When did it get so popular for athletes to pick their own names and change them? With Puff/P-diddy and J-Lo doing it?

Pretty funny comments in this Yahoo blog report asking for fans to submit their suggestions for new nicknames.
My favorites, Fat Bastard and Krispy Kreme.
Looks like there are a lot of Celtics (or Davis) haters out there, or Bulls fans responding (or the family of that kid that he pushed).

I like this paragraph below, as well as the insight he has about Salmons and what he needs to do to get back on track. Pippen usually has fluff articles and non-journalistic skills, but this article is good stuff IMO.

Teams that truly care about winning and getting better will turn it around. Everybody is talking about this situation needing change. At the end of the day, whether it’s a coaching change or a trade that is made, that doesn’t have an impact on what is happening on the basketball court. It doesn’t change what is expected out of the players. They still have to go against talented opponents and they still need to bring it night in and night out. The game and its challenges won’t all of a sudden become any easier with change. It’s still basketball and it comes down to effort on a consistent basis.

Mathematics state Ben Gordon's loss by the Bulls will go down as the dumbest sports move of all time, and also Thomas & Noah on the court at the same time is the Bulls' worst lineup.
Anyone buying his book?

Adrian W. at Yahoo rumors "Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich is telling friends that he thinks he’ll be dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers, who have interest in pairing him with Brandon Roy in the backcourt"

No mention of who we get --- but I bet we have talked that to death already...

From MSN Rumors page, originally at a Cleveland newspaper.

Former Cleveland center Brad Daugherty thinks his Cavs teams would beat the current edition. Writing on ESPN's Media Zone Water Cooler, Daugherty, now an ESPN NASCAR analyst, said: "It'd be very difficult matching up and defending LeBron, much like the problems we had to guard Michael Jordan. LeBron continues to groom his outside shot, being able to make 15- to 18-footers, and that's what's making the difference in him being the player he is today as opposed to the player he was three years ago. "If we played them, and he started making 18-foot shots consistently, he'd be a problem. But I think we could have altered some of his shots, and we could have thrown a couple of really top-notch defenders at him. Larry Nance could guard out on the perimeter, he could guard a 3 or a 4, and Hot Rod Williams was an excellent defender. When you got past them to go to the basket, the game was still on because they could come from behind you and block your shot." -- Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ex-Cav Brad Daugherty says his underachieving CAVS team that faced and lost to Jordan and the Bulls many times would have beaten today's current roster of Cavs. He says they would have played Lebron like they did MJ (that worked really well).

Story here
Arrested for drugs, one year in prison.

How many past Bulls players from the dynasty days have had legal or money troubles now?