Jason Collins provides a watershed moment in pro sports

It says more about society than it does him that Jason Collins’ compelling essay announcing to the world that he is gay was greeted with such joy and relief and respect and praise.

But as far as we may think we have come as a tolerant society, the heartfelt story that broke shortly ago at si.com is important and its impact cannot be diminished.

Collins, a 12-year NBA veteran, is the first North American professional athlete (and he is a 34-year-old free agent on the downside of his career in many ways) to come out while still active in his career.

It was – and I don’t toss this word around too lightly when it comes to simple games and the men who play them – a courageous act.

And a significant one.

To some, it will evoke shrugs, as it should because who really cares? But that’s an overly-simplistic attitude to take; it is all well and good to say some of us don’t care about such things but this will be a watershed moment in moving the machismo world of professional sports a bit closer to the reality of life.

Collins is sure to be the subject of some level of retribution from the ignorant and intolerant among us, he surely knew this as he penned those words. And yet he did it, he put himself out there not for selfish reasons, I don’t imagine, but because it’s important to show the world that it is of paramount importance to be true to yourself.

The essay is brilliant, it touches on every imaginable aspect of life, a compelling story of why and how he arrived at the decision to open his life so widely to the world. It will go down as one of the greatest and most important statements ever made by an athlete.

I don’t know Jason Collins at all – I may have been on the periphery of scrums with him over the course of his career – but I applaud him for his courage and his willingness to be such a leader; to do something no one in his position has ever done before.

There are other gay athletes in professional sports – it’s inconceivable that there are not given the sheer numbers – and they will have to wrestle with their own consciences on how they handle themselves.

But there are also countless teenagers and young adults among us trying to become NBA players or NHL players or NFL players or titans of business or bartenders or what-have-you who are grappling with their own minds on an issue few of us can comprehend.

If, by his actions and his words and his willingness to put himself out there as a forerunner, Collins can make it easier for any of them to deal with what’s going on in their minds and their lives, incomprehensible good would have been done by one brilliant essay.

The world – sports, politics, business, industry – needs more men like Jason Collins who are willing to stand up and say:

This is who I am, this is what I stand for, this is the way I live.

I don’t know Jason Collins.

But we should all be proud of him.

 

Howard exits with reputation in tatters

Try to find me a prominent athlete – in any sport – who has fallen as far and as fast as Dwight Howard.

Not sure it can be done.

Remember when he was the Poster Boy for fun-loving, dominant athletes, playing in NBA Finals and smiling all the time, the next great big man in the game. Dunk contests. TV commercials. Big games.

He was everywhere.

Now?

Watching him quit on his team last night – and getting a second technical foul the way he did when did under the circumstances of the game as he did was out and out giving up – and wonder into the darkness of the Staples Center hallways was a fitting end to a horrid season.

And no matter what he said after the game (he was sorry, the season was like a bad dream, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah) I can’t help but think he’s done irreparable damage to his image and his career.

Look, the Lakers had all kinds of issues and to lay the disaster of the season solely at the feet of Howard is unfair.

Steve Nash was never healthy, Kobe Bryant was never healthy, I think they panicked on the Mike Brown hiring and blew it when Mike D’Antoni couldn’t figure out how to use his best big man in Pau Gasol.

But Howard?

Howard never seemed to buy in totally, he never truly asserted himself and he still has some impressive physical tools. He gave up too easily and that will be the one thing many remember from this lost Laker season.

I was at one time a big Howard fan because he seemed to strike a balance between great play and fun. Now? Now I think he doesn’t take responsibility for himself or respect the game or his teammates in many ways. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who cares about being as good as he can in many ways, someone who takes the easy way out and that’s a shame.

Now, someone is going to give Howard a maximum value contract – it could very well be the Lakers – but this is a total Buyer Beware situation.

Maybe he gets it, eventually.

Maybe he doesn’t.

It’s a gamble and after this horrid season, not one I’d take.

But I guess that’s why I’m not an NBA GM or owner.

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Apropos of nothing …

Got a lot of time for Philly and was thinking about it a bit this weekend for some reason.

Good song, too.

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Don’t tell anyone but even I was kind of hoping for Leaves-Habs in the first round of the playoffs because I do respect the history and the tradition and I have some good friends who are Montreal fans (hello, Penny Clan!) and it would have been nice to see how they reacted to the next few days.

But if those Orr and Cheevers fellows have big series, I’m not sure the locals have much of a chance, do they?

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Grudgingly – and I presume there are KG fans reading here who might not think the same way and we quite happy with what transpired Sunday afternoon -- you have to have a bit of respect for the Boston Celtics, no?

It’s easy, very easy, to mail it in with an old team without a legitimate point guard down 3-0 to a superior opponent; easy to say, well, we gave it our best, it wasn’t good enough, let’s get on with the summer and take our beating and go away.

And it would have been even easier to do that after blowing a 20-point lead in the middle and later part of Game 4.

But they stuck it out, it wasn’t pretty and it may ultimately mean nothing more than the season was prolonged 48 hours but they did it.

And I know they’re supposed to do it, all teams are supposed to do it but many don’t. A veteran team wouldn’t give up at home, was good to see.

Too bad they’re likely to get drilled in Game 5.

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Not sure if any of you were paying attention on Saturday night when the caricature that is Don Cherry used his bully pulpit to opine that women reporters should not be allowed into locker rooms.

The buffoon.

The statement itself was idiotic – the women are professional reporters doing their jobs and to think otherwise is absolutely ludicrous – but I guess it should come as no surprise, coming as it did from a guy who appears stuck in some bygone era.

But here’s the deal:

I don’t really care what Don Cherry says or thinks and I imagine I’m in a majority of right-thinking people in that regard.

I believe freedom of speech is a wonderful thing and should be guarded and protected at all costs.

But with free speech – and the freedom to expose one as a backwards-thinking bully – comes repercussions. Always should be.

You can say whatever the heck you want as long as you’re wiling to accept the consequences for your actions and statements and I happen to think there should be some consequences for Saturday’s diatribe.

Probably won’t be and that’s too bad. That speaks as much to the CBC and its willingness to bow to the meandering mind of a showman.

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So my TFCs are in Montreal mid-week and have a two-game western road trip coming up so I have no idea what the Tall Foreheads might have for me this week.

Maybe I can get some HOTH resolution quickly so I don’t have to be a’scared of being dragged into the pucks.

