The National Weather Service says a cold front blowing through Washington Friday night and Saturday will bring more snow to the mountains including highway passes.

Everyone must go! Yesterday, the Seattle Sonics said sayonara to Kurt Thomas, shipping him to San Antonio in exchange for a 2009 draft pick and two bit players (one injured, one who's 32 and sat idle at San An). Today, minutes before the NBA's trading deadline, ESPN reported that the team bid a fond adieu to Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, both of whom are off to Cleveland, in exchange for mega-stars Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble and Adrian Griffin. Ira's the only decent hand as a result of all of this, and that's not worth shouting about.

Having been to San Antonio, Cleveland and Oklahoma City, I'm not sure which players are better off with each respective deal, but I will say that the PI's praise of Sonics general manager Sam Presti in light of recent trades comes off as pretty forced. The praise assumes that the Sonics can convert at least one of their three recently acquired first-round draft picks into wise trades in the near future, resulting in a team with at least a few sturdy veterans to assist the young talent. Or maybe the money we've skimmed off the top will give us room to make some awesome moves. Because the past year of moves has been so smart and optimistic, right? Shave Our Sonics, I guess.

Pro Football Talk is reporting:

We're hearing multiple rumblings from our connections at the Scouting Combine that the Seahawks could be cutting running back Shaun Alexander soon.

A media source told us moments ago that the move could come "in the next couple of days."

Via Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times comes word of some great news for Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus.

It's just like the classic game of chicken, only instead of cars, guys use their faces.

It's a cross-cultural phenomenon. A common variant is the "nervous game," which is less about kissing and more about fondling. (Sometimes it gets out of hand.)

Will "gay chicken" eventually be recognized as an Olympic sport? Or will it be just another YouTube phenomenon that complicates the adult lives and political careers of a generation? Who knows, but drunk shirtless men love it.

(Thank you, Slog tipper Jake.)

Hello from Hue, Vietnam. I'm sitting in the lobby of the Thai Binh II Hotel, taking advantage of the free internet to get my NBA fix (details on All Star Weekend, the video of Dwight Howard's amazing Superman Dunk, and LeBron and the East's upset over the West), when I come upon this headline:

Stern: Sonics to Leave Seattle

And this quote:

It's apparent to all who are watching that the Sonics are heading out of Seattle," Stern said during his annual All-Star Weekend news conference. "I accept that inevitability at this point. There is no miracle here."

I know most of you aren't surprised (or, sadly, upset) about this news, but I am. I've always held out hope, however delusional that may be. Hope is a good thing for a fan. And now, so far away, on an amazing month-long stay in Southeast Asia, I must admit that, strangely, this is the first time I've felt sad and homesick.

Fuck you very much, David Stern, Clay Bennett, and Howard Schultz.

I'm heartened by the City of Seattle's recent rejection of Bennett's $26 million buyout offer, and take a bit of comfort from, of all things, this Steve Kelly column. But the impending loss of the Sonics saddens me in a way I can't quite begin to describe.

Goodnight from Vietnam and Go Sonics. I'll be seeing you at Key Arena the day after I get back to the States, when AI and my beloved Nuggets come to town.

I've slogged previously about the ridiculous accumulation of attractiveness that is Ben Cohen, and the English rugby star continues to earn my admiration. As Towleroad reports, Cohen recently gave a short interview to Outsports, in which he shared a most enlightened view on the prospect of a gay player in British rugby:

"My impression is that it would be fine to be able to ‘come out’ in rugby. Most rugby players are cool about it and think that people should be allowed to live their lives how they want to, but I can’t speak for everyone....One of my aunties is a lesbian and lives with a female partner. We are all laid back about it because it has always been the same."

Cohen hearts gays, and gays heart Cohen, so much they propelled him past David Beckham to the top of the Sunday Times' gay icon list. Aw.

Speaking of gay-friendly rugby thugs, Slog tipper Skweetis directed me to the curious ad below, which scores major points for thug-on-thug mashing but is less successful hyping whatever product it's supposed to be hyping. (I'm still not quite sure what it is.)

Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik takes a skate to the carotid artery in tonight's game against the Sabres.

More from The Hockey Herald

Via Slog-tipper and ex-Stranger helpdesk wizard John.

Oh, and yeah, it appears the guy is going to be okay.

