With “The Old and the Gutless” Cancelled, Here Comes the Book

Susan Lucci’s relocation from Pine Valley to Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane might find favor with fans but Hollywood’s map remains dotted in dead ends. “All My Children” hit the defunct soap opera wall several months ago and the Dallas Mavericks have since put the NBA’s Lake Show, aka “The Old and the Gutless,” on cancellation blast.  It’s easy to attribute the 4-0 skid to Big D’s athletic superiority but that’s too simplistic. So, what’s really going on?

Here’s an explanation that’s slow to populate: Pau Gasol’s MIA status could’ve been sparked by a mental trip to Heartbreak Hotel since it’s rumored that Mrs. Kobe Bryant engineered the breakup of his engagement. On ESPN this morning, Gasol vehemently denied any trouble in paradise. Allegedly caught up in a torn between two lovers web, “Ron Ron” has been spotted tipping around town with Shin Shin, a singer of Chinese-Korean descent.  Now how Artestic is that?       

Whether Kobe was stuck in egomaniacal neutral or an overindulgence of Reality TV’s dish hampered play (E’s Khloe and Lamar, VH1’s Basketball Wives features Matt Barnes’ baby mama Gloria Govan), the brutish behavior of Artest, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum dry docked an already sinking ship.

On Mother’s Day, OG’s Odom and Bynum displayed such classlessness that Bynum’s mother (Odom’s mom is deceased) probably joined outgoing coach Phil Jackson in lowering a glass, filled to embarrassment’s brim. Fined $25K for removing his jersey on the court with total losses registering $700K via a five-game suspension, Bynum’s lesson is costly, or as Tamar Braxton would say, “Over the top dotcom.”  For some, the five-game suspension is merely a drop in the bad boy bucket.      

I bet someone’s pen is poised to pour the Lakers’ tea, and chances are, it won’t be Jackson.            

For more on the Lakers, see these links:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-phil-jackson-20110510,0,6229314.story       

http://www.playerwives.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/ron-artests-girlfriendmistress-shin-shin-gao-xinxin/

http://www.playerwives.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/pau-gasols-girlfriend-silvia-lopez-castro/