Why the Sixers Must Name Allen Iverson Head Coach

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The Philadelphia 76ers have spent the past month conducting one of the most boring, uneventful, irrelevant coaching searches in the history of sports.

Ever since the team announced the resignation of Doug Collins and the hiring of math nerd Sam Hinkie as general manager, we've seen nothing but candidates who are either retreads or assistants you've never heard of -- and no indication that the team is in any hurry to actually hire someone.

And the guys they’ve considered don’t exactly excite me. Brian Shaw, an obscure 1980s Laker best known for dating Madonna? Kelvin Sampson, the guy who got fired from Indiana for NCAA violations? Jeff Hornacek, 'cause it turned out so well the last time he came to town? Chris Finch, you mean this guy?

Are any of these guys going to get our fanbase excited, make the Sixers relevant, or make tickets cost more than 72 cents on Stubhub? Of course not.

I was intrigued by the recent move by the Brooklyn Nets to hire as their new coach Jason Kidd, a former star point guard who led the team to the finals as a player, only recently stopped playing, and had no prior coaching experience. I got to thinking- if only the Sixers had someone like that they could turn to…

Yes, the Sixers must hire Allen Iverson as their next head coach. And the more you think about it, the more of a no-brainer it is.

Everything good that has happened to the Sixers in the last two decades has been because of Allen Iverson. He led them to their only finals appearance and won their only MVP award. And more importantly, he's respected by players and revered by fans. And yes, the man needs a job.

Now, I know what the naysayers are going to say.

How can we hire a coach who doesn't like practice? To that I say, please. Where has practicing every day gotten the team in the last 15 years?

Sure, Iverson's name in the last few years has often been associated with financial woes, alcoholism and gambling addiction. But to say that being broke, or that having a weakness for drinking and betting means you don't deserve a job is a slap in the face to any fan in this great city who has ever dealt with any of the above. And didn't Jason Kidd get popped for a DUI just a couple of months ago?

The question isn't whether the Sixers can risk hiring Allen Iverson. It's whether they can risk not hiring him. And to think- the Coach Iverson Era might even make Eskin's show listenable again.

Other Philly sports takes:

- I heard Lenny Dykstra got out of jail yesterday. Can he be in the Phillies' lineup today?

- I can't believe this latest baseball steroid investigation. MLB should vacate the last five World Series and award them to the Phillies.

- It's an outrage to me that Jason Peters was arrested for drag racing last week. The Eagles need to make it clear that such criminals aren't tolerated on their team, and Michael Vick needs to take the lead in doing so.

- The Cary Williams Sconse interview was the most embarrassing of the year for a Philadelphia athlete, and that includes the time Ilya Bryzgalov praised Stalin.

- Just think, if only McNabb hadn't blown it in the Super Bowl, that would've been Jeffrey Lurie's Super Bowl ring that Vladimir Putin stole

- Let's all shed a tear for Rick Reilly, who didn't find Merion to his liking. Let's hope next time Philadelphia hosts a major sporting event, they give more of an effort attending to the needs of big-time national sportswriters.

You can follow @FakeWIPCaller on Twitter here.

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