I highly recommend this one on Mark Price, not only because I can appreciate a white guy in short shorts who can shoot, but mainly because of the ironically named song “Black Gold” providing the background music. Other classics are Charles Barkley as “The Warrior”, Larry Bird and his “Small Town” roots, and, of course, Michael Jordan taking our breath away.

But once NBA fans are done reminiscing with these terrific videos, what then? I mean, yeah, Google Image searches for “kurt rambis mustache” and “brian cardinal” are entertaining, but it’s not replacing watching actual basketball games.

That is why NBA fans need to direct their basketball-starved attention one level down to the college game. And for those NBA fans who are not too distraught by the lockout to acquiesce, here is a guide for which college basketball team each should follow based on his or her NBA allegiance.

Before we begin, let it be noted that you will not see Duke listed below for a reason: I cannot in good faith advise anyone to root for Duke. They already have a large “worldwide” fan base that is loud and haughty; they don’t need anyone else. In fact, I’ll advise all NBA fans to actively root against Duke. It’s actually quite fun, and for someone who doesn’t already have a college allegiance, joining the Duke Haters Club just may be more fun than attaching yourself to any particular college team anyway.

Now onto the assignments, based far less on geography than on, well, other relevant matters. (And don’t worry Kentucky fans, the comment section awaits your ire at the end of the post.)

Eastern Conference

Chicago Bulls: Xavier Musketeers

Bulls fans can appreciate good point guard play, especially guards who can put their teams on their backs to win big games, and there are few point guards in America – if any – that are as good at doing just that as Tu Holloway. In fact, he is probably the closest thing to Derrick Rose that there is in college basketball this year (and he’s not even that close, which just goes to show you how good Rose is/was.)

Miami Heat: Kentucky Wildcats

This one is easy. In fact, it’s probably the most obvious of all.

Image source: SportsBore.com

Not only do you have the LeBron-Worldwide Wes-John Calipari connection already in place, but after last year there is now a sensibility similarity between these two fan bases. Kentucky fans would sell what is left of their souls to win a national championship by any means necessary, and that is a feeling than Miami fans can probably now relate with.

Plus, Kentucky is a lot like the Heat in how they assemble their roster every year: just get the best recruits, throw them together with some decent coaching, and see what coalesces as the season goes on in hopes that it’s a contender come March. That’s exactly what the Heat did last year with their collection of the best free agents, coming up just short of winning it all…just like Calipari always does. (But hey, at least the Heat’s appearance in the Finals won’t be voided a few years from now!)

Boston Celtics: Michigan State Spartans

Obviously you can tell that geography is far from the most important factor here.

If you’re a Celtics fan, you already have a wardrobe full of green clothes that you can wear while watching Tom Izzo and the Spartans. So that’s a positive. Also, I think the Celtics and Spartans are in similar positions:

• Boston was thought to be a title contender going into last year, but now they are seen as an aging team starting to decline. How will Danny Ainge rebuild the roster moving forward? Can he keep Boston in contention as he does it?
• Similarly, after yet another Final 4 run two years ago, the great things were expected of the Spartans last year. They faltered, and as guys like Raymar Morgan, Kalin Lucas, and, after this year, Draymond Green depart, a new cast of characters will have to step up to keep the Spartans in contention. How will Tom Izzo rebuild the roster moving forward? Can he keep the Spartans in contention as he does it?

Jared Sliminger

As Kermit might say, it’s been easy being green over the past handful of years. It could be harder moving forward.

Orlando Magic: Ohio State Buckeyes

There just aren’t as many dominant back-to-the-basket big men in basketball anymore – college or pro. The Magic have one of them in Dwight Howard, and the best college post man is clearly second year Buckeye Jared Sullinger. Granted, Sullinger is much shorter and less athletic than the high-flying Howard, so the two don’t compare in terms of defensive impact and aerial antics, but we’ll take what we can get.

