The Lovable Lunacy of Ron Artest, and Brees for MVP

Ron Artest is one crazy dude. In a recent interview with Sporting News magazine, the Los Angeles Lakers forward admitted that he used to get drunk at halftime when he was an up-and-coming player with the Chicago Bulls. Artest's beverage of choice? Hennessy, a form of cognac. Artest revealed this information with glee, showing no remorse whatsoever. Also in that same interview, Artest had harsh words for veteran NBA referee Joey Crawford, and said he is "always in the mood" to fight Ben Wallace, whom he clashed with in the infamous 2005 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills. For the Ron Artest haters, of which there are many, the Sporting News interview will simply add more fuel for their disdain toward Artest. I, however, remain a huge fan of Artest, consistently shocked and dazzled by his lovably insane behavior.

Now before people denounce me as irresponsible, let me say that I don't condone drinking at halftime. Nor do I support Artest's wild antics on that memorable night in Detroit, when he charged into the stands ready to pick a fight. However, Artest is one of the most refreshingly honest athletes in all of sports. In an era where most high-profile professional athletes are so concerned with their image, Artest's candor is a thing of beauty. As for his overall wackiness, I love every moment of it. I loved it when he played with reckless abandon as a member of the Houston Rockets in the playoffs against his current team, the Lakers, while wearing that outrageous haircut with the Rockets logo carved into his head. I loved it when he said that the greatest player he's ever seen is not Jordan, Bird, Johnson, or Russell, but some guy whom he used to play with in the hood. And I loved it when Artest recently showed up on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" wearing nothing but his boxers. This stuff is priceless. Sure, he may have lost his cool during the Palace brawl, but Artest means no harm with his wild antics. He is simply having fun.

Speaking on strictly basketball terms, Ron Artest is also worth admiring. He is one of the fiercest competitors the league has ever seen, a spectacular defender and a legitimate offensive threat. As a Warriors fan and Laker hater, I hate the fact that one of my favorite players is suiting up for my least favorite team because I know the quality of player that he is. As a member of the Bulls, Pacers, Kings, Rockets, and Lakers, Artest has played hard on every possession, a perfect example of how the game of basketball should be played.

So is Artest crazy? Oh absolutely yes, and I hope he always stays true to his wonderful craziness.

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There is a heated race for MVP in the National Football League between three star quarterbacks: The Saints' Drew Brees, the Colts' Peyton Manning, and the Vikings' Brett Favre. All three candidates are deserving of MVP consideration. Brees and Manning have guided their respective teams to an undefeated season, and while loyal readers know my feelings for Brett Favre the person, there is no denying the success this season of Brett Favre the quarterback. But if I had a vote, I would cast my MVP ballot for Drew Brees.

With Monday night's thorough beating of the New England Patriots, Brees destroyed the notion that the Saints are overrated. At 11-0, New Orleans has the best offense of any team I have ever seen, thanks to the masterful leadership and performance of Brees. Brees often gets lost in the shadow of Manning, Brady, and Roethlisberger, but he is playing at the highest level of any quarterback right now. On any given Sunday, the Saints are a threat to score well over 40 points, and Brees is always capable of throwing for 370 yards. With all due respect to the other aforementioned candidates, it would be a mistake if Drew Brees isn't honored with the MVP award.

The Nellie Dilemma, and a Tired Thanksgiving Tradition

In today's San Francisco Chronicle, the great Bruce Jenkins wrote a superb column urging the Golden State Warriors to replace Don Nelson with current assistant coach Keith Smart. This comes after the Warriors stunned the Mavericks in Dallas last night with only six players under the guidance of Smart, who is assuming head coaching duties on the two-game road swing through Texas as Don Nelson recovers from pneumonia. In last night's 111-103 victory, the shorthanded Warriors looked about as rejuvenated and energetic as they have looked in quite some time, even conjuring memories of the "We Believe" team in 2007 that upset the Mavs in the playoffs. Monta Ellis was brilliant, and Stephen Curry and Anthony Randolph both had their most complete games of the season. Even Vladimir Radmonovic was a key contributor. Simply put, it was the most satisfying win of the year.



