Jordan lacks character

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that ever lived, but not the greatest person who ever lived. On that list, he ranks somewhere around number six or seven, somewhere ahead of Dr. Jonas Salk and somewhere behind Don Knotts. (It's a complex formula -- don't ask.)\nIt's important that we keep this in mind as Michael has made the news a lot in the past week. Last Tuesday, his wife Juanita filed for divorce. The couple's 12-year marriage has produced three kids, and I think we all know where we were when 13-year-old Jeffrey, 11-year-old Marques and 9-year-old Jasmine were born. The New York Post reported later in the week that Jordan has been spotted with several different women on his arm in recent weeks.\nIn other words, the meat grinder is about to have its way with Michael Jordan. Gossip columnists need something to write about, and famous people having marital problems is always a start. Jordan-mania will only intensify when the Wizards play the Bulls in Chicago Saturday.\nJordan's apologists have come to his rescue, though more discreetly than we are used to seeing. In The Chicago Sun-Times after the divorce filing, a Jordan "pal" mentioned that these are just two human beings like all of us, prone to the same foibles. Thank goodness, as I have been unable to distinguish Michael the person from a part of the robot team that almost beat the Harlem Globetrotters in that Gilligan's Island TV movie.\nOf course, Jordan has promoted his messianic image as much as anybody, calling his teammates his "supporting cast" and putting his name on every product imaginable. It is not a not-so-subtle way of saying "live like me."\nJordan has retired twice from basketball, and both times he talked about spending more time with his family. After his first retirement in October 1993, he soon thereafter began an ill-advised professional baseball career in which all he did was steal an opportunity from a real ballplayer who had worked harder on making the majors than Michael ever did.\nAfter retiring again in January 1999, Jordan was not long for the home life and instead headed for the Washington Wizards as the director of basketball operations in January 2000. To put the stability Jordan gave the Wizards in proper perspective, please note that they have had four coaches (Gar Heard, Darrell Walker, Leonard Hamilton and Doug Collins) while the famously impatient George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees have stuck with the same manager (Joe Torre).\nHamilton, an immensely respected college coach who put the Miami (Fla.) program on the map and mentored Illinois coach Bill Self, got particularly shabby treatment. In his one year as the team's coach, Hamilton had to watch as Jordan made several trades that were just salary cap dumps and in no way made the Wizards immediately better. In one of the trades, Jordan acquired guard Courtney Alexander, whom Jordan thought was the best player in the 2000 NBA Draft, from Dallas. Apparently, Alexander is so good that he cannot get off the bench. Anyway, when the season was over, Hamilton "resigned" so Jordan could bring in Collins.\nThe other Jordan news within the last week was the announcement of an all-Jordan magazine. Nike would bankroll it and has said its target audience is 16-to-21-year-old males. Apparently, Jordan will be on the cover every issue, like Oprah Winfrey or Rosie O'Donnell on their magazines. This brings up the following question: At what point do we stop being mere sycophants and start being altar boys at the House of Jordan? Outside of a "How Not to Lose Your Shirt in Divorce Proceedings" article, I have no interest, but since many of you reading this represent the target audience, the ball's in your court, so to speak.\nFor the purposes of emphasis, I should restate that I think Jordan is the greatest player ever. I would take Jordan's 1988-89 season, where he averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as his best and wonder how anybody will ever duplicate it.\nLet's end the silly hyperbole at that, though. Saturday's Wizards-Bulls game at the United Center is not about Michael getting vindication against the team that forced him to retire. How vindictive can you feel if the team you are playing paid you $70 million your last two years even though your skills were beginning to decline and then put a statue of you in front of the arena?\nYou know, after thinking about it, I have decided to alter my greatest humans ever list. I'm dropping Michael to number eight.