Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Pistons considering Isiah Thomas for coaching vacancy

I don't think I have ever posted about the NBA because I don't particularly enjoy the NBA any more.  I kind of follow it from afar just through general sports interest.  So, over the last couple of days in my meanderings through the sports pages, I see that Isiah Thomas is being considered for the coaching vacancy on the Detroit Pistons.

Now, back when the NBA was actually enjoyable to watch - when they didn't have all the strutting, preening thugs that they have today - you had great teams with great players beating each others brains out on the court.  When you think of great basketball teams you think of the Lakers of Jabbar and Johnson, the Celtics of Bird, McHale, and Parrish, and yes, the Pistons of Thomas, Dumars, and Laimbeer.  That was the Golden Age of Baskeball.

I loved watching the "Bad Boys" Pistons teams in their heyday, and I loved Isiah Thomas as a player.  He wasn't afraid of anyone or any situation, and played his best in the biggest games.  His coaching record, however, is less than spotty, and his days with the Pacers and Knicks don't give any reason to hope that he has talent as a coach, or that he can develop a team, especially one that will be rebuilding as the Pistons will be.  He's pretty much been a bust as a coach and as a GM.

Hiring Thomas to coach the Pistons would perhaps bring some positive PR, but it would quickly go downhill once the games were being played.  Please, Mr. Gores - don't start out your ownership of the Pistons with a move like this.  You will end up destroying your franchise.

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Congratulations to Mickey Redmond

Former Detroit Red Wing and longtime hockey broadcaster Mickey Redmond has been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame for his 30+ year broadcasting career.

I love listening to Mickey do color on a hockey game.  He came from a different era, but he understands the game so well and makes it easy for his audience to pick it up too. 

Congratulations Mickey - no one deserves it more.

This person is a Teacher?

Reading an article in today's Detroit News (full article) about protesters at the Mackinac Policy Conference, who apparently held a news conference, which was " organized by A Better Michigan Future, a coalition of about 50 union and public interest groups".  One of the quotes from a teacher really caught my eye:


" 'It can't be possible that everyone really believes that corporations need the money more than children,' said Tammy Hazley, a special education teacher from Sault Ste. Marie Area Public Schools."

Ms. Hazley, let me ask you a simple question:  From where does the money come to pay your salary?  I'll answer the question for you, ma'am:  it comes from taxes.


If, by the tax policies imposed on businesses by politicians to fund schools, libraries, parks, mass transit, subsidized housing, road commissions, police, fire, ambulance, etc., businesses which operate in your district have to downsize in order to remain profitable, how many of that company's former employees are going to be able to pay their taxes?  Especially in an economy like Michigan has had for the last 8 years?

So, if the persons in your school district don't have jobs, they move away.  Or they stop paying taxes because they have lost their homes from forclosure. How much revenue is coming in from those people who aren't paying taxes any more?  How much tax revenue is being generated by that company you want to raise taxes on which has had to cut its operation to the bone just to stay alive?  Is that tax revenue amount more or less than it generated when times were good and its operations were expanding?  And how many more people will it have to lay off if you increase their tax burden?  And what effect will that have on the tax base in your district?  Not to mention the amount of tax revenue not being generated by the companies that have already gone out of business.  But by law we still have to educate their kids.

So in light of these economic realities, and your expressed desire to have yourself in a classroom to teach students, isn't it in your best interest, Ms. Hazley, to see that those corporations that give people in your area jobs so they can buy houses and pay taxes [edited to add] are successful and thriving?  You really need to let go of the socialist claptrap you have been taught during your time in the Public Schools and step into the real world.  Because socialism doesn't work.  It never has and it never will.

Now - why are you on Mackinac Island protesting instead of being in your classroom teaching?  Did you take a vacation day, or did you call in sick?