Gilbert’s press conference yesterday broguht about a slew of new thoughts on the man and his new contract.

- SLAM Online and Hoops Addict have their recaps from yesterday’s conference and Hoops Addict has the audio from yesterday as well.

- Dustin Canalin, the man behind the UNDRCRWN clothing line and two shoe collaborations with Gil, has dug up some more connections between Gilbert and the Philippines.

- At this point, I’m starting to wonder who hasn’t met Gilbert.

- Truth About It points out the benefits in Gilbert vs. Milwaukee rivalry.

- Finally, two wisemen and a stooge got together to discuss Gilbert’s season.  I’ll let you debate amongst yourselves who the stooge is.

Ivan Carter and Dan Steinberg were both present for Gilbert’s press conference this afternoon so they’ve got all the quotes for your reading pleasure.  Surprisingly, Gilbert didn’t provide a lot of notable quotables today, but as he explains, there’s a good reason for that:

“All of those little things I’ve done in the past are going to come to a halt.  I think I’m up to the task. I just need to cut out some of the foolishness I do.  You know?  But, I think it’s a good thing. I create hype, I create excitement but some of that other stuff I know I have to calm down.”

It looks like the bizarre, swag-filled, era of Hibachi! is giving way to a more mature Gilbert ready to earn his $111 million contract.  But can he live through on his promise?  Here’s what the two guys on the beat had to say about Gilbert’s attitude shift.

Ivan Carter:

I don’t want to sound cynical or anything but when it comes to Gilbert Arenas, I’ve learned to take what is said at any given moment with a grain of salt. To me, it’s all about what he and this team does next season and the two or three seasons beyond.

Dan Steinberg:

He was stupefyingly bland. Intentionally. And he hinted that more blandness was to come. I, of course, do not believe him, but still, this was a dull press conference.

So the jury is still out on how legitimate this transformation is, but if his declaration of where he wants to take the Wizards means anything, I’d say he’s ready to do whatever it takes:

We just have a great group of guys. I know everybody’s here to see me, but it’s about this team. They’ve done a great job, and we’re gonna put a banner up there, a championship banner, we’re gonna do it for Mr. Pollin. That’s what kind of talent, that’s what kind of team, that’s what kind of belief we have….We have to start today, and these three guys up here [Abe Pollin, Ernie Grunfeld, and Eddie Jordan] are going to be the reason….They’ve got to lead us. We’re just gonna follow their drums.

It’s going to be like this, but with a lot more people.

Now that Gilbert is back from his trip and Ernie Grunfeld is back from Las Vegas where he was scouting the Summer League, the two of them can finally get together for a formal press conference to talk about Gilbert’s new contract.  If it’s anything like his last press conference to talk about a contract, there should be a memorable quote or a bold prediction for everyone to dwell on.  No one really knows what’s going to happen, but we’ll pass along the details when we get some quotes from today’s conference.

Ever since we learned that Jerryd Bayless would be wearing #0 at Arizona, the comparisons between the two have been non-stop.  Aside from sharing a number and an alma-mater, they both share very similar playing styles and they both are remarkably productive.  But as Jerryd starts on his NBA journey, it looks like he wants to be his own man:

Just like Gilbert Arenas before him, Portland combo guard Jerryd Bayless wore No. 0 during his days as a Wildcat at the University of Arizona.

Also, just like Arenas, Bayless’ stock dropped on Draft night. While Agent Zero was projected as a mid-to-late first round pick and fell to No. 30, the 6-3, 200-pound Bayless was slated as a top-five pick and ended up not getting selected until Indiana scooped him off the board at No. 11 before trading him to Portland.

Even though No. 0 was available on the Trail Blazers’ roster, Bayless opted to take a new digit, No. 4, when he started his career as a pro. I asked him about the change and he said there was “no reason.” My guess is that he wanted to make a name for himself and avoid the Arenas comparisons that would surely surround him had he stuck with the big “o.”

So it looks like we can lay off the comparisons from now on, but if Jerryd starts rolling around Portland in a tricked out Escalade, all bets are off.

No one can deny that Gilbert’s got star appeal.  His dazzling exploits on the court and his personality naturally draw people toward him, whether it’s in the nation’s capital or in the Philippines.  But did you know that he can help you sing better?  Just ask Christian Stewart, who’s going to be singing the national anthem at an upcoming game at Nationals Park thanks to his phenomenal swag:

Sure, dozens of amateur singers belted out 30-second versions of their favorite songs in hopes of gaining the chance to perform in front of a stadium full of baseball fans. But there was no snooty judge with a British accent, no snide commentary about a talent void — there wasn’t even a William Hung wannabe offering off-key antics.

In fact, most of the 59 people who entered the Washington Nationals’ third annual contest to sing the national anthem at a home game sang pretty well. Some had raw talent, and a few were just raw.

In the end, a 10-year-old Waldorf boy in a Gilbert Arenas jersey won over a crowd of more than 100 without showing any fear.

I’m not saying that there’s a direct correlation between wearing a Gilbert Arenas jersey and increased singing talent, but…there could be.