For years I have often heard (and I also subscribed to) the notion that age is just a number. They say 'You are as young as you wanna be!' or 'Age is just a state of mind!', suggesting that age is a fictional monster similar to the Lockness that only exists in people's dreams and imaginations and doesn't deserve any recognition.
Well ladies and gentlemen I'm here to testify today that AGE IS REAL!!! *church dance*
Last night my church had a 4 on 4 basketball tournament which was sponsored and organized by Tasha 'Procrastinator' Brown and The Gem School.
Sidebar: Gem School is basically similar to 'Charm School' on Vh1, but better.. They teach young ladies how to respect themselves, and it helps them recognize their own worth .. Eh, enough of that .. Maybe Procrastinator will blog about it later (pun intended).
Anyway, back to the tournament. So, the tournament was categorized into groups, more specifically AGE groups (under 18, 18-25, 25 and over). This was my first indication that 'I wasn't as young as I wanna be' because I found myself in the oldest group, waaay in the oldest group.. So far into the oldest group that if they had another group above that, I very well may have qualified .. Lol.
Then the games began. I sat and watched some of the younger groups (some of whom are college graduates with full time jobs) play. From start to finish (finish for some of them were three or four games later) the games featured lightning quick first steps, jumping ability as though they had pogo sticks in their $150 basketball sneakers (the fact that I point out the price of their sneakers is another indicator... Lol), endurance like they could participate in a triathlon, and highly competitive spirits.
Then came my group, which started with a session of stretching, followed by a conversation/pep talk between the two teams that went something like this (ok guys let's try to make this exciting, but don't over do it .. Some of us have work in the morning .. And some of us have no health insurance .. It's not that serious). Then the game began. Molasses slow first steps, leaping ability like 'why aren't u guys jumping? we are jumping!!', and endurance?, well let's just say when the score was tied at 7 we had another discussion about changing game from 16 to 11 but grown man pride wouldn't allow it. Oh, and let's not forget the game stoppages due to injury. In the end though, we had a great time and the crowd was into it.
Everyone seemed to have a great time and an enjoyable evening. Everyone left all smiles.... But some of us didn't wake up with those same smiles. Over night those smiles turned into grimaces. I don't even know when it happened. Somewhere between the fun on the court, the shower when I got home (gotta let u know I didn't go to bed funky), and the 5 hours of sleep, I woke up this morning sore in some places that had me thinking to myself "at what point could I have used that muscle?!!" (No, not That muscle.. Smh.. Lol). It was at that very moment that I realized that age is not a figment of my imagination but instead a 4 headed monster preying on and devouring unsuspecting victims while robbing them of their youth!! Age is evil! No, age is The Devil!! This morning I stood face to face with The Devil and I think I lost!
The French poet Charles Pierre Baudelaire once wrote 'the greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world that he didn't exist'. I am convinced that must be what he had in mind when he shared that thought.
I just wanted, no, needed to share this revelation with those of you who have not yet been confronted by this demon and tell you to run while you can ... Save yourselves!! He got me, I'm finished .. My dear basketball sneakers can now be found hanging on a telephone wire near you..
But then again, The Devil is a liar!!! ... So maybe, just maybe... Eh, maybe not.
But then again what do i know .. That I know nothing!
Note: Some of the events were exaggerated for the effect, but not many.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Happy Father's Day!
Often times when I'm asked 'When are you gonna settle down, get married and have some kids?', I usually brush it off with an answer that will quickly end the convo (ie: if it's church, I will simply say 'whenever The Lord provides' because I know there is no response to that.... lol). Other times i just attribute it to my fear of commitment, or the fact that I've been such a confidant for so many and personally witnessed both the blissfulness of love and the devastating toll it takes on a person after it doesn't work out; and didn't want to allow myself to be so vulnerable to experience such a low point (of course it also means robbing myself of the high point but I'm ok with that). When it really comes down to it though, the truth is I grew up in a home where i witnessed exactly what it takes to be a 'good husband' and 'good father', and I simply don't know if I have what it takes:
My dad aka Ol' skool aka Pops has demonstrated to me that the word father is actually an action word.
