http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/14712636/nets-reportedly-back-in-on-melo-after-dolan-jumps-in

Walsh’s patient strategy applied not only to keeping and adding necessary role players to complement the two superstars, but also to adding a third star who could push the Knicks into the Eastern Conference elite with an aging Boston team, Miami, and Chicago. A person with knowledge of the conversations told CBSSports.com on Saturday that Jazz point guard Deron Williams began informing close associates after last season that if Stoudemire wound up in New York, Williams would follow him there as a free agent in 2012. If the Knicks got Anthony with the three-year extension under current rules, it is not clear whether they’d have enough cap space to add a player such as Williams, Chris Paul or Dwight Howard when the trio become unrestricted free agents after next season.

That’s…actually not all that convincing.

If this is true why tag him if he doesn’t want to be here

I’m not saying it’s definitely true, but I don’t think willingness to state it openly in an interview should be the sole criterion for believability. Of course, a story that is based on hearsay within hearsay within hearsay isn’t high on the believability scale either. I agree with you there.

It’s this crap. Unbelievable.

My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.

Spending more time speculating on who is going to leave in two years, spending more time trying to cause angst in fans and stir up sh!t—spending more time doing this than covering the current games and current season is why I am going to ESPN and other sites less and less. I’m all about things like the Basketball Playbook now.

And a final rant. I’m going to the Book of Mormon about this. In Alma chapter 11, it attacks the “lawyers” in the time of the Book of Mormon. It portrays them as one of the most corrupt professions of the time, and it has pretty harsh condemnations for them. (The legal system worked differently, and their “lawyers” did different sorts of things that what the profession does today). But here’s the line I love:

Now, it was for the sole purpose to get gain, because they received wages according to their employ, therefore, they did stur up the people to riotings, and all manner of disturbances and wickedness, that they might have more employ, that they might get money according to the suits which were brought before them

That rant reminds me so much of modern media. It reminds me of the talking heads at CNN and Fox Sports. It reminds me of Conservative Talk Radio. And it reminds me of modern sports journalism. It’s not about reporting—it’s about getting readers/listeners riled up, to get them to argue and yell at each other, creating “all manner of disturbances” all to get more attention, higher ratings, and more clicks—because that gets them more money.