Saturday 02/23 (Very) Quickie

Kelvin Sampson out: See my post directly below for my take.

NFL Draft: Falcons win coin flip, will pick 3rd. Raiders go 4th. Chiefs go 5th.

Celtics lose 3rd straight: Granted it was against the Suns and KG is still not 100 percent, but PHX got nil out of Shaq. Good thing they have Amare -- 28 points and dominance.

So how long before that photo of Clemens at the Canseco party gets leaked? Or is the owner looking for a little payday? Hmm: Wouldn't that give Roger a small perjury problem?

That 20-hole Woods win in the Match Play might have been his most exciting non-Major round of golf he has ever played.

Wayne Huizenga sells 50 percent of Dolphins to Stephen Ross: Let's hope Ross likes Bill Parcells. Wonder if Ross has an opinion about what the Fins should do with the No. 1 overall Draft pick.

Indy Car, Champ Car merge: Fans still don't care...

Air Jordan XX3 comes out today: It's the black (a.k.a. "Stealth") edition. Went to the shoe store to check it out, but didn't pull the trigger on a purchase. Still not sure how I feel about the "argyle" pattern that dominates. Maybe later today. We'll see.

-- D.S.

Sampson Out at Indiana, Players Mutiny

Kelvin Sampson is out at Indiana, for the bargain buy-out of $750,000. The school can quickly turn the page, either with ex-Knight protege Dan Dakich as interim coach -- or whoever they can lure in the offseason to one of the best jobs in college basketball. (Hmm: Xavier's Sean Miller?)

Here's the troubling development: A bunch of the players (including the stars) mutinized and didn't show up to practice -- presumably out of some sense of misguided loyalty to Sampson. Any self-respecting coach would have told his players to suck it up and respect both the game and their obligation to their school.

If Dan Dakich wants to set a new example, he will bench all of those players for tomorrow's game at Northwestern. Not to start. Not for a half. For the entire game, showing them that childish actions have adult consequences. If they lose to Northwestern, so be it. (NU is so sorry, they likely couldn't even beat a short-handed IU team anyway.

But that kind of insubordination -- that kind of disrespect for the institution that has given them the opportunity to go to college and play basketball... all for free -- is intolerable. Grow up: Your coach cheated, he paid a steep price. Act like you understand that.

UPDATE: The AP story made it sound like Dakich was relieved the players -- all the players -- were on the bus for the trip to Evanston. What a joke: Like they owe the new coach their attendance at the game? Their "boycott" was always bogus.

-- D.S.

Oscar Picks: A Quickie Tradition

Best Picture: There Will Be Blood
Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
Best Actress: Ellen Page
Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett
Best Director: PT Anderson
Best Screenplay (Adapted): There Will Be Blood
Best Screenplay (Original): Juno

Add your own picks -- in these categories or any other -- in the Comments.

-- D.S.

Friday 02/22 A.M. Quickie:LeBron, Memphis, Sampson, More

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

LeBron James, Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Sam Presti, John Calipari, Bruce Pearl, Derrick Rose, Chris Lofton, Kelvin Sampson, Manu Ginobili, Ryan Howard, Bob Stoops, Butler, Drake, Randy Moss, Candace Parker, Stuart Appleby, Phil Mickelson, Bob Hurley Sr., Tyreke Evans, Gary Sheffield and More!

Including:

Why LeBron is now "Win or Else"...
Why the big winner of NBA Trade Season was: The Sonics...
Why Tennessee-Memphis is the CBB Game of the Year...
Why Kelvin Sampson should stay one more game...
Why Manu Ginobili is the Spurs' MVP...
Why Ryan Howard wins, no matter what...
Why Bob Stoops is overpaid...
Why Butler vs. Drake is a Buster "bust"...
Why Candace Parker is awesome...
Why Phil Mickelson isn't...
Why St. Anthony is the best prep hoops team in the nation...
Why Gary Sheffield has my newfound respect...
And more... after the jump!

Huge weekend ahead. Expect morning posts on both days, along with bonus posts as warranted.

-- D.S.