And hey, with Sullinger trimming down a ton during the offseason, he no longer looks like the complete opposite of Howard in terms of physique.

Also, Orlando is often good, even reaching the Finals a few years back, but they haven’t been able to break through to win a title. Ohio State fans not old enough to remember the days of Fred Taylor and Jerry Lucas can certainly relate with that.

Update: Robert Littal, an alum of the Ohio State University, makes a good point: “We should have been the Celtics since everyone hate THE OSU…Orlando is WEAK, who cares about the Magic.”

Atlanta Hawks: Baylor Bears

The Atlanta Hawks are a talented team that had a memorable postseason moment when it seemed like they were arriving (taking the Celtics to 7 games), but they typically underachieve and can be maddeningly inconsistent from game to game while playing an undisciplined style.

The Baylor Bears are a talented team that had a memorable postseason moment where it seemed like they were arriving (making it to the Elite 8), but they typically underachieve and and can be maddeningly inconsistent from game to game while playing an undisciplined style.

Oh, and both teams have head coaches with the last name Drew.

Yep, good fit.

New York Knicks: St. John’s Red Storm

The last time the Knicks were relevant and good, Pat Riley and his slicked-back hair were roaming the sidelines. Fans of St. John’s are hoping that their new slicked-back coach Steve Lavin can make them relevant again. He started off well last year with an experienced roster, but now we’ll have to see how he does as he builds it on his own. And since Knicks fans have suffered so much lately, I don’t want to pull them too far away from Madison Square Garden.

Philadelphia 76ers: UCLA Bruins

I really struggled with this one, so I’m glad that Chris Callaway came through with a perfect fit:

“The 76ers could be UCLA. Will Smith is now a part-owner of the Sixers, and in West Philadelphia he was born in raised. And after taking a cab – with a license plate that said “Fresh” and that had dice in the mirror – all the way from Philly to California, Will was able to sit on his throne as the Prince of Bel Air for six magical years, and 15 more in syndication.“

And, as Keith Mullett pointed out, the 76ers have former Bruins Jrue Holliday and Jason Kapono. So this one really would work out great.

And, as Chris later pointed out, MSF writer Drew Lange should change his first name to Jrue. (This last point really has nothing to do with anything, but it did make me laugh.)

Indiana Pacers: Indiana/Purdue/Notre Dame/Butler

Positioned right in the middle of one of the best cities for amateur sports in America, most Pacers fans already have strong college basketball allegiances to either Indiana, Purdue, Notre Dame, or Butler. They should just continue rooting for whatever college team they already like more than the Pacers. [hat tip to Jon Washburn]

Milwaukee Bucks: DePaul Blue Demons

Marquette would be the easy choice here, but let’s go with DePaul. Both were good back in the day, both have had a big tall guy lead them to a title (George Mikan, Lew Alcindor), but both have been largely irrelevant since then. Plus both play in a good sports town where no one really cares about them. [hat tip Chris Callaway]

Charlotte Bobcats: North Carolina State Wolfpack

First off, picture Sidney Lowe and his 25-55 ACC record in your mind and tell me he doesn’t seem like exactly the kind of guy Michael Jordan would hire to coach the Bobcats (in between putts on the 10th green).

Update: Of course, since Sidney Lowe no longer coaches the Wolfpack, which I had forgotten about in my haste to diss Michael Jordan’s GM skills, the joke really is on me here. Thanks to the commenter who pointed this out.

Also, while the Wolfpack was relatively competitive during Herb Sendek’s tenure (he won 9 or more conference games in four of his last five seasons there), this is a program that has reached one Sweet 16 since 1989 despite being situated in the hoops hotbed of North Carolina. Bobcats fans already know all about cheering for a Tobacco Road loser. This would be a seamless transition.

