I heard Michael Jackson died at approximately 5:30 PM ET. Hours later, I still don't think it's fully hit me. This was the man I idolized growing up as a kid ... I watched Moonwalker about 80 times on VHS (Joe Pesci was the villain). I once furiously outbid someone $159 for a replica Beat It jacket with 13 zippers. I actually have an 8x10 glossy of Billie Jean Michael taped next to my bedroom door.
Everyone -- from celebrities to sports stars to ordinary people -- had their way of trying to feel connected to the King of Pop. In his mere presence, fans have fainted and needed medical attention. So when news broke that Jackson had passed away, the reverberations on social media sites like Twitter were immense. Outspoken wide receiver Chad Ochocinco even went on to tweet "this is just as sad as 9/11" and then tried to play damage control after his offensive comment.
After the jump, read the emotional reactions from current and former athletes.
It says a lot about the emerging viral nature of publicity that even Allan Houston -- at last count approximately older than my father and still trying to play professional basketball -- is getting in on the YouTubery. But, hey, whatever the kids say sells, right?
That's right, baby. 10 straight. Said video (and press release -- how camouflaged!) also came with a letter to his fans, family and friends thanking them for their support and urging them to click on the handy video links below. (For the video of which you just watched.)
We've all heard about the SI Cover Jinx. It's slightly less evil and demonic (and real) than the dreaded "Madden Curse". But it turns out that individual athletes are not the only ones affected by the evil powers that inhabit the artificially produced covers of Sports Illustrated.
Who else is affected, you might ask? Let's just say if you are a professional athlete, you do not want to appear in the SI Swimsuit Issue anytime soon with your ladyfriend.
Somebody get Leonard Nimoy on the case, because this is spooky.
Take a quick look at this list, focusing only on the couples featured. A frightening pattern develops.
Quite a few have had what can be described as, depending on your definition, issues.
Now, it would appear that the Swimsuit Couples Jinx takes a little longer to affect those photographed than the normal SI Cover Jinx. But it still gets the job done. Listed on SI's page are a slew of athletes, most of whom have taken a nose dive from grace recently.
Eddie George and Tom Gugliotta come to mind, although most of their downturns were pre-photo shoot, which can only be attributed to some Lostian foreshadowing evil, or something. Really, the only person not affected was Keyshawn Johnson, who, as we all know, is the best dressed man in America.
Allan Houston tried and failed to mount a comeback this summer, eventually pulling the plug before Isiah Thomas was forced to do it for him. But just because he couldn't beat out Fred Jones for a roster spot doesn't mean that he's given up hope of cashing another NBA paycheck returning to the NBA.
No, he's not going to pull a P.J. Brown and latch on with a contender this year, but he is preparing for another round of training camp scrimmages next fall -- just not with the Knicks. In fact, he told the New York Post that he's already received an invitation from at least one team:
"I would say it's an immediate goal," said Houston, who has been working out steadily, playing pick-up games, while running his Allan Houston Foundation. "My gut tells me I need a different situation [than the Knicks] at this point of my career. I feel better than I did in training camp."
Houston has watched the Knicks crash and burn this season and wonders if his veteran presence and know-how could have reversed the lost cause.
Wow. I don't know what's more amazing: the fact that someone actually thinks the Knicks were just one piece, or that Houston thinks he may have been it.
I know the basketball world's been on the edge of its seat since Allan Houston claimed he wanted to make it back to the NBA. Shockingly, he didn't quite make it.
"While my body and my knees, in particular, feel fine, I know what is required for me to be truly effective in the NBA again, and it involves a timing and progression that would not be fair to Isiah and the Knicks right now," Houston said in a statement released by the Knicks.
(And we all know doing the right thing by Isiah Thomas is the only thing which matters.) ESPN's Chris Sheridan thinks the statement was couched in a way which makes it possible for Houston to give it another try this spring. Knicks observers noted Houston can still shoot; unfortunately, it's hard for any team -- let alone one competing for something -- to justify letting a guy run out there to take a few jumpers and hobble back on defense.
Now that Zeke doesn't have to make the tough decision to cut an endearingly popular Knick, he gets to decide whether the buy out Jerome James' disaster deal or let Demetris Nichols get away. Since the Knicks have no problem spending money wonton, I think it's a no-brainer. We'll see, though.
A possible Allan Houston comeback was a major summer storyline. When the Knicks became his likely destination, it was moderately exciting. Now, it looks like it might end, due to a typically controversial Isiah Thomas decision. Instead of going with the big name looking for a final shot, Thomas is keeping Fred Jones, acquired as an afterthought in the Zach Randolph deal.
