I’d like to take just a moment to pay tribute to Micheal Ray Richardson, the former NBA All-Star who passed away on Tuesday. He was as ferocious an on-ball defender as ever was and a powerful driver on offense. In 1986, however, he became the first player banned for life for violating the league’s drug policy.

But Richardson became famous—hell, he became damn near immortal—for a single interview he gave in the middle of what would become an extremely unsuccessful season. He was asked about the state of his team: “What do you think is happening to the team?”

“The ship be sinking,” Micheal Ray Richardson replied.

“How far can it sink?”

“Sky’s the limit.”

“The ship be sinking” has become sportswriter shorthand for whenever something goes irretrievably wrong. I have brought it along int

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