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The end of the weekend mail

Told you there’d be more.

Thanks, made for another good mail weekend.

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Q: How do make plans in your line of work? Things change in a hurry.

Tim made it clear Raptors were a priority, their TV footprint is small and the brand has been diminished. Although attendance has been strong to me the quickest fix would be a talent upgrade.

Do have any sense if the new regime would be willing to be a luxury tax team? Also it appears MLSE kept the appointment leak proof.

Johnny C, Mississauga

A: Funny you should ask.

It was just the other night when a friend asked if I “was always on call” and I had to say, yes. Things happen when they happen and while there are minor things you might be able to slough off until the morning, most of the time if stuff happens, you have to react, quickly.

And, yeah, even this current regime is wiling to be a tax team in the right circumstances, they are right now, actually. But it’s one thing to be willing to pay a hefty tax, it’s quite another to find the right people at the right time under the right circumstances to get them in order to do it.

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Q: Hi Doug, I hope this finds you well!

Just curious what the Raptors (the main guys anyways - Rudy, Demar, Amir, Jonas, Kyle, etc.) summer plans are - where are they spending it, how are they spending it, etc.)

Also, couldn't avoid reading about the Phil Jackson rumors - personally I'm a huge Casey fan and would like to see him back, but if you had to choose, Phil + new coach or Bryan + Casey, who would it be? Thanks!

Meaghan S

A: Most of them will be spending the bulk of the time in their off-season “homes” with family. DeMar’s in Vegas, I believe Kyle’s in Philly, Jonas is going to be back in Lithuania and I think I heard Rudy was in L.A., as is Amir.

But they’ll get together at least a bit of the time, either working out in L.A. or in Vegas around the summer league season.

I don’t know that I can make that choice unless we know for sure who the second coach is. But I am of the belief that this franchise needs some consistency and not another period of constant change.

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Q: My dad travelled the same bus/subway/streetcar route to arrive to work for the same company doing much the same job in the same office for over 35 years. And with most of the same co-workers. (And I think he ate the same lunch of mac 'n cheese with a side of chef's salad and a glass of orangeade at the same diner across the street, all that time, too.)

But times have changed. Recent studies show that these days most of us will have three or four career changes during our working lives, and often these are welcome challenges and offer us the opportunity to explore new interests and develop other abilities.

However, for professional athletes the road to career change may be not so welcome and the path difficult to navigate. If not treacherous. I've just finished reading the heartbreaking story of

Allan Iverson in today's Toronto Star, and while some of Iverson's troubles would appear to be related to issues of addiction, I'm wondering if the NBA player's association provides ongoing support and counselling for its members as they make the transition from playing to post-playing days?

Thank you.

Lorie P, London

A: I was telling a friend the other day about my dad, who was in the same circumstances and drove the same route to work for about 45 years; same house to the same office. I’d be stir crazy inside of 15 years, I’m sure.

And, yes, the Players Association makes available all kinds of counseling and post-career advice to anyone who needs it; and the good agents out there do the same thing. But it’s always up to the individual player and I don’t presume nearly enough of them do.

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Q: Hope this helps fill your mailbag.

Read about Raptors pursuing Phil Jackson for a position similar to Pat Riley's in Miami. If that is true what are the odds of it happening? What does that do for BC option being picked up or not?

If/when the Raptors make the playoffs do you think there would be a dramatic increase in ticket sales similar to the Leafs?

What is your favourite colour?

When you are doing you IGBT and you mention about local knuckleheads in the stands, which arena has the the worse?

As always Doug, much appreciation for what you do for us fans whether we be irregular or not.

Ken L, Bath

A: I’m not going to lay odds on that at all, I’m afraid. And we’ll have to wait on the BC thing, too. It’s impossible for me to call with the information I’ve been able to get first-hand at this point.

I don’t know that they’d have the stones to hike them as much as the pucks did after a lockout-shortened season and nine years of missing the playoffs; that was gall to the Nth degree. But they would go up, of that should can be sure.

Know whose fans can be, um, bad? Sacramento back when they used to draw and Utah. A fair amount of profanity at both. Philly’s bad, but they’re bad sometimes in a humourous way.

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Q: Hi - a couple of weeks ago during a game, the commentators were talking about a team and its point guard (sorry, I'm weak on the details because I had half an ear on the conversation) and they were saying that it's a great thing to have your best player be a point guard because he controls the game. Or something along those lines ...

Anyway, that got me thinking. (which can be dangerous) If you could start building a team with a star at *any one* particular position, would it be point guard? If all other things were equal, and you could have an all-star at only one position, and then put a supporting cast around that position, what position would you start with? Or would that matter, depending on the quality of that star? What would be the next thing you'd look for? Say your all star is a point guard, do you look for an experienced big man?

Sportschic

A: It probably would be the point guard because the true great ones can not only make themselves into all-stars, they can make it easier for relatively lesser-talented players to maximize their abilities. That said, it’s hard to find those guys so you hope the people you have improve.

I’d probably say next up would be a wing – small forward in the old vernacular – who can play off the guard’s abilities, either by creating and making his own shots or hitting three-pointers consistently.

And then I think you’d fill in the other wing spots and then find bigs.

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Q: Jarret Jack seems to playing at quite a high level this year - his play during the playoffs so far has been great. I don't remember that kind of performance from him while he was here.

Is my memory faulty, has he improved his game exponentially, or was it the environment here?

Brad W, Courtenay, BC

A: He’s indeed having a great year and I don’t think too many people saw it coming at all. I’d chalk it up to his maturity as a man and as a player along with the right combination of teammates and a role he’s willing to accept.

So, I don’t know that his “game” has improved exponentially as much as it’s been a confluence of events coming together in a perfect storm.

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Q: Hey Doug

Hope you enjoy the TFCs today!

I was hoping you would clear up a couple of questions about the salary cap.

You frequently say that using the amnesty on Kleiza and Bargnani would do essentially the same thing: bring the team under the tax but still over the cap.

Why is there a difference between the cap ceiling and the luxury-tax tier? How big is the difference?

It always struck me as curious that amnestying a 4-5 million dollar/year player would have the same consequences as the amnestying of an 11 million dollar player.

Regards,

Alex H, Toronto

A: The TFCs were great; I could do without the buzzer-beater nature of the game and kept wondering where all the timeouts were down the stretch but it was fun.

