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What my musings are all about...

Blogging might well be the 21st century's form of journaling. As a writing teacher, I have always advised my students to keep a daily journal as a way of organizing their thoughts for future writing projects, a discipline I have unfortunately never consistently practiced myself. By blogging, I might finally be able to follow my own good advice.

The difference between journaling and blogging is that the blogger opens his or her writing to the public, something journal- writers are usually reluctant to do. I am not so reticent.

The trick for me will be to avoid cluttering the internet with more blather, something none of us need more of. If I stick to subjects I know: sports and literature, I believe I can avoid that pitfall. I can't promise that I'll not stray from time to time to comment on ancillary subjects, but I will make every attempt to be interesting and perhaps even insightful.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Emperor of the NBA

If I was the emperor of the NBA, able to wave my imperial staff and change what ever I wished, here are some of the changes I would make:


1)Fans will no longer vote for All-Stars. It's an excuse for teams to stuff ballots. Yao Ming voted in
this year was ludicrous. Not sure about the coaches when they didn't vote Kevin Love in.

2) A summer school for referees will be created to teach them when to call a foul and when to simply leave
the contact a "No Call! There would be remedial classes focusing on the differences between
a flagrant foul and simple tough defensive attempts to stop an opponent. I just finished watching the
Clippers' Blake Griffin get a flagrant for a powerful effort to block Al Horford's equally power drive
to the basket.

3) No competitive basketball will be allowed during the off-season except during an Olympic Year.
Players need to rest muscles after a treacherously long season.

4) The court will be lengthened by two feet on each end and one foot on each side.

5) The 3 point line will be extended back one foot.

6) The European key configuration will be adopted.

7) There will be no expansion until teams begin to reach some kind of parity. If they can't, two teams will be
shut down and the best players allotted to the sub-500 teams in inverse order of their standings.
at the end of the last season.

8) All season tickets and regular tickets will be lowered to a reasonable rate. Players, management, and
owners will have to 'suck it up" and see their salaries and profits reduced. NBA fans finally deserve a
break.

9) Teams can not have more than three assistant coaches. How's that for cost-cutting? Those
empty seats behind the bench could be sold at a premium. Speaking of cost cutting, if I know
anything about bureaucracy, I'll bet management is top heavy with responsibility redundancy. Do you
really need that assistant to the assistant?

10) There will be two significant rule changes: 1 - A point system determining team standing will go into effect: During each game seven points will  be awarded, three for winning the game and one point for each quarter in which a team outscores their opponent. Team standings will be determined by number of points rather than win/loss percentage. 2 - A player can't foul out of a game. After a player's 6th foul, the opposing team receives an automatic free-throw.

When I Got It Right   by Carl Lindner

The ball would lift
light as a wish,
gliding like a blessing
over the rim, pure,
or kissing off glass
into the skirt of net.
Once in began
I couldn't miss.
Even in the falling dark,
the ball, before it left
my hand, was sure.

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