Ex-Cat Arenas tweaks former teammate Jefferson on blog
by Multiple Authors on Sep. 01, 2007, under SportsFormer University of Arizona basketball star Gilbert Arenas sure is funny.
You can always get a good laugh out of Arenas’ blog, which can be found on NBA.com.
His latest entry includes his time spent 10 days ago at the Lute Olson Classic in Tucson.
After donating $3.5 million to UA to help build Arizona’s practice facility, ex-Wildcat star Richard Jefferson said he did it because he wanted to give back to the school and because he didn’t want Arenas to beat him to the punch.
Jefferson said he wanted the facility to be known as “Not Gilbert Arena.”
Arenas found that kind of funny, then said Jefferson is the third-best player to come out of UA, and that he was the best.
Arenas, in his blog, said he told former teammate Jefferson, “You have to do that because seven out of 10 people don’t know you enough to even remember what jersey number you wore in college.
“Ten out of 10 people know what I wore, seven out of 10 don’t know what he wore. So by him having that gym, that gives him some clout. He’s still going to be behind me with the fans, but now he has his own gym with his own name on it to go work out. That’s cute.”
Then, Arenas wrote he’s been donating money to various groups since he started in the league six years ago – and it’s more than $3.5 million.
“It’s a selfish gym. It’s a gym that is celebrating Richard Jefferson. I’m donating to people,” Arenas wrote. “I’m helping people. He’s trying to be one of the elite Arizona players ever, which he’s not right now.
“Unfortunately, I had to be the one to say that he’s like the third favorite. But I think his stock is dropping. He’s like fourth now. I don’t know what happened to cause it, but he’s fourth now. The R-Jeff market is in a recession.
“So we joked about that the whole time. Him and I had a lot of fun. I didn’t realize that I was still a little rock star in Arizona. I’m a rock star bay-bee! I didn’t know I was still popular like that. I’ve been out of school for six years.”
Pats’ Harrison suspended
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The NFL will suspend New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison four games for violating its substance abuse policy, Harrison said Friday night.
Although the hard-hitting defensive back said he has never used steroids, “I did admit to the commissioner that I did, in fact, use a banned substance.”
“My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge,” he said. “Rather, my use was to accelerate the process of recovering from injuries.”
The Patriots, who lost in the AFC championship game to the Indianapolis Colts last season, are considered favorites to reach the Super Bowl after a series of strong offseason acquisitions, including Adalius Thomas and Randy Moss.
Harrison apologized for becoming a distraction to his team as it prepares for the Sept. 9 opener against the New York Jets.
“I will be absent from the team for the next four weeks,” Harrison said. “That is a penalty that I have to serve. I intend to return and do my best to really help this team in any capacity I can help this team get back to winning the championship.”
Strahan ends holdout
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan has decided to end his holdout and return for a 15th NFL season with the New York Giants.
“He went with his heart instead of his head,” Tony Agnone, his agent, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Friday evening.
“He felt at this point he was part of the team, and he was going to go to battle with them.”
The decision came a day before the Giants had to cut their roster to the 53-man limit and a little more than a week before the season opener at Dallas.
Strahan left the West Coast on Friday and planned to be at Giants Stadium on Monday when the team begins preparing for the Cowboys.
He will have four practices before the game.
Bengals top Colts
CINCINNATI – Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer were spectators for a preseason game that was tough to watch from the sideline – or anywhere else.
Neither of the NFL’s Pro Bowl passers got onto the field Friday night, leaving it to the reserves to generate some points and excitement. Neither came easily during the Cincinnati Bengals’ 14-6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
Falcons beat Ravens
ATLANTA – In a preseason finale nearly devoid of star power, Willis McGahee was a surprise starter for the Baltimore Ravens on Friday night.
McGahee was one of the few players with name recognition to play in a game decided by second-string kickers. Atlanta won 13-10 when Matt Prater, in just his second day with the Falcons, kicked two fourth-quarter field goals. Baltimore wanted to give McGahee extra snaps after bad weather during a loss at Washington last week.
He rushed for 12 yards on four carries against the Falcons.
Catchings leads Fever
INDIANAPOLIS – Tamika Catchings had 22 points and 11 rebounds to help the Indiana Fever beat the Detroit Shock 75-65 Friday night in Game 1 of the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Finals.
The win puts the Fever one win away from their first trip to the Finals. In the West, Phoenix can clinch a berth in the finals when it hosts San Antonio on Saturday.
By Steve Rivera, The Associated Press
