Kings waiting to watch; watching while they wait

Kings President Geoff Petrie said Thursday night the team is just like the rest of the NBA world.

It is waiting to see what happens with LeBron James and the rest of the upper echelon free agents.

Petrie said he and Vice President Wayne Cooper combined to make approximately 10 phone calls Wednesday night after 9 p.m. (PST).

"Some of the agents represent more than one player," Petrie said. "We were mostly calling to check on any number of players. The calls were to see what kind of interest there is and we'll follow up and continue to monitor the landscape."

Petrie knows free agents, even during a normal off-season, have their respective agendas and goals adjusted by reality. On a local basis, we can remember the ups and downs of negotiations with Corliss Williamson and Bonzi Wells.

So the Kings wanted to see what type of interest there was in their team as well as let players know of their interest in them.

Petrie said the next three or four days likely will reveal what the top of the free-agent class will do. However, it likely will be longer before the Kings make any moves, if any.

"We made calls of interest," he said, "not calls of proposals. I'd classify our calls as fact-finding oriented. And given our appetite for risk and commitment, it will probably be more than a week or two before we do anything."

So, Kings fans likely must be patient to see how things shake out before they know of any acquisitions.

Petrie expects a quiet holiday weekend in terms of free-agent negotiations.

"It'll probably be pretty low-key," he said, "but the office is wherever your phone is."

It's always something

Reports that Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick somehow had found himself in trouble connected to a shooting at a party he gave himself did not come as a total surprise, did it? Anyone, anyone?

It says here the young man is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. The guy gave away countless millions and two years of his life and career dealing with dog fights and then lying about his involvement.

We only can hope - for his sake - he hasn't done it again. Vick barely was worth a mention last season and now he may become a mention entering this season for all the wrong reasons.

As a journalist, the way the media has been handling free-agency makes me sick. All of these experts are asked what the free agents will do and moreover, what they are thinking and how different factors affect that thinking.

How could anyone know unless they actually talk to these free agents. But people surely seem willing to speak for these guys without any legitimate information.

It'll one day be good to hear a couple of commentators say, "I don't know." That would be enough for me just for the sake of credibility.

There are a number of soccer haters and I'll admit I have my days. Surely, soccer purists would protest, but I'd like to see a World Cup without offsides penalities.

Purists would say, 'OK, let's see the NBA get rid of goaltending.' Perhaps not the same thing, but

a somewhat similarly bizarre request.

Yet, maybe an American soccer league can eliminate offsides for a season. Just a thought.

Sorry to hear of the passing of former football coach Don Coryell.

Coryell, 85, is known primarily as the architect of 'Air Coryell," the dynamic San Diego Chargers offense featuring Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, Charlie Joiner, Wes Chandler and running backs, Chuck Muncie and James Brooks.

However, Coryell also coached a St. Louis Cardinals squad (yes, they existed during the '70s) that was similarly effective with an offense featuring quarterback Jim Hart, running backs Terry Metcalf and Jim Otis, wide receiver Mel Gray and tight end Jackie Smith.

And yes, that's the same Jackie Smith, who was wide open and dropped a sure touchdown pass in the end zone in the 1979 Super Bowl.

Coryell's teams in St. Louis and San Diego won five division titles. And perhaps his best team in San Diego lost in the 1981 AFC title game in Cincinnati when it was about minus-20 degrees.