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It's Officially Time to Start the 'NBA Overseas Defection Watch' List

Matt MoorePosted Jul 25th 2008 2:52AM by Matt Moore (author feed)
Filed under: Cavaliers, Hawks, Lakers, Rockets, Eastern, Western, Euroleague, NBA Rumors

"Oh, wow, Josh Childress jumped to Greece. That's wild. What a kooky thing to see. Man, what if this were to become a trend in a couple of years? How weird would that be? I mean, clearly it won't happen for a whi ... "

Oh.

Oh.

Oh.

For those of you playing our home game, that brings the list of players to have signed or be considering a jump overseas to: Josh Childress, Primoz Brezec, Carlos Delfino, Jorge Garbajosa, Carl Landry, Delonte West, and Sasha Vujacic. That's in the last week. Now clearly, it's not like there's going to be a mass exodus, this is still the NBA. Plus, as Al Horford asked Team USA about today, none of the megastars are going anywhere. But whereas after the Childress signing we asked, "could this be a trend over the next few years?", we now have to ask, "Is this a trend that's taking place now?" I

t's clear that free agents, especially restricted free agents, are evaluating their options, and coming to the conclusion that Europe offers them a lot more opportunities than the NBA under the current CBA. The question now becomes how does the NBA respond? Increased agreements with international leagues for great fluidity back and forth? Higher reliance on the pitifully resourced D-League? Or the customary Stern brand of ignoring the problem until it's on fire in your yard? Is this a problem? This is a situation that's evolving faster than we can understand it, at least from where we're at right now.

Warriors On A Roll, Resign Ellis for 6 Years, $67 Million

Matt MoorePosted Jul 25th 2008 1:28AM by Matt Moore (author feed)
Filed under: Warriors, Western

Apparently Chris Mullin enjoyed his time in Vegas, got some time in by the pool, then came home and decided to clean the slate on his offseason To-Do list all in a matter of days. Here's a little sneak peak at that list.

1. Match Kelenna Azubuike.
2. Re-sign Monta Ellis to a 6 year, $67 Million contract.
3. Pick up dry cleaning.
4. Send basket of rotten fruit to Elgin Baylor.

Well, you can scratch out #2, as today the Warriors agreed to just such a contract with Ellis. Which is good, because as Tim Kawakami put it tonight, if they hadn't, they wouldn't be "a real franchise, anymore." After Baron Davis skipped town (sorry Warriors fans, I'm not trying to keep bringing it up, but it kind of caused a ripple effect), the Warriors needed to batten down the hatches and take care of their roster. And while the biggest acquisition they got was Corey Maggette, they did lock up a young scorer with incredible speed and considerable upside for six years, along with Ronny Turiaf and securing Azabuike.

The question now becomes if they overspent on Ellis, which is something only Ellis can decide. Have I mentioned this kid needs a nickname?

NBA: Jordan Farmar Biggest Assist

Elie SeckbachPosted Jul 24th 2008 9:15PM by Elie Seckbach (author feed)
Filed under: FanHouse TV, The Word

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded NBA Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back here regularly for more videos.

In this exclusive video we hang out with Los Angeles Lakers' star Jordan Farmar who tells us about the special relationship he has with children hospitalized at Mattel Children's Hospital in UCLA. We also catch up with his mother Mindy Kolani, who tells us why Jordan's acts of kindness is a dream come true for her. Around 2:40 into the video find out why Jordan may be nominated one day for a Nobel Peace Prize.


AOL Video link. Youtube link.

Anna Pouts in Justin's Presence

Eric McErlainPosted Jul 24th 2008 8:20PM by Eric McErlain (author feed)
Filed under: International Tennis, Tennis

Over the past few weeks, I've been spending more than a few evenings in downtown Washington to take in a couple of matches of Washington's entry into World Team Tennis, the Washington Kastles. As I wrote a few weeks back, it's a fun experience, and now that the regular season has come to an end, I have to say I'm going to miss it.

That's why I made sure to budget some time last night to take in the last match of the regular season against the St. Louis Aces. Taking time to see the Aces meant having a chance to watch Anna Kournikova, something I didn't want to miss. Better yet, this would be the one opportunity to see Kournikova on the same court as Justin Gimelstob, the member of the Kastles who ran off the rails a couple of weeks back while attacking Kournikova while trying to drum up some publicity for the league.

So what happened? While everyone was watching, not much. But once the match was delayed by a violent Washington thunderstorm and the festivities were moved elsewhere after most of the crowd opted to go home, then the real fireworks began.

Earlier in the day at a lightly attended press conference, Kournikova twice refused to answer any questions about Gimelstob. Later, the media people who work for the Kastles assured us that Gimelstob and Kournikova wouldn't be facing off in the mixed doubles portion of the evening.
Continue Reading Anna Pouts in Justin's Presence

David Duval Will Play Reno, Thinks Michelle Wie Would Be Better Off on Futures Tour

Ryan WilsonPosted Jul 24th 2008 8:18PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Golf, PGA


Greg Norman was the most improbable story during last week's British Open; the former two-time winner, now 53, led the whole thing heading into the final round, before the weather, age and Padraig Harrington's lights-out back nine all conspired against him.

Perhaps second only to Norman's unlikely showing was that of David Duval, the 2001 Open Champion and one of golf's best young players at the turn of the century who fell off the grid in recent years. He emerged at Royal Birkdale, and sandwiched rounds of 73, 69 and 71 around an ugly Saturday 83 that basically eliminated him from contention.

But Duval, who has played in 13 PGA events this season (making just two cuts), will tee it up at the Reno-Tahoe Open next week. Shockingly, he thinks Michelle Wie, playing the event on a sponsor's exemption, would be better off honing her game against women, but understands the economics of it all.
"You're in or you're not in. It's pretty simple," Duval said. "Whether I agree if she should be playing - I think she would be better off on the Futures Tour competing against women - is neither here nor there. (Tournament director) Michael Stearns thinks she can bring people in, and that's his job. If some guy needs a spot in the field, chances are he's not going to sell any tickets. She might add 2,000."
Continue Reading David Duval Will Play Reno, Thinks Michelle Wie Would Be Better Off on Futures Tour

Three Bidders Left in Cubs Sale, One of Whom You May Know

Eamonn BrennanPosted Jul 24th 2008 5:34PM by Eamonn Brennan (author feed)
Filed under: Cubs, MLB Biz

This morning, I ever-so-briefly covered the news that John Canning's ownership group, long considered the frontrunner for Cubs ownership, had its low offer laughed out of the room. Initially, it seemed Canning would be able to submit a second, higher bid, but according to the Associated Press' source that's not the case. Canning is out of the picture, and only three remain. This should be fun:
Included in the second round are Internet billionaire and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban; the Ricketts family, which founded the online brokerage that is now TD Ameritrade Holding Corp.; and a group led by Sports Acquisition Holding Corp. that includes former baseball home run king Henry Aaron and former Republican Congressman Jack Kemp. The last group is believed to be teaming with another bidder who submitted an offer in the initial round.
One name sort of sticks out, doesn't it? All eyes are on Cuban now, as the Tribune Company has officially proven they care far less about Major League Baseball's ownership politics -- the idea that Cuban is too brash for baseball doesn't seem to bother Sam Zell -- than the amount of zeros on the napkin.

How many zeros? All three remaining bidders bid at least $1 billion. (For the Chicago Cubs. That actually happened.)

Warriors 'Definitely' Match Clippers' Offer for Kelenna Azubuike

Matt MoorePosted Jul 24th 2008 5:34PM by Matt Moore (author feed)
Filed under: Warriors, Western

Chris Mullin told me while in Vegas for Summer League that the Warriors were "definitely going to resign (Kelenna Azubuike) ... or not." Apparently the "definitely going to" was the important part of that sentence.

The Warriors today matched the Los Angeles' Clippers 3 year, $9 million offer for Azubuike, staving off the raiding forces from LA seeking to poach another of their free agents.

Azubuike was brilliant in short bursts but seemed to fade down the stretch last season. With Baron Davis off to Lala Land, it's likely that "Buike" will get more playing time.

