Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Hillary Clinton Could Run, Win Presidency. But Why Bother?
 |
| There is no question she might run and it's really possible she wins. The question is, Why Bother? |
Nonetheless, the trend in politics and in the news streams that follow, has been to litigate the Hillary case before she gets to do it for herself. In essence, the hope is to define her for America, as though we have no preconceived notion of who she is, or that the one we had was ill-conceived.
When Hillary was just an ex-Secretary of State who was looking for a little relaxation (and distance) from the sins of her years beneath Barack Obama, she caught a few darts here and there, but achieved the seclusion and peace she sought. As she postures to become president, her sins are resurfacing. Some of these sins were ones of commission, but most are destined to be sins of kinship as Obama opponents race to sully his record and muddy Hillary in the process.
Because she is Hillary Clinton, the 2nd half of a two part political machine with partner and husband Bill, referring to her on a last name basis is beyond confusion. Hillary is her own lady and a political machine in her own right. The Clinton family took it on the chin against Obama and then insured he got a second term. Without them, President Romney would still be explaining why ObamaCare and RomneyCare are different. She is certainly a part of the world famous Clinton's...but she is Hillary, the most powerful Clinton of all.
She is the most powerful Clinton because she offers the key back to the White House (does the White House have keys?) Through her, the Clinton agenda can be furthered in a powerful way. What that agenda was during their last stint in the Oval Office is still a matter of much debate. What it has become in the days and years since has become more clear. Clear enough for the Clinton family to become world wide power players. CGI (Clinton Global Initiative) has become a brand for corporate humanitarian outreach. Hillary's recent foray's across the world have given her a deeper capacity, and sensitivity for world affairs, as well as the gravitas to demand influence abroad.
As President of the United States of America, Hillary could design the Clinton global identity into the office she would possess. The capacity to alter how we influence world events would forever be changed by president Hillary Clinton. She has an opportunity like no other woman in recent times, to change the forecast for women everywhere, in America and around the world. Hillary could kick the ball up the road a bit further on issues of gender equality, and she even might offer something that often gets quieted at crucial moments in history, a woman's perspective. If she only didn't have that Congress thing to deal with.
No person is ever functionally qualified to assume the office of the President of the United States of America until years after you get the job. Without a second term, it is hard to really dream of accomplishing much as a president. Hillary is the greatest exception to that rule. No one in modern history is more aware of the nature of this job than she is, haven seen it from several angles. In fact, without doing any research (not much needed here) she will have seen this role from more angles than any human ever (Citizen, First Lady, Senator, Secretary of State), assuming she wins the job. Her resume is ironclad, but it is also framed and publicly displayed so that anyone can take their best shots at it.
Although their aim is a bit awry, republicans have let off a bunch of rounds at Hillary. Yet, up until lately, the angle of attack has been Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi, and you are a friend of Obama. The moment Hillary's friend captured the guy who is believed to have masterminded the Benghazi attack, opponents quickly said he was a small fish (of course) and scrambled to come up with a new angle of attacking Hillary.
The new angle?
Today, Hillary is being attacked for being rich. I said they were scrambling, but in the scramble they decided to pull out the video called "The Assassination of Mitt Romney". Being too rich to be sensitive was the first card played in the hand against Hillary.....and it worked. Hillary stumbled over her wealth like a pile of money left behind in a dark room and forgotten until you returned into that seldom used room. Hillary sat that pile of money in the room along with a bunch of pictures of her and nerdy Bill and Chelsea from back in the day. She even framed copies of the lawsuits she and Bill faced that broke the bank as they left office during his presidency. It was called her sensitivity room and she got the idea from her good friend, comedian Dave Chappelle.
Chappelle told Hillary to remember where she came from because whether you are rich or poor, people who oppose you will search for any reason (that you give them) to bring you down. Chappelle also told Hillary to always respond to her wealth in one way, and one way only:
"I'm Rich Biatch!!!"
Okay, Chappelle may or may not have shared his philosophy with Hillary. Chappelle may not even agree with the philosophy, but he did tell the world "I'm Rich Biatch" and made NO apology for being rich. When Hillary tripped over that mountain of money, she gave an opening to opponents who had little to work with up until now. How rich opponents will extend this line of attack into an effective campaign approach against Hillary is a bigger mystery, but for now, they don't have to worry about all of that because she has not declared herself a candidate. The current line of attack on Hillary is nothing more than an attack of the shadow she is casting upon a race that is months from getting under way.
Not everyone likes Hillary. Not everyone should. She should be vetted and investigated and questions should be asked and answered about any would be president. Just because Hillary has glared at the man in the oval office from so many angles doesn't mean she can endure being the woman with all eyes on her. She needs to prove to us that being the first woman president is something she can handle, with the duty of just being the president ever looming. These are the things SHE must see, from her own perspective, as essential aspects of the road she might travel.
WE must realize that congress, and America, is broken beyond recognition, possibly beyond repair. Political extremist' might be on an agenda of ruining the process so much that they win control by default. Hillary could expand her fingerprint across the world and further the Clinton social agenda by assuming the office. Beyond that, what is there really to gain. She is not too old for the office (Reagan was older) but she might be too old for the bullshit. Who would want to waste some great years of life with kids and grandkids, while playing cowboys and Indians (I didn't say Redskins) in Washington D.C.?
Hillary Clinton and the entire Clinton family are to be commended for their dedication to public service. Yes, it has made them rich, as it should for every person who gives of themselves in this fashion. Is their any person, regardless of party affiliation, that wouldn't take any ex-president at your commencement? Speaking engagements cost money and ex-presidents can make a boat load if others care to hear what you have to say. Its while in the role of president that they CAN NOT make a lot of money, or gain a lot of appreciation, or get a heck of a lot done ANYMORE.
Hillary might run for president.....or she might just say,Why Bother?
Friday, June 27, 2014
Denver Couldn't Keep Doug McDermott. GM Loves Denver Too Much
For about 30 minutes Doug McD was coming to the "D".
As it turns out, it wasn't meant to be. Doug McDermott was slotted for Chicago and Denver was just a layover city. But for 30 minutes, Denver had a new white guy.
Oh, I wasn't supposed to mention his color? I realize that Chris "Birdman" Anderson is a champion these days, but in Denver he was an extremely popular shot blocker who was too small to stop big centers and missed free throws and jumpers with regularity. Despite being rather awful in retrospect, Birdman was immensely popular because white people could relate to him. When Bird left, white kids instantly missed his mohawks more than any block he made in a Denver uniform.
McDermott has as much chance at becoming an NBA star as Sam Bowie did. The team that drafted Bowie was certain he'd be better than Mike Jordan. My point is that the draft is a crapshoot. Sometimes you get Greg Oden, other times you get Chauncey Billups and have to wait for him to become a legend. Every so often the guy you draft is Magic.
Players can be magical. Guessing who might become good isn't impossible, but achieving greatness is a combination of potential and environment. The greatest of players are nurtured with focus and patience, patience that average players are never afforded. McDermott might get there, but he needs to play, and play a lot. In Denver, McDermott would be pressed to beat out better players as he learns NBA style defense, both doing it and having it done against him. Oh yeah, add the color of his skin and he'll get more heat than Jeremy Lin got after eating up the league for a month. The challenge of living up to your potential with all of these elements to overcome creates a challenge to both white players and the GM's who court them.
If I could offer white America a fair break right now, it comes when you look at the example of white basketball players and their place in the league. Blacks often complain about the absence of black coaches and executives, especially in sports that are dominated by black people. From strictly a numbers perspective, there has to be more white male basketball players who play high school sports. By the time we look at colleges, blacks shift the numbers drastically, signifying a voracious hunger for black basketball players. When it comes to the professional ranks, white players, especially American born whites, are a commodity that might get you fired.
Much like missing on a black coach, GM's who do it have to fire them quickly and usually lose credibility (or their job) soon after. If such a trend can be documented, such information could be in mind at the key moments of decision making. Is it racism to hire safe? Should the person I hire disrupt the chance my children get to afford a good college? Such questions have no easy answers, but proven talent is the same as money, it disregards color for just a while. Unproven talent does not.
Colorblindness is a joke. If you are a white boy who can also play, you are an extraordinary commodity. If you are a black coach who can match wits with the best of them, you will get a shot as well, but much like the white player, you had better prove yourself quickly. Teams that have family executives (Denver Nuggets, Pittsburgh Steelers) are much more capable of being long suffering, but even they face the heat of public opinion and must cut their losses in order to maintain the ship. Black coaches and white hooper's don't get time for ramp up. You get one or two seasons before the vultures descend.
Sorry Brian Shaw. Even Jon Embree, the former CU star himself, only got two cracks at it before they cut bait. Embree's players were doing well in school and Embree was doing it the right way by playing younger players and taking it on the chin early, yet he got fired quickly and so will Shaw if he and the Nuggets don't look to win quickly. (What happened to that guy who hired Embree?)
To the credit of the Nugget's, they did not burden their black coach with an uncertain white boy to place heat on Tim Connelly, the Nugget's GM, and Shaw his up and coming coach. Tim likes living in Denver and hopes to stay for a while. From all accounts, so does Shaw. In addition, the Nuggets did not need more youth, they needed more...more....more..??.. They needed more of whatever gave Brian Shaw another season. Shaw showed some things that intrigue any "real" basketball mind. A few of those minds played against Shaw's undermanned teams last year and might choose to play for him during next weeks free agency period.
