Number 4 versus number 2

I made sure I was able to view the Duke-Ohio State game. The number 4 team and number 2 in the nation. Unfortunately (unless you are an Ohio State fan) the game was not played as expected. Ohio State totally man-handled Duke from start to finish, prior to the game I thought I might see an evenly matched game. Final score Ohio State 85 Duke 63

Missouri

An interesting bit of basketball news for the State of Missouri. For the first time in my memory St. Louis University and Mizzou are both listed in the AP's Top 25 Poll. The Billikens are #23 and the Mizzou Tigers are 13. Mizzou been in the polls at several different junctures over the years as for SLU they have been absent for several years. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the last time they were ranked in the AP poll was '93-'94. Both schools had identical 6-0 records before SLU lost last night to Loyola Marymount.  Note KU is #15, I can't remember the last time a Mizzou squad was ranked ahead of Kansas. My son says SLU Coach Rick Majerus has attempted to schedule Mizzou in past years but has been rebuffed by former coaches. Maybe Coach Haith might see the challenge differently and schedule SLU in the future. 

What to expect

I certainly have lowered expectations of this upcoming NBA season. The expectations are low because frankly I didn't think there would be a season. Plan A was to view as many NBA games as possible with the Lockout I went to Plan B, the college and high school. People who know me seem surprised when I informed them I was prepared to sit this one out, Plan B was in place. I still intend to maintain Plan B with minor adjustments, the adjustments include a possible subscription to NBA League Pass. If I just chose to view NBA games on ESPN or TNT I could save a ton of money, on the other hand I wouldn't be able to see all the Laker games which I could if I had League Pass. I'm debating this issue as I write, do I really want to pay additional dollars for NBA League Pass? It might sound like I'm unhappy but that's not the case I'm pleased a tentative settlement has been concluded. Is it possible the NBA landscape could change drastically as the league attempts to model itself after the NFL? Read between the lines, management won this one not the players. Will my Lakers led by Kobe and coached by Mike Brown have a championship run in them? Now that Carmelo is in place will the the Knicks acquire the one "missing" player many claim they need? Is Kevin Durant the real leader of the Thunder or is it Russell Westbrook? Are the Mavs a one-hit wonder or do they defend their NBA Championship? What about the "old" Spurs and Tim Duncan, will a shorten season allow them one last run? The Rose (Derrick) did not blossom in the playoffs, will he be able to lead the Bulls resurgence this upcoming season? I almost forgot, what should we expect of the Heatles after a full season of play? Will LeBron James imitate Michael Jordan in the fourth quarter of crucial playoff games instead of a David Copperfield illusion? Stay tuned, these and other questions will surely be answered in June 2012.

I just now realized
How good is Kentucky or rather how good will they be at season's end? Did you realize John Calipari started three freshman and two sophomores against KU? How does he always manage to attract so many high quality players? Scouts have indicated 6-10 Anthony Davis will possibly be the number one pick should he make himself eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft. Of note, nbadraft.net lists all five starters as potential lottery picks, Calipari recruits NBA players. A critic noted "not much teaching going on at Kentucky" which might be true. If you are a one-and-done player does it matter how much teaching (coaching) is going on?

An unfamiliar name
A 2011 inductee to the Collegiate Hall of Fame as a contributor was Eddie Einhorn. His name certainly is unknown to many but ESPN, Fox Sports and all existing sports networks owe him a debt of gratitude. Einhorn proved that college basketball could be broadcast on a national basis, up to 1968 national broadcasts did not exist. Once upon a time before satellite and cable there were few college games on television. There existed regional and local telecasts but nothing on a national scale Locally we had one (1) Big 8 game televised on Saturday afternoon that was it. March Madness or at least the thought of it was just a dream which would come much later in time. Oh sure the NCAA Championship was played every year but I am unable to remember a national televised game prior to 1968. Einhorn's TVS Network had been broadcasting regional games for several years when he decided to try something no one had done with college basketball a national telecast. In 1968 powerhouse UCLA was challenged in the national headlines by Elvin Hayes and his Houston Cougars team. The match between the two schools was played in the Houston Astrodome before more than 50,000 fans. This game was the first held in a domed stadium and was to set the stage for the future. Einhorn fashioned a network of independent and network stations across the nation the first nationally televised college game. Many consider that UCLA-Houston date the "Game of the Century" and the starting point for college basketball on television.

"I'd rather be a football coach. That way you can lose only 11 games a season. I lost 11 games in December alone!"

Abe Lemons former Oklahoma City coach

It appears done

Early Saturday morning NBA owners and players came to a tentative agreement. Naturally the players must vote in agreement but I seriously doubt at this stage if Billy Hunter has given his stamp of approval it would be rejected. There are other details to be worked out as well over the next few days. Optimism reigns for NBA fans across the world, there will be NBA basketball this season! Items of note will be forthcoming over the next few days and weeks. Below are just a few highlights.

*NBA training camps will open on December 9th

*Teams can began signing free agents on the same date

*League play will commence on Christmas Day, December 25th

*The NBA regular season will consist of 66-games

On and off-court losses

In addition to losing money on the court many lost it off as well. Power Balance has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, Power Balance is the company that manufactures the bracelets you've seen worn by several NBA players. The bracelet is supposed to increase athletic performance and even President Bill Clinton spotted wearing a Power Balance bracelet. This story might not affect the vast majority of folks but it does one Kobe Bean Bryant. Power Balance listed one of it's creditors as Bryant, media reports indicate they owe Bryant $400,000. Blake Griffin is in slightly better shape they only owe him $20,000.

Wonder why

I've often wondered why NBA teams don't reach out to their franchise players, those players who led them to championships seasons. The Knicks Patrick Ewing who didn't led them to a championship but several successful playoff runs. Isiah Thomas and his Bad Boy Piston teams, of course we realize the train wreck Thomas has become so maybe Pistons management knew something we didn't. The 76ers and Julius "Dr. J." Erving never connected for some reason. Erving was hired by his old boss Pat Williams after Williams became President of the Orlando Magic. For reasons unknown Philly never reached out to it's adopted son one who led them to an NBA Championship. A few weeks ago Dr. J. decided to place several items of his memorabilia on the auction block. Once the auction commenced the Sixers stepped in and purchased 18 of these items which will be displayed at the Wells Fargo Center. The CEO of the Sixers also indicated he'd like to hire Erving in some sort of capacity.

