Just as confused as ever.

My girlfriend teaches middle school math. 7th grade. She has shown me some of the material she teaches, and I can admit: I would have no clue how to figure out most of it without assistance. And this stuff is for 7th graders! But I'm okay with that. I'm not necessarily supposed to understand math. I'm a journalism guy. A communications guy. Any level of math above pre-Algebra just does not appeal to me whatsoever. As I've said numerous times to my friends and family, if I come across a mathematical question that the calculator on my cell phone cannot figure out, then I simply do not need to know the answer. There are somethings I just don't get, and that's okay. Bill Gates doesn't need to know how to build a three-tier cheerleading pyramid. Ryan Seacrest doesn't need to know how to throw a knuckleball. But you would think that an NFL player would need to know how to act like a professional.

Enter LenDale White.

This season, White has been a walking (read: not running) disappointment for the Tennessee Titans. So much so that rumors are now swirling that White may be released to free up salary cap room. And it goes beyond White's lack of production on the field. It has quite a bit more to do with White's production off the field, namely at the dinner table. Take a look at the picture below. On the left is a picture of White from this past season with the Titans. On the right is a picture of White during his final season in college at the University of Southern California. Focus on the midsections.


See the difference? As with most collegians who aspire to play pro sports, athletes push themselves to prove their worth to prospective pro scouts. One adjective for such athletes could be... hungry. (I find that term fitting considering the context.) Once said athletes reach the professional ranks, oftentimes they lose their desire to work as hard as they did in college. It has been said many times about boxers: It takes so much more work to defend a title than to win one. When you're trying to reach the top, you work so much harder than you do once you reach the top. Athletes become complacent, thinking they don't have to work out anymore because of all they've already accomplished. One exception is Jerry Rice. Rice was the hardest worker in the NFL over the course of his entire career. What does that tell you? In LenDale White's case, as proven by the picture on the left, he looks anything but hungry.

Not that White's road to the NFL was showered with roses. White was considered to be a first-round pick when he first declared he was going to forgo his senior season at USC and enter the 2006 Draft. But incessant questions about his ability to control his weight lowered his stock to the point that he fell to the second round, where the Titans selected him with 45th pick.

This season White has shown a chronic desire to be a bad teammate. You may ask, Well what constitutes being a good teammate? Be humble. Share praise. Work hard. Never rip a teammate or coach. Show respect to your opponent. If you would rather see examples of good teammates, look at a guy like Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets. Paul plays his heart out every night, and you can't be the guy leading the NBA in assists without being a good teammate. Or how about Hines Ward? This is a guy playing wide receiver in the NFL, the position known to produce the most selfish of players, and what is his favorite thing to do? Block. Good teammate. So who are some guys that could be considered bad teammates? Stephon Marbury. Terrell Owens. Manny Ramirez. Those three are interested in only one thing: themselves. And they play team sports. Funny how that works out, isn't it? Problem is, LenDale White falls into the bad teammate category. Here's why...

After the Titans lost their first game of the season on 23 November to the New York Jets, White stood in the locker room in front of a drove of reporters and said, "Coming into these games, you expect to get certain carries or certain things going on, or at least that's what they tell you. Then you get in these games and just randomly play three plays. I couldn't really tell you what happened [during the game], I have no idea. I wasn't paying attention so I didn't care." That's the kind of attitude White has held this season. And the previous quote came at a time when the Titans' record was 10-1, tied for best in the NFL. It should also be noted that White's most productive games this season came against some of the worst run defenses in the NFL. His highest single-game totals were against, in order: 149 yards vs. Kansas City (ranked 30th out of 32 teams in rushing yards allowed), 106 yards vs. Detroit (ranked 32nd out of 32), 99 yards vs. Cleveland (28th), 77 yards vs. Green Bay (26th), and 59 yards vs. Cincinnati (21st). Conversely, in four games this season against the three best defenses in the NFL-- two games against Baltimore (3rd) and one game each against Pittsburgh (2nd) and Minnesota (1st)-- White had a grand total of 110 rushing yards. So it seems that White only plays well against lesser competition. That sure comes in handy for a team vying for a shot at the Super Bowl!

