Intentional Foul» Utah/Phoenix Had Two Nice Dunks

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While the Utah Jazz are most certainly struggling to play Jerry Sloan basketball their first two games of the season, their game against the Phoenix Suns yielded a couple of nice dunks last night. One by Deron Williams and the other by Hakim Warrick, who, some say, may have hadthe best dunk of the (very) early season.

See for yourself:

Now for Williams’:

Evidently, Williams was pretty pissed last night, and considering how his team played, it’s understandable. It’s a good thingthe ball wasn’t Gordon Hayward, however.

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Intentional Foul» More World Series Weirdness

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Saw this over atBarstool Sports(Boston) and considering the already-surrealWorld Seriesthus far, with outside shenanigansandthe unexpected poor play of the Texas Rangers (peak too soon?), it fits right in. This, of course, is a derivative of the wonderful little Internet meme, courtesy ofAntoine Dodson, which was started by this gem of a newscast:

I only hope that, even with the state’s conservative reputation, Texas keeps up with the surreality when Games3,4, and5(if necessary) come to town. Who knows, maybe we can get some strippers running around on Greene’s Hill.

With weed, of course.

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Intentional Foul» Blake Griffin Makes A Splash

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Blake Griffin was worth the wait. That’s what anyone who watched his official NBA debut last night should come away thinking. While the LA Clippers ultimately lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, knowing their potential super-stud power forward looks like the real deal should help salve some of those opening night wounds. And hell, this is the Clippers we’re talking about. As for Griffin, he wasted no time making his presence known by throwing down a nasty alley-opp for the first basket of NBA career.

Griffin finished the game with 20 points and 14 rebounds in 39 minutes of play. I’m guessing his knee is fully healed. Oh, and four assists were a pleasant surprise, as well. Now he just needs some consistent help from his teammates.

For instance, Chris Kaman would do well to avoid anymore 4-18 shooting nights. In fact, Eric Gordon and Rasual Butler were the only other two Clippers crack the double-digit mark in scoring. Further, besides Gordon and Griffin, the rest of the Clippers starters only shot 8-35 collectively. That clearly needs to be improved.

Since I can’t regale you with tales of Griffin’s first NBA win, I’ll just show you the other dunk he had. It, too, did not disappoint.

Welcome to the NBA (again), rook.

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Intentional Foul» The Lakers New Bling

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The Los Angeles Lakers got their rings last night, and they’re pretty impressive, truth be told. Justin Bieber liked it, so that has to count for something, right. Being the franchise’s 16th championship ring, the bar on the design was set pretty high, and it delivered, provided championship rings are your thing. The ring, besides being bespeckled in“regular-sized” diamonds, it also features 16 oversized diamonds, representing each of the Lakers championships.

There’s also pieces of the basketball used in Game 7 of last season’s finals.NBA.com explains further:

The uniqueness of it has to do with a piece of leather from the game ball from Game 7 of the finals, which was attached to the base of each one. The front features a circumference of 16 oversized white diamonds representing the franchise’s 16 NBA titles, and two championship trophies made of 16k gold. On one side is a three-dimensional likeness of the player receiving it.

So yeah, I think“bling” is the appropriate word here” Anyway, more pics:

Oh, shiny!!!

The Lakers also avoided the Championship Ring reception letdown by beating a game Houston Rockets squad, 112-110, thanks, in large part, the surprising shooting ability of Steve Blake.

And with that, the NBA is officially back.

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Intentional Foul» Free Enes Knows No Bounds

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In case you might’ve missed it, there’s a nice, little movement going on at the University of Kentucky for potential player, Enes Kanter, a freshman center from Turkey. Because of some questions about Kanter’s amateur status, he hasn’t been cleared by the NCAA to play yet, which, in turn, has sparkedthe“FREE ENES” movement, somethingI’m proudly apart of.

That being said, I didn’t expect to see a“FREE ENES” sign on Saturday when College GameDay was being hosted in Columbia, Missouri for the Mizzou/OU game (nice win, Tigers).KSR noticed it, as well, and they were just as excited.

So what does all this mean, besides the fact there are some outspoken UK fans in Columbia, Missouri? Not sure, but whatever the case may be, selfishly, I enjoy seeing UK propaganda at other sporting events, especially ones that have nothing to do with the idea being promoted. Is it obnoxious? Absolutely, but that doesn’t make me love it any less. Who knows, maybe a member of the NCAA saw the sign, too, and allowed his/her heart to grow three sizes, all in the name of freeing Enes.

One can hope, anyway.

H/t to 30fps(of course) for the image.

