Author: Cappers Picks

Monday’s Water Cooler – February 9, 2010

Here we go with today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.

Enjoy!

The nation has spoken. We love sports more than M.A.S.H. Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIV drew 107 million viewers, surpassing the 1983 M.A.S.H. series finale as the most watched television program of all time. Eat your heart out, State of the Union address. What else is new and exciting today in sports?

NCAA basketball news: O’Bannon’s crusade could cost NCAA major coin

It turns out former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon is not only alive, but making waves. After noticing in a recent college hoops video game that players can use the 1995 national champion UCLA Bruins, O’Bannon became outraged at the use of his likeness (number, measurements, face) without his permission. One thing led to another and he has now sued the NCAA, claiming that his initial scholarship gave no permission for the league to use his likeness and, more importantly, profit from it.

You have to admit – within the context of this world, in which pro athletes either get compensated for their rights or actively sign them over, O’Bannon has a point. Congrats to Ed for making himself relevant again. Now what about his brother Charles?

NBA news: Kobe could miss All-Star game

It seems half the big names in the NBA have been nicked up at some point this season and Kobe Bryant is the latest to join that list. Right now, he can’t push off his sore left foot. It’s bad enough that he’s missed two straight games and will be a last-minute decision for Wednesday’s matchup against Utah.

For anyone hoping to see some Kobe magic in the All-Star game, I wouldn’t count on it. No way Kobe will jeopardize the Lakers’ playoff position with an All-Star appearance if he’s already missing Laker games during the week.

NHL News: Bob Gainey resigns; Tim Thomas on the block?

It’s hard to blame Bob Gainey for calling it quits as Montreal Canadiens general manager yesterday. There are few jobs more pressure-packed in sports. After several years of questionable signings and scrutinized trades, Gainey was fed up. He wanted to spend more time with his family. That’s understandable given that he, like Leafs GM Brian Burke, lost a child tragically. Best of luck to you, Bob.

All the Tim Thomas detractors out there could get their validation, even after Thomas won the Vezina Trophy last year. He isn’t playing poorly this year, posting a .915 save percentage, but Tuukka Rask’s stellar play has the Bruins thinking. Rask leads the NHL in goals against average and ranks third in save percentage. If he’s outplaying their Vezina winner and the Bruins can’t score to save their lives, it could make a ton of sense to move Thomas in exchange for scoring help. Ray Emery just went down for Philly…

PGA news: Jim Thorpe suspended via e-mail

Classy work, PGA. Golfer Jim Thorpe is already off to prison on tax evasion charges. Then he got kicked while he was down by the PGA. The Tour suspended him…via e-mail. Wow. And I thought the guy who broke up with my friend via text was a douche.

Quick Tiger update: the latest TMZ rumor is that he’ll return for the Tavistock Cup. It’s a for-fun event pitting pros from one club against pros from another. The weirdest part of this? TMZ is breaking sports stories for us.

SPORTSBOOK.COM PROMOS – JOIN and GET up to $100 FREE – 10% New Member Bonus on your first deposit. $20 Mobile Free Play – Stay on the go and in the dough with Sportsbook.com Mobile. Bet now! Join Now