Lots of little and wildly interesting items (no, really, they are)

All kinds of little things, hope you don’t mind.

And it’s always fun to do things like this because I find it terribly interesting to see what captures your imagination and fancy.

Let’s go.

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Sometimes, it’s wise to just keep your mouth shut and your thoughts to yourself.

Not sure if you heard but Mark Cuban made some crack on a radio show last week that, because of the impending NBA tax changes, the Lakers might want to consider using the amnesty clause on – get this! – Kobe Bryant.

As if simply casting aside one of the top three or four greatest players in franchise history and one of the top three or four players in the game today makes any sense at all.

Cuban, of course, backtracked a little, but it was out there as a somewhat silly statement, in my opinion, and Kobe noticed.

He glared his way to 38 points and a huge Lakers win and punctuated the day with this tweet:

“Amnesty THAT”

Now, I don’t mind bold statements from owners or players because it makes good copy and we’re all about good copy. But it amazes me in this day and age, where everyone eventually hears everything, that someone as smart as Cuban would poke someone as intense and good as Bryant. He had to know that it would drive the uber-competitive Bryant to try to do something special and that’s just what he did.

No, I don’t think you should ever poke the bear.

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It doesn’t get much better than this, and it’s a nice touch, I think, on George Harrison’s birthday.

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Nice line.

I know no one imagines that Andrea Bargnani as much of a personality because of the way he comports himself on the court and in the media.

And we are all a bit dubious when team officials or teammates tell us he can be a bit of jokester with a nice touch of sarcasm and humour.

Well, we’re standing there talking to him yesterday for the little story that came out of practice (you can find it here) and got a wee glimpse.

Zic asks him something along the lines of whether the elbow injury will result it any long-term issues with his shot, his shooting form or his ability to get the ball in the basket.

He deadpans:

“I think I’ll never be able to shoot the ball again until the end of my career.”

That’s big league sarcasm I’d be proud of.

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So, how were the Oscars?

Funnily enough, post-dinner and before the show, I got to lying down on the couch watching Grizzlies-Nets and when I finally woke up, it was about 9:45 p.m. and this week’s edition of Sports Illustrated was to be read.

Yeah, missed the whole show, can someone catch me up?

I heard some of the speeches went long, some of the outfits were out of this world and the show went long.

(Oh, wait, that’s every single year in the history of the Oscars, isn’t it?)

But I know one Irregular had to have been pretty pumped for the music from Life of Pi winning best original score.

Can’t say it’s my cup of tea but I’m not an academy voter and it’s cool that the dude who wrote is somewhat local and a friend of someone I know.

And I must admit I was a tad confused.

He wins for original score and Adele wins for original song?

Thought this show was about movies.

Adele killed, though.

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This, I don’t get.

We’re hoping to have a word Sunday with Sebastian Telfair since we all got occupied with the game on Friday when arrived and Saturday was a quiet day.

And then it turns out he’s sick with the flu and not at practice.

Given that Bargnani missed a couple games with the flu, Ross missed one and Dwane told us he was laid low with it the entire all-star weekend, I’m wondering what kind of monster bug is floating around that locker room.

And I’m also going to suggest that youth and good fitness is over-rated since old beaten up guys like me are sailing through the entire winter without so much as an afternoon of flu-like symptoms.

Chalk up one for the unhealthy side of things!

Anyway, there’s no word on whether Telfair will be around today or tonight and it means I’ll have to drag my sorry butt to shootaround instead of heading into the office to do some much-needed paperwork.

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One little fashion thingy.

Got a chance to watch some of the TOD on Saturday afternoon – man, was it good to see a ball game or what? – and I have to say that while I generally like they’re uniforms and I’m all about celebrating their Canadian thing, that Maple Leaf on the BP hats is waaaaaaaay to big.

I’d prefer a far more subtle one, perhaps an inch or two off centre, than the one they came up with.

But maybe that’s just me.

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Hang on!

Jennifer Lawrence fell down while going to get her Oscar?

Outstanding. Wish I’d seen that.

And I’ve got to give her credit for a great answer to the: What went through your mind when you were falling? Question.

“A bad word that I can't say that starts with F.”

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I know no one connected with the HOTH will admit this publicly but this is a very, very big week for them.

Washington tonight, at Cleveland on Wednesday, here against Indiana on Friday and at Milwaukee on Saturday?

Yeah, that’s big. Bigger than big given the opponents, where they are in the standings and a tough western road trip coming up the following week.

