My Summer Vacation

I'm still kind of curious about why Nick Collison was originally listed as a member of the practice squad for Team USA, then he (and Luke Ridnour) were not on the roster put out the other day, while Jeff Green was.

In looking for answers, I came across this with some pics of Collison's wedding this summer. Strangely, the photos of Danny Fortson didn't make the cut; something about the photographer not having the right type of wide-angle lens.

I did hear, however, that Da Fort was the highlight of the reception, putting away 3 steaks, 2 Diet Pepsis, half the roast beef, a 3/4-full container of salmon salad, the better part of the cheese tray, and 7 pieces of pecan pie. Danny told insiders that he's waiting for a return call from "several" NBA general managers about his employment next year, but that in the meantime, he's "just chillin'."

Green and Carlesimo Confirmed

As reported by Kevin Pelton at supersonics.com, Jeff Green and PJ Carlesimo have been confirmed as participants in the NBA Select team which will help Team USA prepare for the FIBA Championships in Vegas later this month. Carlesimo will serve as head coach for the team. The complete roster of the Select team is here.

Also, there's a brief Q&A with Sonic rookie Jeff Green on nba.com, wherein we learn that, well, we don't really learn anything at all. But if you're thirsty for Sonic news in any form, go ahead and take a look. Elsewhere at nba.com, Dave McMenamin estimates that Kevin Durant is on the bubble for making the roster for the FIBA tournament, and that he may be edged out by Tyson Chandler. Honestly, it's a no-lose proposition for the Sonics and Durant. If he makes the team, he gets to spend a few extra days playing with the best basketball players in the world. If he doesn't make the team, he gets to rest a bit before training camp. As a rookie, Durant (and Green, for that matter), may wind up hitting a wall this year come February, and playing in extra games during the summer won't help matters.

Nickels Bites Back

Greg Nickels, with finger planted firmly in the air to sense the direction of public opinion, has responded to Clay Bennett's response to his .... oh, who can keep track of it all, anyway?

Don't get me wrong, I'm solidly with Nickels in his position, but I'm not naïve enough to think that Nickels wouldn't be taking this position if it weren't for the efforts of Brian and the A Deal is a Deal organization. As a politician, Nickels is canny enough to know that one of the best positions to take in an argument is against someone the public despises. Government officials love this tactic: Politicians will always beat the drum against tobacco companies or sex offenders, even if there is no immediate danger, simply because they know they'll score points in the court of public opinion.

It helps, of course, when you have someone like Clay Bennett, who - like Michael Heisley in Vancouver a few years back - has been playing his new-found home like a piano in the Tulsa production of "A Music Man."

Unlike Harold Hill, though, Clay Bennett isn't selling us a pile of musical instruments and uniforms, he's trying to take away something that's been a part of Seattle for more than 40 years. Let's hope, like Hill, he sees the error of his ways soon enough.