Denver Nugget power forward/center Chris “Birdman” Andersen is one of the more interesting players in the NBA, not much of a wallflower, Andersen loves attracting attention. Whether it is for his many tattoos, often bizarre hairstyles or for suspensions for drug abuse, Andersen likes the spotlight. I think it’s fair to say that his new ride is sure to attract attention around Denver; after all, it’s hard to be inconspicuous when you’re  rolling around in a giant, highly modified SportChassis P4XL with 22.5″ rims, custom Italian leather interior, suede headliner and a giant chrome grille.

[Celebrity Carz via Jalopnik]

The Raps have their hands full tonight

Coming off a tight loss in Phoenix Sunday, the Raptors are in Denver tonight to face the Nuggets — never a fun task, but we might as well get this one over with. As always, a full preview over at Raptors Republic, featuring my NBA 2K10 game simulation.

Last year Toronto was pasted in Denver 132-93 in early December — Sam Mitchell’s last game as head coach. The Nuggets come into this one 7-3 and tied with Portland atop the Northwest Division, undefeated at home and coming off a 105-79 romp of the Lakers on Friday. They didn’t do much to upgrade in the summer, but last November’s addition of Chauncey Billups transformed them into a top-five team in the league, where I believe they still stand. A couple keys tonight will be to keep Billups in check and keep Carmelo Anthony completely going off — he’s currently tied for second in the league at 29.7 points per game. Denver also got a boost last week with the return of suspended guard J.R. Smith, who’s averaged 14.3 points in three games. Smith is talented but extremely shot-happy, and has proven capable of shooting the Nuggets out of games on off-nights. Let’s hope tonight is one of them.

Chris Bosh should be able to have his way in the paint with Kenyon Martin and Nene, though Birdman Andersen will bring some shot-blocking punch off the bench. I’m not sure what else Toronto can do to come out on top tonight other than to cross their fingers and hope for a miracle, though.

The Raptors and Nuggets get going at nine.

New post miracle?

I’m not gonna lie, I actually have no clue why I just wrote that first sentence. Actually I do have a clue why, it was because I found it funny. Why I found it funny, however, I really don’t actually have a clue.

Now some of you may be wondering why I’m writing this post on a Friday night. The answer is simple. Everyone is sick so there are no parties going on, even though I am satisfactorily vaccinated. Against seasonal flu, only though, because H1N1 doesn’t exist. And it’s for pussies.

Now that I’m done with this half-assed

Get it?

introduction, I will say “This is the Root’s most critically acclaimed album, and it’s called Illadelph Halflife.

Illadelph Halflife Album Cover

INTRO

I like how this pieces together the collective consciousness of the Roots at this time. Other than that, it’s still an intro.

RESPOND/REACT (9)

You should already know my feelings on this song.

SECTION (9)

While I feel like ?uestlove could have calmed it down a bit on the drums (the snare is a LOT louder than it really needs to be) the rest of the Roots once again play their part on here, chilling out and letting Black Thought and Malik B rip shit up for the second consecutive time. The horns (if that’s what they are?) in the background make this song sound spaced out, with which both MCees take full liberty switching up their flow erratically (but awesomely).

PANIC!!! (8)

The title really does say it all. The instrumental is chaotic as hell, and Black Thought spits a verse that makes the city sound like an apocalypse, and given that this doesn’t overstay its welcome at roughly a minute and a half, this is pretty nice.

IT JUST DON’T STOP (8)

I’ve said it before (in previous posts) and I’ll say it again…The Roots are clearly ridiculously skilled, but WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE SO DAMN DEPRESSING ALL THE TIME? That’s why I think “How I Got Over” will end up being great. What does all this have to do with this song? EVERYTHING…this song is an 8 in terms of skill, but how often will I listen to it? I feel like a Zoloft commercial after listening to this.

EPISODES (7)

Not only does the echo effect become annoying over the course of the song, but this song feels like a continuation of the last one…I literally had to check to see whether the next song ended after I realized the same sound had been going on for the last 10 minutes. Consider this your warning, Roots.

PUSH UP YA LIGHTER (7)

If you couldn’t tell by the song title or the bubbling sound effect in the background, this is the token weed song. The spaciness of the instrumental and bubbling most likely sound good ONLY when high, however, because they are bothering the shit out of me right now.

WHAT THEY DO (10)

Not only is the song awesome, but the video KICKS HIP HOP’S ASS. Yup, you read that right. Sweetness.

? Vs. Scratch

Interlude with Rahzel doing a damn convincing beatbox. I miss stuff like this. I just said that like I was there when stuff like this was happening. I am a liar.

CONCERTO OF THE DESPERADO (10)

Black Thought and Malik B are both damn consistent and damn impressive on here, and since the beat here is crazily cool (and so is the video), this is yet another 10. At this point I am REALLY HAPPY I decided to review this album despite the fact that I have a pounding headache.

CLONES (9)

Holy shit this album is just filled with spitfests. Is it just me or does M.A.R.S sound like Ghostface? (Even though that kind of defeats the purpose of this song). I’m not going to lie, other listeners might not like this album as much as me, but that could only be due to the simplicity of the instrumentals. Make no mistake son it’s Jake One he makes beats well like I likes my steaks done. Make no mistake, the focus on this album is lyrical ripping, a point I am perfectly fine with.

