Deep thoughts, cheap shots & bon mots ...

 While Stephen Curry’s hometown is hosting a weekend lovefest for him and his family, all but forgotten is Steph’s biggest contribution to All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, N.C.: All-Star Weekend in Charlotte. Remember, the league pulled the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte over the state’s “bathroom bill,” seen by the league as discriminating against the LGBTQ community. Curry spoke out quietly but firmly in regard to the law, saying any discrimination is “not tolerable.” Way too simplistic to say Curry got the law changed, but it was altered enough to satisfy the NBA. Credit him with a hell of an assist.

 Before you believe the report that Colin Kaepernick demanded $20 million to suit up for either of the two new pro football leagues, consider the timing. That report hit one day before the announcement of Kaepernick’s and Eric Reid’s settlement of their collusion lawsuit against the NFL. Do you think league sources, realizing how guilty the settlement would make the league look, might have wanted to discredit Kaepernick as a money-grubber not really interested in getting back into football?

 It’s fantasy to think Kaepernick would have enhanced his NFL comeback chances by playing in a ragtag startup league. He’d boost his NFL dreams as much or more by going on the pro bowling tour.

 A’s manager Bob Melvin calls recent catcher pickup Nick Hundley “a quarterback on the field.” Which is great, because the guy the A’s were hoping would be their quarterback on the field went off to become some NFL team’s quarterback on the field.

 Not a good sign: A collection of unions, environmental agencies and other groups signed a letter urging authorities not to relax environmental regulations for the A’s at their proposed Howard Terminal site. One of the signees is Schnitzer Steel, the massive and very messy recycling operation next door to the terminal. Schnitzer is a formidable roadblock to the A’s. Co-existence — a ballpark and Schnitzer — would be very awkward, like building an observatory next door to a nudist colony.

 Birmingham (Ala.) and Tucson have teamed up to make a proposal to co-host Raiders’ home games next season. Perfect. The Bamazona Raiders. Or the Raiders could make a clean break with their past, leave their nickname behind and call themselves the Bamazona Bamboozlers.