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	<title>Salon.com > Basketball</title>
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		<title>Chris Broussard doesn&#8217;t matter</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/chris_broussard_does_not_matter_partner/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/chris_broussard_does_not_matter_partner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 May 2013 16:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Classical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jason collins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chris broussard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBT]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287717</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Unpacking his hateful remarks about Jason Collins, and why it's in our best interest to simply ignore them]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.theclassical.org"><img align="left" style="margin: 0 10px 0 0;" src="http://media.salon.com/2012/07/classicallogo.jpg" alt="The Classical" width="150" /></a><em>Earlier today, Jim Cavan made the case that Chris Broussard's (very unpopular) opinion on Jason Collins' decision to come out as gay <a href="http://theclassical.org/theclog/why-chris-broussards-opinion-matters">does, in fact, matter</a>. This is a mostly ad hominem (towards Broussard, not Cavan) counterpoint to that.</em></p><p><strong>Brendan Flynn:</strong> Everyone's all mad at Chris Broussard. Evidently unwilling to Embrace Debate.</p><p><strong>David Roth:</strong> And Tim Brando! <a href="https://twitter.com/TimBrando/statuses/329005930723287042">No one wants to hear his truth</a> because he's white and old and successful, and that's not worth a damn thing these days. I've always thought the big issue with regard to how gay athletes was how it made random television guys feel. Are they proud? Are they angry? We need to know about this, it's the most important thing.</p><p><strong>Brendan: </strong>Really interesting to hear Broussard's thoughts on adultery and children out of wedlock as it relates to gays. Really looking forward to his #TruthToPower moment on all the other sinners he's covered.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/chris_broussard_does_not_matter_partner/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>I cried when Jason Collins came out</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/i_cried_when_jason_collins_came_out_partner/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/i_cried_when_jason_collins_came_out_partner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[jason collins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBT]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[gay athletes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outsports]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286012</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As a gay man who covers sports, Collins' revelation deeply affected me. But the fight for equality isn't over]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="www.outsports.com"><img style="margin: 0 10px 0 0;" src="http://media.salon.com/2013/03/outsports_logo_new-e1364588625853.jpg" alt="Outsports" align="left" /></a></p><p id="paragraph0">I'm not afraid to admit it: I cried Monday. A couple times.</p><p id="paragraph1">It's not that <a href="http://www.outsports.com/2013/4/29/4282160/jason-collins-nba-gay">the coming out of Jason Collins</a> is somehow the answer to all of our prayers or that those who continue to perpetuate homophobia in sports will now silence their quieting roar. I just kept getting emotional thinking about how far we'd come -- those of us who've been fighting this battle for so many years -- to now see something that many thought was impossible.</p><p id="paragraph2">I thought about Dave Kopay. The former NFL player was the first former professional athlete to come out publicly when he shared his story in 1975. At the time, he expected a wave of athletes to follow, yet he hasn't even seen a trickle of men take his lead.</p><p id="paragraph3">I thought about Pat Griffin and Helen Carroll and Sue Rankin and all the women who have pushed the sports world for so many years, long before I even came out, to accept them for who they are.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/i_cried_when_jason_collins_came_out_partner/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Jason Collins: Black &#8212; and gay &#8212; like me</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_black_and_gay_like_me/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_black_and_gay_like_me/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[African American]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Athletes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why the race of NBA’s first openly gay player matters just as much as his sexual orientation]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I’d never heard of Jason Collins when I saw a friend's Facebook status earlier today announcing the news that he was gay. (I prefer college basketball over the NBA.) As I googled his name to find out more, one thought kept running through my mind: "Please be black."</p><p>I wanted Jason Collins to be black, because I knew what it would mean to black gay youth in this country. I wanted him to be black because I’m hyper-aware that the list of influential LGBT celebrities like Rachel Maddow, Anderson Cooper and Neil Patrick Harris is very white. Most important, I wanted Jason Collins to be black because I know exactly what it's like to be a gay teenager with dark brown skin who comes out but cannot find <em>anyone</em> gay who looks like you on television. Or in magazines. Or on the news.  These days, when I lecture about LGBT issues on college campuses and various other events, people often tell me I’m the only black person they’ve ever seen speak out for gay rights. The pride I feel is mixed with uneasiness because I wish that weren't the case.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_black_and_gay_like_me/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>44</slash:comments>
