CBS Chicgo sports columnist and sports radio host Dan Bernstein took  hatred  to an extreme when stated in an opinion piece  that he hoped cancer stricken former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno would die soon.

This commentary came within the context of his criticism of a public letter put together by over 340 former Penn State football players showing support for Paterno in the wake of brutal criticism for his actions or lack of them in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.  With regards to  specifics of his criticism, I actually agree with Bernstein on several points.  Making the letter public  was ill conceived, inappropriate and was not for the benefit of Paterno but for the ego of  players who signed.  A self centered, arrogant move.

Bernstein should have left it at that.  In addition to criticizing the letter, he  went on to state specifically in his column that he hoped Paterno, who is battling lung cancer  would die soon.   He did not stop there.  He then  had a “Celebration Of Paterno’s Cancer” segment on the Boers And Bernstein radio show.  In the same breath, he also plugged  the One Step At A Time Camp organization which  provides programs for children with cancer.  Dan Bernstein is on the Board Of Directors.  Seem disturbingly ironic?

What’s the bottom line in all this?   Dan Bernstein used a public forum to spew hatred and mock cancer victims. He owes some public forum apologies.  He does NOT owe apologies to  Joe Paterno or offended Penn Staters.   He owes public apologies to the millions of  sick and dying people he mocked.  Those who are battling cancer. Those who are on the front lines looking for a cure.  Those who spend their lives  trying to make life easier for those afflicted.

You may not like or even despise Joe Paterno.  You may believe, in a detached context that what Bernstein said was justified. This is not about Joe Paterno or Penn State.   Listen to Bernsteins actual words and the hatred he worked so hard to take viral. Then consider the bigger picture of  the 11,958,000 million currently afflicted with cancer. Maybe it’s someone you know or love.  Maybe it’s your child like the children helped by the One Step At A Time or similar organization. See how you feel then.  Maybe you will agree that a public apology is in order.  Here are the links to his show.  I urge you to listen.

Boers And Bernstein Hour 3 Minutes  6-8

Boers And Bernstein Hour 3  Minutes 29-31

* A special thanks to certain fellow Penn Staters who provided me the digital clips of the show.

Should Penn State have declined a bowl invitation to play in the Ticket City Bowl  against the Houston Cougars  in Dallas on January 2?  The pro opinion is pretty much the same rhetoric that has been spouted since the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke.  People are rightly outraged at the failure to act by those who are accountable  and the specter of a institutional coverup. Many believe that the the declining of a bowl invitation is a “just punishment” to those who have failed to act and surely covered up these awful events. Some believe it will deter similar future conduct. There are those who  believe it is simply the “moral” thing to do.

Let’s keep our eye on the ball.  Who are we punishing and for what reason?  What future conduct are we trying to deter and for what reason? Whose  morality are we trying to satisfy?  We all agree that the conduct Sandusky is accused of is sickening and heinous.  If convicted, the legal and “moral” thing is that he live out his life behind prison walls. That’s the easy one.  The failure to act by Grahm Spanier, Joe Paterno and others is troubling.  Those who did not act have either been held or are in the process of being held accountable.  Despite the trend towards inserting our own facts to satisfy our immediate blood lust, the bottom line is that there is still many questions unanswered of who knew what and what they did with the information.  These questions will be answered as the wheels of justice slowly turn.

How does this extend to young adults who had absolutely nothing to do with the scandal?  What legal, deterrent or moral high ground is established by punishing these kids by denying them one of their dreams.   Are we deluding ourselves into thinking that this is something the alleged victims want?  That prohibiting innocent kids from playing in a bowl game will somehow alleviate their  pain to any degree?  Is the goal of punishing those who had no involvement in the scandal meant to accomplish something positive or is it simply punishment for punishments sake. Generalized hatred so intense and all consuming.  Hatred for hatred’s sake.

Let’s keep our eye on the ball.  This is not about kids and coaches having nothing to do with any of this playing in a bowl game.  Let them enjoy the moment they worked so hard for.  If you think that the alleged victims would not be in agreement with this, you are deluding yourself with your own “moral’ righteous anger.  No need to create  innocent villains and victims out of hatred.  There is enough of that in this world already.

This is from a Penn State message board.  I usually do not just repost but this really grabbed me as a Penn State alumni. I hope Beth Painter does not mind the repost. Thank you Beth and WE ARE! PENN STATE!

“We know you don’t understand. Generally, we don’t try to explain. Unless you are a Buckeye or Fighting Irish, you probably don’t get how an institution embeds itself in a student’s life. And that is fine.

But right now, we want you to know this:
…
We are distraught and truly sickened by this horror perpetrated on young victims by one who represented the Blue and White, and perpetuated by others at the University. We aren’t blind followers who drink Blue Kool-Aid. We grieve for and with the victims and their families. We pray for them to find healing and peace and a way to live a good life.

We know that while many people had responsibility, the most visible one almost always goes down first. We are not disputing the need for this to happen.

We are not “defending” anything. We are simply crushed and heartbroken. This is not the Penn State we love, the Penn State that is part of our being.

What you know of Joe Paterno probably comes from television or magazine articles.

We know the man who has lived in the same McKee St house for decades. We have chatted with him as he walked to practice. We have eaten ice cream with him at the Creamery. We have studied in the new library wing his money helped build. We have visited the sports museum and spiritual center he also helped build. We have seen him cheering on other Penn State athletes. We know he loves Penn State as much as we do.

Some of our friends, brothers, husbands, sons have been privileged to put on the Blue and White uniform and listen to 100,000 fans in Beaver Stadium. We know how hard they have worked, how much time they have devoted, how many of them have been part of an excellent scholar/athlete legacy…and how much they love this man and this program.

