Dave Smith

After hearing the NCAA plans to expand their basketball tournament to 96 teams, there was the typical outcries of the whole thing being watered down and rendering the regular season meaningless….

I’ve got news for you, the regular season has been meaningless for years, topped off by money-grabbing obscenities called conference tournaments….

So an expansion to 96 doesn’t mean anything to me, because I’ve already stopped watching regular season games….

I’ve been saying for years the NCAA should go all the way and invite all 256 teams; thus making it an Indians high school-style open tournament. It would only add one week to March Madness and eliminate all the whining and crying about teams getting screwed out of their “rightful” spot….

Hell, if you’re going to water the thing down and make the regular season a series of exhibition games, let’s look for some real cinderella stories….

Imagine the excitement if some 2-22 team wins a couple of games….

Sure, they have no business being there, but the media would have a field day….

In my opinion, there’s only two ways to go with this: 1) Go back to the days when only conference champions qualify, thus making the regular season relevant again and rewarding only the truly elite teams 2) Completely sell out and let everyone in….

Or how about this? Narrow the field to 32 and break it up into an Olympic-style eight groups of four teams each….

Each group plays a round robin format for a week and the top two teams advance; which means a team can lose a game and stay alive. This is the way they do it in the Olympics and World Cup soccer and I’ve always enjoyed the format….

After the opening round-robin, you have 16 teams remaining and then it’s single elimination….

This would be fair for two reasons: 1) One bad night doesn’t ruin your season and the best team would probably win. 2) So many games are decided by the corrupt officials and this would go a long way toward fixing that….

How many times have the zebras nailed a star player with a few bogus fouls and decided the outcome? The way college basketball is officiated infuriates me and this is the problem the NCAA should be dealing with; along with the interminable time outs and stoppage of play….

With eight TV time outs, six coaches time outs and the crooked officials blowing their whistles every two seconds, there’s almost no chance for a game to have a good rythym….

So here’s my solution to March Madness: Pare the thing down to 32 teams, use the round-robin format and then take the officials to a two-week boot camp to re-train them….

Only fouls in which the opponent gains an advantage will be whistled and from now on PLAYERS will decide the outcomes; not some corrupt fat slob in a striped shirt….

Then, we cut the number of coaches time outs from six to two. I understand this is a business and the TV time outs are here to stay, but with eight TV breaks there is no need for six coaches time outs….

So cut the field, swallow your whistles and let the players relax and take away four time outs from control-freak coaches….

Wow, I’ve done it again….

With all due respect to Mychal Thompson, Vic “The Brick” Jacobs and almost every Laker fan I come in contact with, Kobe Bryant is not better than Michael Jordan….

Granted, Kobe is a great player and on his way to cracking the Top-Five, but he still has a long way to go before he’s on Jordan’s level….

Here’s three reasons why MJ is better:

1) Jordan was much better defensively, taking on the opponent’s top scorer on most nights and usually shutting him down. He played hard on almost every possession and made life miserable for his opponent. Kobe, on the other hand, has always been overrated defensively and doesn’t play hard all the time. He’s always been a gambler; going for steals, drifting and attempting to get cheap baskets off of spectacular plays. I never saw MJ get lit up defensively the way Kobe does and, unlike Kobe, don’t remember opponents taking him off the dribble and blowing by him.

2) Michael was much stronger physically and it was almost impossible to take the ball from him. I think he’s pound-for-pound the strongest player in NBA history; which is why he was such a great defender and finisher.

3) When you look at their career field goal percentages, it’s obvious Jordan was better at getting to the basket and finishing; another tribute to his strength. Kobe has never shot 50% in a single season, while MJ was a career 50% shooter and shot over 50% six times. This shows Michael had better shot selection and finished around the basket better than anyone in NBA history.

As for those who say Kobe is a superior outside shooter, the stats don’t support it. Bryant is a career 34% shooter from three-point range, while Air Jordan’s career total was 33%….

I love Kobe and am a lifelong Laker fan, but he is not the player Jordan was….

Now, when Kobe gets his sixth championship, maybe I’ll say he was Michael’s equal. If he gets a seventh, maybe he’s the greatest player ever….

But he has a long way to go….

One last thing….

The hell with Kobe being the greatest player in history, he’s not even the greatest Laker. I have him third, behind Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar….

Magic has five championships, all with the Lakers, and Kareem has six, five with Los Angeles….

If Kobe wins his fifth as a Laker, then we can begin the conversation about him being the equal of Magic and Kareem. And when he wins his sixth, he officially becomes the best Laker ever to wear the uniform….

But hold on, people, he’s not there yet….

Woke up this morning, scanned the headlines and came across this gem on SportsbyBrooks:

“This morning venerable NBA writer Ailene Voisin of the SACRAMENTO BEE speculated that Kings Coach Paul Westphal’s recent punishment of Spencer Hawes was related to illness of Westphal’s wife. That is, that the stress of that situation was affecting Westphal’s judgement.

Voisin called Westphal’s punishment of Hawes “excessive” while noting:

And this from an unconventional thinker who considers right-wing blowhard Rush Limbaugh one of his friends?”

Reaction: Westphal is one of the genuinely nice people I’ve ever known and this is a cheap shot by Voisin. I don’t know exctly what went on between Paul and Hawes, but to bring his politics and friends into this is totally out of bounds and Voisin should be suspended by her newspaper….

Arnie Spanier, my old radio partner and long-time friend, worked in Phoenix years ago and invited then Suns’ coach Westphal to his wedding. Not only did Paul show up, he gave a nice toast and was friendly and cordial to everyone there….

