NBA All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin and Sunday's B/R Swagger Buzz
The NBA All-Star Game, Kobe Bryant, and Blake Griffin came, saw, and absolutely freakin' conquered the B/R Swagger buzz on Sunday.
It was, after all, the final day of the NBA's All-Star Weekend. And when it comes to a thing like that, you don't mess around.
Indeed, and it was certainly a busy weekend outside of the NBA as well, as sports fans also had things like the Daytona 500 and the Bassmasters Classic to concern themselves with.
As far as the Swagger buzz was concerned, however, it was more or less all about what was going on down in Los Angeles. Kobe and Blake were undoubtedly two of the more popular figures in and around the Staples Center over the weekend, and there were plenty of stories involving both of them.
I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I will say right here and now that one of those stories involves Blake Griffin dunking. Shocker!
As for Kobe, he made several forays into the world of entertainment in the last couple of days, and you know that this is just the kind of stuff that those of us at the Swagger center can't get enough of.
But enough teasing. Let's get on with is, shall we?
With that, you have my permission to start the slideshow.
Kobe Bryant: Black Mamba Becomes First Athlete To Receive Hollywood Honor
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For whatever reason, there have probably been plenty of people who have tried to place Kobe Bryant in the same sentence as John Wayne, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Brad Pitt. But up until Saturday, it was just hard to do so with any measure of sincerity, as greatness on the silver screen and greatness on the basketball court just aren't the same.
But alas, this is apparently no longer the case, as the star shooting guard of the Los Angeles Lakers became the first athlete in history to imprint his hands and feet in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Saturday night.
The ceremony went down under unusual circumstances, as rain forced the proceedings to take place inside the theater. Indeed, some could say that perhaps the Hollywood gods were intentionally trying to disrupt the ceremony, but that their powers only stretched so far...
Ah yes, there does seem to be a difference of opinion regarding Kobe's latest achievement. Nobody is downright angry about Kobe's latest achievement, but the point of the whole things appears to be lost on quite a few folks.
Why Kobe? Why now? And of the myriad athletes who have made their living in Hollywood through the years, is he really the best choice?
Of course, the best answer to these questions is this: does it matter?
Nope. It really doesn't. The decision was made, and the deed is now done. And on balance, the extra fanfare really didn't harm the NBA's All-Star Weekend in any way, shape or form.
Hmmm... come to think of it, maybe that was the point.
Patrick Kane: Sounds Like Patrick Kane Has Some Bad Habits To Kick
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Love 'em or hate 'em, the good folks at Deadspin.com sure do have a knack for coming up with some pretty good scoops.
They are, after all, the same people who first published Rex and Michelle Ryan's infamous foot-fetish videos, and they have been the first to break quite a few drunken athlete stories ever since the site was founded in 2005.
The latest from Deadspin, in case you haven't heard, involves Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, who had to miss practice on Monday and Tuesday with what the team called "flu-like symptoms."
However, according to Deadspin, the flu had nothing to do with it. Instead, it may have been a killer hangover precipitated by an epic Sunday night out on the town.
A young millionaire getting drunk and showing up for work unprofessionally?! Zounds!
Unfortunately for Kane, Deadspin has enough photos and testimonials to erase any and all legitimacy as far as those "flu-like symptoms" are concerned. Several people have come forward with stories about the night in question, and it sounds like Kane was a ring leader of sorts.
In other words, the news for the defending Stanley Cup champs is not good. They've had enough struggles to deal with this season, and Kane has had other troubles in the past. Indeed, the last thing they need is Kane making any more non-hockey headlines.
Are the Blackhawks doomed either way this season? It's possible. After all, they wouldn't even be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
Instead, maybe Chicago folks should switch their attention over to the Bulls. They've got a darn good team, and Derrick Rose could every well end up being the MVP. And last I checked, he's not a notorious boozer.
Oh, sorry, Carlos. No pun intended.
Blake Griffin: Was Blake's Over-The-Car Dunk Really All That Impressive?
3 of 8The NBA's Slam Dunk Contest is one of the only sporting events in existence where theatricality is just as important as athleticism.
Actually, come to think of it, only with the Dunk Contest is this the case. At least until somebody puts on a Superman cape in the Home Run Derby.
