The Donnie Walsh Bait & Switch

The New York Daily News has reporters following Donnie Walsh around like pararazzi chasing a panty-less Britney Spears.

He's considering leaving the Pacers, they say... He doesn't like sharing responsibility with Larry Bird... Bird doesn't think the power-sharing arrangement in Indiana is working either.

Yadda yadda yadda.

And today, via ESPN.com, we have the kicker. Bird isn't sure he'll be back as Pacers president next season.

Doesn't this all seem a bit strange?

If Walsh is leaving, why would Bird be leaving too? Unless all this talk with the Knicks is simply Walsh's way of saying "you can have Larry Legend... or you can have me. Oh, and FYI... when I was running the show, we were actually pretty good."

Like maybe... just maybe... ol' Donnie Walsh is using an extended flirtation with Jim Dolan to drive out a rival and win back control of the Pacers.

Case Against O'Neal Dismissed

This blog is starting to look more like a police blotter and less like a basketball roundup. Can we move up the start of the regular season a little?

Anyway... following up on the story about the lawsuit filed against Jermaine O'Neal in the wake of the Pistons/Pacers brawl: the suit was dismissed. The jury reportedly decided that Mr. Haddad was asking for a whuppin' -- which is more or less how we summarized the issue.

For those who have finally managed to get the image out of their heads... here's O'Neal's haymaker punch. (How did we ever live without YouTube?)

More Legal Trouble for the Pacers

Even yet still more legal troubles for the Indiana Pacers, as a judge has inexplicably allowed the fan who stormed the court during the Detroit/Indiana melee to sue Jermaine O'Neal.

Peter Vecsey of the New York Post offers his take, which is essentially this: once this Charles Haddad set foot on the court, he was asking for whatever he got... just as Ron Artest had no defense for his actions once he entered the stands.

It pains me to admit that I'm 100% in agreement with Vecsey on this one. Imagine what happens if Haddad wins a chunk of O'Neal's money. We'll have "fans" falling all over themselves to pick fights with players in all sports.

Maybe it's time to bring back the cage around the court.

A Wild Night Out with Stephen Jackson

"After his arraignment, Jackson is rumored to be headed to the Portland Trailblazers in a three-player trade."

This one is almost too easy...

SI.com - Stephen Jackson punched, hit by car, fires shots