It was a little sad watching the Lakers beat Houston last night without play-by-play man Chick Hearn calling the game. He's been doing it for 36 years without missing a game. Some of my favorite Chick-isms are: 1. When Pig Miller was still on the team and he made a great play, Chick shouted, "Throw him another ear of corn!"
2. When a player gets called for traveling, Chick says, "He did the bunny hop in the pea patch."
3. When there's some time left but it's obvious that the Lakers are going to win, he says, "This game is in the refrigerator, the lights are out, the door is closed, the butter's hard, the eggs are cool, and the Jello is jiggling."
Chick is recovering from open-heart surgery today, but he should be back behind the microphone in about four weeks. Get well soon, Chick! (Like he'll read this.)
Don't forget to vote for this year's NBA all-stars (and remember that, yes, it is a popularity contest). Voting ends January 13 or 18, I can't remember.