5-at-10: NFL and McDonald, Harden rolls, MJ vs. LeBron, Rushmore of sidekicks

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan watches an NBA basketball game in this April 16, 2014, file photo.
Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan watches an NBA basketball game in this April 16, 2014, file photo.

Hope you enjoyed Memorial Day. We did.

From the "Talks too much" studio, man, someone get Noah on the blower. We're going to need a bigger boat.

photo FILE - This Nov. 23, 2014, file photo shows San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ray McDonald (91) on the bench during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif. Police say Chicago Bears defensive end McDonald has been accused of domestic violence in Northern California, the latest arrest for the former San Francisco 49er. McDonald was taken into custody Monday, May 25, 2015, on suspicion of domestic violence and child endangerment. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)

McDonald drive out

Early Monday morning, former 49ers and now-former Bears defensive tackle Ray McDonald was arrested on domestic assault and child endangerment.

McDonald now will be the face of the NFL's biggest problem.

Forget extra points or Tom Brady's level of involvement in DeflateGate.

Domestic crimes has to be front and center for the league and its players.

Yes, this is a legal issue, but for the NFL - the king daddy of popular culture at the moment - perception and public opinion are top priorities.

Plus, crimes against women, while cowardly and horrible, are overly dangerous for every person or profession in the public eye. More than half our society is female and all of our society has or had a mother. It's impossible to support crimes against women; it's even below kicking puppies and Bill Belichick on the approval meter.

So McDonald now becomes the test case for commissioner Roger Goodell and the league.

McDonald missed most of 2014 because of domestic violence charges, and Bears came under fire for signing him.

It's easy now to say that was a disastrous decision now, but it also may be a cautionary tale for the league and its teams. And a warning shot for the players association for the importance of this issue moving forward.

Goodell has done next to nothing to earn anyone's confidence in handling matters this serious.

From the very beginning with the Ray Rice debacle - a too-soft two-game suspension followed by a knee-jerk reaction followed by simply making it up as they went - Goodell has been one part Soap Opera hunk and three parts Benny Hill.

Someone in the league office needs to make sure this gets handled properly. And quickly.

Maybe the league blackballs McDonald for ever. Goodell tossed out some outline late last year, and if that's the playbook, then fine. If it's not, then make sure you have your ducks - and votes - in a row before trotting out a decision and reversing field like the Rice debacle.

Whatever the decision, the NFLPA needs to stand next the league and nod their collective head.

photo NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to reporters during the NFL's spring meetings in San Francisco, Wednesday, May 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The players and the nine-figure salary cap that grows by millions every year have a lot on the line here too. Fewer fans because of a few knuckleheads hurts the entire bottom line, and that includes the players.

So check the appeals and the hand-wringing about Goodell being judge and jury. Yes, the league needs to keep the NFLPA in the loop, but no one wants to hear collective bargaining semantics about McDonald and the rest of this moving forward.

The public was answers about what's going to be done today and moving forward.

And if the players don't want to be part of the process, they can certainly be cut from the loop and questionable character players will be put on the chopping block from this day moving forward.

If the league can fine and take away draft picks from teams for everything from softer balls to fake crowd noise, the league surely can look into disciplining teams for signing at-risk players.

And while the Bears had no guaranteed money in the one-year deal it gave McDonald, if the ripple effect of signing a player with a domestic assault history is losing a first-round pick if it happens again, well, that's a big risk.

So whatcha got Roger?

This moment and issue as much as the concussion debate will be as much of your legacy as the fact the league has become the most popular entertainment option in the country under your watch.

And yes, the future of that final fact may well be determined by how you handle Ray McDonald and those like him.

photo Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) gestures after scoring against the Los Angeles Clippers during the third quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals at the Toyota Center Sunday, May 17, 2015, in Houston. (James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle via AP ) Mandatory Credit

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Rockets stay alive

James Harden dropped 45 on the Warriors, who collectively held their breath after a scary fall involving MVP Steph Curry, in Houston's 128-115 win. Golden State leads Harden's Rockets 3-1 in the best of seven. Game 5 is Wednesday night.

