Dwight Howard was ‘threatened’ with a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. You read that right
Dwight Howard seems a little scared of Kobe Bryant (Getty Images) It’s entirely possible that the latest twist in this Dwight Howard saga is at once the most ridiculous and most understandable. The New York Post is picking up on months’ worth of rumors that had the Orlando All-Star (and budding GM) scared at the thought of either having to act as Kobe Bryant’s clear number two in Los Angeles, or working under a heightened sense of expectations after being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. As a result, says one “Orlando source,” Howard was actually threatened with a deal to the championship-contending Lakers unless he picked up his contract option with Orlando for 2012-13. And instead of the Lakers, Kerber relays the fact that most in the NBA have known since the beginning. That Howard, all along, wanted to go to New Jersey instead. The easy hook here is, “not Los Angeles … but New Jersey?,” and you’re right to take it. From the Post: According to league sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Orlando brass got fed up with Howard’s yes-no-maybe posturing and threatened to trade him to the Lakers, not his desired location, if he did not sign an agreement to waive the opt-out clause for the final season of his contract. Howard eventually signed the papers, but only after he was told “he would be a Laker by the end of the day,” according to one source. This is all entirely expected, though not in a particularly good way. Sure, there are reasons to be dubious about jumping to the Lakers. Howard could have been worried about too-closely following in Shaquille O’Neal’s footsteps, as the former Magic and Laker All-Star is no fan of Howard’s and vice versa. There could be concerns with Mike Brown’s coaching, as Howard was the biggest reason the Orlando Magic stunned Brown’s Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2009 Eastern Conference finals. There could be concerns about Bryant and potential Laker teammate Pau Gasol’s over-30 ages, and the fact that Bryant sometimes looks the other way when a talented big man has a good post up opportunity. On top of those, um, “reasons,” there’s also the chance to team with All-Star point guard Deron Williams in New Jersey. And the reality that the “New Jersey Nets” won’t be in New Jersey for long. For just two and a half more weeks, if you can believe it, before the team moves to Brooklyn. Brooklyn doesn’t have a Malibu to its name, but beyond that you can’t do much better than that borough, and that Big City that it’s part of. Beyond that, though, this just speaks to the absurdity inherent in Howard’s warped ideals. It’s nice to start fresh with a new team and new logo and new city and young teammates, but to turn down a chance to play with the Lakers? A Laker team featuring Bryant and Gasol? On top of that, a chance to play for the Lakers, opt-out in July, and still become a Net this summer as a free agent? Instead, Howard attempted to make everyone happy, opted back into his contract for 2012-13, and more or less destroyed any chance he had at pairing with Williams on the Nets. Deron’s off to Dallas this offseason as a result. The Nets are without a lottery pick and any cadre of other assets to work with, besides that cap space. The Magic will attempt to trade him if he doesn’t sign the contract extension he prickishly waved off during last month’s press conference staged to announce his opt-in. Also, Howard’s coach doesn’t care for him, his teammates can’t stand this noise, and worst of all Magic fans seemed strangely ambivalent about all the chaos in last night’s dispirited Magic loss to the Knicks. Honestly, in a few weeks time Dwight Howard has gone from an MVP candidate to someone who needs a leave of bloody absence. It’s his gig, and his life, and his choices. Stan Van Gundy will get another job. His teammates will all get paid. Other superstars will find their way to Orlando. The Lakers are more than happy with their lot in life, even if they don’t spend a lot these days. But expecting Howard to do the right thing, eight years after he was drafted into the NBA? Expecting him to find that perfect mix between comfort and championship potential and all the money he could possibly make under the salary cap? That’s not going to happen any time soon. His chances were blown to bits by his choices.
