News sport : Seattle mayor: NBA is 'being straightforward with me,' no plans for a team in Seattle

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The NBA hasn’t had a team in Seattle since 2007-08, and the city won’t figure to have a team in its grasp any time soon. The fact that this is a sustained point of knowledge as opposed to breaking news doesn’t make it any less frustrating.


Seattle mayor Ed Murray met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Monday to discuss the viability of the league either expanding by one team or the possibility that another franchise could relocate to Seattle prior to the expiration of an established funding agreement between the city and hoped-for team owner Chris Hansen.


In no uncertain terms, apparently, Silver told Murray that the league has no plans to either spark up a new team or re-locate an existing one to Seattle. From Geoff Baker at the Seattle Times:



“Their official line, and I think they’re being straightforward with me, is a city grabbing a team or a new (expansion) franchise at this point is not, in their mind, something they see happening,’’ Murray said Thursday of his Monday meeting with Silver and other league officials at NBA headquarters in New York City. “They actually expressed to me that they felt expectations in Seattle had been raised that weren’t consistent with what they had been sharing about a path to get there within the next few years.’’




[…]




An NBA source, who asked not to be named, confirmed Murray’s version of the meeting.



The funding agreement between Seattle and Hansen runs out in 2017. Still two years away, but typically not enough time to truly get the ball rolling at this point. There really isn’t even a figurative ball to work with. Here’s Murray again:



“I worry that it may not happen,’’ Murray said. “I worry that both councils will not go the full way toward approving this (arena) if there is no team. If it’s two or three years away, this will run out in 2017 and the whole thing will have to start over again.’’



Sigh.


Seattle deserves an NBA team. It must be galling for former SuperSonic fans to hear Adam Silver talk up the ridiculous notion of the never-gonna-happen European expansion just to raise the hopes of potential international fans when the NBA has a viable NBA option stateside.


An option that had a team stolen from it. By several out and out villains.


Starbucks magnate Howard Schultz bought the SuperSonics during the 2000-01 season, telling any bit of media that would listen that he was planning to spend like Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban as he took his new toy to the top of the standings. Schultz quickly went cheap, he was not exactly a model owner in his time with the beloved team in the adopted hometown that made him billions, and he completely sold out the city that made him billions by selling to an Oklahoma City-based ownership group that had clear behind the scenes (and then on the record) designs on moving the team to Oklahoma City.


Former NBA commissioner David Stern, caught at the height of his “let’s please the red states!”-mania, hardly got in the way as Seattle balked at funding yet another sports stadium, and greased the wheels for the duplicitous OKC owners to move out of Seattle. Even after they’d been proven as liars. Those owners took Kevin Durant and a just-drafted Russell Westbrook with them, and they’ve been running the Thunder on the cheap ever since. Perhaps Howard Schultz gave them some parting advice.


(Seriously, any NBA fan with a soul should be boycotting Starbucks.)


The problem here is that the NBA shouldn’t expand, even with the continued influx of new international talent, and it shouldn’t take a team away from Milwaukee, Sacramento, Charlotte or New Orleans as all manner of valuable money-making options are being sorted out in each of those at-times struggling markets. Silver has stressed repeatedly that he’d throw himself in front of any train that would be taking a team out of its current city and into a new location. The league has an even 30 franchises, Chris Hansen himself is no saint, and this unfortunate amalgamation of bad timing and, frankly, crummy luck will probably end up leaving Seattle in the cold for quite a while.


It’s an absolute shame. And there is no obvious solution present to fix it.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Tony Gonzalez: Gronk is the Shaq of the NFL (podcast)

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Welcome to the latest Shutdown Corner podcast! On today's fully-inflated episode, we have:


• An interview with Tony Gonzalez, in which he discloses whether or not he can tell the difference between an inflated and slightly deflated ball, breaks down the Seattle defense, assesses Rob Gronkowski, and reveals whether he'll take Busbee's offer of $20 to return to the Falcons (26:18 mark)


• A look at the madness of Deflate-Gate, including the farcical press conferences of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady (00:35 mark)


• Did Belichick throw Brady under the bus? (16:19 mark)


• Why on earth would the Seahawks taunt Gronkowski? (36:51 mark)


All this and more as part of the Shutdown Corner Podcast. Listen up, and while you're listening ...