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Intentional Foul» That’s One Way To Interpret the NFL’s New Ruling

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Full size image here
This is how Chris Kluwe, punter for the Minnesota Vikings, interpreted the NFL’s edict about hits to the head and hitting defenseless players. In order to clarify, the NFL sent a video around of what is and what isn’t acceptable, and apparently, the NFL doesn’t care enough about kickers enough for Kluwe’s liking— or, well, the person who drewthe diagramfor him.

Just in case you’re having a hard time deciphering it, here’s the important parts:

QB or Receiver that makes over $10 M– Illegal

Punter or anyone else we don’t give a fuck about– Legal

Awesome. Too bad he’s probably pretty accurate, although, I’d like to see some folks take a stand for the offensive and defensive lineman, who bang heads about a million times a game. Is there an outcry from the NFL coming soon for them?

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Intentional Foul» Bruce Pearl’s Termination Letter

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While it’s being reported that Bruce Pearl will be coaching the 2010/11 seasonwithout a contract, and to inform him of their decision, the University of Tennessee’s athletic department drafteda termination letterfor Pearl, and it’s a pretty damning piece.

It’s clear to his superiors that Pearl knowingly committed various violations by inviting recruits to his home, while trying to initiate a cover-up of the his activities.The letter(PDF), written by Mike Hamilton, Tennessee’s AD, takes Pearl to task in such a manner, it’s honestly surprising he’s still the coach of the basketball team:

On September 20, 2008, you knowingly violated NCAA rules by hosting, at your house during a team cookout, three prospective students-athletes making unofficial visits and their families. At your house, you admitted to the unofficial visitors and their families that their presence at your house was a violation of the NCAA rules…

And

Your conduct failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance within the men’s basketball program and conveyed the wrong message to prospective a student-athlete and his family about your stance…

There’s more:

Prior to and after your interview on June 14, you interfered with and failed to protect the integrity of the NCAA’s investigation by calling the father of the prospective-student athlete who had been at your home… At the very least, your calls to the father created the appearance that you were trying to influence the father’s statements to the NCAA.

Still going:

During your June 14 NCAA interview, the NCAA enforcement staff showed you a photograph off you and a prospective student-athlete in the kitchen in your home and you were asked whether you recognized where the photograph was taken. You specifically denied that the photograph was taken at your home, which is false and misleading because you subsequently admitted to the NCAA (on August 5) and to Chancellor Cheek and me (on multiple occasions, including September 7) that you knew the photograph had been taken in your home.

They are on a serious roll:

Based on the facts described above, Chancellor Cheek and I have determined that you engaged in gross misconduct, including dishonesty and other acts involving intolerable behavior. As a result, the University is terminating your Employment Agreement for Adequate Cause… The effective date of the termination of your Employment Agreement is October 8, 2010 (”Effective Date”). On the Effective Date, you will become an employee at-will with no definite term of employment and will remain an employee at-will until the University enters into a new employment agreement with you.

So yeah, why did Tennessee retain Pearl again? Sure, he’s had success in Knoxville, but the letter is incredibly damning. So much so, in fact, if Pearl were to be fired, it’s hard seeing him getting another college coaching job for the foreseeable future. All things considered, Pearl should be counting his blessings. It would also be wise for Pearl to keep his nose completely clean, unless, of course, he’s actively trying to get fired.

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Intentional Foul» Marvel Comics’ESPN/NBA Tie-In Is Pretty Cool

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Marvel Comics has a partnership with the NBA and ESPN to produce comic book-style covers and images of the NBA and some of its players and the early returns are pretty keen. Marvel’s work can also be seen on the latest ESPN: The Magazine’s cover, and it, too, is also quite keen. It features Kobe Bryant as Iron Man (he’ll need it this season with his dodgy knee), LeBron James as Captain America (um, OK), and Kevin Durant as Thor.

While the image itself does indeed soar, Durant as Thor is pretty confusing.

Considering his nickname, Durantula, a Spider Man tie-in seems like a no-brainer, but,as /Film explains, these three iconic characters also represent the next three Marvel movies, and with Sony owning the rights to the Spider-Man movie, using Thor is understandable. That being said, throughout Marvel’s history, Thor has been awfullybuilt and defined. Durant? While being perhaps the best scorer in the NBA now, that’s still a“not so much.”

Anyway, after the jump, check out a bigger version of the ESPN cover, as well as ESPN.com’s image from yesterday.

ESPN Mag’s cover:

There’s also adownloadable, 3 megabyte versionif you’re one of those completists. As indicated, ESPN.com had a Marvel image on their site yesterday and because of the presence ofthe Infinity Gauntlet, I’m smitten with it.

