Author: Mike

My vote is not only yes, but hell yes!

This is an absolute no brainer even in God forsaken Oklahoma. If Oklahoma screws this up there is virtually no hope whatsoever for this desolate state which John Steinbeck addressed in his iconic novel The Grapes of Wrath.

It’s a yes vote. Duh.

Why in the hell would you send Clay Bennett to ‘borrow’ the Seattle franchise and move it to Oklahoma City if you weren’t prepared to eventually build an arena comporable to the other venues in the NBA?

You wanna be seen as a major league city…then act like a major league city.

Fifteen years ago before the Thunder arrived, Oke City ranked as the 31st largest city in the U.S.

Today…..Oklahoma City ranks as the 20th largest city in the country with lit/woke cities like Denver and Seattle in their rear view mirror. Granted, there are quite a few in Oklahoma who read at a 7th grade level and the state is a mecca for the Trump Proud Boy types, but as long the state is finding creative ways to re-brand itself diffently and create tax revenues it’s a great thing being an NBA city.

Even though there’s no way in hell I would buy season tickets….this coming season with my health much improved and Covid under control…I hope to attend maybe ten to twelve games when the Splash Brothers, Jamal Murray, Austin Reaves, Jimmy B, Bam, and Tyler come to town.

All the teams in the West are going to be great this season so as I’m not a Thunder zombie it doesn’t really matter to me how many games the Thunder win, but rather the fact I get to see the best basketball players in the world in person play a mere twenty-five minutes from my front door.

I have no idea how economists specifically gauge IROR (investment rate of return) on a city like Oke City which only has one major league sport tenant. But just think how Green Bay would be viewed without the Packers. Think about how much sales tax revenue would be lost if the Packers no longer existed. Or the residual benefits of NFL or NBA exposure which brands a city, improves the quality of life, attracts new businesses and retirees that comes with having a major league sports team.

MAPS has been a resounding success. This is not the time to balk. Do you think Sam Anderson would have written the NY Times bestseller Boom Town if not for the Thunder?

In closing, back in the day before Hurricane Katrina changed Oklahoma City, it came in second when a large United Airlines project location was being decided. The city then came second to Coloumbus, Ohio for a NHL team. Both times the city’s desolate downtown was cited for its poor level of overall of places to eat, things to do, culture to explore.

But through MAPS the city has changed while much of the state hasn’t. Oklahoma City cannot get it wrong on this one.

Vote yes…so Mike Jackson can see the Splash Brothers, Austin Reaves, Jamal Murray, Jimmy B, Bam, and Tyler Herro in person in the closing years of his life. So Mike Jackson can buy things, pay sales tax, feel the joy of Oklahoma City being an NBA city.

Today was a very emotional day for me. In a few days it will be the five month anniversary of my Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. That day will never leave me. When Dr. S. shut the door, showed me the data and suggested I get my affairs in order immediately… it was clearly an awakening.

He showed me my PetScan. He showed me my outrageous PSA count of 1200 and said,” This may be the highest PSA count I’ve ever had with a patient.” He then proceeded to write down the four medications which would get me started on my battle with cancer. He suggested I explore the physical rehab center across the hall. He never suggested the vegan diet…that was me. He said it wouldn’t be bad idea to pray and hope for a miracle. He said he wasn’t God and we’d just have to do the best we could given the circumstances.

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Dr. S’s assistant came into the room today. She said, “Michael, I think you’re going to be very pleased with what I have to show you today. Your PSA count as of Monday was all the way down to – 0.61, your PetScan is clean, your hemoglobin count has settled in at 12.5. There has been a retraction of cancer as well. Everything is trending right. You’ll always be a Stage 4 cancer patient, but the outlook from here is much different than it was five months ago. Keep working hard. Dr. S will see you in a month.”

I nodded and said “Thank you”… Bit my lower lip and then headed down the hall to the Infusion Room and got two shots in my stomach.