Halladay cruises, Phillies beat Pirates 1-0 (Yahoo! Sports)
PITTSBURGH (AP)—Roy Halladay allowed just two hits in eight nearly flawless innings and the Philadelphia Phillies opened with a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. The two-time Cy Young winner, making his 10th straight opening day start, settled down quickly after a shaky beginning for the defending NL East champions. Halladay didn’t give up a hit after the first inning. He walked none and struck out five. For Halladay and the Phillies, it was a familiar score with a different winner. Their season ended last year when Halladay lost a 1-0 decision to Chris Carpenter and the St. Louis Cardinals in the deciding Game 5 in the first round of the playoffs. Carlos Ruiz had three hits for the Phillies. His sacrifice fly in the seventh provided all the run support Halladay needed. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his first save in the National League. Pirates starter Erik Bedard nearly matched Halladay pitch for pitch, giving up only one run in seven innings. He struck out four and walked one. Despite Bedard’s strong effort, the Pirates lost their first season opener since 2006. Ty Wigginton, filling in while star Ryan Howard continues to rehab his left Achilles, singled with one out in the seventh and John Mayberry followed with a double to right. Ruiz hit a fading liner to right and Jose Tabata made the catch, but Wigginton slid under catcher Rod Barajas’ tag to give Philadelphia the lead. It was just a run, but it was plenty for Halladay. Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle has preached the word “finish” as the team’s mantra after the Pirates collapsed during a brief flirtation with first place last July. Hurdle’s team could never get started, however, against Halladay. Baseball’s best pitcher over the last decade gave up singles to Alex Presley and Jose Tabata to start the game, eerily similar to the two hits he allowed against St. Louis in that Game 5 last fall. The Cardinals, however, turned those hits into the game’s only run. Pittsburgh—which brought in veterans Clint Barmes and Barajas to help kick-start one of baseball’s weakest offenses last season—didn’t get that close. Andrew McCutchen, who signed a $51 million deal last month as the linchpin of the Pirates’ rebuilding project, grounded into a double play and Neil Walker flied out to end the first-inning threat. That was the only chance the Pirates got against Halladay. Pittsburgh’s only two baserunners over the final eight innings came on hit batters. Bedard tried to his best to keep pace. The injury-plagued lefty insisted he wasn’t concerned about being a No. 1 starter when he signed with the Pirates in December, but he became one by default after A.J. Burnett broke a bone in his face during a botched bunting drill in spring training. Though he has shown flashes of brilliance during his career, Bedard has spent more time on the disabled list than on the mound since 2007, including missing the entire 2010 season due to left shoulder surgery. He bounced back in 2011 while splitting time between Seattle and Boston—going 5-9 with a respectable 3.62 ERA—and viewed his trip to Pittsburgh as a chance to re-establish himself. Mixing speeds and locating his curveball expertly, Bedard quickly worked his way through Philadelphia’s patchwork lineup that was missing injured stars Chase Utley and Howard. Bedard’s only bobble came in the seventh, but it was enough to prevent the Pirates from improving to 6-0 all-time in opening day games against the Phillies. NOTES: Burnett, on the 15-day DL, joined the Pirates for opening day festivities but is expected to start for Class A Bradenton on Friday. He is eligible to return on April 10 … Halladay’s 10 opening day starts are tied for the fourth-most in baseball history … The two teams are off Friday and meet again Saturday. Jeff Karstens will start for the Pirates while Cliff Lee gets the nod for Philadelphia.