Marvel is also teaming up with the NHL, however, because of the NHL’s lack of an ESPN partnership, those images probably won’t be as widely distributed. Nevertheless, I expect the quality will be as good as the work Marvel did for NBA.

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Intentional Foul» NBA Expands Instant Replay Again

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While the divide between those who support instant replay in sports, and those who don’t, remains, I’m of the mind that if you have the technology, there’s nothing wrong with using to make sure you get the call right. Yes, it runs the risk of slowing down the game, but why should a shot be allowed if it happened after the buzzer went off? Or why should a touchdown count if the goal line wasn’t crossed? Even withbaseball’s technological struggles, allowing a home run that went wide of the foul pole does not improve the quality of your product.

With that in mind, the NBA is expanding, well, refininghow instant replay will be usedduring the upcoming games.

• During the last two minutes of regulation and the entire duration of any overtime period, to determine whether the ball touched the rim and thus whether the shot clock should be adjusted.

• During the last two minutes of regulation play and the entire duration of any overtime period, to determine which of two players on opposing teams caused the ball to become out-of-bounds. This modification expanded the previous rule to include the entirety of an overtime period instead of just the last two minutes of an overtime period.

• During a replay review of an out-of-bounds call, to determine when the ball is out of bounds for purposes of adjusting the game clock and shot clock.

• At any point during the game, to determine which player should attempt free throws after a foul occurred.

• At any point during a game, to determine whether a foul that was called a clear-path-to-the-basket foul met all the criteria of a clear-path-to-the basket foul.

While these changes look largely cosmetic, or refining, if you will, the two that stand out are the last two. Using replay to determine if a player was fouled in the act of shooting seems excessive. If, with the naked eye, NBA referees can’t determine if the player was shooting or not, the ball should simply be inbounded by the team that got fouled. Delaying the game to check for something that should’ve been seen when it happened doesn’t sound like great use of the available technology.

As for the clear path review, I thought the rules were pretty clear on this,but let’s review:

If a fast break starts in a team’s backcourt and a defender fouls any offensive player when the team is going to score an easy basket, a clear path foul has occurred. When the foul happens, no defender can be ahead of the ball where he could defend against the easy basket.

Is that hard to tell whether or not a defender was in front of the player being fouled on a fast break? Clearly, it is.

The new replay additions go into effect when the 2010/11 season starts.

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Intentional Foul» This Is Pretty Damn Cool

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I’m pretty sure this has been covered elsewhere, but if I haven’t seen it, it’s new to me.

What we have is Mitchell Watt and his nifty heel-flick-to-himself, followed by dunking the ball. Oh, he catches the heel-flick in the air, too. Things like this just further my desire for basketball season to start.

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Intentional Foul» Keion Bell Is Freaking Freak

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More midnight madness fun, but this time, I think we have a winner— at least for best display of dunking. Just ask Keion Bell and the Pepperdine crowd who were lucky enough to witness Bell’s freakshow-like display of jumping ability. How freaky was Bell? Freaky enough to jump over SEVEN people and still dunk it:

Did someone say“freak?”

I imagine we’ll be seeing a few highlights of Bell on SportsCenter in the coming months. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be lucky enough and Bell will dunk it by jumping over somebody in a game. As it stands, my money’s on Bell to produce the Dunk of the Year when the season starts in a month or so.

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Intentional Foul» 15 Yards For This?

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While Keion Bell is probably proud of Miles Austin’s leaping ability, I’d say he, too, is confused by a league that penalizes their players 15 yards for celebrating in such a manner. I’m sorry, did Austin and Williams start a circle with Williams shooting everybody down? Did they pass the ball back and forth, acting like it was hot potato, before spiking it? Or did they use any props hidden in socks or the padding around the uprights?

Since the answer to those questions is a resounding no,is penalizing Austinin such a situation a good and wise decision by the NFL? Instead of cracking down on harmless stuff like this, how about dealing with players who launch while leading with their helmets?

How about ejections and suspensions instead of fines? Or, how about focusing that all-seeing eye on things that take away from NFL enjoyment instead of trying to kill the spirit of these teams? It’s not like Austin taunted the other team (or Williams for that matter). Are players acting exuberant after a big play really that harmful the overall product?

