Philapalooza: PJ talks to the media
We'll have some video later in the afternoon, but in the meantime you can kill the rest of your Friday with some quotes from Phil Jackson, who met with the media in El Segundo this afternoon ahead of Monday's media day. Clean-shaven and (relatively) spry, PJ seemed eager to get going on what looks to be an interesting season. Not that he was dancing a jig or anything, but that's not really how he rolls.
You can watch casually once the film is up ... until then, we'll all have to make do with the printed word. A lot of ground is covered, but given the serious jones for anything meaty, I figure you can absorb it. Some excerpts:
On upcoming season:
"We're excited about our year. A lot of the same players back again. There haven't been a whole lot of changes. Obviously Andrew (Bynum) coming back is a change, is a difference. We think that we're healthy coming into this training camp. Obviously we have some things that are going on -- Luke is still recovering a little bit from an operation, he'll be a little slow -- but for the most part we're relatively healthy, as opposed to last year, when we had players who couldn't compete right away. We think some of our players have played probably a little too much basketball this summer, with Kobe and Pau (at the Olympics), so we'll generate a camp around their limited work, at least this first week."
On Kobe's deciding against surgery on the torn ligament in his pinkie finger:
"I think it was a good idea. Regardless of the correction that might have been done by the surgery, he's still susceptible (to injury). I don't think there's any more of a risk than there would be if he had surgery, then got his finger caught in a jersey again. There's the same risk factor. There's probably going to be a little less strength there, or whatever, but he's going to be fine. He's played all summer with it. I wasn't happy with the way he shot the ball particularly, but I think he's adjusted to all that."
On Bynum:
"...Just looking at Andrew, he seems great, just to see him... He's still just in the playground stage here, but we'll see if he can get to that level where you compete in every moment you're on the floor. You're working and you're doing the things you have to do every moment. That's something Andrew was just getting a hold of when he was injured last year. We need to get him back to that space sometime, hopefully in this month..."
"...We've seen Andrew play about 20 games in three seasons. That's about it. He played, obviously, more games than that last year, but he reached a certain potential point where we saw a light go on where he reached an idea that "This is how I have to play to be competitive." What I'm going to ask Andrew to do in this offense is to rebound offensively, to set picks and to be a pivotal point in our offense. I'm not asking him to be a one-on-one scorer, I'm not asking him to get a lot of points, but this is a guy that's going to shore up the defense, which I think is the important aspect, rebound, which I think is the second most important thing in our offense, and to be a person who can facilitate and help our offense out.
That means receptions off screen and rolls that he was getting last year, the lobs he was getting last year, some offensive moves that he gets if he catches the ball on the move. Some things like that I think are important for our team to have, that kind of outlet. We know Pau is a different animal on the post. He's more of a polished scorer down there. To adjust the two of them on the floor at the same time and Lamar at a wing spot is going to be our situation. It's going to be our situation, our goal at training camp to figure out how to do that."
On his health:
"I'm feeling fine. I had a good summer."
On whether or not the guys have stopped thinking about the end of the Boston series:
"I don't think we've forgotten about it, let alone not thinking about it. Jeannie made me watch- what do you call those things ESPN runs in the summertime? They have a big ceremony down at Nokia? The ESPYs. She made me watch that when I got back from Montana just to spite me, and make me have to see those guys up there... There's still a little bit of angst and anger there (about the series, among the players and him).
On how PT will be distributed, and the meshing of the three bigs:
"I think there's going to have to be an understanding on this team that there's going to be personnel that are going to be better off against some teams and some opponents and some styles and ways that we're going to have to play. Whether we have a small team like a Golden State and the rest are all small forwards out there playing, the guys are going to have to adjust and sacrifice to meet the demands game by game. But we're going to have, potentially, a very large, tall, lanky, strong front line. If they can play defense together, they could be a very formidable opponent to score against.
Offensively, how we get those guys together and do that with the size they have and the abilities they have as starters, that's going to be interesting to see, and a big challenge for our coaching staff."
On entering the season as favorites:
"I don't think it's going to affect them. I think they know they failed in the Finals last year, I think they know that they've got a game that they can play. But those are players that may not be on the floor all the time together this year, so they've got to make adjustments. They know it's a curious training camp for them, one where we have to figure some things out before we know how we'll go into the regular season. I think they're ready to come in and work. I like their work ethic."
