Blake griffin

Written on 11:35 AM by Admin

blake griffin injury, taylor griffin, baron davis, la clippers, kevin garnett

Blake Griffin faces a pair of jinxes

Just as the NBA season is about to begin, the Los Angeles Clippers have learned there's a significant problem with the giddyup of their latest designated savior, Blake Griffin, who has a cracked kneecap.

Could someone please dress up Clippers owner Donald Sterling as Dorothy and cue that Oz thing about "Lions and tigers and bears, and oh my!"
Griffin's injury represents a confluence of two NBA jinxes. First, the one that has hit a fairly steady string of the NBA's No. 1 overall draft picks, from Greg Oden to Yao Ming to Elton Brand.

The second is the mess that is the Clippers. They tried to make a go of it with Bill Walton, when his feet were at their worst, then shipped him to Boston just as he was recovering. They gave away Moses Malone. They chose Swen Nater over Marques Johnson.

They traded Adrian Dantley for Billy Knight. The liked Benoit Benjamin as a lottery pick. They chose Danny Manning, then saw his ACL implode. And Elton Brand's injury problems began with the Clippers. It is an unbelievable history of bad management with a lot of wretchedly bad luck mixed in.

Griffin was asked about all that when the Clippers drafted him, and said: "All that stuff happened in the past. That's exactly what it is: It's in the past. No one can do anything about it now. If I am with the Clippers, it's going to be all about the future. No disrespect to anybody, but I could care less what happened 20 years ago, 15 years ago."

So, what's that saying that those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it? (Photo by Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY)

Here are some more lunchtime topics to munch on:

. . . You have company if you're having a hard time following the thread of Mike Leach's comments about his players' "fat little girl friends." The Texas Tech coach invoked that phrase at least four times while blaming chubby chicks for his team's loss to Texas A&M. As in: "Their fat little girlfriends are telling them what they want to hear, which is how great you are and how easy it’s going to be." So coach, if the guys promise to hang out with skinny babes this week, can they stay out past curfew?

. . . Bud Selig has put out the welcome-back mat for Mark McGwire, with this statement about Mac's hiring as St. Louis' batting coach: "I have no misgivings about this at all. Mark McGwire is a very, very fine man and the Cardinals are to be applauded." But if that's going to be MLB's policy on suspected steroid users, someone needs to explain why the game has been addressing Barry Bonds with only 10-foot poles.

. . . The Monday Night crew started last night's broadcast with so much anguish about Jim Zorn's predicament I thought they were going to say the toughest job in Washington belongs to him, and not Barack Obama . . . Meantime, a fan contends he and his pals were kicked out for starting a "Danny Sucks" chant beneath Redskin owner Dan Snyder's box. Then again, the way Washington is playing, an early escort of out the stadium might be considered a favor . . . And when the Eagles signed Michael Vick, did anyone think he'd barely manage to complete his first pass of the season before the World Series started?

. . . Pretty tame appearance by Charles Barkley on Letterman last night. He promised that he's quitting golf, and his only in-your-face comment was, "If you put the Knicks and the Pacers together they wouldn't be good."

. . . Cashing in yet again on the legacy that goes with his name recognition, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be a presenter at the Country Music Awards. Guess NASCAR's winning drivers were all too busy that night.

. . . Another day, another drama emerges between Jamie and Frank McCourt, courtesy of TMZ.com. This one is about Mrs. Dodgers Owner getting spooked and reportedly phoning 911 on Mr. Dodgers Owner. Bottom line is that this estranged couple is starting to make the escapades of Manny and the Kardashians look positively boring.

. . . Larry Johnson's anti-gay rants in the Chiefs locker room have reminded the world that there's more than one word that constitutes an F-bomb. Maybe someone needs to remind Johnson that averaging 2.7 yards per carry doesn't exactly inspire a chorus of "Macho, Macho Man."

. . . Bob Griese's Taco Hell isn't over yet, as he's suspended for his Juan Pablo Montoya remark. Next time he's on the air, think he'll attempt to "Think outside the bun" again?

. . . Is Eric Mangini an NFL head coach or an accountant? By sticking with Derek Anderson as the Browns' starting quarterback Mangini is raising questions about whether his decision hinges on the $10.9 million Brady Quinn can earn if he takes 70% of Cleveland's snaps . . . This data, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, says it all about where Anderson is at the moment: "Anderson is last in the NFL with a 40.6 passer rating, and 31st in third-down passing. On third down, he is 17-of-50 with one touchdown and five interceptions for a 10.3 rating." And the really brutal arctic winds haven't even begun to blow off Lake Erie yet.

. . . Next time you're feeling down about your 401K heading south, read this Boston Globe story about Antoine Walker apparently squandering the $110 million he made in the NBA. He's kind of like an Enron executive, but with a better jump shot.

. . . The Bodog.com betting site lists Alex Rodriguez as the most probable MVP winner in the World Series, at 4-to-1. But for an investment, Mariano Rivera looks darned smart at 10-to-1. It wouldn't be shocking to see him get 3-4 saves, and if he comes through, he can bookend the '09 award with the other one he won, 10 years ago. The difference in this Fox-delayed postseason is that whoever wins will be known as Mr. November.