just heard on the radio that the lakers signed rudy tomjanovich

[frylock]

let the healing begin.

[XNASA]

1. They only hired him because he looks like Bryan Ferry.

Amazin', ain't it?

[ugarte]

2. Now all they need is a roster

I worry about Rudy T. He has a well-known alcohol problem and the Laker job requires heavy drinking.

[SophieZ]

4. I think he's cleaned up.

After the cancer diagnosis, he backed away from basketball and got a nutritional trainer. Went to completely healthy food, extreme, like raw, for months. Got rid of his cancer, 100%.

I met him -- he looks GREAT! He says he feels great. Trim, energetic.

Whether the Lakers situation will suit him and vice versa is another story. What a soap opera!

[ugarte]

6. I'm glad to stand corrected

Best of luck to him, although I'll still root for the Lakers to lose.

[democracyindanger]

3. What did Rudy do to deserve this?

Won rings with consummate professionals, now he has to play marriage counselor.

Ten bucks sez he gets fed up by the all-star break.

[Sandpiper]

5. I keep hearing about Rudy's wonderful coaching credentials, but

Let's be honest here. Rudy's two titles were only made possible by the two year hiatus of Michael Jordan.

Please raise your hand if you think the Rockets would have won back to back titles if MJ had been in Chicago during those years.

[ugarte]

7. Not to take anything from Olajuwon

but if MJ hadn't left to play baseball, the Bulls would have likely won 8 in a row. 3+(2)+3

How amazing would that have been?

[SophieZ]

8. It's possible.

I watched some of those games. Olajawon was unbelievable. He made young Shaq look like swiss cheese, and took David Robinson to school -- beat their teams 4-0 or 4-1 in the playoffs. Horry was at his best, they moved him to power forward. Drexler gave the team a lift on the second year.

I don't think you get to give MJ two titles for years he wasn't there. There's no asterisk.

I don't know that I've ever seen a player play at a higher level than when Olajawon was on his game during those runs.

[HuckleB]

9. Perhaps.

But that assumes no major injuries, too. MJ may have lasted longer by taking that time off. Besides, that last title was a gimme from the league. The Jazz clearly beat the pants off the Bulls in that series.