It's official: The 'band is back.

Scott Skiles has relaxed his "no headband" policy. But only for Ben Wallace. "We still have a no-headband rule. I just left it up to the guys who have been here if they wanted to make an exception for Ben. I was fine with it. They were fine with it."

Bulls' GM John Paxson is a big fan of Skiles' new "One Tolerance" Policy. "I think it takes a coach who is willing to adapt a little bit and listen to his players, understanding the big picture is winning. Scott's one of the best coaches in the league. There's no doubt in my mind. And he's able to adapt."

Now that Skiles has shown the willingness to modify his Draconian policies on a player-by-player basis, several other Bulls have stepped forward with one-shot requests: Andres Nocioni wants to use "men's garters" to keep his socks up, Ben Gordon would like to have his favorite Cabbage Patch doll on the bench during games, Joe Smith wants to be referred to as "Buster Thunderstick" in the team's media guide, Joakim Noah wants to practice Polovetsian dancing during timeouts, JamesOn Curry requested a captial "R" for his last name, and Will Perdue asked for a little playing time. When reminded that he hasn't actually been on the team since '95, Perdue broke down into tears and had to be consoled with hugs and unicorn stickers.

Frankly, I'm glad Big Ben gets to wear his headband again. He didn't look quite right without it. It was like seeing Fonzie without his leather jacket, Britney Spears without some 'ho outfit, or Superman without the little red panties he wears over his blue tights. Good call, Scott.

Labels: Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls