This post is the first in a series of Q&A’s and chats with GMs in my fantasy league. In this one, I ask Eric Koreen, Toronto Raptors reporter for the National Post, about his brief experience with Sam Mitchell, his “sleeper” pick among the new Raptors, his favourite fantasy draftee, TV shows and more.

Pete Marasmitch: I enjoyed your hair-raising piece, a.k.a. Bryan Colangelo’s Personal Vendetta. How goes the faux-hawk? Are you sporting the fedora, 24-7?

Eric Koreen: The faux-hawk lives. (Although I’m writing this a few days before the season starts. I could have evened it out by the time this is published.) I have worn a hat just once, and am now pretty comfortable with it. I don’t like it, but I’ve made my peace. Amir Johnson told me he did me a favour, while Sherman Hamilton told me about three weeks after the cut that the hair was at the ideal length. (Although, perhaps I should not be putting too much stock into Sherm’s thoughts on hair.) And if I do cut my hair soon, it will be legitimate: Johnson cut his hair a week before the season started, although he did apologize to me for leaving me hanging. Read more »

First Scott Carefoot wondered, and now Doug Smith chimes in on the Curious Case of Roko Ukic. Both make some good points. Read more »

Check out Prehistoric Hoops for a statistical comparison between Our Roko and the Other Manuel.

And courtesy of PH, another nickname for Roko:

“Hot Cocoa.”

(Picture from FAN590.com)

This present brings a smile and good spirits … an amusing figure from Copy-You.com. Each one of them is a personalized three dimensional caricature with exaggerated facial features as well as a typified figure and accessories. The unique product will be individually hand-made within a few days of the photograph being uploaded.

Whether for a car driver or a motorcycle rider, or related to various professions or sports [Pete's note: including b-ball]: there are over 500 figure designs available from all walks of everyday life, the most fitting of which can be simply selected.

[...]

As an option, many of the figures are also available with so called “bobble heads” or with a personal message on the base.

I admit it – I was among those thin-skinned hordes who were offended by that slant-eyed Team Spain photo. It didn’t help, either, when Jose Calderon seemed to slough it off on his blog. But now, finally, he has explicitly apologized. Okay, maybe not explicitly, but he did acknowledge that it was a “bad mistake.”

To show my acceptance of his apology/acknowledgement, I am signing my posts for this season as Jeffrey Manuel Wong. Have a productive, healthy year, fellow middle-Manuel.

Speaking of Raptor point guards, there’s a new King in the NBA: Will “King” Solomon. I’ll be happy enough if he’s simply the new AP.