Unplugged

I cannot recall the last time I've felt this... unplugged, disconnected, off the grid, whatever you may call it.

Without going into lengthy and boring details, it's been a rough week to say the least. Now, with a moment to breathe and catch up, two quick thoughts.

• Yesterday, your favorite Scribe took part in what you can call a one-day mentorship program where alumni descended onto campus to coach current juniors (albeit, one that has been quarantined from the rest of the world, as we discovered upon our arrival - and none of us are sick, thankfully). While this was about coaching students in their approach for future interviews and the like, the program triggered a thought on the discussion of who may win this year's Coach of the Year award in the NBA.
  This year, the votes should come down to two men: Erik Spoelstra for the Miami Heat and Jerry Sloan for the Utah Jazz. History has shown that the rookie head coach who gets his squad into a postseason berth or a veteran director leads a very young team towards unexpected success will take home the trophy; favoring Spoelstra. However, Sloan has not only dealt with a season full of sidelining injuries to nearly every player in his rotation, but the death of Larry Miller, the team's patriarch, in mid-season. Considering that he has never won the award in his two decades in Salt Lake City, it would not come as a shock that he is bestowed the honor later this spring.
  
  
• En route to Babson yesterday morning, I was reading an article in the latest Sports Business Journal about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's hopes of adding regular season games to the schedule while shortening the preseason. The SBJ article may be one of the few media bites that actually highlights the cons of lengthening the season; stating the potential reluctance of networks and advertisers to adding more money to already-stuffed coiffers for the league in a challenging economy as well as the physical toll that players can take with one or two more meaningful games.
  Look, as an invested party into the league as a fan and member of the media, extra games are enticing as they satiate an all-time high demand for the most popular sporting league in the United States. If anything, it can help the league's international intentions as teams who play overseas during the regular season do not have to fear losing revenue of a game that could have been played in their home stadiums. Yet, without considering the salaries that they command, the game is quite brutal already on the physiques, mentalities and emotions of these men who play. The extra game increases the risk of a major injury to any player, whether its the star quarterback or the reserve defensive lineman. My hopes are that in consultation with the players and coaches, this is considered at length before a decision is made.
  Then again, there should be other pressing matters for the league beyond enteraining the fans more, such as how to aid former players and address the league's alcohol problem, but another post for another time.