Does Your Mother Sew?

Tuesday night, the Sixers got stabbed in the face with a soldering iron by the Bulls.



They needed to sew up the wounds and rebound quickly with a date in Boston against the defending Eastern Conference champions last night.

One night after getting completely and utterly embarrassed by the Chicago Bulls, the Sixers rolled into Boston and were the aggressors right from the jump, attacking the Celtics and their 13-game winning streak without fear.

The Celtics did manage to go up by six after the first quarter, but the Sixers never relented, kept going hard to the rim and pounding it inside, and it resulted in foul trouble for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Nate Robinson. That led to the Sixers outscoring the Celtics 27-15 in the second quarter, taking a six-point lead into halftime. Elton Brand and Jrue Holiday did a lot of the heavy lifting early, with some nice contributions off the bench by Lou Williams and Tony Battie.

But the third quarter was a completely different story. Boston flipped the script, outscoring the Sixers 26-17, and the game went on the see-saw. The Sixers hung close, played tough and displayed the effort and aggressiveness they lacked the night before, but when it was all said and done, the Celtics had Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, and the Sixers didn't.



Oh, and Andre Iguodala really isn't very good in the clutch —  turning it over, pounding the ball and then forcing up horrible shots, you know, the usual from Iggy at the end of close games.

Despite getting to the line 10 more times than the Celtics and having their bench far outplay Boston's, the Sixers couldn't come away with the victory. In the end, it was Allen, Pierce and Garnett that made the difference, giving Boston a hard-fought 84-80 win. Jesus Shuttlesworth led the way with a game-high 22 points, making up for the struggles of Paul Pierce throughout. In the first half, Pierce was held completely in check, saddled in foul trouble. And his finishing stat line looks horrendous: 11 points on 4-15 from the field with 2 turnovers. But he hit a couple of huge shots in the fourth quarter, including a dagger three, and got to the line, heating up when Boston needed him the most. And Garnett, while also struggling with his shot (4-10 from the field for 12 points), hit a couple of clutch jumpers late, added 7 rebounds, 2 steals and a block.

Oh, and some other guy you may have heard of, Shaquille O'Neal, had a pretty damn good game as well: 13 points on 5-8 shooting with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.

You can't fault the Sixers for their effort. They gave it all they had. But the simple truth is the Celtics have four Hall of Famers on their team, three of whom are better than anyone on the Sixers right now, while Philadelphia doesn't even have a legitimate all-star on the entire roster (though Elton Brand was once upon a time).



Brand did continue his quiet season of good play, leading the Sixers with 16 points and hauling in a game-high 12 rebounds. It begs the question, especially with Garnett in foul trouble, why Brand didn't get more touches and shots. He only attempted 8 field goals (going 5-8) and did get to the line 8 times, but he should have, given his effectiveness, had double-digit shot attempts, which more than likely would have resulted in double-digit free throw attempts. Doesn't make much sense that he didn't get more shots up.

Jrue had a nice game himself, especially in the early going. He finished with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists without turning the ball over once. But he did seem to disappear at moments in the second half.

The biggest surprise and the most energetic player for the Sixers was veteran Tony Battie. With Spencer Hawes shaken up on a hard fall sustained going up against Shaq and then struggling throughout, Battie played a season-high 25:33, scored 10 points, had 6 boards, blocked 4 shots and made five of his eight shot attempts. It was quite an inspired performance by the elder stateman of the team, showing he still has something left in the tank.

Louis Williams had a nice performance as well, scoring 12 points off the bench, and the Sixers were +9 with Lou Will on the floor. Trouble is Lou turned the ball over 4 times and couldn't guard anyone, allowing Nate Robinson some open looks from three and lacking the size to guard anyone else.

The rest of the Sixers, despite giving the Celtics all they could handle, left plenty to be desired. Jody Meeks was absolutely terrible, scoring just three points in over 31 minutes and not recording a single other stat besides 3 turnovers. It was like he was completely afraid of the situation. Meeks attempted just 2 shots all night, missing them both, and finished with nothing in the way of rebounds, assists, steals or blocks. I'm not sure how that's possible in 31-plus minutes of action.

Spencer Hawes, after putting together a nice stretch of games, has come crashing back down to earth. He struggled against Chicago, and before that in Orlando. And last night, he had just 6 points on 3-8 shooting and turned the ball over 4 times. Not good. Thaddeus Young did pretty much nothing, and Evan Turner, the No. 2 overall pick, literally did nothing, not playing a single minute. Unreal.

But the biggest disappointment of all was Andre Iguodala.



Everyone in Philadelphia knows Iguodala is not a real franchise player, not the guy you want carrying your team. But Iguodala is a very good player, and most definitely the best player on the Philadelphia 76ers. Given that, you expect him to be the one leading the way in a game like this — a tight contest against one of the league's best team a night after a poor effort.

But save for a breakaway dunk here and an assist there, Iguodala was awful last night. He scored just 9 points, shot 2-11 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc. he had just 2 rebounds. All of this despite Paul Pierce's foul trouble and struggles, all while Iguodala himself played nearly 40 minutes. I'm sorry, but that's just pathetic.

The thing that really frustrates you the most is the end-of-game play by Iguodala, which was in stark contrast to Pierce's play. After coming alive a little in the third, Pierce scored six big points — a momentum-shifting dunk that brought the Celtics to within two, two free throws courtesy of an Andre Iguodala foul that tied the game, and a jumper that put the Celtics up 82-78 with 1:36 to play.