From one obscure #11 pick made during yesterday's draft, the entire draft buzz continues to be about Doug "the white boy" McDermott. The NBA needs a couple of killer white cats. Identifying with someone who looks like you offered the framework of the black power movement. The NBA needs a few good white men and Doug McDermott could foot the bill.
...or he will cost some GM a job.
As it turns out, it wasn't meant to be. Doug McDermott was slotted for Chicago and Denver was just a layover city. But for 30 minutes, Denver had a new white guy.
McDermott has as much chance at becoming an NBA star as Sam Bowie did. The team that drafted Bowie was certain he'd be better than Mike Jordan. My point is that the draft is a crapshoot. Sometimes you get Greg Oden, other times you get Chauncey Billups and have to wait for him to become a legend. Every so often the guy you draft is Magic.
Players can be magical. Guessing who might become good isn't impossible, but achieving greatness is a combination of potential and environment. The greatest of players are nurtured with focus and patience, patience that average players are never afforded. McDermott might get there, but he needs to play, and play a lot. In Denver, McDermott would be pressed to beat out better players as he learns NBA style defense, both doing it and having it done against him. Oh yeah, add the color of his skin and he'll get more heat than Jeremy Lin got after eating up the league for a month. The challenge of living up to your potential with all of these elements to overcome creates a challenge to both white players and the GM's who court them.
If I could offer white America a fair break right now, it comes when you look at the example of white basketball players and their place in the league. Blacks often complain about the absence of black coaches and executives, especially in sports that are dominated by black people. From strictly a numbers perspective, there has to be more white male basketball players who play high school sports. By the time we look at colleges, blacks shift the numbers drastically, signifying a voracious hunger for black basketball players. When it comes to the professional ranks, white players, especially American born whites, are a commodity that might get you fired.
Much like missing on a black coach, GM's who do it have to fire them quickly and usually lose credibility (or their job) soon after. If such a trend can be documented, such information could be in mind at the key moments of decision making. Is it racism to hire safe? Should the person I hire disrupt the chance my children get to afford a good college? Such questions have no easy answers, but proven talent is the same as money, it disregards color for just a while. Unproven talent does not.
Colorblindness is a joke. If you are a white boy who can also play, you are an extraordinary commodity. If you are a black coach who can match wits with the best of them, you will get a shot as well, but much like the white player, you had better prove yourself quickly. Teams that have family executives (Denver Nuggets, Pittsburgh Steelers) are much more capable of being long suffering, but even they face the heat of public opinion and must cut their losses in order to maintain the ship. Black coaches and white hooper's don't get time for ramp up. You get one or two seasons before the vultures descend.
Sorry Brian Shaw. Even Jon Embree, the former CU star himself, only got two cracks at it before they cut bait. Embree's players were doing well in school and Embree was doing it the right way by playing younger players and taking it on the chin early, yet he got fired quickly and so will Shaw if he and the Nuggets don't look to win quickly. (What happened to that guy who hired Embree?)
To the credit of the Nugget's, they did not burden their black coach with an uncertain white boy to place heat on Tim Connelly, the Nugget's GM, and Shaw his up and coming coach. Tim likes living in Denver and hopes to stay for a while. From all accounts, so does Shaw. In addition, the Nuggets did not need more youth, they needed more...more....more..??.. They needed more of whatever gave Brian Shaw another season. Shaw showed some things that intrigue any "real" basketball mind. A few of those minds played against Shaw's undermanned teams last year and might choose to play for him during next weeks free agency period.
From one obscure #11 pick made during yesterday's draft, the entire draft buzz continues to be about Doug "the white boy" McDermott. The NBA needs a couple of killer white cats. Identifying with someone who looks like you offered the framework of the black power movement. The NBA needs a few good white men and Doug McDermott could foot the bill.
...or he will cost some GM a job.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Three Months After Surgery Tiger Roars Back Into Competition
Not a particularly funny pun given the recent return of Tiger to competition following back surgery 3 months ago. If Tiger had his druthers, he might've delayed this return until the British Open.
Why doesn't Tiger have his druthers?
Because he is MJ to golf. Sure, Magic and Larry and Isaiah and Barkley did their part to elevate the game just as Arnie and Jack did what they could for golf. Tiger, like Mike, blew the cap off the hinges. I golf incessantly, and I can gladly report that EVERYONE is golfing now.
You can no longer stereotype who is and who is not golfing. Courses all around are easing long standing traditions like attire and general etiquette to accommodate the ignorant masses golfing to uncover their inner Tiger.
Tiger has changed the game for good, but game changer's get rewarded with a unique set of rules to follow as a result of their evolutionary behavior. To become MJ, Michael Jordan had to complete the circle. In an amazing swoosh of global proportion, Mike became by doing what seemed impossible at the time. Some of Jordan's best fans were critics when he played.
Who was amazed that Miami didn't 3peat? The odds on Tiger breaking 18 majors should be even money with the history he's made and the time he's got to make more. To overcome Arnold Palmer, the man with a refreshing drink named after him, he had to be other worldly. To put the Golden Bear in his rearview mirror will demand the kind of stuff that breeds skepticism. Even Tiger fans find themselves wondering if the impossible is possible. Afterall, "who does that"?
Tiger Woods not only does that, he does this: 30 miles of running every week. Even during a tournament; even with knee problems; even when he doesn't feel like doing it. When Tiger announced his long time workout regimen during his now infamous return to play presser, we all should not have been as shocked as we were.
In our feeble minds and bodies, we simply grow to believe that Tiger, Jordan and all the mega greats are blessed with special skills that the rest of us don't have. That skill is simply work ethic and drive. Though they perform so artistically, it's the work ethic that makes space for the artistry to be seen.
To me, all of this is so funny because the beauty of golf is using the fade away when situations demand. If Tiger is developing a fade away it's because he's can't dunk like he used to. If this hoop/golf analogy had someone defending the hole it would be more sensible. Tiger has every shot in the arsenal but chose to dunk the ball more often than not. Now, Tiger is talking about adding strategy to the explosive game that already has him teetering on all time greatness.
Tiger Woods is back alright, but he might be a guy we've never met.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Lucy Li, Michelle Wie And Eldrick. Unma$king The "A$ian Way"
Yes, I did argue vociferously that the NCAA is extorting revenue from American high school football and basketball players with the help of the NBA and the NFL. When I wrote that article, I mentioned that EVERY other kid in EVERY other sport and country of the world, has the freedom to get paid the minute they can get paid. The only barrier is your individual talent and parental consent. After watching Lucy Li in the Women's US Open Golf Tournament I had a moment of pause.
I am formally writing to forgive the NFL and the NBA since they might be the only one's who have it right. I'm even willing to give the NCAA a partial pass, but they are way to culpable for a full pardon. After this weekend I have realized what should have always been the obvious.
Some parents really suck.
No! Not like in the, you suck rocks you jive turkey, kind of way(born in 69...sorry). That would be an unfair judgement for me to say towards a job that is impossible to do perfectly. What I mean is, some parents suck the life out of kids in order to mold them into greatness. The formula for greatness is so elusive that we can't yet determine who's way is right. Making a lot of money certainly is far from a singular measure of greatness, but society has a way of handsomely compensating those who achieve the highest levels of any endeavor, so wealth is often just part of it. Since attaining wealth becomes our ultimate goal in life, should the process begin with the first breath of life?
When I started the 4 day cavalcade we call golfers weekend, headlined by the women's US Open at Pinehurst #2 (N.C.), I was thrilled to watch the exploits of 11 year old Lucy Li, the female golf sensation whose rise in golf afforded her an opportunity to compete, as an unpaid amateur, alongside the best female golfer's in the world, in one of the most prestigious tournaments of them all. Oh yeah! Pinehurst #2, the old but newly redesigned course that is notorious for extremely tough greens, had utterly baffled all but one of the best male golfers in the world a week earlier. Li, and all of the field for this event, would be in for an immense challenge over the 4 day tournament.
Despite being an avid golfer, I had never heard of Lucy Li prior to the US Open, but I was thoroughly impressed with her confidence, her poise and her amazing swing. Stacy Lewis (an LPGA top ranked golfer) on the other hand, said that she would never subject her 11 year old kid to the kind of stress this course and this tournament promised. While my greatest wishes remained solidly in the corner of Lucy Li succeeding in this tournament, and sticking it in Lewis' face, Li did not succeed and Lewis was probably right.
In fact, Li did not make the cut. She played incredibly well for her age, but anything she did would be amazing for an 11 year old. Lucy Li actually played well for this course, better than many of her competitors and better than a lot of the men who had taken on the course the week prior. Li did not make the two day cut and got to sit in front of the firing line we call the media just for her attempt.
Certainly, I understand that this was the same media she faced before the tournament began. This is the very media who will probably usher her face into popular culture and assist in making her an incredibly wealthy person. When Li had not lost a thing and still had nothing to lose, she was composed and mature...in an 11 year old kind of way. She certainly giggled her fair share, but mostly at things that were funny (like can her dad beat her at golf), not just to hide an overwhelming sense of anxiety. Even when her tournament had come to an end, she was not nervous before the media, she was pissed. This little girl, with cute little pigtails and a mouth full of braces is a competitive monster. When asked what was her favorite part of her performance, she quickly recalled a birdie that she got. Not that she was reveling in her own success, but that it came after a triple bogey. In other words, she understands the importance of going to get it when you have to have it. This weekend, she didn't have it....and she was pissed.
Because she was pissed, so am I. Not at her competitive fire. That actually makes me smile a bit. Her fire should serve her well on her way to a career that promises to be an adventure. What makes me pissed is that Stacy Lewis was totally right and Li's parents were totally wrong.
