By JOHN P. WISEOne Great Season
+ From the yawny legal file that inquired yesterday whether you cared about the Barry Bonds trial, are you paying much attention to the NFL talks? Ten years ago, we'd be whining about how greedy NFL players and owners are, but I think our culture has become more accepting of the huge business sports — particularly pro football — has become. Regardless of where you stand on zillion-dollar salaries and ticket prices, the stalemate is significant for reasons beyond the financial.
+ Speaking of money and football, the Fiesta Fiasco could turn into an interesting case. And this one will be entirely about greed. Lawmakers in Arizona might have to re-imburse the Fiesta Bowl for accepting free flights, lodging and dinners. So the next time you judge a broke-ass 18-year-old athlete for accepting dirty money, just know that college sports don't discriminate. Rich old dudes take bribes as well.
+ I've noticed many folks aren't weighing in on the Kobe fine this week. Why? Because no one wants to say this, but "fucking faggot" is as common a frat-house insult as dick jokes and locker-room cracks about your mother. The fine is correct because someone like Kobe Bryant can't say it so openly, publicly and hatefully like that. But if it was just Jim from Accounting, it's a different story. Not quite sure what Bryant expects to come of his appeal, which is about as funny as David Stern's charming combination of paranoia and arrogance.