Loyalty Re-Defined

The next time you look up the word, "loyalty" in the dictionary, you may see a picture of:

Granted, his gripes about Lakers management are legitimate, but if there's anyone who should be indebted to a team for his entire career, it's the athlete pictured above.

Check out the latest trade scenarios involving the Bulls and/or Knicks:  http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=539

Even Kobe Agrees With Me - Mitch Cupcake (Kupchak) Needs to Be Shown the Stairs or the Stair Window

Recent ESPN headline...

Kobe wants West to return to Lakers with full authority

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2884339

Where is the Student's Family in all of this?

Obviously, the VaTech shooter left a trail of images, plays, and videos behind him - all the while not feeling comfortable expressing himself to his peers and teachers.

One major issue that I feel strongly about is the fact that his family is making a similar, arguably cultural mistake by not communicating to the general public. All we know is that his immigrant parents own a dry cleanering business in a suburb of VA and  his sister is a Princeton graduate. Additionally, we know that his family was extremely poor (perhaps explaining why part of his manifesto was targeted at "rich kids") when they lived in S. Korea - so much so that they thought that living in the U.S. as unknowns (ironically) was a far better option.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/18/virginiatechshooting/main2697624.shtml

The lack of communication by his family means that much has been left up to the arbitrary, and usually unfair/racist speculation by the media and the VaTech student/faculty members being interviewed. However, no one should act like they knew this troubled individual because apparently, he didn't have a single friend.

The only human beings out there who might've known him were his family members. Perhaps they might not be ready to come forward yet, but I think the American public needs to hear from them so that we can empathize and maybe come a little closer to remembering that this kid might've actually had a pure soul at one point in his life. I'm sure that the words and images of their son/brother that are airing on every network/web video available are not the ones that they want to remember him by. They need to do it for themselves, and they need to do it for the families and friends of the 32 we lost on Monday. America needs to see a grieving mother, a deeply troubled father, and a sister in mourning, to know that the only people who knew this kid, did everything they could for him, even if it wasn't enough.

A Week of Race Relations News in America

30 Years Too Late for Don Imus' Firing

Comments like Imus' towards the Rutgers Women's Basketball team are indicative of racism so ingrained and so second nature to him that he doesn't even know where to draw the line. This guy got paid millions to make disparaging comments about the less privileged. Ludicrous! His charitable work means nothing if he can't even see eye to eye with human beings of different hues and socioeconomic status - in many cases, the same people whom he is directing charity towards.

To his credit, he is remorseful and he has publicly apologized, but I believe that he should spend the rest of his unemployed existence trying to make amends for the 3 decades of damage that he inflicted on American society.

Charges dropped against the Duke Lacrosse Student-Athletes

Mixed takes on this one. Justice was served, but this reminds me of the Kobe Bryant incident in Vail, Colorado in that he was guilty of the lesser of 2 evils. Though Crazy Eight was not convicted of rape, he still committed adultery and had to pay off his accuser.

Let's not forget that the student athletes at Duke hired the strippers, hurled racial slurs at them, and at least one member of the team wrote a vile email threatening to do more physical harm to the dancers. Details re: the email can be found here:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190749,00.html  Did these students deserve to be so swiftly accused by the DA, Nifong, along with Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson? Absolutely not, but let's not be too quick to feel sorry for them because the rest of their actions that evening were deplorable.

These privileged Dukies got a free, Costo-like sample of what it's like to be a racially profiled minority in this country - in many cases, that means you're actually considered guilty until proven innocent. Thankfully, at least one of athletes seemed to learn the higher lesson here:

Currently Listening The Hip-Hop Violinist By Miri Ben-Ari see related

Time for a New College Basketball Powerhouse in L.A.

I watched the ugla-Florida game with some bruin alums here in NYC. Even I found it in myself to have a speck of sympathy as I watched the bruins endure back-to-back maulings by the Gators, and this time was maybe worse than the last. I usually jump at the opportunities to taunt bruins, but I refrained this time. One thing I will say is I hope that Aaron Afflalo shows up more often for class than he does for big games. How can your supposed superstar not step up for any big games over the past 2 NCAA tourneys?? Time to take back some of his scholarship money, as poorly as he's played when it counts the most.

That all being said.....if ugla can't get it done, it's time to usher in a new basketball power in L.A. During the 2007-08 season, be sure to watch for the 2nd coming of O.J. at 'SC. In case you hadn't heard, he's the most heralded HS player since LeBron James. He reminds me of Dewayne Wade. Supposedly, he has issues with sportsmanship and is overly cocky, as documented all over the internet. But people forget that those are attributes you need when you're trying to put an opponent away to prevent a comeback. You need them when you're trying to drill a cold-blooded buzzer beater with Ben Wallace and Ron Artest up in your grill like a 1985 Cadillac Brougham. Get your tickets now because this show is only going to be in town for 1 season at the Galen Center.