The Memphis Grizzlies Must Be Trying to Collect as Many Ballhogs as Possible
NBA, Video July 9th. 2009, 6:30pm
The 1998-1999 Atlanta Hawks, fearing the anything-but pass-happy trio of Mookie Blaylock, Shammond Williams and Anthony Johnson at point guard, own the record for fewest assists per game in a season (15.6). Will the 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies threaten that record? Last season, Memphis was last in the league in assists per game (17.4), and they’ve traded for the black hole known as Zach Randolph, and seem to be intent on adding Allen Iverson.Iverson’s a polarizing sports figure - we’ve tracked his career since his high school days, when he clubbed a pregnant woman with a chair during a bowling alley melee - and his best years are behind him. At 34, one could argue he’d bring experience and leadership to a woebegone Grizzlies franchise. Alternatively, he could poison a young team with some promising players (Conley, Mayo, Gay, Gasol).
When talking about the reasons the Pistons’ season didn’t work out, Iverson did concede that he had a big ego and that he probably shared some of the blame as his scoring average hit a career-low 17.5 points for a four-time NBA scoring champ.
Caveat emptor, Chris Wallace.
127 Responses to “The Memphis Grizzlies Must Be Trying to Collect as Many Ballhogs as Possible”
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July 9th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
You tracked it so well you failed to mention that conviction was later wiped out and he was given clemency because there was no evidence.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Insufficient evidence.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Yeah I think you’re right, but I’m just going off my memory, I guess we should ask the guy who has been following him intently since high school though.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Maybe their thinking is that it’s better to be notorious than irrelevant.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:52 pm
i didnt mention anything about the incarceration or Wilder springing him. just the fight that he was part of.
and as i’ve said multiple times on here … he’s one of my favorite athletes of all-time.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Mine too, love him. Think he should just hang em up at this point though.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
One of mine as well. He was a model citizen here in Denver, even though that team was such a poorly constituted mess.
July 9th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Just out of curiousity… why? I admire his determination and the fact that he doesn’t quit. He can score too, there’s no doubting that.
But he offers nothing the form of leadership, tends to be a locker room cancer (and freely admits it) and doesn’t seem to learn from his mistakes very quickly.
Is this one of those “well, he’s undersized and I admire him for what he’s accomplished and the fact that he just says FTW sometimes” cases?
July 9th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
OT
“No, I don’t understand why they feel that way,” said Randy Burbage, South Carolina division commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, which has 3,500 state members, while the national organization numbers about 35,000. “Respecting each other’s heritage is a two-way street.”
You can also spell Burbage, t-o-o-l-b-a-g
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=4316170
July 9th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
I’m still getting Sherman outta the time machine from the other thread. One minute plz.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:04 pm
why?
realness, refusal to conform, talent and success despite his height
for starters
July 9th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
And as an individual player, he’s was really fun and unique to watch during his prime.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Ruck- Not sure your fan allegiances so I can’t really respond. But TBL, you’re a Yankees fan. Doesn’t that ingrain some sort of desire to really tag on to a guy that is a winner?
Iverson hasn’t won at the NCAA level or the NBA level, really. He’s got one Finals appearance, and one total game win in the Finals. Much of that has to do with what you mentioned… the refusal to conform etc.
Not trying to dissuade, but just understand your reasoning. Iverson has always been an enigma to me. I don’t personally care for him because he’s a “me” guy.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
And not nearly the bad teammate he was made out to be.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
He dragged that Sixers team to the Finals. They wouldn’t have come within 20 games otherwise.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Latin? What is this, Slate?
And is Duffy around? I want to know why he thinks it’s okay for a highly-paid, highly-read West Coast Internet columnist who talks about “being on the same team” with the blogosphere to not pay blogs anything more than lip service while offering traffic to blogs that cater to his whims.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I don’t disagree, but to take the only thing that ever came from Herman Edwards of worth, “You play to win the game.” Right? Just getting there is settling.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Wasnt there a story about how AI wouldn’t lift with the team and he would lock himself in the bathroom and eat tacos?
