duncan228
06-06-2009, 03:29 PM
Today's local (Southern California) stuff.
Piercing interviews highlight off-day (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/game-one-howard-2447663-odom-lakers)
Jeff Miller
The Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES – It was in mid-interview, still early in these NBA Finals, but is it ever early enough in the championship series of a major sport for someone to ask one of the players this?
How many times a day do you brush your teeth?
"Twice," Lamar Odom said Friday, quite seriously. "But everyone should do that, not just athletes."
Welcome to the Extra Day Off, when we in the media huff and puff trying to come up with an interesting and different story angle before the next game, which, unfortunately in this series, won't arrive until Sunday.
The schedule works great for the network televising the games, but it can be a challenge for the rest of us.
That's why Odom was busy explaining that he ate part of a Snickers bar at halftime of Game 1. We all noted this as breathlessly and diligently as someone once noted the words, "I have a dream."
After his team easily won Thursday, Lakers coach Phil Jackson warned that a basketball game "can turn on a trifle." In the case of the Lakers and Odom, a game also can turn on a truffle.
The guy eats a lot of candy. You might have heard. You also might have heard that there's plenty of wet in water.
The last time an athlete received this much attention for something he put in his body before a performance, everyone was trying to determine the identity of Alex Rodriguez's cousin.
People, it's candy. Nothing more. Milky Ways and Starbursts and Everlasting Gobstoppers. Odom isn't devouring chocolate-covered weasel intestines.
Yet, the cross examination continued, the Lakers forward being asked repeated questions about his candy consumption, including a question about all the questions about his candy consumption.
You know, they say too much sugar can rot the brain.
"There are seven more games to go," Odom said at one point Friday, before catching himself and changing that seven to a six. "It's a best-of-4."
A best-of-4? At least Odom is consistent in one regard; his wavering focus isn't limited to just on the court. Last round against Denver, he called Game 5 "Game 6."
Have to give him a break, though. When the NBA playoffs began, the players were assured there would be no math.
Odom wasn't alone in struggling with the numbers Friday. Teammate Andrew Bynum guaranteed the Lakers would show up for Game 2 with "150 percent focus." And let's hope with four-thirds the necessary physical preparedness, too.
It took more than seven months for the Lakers and Magic to reach this point. So it is understandable that there'd be some stumbling and nonsense by now. But …
After Game 1, in the middle of the Lakers' joyous locker room, while Luke Walton, Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic were offering first-hand analysis to the media, Kevin Love was interviewing Vic Jacobs.
Honest. One of the Minnesota Timberwolves, working for NBA TV, was conducting an actual on-camera interview with "The Brick," who is the Lakers' unpaid mascot and a noted radio nut job.
Meanwhile, in the Magic locker room, Courtney Lee, who had just been so thoroughly torched by Kobe Bryant that his eyebrows were gone, was discussing his defensive showing.
"Me and Mickael (Pietrus), we stayed in front of him pretty good," Lee said, though he didn't specify when. Asked if he expected more help from his teammates in defending Bryant on Sunday, Lee said, "Most likely."
It also wouldn't be a bad idea for Dwight Howard, Orlando's best player, to participate this next game.
The guy made one field goal Thursday. One, which is only one more than Ron Howard made.
Howard apparently thought the NBA Finals were like a television show staring Drew Carey. One was plenty.
Next weekend, when this series is in Orlando, the Los Angeles Convention Center, next door to Staples Center, will be the site of an event called Erotica L.A.
Question: If Erotica L.A. were happening right now, would Howard have been an even bigger bust in Game 1?
Howard spoke to the media Friday wearing a black tank top that was snugger than the color copper is on a penny.
All right, Dwight, we get it. You have beautiful biceps, a regular pair of pythons there. But enough already. Howard pulls them out and flashes them around like they're photographs of newborn twins.
He also offered up something revealing about that sleeve he wore on one of his arms in Game 1. Asked about it Friday, Howard laughed and said, "I just wear that because I think it looks good."
Certainly looked better for Howard then, oh, the box score did. But he'll have a chance to restore his Superman-ness on Sunday.
One more day off to go. But it could have been worse Friday, a lot worse.
At least no one asked the shiny domed Odom how many times a day he brushes his hair.
