That Malcolm X by Edward Jackson is part of Grant Hill’s extensive collection of fine African American art. But first off, wasn’t he fantastic last night? I can’t remember a game where I saw someone disrespect Kobe with so many mid-range jumpers. His team is still going to lose the series, but I’d love to see Hill keep up.
Even though the Suns appear to be on their way out of this year’s NBA playoffs, Grant Hill, painting and sculpture aficionado, is just starting to pique as a renaissance man. For instance, we recently learned that Hill signed on to executive produce a documentary about Duke basketball. He discussed his philosophy on having passions outside the game with USA Today this week:
Hill doesn’t believe he’s the exception among NBA players in his unique interests, which include exhibits for 20th century African-American art.
“A lot of times they’re scared to comment on it or to share their interests with the public,” Hill says of other athletes. “We should. It’s encouraging to see that. When I shared my art collection there were a lot of positives that came from that. Hopefully it showed a lot of other athletes it’s OK if you have a hobby or interest you’re involved in. Use your platform as an athlete to expose, to share, to bring knowledge to people.”
That was deep Let’s be honest, Hill’s going to have to have another assassin’s game and Phoenix needs to win game three in anyone other yours truly is going to acknowledge that Grant Hill, film auteur, art connoisseur is in the midst of a renaissance. Otherwise, it’s just an aging athlete doing stuff with money.
In photo: Raymond Towler, the other guy, enjoys the National Anthem before last night’s Celtics-Cavs game while standing on the court alongside a afflicted looking Shaq. (Did Shaq know what was coming?)
He’s wearing the number 52, because that’s his age. Prior to last week, the last time Towler was not an inmate was when he was in his early 20s.
Yesterday, the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported that Towler, a lifelong Cavs fan who used to watch games on a 13-inch television while locked up, would be the Cavs guest of honor at the game last night after being released after serving 29 years for a false conviction that he raped an 11-year old girl.
(Sidebar: Falsely convicted of Murder. That’s the only false charge that comes to mind that’s on-par with being falsely convicted on raping an 11-year old girl)
The Cavaliers set him up nice: treated him and his family to a dinner in the VIP lounge, he stood on the floor during pre-game warm-ups, they let him take two three-pointers (he made one), and the team even showed up for two quarters of their playoff game.
Considering the Cavs lost Towler’s homecoming game 120 – 88, I can’t decide whether his reaction would be positive – because hey, no more heinous crimes on my record, woot – or if he’d rail on the team like any other diehard fan. I’d say any margin less than 20 is guaranteed good tidings from the guy who just got out of prison after falsely being convicted of raping an 11-year old (Man, I still can’t get over how awful that is). But torched then cauterized by 32 points in game five of a playoff series? I’m not sure even a newly freed man is going to be able to take the bad with the good.
I couldn’t care less what Mike Brown and Lebron James have to say about last night’s game, I want to hear this guy’s post-game quote.
By this time next week, the first week of NFL playoff match-ups will be abundantly clear, and the media landscape will be lousy with speculation – prediction: an unnecessary amount of people picking Philly or Dallas to make a dark horse Superbowl run. As it stands right now, 10 of 12 teams are at their very least in, with two spots in the AFC no less than wide open. Of those 10 teams, seven are playing games in the last week of the season that have some sort of playoff implications. Even so, after the Colts conceded victory vs. the Jets on Sunday, one can’t help but wonder who of the teams that are in regardless plan to rest their starters in the final contest of the regular season.
As I see it, you can eliminate three teams from that debate instantaneously, and a few others fairly quickly. The top seeds in their respective conferences, New Orleans and Indy, each backed their way into resting their starters in Week 17. And San Diego didn’t have to earn it – and they did beating up on Tennessee – but with a firm hold on the #2 seed they’ll sit their first string too.
The obvious candidates to play their starters this Sunday are Philly and Dallas, who meet to decide who takes the NFC East title. It’s just as much of a no-brainer for Minnesota and Arizona to put their starters out there. Minnesota needs to win to stay eligible for a bye. If a few things fall into place (MIN loss, PHI loss), Arizona can play their way to a bye to the following week.
That leaves three teams to consider – New England, Cincinnati and Green Bay. All three of these teams are playing a game on Sunday that affects the playoff picture, just not necessarily in a huge way personally. None of these teams have a chance at a bye, and Green Bay has no chance to get higher than a fifth seed. For New England and Cincy, on the surface it’s really only a question of rest – beneath the surface it’s a question of how bad do we not want to go into Indy in the divisional round?
Here’s the brief on GB, NE and the Queen City’s match-up on Sunday, and the context of each. Hit the poll at the bottom on who you think most needs to rest their starters on Sunday:
New England
vs. Houston
Implications:
Houston needs to win to get in. And realistically, they need so much help that the round-the league scoreboard will garner as much attention as Tom Brady and Randy Moss. The third seed in the AFC is New England’s to relinquish with a loss and a Cincinnati win. However, at this point it’s hard to wish for a second-round jaunt to the left coast to face San Diego over a rematch with Indy, who’ll be dusting off considerably for that divisional game.
I say sit the A-team at half time, Bill – who, ever the contrarian, called a QB dive with Brady twice on the final drive vs. Jacksonville on Sunday, up 35-7 in the fourth.
Cincinnati
vs. Jets
Implications:
Jets win, and their in. And with the Jets playing at home and the master of their own destiny, Cincy can count on getting the Jets’ best punch in the mouth. Still, if the Bengals knock out the Jets and a few other chips fall their way (NE loss, BAL win), they could be set-up to take on Baltimore in the first round, who they swept in the division during the regular season. Sounds complicated, but really it’s really as simple as living by the out-of-town scoreboard – if at any point New England wraps up Houston and that third seed is, pull Palmer.
