Sledge on, Team USA, Whatever That Means

Yet another Team Australia -- I mean, Boomers (why do they get a nickname?) -- bombshell. I think. Patrick Mills, the one we all were briefly nuts about it, has, umm, something to say about America’s basketball finest. From The West Australian:↵↵⇥“That psychological advantage, they definitely show it out on the court and it can be very intimidating and they were very intimidating to me ... the first time we played them. They sledge me physically and mentally as well.”↵↵I don’t get it. Is this a criticism? This almost sounds like a victim talking -- a victim of inferiority. So they’re better athletes and intimidate you. Is that “sledging?” If so, it sounds like an admission of failure. But wait, let’s read on:↵↵⇥“I just let them have it to me and try to talk back by playing (well) I guess. I guess they’re very good at sledging and backing that up as well, but I guess it’s just basketball.”↵↵

Now this makes it sounds like “sledging” is a simple matter of trash-talking. And yeah, it does make some sense that talking, and then backing it up, is part of basketball. I’m still not sure, though, why this quote warrants a news story. Is this “sledging” a problem? Mills certainly seems to pay them a compliment, however grudgingly -- they are, after all, “good at sledging.” Or is that tongue-in-cheek, since it resolves into “it’s just basketball?”
↵
↵Seriously, I have no idea what this means. This is an entire news item about “sledging.” Even the dictionary has proven useless. It defines “sledge” as “taking a trip on a sleigh,” so maybe this means “LeBron kept inviting me to ride on his sleigh while he drove past me, and I took it as a compliment and insult at the same time.”↵
↵
↵All I have to say is sledge on, Team USA. Keep on sledgin’. Unless it’s some weird sex act I’ve never heard of that only takes places in convenience stores, commonly associated with big winners in Australian pick-up ball who are a little too cocky about their victories.↵
↵
↵Or having sweet, soulful love made to your ear drums by an oldies legend and Michael Bolton:↵

↵