All-Tournament Choices Reflection of Flawed Voting Logic

By Wheat Hotchkiss

March 4, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS — Purdue was a worthy champion. The Boilermakers held off a feisty Nebraska squad Sunday night at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse for a 74-70 double-overtime victory. They received the trophy, hats and t-shirts that go to the Big Ten Women’s Tournament champions, and deservedly so.

The same cannot be said for the All-Tournament selections.

Look, I know for most people the All-Tournament team is a trivial afterthought. It is a team tournament and the most important thing is who cuts down the nets.

But the point of the All-Tournament team is to recognize the most outstanding players over the course of the tournament. The Big Ten All-Tournament team is another reflection of flawed voting logic that runs counter to the intentions behind the team.

Three of the selections are fine. Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper and Lindsey Moore were the first and third-leading scorers in the event. In Sunday’s championship game they accounted for 52 of Nebraska’s 70 points. Purdue’s Brittany Rayburn is another correct decision. Rayburn propelled the Boilermakers into the title game, with a tournament-high 29 points and seven three-pointers in the quarterfinals against Iowa and the game-winning basket in the closing seconds of a semifinal upset of top-seeded Penn State.

But the rest of the team is a series of blunders.

The worst decision by far is the inclusion of Ohio State guard Samantha Prahalis. Prahalis is a tremendous player – she was named the conference’s Player of the Year. But she did not have a good tournament.

In the second-seeded Buckeyes quarterfinal win over seventh seed Michigan, Prahalis shot just 4-15 from the field and had a season-high seven turnovers. She had 23 points in the semifinal game, but she also had eight more turnovers as sixth-seeded Nebraska beat Ohio State handily.

But the voters ignored all of that. They knew she was the regular season Player of the Year (never mind that has nothing to do with the tournament). They knew she set the Big Ten career assist record against Michigan (never mind she entered the game just three assists shy of the mark). They saw Ohio State advanced to the semifinals (never mind they only had to win one game to do so). They focused on her 17 points per game average in her two games (never mind the 7.5 turnover average).

The final member of the team, Purdue’s KK Houser, is another improper choice. Houser was Purdue’s best player in the championship game, with a team-high 19 points, five steals, and no turnovers. But the rest of her tournament was lackluster. In Purdue’s first two games she had just nine total points, and matched her eight assists with eight turnovers.

Houser’s selection is likely the result of voters wishing to honor multiple members of the tournament champions (or perhaps give them as many as the runner-up Cornhuskers).

That same logic is what led to Rayburn being named Most Outstanding Player. Neither decision is justified.

The All-Tournament team and Most Outstanding Player should go to the five top and single-best players in the tournament, respectively, regardless of how their teams fared.

Minnesota freshman point guard Rachel Banham was the event’s fourth-leading scorer and third-leading rebounder. She nearly led her eight-seeded Golden Gophers to an upset of top seed Penn State. So what if her team lost in the quarterfinals? That doesn’t take away from how well she played individually.

And the best player in the entire tournament was clearly Hooper. She averaged a tournament-high 19.8 points per game and 9.0 rebounds. Purdue would have won the final much earlier if not for Hooper’s 25 and 10, her 12-12 shooting from the free throw, her game-saving block of Boilermaker guard Courtney Moses at the end of regulation.

Meanwhile Rayburn scored just nine points in the finale and spent a good portion of the overtime periods on the bench in foul trouble. But her team won, so she gets the honor.

In a way, only naming one Purdue player to the All-Tournament team or giving the Most Outstanding Player to Hooper would have further honored the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers were able to get great performances from several different players over the course of the tournament. Rayburn, Houser, Moses, Chantel Poston, Sam Ostarello, Antionette Howard…all of them had their moments in Purdue’s three victories. Purdue is a team with several key contributors but no star.

Even Purdue coach Sharon Versyp recognized that fact.

“We don't talk about individuals,” Versyp after her Boilermakers cut down the nets. “You don't just see one face everywhere on our program. It's about the whole team.”

Not naming Houser to the All-Tournament team or not giving Rayburn Most Outstanding Player would have been additional testament to Purdue’s great team, not a slight against them as individuals.

