Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
The Opening Pitch: The Lakers are the NBA's team to beat.
Maybe you suspected it on Christmas Day, when the Lakers snapped the Celtics' 19-game winning streak. But haters (and bitter Celtics fans) could still say: "Well, L.A. did have home-court advantage."
There is no doubt now: The Lakers went into Boston and beat the Celtics, snapping another long C's W-streak (12 games). At home, on the road: It doesn't matter; the Lakers appear to want it more than the defending champs. Kobe and Co. are taking these regular-season rematches intensely personally.
The Lakers' prize for sweeping the season series with their rival? If they end up with the same regular-season record (the Lakers are just a smidgen ahead right now) and both teams make it back to the NBA Finals, the Lakers get home-court advantage.
But, apparently, the Lakers don't need it.
USA Swimming suspends Michael Phelps from competing for 3 months: USA Swimming has a lot of chutzpah. They were more than happy to ride Phelps' success in Beijing. Now, for an offseason bong hit -- which isn't even against USA Swimming rules -- they will take him out of competitions? Ridiculous.
Can you imagine if the NBA handed out 3-month suspensions for every player who took a puff of pot? There wouldn't be a league left. USA Swimming is being overly harsh; the biggest star in the sport's history has earned the credit to screw up once (and barely that) without the overreaction of a 3-month ban. (I'm curious if they would hit him with the same ban if it would have kept him out of the Worlds.)
USA Swimming is pulling a CYA, presumably to placate their sponsors -- the same sponsors who only came on board (or stayed on board in a down economy) because they wanted to draft on Phelps' cachet and success. (Caveat: Kellogg's just dropped him; college kids with the "munchies" may never engorge themselves on Frosted Flakes the same way again.)
It would serve USA Swimming right if Phelps said he was seceding from his affiliation from the organization and would plan to swim as a "U.S. Independent." (Yes, I know that's not realistic, but I just think this decision by USA Swimming is so ludicrous, maybe THEY should be punished.)
Pat Summitt, 1,000 wins: She becomes the first college basketball coach -- woman or man -- to cross the 1,000-win milestone. It's one more moment to raise the debate over whether she is the greatest coach in the game today -- woman or man. Her record argues for putting her ahead of any men's coach.
NFL Offseason: Pats "tag" Matt Cassel. Let's review: From 7th-round pick that took a handful of college snaps to one-year NFL starter to $14.65-million QB. Unprecedented.
Sure, if Cassel stays with the team for a year, he is owed $14.65M. If Tom Brady isn't healthy, that’s a bargain; if Brady is healthy, he will be the highest-paid backup QB in history -- but a worthwhile insurance policy. Who knows how Brady's knee will hold up from Week 1 until the playoffs?
Otherwise, the Pats can always trade Cassel. (Don't expect any team to give up two 1st-round picks to acquire him, though.)
NFL Coaching Carousel: Todd Haley to the Chiefs imminent. Given this season's success of other first-year rookie head coaches -- Mike Smith, Tony Sparano, John Harbaugh -- expectations can and should be high for Haley to turn the Chiefs around fast.
Considering that Haley's only national exposure has been getting into spats with his star WRs (T.O., Boldin), I guess I'll reserve judgment until the season starts. But Dwayne Bowe -- you're on notice, mister!
Pro Bowl Buzzz: The lamest of all all-star games, because it happens after the season is over, in an inaccessible (if lovely and exotic) location. Perhaps some day this game will be relevant -- when it is played in the open week before the Super Bowl, at the site of the Super Bowl.
NBA All-Star Game: Ray Allen will replace Jameer Nelson, which is notable for two reasons: (1) Allen was an injury replacement last year, too (and he scored 28 points in the ASG), and (2) that gives the Celtics -- rather than the Magic -- the team with a league-high 3 All-Stars. Symbolism matters.
CFB Signing Day Hangover: Turns out the biggest "scandal" was Lane Kiffin talking trash about Urban Meyer losing a committed recruit to Tennessee ("I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get him.")
Now Kiffin is apologizing (or "apologizing"): "If I offended anyone at the University of Florida ... I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention." Actually, to offend was precisely Kiffin's intention; that's why someone talks smack. (No worries, Lane: Payback will be ugly in September.)
CBB Mania: Cal hung 56 on Washington in the 2nd half to thump the Huskies in Berkeley. So much for UW's Top 25 ranking. ... Wisconsin isn't so bad this season they can't still tweak Illinois to snap that 6-game L-streak. ... Game of the weekend: Memphis at Gonzaga. (Big East Marquee: ‘Cuse at Nova.)
Bonds Watch: You know all those positive PED tests? Eh, nevermind.
Bad Idea Jeans: I'd like to hear about the first NFL player who signs up for gun training from paramilitary mercenaries.
Sports Media: "Joe Buck Now?" To answer Chris Littmann's question: No, I'm not interested in watching Joe Buck host a talk show. If he is offended by Randy Moss's mere pantomime, I can only imagine his ruffled sensibilities when he watches "Sopranos" or "Deadwood" or "Oz."
Hollywood: Steven Soderbergh to direct the movie version of "Moneyball?" And will Brad Pitt star as Billy Beane?
