Little People, Big Charlotte

This post originally appeared on YaySports!.

(The Cavalier did not write this. As he mentioned, he is “finishing”.)

For those who pay attention to such things, Earl Boykins signed with the Charlotte Bobcats today.

Personally, I’ve always like Earl Boykins. Granted, there were sometimes, especially when he first appeared in the NBA, where I thought I was watching Spud Webb or Muggsy Bogues, but then once I figured out there were three vertically challenged people in the NBA, I grew to like the minature Mr. Boykins. And now he is playing in the same city that made Bogues famous.

Little known fact: did you know the 5′5 Boykins has as more rebounds in his career (702) than 7′3 Keith Closs (372), 7′5 Pavel Podkolzin (9), 7′3 Aleksandar Radojevic (36), 7′3 Peter Ramos (4), and 7′9 Sun Ming Ming (0) combined! Another little known fact: Spud Webb had only 215 less rebounds in his career than Gheorge Muresan.

Oh by the way, did you know the Cav’s Kevin Bacon Number is 4? This is going to sound weird, but I’m bored. The Cav is obviously in Who Shot Mamba? (assuming it comes out). If you have watched the trailer, you know a certain ESPN-NBA personality is in it, one who was also in Little Nicky with Harvey Keitel. Keitel happened to be in Taxi Driver with Robert DeNiro who was in Sleepers with Kevin Bacon.

P.S. For those that care, my website is now at http://www.theserioustip.com/. Nothing wrong with a wee bit of shameless self-promotion every once in a while.

Questions about a minor league investment

Earlier this week, much attention was made about minor league baseball pitcher Randy Newsom. Newsom, as was reported in numerous media outlets, signed on with an organization called Real Sports Investments (RSI) with the intention of selling stock in himself. According to the proposed agreement, share holders can buy a share of Newsom's future earnings through RSI. If, for example, someone bought a share of Newsom for the sale price of $20, and Newsom were to earn $20 million in his big league career, the share holder would receive a maximum return $320.

Granted, the owner of the Newsom stock does not own much as Newsom only sold 4% of his total earnings to RSI. He still owns 96% of himself. So far, through the deal with RSI, each of the 2,500 shareholders only represents .000016 of Newsom.

Currently shares in Newsom have sold out, netting him $50,000. However, despite his success in raising capital, I was still left with questions about an athlete selling shares in himself. If I was a share holder or as a potential future shareholder in any other athlete, these are some of the things I would want to know:

- How much rights to licensing can Major League Baseball have over someone who is "owned" by share holders?

- Can a majority of the share holders block the use of their holding in an independent fantasy league?

- Will there be shareholder meetings and a proxy vote to determine the career actions of their holding?

- What about a specifically issued prospectus every year? Or will share holders be left on their own to find out how well their investment is doing?

- The contract only specifies a "major league", does that in any way shape or form, include the highest professional league of foreign countries?

- And how does RSI make money on the deal? Is there an undisclosed management fee?

These are just a few of the questions I have about "buying" someone's future on RSI. Unfortunately, none of these questions are answered in the "Information for Investors" page on RSI. Perhaps I would be better off buying stock in a team or an entire league.

A Kidd-aclysm in Jersey?

This post originally appeared on YaySports!.

(The Cavalier did not write this. I was bored and you looked like you needed someone. So here I am.)

So Jason Kidd wants out of New Jersey. Eh, ok. I can understand that. He is on a decrepit team with little or no chance of success this year. (Note: why people jump on the Nets bandwagon every pre-season is beyond me.) Kidd is also playing in the shadow of his ex-wife. So he has a personal and professional reason to want out. Although I can’t relate, as I am neither divorced nor am a pro-basketball player, he has my sympathies.

Of course, who’s ears immediately perked up when he heard of JKidd’s request? None other than LeBron James of the once admired Cavaliers (By the way, Cav, no report on the game you were supposed to watch? I’m disappointed.). According to AOL Fanhouse, who quoted TrueHoop, who heard from I don’t know, someone said that LeBron said that he would totally like Jason on his team. And everyone laughed and said, “Umm… no.”

However, thanks to the ESPN trade machine, I figured out a way to make it happen. I figured out a trade that not only involves the Cavs and the Nets, but also the return of an old friend - Mr. Badtrade himself, Isiah Thomas.

Here’s how it works: the Cavs trade Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes to the Knicks in exchange for Nate Robinson, Zach Randolph, and Jamal Crawford. The Cavs then trade Randolph and Crawford to New Jersey for Jason Kidd, who they keep, and Jamal Magloire, who they promptly sacrifice to the Knicks as thanks.

What is not to like about this trade? Cleveland gets Kidd and Nate Robinson, the Nets get Randolph and Crawford, and the Knicks get Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and Jamal Magloire. All it requires is Isiah not realizing he is getting fleeced. Like that’s never happened before.

