The TNT people must be thrilled with the way the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are selling Thursday night's game. Take Carmelo Anthony.
"It's on TNT? I didn't know that,” Anthony said. “I don't care about that. We are the laughingstock of the league right now. It's nothing to hide. We are. That's why it is a big game for us. Do I like being laughed at? Hell, no. I don't like that feeling.”
And then there’s his coach Mike Woodson, who was asked if, like his counterpart Jason Kidd, he thought his team “stinks.” “I somewhat agree. We both do stink. We have stunk it up in the early part of the season.”
Sort of undermines Charles Barkley’s pregame “turribles.” We have faith he’ll ramp up the abuse now.
X X X
He will also have a few words to say about the smoke-out in Mexico City that forced postponement of the San Antonio-Minnesota game Wednesday night. Put it this way: Both TNT's HR and PR departments are on DefCon 1.
[RELATED: NBA postpones Mexico City game]
X X X
The 49ers’ “fan memo” is a thing of brilliance because it reminds all of us what teams think of their fans – that they are merely wallets with feet who understand nothing and will obey any command like sheep because Marketing told them to.
[RELATED: 49ers ask for 'red out']
Put another way, if they’d handed this out at Sunday’s game, the crowd would have found a way to make concrete burn and razed Candlestick Park. Good-naturedly, I mean.
X X X
In case Sandy Barbour was wondering – and she isn’t – neither I nor any right-thinking human will ever call the football ground inside Memorial Stadium Kabam Field. I cast no aspersions on the video game company, but the name is stupid, and the idea barely better.
That is, unless she has uncovered some historical artifact that shows that the old Cal coach’s name was actually Pappy Kabam. Then we’re on board.
Well, that’s a lie. We’re still not.
X X X
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has applied for a trademark for the phrase “Hurry Up No Huddle.” He should ask Pat Riley how “Three-Peat” worked out for him. Or how “Linsanity” worked out for Jeremy Lin.
We do, however, hold out hope for “Ice Up, Son.”
X X X
And finally, as we suggested two days ago, Billy Beane never does deals on days when Tottenham or Arsenal are playing. They both won Wednesday. The A’s did nothing. I rest my case.