This is news?
This is what I get for reading dead tree newspapers.
Check this, from the NY Daily News
Slay at Shaq's
He's out of town, cleaning woman's killedBy CORKY SIEMASZKO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERA housekeeper cleaning Shaquille O'Neal's palatial Houston-area home was fatally stabbed yesterday and police arrested the worker's teenage son.
The Los Angeles Lakers star was in Minnesota preparing for a playoff game against the Timberwolves when Tristan Williams, 18, allegedly plunged a steak knife into his mother.
Shaq does not live in the sprawling Sugar Land, Tex., house. His former flame, Arnetta Yardbourgh, lives there with his oldest daughter. The mom witnessed the killing.
Why is this national news? Why is it being connected to Shaq?
Shaq, 32, who was born in Newark but spent his teenage years in San Antonio, Tex., is listed in property records as the owner of the home. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Shaunie, and their three kids.
The Texas house features a semi-circular driveway, soaring ceilings, extra-large rooms, and custom bathrooms to accommodate the hulking NBA star, a neighbor said.
O'Neal, who has led the Lakers to three titles, married Shaunie last summer. Shaq and Arnetta, his high school sweetheart, were an item until 2000 but didn't live together.
Shaq's teammate, Kobe Bryant, has been battling rape charges as the Lakers make another title drive.
And what does ANY of THAT have to do with the story?
You know, when I was a kid I used to wonder how exactly the right amount of things happened to fill an even number of newsprint pages every day. Then I found out they'd pick and choose stories. Later I discovered they reran some as filler, and occasionally duplicated the filler stories in a single issue. Now I've concluded that they simply surround all the ads they sell with text. This is the biggest advantage of online news delivery. Eventually they'll figure out the filler isn't necessary anymore…at least the kind of filler in that last quote.