My Favorite Super Bowl Memory

When MCBias of Moderately Cerebral Bias emailed me asking me to write my favorite Super Bowl memory, I really had to think. What should I write about? The games come and go, usually beer is consumed, food is thrown down the gullet, and commercials are watched. How different can each experience be? I had to really think back - 2007, 2006, 2000, 1994, 1991, 1987 ... all the way to the earliest Super Bowls I could remember watching. After much contemplation, one game - Super Bowl XXXVII (37) between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders - stands out above the rest.

Going to a university like Florida State, a school known more for its athletics than its academics, alumni and students love to namedrop the more famous athletes they had classes with. Some brag about sitting next to Charlie Ward, some talk about Chris Weinke's classroom habits (whatever they may be), so on and so forth.

Personally, I shared class space with a few Seminole football stars. Probably the most famous of these were current NFL players Chris Hope and Darnell Dockett. The athlete I knew the best, however, was an fourth-string linebacker who probably never once saw any action at Doak Campbell Stadium on a game day.

After knowing [name withheld] for only a few weeks, my new football-playing friend invited me to his place for his Super Bowl shindig. Not having any plans outside of the usual beer, buddies, chips and dip, I accepted his invite.

Arriving at [name withheld]'s apartment in late afternoon, I knew I was in for an interesting time. As I pulled into the parking lot, there about a dozen big dudes, all throwing the remnants of barbeque chicken bones across the road I just arrived on. I guess I was lucky they weren't done eating when I drove down the road.

As game time neared, we all hung out in the parking lot of my friend's run-down apartment (football players don't get paid, remember?). Much beer, chicken, and other assorted grilled meat were consumed, and yes, I even competed in a few chicken bone throwing contests.

Not surprisingly, my friend was completely at ease as the master of ceremonies. Apparently, what was risky and exciting to me was par for the course for him. He tossed chicken bones, drank like a champion long before Rothlisberger, bragged about the many women he slept with, and matter of factly yelled insults at two young ladies jogging down the street. I'll admit, a pillar of society he was not, but at least no one threw a chicken bone at the girls.

Of course, no interesting party around Florida State would be complete without a visit from Tallahassee's finest. When the cops eventually showed up, my friend casually told them we would calm down and be a tad less rowdy. Fortunately, the validity of his claim was never tested as the football game started shortly after the police visit.

As the Bucs and Raiders began play, my friend and I and the dozen or so others at the party all huddled into his small, barely furnished apartment to watch the game. Surprisingly, despite being in Florida, there were few, if any, Bucs fans at the party. Those who were there however might have been scared into silence after my friend claimed his admiration for the Raiders' Jerry Rice and placed his 9mm pistol on his coffee table with the declaration of "This is how I'm livin'". Who was I to argue?

During the game, the chaos, as predicted, was toned down, although most likely because the high quantities of alcohol we drank prior to kickoff were starting to sink in. Although I was quite buzzed, I was one of the lucky few not completely trashed and in a few cases, passed out.

As for the game itself, well, any sports fan can tell you former Seminole Brad Johnson led the Buc to victory and fellow former Seminole Dexter Jackson was named MVP. But few outside of the dozen or so people in attendance can tell you that former Seminole [name withheld] threw one hell of a Super Bowl party.


For more Super Bowl stories see MCBias's Moderately Cerebral Bias as he talks about rooting for the Patriots against the Rams and fellow blogger The Extrapolator shares football memories with several generations of Extrapolator kin folk. Also available is Dan from Foxborough's haunting memories of Desmond Howard and the Green Bay Packers and Signal to Noise discusses John Elway's rise to Super Bowl glory.

Take a moment and read some great bloggers and more importantly, enjoy your Super Bowl this year.

Wu-Tang Clan in St. Petersburg, Fla. 1/26/08

"Patience or forbearance is basically the Dhamma contrary to anger, which, in other words, is adosa - absence of anger. It is similar to the essence of metta, loving-kindness. In particular, what is said to have patience, is to be able to endure any kind of provocation and to remain calm without anger and doing evil."

"Khanti paramam tapo titikkha"

"Patience is the highest or best devotion"

Patience was definitely the word of the night Saturday night. After the doors of Jannus Landing finally opened at 7:30 (30 minutes after the tickets said doors would open), three hours would pass before the Wu-Tang Clan finally showed up. Three hours of listening to a local St. Pete DJ spinning the same songs I could have listened to in my car. Three hours of some local MCs trying to hype the crowd. Three hours of chanting "Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang". And three hours of standing in the rain, wondering if I wasted my 50 dollars on a band that isn't going to show.

Yes, I was that close to walking out. I was even on my way to find someone in charge to see if I can get a refund when the Wu-Tang bus finally pulled up. Finally.

(Note: This was only my third major hip-hop show as compared to dozens of rock shows. Hip-hop fans are much more patient. Rock fans would be booing, complaining, and probably rioting if their band didn't show. If hip-hop fans get rowdy, they are easily sedated with a old-school Biggie or Nas track. Get their heads nodding and they are good for another hour.)

