NBA Twofer

Wilcox all but signed

Looks like 3 years between 21 and 24 million. Give it up for the Sonics if this is how it goes down, because that is the definition of a reasonable deal.
"Wilcox is working out in Houston and is prepared to immediately fly to Seattle." Beautiful.


And more from the most entertaining professional sport, KG has a terrific blog on nba.com. He's travelled to Asia for the summer. Some favorite lines:

"I have to say I was feeling like Rod Stewart."
"Stella’s two and beautiful. I really wanted to take her home."
"Over hear (sic) monkeys are like squirrels, it is funny to tell you the truth."
"I don't know if you know that, but I love sushi."
"Taj Mahal Y'all"

I review this blog as "A surprisingly compelling summer read!"

ALERT

One thing I'm not is remiss. Shit that would cause me to be remiss I don't do. Like not telling you about this. I wouldn't do that. Not to you. Not to anyone.

And if you're too lazy to click it the link simply states that our very own Mirabeau Room is home to some comedy action TONIGHT...featuring SHOCK G OF DIGITAL UNDERGROUND. You may remember him as the one who put the satin on your panties. I may very well check this out after hoops. Unrelated: Fear my box out.

Doors @ 8.
Show @ 9.
$5 21+ w/ ID

And if you're at all interested in what Shock is up to nowadays I found this interesting statement whilst looking for a funny/cool picture of him. Apparently he has quit the music biz!!

I'm retiring from all forms of studio work and song writing.



My reasons for retiring are:

1. I get no satisfaction or fullfillment from it anymore. It doesn't make me happy. On the contrary, it depresses me.

Normally I'm not depressed, it's only surrounding the studio. I'm happy when I'm away from the studio.



2. Can't make a living at it. 90% of the studio work I've done in the last 6 years has all been either for free or for peanuts, and hasn't generated any income since.



3. It drives me to do drugs, cause I HATE BEING IN THE STUDIO. To much pressure & expectation for me to make/save/spark someone elses career or project.



4. I quit the studio. Fuck the studio.



5. I can't win in the studio, It's pointless, it's a "catch 22" for me, watch:

If what I do sucks, it tarnishes the legacy, hurts the family, and even lowers the price, and also leaves the artists & involved-companies unhappy;

But if what I do shines, it generates more studio work for the future, and furthur traps me in the music business, a business I have no intention of slaving to the rest of my life. I gave it 20 years. I'm done.



6. Every man has the right to the pursuit of happiness and should first try a job that he might gain happiness & fullfillment from. This doesn't make me happy anymore, it makes me miserable and a drug addict.



7. I'm done widdit. Whew!

YES, it already feels great already just to say it!!!





I most likely will try my hand at some of these:

> writing (Afeni assures me this is my true calling everytime she see's me. Maybe she's right?)



> acting



> stage performing, meaning accepting tours or positions in other bands doing keys & background vocals. (IF it's real and if the moneys good. No amatuer or free stuff anymore.)



> regular jobs in service (like clubs, hotels, TV show bands or staff, resturants, who knows?)



> ..and of course still do digital tours cause it PAYS and people don't expect me & Mon (grown men) to work for free, like all the studio requests. I'm 42 and have wants/needs/bills/responsibilities.



So there it is, spread the word, I quit.

I don't make beats, I don't do vocals, I don't write vocals, NONE OF IT.



Those of you who are friends, will be happy for me. Happy that I shook something that was making me miserable.



Those of you who had plans to "use" or manipulate me at the expense of my own health & happiness, will be upset about this. All I can say to those would be, you're free to do whatever you wish, and so am I.



I choose to QUIT.



there it is.

Thanx everybody, spread the word

shock


So he was a drug addict! Wonder what drug? This was just over a year ago, so I wonder if he's still out of the biz? Addicts aren't good at seeing things through after all, and putting together a beat would be an easy way for him to score some money. (It's the next "Grindin'", I swear it!)

Doesn't sound like he was having a great time there, so good for him. Still, I can't help but feel cheated that he never got me blaps for my demo. Saint or asshole? YOU DECIDE!!

Seriously though the Humpty Dance easily makes the two cd set of the soundtrack to my life, and I hope he's in a good place. He is physically tonight at least: Lower Queen Anne.

Harold Reynolds Appreciation!

The NY Post is reporting that Seattle Mariners Legend Harold Reynolds has been fired from his job at Baseball Tonight!!

"We are not going to comment," ESPN VP Josh Krulewitz said.

When asked how they are going to explain that Reynolds will never be on the air again, Krulewitz still declined comment.

Reynolds did not return calls.


Yikes. So mum's the word then? Deadspin thinks they might know why: possible sexual harrassment.


