Sister Act: Venus and Serena in the Wimbledon Final; Turkoglu Burns Blazers for … Raptors?
NBA, Tennis July 4th. 2009, 9:14am
Head-to-head, they’ve won 10 apiece. But in Grand Slam finals, Serena’s won five of the last seven. Venus is better on grass. We’ll be watching, but wondering what the F Hedo Turkoglu was thinking. The much-coveted SF pulled out of his verbal deal with Portland so he could make $3 million more … in the NBA wasteland known as Toronto. Doesn’t he know the Raptors are going to trade Chris Bosh before the All-Star break? Poor guy. NBA Finals to a first-round ouster.
Turkoglu will make about $3 million more over the life of the contract than he would have made in Portland, but a bigger reason for his change of heart, a source told ESPN.com, was his desire to play in Toronto, a more international and cosmopolitan city — one with a large Turkish population — and his familiarity with the Eastern Conference after having spent the last five seasons with the Magic.
As for Portland … what a death blow. Just when it had the SF it needed to round out a great starting lineup … they’re back to the decidedly less exciting toss-up of Nicholas Batum or Travis Outlaw.
75 Responses to “Sister Act: Venus and Serena in the Wimbledon Final; Turkoglu Burns Blazers for … Raptors?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.


July 4th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Crappy summer school essays. Piles of them.
Life=balls.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:35 am
I see that Sandomir tore NBC a new one again yesterday.
July 4th, 2009 at 9:36 am
So did them
July 4th, 2009 at 9:37 am
and them
July 4th, 2009 at 9:38 am
and them
(sorry I did it that way. When I put them in one response, “my comment was awaiting moderation”)
July 4th, 2009 at 9:47 am
As for Turkoglu, you can hardly blame him. I mean, if he didn’t take that contract, he might only afford 13 yachts instead of 14. And there is that law that you are forced to sign the most expensive contract, no matter who it comes from.
/greedy sports agent’d
July 4th, 2009 at 10:16 am
how about this….
Kidd Staying Put: An informed source has told HOOPSWORLD that Jason Kidd intends to return to the Dallas Mavericks for a three-year, $24 million contract.
I guess Dallas found their point guard of the future.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I’m pretty sure that he could’ve hired a chef to cook him whatever Turkish delight he wanted instead of moving to a place that has zero chance at a title once Bosh leaves.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:18 am
I hope Memphis doesn’t offer him a 24.01 million dollar contract
/Turkoglu’d
July 4th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Thank God Kidd signed with the Mavs to keep the Knicks from doing so.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I thought John Denver was dead. What’s he doing at Wimbledon?
Oh wait. That’s Martina Navratilova.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Obviously, you guy don’t realize just how posh and metropolitan Toronto is for Turks. He wife was right to make the decision for him.
Toronto has dozens of full body waxing salons for women that specialize in unibrows, mustaches and back hair.
/now that’s racist
July 4th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I loved how that was the “only” story (except maybe Turkoglu) the first day of free agency. There was a certain “The Knicks want him. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time” arrogance to it.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Actually, the only thing more arrogant than that previous comment was the “The Knicks will sign Kidd so he can groom Ricky Rubio” stories.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Jay,there was nobody, nowhere, that actually thought Jason Kidd was going anywhere. Just like Turkoglu, you have to flirt with team #2 to drive your price up. You just do.
Kidd could make the most money from Dallas, but he needed Dallas to offer him a whole buncha money, so he needed a suitor. The Knicks had cap room, and obliged. They probably owed his agent a favor.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Hedo still has a better chance of making the Finals with Toronto. He’s in the dogshit East where sub-.500 teams making the playoffs is the norm. Also, an 8th seed from the East has made the Finals, so it’s not like the Raptors even have to win 40 games to sniff the Finals.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:35 am
also, how about Rafael Palmiero. Issuing a public denial, 4 years later, using the old B12 defense. That should assuage Hall of Fame voters, don’t you think?