And in the aforementioned game on 21 December against the Pittsburgh Steelers (a 31-14 home victory for the Titans), White grabbed a "Terrible Towel"-- long known as a symbol of the Steelers team and its fans-- and proceeded to throw it on the ground. That's bad enough, but he didn't stop there! He then decided it would be a good idea to take his overweight carcass and stomp on it. And did I mention he came up with this elaborate plan with television cameras fixed upon him? It shows the absolute and unyielding lack of class that is becoming more and more visible to anyone unfortunate enough to have to see him.

Understandably, the Steeler Nation lashed out at White. Fans, players, coaches, even city officials. Steeler cornerback Deshea Townsend said, "What [White] did that day was almost like taking a jersey and putting it on the ground after a win and stepping on it. You just don't do that. There is a proper way to play the game and a way that you act, and [the Titans] do not act like that. It's disrespectful." Linebacker Larry Foote chimed in as well, saying, "You see right now we got the last laugh. That's what they get for trying to humiliate us and rub it in, for not showing any class. We wanted to play them again, but they couldn't hold up their end of the bargain. That's what they get for stomping on the towel. We're stepping on them right now."

So upon hearing this, what do you think the eloquent and professional LenDale White had to say in response?

White said, "No way do I regret it. I would do it 100 times again. I'd do it tomorrow if we played them."

Some people just don't get it.

You go this way. I'll go that way.

This is a tale of two pro football players. One is at the pinnacle of the sport. The other has been shoved out the league. Their link is Draft Day 2005.

Adam "Pacman" Jones and Antrel Rolle.


Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

In high school, both Jones and Rolle were all-everything. Jones played at Westlake High School in Atlanta, GA, and was named his conference's player of the year and received all-state honors as a senior. Rolle played at South Dade High School in Homestead, FL, and was a Parade All-American and was named the second-best prospect in the state by the Miami Herald. College came calling for both. Jones attended West Virginia. Rolle attended the "U" (that's Miami, FL).

In college, both Jones and Rolle were impact players. Emphasis on "impact." In 2003, Jones was sentenced to one year in jail following a bar fight. However, the sentence was later suspended and he was placed on probation instead. Then in 2004, Jones was named an All-American and Big East Special Teams Player of the Year. Rolle was also named an All-American, first-team All-ACC, as well as ACC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was a finalist for the Thorpe Award (best defensive back) and a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award (best overall defensive player). Which would you rather have on your team?

Going into the 2005 NFL Draft, Jones and Rolle were the top two cornerbacks available. Jones was a bit undersized at 5'10" and 186 pounds. Rolle, however, had absolute prototype size, 6'0" and 208 pounds. And as I've said before, the Titans went against all logic when they selected Jones over Rolle with the No. 6 pick. Rolle was selected two picks later by the Arizona Cardinals.

In their rookie seasons, neither player really shined, but if you had to give an edge to one player over the course of that season, it's Jones. He was a good player, not great, but Rolle suffered a knee injury on 2 October and had to miss the majority of the season. It looked like Rolle's career may have been derailed before it really got started. The winter and spring of 2005-06 is where these two players started going in different directions. Rolle spent that time rehabilitating and strengthening his knee, getting ready for the 2006 NFL season. Jones was arrested four times during the offseason leading up to the '06 season (once in February, twice in April, and once in August). And Jones was just getting started. His numerous run-ins with the law finally led NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to suspend Jones for the entire 2007 season.

During the bright spots of Adam Jones' football career, he was best known as a punt returner and a guy you could count on to snag interceptions. What most people don't know is that Rolle has been more proficient than Jones at intercepting opposing quarterbacks. Thru this past season, Jones tallied 4 INTs in his career. Rolle? 8.

Jones' off-the-field exploits finally exasperated the patience of the Titans organization, who sent him packing to the Dallas Cowboys via trade before the start of this past season. For the Cowboys, Jones accumulated exactly zero interceptions, and was arguably the worst player on the field in their final game of the season, a 44-6 romp courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles. Three of the Eagles' touchdowns went right thru or right past Jones. The loss kept Dallas out of the playoffs this year. For the Cardinals this season, Rolle tallied 89 tackles, and was willing to play some time at safety to fill holes in Arizona's injury-ravaged secondary.

