Via TAM: Mark Cuban Wants a League of His Own.

It just goes to show that sometimes smart people have really dumb ideas…

Via the Star-Telegram: Jazzed Spurs march to NBA Finals

THE DECADE OF POP

In the 10 full seasons Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been at the helm, the franchise has won three championships and on Wednesday advanced to its fourth NBA Finals. A look at the Spurs’ year-by-year results under Popovich:

Year Reg. season/ Div. finish Playoff result
1997-98 56-26/2nd Lost to Utah 4-1 in second round
1998-99 37-13*/1st Defeated New York 4-1 in NBA Finals
1999-00 53-29/2nd Lost to Phoenix 3-1 in first round
2000-01 58-24/1st Lost to LA Lakers 4-0 in West Finals
2001-02 58-24/1st Lost to LA Lakers 4-1 in second round
2002-03 60-22/1st Defeated New Jersey 4-2 in NBA Finals
2003-04 57-25/2nd Lost to LA Lakers 4-2 in second round
2004-05 59-23/1st Defeated Detroit 4-3 in NBA Finals
2005-06 63-19/1st Lost to Dallas 4-3 in second round
2006-07 58-24/2nd ?
*Lockout-shortened season

Note: Popovich, then the Spurs’ general manager, fired coach Bob Hill 18 games into the 1996-97 season and assumed head coaching duties.

I became a Spurs fan in the early 1990s when I moved to Austin to attend grad school and when Popovich fired Hill and hired himself I was sure we were doomed. Shows what I knew.

Kobe Bryant just told Steven A. Smith live on the radio that he wants to be traded from the LA Lakers.

Good deal (via the AP): ESPN to air up to 5 Big 12 regular-season games

ESPN will televise Big 12 regular-season football games for the first time this season as part of an agreement with Fox Sports Net.

The one-year agreement for up to five games will begin Sept. 15 with Florida State at Colorado on ESPN. ESPN or ESPN2 will also televise a Big 12 game on Oct. 6, 20 and Nov. 3. An additional Big 12 matchup might be aired on Oct. 13.

Each game will be selected on a 12-day basis and aired in primetime.

Cool.

Via the AP: LSU backup quarterback suspended from team - NCAA Football

LSU backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has been suspended from the team indefinitely after he was cited for trying to illegally enter a riverboat casino in Baton Rouge.

LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Tuesday the 20-year-old Perrilloux was issued a misdemeanor summons by police after allegedly trying to use his older brother’s driving license to enter the Hollywood Casino.

The suspension can be lifted by Coach Les Miles. Meguesses that Perrilloux will be back on the team in time to prepare for next season…

Steve Kerr, writing for Yahoo Sports, makes a case for the Duncan/Bowen tandem as being the key for the Spurs: San Antonio’s star power

When we look at NBA history, a common theme among NBA champions is the presence of star tandems. Cousy and Russell. Magic and Kareem. Bird and McHale. Jordan and Pippen.

The idea is that if you can put two superstars together, you’ve got a chance to win it all, at least in theory. When the San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA title, most of the credit — rightfully so — went to a pair of Hall of Fame big men, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. But since Robinson’s retirement in 2024, it has been a different, very unlikely tandem that has made the Spurs the most consistent team in the NBA: Duncan and … Bruce Bowen?

He makes a pretty compelling case.

Via ESPN: Amare, Diaw suspended one game; Horry gets 2.

While I am a Spurs fan and this helps my team, I must confess to being shocked that Stoudemire and Diaw are getting suspended (and that Horry is getting two games for that matter).

Via the AP: Jones caught speeding days before appeal

Nashville police ticketed Titans cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones for speeding four days before his meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to appeal his season-long suspension.

Jones was stopped at 12:45 a.m. Monday on Interstate 65 heading into downtown after an officer clocked him on radar at 79 mph in a 55 mph zone. He was driving the 2024 Cadillac XLT sportscar he bought at police auction last fall with “PAC-MAN” embroidered into the seats.

Police spokesman Don Aaron said Friday that Jones also was cited for not having a driver’s license with him.

Now, in the grand scheme of things, not the largest of offenses. But one would think that the guy would try a little harder to keep his nose clean.

At a minimum, this isn’t the kind of pub the man needs.

Setting aside the question of whether the The Rocket is worth the paycheck he is going to receive or whether his signing will really help the Yankees out in the standings, let’s look at the biggest gripe about his contract: his special schedule.

I have heard numerous commentators on ESPN Radio (and elsewhere) talk about how awful it is that Roger Clemens is getting special treatment by not having to be with the Yankees full time.

Hmm, let’s see: an especially gifted athlete is treated differently by society than “normal” people because of his immense talent. Where have I heard this before? The irony here is that probably every major-leaguer has received special treatment in their lives (in school or elsewhere) because of their gifts. Certainly pro athletes get all kinds of benefits that non-athletes do not get. Now Clemens who is more gifted than even your top-tier major leaguers gets special privileges within than subset of society. How is this a surprise to anyone? Is this really a deviation from the norms of professional sports?

And Clemen’s special treatment will only be a problem is Clemens’ pitches poorly and the Yankees lose. If he does well, his schedule will be a non-issue for the his teammates. Again: this is how sports always works: if you win (especially if you win for us) accommodations are made. If you lose (or you have insufficient talent), well that’s a another story.

Technorati Tags: Roger Clemens, the Yankees, The Rocket

Via SI.com: Raiders, Titans out in front of Keyshawn derby

SI.com has learned the Oakland Raiders and the Tennessee Titans are the leading contenders for Johnson’s services in the wake of his release last week by the Carolina Panthers. The Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks have also expressed interest in signing the 34-year-old wideout, who is also pondering a permanent move into a second career as a television analyst.

One has to wonder a) why in the world Keyshawn would even think about playing for Oakland at this stage of his career and b) why the Packers aren’t prime contenders for Johnson’s services.

Quite honestly, I wish that Dallas had kept Keyshawn and never pursued T.O.