A conversation between A.I. and Jim Mora

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When we struggle, we reach for help. That's why I've been running with my iPod lately. Of course "struggling" is a relative term, but for some reason I've needed a little extra motivation in order to put in the miles. So in that regard, these digital files that randomly were pumped into my skull during this morning's jaunt:

Love Sick - Bob Dylan
There's a nasty guitar lick on this one that I just can't get enough of.

Trigger Cut - Pavement
Interestingly Mark Ibold, the bassist in Pavement is a Lancasterian and his brother, Hans, was a year ahead of me at J.P. McCaskey. Mark, however, went to Lancaster Country Day, which I am staring at out my window as I type and ran past as this track played... on another note, Pavement's first album is one of those "desert island" type records.

Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Believe it or not, there is some interesting guitar work on this one -- OK, that's pushing it... just let me have some fun. Besides, this one worked very well in that bizarre scene in Boogie Nights. You know the one -- John C. Reilly, Thomas Jane and Marky Mark go over to Alfred Molina's house where his houseboy keeps lighting and setting off firecrackers. That scene should be studied in film schools across the country. Rick Springfield should be proud his song was used in that manner.

Southside - Moby
I read something that Moby hated this song and Gwen Stefani's effort in it and that he nearly cut it from the album. It's kind of a cool song, I guess.

There Goes My Gun - The Pixies
From a Peel Session. Wouldn't it be great if there were a way to dig in to John Peel's collection?

Knowing Me, Knowing You - Evan Dando
Just Evan and a guitar playing an ABBA song -- that's hard to beat.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Devo
During the early days of MTV -- back when they showed videos and were interesting -- this was a staple. It also makes me think about a Devo and John Belushi story that can't be repeated here.

Last Exit - Pearl Jam
Recorded in Camden on July 5, 2003. Eddie Vedder was at the Vet that day before a Phillies game and he is really very short... then again, I'm 6-1 so maybe it's not him. Maybe it's me? Nevertheless, I watched and enjoyed Vedder's appearance on Iconoclasts on the Sundance channel where he's spends a day surfing and hanging out with Laird Hamilton in Hawaii. Most impressive is Hamilton who has inspired me to run or bike to the ballpark one day this upcoming summer. It will probably have to be a day game though, because I'm not riding or running home on the Turnpike after dark.

I Will Refuse - Pailhead
Ian MacKaye and Al Jourgensen? Get out of here!

It Didn't Turn Out That Way - Mose Allison
Mose Allison writes and performs perfect songs perfectly. Lately, it's taken force to get me to hit the shuffle button instead of listening to the new Evens record and Mose Allison.

Bonzo Goes to Bitburg - The Ramones
My favorite Ramones song ever.

Bleeding Powers - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
Ted and the gang has a new album on the way. As a live performer, Ted is hard to beat.

A Doubt - John Frusciante
OK... I forgot to include Frusciante with The Evens and Mose Allison. Better yet, Frusciante's epic output last year is some of the most interesting stuff I've heard in a while. I just don't understand how a guy can put out piles of exciting and great work like Frusciante has and then moonlight in a band as predictable and tired as the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I Grow Cold - Shudder to Think
There was a time when all I listened to was Shudder to Think's "Ten Spot," "Funeral At the Movies," and "Get Your Goat." I think that was 1993 or 1994.

Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles
This one played as I ran by my mom's house and James Buchanan's Wheatland.

Spirit of the Radio - Rush
This one reminds me of walking to school in fifth grade at James Buchanan Elementary. That was about 25 years ago.

Boredom - The Buzzcocks
The Passed covered this one back when we were in high school.

That was fun... maybe I'll try to get out again later since it's supposed to be really cold tomorrow.

Powder, man… we’re talkin’ ‘bout packed powder

Vacation time. It’s use-the-days-or-lose-them time. It’s also recover from a 16-hour day that was Tuesday when Allen Iverson was finally traded away from the 76ers. Needless to say, there is a bunch of server space that has been impeded upon in the name of delving into the intricacies of the trade.