UNIverse AT WAR (7)

If I actually ever got any comments on this site, I would expect the comments on this post to be proclaiming my rating of this song as heresy, considering it’s a Roots song featuring Common. This, however, is a slightly annoying instrumental with Common spitting a verse that’s average (for him), and the snare is making my headache even worse. While that might sound like a bullshit excuse for rating a song, especially since I already had a headache, if I didn’t have a headache it would still have annoyed me and I still would have given this the same grade. So fuck you.

NO ALIBI (8)

?uestlove seems to have taken my last comments into consideration, because he chills out on the snare this time around and brings back the jazz, over which Malik B and Black Thought do what they always do.

DAVE VS. US

Sax interlude that isn’t Yakkety Sax. Go figure.

I love Chris Andersen…he’s actually my favorite player currently in the NBA, but that was DAMN EMBARASSING.

NO GREAT PRETENDER (8)

As good as all these songs are, reviewing this CD is damn exhausting. Practically ever song is over 4 minutes and they are all very similar in format, which hurts the replay value of this CD. This song is more of the same.

THE HYPNOTIC (7)

And now The Roots have slipped back into depression. I’m begging you, Roots, don’t practice self-destructive behavior, because to do that would be to surrender, and surrender equals death, and death is for pussies. I realize that’s not the right clip, but it IS still from the same hilarious show.

ITAL (THE UNIVERSAL SIDE) (8)

Somehow Q-Tip manages to hold his own alongside Black Thought. I’m actually gonna stop you right there (Once again, same show, wrong clip)…it is damn near IMPOSSIBLE to listen through this entire CD in a row without taking a mental health break or something. IT’S SO LONG (that’s what she said) AND ALL THE SAME. SEE HOW INCOHERENT I AM RIGHT NOW? IT’S BECAUSE I’M GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH THIS CD.

ONE SHINE (8)

Holy shit this instrumental is pimp. This is the best instrumental on the CD other than Concerto of the Desperado. ?uestlove keeps the drums real light and jazzy, the harmonizing is ‘baby-makin music’, the bassline is downright funky, and the horns add a nice free-structured touch. SEE? I can talk about the instrumentals too (even though I haven’t really done so on the rest of this album. Oops, my point was just rendered irrelevant since I remembered this is a full-length musical interlude. Shit.

THE ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (DB)

Spoken-word psycho-babble bullshit. But that’s just my opinion.

OUTRO

Pointless.

HOLY PISS YOU’RE ACTUALLY DONE WITH THIS REVIEW. DID IT FEEL GOOD TO GET IT DONE?

Yes, since I’ve had this lying around since forever and never got around to it till now. Now I’m going to not listen to any more music for the rest of the day since I’m completely burned out.

BUY OR BURN?

This album is absolutely phenomenal at multiple points and has a bunch of streaks of good songs. It’s length just makes it wearisome. BUY IT.

ANY ADVICE?

Don’t listen to this all in one sitting. Enjoy it over time. Oh, and don’t try and drive on The BIRDMAN.

Chris Andersen, forward on the Denver Nuggets and known as “Birdman” for his long reach and his avian hairstyle, held a basketball camp this summer to help young basketball players hone their game and avoid the mistakes he made: http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_13636212

The Denver Nuggets were my guilty pleasure last year. My fling. Even in the game which cost Sam Mitchell his job as coach of the Raptors, I couldn’t be mad at them. Why? Well, there are a few reasons.

1: They call him Melo

Back in the old days, you know, 2003, there was a draft in the NBA that was kind of a big deal. I dunno if any of you remember it but it was quite good. Anyway, I was the idiot who said that if the Raptors got the first pick, we should take Carmelo. Okay, so I overrated him juuust a bit. But honestly, if it had shaken out that way, it wouldn’t have been too bad. I mean, he’s averaged 24.2 points per game so far in his career. What’s that, you’re saying it’s because he was jacking shots, taking bad looks, being selfish? Au contraire mon ami. This isn’t an Antoine Walker story. Just look at his advanced stats: from 2006-2008, he had a TS% above 55% (yes, he slipped a bit last year, to 53%, but I’m sure he’ll rebound). He is capable of getting to the foul line, too, and he is an extremely underrated clutch performer. Essentially, when he’s on the court, your offense is way better. You put the ball in his hands, he’ll score. That’s his role, that’s what he does. And he’s VERY good at it. He can shoot from the perimeter, he can take his man one-on-one, he can post up – this man is a threat from everywhere on the court. Yes, LeBron James Is obviously better, as he is a unique beast that we have never seen before. Carmelo isn’t asked to facilitate his team’s offense, though – he’s a traditional scoring 3, the likes of which we’ve seen before from guys like Jamal Mashburn (who was never as efficient a scorer as Carmelo). If you ask me, there’s nothing wrong with being fantastic in a traditional way. In addition, Melo brings a good attitude; generally he’s a hard worker, he doesn’t complain (even when on some seriously dysfunctional teams), and he wants to win. That’s an underrated aspect of any star’s makeup. Some players would like to win and hope they do, but are more concerned with being able to continue to make max money and be able to get big endorsements. Winning is seen as a nice bonus. Carmelo wants to win. I see in Carmelo that same drive, that will to win that’s helped make Kobe great.

2: Mr Big Shot?