By the time the regular season came to an end, more allegations surfaced about Jones. So right around the time Rolle and the Cardinals were set to square off against the Atlanta Falcons in the first round of the playoffs, Jones was released by the Cowboys due to the investigation of an incident where Jones reportedly arranged a shooting outside an Atlanta nightclub. As for the Cardinals-Falcons playoff game? In the third quarter, trailing 17-14 to Atlanta, Rolle scooped up a fumble and scampered 27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Cardinals a lead they would never relinquish. Arizona then went on to upset both the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles to advance to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

A tale of two players. Adam "Pacman" Jones is currently out of the league. And he will probably remain that way. Antrel Rolle is at the pinnacle of the sport and has established himself as one of the premier defensive players in the league. And he will probably remain that way.

Was it ever really a question who was going to be the better player out of these two?

It's like Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a padded muscle-shirt.

There are some things in this world I will just never understand. Like math. I'll never get it. It must be a case of me not activating the right side of my brain. Or the left side. Hell, I don't know which side it is. Would you like to know another thing I will never understand?

Cheating.

It just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe I like the idea of falling asleep with a clear conscious too much. But I really think I would rather lose at something than the alternative of cheating to win. Am I alone in this?

Last night, "Sugar" Shane Mosley challenged for Antonio Margarito's welterweight title. And it was a thrilling fight. Mosley, with his new trainer Naazim Richardson, put together a perfect gameplan to disrupt the potential destruction of the "Tijuana Tornado." Mosley used ring smarts and accurate flurries to dumbfound Margarito. Then, in the ninth round, Mosley floored Margarito. The fight was stopped shortly thereafter by referee Raul Caiz. It was a tremendous performance by a 37-year-old aging legend who, by many believers, is well past his prime. But it was vintage Mosley: quick feet, surprising power, accurate punching, technical boxing. Mosley had big leads on all three judges' scorecards at the time of the fight being stopped. But perhaps the biggest storyline of the night happened before the fight ever started...

Margarito had to have his hands rewrapped prior to the fight because his original wraps were deemed unacceptable by fight officials. His wraps were said to have a "plaster-like substance" on them. What? Margarito? Using plaster of paris on his hand wraps? I just do not understand this! This is like Dolly Parton wearing a Wonderbra. Or finding out Usain Bolt has rocket packs in his shoes. Or that Tiger Woods has started using a flag-finding golf ball. The point is, What's the point? Why cheat when you have a natural advantage anyway? Margarito already has sledgehammers for hands. We've seen it in the past. He's the only man to defeat Kermit Cintron (which he did, twice, both by knockout) and the previously undefeated Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto.

So hearing all this, do all of Margarito's past wins now need to be put under a microscope? Do the sanctioning bodies of boxing need to question their title fights in which Margarito prevailed victorious?

I hate it for Mosley. He has thrust himself to the top of the welterweight division for the first time since 2001. And he did so in a thrilling fashion. He also did so fairly. Congratulations to "Sugar" Shane Mosley.

I'm not upset about all this because I picked Margarito to win. I really thought he would. But I also thought he would do so fairly. I now hope this doesn't give boxing a similar black eye to the one that Barry Bonds' alleged steroid use gave to baseball.

Boxing doesn't need this. Nobody does.

Who likes cheaters anyway?

For Love or Money?

I remember my first day in high school. I was nervous. And not just nervous about the new building or the frightening height of the upperclassmen. I was nervous because I had to follow my sister there. You see, my sister was really popular in school. So much so that it was the year after she graduated that I was referred to (for the first time) by my first name instead of "her younger brother." I remember the guidance counselors in my school telling me what my sister's GPA was when she graduated, and asking if mine would be that high. My sister was also a cheerleader, and I can admit it was frustrating knowing I would never have as many girls show interest in me as guys showed interest in her. So what is a younger brother to do? I did pretty much anything I could to get attention. Having a popular sibling is tough. But I'll tell you what I didn't do...

I didn't stab her in the back for personal gain.

Not like Jay McGwire did.

Mark McGwire has been under tremendous scrutiny since his retirement from Major League Baseball about whether or not he took performance-enhancing drugs. It's been a sore topic, especially since the wave of major leaguers that have admitted their own steroid use. McGwire has been eligible for induction into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame for a few years now. And because of his alleged steroid use, incorporated with his vehement denials, McGwire has barely been able to wiggle the needle of interest among voters. A lot of it has to do with the fact that McGwire is seen as a catalyst for the "steroid era" in baseball. Another big part is the simple fact that McGwire won't just come out and admit that he did. Because let's be honest with one another. We know that McGwire took steroids.

