The Phoenix Suns win over the Lakers tonight was amazing. The bench played so well, coach Alvin Gentry sent Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire back to the bench at one point because his second unit was schooling the Lakers starters. As “The Sports Guy” Bill Simmons wrote on his twitter account, “We need to have a ceremony where Manu passes the torch to Dragic as the most exciting foreign player.” Never thought we would hear that a year ago. Channing Frye found his way to the Western Conference finals via Google maps. And the 2-3 zone may not be the greatest, but its getting the job done.

The series is tied 2 games apiece and while that seemed like a miracle scenario after L.A. destroyed Planet Orange the first two games, I’m here to say, “temper that enthusiam Suns fans.”

I know. I know. Everyone hates that I’m “that guy” who comes in and rains on your parade with my pessimistic attitude toward everything. But i do it because all this means is that this series is back to square one. The Suns havent won anything yet. Do not get me wrong. I WANT THE SUNS TO WIN. (I wrote that in bold to illustrate my point). All im saying is that Suns fans have a tendancy to get too high on games, that while they are big/must win as tonights was, they still dont mean anything yet. Yet.

Anyone else see Kobe Bryant’s reaction after the game. He. Is. Pissed. I dont like him. Never will. But that man is still the best in the game and i dont want him angry. Especially when i dont have homecourt…which the Suns dont. I mean the Lakers could easily go out and throw up 130 in Game 5 and then the sky is falling again.

I’m not saying Phoenix cant win this series. They can. They have to win a game in L.A., but they can. We’ve seen a team come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NHL Playoffs this year, so anything is possible. All I’m saying is dont get too high. Take it from a guy who has learned that valuable lesson (Gary Anderson, Tracy Porter, Jason Arnott are just a few examples). The fall sucks. It will never leave you. So just be careful Planet Orange. And someone…anyone…make sure Frye has directions to the Staple Center.

The NBA columnist reports that after a meeting with the commish in New York today, Arenas was presented with two options: sit out a full 82 games, which is the length of a full league season, or accept a suspension for the rest of the current season and promise not to appeal it.

Arenas reportedly took the latter.

Sources say the announcement will come officially on Wednesday. It’s also believed that his Wizards teammate, Javaris Crittendon, will receive the same punishment.

Crittendon, who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor firearms charge last week, was on the other end of the locker room spat in which Arenas allegedly laid out three guns for his teammate to pick from to shoot him in his surgically repaired knee, a dispute stemming from an unpaid gambling debt.

Crittendon then, according to teammates, pulled his own gun on Arenas, loaded a round and cocked the firearm. Arenas previously pleaded guilty to felony weapons charges.

This, undoubtedly, is the correct move. Both Stern and Goodell have come down hard on player conduct in the wake of several incidents involving players like Ron Artest, Adam Jones, Marshawn Lynch and the late Chris Henry, but none of them have been nearly as severe as what happened in the Verizon Center locker room.

Even worse, Arenas, as evidenced by the picture above, never took the entire situation seriously. I’m not sure who instilled in his pea-sized brain that gun crime is hilarious, but before even stepping foot near an NBA floor again, he’d better replace the guy at the helm of his brain-ship, because he’s drunk at the wheel.

The Wizards season is already a catastrophe; the team sits at 14-30, mired in last place in the Southeast Division with only the ghastly New Jersey Nets keeping them from the Eastern Conference basement.

Now, the organization as a whole is taking a huge hit because of this.

It probably wouldn’t be the best time to bust out my throwback Wes Unseld Washington Bullets jersey either, now, would it?

However, maybe we need to give credit where credit is due.

If you missed it, the unheralded Gamecocks got 30 points from Devan Downey and pulled off a stirring upset of soon-to-be-no-longer #1 ranked Kentucky 68-62 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia last night.

It was a great game. Downey went nuts on the suddenly porous Wildcat defense and fended off a strong 2nd half push from Kentucky super-freshmen John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins.

Once the final horn went off, it was bedlam. As expected (and well-deserved), the “Garnet Army,” the student section at South Carolina, stormed the floor. They overwhelmed the court within about 20 seconds – it was an amazingly swift and decisive court storm. Within less than a minute, there was no breathing room.

The one tiny problem with what happened involves a $5,000 fine that the SEC levies on schools whose fans decide to rush the floor.

Paging Dr. Buzzkill…to SEC country..

Anyway, most schools chalk that fine up as a write-off. When your team pulls off an upset, especially one of the magnitude that the Gamecocks did last night, the exposure you get on SportsCenter and other sports shows around the country more than makes up for some piddly five-large.

