Welcome to Thursday’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.
WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY THURSDAY:
NFL: Patriots at Lions, 12:30 p.m. (CBS)
AROUND THE WEB:
‘¦ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy came to the defense of his division rival, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, before Orlando beat Miami on Wednesday night. One day earlier, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said in a radio appearance that Spoelstra could eventually be replaced by Pat Riley if the Heat continued to struggle, making reference to when Riley replaced Van Gundy as Heat coach and led them to the 2006 championship.
Responded Van Gundy: “To second-guess another coach and comment on a situation he knows nothing about, I think, it’s inappropriate and it’s also ignorant. I don’t mean that commenting on Phil’s intelligence, he’s obviously a very smart guy. I mean it as ignorant ‘ he doesn’t know what that situation was and he doesn’t know what that situation in Miami is now.
“I don’t think that, unless their relationship’s changed drastically, that he and Pat talk on a regular basis. So I doubt he would have any insight ever on what’s going on in Miami.”
Spoelstra, who was an assistant to Van Gundy with the Heat, didn’t seem upset about the comments. But guard Dwyane Wade questioned Jackson.
“The only thing surprising about it is a coach saying it about another coach in this league,” Wade said. “I expect that from someone else to say it, but not another coach. It’s unfortunate. But I guess coach Jackson has earned the right to say what he wants, and he continues to exercise that right.”
‘¦ A couple of college presidents also traded barbs on Wednesday, as Boise State’s Bob Kustra responded to derogatory comments from Ohio State president Gordon Gee. Gee had said Boise and TCU don’t belong in the national championship game because of their schedules, saying: “We do not play the Little Sisters of the Poor.”
Kustra noted that Ohio State’s nonconference schedule featured some cupcakes and said: “I don’t mind somebody stating that they don’t think we ought to be in the national championship, but to do it with such erroneous information as Gordon Gee has used, gets under the skin of all of us who thought university presidents were supposed to be standing for fairness, equity and truth in how we portray our universities. And he’s doing a very poor job of that at the moment.”
‘¦ Mark Wells, who was a member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic hockey team, was in the news recently when his gold medal was sold at an auction. The New York Daily News has a feature on Wells, who explains why he sold his medal (he actually sold it eight years ago; it was auctioned this month by a private collector) when he needed money for medical bills.
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 25, 1996, who was the final member of the Bruins’ legendary Kraut Line to be selected for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I told him he looked like the 2000 Shaq. [Also] the 1999 Shaq, the 2001 and 2002 to 2003 to 2004 to 2005 to 2006. He definitely was the target tonight. We rode him.” ‘ Kevin Garnett, after Shaquille O’Neal scored 25 points in the Celtics‘ win over the Nets on Wednesday night
STAT OF THE DAY: 1,500 ‘ Career points for Mark Recchi, who reached the milestone in the Bruins’ win over the Panthers on Wednesday night in Florida
‘NET RESULTS: Michael Jordan‘s son, Marcus, who plays at Stetson, can dunk, in case you were wondering
TRIVIA ANSWER: Bobby Bauer
SOOTHING SOUNDS: Percy Sledge turns 70 Thursday.