Detroit Pistons: Michigan Wolverines

Michigan State is already taken, but that’s okay. Struggling Pistons fans shouldn’t align themselves with the unranked Spartans – a program possibly on the decline – anyway; they should go with the Wolverines, a program that John Beilein seems to have on the upswing. Plus, the Pistons and Wolverines both won the title together back in 1989, so maybe they can get the Michigan Magic working together again.

New Jersey Nets: Northwestern Wildcats

Jay-Z is obviously the most famous of the Nets’ management team (with apologies to the Russian dude), so I would think that Nets fans can appreciate some good rap music. Thus, the only possible choice for Nets fans would be Northwestern, because then they’d be able to rockout with their lockout to a guy who is clearly on the way to being at Jay’s level. That’s right, Chet Haze.

Washington Wizards: Central Florida Knights

When this franchise was called the Bullets, it won a championship and four conference titles. Since it became the Wizards in 1997, it hasn’t won a damn thing, except a few fleeting moments of notoriety when Michael Jordan joined the team to play at about 25% of his former greatness. But maybe there is a way for a Jordan to make it up to Wizards fans.

Despite not being heavily recruited coming out of high school, Michael Jordan’s son Marcus has turned into a pretty good player at Central Florida. As a sophomore he averaged 15 points and led the Knights to 19 victories. Heading into his junior year, Jordan has the Knights on Andy Bottoms’ preseason watch list for mid-major teams.

One MJ never gave the Wizards the title they hoped he might, but perhaps another MJ can deliver one to Wiz fans who adopt the Knights. And with the Wizards located in the nation’s capitol, what better conference to win than Conference USA?

Toronto Raptors: Carleton University Rams

I was really at a loss for the Raptors, so I’m glad that Josh Tinley stepped up with the following suggestion: “I think Raptors fans should cheer on the Carleton University Ravens, who have won 7 of the last 9 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) National Championships. And they’re right there in Ontario.”

I honestly don’t know much about the Raptors other than that Vince Carter had some misadventures there and Chris Bosh recently left there. So Josh’s suggestion is as good as anything I can think of.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Root Against Kentucky

Last year, I’m not sure what got Cavs fans more excited: a Cavs win or a Heat loss. Maybe early in the season Cavs fans were pumped up by Cleveland victories, but once it became clear that the Cavs would end up being one of the worst NBA teams in recent memory, surely more satisfaction was taken by rooting against LeBron and the Heat. So why not apply that same thinking during the lockout?

Since LeBron and Coach Cal have their little Worldwide Wes-orchestrated love affair, and being that they are just so damn hatable anyway, Kentucky would make a perfect target for the sad, plaintive ire of Cavs fans.

Photo credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images via Esquire.com

Full disclosure: I don’t like Kentucky. In case you hadn’t noticed.

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs: Kansas Jayhawks

Kansas is similar to the Spurs in that we take their consistent excellence under Bill Self for granted – they are almost always in the top 5 and have won the Big 12 nine out of the last ten years. They also, like San Antonio, have had some disappointing postseasons lately, but enough championships in their recent and past history to where their fans can’t get too upset.

The Spurs are so consistently good that we take them for granted. Did you even remember that they were the #1 seed in the Western Conference last year? Even with an aging nucleus they still found a way to be great in the regular season, but they just don’t seem to have the juice to make deep playoff runs anymore. This experience of playoff disappointment would allow Spurs folks to easily assimilate into the Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk crowd.

On a possibly related note, I’d love to see Greg Popovich wear Bill Self’s magic pimp shirt.

Los Angeles Lakers: North Carolina Tar Heels

After stumbling around a bit after Dean Smith left, North Carolina is back to being the nation’s glamor team under Roy Williams. Sure, they had that little blip two years ago, and Williams’ first season in Chapel Hill was one to forget, but otherwise Williams has never won fewer than 29 games and has delivered two national titles and another Final 4 appearance in less than a decade. And when Carolina is good, few other college colors start popping up nationwide like Carolina blue, as the frontrunners flock to support MJ’s alma mater.