It means taking many trips to the park and teaching me how to ride a bike
It means sitting at the table every night and helping me with my homework
It means 'waiting up' with me when I had a project to finish (note: waiting up usually meant snoring on the couch)
It means also 'waiting up' for me when I was out late (see waiting up definition above)
It means leaving work to pick me up from school when I wasn't feeling good
It means carrying me from appointment to appointment
I means saying 'I'm not hungry' when it's really 'I only have enough to buy you one' when u don't have it,
It means living modestly even when you do have it so that you can afford to put your kids through college
It means selling some of your retirement stock so that I could have a down payment on my place.
Basically, every success I have achieved in life, I have only been able to experience because of my dad's incessant acts selflessness and sacrifice... of course he would say God is responsible and naturally I'd agree, but my dad was even there with me to help and guide me through those moments when I even wondered if God was.
So on this Father's Day, I would like to propose a toast *raising glass (sparkling cider of course)*
To the man that always told me he was proud of me.
To the man that still calls me every day, and still says I love you when he hangs up the phone with me.
To the man that always reminds me the last three letters of my name spell the word 'win' (corny, though it may be) whenever I'm experiencing moments of doubt.
To the man who spared nothing to ensure I'd become something....
I thank you, I love you and I salute you .. Happy Father's Day!!
To all the other real fathers out there I extend the toast to you too.. Happy Father's Day!!!
To those who have a father; I celebrate with you
To those who lost their father; I grieve with you
To those who never knew their father; I grieve for you...
To all the men out there with children, I encourage you to be a father because you know that 'my dad can is superman and can do anything' feeling that little kids get?, well, they'll still have it 30+ years later...
But then again, what do I know .. that I know nothing
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
What Kobe's Missing
While watching the NBA finals over the last couple of weeks, I have been forced to admit something that brings pain to very depths of my soul: Kobe Bryant is the best basketball player on the planet. There, I said it. I won’t even say ‘arguably the best’; this guy is hands down the best player in the game right now. You name it, he’s got it:
Long Range Jump Shot: Check. Damn near pulls up from half court
Mid Range Jump Shot: Check. With or without the glass
Ambidextrous: Check. The guy even puts up floaters with his left hand
Post Up: Check. Sometimes posts up even bigger players
Durability: Check. Played with a broken finger and torn cartilage in his knee
Court Vision: Check. Knows exactly where to be and how to get the right shot
Passing Ability: Check. Not the greatest but can create and dish
Leadership: Check. Sometimes I sit wondering if Phil Jackson somehow got fired because he’s constantly teaching
Defense: Check. All NBA first team in defense for several years
Clutch Performance: Check. Yeah, you already know
Yes, Lebron has better court vision, Ray Allen is a better shooter, he no longer has the leaping ability as some the others in the league, and he may not even be amongst the fastest in the league, but this guy is more complete than them all.
While watching Kobe play, its obvious that he has patterned his game after MJ (no, not the singer), and in some ways is even better than him (fix your face!, This is myyyy blog!! *Poyser voice* - insider). However, I notice that his teams aren’t as dominant as the 90’s Bulls were. Certainly he may have the opportunity to match Jordan’s success (measured in Championships), but the Lakers often struggle and lose to teams that on paper are far inferior. Jordan’s Bulls completely dominated when he played.
I thought long and hard to analyze the difference: his role players are certainly more talented than the role players Jordan had, he has the same coach, the same triangle offense, and obviously the same will to win. So why don’t the Lakers win 70 games? Why do they lose or at least struggle with these sub-par teams? Then it dawned on me, there is one element of Jordan’s game that Kobe didn’t embody: Kobe has not mastered the art of TRASH TALKING.
I know the basketball purists believe that trash talking is sophomoric and you should let your game speak for itself, but I argue that those purists are discounting the psychological effects that trash talking has on an opposing player.