Adam Jones now plays for Baltimore.

Complete text of an email I just received from my boyfriend:

You are now an Orioles fan.

Chambers Bay Golf Course, just west of Tacoma, has been selected for the 2015 U.S. Open.

Seven months after it opened for public play, Chambers Bay can start preparing for the U.S. Open.

Chambers Bay, built over a former gravel pit along the lower Puget Sound southwest of Seattle, was awarded the 2015 U.S. Open on Friday. It will be the first U.S. Open held in the Pacific Northwest.

I guess the Stranger Golf Squad can stop hoping that the fees at Chambers Bay will go down anytime soon. If you live in Pierce County and want to take us golfing with your county resident discount, we're all ears.

Oh, and if you don't like golf, you gotta like money:

Based on past U.S. Opens, county executive John Ladenburg predicted that with capacity attendance of 60,000 to 64,000, the total economic impact would be at least $100 million, compared with $50 million taken in for the 2001 baseball All-Star Game in Seattle.

Pitcher Erik Bedard is reportedly in town for a physical.

NY wins, 17-14. The Patriots go home with one loss for the season. It was a damn good game.

Now football goes back into hibernation. Thankfully, baseball will be here soon.

[We now return you to The Stranger's Obamablog.]

For all y'all who hate sports, but love novels, from McSweeney's: Super Bowl Predictions from Great Writers.

This comes down to a tie between Cormac McCarthy and Jane Austen, if you ask me.

...then why the hell would Oklahoma City's citizens want to foot the bill for an NBA stadium and a practice facility, both for a Sonics team that hasn't officially moved yet, to the tune of $121 million? Preach it, brother Bennett:

"There would be an immediate tangible return through sales tax, certainly around downtown immediately. Then you've got players coming that are purchasing homes, buying vehicles, a staff of 150 or so jobs that's developed."

Hold the phone, Clay. You expect NBA celebs to build mega-homes in Oklahoma?

OKLAHOMA?

I've been to Oklahoma. Well, technically, I've been through Oklahoma, and that's what the state is good for--to exist for stops on a road trip, or to give you a job with America's armed forces, or to offer you a full ride for college so that you don't attend school in a neighboring state instead. Or, of course, to preserve Native American culture, an aspect that'll jive well with Kevin Durant's episode of Cribs.

When I think about the potential move to Oklahoma, I often get so caught up in anger that I forget a crucial issue--is an NBA team in Oklahoma City really sustainable? I know that New Orleans' displaced team had surprising success while playing in OKC. Lots of at- or near-capacity crowds for their home games. Lots of corporate sponsorships. But then I peruse the above article and stumble upon info like this:

While Oklahoma City might not be able to ask as much for naming rights as larger cities, Bennett suggested that a local company might go the extra mile to help overcome that potential revenue shortfall.

I can see it now: The Arrow Trucking Rootin' Tootin' Dome. Or, Lord help us all, the Sonic Drive-In Sonics Center For Sonic and Sonics (nice ring to it). Does Bennett actually foresee true sustainability for the Oklahoma City Sonics, or is he simply hoping to capitalize on momentum fostered by the New Orleans drama, milk it dry with reduced overhead thanks to state-approved funding, then sell and scram before the bottom falls out? When the team in question still can't hold on to a fourth quarter lead to save its life, you gotta wonder.

Ah, the great day is almost here: The Super Bowl, like a stupid heterosexual male Mardi Gras. With neither the Seahawks nor the Bears involved, you might think that the crack Stranger Sports Team (hey Brad and Sherman!) could let this one go, but no: that's not our way. The Super Bowl is above and beyond mere loyalty to particular teams. It's about loyalty to the American Way. You know, mindful violence, gluttony, sloth, greed, lust, gambling, religious hypocrisy. And violence. There will be pre- and post- and in-game distractions, from Victoria's Secret to a bunch of right-wing Fundamentalist Christian football players and coaches and Presidential politics Faux News style.

Anyone with a heart is of course rooting for New England to go 19-0 just to shut up the obnoxious '72 Dolphins. For those of you who don't follow sports . . . no, I won't explain this. If you don't follow sports, why are you reading this? Go to Line Out or someplace.

