It’s that time of year again when attention turns to the NCAA basketball tournament and everyone fills out a bracket in hopes of winning something, whether it be pride, money, or super-duper cool prizes like you will find in ALDLAND’s 2013 Bracket Challenge. Plus the winner of this contest gets a write up about them like DRTAZ1 got for winning ALDLAND’s Bowl Pick ‘Em Challenge. So click on the link and make your picks in hopes of winning one of the four awesome prizes listed below:
A New York State judge has granted a restraining order that puts a planned auction of legendary The Band keyboardist Garth Hudson’s belongings on hold. The move was made after Hudson’s attorneys filed a complaint with the courts alleging that the organ whiz was the victim of attempted extortion.
Last month, a Kingston, NY landlord sold a number of Hudson’s belongings to the public after claiming that he had failed to pay more than $50,000 in storage fees. Hudson’s supporters gathered at the event after the musician requested that his Facebook fans buy the items and allow him to reimburse them. The landlord had planned to sell more of these items—things like sheet music, photos, reel-to-reel tapes and his instruments—at another auction on April 6. However the new restraining order will keep that from happening for the time being. Hudson is now demanding that the landlord, Mike Piazza, return his possessions and pay damages and legal fees.
Hudson also accuses Piazza of moving his belongings on two occasions without his permission, which he claims damaged some of the items. Hudson also claims that Piazza stole a number of his possessions—including a pump organ—before selling them on eBay.
Lawyers from both sides are inspecting the items, which have been moved to a new location. A meeting between the lawyers for both parties is scheduled for April 11.
The former catcher’s old team continues to be in financial straits, and he’s been hawking his “bizarre” book in hopes of a post-retirement paycheck, so maybe we shouldn’t be surprised, if nevertheless saddened, that Piazza appears to have turned to a life of crime.
UPDATE: Garth Hudson’s lawyer, John Clark, dropped by this afternoon to share his thoughts on this story. As promised, I have reposed his statement here:
Attn: Adland. I am an attorney and represent Garth Hudson in the litigation discussed in your story above. Please note that the Mike Piazza who is the defendant in the litigation IS NOT THE Mike Piazza of baseball fame. Same name, different person.
Please correct your story immediately.
John E. Clark
Last baseball season, I kept a Detroit Tigers diary here called “The DET Offensive,” a nod to all of the offensive firepower Detroit added in the offseason, primarily in the form of Prince Fielder. This season, the return of Victor Martinez and the acquisition of Torii Hunter make the Tigers even more of a threat with the bat. Their biggest question headed into the year is at the closer position. Jose Valverde had a perfect season two years ago, but he dropped off significantly last year, and GM Dave Dombrowski sent him packing as a result. Phil Coke filled in at that position quite admirably during the playoffs, but for whatever reason, he isn’t being considered for it as we head into the 2013 season. Instead, management seems to be waffling between minor league sensation Bruce Rondon (intriguing) and Rick Porcello (GAHHHHH!). Continue reading
(After spending a mesmerized morning starring at this, I decided just to hit publish instead of continuing to fail to come up with something gif-witty about jigs and jacked-up trucks.)
As Marcus points out, the image of the next generation of Lob City fans, who will know the Lakers as little more than middling renters of their team’s arena, is heartening.
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Previously
Hollywood Nights: Generally, No man is an Island
Hollywood Nights: No World Peace in the Windy City
Hollywood (Disco) Nights: A Hero at the Forum
Hollywood Nights: A Magic Haiku
Hollywood Nights: Z-Bo and Bishop Don The Magic Juan
For two nights in 1973, frequent musical partners Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia met for their regular gig at the Keystone in Berkeley, CA and really locked it in. The full recordings of both nights now are available for the first time in a four-disc box set.
What do we call it when two top musicians– one an icon, one underrated– come together outside the brightest lights and get down to just performing music? As an initial, analytical matter, one can’t help but mention the Traveling Wilburys, but the feel’s all different here. This isn’t a tongue-in-cheek supergroup experiment shrouded in quasi mystery; rather, it’s two professional musicians doing work as such in a Bay-Area coffeeshop. Top-tier talent playing almost nothing but popular and classic tunes: The world’s best cover band.
Providence’s God Shammgod likely has an eternal hold on the most deific name in college basketball history, but Murray State’s Isaiah Canaan should at least be able to claim the most Old Testament name of the 2012-2013 season. The above shot probably is the last you’ll see of him this year, though, as his Racers just fell victim to a Belmont comeback in the Ohio Valley Conference championship game.
(Apologies for the poor quality of the above image. I was watching the game almost literally on a web feed from a Pakistani VCR, which is of a quality and nature of which neither I nor the Justice Department are likely to approve.)
LAS VEGAS — Jerry Tarkanian shifted in his easy chair to find a place it didn’t hurt so much. “My butt is sore,” he said. It’s what happens when you’re 82 years old and you fell four years ago. Back in the day, Jerry Tarkanian roared. On this day, his voice was a whisper, tiny and airy as a child’s.
“He’s worn out by physical therapy this morning,” his wife, Lois, said.
Maybe it’d be better to talk another day?
“No, no, he needs this,” she said.
In early April, for the first time, Tarkanian will be a finalist for election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
A question to him: Would you like to be in?
His lips barely moved. “It’d be nice,” he said.
What would your players think?
Again, a faint breath of air. “They would like it.”
We should shout it out. Jerry Tarkanian belongs in every basketball Hall of Fame. He built teams at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas that were wonders of the craft. They were at once aggressive and careful, disciplined and relentless. To see UNLV leave Duke alongside the road in the 1990 NCAA championship game, 103-73, was to see basketball made beautiful. In 31 seasons at Long Beach, UNLV and at his alma mater, Fresno State, Tarkanian’s teams won 778 games. He took UNLV to the Final Four four times.
This is also worth a shout: Tark was right all along. He called the NCAA corrupt long before such thinking was fashionable. … Read More
(via Sports On Earth)
ALDLAND 