Cavs Win Big at NBA Trade Deadline

Wow, the Cavs didn't get trade help -- they got 4 of a starting 5: Big Ben, Wally World, Joe Smith and Delonte West? If LeBron could win the East with last year's dregs, those 4 and LeBron could actually compete to win the East in 2008. The Bulls get Larry Hughes; not sure how he fits with both Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich. The Sonics get more shots for Kevin Durant and the chance to decide if they want to use their all-but-guaranteed Top 4 pick on Beasley, Rose, Gordon or Mayo.

Kelvin Sampson: Done? ('Bout Time)

Maybe, maybe not. By the end of the weekend, here's hoping we don't see this incorrigible cheater on a college sidelines for a long time.

St. Anthony: Basketball At Its Finest

If you watch one high school basketball game this year, make it tonight, when St. Anthony plays American Christian.

St. Anthony is the best team in the country, period. With SIX D-1 players on the roster (including 5 of the ESPN 150), they are as loaded as any team you'll see. (Guard Michael Rosario was just named to the McDonald's All-American Team.)

More than that, they are probably the best-coached team in the country -- prep, college or pro. Their coach? Bob Hurley Sr., the best basketball coach in America. Between Hurley and the talent, this isn't just a must-see team… but a team on the verge of completing one of the greatest prep seasons of all time.

(Meanwhile, ACA features Tyreke Evans, a 6-6 superstar and arguably the best wing player in the country. He hasn't declared a college choice yet, but he takes his recruiting visit to Memphis tomorrow and if you follow Henry Abbott's brilliant obsession with William "Uncle Wes" Wesley (who has a relationship with both Evans and Memphis), it's clear that Evans going anywhere but Memphis would be… off-script.)

But your focus should be on St. Anthony. Last year, I worked on a documentary pitch to cover Hurley and the team this season; the production company has been there all season, and it is going to be one of the great sports docs you'll see, once it debuts on-air.

So, absolutely: I'm biased. But having done so much work to try to understand this team, these players and this coach, I think it's an incredible opportunity tonight to see one of the great high school teams to take the court in a long time.

The game is at 9 on ESPN.

-- D.S.

Thursday 02/21 A.M. Quickie:Kobe, Duke, NBA Trades, More!

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Coach K, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Kurt Thomas, Mike Bibby, Beno Udrih, Bobby Jackson, Vince Carter, Baron Davis, Matt Walsh, Dallas Clark, Chris Long, Tennessee and Memphis, Ryan Howard, Hank Steinbrenner, Alex Rodriguez, JB Holmes, Tiger Woods and More!

Including...
Why Kobe has no reason to whine anymore...
Why the Suns will be just fine with Shaq...
Why Jason Kidd is no Chris Paul...
Why Mike Bibby is no Beno Udrih...
Why Kurt Thomas is the NBA trade of the year...
Why Duke is no longer a real contender...
Why Baron Davis is just awesome...
Why Roger Goodell is disingenuous...
Why Chris Long is the combine's most intriguing...
Why Ryan Howard can't lose...
Why Hank Steinbrenner is better than George...
Why JB Holmes' 15 minutes are almost up...
Why Memphis-Tennessee is the CBB G.O.T.Y...
And more... after the jump!

Bonus post: NBA Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET Today. Expect bonus posts as trades happen (or don't).

-- D.S.

Wednesday 02/20 A.M. Quickie:Shaq, Sampson, Bibby, Tiger

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Kelvin Sampson, Mike Bibby, Pau Gasol, Drake, Tiger Woods, KG, LeBron, Deron Williams, Coach K, Roy Williams, David Ortiz, Matt Walsh, Dallas Clark, Montreal Canadiens, Miguel Tejada, Hank Aaron, "Havana Marlins" and More!

Including:
Why Shaq-Kobe is the NBA Game of the Year...
Why Kelvin Sampson says "I dare you..."
Why Bibby's debut was a dud...
Why Drake's Cindy run is over...
Why I love the Match Play...
Why KG's return didn't do much...
Why Coach K and Roy Williams deserve each other...
Why David Ortiz in February is irrelevant...
Why Miguel Tejada didn't learn from Andy Pettitte...
Why Matt Walsh can't win...
Why Montreal breaks through my non-NHL perspective...
Why Hank Aaron is an elder statesman...
Why "Havana Marlins" sounds amazing...
And more... after the jump!

