THIS, THAT AND THE SCARY THING by ST

As I rise each morning to grab the paper, my thoughts are focused on what we'll discuss on Sportstalk later that day. Then I logged onto the internet and was struck by the frightening news that Kareem Abdul Jabbar had been diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia. Suddenly those defensive issues we saw from Oregon, or Greg Oden evolving into an NBA force, not so critical. I had an interesting run in with Jabbar when he was, I believe a sophomore at UCLA. The new Madison Square Garden had recently opened, so it was either 1968 or 1969 because my dad, a friend of his, my cousin and I were at Penn Station, located under the Garden and there was this 7 foot guy we recognized as Lew Alcindor. We went over to talk with him and he was a complete and total jackass. A member of his crew said we could get his autograph for...wait for it....wait for it....FIFTY BUCKS! I got over it and insist he's the greatest college hooper of all time. For years his aloof, impersonal nature over the course of his career was rumoured to have cost him coaching opportunities in the NBA. That said, you wouldn't wish this on anyone except for the most evil among us. Jabbar is going public to raise awareness about this disease which is usually diagnosed in people in the 60's and men more than women. You can learn more by visiting www.CMLearth.com
I did an interview with Bob Curran of ESPN 1420 radio in Honolulu this morning. He wanted to get the latest from Eugene on the Duck football team and the reinstatement of LeGarrette Blount. I found the host to be pretty well informed, and he offered up a rational, intelligent evaluation from his angle. He and I were on the same page that it actually revealed character on the part of Chip Kelly that he was able to re-evaluate the situation and offer Blount a chance to do some things to get back in the fold. Curran represented a total 180 from the drama queen hysterics we hear and read in the Portland media who've always had a bug up their butts about Oregon sports.
On today's program, a major recap of the weekend that was in the NFL, Pac 10 and national scene. We'll also hit on the MLB free agent list, plus college and pro hoops. Looking forward to your input.