D.C. Sports Bog - By The Washington Post's Dan Steinberg - April 22, 2007

Gilbert Arenas: Happy

Check out this video of Gilbert reacting to his NBA Live '08 cover shot. I believe "gleeful" is the best adjective here. Note especially the tiger-print pillows, the strategically placed bottle of Vitamin Water in the background, and his promise to buy 100 copies of the game and to give...

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 3:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Wizards and Beer Pong

Nate Rose is a big Wiz fan. Like, the cake toppers on his wedding cake this summer are going to be figurines of himself and his bride in Wizards jerseys. They're inviting Gilbert Arenas to the wedding. The happy couple will probably enter the reception to T.I.'s "Bring 'Em Out,"...

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 3:06 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Brendan Haywood = Big Sexy?, and TNT Copies the Bog

Caron Butler said he has another nickname. It's 007. And/or James Bond. I didn't even realize his real name was James Caron Butler. As for Tuff Juice, "that's my alter-ego," he said. Also, I finally talked to him about the team's nickname deficit in a post-Tuff Juice, post-Agent 0 world....

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 2:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Bobby Boswell Drops Things From Balconies

I swear, everyone stealing my gimmicks. I thought I was supposed to be the guy who hangs around D.C. United and drops funny objects from high altitudes. That was the old days. Now everyone's doing it. Well, rising tides and all that. So well done, Bobby Boswell....

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 1:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: D.C. United
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Cavaliers Idol

So we're not the only ones that can't think of anything to write about this series. The Cleveland Plain Dealer, having given up on all the bad quotes that abound in this series, has moved on to the solicitation of bad singing. Like, cosmically bad singing. Actually, I still haven't...

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 10:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Today's Papers, and Blogs, and Gil's Surprise

Most importantly, while we all played by the rules and waited to break the news of Gilbert's big announcement, the Wash Times went ahead and ruined the surprise: Gilbert is on the cover of NBA Live. Second in importance: Cavaliers Idol. Not that LeBron video; actual singing. More on this...

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 10:01 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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A Visual Summary of Game 2's Excitement

Don't think the players don't realize that this series is not nationally beloved. When Damon Jones was refusing to divulge details of his pre-game handshake routine, we pointed out that he would soon be handshaking in front of a national television audience. "We're on NBA TV," he reminded us. Then...

By Dan Steinberg | April 27, 2007; 9:24 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Report from Cavaliers HQ

Since this is turning into a Cavaliers blog, I figure I might as well give you a report from my trip through the Cavs HQ yesterday afternoon. The team's offices--which have a beautiful view over the Cuyahoga River, if that's not too oxymoronic--were completely gutted and renovated over the summer,...

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 6:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
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The Taylor Twins

Man, the one time you skip Wizards practice, and the two Taylor twins show up. Great. Just great. Anyhow, the team's official blog grabbed some video, so, just to make it look like I haven't avoided the issue, here it is....

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 3:28 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Why Cavs Fans Rule: A Photo Essay

With unhappiness still spewing out of Cleveland, I wanted to make it up to my fellow Rust Belters with a photo essay on their awesomeness. Not sure if it was because yesterday's game was a weekday night allowing for plenty of prep time, or because I spent more time in...

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 2:38 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (27)
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The Larry Hughes Party Train

While I was reporting on Larry Hughes's headband and handshake habits, other bloggers were uncovering more serious business: Larry Hughes is hosting parties in D.C. This weekend. Like, two parties. During the playoffs. The meaning of this information is yet unclear to me. Roger Mason was "hosting" a party at...

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 2:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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LeBron and D-Jones's New Handshake

Back in D.C., unscathed. My flight back included three Wizards wives and several Wizards children. There's nothing like spending a flight listening to the excited chatter of the progeny of Michael Ruffin and Etan Thomas. Since my kind and beneficent editor had to cut some of my item for today's...

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 1:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Cavs Have Swag

Three Cavs notes. Bear in mind that I have to get back to D.C. somehow, so there will be a bog gap at some point. And yes, I should basically just switch locker rooms for a few days. The Bog requires happy athletes. I'll get back to the Wiz during...

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 10:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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LeBron < Sanjaya

Since this seems to be making major rounds, might as well include it here. LeBron, singing, badly. There was actually quite a bit of chatter about this in the press room last night, much of it sort of mocking the whole Idol phenomenon. What heathens. As if this series can...

By Dan Steinberg | April 26, 2007; 8:38 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Roger Mason's Luxury Car

It's a silver 2007 Aston Martin DB9. The rest is more visual than audio, if you're curious....

