Britt Robson *****Check bottom of text for live blogging updates Last update of McHale-Stack-Hoiberg press conference at 1:45 a.m.**** It’s less than four hours before the start of the NBA Draft and as most regular readers know, I claim no expertise in these matters–life’s too short, and college hoops loses out to my family, music, politics, etc., in … Read more
Wolves News, NBA photo from 2005 No great secrets were divulged in the 15-minute phone conversation I had with Fred Hoiberg this morning, nor did I expect him to spill the beans about what will happen on Thursday. But he was kind enough to give me the time during his busy schedule and what follows … Read more
(AP Photo/Tom Olmscheid) Completely in the clutches of pro basketball withdrawal, I made my way down to the Dome on Sunday to watch what has become a confoundingly enjoyable 2008 edition of the Minnesota Twins. Actually the prime motivation was catching the galaxy of rising stars on the Arizona Diamondbacks, and receiving what is likely … Read more
(AFP/File/Gabriel Bouys) NBA Finals Game #6: Los Angeles 92, Boston 131 Series: Boston wins 4-2 A 39-point margin in a championship-clinching game means that one team was relentlessly magnificent and the other quit early and never bothered to revive. Quite frankly, I’m shocked at how thoroughly the Celtics cut the heart out of this Lakers … Read more
(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty Images) NBA Finals, Game #5: Boston 98, Los Angeles 103 Series to date: Boston up 3-2 Other assignments prevented me to compiling a good three pointer for last night’s game, and it is already late in the day to slap together some of my impressions and questions about the contest. But … Read more
The official Soul Queen of New Orleans, Irma Thomas has gracefully matured from the belter who literally 50 years ago (1958) told her romantic rivals, "You Can Have My Husband (But Please Don’t Mess With My Man)," to a caresser who engages the violins and doesn’t shed a shred of dignity on the bittersweet "Another … Read more
While the elegant Dakota isn’t quite as sublime as the outdoor quad in front of Northrop Auditorium—where Baobab played under sunny skies and swirling dancers in a beautiful evening on their last tour—this amazing 11-piece band does have another superb record’s worth of tunes in their arsenal: Made In Dakar, released in May, and equal … Read more
(AFP/File/Gabriel Bouys) NBA Finals, Game #4: Boston 97, Los Angeles 91 Series to date: Boston 3-1 1. Changing Reputations It is just a matter of when now. Because surely you don’t think Lamar Odom finds his composure, Pau Gasol unearths some grit, and Kobe Bryant recaptures his magical mojo in sufficient quantities to take these … Read more
Here’s another seamless, masterful mix of Latin and African pop music from Orchestra Baobab, proving that their phenomenal comeback album, 2002’s Specialist In All Styles, was no fluke. Baobab was the house band for Senegalese government officials during the 1970s, and was renowned throughout Africa before splitting up in 1985, beset by dissension and the … Read more
NBA Finals, Game #3: Boston 81, Los Angeles 87 Series to date: Boston 2-1 1. Superb Coverage In all my years of watching NBA basketball, I can’t remember more incisive and illuminating commentary about the game than we got last night from Jeff Van Gundy and his cohorts on ABC and ESPN. The general purpose … Read more