Thank god for Rick Reilly. In a blog post for ESPN THE MAG, it appears he’s shaken out all the interesting bits from Andre Agassi’s new book Open. The topper, at least to me, is Agassi admitting that he lost matches on purpose. But almost as perplexing as Agassi fully admitting that he tanked on occasion, like the Australian Open Final in ‘96, was Reilly describing his rhetoric has “hinting.” Judge for yourself:

Losing on purpose isn’t easy. You have to lose in such a way that the crowd can’t tell, and in a way that you can’t tell. Your mind is tanking, but your body is fighting on. … You don’t do those tiny things you need to do. You don’t run the extra few feet, you don’t lunge. You’re slow to come out of stops. You hesitate to bend or dig.”

Of losing in the semifinals of the 1996 Australian Open against Michael Chang — a match Agassi suggests he tanked — he writes, “I’m glad I lost.”

Does that sound like a hint to you? Or would Reilly prefer to be slugged in the head with a sledgehammer? Read more…

The NEW HAVEN REGISTER reports the attorney general of Connecticut is demanding that a website stop selling Jasper Howard-themed t-shirts, despite claims by the site’s owner that proceeds go to the fallen UConn player’s memorial fund.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Friday that Game Day Tease is using UConn logos and images from its Web site without permission to sell items purporting to raise money for Howard’s family.

Blumenthal says the Pennsylvania-based company never registered any fundraising efforts with state agencies as required, and called it a “shameful and unlawful exploitation of Jasper Howard’s tragic death for commercial purposes.”

Braden Byler, the proprietor of the site, claims all monies from the shirt sales would go to Howard’s family. And that “he’s in the process of linking with an established nonprofit so the proceeds will go to charity as promised.”

Shouldn’t he have thought of that before he started selling the shirts?

And now instead of just going away, Byler has another scheme to keep the shirt sales going. Read more…

A good friend of mine, who is a devoted Dodgers fan, sat one row in front of Tommy Lasorda last night at the Angels-Yankees game at Anaheim Stadium. Early this morning he emailed me details of Lasorda’s regrettable behavior while watching the game. Knowing what I know about Lasorda, not even counting the prostitution, porn ignorance and lies, I’m not surprised in the least.

(Legend)

But the actual personality of the notorious legendary Dodger manager might be news to you, so I’ll post some of my friend’s email about Lasorda last night.

First off, for veracity’s sake, my friend told me that Lasorda sat in Sec. 113, row D, seat #10. He was joined by MLB officials. Read more…

Apparently WFAN-AM’s Mike Francesa spent one of the 27 consecutive live hours of his daily show (live from Queens!) ripping into ESPN.com columnist Bill Simmons. Called him a “stooge” and a “fraud.”

In the old days, if Simmons was a newspaper columnist, he’d have very little recourse. Back when Francesa mattered to under-54s outside the Tri-State, sports radio was the medium of immediacy.

Not anymore.

Read more…

While NBC commentator Rodney Harrison has already sufficiently exhausted his hyperbolic capital for 99% of the football-loving population, there’s still some affected by his now-mundane bomb-throwing.

(Don’t worry, T.O. still keeping current on his bible passages Tweets too!)

Actually make that one affected. Terrell Owens.

Owens lost it on Twitter after apparently hearing that Harrison called him a “straight-up clown.” He responded by accusing of Harrison of doing steroids. Repeatedly. (At least between his quoting bible passages.)

Read more…

UFC front man Dana White is rarely one to shy away from self promotion, so it was a little surprising to hear earlier this month his announcement (via Twitter, natch) that he would be ending his regular video blogs on YouTube. What could possibly be the reason for such uncharacteristic restraint from White? Gee, it wouldn’t have anything to do with calling reporter Loretta Hunt a “f–ing dumb bitch,” would it? Or perhaps that advertisers, TV producers, and most of the non-tribal-tatted world frowns upon such vile, misogynistic behavior?

Well, not according to White, who held his traditional pre-fight press conference extravaganza yesterday in anticipation of UFC 102.  Of course not. So what was the pesky reason behind dropping one of his most popular features among MMA meatheads?

It’s the economy, stupid! Hey, at least he didn’t blame it on swine flu.