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Intentional Foul» Doron Lamb Has His Own Dance

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Last year about this time, John Wall, after months of anticipation, burst onto the scene as a Kentucky Wildcat at the school’s Big Blue Madness celebration. While everyone who has an interest in college basketball had their eye on Wall, the freshman point guard added something to his introduction that made his“phenom star” shine that much brighter:the John Wall Dance. With a little pop of his arms and wrists, the move became Wall’s signature and also, something of a craze.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise to hear another highly-regarded Kentucky freshman, Doron Lamb, hasa dance of his ownhe plans on debuting during the team’s introduction.

“I already got it down pat,” Lamb said.“Some of (my teammates) have already seen it in the locker room. I’m just waiting to bring it out.”

While it’s unlikely Lamb’s dance catches on like Wall’s, at least, on a nationwide basis— his popularity quotient isn’t nearly as high as Wall’s was last season— as a Kentucky fan, I have to say I’m looking forward to it.

While I find most trends either silly or annoying, I actually enjoy seeing all this youthful enthusiasm from the players. There’s nothing wrong with having a little fun, not to mention, trying to make lightening strike twice. As long as Lamb’s dance doesn’t involve flexing your biceps and popping your fist back and forth, it’ll work, if, for no one else, the Kentucky fans who are dying for basketball season to start.

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Intentional Foul» Who Won The Twitter Bowl?

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Now that Twitter has pretty much taken over the known world— at least as a barometer of what is and isn’t popular— it’s a good way to measure which team(s) have the largest, most outspoken fans. With that in mind, if you haven’t checked out theTwitter Bowl 2010, perhaps you should. The aspiring minds over at Outspoken Media. specifically, Rae Hoffman and Amanda Orson, have used Twitter to determine which NFL teams have the most vocal and passionate fans.

And the results may surprise you.

While the research may be thing that draws you in, the way it is delivered will make you stay. Rae and Amanda donned their play-by-play caps, and presented their findings like Chris Collinsworth and Al Michaels do on Sunday nights.

An example:

Brownsvs.Steelers
I have to tell you Rae, this contest was pretty close to a no-show and should have been a landslide. The Steelers came into this game with over 4000 followers waiting to read; nothing. Not a single tweet from the Steelers until this week. Final score: Browns 12, Steelers 11. Browns take the game.

And so on, through four rounds of discovery, leading up to the final match-up, the Twitter Bowl itself.

Not surprisingly, the final“game” pitted the New York Giants and the New York Jets; meaning, these are the two most popular NFL teams on Twitter.

I say“not surprisingly” because of the population of New York City, coupled with the way New Yorkers follow their teams, lends itself to a higher volume of Twitter followers, even if they are split up between two teams. Also, with New Yorkers and their propensity to be outspoken, it’s clear Twitter gives them the perfect platform to sound off about their team, because, among other reasons, it eliminates waiting on Mike Francesca to put in you in his on-air caller queue.

As for their Twitter Bowl findings, here’s one you might find interesting:

Which teams reply most to their users?

Engaging with your followers is what Twitter is all about. To quote Amanda,“otherwise, you’re just broadcasting.” So which teams most “get” the point of Twitter and actually converse with their fans?

* New York Jets– 56.78% of tweets are replies
* Arizona Cardinals– 31.50% of tweets are replies
* Jacksonville Jaguars– 21.91% of tweets are replies
* Seattle Seahawks– 18.55% of tweets are replies
* Tampa Bay Buccaneers– 13.67% of tweets are replies

Other metrics they looked at include:

Who has been using Twitter the longest?
San Diego Chargers– tweeting since 01/27/07

Which team tweets the most?
Miami Dolphins– 18799 updates

Who actually follows their fans?
San Diego Chargers– 31136 people followed

Which teams have the largest followings?
New England Patriots– 49182 fans

So yeah, come for the great information, and stay for Rae and Amanda’s awesome delivery of their findings.

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Intentional Foul» Bill Stewart is Still King of the Game Faces

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While his West Virginia Mountaineers gave Bill Stewart a win over South Florida, 20-6. No, I’m not exactly sure what cause Stewart’s face to sour like that; perhaps it was the lack of offensive firepower, or maybe he didn’t like the yellow uniforms. Whatever the case, one thing’s for certain: Bill Stewart is an absolute master of the game face.

There is none higher.

H/t to 30fpsfor the image.

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Intentional Foul» Laker Girl Gets Crushed

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With the some of the sagas going on in the NFL— Brett Favre, San Diego’s personnel, and personally, the Bengals playing like Bungles— I, for one, am happy basketball is on its way back for another season. I imagine it has to do with the everyday play, but for some reason, basketball is a little more blogger-friendly than football or baseball. Perhaps it’s the all video, or perhaps the sport itself allows for more eye-catching moments, you know, like cheerleaders getting crushed by about 400-plus pounds of NBA players jockeying for position.

