Hacking Shaq just fun, games
San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich had a little fun with Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal during Wednesday’s season opener in San Antonio. But Shaq had the last laugh.
Two weeks earlier, O’Neal called the Suns’ Hack-a-Shaq strategy in last season’s playoffs “a coward move.”
On Wednesday, Popovich responded with humor. On the first possession of the game, former Sun Michael Finley wrapped his arms around O’Neal for a nonshooting foul that stopped play after just five seconds.
O’Neal quickly looked over at Popovich, who gave him two thumbs-up as the two shared a laugh.
Late in the first half, the Spurs hacked a Shaq for real, sending him to the line four times on fouls away from the ball. O’Neal made 5 of 8 free throws to help the Suns to a 49-46 halftime lead. Phoenix went on to a 103-98 victory.
Afterward, O’Neal told reporters he was simply trying to create interest with his comments about the Spurs.
“When I say and do things, it’s all about marketing,” he said. “Everyone will miss my ‘quotatiousness’ when I’m gone. It gets the media guys involved. It gets the fans involved. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Pop. He’s been taking care of me since I was 18 and I was a nobody living in San Antonio. It’s all in fun. “ You guys have been talking about it all week. A couple of fans tried to fight me. It all works.”
Yes, she did Fox sideline reporter Danyelle Sargent posed this question to new 49 ers Coach Mike Singletary during Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks: “I heard that your mentor Bill Walsh was one of the first phone calls that you made when you found out that you had the job. What does it mean to you to be the head coach of the 49 ers ?” Walsh died July 30, 2007.
Quick quotes Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, to The Associated Press, after the Tampa Bay Rays went to a five-man infield with the bases loaded in the ninth inning of Game 3 of the World Series: “It looked like they were about to blitz.”
Richard Oliver of the San Antonio Express-News, looking forward to the Cowboys’ bye: “Let’s hope Romo can be rebuilt in a week.”
Greg Cote of the Miami Herald: “Bates College, a tiny school in Maine, offers a course called ‘Red Sox Nation.’ They may be getting carried away, though. I hear they teach that the Yankees’ 26 World Series titles never actually happened.”
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, to People magazine, on being a hockey mom: “I always wanted a son named Zamboni.”
UCLA football Coach Rick Neuheisel, to Fox Sports Radio: “We’re in the throes of giving birth to this program again. And we’re gonna deliver it. And when we’re done, we won’t remember these labor pains.”
TNT’s Charles Barkley, on why Paul Pierce was crying as he was given his championship ring before the Boston Celtics’ season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers: “Because he has to guard LeBron.” Quote of the day “We welcome the challenge when someone wants to come in and throw the ball 60 times on
us.” Arkansas safety Matt Harris
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