I wish I'd said that
How come I can't come up with this type of a snappy line, hopefully you are familiar with the jewelry store Jared. The commercials always announce "you should go to Jared for your jewelry purchase." The SportCenter host going to a commercial break, he advised viewers to remain and his teaser "Ohio State went to Jared (Sullinger)." That evening All-American Sullinger scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against North Florida. Sullinger returned to Ohio State after an outstanding freshman year, I doubt he will remain in school this time if his game continues at this steady growth.

Progress report

If you've read Words in the past you might remember a spring story. In the spring I wrote of my wife's cousin and  the fact he was playing at an Illinois junior college.  Joe has transferred to another junior college, the upside for him he's the starting center at his new school.  I am going on record by no means am I stating Joe is headed to the NBA but at 6-11 and 230 anything is possible. I would say his chances at a pro career are better at 6-11 than if he were 5-11, pro teams are always searching for quality big men. He's got the genes his dad played in the NBA for 3 years, his dad had stops in Israel, Spain and Argentina during the course of his pro career.

"I learned a long time ago that minor surgery is when they do the operation on someone else, not you."

Bill Walton, former Blazers center

A departure

I realize this is a basketball blog and I intend to maintain it in that manner. I must venture into other areas when required, this is one of those required departures. The Kansas City Chiefs are in desperate need for a football coach. For those unaware nothing's happened to him--Todd Haley is still in place. That's the problem he should be replaced. If a casual NFL fan like me questions Todd Haley's leadership and coaching abilities what about the folks who really know football? I hope this isn't construed as piling on--it was written prior to starting quarterback Matt Cassell's injury and surgery. The backup quarterback situation is going to be very interesting. "That's all I got to say about that."

Faith in Haith

It's interesting to me, the same folks who were screaming loudly "fire Haith" have now changed their tune. The NCAA is yet to complete it's investigation on Mizzou's coach yet many in Mizzou nation now love him. I paid no attention to any noise emanating from Lawrence Kansas, I knew their true sentiments. My concern revolved around Mizzou alum and fans, many didn't want a Haith hire in the first place. They wanted Purdue's Matt Painter and then Yahoo released it's story on the Miami University mess. The story alleged Haith was involved in a "pay-for-play" with a Miami recruit, the headlines and talk shows detailed Haith's guilt. Back to the court thanks to ESPN the nation watched as Mizzou dispatched Notre Dame and Cal quite easily. Even more interesting the comment I heard prior to the game, "they (Mizzou) should beat Cal but won't run them over like Notre Dame." Beating your opponent by 39 points I think qualifies as running over a team do you agree? My description of the game, a "Mike Anderson" offense without the chaos his Mizzou teams often suffered. With that said the Tigers have won nothing, yes they won the CBE Championship but the season has yet to begin. The Tigers must continue to play inspired basketball through their final successful Big XII season. I'm happy to state my position, after the "pay-for-play" controversy surfaced I was truly worried. I thought maybe Haith had done something improper, the investigation is incomplete however after a thorough examination of the story I've determined I have "Faith in Haith!" Late arrivals are always welcome on the bandwagon.

The teacher
The Lockout draft of 1999 the Clippers made Michael Olowakandi, a.k.a. the Kandi Man the number one pick. The Kandi Man was born in Lagos Nigeria but grew up in London England, this 7-0 270 pound center played college ball at the University of the Pacific. Scouts were salivating, "wait till we get him in the NBA." Olowakandi played for three NBA teams over the course of his career from 1998-2007. He "retired" after the 2007 season, no need of going over his numbers because they certainly are not noteworthy. The purpose of this story revolves around coaching. Olowakandi was drafted by the Clippers and Kareem Abdul Jabbar served on the coaching staff. Abdul Jabbar was asked to work with Olowakandi, aid his footwork teach him the sky-hook and other nuances of the center position. To shorten the story after a period of time Olowakandi was reported to have said: "there wasn't anything Kareem could teach him." Olowakandi couldn't learn anything from the all-time leading scorer in NBA history! He couldn't (or wouldn't) learn the most devastating weapon in NBA the Sky-Hook from the master. Olowakandi didn't take too well to coaching, sometimes we have problems responding to coaching or history right Shaq?

Making amends

Speaking of Shaquille O' Neal I've been hostile toward Shaquille O' Neal regarding statements made in his book "Shaq Uncut: My Story," I'm going to toss him a compliment. The man is working on his PhD at Barry University in Miami, his field "Leadership and Education with a specialization in Human Resource Development." O'Neal left LSU after his junior year for the NBA but returned to complete his undergraduate degree, the educational pursuit did not end there it was really just beginning. His educational journey took him to the University of Phoenix there he received an MBA in 2005. Shaq says growing up his mother always stressed education and he is completing his education as a promise to his mother. (portions courtesy barry.edu)

Shocker

This will certainly shock many of you I'm tossing compliments to the Jayhawks. I wasn't impressed by Duke's win over KU, I'm not sure if it was the fatigue that might have affected both team but KU almost pulled off the upset. It's still early in the season, nothing is set in stone at this date. Once conference play begins KU certainly will be in the mix, are they the best team in the Big XII? Do they have the horses to win another Big XII Championship? Those questions will remain unanswered until March.

"Were going to turn this team around 360 degrees." What did he say???????

Jason Kidd

Am I being fair

I make the statement because I think I might have been unfair to Commissioner Stern. Stories have circulated regarding "hawkish" owners but when time comes to deliver the bad news it's always David Stern's face on the screen. We don't see the Blazers Paul Allen or the Cavs Dan Gilbert two of the reported hard-line owners. We must face the fact--he works for the owners, it's his job to negotiate the best deal for them after all they pay his salary. I have issues with several of the statements he's made regarding the Lockout but they must taken in context. My chief complaint with Stern is his aggorance and condescending manner at times with all parties.

 

What, me worry?

Any of you old enough to remember Mad Magazine the What me worry is a comment associated with comic book character Alfred E. Neuman. Tom Izzo Michigan State coach might have adopted the line too, his team begins the season 0-2. Of course his team's first two games were against (1) North Carolina and (5) Duke, what should we expect? Two important facts, Izzo teams compete so let's not automatically assume this will be a down year for Michigan State. Second point, nobody can accuse Izzo of playing a soft non-conference schedule. Playing a tough non-conference schedule is often beneficial once March rolls around. I will be surprised, no shocked if his Wolverines are not invited to the "Big Dance."