Green Bay
vs. Arizona
Implications:
Arizona wins, and Minnesota and Philly lose, the defending NFC champs all of a sudden earned a week off, which is great for them, but does it really do anything for Green Bay? Rodgers and crew are looking at the 5th or 6th seed regardless of what happens on Sunday. But somehow, other than New Orleans, they’ve managed to have the least to play for this week. And, it’s almost a sure thing, that no matter where they’ve got to go in the first round, they’ll face a third or fourth seed that either played their way or got themselves beaten down into that position. May not hurt to be the rested team in that scenario.
…
My smart money prediction: Green Bay conducts business as usual, and plays the starters, New England and Cincinnati pull the first string at half time.
Vote for the team you most think should rest their starters this week in the poll below.
During a conference call to promote the upcoming American Century Championship Celebrity Golf Tournament in Lake Tahoe, ‘Zo expounded on the imminent NBA Championship victory of the Lakers. Let’s just say, if this were Good Will Hunting, Koby is Damon and Phil is Affleck…Casey Affleck.
He left out, “put me and a pair of tinted lenses on the sideline!”
Phil’s response..well, his response if I were Phil:
Time Out Alonzo, how many rings do you have as compared to my nine secured and tenth one fast approaching? what? WHAT?
The answer is of course, Alonzo got the single ring many moons ago with Miami in 1996. He’s also a 100/1 favorite to win the American Century Championship (July 14-19) in Nevada next month.
Last week, I posted a photo of Leo Dicaprio nearly getting taken out by an airborne Brent Barry. Well, I think the results may have been decidedly different if Barry decided to take on Drew Barrymore, who was armed with 17-inch heels and feeling flexible at the May 19th Lakers-Nuggets game at the Staples Center.
Luckily, Drew the Impaler didn’t stick anyone (she just got to’ up on copious amounts of Bud Heavy)
H/T to The Telegraph, keep rolling out these Celebrity Playoff Galleries!
Dwight Howard was suspended for last night’s game six of the Magic/Sixers series – giving Celtics and Bulls fans a glimmer of hope that should one of those teams emerge still standing from that series they wouldn’t have to see Superman. That dream is, of course, dead. Orlando romped Philly last night to advance to the second round. Howard, who wasn’t allowed to be in the stadium, was back at the hotel with his family.
And as Sports By Brooks pointed out this morning, providing his own commentary via Twitter.
His twittering is a sobering example that just because you’re a supreme athlete not all pros are going to be The_Real_Shaq (and yeah, of course I’m going to start following him). For example,
“aaaaaahh got yall i cant tell yall. its real bad real bad michael jackson lol. see if yall can get thatabout”
Personally, I can’t get that. In fact, he didn’t communicate much that I think most of the outside World found discernible. I did find this one intriguing:
“someone asked have i played shaq 1on1. how we gonna do that.”
Is that how we gonna do that – let’s set it up? Or how we gonna do that – surely you jest.
“Parker got into the teeth of our defense and caused problems,” he said. “Every time he drives the lane, we have to put him on his back. The first foul has to tell him he’s in for a long night.
“My first foul Thursday night is going to put him on his back. I guarantee it.”
Sweet plan, Clubber Lange.
I hate Tony Parker. It’s a well documented hate, but in case you didn’t know him and I have the same birthday, which makes him exactly one-year older than me. And short of having a better beard, he pretty much one-ups me in every dept. (NBA Titles, NBA Finals MVPs, Eva Longorias, etc.). Plus, the Spurs are the boringest basketball show on Earth.
It’s an involved hatred, and with that in mind I can honestly say that this quote by Dampier directed towards my mortal enemy is the most clownish display of the young playoffs yet.
Darren Rovell asks Is this the Best Sports Promotion Ever? Quoting the press release:
The entire hometown of Philadelphia Soul star wide receiver Chris Jackson has been invited by the team to attend its Divisional Playoff game at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, July 5 as part of Chris Jackson Day. The Borough of Morrisville has a population of 10,096 and team President Ron Jaworski is offering everyone to pick up free tickets at a community celebration this Tuesday afternoon, July 1, at Williamson Park.
Due to TV contract stipulations, the Soul is being forced to hold the game the day after the Fourth of July on Saturday, July 5th. (Fireworks are legal in PA, so Independence Day is like a weekend long m-80 event, people at least need Saturday to take inventory).
Also, due to the nonchalant and apathetic nature of most Arena league fans, Soul management is hedging their bets that some of the 8,000 season ticket holders might not want to go, and they’ll have ample room in 16,000 capacity Wachovia Center for the Morrisville population.
A new edition to the Soul this year, Jackson’s numbers mirror Arena ball scoring culture – the game tallies resembles the NBA… All-Star Game. In 16 games this year, he has 140 receptions for 1,700+ yards and 49 TDs, contributing 294 points to the teams nearly 1,000 this season.
Wild stuff. But again, the people in PA take Fourth of July weekend pretty seriously.
Plus that’s the last day for Bucks County residents to catch An Evening with Ben Franklin at the Free Quaker Meeting House, and Boyz II Men is playing Penn Landing the same night. (I perused PhillyFunGuide.com)
I imagine that it’s a big Sesame Place day too.
What is sick to think about is that if Bon Jovi made this same offer to Asbury Park residents for his PNC Bank spandex revival they’d probably have to call in the riot police