I love Chauncey Billups. There, I said it. I drafted him in the 3rd round of my Fantasy Draft last year and was obviously thrilled with his trade to the Nuggets. From a basketball standpoint, I was excited to see him play with some REALLY good ballers on a team that could be one of the best in the West. From a selfish standpoint, I was excited because I thought his fantasy value had doubled or tripled. That didn’t really happen, but I was happy with having another excuse to watch the Nuggets as often as I could. As much as I love Chauncey, though, I’m not a big fan of the name ‘Mr. Big Shot’. He isn’t Robert Horry and that’s not what he brings to the table or what makes him great. What Billups brings is leadership. He brings court vision and a sixth sense for ball-distribution. He is a true field general, a leader amongst men. Rather than spout poetic about him, I’ll simply direct you to an outstanding Outside The Lines piece on the man. Read that, then tell me you don’t want to watch him play with Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the team. Speaking of which….

3: The rest of the team

This is one of the most dangerous rosters in the NBA. Now, for the sake of this article, I’m going to take all my Man Crushes and put them in the next paragraph, so if I left someone out here, that’s why. In related news, if you don’t want to read why I love Joey Graham you may want to skip number 4. But I’m getting ahead of myself, one section at a time. Let me give you some names: Kenyon Martin. Nene. J.R. Smith. Ty Lawson. Renaldo Balkman. In fact, let’s do some math here. Add those names with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. Multiply by the x (REALLY pushing the Lakers last year, adding to their already ever-present swagger). The result? Well, we don’t know that yet. But there aren’t a lot of If Statements for these Nuggets. Basically, the If Statement is Nene’s knee. If it holds up, the sky is the limit for these guys. They don’t have the same depth after losing Kleiza (a huge spark off the bench), but replacing Dahntay Jones with Arron Afflalo (and his much more reasonable contract) is one of the most underrated moves of the summer. Jones could defend, yes, but Afflalo isn’t bad on that end either and he is a superior offensive player. They got a steal in the draft, too, with Ty Lawson falling into their laps at #18. Other than that, this is basically the same team that came quite close to the NBA finals last year. Nothing to sneeze at. Now it’s time to put out the warning for graphic content.

4: The Man Crushes

(warning: may contain images not suitable for minors. If blatant man crushes bother you, please skip to the conclusion)

Outside of Melo and Billups? Where do I even start with this club? Well, there’s the Birdman. James and I told anyone who would listen that Bryan Colangelo needed to sign Chris Andersen when he came back from his drug suspension. Sure, Denver overpaid for him, but let’s look at this glass half-full: he took a few years off basketball mid-career, so he doesn’t have the same wear and tear on his body that most players his age do (although I guess most NBA players don’t have a few years of hard drug use under their belts). Anyway, since he has a new lease on life, my hunch is he won’t take much for granted in the future. It’s within the realm of possibility that he keeps his act up for the next few years. Anyway, fine, MAYBE he won’t be worth his contract for the last couple of years of it, but that’s beside the point. Like I mentioned in my Golden State article (link), you can like a player but not the contract. In this case, I don’t just LIKE the player – I LOVE the Birdman. This guy is an athletic freak, his work ethic is beyond reproach, and he loves doing the dirty work. He is a shot-blocking version of “Junk Yard Dog” Jerome Williams (to this day, the only Raptors jersey I wear). I just can’t say enough about this guy. If I could be any NBA player for a day (assuming LeBron and Dwight were on vacation), I’d be him. In fact, he’s so inspiring to me that I snorted an 8-ball while writing this.

Joey Graham: Most Raptors fans had a love/hate relationship with Joey. Not me. I will argue to the death that Sam Mitchell’s incessant hook did more damage to Joey’s career than any of us will ever know. It’s not easy to develop confidence when your boss threatens to fire you after every mistake. Once he was shown some faith, he played well. I challenge any Joey detractor to watch the game against the Lakers in February. The Raptors didn’t have Jose Calderon. Bosh left hurt midway through the game. Pau Gasol had a MONSTER game, and the Raptors almost won. How? Joey. He scored, rebounded, ran the floor, and did an UNREAL job defending Kobe. Sure, Kobe ended up with 36 points, but he needed 38 minutes to get it and he shot 13 of 28 in the process. He’s Kobe, he can do that against great defense. There’s a good reason the last minute of the game the entire Air Canada Centre was on its feet, chanting, “Joey, Joey, Joey”. The effort he gave guarding Kobe one-on-one was something to marvel at. And to have the energy to carry the load offensively was something Raptors fans haven’t seen often. You can claim that I’m cherry-picking Joey’s best game, which is true, but my gut opinion on Joey is that we would have seen many more of these games if the coaching staff had shown confidence in him earlier. Trust me when I tell you this: if Denver shows some faith in him, they will be VERY pleasantly surprised.

Arron Afflalo. I don’t have nearly as much to say about Afflalo. This one is simple: I watched him in college and was smitten. His vision, his shooting stroke, his motor, it’s all good. He was lost in the shuffle in Detroit, especially when they were trying to work out the Iverson/Hamilton thing, but he’s got the skills to play a much bigger role in the NBA. Nuggets fans will see what I mean this year if they didn’t get a chance to watch him at UCLA. As I said earlier, he is a more than capable replacement for Dahntay Jones – in fact, he is better. Massive coup for Denver, getting such a capable two-guard for basically nothing. Daryl Morey-esque.

Then there’s JR Smith. Just watch this.

/dick-sucking and man-whoring, back to basketball.