 

Is it necessary

To have a basketball guy broadcast a game? I've posed this question in the past for several reasons. Somehow we assume a person with media credentials has carte blanche to broadcast any type of sport. My response to that statement is an emphatic nyet! I realize there are several broadcasters who are able to move smoothly between basketball, football or a multitude of other sports. TNT's Kevin Harlen, Marv Albert and Gus Johnson formerly of CBS come to mind as broadcasters who are able to do that. I think seem to succeed where others fail in their delivery and passion for the sport. On top of it all it just might be my imagination because I think there better. As for the others it's not the fact they are incapable it's just that I have identified them with another sport. An example is Mike Tirico ESPN/ABC announcer, I've always associated him with golf or the NFL. I'm disappointed when the network chooses Tirico to broadcast an NBA game. You must trust me on this portion of my story, while researching this I came across an interesting bleacherreport.com story. It was titled the "The 10 Best Current NBA Broadcasters," it listed Kevin Harlen at two and Marv Albert at number one.

Do you want this
We are not there yet but I have begun to entertain thoughts of cancelling the 2011-12 season. Of course I have no say so in this matter however my view of a shortened season is not thrilling. Of course I'd like some NBA basketball but I remember '98-'99, I remember how overall play suffered across the association. I also remembered how many games were squeezed into a February to April calendar. I guess cream does rise to the top because the playoffs were good as was the championship. Despite Phil Jackson's incendiary comments regarding the Spurs they are still recognized as NBA champions. For those unfamiliar Jackson was on record stating the Spurs should have an asterisk beside their championship. For baseball historians Jackson's statement was similar to the Babe Ruth-Roger Maris debate. In 1961 Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's single season home run record. The commissioner ruled Ruth had hit 60 homers in a 154 game season, in 1961 Maris hit 61. The problem (at least for Commissioner Ford Frick) baseball expansion had increased the number of season games. Maris had set the record in a 162 game season. Back to the NBA I have listened and read abounding complaints on the length of it's 82 game season. I guess the thought of a smaller number of games is not the problem it's just the possibility of playing so many of them over a limited time-frame.

Pay attention
The Arizona Wildcats program has a rich and winning history, many of us tend to forget Lute Olson and his successful teams. The program stumbled a bit after Lute Olson retired, as Janet Jackson once proclaimed; "What have you done for me lately." Wildcats must have thought the programs best days were in the rear view mirror. The years between Olson's retirement and Sean Miller's hire were pretty average and certainly didn't come close to the team of the past. The 1997 NCAA Championship had become a distant memory to many Wildcat fans and along comes Sean Miller. After several stops as an assistant coach he was elevated to head coach at Xavier, he took the Musketeers to four NCAA tournaments in the space of five years. In 2009 Miller was hired as head coach at Arizona, this past season he led Zona to a 30-8 and 14-4 Pac 10 mark. I'm adding the Wildcats to my expanding list of teams to track this season.

“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”Michael Jordan

News you might have missed

Griffin Lentsch is a name unfamiliar to most of us, I know it was for me. The same might be true for Grinnell College in Iowa, it's an NCAA Division III school. The national spotlight rarely shines on Division III schools, academics rather than than sports at Grinnell.  Last Saturday the school made the news for it's basketball program. 6-4 shooting guard Lentsch set an all-time Division III record as he scored 89 points, yes that was no typo Lentsch scored 89 points. Grinnell trounced it's opponent Principia College (Ill) 145-97. As for records the 89 points scored is the third highest point total by any player in NCAA history.

Big XII versus SEC

The discussion/argument with my friend last week. I conceded this point to her, SEC football is more competitive. At this point I will not speculate as to Mizzou's football future. The basketball, well that's a different matter I really believe Mizzou can compete! Hanging over SEC basketball is the specter of Kentucky and Florida. Both Calipari at Kentucky and Donovan at Florida are coaches who almost always turn out winning programs, as for the other schools that's a slightly different story. Kentucky and Florida can be beaten, it's going to be difficult but possible. As for the other SEC schools everything being equal Mizzou can compete and eclipse Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas and the other schools.

Amazing

There are a significant number of folks who hate Duke basketball and especially Coach Mike Krzyzewski. I happen to not be in that number, I've always admired him and his program because both have been successful. Last week I was witness (via ESPN) when Coach K broke Bobby Knight's all-time record for wins. His record stands at 903-283 a .760 winning percentage. His teams have won four NCAA Tournament Championships, 1991, 1992, 2001 and 2010. A lofty resume but it didn't begin in a promising manner. After win 903 and during the postgame ESPN's Hubert Davis made a statement of note, the road for Coach K didn't begin very smoothly. He was 38-47 his first three years at Duke, wonder how many coaches today would have a job with those kind of numbers? (stats, Wikipedia)

The excuses begin

You've heard this before, "we had a moral victory" or "we played pretty good, we played the number two team in the nation!" These and other excuses were echoed after the Kentucky Wildcats took it to the Jayhawks of Kansas. I don't buy excuses even for my Tigers, you lose you lose it's that simple. KU played pretty well against Kentucky especially the first half they just didn't have the horses to hang with the Wildcats. For the first time in a number of years we are beginning to hear a smattering number of Bill Self complaints, not his coaching but his recruiting efforts. KU has lost several high profile recruits they hoped to sign for 2012, guess what KU nation the sky is not falling. An article in the Kansas City Star and 810 Sports radio discussion revolved around Bill Self's recruiting. I'm unsure why I'm writing this but KU basketball is okay, this might be a down year but it is not the end of the world. The biggest problem Jayhawk nation is spoiled rotten they expect to win every time their team walks onto the court!

Interesting

Recently Harvard University landed power forward Agunwa Okolie. Keep in mind this is the same university that sent Jeremy Lin to the NBA. I am not saying this is Okolie's first step toward the NBA, Harvard will not compete with Kentucky or Carolina for recruits. As for Okolie he is a 6-8 power forward from Ontario Canada, ESPN Recruiting rates him a 3-star recruit. In addition his name shows up on several other recruiting websites, Okolie is not a typical athlete headed to Harvard he's a scholar too.   

"It's difficult at times but try to not fall in love with the sound of your voice."
Larry Laker

"You can't tell the players without a program!"