Just askAshleyof the Laker Girls, who, as pointed out byBall Don’t Lie, got bulled over as Matt Barnes and Carl Landry were fighting for the loose ball.

While reports indicate Ashley survived unscathed, that couldn’t have felt good.

To be honest, it’s surprising things like this don’t happen every game. Cheerleaders have been sitting on the sidelines of basketball games, probably since the first peach basket was hung. The fact cheerleaders don’t get smashed like that on a nightly basis has to be minor miracle.

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Intentional Foul» I Hope Blake Griffin Stays Healthy

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Yes, I’m aware of the caveats of preseason glory, but if Blake Griffin performs anywhere near the numbers he’s posting thus far, while remaining injury, the John Wall/Rookie of the Year coronation may not happen as expected. Don’t get me wrong, I fully expect Wall to dazzle, but if any rookie consistently posts a 15 and 12 stat line, it would be hard to overtake them. Griffin is, of course, returning froma knee injurythat robbed him of his rookie season, and with the specter of the Curse of the Clippers hanging over him, it’s hard to be confident he’ll succeed where so many other Clipper high draft picks have not.

Just askDanny Manning,among others.

Because of that, I’m hesitant to even enjoy his return to action, but the his athletic ability and the way he finishes at the rim pretty much makes that impossible. Yes, he can still dunk the ball like a beast:

And it’s pretty clear the knee injury didn’t rob him of his explosive leaping ability, a point Clippers fans (yes, I wrote that with a straight face) and Griffin fans alike should rejoice in.

With Griffin (fingers crossed) looking very healthy and productive, and with the early returns on DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento, there’s a potentially new breed of dominant big men out west. While it’s still the Lakers part of the country, the future— provided those two stay on the west coast— looks like it’s certainly shifting. Andrew Bynum could very well have some more company as in the“best young big in the Western Conference” category, and that’s no offense to Greg Oden, either.

Not to mention, with Amar’e Stoudemire now plying his trade in the Big Apple, a spot has opened in the Western Conference for a young, explosive power forward who will dunk on anyone that gets in his. So far, Blake Griffin looks like a worthy candidate.

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Intentional Foul» Is This How Favre Saw That Pick Six?

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While looking for video of Brett Favre’s game-ending pick six to Dwight Lowery, I came across a fan video of the play, and because it looked like it was filmed by an epileptic after consuming mass amounts of Red Bull, I began to wonder if that’s how Favre sees the field when he throws an interception. First, the video:

Yeah, even though I saw the play last night, I have no idea what’s going on in that video, and it’s probably pretty similar to how Favre saw the Jets’ defense.

Considering the fact“the Gunslinger” has 324 career picks— to his 502 touchdown passes— it’s clear Favre sees the field like that more often than you’d like your quarterback to. And yes, we’re purposely avoiding anything to do with the Jenn Sterger bullshit. While everything she says might be true about Favre, the entire situation feels like manufactured attempt to stay relevant, and considering how many“career changes” she’s had since leaving Florida State sidelines and the approving gaze of Brent Musburger, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised.

That being said, the voicemails sound awfully damning.

What’s next in the never-ending Favre saga? Deanna hitting him in the noggin with a golf club? Or a football helmet? You know, something like this:

Sexual Healing
Tags:SOUTH
PARKmore…

Whatever the case, I wish both of them, Jenn and Brett, would just go away. Jenn’s eye-candy ways are played out— not to mention, done better bymany,manyother co-eds— and well, Favre is just the biggest attention whore walking.

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Intentional Foul» Les Miles’Balls Are Bigger Than Yours

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Time to recycle thisLSUFreekgem—he has another one for this very game— because after the end of the Florida/LSU game, is there anything more apt to describe how Les Miles’ brain works? The fake field goal flip/fumble-rooski/insanity that spawned from Miles’ brain was one of the best endings to a college football game I’ve ever seen.

Sure, theBoise State/Oklahoma endingwas probably more significant, but it wasn’t anywhere near as chaotic as what Les Miles’ concocted. I mean, who, in their right mind, conjures up something like this:

To say“that’s not how you draw it up” is a complete and utter understatement for what we just saw. Something like:“You are a crazy motherf***er, Les, but My God, it’s a beautiful thing. Don’t ever change, you magnificent bastard.” is more apt. The fact that it took the review booth over four minutes to reach a decision on the flip-fumble-lateral thing shows just how magnificent it was.

The average-Joe human mind couldn’t comprehend what it had just witnessed, so taking four-plus minutes allowing it to digest and articulate what it saw is understandable.

