Garbage Time: Cota, Oden's greg, and TNT

Teach: My school is in the middle of midterms, so I'm busy grading essays and last minute makeup work, which means in a week where Amare rumors are once again en vogue, John Hollinger places the Jazz at the top of his power rankings, LeBron is revealed to be a Free Mason, and UVA and VA Tech actually play for something meaningful for the first time since the Barbers were in C'ville all I have for you is an Ed Cota highlight reel, which floated around the Carolina boards this week.

And the fact that I'm grading papers right now makes it easy to compare Easy Ed to one of those students for which everything just comes floats, like sunlight, an ice skate, or birthday cake. Watching Ed play is like traveling in and out of the moment, on a hammock, in the backyard--timeless.

Oh, I almost forgot. There is this bizarre story, over at The Huffington Post, that shows Greg Oden really is like any guy who came of age in the era of Superbad and, therefore, is a connoisseur of fine wines as well as penis art. I am positive that regardless of what happens in his basketball career Greg Oden is destined to be a cult figure for years to come, and this story is necessary for proving that he is indeed 22 as opposed to 42.

In Oden's defense, the pics are over a year and half old, and he did not post them himself on the internet; and he immediately apologized when the story broke. While I think Oden did need to apologize, I can't help but think the people responsible for leaking the photos are the ones who owe Oden and the public an apology. I know this seems hypocritical, noting the above photo we posted, but one must ask are we helping, hurting, or simply having a laugh? And when does our laughter become an invasion of privacy? If we weren't all buying, would anyone be selling?

Langston:
Since our last Garbage Time, a lot in the world of hoops has happened. Kentucky took over as the number one team in college basketball and then lost their next game. The Lakers hit the double-digit mark in losses by dropping their second meeting with the Cavaliers, giving Cleveland the series win for the year and an edge in the battle for home-court advantage. Tennessee lost to Georgia, ending it's winning streak and introducing us to the peanut butter kid. Phil Jackson continued his annual tradition of giving his players books to read and then took his team for a visit to the Obama residence. Charlotte beat Phoenix for the first time in franchise history, Javaris Crittendon got probation, Mike Woodson shaved off his eyebrows, and the Knicks lost by 50. All of these stories are interesting, yet I think the most important recent development is the inclusion of Shannon Brown in the slam dunk competition. If you're immediately dismissing that notion while muttering to yourself about Lebron's refusal to enter the event, just watch the video.