Also in NBA news, Gary Payton is traded to the Celts. The Glove seemed to lose a couple of steps out there in La-La-Land last year, so hopefully Boston will provide a return to form. At least I can root for the guy again now that he’s an ex-Laker. (Yes, I’m talking to you, Vlade…for shame.)
MSG Moves.
After a relatively quiet offseason, the Knicks finally get in the game, giving up Mutombo, Harrington, Frank Williams, and Cezary Trybanski to acquire shooter Jamal Crawford and rebounder Jerome Williams from Chicago. A cap-killer, sure, but I don’t think it’s a bad trade at all…New York needed more scoring in the worst way.
Success is a Choice…Or Not.
“Now every meathead who ever blew a whistle has a lesson about that next corporate takeover, keeping your marriage healthy, or your relationship with God. They won a game. You’ll win the game of life.” Friend and colleague Jeremy Derfner reviews coach actualization lit for Slate.
Red Dragon, Black Wizard.
In Harry Potter casting, Ralph Fiennes is cast as Voldemort for Goblet of Fire. Ok, I guess…but to be honest, I expected someone older. Terence Stamp, perhaps?
The Da Robbins Code.
In a nice surprise, I just realized after watching the trailer for Michael Winterbottom’s sci-fi romance Code 46, starring Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton, that the film opens Friday. Sorry, Open Water, but you may have just gotten shunted from the weekend line-up. Update: Saw it. All I can say is, Open Water, my bad.
The Trip to Bounciful.
Have reports of a bounce-less bounce been exaggerated? The often-insufferable William Saletan parses the recent polls and finds much mojo for Kerry hidden in the numbers.
Turmoil for the Laker Nation.
After months of little public movement, the assault case against Lakers star Kobe Bryant hits a crossroads of sorts. On one hand, because Judge Ruckriegle’s court apparently leaks worse than the Titanic, the accuser is contemplating dropping criminal charges against Bryant (but will still make a civil case.) On the other, another woman has emerged to corroborate a pattern of “aggressive” behavior on Kobe’s part. Hmmm.
Prince of Gotham, son of Krypton.
The first pics of Ken Watanabe as Ras Al Ghul in Batman Begins have been posted on a Japanese site. And, if you prefer your Caped Crusader with a side of Supes, the fan trailer for World’s Finest (by Sandy Collora, the guy who made the somewhat goofy Batman: Dead End short running around awhile back) is now also available. Yeah, the acting’s pretty substandard here, but I have to say, I sorta prefer the Collora cowl to the rubber suit look they’re going with in Chris Nolan’s film.
The Doctor Meets the Grid (and the Matrix).
Filming on the new Doctor Who runs afoul of British anti-terrorism forces. The article also has one of the first pics up of Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. Between this and the Batman post above, I know I’m starting to sound like the fanboy Joan Rivers…but what’s up with the lousy costume? Surely, any Time Lord worth his salt would wear something a mite more quirky.
With all Deliberate Speed.
“Although these events concern different legal issues and different sets of detainees, they share a common denominator: a legal strategy to keep the rule of law out of the war on terrorism by whatever procedural, legal, or administrative means are available.” According to Slate‘s Phillip Carter, the Dubya administration is obstructing and/or ignoring the recent Supreme Court decisions on the Gitmo Gulag. Sadly, I guess we couldn’t expect any less from this crowd.