Video of the Day

The classic Jerry Sichting - Ralph Sampson fight from the 1986 NBA Finals. Notice how the director cuts away from the action to a crowd shot when Sampson throws his punch. The director was likely not watching the bottom portion of the screen and had planned on taking the crowd shot. I hate crowd shots! A waste of space unless a notable person is in the crowd. This was horrible work by the director. And he doesn't make up for it with resulting coverage of the fight. This fight lives in TV infamy. Bill Walton jumps in the middle of the scrum to help his teammate, I respect that. Dennis Johnson looks like he wants to bang someone. The guy with the gangly legs who lingers on the outside is McHale. Enjoy.    - farfel

BE READY ON THE BENCH

Avery Johnson doing an impromptu cup check. - farfel

I Love the Worst Team in the League

I'm a closet Portland Trail Blazers fan and proud of it. Sabonis, late Schrempf, Pip, fat Kemp, Dontonio Wingfield, these are my guys. Recently, the Blazers began posting transcripts of interviews with team executives on their website. Current posts include a great interview with team President Steve Patterson. Patterson was interviewed by beat writer Jason Quick of the Portland Oregonian. The Blazers, Patterson, and Quick, along with Oregonian sports columnist John Canzano have a tension-filled relationship, to put it mildly, likely the main reason the Blazers have decided to start posting transcripts - the first time I have ever heard of a professional sports team doing this. The Commish was asked about this new policy by my guru, Sam Smith. "I haven't had the opportunity [to see the policy], but I think they ought to have some discussions with the Chinese government to see if they can align their policies."Stern joked he would "love to muzzle everyone in this room and have you print exactly the story that we'd like." But he added, turning serious, that he was proud of the NBA's media access, which is a conduit to its fans, and that it disappoints him when one of the teams doesn't pursue that goal.Of course, Stern said, "I don't know all the facts. I read it in a newspaper, which is inherently unreliable."Have we got the funniest commissioner, or what? - farfel

Now That's a Good Teammate

A classic police arrest was made last Saturday night in South Beach. Wizard star Gilbert Arenas and Wizards scrub Awvee Storey were arrested on charges of disobeying police. Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Dhani Jones was arrested recently in South Beach and charged with the misdemeanor of failure to obey a lawful command after he allegedly refused to stop dancing outside a South Beach club early Sunday, according to Miami Beach police. "He refused several orders to get out of the street, and he was arrested," said police spokesman Bobby Hernandez on Monday. Clearly, South Beach is a crime mecca. The Wizards arrest is especially comical. Highlights from Michael Wilbon's column in the Post today: -Arenas at first thought he was being "Punk'd" by MTV. But he wasn't; he was being arrested. "I was told it was for resisting arrest without violence," Arenas said in a phone conversation yesterday. -When I was taken in, I said, 'I don't mean to be rude, but can I talk to the officer who arrested me?' And the officer says, 'You were being nosy.' And I said, 'Are you putting that in your official police report, that I was being nosy?' And then he keeps asking me questions: " 'Do you have tattoos?' I said, 'Yes, I have three.' And then, 'What is your street name?' I laughed. Of course I laughed. My street name? What? Okay, it's Zero Hero. [Arenas wears "0" on his Wizards jersey.] 'And he says, 'Oh, everything is funny to you, huh?'" -"Anyway, there was a guy locked up in one of these three cells who said, 'Hey, Gil, if they brought you in here I'm never getting out.' And one officer said to me, "Gilbert, what are you doing in here?' And I said, 'I don't know.' I watch a lot of TV, and I know I haven't even been searched. I've still got my cellphone on me and stuff.' That's when a lady officer told me what I was being charged with." -Arenas, while he's in very good humor about it, says he won't be needing any shortcuts anymore. "I'm going to sell my condo," he said. "I'm done with the Miami scene. They can have their nice beach. They've convinced me I do not belong." - farfel