Kill the messenger

When the camera pushes in on Phil Jackson during a critical moment in a playoff game, he just sits there with a thoughtful pose, legs crossed, as if he were attending a university lecture. The game is on the line, the players are yelling at the refs, the fans are beating on cowbells, and there’s not a hint of panic on Jackson’s face. It’s as if the storm was simply swirling around him.

Composure is a trait worth paying for in a leader, and certainly the Lakers should get that and more for $6 million a year. And they have got plenty. After faltering in the late ‘90s, the Lakers have now been back on top for the last two years, due in no small amount to Jackson’s coaching. He has been coach of eight of the last 11 NBA champions. And before that he was a player on an NBA championship team.

So it must be getting old. All that noise, all that travel, all that guff from 7-foot millionaires. The mainstream media has plastered that Zen Master misnomer on you. And how much more money do you need in a lifetime? It’s time to make a career change.

We have often made such suggestions for politicians currently in office; now we are turning toward recruitment.

If ever there were a time when we needed someone who’s not easily rattled, it’s now. So dare we say it? Let’s start a draft Phil Jackson for President campaign.

OK, put down that weapon for a minute and consider the up side. He’s survived and thrived under the most intense pressure imaginable. His name recognition factor would be up there with Bush and his study of Asian philosophy would come in handy.

Now, before you burn the paper in effigy, read the interview conducted by Steven T. Jones, and think about it.