Gagging, Beards, and a Tangled Web Is Woven

From his laptopping, Sergio yips with delights at news of a stony-hearted April Fool's hoaxing. At an Orlando match, a Magic fan was informed that $100,000 would be his if he sank a long-range shot with both eyes blindfolded.

Here is the gagging: Though the blindfolded fan's shot missed, audience members enthused as if he accomplished a swishing! (In this manner, the crowd was in on the practical jokery.)  And with wild celebrations, the shooter fell victim to this ruse.

What a miscarriage of injustice! When the rug was pulled out from beneath the failed swisher, he was not pleased. Nor was I.

“No, no,” Sergio said, “the failed swisher was actually an actor hired by the Orlando Magic. It was a double-crossing!”

“So the joke was not on the failed swisher—”

“But on the crowd of those in attendance!” crowed El Chacho. “The old double-cross. It was a tangled web of deceit.”

Very well! Speaking of tangled webs, Baron Davis's robust beard is renowned in the NBA. (Some even maintain his beard can speak.) And now a variety of Trail Blazers also sport beards. I refer not to my own stubbling (“A Razor's Edge”), but to Steve Blake and Brandon Roy. Both of my mates commenced the growth of beards a month ago. Their notion is to shave only when playoff matches are reached.

Steve's bearding gives him a diabolical mien, while Brandon has only infrequent tufting. Sergio and Travis Outlaw have now also followed their non-shaving suit. But my belief is that Travis weaves his own web of deceit! While he claims not to have shaved for weeks, the only evidence of this is the most anemic soul-patching imaginable!

Rudy's beard derived from the Oregonian,
Walton foto from Fear the Beard.