Monday Runday

Running through what you might have missed this weekend:

1. I watched a piece on Inside the Lines on ESPN about three women who filed successful lawsuits against Fresno State University for various offenses related to demanding equal treatment for women's sports. Fresno State sounds like they have a serious problem on their hands. Most of the piece focused on the woman pictured above, Stacy Johnson-Klein, former coach of Fresno State's women's basketball team. I wonder why . . . yes, that's what she wore to coach the games.
2. This happened on Friday but it still counts. The Boston Celtics dropped their third straight game to the Phoenix Suns, a team that the Detroit Pistons annihilated on their home floor on Sunday afternoon. By annihilated, I mean lost by 30 points. Welcome to Phoenix, Shaq.
3. The #1 ranked University of Memphis Bulldogs men's basketball squad was the only undefeated team in Division I . . . until Saturday night, when they fell to the Tennessee Volunteers in a close one. Going undefeated is not all it's cracked up to be. Just ask the Patriots. Lose the battle, not the war.
4. Ben Wallace must have seen what I said about him being an offensive liability on the floor, so he went and tied his season high of 12 points in his debut with LeBron and the Cavs in their pummeling of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies weren't too hot to begin with before they became Pau-less, so I need to see the Cavs play some steeper competition before I go saying this was a good trade. At least make the playoffs.
5. I know I don't talk about him too much on here, but when you win so much there's not much you can say. Tiger squeaked out a win in the earlier rounds but had no trouble racking up another win to get closer to his goal of world domination. That's all I wanted to say. I just didn't want Tiger to think I was neglecting him.

Here We Go Again . . .

The undefeated University of Memphis basketball team is the #1 ranked team in the country, but they're having some personnel issues.

The Tigers' junior starter Robert Dozier was benched in Wednesday night's game following his visit to a night club at 2:30 a.m. early Sunday morning, in violation of team rules.

Memphis' coach John Calipari had issued a public warning to Dozier that he was on his last leg and would not hesitate to kick him off the team if he gets out of line again, saying that "[i]f he screws up again, he's gone. He's got one more chance."

And this is what we might call in the law a "material" player to the Tigers team, who plays an average of 27.1 minutes and has an average of 10.5 points and 7.3 boards per game.

Well things may have gotten worse. Dozier's ex-girlfriend alleges in a complaint (no formal charges have been filed yet) that he hit her with an open hand twice in the face and causing bruising , allegedly on the same night in which he went to the club. But already, they are trying damage her credibility.

I hate to see this. Anyone who reads often knows that I have a problem with the lack of discipline that some athletes have. I just hope this isn't one of those pass the buck situations in which he was passed along until the point that only now is he being held responsible for his actions.

I think publicly stating that one more time and you're out may be setting him up for failure, but I do hope he can resolve these issues and remains on the team. If he fails at Memphis (he's already a junior right now) his life will take on a totally different direction, guaranteed.