But All-Tournament voting has somehow warped into a formulaic, false process. Players don’t get picked if their team doesn’t make the semifinals. The Most Outstanding Player only goes to someone from the tournament champions. Regular season achievement even occasionally supersedes tournament performance.

That’s just wrong.

Making My Entrance

So I realized today that the night before I was born was also the night that Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds. Michael Spinks not only entered the fight undefeated, he had never even been knocked down in his professional career. Tyson knocked him down twice in the first half of the first round, the second knockdown doubling as the knockout. To top it off, Tyson beat Spinks so badly that Spinks never fought again.

I'm not sure exactly what this remarkable sporting moment occurring on the eve of my birth means, but I prefer to view Tyson's remarkable knockout as an omen of the imminent arrival of greatness.

The 50 Greatest Nicknames in NBA History

The inspiration for this blog post stems from a conversation yesterday with an old friend of my parents who happens to be a basketball coach. For some reason he began recanting stories about George Gervin, a.k.a. “The Iceman” (including referencing the above poster, which is indeed pretty awesome). I noted that not only was Gervin an exceptional player, he also possessed one of the best nicknames in the history of the NBA.

This gave me the idea to rank the 50 best nicknames in NBA history. I’m sure there are other such lists already floating around the internet, but I didn’t consult any of them. I did consult a rather exhaustive collection of player nicknames, which even included some nicknames I’ve never heard (“Ricky Buckets” for Ricky Davis and “G-Money” for Grant Hill, to name two awful ones).

As a general rule I excluded players whose nickname was better known than and/or effectively replaced their first name. So you won’t see Mookie Blaylock, Muggsy Bogues, Speedy Claxton, Bimbo Coles, Sleepy Floyd, Penny Hardaway, Magic Johnson, Smush Parker, Pooh Richardson, Doc Rivers, Tree Rollins, or Spud Webb on this list. And for players with multiple nicknames, I only ranked what I determined in my opinion to be the player’s “best” nickname.

So without further ado, here’s my Top 50. If you disagree with the order or think I omitted someone, feel free to chime in.

50. Delonte West- “The Uncle” If you don’t get this one just Google “Delonte West and LeBron James mom.”

49. Zach Randolph- “Z-Bo” While I think the “T-Mac” first initial of first name-first syllable of last name style of nicknaming is the laziest trend ever and has greatly hindered the art of nicknaming in the 21^st century, I’ll make an exception for this since there is know “Bo” in Randolph.

48. George Glamack- “The Blind Bomber” Apparently this 1940s star had such poor eyesight he measured his shots using the painted lines on the floor.

47. Darrell Griffith- “Dr. Dunkenstein” I don’t think this nickname has aged all that well. It’s a lot cornier and clunkier than the other classic nicknames from the late 70s-early 80s, but we’ll give it props for the creativity.

46. Billy Cunningham- “The Kangaroo Kid” In case you couldn’t tell, this is a 1960s nickname for a guy who could jump really high.

45. Tim Duncan- “The Big Fundamental” Bland but effective, much like Tim Duncan’s game.

44. Glenn Robinson- “Big Dog” Simple and gruff, perfect for a guy who starred at Purdue and then in Milwaukee.

43. Damon Stoudamire- “Mighty Mouse” I’m pretty sure this is the only guy on the list whose nickname comes from a cartoon character.

42. Kobe Bryant- “The Black Mamba” Kobe contrived this nickname for himself at a stage in his career when he didn’t really need one. Still, it’s so bizarrely creative it deserves a spot on the list.

41. Joe “Jellybean” Bryant Probably the only list where Joe Bryant ranks ahead of his son.

40. LeBron James- “King James” Proclaiming LeBron “King” before he ever played a game was just as premature as the Heat celebrating winning the 2011 title in July 2010, but he’s lived up to the hype and the biblical reference is sharp.

39. Rafer Alston- “Skip to My Lou” All the players on the And1 Mixtape Tour have awesome nicknames, and Alston was the first to go from the And1 Tour to the NBA.

38. Jason Williams- “White Chocolate” Self-explanatory.

37. Isiah Thomas- “Zeke” Slick and monosyllabic. And supposedly created by Bill Laimbeer, which explains the simplicity.

36. Kevin Durant- “Durantula” I don’t know why this nickname hasn’t caught on more. One of the few genuinely creative nicknames in the present day. Yet probably more people refer to Durant as “KD.” Ugh.

