Thank You Stephen Jackson

In my last post I wrote: "Ruben Patterson, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Darius Miles, Eddie Griffin and Zach Randolph are on of a long list of NBA players with spotty pasts who coincidentally have not participated in international competition."

This is relevant for several reasons.

1. I used "spotty" without thinking twice. Who says "spotty"?

2. More importantly ESPN ran a story today with the following lead: "Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers was slugged in the mouth, struck by a car and fired a gun in the air in self-defense outside a strip club early Friday, police said.” This happened in Indianapolis. What if it happened in Moscow while Ruben Patterson tried to hire a nanny across town?

3. Jamaal Tinsley and Marquis Daniel, who were with Jackson, had guns as well. It turns out all three men had weapons permits. However, you know when David Stern hears the words “armed players” he prays they’re on the Bengals, learns they’re his guys and then gets furious.

4. The story itself is better than anything I could write: Night Life Trouble