Brief Preview of the Rest of the NBA Playoffs, part 3

Well that was interesting....I hadn't even posited this theory for LeBron's meltdown. I'm not sure what movie that would fall in line with. Above the Rim?

We now know at least who the players will be in the NBA East. In what has been a lackluster effort so far in these playoffs overall (even though the whole LeBron mess was compelling theater and it appears to still be getting better), we finally have a chance to separate the wheat from the chaff. As previously noted, the NBA West semis could prove to be an extremely intriguing matchup of contrasts in styles, big names, and blinding action. Good ol' Phil Jackson has also helped stir the pot. The NBA East finals now give us a waking old giant with renewed vigor and confidence from the ouster of the King matched up against a high-octane machine that has not lost yet in the playoffs. Hopefully, things are about to get interesting.

NBA East Finals (Celtics already up 1-0)

Orlando Magic:

I was just fouled by Dwight Howard. Really, the only disappointing thing about the Magic this postseason is that Howard might have actually regressed offensively from the Finals last year where his only move was "HULK SMASH!" Of course, it becomes difficult to develop any low post moves in game situations when you get whistled for your third foul 8 minutes into the game. Howard is anointed as the most valuable member of this team, and certainly, the two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year can be a difference maker on the defensive end. He can effectively erase possessions by either rejecting weak lay ups that his teammates syphon into him or alter shots so dramatically that they effectively become turnovers; and you are going to have a difficult time wrestling rebounds away from a man whose deltoids are larger than his head. So in that sense, he is the fulcrum of what this team has been able to do overall.

Offensively, however, Dwight Howard cannot carry the Magic. More importantly, I do not think Dwight Howard WANTS to carry the Magic. He still shoots free throws like that scrawny nerdy kid with glasses that nobody would pick on the playground, and he defers incessantly in the 4th quarter. The team has surrounded him with players who can all hit 3s with relative consistency, so it's tailor-made for his deferring, but you have to be somewhat concerned that he doesn't have that dominating gene yet. For that reason, this team is more or less a more athletic, less refined, blurry redux of the Olajuwon Rockets squads who snuck away with two rings while MJ was suspended for gambling.

Jameer Nelson was out last year when the Magic made their Finals run, so Hedo Turkoglu was the ball handler late in games. Let's just say this is an improvement this year...Nelson's been sublime so far, and allows me to further note that I was right when I told Brad Miller the Blazers were pathetic slobbering morons for drafting Sebastian Telfair over him (even though this meant we eventually traded Telfair for Brandon Roy--I was still right, Nelson was better that Telfair). He's perfect for this team, penetrating the perimeter and setting Howard up for monster alley oops and wide open dunks when teams are forced to converge on him. It seems like the better his game gets, the longer that tattoo becomes on his upper back....

Vinsanity is teasing us with some sort of rebirth. I thought this team was done after they replaced Hedo w/ Carter. For years, Vince has personified the fan malaise toward the NBA. He's been a mercenary; a true professional who has cared more about his bottom line than any passionate dedication to the game or its followers. The Vince Carter kids grew up loving died somewhere in Canada and was buried in the frozen tundra. The last time I remember seeing him was All Star weekend my freshman year in college. And now, here he is again. And I've moved on. This is....awkward. Every game seems like "turn back the clock" night for Vince. Who knows, maybe someone actually woke him out of his decade-long funk and pointed out to him this is his first/best shot at actually winning a championship and being athletically relevant. If Vince Carter stays on task, the Magic, with their assortment of shooters, ball handlers, and long, athletic swingmen like Air France and Matt "my wife has a tv show on Bravo" Barnes. Might be too much top to bottom for anyone. And it'd be neat to see Stan win a ring before Jeff.

Boston Celtics:

So it seems we may have been premature regarding KG. Granted, the Celts were a beneficiary of WHATEVER was going on with LBJ, and took delight in toying with the necrotic Mike Brown and the collection of stiffs surrounding LeBron; but they really did seem to jell as an impressive unit during their 3-0 march to close out the series. Ray Allen's shooting touch is still there and he's running people ragged off of screens. Paul Pierce was guarded by LeBron for much of the series, so it's hard to beat him up too badly about his putrid numbers.