What do we draw from this win?

Nothing, as long as Curry is OK.

There have been 116 NBA teams fall into a 3-0 deficit and none of them have ever rallied to win the series.

There is no reason to think these Rockets are historic either.

Especially as long as Curry continues his shooting spree, which is on a historic clip.

Check these numbers:

Curry is shooting 91 percent on 3-pointers from the left corner. Yes, 91-percent.

Going into Game 4 last night, Curry was better (64-of-143 for 45 percent) from 3 than Dwight Howard was from the foul line (48-of-145 for 40 percent).

Curry has already made more 3s than any other player in any other postseason, and he as multiple games left.

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Comparisons

OK, they are biased, but Cleveland Cavs Kendrick Perkins and J.R. Smith were among those sounding off this weekend about whether LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan.

photo Cleveland Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins, right, has the ball knocked away by Indiana Pacers center Ian Mahinmi during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

First, the debate of the next Jordan or the next Tiger or the next whatever becomes cliche. It's easy and never apples to apples.

But it's also fun.

Of course Perkins and Smith are going to be pro-LeBron since he is willing a patchwork roster on the verge of a spot in the NBA Finals. In makes sense.

Want a another experienced basketball voice on the James side? Pat Riley, the longtime basketball guru, has long called James 'BOAT' (as in best of all time).

And maybe the semantics are important here.

Jordan was the greatest competitor in NBA history, and maybe the greatest in the history of team sports. Lots of people hate to lose; Jordan by all accounts, whether it was golf or poker or H-O-R-S-E was over the top.

Jordan is the best shooting guard ever, and scored in ways that didn't seem possible when he was young then scored in ways that made the game look too easy as he matured. In fact, Jordan's mid-career overhaul to become a pure shooter is among the greatest in sports.

Jordan has six titles, a total that would be tough for anyone, including LeBron, to match in today's balanced NBA.

photo Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan watches an NBA basketball game in this April 16, 2014, file photo.

But in regard to one-on-one basketball comparisons, it's impossible not to acknowledge that James belongs in the discussion right there with MJ as the best ever.

Breakdown the basketball skill set:

Jordan was the better perimeter shooter; James is a much-better passer.

Off the dribble-drive, James and Jordan are arguably the two best in NBA history.

James, however, is a better rebounder because of his size and a more versatile defender who in this series along has guarded everyone from Atlanta's point guard Jeff Teague to center Paul Milsap.

And James is the better athlete.

So there will always only be one Jordan - as much for his competitive fire as his titles and his namesake shoes - there will only be one James.

And they may be closer than most know.

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This and that

photo Los Angeles Dodgers Andre Ethier, right, hits a home run as Atlanta Braves catcher Christian Bethancourt looks on during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles on Monday, May 25, 2015.

- Watched a little bit of the Braves-Dodgers game. Want to know what a $200-million payroll buys a team like the Dodgers, who bested the Braves 6-3? Even with injuries to guys like Yaisel Puig and Carl Crawford, you give guys like Andre Either at-bats. When Andre Either is your fourth (or even fifth) outfielder, that's a good thing.

- Side note from the Braves game: Another strong start from a quality young arm. Williams Perez went six innings and fanned seven. He allowed one run when he walked Either with the bases loaded in the first.

- Wow, if you think the SEC dominates the college football landscape, the dominance in softball is off-the-charts. There were eight SEC teams in the eight Super Regionals this weekend with Florida, Tennessee, LSU, Auburn and Alabama advancing to the World Series.

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photo John Wayne

Today's question

Happy National Paper Airplane day - fold 'em if you got 'em.

May 26 also is a pretty impressive day for famous birthdays. John Wayne (would have been 108), Lenny Kravitz (51), Stevie Nicks (67), Hank Williams Jr. (66) and Miles Davis (would have been 91) all were born today, among others.

Also, Jay Silverheels would have been 103 today. Jay Silverheels of course played Tonto on the TV show "The Lone Ranger."

What's our Rushmore of sidekicks?

Go and remember the mailbag.

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