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		<title>Jay-Z begins selling ownership stake in Brooklyn Nets</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/10/jay_z_begins_selling_ownership_stake_in_brooklyn_nets/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/10/jay_z_begins_selling_ownership_stake_in_brooklyn_nets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Jay-Z]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn nets]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13266849</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As he prepares to represent sports stars, the rapper and businessman discards the team he helped remake]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jay-Z's desire to <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/02/jay_z_sports_agent/">become a sports agent</a> is getting closer to reality.</p><p>The rapper, who recently signed New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano to his management company Roc Nation in a partnership with Creative Artists Agency, has begun the process of selling his shares in the Brooklyn Nets, Yahoo <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--jay-z-looking-to-divest-ownership-share-of-nets-and-become-nba-agent-204905626.html">reports</a>. This divestment is a necessary step, stipulated by NBA rules, in order to represent athletes.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/10/jay_z_begins_selling_ownership_stake_in_brooklyn_nets/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Forgiving Chris Webber</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/forgiving_chris_webber/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/forgiving_chris_webber/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Webber]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michigan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Michigan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NCAA Tournament]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[timeout]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13264997</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As Michigan challenges for the NCAA crown, the most infamous timeout of all time rears its ugly head. But that's OK]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I just did something that caused me great pain. Something I've avoided for 20 long years. I watched <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QPB9NBUG2g">a replay of Chris Webber's infamous timeout</a> at the end of the NCAA championship game against North Carolina in 1993.</p><p>Every basketball fan knows the story: Michigan was out of timeouts, but Webber panicked, resulting in a technical foul against the Wolverines and nailing the coffin shut on the Fab Five's second straight championship game loss. It was a true stunner. Before the timeout, Webber was in the conversation for greatest college basketball player of all time. After the timeout, he became a national laughingstock.</p><p>Memory is a bitch. For all these years, I have excused Webber's horrible mistake by arguing that the game was already all-but-lost for Michigan when he choked. But just now, rewatching it (thanks for nothing, YouTube!), I saw that there were 11 seconds left on the clock and the Wolverines were only down two points and had the ball right next to their own basket. A potential tie or even a win was utterly within the realm of possibility. We've seen much more unlikely finishes during this year's tournament; most notably, the incredible game-tying 30-foot three point shot against Kansas launched by Michigan's current super-sophomore Trey Burke.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/forgiving_chris_webber/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
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		<title>Disgraced Rutgers former athletic director&#8217;s golden parachute</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/disgraced_rutgers_former_athletic_directors_golden_parachute/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/disgraced_rutgers_former_athletic_directors_golden_parachute/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:05:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13264959</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[After ignoring player abuse, Tim Pernetti will get $1.2 million, an iPad and a Rutgers-funded car allowance]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>After watching a video of basketball coach Mike Rice physically abusing players and berating them with anti-gay slurs, former athletic director Tim Pernetti recommended that Rutgers University suspend Rice for three games and fine him $50,000.</p><p>It was only after the video became public that Pernetti made the decision to fire Rice. Outrage ensued over the shameful lack of accountability from the administration and athletic department, leading Pernetti to resign last week -- with a very, very cushy settlement package.</p><p>As the Associated Press <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/former-rutgers-ad-pernetti-getting-12m-ipad" target="_blank">reports</a>:</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/disgraced_rutgers_former_athletic_directors_golden_parachute/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
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		<title>NCAA tournament highlights America&#8217;s inequities</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/ncaa_no_tournament_of_champions/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/ncaa_no_tournament_of_champions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:45:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13264309</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[College sports is not a distraction from society's struggles -- it's a business that embodies them]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Big-time sports are mirrors -- we blast our hopes, dreams, aspirations and fears at them knowing that part of their appeal is in how they metaphorically reflect back dramatized versions of real life. The Olympics becomes a proxy battle between our nation and the international boogeymen of the day. Professional leagues provide a safe forum for cities to express their all-too-real resentments against one another. The underdog players competing against better-equipped rivals embody our culture's populist David-versus-Goliath mythology.