Before hiring Nelson, the Warrirors' morale had to be at an all-time low. No wait, it's all coming back to me . . . . The low point had to be 1999 when they traded the draft pick that became Jason Terry for Mookie Blaylock. Actually no, maybe it was in 1997, drafting Adonal Foyle at 8 when McGrady went 9th. No no, I've got it. It must've have been 1996, when they took Todd Freaking Fuller at 11 with Kobe, Nash, and Jermaine O'Neal still on the board. Or wait, wasn't there something to do with Latrell Sprewell? The horror, the horror. What was I saying?

Oh yeah, the Warriors have a herd of promising young players (Ike Diogu, Andris Biedrins, Monte Ellis, etc.) who have only known losing in the NBA. Nelson is exactly the kind of coach they need to make the game fun again.

Now if Nelson can just keep Mullin from signing any more of those gawd-awful contract extensions, maybe this franchise has a chance.

P.S. Seriously. Todd Freaking Fuller??? I still haven't gotten over the shock and befuddlement of that moment. "Who the hell is Todd Fuller," my friends and I asked each other. Worst draft pick of all time?

Wasn't that a fascinating conversation between Madden and Michaels and the new commissioner, Roger Goodell? What a stiff suit. Here's the Goodell drinking game: drink every time he says "keep the game strong." He must've said it 10 times in his 3 minutes in the booth. That's his top priority AND also what he hopes is legacy will be in 20 years. Michaels did at least ask him a question about HGH, to which Goodell gave a bland canned answer that I can't remember. I wish they would've asked him about the new crackdown on celebrations by the No Fun League.

Tom Waits is f*cking amazing. To see that incredible voice booming out of that skinny, electric body was breathtaking. And the man has class.

For my money, Wilco is the best large-scale rock band these days, but TV on the Radio might catch up to them. People tell me Radiohead is up there.

McCoy Tyner pounds the heaviest, most relentless hard bop I've ever heard in my life.

If Charles Mingus formed a funk band, it would sound like Boostamonte.

David Murray is from another planet.

The Jacob Fredd Jazz Odyssey lives up to its name. The drummer holds them back, but they go on some wicked journeys.

I love every incarnation I've seen Skerik and Matt Dillon (formerly of Critters Buggin') in. Their musical rigor, interplay, eclecticism, and audacaioiusness can't be beat.

Gang Gang Dance sucked me deep into their crazy polyrhythms.

Mike Watt is a force of nature, no matter who he's playing with.

I'll never forget seeing the Extra Action Marching Band run a bad hair metal band off the stage of the Giant Rubber Ducky at Burning Man.

The way the Boredoms pulled precise changes out of cacophony blew me away.

I never miss a show of local boys My Last Day on Earth.

The happiness and danciness emanating from Toots and the Maytals should be bottled and shipped off to war zones.

I almost didn't go see Bruce Springsteen solo acoustic, but he was intense. I've never seen anyone command an auditorium with an acoustic guitar like that.

Todd Snider tells the same stories every time, but he can make a theater or a festival feel intimate.

Jason Webley has earned a cult following with his 2 hour+ one man accordion band shows. I've never seen anyone get jaded hipsters to sing along and act like kindergartners like he can.

Jonathan Richman is enthralling and heart breaking.

Antony and the Johnsons and CocoRosie made me cry.

When I think of New Orleans good time music, I think of Anders Osborne--ideally at the Rock n Bowl.

Daniel Lanois plays healing music. It's like a soft blanket that envelopes you. His guitar tone is the most luscious I've ever heard.

But having said all that, none of them are in the same league as the Grateful Dead.

Neurosis is the "bizarro world" Grateful Dead. They're the only band that approaches the same magnitude of primal musical energy.

And Akron/Family might be the most psychedelic show I've ever seen.

I can only think of three bad trips (that I haven't repressed):

Will Bernard sounds like he should be good, but he can't finish a solo to save his life and he has no guts or imagination.

The String Cheese Incident has the emotional range of an ecstasy overdose.

M83 was so lifeless and pre-recorded, I haven't listened to his great music since.

Excellent column, King. I think it's criminal that NFL "contracts" aren't guaranteed. If Adrian Peterson blows out his knee on Sunday and ends his spectacular NFL career, the Vikings could cut him and not pay him a dime beyond the signing bonus they gave him this summer. How can you call it a "contract" if the players are forced to abide by it, but the team can bail out whenever they want? Contracts for baseball and basketball players are guaranteed; football should give their players the same respect--especially considering the devastating injuries that happen every week in the NFL. And then there's the horrifying fatality rates of modern NFL linemen:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2313476

The athleticism, intelligence, and courage of NFL players blows me away every Sunday. But at the same time, I have a nagging guilt about enjoying this spectacle that takes such a punishing toll on the players' bodies. It may not be the Coliseum of ancient Rome, but is the NFL really civilized? As long as the NFL refuses to guarantee contracts and continues to shortchange its veterans, I don't think it is.

The one about a series not starting until a home team loses. What was that stat they kept talking about last night? Teams with a 2-0 series lead have won 94% of the time in the NBA playoffs.