Sure, there’s plenty of time left in the season to make a move but if they don’t go 3-1 this week, it’s going to be even harder to legitimately have playoff aspirations.

Maybe they get away with 2-2 but I think that’d a disappointing week to all concerned.

It’ll be interesting to see how they react; the overall confidence level has never been higher, wonder if they can come out and play hard and smart four nights in a row.

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Comments

[Mike D.]

Having had a miserable flu season to date myself, I was initially a little put out that you were flaunting your flu-free status....but then I realized that you were indirectly complimenting my youth and good fitness. So now I'm sitting at my desk enjoying the pain of my hacking cough, and if the feelings of nausea return I will greet them like a long-lost friend.

[kathyt]

Only person I wanted to see was Dame Shirley Bassey sing Goldfinger, I thought she just KILLED IT. For me it was just mesmerizing watching her use slight eye movements and hand gestures; something I never see from younger performers today.

It was a well deserved standing O from the audience.

Blogger's note: Thanks, I need to google that now for sure

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug:

I'd think my complete and utter uselessness on the basketball court was funny too if I was cashing $10 million in cheques every year.

But I digress...

I didn't watch the Oscars either. If I was king of Hollywood Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty would have shared awards for everything in every category.

AG, Toronto

Blogger's note: Short memory on the cheap shot digression but, I digress

[Richie]

Doug: I could be wrong (it has happened before although I don't remember when) but I think those Jays' caps are spring training caps only. I'm sure Griff will let you know when he reads your blog.......

Blogger's note: Hope so; I know they're not regular season game caps, that's for sure

[Ken L]

Hope this worked to link to Dame Shirley Bassey. She did an absolutely amazing performance.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xxrhry_50-years-of-bond-salute-goldfinger-performed-by-shirley-bassey-oscars-2013_shortfilms

[Sharkey]

The Jays caps are for spring training and batting practice only. MLB came out with a new line of BP caps for all 30 teams, and most of them are very strange: the Mets have Mr. Met on their cap, and the Braves had major controversy with a retro and quite racist logo on theirs before they changed it. I don't like them much either.

Blogger's note: Thought they were BP. Mr. Met would be cool!

[Vincent]

Hi Doug,
This might be too personal a question, but did you get the flu shot? I'm just curious.

Blogger's note: Have never had one

[D-Mac Ottawa]

The one thing that would have topped off last night's Oscars would have been seeing The Life of Pi take Best Picture. Visually, maybe the best film I've ever seen.
Haven't seen Argo. Is it really Best Picture good? Or is that a lot of the 'normal' Tinsel Town backroom politics at work there?
Cheers. Go Raps!

[Juan]

Doug my read of the Cuban comment was that it was a bit of a facetious statement to highlight the challenge of the new economics of the NBA. But I agree that, if he had thought about it, he probably should have waited until after the Mavs were done playing the Lakers this year.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Again Doug:

Not sure how my comment about Bargnani was a cheap shot. Many of us would see it as fact.

If you want to bolster and support a player who is faltering mid-career, that's fine. But if you're going to run a blog as an open forum, you gotta expect long time fans like me aren't going to appreciate Bargnani's apparent disinterest in the franchise's seven year commitment to him or the fans' frustrations.

You said it yourself--the Raptors are a better story than they are a basketball team. And the failure of Bargnani to acknowledge the faith people have put him in is another large chapter.

AG, Toronto

Blogger's note: "Complete and utter uselessness" is cheap and not true; but whatever

[Moshigh]

I Think some of the fustration with Bargnani that I feel and others sure share, is that many people dont really know what drives him. He has been here 7 yrs. His english hasnt got that much better. He has limited expression majority of the time. So its hard to tell if he really cares or not. Im sure he does, but it makes it hard for outsiders. One thing I will say, I think its silly for fans to boo him now. Even I wouldnt be so low.

Let's go Raptors, the team has a good rotation of guys playing now, so those who want to get more minutes better work there butts off to want more mins. Philly falling off a cliff and Milwaukee just holding on. Big week for Raptors.

[sam]

@D-Mac - I saw Argo, and while it did hold my attention and seemed to be a pretty good flick, I was a little disturbed by the reinventing of the story.

Happy B-day to George Harrison. A cool guy and an amazing guitar player. If you get a chance watch the HBO doc on him. It is well worth it.

Your quick note on Andrea makes me wonder if he was a little more outgoing if he would get the criticism he gets now. Based on his play early last year I can't see why he couldn't be a valuable part of the team going forward.