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Stamkos has 2 goals in Lightning win over Capitals (Yahoo! Sports)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—The Washington Capitals wasted a chance to enhance their push toward the playoffs. Steven Stamkos scored two late goals, giving him a NHL-best 58 this season, and the Tampa Bay Lightning handed the playoff-hopeful Capitals a damaging 4-2 loss on Monday night. Stamkos gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead with 1:03 left, just 2:14 after Jason Chimera tied it for Washington, when he put in a rebound after goalie Michal Neuvirth had stopped Brett Clark’s shot from the blue line. Stamkos then scored into an empty net at 19:58. “We’re fighting for our playoff lives, so it’s not that hard to bounce back,” Chimera said. “It means a lot playing for something this time of year. You want to play in the playoffs. Ask any player what is the worst day. It’s sitting home watching the first day of playoffs. You want to be in those playoffs. You want to be in the hot seat.” Washington, which also got a goal from Alexander Semin, is in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals have a two-point lead over the Buffalo Sabres with two games remaining. The Sabres have three games left. “It’s disappointing to say the least,” Washington right wing Troy Brouwer said of the loss. The Capitals are three points behind Southeast Division-leading Florida. The teams play in Washington on Thursday night. “We were too lackadaisical,” Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. “We should have come out and tried to pound them right away and get their spirits down.” Teddy Purcell and Victor Hedman also scored for the Lightning, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention. “It was nice to beat a divisional rival in a game that mattered to them,” Stamkos said. “When you’re in the position we are, you just play spoiler. You try to win every game. I don’t think you come into games with grudges against certain teams, but after it’s that much more sweet to win, especially our last game at home and against a team that we’ve battled with the last couple years.” Chimera tied it at 2 with his 20th goal of the season, coming from in-close with 3:17 left in the third. Purcell and Hedman had goals 25 seconds apart late in the second. After Purcell scored from the left circle during a power play with 2:40 to go, Hedman beat Neuvirth with a shot from the blue line that put the Lightning ahead 2-1 at 17:45. Semin gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead from the top of the right circle following a Tampa Bay turnover at 12:47 of the second. Tampa Bay’s Dwayne Roloson stopped several good scoring chances in first, including shots from Alex Ovechkin and Mike Knuble. He made an outstanding second-period glove save on Mike Green, who whacked his stick on the glass in frustration. “Everyone on their bench, our bench, thought it was a goal,” Stamkos said. “I’m sure Green thought it was a goal, too.” Roloson made 31 saves. Neuvirth stopped a shot from the slot by Stamkos, and rookie J.T. Brown’s in-close chance during the second. “This was a playoff atmosphere,” Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. Tampa Bay finished with 27 shots. NOTES: Stamkos added an assist, giving him three assists and 11 points during a six-game point streak. … Semin, who also had an assist, has 23 goals and 43 points in 39 games against Tampa Bay. … Purcell snapped his 11-game goal drought, dating to March 8 against the Capitals. … Washington G Tomas Vokoun is out with a groin strain. He has played just once—for 18 minutes last Thursday—in nine games. … Lightning C Nate Thompson earned his first assist in 26 games when he helped set up Hedman’s goal. … Stamkos and Ovechkin had six shots each. Brown, playing in his second NHL game, had five shots.
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Tsonga: Umpire gave Nadal preferential treatment (Yahoo! Sports)
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP)—Jo-Wilfried Tsonga accused the chair umpire of giving Rafael Nadal preferential treatment during their quarterfinal at the Sony Ericsson Open. Nadal said that’s not the case. Nadal, bidding for his first Key Biscayne title, won 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a match that ended shortly after midnight Friday. Tsonga complained during the match and afterward that when borderline calls went against him, umpire Damian Steiner was reluctant to overrule. “It’s not fair,” Tsonga said. “If it’s really close, he would never say ‘out’ against Rafa. If Rafa doesn’t like him anymore, he would not be in the chair many times in a final and semifinal.” Tsonga said he lost his concentration because he became so focused on watching the lines in case he needed to challenge a ruling. Many players contend that since the advent of the Hawk-Eye replay review system, which allows players to challenge, umpires are less inclined to overrule linesmen. “I understand sometimes the frustration on this situation,” Nadal said. “It’s a general thing with the referees today that with the Hawk-Eye, I believe that they feel that they have less pressure than before. Probably knowing that you have the challenge, they don’t take the risk to have to overrule. “He’s right in one thing; he’s wrong in another thing. “