Are you excited at the prospect of having that large front line? Is it something you thought about this summer a lot?
"That's a word I don't use very often anymore, excited. I'm looking forward to seeing how they play. Lamar has to make an adjustment. He's had an advantage at power forward the last couple seasons, especially playing power forward in a guard slot, out there offensively. He's going to have to make some adjustments and we'll see how he does that. Pau's got a (different) role to play on the floor with Andrew. He's got to face the basket a little more, and play a more high post role... We've got some adjustments to make as a team, and offensively we have adjustments to make, too."
- Says they're still a team on the young side, with very veteran leadership. But in Jordan Farmar, Bynum, Trevor Ariza, and Sasha Vujacic, there are still some core players that are definitely young, growing players. Lots of speed, energy, etc. But overall, the peach fuzz is off the team.
- PJ will look to moderate Kobe's minutes as much as possible. 35 minutes is what he sees a star player like that as needing to remain in the flow of things. 38 to 40 "is getting to be a little too much at this time."
- Olympics: Impressed with the demeanor of the team, and Kobe's leadership. Not so much Kobe's shooting, but his leadership and defense.
I asked him about last year, and what a difference a year makes. Is it something he ever thinks about? How much things have changed? (He answers, without addressing Kobe specifically.)
"There's always those little issues with basketball teams. Always someone's coming up for a contract, someone's got a free agency (situation) sitting on their table. There's always a little level of tension, and players have to play knowing they have to conform to a team. A "we" issue, not a "me" issue. Basketball business goes right against basketball team. They just fight against each other."
- Not too worried about Bynum's contract affecting his play, though "maybe some of the people around him I'm concerned about." But economically, PJ believes Bynum's comfort in knowing he has a big future professionally (and therefore financially) means the extension talks won't impact his performance.
On Ariza, and his role on the team:
"I don't hesitate to say that if this team doesn't work out the way I want it to, Trevor may be a starting player, in that first five. I may just insert him and convince Lamar to come off the bench if I feel that's better for the team and we don't feel as comfortable on the floor as I'd like us to feel. That's the role I see Trevor playing for us. I think he's going to be a person who does things defensively and offensively for us that are going to be big plusses."
Is that Plan B behind Lamar starting in that large front court?
"Yeah. I have to give that an opportunity. They deserve an opportunity to see if they can play (together)."
- On the odd chance there is any confusion, Pau will be the four, Bynum the five, due to Gasol's superior face up game combined with his shooting range and mobility. But "they'll have to have interchangeable roles a lot of times in our offense and defense."
- First salvo at Vlad: "Vladdy's not come out and played with these guys at all, because he's afraid he might get hurt. So we're saving for training camp, in hopes he doesn't," Jackson said smiling. He did say Radmanovic looked good, is in good shape, and has "the same jocular nature."
- Referenced Scott Williams and Stacey King as two bigs he had playing together, like Bynum and Gasol, though those two were backups, not starters.
- PJ called Portland a potential team to make a move in the conference. The Hornets helped themselves with Posey, but losing Pargo will hurt. He mentioned Houston as a good challenger if healthy, and Dallas and Phoenix as "the two interesting teams to see how they come out of the gate and play."
- Questions that need answering through camp and into the early season: How LO will respond to being played by SFs? Pau playing defense in space away from the basket? Bynum's ability to get up and down the floor?
On adjustment of playing time- more of a concern for starters, or players in the rotation (Luke, Vlad, etc.) who played more last season but could see reduced time in '08-'09:
"I think it might involve all guys having to sacrifice minutes because of the depth of this team. There's nine or ten guys that should be playing, and the ten man rotation really limits a team to two functioning units out there on the floor, and this team could very well play with two units on the floor in the first part of the season. That does take some time away from players, and they have to adjust to it. But in the long run, I think it saves a team a lot of mileage. It did last year for us."
On Mihm:
"...I think he's moving really well, but his shot hasn't been there (like it was). He was really an exceptional shooter from distance, especially for a big guy... Right now he still hasn't made the adjustment to his new legs, his new spring, his new ability. That'll take some time in training camp, but he certainly looks like he's back and ready to play."
- Walton will be starting the season behind, which could hurt him with PT, Vlad needs to show more consistency than he did last year, and sustain the good. Ariza didn't really have a chance to integrate himself fully. The small forward spot is definitely interesting, he said.