There is a difference – and it’s always been a percentage of Basketball Related Income – between cap and tax to allow for a little wiggle room for teams. Used to be about 7 per cent of BRI, and it’s going to shrink, I believe, over the course of this CBA as the tax becomes more arduous.

So being the middle doesn’t make any difference in what cap exceptions you have at your disposal; meaning there is no financial benefit to doing one over the other.

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Q: Hi Doug:

I, for one, am not unhappy with the Raptor's progress this year. I like the current core where each member has the potential to get better. If all the players improve their game for next year how much better can the Raptors be? If DeMar and Rudy each get better and work better with each other, do you think they could be the best dynamic duo since Batman and Robin?

Enjoy your summer, I am looking forward to the fall.

GRW

A: They’d be behind Batman and Robin, Burns and Allen, Martin and Lewis, Lewis and Clark, Astaire and Rogers, Rogers and Astaire, Lucy and Ethel and Fred and Barney and a whole raft of others.

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Q: Hi Doug

I'm a first time writer, but regular reader of yours. Thanks for the high quality coverage of the Raptors.

I'm watching Jared Jack and Jared Bayless look pretty good in their back up roles on solid playoff teams. I can't help thinking that for all the point guard discussion around the Raptors over the past 5 - 6 years, management hasn't done very well assessing talent. They traded T.J. Ford to bring in Jack, traded Jack to bring in Bayless and then let Bayless walk and got nothing in return.

I get that Jose Calderon's expiring contract was a tradeable asset and that it brought in a higher end talent in Rudy Gay. Given the absence of a rare top tier point guard coming the teams way via the draft in recent years (like John Wall, Steph Curry or Kyrie Irving) it seems we're having to make do with the next tier of talent at that position. Which isn't a bad thing if you find a complimentary fit for your other parts.

I'd propose letting Lowry walk this summer (not pick up the contract option) and bringing back Jose, who in my opinion makes everyone around him better. They could then draft or trade for a young guard who Jose could mentor over the next few seasons as Jonus and Damar come of age.

A final thought... I know you're sick of the Andrea saga... But hey you do cover a non-playoff team with limited narratives... I think the team would be short sighted to trade him when his value is a an all time low. Frustrating player since he went down with the calf injury last season? Absolutely! Potential star coming in as a 6th man next year? We can hope.

Your thoughts?

Larry, B.C.

A: If you could guarantee that letting Kyle go long before Jose would have to decide his future and knowing that the financial offers Calderon is likely to get can’t be matched here, I’m sorry to say you’re plan is too pie-in-the-sky.

Toss in the fact they don’t have a draft pick and it’s even more implausible.

Andrea? Who’s to say his value is at an all-time low? He could be worse and I’ve never proposed giving him away for nothing, if there’s deal that management thinks will improve the team, they have to make it.

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Q: Doug, do we know what kind of problem Rudy was having with his left?

Glad to know he's had it corrected, but didn't know there was problem to start with.

TL I

A: We don’t. The organization is not the best with sharing medical information these days – a frustrated situation for the writers – but I’m told it was an out-patient procedure that was no big day and a success.

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Q: Tom Anselmi was President and COO of MSLE. The new guy is President and CEO.

Does this mean that Tom no longer has title of President? Is he now a COO?

So who will have final say on the direction of the teams? In other words, what will be their working relationship as normally the COO runs the operation?

Dave B, Cornwall

A: Yes, Tom is no longer president and is COO, which is no surprise to anyone.

The man at the top is Leiweke and will make ultimate decisions in concert with the board and ownership.

But here’s the thing: This is a billion dollar company with four sports teams, a handful of venues, condos, restaurants, bars and real estate. It is sooooooooo much more than sports teams it’s not even funny. And to think one man will handle everything is silly, he will hire and put in place people he trusts to do the right thing.

And I don’t have any expertise in CEO-COO dealings – and, actually, that level of business bores me to tears – but they’ll figure it out.

The start of the weekend mail

You people slay me!

A late flurry of very good questions loaded this up as heavy as it’s ever been. And since I loafed a bit Saturday night – I covered a buzzer-beater soccer game, I was entitled – go through this for this morning and we’ll have the rest of them this evening.

Deal?

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Q: Hi Doug,

Several years ago, mired in the Isiah era, the Knicks were in the vicinity of being most disappointing sports franchises in recent memory. Perhaps the only saving grace from that time was bringing Glen Grunwald into the fold.

Now that he appears to hold the reigns, the Knicks have had arguably the best year of any team in the league, given pre-season projections and the rash of injuries that they have sustained.

I had a measure of admiration for Grunwald as being honest, self-effacing (in contrast to some other Raptors GMs), and forthright. His apology to the Raptors faithful at the end of the disastrous '98 season (see Isiah) at MLG was both a high and low light in the franchise's history.

Could you please reflect on the factors that led to Grunwald's dismissal and your appraisal of his work here and in NYC?

Sincerely,

Frank B.

A: There was no one specific thing that precipitated Glen’s mid-season departure that I ever heard of; I think ownership and upper management just thought it was time for a change. I know the mixture of personalities between he and Kevin O’Neill, who was hired primarily by people above Glen’s pay grade when he was interested in hiring a guy by the name of Mike Woodson, was toxic and that might have had something to do with.

I will say this with 100 per cent confidence:

Firing Glen Grunwald was, by far, the single worst management move the franchise has ever made and likely will ever make. It set in motion a chain of events that took them the better part of a decade to dig out from under and it was the most regrettable move they ever made.

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Q: Hey Doug,

A couple of random things for you:

What's the deal with Tomislav Zubcic? Is he still the property of the Raptors? Is he any good? Is he going to come over to the NBA anytime soon?

Last week you talked about Sports Icons Jackie Robinson and Mohammad Ali. I've got another that I can throw out there, how about Jessie Owens? In his time, he was about as global as an athlete could get and how about the courage as a Black American to go into Nazi Germany in the Olympics and out performs the world.

You did the grades for the players, coaches and management, but what about a grade for the Chicken?

Thanks as always,

Jay

A: Zubic is still property of the Raptors and the last time I asked about him was a couple of months ago and I was told he was going to come over and play in the summer league. That could have changed but I haven’t heard otherwise. Can he play? I honestly don’t know, guess we’ll find out.

Sure, Jessie Owens was hugely significant but he was more a one-off thing that either Ali or Robinson.

