After playing for 8 teams in 8 years in the good ol' U.S. of A., Flip Murray has signed for the rest of the season with Turkey's "Efes Pilsen." The team is supposed to be one of the elite teams in Turkey and wanted to shore up its perimeter shooting before they head toward the Turkish post season. The story was originally published this morning on Euroleague.net

I wish him well there. American players - especially in China - haven't met expectations of late and a lot of teams are paying less and expecting more from their NBA imports.

I don't know about all y'all, but I've already learned plenty.

1. Those claiming that coaching is of minimal impact at the NBA level are wrong.

2. DJ Augustin's fans were right all along. He can be one of the best guards in the NBA if he is allowed to play without constraint.

3. Even when the team makes its first baby steps toward rectifying a piteous start to the season, many will still say it won't work, it's too late, or that nothing is any different. These people will call themselves fans.

4. Even the broadcast team was sick of Larry Brown and his constant whining.

5. Win or lose, it's a lot more entertaining watching a game where the players are having fun than it is watching a game where the hometown favorites act like they just got notices of income tax audits.

6 Rosterbation ejaculate, regardless of DNA, always comes out in a straight, blue-colored line and at close look will bear a genetic code that looks like the words "trade machine."

7. It's just a matter of time before Augustin starts drawing double-teams on the perimeter, giving Desagna Diop his first ever chance at a 30 point night.

8. On that night, Diop will actually score 4 points, but one of them may actually come from a jump shot.

9. A sincere smile can still make a 67-year-old man look like a little kid.

10. The Clippers are likely already scared of our upcoming West Coast visit. That's one team down, 28 to go.

Will the last one out of the Cable Box please turn out the lights?

I really wanted to see this game. My favorite team against the team I grew up watching and adoring. But I had a very rough night with little sleep (less than 2 hrs) Friday and I crashed badly at around 6 pm. When my wife finally managed to rouse me to take my meds, we were midway through the 3rd quarter. Sadly, I awoke well before the Bobcats did. I'll say one thing before the jump, after which I'm gonna get into some stuff.

I hate, hate, hate, the Boston Celtics now. The score tonight was low but the Cats were hanging in tough until roughly the midpoint of the 4th. After that, Boston ripped us apart and treated us like we were something that they stepped in. There was no cause or reason for them to run up the score the way they did. They had a comfortable lead when they hit the mid 70's, the game was well in hand. The Bobcats were demoralized and the only part of the crowd still in the game were the people wearing green jerseys. Running the lead up over 30 points at the end was just a classless and garbage move. I won't forget that. I now have 2 favorite teams. The Bobcats and whoever is playing Boston. I'll even root for (gulp) the Lakers! (People get shot for saying things like that in the joints I used to gig and hang out in.)

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I didn't see this mentioned anywhere else on the site and I apologize if I'm accidentally stepping on the toes of anyone else that posted it and I didn't spot it.

Gerald's condition has been downgraded from a hyperextended elbow to just a bruise. He's listed as "day to day" right now and is expected to play on Wendnesday.

This either means that Crash is planning to play through the pain and pretend all is well or the paste he made from the bathroom tiles and blue goop in the Bucks' locker room worked.

(Information from Yahoo Sports)

Since inventing the Stern-o-meter a month or so ago, I've pointed out some of the inconsistencies that spill out of Stern's mouth like water from a leaky faucet. I've also used some financial figures to bolster my logistics. Some may think that I'm pulling data out of the air instead of using my state-of-the-fart invention. Well, no less a financial analysis giant than Forbes Magazine has weighed in on the matter. Mike Ozanian, sports money writer for Forbes even uses the sale of the Charlotte Bobcats to emphasize his point that Stern is lying through his teeth in order to better the ownership position in the CBA negotiations. You can check it out after the jump:

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(DA -- From the FanPosts. I've added a comment at the end.)

This was the Bobcats' first win of the season, and their earliest road victory, by my recollection. So why am I displeased?

It was a scrappy fight at the end and we won with a score that was typical of many of last season's victories - with neither team reaching the 90 point plateau. So why am I more concerned than I was when we fell to 0-3?

Let's take a closer look.

