NATIONALSISM AND ARTESTATION

I may hold an English degree, but I failed to notice that the Washington Nationals will be

the only team in the National League whose nickname suffers from zero-derivation. At least that will even things up. The American League has only one similarly afflicted team, the Oakland Athletics.

More on that esoteric-yet-controversial linguistic phenomenon (in linguistics, is there any other kind?) here.

Meanwhile, the Post's Mike Wilbon is very much correct about the rise of the "thug life" ethos in the NBA and the concurrent breakdown of personal responsibility among its players:

It's a life that boasts incessantly about, "my drink," "my smoke," "my women," and "my rides." And it is a life based on getting "respect" at any cost ... [B]asketball, a decidedly team sport, doesn't exactly work with the theme of "my, my, my."

The first consequence of the Motor City Melee was the unprecedented number and length of suspensions. The second may yet be a tide of lawsuits that will likely hold up better than the Kobe Bryant rape charge. But the one I'm holding out for is the NFL-style age requirement.

Where's Bill Cosby when you need him?

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posted by WWB at 1:14 AM |