Yes, it’s All Shaq All the Time today. While writing about Shaquille O’Neal in previous posts here, I bumped into several of his various and sundry nicknames. For starters, “Shaq” itself is a nickname. But we won’t even count that as one. Many Shaq nicknames were those he gave to himself. In his mind he […]

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Shaquille O’Neal will have played for at least four NBA teams by the time he retires — the Magic, the Lakers, the Heat and the Suns. But it seems clear where his retired jersey should hang. In Staples Center. So, look for a No. 34 — his number in L.A., where 32 (Magic Johnson) and […]

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This has been one of Shaquille O’Neal’s eternal vanities. One of several, but perhaps the most germane to his team winning or losing. His insistence, throughout his career, that everyone stop talking about his inability to make free throws because he “will make them when they matter.” At some future point in time. Well, making […]

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Say goodnight to the big man. And that Shaquille O’Neal gamble? A busted flush. And there the Phoenix Suns went, down the drain and out of the NBA playoffs — and off the radar of genuine NBA contenders for the foreseeable future. Lots of us suggested, back in February, that the Suns had gone bonkers […]

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Confession up front: Spike Speigner was gone from The Sun newsroom several years before 1984. Probably no later than 1981. Maybe even late 1980. But Spike Speigner popped into my head the other day, and I believe he warrants mention in my series on people I worked with. Even if he’s a little out of […]

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A recent trend in the sports-fan blogosphere is to create a website named “FireTheSportsFigureIHate.com” Just fill in the name of the coach/general manager/player you loathe, get the domain, get busy trashing the guy. Among those out there and active are firegeorgekarl.com (referring to the Denver Nuggers coach) … and locally, we had dumpdorrell.com, which last […]

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USC football coach Pete Carroll didn’t sign anybody. For all I know, he didn’t make a call or visit a kid or send a letter or an e-mail. Might not be able to right now, per NCAA rules. But he and the Trojans certainly sent a message to every prize recruit in the country, over […]

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OK, the age of player-managers is over. It’s safe to say it’s not coming back. So isn’t it time to allow baseball managers to wear civilian clothes in the dugout? Please? We really don’t need to see old men and tubby middle-agers in baseball knickers and knee-high hose. We really don’t. It’s not a flattering […]

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And that is said for ironic effect. Yes. The guy is horrible, and he’s killing my fantasy league team. Not to mention the Dodgers. Let us count the ways!

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The evidence is beginning to mount. It’s not the Arrive Late, Leave Early thing, for which Dodgers fans are (justly) infamous. That’s a violation of “real fan” behavior, at both ends … but given the freeway system in SoCal it’s almost understandable. Talking about 30-45 minutes of your life you can save, coming late or […]

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