More Shit To Deal With...

February 17th, Sunday... Today is the NBA's feature Allstar game and the sports world is abuzz! Oh the pageantry of it all! On top of that, it is Michael Jordan's 50th birthday! Yay for Mike! I listen to sport's talk radio and the talking heads are making a real big deal out of it! There has been story after story about MJ's storied basketball life and I have to tell you, I am bored shitless!
It's been over 20 years since MJ won his last NBA title, which deems him "irrelevant" in my book. As far as I am concerned, LeBron James is the "now" big thing to forget about 20 years down the road! MJ won 6 NBA titles... So what! Bill Russell won eleven! MJ looked like he could fly when he jumped. So did Dr. J! (Julius Erving) To let the pundits tell it, Michael is self-centered, arrogant, shady... They say that's who he is. Who wants to be around someone like that? Funny thing, Jordan always seems to look like he doesn't want anyone around him. He is  too self-absorbed. (I wonder how many mirrors he has cracked?)
Michael once said (I am paraphrasing) "Don't be surprised if you see me in the NBA at 50!" "Paleeeeese" come back and play at 50! Please? I would love to see MJ try to compete at his age now! I'm sure Mike's take off to the basket would look like the Wright Brothers first flight! They say that he is a great "shit" talker! That's what he should be now... A shit talker. Keep your memories, live in the past, and stay on the porch! The BIG BOYS are running now. Not grumpy old men!
Today is the last day of the allstar festivities. It's also the last day for MJ's 50th birthday. Unfortunately, the allstar game will be forgotten in a few days. But, will MJ's birthday follow the same demise? Inshallah...

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

February 24th, Friday... "Don't believe the hype!" Especially if it's about you!/ Now that Jeremy Lin has met the Miami Heat and had a sub-par game, maybe the media will stop creating the "super hero" they want Lin to be. Lin got the chance to be in the NBA... That's all! He can hang out but he is not going to dominate the thing. What has been proven so far is that there are a lot of bad defenders in the league or, for the sake of entertainment no defense is played to keep the game moving. Miami did not get that memo!
No fault of Lin's. He did not create the hype. He just went into the game, when told, and did what he does! ("Does what he do!" for you Ebonics readers!) He is a basketball player and he strengths and weaknesses like all players. It's the "ding-dang" media that is responsible for the (created) hysteria that surrounds Jeremy Lin.
What I like about the (personified) media is when they create something, then back off of it when called on the carpet. What is proves, to me, is that the media believes that everything that happens is a story and when it is not all that of a great story, they will hash it out until they think it is! Please!
Lin is an innocent bystander in all of this and now he may have to bear some pain because the Miami Heat exposed him. Hopefully he is of sound mind. But, no worries... The Knicks are corporate owned. They have plenty of cheese! They can hire a personal psychiatrist if Lin needs one. They can put him/her on a retainer and fly him/her out when needed!
Keep the faith Lin. You are in the city (Manhattan) where the fantasy becomes the reality! (If you lived in Brooklyn, reality would smack the shit out of you everyday!)

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

February 19th, Sunday... Lately I have been hearing criticism about the "social media" phenom that has swept the world by storm. What I heard (criticism) is that there is no filter on what's being written or said and it poses a problem for the (more) established media outlets. So, I'm reading all of the accounts I get eyeball on Jeremy Lin (the Asian-American N.Y. Knick) because... well, he can ball! For whatever reason, there are those who were waiting for Lin to fail because he got off to a great start! His numbers were (are) great, save the turnovers. (Actually they are great also. He is leading the league in that category!/ LOL!).
Anyway, almighty ESPN, the omnipotent sports network stuck their athletic foot in their mouth by reporting that there is a "Chink In The Armor" after the Knicks loss to the New Orleans Hornets. Even with the loss, Lin had 26 points and 5 assists!
Institutionalized racism is like a venomous snake... The snake can live with the poison. When we get bitten, uhhh... antidote please!
Should ESPN go off the air? Probably not. Should someone lose their job? Probably! Why should they be allowed to hang around as it were. Shouldn't the person who said or wrote such a derogatory comment be held to a higher standard than that of some unfiltered, "social media" hack?