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Q: Doug, I can supply a couple of questions for the mailbag. What do you think of the Cavaliers re-hiring Mike Brown? I think it is unusual to recycle a coach and wonder if he brings anything more than Byron. Does this affect the rumoured potential of LeBron returning to Cleveland to end his career?

I read yesterday that the NBA TV ratings are down this year? Why do you think this happened? Did the lockout last year keep the NBA in the news and lead to a record year? Did the games almost every night help? Did the lack of balance in the teams this year (which the CBA was supposed to fix) lead to the decline? Did the boredom of the Heat riding over everybody and expected to win the championship remove hope for other teams and their fans?

Do all the bottom feeder teams take away interest in games? Does the lack of Raptor games on TV in the USA ("USA-USA-USA") lead to lack of interest in the NBA? J

Dave B, Cornwall

A: It’s unusual to recycle a coach to the same franchise, no question, and I was quite surprised that the Cavs acted so quickly to bring back a guy they didn’t want such a short time ago. The LeBron thing, I think, is being over-stated. First, it’s at least a year away and I don’t think any team should make such a major decision on a coach with something that might or might not happen in the future in mind. Plus, I have spoken to people who’ve written extensively about LeBron and have some insight into his character and they suggest it will be talent around him rather than a coach that will be the biggest factor.

TV ratings? I imagine it has a lot to do with the basic fracturing of viewing habits, there are a lot of good other choices available and maybe some people just found what they think are better things to turn their attention to. It might not be because of anything basketball did; it could be what other networks did better.

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Q: Disappointed to see that you wont do IGBT for the TFC. Would have been a fun change from the Raps, where you correct and (mildly) berate posters, to having the fans (politely) correct your soccer knowledge

Dan N

A: The thing with the IGBT is that it needs some sort of talking points – like plays and baskets and issues – to be as interactive as I want. You can’t get that from soccer, it’s almost as if there’s too much action to slow down and talk about.

Sure, my knowledge isn’t nearly technically-sound enough right now (it’ll get there) but people say it’s the same in the basketball.

Oh, and if you’ve done any of the IGBTs, and I appreciate and expect you have, you know we need stoppages – whistles, quarter breaks, timeouts – for it to work.

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Q: Hi Doug

It's always a pleasure to you read your blog daily. I have two questions for your mailbox. I'm asking you because I truly respect what you do. The topic is not Raptors related, but I think some of your readers might relate to this.

I'm revamping the way my company does business development on the web and I hired two very trusted marketing professionals to advise us. The new plan is for the individuals on the leadership team to blog alongside some of our subject matter experts to increase our web traffic, lead generation, and improve our overall brand. I believe this will be successful because the folks in my company tend to 'go big or go home'. Now I find myself needing to write on a somewhat regular basis on the industry I am in, for anyone or everyone to read. I'm an opinionated individual, and I've always been a bit of a black sheep with the way I think and I believe I am somewhat-not-normal with the way I think. Frankly.... Sharing worries bejesus out of me.

What are some guiding principles or rules that you put in place when you write your entries? What are some cardinal sins of blogging that you try not to commit?

If you find yourself in the Yonge/Adelaide area, I'll gladly buy you an adult beverage :)

Alex

A: Very cool on the blogging for your work, I bet it’ll make you feel far more “connected” to whoever it is you’re trying to reach.

My principles very simple, actually: Never mislead, never write something simply to provoke, always believe in what you’re typing.

I think readers of blogs want to know the writer on a deeper level than, say, a reporter so I would suggest letting them know a little about you personally. But the one hard and steadfast rule I have is no family names. It’s Super Son, Super Wife, Super Dog and that’s all. Ever. People don’t need too much information.

But mostly the one guideline: Have fun and don’t let the crazies get you down.

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Q: Hi Doug

First of all thanks for the reminder about Sports Night! Think I saw them all but have never seen since so just downloaded both seasons. The ultimate compliment to this show was my wife, who hates sports, used to love the show as well.

My question is what Bryan and the Henchman are busy with now? I assume there is still pro scouting to do? Perhaps they have to stay ready in case they get a draft pick but I don't think they are the slightest bit interested.

Also just out of interest will the Raptors be represented at the draft lottery or does Houston have a representative in the chair? I assume the Raps have to send someone just in case they win the lottery and get up to top three.

Thanks

Mike in Cambridge

A: There’s not a lot of scouting to do right now but if an agency is putting together some group workout they’ll go and take a look. There’s also the pre-draft combine in mid-May that they’ll be at; other than that, it’s business things, a bit of long-term planning (training camps, summer schedules for coaches to go see players, run of the mill stuff).

And, yes, they will have someone on the podium at the lottery and someone in the back to make sure nothing nefarious happens. I don’t know yet who those people will be.

All kinds of layers to a major hiring

Well, well, well.

Wasn’t that a day?

Too much to not take a few shots here, hope you don’t mind but we’ll delay the mail a day. There probably wasn’t enough to carry two days anyway.

So …

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The phone wasn’t handy at the exact moment of the Tim Leiweke announcement from MLSE yesterday around noon – there were other important things on the agenda – but it sure binged like crazy right after.

And I don’t think it was 10 minutes between a note on the new CEO coming to town and the first Phil Jackson connect-the-dots thing was pointed out.

Does it mean anything?

I don’t know but you’d fully expect a new guy – if he wants to make a huge splash right off the bat – would certainly make a call and people would make sure the public knew about it simply to be seen as the new arrival being very active.

Now, a lot of people I respect suggest Jackson to Toronto is not far-fetched at all but it took me about 10 minutes to find someone who suggested Jackson wouldn’t leave his kids, grandkids and fiancé on the West Coast and that Seattle – if it happens – might be a more logical landing place for the former coach with more championship rings than any coach in the game.

But does Jackson make sense?

He’s certainly a name, no question about it; would be the most significant addition the Raptors have made ever. He’s got the kind of cache around the sport that few, if any, have ever had.

Whether he can do the job or not no one can even pretend to know since there’s no history to fall back on, no baseline to research. He’s been a coach -- a crazily successful coach – but whether that translates into front office success if far from guaranteed.

But it is nice to dream and Jackson’s a big a fish in his realm as Leiweke is in his and for one day, MLSE got it right and made the big splash.

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I think George Jones and Willie Nelson singing a duet called I Gotta Get Drunk might be among the coolest things ever.