Is Denver the best team in the western conference? No. Until proven otherwise, the Lakers are the best. But this year I do think they took a step back (Ariza for Artest, plus a psychological thing involving Gasol and Bynum that I’ll get into another time, plus the extra year of age on Kobe and the potential mellowing after achieving his goals), meanwhile Denver has at worst stayed the same as they were last year. In fact, top to bottom I don’t see too many top-tier clubs from the West having improved, Portland notwithstanding. Am I saying they’ll win the Western Conference? Not yet, but it IS possible, and I’ll be cheering for it. My hunch is another loss to the Lakers in the Conference Finals. What I am saying, though, is that this is one of the most enjoyable teams to watch I’ve ever seen, with some of my favourite players on it as a bonus. They’re in a city that’s hard to be down on, plus they’re the underdog. Somehow, they’re underrated as hell, which is remarkable considering they finished 2nd in the West last year in both the regular and post-season. If you’re looking for a 2nd team to support after your own, consider this my pitch for the Nuggets. Portland’s got lots of talent, and I love Roy and Aldridge (both part of my fantasy team so suck on THAT, James), but they just don’t play the same brand of entertaining ball (fun fact: Portland was the slowest team in the L last season). In my G-State column I spoke about charisma – this Nuggets team has charisma. They also have a leader, confidence and more than just raw talent, they have REAL ballers. Don’t sleep on these guys. I will personally guarantee you’ll be satisfied. That’s right, the Nuggets perform or your money back! With that kind of offer, how can you NOT at least give them a chance?

This is one of many tender moments Chris Andersen describes in Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage

In a last minute development, President Barack Obama decided to join his wife Michelle and the rest of the Chicago delegation on their trip to Copenhagen to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago.

Chris Andersen’s Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage is a breezy and mostly recycled look at the First Couple’s roots, courtship and marriage.

“”It is now abundantly clear that the image of Barack Obama sold to the American electorate was tightly edited, air-brushed, and exaggerated. He has worn a series of masks — eloquent orator, brilliant scholar, centrist, and literary sensation.” [Thomas Lifson]

The new book by Chris Andersen called “Portrait of an American Marriage” about the Obama marriage didn’t seem to be anything I would be interested in.  I don’t find their marriage very interesting, but there seems to be some other things in the book that I do find compelling.

The American Thinker has something written today that Dreams of My Father was produced, basically, by a ghostwriter – namely Bill Ayers. I read a little something about this before the election, but it was all covered up. It’s getting a little bit harder for the “fringe” press and media to provide cover.

Now that kids and private citizens are doing the job of investigative reporters, the New York Times has hired someone to read conservative blogs and listen to conservative radio to try to make sure they are not blind-sided as they were with the ACORN story and the Van Jones story. I thought that was what Media Matters was for.  Oh, that’s right, they don’t tell the truth.  Pretty funny. In fact, hilarious.  They won’t release the name of said person. Undercover, I guess. 

The mask has just about slipped completely off, but who does it reveal? That is the question. I’m afraid to know.

But Thomas Lifson’s article begins:

It is now abundantly clear that the image of Barack Obama sold to the American electorate was tightly edited, air-brushed, and exaggerated. He has worn a series of masks — eloquent orator, brilliant scholar, centrist, and literary sensation. All of these masks are coming off as he copes with a job for which image will not suffice.  For instance, hiding behind the eloquent orator mask is a guy who says “uhh” a lot when he is winging it, and who makes lots of factual and grammatical mistakes.

Now, thanks to Jack Cashill, the literary mask has been removed. Obama is a literary pretender. Case closed. The evidence is overwhelming that Bill Ayers ghost-wrote Dreams from my Father, the book which established Obama’s pose as a brilliant writer (and therefore a fine mind, in the estimation of many).

But according to Jack Cashill of the American Thinker Obama may not be able to take too much credit for the book:

Cashill said:

Obama boasted in Virginia last year, “I’ve written two books,” he told a crowd of students and teachers. ““I actually wrote them myself.”

The media should be able to protect his reputation among the willfully blind but don’t expect to hear Obama make comparable boasts in the near future.

Posted:  09.29.09

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/09/andersen_claimstwo_sources_for.html

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/09/unmasking_obama.html

Catch up on Round 9 here. Fantasy notes:  We’re using a 12-team, H2H format, with standard categories.

109. The Funston Freaks: Jermaine O’Neal | Miami Heat

Drafted So Far: Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Andris Biedrins, Baron Davis, Jason Richardson, Tony Parker, Marcus Camby, J.R. Smith, Marvin Williams

Of course, he’s almost a sure thing when it comes to a tendon snapping, an arm breaking, or an eyeball popping out a la Any Given Sunday. He’s old. He’s not getting any better. But 13 (on good percentages) and 5, with a couple of blocks is more than solid value. He’ll end up on the waivers, without a doubt, but he might give you 30 solid games before his liver fails, he has a stroke, or he — surprisingly! — gets SARS.

110. John Hollinger’s W.A.S.S.U.P System: Shaquille O’Neal | Cleveland Cavaliers

Drafted So Far: Brandon Roy, Chris Bosh, Monta Ellis, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Al Harrington, Mike Bibby, Jeff Green, Josh Howard

I’d wager he won’t be putting up the 18 and 8 of last year, but 12 and 7 with a block or two is nice from your 3C, and The Big Witness is always going to hit a ludicrous FG clip, thanks to not shooting outside of 4ft. Obviously the FT% is going to be famously repugnant, but I’ll deal. Taking Shaq also means the enjoyment of following his nickname changes throughout the season on Twitter, and watching the buddy-time develop between him and Lebron.