The above statement was the cry of vendors selling programs in the golden age of major league baseball. Even more interesting a smaller number of teams meant most fans probably knew the names anyway. A dissimilar problem exists today for me regarding the NBA Lockout as much as I'd like to follow Euro basketball or the NBA-D League I don't know the players. Thus I revert to the old statement, "I can't tell the players without a program." I think a number of you face the same dilemma I do, simply stated the NBAPA, NBA owners and David Stern need to resolve this. I don't think either side realizes the damage being done, casual fans will leave the sport as they did in '98-'99 and this time might never return. I knew as sure as I'm sitting here typing this the NFL would resolve it's labor issues. Owners and players realized there would be rioting in the streets if there was no Sunday afternoon or Monday Night Football in America. Note, according to CNBC last Tuesday would have been payday they estimate the average player salary lost was $220,000.

On second thought

The media (and maybe fans) have over-hyped the term franchise player. I would guess a franchise player is a player whose shear presence is able to impose his will on a team. His leadership skills and presence will often allow a team a deep into the playoffs. Fox Sports ran a story on the top 10 free agents for 2011, if there is a season. Their list contains not one player we could consider a franchise changer or leader. They selected Nene Hilario Nuggets center as their top pick, number two was Tyson Chandler Mavs center. Don't misunderstand me, both players are serviceable and exhibit skills however they are not players who will lead your team to an NBA championship. I realize Chandler played on last year's Championship Mavs team but tell me if you think he was key in them winning the NBA Championship? I could state with a degree of comfort Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry or J.J. Barea might have played more crucial roles. Perhaps this might be a key to a portion of the NBA's problem, a bidding frenzy for average to slightly above average players. These players are often signed for monetary amounts far beyond their value to a team.

I can't begin to imagine

The recruiting frenzy that exists for a number of high profile prep athletes, once upon a time a prospects mail box was bombarded with scholarship offers. Coaches would schedule home visits with the prospects parents or guardians. The old fashioned manner of recruiting still exists but in this day we tweet, text and Facebook our intentions to sign with __________ university. In addition to the internet and magazines ESPNU telecasts a national signing day program running two hours. I watched the program and during a portion the host contacted Shabazz Muhammad. Muhammad is a 6-6 small forward rated number one in the class of 2012 by ESPN Recruiting Nation, Rivals, Maxpreps and every other scouting venue in the nation. The national spotlight shines on most of these kids at such an early age no wonder several have gone off course. In Muhammad's defense he responded to all the questions in a professional manner and quite eloquent too. I guess in this age it's probably imperative a young man learn how to conduct himself during an interview. A note to Kansas City Chiefs fans, Muhammad's uncle is Stephone Paige wide receiver who played from 1983-1991.

Television note

One of the benefits of the lockout mentioned before is enhanced programming on NBA TV. NBA Roundtable features a panel of former NBA players discussing their team, teammates and other stories. Several NBA teams are featured but I thoroughly enjoyed the Laker feature the most. Lakers were Magic Johnson, Jerry West, James Worthy Bob McAdoo, Byron Scott and Kurt Rambis. The most interesting feature, these guys really seemed to enjoy each others company after all these years. If NBA TV is available by your cable system or satellite see it the program is well worth your time.

Priorities, priorities
A friend called me, informed me he was entering a ticket contest at work. The winner would receive tickets to the Mizzou-Mercer game later in the week.  The friend indicated he would give me the tickets if he won, he knew he wouldn't be able to attend the game. I hesitated for a minute then remembered I had a conflict, I'd scheduled a very important meeting which wouldn't allow me to attend the game. The day before game day one of the meeting participants contacted us indicating they had to cancel, a conflict had emerged on her calendar. With that late development the meeting was rescheduled for another date. All was not lost, I was able to view the game in it's entirety on television of course I would have preferred it be in person. "Sometimes you get the bear sometimes the bear gets you."

"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."
Late Vince Lombardi, former Packers coach

Did you hear this?

A bicycle was stolen in Murray Utah, a stolen bicycle in Murray or anywhere else for that matter is probably not news or that unusual. This bicycle is unusual however, the bicycle was custom built for former NBA player Sean Bradley. Bradley had a 13-year NBA career playing for several teams, drafted by the 76ers he played for the Nets and Mavs. As for Bradley's bicycle it was eventfully recovered and the thief caught. At the time the perpetrator was booked he was measured at 6 feet in height. Surely he must have walked the bicycle from Bradley's home, can you imagine a guy 6 feet tall riding a bicycle built for a 7-6 person?  It was reported he intended to sale the bicyle for parts? 

Your Mizzou update

Sean Smith 6-3 shooting guard from Chicago is still committed to play at Mizzou, he's waiting until the NCAA's spring signing period.  As for Quantel Denson I've always believed in second chances, it's going to be okay if Denson signs somewhere other than Mizzou. The program should be as clean as possible, no need or requirement to sign a player with legal baggage. In other Mizzou news this next story is envy on my part, why couldn't I come up with something cute or snappy? Many of you might be familiar with the polish Old English. Mike Dearmond's headline column in the Kansas City Star read; "Old English starts new season for Mizzou, Haith." Kim English made five three-pointers and 19 points total against Southeast Missouri State on Friday evening. After an impressive freshman and sophomore year English "disappeared" for much of his junior year. Reports circulated an injury had impeded his play however this injury appeared to last the bulk of last season. Hopefully the Friday night start for this Baltimore product might be a harbinger of a successful senior season.

It's not the same

The list (not the actual selection) of 2012 Naismith inductees was announced recently. As usual we begin debating if player X belongs in the Hall, this debate often begins with "he didn't have a good NBA career!" My response is so what, what about his collegiate record shouldn't it count too? So it was with Ralph Sampson, a fan wrote "he has no business being there!" Often a player will have exhibited his skills in a different era or in the case of Sampson his collegiate exploits exceeded that of his NBA career. This 7-4 tower was three-time College Player of the Year while at Virginia. He was two-times the John R. Wooden Award winner and three-times the Adolph Rupp Trophy winner. Many say he never excelled in his NBA career but they fail to mention injuries played a key role in his average NBA career. (stats Wikipedia)

Shaq part deux

I guess I will breakdown and eventually buy Shaquille O'Neal's book "Shaq Uncut: My Story". Bit by bit, piece by piece I continue to be teased by portions of the book released. I read another portion ESPN.com posted and Shaq admits he discovered somebody else beside Kobe and Kareem he didn't like. Of course the Kobe feud was news for years, I don't think any of us were aware of Shaq's issues with Abdul Jabbar. There are two additional villains in Shaq's crosshairs, Pat Riley former Heat coach and his step-father Phillip Harrison. Shaq claims he wanted out of Miami because of Riley's strict training demands after the Heat won the NBA Championship. Please stop me if you've heard this story or one similar before. It seems Shaq is taking shots at any and everyone who crossed paths with him over the years. This even includes his step-father Phillip Harrison, he's accused "Sarge" of being border line abusive to him as a child. I like the playful Shaq, the gregarious Shaq not the one who appears to lash out at almost all around him. I don't like the Shaq who appears to hold grudges and is prepared to spew venom in an effort to sale the book.