It's not a monster signing to quell the masses of Warrior fans nervous about the future of the franchise, even after signing Corey Maggette, but at least it stops the bleeding that seemed to be occuring with the Clippers gouging their Bay rivals. It also signals a commitment to young talent that both Mullin and Nelson have alluded to. Monta Ellis, Azubuike, Ronny Turiaf, Brandan Wright and Anthony Randolph. Yup, that's youth. Corey Maggette and Al Harrington? Not so much, but it could be worse. That might be the theme for the Warriors this season. "Not so much, but it could be worse."

Wie, Fresh Off LPGA DQ, Decides to Play PGA Tour; Everybody Understandably Baffled

Ryan WilsonPosted Jul 24th 2008 4:36PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Golf, LPGA, PGA


Golfweek's Rex Hoggard writes what most people are thinking: Michelle Wie is insane to accept a sponsor's exemption at next week's Reno-Tahoe Open, a PGA Tour event. Wie is fresh off rounds of 67 and 65, which were promptly followed by a "DQ" after she forgot the bit about signing your scorecard immediately after finishing putting out on 18.

And now, with the season winding down and her chances of earning her LPGA Tour card dwindling, Wie (or, more likely, her parents) has decided to tee it up on the men's tour. Shockingly, some PGA Tour members are, well, baffled by the decision.
"When I saw it I actually thought it was a joke, quite honestly," Jay Williamson told Golf Channel. "I know she is going to sell a lot more tickets than I will, but I would say it's surprising. I don't think it's a real popular decision out here."
I can't disagree with that, but, frankly, I'm beyond caring what Wie decides to do with her career. It hasn't reached Jennifer Capriati mismanagement-followed-by-meltdown levels, but there's really no reason Wie, at 19, shouldn't have her tour card and a few tournament wins. Instead, she's gone from teenage phenom to teenage has-been in the span of three years.

Playing the Reno-Tahoe won't do anything to change that perception, but when you're the highest-paid female golfer on the planet and have done nothing to earn such a distinction, maybe playing on the PGA Tour doesn't seems like such a wacked-out idea.

MMA Live on UFC, Affliction, EliteXC, and Randy Couture, Who Plans to Fight Fedor

Michael David SmithPosted Jul 24th 2008 4:31PM by Michael David Smith (author feed)
Filed under: Affliction, MMA Videos, UFC

Here's the latest edition of ESPN's great MMA Live program:

This week's installment focuses, of course, on last Saturday's UFC and Affliction shows, followed by a preview of this Saturday's EliteXC show. UFC heavyweight Frank Mir continued to lavish praise on Affliction and WAMMA heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko, although he did suggest that UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. (I agree.)

I liked the way Franklin McNeill phrased it: "Fedor's presence makes the heavyweight division relevant."

And, of course, the man everyone wants to see Fedor fight is Randy Couture, who appeared as a guest on the show and had some interesting comments.
Continue Reading MMA Live on UFC, Affliction, EliteXC, and Randy Couture, Who Plans to Fight Fedor

Lucid, Reasonable, Mature: This Isn't the Jeremy Shockey We've Been Told About

Tom MantzouranisPosted Jul 24th 2008 3:23PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: Giants, Saints, NFC East, NFC South

Hey, you might not be aware of this, but Jeremy Shockey is a normal human. I know that might surprise you, as everything you're led to believe about the guy paints the portrait of a 15-foot-tall demon who breathes fire beneath glowing eyes as he randomly steals babies from their strollers and tips over people in wheelchairs.

So as the Saints took the field this morning for their first training camp practice, attention was understandably focused on what Shockey was doing. But in his first comments since the trade, he seemed pretty ... collected.
"They won the Super Bowl last year,'' Shockey said. "They really deserved it. I'm going to miss my teammates and my coaches, the owners, everything.''
...
"The last thing I wanted was to go back to the Giants,'' Shockey said. "If I had went back, no matter what, it would have been a circus. The last thing I wanted to do was be a distraction. That's one of the reasons I didn't want to go to the Super Bowl. I wasn't healthy. They did a great job. I didn't want to be a distraction to that team. If I went, I was a distraction. If I didn't go, I was a distraction.''
As Shockey notes, he's real. He wears his emotions on his sleeve. And that might rub you the wrong way, but it doesn't make him a bad guy. I'd rather know where I stand with someone than not. Which is why I believe that what he's saying is genuine; he's never had a history of putting on a different face for the camera. And maybe moving south will allow everyone a different perception of the supposed monster.
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