We aren’t stupid or naive. We know Joe Paterno has culpability. We know he could have made different choices – he admitted that. We don’t think he is God or always perfect or saintly. But he is the greatest college football coach ever, and he is PSU family, and we don’t want his exit to be like this.

WE ARE…not closing our eyes, ignoring reports, pretending this isn’t a wretched occurrence.
WE ARE…angry that innocents would be violated under our care.
WE ARE…in support of appropriate punishment for every person involved.
WE ARE…demanding change to a system that would allow this.
WE ARE…not concerned if you do not understand our love and devotion.
WE ARE…PENN STATE proud and we will rise again.

~Beth Painter

Given that it looks like the NBA lockout is heating up and there will be either an attempt at decertification or a disclaimer of interest, I have gathered the most interesting and relevant legal documents from the litigation currently pending in Federal Court For The Southern District Of New York if you have interest for your reading pleasure.  As long as the litigation is ongoing or there is further litigation filed, I will post selected pleadings here.

The National Basketball Player’s Association (NBPA) theme song for the 2011-12 player lockout should be  “Oops I Said It Again”.  It seems that a week can’t  go by without a member of the rank and file opening his mouth and putting a dagger into the heart of the the union’s “Hold The Line” stance,  lessening any chance of a season this year.  It appears no lessons on who should speak and who shouldn’t were learned from the 98-99 lockout.

Let’s start with the most recent statement by Chicago Bulls star point guard, Derrick Rose.  In putting all the blame for the lockout on the owners he stated:

“Everyone Knows It’s Not Our(The Players) Fault.” 

I am assuming “everyone” means the judgmental general public.  That’s not quite up there with “I’ve Got My Family To Feed”  but “Everyone”?   There is certainly a percentage of the public that sides with the players.  At what percentage does “everyone” kick in?  90-10?   70-30?   The decidedly non-scientific polls**  I have seen indicate that if we are going to throw the term “everyone” around so loosely it would be more accurate to say that “everyone” sides with the owners.  That is of course not true either but setting aside the large percentage of the public that simply want “everyone” to “shut up and play”,  the public at this moment,  seems to be leaning towards ownership.  What does that tell me with regards to Derrick Rose’s statement?  It tells me  that there is a “detached arrogance” among the NBA “elite” players involved in the process.   They are out of touch with the public perception and my guess is that the same applies to their interaction with their union brethren in the NBA rank and file.  How do I come to that conclusion? Let’s go to example 2.

The  “NBPA  recently held a regional meeting in Los Angeles.  It was first reported that only 20 players showed.  Hardly  a booming endorsement of the player unity claimed by Derek Fisher.  It seemed more a statement of union apathy.  Fisher must have been mad at this figure being reported because it was changed shortly after the original report  to thirty. It went from “almost no one cared” to “hardly anyone cared”.  There is no spin.  It speaks for itself.  People who are engaged in the process show up. They ask questions.  Those who are not, become part of “almost no one cared”.   You don’t have to have a psychology degree to figure that out.   Another ill timed “oops we said it again” reality dagger was when Washington Wizards center JaVale McGee left the meeting and told reporters:

“There’s definitely some guys in there saying that they’re ready to fold, But the majority are ready to stand strong.”

“READY TO FOLD”  The daggers don’t go much deeper into the heart of NBPA spin than that.  Derrick Fisher of course did his best at damage control but his spin stuck the dagger in even deeper by being logically inept.  He attempted to imply that no one should be listening to McGee because he was not present for the entire meeting.  The logical fallacy of that is that most of  the NBA rank and file was not in the room for any of the meeting.  The public could interpret Fisher’s spin as saying “we don’t care about the people not in the room.”  Even more brutal, his own rank and file could come to the same conclusion.  We know that’s not true but perception is reality.   While  insanely stupid to say publicly,  McGee gave Fisher honest input more valuable than any social media “stand united” campaign.   He told Fisher that  instead of a few guys tweeting from an NBPA cue card, Fisher should be very concerned about the guys “not in the room”   They are the majority who will decide ratification.  The guys “not in the room”  are talking to each and clearly not talking to Derek Fisher.  Whose  fault is that?

Fisher also had his “I did it again” moment” when he stated that he was “disappointed” with the meeting turnout. He must have realized how bad that sounded and denied he said it because the quote mysteriously disappeared from a later version of the ESPN.com reporting on the meeting.

We also have this reported occurrence: “On Friday, a role player for a middling team got a surprise phone call, from just about the biggest name in the sport — somebody who had never called him before. The message: Hold firm at 53. We’re not caving. Hang in there…”

I am trying to figure out how making that public  is a positive for the union.  Was this part of a 3 hour conversation on the issues so this player who the “biggest name in the sports”  whom the role player had never spoken to before knows why to hold the line?  What I took out of it is the player got the equivalent of a “robocall” from someone he has never had personal interaction with and who never took any interest in his life before the call.  When you got those recording calls from election candidates acting like they were your next door neighbor were you  swayed or annoyed?  I was annoyed.

Enter Stage left Clippers guard Eric Gordon.  Keep in mind that this is a AFTER the Los Angles meeting  fiasco and was meant to be spin control.  Apparently thinking he was saying the right thing in response to whether the rank and file would fold  he stated:

“It’s hard to say, but I don’t think the players are going to give up so easily,””

What I heard was “its hard to say“.   Is it “hard to say” or does he think they “won’t fold “so easily”?   It can’t be both.   We won’t even get into what the qualifier “easily” means.  Hardly a ringing endorsement for “holding the line”.