Los Angeles Lakers fans (minus our own KVB, of course) know all about being front-runners…but very, very, very successful front-runners who have come to expect greatness, which is why any Lakers fan who turns his or her attention to college basketball will surely flock to Chapel Hill. I mean, it’s not like they can root for Kobe or Pau’s college team. Lakers fans are only satisfied by titles, and Carolina is loaded up again for another title run.

Also, it will be a nice change of pace for Lakers fans to be able to root for a coach who can actually bend his knees.

Image source: Here

Dallas Mavericks: Indiana Hoosiers

I know that I already listed Indiana among the group of Hoosier State school that Pacers fans should cheer for, but hear me out and I think you’ll agree that Mavs fans should turn their attention to their owner’s alma mater if the lockout drags on.

Not only is there the Mark Cuban connection (he got rich in part because of a desire to listen to Indiana basketball games), but if Mavs fans squint real hard (and maybe take a little LSD…) they just might be able to pretend that Cody Zeller is Dirk Nowitzki. Hell, Indiana fans already are and Zeller hasn’t even played a game yet.

And if it’s strong LSD, Mavs fans can really let their imaginations run wild and pretend that watching Jordan Hulls and Zeller together is a reunion of Nash and Nowitzki.

Besides, Mavs fans owe it to Cuban to send the positive vibes emanating throughout Dallas because of the Mavs and Rangers up to Bloomington. He delivered the city an NBA title, now Big D can do its part of get the Hoosier basketball program back on track. And since Mavs fans know a little something about cheering for a really, really crappy team and then seeing slow growth through to a title, they can give Hoosier fans some much needed perspective after the last three years.

Oklahoma City Thunder: UCONN Huskies

Thunder fans have grown accustomed to seeing a long, lanky guy drain jumpers, especially clutch ones, from all over the court. After his performance in the NCAA Tournament last year, Jeremy Lamb looks like he might be able to do the same.

Denver Nuggets: Utah Utes

First off, fans of the Nuggets would surely want to stay out in the West Coast, so if nothing else rooting for Utah gives them that. However, there is an even better reason for this one, and I guarantee you won’t see coming. (And you may just wish it hadn’t…)

Who is the most famous coach in Utah history? Rick Majerus. And what do Majerus and the word “nuggets” have in common? Well, depending on just how immature you are, and what you consider “nuggets” to be a potential euphemism for, both of the following excerpts could apply:

During a game in 1999 Majerus gathered his team around him during a timeout and zeroed in on struggling center Nate Althoff. “You’ve got none of these,” Majerus growled, and then reached over and lightly backhanded Althoff’s groin. “You’ve got no nuts!”

…

What happened next still haunts me to this day. Majerus took the towel, pulled his pants down, and quickly took a dump into the towel, which he was holding under his ass. After he was done he used part of the towel to wipe, wrapped it up, and HANDED IT BACK TO THE MANAGER, and told him to throw it away. The kid looked like a deer in giant Rick Majerus headlights. The whole room was silent. Rick just pulled his pants up and went back to the scout, never once mentioning it or acting like anything out of the ordinary had occurred.”

If you’d like the full context for these excerpts, click here.

Also, I just want it noted that this is the third to last one of these I’m doing. So I’m running out of ideas. And considering how crappy the NBA lockout is for fans, an excerpt that included the phrase “took a dump” and that included a description of a skidmarked towel seemed extremely appropriate.

Portland Trailblazers: New Mexico Lobos

Trailblazers fans are known for being among the most passionate in the NBA, which makes Rose Garden Arena one of the toughest places to play. That is why Trailblazers fans would fit right in if they took a trip to The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, known for being one of the toughest and loudest places to play in America.

New Orleans Hornets: Louisville Cardinals

Hornets fans can cheer for Louisville because Peyton Siva is an exciting point guard. Sure, he’s nowhere near as good as CP3, but he’s one of the best in college basketball nonetheless. [hat tip to Jon Washburn]

For the uninitiated:

Also, people in New Orleans already are predisposed to like people named Peyton, so there’s that.