For you sports fans, despite the seeming invincibility of Goddess-fucking Tom Brady and his teammates, the Giants have a chance, so we might get a good game. They played the Patriots tight in the season finale, but the Patriots's coaching staff is simply evil genius personified, and they'll not only be ready for everything the Giants did last time, they'll be ready to adjust at halftime for whatever desperate ploy the Giants' staff might have thought of while driving to work on the Jersey Turnpike.

So, load up on salty, greasy, fatty snack food, and booze, and sit your ass down on a couch in front of a TV for four or five hours or more (I think the pre-game show has already started) and revel in being an American.

As the buzzer sounded last night, barely audible through the riotous cheers in Key Arena, Sonics point guard Luke Ridnour chucked the basketball in the air, presumably to celebrate a victory in a nail-biter of a game. To celebrate snapping a 14-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history. To celebrate beating the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. To celebrate the damn near impossible.

Time froze for me as I watched that ball fly, because for whatever reason, Ridnour hurled it toward the opposing basket. In that moment, in spite of the crowd's roar, my ears heard absolutely nothing in Key Arena, save one low, guttural whisper--the mumblings of Sonics chairman Clay Bennett. "Make it make it make it make it make it."

But even the owner's anti-Seattle hopes couldn't will that ball into hilariously tying the game back up, sending it into overtime and somehow screwing the Sonics into yet another loss. Nor could a seemingly endless series of awful referee calls--during the game, I saw three clean blocks called as fouls against Seattle, turning our team's surprising and promising defensive boost into a frigging liability as the San An Floppers flailed and faked to keep themselves in the game. And even when the Sonics' defense fell apart in the fourth quarter--as it always does, PJ--the Spurs couldn't capitalize on it, jacking up awful open shot after awful open shot to continue the champs' descent into mid-season mediocrity (now 11-13 in their past 24 games, making this loss a little less surprising than it should be). 88-85. I watched the whole thing in person and barely believed it myself.

But the Spurs lost this game as much as the Sonics won it. Kevin Durant started strong and delivered a clutch go-ahead jumper in the game's final minutes. Johan Petro whooped some ass in his few minutes on the court, blocking shots on one end and rattling the rim on the other. Nick Collison's few minutes were similarly tenacious (though muted by those awful calls). Lots of scrambling, fighting and tipping led to the team's key victory in outrebounding the Spurs. And in spite of the entire crowd screaming "DON'T SHOOT THE BALL, KURT THOMAS," the center managed to sink two clutch jumpers in the fourth, both of which rattled atop the rim long enough to give Bennett a temporary, schadenfreude-induced hard-on.

The Western Conference may be all but lost--as might the team's hometown status--but at least the players aren't acting like it.

A friend-of-Slog sent me this email:

In an effort to get decent top-of-rotation pitching in Erik Bedard from Baltimore, The Mariners will trade 23 yo outfielder Adam Jones and lefty reliever (and fan favorite) George Sherrill to Baltimore.

Bedard's stats are 13-6 last season with the Orioles before being sidelined by a strained oblique for the rest of the season. "He was thought to be a strong contender for the Cy Young award, pitching 182 innings and striking out 221 batters, a total that ended up leading the American League." accordign to MLB.com. More here.

This FOS originally sent this email to Brad, since Brad cares about the Ms. But Brad's not in and so he sent it to me. And asked me to post it. So here it is. I can't fully appreciate the implications, of course, since I only go to the games for the beer.

Mike Holmgren will reportedly return as head coach of the Seahawks next season.

On a related note: Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy has also announced he will return for one more season, which prompted some inspired snark from The Hater Nation:

Tony Dungy will return to coach the Colts for one more season, saying that he has enough passion to balance the three loves of his life: family, football, and gay bashing. Dungy still has that competitive fire burning in him, and realizes that he still has plenty of time to go before he devotes his life to making sure that homosexuals do not have the same civil rights as everybody else.

"There is plenty of time to clean up those filthy queers," is probably what Dungy meant to say.

The Seattle Mariners have agreed to a one year, $2.75 million deal with pitcher Horatio Ramirez. Yes, that Ramirez, he of the atrocious 7.16 ERA in 20 games. Last year Ramirez made $2.65 million.

Looks like U.S.S. Mariners' countdown of days without a stupid Mariners move is over.