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Tour Report: Watch: Shots of the Week (PGATOUR.com)
Palmer released from hospital According to the Facebook page of the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented By MasterCard, tournament host Arnold Palmer was released from Dr. P. Phillips Hospital early Monday and was home resting. Palmer, 82, was taken to the hospital shortly before the end of his tournament on Sunday. The golf legend had been taking a new medicine and having some issues with his blood pressure, so doctors were monitoring it throughout the day. Matchups Game set for Shell Houston The pairings have been unveiled for this week’s PGA TOUR Matchups Game on Facebook. You can check out the Matchups for the Shell Houston Open below, or on the PGA TOUR’s Facebook page. Participants have until 6 a.m. ET Thursday to make their picks. Log on to the PGA TOUR Facebook page and click the Matchups link to make your picks for this week, or to sign up. GO TO FACEBOOK PAGE TO PLAY MATCHUPS GAME Phil Mickelson vs. Fred Couples Phil defends his title while Fred won his last TOUR event here Johnson Wagner vs. Kyle Stanley It’s a battle of FedExCup leaders current and former Graeme McDowell vs. Lee Westwood These Europeans bring Texas-sized game to the Lone Star State Ernie Els vs. Anthony Kim The Big Easy takes on the 2010 champion at Redstone Rickie Fowler vs. Bud Cauley 2010 Rookie of the Year vs. an early favorite for the 2012 award This week on PGATOUR.COM Cohen/Getty Images This week, the PGA TOUR goes to Humble, Texas, for the Shell Houston Open. Here are some of the features you can expect to see on PGATOUR.COM this week: TIGER’S VIDEO GAME LAUNCH Tiger Woods, fresh off his win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, will see his new video game – Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13 — hit the shelves on Tuesday. PGA TOUR Today host Amanda Balionis met with Tiger for a one-on-one interview to discuss aspects of his game and to also challenge Tiger at his own video game. Check out the feature on Tuesday. BOUNCING BACK How do great players overcome not-so-great rounds? Being able to bounce back from the bad days is a challenge that all players face. Here’s how some of the TOUR pros handle it. Check it out Wednesday afternoon. FREDDIE LIVE Houston’s favorite golfer, Fred Couples, will be in the interview room on Wednesday. Couples is coming off yet another win on the Champions Tour and will seek his first PGA TOUR win since the 2003 Shell Houston Open. PGATOUR.COM will carry the Couples interview live on Wednesday. DIRECT CONNECT Bud Cauley comes into Houston with plenty of momentum, thanks to his tie for fourth at Bay Hill on Sunday. Cauley will answer your questions in our weekly feature, published every Wednesday. Click here to ask Bud a question. TOP-10 TUESDAY This week’s Top 10 Tuesday video will feature the best winning putts on the PGA TOUR. Where does Adam Scott’s winning putt at the 2007 Shell Houston Open rank? LIVE INTERVIEWS: Each week at regular PGA TOUR events, PGATOUR.COM will carry live streams of pre-tournament interviews. Here’s the schedule for this week (please note: all times are tentative and subject to change) Tuesday, March 27: Johnson Wagner (4 p.m. ET); Lee Westwood (to be determined) Wednesday, March 28: Kyle Stanley (Noon ET); Fred Couples (approximately 12:30 p.m. ET); Graeme McDowell (approximately 2 p.m. ET); Charl Schwartzel (following his morning pro-am) Down the Stretch features Tiger Monday’s new episode of Down the Stretch (9:30 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel) will give viewers an all-access account of the final 24 hours at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard through the eyes of four players on the leaderboard after Saturday’s third round — eventual champion Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell, Ernie Els and Webb Simpson. The episode also will take viewers through the pressure and excitement of the final round through the players’ families — including McDowell’s and Simpson’s parents — who were fitted with microphones during Sunday’s final round. Down the Stretch will include multiple interviews with the leaders as they prepare for Sunday’s final round, as well as unique camera angles and a behind-the-scenes perspective on the highlights and interviews from Sunday.
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Kuwait’s Sheik Amad interim head of ANOC (Yahoo! Sports)
LONDON (AP)—Asia’s top Olympic official will head the global body of national Olympic committees following the resignation of longtime chief Mario Vazquez Rana. Sheik Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait, head of the Olympic Council of Asia, has been selected interim president of the Association of National Olympic Committees. The decision, taken at a meeting of ANOC officials in Bangkok, will come up for formal ratification at the association’s assembly in Moscow next month. ANOC says Sheikh Ahmad will serve the remaining two years of Vazquez Rana’s term until 2014, when new elections will be held. Vazquez Rana, a Mexican media mogul who turns 80 in June, headed ANOC for more than 30 years. He resigned abruptly last week amid political infighting.