This is the tyoe of person he is….

Yes, Westphal is a Conservative Republican, but what does that have to do with anything? I’ve known him for years and have as high an opinion of him as anyone I’ve ever dealt with in sports. He’s honest, sincere, a man of his word and doesn’t deserve to be disparaged just because Voisin disagrees with his politics and disapproves of his friends….

In her world, I guess being a Republican makes you “an unconventional thinker.”….

And so what if he’s a personal friend of Limbaugh? It’s none of Voisin’s business who Westphal associates with and she comes across as an uncaring, elitist blowhard….

Especially with Paul’s wife struggling with her health. Westphal has been shuttling back and forth between L.A. and Sacramento to help care for her and this must be the toughest thing he’s ever dealt with….

For Voisin to speculate that Westphal’s suspension of Hawes was a result of “the stress of his wife’s illness affecting Westphal’s judgement” is absurd and cruel….

And then she criticizes his politics and calls a friend of his names?….

Check that recommendation that she be suspended. She should be fired….

So why did Westphal suspend Hawes? It was probably because of his pathetic one-rebound performance in a loss to the Suns, followed by these post-game comments about Westphal’s substitution patterns:

“All year we’ve kind of been dealing with that,” he said. “When you think you have kind of gotten over that hump, it comes back up again. That’s the philosophy, so you’ve just got to deal with it. Everyone up and down the roster has had a taste of that, so everyone can relate. I think it’s kind of tough, the not-knowing part on a game-to-game basis, to get in that rhythm. But that’s the way it’s going and there’s not a whole lot you can do about it.”

Reaction: I like Hawes as a player and think he has a bright future, but he’s soft and sometimes frustrates the Kings coaching staff by not playing hard. In the game against Phoenix, he got pushed around, didn’t play hard and got one rebound; which is totally unacceptable for a seven-footer….

Should he have been suspended for a game? It’s not for me to say, because I’m not in the locker room and don’t know what’s happened during the course of the season….

Maybe this has been going on for a while and Paul wanted to send a message to the young guy that he needs to toughen up and play harder….

Evidently Voisin has it all figured out, though. Westphal is a right-wing nut job who associates with a right-wing blowhard and has completely lost his mind because his wife is ill….

I know it won’t happen, but Voisin should be getting ripped nationally for this….

Very interesting story in the AP today, regarding Raiders’ coach Tom Cable and his alleged history of violance against assistant coaches, wives and girlfriends:
No punishment for Cable’s conduct
Associated Press

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable will not be punished by the NFL after an investigation into allegations of domestic violence against women and a fight with an assistant coach.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Wednesday that Cable’s role in the training camp altercation with assistant Randy Hanson warranted an evaluation under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Cable was accused of breaking Hanson’s jaw and teeth during a fight at the team’s training camp hotel in August. The Napa County district attorney declined to file criminal charges in the case because of inconsistencies in Hanson’s story. Because there were no criminal charges, the league did not punish Cable.
Hanson did file a civil lawsuit against Cable and the Raiders seeking unspecified damages for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Shortly after Cable was cleared in the training camp case, he faced allegations of a history of domestic violence against women. Cable’s first wife, Sandy Cable, and former girlfriend, Marie Lutz, told ESPN that the coach physically abused them at various times during their relationships.

Cable has acknowledged striking Sandy Cable with an open hand. He said the altercation happened more than 20 years ago and was the only time he’s ever touched a woman inappropriately. Because that happened before Cable joined the NFL, Aiello said there were no grounds to punish him.

Police in Alameda investigated the second incident and did not press charges.

Cable could be subjected to confidential counseling if deemed appropriate by clinicians.

Reaction: Once again, it seems NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ignores violations against white executives or coaches, while dropping the hammer against black players accused of wrongdoing or conservative radio commentators….

If you’ll recall, Goodell labeled Rush Limbaugh “divisive” for giving his honest opinion about Donovan McNabb’s football abiltiy and the NFL’s desire to “see a black quarterback do well.” He also blocked Limbaugh’s attempt to buy into the St. Louis Rams because of the same politically correct nonsense….

But if you’re a white coach who admits to beating his wife, the NFL releases a statement saying he “will not be punished.” I guess it’s okay to punch women, but not to say McNabb “isn’t that good.”….

Bill Belichick was caught red-handed videotaping the opposing team’s coaches signals to their players, which gave his team an unfair advantage and is blatantly against the rules. It also wasn’t the first time he’d done it, with several other coaches saying he did it to them, as well….

His “punishment?: A $500,000 fine with NO suspension! Because Belechick is independantly wealthy, the fine was a slap on the wrist and a message fromt he NFL that they didn’t care what he did. He should have been suspended four games without pay, PLUS the fine. That would have sent a message that cheating will not be tolerated….

But when it comes to Limbaugh, Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Plaxico Burress, etc, it’s prosecution to the fullest extent of the law….

If I’m Limbaugh, I’m hammering this topic for three hours today….

Now that an English rugby player has tested positive for HGH and we might finally have a reliable test, the pressure is on the major sports to begin testing immediately. Baseball has already announced that minor league players will be tested, but the players’ unions in the baseball and the NFL are already saying they are against it….

I know the public will be all for it and players will come under criticism, but I agree with their protests….

In my opinion, blood testing is an invasion of privacy and I would not allow it if I were a professional athlete. Nobody is sticking a needle in my arm and taking blood without my oermission….

It’s only a matter of time before there’s a dependable urine test and nobody would object to that….