Open Mic: My 4 for the Top 100 Movers and Shakers in Sports

In response to Zander's email soliciting opinions on the subject, I have four figures who come to mind.

After their performance in the NBA Finals, you can bet Kobe Bryant will get that team blown up. I am a Celtics fan, and not a big fan of Bryant. But I cannot deny his influence over the Lakers. I haven't seen a player who seems to have as much a say in the comings and goings of a franchise since Michael Jordan or Larry Bird.  As much as I'm not a Kobe guy, he was one of the only Lakers who came to play against the Celts.

It will be interesting to see if he or Phil Jackson will survive the next season. I am old enough to remember when Phil was a big white stiff playing for the Knicks in the 70's. Dude had the longest arms. Now he is a lock for the HOF, the "Zen Master" with nearly as many Championship rings as fingers. If I were a betting man, I'd bet on Jackson. Kobe is not a Dale Carnegie type, and they haven't won with him since getting rid of Shaq.

In football, there seem to be few bigger forces of nature than Bill Parcells. He must be a sight to behold during his job interviews. He comes in, the franchise gives him whatever he wants, he makes the tam better, he takes his pile of money and rides off like a chubby thief into the night. He is smug, thinks he's smarter than everyone else (he probably is) and the media all laughs when he treats them like something stuck to a farmer's boot. I'm sure he will take the Dolphins for all they're worth, get them to 7-9, get rid of their only decent player (Jason Taylor) and waddle away with his carpetbags full of money and hotel towels. I can see him telling Wayne Huizenga one morning, "There's a twenty on the nightstand, baby. I'm outta here." Good luck with that. Oh, and if you're into this sort of thing, dude has one of the sweetest racks you'll see this side of Colin Montgomerie.

In the media, I have watched the ascent of Jim Rome with great interest. He has really locked into a great thing, his radio style is a very refreshing change from the rah-rah homerism that pervaded the medium, and he seems to be gaining ground with the Hollywood crowd, which, like it or not, seems to guarantee him an even larger following. He has paid his dues, and even though he thinks more of him (and the great interviews) is better for his radio show, I still am partial to him giving the "clones" enough rope to hang themselves. I am a huge fan, but dammit, Jim, let us have your radio show for free. You've probably got enough money by now. I'm not paying to listen to you on the Internet.

Jim Everett should have just let the little guy call him "Chris."