The NBA: Athletes or Animals?

Is it just me or have NBA players been throwing more punches on the court than they are making baskets?
I was watching the news this weekend when once again I saw a basketball brawl. The game was between the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. The Knicks were getting blown out of their own building, and I guess you can say that they did not take it very well. When Denver Nugget J.R. Smith went to the basket for an easy lay up, New York Knick Mardy Collins grabbed him by the neck and threw him on the ground. As a normal reaction, Smith was angry. He got up and fought with Collins. Eventually, New York Knick Nate Robinson got in the middle and wrestled with Smith in the front row of the stands. Denver Nugget Carmelo Anthony made the situation worse when he punched Collins in the face, which was uncalled for in my opinion.
You would think these NBA players would have learned from the violent brawl that took place two years ago between the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers. That fight not only involved several fans, but also gave NBA players the reputation for acting too “gangster.”
Here is a message to some NBA players: If you want to fight for a living, then there is another sport for that. You might have heard of it: wrestling. Basketball is supposed to be fun to watch, and it is sad when certain players feel the need to ruin a sport that so many people love to watch. Plus, and most importantly, there are young people who look up to these players as role models. Lately, sports figures do not deserve to be role models. It disgusts me when high salary players (some are way over paid) feel that they can do whatever they want, and take whatever action they want to take. These players are grown men, yet they have the maturity level of 7-year-olds. I am surprised at what poor losers some of these players and teams are. Grabbing your opponent by the neck and throwing him to the ground just because your team is losing by 20 points is not very good sportsmanship. Be a better person than that.
Nowadays, it seems like players cannot even get along with their own teammates or coach for that matter. Take Allen Iverson for example. He has never been able to get along with teammates and has had problems agreeing with coaches. Recently, he demanded to be traded from the Philadelphia 76ers because he was not getting along with his coach. I think Iverson needs to grow up and learn to be less selfish. While the 76ers tried to find a deal with another team who would take Iverson, he sat at home and continued to be paid the big bucks. Iverson is obviously a very talented basketball player, but his attitude and behavior will not win him a championship anytime soon. Iverson was finally traded to the Denver Nuggets. That is all the Nuggets need, another immature player.
Now, not all players are immature. There are decent players left in the NBA. I just wish that there were more decent players.
Luckily, the players involved in the recent brawl were punished. They were suspended for several games without pay. Hopefully, they will learn their lesson. I wish that these stars of the NBA will grow up and play clean basketball. They need to realize that they all have one thing in common. They are doing something that they love to do, and millions of people love to watch. I have been a basketball fan since I was a child. There is nothing like watching an exciting basketball game where both teams are having fun out there on the court. I hope that one day all games can be like that again.

Hillary For President

With the Presidential election just two years away, and the war in Iraq still dragging on, the 2008 race is sure to be an interesting one. Several candidates have already been mentioned as possible runners in 2008. One person that has been mentioned as a possibility, and definitely has my vote, is New York Senator and former First Lady, Hillary Clinton.
I know that many people will probably disagree with my choice, but I think that Clinton would make a good President of the United States. I have always voted Democrat, and I think that a Democratic candidate has a good chance of winning in 2008. In the recent election in November, the Democrats took over the House and took control of the Senate. Considering what a mess President George W. Bush has made in the past six years, it is time for the Democrats to also take back the White House. It is sad what Bush has done to the economy since he has been in office, and how many more enemies we have made since he became elected. Unfortunately, every other country hates the United States because of Bush. The only thing Bush has accomplished since he has been in office is making his place in history as one of the worst Presidents we have ever had.
I have heard of a few possible candidates mentioned for 2008. John Kerry is one name mentioned, and it is safe to say that he has ruined any chances of running again after making insulting remarks about the troops in Iraq. Al Gore has been mentioned as well, but probably will not run if Clinton does. If Gore does run I think that Clinton would be a great running mate just like Gore was to her husband Bill. Hey, that is at least one step closer for Clinton to get into the White House. Gore has a decent chance of winning. He won in 2000. But that is a whole other blog post.
I think that Clinton is a very strong and smart woman, and will be able to tackle the tough issues. Not to mention, her husband Bill and 42nd President of the United States will be back in the White House to help her out. Bill as First Man? That does not seem too far-fetched now. Despite his scandals, Bill Clinton was a great President who gave us a strong economy, the lowest unemployment rate ever, and he cut the federal deficit. He cleaned up the mess Bush Sr. made. Maybe another Clinton will clean up the mess Bush Jr. has made.
The big question is, though, will Hillary Clinton decide to run? She does not give a definite answer when asked. Whether people agree with me or not, the first woman President may be sooner than later.

You Call This News?

A few weeks ago I sent my first email to a news agency: Fox News. Now, I have never really been a huge fan of the network in large part due to Bill O’Reilly and Hannity & Colmes. Their Republican views do not interest me one bit. Recently, though, I felt that the news network crossed the line. I was shocked to learn that they scheduled an on air interview with O.J. Simpson after he wrote a book entitled: If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened. Not only did Simpson get paid for the book and essentially for the murders that took place 12 years ago, but Fox was also re-living the tragedy. The fact that they were willing to allow Simpson T.V. time to talk about the murders, they capitalized on a horrible tragedy. Plus, the victims’ families had to re-live their loss once again. So, I sent Fox News an email saying that they were one of the reasons why I lost faith in good journalism. Fortunately, Fox came to their senses and pulled the plug on the interview. Not because of my email. I am sure that they were flooded with mail written by outraged citizens.
The Simpson saga is just one example of how much the news media needs to improve. If it is not Simpson, the main stories are the latest happenings with Britney (most recently, her lack of undergarments) and the big TomKat wedding. Yeah, that’s the latest trend now, re-naming celebrity couples.
What about the economy or the war on terror? I chuckle when I write this because I am thinking of comedian Chris Rock’s “Never Scared” HBO special when he says that all of the celebrity news that is out there is just a trick by President Bush to get people’s mind off the war. As an example, Rock jokingly says Bush is the one that brought that girl up to Kobe Bryant’s room.
Do not get me wrong. I enjoy watching the entertainment shows like “Access Hollywood” once in awhile (it used to be quite often) but it has gotten to the point where it has become ridiculous. I am reminded of the 1990’s when photographers/reporters were camped in front of the late John F. Kennedy Jr.’s apartment in New York waiting for him to come home from work. His response: “Slow news day?” We as a society are fascinated with icons like him. I am fascinated with celebrities like that and I like to read about their lives. Professor Robert Entman’s 1990 book entitled: Democracy Without Citizens: Media and the Decay of American Politics, discusses this very issue. Entman feels that the public wants entertainment rather than being informed on serious issues. I agree with that notion because entertainment is less boring than politics, which is probably why news programs have an entertainment segment after the sports and weather segments. However, I think that there should be a little less gossip and more discussion on serious issues.
As long as people continue to watch the gossip and ratings go up, then I doubt the media will change anytime soon. After 9/11, the news media did seem to care more about reporting on the serious stories and the war on terror. I just hope that it does not take another tragedy for the media to improve their journalistic integrity.