With respect for the life and impact, may Joe Paterno find restful peace.

Okay, so after some “your last post was depressing” comments, I came into this one feeling like I could do something more positive and good feeling-ee… but (uh, rah) then I turned the television on. I’ve gotta work with what I’ve got, man…

Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, is filing for divorce, after over 10 years of blissful (well, not exactly) nuptials. I know, personally, I’ve heard of someone ending their marriage and the feelings varying from total disbelief to it-took-this-long reactions. This L.A. Lakers’ superstar isn’t a stranger to marital troubles, but 10 years in his arena is like a lifetime. Vanessa and Kobe have two daughters and I’ve found that children sometimes tend to be that false foundational glue that keeps marriages together for as long as they actually manage to be kept together.

Ending any relationship, a lengthy one at that, has to be difficult just from the simple fact of impending change that no one can avoid. I’m not an authority on how others live… I just say everything happens as it should and remember to live. All of life stuff falls under those two things.

[Merry Christmas!!... LOL! Here's to more positive posts. Crack up.]

I heard about this some time ago, but you know how I am when it comes to writing and sharing information… I feel like its not always about breaking news, but its about appropriate timing. Anyway, I know the holidays can conjure up many feelings, and some that aren’t always of cheer and good tidings of great joy. Whatever the feeling… and relatively speaking… its good to know that you’re not alone with having adverse feelings.

NBA Hall of Famer, Jerry West (he’s also actually the NBA symbol), has suffered from depression since childhood. That seemingly sounds crazy, right? All the fame and notoriety and yet still, such a human emotion. With this depression came low self esteem and the feeling of just not measuring up. West chalks these feelings and state of mind up to the abusive upbringing he suffered by the hand of his father.

I would go to bed feeling like I didn’t even want to live. – Excerpt from HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

This abuse was shared among his other siblings and as West relives horrible moments, he still, even after his father’s death, wondered if his father would be proud of him. With 14 seasons with the L.A. Lakers, West also found a way to incapsulate his depression while on the court by carrying the overwhelming fear of failure. Obviously, his frame of mind followed him into his personal life with family and friends…

You should really look deeper into his story because its an interestingly sad one… But, he survived. And you know, it is really actually a common story, but you just never think about a well-known superstar, who displayed such poise and grace, being plagued with such mental afflictions. You just never know and I guess that’s the point, right?…

o…Down goes Frazier… Down goes…

It’s amazing… I never thought that would be a literal statement. There are just those who you think will never die and, for me, Smokin’ Joe Frazier was one of them. Cancer, his life snatcher, doesn’t discriminate and definitely doesn’t have a respect of person.

We all know him to be one of the greatest, one of the most prolific, and one of the most feared heavy-weight boxers ever… And these things are all true. This champion was also a trailblazer. In reading information around his passing, I was glad to see sentiments like Floyd “Money” Mayweather offering to pay funeral expenses. To me, it resounded as an act of respect for someone who paved the way so Mayweather could be who he is today.

He was 67 and lived a rare and extraordinary life… Here’s to greatness and paving the way.

So last Sunday, while watching ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown with Chris Berman, I was confused by why Coach [Ditka] was so irritated when asked about the trip to the White House. Apparently, a member from the Super Bowl winning ‘85 Chicago Bears was absent from the lineup of those who accepted President Obama’s invitation to the White House. I later found out the reason behind Coach’s irritation and I agreed…

Okay, Dan Hampton, obviously a Bears’ member, said he wasn’t attending the event because he didn’t like President Obama [Is this 3rd grade?]. Are you serious? Now, I’m the #1 proponent of the mindset that you shouldn’t have to do what you don’t want to do [It's really the spoiled, only girl and youngest of 4 boys mindset...] within reason. You know, it’s okay if I don’t want to go to the work happy hour or luncheon, but I probably won’t miss the quarterly project meeting just because I think it’s a bore… See what I’m saying?

So no, Hampton may not be trying to be the #1 draft pick or the next Cowboys’ coach, but you just never know. And, the diaper-like attitude he carried is draining and extremely disrespectful. This is America… so you can take a stand and have an opinion, but really?… And in this particular situation he’s the one who ends up looking like the fool. It’s a crack up because his teammates didn’t let up on letting him know how much of a fool he was with his dramatic protest. I’m sure though that Hampton had the bomb cook out in place of going with the rest of his team… Good times!

What is my motivation [yelled aloud with passion]?

