Updated: 08/31/07 5:24pm ET
Suns.com has a new writer, and a new "Dan" on its blog. I'm giving him a special shout-out for three reasons. One, he's a fellow Texan, and fellow Suns "convert" (from the Spurs, in his case). Second, he's a self-confessed "geek", much like yours truly. Third, in his introductory post, he's written maybe the most unique and entertaining take I've seen on the Suns/Spurs rivalry to date, comparing it to the cartoon Tom & Jerry. So check him out at Suns.com, and drop him a comment to welcome him aboard.
Catching up on the news:
- Speaking of the Suns.com blog, here's an update on Boris Diaw and the French national team, compliments of Suns assistant athletic trainer/strength and conditioning coach Erik Phillips. It's a glimpse into the mind of a Suns trainer looking out for his player's (and team's) best interest. It sounds like Boris is doing well.
- Speaking of Suns.com and guys named "Dan", here's the latest from former Bright Side of the Sun blogger Dan Hilton. He got to watch a pickup game between Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Alando Tucker, and newest Sun D.J. Strawberry--all while taking a break from work. How cool is that?
- With FIBA Americas taking a day off today, I'll be taking a break from it as well. If you find yourself in dire need of your daily FIBA fix, though, you can always check out Dan Bickley's oddly-named Big Boy Blog at AZCentral for an "insider's view" from behind the scenes. He writes about cab rides, the Brazil-Argentina game, and more.
- After I panned Yi Jianlian last month not just once, but twice for holding out on signing with the Milwaukee Bucks for basically "they're not glamorous enough for me" reasons (or "I won't get to play enough" reasons, depending on who you believe), it's good to hear he's had a change of heart. With so many young players out there who will never get their shot to play in the NBA, it would have been a shame for Yi to have missed out. Congrats to both Yi and his managers for coming to their senses, and congrats to the Bucks for finally getting their guy.
- In my week-long quest to saturate this site with Team USA and Brazil coverage, I neglected to mention Vinny Del Negro's promotion to assistant general manager. Congratulations, Vinny!
- Also lost under the barrage of FIBA posts was some new information in the Tim Donaghy scandal. Seems Donaghy had ties to a (female) sports bar owner in Phoenix, and had been betting on NBA games since 2003.
- Last but not least, if you missed Steve Nash's interview on the Charlie Rose show, Bright Side reader edgary provided us with this link for the replay.