We know that Pete Rose gambled on baseball.

We know Roger Clemens took steroids.

We really know Barry Bonds took steroids.

We also know that Andy Pettitte did.

And of those five players, who has the highest public approval rating right now? Andy Pettitte. And why?

He admitted it. And then he apologized for it. Remember we do live in a forgiving society.

So Jay McGwire, in all his wisdom, has taken it upon himself to tell the truth for his brother in his new book proposal, titled "The McGwire Family Secret: The Truth about Steroids, a Slugger and Ultimate Redemption."

This absolutely disgusts me.

I don't care that Jay and Mark don't talk anymore. Mark's a man! He can live in denial all he wants! But the best part of all this is the reasoning of Jay McGwire. He says, "My bringing the truth to the surface about Mark is out of love. I want Mark to live in truth to see the light, to come to repentance so he can live in freedom -- which is the only way to live." I feel gross for saying this, but that almost makes me laugh. He's saying this out of love?! Hardly. How about money? Oh, now we're talking. How about jealousy? Mark was a media darling throughout his career. Remember 1998? McGwire and Sammy Sosa had households tuned in every single night to see if one or both of them would slam another one. That must be humiliating for the no-name brother of a sports superstar.

Jay McGwire can call it love all he wants. We all know the truth. We know the truth about Mark. And now we know the truth about Jay. It isn't love. It's the sad cry of a jealous little boy.

Six one way, half dozen the other.

Picture this: There are two guys sitting in a sports bar, discussing (guess what!) sports. They discover that they are both football fans. Any surprise there? The guy on the left (we'll call him Fan #1), seems more distraught than his newfound friend. Here's how their conversation went... (And for a point of reference, we'll call the second guy Fan #2. Am I creative or what??)

Fan #1: Man... this has been a terrible season. Nothing has gone right. First, one of my team's best players, maybe our best player, went down with a leg injury and has had to miss the entire season.

Fan #2: Oh, you must be a fan of the Patriots.

Fan #1: No. It's just been a disappointing season, though. We were expected to be one of the best teams in the league, and we got off to a good start, but then we really got on a losing skid.

Fan #2: I see. So how long have you been a Jaguars fan?

Fan #1: I never have been. Then a month ago, two of our best players got into a verbal confrontation in the locker room. It was a bad mess. It was made a bigger deal in the media than it really was. But that's how the media is, right?

Fan #2: Yeah. I know that. So you're a Cowboys fan. I remember when all that happened.

Fan #1: I'm not a Cowboys fan. But speaking of player trouble, we had a guy get arrested this season for causing trouble outside a nightclub.

Fan #2: A nightclub? So are you talking about the Bengals or the Titans?

Fan #1: Neither. Who are all these teams you're talking about?

Fan #2: NFL teams. What the hell are you talking about??

Fan #1: Football. You know, football. Soccer. I thought you knew what I was talking about. I don't really like American football.

Fan #2: Oh! I thought you've been talking about the NFL all along.

Fan #1: No. The team I follow plays football in England. You mean there are really that many teams screwed up in the NFL??

Psych Ward

Dictionary.com defines the word agitator as "a person who stirs up others in order to upset the status quo." But answer this for me... Does this guy really look like he could fit that description?


You wouldn't think so. Not with that smile. He has a smile like that on his face all the time. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Mr. Hines Ward. Ward is a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and tonight, they will host the Baltimore Ravens to see which team will represent the AFC this year in the Super Bowl. To simply state that the Steelers and Ravens dislike each other wouldn't exactly cover it. I think the Yankees and Red Sox get along better than the Steelers and Ravens. And a game like the one tonight: a low temperature, hard-hitting, intense rivalry... this is the kind of game where Hines Ward thrives. You see, Ward is an anomaly among his peers in the NFL. Most NFL receivers are prima donnas, you know, selfish players where me-first attitudes come standard (i.e. Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson). But not Ward. Ward's favorite thing to do during a game-- his favorite thing-- is to block.

That's right.

Block.

