<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">One still flies over this cuckoos' nest. Lakerdom today is having a little problem coming to grips with reality as the local heroes plan their rebuilding project (someone has to call it that, even if they won't) around Phil Jackson. Everyone really lost it last week when ESPN's Ric Bucher reported that Jackson was about to meet with Kobe Bryant, which suggested Jackson must be close to taking the job as coach. It was either that or Jackson just wanted to catch up with Bryant. They hadn't talked since the release of Jackson's book, which I believe was titled "The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization: Kobe Did It." Bucher is a good reporter, who has gotten more than his share of stories. Nevertheless, five days later, there has been no meeting and no indication that any is planned, amid denials by the Lakers, Jeanie Buss, Bryant's agent, Rob Pelinka, and Jackson's agent, Todd Musburger. Boy, this thing must be really secret! ESPN has yet to retract the story but may be hedging its bets with Stephen A. Smith saying Larry Brown is the Lakers' No. 1 choice. Now, I'm like any other sports fan, I watch ESPN morning, noon and night and I live on their website. But I mean to tell you, they're tough to compete with. Since everybody watches, they can say anything, although they have cut back on their habit of slapping one of their staffers' names on everything that happens and claiming he had it first, such as: "ESPN's Marc Stein Reports Invention of Wheel." They also have a huge stable of experts who fan out and take every conceivable angle so whatever happens, they can take credit for it. I'm actually beside myself with admiration. I've used that technique for years, all by myself. I think they're currently lining up this way on the Laker coaching story: Bucher ? Jackson. Smith ? Brown. Stein ? Flip Saunders. Greg Anthony ? Pat Riley. Tim Legler ? Jerry West. Mark Jackson ? Magic Johnson. Chad Ford ? Alexander Gomelsky. Fred Carter ? Frank Hamblen. Andy Katz ? NCAA possibilities. Bill Walton ? John Wooden. John Saunders ? others.</div> Source
