The dress code is back in full force. Apparently Stern is tired of glancing at the typical NBA bench and being reminded of the Wu-Tang Clan.

"I understand they're making it out to make us look better to corporate and big business. But we don't really sell to big business," Suns guard Raja Bell said. "We sell to kids and people who are into the NBA hip-hop world. They may be marketing to the wrong people with this."

...so we should dress like the kids and thugs we're trying to sell to? Maybe we should bring in Trick Daddy to perform at halftime.

Charles Barkley's "I'm not a role model" marketing campaign evolved into misguided advice. Athletes ARE role models, it's not a choice. What kind of role model they choose to be is an issue of social responsibility. I'm sure Ron Artest doesn't think he's a role model, and he sure didn't think that when he jawjacked that jamoke in Detroit, but my 11 year old nephew has his autograph hanging up in his room, and owns his rap album. And he barely knows who Tim Duncan is, who rumoredly brings homemade oatmeal cookies to shootarounds.

The magic 8-ball says, before the All Star break, Ron Artest writes the Pacers (if he's still a Pacer) a blank check for all the dress code rules he plans on breaking...Derrick Coleman did the same with missing practices with the Nets...I see a trend.