Big Baby lives up to his name on a nightly basis by crying when the bench reproaches him for something stupid and by breast feeding on the sidelines; but aside from that, he's become a reliable bench scorer with a decent mid range game and an ability to use his flab as a powerful tool on the boards. Rasheed is good at yelling, fouling, and occasionally hitting 1 of 7 threes. Tony Allen provides energy, athleticism, and hustle in the 2nd unit--and perhaps most importantly, he can give either Pierce or Allen much needed breaks.

All that said though, the Celts will go only as far as Rajon Rondo's coming-out party will take them. Doc Rivers has done a masterful job of placing more and more of the team's fate in Rondo's hands, and so far Rondo has been spectacular. He demoralized Mo Williams so completely that he disappeared for 5.5 games of the Cleveland series. His weakside defense was instrumental in containing Dwyane Wade for much of Round 1. His matchup with Nelson and Jason Williams off the bench will largely indicate how serious of a threat the Celtics can present to the favored Magic.

The only thing Rondo can't do is shoot free throws. Which really shouldn't be an issue, since point guards don't often handle the basketball....

.............

Boston demonstrated in Game 1 that it didn't just come for the free food and drinks. The Celts will do whatever they can to frustrate the younger, stronger, more well-rested Magic, and they have given themselves a one-game cushion. I see them winning one more, probably at home in Game 4, but I think eventually Dwight Howard and his collective unit will regain their shooting form and get used to the screen sets deployed by Rivers for Ray Allen.

Magic in 6.

Brief Preview of the Rest of the NBA Playoffs, part 2

The great debate: Whether to write this now or after Game 6 of the Cleveland/Boston series tonight.....On the one hand, I could just wait, take the easy route and get ready to discuss Boston/Orlando; or alternatively, I could wait and dissect what will be the biggest 2nd round game 7 in the history of the NBA, thanks to free agency, the cult of personality, and the humorous yet tragic self-loathing rife within Cleveland.

Screw it, I've never done anything easy in my life, other than taco bell and microwave popcorn. And screw top wine. And leftovers. Ok, so in hindsight, that was just a false statement all around. ANYWAY, I push on with this post before we know what happens tonight.

I have four movie-related theories as to what has happened to LeBron James the past two games. His lack of, well, EVERYTHING is really inexplicable, even if you can't stand his antics and ego, resent the fact that he refuses to develop a low post game even though he's stronger than anyone who guards him, or just plain would get on your knees for Kobe and don't like people comparing them. Game 5 wasn't just mailing a game in, it was not even showing up. Like someone put a LeBron cardboard cut out on the floor and occasionally shot a ball at the hoop w/ a remote control. This brings me to my first movie theory:

LeBron has been replaced by a Changeling from "Krull." Yeah, I realize that link sucks ass. You try finding the clip where the creature kills the old Wizard of the Emerald, throws his body into the swamp, assumes the wizard's form, nearly kills Colwyn, and is thwarted by the Cyclops who discovers the wizard's lifeless body just before connecting from long range with his big trident thingy. It's not an easy find. (my girlfriend is a big fan of the film.) You could actually convince me that something like this has happened. That a parasitic henchman of The Beast has killed LeBron and has assumed his imposing form just to look stupid for three games and basically throttle the life out of the poor sports fans of Cleveland. Who will be the Cyclops? Who will find LeBron's corpse stuck in a broom closet? I don't know....

Second Movie Theory:

The Monstars are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, that could be it! Somehow, LeBron touched a tainted basketball, and some creepy little technicolor alien became a super baller in preparation for "Space Jam 2: MJ Needs Money After Buying the Bobcats." For those of you who somehow forgot about Space Jam, the Monstars stole basketball gifts from the likes of Larry Johnson, Pat Ewing, Sean Bradley, Muggsy Bogues, and the great Charles Barkley, leaving them as talentless, listless, empty souls. (Yes, I realize that comment is slightly redundant with Sean Bradley. I wasn't the casting director.) That would explain why LeBron all of a sudden can't even make a two handed chest pass to Andy Varejao for a wide-open layup. That, or he just hates Varejao like the rest of the league. That would also not surprise me. Somebody better find that damn thieving bastard alien fast before the curtains close on Cleveland basketball for good. Otherwise MJ's screwed, and the aliens win. Not even Bill Murray could save you then, Cavs fans.