111. The Buss Family All-Star Band: Chris Kaman | Los Angeles Clippers

Drafted So Far: Deron Williams, Amar’e Stoudemire, Rajon Rondo, Andrea Bargnani, Manu Ginobili, Anthony Randolph, John Salmons, Kevin Love, Mario Chalmers

Kaman will be a big question mark this year, but with his PF/C eligibility, he’s one which I don’t mind looking at.

If he gets minutes, he’ll get numbers — and whilst there’s a bit of a logjam in Clipper town, it’s worth taking a flyer on either Marcus Camby getting a trade (or injured), or Kaman finally getting shipped somewhere he’ll get big minutes.

Someone does this every year and he ends up on the waivers, but fuck it, it’s the bottom of the tenth. Roll the dice.

With Captain Jack potentially on the way out, Morrow’s minutes could go up considerably. He’s proven he has the ability to fill it up, and he’s a chance to have a break out year. A small chance, but he’s too fun a player not to take the chance.

Join us tomorrow for Round 11.

Posted By: Anton, James & Alex

Follow the Sport Count on Twitter.

(Guest Post by Matthew Ladner)

I am half way through Chris Andersen’s new book Free: The Future of a Radical Price and I can already recommend the book.

Andersen’s treatment of disruptive technologies and firms is simply fascinating. Craig’s List, for example, has from one perspective “destroyed” far more profits for newspapers than it creates for itself. The entire firm runs on a few dozen employees, but has played a large role in reducing a huge revenue stream for the entire American newspaper industry.

Craig’s List actually hasn’t destroyed profits, but in fact has redistributed them to the general public. Craig’s List provides a superior service to a want ad, and it is almost always free.

Likewise, Britannica and others used to make large profits going door to door selling $1,000 encyclopedia sets. Then Microsoft came out with a $99 dvd encyclopedia, and profits withered. Then Wikipedia came along and Microsoft abandoned their dvd project, and Britannica and company will be required to reinvent themselves if they are to survive.

Technology is driving all of these changes-exponential increases in computing power, storage capacity, are driving changes that are fundamentally disrupting several industries: music, newspapers, and perhaps banking.

The question I have half way through this book: who will become the Google of higher education?

Google has a core business of showing you online ads that is very, very profitable. Most of what they do, however, is throwing out products for free. Google has over 100 free software applications online- maps, Earth, documents, etc. and develops new ones all the time.

Highly successful American universities seem to have a core mission of educating students. This however is questionable at best. Some of these universities have endowments so large that if they simply followed the rules for non-profits and spent 5% of their endowment per year, they could eliminate tuition for their students entirely.

What these universities are really about, of course, is getting research grants and adding to their endowments. What if, however, one or more of them were to go down the road of truly seeking to educate the world by putting up entire degree programs online for free.

A Harvard, Princeton or Notre Dame is likely to always have more applicants than spaces, and in any case, these places could survive without students, not that they will ever need to do so. Why not put up entire rigorous degree programs online, and invite anyone and everyone in the world to complete them for free?

Concerned that it would lessen a regular degree? Pshaw-distinguish it from a regular degree, and require an exit exam, say the GRE, that indicates the student knows quite a bit. Random half-baked idea alert, but if a score on the GRE high enough to admit the student in the upper half of graduate programs were required, we’d know far more about the online student than the traditional ones.

Worried about quality? You should be, but don’t forget the recent U.S. Department of Education study showing that technology based learning is substantially more effective than the old fashioned way.

Imagine if students in Bangladesh could earn a Princeton math degree, or a theology degree from Notre Dame for free, or more accurately for the time, computer and internet cost. The marginal players of the American academy would squeal as they are forced to reinvent themselves from making buggy whips, but this is a small price to pay for bringing opportunity to the world.

The only question in my mind is how long it will be until an elite player has the necessary vision to defect from the comfortable cartel. Several universities have the means to do this, and could receive philanthropic help to do so. Attention Oxford and Cambridge: it wouldn’t require an American university to pull this off. A British university could put out a low-cost version of this, and unlike their American counterparts, they aren’t swimming in resources.

Who knew? While spending another most exciting day watching Mike watch football, I started to notice that the announcers get away with saying some outlandish shit! I decided to chronicle the top five gems so you can see not only how mature I am but also, how dirty football really is. (Besides the grown ass men jumping all over each other.) If they keep talking about balls like this I just might become a fan. Well, not like I am a basketball fan, but I might be able to at least stay awake. Maybe…

*Biggest Tight End (I guess a big ass can be tight? Who knew?)

*If he didn’t bobble the ball, he could have scored! (Hey, some guys don’t like their balls bobbled. To each his own!)

*Rivers has shown San Diego his best ball in the 4^th quarter. (I wonder if it was the left or right.)

*Looking for an open hole. (I’m sure some of you can relate.)

*Jammer squirts though. (Sounds like what happened to Lil Wayne.)

