Holiday Season in Clipper Nation

Happy holidays to Clipper Nation.

Apparently the Clippers took the idea of a holiday break literally, as they have been on virtual vacation for the last two weeks, spreading holiday cheer to their opponents by losing six straight until beating Houston on Saturday (who happened to be playing without their two all-stars, Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady).

Clipper posts have been sparse over the last few days, but here's what you may have been lucky to have avoided missed out on since the last CW (returning next week):

- Clips feeling nostalgic for the Chris Ford years, suffer multiple embarrassing losses to conference foes San Antonio, Utah, Portland, and Dallas (LA Times)

- For once, you can't blame the Clippers' problems on Donald Sterling's cheapness: Mike Dunleavy signed a four-year $22 million contract extension, despite the team firmly nestled in last place

- Clipper Nation sounding like lobbyists for NAFTA, hope for a trade to shake up the ranks. Man-crush Allen Iverson escapes instead to Denver to join the sissy-punching Carmelo Anthony. Insistent on adding some thug passion to their roster, Clips turn their attention to Ron Artest while Corey Maggette keeps his bags packed.

- More infirmary issues: Sam Cassell may need to rest his heel, which is slowing him down. Surprisingly, no one else on the Clips is suffering from any movement-affecting injuries; it just looks like it when the other team keeps blowing by them for easy buckets.

- With $55 million guaranteed in the bank, Chris Kaman decides that he can finally afford a trip to see Jose Eber about improving that "crazy ax murderer in the woods" image (post-haircut photo above, pre-haircut photo here). Fortunately, his new image includes playing Santa Claus to a bunch of underprivileged kids.

AP photos by David J. Phillip and Mark Slocum