Phil Jackson. Quite a guy

So Phil Jackson just got hired by owner James Dolan to be the next president of the NY Knicks? I'll get back to that.

PJ himself has had an amazing life when it comes to basketball. And there can be no doubt that the man has certainly been a winner.

Even as a player for the same Knicks over four decades ago, Jackson was a part of two NBA championship teams (1970 and 1973 -- though in the former he didn't actually play, due to being out following back surgery). Going back even further, he led his Williston, North Dakota high school team to two state basketball titles in the early '60s.

But in the minds of most, Phil Jackson remains primarily known as the guy with 11 NBA championship rings as a head coach, the most of all time -- 2 more than the legendary Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics.

Sure, despite how savvy they may be, or how big their egos or cigars, coaches can't win championships without talented players. Auerbach had Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Tommy Heinsohn, and a couple Jones boys that were pretty good too along the way.

Likewise, Jackson's teams never seemed to be lacking in talent either. During his run with the Chicago Bulls, he had a couple guys named Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, amongst others. Still, he was there for 9 years (1989-1998) and won 6 NBA championships. No matter how you slice it or dice it -- that's an amazing record. Many teams are lucky to get to the playoffs at a .667% clip, let alone win championships.

However, Jackson and then Bulls GM Jerry Krause didn't exactly see eye-to eye. Major internal friction was afoot and it was only a matter of time before somebody had to go. It was Jackson.

After a year off, PJ landed in la-la-land, home of the LA Lakers. There, he would inherit another couple of superstars named Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal -- amongst others. He'd fallen into another rose garden. Five more NBA championships would be had in the next decade. Very impressive stuff indeed. On top of that, while making $6 million a year, the highest in NBA coaching history -- he was shacking up with the billionaire owner's daughter. Does a gig get any sweeter than that?

Alas, gigantic egos had been busy clashing in glitzville all along, the Lakers suddenly looked to be trending downwards, and Jackson bowed out after the 2010 season.

Fast forward to the present. Jackson's going home in a way, to become the president of the team he once played for.

But this time around he's not taking over a team already loaded with talent. There are certainly big egos in the Big Apple, but there's even bigger dysfunction. That team's been a train wreck on more than one front for quite a while.

So here's the deal. If Jackson, at 69 years old, can somehow wave his magical Zen master wand and turn a grossly overpaid clown act into a champion, then he should be awarded a much higher honor.

Pope Benedict should put him on the fast track to sainthood, because Jackson will have been a miracle worker indeed. Or at the very least sprinkle some holy water over Phil and shoot him out of a Vatican howitzer. Not sure how all that works, but I've heard being cannonized is a step in the process.

And just think. If the Knicks owner holds true to form, Jackson will likely get a yearly salary that will make his once measly $6 million from the Lakers look like chump change.

Plus, since the recent passing of Lakers' owner Jerry, if he can talk his daughter Jeannie Buss into walking down the aisle to be wed in holy matrimony, Jackson might be a position where he could conceivably call the shots on both the Lakers and the Knicks at the same time. One overtly and the other behind the scenes -- or is that under the sheets? An interesting scenario.

Supposedly, Jackson has spelled out his life's philosophy in a book titled "Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance". The past strategy of yours truly in that regard has been to keep a trickle charger on it all winter long, then say a short prayer just before trying to get the old Harley started in the spring for yet another riding season.

Obviously, there's something to this Zen thing. I think I'm going to read that book.

Couldn't hurt.