That is not to say that there are not articulate players who are saying all the right things.  The problem with that is we expect it and toss it aside mentally. It’s the gaffes and contrarian remarks everyone remembers.

Stayed tuned for the next chapter of  “Oops We Said It Again”.

**LA Times poll.  Bleacher Report poll.

Delonte West must not have been paying attention when the NBA players union began warning players by some reports up to four years ago, to forgo the swag  and extra Bentley in anticipation of the work stoppage that has paralyzed the NBA to date.  Despite earning 14 millions dollars during his NBA career, he is apparently unable to make ends meet.  He is now employed at Regency Furniture Showrooms, in order to “stay afloat during the lockout.”   He had also applied to Home Depot prior to accepting the Regency Position that probably pays no more than 10-15 dollars an hour.  Is Delonte the exception to the rule of players who actually listened and who had agents with balls enough to demand that they engage in sound financial planning at risk of losing a client?  We will not know until paychecks start being missedbut basic human psychology and previous experience says that the Home Depot ranks may well swell with high priced inventory stockers and price checkers if the NBA lockout does not resolve soon.  While Delonte’s situation is unique in that his criminal record prevents him from playing overseas it will prove to be very common in terms of players who are living paycheck to paycheck and need to feed the nut one way or another if they can’t land an overseas gig.  It’s not like this is a new phenomenon or there are no case studies for players to look at and take a serious view of their potential financial situations.

We all played our violins to death when we heard of Latrell Sprewell’s financial troubles. On Halloween 2004, Sprewell, who was in the final season of a $62-million five-year contract with the New York Knicks, said he was insulted by the Minnesota Timberwolve’s offer of a contract extension that was reportedly worth between $27 million and $30 million for three seasons. Sprewell stated, “I’ve got my family to feed.” That quote become a national moniker for the public perception of athletes as greedy, out of touch individuals. Apparently, Sprewell still can’t feed his family. His yacht was  repossessed and his home faced foreclosure. He also reportedly owes  $3.5 million in back income taxes to the state of Wisconsin.

While there is certainly the stereotype of the financially irresponsible NBA athlete, no professional sport is immune.

Let’s take a look at some high profile athlete financial sob stories over the years:

1. No one my age can forget Jack”The Ripper” Clark , star player for the Boston Red Sox who filed for bankruptcy in 1992 in the middle of his second year of a three-year, $8.7 million contract with Boston; he listed $6.7 million in debts. Jack was a master of financial planning and prudent asset acquisition. His bankruptcy petition listed assets such as 18 automobiles, including a 1990 Ferrari that cost $717,000 and three 1992 Mercedes Benz cars costing between $103,000 and $143,000. He owed money on 17 of the automobiles and was liable for about $400,000 in Federal and state taxes. He had also lost about $1 million in a drag-racing venture. Sounds like Jack would have been more at home in the NBA. You can read about it here

2. Johnny Unitas, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Baltimore Colts, filed for bankruptcy in 1991 citing numerous failed business ventures in his petition These failed bits included bowling alleys, land deals and restaurants. He filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991.

3. Mike Tyson The name speaks for itself. Mike’s bankruptcy was highly publicized. Despite earning hundreds of millions during his boxing career, Mike kept it simple. His bankruptcy petition simply stated: ” I am unable to pay my bills”. According to federal court records, his liabilities totaled about $27 million. You can read that story here.

4. Dorothy Hamill, the women’s figure-skating gold medalist in the 1976 Winter Games, filed for bankruptcy after a series of financial setbacks. Hamill said she has experienced financial setbacks as a result of poor financial investment advice and management.

5.  Derrick Coleman:  Coleman’send-game’ list of assets in his bankruptcy petition consisted of  a Seadoo watercraft, his NBA pension, 1957 Buick convertible, worth $20,000; a 1970 Chevrolet Nova, worth $5,000; and a 1997 Bentley convertible, valued at $50,000 and some fur coats.

6.   Antoine Walker: Despite earning a reported $110 million over the course of his 13-year NBA career, former player Antoine Walker is apparently broke.  In 2011 Walker pleaded guilty to one felony count of passing a bad check with regards to 770k in gambling debts.

These are just a few of many athletes’ tales of woe. It is not a phenomenon limited to professional sports — just ask M.C Hammer. Prior to his declaring bankruptcy, it was made public that his day to day living expenses far exceeded his income of $33 million. If I am going to veer off to celebrities, I certainly have to mention Kim Basinger and Michael Jackson and Nicholas Cage.

When the Toronto Star ran an article alleging that a shocking 60 percent of NBA athletes “go broke” five years after retiring, did we not all pull out that very tiny violin we have reserved for such occasions? The NBA players union and the NBA have both disputed that assertion. The article goes on to talk about all the people taking advantage of and “scamming” these athletes. While I have no doubt there is truth to this, I can also understand how such a generalization would make the NBA uncomfortable. It leaves you with the impression that 60 percent of NBA players are not only financially inept but also idiots in general. This is simply not true. While good business sense is often lacking, I view many of their mistakes as being more mistakes of trust, credibility and lack of life experience than anything else. Smart, busy people who can afford it, hire people with targeted expertise to help them. This allows them to focus on their expertise. Sometime mistakes are made and bad judgment is used in who we hire and hang out with. That is not unique to the NBA or professional sports. This happens to everyone. That is life. It happens all the time. It just does not make front page when we screw up. If there is any question at all as to how badly we as the general public screw up, just look at the personal bankruptcy filing statistics.