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Well guys, it wasn't a popularity contest after all. Bobcatsbreak has decided to go with 4 fanbloggers and Rufus on Fire will be represented by...

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While in Florida last night, Stern made some comments that are utterly contradictory to his previous comments and an insult to common sense.

He said that there would be a five team division in Europe within 10 years. The way he outlined it, Miami would fly to Paris for a couple of days, and then play each time in NBA Europe twice. Not only were his comments absurd beyond belief (the logistics of sending the entire American NBA to Europe for 2 weeks or more for example) even HE acknowledged that he made essentially the same promise 5 years ago.

Jump with me for further analysis and the Stern-o-meter (pat pend) evaluation of Stern's latest commentary.

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Reports in the Miami papers this morning indicate that Chalmers is growing very frustrated already with his lack of playing time. Citing that the Heat don't really need a traditional point guard, head coach Spoelstra has been going with Arroyo thus far. "When we all feel he (Chalmers) is ready to play he'll step into a role," Spoelstra said. "How much that will be, I don't know."

Hmm.... a team that doesn't want to use their favored point guard because he had a minor ankle sprain in the off season. A young frustrated guard that wants to be on the court. Mr Higgins? Could you make a call please?

I am a man on a mission. I am absolutely convinced that we are going to see the absolute worst of David Stern this season as he manipulates the players and rallies the owners for the Collective Bargaining Agreement talks. In fact, Stern's latest comments to the media indicate that the just-begun season of actual basketball is of secondary importance to him.

Before the first tipoff took place at the Staple Center in L.A., Stern said that the league would lose "hundreds of millions of dollars" this season regardless of how "epic" the coming season might be or how the league rebounds from the recession.

Last season one of the RoF regulars set up a fanpost that was to run the entire season. It compared Okafor's performance to Chandler's and the goal was to evaluate the worthiness of the trade. I'm setting up a recurrant fanpost of my own this season.

Introducing, "The Stern-o-meter."

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No, he didn't buy a new car. I'd have capitalized that.

It seems each week brings some new national praise for our Crash and this week it's ESPN Magazine.

It's buried in a box in the midst of an article about Joakim Noah, so even a lot of people that buy/subscribe might miss it, but it's a big'n.

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Ahh, a classic topic header of mine returns for a second season. Pity it isn't by popular demand.

We're now 3 preseason games into the Larry Brown Annual Evaluation For Butt Chewing Candidates.

Here are some things I'm seeing. Basketball related matters will be after the jump.

1. Preseason coverage SUCKS. Yahoo didn't even tell me there was a game today so I missed it entirely.

2. I still can't find any solid information on which games will be televised to the ravening masses.

3. It's going to be a busy season for my laptop viewing.

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I just got this off the news wire a few minutes ago so I assume it will show up elsewhere within the hour. Kwame Brown severely sprained his ankle during a pickup game today while trying to ready himself for training camp. The team physician lists it as a 3rd degree sprain. He is now in a protective orthopaedic boot and is expected to be unable to play for at least the next 4 to six weeks.

It just keeps getting better, doesn't it.

The refs held their annual pre-season meeting yesterday in New Jersey and I guess being in the Garden State had them in a bad mood. (If NJ is so frickin' great, why does the Statue of Liberty show it her ass?)

They NBA has GREATLY increased the number of reasons for the referees to call technical fouls. A few examples after the jump:

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The Okafor Trade, The Damp Dump, The Diop Debacle. It seems like the management of the Bobcats provides us with at least one truly ugly move a year. Everyone has their favorite disaster when it comes to this team. I thought this might be a fun idea. Here's how it works:

You just opened up the Charlotte Observer (or logged in to their website, since almost nobody reads hard copy anymore) and turned to the sports section. A moment later you dribble hot coffee down your chin in shock at the unbelievably bad headline at the top of the page. The Charlotte Bobcats have done it again and made yet another incredibly stupid move.

Your job is this - Tell everyone what the headline said. It has to be realistic (no fair using something impossible like "Bobcats trade Jackson for the ghost of Earl Monroe").  In other words, it must be something that could actually happen. You don't have to make it work on the trade machine or anything that extreme, just make a bit of an effort to create something that could really happen.

Also, out of fairness and in order to maintain the grand karma of the universe (as well as living up to my reputation for optimism) come up with a really cool Bobcats headline that could really happen as well. No fair using "Bobcats surprise the league and win 2010/2011 NBA title. That one's just too easy. Like I said, it should be something that could really happen. Mine are after the jump.

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...and I feel fine. (with apologies to REM)

Bobcats release Dampier

Three little two syllable words is all it takes to cause great wailing and gnashing of teeth. I won't mention any names because quite frankly there are just too damned many to list.

I just want to make a couple of short points and one long one after the jump.

1. This is a fansite/blog for fans of the Charlotte Bobcats. I just have one thing to say to those of you threatening to bail on the team because of the Damp Dump. Don’t threaten, just go already. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.  I recently predicted that the team would lose some fans and that the bandwagon jumpers would be the first to go. Surprise, surprise. That didn’t take long at all, did it?
2. Anyone that doesn’t believe that the Bobcats would have earned a higher seeding in the Eastern Conference last season if they had begun the season with the same roster that was on the court after the trade deadline is a fool. Anyone that believes the squad coming out of the tunnel on opening night this season will remain unchanged by the trade deadline is an imbecile.

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(DA -- From the FanPosts)

No, I'm not talking about stats and rosterbation possibilities. The Charlotte Business Journal is offering some specifics regarding the growth of the Charlotte Bobcats as a business since the inception of the Jordan era. Corporate sponsorship is not only way up, but so is retention. There are also 2 major sponsors about to sign agreements. Although it isn't in the article, one of the new sponsors, CPI Security Sytems, is prepared to sign a multi-year deal as opposed to the year-by-year arrangements companies have been interested in most of the time. I know most of the interest here is on the players, but the business itself must remain healthy in order for the team to build the roster in the first place. This is the first time financial security has been solid since the birth of the organization.

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David Stern's office sent out a memo this morning to team owner's and to CP3's agent warning them that any tampering or attempts at backdoor deals will be greeted with a $5 million fine.

It's getting pretty serious considering how "happy" everyone was when Paul met with the Hornets mgmt. on Monday, eh? Darth Stern apparently senses someone is tampering with the Force.

Nobody is going to convince me that MJ isn't talking to his Jordan Brand buddy OR convince me that Paul will be in a Hornets uniform very much longer.

I'm just saying.

This is a serious question.

Although nothing massive has happened yet, there are some very broad and sweeping changes being discussed roster-wise in Charlotte.

Many of the bloggers here (myself included) have spoken of Gerald Wallace as the heart and soul of the franchise yet his name has been part of major trade discussions for weeks. If he leaves will the team remain the Bobcats that we've come to embrace?

The team is not even a decade old yet and hasn't had time to develop a real identity. Since bringing in Coach Brown the team has changed roster members quicker than some people change socks. If we continue to make changes at this pace the players coming out of the tunnel will all be strangers to the Cable Box.

What exactly is it that makes the Bobcats our favorite team? Is it Jordan? Most of us were fans before his involvement, let alone his ownership of the club. Is it geography? Not if attendance is any indicator. The seats at the Cable Box are often either empty or filled with people coming to see the visiting team. That was changing toward the end of last season, but you know as well as I that the first time Miami cruises into town there will be a lot of people coming out just to see Miami Thrice in action. Is it the cool uniforms? The fact that many of you will have an immediate, "WHAT cool uniforms?" pop into your mind answers that one.

So what is it? What makes you embrace this team above all others? More importantly, what would happen if that "thing" that represents the tipping point in your fandom is no longer a part of the makeup of the team?

Are we all just automatic homers or is there some special factor that makes our motley collection of miscreants and castoffs worthy of your devotion?

David, I beg your indulgence this once because this is very off topic but it is important to me personally.

My wife has a very solid job oppotunity in the Chapel Hill area. As most know, we currently live just outside Winston-Salem and have lived in either Winston or up north of the city (Stokes and Surry County) for over 20 years. What communities in the area around Chapel Hill are the best and most reasonable economics-wise to live in? Any recommendations would be welcome. Also, how difficult is it to get back toward Charlotte to go to Bobcats games from that part of the state? Being disabled, my work situation isn't a factor. But we don't want to accept a seemingly lucrative offer only to find out that the cost of living is so high it erases any seeming salary advantage that might be gained.