July 4th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Dirt, I was on the road a lot this week, and listened to a lot of sportstalk. The day before free agency began, all the national shows would talk about re: basketball was how a potential signing of Jason Kidd would affect the Knicks, how it would affect their chances with you know who, and then throwing in the “inevitable” trade of Rubio on top of it.
I’m glad it was just talk and hype.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:46 am
I was on the road a lot this week, and listened to a lot of sportstalk.
There’s your problem right there. Get books on tape, listen to CD’s, public radio, or even massage your groin, but don’t listen to sports radio. It will drive you crazy, and make you a worse person.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I agree dirtheavy. I should have known better.
Actually, I wonder why nobody’s talking about what is obviously the biggest story of the weekend: MANNY!
/ESPN’d
//You can pick up your check from Scott Boras at the front desk
///And yes, you still have access to his clients
July 4th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Hey I wasn’t saying it was a done deal, like it was a definite that Kidd would be a Knick. I was just saying I’m happy the Knicks had no part with him.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Do players get paid extra for the post season in basketball? Or are they playing for the glory and/or an considerably less than the regular season pay? Are taxes more or less in Toronto than Portland? Bottom line pro basketball is a JOB not a game.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Not you, shatner. Like I said, my view may have been distorted because I listened to sportstalk this week. They definitely took the Kidd story overboard
July 4th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Is there going to be a Live Blog of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest?
July 4th, 2009 at 11:56 am
The Williams sisters look an awful lot like Pat Ewing and that ain’t good.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:57 am
cant beat smoked brisket and st louis style ribs for july 4th
July 4th, 2009 at 11:59 am
there was an article on cnn (i think it was them) that a lot of those competitive eaters gain a lot of weight and have clogged arteries. one guy gained over 100 pounds. it makes sense.
July 4th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I’m convinced that Venus has a penis and Serena has a weiner.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I kinda miss Lindsay Davenport. She looks like Chris “Birdman” Andersen
July 4th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
You get paid for the postseason, though not a lot, back before the million dollar contracts it was a nice chunk of change and a real motivator for the players. Taxes are considerably higher in Canada (Canada is like the anti-Florida, big income tax instead of no income tax) so I would suspect that Turk might actually be making less with this deal than he would have in Portland. I know Riccardi once claimed that the reason the Blue Jays had such a hard time signing free agents was that they had to offer 20% more than any other team because of the taxes.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
What did they do to convince you; take your girl to the next level?
July 4th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
The Mavs want Kidd for 3 more years? That Devin Harris trade worked out really well for them.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
@ Darrell: Not only that, but Venus and Serena could beat any tennis player in a fight, woman or man. I guess I’m just not attracted to them. I miss the days of a Sharapova/Ivanovic Final, complete with moaning (which this politically correct culture calls that “grunting”).
July 4th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
But then theres that chick who weighs 105 lbs. I guess its all how you take care of yourself in between contests.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
…wait, so I can actually turn myself into a cartoon?? But the best thing I could do with this ability is show off in my profile?? Somebody’s not thinking big enough…
July 4th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
These introductions are getting longer and longer and more annoying.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I love hearing the various eating “accomplishments” of these guys.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Funnel cake eating champion of the world!!! Fucking awesome.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I like that one of them is a vegetarian.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
So if the USA wins this, the economy gets fixed, right?
July 4th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
“A blue collar eater” what the fuck does that mean?
July 4th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Thank God Nathan’s sponsors this contest. If Whole Foods did, those 68 dogs that guy just ate would cost $500. At Nathan’s, it’s about $150.
July 4th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
There needs to be anorth korean guy in this competition so he can be booed the entire time.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
They’re replaying this?!?!?! Fuck that, I’m going to watch the same horrible 5 hour movie on the jackson family that’s currently on VH1 that I saw two weeks ago.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Toronto does have a huge Turkish population. We also have a huge European population, and a huge, HUGE, asian population.
It’s a great city (I’m actually downtown as I’m typing this), and though I don’t know how long Hedo can be the MJ of Turkey, I’m glad we have him on the Raptors. If Bosh produces well (which he will), Bargs continues his production from last year (which he will) and Jose is healthy, the Raptors will grab 4-6th seed. I don’t know if they’ll make it past the first round, but I think that’s where the HEdo signing helps.
