Knock on Loren Woods' custom kitchen cabinets, but I have never had a case of the gout. And after reading about, I really hope to keep it that way. Ugh. For those in the dark, here's a brief description, via my family doctor, Dr. Wikipedia:
Gout is a disease created by a buildup of uric acid. In this condition, monosodium urate or uric acid crystals are deposited on the articular cartilage of joints, tendons and surrounding tissues due to elevated concentrations of uric acid in the blood stream. This provokes an inflammatory reaction of these tissues.
Gout usually attacks the big toe. ... The classic picture is of excruciating, sudden, unexpected, burning pain, swelling, redness, warmness and stiffness in the joint. The patient usually suffers from two sources of pain. The crystals inside the joint cause intense pain whenever the affected area is moved. The inflammation of the tissues around the joint also causes the skin to be swollen, tender and sore if it is even slightly touched.
Hence, the no shoe.
You're a warrior, Maurice Cheeks!
Report: Shaq will be dealt to Suns
Shaquille O'Neal is leaving the Heat behind and heading to... dry heat.
The Internets are alive: Shaq to the Suns?
What they're saying out in the blogosphere about this mind-boggling Shaquille O'Neal-for-Shawn Marion deal ...Bright Side Of The Sun: "I can't imagine why the Suns wouldn't either take their best shot with the guys they have, or else try to find a better fit for the system. Change is good, but unless I'm seriously missing something, this change seems just plain nuts! On the bright side, I guess if this goes through there should be no more talk about Robert Sarver being cheap or Steve Kerr lacking cajones."
Sports Bastards: "The [Suns] were not going to win it all with this unit as is. Or as "was." Don’t get me wrong, the trio of MV3 Nash, "S.T.A.T." and Matrix were really good together. They’ve won a lot of games together, for sure, but you don’t get trophies for winning regular season games. This isn’t the NHL, having the league’s best record doesn’t guarantee you the President’s Cup and a pat on the back from the commissioner."
Will Brinson, FanHouse: "I'm going to take the contrarian point of view here and say the deal isn't that bad for the Suns, in terms of the immediate future (which matters a lot more when you think about the fact that Steve Nash is somehow 34 years old). It doesn't make a lot of sense in terms of how the front office normally behaves, but they dump malcontent Shawn Marion and they get some defense in Shaq. Plus, I think it somehow gives them more lineup flexibility than they had before and Nash/Bell/Hill/Diaw/Amare is nothing to sneeze at. Diaw in particular has been playing much better, but he hasn't been getting minutes so no one has realized it just quite yet. He's going to go off. In the end though, if they fall short of a championship this year, the deal is a failure."
Bleacher Report: "Shaq will not fit in with Phoenix's style. Don't worry though, he won't be playing much. In fact when I first read about this trade this thought crossed my mind: How is an old injured Shaq who is averaging 28.5 minutes per game going to replace a young energetic Marion who averages almost 40? Unfortunately, the answer is: he is not! This means the Suns will need to find more than ten additional quality minutes per game out of Brian Skinner. I just don't see that happening."
Hardwood Paroxysm: "The betrayal, hatred and disrespect I feel right now must be the same mix of emotions those people on Jerry Springer get when they find out their wives have been sleeping with their father, who is also a clown, while having their dog eat leftovers out of her privates and she loves scat. Thanks, Shaq."
Free Darko: "If the Suns were going to win a title, it should've been on their own terms. They should've thrown themselves back in it again, knowing that they'd brought something to this game, something that could beat back others. It would've taken a little luck, or a particularly torrid run, but that's what their whole style was predicated on. Now, we're back in the realm of positivism. Rotting positivism. As far as the eye can see."
Ernie Johnson on Shaq: The Ball Don't Lie interview tease
Ernie Johnson is the Emmy-award winning host of TNT's Inside the NBA. But you already knew that, didn't you? Of course you did. You're a fan of the show.Well, earlier this afternoon, EJ took time out of his busy schedule to answer a couple of questions about the Shaquille O'Neal trade, working with Charles and Kenny, All-Star Weekend and more.
I'm feverishly working on typing out the full transcript, but I figured I'd post Ernie's thoughts on the Phoenix-Miami deal now. You know, as a little appetizer. Enjoy!
Ball Don't Lie: Before we get into the show and All-Star Weekend, I have to ask you because it's all the talk right now: Shaq-to-Phoenix. I'm struggling to get my head around it. Do you think this is going to go through, and what are your thoughts on the trade?
Ernie Johnson: Well, I've already got one bald spot, and now I'm working on another just where I've been scratching my head trying to figure this one out.
I talked to Charles today. I called him this morning. And I said, what do we think about this thing? And I don't know. Obviously we have to wait and see if he passes the physical, but here are the questions.
Can he fit into that kind of style? Can Shaq, at this point, run up and down the floor like the Suns do? I think that's the biggest thing: does he fit? And is he up to that kind of a pace? Because watching him this year in Miami has been painful. And shoot, I've known Shaq since he was in college. I love the guy. But obviously he's not the old Shaq right now.
It'll just be fascinating to me to see how Mike D'Antoni weaves him into this team, or what he's got in mind, if indeed, the deal goes through.
And you know what else? If the deal doesn't go through, you know who's going to be really affected the rest of the year in Phoenix? Shawn Marion. Man, when you have one of these things go down where you've been traded, it's pending, and then suddenly, "oh, no, you're back." That usually messes with the mind of a basketball player.
Note: Ball Don't Lie's entire interview with Ernie Johnson will be posted tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Team Reports: Another look at Gasol
Even with early foul trouble, Pau Gasol had a great L.A. debut. Sports Xchange expects even more tonight vs. the Hawks.
Shaq will force Suns to alter run-and-gun style
The Shaquille O'Neal deal marks the end of the Suns' run-and-gun days. And Charley Rosen isn't sure it will work out for Phoenix.
YouTube of the Day: Happy Kobe is all fun and games
Despite scoring just six points -- his lowest point total in three years -- Kobe Bryant was as giddy as a schoolgirl in a lollipop shop during the Lakers' 105-90 win over the Nets last night. And how can you blame him? Pau Gasol is the wind beneath Kobe's wings.
And props to Mark Jackson for his emphatic "Kobe, you're better than that" call. That line really put this one over the top.
The 10-man rotation, starring the NBA Oscars
A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.C: Le Basketbawful. The NBA Oscar for best player in a leading role goes to ...
PF: Food Court Lunch. Andrea Bargnani's Great Escape, featuring mini-ballers, Mop Girl and the ghost of Vincenzo Esposito.
SF: Deadspin. Shoals spits fire about Garnett and Kobe.
SG: Gilbertology. Gilbert Arenas says he'll be back by the end of the month. Hopefully.
G: Blog a Bull. Matt still believes the Bulls can make the playoffs, but he sure wouldn't mind seeing Paxson shakeup the roster.
6th: T.Jose Caldeford. Defense wins Eastern Conference championships. Fact!
7th: My Utah Jazz. Comparing the Nuggets to the Peanuts gang.
8th: Stop Mike Lupica. Another great look at the Shaq-to-Suns deal.
9th: Toronto Star. Would someone please get the Raptors some SPF-30?
10th: Contra Costa Times. Al Harrington is not happy just shooting threes. Seriously. Stop pigeonholing him, Nellie!
Too much Rod Benson: Boom Tho to the Big Easy
First of all, I appreciate all the Facebook and MySpace friend requests. It is tough to reply to all the messages, but I definitely had something to do all day. Refresh was very good to me.I guess I failed to realize that 99% of blog reading, die hard, NBA fans are not also young, female, and attractive. There's nothing like accepting hundreds of men to be your friend in one day. We could start a hell of a clubhouse or something. That's cool too I guess. For some reason I keep thinking that Jenna Fischer will MySpace me and tell me how she loves being the official Boom Tho girl. Maybe Julia Allison?
Anyways, I was officially named to the D-League All-Star team on yesterday. You can read all about who made it and who didn't here.
I appreciate everyone who voted for me. Besides all of my campaign promises, I really feel that most of you voted for me because you believe I should be there. Now it's time to spread "Boom Tho" to the big stage.
Since I couldn't embed NBA video into the blog, I'll point you in the right direction to watch it. (Check the "D-League Video" section.) While at the D-League showcase, camera crews asked some players questions about the All-Star game as if they had already been selected. The guys who ended up making it were used in the video. Basically, it's all about me of course.
I'll elaborate on the All-Star game and more on Friday. Stay tuned!
Rod Benson is a Cal grad who plays for the D-League's Dakota Wizards. He also blogs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Ball Don't Lie. Read his archive, pay a visit to TooMuchRodBenson.com and always support the Boom Tho movement.
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