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Among his other eccentricities, Meng Da occasionally cooks in a cow suit.

When one talks about the most unique ballers in the CBA, Jiangsu’s Meng Da has to be at the top of the list. From his ever-changing hairstyles and goofy self-portraits (the second one was taken in a women’s bathroom), to his over-the-top flopping theatrics and affinity for wearing cow suits, the 6-5 guard/forward certainly has no shortage of ge xing or personality.

And entering the prime of his career, we should have plenty of more years to enjoy all of his antics. The 29 year-old arguably had the best individual season of his career, averaging 13.5 points per game and 42.2% from the three-point line. Slow and relatively unathletic, Meng Da gets his by bumbling around the court at an unorthodox, off-beat sleepy rhythm that leaves defenders feeling awkward and off-balance. It’s also worth mentioning that beyond falling to floor like he’s been sniped in the head from time to time, he plays absolutely no defense.

Among the other things Meng Da is famous for is sending an opposing player to the hospital during a pre-season exhibition game against SBL power, Taiwan Beer, which was played in Taiwan. Originally promoted as a game to promote goodwill between Taiwan and China, Meng Da threw a forearm into the face of a Beer player, causing him to open up and eventually be driven to the hospital. Meng was later fined 5,000 RMB.

The last couple of weeks, however, Meng Da has been generating plenty of talk — not for his flopping, elbows or choice in cooking wardrobe — but for his decision to possibly retire from basketball to become a police officer.

According to the article that appeared in the Dongnan Express on March 6th, Meng Da has been preparing to take the Jiangsu provincial civil service exam with the intention of entering. He’s quoted as saying “If I can pass the test, I’ll definitely obey the front office’s plans. If I can, I’d like to play for another year or two before starting my new career. Obviously, I’ll obey whatever plans they have.” But the author of the article says that his basketball career “is probably over.”

Meng Da goes on to say that he got good grades in high school and that he could have made a fine career for himself if he decided to go on to study in college. And as it turns out, even during his basketball career he’s been hitting the books. Among some of the other surprises buried in the report is that Meng Da has been working towards his masters degree and will complete graduate school this year.

So that’s where we were as the Jiangsu provincial civil service test rolled around last weekend. But when it was time to sharpen those No. 2 pencils and sit down to take the exam, Meng Da never showed up. And according to the Dongfang Guardian, he’s back on the Jiangsu Dragons saddle where he is committed to resuming his career as a player.

Which makes us wonder: Did he have a change of heart? Or was he simply obeying the wishes of the team like he said he would? Whatever the case, we just hope there’s more cow suits to come.

Sweetening up your afternoon with a stick of Beijing’s timeless sugar coated snack and some links…

• The Super Basketball League crowned a familiar champion, the Taiwan Beer, after they overcame the Dacin Tigers 4-1 in their seven game series.  (I wonder what they drank after the game…)  But as Andrew Lowman over at Asia Basketball Update points out, there’s not too much to be celebrating here — the Beer’s best domestic players are likely to go play in China next year, where the money and exposure are all better, and obviously that’s not very good for the health of the league.

• Sharks all over the world are putting their fins together for Yao Ming, whose campaigns against the consumption of shark fin soup have apparently changed set-menus at Chinese weddings and banquets.

• Stephon Marbury, who was courtside for both Games 4 and 5  of the CBA finals in Guangdong, thinks the American-Aregentinian-Chinese officiating crew is doing a good job.  And I agree.

• Kevin Love, proud wearer of PEAK basketball sneakers, wins the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

China and Taiwan’s relationship over the years can be best categorized as “status quo,” a term frequently used by cross-strait analysts.  Ever since the Kuomingtang’s arrival on the island after Mao Zedong’s Communists took over the mainland in China, the two sides have been locked in fundamental disagreement over the legitimacy of Taiwan’s democratic government.  As part of their “one China policy,” Chinese leaders consider the island as part of China. Taiwan on the other hand, rule it as a separate country.

Enormously boosting Taiwan’s cause is the United States, who openly support her right to defend herself against outside nations.  It’s a chilly arrangement that is periodically tested by U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and occasional independence-centered rhetoric that has yet to escalate into an armed conflict, the reasons for which are pretty obvious.

Despite the fragility of the relationship, Taiwan and China have practically put the independence issue out of the picture, leaving verbal disagreements at just that,  focusing instead to strengthen their relationship through economic ties.  Both China and Chinese Tapei are separate entries in the WTO, and over last few years, both countries have allowed banks and various financial service providers to operate within each other’s borders.  In 2009, the two signed a historic economic agreement that will move further to “gradually reduce and remove trade and investment barriers and create a fair environment.”

In classic Chinese fashion, Taiwan and China today continue to put the conflicting legitimacy claims far away in the distance. Choosing to maintain this status quo, delaying sources of conflict in favor of promoting mutually beneficial economics, has put the two on their best footing in cross-Strait relations history.

Of course, there’s nothing good ole’ basketball to improve relations, either.  Sina is reporting that two-time Super Basketball League champion Taiwan Beer (台湾啤酒) has applied to join the CBA and if everything goes OK, will be an official expansion team in 2011-12.  Why so eager to join?  The Taiwan-based SBL has struggled to match the growing salaries it’s cross-Strait neighbor can pay players, and has thus been finding it increasingly difficult to keep its best local players at home.  Last season, the league averaged less than 1,000 spectators per game and teams are finding it difficult to stay profitable.

The last Taiwanese team to participate in the CBA’s top division, the Tapei Sina Lions, played for two years in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, before removing themselves from the league, citing an inability to adapt to the CBA on the whole.  One major reason was that Tapei’s home-court was placed on mainland China in Suzhou, and not in Taiwan. Beijing Youth Daily wonders if Taiwan Beer’s potential CBA home-court would suffer the same fate, with Zhejiang being a potential spot. (H/T hoopCHINA)

Bai Linshi, Director of CBA League Offices, says the league hasn’t received any formal application as of this morning.

This is far from a done deal obviously, but I think this should be pushed through based on the prospect of adding a team called “Beer.”  Who doesn’t want more beer?  Count me as very in for more beer, as well as for some cross-Strait hoops.