By Kevin Reavy
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
There’s no better way to start The Sports Column than a nice NBA brawl recap.<o
></o>
<o> </o>
I mean, it’s got everything:
<o> </o>></o>
<o> </o>
(... Yes, in case you forgot, there was a Major League III: Back to the Minors. Sorry if I’m picking at old wounds.)<o></o>
<o> </o>
(... And at this point, whether it’s grammatically correct or not, I’m just trying to keep my parentheses streak alive.)<o></o>
<o> </o>
(On to the headlines ...)<o></o>
<o> </o>
Nuggets vs. Knicks: Gang-fight at the Garden<o></o>
<o> </o>
We’re two years removed from the Ron Artest/Stephen Jackson melee in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1lace w:st="on">Detroit</st1lace></st1:city>. And I think it’s important to mention Stephen Jackson, as many other columnists seem to forget.<o></o>
<o> </o>
When Artest was beating up players and fans at a relatively good pace, Stephen Jackson was flying in on support cables, taking out cameramen, wrestling wheelchairs away from the elderly, and knocking $12 sodas out of the hands of any child within reach.<o></o>
<o> </o>
OK, maybe I’m overstating it, but it was bad.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Suspensions were handed out Monday, with Anthony being hit the hardest with 15 games.
<o> </o>
Joey Porter Calls Kellen Winslow a (Slur)<o></o>
<o> </o>
A newspaper and Internet sweep has forced this reporter to conclude that Porter literally called Winslow “a slur in parentheses.”
<o> </o>
AI Still in Limbo<o></o>
<o> </o>
Still no Allen Iverson trade, about a week after the 76ers announced it would be consummated in 48 hours.<o></o>
<o> </o>
And while I am impatient, I came to a realization: With Iverson, the 76ers lose. Without Iverson, they lose. And, seemingly, with whomever they bring in from trading Iverson, they’ll lose.<o></o>
<o> </o>
So, I’m not really concerned with it anymore. After witnessing Kevin Ollie lead Philly in scoring in a game last week, I’m not sure my eyes will ever stop bleeding anyway ...<o></o>
<o> </o>
On that note...<o></o>
<o> </o>
Signs of Life: Eagles Soar<o></o>
<o> </o>
The Philadelphia Eagles’ performance has been a lone bright spot on my sporting front lately.<o></o>
<o> </o>
They defeated the New York Giants, 36-22. It was entertaining -- and educational!<o></o>
<o> </o>
Early on, scholarly Jeremy Shockey pointed to his helmet after a late-hit call against the Eagles, insinuating that the player penalized should “use his head.” After all, these kinds of penalties are counter-productive to a team’s success, and Shockey’s gentlemanly reminder served not only as a goodwill gesture to his opponents and teammates, but also a shout-out to all the impressionable youth out there in search of how to play the game right.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Later on, Shockey recorded a late-hit of his own, causing a 15-yard penalty that led off a touchdown-scoring drive for Philadelphia, giving the Eaglese their first lead, teaching us all another very important lesson: Jeremy Shockey is just a &%#!@.<o></o>
<o> </o>
That will do it for this week’s Sports Column.<o></o>
<o> </o>
Until next time, enjoy the news as it happens. <o></o>
<o> </o>
<o> </o>
<o> </o>
WagerWeb Sports <o></o>
<o> </o>
<o> </o>
<o> </o>
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
There’s no better way to start The Sports Column than a nice NBA brawl recap.<o
></o><o
> </o>I mean, it’s got everything:
<o
> </o>- The players -- naturally, the faces of the National Basketball Association -- duking it out in between NBA Cares Fund commercials featuring Carmelo Anthony and other stars curing blind people, developing vaccines for Parkinson's, and all that good stuff. <o></o>
- A random clean punch to the face -- because, to Carmelo Anthony, it’s not about whether you win or lose, but how much “street-cred” you earn in the process. <o></o>
- A ridiculous amount of ejections (10 officially) a la Major League II, when a riff between Willie “Mays” Hayes and Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn erupted into a team-wide self annihilation.<o></o>
></o><o
> </o>(... Yes, in case you forgot, there was a Major League III: Back to the Minors. Sorry if I’m picking at old wounds.)<o
></o><o
> </o>(... And at this point, whether it’s grammatically correct or not, I’m just trying to keep my parentheses streak alive.)<o
></o><o
> </o>(On to the headlines ...)<o
></o><o
> </o>Nuggets vs. Knicks: Gang-fight at the Garden<o
></o><o
> </o>We’re two years removed from the Ron Artest/Stephen Jackson melee in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1
lace w:st="on">Detroit</st1lace></st1:city>. And I think it’s important to mention Stephen Jackson, as many other columnists seem to forget.<o></o><o
> </o>When Artest was beating up players and fans at a relatively good pace, Stephen Jackson was flying in on support cables, taking out cameramen, wrestling wheelchairs away from the elderly, and knocking $12 sodas out of the hands of any child within reach.<o
></o><o
> </o>OK, maybe I’m overstating it, but it was bad.<o
></o><o
> </o>Suspensions were handed out Monday, with Anthony being hit the hardest with 15 games.
<o
> </o>Joey Porter Calls Kellen Winslow a (Slur)<o
></o><o
> </o>A newspaper and Internet sweep has forced this reporter to conclude that Porter literally called Winslow “a slur in parentheses.”
<o
> </o>AI Still in Limbo<o
></o><o
> </o>Still no Allen Iverson trade, about a week after the 76ers announced it would be consummated in 48 hours.<o
></o><o
> </o>And while I am impatient, I came to a realization: With Iverson, the 76ers lose. Without Iverson, they lose. And, seemingly, with whomever they bring in from trading Iverson, they’ll lose.<o
></o><o
> </o>So, I’m not really concerned with it anymore. After witnessing Kevin Ollie lead Philly in scoring in a game last week, I’m not sure my eyes will ever stop bleeding anyway ...<o
></o><o
> </o>On that note...<o
></o><o
> </o>Signs of Life: Eagles Soar<o
></o><o
> </o>The Philadelphia Eagles’ performance has been a lone bright spot on my sporting front lately.<o
></o><o
> </o>They defeated the New York Giants, 36-22. It was entertaining -- and educational!<o
></o><o
> </o>Early on, scholarly Jeremy Shockey pointed to his helmet after a late-hit call against the Eagles, insinuating that the player penalized should “use his head.” After all, these kinds of penalties are counter-productive to a team’s success, and Shockey’s gentlemanly reminder served not only as a goodwill gesture to his opponents and teammates, but also a shout-out to all the impressionable youth out there in search of how to play the game right.<o
></o><o
> </o>Later on, Shockey recorded a late-hit of his own, causing a 15-yard penalty that led off a touchdown-scoring drive for Philadelphia, giving the Eaglese their first lead, teaching us all another very important lesson: Jeremy Shockey is just a &%#!@.<o
></o><o
> </o>That will do it for this week’s Sports Column.<o
></o><o
> </o>Until next time, enjoy the news as it happens. <o
></o><o
> </o><o
> </o><o
> </o>WagerWeb Sports <o
></o><o
> </o><o
> </o><o
> </o>
