Class of '92: Where are they now?
So Shaq the rapper wasn't quite as successful as Shaq the baller...


You can't stop the reign of Shaquille O'Neal...the first black king of Ireland

But when his lyrics got quoted this week, something jogged in my memory banks...from Shaq's What's up Doc (Can We Rock?):

Now who's the first pick? me, word is born and
Not a Christean Laettner, not Alonzo Mourning
That's okay, not being bragadocious
Supercalifragelistic, Shaq is alidocious

With Shaq heading to Miami, I've thought how interesting it is that the Heat will now have had two of the best centers in the past decade--the "alidocious" Shaq and Mourning--who by luck, were taken 1 and 2 in the '92 draft. And from such beginnings, there was even a little bit of a rivalry (though all of those other rivalries are so 1997).

But what the rap song made me remember is that Laettner was the third pick in the '92 draft--and now he's going to play for the Heat as well. This now means that the first five players--and eight of the top nine--taken in that draft have now been members of the Miami Heat--and none were originally drafted by them.

1. Orlando Shaquille O'Neal -Just signed with the Heat and immediately becomes the best player in franchise history
2. Charlotte Alonzo Mourning -...replacing 'Zo, who went to Miami after three great seasons with the Hornets
3. Minnesota Christian Laettner -Just signed with the Heat--his fourth team in three months! Not the same career trajectory as Shaq or 'Zo.
4. Dallas Jimmy Jackson -Even more of a vagabond than Laettner. Averaged 10.7 ppg with the Heat in '01-'02
5. Denver LaPhonso Ellis -A shell of himself when he signed with Miami in '01; played two seasons and retired.
6. Washington Tom Gugliotta -The only guy on this list NOT to be with the Heat yet...though maybe he'll follow Ellis' lead
7. Sacramento Walt Williams -Played for the Heat during their stretch run in '96
8. Milwaukee Todd Day -He averaged 40 ppg for me in NBA Live 96. He also played five incredibly non-memorable games for the Heat in 1997
9. Philadelphia Clarence Weatherspoon -A vital role player during the '98 and '99 seasons

This has to be some kind of historical statistical fluke...and I have zero interest in spending any more time analyzing it. But before I sent it off to ESPN or CNN/SI or whomever, I wanted to put it out there before you saw Lang Whitaker breaking it down (and giving me no credit for the linkstigator that I am).
- posted by DD @ 1:21 PM

 
How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

So they're not quite the bomb squad...

U2's making headlines all week--they've been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame AND their new single is coming out by end of the month.

What can I say--they're the bomb.
- posted by DD @ 3:05 PM

 
Shots fired

I like to shoot, early and often.

More possible bad one-liners include:

They said Rodney White never met a shot he didn't want to take.

Not the way to improve your shooting percentage.

And I wondered why I couldn't sleep Saturday night...it's because at 3 a.m. NBA free agent Rodney White was driving around my neighborhood shooting his gun off.

I know what book I'll have read by Thanksgiving break...
The latest Tom Wolfe novel...with excerpts turning up all over the place...and with a lurid story allegedly based on Duke?

There's a place for everyone in a Republican White House...! Just know your place.


- posted by DD @ 11:37 AM

 
Terp-irrific Tuesday update

I might not start this year!

Terps back from their tour of Italy...sounds like a number of players enjoyed a good two weeks but also interesting for who (Gilchrist, Mike Jones) isn't mentioned.
- posted by DD @ 10:43 AM

 
Breaking news
My friend Jake--who may be surprised to see the term "friend" used as a descriptor given the level of mockery that passes between us, mostly from him and to me--said something reasonably wise this one time. I know, that's giving him a lot of credit, but it was only once; it even snows in Florida every so often. So anyway, Jake was talking about the news and what usually gets covered--politics, sports, weather, etc. To Jake, these stories weren't necessarily news; they were pieces of information, used to provide safe passage through your day (I'm paraphrasing here). The real news was chronically underreported: scientific breakthroughs, medical treatments, or new discoveries that were going to change the world, hopefully for the better.


This guy isn't Jake, but the resemblance is eerie.

With that thought ever-lodged in the back of my mind, I took on the day's stories this morning as usual, and came across the following--which even Jake might concede is newsworthy.

But back to news that you can use. I usually hate on Philly for being a second-tier city, but this is pretty cool.

Don't call it a comeback: Ankiel and 'Zo--who will last longer?

This MJ never arrived--but will the other ever really leave?

And the Ravens secondary just got a whole lot more interesting...but is Prime Time's contribution only a fantasy?
- posted by DD @ 9:14 PM