L.A. Pride is a true sports enthusiast.  A former youth, and division II assistant basketball coach, who studied the martial arts, he enjoys and follows all sports, even hockey.  His quick wit and insight brings a fresh view to the world of sports. You may not always agree with him, but you will enjoy his highly opinionated thoughts.

 Is it me…

 Or will the NBA be a lot less entertaining?  Shaquille O’Neal has officially retired from professional basketball.  Shaq, who is 39 , played for 19 seasons.  He won four championships and scored 28, 596 points, in addition to 13, 099 rebounds.  He will be remembered as one of the all time greatest centers in the league, alongside Russell, Chamberlain, and Kareem.

 Shaq, unlike the aforementioned centers, was outgoing and friendly throughout his career.  He was readily accessible to the press and enjoyed meeting and greeting people.  He played hard and took basketball, and not himself , seriously. He always remembered it was a game.   Shaq was generous to a fault, establishing  several private and public charities to assist those in need. He was an entertainer who enjoyed putting on a good show on and off the court.  The league has lost one of its biggest stars.  Enjoy your retirement Shaq.

Is it me…

 Or is Plaxico Burress, the former New York Giants wide receiver, having a streak of bad luck?  Granted, getting out of jail is a good thing, but with the NFL lockout in place, he is out of work, with no apparent prospects.  He left the lockup for the lockout.

 Burress served twenty months for illegally carrying and firing a gun in New York City.  (He dropped the gun and it discharged   shooting himself in the thigh and narrowly missing a security guard in the club Burress was attending.)   He was sentenced to two years, after pleading guilty to the charges.

 At Oneida Correctional Facility, he had some brushes with prison discipline, too.

At various points, prison officers said he lied to get to use the phone at a time when calls weren’t usually allowed, gave another inmate a pair of sneakers (considered an “unauthorized exchange”) and had three dozen cassette tapes and an extra, state-issued pillow in a “filthy” cell strewn with bags of food, dirty clothes, books and mail, prison records obtained by the AP show. The infractions – considered minor – cost him recreation, phone and other privileges at times, and he was told to clean up his room.

Apparently, he needed a time out in prison as well.

 Burress a gifted wide receiver, will need to mature if he is going to make it all the way back.

 

Is it me…

Or did the Heat respond?   After handily winning game one in the NBA finals , the Miami Heat blew a fifteen-point lead in game two and lost.  Dirk Nowitzki led the comeback, by the Mavericks, scoring the game winning field goal, and taking home court away from the Heat.  Game three was a nip and tuck battle at the end featuring a dual between two superstars, Dirk and Dwayne, (where were you King James).  Chris Bosh who had been invisible up to this point hit the go-ahead field goal  for the Heat.  Dirk missed a shot at the end, sealing the Mavericks fate.   The series stands at 2-1, Heat.

 The Heat who were “punched in the face” game two, sniffed and blinked , and came out to play game three.  (If you are in a fight and you hit the other person in the face, and all he does is sniff and blink, then you better be ready to fight hard, because he is.)  The Heat have taken home court back and still look good in six to me.  Game four started as we went to press so we do not have the results.

 Is it me…

Or has the NBA lived up to its commitment to the WNBA?   The WNBA, which started in 1996, has managed to survive all of these years. Congrats to the league, the NBA for their support, and the many great athletes who have played in this league throughout the years.  The NBA has stood by the league, without any outside pressure, i.e. Title IX, and let it grow and prosper.  Sure there have been some bumps, and there will continue to be some, but women’s sport is a viable part of our culture and needs to be showcased.

 And for you chauvinists out there, try ballin’ with a WNBA player on the court-you can’t.  Go Essence!

 Is it me …

 Or should Mark Jackson have waited to see what happens with the Knicks?   The Knicks, as usual, have made a mess of things.  Letting Donnie Walsh go is a big mistake.  Walsh was able to bring in good players and reduce the salary cap to the point where the Knicks had money to spend on players.  Knick ownership is lost at sea without a paddle.

 

Now that Donnie Walsh has been “retired”, what happens with Coach Mike D. of the Knicks?   I am sure the new guy will want to have his own coach in place, which leads me to believe Coach D’Antoni is out.  Mark Jackson played in New York, and is from the area.  He would have certainly been a serious candidate if D’Antoni were let go.  I can only assume that Jackson decided to take the first train running and therefore quickly accepted the Golden State Warriors job.  Good Luck Mark!

 Is it me…

 Or is pretending something that did happen, didn’t happen, silly?  The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) has stripped USC of the 2004 national  collegiate football title, leaving that season without a champion.  The NCAA ruled star tailback Reggie Bush received improper extra benefits during those seasons and was ineligible when he played.

This is like in court when the judge asks the jury to disregard something they just heard; how do you “un-hear” a ringing bell?  USC won the championship on the field; did they have a little extra help, yes.  That’s life in major college sports.

Edited by D. Pride