So at nearly 11pm (10:50 to be exact), the Wu finally took the stage. Most of them. Unfortunately, possibly due to the inner turmoil in the group, the RZA didn't make the tour. In his place on stage were unofficial Wu members Cappadonna and Streetlife. Not bad substitutes, as they have verses on nearly Wu album anyway.

As for the show, when it finally started, it was amazing. As mentioned in other tour reviews, Method Man was the lead MC, hyping the crowd. Apparently the show was the last on the tour, and according to Method Man, they were ready to give 110%. That they did.

Even without RZA, the Wu were on top of their game. Surprisingly, and perhaps related to the fact that RZA was not there, they didn't perform any songs off their new album 8 Diagrams. They did songs off of Enter the 36 Chambers (Shame on a N***a, Bring the Ruckus, CREAM, Method Man, Can It Be All So Simple, Protect Ya Neck), Method Man's Tical (Bring the Pain, What the Bloodclot), Raekwon's Only Built for Cuban Linx (Ice Cream, Incarcerated Scarfaces), the GZA's Liquid Swords album (Duel of the Iron Mic, Liquid Swords), No Said Date from Masta Killa, and a song with Inspecta Deck and Masta Killa (Winter Warz?). Also making a guest appearance was Ol' Dirty Bastard's brother 12 O'Clock to rap Shimmy Shimmy Ya and Brooklyn Zoo.

Needless to say, I was impressed by the Wu-Tang Clan. Although I had seen it in concert footage, Method Man's trick of standing on the hands of fans is very impressive. Their overall energy is amazing and the vibe going back and forth from the group to the fans was electric.

Unfortunately, about an hour into the show, Method Man's mic began to give out. As I was halfway back in the crowd of perhaps 600 to 1,000 people, I could barely hear him. Finally realizing his mic was out, Method Man grabbed Masta Killa's mic, only to find out that was out as well. In turn, nearly every member of the Clan spoke into their mics and then looked at each piece of equipment with disgust. The Wu Tang Clan had been rendered silent by the evil power of St. Petersburg City Ordinance 754-G 11-64.1.b.2.c, which states:

1. Playing, using, operating or permitting to be played, used, or operated any radio, musical instrument, drum, compact disc or tape player, sound amplifier or other machine or device that produces, reproduces or amplifies musical sound within any building if such sound is for the purpose of entertainment or receiving information, or is used for that purpose and: i. In a commercial or an industrial area, Sunday through Thursday, except the day prior to a national holiday, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following morning or on Fridays, Saturdays and the day prior to a national holiday, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 8:00 a.m. the following morning, the sound exceeds an L50 sound level limit of 60 decibels measured in accordance with Section 11-65 at a receiving land use that is legally used for residential purposes regardless of whether it is situated in a residential area, commercial area or an industrial area.

By 12:07, the mighty Wu-Tang Clan had been completely silenced. Although Method Man attempted some accapella sing-alongs with those in the front rows, the only sound audible was the repeated chant of "Wu-Tang, Wu-Tang" by those who couldn't read Method Man's lips.

Overall, I give my first Wu-Tang Clan experience a Incomplete Minus (I-). Incomplete in that it would have been nice to hear the whole show from start to finish. The Wu definitely had potential and things were starting to get hyped. However, had the group not waited until nearly 11pm to arrive, perhaps they could have fit more songs in before midnight. Any disappointment should be blamed as much on the Wu-Tang Clan as on the ridiculous city ordinances of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Making a living playing international basketball

If you haven't noticed on my recent posts here and at YaySports!, I'm trying to be a little more internationally focused. Since I hold a degree in International Affairs and enjoy reading blogs from around the world, I think it is right up my alley to ensure the masses know the world around them a little better.

With that in mind, have you ever wondered what happened to Chris Jeffries, the former forward for Washington University of St. Louis? If you do or did, you are a bigger fan of WU than I. But anyway, although I had never heard of Jeffries, I still envy him. According to Argentina's Travel Guide.com, since he graduated from WU in 2003, Jeffries has played for 9 teams in 8 countries, all while making between 60 and 72,000 U.S. dollars a year.

Does this make him rich? No. Will he ever make the NBA? Doubtful, although possible. But right now, Chris Jeffries is one of many Americans making a good, if not great, living traveling the world playing basketball. If only I didn't get cut from my 6th grade basketball team, was more athletic, and was about 8 inches taller.

For more on Chris Jeffries, check out his story at Argentina's Travel.com.

The Cavaliers are trying to win back The Cavalier

This post originally appeared on YaySports!.

(The Cavalier did not write this. Then again, he didn’t write much of anything this week.)

Dear Mr. World Famous Actor/ Movie Star Guy, aka “The Cavalier”,

Dear Sir, we at the Cleveland Professional Basketball Club have recently noticed your lack of emotion towards our franchise. While we regret our letter may have reached you too late, let us explain how your views are completely unmerited. We take deep concern over our fanbase here at Cavalier Headquarters and we want to ensure our fans are the happiest on Earth.

Did you know we have won 11 of our last 13 games? Did you know we are on a pace to win 46 games? Granted, that is not the 50 wins our franchise is used to, but Anderson Varejao was not with us for some time early this season. We hope you can see past that unfortunate circumstance.