35. Vince Carter- “Air Canada” Accurately captured a young Vince Carter as both an amazing dunker and the face of the league’s only Canadian franchise. Also paid a fitting tribute to another high-flying Tar Heel…

34. Michael Jordan- “Air Jordan” A solid nickname for the greatest of all-time. And some pretty sweet shoes.

33. Fred Hoiberg- “The Mayor” Hoiberg actually got this nickname at Iowa State for how popular he was in his Ames, Iowa hometown (where he now is the head coach of the Cyclones), but it stuck with the sharpshooter throughout his pro career.

32. Shawn Marion- “The Matrix” Another underrated and under-utilized modern nickname, “The Matrix” does a good job of capturing Marion’s other-worldly athleticism and hectic style of play.

31. Paul Pierce- “The Truth” Pierce’s veracious nickname is well known, but oddly seems to have curtailed in popularity in recent years despite his 2008 Finals MVP performance.

30. Marvin Webster- “The Human Eraser” Classic nicknaming technique: create a superhero-type name that accentuates a player’s most well-known attribute (in this case, shot-blocking).

29. Bryant “Big Country” Reeves The 7 foot, 265-pound small-town Oklahoma native had a much better nickname than NBA career, the latter of which was derailed by injuries.

28. Nate “Tiny” Archibald From “Big Country” to “Tiny.” The 6-time All-Star was selected one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest players and is a member of the Hall of Fame, but more people under 25 probably better identify the name Nate Archibald with a character on Gossip Girl. Sad.

27. Robert Horry- “Big Shot Bob” Not many role players win 7 titles with 3 teams, but Horry had a knack for coming through in the clutch. There seems to be some debate as to whether the end of us nickname should be “Bob” or “Rob,” but I went with “Bob” for alliterative purposes.

26. James Worthy- “Big Game James” Of course, Horry’s nickname is a bit of rip-off of the 1988 Finals MVP’s. That and the fact that Worthy’s individual career far exceeded Horry’s puts him slightly higher on this list.

25. “Clyde The Glide” Drexler Rhyming with a player’s first name is always a nice touch, particularly when it effectively captures the player’s style of play.

24. “Hakeem The Dream” Olajuwon But be it their Phi Slamma Jamma days, the 1995 World Champions, or a list of the greatest nicknames, Drexler was always the Robin to Olajuwon’s Batman.

23. Charles Barkley- “The Round Mound of Rebound” Even his playing days, Barkley was a little on the chubby side, but the loquacious superstar embraced his somewhat derisive moniker.

22. Chris Andersen- “Birdman” I haven’t found a satisfactory explanation of exactly why Andersen is called “Birdman,” but it just seems to fit.

21. Dennis Rodman- “The Worm” One of the NBA’s most eccentric players ever fittingly had an equally unorthodox handle.

20. “Never Nervous Pervis” Ellison Ability to handle pressure is the mark of a great player. When you can capture that unflappability by rhyming with a player’s first name, you’ve got a great nickname.

19. Glen “Big Baby” Davis 6-9, 290 with the face of a 12-year old and a propensity for whining at officials. What else would you call him?

18. Shaquille O’Neal- “The Big Aristotle” Shaq has about 800 nicknames, but I went with my favorite of his self-appointed monikers. A clever and amusing creation from the man with a personality as big as his 7-1, 325 pound frame.

17. David Robinson- “The Admiral” Robinson attended the Naval Academy and postponed his professional career in favor of two years of military service. A great player and an even better man.

16. Darryl Dawkins- “Chocolate Thunder” Just awesome.

15. “Thunder Dan” Marjele “Thunder Dan” was just about everybody’s favorite player in NBA Jam, and one of the great white dunkers of all-time.

14. Robert Parish- “The Chief” Originally named after the silent giant in One Flew Over the Cuckcoo’s Nest, “The Chief” later came to embody Parish’s seniority and longevity as much as his quiet demeanor: his 1,611 games played over 21 seasons is a league record.

