For some time, Charles Barkley has expressed an interest in running for public office, specifically, the governorship of Alabama. However, there may be a better opportunity in another state. Since he will be serving a jail term in a few weeks, that should give him the inside track in the next race for governor of Illinois where incarceration seems to be a right of passage for ambitious politicians. Usually the governor does time after his term in office, but why not reverse the sequence and get it out of the way?
Another Look at Iverson for Billups:
Questions were raised here and elsewhere about the wisdom of trading Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson at the beginning of the season. Or should we say lack of wisdom? The Pistons, with Iverson, had until recently gone under .500 and were fading fast. Meanwhile, the Nuggets were in first place in their division, a real upside surprise. To add fuel to the fire, with Iverson out with a back injury, the Motor City squad has won two in a row to get back to .500, including a win over the Celtics on Sunday. Defenders of the trade can still cite cap space considerations as the primary rationale for the deal. But is this a case of destroying the team in order to save it?
Jim Calhoun - How to Win Friends and Influence People:
Jim Calhoun of Connecticut has never come across as Mr. Warmth or as a master of tact or diplomacy. So when he was ambushed by a journalist/activist/community organizer over his lucrative pay package, sure enough he proceeded to propel a very awkward situation into a public relations nightmare, saying, among other things, that he was getting old and would "like to be able to retire one day". Calhoun must be another one of those gloom-and-doomers who think Social Security and food stamps won't be there when he needs them.
A million dollars has practically become the minimum salary for big-time college football and basketball coaches, and many coaches like Billy Gillispie, Billy Donovan and Nick Saban make considerably more, not including outside income. Saban was reportedly given the entire state of Alabama. There are probably a dozen things Calhoun could have said to diffuse the situation, like "I don't think this is the appropriate time to discuss your legitimate question but I would be glad to meet with you at a mutually convenient time either publicly or privately". Or, "I am aware that I make a ridiculous amount of money to do something I love but I bring a great deal of revenue into the university and in our society, for better or worse, collegiate athletics is big business". Maybe the University of Connecticut should include anger management classes in Calhoun's compensation package.
Dick Vitale - Spokesman for the Downtrodden:
In commenting on the Calhoun affair, Dick Vitale, never content to put just one foot in his mouth, said that Calhoun is grossly underpaid. It's not the money you understand, but the principle.
Stephon Marbury - Worth the Risk?
There is always a risk when a team with good chemistry acquires a problem child, as the Celtics have done with Stephon Marbury. However, in this instance, Rasheed Wallace could be an appropriate case study. Wallace was a perennial poster boy for underachievement and uneven effort as a Trailblazer while being paid tens of millions - not exactly a testimony to his professionalism. But when traded to a championship caliber team, he took advantage of the opportunity and cleaned up his act enough to become an integral part of Detroit's championship run. Marbury could do the same for Boston. It's also unlikely that Kevin Garnett would put up with any nonsense from his new teammate. The one difference, and it's a major one, is that Marbury hasn't played for 18 months.
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