Greg Oden, Father Time, Turns 21

Reporting from the Jock-o-Sphere

Getty Images

"I thought the best part was having a real ID…they didn't ask for it."

If there's one clichéd joke about Greg Oden, it's that he doesn't look—and has never looked—his age. When he was an 18-year-old freshman at Ohio State, people were saying Oden looked like he was 35. It's been a while, it would appear, since Oden has been forced to brandish an ID.

But now the real ID would work.

Oden writes about turning 21 this past week.

"So this past week I turned 21, it's been a really fun week," he writes. "I really don't feel any different. Everybody asks me if I feel older and I give them the same answer, 'Heck no I feel like a day went by.' On my birthday when I was paying the bill for my dinner and drinks and I gave the lady my credit card and ID and she said she didn't need it. So the next day I went to a restaurant and sat in the bar and they carded all my friends except me, even when I went to a club they didn't card me at all. It just seems different to me 'cause I feel like one of the best things about being 21 is when the people who work at a place don't think your 21 you get to whip out your ID and shove it back in their face.

"I'll never get that chance 'cause everybody already thinks I'm 50."

---

With the World Baseball Classic set for this Spring Training, rosters are currently being finalized for the participating countries. Giants catcher Bengie Molina, like so many other Major Leaguers, is torn between team and country.

"So, it's a true honor to be selected—especially because, as you probably know, we have a lot of catchers in Puerto Rico who are really, really good," he writes. "I'm flattered to be included in their company. But I'm not sure I'll accept the invitation if, in fact, I'm on the final 28-man roster.

"The most important thing for me is to be ready for the 2009 season with the Giants.…it's important for me to be with the Giants for Spring Training and start working with the pitchers.

"So, if I'm not the No. 1 or No. 2 catcher for the Puerto Rican team—if I'm going to catch only one game or get an at-bat here or there—it's best that I skip it."

---

Jordan Farmar would like you to know he doesn't illegally download. And that he's a bit of a Mac fanboy. Here, check it out:

"I buy whole albums off iTunes," he writes. "Whenever a new recording is available, I'm right there, buying it, downloading it onto my computer and onto my iPods, so I can have the music with me. I like to support the artist, they work hard just like us athletes, so I'm big into paying for any music I download."

"Another good thing is that we save a lot of physical material, the plastic that CDs are made, the paper, etc. With downloads, we don't need those materials. The whole model of the way we consume music is changing and you don't really need the hard CDs, unless you don't have an iPod or MP-3 player. For the record, I'm an Apple guy, I have several iPods, an iPod Touch, an iPhone, a Mac desktop and three Mac laptops."

Even if Steve Jobs' health is making the Apple stock fluctuate at the moment, it seems Farmar is doing everything he can to keep it afloat.

---

Charlie Villanueva checks in with a long entry on NBA.com. The best part? He drops all his Bucks teammates' nicknames. Some of the highlights:

"Charlie Bell — 'Snacks,' C-Bell always has a snack with him, always prepared, good cookies too," he writes.

"Dan Gadzuric — 'D Block,' Dan's never been to prison that I know of, but he'll punch your shot."

"Tyronn Lue — 'Looks,' we call him that because his shots are good looks, funniest on the squad."

Odds And Ends

Rafael Nadal was back at blogging during the Australian Open … Phil Hughes drops his glove and hat size … Vernon Davis hits the Inauguration ball scene … Lance Armstrong is a Bon Iver fan … Kyle Harrison blogs about the new Nike commercial spot he's in.

Print Article . Email Article. Subscribe to The Magazine