Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY FRIDAY:
NBA: Bulls at Celtics, 8 p.m. (CSNNE, ESPN; WEEI)

SATURDAY:
NHL: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NESN)

SUNDAY:
NBA: Celtics at Nets, 1 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Giants safety Antrel Rolle, who earlier this week criticized New York fans for booing the team, apologized for comparing the players to soldiers returning from duty overseas. “We’re risking ourselves out there on the field each and every day also,” Rolle said Thursday. “When soldiers come back from Iraq, you don’t boo them. I look at it the same way.” Later in the day, he admitted that “was a very poor, very inappropriate choice of words.”

♦ At AOL FanHouse, former NFL center LeCharles Bentley looks at Browns running back Peyton Hillis‘ path to success and examines reverse racism in the league.

♦ USC football coach Lane Kiffin has a lot on the line as the Trojans prepare for Saturday’s game against crosstown rival UCLA, writes Bill Plaschke in The Los Angeles Times.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 3, 1987, which Bruins legend had his number retired?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I have nothing bad to say about these fans at all. We grew from the year before I got here, a 17-win season to the last two years I was here, we had the best team in the league in the regular season. I understand their frustration. I was frustrated also because we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to. I wish this organization and these fans, who are great, the best.” — LeBron James, after leading the Heat to a rout of the Cavaliers on Thursday night in Cleveland

STAT OF THE DAY: 10-0-0 — The Bruins’ record when scoring first, which they did in Thursday night’s 8-1 rout of the Lightning

‘NET RESULTS: Joey is a 5-year-old who reports on the Blackhawks. Check out his hard-hitting questions.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Phil Esposito (7)

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Ozzy Osbourne turns 62 Friday.

Leave a Reply