This, folks, is what you get when Les Miles’ brain starts churning. Not only was the fake field goal a call worthy of the all time“Balls of Fame” designation, the pass play to Terrence Toliver that directly followed it was just as important; almost as much as Toliver’s great end zone catch that gave LSU the lead.

In case you missed, geauxTlGERS has posted the last part of the game, from the fake field goal to Toliver’s game-winner. If you missed it, it’s worth the watch; all nine-plus minutes:

That, folks, is how one coaches football with balls on the brain— and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

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Intentional Foul» NBA 2K11 Features 40 Pairs of Air Jordans

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After yesterday’slove letter, it’s clear I’m excited for the NBA 2K11/Michael Jordan basketball game, but after this little head’s up fromThe Basketball Jones(viaNikeKicks.com), I’m even more stoked. Evidently, players can unlock 40 different Air Jordan variations, the shoe that cemented Nike as part of our society’s collective conscious.

Not only do the unlockable Jordans allow you to customize appearances, they also give the player an attribute boost as well. For instance, when you unlock the ones in the lead image, the player receives a +2 in the ball handling department, and with over 40 different shoe buffs to choose from, variety will be your friend. In one game, you can have Jordan wearing shoes that give him a +10 on dunks and in another game, you can equip a pair that gives a +5 Defensive Low Post.

You know, just in case you’re guarding Kobe Bryant or another post-playing guard.

Yes, these 40 additional unlockables are there to entice potential buyers, and man, it worked on me. Granted, I was already on-board with 2K11, but this just cements my decision even further. I can imagine the same is true for all those Air Jordan collectors out there. One more thing, Kobe’s commercial for 2K11 is pretty awesome:

Kobe’s smart for drafting Jordan. What better way to protect your legacy than by putting the man who has a better one on your team?

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Intentional Foul» Not Everyone Loves Doc Halladay

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Besides Reds fans, even.

Ah,postseason baseballquibbling: When you are the second player to ever accomplish something of note in Major League Baseball, considering just how extensive the history is (ask Ken Burns), it’s significant, much like Roy Halladay’sno-hitter against the Cincinnati Redslast night should be treated. Some, however, disagree with all the love being thrown Halladay’s way. On one side, one of those quick to take credit away is understandable. His team just got flummoxed by perhaps the best pitcher in the game, and some defiance lingers.

While it does come across as sour grapes,Orlando Cabreraat least has reason to reject the notion of Halladay’s greatness, even if it just being a sore loser.

On blogosphere side of things,not everyone was impressed there, either. Granted, the guys at Bugs and Cranks watch and know a whole lot more about baseball than I do, but I don’t quite get the reasoning behind the lack of Halladay love:

But most of all, because before he came out in the third inning, he had a 4-0 lead to work with. Matt Garza allowing 2 hits and 1 run over 7 innings in Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS in a 3-1 game is far more impressive than Halladay’s showy little no-hitter yesterday. Hell, give me Jered Weaver going 7.1 innings and giving up 2 hits and 1 run in a 4-1 win of last year’s ALDS Game 2 against the Red Sox.

While the performances mentioned might indeed by sterling outings by other pitchers in a playoff atmosphere, being only the second baseball player to ever throw a postseason no-hitter resonates, whether you want it to or not; regardless if you’re a member of the Reds or simply a fan of baseball who writes a blog.

I’m sometimes hesitant to overuse Internet memes in posts, but I think the following adaptation applies:“Impressive performance is impressive.” Like it or not, Halladay’s namebelongsin the history books, if, for nothing else, the sheer rarity of his accomplishment.

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Intentional Foul» The Lakers Got Globetrotter’d

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As David Stern continues to spread his NBA seed across Europe, games like last night’s LA Lakers/FC Barcelona match-up are more and more common. What’s not common, however, is watching an NBA team— A World Champs NBA team no less— get treated like they were the Washington Generals, at least, during one play. The ball movement on display in the above video reminds me of a weave drill from a practice session; that is, with no defense.

While it was Fran Vazquez who finished the play with a nice dunk, the passing that set Vazquez up was world-class, and very Harlem Globetrotter-esqe.

Surprisingly, Barcelona wound up beating the Lakers, 92-88. Granted, one could assume the Lakers weren’t into the game, but then again, if that was the case, why did Phil Jackson play his squad big minutes? Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom got over 30 minutes of clock, while Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest and Derek Fisher logged 25 minutes or more.

One more thing: 2-15, Kobe? Really? What’s the matter? Too much fantasizing abouthaving Michael Jordan on your team?