“Coaching is easy. Winning is the hard part.”

Elgin Baylor

Bulletin                                                    Bulletin                                                                                  Bulletin

We've reached the point I had hoped we wouldn't arrive. The NBAPA has rejected the latest offer from NBA owners. I'm not going to delve into the details of the rejection because it would require too much space.

Let us focus on Words eye view, my intent was to provide you stories I thought would be interesting to you the reader. I had hoped for a mix of NBA, Euro, Collegiate and high school ball stories. Unfortunately it appears the NBA portion will be missing, my initial thought was to close shop. I then thought basketball is bigger than the NBA.

I will continue Words but with little if any NBA news. I refused to focus on the back and forth dialogue between the NBAPA, the commissioner and owners.  We the fans are in the middle, at this point nobody is sure there will be a season this year. If that is indeed the case it will be an indictment on greed.                   

Sometimes you must agree to disagree

A very dear friend raked me over the coals recently. She informed me Mizzou was wrong to leave the Big XII for the SEC. I will entertain discussions on Mizzou's move with anyone! I take that back, the exception would be anyone who identifies themselves as a Jayhawk fan. My friend is from North Carolina but has lived in Kansas City Missouri for a number of years. She has no allegiance to Jayhawk nation so I enjoyed our heated at times discussion. In the 1970's 60 Minutes News Magazine had a segment titled "Point Counterpoint." One correspondent would discuss a subject at length. The other would then offer a counter argument to the previous discussion. That's kinda the type of discussion we held. Did we resolve this matter, of course not? In the end I told her "I love you but we must agree to disagree." I'm sure I haven't heard the last of this issue. The Jayhawk story below was written prior to this, perhaps I should have had my friend read this first.

You can stop reading if you heard this earlier

Stephon Marbury's critical remarks on Bobcats owner Michael Jordan's role in the lockout. I didn't bother reading the details. Despite the exploits of "Sir Airness" on the basketball court he is now an NBA owner. Jordan must secure the best deal for him as an NBA owner, isn't that what you do with your Starbury brand? I have another question for you, why are you playing in China rather than the NBA? Is it possible your "me" attitude caused you to burn far too many bridges to remain in the association?

Jayhawks!!!

If you are located in some other portion of the nation or world this story is not as obvious to you. Mizzou fans can state It's been an interesting week especially listening to the negative comments on Mizzou's move to the SEC. Naturally most of the criticism is coming from KU fans. Jayhawk fans act as though Mizzou was a lover who spurned them. Basketball Coach Bill Self and football Coach Turner Gill are singing a duet, "we don't want to continue to play Missouri in the future!" My question is why not, when asked the same question Frank Haith pointed out schools can maintain rivalries in separate conferences. I have a proposal for Bill Self if he and Jayhawk nation maintain their present posture. No more KU games in Sprint Center, Sprint is located in Kansas City MISSOURI. Never mind Sprint is some 45 miles from Lawrence Kansas home of the Jayhawks. The key, the arena is located in Missouri, Missouri is an SEC school, it's no longer Big XII. Why should Kansas be allowed to play basketball in a state they no longer have a conference rival? This scenario will never play out I'm just attempting to point out the silliness of KU's administration and coaches over this issue. One more question, what if the shoe was on the other foot and KU was leaving?

I didn't know

Shaq had issues with retired Laker Kareem Abdul Jabbar! I haven't read Shaq's book but have read Kareem's response. Kareem says " I went down to LSU and worked with Shaq on the fundamentals of the Skyhook as a favor to Coach Dale Brown. But when I followed up with his Coach, Dale Brown, I was told that Shaq's father told his son he didn't need to develop a hook shot and all he needed to... do was smash everything into the basket. Shaq's fathers felt that he was so overpowering physically that he should just dunk everything and not worry about developing a finesse shot like the Skyhook." We can debate the Kobe-Shaq feud till the forthcoming apocalypse, I'm no longer taking either players side. If there truly is a Kareem-Shaq issue I'm announcing up front I'm on Kareem's side! During his playing days Kareem sometimes appeared sullen and shared few emotions with the media. I don't ever remember reading a negative story on Kareem by a teammate, former adversary or coach. I do remember coaching attempts by various folks over the years to aid Shaq's free throw shooting. I remember Shaq making the statement "I hit them when the game was on the line" which was only partially correct. Over the years it's possible I might have missed a comment my memory is unclear. (Kareem's Facebook response)

The name's the same

Recently CBSSports.com ran two stories one titled the "Top 100 college players." The other story headline read "Top 30 under-the-radar players." The name Tony Mitchell appeared on both list however closer inspection by me revealed there are actually at least two Tony Mitchell's playing major college basketball. The Mitchell most familiar to me is the 6-8 forward ruled ineligible at Mizzou last January. This Mitchell eventually left Mizzou and will play this season for the North Texas State Eagles. The other Mitchell is a 6-6 forward who was the second leading scorer for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season. He scored at a 15.2 clips per game as a sophomore which became a breakout year for him. This Mitchell increased his scoring average by 6 points over his freshman year. The confusion might continue should both Mitchell's make an NBA roster.

News you might have missed

In this age of heighten tensions the report of a bomb threat is not unusual. The unusual aspects of the story is the location of the bomb threat and the suspect caught. The location of the threat was the NBA Offices, no the suspect was not a current or former player. That might have been your first thought, it turns out the individual worked for a security company as a guard. No reason was revealed for this former security guards bomb threats, very strange story.

"Last year we couldn't win at home and we we were losing on the road. My failure as a coach was that I couldn't think of anyplace else to play." Harry Neale former NHL coach

Signing

The NCAA early signing period runs from November 9-16. Mizzou signed five players who earlier had committed to Coach Haith and staff. The height issue will be fully addressed next season if 6-11 Stefan Jankovic, 6-8 Anthony Criswell and 6-10 Ryan Rosburg have few adjustments to Division One basketball. All three should be able throw their weight around on the boards, Rosburg weighs in at 240 pounds, Criswell 230 and Jankovic 225. Yet to sign is shooting guard Shawn Smith and power forward Quantel Denson. Denson has pending legal problems and might be missing in action next season.

