Plenty of distractions for young NBA stars, Howard is no different than any other player

Josh Howard’s bad couple of weeks just got worse. Recently acquired Washington Wizards forward Josh Howard will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Howard was injured Monday night in Washington’s win over the Chicago Bulls, only his fourth game with the Wizards since being acquired from Dallas in a seven-player trade on Feb. 13.

No decision has been announced on whether Howard would have surgery.

Howard was plagued by criticism off the court while a Dallas Maverick, and was looking forward to starting over in Washington. Accused of missing a game due to hangover, Howard, Maverick officials, and fellow teammates have all said those accusations were false.

Whether he did or didn’t isn’t really important.

Josh Howard, whether real or implied, never really lived up to the potential that was blanketed over him the last couple of years in Dallas. Often criticized for what he wasn’t doing, it was easy to overlook what Howard was doing.

An All-Star reserve in 2007, Josh Howard created a high level of expectations. A confident player, Howard struggled with poor shot selection, was lackadaisical on defense, and was flamboyant off the court.

I was one that thought a new start somewhere else was what Josh Howard needed. A quality player, with a lot of upside, Howard is someone that you can build a team around.

He simply didn’t fit in Dallas.

This latest injury came at a terrible time for Josh. He started three games for Washington and scored 14.5 (averaged 15.3 in Dallas) points a game to help the Wizards go 3-1 since the deal.

It’s uncertain what Howard’s future is in Washington. Whether Howard is in the Wizards rebuilding plans remains to be see, but one thing is for sure. The only person that will prevent Josh Howard from becoming a regular All-Star selection and a star in this league is Josh Howard.

Howard’s partying is no different than any other young NBA player. Yet it’s a little concerning how much effort he puts into creating his image off the court, and the lack of dedication on it.

View of Cowboy Stadium from the nearest sports bar? Quite possibly

The new Cowboy Stadium is an oasis in a sports desert. Yet beware. Sports bars are simply a mirage. Public transportation non-existent and parking will cost you a bunch of gold coins.

Over 108,000 individuals made the journey to Arlington, Texas, yet it felt like a ghost town.

The below freezing wind chill factor could have played a huge role in lack of personality around the stadium I will admit that. Yet maybe it’s my Midwest raised kid in me coming out, but I expected more.

I certainly did not appreciate the 45+ minute standing in line to get into the stadium. Six Flags was right down the street. I thought maybe I was waiting in line for a roller coaster on a summer day. Except for the fact is was below freezing.

I’ll do what the refs would not do during the game, I’ll call a foul.

The Ballpark at Arlington has a sports bar inside the stadium, yet no one thought it would be profitable to open it for the All-Star game (it was closed for the Big 12 Championship game as well). The nearest sports bar to grab a drink and a burger is 2 miles away.

If you want to grab a taxi to take you to and from the sports bar, it will cost you $20 each way ($20.00 minimum ride). This after you paid $40.00 for a parking spot.

Maybe you stayed in Dallas; you saw a train dissecting the streets of downtown and felt “what better way to ride to Arlington”, well forget that notion. Get in your car and sit in traffic like all of us had to do.

Excuse me Mr. Goodell. You might want to take a look at this for next February.

Once you got inside the stadium, you couldn’t help but get excited. The level of frenzy was immeasurable, and the experience was “All-Star” caliber. It was as if the court was suspended in the air by the anticipation of the event, and it never sunk an inch the whole game.

All-Star Weekend 2010 was spectacular, despite the weather’s best efforts. The streets of Dallas were star-studded, the clubs packed with fame, and airport runways crowded.

It’s a shame Arlington couldn’t rise to the level that was expected.

The East won the game in a shoot-out. Dwayne Wade got the MVP award. I would love to be able to put words to describe the game, but I left the stadium and my excitement was instantly deflated.

Who says you can’t write and drive? I just finished this article in traffic.