As a sports’ lover, you come to realize that with certain sports, when it all boils down to it, the talent is really cattle… High paid as they may be, cattle all the same.

So, this mega NBA trade of Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks, along with this crazy 25-team shake up (Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.), got me to thinking about the team comradery side of things.

How would I feel if my star/franchise teammate suddenly leaves mid season for potentially greener pastures, leaving my team to drown at best… Or in team terms, “rebuild”? Given the nature of the beast, I’m pretty sure there’s a generic understanding of how things go and that its about business. But you know the behind-the-scene conversations are full of questions, doubt, and wonder. I’m thinking it’s never fun to lose a family member and I’m guessing from a team perspective, this is the same mind set.

I hope Carmelo has the combination of the team and the paycheck he wanted.

Sometimes, there is no need… no need at all to try and punctuate on an already beautiful ending.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?id=6128100

Stuff only gets better…

Okay, so Miami Heat’s LeBron James is a finalist for TIME magazine’s Person of the Year (Yes, you’ve guessed it, I’m drained already.). This honor has previously been given to Dr. Martin Luther King and Ghandi… so, choosing LeBron for consideration would only be natural, right?

I’m with the analyst who say’s win a championship first and then maybe the consideration would be warranted. It’s just a funny representation of where these United States of America (like the way I said that, huh?) spend their time.

Now, in all fairness, this “honor” is based on who made the most news within the particular year and with that in mind, LeBron is definitely a contender (Was I the only one to think of Marlon Brando here?). He’s in good company with President Barack Obama, Lady Gaga, Sarah Palin, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, conservative commentator Glenn Beck, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan… LeBron fits right in, right?

A part of me is happy that he’s living his life like it’s golden, but the other side just wishes he would earn the level of celebrity that he has garnered.

Man… it is still Rodney King who said it best… Okay, so you all know I’m not the biggest LeBron James‘ fan, but after reading an article about a man suing LeBron (and his mom), I’m sorta hoping he comes out on top on this one (Uh, well, if it’s not true).

D.C. lawyer, Leicester Bryce Stovell (funny and similar letters, huh?), is suing LeBron and his mom, Gloria, basically because he says he’s LeBron’s father and they’re saying he’s not. That’s it in a nutshell. Stovell is saying he met Gloria in a Washington bar and restaurant (Uh rah, she was like 15 or 16 at the time, but let’s go along with it.), hooked up with her, and didn’t see her again… Obviously, creating LeBron. Stovell appears to be a bit salty because he’s being denied paternity (Paternity? Crack up! Isn’t LeBron like 62? Doesn’t this happen when the child is like 3 months?).

LeBron’s attorneys are like, really dude, you didn’t want anything to do with this kid (apparently) and now he has one of the biggest contracts in NBA history and it is simultaneously lining up with you wanting to be in your alleged kid’s life? Wow… (NOTE: This was me paraphrasing the attorneys’ words… Not sure if “dude” was actually in the court notes.).

Integrity and dignity are the only two things I’m bringing up… I hope these traits prevail.

Hey Readers,  this is Hubby.  Let me apologize for the lull in posting… Wife and I are enjoying the warm ocean waves in the Dominican Republic and this excellent experience on the Punta Cana resort doesn´t feed the desire to stop and post, but the beat goes on, right?… Anyway, here are my vacation ponderings…

As you may know my wife, the standard blogger here, has never denied her love for the L.A. Lakers. We happened to be watching ESPN and the story about Pau Gasol truly intrigued us. As a young man, Pau had two things he wished to become and do: a basketball player and a doctor. Here is the interesting thing… the catalyst for his desire to become a doctor was watching one of his basketball idols, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, announcing his retirement because he had contracted HIV. I remember watching that same press conference and feeling that same sense of loss that I am sure Pau felt at that moment. It is in these times of loss that we, human beings, tend to find real appreciation in a person, place, or thing. It is also in these times of loss that we resolve to make changes and hopefully changes that benefit our family, our community, our nation… you get it? But anyway…

According to the story Pau decided to pursue his dream of professional basketball and put his medical studies on hold. He could not continue his rigorous schedule of both medical and basketball training. What came to my mind reading his story is the fact that no matter how famous, successful, or prominent we become we still all have to make choices that will affect our present and future reality. According to Pau, he believed that he would be able to pursue his medical career after his basketball playing days were over. Even if he gets the chance to accomplish this, he still had to choose at one point in his life.

…back to the beach!

Ummm, I’m feeling that Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield feeling with this whole Shaquille O’Neal situation. Enough is, well, enough in my opinion. Seriously… Shaq, let your name retire in lights, in grandeur… in the true sense.

If you haven’t heard, O’Neal just signed a 2-year, $3-million deal with the Boston Celtics and my stomach almost literally jumped through my knees and onto the ground (Uh, no exaggeration here!). Why Shaq? You’re 38, a champion, an All-Star, and one of the most prolific big men in the game (Ever!) and you’re gonna add to this tremendous NBA legacy this jumping-jack experiment? It’s crushing (not quite crushing, but you know), and actually appears rather desperate.