Not your typical wide receiver, huh? And oh, is he good at it. Just ask Keith Rivers of the Cincinnati Bengals. Or Ed Reed, of the aforementioned Ravens. Rivers ended up with a broken jaw after a clean block by Ward this season. Reed, one of the premier defensive players in the NFL, was knocked unconscious courtesy of a "sweep left special" from Ward.

And did I mention he always has that same smile on his face?

Now don't get the wrong idea about Ward and think he's just a thug who can't catch. He has averaged 72 catches per year since he was drafted by the Steelers back in 1998. He has also scored 73 touchdowns during his tenure thus far in Steel Town. But Pittsburgh, historically speaking, has always been known as a "power running" team. They've had bruising running backs in their past such as Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis. So what is a receiver to do in such circumstances?

Block.

It's fun to watch. In all actuality, Ward turns offense into defense. He becomes the hunter even though his team has the ball. But his aggressive style does have its setbacks. Ward has a target on his back when the ball is headed his way. Opponents don't just try to tackle Ward. They try to break him in half. So what does Ward do?

Smile, of course.

Is Hines Ward an agitator? Yes. But what is he on top of that? A damn good football player. He's the kind of player you would love to have on your team and hate to play against.

Tonight, in Pittsburgh, the Steelers welcome the Ravens to their snow-covered home. Will the Steelers prevail? We shall see. What you can count on, though, is the fact that Ward will be flying all over the field making plays for his teammates. And who knows? The Steelers may get another shot at a Super Bowl. They won it back in 2006.

And who was the MVP of that game?

You guessed it... Hines Ward.

Smiling, as usual.

I love the game "word association." Don't you?

Everyone know how this game works? Someone says a word or term or shows a picture, and you say the very first thing that pops into your mind. Easy enough. I'll roll through a few. If someone shows me a picture of the Chicago Cubs logo, I'd say: Loser. If someone shows me a picture of Ryan Leaf, I'd say: Bust. See how it works? I'll keep going... Michael Jordan? Champion.
Pacman Jones? Idiot.
Vince Young? Overrated.
Muhammad Ali? Greatest.
Lance Armstrong? Heart.
Mike Singletary? "Can't do it!"
Ray Lewis? Passion.
Utah's football team? True national champions.
Zab Judah? Waste of talent.
Erin Andrews? Mmm... hot.
Tiger Woods? Intense.
But here's one that stumps me: Tony Dungy. For those of you who happen to make your dwelling under a rock, Dungy is (was... whatever, we'll get to that) the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. And today, 12 January, 2009, he announced his retirement. And the reason his name makes me balk while playing "word association" is for no other reason than I have too many terms come to mind. Words like honor, respect, kindness, loyalty, champion, legacy, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Thesauruses are printed and reprinted because of men like Tony Dungy. And it isn't just his accomplishments which impress me. They are, however, quite staggering... He coached 13 seasons in the NFL, six with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the final seven with the Colts. Over that span, he compiled a record of 139 wins and 69 losses. I'll do the math real quick: that means he won 70 more games than he lost! And in this era of the NFL, which prides itself on what it calls "parity," that's nothing short of remarkable. But beyond that, he is the first and only black head coach to win a Super Bowl, which he did with the Colts in 2006. He only had one losing season out of his 13 at the helm of the two franchises, and won division titles six of those years. And it isn't the fact that he had a .759 winning percentage with the Colts, the third highest percentage with one team in NFL history. Nor is it his six consecutive 12-win seasons or his 10 consecutive playoff appearances, which are both (ahem) NFL records. It's the way he treated everyone around him that made Tony Dungy different. The care and respect he had for each one of his players. I read his autobiography, "Quiet Strength," and in it he explains that the most disappointed he's ever been in a player was when one of his players in Tampa skipped out on a speaking engagement to a group of local kids. Dungy and his Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in 2006 to win the Super Bowl. The star linebacker for the Bears and one of the premier talents in the NFL is Brian Urlacher. Upon hearing the news of Dungy's retirement, Urlacher said, "I think he's one of the best and most respected coaches of all-time, and a great man on top of all the football achievements." Herm Edwards, current head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and a close friend of Dungy, also added, "The League will miss him but obviously never forget him, because of what he's done and the standards he set. Not only for coaches, but especially for black coaches. He's a guy that won a Super Bowl. I think he always looks back at the guys before him that gave him the opportunity. And now he has set up a standard for other guys to follow him." That's the legacy of Tuny Dungy. He will be sorely missed by fellow coaches, players, and thousands upon thousands of fans. At his press conference today, Jim Irsay, owner of the Colts, and Bill Polian, president of the Colts organization, both cried. When does that ever happen in pro sports?? Polian called Dungy "a mentor, a role model, and a cherished friend." Tony Dungy has always carried himself with a level of dignity that is unparalleled in pro sports. He is also a nightmare for people playing "word association." He may have retired, but I will always refer to him as Coach Dungy. May God bless him. I wish the absolute best for Coach Dungy and his family as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