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 4:59 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Cavs' Handshakes, and the Bench Mob

One of the more striking things about Sunday's Game 1, to my mind, was the Cavs' pre-game meet-and-greet. This is after introductions, but before the game started. It was an elaborate dance of elbow bumps and hand waggles, of precision finger movements and well-timed partner-swaps. In case that makes no...

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 3:27 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
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The Brendan Haywood-Z Conundrum, Part LXVII

Many of you have expressed the opinion that this whole Haywood-vs.-Z storyline is a bit much. As in, the Wizards won't exactly become a threat to win the NBA title if Haywood gets 20 minutes a game instead of 10. In terms of basketball plots, though, that's about the best...

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 3:13 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Shootaround Updates From Cleveland

Working on a few items that won't be ready until late afternoon, but here are three nuggets: 1) Gilbert Arenas is not in Cleveland. Caron Butler is. Incidentally, I know what Gilbert's big surprise announcement this weekend will be. But I can't say. 2) DeShawn Stevenson was wandering around the...

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 2:45 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Eric Snow on DeShawn and DeShawn

I'm mostly posting this for the benefit of the Washington Wizards ace PR staffers who wonder why I ask the things I ask, and who posit that no one in the world is actually interested in the things I ask. Like, my philosophy is that my readers care about the...

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 1:28 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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More From Cavs Fans

If you haven't been feverishly reading the comments of past blog items, I'll give you a sample from an angry Cavs fan: LOL GREAT CITY IN WASHINGTON BTW, ONE FO THE MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN THE NATION. Right. More importantly, there's a link to the Fear The Sword blog, which...

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 11:29 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Today's Papers, and Blogs

[To those who would like me to branch out, topic-wise, bear in mind that I'm sort of on full-time Wizards duty until their season ends. Insert joke wherever you'd like. If you choose to leave, I'll see you back here after the Wizards wrap up their championship parade.] Anyhow, Cleveland...

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 10:39 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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The Straw Video

With many thanks to the amazingly fine folks in the washingtonpost.com video cave, here's the previously mentioned video representation of Caron Butler and his crazy straws. Ok, it's not quite a one-handed three-point shooting contest, but whatever....

By Dan Steinberg | April 25, 2007; 8:12 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Another Day is Done

* Yes, this comes directly out of today's Wiz PR package, but it's a good note, so I'm using it. Last year, the Wiz lost at Cleveland in Game 1 on April 22. The Cavs scored 97 points. This year, the Wiz lost at Cleveland in Game 1 on April...

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 4:55 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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On Caron Butler and Straws

The bad news today is that evidence pointing toward the end of Caron Butler's season continues to pile up. The good news is that this provides some justification for my long-awaited straw-chewing expose, to be shown, in video format, on Comcast SportsyNet at around 6:05 or 6:10 this evening. There...

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 3:53 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Caron Butler: Definitely Out

Maybe. I posted this earlier, but I guess it got eaten by the system or something. Point is, I swear, this storyline will not go away. Here's Eddie Jordan, following the removal of the Butler cast: "Um, well, Caron won't play in the first round. Whether it's four games or...

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 3:43 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Jarvis's Ride

Via Bullets Forever, we see Jarvis Hayes's ride, a 2007 Rolls Royce Phantom, which is probably what I'll go for after I get rid of the 1996 Dodge Caravan. And honestly, this team knows how to feed the beast like no team I've ever seen....

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 2:44 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Will Brendan Play? Will Bodies Fly?

Two more themes from today's practice. I've given up on trying to ask original questions. This series feels like it's been going for several fortnights, and we haven't even gotten to Game 2. Also, my beard is filling in nicely. I'm beginning to look like Baron Davis, I believe. Or...

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 2:16 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Orioles Mustaches

Having talked so extensively about playoff beards, even including repeated linkages to PlayoffBeard.com, I'd be remiss if I ignored the Orioles mustaches, even if this technically has little to do with the NBA. Via FanHaus, I discovered that the bullpen began sporting unity mustaches, and that position players followed suit....

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 11:59 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Orioles
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More Cheap Shots at Cavs Fans

I don't think I've said anything particularly rude about Cleveland or Cavs fans thus far, and yet they seem to have taken offense. For example, this is from an e-mail I received from a self-professed lifelong Cavs fan: These sophomoric attempts at humor are pathetic and inane. I guess your...

