Drama Drama Drama.

Among the stories of trades and contracts in the NBA off-season, come stories of scandal, trouble and drama.

By now I'm sure everyone has heard about the Derrick Rose SAT score scandal. Word on the street is that he failed his ACTs three times, was unable to get in any college that he wanted, and then turned to the SATs as his last resort, figuring that if he couldn't pass the ACTs, he wouldn't be able to pass the SATs either, finally hiring someone else to take it for him. But is this really possible? I have little knowledge on this topic but failing the ACT three times in a row seems like a near impossible task to me. Getting a perfect score may take a good amount of practice and brains but to be unable to even pass it? Without any studying or tutoring I did decently, and though I'm not stupid, I'm an awful tester. So could Derrick really not make it into college himself? Hm. I don't know what to believe. And though I think he should have given more of a comment than, "I know I took the test", I don't believe the fact that he didn't produce "proof" that he took the exam shows hes guilty. How many of you still have your "test ticket"? Or even the scores that are mailed to your house? I doubt I do. And if they are somewhere in this house they are at the bottom of a drawer, ripped and covered in dust. In any case I hope that Derrick Rose AS A PLAYER is not judged based on this scandal because how he performs (or didn't perform) on a standarized test, and how he performs on a court are two completely different issues. He made it to the NBA based on his basketball skills, not his ability to test or his intelligence. What is more dangerous than others judging him however is him judging himself. I know he isn't the biggest fan of being in the public eye but I hope he won't let a matter like this shake his confidence. He is the best thing that has happened to the Bulls in a LONG time and I hope he tells himself this every single day.

Rashard Lewis has encountered a different sort of problem. Testing positive for elevated amounts of testosterone in his system, Rashard will be sitting out ten games. Like Derrick, Rashard proclaims his innocence, and I for one believe him. He was taking an over-the-counter supplement that he didn't know fell under substances banned by the NBA and is now having to pay the consequences of his experimentation. All I can say on this matter is that Orlando better have a 10-game game-plan drawn out because losing Lewis will hit them hard. Personally, he is one of my favorite Orlando players (next to Dwight of course), and I believe he made quite an impact on the team getting as far as they did in the Playoffs. As long as they have something figured out though, and as long Rashard stays away from any pills, the team should come out of this just fine.

Michael Beasley is the most recent troublemaker, and perhaps the one with the most serious drama. He is currently checked into a rehab center in Houston but little else is known. The trouble started when people noticed some mysterious bags in a picture he posted on his Twitter account. The picture was of a new tattoo he had just gotten on his back and slightly to the right appeared to be bags of weed or other substances. People also noticed that his tweets themselves were a little off lately, stating things like "I feel like the whole world is against me" and "feeling like its not worth living". However, other sources say that nothing new was going on with him and that rehab was in the plan all along for a drug-related issue he had during his Rookie Transition Program last summer. Whatever the case may be, I hope he pulls himself together in time for the new season. I think hes improved greatly since he first got drafted and it would be terrible for everything to fall apart right now when a new year is starting.

Apparently the life of a pro-athelete is not as flawless as some may think. Sure they have billions of dollars and billions of fans looking up to them in admiration (well, I guess that depends on who you are..., yes I'm talking about you Starberry, I'm not even going to waste my time including you in this blog) but like us they are only human, capable of mistakes and needing lessons to learn from.