Meanwhile, Iguodala didn't score a single point in the third quarter. He missed all four shots he took, including a quickly jacked three-pointer and horrendous fade-away with a hand in his face forced by his own doing — dribbling the ball in one place as the shot clock wound down. Then, to show just how un-clutch he really is, he dribbled the ball off his foot and turned it over with 50 seconds to play with the Sixers down a bucket. The Celtics failed to score and the Sixers got the ball back with the score still sitting at 82-80 Boston. So to top it all off, Iggy got blocked by Garnett with 14.9 left, Pierce grabbed the rebound and the Sixers had to foul Ray Allen, one of the greatest foul shooter in the history of the NBA, with five seconds left. That was that.

I like a lot of things about Andre Iguodala's game, but I'd rather be stabbed in the face with a soldering iron than have to rely on him to carry his team in a big game, especially in crunch time.

Reason to Rush the Court: 400 for Dunph and 30 for Ramone

Last night, I watched the Flyers take a 4-1 lead in the 2nd period thanks largely to Ville Leino and Danny Briere at the bar and then headed over to the Liacouras Center to see the Temple Owls take on the undefeated, 9th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas. Yes, that did mean I missed Andre Iguodala finally hitting his first clutch shot since the 2008 playoffs (by going to the rim!) only to be bested by Kevin Garnett.



As exciting as that finish was, I wouldn't have traded places at all. Because last night, not only did I get to witness Temple avenge last season's loss to the Hoyas — a game the Owls gave away — but I also go to see Fran Dunphy get his 400th career victory live and in person.



Dunph's greatness is old news to Philadelphians. Born and bred in the City of Brotherly Love, Dunphy made his name at Penn, where his Quakers annually dominated the Ivy League and were mainstays in the NCAA Tournament. Then when the legendary John Chaney retired as Temple's longtime coach, Dunphy moved northeast to Broad Street. All he's done since then is win three straight Atlantic 10 titles and re-establish the stability the program had for so many years under Chaney.

If ever there was a coach who deserved to be honored, who earned every one of his 400 victories, it's Fran Dunphy. And it's fitting that Dunph would get his 400th victory in the same year that Joe Paterno did. Paterno is a coaching institution in Pennsylvania, and Dunphy is an icon himself in Philadelphia. Congrats, Dunph.

As for how the Owls were able to hand the Hoyas their first loss to get Dunphy that 400th victory, that's pretty simple: Ramone Moore.



In the early going, this game was ugly. Temple got the lead and maintained it throughout the game, but the offense wasn't pretty on either side. It was almost as if there was a lid on the basket. Except for when No. 23 had the ball.

Against top-notch competition, Moore played the best game of his life. There were moments last season where he really emerged, but make not mistake about it, last night was Moore's official coming out party. The junior two-guard was the lone Owl making shots in that first half, and really, in the entire game.

In a half that saw neither team crack 40 points, Moore put up 17. He was aggressively attacking the basket, hitting open jumpers and creating shots for himself and others. While Lavoy Allen couldn't hit a shot to save his life and Juan Fernandez was saddled with foul trouble, Moore was having his way with Georgetown. His tremendous effort and Temple's phenomenal team defense allowed the Owls to jump out to a double-digit lead and hold a 7-point advantage at the half.

The only thing really keeping Georgetown in the game was the three-point shooting of Jason Clark, who didn't miss from beyond in the first half, and some clutch shots by Antonio Freeman.

But make no mistake about it, this game belonged to Ramone Moore. Every time Temple needed a bucket, they went to Moore. He hit both threes he took. He drove aggressively, sometimes getting fouled, other times finishing on nice layups, and a few times throwing it down. He broke the ankles of a defender with an Iverson-esque crossover. And he worked hard defensively. In all, he finished with 30 points on 12-18 shooting, 2-2 from three and 4-4 from the line. He added 4 rebounds and 2 steals, including one after he had missed a shot in close, fell to the ground and then stripped a Hoya as he laid on his backside, dishing it off to Rahlir Jefferson for the bucket and foul.



His 30 points were twice as many as the next highest scorer in the game — Jason Clark's 15 points for Georgetown — and three times as many as any other Owl. Ramone simply wasn't going to make his coach wait another moment to reach that milestone.

As poor as the rest of the team shot — Moore hit as many field goals as the rest of his teammates combined — this wasn't completely a one-man show. Lavoy was atrocious on the offensive end, missing several easy shots from in close. But Allen was his usual self on the defensive end, playing strong interior defense, especially on Georgetown's final possession before the last-second heave, when he stood his ground and stayed on his feet to disrupt the shot without fouling and ending up with the ensuing rebound. While he was just 2-9 from the field, he did get a huge put-back late, and had 6 rebounds and four blocks.

Scootie Randall had a very efficient, smart game. He only forced one shot, scoring 10 points on 4-6 from the field including two threes, and had 4 boards and 3 steals. Fernandez struggled mightily with his shot, going just 2-8 overall and 0-2 from three, not to mention missing badly on his first free throw attempt, but he didn't force things and had a couple of dazzling passes. And Rahlir Jefferson, after bricking a few shots, went 6-7 from the line, scoring 10 points and helped to ice the game down the stretch with those freebies.

That all culminated in a breakout performance by Moore and the 400th win for Dunph. The Temple students showed their coach and team the love, storming the court after handing Georgetown its first loss of the season. It's hard to imagine No. 400 coming at a better time against a better opponent.



It was a great atmosphere, a great win and a fun night — at least for this Philadelphia basketball team. I'm definitely glad I was hanging out at North Broad rather than South Broad last night.

Lackluster Finish

Last night, everyone and their mother was proclaiming that it would take a triple-double by LeBron James for the Cavaliers to stave off elimination in Boston against the Celtics. Well guess what? LeBron got his triple-double — 27 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists — but the Cavaliers didn't win … and LeBron didn't play well.



