Still

["Gene Kirkpatrick" <gkir@tjc.tyler.cc.tx.us>]

I felt the beginning of the end with the signing of Shaq; then the
denouement when Garnett signed for even more.  You may want to take it
all the way back to Koncak and his ridiculous contract.  But the
desire to win by writing bigger checks was definitely the signal.  It
started with the collective greed of ownership.  The market place is
one thing; entertainment salaries and all that; but the integrity of
the game can't stand capitulation to Hollywood standards. Higher
ticket prices, more lavish and immoral life-styles, profanity on
court, on camera even--these were all lurking in the wings, ready to
crash down on the players because they couldn't control themselves. 
The owners may have started it by acting like the small time,
ego-centric, money can buy anything spoiled brats that many of them
seem to be, but the players reverted to the playground swagger that
lost touch with $30,000 a year Americans.
They got no respect.  They get no respect.

We endured the dark ages of the '70s and we well might endure them
again.  There's a lot of entertainment out there.  I might even learn
to like hockey.

Gene       *not caring what they do right now; just as I hate to see
some good Democrats go down with Bill Clinton, I hate to see the David
Robinsons go down with the Sprewells; quick,  when does college ball
start?