RIP, George. Even if you don’t have any interest in country music, he was an icon.

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Oh yeah.

Bryan Colangelo.

There didn’t seem to be any ringing endorsements from the new guy, did there?

Mean anything?

Probably not.

Isn’t it just prudent for the boss to be a bit coy and non-committal in things like that? There was no need to come to any definitive resolution yesterday – it’s simply logical and respectful that Leiweke would sit and chat with Colangelo before coming to any resolution – but maybe now things will move more quickly on that matter and we can get on with whatever the future holds.

What I love is that the number of people who are now clamouring for a change at the top – and the group grew yesterday – just because someone floated the Phil Jackson name out there, as if that’s a guarantee, or even a possibility.

It is simply solid business to listen to the guy already in place, see what the plan is and then make an informed decision.

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This certainly got lost in the shenanigans of a Friday but Rudy Gay at a “minor procedure” on his left eye.

No more details than that – let’s just say the medical staff at the Raptors tends to keep a lot of things very private and in-house – but there’s no suggestion it’s anything more than minor.

Gay, as you recall, toyed with the idea of wearing glasses of some sort at the end of the season – he practiced with them on but never broke them out in a game – and the feeling is Friday’s “procedure” was a continuation of that process.

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Hey, I’m TFC Boy today, wish me luck!

And sleep fast so you can wake up and read whatever gems I come up with, thank you very much, you lucky readers.

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Yeah, no mail today and I might have enough to fill out something substantial tomorrow but if there’s a burning question, it’s askdoug@thestar.ca.

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Oh yeah, I understand on his conference call and in a radio interview Leiweke talked about winning championships and turning the Raptors into some version of the Lakers (the good Lakers, not the current Lakers) or Heat and that he wants to win Stanley Cups and bring some Beckham-ish figure to the TFCs.

Would have been a far bigger story if he’d said the status quo was fine, wouldn’t it have been.

Great talk, but any proof will have to eventually be in the pudding and it seemed it was a whole of New Suit Boilerplate, albeit from a guy who ran one of the most successful sports empires of our time at AEG.

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George and Willie were good; this is pretty solid on his own, no?

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Close games aren't always good games; and a TV show list

Shorties, a list and a little shot or two; fine way to end a week, no?

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Got comfy on the couch to take a bit of Bulls-Nets last night and while I can appreciate the grind-it-out nature of NBA playoff basketball as well as the next guy and better than a few, that bordered on unwatchable at times.

It wasn’t so much that the defences were stifling as much as it was the offences were inept and a 79-76 game will do nothing to enhance the viewing experience.

Of course, if you’re a Bulls fan you really don’t care and that might have been the game that turns the series but the Nets at one point went something ridiculous like 1-for-25 from the field; that’s just ugly. Not Good Ugly, either.

There are purists who will suggest it doesn’t matter, I will suggest it does matter, a lot. And if you asked any fan in her or his heart of hearts whether a 79-76 grindfest is even remotely as interesting as, say, Golden State’s 131-117 win in Denver the other night, if they don’t say the Warrior game, they’re probably lying.

Or related to Tom Thibodeau.

Maybe it was just a one-off event, maybe not but I will say this, the Eastern Conference series have been dogs compared to the West, if we could only get the West games to start a reasonable hour, we’d all be better off for it.

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How in the world would anyone be surprised there were some minor issues with the pucks and the online pre-selling of playoff tickets.

It’s not like they had the internet the last time they were in, right?

Didn’t men wear suits and fedoras to those games?

Anyway, I hear the big kafuffle about the ticket prices; huge boosts for even the worst seats in the house and I’m thinking, yeah, it’s much ado about nothing as the guy once wrote.

They – and every sports team on earth – can charge what they can get and you know the pucks fans around here, they’ll gladly fork over whatever it takes to see a game. And a playoff game is even better.

I guess the one concern they should have – and I’m not sure they care an awful lot about this anyway – is that if they price these ones out of the realm of reality, is it going to be hard for regular folk to pay regular season prices knowing they’ve probably got no shot at affording post-season tickets in eight or nine years when they’re back in the playoffs.

Is that a big deal though? Apparently not.

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For no particular reason, The Kinks.

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Okay, there’s frost on the car and I’m hearing about skiing at Blue Mountain and it’s April Freaking Twenty-Sixth!!

We can stop this now, right? Isn’t it patio time? And golf season?

Really.

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List time. Again.

Thanks to a fine Irregular, I learned something yesterday when we were thinking about bit characters. Warren Coolidge of White Shadow fame once showed up on St. Elsewhere, wearing his Carver t-shirt.

Cool, no.

Anyway, of course that got me thinking about the best sports-related TV shows of all time and while there’ve been a few clunkers, there’s also been a few good ones.

Would this be a Top 5 that’s suitable for you all, from No. 1-5?

(And the only debate I had with myself is whether Cheers is a sports-based show or a bar-based show and I went with bar because, well, because this is arbitrary and I wanted to)

So …

Friday Night Lights

I have to admit I haven’t seen all that much of it, it used to be on Fridays, right? And I used to do a lot of basketball games and never did the PVR or On Demand thing.

But I did read the book and I agree with the general consensus that it’s the best of the best.

Not sure I could name a character or three but if it wasn’t first, this wouldn’t be a legit list. Although, personal preference and the opinion of others I respect suggest the gap between No. 1 and 2 isn’t all that wide.

White Shadow

For its time, it was kind of cutting edge, wasn’t it? Dealt with issues of the day and probably should have lasted longer.

Best character?

Salami. No cheese.

Sports Night

Any show that had Felicity Huffman and Joshua Molina and Peter Krause and was an Aaron Sorkin production should have had a long and illustrious run. One of the vastly under-rated programs of the era, no?

There will be those who suggest it’s No. 2 and I could probably live with that.

Check this out and tell me I’m wrong.

Coach

Sure, a bit hokey but what the heck, weren’t we all Minnesota State Screaming Eagles fans.

And, sure, Jerry Van Dyke and Shelley Fabares were good supporting bits but didn’t some of us have a crush on Hayden’s daughter?

Jumped the shark, big time, when he started coaching in the pros.

Arliss

Had a pretty good run and a solid, solid cast, might have been a bit cliché but they got good guests to show up.

And Sandra Oh was all right, too.

Sound like a solid Top 5?

