Dwight Howard and Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute from “The Office”) battle it out on the set of a TNT commercial…
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Trevor Ariza is featured in the most recent issue of ESPN The Magazine and in an article written by Sam Alipour, he discusses how he came to sign with Houston instead of staying put and re-signing with the Lakers. (Insider subscription required.)
That script began to be rewritten at the toll of free agency, 12:01 a.m. on July 1, one minute into the day after Ariza’s birthday. He was still celebrating with family when he received a call from his agent, David Lee. “He said, ‘The Lakers called, and they think you’re worth only the midlevel,’ ” or $5.8 million a year, Ariza recounts. Technically, it wasn’t even an offer. Says Lee of the Lakers GM, “Mitch Kupchak’s exact quote was, ‘We want Trevor on the cheap, and we’re not going to make an offer. Find what the market will bear and come back to us.’ ”
I usually wait until midseason to compile any sort of power rankings for the NFL, but readers eat up power rankings like kids mowing down candy on Halloween so I figured I’d indulge.
Here’s how I see things 1-32 in the NFL for the first two weeks:
1. New York Giants (2-0)
For all the criticism it received in the offseason, the Giants’ passing game looks fine to me. Mario Manningham and Steve Smith have embraced their new starting roles and thanks to NY’s outstanding pass protection, Eli is finding them with the greatest of ease.
2. New Orleans Saints (2-0)
Pundits chalked up the Saints’ 45-point effort in Week 1 as a result of the Lions’ brutal defense…until the Saints hung 48 on the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 2. Nobody should overlook this juggernaut, led by their MVP-caliber quarterback Drew Brees.
3. Baltimore Ravens (2-0)
The Ravens still have some issues to iron out in their secondary, but Ray Lewis is playing like he’s 24 (not 34) and the offense is averaging 34.5 points a game. With the lowly Browns coming to town this week, Baltimore is headed for a 3-0 start.
4. Indianapolis Colts (2-0)
How do the Colts win a game by only running 35 offensive plays? Peyton Manning – that’s how. Indy will have concerns all year about its defense wearing down late in games but as long as the score is close, Peyton is going to give them a chance to win.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
The defending champs are battling injuries (Troy Polamalu) and still don’t pose a threat running the ball, but Ben Roethlisberger and a great defense will keep this team afloat all season.
Russia’s richest man, Mikhail Prokhorov, has made a takeover bid for the New Jersey Nets, the tycoon confirmed on his blog on Tuesday.
Prokhorov, a former nickel mining baron, boasts that if his move is successful, it would be the first time a National Basketball Association club would come under foreign control.
Prokhorov’s proposals, sent to existing Nets shareholders over the weekend, would see his Onexim group provide a loan to build a substantial part of a new arena, according to a post on his Web site.
Onexim would also receive a controlling stake of the NBA team for a “symbolic” price, the post said. Sources close to the billionaire have previously estimated the overall value of any deal at $700 million.
It’s not immediately clear how much this is going to help the Nets’ move to Brooklyn, which has been delayed by legal disputes, issues with financing and problems with the local community.
Prokhorov is flush with cash because he sold his assets prior to the global financial meltdown. His interest in the Nets is a testimony to just how far the American economy has declined.
The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Marion Barber suffered a quad strain in the Cowboys’ 33-31 loss to the Giants on Sunday and could be held out against the Panthers, whom Dallas plays on Monday night.
An MRI taken Monday morning confirmed Barber suffered a quad strain. When asked later in the afternoon if the injury could force the running back to miss some time, head coach Wade Phillips said, “We’ll have to wait and see on that.”
How the injury responds in the next few days will determine if he’s able to play against Carolina.
This is the second year in a row where Barber has come out of the gates like a bat out of hell, only to suffer an injury to slow him down. Last season, he scored nine touchdowns in the first 13 weeks before a toe injury severely limited his production for the rest of the year.
If Barber can’t play, Felix Jones would get the start and split carries with Tashard Choice.
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