They are as bad as the mob

The mob that's convicted Missouri's Frank Haith have come from all corners, it even includes sports writers. Luke Winn a columnist for for SI.com titled his column "Once an asset at Missouri, Haith's character now called into question." It's okay for him to weigh in on the controversy surrounding the University of Miami and to provide his impression. Here's the issue for me there is no foundation for his column with the exception of what Yahoo has reported. It's possible everything Yahoo is reporting is correct on the other hand it might not be! Hopefully it doesn't appear I'm picking on Winn, I've read several similar columns to his it just so happens his was the last one I read. I half joked earlier with my statement the NCAA should hire Yahoo to conduct it's background checks. I seriously question how the word of a convicted Ponzi scheme felon has become validated by a news gathering organization such as Yahoo. I thought a key element of a "successful" Ponzi scheme was for the host to be a good liar! Jason Whitlock Fox Sports wrote a very interesting column on the entire Miami mess, read it if you have an opportunity. In closing should there be a shred of evidence detailing Haith's involvement or knowledge I will retract everything I've stated. I find it extremely difficult for anyone to be charged and found guilty in the court of public opinion without an opportunity to defend themselves.

 

He belongs in the hall

Next year Reggie Miller will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame or at least he should be. This is an interesting twist for me, during his playing days Miller was never one of my favorites. The story once circulated he wasn't even the best Miller in the household, his sister Cheryl was reputed to be the superior basketball player. After Miller retired he began working as a television analysis and I was witness to a personality different than my earlier perception. I guess back in the day I thought of him as a hot dog especially his duals against number one Knick fan Spike Lee. It seem at times he enjoyed taunting Spike Lee more than beating the Knicks. It's noteworthy to point out Miller is one of those rare players to have played for one franchise (Indiana Pacers) his entire career. During his 18-year career he scored 25,279 points and like Rick Barry was Mr. Automatic at the free throw line with a career average of .888. Reggie Miller belongs in the Hall of Fame if I had a vote. (player statistics, Basketball-reference.com)

Don't allow their size to fool you
I wrote last week as the game has evolved it's become the game of the skilled big man. True statement however let me not lead you to the belief smaller men have nothing to contribute to the evolution of the game. I thought in addition to their height it's important to list their weight as well. The first player we'll mention although not currently in the NBA he's not officially retired. He's 6-0 165 pound Allen Iverson who's spent most of his career with the 76ers. Iverson's numbers 24,368 points and a career 26.7 points a game average, and absolutely fearless driving down the lane. The Thunder's have a 5-9 180 pound guard who has enough hops he can dunk the ball. Nate Robinson was Slam Dunk Champ at the All-Star break in 2006, 2009 and 2010. To detail his toughness Nate Robinson played defensive back in high school and college. 5-5 135 pound Earl Boykins has managed a 12 year NBA career as a reserve guard for a number of teams. 6-0 175 pound reserve guard Jose Barea caused havoc for several Mavs opponents in their run to an NBA Championship. Dirk Nowitzi and Jason Terry were keys to the NBA Championship but don't discount Barea's contribution. In game five Barea as a reserve guard matched starter LeBron James point for point with a game total of 17 points. Nate "Tiny" Archibald had a 14-year career in the NBA and won an NBA Championship with the Celtics, in addition he was selected to the Hall of Fame. Archibald's stats indicate he's 6-1 and 150 pounds, I once stood next to this speedy point guard and he's no taller than 5-11. Archibald is the only player in NBA history to led the league in scoring and assists in the same season, 34.0 and 11.4 while playing for the Kansas City Kings. We cannot forget 5-3 136 pound Muggsy Bogues or 5-6 133 pound Spud Webb, Webb was the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Champ. The number of players 6-0 and under is limited by comparison to those 6-9 and over however many of the players mentioned have found success in the NBA. It was once said: "a big man must prove he can't play while a little man must prove he can play," they proved they can play (player statistics Basketball reference.com)

Your first thought

Don't know if you ever thought about this, I saw a headline recently on ESPN Duke versus ______. Although we are a week or so away from college football and even further from the start of the collegiate basketball season I knew the story must be basketball related. Here's my reasoning there are certain schools you read a headline or crawl on your television and depending on the season your mind always says basketball. I said that's got to be a story on Duke basketball, the same would exist with North Carolina, both programs play football but basketball is king on each campus. Any mention of Kentucky other than the Derby your thoughts would be it's basketball program, the same situation if you mention Memphis University. Kansas University is another one of those schools that fit the mold, the success on the court has continued under Coaches Roy Williams and Bill Self. The basketball success at UConn men's and women's you would assume automatically a headline is basketball. No doubt football is the dominant sport for universities across the nation, in the institutions above and several others the basketball program is top dog. A significant note, most of the programs the head coach has served in that role for a number of years.

 

"We're shooting 100 percent - 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from the free-throw line." ~Norm Stewart former Missouri coach