Dan Le Batard

Is there a correct way to fight over money?

In church?

The sports arena is unlike other American workplaces, part business and part cathedral. Worshippers fill this church on what feels like high holidays, praising, believing, Tebowing, shouting to the heavens. But here come the jangling of the collection plates again and again, interrupting the spiritual connection to remind us there is always business to be done. It is all merely entertainment, obviously, but that combination -- part business, part cathedral -- makes what are supposed to be fun and games feel more hostile sometimes. The gulf between athletes and the fans who pay them is paved with money and resentment, this merging of emotions and economics making sports feel differently than the rest of entertainment.

Paying customers don't get angry with musicians, comedians or movie stars for how rich they get for doing something silly and fun. Ever hear anyone say Bono, Chris Rock or Will Smith are overpaid? Anyone even know what they earn? You make us feel good and sway in your talented grasp, we don't begrudge you your dollars ... unless you happen to work in sports.

A TV analyst/former jock was critical of a football player recently. This kind of thing happens only every day in sports entertainment. This analyst is not considered outrageous or provocative, just meticulous about film study. And the player is a backup on a bad team. The criticism was even fairly benign, as far as these things go -- questioning performance, not character. It wasn't even televised, at least not at first. It was just on Twitter.

So what happened?

MIAMI -- For so many years, the basketball addict has talked about getting out. He even mapped a plan to visit the world's seven most beautiful beaches by boat. He thinks that, to keep a life and an identity fresh, a man should attempt to change careers once every decade. Not jobs. Careers. Don't go from coaching basketball to coaching football. Go from coaching basketball to practicing law. But the addict has never quite been able to take his own advice and free himself completely of this game's grip, not even while dabbling in speaking engagements and authoring books, so what does he do at the retirement age of 65?

MIAMI -- It was like someone sat on a whoopie cushion during the sermon at church.

Before the Heat-Knicks game last week, TNT interviewed crazy Tracy Morgan. He made a fairly benign joke fantasizing about Sarah Palin, although benign can be subjective depending on your perspective/politics, and benign rarely has been less benign than it is in today's allergic-to-everything arena. TNT immediately apologized, evidently surprised while interviewing a crude comedian that he would be a crude comedian.

MIAMI -- Pride. Such an interesting yin-yang word. It'll make a parent's eyes sting at a school play or graduation. It'll help you be better at your job if you have it in your work. It is a positive trait right up until it isn't, right up until you have too much of it, right up until it interferes with your ability to say "I'm sorry" when you might be wrong. Then, in less time than it took LeBron James to trash his image, it transforms into something unlikable.

MIAMI -- I have some writing blind spots.

For example, I have a "What's the big deal?" attitude about most of the outrage surrounding our games. Manny Ramirez and Ochocinco and Ron Artest are always sources of joyful comedy for me, not indignation. This gets me called an apologist or a contrarian because I tend to laugh at behavior that upsets many of you, and it undermines my credibility because I too often sound like I'm defending the indefensible.

MIAMI -- Four words.

Six syllables.