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Intentional Foul» Dwight Howard: Credit Where it’s Due

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Last week, I blasted Orlando Magic man-child Dwight Howard for what appeared to be a lack of offseason preparation, as well as eschewing the FIBA World Championshipsto produce albums for children. However, thanks to a find by the folksat Ball Don’t Lie, I must give Howard some credit, especially when he’s earned it.

What we have is D-12 working out/learning from perhaps the best post player to lace up a pair of shoes in the NBA: Hakeem“The Dream” Olajuwon. Sure, the video feels almost like a pitch for The Dream as a individual workout coach, but at the same time, it’s nice to see Howard, who might be the most athletically-gifted big man the NBA’s ever seen, actually work to improve the area he’s weakest in: post-game offense.

Granted, Howard doesn’t have the shooting stroke of Olajuwon— he still“short-arms” his shots— but if he can apply some of the considerable knowledge he’s getting from Dream, his post game will have no choice but to get better. Of course, working out in a peaceful gym with one of the greatest post players instructing you— no defense either— is one thing. I’m curious about what happens when Howard’s instincts takeover in the middle of a close playoff game.

Will he remember to apply Olajuwon’s teachings, or will he revert to bad habits of old, that is, trying only to dunk the ball?

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Intentional Foul» DeMarcus Cousins = Walking Double-Double

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While the current world of NBA rookies belongs to John Wall at the moment, his ex-teammate from Kentucky, DeMarcus Cousins,will have a lot to sayabout who gets the Rookie of the Year award next summer. Last night, Cousins gave Sacto fans a glimpse of the magic he and Tyreke Evans will be providing over the next few seasons in his debut preseason game. Cousins posted a healthy line of 16 points and 16 rebounds (and a rookie-like five turnovers and fouls).

Yes, the“it’s only preseason” applies here, but it’s easy to see the chemistry these two are developing, and it could make the Kings and their underrated roster a factor when it comes to deciding the last couple of playoff teams in the Western Conference. There issometalent on the Kings roster outside of the two Calipari kids; you know, folks like Carl Landry, Francisco Garcia, Omri Casspi, and Jason Thompson.

Yes, there are holes with the Kings, but then again, no one’s saying they are a championship contender, at least not on this end.

As for the Evans/Cousins connection— you’ll be hearing a lot about these two during the season, I’m guessing— the strong chemistry looks to be developing between the two studs, as seen in the upcoming display of pick-and-roll basketball.

Other things to look for: Cousins showing off his nifty free throw line jumper at the 23-second mark; the quickness Cousins showed with the driving layup at the 50-second mark (he’s not just a big stiff who will look to just camp out in the paint), and Cousins beating Robin Lopez for a offensive rebound/put-back dunk at the 1:26 mark.

Sure, this reads like a Kentucky fan shilling for a loved player, but the fact remains, it looks like the Kings have the makings for a very strong one-two punch between Evans and Cousins. That, alone, should be reason for Kings fans to be hyped about the upcoming season.

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Intentional Foul» Nine Sacks Will Take Such a Toll

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Kudos to those of you who made it through the mess that was the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears. While the game stats would lead one to believe a defense struggle took place— as do the nine first half sacks of Jay Cutler— a text message from a friend of mine (@bigbakedbean) sums up my feelings:

Is this a football game? Doesn’t really look like it…

So again, a mad amount of respect goes out to those of you who made it through that slop, although, if you had the New York Giants defense in a fantasy league, you’re probably pretty happy. Apparently, this is the offending play that knocked Cutler out of the second half:

Granted, considering he got blasted nine times in one half, it could’ve been an accumulation reaction. Or a“get me the **** out from behind this offensive line” response from Cutler after picking himself up off the field, yet again. While the Giants deserve credit for their pass-rushing prowess, they didn’t set the world on fire with the rest of their play, either. Just ask Ahmad Bradshaw and his vanity:

Seeing Bradshaw react after his commitment to vanity betrayed him is one of the best things from the NFL weekend. Too bad the game surrounding it was not.

H/t to 30fpsfor the images.

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Intentional Foul» Even John Wall’s Layups Excite Fans

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The John Wall era is well underway in Washington— there’s been a Midnight Madness celebration, a“John Wall Day,” and, as if to prove he’s worth all the attention, Wall has been performing wellin team scrimmages.

All in all, the excitement level for the Wizards, thanks in large part to Wall’s presence, is a lot higher than it has been recently.

As you can see in the following video, Wall is doing all that he can to prove he’s worth the attention, and dropping 360-degree layups in traffic is a great way to endear one’s self to a fanbase that’s desperate for a winner.

