Author: John Paulsen (Page 543 of 937)

      Celtics to “shut down” Garnett

      April 1, 2009 /

      Doc Rivers revealed that the Boston Celtics plan to shut down Kevin Garnett for a few games due to pain and swelling in his troublesome knee.

      Kevin Garnett will miss at least the next four games with a sore right knee and may return for the final three games of the Boston Celtics’ regular season.

      The emotional leader and defensive star of the defending NBA champions has missed 15 of the last 19 games, including the last two. The Celtics hope the rest will help him get healthy for the playoffs.

      “After watching him move today, we’re just going to shut him down,” Rivers said. “It probably won’t be for the year. He’ll probably play by the end, last couple of games or last three games. It’s just not progressing the way we anticipated it would progress.”

      The Celtics began the day in third place in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and percentage points behind the Orlando Magic. They resume play Wednesday night at home against the Charlotte Bobcats.

      “We’re just going to shut him down until we feel like he’s ready,” Rivers said. “It’s nothing structural. It’s the same thing that it’s been. It’s just not reacting the same way we thought it would react. He didn’t react to the games we thought he would and he’s clearly not reacting to practice the way we thought he would.”

      The Cavs look like the favorite to come out of the East given the injuries that both the Celtics and the Magic have suffered this season. Boston will struggle if KG isn’t close to 100%, and right now he clearly isn’t. Orlando lost Jameer Nelson earlier in the season, but are still a threat after trading for Rafer Alston to fill his role.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      “Friday Night Lights” gets two-season pickup!

      March 31, 2009 /

      It’s probably uncouth to use an exclamation point in the title of a blog post, but I don’t really care. DirecTV and NBC came to terms on an agreement that will give “Friday Night Lights” two 13-episode seasons.

      DirecTV will get the first window on the episodes, to run commercial-free as the marquee property on its 101 Network channel, which is rapidly adding new and library product with appeal to TV aficionados from Hollywood’s majors (Daily Variety, March 23). This season, DirecTV ran the 13 episodes comprising “FNL’s” third season in the fall, while NBC’s run began in January.

      Although the show has a loyal core aud, “FNL” has had a hard time drawing a broadcast net-sized aud. But the license fee NBC receives from DirecTV makes it financially feasible for the Peacock to continue with the show, which lends an aura of quality to the net’s sked at a time when NBC is struggling to rebuild its roster of scripted series.

      It’s understood that DirecTV’s license fee covers just under half of “FNL’s” weekly production budget of a little more than $2 million per hour, which is modest by broadcast net standards.

      I’ve been a die-hard “FNL” fan from the beginning and I figured that the show would probably be canceled after this season, but the ratings (while not strong for broadcast television) haven’t sunk below 3.8 million all season. It may not be huge, but the “FNL” fan base is loyal.

      I was a little suspicious of this DirecTV/NBC relationship, but now it’s given one of my favorite shows a three-season extension. I also prefer the 13-episode season because, generally speaking, the shorter the season, the tighter the storylines.

      No regrets.

      Television

      Report: Calipari heading to Kentucky

      March 31, 2009 /

      According to “a source very close to the situation,” Memphis head coach John Calipari is going to be the next coach at Kentucky.

      News Channel 3 has learned from a source very close to the situation that U of M coach John Calipari is leaving to be the new coach at the University of Kentucky.

      Right now, Calipari is at his home meeting with members of his staff explaining the decision.

      We have live crews stationed in the area as well as working with our sister station in Lexington, KY.

      How will he fare?

      College Basketball, March Madness, Rumors & Gossip

      Correcting Bill Simmons, Part 4: Bill’s not-so-unique idea and more three-point talk

      March 31, 2009 /

      In Bill Simmons’ latest mailbag, he responds to a number of different reader questions. Most of his answers are fine, but a few are puzzling…

      There should be a section on eBay that allows the auctioning of enticing future bets. For instance, a few weeks before the NBA season, I placed $300 on 15-to-1 odds that Cleveland would win the 2009 NBA title. Those odds have dropped to 2-to-1. Not that I would (after all, Cleveland is going to win the 2009 NBA title), but shouldn’t I have the option to sell that $300 ticket on eBay? What if someone bid $1,200 on it (which would be a smart move because, again, Cleveland is going to win the NBA title) and I was guaranteed a $900 return on my investment? Should I take the money? This would be a fun Web site, you have to admit. And if eBay can’t do it, then why couldn’t the casinos themselves build a Web site that allows people to sell future tickets and get a second cut on the action? It all makes too much sense.

      Yeah…okay…this already exists — it’s called a “long-term market” and my favorite online sportsbook WSEX.com, has had them for at least five years now. Go to the site, hit “Pro Basketball” on the left, hit “Pro Championship” under “Long-Term Markets” on the main screen — there’s a long-term market where gamblers can buy and sell wagers on who will win the NBA championship. They have 1-pays (where only a share in the winner is worth something) and 4-pays (where shares in the winner, runner-up, and third and fourth place teams are worth something). You can buy and sell these shares throughout the year.

      How does a guy that calls himself “The Sports Guy” not know about this? Didn’t he hit up any of his colleagues/friends at ESPN in all the time that he has pondered this eBay idea of his?

      As of right…..now…..I’m not going to refer to Bill Simmons as “The Sports Guy” any longer. As far as I’m concerned, he has lost the right to have that nickname.

      And then there’s this doozy…

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      Humor, NBA

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