Who will be this blog’s next humble proprietor? Well, we’re not going anywhere. But shouldn’t we have somebody picked out, guaranteed to step in if the time ever comes? No. Because things change. Times change. People change. Minds change. Sorry, that’s a really awkward way of backing into a growing trend that we just don’t really care for: the coach in waiting. It’s been on our mind for about a month now. We started thinking about it even more this week when reading about Jim Mora — the next coach of the Seattle Seahawks in, um, 2009? — and about Bobby Knight handing over the reins to his son, Pat, in the middle of this season after essentially three years of it being understood that Pat would be his successor. Doesn’t this practice seem a little weird to anyone? Hey, we’re all for having an eye on the future and even grooming someone for a position. But to hand something to someone before it’s really theirs — or before you’ve left? That’s awkward. How do you know that person will be the right fit for the situation when the time comes to make a change? To us, this trend is another symptom of a sports world — and a world at large — that is increasingly all about control: teams trying to control assets, coaches-in-waiting trying to control their leverage and existing head coaches trying to control their legacy after they’re gone. It’s not healthy, and frankly it’s not good business practice. Go ahead and have a favorite in mind as you approach the end of the line. But everyone benefits from keeping their options open. (Wiping off our serious face now: Please do see the photo gallery from where we grabbed that above image of Jim Mora … it’s a gold mine of cigars + random celebrity photos, up to and including: Dan Quayle, pool champion Jeanette Lee [aka the Black Widow], Cuba Gooding Jr., Edwin McCain, Cheech and Dominique Wilkins).
What else?

*3-2 OT loss to Detroit: Encouraging or disappointing. Or both?

*Hooverball, anyone?

*Shaq to the Suns?

*Confession: We put this post together late last night because we had an unsavory 5:30 a.m. departure planned for a romp around the various high school signing days today. Seriously, the time at which kids arrive at school these days is beyond us. So we were too early for the Fasola-link, but we’re sure he’ll catch up in a subsequent post. And we’re pretty sure he would approve of this. In the mean time, enjoy your fish sandwiches. Vegas Part III is up next.

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