On the "soft" label thrown at the team over the summer, and how he'd define it:
"We know that we weren't a muscular, physical team, but we were able to where we did by finesse and speed and the abilities we had. I was always impressed with our ability to be resilient. As resilient as they were. But it was noticeable in the last series, in the last game, that they came out with one specific purpose, and that was to stick us in the basket. To go down and go to the basket and get what they wanted accomplished on the boards or in the lane. It affected us. It left a sour taste in our mouths over the summer."
So would you say that's accurate? That you were a "soft" team?
"You don't get to where we are by being a soft team, but Boston was tougher than we were in the last game. They got it, they deserved it."
BK
Finally Media day and Training camp is here
Posted by: thekobebryantblitz | September 29, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Phil looks weird without facial hair
Posted by: alex | September 29, 2008 at 09:33 AM
MAMBA24
One Love!!!
Posted by: Charles | September 29, 2008 at 09:52 AM
Dynasties upon dynasties! I love it,
Tom Posted by: LakerTom | September 29, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Yeah, especially The Dynasty of the Beast. LOL!
Posted by: Mamba24 | September 29, 2008 at 09:56 AM
Pig sez:
"How about all those times he dunked on Amare last season? In front of a National TV audience?"
Well piglet, that was before the SUNS got a bona fide C by the name of SHACK, who is bigger and healthier than your byenumb. The SUNS also have a new beast name of LOPEZ, who is also less injury-prone than byenumb and will be competing for ROY honors.
Speaking of TV audience, I wonder how worried Perkins and KG are of byenumb, seeing as how they dominated him and gasal last season. I think the SUNS will represent the WC with a bit more "punch" in the paint against that type of opponent, don't you agree?
Posted by: BUTLER | September 29, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Ahhh, its finally here...
Lamar = Laker for Life
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | September 29, 2008 at 10:12 AM
What Up People,
Phase I of the Dynasty is upon us.
The LA Times did a good job of recounting the history of AB in their two part series -- one thing that stuck out in my mind is the following quote:
"I was just like, 'Wow, you never want to be blamed for anything,' " Bynum says. "It definitely did motivate me, because I was like, 'Well, I'm going to make sure it's not me next time.' "
That's AB talking about Kobe's statements in May ‘07. I recall that back when the Lakers pulled it together, there was a debate as to whether Kobe's comments actually "helped" the Lakers get where they are -- I believe the K Bros and others believed that Kobe's comments were more detrimental than helpful.
I was on the side believing that the comments jump started the organization -- without real proof of it. However, AB's comments above, seem to support my view.
Posted by: HmrHed | September 29, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Tom - thanks for your response. I read it last night and no longer see it posted... perhaps it got yanked for the political line. Anyway, I agree that JB deserves props for the move - he's a gambler and it paid off. I don't know about his larger management skills but his commitent to Bynum is an important one... I just hope that he doesn't try to get into the kid's head too much - leave that to Kareem who really deserves major kudos for his mentoring.
Posted by: dave m | September 29, 2008 at 10:32 AM
ANDREW BYNUM'S GIANT LEAP FOR LAKERS
By Mark Heisler and Mike Bresnahan
http://tinyurl.com/4s5aec
Part 2 of a great 2 part article on Andrew in the LA Times. Here are some excerpts:
>>>>>
The secret is out. CBS Sportsline just ranked Bynum No. 3 among NBA centers in potential impact this season, behind Dwight Howard and Yao Ming . . . and ahead of No. 4 Shaquille O'Neal.
>>>>>
To no one's surprise except his own, Bynum disappeared as a rookie but kept his disappointment to himself, studied at the feet of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and stayed out of everyone's way . . . with one large exception.
On Jan. 16, 2006, with Miami in town, Kwame Brown out and Chris Mihm in foul trouble, Jackson was obliged to throw Bynum in against O'Neal.
O'Neal liked to let young guys know who was who and may have also heard about Bynum joking that he could make free throws when the Lakers drafted him.
In any case, O'Neal flattened Bynum, running him over to get an offensive rebound and dunking in vintage Shaq style.
The coltish Bynum raced to the other end, demanded the ball, spun around O'Neal and threw down his own fearsome dunk.
