Hopefully this is like a NASCAR crash and it looks worse than it really was. I’ll update as more information becomes available.

Update Jahvid Best suffered a concussion but has movement in his extremities.

Andy Reid looks like he’s bracing himself to be hit by a truck. Not what I would expect since Reid made a joke about Jackson’s size last year when DeSean chest bumped Reid.

Andy Reid on DeSean Jackson’s post-TD celebratory chest bump: “I thought a moth hit me.”

DeSean Jackson could stand to gain a few pounds but what he lacks in size he makes up with heart and explosive plays.

The Tubes nearly exploded-

The Deadspin Backlash [SB Nation]

AJ Daulerio Is An Asshole [MGoBlog]

Deadspin Embarrasses Itself With ESPN Posts [The Sporting Blog]

Phillies Return to World Series, Robots Taking Over Press Box & What ESPN Axe is Daulerio Grinding at Deadspin? [On The DL]

- but not everybody was putting Deadspin down or sticking up for ESPN.

DEADSPIN IS DOING THE LORD’S WORK [With Leather]

The outrage seems to go in one of two directions. They’re pissed because they feel A.J. and Deadspin crossed a line by delving into the personal lives of ESPN employees, or because those posts will make all sports bloggers look bad. I agree to an extent with the first take but not at all with the second.

I caught Daulerio on IM Thursday to get his thoughts on the kick in the balls he gave to ESPN.

HG: IMO… i thought you guys were trying to pull them in
not quite a publicity stunt
but definitely an act designed to raise awareness

Daulerio: I guess you could see it that way, sure. Did I lash out a little bit and create a spectacle? Yeah. Do I think there’s a larger issue here that’s being overlooked in the arbitrary nature of their policy? I think that’s in play as well.

HG: What was your intent, Nick’s (Denton) too if any?

Daulerio: Cause chaos, make news, create talking points. But that’s not Nick’s. In fact, I think he gets a little spooked by how I handle things sometimes. Probably not, though.

HG: What talking points were you hoping to create? You expect a lawsuit?

Daulerio: I think there are media ethics issues here — what’s the give-and-take between PR rep and reporter/writer/blogger and what happens when they steer you off a story due to some technicality even though there’s a long-standing history of transparency between the two parties. And how flimsy this whole “code of conduct” policy at ESPN actually is.
And, no, I don’t expect a lawsuit. I never expect a lawsuit.

ESPN issued a statement late Thursday:

A.J. says he lashed out, I call it overreacting. Posting the info only because ESPN dogged him on a story makes AJ and Deadspin seem petty. I’m not saying everybody would’ve been on board- because some people just don’t like to hear about guys cheating on their wives, women sleeping their way to the top, and the traveling crews flying in road beef- but more people would’ve been receptive to the posts if they had been rolled out normally instead of vindictively.

As far as making all sports bloggers look bad.. In the same way The Enquirer makes all print media look bad. It doesn’t. What we write and how we handle topics on our sites is what makes us look good or bad. I’m not hinging my credibility on the rest of the blogosphere. If somebody lumps all sports blogs together because of the actions of one sports blog, they’re an idiot. Why would I be mad at Plaschke over something Simers wrote? And if you think this is the worst thing Deadspin has done to damage the image of sports bloggers, you must not remember Waxing Off..

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The charges against Dudley were dropped last month and now he’s looking to get paid.

“As soon as I went into the precinct and I had the cuffs on they said, ‘Oh, is this Plaxico?’” Dudley said. “And then when I was in the cell, while they processed me, they called me Plaxico, making fun of me.”

The NY Daily News story paints the picture of a pretty good kid and the NYPD is known for being foul. If they thought he was shot by somebody else they probably would’ve called him Sean Taylor, Joey Porter, Steve McNair, Curtis Brinkley, Steve Foley, Jerome McDougle, Richard Collier, or Darrent Williams.

Cops compared me to troubled ex-Giant Plaxico Burress, says shot teen [NY Daily News]

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Lakers fans need not be too concerned about his priorities, because he also Tweeted that he’s been working out and plans to come back bigger and stronger. Even in his elbows.

He added photographic evidence of his workout results, for those interested.

