Am i the only one who thinks the Bulls will be better anyway? J-Will's accident clears up the log-jam at PG and lets Crawford start; Pippen's arrival lets Jalen play SG, giving them a huge backcourt (6'6'' and 6'8'') that can shoot and pass, Pippen and Marshall are solid at 3, and Chandler and Curry were putting up very impressive numbers last season that indicate that they might be ready to make the leap to elite status this year (their third as pros). Given the dearth of front-line size in the East, the Bulls seem as likely as any to improve. The Wizards and Bucks are much worse, so there should be room...unless LeBron REALLY helps the Cavs..
posted by Cormac at 10:33 PM on July 21, 2003
actually, Bryant turned himself in on Friday, so it IS a day or two after the arrest. Still, this could be a stitch-up job like what happened to Webber and Howard in Washington. Kobe's image has been pretty much spotless to date, so I guess he deserves the benefit of the doubt, same as everyone else. (still can't stand the Lakers though)
posted by Cormac at 09:00 PM on July 06, 2003
The Nike deal is largely incentive-driven, I think - there was a piece on ESPN about how much of it will hinge on Kobe's ability to hawk the shoes right, which involves him generating some street cred. This doesn't strike me as the right way to go about it tho...probably would have been better to get caught waving a nine around in a nightclub at 3 am.
posted by Cormac at 08:12 PM on July 06, 2003
What i don't get is why people enter this kind of competition without being anywhere near the level of the winners. It's not as if hot dogs are in short supply globally - this must be one of the easiest sports to test the waters in without suffering massive humiliation at the hands of some pipsqueak like Kobayashi. I love the speculation that the Japanese government had his stomach removed so it goes straight to his small intestines. Utter tripe, of course (pun intended)
posted by Cormac at 08:47 PM on July 05, 2003
From a purely business standpoint, the team looks like an awful investment. From a basketball standpoint, they're going nowhere fast too. What's the attraction? If I were MJ, I'd be concentrating on Charlotte now, where he could probably waltz into the GM spot and have the leeway to build a team from scratch. He doesn't get the same control as he would as an ownder, but its still nothing to sneeze at. Picking Ford is still a weird move, unless they know that Payton is going to bolt. But then why trade Cassell, who has been playing at close to All-star level for years? They could be left with an undersized rookie who can't shoot starting at PG - that team isn't going anywhere, no matter how good Des Mason gets.
posted by Cormac at 08:13 PM on June 30, 2003
The Knicks also got the 7'6'' Slavko Vranes, who, IIRC, also has a brown belt in Karate, so he can't be entirely uncoordinated. I also thought Boston and Orlando improved themselves today. Orlando's 2nd round center guy looks like a keeper, and Gaines should be enough 1 to get the ball to T-Mac, and enough 2 to share the scoring load. Jerry West looks like he got taken to the cleaners by Ainge, but of course, only time will tell.
posted by Cormac at 12:21 AM on June 27, 2003
Eddie Griffin accused of Assault.
SportsCrimeFilter - i think we need it. What's weird is that Griffin could have done all this, and Kobe would STILL get more press. I mean, Jason Richardson's girlfriend-beating exploits went pretty much unremarked, Glenn Robinson and Penny Hardaway's gun-waving at girlfriends did too, but when a household name like Kobe or Kidd does something? suddenly the world is falling apart.
posted by Cormac at 10:45 PM on October 26, 2003