That's how good LeBron James is at basketball. He can play a bad game — and I don't care what you say about how much his teammates sucked (and boy, did they ever suck) or how the Celtics tailored their defense to contain James, make him give the ball up (all true points) — and still put up a triple-double. Not many people post triple-doubles ever, let alone doing it on an off night. Yet that's where we are with LeBron in the game 6 loss to the Celtics that ended the Cavs' season.

Look at that line, and you might be fooled into thinking James had a very good game. Let me be the first to tell you that he unequivocally did not. He wasn't bad-bad, but he wasn't good either, at least by his own standards. He wasn't the monster that singlehandedly eviscerated the Pistons in 2007:



Maybe it was the injury, maybe it was the Boston defense, maybe it was some combination of everything, but he just didn't look like LeBron. He was passive at times again, though definitely more aggressive than in game 5. He was timid to rise up, again. He was deferring to lesser teammates too quickly, players who simply weren't capable of getting the job done, especially after Mo Williams duped everyone into thinking he could be counted on with a very good first half. He threw the ball all over the place, evident by his 9 turnovers. He was almost trying to do too much by doing too little, if that makes any sense whatsoever. And it was supremely disappointing.

After a game 5 performance that was nothing short of terrible, everyone thought LeBron would come out and tear the Celtics up, put a stamp on his alpha status in the league. Yet he did none of that, not that he had any help. The Cavs were atrocious, every last one of them, and they basically quit at the end of the game. With two minutes left, they were still within striking distance, however distant that chance was. They had to start fouling, preferably the inexplicably terrible foul-shooting Rajon Rondo, and take their chances, extend the game. Instead, they just gave up, let Boston run out the clock without ever fouling, conceding victory to the Celtics while facing an admittedly monumental task. Yet they didn't even give themselves a chance.

Maybe too much has been heaped upon him, maybe we've grown to expect too much too soon from the reigning two-time MVP, but watching that game, triple-double or no triple-double, LeBron just didn't look like that guy who finds a way, no matter what, to get his team to where it needed to be — the way Allen Iverson did in 2001, the way Jordan did time and time again, the way Kobe and Shaq and D-Wade and Hakeem and Duncan have in the past. LeBron just didn't look like one of those guys, which is beyond belief really.

I'm not here to talk down on LeBron. Maybe it's just not his time yet. The Cavs regressed as the season wore on, and James is going through the growing pains of playoff basketball. It happens. Just because he got to one NBA Final so early doesn't mean he still isn't learning. Remember, he's only 25 years old. He'll get his, I'm sure of it.

Ed wrote a great piece about LeBron today, something truly worth reading. And he brought up a point that my roommates and I discussed after the game, about the difference thus far in demeanor between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and that of LeBron:

So here's the alley-oop I throw to you the basketball fan if you want to crucify the man. Crucify the man for not being a jerk, an asshole, or insensitive to another man's thoughts. LeBron, for everything he's done in his career, as a person...dude just seems like a cool dude. Look at how his teammates revere him, they joke around, they dance at unnecessary times of the game, the take fake photographs, and when things are rolling its all smiles for the Cavaliers. However, when you win 66 games in the regular season, when you lose a game or two and your star player doesn't seem all that affected by it, that permeates into the the rest of the team as well. Its not necessarily LeBron's fault, because his mindset is that he's not going to let one loss get him down. He's going to play better and keep it moving. This is the time I'm going to compare him to MJ and Kobe, the only time. If Mike or Kobe lose a game, they're pissed, breaking backboards, and either not saying a word or they're saying a lot of words that are 4 letters long.

You know what that does to their teammates? It puts the fear of God in them, and it makes them feel like they HAVE TO play better for them to win. Just for the fact that they are terrified of what could happen if they lose again. LeBron's biggest equivalent isn't to MJ or Kobe or anyone else, in my opinion he compares most to Tony Dungy. Someone who in my personal opinion, was one of the nicest and calmest coaches I've ever seen in NFL history, only won one championship with arguably one of the 5 greatest quarterbacks of all-time at the helm. LeBron is in that similar situation, he's too nice. He's not going into the locker room and tearing into the soul of Mo Williams. He's not going to berate Antawn Jamison about getting yammed on by Tony Allen. He's not going to take shots at any players in the press, he's just going to sit there and be quiet. He's only able to lead by example at this point.

That's the exact thing I was saying last night. LeBron's demeanor isn't that of a commandeering tyrant. He's not going to bust his teammates and get on them for every mistake. That's just who he is. That doesn't mean he can't win that way, or that that approach can't bring rings. But maybe in this instance, it hurt the Cavs. Because when LeBron couldn't play on a pantheon level, just the level of typical superstar, there was no one there to pick him, to help him out. It's not something he's demanded from his teammates, at least that's the perception. For all we know, he could do all this behind doors, though we don't hear about it at all.

Michael Jordan was so competitive and wanting nothing more than to win, friendships be damned. He didn't care if people liked him, if his teammates said good thing about him. All he cared about was winning. If he had to punch a few teammates in practice to drive the point home, that nothing short of winning was enough, then so be it. And that got him 6 rings. Same with Kobe. He doesn't care if teammates are complaining about not getting enough shots, makes no bones about admonishing guys for making mistakes. All he wants is to win. That's what consumes him, what consumed Jordan. LeBron wants to win, no doubt, but he wants everyone to like him too. He wants to be the popular one on the team, be buddies with all his teammates. And that's done a lot of good for the Cavs … but does it come at the expense of holding back a bit on asking for more, no, demanding more from them? I don't know, but it's an interesting point.