</p><p>This latter metaphor, with its impossible-to-predict outcomes and upsets, is supposed to define the NCAA's March basketball tournament. So obsessed are we by the "madness" of possible upsets and Cinderella stories that bracketology is now a national gambling ritual conducted in most workplaces, from the White House on down.</p><p>But what if March Madness is celebrating something that shouldn't be celebrated? What if the rags-to-riches, up-from-the-bootstraps metaphor that makes the tournament so appealing is the wrong one? What if, instead, the NCAA tournament is really a metaphor for something darker, more sinister and more disturbing about our society?</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/08/ncaa_no_tournament_of_champions/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>26</slash:comments>
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		<title>Athletic director leaves Rutgers</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/05/rutgers_fires_its_athletic_director_ap/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/05/rutgers_fires_its_athletic_director_ap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:40:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13262621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Tim Pernetti is out after failing to fire basketball coach Mike Rice when video of his abuse first surfaced]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- A person familiar with the decision says Tim Pernetti is out as Rutgers athletic director.</p><p>The person spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made yet. The school will hold a press conference on campus at 1 p.m.</p><p>Pernetti dismissed basketball coach Mike Rice Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players in practice and using gay slurs. The scandal has now cost Pernetti his job some five months after he didn't fire Rice when the video first became available.</p><p>Instead, with the approval of university president Robert Barchi, Pernetti, after being given the video in late November by a former employee, suspended Rice for three games, fined him $75,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes. But the video was broadcast Tuesday on ESPN, and prompted scores of sharp criticism nationwide.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/05/rutgers_fires_its_athletic_director_ap/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Mike Rice out at Rutgers following explosive video</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/03/mike_rice_out_at_rutgers_following_explosive_video_ap/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/03/mike_rice_out_at_rutgers_following_explosive_video_ap/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:22:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13260005</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Facing an overwhelming media backlash, school officials have decided to pull the plug on their basketball coach]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- Rutgers fired basketball coach Mike Rice on Wednesday after a videotape aired showing him shoving, grabbing and throwing balls at players in practice and using gay slurs during practice.</p><p>The videotape, broadcast Tuesday on ESPN, prompted sharp criticism from Gov. Chris Christie, and the head of the New Jersey Assembly called for Rice to be fired.</p><p>With mounting criticism on a state and national level, the school decided to take action, relieving Rice of his duties after three largely unsuccessful seasons at the Big East school. There will be a national search to replace him.</p><p>Rutgers athletic director Tim Pernetti was given a copy of the video in late November by a former employee. After hiring independent investigators to analyze the tape, he suspended Rice for three games, fined him $50,000 and ordered him to attend anger management classes. University president Robert Barchi saw the tape and signed off on the initial punishment.</p><p>But in a Wednesday email, Rutgers referred to new information and "a review of previously discovered issues" as the reasons for Rice's termination.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/03/mike_rice_out_at_rutgers_following_explosive_video_ap/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>White House spins Obama&#8217;s lousy jump shot</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/white_house_spins_obamas_terrible_jump_shot/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/white_house_spins_obamas_terrible_jump_shot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:03:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13258027</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The president went two for 22 because he doesn't practice enough, the White House says]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>President Obama may have gone two for 22 when playing basketball at the White House Easter Egg Roll, but the White House says it's not because he's bad. Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted at Monday's White House press briefing that "having done a few shots with him, he's pretty good," adding: "The president doesn't get to practice probably as much he would like to."</p><p>Or perhaps Obama is just bad at basketball. Let's examine the evidence.