As you can see it was a most eventful Sunday. I would also like to say the upcoming nuptials of Khloe Kardamazon to Lamar Scrodum are ridiculous. I mean, after dating a month? I am hoping they don’t breed. PLEASE be sterile Khloe. Wait, guys can’t get pregnant…phew!! I believe Chris “Birdman” Andersen said it best, “Lamar Odom is marrying one of the Kardashian’s? It’s going to be hard to eat all those Skittles w/ a cold sore, Lamar.” The Birdman isn’t just sexy, he’s funny too. Mama likey. 

The Denver Nuggets cult shot-blocking star Chris Andersen has revealed plans to go from Birdman to Beardman. According to the Denver Post, Andersen was recently spotted in Yellowstone National Park sporting a “thickening beard” complimenting his many tattoos.

The Nuggets big man explained he has no intention of shaving until his wedding which takes place in June 2010. By which time, Andersen will most likely resemble a towering version of 1970s kids TV star Catweazel or Mick Fleetwood’s younger brother.

Andersen’s commitment to season-long face fuzz could ultmately place him in sport’s hall of fame for hirsute heroes. Here’s my current top 5 beards in sport.

Bill Walton
Paving the way for the Birdman, NBA legend Bill Walton’s unique ginger “chinstrap” beard and long red hair combination struck fear into the hearts of anybody foolish enough to take the ball to the hoop in the 1970s. Walton own view: “I had the only beard in the Western Hemisphere that made Bob Dylan’s look good”.

Mike Commodore
Ice hockey is a sport where beards are commonplace but no player matches the fantastic furriness of Mike Commodore. Cross Ronald McDonald with a lumberjack and you’ll be close. Commodore’s run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004 with Calgary and with Carolina two years later gave his beard more than enough exposure to earn a place on my list.

Jim ‘The Anvil’ Neidhart
Augmenting his US marine-style jarhead with a ZZ Top goatee gave Jim Neidhart a unique look. The Anvil, with partner Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart was a two-time WWF tag team champion in his grappling prime. And before you correctly point out that wrestling isn’t a sport, Neidhart makes the list thanks to his pre-wrestling NFL experience with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

Alan Cork
Footballers tend to be a superstitious lot and former Crazy Gang member Alan Cork was no different. In 1993, Cork was playing for Sheffield United and refused to shave in a bid to keep the Blades’ FA Cup run going. The result? A grey/white beard akin to that of Christopher Lee in Lord of the Rings that added a good ten years to Cork’s appearance. The beard was eventually removed after the Blades were knocked out at the semi-final stage by city rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

Howard Eastman
Howard Eastman’s noble dyed blonde beard was later replicated by French footballer Djibril Cisse but the credit must go to the British middleweight boxer. Eastman’s look was an extension of his somewhat eccentric personality but it couldn’t help him overcome William Joppy and Bernard Hopkins in his two world title challenges.

The Grizzlies stole 2 things from the Nuggets today: Steven Hunter and a first round pick; think in the Chris Mihm mold. Hunter is a reliable back up center who is under appreciated. The Nuggets have Chris Anderson (and his now bloated salary), Nene, Kenyon Martin, and the recently acquired Malik Allen so Hunter had no room in Denver’s rotation. Denver tossed in cash to pay for Hunter’s salary in exchange for Memphis’ protected second round pick.

Two other centers were in the transactions page today: Ben Wallace and Shelden Williams. Williams will replace the Leon Powe role for Celtics. Wallace will hope to regain his past glory. At the very least, Rip and Tayshaun will be happy that a bash brother is back. Wallace effectively replaces the role that he left 4 years ago.

Look at Yao's face. He is extremely frustrated. This is exactly why the Nuggets need Marc Gasol.

As I mentioned in my mailbag a couple days ago (even before the Afflalo trade), the Nuggets should seriously consider making a run at Marc Gasol. The trade the Nuggets completed yesterday puts the team in an excellent position to land the 7’1” Baby Gasol. This would in turn put the Nuggets in an excellent position to contend for an NBA title.

The Nuggets clearly need another offensively capable big man to complement Martin and Birdman’s defensive abilities, as well as take some of the heat off of Nene in the offensive paint. Marc Gasol is perfectly suited to fulfill this role. He is long, strong, and down to get the friction on (thanks, Sir Mix a Lot) in the low post. He has good strength at 265 pounds, makes powerful moves underneath the basket, is effective at drawing contact from defenders en route to the rim, and is a willing passer who looks to kick the ball out to an open teammate before taking his own shot from down low. He also possesses a nice right-handed hook shot.

Acquiring the Spaniard would finally give the Nuggets the size to push around the Lakers, Spurs, Cavs, Celtics, and Magic. Adding Gasol would also make the Nuggets a much more versatile and less predictable team. Karl could start Gasol, shift Nene over to power forward, and bring Martin off the bench against a big team like the Lakers. Against smaller, quicker teams, such as the Spurs, Gasol come off the bench to spell Martin when the team needed height and/or an offensive boost in the post.

The 24-year-old has plenty of room to grow, and he’ll undoubtedly improve once Steve Hess gets him in the gym. Seriously, think about how much Hess helped Nene’s game. Gasol would be an absolute beast at a leaner, stronger 265 pounds.

