Cheap Seats
Talkin’ smack
If you’ve been dismayed lately to encounter a series of T-shirts with slogans proclaiming “Your game’s as ugly as your girl” and “You can’t hold me, that’s your girl’s job,” apparently you’re not the only one.
Last week, J.C. Penney Co. ordered its stores to remove trash-talking T-shirts manufactured by And 1, a Rosemont, Pa., basketball-apparel company.
“We listen to customers, and there were customers who didn’t feel it was appropriate for us to carry the merchandise,” spokesman Duncan Muir said. “On further review, we agree. It was something we shouldn’t have done.”
And 1, which takes its name from basketball terminology, has also come under fire for signing New York Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell to his first endorsement deal since being suspended for choking coach P.J. Carlisimo during practice while a member of the Golden State Warriors. The bulletin-board section of its Website, www.and1.com, has been bombarded by heated commentary.
NBA backlash
Laura Vecsey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer writing on a proposed 5-second rule that will prevent NBA players from eating up the clock as they back their guarding man down in the post:
“It’s tough to know what to call this. The Charles Barkley Ordinance. The Gary Payton Clampdown. The Patrick Ewing Annihilator.
“`It used to be three or four guys were involved in the offense. Now it’s down to two,” Spurs reserve Jerome Kersey said. `Now you’ve got a lot of people standing around and watching.”’
Lovable guy
Albert Belle, never breaking stride as he walked off the field in response to a youngster who asked for the slugger’s autograph by saying it would make his day:
“You know what, kid? I’m sure it would.”
Some things will never change.
Timely remark
Skip Caray, the Atlanta Braves’ play-by-play announcer for TBS, after Carl Everett of the Houston Astros hit a ball off the logo of Fox Sports Net Southwest at the Astrodome:
“He just did something a lot of people in sports have wanted to do for a long time. Hit Keith Olbermann in the face with a line drive.”
There’s always room
About 59,525 pounds of strawberries, 7,397 quarts of cream and 12,500 bottles of champagne were consumed last year at Wimbledon by 424,998 fans.
Ale, anyone?
The last word …
“I could play in any NBA era, especially this one. The players today can’t put the ball in the basket. There are too many guys who run up and down the floor faster than ever, and they can jump real high, but they can’t shoot a lick.
“Most of them are athletes, that’s all.”
- George “The Iceman” Gervin, complaining about the lack of scoring in the NBA Finals.