Once again, the NBA's highest paid bench-warmer did not take part in the Greek tragedy that is otherwise known as New York Knickerbockers basketball. After conferring with head coach Mike D'Antoni at the team's hotel in Philadelphia last night, Stephon Marbury and his annual salary of $21.9 million were asked not to put on a uniform.

Prior to coaching his team to a 29-point loss against the Sixers, D'Antoni attempted to explain the rationale behind the deactivation of the team's highest-paid player.

“It’s not that he’s done anything,” D’Antoni said before the game, adding that he should have listed Marbury as inactive against the Heat in the season opener on Wednesday, when Marbury dressed but did not play. “It’s just the team is going in a different direction. He’s been in the league for a long time. I’m not going to put him out there for four minutes.”

Marbury, for his part, took a philosophical approach to things.

“I’m not frustrated at all,” Marbury said. “I have no control over it. If it was raining outside, I can’t get mad if it’s raining. I’ve got to go get an umbrella and then walk in the rain. I have no control over the situation."

Among the teams reportedly interested in the services of Coney Island's finest are the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. Marbury in South Beach, battling for shots and the spotlight with Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion? Yes, please, and may I have another?

As Marbury Watches, Knicks Take a Step Away [NY Times]

Steph Deactivated; Divorce Likely [NY Post]

And now for the pick ...

Pro Football Weekly ran a feature on Gholston in their draft magazine titled "V is for Virile." The editors must have held a "World's Creepiest Title" competition. The runners up were articles about Brandon Flowers ("F is for Fecund") and Aqib Talib ("T is for Testosterone-laden). Or, maybe the PFW gang was heavily influenced by V for Vendetta, a film that proved movies based on Alan Moore comics have one thing in common with Lions first-round picks: they usually blow goats.

Vernon is no doubt virile, but that's not why he's a high draft pick. He's an incredibly strong, intense pass rusher on the field and bright, dedicated young man off it. He's a versatile defender (V is for Versatile!) who can play end, linebacker, or any of those "just line up someplace and go kill the quarterback" positions that coaches like Eric Mangini are always inventing. He can vary his pass rush moves (V is for Variance!) and the athleticism to learn more.

The Jets need Gholston to be both a pass rusher and run defender; their defense finished last in Adjusted Line Yards (a Football Outsiders stat. Go check it out!). But they also needed help on offense. They experimented last year with the "missing man" formation on their offensive line: instead of replacing left guard Pete Kendall, they planted some tall ornamental grasses between Nick Mangold and D'Brickishaw Ferguson and hoped no-one would notice the easy access to Chad Pennington's ribcage. Offseason acquisitions Alan Faneca and Damien Woody filled the chasms on the offensive line, but the Jets still needed someone to run behind that rebuilt line. They really wanted McFadden. Their fans ruh-heally wanted McFadden. Well, that's what you get when you are standing in line behind Al Davis.

And what happened to the old gang? Well, Don Flamenco lives in West Hollywood with Soda Popinski, King Hippo opened a mattress store in New Jersey and Great Tiger, well, he joined Al Qaeda. A truly hilarious short film for people like us, who once played "Mike Tyson's Punch Out" so many consecutive hours that we actually told our father, "you know, Dad, you kind of look like Piston Honda." He made us go outside when we said that.

"The Return Of Little Mac [College Humor] (via The Mighty MJD)
"Mike Tyson's Punch Out" Tribute [X-Entertainment]