Dark Sides

I've posted here several times here how much I love coaching track.  The camaraderie yesterday of nine kids pushing each other in friendly competition to make their way through a tough workout was inspiring.  Great kids and a great day.  I couldn't be more proud.

The flip side was the whole mess with trying to get the Seattle Sonics back in town.  A big part of me wants to tell the NBA and David Stern and his sleezy entourage where to shove it.  I grew up with the Sonics being my favorite team and the NBA my favorite sport.  I was in awe of Wilt Chamberlain and loved Lenny Wilkins when I was in third grade.  Dr. J was the coolest guy on the planet to me when I was a teenager, and Magic and Larry brought a decade of the game played at its very best.

As with many things as I get older, the shady characters behind the scenes have tarnished something I grew up with.  Stern is a slimeball.  Those Oklahoma guys must have set him up really nice for retirement.  You could see and hear Stern's ongoing resentment toward Seattle with his little of-handed remark the other day.  Guess the Seattle group was just a little too honest publicly and not willing to sweeten the pot privately for the Commissioner to bless the Sacramento deal.

Too bad for Lenny, Gary, Freddie, Jack, Spencer, Xavier, Gus, Shawn, Nate, Lonnie, Slick, and everyone else that their accomplishments and contributions are being erased by an egotistical lawyer.  Seems to be a lot of that going around lately.  Thank God there is still middle school track.