I was wrong
It's difficult to eat crow or backtrack on a statement. The Tar Heels Harrison Barnes fooled me, it appeared his freshman season was going to be a bust and I said as much. In the middle portion of the season this 6-8 small forward begin to produce at the level many thought he was capable of. This former McDonalds All-American passed on the NBA Draft last year and this is interesting in itself. Most of the mock draft sites had him listed as a lottery pick if he'd been drafted. You can see why Carolina fans are so excited about this upcoming season and why most picked North Carolina number one in the nation.

Seems like it was just yesterday
I remember where I was when a co-worker broke the news. This co-worker informed me Magic Johnson had "Aids" of course that portion of her statement would be corrected later. I watched the press conference as Magic announced he'd tested HIV-positive, many of us thought "he's going to die." Of course all of us are going to die eventually but in those days anyone testing positive for the virus was assumed to have a much shorter life span. Magic said he was retiring immediately and would no longer play for the Lakers which left me and others devastated. With his youthful presence I'm sure all of us thought he'd never retire from the game he loved but at age 32 he did. We are 20 years from that press conference and Magic is still here, a combination of drugs has managed to sustain his life. Despite stories you might have read or heard Magic is still HIV positive but thanks to the continuing fight he and others have continued their lives. Focus on this, despite the tragedy, despite his lifestyle he's still here and he's helping others. The Magic Johnson companies that have opened their doors in many inner city neighborhoods providing employment to youth and young adults. In addition the Magic Johnson Foundation "works to develop programs and support community-based organizations that address the educational, health and social needs of ethnically diverse, urban communities." Perhaps the gloom of 20 years ago laid the groundwork for a new path for Magic Johnson. (portion from magicjohnson.com)

The name is probably unfamiliar
Ed Macauley died this week, most of you are probably unfamiliar with the name. Other than Red Aurbach "Easy Ed" was probably key to the run of Celtic Championships. This St. Louis native attended St. Louis University High School and later played at St Louis University, his 1948 team won the NIT Championship.  In the pros Macauley played for the defunct St. Louis Bombers in 1949-50, financial problems forced the team to cease operations at the end of the 1950 season. At that point the NBA held a dispersal draft of the teams players, the Celtics selected Macauley. He played in Boston from 1950 through the 1956 season. "Easy Ed" and Cliff Hagen were traded to the St. Louis Hawks for the draft rights to William Felton Russell. Bill Russell certainly contributed to the Celtic mystic however don't short change Macauley. Macauley had a stellar career playing for the Hawks of St. Louis, he was part of the 1958 NBA Championship team and a 7X NBA All-Star. This St. Louis native was 85 years old when he died, R.I.P. "Easy Ed"!

It seems
The list of powerhouse high schools always are the same! Maxpreps released it's list of Top 10 High Schools and the names are familiar. Several of the schools are prep schools which helps them "recruit" the best talent an example Findlay Prep and Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Others such as St. Anthony's a Catholic School in Jersey City is able to attract kids from the greater New York City area.

"I have a lifetime contract. That means I can't be fired during the third quarter if we're ahead and moving the ball."
Lou Holtz, former Arkansas football coach

All the good names have been taken

It seems that way, Canton Ohio will have an team in the NBA Developmental League this season. Their colors are the same as the Cleveland Cavs who own the team. The nickname chosen Canton Charge, exactly what is a charge? The name was the choice of Canton but why not Bulldogs?  I know the name is more closely associated with football but the name Canton Bulldogs has history.  The name dates back to the founding days of the NFL in the 1920's, oh well just a thought!

I wonder
If Baron Davis has any gas left in the tank? Davis is now 32 and will have another birthday before the end of the season (if there is one). Davis has always intrigued me since I first began viewing his game while at UCLA. My renewed interest is based on this native of Los Angeles stating his desire to play for three teams, the Lakers being one of the three. The current stop in Cleveland is the fourth team in his NBA career and maybe he's looking ahead to retirement? Over the course of Davis's career he's demonstrated keen abilities as a point guard with crisp distribution of the ball and timely shooting. His career numbers 16.5 pts per game, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game. He's also demonstrated an uncanny ability to feud with coaches and teammates at almost every stop.

Worth viewing
If you have an opportunity there are two documentaries worth your viewing time. HBO Sports is running "Prayer for a Perfect Season" the 2010-11 season run of St. Patrick basketball. St. Patrick located in Elizabeth New Jersey is a national boys power team. ESPN and NBA Entertainment produced "Once Brothers" which detailed the story of Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac. Civil war and ethnic differences caused the Yugoslav team and friendships to fracture, the late Drazen Petrovic was Croatian and Vlade Divac a Serb. "Once Brothers" told the story behind the story and was narrated by Vlade Divac. Both are well worth your time and the stories go far beyond basketball.

Ugggg!

With no NBA games in sight Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy will begin announcing selected NCAA games. This is bad news for two reasons, although he certainly has the broadcast credentials Breen has never been one of my favorites. Number two, Jeff Van Gundy is the very worst analyst in the NBA can I say that again? JVG is the very worst NBA analyst working! JVG's jabbering on subjects often unrelated to the game in front of him drives me insane. JVG's inane comments and Breen's play by play have forced me to maintain the volume of my television at the mute level. Somebody convince me, why do we think just because this guy is a former NBA coach he knows the game? Give me Marv Albert and any analyst except JVG on any day of the week.

I admit
My view changed, for a long period of time I thought Mavs owner Mark Cuban was a hot dog. I've changed my opinion of him over the years as he has publically demonstrated his continued desire to build a successful team. All however was not rosy, Ross Perot Jr. former owner of the team had his attorneys file a lawsuit against Cuban over management of the Mavs. Although he sold the majority of shares Perot still retained 5% ownership of the team. The suit accusing Cuban of mismanaging of the team was filed last year. We must assume more than winning an NBA Championship must have entered into the judges decision. The Dallas judge ruled in favor of Cuban and denied all of Perot's claims.