Whatever method they have used to expedite her amazing skill for the game is hard to question. When she did not perform well on the first day of competition, Lucy Li's parents had her out on the driving range hitting driver in the blazing hot sun....six hours before her tee time. Commentators quickly noted the risk of such a decision (especially at Pinehurst #2) but became distracted from that thought when her parents began to videotape her swing so that she could analyze it on video, something golfers NEVER do in the midst of a competition. Once again, Lucy Li is an excellent golfer, and if this technique has served her well in her progression, who am I to question it?
Were these parents wrong for pushing this 11 year old to such a big stage? If the results of childhood sports prodigy's prior to Li offer some suggestion, we might have the elements of an answer. It seems that success on this stage is often gauged by dollars and cents. Take, for example, the player who won the tournament. Many years prior, Michelle Wie was a slightly older version of Lucy Li, trying to make her way onto the biggest stages of golf. Wie, much like Li, was an Asian golf prodigy who launched her way onto the scene with a Tiger Woods like whirlwind. Every since Eldrick "Tiger" Woods did it first, the world waits anxiously for the second coming. Does it matter that Tiger and most of the child golf stars who followed him are all raised the Asian Way (Tiger's mom is Asian)? For Tiger it seemed to work out. For Wie, she would probably tell you that her life needed more balance.
For a moment, I might have even bought into the hype. Maybe the Asian way is right and these parents are doing what is best for their children when forcing them into such demanding endeavors.
Does the fact that Wie just won her first major tournament at age 24 take away from the general success of the "Asian way"? Does the early mid-life struggles of Tiger Wood's distract from a career full of legend? Could their lost childhood's be partially to blame?
Every kid is different and parenting is hard. If there were easy answers to any of these questions, they would hardly become matters of debate. Preparing your kid for a tough world is smart. Sending your recently defeated 11 year old to the podium, alone, to allow the media one final chance at an ounce of flesh pissed me off. Even Dwyane Wade has a sidekick for those days he stinks up the court. When Li took to the stage after missing the cut, one question after another proceeded from the firing line. They didn't have sensitivity for her youth or for her emotional sate. Lucy Li was fair game, and the vultures pecked away. To her credit, she passed. The emotion oozed from her, but she held it in check long enough to get the job done. In that moment, she showed me all that I needed to see from her championship prospects. This kid is a winner, even if she never takes another swing of a golf club.
As for the parent$ and the pre$$ who placed thi$ kid in$ide of the pre$$ure cooker, I have one que$tion. If our 11 year old kid$ are not $acred, then what i$?
Don't answer that. I'm afraid I already know the truth. I'm afraid that we all know the truth.
I am formally writing to forgive the NFL and the NBA since they might be the only one's who have it right. I'm even willing to give the NCAA a partial pass, but they are way to culpable for a full pardon. After this weekend I have realized what should have always been the obvious.
Some parents really suck.
No! Not like in the, you suck rocks you jive turkey, kind of way(born in 69...sorry). That would be an unfair judgement for me to say towards a job that is impossible to do perfectly. What I mean is, some parents suck the life out of kids in order to mold them into greatness. The formula for greatness is so elusive that we can't yet determine who's way is right. Making a lot of money certainly is far from a singular measure of greatness, but society has a way of handsomely compensating those who achieve the highest levels of any endeavor, so wealth is often just part of it. Since attaining wealth becomes our ultimate goal in life, should the process begin with the first breath of life?
When I started the 4 day cavalcade we call golfers weekend, headlined by the women's US Open at Pinehurst #2 (N.C.), I was thrilled to watch the exploits of 11 year old Lucy Li, the female golf sensation whose rise in golf afforded her an opportunity to compete, as an unpaid amateur, alongside the best female golfer's in the world, in one of the most prestigious tournaments of them all. Oh yeah! Pinehurst #2, the old but newly redesigned course that is notorious for extremely tough greens, had utterly baffled all but one of the best male golfers in the world a week earlier. Li, and all of the field for this event, would be in for an immense challenge over the 4 day tournament.
Despite being an avid golfer, I had never heard of Lucy Li prior to the US Open, but I was thoroughly impressed with her confidence, her poise and her amazing swing. Stacy Lewis (an LPGA top ranked golfer) on the other hand, said that she would never subject her 11 year old kid to the kind of stress this course and this tournament promised. While my greatest wishes remained solidly in the corner of Lucy Li succeeding in this tournament, and sticking it in Lewis' face, Li did not succeed and Lewis was probably right.
In fact, Li did not make the cut. She played incredibly well for her age, but anything she did would be amazing for an 11 year old. Lucy Li actually played well for this course, better than many of her competitors and better than a lot of the men who had taken on the course the week prior. Li did not make the two day cut and got to sit in front of the firing line we call the media just for her attempt.
Certainly, I understand that this was the same media she faced before the tournament began. This is the very media who will probably usher her face into popular culture and assist in making her an incredibly wealthy person. When Li had not lost a thing and still had nothing to lose, she was composed and mature...in an 11 year old kind of way. She certainly giggled her fair share, but mostly at things that were funny (like can her dad beat her at golf), not just to hide an overwhelming sense of anxiety. Even when her tournament had come to an end, she was not nervous before the media, she was pissed. This little girl, with cute little pigtails and a mouth full of braces is a competitive monster. When asked what was her favorite part of her performance, she quickly recalled a birdie that she got. Not that she was reveling in her own success, but that it came after a triple bogey. In other words, she understands the importance of going to get it when you have to have it. This weekend, she didn't have it....and she was pissed.
Because she was pissed, so am I. Not at her competitive fire. That actually makes me smile a bit. Her fire should serve her well on her way to a career that promises to be an adventure. What makes me pissed is that Stacy Lewis was totally right and Li's parents were totally wrong.
Whatever method they have used to expedite her amazing skill for the game is hard to question. When she did not perform well on the first day of competition, Lucy Li's parents had her out on the driving range hitting driver in the blazing hot sun....six hours before her tee time. Commentators quickly noted the risk of such a decision (especially at Pinehurst #2) but became distracted from that thought when her parents began to videotape her swing so that she could analyze it on video, something golfers NEVER do in the midst of a competition. Once again, Lucy Li is an excellent golfer, and if this technique has served her well in her progression, who am I to question it?
Were these parents wrong for pushing this 11 year old to such a big stage? If the results of childhood sports prodigy's prior to Li offer some suggestion, we might have the elements of an answer. It seems that success on this stage is often gauged by dollars and cents. Take, for example, the player who won the tournament. Many years prior, Michelle Wie was a slightly older version of Lucy Li, trying to make her way onto the biggest stages of golf. Wie, much like Li, was an Asian golf prodigy who launched her way onto the scene with a Tiger Woods like whirlwind. Every since Eldrick "Tiger" Woods did it first, the world waits anxiously for the second coming. Does it matter that Tiger and most of the child golf stars who followed him are all raised the Asian Way (Tiger's mom is Asian)? For Tiger it seemed to work out. For Wie, she would probably tell you that her life needed more balance.
Does the fact that Wie just won her first major tournament at age 24 take away from the general success of the "Asian way"? Does the early mid-life struggles of Tiger Wood's distract from a career full of legend? Could their lost childhood's be partially to blame?
Every kid is different and parenting is hard. If there were easy answers to any of these questions, they would hardly become matters of debate. Preparing your kid for a tough world is smart. Sending your recently defeated 11 year old to the podium, alone, to allow the media one final chance at an ounce of flesh pissed me off. Even Dwyane Wade has a sidekick for those days he stinks up the court. When Li took to the stage after missing the cut, one question after another proceeded from the firing line. They didn't have sensitivity for her youth or for her emotional sate. Lucy Li was fair game, and the vultures pecked away. To her credit, she passed. The emotion oozed from her, but she held it in check long enough to get the job done. In that moment, she showed me all that I needed to see from her championship prospects. This kid is a winner, even if she never takes another swing of a golf club.
As for the parent$ and the pre$$ who placed thi$ kid in$ide of the pre$$ure cooker, I have one que$tion. If our 11 year old kid$ are not $acred, then what i$?
Don't answer that. I'm afraid I already know the truth. I'm afraid that we all know the truth.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Does America's Newest Attack On Racism Strike A Blow At Freedom?
I'll admit it. I sometimes start debates/arguments within my family just to gauge their response to a topic I'm interested in blogging. At least blogging gives me a better excuse for instigating these arguments/debates that I use to only do for personal entertainment.
Just to be sure that I am not unfairly turning an eyebrow to things that others have made their personal crusade, I always gauge the youngest of my quickly aging clan. She may only be 16, but she has wisdom well beyond her years, and a strong ability to communicate her opinions.
I get it. Parents are very influential on children, but this parent has five black women, six if you count the mother who birthed them. They (black women) are programmed to be skeptics and blessed to confront challenges. I count myself the luckiest man on earth to have the love, support and squinted eye scrutiny of six incredible black women. I mention this fact just to insure you that my wife, and the children she bore me are not the kind who co-sign anything. Some are more or less vocal about their dissent, but all are decisive and clear in the beliefs.
My 16 year old, who knew nothing of this Redskin story before I gave her the cliff notes, quickly decided that Daniel Snyder
and the Washington Redskins have the right to call their team anything they want. My gut instincts aligns with hers on this matter, but I have followed this story long enough to move past my gut instinct. In life, what is a right is not always what is righteous. White only drinking fountains were legal and a natural reaction to the ignorance fear creates. Time deemed them far from righteous. This racially charged example is just the thing I needed to ignite a firestorm within my family.