</p><p>Exhibit A: Monday's many missed jump shots:</p><p><object width="400" height="225" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" /><param name="background" value="#333333" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="flashvars" value="si=254&amp;contentValue=50143991&amp;shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50143991n" /><embed width="400" height="225" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" background="#333333" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" flashvars="si=254&amp;contentValue=50143991&amp;shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50143991n" /></object></p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/04/01/white_house_spins_obamas_terrible_jump_shot/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>Chris Christie meets Shaq</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/22/chris_christie_meets_shaq/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/22/chris_christie_meets_shaq/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Mar 2013 19:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Christie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shaquille O'Neal]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Enjoy this photo of the New Jersey governor shaking hands with the basketball player and "Kazaam" star]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>New Jersey's Republican governor Chris Christie tweeted this priceless photo of himself meeting basketball player Shaquille O'Neal:</p><p>[embedtweet id="315165951458934785"]</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/22/chris_christie_meets_shaq/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Could this man control college basketball?</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/17/could_this_man_control_college_basketball/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/17/could_this_man_control_college_basketball/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editor's Picks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[College basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bracketology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recruiting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bubble teams]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.railrode.net/?p=13242637</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An agent and talk radio star in Georgia has five giant brothers looking to play in America. Call him Coach K]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Levan Mikeladze floored his Audi A5 on a straight stretch of road in Tbilisi. He is 23, smokes two packs a day and has the beginning of a paunch. He boasts that he was 19 when he negotiated a 2 million euro contract and that he is the Democratic Republic of Georgia’s first basketball agent certified by FIBA, the world governing body for basketball.</p><p>“I stopped playing at 16," he said, "when I realized others can run and I can make money.”</p><p>In the status- and wealth-obsessed post-Soviet world, being a billionaire businessman holds far more cachet then being an athlete. Which is why Mikeladze joined forces with Jamlet Khukhashvili, a man he half-jokingly refers to as “the godfather.” They are an odd pair, the jaded boy genius and the smooth-talking Jewish salesman. But then, Georgia and basketball is a strange combo.</p><p><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">Georgia is known for producing many things -- conflicts, wine, Joseph Stalin – but not professional basketball players. Yet inside this little nation in the turbulent Caucasus, sports fans can rattle off the names of all five native Georgians who have played in the NBA: Zaza Pachulia, Tornike Shengelia, Vladimir Stepania, Viktor Sanikidze and Nikoloz Tskitishvili. They tend to leave out that Sanikidze never actually signed a contract. It is easier to skip to Giorgi Shermadini, Manuchar Markoishvili and Viktor Sanikidze, all of whom play in the prestigious Euroleague.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/17/could_this_man_control_college_basketball/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Is there a place for the mentally ill in pro sports?</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/delonte_wests_mental_illness_left_him_unemployed_partner/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/delonte_wests_mental_illness_left_him_unemployed_partner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:25:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Classical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DELONTE WEST]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mental health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[The stigma attached to bipolar disorder has scared NBA teams away from Delonte West -- and he's not alone]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s May 13, 2010, and the working media is churning through the visitors’ locker room of Boston’s TD Garden: notepads and mics in hand, elbows flared, eyes straight ahead. LeBron James sits at his locker; his eyes vacant, his body deflated. His Cavaliers have just been eliminated from the NBA playoffs. For the second consecutive year, the team posted the best record in the league and James was awarded the MVP; for the second consecutive year, they have nothing to show for it. James, at this point, is only 26-years-old and already one of the most famous athletes on the planet; his potential is boundless. He’ll be a free agent come summer, and as of that moment, he’s the most wanted man in sports.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/delonte_wests_mental_illness_left_him_unemployed_partner/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Richardson: Dennis Rodman&#8217;s diplomatic attempt in North Korea is &#8220;healthy&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/09/is_north_korea_serious/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/09/is_north_korea_serious/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Korea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dennis rodman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Diplomacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bill Richardson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Foreign policy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editor's Picks]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Former UN ambassador Bill Richardson tells Salon about North Korea's threat, and the athlete's odd attempt to help]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Former New Mexico governor and U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson has visited North Korea eight times over the past two decades and become one of the most outspoken American thinkers on the hermit kingdom. In an early visit in 1996, he helped negotiate the release of an imprisoned American citizen, and in January he toured the country on a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/world/asia/bill-richardson-and-eric-schmidt-of-google-visit-north-korea.html">controversial mission</a> with Google chief Eric Schmidt.</p><p>The country is in the news this week for threatening a preemptive nuclear strike on the United States after new U.N. sanctions, and after Dennis Rodman's own bizarre visit. We asked Richardson how seriously we should take North Korea's saber-rattling, and if Rodman's visit helps or hurts U.S. relations with the autocratic country.</p><p><strong>How worried should we be about this North Korea threat of a preemptive nuclear strike after the U.N. Security Council passed new sanctions? Should we be scared?<br /> </strong></p><p>My view is that it’s typical North Korean bluster, however the intensity is the strongest I’ve seen, so I do think we have to be cautious and be prepared.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/09/is_north_korea_serious/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>33</slash:comments>