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

February 13th, Monday... The New York Knicks should get rid of their new Asian sensation Jeremy Lin!I know, I know... It sounds cruel but it's not as cruel as it would be if they keep him.Ok, it's New York! Bright lights and fanfare and hoopla! (Pun intended!) It's Madison Avenue and Broadway and, well... Harlem! It's also Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire! They are stop gaps... Flow stoppers! They dominate the ball. Stoudemire is a basketball abyss and Anthony is the proverbial "black hole!" (Yes the pun is intended again.) Those two would make D'Antonie's offense look just like the traffic on Seventh Avenue and 34th Street. (That's way too much traffic in that area!LOL!) That being said, Jeremy Lin would be rendered ineffective and "Linsanity" would die a horrible death! The Knicks should release him so that he can be the man! "No man is an island" in Manhattan! Manhattan is an island unto itself and there will be no island before it! (Biblical humor! I dared to go there!) Lin is good enough to lead a team but it has to be a team that recognizes that! The Knicks can see that but New York is a weird place. Often things that should be, aren't. Does an undrafted Asian kid lead the big, bad Knicks? Sure he can. He's proved it already but the two basketball bullies aren't playing with him-yet!
This will all play itself out sooner or later but Lin should go. He is a legitimate NBA player and he has an upside! He will get better and stronger and smarter... That is if he can play with a team that will be "his team!" The Knicks will never be his team. There are too many who have claims on it now.

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

December 25th, Christmas Sunday... Hey, the NBA is back! And...?

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

December 17th, Saturday... OMG! As if things were not bad enough, the worse has settled in! The Los Angeles Lakers lost out on Chris Paul (Thank you David Stern), lost their award winning 6th man Lamar Odom and received nothing in return, and now their Michael Jordan clone Kobe Bryant is getting divorced from his wife of 10 1/2 years! I'll tell you, when it rains (in Cali) it pours! Things were looking pretty good when the lockout ended but now dark clouds loom.
How much can the Lakers take? The tried to rid themselves of Pau Gasol, didn't happen. Phil Jackson is gone and so is the infamous Triangle Offense Kobe thrived in. Mike Brown is the new coach (post LeBron James/Cleveland Cavaliers). Who knows what that means? Kobe's pissed off! The Lakers got swept by the Dallas Mavericks and now have sent Odom there...
Truth be told, I was never a fan of the Lakers so it might be fun to watch them sink slowly into the abyss of the NBA. Time for new meat to talk about!
"This gone be good!"

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

September 21st, Wednesday... Okay... I'm confused! Back in the day, I got twisted around when Dennis Rodman was dressing up in women's clothes and wearing makeup and being one of the fiercest rebounders in NBA history! I got through that. Then I see my "homeboy" Ron Artest snap and commence to taking out a row of seats in Detroit! (I gave him the benefit of the doubt because, technically, he did not start the fight!) But I draw the line when "Ron-Ron" changed his name to "Metta World Peace" then signed on with Dancing With The Stars! Are you kidding me? Dancing With The Stars? That lame ass shit? Queensbourough Ron and DWTS... DAMN!Then, to add insult to injury, he LOST in the first round! I can see a... Oh let's see... A reality show participant doing that! Why not? All they do on their show is walk around and say the dumb ass shit they say during the course of the day anyway! But a "baller" on a "world championship" team in the annals of NBA history blowing up the cha-cha? How do you screw up the cha-cha? It's one, two, cha cha cha! Then, to take a page out of "The Worm's" wardrobe book and wear what he wore? Would Dennis wear that outfit even on a bad hair day? (They have both had bad hair days and looked better!)
Time for me to start watching the NHL!