Then, showing just how young he was, Bynum ran back on defense, jumping up and down with glee, and greeted O'Neal with a double forearm shiver as the referees jumped between them.
"He dunked on me first," Bynum says. "I fell down and looked all goofy getting up. I was just like, 'I've got to do something to get him back because I can't go out like that.'
"When I got him back, the crowd had gone all crazy. I got crazy. It was just a really fun moment. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
[THAT WAS WHEN WE KNEW DREW WOULD BE A SUPERSTAR]
>>>>>
If the Lakers looked as if they had passed the point of no return, Bynum, spending the summer of 2007 in Atlanta with a new trainer, took Bryant's rant as well as possible.
"I was just like, 'Wow, you never want to be blamed for anything,' " Bynum says. "It definitely did motivate me, because I was like, 'Well, I'm going to make sure it's not me next time.' "
In a surprise, there was a next time.
After a turbulent preseason, with Buss saying he would "certainly listen" to offers for Bryant and Kobe going out and getting him some, they lost the opener to Houston as Lakers fans booed Bryant in what looked like the start of the Lakers Apocalypse.
Instead, it was the start of a turnaround no one saw coming. Bynum became a starter in the ninth game and took off like a rocket, even becoming a force on defense as Abdul-Jabbar encouraged him to stop merely trying to stay out of foul trouble.
"It was like in a period of three days," Abdul-Jabbar says. "On the third day he was moving and all of a sudden, nobody could get an easy shot in practice. It was that quick."
[THAT WAS WHEN WE KNEW DREW WOULD BE A GREAT SHOT BLOCKER]
>>>>>
The tension is gone. Bynum has spent the last few weeks scrimmaging at the Lakers' practice facility, looking fine. He's now eligible for an extension worth $88 million with the team reportedly hoping to bring him in at about $78 million.
[AS I PREDICTED, THE LAKERS WILL SIGN DREW FOR CLOSE TO MAX]
"I think it goes without saying, the more you see him play at a high level on a consistent basis, the more comfortable you become," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. "But it's our intention to secure Andrew's future with this franchise as soon as possible."
Last spring Bynum said he just wanted to be a Laker, noting, "It doesn't have to be the max for me."
Now his agent, David Lee, says, "I think Andrew warrants the max. He commands and demands that respect."
Welcome to the big leagues. We're at the part of the story where the prince goes door to door with that glass slipper, looking for Cinderella.
[THE ERA OF THE BEAST HAS BEGUN]
>>>>>
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | September 29, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Awesome double article on Bynum in the LA Times.
This year will be...awesome!
Posted by: Jamie Sweet | September 29, 2008 at 10:51 AM
8 days until tipoff of the first pre-season game...
Posted by: lakers_sth | September 29, 2008 at 10:54 AM
"I think they know they failed in the Finals last year"
-- Phil Jackson
Doesn't he mean to say "we failed"? He was the coach! Interesting how Phil can sometimes ad nauseum talk of the "we" but some how leave himself out of the failure of the Final's! Very telling and a bit disturbing!!
Posted by: Mitch | September 29, 2008 at 10:57 AM
That pic of Bynum swatting Luol Deng is siick.
I can't wait to see this team whoop some a**.
Posted by: Rocky | September 29, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Good morning CRUE!!!
MEDIA DAY!!! THE START OF TRAINING CAMP!!! MAMBA24, CHARLES & THE REST OF THE FAMILY BACK POSTING!!!!
WHAT COULD BE BETTER????!!!!!
(Except for Butt-ler to wise-up & recognize that Andrew has no problems taking on Shaq - he's done it before to the racaus approval of the Staples crowd. Don't you know Drew is ranked higher than Shaq now? Shaq's glory days are behind him - like his big behind. I think you should learn to read - it's time you went back to the little old schoolhouse & re-learn those abc's - that is if you even learned them in the first place.)
GO LAKERS!!!!
ps - AK/BK - last year during training camp we learned how Lamar was doing the meal thing, etc with everyone to help forge a solid team chemistry. Any word on anything like that going to take place this year? I guess it would be harder to do something similar, what with being home.....
