• 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, we’re down here for a patch), there’s nothing like a good book to curl up with. At least until the NHL All-Star game faces off, without Sidney Crosby. Yes, that hurts, but the league does has that brand-new broadcast deal to fall back on (and in this one they actually get paid!).

Anyway, Will Leitch’s new book is out, God Save The Fan, and like all of you, we delight in checking the reviews of books on Amazon because in many cases, they’re more entertaining than the book itself.

But sadly, the reviews of Leitch’s tome are very boring. Unfortunately, everyone seems to love the dratted book. Even this guy:

Guess we’ll have to go off searching somewhere else to have some fun.

DEADSPIN editor (and noted author) Will Leitch has a feature piece on Mark Cuban for Gawker Media site VALLEYWAG today. Leitch interviewed Cuban recently, and was given an earful for Deadspin posting pics of Cuban getting a lap dance (in a major shock, Cuban wasn’t good-natured about it).

Highlight: “At one point, I asked Cuban about his interest in buying the Chicago Cubs. I already knew what his answer would be; I’d recently spoken to baseball sources for a story for New York magazine that made it clear Cuban, no matter how many billions he had, would never be allowed into the grey-haired old-fashioned clique of baseball owners. The guy has no chance. But, if just to promote himself as a tilter toward windmills, he stayed strong.”

Cuban’s response: “Don’t count me out yet. Don’t count me out. All [baseball owners] have to do is call other NBA owners, and there are NBA owners who are part owners of Major League Baseball teams, who see me in the meetings. They know me beyond what the media write and how websites like Deadspin characterize me. They know that I contribute as a partner. I hope, along with the money, that that’s the important thing.”

Notice the Deadspin jab? Yeah, that’s the reason old money dunderheads like Jerry Reinsdorf won’t let Cuban into pro sports’ version of Caddyshack’s Bushwood CC. It has nothing to do with you being a complete a$$hole.

Sports blogger Will Leitch’s new book, “God Save The Fan”, finally hits the shelves today.

And in an effort to help pump up probable sales, the DEADSPIN grand poobah put in a recent appearance on Fox Business Channel. THE 700 LEVEL has the video of Leitch giving the foam figure to his hosts.

At least it’s better than watching Bill O’Reilly. So, has this clip convinced you to pony up for this literary treasure, yet you have no desire to trudge out to the local Barnes & Noble? Read more…

Review copies of a new book about Reggie Bush’s behind-the-scenes business dealings at USC have been sent to the media.

The jacket of Don Yaeger’s “Tarnished Heisman”: “With the explosive information revealed in Tarnished Heisman, Bush stands to be ruled ineligible — a decision that could cost his alma mater the 2004 national championship title, force the forfeit of every game Bush played in after losing his eligibility, and potentially strip Reggie Bush of the shining prize of his college career: the Heisman Trophy.”

The first reax of Adam Rose of the LOS ANGELES TIMES, who covers USC for the outlet: “It doesn’t look good.”

Read more…