After starting the fire, the devil('s advocate) in me quickly offered another cup of comfort to my inflamed family. My daughter who is most like me (born two days apart) quickly recognized that my cups had kerosene and ran for safety while the others either did not notice or did not care. "What if the team was named the Washington BlackCoons and the mascot was a violent looking black raccoon" (with big lips of course)? One person in the family immediately declared " it's not called the black coons" and the others refused to address the question directly. They've dodged my molotov cocktail's in the past, so refusing to answer is just as smart as anything. Yet the question still burns.
What would you do if you were the offended party, should be a question that dampens the flame of this heated debate, but no one is dutiful to defend their lack of concern for your offense. No matter how deep my daughter dug into the depths of her sensitivity realm, she could hardly understand how something so old and overused is now a source of such pain and anguish. In her words, "they need to just get over it".
She did say "they need to just get over it", but she seemed to have an explanation as to why. To this 16 year old young lady, offenses that infringed on ones rights and privileges (like segregated water fountains and restaurants) are a lot different than offenses of perception. The Redskins team and fans obviously hold the name near and dear. Daniel Snyder, and every person who wears the Redskin name does so with intense pride and respect for the name and the organization it represents. The notion that this is a slur makes my last name, "Brewer", a potential slur or offense to alcoholics. In light of this fact, the Milwaukee baseball team who stole my damn name needs to be more sensitive to alcoholics and change that name to something more appropriate.
You know! Like the Wizards. Apparently, the D.C. in Washington could stand for Do Change your name if someone finds it offensive. Is it merely a coincidence that the newest wave of political correctness in sports nomenclature is happening in the town that created all things political? Back in the day, the Washington Wizards were the Bullets, but the bullets on D.C. streets started to become more emblematic of the city than the NBA team who had the name across their chest. D.C. violence prompted the magical transformation of the Wizards who were Bullets. Did it promote a decline in violence? Probably not, but it certainly offered some aspect of exoneration to a team, and a community struggling to find answers to complex issues in which doing nothing is riskier than hastily doing something utterly ineffective.
Was the Bullet franchise more storied than the Redskins? Of course not, but I can't imagine Bullet fans being eager to stop romanticizing bullets for a chance to become magical Wizards. Team loyalty runs deeper than the gear we wear or the price that we pay to wear it. What makes our connection to a team begins from the heart of a city and exudes to the team and not the other way around. The Baltimore Ravens might have once been the Cleveland Browns, but they certainly never played the same way on the field. Whatever made Oklahoma City a team worthy of an NBA franchise is also what makes us forget that Seattle used to have a same but different team called the Supersonics. Names mean a whole lot, but we change them all the time and for many reasons.
The U.S. patent office recently ruled against renewing the trademark rights that the Redskins have on their corporate name due to the offensive nature of that name. The Denver City Black-COONS will soon be playing in a neighborhood near you, but we will have to create a full proof means of authenticating our merchandise, since our team name, much like the Redskins, will clearly be unfit for patent. The message seems clear. You can do offensive business in America, but you can't have the exclusive right to offend.
Now, bootleggers across the planet are moving to make as much legal Redskins stuff before it becomes illegal once again or before they break down and change the name for good. In actuality, legal Redskin knock-offs will remain illegal until the Redskins complete a legal appeal. It might be hard to wait though, because the temptation of what happens if Snyder loses is intriguing,.... and here is why.
The Redskins have to win in both the court of law and of opinion. Like it or not, the court of opinion is likely to invoke the highest degree of financial impact, especially if the court of law doesn't satisfy popular opinion on this matter. Even if Snyder wins back the exclusive rights to his team's name, and also continues to use the name despite its expanding unpopularity, he will have to hope that merchandise and ticket sales don't undergo an attack of protest. Until now, neither of these fears have come to fruition, but until now, Snyder's steadfast approach kept this story muffled below the realm of common knowledge. With each passing day, one more Redskin fan (who is keeping this name intact) will pass away while another who thinks it should change or could care less is born to the world of the NFL fan. The inevitable is probably inevitable, especially considering the fact that even NFL teams themselves change hands, and Snyder can't own the Redskins forever. Eventually, this change will take place
In the span of a few months, we have witnessed racial slurs during lovers quarrels that cause you to lose your NBA franchise, or losing the trademark rights to your business name/racial slur. No matter what side you take, these topics are something that most have an opinion about. My 16 year old daughter will be leading the discussion.
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| Should Native Americans be offended by the name "Redskins"? |
I get it. Parents are very influential on children, but this parent has five black women, six if you count the mother who birthed them. They (black women) are programmed to be skeptics and blessed to confront challenges. I count myself the luckiest man on earth to have the love, support and squinted eye scrutiny of six incredible black women. I mention this fact just to insure you that my wife, and the children she bore me are not the kind who co-sign anything. Some are more or less vocal about their dissent, but all are decisive and clear in the beliefs.
My 16 year old, who knew nothing of this Redskin story before I gave her the cliff notes, quickly decided that Daniel Snyder
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| Is Daniel Snyder principled or stupid? |
After starting the fire, the devil('s advocate) in me quickly offered another cup of comfort to my inflamed family. My daughter who is most like me (born two days apart) quickly recognized that my cups had kerosene and ran for safety while the others either did not notice or did not care. "What if the team was named the Washington BlackCoons and the mascot was a violent looking black raccoon" (with big lips of course)? One person in the family immediately declared " it's not called the black coons" and the others refused to address the question directly. They've dodged my molotov cocktail's in the past, so refusing to answer is just as smart as anything. Yet the question still burns.
What would you do if you were the offended party, should be a question that dampens the flame of this heated debate, but no one is dutiful to defend their lack of concern for your offense. No matter how deep my daughter dug into the depths of her sensitivity realm, she could hardly understand how something so old and overused is now a source of such pain and anguish. In her words, "they need to just get over it".
She did say "they need to just get over it", but she seemed to have an explanation as to why. To this 16 year old young lady, offenses that infringed on ones rights and privileges (like segregated water fountains and restaurants) are a lot different than offenses of perception. The Redskins team and fans obviously hold the name near and dear. Daniel Snyder, and every person who wears the Redskin name does so with intense pride and respect for the name and the organization it represents. The notion that this is a slur makes my last name, "Brewer", a potential slur or offense to alcoholics. In light of this fact, the Milwaukee baseball team who stole my damn name needs to be more sensitive to alcoholics and change that name to something more appropriate.
You know! Like the Wizards. Apparently, the D.C. in Washington could stand for Do Change your name if someone finds it offensive. Is it merely a coincidence that the newest wave of political correctness in sports nomenclature is happening in the town that created all things political? Back in the day, the Washington Wizards were the Bullets, but the bullets on D.C. streets started to become more emblematic of the city than the NBA team who had the name across their chest. D.C. violence prompted the magical transformation of the Wizards who were Bullets. Did it promote a decline in violence? Probably not, but it certainly offered some aspect of exoneration to a team, and a community struggling to find answers to complex issues in which doing nothing is riskier than hastily doing something utterly ineffective.
Was the Bullet franchise more storied than the Redskins? Of course not, but I can't imagine Bullet fans being eager to stop romanticizing bullets for a chance to become magical Wizards. Team loyalty runs deeper than the gear we wear or the price that we pay to wear it. What makes our connection to a team begins from the heart of a city and exudes to the team and not the other way around. The Baltimore Ravens might have once been the Cleveland Browns, but they certainly never played the same way on the field. Whatever made Oklahoma City a team worthy of an NBA franchise is also what makes us forget that Seattle used to have a same but different team called the Supersonics. Names mean a whole lot, but we change them all the time and for many reasons.
The U.S. patent office recently ruled against renewing the trademark rights that the Redskins have on their corporate name due to the offensive nature of that name. The Denver City Black-COONS will soon be playing in a neighborhood near you, but we will have to create a full proof means of authenticating our merchandise, since our team name, much like the Redskins, will clearly be unfit for patent. The message seems clear. You can do offensive business in America, but you can't have the exclusive right to offend.
Now, bootleggers across the planet are moving to make as much legal Redskins stuff before it becomes illegal once again or before they break down and change the name for good. In actuality, legal Redskin knock-offs will remain illegal until the Redskins complete a legal appeal. It might be hard to wait though, because the temptation of what happens if Snyder loses is intriguing,.... and here is why.
The Redskins have to win in both the court of law and of opinion. Like it or not, the court of opinion is likely to invoke the highest degree of financial impact, especially if the court of law doesn't satisfy popular opinion on this matter. Even if Snyder wins back the exclusive rights to his team's name, and also continues to use the name despite its expanding unpopularity, he will have to hope that merchandise and ticket sales don't undergo an attack of protest. Until now, neither of these fears have come to fruition, but until now, Snyder's steadfast approach kept this story muffled below the realm of common knowledge. With each passing day, one more Redskin fan (who is keeping this name intact) will pass away while another who thinks it should change or could care less is born to the world of the NFL fan. The inevitable is probably inevitable, especially considering the fact that even NFL teams themselves change hands, and Snyder can't own the Redskins forever. Eventually, this change will take place
In the span of a few months, we have witnessed racial slurs during lovers quarrels that cause you to lose your NBA franchise, or losing the trademark rights to your business name/racial slur. No matter what side you take, these topics are something that most have an opinion about. My 16 year old daughter will be leading the discussion.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Spurs Snatch Title From King James. BEST TEAM EVER?
