Wednesday, June 19, 2013

I doubt any occur
The rumors circulating on the internet are probably just that---rumors. I cannot begin to imagine many of them becoming actual fact. The Lakers trade Dwight Howard for Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe. The only issue the two teams have never traded with one another. As for the Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to the Clippers I doubt that one too but for different reasons. Griffin has limitations on his game however he’s only 24-years old. The Clippers have made a succession of bone-headed front office moves in years past. Would they be willing to trade a young Griffin for a 37-year old forward? As for Rivers that might be a different description of events. Rivers he might be exiting Boston on his own terms. (I was about to publish when ESPN reported it dead, I still question if it was valid). As for Dwight Howard and Chris Paul teaming up I doubt that one as well. The last one is a Laker sign and trade deal with the Rockets, the Lakers trade Howard and receive in return 7-foot center Omer Asik and point guard Jeremy Lin.

“Things that make you go hmmm!”
The above line was first uttered I believe by Arsenio Hall on his television program, later it was turned into a pop tune. In this instance the phrase is utilized in a story regarding the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The Kansas City Star reported the school is attempting to gain visibility in the metro area by providing sports apparel in stores. Prior to last week unless you were an athlete at UMKC there was not a single store you could purchase the schools merchandise. Even more interesting the store never provided UMKC apparel although Mizzou, Kansas and Kansas State was available. Interesting the schools mentioned are 150, 50 and 121 miles from the metro area. This certainly details for you the identification problem with the school. The university specifically the athletic department bares a portion of blame for this oversight.

The Kangaroo’s have never sniffed an NCAA berth since leaving the NAIA for Division I basketball. I researched these next facts, the university began Division I play in the ‘86-‘87 season. Since that period UMKC has only finished above .500 twice. They were 20-8 in ‘91-’92 and 18-11 in ‘01-’02. How bad has UMKC been you ask? An athletic director no longer on the scene fired the basketball coach the assumption was he was to hire his guy. The only problem his hire left after one season for an NBA assistant coach position. Providing a winning team on the basketball court is just as important as the merchandise. Of course the other portion is the school moving from the Summit League to the Western Athletic Conference. As detailed in the past the school’s basketball program has been lacking. (Wikipedia)

I know it’s not me
A number of former players and coaches serve as print or broadcast analysts for collegiate and NBA games. I’m unsure your intent mine is to gain information to become more informed. Often I’ve asked myself is the analyst entertaining us or is the desire to provide fact? Several with journalism credentials appear to become entertainers; they seem to revel in creating or promoting controversy. Who are these folks, no list of names needs to be provided. Just note those media types who become lighting rods for controversy or desire to hear their own voices spout rhetoric. Just to be clear former players and coaches fall under the microscope too. The difference is there appears to be little requirement for them to artificially inflate their egos.

Around these parts
Mizzou has a new rivalry with Arkansas, others claim it will only exist as Mike Anders coaches Arkansas.  I say the rivalry should be a natural; the two States (similar to Kansas) share a common border.  For those who might be geography challenged the the Missouri-Arkansas border runs in a parallel line until we reach the Bootheel portion of the State.  This portion was so-named due to it's resemblance to a boot.  This bit of history courtesy of Wikipedia.  *"According to an apocryphal story in various versions, the bootheel was added because of the request of some Missourian to remain in the state "as he had heard it was so sickly in Arkansas;" ""...full of bears and panthers and copperhead snakes, so it ain't safe for civilized people to stay there over night even." Another folktale has the adaptation made by a lovestruck surveyor to spare the feelings of a widow living 50 miles south of the Missouri border, but unaware of it. At one time, the area was known locally as "Lapland, because it's the place where Missouri laps over into Arkansas". If you boarded a flight in Columbia (MO) you could land in Fayetteville in under an hour. At the time Nolan Richardson was at Arkansas and Norm Stewart at Mizzou the schools played a home and home series. The series begun in 1986-87 lasted for 10 years.  (*www.sportsreference.com)