While it’s doubtful the Wizards will win a bunch of games, giving the fans something to be excited about in relation to the future of the franchise is good form, especially coming off the miserable season they had last year.

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Intentional Foul» I Am Mike Vick’s Complete Lack of Surprise

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Now that’s he’s secured the starting spot for the Philadelphia Eagles, fans have responded in kind to make Mike Vick’s jerseyone of the best-sellingin the NFL. Color me surprised. According to Darren Rovell’s post, local Philly stores are stocking up to meet the demand, and after his performance thus far this season, Vick is apparently Philadelphia’s forgotten son. Yes, his play has improved— it’s pretty amazing what a team full of offensive weapons can do, as opposed to Alge Crumpler and a decent running game.

I am, however, getting a tad uncomfortable with the incredible amounts of cannoning going on with Vick, who’s being treated like royalty— if not the second coming— by the folks at ESPN and other outlets. If I have to hear anymore abouttales of redemption, I might scream.

Yes, folks deserve a second chance, but we shouldn’t forget what it was that made the second chance necessary to begin with.

Do we champion non-athletic-stud convicted fighting dog breeders who turn over new leafs? Do we even know of any to champion? I highly doubt it, and that’s why all of this rings a little hollow to me. The only reason folks like Jemele Hill are being so forgiving is because Vick’s ability to dazzle on the field, not because they believe he deserves redemption. If Vick’s considerable skill had decreased noticeably, so much so he couldn’t land an NFL job, instead of improving like they have, he’d but just another dog killer no one cares about.

Hell,even Arthur Blank got inon the“Yay, Mike Vick” fun. Apparently, finding Matt Ryan to save your franchise forgives a lot of previous ills Vick was responsible for.

As it stands, we now have to listen to Michael Wilbon on PTI screaming about Vick being the MVP of the league. I guess as long as his athletic ability continues to astound, people will simply overlook the choices he made before his tale of“redemption” began.

Clearly, the only thing O.J. Simpson lacked after his infamous“not guilty” verdict was a sweet NFL comeback. There’s no telling what his Q-rating would be if Simpson would’ve came back and rushed for 2000 yards. Maybe even higher than Vick’s.

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Intentional Foul» Rashied Davis’Hair Makes the Cut

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Perhaps Rashied Davis was channeling Brian Bosworth, or maybe he was compensating for the lack of a logo on their throwback helmets; but whatever the case, I’m a fan of the Chicago Bears logo on the side of Davis’ head.

Whoever painted the logo did a nice job, featuring some great attention to detail and an excellent use of color.

Unfortunately for Davis, the logo didn’t help Jay Cutler throw any balls his way, and considering his complete lack of wide receiver stats, it’s doubtful his choice in hair decoration is going to get him off of special teams duty anytime soon.

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Intentional Foul» Nate Dunking On Shaq

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What a great way to start the weekend: What we have is Boston Celtics guard Nate Robinson dunking on one Shaquille O’Neal, the target for most, if not all of Robinson’s shenanigans. It should be fun watching these two go at it all season.

Shaq is currently being outdone. I don’t expect that to last much longer.

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Intentional Foul» Chad Ochocinco Promotes Phone Sex?

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Actually, it’s not supposed to, but because of a mistake with a 1-800 phone number listing, folks who buy Ochocinco’s cereal, which helps promote the Feed the Children program, are treated to something unexpected if they call the 1-800-HELP-FTC hotline. Instead of being connected to an operator for FTC, callers are greeted by a phone sex service, offering hot times with the“slutty” girl who recorded the message, and she’s including all of her ultra-hot friends. Sounds like a hot time (for only 99 cents a minute!!!).

Unfortunately, however, folks who called expecting Feed the Children information were probably not looking for hot times with slutty girls— or, well, chicks with hot voices.

The story was pointed out to usby CincyJungle, andESPN filling inany blanks of information— literally, not metaphorically.

Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. said Thursday it was pulling all Ochocinco cereal boxes from its grocery shelves because of the error. Some local stores had them on special display after the launch about a month ago.

And

Ochocinco told WCPO that the number was clearly a mistake and he’s sure that the maker will fix the problem.

So a funny mistake was had by all, and I must say, I’m glad the family who reported the issue didn’t freak the hell out like the“concerned” folkswho acted like a foolover Janet Jackson’s metal-covered boob.

Clearly, the mix-up was a mistake, unless, of course, Ochocinco is an investor in the phone sex industry. Hey man, you can’t knock such a hustle, especially when you consider just how profitable the adult business is.

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