We noticed in one of your last posts you featured a video of LeBron James making the last shot to win a playoff game against the Washington Wizards. Were you aware that we beat those same Wizards Wednesday night by a score of 121 to 85? Sir, that is a 36 point victory, easily one of, if not our best of the year. During this game we played offense (43 points in the 3rd quarter alone) and defense (17 points allowed in the same third quarter) to the best of our abilities.

Among your other points of contention with our franchise is the lack of motivation of our superstar and with our head coach. We believe these are not weaknesses, but are rather our strengths. LeBron James is once again having an MVP season and Coach Mike Brown has shown the ability to win basketball games with the talent at hand. Please understand, we know we are not perfect. We know we need a scoring point guard, for example. And the Larry Hughes signing, well, we like to pretend that didn’t happen. And so should you.

In closing, Mr. Cavalier, please give us another chance. We know you once enjoyed rooting for us. We know you stood in your driveway as a child and shot free-throws pretending to be Mark Price. We know you used to lower your adjustable backboard down to 7 feet so you could dunk like Larry Nance. We know the Cavaliers are in your blood. They are in your heart. They are in your name. So like Biggie said, give us one more chance.

Signed,
The Cavs

Who Has Been Pimping Will Leitch's Book?

Ever notice that Will Leitch of Deadspin.com seems to get love from the same blogs over and over again? I have, and I decided to do some number-crunching to back a theory of mine:

The following blogs have given more than 5 words to Will Leitch's new book "God Save The Fan":

Dan Shanoff
Rays Index
Cobra Brigade
Sports Media Journal
Kissing Suzy Kolber
Ladies ...

Other blogs/sites have discussed Leitch's book as well - Amazon.com, Esquire (shameless self-promotion though that is), et al - but they are major web sites, not just "regular" sports blogs. Also worth noting that the following blogs have dedicated fewer than five words to Will Leitch's book this week:

The Alaskan Baseball League Blog
Alyssa Milano's Blog
Jenn Sterger's Blog

Now, we're not comparing the content of the first group with the content of the second. But other bloggers have made book announcements that we have discussed yet few others have. We didn't bother asking around why no one else cares about the stuff we care about, because frankly, we don't care. But why doesn't anyone highlight or bring attention to these other books, and why do they instead prefer to treat "God Save The Fan" like it is the sports blogosphere's answer to Harry Potter? We haven't received a response yet.

Why doesn't anyone post some links to Nikki Sixx's new book or Slash's new book? Why not include their take in the ongoing discussion about heroin and partying like a rock star? They've had great careers over the past years worthy of linkage. And don't tell us bloggers aren't aware of Slash and Nikki Sixx ... I have a feeling they might have heard of them.

So who is "worthy" of writing about Leitch? Look at that list again. We checked out some of the links of these at least 5-worders (remember, the time frame is in the last few weeks) to determine who is really breaking real news, and who is clearly giving some favorable (objectively unworthy) treatment. We define "legit" has offering up either something newsworthy, something mostly original, or something entertaining.

Sports Media Journal was legit - it was like they wrote a book report. My fourth grade teacher would be proud. That's a legit post.

Here's another example of a "legit" post - Rays Index. The Professor gives the reasons why Will Leitch inspired him and goes on to say, "Hey, go buy his book." A nice, solid post.

We didn't really see the newsworthiness (or entertainment value) of the Ladies ... post, but whatever. Ditto the Cobra Brigade. I'm sure I know what he's thinking: "Thanks for linking to me Will, my mother is the only person besides Deadspin readers who read my blog so I will tell her all about your book!".

But the competition for biggest recipient of favoritism came down to Kissing Suzy Kolber and Dan Shanoff. Dan Shanoff offers a what could barely be considered a legit review of "God Save the Fan". He explains some of the book's good points and does everything short of claiming it is the BEST. BOOK. EVER. Throughout his review, his Peyton Manning-Kenny Chesney relationship with Leitch is in full display and he even goes as far as to admit his love for the man at the end of the post.

Kissing Suzy Kolber, on the other hand - we'll let you judge: Crappy made-up first-person parody; crappy made-up Big Daddy Drew obscure pop culture references (Bill Simmons has done better bits); crappy made-up Will Leitch picture (he can't possibly dress that well - isn't he some emo dude who wears nothing but black?). Cute, but ... not a real book review, right?

No doubt The Serious Tip is this month's winner of The Honorary Award for blog that is definitely pimping Will Leitch's book without really looking like it is pimping Will Leitch's book (notice the 15 links to "God Save The Fan" in this post, more than any other site!)

Note to Will Leitch: I brought your book. I paid 26 freakin' dollars for it. I'll read it soon. After I finish reading Dickens' "Great Expectations". Ironic, don't cha think?

(This post is a satire of a Stop Mike Lupica post entitled "Who Has Been Buying Will Leitch Drinks?" written June 2007. If nothing here is funny, go read the original, then come back. This post still might not be funny, but at least you will have a frame of reference.)

