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50...and Counting Did you hear the news? Michael Jordan turned 50 years old. Give it a rest, ESPN. I'm convinced this might be the biggest non-story in sports in the last half century. Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player...ever. He's the best that I've seen in my lifetime, and he was "must-watch TV" in his prime with the Chicago Bulls. The plays, the poise, the passion, the titles....he was awesome. But the worship that has taken place this past week on ESPN leading up to this supposedly newsworthy event has been beyond over-the-top. The guy turned 50...we get it. Just last week, Bill Russell celebrated his 79th birthday. You could easily make the case that Big Bill changed the game a helluva lot more than MJ did...and you don't want to get into a debate about championship rings, either. Maybe ESPN was celebrating Russell's 79th on one of their other cable outlets.....because I missed it. While the World Wide Leader was kissing Jordan's ass, I'm assuming they missed the bigger story? Instead of concentrating on MJ turning 50....let's look into how MJ is turning around the Bobcats. Right now, he's failing miserably. In honor of Jordan's 50th birthday....let's see how far you have to go back to find 50 Bobcats wins? November 15th.....2010. You don't understand that it is 2013....that should tell you how well MJ's NBA team is doing lately. That's progress. That's leadership. That's a plan. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the story (on ESPN) on how Jordan beat the team's #1 draft pick in a game of one-on-one. While the boys in Bristol high-fived themselves, down here in Charlotte it was another sign of how incredibly pathetic the franchise is developing. Maybe Jordan should start for his lousy club? If Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can do it....so can Mike. I totally understand the importance of the NIKE deal, the multiple NBA titles, and even the circumstances surrounding the passing of his father....I grew up in NC....it's old news in these parts....ancient history. Michael Jordan was a bad-ass, especially in his prime. But his latest venture into ownership and management of a NBA club is and has been a complete and total failure. Knowing the luck of the Bobcats, this is the year that the ping pong ball finally comes up with their logo....(a year late)....and when you look at the landscape of talent or lack thereof in the college game, all you can do is shake your head in disbelief. Watching Kentucky's Nerlens Noel go down with that terrible knee injury last week at Florida was disheartening. I felt for the kid, Kentucky...and the Bobcats. It appeared as if he was going to be the top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. I wish Noel a speedy recovery....and the same goes for Jordan and the Bobcats. So, Danica Patrick grabs the pole at Daytona....I know what you're thinking, but let's give Danica Patrick some credit. Last year, she grabbed the pole at Daytona for the Nationwide race, too....I know what you're thinking. Darrell Waltrip is still blabbering away on FOX Sports about Danica's qualifying time, but what else is new? The entire 2012 season, the NASCAR media talking heads hyped her beyond belief until the wrecks became so commonplace that nobody cared anymore. After the "Unlimited" race on Saturday night, Kevin Harvick told the media, "How are we going to get Danica and Ricky on the front page tomorrow?" NASCAR was thinking the same thing....I know what you're thinking. Danica is on the pole. As her boyfriend RIcky Stenhouse, Jr stated, it's not the first pole she's ever been on. And if anybody should know, it's Ricky. I have a funny feeling that somewhere on the Vegas strip you can find odds and the over/under on when Danica finds a wall at Daytona for the 500. I love to watch the Great American Race every year, and that will be no different this upcoming weekend, and I know what you're thinking....I'll take the under, too. I saw a stat that in the NBA Dunk Contest this past weekend, there were a grand total of 51 dunks attempted. The NBA's best dunkers made all of 15 attempts....that's 36 missed dunks. Maybe Michael Jordan should think about returning? Bring back Charles Barkley, too....and lower the rim to 9 feet.....it has to be more entertaining than the current set-up. Duke's loss to Maryland this past weekend had to really chap Coach K. The Blue Devils were dealt a tough hand from the ACC schedule makers by playing 3 games in 6 days. The Blue Devils had to travel to snowy Boston, return home to play their arch-rivals, UNC....and then then head to College Park for the last time to play Maryland in an ACC game. Not an excuse, just a fact...but the loss to Maryland really had to sting. It put Duke another loss behind the red-hot Miami Hurricanes in a race for not only the top spot in the conference, but perhaps a #1 national seed in the tourney. The loss to the Terps was also difficult because Coach K has been very adamant about his dislike of conference expansion. The league losing Maryland to the Big Ten didn't go over well with the founding members of the ACC....and Coach K has always cherished the rivalries that have made the league special.....and that includes Duke-Maryland. You could easily make the case that Duke-Maryland had replaced the Duke-UNC game as the most heated conference game 10 years ago. When the Heels struggled in the Doherty era, it was Gary Williams and the Terps that were the big-time national players. The rivalry has a real edge to it, and it will be missed when Maryland heads to the Big Ten for a bigger payday. Selection Sunday is less than a month away, and as I have written every week this year....the Big Dance is going to be a mosh-pit. Anything goes. |
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