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| Did the Spurs officially close the MJ era with their victory? |
San Antonio deserves more than a moment of consideration in this story. When the scrolls are compiled and the official doctrine is canonized, King James might see the Spurs as an apostle Paul of sorts. For this day and for many to come, the Spurs might become the most noteworthy preacher of the gospel of team basketball because team basketball is what they've always represented. Yet, even they, the harbingers of Tim "the meek" Duncan, have suffered under the pressure of the era in which they've played. History has already attached a label to that time slot, and MJ rules the day.
The era of Michael Jordan ushered in the wave of individualism that has overtaken the league as we know it. Last night, with the impressive closeout victory by the San Antonio Spurs over the Miami Heat, there was a major market correction of sorts. In the era of MJ, the shoe deal and commercial exposure took over the league. Sadly, MJ himself did not play the game selfishly and asked as much of his players as he was willing to give himself. MJ was the essence of team, but his fire and brimstone approach along with his flair for the dramatics left an indelible stain on the youth of the world. After MJ ruled the league, ESPN and sports television helped to insure that we only remember him for the results of his team effort, not for his team effort itself.
Tim Duncan played against Michael Jordan a time or two. As an offspring of MJ's era, Duncan and his cohorts had to establish their own "Big 3" and tag one of them as the leader of them all. The entire leagues image has become driven by the individuals on each team and not the team behind the individuals. Duncan has never embraced such a notion, but that never stopped the expectations of his era to be placed upon him and every would be champion.
In some ways, San Antonio was actually the only exception to the "focus on the individual"dynamic that drivescharacterizes modern day players. San Antonio has always nurtured great players and good players alike in order to achieve their goals. During their absence from the championship mantle, the court of public opinion had conveniently blamed the big 3 of the Spurs. Now that they are back, there was a war over Boris Diaw or Kawhi Leonard for series MVP. During this series, this team got contributions from every player who stepped on the court, but the biggest assist came from the coach.
Greg Popovich made it clear to the world that last year's defeat haunted him throughout the entire summer. The very first day of the Spurs season included an immediate review of game 6 from last season's finals, the game in which the Spurs handed over a ring they had already been sized for. Every day that he could actually do something about his pain from one year ago, Pop' did what he could do. A year prior, Pop' was conspicuously silent at key moments, trusting that trusting his team was the better way to go. This year? He was not so composed. At every moment and upon each opportunity, Pop' used timeouts and reminded his team of the flavor of failure. When Miami mounted comebacks, Pop' made it stop. The formula for winning had been laid out clearly throughout the season, but formula's fall apart when the King shows up with his court. After losing game 2 at home, Pop' realized that to beat the King at the height of his powers would take more than a formula.
Pop' had a really strong trump card that he did not waste, but played it several times down the homestretch of the finals. When situations appeared bleak, coach Pop' continued to remind the TEAM that the era of the big 3, or the individuals, was quickly ending for everyone...even them. Not knowing if they would ever get the chance to win one for their big 3 after losing one for them a year earlier was inspirational. The eventual MVP, Leonard, was the heel last year who missed the free throw that started the game 6 meltdown. If any player had a reason to show up big, Leonard might have been tops on the list, but several players had cause to clear their name. Even one who did not lose.
Win or lose, the world will always force LeBron to prove himself worthy of his appointment. He might have only secured two rings, but he's fought for 5 of them across 11 seasons, and it's likely that LeBron returns to fight again soon. Vegas has placed Miami as the automatic favorite to win next season. The fact that he lost this one makes for 2 teams from Texas that tripped up King James along his royal walk. The Spurs, and every team that beats LeBron, will automatically ascend to the mantle of 'the one' who got it done against the greatest player in the land. They will be a part of the story line, but they will not be the central character. This story is, and shall remain about LeBron, no matter who manages to beat him during his career. Sure, we might find interesting angles to report on after a game 5 closeout, but soon enough this shall evolve or devolve back to the King assigned to change the game.
For today, this story is about team again. It was the same way when Dallas beat the Heat, but now its even more pronounced because overcoming the King keeps demanding greater team play just to get a whiff at the NBA title.
However, heroics are needed for lasting legacies, and LeBron simply comes off as too boring to overtake the legend he threatens to supplant. Had he overcome the Spurs to win this series, most of his doubters would have been forced to find new angles for their assault of him. With his team playing uninspired basketball, beating the Spurs would have taken a better than great performance, and LeBron was simply really good. Such a heroic story might not have been in the cards, but overtaking the great Michael Jordan without an intense commitment to team play won't be in the cards either.
If LeBron can inspire his team to play like the Spurs played to beat him, he will certainly win more championships one day, maybe even more than Jordan. More importantly, he will also functionally return the game to its proper form, which is just the type of job suited for a King.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Like MLK Or Muhammad Ali. LeBron On Rugged Journey Of Destiny
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| Are LeBron detractors much like his talent..part of his destiny? |
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| Leading the 10% = Skip Bayless of ESPN |
Does he earn all of that with his willingness to "play the game" in the world of social media? Maybe he keeps the fuel going, but this fire started long before he even took his seat on the throne. This social experiment that we call King James was canonized way back in high school.
I can recall it now. Every time a Slam magazine or Sports Illustrated came out back then, it referenced some kind of up-and-coming high school star. Kobe and KG had already broken onto the scene before LeBron, but the anticipation for this guy was unlike any other. Yeah, they tried to tag team him with Sebastian Telfair, who was also a legendary high school player at the time, but I don't remember him being called Prince Sebastian. King James was tagged with his royal lineage so early in life that he had to make a serious decision way back then. He had to decide whether or not he would deflect the label or own it. LeBron tattooed himself with the words "The Chosen One", and he did it long, long ago.
Since that time, this man has played the game the right way and improved at doing it every year of his career. He continues to get better and to display the game of a champion. In game 2 against the Spurs, LeBron created for his team on 4 straight plays to close the game for good, but in the minds of the revisionist (Skip Bayless) LeBron did almost nothing in that minute and a half. There is so much wrong with that suggestion that I don't know where to begin, but I will take a deep breath and clarify it for Skip and anyone else who seems unclear about winning basketball.
This won't take long, because I only have to refer to the losing coach, Greg Popovich. He complained that his team allowed the ball to get too sticky down the stretch and it cost them the game. In fact, he insisted that it will be the death of them in this series if they do not fix it because LeBron is too good. Pop' didn't say this because LeBron scored all of the final points, because he did not. In fact, of these 4 key possessions that I previously mentioned, LeBron only scored 1 freethrow when he got fouled on the only shot that he took. The other 3 possessions went as follows:
LeBron attacked and found Bosh in the corner twice for a 3 point shot. The first one he missed, but the Heat got back, defended and blocked out the Spurs to secure the rebound before LeBron goes back down court to give Bosh another look at it, which he made. Considering the Indiana Pacer game, Bosh had now missed two key jumpshots late in key games after a good pass from the King, so the 3rd pass was an immense display of trust. The next possession, LeBron rove and got fouled on the shot, but only made that one free throw. The following possession, the Spurs double teamed the ball away from his hands, forcing Bosh to make a decision with the ball. Bosh eventually drove at the basket, attracted the double team and found D-Wade for an easy layup. All was created by the decision to double team and deny the ball away from LeBron, and LeBron telling Bosh to attack the basket. Bosh tried to force the ball to the King who deferred but dragged the double team away from the lane, which created the space for Wade's eventual layup.
Somehow the John Paxson/Steve Kerr/Chicago Bulls championship jumpshots have gone to distant memory. Jordan was so appreciated during his time, that revisionist' now think that he actually took every game closing shot and can hardly remember how necessary it was for Jordan to create for teammates in order to win championships. Revisionist' also watch LeBron create like a magician and tell themselves that they are watching a local clown act and not the great Houdini himself.
Just as weird people know they are weird, peculiar behavior recognizes itself and seems quick to answer to "Why". Why do we hate a player who is defining and redefining the game that we thought Jordan would rule forever? This mere argument is gaining heat because LeBron is putting the heat on everyone who stands above him. Kobe has already taken a back seat in the debate. LeBron might not be the best player the game has ever seen, but he intends to be, and very little seems capable of stopping him. Except public opinion.
No matter how great a performance Ali put on in the ring, millions simply tuned in to see his destruction. His mouth earned much of that hatred, but his skill backed up his mouth more often than it did not. LeBron doesn't talk like that. Tiger Woods could be a more modern equivalent to the peculiarity of LeBron hatred. He was also a chosen legend who is living up to the hype and threatens to surpass them all. LeBron isn't a philanderer like Tiger. To be labeled "chosen" embodies more than a messianic connotation, it virtually insures a messianic journey.
Christ was as much beloved as he was reviled. LeBron may not see his plight on such a spiritual level, but he did seem willing to confess that he is comforted in God whether he wins or loses. Though he plugs out of the social media world during the playoffs, he still understands the sentiment regarding who he is as a person and as a player (why do you think he unplugs?). He know's when critics take advantage of the cramps that took him out of game one. He realizes that some people who never lived in Cleveland still hate him for "The Decision". He knows the good, the bad and the ugly of his public persona. He might even be coming to terms with the fact that it would have NEVER been any other way.
The spirit of envy and hatred isn't something any one of us proudly embraces, but all of us clearly experience it from a giving or a receiving perspective. All have been victims. All have been perpetrators. Back in the day, athletes used to get ridiculed for their "show me the money" mentality, but today they face "how dare you control your career" critics. Athletes had no control before LeBron demonstrated how it is done. By the time Carmelo did the same thing in my hometown of Denver, no one seemed to care anymore because the blueprint was out. Denver also lost a legend in Dikembe Mutombo for reason's that Mutombo could have dictated in the favor of Denver, and did not. Yet, thousands of Denver natives and Nugget fans, remain forgetful and forgiving of both Mutombo and Anthony, but can not stand LeBron because of "The Decision"?