My Super Bowl Financial Favorite: Part 2

Three weeks ago, I examined the NFL playoff contenders by their potential effects on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Some had storied pasts of positive financial repercussions, others did not. Some had only one year of success to their name, and others I was left ranking by association.

Alas the field has been narrowed after weeks of contests, drama, and struggle, and we have finally come down to two: the New England Patriots versus the New York Giants. Of course, much will be made of the fact that the Giants are an original NFL team and the Patriots (formerly of Boston) are an original AFL team. As I did three weeks ago, many will discuss the Super Bowl Indicator, and its 80% success rate. But what lies in the numbers? What are the past results of the market following previous championships by these two teams? Should we really root against a historical season by the Patriots for the sake of the market?

In a word, yes.

Since 2002, the Patriots have been bad luck for the market. After New England won Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, the Dow Jones Industrial Average responded by dropping 16.8% from 10,021.71 to 8341.63. The S&P 500 also took a large fall, losing 23.3% from 1148.08 to 879.82.

Following their second championship in XXXVIII, the Patriots disproved the Super Bowl Indicator, and the DJIA increased from 10,452.74 to 10,783.01, a 3.1% gain. Like the Dow Jones, the S&P 500 also increased, climbing 8.3% from 1,111.92 to 1,211.92.

The Patriots most recent win in 2005's XXXIX however, proved the Patriots were not above the Super Bowl Indicator. Following their victory, the DJIA dropped, albeit by .7% from 10,783.75 to 10,717.50. The S&P 500, on the other hand, actually increased, going up 3% from 1,211.92 to 1,248.29.

So since 2002, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has followed Patriots wins with two decreases and one slight increase. The S&P 500 has followed the same Patriot championships with one major decrease, one average increase, and one slight increase.

Then what about the Giants? As I wrote earlier, "As expected from a team hailing from the home of Wall Street, the New York Giant Super Bowl victories precede good years for the Dow." Although their victory in Super Bowl XXI in 1987 brought little to cheer about, the DJIA did increase 2.2% and the S&P 500 climbed a likewise 2%.

The second and most recent Giants' Super Bowl victory, in 1991's Super Bowl XXV, on the other hand, preceded a very good year for Wall Street, with the Dow climbing 17% from 2633.66 to 3168.83 and the S&P 500 also going up by a worthwhile 11.1% clip, from 330.2 to 371.36.

On an added note, if the underdog Giants can pull off the upset and the market responds as it as for their previous victories, the Giants will join only the Redskins and the Packers as the only teams to see positive gains after three Super Bowl wins. And since the market's performance is sketchy at best, horrible at worst following a Patriots' win, the choice of who the market wants you to root for is clear.

Go Giants!


(Picture from: http://cf1.acc-tv.com/)

I missed out on the sale of the year

Although this video has already made its way around most of the hip-hop blogs I read, I figured I would post about it here anyway. Rapper Bizarre of Eminem's spin-off posse group D12 announced a "sale" on his verses of only $750, down from the usual $5,000 he normally charges.

Because it is now Jan 20th, Mr. Bizarre is back to charging 5K for a verse. I know I am in the wrong business. 5,000 dollars for a bunch of rhyming lines from a guy whose only song I know was a parody of Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day"? Amazing. And I am writing this for free.

So, with Bizarre's entrepreneurial model in mind, I'm announcing my own deal. For all you independent bloggers out there, because I know what it's like to struggle from post to post and "get your dues in", I'll give you a break. For only $7.50 (that's 1/100th of Bizarre's "sale" cost!), I'll write 100 words for your blog. That's 7.5 cents a word. And if you're lucky, some of them might even have more than one syllable.

(h/t to MTV.com's Sucker Free Blog)

Another movie to see - but a girl to avoid

Since a certain underground movie is taking its sweet little time getting released, I've been on the look out for other movies that will hold my interest. Last year, I mentioned "Ninja Cheerleaders", a movie that I called the "soon-to-be-greatest movie of 2007". This year I have something even better for you: "Teeth".

According to the synopsis:

"High school student Dawn works hard at suppressing her budding sexuality by being the local chastity group's most active participant. Her task is made even more difficult by her bad boy stepbrother Brad's increasingly provocative behavior at home. A stranger to her own body, innocent Dawn discovers she has a toothed vagina when she becomes the object of violence. As she struggles to comprehend her anatomical uniqueness, Dawn experiences both the pitfalls and the power of being a living example of the vagina dentata myth."

You read that right. A toothed vagina. A beaver with bite. A muff with molars.

Oh, and to top it off, Dawn even has a myspace page. She's definitely cute. Whether or not I would put it all on the line for a night an hour five minutes with her is another story.

In case you can't get enough "Teeth", here is another review, and "Teeth"'s official IMDB page.

(Kudos to MTV's Headbanger's Blog.)