Posted by: justanothermambafan | September 29, 2008 at 11:09 AM
[THE ERA OF THE BEAST HAS BEGUN]
>>>>> Tom Posted by: LakerTom | September 29, 2008 at 10:49 AM
LET THE WORD GO OUT THRU OUT THE LAND
THE ERA OF THE BEAST HAS BEGUN
PRETENDERS GET OFF THE THRONE
THE LAKERS ARE BACK TO RECLAIM THEIR OWN
Posted by: MAMBA24 | September 29, 2008 at 11:20 AM
"bona fide C by the name of SHACK, who is bigger and healthier than your byenumb. The SUNS also have a new beast name of LOPEZ, who is also less injury-prone than byenumb and will be competing for ROY honors."
I think what you meant to say was "aging, decrepit shadow of his former self C." and "16th pick and likely getting dunked on regularly pine rider rookie."
Are you sure the Big Homicidal is so healthy? He is a perennial sideline sitter. Count on about 35-55 games without the Big Lazy this season. and if Lopez is a ROY candidate, something is seriously wrong with the other 15 guys picked ahead of him.
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | September 29, 2008 at 11:35 AM
THE STOCK MARKET IS FALLING LIKE A ROCK. THE DOW WAS DOWN 700 POINTS.
THE BAILOUT WAS DEFEATED. LAKERTOM ONLY THE BEAST CAN SAVE US NOW
Posted by: MAMBA24 | September 29, 2008 at 12:08 PM
dave,
>>>>>Tom - thanks for your response. I read it last night and no longer see it posted...
>>>>>perhaps it got yanked for the political line. Anyway, I agree that JB deserves
>>>>>props for the move - he's a gambler and it paid off. I don't know about his larger
>>>>>management skills but his commitment to Bynum is an important one... I just hope
>>>>>that he doesn't try to get into the kid's head too much - leave that to Kareem who
>>>>>really deserves major kudos for his mentoring.
Thanks for your response. I thought for a moment there that I had imagined responding to your posts. Seriously, the political comment in that post was completely innocuous but apparently freedom of opinion only applies to BUTtLickER, GWB, and other blog trolls. We know this is not a political blog but the KamBros are overreaching to make sure not to offend anyone politically. Deleting posts for innocuous political references made in jest without any malicious intent just remind us why it is important to vote.
Or maybe the KamBros just don’t like Jim Buss or anybody who supports him.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | September 29, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Laker Tom,
"Thanks for your response. I thought for a moment there that I had imagined responding to your posts. Seriously, the political comment in that post was completely innocuous but apparently freedom of opinion only applies to BUTtLickER, GWB, and other blog trolls. We know this is not a political blog but the KamBros are overreaching to make sure not to offend anyone politically. Deleting posts for innocuous political references made in jest without any malicious intent just remind us why it is important to vote. Or maybe the KamBros just don’t like Jim Buss or anybody who supports him."
Tom, we've been through this before, on more than one occasion and mostly with you. We've asked that people leave political comments, however "innocuous," out of the mix. It has nothing to do with us looking to avoid "offending" anybody. I honestly couldn't care less about that. The problem is purely practical. One man's "innocuous" is another man's "reason to respond." Then we're put in the position of having to explain to one reader why one comment was allowed through and his/her's wasn't or watching the discussion go off track. We're trying to avoid either scenario, which means stopping things at the root whenever possible.
This issue also has zero to do with "freedom of opinion." We believe 100% in your right to whatever opinion you please. However, that doesn't mean we consider this blog the proper venue to express each and every one of those opinions. But I defy you to cite when we repressed anybody's basketball/Lakers/sports opinion. Freedom of thought on this blog (poor taste/inflammatory comments aside) is an absolute. Freedom of topicality is not. It's pretty common for non-political blogs to make this rule, by the way.
And respectfully, to compare us upholding a perfectly reasonable content restriction for a non-political blog and the type of repression that reminds us of voting's importance is- on its best day- a laughable overstatement. This isn't an issue of "free speech," which guarantees you the right to speak without fear of imprisonment. We're simply saying, leave the political stuff off the blog. If you can't honor that rule, you're going to find comments deleted. It's that simple.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | September 29, 2008 at 03:54 PM
LakerTom,
In AK's defense, I personally enjoy an occasional political quip every now and again, but this political season is too contencious. If the Kamenetsky Brothers allowed for political comments, very soon it would degrade into a bloodbath. We all know that the Kamenetsky Brothers and I have had plenty of disagreements over the subject of censorship; however, I think with this rule--keeping the blog apolitical--the Kamenetsky Brothers are being pretty reasonable.