In order to get a perspective from the inside, I contacted Jordan Woy, a highly respected sports agent and a principal in the sports marketing/management firm of Schlegel Sports. Jordan has represented numerous high profile athletes

Here is what Jordon had to say:

I think there are several reasons why so many athletes “go broke”. First, whether it is a lottery winner, an athlete or a star entertainer, if they are not equipped with the knowledge on how to make and save money they are in trouble. When they didn’t earn it through disciplined business practices and they don’t have those skills they usually go through it quickly. Most lottery winners or athletes make a great deal of money in a short period of time. They start spending it on things that only go down in value (cars, jewelry, partying, entourage, etc) and start to evaporate the money they do have. They can carry this off until they stop earning big money. This is when the trouble starts. It is hard to believe that MC Hammer, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and now Ed McMahon are broke. These are people who earned hundreds of millions over time and it disappeared. Lavish spending and entourages were probably the downfall for the first three for sure.

Most athletes play for four to ten years if they are lucky. After they pay taxes (can be 40 to 50%) and agent fees and buy their first homes, cars, outfits, jewelry (plus, cars, clothes and jewelry for friends and family), they are left with very little. When they first “strike it rich” all of their longtime friends and family expect help. Most athletes feel obligated to help everyone out at first then they wise up. They also want to keep up with their teammates. If someone buys a Bentley, they have to buy one; if someone buys a $75,000 watch, they have to buy one to keep up the appearance. Then, of course, when the career ends and they are still living in a multi million dollar house, driving 3 expensive cars (and insurance), traveling in private planes and taking Limo’s when they go out on the town, reality sets in. The money dries up very quickly.

However, if athletes educate themselves, learn money management skills and make smart, safe investments along the way, they are usually in very good shape. After representing athletes for over 20 years, we call this our “life plan”. We take out clients on working vacations in the off season to places like Las Vegas, Cancun and on a cruise to the Bahamas to learn business networking. We have people from industries such as real estate, oil and gas, financial planning, credit repair, asset protection/estate planning, etc come to educate the players and their wives so they can learn about these business and also determine if they are interested in any of these industries for life after sports. One of the financial planners who comes always says most people die coming down from Mt. Everest not going up. The goal is for these athletes to get to their Mt. Everest AND to get down safely.

So, what do you think? Are the financial mistakes that athletes make any different than your mistakes or mine? They are certainly mistakes made with a higher downside. When we hear these stories are we just unable to comprehend that someone could have that much money and spend it all? Can we learn lessons on how to live our lives from their highly publicized financial gaffes? Do we even care at all?

With all due respect to Latrell Sprewell and Delonte West, we have our own families to feed

I cried like a baby when I listened to the 911 call of U.S. Olympic skier Jeret “Speedy” Peterson.  He made the call asking for someone to come and get his body moments before he took his own life. Jeret reportedly had long struggled with depression and alcoholism. I did not cry because I knew him or was a fan in any way.  I cried because I felt his pain.  I cried because every word he spoke were words that I often thought about repeating into a phone before I took my own life.  I cried because he did not have to die.

Like Jeret I have have long struggled with depression. Like Jeret I have abused alcohol to deal with it.  Not the fleeting kind  of depression you suffer when your NBA team is eliminated from the playoffs.  The kind that sometimes results in life changing and like Jerrett and many others, life ending decisions .  The ugly “S” word.  The journey associated with the often daily battle through fog and fear has taken me down many a dark road.   I have seen people I know, unable to find answers or hope take the journey into the abyss from which there is no return.  As I sadly read of  theirs and Jeret’s decision to take that final jump into the final darkness, terminating the future,  I am reminded of how all so fast it can happen.

This  slide into darkness has its own unique components for different people. Some are luckier than others in the support they get or their ability to reach out for that support.   I was very lucky.  I had everyone who loved me living in my city and within a few miles of me.  They were all in my life and knew my routines. That is what saved me. If I did not have that I would be dead.

I do not remember placing the Italian 45-caliber automatic pistol that my best friend had given me for a gift on my nightstand. I do not remember emailing him for bullets.  I do not remember emailing others of my desire to end my life. I realize now that it was my way of reaching out for help.  My only memory of those terrible few days on the edge 6 years ago was being  wakened out  of a Xanax stupor by people who cared for me, the pistol sitting inches away from me.   It happens that easy.   It was all so easy to slide in the fog from a Xanax coma to a 45 cal bullet.  It did not happen.  People loved me, cared and intervened.

While I think I have suffered from depression since I was a child, I do not have any sense of time in its effects as you have to realize it’s an issue to start the clock.   It has had its ups and downs.  Despite what Tom Cruise will have you believe, medication works. Talking to professionals helps. Having a family that loves me, recognized something was wrong and was willing to intervene is something that many who suffer do not have. I am very lucky.

There however was one dark period that the low was so low and the fog of depression was so great that I only have vague memories of literally living on the edge of permanent darkness.

I have thought about telling this story before. I have always backed off because of self-interest.  I did not want to be perceived as weak.  I did not want to be stereotyped, stigmatized or shamed.  I did not want sympathy.  In the end, it is what it is.  If someone can take the message from this that there is hope and recovery from the edge of darkness to happiness and accomplishment in life. If someone will see that reaching out even when you do not want to has the greatest up side at all.  If one person gets that I will take all the  S’s people can throw at me.  My heart goes out to Jeret’s family and all those who knew him who are casualties of the collateral damage that depression inflicts.