Catching up on Al Thornton

As long-time readers of The Serious Tip know, I am a big Florida State Seminole basketball fan. Unfortunately, I haven't written much about them this season. This is due to two reasons: one, they aren't on TV as much as last season, and two, I am not going to as many games. So in order to bring a little FSU hoops back to The Serious Tip, I decided to follow up on the progress of ex-Seminole and NBA rookie Al Thornton. The following is an email interview with Kevin Arnovitz, head blogger at ClipperBlog.com, one of the preeminent LA Clippers blogs in the NBA blogosphere.

TST: First, did you see any of Thornton's games while he was at FSU? Opinions, if any?

KA: I grew up in Atlanta a big Tech fan. I watch a fair amount of ACC Basketball -- as much as a person living in Los Angeles can view. At FSU, his explosiveness and assertiveness in the halfcourt was impressive. He was one of the better creators in the conference.

TST: What did you think when your Clippers drafted him?

KA: I was pleased. The Clippers, with the exception of Maggette, weren't a terribly athletic team coming into the season.

TST: What role is Al Thornton currently filling with the Clippers?

KA: It's odd. With Maggette at the 3, [Head Coach Mike] Dunleavy is using Thornton at the 4 a fair amount and I think it's a little disorienting for him -- particularly on defense.

TST: What are your opinions of his offensive skills? Defensive skills?

KA: Thornton can take most NBA 3s off the dribble and has a knack for finding the open driving lane, and has a consistent shot from 20 feet. I'm impressed with his ability to finish around the rim. He has only average passing skills, which often results in his taking low percentage shots. He's still learning NBA defensive rotations and needs a lot of polishing on that end, particularly in help situations. Thornton isn't a terrible man defender, but he makes lousy decisions at times.

TST: Have these changed at all since the season began?

KA: Yes. He's more confident and is forcing the action off the dribble. Which is good news.

TST: What do you think the future holds for Thornton on the Clippers?

KA: I suspect the Clips won't resign Maggette, which would open up the 3 spot -- his natural position -- next season. I'm fairly bullish on his potential to become a productive wing player in the league.

Thanks, Kevin. Hopefully you'll enjoy watching Thornton play as much as us Seminole fans did.

(Photo: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images))

Santa Claus possibly killed in Kazakhstan crash?

According to reports, an unidentified flying object (UFO) was seen crashing into a Kazakhstan lake on Saturday, January 5th. One eyewitnesses, a local chief of a police, saw a "shining flying object" plunging into the Belaya River in the May district in the Pavlodar region. The police chief then reported it to "higher authorities".

Unfortunately for Christmas fans around the world, the jolly gentleman known as St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, may have been killed in the crash. With talk around the world that Santa Claus would better served if he moved his operations to Kazakhstan and the morning of January 6th being the 12th day of Christmas, it is only logical that Santa was in the area and that his sleigh made the hole in the ice. Of course, if this is true the Kazakhstan government would be and is possibly already in full denial mode. After spending countless dollars on festivals and naming a mountain after Mr. Claus, the last thing the Kazakhs would want is for Santa to be tragically killed in their country. Perhaps the denials have already started, as neither divers from the emergency situations department nor officers of the local sanitary and epidemic office claimed to find any evidence of a UFO.

My estimate is that Santa was returning from distributing gifts the day of January 5th and was scouting new production plant locations when his sleigh veered out of control and crashed into the Belaya River. Even if the Kazakhstan government fails to admit any evidence of the crash, I would still stand strong with my assumption. To those who would need to see the body to prove Santa's demise, I pose this question, every year Santa delivers gifts around the world, why aren't there any eyewitness reports? If no one sees him deliver gifts and he does, is it that large of a leap of faith to believe he died in a crash in a northeastern region of Kazakhstan?

So contrary to the claims of Kazakhstan ufologist Lyubov Rybalko, a UFO can indeed fall. Especially when misguided by eight tiny reindeer.

(h/t on the news of the crash: Kazakhstan Neweurasia.net. I alone am responsible for the theory on who or what it was that crashed.)

High Fidelity I hardly knew ye

Catching up with some of the articles I've saved and things I've wanted to talk about and over the last few weeks:

Right before Christmas Rolling Stone.com published an excellent article on the diminishing importance of quality sound in music as it becomes digitized and more portable. If you care anything about good sound, go read it. I'll wait.

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Ok, now my personal opinion: I'm a music whore. I am always buying new CDs. I have well over 500 and counting. For some reason though I cannot seem to get into downloading music. Maybe it is because of bad experiences listening to the old "tinny" .midi files. Maybe because I have been convinced by the older generation that every progression of recording, from 45s to tapes to CD to MP3s, has made sound quality progressively worse. Maybe it is all just psychological.

Recently, however, I have even experienced a few CDs that just didn't sound right. The best example of this recently has been the new Down CD, Over the Under. This is not a bad CD, by any means, but it just doesn't sound right. For those not in the know, Down is one of the many bands spun off of Pantera, so they definitely have a hard-rock metal sound to them. The problem with this album however, is that it all sounds the same. In the Rolling Stone article they talk about loudness monotony and Over the Under is a great example. The songs just blend together and no part stands out. There is little sound variation. Whether or not that was the point of the album, which I doubt, this happens to me more and more often. Over the Under is just the last example.

