Amar'e Stoudemire Rolls Deep

Guest posting continues today. Hooray!
By Rob Sylvester
A lot gets made about NBA players’ entourages these days. The role of LeBron’s group of friends came up repeatedly in discussions about the free agent’s plans before he signed with the Heat; it has been opined that one of the major reasons LeBron didn’t end up with the Bulls is because team owner Jerry Reinsdorf refused to ensure preferential treatment for all his cronies.
Most times, complaints about player’s posses are much ado about nothing — of course guys who become millionaires by the age of 21 want to bring some friends along for the ride. Not to mention there’s a lot of day-to-day activities that your typical NBA star is too busy for, and if you’re going to pay someone to do that stuff for you, it may as well be someone you trust. Sure, some players with entourages get themselves into trouble, but plenty others don’t, and most NBA players are perfectly capable of getting into trouble by themselves anyways. In the end, it’s just hard to begrudge these guys for sharing the spoils of success who those who’ve supported them.
However, reports are that new Knicks’ power forward Amar’e Stoudemire showed up with TWENTY PEOPLE to the ESPY awards Wednesday night. 20!

President Obama doesn’t travel with 20 people. Hell, the Hope Diamond probably doesn’t even travel with 20 people. But apparently that’s what Amar’e requires to travel in style.
Stoudemire’s posse included a camera crew and blinged-out security guard — about 18 more people than New Orleans Saint Reggie Bush, L.A. Laker Lamar Odom and football free agent Terrell Owens, each brought along for the festivities.
Actually, Odom didn’t have a posse — it was just Khloe Kardashian.
But before casting too many aspersions on Amar’e, let’s try to think of some possible roles for all these people. Off the top of my head, Amar’e needs/potentially employs:
* Accountant
* Optometrist
* Dr. James Andrews
* Rubber-band man
* Towel Boy
* Shots Girl
* Publicist
* Publicist’s publicist
* Driver
* Somebody who knows how to tap a keg
* Steve Nash look-alike
* Sommelier
* Body double
* Wingman
* Two human crutches
That’s 16 right there, throw in a couple bodyguards and whatever two ladies happen to be around and maybe 20 isn’t so unreasonable after all. I just hope Amar’e takes the time to classify himself as a small business, or he’s going to run into some serious troubles on his tax returns.
And hey, Amar’e, if you’re reading this, do you have any room for a blogger on the payroll? I snark with the best of them and make a mean taco casserole. Think about it?
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ESPN radio host, Yankee announcer Michael Kay engaged to News 12 anchor Jodi Applegate
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/07/16/2010-07-16_espn_radio_host_yankee_announcer_michael_kay_engaged_to_news_12_anchor_jodi_appl.html#ixzz0u2S3GaUP
[New York Daily News]