In any case, theatricality was very much the name of the game as far as Blake Griffin's contest-winning, show-stopping dunk over the hood of a car on Saturday night. Indeed, he even had a choir to help him along, which just plain isn't fair.
It was a good dunk, to be sure. And it was certainly one that not many other players in the NBA could hope to pull off.
But come on, let's be honest here. Was it really all that great?
Of course, one of the main problems is that, no thanks to the bastion of buffoonery that Twitter has become, there were quite a few people out there who knew about Griffin's plan to dunk over a car well in advance, as a writer for the New York Times broke the news several hours before the Dunk Contest.
When I first read about it, I had high hopes. Would the car be moving? Would it be on fire? Would there be passengers in the car? Would those passengers be ravenous bears?
At the very least, I figured that Griffin would at least jump over the roof, a la Joey Gathright.
But it was not to be. The car was stationary, Griffin jumped over the hood, and the only thing formidable inside the car was Baron Davis' beard.
What a blasted shame. So much potential, and the end product was decidedly "meh."
Nevertheless, Griffin is but a rookie, and it's a good bet that this will not be his final Dunk Contest. Maybe he didn't want to peak too soon...
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LeBron James: King James Is Set To Take His Talents To The Silver Screen
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Ever notice how there are some actors who are at their best when they play characters that are pretty much reflections of their real-life personas?
Like, you know, Tom Cruise?
Well, it would appear that somebody in Hollywood saw the same kind of potential in Miami Heat superstar LeBron James, as the latest word from E! News is that King James is reportedly set to make his feature acting debut in the upcoming movie, Ballers.
LeBron's role in the film? Why, he's going to play an NBA superstar, of course. Indeed, why cast somebody like, say, Common, when you can cast a bona fide star like LeBron?
Apparently, Grazer and LeBron have been collaborating for some time now, with the project hitting a hitch when LeBron pissed off a good portion of the nation with his turn in "The Decision."
Ah yes, one finds it hard to be optimistic about LeBron's acting chops when he thinks back to that fateful day in July. For all intents and purposes, that was the last time LeBron was the focus of cameras away from the hardwood, and the lasting impression was worse than that of Robin Hood.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that my tone is clearly mocking in nature, you can officially color me excited for LeBron's movie debut.
Shoot, LeBron featured prominently in my list of Athletes Who Should Give Acting A Shot, and watching him play himself sounds like a hoot.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the natives are already boycotting their local cinema.
Minnesota Twins Bobblehead Giveaway: Infamous Play From 1991 Series Immortalized
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Not all of us (i.e. your 23-year-old humble narrator) have clear memories of the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves.
However, those who do remember the Series can probably tell you all about the play that occurred in the third inning of Game 2 that involved Atlanta's Ron Gant and Minnesota's Kent Hrbek.
In the play, Gant hit a single to left that advanced Lonnie Smith to third base. The throw back into the infield was cut off by Twins pitcher Kevin Tapani, who whipped it to Hrbek at first in hopes of catching Gant off guard as he rounded the bag.
Gant appeared to get back safely, but Hrbek pulled him off the bag and tagged him out.
The Braves would go on to lose the Series, and Braves fans still remember the play in all its bitter details. So just in case you plan on asking a Braves fan to tell the story, be warned: they might not be in a good mood while doing so.
If you were to ask a Twins fan, on the other hand, they will soon be able to provide visual evidence of the play in the form of a commemorative bobblehead.
Nope, that's not a joke. The latest word comes straight from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who report that the Twins plan on handing out bobblehead dolls that commemorate the infamous play at some point this season.
Speaking as a baseball fan who doesn't have any ties to either team, I have to say that this seems oddly bush league for an organization like the Twins. I can expect something like this from the Yankees, but the Twins?
Well, whatever. One supposes that enough time has passed, and it's hard to imagine anybody getting offended over this.
Update: Never mind, I just got an email from some Atlanta sheriff who said half of his county ran amok after reading this. I guess I was wrong.
Kobe Bryant: Kobe Shows Off His Acting Chops In "The Black Mamba"
6 of 8Despite the fact that Kobe Bryant has spent the entirety of his NBA career in Los Angeles with the Lakers, it seems like folks around Hollywood are just now beginning to take note of his presence, not to mention his star power.
