Starting Five
1. But Will It Play In Pretoria?
In a South African courtroom, Oscar Pistorius attends his bail hearing. The defense team argues that the double-amputee Olympian thought that his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, was a burglar (“I fail to understand how I could be charged with murder as I had no intention to kill my girlfriend,” Pistorious’ statement, which he was too upset to read, said). As these live tweets from the courtroom show, Pistorious is arguing that he thought Steenkamp was in bed when he approached the bathroom.
Prosecutors, seeking a charge of premeditated murder, argue that the “Blade Runner” put on his prosthetic legs and walked 23 feet to the locked bathroom in order to fire four shots through a locked door. They ask why a burglar would lock him/herself in a bathroom and note that neighbors heard arguing earlier.
2. Buss Stop
Los Angeles Laker owner Jerry Buss passes away at the age of 80. The Lakers won 10 NBA championships under his stewardship. More impressively, at least to me, Buss earned a PhD in physical chemistry by the age of 24. Fittingly, the Lakers’ first game after Dr. Buss’ death will be a home contest versus inveterate rival Boston.
3. No. 1 Baylor downs No. 3 UConn in women’s hoops, in Hartford, 76-70. Brittney Griner, who scored just four points in the first half, finished with 25 as the Bears rebounded from a seven-point second-half deficit. Griner’s final points, on free throws, gave her 3,000 for her career. Only seven other players, in both men’s and women’s hoops, have reached that plateau. Griner’s UConn counterpart in the post, Stefanie Dolson, played all 40 minutes. “It never even entered my mind to take (Stefanie) out,” said Huskies coach Geno Auriemma. “Well, I shouldn’t say that. One time I thought, ‘Maybe I should get her out.’ Then I looked over (at the bench) and thought, ‘Nah, maybe not.'”
Griner and Dolson.
4. Mindy McReady becomes the fifth celebrity to appear on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew to die thereafter. In Dr. Drew’s defense, everyone eventually dies. Also, one of the “celebrities” was a Real World cast member, so I’d place that number at four, not five.
5. Local New York-based CBS New anchor Rob Morrison, who is handsome, is charged with second-degree strangulation of his wife, CBS MoneyWatch anchor Ashley Morrison, who is purdy. The incident allegedly took place around 1:30 a.m. in their Darien, Conn., home. The latter was not killed, only injured, but as police were processing Mr. Morrison in the wee hours of the morning, he reportedly made further threats that he intended to harm his wife. Champ Summers and Brick Tamland want her out of the picture, too.
Rob Morrison
Ashley Morrison