It is a sports blog, after all.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | September 29, 2008 at 04:29 PM
AK -
I sort of feel compelled to add my own two cents to the dialogue re: politics or lack thereof, especially since the above-referenced exchanges were between Tom and myself. I have to align myself with Tom's comment that the offending line was innocuous... it really seemed pretty slim and harmless in my opinion and had its roots in a running exchange from some time back. Eric M had lit into Tom for his political views and Tom in reply, let me have it (he mixed me up with Eric M.). The whole thing was done in fun as far as I'm concerned and had no malicious intent whatsoever. Tom and I have shared a couple of (written) laughs about it and I'm hopeful that Eric saw the humor as well.
Personally (and this also goes as a friendly rebuttal to your post, Jon), I feel that some level of political discourse is entirely appropriate, in sports, in music, in art and in everyday life altogether. Politics is after all, in the very fabric of our lives, much in the same way that sports, music, art and all manner of popular culture and free expression becomes forever intertwined with said fabric. When Jon or Ak or anyone ellse says that there's no place for politics in sports, I just have to scratch my head. I can pretty much always remember there being some place for it, from the serious and sometimes tragic to the comic (so many instances are flooding through memory right now).
At any rate, I think we're living in some truly toxic times, both in ways political and societal. One of my favorite things is trading political jabs with those on the opposite side - a good laugh seems to be a lot better than hard-held grudges... and sports can often provide an easy forum for good-natured rivalry. Isn't that kind of what blogging is about anyway? I'm not looking to get into any hardcore political dustups here... but who here hasn't heard a political joke, comment or analogy on pretty much every sports show that has ever come down the pike, let alone in sports print journalism.
I can understand your decision to draw a line in the sand, A.K.. I totally get where you're coming from - this blog gets contentious enough as it is without adding additional fuel to the fire. Still, I have to wonder about a logic that dicates that hating is allowed if it's simply directed at athletes, but a post that contains a good-natured political line (within the greater framework of sports itself) should be censored.
I haven't gotten into this before with you... your stated feelings on the matter have been clear and though I don't agree with them, I respect that fact that you and BK moderate this thing and do a good job of it. I'll do my part by trying to stay clear of the subject in the future as well, unless its in reference to any responses to this particular post. Sorry to anybody who finds this longwinded and unnecessary but then again, you can always do what I do when I find something lame or boring - I just scroll past.
Posted by: dave m | September 29, 2008 at 08:14 PM
Dave M,
The issue isn't whether or not LT's joke innocuous. Personally, I would describe it that way. But we've repeatedly stated, both to the blog in general and LT in particular, that we wanted politics kept out of the blog, for reasons I stated earlier. If you're looking for a place to blow off steam in these toxic political times, I completely understand. And by all means, visit the proper forum (i.e., a political blog) for venting. But this isn't the proper forum, and the reasons are pretty self-explanatory.
Also, I agree that there can be a place a question for politics in sports. But there's a difference between sports subjects with political overtones (Muhammed Ali's stance against the Vietnam War, John Carlos and Tommie Smith's raised fists, Ira Newble speaking out against Darfur) and simply discussiing topics pertinent to the election. The former has a potential place here. The latter, under most circumstances, won't.
"I have to wonder about a logic that dicates that hating is allowed if it's simply directed at athletes, but a post that contains a good-natured political line (within the greater framework of sports itself) should be censored."
Smack talk against various athletes is part of sports' culture, and thus makes sense in a Lakers (or any NBA) blog. If people end up debating that smack, the blog's topicality remains intact. If we end up debating political smack, everything goes off track.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | September 29, 2008 at 08:46 PM
AK - those images and memories (Ali, Mexico City, etc.,) were certainly in my mind as I wrote par. 2. However, I think my larger point was that it's one thing to go on a purely politcal diatribe in a sports blog and another thing to toss in a casual zinger, much in the same way that you would around the cooler. In other words, I wouldn't start debating today's house vote on this blog but I might mention Tina Fey (well I probably wouldn't even do that at this point, haha). Anyway, I'll let it go... sometimes my fingers just feel like typing and one thing leads to another.
Posted by: dave m | September 29, 2008 at 10:35 PM