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SALT LAKE CITY — Following the unusual foul by Mavericks Delonte West Monday against Gordon Hayward where he stuck his finger in Hayward's ear, West was fined by the NBA.
The "physical taunt," as the NBA called it, cost West $25,000 and an ear-full from Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle, who said the act was unacceptable. The fine, which appears steep to the average fan, likely is a drop in the bucket for West who will make just over $1 million this season.
West later apologized, saying the "wet willy" was over the line, but did not appear sympathetic about the call. "I saw some lint in his hair, and I wanted to get it out for him," he said after the game. "Seriously, we were like two warriors out there. But I forgot the NBA is a gentlemen's game. They want us to battle and scrap, but they want us to do it nicely."
I'm pretty sure Hayward does not consider a finger to his ear a part of the game, nor does the league.
Dwight Howard drama continues in Orlando
Orlando Magic All-Star center Dwight Howard made national headlines a few weeks ago when he said he wanted head coach Stan Van Gundy fired. Howard has never backed away from the claims and it appears to have caused a lot of problems for the Magic. Now, according to WKMG Channel 6 in Orlando, Howard will likely sit during the playoffs, with Howard saying he does not want to play for Van Gundy.
The Magic are currently set to be the No. 6-seeded team in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but with Howard out, the team would likely struggle to make it out of the first round. However, going for in the playoffs is not the issue, as the Magic will look to mend the problems between Howard and Van Gundy.
Could this be the last time we see Dwight Howard in a Magic's uniform or is Howard more of an asset to the organization than Van Gundy?
Hail Mary frisbee pass
With 11.5 seconds left in the game, the AlleyCats were down to the Columbus Cranes by one point. But with a beautiful "Hail Mary" pass and a giant leap from Brodie Smith, the AlleyCats scored, saving themselves from an Ultimate Frisbee loss.
ESPN co-host Colin Herd of SportsNation said there is "no future in pro-frisbee" adding, "Guys that play frisbee sleep in until noon." It was Herd basically saying there isn't much to the sport. Whether a sport or not, the leap was pretty cool, even if it was just Ultimate Frisbee.
Moyer for the win
The wear-and-tear of pitching makes it hard for several MLB pitchers to sustain a lengthy career. Unfortunately, some end their career with the dreaded Tommy John surgery, while others eventually retire from a good career. However, Jamie Moyer, 49, of the Colorado Rockies has just entered his name in the record books, becoming the oldest pitcher to ever win a major league game.
Moyer's MLB debut, 26 years ago on June 6, 1986, was before half the Rockies roster was born. Many of the current players on the team grew up watching him pitch. However, Moyer is keeping the dream alive.
