What’s the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:
1
A lot has been made in recent days regarding the number of NFL players arrested since the Super Bowl.
A quick glance at a database from the San Diego Union Tribune shows 30 players on that list.
Some people say that’s remarkably high.
We’re not so sure.
Of course, when a player is charged with murder, that’s a big deal. It’s not the same as public intoxication, though. Still, Cody Grimm of the Bucs is on the same NFL arrest list as accused murderer Aaron Hernandez of the Patriots.
Oh, and of the 30 players arrested since the Super Bowl, four have had their cases dismissed or dropped. That leaves 26 as either convicted, resolved, or pending.
Our point is we don’t think 26 guys being charged for various misgivings means the NFL has a problem. During the offseason, there are more than 2,800 players on the 32 NFL rosters.
If anything, those numbers represent the rest of society.
A lot of people break the law in this country. A study that was reported in the New York Times in 2011 noted that almost one-third of people 23 or younger had been arrested for an offense other than a minor traffic infraction. That’s a problem for all of us, not just the NFL.
2
The Lakers are putting up billboards, begging Dwight Howard to stay.
Anyone else find this hilarious?
The Lakers. Franchise of George Mikan. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaquille O’Neal.
In anybody’s list of top 10 centers to ever play the game, those four guys are on it.
Which begs the question: If a superstar center needs wooing to remain with the Lakers, is he really a superstar center? Or is he just considered good now because there are so few centers who can play the game these days?
3
Greg Oden is back in the news.
You remember him, right? He was the key piece of a grand plan by the Blazers that was so visionary, no one saw it coming. Take Oden over Kevin Durant so that the Blazers stay in the lottery and, a few years later, take CJ McCollum.
Brilliant!
Anyway, Oden said he thinks he will be ready for the start of the 2013-14 season. According to ESPN, five teams interested in Oden: Miami, San Antonio, Cleveland, Boston, and Memphis.
There is very little risk in signing Oden. And if Oden is healthy after his three knee surgeries, he could turn into a quality NBA player.
Still, if he wins an NBA title with the Heat, that might hurt Blazer fans. Even though they got McCollum out of this whole scenario.
