House Elf 1, Rummy 0

"After Rumsfeld joked any DoD press strategy for Tillman wouldn't have been good, Kucinich retorted, 'Well you know maybe it was very good because you actually covered up the Tillman case for awhile, you covered up the Jessica Lynch case, you covered up Abu Ghraib, so something was working for you.'"

Link (via Reddit)

Red the Puppetmaster

I got to thinking about the KG to the Celtics deal, and realized that there must be more there than meets the eye.

McHale, as Bill Simmons has stated, is a Celtic forever.

My hypothesis? This is a long-term conspiracy, planned out by Red. McHale isn't a horrible GM, but instead was just doing his master's bidding.

The final piece of Red's diabolical plan has Larry Bird, the greatest player he ever coached, making a bunch of bad trades (see: last season's trade with the Warriors) until Jermaine O'Neal gets so angry he demands a trade. Bird will then send O'Neal to Boston for Perkins, an expiring contract (after Boston signs PJ Brown for $20M for two years before this season) draft picks and a big ol' trade exception after next season.

Starting 5 for the 2008-2009 Season:
Rondo, Jesus, Pierce, KG, O'Neal

I can just picture Red, smiling down from the Heavens, cigar in hand...

[Update: My friend e translated to Harry Potter terms: Red as Dumbledore and McHale as Snape. I guess that would make Danny Ainge Harry, and Bird... I don't know, maybe Mad Eye? Hagrid? For more on the ramifications of the KG trade, see TrueHoop's Handicapping the New East.]

[Update #2: The Bulls never had a chance for Garnett, who was either staying in Minnesota or going to Boston, because Timberwolves GM Kevin McHale played for the Celtics and wanted to hook up his good friend, Boston boss Danny Ainge. McHale could have gotten more for Garnett.]