How the NBA Seduced Me Over My Morning Coffee (and What MLB Could Learn From It)

Not *that( kind of seduction, Tyson. I’m not going to complain about the tux, though.

A funny thing happened on my slog through the baseball offseason: I fell back in love with the NBA.  Well, maybe “in love” is too strong — let’s say we’re having a “friends with benefits” relationship while my one true love is studying abroad in the Carribbean. In any event I can list the teams in playoff contention in both conferences off the top of my head, or note that the Hornets have gone on a bit of a run since Eric Gordon came back, or chortle through the latest episode of Lakers’ schadenfreude with an enthusiasm I haven’t felt since the Jordan era.  How did this happen?

Hit And Run: (Mostly) Celebrity Edition

As excited as the Ladies get for baseball’s All-Star festivities, we tend to ignore the Celebrity Softball game.  I may have to at least DVR it, however, now that Chris Pratt (Parks and Rec, Everwood) has been announced as one of the celebrities. Chris is in the Moneyball movie as one of the A’s prospects, so he’s presumably had at least some movie prep coaching.  If he brings MouseRat to sing the national anthem, I’ll even watch it live.

Also on the celeb roster:

The Ladies… Craft Like A Champion Challenge

We are fast approaching one of the notorious Dead Zones of the sports calendar: the two week period leading up to the Super Bowl.  The NHL and NBA are not yet at mid-season, college basketball is still a week or two away from beginning its crescendo to the tourney, and Spring Training is almost a month away.  For a vast majority of us, it’s even too cold to go outside. What’s a sports loving gal to do with all that time on her hands?

How about making a hat for a needy newborn as part of the Ladies… Craft Like A Champion Challenge?

Support for the ‘stache

Just try to top the "State Trooper Giambi" look, as sported by Mike Mussina a few years back.

It’s been well-documented that we at Ladies… have a love/hate/complicated relationship with the moustache (and why is it so often associated with the mullet?), but this is clearly a case in which we wholeheartedly support its existence. As you may be aware, we are halfway through Movember, a movement designed to bring awareness to men’s health and specifically prostate cancer.

Community support always makes our hearts melt, so we salute the numerous athletes who have taken up the moustachioed cause.

Mid-week Inspiration Break

I was diagnosed this week with a sinus infection and tonsilitis.   I missed three days of work, couldn’t sleep for two days because my throat hurt so bad, and basically felt so terrible it felt like I’d never be healthy again.  Then, while staring blankly at some random digital channel yesterday, I was introduced to someone who put all of my recent woes into perspective.

Meet Seun Adebiyi.

I was there (sort of): CWS championship series, Game 1

If you haven’t been watching the College World Series, tonight would be a good time to tune in to ESPN. Tonight is game two of a 3-game championship series between LSU and Texas, two teams who fully expect to play in Omaha every summer and who are generally fun to watch.

Rosenblatt Stadium didn't stay empty for long after this Tigers warmup!

Last night was no exception. 

Thanksgiving Bowling and Charity

I go bowling with my family the day after Thanksgiving, but I didn’t realize what a wide-spread traidition it is. Apparently, turkey and bowling just go together. (Except for this poor turkey, who you’ll see with the bowling ball that killed it after the break.) So, I thought that in preparation for the big day later this week, I’d provide you some unique bowling shots and some stories about the Turkey Bowls and charitable giving going on. You know, to get you in the spirit of things a bit early.

Everybody Helps Out

So back on Memorial Day weekend my area was hit by a tornado. Parkersburg is the town that received the brunt of the damage. 8 people were killed, dozens injured and hundreds of houses were reduced to debris. Aplington-Parkersburg High School also happens to have the distinction of sending 4 football players to the NFL: Jared Devries, Aaron Kampman, Brad Meester and Casey Wiegmann. Most of them have been able to make a trek back here to check out the town and help in the clean-up efforts, but now the Jacksonville Jaguars (Meester’s team) has decided to start selling A-P Falcons hats at this weekend’s mini-camp and also on the Jaguars website to help raise money for tornado relief.

This is Parkersburg. Click for a larger version.