Jim Grey was dubbed about AI trade

As daffy duck used to say ... "What a Maroon". The media circus surrounding the rumors that AI asked to be traded was just plain weird last nite. Cheeks told Allen not to come to the game or the next nite on the road 'cause 'he was hurt'. Never mind the past criticism about the team captain not being on the bench when he's hurt. Then Billy King issues a non statement to the press before the game that trades and conversations between players and management were confidential and he couldn't comment on the rumors.

So the game happened to be a national broadcast on ESPN last nite. Hubie Brown was the color commentator (the best there is), so I dialed up ESPN instead of Comcast SportsNet. Naturally all the talk was about the AI-less Sixers. The sideline reporter asks the chairman, who was sitting in his usual court-side seats, "Yo Ed, What's up with the trade rumors" (I'm paraphrasing of course) and Snider said "A.I. wants trade, so we'll do it". The ESPN guys are saying "Wow Ed, did you just throw Billy King under the bus?" ... Okay, those of us scoring at home know that's just the way Snider is. Always outspoken (maybe a bit clueless), always a good quote!

Then it gets weirder ... Jim Grey comes on and says "I just spoke to AI on his cell phone" ... and goes on to tell us that AI says there a deal in the works to send him to the T-wolves and how happy he was about that. Big scoop right? The half-time chatter continues about how such a deal could be structured and what a monster team Kevin Garnet and Allen Iverson would be (pretty scary) ... and so on.

But later in the broadcast, with the game slipping away and fans starting to tune out, Jim Grey comes on again with a sheepish look on his face to retract the whole story. "I was dubbed" he said. The voice he spoke to on the phone was not AI and he could offer no evidence to the validity of the statement. How whacked is that? You're tellin' me that Johnny on the spot reporter doesn't recognize AI' voice? ... "What a Maroon".

BTW, the Sixers lost again. Iggy disappeared for most of the game. But look their # of assists went up. Thrilling huh ... what a clown show it was.