And can anyone match my vague, vague recollection of a show about sports talk radio or something like that with Jason Alexander and the kid who was Cosby’s son?

Seems to me it lasted about a week.

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Really, folks.

While I appreciate you not pestering me with “who can they trade Andrea for” questions and that you must want me to shut it down for a big chunk of the weekend, there’s not nearly enough mail to even get me/us through a day.

Help a fellow out at askdoug@thestar.ca if you want.

Thanks.

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A record to be proud of, and to hope lasts forever

So the good folks at NBA Canada put me at the same table with Robert Horry for a delightful hour-long conversation yesterday and it was really cool.

He was here on a media tour to beat the drums for the NBA playoffs and it was an excellent chat, telling stories and talking about people and events; relaxing and interesting.

And given that the guy’s got seven NBA championship rings and hit just about every big shot he ever took, pretty topical for this time of year.

Given what’s going on this year, it was interesting to hear him say that his second most favourite championship – a close second to the 1995 “Never underestimate the heart of a champion” Houston Rockets – was the 2001 Lakers, who went an astonishing 16-1 on their way to a title.

He did mention that it’s all well and good to think that records are made to be broken and it’s the polite thing to say but, deep in his heart, he hopes that one stands for all time. The one loss – in Game 1 of the Finals against Allen Iverson and the Sixers – became a bitter pill.

“I think I took that loss harder than almost any loss … That was something special that would never, ever happen. Sweep everybody in the playoffs? I know David (Stern) and the big guys were mad because we swept everybody but we were just rolling. We came together as a team and we were clicking.”

Now, the context, of course, is whether the Miami Heat could go 16-0 this year given how overwhelming a favourite they are for a second straight championship.

I don’t think it can happen – it wouldn’t shock me if they ran the table in the East but there’s going to be someone awfully good waiting for them in the Finals – and I guess that just underscores what Horry and those Lakers did back then.

Think about it?

These are generally good and well-rested opponents who are quite capable of making in-series adjustments that should allow at least one of them to steal a game or two here or there, no?

But to go 12-0 before losing? And then to put that one loss – that was the game Iverson made the shot in the corner in front of the bench and stepped over Tyron Lue as we recalled – behind them and get four more in a row?

When we’re talking about all-time great playoff accomplishments – and we might with the Heat as this year’s post-season progresses – it’d be wise to keep that Laker team in mind, and in context.

(Of course, in the jinx world I live in, the Bucks will beat the Heat tonight and the talk will be moot but at least it’s good for this morning.)

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So Alan Arbus dies and what’s a guy to think about?

One of the best sitcom themes of all time.

Alan Arbus?

You don’t know?

How about Dr. Sindey Freedman?

Now, on the list of deep supporting characters in great TV shows, he’d probably be up there with Rev. Jim, right?

Who else have you got?

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Speaking of readers …

I need some writers. Letter writers. Mailbag letter writers.

Please. You know the drill, askdoug@thestar.ca and ask away.

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After gathering Super Son at the end of his work shift – and why there was a line of seven people with full carts at a Loblaws at 10:45 p.m. is beyond me – caught a second or two of Spurs-Lakers before crashing.

And how weird was it to see, for a few minutes at least, Cory Joseph out there going at Steve Nash.

There’s your past and your future of Canada’s national team point guard position and I’m not going to get all trite about the passing of the torch or anything like that but I imagine, deep in their hearts, it was a moment they thought about.

There’ll be more on Nash in the Nothing But Net stuff I have to type later this morning but I bet he thought at one point, well, my national program looks like it might be in good and capable hands.

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Okay, so I got to see the TFC-Impact game last night so I can get the lay of the land and learn at the feet of the masters before flying solo on Saturday afternoon and someone asks:

“Hey, how are you going to feel covering the soccer.”

I check the TFC season results to date and it becomes crystal clear:

"They lose buzzer-beaters and never make the playoffs."

I’m right at home.

But, really, it was kind of enlightening. Now, I’ve covered some soccer before – mostly the women’s national team the one time they played Brazil here and a handful of times at the Beijing and London Olympics but that was my first TFC game.

A couple of differences and a similarity from the usual gig:

You are very, very, very far away

I’ve had some dubious seats at some NBA games – sometimes in hockey press boxes – but not for a while and there’s quite a gap between where you sit and the someone what huge playing field.

It’s antiseptic

Now, I’m told that once the weather turns the windows open and that has to be better but last night it was like watching a game on TV with no sound. It made for a very odd experience, you really couldn’t get a feel for the energy a crowd might provide and the only noise was fingers on keyboard and me asking Not Grace, “hey, what did I just see?”

Routine post-game

Yeah, you get marshalled into a tiny room, the coach comes in, answers some questions and then you move on to the locker room area – and it’s a workout area rather than a real room – to get quotes from the players. That was entirely familiar and, yes, didn’t yield an awful lot of great quotes, just like with the basketball.

Not sure how often I’ll have to be around the games – we need to start working on a replacement for the irreplaceable D. Girard and Not Grace is going be around – but I think I can get the hang of it quickly.

Get ready to sleep fast Saturday night because the first gamer’s in Sunday’s paper. Lucky, lucky readers.

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Loutish fans just need to behave better

So the conversation with a couple of guys yesterday afternoon turns to what I do for a living and when the one gentleman finds out, he’s interested in knowing whether I do any baseball.

Turns out he’s got a beef and it doesn’t have to do with Gibby or the inability to field and the offence that’s gone south.

Totally anecdotal but he’s got a problem with Rogers Centre fans and that seems to be a bit of an ongoing issue.

Seems he had his children, both under 10 if I recall correctly, at a Junior Jays day, up in the 500 level and he’s aghast at the fights and the booze and vile language and the general boorishness of the people around him. It go so bad he and his family are considering dumping the rest of their flex pack tickets or at least moving to another part of the stadium.

Sound familiar?

I know the TV shows incessant looks at shiny, happy people but I’ve had a few friends and acquaintances tell me basic horror stories about the misbehaviour of people in the stands.

I find it quite remarkable, and quite informative that in some sections of the stadium, it’s like olden Argo days down at the Ex where it was a party more than a game.

Now, I’m all for having a good time at a ball game, it absolutely lends itself to a beer or two, a glacial pace to the action gives you all kinds of time to chat with the people you’re with and enjoy an afternoon or an evening.

