David Suddenly Sounds Not-So-Stern Regarding the New Ball

David Stern says what? An Associated Press article today says Stern is apparently changing his tune regarding the new ball:

Commissioner David Stern acknowledged Tuesday that the NBA should have sought more input from players before introducing its new game ball.

“It’s an improvement in many ways,” Stern told the New York Times in a story posted on its Web site Tuesday. “But if our players are unhappy with it, we have to analyze to the nth degree the cause of their unhappiness.”

However, a very pissed off Billy Hunter of the players’ union, doesn’t want to hear Stern. According to the New York Times article by Liz Robbins, Hunter says the grievance remains on the table:

“It obviously is something that needs to be studied and reviewed,” Hunter said in a telephone interview last night. “I would consider it a victory if they got the leather ball back, but we’re going to let that run its course.”

He said the grievance might not have prompted Stern’s sudden reversal as much as “the general outcrying that he has gotten.”

“All these star players complaining,” Hunter said, “it creates a problem.”

As far as the players’ opinions are concerned, the AP reports:

Stern said he will address the players’ criticisms with Spalding, the ball manufacturer, but some are ready to get rid of it.

And the ballers response?

“I don’t think anybody would complain if they take it away, I’ll tell you that,” Miami guard Dwyane Wade said. “Hopefully, we’ll get back to the other balls.”

Heat teammate Antoine Walker said Stern needs to take action.

“Saying and admitting that you’re wrong is not good enough,” Walker said. “Right now we just need to get back to the old ball. That’s what guys are comfortable with and are used to playing with, and what we prefer.”

Players have complained about the ball, changed from leather to a microfiber composite, since training camp began. They argue the ball bounces differently than the old one, both off the floor and the rim. The new synthetic material is more sticky when it’s dry, but players say it’s more slippery when wet — which the league and Spalding deny.

“Everything is on the table,” Stern told the paper. “I’m not pleased, but I’m realistic. We’ve got to do the right thing here. And, of course, the right thing is to listen to our players. Whether it’s a day late or not, we’re dealing with this.”

Hmmmm, what’s behind this Stern as nice guy? I bet he’s hearing the rumblings of a potential player’s strike in the future and Stern wants to control the weather. It’s also worth a mention to speculate the effect of a change back to ol’ leather and what impact that will have on Spalding’s sales and Russell Sports’ (Spalding’s owner) eight-year $125 mil deal with the NBA.

I bet there will be more on this later today – we’ll see.

NCAA One-Liners (well, there’s a six-liner, too)

* Jim Boeheim can’t recruit shooters – and Syracuse can’t be a considered a threat to make a run deep into the Dance come March.

* Did anyone see how big Glenn “A Bit Littler” Baby Davis’ eyes got when he mentioned cookies in that interview during the LSU-Texas A&M game?

* ‘Zona is treacherous. They could always run and shoot, but now they play defense, too.

* UCLA definitely didn’t take Cal-State Fullerton seriously last night. After the Bruins’ Josh Shipp drained a three to stretch the UCLA lead from only six to nine points (53-47 to 56-47) CS-Fullerton called a timeout. The entire UCLA starting five ran off the floor laughing visibly.

* Oklahoma State’s JamesOn Curry is now a straight truism. Working with T-Mac in the offseason and taking 700 shots a day will do wonders for almost anybody’s game. It’s a curious fact that most ballers don’t work as hard on their games in the offseason as Curry did. The quest for hoop mediocrity must be more intense than I can imagine.

* Dick Bennett’s son, Tony, is coaching Washington State, and well, I might add. The Cougars upset no 18 Gonzaga last night to run their early-season record to 8-1. But it still has to feel weird to be a school with a student population of 23,000 (statewide) to feel like they truly accomplished something monumental when the team they defeated has a student enrollment of 5858. And Papa Bennett, did you and your wife really have to pay homage to the crooner and name your son Tony?

The NFL’s Drug Testing Policy is Bunk; NFLN’s “Total Access” is Nice; Game-Theft Notes

* In a new NFL low, the league suspended New Orleans Saints’ DT Hollis Thomas. Here’s Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s account:

Saints defensive tackle Hollis Thomas has been suspended by the NFL for four games because, he said, one of the many asthma medications he takes contains a steroidal substance that is banned by the league.