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

January 27th, Wednesday/ Alright, enough already! This Gilbert Arenas thing has gone too far! In case you don't know, Gilbert Arenas is the former all star guard for the Washington Wizards that is presently being punished for storing guns in his locker at work and mocking the situation during a game day warm up. Now everyone is wondering what will happen to him. The DC court system has decided to pass judgement on him on March 12th. NBA Commissioner, David Stern, has suspended him to a term yet to be determined. The Wizards seem to be positioning themselves to try to get out of owing Arenas $80 million dollars and voiding his contract... Oh whoa is me... and Gilbert!
Do you want to know what to do? Send Gilbert's ass to the NBDL (National Basketball Developmental League), pay his ass scale, let him ride on the team van to and from games and allow him to feel what it feels like to have to experience that shit! And, instead of having twelve assistant coaches on an NBA bench, trade in one of those spots and hire a damn psychiatrist and schedule appointments for the players! Put the clause in his contract that he has to show up instead of having these useless promotional events so the fans can kiss the ring... Or lack thereof... To hell with all of the role model BS!

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

November 30th, Monday/ Well, the sports world has been flipped on it's ass recently! Two extremes have erupted and rocked the sports psychic and no one seems to be able to put a finger on it. I'm talking about Allen Iverson and Tiger Woods.
The Allen Iverson saga is real easy. He is not really ready to retire but he does want to take his ball and go home... As well he should. He's done! No, not physically... He's done mentally! He wants to play the game on his terms only now. He wants to start and control the game, coaches and teammates be damned. Remember, this guy has won nothing by way of championships in the NBA. He only came close once in 14 years of service. ONCE!!! He was never nor will ever be a "team player!" Basketball, last time I checked, is a team game and everyone has to play their role. AI wants to define his role because he does not seem to understand that everybody gets him. He is a "warrior!" He has a big heart. He is tough. He is durable. Winning teams need that! But they also need everybody to be on the same page and AI is reading another book. He is not now nor ever been "The Answer." He is the question. Retire already and get it over with!
Tiger Woods had a car accident and will not talk to the police. Oh the drama! Why was he leaving his house at 2:30 am? Was he drunk? Is he seeing another woman? Why won't he talk? Should we care? Outside of their respective sport, athletes usually have nothing great to say. It may be cool but it is usually not great! (Rewind Michael Jordan's acceptance rant at the Basketball Hall of Fame Induction!) To those who felt some sort of connection with him during an interview and now feel slighted, get over it. Tiger was not talking to you then either. He was simply accommodating your request while he was on the job is all. (When was the last time you got invited to dinner at the crib?) So, don't feel bad because he is not talking and explaining his actions, or lack thereof. Golf season will soon be here. He will talk again about his (golf) swing and his (golf) clubs and his (golf) balls!

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

March 5th, Thursday/ DAMN! Terrell Owens was released by the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL... Oh boohoo already! What's next with this guy? Will it be a suicide attempt? (Wait a minute, didn't that already happen?) Will he stab another quarterback in the back? (Ahh, been there, done that!) Oh... I know... His full length narcissus mirror will break and he will be ugly for seven years! That's it, right?
And, what is it with the Dallas Cowboy's owner anyway? He actually makes Barnum AND Bailey look like rank amateurs!
Maybe it's just me but I think that all pro sports have gone from the ridiculous to the... well, even more ridiculous! "Step right up and see the greatest Bros on earth!" And, "...watch Manny and Alex and Barry and Charles and ("The Big Shaqiwakki") sell their integrity for several million dollars! Come one and all and spend a couple of hundred bucks for a couple of hours of fun and excitement. To hell with the concept of a challenge. Be amused by the death defying flop of the 300 pound man! Then watch as the 300 pound man and the former coach of the 300 pound man take (cannon) shots at each other and call each other names at their respective press conferences! And... Watch as the press instigates the whole exciting spectacle!"
Now that's entertainment!