But the lack of common sense, or common courtesy, appalls me.

I hear it at games I’m at – it is not limited solely to the Jays – but it seems worse with baseball this year.

There are youtube videos of Opening Day fights, we’ve read about people throwing things into the bullpen and my new acquaintance painted a picture that wasn’t pretty at all.

Now, I’m sure, like always, it’s a few that are spoiling for the majority but that’s always the case; the knucklheads get the attention.

So what’s the answer?

I don’t think it’s more police or more security or more no-booze sections because Rogers has to sell an awful lot of $530,600 beers to meet payroll.

No, it’s on the idiots to grow up and like civil humans.

Sure, cheer, yell, do what you want but act like respectful humans.

Respect those around you by not getting smashed and dropping F-bombs all over when there might be kids around, or grownups who don’t appreciate the vulgarity.

Respect yourself by taking into consideration those around you.

End of rant.

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Day late, I know

RIP Richie

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Mike Brown is back in Cleveland and Mike Dunlap is out in Charlotte and the NBA coaching carousel swings a wee it more.

The Dunlap firing is classic, totally classic.

Not only does it – yet again – bring into question the suitability of Michael Jordan as an owner and top executive (there’s a book to be written about his screw ups) but it gets to a point I’ve made repeatedly.

With very, very few exceptions – and I can’t think of one in the last 15 years -- college coaches cannot move to the NBA and succeed.

I know Dunlap was highly regarded and had some NBA experience but how in the world anyone thought it was fair to pluck a guy out of an assistant’s role at college and make him the head coach of a dreadful NBA team and be successful is beyond me.

I wonder if he’ll ever get another head coaching gig and it’s too bad, he might turn out to be okay (I have my doubts) but he was put in a position to fail by questionable ownership and then had the rug pulled out from under him probably too quickly.

It is forever thus.

Mike Brown? Guess there are Second Acts. Good luck with that.

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Can I just say that walking Super Dog in flipflops and sweats in the dawn hours is a good sign that summer might be actually approaching?

And I know there are those among you who share the affinity for that kind of understated fashion wear.

And when it gets to shorts and t-shirts, we’ll really talk.

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Hey, someone ask me what I’m doing Saturday.

“Hey, grunt, what’s up Saturday?”

“You’ll never guess. Really.”

“Are you running a marathon? Doing the pucks?”

“Nope. Get this: I am scribbling about the TFCs!”

Yep, the one and only Dan Girard, as universally loved a colleague as I’ve ever had, has left the newspaper to pursue other interests and they need to someone to fill in.

And, guess who got the gig for this weekend?

No, I don’t know the intricacies of the game but as long as I’ve got The First Lady Of The Beat (a noted football scribbler) sitting nearby and Not Grace’s e-mail, I’ll be cool.

But, no, there will be no IGBT because how many times can I write: “Hey, he kicked it far! Wow, he kicked it hard. Hey, he kicked it backwards!”

All I hope is that whatever I write ultimately makes sense.

Wish me luck. You’ll need it.

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There’s every chance I’m going to shut it down one day this weekend – think that might be the new schedule – so early mail is good mail.

Can you help a fella out? You know the drill, it’s askdoug@thestar.ca.

Appreciate it.

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Told you Denver-Golden State would be the best and most fun first-round series out there.

Any time a team scores 131 points in a regulation time playoff game, you have to know it’s great, interesting basketball and now if we could just do something about the late start times, we’d be flying.

The rest of ‘em?

Still quite yawny, no?

Maybe we’ll get some juice tonight if some series get tied 1-1 but I doubt it; think we’re in for one really good one, a handful of yawners and the hope that the second round’s better.

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Strong message forcefully delivered

Told you I didn’t think there’d be an awful lot of news out of the DC BC Chinwag yesterday and seems I was right.

Outside of a rather obvious defence of his coach and their relationship (you can take a read of it here if you missed it yesterday afternoon) the somewhat defiant Mr. Colangelo made one point crystal clear to all concerned:

He’s okay – to a point – with where things are.

Don’t really blame him, and haven’t for a while.

Sure, there are holes – they need toughness, experience, point guard depth at the top of the list – but there is a consistency to the top end of the roster that hasn’t existed in years and I don’t think it should be messed with.

The most interesting to me was some open criticism of Kyle Lowry, even if it was couched in a dated reference to a surgery he had about a year ago.

Yes, Lowry has to be less recalcitrant and less of a contrarian and in better physical condition and it was a long up and down season for him but to hear the general manager make all those points in a very public forum was good.

The entire message – and don’t for a second think that ownership was listening, or had people listening for them – was that the president and general manager is backing his coach and the path they are on.

Whether you like it or agree with it or not is entirely up to you, I thought Colangelo’s hit-first effort – and he brought up the two salient points with no prodding – was an excellent way to deliver a message.

Now, whether it works or not long-term is impossible to tell but given where the roster is and the franchise is headed and the possibilities that exist, I think the only prudent thing to do is stay the upwards course.

No, things have not gone as quickly upwards as many would like – and that includes everyone with a title connected with the team – but progress sometimes comes in baby steps, not giant leaps.

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So I heard of this in the course of a conversation over the past week, music to aid in the relaxation process.

Can’t said I’d ever heard of The xx but …

Whaddya think?

Not bad at all.

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Here’s one for you Raptors fans out there to chew on:

Did you know that none of the current assistant coaches have guaranteed deals for next year, all have team options that have to be exercised?

They, along with every other staff member throughout the organization, will be going through annual end-of-season reviews over the next little while – a typical course of action – and there’s no work on when anything might be decided.

Now, I don’t think there needs to be sweeping change at all, I think there is something to be said for continuity on the staff, too.

Players have rabbis or make allegiances with certain assistants who act as sounding boards or buffer zones between player and head coach and since so much is dependent on everyone getting along – or at least feeling comfortable enough with someone to vent to – familiar faces need to be around, relationships built need to be continued.

That said, however, I do think there needs to be an ex-player on the staff – someone not too long out of the league – who can reach players at a different level.

I have it on pretty good authority that nothing in that vein is going to happen too soon but I also caution this:

If feet-dragging ownership waits too long to do the sensible thing and gives Bryan the year deal it should, it’s going to slow up every bit of every process and that means the pool of assistant coaching talent could diminish as well.

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I’m telling you something, this whole TOD thing is starting to tick me off.

Some days they can’t pitch.