I heard Michael Jordan the other day talking about the love of the game and how nothing ever truly quenches that thrill… He continued by saying in his mind he still believes he can hang-undoubtedly-with the youngsters, but that it’s his body that just can’t physically do it any more. I’m guessing this is a bit of Shaq’s reality, as everyone knows he’s a diminished shadow of himself. And can you imagine the massive ego he’s going to have to swallow when he finally says (which I hope is any moment now) “I’m done”?…

Dwyane Wade, now one of the “Big 3″ for the Miami Heat, made a faux pas the other day…

He was attempting to make the analogy that the media was making and would continue to make “this” into more than what it needed to be. “This” would be the Heat’s mega acquisition of a couple of the NBA’s most sought after free agents, Chris Bosh and LeBron James, to add to superstar and free agent, Wade. The thing is, Wade’s comparison might have been a bit much… he compared this hot topic to that of the unending media coverage of the catastrophe of the World Trade Center. Yes, (close your mouth) the deadliest attack in American history Wade compared the Heat’s new face to.

Now, I get it… I actually heard the sound bite and it wasn’t that bad. I casually shrugged my shoulders and thought to myself that using this time in history might be a bit much, but I felt no malice associated with it. He felt the enormity of the situation and wanted to give what, he thought, would be a justifiable and clear comparison. He quickly sent out an apology, before (well… during) the swarm of analysts and media alike could jump at the chance to catch blood in the water (Love the animal/insect references…).

We’ve all done it… That insert-foot-into-mouth feeling. I just think people should look at the intent of the thing. You could tell his demeanor was nothing associated with conflict or evil dealings. Yes, it was bad wording and timing… and yes, basketball isn’t that serious. But, my focus is to always look at that heart of the matter. His heart was in the right place. Give the man a pass!…

So, I’m finally at the point where I can wrap my head around everything and actually comment… Last week was just too much and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing…

First, I have to say that, again, the hype around someone who hasn’t won a thangggg is mind boggling to me… But I digress. The Cavaliers majority owner, Dan Gilbert, took me over with his ignorant and emotionally stated comment regarding LeBron James’ relocation decision. Now, I’m maintaining a more positive and upbeat stance on this versus going the other route, but I can see the points stated regarding misplaced loyalty, racism, and the like. I guess my biggest question is, who cares? I mean, really. Now, my mother (69 years young I add) is a popular culture guru, which is weird in and of itself, and when she kept updating me on the latest LeBron happening I just thought, why me?

After experiencing from the comfort of my couch, a wonderful championship run by the L.A. Lakers, I am involuntarily dragged through the mud of the LeBron train and I’m drained, truly. I’m happy for him… Well, more indifferent, but we’ll call that “happy” instead. Maybe he’ll finally win the big game with the Miami Heat and then, finally, I would be more agreeable to the world stopping for a champion.

And to sum it up, surely CNN, Good Morning America, and primetime television shows (to name a few) can find something else to talk about and someone more deserving to interview… Wait, how ’bout that Harlem NY guy, Geoffrey Canada,  who is changing the world (literally) one block at a time. This world is hilarious…

Call it ESP, 50/50 chance, purple being my childhood fave color, or L.A. being one of my best vacation spots… I knew they would do it, again… I said it at the beginning of the NBA season and didn’t waver. When you believe something and can’t shake it, go with it. Just go with it!

Congratulations, Lakers, on your win over the Boston Celtics for the 2010 NBA Championship!

Yep, “I can chew” is right.

As random as this story is, it actually needs to be shared for others to glean some wisdom and–hopefully, common sense. So, New York Knicks big man (on-the-bench big man) Eddy Curry is chewing a big old gum wad in debt [Let me start off first by saying that although totally irrelevant to this story, his son's mother was murdered in Jan. 2009, leaving his little man motherless and that is a troublesome reality for anyone.]… Now here’s the debt-to-debt (Crack up!) ratio layout:

Curry has made more than $57 million in his 9-year NBA career (Okay, now that’s money coming in.). He apparently defaulted on a $575,000 loan with an 85 percent interest rate (What the…), and has been ordered to pay back $1.2 million to Allstar (Funny ironic name) Capital Inc. Now we have been in debt before, right, and we’re expected to pay, right? Well, Curry doesn’t think he should because he owes:

• More than $1,000 a month for cable and satellite television (Must haves… I understand),
• $17,000 a month to various relatives including his parents, sister, and father-in-law (Family can juice you… I get that.),
• $30,000 a month for “household expenses” (I don’t have this problem “yet”, but I can see maybe having it.),
• $207,000 a month in garnished wages that haven’t been elaborated upon, but adds up to almost $2.5 million that he never sees over the course of a year (These are the breaks, man!), and
• $350,000 to Juwan Howard (Okay. Whatever.).

What? And this isn’t adding the numerous cars and trouble with home foreclosures, oh and yes, the weird sexual harassment situation against him. It seems to me, Eddy, that you need to stay in bed for a couple days and just let things take its course (It works for me.). But seriously, where is the discipline and restraint? Where is thinking about tomorrow and the future… Or how ’bout this, my son’s future? The whole entitlement thing that ’cause I have bills I can’t pay another bill is draining to me. Officially drained.