It's actually a point that comes to the forefront even more following last night. Why? Because Kevin Garnett, even being a player who was disparaged for being too passive in crunch time once upon a time, is cut more from the Jordan/Kobe mold. He barks at teammates when they fuck up. He demands them to work hard on both ends of the court. And he's not shy about putting teammates in their place. It didn't net him anything in Minnesota, but it brought him a ring (along with playing with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) in Boston, and it has now helped the Celtics get back to the Eastern Conference Finals. Garnett has been the biggest key, whether it is changing the culture defensively in Boston, getting on his teammates, or taking over, like he did last night.



Garnett was the best player on the court last night, even better than LeBron and his triple-double. KG scored 22 points on 11-19 from the floor, and there wasn't a Cavalier out there that could contain him. He nabbed 12 boards, securing a double-double himself, and did all the little things to help the C's get it done. He played great defense, crashed the boards, filled up the basket, and confused the Cavs on pick and rolls. He was barking at Big Baby from the bench when Davis decided to forgo an open jumper and drive to the hoop, only to get blocked. He just had the aura last night of a guy who wasn't going to let his team lose, starting right out of the gate with a few turnaround jumpers, and his teammates followed suit.

It took KG a long time to reach this point. Not necessarily the mentality, because Garnett has always been looked at as an intense competitor, a demanding teammate who will tolerate nothing less than 100 percent. But he knows the road LeBron James is on. He knows playoff failure. He lived it for years. He knows failing to live up to expectations, of getting accused of being too passive or not being capable of getting it done. And he knows that it's possible.



If anything, watching KG and LeBron last night, it should make all the doubters pause for a second. With all the talent in the world, LeBron is simply going on the path KG has already been on. There's no reason to believe James won't get there too. Sure, were his last few games disappointing? Absolutely. The fact he isn't the scowling, demanding teammate certainly will bring up questions about his ability to lead as well. But something tells me LeBron will take this and use it as motivation going forward. Like I said, the man is only 25 years old. The sky is the limit. Which is why it's so shocking when he doesn't take flight. It was a disappointing end to this chapter, but the book is still being written.

By the way, in case anyone in Philly was wondering, yes, even though he now plays in Boston, Philly boy Rasheed Wallace is definitely rooting for the Flyers:



LET'S GO FLYERS!!!!!!

The Best Bucket that Didn't Count You'll See All Year

Witness:

SEPTA Makes Me Angry Links

Oh, how I loathe you SEPTA. So very much. Last week you force me to cram on a train so filled with people that no one could move. Sure, I could have waited for another train, that surely would have been just as crowded, but I had already waited 15 minutes and couldn't afford to wait another 15 and still hope to get to work at a reasonable time.



Then, today, you decide to pull out your worst. At first, you were doing so well. When I got on the el at the Girard stop, the trains were running on time and not remotely close to overcrowded. It seemed like I was destined for a smooth ride to work. Oh how you fooled me again, SEPTA. Because between 8th and 11th street, you stopped, mid-tunnel, for no good reason. Then finally, the train inched toward 11th, finally getting there … and sitting. A solid 5 minutes, with the conductor announcing anyone looking to get to 30th street should get off at 11th or 13th and get on the trolleys. Then another 2 minutes wait before getting to 13th, where the el stopped again. Waiting a minute, the conductor then said anyone looking to get to City Hall should get off here, at 13th street. Fuck. I transfer at City Hall to pick up the Broad Street Line, a free interchange. It's not free coming from 13th. So I had to walk, haggle with the guy in the booth to let me on without costing me another token because, fuck that noise, tokens cost money. It's not my fault SEPTA sucks and dicked me over from getting to City Hall.

Thankfully he agreed, but it took some convincing. Good thing about a dozen or so other angry Philadelphians were directly behind me to corroborate my story. My reward for this entirely too long and inconvenient journey? A full day of work. I hate SEPTA.

Links …

-We Run L.A.



-Who was dumber last night: Mike Scioscia or Joe Girardi?

-What each NFL quarterback leads the league in.

-No matter what you feel about these guys, this video is awesome:



-I hate the Lakers, but this is funny:



-Lil Penny would be proud:



-Some love for Marreese Speights, via TrueHoop:

1. Marreese Speights, Philadelphia - 13.5 Diamond (15.9 mpg, .537 Win%)
Of our 10 top prospects, Speights' Diamond Rating is just eighth. That's partially because he did see regular action off the bench for the 76ers last season, playing more than 15 minutes per game between both frontcourt positions. However, what lifts Speights atop this list is his combination of productivity, youth (he was 21 as a rookie) and physical talent. These are reflected in the impressive comparisons SCHOENE offers for Speights--LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Jefferson and Shawn Marion top the list. Speights' campaign is off to a solid start. So far during the preseason, he's averaging 24.5 points and 14.8 rebounds per 40 minutes.

Then again, Louis Amundson is on this list, so take that for what it's worth.

-Hilarious:



-Cool list of college football players related to past college football players, via The Wiz. Stunning to me: Paul Posluszny's brother plays at Notre Dame. Needless to say, he's nowhere near as good as Poz.

-Penn State plays Michigan in the Big House this weekend. The Matador says Penn State will win. I hope he's right.



The Big House hasn't treated Penn State too well, but there's no doubt in my mind the Nittany Lions are the better team. Evan Royster, Stephfon Green, Derek Moye, Andrew Quarless, Graham Zug and Chaz Powell provide formidable weapons for Daryll Clark and the offensive line has been steadily improving every game since the loss to Iowa. Defensively, Michigan hasn't face anyone as deep or talented as Penn State. I expect Jared Odrick and Ollie Ogbu to clog up the middle, and for Bowman, Lee and company to keep the running game in check. That will put all the pressure on Tate Forcier, a freshman prone to mistakes going against a terrifying front 7. I think Penn State should win. And win rather easily. Yet I am terrified of this game. Because it's Michigan. And it's in the Big House. And things just don't normally go our way out there. Let's change that this season.