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Thunder back on track at home, beat Blazers (Yahoo! Sports)
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—Russell Westbrook scored 28 points, Kevin Durant had 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder began work on restoring their home-court dominance, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 111-95 on Sunday night. James Harden added 14 points for Oklahoma City, which moved to 10-1 this season in the game immediately following a loss. The Thunder had lost at home to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday. The Thunder shot 55.4 percent from the field, led by double digits for most of the final 39 minutes and improved their record to 34-11, best in the NBA’s Western Conference. Oklahoma City had lost three of its last four games at Chesapeake Energy Arena after opening the season 17-1 at home. That lone loss was to the Blazers, but that Portland squad bore little resemblance to the lineup the Blazers fielded on Sunday. Jamal Crawford led Portland with 23 points while Raymond Felton had 19. Portland closed within 84-76 with 10:20 left, but Harden made five straight free throws to start a 13-6 run. Durant’s 3-pointer with 6:51 left put the Thunder up 97-82 and Portland came no closer than 10 points the rest of the way. Sunday’s game was the second for Portland since firing coach Nate McMillan, waiving former No. 1 draft pick Greg Oden and trading starters Gerald Wallace and Marcus Camby on Thursday. On Friday, the new-look Blazers posted an improbable 100-89 win at Chicago under interim coach Kaleb Canales, but they couldn’t replicate that effort in Oklahoma City. The Thunder never trailed. Oklahoma City closed the first quarter on a 21-5 run, scoring the final 10 points, to take a 31-15 lead. Oklahoma City led by as many as 21 in the second quarter before settling for a 57-42 halftime lead. Portland closed within 75-63 with 2:27 left in the third quarter after a 3-pointer by Crawford, who scored all but four of his points after halftime and kept the Blazers within striking distance. Crawford missed another 3-point attempt moments later that would have pulled the Blazers within 10 points. The Thunder quickly rebuilt their advantage to 81-63 on a 3-pointer by Harden, but Portland went on a 13-3 run before Oklahoma City finally pulled away. Wesley Matthews added 16 points for Portland while LaMarcus Aldridge had 15. Thabo Sefolosha scored 11 for the Thunder, going 3 of 3 from 3-point range. The Thunder finished 11 of 18 (61.1 percent) from behind the arc. NOTES: Harden jammed his left index finger while making a steal in the first quarter. A trainer taped up the finger and Harden played the rest of the game. . The Thunder posted their 37th straight regular-season sellout, with a crowd of 18,203 at Chesapeake Energy Arena . Portland center Hasheem Thabeet, obtained from the Houston Rockets in the trade involving Camby, was not with the Blazers on Sunday . Crawford and Portland’s Kurt Thomas both received technical fouls.
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Fan Perspective: Chicago Sky’s Offseason Moves Look to Make Them Winners (Yahoo! Contributor Network)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) got off to a slow start this year. The bickering that went on cost the fans a lot of heartache and the teams a lot of money. Will they pay a price? So far they seem to have weathered the storm just fine My team is the Chicago Bulls. They are leading the NBA with 35 wins. The question that I initially had was whether or not the slow start of the National Basketball Association would give the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) a boost in popularity. I also had been wondering specifically how my other Chicago team, the Chicago Sky , was going to approach this season. More importantly how would their “approach” help them against the league this year? After all, last year did not work out well. The 2011 Season: The Chicago Sky started the season in an exciting way. They won primarily on speed. They would get behind the defenses with their speed and the talent of star center Sylvia Fowles. Further the Sky had obtained the aggressive coach, Pokey Chatman. At the beginning of the season new recruit Courtney Vandersloot out of Gonzaga University dazzled fans and opponents with her amazing passing ability. However during the season she seemed to lose her magic touch. As an aside, Gonzaga routinely does well in the NCAA Annual Tourney and further shoots players to the pros despite the college’s small size. Unfortunately despite their high hopes and great start, the Chicago Sky faltered at the end of the season and did not make the playoffs. That was embarrassing since only four teams don’t make the playoffs. The 2012 Season: I believe the powers that be in the Chicago Sky Organization got the right idea. Chicago was high on talent but short on experience. Chicago has gone out and signed Ticha Penicheiro. Penicheiro has an all-time career assist record of 2,560. Further