Most also would never be honest with the media but that&39s something Tyrus will learn going forward

Most also would never be honest with the media, but that's something Tyrus will learn going forward. Reporters will only use your words to their advantage Tyrus, regardless of what they know you meant or were trying to say.This cockiness reminds me of another Chicago celebrity, Kanye West. In the last, largely spoken word track of his debut album “College Dropout” Mr. West has some lines which I feel are particularly appropriate to the young man from Baton Rogue,”Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteemor use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreamsI use it as my gas, so they say that I'm gassedBut without it I'd be last, so I ought to laugh”Indeed, for a kid who entered high school as a 5' 10″ guard, and got cut from his freshman team, without a certain amount of arrogance he'd of never developed into an NBA lottery pick.

Certainly no one was out there telling Tyrus that he had a chance back then.His early failure is reminiscent of a former Bull, Michael Jordan, who also got cut his freshman year of high school. Also like his Airness, Tyrus got to where he is today thanks to a tireless work ethic. His coach at LSU, John Brady thought as much of the young man, saying:”He never stopped working… He's young, so his leadership skills aren't there yet, but his personality is so true, so encouraging, that he's definitely the kind of player whose devotion and effort rub off on teammates.”That work continued into this past off-season, where just because he didn't choose to work out at the Berto Center, didn't mean he was just sitting back sipping cocktails every afternoon. At the '07 summer league where he dominated, he told one reporter that he'd been working “seven days a week so far this offseason, often staying in the gym until he makes 700 jump shots a day.”Now clearly, as his college coach said, those leadership skills are not quite there yet, as his whole skipping practice episode proves. But it's been a really frustrating year for him.After winning a spot in the starting lineup coming out of camp, Tyrus didn't dominate but certainly played well relative to his disappointing teammates in the midst of the their horrendous start.

Through the first six games, he averaged 9.3 points, 7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and a steal per game. Those aren't All-Star numbers by any means, but they are excellent signs of progress for a player so young. Nevertheless, Skiles effectively chose to blame Tyrus for the team's failure, as Thomas was the only starter Skiles benched in a doomed effort to shake things up. I'm certainly not going to say Tyrus isn't overly sensitive, but he has not been the same since the demotion. He was a ghost for most of the year, until regaining his starting spot against the Nuggets following the trade, and played excellent in the team's best game of the season by far, putting up a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, complemented by 2 steals and 3 blocks. Yet despite finally once again showing signs of life and proving he was good enough to be an NBA starter, Boylan gave away his starting spot to Drew Gooden. More than that, he effectively pulled Tyrus from the rotation, and only played him eight minutes in the blow out win over the Grizzlies That was the last game before the incident.

The suspension was fair given Thomas' behavior, but management and the coaches should not use this as an excuse to move Thomas this summer. His best days are unquestionably ahead of him, and there is very little Tyrus can not do on a basketball court. Defensively he's got the talent to be one of the best at his position, and given his clearly demonstrated work ethic, his offensive production will soon catch up. Yes, he is immature and far too sensitive, but how many young people aren't? With time and a little faith from the Bulls brass Tyrus will grow out of these character faults and evolve into the player Paxson thought he could become when he drafted him.Whether it is in a Bulls uniform or not, by the end of his career, no one will think the Bulls lost on that draft day deal.Then again, he could go down as a draft day flop similar to fellow LSU alum, Stromile Swift. It depends on which Tyrus he chooses to be, the one who skips practices, or the one who worked his way up from nothing to college stardom.The potential is there, but as Thomas himself said shortly after the draft:”You have to maximize your skills and ability Potential is just a smokescreen. You have to prove you're real in order to earn all the praise.”To finish in truly unoriginal fashion, I will end with a cliche Mr Thomas, you have shown you can talk the talk… Eachof the dozen cookies is decorated to resemble fashionable hats &purses!And at just $29.99*, it’s an inexpensive and yummy way toadd some accessories to her wardrobe!–Picture the look on mom’s face when she opens an elegant box ofsucculent Hand-Dipped Mother’s Day Berries.The end result is avery happy woman.A half dozen costs $34.98*, so you’ll be happytoo!–There are countless ways you love mom, but this Mother’s Day startwith the 10 messages included in the Reasons I Love Mom Truffle Box.

Yes, I was there when they first came to OKC.  Yes, I got a stinkin' t-shirt.  And yes, I'll be there when the Hornets move back to the Ford Center to a rockin' sellout crowd that refuses to sit down until the first Hornet basket is scored.. * FTSEurofirst 300 down 2.2 pct Stocks  |  Global Markets  |  France  |  Mexico * Travel-related shares fall for second day * Banks hurt by renewed worries over capital increases By Brian Gorman LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) – European stocks were lower atmidday on Tuesday, with investors worried about the economicimpact of the swine flu outbreak and renewed concerns overcapital increases in the banking sector. At 1039 GMT, the FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of topEuropean shares was down 2.2 percent at 796.06 points, afterrising for two days.”Markets are doing what they tend to do, taking fright,”said Howard Wheeldon, strategist at BGC Partners. “Perhaps we’rein an age now, where if there’s anything negative, it will dragout for several days or even weeks. But in my view, it’s totallyunnecessary.” Airline stocks were among the hardest hit, with BritishAirways (BAY.L) down 4 percent, extending its decline over twodays to 11.4 percent Cruise operator Carnival (CCL.L) fell 6.1percent. Drugmakers were among the few risers, boosted by an expectedrise in flu drug sales.