Subscribe via iTunes right here.


Non-iTunes subscription link here.


Leave us a nice review here.


The Shutdown Corner podcast is the product of Kevin Kaduk (@KevinKaduk), Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) and Jay Busbee (@JayBusbee). New episodes every Tuesday and Friday, with bonus episodes when you least expect it. Enjoy!






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News sport : Lou Lamoriello sued for $2M; suit claims he laughed at fired employees

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Ever see the movie “Horrible Bosses” and wonder where they came up with all their material? Probably from Lou Lamoriello as noted in a $2.25 million lawsuit filed in U.S. District court by former president of Devils Arena Entertainment, Richard Krezwick.


There’s a lot of legal mumbo jumbo and stuff, but here is the best part, by far, which is buried way low in the NJ.com story about this. Why? I don’t know because it’s incredible:


Several weeks after Krezwick learned he would be let go, several of his senior managers were fired by the Devils, the lawsuit says.


“Lamoriello physically positioned himself in a chair at the base of the employee elevator of the arena so that he could watch these individuals pass by with their boxes of personal belongings in order to leave the building directly after they were fired and to laugh as they passed by, as to take credit for their firing,” the lawsuit adds.


Oh. My. God.


On the one hand, that sounds horrible. On the other, it’s hilarious. On another … it’s just sooooo Lou.


And lastly … dude isn’t suing ‘The Devils’ per the story. He’s just suing Lamoriello. New Jersey justice baby!


The lawsuit seeks damages of at least $2.39 million for Lamoriello’s alleged interference in his prospective contract as well as an order restraining Lamoriello from “impugning Krezwick’s professional reputation and interfering in present and prospective contractual relationships.”


And there’s more. Oh yes, there’s more.


Apparently in the story Krezwick said Lou treated him as his “nemesis” during his time with the Devils. Who uses that term outside of action movies?


And weekly sit-down chats didn’t do much either supposedly.


“The meetings continued to occur and grow more acrimonious for several months, until the final meeting when Lamoriello launched into a vulgarity-laced personal attack on Krezwick,” the lawsuit states. “Lamoriello then abruptly left the room and refused to resume that meeting or take part in any future meetings.”


If the Devils actually fire Lou, he’ll have time to deal with this lawsuit that was seemingly brought out of spite. Oh joy. Happy retirement!


- - - - - - -


Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


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News sport : Has Steven Stamkos made 'the decision' on his contract?

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Steven Stamkos seems to have decided to not become the LeBron James of hockey … at least LeBron of ‘The Decision’ in 2010.


At All-Star media day Friday, Stamkos, 24, indicated that he and the Lightning are moving towards a contract extension, which would mean … no absurd unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2016 when his five-year $37.5 million deal is up?


“Obviously July 1 you can announce a deal and something hopefully similar to what Kane and Toews did, sometime after July 1,” Stamkos said. “It's a long ways away. I'm not really focused on that. We haven't really talked about that at all. We'll discuss that in the summertime, but I'm obviously very happy with where I am in Tampa.”


So he's taking his talents nowhere new.


Could you imagine a summer where Mike Babcock stays in Detroit and Stamkos opts to re-up with Tampa a year before unrestricted free agency? The Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment offices would burn to the ground. Or people would get really upset.


Later in the interview, Stamkos said:


"Obviously we'll have those discussions. Obviously I can't sit here and say exactly what's going to happen, but I can definitely we'll have those discussions and we'll see where it goes."


So a little backtrack perhaps? Maybe he went too far earlier?


