An amazing development in the NBA

-ESPN.com reports that the Toronto Raptor's traded sharpshooter Jason Kapono to the Philadelaphia 76ers for Reggie Evans. An amazing one-player trade. Something of a dying art these days in the world of professional sports.

Every trade that seems to happen these days includes multiple players and cash, cows, oil fields and the kitchen sink. It's like a game of "How Much Can We Move Out?"

One player trades are a something you don't see everyday, with no strings attached.

One of the fairest comparison comes from Will Ferrell in Semi-Pro when his ABA team traded a washing machine to the Kentucky Colonels for Woody Harrelson. We laughed, but hey a kid got traded for maple bats a few years ago, and in the end, unfortunately, the bats got the better end of the deal.

Take pride Jason and Reggie, your part of a dying breed. Well maybe not you so much, Evans, have fun in the cold, eventually it'll numb that losing feeling.

When refs get too much credit

-So, I'm watching the NBA Finals tonight. I'm not usually an NBA fan (Clay Bennett ripped out my soul and poured Epsom in the wounds) but at least I can enjoy some hint of defense not normally seen in the League, and it's an added bonus that Allen Iverson is currently playing as many minutes as I am. Plus, being a future Western Kentucky University alumnus, I love watching former WKU guard Courtney Lee play while Adam Morrison and his porn-stache enjoy the view from the bench in a suit as cheap as his haircut.

But I'm watching, and about midway through the third quarter L.A.'s Lamar Odom goes for a loose ball with Orlando's Jameer Nelson and Marcin Gortat, subsquently Odom decided to be R. Kelly at a middle school dance and lay them both on the hardwood, pulling them to the ground. When the dust settled, Odom was called for a loose-ball foul.

ABC Play-by-Play guy and world-renowned coaching failure Doug Collins then enlightened all of us in T.V. land with his refereeing expertise. Saying the foul call was a "great call."

At that point, I reached Nirvana. Thanks Dougie.

Great call. What the hell actually constitutes a great call? The ref perfectly pointed at the player committing the infraction? His shirt was neatly pressed? He earned his paycheck? Honestly, no call in the NBA is a great call. Especially in the NBA Finals, the best refs were chosen for this gig, it's their job.

A great call would be actually calling a foul on LeBron when he fullbacks a 6'0", 175 lb. point guard while driving through the lane. Or NOT calling anything in the final five seconds of a one-point game unless someone bleeds. Right call or wrong call, period.

Monty Loves to Zee De Silly Americawns Vin

-It's time for quotes from golf's favorite idiot savant, Colin Montgomerie.

The European Tour makes a stop this weekend at Celtic Manor in southern Wales, the site of the 2010 Ryder Cup, where the Europeans will try to redeem themselves after their shameful, demoralizing, completely worthy loss to the United States at last year's Ryder Cup at Valhalla.

The scene itself just begged for a verbal haymaker like a fat kid begs for one more piece of cake. And Monty, whose remarks have made more history than his game, just slapped a big grin on golf writers everywhere.

Montgomerie, the captain of the Europeans for next years festivities, was asked about the U.S. win in last year's Ryder Cup, just gave them a year-and-a-half early piece of billboard material:

"It's great that (2008 Ryder Cup captain Paul) Azinger got the Americans to finally play like the Europeans."

I thought about filing this in "Irrelevent Irrelevance", being that on the PGA Tour (and in any tournament that actually matters) that is exactly what Montgomerie's career has amounted too. But hey, the guy tried.

Then, as if a good ole Scottish ribbing wasn't enough fun, he asked that he not be paired with 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin, probably to take away from any "El Capitan v. El Capitan" drama. Gotta love the guy, always thinking of (or pissing at) others.

Oh, silly ole Monty, you always know how to make us smile. Just can't stay mad at ya.

Irrelevant Irrelevance

-Bringing back the ole' segment with thoughts from my twisted mind...Good point brought up by PTI's Michael Wilbon during one of those we're-on-T.V.-but-we're-not-on-T.V.-moments they've started doing:

NBA Hall of Famer and recent PGA-conquerer Jerry West was nicknamed "Mr.Clutch" in his playing days. As an individual, the guy had more clutch than NASCAR. You needed a big shot, an important rebound or free-throw, floppy brown hair? He had it for you. He earned it. He IS the NBA's freakin' logo, after all.

But for all his individual, seemingly unlimited supply of clutch, West was a member of eight different Los Angeles Lakers teams that played in the NBA Finals. Number of titles? One. Uno. Not even a miracle could help West win more.

West is undoubtly one of the greatest players in the history of basketball, but if he were to have played in this generation, where winning makes the world go 'round (just ask Cleveland's economy), would he still carry the same moniker?

When all else fails, plead ignorance...

-That's the angle the University of Memphis is taking when it comes to the allegations that they knowingly allowed (reportedly) one-year wonder guard Derrick Rose to enroll at the school after not only changing grades on his transcript to temporarily make him eligible for admission, but then having someone else take his SATs.

From the University's statement on the matter:

"The University does not have sufficient information to conclude that (redacted) engaged in unethical conduct in regard to a (redacted) taking of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Specifically, the University has no knowledge that (redacted) did not complete the SAT entrance examination. Accordingly, the University does not know whether the information included in the allegation is substantially correct and is unable to conclude whether a violation of the cited NCAA regulations has occurred."

The school said after conducting it's own investigation, it found no proof of any tampering or academic fraud. Sure, just like Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo didn't get any special treatment at USC. We all know that these one-year and two-year athletes are in college to get their degrees.

I guess the student managers are the ones who made all these moves behind Calipari and Co.'s back. So many people are starting to deny any knowledge of this whole situation, it's starting to make the Federal Government look truthful.

The media is running away with this one. ESPN has reported it three times in the last hour and a half and the online media are making this seem like no one has ever denied any wrongdoing like this in the history of college sports.

This event in itself puts Memphis against a wall. By pleading that they knew nothing, it looks as if the coaches and other staff at Memphis are simply incompetent and have zero control over their own program. If they agree that they knew, they look the way the NCAA wants them to look, like cheaters.

It's been awhile since the NCAA has been able to nail a program to the wall, I have a feeling this is one of those times where they really try to end their dry spell.

What makes the plot even thicker, a story on the matter in the Chicago Sun-Times quotes Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther as saying that the Illini knew full well about Derrick Rose's situation while recruiting him in 2007.

Ah, the college basketball off-season. What would it be without denial, rumors and a little bit of intentional confusion.

God, if you grant me one wish this year...

-Erin Andrews doesn't want to be a sideline reporter...SHE WANTS TO DANCE!!!

The beautiful, blonde bombshell of ESPN that is the hope of all bloggers and general (ahem) sports geeks everywhere reportedly wants to be a contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars".

The former member of the University of Florida Dazzlers dance team, she isn't shy about her desire to do it either.

"I love the show, and I grew up around dancing," the lovely Sideline Queen told the Chicago Sun-Times."I think I would be in the top, unless I fall, I'm a big faller."

Oh Erin, even if you were to fall, I'm not sure anyone would even have the heart to eliminate you. And with the heels she sports on gamedays, balance can't be too much of a problem.

My only hope is for her to be graceful and light of foot. Or for a wardrobe malfunction. You know, either one would suffice.

Hey, if the Big Guy Upstairs can grant all those idiots who loved the name of Mine That Bird their wish, why can't he grant mine?