As great as the win was, however, it puts the Warriors in a difficult position. I completely agree with Jenkins-----it is time to reward Keith Smart with the head coaching position. Nellie has looked tired all season. He doesn't appear to be motivated, and he has lost the respect and admiration of his players, as evidenced by a recent quarrel with Monta Ellis. Keith Smart, meanwhile, has the potential to be an excellent head coach in the NBA. He has been learning under the tutelage of Nelson for many years now, and the time has come for him to take that next step. However, the W's do not want to simply shove Don Nelson out the door. Nellie has done so many wonderful things for the franchise that Golden State owes him a respectful exit. Making matters worse, Nellie now has pneumonia. With the holidays approaching, wouldn't it seem a little bit cruel to give Nellie the ax as he is horribly sick? The best case scenario would be for Nellie to gracefully resign and turn over coaching duties to Smart. This would be best for the team, and Nellie would be able to exit on his own terms. But due to Nellie's trademark stubbornness, something tells me that such a development is unlikely.



As a diehard Warriors fan, I am ready for Keith Smart to usher in a new era of Warriors basketball. I'm just not sure if we can have that happen without alienating one of our all-time great coaches.



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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means a healthy serving of turkey, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and the Lions and Cowboys. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have become an annual tradition on Turkey Day, and tomorrow will be no different, as the Lions suit up against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers while the Cowboys meet the Raiders. Many people would argue that Thanksgiving just would not be the same without the Lions and Cowboys playing on our television sets. I beg to differ.

I love watching football on Thanksgiving, and I will be watching tomorrow. But this is a tradition that needs to be changed. The NFL has a golden opportunity on Thanksgiving Day to showcase its product, but year after year, we are forced to endure the awfulness of the Lions and the predictability of the Cowboys. Granted, the Giants and Broncos play tomorrow night, and that should be an interesting game. Sadly, though, that game airs on NFL Network, so a significant portion of the country won't be able to watch the game. But during the daytime, when families gather round the television to watch some football, all that we will be able to see is Dante Culpepper throwing incomplete passes to Calvin Johnson, and Tony Romo destroying the lousy Raiders secondary. A football-loving nation deserves better than that.

The Byron Scott Firing, and the Brady-Manning Debate

Today, the inevitable happened. The struggling New Orleans Hornets, a team that is a mere two years removed from being a championship contender, fired coach Byron Scott in the wake of a 3-6 start to the new NBA season. This move is hardly surprising and has been expected ever since the Hornets went out with a wimper in last year's playoff series against the Nuggets. However, just because the dismissal of Scott is not a surprise does not mean that it is a good decision on the part of the Hornets front office. In fact, this is a thoroughly unjust move by New Orleans.

In sports, the head coach almost always takes the blame when a team is floundering. And in many cases, the firing of the head coach of a losing team is indeed warranted. Just not in this particular case. The Hornets' recent woes have nothing to do with Scott, a terrific coach who has reached the NBA Finals twice as a head coach, in addition to his three NBA championships as a player with the great Los Angeles Lakers teams of the 1980's. We're talking about a guy with tremendous championship experience and savvy. When Scott led a very young and inexperienced Hornets team to the Western Conference Semi-Finals in 2007, it was one of the most impressive coaching feats of the decade, considering the immense depth of the Western Conference. No, the woes of the Hornets are not due to any sort of ineptitude on the part of Scott, but rather to the shocking incompetence of the New Orleans front office. When the Hornets front office decided to treat Tyson Chandler with utter disrespect, eventually trading him to Charlotte in exchange for Emeka Okafor, they made one of the dumbest decisions in recent memory, essentially destroying the Hornets' team chemistry. Now, the great Chris Paul is all alone. Former All-Star David West has all but vanished, and it is looking very likely that the Hornets will not have what it takes to make the playoffs.

So is Byron Scott to blame? Absolutely not. Not even Red Auerbach could win in the face of such adversity.

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Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? That is the question. As the Colts and Patriots get set to renew their heated rivalry Sunday in Indianapolis, it is time to rekindle one of sports most fascinating debates: Which team has the better quarterback. The Patriots have Tom Brady, the three-time Super Bowl-winning QB who is always cool under the most pressure-packed of situations. The Colts have Peyton Manning, the three-time league MVP who is perhaps the most prolific passer in NFL history. The two quarterbacks provide an interesting contrast in style. Brady plays with nonchalant grace, while Manning swings and flails his arms at every snap. Regardless of their differing styles, however, both QB's are equally brilliant. Thus, the question of who is better is simply impossible to answer. Ask any wide receiver in the league and they will say that they would love to play with either quarterback. Sorry to come across as a wimp for deflecting the question, but it's the truth: Brady and Manning are equals.