Either way, this has to sound wonderful to the good people of Tampa. A player generally doesn’t make such strongly worded comments if there isn’t something to them – though his agents may be slamming their collective heads against a wall.


Regardless, there’s still leverage. No matter where Stamkos goes, he’s going to get eight years. He’s going to get $12 million or more. At his age and his skill set, dude will make bank.


In the past, Stamkos has hinted at his love of the Toronto market and the Maple Leafs. But if he wants to win a Stanley Cup, the Lightning have a bevy of talent. Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Ben Bishop – the list goes on and on.


And the Maple Leafs are the Maple Leafs.


- - - - - - -


Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


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Bafana’s Afcon hopes fade

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South Africa again failed to hold onto a lead at the Africa Cup of Nations as they were forced to settle for a draw with Senegal.


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South Africa once again failed to hold onto a lead at the Africa Cup of Nations as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw with Senegal in Mongomo.


Oupa Manyisa gave Bafana Bafana the lead at the start of the second half with a low strike from inside the area, but a towering header by Genk defender Kara Mbodji just after the hour mark earned Senegal a draw.


The result leaves Senegal top of Group C with four points from two matches, one point clear of both Algeria and Ghana, who met earlier in the day with the Black Stars winning 1-0.


South Africa, meanwhile, are bottom with just one point to their name and must beat Ghana in their last match next Tuesday to stay in the competition.


Bafana Bafana threw away a lead in a 3-1 defeat to Algeria in their opening game and this latest inability to see out a result seriously compromises their chances of progressing.


The second match of the day in Mongomo was a game of few chances, although a Senegal side that showed five changes from their win over Ghana started the brighter of the two teams.


In the 11th minute, Senegal goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul tipped a shot from the edge of the box by Sibusiso Vilakazi behind for a corner, and seven minutes later Thuso Phala was only prevented from shooting inside the area by a timely tackle.


Papa Diop's free-kick at the other end in the 24th minute was fired straight at South Africa goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane, who was picked ahead of the dropped Darren Keet.


And on the stroke of half-time, Senegal striker Mame Biram Diouf headed wide off a corner from inside the box.


The opener arrived within two minutes of the restart, with Manyisa finishing low across Coundoul and into the net from a right-wing cross.


Senegal were denied an equaliser when Sadio Mane converted from close range after Moussa Sow had headed the ball back across goal, with the offside flag coming to South Africa's rescue.


However, the Lions of Teranga were level on the hour mark as Mbodji rose to head home a Diop free-kick at the back post.


The game opened up after that with chances at both ends of the pitch, as Sow scuffed his shot from inside the box 20 minutes from time before South Africa skipper Dean Furman fired off target from range.


And moments later, Senegal goalscorer Mbodji did well to stop the ever-dangerous Tokelo Rantie on the edge of the box as the game swung from end to end.


Substitute Dame Ndoye then forced the South Africa goalkeeper to make a fine save in the 82nd minute when he flew to his right to turn a goal-bound effort from distance around the post as the game ended all square. – AFP






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News sport : Former Iowa State WR P.J. Harris charged with strangling his girlfriend

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Iowa State wide receiver P.J. Harris runs from defensive back Darian Cotton, right, after making a reception during an annual NCAA college spring football game on Saturday, April 12, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Former Iowa State receiver P.J. Harris was arrested and charged with strangling his girlfriend, and is currently being held in jail without bond.


Harris was booked on charges of aggravated domestic assault/strangulation after his girlfriend alleged he pushed her against a wall, threw her on a bed and began to strangle her Thursday morning. Police arrested Harris that evening and officers noticed scratches on the victim.


Ten days earlier, Harris had been dismissed from the Iowa State football team for a violation of unspecified team rules.


Harris was considered one of the team’s potential standout receivers before suffering a season-ending broken leg in September. At the time of his injury, Harris had nine catches for 55 yards, which tied for second on the team.


The school had not publicly announced Harris’ dismissal and it only came out after his arrest.


For more Iowa State news, visit CycloneReport.com.


