Carlos Beltran (Abel) to Pirates: You Suck!

Dodgers/Giants, Yankees/Red Sox, and Cubs/Cardinals will pale in comparison to the soon to be rivalry of Pirates/Mets.

You'd think Andre Ethier's back-to-back walk off wins would make top billing this Sunday morning, but instead the leading story for IEC comes courtesy of SportsByBrooks.com which has shed light on recent comments by Abel err Carlos Beltran and Adam LaRoche. Read:

>> Earlier this week, the Mets were swept by the perennially pathetic Pirates, and that didn’t sit well with some of the New York players. Centerfielder Carlos Beltran went as far as to call it an embarrassment, adding, “I know they’re a big-league ball club, but we’re better than them.”

In return, such conceited comments didn’t please some of the Pittsburgh players, particularly Adam LaRoche. As far as the Pirates first baseman is concerned, Carlos is like school in summertime - no class.

With the Pirates down in Houston, the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE caught up with LaRoche to get Adam’s angry response to Beltran’s bellyaching:

“I think it shows zero class and zero professionalism,” the Pirates’ first baseman said yesterday at Minute Maid Park. “When somebody says that, they know what they’re saying, and they know it’s going to get out. He knows we’re not going to be real happy about it. If you go and say that to your buddies, it’s one thing. If you go to the media and make that public for us to hear? Yeah, that’s no class.”

But LaRoche saved his best lashing-out for last: “You know, if we’re as bad as he says we are and we swept them, then what’s that make them?” <<

---

Simply awesome.

Celtics @ Lakers: Live Blog!

3 Minutes left. A Celtic on the ground and a tie score. It's time to test my Live Blog skills.

2:57: That Nike commercial has an awesome beat. Also, Paul Pierce wishes us a Merry Christmas. Very original.

2:Something: Gasol knocks down open shot, declares Los Angeles part of Spain.

2:00: Gasol for another shot thanks to a pass by Kobe. Yes, Kobe passed it! 85-81 Lakers.

1:44: Double foul. Wait, what. Nevermind, who is this Rondo guy?

1:28: Gasol again! Spania Es Esploding. Lakers leading by 5.

1:19: Glimpse of Jeff Van Gundy, look away from your TV.

1:16: Gasol blocked it! Ariza dunked it! ABC showed it!

57.2: Laker crowd forming the word ARIZA in the stands.

41.0: Kobe banks it in. Gasol fuming that he didn't score that.

10.0: Ariza the rebound, pulls out clover, eats it. The game is over, Lakers win 92-83.

0:00: Kobe sweating all over the ABC/ESPN microphone during interview. Gross.

0:00: Lamar Odom is still on the court waiting to be interviewed.

What a finish. I just realized that Gasol sort of resembles Howard Stern. Thankfully I didn't Live Blog the entire game or I'd have to mention that Luke Walton is still on the team and find a way to describe his air balls.

My neighbors just shot off a firework. That's my cue to exit.

NFL Playoffs Coming Soon

Prepare yourself accordingly:

Antonio Banderas To Lakers: De-fence!

Worth a thousand pesos.

Can everyone calm down. I know the Lakers could be playing better, but I follow close enough to know that it's still December and a loss to Boston on Christmas means the following:

• It's not the playoffs.
  
• Jesus was Irish, possibly.
• The 16-point lead held by the Celtics in the third quarter gives you more time to enjoy looking at your gift card for Chili's.
  

In a somewhat related note, local radio station AM 570 will no longer broadcast Laker games next season. Lakers went to the sexier knew studios at AM 710 ESPN radio which will be broadcasting across the street live from the new ESPN headquarters in Los Angeles.

Too bad nobody listens to Laker games on the radio. De-fence!