To be honest, I am not sure whether I can pin a bad sounding album on the fidelity of a CD or an MP3 or any other kind of format. Maybe it is the production. Until recently, I've never been a big fan of acknowledging producers. However, producers getting hyped has become a huge trend in hip-hop and to an extent in rock as well. Apparently, big name producers all have a distinct sound to their albums. Again, this is more true in hip-hop than in rock. But in rock a producer can minimize or maximize a certain instrument or "depth" of sound. So of course, they play the same role. I still think producers are overrated.

(Disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of lyrics. You can give me an old blues man strumming on an acoustic guitar on the corner or a rapper freestyling over the sound of a dishwasher humming and I'm happy as long as they are passionate and their lyrics grab my interest.)

Ok, I'll stop babbling now. But before I go, I ask that you read that Rolling Stone link and take a moment the next time you turn on the tunes to think how much better, clearer, and crisper your music could be. If only we all still listened to the old Victrolas. Hook those bad boys up to a wall of speakers and you got yourself a system.

More Notes from a Knicks Nation Refugee: Even Henry Abbott is talking revolution

Despite being distant from my fellow Knicks Nation brethren, I have watched with interest all issues relating to the possible overthrow of King Zeke the Horrible. Today, a possible breakthrough. (No, not the eviction of the despised tyrant, although I do believe soon that day will come.) Today, the heralded Henry Abbott of ESPN.com's TrueHoop blog discussed the possibility of revolution. Although I mentioned the idea of revolt and methods of unrest over a month ago, I am but one small voice deep in the underground. Henry Abbott, on the other hand, is one of the most influential voices in the online NBA community. If anyone can call the masses to arms, it is Henry Abbott. He will be our Thomas Paine, and his TrueHoop will be our Common Sense.

In other news, notes, miscellanea, and things of that sort:

I am particularly proud of my post over at Epic Carnival today. Check the brilliant use of metaphor. I like to think I accurately portrayed the raw biting anguish engulfing the members of Timberwolves Nation.

The man in charge of YaySports, el Cavalier, has temporarily stopped being a movie person and has returned to blogging. I used to think Carnivals de la Internet were just used only for history sites, but I guess I was wrong. As he swooped through the sports blogosphere, the Cav's carnival completely captured community creativity. YayPostsThatHaveALotOfWordsAndLinkToALotOfSites!

What else is new? Hmm...

About a month ago, The Starting Five posted some great revolutionary hip-hop videos. I've been on a new music tear of late, buying CDs and listening to new tunes like I'm Helen Keller rediscovering how to hear. And with my penchant for underground anti-establishment hip-hop, this was a great place to start.

Speaking of revolution, here is the myspace of an alleged woman preaching rural Mao-ism in South Carolina. She calls herself the Rural People's Party and claims to uphold "the revolutionary advances of Stalin, Mao Zedong, Kim Il Sung and Pol Pot and the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) in internationalist communist theory and practice". There is an address for further contact and everything. Don't ask me how I found that. I don't remember nor do I want to.

Off the revolution tip for a minute, should I care that under a post I found entitled "Gallery of Geeky Birthday Cakes" is a picture of an R2D2 birthday cake, just as I had when I was a wee lad? (Ok, I'm not going to lie, it was last year's birthday - but Star Wars and I both turned 30. We had to celebrate.)

Finally, did you know Roseanne Barr has a blog? It's all religious and political and stuff. Did you know it's been 10 years since her sitcom went off the air? Did you know she put out a DVD of kid's sing-along songs? Did you know I spent way too much time talking about Roseanne Barr?

Ok, well, that's about it. Viva la revolution! Down with King Zeke!

A tragic farewell to two bloggers

In the last month the conflict in Iraq has silenced the voices of two prominent bloggers. Knowing these writers, an American soldier and a resident Iraqi, will no longer be read should make the most unfortunate consequence of war more real for everyone, especially those who blog. Although I sometimes hesitate to call myself a "blogger" and prefer the term "writer who blogs", I can't help but feel a kinship with Ali Shafeya Al-Moussawi and U.S. Army Major Andrew Olmsted. Their words will be missed.

News on Ali Shafeya Al-Moussawi's death.

News of Major Andrew Olmsted's death.

Major Andrew Olmsted's posthumous post.

(Warning: I reserve the right to delete any political comments, rants, opinions, complaints, etc. about the Iraq conflict. This post is about these two men, not the conflict that took both of their lives.)

My Super Bowl Financial Favorite

In this season of endorsements and primaries, I am following the example of many bloggers and announcing my favorite well in advance of the final contest. Unlike other supporters however, I am not endorsing an individual who battles in the political arena, but rather I am backing a group of individuals - those who battle for gridiron supremacy.

