.

3. Twilight

Every love story starts with two people. While this isn't your traditional love story, it does start with two people. On one hand you have Matt Cassel. After back to back 400 yard games, this free agent to be has every GM with a bad QB situation in love. On the other hand, you have Kurt Warner, who continues his Cinderella season towards an MVP trophy. The league and fans have fallen in love with Warner again. Both will receive nice contracts going into next season. Warner with the Cards, Cassel with another team (the Jets look like the most likely candidate). But, will either (or both) suck the blood out of their teams next season? Kurt Warner is a concussion away from being Steve Young, and Matt Cassel could be a system QB.

4. Madagascar 2

The kids love this one, and speaking of kids, if you caught the nation's top college game last week, you saw a kid you will love. Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford led the Sooners to the annihilation of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. While I've been high on Michael Crabtree, Bradford spent this season climbing up my charts. If he decides to go into the NFL draft (he is a redshirt sophomore), I can see him going as the #1 pick overall. Bradford made NFL throws in Saturday's game, and looked like an NFL QB. Only problem is, it looks like he might end up in Detroit.