-- D.S.

Ben Greenman on Roger Clemens

Now THIS is all the Clemens coverage we ever needed. Another piece of musical-theater genius from Ben Greenman. Musical parody might be my favorite genre. (My god: Remember THIS? Consider that I intentionally lined up the cadence nearly precisely with the original song.)

Tuesday 02/19 A.M. Quickie:Pettitte, Kidd, Texas, Hank S-brenner, More

Update: Rovell on All-Star Shoes.

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

Andy Pettitte, Eric Gagne, Jason Kidd, Keith Van Horn, Ron Artest, DJ Augustine, Curt Schilling, Zach Thomas, Stacy Andrews, Jason Taylor, Kristi Yamaguchi, Hank Steinbrenner and More!

Including...
Why Pettitte cracked the cheaters' code...
Why Gagne didn't...
Why Kidd won't matter (but Artest might)...
Why Texas is as hot as anyone right now...
Why Curt Schilling folded...
Why Jason Taylor is the new Emmitt Smith...
Why Hank Steinbrenner is a truth-teller...
And more... after the jump!

-- D.S.

Bloggers Accurately Foresee CFB Problem

Read this. And this. And this. And this. The top-tier CFB bloggers (SMQ, EDSBS, Wiz/Odds, FH) are way ahead of their mainstream counterparts in forecasting the massive (potentially season-defining) clusterf--- we are headed for next season with the new 40-second play clock. Don't say you weren't warned.

NBA All-Star Sneakers: What Happened?

Rovell pinged me this morning, curious that I didn't have my usual post-All-Star sneaker awards -- I think it's fair to say that this year was underwhelming.

The most intriguing shoe was Steve Nash's "Trash Talk" Zoom BB II Low, but not because of style -- because of its gimmick: Made entirely from recycled materials (thus "trash talk).

The shoes in the All-Star Game were dominated by the uniform colors: Gold/White (West) and Blue/Gray (East). Gone, apparently, is the era where stars wear whatever they want.

In fact, if you wanted garish (like I did), the place to look was the Rookie-Soph game, which was a blizzard of blazing patent leather. It was my favorite moment thus far as an HDTV owner.

Maybe everyone was focused on the release of the Air Jordan XXIII (with a must-have "stealth" edition coming Saturday). Or maybe the All-Star Game is "over" as a shoe showcase.

-- D.S.

Monday 02/18 A.M. Quickie:All-Star, Daytona, Belichick, Wake, More

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Roger Penske, Jeff Teague, Bill Belichick, Ray Allen, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, Mike Bibby, Kelvin Sampson, Kevin Love, Memphis vs. UAB, Brenda Frese, Andy Pettitte, Mark Prior, NFL Combine and More!

Including...

Why this NBA All-Star Weekend ruled...
Why "push from heaven" is NASCAR's new hotness...
Why Dwight Howard is Superman...
Why Ray Allen should have been All-Star MVP...
Why Bill Belichick is disingenuous in denial...
Why Wake beating Duke should scare Duke fans...
Why trading for Kidd won't matter, but...
Why trading for Bibby will...
Why Kelvin Sampson can breathe easy (for now)...
Why Syracuse fans' season was made...
Why Brenda Frese had the Best. Weekend. Ever....
Why all eyes are on Andy Pettitte today...
And so much more... after the jump.

I'm still getting over Dwight Howard in the Dunk Contest. Vince Carter was my previous (post-Jordan) gold standard, but what Howard did arguably topped Carter. Personally, it was like an antidote to the toxicity of last week's Clemens hearings.

Happy President's Day, for those of you checking in.

-- D.S.

Sunday 02/17 (Very) Quickie

Dwight Howard saves sports: He really IS Superman. Howard put on the second-best dunk contest performance ever in the post-Jordan era.

