What did you think of the way the Transformers looked in the recent live-action movie? I’m not so down with them looking like giant mechanical insects with all their complicated H.R. Geiger looking doodads and gizmos.

OKC Franchise will be called Thunder.

When you used to transform your Transformers as a kid, did you make the cool “kee koo koo koo” sound from the cartoon? Would you try to draw the sound effect out slowly so that you’d have time to finish transforming the robot whilst still making the sound? Not that I did that or anything.

Did you have any issues with the inconsistent scale of the Transformers, e.g. Megatron as a Walther pistol being many times larger than Windcharger, a car, or Optimus Prime, an 18-wheeler, being much larger than Starscream, a fighter jet?

its really only a matter of time before legitimate competition increases in any aspect of life. sports, business, whatever. very hard to hold onto to the top spot for very long in this day and age.

basketball-wise, it will defintely change the landscape for those marginal american players who have gone overseas to develop. with some higher-skilled foreign players heading that way, domestic doors for more american players might be opened.

This nugget from Bostjan Nachbar, who just signed in Russia:

“The NBA had better be careful,” Nachbar said. “European teams are offering a lot of money. It’s much more, considering there are no taxes, than what I could make signing for the mid-level exception.”

This is what David Stern had to say on to the world wide leader:

The so-called euro trend appears to be merely a blip on David Stern’s radar.

ESPN.com’s John Hollinger asked Stern in June if the league was worried the rookie salary cap may be preventing some teams from signing players they’ve drafted because a European team could offer better terms.

“No, I don’t think so,” the commissioner said. “In most cases that is not accurate.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to know with our team whether they’re not just as happy to have a player complete his contract, develop until exactly the right time. I’ve seen [Tiago] Splitter play in the European Final Four. He’s a heck of a player. I’m sure he currently
—he’s under contract for another year, isn’t he? He signed a new contract.

“You know, there are plenty of players who have decided that it would be, Frederic Weis comes to mind, that it would be better to stay, play a shorter season and do what they’re going to do.”

“So I think your generalization of that is not exactly accurate. But we’re not concerned about that. If players actually stay in Europe because they can earn more, that’s fine. We think that European basketball, which we try to support, might be the better for it, and that’s good.”

Yeah, David, it’s not a problem. No problems in the NBA at all. As a matter of fact, I think it would be better if we didn’t have any foreign players in the NBA because their game isn’t marketable. Americans like to watch American players over handle the ball and jack up terrible shots. I mean, our Finals ratings this year were through the roof. We’re goo.

I just checked the Utah Jazz Rocky Mountain Revue website and it said there will be no live stream of this game. Unless timvp over at Spurstalk can find it with some backdoor link, we won’t get to watch it.

RMR site says that its not streaming the SA-Dallas game today. any other ways to watch this game that anyone knows about?

i think you guys might be going a little too far over the top on this mass exodus of players to other professional leagues. sure, there might well be some medium names, or even a semi-big names to do it. americans have already filtered into sports leagues in other countries and vice versa here. maybe the NBA won’t have as big of a “talent” advantage as in year’s past – but we are a long, long way from anyone stealing that mantel form the league – poorly run or not.

either way, leagues and teams are gonna do everything they can to make themselves better and win. sometimes that means that they can pluck a player from another league – but they had also better be careful not to over-extend. history is littered with folded leagues that have done that very thing.

i wonder which american baller will go overseas and fuch up first when they are either nailed in the head with a flying coin, or publicly disgraced by the local media?

RMR site also lists that the spurs will not be streaming tomorrow either.

Where are you guys getting this info on the streaming/not streaming?

Why do they want to do us like this? Can’t the league stick to a schedule?

When you press play you just get the creepy Tony Parker video game commercial.

i saw it thru the jazz website. i also saw the creepy tony parker cartoon on the NBA site. ick.

Ok, I finally found the streaming schedule. That sucks.

I’m taking a sick day due to the whole “not being able to walk” thing, so I thought I’d watch me some Summer League. Doggone it.

I’m gonna cry. I was looking forward to this game. Plus, no game tomorrow. That means we end the blog-a-dork-a-thon on a low note.

I don’t care they have a Turk and a Rusky I like, the Jazz are like my 3rd least favorite team again now, after the Mavs and Suns. I hate them more than the Nuggets now.

Any other questions or can I waste my time doing something else?

Argh. I had a couple questions, but they can wait. I actually need to be working.

Just ask them. DON’T TEASE ME.

(that was my best Powell impression.)

except for a text message that read (DO NOT WANT) which is a story you’re never getting out of me *

• Okay if you donate $50 a pop, you’ll get e-mailed the story.

How would you solve the Turkey-Greece dispute over Cyprus? How would your methodology differ from that of Optimus Prime?

I won’t be able to walk without crutches for at least a month. Would it be lame to apply for a temporary handicapped permit?

My methodology would be like Star Trek. I’d use the Prime Directive and not interfere with other cultures’ development. I’m too biased to get involved in an Turkey disputes, so I won’t.
I will say that Cyprus sounds like it should be Greek though, right?

How about a deal? We’ll let Greece have Cyprus if the rest of the world decides to reopen the Armenian holocaust claims and decides to really investigate it instead of just assuming it happened?

Or, if that’s too murky of a subject for too many people, how about just allowing Turkey into the EU?

Pretty weird we finished 3rd in the Euros last month and aren’t a EU member.

Fenerbahce-Ulker OR Efes Pillsen?

I grew up a Fenerbache fan in both soccer and one would assume, basketball, although when I was a kid nobody cared about hoops in Turkey.

As far as I know Efes Pilsen is strictly just basketball.

wow. Giants trade Jeremy Shockey to Saints for a 2nd and a 5th.

finally, some actually sports news.

so smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.

Assuming Horry is in fact NOT coming back. Who do you want on the Spurs opening day roster? Also assume that you have to answer the question with in the limits of the salary cap and stuff.

I asked myself, how much do I spend on my ESPN.com insider status per year? My New Republic or Dwell subscriptions? I more out of PtR, and Stampler’s writing, than any of those other things.

So I kicked in another $5. There you go ATS, one more donation.

That puts me up to $24 in matching for the blog-a-dork-a-thon. Anybody want to push me over the magical $25?

I’ll answer some more questions tomorrow if y’all are game, although it sounds like we’re in the same boat for tomorrow’s game.

Fucking Utah.

i have been in and out in a very poor attempt at working, but now i gotta go and do something before i bolt outta here. fucking utah.

Yeah, I’m pissed at Utah too. How dare they interfere with me jacking around at work?

they are delicious, and supposedly aid in the production of testosterone. I’m not sure about all that, but I did just go outside and rip the roof off a city bus like a can of freaking sardines.

you can see the box score here. You have to scroll down all the way to the bottom because the box score from the end of each quarter is in there.

We missed George’s breakout offensive game. He went 7-14 from the field including 2-5 from 3 point. Ian had 17 pts and 10 boards. He went 11-11 from the line. Gist added 9 and 7.

my main man malik continues to post low numbers in good minutes – and i thought it was the yawnner who went 11-11 from the line….either way, whoa.

fucking utah.

and the recap says mario elie got a T from the bench…..wtf man? did the gym not have AC or soemting? geez.