Considering Tru Warier Records’ Soundscan results, Lakers F Ron Artest finds himself in pretty heavy company, as the AP’s Greg Bell illustrates.
“If I was a musician, I’d be Kanye West. If I was in the NBA, I’d be Ron Artest,” the 31-year-old former Expo, Indian, Dodger, Athletic, Padre, Ranger and Cub said this week. “In baseball, they’ve got Milton Bradley. I’m that guy. You need people like me, so you can point your finger and go, ‘There goes the bad guy.'”
Here’s that “bad guy,” ejected twice in three Mariners spring games last week. The first ejection remains a joke to Bradley. He disagreed with another called third strike, then umpire Dan Bellino thought Bradley gave a demonstration immediately afterward at the plate.
Bradley thought it was the third out, and said he was one move into taking off his batting glove to prepare to play the field.
“Never dropped my glove. I pulled one strap off my glove, like this,” Bradley said, pulling off the velcro strap on his batting glove. “But if you read the paper, it will say I removed my gloves. It’s exaggerated, because that’s what the media does, you know? I pulled one strap.
Had Bradley ever had an incident with that umpire?
“I mean, I haven’t been in Triple A, so how could I have an incident?” he said with a grin.
The analogies aren’t poor, except West and Artest have accomplished more in their respective fields. West hasn’t knowingly embraced a bad guy role, either, but there’s still time.