REVEREND JACKSON

The separation of Church and State has been a major cause of conflict throughout history. Today, as Mark Jackson appears to be fired from his position as Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors, the theme arises once again. The Warriors, a talented young team, with unlimited potential, have failed to progress because of locker room issues, which stem directly from Jackson's consistent use of religious language.

There is no place for forced religion in the NBA locker room. Jackson has gotten in several feuds this year due to his lack of restraint in preaching his religious beliefs to his basketball team. In addition, Jackson has been criticized for his stubbornness, as he has failed to accept input from management or even his coaching staff as to how the Warriors should play. With Jackson at the helm, a dysfunctional environment has been created that must be reconciled immediately. This can only be done by bringing in a new player's coach, one who is open to criticism and capable of keeping the focus in the locker room on basketball rather than religion.

A great lesson to take away from this decision is that no matter the success of the team on the court, the team's owner always has the final say. Joe Lacob, the Warriors majority owner, did not like Jackson, and decided to fire him even after a 50 win season and hard fought 7 game series to a potential NBA champion.

-Wes