I then headed over to North Park Mall and had lunch with my eighty-eight year-old mother and gave her the good news. I even treated myself to a Ron’s onion burger without cheese today. Dr. Greger says it’s okay to do this now and again,,,,so I did. It was a special day.

So after lunch my Mom heads off to go home after the burgers. I then take my position behind the SuperVive Walker Model MOB1033 and started my half-mile walk inside of the mall.

About two-thirds of the way through my walk, a Hispanic woman in her thirties and her son who looked to be about eight years-old stepped in front of me and halted me to a stop.

She said, “Sir, this is crazy, but my son and I were in the lounge at the Doctor’s office earlier and we saw you there. That was you, right?”

I answered, “Yup. It was a great day for me.”

She then told me of both her parents’ battles with cancer. She then said, “My son has something he’d like to give you.”

I said, “Really?”

She said, “Yes. He has something for you.”

This adorable kid then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a penny and places in my hand. He then says,” Mister, this is one of my lucky pennies. You can have it and throw it in the fountain for good luck if you want to.”

For the seond time in two hours…I bit my lip and then replied to this incredible kid,” If you don’t mind… I’d like to not throw the penny in the fountain, but keep it for the rest of my life to remember this moment. Thank you very much for this very thoughtful gift.”

He nodded and said,”No problem. You don’t have to throw it in the fountain. You can still keep it.”

I tussled his hair. We said our goodbyes. I finished my walk and went home and told my wife…then called my son in Denver.

It was a beautiful day.

Don’t ever give up. Don’t ever surrender your inner faith. Everywhere around us love is there trying to help us.

Have a wonderful Thursday.

A nice press conference with Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob introducing Mike Dunleavy Jr. as the pick to succeed Bobby Myers as general manager.

A nice selection. I was a little bit caught off-guard by Bob’s departure, but I’ve been pretty much tuned in on my own life challenges currently so who am I to say. I would think for Bob it was particularly frustrating to deal with the Draymond-Jordan Poole bullshit and the disaster of picking James Wiseman with the No. 2 pick at the same time.

For most teams it would be a death knell to totally flame out having the draft’s second pick, but I think Steph, Klay, and Draymond will be around maybe four more years…so Mike Dunleavy’s task is one of unique NBA duality. * That being, to try win one or two more championships with his core three while at the same time taking Moses Moody, Johnny Kuminga, and perhaps a player other than Andrew Wiggins as the the team’s next core three. Nothing against Andrew, but I think they’ll need the next big new thing so to speak.

I think it is essential to the future of the team for Johnny Kuminga to turn into the player he has the potential to be. Period. He cannot be a flameout like James Wiseman who had a pitiful Summer League for his new team the Detroit Pistons. What a coincidence…. it was Sam Presti’s former protege Troy Weaver who took Wiseman. The acorn didn’t fall from the tree…did it? That was rhetorical if you’re a Trump supporter.

Even though I’m out here in Deer Creek, Oklahoma…a mere twenty-five minutes from the doors of PayCom Arena…I consider it an honor and pleasure to be the Warriors’ beat writer in godforsaken Oklahoma this season. Who knows how many NBA seasons I have left in me. I can’t be pissing NBA seasons away watching the ‘Process in Oklahoma.’

Stay out of the heat this week as much as possible.

• Duality is such an under-used word. It has such a simple elegant grace to it. I hope to use duality more in my blogging moving forward.

MJ

Year 3 for Johnny Kuminga. Light switch needs to come on, stud hoss. Let’s go.

A very demanding, yet positive Monday. When you’re battling cancer you have to know how to calibrate your body with brain and soul. The holistic approach very much works this way. An integrated approach… of body, soul, brain. Not just diet and exercise, plus the oral chemo….but music, meditation, and doing the things which bring utter joy to your inner self and set aflow the dopamine and oxytocins. Reward yourself, breath, then out…just like Charity taught me. I’ve never breathed properly…..but now like Kareem and others my breathing skills are becoming elite.

Have a positive Tuesday and put all that Donald Trump induced hatred away. We have to be better than that way. We will be better than that way.