13. Karl Malone- “The Mailman” While the NBA’s 2^nd all-time leading scorer had a remarkably consistent career, “the Mailman” didn’t always deliver: he never won a championship.

12. Gary Payton- “The Glove” A fitting handle for one of the game’s greatest perimeter defenders.

11. Jerry West- “The Logo” This nickname didn’t come til late in West’s career, when the NBA unveiled its current logo, which includes a silhouette of the Laker great.

10. Robert “Tractor” Traylor A great pun on the late big man’s last name. RIP.

9. “Downtown Freddie” Brown This catchy rhyming moniker is the reason why announcers to this refer to three-pointers as shots “from downtown.”

8. David Thompson- “Skywalker” No, this isn’t a Star Wars reference. David Thompson was Michael Jordan’s favorite player growing up in the 70s. And like MJ, Thompson could fly.

7. Shawn Kemp- “The Reign Man” There were few players more fun to watch in their prime than “The Reign Man,” a nickname which includes wordplay, insinuations of royalty, an allusion to a popular movie, and reference to the Seattle climate.

6. “Earl the Pearl” Monroe Slick, much like the playground legend’s game.

5. Allen Iverson- “The Answer” Far and away the greatest nickname in recent memory. Bold and authoritative, just how Iverson played. While he may not have been the post-MJ “savior” his nickname seemed to suggest, he nonetheless had an exceptional career.

4. Vinnie Johnson- “The Microwave” The mark of a great scorer off the bench, Johnson could heat up in a hurry.

3. George Gervin- “The Iceman” George Gervin and trademark finger roll embodied cool. I mean, check out that poster again.

2. Julius Erving- “Dr. J” Classic. The ABA was full of great nicknames, but it’s greatest player had the best one.

1. “Pistol Pete” Maravich One of the game’s greatest scorers’ nickname might not stand out at first glance with its rather simple alliteration, but it’s held up over the years.

Dwyane Wade: The Forgotten Man of the 2011 Finals

On the eve of the 2011 NBA Finals, the national focus is squarely on two players: Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James. Both players have had wildly successful careers, each is a former league MVP and a perennial All-Star and All-NBA selection. Yet neither has won an NBA Championship, a title all-so important in cementing one’s legacy. In a couple weeks one of these all-time greats will be relieved of the unwanted stigma of having never won the big one, while the other will be forced to bear this burden for at least another year.

There are a number of other longtime league veterans also seeking their first title in this series. Dallas’ Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry, and Peja Stojakovic and Miami’s Chris Bosh, Mike Bibby, and Mike Miller have combined for 23 All-Star selections, 2 Rookie of the Year, and 2 Sixth Man of the Year Awards, but none of them have ever raised the Larry O’Brien Trophy. So yes, there are a lot of legacies on the line in this series.

And then there’s Dwyane Wade. Wade and Udonis Haslem are the only players in this series who already possess a championship ring, as Wade led the Heat to a 4-2 series victory over Nowitzki’s Mavs in the 2006 Finals, just Wade’s third year in the league. D-Wade was named Finals MVP, averaging 34.7 points per game in the series, the third highest average all-time behind Michael Jordan’s 41.0 in 1993 and Ricky Barry’s 40.8 in 1965.

Dwyane Wade enters this series in a position that is pretty much unprecedented historically. In a Finals that is all about cementing one’s legacy with a championship, he already has one. He is one of the top-five players in the entire NBA, yet he’s only the third-best player in this series. When else has a player of Wade’s caliber, a previous Finals MVP in the prime of his career, received so little attention?

The dynamics of the relationship between Wade and James remains the most fascinating long-term subplot for those observing the new look Miami Heat. So far the two superstars have coexisted seamlessly, and each player's presence has seemed to remove pressure from their counterpart. When Wade struggled offensively in the Eastern Conference Finals against Chicago, James and Chris Bosh more than picked up the slack. At other times during the season, Wade has carried the club when LeBron is slumping.

Yet Wade’s 2006 ring raises questions over whether the two can continue to coexist long-term. If the Heat lose this series, critics will hound James for once again failing to win a championship while Wade’s 2006 performance will largely excuse him from any such scrutiny. If the Heat win the series, Wade will still have one more ring than James and might even pick up a second Finals MVP at James’ expense.

