So I came across an article in the MJS detailing the measures taken by Brown Deer school officials to curb some problems they’ve had at one of the basketball courts at an elementary school. Apparently there’s been at least one robbery, some drug dealing and gunshots, and some vehicles have been broken into, so in response school officials have locked down the basketball courts with The Club. Yeah, that’s right…The Club. The same device that’s kept so many car safe from theft is now keeping basketball courts in Brown Deer safe from rowdy kids looking to shoot a few hoops. [/sarcasm]

Now in the article itself there’s talk about how this is racially motivated, seeing as how most of the young folks who play basketball at the court in question are African-American,and while it might seem (at least on the surface) like there’s some legitimacy to those claims, I’d rather believe that this is all about public safety. Sure, it’s important to give young people a place to go and play basketball and keep busy, but when a basketball court becomes a hub of criminal activity it’s time to take action, regardless of the skin color of those involved. In fact, the article talks about how basketball courts in other parts of Milwaukee and the suburbs have taken similar steps or have gone so far as to shut down.

Personally, I don’t see this being as much about race as it is about criminal activity. I think it’s just a shame that some young people can’t act in a more responsible manner, because ultimately folks who just want to be able to live their lives and have some fun are the ones who suffer

Far too often nowadays athletes seem to make the news because of their criminal exploits, or because they’re being sued for some reason or another, so it was really heartwarming to read an article about an athlete who’s in the news for the right reasons. I’m talking about Derek Fisher, who asked for (and was given) a release from his contract with the Utah Jazz so he could concentrate on finding the best care for his 11-month-old daughter, who has an extremely rare form of cancer in her left eye. This is a guy who’s reached the very pinnacle of his chosen profession, and for Derek Fisher to decide to give all that up to take care of his sick daughter says a lot about the kind of man he is.

Sure, athletes often talk about how their families come first, but it’s not often that those same folks actually practice what the preach, and that’s why this story is so heartwarming for me. It’s good to see an athlete actually living up to his status as a role model, a husband, and a father.

Most folks know I’m a huge fan of the New York Yankees. I’ve been a fan since my earliest days as a baseball fan, going back over twenty years ago, and that’s why it’s so disheartening to see the Yankees continue to struggle to consistently win games. They’re four games under .500, and with a payroll not too far from 200 million dollars, I can’t help but wonder if it’s time to blow the team up and start from scratch. They’ve got some nice young building blocks with players already in the majors - players like Robinson Cano, Phillip Hughes, and Melky Cabrera - and the farm system’s not as barren as it once was, with prospects like outfielder Jose Tabata.

The real problem for the Yankees is their internal identity crisis. Do they continue to outspend everyone and hope that their spending pays off, or do they take a more patient approach? I know patience is hard while The Boss is still firmly entrenched as owner, as evidenced by signing the most expensive middle reliever in the history of baseball (Roger Clemens), but I say it’s time for a completely new direction. In my opinion, it’s time to get rid of folks like Bobby Abreu and Johnny Damon and make room for a younger generation of new Yankees superstars.

So it looks like the Bucks didn’t win the draft lottery, and what’s worse, they actually slipped a few spots to the number six pick. So they’re stuck without Oden or Durant, but at least there’s a good chance they’re going to end up getting a good power forward to solidify what’s been largely a black hole for the Bucks in recent seasons. Personally, I’m hoping Al Horford falls to the Bucks, because I think he’d be a great addition at power forward. Granted, lots of folks said the same thing about dear old dad, but comparing Al to Tito is like comparing apples and oranges.

Whatever the Bucks do in the draft, they need to be smart, because this is a team that really needs some smart moves if they’re going to be anything more than a perennial also-ran. Offseason key #1? Draft a strong power forward to team with Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva. Offseason key #2? Re-sign Charlie Bell and Mo Williams. The Bucks can’t afford to lose those two guys, because they brought much needed stability to the team.