(He's behind Vince Carter... but you could make a case Howard was even more impressive, given his 6-10 frame -- say this: no "big man" has ever done what Howard did, dunk-wise).

Kelvin Sampson punches back, leads Indiana to 19-point rout of Michigan State in Bloomington.

Syracuse shocks Georgetown (and Arizona was robbed at home of an upset of Stanford). Memphis surviving at UAB should give pause to everyone who thinks they are a Final Four lock.

Kings trade Mike Bibby to Hawks: Atlanta is suddenly...whaaa?!...respectable? Bibby, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford (and, of course, Marvin Williams) is a nice little nucleus.

David Stern says Sonics move out of Seattle is "inevitable": This is really a shock to anyone?

Kobe to start in All-Star Game: Still don't understand why he would risk his team's regular-season on an exhibition. And if he comes out after the first play, he would be kind of selfish, too.

Daytona 500 runs today: For all you casual (or non-) NASCAR fans out there, this would be the one race to watch...

-- D.S.

Saturday 02/16 (Very) Quickie

Pats sued by ex-Rams player, fans: You can scoff and dismiss this if you want, but you know you're kind of curious what might come out in a real-live deposition of a Federal civil suit. Because you KNOW that something is there to come out...

NBA Rookie Game: Sophs roll. Boobie Gibson went absolutely nuts with 11 3-pointers. 11! (11!) Rudy Gay (my pre-game pick for MVP) had 22 (if not for Gibson...). Brandon Roy had 17 and Jordan Farmar had a break-out game with 17 of his own, setting the Rookie-Soph Game record for points by a Jewish player.

(For the Rookies, Kevin Durant had 23, but Al Horford had 19 -- a nice symbol of the way Horford has made a once-presumptive Rookie of the Year race an actual competition.)

By the way, I have had an HDTV for 2 months, and my favorite HD moment so far was last night: The players' garishly colored sneakers were absolutely amazing-looking. (Oh, and I could pick out my college roommate sitting behind the Sophs' bench -- he's a Hornets team doc. I was able to text him, then actually watch him reacting to my text on TV. Hilarious.)

College GameDay at Indiana: Can you say "AWK-ward!" Self-respecting IU fans should chant "Fire! Samp-son!" (clap-clap-clapclapclap...) The IU AD has a week to figure out what's going on (honestly, if I was the IU president, I would fire both Sampson AND the AD, if only for letting Sampson get this far).

CBB: Marquette rolls. In a rare Friday night game, between two Top 25 teams no less, Marquette thumped Pitt. 'Quette is clawing its way back to respectability.

Hoops Hall of Fame finalists named: Olajuwon and Ewing should be locks as players; Riley should be a lock as a coach.

Fun barstool/cubicle question: Where do Hakeem and Ew rank among all-time centers (or even players?) I have always argued that Hakeem in '94 and '95 was as dominant as they come (in the ESPN Era, at least).

One of my favorite (and widely scorned) theories is that Hakeem's Rockets could have beaten a 1994 Bulls WITH Jordan...and, given the roll that the Rockets were on in '95, they could have beaten the '95 Bulls with Jordan, too.

Oh, and happy birthday to me. See my bonus post from yesterday for more.

-- D.S.

The End of My Relevancy as a Consumer

It's the end of my relevancy in the coveted "male 18-to-34-year-old" demographic: I turn 35 tomorrow.

A year ago in this space, I wondered how 34 could possibly top 33, given that 33 included the birth of my kid and the dramatic end of my ESPN.com career (and start of my blogging career). I wasn't sure it did…

...Except that being the parent of a toddler is even better than being the parent of a newborn. (This post on Varsity Dad points you to a must-read post by Josh Marshall, one of my favorite writers, on his birthday today and his fatherhood. Not about sports, but a great read.)

...And my adventures in blogging (Launching Varsity Dad, Deadspin guest-posts, "celebrity blogger" fantasy leagues, creating a spin-off blog…just for commenters, rejoining the "paid" ranks with SportingNews.com, Twitter, Tumblr, writing for the New York Times, etc) were totally satisfying.

