ITEM: The Mavs aren't complaining about being arguably the best team in the NBA while having only one player selected for the All-Star Game -- and good for them. Other top teams have 3 and 4 All-Stars, and Dallas has just one, and linear logic requires a Dallas fan to squeal, "That just ain't right!'' But while Josh Howard and Jason Terry have experienced nice seasons, to put somebody ON an All-Star Team, you have to take somebody OFF. It's not like there are UNDESERVING reserves in the West.

ITEM: Meanwhile, though, staying linear: If a great team has just one stud, must'nt that one stud be an MVP front-runner? That right there should be the campaign slogan for Dirk Nowitzki.

ITEM: I do recall this correctly, right? That the NHL -- so troubled now by a gambling scandal so troubling that it even touches Wayne Betzky. ... I mean, GRETZKY. ... that the NHL recently held its owners meetings in. ... Las Vegas?

ITEM: Pavarotti? Yoko Ono? Hats with fireworks? Best thing about the Olympic Opening Ceremonies? One word: Understated.

ITEM: So Art Shell is back coaching the Raiders, mostly because three other more viable candidates turned down Al Davis. I suppose it is progress, in a sense: a black man is now in the "good ol' boy network''? And from another angle: Isn't this the equivalent of Jerry Jones rehiring Barry Switzer?

ITEM: US figure skater Johnny Weir is, um, flamboyant. We knew that. So why the fuss for complaining that his accomodations in Torino feature too much barbed wire and aren't "princess-y enough''? I mean, he's a FIGURE SKATER!

ITEM: I've made the point for a couple of years now that InfalliBill has his media favorites, that he feeds those people, that none of them are based in Dallas (thus none of the beat writers in D/FW have any true access to him or insight from him and that if you want to know what's going on with Parcells, you have to read Chris Mortensen and Peter King. Exhibit 1 million: Peter King reports that Bill Parcells was almost in tears the other day.

Writes King: "I think the most amazing thing I've heard in a long, long time was the choked-up, unsteady voice of Bill Parcells over the phone from Dallas Saturday afternoon, after the election of one of his favorite players, Harry Carson, to the Hall of Fame. "I've been crying for five minutes,'' he told me. "God, am I happy. Harry is so deserving, and I couldn't be happier for anyone. It's unbelievable.''

Hmm. Touching. One can only hope that InfalliBill cares as much about the team he is presently paid $5 mil a year to coach as he cares about old Giants

.
ITEM: No, this 12th Man Cheap Shot is not directed at Texas A&M, whcih came off as a bit snippy for its legal position regarding the Seahawks' stolen 12th Man theme. This 12th Man cheap shot is directed at the Seahawks fans themselves.

From all reports, the Ford Field crowd in Detroit for Super Bowl XL was "90-10'' Steelers fans. If Seahawks fans purport to be as passionate and devoted as Aggies fans, shouldn't they have at least shown up for the biggest game in the franchise's history?

ITEM: So a girl won the boys high-school state wrestling championship. And that's a heckuva story. Want a better one? Somebody needs to go interview the Alaskan boy, Aaron Boss. THAT'S the story.

ITEM: I'm always amused when a misbehaving pro sports star explains his misdeeds by pointing out that he "grew up around gangstas, thugs, in the 'hood.'' Which WAS true. But Mr. Superstar, you're now 30 years old. You've pocketed millions of dollars a year for the last decade. You live in a $3 million mansion. You've been given your "out'' -- why not take it?

ITEM: I know this is terribly "third-grade humor'' of me, but given that you are aware of the supposed sexual preferences of some female basketball players. ... and given that one of the WNBA's legendary names is Cynthia Cooper. ... is it OK for me to giggle when I see that Cynthia's married name now is "Cynthia Cooper-Dyke''?

ITEM: I'm still somewhat nonplussed at the NBA Panty Hose trend. Kobe's into wearing leggings. LeBron's now into it. Stackhouse wears 'em. On Thursday, some Heat players didn't wear two-legged Panty Hose but instead just went with a one-legged version.

"What do they call those one-legged ones,'' quipped my friend Courtney, "a Panty 'Ho?''

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment