Okay, apparently I have to follow up on my previous post because one of my valued bloggers, who shall remain nameless (just read the previous post’s entries… LOL!), is just way too passionate about a topic that troubles me. Well, I guess the topic doesn’t quite trouble me, but I’m seeing a lack of reality that I just can’t ignore.

Why, please tell me why, are we bantering back and forth about celebrity athletes and their off-the-field (court, rink… you get the picture) antics? Moreover, why is there the question of why these famous athletes are garnering more attention than, let’s say, the average Joe. In the time of the Internet, alone, I’m not sure how the question can be viable at all… period (BTW, please note that I’m not the least bit angry or annoyed. I’m just giving the people what they want!).

You can quote Charles Barkley all day that superstar athletes aren’t role models, but guess what? It happens by default. Is it right? Maybe not. Is it fair? Not necessarily. But, is it reality? Yep… Ding, ding, ding (Give the lady a prize!). Now, you might ask, aren’t we the people the culprits behind this being the said reality? Quite possibly. But, it’s just like fluxuating gas prices or department store prices. Unless consumers change their habits and make a notable change, everything will stay the same and the powers that be will shove whatever they can down our collective throats.

Yes, if I smoke pot and my job’s standard operating procedures clearly opposes it and deems it fire-worthy then I should, indeed, be fired. The same is true for these diva athletes. However, will my firing appear on all the major networks and on every social networking outlet around?… Uh, probably not (Wait! I had a moment of stardom. Heehee!). So, what’s the comparison? Life isn’t fair, man. We learned that in pre-K, when we had to share cubbies with the stinky kid just because our last name started with the same letter. It’s life. And if you’re not one of the few who actually claims the world’s attention on a weekly basis, don’t let that be your measuring stick for success. Neither should you allow it to be the reason why you don’t maintain a sense of integrity… It may not be on the world scale, but some body’s watching you.

Every once in a while I just wanna smack some of these athletes in the back of their necks… Seriously. They have so much and they just can’t seem to break bad habits or engage discipline in order to stay on the straight and narrow.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we all have issues that we’re working through and hey, no ones perfect. But, uh… if I’m making millions, I’m not gonna let a little weed jeopardize those millions (No, Mother… I don’t smoke! Heehee!). Now doesn’t that sound ridiculous (sacrificing the money, that is)? It does, but these are the exact reasons why some of these professional players are losing money and time from playing the game. Please tell me Santonio Holmes, why?

Why have you been traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the New York Jets because of off-the-field antics? Why do you feel that marijuana, domestic craziness, and throwing glasses at women are more important than the millions you’re making to play the game? Where is your discipline to show yourself and others that you can refrain, and (I’m just warming up.) where is your gratitude for being able to be one of the few who get the chance to play at this level, and where is your sign of growth expressing to everyone that you’ve learned something from past mistakes?

Come On Man! Story after story, headline after headline… the stories are ridiculous and avoidable. It saddens me to no end that people would sacrifice their career, not to mention their intregrity, in order to show just how selfish they can be. Weed inspires what exactly? Unemployment? I’m drained.

I’ve become a fan of sorts of the A&E program, Intervention. It’s a reality-driven show, but without all the bells and tantalizing whistles. It, however, depicts the life of an addict and attempts to break down the source of addiction to help the individual find the road back to recovery through a surprise intervention by friends and family. This latest one had me and just wouldn’t let go…

“The Champ”… is what passersby still referred to this homeless addict as… “Champ”, they yelled as they drove up and handed him $20 or passed by and handed him $1 in support of him, but in actuality in support of his alcohol and crack addiction. Whitney Houston said it best, “Crack is wack”. But the amazing downward spiral of  former boxing champ, Rocky Lockridge, was heart wrenching to say the least.

I’m sure you’ll catch the episode again, but what caught me were his twin boys. Rocky’s name sake loved him and never gave up hope while the second son was filled with hurt and disappointment that he masked with hate. This man had it all and before he knew it, he had nothing. He left his family and only last year, after over 15 years, was he reunited with his eldest son. Rocky, like all the addicts on the show, was surprised by the intervention of family members and friends, but easily accepted the gift of rehabilitation.

The show panned back onto his life 2 1/2 months later and there stood no longer a shell of a man. Rather, there stood a man, in front of his proud boys, who seemed to had learned some things and who was completely sober. Throughout the emotional story, what stood out to me was hope… it was the hope of his eldest son and reluctantly of his younger twin, and of course others, that pulled him back from the life as a living dead. Surely, we all have a “Champ” in us… and even when we aren’t living up to our fullest potential there will be some who will still be able to identify us and call us by name. It is never too late and you’ve never gone too far to find the Champ in you.

Okay, so Hubby and I were watching the NCAA Finals tonight, Duke versus Butler, and I’m telling you… I’m drained.

Now, I won’t assume that everyone knows the biggest differences between the two, but in a nutshell it was the modern-day David and Goliath epic event; with Duke being the conceptual (and financial) giant between the two. Now, if you’ve read any of the Wait Til A Commercial posts, you’ll know that I chat about professional sports. But, as a sports lover in general, I just had to start typing… I had to get it out.

Let me start by saying I’m not a hater, although I will say that teams like Duke are why I don’t watch much of the tournament in general. Seriously! They just dominant everything… I mean, from getting those “ghost” calls or as I’d like to say, “Coach K” calls (As a note, Coach Krzyzewski is like America’s coach, having a championship legacy and was the coach for the NBA Olympic team.), to just the overall “I’m-better-than-you” feeling from a good number of the players that translates onto the court.

Butler gave Duke a run for their money and the Dukies were hating that the refs were actually calling them out instead of giving them their usual carte blanche calls. In the end, Duke won, but barely… I know, I know. A win is, indeed, a win, but David got some really good hits in on Goliath. Watching the game really had me thinking about how you can never give up. No matter what! I know those Butler young men are sad right now, but winning is relative in that they came so far… much further than many expected.

Life is gonna keep coming… a lot of times with no pauses and no let-up moments. You have to be fortified in knowing that you are worthy and you can achieve what you’ve set out to achieve. Don’t be put off by the haters in your life. And sometimes that can even be that voice in your head… Bottom line, you are worthy. Get your sling shot and knock ‘em down… one by one.

This one is for the ladies (Guys please feel free to read on.)… I’ve been thinking about you and all that you must be going through with the NCAA (college ball a.k.a. “March Madness”) going on and all of your man’s fave professional sports. I feel your pain, but I’m here to give you hope. There will come a time when you will be the center of his attention again… the apple of his seemingly consistent sports’ eye. But, how  long are you willing to wait for this glorious day to appear?

Wait no longer ladies… today could be the day!!

So, you know he’s not giving up the remote (especially during this time of year) to you so you can watch your home design show or to even spend some “you look at me and I look at you” quality time. And, I know you’re tired of being “hushed” or looked upon like you just have no clue, but I’m here to cheer you on and let you know that quality time comes in an array of flavors.

The flavor we’re gonna focus on is “adaptability”. Remember when you two first started out and you’d do anything just to be around him? You couldn’t care less about the game he was watching or the party you were attending. You just wanted to show him how you could roll with him… You were adaptable. Now fast forward 5 0r 10 years, after you’ve watched him scratch and burp while he forgets to wash his hands (Crack up!), you look in the mirror and wonder why you even try. Being adaptable isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, right (Maybe a few expletives or poisoning concoctions…)? LOL!

Well, go back to that place in your mind (and heart) where nothing else mattered… Snug up on the couch or near him and spend that time with him while he’s doing what he loves. It really, really doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. He does. He will appreciate you and you won’t have to wait to be his center of attention. [Hint Hint: It's Final Four time (NCAA; Butler, Duke, W. Va, Michigan State)... get online and find something out about the teams that relates to you or the two of you. He'll be impressed that you even tried.]

Yell it from the rooftop, “Finally”!

Finally, someone other than me (and Hubby, of course… oh yes, and a few dear friends of ours) is seeing that there is something extraordinarily wrong with the Ben Roethlisberger situation. For those who may not have a clue about Ben or his situation, let me bring some enlightenment your way… Roethlisberger is the blue-collar quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and has lead his team to two championships in recent history. Along with this esteemed resume`, he is the head of two allegations; one for rape and the other for assault. Are you drained yet?… I’m possibly almost there.

So, when the rape accusation popped up, no one could believe it. And why not? Why can’t we believe that a young man, with power, fame, wealth, and assess could possibly be associated with such a coo. Really? I’m just astonished that it took another negative headline to actually make the first valid. Now, its a concern to team management, owners, and NFL powers. Great, better late than never, right?

Now, I’m not on the bandwagon of women who put themselves in these precarious situations, but neither am I a fan of celebrity athletes who use and abuse their, you guessed it, celebrity. Roethlisberger is a single man, and some say attractive (I only have eyes for you Honey [uh, and L.L.!!]!) and so I’m sure he’s in the constant battle of fighting off women. What I truly hope is that the fight isn’t the other way around. It, for me, would be a sad, sad commentary.

Okay, so Texas Rangers manager, Ron Washington, tested positive for cocaine (Sigh!). Now the point of all this is that he won’t be fired or put on probation or anything because he went to his management and told them what he’d done and what they could expect to come down the pike.

What!

I was so shocked by this story that I didn’t really know how to write about it… you know, what stance to take. I mean, come on, we all know wrong is wrong, right (That sentence was funny!)? But, I’m not sure I follow what’s happening here. So, because the manager, of a professional baseball team no less, comes clean before his actions become public knowledge makes him removed from all disciplinary actions? What I think is funny (in a weird and itchy way) is that this guy is like 100 and I just want to know why is he using cocaine? Shouldn’t he be thinking about retirement or spending time with his grandchildren?

What happened to the higher level of accountability with the higher level of responsibility? Where are the values? Let’s not even go there with the impact on children… Now athletes are going to feel like all they have to do is come clean beforehand and everything will be roses. Baseball, for me, with all of its scenarios and untouchables and class system is draining to say the least.

So, who’s apology was better… Kobe’s or Tiger’s?

Believability is big for anyone, and for me, I’m no different. I believed Kobe. He had the support of his wife (whether genuine or not) and he even had some tears. Whereas Tiger appeared a bit mechanical and rather distracted. For me, it was like he’d practiced using that camera and I just wasn’t feeling him… Wait, and did you see how “too through” his mother was with him (LOL!)? Her body language was priceless.

Overall, the subject is sad in that it is so common and so I’m glad they both chose to apologize. I would like for those who come out to apology to maybe come out without a script… You know, free style a bit. I’m all for notes, an outline, or a bulleted list, but having the entire speech written gives more of a politician look. And, well, uh, I’m thinking the idea is to stay away from being compared to a politician.

Okay, so some have voiced their glee over the L.A. Lakers being able to do their thing without they’re leader, Kobe Bryant, on the floor. The glee has actually turned into the notion that maybe the team is better off without his presence. I’m not of the same concept…

To the contrary, this 4-time NBA champion-having, MVP-totting, Olympian-possessing specimen of an athlete is the team. A well noted analyst said it best in saying that no one is going to tell Kobe he’s not going to play. He will tell them… and that goes for the owner down to the coach. I mean he’s out with some injuries, not awaiting arraignment for some gun charge. It’s not even a matter of that. It’s about the  respect. There is such a lack of it.

I believe the team has been playing so well in Kobe’s absence because of their respect for him. They want to make him proud. They want him to know they can pick up the slack while he’s working on getting better.

Man… just because your mom or wife leaves for a week for a conference, does that mean you would rather do without her for good (Uh, choose your answers carefully. LOL!)?

It’s really a weird position to be in… you know, not really having a true stance either way.

I’m referring to the four that’s now two… the NFL Playoffs. All four teams had great stories, something worth noting, or something else worth cheering about. Let’s see, we had the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and the Indianapolis Colts. All great teams, right? So, it left little room for me to pull out the tantalizing story or the horrible offense created by some player… Now, that’s not to say there weren’t any, but you get where I’m going here. 

Now that there’s two: the Saints and Colts, I find myself in the same predicament. The Saints, with the forever after story of a lifetime and the Colts with their dominating play, what is a girl to do? It’s rare that the two best teams end up being the last two standing, so this is poetic justice. But, between the two I’d go for the Saints… Come on… A team who loved by the community and who has done so much to bring their community and people back to where they once was? It’s a no brainer.

And so I shrug a little less.