The "One Handed, Double Crossover" Grind

Calling all assholes. Calling all assholes. The once respectable All-Star NBA hooper Tim Hardaway wants to join your side. If you've been alive the last 24 hours then you already know what he said, but let's recap just in case:

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," Hardaway said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket in Miami. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

The host asked Hardaway how he would interact with a gay teammate.

"First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room."

Wow. I used to pretend I was blowing by Hardaway when I would play imaginary ball in my driveway. I would even use his very own patented one handed, double crossover to get by him, then I'd dish it off to Barkley on the wing or K.J. at the top of the key. They'd either drop it in for two, or kick it out to Danny Manning for a long three. If I was lucky, the ball would make it back around the horn to me and if it came back to me then I sure as hell wasn't passing twice in one position.

Despite my boyhood pleasures of hoopin' in the driveway, I'm absolutely appalled by Hardaway's comments. What is wrong with him? Did he need attention? Was this some sort of publicity scheme? Was it recommended by his agent? This comments are grotesque, disgusting, nasty, ignorant, and stupid. I'm not sure if Tim's been hiding in a hole the last five years of his life, who would reallly know?, but the topic of gay athletes, and certainly gay people, has become a common topic in this here great United States. This isn't like it's HUGE news. Hardaway had no reason to speak out against John Amaechi here, absolutely no reason. Sure, this is America and you have a right to your opinion. But don't be stupid about it. "It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." Are you kidding? Who died and made Tim Hardaway god?

I don't throw props to David Stern often, but I've got a BIG TYMIN' Witness to him on this one. He reportedly has banned Hardaway from all future NBA events. There is no need for this type of hate anywhere. Just when you think this world is gaining ground, and it is, there is a jackass like Tim Hardaway out there who wants his name in the papers. It just goes to show that we've got a lot of work to do. The first step can be hoping Hardaway climbs back into his hole and SHUTS THE HELL UP!

***Missouri hoops improved to 4-7 in the Big 12 last night with a win over Baylor. Big time win considering Baylor hasn't won a Big 12 road game in 23 tries. A solid performance by freshman Keon Lawrence was a positive though, he netted 24 to accompany Stefhon Hannah's 25 points. The future may be bright, I don't know. It seems like as the season progresses these younger kids are getting better, and Mike Anderson is gaining faith in them. I think the rest of the 2007 campaign will go a long way in determing what kind of coach Anderson is going to be. Now that hopes of dancing in the field of 64 are vanished, can he keep this team together and their moral high? Or is going to pull a Scotty Edgar and completely spin out of control? I know what Quin would do.

IS IT SAFE TO SAY:
*Duke's win over Boston College last night was BIG TIME?
*that by using text messaging to send information and inspiring quotes to his players, University of Colorado's football coach Dan Hawkins, has to question whether he's really a football coach?

***A reliable source close to me said that he heard an interview with Keith Tkachuk on the radio yesterday and that Tkachuk hinted at the desire to be traded referencing his desire to win a Stanley Cup. The good news is that he also mentioned St. Louis would be his number one choice in the free agent market this summer. Wouldn't it be sweet to dish Keither for a front line, near-league ready goal scorer and then get him back in the offseason to help continue polishing the skills of our youngsters? Will Bill Guerin be so kind to do the same? Or is this just a ploy from Tkachuk in order to get himself traded and away from the rebuilding process that is St. Louis Hockey.

THEY SAID IT, YOU READ IT:

Steve Rosenbloom, ChicagoSports.com: “Dirk Nowitzki diminishes the Miami Heat’s title, saying they didn’t earn it, that the Mavericks lost it. Dwyane Wade fires on Nowitzki. Mark Cuban fires on Wade. The topic, of course, is leadership. Don’t try to make sense of it. Just know that this is how those without firearms do things in the NBA.”

Bill Simmons, ESPN.com, on the disappointing Iowa Hawkeyes: “The biggest shocker for me was that Steve Alford couldn’t get a clothing deal this year — he wore a dark Iowa rubgy shirt with matching sweat pants. He looked like a divorced dad who was picking up his son at his ex-wife’s house and taking him to the dog track.”

AND THE ULTIMATE TRUTH IN TODAY'S SPORTSWRITING WORLD:

Steve Rosenbloom, ChicagoSports.com: “The Cubs have decided to issue jersey No. 21 for the first time since Sammy Sosa walked out in his last game here. The player who will be assigned the jersey is pitcher Jason Marquis. Good choice: a guy with a 6.02 ERA wearing a number that doesn’t stick around for the end of the first inning.”

***I'm writing today's GRIND poolside here at Mizzou. Currently, they're getting things ready for this weekend's Grand Prix event involving Michael Phelps. Word is that he should be here any moment. I want to get my face on national news. I want my name out there. And I'm not going to be a idiotic fool who makes anti-gay references when he has no business doing so. Instead, I'm going to make worldwide news by tackling Phelps into the pool when he walks by.