- - - - - - -


Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring the growing pains in Minnesota

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A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.


C: MinnPost. The great Britt Robson goes in depth with Minnesota Timberwolves president and coach Flip Saunders, a midseason must-read as the Wolves take to yet another lottery-bound season with a confirmed youth movement.

PF: Truth About It. A fantastic look at the mostly-hated Kris Humphries, and his role in Washington’s midrange-heavy offense.

SF: SB Nation. Steven LeBron with a terrific and funny feature on the mostly-adored Doris Burke.

SG: Hardwood Paroxysm. On the idea that NBA players can’t wait to “go home” as a free agents.

PG: New York Times. Profiling the day-to-day life of Lou Amundson, now on his tenth NBA team.

6th: Fear the Sword. Excuses aside, LeBron James lines up for his latest challenge.

7th: Sports Illustrated. Chris Mannix on Vince Carter in Memphis, a former star turned role player in winter.

8th: Detroit Deadline Sports. On various Michigan-related NBA nuggets, including Nik Stauskas’ Sacramento disappearance.

9th: ESPN Chicago. Chicago Bulls VP of basketball operations John Paxson went on the ‘Waddle and Silvy Show’ to confirm that the Bulls plan to match any offers made to Jimmy Butler this summer during his restricted free agency.

10th: Grantland. Jonathan Abrams on the ascension of Mike Conley Jr., a piece you’ve likely already read but should probably read again.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Mariners unveil awesome new alternate uniforms

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(@Mariners)

Looking good, Seattle Mariners.


The M's have unveiled new alternate uniforms that they'll wear this season for Sunday home games and they're deliciously retro, adding elements of their late 1980s uniforms to their current look. Enough words, we know what you want, so onto the pictures.



We dig the return to the royal blue and gold, particularly on the cream jersey.




Notice the stirrups? Most excellent.



Check out the infographic and GIF below that better illustrate the transformation:




Well played, Mariners. You know what we need next, right? The retro logo that looks like Poseidon's staff. Next year is fine.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:



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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Former Panthers GM wonders if Patriots cheated in their Super Bowl

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The refrain, albeit flawed, from any New England Patriots hater is that they haven't won a Super Bowl since Spygate. Meaning, they needed to cheat to win Super Bowls.


And former Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney unloaded years and years of anger in one radio segment in which he basically said he wonders if the Patriots cheated them out of Super Bowl XXXVIII. The Panthers lost that game 32-29. The Patriots' past, and specifically the Spygate videotaping scandal that unfolded in 2007, has been brought up numerous times this week after questions about how almost all of their 12 game footballs in last Sunday's AFC championship game were under-inflated.


Hurney's explosion came on Charlotte's ESPN 730 AM, in which he hosts a show. The quotes were transcribed by ESPN.com:



"There isn't a day that goes by since [then] that I haven't questioned ... that there were some things done that might have been beyond the rules that may have given them a three-point advantage,'' Hurney said. "And I can't prove anything, and that's why I'm very angry. And the anger has come back over the last couple of days that commissioner Roger Goodell decided to shred all of the evidence after 'Spygate,' because I think there were a lot of things in there that would bring closure to a lot of people."



Goodell destroyed all evidence after ruling on the Spygate scandal of 2007, a decision that goes down as one of his many questionable moves as commissioner. It allowed people to wonder if there was more on the tapes than the NFL said.


One of those people is Hurney. Included in his rant was a very serious allegation that people have told him they think the Patriots might have been taping their pre-Super Bowl practices in Houston.



"There are people who swear to me that the Patriots taped our practice down in Houston during Super Bowl week," Hurney said. "I can't prove it. I don't know. And I hate talking like this because I feel like a bad loser, but it just gnaws at you and this latest incident brings it back up."



Obviously there has been no proof that the Patriots taped the Panthers' practices, and it's fairly reckless of Hurney to say that on air. But he obviously has been holding this in for a while, and the latest Patriots controversy gave him the reason to let it all out.