For instance, we have already covered the fact that Kobe officially became the first athlete in history to imprint his hands and feet in cement outside Grauman's Chinese Theater on Saturday.
A few days before that, however, Kobe debuted his new short film The Black Mamba, directed by cult favorite Robert Rodriguez.
Naturally, the film plays off of Kobe's "Black Mamba" nickname by turning it into a kind of badass alter-ego. The plot: assorted other badasses try to collect the Black Mamba's shoes.
The whole premise sounds silly, to be sure. But one of the villains is played by Danny Trejo, who is always awesome, and also showing up are Kanye West and Bruce Willis. There are also a bunch of explosions and evil dudes falling off a building.
Clearly, Nike and Rodriguez spared no expense. But on balance, if you're looking for a good way to spend six minutes of your time, you may as well give it a look.
In other news, with LeBron James set make his feature acting debut in the near future, I daresay that this whole Kobe-or-LeBron thing is about to take on a whole 'nother dynamic.
NBA All-Star Game: Rather Uneventful All-Star Saturday Draws Record Viewership
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Despite the fact Blake Griffin did something that has never been done before in Slam Dunk Contest history by dunking over a car, the general consensus appears to be that there really wasn't much to get excited about in any of the five events that the NBA lined up for Saturday night.
Nevertheless, quite a few people watched anyway. And in fact, the Associated Press reported earlier on Sunday that Saturday's festivities were watched by a record number of viewers.
According to the AP, 8.1 million viewers tuned in to watch All-Star Saturday, which easily broke the previous high of 6.5 million people set in 2009.
This is perhaps not all that surprising. Shoot, it was just a couple Sundays ago that well over 10 million people tuned in to watch the NFL's Pro Bowl, so it's more or less apparent at this point that the general public will watch whatever sports are on TV.
One supposes that this isn't really a problem, per se, but it's still a bummer that Saturday's action didn't really live up to its billing.
With the exception of the Dunk Contest, four of the five events were over in the blink of an eye, and they weren't all that exciting. As for the Dunk Contest itself, the reviews have not been favorable.
Oh well. People in our great country must have sports at all times, darn it. And let's face it, good sports entertainment is hard to come by once the NFL season has come and gone.
On that point, who knows what kind of depths we'll sink to if there is no NFL season this year?
Rihanna: Whose Halftime Show Was Worse, Rihanna or The Black Eyed Peas?
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Despite the fact it was two weeks ago, I suspect that many people are still battling night terrors stemming from the absolutely atrocious Super Bowl halftime show put on by the Black Eyed Peas.
Heck, I know I am.
In any case, the NBA All-Star Game was today, and with it came yet another halftime show. To be sure, halftime at the NBA All-Star Game definitely is not the same thing as halftime at the Super Bowl.
There's decidedly less fanfare, which is to say that there's not as much pressure for the performer to not suck.
This year, the NBA granted halftime duties to pop superstar Rihanna. A safe choice, perhaps. But then again, isn't this the case with all halftime shows?
Indeed. And unfortunately, the other problem with halftime shows is that it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that they're just not going to be very enjoyable. And this was certainly the case with Rihanna's.
The whole scene started off badly, with sounds of thunder prompting the rising vibes of orchestral music. And then there was Rihanna, appearing with an absurd hairdo and dressed in a strangely masculine suit.
Making matters worse was the fact that you could barely hear her over the orchestra, which one presumes has something to do with the acoustics in the Staples Center.
As Rihanna got further and further into her performance, I couldn't help but realize that her voice sounded a little husky, as if she might be suffering from a bad cold.
That's when I realized there was no hope. I pressed the mute button and turned my attention to something else. I am, after all, a busy man. And bad music gives me brain cramps.
Was Rihanna as bad as the Black Eyed Peas? Of course not. A bunch of drunken amateurs in a karaoke bar could have put on a better performance than they did.
Nevertheless, Rihanna's performance was a painful reminder of what is now an age-old question: do we really need halftime shows?
Methinks the answer is no, and that somebody needs to put their foot down. Preferably somebody with a big foot (i.e. Shaq, or maybe Chuck Norris).
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