Plus, I’d add that Larry Johnson isn’t walking through that door. And Alonzo Mourning isn’t walking through that door. Nor is anyone else from the Hornets’ glory days in Charlotte. And surely Rick Pitino would be able to remind Hornets fans of this.

Memphis Grizzlies: VCU Rams

The Grizzlies were the surprise story of the 2011 NBA playoffs, an 8th seed that stunned a #1 seed and then made it all the way to a Game 7 against Oklahoma City. Similarly, VCU shocked the world by going from First Four to Final Four, knocking off #1 seeded Kansas along the way. With their underdog cheering powers combined, maybe, just maybe, Shaka Smart and the Rams can make another deep run.

Houston Rockets: Georgetown Hoyas

Georgetown would be a good fit for Rockets fans because the Hoyas just got into that massive fight with the Chinese. Here is the video if you’ve never seen it:

Houston fans might be so frustrated at Yao Ming’s injuries and unfulfilled potential that they might appreciate the audacity with which the Hoyas fought the Chinese. [hat tip to Jon Washburn]

Phoenix Suns: Wisconsin Badgers

Suns fans know all about watching a team dominated by the point guard, so watching the Jordan Taylor-led Badgers wouldn’t be so much different than watching Steve Nash lead their Suns. Except that it would. Because Wisconsin and Taylor play a much slower tempo than Nash and the Suns. I don’t think that would be such a bad thing though. It would expose Suns fans to a less frenetic style of basketball that they aren’t really used to watching.

Also, anytime they see a picture of Bo Ryan, they can pretend he’s making his scary faces in the general direction of Robert Sarver and feel a little bit better inside. And with this picture in particular, they can pretend he’s casting an evil spell on Sarver and the rest of the NBA owners.

Utah Jazz: BYU Cougars

Or they could just pay more attention to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.

And we’ll just move right along.

Golden State Warriors: Belmont Bruins

Golden State, like the Suns, is another NBA franchise known for having a run-and-gun style that makes watching them fun. Warriors fans also seem to have a chip on their shoulder and enjoying being the underdog the slays the dragon, a la a few years when they knocked off the #1 seeded Dallas Mavericks. Who better, then, for Warriors fans to root for than Belmont and its high-scoring, guard-led, underdog attack?

Read Andy Bottoms’ preview of the 2011-12 Bruins. The way he describes their leading scorer Ian Clark, it makes him sound like a cross between Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Sounds like a guy Warriors fans can get behind, and with Belmont expected to be one of this year’s top mid-majors, perhaps Warriors fans can channel their upset energy from a few years ago and help propel the Bruins to March greatness.

Los Angeles Clippers: Texas Longhorns

As MSF’s Keith Mullett said, “Clippers fans could root for Texas since both always have loaded rosters and coaches who don’t know how to manage them.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Sacramento Kings: Sacred Heart Pioneers

Let’s be honest here: for the last several years, about the most excitement Kings fans have been able to have is the inevitable sophomoric chuckling that ensues from seeing “SAC” scroll across score tickers. With no lockout, that means no more SAC…but not if Kings fans adopt Sacred Heart as their college basketball team of choice. Plus, Sacred Heart sucks (11-18 last year), so Kings fans can just keep on expecting loss after loss, just like if the NBA season had started on time.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Butler Bulldogs

We’ll let the Timberwolves’ fans cheer for Butler. They deserve to watch a team make the most out of their talent because of good coaching and management…as opposed to…well…KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNNN!!!!! [hat tip to Jon Washburn]

**********

And now it’s your turn. Surely your perspective on this will be different mine.

What are your ideas for which college teams certain NBA fan bases should adopt during the lockout?

The comment section awaits.

The best part is the choice of picture.

