The Baby Ruth

One lazy summer a zillion years ago I was hanging out with Ronnie and Phillip at Randy's house in their fancy backyard patio. Randy was a little older than us and was just so cool. He had a Lionel electric train set with the fancy engine, and red caboose. He even had a special freight car that supposedly contained a Baby Ruth. We had been planning for days to play with the train and try and talk Randy again into tearing apart that freight car to see if there really was a candy bar inside. After running that train around the track only a couple of times, Randy's mom got home and came out to see what we were up to. She asked Randy if he had cleaned his room, as he had previously agreed to complete the task. He replied, "I'm busy Mom, I'll do it later." To which Mrs. A. replied, "Boys, it's time to leave. Randall can't play until his room is cleaned." This was followed by a lame attempt of negotiation, some yelling, tears, and as Mrs A. dragged Randy out of the patio, she exclaimed, "Come back another day." We dejectedly exited the play room as Mrs. A. locked the door behind us. We were so mad! Randy's mom was a real meanie. What was so important about having a clean bedroom, for heck's sake. Our plans were quashed! We were locked out!

Fast forward four and half decades later and history is repeating itself in the NBA. Unless, you have been holed up in a cave somewhere with Osama bin Laden's old buddies for the past several months, you know that the NBA owners and players finally came to their senses and ended their protracted lock-out. Free agency and work-outs started last Fri. Two of the most coveted commodities, Orlando center Dwight Howard and New Orleans point guard Chris Paul made it known they wanted out from their respective teams. So, the whirlwind began. The league's number one franchise, the LA Lakers worked out a 3 team trade that would bring Chris Paul to the Lakers and send Lakers Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets. But, hold on a sec.... The woeful Hornets are owned by the NBA....So, after this trade had been worked on for weeks, that old meanie Commissioner David Stern, stepped in at the last minute and nixed the deal! Just like Randy's mom. The fall-out?

Happier Days

Lamar Odom was crushed, didn't attend practice on Fri and then demanded a trade on Saturday. The Lakers accommodated him, sending him and Khloe to the defending champion Mavs, for a worthless draft pick and a trade exemption. Kobe is upset! Now that's not good! Meanwhile, Pau handled everything very professionally. Who would expect anything else? Supposedly the trade was later reworked, but ultimately, the Lakers pulled out. Then today, those hapless up and coming Clippers worked out their own deal for Chris Paul where they would have sent out their back up point guard and center Chris Kaman to the Magic for Paul. But, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Mean old Stern showed his ugly face again, telling the Clippers they needed to sweeten the deal by adding budding superstar Eric Gordon, a couple of other guys whose names I can't pronounce, their waterboy, Elgin Baylor, and at least two minority families, to be named later, that owner Donald Sterling had evicted from one of his properties! Needless to say, the Clips said, "No thanks."It looks like they may have to settle for Chauncey Billips who they just picked up on waivers from 12 Oaks Retirement home. And the Lakers? Supposedly they are working on 'two deals for marquee players' according to GM Mitch Kupchak. I hope he doesn't mean Jason Kapono and Josh McReynolds. Will the Lakers land Howard? Will they acquire the more needed point guard? Please, we can't go another season with D Fish as a starter.Without another significant move, the Lakers won't have quite enough to contend for a championship. Kobe's window is closing fast. Is the lock-out over or not? I'd venture to say our local teams would say no. Message to Stern: But out, dude! You are that mean old mom that ruined all the fun for everyone. Put your keys in your pocket and go away. Nobody wants to see or hear from you anymore. Maybe my old friend Randy could figure out a way to put you in that freight car with the Baby Ruth and send you off into oblivion!