Fri-Day!: Morrison, March Madness, Best Western
And why I don’t take diet pills when I have a cold.
• First of all, my favorite story this week is definitely the saga of Lindsey Hunter, who is out after being suspended for, he says, taking one of his wife’s diet pills. Very strange. As is his explanation:
“I took a diet pill and it had a banned substance in it. I was just as shocked as everybody else. You go to GNC, you do this, you do that and to me it wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t steroids or nothing. I’m not any bigger then I was. It is what it is. A lot of times I don’t do my due diligence on that stuff because it’s not a big deal. I’ve never had a problem like that in my life. It was just as shocking to myself as it was everybody else.”
Actually, Lindsey, I don’t go to GNC.
If I have a cold, I’ll probably go to the medicine cabinet and search through it until I find cold medicine. If I don’t find cold medicine, I’ll probably either go to the drug store and get cold medicine. If there’s no cold medicine available, I won’t take anything at all. The last thing I would do is take a diet pill.
I guess this differentiates myself and Lindsey.
• OK, so if you live in a cave or something and weren’t completely convinced that the Western Conference is far superior to the Leastern, check out some of these numbers I noticed this morning:
–> Four Western Conference teams are at least 8-2 in their last 10 games (Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Utah).
–> As of this morning, the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference is 5 games (Philly). Meanwhile, San Antonio has currently won more than twice as many in a row and Dallas has won over three times as many in a row.
–> Houston is 13 games over .500 and they’re still 15 games out of the top spot in the West. In the Eastern Conference, Houston would be one game out of the one seed.
–> Detroit has the most road wins in the East with 18. Four teams in the West (Dallas, S.A., Phx and Utah) each have as many or more road wins.–> Of the top 9 scoring teams in the NBA, only 1 (Washington) is from the East.
–> Of the top 8 teams in assists in the NBA, only 1 team (Jersey) is from the East.
• And even as good as San Antonio looks right now, I don’t think there’s any way they can get through Phoenix, which is how it would work in the second round. Phoenix will run them into the ground over a 7 game series.
• If Denver can overtake the Lakers, there’d be a Suns/Lakers first-round series. Starting with a bang.
• I wonder, though…as good as the West is, is there a chance a team in the East skates through and gets some rest while everyone out West beats each other up before the Finals? Probably not, but it’s worth mentioning…and it might be the only chance a team from the East has of winning it all.
• Watched a little college ball last night, at least until “30 Rock” came on. I was pulling for West Virginia, who went on an 18-0 run and took Louisville to double OT before losing. Love the way they play: outside-in, with their big guys shooting from the perimeter and their guards driving in for layups.
I wanted to watch the Georgia Tech/Wake game, but here in NYC, ESPN showed Duke/NC State and then cut to a Big 12 game with Baylor and Missouri. Baylor won by 14. Georgia Tech lost a high-scoring affair to Wake by 2 points in double OT. Thanks, Worldwide Follower!
• We have a winner in the Adam Morrison contest. The winner? Even though many of you came with the hilarious full paragraphs, my favorite response was this one simple line from Aaron:
“Hold me closer tiny dancer…”
Not only can I imagine Morrison humming that tune during the shoot, but it also plays off the general Almost Famous vibe Morrison projects. Aaron, congrats. Email me your address. Your shirts are on the way.
And thanks to our friends at adidas, we’ve got three more shirts to give away next week. Stay tuned.
• Have a great weekend everyone…
35 Responses to “Fri-Day!: Morrison, March Madness, Best Western”
Mar.9 at 5:13 pm
Vitor says:
That line really was the best. Aaron deserved the T-shirts, which are pretty dope.
Mar.9 at 5:16 pm
garett says:
First…For what it’s worth. Hey, that’s a play on the Almost Famous vibe. Buffalo Springfield representin’. Where’s my shirts at? I take a medium.
Mar.9 at 5:22 pm
Mr. 416 says:
is this “first” thing ever gonna get old……?
Mar.9 at 5:26 pm
garett says:
hopefully soon
Mar.9 at 5:32 pm
dez says:
I had a headache earlier today, so I took a diet pill. I can barely function with this splitting migraine, but I look fantastic!
Mar.9 at 5:35 pm
Nadav Mor says:
Joe Alexander aka Vanilla Sky from WVU can fly.
Check this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeLyIMmtRus
Mar.9 at 5:35 pm
Joe says:
I said that off the bat…and the error rate on being first is high.
Mar.9 at 5:37 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
First!
Mar.9 at 5:38 pm
Karma says:
well if you wish the “first” will end soon then why do you continue to use it???…
Mar.9 at 5:46 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
I also love that baseball and football players are always getting in trouble for taking drugs that make them bigger, and when a basketball player finally tests positive for something it’s a drug specifically designed to make him LOSE weight.
Mar.9 at 5:48 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
How about that Dick Vitale Hooters commercial? I threw up 8 times last night.
Mar.9 at 6:09 pm
Mehmet says:
Lang, I watched the GT-WF game last night on WATL. I was really pissed at GT’s horrific perimeter defense. I couldn’t count the threes they let WF hit in the 2nd half and OTs. At least twice I saw a guy come to the top of the key off a screen and hit the crucial 3 wide open, with the nearest defender 3 yards away. It was just sad.
Mar.9 at 6:18 pm
Lang Whitaker says:
WATL! Is that still Channel 36?
Mar.9 at 6:31 pm
Tariq says:
About the East/West thing, obviously the West is superior overall, and Dallas will probably win the chip, but don’t count out Miami and, especially, Detroit. I remember Lang complaining about how the Detroit/Indiana series in 2004 was so boring that he didn’t even watch some of the games, and that whoever wins will just get blown out by the Lakers. I also remember how last year’s Pistons were supposed to win 83 games and win the whole thing by May. June’s a lifetime away. I’m just sayin.