I find Ravel’s Bolero sensual, gentle ,and yet provocative.

Eternal bliss.

Peace.

El Prez

Big week for me over at the Integris Cancer Center. Gave blood in preparation for my consulation meeting on Wednesday to discuss the blood results and recent PetScan with Dr. S.

Then I headed over to the physical therapy room for my workout with Charity. I opted not to wear the Obama t-shirt so as not to distract from anyone’s workout in redneck godforsaken Oklahoma. I wouldn’t want to feel responsible if one of my fellow rehabbers fainted and died as a result of the shirt.

At last week’s workout with Tyler… I unleashed my new walker to help me with the right knee. It’s called the Vive Walker-Model MOB1033. I can only say two words about how the MOB1033 has changed my speed and mobility. Those words being….GAME CHANGER.

After last week’s workout…Tyler pulled me aside and said, “Mike, your three month evaluation is next week….these numbers you’re posting are off the charts.”

I replied, ” I’m a hard worker. The vegan diet plus the MOB1033 make me an extremely dangerous sixty-five year old.”

Tyler said, ” But you know…they may not let you stay here much longer with these numbers. You might wanna leave the MOB1033 at home next week.”

I said, ” You mean tank like Sam Presti?”

Tyler replied, “I mean just kind of coast next week so we can keep talking NBA hoops in here for a bit longer.”

I said, ” Mike isn’t Sam Presti or that kayfabe bullshit with WWE wrestling. MJ doesn’t tank.”

“Well, okay…do it your way.”

So today I walked in the room with Charity and her chart. And I just fucking obliterated it. I tripled my original distance in the six minute walk times and did pretty much the same with all the tests.

She shook her head and said, ” I can’t believe how far you’ve come in three months. We can’t keep you here any longer.”

I asked, “Do I really have to go?”

She answered with a tint of sadness, “We can’t keep you here and justify it with the insurance people. I wish it wasn’t so. You’re one of my hardest working patients ever.”

So she told me about a wellness gym across the street from Putnam City North and told me to check it out. She said the place even has an indoors salt-water swimming pool which might be nice to incorporate into my workouts.

I sadly replied, “I’ll miss you, Tyler, and Audra. You three had a profoundly positive impact with me. Seriously…I owe you guys.”

She smiled and said, “Come by and say hi when you’re across the hall when you see Dr. S and let us know how it goes.”

“Sure. I’m confident it’s going to be a good meeting. Take care of yourself, Charity.”

I then looked over at Tyler with my fist upraised and waved goodbye, then shook Audra’s hand.

It was a beautiful day.

That little twerp Sam Presti has this saying….”Scared money… don’t make money.”

MJ’s response to that is…” Alpha dogs don’t tank. Ever.”

I think I’ll write about Golden State’s new GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. tomorrow.

A nice Sunday. I watched unheralded Brian Harman slog out a six stroke win in the rain in the British Open. Congrats to Brian Harmon. If anyone had Wyndam Clark and Brian Harman winning the U.S. and British Opens two months ago…. then I’d say you’re really smart and should have a blog of your own.

Brian Harman’s win ends this year’s run of the majors. Jon Rahm won the Masters, Florida Panthers wannabe Brooks Koepka won the PGA….we now have Wyndam and Brian as our Open winners.

Hence, we now head to the Fed-Ex Challenge Cup and then it will be pretty much from there we start to assimilate towards the Saudi Arabian PGA. Sounds pretty audacious, but really when you consider T Boone Pickens and Carl Icahn leveraged a state funded university in the Big 12 ….I don’t see the big fuss with what the Saudis just did. But that’s just me.

One suggestion to you sports journalists covering the new Saudi tour….I would strongly urge you to be very positive with your coverage so as you don’t end up in a box cut up into small pieces from a chainsaw. See the glass half full…..would be my suggestion.

Now….Michael Schmerconish’s Question of the Week was pretty basic….’Why Does Joe Biden Have the Second Lowest Approval Rating of the U.S. Presidency in the Modern Era History?’

