“Sigh.”

When Sam Hinkie addressed the media and answered questions at today’s press conference, it wasn’t all HOT FIRE jabs at Howard Eskin. Most of it was reasoned, intelligent, and rational answers to incredibly stupid questions.

Some of the questions Hinkie was asked were good. Some were reasonable. Some were actually questions Hinkie should be expected to answer. The rest were nonsense.

Hinkie was asked if this image, run as part of a promotion for season tickets on the Sixers’ official website on Tuesday, was a mistake or some kind of unfortunate “leak,” since it prominently featured Michael Carter-Williams. So, to run that down, someone (I wish I recognized their voice and remembered it now) asked the Sixers’ GM if an image the team’s marketing department posted days before the trade deadline was some kind of leak, mere minutes after the GM said the MCW trade was something that came about towards the end of deadline day. I still can’t comprehend how insane and stupid that question is.

What the gathered media needs to understand — and they really should by now — is that Hinkie is not the kind of guy to give non-complex answers. Yet, they still ask questions that require a dumbed-down response, and when Hinkie doesn’t give it to them, they can claim he’s being weird or skittish or dodging the fans.

And he did give straightforward, simple answers when required. When asked one of many questions about the MCW deal (most of which were some variation of “How could you? Won’t you think of the children?”), Hinkie said:

“We have great respect for Michael … from [his NBA debut], people have called and assumed we might move him and assumed that maybe they can get their hands on him … The only way we could ever move him is if someone blew us away. We rejected offer after offer … those [top-5 possible] picks do not move around very often. It’s very rare that they move. That made us consider it.”

When asked about the uncertainty of these future picks that are being acquired, Hinkie said, “We’re looking to build something that can win deep and to do that we’ll have to make tough decisions and be comfortable with uncertainty.”

He clarified that what may appear to be ruthlessness from the emotional perspective is an attempt to make the smartest moves for the team.

“It’s so critical to get from where we are to where we want to go, to be willing to make smart risks when we see them,” Hinkie said. “And we’ll do it unblinkingly.” Continue reading

As part of previously described renovations to the (19-year-old!) Wells Fargo Center, the arena has been upgraded with 1 Gbps Xfinity Wifi. From a press release:

Comcast-Spectacor is introducing a new, upgraded and free XFINITY WiFi network at the Wells Fargo Center that will be a platform for enhanced communication and in-game interaction for fans, media, and businesses within the arena.

Comcast-Spectacor has partnered with Cisco, the worldwide leader in information technology, and Comcast Business to build the XFINITY WiFi network in the Wells Fargo Center. By utilizing Cisco’s latest-generation Cisco Connected Stadium solution, and equipping it with a 1Gigabit per second Ethernet Dedicated Internet connection, Comcast-Spectacor will be able to offer faster upload and download speeds than ever before in the arena.

“Our goal is to make the Wells Fargo Center a leader in innovative technology and fan interaction,” said Dave Scott, President of Comcast-Spectacor. “This upgrade is just the first of many exciting advancements we will be making at the arena and is a preview of the innovations we can bring to other arenas across the country and in Canada.”

“We know how important it is for fans to stay connected,” said Mike Sheehey, Executive Vice President, Comcast-Spectacor. “We are creating an experience at the Wells Fargo Center where our guests will be able to stay engaged with social media, upload their photos, download stats, instantly post a ‘selfie’ on the center hung scoreboard, and continue to follow their favorite team or entertainer, just as they could at home.”

Instantly post a selfie… or, you know, play Trivia Crack.

Side note: Does anyone other than press even think about using Wifi at a game? 1 Gbps is fast and all, but what happens when 2,000 people try to use it at once? Does it slow to a crawl like Comcast’s signal usually does during peak times? Probably.

Kyle and Jim discuss reporters whining about Media Day, blown weather reports, beat writer wars, Jim’s experience at the Royal Rumble, and beards. Brought to you by SugarHouse Casino: Enter for a chance to shoot for $100,000 at a Sixers game.

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Click on Gronk’s big dumb face to enter

How were those holidays on your bank account? Not great, huh? And the Eagles aren’t in the playoffs. That sucks. Even worse, the Cowboys are. It hasn’t been a great week or so overall, but Draft Kings wants to help you out and allow you to get a little revenge on Dallas, too.

They’re running a $100k Play Action League to pump up your interest in this weekend’s playoff games, and entry is only $2. Plus, if you so choose, you can pick all of the Packers you want, hoping they really stick it to Dallas. And they will, right? They better. Contest details are as follows:

– $100,000 prize pool
– First place wins $10,000
– $2 entry fee (FREE with first deposit)
– Top 11,500 win money guaranteed
– Starts on Saturday, January 10th at 4:35 EST
– Salary Cap Style Drafting. $50,000 to select 9 spots
– Roster Format: 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex and 1 Defense
– First time depositors at DraftKings receive a 100% bonus up to $600

You can go ahead and pick your team over here, and as always you can switch your roster around as much as you want until game time. Just keep thinking dark green and gold.​

[Editor’s note: Draft King’s updated app is fantastic and the real-time horse race nature of the in-game screen is highly addictive:

Now, if only I didn’t suck.]

New Year’s and the NFL playoffs are coming up, and that means football. Lots of football. Football games you’ll probably be watching from your couch like the gluttonous sloth that you are. So let’s throw in a little greed, too.

If you plan on betting on any of these games, let me turn your attention to our good friends at Godfather Locks, who have sponsored us for the entire 4th quarter. They may be paying me to tell you this, but facts are facts. They’ve been sending me some of their picks lately to verify. And while there were a few days of scuffling mid-month,  they have been on absolute fire since around the 20th, including a 5* recommendation on the Redskins over the Eagles… which, as you know… yeah. Other facts:

– A $100 player has made $3,400 in the past four days.

– Over the weekend, 9 of 11 college football picks were winners.

– 3-0 on Friday– LA Tech, Rutgers and NC State.

– 18-7-1 in last 25 NFL games. 10-4 in 5* NFL recommendations. A $100 better has made $4,700 last three weeks.

– Silly hot in last nine bowl games. 8-1. 7-1 in 5* games. $100 better has made $4,500 this season.

– 8-4 run in college basketball. 6-2 in 5* plays. $100 bettor has made $1,800 this season.
– $100 NBA bettor has made $3,000 in the NBA this season.

More:

You buy the plan that works and log in to get the plays that you want. Unlike most fraud cappers you hear screaming in radio commercials, they never call you and everything they do is documented on the site and Twitter.

There are a lot of football picks, but it’s hoops where Godfather typically kills it. NBA and college lines are wayyyy more in flux than football lines, so it’s easier to spot holes. Godfather has a three-year track record with repeat customers. And as an advertiser, I can tell you that they are one of the most reliable and pleasurable to deal with. We’ve been working with them for two years, and trust me, if there were any signs of the typical BS you’d expect from handicappers, I would’ve seen it.

The pricing is fair. Most people play the $100 system, but it’s low enough to play to scale. Some of the big boys out there invest in a plan and use it as a part of their overall strategy.

So check them out at GodfatherLocks.com and follow them on Twitter (@GodfatherLocks).