• The most
sickening sight in sports is that of a thoroughbred racehorse lying injured on
the track. The collapse and death of Eight Belles at Churchill Downs — merely
seconds after the filly finished second to Big Brown in Saturday’s Kentucky
Derby — will again challenge us to distinguish between what we define as sport
and what animal-rights activists consider abuse. With the painful memory of 2006
Derby champion Barbaro — injured at the 2006 Preakness, euthanized in January
2007 — still fresh in the minds of those who follow the Sport of Kings, the loss
of Eight Belles seems that much harder to accept.
The most
reasonable complaint I’ve read argues that after centuries of breeding these
glorious creatures, thoroughbreds have simply grown too large and powerful for
the brittle legs that carry them. At what point does the risk of mortal injury
deflate — perhaps negate — the rush of seeing descendants of Secretariat and
Affirmed in full flight?
The memory I’ll
carry with me from the 2008 Kentucky Derby will be my daughter’s utter
heartbreak. Not quite 9 years old but already a horse lover of the highest
order, Sofia will be mourning for some time now . . . over an animal she got to
know for two minutes of her life. The most beautiful sight in sports is that of
a thoroughbred racehorse doing what it was born to do, racing to the limits of
its very design for a glory that we humans seize the moment it crosses the
finish line. I’ll keep watching and relishing that beauty. But pardon me as I
hold my breath the next time.
Rest in peace,
Eight Belles. Heaven’s pasture is always green.
• If you measure
success in the NBA by games won — how else? — the four most successful coaches
over the last three years are Avery Johnson (178 wins), Gregg Popovich (177),
Flip Saunders (176), and Mike D’Antoni (170). So it’s considerably ironic that
half of that foursome may soon be unemployed, Johnson having been fired by
Dallas last week and D’Antoni apparently on the outs in Phoenix.
Where Johnson and
D’Antoni “failed” is in not winning a championship for franchises loaded with
future Hall of Famers like Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Shaquille
O’Neal. But consider the job security here in Memphis had Marc Iavaroni won 51
games last season (as the Mavericks did) or 55 (as the Suns did). The relative
standards, one NBA franchise to the next, are among the cold, heartless truths
to life in “The League.” I’d venture to say Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson
earned at least another year on the bench merely by winning three games against
mighty Boston in the first round (after losing more games than he won in the
regular season). There are times, it would seem, an NBA coach’s worst enemy is
extraordinary success. Minus the ring, that success will merely buy you a plane
ticket out of town.
All of which means
the return of Iavaroni to coach the Grizzlies a second season was precisely the
right decision by owner Michael Heisley. Having never called the shots before
the 2007-08 season, Iavaroni was a rookie in the literal sense, without a frame
of reference to measure his strengths or weaknesses. All that changes next
season. And if Iavaroni can’t close the gap between a team with consecutive
22-60 records and the Western Conference’s playoff regulars, he won’t be able to
say he wasn’t given the chance.
• Much was made of
the extraordinary strength of the Western Conference this season, with — for the
first time in history — eight 50-win teams entering the playoff fray. So it was
somewhat surprising to see only one of the four opening-round series (Utah vs.
Houston) go as many as six games.
With the playoffs
currently lasting a full two months, it seems a return to the best-of-five
opening-round format should be a consideration. Every team that won its opening
round series (including the Eastern Conference) would have won had the
best-of-five format been in place. Of course, this “less is more” approach would
be for NBA fans. And it’s all about the mighty dollar when you see that playoff
logo on NBA courts. The more games, the more revenue. End of debate.