Did Mark Cuban’s Attorney Just File Greatest Legal Scoreboard Ever in Ross Perot Jr. Case? — Unfair Park

Image source: Imgur via Reddit

Who knew that now-beefy owner Mark Cuban (pictured below) was once a lean, mean, slam dunking machine?

Image source: OddJack.com

Okay fine, so the picture at the top is not actually Mark Cuban.

Here’s the rest of the card that I cut off in my nefarious attempt to try to trick you:

It’s Cherokee Parks.

But admit it: for a split second when you saw the picture it fooled you. (No really, please admit this, because it will make me feel better about being tricked in the same way by the same picture.)

For what it’s worth, while Mark Cuban does somewhat resemble early career Dukeified Cherokee Parks, the resemblance did not last.

Image source: The Rafters

Yeah, and that guy just happens to be Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and that thing in his right hand just happens to be the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Image source: Imgur

So Mark Cuban is holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy in one hand while simultaneously using his other hand to aim his shlong while he pisses. Yep, considering everything that has happened during his tenure as the owner of the Mavericks, I think that sounds just about right.

Image source: YFrog via Reddit

Random thought: what the hell did we do before the Internet, Twitter, blogs, Reddit, etc., etc.? How did we ever enjoy sports with this much levity and laughter? Answer: we didn’t.

Let’s hope we never have to go back to that dark, awful place again.

On behalf of all fellow IU grads (class of ’04 here), I salute you Mark (class of ’81). Congrats on persevering to bring an NBA title to Dallas.

Image source: 1310 The Ticket in Dallas

A lot of people who pass through the halls of the Kelley School look up to Mark Cuban, and with good reason. He’s a good, decent guy who has parlayed a little bit of luck, a little bit of good timing, and a whole hell of a lot of hard, smart work into being not just a billionaire, but a pretty well adjusted one who actually seems happy and content with his success.

And something tells me when all is said and done this may be the most happy and content tweet he’s ever sent:

this will sound weird. Im laying in bed. with the trophy next me.#dreamcometrue

Mark won’t remember this, but I met him one day on the first floor of the Kelley building. It was a quick meeting, but he was nice, gracious, and just seemed happy as hell to be in Bloomington. Most of all, he seemed to be genuinely in the moment…a billionaire walking through the halls of his old school. But that’s one thing I notice a lot about Cuban: he spends a lot of time “in the moment”. And I was genuinely excited to see him achieve such a memorable moment last night.

Thanks for being such a great example of what our proud school produces, Mark. Congratulations. You earned this.

Perhaps.

Dirk Nowitzki is the best international player to have ever entered the NBA.. Ever! Yet, the seven footer has never won an MVP award. Yes, he’s been in multiple 3-point competitions, and he’s been on the All-Star roster nearly every year, but we’ve never truly recognized Dirk for what he is: an MVP caliber player, who comes through season after season for the Mavericks, but yet, we continue to downplay his talent and importance.

Will we give him what he has deserved for more than year?

I mean, don’t get me wrong, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, etc etc. all deserve this award just as much as Nowitzki does. Each of the mentioned players plays the game with heart, puts in the work, and gets the end results. Whether it’s pouring in the points, getting the boards, or hitting the open teammates for the jumper.

But one thing that truly makes Dirk different from the rest isn’t that he’s from Germany, but it’s the fact that Dirk is one of the more unstoppable players this league has ever seen. Give it a thought, and you’ll begin to realize that I’m right.

With the size of a Pau Gasol, the handles of a Hedo Turkoglu, and the sweet, sweet jumper of a Steve Nash, Dirk is what I would call an unstoppable player.

He’s had the game ever since he played for DJK Wurzburg in Germany, way, way back then, and he continues to demonstrate the skill set night in and night out. It’s no surprise the guy’s been averaging over 20 points for the past 10 seasons now. And how can you not? Whether you put a big like Dwight on him, he can bring you out to the perimeter, put a couple moves on you, go right, fake left, and put up that signature fadeaway of his that’s become so deadly over the years.

