Saturday, October 31, 2009

Easy Come Easy Go


The bombing raids on Japan reduces the Pacific nation's industrial base to a near-neanderthal level. America mocked their first import offerings, although I loved the little radio labelled MADE IN JAPAN. No battery. An alligator clip attached to a piece of metal provided enough energy to allow a young boy in Maine the pleasure of listening to the Boston Celtics. Sam Jones and KC Jones were brothers and Bill Russell a greater hero than anyone else in my world. Bill Russell's starting salary was $19,000, whereas their recent star forward Antoine Walker was paid $14 million one season. This amount of money might seem enough to last someone several generation, however Douglas County police arrested the former All-Star at a Reno Casino for writing 10 bad checks for a total of $1 million.

The 33-year-old player had earned $110 million-plus during his career.

His reported worth at present is zero.

All that money is gone.

The price of living large and his difficulties are a common occurrence in the NBA where 80% of the players end up bankrupt after they quit the courts. Few fans sympathize with their idols, but this same rags to riches to rags equation plays out for mega-lottery winners. The money is easy come and easy go.

Mike Tyson broke.

"Serves him right."

Maybe so but ain't something right about this much bad happening to the nouveau-riche.

They just done got robbed and ain't no one saying by who.

Not ESPN or FOX Sports.

And not no one else either, because we love to see the might fall low.

"Serve them right for thinking they were something."

Truth is they were something and the NBA should have made sure they came out of it with something and that's the truth.

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