Bulletin - Bulletin

It's now official, Missouri will be moving to the Southeastern Conference. The Big XII might not implode however it will look vastly different in the next few seasons. The only folks complaining (locally) are KU fans. Will they ever be satisfied? They laughed at Mizzou last year with stories of the false move to the Big 10. They laughed because they said the Big 10 didn't want Mizzou. This season the trend continued when the SEC move was first reported. They laughed again saying Mizzou was only threatening, now that the move is official they are still squawking. Despite your rich basketball history it appears no conference is seeking KU out. Could it be due to your poor football program?

Suppliers suffer too

Interesting that one of the websites I order fan gear has been blowing up my email box with offers. The latest is free shipping on any Laker fan gear purchase of $50.00 or more. I would assume their other fan gear would qualify but my email came addressed to Laker fanatics, I guess that probably fits me. We can add suppliers of fan gear to the mix of folks who might be missing future paychecks. Fans are probably not purchasing gear in the manner they would under normal circumstances.

Interesting dilemma
Mizzou has more players coming in next year than scholarships. How did we arrive here---Lawrence Bowers injury is the issue.  Bowers knee injury will cause him to miss this upcoming season but he would return next year.  There are eight scholarships for seven players so the question becomes who stays and who goes? There are several possible conclusions to this story. One of the incoming freshman could be redshirted, then perhaps Quantel Denson's legal problems prevent him from enrolling? Finally as I mentioned last week maybe somebody doesn't qualify! In any event I certainly wouldn't categorize this as a problem, there are probably several schools that would like to have Mizzou's dilemma.

Who are these guys?
That's a movie line from the 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! Last summer I introduced 6-11 Willie Cauley to several readers. Cauley from tiny Spearville Kansas had become friends with Shavon Shields son of former Chiefs player Will Shields. This friendship blossomed as teammates on the Mo-Kan Elite AAU team. Cauley moved in with the Shields family two years ago, basketball competition being severely limited in small town Spearville. The competition would be superior at Olathe Northwest in the metro Kansas City area. Last Sunday Cauley announced his intention to enroll at Kentucky, the story prompted several emails critical of Calipari and Kentucky. Just who are these guys with all their negative comments? Please allow me to set the record straight, I've never been a fan of Calipari. At the same time I don't remember referring to him as a scumbag or indicated he paid players to attend Kentucky or Memphis. The venom was most likely aimed at Calipari because he came into the State of Kansas and recruited one of the best in the state. Perhaps that's the basis for the critical comments however if that is the basis it's stupid. It's impossible for Kansas State or KU for that matter to recruit every high profile player in the State of Kansas. I don't read those kinds of idiotic comments coming out of California, Texas and Florida, three states that produce but export a wealth of talent to other parts of the country.

Betcha didn't know this
This is research I came I thought might be of interest to readers. I find it interesting to stumble on to information you were not seeking but were able to gain knowledge from it, that's the case here. Foot Locker the world-wide shoe and clothing retailer has a footprint (no pun intended) much larger than most of us realize. They also operate Lady Footlocker and Kids Footlocker under the Footlocker name. Did you know Footlocker is the parent company of Champs Sports, Footaction USA and the Eastbay Company? It would appear the corporation might be competing with itself operating this rather large number of stores under names other than Footlocker. Apparently this is not the case as all arms of this corporate giant appear to be operating in a profitable manner. Just for us older readers, the parent company of Footlocker was F.W. Woolworth the old five and dime retail giant. (portion courtesy Wikipedia)

"It is amazing how much you can accomplish when it doesn't matter who gets the credit."

President Harry S. Truman

How to prevent this!

It's actually not possible, what am I talking about? You can read the complete details on any sports website, this is intended to provide highlights and point out problems. Michael Beasley Wolves forward is making off-the court news in a different manner this time. Beasley terminated his contract with his agent a month ago which resulted in the agent filing a wrongful termination lawsuit, Beasley filed a countersuit to this former agent's lawsuit. Beasley claims this agent and his AAU coach established a mentor/father relationship beginning at the age of 14. Beasley's mom as a single parent with other children struggled financially and Beasley's suit claims his mom began receiving payments from this agent. These improper cash benefits continued while Beasley was enrolled at Kansas State. If true this is not a new story, the names and location have changed but not the story! It is impossible to police payments and improprieties in the amateur game it's just too big. We must depend on the integrity of the parents, agents, AAU coaches and others. Are the agent and AAU coach guilty of illegal payments, is the mom guilty of taking money? Beasley was only at K-State one year, does K-State forfeit games he played?  What did K-State coach Martin know if anything?

Funny!
The news regarding Mizzou moving to the SEC prompted what I thought was a funny email. A fan wrote "the SEC is attempting to add as many Tiger schools to the conference as possible!" The proposed move is on the minds of all Mizzou fans however I don't think any of us thought about this possibility until I read his letter. The SEC would contain the LSU Tigers, Auburn Tigers and Missouri Tigers. LSU and Auburn are charter members of the SEC founded in 1932, in addition the nickname Tiger for both schools is as old as collegiate sports.

This is not funny
Over the last several months I've written numerous stories on LeBron James. Some of the stories might be considered critical but they were never meant to be malicious in nature. Now the line has been crossed, I must defend James on a story that seems to be making the rounds. Jokes have been going back and forth regarding James receding hairline beginning in late July or August. This is a "Men's Hair Club" type story, I too have been blessed with a receding hairline! I've had it all my life and guess what, in all my years it's not interfered one bit in my employment, relationships and any other life matters. Behind my back maybe people have laughed at my receding hairline. Whatever James basketball shortcomings are on the court and the court of public opinion have nothing to do with his receding hairline. It really doesn't matter, I'm sure James and I could point out something we might find funny on your body as well.

Should we believe him
I pose this question regarding Allen Iverson. Iverson one of the toughest little guys I've ever witnessed play in the NBA is asking back. At age 36 he wants to play in the NBA again, he claims it doesn't matter what team or if he comes off the bench. This is the same Iverson who wanted to play for a particular team and complained about coming off the bench. This is the same Iverson with a history of turmoil with head coaches. "Practice, we talkin bout practice" practice we talkin' bout practice, we not talkin bout the game we talkin bout practice!" Could he have anything left in the tank to help a playoff team get over the hump? You make the call on this story.

