The next time star foward Josh Howard enters the Dallas arena it won't be to the tune of the National Anthem.  I think he's made it pretty clear that the song just ain't his style.

Since the video on Youtube, there has been a lot of dicussion about whether or not this guy remembers which country he lives in, whether or not the Obama campaign will suffer this latest non-endorsement, and why black people can use the N word and nobody else can.  Yes folks.  He's a trifecta of newsmaking boneheadedness.  Able to leap tall headlines in a single moment, he's managed to piss off sports fans, political pundits, left-wing nuts (well, they're always pissed off), Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and just about every person with a star-spangled banner in the front yard.

Now, don't get me wrong.  Howard has the right to say and think whatever he wants to.  It's his right as an American.  However, he also represents a national organization recognized as being both representative of our country and our culture.  So is it okay for someone who is, for lack of a better term, on the "international court" to publically admit he doesn't like the country he represents?  And no, don't misconstrue it for a simple dislike for the government.  He doesn't like the country itself.

What really concerns me is how the NBA seems to be handling this.  In a report from Sportsday, apparently they're going to do absolutely squat.  As if this was new.  They're excuse?  "Iverson did it.  Allen did it.  And look at those guys?"  Sure.  And I'm sure these guys were already in the tank for pot and street racing.  Whoops...Howard again, right?

It seems that since Rodman began wearing dresses and horse hair to the half-court line that the NBA has become more and more ball-less.  Think back 20 years ago to the era of Jordan, Pippen, and Byrd.  Or even further to Magic Johnson or Dr. J.  If these guys had been caught with a coke line under their nose by ABC news, would they have been allowed to continue playing?  God forbid they said something anti-american.  Al-Queda has nothing on the Cold War anti-communist spread.

Land of the free, home of the brave.  And the right to free speech...even for people like Josh Howard.