July 9th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Talking about Iverson in high school and no link to his football reel? He was the most highly recruited player in VA history, until Ronald Curry came along. Michael Vick grew up wanting to play football like Iverson.
/posting from my phone, or I’d link the youtube clip
July 9th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
If true, that is rad.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Talking about Iverson in high school and no link to his football reel? He was the most highly recruited player in VA history, until Ronald Curry came along. Michael Vick grew up wanting to play football like Iverson.
/posting from my phone, or I’d link the youtube clip
I hope that’s it.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I’d say that “just getting there” with that squad was a feat in and of itself.
And Herm can screw himself. Ryne Sandberg never won a goddamn thing, yet I love him still.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Hutch - He knows his influence. Look at his followers on twitter … then look at the followers of bloggers. he has an audience of 20 million uniques a month at ESPN.com
You could take the top 50 bloggers and i dont know if you’d come close to that (that’s not to say all 20 million visitors read his stuff at ESPN.com, but he’s certainly got the exposure).
love him or hate him, the guy does wield a significantly large bat due to where he writes. and he knows if he’s name checking blogs all over the place, he’s - to an extent - putting them on the map.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
well dont on the AI football link.
the guy was a legend in VA. absolutely unreal.
college buddy played at a rival HS and im sure to this day, playing against AI one in HS remains his claim to fame. this guy could actually ball (and barely dunk - played on a frat’s A team for intramurals), and he wasn’t even excited about playing AI - scared shitless.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Can’t disagree with that either GP. Best hall-of-fame induction speech in recent memory… Until Rickey DESTROYS it this year. God, I can’t wait for that.
But I still can’t agree with the sentiment on Iverson. Different viewpoints, that’s all.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
There are plenty of players who I don’t like, but would like them if they played on favorite team. ‘Sheed, for example. Iverson is the only player I can think of who is the exact opposite. Couldn’t stand him as a Piston. I can now go back to liking him again.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Wasnt there a story about how AI wouldn’t lift with the team and he would lock himself in the bathroom and eat tacos?
If true, that is rad.
Proof of realness.
AI is cool. Wouldn’t want him on my team, but he was fun to watch. That statement makes no sense, but that’s how it is with him for me.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
That’s the link Andy. Dude was nasty.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Absolutely. Also looking forward to Rickey.
“This is Rickey, calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play ball.”
July 9th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Love Iverson and frankly don’t understand how there are people who don’t appreciate a fearless midget among giants.
People suddenly talk about him now as if he’s some fraud like Vince Carter.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Oh, absolutely. But isn’t it talking out of both sides of your mouth to be wanting to be “a team” and then being cagey as all get out when it comes to actually reading blogs?
I can understand him being on an ESPN embargo when it comes to naming blogs; I could understand him trying to preserve his audience. But I think it’s less a matter of people leaving Simmons for other blogs (never going to happen) and more finding other voices to compare with Simmons’.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
My favorite Rickey-ism:
In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
The thing is Iverson is the guy who never “got it.”
He refused to conform even if it meant a better chance at a ring. How often are guys in any sport ripped on for this attitude? A lot.
A total “ME” guy in every aspect.
His talent was awesome, but his refusal to use it to the ultimate advantage is what is truly sad. Some guys “get it” later in their careers, but Iverson is one who never did and never will.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Nah, I don’t refer to him as that. Carter is not a maximum effort guy. Like I said with AI, just the “me” thing and the lack of wins. I’m sure I’d have a different opinion if I was from PA though.
/I swear I’m done now
//maybe
July 9th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
My favorite… “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”
Somewhere on the internet is a list of like 30 Rickeyisms. Very enjoyable.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
My thoughts exactly.
He a selfish athlete.
T.O. gives max effort, trains like crazy, and wants to win, but when he complains about not getting the ball people call him a loser, and a selfish “me only” player.