What about throwing a smaller defender, in order to keep up with Dirk on the perimeter? I shouldn’t even have to tell you what’s next. He’ll just take the munchkin to the block and power his way to the bucket.

How do you stop a player like that? He can shoot from deep very well, has an array of post moves, and he also has teammates to dish to who won’t let him down.

It’s almost obvious as to why the Mavericks have been paying a trip to the postseason year-after-year. It all starts and ends with Nowitzki.

It’s no wonder Mark Cuban thinks Dirk will be in the all-time top ten when it’s all said and done. Dirk possesses all of the traits any GM, fan, or teammate would like to see in it’s star player: the passion to play, the ability to take over games, the power to motivate others, and the talent to knock down shots when they are needed.

But for some reason, we as the media, as the fans, and as the critics, don’t seem to notice how great of a player Dirk Nowitzki really is. Maybe it’s his European descent; maybe it’s his long hair; maybe it’s because he plays for the Mavericks; or maybe it is simply because we are ignorant to what is in front of our very eyes.

What I do know is this, NBA fans:

The Dallas Mavericks are currently one of the better teams in the NBA. They have already beaten teams like Miami, Boston, and San Antonio this season, and have entered the conversation of the league’s best.

You can make your comments about their age, or how Mark Cuban is a nut job, but I think I might be on to something here.

Dirk Nowtizki just might be be polishing a 2nd MVP trophy, along with a Finals ring comes season’s end.

I realized this morning that every day there is one blog post I look forward to more than any other: The Big Lead’s morning link roundups…which, coincidentally, has not been posted yet this morning.

WTF?

This unexpected void in my morning gave me the opportunity to participate in an exciting new morning activity: thinking. And what I got to thinking and wondering about is why I’m not putting together a similar post on a daily basis for you, our trusty MSF reader.

So I decided to start doing it. And if the old adage “imitation is the most sincere form of flattery” is true, then consider yourself flattered TBL. We’ll obviously put our own spin on things, but we’re not trying to hide the source of our inspiration.

Look for this new feature every morning, probably around 7-7:15 Central Time. And if you’re a blogger or an interested reader who likes sharing good stuff you read, send me tips.

And now, without further ado, onto this morning’s WYNTR (that stands for What You Need To Read), sponsored by birthday girl Kim Kardashian (who probably has a better chance of completing that pass than Derek Anderson…)

Hot Topics

Nothing is a hotter topic this morning than the breaking news of Steve Phillips’ affair with an ESPN production assistant. (Hat tip to TBL on this one.)

Our buddy MoonDog discusses the new political action committee that is taking on the BCS.

The LA Daily News discusses Manny Ramirez going back to his Manny ways by skipping the end of his team’s last game against the Phillies to shower.

Mark Cuban has opined about steroid use, and let’s just say that his thoughts on the issue are different than, well, 99% of people who have commented publicly on the issue. Could steroids actually be a good thing?

If you haven’t yet seen it, the always hilarious folks at Tirico Suave have produced a nice animated gif breakdown of ARod getting a nice handful of The Captain’s ass a couple days ago. Well done.

Midwest sports news

In Browns news, LB D’Qwell Jackson is out for the season with a shoulder injury while his coach, Eric Mangini, is being compared to the fat kid who floated away in Willy Wonka’s river of chocolate. Being a Browns fan is great, huh?

In Bears news, Jay Cutler got a contract extension at the same time that he and Chad Ochocinco were having a friendly Twitter conversation. As our friends at Tremendous Upside Potential point out, Jay Mariotti, of course, was not amused with Cutler’s willingness to take a few moments to himself away from the football field.

In Vikings news, there is a little bit of confusion regarding whether coach Brad Childress will be getting a contract extension soon or not.

In Buckeye news, despite a loss to Purdue, Jim Tressel is not planning a big changes.