I’d say trees were killed, too, but we all know that newspapers, in their hardcopy form, are irrelevant.

Apparently, Iverson said he never asked to be traded, which is a unique spin after being inactive for the 76ers for six games. Unless Iverson lives in a cocoon or cave he surely heard the stories saying that he did, indeed, ask for a trade. It’s a wonder he didn’t say anything sooner.

Meanwhile, as a regular traveler to Colorado and parts of the Denver metro area, I’m going to make an easy prediction in saying that Allen Iverson will take over the sporting landscape of that area unlike any other athlete, excluding John Elway, Dan Issel and Frank Shorter. Iverson immediately makes the Nuggets viable in Colorado, which is something. Afterall, the big events out there are Broncos games, track or cycling Olympic Trials when half of Boulder empties out, and the annual Colorado vs. Colorado St. game.

The hard part, as everyone has been writing, will be to get shots for Iverson and leading-scorer Carmelo Anthony. Who knows, perhaps the new dynamic duo will just start playing one-on-one against each other in the middle of games.

Another concern is getting Iverson to practice in the medium altitude in Denver. Then again, he likely won’t have the same distractions in Colorado that he had in Philadelphia. Atlantic City won’t be 45-minutes away, though there are the low-stakes gambling halls in Central City and Blackhawk.

Better yet, forget about Friday’s and Dave & Busters. Just try to keep Iverson off the slopes in Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte or Telluride.

Powder, man… we’re talkin’ ‘bout packed powder.

Of course he can always go up to Boulder and play hacky sack on the Pearl Street Mall, too. Who cares that the team is now being re-nicknamed from Nugs to Thugs… personally, I prefer Carmelo and the Super Sucker (punchers), but that’s me.

So with Iverson gone what are the 76ers going to do to remain in the news? How about an encore for Larry Brown? That’s definitely a unique one. Has Brown ever returned to any of the 274 teams he’s been with during his career? I don’t think so.

Other stuff
Apparently there is a big football game on Monday night. What intrigues me the most about the game – other than the fact that it could determine whether the Lancaster Crackers are the PSFL champion or merely the runner-up – is what if it were to be played in Philadelphia like the NFL originally wanted?

Elsewhere, I enjoyed reading Todd Zolecki’s Q&A with patron saint Bill James. I suppose it’s fair to label Todd as a “sabergeek.”

Goofin’ off
So what does a vacation mean around here? Well, yesterday it meant a 20-mile run that beat me up a little bit. To recover I ate a half gallon of mint chocolate cookie frozen yogurt on top of a chili sauce and tofu with rice dish my wife makes.

Tonight I plan on a modest recovery run since I struggled to run 6:45 pace during the 20-miler, followed by a trip to the haircuttery with our 2-year-old boy and dinner at one of the Japanese restaurants here in town.

Yeah, it’s pretty wild around here.

Later in the week some traveling, movie-viewing and other domesticated tomfoolery is on the agenda. Plus, since a lot of my friends work at home or in offices nearby, I might stop in and bother them.

See, told you it’s going to be wild.

Goofin' off

Whenever I want a good laugh I read my horoscope. Better yet, the astrology stuff that attempts to pinpoint my personality and future based on my birthday are the best. Because I was born on December 10 – like Emily Dickinson, Susan Dey and that big dude from The Green Mile – I’m supposed to be inscrutable and philosophical… or something like that.

Be that as it may, there are a lot of people who take their astrological sign and star charts seriously. In fact, some people treat it as a religion.

Along those lines is a report in The New York Times where Japanese baseball players are judged on their blood type.

Why blood type and not eye color?

Anyway, new Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka is a warrior who can face down any difficult situation – like facing Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez with no outs and the bases loaded – because his blood type is O.

Think I’m kidding? Read this story… like I wrote, it’s in The Times.