Well, TO and Iverson kinda compare similarly in my book.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
HEY!!!
RICKY QUOTES!!!!
July 9th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
KC - Here and here.
/that’s only half a bannin’
July 9th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
i had a huge man-crush on iverson after he crossed the shit out of jordan and it wasnt that he just did it once he did it twice within seconds of crossing jordan the first time. thats when i knew he was going to be special. i wish he wasnt such a douche bag though. oh and his first pair of reeboks were the most comfortable pair of basketabll shoe i have ever worn
July 9th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Excellent. Thanks Souvenir and Rondoman.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
It sucks that the Olerud- HEndersom story isn’t true. That would have been an all time classic.
By the way finally got around to reading “The Bad Guys Won”. Man that book is great.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
But he offers nothing the form of leadership, tends to be a locker room cancer (and freely admits it) and doesn’t seem to learn from his mistakes very quickly.
Is this one of those “well, he’s undersized and I admire him for what he’s accomplished and the fact that he just says FTW sometimes†cases?
two reasons. One, there is a David Halberstam article that was collected in his “best of my sports writing” book about Iverson that is amazing, all about how, essentially, Halberstam is a really old white guy that can’t relate to Iverson but can’t not admire him after the 76ers/Lakers finals.
2. He was once on an interview show and they brought up the rumor about how he threw his wife outside without any clothes on and locked her out to which he replied “That’s my wife. You think I want people to be seein’ my wife?”
July 9th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
And it’s fantastic.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Really like Jeff Pearlman, the Cowboy book is highly recommended just for the penis stories.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
you know i dont buy the “i cant relate to him because im white and old” stance. maybe he is exactly what you see . a fucking douchebag. a person isnt immune to being a douchebag because the color of their skin. they are egually capable regardless of skin tone
/drops mic
//this is my “I have a dream”
July 9th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I have that book Andy and Taguchi. “Everything They Had”. It took me a while to get into Halberstam’s writing. Especially because it starts with the Harvard boating pieces and such which are just very hard for me to get into.
I’ll have to find that piece, I haven’t read the whole book. You can pick me apart for not liking traditional, great journalism or think pieces but man, that Halberstam stuff is dense the first time you read it.
It’s like watching a movie like Anchorman. You’ve got to watch (read) it a few times before you really appreciate it.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Simmons recommended the Breaks of the Game a lot when Halberstam died and I picked it up. Great book. Had no idea there was a time I would have liked Bill Walton.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Iverson actually “got it” one year, in 2001. He played an obscene number of minutes, played hurt and played amazingly well, with a pretty nice set of surrounding role players. Of course he wasn’t beating the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, but cool to see for a season nonetheless.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
The Bill Simmons-Dave Meltzer podcast was probably the best podcast simmons has had. mainly because they talked about two of my main interests mma and pro wrestling. if you are a fan of those 2 things you will like that podcast.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Don’t know about “best”, but definitely the one I enjoyed most. I don’t like when Simmons talks about wrestling though, only because it seems like he hasn’t watched it since about 1990, and you should have stopped about 2001.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
The Bad Guys Won is tremendous. Need to read the Cowboys book.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
The one where he had his boss on, the one with the ombudsman, and the Chuck Klosterman one’s are also faves. Was really sad when Keith Law was on last week and he didn’t give Simmons shit for saying things he would eviserate someone for in his chats.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
yeah, ok, ill see you guys there (fart sound, thumb down)
July 9th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
The Clemens book was also really good if you don’t like Clemens since Pearlman clearly think’s Roger’s intellect is one step above a slug’s. I didn’t know that Roger isn’t really from Texas and that his brother is/was a coked up methhead.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
i’m not into like i was when i was 9 or when the attitude era came along but i pay attention to it just to see who best mic guys are and who can actually put on a good match. surprisingly they young guys that were coming up in the attitude era are still holding down “the best mic guy” and “the best worker” titles. you can tell the wwe is desperately searching for that cross-over star in the mold of the rock or stone cold.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:43 pm
Fantastic stuff, really. Pearlman knows how to tell a story, quickly. I knew a little bit about those Cowboys and I still knocked the book off in a day. Highly recommended.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Wish I could comment on Simmons. My opinion of him is solely based on hearsay. I get an air of arrogance and Boston… mainly, Boston from him. More than enough reason to keep me away.
