Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Trail Blazers at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Wizards at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA: Nuggets at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Tennessee at Georgetown, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Georgia at South Florida, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Syracuse at Arkansas, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: DePaul at Auburn, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College football: Northern Illinois vs. Kent State, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College football: UCLA at Stanford, 8 p.m. (Fox)
AROUND THE WEB:
‘¦ Spurs coach Greg Popovich sent home four of the team’s top players before Thursday’s night’s game against the Heat in Miami. Popovich acknowledged the decision was so that the players could rest as the team played its sixth road game in nine nights (and fourth in five).
It didn’t sit well with NBA commissioner David Stern.
“I apologize to all NBA fans,” Stern said in a statement. “This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.”
The short-handed Spurs still played the defending champion Heat tough, leading by five with 2:14 left before Miami closed the game on a 12-2 for a 105-100 victory. And the Spurs players are standing behind their coach’s decision.
“Pop is the coach of the San Antonio Spurs,” guard Gary Neal said. “He did what’s best for us.”
At least Popovich kept his sense of humor during the game. Here is the coach — notorious for his Bill Belichick-like in-game interviews (short and testy) — teasing Charles Barkley for asking one too many questions.
‘¦ Indians president Mark Shapiro is taking some heat for his response to a fan who e-mailed wanting to know why he should renew his season tickets for 2013. During a television appearance last week, Shapiro told the fan that if the only reason for buying tickets was to see the Indians win, “Don’t come.”
Asked about the comment this week, Shapiro held firm.
‘I told him if the sole reason, the only reason, for renewing is predicated on us winning, then they shouldn’t come,’ said Shapiro, who recently selected former Red Sox manager Terry Francona to lead the club in 2013. ‘I stand by that. Baseball has to mean more than just being a fan when you win.
‘No where are we spending more of our time, more of our energy or more money in trying to win. We all understand that the single-most important thing in baseball is winning and losing. But we are always going to have cycles to when we can win.’
‘¦ The zaniness continues with the Jets. Early in the week, a video emerged of Jets fans ripping the players as they walked off the field at halftime of the Thanksgiving humiliation vs. the Patriots. That prompted linebacker Bart Scott to offer this on Wednesday: “The person yelling at you probably was picked last in dodgeball all through high school. So do you care about the opinion of them? No.”
On Thursday, Scott was quiet following a meeting with coach Rex Ryan.
“I had a conversation with Bart,” Ryan told reporters. “The thing that makes this game so great is the players and the fans. And that’s the truth.”
Ryan, who swore at a heckling fan when leaving the MetLife Stadium field following last year’s loss to the Patriots, said he told Scott that the players need to “appreciate our fans.”
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 30, 1976, the Bruins’ 31-game home unbeaten streak ended with a 6-2 loss to which team?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “They’ve tried to add physicality to that team and I guess they’re trying to hold up to the whole Brooklyn mentality. Everybody knows that Brooklyn is known for being stern and firm and whatever, so I guess this is the new look of the Nets. It had something on it, but you either adapt or go home.” — Kevin Garnett, during an appearance on Thursday’s Mut & Merloni show, on Wednesday’s Celtics-Nets fight
STAT OF THE DAY: 54 — The NFL record streak of games with a touchdown pass by Saints quarterback Drew Brees, whose streak was ended Thursday night during a 23-13 loss to the Falcons
‘NET RESULTS: Clippers forward DeAndre Jordan scares people at Venice Beach while wearing a horse mask.
Darnell Wilks of the Harlem Globetrotters destroys a backboard with a dunk during a game in Ecuador.
TRIVIA ANSWER: The Sabres
SOOTHING SOUNDS: Billy Idol turns 57 Friday.