WATERCOOLER CHAT: BURLESON OUT FOR EATING PIZZA, PAUL GEORGE GETS 90MILL, SHAQRAMENTO
FOOTBALL
In the NFL, the Detroit Lions are off to a good start this season, and some of that is definitely due to the solid play of their veteran wide receiver Nate Burleson. He has been a favorite target of Matt Stafford’s and this team is a very tough aerial attack to stop. Unfortunately, Burleson got into a car accident yesterday that resulted in a broken arm. According to police, alcohol wasn’t involved, but it’s possible that the wreck was caused by Burleson trying to eat pizza while driving — also not a smart idea. Burleson will be out for at least 4 weeks, likely more, but the Lions still have a lot of weapons at receiver.
BASKETBALL
And in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers definitely feel like they are contenders in the Eastern Conference, if not in the whole NBA. They are a young team with a lot of talent, with an emerging superstar in Paul George. And when you have an emerging superstar, you do everything in your power to lock him up, and make sure he doesn’t go to a bigger market team. That’s why the Pacers have signed Paul George to the 5-year max deal until the 2018-2019 season. The amount will likely be around $90million for 5 years. It’s a risk, but George has shown that he is truly an excellent player.
Finally in the NBA, Shaq is now trying out another facet of his career — owner. Yesterday, it was reported that Shaq bought an ownership stake in the Sacramento Kings. He is now dubbing them “Shaqramento”. Back in the early 00’s, the Kings were a bitter rival of the Lakers, and Shaq played some grueling playoff games against Chris Webber and the Kings. But now, the Kings are a lowly team in need of a serious makeover. They will be getting a new arena, and they are hoping to make that arena the coolest arena in sports throughout the world. Shaq said it will be the first “cashless” arena, meaning that all transactions can take place on your phone. The Kings want to make the kind of transformation that the Warriors made the past few years. They are now thought of as a cool team, and are being marketed perfectly. The Kings want this same kind of brand identity success.