Update: In the comments, "bing" notes: "seems silly but that's how arbitration works." True, but still...ugh. Anybody got a flux capacitor so we can go back in time and stop Ramirez from joining the team in the first place?

Ugh. From the New York Observer:

On Feb. 3, a k a Super Bowl Sunday, in an original News Corp. smorgasbord, reporters from FOX News will be teaming up with reporters from FOX owned and operated stations from around the country for a three hour broadcast event, focusing on—USA! USA!—presidential politics and professional football.

Shepard Smith, of FOX News, will headline the production from Glendale, Ariz., the site of this year’s Super Bowl. FOX News anchor (and Cincinnati Bengals fanatic) Bill Hemmer will contribute from New York, along with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.

As the anchors toggle back and forth between discussion of the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday, they will chew over political dispatches from FOX Broadcasting reporters from around the country.

That sounds... delightful.

Can we claim a local, vested interest in more than one athletic choke job this weekend? The New York Post thinks so. Their Dallas Cowboys game prank yesterday at Texas Stadium has been making the Internet rounds this morning, and wouldn'tcha know it:

Simpson [as in Jessica, girlfriend of 'Boys QB Tony Romo] didn't show up yesterday, but The Post brought [Lynsey] Nordstrom - a 21-year-old nanny from Bothell, Wash. - to Texas Stadium. We sat her in the third row behind the Dallas bench, and she must have made the difference - Romo's final drive was stopped short of the end zone.

Not just any nanny, of course--a blonde nanny in a pink Tony Romo jersey. An impersonator! The whole idea is that this professional lookalike would wave and wink and cause an uproar, much like the real Jessica did a few weeks back to earn the nickname "Yoko Romo" from sports fans. A repeat distraction would then give Romo a perma-bone and thus impact his play ("Why'd you run to the left, T.O.?" "Cuz that's where you were pointing!"). But here's the problem with this genius plan:

Something tells me that Nordstrom's claim to fame is being the best Jessica Simpson lookalike...in Bothell, WA. Anyone who watched the game knows that the blame rests on many Cowboys variables other than Fake Jess--the no-show by defensive safety Roy Williams, a bunch of overpaid guys letting passes slip through their hands, that stupid motherfucker Roy Williams, and so on. But on the bright side, perhaps we can milk the local girl's 15 minutes and secure her services for a Strangercrombie '08 auction. "Attend a football game with Bothell's Jess!" "Take Bothell's Jess to Aveda!" Oh, the possibilities.

The first five minutes of the game: Right fucking on.

The next 25 minutes: Ugh.

Seahawks 17, Packers 28 at halftime.

...And the season's over. Our D barely got close to Favre, our offense couldn't stay on the field, and Packers RB Ryan Grant handed us two TDs then destroyed us. 42-20. Goodnight.

All day, Brad and I have been meaning to post about tomorrow's big Hawks/Pack playoff game. However, we're both too busy to do a proper write up. So, we decided to poll the Stranger staff on the game's outcome. Watch out, Skip Bayless. With analysis like this, you could be out of a job soon.

Who's going to win tomorrow?

Stranger editor Christopher Frizzelle pondered the question for a moment before blurting out "Diane Keaton. Maybe Meryl Streep, but probably Diane Keaton."

Sigh.

Jen Graves told me "All I know is it's not going to be the Huskies." Too true, Jen. Too true.

Megan Seling correctly answered "Uh...the Hawks!" Then she asked if there was a Seahawk named "Toopoo."

However, Josh Feit believes the Washington Wizards will go on to play either Dallas or New York next week, and he puts the point spread at 97-94.

Eric Grandy thinks Canadian hardcore band Fucked Up will make it all the way to the Super Bowl, compeletely disregarding the fact that Canadians know absolutely nothing about football.

And finally, Annie Wagner proudly proclaims "The only thing I know about the Seahawks is they won because Barack Obama said they did during the debate."

Anyhow, Brad thinks the Seahawks are going to take it 24-21 but said he's really only sure of one thing: he won't be sober by the end of the game.

Meanwhile, I refuse to make a prediction outside of the fact that I think the game is going to become a field-goal fest, and Josh Brown will finally win Carrie Underwood's heart.

Also, I hope the Jags stomp Tom Brady and Co. into the turf.

