Even if their jerseys are still ugly, the 76ers are white hot right now with three straight wins.
Considering nobody showed up for Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs last year, it’s doubtful people are going to start coming in droves to the Center anytime soon. But maybe there’s another reason: Turns out the human slinky halftime show was way more entertaining than any “basket ball” game could ever be.
The booing starts about halfway through. It’s not as loud as the booing of Destiny’s Child back in 2001, but then again this is a much more entertaining performance.
As you may remember, last year the 76ers had quite the season; they finished 2 games under .500, returned to the playoffs (this is the NBA, after all) and took 2 games from the Pistons in the first round. Then, this offseason, the 76ers not only signed Elton Brand but cut a lot of the deadweight off the roster. A bench with Royal Ivey, Kareem Rush, Theo Ratliff and Donyell Marshall instead of Kevin Ollie et al? Um, yes, sign me up.
(Side note: I actually went here and looked up who was on the 76ers bench last season. The 76ers traded Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth to the Timberwolves; they’ve actually signed Kevin Ollie as well. The rest of the guys on the bench? Herbert Hill, Shavlik Randolph, Louis Amundson. Ha, ha.)
But don’t sign me up for tickets to the season opener, because that’s tonight at the Wachovia Center. (That Daily News story is headlined “Sixers president/GM Stefanski set dominoes in motion for new-look team,” yet another quick, witty headline the Daily News sports section is best known for.) The game has been moved up to 6 p.m., even, due to the baseball game.
1/2 QTR Break: Hip-Hop & the Hare Raisers Dunk Show Halftime: Human Slinky 3/4 QTR Break: Carvel Tricycle Race
What, no musical chairs? The Carvel Tricycle Race, though, I could see bringing in the crowds.
Editor’s Note: Naw, seriously, the 76ers are going to be awesome this year. 49-33, No. 4 seed in the East, lose to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. It ain’t perfect, but it’s a start.
Comcast Spectacor sent over this photo with a press release yesterday, and oh man you need to click it to enlarge. I have no idea what the release was about; I simply didn’t read it after seeing the greatness above. 76ers big man Samuel Dalembert, Mickey Mouse, Mr. Incredible and a kid who is very interested by something off-camera. Hey, he also won 40 tickets to Disney on Ice! Whoo!
In other news, all of the people in this photo have been registered to vote by ACORN. Ho, ho, get it, topical political humor. Kinda.
Update: Oh, look, there’s a nice story attached to this photo, too. Well, that will teach the 76ers: Don’t attach such awesome photos to your press releases from now on. Er.
Here’s a video of Pete Ciarrocchi from Chickie’s and Pete’s at the tryouts for the Sixers Dancers. Be sure to catch the “celebrity judges” at the 1:48 part, Jamison (he gets called “James”) Uhler from NBC 10 and (of course) Jennaphr Frederick from Fox 29. Later, there’s an interview with Roots keyboardist Kamal Gray.
I am shocked an appalled. Where’s Gervase from Season 1 of Survivor?!
The team’s coach wouldn’t comment on Sammy D’s status, saying he was only no longer with the team.
The Sports Network of Canada reported that Dalembert had a confrontation with a Canadian team official.[...]
After an 86-70 loss to Slovenia on Tuesday, [ex-76ers first round bust and Canadian coach Leo] Rautins criticized Dalembert’s effort in the postgame news conference, saying: “He never got on track offensively or defensively. I didn’t see him leave the floor to challenge people defensively, and on the offensive end he struggled not only with his shooting but with the decision-making behind the shots.”
Hey! We say that kind of stuff about Sammy all the time! I guess the idea this time is that he just couldn’t take it when it was coming from a Canadian.
Anybody who was ambivalent about the 76ers signing Elton Brand has to be swayed now. Before yesterday’s press conference introducing him to Philadelphia, Brand posed for photos. But he only posed in the throwbacks from the 1983 season.
Brand appeared headed back to the Clippers to team with ex-Warriors guard Baron Davis; the 76ers, though, cleared cap room by trading Rodney Carney and Calvin Booth — ha ha, somebody traded for Calvin Booth — plus a future first-round pick to the Timberwolves for a $2.8 million trade exemption. (What an exciting transaction!) Marc Stein writes that Brand also wanted to go East, where the centers are not as tall and the teams are not as good.
Shockingly, Brand’s surgeon says Brand’s injury — he missed almost all of last season while recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon — is nothing to worry about. Reminiscent of the Phillies’ trade for a closer who came to his first press conference on crutches, the 76ers have signed a player coming off an injury. On the plus side, the Brad Lidge deal has worked out pretty well so far.
The 700 Levellinks to John Smallwood, who writes about the 76ers’ awful draft history. And, yes, since the lottery, the 76ers best pick is Allen Iverson. Ignoring the recent picks who appear to be panning out at least somewhat, the second best is probably Jerry Stackhouse or Clarence Weatherspoon. Simply frightening.
The NBA Draft used to be probably the best off-season day in sports; now that it’s been moved to ESPN it is significantly less fun. Still, might want to tune in and see who the newest cager in town will be.
McKie was charged with lying on a gun application. The state never said something this awful could happen if we passed gun laws.
Allegedly, McKie went to purchase two guns in Abington, and wrote he didn’t have a protection from abuse order. he has an active one in Delco preventing him from buying a gun. Hmm, okay. So, ah, what’s the penalty there for lying on a gun application, like a fine or something?
McKie faces a felony charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of fifteen years
Oh, I see. Well, goodbye, Aaron. Memories of the 2001 Sixers continue to fade off into the distance.
Even if their jerseys are still ugly, the 76ers are white hot right now with 
As you may remember, last year the 76ers had quite the season; they finished 2 games under .500, returned to the playoffs (this is the NBA, after all) and took 2 games from the Pistons in the first round. Then, this offseason, the 76ers not only signed Elton Brand but cut a lot of the deadweight off the roster. A bench with Royal Ivey, Kareem Rush, Theo Ratliff and Donyell Marshall instead of Kevin Ollie et al? Um, yes, sign me up.