However, South Carolina students proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that they know the rules…and they wanted to help out.

According to a report, as students and other Gamecock fans exited the floor and arena after the celebration, they sought out South Carolina AD Eric Hyman and handed him handfuls of $1 bills.

They were giving the school the money to pay the fine.

Their excitement is justified. Last night’s win was the first for the program over a #1 team in the school’s basketball history. I’m sure the South Carolina would have been more than pleased to pick up that $5,000.

Now, because they’re fans are boisterous AND awesome, they won’t have to.

If Digger Phelps of ESPN and his dynamic two-step keeps snatching up hot ACC girls, there’s going to be none left for the rest of us.

We’ve highlighted the dancing exploits of The Worldwide Leader’s resident tie/highlighter fashion coordinator here on NSF in the past, but this ESPN College Gameday video clip just seems…different than the rest.

First off, the Clemson cheerleader in question here isn’t even dancing. She’s just kind of sauntering around the floor at Littlejohn Coliseum and half-heartedly pushing Digger around to the tones of “Walk Away” by Kelly Clarkson.

Meanwhile, Digger’s just got that dirty-old-man look in his eye as the dancer runs her little hands all over his Armani.

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again – when College Gameday comes rolling into town, lock your coeds up. Digger is coming to get them.

Today it was announced that Blake Griffin, the #1 overall pick in this past years NBA draft will have season ending surgery to repair what was supposed to be an already repaired knee. That’s two of the past three #1 overall picks that didnt even play a game the season they were drafted. I know things happen, but thats ridiculous.

Psssssst….John Wall…stay as far away from next years draft as possible because your next.

Lets go back and take a look at the past ten #1 overall picks and show its not just injuries you have to worry about Mr. Wall. I’m going to throw out 2003 (LeBron James) and 2004 (Dwight Howard) …because…well if you dont know why, then just stop reading.

2000-Kenyon Martin: This guy had a boatload of talent and a head full of crap. After 10 years, he still doesnt display the consitancy that you need from a top pick. He was an All-Star though…once.

2001-Kwame Brown: Hahahahahahaha

2002-Yao Ming: “But Brandon, he’s a 7-time All-Star!” F*ck that. The only reason he was voted in all the time is because China stuffed the ballot box. He’s f*cking 7′6. Do you know how many people are that tall? Not many. He should have won 2 MVP’s and at least taken his team to the finals by now. But the past 4 years, the guy cant stay on the floor.

2005-Andrew Bogut: Decent, but everytime i hear his name, the only thing i think off is the “Boom Goes the Dynamite” kid pronouncing his name wrong which isnt what you want to be remembered for.

2006-Andrea Bargnani: He has improved gradually over the past few years, but hasnt sniffed an All-Star game or the playoffs, so i cant give him any slack.

2007-Greg Oden: He missed his entire rookie season because he got hurt sitting on a couch. He also is out all of this season…i can only assume the couch came back to finish the job.

2008-Derrick Rose: He won rookie of the year and had a great playoff series against the Celtics last year. But he also screwed his college program over and he just sounds like a complete idiot. (Sorry Chris…it had to be said)

2009-Blake Griffin: Done for 2009 season.

Seriously John. I love watching you play and i really dont even care much for Kentucky. Stay another year. Maybe two. I dont want you to end up like these other guys. Sure…by my math, you have a 25% (yes…im including half of Derrick Rose) chance of being a stud. But you also have a 75% chance of being attacked by an imanimate object or being Kwame Brown.

The reason? Last night’s double-overtime uber-FACE that was the Bruins’ 68-65 to Cal State Fullerton of the Big West last night at Pauley Pavilion.

The telling stat from last night’s season-opening loss for the once-dominant Sons of Westwood was that their three-headed outside-the-arc mosnter of Nikola Dragovic, Michael Roll and James Keefe pulled off a (gulp) 5-of-29 shooting performance from three-point land.

Jerime Anderson, who is expected to step in for the recently departed Darren Collison this season, chipped in on that by going 1-for-11…by himself.

What more, in the grander scheme of things, UCLA was defeated by a team that was picked to finish 7th in the Big West, widely regarded as one of the weaker mid-major conferences in college basketball this season.

The loss was UCLA’s first in a season-opener since 2002-03, when Paul Mitchell-endorser Steve Lavin was still their head coach.

Next up for the Bruins is patsy Cal State-Bakersfield. If that one even stays close, I’d propose relegating the rebuilding Bruins to The Wickety for a year.

Maybe that’s a little harsh, actually.

