The biggest money grubber this side of Roger Clemens

- I can't deny that he helped resurrect the worst 1990's pro sport franchise in America, I know he gambled huge and won with signing Steve Nash and drafting Dirk, I know I should hold the guy in high regard, but the more that comes out about him, the more I despise him.

And I'm not at all defending Mark Cuban either, I criticize him as well. But I side with Cuban more than I do Nelson most of the time.

Tell me if you've heard this story before........Nellie goes into a season constantly lowering the bar with projected expectations, plays the underdog role to a T, exceeds those low expectations, gets a city excited, and then claims exhaustion and fatigue and questions whether he has the "stomach" for another fight the following season. So the franchise, struggling for a consistent winner, concedes to him, gives him more money and power and all of a sudden, he has a rebirth and he's back in action, running around like a spring chicken. See: Dallas and now Golden State.

The guy is becoming an NBA Roger Clemens, if there's a dollar involved, or in this case millions, and there's a dope out there to fall into the trap, he's there.

Let me count the reasons for my disgust with him:
1) The way he came out of retirement just recently and the cirumstances that led to that
2) The way he sells his soul for money
3) The way he handled his final days as coach of the Mavs, basically quitting on the team while knowing he'd still get paid
5) How he disappeared every off season to Maui, not to be seen again until training camp
4) The way he's pining for every cent from the Mavs nowadays while at the same time demanding more money from his current team
5) How he drafted/traded for/signed every white and foreign stiff in the world during his time with the Mavs (Raef, Antsey, Bradley, Eschmeyer, Wang, Bruno Sundov, etc) and how he never built his teams on athleticism and fast black men, but then goes to Golden St. and immediately trades his 2 white stiffs for thugs and superior athletes and builds his teams around sharp shooters and guys who can jump out of the gym. He basically tries to acquire every player that would have been absolute, 100% perfect complements to the Nash/Dirk/Finley triumverate.
6) His competitive philosophies of always wanting low expectations and relishing the loser role.

He's become a very unlikable person for me. And like I said, I'm not siding with Cuban on this either. I think in the case of the lawsuit and rift between them, they're both proving to be equally as idiotic. But in Cuban's case and as a future season ticket holder, I can appreciate and like Cuban better because of how he treats us, the fans.

Anyway, here's the story....

Nelson reportedly seeking significant raise
ESPN.com news services

Updated: July 9, 2007, 2:06 PM ET

The health concerns Don Nelson said he had heading into this offseason no longer appear to be an issue. The coach of the Warriors recently said he's lost about 20 pounds since the end of Golden State's season and feels great.

Before he fully commits to returning to the Warriors, however, Nelson has one more self-induced obstacle to overcome: his contract.

Citing league sources, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday that Nelson, who turned 67 in May, is seeking a significant pay raise from his current three-year deal. Warriors president Robert Rowell and John O'Connor, Nelson's representative, met last week to discuss the matter.

"All I will say is that Don is very conflicted," O'Connor told the Chronicle. "He is extremely excited about this team, but at the same time, he exhausted himself this last season like he has never done before."

Nelson has two years and $6.2 million left on his contract and wants the deal's playoff-related bonuses to be guaranteed, which would bring his annual salary to about $6 million. Nelson's $3.1 million base salary ranks among the bottom half of the league, the Chronicle said.

Warriors top executive Chris Mullin said last week he has no reason to believe Nelson won't be back next season.

"I got Nellie to come back. I'm going to keep Nellie here," Mullin said. "Whatever those issues might be, they'll be resolved."

Former Warriors coach Mike Montgomery, who was fired two years into his four-year contract, is still owed $2.5 million, the Chronicle reported.







- What a boring, uneventful home run derby. We get hardly any bombs, and of course we get the ass whipping that is Chris Berman. Just fire the guy and do us all a favor.

SAN FRANCISCO -- With Barry Bonds sitting out, this derby was dry -- and Vladimir Guerrero was San Francisco's home run king for a day.

The Los Angeles Angels slugger won the Home Run Derby on Monday night, hitting 17 homers and beating Toronto's Alex Rios 3-2 in the final round of the All-Star competition.