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

February 27th, Friday/ I was watching ESPN this morning and there was coverage on the Lakers/Phoenix game in the NBA played last night. At the beginning of the piece, they showed a press conference featuring The Big "Whatever" and the "Black Mamba." When asked if these two wished that someday they could be teammates again, they both replied "NO."
You see, a "long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" these two players were teammates for the LA Lakers and won championships together. They were touted as the super heroes of the NBA. They were better than Batman and Robin, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and even Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor! But, alas, the relationship did not last and the two broke up in a messy divorce.
Well, for whatever reason, there always seems to be some member of the press who feels compelled to bring up the subject of these two getting back together when they are cornered in a press conference.
Look, even Robin wanted to be separated from Batman! (Oh yeah, it's true! I saw it in the movies. It was the flick when Robin's family was killed and Robin joined Batman to get his life together but became jealous of Batman when he discovered who Batman really was! I saw it! I did!)
C'mon fellas, let this go. Shaq and Kobe have moved on. Why can't you? Please stop blasting them with the subject of them wanting to get back together. That's your fantasy. In real life they do not want to share the light with each other. (I am wondering how they are going to share the All Star MVP trophy in these bad economic times? I mean, they both held up only ONE trophy for the photographers after the game and David Stern did just borrow several million dollars for the league the other day!) What you probably should ask them is what is what schedule did they work out for when the MVP trophy will be displayed in their respective homes?

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

February 17th, Tuesday/ Oh that wacky world of the NBA! What a weekend! All of the fanfare and the activity this past weekend has my brain spinning... What? The Allstar Game? What about it? wait a minute... You think I'm talking about the allstar game? Noooooooo... I'm referring to the four month hiring and firing of Terry Porter! What the hell was that? How do you fix what is not broken, get rid of "The Matrix," bring in Shaq, bog the offense down, run a coach out of town (D'Antoni), bring in a new coach (Porter), expect massive improvement with all of the changes, not get it; then, fire (Porter), hire from within the system, shop (arguably) your best player and expect all to be well? Hire a blog writer named Steve Kerr , that's how!
Okay, I get it! He played in the league with MJ, who is teaching classes at the MJ School of NBA Business on how to be a NBA general manager. My question is, who is overseeing Kerr? MJ?
So, the other question I have is, when is Kerr going to be held accountable for his actions? If Porter is to take the hit for being the wrong man for the job, how is Kerr the right man for his job?
My hat is off to the NBA marketing machine. They do a great job of promoting the NBA. I wish I could make a suggestion to them for a promo: I would like to see them do that Where (Whatever) Happens promo. I would suggest that they do "Where Kerr Happens" and have his profile picture with his old uniform number underneath like they do on those police blotters! That would be (NBA) fan-tas-tic!

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

August 24th, Sunday.../ I just flew back from NYC today and, man, are my arms tired! (Rim shot right here!)I'm sick of basketball camp so, consequently, I'm sick of basketball, period! I don't care about the "Redeem Team..." (Sure I'm glad that they won the gold! Hell,they should have!) I don't care that Spain gave them a hell of a game! (Hell, Spain should have given them a hell of a game!) All I can think about is how the game gave me tendinitis in my knees! (Hell, it should have! I had sex with basketball and it gave me a basketball desease!) I've been thumping around the game since I was seven years old. (I'm now 107 years old... in basketball years!) I don't care if I don't know who the top 100 high school players are. I don't care who the pundits think will make the Final Four. So what if Dwayne Wade is back from all of his injuries! I have tendinitis and no health plan! So what if some think that I can motivate a 15 year old to play hard... It never translated into a great college job for me. I've won nothing. I am not in the Hall of Fame! (Shit, I've never even been in the building to see the space where my bust might have gone!) I know, I know... I sound bitter. Shit, I AM bitter! All that work I've done over the years and no payoff? I could have coached DUKE to a championship! ("...I know Mike Krzyzewski...Hell, I'm no Mike Krzyzewski!) So what now? Do I watch basketball on TV during the season or do I watch The Apprentice? Should I go to live games or do I stay home and watch The Apprentice on TV? Should I stay in touch with the coaches I've met over the years or do I watch The Apprentice on TV? Should I continue to work with kids and help them with their game, or, should I just point my fingers at them and say, "You're fired?" I don't know... I'm so confused! Hell, don't worry about me... I'll put my degree to use. I know... I'll become a black Donald Trump. I majored in English Literature so I'll sell words to the illiterate... I'll corner the market and become "king of the world!"