-Apparently, Mike Richards and the Philadelphia media do not get along.

-The race of the Calder Trophy is going to be "bizonkers", and yes, James van Rimesdyk gets a mention.

-I cannot get enough Mottrams in my life, even if they are dirty Redskins fans and hate Philadelphia. This is why.

-Daulerio kinda, sorta emerges from his silence, but not really. I don't know, but even if, as he stated, "shit went kaplooey" yesterday and he is out today, he should have found a way to show up on Deadspin the past two days, especially after all the ruckus that was going on. Just my opinion. But hey, good to see you're still alive.

-This made me laugh:



God damn, I hate Russell Martin.

-I pretty much love any any commercial with Jeff Van Gundy:



-The NBA season is coming. Here's an interesting, thought-provoking look at the maturation of an NBA fan and his anticipation of growing older with another NBA season and the changed perspective of his appreciation of the game. Or something like that.

-Joe Posnanski's article on Joe Paterno is awesome.

-Chan Ho Park is happy to finally be going to the World Series:



-Five reasons the Dodgers lost to the Phils again in the NLCS:

5. The better team won again: No matter what Kemp's pride tells him, there's no shame in losing to this Phillies team. They're nowhere near a flash-in-the-pan and Dodgers GM Ned Colletti would be well served to see how Pat Gillick and Ruben Amaro turned a great homegrown core into a team with a shot at winning back-to-back titles.
But if there's anything for Dodgers fans to be bitter about, it's over the fact that the Phillies dominated the between-NLCS improvement battle. Give me Lee, Raul Ibanez(notes) and Pedro Martinez(notes) over Hudson, Padilla, Randy Wolf(notes) and Jim Thome(notes) any day.

You're true, 'Duk. You're true.

-Nova players got dunks:



-I enjoyed this article by Bob Ford, especially this part:

Just as they did in 2008, the Dodgers took the five-game dismissal with a cool aplomb, which partly explains why they keep getting dismissed. Back home, where the fans are already more interested in how Kobe will blend with Andrew Bynum, there's no retribution from the town that put the LA in la-di-dah.
What would fans in Philadelphia call a good team that kept getting close but never reached the final goal? Oh, that's right. The Eagles.

Oh, snap!

-Man, talk about a rough week for Dionte Christmas. First, he gets waived by the Sixers (should have kept him and gotten rid of Willie Green). Then, he gets arrested:

Christmas was stopped by Highway Patrol Officers Dave Marcellino and Ivan Rosado on Nedro Avenue near Broad Street about 7:30 p.m. for driving erratically in a car with heavily tinted windows, said Highway Patrol Capt. Michael Cochrane.
Christmas was driving without a license, and the officers found a Hi-Point 9mm semiautomatic handgun under the driver's seat, Cochrane said. The weapon was loaded with seven rounds.
Christmas was taken to the 35th District's headquarters, at Broad Street and Champlost Avenue in Ogontz, where he was expected to be charged with a felony weapons offense, police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore said.
Police later learned that the car Christmas had been driving belonged to Sixer forward/center Marreese Speights, Cochrane said. The 9mm apparently also was registered to Speights, he said.

North Philly is rough, don't get me wrong, but does Marreese Speights really need to be carrying those guns? He can't possibly live up there, can he? And why was he letting Dionte drive his car, especially without a license? Talk about a shitty week.

That really sucks for Dionte. I'm a big fan, and I always like to see good things happen for the Temple guys. Unfortunately, that's not the case right now for Dionte. Best of luck, and I really hope everything works out for the guy.

As far as the weekend goes, well, there's not a whole lot. The World Series doesn't start until Wednesday, and let's be honest, that's the only thing that really matters at this point. Thankfully, we are spared from watching the Eagles until Monday night, so we can all relax a little on Sunday. There are two Flyers games, both home. On Saturday night, they take on Florida and follow up with San Jose Sunday.

But the most important matchup of the weekend is Penn State at Michigan. Arkansas Fred is making the trip out to Ann Arbor to take in the game. Hopefully he will report back to me on it, if not actually post something. But I doubt it. He's a busy man now that he's no longer free.

The Nittany Lions are the superior team talent-wise. It all comes down to execution. It'd be nice to finally get back-to-back wins against the Wolverines, something Penn State hasn't done in forever. Hopefully they'll make it happen.

And as always, LET'S GO PHILS!!!!!!!

My Secret Admirer Links

Today, I got an email with the subject line: SECRETS. The good old Gmail account for this here site informed me that the message was from someone named Lecha Hampton. I do not know anyone named Lecha Hampton, and frankly, it sounds made up.

The message read: I love your blog. Your identity is not a secret. You look much better in person. Have a wonderful day stranger. I have been up way too long. It was a very long weekend.

Chances are this is just a nonsense email from one of my stupid friends to confuse the hell out of me. Mission accomplished. I have no idea who Lecha Hampton is or who the potential culprit of this fake email could be, so any information from anyone who may or may not know of a Lecha Hampton's existence or the funny guy who is playing a joke on the dear Reverend would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Let's get some links …

-This video would be much more enjoyable if Josh Hull was edited out:



-This video, on the other hand, is perfect just the way it is:



-Abe Koroma is transferring to Western Illinois.

-Dante Cunningham is signed, sealed and delivered with Portland.

-Michael Beasley has checked in to rehab.

-KG dunk mix, just because:



-Newsflash: Cole Hamels sucks this year:

But after Hamels allowed 10 hits and four runs in five innings in last night's 4-2 loss to the Mets, he is 7-8 with a 4.78 ERA.

That's the fifth-highest ERA in the National League. Only Livan Hernandez (5.47 ERA), Jamie Moyer (5.22 ERA), Ricky Nolasco (5.22 ERA) and Braden Looper (4.95 ERA) are higher.