None of the eight sluggers managed a true "splash hit" over the right-field fence and into the waterfront park's iconic McCovey Cove. Dozens of eager fans wearing wetsuits and carrying nets amid the flotilla of kayaks and rafts ended up scrambling for just a handful of foul balls and ricochets during nearly six hours of batting practice and derby slugging.

But the four semifinalists sent balls into every other corner of a park that's usually a nightmare for any hitter not named Bonds.

Guerrero, who managed just two homers in his only previous derby appearance back in 2000, also produced the contest's most fearsome shot: a 503-footer to left that fell just short of the oversized baseball mitt looming over the outfield bleachers -- a target that still hasn't been hit during a game in the park's 8-year history.

"The first time I came in 2000, I swung at every pitch, so this time I came back with a different philosophy," Guerrero said through an interpreter. "I was going to take a pitch to rest in between. ... There was nothing in the ballpark that I was aiming for."

Guerrero indulged in various shenanigans with his friends and AL teammates during the first two rounds, re-taping his fingers and getting a towel-down in the middle of competition -- and when Guerrero failed to homer on his first three swings in the first round, David Ortiz made a special delivery.

The Boston star charged to home plate, dramatically tossed away Guerrero's bat and called for a friend to carry a large wooden case to them. After removing a new bat from the case, Ortiz kissed the lumber and presented it to Guerrero, who used it to hit five homers on his next nine swings.

"It was my bat, and we had it planned if I wasn't doing well at the beginning, he was going to bring it out to me," said Guerrero, who slept late Monday to rest up after finishing a nine-game road trip with the Angels in New York.

He was all business in the final, homering on his first pitch before finishing it with three swings to spare. Guerrero casually discarded his bat and didn't even watch as his final shot settled in the left-field stands, celebrating with his cousin from the Dominican Republic.

Rios, added to the derby field on Sunday, had a remarkable 12-homer binge in the second round, but lost his swing in the final, managing just two more to finish with 19.

"It was the pitcher just throwing me the ball where I wanted," Rios said. "I was a little surprised at how far they carried. ... I guess I just didn't warm up enough [before the final]."

Bonds, who's just four homers shy of tying Hank Aaron's career homer record of 755, turned down the chance to participate in the homer contest, though he took part in early batting practice and stuck around to watch the sluggers.

Bonds claimed the toll from an afternoon's swings would be too exhausting and disruptive before Tuesday's game, when he'll start in left field and bat second for the NL squad. He hit a handful of homers during batting practice for the thousands of fans who showed up two hours early for the derby.

The sluggers started slowly: Three batters held the first-round lead with five homers apiece, the lowest leading total in the first round since the derby went to a three-round format in 1995.

Defending champion Ryan Howard, who managed just three homers, hit a 410-foot shot that died in the 421-foot corner of right-center, prompting him to rip off his hat in mock frustration.

"It's a tough thing to do," Howard said of the dearth of splash hits. "I don't think any guys were trying to yank it down there. Guys are just trying to stay with their natural swing."

All three left-handed hitters in the competition paid for their inability to reach the water consistently: They were all eliminated in a park that caters to Bonds' swing. Three of the four right-handed sluggers who advanced to the second round were added to the competition in the previous 24 hours.

Minnesota's Justin Morneau, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, Detroit's Magglio Ordonez and Howard were eliminated in the first round.

Rios hit five consecutive homers on his last swing in the second round to finish with 17 over the first two rounds, pushing him past Colorado's Matt Holliday. Guerrero followed with nine second-round homers to eliminate Holliday -- including that 503-foot shot to a previously unexplored area.

Albert Pujols, who hasn't homered for the Cardinals since June 14 during the longest drought of his career, finished one homer shy of the finalists.

Hours before the late-afternoon events, dozens of personal watercraft crammed into McCovey Cove. The amphibious spectators took advantage of gorgeous weather to pack the water passage that has become perhaps the most beautiful place in baseball to deposit a home run.

The Giants fired off their three water cannons on the arcade atop the right-field wall for each homer, lightly misting the fans packed into the small space. The club also reset the digital counter on the outfield wall that keeps track of splash hits, as the waterbound homers are known during the regular season.






