• I was at the height of my glory, because I loved dancing and wearing the boots and the hot pants, the tied up shirts, looking really hot. And I was able to dance, I loved football. My dad used to have season tickets, so I was flirting with the guys on the sidelines as much as I could. The organizations make sure that the cheerleaders and the players have minimal contact, but that’s what you try to do. It was great, in the ’70s.
• Actor Phyllis Smith • Speaking of her job dancing on an NFL sideline way back in the 70s. Smith, who plays the similarly named Phyllis Lapin-Vance on NBC’s The Office, dreamed from a young age of being a dancer, and had success as a cheerleader as well as doing tap dancing in a vaudeville-style burlesque show. She got out of the dancing biz after a leg injury in her 30s, and worked reception for a few years before starting the acting career that ultimately landed her on the mega-hit comedy. Just another helpful reminder — it’s never to late to set new career goals for oneself. source

• $225 million for a job-listing-site mega-merger source

• It’s not often that a single photo kills an entire career. But in the case of Gilbert Arenas, this photo of him joking around about the gun incident last month – after he was already on thin ice with both the NBA and the law for the incident in the first place – led to an epic indefinite suspension and created controversy around the photo itself. That’s a good photo.

How it screws up Gilbert’s career

• Wizards’ magic trick Arenas has been the franchise star of the Wizards for years, and he’s been something of a train wreck for most of them, partly due to his antics and history as a “jokester,” partly because he’s been injured for most of the last few years. Plus, they suck this season. He’s probably gone.
• Promises of pain NBA commissioner David Stern is a guy who doesn’t screw around and will bring pain onto stars he thinks deserve it (just ask Ron Artest). And when he suggests “or worse” in reference to an indefinite suspension, you know he’s freaking screwed. Don’t screw with David Stern.
• Career-ender?It’s too soon to tell whether the incident will completely screw up what had going with the NBA, but with promises of a trial and the fact that he had guns in Washington, D.C. (which has some of the strictest drug laws in the country), it might be. Or he might be Michael Vick. source

The situation with the photo

• snapped The photo was taken last night before a game. He was joking around with his teammates, making gun symbols with his fingers.
• snatched The next day, the NBA had Getty Images remove the photo from the wire for most of the day. The Washington Post nailed them. source

Gil’s tweets

• I know everybody seen the pre game pics..my teammate thought to break the tention we should do that..but this is gettn way to much
• Gilbert Arenas • Regarding the fate of his fingers, and the incredibly stupid reasoning behind them. Whichever teammate suggested that should be slapped, because he just cost Arenas a career. On a side note, does this guy know when not to tweet? Like, say, when you’re being investigated? source

• I’ve done enough years on TV that I feel like it’s a normal, comfortable, natural place to be. I’d love to be in a movie at some point, I’d love to be the voice of a cartoon character in a movie for my kids. I think that would be fun.
• Kate Gosselin • Describing her desire to become a movie star as “Jon & Kate Plus 8” ends by force of Jon’s douchebaggery. Kate, you’re not the reason we hate everything about you. Really, it’s Jon. But because of that, we’re going to stand in front of any studio, any movie set, and opening, any theater that would have the words “Kate Gosselin,” “movie” and “starring” in the same paragraph. Host a talk show or something. But do not sully a second field in your quest to become a multimedia icon. • source

• It’s totally not Matthew McConaughey‘s fault that his career has evolved in such a way that he has to lean on the strength of his romantic comedies to have any standing in Hollywood. Though we wonder if he wobbles. source

• 750 million the reported number of albums he sold worldwide in his career – “Thriller,” obviously, sold more than any other
• $400 million amount of debt the megastar, who hadn’t toured in over a decade, had amassed before his unexpected death

• Brandon Hardesty translated the modest success of this video into a lucrative film career in just over two years. He now stars in “American Pie” sequels and Adam Sandler movies. We kid you not. source

• My heart still wants to fight, that’s for sure, but when your physical doesn’t respond, what can you do?
• Oscar de la Hoya • On retiring in the wake of a failed December bout against Manny Pacquiao, which was stopped after the 8th round. The “Golden Boy,” as his nickname calls him, is now 36, and he’s held 10 different titles in six weight classes during his career. • source

• He has a job! A few of you asked, so we’ll answer. Starting today, Ernie will be working at Express, a free daily newspaper published by The Washington Post. It’s his third free daily newspaper in a row, but it’s also the biggest. He’s excited about the opportunity and plans to use his info-breakdown roots as much as he can.
• What he left behindHe does it with a heavy heart. He wasn’t exactly looking to leave his adopted hometown of Norfolk, Va., but he did it because the opportunity made a lot of sense. He’s done a lot of moving in the last few years, and the last place felt like home. He already misses his favorite coffee shop, Elliot’s Fair Grounds. Sigh.
• But don’t worry …ShortFormBlog is still a priority of his and he plans to keep it going as long as he can. The nature of it may change slightly – to focus on interest and intrigue over the immediacy of a news cycle – but it’s gonna stick around. He may even bring on more staffers. Stay tuned to this dial …

• 45 number of days Ernie was unemployed before today