His .285 opponents average is ninth highest in the league.

True story: On Friday night, I went to see Inglourious Basterds, which is awesome by the way, and during the movie, Adam EatShit sent me this text message: "Cole is a bitch"

-Know why you should never leave a game early? Because you could miss an unassisted triple play to end the game, that's why. Oh, and also, because the game got pretty close there. Pathetic display of fandom.

-What would us college football fans do without the genius of the U?



Orange on one side, green on the other side indeed.

-Don't call it a comeback.



-Why the Eagles suck:

2. Hey, Andy Reid's still coaching this team, right? Remember, this is a guy who failed to inform his star quarterback last year that games can end in ties. Not only is Andy Reid a poor game manager, he's an AGGRESSIVELY POOR game manager. Not only will he end up fucking up the game, but he'll fuck it up by using the most illogical strategy he can possibly devise. More importantly, he will take hours upon hours to implement that strategy. For the Eagles, huddling during the last two minutes of a game isn't an option, it's fucking mandatory. It's just the kind of team-building exercise that can really help Reid's men cope with the agony of losing yet another 4-point game that ended with Brian Westbrook getting stuffed on a power rushing play that he wasn't well-suited for.

So Philly can bring in all the fancy new skill position players they like. They won't be poised to do the team much good when there's 90 seconds left and the team is STILL FUCKING HUDDLING when everyone at the bar is shouting at the TV, "WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY STILL HUDDLING? ARE THEY FUCKING RETARDED?!" That's the true legacy of Andy Reid. It takes a special kind of coach to make every random asshole in the bar feel like they could do a better job AND be correct in just such an assumption. Worst of all, Jim Johnson is gone, and not around to be the all-purpose coverall for Reid's numerous, glaring fuckups.

-Dodge ball, Utah-style:



-And just for shits and giggles, a dogfighting ring was busted in Germantown. No word yet on the involvement of Michael Vick. Or inspiration. Or something like that.

Finally, as I publish this, the Phillies are up 5-2 in the top of the 7th, led by the two-headed monster of Ryan Howard and Cliff Lee. Howard driven in all five runs with a three-run homer in the first and a 2-run homer in the third. He's a beast. Meanwhile, Cliff Lee has gone 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and striking out four. He also did allow 2 runs, but both are unearned, shrinking his already miniscule ERA to 0.69 as of the beginning of the 7th. The guy is good.

I Thought Yesterday Was Wednesday Links

Wanna know just how stupid I am? All day yesterday, I thought it was Wednesday. I'm not making this up. I was wondering where the KSK This Week In F—k You was and everything.



Turns out, it was Tuesday. Apparently, today is Wednesday. That sucks. And I'm an idiot. Here's some Wednesday links …

-I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Inquirer columnist John Gonzalez. Sometimes, I enjoy reading him. Other times, I think his columns are complete garbage. One thing I do know, his column today is one of the most insightful and well-written columns I've ever read. Do yourself a favor and read it. He makes the best points you will read about Saturday's tragic murder outside McFadden's.

-Naturally, the Philadelphia newspapers are all over Jim Johnson's passing.



Check out the coverage here, here, here and here, among other places on Philly.com.

-This guy should tutor L.J. Smith. Think about it.



-You know Jim Johnson was the man when Big Daddy Drew says kinds words about him:

(Oh, and Jim Johnson died today. Jim Johnson was awesome. Take a cue Favre about learning how to exit the stage gracefully.)

-More on Jim Johnson:

Up until now coordinators have been shut out of the Hall of Fame, but if they ever break down that wall, Johnson is one of the first who should be considered.

-Carlos Carrasco, who was supposed to start today, Lou Marson and Jason Donald have been scratched from the lineup. Yeah, sounds like a trade to me.

-Joe Paterno: much classier than Bobby Bowden:

Bowden is clearly obsessed with the number, but not the other parts of what will add up to his legacy as a football coach. Paterno, in contrast, could care less, and said the same thing when he sat behind Bowden in the count just a few years ago. His name is on the library at Penn State. His team has been the case study for the "Grand Experiment," Paterno's attempt to fuse academics and athletics that has Penn State's football players consistently ranked at the top of the Big Ten in graduation rates. (Northwestern's usually first, but they're also Northwestern.) His contributions to the university extend far beyond the football field …

Even if the NCAA decides to recognize the wins, what Joe Paterno has in the win column on and off the field puts him ahead of Bowden in ways a win column can't ever quantify, and that is a score Paterno likely cares about more than any simple count of wins and losses.

-He's not blowing saves, but yeah, Brad Lidge still sucks.



Made me nervous there last night.

-Kevin Garnett. In high school. Just because.



Enjoy that. Trade talks are brewing.

My 2009-10 NBA Conundrum

With all the talk and hype about the summer of 2010 taking over the NBA stratosphere the past few seasons, it's understandable that the summer of 2009 was simply considered an afterthought before it actually came to be. But as we're all aware of now, this has been one the most busy, batshit-insane offseasons in recent memory.



The craziest part for me is the fact that two teams I despise, both of which call cities I cannot stand home, each added one of my favorite players to the fold. Yes, I'm talking about the Lakers and the Celtics, Los Angeles and Boston. And now I find myself completely and utterly disgusted that I may actually like the makeup of these two teams.

Of course, I already sorta came to grips with Boston when they added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, two of my favorite players ever. I wanted desperately for both those men, especially KG, to get a ring, so it didn't sting quite as much to have Boston win in 2008, especially since the Sixers were far from contention. But now, I almost want to like the Celtics with the addition of Rasheed Wallace. Almost, but of course I cannot.



