It’s Not Too Early to Take Swings Against Rocker

The high points, low points and ticklish talking points of the weekend that was:

This isn’t a lecture, since there has been plenty of that already; and Atlanta Brave reliever John Rocker’s warped world view, as unspooled to Sports Illustrated, hardly merits it.

And this definitely isn’t meant to minimize the offensiveness of his comments.

This is only a John Rocker special edition talking points spectacular, since taking the racist, ugly words too seriously gives him too much credit.

At least that’s the working theory here, and I’m sticking to it:

* There are many other unofficial candidates, but he’s the first big league pitcher whose radar-gun mark is higher than his IQ . . .

* Hey, what’s the big deal? Everybody knew Rocker was tough on lefties . . .

* Raise your hand if you’d like to see Sammy Sosa send Rocker’s first fastball of 2000 into the Atlantic Ocean . . .

* That’s if Rocker’s own teammates don’t toss him in first. . . .

* Gee, do you think Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Andres Galarraga and Chipper Jones deep in their hearts really respect his thoughts and beliefs? . . .

* Didn’t think so . . .

* Well, there goes his Hall of Fame chance . . .

* Ten months early, we already know who Jim Gray’s liveliest World Series interview subject will be . . .

* I’m not prejudiced against him. Some of my best friends are well-paid, goofy, lunkheads. . . .

* Mike Tyson, Juan Antonio Samaranch, Dennis Rodman . . .

* OK, not exactly friends . . .

* Doesn’t Rocker know that the best way to hate New Yorkers is for what they do, not who they are! . . .

* Henry Aaron, he can still step up and deliver in the clutch, can’t he? . . .

* Rocker says all that stuff and the Braves haven’t punished him yet? This would’ve never happened if Jane Fonda was still alive . . .

* I’m still pondering his suggestion that they divide the major leagues into American and Un-American Leagues.

THE BIG PICTURE

It’s early. Nobody gets NBA jewelry in December, unless you happen to be on Shaquille O’Neal’s Santa list.

There are personnel decisions to be made, injury-bugs to duck, road trips to endure, all kinds of mountains and molehills left to traverse in the NBA marathon.

They still haven’t won at Sacramento, Portland or San Antonio, though they have beaten the Trail Blazers and Spurs at Staples Center and O’Neal vs. Tim Duncan on Saturday was particularly eye-opening.

But, all those logical thoughts aside, the Lakers’ 23-5 record speaks for itself:

They’re on pace for a 67-victory season, which, if achieved, would be the franchise’s best since the 1971-72 team won a then-record 69 games and would be better than any of the Showtime seasons.

Considering they play their next five games at Staples (one is a “road” game against the Clippers), the Lakers could run this to a 28-5 start and set the stage for Phil Jackson coaching the West team in the All-Star game.

And as long as we’re losing perspective here, let’s take a look at Jackson’s previous best record, the 1995-96 Chicago Bull team that set the record with 72 regular-season victories.

At this point in the season, that team was 25-3, and the Bulls did not lose their fifth game until Feb. 6.

WEEKEND TALKING POINTS

1. Charlie Brown, Charles Barkley: Neither Charlie could ever win the big one, but both round-headed kids gave us a ton of fun.

2. U.S. women’s soccer boycott: They light up America, and have to go on strike? Here’s a solution--just take the $60,000 away from the last-place men and give it to Mia, Brandi & Co.

3. Arizona State, Oregon State lose: Uh oh, Pac-10 starts out bowl season with two stinkers, and Washington, Oregon and Stanford left to go.

4. Ty Willingham, Todd Husak, Troy Walters: How big is this Rose Bowl for Stanford? Neither John Elway, Bill Walsh nor James Lofton could get to one.

5. Tennessee Titans 41, Jacksonville Jaguars 14: If Steve McNair throws touchdown passes, Titans are almost impossible to beat.

6. CBS’ “NFL Today” reunion: Brent Musburger, Phyllis George and Irv Cross, together again. . . . Face it, you miss Brent doing the halftime shows talking 500 words a minute.

7. The NFC playoff situation: Got to love that 7-8 wild-card log jam. It’s what December is all about--go 1-2 down the backstretch, or you’re toast!

8. Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre will get them into the playoffs, won’t he? Can they have playoffs without him?

9. Tracy McGrady: Yes, the Lakers would probably love to acquire him from Toronto. And he probably wouldn’t mind teaming up with his buddy Kobe Bryant (a Jordan-Pippen tandem for the next century?). But there’s a salary-cap system set up almost specifically to prevent deals like these.

10. Anaheim Angels: Sure are getting excited by all those visionary moves, aren’t you!

LEADING QUESTIONS

Who’s ready to jump the UCLA ship already?

The women swoon in their tough early-season schedule, the men stagger in their less-than-tough early-season schedule, and you aren’t planning that double Final Four anymore, are you?

But how many times have we seen college basketball teams have near-death experiences in December and January and rise up in March?

Do you remember the Danny Manning Kansas Jayhawks? Arizona winning the national title after a fourth-place conference finish in 1997? Or the Tennessee women of two seasons ago?

Dan Gadzuric, Jerome Moiso, Earl Watson, Jason Kapono . . .

Maylana Martin, Erica Gomez, Nicole Kaczmarski . . .

Isn’t that enough to compete for Final Four spots? Shouldn’t it be?