27 Dec 10 Mikhail Prokorov: The Most Fascinating Man In All Of Sports

Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesFor the second time in a week, I got stuck in a semi-conundrum last night. There was no basketball on TV, which in my eyes, basically meant there was nothing on TV period. As much as I like baseball, I dunno, there's something about the monotony of it that drives me crazy. Kind of like one of those "Lions attacking antelopes," documentaries on the Discovery Channel, watching baseball sounds like a good idea in principle, until you turn it on. Then four minutes pass, Daisuke Matsuzaka has thrown a grand total of Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
two pitches, and you start thinking to yourself, "What the hell am I doing with my life."Like any early summer night, I tried everything to squash my boredom. Played around on my computer. Went for a run. Cleaned. Even called my favorite escort service, but unfortunately no one picked up (I'm kidding of course). And after all that, it was still only 8:30. Damn.As I sat down to grab a bite to eat, I finally relented and flipped on the YES Network- a New York City TV sports station- hoping to catch the Yankees-Rays game. Nope, no luck. Instead, the simulcast of Mike Francesa's radio show was on replay. Oh well.And then...Wait a second...Francesa was talking to Mikhail Prokhorov, the new owner of the New Jersey Nets. (This is just PART of Aaron's profile on Mikhail Prokhorov of the New Jersey Nets. To read the remainder, please visit Aaron at www.aarontorres-sports.com)Within seconds I was fascinated. I was captivated. My house could have literally been invaded by Somali pirates and I wouldn't have flinched.While Prokhorov didn't say anything Earth shattering while talking with Francesa, he did do one thing I've never seen or heard on the show before: He absolutely took control of the interview.For those of you who don't know Francesa's shtick here's a quick run down: Basically, he's a pain in the ass New Yorker. He cuts off his callers when he can't be bothered, raises his voice like your drunk uncle at Thanksgiving, and basically has major anger management issues. Even Dr. Phil would have Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
given up on him a long time ago. However, he's also incredibly intelligent, and literally the smartest man in the room too. Francesa can get away with being an a-hole every once in awhile, because he's right so much of the time. Meanwhile, even though he lost his co-host Chris (Mad Dog) Russo a few years ago, Francesa still owns the New York radio market, and is one of the defining sports personalities in the region.Which is what made Prokhorov's appearance on the show so incredible: He had the fast-talking, too smart for his own good Francesa flumoxed. Like a college freshman at his first keg party being asked by the girl to go upstairs, Francesa had no idea how to handle the situation. It was like you could see him thinking to himself, "I want to ask this question, but I'm afraid of what the answer might be." That's the allure of the Big Russian.(If you enjoy this article, be sure to follow Aaron on Twitter @Aaron_Torres)When it comes to Prokhorov, we all thought we were in for a treat when his name first surfaced as a potential owner of the Nets last fall. He was big and mysterious, and even though he'd made his money in the nickel trade, everyone assumed there was more to the story. Like broken contracts, and people disappearing and ending up in ditches. Arizona Cardinals jersey
Even if it none of it was true, it seemed like it could be, making him a real life International Man of Mystery.Later on when we saw his interview on 60 Minutes in March, that's when we knew we were in for a wild ride.......