The suspension, without pay, takes effect immediately, but Thomas would be eligible for reinstatement for the postseason should the Saints qualify. The suspension is mandatory after a first positive test, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

Thomas tested positive for clenbuterol, which is a Beta-2 agonist, part of a daily prescription regimen that helps facilitate his breathing and allows him to partake in the physical activity necessary to play professional football.

Beta-agonist is a bronchodilator medicine that opens the airways by relaxing the muscles around the airways that might tighten during an asthma attack.

Part of a daily regimen that allows him to play football – and the league suspended him? Then again, a player could say, ‘Hey I need to stack nandrolone and stanolozol because without that there’s no way I can play.”

“I was taking seven different medications, because I was having trouble breathing because of the humidity in Jackson (Miss., at training camp last July and August),” Thomas said Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate, but I’ve got to abide by this. This is my 11th year and my first-ever suspension. Period.

“I was looking to get smaller (by losing weight) so (taking muscle-building steroids) would totally defeat the purpose.”

Clenbuterol is on the list of prohibited substances as part of the new collective bargaining agreement placed in effect June 20, 2006, as agreed to by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

The NFL’s banned substance list also includes anabolic steroids and human-growth hormones, both of which enhance muscle mass and increase strength.

Thomas apparently did not test positive for those types of steroids.

And the league still suspended him? But wait, it gets better:

Dr. John Amoss, the Saints’ team physician, wrote a letter as part of Thomas’ appeal process, dated Oct. 31, 2006, that outlines the steroid-based medications that Thomas had been taking during training camp when he tested positive Aug. 6 and that he continues taking.

Amoss’ letter, obtained by The Times-Picayune, reads as follows:

“I am the team physician of New Orleans Saints, and this letter is to document that Hollis Thomas has severe asthma and requires high-dose inhaled steroids, a long acting beta agonist and a short acting beta agonist to control asthma. At the time of his drug test in August 2006, Hollis was taking Advair 500/50 twice daily along with Singular 10 mg daily and albuterol inhaler four times daily. Hollis continues to be on this same drug regimen to control to asthma.

“Advair contains both the steroid fluticasone and the long-acting beta-agonist salmeterol. Hollis’ urine drug test in August of 2006 was positive for clenbuterol, which is a beta agonist. At the time of the test, Hollis was taking two beta agonist to control his asthma (albuterol and salmeterol) and the possibility of a false-positive test in this case would appear to be highly plausible.”

Amoss also is on the faculty of the LSU School of Medicine and LSU Health Science Center….

Why does the National Flag-waving League allow teams to employ physicians – and believe the docs are background-checked ny the league – and then fail to listen to them in matters such as this?

Thomas’ agent, Ron Slavin, based in Madison, Wis., said Thomas has been aware of the positive test since September, but was confident that his on-going appeal would be successful because the steroid was part of the prescription regimen used to treat asthma.

The final appeal was scheduled for Nov. 21.

Thomas was notified of the league’s decision Tuesday.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in the NFL who’s on as much (asthma medication) as Hollis is on,” Slavin said. “Hollis had problems in Philadelphia (where he played for 10 seasons), but when he got to Mississippi, that was a whole new level. That’s why Dr. Amoss was putting him on everything under the sun, so he could breathe.

“He’s having a career year, and the NFL is going to do this for asthma medication? It makes no sense.”

“I’m very disappointed because I lost the appeal,” Thomas said.

“I felt like I presented a good case. But that’s the way it is.”

Thomas has created a foundation to create asthma awareness and that helps provide asthma inhalers for underprivileged youths in the St. Louis and New Orleans areas.

So Hollis Thomas, an asthmatic who was traded from Philly to New Orleans this past offseason, arrived at Saints training camp in the ultra-hot and humid – not to mention potentially slightly toxic – air of Mississippi. He’s prescribed medicine which is backed by the team physician but somehow, as a result of that medication, comes up dirty on a steroids test. And the NFL doesn’t put Hollis’ case on the shelf for now, allow him to play, then revisit the case in the offseason.

Who in “Nawlins” pissed in the NFL’s Honey Bunches of Oats? Sounds like it was N.O. team doc, John Amoss. Amoss just exposed the league’s steroid test as FOS as the day is long. The league doesn’t like “little doctor men” showing up their embodiment as the world’s first, only, and preemminent sporting league.

