Speech Patterns

For someone who detests the way New Yorkers act like they invented the game of basketball, I admit to a bromance with Long Island native Billy Donovan. Why can’t all coaches, regardless the sport, talk like Donovan? Ever since Mike Ditka was fired, the McCaskeys have sought ought masters of word salad to coach the Bears, the only exception being Lovie Smith, who enjoyed letting the media know how much he detested them. Now, we have Mickey Eberflus. By this time next year, it’ll be another Eberflus. The White Sox had their Ditka in the person of Ozzie Guillen. No more of him for Jerry Reinsdorf, whose idea of the perfect manager was Mickey Mouse, except for his inability to win a game. As for Will Venable, we’ll see. As for Craig Counsell of the Cubs, yeah, he acknowledges his team’s faults, but that’s about it. Back to Donovan. This remark in yesterday’s Sun-Times, about his team’s defensive woes, was typical: “I always say it comes down to the physicality part, to loose basketballs, to taking a charge. I mean, we’ve taken two charges all season [over fourteen games]. For our team as small [as the Bulls are compared to the competition], somebody’s going to have to put their body” on the line. Well said, and more of it, please.