It was early on a Monday when I first noticed the latest development in the art of trash talking. I opened up a USA Today, and as I was leafing my way through it, I saw something that struck me as odd. It took up a whole page, but the message it conveyed was rather brief. It read like this:

Hakeem —

The series may be a done deal, but it ain’t over between you and me. Sure, you’re pretty good with your team behind you, but I want you one on one.

— Shaq

My instant reaction was one of disgust. Shaquille O’Neal, the center for the Orlando Magic, had issued a challenge to Hakeem Olajuwon, center for the repeat NBA champion, the Houston Rockets. What was he thinking?

In the NBA finals, Olajuwon taught O’Neal how to lead his team to a championship, earning the most valuable player award. He left little doubt in anybody’s mind who the better player was. So why would O’Neal issue this challenge?

Well, maybe O’Neal thought he would do better against Olajuwon without his teammates. Any fan knows that Penny Hardaway and Horace Grant just get in the way of O’Neal on the court. Plus, O’Neal could showcase his all-around skills in a one-on-one game.

Yeah right.

Maybe it was for publicity. God knows O’Neal doesn’t get enough of that. Besides appearing in commercials for Pepsi and Reebok, O’Neal has a blossoming career in rap, and has a video game featuring him battling enemies with his skills in martial arts. With all of that activity, who has time for publicity?

On Monday night, call-in sports talk shows were buzzing with the prospect of the big showdown. But not much was clarified.

Later, it was reported the challenge was not for a one-on-one basketball game, it was a challenge to an eating contest sponsored by Taco Bell. The restaurant chain had paid for O’Neal’s ad in Monday’s paper.

Finally on Wednesday, the story came out. O’Neal and Olajuwon are going to appear together in a commercial, debating how to play the game of basketball. They finally see eye-to-eye over a taco.

All of this hype for a taco? Has celebrity endorsement gone to this level? Olajuwon’s most recent endorsement deal was with Uncle Ben’s Rice, but now he’ll be chomping on tacos with the Shaq?

I can’t deny that it was a brilliant advertising move. It had the entire sports world in a frenzy. But I’m sad to see Olajuwon enter the world of endorsements. In the past, he let O’Neal, Michael Jordan, and rookie Grant Hill take the spotlight, while his foundation (Dream Come True) quietly gives out scholarships to high school seniors.

But maybe I should lighten up. I should be happy that a truly gifted (and rather modest, for all his achievements) person will be the one showing off the coolest products on the market.

And believe me, if I had all of that money waved in my face, I’d run for the border in a second.

Christopher Clair is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Waukon.