Thanks guys!

(David, if this is too far off the beaten path and you need to delete this request, I understand completely)

Forgive the appearing hubris of the title, but I wanted to separate my information from anything James the Aussie may have. Before I get going here I want to make it clear I'm not revealing anything....JUST YET. I'm going to open up a couple of things I heard during the latter part of this week for clarification, but I want to ask an important question and say a couple of things as prelude.

At the risk of redundancy I'm going to recap a little of what transpired this week. I feel a need to do this because there has been SO much confusion and misunderstanding on all of our parts.

When all this started (for me it was Last Friday) James and I were both very animated and excited. We decided to compare notes via email and discovered that our sources (which as far as we know do not overlap) had given us startlingly similar information. This is the first time that he and I have ever communicated away from ROF. Considering the breadth of the trades we had been told about, the very fact that there were only a couple of minor detail differences was amazing. We felt we were on to something.

One of the differences was that James' person said it would be happening by the end of the week and my people said it would be around Wed. Most of you are well aware of this, but it bears greatly on my question.

James is planning his reveal when he gets up tomorrow morning (after midnight Las Vegas time tonight) because he won't be up until the wee hours. .

As I type this it's about 7:45 pm on Friday. I am prepared to come back here between 9 & 10 (after I eat dinner) and reveal what was told to me. I must MUST MUST make it crystal clear that James got his info from different places than I and in no way should what I reveal be associated with either James or his contacts. I have valid concerns that it could cause some problems for James if either he or his people are linked to me and mine.

Here's my issue/thing:

James and everyone else - If you think it would be wiser for me to wait until I get up in the morning (I take my first meds at 8 am so it would be right around that time) so as not to mess things up I will. It's up to all of you and James. Obviously, if James asks me to wait either in this thread or via email to better protect his people it will have greater weight than what others say. My first goal - more important than ANYTHING else - is that nobody get hurt.

I intend to come back, read the thread, and then reveal what I know or wait until morning depending on what everyone says. I'm sick to my stomach that it;s come to this because like all of you I expected this to be over by now and the reveal posts would have been rendered moot. I'm at the point where I just want it all to be over. Contrary to the opinions of some, I am not an attention hog. There was a time in my life where I loved the spotlight, but that ended the last night I played drums in front of a group/crowd of people. I want this done so I can go back to my normal (such as they are) relationships with my friends here at ROF without all this peripheral noise.

Let me know what y'all think and after the jump I'll give you some of what I heard this week - mostly about what went sour on Wednesday. Thanks everyone, and once again I apologize for getting so excited and dragging everyone else along with me. It's the first and only time it will ever occur.

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Maybe some of you are familiar with Fat Head - a sports memorabilia joint. Well, they've started clearing out their Lebron in a Cavs uniform gear. Right now you can buy a life-sized James decal to go on your wall marked down to the low clearance price of $17.45

Why is this funny?

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Maybe some of you are familiar with Fat Head - a sports memorabilia joint. Well, they've started clearing out their Lebron in a Cavs uniform gear. Right now you can buy a life-sized James decal to go on your wall marked down to the low clearance price of $17.45

Why is this funny?

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You may not think so, but it is a good one. I'm a devoted fan and blogger for the Charlotte Bobcats and I wanted to stop by and offer condolensces and support to your city this morning.

As I do my basketball research this morning amidst the white noise of the media storm I'm discovering something. You are not alone in your anger and frustration. In their attempt to make Miami into basketball's version of "America's Team" they have alienated themselves from almost every sports fan outside of Florida. Discontent with being monsters in the East to begin with, they instead became the equivelant of Ghidrah The Three-Headed Monster. Not a good idea. I've seen those movies. Ghidrah loses in the end.

I'm here for a reason. I want to make a suggestion to the fans of the city of Cleveland. Y'all have taken it on the chin plenty over the years but never have you gotten the shaft from a native son like this before. LeTraitor will have to return to play against your Cavaliers this coming season and the initial urge will be to jeer, boo, throw garbage cans at him, etc. This is understandable. I have a different suggestion. As the player intros are made at the arena every man, woman, and child in the building should stand. When his name is spoken, instead of giving him the satisfaction of your distain, the entire crowd should turn their backs to the court and remain silent. It is your chance to do to him the exact same thing he did to you - a public shunning. He's earned it.