I’ll have to pick up Bad Guys Won, I’ve got the time to read it now during the summer.
And I agree with Hernia, Iverson’s 2001 season is impressive. That was a MVP year, right? He succeeded more with Eric Snow than LeBron did. At least they won a game in the Finals they got to.
/anything to jab at the King
July 9th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
its amazing how shitty that philly team was
July 9th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Oh, I still watch it because that’s how much Vince McMahon owns my soul, it’s just incredibly bad. Cornette has a rant on his site about… I’ll just quote it:
This is exactly why it’s not enjoyable anymore. I loved it when it was a fake sport portraying itself as real, but when they don’t act like it’s real or they care and titles don’t matter than why would I pay for a ppv?
July 9th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
@mrejr - On WSCR this morning, Mulligan and Hanley has Hogan on for an interview. It was actually a great interview. He was just a regular guy and even talked about the old days, how guys didn’t script everything. They played off the crowd. Guys now-a-days go by the script and don’t change their routine even if the crowd doesn’t like it.
I don’t know if the Score does podcasts, but if you can find it, it was great. I had to drive some people to the airport and it was s double segment interview, solid 25 minutes.
Hogan, now that he’s stepped away from the ring and you see what he’s like as a father, husband and such is a really humanizing figure. It’s actually added to his wrestling persona as opposed to taken away from it like many thought it would.
FYI - Legends of Wrestlemania for the PS3… fuckin’ A!
July 9th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Oh, and the Hulkster is going to be at the Toyota Center tomorrow (the Fire have their own arena, who knew?) signing autographs. I hope it’s not like “The Wrestler” but I have a feeling it will be…
July 9th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
same here.
thats my biggest gripe. they need to have like a year or 2 year long champion and intercontinental champ. back in the day they actually gave the titles to the #1 and # 2 earners in the company and built guys off of their battle with the champs. they need to get back to that instead of giving the title to whoever has a good month.
sc: never forget that hogan was one of the guys behind WCW’s rise and WCW’s quick fall. while he holds sentimental value to me i’m not a big fan of his tenure in the wcw towards the end. unfortunately TNA right now is reeking of latter days WCW. but if TNA shakes off some of the stale mofos in their company and hires a innovative writer and booker and gets rid of that gimmicky ass 6 sided ring we very well could see another awesome wrestling era.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Chances are, most of the guys that like him now are the guys who read him back in the early 2000s. The people who started reading him later seem to hate him. So he’s polarizing in that sense. He’s a different writer/person than he was when he first started.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Chances are, most of the guys that like him now are the guys who read him back in the early 2000s. The people who started reading him later seem to hate him.
Probably true. I like his non-Boston stuff. I read him when he actually wrote 3 15,000 word columns a week. I soured on him after the Red Sox won the series. He was pretty much insufferable at that point with the Sox and Patriots. His cliff notes guide to the NBA strip club scandal in Atlanta was hilarious.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
anyone ever drop their iphone in a bucket of water and have it survive?
July 9th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
On Simmons - Is his book anything worth getting from a library? Or will I really hate that?