Personally, I don't totally buy it. I believe there are a significant number of people who celebrated when Tiger Woods fell from his mantle and there are those (maybe the same people) who needed LeBron to justify their disapproval with the kid who they called the King. They criticized him similarly when he only threatened to win with Cleveland. It only got louder when he refused to stay. Now, the room to criticize him is narrowing swiftly. Why?
Because he is worthy of the throne he was anointed to assume. He may not have arrived there in a fashion that his critics appreciate, (joining Wade and Bosh in beautiful Miami instead of having them come to kinda grey Cleveland is a problem for some) but he has arrived, and "He" is the King no matter who he assigns to close out matches. +Skip Bayless and anyone else who does not recognize all-time greatness will have to enjoy his career much like we do that of MLK and Muhammad Ali. In total hindsight if at all.
LeBron might not realize it now, but one day when he is old an gray he will look back on his detractors and realize the sheer necessity of them all. Because of those who say he is not ...whatever, he works on his game to prove them otherwise. His paint domination of big man Boris Diaw when San Antonio attempted a last minute adjustment in game 2, proves his complete ability to own any position on the court. In post game interviews, Greg Popovich seemed baffled as to what to do about LeBron's play making ability admitting that double team or no double team, there is no easy way to stop LeBron. Spur's officials are scrambling to contact the Oberto beef jerky man to see if he can implement that 2-3 zone that he says is needed against LeBron.
LeBron will force the entire league to either design some variation of a zone to defend him or they must build a team that utilizes perfect passing execution for an entire game and an entire series. According to Popovich, his Spurs, who are the closest thing to that model, will not win with anything less.
...and neither shall LeBron. His quest demands a fuel that passion alone can't fully provide. He is on a mission that needs a nice chip on the shoulder. Michael Jordan achieved a lot in his career and some of it came from those who told him that he could not. Before it was all over, the world would willingly eat from a pair of his highly priced athletic shoes and the voice of his detractors became muted. Michael had many reasons that we could be critical of his career, on and off the court. LeBron may as well, but the quality of the competition and the quality of the performances keeps falling in favor of the King.
If you want to be the King, the messiah, the second coming of MJ, then you must assume the throne like any good King does.......by force. In addition, you are going to be crucified for your namesake alone, and you will only be called the best player to ever play when the argument fully tilts in your favor, and not a moment sooner.
Fortunately, this King wouldn't have it any other way.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Bergdahl & GITMO. Politics Of POW's Or Politics As Usual?
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| Afghan detention center prisoner cells. |
Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl is as good an example as any. According to the military that accepted Bergdahl, AWOL and deserting one's post are common to the military. Common enough that such behavior has rules and regulations surrounding it. In the face of such behavior, Sgt. Bergdahl and all soldiers are subject to a military review and could potentially be discharged from the military. Outside of that process, Sgt. Bergdahl, who became a Sargent. while in captivity, should be recognized as all soldiers are recognized...including his Sgt. status.
In the process of recruiting soldiers, it might become necessary to change our standards surrounding our credo, "no man left behind". According to some American's, Bergdahl might not be worthy of what was done to provide for his release. Stories tell an account of six men that died in the search for Bergdahl. The five GITMO inmates that are feared to return to the war could someday kill even more American soldiers or citizen's who travel abroad. Maybe they even craft the next 9-11 attack on American soil, but our values must remain intact.
Sometimes in an auction environment you want to wait for the field to bid and sneak in to capture the prize after a bloody bidding war. At other times, you need to end the auction instantly with an aggressive bid that insures success. If Bergdahl was the figurative item for auction, Obama's team chose the "go big" approach, but they also did so in the spirit of old America, the place that still honors things like the Geneva Convention Agreement and the military terms of enlistment.
GITMO is our blatant failure of the Geneva agreement. Offering up a few prized inhabitants of the facility seemed an obvious means of avoiding the political ramifications of ending the war in Afghanistan and "leaving one behind". Debating the terms of Bergdahl's release is a matter of domestic opinions. International relations are tied to the GITMO detention center and nations worldwide are looking to determine if prisoner of war standards have now changed. American hostages have always had a uncertain international value, but prisoners of war are unique. Killing a POW not only defies the Geneva accord, it leaves you without a valuable tool in the end of war exchange process.
Yet, would we be better if we refused to live up to standards that our enemies reject? Would we be more humane if we left deserters deserted? Or how about if we simply slaughter the remaining GITMO detainee's and never worry about them in the field of battle again? Is old war black and white but new war gray from the smoke of an uncertain battlefield or are we willing to use anything these days in the pursuit of politics?
This whole line of questioning makes me sick.
Big Money Politics Is David Versus Goliath With David On The Take
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| 2.5 Billion Dollars, One Suspicious Vehicle, and a Pimp- on the Trail of the Ultra-Rich HijackingAmerican Politics - By Kenneth P. Vogel |
I rarely take on the topic of election finance laws and term limitations because I am rather torn on the matter. In concept it makes sense to set reasonable limits on both, but I would not like to rid ourselves of, or financially hamper good people who are good for politics just to place a limit on the bad ones. When good and bad start to look alike, even this argument falls flat. As for term limits, especially the presidency, it is impossible to master any elected office in one term and impossible to be effective in a lame duck second term. Thanks to big money, what was once two uniquely individual matters of political concern (term limits and finance reform) have conspired to become different sides of the same coin.
Big money has now
taken over both matters for all of us by dictating who runs for office, how long they get to stay there if they win and what they say while in office.
Nadal Extends His Run At Majors Winning 9th French Open, 14th Major.
Up 2 sets to 1 with a chance to break his opponent in the 4th set, Rafa Nadal went for a tough shot against his rival Novak Djokovic. He got the point, but when it was over he remained bent over at the waist agonizing in both pain and fatigue from the effort he'd just exhibited.
30 seconds later, the towel girl stood waiting for Nadal to take the cloth and clean his face from the sweat he had amassed. Nadal was in the driver seat on the scoreboard, but no one, especially his opponent, could ignore the physical cost that Nadal had obviously paid. The only question that remained from this outward display of despair was how much reserves remained in the immense account of this legendary champion after paying out so much on just one point.
Months earlier, Rafa, and an ailing back provided an opportunity for Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland to make his way to the champions table in the Australian Open. Every point that followed Nadal's bent over moment of weakness seemed to go towards Djokovic......Sort of.
Earlier in this match Djokovic had a fateful decision. He had opened the match with a 6-3 route of Rafa and pushed the second set to a virtual stalemate, and then Rafa came alive. What followed was some of the best tennis my eyes have seen in years. Not from a standpoint of sheer strategy (points tend to last a lot longer on the softer surfaces), but from a standpoint of sheer energy and attack. This felt like hard court shot making complete with the sliding stops that only soft courts provide. These are two of the best in the business and neither is really lacking on any level. They can serve, they can return. They can volley or they can attack you with any shot from any angle that you leave vulnerable. They are two of the most complete players of all time and their championship accomplishments agree.
Rafa might have dominated the scoring, but the competition was fierce. Nadal's 13 championship victories provided a competitive thought process that Djokovic simply didn't possess fully. Djokovic's deficiency of thought seemed to unveil itself when he chose to fight to save a set that he might have been better served to let go of and save the energy for later rounds. By this point of the match, and of the live commentary, this was being compared to the greatest of great boxing matches, because that is exactly what it was.
Djokovic tried valiantly to save that 3rd set and appeared to be physically (he puked on the court) and mentally worn when it did not work. Rafa beat him and battered him and broke him time and time again....but suddenly Rafa, not Djokovic was bent over at the waist.....and he wasn't moving. Djokovic was now down 4-2 and nearly dead, but this gave him the breath of life. Djokovic jumped all over the battered champ and tied the game within an instant at 4-4......Sort of.
In hindsight, Rafa did what Novak should have done for himself earlier in the match. Rafa rested for a few games and did not push his body towards an injury, but allowed himself time to gather his physical composure and to search for what his tired body could and could not do. Somewhere in the process he must have opened a safe deposit box full of sunken treasure. Somewhere in the process, Rafa found a new reserve of whatever it is that makes champions tick.
By the end of the match, Rafa had pulled off the tennis equivalent of the rope-a-dope. Rafa had suckered Djokovic into the same errors that burned him earlier in the match. Thinking he had a wounded animal forced Djokovic into a physical attack without a mental approach. In the end, the wounded animal lured his victim just close enough to kill him. In a match that Djokovic should have been striving to send to a 5th set, just to see if Rafa could endure, he let the fuel of his own excitement burn too fast and explode, finishing with no answer at all to the seemingly recovered champion.
Rafa won his 14th major title (including a record 9 French Open titles) in 4 sets and sit 3 titles behind the legendary Roger Federer for most majors (17) among active players In the process he passed Pete Sampras on the all-time list for major titles. The Serbian Champion Djokovic may only have 6 major titles, but he is currently the most consistent player and could win more titles than anyone if he keeps playing at this level for too much longer. At 27, he has the game and the time to get it done. When it came time to honor Djokovic, the runner up in this match, the crowd would not stop cheering until they pulled a tear from the eye's of this phenomenal player. I'm crying just recalling the moment. When he actually spoke to the crowd, his address, spoken in all French, was great French and great class (his Italian is impressive too).
Watching moments of greatness can be difficult to analyze when your mouth is open in amazement. It takes the benefit of hindsight to understand greatness. Rafa was placing the icing on the cake of an exceptional career that deserves to be topped off properly. To have his career end minus these kinds of victories would compromise his place in the discussion of all time greats. He knows it and he plays accordingly, sacrificing everything for the chance to be considered the best.
After today, Rafa Nadal remains firmly in that discussion.
30 seconds later, the towel girl stood waiting for Nadal to take the cloth and clean his face from the sweat he had amassed. Nadal was in the driver seat on the scoreboard, but no one, especially his opponent, could ignore the physical cost that Nadal had obviously paid. The only question that remained from this outward display of despair was how much reserves remained in the immense account of this legendary champion after paying out so much on just one point.
Months earlier, Rafa, and an ailing back provided an opportunity for Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland to make his way to the champions table in the Australian Open. Every point that followed Nadal's bent over moment of weakness seemed to go towards Djokovic......Sort of.
Earlier in this match Djokovic had a fateful decision. He had opened the match with a 6-3 route of Rafa and pushed the second set to a virtual stalemate, and then Rafa came alive. What followed was some of the best tennis my eyes have seen in years. Not from a standpoint of sheer strategy (points tend to last a lot longer on the softer surfaces), but from a standpoint of sheer energy and attack. This felt like hard court shot making complete with the sliding stops that only soft courts provide. These are two of the best in the business and neither is really lacking on any level. They can serve, they can return. They can volley or they can attack you with any shot from any angle that you leave vulnerable. They are two of the most complete players of all time and their championship accomplishments agree.
Rafa might have dominated the scoring, but the competition was fierce. Nadal's 13 championship victories provided a competitive thought process that Djokovic simply didn't possess fully. Djokovic's deficiency of thought seemed to unveil itself when he chose to fight to save a set that he might have been better served to let go of and save the energy for later rounds. By this point of the match, and of the live commentary, this was being compared to the greatest of great boxing matches, because that is exactly what it was.
Djokovic tried valiantly to save that 3rd set and appeared to be physically (he puked on the court) and mentally worn when it did not work. Rafa beat him and battered him and broke him time and time again....but suddenly Rafa, not Djokovic was bent over at the waist.....and he wasn't moving. Djokovic was now down 4-2 and nearly dead, but this gave him the breath of life. Djokovic jumped all over the battered champ and tied the game within an instant at 4-4......Sort of.
In hindsight, Rafa did what Novak should have done for himself earlier in the match. Rafa rested for a few games and did not push his body towards an injury, but allowed himself time to gather his physical composure and to search for what his tired body could and could not do. Somewhere in the process he must have opened a safe deposit box full of sunken treasure. Somewhere in the process, Rafa found a new reserve of whatever it is that makes champions tick.
By the end of the match, Rafa had pulled off the tennis equivalent of the rope-a-dope. Rafa had suckered Djokovic into the same errors that burned him earlier in the match. Thinking he had a wounded animal forced Djokovic into a physical attack without a mental approach. In the end, the wounded animal lured his victim just close enough to kill him. In a match that Djokovic should have been striving to send to a 5th set, just to see if Rafa could endure, he let the fuel of his own excitement burn too fast and explode, finishing with no answer at all to the seemingly recovered champion.
Rafa won his 14th major title (including a record 9 French Open titles) in 4 sets and sit 3 titles behind the legendary Roger Federer for most majors (17) among active players In the process he passed Pete Sampras on the all-time list for major titles. The Serbian Champion Djokovic may only have 6 major titles, but he is currently the most consistent player and could win more titles than anyone if he keeps playing at this level for too much longer. At 27, he has the game and the time to get it done. When it came time to honor Djokovic, the runner up in this match, the crowd would not stop cheering until they pulled a tear from the eye's of this phenomenal player. I'm crying just recalling the moment. When he actually spoke to the crowd, his address, spoken in all French, was great French and great class (his Italian is impressive too).
Watching moments of greatness can be difficult to analyze when your mouth is open in amazement. It takes the benefit of hindsight to understand greatness. Rafa was placing the icing on the cake of an exceptional career that deserves to be topped off properly. To have his career end minus these kinds of victories would compromise his place in the discussion of all time greats. He knows it and he plays accordingly, sacrificing everything for the chance to be considered the best.
After today, Rafa Nadal remains firmly in that discussion.
Friday, June 6, 2014
LeBron Bows Out From Leg Cramps. Should The Spurs Fix The A/C?
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| "Sugar" Ray Allen might have been thanking Jesus that he didn't miss this dunk. - CBS sports |
One game down and the story line remains virtually unchanged. The luck, or lack thereof, is becoming palpable in relation to these teams and this level of competition between them. I know it has been a while, but Ray Allen must have kept his Boston Celtic Irish luck with him when he drove the lane and completed a full court driving dunk that has the blogoshpere calling him Jesus Shuttlesworth once again. When you are a 6' 5" NBA player, you had better be able to still put one in the hole as needed. The strain of completing it showed that his hops will go away a few years after he retires....which might be soon if LeBron can't take the Heat in San Antonio.
Fan's of the NBA and HVAC repair men all over San Antonio, Texas are scrambling over the news that the A/C didn't work during last nights game in San Antonio. As a result of the heat, the Heat took a Game 1 loss to the Spurs when the league's best player, LeBron James, went down with cramps, presumably from the heat of a Texas arena without AC.
Much like the humidor Colorado uses for baseball's, the Spur's have uncovered a competitive advantage that is not "technically" against any rule. LeBron, who has had history of cramping up in the playoffs, was the only player taken out by the Heat as Spoelstra waved the white flag, refusing to give LeBron a second chance to play on expired limbs. Teammates had to help him off the court from the failed first attempt. While most expect the Spurs to correct the condition of the air, the repeated "heat" related songs that the Spurs organization chose to play in their blazing hot arena sounds like the kind of premeditation that could accidentally cause another A/C failure now that we all realize heat and Heat don't mix.
Here's where LeBron and Spoelstra are going to have to manage his minutes and his hydration better. There are ways to avoid these things, but freakish genetics can be freakishly demanding on ones hydration level. Skinny cats rule basketball because they are more capable of enduring the aerobic strain. The thin player also has an easier ability to play a longer career since they put less strain on joints and ligaments throughout their careers.
Jesus might be blessed to play until he is 40 (even though he may never get another dunk), but Lebron will have to expand his understanding of the limited power of his massive physic versus the greater power of his brain. He may even want to become, and actually play at power forward to avoid the beating that he puts on his nearly 300 pound frame while squatting to defend smaller players. If LeBron is a chiseled 270 now, age will easily see fit to add 10-30 lbs. of additional mass that comes with aging. At some point his desire to display perimeter domination has to give way to a style of game that provides better stamina. 270 pound guards can certainly force their will upon any basketball game, as long as they have the legs to avoid getting benched in the end of the NBA finals from leg cramps.
You know why you can't remember the last time that you saw a Ray Allen dunk? Because Ray is old school and old school realizes that the dunk still is only worth 2 points. Until it becomes worth more, it comes with a physical price that you only sacrifice when situations demand. When Allen decided to dunk the ball, he pushed off on the only player that had a chance to stop his attack of the rim. Even with that push, he realized that an older, more mature player who expected such a push would have recovered enough to contest almost any shot........except a dunk.
Ray Allen dunked the ball for one reason and one reason only. He had no other choice in the matter. Until LeBron James understands this kind of basketball and stops dunking and wasting leg stamina just for the Michael Jordan of it (who was 54 lbs. lighter than King James), then he might never avoid late game cramping in the playoffs..especially in Texas, cuz everything is hot in Texas. Even playoff basketball.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
NBA Finals Begin With Questions About Last Year. Were The Heat Lucky?
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| When Tim insured they would get it done this year, did he open up speculation about what happened last year? |
Of all the major sports, hockey is the hardest championship to win because luck is simply too much of a necessary quotient. However, don't get confused on this luck thing. It is necessary for sure, but the luck that we common folk speak of and the luck of a champion are hardly cut from the same cloth.
Enter the reigning NBA world champions, the Miami Heat, and suddenly the conversation of luck has taken on new dimensions. If you followed last year's finals, you understand clearly the reason for such opinions, but it might take a deeper knowledge of winning and losing to understand what luck is and what it is not.
Was it lucky that Ray Allen got his feet behind the line to tie game 6 on a miracle 3 pointer when San Antonio had the game all but wrapped up just moments before? Ray Allen won't let you describe his well practiced jumper as lucky. To me, the long bounce off of the rim that gave Chris Bosh, an exceptional rebounder, an offensive rebound and the assist to Allen was much more akin to luck. Had that ball bounced a little less than it actually did, then Bosh possibly gets called for an over-the-back foul and luck rewrites this story.
Yet, all of this is belaboring the obvious when it comes to luck. No one argues with the cliche', "I'd rather be lucky than good", including the greatest of them. No sensible human being would sacrifice the benefit of luck. In the end, life, and sports, demands a healthy dose of luck just to get an opportunity at greatness. Deep thinkers and coaches try to sell the notion that luck benefits the aggressor, but at the highest level of competition the lines blur between who is truly the most aggressive, especially since aggression has to be tempered by wisdom and prudence to become a champion.
We would all rather be lucky when our good isn't better than the competition Luck notoriously chooses sides. Sometimes it stays where it began, other times it becomes a bit fickle, but most often it walks out with the winning team.
