Malone turns radio host in midst of long NBA lockout

Wednesday, October 28, 1998

Malone turns radio host in midst of long NBA lockout

COLUMN: Piazza accepts $91 million contract as Browns deal with
devil

Of deep thoughts, cheap shots and bons mots. Karl Malone cannot
play for the Utah Jazz, so he decided to come join a Los
Angeles-based team.

No, it’s not what you think.

Malone is not with the Clippers and if he were to join the
Lakers it would be like Brett Butler going from the Giants to the
Dodgers.

Malone is now a radio talk show host for KXTA radio in Los
Angeles – otherwise known as XTRA Sports 1150. He will work five
days a week alongside Vic "The Brick" Jacobs from 1 p.m. to 3
p.m.

I listened to some of the show on my way to the Daily Bruin and
was rather surprised. My expectation was for Malone to be rather
nervous while bailing out of any awkward moments with a story about
the good old days – the days when the NBA wasn’t in a lockout.

Instead Malone sounded poised and very sincere. Faced with a
question about the lockout, Malone mentioned how progress had been
made between the two sides. He added how the stand-off could be
resolved in 10 days and how the players should be back in camp
within two to three weeks.

Then Malone went off on a tangent for about three minutes about
how he wants to diversify the topic of conversation. From other
sports to life in general, Malone threw out topics for his
audience.

Another talk show host, Jim Rome, has referred to Malone as a
"redneck" because of his ranch. Malone actually commended Rome on
the ingenuous and proper characterization.

So it should be no surprise, then, that Malone talked about
hunting. Proposition 5 has ramifications on hunting in Utah. And
since the show is also carried in Utah (at Malone’s personal
request), a speech on the proposition ensued.

Who knew NBA players knew something about politics?

A caller then asked Malone his opinion on life. When Malone
started giving a soliloquy about being a good person, I stopped
paying attention. The novelty was gone and my Walkman felt the need
to listen to some music.

Whether or not Malone’s new hobby is successful will be largely
due to the response from the L.A. audience. (The same people who
love a Laker team that was swept in four games by the Malone led
Utah Jazz.)

€ € €

And as a Giants fan, I hope that Mike Piazza gets booed for all
seven years of his ridiculous $91 million contract.

Not only did he terrorize the Giants during his Dodger tenure,
but he pulled an Albert Belle by increasing yet again the ludicrous
salaries of baseball players.

How could the Mets think of paying $13 million a year to a
30-year-old mediocre defensive catcher who will only last the
length of his contract if he changes positions?

The Giants have made it known that their payroll will not exceed
$40 million in 1999. Therefore Dusty Baker will once again have to
make do with a mediocre pitching staff thanks to bums like Piazza
and the Mets driving the price of players up.

€€€

With Paul Kariya back, Eric Lindros playing like the dominant
player he should be, and youngsters like Vincent Lecavalier, Jeff
Friesen and Sergei Samsonov, the "Coolest Game on Earth" looks
ready to once again have high-scoring and fast-paced games.

Did anyone notice that the Chicago Fire won the Major League
Soccer title? I didn’t think so.

That’s why the MLS, which has lost money during all three years
of its existence, will lengthen its season to make more money and
to make sure their playoffs don’t conflict with the World
Series.

€€€

Mark this date on your calendar: Dec. 13, otherwise known as
Week 15 of the NFL season.

As long as Philadelphia defeats Washington again on Nov. 15 and
Carolina continues its losing ways, the Redskins and Panthers will
meet in what should be a battle of the biggest losers in the
NFL.

Both teams are currently winless with an 0-7 record and in prime
position to claim right back Ricky Williams of Texas with the No. 2
pick of the upcoming NFL draft.

€€€

Who has the No. 1 pick, you ask? That’s easy.

The Cleveland Browns have somehow managed to make a deal with
the devil – otherwise known as Jerry Jones.

This is the only way I can explain how the Browns will get the
No. 1 pick in the draft (a.k.a. quarterback Tim Couch of
Kentucky).

The Browns will also get the 16th pick in the first round (where
they should take an offensive lineman or a defensive player).

Then the cycle will repeat itself and the Browns will receive
the first and 16th pick in every round.

With not a single penny invested in a player, the Browns will be
the huge winners of the upcoming free agent pool.

Add the barrage of young players and you can surely expect the
Browns to be an upper tier team in the NFL in no time.

You can e-mail comments to [email protected].

Vytas Mazeika

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