What was met with general disdain around the blogosphere I found intriguing and possible. Natalie, where are you to help me out on this one? This seems like a matter that requires more than just a link and a blurb!

Anyways… Detroit Pistons head coach Flip Saunders, speaking about Rasheed Wallace, mentioned that he could see Sheed becoming an NBA coach some day.

On the surface, the disdain given such a statement is warranted. When one thinks of Wallace, one thinks of a hot temper and technical fouls. Not exactly conducive to player development, strategy, and all the facets of head coaching.

However, if your own coach gives the endorsement and your teammates refer to you as Coach Wallace, then perhaps something is being overlooked. Coaches get technicals too, and those often serve to pump up the team. Motivationally speaking, one Coach Wallace technical is worth at least five technicals from any other NBA head coach.

On the basketball side of things, it makes total sense as well. A few weeks back, I recall reading an article with a blurb from what I believed to be a Pistons practice. The players were running the plays out of the book, except everyone switched up their positions. Sheed happened to be playing the point and knew how to run the play to perfection from every position on the floor. To him, it seemed like something totally trivial. Basketball smarts. Mhm.

Perhaps Sheed will age well and by the time the opportunity rolls around, this won’t be such a far-fetched concept for most to grasp. As logical as the concept of Coach Wallace may seem, I’ll agree with Will Brinson and say that as of now we still see him as donning that headband and just being Sheed. It’s hard to imagine him any other way.

Tonight, Sidney Crosby should return to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup healthy and strong, having finally gotten back into better shape after missing the past 28 of 31 games due to a right ankle sprain.

With the Pens securing a playoff spot, Sid the Kid can ease himself back into action and start gelling with newly acquired Marian Hossa.

Already supported by Evgeni Malkin, Crosby now has an additional weapon to make him and the Pens look spectacular. This bodes well for their Stanley Cup aspirations as well as for the sport as a whole.

Sid the Kid came into the league to much fanfare, being heralded as the next Gretzky, the next big thing, the sport’s savior, and so on. And of course, he has been quite good - he led the league in scoring and won the MVP award in just his 2nd season.

And so finally, the masses are starting to take note, as evidenced through this commercial that has been running on television lately:

Hey NHL and ad execs - trying to capitalize on the success of the Outdoor Classic much?

As shameless as it is, the Outdoor Classic, and hell even that Gatorade commercial, are quite good. The ad has been running regularly, and Crosby definitely isn’t paired with slouches in the ad campaign either. If you don’t remember, immediately after the Super Bowl, retard-strong Eli Manning was featured in this very League of Clutch campaign.

However, it is necessary to keep wow-ing on the ice. None of this will have as big of an impact as it will if the Penguins can hoist the Stanley Cup.

As of now, the Penguins are one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and will be heading into the playoffs with good health and a full head of steam. Hell, it might even be worth it to launch a conspiracy to help the Pens go all the way.

Crosby popularity + Stanley Cup status = NHL hype machine

Let Crosby be crowned king with his first Stanley Cup. Sell it for everything its worth. Yes, this will lead to most new hockey fans sporting #87 Pittsburgh jerseys, but who cares? You have fans now.

The NBA went through the same thing during the Jordan years. Everyone loved the Chicago Bulls and loved Michael Jordan. Eventually, Jordan retires and the Bulls are tanking it in the Central Division. The fans move on, and I’m willing to say that more often than not, they enjoyed the sport that Jordan introduced them to and ended up being an NBA fan for life.

Ditto with the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990’s or the modern New England Patriots. Granted the Cowboys are still relevant, but dominant players, championships, and dynasties garner a lot of attention and will hook new fans.

We’re almost there with Sidney Crosby and hockey. With my beloved Kings done for the year, I’m hopping on the bandwagon. It’s for the greater good of hockey, dammit!

I had the misfortune of having to go to class on my birthday today to turn in an assignment. However, I have loose attendance morals and ended up leaving to go home and blog (sad).

Browsing the web in class, an ESPN article caught my eye concerning the Seattle Supersonics’ potential move to Oklahoma City. Apparently a deal is being negotiated to leave the Supersonic name, colors, etc… in Seattle for the next franchise that could come around.

Brilliant, I say!

Following this idea, the NBA would be an interesting place if names and identities were left behind from whence they originated.

The Los Angeles Lakers is an odd fit, seeing as how the Lakers originated in Minneapolis. Solution: give the Minnesota Timberwolves the Laker name, and have L.A. adopt the old ABA Anaheim Amigos or Los Angeles Stars monikers.

The San Antonio Spurs made the right move by leaving their former identity as the Dallas Chaparrals behind. Why won’t the Mavs rekindle that old flame? Their name isn’t there’s anyways since it originally belonged to the Houston Mavericks of the ABA. Solution: the Rockets (who got their name from their San Diego roots anyways) change their name to the Chaparrals and send their name to Dallas for the Mavericks name plus future considerations.

Memphis Grizzlies? Please. It’s a retarded name to start with, but I guess it somewhat made sense for the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies, since apparently the grizzly bear is a “longtime cultural symbol of Canada” (thanks Wikipedia!). Memphis had a slew of various names for their basketball teams, including the Pros, Tams, and Sounds. I vote for the Memphis Sounds - if that doesn’t speak of the identity of a city, I don’t know what does.

Most recently, the New Orleans Hornets relocated from Charlotte to their new home. The name definitely made sense in Charlotte, as General Cornwallis once referred to the area as a “veritable nest of hornets.” The current Charlotte Bobcats have one of the worst names and logos there is (another reason why you shouldn’t let idiotic casual fans name things). Lastly, why wouldn’t the New Orleans Jazz want to make a comeback? Yes, I’m aware they currently play in Utah, but does anyone care? Solution: Let’s orchestrate a three-way trade. Rename Utah’s franchise the Mormons and call it a day. Everybody plays, everybody wins.

Any other contributions to this list are welcome! To check out some more obscure old teams, check out Remember the ABA - or just Wikipedia your favorite team and see what you find out!