Ruck - I’m trying to think what I read on the internet in the early part of this decade. I was in college and it was the first time I had high-speed internet so I’m sure 75% of my search queries were porn related but I hate to say I can’t recall what I was reading for fun.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
probably my favorite column ever. Between Andruw Jones not remembering his prostitute to the mere concept that someone would desire to watch Patrick Ewing get a blow job…
Oh, mrejr, just saw that there was a new one with meltzer. he did one after the benoit business.
http://search.espn.go.com/bs-report-dave-meltzer/
July 9th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
in a good development, i played great in hoops and we’re 2-2. we were far superior to the other team and should have dominated (they had a coach?). of course, we had turned the ball over a ton, and worse yet, we were lazy on offense and took bad shots and didn’t get back on D.
i nearly ripped this guy’s head off when, leading by 2 with 2 mins left, he takes an ill advised corner 3 and then 2 guys dont get back on d and they have a 4-on-2. really, WTF are you thinking?
vent over
July 9th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
the first Simmons book, about the Red Sox, sucks. And I’m a total Simmons guy, and a reader of books.
I also do not recommend the Cowboys book by Pearlman if you closely follow the Cowboys. It’s a crazy oversimplification. It reads like he just read the headlines of stories in the Morning Star and the Star Telegram, and did a 1000 minute interview with Kenny Gant.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
anyone ever drop their iphone in a bucket of water and have it survive?
Do a google search. My kid once spilled water all over the remote and I put it in the freezer. It would work until it thawed. After a couple weeks of freezing it when not using, it dried out and worked fine. Once, in a drunken stupor, I got off my cell phone and promptly put it in a glass of Boulevard Wheat. Someone told me to put it in the oven at a very low temperature. It worked just fine afterwards, but was sort of melted platic in places. It was not near as high tech as the Iphone. Some will suggest to take the phone apart and let it dry, but I think that will probably end whatever warranty you have. I tried to change out the battery on the 3rd generation Ipod and fucked something up and Apple said i had tampered with it.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Anytime you drop something electronic in water, immediately take out the battery and put it in a bag full of rice in as many parts as possible. You prevent the device from shorting out, and the rice gets the water out of the smallest nooks and crannies. It’s not perfect, but it’s fairly effective and about the only thing you can do.
You cannot do this process with an Iphone.
You’re fucked.
/jmorris
July 9th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
anyone ever drop their iphone in a bucket of water and have it survive?
your only chance is silica gel and tupperware. Put the phone in tupperware, tight for two days, with silica gel packets, as many as you can find. My sister’s kids are always putting her phone in the toilet, that’s where I know this method.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
TBL - you may as well use that phone as a shuffleboard puck, dude.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I like my bloggers full of testosterone.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
we were far superior to the other team and should have dominated (they had a coach?).
Wow. Lame. A coach for a pick-up league game?
i nearly ripped this guy’s head off when, leading by 2 with 2 mins left, he takes an ill advised corner 3 and then 2 guys dont get back on d and they have a 4-on-2. really, WTF are you thinking?
Sounds like your team needs a coach.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
i was in missouri chilling at my dad’s vacation property when the benoit shit went down. whe i went into town to get some groceries i saw it in the paper. i was shocked as fuck. and mad because i couldnt get on the internet to read about it. there is no tv and not puter down on the property. only a radio that plays a oldies station.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
i nearly ripped this guy’s head off when
TBL, hat lovin’ internet weenie, real life rage-aholic.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
They reported on Charles Haley’s penis in the Morning Star and newspapers are still dying?
July 9th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
@KC - Dude. I miss Boulevard so much. They had it on tap in Iowa City when I was in school. Can’t find it anywhere in Chicago.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Throw it in the gutter, go buy another.
/That’s what Eazy would do
July 9th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
They reported on Charles Haley’s penis in the Morning Star and newspapers are still dying?
The 2nd most interesting revelation in that book was that Michael Irvin liked his chicken wings double dipped, so they’d be crispier. Outside of Charles Haley masturbating in meetings, there was nothing noteworthy in that book.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
I love how everyone becomes MacGyver when it comes to our little electronic devices. There’s more old wives tales about how to cure your wet blackberry than there is about curing hiccups at this point.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
This would not have been acceptable. What you get for going to Missouri.
