Jason Collins

And there we have it. An openly gay athlete in a major American sport. Jason Collins came on, did his bit, and the Nets got a win out of it. Nobody played any different, and nobody got AIDs. Can we safely assume now that an athlete’s sexual preference has zero impact on their performance in their chosen sport, and that personalities are made up of so many different facets that to judge a person on a single one, and further to denigrate that aspect to cheap and offensive stereotypes, is not only wrong but entirely illogical too? Congratulations to Jason Collins, you are a modern hero. From now on, hopefully people will only worry about the details that are actually relevant, like points per game and rebounds and all that.

Zack Greinke vs Australia

With the LA Dodgers set to open the MLB season on location in Aussie, star pitcher Zack Greinke has caused a bit of a stir on the dark side of the Tasman by making it very clear how much he hates the idea of spreading the game internationally like this. He says he feels “zero excitement” over the trip, which has pissed off a few descended convicts. The Dodgers play the Diamondbacks in two games at the SCG on the 22 & 23 of March. Give him The Boot, I say!

Keep Cashing Them Cheques

Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner is the latest MLB star to cash in with a new contract. It seems like there’s a new big deal each week, probably something to do with the enormous TV rights deal that the league signed in 2012. Anyway, El Jardinero signed a four year, $52m extension, with the hopes that he and Jacoby Ellsbury take over the reins at the top of the Yankees batting order in the post-Jeter era. Elsewhere the Texas Rangers re-signed manager Ron Washington for another year.

The Height of Consistency

The last time both the Lakers and Celtics missed the playoffs was in the 1993/94 season.

Highest Paid Players in the NBA (2013 Base Salary):

1. Kobe Bryant (LA Lakers) - $30,453,803
2. Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Mavericks) - $22,721,381
3. Amar’e Stoudemire (New York Knicks) - $21,679,893
4. Joe Johnson (Brooklyn Nets) - $21,466,718
5. Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks) - $21,388,953
6. Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets) – $20,513,178
7. Pau Gasol (LA Lakers) – $19,285,850
8. Chris Bosh (Miami Heat) - $19,067,500
9. LeBron James (Miami Heat) - $19,067,500
10. Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) - $18,673,000

Some Vintage Dirk

On account of he’s my favourite player. No, I don’t think that’s unprofessional at all…

Weekly Pondering:

How much will the Brooklyn Nets benefit from being the team to give Jason Collins another go after he came out in the off season? Could be some handy PR if they play their cards right.

Quote of the Week:

“The Beach Boys are coming in a couple of months” – Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, when asked about the possibility of bringing Kevin Love to Dallas. Kevin is the nephew of Beach Boys founding member Mike Love.

Good Week:

• Miami Heat – Their 5 game win streak is the best active one in the league. A strong resurgence just before the All Star Break, and they’re carrying that form on through. Just in case anyone isn’t still thinking of them as the team to beat, all 5 of those wins have come against currently playoff bound teams.
• Dwight Howard (Houston Rockets) – Just a quick mention for a guy who’s slipped off the radar just a little, yet is averaging 22.7ppg 14.4rpg in his last 7, with multiple blocks in every one of them.
• Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) – The much hoped for T-Wolves revival is off to a decent start, with 3 wins from 4 since the All Star Break (including a demolition of Indiana), with the lad with the famous uncle averaging 35.75ppg and 12.75rpg in that time.

Bad Week:

• Raymond Felton (New York Knicks) – First he’s telling the media and everyone to get off his back and stop calling him fat, next thing he’s arrested on felony gun charges. Oh, and the Knicks have dropped 3 straight.
• Carlos Martinez (St Louis Cardinals) – The 22 year old pitcher had a very embarrassing conversation with his employers this week, after someone discovered that his twitter favourites were just laced with pornography. I mean, like, busting through the seams. Dirk Diggler’s never even seen that much porn. This was a Fassbender in Shame degree of smut. Anyway, his manager Mike Matheny gave him a little talking too and the evidence has been thoroughly destroyed. Naughty boy.

Player of the Week:

Jason Collins (Brooklyn Nets) – For non-sporting reasons, really, but a momentous thing nonetheless. 

Upcoming Dates (NZ Time):

February 26 - MLB Spring Training Begins

April 1 - MLB Opening Day

April 17 - NBA Regular Season Ends