Pop quiz: As of today, what do these three players have in common?
Answer: That’s right - None of them have declared for the draft. Is it likely that they will? Yes, and it certainly won’t be a shock when it does. But here’s what I can’t understand. The 2008 NBA Draft isn’t even until late June, and the lottery won’t happen for at least an hour or so.
The decision of the NBA to enforce a rule that players have to be out of high school for at least a year before joining the NBA was a monumental decision that has begun a process that will help develop players as people, apart from athletes. While this is true, how many of these guys with dollar signs in their eyes are going to go back and still develop as athletes, and earn that diploma that so many are walking away from prematurely?
Then again, if I was 6′10″, weighed 250, and could dunk like Beasley, I’d probably consider the NBA too.
And he never caused any controversy, either. Let’s just hope he brings some thermals for his players to fend off the cold.
Despite saying that he wanted to come back for one more year, I think Jim Hendry canned him at the right time. In a single season, Lou Piniella brought the Cubs from last to first at the drop of a hat:
This year, with new talent in Fukodome, a redesigned rotation, and a role Kerry Wood might not see his arm fall off in, the Cubs are the favorite to win the division. We’ll see if Lou can show Dusty a thing or two next week when the Reds come to town.
Olympic torch update: It’s in San Francisco. Just two days after the torch received some flak in Paris, those wild San Franciscans are waving their own banners at the torch. Oh yeah, so what does that matter here in Chicago?
Well, considering it is the only stop in the U.S., I’m happy to see this went so well, according to the Olympic jockstraps over in their communications dept. It’s an absolute crime that they haven’t even acknowledged any of the human rights issues in Tibet, and will continue to march their ignorant torch around the world.