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 10:46 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (59)
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Those Flaming Swords

Since my description of those flames pouring out of the Quicken Loans Arena scoreboard and scorching my face didn't really do justice to the phenomenon, here's some video. The flames erupt about halfway through. The other part of the pre-game spectacle I forgot to mention is the part where the...

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 9:44 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Tuesday's Papers, and Blogs

LeBron's ankle is apparently a bigger story than Varejao's hair. Michael Lee reports that he would have been able to play if there were a game yesterday. (LeBron, not Michael), although he didn't even lift weights yesterday. More importantly, Ilgauskas has no playoff beard this season because of his wife....

By Dan Steinberg | April 24, 2007; 8:21 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Mike Hall, and Leftovers

If you didn't know, the Cavs blow flames out of their scoreboard. Four huge flames, coming out of four huge swords. "The Flaming Swords," they're called. The heat is felt, quite easily, from the stands. After Sunday's game, when everyone was gone, the scoreboard was lowered close to the ground,...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 4:41 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Key Matchups: Hair and Lithuania

While this is surely the first NBA playoff series in quite some time in which one guard is named DeShawn and another guard is married to DeShawn, it is also something more. Has there ever been a stretch in an NBA playoff game where two Lithuanians (Darius Songaila, Zydrunas Ilgauskas)...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 3:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)
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Eric Snow's Wife is Named DeShawn

I can't believe this hasn't gotten more traction. I mean, Eric Snow's wife is named DeShawn. How often do NBA playoff series include a guard from team one whose wife has the same name as a starter for team two? I can't imagine it happens all that often. And you...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 2:39 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Larry Hughes Play-Stealing Update

[First, your Brendan Haywood playing time udpate. Will it change in Game 2, Eddie Jordan was asked? "There could be a change," Jordan said. "I don't know yet. I'm hoping that Etan can start off really well, and that we can go with a normal rotation. And Brendan's been the...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 2:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Caron Butler Cast Update

Since this is the most interesting storyline of this series, I'll play along. So SportsIllustrated.com ran an item last night that started thus: The buzz in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon was not limited to the Cavaliers second consecutive playoff appearance. While Cleveland, behind a combined 50 points by LeBron James...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 1:26 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Blog Show V

As always, the caveat: I still haven't watched this, or any, episode of Blog Show, but I'm still contractually obligated to post the video, when I remember. At least we made it to the number V, which is likely more than the Wizards will be able to say....

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 11:34 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Media
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The Diff

I made fun of Cavs fans in this morning's paper. Parts of that item, though, were cut by my merciless editor. Including "The DIFF." Are you all familiar with "The DIFF?" It's the super-special statistic that Cavs fans are treated to on the Quicken Loans Arenas scoreboard. There's a complicated...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 10:41 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
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Today's Papers and Blogs

The Wash Times leads with LeBron's ankle injury. Here's a question: If LeBron missed the series, which team would be favored? I've asked this to a lot of people, and have gotten no consensus. I say the Wiz. Ivan Carter and Z both wonder why Brendan Haywood didn't play more....

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 10:31 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
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Gilbert in Cleveland

Part of this is already included below, but in the interest of comprehensiveness, here's Gilbert in Cleveland: When I ran into Gilbert in the hallways before the game, I asked if he'd be talking to the media yesterday. "Nah," he said. "This ain't about me." Reports surfaced that he had...

By Dan Steinberg | April 23, 2007; 9:58 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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After Half Report

We'll not be discussing that botched sequence at the end of the second quarter. Suffice it to say, that's not in the recipe book under "how to spring a massive playoff upset." In the meantime, bearing in mind that all of this is old news to Cavs fans, but whoever...

By Dan Steinberg | April 22, 2007; 2:14 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
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Gilbert and DeShawn

Gilbert's blog is updated. If you haven't read it, please do. There's way too much stuff to summarize here, now, and he's now provided us with countless story lines for this series. Since he's stirring the pot on NBA.com, I figured maybe he would talk to the media today. But...

By Dan Steinberg | April 22, 2007; 1:21 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
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On Rising Up, With Mike Wise

So fans here in Cleveland are getting wine-colored "Rise Up" t-shirts and white "Rise Up towels." I just procured a towel, as a matter of fact. I figure I can use it to clean up my daughter's spit-up. Also, this arena offers free sign-making, free face-painting, free hair-dying and free...

By Dan Steinberg | April 22, 2007; 12:07 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (7)
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Network News

D.C. Sports Bog: April 22, 2007 - April 28, 2007