Read more…

Earlier today Rick Pitino gave us another window into his deep-seated psychosis with an emotional, rambling response to the media coverage of his extra-marital affair and the abortion he provided Karen Sypher. Pitino bizarrely lashed out at the Louisville media for having the gall to report on and release tapes of Sypher’s testimony that were PROVIDED THEM BY POLICE. If Pitino was to be upset with an organization, it should’ve been local law enforcement. But lest you forget, every day is opposite day in Rick Pitino’s tornado of self-delusion.

(Last time I post this, PROMISE)

Almost as bizarre as Pitino’s behavior has been ESPN’s coverage of the situation. Like the entire media, Bristol barely covered the case brought by the FBI early this year until the LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL went public with Pitino’s extra-marital affair and abortion story.

ESPN’s Pat Forde, who lives in Louisville and co-authored a book with Pitino, has been Bristol’s point man for the net’s coverage. Early on, Forde failed to report Pitino’s indiscretions with Sypher, instead focusing on smearing her character. And even after Pitino’s ugly behavior became public thanks to reporting from a non-ESPN outlet, Forde continued to concentrate his comments about the case on Sypher’s conduct. (Albeit questionable, grant you that.)

It’s safe to assume that Forde has benefited financially from his relationship with Pitino, so at the very least you would expect ESPN and/or Forde to note the nature of his relationship to the coach before all that reportage, right?

Wrong … until today.

Read more…

Rick Pitino has called a hastily-arranged 3p ET press conference today, on the same day that tapes of Karen Sypher were released to the public.

WLKY reports: “In the tapes, Sypher details allegations she made against University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.”

Coincidence? We’ll know in a minute or two…

UPDATE: He didn’t resign, read my Twitter for a summary of his once-again frighteningly narcissistic comments. (Don’t ask me how, but Ted Kennedy came up several times.)

From Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Psychosis: “The fundamental derangement of the mind (as in schizophrenia) characterized by defective or lost contact with reality especially as evidenced by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech and behavior.”

(See what happens when you let the terrorists win?)

That’s the only word I can find to describe Rick Pitino’s performance at his Wednesday press conference in Louisville. He quite obviously has crossed over into O.J. mode, completely erasing from his mind any semblance of responsibility for his extra-marital affair and the subsequent abortion.

The absolute lowest of the low though was his invoking a wildly inappropriate and bizarre reference to 9/11:

“Besides my apology to the university — and in particular to Tom Jurich and Dr. Ramsey, who have been very strong with me throughout this period — I also apologize to my extended family, which is all of the fans. I came here at a very difficult time. When 9/11 hit, you needed a community to get you over it.

In New York City, it was easy because everybody knew the devastation of that and they got each other over it. In Louisville, the impact wasn’t felt like New York City, but I needed this community to help me get over it. The university officials and my friends and loved ones have helped me through this very difficult time.”

FYI: Pitino was hired by Louisville in March, 2001, six months before 9/11. And the pain that he describes from the event? It was derived from the loss of his wife Joanne’s brother, Billy Minardi.

Minardi’s sister, Joanne Pitino, is the same wife who Pitino cheated on with Karen Sypher twice in August, 2003, less than two years after 9/11. So I’m sure Joanne is very happy to know Sypher was part of their “extended family” who helped Coach Rick get over the pain of her brother’s death!

Of course, that wasn’t the only gem Pitino polished off for us Wednesday in an address that will long be esconced in the SbB “Opposite Day!” Hall of Fame. Read more…

By now you know about Len Dykstra’s profound financial and marital problems. I’m not sure how I would react to the nightmare he’s now experiencing, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t make some of the claims he made to Dan Patrick on Patrick’s radio show today (audio link).

(Reality show-bound Dykstra sez he sleeps twice a week - and I believe him)

Here’s a sampling:

– Dykstra said that people came for job interviews just so they could sue him and make some money.
– Dykstra said that he still has the house and the plane. But then Dan asked why was there no furniture in his house when HBO showed up with cameras. “Just remember dude, everything isn’t what it appears.”
– Dykstra says that he’s still giving financial advice and every tip he’s given has actually worked out.

Wow, that last one is a real whopper. Oh, but it gets worse.

Read more…