• SPORTS IN YOUR FACE is flummoxed as to how the Spurs can only score 5 points in the 1st quarter, yet still win Monday night.

Answer: It’s easy when you’re playing against the Hawks.

• The TUCSON CITIZEN grounds out news that Ozzie Guillen would appreciate it if some of the bigger names in Arizona spring training would be bothered to take the 90 minute trip from Phoenix to Tucson.

• PRO FOOTBALL TALK notes that when it comes to Bryant McKinnie’s recent meltdown in Miami, Vikings coach Brad Childress doesn’t want to rock the boat.

Read more…

Per STEROID NATION, the STAR-NEWS (N.C.), alerts us to a book that examines the use of performance enhancing drugs in college cheerleading.

Author Lisa Torgovnick is a former contributor to JANE who now writes for the NEW YORK TIMES. She spent an entire season following cheerleaders in competition. While much of the book has to do with the boring documenting of cheer culture, it also reports on cheerleaders’ usage of PEDs. Read more…

• INSOMNIAC’S LOUNGE finds some more super shots of sideline siren Erin Andrews during her skin-tight stint at UCLA. For example, this Bruin backer ignores new football coach Rick Neuheisel for a sight more scintillating:

• The fine fellows at CANOE.ca’s IN YOUR GRILL give SbB a shout-out.

• MR. IRRELEVANT knows that when your b-ball team’s up by 40 with only two minutes left, everything’s gonna be all white.

Read more…

So DEADSPIN’s Will Leitch is in Lipstick City tonight to promote his new book, “God Save The Fan.” Ironically, we’re mired in Miami and won’t be back until Sunday, else we’d have gone to witness the proceedings at Book Soup in WeHo. Or at the very least hit the afterparty at Big Wangs (and scour Amoeba while drunk).

From everything we’ve heard and read about the book, it slays.

Tim Hammer of LAIST has an extensive interview with Leitch today that is definitely worth a read. And stay in your seat until the end, you don’t want to miss the Bill-Simmons-felt-insulted finale.

• MJD of YAHOO SPORTS growls about one Super Bowl ad panda-ring to offensive stereotypes:

• In a similar vein, PYLE OF LIST brings up their choices of 9 racist moments in sports history.

• TOWEL ROAD points out Sunday’s game wasn’t just for Giants and Pats supporters, but also for Bears fans.

• RIZZO SPORTS BLOG tosses a few questions at Arizona’s stunning softball pitcher, Taryne Mowatt:

• AOL FANHOUSE reads up on some Amazon users having some fun tagging the Pats’ karma-killing 19-0 book.

• FOOD COURT LUNCH digests the trials of Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani’s great escape.

Read more…

• BUSTED COVERAGE looks over one piece of eye candy hoping to make a hefty profit attending this year’s Super Bowl parties.

• DEADSPIN’s Will Leitch could use the lovely lady above as his ticket into some Super shindigs of his own.

• MJD of YAHOO! SPORTS gives the over/under on how many ridiculous Big Game bets can be squeezed into one blog post.

• STRIKE ZONES AND END ZONES snaps a shot of a young Bill Belichick learning the coaching ropes in his short shorts.

• JOE SPORTS FAN howls at the testimony of other victims of the Giant lamb castrator.

Read more…

On a cold winter day here in Miami (yes