MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / January 25, 1999

Thoughts to ponder as the ink dries on the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement.

Hey, Bulls fans, now you know what fans of the Florida Marlins felt like last year.

New coach Tim Floyd might be having second thoughts about leaving Iowa State after coming in to close the gates after all the Bulls are gone.

Michael Jordan – retired. Scottie Pippen – traded to Houston. DennisRodman – taking a year’s sabbatical. Luc Longley and Steve Kerr – dealt toother teams.

Well, at least Bulls officials will not have to worry about ordering championship rings this season.

One reason given for Rodman taking the season off was that some people want him to become a movie star. Obviously those people have not seen”Double Team” yet. Then again, can’t you just picture Rodman playing avillain in a James Bond movie? Speaking of moves in the NBA, the only thing those preseason magazines are good for now is for collector’s items. The fans that will return to thegame will definitely need a program to find out just exactly who is on their team.

It’s a good thing David Duval wears those sunglasses. Because right now,there is no brighter star on the PGA Tour.

Eight wins since October 1997, including a convincing victory in the Mercedes Challenge two weeks ago, an event featuring many of the top 30 players in the world. The top money winner on the tour last year. Top fivefinishes in both driving and putting.

Despite his success and overall consistent play, Duval is often overshadowed. Tiger Woods is still ranked as the No. 1 player in the worlddespite having just one victory during that 15-month stretch. And it wasMark O’Meara who was named the Player of the Year in 1998 after winning two majors. Sometimes it is the star that shines the most consistently isthe one that is overlooked.

Isn’t it ironic that a kicker from Denmark knocked out a team named the Vikings from the playoffs? John McEnroe’s election to the International Tennis Hall of Fame this week was a well-deserved honor. His on-the-court behavior was often less thanappropriate but this was a player who cared for the game and especially international competitions such as the Davis Cup. Few of today’s stars canmake that same claim.

For all the unpredictability, there is sometimes a symmetry in sports. TheEast St. John Lady Cats started a 32-game winning streak in district playafter losing at Central Lafourche during the 1996-97 season. So where didthe streak end last week? At Central Lafourche.

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