Was listening to Mike and Mike today on ESPN radio.   They were discussing the decision of University of  New Mexico basketball coach Steve Alford to institute a blanket ban on tweeting.  My immediate thought was that New Mexico is obviously a state school which brings the 1st Amendment into any analysis.  The 1st Amendment limits the ability of the the government to suppress speech except in very limits and defined circumstances.   A state school is “the government” and Alford is their agent hence the 1st Amendment issue.  If this was Notre Dame coach Mike Brey instituting the ban, it’s a non-issue from a 1st Amendment standpoint.  Notre Dame is a private school and the 1st Amendment is therefore not applicable with the exception of California which extends 1st Amendment protection to private colleges and universities through the Leonard Law.

The bottom line is that in my opinion, while Alford can take action against players for specific Tweets  that constitute a substantial disruption  of team activities, an across the board ban will not withstand a 1st Amendment challenge. It is in effect a prior restraint speech without even knowing what that speech will be.  While the 1st amendment is being squashed, practically it makes little difference.  Would not go over to well team chemistry wise for a player to challenge such a ban and what are the chances anyone at the ACLU is a an LOBOS fan?

With the one of the greatest and special periods of my life behind me, I recently wrote a guest post for Mike Fisher’s Dallasbasketball.com about being close to and dealing  with the emotions as a passionate fan of a team and a franchise that has done so many things right for so many years … and has finally gotten rewarded. Thanks Mike for allowing me to re-post. Please be sure to check out Dallasbasketball.com and follow Mike on Twitter for great Mavs and general sports content.

On that emotional level, here are my 12 Final Championship thoughts.

1: I will never forget the feeling of being part of one of the most incredibly special moments in Dallas sports history.

2: I will always be affected by the feel of hugging someone you love, knowing that person has accomplished his ultimate professional dream.

3: Oh, and the feeling of having everyone you love around you when that dream is realized.

4: Then there is the feeling of being at one with a team and entire city. The intense emotions associated with riding through thousands of people who do not know you but are letting their love for you and your family wash over you and feeling the same way for them.

5: The feeling of intense emotional projection of failure … only to have victory snatch that feeling away within seconds.

6: The feeling of the last 10+ years being vindicated when the clock read 0.00.

7: The feeling of anxiety for the future of a team that you hope will remain a team for future championships.

8: The feel of holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy over my head!

9: The sadness of letting go these great moments as time moves forward.

10: The feeling of pride and joy for the employees of an entire organization at every level who put their heart and soul into making the above feelings a reality.

11: Being in that parade … in that mob … our car at one point swarmed by people … but feeling nothing but good feelings.

12: Singing “We Are The Champions” over and over and over again in my head … all month and maybe forever!

An NBA lockout is almost upon us.  Bottom line for the fans?  No basketball to entertain us.  Bottom line for the players?  No money to support lifestyles that in almost every case is well beyond yours, mine and every other working stiff.  NBA baby mamas across the country are getting nervous about their child support. We know that Lebron James will have more than enough put away to survive an extended NBA lockout but what about the average NBA Joe who has not been crowned king?

Almost half of all workers live paycheck to paycheck.  The NBA is no different. It may be even worse because many NBA players, like other major sport professional athletes,  generally come into their money at a young age without the maturity and life experience of making financial mistakes over the course of years and learning from them. Without life lessons, educated restraint and  people to trust, most will tend to spend to the level of their insolvency  It’s a biological drive. That might shock some.  The bottom line is that a person making  5 million a year without the benefit of the above will tend to spend all of it  and still cant make the rent when the music suddenly stops.  Between multiple mortgages, multiple expensive cars, multiple baby mamas and posses combined millions can dwindle quickly into the realm of dead ass broke.  Just ask Latrell Sprewell.

We all played our violins to death when we heard of Latrell Sprewell’s financial troubles. On Halloween 2004, Sprewell, who was in the final season of a $62-million five-year contract with the New York Knicks, said he was insulted by the Minnesota Timberwolve’s offer of a contract extension that was reportedly worth between $27 million and $30 million for three seasons. Sprewell stated, “I’ve got my family to feed.” That quote become a national moniker for the public perception of athletes as greedy, out of touch individuals. Apparently, Sprewell still can’t feed his family. His yacht was repossessed and two homes he owned went  into forclosure.

While there is certainly the stereotype of the financially irresponsible NBA athlete, no professional sport is immune.

Let’s take a look at some high profile athlete financial sob stories over the years:

1. No one my age can forget Jack”The Ripper” Clark , star player for the Boston Red Sox who filed for bankruptcy in 1992 in the middle of his second year of a three-year, $8.7 million contract with Boston; he listed $6.7 million in debts. Jack was a master of financial planning and prudent asset acquisition. His bankruptcy petition listed assets such as 18 automobiles, including a 1990 Ferrari that cost $717,000 and three 1992 Mercedes Benz cars costing between $103,000 and $143,000. He owed money on 17 of the automobiles and was liable for about $400,000 in Federal and state taxes. He had also lost about $1 million in a drag-racing venture. Sounds like Jack would have been more at home in the NBA. You can read about it here

2. Johnny Unitas, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Baltimore Colts, filed for bankruptcy in 1991 citing numerous failed business ventures in his petition These failed bits included bowling alleys, land deals and restaurants. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991.

3. Mike Tyson The name speaks for itself. Mike’s bankruptcy was highly publicized. Despite earning hundreds of millions during his boxing career, Mike kept it simple. His bankruptcy petition simply stated: ” I am unable to pay my bills”. According to federal court records, his liabilities totaled about $27 million. You can read that story here.

4. Dorothy Hamill, the women’s figure-skating gold medalist in the 1976 Winter Games, filed for bankruptcy after a series of financial setbacks. Hamill said she has experienced financial setbacks as a result of poor financial investment advice and management.