Who manufactures the shoes
Are you a Nike person or Adidas? Maybe neither, maybe you prefer another brand. Nike rules the world thanks in part to Michael Jordan and his Air Jordan line. I often wondered about the various other shoe manufacturers. I was surprised to discover most of the companies business starts came at a time prior to the game of basketball. The NBA was not on the scene until 1948 however players of an earlier era certainly had shoes although they were nothing like today's shoe. The Converse Shoe Company ruled the sneaker market prior to Nike, the company was founded in Malden Massachusetts in 1908. Dr. J. and several others once wore this brand on NBA courts across the nation. The world knows of the legendary Chuck Taylor shoe, the shoe no longer on the court has now become a fashion statement. Converse fell into hard times filing bankruptcy 2001 however new owners led the company to a resurgent and Nike purchased the company in 2003. The Adidas Corporation was founded in Germany in 1924, Reebok opened for business in 1895 in Bolton England. Reebok was purchased by the Adidas group in 2005. One of my all time favorites "Big Game" James Worthy wore New Balance shoes, research indicates Matt Bonner is the only current player wearing New Balance. For a short period Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone sported L.A. Gear as their choice of footwear. There are a number of other companies manufacturing basketball shoes, in recent years several Chinese companies have made inroads into the basketball shoe market.
(a portion of this courtesy Wikipedia)

I hate it! (zone defense) It looks like a stickup at 7-Eleven. Five guys standing there with their hands in the air.”
Norm Sloan former North Carolina State coach

Surprise, surprise

Many of you are probably not old enough I'm sure to remember the television program Gomer Pyle! Pyle had a classic line in almost every episode "surprise,surprise." That line would fit quite well. Words eye view was originally in email form to friends, co-workers and family. It kept increasing in length and scope and finally buddy Sean said, "why not in a blog?" I had no idea how to set up a blog so I called on my son Alan to assist me in sitting it up. The balance of the story is history with the exception of the surprise. Readers all over the world have discovered the link, I'm unsure if it's Americans or just folks who live there. Thank you for reading Words, hopefully I will be able to continue providing information, stories and insight on the game I love. Listed below are nations of the world Google indicates read Words eye view.

Malaysia     Sweden     Russia     United States

Germany     United Kingdom     The Netherlands

Canada     India     Denmark

Poland     Brazil     Hong Kong (PRC)

Interesting

SI.com ran a column on "20 Things We'll Miss About the NBA" and "20 Things We Won't Miss About the NBA." In the category we won't miss two items stood out for me. Item 8, Talk that LeBron might be better than Jordan and item 11 In-game interviews with coaches. I'm pleased somebody besides me realizes how stupid it is to even whisper LeBron might be better than Jordan. For the LeBron fans I would state their man should quite his choke jobs in the 4th quarter of key games. Second to that win at least one championship then he might be mentioned in the same breath as Jordan. As for item 11 I truly never understood why a television director thought it would be cool to interview a coach during a timeout or half-time. Coaches respond because they must (under penalty of a fine) most of their response to questions are interesting to say the least.

I've always liked Bryant Gumbel

But he's wrong this time! HBO's Bryant Gumbel concluding his Real Sports program with a statement regarding Commissioner David Stern that caught most of us off guard. I was surprised to hear Gumbel used the term "modern plantation overseer" applied to Commissioner David Stern. Is Stern arrogant, condescending most certainly! It's quite possible we could add several other adjectives but I don't think plantation overseer fits for several reasons. We are not granted the privilege to look inside someone's head (or heart) to determine their thinking or view of any subject matter. Gumbel certainly is entitled to his opinion but my disagreements with David Stern have not been along racial lines far from it. Stern assumed the role of commissioner in 1984 and through his leadership aided in the game's growth world-wide. It's possible other commentaries will be different this is the David Stern I remember. The Charlotte Bobcats had been proposed and two groups were vying for the franchise, one led by Bob Johnson former president and founder of Black Entertainment Television. The media was speculating which group would be awarded the franchise and I informed my wife Johnson would be the winner. Of course I turned out to be correct. In 1989 the Denver Nuggets were purchased by Peter Bynoe and Bertram Lee, although their stock shares total 37% the two were recognized as owners. At the time of the purchase the deal was about to fall apart Stern and others aided in keeping the negotiations alive thus allowing two African-American's ownership of a major professional sports team. Of course when Bob Johnson wanted to sell the Bobcats I'm sure David Stern was working behind the scenes to ensure the ownership remain in the hands of an African American. Finally we come to the recent sale of the Atlanta Hawks, the new owner once confirmed will be Alex Meruelo who will become the first Hispanic NBA owner.

Four questions

I pose three of the four with my son recently, keys I think to Missouri basketball. Two more verbal commits for 2012 for Haith and staff are the latest roster commits. 6-10 forward Stefan Jankovic who I wrote about last week. Originally from Serbia now lives outside Toronto. Jankovic attends Huntington Prep (WV) and is a teammate of
6-7 small forward Negus Webster-Chan. Domonique Bell a 6-4 shooting guard from The Tilton School a New Hampshire prep school gave his verbal as well. It was a very good Friday for the University of Missouri. Haith and staff will have a team comprised of their recruits next season. Four questions, can these guys play, can Haith coach? Which conference, SEC or Big XII? Last question will all recruits qualify academically? An attempt to answer these question can only be speculation at this point but that's the fun part. The two junior college players should have the easiest adjustment having played beyond the high school level. As for the true freshmen only time will tell on their adjustment to collegiate basketball. This should not be consider a knock against Mike Anderson but this mix of talent far exceeds any of Anderson's recruiting classes. Conference affiliation cannot be answered at this time, too many stories circulating as this is written. The same response with the academics, we assume these commits would qualify but there is no guarantee.

Validate

I'm sure you feel the same way I do, your view of a subject is validated by some other authority. That occurred recently in a Fox Sports.com story, NBA's 5 Worst Owners it was titled. James Dolan of the Knicks was number two but the number one worst owner was Donald Sterling of the Clippers.  Sterling's ownership reminds me and others of Ted Stepien former owner of the Cleveland Cavs. Although nothing official (to my knowledge) was ever produced I think Stepien was "forced" to sell the team by other NBA owners. In the three years Stepien owned the team he set a record for futility, firing and hiring coaches, trading key players even firing the play-by-play announcer.  Sterling is that close to duplicating Ted Stepien, wonder if the NBA will force Sterling out one day?

I'm ashamed of me

Because I am reporting a tabloid story, it's basketball related though. The media has been a-buzz with the news Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce from the Nets Kris Humphrey. The NBA lockout is in it's 124 day, this marriage lasted exactly 72 days.

Be not afraid of going slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

Chinese proverb