I’ve gotta start Odds and Ends this week with the Thursday’s Kings-Lakers game and how outrageous it was to have that many Lakers fans at the game. I don’t know if that many bought tickets on their own or from Kings season ticket holders, but that to me was honestly embarrassing,and by the way,I really don’t give a rat’s ass if it was Kobe Bryant’s last game in Sacramento.

When you’re a Kings season ticket holder and there’s a big game like this one and it’s on national television,shouldn’t you either A)go to the game or B) sell or give your tickets to a Kings fan? This was a chance to show a national audience (a rarity right now,by the way) how strong of a fan base you have and that isn’t going to happen when you hear cheers whenever the away team does something great.

I know I’m not one to tell people what they should do with their money or their property in terms of giving it to or selling it to someone, but having to hear that many fans of the opposing team in your home team’s building is downright embarrassing. Sell your tickets to a Kings fan who maybe hasn’t had a chance of going to a game in a while and would want to see a game. Anybody but a Lakers fan!

I’m not absolving the Kings for blowing a 27-point lead solely because of the fans in attendance,I’m not. The team did that on their own and are capable of blowing such a lead without the huge Lakers contingency in attendance,but you can’t help but think that they had an impact for the Lakers in their comeback in the fourth quarter of that game.

I just hope Kings fans will think twice about holding on to their tickets for a game like when the new building opens,something tells me they will.

Denard Span is now a San Francisco Giant after the team signed him to a 3-year,$31 million deal on Thursday,ending their long search for an outfielder to replace Nori Aoki and whoever else played left field last season.

Span only played 61 games last year before missing the rest of the season with a hip injury and pain in his back and right core.

“I felt like it was a good fit for me with this ballclub,” Span said Friday at his introductory news conference. “They already have a championship ballclub. I’m at the point in my career where I want to win.”

I honestly was disappointed at first with the move because while Span is a quality player,so were Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Upton,both of whom are still free agents and both of whom the Giants could easily afford,based on alcohol sales alone. I think,however,the Giants were doing their homework on who they thought would fit their team the best and Span seems to be that guy.

The Giants have had a tremendous offseason thus far and I think the additions they’ve made are giving fans everywhere a reason to believe that a fourth title could be on the way,plus it’s an even year.

I don’t know what the heck the Houston Texans were thinking by sticking with Brian Hoyer in their playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The former back-up to Tom Brady threw four interceptions and fumbled ones in their 30-0 loss at home on Saturday. Yet coach Bill O’Brien was insistent on keeping him in the game.

“Brian wanted to finish the thing out,” said backup quarterback Brandon Weeden, who began warming up toward the end of the third quarter. “I don’t blame him. I’ve been in that situation before. It’s the kind of person he is. He’s a competitor. Felt like he wanted to finish the fight with his guys.”

Fans were booing every time Hoyer was on the field,which to me said that the fan base was getting tired of the lack of stability at quarterback not just this season,but the year before and the year before that one. I think it’s time the team took a hint from their own fans that the team needs a signal caller and have for some time. A lot of guys are going to be available and I hope they give a few of them a look.

Whoever they pick up next can’t be any worse than the 23 other guys who’ve played under center in Houston this year,am I right?

Usually I hate when people ask a question like “Did this team win it or did this team lose it?”,but in the case of Saturday’s Steelers-Bengals game,the Bengals clearly lost it. With the Jeremy Hill fumble,then the helmet-to-helmet hit delivered to Antonio Brown by Vontaze Burfict (a 15-yard penalty), then the spat with Adam Jones and Steelers assistant coach Joey Porter that drew another 15-yard penalty for Cincinnati. This set up a 35-yard field goal for the Steelers to win the game 18-16 to set them a date with the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. The Bengals are still without a playoff win in the Marvin Lewis era and haven’t had one since 1990.

I’ve been watching football for a long time and I don’t think I’ve seen quite a meltdown by one team like the Bengals had and honestly,they did it to themselves.

Burfict’s actions reflect the kind of player he truly is, a dirty one. Not only should he be suspended (and will be), but he shouldn’t even be playing football in the NFL. No player who’s main operative is to seriously harm players shouldn’t be in the league. I also think that there has to be some sort of culture change on that team. Clearly what they’re doing isn’t getting them over the hump to win a playoff game and the way guys like Burfict and Jones behaved on the field is a reflection of that.

It’ll be interesting to see if Lewis keeps his job despite what happened in front of the home fans and the national audience.