It’s no guarantee the Laker signing will work out well on the court, but we sure know that Ron Artest and Hollywood’s bright lights should be an off the court hit. And if we’re lucky this might lead to Ron Artest rapping in Chinese.

-Will

Here’s Dan Henderson’s take on dropping the extra elbow on Bipsing:

As you can see in the video below, which Shaq linked to on his Twitter, this B.Manley guy is no slouch.

Showing he’s a good sport and game for the challenge, the man in the trick shot video has accepted the bet on his YouTube page, even suggesting a live video stream of the game.

Given the fact that Shaq has never been known for his outside shooting touch and this guys crazy plays this could actually be one hell of a show. That’s all assuming there’s no editing involved, which it doesn’t seem there is. I guess we’ll see if the Big Diesel can add a Horse win to his 4 championship rings.

- Will.

Los Angeles has long been known as the city with the enticing bright lights of Hollywood and its star-studded population, so it’s only natural that we’d be famous for loving winners. This brings us to what’s going on in the City of Angels right now with the LA Lakers holding a commanding 2-0 series lead in this year’s NBA Finals – citywide euphoria and anticipation for another championship parade with streets full of happy Purple and Gold fans.

When it comes to winning traditions, few franchises in sports as a whole – let alone the NBA – have one as longstanding and proud as the Lakers. Their hated rival Boston Celtics are the only team with more titles (17 to LA’s current 14), but the Lakers have the most Finals appearances with 30 and most playoff wins. Given that reputation, there’s not only an expectation of championships, but an almost cocky belief that title 15 is a done deal. Get in your car and drive any part of LA County from the Valley to Long Beach and you’re guaranteed to find hundreds of car flags, jerseys, hats, crazed fans and more, all gearing up for a new banner at the Staples Center.

Trust me when I say this contagious Laker-mania isn’t only affecting common fans. Celebrity fans like Jack Nicholson and Snoop Dogg are just a few of the notable names who root for Kobe and company, and the huge block party has already gotten started. That’s what’s great about Los Angeles, there’s no shortage of places to celebrate, and Snoop’s locale of choice was the Playboy mansion. The Doggfather hit Hef’s spot to perform his catalog of classics and I’m willing to bet that everyone singing along is more than just a little bit happier thanks to the prospects of a new parade in Southern Cali.

Even out of town ballers who’ve already fallen victim to the Lakers this year are in town partying it up, as Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest made clear in a few new videos that hit the net. You know Tinsletown is the new basketball hotspot when even the guy who got up in Kobe’s face and told him he’d “f*&k him up” a few weeks ago is ready to join in on the fun.

Another thing about sports pride in LA (for the Lakers and Dodgers) is that it unites the whole city in ways that most wouldn’t imagine. Everyone from the rich types out in the hills to the diehard fans in all the different neighborhoods can be seen representing for their city and team together. Be honest, what other time would you expect to see a Beverly Hills doctor dancing and screaming alongside a rapper?

Speaking of rappers, this year’s playoff run has inspired quite a few Laker fans with mic skills to show their love and affiliation to the team. Rising signed artists like Watts rapper Jay Rock (Warner Bros Records) and Spider Loc (G Unit) have recorded new anthems praising the team. (Jay Rock Lakers Song | Spider Loc Lakers Song) Others like Carson’s Roccett (Young Jeezy’s CTE West) have filmed themselves enjoying games on YouTube. Internet sensation Twitter has also regularly had keywords like “Kobe, Lakers, Go Lakers!” and more featured as popular trending topics on the site, with thousands of people across the web tweeting about the team every day.

The fanfare has even reached other states, as evidenced by the recent “Kobe Bryant” song by one of today’s most popular rappers and Louisiana native Lil Wayne. The musical ode to Kobe and his skills has garnered hundreds of thousands of combined views since its release last week and has been an instant favorite on LA radio. However, anthems and parade dreams alone don’t bring home titles, as seen by last year, which had a great anthem, but resulted in a humiliating loss against Boston.

And of course this is all happening with the Lakers only halfway toward their goal, and it isn’t completely unprecedented to fathom a Miami basketball team coming back from a 2-0 Finals deficit (Dwyane Wade against the 2006 Mavs ring a bell?), but the people of Los Angeles feel that this team is destined to bring another winner to the city of the stars. If that ends up being the case, get ready for a celebration worthy of LA’s reputation.