These are just a few of many athletes’ tales of woe. It is not a phenomenon limited to professional sports — just ask M.C Hammer. Prior to his declaring bankruptcy, it was made public that his day to day living expenses far exceeded his income of $33 million. If I am going to veer off to celebrities, I certainly have to mention Kim Basinger and Michael Jackson.

When the Toronto Star ran an article alleging that a shocking figure that 60 percent of NBA athletes “go broke” five years after retiring, did we not all pull out that very tiny violin we have reserved for such occasions?  While the NBA players union and the NBA have both disputed that assertion the point is made.  The article goes on to talk about all the people taking advantage of and “scamming” these athletes. While I have no doubt there is truth to this, I can also understand how such a generalization would make the NBA uncomfortable. It leaves you with the impression that 60 percent of NBA players are not only financially inept but also idiots in general. This is simply not true. While good business sense is often lacking, I view many of their mistakes as being more mistakes of trust, credibility and lack of life experience than anything else. Smart, busy people who can afford it, hire people with targeted expertise to help them. This allows them to focus on their expertise. Sometime mistakes are made and bad judgment is used in who we hire and hang out with. That is not unique to the NBA or professional sports. This happens to everyone. That is life. It happens all the time. It just does not make front page when we screw up. If there is any question at all as to how badly we as the general public screw up, just look at the personal bankruptcy filing statistics.

In order to get a perspective from the inside, I contacted Jordan Woy, a highly respected sports agent and a principal in the sports marketing/management firm of Schlegel Sports. Jordan has represented numerous high profile athletes

Here is what Jordon had to say:

I think there are several reasons why so many athletes “go broke”. First, whether it is a lottery winner, an athlete or a star entertainer, if they are not equipped with the knowledge on how to make and save money they are in trouble. When they didn’t earn it through disciplined business practices and they don’t have those skills they usually go through it quickly. Most lottery winners or athletes make a great deal of money in a short period of time. They start spending it on things that only go down in value (cars, jewelry, partying, entourage, etc) and start to evaporate the money they do have. They can carry this off until they stop earning big money. This is when the trouble starts. It is hard to believe that MC Hammer, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and now Ed McMahon are broke. These are people who earned hundreds of millions over time and it disappeared. Lavish spending and entourages were probably the downfall for the first three for sure.

Most athletes play for four to ten years if they are lucky. After they pay taxes (can be 40 to 50%) and agent fees and buy their first homes, cars, outfits, jewelry (plus, cars, clothes and jewelry for friends and family), they are left with very little. When they first “strike it rich” all of their longtime friends and family expect help. Most athletes feel obligated to help everyone out at first then they wise up. They also want to keep up with their teammates. If someone buys a Bentley, they have to buy one; if someone buys a $75,000 watch, they have to buy one to keep up the appearance. Then, of course, when the career ends and they are still living in a multi million dollar house, driving 3 expensive cars (and insurance), traveling in private planes and taking Limo’s when they go out on the town, reality sets in. The money dries up very quickly.

However, if athletes educate themselves, learn money management skills and make smart, safe investments along the way, they are usually in very good shape. After representing athletes for over 20 years, we call this our “life plan”. We take out clients on working vacations in the off season to places like Las Vegas, Cancun and on a cruise to the Bahamas to learn business networking. We have people from industries such as real estate, oil and gas, financial planning, credit repair, asset protection/estate planning, etc come to educate the players and their wives so they can learn about these business and also determine if they are interested in any of these industries for life after sports. One of the financial planners who comes always says most people die coming down from Mt. Everest not going up. The goal is for these athletes to get to their Mt. Everest AND to get down safely.

So, what do you think? Are the financial mistakes that athletes make any different than your mistakes or mine? They are certainly mistakes made with a higher downside.  When we hear these stories are we just unable to comprehend that someone could have that much money and spend it all? Can we learn lessons on how to live our lives from their highly publicized financial gaffes? Do we even care at all?

With all due respect to Latrell Sprewell and big time professional athletes,  we have our own families to feed…

My trip to Miami and South Beach for the NBA Finals has been unique for me on a couple levels.   The obvious is that  this Dallas Mavericks playoff run has been an incredible experience.  It has brought the city and fans together like no sporting event I have ever seen including the 2006 run.  It has infused the city of Dallas  with vigor and buzz.

The second is that the 2011 Finals mark a huge sobriety milestone for me in coming to Miami.  I did not come to the 2006 Finals in Miami.  I did not come, because I did not think I could handle it from a sobriety standpoint.   As I write this, I have been sober for over 4  years.  I was not sober in 2006 but I wanted to be.

In the years running up to the 2006 Finals, I was a regular visitor to South Beach.  I was also regularly drunk and hungover every night and morning I was here.  Sometimes wandering the streets in the early a.m because I was too drunk to remember where I was staying.   Once I got sober, I thought it best not to return to the scene of the crime and much stupidity for a while.  Too many temptations. Too much fire to burn me.   I stayed away for 5 years.  I took the same tact with Vegas where I also did a lot of damage to my body and wallet.  I finally did return to Vegas for a convention 3 years into my sobriety  It was a completely different experience sober. I considered it a milestone in my recovery.  I want to live life without  being afraid of myself and situations. Now comes South Beach.  Not a problem at all.  Spent Saturday night in my hotel room watching the tube.  Not because I was afraid of putting myself in the insanity pot but because I had no desire to.  Another milestone.   Hoping the Mavs achieve their milestone while I am here, bringing back the Larry O’Brien Trophy. I will have a Diet Coke to celebrate.

