Overtime | Roll call for national scandal

Kyle Nelson Sports Columnist

This was the summer of sports…controversies. There was backstabbing, dogfighting, lawbreaking and just about anything else you can think of. It was a summer that recalled the good ole’ days. It was Pete Rose, O.J. Simpson, Floyd Landis, Marion Jones, Shoeless Joe Jackson-juicy. So in the tradition of your favorite third grade teacher, let’s have a bit of a roll call:

Donaghy. Dona-who? Wait, basketball referees are crooked? Who would have thought? It seems as though I haven’t shredded my vocal chords for nothing. It’s official now. But see? That is the problem. At some point, any self-respecting basketball fan has lost his or her voice screaming at a cheating referee. We all know that there is dirty business a foot in the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Collegiate Athletic Association, and just about every other level of the sport. Commissioner David Stern can sit on his throne of lies and tell us whatever he wants; everybody knows that the Suns got robbed and the return of star power to the Eastern Conference is no coincidence. But when all is said and done, it is why we love the sport. There will always be crooked officials. Tim Donaghy just got caught and will likely spend the next few years wondering how he is the only one in jail. His impact on the game will ultimately be about as inconsequential as yours or mine. It’s not like they’re going to stop cheating. Speaking of cheating, this brings me to Barry Bonds.

Bailing Out Bonds? Fact: Barry Bonds broke Hank Aaron’s home run record this summer. My reaction to Bond’s record-breaking achievement is based on two very simple lessons that my parents taught me at a very young age: “If everyone was jumping off a bridge, would you?” and “Is anybody forcing you to go?” Putting these two statements in context, it is easy to see the hypocrisy of Bonds’ critics. Simply stated, the stadium was sold out. If people really cared as much as they claim they do, they could have boycotted the game. But they did not. People high-fived, hugged, and snapped pictures when he hit his record-breaking home run. So what if he used steroids? I’d like to know how many people climbing that list these days don’t. I don’t have much of an opinion on the matter, but I am expecting a book in a few years.

Big Ticket to Boston Kevin Garnett got traded for half of the Boston Celtics. This really shouldn’t be news, seeing how it was about as inevitable as the sun dying. It is worth noting, however, that Timberwolves’ General Manager Kevin McHale is still alive after trading the most loved player in franchise history (that would be Garnett); you know it is a bad sign when fans have only Mark “Mad Dog” Madsen to rally behind. The trade, which brought Garnett to the Celtics in return for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff, can be looked at in a couple of different ways. Boston fans can be happy for the next few years because they have three elite talents on the same roster, but once Ray Allen and Paul Pierce continue their injury-plagued ways and Garnett starts complaining because he makes too much money for the team to be able to afford to sign any more players, we’ll see how happy the Celtics bandwagoners are. Let’s not even mention that the Celtics have about as much salary cap room as Jewett has days without fire alarms (the answer: not a large number, to say the least). However, I want to believe that the Celtics will be great, and I will be watching every minute of the perfect storm that I can. If anything, The Sports Guy’s theory of a tradeless and boring league, which he calls “the NBA (No Balls Association),” looks as if it is gradually debunking itself.

E-Vick-ted After a summer that saw Kevin Garnett traded, Barry Bonds break the home run record, and a referee busted for betting on his own games, there was a good deal of controversy in the sports world even before Michael Vick was arrested. He originally denied the allegations that he was involved in dogfighting and gambling to both the government and the National Football League (NFL). Now, however, he confesses that he killed six to eight pit bulls and funded the gambling operation for Bad News Kennelz, and will likely see a reduced 12-18-month prison term when sentenced Dec. 10. What was a superstar like Vick doing in a mess like this? It’s anyone’s guess. He’s lost his day job for the foreseeable future; NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended him indefinitely. He’s lost numerous sponsorships and endorsements, and is currently in the process of having his contract with the Atlanta Falcons bought out. Vick will emerge from prison as a free agent, in every sense of the term. However, we live in a country of rehabilitation, even for a crime as sick as Vick’s. My guess? Vick gets another shot in the NFL. He has done some terrible things and he will have plenty of time to think about it, but let’s not forget that even O.J. Simpson got a book deal.

Post-Script Oh, and The Dream Team is back. U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A.

More later. This is sports we’re talking about. There is always news.