The Last Word: "I don't think the relationship can be repaired with the organization." -- Anquan Boldin, about staying with the Cardinals.
Dan Shanoff writes The Wake-Up Call every weekday morning for SportingNews.com and blogs daily at DanShanoff.com. Got any comments, questions or feedback? Email Dan at shanofftsn-[at]-gmail-[dot]-com.
This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.
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Dan it looks to me you are saying that Phelps should not be punished at all by USA swimming. You are crazy and you would be livid if your kid looked up to him and then he started smoking because Phelps did. You know the old commerical "I learned from watching you". That is the same concept.
But USA swimming is not really punishing him at all. I don’t believe they have any competitions in the next 3 months anway. His only real punishment is that USA won’t be giving him his money he get for training. Which only adds up to be about $1700, that’s it. The whole things is a smoke screen and I think you are a hyprocite for defending him. Yes swimming is a very minor sport that gets view once every 4 years but they have to have standards.
Then to compare it to the NBA. You are smoking now aren’t you? The NBA is a lousy organization anyway but it had to take heat from congress just to get pot on there ban substance. The NFL actually bans players for 4 games but that is the equivlent of 25% of the season. What is 25% of an NBA season? That is about 20 games. That is about 2 months. But they don’t have balls to suspend a player for 5 games much less 20.
by ctfwest on Feb 6, 2009 9:29 AM EST reply actions
How do you call the Lakers the "team to beat" when they go into Boston and basically get lucky with a win. I am not saying that the win wasn’t impressive and it didn’t mean anything, but it was friggin 1 point win!!!
If you stayed up to watch, you would know that Derek Fisher commited a foul with 3 seconds left and this game very easily could have gone the other way. So yes, still a good win for the Lakers, but I definately would not call the Lakers the team to beat.
Also, I know you don’t agree that the pro bowl will be more meaningful the week before the superbowl. Maybe a few more people will watch it, but players that are coming from the superbowl teams are going to be less likely to play. And, people still won’t care because the season is over for most teams.
To really have this meaningful, it needs to be in the middle of the season like all the other sports
by Gary Knopf on Feb 6, 2009 10:16 AM EST reply actions
ctfwest,
I agree Phelps should be punished IF HE BROKE ANY RULES, however what he is being punished for by USA Swimming is: "an offseason bong hit — which isn’t even against USA Swimming rules".
If smoking pot in the off-season is not against the rules, as Shanoff claims, they have no right to punish him at all.
by rodibidably on Feb 6, 2009 10:27 AM EST reply actions
the most important aspect of allen being chosen as an all star reserve is that this will motivate the heck out of mo williams when they meet in the playoffs.
by matt the jazz fan on Feb 6, 2009 10:34 AM EST reply actions
irrespective of the fact that allen rather than pierce should have been chosen by the coaches…
by matt the jazz fan on Feb 6, 2009 10:37 AM EST reply actions
Do the Celtics fans ever stop complaining about the ref. when they lose? The answer is no. How many fouls where called and they will only point to one. What they don’t point to is, how many fouls shot did the Lakers miss, and was this the second game of a back to back, and was this the 4Th game in 5 days, and so on.
This was a one point game, and the Lakers where dead tired, they should have won by 15 or more on a normal night for them.
Did I mention the Lakers played with out their big
C? I know those fans won’t mention that.When the Lakers play out of town, I go to the local paper and read up on the current team. Most of the papers (over 60%) have fans and writers calling the Boston team as classless. I agree.
by Condor7 on Feb 6, 2009 10:48 AM EST reply actions
Smoking pot is against the law and gives off a bad image. Who cares what USA swimming has for its rules he broke the law.
by ctfwest on Feb 6, 2009 11:30 AM EST reply actions
"Now, for an offseason bong hit — which isn’t even against USA Swimming rules — they will take him out of competitions? Ridiculous. "
Are you kidding me!? They don’t put it in the rules becuase it’s against the rules/laws of a little thing call the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
But Shanoff obvisouly doesn’t care about that. This is a guy who also works on a parenting web blog. Once again, Shanoff paving that golden role model path for his kids. Good job pal!
by robrip2 on Feb 6, 2009 12:50 PM EST reply actions
Lakers are not the team to beat, the East is the conference to beat. Watch it.
by dtruman5 on Feb 6, 2009 12:50 PM EST reply actions
Lakers are not the team to beat, the East is the conference to beat. Watch it.
by dtruman5 on Feb 6, 2009 12:53 PM EST reply actions
What’s that? The Lakers are the team to beat? Well can you wait until Sunday?
— LeBron James
by browns_4_life on Feb 6, 2009 1:37 PM EST reply actions
in regards to phelps i suggest this:1. WHO CARES; in many countries smoking marijuana is legal.and to General Mills who dropped Phelps as a spokesperson i ask this:Who are some of the biggest purchasers of snack and cereal foods?….Users of marijuana! Thus if a spokesperson has used a product to better link him to your target audience i would keep him around cause sales could increase. Imagine if all users united and stopped buying General Mills products for even a week, im sure their profits would suffer greatly.
by zachnad on Feb 10, 2009 12:01 PM EST reply actions
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