On another note, I happened to hear former Phillies manager and current Red Sox skipper, Terry Francona, on Dan Patrick’s radio show this afternoon while driving home with my son from his school. During the show, Patrick asked Tito if he anticipates and communication problems with the new, $52 million man who is set to pitch for the Red Sox.

No, Francona, said, adding, “If he wants to go out and pitch seven, eight or nine innings every night, I can pat him on the butt in any language.”

Factoid
This is from sometime ComcastSportsNet.com contributor and former “Best Damn Sports Show, Period” researcher, Bill Sudell:

Here's how things are going at the Wachovia Center: The Flyers have won eight games, the 76ers only five. There are 31 teams - 23 in the NHL, which has played more of its schedule, and eight in the NBA - with as many or more wins than the 13 the Flyers and Sixers have combined.

Don’t let the door hit you…
Here’s a surprise – some Philadelphia police officers are happy to see Allen Iverson (reportedly) on his way out of town.

Here’s the money quotes via Philadelphia Will Do, via the Inquirer’s police blog:

“"He's a hoodlum, a thug" proclaimed one police officer. Another one of Philly's finest said, "He doesn't make our lives any easier as cops. He thinks he can drive a thousand miles an hour down City Avenue and that no one is supposed to say anything to him." Another officer commented how disgusted she was when he allegedly turned down a young fan looking to get his autograph at TGI Fridays.”

Just for the sake of nothing, I decided to look up all of the 76ers’ coaches during Allen Iverson’s time in Philadelphia. They are:

Johnny Davis 1997
Larry Brown 1998-2003
Randy Ayers 2003-2004
Chris Ford 2004
Jim O’Brien 2004-2005
Maurice Cheeks 2005- present

Meanwhile, just for fun, I decided to look up the managers Scott Rolen has played for during his career. Like Iverson, Rolen was the Rookie of the Year in 1997.

Jim Fregosi 1996
Terry Francona 1997-2000
Larry Bowa 2000-2002
Tony La Russa 2002- present

As one can tell from the list, Iverson really didn’t become a coach killer until Larry Brown bolted for Detroit. Meanwhile, Brown has been in and out of two organizations since leaving Philadelphia.

Downloaded playbook
Apparently, Eagles' rookie Jeremy Bloom is resourceful. How resourceful? Well, instead of using his iPod to listen to music or watch movies, Bloom uses his handy-dandy little computer to learn the Eagles playbook.

According to a story on ESPN.com, the rookie out of CU-Boulder records himself reading the playbook, loads it onto his iPod, and then works out while listening to himself tell himself what to do.

The winning graf:

Eagles special teams coordinator John Harbaugh observed Bloom doing his solo work, but had no idea what he was listening to. "I thought there was music in that thing," Harbaugh said.

Deal or not?

According to a few newspaper reports, it sounds as if Allen Iverson – once again – is controlling the 76ers. Apparently, as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Iverson balked at a trade to the Charlotte Bobcats, which ruined a potential deal.

That’s one story, but there are others.

Those other stories are all rumors, of course. The Kings, Celtics, Timberwolves, Mavericks, Globetrotters, Real Madrid, and yadda, yadda, yadda, are all interested in making a deal for the 76ers’ star-crossed All-Star but have yet to cross the eyes and dot the tees.

Needless to say, on the record the teams rumored to be involved in negotiating for a deal to get Iverson have all denied their involvement. So in other words, no one knows who knows what is true.

Or false.

But here’s a theory no one in Philadelphia is really giving much credence. In fact, the idea of it just makes the head spin and is so hard to grasp that it could make the feint of heart break into convulsions...

Ready?

Maybe no one wants Iverson.

Let me write that again…

Maybe no one wants Allen Iverson on their basketball team.

There it is.

Oh sure, big-time players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will say they want the so-called Answer. General managers like the T'wolves' Kevin McHale and owners like the Kings’ Maloofs will say that Iverson would be a lovely addition to their franchises, too. But when it comes down to putting the money, the soon-to-expire contracts and the draft picks where the mouth is, the Iverson trade watch is dragging on like a hostage situation complete with TV graphics that spell out the time that has passed.