Let’s use these NBA finals as an example. Kobe’s defensive assignment is to guard Rajon Rondo: a player who is quick, gets to the rim at will and can create for other players, but he has no jump shot. The perfect defense is to back off him so he can’t run past you, and force him to be a jump shooter. The first part is easy enough, however, giving him space does not force him to shoot. Rondo is also well aware of his weakness and as a result will not voluntarily shoot the open shot. Instead he will look for a teammate to pass the ball to and reset.
Now lets revisit that scenario, however, instead of Kobe just giving Rondo space, he is also telling him ‘Go ahead take that shot! I’m giving you all that room! Take it, you bum!!’ Rondo still knows that is not his game, but in his mind Kobe has just challenged his psyche and questioned his talent, and it quite possibly may be the first time his talent has ever been questioned (considering all the players in the NBA were probably the star of every team they have been on growing up).
Now imagine if Rondo was able to ignore it the first time and stay within the game plan by not taking the shot and Kobe would then say something like ‘Yeah, you don’t want it! You’re a bum!!’. Then imagine Kobe taking the ball on offense and shooting a three pointed from damn near half court and saying ‘Thats how you shoot a jump shot, you bum!!’.
Imagine the damaging psychological effect this will have. I can almost guarantee that Rondo will take the jump shot next time down the court just for the possibility that it will go in and shut Kobe up and keep his ego in tact. Now, not only does Kobe take you out of your game plan (an added defensive tactic), but he now also has you beaten psychologically and Kobe’s team will dominate. This was a tool Jordan used all the time, and what I believe to be one of his most overlooked ‘talents’.
Hey Kobe!, if you are looking to dominate and not just squeak out wins, you gotta step your trash talk game up!! Work on that over the summer and you’ll probably win the championship for the next 3 or 4 years at least. If you need some help, give me a call, I got u .. Not that Im a great trash talker, but because I've had my psyche damaged enough to know whats effective.. Lol
But Kobe, please be careful, because the only thing more damaging to the psyche than effective trash talk, is an effective two piece to the chin (oh yeah, but you already know that): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqafrgriot8
But then again , what do I know?
Long Range Jump Shot: Check. Damn near pulls up from half court
Mid Range Jump Shot: Check. With or without the glass
Ambidextrous: Check. The guy even puts up floaters with his left hand
Post Up: Check. Sometimes posts up even bigger players
Durability: Check. Played with a broken finger and torn cartilage in his knee
Court Vision: Check. Knows exactly where to be and how to get the right shot
Passing Ability: Check. Not the greatest but can create and dish
Leadership: Check. Sometimes I sit wondering if Phil Jackson somehow got fired because he’s constantly teaching
Defense: Check. All NBA first team in defense for several years
Clutch Performance: Check. Yeah, you already know
Yes, Lebron has better court vision, Ray Allen is a better shooter, he no longer has the leaping ability as some the others in the league, and he may not even be amongst the fastest in the league, but this guy is more complete than them all.
While watching Kobe play, its obvious that he has patterned his game after MJ (no, not the singer), and in some ways is even better than him (fix your face!, This is myyyy blog!! *Poyser voice* - insider). However, I notice that his teams aren’t as dominant as the 90’s Bulls were. Certainly he may have the opportunity to match Jordan’s success (measured in Championships), but the Lakers often struggle and lose to teams that on paper are far inferior. Jordan’s Bulls completely dominated when he played.
I thought long and hard to analyze the difference: his role players are certainly more talented than the role players Jordan had, he has the same coach, the same triangle offense, and obviously the same will to win. So why don’t the Lakers win 70 games? Why do they lose or at least struggle with these sub-par teams? Then it dawned on me, there is one element of Jordan’s game that Kobe didn’t embody: Kobe has not mastered the art of TRASH TALKING.
I know the basketball purists believe that trash talking is sophomoric and you should let your game speak for itself, but I argue that those purists are discounting the psychological effects that trash talking has on an opposing player.