Moreover, the Heat remain Wade’s team, whereas James is more of a mercenary figure. Will this dynamic change if the Heat win multiple titles and James clearly establishes himself as the team’s alpha-dog? Or will D-Wade’s previous accomplishments still cement him as the “King” of South Beach? Will the two maintain their close friendship over the next five years or will concerns for individual legacy pull them apart?

These are long-term questions that we will not know the answer to for some time. But one thing we do know is this: while a lot of players’ legacies are on the line in this series, Dwyane Wade’s is remarkably secure. And with that in mind, don’t be surprised if he has a big series.

Remembering 2,131

I haven't been able to post here recently as I've been busy with work. But since today is Labor Day, and Labor Day this year happens to fall on September 6, I have the time to remark on the 15th anniversary of Cal Ripken, Jr. playing in his 2,131st consecutive game---breaking the record previously held by Yankee legend Lou Gehrig.

September 6, 1995 was the day I permanently fell in love with sports. By 1995 I was already firmly entrenched as an Orioles fan. My parents had begun preparing me for Cal's inevitable breaking of Gehrig's record sometime that winter, when they taped a Headline News interview with Cal before Spring Training that I must have watched upwards of twenty times in the months leading up September 6. My grandmother in D.C. began to send me clippings about Cal and the Orioles from the local papers in the mail and I was beginning to master the art of reading the daily boxscores in the sports section. On the morning of September 6, I remember delightedly spotting a "HR- Ripken" in the box score from the previous night and reading a short recap of Cal's hitting a home run on the night he tied Lou Gehrig's record.

That night my parents let me stay up and watch the record-breaking game all the way through the 5th inning---long enough to see Cal's home run in the bottom of the fourth and the spontaneous 22-minute standing ovation when the game and record became official in the middle of the 5th inning. When they finally sent me to bed way past my usual bedtime, I lay awake listening to the last innings on the radio and made sure my parents taped the conclusion of the game and the postgame ceremony.

The following morning I remember sitting at my desk in my 2nd Grade classroom, writing the boxscore from Game 2,131 over and over again, etching the names "Ripken," "Bonilla," "Anderson," and "Palmeiro" on the side of my times table worksheets. That afternoon I raced to the den as soon as I got home to pop in the VHS and watch the postgame ceremony my parents had taped. I even recall at one point deciding to memorize Cal's postgame speech, and I still remember bits and pieces of it to this day ("I know that if Lou Gehrig is looking down on tonight, he isn't concerned about someone playing one more consecutive game than he did, but rather he's viewing tonight as just another example of what is good and right about the great American game.").

I recently rewatched the record-breaking moment, thanks to the miracle of YouTube. I guess I've become cynical over the past fifteen years, because I was expecting the moment to come across as more contrived and less magical than I remembered it. To my great surprise, I was wrong. The extremely warm reception from the fans (when will there ever be another game delayed in the middle for a TWENTY-TWO MINUTE standing ovation) comes across as completely genuine. And Cal's iconic lap around the stadium---high-fiving fans, hugging family members, and shaking hands with each of the gracious and classy visiting California Angels---was far from contrived. Cal repeatedly recedes into the dugout but the fans nonetheless continue applauding until finally Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Bonilla shove him out of the dugout after it becomes clear the fans aren't going to stop anytime soon.

Perhaps the most surprising part of the moment for me was ESPN's broadcast. They don't go to commercial and stay with the broadcast for the entirety of the ovation. And the announcers are virtually silent for the entire 22 minutes, just allowing the moment to sink in---a fact almost shocking given that the play-by-play announcer that night was the loquacious Chris Berman.

The guest list for that night was remarkable. The entire Ripken baseball family was in attendance, including Cal's wife and kids, former manager and father Cal, Sr., and former teammate and brother Billy. An array of Orioles legends showed up, including Earl Weaver, Frank Robinson, and Jim Palmer. In addition, the reclusive "Yankee Clipper" Joe DiMaggio, who had played with Gehrig, was there to witness the record-breaking night. And both President Clinton and Vice President Gore were in attendance---something unlikely to happen again at a sporting event for security reasons. President Clinton was even in the local radio broadcast booth with announcer Jon Miller when Cal homered in the bottom of the 4th (Cal had a way of rising to the occasion) and even essentially called the home run (scroll down for Miller's version of the story).