/lives here
July 9th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I’m 27, so while I remember those Cowboy teams I wasn’t exactly in depth, and its not like you could read the Dallas Morning News online in 1992 so there was a lot of stuff I either forgot/didn’t know in there. But I can definitely see how it wuld have been disappointing for a fan.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
steeleville has a bitchin little restuarant that has a badass breakfast buffet. the property is so peaceful though and about a mile away from the river so it so fucking relaxing.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
never heard of this, and where would i find silica gel packets? but this is great for the future. i can plan ahead. i just went with turn the phone off, let it dry out and hope for the best tomorrow. i was able to text and check email and stuff but i kept getting a strange message as if it were trying to be plugged in.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Is bucket of water a code for toilet?
/You know you did, but it’s cool if you don’t admit it…
July 9th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Silica gel packets. Ask H.E. Pennypacker.
Hernia is probably the only one that will get that one…
July 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
never heard of this, and where would i find silica gel packets?
In shoeboxes (you know those things they won’t let you eat?), or at a hardware store. You’re looking for a desiccant at the hardware store.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
about hoops … i’m competitive. to a fault. i dont like to lose at anything. plus, this hoops game is fun, and really, it’s the highlight of my week. you married people will know what im talking about.
(you’ve got work 5 days a week, working out, personal projects on the weekend, maybe a wedding, family gathering, church, movie, cleaning up … hoops is my escape. in my single 20s, it was partying tues, thurs, sat.)
all i ask is 40 minutes of hustle and defense and toughness. we had a sub - why be lazy?
July 9th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I can’t believe they have this clip on YouTube. Internet, you never cease to amaze me.
/Pennypacker’d
July 9th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Grandparents retired to Cuba, lot of land with a large pond/small lake, and mother grew up in Rolla, so know where your talking about. Very pretty area. Have empty hope my grandparents will will me there property because I’m a golddigger.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
sink. probably the big man upstairs’ way of saying, ’should have done the dishes earlier.’
July 9th, 2009 at 9:46 pm
yeah if my dad isnt a prick me and my siblings will get his property
July 9th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
steeleville has the prettiest little league baseball diamond i have seen in years. seriously that town takes pride in that damn thing you can tell
July 9th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
not speaking english helps this lady.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Worked for Sammy Sosa too
July 9th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
Souvenir City -
I don’t know how long you’ve been out of Iowa City, but they’ve expanded the brewery and beers.
http://www.boulevardbrewing.com/beer.htm
They have a Smokestack line of brews which come in a big ass bottle also. Top of page link I think. I thought they shipped to Illinois, but the link to the locations is busted. If you are in Chicago, try Kincaid’s. If anywhere would have it, they would.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
July 9th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
damn
July 9th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
gfunk: yeah, I know, plan on going I think. Live in Ballwin. Just moved back last year after five long years in Cape Girardeau, MO.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
As someone who read it once and then bought the newly updated 2009 edition, which is like seven bucks on Amazon: Yeah, it’s worth it, if you can make it through a book heavy on pop culture and the Red Sox. My complaints about Simmons’ attitude notwithstanding, I like him as a writer, and there are a few really good pieces in there.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
taguchi: you watch any TNA? its on right now.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
i never really could get into pro wrestling as a kid…all my friends were, i just never liked it. the only wrestling PPV event i ever saw was when that guy fell from the ceiling, just thought it was part of the act.
i like bill simmons podcasts and his 2 part series with klosterman was great…i liked how chuck was challenging bill throughout the show.
sucks about the iphone TBL…maybe ATT will show mercy and you can get a 3gs?
July 9th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
That one, though I did enjoy it, made me react just like yesterday’s did; Simmons’ paranoia is really, really, really stupid.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Just heard a great line in Shooter (watching for the 18th time, thanks, showtime!)
“In a conspiracy, all loose ends are trimmed. Jack Ruby shoots Oswald.”
In light of events this week … goodnight!
