I'm an unabashed A.I. lover (as a basketball player).........take away the cheating on his wife, the affair with admitted sex hound Carmen Bryan (700 Level), and the whole "getting into a racial fight at a bowling alley in Hampton, VA and hitting a woman in the head with a chair" thing......and he's a pretty good guy.

Seriously though despite his flaws he's been an amazing basketball player for the city of Philadelphia. He fits the "Rocky" mentality perfectly. If Dwayne Wade is to "Get Knocked down 7 times get up 8".....AI is to "Get knocked down/out, broken, dragged, and maimed 400 times. Get up 401."

But besides all of that.....I blame Allen Iverson for one thing. One thing above everything else. ONE THING that is so atrocious it cannot go unpunished!

What do I blame him for you ask? One Stephen A. Smith.

In 2004 S.A.S. got a job for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Since then he's parlayed 40,000 A.I. articles into an analyst position for the NBA on ESPN and the television talk show Quite Frankly. (Little known fact. Smith's first college was the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. I actually have a friend in admissions for the school....I might have to have him do some research.) Anywho, I blame Allen Iverson for letting this Cheez Doodle eating loudmouth onto the scene. And for this crap piece of an article......

Deal is All that Matters Now (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Here's what we know: Allen Iverson is gone.

Here's what we care about: Whatever the 76ers will get for him.

Here's what we'll hear: "It's his fault! It's their fault!" Coming from both sides.

Perhaps we'll care in the days and weeks to come.

Well thanks for that synopsis Scoop er Bill Plaschke er, Steve-O. So I guess I don't need to read the article then...

Today, the primary concern should be preventing Iverson from becoming Charles Barkley, Part II, making sure the Sixers don't let go of their latest mercurial star for a bag of cheap beans thrown in the trash after Thanksgiving.

Umm okay, so I guess I do. What the heck does that mean? I understand the Barkley part, but what the hell do beans have to do with this? And Beans in a Bag??? And Thanksgiving? And.....Okay......I'm already lost.

We'll all ponder one day what life would be like for the Sixers right now if they had traded Iverson years ago when former coach Larry Brown insisted it was best for the franchise. We'll wonder what would have become of the coaching careers of Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Jim O'Brien or even Mo Cheeks if they were faced with the challenge of coaching someone else instead of Iverson.

Questionable decisions by Billy King, the Sixers' president and general manager, will come into focus, as will those of team chairman Ed Snider, who some - not me, though - believe should fire himself. But none of that matters now.

Why will we ponder that one day? Isn't that what everyone is saying right now? And "questionable decisions" by Billy King/Ed Snider?!?!?!?!? Riiiiight. I'd use the word "questionable" regarding those moves. Yep, Larry Hughes/Billy Owens/Bruce Bowen for Toni Kukoc is "questionable".

So what do we need to know Screamin' A. Smith?

"King's imagination can capitalize on potential deals with Minnesota, Boston, Denver, Sacramento or Golden State if any of those teams are willing to play ball. His knack for politics may even position him to pull off a heist with Chicago or Dallas."

Do whaaaaa? Imagination.........Knack for Politics???? Are you kidding me? Did those politics come into play when he traded Toni Kukoc, centers Theo Ratliff and Nazr Mohammed and guard Pepe Sanchez to the Atlanta Hawks for center Dikembe Mutombo and forward Roshown McLeod? Or when he acquired Glenn Robinson?

Come on S.A.S. I know you've got a nugget in here for me somewhere.....

Said one Sixers source: "There was a time when Billy [King] cared about sending Iverson to a contender, just out of gratitude for all he's meant to this franchise. That time has passed. He ain't thinking about A.I. anymore. At least not on that level."

Hmmmm.....and you wonder why Philadelphians want King's head on a stick?

Of course, there is always the possibility of multi-team deals, or a remote possibility that Iverson could be bought out of his contract. But that's venturing into the absurd, especially for a franchise with a few employees holding on by the skin of their teeth.

Multi-team deals are absurd? Since when??? Now I'm completely lost. But my favorite part is the very end. Where everything goes haywire.

Save the hostility for then. Not now.

Stephen A. Smith | Looking for a King's Ransom?

Sixers general manager Billy King fielded calls from numerous teams yesterday in trade talks for Allen Iverson.

Here are some of the players being discussed:

Everybody on the team is fair game except Paul Pierce. Expiring contracts of Austin Croshere,

Jerry Stackhouse plus Devin Harris.

Expiring contracts of P.J. Brown, Michael Sweetney, plus Ben Gordon, No.1 pick. Deal would need to include Corey Maggette, Shaun Livingston.

Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jason Richardson. Sixers most interested in Monta Ellis.

Wait a tic....is that a separate article, a summary of this one, or just a 4-year old's report on the NBA? What I gathered....

• The Philadelphia Inquirer is unsure which team Paul Pierce plays for.
• They think that Austin Croshere and Paul Pierce are on the same team.
• They think that the Bulls and Clippers have blended into one team called the Bullippers, and can offer PJ Brown, Sweetney, Ben Gordon, Corey Maggette, and Shaun Livingston
  

All in all it was an interesting read from Mr. Smith. AA's guess??? I don't have one. All I know is that the Celtics will offer King...Theo Ratliffs expiring contract, 18 young studs, and a draft pick......and he'll turn it down.

(P.S.- He'll probably take Steve Francis, Channing Frye, a bag of magic beans, and Yinka Dare's ashes instead)

(P.P.S.- HoopsHype's collection of transactions is sick. Check out Billy Boy's here)