MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 6, 1999

Teams taking chances with potential time bombs

Remember when you were in chemistry class and the instructor always warned you about handling volatile matter? In sports, the same applies in regards to the chemistry on a team. So whydo teams continue to get themselves in situations that could blow up in their face? The Baltimore Orioles bring in Albert Belle. The New York Giants signKerry Collins. The New York Knicks acquire Latrell Sprewell. The LosAngeles Lakers take on Dennis Rodman.

You can almost hear the hiss of the fuse blowing on the time bomb for each of these teams.

Each of these players bring in enough baggage to fill a C-130. Belle hasdemonstrated a volatile temper in the past. Collins has been called aracist and was accused of quitting on the Carolina Panthers last season.

Soon after being signed by the Saints after the Panthers released him, he was arrested on a DWI charge.

Sprewell was suspended from the NBA for most of the 1997-98 season after choking his coach at Golden State. And Rodman, is well, Rodman,perhaps the most unpredictable athlete today.

But each of the teams that signed these players were willing to overlook these problems for what they can bring to the team. Belle can give a team50 home runs a year and is currently baseball’s leader in consecutive games played with 334.

Collins led the Panthers to the NFC Championship game in 1996. Sprewellis a consistent scorer. And Rodman owns five NBA Champion-ship ringsand a mantle full of rebounding titles. He will also play hard from tip-offto the final whistle.

At the same time, you had to wonder what each of those teams was thinking. The Orioles’ problem over the past couple years has not beentalent but chemistry. Bringing in Collins creates a quarterbackcontroversy with the Giants as incumbent Kent Graham is coming off a decent season.

The Knicks already had a firebrand in John Starks. And who knows whateffect Rodman will have with an impressionable young Lakers team. Withthe Chicago Bulls, at least he had Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to put him in his place.

Perhaps working with Cal Ripken Jr., maybe the classiest player inbaseball, will help Belle become both a better player and person. MaybeCollins can finally put his problems behind him and be the player everybody expected him to be when he was drafted out of Penn State.

Perhaps working with Patrick Ewing will have an effect on Sprewell. Andwho knows, maybe Rodman can help the Lakers with his experience. But allthese teams can also experience what happened to the Saints last year when they signed Andre Royal and paid for it dearly.

Each of these teams bought talent with these players. Only time will tellif they also bought trouble.

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