- Wow, look at this, some more bargain signings for the Stars. Big time shocker here. I'm glad the Ranger's owner doesn't employ this strategy.....

Todd Fedoruk brings a well-deserved reputation for toughness to the Stars, as shown by 99 career NHL fights and the titanium plates in his face.

The signing of the unrestricted free-agent left wing on Monday could also be a sign of more moves to come. With Fedoruk and newly acquired Brad Winchester, the Stars have 10 forwards on one-way contracts, along with four restricted free agents and top prospect Loui Eriksson.

"There's an abundance of forwards right now and the competition for jobs in Dallas is going to be a premium in September," general manager Doug Armstrong said, referencing training camp. "If you just add the numbers up ... barring any injury, one of these guys won't make our team."

Or the Stars could move one or more of their forwards before the season, which seems likely.

"There are lots of teams looking for players right now," Armstrong said.

Fedoruk, 28, signed a one-year deal worth $875,000 after sales pitches from Armstrong, coach Dave Tippett and captain Brenden Morrow, a friend from junior hockey.

At 6-2 and 241 pounds, Fedoruk plans to bring a different dimension to the Stars.

The Stars added some size and physicality to their forward depth Friday, signing Brad Winchester to a one-way contract for the league minimum of $475,000.

Winchester, 26, has played in 78 career NHL games with four goals and six assists. The contract for the 6-5, 215-pound winger means he will make the same amount of money whether he plays in the NHL or the minors.

The Stars also signed center Toby Peterson and defenseman Trevor Byrne to two-way contracts. They are expected to play with the Iowa Stars. Peterson has played in Iowa previously.





- If Bill Guerin scores another 35+ goals for another team post-Stars, go ahead and fire Dave Tippett immediately. He's already under the gun as it stands now, but I'm sick of talented goal-scorers not producing for the Stars, but they can produce before they come to the Stars and after they get released/traded due to lack of production. Guerin named captain of the Islanders.

Guerin selected as 11th captain in Islanders' history
Associated Press

WESTBURY, N.Y. -- Bill Guerin's young daughter yelled with delight when a picture of her goal-scoring father appeared on a big television screen.

The 36-year-old right winger had nearly the same reaction moments later when he saw the "C" on his brand-new Islanders jersey. Guerin had no idea he had already been chosen by general manager Garth Snow and coach Ted Nolan to be the 11th captain in team history.





- This douche symbolizes everything ESPN is, thinks he's bigger than the event he covers and an absolute prick by all accounts. Was good early in his career, but that ego took over once he realized he had something good going. Hopefully nothing but failure is in his future. Leaves ESPN after 18 years.......

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN.

Patrick, who has been with the network for 18 years, announced on his radio show Monday that he will appear on air for the last time Aug. 17. Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president for production, made a simultaneous announcement.


A news release said that the mutual agreement will allow Patrick to pursue new interests outside of ESPN.

The final week of Patrick's radio show, which started in 1999, will include a look back at memorable moments, interviews and guests.

"If there was animosity, I wouldn't be doing any radio shows after today," Patrick said on his show, adding, "I hope to be doing radio somewhere, somehow, down the road."

In a news release, Patrick said: "I feel privileged to have had this opportunity and I have extremely mixed emotions about leaving. With that said, I told ESPN that I believe it's time for me to try something different, something that will also be challenging and rewarding. While I'm not sure what that will be, I am grateful to ESPN for its willingness to allow me to pursue new endeavors."

Said Williamson: "Dan has accomplished so much over the past two decades at ESPN, and fans and newsmakers have turned to him for his steady and trusted approach. We wish him the very best."

Patrick was a "SportsCenter" anchor from 1989 to 2006, winning the National Sportscaster of the Year award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 2000. He also received a Sports Emmy Award in the Studio Host category in 1998.

Patrick has also written the column "Outtakes" for ESPN The Magazine.




- Tough as nails. Watch how Call turns away just Gus is about to whip some arse, he knows what's about to happen.






- Shawn refuses to watch this movie






- Classic loser scene, a little background: He can't get over his ex-girl friend and he just meets this new girl at the bar that night and this ensues.....




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