The NBA season started last night. To show you just how veteran players view these games in early November, the defending champion Miami Heat lost to the Chicago Bulls 108-66. The Bulls are a pretty good team this year but the Heat was so indifferent on defense that the Bulls shot almost 50% from the floor. Don't misunderstand here; the Heat had not focused so intently on their offensive game that they lost sight of the defensive aspects. The Heat shot less than 40% from the floor and less than 60% from the foul line. This game is a microcosm of the NBA regular season; there are lots of games and a team need only win about half of them to make the playoffs, which is the "prime objective" for any team. So, some nights they play with purpose and hustle and focus and some nights they don't. Here's what Shaq had to say about this game:

"We'll be all right. Long season."

I would not be surprised to learn that David Stern doesn't mind this kind of performance/attitude. After all, that is a sure way to keep people from gambling on NBA basketball.

Since I started on the NBA, let me note for the record that the Kings' new coach, Eric Musselman, did not start out his tenure in Sacramento on the moral high ground. About ten days ago, police charged him with DUI and the press reports said his blood alcohol level was "well above the legal limit". Maybe he ought to be in Portland instead of Sacramento; there the story could be that he was trying to bond with his players and see the world from their perspective - - through the bars on a lock-up.

Larry Brown and the Knicks have settled their differences at the urging of David Stern who was about to rule as the arbitrator in the case. Brown had been asking for $53M [his remaining salary plus reimbursement of legal costs] and the Knicks wanted to pay him nothing because they said he had violated the terms of his contract. You'd have to say there was plenty of room for compromise there. Stern's statement was that neither the Knicks nor Larry Brown "have any future obligation to each other". That means that Larry Brown's name is "out there" and he's available for any coaching gig that comes open. Wherever it is, you can be sure that Larry Brown will call it his "dream job".

There is a story going around that MLB officials shut down a small tee-shirt vendor who was selling shirts that had Kenny Rogers picture on them with the inscription:

"The Cards Brought the Heat.
Detroit Had To Cheat."

I know that MLB has to protect its brand and that it can't be seen as lackadaisical when it comes to protecting the people who pay for licenses to market MLB products. I also understand that Kenny Rogers and the Players Association must be vigilant in assuring that his likeness and all players' likenesses are used only with permission - - and some form of compensation to be sure. However, I wonder when MLB and the Players Association will be 10% as vigilant at trying to eliminate all of the various forms of performance-enhancing behaviors in the game. These could range from using steroids and other "chemical supplements" to scuffing balls or to the application of pine tar or KY Jelly to the baseball. Just asking…

You know how football players like to say "Hi, Mom" when the TV camera comes in for a tight face shot? My guess is that Drew Brees will not be doing that any time soon. According to reports, Brees' mother is an attorney in Texas who is running in an election to sit on the Texas Court of Appeals. She had some campaign ads with pictures of Drew Brees in his San Diego Chargers' uniform. Drew asked her to stop using his likeness in her ads; evidently, that didn't work. So Drew's agent put in a call and threatened legal action against Drew's mother if she did not cease and desist. That got the campaign's attention and they conjured up some new ads. Drew Brees' comment made it seem as if he won't be needing to spend a whole lot of time figuring out what to get Mom for Mother's Day:

"…the major point here is that my mother is using me in a campaign and I've made it known many times I don't want to be involved."

Another news item this morning is that Shawne Merriman has now indicated that he will drop his appeal of a four-game suspension because he tested positive for steroids. Please recall all the mendacity that we have heard from his lawyer over the past week or so; all of it was pure nonsense at the very best and deliberate falsification more probably. David Cornwall is Merriman's attorney and his two most recent high profile NFL clients have been Ricky Williams and Koren Robinson. The next NFL player to run afoul of league rules and to face a significant suspension ought to think twice about hiring Cornwall to represent him. Cornwall's clients have a tendency to lose out in the process and get the punishment that the league had prescribed in the first place. So, why pay this guy for representation? What's the "positive outcome" he brings to the table?

I got an e-mail yesterday from a reader who is a rabid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. He took exception to my less than positive remarks about the Steelers yesterday and reminded me that the Steelers had five regular season losses last year and still won the Super Bowl. And he pointed out that I - and everyone else - had left them for dead last year so maybe we should not be so quick to bury them again this year. Those statements are correct; I will not dispute them in any way. I will add however that the Steelers were 7-5 last year when they commenced their undefeated run; this year they are 2-5; the undefeated run will need to be much longer this time around. Is such a run possible? Yes, but it is hardly something that a rational person would wager on at low odds.

Finally, Bob Young writes for the Arizona Republic and he's just a bit annoyed by the performance of the Arizona Cardinals over the years. Here's what he had to say yesterday:

"It's Halloween, and once again this year we feel as if the Cardinals have left a burning paper bag on our porch.

"We fall for their trick every year, and every year we're left with nothing but a big, stinky mess.

"It's the season's halfway point, and they're 1-7, with a schedule ahead that's even more difficult than what they've faced so far."

But don't get me wrong, I love sports...

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