Let’s take a quick look at some numbers. In fact, who better to compare Marc Gasol to than his big bro, perennial all-star Pau Gasol…

Per 40 minutes, Pau averaged 19.1 points 9.7 total rebounds and 3.1 offensive rebounds, 2.3 blocks, .5 steals, and 2.9 assists during his rookie NBA season. Last year was Marc’s first season in the NBA and he put up some pretty solid numbers himself. Marc’s per 40-minute stat line reads as follows: 15.5 points, 9.6 total rebounds and 3.3 offensive rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.04 steals, and 2.2 assists. Though Pau scored a few more points, Marc still held his own. One must keep in mind that Marc was the Grizzlies third scoring option last year behind OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay. Even LeBron’s numbers would dip if he played in a starting-five that included Mayo and Gay. Also, remember that Pau was the go-to-guy during his first year in Memphis. Every play ran through him. Therefore, Marc did a pretty solid job by managing 11.7 points 7.4 rebounds 1.1 blocks in 30 minutes per game last season. Those numbers are exactly what the Nuggets would need out of him. Furthermore, his defense would improve while playing for a better team and coach in Denver.

It is honestly a godsend that Gasol plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis GM Chris Wallace literally gives away Gasols to other Western Conference teams. Furthermore, Gasol became expendable last month when the Grizzlies drafted 7’3” C Hasheem Thabeet, and followed this selection by trading SF/SG Quentin Richardson to the Clippers for PF Zach Randolph. These subsequent moves leave Memphis with a crowded big man rotation. The franchise wants to develop Thabeet by keeping him on the court, Z-Bo is known to erupt if he does not receive ample playing time, and the team drafted 21-year-old PF Darrell Arthur last year. Arthur, the gifted former Jayhawk, played effectively in 19 minutes per game last season, and the team does not wish to suppress his development by slashing his minutes this year. Not to mention Memphis still has 7’2” Iranian center Hamed Haddadi on the roster.

Chris Wallace explaining why he enjoys giving away Gasols. I think he is saying that the southern franchise finds the Gasols' facial hair unbecoming and their Euro attitudes too liberal and non-rigid. Whatever, Chris. Just give us Marc.

The Grizzlies’ offseason decisions also leave them devoid of smaller frontcourt reserves, shooting guards, and players in general. There are only eight players currently on the team’s roster (nine if you count Hakim Warrick, who will likely return at the QE). This is where the Nuggets come in. The Nuggets could re-sign Kleiza to the QE and then promptly trade him, Steven Hunter’s expiring contract, and Sonny Weems in exchange for Gasol. Both teams win in this trade.

Kleiza offers the Grizzlies instant offense from the bench, and is an upgrade over GF Marko Jaric. He is a better athlete than Jaric and more versatile because at 6’8” Kleiza can play 2-4. He is also a valuable (and cheap!) insurance policy behind OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay, which the team needs now that Quentin Richardson is off to LA. The Grizzlies also receive an attractive $3.7 million expiring contract; the franchise can also increase its cap flexibility for the summer of 2010 should the front office choose to let Kleiza walk at the end of next season. Sonny Weems is a D-League star, who would likely blossom while playing significant minutes in Memphis since they lack shooting guards. This trade therefore gives Memphis much needed bench scoring, lands young talent at the right positions, and frees up at least $3.7 million in cap room next summer. Heck, throw in a 2011 1st round draft pick and if necessary a 2nd rounder to ensure Chris Wallace jumps at the deal. Landing Gasol at $3.3 million is far too rewarding a possibility to pass up.

Plus, it would be ideal to acquire Gasol at this stage of his career. His contract, like Martin’s, expires after the 2011 season. The Nuggets should add Gasol now so that he develops solid chemistry with Carmelo, JR, and Nene in hopes of keeping this nucleus together long-term with the cap space the Nuggets will have once the Great Martin Contract ends.

I’m going crazy here. The Nuggets and Grizzlies are two teams that need to make deals, each team possesses the necessary pieces, and Chris Wallace is involved. If anyone besides Mitch Kupchak can convince Wallace to give him Marc Gasol, it has to be NBA Executive of the Year Mark Warkentein.

Pau to Marc: You wanna come way out west wit me, right baby bro?!

This potential trade leaves the Nuggets with 11 players on the roster (I’ve included Birdman and Lawson). The Nuggets could follow up this trade by using the remainder of the MLE and/or minimum contract offers to fill their 4 remaining roster spots. The Nuggets still need a third point guard, and they should re-sign Anthony Carter to the minimum to fill this role. He knows the offense, is a good character guy, and Karl likes him. The Nuggets should then consider signing SF Matt Barnes. Barnes solidifies the Nuggets’ defense and 3-point shooting, and his presence could prove to be invaluable if Balkman and Afflalo are not ready to log playoff minutes; he would still end up costing at least $1.2 million less than Kleiza. The Nuggets could also offer this money to PF Tim Thomas, who was bought out by the Chicago Bulls earlier today. I discussed the merits of acquiring Thomas in my July 2nd column.

It is also true that the Nuggets possess some talent on their summer league team. The Nuggets therefore might consider signing a couple of these players to fill out the roster. Kareem Rush’s 3-point shooting and 6’6” body would be a nice addition, and Coby Karl is a smart player.

This deal makes far too much sense for it not to go down. As a fan, I cannot think of any offseason move that would excite me more than pairing Nene with a young 7-foot beast like Marc Gasol. Plus, the move helps Kroenke’s balance sheet because adding Gasol would increase the Nuggets’ international marketability. Come on, E. Stanley. He isn’t even that expensive. You can bank on Marc Gasol. Do it for the fans, por favor?