The  NBA Finals are in full force!  New hopes and  new players  driving the Mavs to what is hopefully their 1st NBA Championship.  But  on the social scene in Dallas, “singles season’’ never ends.   In preparation for the attendance surge at the after-game bars, clubs, see and be seen sports mackdaddies and 30k  douchebaggery,  I recently roamed the streets of Dallas checking out various nightspots while contemplating what he Larry O’Brien Trophy would look like gracing the corridors of the American Airlines Center.  I was stunned by the similarity between the Dallas singles scene and the the scene on the NBA hardcourt.  Life imitates art. Basketball imitates life. Especially in social interactions.

I saw all kinds (as I often do), not all of them enviable kinds. There were the 30K Millionaires, the Cougars, the GoldDiggers and the MackDaddy D-bags, and I saw all kinds of similarities between the social interactions I witnessed out on the singles scene and the great game of hoops.

Let’s lace up those high-tops for a walk onto the hardwood court of Dallas (and note that I believe it’s largely the same for any big-city nightlife where a basketball season is played out). There are no points for second place. The winners hit nothing but net while the losers head home alone and whine the next morning about how they gave their best. The only way you can only get a “clear path” to the basket” view of all this is if you are living outside the 3-point line.

To watch this game – and to maybe be more than a baseline season-ticket-holder — I had to re-learn all I knew about basketball and how it applied to the nightlife scene. Once I had finished learning the rules and different offensive (sometimes very offensive!) and defensive sets, a night out in Dallas became more entertaining than watching the NBA Finals.

Well, almost

In order to see what I saw and know what I know you have to have a basic understanding of basketball “terminology” as it applies to both the NBA and the nightclub scene. Once you have this understanding you will never look at a bar or nightclub in the same light. Here are some of the terms you need to understand:

“Palming”: The act of adjusting oneself in a nightclub right in front of your buddy/wingman and the hot girl you are talking to. This is a change in possession foul and you must now transfer possession of the hot girl to your buddy.

“Slam-dunk”: The last drunk girl in the bar at 2 a.m.

“Full Court Press’’: Within 15 minutes of meeting a girl in a bar you have given her your phone number, certified financial statement, recent HIV test and two round-trip tickets to Vegas for the next day. You’ve even sent her flowers… while still in the bar.

“Flagrant Foul”: At the very moment the hottest girl in the bar is handing you her telephone number, your best buddy, say, picks his nose. This is a two-shot foul. You retain possession. Your buddy must buy two shots of any drink you choose for you and any girl you want the rest of the night.

“Double-Double”: You figure it out…

“Triple Double”: U DA MAN!

“Clear Path Foul:’’ You picked up the hottest girl in the club. She has told you how much she wants you. You are on your way back to your place. She pukes all over your car.

“Fast Break”: You’ve just arrived, you have not even valeted the car yet and your buddy is coming out of the nightclub, hot girl on his arm.

“Traveling”: You live in Dallas. She lives in Fort Worth. This is a change-of-possession foul – but only if your buddy doesn’t care where she lives.

“24-Second Violation’’: You meet a hot girl. You spend the first 25 seconds talking about your millions in the bank, new Maserati, your listing on the Forbes 400 and your Gulfstream while your three roommates look on. This is also known as a “30K Millionaire Violation.” It is a turnover – she turns herself over to the next guy in the bar who actually owns a Maserati or Gulfstream.

“Double Dribble”: You forget to tie your shoes. Just as you are about to hand your girl her drink, you trip and spill both drinks on her. This is a change-in-possession foul as your buddy because your buddy uses it against you. She agrees and goes home with him.

“Back-Court Violation”: Your posse is in the club. You have drink in hand when you realize your driver was denied entrance because he wore tennis shoes, thus violating the dress-to-impress code.

“Alley-Oop”: Your buddy generously hands off to you that last drunk girl in the bar at 2 am. You are hoping to convert to a “slam dunk.’’

“Moving Screen”: Your buddy is not getting near that girl. She is going home with you!

“Blocking Foul”: Just as the hottest girl in the club is handing you her phone number … this is gonna be good. … your buddy approaches and and is nice enough to report that he found your wedding ring on the floor.

“Offensive Foul”: You had Italian for dinner. You’re about to kiss your girl goodnight — on the cheek, because you’re a gentleman — when you burp just a little. Is that a piece of spaghetti that’s landed on her cheek? Another turnover. To anybody. As long as it’s not you.

“Technical Foul”: She told you she was 21 when you bought her a drink. This is an ejection. A one-game suspension. And a timeout. … maybe to be spent in a 4×6 with bars.

“Offensive Rebound”: It is not your fault your buddy can’t close.

“Tip Off”: You spy something on her neck. It is suspicious. It appears that the attractive woman you are looking at has an Adam’s Apple.’’

“Two-Minute Warning”: It’s last call. You struck out. Your designated driver has left and you have no cab fare. Time for more “traveling.’’ Because you’re walking home.

There’s the rules of the game. And unlike the NBA regular season, which must come to again, in the nightlife scene, every weekend brings a playoff round!

©2011 Brian Cuban

The  NBA playoffs are  upon us!  New hopes and  new players  driving the Mavs to what is hopefully another trip into the NBA finals scene. But  on the social scene in Dallas, “singles season’’ never ends.   In preparation for another playoff round of  of after-game bars, clubs, see and be seen sports mackdaddies and douchebaggery, I recently roamed the streets of Dallas after the Mav’s home game, checking out various nightspots while contemplating what will hopefully be a great Mavs season. I wandered about, contemplating how we would make the playoffs, play deep in, and hopefully challenge again for that elusive Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy.

