One-on-One: Point Guards vs. Palin

Forgive me for piling on. And forgive me for using a football term when we're supposed to be talking basketball. It's just that Sarah Palin's speech the other day -- the one where she resigned as governor of Alaska -- has really taken me out of my game.

Look, I don't bring this up much (as far as you know) but I played a little point guard in high school and college (Division III). And I was on the verge of looking to take a hard foul after I heard her use that point guard analogy to explain her decision.

I know as point guards we're in the minority here, but I can't let a politician – or anyone for that matter – denigrate the position I've come to love. This has nothing to do with partisanship. This has to do with all point guards coming together and refuting this kind of speech.

I'm talking all point guards, past and present, pros and non-pros, from Bob Cousy to Jason Kidd to that guy Hank at the gym who may be undersized but still tries to play the right way.

Let's break down the quote:

"Let me go back to a comfortable analogy for me – sports – basketball. I use it because you're naïve if you don't see the national full-court press picking away right now. A good point guard drives through a full-court press, protecting the ball, keeping her eye on the basket.

"And she knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the team can win. And I'm doing that – keeping our eye on the ball that represents sound priorities – smaller government, energy independence, national security, freedom. And I know when it's time to pass the ball, for victory."

Where do you even begin with this assault on the point guard position?

C'mon, a good point guard knows never to drive through a full-court press. A good PG knows you beat the press with a pass. Unless you're Curly Neal or maybe Earl Boykins, dribbling into traffic will put you on the bench, down from the coach and sitting with the scrubinis.

And how about " ... keeping her eye on the basket."

Well, that's about the last place a point guard's eyes should be. Now, if you're Billy Ray Bates or World B. Free or Reggie Miller, keeping your eyes on the basket may be a little more acceptable. But good point guards don't focus on the rim. That's unheard of. Unless, of course, it's time to get a little some for themselves.

And what about the "And I'm doing that -- keeping our eye on the ball ..."

Now I don't want to nitpick here but that's about the first thing a point guard learns -- to not look down at the ball while dribbling and handling. Sure, it might work for Corey Maggette but he's the exception -- and he's not a point guard, either.

But it was Palin's late-speech, wrong-sport dagger about sometimes having to "call an audible and pass the ball" that really got me to thinking, like about how long the suspension would be for committing a flagrant 2 against a politician.

Hey, I'll take a couple of games if it means my point guard brethren know I have their back.