"To me this isn't about 'Deflategate', this isn't about anything having to do about any particular game last week,'' Hurney said, according to ESPN.com's transcript. "And it certainly isn't fodder to get by the first week before the Super Bowl.




"This is about a culture. Is there a culture of cheating at probably what most people look at as the best franchise in the National Football League?''



The Panthers had their own skeletons come out of the closet from that season. An investigation by the Charlotte Observer in 2006 stated many Panthers players used performance-enhancing drugs during that NFC championship season. Even if Hurney brought this up during his radio rant ("The organization didn't know anything about it, and we took steps and we addressed that," Hurney said), him railing about how the Patriots might have cheated them out of a Super Bowl comes across as hypocritical, hollow and foolish.


But even if Hurney comes off as the sore loser (and he does), plenty of people will be on his side. There are legions of NFL fans who have tried to dismiss the entire Patriots dynasty because of Spygate. The latest deflate-gate controversy just gives them more reasons to pile on.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Amy Purdy, Muhammad Ali quotes drive new Toyota Super Bowl ad

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The Super Bowl ad march has begun. Catch 'em now so they won't surprise you during the Big Game.


Ad: "How Great I Am," Toyota


Concept: Amy Purdy, "Dancing with the Stars" star and Paralympian snowboarder, goes through the rigor of her day-to-day life — dancing, snowboarding, mountain biking, generally kicking butt — with the help of her trusty Toyota Camry.


Execution: Anything with Muhammad Ali quotes is instantly 20 percent cooler. That's a fact. And the "handcuffed lightning" routine is one of his finest. Pair that with a strenuous/glamorous training montage straight out of an '80s movie, and you've got yourself a working, virtually critic-proof combination.


Verdict: Solid. You watch Purdy at work, you hear those lines, you feel that pounding beat ... well, you might be inspired to buy a Camry, but you'll definitely be inspired to do something.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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News sport : Nuggets PG Ty Lawson arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving

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Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving early Friday morning, as first reported by Darren McKee of 104.3 FM The Fan in Denver.



Lawson, 27, had attended a team social event on Thursday. That event wrapped up at about 10 p.m. local time, and Lawson was reportedly arrested several hours later, at 1:19 a.m. Friday morning.


From Kieran Nicholson and Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post:


The officer noted that Lawson's speech was slurred, his "breath had a strong odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage, balance was swaying/stumbling, eyes were bloodshot/watery."

Lawson "was jailed at his request and without a valid form of identification," the report said. "The Defendant also stated that he was the subject of a previous DUI out of the state of Missouri."

The nature of that Missouri arrest remains unclear, but Lawson did plead guilty to underage drinking and driving in 2008 as a 20-year-old student at the University of North Carolina, when a roadside breath test adminstered after a stop for loud music coming from his car registered his blood-alcohol content at .03, which is below North Carolina's legal limit, but still a violation because Lawson was not yet of legal drinking age.


"Per team policy and out of respect for the legal process, we will have no further comment at this time," the Nuggets said in a team statement Friday.


Lawson leads the Nuggets in scoring at 16.7 points per game and assists at 9.9 per contest this season, his sixth in the NBA since being selected with the No. 18 pick in the 2009 NBA draft. His status for Denver's Friday matchup with the Boston Celtics is not yet known.


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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : The Pistons are trying to trademark Stan Van Gundy's 'form a wall' call

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Stan Van Gundy calls for two trademark applications to be filed. (Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports) The tide had already begun to turn when the Detroit Pistons rolled into the AT&T Center to take on the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 6. The formerly moribund Motor City crew had ripped off five straight wins after waiving highly paid and underperforming forward Josh Smith, and were starting to look much more like, well, something than the costly pile of broken glass and disappointment that opened the season with just five wins in 28 games. Things kicked into another gear, though, with that matchup against the defending champs, and not just because Detroit won again; no, it's because suddenly the surge had a slogan.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