[marc in panama]

Hola Doug,

"And since old beaten up guys like me are sailing through the entire winter without so much as an afternoon of flu-like symptoms." Feeling mighty good are we? You just called out very microbe in every hotel, airport, airplane, establishment with stools in North America with that particular piece of bulletin board material there. Good luck, sir!

Ciao amigo,

marc in panama

[DaveB]

Doug: please get the tall foreheads to change the font of the blog to black font. The blue font is very difficult to read for people with some eye sight issues. Please, please, please.

[Allan]

I don't see the value in booing one of the Raptor players, unless it is to show displeasure at the absolute futility of the organization over the last few years when it comes to winning. Still, why single out one player?

Bargnani could improve the situation if he made the odd shot and at least gave off the appearance of trying to play defense. For example, he could jump up and make it look like he was trying to rebound the ball or hustle to be in a position where he might actually do so. The fans still can't understand why a 7 footer doesn't rebound the ball and with the disappearance of his offense his value is questionable, as we found out at the trade deadline. However, if he showed some effort I think it would change, at least I hope so.

[Mike D.]

@marc in panama, you nailed it. Every microbe with as little as an atom of pride is probably memorizing Doug's picture right now, and hoping it will get the chance to tweet "Sail through THAT!"

[john]

Hey Doug, don't you do "paperwork" everyday? As for the flu bug, most organisms are not very tolerant to alcohol... Just sayin...

[Marc Stevens]

I am so with you on the giant maple leaf on the Jays' BP hats. Ditto the one on the back of the Raptors' jerseys, and now plastered all over the front of Toronto FC's home kit. I'm as proud to be Canadian as the next guy, but the rest of the country hates us. Let them get their own NBA and MLB franchises. It's embarrassing.

[Mr. Flu Bug]

Good Morning Mr. Smith,

We have a special delivery just for you!

[DMcG]

"Let them get their own NBA and MLB franchises."

..... and you're shocked that "the rest of the country hates us"? As much as that's an exaggeration of even the rhetorical generalization, you're "let them get their own" is a small example of "the centre of the universe" attitude that is either scorned, scoffed at, or laughed at.

[doug]

Doug you need to touch wood after talking about the flu...as for Argo I won't see it ever, as it's a revisionist film that Affleck took far too many liberties with and moreorless negated Ken Taylor's role and Canada's, no desire to see it.....but yesterday my niece and nephew were over so we watched Here Comes the Boom not as bad as I was thinking it would be (as I am not a UFC fan at all), but in it was this remix of one of my fav Neil Diamond songs, it's a excellent re-mix...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUrJ5Wa5zhQ

[RichardY]

@andrew

While agreeing that Bargniani is underperforming, I would have to say your comment was a cheap shot. My thought would be that there would be very few people (including professional athletes) who deep down would be happy getting paid well when performing badly - thankful perhaps, but it does not feel good about yourself when you know you are not really earning your pay (yes I know that no professional athlete really earns their pay, but it is the principle I am talking about). I think all us want to know we are contributing in some meaningful way.

As for why i think it is a cheap shot, when you use words such as "complete and utterly useless", it does come across as rather derisive rather than thoughtful differing opinion.

Respectful discourse is welcome, treating others like idiots is seldom helpful. Looking forward to good discussion.

[Steve]

I thought Cuban's comments were pretty on the money if badly timed and were largely blown out of proportion by the media (surprise). As originally stated they came with the disclaimer that he didn't think the Lakers would amnesty Kobe for the same reasons he wouldn't amnesty Dirk.

The 'backpedalling' I've seen since then mainly seems to be aimed at avoiding adding to his collection of fines from the league.

[m]

I quite agree with Steve's post, it's just the media making headlines.
Doug, Andrew Gregg's response to your comment on his cheap shot only shows that he just doesn't get it.

[Andrew Gregg]

Hi Doug (and a few others):

Since this thread has carried on a bit, let me remind you of Bargnani's box score after playing 12:52 minutes in the last game against the Knicks: no points, no rebounds, no assists. And again, he's making $10 million a year. If that's not completely and utterly useless, I don't know what is.

Bargnani gave his sarcastic quote after that last game. He thinks it's funny. I don't. Call it a cheap shot if you want--but it's pretty clear to me that he's already checked out on this team and this season.

AG, Toronto

Blogger's note: Actually, the sarcastic quote, which was quite funny, came Sunday afternoon. And now we're done with this