Could it be…

- Peyton Manning being out for possibly the remainder of the season?

- The Ravens’ collective spanking of the Steelers?

- Maybe Mike Vick earning that hundred million-dollar contract? 

- That over 2 weeks later and Kim Kardasian is still married to Kris Humphries?

- Serena’s gangsta moment with the umpire (She is seriously no joke!)?

Alast… my fledgling motivation is paled, to be revived no more. I may search deep down to muster a grouping of inspired words. It requires a focus that has currently left my very presence…

Yes, that’s a bit much, but you know, people love emotion.

So, I haven’t been inspired to write–you know, with all the lock outs and all–it’s been a rough couple weeks… [That's not the real reason. It just sounded all sincere so I gave it a try.]… Trust me, there isn’t a lack of interesting and writable stories, but for me, the stories have to stir something up within in. And one such story did just that…

Let’s cut to the chase… Why would anyone marry Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger? I could end it right there. I was totally stunned by the news. The end of the NFL lockout totally paled in comparison to the Big Ben news, and hence my question of ‘What in the world?’…

I get it… I get it. The whole character rebuild thing. He’s a changed man. Yes, that’s great. But uh rah, you don’t see Michael Vick opening an animal shelter, do you? It would be the same thing.

You know, I’m all for rehabbing and being all you can be. And, I am the last person in the position to judge someone else, but really? Really, Sir? Last year you had this whole bar and woman and non-consensual thing going on. And now you’re married? The lesson here is quite self explanatory but if you like it Ben, I love it… Mazel Tov!

Watch your mouth!…

If you’re older than, let’s say 10, I’m sure you’ve said something you wished you could take back… You know, like a cartoon, you can literally see your words being retracted back into your mouth? Whether it gave the wrong impression, was completely inappropriate, hurt someone, or ended up taking on a life of it’s own, the likelihood of finding yourself (or your mouth in all actuality) in this situation is a very real one… but, hopefully not a frequent one.

Just imagine having a world platform and saying something that has now resounded through decades of interpretation, judgment, opinions, and believe it or not popular culture. The beginning of July celebrates (if that’s what we’re doing) the 30th anniversary of John’s McEnroe’s “You Cannot Be Serious” outburst during his 1981 Wimbledon title match (Obviously, this is a crack up for me because I’ve inadvertently adopted this saying with a shortened twist in ‘Seriously?’.).

Whatever your opinion, McEnroe goes down in history as one of the famed (and infamous) professional athletes of all time… And a soundbite mouth that takes a close second to his very own infamy.

So, obviously I could use this space to talk about the latest in professional sports’ lockouts, where the NBA is now the newest group containing billionaires and millionaires (and some newly drafted prospects that have virtually no money at all) fighting over millions and billions. And there is possibly some comedic value associated with NBA.com (a site dedicated to, well, the NBA) having no reference of the individual NBA teams (Good times!)… And we now know, from this site, that there can be no practices, no mentionings of practices, and no pro ball player saying words that begin with p-r-a-c (Thanks for that.)… But no, what I think is more news worthy and of more value in terms of space is the admission by veteran actor, Charlie Sheen, that he used steroids during the 1989 baseball movie, Major League, where he played Ricky Vaughn. Seriously, when you compare the two, there’s really no comparison, right?…

And while there were many quotes from Sheen, on this story, that would satisfy a litany of ills, I thought the following would offer just the right amount of  ”huh?” for your day.:

“Let’s just say that I was enhancing my performance a little bit. It was the only time I ever did steroids,” Sheen told Sports Illustrated. “I did them for like six or eight weeks. You can print this… my fastball went from 79 to like 85.”

A buddy of mine (a.k.a. Young Boy) passed this off to me (on the humble) and I had to share the love… Not a pro sport thing, but really something worth sharing.

Summer time, asphalt, grudges, and idol time are almost always toxic ingredients for drama, fights, jail-house calls to Momma, and gunned down corner kids laying in gutters. I’m happy about the “almost” concept… Specifically, the possibilities within these same conditions that allow for dramatically different results.

There is a basketball court with 12-foot fences surrounding it and is one of the few places where the neighborhood’s 2,729 residents can escape the harsh realities of life. Nike donated $50,000 for the court to be done up (redone, that is). And back in the day, “The Farm”, as it’s called (Barry Farm Dwellings, in southwest Washington), was a tobacco plantation before it became a community for freed slaves.

Read this fascinating story on how the “almost concept” can be the norm…

Thanks, Young Boy!