Houston and Demetris Nichols, the aforementioned draft pick from Syracuse, are both trying to make a roster that already includes the maximum 15 guaranteed contracts. For weeks, it was generally assumed that Jones, portrayed as a throw-in in the Zach Randolph trade, would be the odd man out.
But Jones' relationship with Thomas goes back to their Indiana Pacer days and there is something to be said for being an "Isiah guy." Just ask Knicks VP of basketball operations Glen Grunwald or assistant coaches Brendan Suhr and Mark Aguirre.
Jones won the Dunk Contest in 2004, and has been known at times to put up twenty-point games. However, Isiah wants to make him into a defensive specialist, since Jared Jeffries isn't really one. The good news is that Thomas is addressing something other than scoring; unfortunately, he's relying on a natural-born scorer to do so.
Well, now there seems to be a winner. ESPN.com reports that Houston will be rejoining his old team. They got it from 1050 ESPN; expect an announcement within the next 24 hours.
I'm not sure what this changes for the Knicks. Houston may feel healthy, but he's old and was never exceptionally athletic (witness his unlikely entry in the 1994 Dunk Contest). He'll be there to spot up and shoot, and with one of the prettiest strokes in recent memory, Houston should still be up to that. What remains to be seen is how this will affect Jamal Crawford, who has more or less anointed this his break-out season. Crawford will start, but Houston gives Isiah another strategic option--and one with nothing to prove in the stability department.
Or maybe, just maybe, Houston world-renowned wholesomeness is exactly what the Knicks need at this point. And even if no one bought this as a new direction for the organization, it would at least be a welcome distraction, a reminder of better days. When Jew-hating, not woman-hating, were the only PR problems MSG had to worry about.
Even though Allan Houston has been working out with the Nets, his agent has made no bones about the fact that, all things being equal, Houston would prefer to return to the Knicks. Trouble is, neither team seemed willing to pony up a guaranteed contract, which has been a sticking point for Houston before committing to either team. But, wait, maybe the Knicks have offered a guaranteed contract ... at least, that's what the Nets front office is hearing. From the New York Post:
The Nets have offered a non-guaranteed contract to Houston, but Nets president Rod Thorn said yesterday he has heard the Knicks have offered Houston guaranteed money. Should Houston get a guaranteed deal, the Nets likely would be out of the running.
The Knicks already have 17 guaranteed contracts on the roster, two over the regular-season limit, so signing Houston would mean dumping at least three players during the next four weeks before the start of the season. But the Knicks may feel like they have no other choice, not only because they need Houston's outside shooting but also because their rotation just got a bit shorter following the news of Renaldo Balkman's injury.
Balkman has been diagnosed with a stress fracture and cartilage damage in his right ankle and will miss all of training camp and possibly the first two weeks of the regular season. Houston certainly doesn't replace what Balkman brings to the table -- namely, rebounding and unbridled energy -- but his skills are useful and needed, nonetheless.
And besides, bringing back Houston, a popular figure among the MSG faithful, would be a pretty decent public relations moves -- at the very least, it'd preempt the embarrassing Isiah Thomas trial for at least a news cycle or two.
Even as Allan Houston scrimmaged with a group of young players at the Nets practice facility, his agent Bill Strickland continues to campaign for the Knicks, which is odd considering both teams have already extended invitations to training camp. What's left to gain? A guaranteed contract, perhaps, but neither team will offer one until he proves he can make it through training camp, especially considering both are already over the roster limit. From Julian Garcia in the New York Daily News (via HOOPSWORLD):
When asked if the Knicks hold an edge because of Houston's history with the team - particularly the fact that they once gave him a $100 million contract - Strickland said, "Yes."
Strickland also said that on Houston's list of considerations, money and a shot at a ring are secondary to his desire to "go out on his own terms," which could suggest that Houston would like the opportunity to resolve some of the business he left unfinished with the Knicks when his injury forced him to quit during the 2004-05 season.
What really annoys me, though, isn't Strickland's comments or even Houston's indecision. Instead, it's that this whole situation is feeding bad sports cliches. Read that last paragraph again and tell me in your words what it actually means. Can't do it, huh? If he's not driven by money or rings, then what does "going out on his own terms" really mean? Playing until his body simply gives out? Umm ... he already did that. And what does "unfinished business" entail if it doesn't include winning? Proving that he can be the best 7th or 8th man in the league? Awesome.
Instead of trying to dramatize the comeback into being Allan Houston's Tour of Revenge (and avoiding something crass like "he just wants another paycheck), can't we just say he likes to play basketball and misses the competition and leave it at that?
We've all heard about the SI Cover Jinx. It's slightly less evil and demonic (and real) than the dreaded "Madden Curse". But it turns out that individual athletes are not the only ones affected by the evil powers that inhabit the artificially produced covers of Sports Illustrated. 
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