Larry Brown

Larry Brown is almost universally hailed as a brilliant coach, coveted by teams at all levels. Yet in his pro coaching career, he has left at least three franchises in shambles - New Jersey, Indiana, and New York. And then there was the 2004 Olympic team debacle. Memo to Charlotte Bobcats: Let the buyer beware.

To DH Or Not To DH

Allowing a designated hitter in the American League and not the National League makes as much sense as if the NBA included the three-point shot in the Western Conference but not in the Eastern Conference.

Fear of Commercials and Other Olympic Matters

While eagerly anticipating the China Olympics, I am already dreading the endless commercials and overwrought stories of athletes overcoming personal hardships.



The success of the U.S. Olympic Basketball team will be an important measure of the status of American hoops in the international hierarchy. Failure to the win the gold this time, considering the talent of the players and commitment by the coaches in light of the recent disappointments, might well mark the official end of American primacy in the game it invented.



A poor showing by the American squad would tarnish the legacy of Coach K whose Duke teams have underachieved in recent NCAA tournaments.