Piercing interviews highlight off-day (http://www.ocregister.com/articles/game-one-howard-2447663-odom-lakers)
Jeff Miller
The Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES – It was in mid-interview, still early in these NBA Finals, but is it ever early enough in the championship series of a major sport for someone to ask one of the players this?
How many times a day do you brush your teeth?
"Twice," Lamar Odom said Friday, quite seriously. "But everyone should do that, not just athletes."
Welcome to the Extra Day Off, when we in the media huff and puff trying to come up with an interesting and different story angle before the next game, which, unfortunately in this series, won't arrive until Sunday.
The schedule works great for the network televising the games, but it can be a challenge for the rest of us.
That's why Odom was busy explaining that he ate part of a Snickers bar at halftime of Game 1. We all noted this as breathlessly and diligently as someone once noted the words, "I have a dream."
After his team easily won Thursday, Lakers coach Phil Jackson warned that a basketball game "can turn on a trifle." In the case of the Lakers and Odom, a game also can turn on a truffle.
The guy eats a lot of candy. You might have heard. You also might have heard that there's plenty of wet in water.
The last time an athlete received this much attention for something he put in his body before a performance, everyone was trying to determine the identity of Alex Rodriguez's cousin.
People, it's candy. Nothing more. Milky Ways and Starbursts and Everlasting Gobstoppers. Odom isn't devouring chocolate-covered weasel intestines.
Yet, the cross examination continued, the Lakers forward being asked repeated questions about his candy consumption, including a question about all the questions about his candy consumption.
You know, they say too much sugar can rot the brain.
"There are seven more games to go," Odom said at one point Friday, before catching himself and changing that seven to a six. "It's a best-of-4."
A best-of-4? At least Odom is consistent in one regard; his wavering focus isn't limited to just on the court. Last round against Denver, he called Game 5 "Game 6."
Have to give him a break, though. When the NBA playoffs began, the players were assured there would be no math.
Odom wasn't alone in struggling with the numbers Friday. Teammate Andrew Bynum guaranteed the Lakers would show up for Game 2 with "150 percent focus." And let's hope with four-thirds the necessary physical preparedness, too.
It took more than seven months for the Lakers and Magic to reach this point. So it is understandable that there'd be some stumbling and nonsense by now. But …
After Game 1, in the middle of the Lakers' joyous locker room, while Luke Walton, Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic were offering first-hand analysis to the media, Kevin Love was interviewing Vic Jacobs.
Honest. One of the Minnesota Timberwolves, working for NBA TV, was conducting an actual on-camera interview with "The Brick," who is the Lakers' unpaid mascot and a noted radio nut job.
Meanwhile, in the Magic locker room, Courtney Lee, who had just been so thoroughly torched by Kobe Bryant that his eyebrows were gone, was discussing his defensive showing.
"Me and Mickael (Pietrus), we stayed in front of him pretty good," Lee said, though he didn't specify when. Asked if he expected more help from his teammates in defending Bryant on Sunday, Lee said, "Most likely."
It also wouldn't be a bad idea for Dwight Howard, Orlando's best player, to participate this next game.
The guy made one field goal Thursday. One, which is only one more than Ron Howard made.
Howard apparently thought the NBA Finals were like a television show staring Drew Carey. One was plenty.
Next weekend, when this series is in Orlando, the Los Angeles Convention Center, next door to Staples Center, will be the site of an event called Erotica L.A.
Question: If Erotica L.A. were happening right now, would Howard have been an even bigger bust in Game 1?
Howard spoke to the media Friday wearing a black tank top that was snugger than the color copper is on a penny.
All right, Dwight, we get it. You have beautiful biceps, a regular pair of pythons there. But enough already. Howard pulls them out and flashes them around like they're photographs of newborn twins.
He also offered up something revealing about that sleeve he wore on one of his arms in Game 1. Asked about it Friday, Howard laughed and said, "I just wear that because I think it looks good."
Certainly looked better for Howard then, oh, the box score did. But he'll have a chance to restore his Superman-ness on Sunday.
One more day off to go. But it could have been worse Friday, a lot worse.
At least no one asked the shiny domed Odom how many times a day he brushes his hair.