...And, totally unexpected a year ago, my incredible fortune to land a "day job" on the "business" side of the media industry that I would say is the most interesting and energizing opportunity of my career, working with the most talented and smart collection of people I have ever worked with and for a company whose mission I believe in.

So 34 was amazing, actually, now that I think about it.

Still: I come back to the end of my consumer relevancy -- unless, of course, marketers realize that at 35, I will have way more disposable income (and interest in spending it) than I had when I was 25 (let alone 18).

And they realize that I am more open to their messages now (or, at least, more impacted by intermediaries I trust, like blogs or friend recommendations) that I am making more choices (and doing more "consuming") than ever.

Do they really want to boot me? Or is it time to re-align "18-to-34" -- "21-to-38," maybe? I'm not just saying that because I want to remain part of a "coveted" demographic (and I'm not shutting out the college kids -- they deserve their own demo segmentation). I'm saying that because it's in the marketers' best interests to keep me in the fold!

Meanwhile, I share a birthday, among sports stars, with John McEnroe and Jerome Bettis. But, to be honest, I have always felt a birthday kinship with Chris Webber, who was born on March 1, 1973. It's not an exact match, but we stepped on Big Ten campuses together at the same time, and because of that birthday tie, I have always tracked his career against mine -- can you imagine that hilarity?

Anyway, it's crazy to think about now: Webber is a 15-year NBA vet. FIFTEEN YEARS! That, more than anything (like my new age or my fatherhood), makes me feel old. His career is at its end -- he has gone from franchise savior to mere star to role player.

How does that relate to me -- or to sports-bloggers?

More and more over the past year, it has become obvious that sports-blogging is a younger man's game. Cripes: Am I the Chris Webber of sports bloggers?

(Now: Pause right there. I'm not going to announce I'm "retiring" or anything, and I can reel off two dozen sports bloggers over the age of 30 -- even, ahem, 35 -- who are not just great, but consistently doing some of the most fantastic work in the industry.)

But if anything, this last year from turning 34 to turning 35 has coincided with an insane explosion of the sports-blog universe -- everything from hundreds of indie fans starting blogs of their own to leagues (and privately held sites) co-opting the Arenas Effect to give athletes their own platform to mainstream media increasing the use and impact of blogs, realizing what an phenomenal format it is for their talent to bloggers publishing books.

All these are great developments. As I've noted a bunch over the past few months, opportunities for the most talented indie sports bloggers to find mainstream (read: paid) traction have never been greater, whether it's at Sporting News, Yahoo, ESPN, AOL, Deadspin or other prominent "mainstream" places you'll see pop up in 2008.

But on the "indie" front -- where all the really cool, cutting-edge sports-blog ideas are happening -- wow, is it competitive. It's like a microcosm of what's happening to mainstream media: The more choices, the less traction any one place can or will have with an individual consumer. Every day, the more well-known sports blogs had better bring it -- or be supplanted by more talented offerings. (Either that, or be willing to accept a smaller slice of audience.)

The energy and creativity it takes to create a really, really good post is astonishing (which is why guys like Leitch, Ufford, KSK, Abbott and FJM are as successful as they are). I am regularly blown away by the blogs -- prominent and obscure -- that produce "must-read" posts.

The Quickie was built (and DanShanoff.com was built) on the idea that there is at least some audience for shallow (but timely) analysis and baseless (but provocative) conjecture.

There's obviously still a place for that (or I wouldn't wake up early every morning and do it), but I just wanted to tip my cap to all the bloggers who take so much time and energy and care to create that One Post (per day or week or whatever) that has impact, whether through biting comedy, deep analysis or provocative commentary. (Not to mention the insanely clever commenters, who have been the unrecognized driver behind sports-blog success.)

I am so curious whether a 35-year-old's perspective can continue to resonate with a reader base that generally sits right in that "18-to-34" group that I am now leaving. I'm no sports traditionalist or "purist" -- hardly -- but I'm not 21 anymore, starting my career being paid $1,500 a month (before taxes!) to write 15,000 words a week of quasi-faked college basketball game recaps for an online-sports startup.

