Nets owner full of good sound bites
The Nets' move to Brooklyn is a boon for the NBA on several levels.
A beautiful new arena in a trendy neighborhood in the heart of the nation's biggest media market will make the franchise far more profitable. The new uniforms are selling through the roof, and having a cultural icon like Jay-Z involved can't hurt the situation.
Yes, the Nets are on the rise.
That's also good news for everyone in the media. There might be no better interview subject in the sports world than team owner Mikhail Prokhorov.
The Russian billionaire sat down for an extensive, and quite odd, question-and-answer session with the New York Post's Steve Serby this week and again proved to be the most quotable executive in sports.
Among the gems was his answer to a question on whether the notorious playboy would ever consider settling down.
"I have said that if the Nets don't win the NBA championship within five years, I will punish myself by getting married," Prokhorov said. "We are in year three. So no one is more interested in winning a championship than yours truly."
Yes, he's still single, ladies. In case you're interested, he also described what he's looking for in a lady.
"Beautiful, smart, sexy and makes a mean bowl of borscht," he said.
Isn't that what we're all looking for?
Prokhorov is not limited to talk of potential mates. He also can deliver solid social commentary. Take, for example, his response to who he would most like to meet but hasn't had the opportunity.
"This person called Honey Boo Boo is at the top of my list at the moment," he said. "From Moscow, it looks as though the U.S. has lost its collective mind on that."
That's quite perceptive.
It would mean more, though, if he didn't come from a country where the last meaningful contribution to pop culture was Yakov Smirnoff.
■ TACO TIME - Angel Pagan has embraced the occasion of his stolen base that earned the country free tacos.
Taco Bell ran a promotion in which everyone in America would get a free taco if a player stole a base in the World Series. Pagan swiped second in Game 2, and he appeared at a San Francisco Bay area Taco Bell on Tuesday to make tacos, work the drive-thru and meet fans.
As far as post-championship catch phrases go, "Would you like to add a churro to your order?" doesn't have the same ring as, "I'm going to Disney World."
■ MILE HIGH HUMOR - If a man's ability to maintain his sense of humor in times of turmoil is an admirable trait, Colorado football coach Jon Embree should be beloved.
Embree is in the midst of a 1-7 season at the helm of a Buffaloes program that is bringing shame to fans and alumni everywhere.
But Embree isn't ready to concede that his Colorado team is the worst in state history.
The Denver Post's John Henderson tweeted Embree's answer to the question on Tuesday.
"I think the '61 Boulder High team was worse than this," Embree is quoted as saying.
He's here all week, folks.
As for next season, we're not so sure.
COMPILED BY ADAM HILL
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