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

Saturday, July 26th... I watched the American Olympic basketball team play Canada last night and I got to thinking... They keep making a big deal about who is on the squad and how big a marquee player that player is for his respective NBA team. Then I realized that each player is one of the main players on the offensive side of the ball. That's cool... Gotta have fire power! But the problem for the Olympic team, over the years, has never been on the offensive end. The problem has always been the defense! Then I got to thinking... The NBA always recognizes 15 players at the end of the season for their defense... And... None of the 15 players recognized are on the Olympic team (I don't think. My bad, Kobe is on the team!). Where is Bruce Bowens? Where is Tim Duncan of KG? Okay, they don't have to play if they don't want to but come on! Why are we being forced to believe that a leopard is going to change its spots? Kobe Bryant is the only player that WANTS to play defense. Last time I checked the big men had a problem playing defense on the perimeter (and ALL of the Euros can SHOOT! All of them!)There is definitely a problem with the basketball terminology. There is no pick and roll in the Euro game... It's pick and flare and shoot the jumper! Our players seem to wait for the roll part and it hardly ever happens. Maybe it's the widened lane that eliminates low post play but whatever it is, the Americans need a basketball shrink as well as a good coach on the bench./ It looks like the NBA is responsible for the latest malfunction. They do not market defense, therefore it is not really encouraged to play and the style of play is dummied down to fit into the frame work of the time constraints. 24 seconds per possession is not a lot of time to get a shot off, so forget the fundamentals and shoot off the wrong foot; and, if you are a 2 or 3 position player, stay out of the 4 or 5 position to get your shot and vise-versa. If Michael Jordan or Allen Iverson or whomever is designated to handle the ball 98% of the time, is playing, make sure he gets to shoot 9 for 30 a night! Movement of the ball and the players is only encouraged until the designated shooter gets the ball... Then it's "get your ass out of the way and let him do his thing because we are paying him 1 million dollars a minute!"/ Hey, trust me, I get it! "It is what it is!" Just stop trying to feed me this BS of offense heals all basketball wounds. Offense fades from one minute to the next in a basketball game... But defense? Defense is nothing but hard work and hard work is the American way! If you don't believe me, ask all the the hard working people that work for minimum wage! (And also ask them how tired they are, especially when they get their check at the end of every 2 week pay period! It's damn sure not 1 million dollars a minute!)

A Warped POV by A. Dacosta Brathway

Tuesday, July 22nd... Man! I have to apologize. I have been on a world wind tour of NY/NJ and now I am back at my desk to share the experience. NY was great! Between the gunfire and the pitbulls, Brooklyn was as lively as always... (I walked around when it was deemed safe!)I enjoyed the sights and sounds of my old neighborhood. The different dialects of the Caribbean fill the air as the arguments continue on the street corners all hours of the day. I love the smell of meat patties and jerk chicken as the combination penetrate my nose and head straight for my brain, allowing me to envision what it must be like to live on an island other than Staten (Island). The women are scantily dressed and walking around freely as if danger is on vacation. My head snaps around as though I am watching a tennis match. I also got a kick out of watching jobless 18 year olds drive around in 6 Series Beemers and Escalades and wonder how they made that happen(?). I went to Manhattan to take in the sights. It always amazes me to see the different hustles people come up with. There is an actual Mariochi (Is that spelled right?) Band that rides the Q train, playing their music as subway riders fill their ten gallon cowboy hats with change as they stroll through the cars. (Ahh, only in New York... and Mexico!) I'm going back up there next week. I want to monitor the progress of the gentrification movement taking place. Not to worry, my passport is current in case I have to move back to Africa by order of the NBA! (The Nets are moving to Brooklyn and the rents are going up!

