And now for something completely different. A belated NBA observation.

The three key cogs of the Los Angeles Lakers organization (since they begun winning championships again) have been coach Phil Jackson, center Shaquille O'Neal, and accused rapist Kobe Bryant.

For reasons too serpentine to dig into, a situation developed in which Lakers owner Jerry Buss was forced last week to choose between Bryant on the one hand, or O'Neal and Jackson on the other.

Inexplicably, Buss went with Bryant, leaving Jackson out of a job and O'Neal demanding a trade. I can't even begin to describe enormity of that mistake. Sports history will eventually file it in the "What were they thinking?" file next to the Cubs trading Lou Brock to the Cardinals for Ernie Broglio and the Trail Blazers drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.