- Will.

Exhibit A:
Rondo balled his mind out for the C’s in this year’s playoffs, averaging decimal points shy of a triple-double. But this foul on Brad Miller during the critical moments of Game 5 should’ve have been called a flagrant, which likely would’ve swung the game (and the series) in favor of the Bulls.

Exhibit B:
Quick, what’s one word to describe the refs treatment of LeBron? You guessed it, Jordanesque. Apparently, Cleveland’s version of Scottie Pippen (Mo Williams) also benefits from favorable officiating, through association.

If Rafer Alston threw the rock at LeBron, he would’ve gotten a flagrant 2 and been tossed faster than you can say And 1.

Exhibit C:
With Raja Bell wasting his life away on the Charlotte Bobcats, Denver’s Dahntay Jones has taken over the role as turd in Kobe’s playoff punchbowl. I say good for him; the former D-Leaguer found a niche that’ll keep him in the NBA for a few years (sure as hell ain’t because of his offense). But just like Bell, Jones was habitual-line crosser during the Lakers series, often resorting to dirty tactics after Kobe blew by him.

Both of these fouls should’ve resulted in a tech, and the first one featured on the link-where Jones blatantly trips Kobe during Game 4-should’ve prompted a flagrant 2 and a red card.

Similarly to the blown call at the end of Bulls-Celtics Game 5, the no-call involving Carmelo Anthony and Antoine Wright at the end of Nuggets-Mavericks was a major momentum shifter. Wright clearly fouled Melo when his team, the Mavs, were up by two and had a foul to give. Everybody in the building knew an intentional foul was coming. Instead, the referee Mark Wunderlich-who stood a few feet away from the action-failed to make the call and ended the Mavs season at least one game early.

Two hours after the game, Joel Litvin, NBA president of league and basketball operations issued this statement: “At the end of the Dallas-Denver game this evening, the officials missed an intentional foul committed by Antoine Wright on Carmelo Anthony, just prior to Anthony’s three-point basket.”

Would the Mavs have pulled out that series under any circumstances? Hell. To. The. No. But is being down 2-1 with another game on your home court a much different proposition than facing an insurmountable 3-0 lead? Indeed it is.

Besides the protection bestowed upon King James, the dreadful officiating has been spread fairly evenly. But the fact is, refs shouldn’t be sharing column space with Dwight Howard, J.R. Smith, Delonte West or any players that have had pivotal roles on their teams this postseason. David Stern and the league’s competition committee need to make drastic, visible changes to the way the games are called before their good product can truly be called amazing.

It’s the first week of June and that means it’s time for the NBA Finals. (Full Schedule) Despite the universal assumption that a Kobe V. LeBron battle of the titans was going to happen, and much to the chagrin of David Stern and the Nike puppet campaign, the King and his jesters court were ousted by a hero turned super villain (at least in Cleveland) – Dwight “Superman II” Howard and his Orlando Magic.

The Magic have lived up to their name this postseason, surprising everyone outside of Florida by continuously beating teams that they were supposed to lose to and showing they weren’t afraid of a little adversity. They dealt with losing hard-fought games at the buzzer (LeBron, Big Baby, Iguodala and Thaddeus Young all did it to them these playoffs) that would have shaken most teams into losing confidence. They handled a semi-controversy when Dwight called out Stan Van Gundy and they went into two of the most difficult road arenas in the NBA and won critical games (games 1 and 7 in Boston, game 1 in Cleveland to break the Cavs 8-game undefeated streak.) So far the Magic have overcome every challenge placed in front of them, leaving them with just one last adversary: the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers have had their fare share of stumbles and troubles this postseason too. Just as vaunted a regular season team as LeBron’s, everyone expected LA to cruise to the finals and there was quite a commotion out West when they were taken to 7 games by the injury-ravaged Houston Rockets and pushed around by the Denver Nuggets. As one of the most talented rosters in the league and with last year’s MVP Kobe Bryant at the helm, they eventually took advantage of their experience and personnel to make all the right crunch-time plays and are looking to make up for last year’s 6-game embarrassment.