And now, a heartwarming tune sung by Brett Favre's children. Every time Brett throws a pick, the city of Green Bay makes him adopt a kid.

And remember, Mike McCarthy has to drive down Holmgren Way to get to the game on Saturday.

Video via Kissing Suzy Kolber.

Photo courtesy of Doug's SI subscription.

But the Storm is staying. From the Seattle Times:

The Storm has been sold to local private owners, and the team will stay in Seattle, according to sources. WNBA president Donna Orender and Karen Bryant, the Storm's chief operating officer, are scheduled to hold an 11 a.m. news conference Tuesday to announce the sale....

Bennett had said many times he would not separate the franchises and sell the Storm, but potential local, private ownership groups continued to approach him in order to buy the team and keep it in Seattle.

The Storm's WNBA championship in 2004 was Seattle's first major title since the Sonics won the NBA championship in 1979.

Why you gotta hate on Iraqi children?

My Bucks will bring the power. (I, uh, hope.)

I look forward to watching LSU destroy your beloved Ohio State Buckeyes this evening.

(Jen Graves, 1/7/08, 8:30 pm PST.)

Despite flirting with a collapse in the fourth quarter (Hasselbeck? Two INTs in four passing attempts? Really?), the Seahawks beat Washington 35-14. The Hawks D was brutal.

Lord Favre and the Packers are next, so expect heavy rotation of Hasselbeck's infamous "we're gonna score!" clip for the next 7 days.

Go Hawks!

Since no one else who cares seems to be around a computer, and it's driving me nuts, let's talk football. A little late, I know.

YES!!! Touchdown Trufant! Whew. We were freaking out over here for a little while there.

Anyway, discuss.

...and it's Matt Hasselbeck's skeezy moustache.

(Via Seth Kolloen's Enjoy the Enjoyment.)

Update: Via Seth again, this time on Seattlest, Hasselbeck has shaved it off. Which is a mistake. After all, throwing past Shawn Springs is much easier when he's buckled over in laughter.

The next few months are going to be agony for Sonics fans. First, from ESPN:

Oklahoma City residents will vote March 4 on whether to levy a one-cent sales tax to pay for improvements at Ford Center in hopes of luring an NBA team, the City Council decided Wednesday.

The vote will take place about six weeks before NBA owners meet to vote on an application by the Seattle SuperSonics to relocate to Oklahoma City.

The tax would last for 15 months, starting on Jan. 1, 2009, the day after a current one-cent sales tax used to fund school improvements expires, and would generate an estimated $121.6 million. It would also pay for an NBA practice facility.

The Ford Center opened just 6 years ago, and cost around $89 million.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City might be getting all giddy—and tax-happy—about the prospect of landing the Sonics, but Sonics Central remains upbeat about Seattle's chances of keeping the team:

On the arena front I have to continue the frustrating process of asking people to be patient and advising that there is action behind the scenes. They mayors office promised a completed proposal a couple of weeks ago and they have one. Unfortunately Clay Bennett continues to re-iterate that he will not consider a Key Arena option or even have the discussion and that is the only plan that is being worked on. There is corporate sponsorship available and viable local ownership groups. The big question is whether the league will let a guy move a team simply because he doesn’t want to negotiate. I have been told very clearly and specifically that there will be no rubber stamp process in moving a team from this established market if there is ANY viable arena plan on the table that has revenue streams which are equal or greater than those available in OKC. If that is true, then the city basically has the ability to block a move by putting a competitive package together.

Redskins vs. Seahawks, next Saturday.

This is how you get people excited about the Olympics.

(Via 100% Injury Rate.)

By how they use Human Growth Hormone. Like many baseball fans, I do not care at all about performance-enhancing drug use among pro athletes and think that the Mitchell Report should be filed under "Shows, Dog and Pony." But some schadenfreude is inevitable when one of the players named is a big whoop-de-doo Christian fuck, as JoeMyGod reports.

Andy Pettitte is a hard-core fundy who preaches pure living and family values every chance he gets. Yet even this paragon fell before the temptation of human growth hormone. Unlike many of his peers, though, Pettitte admits that he did so, with the addendum that he used the stuff for just two days and then quit due to guilt.

