Let me explain: Draymond Green, whose decision to swipe at LeBron James’ crotch ended up being a surprising turning point in the NBA Finals last season, apparently has a lot of time on his hands since his Golden State Warriors haven’t been challenged much in the playoffs so far.
To pass some of that time, he recorded a podcast in which he had some things to say about Celtics center Kelly Olynyk (who is probably a dirty player, to be clear) that pretty obviously apply directly to the man in the mirror as well:
"He's dirty. Dirty player. Man, I don't respect guys like that. I know he's not like the greatest basketball player of all-time so maybe you feel like you've got to do that. But – just dirty. I don't respect that, man. He dirty."
For bonus points, Green thinks it’s fine Kelly Oubre responded to a marginally illegal screen by trying to smash Olynyk into the ground.
Kelly Oubre shoves Kelly Olynyk to the ground, Wizards and Celtics scrap pic.twitter.com/DDzCOrTB4W
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 5, 2017
Brilliant stuff from 21st Century Dennis Rodman.
When do the Finals start?
(H/T to Pro Basketball Talk for the transcription)
BTW, Golden State closed out its sweep of the Jazz with a 121-95 win in Utah last night…
"Their games are boring and one-sided," says Draymond Green on the 8-0 Cavs before his 7-0 Warriors play. And this is wildly entertaining: pic.twitter.com/1goWsR6E4y
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) May 9, 2017
The New York Yankees snapped the Cincinnati Reds’ five-game winning streak with a 10-4 decision last night.
This was one of those games when a bad start by a first-year pitcher (ironically a former Yankee farmhand named Rookie) set the tone. Playing from behind, manager Bryan Price used some of his lesser bullpen arms and they let him down.
Rookie Davis’ error in the first inning didn’t help, either.
Joey's 10th of the year goes out in a hurry. pic.twitter.com/4Ml7pS5zvG
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) May 9, 2017
Price said before the game the Reds were in first place because they have been opportunistic, but last night wasn't an example as they had 11 hits but hit into four double plays and stranded six.
Hey, it’s a long season…
The Dayton Dragons stayed hot, beating Cedar Rapids 4-1 for their 10th win in 11 games.
To hear some of the Reds and Dragons brass talk before the season, a fast start is particularly crucial for a low-A team that is typically very young and will have a harder time overcoming negatives.
Manager Louis Bolivar seems to be seeing the opposite effect right now.
“When you’re winning you’re playing good baseball,” beamed Dragons manager Luis Bolivar. “The guys are getting mentally stronger and they’re having fun. That’s a good thing. I just love this. You have to love it.”
RELATED: Dragons pitchers shut down Kernels
The Dragons are 11 games above .500 for the first time since they finished the 2011 season with a club-best 83-57 record…
Santillan leads red-hot Dragons.https://t.co/ER2XDFfoYp@daytonsports @springfieldnews @DragonsBaseball @gunsuptony2 @MiLB @DavidPJablonski pic.twitter.com/TrGu4ZuyG0
— Marc Pendleton (@MarcPendleton) May 9, 2017
A.J. Green met with reporters for the first time since the Cincinnati Bengals began offseason workouts for 2017 and gave his reaction both to the drafting of John Ross and Joe Mixon.
Spoiler: It’s favorable.
"Having (Ross) on the field just creates a different dynamic that we didn't have here the past couple of years with his speed," Green added. "I feel like we're definitely getting a lift. We had Marvin (Jones) and Mo (Sanu) when they were coming into their own and had Tyler Eifert healthy, I feel like our offense was at its best when we all were on the field together. I feel like we're getting back to that."
RELATED: John Ross talks about one of his off-field passions
As for Mixon, a polarizing draft pick because he punched a female fellow Oklahoma student in the face during his freshman year, Green is in the, “Everybody deserves a second chance,” camp.
“I don’t condone what he’s done. He can’t take that back. I know he would like to. I feel like the Christian man in me, with my faith, that’s the Christian way to do. I’m going to give the guy a chance.”…
READ MORE: A.J. Green talks about getting older and more vocal for Bengals
Breaking this morning: The University of Dayton has scheduled a public event for Thursday morning to talk about upgrades that will be coming to UD Arena.
I will be fascinated to see what they have in store.
This is a delicate matter for sure as reality dictates no building can last forever without some TLC but changing too much can have a net negative effect.
FULL STORY: Announcement about arena coming Thursday
As someone who grew up going to high school tournament games at the arena ("That's when country comes to tooooowwwwnnn…"), I have been impressed with the way they managed to upgrade the arena in the early 2000s without taking away its charm.
It still feels like a basketball arena despite the addition of the Flight Deck and upgrade to the concourse.
FIRST LOOK: Images of proposed UD Arena changes
Will they be able to accomplish that again while also dealing with the realities of the college sports facilities arms race?
We begin to find out later this week.
Today’s jam:
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