I was too young to really grasp it at the time, but that record was perhaps most important because of its timing. The 1994 strike had led to the cancellation of the World Series, and many fans had begun to sour on baseball. While today popular memory credits Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa's chase of Roger Maris' single-season home run record in 1998 as the event that "saved" baseball, 2,131 came first and at a time when fans' loyalty to baseball was much weaker. Ripken's record was something that working-class fans could identify with and appreciate---a man who came to work every day for 13 straight years---and Cal's work ethic and loyalty to his hometown organization and fanbase endeared him to fans at a time when the relationship between the fans and the players and owners was particularly strained. And while the 1998 home run chase has since been tainted by accusations of steroid use, Ripken's record remains untainted and pure.

Fifteen years later, I'm still madly in love with sports. I guess September 6 is almost an anniversary of sorts. I've seen so many great games and incredible moments in sports over the past fifteen years. But none will ever top 2,131.

Alma Mater Alterations

My proud alma mater, Davidson College, unveiled today a new set of "spirit marks" (a.k.a. logos) that will debut this upcoming athletic season. I tend to be rather conservative when it comes to these sorts of changes, so needless to say I was initially rather disappointed with the new look. But after further thought and examination, I tend to have somewhat softened my stance on the changes. I thought I'd offer my thoughts on the various changes and since Davidson insisted on assigning me grades for four years I thought it's about time I returned the favor.

Labeling: F

The name "spirit marks" is an absolutely ridiculous phrase. What's wrong with the word "logo"? "Spirit marks" sounds like a corny name for face painted paw prints at a junior high pep rally. I also don't get the idea for having multiple "spirit marks" in addition to a "youth spirit mark," but I can live with multiple logos- JUST CALL THEM "LOGOS".

"Primary Spirit Mark": B

The "primary spirit mark" of the Wildcat face on a diamond background actually isn't terrible. It pays homage to the old logo, which seemed to be generally well-liked. I like keeping the diamond background and I agree that the old Wildcat probably was due for an upgrade (the old one looked it came straight out of Microsoft Word's clip art). The new Wildcat is a little cartoonish for my taste and seems slightly less intimidating than the old one. Still, it could have been worse. Also, I'm not sure while there are two different colors for the diamond background. I actually prefer the black background with this particular Wildcat over the traditional red diamond. Overall, not bad.

"Secondary Spirit Mark": A-

The secondary logo is a "Davidson D" with claw marks through it. Using the first letter of a school's name is a classic collegiate logo look, and I like the effect of the claw marks. While I was initially ambivalent towards the two-tone color scheme and the outlining, both features have grown on me with further consideration. The logo looks fine on its own, but it looks better on football helmets and especially integrated within the words "Davidson" or "Wildcats" (see images 3, 14, and 18 here).

"Tertiary Spirit Mark": D+

The phrase "tertiary spirit mark" sounds both pretentious and corny, and the actual look of the third logo is not much better than its ridiculous name. I'm not a big fan of paw print logos regardless. They seem pretty cliche and a little too obvious for any school whose mascots have paws (there are 29 Division I schools named Wildcats, Tigers, or Panthers alone). On top of that, apparently that red blob is supposed to be a letter "D," something I only was able to notice after reading the official press release. Not only does it not look like a "D," the paw print seems to rip off the University of Cincinnati's logo, expect ours looks worse. Fortunately, this is only the "tertiary" logo, so hopefully it won't feature too prominently.

Overall, I'm actually okay with the new look. The "primary" and "secondary" logos are pretty solid, although I hope the school cans both the phrase "spirit mark" and the "tertiary" look. Still, I'm a little disappointed they didn't attempt to recreate the classic 1950s-era logo of a well-dressed Wildcat working away at a typewriter, although that might have been a little too accurate depiction of a Davidson student's life.

Pu-Pu Platter of Stories

In honor of my recent cameo as a delivery driver for a local Chinese restaurant, I thought I'd deliver a post modeled after the biggest dish on their menu- the Pu-Pu Platter. That is to say, a seemingly unrelated compilation of individual dishes/stories thrown together on one oddly-named platter/post that nevertheless leaves you satisfied at the end.

