Basketball from a fans perspective
Should he be penalized for life? I speak of Brian Bowen ex-Louisville Cardinal
freshman now South Carolina Gamecock.
Bowen became embroiled in the Adidas pay for play story which broke over
the summer, the condensed version, his father was reported to have received
$100,000 from the shoe and clothing apparel company. The 5-star prospect and McDonalds All
American was being recruited by countless schools before eventually settling on
Louisville.
Once the scandal broke the school revoked
his scholarship and Bowen was cast aside.
In an Outside the Lines story
on ESPN Bowen claimed he had no idea his father had taken any money from Adidas. Frank Martin South Carolina coach received
permission from the school and offered him a scholarship. Bowen must be cleared by the NCAA to play,
whatever the outcome a shadow will continue to hang over this prospect. Is he
truly innocent as he claims or do questions remain regarding his honesty?
The
Road Warriors
The road has not been kind to Mizzou
since the SEC move. One of those real scary teams to play at home is Arkansas, there are others however a journey to Fayetteville is at the top of
the list. It’s more than ex-Mizzou Coach
Mike Anderson, back in the day former coaches Nolan Richardson (Arkansas) and
Norm Stewart (Mizzou) played a home and home series at the time Mizzou was in
the former Big 8 Conference. Coach
Martin’s baby Tigers will play the Razorbacks tonight and hopefully the outcome
will be fruitful for Mizzou.
Half-way
point
We are almost to that time in the NBA season so another check on Laker rookie Lonzo Ball is in order. His Laker team managed to
beat an injury depleted Spurs team at home 93-81, what about this game? Ball shot .636 from the floor scoring 18
points along with 10 rebounds 6 assists and 4 steals. Most interesting was former player Greg
Anthony’s assessment of Ball’s shot. Anthony
said the shot is unorthodox however it’s not “broken.”
I agree with Charles Barkley it is
different to see a right-handed shooter move the ball from his left-side to
shoot. At the same time, I remember (and
you might too) the funky shot of former NBA player Kevin Martin. Martin managed a 12-year NBA career scoring
over 12,000 points with a bizarre shot.
Finally, Laker great “Big Game” James Worthy indicates he believes in
Magic Johnson’s ability to attract free agents and the talent of Lonzo
Ball.
Celebrity
seating
I’m watching the
Sixers-Knicks at MSG and I had a thought.
It’s amusing we can spot the seats of Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson from
above the floor. Sure, they are seated
on the front row however the television camera always seems to locates
them. There others comedian/actor Chris Rock can
sometimes be spotted at a Knicks game.
Entertainer Jay-Z no longer a Nets owner is liable to show up in New
York, Houston or Los Angeles.
Comedian/actor Mike Epps was born and grew up in Indianapolis, so I
guess it should be expected he’s a Pacer fan.
Actor Billy Crystal
once claimed he became a Clipper fan because tickets for Laker games were
unavailable. Singer Jimmy Buffett was
once ejected from a Heat game because he believed his favorite team had been
short-changed by a game official. We
know Florida resident Tiger Woods appears at Magic games when his schedule
allows. This account would not be
complete without mentioning entertainer Drake who is just as liable to show up
at a Raptors game or in Lexington for the Kentucky Wildcats. I don’t believe we’ve seen actress Ashley
Judd at any NBA games, but her presence is certainly noted at her Alma mater Kentucky.
Why is change so difficult to accept
I’ve covered this
issue in the past however it became topic once again. Kara Lawson is the analyst for the Wizards,
she replaced Phil Chenier who held the job for several years. Lawson has college (Tennessee) and WNBA play
on her resume, in addition she wasn’t just given the job this year she’s worked
in the broadcast industry in several roles since her retirement from active
play. I read two email respondents on
this change one complimentary the other well……you draw your own
conclusion. “The Steve and Phil team was really good; I don't
understand the need to change it. If it ain't broke don't fix it”.
How about this one: “Call me a skeptic, but I don't believe in
"right person, right place, right time," - I'd be willing to bet the
decision to get rid of Phil was made with her in mind as a replacement, and for
what, the sake of diversity? I've heard her call games for ESPN, and she simply
isn't very good, and before you call me sexist, I enjoy Doris Burke calling
games.” Finally, the one I enjoyed
most: “Last time I was skeptical of the "new guy" was when Dennis Edwards
(Motown Temptations) replaced David Ruffin. We all know how that worked out.” Kara
Lawson and Doris Burke of ESPN along with Sarah Kustok YES Network all bring
expertise to the game despite the fact they are a different gender.
