Why It's Okay to Laugh at Charles Ramsey (hint: He's trying to be funny)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/05/07/181982154/are-we-laughing-with-charles-ramsey

The recent story out of Cleveland is pretty unbelievable. But the real story is that we have a new Internet celebrity in Charles Ramsey, the man who called 911 once Amanda Berry escaped captivity. Ramsey gave a very candid and very hilarious interview to a local news station. But the REAL real story is the backlash that people's love for Charles Ramsey has set off.

Now, we're no strangers to issues of race here on this blog. I would say that we've tackled some issues of race and taken stands that many, if not most, people would think are overly sensitive, especially surrounding the Williams sisters. But this Charles Ramsey backlash is ridiculous.

Tim Duncan Sits on Fracking Panel

SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio Spurs center Tim Duncan was featured on a panel that discussed the issue of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," last night at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Duncan describes himself as a "self-educated expert" on the subject.

"I first heard about fracking on NPR a couple of years back," said the four-time NBA champion, "and that discussion really piqued my interest. I've been reading everything on fracking that I can get my hands on ever since."

Top Ten Teams For Jason Collins To Sign With Now That He's Openly Gay

"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay."

Lost amid the ESPN fervor about the Jets releasing Tim Tebow, Jason Collins came out in Sports Illustrated today. (Seriously, as I'm writing this, Tebow leads the ESPN news section. Collins is 2nd.) Don't read about it on our blog. Just go read it.

It's a powerful essay, chronicling his gradual decision to come out, first to friends and family and now publicly. It's also a big deal, despite the efforts of some to downplay its significance. I don't need to get into why.

Collins is a free agent this offseason, working hard to play his 13th year in the NBA, and one wonders how this revelation will affect his ability to get another job. With that said, after the jump, here are the top ten locations for Jason Collins to play now that he's out of the closet.

The Whole 42 Letters: It's been a long GD time since we posted anything

Hey gals,

We've been under a lot of stress recently. Sorry the Most Thoughtful Sports Analysis on the Blogosphere has been agonizingly absent for like...over a week. We didn't even do a GD playoffs preview. Who do we think we are?!

Your letters:

Given that the first round seems to drag on forever and gives us lots of lopsided results should we move back to a best of 5 series?

Dispatch From Boston On Lockdown

This week, I’m told, we are all citizens of Boston. Ordinarily, I don’t think most Bostonians would look kindly on that sentiment, but this week has been extraordinary. The tragic, terrifying events that have transpired and the Newtonian equal-and-opposite reactions they have engendered.

Every week, I’m an actual citizen of Boston. Midwestern-born, I’m not a Bostonian, but this city has been my home for a while now.

This morning, I woke up and discovered my city was on lockdown. Buses and trains shut down. Cab service suspended. A massive manhunt underway. FBI, BPD, NSA, every acronym I can think of involved. Do not leave your houses, the Governor pleaded on TV. So I stayed home, locked the door, and shut the blinds.

We are all citizens of Boston, but only some of us are confined to our homes.

The Knicks Win at Absurd Subplots

The NBA regular season is really long and really really boring for the most part. Luckily, as a Knicks fan, this team has been blessed with a cast of characters that do enough stupid stuff to keep us entertained through all the back-to-backs against the Pistons and Cavaliers.

Kobe Bryant Guns for Most Hospital Visitors Record

Late Saturday night, doctors and hospital nurses hushed excitedly throughout the hallways of Los Angeles Memorial Hospital. A record was within reach. Star patient Kobe Bryant was within ten visitors of surpassing the all-time record for visitors previously held by Bobby Smith, a six-year old cancer patient. "I've never seen anything like this," said Kobe's Doctor Alan Schwartz, "for a patient to instill such a will and have such a singular focus on breaking a record. Wow. Just wow."