CRAP/My Journal by Al Brathway

October 4th, Thursday/ Last night I went to bed very early, which ment I was going to wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to go back to sleep. So I turned on the radio and tuned on to a sports talk radio station. Hey, I'm into sports! Sometimes I listen to sports talk radio during the day to pass the time. Sometimes it's cool and other times the conversations get real stupid. Well last night the conversation went beyond stupid!/ I've noticed that the hosts of these types of shows seem to get real disturbed when their listening audience doen't agree with whatever they say. Most of the time, after a rant by the host, the listener gets hung up on! Last time I checked that is rude behavior. I guess no one can have a valid opinion, on the radio, but the host? Or, maybe they are supposed to be funny? I got annoyed! Then, the random bantering that goes on and on and on and on... Yeah, I can change the channel, which I eventually did, but... And the losers that call in...! What the hell is wrong w/ people? You know, I could never get past the weirdness of Andy Warhol but he was right about one thing: People DO want their 15 minutes of fame! The callers will hang on the line and wait and wait and wait to be heard on the radio! Last night, two guys fell asleep waiting. They broadcasted the two guys snoring while waiting! I guess that is compelling radio or something./ I know one thing... I will time my going to bed better from now on. I will also avoid listening to sports talk radio from now on. Hell, I might just stop watching sporting events altogether. If I cannot be entertained by sports, I might as well watch and listen to world news... That's where all the comedians seem to be these days!/ CRAP!

CRAP/ My Journal by Al Brathway

June 8th, Friday/ Last night I watched the first game of the NBA Finals. It was a good game... Both teams played hard! LeBron James did not fair too well against the Spurs defense but I imagine that he will figure it out during the course of the series. Having said that, I think the Spurs will win the series because they are my team. I just don't understand why they don't get the attention they deserve?/ So, I'm sitting there, watching, and I had this eerie feeling come over me. I was starting to identify with the Spurs in some zen like fashion. It felt like there was a ghost in the room with a Spurs jersey on or something. Everytime the Spurs had the ball on offense or they did something great on defense, I felt this... this something pass by me or go through me or hover around me. At first I thought it was just a draft in the room but as time went on the feeling was more pronounced. It wasn't cold or hot... It was just... There! And it felt soooo gooood too! I felt myself getting real happy... Giddy in fact!/ So I'm watching the game and, now, I'm starting to reflect on my high school days when I played basketball. I remembered being on a predominately white team, yet I was the best freethrow shooter. Here I am, 6'3, 185lbs., playing forward, averaging 15pts. and 10 rebounds a game, taking all kinds of punishment from the opposing team's power forward... Going to the foul line and sinking foul shot after foul shot after foul shot at an 85% clip... My memory is getting more and more vivid. I'm starting to remember all kinds of things I've done that helped the team win... Then, all of a sudden, things started to go BLACK! I wasn't feeling so "giddy" anymore. Tears started to stream down my face... The game ended and the Spurs won but I wasn't feeling all that great anymore. I was having the same feelings I had when I played high school basketball. I was instrumental in winning games for the team but... I didn't feel like "the man!" And then it hit me... It was my moment of truth. I started to understand why I identified with the Spurs so much! It wasn't because they won or Tim Duncan or the coach or any of that type of shit. I liked the Spurs because, like them, I was great and hardly received any recognition too, and now I'm sitting there, watching, and being reminded about how my sorry and painful adolescent life unfolded!/ CRAP!