While my first response to this later news was "And Clinton didn't inhale," I have to admit that maybe my glee was a bit premature. I mean, doesn't confessing one's sins work to expiate them? I suppose it depends on your theology, though I'm sure that admitting to something before being caught is the more Christian thing to do.

A straight list of the players in today's steroids- and HDH-loaded Mitchell Report tied to the Seattle Mariners:

Ryan Franklin
Ismael Valdez
Jose Guillen
Jim Parque (AAA league)
Fernando Vina
Todd Williams
Ron Villone
Glenallen Hill
Josias Manzanillo
David Segui

Not much in the way of huge revelations here, as more than a few of these names have already been publicly outed, while the others didn't deliver any, uh, Roger Clemens-level contributions to the Mariners. The full PDF, along with a quick-and-dirty summary (Barry Bonds--SHOCKER) is up at The Smoking Gun.

The Mitchell Report--the long investigation of steroids and baseball--is set to be released in about an hour. ESPN is in full MAJOR STORY mode, and already the appearance of one big name in the report has been leaked:

Some folks on the union side have been hinting that the Mitchell investigators requested the company of big-time stars as they looked into allegations of performance-enhancing drugs. "Landscape-changing names," said one agent. "Names that will change the way we look at the sport."

It is unclear whether these players were merely asked as a formality or if, in fact, the investigators had some evidence that they wanted to present to the players for a response. The reason for the intrigue is not just to satisfy our gossipy curiosity: As we have seen with Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds, legacies -- and Hall of Fame candidacies -- can be devastated when a player is tied to the steroids mess. Based on early reports by ESPN, at least Roger Clemens' name will appear in the report.

It's going to be a long day for America's pastime.

Update: ESPN is now reporting Andy Pettitte's name is also listed in the report. Pettitte just signed a one year, $16 million contract with the Yankees.

Dear Editor,

I'm sure you have gotten this question a thousand times, but I was curious if The Stranger ever considered a small local sports section. Nothing big, but just enough to let the great city of Seattle know what's going on with their sports teams. I am a huge Seattle sports fan, born and raised. I feel I have a great insight on our teams. And truly feel there is a need for such section in your great paper. You paper covers basically everything one would want to know about in a great manner, save sports. And I would love to be the person to give them that last bit of information about our city. I thank you for your time, and look forward to hear back with your response.

Seattle area citizen,

J.D. Jackson III

Hm... with just the sports sections of Seattle's dailies to rely on--along with all our local television news programs, Seattle's sports radio stations, ESPN, Fox Sports Northwest, and local sports blogs--I imagine it's difficult for Seattle residents to find out what's going on with their teams.

All that premature "Sodo Mojo" crap back in September pretty much sank the Mariners. Jinxy. Stupid. And, ultimately, completely humiliating. Well, I'm glad to see that we've learned our lesson and that we're not going to invite the same jinx down on the heads of our beloved Seahawks. No hubris this time, just quiet restraint.

That feeling ... is it a Super Bowl?

Aw, fuck.

The liveslog of tonight's Bears/Redskins...er, First Peoples game will begin shortly. Until then, I leave you with this wonderful piece on Sexy Rexy Grossman.

I was sure that last Sunday's Sonics-Warriors game at KeyArena was going to be a great one. Golden State is never not fun to watch, plus they were on a five-game winning streak, AND all three captains got T'd up in a recent game. Exciting! Combined with the fact that Kevin Durant had dropped 35 points on the Pacers at the Key two nights before, it was easy to convince some friends to spend money for tickets. Little did we know that the Sonics would turn in what was quite possibly their worst performance of the season, playing as if they had no hands, and that Durant would be good for only 6 points before Carlesimo benched him for most of the second half. Totally disappointing.

The most exciting part of the game? When the Jumbotron caught on fire during the first quarter and sparks started falling onto the court. I snapped a photo of the massive smoking scoreboard as they lowered it onto a seemingly flammable plastic tarp. The whole scene was ridiculous and somehow so fitting:

Things are looking up at the Key, though: The Sonics grabbed their second home win against the Clippers last night, improving to 4-15.

In other basketball news, Allen Iverson dropped 51 points on the Lakers last night. It was a sick performance--49 points in just three quarters. Unfortunately, he cooled way down in the fourth and the Lakers won, but it was awesome to see The Answer in classic form.