"We just form a f****** wall," Stan Van Gundy told his players during a late timeout, and while the lauded coach and first-time personnel boss was speaking specifically about the importance of protecting the rim so that San Antonio couldn't get a final-tenth-of-a-second tip try to answer Brandon Jennings' streaking layup, Pistons fans heard something else. They heard Van Gundy's passion, not only in the not-suitable-for-work diction in his huddle, but in the way his voice cracked as he detonated the F-bomb. They heard a call to arms, a mandate to stand up and be counted in trying times, "the antithesis of the basketball you've seen displayed" when you've tuned into the Pistons over the last few seasons. They heard a cry worth rallying around, worth celebrating, worth embracing ... and the organization instantly took notice.


When they returned to the Palace at Auburn Hills, the Pistons took the court to Pink Floyd. Detroit's dance team wore "The Wall Vs. Everybody" T-shirts. Hashtags were created and promoted. Try as Van Gundy might have to downplay the turn of phrase, it became A Thing, the sort of viral bit of cultural matter that inspires tons of unofficial merchandise.


It comes as no surprise, then, that the Pistons have sought to capitalize on the phrase in a more official capacity, with the NBA filing a pair of trademark applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.


The USPTO's Trademark Electronic Search System shows that Anil V. George, the attorney who handles trademarks regarding NBA brand names, filed two applications on Jan. 15 related to "form a wall" — not "form a f****** wall," of course, because you can't trademark profanity — on behalf of the Detroit Pistons Basketball Company, owned by Tom Gores. One application relates to the Pistons' current use of the "trademark in commerce with all the goods/services in your application," while the second indicates the "intent to use" the trademark in the future.


The current-use application covers "entertainment and educational services in the nature of ongoing television and radio programs in the field of basketball and rendering live basketball games and basketball exhibitions," among a number of other use cases that would afford the Pistons the exclusive right to slap "form a wall" on promotional materials for everything from game programs to clinics, camps, personal appearances by Hooper and the Pistons Dancers, team fan club services, electronic media content, and even "board games, puzzles, and trivia games." The future-use application has more to do with selling swag, including (but not limited to):


Clothing, namely hosiery, footwear, basketball shoes, basketball sneakers, slippers, T-shirts, shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, pants, tank tops, jerseys, shorts, pajamas, sport shirts, rugby shirts, sweaters, belts, ties, nightshirts, hats, caps, visors, warm-up suits, warm-up pants, warm-up tops/shooting shirts, jackets, wind resistant jackets, parkas, coats, baby bibs not of paper, head bands, wrist bands, aprons, undergarments, boxer shorts, slacks, ear muffs, gloves, mittens, scarves, woven and knit shirts, jersey dresses, dresses, cheerleading dresses and uniforms, swim wear, bathing suits, swimsuits, bikinis, tankinis, swim trunks, bathing trunks, board shorts, wet suits, beach cover-ups, bathing suit cover-ups, bathing suit wraps, sandals, beach sandals, beach hats, sun visors, swim caps, bathing caps, novelty headwear with attached wigs.

The good news is that your "FORM A WALL" paper baby bibs seem like they're still kosher. The bad news is that you've now officially read a blog post that featured both "Stan Van Gundy" and "tankini." My condolences.


It's a bit of a bummer, to be sure, that something as wild and free as SVG going ape about a simple defensive alignment eventually becomes the sort of thing that has to involve lawyers, government agencies and months-long application processes so that billionaires can make more bucks. But I suppose that's the way of the world in the big business of sports; nothing gold, not even screamed expletives regarding metaphorical masonry, can stay. At least we can still take pleasure in watching the still-surging Pistons, even if we can't yet do so while wearing an official team-branded novelty hat with attached f****** wig.


Hat-tip to r/NBA.