I think most serious historians like myself…consider the modern era began in 1960 when JFK nudged Richard Nixon to win the White House. Since then, only one first term president has had a lower approval rating than Biden’s 30 per cent marker. That would be Jimmy Carter in 1979, just before he got smoked by Ronald Reagan.

So…the answer to Michael’s question had an overwhelming winner….that being, 49 per cent voted political polarization was the reason for Joe Biden’s bad numbers.

I disagree. As a nation, we’ve been bitterly divided since Bush 43’s asension to the White House in 2000 when it appears Al Gore got rigged in Florida. I mean since then…it’s been pretty much war, right?

The reason I think Joe Biden’s numbers are so bad is that he’s not Barack Obama. He’s too old. He stumbles with his speech, and his second son Hunter makes Billy Carter look like a five star asset.

Barack Obama will probably go down as the most aspirational president in the history of America. Period.

So when you follow someone like President Obama and you have a female black vice-president who makes Hillary Clinton seem cuddly….nothing is going to come easy for Joe Biden in 2024.

You CNN voters overthought this one.

That’s it for me tonight.

Tomorrow is Monday and I have a blood lab then a physical therapy session with Charity.

I think I’ll wear my 2008 Obama for President t-shirt and see how Tyler reacts.

Have a nice Monday and be kind to others in this heat.

I had a lovely Saturday here on the mini-ranch in Deer Creek. Watched Michael Smerconish. Drank black coffee and some green tea. Ate three awesome vegan meals. Gave my legs a rest, but did a tough upper body workout with the focus on core, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and chest.

Then…. I basically settled in and watched the third round of the British Open with the sound down and listened to Tony Bennett and Diana Krall music all day.

Even though I’m an OU fan and bleed crimson….Viktor Hovland and Rickie Fowler are two of my favorite golfers. Rickie is too far back, but if Vic could shoot 63 and maybe Brian Harman’s creative mind could make him shoot a 74 or so….you never know.

Go Viktor! Fairways and greens, buddy.

I’ll do my Smerconish Sunday question tomorrow.

Have a great Sunday.

I hated this when I heard it this morning. It brought a tear to my eye.

My wife and I have been together for 42 years and we were fortunate enough to see Tony Bennett three times in three different small venues in Oklahoma. Once in Tulsa at the Ballroom, once in OKC at the Civic Center, and once at Norman at Riverside Casino. Each concert left us with an idelible memory of the complete greatness of this ageless performer.

Tony Bennett never grew stale. His music crossed every boundary, every genre, and every demographic. Keep in mind, Tony Bennett remained relevant for over seven decades surviving the onslaught of rap and country music being transformed into pop.

Tony Bennett in my mind was even greater than Frank Sinatra. Plus, he seemed like such a gracious, friendly, and decent man.

He never grew stagnant and as young performers climbed the ladder, both male and female, hurried to do duo performances with TB.

He retired from live preformances several years ago when he revealed publicly Alzheimers was beginning to in his mind compromise the level of excellence he demanded of himself…. in his nineties, mind you.

He said Lady Gaga of all the contemorary artists was his favorite to collaborate with in live perfomances. Me, personally, I loved the stuff he did with Diana Krall and Michael Buble. But it doesn’t matter, Tony Bennett in own way would have been able to meld with Snoop Dog if asked to do it for the good of music he’d make it work.

Truly a man in love of his craft and never one to take the spotlight with his personal life like Sinatra. I know I hold the minority position on this view, but in my mind it was Tony Bennett, and then Frank Sinatra.

At my father’s memorial service, which in actually was more like a lawyer’s wake the way we created it… it was Tony Bennett singing ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ as the ceremony ended.

And I think that’s the way I’ll end my piece on my love and admiration for the life of Tony Bennett.

Bravo. Well done, Tony Bennett.

I love Draymond. He’s one of the smartest, toughest players in the league. Pound for pound, inch for inch, I can’t think of a player in the league who gives his team more for his paycheck than Draymond Green.

