December 3, 2003 3:40 PM
A week or two ago, the wife and I decided to take it easy and not go out for once on our day off. We figured we would rent some DVDs and just relax. She came home with this:

Horrifying Huh? Could it be any more obvious that this is the chick-flick to end all chick flicks? To make matters worse, it's a foreign chick-flick. How can they put out a DVD with a cover like that, and expect it not to send husbands/boyfriends into the fetal position at the thought of having to view it? I thought a simple title change and a little bit of graphics made the film look much more viewable.

Lakers begin implosion before season even starts.
The childish, jealous behavior and playground bully playing style of Shaquille O'Neal is no secret to the people of San Antonio. You'd think a player of O'Neal's caliber would be loved to a city that he used to call his hometown when he played high school basketball here for Cole. Instead, he is thought of as a talentless hack who's only true asset is his gargantuan size that he uses to power his way to the basketball, while committing numerous uncalled fouls. I must admit that my own attitude towards the big lug had softened a bit last season. I had come the realization that a man of his girth couldn't possibly drive to the hoop with out making some contact. If you park a Mack truck in a one car garage, you're donna scrape the sides. Perhaps he does deserve a certain degree of special consideration form the refs because of this? Perhaps he takes advantage of that fact. There's been an on/off feud between superstars O'Neal and Kobe Bryant that has been fought in the press and on/off the court for years. It's resurfaced it's ugly head today in an interview from Bryant with ESPN. a few key quotes follow. On Shaq claiming the Lakers are "my team": "My team doesn't mean only when we win, it means carrying the burden of defeat just as gracefully as you carry a championship" Asked if he considers Shaq to be a leader: "A leader would not demand the ball every time down the floor when you have the three of us (Malone, Payton) playing beside you, not to mention the teammates you have gone to war with for years." O'Neal commented that if Kobe didn't like what he had to say, he could leave at the end of the season: "If leaving the Lakers at the end of the season is what I decide, a major reason for that will be Shaq's childlike selfishness and jealousy." On advice form O'Neal on how to play hurt: "I don't miss 15 games because of a toe injury that everybody knows wasn't that serious in the first place."

Malone's comment on the feud? "They're not paying me enough for this shit."

All this petty squabbling from the former unstoppable wonders comes as a breath of fresh air to Spurs fans. I kind of expected something like this to happen with two new egos (Payton, Malone) added to a team that already needed maximum headroom, just not before they'd even played one regular season game. Even with all the drama created by the Big Dumbdamental and The Accused, foreshadowing a season of overblown expectations, they are still picked by sports books and analysts to win it all. I think they'll be lucky to make the playoffs. Remember the 2000 Washington Redskins? Their new owner stocked the team with new and veteran talent and a super high payroll. They were picked to be Superbowl favorites. They ended the season 8-8, missing the playoffs and cemented a legacy as one of professional sports biggest busts. Look for the Lakers to follow that example.