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Ron Artest:
First NBA player to be suspended for nearly all of a
season for being involved in a fight. A bold -- if
panicked -- statement by a reeling league.
QUICKIE LIVE! 9-10 a.m.
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The Lead Item
Two Words For You:
THE. BRAWL.
Suspend Christmas.
As long as the NBA is dishing out the harsh
punishments, it missed one critical action. No, not
banning beer, but something many of you will find
almost as (or perhaps even more)
heretical:
Cancel the Xmas Day game between the Pistons
and Pacers in Indianapolis.
Isn't it obvious what's coming in Indianapolis on Dec.
25? It's like dumping a can of gas on a batch of
explosives, then holding a match wondering if you
should light it and chuck it at the pile.
They don't have to cancel the NBA tradition of a
doubleheader on Xmas. Just find another game to move
into the slot. Meanwhile, give Detroit and Indiana a
double-forfeit and a day off to consider the spirit of
the season.
Humbug? More like humanism: It would prove the
NBA's bigger commitment to fan security -- not to
mention its own integrity -- than to profits and
marketing.
The Suspensions
Players never learn: The first rule of
pro sports is You never hurt the
customer.
David Stern: "We have to make the point that there are
boundaries in our games." To wit: Artest done,
Jackson's 30, O'Neal's 25.
But no word from the Commish if the league will
do anything to create a boundary between fans and
alcohol -- the melee's obvious accelerant.
More Riot Spin Control: Could
Ron have done anything to avoid the season-long exile?
(Besides not jump in the stands, that is.) Yes, if he
would have gone on TV immediately and shown
remorse. Would have diffused the public pressure that
built up all weekend.
Eli's Debut
Well, he's no Peyton (4 TD), he's no
Vick (double-hundy) and he's no Big Ben (8-0). If only
we judged rookie QBs by factors besides Ws and Ls.
Poise? He can use it when he's sitting on the
couch in January, playing Scrabble instead of Wild Card.
More NFL Week 11
More Instant Impressions:
Bandwagon Alert: The Packers. So easy to root
for Green Bay. With a 5th straight W, are they the NFC "Team
to Beat?" Not ... um, yet.
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CHECK OUT THE QUICKIE EVERY WEEKDAY MORNING! |
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| WHO'S GOT THE MOMENTUM ... |
Ron Zook: Beat Noles at FSU; carried off by Gators players
Tiger Woods: Wins in Japan, ends 9-mo skid. See you in '05
Paul McCartney: Will headline G-rated Super Bowl halftime
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| ... AND WHO'S GOT NO MO' |
S. Carolina/Clemson: Blaming NBA brawl for their own? Weak
UConn: Women's CBB gold-standard loses earliest since '95
Arizona: NIT T'giving glory? First toppled by UVA in upset
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More B'wagon: Chargers rule! Drew Brees will be
playing in Hawaii in mid-February, folks. And Antonio
Gates will be joining him.
MVP Ballot: McNabb (4 TD) sure is making it
hard to hand the award to Peyton. Idea: Let's give it
to the guy who goes farthest in January.
Bill Parcells loses more luster: Drew Henson
unready, eh? How about no incompletions and a TD?
Here's your new Cowboys starter.
T.O. TD Watch: Didn't "drop the towel," which
only would have been the best celebration ever.
Instead, sub-par calisthenics. C+
BCS Watch
Psst: Rankings don't matter.
Furthermore, get over a single champ: With three
unbeateans, it ain't gonna happen, whether Auburn or
Oklahoma makes it to the Orange. So why sweat
it?
No secret or conspiracy: The media is a lock to
vote for the odd-unbeaten-out team as champ (presuming
it wins), simply to be contrarian. But look at the
prospective matchups:
Orange: USC vs Auburn or Okla
You get the coaches' title ...
Fiesta: 3rd unbeaten vs Utah
... And you get the media's.
Rose: Michigan vs Cal
Trad'l Big 10/Pac-10 rivalry
Sugar: Miami vs BC
A classic rivalry renewed
Not bad for a broken system.
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Utah: Unbeaten
What a difference 20 years makes:
Unbeaten Utah 2004 vs. unbeaten BYU 1984. Do those
critics who think today's BCS is a cluster-muck really
think the system was better back then?
BCS, take heed: Utes vs. the odd-unbeaten-out
above is a fan-interest bonanza. Come on,
where's the mo' on this?!
NASCAR: Champ!
Congrats to NASCAR's 2004 Nextel Cup
champ Kurt Busch. Verdict on the playoffs "title
game?" A little confusing to us racing neophytes: He
came in 5th, but won the title?
MNF: Pats at Chiefs
After Friday's NBA brawl, the only
group breathing a sigh of relief is the NFL, which is
off the hot seat from last week's ... wait, what was
the fuss about again?
Needless to say, don't expect Tom Brady to be
in a Monday Night Football pregame promo with, say, a
naked Teri Hatcher.
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Pacers:
No Artest? No Jackson? No O'Neal? Good freaking luck.
Suddenly the worst team in the NBA? See Ford's
Insider analysis (Q It Up)
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Today on ESPN.com
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| Quickie Live! |
| NFL Week 11 Grid |
| Ford: What's next for Pacers? |
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| NFL Top 5 Contenders |  Eagles
| McNabb (4TD) for MVP?
|  Pats
| Best O/D combo
|  Colts
| D stopped Bears. So?
|  Steelers
| Big Ben slows down
|  Packers
| | Another Favre 4Q rally |
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More Week 11 Instant Impressions:
The Edge, LT, Droughns, the Bus, even Pittman: What a
GREAT week for RBs leading their teams to Ws. Speaking
of RBs ...
Fantasy Watch: Panthers RB Nick Goings (3 TD, 121 yds)
Will YOU be the first to your waiver wire? Too
late ...
Jets RB Curtis Martin is a lock HOF'er, but sealed the
deal becoming just 2nd player to run for 10K yards in
1st 10 seasons ...
Think Steve McNair's return to the lineup wasn't the
reason the Titans upended the Jags? Doesn't THAT make
him an MVP? ...
More Celebration Watch: Chad Johnson's self-hyped TD
dance was a letdown. You're no T.O., dude ...
Drew Bledsoe: 15/24, 185, 3 TDs? Sunshine and a dog's
rump come to mind ...
NFL's worst team? Miami was competitive enough with
Seattle to confirm that it's the 49ers (lost to TB,
35-3) ...
In Monday's Morning Quickie: NBA Brawl, NFL Week 11
wrap, BCS Watch and more. *LIVE*, 9-10 ET or read the
transcript. (See Q It Up.)
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