July 9th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
it was good to have somone on the BS report that throws bill off his game like CK can…you could tell during the conversation about the dunlevy thing bill just wanted to move on and chuck kept going at it.
about the cowherd podcast, just seems like bill has a real negative view of blogs ever since the deadspin commenters went to his article…like he wants to distance himself from the genre, even though he kinda came from it almost like that episode made him embarrassed to start from the same roots.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
I actually haven’t listened to the one from last week; I was talking about the one from March, more about news and newspapers.
Simmons was sort of the first blogger. Except he doesn’t blog in the modern sense, and really couldn’t. It’s weird.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
thats kinda what I mean…he is associated as being the first blogger. so maybe he is concerned that he gets grouped into places like deadspin or even TBL by the “mainstream” and he feels like it takes away from some of the legitimacy he is looking for. almost like he has risen above all this and now its time to take him seriously, even though he will talk for 30 minutes about why road rules duel is the best television ever.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
And by rising above it, he’s really just become the lazy sportswriter he loathed as a newsroom grunt for the Herald. And, really, does ESPN need a thirtysomething, blase LA voice, or a Boston guy?
No. They need the Bill Simmons brand.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I think I’m going to build a rollercoaster instead.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
no hitter alert: Lincecum through 5 vs. SD.
as a fantasy owner, this is the best news
July 9th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Wow, TBL. You’re allowing pop-up ads on your site now? Man, times have changed. It almost makes me miss the days of Chinese Ladies for Marriage ads.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
or that super loud iphone ad
July 9th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
You have screwed me for the last time pennypacker
July 10th, 2009 at 12:01 am
good call fetch. now that i’m unemployed, i probably wouldn’t mind it as much.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:02 am
Being unemployed rocks. Well, when you’re 21. Fortunately someone is dumb enough to pay me to write.
Did the Hawks sign Versteeg?
July 10th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Yes, Versteeg signed a 3yr deal worth $9.25M. Someone is going to be traded this year, most likely him. Blackhawks need the cap space to sign Toews, Kane and Keith next year. Still can’t believe Brian fucking Campbell has a $7.15M a year contract. Ridiculous.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:20 am
I bet they’ll be able to move that Campbell contract. NHL GMs are morons.
And I mentioned this before, but apparently Kane has gotten an inflated sense of self-worth and might not be easy to sign.
Versteeg to Pens. For someone, anyone. Lovejoy + someone maybe.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Only took ya 2 hours!
And, my Blackhawks source says Dale Tallon’s head will roll before the puck is dropped next season.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:44 am
You can call him a homer, or unfunny, or a douche, but you definitely can’t call him lazy. Regardless of what you think of his columns, the dude puts a lot of work into those pieces…at least the NBA ones anyway. He’s just evolved from being an edgy humor columnist to trying to become a more reflective writer. Just because you write for the internet doesn’t mean you can’t learn to grow up as a writer.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:50 am
Live blogging (running diary) and links were two things he essentially pioneered back in the day. Not to mention his ramblings were one of my favorites before it started to fade.
July 10th, 2009 at 12:50 am
This is A.I’s legacy.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Long, long ago.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:44 am
I’ll be buying his basketball book; he’s one of the NBA writers I revere as being faithful to the game and smart about it.
But the rest of his oeuvre, right now, is flaccid. He knows zip about baseball beyond the Red Sox and his fantasy team; he’s usually wrong about football; he’s usually pretty bad with any of his touring in other sports.
So if he’s just an NBA writer? A or A-minus. Everything else drags the grade down.
July 10th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Remove Red Sox and add the name of your favorite team that describes us all
/admittedly like Simmons
July 10th, 2009 at 10:46 am
When Larry Brown basically quit on the 04 Olympic team after they didn’t have a chance to win Gold it was Iverson who kept them together and said if there’s a medal of any kind to win then lets go win it. He kept those young guys(LeBron,Wade, and Carmelo) into it when Brown had them drifting. He carried those Philly teams to more playoff appearances than what their talent, other than him, deserved. That’s the real AI I remember. And for all of the talk I’ve seen on here about him being able to do nothing but score, he is one of the very best off the ball defenders in the league.