Which leads us to this showdown; seven possible games, two teams with two superstars and two coaches looking to break stereotypes and records, pushing to either create or cement their legacies. Make no mistake, just because it’s not 23 against 24 doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole lot on the line.

Phil Jackson can break his 9-championship tie with Red Auerbach and set a new coaching standard for titles. Kobe can finally start to get the giant “can’t win without Shaq” monkey off his back and prove he’s an actual champion level leader, while Van Gundy and Dwight can go a long way toward silencing all their own critics with yet another huge upset.

And that upset is far from impossible. As much as the Lakers have been tested so far, they might face their biggest challenge with Orlando, who not only boasts a ferocious interior presence in Howard, but gives LA some of the same match up nightmares that faced Cleveland and Boston. Word even has it that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson will play. Who’s going to guard Lewis and Turkoglu? Gasol is too slow and Ariza can only stick to one of them. Walton? Please. If Odom is on his game (a huge if) then LA has a much better chance, but either way it’ll be tough. Especially when Dwight is dominating inside, which will create space for the endless supply of 3-point shooters on the Magic.

Of course that’s only if Orlando keeps hitting its threes, which so far they have been able to do with consistency. It’s hard to see Lewis, Turkoglu, Pietrus and Alston suddenly losing their touch, especially with all the confidence they’ve gained so far. They’re shooting a respectable 37% outside the arc so far as a team (down only one percent from their regular season stats) and Lewis and Pietrus are each shooting at or above 39%. Spacing the floor against a Lakers defense already prone to breakdowns could do wonders for the Magic.

On the flipside, Howard will face his most difficult frontcourt opponents yet as he’ll see something he hasn’t seen so far these playoffs – young, tall and athletic guys capable of staying in front of him and dishing out some hard hits. Bynum, although largely invisible thus far, has a chance to bother Howard and will definitely give out fouls. Odom and Gasol are nowhere near as strong, but their size and relative quickness shouldn’t be underestimated. The pressure will be on Howard to keep hitting his free throws and prove his worth as a go-to bigman.

Speaking of dominant centers, who do you think Shaq is going for? You know he doesn’t want Kobe to win a ring and tie his total, but I can’t imagine he wants the “Master of Panic” and Dwight to get the last laugh and do what he couldn’t in Orlando and win a ring. Anyone down to ask him?

For the Lakers, their keys to victory obviously involve great production from Kobe, but if they want to win their 15th championship they’ll need a lot more from everyone else. Here’s a nifty position by position breakdown of each team’s roster. Their struggles against Denver quickly changed when Odom decided to actually show up and Gasol’s extra touches and fouls blocks in the paint showed a side of them rarely seen. Whether Lakers fans want to admit it or not, their team is notoriously known for being soft, specifically Gasol, so if they want to beat Orlando they’ll need the Pau that doesn’t inspire these Kotex parodies.

In all seriousness though, one of the biggest keys to how the series will swing revolves around how Orlando defends Kobe. Pietrus is their best perimeter defender and in spite of LeBron’s amazing numbers, Pietrus did a great job on him in each game. If Pietrus can stay in front of Kobe and lure him into going solo into Howard and the Marcin Gortat/Tony Battie combo, then they have a good shot. The Magic swept the season series with the Lakers even though Kobe had a 41-point game and a 28-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist effort against them, so there’s a chance Orlando can use the same winning formula that Boston perfected last year.

Whether he admits it or not, this year is a monumental one for Kobe’s legacy. If he loses, he undoubtedly will take a big hit in the “greatest players” debate, and if he wins he moves toward joining the NBA’s all-time upper echelon. That’s a lot of pressure and physical play for anyone to handle, even Kobe, and his 13 years of wear and tear may play a factor.

Given the multiple matchup problems Orlando creates with their 3-point shooting and Dwight’s emergence as a true superstar, this series can and most likely will go at least six games. The Lakers are the favorite and should win it all if they play to their potential, but that’s apparently easier said then done for them, so don’t be stunned if the Magic are the first to four wins. It would only seem fitting if the team that plays not too far from Disney World could start their own NBA version of the popular slogan and bring a title home with them.

- Will.