KD takes blame for Westbrook rift, Fox to LeBron: ‘Shut up & dribble’
Kevin Durant takes the blame for rift with Russell Westbrook
Kevin Durant used the NBA All-Star Game as an opportunity to reconnect with his former teammate, Russell Westbrook. Durant took the blame for creating a rift when he left Oklahoma City in free agency and joined the Golden State Warriors. “I feel like I just made it a thing when I shouldn’t have,” he said, adding, “it was all in my head. . . . It’s all love at the end of the day.” In last year’s All-Star Game, Durant and Westbrook made a point of avoiding each other, on the court and off. But in the most recent All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, they were seen frequently conversing amicably.
Laura Ingraham tells LeBron to ‘shut up and dribble’
Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham did not appreciate LeBron James venturing into what she sees as her domain of political/social commentary, as he has done on occasion. The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar spoke out after the massacre of high-school students in Parkland, Fla., by a 19-year-old suspect who legally purchased an assault weapon: “How is it possible that we can have minors buy a gun?” To which Ingraham said: “It’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball. . . . He should shut up and dribble.” James responded: “I would not shut up and dribble because I mean too much to my two boys here. . . . I appreciate her for giving me even more awareness.”
Dear Laura: Interesting that Fox has no objection to entertainers such as Ted Nugent or Curt Schilling speaking in favor of extreme right-wing positions. It’s only inappropriate when they support liberal causes.
U.S. hockey coach refuses to shake hands with Russian coach
Tony Granato, coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympics Hockey Team, refused to shake hands with his Russian counterpart, Oleg Znarok, at the end of their game in South Korea. Granato, who formerly played for the New York Rangers, felt the opponents had needlessly run up the score in their 4-0 victory on Saturday. With two minutes left in the game, the OAR (Olympic Athletes from Russia) sent out their top power-play team. “I didn’t like it,” Granato said. “It was 4-0.”
Between the Lines: This was an excessively “chippy” game with tensions high the day after the United States issued indictments against 13 Russian citizens for meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
Patriots knew of Malcolm Butler’s benching a week in advance of Super Bowl
Devin McCourty, starting safety of the New England Patriots, said there’s no truth to the reports that cornerback Malcolm Butler was benched in the Super Bowl because of disciplinary reasons. Nor is it true, he said, that the team was shocked when Butler was not in the starting lineup. “We all knew he wasn’t starting all week,” McCourty said during a New Jersey fund-raiser for Tackle Sickle Cell. “That wasn’t a secret to the guys on the team.” Indeed, during the practices for the Super Bowl, Eric Rowe was with the first team. But because coach Bill Belichick was characteristically tight-lipped about his reasoning, speculation arose that Butler missed curfew or was partying or womanizing or that he otherwise violated team rules. McCourty said Butler “was late maybe one day in his rookie year. . . . To me, the worst part was to see all that stuff come out after . . . the furthest thing from the truth.”
Between the Lines: As a team captain for seven years and one of the players closest to Belichick, Butler may have been privy to information that was denied other Patriots, including team owner Robert Kraft, who was unaware of the lineup change. At any rate, McCourty apparently was not told that Butler would not be on the field for ANY defensive snaps.
Sandy Alderson says Tebow ‘will play in the major leagues’
Sandy Alderson, general manager of the New York Mets, said Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner who gave up his floundering football career, “will play in the major leagues.” Alderson said Tebow “has been super for us the first year-plus.” But the numbers say otherwise. Tebow has not played above Class A level, hit .226 and slugged .347 in 486 plate appearances. At age 31, he will need to progress very rapidly to have a realistic chance at reaching The Show, though Alderson has the authority to promote him any time he wants.
Dear Sandy: This looks like nothing more than pandering to generate publicity and ticket sales for spring training games.