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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Kobe Bryant blames his shoulder injury on passing 'too much'

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In his first public comments since the Los Angeles Lakers announced that he had suffered a torn right rotator cuff, Kobe Bryant went peak Kobe Bryant with his Twitter response:



That is brilliant. And perfect Kobe – a self-aware joke, an endorsement, hashtags and thanks.


More telling? No dour notes, no blacked-out Twitter avatar (as he did during his 2013 rehab from an Achilles tear), no complaints about the struggle being real, nothing for us to chomp down on in wondering if Kobe was game to retire after a third consecutive season was ended by a major injury.


Bryant was never going to retire, regardless of the $25 million he would be walking away from in the process, but it wouldn’t be atypical for him to spend the next few months fuming and lamenting his recent streak of bad luck. It would have been just fine for Bryant to be frustrated before the cloud cleared and the summer brought new hope, but we’re not getting any of that from this tweet. Perhaps we’re reading too much into a stupid Twitter message, but it’s still good to see.


Kobe Bryant, healthy and on the basketball court again, would be great to see. We’re enjoying 2014-15, but this is one benefit of 2015-16 that can’t get here soon enough.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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Ghana in last-gasp win over Algeria

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Quadruple winners Ghana are back in contention for a berth in the Afcon quarter-finals after a 1-0 victory over Algeria.


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Mongomo, Equatorial Guniea - Quadruple winners Ghana are back in contention for a berth in the African Nations Cup quarter-finals after captain Asamoah Gyan struck deep into stoppage time to earn a 1-0 victory over Algeria on Friday.


The striker, who missed the opening 2-1 defeat by Senegal after suffering a mild bout of malaria, drilled home a long upfield punt just as a tepid clash between the continent's two heavyweights seemed to be heading for a stalemate.


The result left Ghana, Algeria and Senegal on three points in Group C, with the latter playing South Africa (zero) in the evening kickoff (1900 GMT).


Littered with errors and fouls in the first half, the game came to life after the break but produced not a single clear-cut chance before the talismanic Gyan struck to ease the pressure on Ghana coach Avram Grant, the former Chelsea boss.


Reuters






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News sport : Nets forward Mirza Teletovic will miss the season due to blood clots in his lungs

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Nearly midway through Brooklyn’s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night, after missing all three of his shots from the field and turning the ball over once, Nets forward Mirza Teletovic left the game and Staples Center on his own two feet to venture off to a local hospital. The Bosnian forward was complaining of shortness of breath, but following a battery of tests he assured media …



… and his Twitter followers alike …



… that he was just fine.


Sadly, on Friday, we’ve found out that this is far from the case. Teletovic will miss the rest of Brooklyn’s season as he recovers from blood clots in his lung. The Nets released a statement announcing as much:



Brooklyn Nets forward Mirza Teletovic was taken to a local Los Angeles hospital after experiencing shortness of breath during last night's game versus the Clippers. Following a series of tests including a CT scan, Teletovic was diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary embolus (multiple blood clots in the lungs). He will remain hospitalized in Los Angeles to undergo further diagnostic testing and to begin treatment, which includes blood thinners being administered. Due to the nature of blood thinners, Teletovic will be unable to play for the remainder of the season. Once he is cleared for travel, he will return to Brooklyn. Further updates on his condition will be provided as necessary.



Teletovic is in his third year with the Nets, one of the few that have played for the entirety of the team’s stay in Brooklyn, acting as one of the most beloved players on a franchise routinely marked with storm and stress:



And from the Bergen Record’s Andy Vasquez:



Having covered Teletovic for all three of his seasons in Brooklyn, I can telluou that he’s one of the most accessible, thoughtful and best guys to deal with in the locker room. Thoughts are with him as he recovers from this.



Teletovic is averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22 minutes a game for the struggling Nets, who are seven games under .500 after Thursday’s loss and tied with Charlotte for the final playoff spot I the Eastern Conference. What this diagnosis means for Mirza’s NBA career moving forward remains to be seen, but we certainly hope he can recover in time to become a coveted restricted free agent this summer.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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