At the same time, I was stunned by a similarity between singles scene as the NBA:

Life imitates art. Basketball imitates life. Especially in social interactions.

I saw all kinds (as I often do), not all of them enviable kinds. There were the 30K Millionaires, the Cougars, the GoldDiggers and the MackDaddy D-bags, and I saw all kinds of similarities between the social interactions I witnessed out on the singles scene and the great game of hoops.

Let’s lace up those high-tops for a walk onto the hardwood court of Dallas (and note that I believe it’s largely the same for any big-city nightlife where a basketball season is played out). There are no points for second place. The winners hit nothing but net while the losers head home alone and whine the next morning about how they gave their best. The only way you can only get a “clear path” to the basket” view of all this is if you are living outside the 3-point line.

To watch this game – and to maybe be more than a baseline season-ticket-holder — I had to re-learn all I knew about basketball and how it applied to the nightlife scene. Once I had finished learning the rules and different offensive (sometimes very offensive!) and defensive sets, a night out in Dallas became more entertaining than watching the NBA Finals.

Well, almost

In order to see what I saw and know what I know you have to have a basic understanding of basketball “terminology” as it applies to both the NBA and the nightclub scene. Once you have this understanding you will never look at a bar or nightclub in the same light. Here are some of the terms you need to understand:

“Palming”: The act of adjusting oneself in a nightclub right in front of your buddy/wingman and the hot girl you are talking to. This is a change in possession foul and you must now transfer possession of the hot girl to your buddy.

“Slam-dunk”: The last drunk girl in the bar at 2 a.m.

“Full Court Press’’: Within 15 minutes of meeting a girl in a bar you have given her your phone number, certified financial statement, recent HIV test and two round-trip tickets to Vegas for the next day. You’ve even sent flowers sent to the girl … while still in the bar.

“Flagrant Foul”: At the very moment the hottest girl in the bar is handing you her telephone number, your best buddy, say, picks his nose. This is a two-shot foul. You retain possession. Your buddy must buy two shots of any drink you choose for you and any girl you want the rest of the night.

“Double-Double”: You figure it out…

“Triple Double”: U DA MAN!

“Clear Path Foul:’’ You picked up the hottest girl in the club. She has told you how much she wants you. You are on your way back to your place. She pukes all over your car.

“Fast Break”: You’ve just arrived, you have not even valeted the car yet and your buddy is coming out of the nightclub, hot girl on his arm.

“Traveling”: You live in Dallas. She lives in Fort Worth. This is a change-of-possession foul – but only if your buddy doesn’t care where she lives.

“24-Second Violation’’: You meet a hot girl. You spend the first 25 seconds talking about your millions in the bank, new Maserati, your listing on the Forbes 400 and your Gulfstream while your three roommates look on. This is also known as a “30K Millionaire Violation.” It is a turnover – she turns herself over to the next guy in the bar who actually owns a Maserati or Gulfstream.

“Double Dribble”: You forget to tie your shoes. Just as you are about to hand your girl her drink, you trip and spill both drinks on her. This is a change-in-possession foul as your buddy because your buddy uses it against you. She agrees and goes home with him.

“Back-Court Violation”: Your posse is in the club. You have drink in hand when you realize your driver was denied entrance because he wore tennis shoes, thus violating the dress-to-impress code.

“Alley-Oop”: Your buddy generously hands off to you that last drunk girl in the bar at 2 am. You are hoping to convert to a “slam dunk.’’

“Moving Screen”: Your buddy is not getting near that girl. She is going home with you!

“Blocking Foul”: Just as the hottest girl in the club is handing you her phone number … this is gonna be good. … your buddy approaches and and is nice enough to report that he found your wedding ring on the floor.

“Offensive Foul”: You had Italian for dinner. You’re about to kiss your girl goodnight — on the cheek, because you’re a gentleman — when you burp just a little. Is that a piece of spaghetti that’s landed on her cheek? Another turnover. To anybody. As long as it’s not you.

“Technical Foul”: She told you she was 21 when you bought her a drink. This is an ejection. A one-game suspension. And a timeout. … maybe to be spent in a 4×6 with bars.

“Offensive Rebound”: It is not your fault your buddy can’t close.

“Tip Off”: You spy something on her neck. It is suspicious. It appears that the attractive woman you are looking at has an Adam’s Apple.’’

“Two-Minute Warning”: It’s last call. You struck out. Your designated driver has left and you have no cab fare. Time for more “traveling.’’ Because you’re walking home.

There’s the rules of the game. And unlike the NBA regular season, which must come to again, in the nightlife scene, every weekend brings a playoff round!

©2011 Brian Cuban

Just checked out the 2012 U.S News and Law Report Law School Rankings.  I don’t  know why I look anymore.  It is not like my alma mater, Pitt Law is going to suddenly appear at number 15, 25, or even 50, nor would  it make any practical difference to me 25 years later if they did.  Maybe it’s the car wreck theory.  Maybe it’s envy of all the schools above me that are, well …above me.

For whatever reason, possibly including my and other grads refusal to fund their run at mediocrity because of the shitty way we were treated as law students, Pitt  is stagnant.  Adding insult to injury, a rival in-state law school, Penn State(Dickinson) has made steady progress and passed Pitt’s stagnant #71 bathwater position to a #60 tier one ranking.  This means nothing to the Yale, Stanford, Texas and others big timers in the rankings who view us as irrelevant wannabees but if you went or go to either Pitt or Penn State you get me. The rivalry goes from top to bottom.  The next thing you know they will be knocking off  Pitt in the NCAA basketball tournament. That bathwater is getting awfully rank.