Sports Watching and Wondering

Doc Rivers will likely become the next head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers want him, and he wants the job. However, a number of transactions must be successfully negotiated; if he is to wind up here. The Celtics will want compensation for letting him out of his three year contract. The two teams are also working on some trades to see if they can satisfy their athletic needs, and still meet the salary cap requirements. None of this will be easy, but it is likely to happen, because the Clippers finally sense the possibility of winning an NBA Championship.

The Celtics have great players, but they have grown old. That organization will likely have to endure three or four losing seasons, before they become good again. Doc does not want to suffer through the bad times with them. He also does not want to walk away from a contract that is paying him $7 million a year. So, he is highly motivated to get out of Boston and the Clippers are just loaded with talent, and they are located in beautiful Southern California. This is a deal that everyone involved in wants to make, but in order to do so; everyone is going to have to make some major compromises.

Local fans feel that they are on the outside, just looking in at the NBA Playoffs. Historically, the Lakers have been a part of most of them, and we have all come to expect that. However, this year the championship game is between the Heat and the Spurs. How did that happen?

With the Lakers being wounded, weak, and old, the Clippers are now in the position to compete for the hearts and minds of the local fans. The Lakers will discover that fans are fickle, and that they have short memories. If a team wants to be loved, then it just has to win!

Frank McCourt has to be the luckiest man alive, and I just hope that he will allow me to be his friend. He went through a public and expensive divorce. Major League Baseball took over the day-to-day operation of his team. He was unable to make the weekly payroll. Things were so desperate for him that he asked 14 African-American Ministers to sign the Petition that he planned to send to Commissioner Bud Selig. He was ordered to sell the team, but given the right to select the buyer.

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