Anyway, whether the idea takes hold or not, please be aware that basketball fans across the nation are thinking of you this morning and we won't forget what King Ego had done any sooner than you will. Hold your heads up Cleveland. We're with ya. I just became a Cavs fan on every single night of the year that your guys aren't playing the Bobcats. I hope your owner is able to make good on his promise to bring the city "the hardware."

From the AP wire - police were dispatched to a sports bar in Cleveland where fans had gathered to watch the Lebron "Decision 2010" special. Shortly after James made his announcement at 9:27 the fans left the bar, piled a bunch of LBJ Cavs gear on the sidewalk and burned it. This, along with the owner's blunt flamefest at the official website of the Cavaliers represent what I'm certain is only the beginning.

They lose a point for lack of subtlety, but gain it back for clarity. I give it a 10.

(DA -- From the FanPosts)

It's bigger than expected and means good news for teams on a tight budget. (We wouldn't know anything about any teams in THAT situation, would we?) How much is it, exactly?

The cap is $58.04 million dollars.

Everyone expected a cut from the $57.7 million of last season in light of the recession, but this $300 grand increase is like Christmas in July for teams planning on a cap in the $54 million range.

(DA again -- Already, I've got friends claiming NBA conspiracy on this one, saying it makes it easier for the Heat to sign LeBron. Whatever.

For the Bobcats, specifically, it doesn't really affect much. Though we can offer more money to our players without getting into luxury tax territory, teams below the cap are getting that same extra space.)

He also publicly promised Bosh would come with him wherever he goes so it looks like the big dominos are gonna start falling fast now.

La la la, need 75 words...

So did you hear about the owl that married the goat? They had a hootenanny. HA!

If Ella Fitzgerald married Darth Vader it would make her Darth Vader.

I took a Viagra this morning and it got stuck partway down. I've had a stiff neck for hours!

The list of names is evolving quickly and changing almost by the hour, but this is what the current crop looks like...

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(DA -- From the FanPosts)

I've been pretty much living on ESPN since the beginning of the World Cup and between matches today they cut away for discussions and updates on the NBA draft.

One tidbit flew by that got my attention in a BIG way. They said that the owners know full well what they are doing with these overinflated free agent signings. The owners have absolutely ZERO intention of paying the players the money.

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The above is something Andrewlail said in another thread and it brings to the fore something that's really bothering me about professional sports. Maybe I'm just showing my age here but I wonder just how many fans are sharing my angst when it comes to being a fan in the modern era.

When I was a kid (oh God, already I sound like one of those "we used to walk 20 miles uphill in the snow and we LIKED it!" codgers) players spent their entire careers in one town. Yaz was always going to be at Fenway, Brooks Robinson was always going to be the Orioles human vacuum cleaner, etc. Being a fan of a team also meant being a fan of the local heroes ON that team. Loyalty mattered and not just to the fans, but to the players as well. It was a kind of unspoken covenant.

Then the concept of Free Agency showed up and suddenly players began to develop a "hurray for me and the hell with you" attitude. Now the idea of a player hanging with one club for an entire career is so rare that the player expressing the sentiment is either considered to be a fluke or a faker.

Now it's all about, "I love Cleveland! It's my favorite town! I love the fans! Management has been good to me! What's that you say? I can make more money by playing for the Menstrual, Missouri Tampons? Excuse me y'all, I have a plane to catch!"

I know it all came about because players got tired of being traded around like commodities and it was a way for the individual to get a fair shake, but I feel it's hurt sports in general and the fans in particular. We have players walking out on hometown fans and refusing to play for $6 million dollars a season because they think they might be able to squeeze $6.5 by setting up a bidding war in Free Agency. (Yeah, I'm talking to YOU RayRay!)

Reality check. From where I'm sitting in the overpriced cheap seats once you get an income exceeding $3 million a season you are earning more money than the people cheering you on will make in their lifetimes. What effing difference does it make if you are set for life as opposed to set for double or triple life? How much money does one person need for working 9 months per year?

Disclaimer after the jump.

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