The NCAA, quite possibly the most loathed institution in all of sports, actually did something nice over the holidays: They're letting a college basketball player pursue his country music career and compete in hoops, if he so desires.
James Madison basketball player John Naparlo was giving it the old country shot when the NCAA stopped the show and offered an ultimatum: Ball or guitar. Johnny Napp -- real country-sounding, huh? -- was suspended and his senior season was held hostage by the clowns at the NCAA. After much hemming and hawing (we leave no cheesy pun unturned), the NCAA told Napp he could pursue both. Of course, those two months off gave him lots of time to hone his sound, and now it appears he may not return.
Just when we began to label Eva Longoria and Tony Parker as boring, the pair
go and mouth off to cops with the sultry actress allegedly shouting the always-classy
line, "He's just a Mexican bike cop. He only wants your autograph."
[Longoria denies saying any racial slurs toward the police officer]
Sweet. Any non-celebrity utters that line and it's a night in the holding tank;
a celebrity utters it, and they get 5,000 more hits on their Web site and an
increased Q-rating.
Perhaps that run-in with the law is the real reason she was booed in Detroit on Christmas Day. Why the Jumbotron didn't flash this picture is beyond us. It would have made those unruly animals in Detroit happy. Remember, Detroit is the same city of louts that started the Ron Artest brouhaha. We can't wait for the Super Bowl.
And then there's the harrowing tale of family, love and football. As Brady
Quinn quarterbacks Notre Dame into the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State, he has
to deal with the fact that his sister, Cal State-Los Angeles senior Laura Quinn,
is dating rugged Buckeyes linebacker A.J. Hawk.
The first time any Buckeyes defender-not-named Hawk makes contact with Quinn,
you can expect the "your sister" trash-talking to begin. The sad thing
for Ohio State is, we think it'll only drive Quinn to perform better.
What's that? You think the Lombardi Award winner looks like a lumberjack? You're
not alone. (Partially true story: Last year, while traveling the country playing
ping-pong, an opponent tried to get under our skin with a meek "your mom"
comment. We proceeded to dominate).
Buckeyes defense: Tread with caution. Our pick: Notre Dame 30, Ohio State 24.
Some month, huh?