Today's free agent signing is tomorrow's expiring contract

For a General Manager in the NBA, the 2009-10 season was largely about expiring contracts. They just couldn't wait to get these bad deals off their books so they could go after the free agent class of 2010. If you listen to enough NBA General Managers, you'd think that these albatross-like contracts just magically appeared all over the league.

2010 was the biggest focus for freeing cap space, but it was hardly the first. We've been hearing this for a generation now. If a team could just get out from underneath these bad contracts, they could rebuild the right way and their problems would be over.

So what do they do when they're finally freed of these terrible contracts? Start being responsible? Nah...they use that cap space to sign more terrible contracts.

I have no problem with the top guys making $20 million a year. They are the ones bringing in the majority of the revenue. What does irk me though, are scrubs and also-rans getting $8, $10, or $15+ million. Also keep in mind, the NBA says it's feeling the recession. With that said, just look at some of the deals signed this summer:

Houston - Kyle Lowry - 4 years, $24 million. Career averages: 9.1 PTS, 4.5 AST, 39% FG.

Phoenix - Channing Frye - 5 years, $30 million. Career: 8.9 PTS, 4.7 REB.

Atlanta - Joe Johnson - 6 years, $119(!!!) million. For a non-difference-making 29 year old shooting guard.

Milwaukee - John Salmons - 5 years, $40 million. Career: 9.7 PPG, 3.0 REB, 2.3 AST. 30 years old.

New Jersey - Travis Outlaw - 5 years, $35 million. Career: 9.5 PTS, 3.4 REB. The Nets lost out on the marquee free agent sweepstakes...so hey, they've got to spend it on someone, right?

Toronto - Amir Johnson - 5 years, $34 million. Career: 4.7 PTS, 4.2 REB. I consider myself well-informed about the NBA and I have never heard of him before two weeks ago.

Minnesota - Darko Milicic - 4 years, $20 million. Career: 5.6 PTS, 4.1 REB. Sure, he's been a resounding bust everywhere he's gone...but WE CAN CHANGE HIM!

So, when it's 2015 or whatever and NBA GMs are giving you the "woe is us" routine over these very contracts, we'll know better. These contracts have to come from somewhere. As The Offspring once said, it all just happens again, way down the line...

The desert is hot now...who knew?

If you'll recall, last month I beamed about how mild the summer temperatures here in the desert had been up to that point. But now, I'm afraid there's nowhere to hide.

I don't quite have the "kinda-kidding-but-not-really" arrogance of Bill Simmons where I think I can jinx weather the way he can jinx NFL outcomes with his picks...but this is just more of an observation.

Here is how it's been the past 8 days:

87
90
91
91
89
84
91
85

Oops, those were the overnight lows. Let's try again:

106
108
110
108
107
106
107
105

Dagger.

Because I love anything from Steve Sabol

You might say that much like Michael Bolton falsely claimed in Office Space, I celebrate NFL Films' entire collection. So when I heard NFL Films President Steve Sabol filled in for NFL Buffoon Peter King at SI this week, I couldn't wait to read what Sabol had to say. He did not disappoint, touching on players he felt made the biggest impressions on him, the differences between follies, blunders, and bloopers, and why Hard Knocks is the most challenging show they do.

And I just love the way he wraps up the column:

I think I'd like to close with this: Erma Bombeck once said, "If a man watches three football games in a row, he should be declared legally brain dead." I say, "What a way to die."