I guess the reason I find it so hard to fathom producing such cool work is that, heading into 35, I am working just about as hard as I have ever worked in my life. Between the daily column, my intensive "day job" and my interest in having an all-consuming experience as a spouse and dad, that doesn't leave a whole lot of time or energy. (What an elaborate rationalization for not cleaning up around the house -- or, say, not finishing my half-finished book proposal!)

That's what 35 will be defined by: Really really hard work -- to a degree I'm not sure I have ever worked in my life.

But it is really fulfilling work, on all fronts. I think for the first time since I entered the "18-to-34" group, I am -- wow, this is a strange feeling -- content.

Not content with my effort -- hell, I can always work harder at everything -- but content with where things stand right now, which gives me the opportunity (if I am willing to work for it) to have all of these pieces of my life -- family, career, fun -- come together in a satisfying way like never before.

That's a hell of a birthday present.

-- D.S.

Friday 02/15 A.M. Quickie:Bonds, All-Stars, Waxman, Sun Devils, More

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

Barry Bonds, Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Rudy Gay, Dwight Howard, H-O-R-S-E, Nike, Henry Waxman, Zach Thomas, Bobby Bowden, Arizona State, Kelvin Sampson and More!

Including:

Why knee-jerk sports punditry is ridiculous…
Why Kobe trumps Kidd as THE story of NBA All-Star Weekend…
Why Rudy Gay will win the Slam Dunk title and Dirk will win the 3 comp…
Why the D-League is sort of awesome…
Why Henry Waxman regrets holding the Clemens hearings…
Why Arizona State is playing the spoiler in the Pac-10…
Why Kelvin Sampson shouldn't last the weekend in Bloomington…
Why Kobe's feet, not his pinky, should be the object of your attention this weekend…
And more... after the jump!

Bonus post coming later today, plus the usual morning updates on both weekend days AND a fresh Sporting News column on Presidents Day Monday.

Otherwise, have a great weekend, everyone.

-- D.S.

The Annual Valentine's Day Man-Crush List

Valentine's Day: It's the one day of the year where it is more appropriate than ever to tell the world about your man-crushes around the world of sports. (Not that there's anything wrong with that... I'm no Brady Quinn.)

Submit them through the Comments (feel free to say why) and I will publish them throughout the afternoon. Don't be shy, let it out for the world to know. Say, what's the chance Tim Tebow knows I exist?

To kick things off, here are some responses I got from some notables:

Matt Ufford: Chris Paul
Jamie Mottram: Clinton Portis
Big Daddy Drew: Adrian Peterson
Awful Announcing: Eli Manning
Sarah Schorno: Laila Ali
Unsilent Majority: Andre Berto
John Gasaway: Tim Doyle
Ken Tremendous: Tom Brady ("The loss only makes him more human. And he's crazy hot.")

More guest-crushes coming. Submit yours!

Thursday 02/14 A.M. Quickie:Valentines, Clemens, Kidd, Sampson, More

Today's Names to Know in today's Sporting News column:

Roger Clemens, Brian McNamee, Elijah Cummings, Andy Pettitte, "The Nanny," Jason Kidd, Devean George, Roger Goodell, Arlen Specter, Kelvin Sampson, Southern Illinois, Jim Calhoun, Manu Ginobili, Lamar Odom, Shaq, Brady Quinn, Erik Bedard, Ryan Dempster, a rare cameo by "Mrs. Quickie" and More!

Including:

Why Valentine's Day makes a great column gimmick...
Why "Pitchers and Catchers Report" trumps "mis-remembers"...
Why Elijah Cummings was the MVP of the Clemens hearing...
Why Devean George is kind of awesome...
Why Roger Goodell is losing the fans...
Why Kelvin Sampson should be fired today...
Why Drake ain't all that...
Why Manu Ginobili is better without Tony Parker...
Why Shaq let everyone down tonight...
Why Brady Quinn is in denial...
Why Ryan Dempster is everything that's right about "P's and C's Report" Day...

And so much more... after the jump.

Today's Bonus Post: Check back in the late-morning for the DS.com annual Valentine's Day Man-Crush List!

-- D.S.