The Lucky Punter

I’m starting to get really interested in the upcoming NBA Draft.(6/28)

Now, part of that is because A) my Orioles again suck B) the annual Red Sox/Yankees dual in the AL East isn’t exactly close and C) we’re just not close enough to football season for me to start ignoring everything else.

But seriously, I normally could care less about the NBA draft. Actually, let me expand that to say I usually don’t care about the NBA. Period. And outside of a passing interest in the NFL Draft, I’m not really into any drafts either.

But if you paid attention to college hoops this past season then you surely can appreciate the monster talents that will undoubtedly go #1 and #2 in the NBA Draft next week.

The Portland Trail Blazers - the team holding the number one pick - and General Manager Kevin Pritchard have a huge decision ahead of them in choosing between Greg Oden, the 7-foot freshman center from Ohio State and Kevin Durant, 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Texas.

Conventional wisdom - and most fans - say the Blazers would be crazy to pass on Oden and the chance to get a sure-fire dominant center, something very few franchises have.

But it sure doesn’t sound as if Pritchard has made up his mind, especially after Durant left him drooling while watching him workout at the Blazers facility.

Should be interesting to see the drama unfold as we approach Thursday night. At least it’s something to look forward to.

Lots of talk these days about athletes and their behavior off the field/court/diamond/ice…whatever. Tennessee Titans CB Pacman Jones has basically become more famous for his criminal record than anything he has done so far in the NFL and even Michael Vick - once a marketing gold mine - is doing his best to become known as a thug with a stable of fighting pit bulls.

But the latest involving Tampa Bay Devil Rays OF Elijah Dukes takes its to a whole different level.

While most of the news on athletes that crosses the police blotter involves drinking and driving, drugs of some sort or fights outside of clubs, I think the average fan isn’t left feeling as if they would be scared to have these athletes in their community, even as a neighbor - embarassed maybe, but not scared. (Ok, so maybe I don’t want Bears DT Tank Johnson and his cache of semi-automatic weapons just down the block but you get the point.)

But like I said, Elijah Dukes is a different story, a different case, a different animal - so to speak. In short, I am scared of Elijah Dukes and wouldn’t want this guy within six connecting states of my family.

Dukes has a long rap sheet. So long in fact that he found a new way to get promoted to the big leagues. After spending the past two years at Triple-A Durham and Double-A Montgomery those clubs told the execs at Tampa they had seen enough…and I’m not talking just about his talent to crush a baseball.

Now with the Devil Rays and leading all AL rookies with 8 home runs, Dukes is in hot water again for allegedly threatening to kill his wife and her kids.

NiShea Gilbert - the wife of Dukes - has a voice-mail that she claims the outfielder left on her cell phone. According to St. Petersburg Times reporters, this is what the message says: “Hey, dawg. It’s on, dawg. You dead, dawg. I ain’t even bulls——-. Your kids too, dawg. It don’t even matter to me who is in the car with you. N—–, all I know is, n—–, when I see your m—–f—— a– riding, dawg, it’s on. As a matter of fact, I’m coming to your m—–f—— house.”

I don’t know about you, but that sends a chill down the spine. It will certainly be interesting to see how this story unfolds and how the Devil Rays handle Dukes and his enormous talent. College football can’t come soon enough.

Not only is Vince Young making a strong run at NFL Rookie of the Year, he’s delivering gem quotes like this one after his game-winning 39-yard TD scramble in overtime against the Texans:

“I felt like my mom was chasing me with a belt.”

On Saturday Greg Oden made his collegiate debut for Ohio State and had a nice double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) as the No. 3 Buckeyes rolled 78-58 over Valparaiso.

The 7-0 foot freshman - a two-time national high school player of the year - easily could have the No. 1 player taken in the NBA Draft if the league hadn’t changed its rules to prevent high school graduates from immediately jumping to the pros.

But let’s get to the point. How in the hell is this kid, guy, man (take your pick) only 18 years old? His date of birth is listed as January 22, 1988 but c’mon, Oden looks more 28 than 18 - heck, more 38 than 28.

Remember when everyone made such a stink about Little League hero Danny Almonte being born in 1987 as opposed to his real year of birth - as it was later uncovered - 1989?

Just wait until I uncover that instead of being born in 1988 Oden was really born in 1968 and was an average center playing pro ball in Hungary until his agent decided to “re-invent” his client as high-school phenom.

Just remember, you heard it here first.

Even though it didn’t get much play in the national media, by now you might have heard how ESPN NFL analyst Michael Irvin recently did his best Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder impression.

As you may recall, Snyder was canned by CBS in 1988 for spouting some rather politically incorrect views on why African Americans were naturally superior athletes. In case you missed them:

“During the slave period, the slave owner would breed his big black with his big woman so that he would have a big black kid—that’s where it all started.”

Yeah, that will get you in same rather hot water - but I guess the “Playmaker” Michael Irvin forget to brush up on his PC 101.

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