* The NFL Network’s (NFLN) NFL Total Access crew of Rich Eisen, Deion Sanders, and Steve Mariucci, with Marshall Faulk as wingman is the football equivalent of TNT’s Ernie, Chuck, and Kenny, with Reggie as wingman. With Sanders as class clown, Mariucci as the insightful, but bumbling, un-hip head coach, Faulk trying to be professional, but always being kept loose by Eisen and Sanders, the crew blows away their more well-known rivals at Fox, CBS, and DESPN.

Eisen is as irreverent as a host can be within the constrictor-like atmosphere of the National Flag-waving League. He has the sharpest wit in sports hosting, but never lets it go to his head. Additionally, he never usurps the knowledge of the professional athletes around him and never acts like an alpha dog because he’s the “studio man” surrounded by dumb jocks. Because of this and because of his self-depreciating humor, Eisen has earned a place previously unknown in the world of sports television “talent;” that of respected TV Man, respected by the players and afforded the ultimate compliment by the men of the NFL – an understanding of “the inside” as a peer.

This respect for Eisen by NFL players first manifested itself overtly at last year’s NFLN Pro Bowl ramp up in Hawaii. Eisen, on a dare from several players, went out and performed some basic drills and, in the process, incurred a slight tear in his rotator cuff. During the next day’s broadcast, taped in front of Eisen’s plush cabana, the replay of Eisen’s on-field gaffs was replayed. Rod Woodson asked Eisen about his shoulder, Rather than that complain, Eisen simply moved the shoulder and said he needed to play hurt and he’d be just fine.

The ultimate show of respect occurred the following day when Ray Lewis, Chad Johnson, and Shawn Taylor came by the Eisen cabana and began recounting details from the previous evening’s festivities which were apparently seriously raucous. Lewis began revealing a particularly ribald moment when he abruptly stopped and said, “Oh Rich, man, I can’t -” apparently Eisen was witness to the moment. Eisen coolly looked over to Lewis and said, “It’s okay Ray. No need to say more. You’re all good here – besides you’re among friends at the Eisen cabana. Have a Hawaiian drink.” And with that Eisen took a fresh Mai tai and handed it to Lewis.

The following day, Lewis, Johnson, and Taylor walked impromptu into the live All-Access broadcast. They told Eisen they had a surprise for him. Eisen turned around to see the physician representing both the AFC and NFC players on duty for the Pro Bowl (sorry I don’t have his name, he’s like an “all-star” doctor – if anyone knows him, let me know, too). Lewis and crew directed Rick to cut to a commercial so that the physician could perform an on-site check on Eisen’ shoulder. Total Access promptly cut to commercial. When the show returned to the air the physician was in the process of telling Eisen where his facilities were so that he could further examine Eisen instead of going to the island doctor Eisen originally planned to visit. That players were, and remain willing to drop their guards for “outsider” media member Rich Eisen, to the point of making sure “their” physician checked Rich out, is for members of the NFL fraternity, incredibly rare.

What’s uncool about the NFLN is that it’s only available on the DirecTV, which was part of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. deal with the NFL since he owns both Fox and DirecTV. Hopefully the deal can be amended to include cable subscribers because most far too many football fans are missing the best NFL show, period. (“Gregg” just shot me a comment and hipped me to the fact that the NFLN is also available on the Dish Network and a few cable outlets. Thanks G.)

* Two tidbits from Sunday’s games: What was up with the time issue at the end of regulation during the Kansas City-Cleveland? Chiefs’ TE Tony Gonzales caught a pass from Trent Green and dove-crawled, stretched out and put the ball out of bounds. At that point, the game clock clearly read: 01. The final second ticked off the clock. Instead of the referee putting one second back on the clock, which is allowable, the ref, despite protestations from Herm Edwards, simply said regulation was over. No explanation – nothing. With Gonzales out-of-bounds at the Cleveland 40-yard line, the Chiefs’ were deprived of a chance for a game-winning field goal. KC then lost in overtime. It’s so often said that one play does not decide a game, let alone a season, but this one blown call may have cost Kansas City a playoff berth.

* How could two referees bracketing Carolina’s Keyshawn Johnson and Philly’s Lito Sheppard, not call interference on a play that effectively ended any chance for the Panthers to pull out a win at Philadelphia Monday night? A win makes Carolina 7-5, leaving them one game behind the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South and a game up on the 6-6 New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons in the wild-card hunt. Instead, if the season ended now New York and Philadelphia would receive wild-card berths, leaving Carolina and Atlanta out of the picture. Did the NFL need another mediocre 6-6 team in the playoff picture that badly?