Mar.9 at 6:34 pm
Mehmet says:
Yeah, it says WATL (channel 36) on the website. I have Comcast cable where it is Ch. 13. I think they go by the name myATLtv now. http://www.myatltv.com
Mar.9 at 6:42 pm
blasz says:
It took an extra 2 and a half days to announce THAT as the winner? Guess you guys were too lazy to read a post longer than one line…meaning you probably won’t read this either.
Mar.9 at 7:00 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
At least Lindsey looks good.
Mar.9 at 7:24 pm
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Then again, everyone has completely counted out the Leastern for years, yet two of the last four champs came from the east. I don’t see it happening this year, but you never can know… (Also, I agree Aaron deserved it: that was pretty priceless.)
Mar.9 at 7:48 pm
thesubwayconnection says:
I don’t think the Spurs have a chance, either. If Amare really IS back (knock on wood), I think we’ll see that dominance of Tim Duncan we saw before.
Mar.9 at 8:17 pm
j says:
“I don’t want a photo caption, I want a paragraph that reveals the mind of Adam Morrison. We’re giving you a blank canvas. Make something beautiful out of it.” come on lang…
Mar.9 at 8:40 pm
Garett says:
I did it as a joke, never done the “first” thing before. Maybe it’s a tradition of some sort that people don’t want to die yet.
Mar.9 at 8:49 pm
Tom Jackson says:
As for the prison thing, Lang, the Links weren’t big in there until I started having my wifey send them in to me every day. That was back when it was just one edition daily during the week. But she’d never print out any of the actual links, so I’d get really frustrating stuff like, “Wow this is the most amazing picture ever right here.” Underlined with no explaination! But, your Links kept my head up and gave me something to really look forward to every single week day. And after awhile (I did 2 years) I had every guy on the block waiting in line to read the daily copy. People would still be vying for Tuesday’s on Friday. You were a popular guy in the WV DOC. And I mean that in the most non-Amaechi way possible. Good lookin’ on the linkstigator status. I been with you since the days of Professor! Whatever happened to that guy, anyway?
Mar.9 at 10:11 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
If Lang ever goes to jail, he can just say “No, I did The Links!” and be untouchable.
Mar.9 at 10:11 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Well, in West Virginia at least.
Mar.10 at 12:12 am
T.Body says:
Where did you get the idea it was for a cold?
And Lang your analogy sucks. NBA player are pro athletes, your a writer who sits on his ass all day.
Mar.10 at 12:47 am
TC says:
Russ, you better make damn sure there ain’t any Kobe fan in there first.
Mar.10 at 3:44 am
Co Co says:
I think the one thing you are missing about a Spurs/Suns matchup is the fact that San Antonio is not going to try to run with Phoenix. While they can trick most teams to play their style during the regular season, it will be a totally different theme in the playoffs if they run up on the right coaching staff. (San Antonio has that coaching staff) San Antonio is smart enough not to try to beat Phoenix at their game, so hold up on that Lang!
Mar.10 at 5:14 am
Dennard says:
Lang, believe me, the Suns do not want it with the Spurs.
Mar.10 at 2:28 pm
Eoin says:
Dennard:Two years ago, the Spurs ran with the Suns and RIPPED THEM TO SHREDS.Everyone always says you can’t run with the Suns, but the one time someone really consciously tried to run with them, the Suns came out looking pretty poor.I don’t know if the Spurs can do that anymore, and the Suns are obviously a lot better than they were two years ago, but I think that it seems quite likely that they would, given how they dominated the Suns the last time they tried that.
Mar.10 at 2:52 pm
Mr. 416 says:
I LOVED that Hooters Commercial. I would’ve been pushin up on every white tail in that joint.
Mar.12 at 1:14 am
Zoran says:
Tsk, tsk. Another article, no words on my Raptors. Just wait til Playoffs come and enjoy the ride. Maybe you guys don’t watch those Toronto/Dallas, or Toronto/Phoenix games, where it’s close til the last shot. Toronto is definitely going to make some noise this year. Just watch.
Mar.12 at 6:27 am
Boyd says:
I think Zoran has a point. The Raptors are probably a top 3 team in the Leastern. The Pistons are clearly no.1, and you’d have to give Miami an edge at 2 if D-wade makes it back. But honestly, I take the Raps all round team play over the stuttering mess that is the Cavs, whom Phoenix have destroyed twice this season, while it took the same Suns some last ditch Nash work to beat the Raps by one point. And as for the Wiz, they suck. But besides all this talk about the East, everyone knows in their heart of hearts the real finals will happen in the West, when the 66-win Suns take on the 69/70-win Mavs in the biggest clash of the Titans the NBA has seen since Bulls-Pistons and Lakers-Celtics, and that was a LONG time ago.
Mar.12 at 2:01 pm
Mr. 416 says:
Could the eastern final be Pistons-Raptors, if the seeding goes as needed ??
Mar.12 at 4:44 pm
Chris says:
I’m a raps fan, but i just don’t see them making it to the finals. I don’t think they have a next level. the Raps can’t beat the pistons, the raps can’t beat the cavs if LeBron plays like Lebron, the raps will have trouble with bulls, and are about even with the wiz. If the raps get to the second round that’d be great, if they get to 7 games in the first round, thats’ pretty good. Basically not getting swept in the first round constitutes a successful season.
Mar.12 at 5:08 pm
Aaron says:
Don’t be jealous gang.. : ) You get my email I sent Lang?