One crazy summer

When I hear or read about these extravagant millionaires attempting daredevil stunts just for the thrill I always think the same thing: These people are crazy. I mean, they're rich. What are they thinking? Why risk it?

When I was in high school there was this custodian who had made millions in the stock market and quit his job to clean up after teenage slobs. That story probably sounds made up, but it isn't, he's a real guy. If I ever won or earned a significant amount of money I'd take every necessary precaution to ensure that I'd never have to exert myself or put myself at risk again. I'd build a bomb shelter. I'd hire bodyguards. I'd get bulletproof glass installed throughout my house and Volvo. Yeah, that's right, I'd buy a Volvo.

I'm not the only person who thinks this way. Look at the sports world. How many athletes have signed big contracts after career years, only to take it easy the rest of the way? (Somewhere Mark Blount's ears are ringing.) Often players later in their careers, with multi-year and multi-million dollar deals sewn up, show up to training camps overweight and out of shape. The all-around hustle diminishes, and a sense of entitlement seeps into their postgame interviews. People start using words like "nonchalant" to describe the player. (Somewhere Mark Blount's head just exploded.) Nonchalant. That word even sounds rich. When the slacker is poor it is laziness, when he's rich it is nonchalance. It's the ultimate slap in the face to the hard working, everyday fans of the franchises that overpay these players. This doesn't go for every guy in the league, but enough to become a trend, and Boston has had its fair share.

Not anymore.

The days of the big money busts in Beantown are over. Kevin Garnett, the $200 million man, isn't taking it easy in his advancing age. Earlier this month Marc J. Spears chronicled Garnett's summer training regimen. Tthis thing has Rocky IV training montage potential. He has absolutely lost his mind. I love it. Here's an excerpt:

"…The regimen includes about 90 minutes of weight training and 90 minutes of basketball drills and five-on-five scrimmages. While Celtics training camp doesn't begin until Sept. 30 in Rome, Garnett already seems to be in prime shape. In one drill yesterday, Garnett showed how strong he is. Wearing a belt with a cable connected to it, Garnett was immovable as one man tried to yank him from the post with the cable and Abunassar tried unsuccessfully to steal the ball several times. The 6-foot-11-inch, 253-pounder also sprinted while pulling a man with a resistance cable. After the drill, a sweat-drenched Garnett made the majority of his free throws while pumping himself up. "C'mon Kevin. C'mon Kevin. C'mon Kevin," he said."

How many other athletes worth a quarter of a billion dollars are shooting baby hooks while attached to cables on a steamy court during the offseason before their 13th year in the league? None. No wonder Reggie Miller didn't want to come out of retirement after working out with this lunatic. I feel bad for the random dude that got dragged up and down the court attached to KG by a cable. Spears didn't name him in the article. Are we sure he is still alive?

I can't get over how insanely competitive this man is. Key word insane. I mean, he talks to himself. Even when he talks to reporters he sounds crazy. When asked about his early workouts Garnett responded by saying, "I like my footprints to be the first in the sand." Thank you, Conan the Destroyer . Finally, Boston Celtics fans have an athlete who is equally obsessed with winning, maybe even more so.

Another plus is that Garnett's psychoses is spreading. Paul Pierce is dropping 15 pounds to get down to his college playing weight (230), and is planning on playing the opposition's toughest scorer. Spears's piece noted that Ray Allen worked the phones in order to get players in early for workouts. The three faces of the Boston Celtics may live like kings, but they haven't spent much time on their thrones this offseason. Though it does seem insane to me that people that rich work that hard, as long as KG and Co. are crazy about winning it's all fine with me.

Three things that came to me while being dragged down the court attached to KG's resistance cable ...