she is a four-time All-Star and has won a WNBA Championship. She has a 14-year career that is hard to match and brings just the kind of experience to the Sky that might get them over the hump. Another “star” that Chicago signed was Ruth Riley. Riley is a 6’5″ Olympian center who has won two WNBA Championships. An important part of the Chicago Sky team last year was defensive specialist Tamera Young and she was re-signed. What Chicago has done is combine outstanding young talent like Courtney Vandersloot and Sylvia Fowles and add great experience like Ruth Riley and Ticha Penicheiro. Additionally they have been wise in keeping good specialty players like Tamera Young. I think it is going to be a great year to follow the Sky. I just started following the Sky last year but have come to be addicted to WNBA basketball. I’ve been an NBA fan for over 50 years (the Celtics and Bulls), and I have been a middle school coach for more years than I care to count. It’s going to be fun to see whether or not Chicago has put all the right parts in place. I think they have. Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
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Lions sign WR Calvin Johnson to 8yr, $132M deal (Yahoo! Sports)
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP)—The Detroit Lions have made Calvin Johnson the highest-paid receiver in the NFL, signing the star known as Megatron to a new eight-year contract worth up to $132 million. The team announced the signing Wednesday, the second day of NFL free agency. The player’s agent, Bus Cook, said the deal is worth $60 million guaranteed if Johnson plays all eight years through the 2019 season. “This kind of deal doesn’t come around too often,” Cook said. “He’s the best.” It is one of the richest deals in the league and tops the one given to Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald last year, an eight-year deal that could pay him as much as $120 million, with $50 million guaranteed. Johnson, a five-year veteran, is a two-time Pro Bowler and his 45 touchdowns receiving are the most in the NFL since 2008. He signed a six-year deal worth up to $64 million after Detroit drafted him No. 2 overall in 2007, and was entering the final year of a contract that was scheduled to cost the Lions $20-plus million against their salary cap. He is coming off a spectacular season in which he helped Detroit earn a spot in the postseason for the first time since the 1999 season after doing what only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and former NFL star Randy Moss have done. Rice, Moss and Johnson are the only players in NFL history with at least 95 receptions, 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Johnson gives the Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford a deep threat like few other teams have. Johnson led the league with 1,681 yards receiving, putting him behind Rice’s total in 1995 and ahead of Moss’ in 2003. Johnson scored 16 times, once more than Rice did in his most spectacular season and one fewer than Moss during the best year of his career. Johnson didn’t just produce this past season. He’s one of six receivers in league history with at least 45 TD catches and 5,000 yards receiving in a four-season span, putting him on a short list that also includes Rice, Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison and Lance Alworth. In the playoffs, he piled up 12 receptions for 211 yards and 2 TDs in a loss to New Orleans—the first player in NFL history to have 200 receiving yards in a playoff debut. ——— — AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
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Video: Jared Dudley dives for loose ball, absolutely destroys Phoenix Suns vice chairman
EDITOR’S NOTE: We missed this gem during Sunday’s Suns/Kings tilt, but when we saw it, we loved it. And we love you. So we share it now. “OK, Jared, we’re going to use something called a ‘compliment sandwich’ here. We feel it will really help us open up a positive, holistic dialogue about how you can become an even more valuable part of our organization. OK? Great. “For starters, we love the hustle. Your willingness to risk injury to save a possession in the first quarter of a low-stakes game between two of the four worst teams in the West is exactly the kind of thing that made us want to sign you long-term. Love it. “BUT: We’re going to need you to go ahead and NOT shove your butt into the face of the vice chairman of the team. “Jahm Najafi is a very successful man — he’s had a stipple portait in the Wall Street Journal — and leaping and shoving your butt into his face, even by accident, sends sort of a mixed message to our other employees. “It was really nice of you to check and see if Mr. Najafi was OK afterward, though. You’re such a caring, compassionate worker! We really value that. “So: Great hustle; great compassion; please do not wreck a member of our ownership group’s face with your butt. Does that make sense?” Video via our friends at the National Basketball Association.