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		<title>Must see morning clip: Dennis Rodman on Kim Jong-Un: &#8220;He’s just a great guy&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/04/must_see_morning_clip_dennis_rodman_on_kim_jong_un_he%e2%80%99s_just_a_great_guy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/04/must_see_morning_clip_dennis_rodman_on_kim_jong_un_he%e2%80%99s_just_a_great_guy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dennis rodman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kim Jong Un]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Korea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NBA]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The eccentric former NBA star has become the first American to meet the dictator]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dennis Rodman, aka the Worm, on a missing on "basktball diplomacy" has become the first American to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, the leader of one of the most oppressive regimes in the world. Rodman's opinion of him?: "I love him, the guy is awesome," he told reporters last week.</p><p>Rodman elaborated on his opinions in an interview with George Stephanopoulos on "The Week" yesterday. "I don’t condone what he does. But as a person to person, he’s my friend. What I did was history. He’s a friend to me. That’s about it,” said Rodman.</p><p>He also returned with a message from the dictator who has threatened to destroy the United States: "He asked me to give Obama something to say and do one thing. He wants Obama to do one thing, call him." </p><p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GixKLkai6uA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/04/must_see_morning_clip_dennis_rodman_on_kim_jong_un_he%e2%80%99s_just_a_great_guy/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Dennis Rodman: Kim Jung Un is &#8220;great&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/03/dennis_rodman_north_koreas_biggest_apologist/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/03/dennis_rodman_north_koreas_biggest_apologist/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:17:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[All Salon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Korea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kim Jong Un]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dennis rodman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[International relations]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The basketball player goes to North Korea and comes back...brainwashed?]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Fresh off a <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/28/dennis_rodman_tours_north_koreas_monuments/singleton/">bizarre tour of North Korea</a> with the Harlem Globetrotters and Vice magazine, former NBA all star Dennis Rodman has quickly become the authoritarian regime's most high profile apologist in the U.S. and perhaps the world.</p><p>North Korea is known for its gulags, concentration camps, mass starvation, oppressive control of every aspect of its peoples' lives, nuclear war mongering, all in support of its cartoonish dictator's lavish life, but Rodman insists we simply don't undersand Kim Jong Un.</p><p>The kingdom is notoriously insulated and closed off to outsiders, putting Rodman in the unlikely position of being an expert on the country, by virtue of the amount of time he's spent there. "There is no one in the CIA who can tell you more about Kim Jong Un personally than Dennis Rodman," ABC News military analyst remarked. "And that is scary."</p><p>Appearing on ABC's "This Week" Sunday in wraparound sunglasses and a blazer with dollar bill prints, Rodman told host George Stephanopoulos that he considers Kim Jong Un a "friend" and that "he's a great guy, just a great guy."</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/03/dennis_rodman_north_koreas_biggest_apologist/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>17</slash:comments>
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		<title>Watch the Miami Heat do the Harlem shake</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/01/watch_the_miami_heat_do_the_harlem_shake/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/03/01/watch_the_miami_heat_do_the_harlem_shake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:44:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[harlem shake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LeBron James]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Internet]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[LeBron James and company become the latest to join the Internet dance craze]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Well, the Harlem shake was fun while it lasted, sort of. On Thursday night, the Miami Heat released their own version of the dance video, as sure a sign as any that the viral sensation is finally over. Still, basketball fans can revel in the sight of human inkblot Chris "Birdman" Andersen flapping his wings like a drugged-out condor and LeBron James channeling his inner Busta Rhymes. And look! There's Mario Chalmers as Super Mario and (we're guessing) Dwyane Wade as Kanye West circa 2004. It's like the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band sprung to life, but with ghetto blasters and sombreros.