Enjoy:

I. I caught part of Brazil's 2-0 victory over the USA in Tuesday's friendly soccer match at the New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey. Only a handful of key players from either side's World Cup squads participated, with a lot of younger players getting big minutes. None shone more brightly than Brazil's Neymar, the 18 year-old scoring sensation. Despite an endorsement from the great Pele, Neymar was left off Brazil's World Cup roster by former head coach Dunga. In his senior national team debut Tuesday night, he tore apart the US defense and tallied the opening goal.

Neymar certainly seems to have all the makings of the next Brazilian superstar. He combines the flash of Ronaldinho with the precision of Kaka. And like most international soccer superstars, he has a proclivity for sporting funny haircuts (see above). He currently plies his trade at the club level with Brazilian club Santos, but it is only a matter of time before he moves over to a major European club- in all likelihood English powerhouse Chelsea. Remember his name in four years when 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil seek to take back the title for a record sixth time.

II. In the NBA, yesterday Houston, New Orleans, Indiana, and New Jersey pulled off a four-team, five-player trade. Deals like this tend to be confusing, so let me try to explain in the simplest manner possible:

The Rockets traded SF Trevor Ariza to the Hornets. The Hornets sent PG Darren Collison and SF James Posey to the Pacers. The Pacers sent PF Troy Murphy to the Nets. The Nets sent SG Courtney Lee to the Rockets. Got it?

Basically, the trade involved a bunch of decent role players moving from one lottery team to another. Still, the deal actually makes sense from a personnel and/or financial standpoint for all four participants. The Rockets sacrificed defense for salary cap relief, moving Ariza and his contract for an offensively as talented, cheaper, and younger player in Lee. The Hornets moved the likewise expensive and older Posey for Ariza and attempted to appease disgruntled star point guard Chris Paul by moving Collison. The Pacers got a two-for-one package, moving Troy Murphy for Posey and Collison, the latter their possible point guard for the future. And the Nets moved Lee in exchange for Murphy, a power forward who can stretch the defense with his shooting but also rebound, a nice compliment to star center Brook Lopez.

III. The Eagles asked a fan at their practice yesterday to remove the Donovan McNabb Redskins jersey he was wearing. Security told the fan in question the request came from head coach Andy Reid, though the team later denied that claim.

Regardless of whether this came from Reid or not, this is just ridiculous. The fan is an actual Eagles fan who said he wore the jersey "to get reactions from the fan base." The logic there is kind of amusing. I personally would never wear Yankees or Cowboys gear, even as part of a pseduo-social experiment. But to each his own.

As for the Eagles, how can you make a big fuss over this? All it does is make you look stupid. It's not like McNabb pulled a LeBron and left Philly out to dry. YOU TRADED HIM AWAY! Maybe you should focus on your actual practice instead of what jerseys fans on the sideline are wearing. Just a thought...

IV. Finally, the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals got in a bench-clearing brawl Tuesday night. The incident stemmed from Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips' comments describing his "hate" for the Cardinals and insinuating that they complain too much (in more vulgar language). When Phillips stepped into the batter's box in the first inning, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina stood up and began to express his disagreement with Phillips' comments. Things turned ugly when both men removed their helmets/masks and both dugouts cleared.

The highlights of the brawl included Johnny Cueto, the Reds starting pitcher that night, crazily kicking at Cardinals players against the backstop (Cueto has since been given a seven game suspension for his part in the melee). The Reds also wisely tracked down Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter (who had beaten them the night before) and managed to pin him against the netting of the backstop in a rather vulnerable position (fortunately for the Cardinals, Carpenter was not hurt). And the two managers, St. Louis skipper Tony LaRussa and Cincinnati's Dusty Baker, went straight for each other and held a passionate screaming match in the middle of the chaotic scene (LaRussa and Baker were the only participants who were actually ejected). Still, no one topped the utter rage of the Ohio woman who tried to order McNuggets during McDonald's breakfast hours.

Well, that's its for the inaugural Pu-Pu Platter, hope you enjoyed it.