Some days they can’t hit.

Some days they can’t catch.

Some days they can’t throw.

Sure, it’s only, what, 20 or so games in and there’s all kinds of time left but this sure isn’t close to the start to the season anyone there expected.

And I’m wondering one thing:

How are they going to find happy, shiny people to show on the TV broadcast of home games EVERY SINGLE SPARE MINUTE!

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I did the NBA voting in the drag-down style they set up where you had to click on the name of the guy you were voting for.

And I promise you – and least I hope so because there needs to be a federal inquiry if not – that Jordan Crawford got a vote because someone clicked on his name instead of Jamal Crawford.

But the first of the results does bear out very important fact:

Ballots are distributed in some cases to people who don’t take the time – or have the knowledge – to fill them out correctly.

I suspect – and the league doesn’t make individual votes public despite some urgings from the PBWA, most writers put theirs out for all to see – that there are more than a few homer broadcasters, both radio and TV, who simply think, ‘oh, what the heck, I’ll put our guy down’ who lessen the overall process.

Not sure what the answer is, but there has to be a more equitable, and legitimate, distribution of ballots somehow.

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Okay, you know me and Halls of Fame, right?

Too easy to get into too many, we bestow honours like that too quickly in some cases and I guess it’s because standards are in some ways slipping.

But …

Heard yesterday that the good folks out in British Columbia had the good sense to induct both Allison McNeill and Teresa Gabriele in their Hall of Fame on the weekend and I cannot think of two more worthy recipients of the honour.

Allison helped build the national women’s program from ashes to global significance and on pretty much every step of the way, she was alongside Gabriele, one of the most dedicated international athletes – in any sport – to ever represent our country.

It was my pleasure to have chronicled, a little bit, both of their journeys and to have careers capped with a Hall of Fame moment is entirely fitting.

Not enough of you know about the talent possessed and sacrifices made by women involved in the national program, now at least when people read or learn about that Hall, maybe that’ll change a bit.

As it should.

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Tough times, and tough questions, in Chicago

Wonder what it’s like to be a Chicago Bulls fan today?

Not only did your team get drilled in the opener in Brooklyn -- and it wasn’t really close at all, was it? – there is one huge issue that has to be gnawing at you every single day.

You watch Joakim Noah on a bad foot try to hobble through one of the biggest games of the year, obviously in pain and nowhere near 100 per cent and there’s Derrick Rose, still watching and letting everyone know that it’s his decision not to have played in last month or so, despite taking part in full practices.

Now, I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s never wise to question the pain threshold or injury status of a player who says he can’t go.

(Remember JR Richard?)

But I have also been around long enough to know that there are times when the difference between hurt and injured has to be put aside and if you’re not 100 per cent but won’t do further damage, you need to suck it up and get out there and try to help your team.

Rose’s is an exceptional case because of his stature in the game, his place within the franchise and his long-term future. He has, at least from the outside, been a bit coddled, everyone is leaving a return solely up to him and he seems to have garnered enough goodwill among the Chicago faithful that the rumblings are not only not loud, they’re basically non-existent.

And that’s fine, if it’s his decision, it’s his decision and everyone has to live with it; we don’t walk in his shoes, or run on his surgically-repaired knee or know how he truly thinks.

But in contrast to Noah, who probably shouldn’t have been out there at all, Rose is looking even worse to the casual observer.

Now, the fact none of the other Bulls played remotely well in that opening game blowout exacerbates the issue; they have played through all kinds of tough times this year on the strength of their defence and Tom Thibodeau’s ability to get the most out of a shortened roster.

Maybe they can again but if this continues – one guy playing when he most likely shouldn’t and another watching – things are not going to end well.

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No, didn’t see the Junos but, man, this woman’s got some pipes and I hear the speech was really, really cool.

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Hey, I hear today’s Earth Day?

Good for you, Earth.

Wonder how many of us could probe the dark corners of closets and find some “earth shoes?”

Remember those ugly things?

If you do find them, think they’d be gathering dust next to a pet rock or a cabbage patch kid?

Yes, I had a pet rock but, no, I never wore an earth shoe, or a clog for that matter, and never had a cabbage patch kid.

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Well, that was a pretty stinky weekend of playoff basketball, wasn’t it?

All the home teams win, I think the only really “good” game was the Denver-Golden State one and the average margin of victory had to be around 15 points, didn’t it?

Guess the biggest disappointment to me had to be Memphis, which didn’t impose any kind of physical will on the Clippers and bowed relatively meekly.

Chicago, as we mentioned, had to be the other and we can only hope that all of the weekend losers find some way to get it together because I don’t want to go through a whole end-of-the-week reading “Game 3s are pivotal in 2-0 series” stories.

Thanks.

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So we get to chat with Dwane Casey and Bryan Colangelo this morning for the annual end-of-the season chinwag.

Expect fireworks?

Not a chance.

They’ll go separately, which is good, but I don’t imagine we’ll get a lot of earth-shattering news, although I do think ownership should come out this morning and announce what they’re going to do about Colangelo’s contract.

It would take the elephant out of the room and shorten the news conference by a question or six but there’s no indication at moment that they have that much common sense.

They should, though. Without question.

But barring any big news – and, who knows, maybe they’ll surprise us – here’s what I think the “talking points” will be because I’d like to save you all some time.

They’ll point out that the slow start was the season-killer but that once things settled down the record wasn’t too bad.

They will suggest it was really three different season – the first 20 or so games, the turnaround portion in December and January and the post-trade period of getting familiar with a newish team.

It’s all stuff we’ve heard before and nothing like the greatest end-of-season story, ever.

KO.

Remember?

We all hustle back from Milwaukee because you never knew what KO would do and he’d been working his way to a departure for about two weeks.

Well, he gets up and go berserk, a scorched-earth speech lambasting people in the organization for “not caring about winning” and “just wanting to be friends with the players” and it was a pre-meditated rant as you can imagine.

And, yep, he got fired the next day, to the surprise of no one and, frankly, exactly what he wanted, some money to go away.

That was classic; I’m imagining today will be boring.

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Pucks in the post-season?

Good for them.

And good for me because once the playoffs start, I’ll be writing briefs for so far back in the section you won’t be able to find them with a search warrant.

And I’m quite fine with that.

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Hmm.

KD Lang?

Or Leonard Cohen?

Same song, slightly different styles.

Who ya got?

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