This week after the Rockets fell behind in the series with the Jazz .... 2 games to none.... Shane Battier was asked if his team were in a desperate position. Shane's response??
"Ahem ....desperation is trying to feed your 4 kids with a single income ...that's desperation.... this is basketball!!"

Sure Battier knows his team is in bad shape .....as far as the playoffs go ....but he also knows this deal is not life or death. This is just competition. A big stakes competition ...no doubt .... but it is just that, a competition played out on a basketball court. I wish more coaches and players in all sports would take a cue from Battier. Too many times players and coaches talk about an upcoming game by saying,"It's gonna be a war out there!!" Whenever I hear such junk I want to throw up. Are you kidding me? It's like the "desperate" question Battier took.... in reality the Rockets aren't in deperate shape .... just like athletes on a playing field or playing court are not waging "war."

Making such comments are stupid ..and they are insulting to the fine men and women who actually are engaged in war ..or have been in the past. I remember when former Rice basketball coach Scott Thompson said to me about an opponent,"It's gonna be a war out there." I told him afterwards that it really wouldn't be ... and he said something about ....I knew what he meant. But on that very night ..... Gulf War I got underway in Kuwait. Scott is a great guy and was a very good basketball coach ....but he too fell into the trap of "coach-speak". I for one ... who had my oldest son serve time in Iraq ... hope I never hear a coach or player talk about "war" or being "a warrior" in the sports arena ... every again. It's insulting to so many who really do know what it's like to "go to war."