I say often and not always because the beauty of sports is that you can make luck, and your opponents fall prey to your exceptional effort and unity. Revisionist' might revise you into the seat of the lucky one because that is what they do, but you and luck will always know the truth. Overall, it even takes a bit of luck to remain healthy enough just to be good. Greatness in team sports like basketball demands the luck of your good and my good showing up on the same day.
The Miami Heat know how to be great. They are a team in every sense of the word, but so are the San Antonio Spurs. Each team understands that they must exhibit the ability to play multiple styles of basketball and be fortunate (not lucky) enough to stay one step ahead of an opponent who is perfectly capable of doing the same to you. Had San Antonio won last years series, they would have had to mention the good fortune (luck) of overcoming LeBron and them, but it would be disrespectful to assign such a monumental achievement to the sheer luck of the draw.
As game one of the Stanley Cup finals came to an overtime end last night, one team came out playing really really good hockey....only to see a lucky bounce go in the net for the other team. The Colorado Avalanche opened the playoffs this season with one of the greatest efforts ever seen to erase a deficit and win in overtime. As they sit at home watching two other teams chase after the cup, I wonder if they feel lucky just to have won that first game and to have pushed Minnesota to a game 7. In hindsight, this Av's fan certainly feels a lot luckier than I did as our boys cleaned out lockers for the season.
The best team will win the NBA finals because the best team always does. No matter the nature of a game and the plays within it, the lucky team will always be the winner and the losers instantly become the team who's luck ran out. This years champion will need to overcome injury and in-game adversity. This years champion must shoot and defend, or run the risk of losing control of scoring. This year's champion also really needs luck to fall their way just to take advantage of the few advantages that great teams give up.
Call it what you want, but only the greatest teams ever get lucky enough to come within reach of a championship crown. The Spurs have plenty of rings and got a fairly good sniff of the crown last season. If the Spurs add to their championship legacy by winning another title this year, I can guarantee you that they won't care what adjectives we add to the word "Champion"
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Lucky Champions smile just the same.
Monday, June 2, 2014
Phil Jackson Is Running In Circles For The Sake Of A Triangle
While there probably is a story in the ideal that talking about basketball on television is a great way to prove that you are ready to coach an NBA team to a championship, the broader picture in the world of NBA hiring is much more interesting. Despite losing his job after only a few fairly successful seasons, Mark Jackson is back in the broadcast booth, but also firmly in the conversation about who will fill one of these vacant job openings, especially the one in New York.
In fact, he is probably the coach most likely to intrigue Carmelo Anthony, who has to be the player that the Knicks brought Phil Jackson in to retain. In fact, the only reason you hand over the reigns to an old maestro like Jackson is to have him get you to the promised land. Quickly!
Jackson himself could hardly be signing on for a ten year rebuild. If he were, the idea of shopping Melo' for all you can get would make more sense then posturing as though Melo' is priority number one. The swing and miss that Jackson made for Steve Kerr, the television announcer who is swapping coaching seats with Mark Jackson who was fired by the Golden State Warriors, is evidence that Phil is looking for a yes man. In Mark Jackson, Phil would have the experience of a playoff general who clearly has done a great job, but has more yet to prove. His firing in Golden State possibly makes him the hottest option for any team serious about winning it all simply because of the ax he would grind.
The problem with Jackson, Mark and Phil, is this darn triangle thing. You see, Phil, the mastermind who made Jordan the God of basketball and of shoe sales, could do the same with Melo' because the triangle is perfectly suited to someone like Melo who needs lots of touches and lots of space to make use of those touches. The triangle isolates the court to three players at a time and opens the opposite side of the court to wide open 3's when players slide in to support teammates caught in the triangle's web.
When ran to perfection and with the right group of guys, the triangle is as effective as any offense around. Run with sticky ball movements and late cuts and shifts, it simply doesn't run and can be a horrendous looking concept. From the time that Phil made it famous until now,few teams, on any level, have dared to run the triangle. Those who have tried it seldom take advantage of the full impact of the triangle's passing flow, opting for one-on-one in order to handle the unique pressure that a 24 second shot clock can create.
Therein lies the conundrum. Not only must you coach beneath the greatest coach of the modern era, you have to run his system and make players buy into it without the luxury of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant to exert their will on the situation. Did I mention that you also have to do this while accepting that you will only be the goat. Any success that this team has will be credited to Phil and his geometrically described offense. If you fail, it will surely be as a result of your inability to fit your round thinking into Phil's triangular world.
You might be lucky enough to have the option on whether or not you want sage burning in the locker room during bad losing streaks, (or anytime Phil thinks the energy is bad in the locker room of course) but if there is no sage, will Phil still believe that the coach understands what it takes to win?
Currently, former Phil Jackson player and current OKC Thunder guard, Derek Fisher is in the newest conversation to take over in New York. Now, let me see if I am clear about this. They not only wanted a former Philistine in Kerr, an ex-player, ex-executive and now ex-TV analyst (but not an ex-coach), they are also interested in Fisher, who just finished a season at 39 years old and is considering playing one more?
As I shake and scratch my head over who would be the bigger fool in this deal, Jackson or Fisher, I am also left to wonder if Phil is thinking of making him the next player coach? We certainly haven't seen one of those in some time. In my heart, I hope that the Fisher rumors are far from true because it speaks to how 'way over his head' Phil really is. The fact that Kerr was even a candidate for the job makes the Fisher story a lot more probable. Phil is fishing and grasping at straws because he is doing what coaches always do when they need a person to fill a need. Unfortunately, Phil is no longer a coach, and the job he hopes to hire for goes a bit further than simply signing on the line to coach basketball in the Big Apple. In fact, the skills that Phil himself will need to be great in the front office are most likely yet to be attained. Hiring a coach in the same boat could be disastrous mix for sure.
The next coach of the New York Knickerbockers will have the unique responsibility of needing the cache' to cash in on Melo', or some other big named free agent, but not be concerned with getting credit for any of the teams success.
If ever there was a need for Erik Spoelstra, this is it.
In fact, he is probably the coach most likely to intrigue Carmelo Anthony, who has to be the player that the Knicks brought Phil Jackson in to retain. In fact, the only reason you hand over the reigns to an old maestro like Jackson is to have him get you to the promised land. Quickly!
Jackson himself could hardly be signing on for a ten year rebuild. If he were, the idea of shopping Melo' for all you can get would make more sense then posturing as though Melo' is priority number one. The swing and miss that Jackson made for Steve Kerr, the television announcer who is swapping coaching seats with Mark Jackson who was fired by the Golden State Warriors, is evidence that Phil is looking for a yes man. In Mark Jackson, Phil would have the experience of a playoff general who clearly has done a great job, but has more yet to prove. His firing in Golden State possibly makes him the hottest option for any team serious about winning it all simply because of the ax he would grind.
The problem with Jackson, Mark and Phil, is this darn triangle thing. You see, Phil, the mastermind who made Jordan the God of basketball and of shoe sales, could do the same with Melo' because the triangle is perfectly suited to someone like Melo who needs lots of touches and lots of space to make use of those touches. The triangle isolates the court to three players at a time and opens the opposite side of the court to wide open 3's when players slide in to support teammates caught in the triangle's web.
When ran to perfection and with the right group of guys, the triangle is as effective as any offense around. Run with sticky ball movements and late cuts and shifts, it simply doesn't run and can be a horrendous looking concept. From the time that Phil made it famous until now,few teams, on any level, have dared to run the triangle. Those who have tried it seldom take advantage of the full impact of the triangle's passing flow, opting for one-on-one in order to handle the unique pressure that a 24 second shot clock can create.
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| Now that Steve Kerr has passed on the Knick's job will Derek Fisher turn his back on Phil too? |
Therein lies the conundrum. Not only must you coach beneath the greatest coach of the modern era, you have to run his system and make players buy into it without the luxury of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant to exert their will on the situation. Did I mention that you also have to do this while accepting that you will only be the goat. Any success that this team has will be credited to Phil and his geometrically described offense. If you fail, it will surely be as a result of your inability to fit your round thinking into Phil's triangular world.
You might be lucky enough to have the option on whether or not you want sage burning in the locker room during bad losing streaks, (or anytime Phil thinks the energy is bad in the locker room of course) but if there is no sage, will Phil still believe that the coach understands what it takes to win?
Currently, former Phil Jackson player and current OKC Thunder guard, Derek Fisher is in the newest conversation to take over in New York. Now, let me see if I am clear about this. They not only wanted a former Philistine in Kerr, an ex-player, ex-executive and now ex-TV analyst (but not an ex-coach), they are also interested in Fisher, who just finished a season at 39 years old and is considering playing one more?
As I shake and scratch my head over who would be the bigger fool in this deal, Jackson or Fisher, I am also left to wonder if Phil is thinking of making him the next player coach? We certainly haven't seen one of those in some time. In my heart, I hope that the Fisher rumors are far from true because it speaks to how 'way over his head' Phil really is. The fact that Kerr was even a candidate for the job makes the Fisher story a lot more probable. Phil is fishing and grasping at straws because he is doing what coaches always do when they need a person to fill a need. Unfortunately, Phil is no longer a coach, and the job he hopes to hire for goes a bit further than simply signing on the line to coach basketball in the Big Apple. In fact, the skills that Phil himself will need to be great in the front office are most likely yet to be attained. Hiring a coach in the same boat could be disastrous mix for sure.
The next coach of the New York Knickerbockers will have the unique responsibility of needing the cache' to cash in on Melo', or some other big named free agent, but not be concerned with getting credit for any of the teams success.
If ever there was a need for Erik Spoelstra, this is it.
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