ELItorial: A tale of two cities

By Albert Chen

His team was facing another crisis and once again, it wasn't about an injury, a shooting drought, or an ineffective defense. Bickerstaff's two franchise players, Chris Webber and Juwan Howard, had just been accused of sexual assault. Once again, the crisis had taken place off the court. All the same, it will probably be the difference between a win, a loss, and a playoff spot.

It has been an ugly year for the Wizards. In September, star point guard Rod Strickland was charged with driving under the influence and disorderly conduct. In December, Strickland and teammate Tracy Murray created their own pregame fireworks by exchanging punches. In January, Webber was charged with three misdemeanors, including second-degree assault and six traffic violations.

Webber and Strickland were acquired to join Howard and make the franchise a league power. With their current talent, the Wizards should be exactly where the L.A. Lakers are: rising furiously in their conference, looking to become the league's next Chicago in the post-Jordan era. Washington may be the most talented team in the Eastern Conference outside the Windy City, but in a sport where poise, maturity, and discipline are just as important, the Wizards are far from the conference's elite.

A 50-mile drive north on I-95 from Washington will take you to Baltimore, home of the Orioles, a franchise whose fan base overlaps with that of the Wizards. Peter Angelos, the fiesty owner of the Birds, has put together a team of talent--and class. To Angelos, team chemistry and locker-room atmosphere are just as important as on-field performance.

The Oriole line-up, from Brady Anderson to Cal Ripken, Jr. to Harold Baines, is loaded with players who produce. Just as importantly, they don't create the off-field distractions and negative vibes that have plagued the Wizards. Though the dynamics of baseball and basketball are about as similar as Celine Dion and Madonna positive team character is critical in the formula for winning on any team.

In recent years, the Orioles front office learned its lesson with Bobby Bonilla, Sid Fernandez, and Doug Jones. Bonilla hit his home runs, Fernandez won his starts, and Jones saved the games in which he appeared. None of them could lead their team to a championship; the Orioles of the early and mid-'90s were good teams that always fell short in August and September.

Bonilla griped about being slotted as the team's DH. Fernandez seemed more interested in eating Whoppers than in giving them up. Jones loved the Baltimore fans so much that after he blew a six-run lead in the ninth in a critical pennant race contest, he tipped his hat and gave the crowd the finger.

Angelos has learned from his mistakes, and his recent aquisitions show that. Two years ago, with the Orioles chasing the Yankees in an August pennant race, the team acquired veteran Eddie Murray, not the most explosive hitter on the market but a player whose experience and attitude would be a positive boost in the clubhouse. The Orioles advanced to the American League Championship Series, the furthest they had advanced in years.

Last year, replacing Cal Ripken, Jr. at shortstop was free-agent Mike Bordick, a career .250 hitter, acquired not for his numbers but for his gritty, no-nonsense, attitude. This off-season's acquisitions include Joe Carter, Doug Drabek, and Norm Charlton, veterans whose best days are behind them, but whose contributions go beyond numbers in a box-score. This year's Orioles are off to a sizzling start, having won six of their first seven games.

Amid the team's most recent controversy, the Wizards fell to the Bulls and dropped further behind the Nets in their quest for a playoff invitation. The season has been a disappointment, and it's not just beacuse of wins and losses. In acquiring Webber and Strickland, two of the biggest free agent pick-ups in the organization's history, the Wizards perhaps made the wrong decisions. Both arrived in Washington with stellar numbers and talent but also with questionable attitudes that had often caused conflict with their former coaches.

This summer, the Wizards organization will make some choices. There has been discussion in the front office about trading either Webber or Howard. Washington may or may not re-sign Strickland. They may even bid for Latrell Spreewell. Let's hope that the organization finally realizes that talent alone doesn't win championships. Maybe come next April, Bernie Bickerstaff will finally have a chance to talk X's and O's.

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