Detroit Free Press

"I say two prayers when I get up in the morning. First I thank God for letting me wake up. Then I pray that Vlade Divac is on top of his game."

He almost always has a cigarette in his mouth, if not that, a sucking candy, and he walks around the room blowing smoke or making tongue-clucking sounds and listening, always listening, because that is what a good teacher does. Listens. Now and then, he'll interrupt with a correction, or write something down, maybe show you how to play it. He makes it seem simple, and when you get frustrated, he'll blow a cloud of smoke, grin and say, "Relax. It takes two or three weeks to become a jazz musician."

Maybe he wasn't "a giant in the industry" but he was big, physically big, a furry guy with a mop of hair, thick beard, cotton shirts, old shoes. When he waddled down the hall you had no choice but to say hello, and to say hello to Dorian Paster was to start a conversation that could go for hours. "He never stops talking!" some people moaned.What did they expect? He was a disc jockey.I would call him sometimes late at night at WLLZ, to leave a message for the morning shift producer."Where are you?" he would ask."Houston," I'd say.

This time, there was no magic. No Isiah either. This time the Portland Trail Blazers proved that what counts is not how you start but how you finish, and this is how they finished: on top.

Oakland Calif. --They had already stolen Oakland's crown, Oakland's reputation, and Oakland's thunder. Now the Cincinnati Reds were taking Oakland's stadium. One by one they came bursting from the dugout like enemy soldiers storming the castle, to the raucous applause of about 300 Cincinnati boosters -- the only fans left in the Coliseum. It was like a private party late Saturday night. Simply Reds. And soon, the field was a small ocean of Reds jackets, Reds hats, Reds T- shirts.Red October."Ri-jo! Ri-jo!""Sa-bo! Sa-bo!""MARGE!"

ALBERTVILLE, France -- Before I explain why Christopher Bowman is about as real as an Easter egg -- and nearly as fragile -- let me confess something to you, Michelle:I'm a man.And being a man, I will never appreciate figure skating the way women do. Sorry. It's in the genes. Like hair loss. We're just different.WHAT WOMEN WISH: That for one magic moment, they could be like those figure skaters, gliding over the ice as the crowd calls their names.WHAT MEN WISH: That there was a sequel to "Animal House."

Let me get this straight.1) The New York Knicks express interest in Isiah Thomas.2) Isiah goes to Bill Davidson with the news.3) Davidson immediately gives Isiah 10 percent of the team, a vice presidency and a $55 million package to keep him in Detroit.Does the word overreaction come to mind?How about common sense? Because, personally, I can't find any sense in thissupposed deal. To be honest, I wonder whether this is the deal at all. I'm sure Isiah will be taken care of, but $55 million?