In that regard, I suppose we’re at “Day 5: Iverson Watch.”

It has a little bit of a cool ring to it, but maybe we should add an exclamation point at the end.

Punctuation and splashy graphics aside, lending some fuel to the ugly-stepchild theory is all-time three-point shooter Steve Kerr, who not only played and battled with Michael Jordan, but also serves as an NBA analyst on TV. That, I suppose, makes him an expert on most things related to the NBA. According to Kerr, who talked to Dan Patrick on the eponymously named ESPN radio show, the only teams that would make a trade for someone like Allen Iverson are the ones that are beyond desperate.

“There are only a few teams in the league that would even think about wanting to pull the trigger because the baggage is just too heavy,” Kerr said about trading for Iverson on Patrick’s show. “I’m like everyone else in that I love the way he competes and I love his talent, but part of being a winner is understanding team dynamics and the importance of practice and being professional and being at team functions. If you’re going to take a guy like that and pay him 20 million bucks a year, that’s a pretty big risk.

“In my mind, the teams that will do it are really desperate.”

There’s another caveat, too, said Kerr. In exchange for Iverson, the Sixers will likely want expiring contracts and draft picks in return in order to build a team for the future. But with Ohio State phenom Greg Oden likely to enter the NBA Draft this June, there aren’t too many teams that will want to hand over a lottery pick if they have a ping-pong ball in the mix for the No. 1 selection.

“But who is going to give up a first-round pick this year when you know Greg Oden is probably going to come out,” Kerr asked, wondering if a “deal is going to happen at all.”

Is it likely that we could enter, "Day 37: Iverson Watch!"? Probably not. But let's at least lend some weight to the notion that the 76ers just might tell Iverson to stay at home for the rest of the year.

Don’t worry, Alley I, the checks will keep coming.

The long good bye

Needless to say, NBA followers are speculating and watching where Allen Iverson might end up. Slam Magazine has its choices, while the Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett wants his boss Kevin McHale to get on it and make a deal pronto.

How crazy would it be for Iverson to end up with the Sixers' once-hated rival, Boston?

So if this is the end for Iverson, perhaps we should start the long tributes. Why not start with the coup de grace:



And then this one:



How about his best game ever:

Wrong Answer?

Years from now we will be still debating Allen Iverson’s legacy with the 76ers and as a Philadelphia professional athlete. Certainly, it’s hard to rate Iverson on par with Wilt, Julius, Barkley or Moses Malone. Aside from reaching the top of the NBA as members of the Sixers, there is just something about those guys that illicit wistful reminiscences from people who think on those things.

That’s not to say Iverson didn’t accomplish a lot during his time with the 76ers. After all, his 2001 season is up there with one the all-timers and there was a stretch where watching Iverson was just as exciting as it was during the era that featured Doc, Bird, Magic and Jordan.

By now, of course, most folks who follow these types of things have heard the news regarding Allen Iverson's desire to be traded from Philadelphia, and his boss's desire to accommodate his request. Nevertheless, unlike everything else that occurred during Iverson's past decade with the 76ers, the upcoming ending to his time is not at all unpredictable. Everyone saw it heading this way years, and years ago.

Then again, if it didn't end badly it would never end.

Iverson was a rarity in the post-Jordan NBA in that he was a player that was actually worth the steep price of admission. Throw in the fact that he is built more like a middle-distance runner than an NBA MVP and it made Iverson even more intriguing.

But intriguing is pretty much all Iverson was during his soon-to-be completed career as a 76er. He was never the self-proclaimed “Answer” despite carrying the team on his narrow shoulders to five games of the NBA Finals in that magical 2001 season. Oh sure, Iverson made his teams competitive, interesting and a threat, but he never made them better.

He never made them a contender.

With the 76ers, Iverson was a lot like a middle-distance runner on a track team or a collegiate wrestler. In those competitions the focus is on the individual result with the team a secondary thought. With Iverson the only way to discuss his game was to talk about the numbers.