Third Movie Theory:

LeBron's child is being held captive by some scraggly naredowells who have placed money on the Celtics emerging victorious. They have given strict instructions to LeBron that the Cavs are not to win, lest his child meet a disastrous end. My first suspects: Dan Shaughnessy and Jason Whitlock. Now, if only LeBron had bought his boy a bizarrely human circus mutt who follows the kid everywhere and could save him from certain doom, thus allowing police to falsely tell LeBron that his child is safe and that he can return to superhuman form and pound Bill Simmons' favorite team into submission.

Sadly, there's a fourth general movie subplot that actually fits what's going on. LeBron has gone Cypher on the city of Cleveland. Oh sure Cavs fans, don't blame him, he's just the messenger. But, as pointed out by Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Brian Windhorst, and as cited by Taylor, LeBron's inaction has actually been paving the way for Cleveland's destruction for quite some time. Players such as Trevor Ariza balked at signing with the Cavs because LeBron would not commit to the team past this season. So Danny Ferry has been hamstrung with what he could build around his superstar. As a result, this team is a shrine to LeBron's splendor; and it is just ripe for his betrayal.

I personally think LeBron will play better tonight. I mean, really, he couldn't play any worse, unless he went over and cold-cocked Varejao with a steel chair mid-fast break. But, I don't think he'll play well enough. His teammates have lost all feel for the game, and have been desperately hoping to steal some of LBJ's mojo...which is no longer there. Mike Brown is already contacting TNT and ABC. Danny Ferry is already composing his apology letter to Cavs season ticket holders. It's all over but the crying. By letting his teammates see that he is fallible, and actually not good the past two games, LeBron has scared them. They lost their talisman. Their cloak of invincibility has been removed. No longer can his idiot teammates play loose and care-free, fucking around knowing that in case things get tough, they can toss it to their main guy and let him go to town. LeBron didn't even let the poor refs give him any calls, for crying out loud!! Even the REFS got let down.

I see the Celts winning tonight, but we shall see. Part 3 shall soon follow, to break down the Orlando Magic romp to the Finals.

Brief Preview of the Rest of the NBA Playoffs, part 1

The NBA Playoffs have been, for the most part, pretty boring, all in all. It was fun seeing the Dirk face, and it's been impressive watching the Magic steamroll people, albeit against some pretty silly little teams, but actually, these playoffs have been a letdown thus far. NHL has been a lot more exciting, sadly. LeBron, when you consider what we all expect from him, and what we all know he's capable of, has really kind of disappointed. This could of course all change, if he takes the bull by the balls, nuts up, and actually decides he wants to play in games 6 and 7 against the Celts, but we'll get to that later.

NBA WEST:

Let's start here since this is the only matchup we actually "know" for sure.

Phoenix Suns:

These creamsicle orange pansies have actually made a miraculous metamorphosis from an also-ran joke to a team that will kick you in the shins, slap you in the face, then hit a 3 in your eye and laugh about it. I have to say, as much as I truly despise Amare Stoudemire for being an asshole (there ya go Owen), I have to admit that they've become a force to be reckoned with. Steve Nash keeps cashing in on an apparent deal with the Devil and refuses to age (or shower, or get a haircut, or focus his eyes...), but remember the immortal words of Snoop Dogg, Steve. When your body starts trippin, that ass is His.

Grant Hill has also come back from the dead, and has adopted the role of defensive specialist. Yes, I'll give you a second to wipe up whatever liquid you just spat out. Grant Hill, he of one foot, the Lady Bing winner who has never been in the same sentence with the word "tough" other than to say "Grant Hill's had some tough luck in his career," has emerged as a defensive presence for this team. He single-handedly stopped Portland in its tracks after Game 1 and erased Andre Miller off the face of the planet. He also curtailed Manu's effectiveness in Round 2, with the help of Manu's nose.

Amare. There, I mentioned him. Moving on.

This team really comes down to two things: Jason Richardson and the bench. Both have been unconscious this postseason. If Richardson is not stopped, you cannot stop the Suns. If your bench does not keep pace with the Suns' bench production, you cannot stop the Suns. (Well, unless you're Orlando. But again, I'll get to that in a second.) That lefty Croatian guy, Channing Frye, Captain Barbosa, that ugly chick named Amundsen, and Jared Dudley have all demonstrated that they can push the pace, spread the floor, and get teams winded while Nash or Stoudemire or both take a breather. And this is with Sideshow Bob Lopez still nursing a sore back. If Lopez ever makes a return in these playoffs, then the Suns will get back the size they're currently missing.

Lakers:

Kobe's rounding back into form. Gasol is asserting himself offensively, playing quality helpside D, and committing to the boards. Lamar Odom is going to give a double-double. Ron Artest is crazy, and will still provide about 20-25 min. of decent to solid defense. It's boring, it's predictable, it's worked so far, and it's basically all that LA has going for it in this series.

Laker fans, be heartily encouraged that Kobe's midrange game and driving zeal has returned. It seems like he's been able to heal somewhat on the fly. Hell, that could very well be enough. He's the second-best player in the league, and in a few days, might be the best player left in the playoffs. Also, you are of course the defending champions. So you have that going for you. Which is nice. However, you have two dependable scorers. Count them. Two. You are about to play a team who can have as many as 8 guys score in double figures. You have no bench. None. Zero. Your best bench player is Lamar Odom, but he's not so much a bench player as he is "fill-in starter when Bynum's ass flares up." Other than that you bring in Bill's Kid, Shannon Brown, and Jordan Farmar. WHAT do you think will COME...OF.......THAT?! (I don't like the looks of it.)

Ok, so you just took care of Utah in four games. Good. You were supposed to. Well done. You have the Zen Master on the bench. Big plus. You have a definite size advantage, and all three of your tallest guys should average double figures in rebounds. You MUST capitalize on your size advantage, otherwise you're screwed. Ron Artest can't clamp down on everyone. You don't have the length out on the perimeter to bounce around and rotate. That's the only reason Portland won 2 games. They had the wingspan and enough young guys off the bench to at least try to hang. San Antonio just didn't. You don't either. If you try to unleash Kobe on everyone, he will lose his energy for the offensive end, which you can't afford. You MUST have a dominant Bynum, and you MUST get something from your bench.

Call: Phx in 6. Damnit all, Los Dorks are going to the Finals.

Why Society Sucks #1

As a small introduction, the WSS sections will be a small, random hit of current thoughts that I have on society in general, with a focus on sports. This is Half-eared commentary at its best, and I hope it goes in one ear and never makes it out of the other side.

WSS #1 – It has become frowned upon in society to call assholes what they are – assholes. It is part of the political correctness disease, and it is now a widespread infection. When you tell assholes that they are assholes, you are not only correcting their behavior, but you are protecting other people from their future behavior. There were two recent sports stories that epitomize WSS #1.

The first was a recent spat about how the Miami Dolphins interview their possible future draft choices. Put simply, Dolphins General Manager Jeff Ireland should be allowed to ask a player if his mother was a prostitute. That player should then be able to beat Jeff Ireland’s ass. I’ll put my wager on Dez Bryant, thank you.

The second was over some dumbshit kid who ran onto the field during a Phillies game. People that are upset when other people get tasered are stupid*. A kid who runs on the field during a game is an asshole, and tasing him is a non-verbal way to communicate to him that he is, in fact, an asshole. Kind of like how punching Jeff Ireland in the face would be a non-verbal way to communicate that his question won’t be answered.

*Take this report by Amnesty International, http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/report/tasers-potentially-lethal-and-easy-abuse-20081216. In the second paragraph, they claim that 334 people were killed after being struck by a taser between 2001 and 2008, a fact that might appear shocking. However, you have to read to the last paragraph of the story before they admit that “…most of the 334 deaths nationwide have been attributed to factors such as drug intoxication…” So they purposefully throw out a misleading statistic, and then begrudgingly admit it at the end of the story. Well, even with their misleading stats, that’s a total of 47.7 people a year that possibly, maybe, have died as the result of a tasing. Compare that to deaths by lightning (50 to 80 per year) and you’ll soon find out that God is more intent on tasing people to death than the Po-Po. Also, the vast majority of those tased were either assholes or being an asshole at the time, not so with those struck by lightning.

Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Men?