I also hope they resign Marion, though I’m sure he’ll bitch and moan about Hedo being the “big signing” and not him. If they ccant get MArion for a decent price then fuck him.
Oh, we also have the VC 2.0 rookie. There’s no way he’ll match Carter’s amazing rookie season (dunks every night, singlehandedly made Toronto interested in basketball, DUNKS, and actually played serious defense), but I’m curious to see how he pans out.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Karma – to sign Turkoglu, Toronto has to renounce Marion’s rights, according to this report, as well as others I’ve seen.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
I’m in the theater about to see “Public Enemies” and I just keep thinking about how bad “G.I. Joe” looks.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
The winner of the hotdog contest only gets $20k?!
July 4th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
The winner of the hotdog contest only gets $20k?!
and first dibs on the bathroom behind Nathan’s.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Shatner: Save your money, go see “The Hangover” again. “Public Enemies” is a disappointment.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Already saw “The Hangover” twice. I’ve heard this isn’t good, but it’s a better choice than “Transformers 2″
July 4th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Or you can just pop in a DVD and watch the greatest goddamned American movie ever made.
July 4th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
i was mostly joking about Hedo and Toronto. actually really like toronto as a city (been to the Film Festival twice – great), but i was pulling for Portland because i like Oden
July 4th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
The tax situation in Toronto can be dealt with by a competent accountant. It’s really a non-factor, despite what that moron Ricciardi said.
I’ve travelled quite a bit and there are very few U.S. cities that can hold a candle to Toronto in terms of quality of life. I don’t think anyone can argue with his logic on that front.
Did anyone consider that a significant addition like Hedo may improve the team and entice Bosh to stick around? Bosh’s only motivation to leave would be if the team sucked again. He has no problem with the city and I’m sure he enjoys all the endorsement money he rakes in here that he won’t match elsewhere. People should do a little research before assuming Bosh is gone.
July 4th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
All I heard was “I moved here from Canada and they think I’m slow, ehhhhh.”
July 4th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Steve McNair is dead.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
And now they erased the story. Wish I did a screengrab.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
what the fuck, right clown?
Here’s something..some news channel 5
July 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
I told you I wasn’t making it up.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
somebody updated his wiki page to say he was dead already.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
He died in an apparent murder-suicide. Jesus, 2009 is the year of the dead celebrity.
And public enemy sucked.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
they updated murder suicide to double homicide. It seems to have been on a street corner, not where murder suicides usually play out.
July 4th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Obviously, it’s way too soon to be callous, but this seriously helps his Hall of Fame credentials.
And don’t get on me too hard, I was a huge Steve McNair guy. I really liked him as a player, but also how the oilers/titans developed him.
July 4th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Damn McNair what the fuck happened?
July 4th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
is the week of the dead celebrity.
/fixed
//damn, enough already
July 4th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Don’t be hard on me either, but I pray that this story doesn’t get ugly
July 4th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
shit first manny then ed macmahon then farrah then mj…now mcnair?…when will i ever get the news cycle all to my self?
/brett favre’d
//you know thats what he is thinkin
July 4th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
seriously thhat is fucked up…this week has been fucked up
July 4th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
@mrejr – my advice to you is to start drinking heavily.
July 4th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
@jim: i dont drink
July 4th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
From CNN
From the Steve McNair Foundation website
rut-roh
/amateur sleuth’d
July 4th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
The listen here, as always, don’t trust a woman with a firearm.
/Grasping at straws for levity’d
This fucking sucks.
July 4th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
either he wanted to end it with his gf and she didnt want the relationship to end or his wife killed them or had someone kill them. the least likely scenario imo is that he killed his gf and then himself
July 4th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Tap dancing Christ, I’m too saddened to type coherently.
“Lesson” not “listen.”
Apparently the new “listen” here is that I’m an idiot. /Simmons’d
July 4th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Eddie George: