Most blogs have creative names for their link dumps. We do not.

+ Henry Abbott of True Hoop points out the population disparity between the States, Spain, Argentina and Lithuania — the gold through fourth-place squads in the Olympics. Based on population size, Lithuania should be nowhere near as competitive as they’ve been of late in international basketball. Take that, Latvia!

+ Busted Coverage has photos of Charley Steiner sans beard. IT’S ALMOST LIKE HAVING A PHOTO OF BIGFOOT IT’S SO RARE.

+ Dan Shanoff opines on ESPNRise, and what it might mean for Rivals. I agree with Dan; the paid model is going to have a tough time surviving going forward.

+ Friend of MOUTHPIECE Blog Larry Brown directs us to the newest UCLA football ad.

Quotable:

“You can call this an elaborate, inventive exercise in image management, an attempt to contrast the young(er), hip, athletic, authentic Obama with that aged heap of jowel that the other side’s proffering. Or point out that, of course, this site would drool all over a candidate who points to basketball as profound force in his life, makes it a key part of his brand, and sometimes uses it as code for race. But bear in mind, whether or not this anecdote is being used as part of a campaign, it happened before this election, on the side of the relationship that wasn’t already planning to run for office. That it holds true now is convenient, but it doesn’t cheapen it. In fact, to my mind it’s effective exactly because it’s so ineluctable. Basketball is basketball, and, to completely twist and butcher a popular idiom, it can’t lie. Give a realistic scouting report and it sketches the outline of a real personality, and vice-versa.” – Bethlehem Shoals of Free Darko on Barack Obama’s basketball ties