We've done much to try to come up with reasons why people do what they do. Ibsen subscribed to nature. heredity, and the notion of inherited behavioral traits. Others, as time has gone by and social science has firmly taken its place in the course of every day societal conversation, point to nurture; and look for behavioral factors and indicators in a child's environment as predicates to future behavior. When people do bad things, we always want to ask why. What makes them tick? How can one human being behave in a fashion that not only flouts societal mores and codified law, but also seems in some sense completely alien to us in the best of times. As we examine those questions, invariably we start trying to predict the future; to gauge the warning signs. We start to believe that prevention is the best form of protection. In the sporting world, we see all too often the tragic consequences of not seeing enough, or maybe not knowing what we're seeing. We also see the speed bumps along the way of trying to predict who will do what. When the dust settles though, the undeniable truth that we cannot explain away is simply this: shit happens.

George Huguely had by all accounts an excellent upbringing. A product of a reasonably affluent, two-parent home in Chevy Chase, Md., he received good marks in school, attended the elite Landon Preparatory School in Bethesda, and was characterized by the lacrosse coaches of his youth as a light-hearted teammate, a prankster, and a breath of fresh air who could rally his team. He also demonstrated a thoughtful side, publicly defending former teammates embroiled in the Duke lacrosse rape allegations, and demanding that people not rush to judgment, but instead allow due process to take its course. A senior at the University of Virginia, Huguely is an Anthropology major, and along with being a member of the No.1-ranked lacrosse team in the country, is the vice president of Operation Smile, helping raise money for operations on children with facial disfigurations such as cleft palates.

A glance at his school photo shows a kid with a goofy haircut and obnoxious yet harmless stubble. A handsome enough guy, sure. At 6'2", 209 pounds, he's a sturdy young man. Huguely is not the face of rage, murder, or violence. He's the face someone associates with success, privilege, and the potential for ambition. None of that really mattered when he kicked in Yeardley Love's door early Monday morning, shook her violently, and slammed her skull repeatedly against the wall of her apartment. Love was found in bed hours later by her roommate, motionless and in a puddle of her own blood.

The community in Charlottesville is still trying to sort out reality. Huguely is being held in prison on charges of First Degree Murder while his attorney calls Love's death a tragic accident. Police are still amassing evidence from Huguely's apartment, including a blood-stained jersey, laptops, and letters to Love. At this point, there seems no question as to what happened. So, all that's left to do is to ponder why it happened, and how we could have seen it coming. Reports have now surfaced that this light-hearted prankster was, like so many college athletes, the panel on this blog included once upon a time, a hard drinker. Police were forced on at least one occasion to subdue Huguely with a stun gun and charge him with public intoxication.

Does this mean that Huguely would inevitably wind up killing someone he loved? No, not at all. This isn't a child torturing pets or a 20 year old professing schizophrenic thoughts or anything of that sort....but it certainly does indicate that George Huguely, like pretty much any male college student, had his flaws and had a potential for episodes of violence. Virginia's athletic director has claimed surprise at Huguely's run-ins with the law, and claims that he was never informed of such episodes; but I am skeptical that it would have mattered. And this is the frightening aspect for parents. Yeardley Love's mother and father had done seemingly everything they could do to ensure that their daughter would receive a quality education and have a problem-free young life on her way to adulthood. She attended Notre Dame Prep in Cockeysville, Md., and like Huguely, enjoyed a childhood of safety and affluence. She was a scholarship athlete at one of the best universities in the country; and was weeks away from graduating, being done with UVA, and venturing onward from Charlottesville. Everyone interviewed about her has described her as warm and caring, and not the type of person that solicited danger. Her family had already purchased their tickets. What more could Yeardley Love's father have done to protect her?

As Huguely awaits prosecution for his acts, much will be done to investigate his motives, his anger, and anything that could be used to explain why he did what he did. His attorneys will likely try to explore whether he has some heretofore undiagnosed disorder-some sort of rage that is magically triggered when he drinks, perhaps-that will spare him a 1st degree murder conviction. They might look to his past to see if he was exposed to systematic violence. Hell, they might even put the sport of lacrosse on trial as Mike Nyphong almost did during the Duke rape scandal.

While attorneys look to the past to find their reasons, Virginia must now look to the future to find its lessons. It seems likely that the reaction will be to warn students once more the dangers of drinking too much, to remind them of the importance of notifying authorities if they see any trouble signs in their friends, and to let them know that counselors and therapists are available to them at all times if they are feeling depressed, hurt, or angry. As a natural reaction, safety and security measures will probably be examined. I can't even imagine how surreal this situation must be for the men's and women's lacrosse teams, but they'll probably form a strong solidarity from all of this, and the men's team will no doubt come under a similar kind of scrutiny that the Duke team did; though their coach will probably not be ridden out on a rail.

