As I sit her pondering which topics to attack in this first edition, I decided it would be best for us to become a little more familiar with one another and to begin that process by giving you a little more background information on myself. I’m from the center of the universe (Kansas) and have been playing or involved with sports since I came out of the womb. Basketball and football were my specialty and I was good enough to manage playing a little college basketball. From that point till now, some coaching and counseling of student-athletes has taken place along with daily doses of sports via the radio, television, and internet. I’m a sports junkie for the most part and am going to share with you the results of my “addiction” weekly. Sports like hockey, tennis, and NASCAR really don’t satisfy me when I’m getting my sports fix. As a result, when you come to GAMETIME don’t expect top see a lot of coverage on those sports. What you can expect is an honest and original assessment on a variety of current sports topics. So, to continue the familiarization process, here’s a little idea of what to expect from me in future GAMETIME editions:

• Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds both took steroids, BUT I’d say 8 out of 10 people in the same situation would have taken them too. Let’s remember, it’s speculated that there is a huge number of athletes that have in the past or are currently taking some form of performance enhancing drugs. Who wouldn’t do the same if they knew a multi-million dollar contract would be the result?
• If Lute Olsen holds firm to never recruiting “one and doners,” Arizona will not likely ever compete in a National Championship again. They will become a mediocre program and an exit plan for Lute, if there is one, should be expedited. No program can seriously call themselves elite if they don’t recruit and land this type of athlete.
• A sport is only a true sport if one can gain an advantage through superior physical conditioning and attributes. So, is NASCAR really a sport like, for example, boxing?
• An athlete isn’t a “thug” just because he/she has tattoos, braids, and may not have a mainstream attitude. Even after one incident with the law (depending on the severity) I still say the answer is no. If there are multiple incidents involving the authorities, then it is possible that the individual has “thuggish tendencies.”
• I agree 100% with the Packers stance in the Brett Favre ordeal. It is time for them to end this saga and move into the future with Aaron Rodgers, however, if he is adamant about playing elsewhere, I would grant his wish. I’d trade him to make sure we got something in return.
• Finally, I don’t know if O.J. Simpson killed Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman himself but I think he had some involvement in the murders. I’d estimate that a majority of black people feel the same way, but supported him simply because he successfully manipulated the United States Judicial System like no other black man had done EVER.

There’s three seconds on the clock, the shot goes up, and it’s good! The game is over but we’ll lace them up again next week. Every week is like a playoff game! Every week, it’s GAMETIME!

Mike Mills is the Founder and President of Operations of a nonprofit organization named LIVE HOOPS Inc, which assists in increasing the recruiting and collegiate options for student-athletes. To respond to this article you may email Mike Mills at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .