NBA, NCAA, NFL Nonsense Knows No Ends

My notebook's getting stuffed...


Recently read a column in Sports Business Journal declaring the moments that "...built the modern NBA." One of them was the original 1992 "Dream Team." Rocked the world. Creamed everyone at the Olympics.


Three Olympics later, Argentina won it all, we finished third. Didn't take the rest of the world long to catch up, did it?


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Same column also claimed the creation of and absorption of several ABA teams into the NBA helped invent an atmosphere of "free-wheeling...style."


Only four teams were "absorbed" and as to that free-wheeling style? It's called, no one plays defense anymore.


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Recently read a headline declaring that the Chicago Bears should select a quality receiver quickly in the upcoming NFL draft and sign a talented, veteran wide receiver ASAP in free agency.


Let's see, the Bears' divisional rivals, the Detroit Lions, drafted wide receivers in the first round in three of the four drafts between 2004-2007. Five years later, with only two of those three receivers still on their roster, they finally appeared in a playoff game.


Without needing tickets.


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The University of Illinois has fired (bought out) its football coach and its men's and women's basketball coaches this academic year. It required a total buyout of $7.12 million. Million. To require them not to work.


So far, while Ohio State was bringing in Urban Meyer to become its head football coach, Illinois has brought in some guy from Toledo. Speaks for itself...


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AARP The Magazine recently did a wonderful, in-depth profile on Sharon Stone, walking us through the adversities she has faced and either overcome or is in the process of overcoming. A terrific piece. Inspirational. I admire her. Respect her.


BTW, AARP The Magazine, you forgot to ask if she's bisexual. Just saying...


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The Ricketts family, which owns the Cubs, wants money from Illinois to fix up Wrigley Field and money from Arizona to fix up HoHoKam. This after two years of ownership and two fifth-place finishes in its division.


The more I read stuff like this the more I am convinced that pro franchises are nothing more than toys for rich people to manage with other people's money.


And welcome to Chicago, Theo. Good luck. Even if the Ricketts don't get all the money they want from respective government bodies, don't worry, I'll buy ya' a beer. No, really. OK, a Starbucks.


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The more I see of the Super Bowl aftermath, the more I'm convinced the only ones there were sponsors, their clients, celebrities, retired players who can almost still walk and a bunch of NFL security personnel. The latter spent all their time seizing everything from unlicensed merchandise before someone showed up wearing it on TV to all the illicit drugs they could find in the pockets of NFL players, in the game or not.


Should have confiscated Jim Irsay's cell phone or shut down his Twitter account. Or both.


Can't wait for SB 47. Uh, XLVII.


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Howard Schlossberg is editor of the Journal of Sports Media, with his first edition due out this year. He's an associate professor of journalism at Columbia College Chicago, where creativity and learning are embraced hand-in-hand. And he still writes sports for the Daily Herald in Chicago's northwest suburbs. http://journalsportsmedia.blogspot.com; www.colum.edu; http://www.facebook.com/pages/CCC-Journalism-Columbia-College-Chicago/115604591875424