If you don’t know Freddie Ljungberg, he’s a pro jock kind-of (MLS soccer player). He’s also a male model. He’s also Swedish. And I’m pretty sure the Dudesons would kick his ass.

According to a fan who recently sat next to Ljungberg on a flight, his bravado continues to teeter.

I was flying IAH/SEA last November on a Sunday night. The Seattle Sounders were on the flight having just lost to Houston.

I was in 1B and Freddie Ljungberg was in 1A. After we leveled off he headed up to the lav. On his way out, he grabbed a bag of nuts. The FA literally slapped his hand and said “drop that!” He looked like a little kid who had been scolded!

Later, as she took drink orders, she explained the one bag per seat rule. He smiled and apologized.

Heard the lady behind whisper to the FA “Do you know who that is?” and then proceeded to show her one of Freddie’s underwear adverts. Her face went a shade of red I have not seen in quite some time.

He never pulled any “star attitude” at all. Nice guy.

Via FlyerTalk.com (c/o @BrooklynBum)

To the writers of Zoolander 2: Take. Note.

And lastly, how bad do you wish this scenario happened instead to say a Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger, Charles Barkley, Ron Artest, Gary Busey or a Kenny Powers? The whole underwear advert deal and all. Pretty bad.

Hi, my name is Shawn, I’ll be your server tonight. Can I start you off with a Detlef Shrempf cocktail?

Last night, former NBA-er and current Seattle mayoral candidate James Donaldson hosted a fundraiser for his campaign at Island Soul Caribbean Cuisine in Rainier, WA. Shawn Kemp was there as a celebrity guest the help.

On August 9, mayoral candidate James Donaldson is hosting a “fund raising island party” at Island Soul restaurant in Southeast Seattle from 4-7 p.m. (suggested donation, $50). Wings, plantains, salad, coconut corn muffins, and wine will be served. Serving that fare will be none other than legendary former Sonics power forward Shawn Kemp. For all his indiscretions (hard partying, fathering multiple children out of wedlock), Kemp remains one of — if not the — most beloved Sonics ever to have worn the green and gold.

I’m no campaign manager, but he probably could have gotten the Wheedle for maitre d.

The 7′ 2” Donaldson played 14 years in the NBA from ’80-81 through ’94-95, starting his career with on the Sonics, from 1980 to ’83.

The last time we saw Kemp, he looked to be one coconut corn muffin away from eclipsing four bills on the scale.

Oklahoma City will inevitably brick when they select the mascot for their as of now unnamed NBA franchise.


I have no faith in the mascot moniker selection process. When I was in High School, the school’s administration decided it was no longer (never at any point) P.C. for our mascot to be the Indians. We came damn close to becoming the yaks as I recall… and then, seemingly overnight, we became the nighthawks.

What kind of hawk? Don’t strain yourself, chief. Nighthawks don’t exist. We went from being something predatorial from the Himalayas, straight to fantasyland.

All you Okie kids holding out hope that your team is going to be something sweet like the Capitol City Dusters of Doom, give up hope. It’s a futile enterprise.

Remember what happened with the last shake-up? The Charlotte Hornets moved to New Orleans and became…actually they stayed the Hornets. The NBA is devoid of creativity; Oklahoma City, the best you can probably hope for is the Ado Annies.

That is why Supersonicsoul reminds us that it is important today that we remember The Wheedle, who from what I can tell was a pretty stand-up mascot.

First off, he looks like a close relative of Grimace, who like beers and has a diet that consists entirely of rare steak.

The Wheedle was the Sonics mascot from 1974 to 1985, and was part of a championship Sonics squad. There is no doubt that him and D.J. were boys.

He was replaced by Squatch, short for Sasquatch, also known as Big Foot. No shame in going down to guy like that. When you looked like Chewy in the mid-80s you pretty much made your own rules.

A lesser known fact, after the Sonics, the Wheedle went on the play lead guitar in the Seattle grunge outfit Love Battery.

Finally though, prior to all of this, a 1974 children’s book suggested that at one point The Wheedle gathered up all the clouds in the Pacific Northwest and put them over Seattle causing the dismal weather conditions that plague the city even today.

…that’s right, he is the guy who made it rain.

I can only hope that you land on a mascot with half this much cred, gut circumference, and sophistication, Oklahoma City.