Leave it to Mark Cuban to slyly drop a bomb deep down in an interview about the changing role of media in the NBA. In an interview with Jonah Ballow, the Timberwolves writer for NBA.com, Cuban defended players’ freedom to send out tweets on Twitter during halftime because, “… Before I took over for the Mavs back in the day they used to drink and smoke in the locker room, so I can think of worse things.”

(He’ll tell you the joke on Twitter later … after he finishes smoking a joint)

That’s right, evidently before Cuban owned the Mavs, players used to sit around puffing ganja in the locker room at halftime, while sipping a 40. Or so he says. Making matters more amazing is that Ballow, somehow, doesn’t follow up with another question about drinking or smoking weed. How, in God’s name, does he not follow up when the most outspoken owner in professional sports says his team used to drink and smoke weed before he got there? How can that man be a reporter?

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• Ricky Williams really wanted to get high during the Dolphins’ bye - but the RB had the strength to spike such smoky thoughts.

• The Steelers & Ravens really played some smashmouth football Monday night - along with smashed legs, smashed shoulders, smashed knees, etc.

• Oakland Raiders assistant Randy Hanson says Lane Kiffin was trying to sabotage his career. Well, Randy won’t have to worry about that anymore.

• A school that hasn’t even played its first basketball game has fired their coach - for excessive swearing, dammit.

• Josh Howard says he’s sorry he talked smack about the Star Spangled Banner.

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A couple of weeks ago Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard got into a bit of hot water when a video of him saying he didn’t celebrate the national anthem because he’s black popped up on YouTube. Personally, I don’t think Howard meant anything by his statement, and that he was just goofing around. I mean, it was his offseason, so he was probably high anyway.

Still, the statements caused enough of a stir that even Ron Artest felt the need to send a letter to the SACRAMENTO BEE sharing his thoughts on the situation. I don’t know about you, but anytime I do something and Ron Artest feels the need to come to my defense, I know I messed up. Which is probably why Josh suddenly feels the need to proclaim his love for America.

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• POPO IN MY CRIB can see that despite suffering through another rotten Reds season, Bronson Arroyo still has baseball on his mind.

• Mark Cuban tried to explain Josh Howard’s Star-Spangled Slam over on his blog, but the Mavs owner didn’t realize what a firestorm he unleashed.

• Stephanie Stradley of AOL FANHOUSE wonders if the Texans can do for Hurricane Ike victims what the Saints did for Katrina victims.

• UNI WATCH looks back on the career of sports illustrator Lon Keller, the guy who created the Yankees’ famous hat logo.

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• In the most horrible of MLB hazings, the Padres’ rookies get dressed up as Hooters Girls. Isn’t playing for San Diego embarrassing enough already?

*Editor’s note: We’re sorry for sharing such a terrifying image. Please enjoy the following photo as a token of our sincerest apologies:

(SbB Girls Vanessa, Hillary and Kim make it all better)

• Ron Artest says Josh Howard’s stunning comments about the Star-Spangled Banner are an indictment of America’s education system.

• What do you do when your team sucks & no one’s coming out to the games? If you’re the Washington Nationals, you cut payroll by $20 million.

• Staying in the District, Agent Zero will be out of action until December, as Gilbert Arenas needs knee surgery again.

• No Tiger at the Ryder? No problem, as long as Boo Weekley is around to cause chuckles around the course.

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Derek Jeter was right: the cell phone is the bane of the modern pro athlete. Then again, Jeter isn’t stupid enough to get caught slamming the National Anthem on a cell phone video that is going to then be uploaded to YouTube and seen by millions of people. It would take a real idiot to have something like that happen.

Why hello, Josh Howard! THE SPORTING NEWS reports that the talented but troubled Mavericks player is in hot water again after video has surfaced of him at Allen Iverson’s charity flag football event in July saying he doesn’t “celebrate” the National Anthem because he’s black, and then mumbles something unintelligible about Barack Obama. You can watch for yourself after the jump:

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• In honor of the X Games, MAXIM brings us the 8 Hottest Girls of Action Sports. Sadly, most of them are not participating in the actual X Games, but feel free to include them in on your X Games fantasy teams.

• Josh Howard is arrested for driving 40 miles per hour over the speed limit and THE BIG LEAD is all over it.

• Team USA’s beating of Lithuania was capped off by Dwayne Wade’s windmill dunk off an alley-oop from Chris Paul. Video courtesy of INTENTIONAL FOUL after the jump.

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With the way Mark Cuban sometimes carries on, many fans must wonder, “What’s this guy smoking?” The answer, of course, is marijuana.

Tom Ziller of AOL FANHOUSE tokes up news that the Mavericks owner admitted he managed a little mary jane consumption in the past. Cuban’s confession came during a recent visit to Dan Patrick’s radio show (still live in three markets!) , where the duo were discussing Josh Howard’s purported post-season pot use.

Patrick asked Cuban if he cares whether Howard smokes or not. And Mark was honest in his answer: Read more…

Guess there are some Boston baseball beauties that can knock your sox off.

• Avery Johnson now has time to attend all those Josh Howard parties.

Will Mark D’Antoni also be available for appearances?

• Some grouchy media dinosaurs use Bob Costas’ HBO show to growl about the sports blogosphere.

• But they don’t understand the true power of the Internet, as in the case of a small-college football player using YouTube to get himself drafted by the Eagles.

• Maria Sharapova finally meets Anna Kournikova - about 3-5 years too late for most of the media to care.

• Sisters are doing it for themselves - especially when it comes to softball sportsmanship.

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UPDATE: Just as we posted about Josh Howard’s partying after a Dallas playoff game loss, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein reported that Avery Johnson has been fired by the Mavericks. Wonder if there will be a going-away party?

Ten days after Dallas Maverick Josh Howard (once again) admitted that he had smoked marijuana in the past, Jeff Caplan of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM reports that “A late-night party to celebrate Josh Howard’s 28th birthday after Sunday’s Game 4 loss turned Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson livid and led him to cancel Monday’s practice, two sources confirmed.

“Johnson, who stressed no partying during the series, was informed before Monday’s scheduled practice that Howard handed out fliers to teammates in the locker room before Game 4, inviting them to his party at a Dallas nightclub.”

Not coincidentally, Howard was a flop in the playoff series loss to the New Orleans Hornets, shooting 29% from the field and getting benched in the fourth quarter of the series-ending loss. Read more…