Not Big-time Anymore

What's happened to the NBA? Does anyone watch anymore? Does anyone care anymore? Ever since Michael Jordan retired for the last time, the NBA has been in a constant struggle to find that one player to bring back the glory days of the National Basketball Association. They thought they found that player in Kobe Bryant, but one infamous night in Colorado followed by an insincere apology ruined that. The NBA has some great individual talent, but there is only one real team in the entire league. That would be the Boston Celtics. And that would be the reason they won the championship last season and are an early favorite to win the title again. And as far the current NBA is concerned, the Celtics are an anomaly beyond their desire to play as a team. They are thriving in Boston, historically known as a "baseball town." And the Patriots happen to play their football in that city, as well. This is the biggest problem with the NBA right now. I watch ESPN every day. I listen to ESPN Radio in my car. It wouldn't be a stretch for me to change my initials to K.T.E.S.P.N. This morning, as I watched ESPN, I was forced to sit thru the highlights of the NBA games from last night, a night in which every team in the NBA played, the first time in league history that all teams played on the same night. As I watched the highlights this morning, something glaringly obvious kept shouting at me: Where are the fans?? Aside from just a handful of games, you could see (just from the highlights) that there were more empty seats than filled ones. And then it hit me: the NBA only thrives in cities where the NBA team is the lone pro franchise. I'm not going to go through the entire league (that would take too long), but here are a few examples...

--Dallas Mavericks? Sorry, you're playing in the Cowboys' city.

--Minnesota Timberwolves? Sorry, that's Viking territory.

--Chicago Bulls? They once owned the city, but now Chicago is split between the Cubs and the Bears.

--Denver Nuggets? Even without Elway, the Broncos still own the mile-high city.

--Toronto Raptors? People who live in Toronto don't even know they have an NBA team. The Maple Leafs would still own that city even if they didn't win a single game.

--Indiana Pacers? Not even close. That city only cares about the Colts.

--Atlanta Hawks? Atlanta is a horrible sports city to begin with, but if they love any team, it's the Falcons.

--Washington Wizards? Please... Jordan couldn't even help them get butts in the seats. The Redskins have a firm grip on our nation's capital.

Only a few franchises hold their own in their respective cities. Los Angeles is a Lakers town, no question. New Orleans loves their Hornets, and San Antonio routinely fills out the HemisFair Arena for the Spurs. And thanks to LeBron James, Cleveland now gives more support to the Cavaliers than the Browns. Think about this... if attendance in the NBA is as low as I believe it to be, maybe the NBA should condense its league. There's an idea! Cut the league down to 20-24 teams, get rid of the players who don't belong anyway, and then let's play some basketball. And I have my own opinion of why the NBA's popularity is failing: there are no fundamentals in the game anymore. If you can't dunk the ball every single time you touch it, you will not have a place in the 2009 version of the NBA. Magic Johnson would not be as popular today as he was in the early 90's. He was a pass-first, mid-range shooter, and a damn good one at that. But that style of player is overlooked today. I still wish with all my heart that a group of high school referees could officiate an NBA game just once. That would be amazing! Even with the shot clock in place, the final score with any two teams playing would be 47-38. The referees would have chapped lips from blowing the whistle so many times. And that's exactly my point. That's one reason why I'm glad to see the NBA promoting Hornets guard Chris Paul so well. He is a star talent and has great fundamentals. He's also a clean-cut guy who doesn't get into any trouble. That's a breath of fresh air in a league that's had Dennis Rodman, Latrell Sprewell, Rasheed Wallace and Ron Artest. I got the chance to see Jordan play in Chicago, and the only seats available were in the upper deck. That's the way I want to remember the NBA. Cause right now, it ranks third in popularity in this country, a distant third behind football and baseball.