“Bloop Singles”

A new feature of mine with quick thoughts or jabs on stories that don’t really need a thousand words. ENJOY!!

-Strange twist of positive irony. Kobe Bryant set the new Lakers all-time scoring mark by scoring 44 points in Monday’s 95-93 loss at Memphis. Jerry West, the Lakers guard he replaced atop the list,  of course, wore number 44.

-My five greatest all-time Laker Players I, actually, saw play: 1)Jerry West. 2)Magic Johnson 3)Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 4)Kobe Bryant 5) James Worthy……………………I, unfortunately, never saw Elgin Baylor.

-My five greatest Lakers on and off the court: 1)Jerry West 2) Magic Johnson 3) Chick Hearn 4)Dr. Jerry Buss 5) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

-As for the Clippers. How do you justify losing to the two worst teams in the league, the Nets and Timberwolves, on consecutive nights?!?!? COME ON, MAN!!!!!!!!!

-Are New York/New Jersey REALLY still in the NBA??

-Does the Pac-10 conference still play men’s college hoops???

-January 20th marked the 30th anniversary of Super Bowl XIV(14) at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Los Angeles Rams held a 19-17 fourth quarter lead on the defending and three-time champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Terry Bradshaw to John Stallworth, and Franco Harris ended that. The Steelers won 31-19.

-What most people don’t remember is that after the Rams took the 19-17 lead in the third quarter, Rams safety Nolan Cromwell dropped a sure interception with nothing but green between he and the end zone that would’ve put the Rams up 26-17. Alas, he started running before he caught the ball and it fell, innocently, to the Rose Bowl turf.

-One of the great NFL stories. Quarterback Kurt Warner’s rise from un-regarded free agent quarterback, to Arena League and NFL Europe star, to grocery store clerk, to two-time league MVP and Super Bowl Champion with the (gulp) St. Louis Rams.

-Get this. Warner would’ve been one of Brett Favre’s under-study’s in Green Bay had the Packers not cut the then free-agent in 1994.

-Wonder how things would’ve played out had Rams starting QB Trent Green not gotten injured, tearing up a knee, against the San Diego Chargers in the final pre-season game of 1999. Then Chargers safety Rodney Harrison set Warners destiny (or is it density) in motion when he tackled Green.

-Warner was graced with one of the quickest releases ever. He says he learned to get rid of the football as the signal-caller for the defunct Arena League’s Iowa Barnstormers.

-Warner’s style reminded me so much of Colts legendary QB Johnny Unitas. Incredible game-smarts. Not very mobile at all. Able to take a hit, not flinch and still rifle the ball to a receiver in stride. Peyton Manning’s a Unitas clone too.

-Pretty sure Warner will stay retired and will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

-While working at the Orange County Newschannel some 12 years ago, I was given an old L.A. Rams offensive lineman’s helmet that was going to be tossed by the late and former Rams Equipment Manager, Don Hewitt. I’ve had some former L.A. Rams greats sign the thing after working with them on talk shows. The ONLY (gulp) St. Louis Ram I would EVER consider signing that helmet………Kurt Warner.

-From an L.A. perspective, not adding Lakers’ center Andrew Bynum and/or Clippers’ center Chris Kaman to the West All-Star Team as reserves is just wrong.

-Bynum, who’s healthy and playing well, was the second-leading vote-getter among western conference centers. Kaman, whose play is stellar as well, is statistically one of the top four centers in the entire league.

-On the other hand, there’s always going to be some deserving players left off the roster because the fans vote and there are only 12 active roster spots on each team……………the same amount for regular season active rosters.

-All 30 teams also have three “inactive” players on their rosters.

-30 NBA teams. Should be 15 players on each all-star roster. But not, necessarily, one from each team.

Pro Bowl Trivia.
-For the first time in three decades, Aloha Stadium in Honolulu wasn’t host to the NFL’s annual post-season all-star game. Miami is the first main-land city to host the Pro Bowl since 1979. What main-land city and stadium last hosted the Pro Bowl? (answer in next edition of “Bloop Singles”)

-BTW, this year’s Pro Bowl, played the week after the conference championships and before the Super Bowl, apparently, had an 80% increase in viewership over last years. Hmmmm. How about play it the week after the conference championships before the Super Bowl…IN HAWAI’I!!!

-Super Bowl XLIV(44) between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts is, of course, Sunday in Miami at whatever they’re calling that stadium today. My prediction, Friday.

The “Not Considered Sports Bunt of the Day”
-So, let me get this straight. The Oscar’s increase the Best Picture category from five to 10 films so movies, like comedies that get snubbed most years, have a chance. Then, they snub Golden Globe Best Picture THE HANGOVER?!?!? COME ON, MAN!!!!!!