My team has the Brain Power of Slugs or Earthworms

At McDonald’s outlet sometime ago, I came across an article entitled, "My team has the brain power of slugs or earthworms." I said to myself, "Man! Who said that?"

It turned out to be Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson. Jackson, irate with his team’s “lack of energy” and seemingly insurmountable 3-1 deficit against the Phoenix Suns in their first round seven-game series, told his team in his “moment of irritation” that they had "the brain power of slugs or earthworms."

Wow! If I was one of Jackson’s players, I’d really be motivated. Lakers’ superstar guard Kobe Bryant seemed to think so when he commented on Jackson’s “slugs and earthworms” comment.

"As irritated as I've ever seen him," Kobe Bryant said after the Lakers practiced in California on Tuesday (May 1, 2007). "He was really upset - frustrated. That was his way of saying, 'You'd better get your butts in the game."'

Couldn’t Jackson have just used the word, “hustle?” The Phoenix Suns were in a similar predicament during their first-round match up last year against these same Lakers. The Suns trailed the Lakers 3-1 then found it in themselves to win three straight to advance.

I didn’t hear any “slugs and earthworms” comments back then by Suns’ coach Mike D'Antoni last year. But then again, www.foxsports.com got it right when they wrote that “these Lakers aren't last year's Suns and that Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson has tried a bit of everything to make his team competitive.” (http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/6764980)