This Could Be U-G-L-Y

Word is that the players and owners are not even remotely in the same ballpark on this one.  Right now the players' salaries absorb 57% of the league's revenue and yesterday they offered to drop that to 54.3%.  Apparently, David Stern laughed that off, thus the probability of a long-protracted lockout, as the owners offered the players 40%.  Derek Fisher, one of the top player reps probably flopped out of his chair trying to draw a foul.

This puts the Celtics in a strange position because in terms of winning a championship with the Big 3 / Big 4, next season is it.  They have that one last run.  On paper, losing part of the season could be good for teams like the C's and the Spurs (warning: KC Jones Sports Bigamy Alert) because there would be less wear and tear on their old legs.  However, when you look at the last strike/lockout shortened year, there were about 50 games, but there were tons of back-to-backs, and three consecutive nights with games.  Not good for the C's.  However, if the entire season is lost, the C's will have a ton of contracts coming off the books and will probably be in pretty good shape to sign a big time free agent (if one wanted to come to Boston; it hasn't happened yet, all due respect to Xavier McDaniel). 

The strange thing is, that Wyc Grousbeck, the Celtics owner, is believed to be one of the owners really pushing to skip the season and install a hard cap.  That should make him not only amazingly popular in Boston, but in their locker room.

On the positive side, we will have many crazy-ass stories about Ron Artest canging his name to Metta World Peace and wanting to play in Finland, or, my favorite, when the NBA players run out of money, like Latrell Spreewell, Kenny Anderson, or Toine, now exiled to Idaho.

-Big Ran

PS:  Scotty Pippen is broke.  Who knew?  Dude bought a Gulf Stream Jet and made some terrible "investments" after making $120 million in his career.  He ended up playing like four games in Finland and Sweden a few years back for $66,000.

Look at the T-Shirt I Just Bought

I can't believe I didn't post this in a past Tuesday Trivia, but I just want everyone to see what I just bought on Amazon and am having shipped overnight, so I can wear it on the 4th of July.  What says freedom more than wolves and an American flag?  Would anyone have any doubt that this shirt has magical powers and can do things like jump start pick up trucks and grant you bottomless cans of Bud Heavy?

So, if you are celebrating Freedom this weekend, and you see a dude rocking this shirt, pay him the respect he deserves.

-Big Ran

This is Why We Can't Have Anything Nice.....

Body found in public pool 2 days after victim drowned

FALL RIVER (FOX25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The body of a Fall River woman was discovered floating in a state run pool late Tuesday night, two days after she apparently drowned in that same pool.
Police say lifeguards were on duty and people were swimming in the Veterans Memorial pool at Lafayette Park Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and it appears no one noticed the dead body.

Investigators identified the body as 36-year-old Marie Joseph. Police say Joseph was watching her 9-year-old neighbor at the pool on Sunday when she apparently had an accident sliding down a waterside.

Family friends tell FOX25 the little boy told lifeguards that she did not come up from above water but no action was taken.

The Bristol County DA would not confirm if the woman’s body was in the water for two days, but did call the set of circumstances "unbelievable" and said the death is still under investigation.

Fall River Mayor William Flanagan says health inspectors visited the pool on Monday and Tuesday and inspected the facilities and apparently did not see a body either. Those inspectors have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), who runs the pool, has since closed over 20 of their deepwater pools until further notice.

DCR has also placed the entire staff of the pool on administrative leave.

According to friends, Marie Joseph has left behind five children and lived in an apartment a mile from the pool.

Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/woman-dies-in-public-pool-in-fall-river-25-apx-20110629#ixzz1QrFCPxV7

Okay, really? How could this be? The pool was open and heavily used for days after this and no one noticed the body? This didn't happen in the ocean where finding a body can be nearly impossible due to the size of the area and the murkiness of the water. This was a pool with crystal clear water! No one saw anything? And, why are 20 other pools closed now in retaliation? The chances of this happening (meaning, someone drowning in a pool & then going unnoticed for days, during the summer, in the nice weather when its being used by hundreds of people a day) are slim to NONE, so I'm pretty sure all the other pools shouldn't have to suffer. It's hot! Come on! I'm wondering if she was killed and then the body was dumped in the pool a couple of days later. Any ideas? Bottom line: This is why we can't have anything nice.

-KC Jones

Hello, Lionel Richie Won't Celebrate All Night Long

BOSTON (CBS) – Lionel Richie will not be performing at the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the 4th of July Monday.

He’ll be replaced by country music superstar Martina McBride.

In a statement released early Friday morning, Richie said he had to back out at the last minute because of strained vocal cords.

“I am extremely disappointed to cancel my performance with the Boston Pops but must follow my doctor’s orders.  It was such an honor being asked to celebrate the Fourth of July with this legendary orchestra and I hope to perform with them in the future.”

This is a shame because he already had the sweet white and blue shirt.  If he added some red, he would be all set for Monday.  Also, it would have been a nice break from the country music the world seems to be trying to cram down our throats.  I mean, sure, you probably would have had a ton of people making sweet, sweet love on the esplanade, but that's the price you pay for the smooth, dulcet tones of Mr. Lionel Richie.  We could have had a Fourth of July baby boom because of him.  Freedom babies.  Everyone wins.  Now we have more country music.  Awesome.  Now, I have no idea what Martina McBride sings, but I know this.  There won't be any Martina McBride Freedom baby boom going on in the Bay state.

-Big Ran


PS:  Boom.  Freedom Babies. I mean, this is how you make a F*CKING VIDEO.