I, just like everyone else, can get frustrated with Sheed from time to time. I always imagined him becoming one of the greatest ever. Perhaps that's selfish of me. But, as Joey over at FreeDarko pointed out, there's a lot to love and appreciate in Rasheed Wallace. When his head is right, he's a selfless player with superstar skill, one of the best post defenders in all the land, and a simply unstoppable force on the blocks when he chooses to be. And he has no problem playing second (or third, or fourth) fiddle to his teammates, making the union with Garnett, Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo a seemingly ideal fit.

Plus, the guy is a Philadelphian through and through. A Simon Gratz grad. A UNC Tar Heel. It's hard for me not to love the guy, flaws and all. And now he's a Celtic. If ever there was a guy who didn't fit a city, it's Rasheed Wallace in Boston. Take that for what you will.

But as far as a fit on the team, Rasheed offers so much more than that fatso named Big Baby it's not even funny. Sure, Sheed may be old, and last year he definitely sucked and stopped trying, but with KG around, something tells me Rasheed will bring his A game every damn night. And frankly, that's a scary thought — mixing crazy intense, with crazy accurate shooting, with crazy clutch star with just plain crazy. This Boston team is going to be fun to watch.

And the Celtics aren't the only ones. As much as I detest all LA stands for, I cannot deny the pure beauty in one Kobe Bryant's play. He's Philadelphia's shunned son, brought on by his own doings, but the fact remains, he plays the game as no one else does. Now his evil forces are joined with the NBA's poster child of evil.



I love Ron Artest. Always have. Always will. The guy is certifiably insane, but he's also one of the toughest players I've ever seen take the court. And man, can he D it up with the best of them.

But now he'll be donning the purple and gold. Alongside Kobe Bryant, the man he had a bit of a tiff with in the playoffs.



Seems absurd, right? Well, not if you recall that time Ron-Ron interviewed the Mamba himself.



This union is so crazy that it just might work. In fact, I don't really see how it can't. The Lakers, assuming they can bring Lamar Odom back, just replaced Trevor Ariza with Ron Artest. For those of you with delusions that Ariza is as good as Artest right now, just stop reading. You are stupid. Ron Artest is better than Ariza, making the Lakers better than the team that just won the championship. That's a little scary, no?

While I'm excited to see how Artest handles the limelight of LA and the demanding nature of Kobe, and greatly anticipate the lineup of Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Wallace, I'm torn. I don't want to like anything about the Celtics or Lakers. Not a single thing. It's in my hate-filled Philadelphia blood. Boston is a nemesis, a frequent foe. I wish nothing good upon that city. And LA, well, it's the antithesis of Philadelphia — fake, laid-back, glitzy. I can't relate, and I don't want to. Los Angeles is for those who want to be seen, not those that actually care.

Now, there are bits and pieces that I find myself drawn to on each team. To be honest, I hate it. I hope both teams fail, but I'm going to enjoy watching Artest playing with Kobe and the head-exploding frontcourt of Sheed and Garnett.

Maybe the Spurs, with the addition of Richard Jefferson, the Cavs with LeBron and Shaq, or Orlando, with another one of my favorites, Vince Carter, can come out on top. That would be ideal because God knows the last thing either LA or Boston needs is another championship. And I'll feel much better about myself if neither team wins it all, so I don't feel so bad about liking the ideas behind the teams I despise.

Link Tank

You know what I miss most about my childhood? No, not the complete and utter lack of responsibility, although that was awesome. Not the fact that I spent 90 percent of my time trying to have fun instead of spending 90 percent of my time trying figure out women (specifically, how to get them to sleep with me). Not even the fact that everything was provided for me thanks to my parents.

No, the thing I miss most about my childhood is playing sports just about every single day of my life.



In the late spring/early summer, it was baseball season, meaning practices and games throughout the week. In the late summer/fall, it was soccer. And in the winter, it was basketball/indoor soccer season. I even spent a year playing football before I realized my short frame was more suited for the soccer field.

All year long, there was a practice or game to be at, and when there were no practices/games, it was time to play a pickup game of whatever — stepball, baseball, whiffle ball, roller hockey, basketball, football, soccer, didn't matter — until dinner and/or bedtime. It was great.

Now, I hardly make the time to play pickup basketball down the street. And the court is literally right down the street. It's true, I hate to have to do something more than anyone, but I think it's officially time I join some adult leagues. Playing sports is the shit. It's also a reason I really, really miss college. I used to play basketball all the damn time with Arkansas Fred in State College. Getting old sucks.

Now onto the links …

-The Braves traded for Nate McLouth last night, who was All-Star last year for the Pirates.



You know how I found out? I went to check my fantasy team this morning when I noticed McLouth didn't play last night. So I clicked on the little red note thing on Yahoo's fantasy site, and it said he was traded to Atlanta. Go figure. This is not great news for Phils fans, because McLouth is a very good player, and he's sure to become a thorn in Phillies pitchers' sides much like Brian McCann. The guy can hit.

-Apparently, Sammy Sosa retired. Because evidently he was not already retired. Who knew?

-Kevin Garnett is making promises:



Anything is possible. After all, I got Marbury another paycheck, and after that anything really is possible.

-Expect Chris Osgood to play well tonight.

-It certainly sounds like Jameer Nelson will be playing at some point in the NBA Finals, for better or worse. Don't expect him to be the same Jameer with all that time off and shoulder that's still recuperating, but then again, it is Jameer we're talking about:

Jameer Nelson: It sounds like he's going to play in the NBA Finals and while I don't think he will be able to come back and play at the level he was during the regular season; it certainly isn't going to hurt to have a player of his caliber as a weapon off the bench, especially when he can probably destroy Derek Fisher even with a shoulder that's not 100%. However, if anyone is tough enough to go out there and play like he never missed a beat I wouldn't be the one to be betting against Jameer Nelson.

