Posterchild for disappointment...
Disappointment should be nothing new to Los Angeles Clippers fans. After all the team has been mired at a level best described as somewhere below mediocrity since it's move to the city of angels from San Diego. That is, until last season.
The emergence of Elton Brand and an uncharacteristic loosening of the purse strings by notoriously stingy owner Donald Sterling led the redheaded stepchild of Los Angeles basketball to the second round of the playoffs. This also led such diehard hopefulls as my partner in crime, Todd, and Alex the Cliper fan to believe that the suffering would soon end. Imagine their disappointment this year.
Projected to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference, the Clips are below .500 and need a resurgence of Lakerian proportions to be taken seriously in the playoff chase. You would think the Clips would join the rest of the wannabe contenders in the West, and take steps to shore up the weaknesses of their team.
The Rockets, with the uncertain health of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming are rumored to be on the lookout for a scorer. The Lakers are reportedly trying to acquire an inside defensive presence. So the Clips should be looking for a slashing guard/forward who can play D and chuck the occasional three, right?
A Raja Bell type, perhaps?
Reality: In a curious and rather dubious move, the Clips have signed Alvin Williams to a 10-day contract. As Todd so eloquently pointed out, this can only mean that they're trying to acquire every crappy former Toronto Raptor with the last name Williams; Aaron is already there.
Now if they can just get Jerome Williams, Walt Williams, Herb Williams, and Michael Williams to come out of retirement, they can complete their quest.
More on this: I'm paraphrasing as this was relayed to me anecdotally by Todd. The following is from a conversation between he and Alex the Cliper fan while playing NBA Live '05, and Alex selects the Raptors for his team.
ATCF: Hey. I've got two guys named A. Williams.
Funny...
Todd: Yeah. Alvin and Aaron.
ATCF: Who?
Todd: Not sure, but they both suck about equally.
Related: Todd cautions our readers: "If you're an NBA Live loyal fan, its probably too late to tell you this, but do not purchase NBA Live '07. It is a piss-poor game in an otherwise stellar series of games.
On the other hand, NBA 2K7 is fairly fantastic, but still not quite as satisfying as an NBA Live that lived up to expectations would have been."
Un Fantastic: Not only does Todd's and my fantasy basketball team blow epically, my chances of finishing respectably in my NFL.com Playoff Challenge league took a major dump with New Orleans and New England exiting the playoffs stage right.
Due to roster change limitations, I will now have a grand total of three player slots usable during the Superbowl.
On the bright side: Not that I have anything against Tom Brady, other than the fact that I can't stand him, I had to drink to him finally losing a big game. Him and Belichek.
I can't pinpoint it, but both of their smug mugs have acquired something resembling a fist magnet in recent years.
Flying Solo: Nobody sober would ever do this, which actually explains a lot, but I'm going to go on a limb and play Rex Grossman as one of my three players (out of 8) I can field on Superbowl Sunday. Why, you ask?
Quite frankly, I don't have a good answer for you on that one. Other than the fact that I will probably be the only one selecting him over Peyton Manning, and that means if he has a huge game, I will likely be the only one benefiting from the fantasy points. Somebody pass me a cold one.
Now.
Redemption?: Just two days after an tore him apart, Michael Vick has been cleared of wrong-doing by Miami law enforcement officials.
The Falcons QB had his water bottle confiscated at Miami International Airport because of traces of a substance that may have been marijuana were found on it.
Our Take: Not that we cheer when pro athletes get arrested for alleged drug-related offenses (unless the athlete is Michael Vick) but this comes as a bit of a disappointment. The bottom line is, something was fishy about that bottle.
Otherwise, Vick would not have been reluctant to give it up in the first place. So which happened. Does Vick have acquaintances in Florida law enforcement that helped him make this "go away", or was it simply that it wasn't worth the time for police to bother with a pro athlete who has enough money at his disposal to hire a top notch attorney to defend him.
After all, the maximum penalty for Vick's alleged possession would have been a fine and one year in jail. Oh well. We can always count on a member of the Bengals to satisfy our NFL player going to jail fix.
Thanks for having a shot of 120 Proof.
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