Let’s use these NBA finals as an example. Kobe’s defensive assignment is to guard Rajon Rondo: a player who is quick, gets to the rim at will and can create for other players, but he has no jump shot. The perfect defense is to back off him so he can’t run past you, and force him to be a jump shooter. The first part is easy enough, however, giving him space does not force him to shoot. Rondo is also well aware of his weakness and as a result will not voluntarily shoot the open shot. Instead he will look for a teammate to pass the ball to and reset.
Now lets revisit that scenario, however, instead of Kobe just giving Rondo space, he is also telling him ‘Go ahead take that shot! I’m giving you all that room! Take it, you bum!!’ Rondo still knows that is not his game, but in his mind Kobe has just challenged his psyche and questioned his talent, and it quite possibly may be the first time his talent has ever been questioned (considering all the players in the NBA were probably the star of every team they have been on growing up).
Now imagine if Rondo was able to ignore it the first time and stay within the game plan by not taking the shot and Kobe would then say something like ‘Yeah, you don’t want it! You’re a bum!!’. Then imagine Kobe taking the ball on offense and shooting a three pointed from damn near half court and saying ‘Thats how you shoot a jump shot, you bum!!’.
Imagine the damaging psychological effect this will have. I can almost guarantee that Rondo will take the jump shot next time down the court just for the possibility that it will go in and shut Kobe up and keep his ego in tact. Now, not only does Kobe take you out of your game plan (an added defensive tactic), but he now also has you beaten psychologically and Kobe’s team will dominate. This was a tool Jordan used all the time, and what I believe to be one of his most overlooked ‘talents’.
Hey Kobe!, if you are looking to dominate and not just squeak out wins, you gotta step your trash talk game up!! Work on that over the summer and you’ll probably win the championship for the next 3 or 4 years at least. If you need some help, give me a call, I got u .. Not that Im a great trash talker, but because I've had my psyche damaged enough to know whats effective.. Lol
But Kobe, please be careful, because the only thing more damaging to the psyche than effective trash talk, is an effective two piece to the chin (oh yeah, but you already know that): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqafrgriot8
But then again , what do I know?
Enjoy It While It Lasts....
Wow, I finally did it!! .. I actually started a blog!! Who woulda thought?!
Well actually, starting a blog is something I have contemplated doing for several months now. A few of my friends write regularly, and they have been encouraging me to follow suit. However, while the thought of creating a blog and expressing my ideas in writing appealed to my creative side (especially since I haven't had many opportunities to write since grad school), I haven't started one until now primarily for one simple reason .... My fear of commitment. I didn't want to start yet another thing that I know I wont finish, but I guess I just couldn't resist the urge. So I decided my first blog should serve as both an introduction and a warning ...
Welcome to my blog!! I'm happy I'm here, but I can't promise I'm here to stay. (wow, sadly that sentence just summed up my life... Lol)
Oh, and I stole the title of my blog from one of my favorite Plato/Socrates dialogues when Socrates was explaining to Plato that a wise man is wise only because he knows that he knows nothing...
#thatisall .. for now
Well actually, starting a blog is something I have contemplated doing for several months now. A few of my friends write regularly, and they have been encouraging me to follow suit. However, while the thought of creating a blog and expressing my ideas in writing appealed to my creative side (especially since I haven't had many opportunities to write since grad school), I haven't started one until now primarily for one simple reason .... My fear of commitment. I didn't want to start yet another thing that I know I wont finish, but I guess I just couldn't resist the urge. So I decided my first blog should serve as both an introduction and a warning ...
Welcome to my blog!! I'm happy I'm here, but I can't promise I'm here to stay. (wow, sadly that sentence just summed up my life... Lol)
Oh, and I stole the title of my blog from one of my favorite Plato/Socrates dialogues when Socrates was explaining to Plato that a wise man is wise only because he knows that he knows nothing...
#thatisall .. for now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)