By now, many in the sports and financial communities are aware of the "Super Bowl Indicator". Created in part by "longtime Wall Street guru" Robert H. Stovall, the Super Bowl Indicator claims "if an old AFL team wins the Super Bowl, the stock market will decline during that calendar year and if an original NFL team wins, the Dow Jones industrial average will rise". Although some pundits have sought to debunk this predictor, it still carries an over 80% success rate.

As the NFL playoffs begin at the end of this week, and with ten of the twelve 2008 playoff teams tracing their roots to original AFL or NFL franchises, I've decided to pick my favorite based on which team's victory would be best for my portfolio. The following list ranks the teams from most dangerous to my financial well-being to most favorable. (Note: market performance percentages are from the year of the Super Bowl victory, not the year of the NFL championship.)

12. New England (originally Boston) Patriots - Despite a positive gain (3.1%) for the stock market after their last win in 2004, the best team in NFL is bad news for the stock market, with their championship in 2005 preceding a .8% decrease and their 2002 championship preceding a 16.8% decrease in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

11. San Diego Chargers - Although they don't have the history of the Patriots, the Chargers are an original AFL team and cannot be trusted.

10. Tennessee Titans - The Titans could very well be ranked equivalent to the Chargers, however, in 1997, they shed their original existence as the Houston Oilers and moved to Tennessee. Their relocation does not exempt them from being a potential curse on my early retirement, it only bumps them above the original AFL teams that kept their identities.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars - One of two 1995 expansion teams, the Jaguars play in the AFC and therefore are guilty by association. Without any positive history to the contrary, I cannot trust the Jaguars with the future of my finances.

8. Indianapolis (originally Baltimore) Colts - Although not an original AFL team, the Colts' affiliation to their current conference does put them in bad company. However, they are provided a respite thanks to recent history. Perhaps their realignment after the AFL-NFL merger can explain why 2007 was such an extremely volatile year in the stock market, with numerous triple-digit gains and losses, mortgage industry problems, rising oil prices, and a downtrodden housing market. Despite the inconsistency, the Dow Jones did conclude the year 6.43% higher.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers - Similar to the Colts, the Steelers are also not an original AFL team, having similarly moved from the NFL to the AFC. The franchise's roots may explain the market's friendliness to Steelers' championships. For example, following Steelers' victories, the market climbed 27% after 1974, 15% after 1975, 4% after 1978, 13% after 1979, and 14% after 2006. Despite these successes and subsequent market performances, as a current AFC team, the Steelers remain a risk.

6. Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks are the opposite of the aforementioned Jacksonville Jaguars. An expansion team in 1976, the Seahawks have not yet won a Super Bowl. However, because of their association with other NFC teams, a Seahawks' championship would be preferred over other less stock-friendly candidates.

5. Dallas Cowboys - A five-time Super Bowl winning original NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys have followed the Super Bowl Indicator's 80% success rate, forbearing four gains and one losing year for the Dow. After a 12.9% increase in the Dow Jones Industrial following their 1971 championship, the Cowboys preceded a 3% decrease six years later. The 1970s would bring an end to the Cowboy inconsistency however, as the team preceded a 10.4% increase after 1992, a 2.1% increase after 1993, and a 17.6% increase after they won it all in 1995. Despite these recent gains however, rooting for the Cowboys is a risk until the appearance schedule of Jessica Simpson is determined.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Although not an original NFL team, the Tampa Bay Bucs were the forbearers of one of the most successful years in recent Dow Jones Industrial Average history. Following their sole Super Bowl Championship in 2003, the market soared 23.93%.

3. New York Giants - As expected from a team hailing from the home of Wall Street, the New York Giant Super Bowl victories precede good years for the Dow. Following their 1986 championship, the Dow Jones Industrial increased 2.2% and after their 1990 championship, the Dow increased another 16.9%.

2. Washington Redskins - An original NFL team, the Washington Redskins have won three championships in the last 26 years. In those years (1982, 1987, and 1991) the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gone up following each victory, increasing 16.9%, 10%, and 4% respectively. Despite three positive returns after three Redskins' championships, these returns have decreased, discounting them has the best team to root for during the 2007 playoffs.

1. Green Bay Packers - Like the Redskins, the Packers are also an original NFL team. Unlike Washington, however, the Green Bay Packers have been the most consistent favorite of the Dow. Following the Packers' three Super Bowl Championships, the market has increased, gaining 6.2% in 1967, 9.4% in 1968, and 18.6% in 1997. With increasing positive gains after each Packers' title, the market has shown its love for the team from Green Bay. And any love of the market is a friend of mine.

The Green Bay Packers have my endorsement in the 2007 NFL Playoffs.

Go Pack.

____________________
Primary Sources:
Super Bowl Stock Superstition, Forbes.com.

Can a Super Bowl Victory Predict a Stock Market Rally? T. Rowe Price Investor, December 2007.

The Super Bowl Indicator, Snopes.com

AFL-NFL Merger, Wikipedia.org

Wall Street Wraps Up 07 in Somber Mood, Yahoo.com

Dow Jones Industrial Adjusted Close, data360.org (used for 1967 and 1968 data only).

Image from dennisflood.com.