But this nonsense with Jordan Poole needs to stop. Draymond, you won. Your owners traded Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards. You got your new contract. Owner Joe Lacob has come out publicly and pretty much said you’re with the Splash Brothers until this dynasty has run its course.

What else needs to be said or done from your team, your coach, and your city?

Let it go.

I think you’re a very smart, savvy guy. You understand branding better than anyone else in this league…minus LeBron or Steoh. You get the WWE aspect of mixing sport with entertainment. You’re articulate. I actually think when your playing days are over…TNT will be calling you to either replace Chuck on the panel or join him with Chuck, Ernie, and Kenny. I’m not sure about Shaq at that time.

But leave Jordan Poole alone.

You call yoyself the team leader, then be the team leader.

Help Chris Paul assimilate to his new role coming off the bench. Help Chris Paul undertsand the beauty of winning a ring versus the ego of being a starter only.

Gently push Moses Moody into becoming one of the next Warrior core players down the road. We all saw Moses start to ‘get it’ the back half of last season. Help Moses with his confidence.

Johnny Kuminga. My Warriors’ source tells me you and Johnny K have a stressed relationship like you did with Jordan. Take Johnny under your wing and help him along with Moses and perhaps Andrew Wiggins evolve into the future core three after your playing days are done.

You claim you’re the team leader….then start acting like it again.

If Kevon Looney is the Moral Compass of the Warriors, then you’re the Soul of the Warriors.

Your teammates need you. Steve Kerr needs you. Joe Lacob needs you.

And Jordan Poole needs you to leave him alone.

Let it go.

As an OU softball fan who loves Jordy Bahl… this kills me, yet I get it. This presser touched me on about every level. It wouldn’t hurt Jordan Poole and Kevin Durant to watch this presser and learn a few things in relation to making a graceful and dignified exit.

She’s following her heart. She’s going back home to Nebraska to be near her family and boy friend. She has nothing left to prove at OU. She was the best player in the country and likely will be the same next season with the Cornhuskers.

This wasn’t a Lincoln Riley type of exit. You can tell by some of the things Patti Gasso has said in the aftermath of her decision that she and Jordy had been talking about her being homesick.

Like with Caleb Williams, who left OU to win a Heisman with USC……I’ll always be a Jordy Bahl fan in every game she ever plays except when it’s against the Sooners.

Let’s be candid on here. Jordy leaving OU is probably a good thing for women’s softball because the Sooners would have been an uber off the charts prohibitive favorite to fourpeat with her back again next season.

As it is…even without Jordy the Sooners are still loaded and still the favorite to fourpeat.

The only other position other than Jordy that was vacated was Grace Lyon who was the Sooners’ stellar fifth year shortstop. Patti Gasso has already filled that void with a solid transfer portal player from Furman. The rest of the OU lineup is literally loaded.

The Sooners will be led by three All-Americans in catcher Kenzie Hansen, second baseman Tiara Jennings, and centerfielder Jayda Coleman. There is an adage in baseball and softball….you build from the catcher position out up the middle….catcher, shortstop, second base, and centerfield. OU even without Jordy is better up the middle than anybody in the country…not even close.

As far as pitching…Patti has already filled the staff since Jordy’s departure. The Sooners will return ace Nichole May, the very promising lefty fresman Kirstin Deal, and two more very solid right-handed starters from Wisconsin and Liberty. I haven’t assimilated the new names just yet. But El Prez will for certain.

The only piece I see missing is another solid left-handed pitcher to fill out the pieching staff. Hence…my curiosity as where fromer O State lefty Kelly Maxwell decides to pitch next season.

I’m not sure if she’d be a fit at OU given all the losing in the biggest moment experiences she suffered at O State, but I still believe she’s a very good pitcher who would thrive in Norman with Patti Gasso.

This deal with Jordy is what I would describe as a good deal for all concerned. Nobody comes out a loser from my view.

Who knows…maybe next year it could be Nebraska vs. OU in the College Softball World Series.

Hope so…it would be great theatre.

Good luck, Jordy Bahl.

I love happy ending chick flicks.