Blogging, social media, and other stuff

Here are five reasons why Google’s new sidewiki feature will fail.

Mashable a few interesting posts:

• summary of a UCLA study that finds surfing the Internet stimulates your brain
• Twitter’s CEO says the world is big enough for Twitter AND Facebook
• Just how big a game-changer with the Motorola Droid be? Is it a serious challenger to the iPhone? One thing is for sure…from the pictures, it just may kill you, me, and everyone.

And a little something for the fellas

All Left Turns delivers a solid breakdown of the 25 hottest women in motorsports. Lewis Hamilton and Jimmie Johnson are fighting for pole position on this one.

Straight Pinkie delivers the good with a photo gallery of Eva Wyrwal.

Asylum.com brings you the 100 most search for hotties on the Internet.

Have a great Wednesday everyone. Remember to look for tomorrow’s WYNTR post a little earlier in the morning. The comment section is yours to discuss any and all topics.

The insider trading charges stem from Mark Cuban’s investment in Mamma.com, and it is alleged that Cuban sold off his entire 6% stake in the company after receiving inside information that the company would be announcing it would raise money through a private offering, known as a PIPE transaction.

A few details regarding the charges, per the WSJ:

The SEC alleges in a civil action that Mr. Cuban sold his entire 6% ownership stake on June 28, 2004, after learning that Mamma.com was raising money through a private investment in a public entity, or PIPE. The next day, on June 29, the company announced the PIPE financing and shares of the company dropped by more than 10%. By selling his stake, the SEC alleges, Mr. Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses.

Obviously, these are only charges and Mark Cuban has not convicted of anything yet. However, this certainly does not look good. According to the Huffington Post, when Mark Cuban initially sold his shares it made news. Apparently he claimed at the time that he did not agree with PIPE transaction because it would dilute his funds. This is not an uncommon reaction by major shareholders upon the announcement of PIPE transactions, but the key to this story, as with any insider trading story, will be the prosecutors’ ability to establish a timeline.

If Cuban did, in fact, know about the proposed PIPE transaction before it was announced publicly, he could very well be up shit’s creek without a paddle as they say. Is it possible that rumors of this insider trading announcement are part of the reason why word leaked last week that Major League Baseball owners would, under no circumstances, allow Mark Cuban to buy the Chicago Cubs?

Wow.

If this turns out to be true, all I can say is that this was ridiculously dumb and short-sighted on the part of Mark Cuban. The guy is worth billions upon billions of dollars. I don’t want to be flippant by saying, “What’s $750,000 to a multi-billionaire?” but…”What’s $750,000 to a multi-billionaire!!!??”

I have always liked Mark Cuban, and I got to meet him when I was at Indiana. I like him as an owner, and though he rubs some people the wrong way, I think his passion and openness are good for sports.

If the insider trading accusations prove to be true, I don’t think Mark Cuban will be involved in sports too much longer. Of course, Martha Stewart seems to be rebounding nicely from her own insider trading scandal; but she’s the devil. Mark Cuban may not have such powers.

Anyway, hopefully it’s not true, but the evidence certainly appears to be pretty damning. I know this, I will definitely be following the case and hoping that Mark is exonerated. He’s great for sports, he’s been a great supporter of Indiana as an alum, and I wish him the best in fighting the charges if he was erroneously charged.

(Update: On Mark Cuban’s blog, Blog Maverick, he has officially denied the charges. He states, “I am disappointed that the Commission chose to bring this case based upon its Enforcement staff’s win-at-any-cost ambitions. The staff’s process was result-oriented, facts be damned. The government’s claims are false and they will be proven to be so.” I hope he’s right.)

What do you think?

(Editor’s note: Mark Cuban’s fellow contestant on Dancing With the Stars is also in hot water. Helio Castroneves had his motion to delay his trial denied and will stand trial for tax evasion beginning on March 2, 2009.)

[tags]mark cuban, insider trading, sec[/tags]