Scottie Pippen Calls Out Boozer, Bulls For Lack Of Toughness

Isn't this a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Remember back in the late 80s/early 90s when the Chicago Bulls were trying to make the leap to championship contender and couldn't overcome the rough stuff being doled out by the Detroit Pistons. Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson said it was bad for basketball and the Bulls ascended to six championships.

Now with Derrick Rose hobbled by a sprained ankle, Scottie Pippen says it's time for the Bulls to start dishing out some rough stuff of their own. Yes, the same Pippen that claimed a migraine headache in a Game 7 against Detroit. The same Pippen that sat on the bench in the 1994 playoffs because a play wasn't called for him at the end of the game. The same Pippen that was told "get up bitch" by a young Kobe Bryant. Hey pot this is kettle, you're black.

Pippen had the nerve to call out the young Bulls, more specifically Carlos Boozer, about stepping it up in the toughness category and protect Derrick Rose.

‘‘You don’t give up layups in the playoffs,’’ Pippen said. ‘‘You knock a guy down and you make them go to the foul line and earn it. That’s what Derrick’s doing for the Bulls. And to me, it’s an eye for an eye.’’

‘‘They’ve all got two legs and two arms,’’ the six-time NBA champion said. ‘‘You’ve got Carlos Boozer out there who’s spending fouls and a lot of his fouls are not needed at the time that he’s giving them. Those could be hard fouls. Those could be fouls that you knock a [Darren] Collison to the floor, you knock a [Jeff] Foster to the floor.



‘‘Utilize your fouls and make them more valuable for you and your team.’’


That's some sound advice Scott. That's why you're not coaching or analyzing games on the network anymore. Good thing coach Tom Thibodeau has kept their heads straight instead of listening to 'the Pip'.

‘‘It’s playoff basketball,’’ the coach said. ‘‘You have to play hard all the time. You have to have great urgency. And we have to be ready at the start of the game. That’s the big thing. We have to do a better job of starting the game.’’


The Boston Celtics are tough without resorting to thuggery and Thibodeau is patterning the Bulls the same way. You have to be mentally tough in the playoffs, not gooning it up trying to protect teammates and not allowing a layup. Make your presence known, but do it where you're not racking up technicals and fines.  









    

Keith McCants Arrested On Drug Charge

Keith McCants was one of the more notable busts in NFL draft history. Now he has a different kind of problem.

McCants was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Saturday afternoon, charged with felony possession of cocaine and resisting an officer.  His bail was set at $4,000, but he was still being held for having a warrant in Alabama. Boy, did he take a mighty fall.

The former number four pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1990 NFL draft washed out after three years and has had numerous run ins with the law. According to reports most of them have been drug related.

What's With The Orioles Luke Scott Throwing Banana Chips

The Baltimore Orioles Luke Scott should really be careful about his choice of words. His opinions are his opinions, like Barack Obama not being born in the United States. But when you start throwing banana chips at a Dominican teammate (Felix Pie) and saying he acts like a savage, you're treading into dangerous waters.

“Felix is my friend,” he says. “I give him a hard time. The reason why I give him a hard time is because there are certain people you deal with and you go up and talk to them, and it doesn’t work. They don’t understand. … I tell him about some of the ways he’s acted: ‘Look, you’re acting like an animal, you’re acting like a savage.’”



He also explained why he throws banana chips into the helmet of his Dominican teammate.


“Here are my banana chips to remind him that whenever he acts like an animal, ‘Hey, that’s what other people are thinking. They’re just not telling you, but that’s what they’re thinking about. And I’m telling you so that you’re aware of that so you can make a cognitive decision to not behave like that.’”

I don't know how friendly they are but someone should explain to Pie that those particular actions might be borderline. I'll stop short of calling Scott a racist, because I believe he isn't. He just needs a better choice of words and actions. Maybe it's one of those locker rooms where everything goes, who knows. Remember John Rocker thought the same thing and wasn't well received in his after what he said. 

Robbie Gould Shoots On Greedy Owners And Broke Players

Kickers aren't the highest paid players in the NFL. They get ridiculed a lot and pretty much speak when spoken to. The last kicker that spoke out was called an idiot (Mike Vanderjagt) by his star quarterback (Peyton Manning).

Chicago Bears kicker and player rep Robbie Gould had some interesting things to say when he was at the Chicago Cubs game. Before he went to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during Wednesday's Cubs-Padres game, Gould let a few writers from the Chicago Tribune know how he felt about the NFL lockout and players not saving their money.   

"Look fans don't buy tickets to see Virginia or Brian McCaskey. They pay to watch Brian Urlacher, Drew Brees and all the great players. This lockout is all because of the owners' greed. I'm sorry if that sounds cold, but it is the truth."

"I have been saving my money for this lockout for three years," he said. "We have known it was probably coming and we were advised to save our money. I know a lot of guys who prepared for this and are fine. The guys who didn't plan for it, that is their fault."



No matter what line of work your in you gotta put some money away. With the lavish lifestyles some of these players have it's gonna be tough once the well runs dry.

Quote Of The Week: Brian Billick

Former Ravens coach Brian Billick on why it’s so hard to get that first-round quarterback pick right. Money line: “I am living proof that if you miss on a first-round quarterback, as I did with Kyle Boller, you end up broadcasting games and writing about the NFL instead of coaching.”


Source: CBSSports.com

Roddy White's Jerseys Are Being Kept Captive

Roddy White is in the news again. This time with a legal problem. Thing is, White is claiming to be the victim.

A man White hired to frame his jerseys for the cost of $400 is holding the jerseys hostage unless White pays him $10,000. White filled out an application for an arrest warrant in  Gwinnett County.

The twist in this story is that the man says White owes him the 10 large for odd jobs he's done for White in the past.

A judge will hold a hearing and decide if an arrest warrant should be executed next week. White says he doesn't want to make a big deal out of this particular situation. Listen Roddy, make a big deal out of it before thinking of going OJ Simpson on the guy. Let's hope everything works itself out and everyone gets what they want and end up happy.

It never ceases to amaze me how dumb people can be on this subject. The man's solution to a civil law disagreement is to commit a criminal law violation. Wow! There are a lot of people out there who do such things, never mind that it's this very thing that finally put O.J. Simpson in prison.

Nice Slide Into Home

This high school baseball player exhibited a nifty piece of baserunning.