My immediate reaction is that they should fire the woman who turned down Harold's advances. This is one of the handsomest men on television we're talking about! I've had it just about up to here (read: eye level) with these lesbians nowadays. Try the meat stick, Sappho!

At least this provides an opportunity for me to tell one of my favorite baseball stories which I first heard from Harold Reynolds on baseball tonight. After the 1987 season in which Harold led the league with 60 stolen bases, he received a phone call from Rickey Henderson that went like this:

Harold: Hello?
Rickey: This Harold Reynolds?
Harold: Yes.
Rickey: Rickey had 60 at the break.
(Hangs up)

Thanks for the memories, Harold!! Here's hoping you land on your feet with Fox or somebody. I guarantee you Dave Valle is walking on eggshells until you find a new job.



UPDATE:

The Big Lead has the confirmation. Apparently this was a cumulative thing where he gave an inappropriate hug to a PA at an Outback Steakhouse after a bunch of other offenses. I have two reactions to this. First, this seems to be an open and shut case. If I'm Harold's counsel I'm petitioning for immediate dismissal under the landmark Outback statute "No Rules, Just Right". Second, I would like to see footage of the hug spliced with this Inappropriate British rocker from Conan O'Brien. One of my all time favorite Conan bits, and that's saying something.

(deep breath) Here's what I think happened in the NBA Finals

(I'm not ready to talk about the Sonics.)

You may have noticed that I haven't written anything about the Finals yet. I picked Dallas to win the championship. I made a decent case for it and for 2.75 games I was kicking myself for picking the Mavs in 5 instead of calling for the brooms. Then the rest of the series happened.

Here's my theory: The reason that the Mavericks lost in the Finals has nothing to do with the players on the floor, coaching, or the Heat being a better team. It has more to do with the ether and aura of professional sports. The Mavs spent the first two and three quarters games in a trance that allowed them to simply play the basketball they were capable of playing. Dwyane Wade had a ridiculous fourth quarter in Game 3 and it snapped the Mavs out of the trance to the point where they took a look around and said, "Hey, we're in the Finals. We're in the Finals and we're the Mavericks! Uh oh...".

The exact same thing happened to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. They absolutely dominated the first half of that game. They were the better team, but at some point the deciding factor became not ability but instead that they were the Seahawks.

Anywho, from then on the Mavs played the rest of the series with both hands around their collective neck. This allowed the Heat to get to the one place the Mavs couldn't afford to let them be: one game away. By that point too many hungry old dogs could smell it. The Heat were savvy enough to will one game and the Mavs didn't make them do it until Miami was one away. And I know the Heat are first time champs, but they were also an amalgam of champions/almost champs past. Only Wade made their title at all indigenous and because of that it's a little dubious.

There's a reason that the same teams keep winning championships and that is because they're used to doing it. They know what it takes and other teams don't. That's boring shit and pretty sad for those of us who live in cities without championship tradition, but it's the truth.

It's going to take something spectacular folks. That's for the Mavericks, the Seahawks, Colts, and everyone else in the "almost there" boat. It's one thing to be good enough to get there, and it's something completely different to actually see it through. At least the Seahawks and Mavericks can take heart that championship losses are major capital towards future success.

Two more thoughts: If Phoenix were in the Finals instead of the Mavs they would have called the mercy rule after two quarters Suns leading 268-31. These Miami Heat will be remembered as one more crappy champion before final glorious ascent of the beautiful NBA.

Project Runway Season 3 Debuts

That's right. The gayest and most addictive show on television had its first episode of the season last night on Bravo, or as I like to call it Logo with celebrities. I wouldn't be writing about this except for the fact that Makaela's favorite dress ended up being judged the worst out of like 20. Its designer was then given the old "auf Wiedersehen" from Heidi Klum (read: kicked off the show).

Next time you see Makaela be sure to congratulate her on her great fashion sense!! Trust me, it will get to her.

And yes, I'm talking shit about a reality fashion designing show. I fucking recommend watching it! So there!

Odds & Ends

I'm reading Sean Wilsey's "Oh the Glory of it All" right now and it's blowing my head off. It reads very quickly and, as his many raves will tell you, is Eggers-esque. (By the way welcome to the future, where the only books are memoirs. Human condition!! YEAH!!!)

Freedarko had a post today admonishing the Sonics for not yet signing Wilcox. Look in the comments section for my reaction to the post. J'ai un nom-de-glavin aberrant: warren.

Bill Simmons dropped his indispensible trade value column ranking the NBA's 40 best players. No Rashard, and no mention of Rashard. Ray Allen however checks in high enough to leave me satisfied.