Truth.

-FreeDarko tackles the NBA draft as only FreeDarko can:

Most Likely to Surprise Everyone By Being White: Nando de Colo.

-Update: Jameer won't play tonight.



And it's unlikely he'll return for the finals at all.

-Um, thank goodness the Eagles drafted LeSean McCoy because Brian Westbrook needs surgery again.



Here's hoping to a full recovery so we can see the most explosive Eagles running back of my lifetime again.

-Penn State nabs another western Pennsylvania recruit, and Pitt still sucks:

And, just to pile on, Wanny's record as the Pitt head coach:

2005: 5-6, losses to Notre Dame, Ohio (Bobcats, not Buckeyes), Nebraska, Rutgers, Louisville, WVU.

2006: 6-6, losses to Michigan State, and five straight losses at the end of the season to Rutgers, USF, UConn, WVU, and Louisville.

2007: 5-7, losses to Michigan State, UConn, Virginia, Navy, Louisville, Rutgers, and USF.

2008: 9-4, losses to Bowling Green, Rutgers, Cincy, and the stinkbomb against Oregon State.

Want to be taken seriously, Panthers? Try beating Rutgers for a change. Baby steps. The guy's name is Schiano, not Lombardi.

-Welcoming Alvin Williams back to Toronto, via Ball Don't Lie.



Can't get me a decent-sized Alvin Williams photo during his time at Villanova, huh Google? Terrible.

-Bill Conlin loves him some Bastardo.

-Kyle Drabek followed Bastardo's promotion performance with a an equally impressive debut for the Reading Phils.

Tonight, on tap we have game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals beginning at 8, game 1 of the NBA finals at 9 and the Phils taking on the Dodgers in Los Angeles at 10:10.

-Update: Sheed to join LeBron? Yes, please.

76ers

Last night I witnessed my first basketball game at the new Boston Garden. Let me start of by saying that building is a pretty damn nice place to watch a game. Even if it's not the original place, the parquet floors were still awesome.



I got to see some great players too: Garnett, Allen, Pierce, even some up and comers such as Rondo. If anyones noticed I have not mentioned a 76er's names. Well, they suck. What a horrible game. They were outplayed by the Celtics 8-12 bench players. Brian Scalabrine looked better than Sammy Dalembert. Andre Miller looked ok at times. Iguodala had a nice start, but overall was disappointing. Kareem Rush, did he even play? What a game. Marreese Speights did look promising at times, Thad Young did not.

Who else? Reggie Evans, who I like, sucks. This whole team just sucks. I've been waiting all year for this game so I could see Elton Brand play and what happens? He gets hurt a few days before. What a jerk.



I don't know. I didn't expect them to compete, but I was at least hoping for the game to be entertaining.

By the way: One of the Celtics dance team girls works in my office. Of course she's not one of the attractive ones. Story of my life.

KG Will Eat Your Children

Or at least yap at them. Or someone. After the Sixers game ended, I flipped over to watch the end of the Celtics-Hawks game, which is quickly becoming must-see TV. The Hawks were leading much of the way, from what I gathered from flipping over during commercials, and when I put it on with just minutes left in the 4th, Atlanta held 3.



Joe Johnson was doing his best Superman impression, making clutch plays after clutch plays, but he was out-clutched by a man many people have considered anything but, at least on the offensive end.

You see, during his days in Minnesota, Kevin Garnett was applauded for his tremendous effort, incredible skill and insane ferocity … until it was crunch time. His critics, who seemed to be many, always complained of Garnett's lack of assertiveness, claiming he often deferred too much to inferior teammates with the game on the line. There was plenty of instances where this was true, others were it was pure bullshit.



Last night, he was every bit as clutch as Reggie Miller, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, albeit for one night. With the C's trailing, it was Garnett who took over in that final quarter, hitting jumpers, hook shots and attacking the rim for alley-oops. His spin and finish on a great oop pass by Rajon Rondo was a thing of beauty.

And all the while, Garnett was bringing the Celtics back, then giving them the lead and winning the game (thanks to a missed freebie by Johnson), Garnett was fired up. So much so that he was jawing, nonstop, every time he got back on the defensive end, at some fan behind the Hawks' basket. Each and every trip down the floor, after Garnett had just put another dagger in the hearts of the Atlanta fans, Garnett sought out his target, who no doubt had been on KG all game, mostly when the C's were down, and spewed obscenity-laden chatter this particular fan's way.

Over recent weeks, many people have been criticizing KG and his teammates for their trash talk. I, for one, love it. It reminds me of Reggie Miller jawing with Spike Lee and taunting the Madison Square Garden faithful with the universal sign of the New York Mets:



The guy is intense. And insanely good. And last night, clutch, putting the game to rest by going right at Josh Smith, one-on-one, taking him to the paint, taking it hard at him for an easy hook. It was a great game for sure, and even better, another defining finish for a man who can't help but explode with his emotions. I love KG. I just wish he wasn't on the Celtics.

Oh, and of course I can't get through a game the Hawks are in without giving some love to Josh Smith. So here he is terrorizing Kendrick Perkins and the rim:



In more NBA news, I saw Chris Paul get his steal in the Hornets-Spurs game, setting the record for most consecutive games with a steal at a ridiculous 106. Paul is the best point guard in the NBA, hands down. There is no disputing this.

And speaking of the Spurs, check out this funny video from Steve Nash:

Hey, Another Video

It's no secret I am a huge Kevin Garnett fan. Always have been. Always will be. I mean, it sucks he had to go to the Celtics, but the man deserved a championship. So any time I stumbled upon a great commercial featuring KG, I'm going to show it.

Thanks to Awful Announcing, I got that chance.



This is probably the best KG since his days with the Fun Police spots.