Coach's Corner

It's not often that opinions expressed in this space are validated. Think I'm happy? Color you wrong. Happy or sad, the grackles, as predicted, have come quickly home to roost. In the few short weeks since Jim Gray's foolish, obnoxious "interview" with Peter Edward Rose, baseball's all-time hit leader (and most prolific liar), Rose has seen his popularity with American baseball fans soar. Not to be outdone by Amazon.com, Pete -- the most old fashioned of ballplayers -- has opened a Web site to push his case. And according to recent polls, many more Americans now believe Rose when he claims he never bet on baseball than did in '86 when the charges first were leveled. Conversely, the same number of people now think (maybe think is a stretch) that baseball, for some obtuse reason, has trumped up false charges against the poor little lamb. Pete Rose a victim -- imagine that. These people fall into three groups: Young fans, ignorant of any facts; people gullible enough to now believe Rose's incessant denials because, what, the facts have changed?; or probably more typically the, "Ah, it's been a long time, let's forgive and forget. And besides, what's the big deal? It's just gambling. Everybody does it." These are slothful Americans, too lazy to hold a good grudge.

The American propensity to forgive its athletic heroes is both distressing and lamentable. It's been suggested that by 2010, Orenthal Simpson will be given a sympathetic standing ovation when he enters Buffalo's Rich Stadium for 37th reunion of the '73 Electric Company team. A shocking thought? Not in America. Hey, that was a long time ago. The man just slashed his wife and a waiter to death on her front porch. Come on. He's suffered enough.

Just as disturbing is the media's solution to the current Rose -- forgive me for overstating the case -- crisis. If he just apologizes for 14 years of daily lying -- so the thinking seems to go -- all's forgiven. This is another oddly American thing; a wee tad of public, celebrity groveling and the sin is cleansed. It's like offering a badly misbehaving, rude child a free out from all the consequences of his actions, and then giving him a year's pass to the ice cream parlor for nothing more than an insincere, screw you buddy, "I'm sorry."

Sorry, sports fans, it doesn't work for me. If Rose admits to what he did and says he's sorry for asking me to be an idiot for a decade and believe him, I say fine. I hope you feel better, Pete. The truth is supposed to be cleansing. But that's not getting you into my Hall of Fame ...

I watch early season NBA basketball games. There, I've said it. My secret's out. Is there a 12-step program for me? "Watch Too Much Direct TV Season Pass meeting in the basement of the Lutheran Church every Wednesday." (Except when the Bucks are playing.) Married life is ... well ... quiet. Very quiet. So while Kelly's thinking about doing lesson plans (whom are the Raptors playing tonight?), your Coach is working hard for you. Early season impressions: I try to watch my team, the Bulls, a little every night. A little's the best I can do. It's basically impossible to watch really awful NBA basketball. And the once proud Chicago Bulls are as bad as it gets. Terrible. Abysmal. Unwatchable. That said, No.1 pick Eldon Brand is good, though you won't see him on national TV for a long time ... Vince Carter of Toronto is a flat-out superstar. This is what Jordan must have looked like after one year. Is it an unbelievable coincidence that Carter went to North Carolina or what? ... I don't like the Lakers. With that on the record, I warn the Western Conference. You better watch out. The Lakers look more and more comfortable with the vaunted triangle offense each night. Early season Laker MVP? Shaq? No way. It's old Bull vet Ron Harper. He runs the complicated offense, stays calm, and scores big buckets. Harper really leads the team, but you won't see it in the nightly box score ...

And then there's Shaq. Everyone hacks big Shaq. Fans, players, writers. Even I've not been above the linguistic cheap shot. Selfish, moody, and how can his team win when the man can't make a free throw? My words. Emerson wrote something about a foolish consistency being the hobgoblin of little minds. It's possible -- just maybe -- that we've all been wrong about Shaq. I watch LA almost every night (just to listen to Chick Hearn broadcast the game) and I tell you, it seems like the Big Man's with Triangle Phil's program. As with Jordan, Shaq is the guy Phil has to sell. If he buys, the Lakers buy. Indeed, he's flourishing. The free-throw problem is never going to change. But I challenge the conventional wisdom. If a player can give a team 30 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks every night -- while remaining a team guy -- so what if he misses freebies? Yeah, yeah, I know. But Shaquille may be the single exception that proves the rule. O'Neal is a unique talent. There's really never been anyone like him. Hate LA if you want. Hey, I'm in with you. Still, I'll bet Jackson has 'em winning a championship within two years -- this season's not out of the question. Shaq will be the MVP.