The Saga Continues: 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame

The 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame list was made public on Saturday. There were some usual suspects. This list is deep. After the selection process has been complete, I am sure there is going to be both happy and people upset by the results.

I am still very unclear as to why Donnie Shell, Lester Hayes, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Ray Guy, Cliff Branch, Russ Francis, Joe Theisman etc., etc are vying to get in with the likes of Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice. The point I'm trying to make is that these gentleman should have been in the fall of fame so long ago. I have read the outline of the process, but when players such as these and others have been left out of the hall for so long, it is time to re-think the process.

I'm really happy that Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice are going to be shoe ins. In a perfect world, so should have been the aforementioned players.

"Stepchild"

After MSU's 33-30 lost to Notre Dame yesterday, it began clear to me that MSU is following in the paths of Duke, UNC Chapel Hill, Kentucky, Louisville and the like in making its football program the stepchild to basketball. For pigskin lovers, like myself, this is extremely disheartening. Thank goodness for the NFL and programs like Ohio State University, University of Alalbama and the like that make basketball the stepchild to there football programs.

Until MSU basketball season starts, "Roll Tide."

Not past five

ESPN has a poll this morning asking how many more games are left to the NBA Finals. Let me answer that question for you, "Not more than five." If you don't have a babysitter, get one. If you don't have a TIVO or DVR, get one. This is needed in case you attend church on Sunday evenings. If you don't live near a sports bar or own a big screen TV, find one or buy one.

On Sunday, Kobe Bryant is going to deliver a performance worthy of the NBA Finals MVP he will earn, an Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and a Tony award. This little odyssey began with the trading of Shaq, changing his number from 8 to 24, the subconscious anger felt by the public and the NBA anointing LaBron James, an unproven king by the way, its new face, the loss to the Pistons in '04, the loss to the Celtics in '08. Talk about getting your popcorn ready.

I'm not sure what to expect, but I promise it won't be pretty for the Magic. This beat down will be akin to waking up one morning and having great sex with your man, going off to work only to return home to an empty house and a Dear John letter indicating that your man wants a divorce. When the wife asks her man, why the divorce and why the great sex in the morning? He replies,” I got sick of the disrespect, and as far as the great sex, you'll never forget who I am--"The Man, the truth" (Kobe Bryant).

One Mo' Time Babygirl: Game 4 ("It's On")

"Outraged"

First, I am outraged by the rumors of firing Mike Brown. I would rather see the coach of the Denver Nuggets fired, but that is another story for another time. Second, Skip Bayless of ESPN is an idiot and should be fired for suggesting that Mike Brown be fired and that LaBron can’t win the big one with him at the helm.

LaBron didn’t get into the NBA finals this year because he came up against a better team in the Orlando Magic. During the regular season Orlando beat the Cavs 4 out of the six times they played. Also, LaBron’s supporting cast needs help. Get LaBron a better supporting cast, and I promise you the big game will come.

I was also outraged by Skip Bayless assertion that LaBron needed a coach of “statue.” He began to rattle off names like Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, and Pat Riley etc. Question? Can anybody tell me who these men were before Michael Jordan, the Pistons, and Magic Johnson? Perhaps, Skip Bayless didn’t name any African-American coaches because with the exception of the great Bill Russell, Black coaches have not been given the same opportunities, past or present, to get it right over a period of time as others have. I’ll say it, White coaches.

For Skip Bayless to suggest that LaBron was acting as coach during periods of the Orlando series is insulting, a slap in the first to Mike Brown, and not the first time a star player exerted influence. I’m sure Phil listened to Michael Jordan. Paul Westhead got fired because he refused to listen to Magic. Does one think Kobe doesn’t have some juice right about now? Think again.

I would agree that there needs to be some changes in the NBA, but not starting with the Coach of the Year—Mike Brown.

"Swept Away"

Not only is the bloom out of the closet, but the dustpan. If Orlando doesn't come out smokin' on Tuesday, this thang is a wrap. I'm not sure if Orlando is awed by the LA bright lights, the movie stars, Kobe or what. Questions? Why is JJ Reddick handling the ball. Why hasn't Dwight Howard received more playing time? This is a problem on all cylinders. Van Gundey and his staff need to get it together or the disrepect of what has been a great Orlando season will continue and deservingly so.

"Chalk it up to no class"

For a long time, people have been making the comparison between LaBron James and Michael Jordan. Well, that comparison was not made more clear than last night. Remember when the Detroit Pistons beat the Chicago Bulls, and remember how Michael Jordan acted? Last night LaBron James acted in that similar classless fashion by not talking to the media, shaking hands and congratulating the winning team (Orlando Magic). LaBron has never been camera shy before. I guess we can "chalk" this behavior up to being a sore loser and classless. If we have more of this to look forward to from the "King", the question then becomes, "how is this sportsman like?" How can we justify calling him a winner, and more importantly, what do we tell the kids?

I was always told to never count my chickens before they are hatched. The NBA Commissioner, the City of Cleveland and all you other LaBron James fans should have learned this same lesson. So, I say to all of you this morning, go ahead and pay off your bets because I am definitely going to get my money this morning, not to mention talk big shit in the process, cry on your pillows, and for goodness sake, get rid of those ugly muppets that look neither like Kobe (The Truth) or LaBron (Sore LOSER).

Lastly if I may shed some light on this lose by the Cavs to the season the Pistons had when they lose to the Spurs in the NBA Finals. I remembered Chauncy Billups saying that they played hard all year long for home court advantage throughout, swept through the playoffs, and by the time they got to the Spurs in the finals, they were just exhausted. Now, if a complete team, at the time, like the Pistons got exhausted in the finals, what in the heck did you guys think would happen to the one man show? I saw how exhausted LaBron James looked last night. He couldn't give anymore because he had carried that team the entire season. the NBA is a "team sport starting with the center position." One man can no longer do it alone than Fred Astaire could dance the Waltz without Ginger Rogers.

I didn't get the NBA Finals I wanted. I thought Denver was a much better team and should have won. I also think the Denver coach should be fired. Remember the Dallas Mavericks fired Avery Johnson, and he lost the finals. Carl has had a great team for some years now that has underachieved. Not all of this is his fault entirely; however, we are a society that honors, respects and reveres leadership. Carl is ultimately responsible for this fiasco. On the other hand, I would like to see Kobe win won without Shaq. Shaq was classless last year with his rap rendition of how Kobe still needed him or couldn't win one without him. I get confused with the silly bullshit of NBA players sometimes.

As I stated, the NBA is a team sport beginning with the center spot. Every great team has had one and Orlando is no exception. I plan to watch every game because I am a fan, and not because I have an allegance to one player over the other. It will be fun to watch. My last words," may the best team win."