Do you realize how much money Dwayne Wade just made next summer after that facial he gave Anderson Varejao?! He might get more than Lebron. I’m serious! That was absolutely amazing. And if im Varejao, i would be faking a career ending injury right about now because i dont think i could ever show my face in an NBA arena again. I mean that was straight vicious! Varejao actually tried to FACE D-Wade but got the ultimate FACEing in return. I honestly may not watch any more NBA the rest of the year because i dont think anything can top that. Well…maybe the T’Wolves winning the title, but you and i both know that aint happening.

A week ago.

Oops.

Chalk it up to a dynamic World Series, heartrending NFL action and what’s shaping up to be a rather intriguing race to the BCS Championship Game, I guess.

Or to the fact that the NBA is still full of the most overgrown, overpaid sissies who cry the second someone lays a fingertip on them.

And bat exterminators.

Unbeknownst to me, most teams in the NBA have actually already played 3 or 4 games and, what’s worse, no one seemed to care enough to INFORM ME!

Eh. I don’t much care anyway. The Suns are 3-0 and I guess that’s cool. The Pacers are o-2, which is equally as expected. And when did the Washington Bullets change their name??

I guess this is where we have to pick a champion. Much like I did for the WNBA season (which, of course, crowned the Phoenix Mercury as champions…woot!), I’m just going to arbitrarily pick.

And to do that, I’m going to refer to my 1983 NBA media guide, which is the most recent piece of literature I own pertaining to the NBA.

Hm. According to that, I’m going to go with the Kansas City/Omaha Kings and Portland Trail Blazers, with KC taking the whole thing.

There you go. Our official NBA title prediction for 2009-10: The Kansas City/Omaha Kings. Eat your heart out, Sacramento!

This is why America kicks ass. Here is President Barack Obama, despite all the shit thats going wrong with our country, blocking a shot by personal assistant Reggie Love. Did i mention Love used to play basketball at Duke?! Typical Dookie. Always settling for the fancy jumpshot, when real teams like Carolina take it to the rack.

Apparently Obama asked Love to sign the photo and it now hangs in the West Wing. With all due respect to Christisan Laettner’s shot in ‘92 or Jeff Capel’s in ‘95, their shots arent imortalized in the White House. Reggie’s is. Suck it Duke. The only thing that possibly could have made this photo better is if somehow Obama was simultaniously teabagging Greg Paulus…you know…cus Paulus loves that sort of thing….

Let it be known that this is the reason i’ll be voting for him for re-election come 2012.

–brandon

A report in this morning’s San Jose Mercury News cites numerous sources in saying that Silicon Valley Sports and Entertainment (SVSE), the group that owns the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, has begun preparing a “list of principles” to begin negotiating to bring  a second NBA team to the Bay Area.

The team would play their games at HP Pavilion and share the arena with the Sharks.

Furthermore, the report says that Sharks exec Greg Jamison has been a part of trying to court several teams to San Jose.

Most recently, sources say Jamison met with the owners of the Sacramento Kings.

The Kings are a curious case. The team has a rabid fan base in Sacramento but lagging attendance coupled with overwhelming disapproval of building them a new arena has raised questions about the franchise’s long-term viability in California’s capital.

At the heart of the Kings uncertainty is Arco Arena. While by all accounts Arco is still relatively “new”; it opened just 21 years ago, the building is already starting to show its age. Beyond that, Arco has the 2nd smallest seating capacity in the NBA at 17,317, only ahead of Amway Arena in Orlando (nee: The O-Rena! Still the best nickname in basketball).

Three years ago, city voters “overwhelmingly rejected” a quarter-cent sales tax increase to publicly fund a new $600 million arena for the team and region. Mind you, this happened well BEFORE the current economic difficulties the state of California sees. Building a new court for the Kings is even less likely at this point unless it’s totally privately financed.

Around that same time, Jamison and SVSE met with the Seattle SuperSonics about moving the team to San Jose. That effort failed and the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City after the 2007-08 season.

Much like MLB, the NBA awards territorial rights to their individual teams and any team that moves to San Jose would have to gain approval from a simple majority of the NBA’s owners.

HP Pavilion has hosted an NBA team before. While Oracle Arena in Oakland was being renovated, the Golden State Warriors played their entire 1996-97 home season at what was then called San Jose Arena. The “Shark Tank,” as it’s affectionately called, holds at least 18,500 for basketball.

During that season, the Warriors averaged over 15,167 in attendance per game according to basketballreference.com. The franchise did not eclipse that total until 2002-03 after moving back to Oakland starting in 1997-98.

We’ll keep on top of this story at NSF.

–justin