The NFL has come under heavy scrutiny over the past decade, finally, for the deplorable judgment and behavior of some of its players. Along with the measures I outlined in my last post, part of Roger Goodell's arsenal is the threat of levying fines against teams who knowingly sign on troubled players. This puts the onus on organizations to do their homework and make damn-well sure that they know what they're getting into when they offer a football player millions. As a result, teams employ scores of private investigators, front office personnel, counselors, consultants, and behavioral specialists when they evaluate draft prospects and potential free agents. Today, no one wants to have any quirky surprises or colorful past-life experiences that might taint or affect a player's conduct. Great players like Warren Sapp, Randy Moss, and Michael Oher (of "The Blind Side" fame) saw their draft stock plummet amid concerns of their childhood, past activities, and/or rumors of drug use. The NFL tries to do the impossible: predict the future.

Set against this backdrop, Jeff Ireland, the Miami Dolphins' general manager, has been raked over the coals for asking troubled former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant whether his mother was a prostitute.

Give that a second. That was the only thing that newspapers initially put in their headlines. That a smug, heartless white guy working in the front office of a NFL team asked a poor kid whether his mom had been a hooker. Now for some context: Dez Bryant's mom gave birth to him when she was 15. She spent time in jail during his youth for selling crack cocaine. There were rumors at the rookie scouting combine that Bryant's father had been a pimp. More than one source has reported to Sports Illustrated that upon Ireland asking Bryant what his father did for a living, Bryant responded "he's a pimp." Ireland then asked what Bryant's mother had done for a living, to which Bryant allegedly responded, "she worked for my dad." Now, you COULD surmise that 1+1 doesn't always equal 2, and you could also see how a logical follow-up question after this MIGHT JUST be: "Your mom was a prostitute?"

Many have said this line of questioning was irrelevant, insensitive, and in poor taste. Ireland himself has apologized and said that he exercised "poor judgment" in asking Bryant that question. (Truthfully, Ireland could have found this out by asking other people rather than Bryant directly.) Bryant claims he was upset by the question. Bryant's mom is angry that her past keeps being brought up; though let's point out it's the recent past. She was arrested again for crack-related offenses in 2009. But let's focus on the question. In my opinion, it was ENTIRELY relevant. And, when in the business of trying to predict the future, these questions are extremely necessary.

Dez Bryant's major marks against him had nothing to do with his ability. He's a physically imposing presence with incredible hands and a superlative instinct for making huge plays. He also was suspended for 11 games last season for lying in the face of the NCAA when asked a very simple, very direct question. Bryant's judgment and maturity was again called into question when he showed up for his all-important pro day at Ok. St., where all the NFL scouts were waiting to see what he could do, without cleats. That's right, on a day when he was trying to secure his future in professional football, he did not bring football shoes.

Bryant grew up in an incredibly difficult environment and was exposed to things that George Huguely probably never even contemplated. If indeed Bryant's father was a pimp, and his mother a prostitute, it would behoove teams to know how he might react to certain off-field environmental factors or stimuli. Therapists could possibly theorize that Bryant might have trust or anger issues toward women, or might have an inappropriate attitude toward sexual contact and impulses. When we consider the Ben Roethlisberger fallout, and the recent insinuations that maybe his repeat head trauma has something to do with his behavior, HOW would it be inappropriate to try to head potential warning signs off at the pass?

The danger, of course, lies in castigating young men who have tried their hardest to rise above their meager or maybe violent beginnings, and have truly done things throughout their lives to better themselves and escape the pitfalls that claimed many of their friends. There are no doubt scores of NFL players past and present who would fall into that category. It might be unfair to make a blanket assumption that every player with an unsavory past will prove to be a menace to society. The reality is, we really just don't know. Granted, repeat offenses are pretty good indicators of future propensities, but in the case of Dez Bryant, I've never heard of him doing anything violent or criminal; regardless of to what societal factors might render him predisposed. In the case of George Huguely, we're slowly seeing police try to unfurl what might have actually been a slightly violent history in college, but nothing happened that would have led people to widely suspect him capable of such brutality. But since we never can really know, we sure as hell should not BLAME Jeff Ireland for trying to do his due diligence in asking obvious background questions.

Because now we know. And knowing is half the battle.