Food for thought:

Is anyone else tired of JR Smith? I know I am getting there. The Nuggets should consider trading JR Smith if he is what it takes to land Marc Gasol. JR is a brilliant (and lucky) shooter. And yes, his explosive offense did single-handedly win the Nuggets a few games last season. However, let’s not forget that JR is currently sitting in a jail cell because he ran a traffic light and killed his best friend. JR claims he has grown up, but I don’t buy it. He appeared on a live internet feed during an early morning traffic stop in New Jersey three weeks ago. Smith and Eddie Curry, an NBA prima donna who needs to get his life together and lose enough weight to run up and down the court, were passengers in the car that had been pulled over. The NBA players joked that they would give $1,000 to the first person in the SUV to run out of the stopped vehicle and tap the hood of the police cruiser. Way to go, Young Rich. Ask yourself, “Are these the actions of a true champion?” I think not. JR is currently too foolish and immature to play on a team destined to win an NBA title. I just do not see a team that he is a part of winning a ring. But the Grizzlies will not compete for a ring anytime soon and JR’s wild game would certainly sell some tickets in Memphis. The Nuggets might actually grow more disciplined, hungry, and competitive if they picked up Matt Barnes and dumped JR to land Gasol. Just something to consider…

Smith and his defense attorneys. Shouldn't he be in the gym? The face of an NBA champion? I think not.

The Denver Nuggets have resigned Chris Birdman Andersen to a 5 year deal . The deal itself is said to be worth in the region of $26m . And it’s a handsome reward for a player that seemingly resurrected his career with the Nuggets.

The high flying Chris Andersen who was resigned by the Denver Nuggets to a 5 year $26m contract. Anderson appreciatie of the commitment shown in him by the franchise. picture appears courtesy ap/photo/Mark Bartlestein ………

For coach George Karl and that of the Nuggets’ hierarchy it was a welcoming reward in the return of a fan favorite amongst the Denver crowd. He brought energy to the team’s home arena and the fans fed off that. And with his zany antics , erstwhile character and willingness to sacrifice his body in order to do the dirty work on the offensive and defensive end in terms of rebounding. It’s easy to understand why it is that the franchise were determined to retain the player.

And though the team fell short of their expectations , having been eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals 4-2 after a determined effort. It has to be said that this will be a team to be reckoned with next season. A year older but much more wiser one would hope. This augurs well for the franchise and their ultimate aim of winning an NBA championship.

Ty Lawson who was selected 18th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves is seen here with Nuggets' coach George Karl after the player was acquired by the team in a trade . Lawson will be the backup to point guards Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter . But in all likelihood he's viewed as the heir apparent to Billups. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo / David Zabulowski ............

And with the experience of having a proven winner within their midst in point guard Chauncey Billups as a well as the maturation of Carmelo Anthony. It’s easy to see why this team may well be one of the few teams in the Western Conference who could give the Los Angeles Lakers a run for their money in defending their NBA title.

Carmelo Anthony (left), Chauncey Billups (center) and Nene Hilario of the Denver Nuggets are on the sidelines during the Western Conference quarter finals game played against the New Orleans Hornets at the Pepsi Center in Denver , Colorado. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Chris Farrior .............

Not lost in all of this has been the draft of the Nuggets. There’s been astute assessment in what their requirements were. And they went about picking up a very talented player. They may well have picked up the heir apparent to Billups in acquiring former Carolina Tar Heel Ty Lawson. The player was orginally taken 18th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves , who then dispatched his rights to the Nuggets via a trade. That in ofitself could well be a blessing in disguise for the team as a whole. With Lawson they get an intense and creative offensive player . Who’s also equally adept on the defensive side of the ball. And with the team’s roster almost seeminly unchanged . The cohesiveness that we saw throughout much of the regular season and into the earlier rounds of the playoffs ought to be still there as the new season beckons.

The aspirations of the franchise won’t at all be lost on the fans in Denver. They’ve shown their loyal support to the team throughout the regular season and then into the postseason itself. And even with the disappointment of the loss to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. They could see the beginning of something fruitful as to the team’s play and the resolve shown.

Yahoo Sports.com reports: via AP Sports Writer Pat Graham …..

Anderson reaches 5-year deal to stay with Nuggets.

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham :
Denver (AP) Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen has reached a 5 year deal to keep his high flying, shot blocking act with the Denver Nuggets , the team he revived his career with last season.

Andersen’s attorney, Mark Bryant , confirmed the agreement on Wednesday , saying it would be signed later in the day.

Andersen, who turned 31 on Tuesday could make up to $26m over the lifetime of a back-loaded contract that gives the Nuggets financial flexibility.

The Nuggets didn’t return phone calls.

Andersen will make close to $3.65 million in 2009-10, up from the $998,398 he made last season, when he averaged 6.4 points and 2.5 blocked shots in 20.6 minutes.

“You write the best scenario, think you’re dreaming and open youre eyes and it’s real,” Bryant said. “He’s very excited . They treated him as a priority.”

With his colorful tattoos and spiky hair, Andersen was an instant hit with the Denver fans, who’ve embraced his return to the court.

Andersen came back to the NBA in 2008 following a ban that lasted almost two years after he tested positive for an undisclosed “drug of abuse”.

The energetic forward known for his defensive disruption around the basket provided a spark off the bench as the Nuggets made a run to the Western Conference finals, where they fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.

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