For instance, Iverson was a lazy team defensive player but always seemed to poach enough steals to make the league-leader lists and even crack the All-Defensive charts a few times. Meanwhile, Iverson averaged 28.1 points per game during his career on nearly 24 shots per game. Compare that to Doc (24.2 points/18.8 shots), Bird (24.3/19.3), Jordan (30/23), or Barkley (22.1/14.5) and it’s clear that Iverson is the perfect NBA player for the video game age.

For a historical context, perhaps the best comparisons are notorious gunners Bernard King, Alex English, Dominique Wilkins or George Gervin… without the finger roll.

Or the ring.

That last part is hardly Iverson’s fault. Actually, Iverson was always adamant about winning being his top priority. It’s just that winning is more than playing hard in the regular-season games scattered on those nights between November and April. Winning is an everyday thing. It’s a summertime time. A weight room thing. A get-to-bed-early-so-you-can-recover-for-the-next-one thing.

Winning also takes a commitment from the front office, too, and oftentimes it appeared as if the Sixers weren’t putting team together with the correct pieces. Whether that’s a by-product of having Iverson on the team or the state of the modern NBA is for smarter people to figure out, the point is that if Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Julius Erving or Magic Johnson needed the right teammates, Allen Iverson certainly needed them, too.

Let’s not pile on the criticisms of Iverson and the 76ers because that’s not totally fair. Surely Iverson was an inspired player and tons of fun to watch. Like it was stated previously here, those traits are hard to find in the current NBA. But it’s hard to wonder if there was something more with Iverson. Did he get the most out of his ability and talents or was some of it wasted? Make no mistake about it; Iverson gave us everything in games and in interviews when he chose to do them. But it’s hard not to wonder if there was some more left.

Could there have been more for the Sixers and Iverson during the past decade or are we just being greedy?

You know, greedy like Iverson dribbling the ball with the shot clock winding down.

The Get Over Yourself Award

Like last week, this week’s Get Over Yourself Award was easy to dole out. We’re bestowing the honor on The BCS.

Oh no, we’re not giving it to the governing body of NCAA dolts who devised the system that determines the college football national champion through nothing more as significant as the team are “liked” and well thought of. Instead we’re using The BCS as a catchall for the folks who burn lean tissue and time by actually paying attention to college football.

Shame on you!

The problem with The BCS and college football is just that – people pay attention to it and write about it. I guess, in that regard, I am just as guilty as everyone else for actually spending time on the inanity of Division I college football, but I guess I just can’t help myself. But mark this down – I will not watch any of the college bowl games that will be played between now and whenever.

Neither should you.

Actually, if you (yeah, you) are one of the folks who complain about The BCS system or the fact that there is no playoff in Division I college football, then yes, by all means tune in. The networks and corporate sponsors know you are weak and will give in because you want to watch their games.

So until you (yeah, you) tune out and let the NCAA, the networks and the sugar daddy sponsors see the ratings go down, there is not going to be a change.

Do you really think the NCAA wants change? Do you think they care which team is the national champion in any of their sports? As long as the cash from CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN rolls in, George Mason can go to the Final Four and Boise State can go undefeated and have no shot at winning anything.

In all actuality, it’s a pretty basic system the NCAA has devised for college football… you’ll get what we want to give you unless, of course, you don’t.

They don’t care either way.

So if you really want to support college football, go see the local Division II or III team play. At Franklin & Marshall College, the Division III school blocks from my house, the admission is free, the games start around noon on Saturday and move at a nice pace because there are none of the ubiquitous TV timeouts.

Better yet, the players are actually playing because they love it. There are no delusions about an NFL contract like too many big-time college and high school athletes have in Division III sports. Oh sure, the quality of play is only slightly better than a good high school football team, but your kids won’t be able to tell the difference.

Elsewhere
According to Peter Vecsey (yeah, I know... ) in the NY Post, Allen Iverson has asked to be traded away from the Philadelphia 76ers.

I have nothing else to add here.