Fun Facts

> The Knicks are 3-14 since coach Isiah Thomas received a contract extension, and were eliminated from the playoff race on Friday. The 14 remaining Knicks fans in the world just had another drink.

> The Sixers were eliminated from the playoff race on Saturday. After Sunday's win against Detroit, Sixers coach Mo Cheeks said, "I'm very proud of our guys to go out and play a game that doesn't have a whole lot of meaning. Our young guys went out there and played it the right way." Congrats, Mo. The moral high ground will look great for the next 10 to 15 years, when Oden and Durant are handing the Sixers their ass. And good for you on getting practice on playing when the games have no meaning. That's going to describe the next five years, at least.

> I hope you're all sitting down for this, but Rich Harden was cruising before leaving the Yankee game with shoulder tightness. WATFO that Rich couldn't stay healthty? It's also the first of many steps that will destroy the current first place team in my roto league, and blew my under cover in the A's game. (In other equally shocking news, Carl Pavano, DL.)

Luckily, magical man-elf Marco Scutato shook off his .050 batting average and an 0-2 count to take Mo Rivera deep, giving the A's their first series win of the year. For a fairly terrible baseball player, Scoot has his moments.

> A-Rod is now hitting .372 with 7 HRs and 17 RBIs. And who picked him for AL MVP? That's right, this very blog. Worship us.

> Bob Horry is contemplating retirement. Um, Bob? When the AP is giving you DNP-Inactive, instead of DNP-Coaches Decision... you're more or less retired. They just haven't gotten around to telling you yet.

> Steve Spurrier calls for the Confederate flag to be removed from the South Carolina statehouse. One suspects that if he had done better than 3-5 in the conference last year, it would already be down.

> The Eagles gave Brian Westbrook an extra $3 million bonus last year, and have filed a grievance with the NFL because it hasn't been repaid yet.

This will probably be a non-story soon, but imagine, if you will, if the team had done the same thing with TO several years ago. On second thought, don't...

> Meanwhile, back in the worst regular season in NBA history, this was actually said. "I probably (would have played), but since we were in the hunt for a high draft pick, of course things are different. I understand that. Hopefully things get better. Now that we clinched at least having the second-most balls in the lottery, the last three games we'll see what happens. We'll see if we can go out and finish some games." - Ryan Gomes, Celtics forward, not quite getting the wink-wink nudge-nudge memo that NBA games with the bottom feeders have only slightly less integrity than your average WWE match.

Seriously, the whole lottery system? Scrap it. Give every team, in playoffs or not, a chance to get the top players. Also, take the worst team in every division and demote them to the NBDL. Because, right now, the NBA is committing widespread fraud by charging full price for games that mean less than exhibitions. Pathetic.

P.S. Hat tip to the Hater Nation for hoping the Celts succeed in their tank job, then draft a guy who OD's. Now, that's some quality hate right there.