Monday, October 16, 2006 Sayson: Dreamy season turns nightmarish By Homer Sayson Second overtime
CHICAGO—Barely 24 hours after he was handcuffed and arraigned on various charges stemming from his shooting spree at a Club Rio parking lot on Oct.6, Stephen Jackson played his first preseason game last night.
And while his teammates continued to steadfastly stand behind Jackson in this time of crisis, many fans voiced their displeasure over the 6-foot-8 guard’s reckless gun-toting ways, smattering him with boos at the Conseco Fieldhouse.
“The boos didn’t affect me,” said a defiant Jackson, who finished with just six points on 1-of-6 shooting as the Pacers fell to the visiting Utah Jazz, 97-84.
“Playing basketball was what I was born to do. All I can worry about is going out there and playing basketball. People are entitled to their opinion. I have a lot of people supporting me, and that’s all I worry about,” Jackson said.
Unfortunately for Jackson, prosecutors in suburban Detroit, where Jackson is serving probation for his role in the infamous Nov. 2004 brawl at the Palace, are not among those people on his side.
A probation violation hearing is scheduled this Nov.13 at a Rochester Hills district court and Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton told USA Today that their office will “request jail time” if the court finds that Jackson did violate the terms of his probation.
If a probation violation is indeed determined, Jackson, whose current freedom is tied to a $10,000 bond, could be incarcerated for three months in jail.
Meanwhile, new facts have surfaced in the incident at the Club Rio parking lot. Initially, Jackson told police on the scene that he fired his 9 mm only in self-defense.
But Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi refutes that, saying “Jackson retrieved his gun from his car and fired it before he was struck and injured by another car.”
For the rebuilding Pacers, a team that had been mired with injuries last season and lost All-Star Reggie Miller to retirement two seasons ago, this upcoming season was supposed to be a time a hope and renewed enthusiasm.
But bursts of gunfire at a strip club at 3 am changed all that. A season of dreams is now slowly turning nightmarish.
AVERY HITS JACKPOT. After leading the Dallas Mavericks to the 2006 NBA Finals last June, coach Avery Johnson got his just reward- a contract extension.
Johnson, known as the Little General for his demanding ways, recently received a new five-year deal worth $20 million. His existing contract lasts three more years averaging an annual pay of $2.5 million per.
Johnson, 41, took over Dallas’ coaching chores in the final 16 games of the 2005 season following Don Nelson’s departure. In his first full season as head coach, Johnson steered the Mavs to a 60-22 regular season record, the best in the league.
“I think it’s a really nice gesture on Mark’s (Cuban) part. We’re going to keep working towards our goal of winning a championship,” Johnson told Espn.com.
POSTSCRIPT. Greetings to Darwin “Bong” Bacalla of Export Bank in Gorordo Ave. Cebu City. A fellow Josenian, Darwin is a huge fan of this column, I was told by my good friend Fr. Jun Guittierez. Thanks for the support, Bong. Thanks also to Cherry Ann Cueva, who fancies herself as the president of the Homer Sayson fan club. Cherry Ann e-mailed me recently, and like her other letters, it took my breath away.