</p><p>This isn't the first time the Heat have made news off the court. In March of 2012, the team donned hoodies in support of <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7764334/trayvon-martin-miami-heat-talk-talk-hoodies">Trayvon Martin</a>, a political statement as surprising as it was brave. Their latest video shows they know how to let loose together too.</p><p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dz5K6zultek" frameborder="0" width="560" height="315"></iframe></p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/03/01/watch_the_miami_heat_do_the_harlem_shake/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Dennis Rodman goes to North Korea to engage in &#8220;basketball diplomacy&#8221;</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/02/26/dennis_rodman_goes_to_north_korea_to_engage_in_basketball_diplomacy/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/02/26/dennis_rodman_goes_to_north_korea_to_engage_in_basketball_diplomacy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:50:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[North Korea]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA["The Worm" has become an unlikely "sports ambassador" to the communist country]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman heads to North Korea today, the land of <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/11/27/chinese_paper_references_onion_article_calling_kim_jong_un_sexiest_man_alive/">sexy leaders</a> and a hostile communist regime. The eccentric 90s-era star will be the second high-profile person to visit the country since Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt, who visited in January; the trip comes only two weeks after North Korea perform an underground nuclear test against the UN's ban of atomic and missile activity.</p><p>But this has not deterred Rodman or his team, which include three members of the Harlem Globetrotters and a film crew from Vice, who plans to use the footage for a series on HBO in April. Vice founder Shane Smith told the AP: "At a time when tensions between the two countries are running high, it's important to keep lines of cultural communication open, no matter how non-traditional those channels may be."</p><p>"It's important to show North Koreans that America is not their enemy, and playing a game we both love is a step in the right direction," he added.</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/26/dennis_rodman_goes_to_north_korea_to_engage_in_basketball_diplomacy/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Is the NBA becoming gay friendly?</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2013/02/12/is_the_nba_becoming_gay_friendly/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2013/02/12/is_the_nba_becoming_gay_friendly/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:55:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[LGBT]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Kobe Bryant rips a Twitter follower for a homophobic remark -- and helps rehabilitate the league's reputation]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You may have missed it, what with the Super Bowl and the 40th anniversary of Roe <em>v.</em> Wade, but NBA superstar Kobe Bryant joined Twitter last month. For devoted basketball fans, his feed has offered a fascinating and occasionally harrowing glimpse into the mind of a psychopathically competitive athlete. For most everyone else, it's been a ho-hum collection of shout-outs and insipid announcements, with an amusing aside about the value of a good pedicure (quoth Bryant: "Pedicure. Very necessary. Take care of ur feet. Ur feet will take care of you") — that is until yesterday.</p><p>After a skirmish on the social network prompted one of his followers to make a homophobic remark, the Black Mamba swatted him away like he might an errant jump shot:</p><p>[embedtweet id="300767200803958786"]</p><p>And when a separate follower reminded Bryant that he called a referee a "fucking faggot" as recently as April 2011, Bryant was quick to admonish himself:</p><p>[embedtweet id="300774349571489792"]</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/12/is_the_nba_becoming_gay_friendly/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Chris Brown and Rihanna spent Christmas together at a Laker&#8217;s game</title>
		<link>http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/chris_brown_and_rihanna_spent_christmas_together_at_a_lakers_game/</link>
		<comments>http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/chris_brown_and_rihanna_spent_christmas_together_at_a_lakers_game/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 26 Dec 2012 21:30:00 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[The on-again-off-again couple are showing public affection for the first time in years]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>TMZ reports that <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/12/25/rihanna-chris-brown-lakers-together-photo-picture/">Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together</a> -- or at least look like they are. The two singers were seen cuddling at yesterday's Lakers/Knicks game for the first time in years, and left holding hands.</p><p>The relationship ended in 2009 after <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/11/26/chris_brown_will_never_learn/">Brown physically assaulted Rihanna</a> -- but as the media knows, it never <em>really </em>ended. <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/08/20/rihanna_forgives_chris_brown/">Rihanna forgave the abusive Brown</a> earlier this year, saying: "I felt like the only person they hate right now is him. It was a weird confusing space to be in, because as angry, hurt and betrayed as I was, I just felt like he made that mistake because he needed help. And who’s going to help him? Nobody’s going to say he needs help, everyone’s going to say he’s a monster without looking at the source. I was more concerned about him."</p><p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/chris_brown_and_rihanna_spent_christmas_together_at_a_lakers_game/">Continue Reading...</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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