Michael Jordan, Today (9/11), and Tomorrow

Today is the day. in a few hours, the greatest player of all time will be inaugurated into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame.

Michael Jordan...has achieved everything he will ever achieve as a pro basketball player. And no one has ever done it better.

As we've all spent today reflective not only of Michael Jordan's legacy, but also in remembrance of the lives lost eight years ago on this day, a strange and melancholy thought that came to mind, as I thought about these two worlds in collision:

What is the relationship between time and greatness?


Is it inverse, is it direct, or does it vary? Can greatness diminish? Does greatness only swell? Or does time have any relation at all to how monumental a person or event is in history?

Are our lives any less impacted by the great tragedy of 9/11 than they were eight years ago? Yes, our attitudes may have changed. We have returned to a relative sense of peace and stability compared to the emotions of that day. But the reality of what happened, the many lives that were forever changed, the young men that have spent years overseas at war to this day--none of that changes.

The attitude change is attributed to two natural human inclinations: 1) our natural drive towards homeostasis--we were not designed to be emotionally monotone, and 2) today's society is so drowned by information and a world consciousness made possible by 20th-century technology that we are constantly fighting to find our place in history, some assurance that we have had a historically-relevant existence.

(Sidebar: It's the reason that every time you watch SportsCenter there is a new statistic that you would've never imagined was even important, like "Most Time Spent Stranded on 3rd Base", "Most Minutes Played in Toronto by a Non-Raptor", etc.)

So that's why every tragedy that takes place after 9/11 will be compared to 9/11. The lives lost, the effect on the stock market, and the residual damage to our foreign relations will all be marked as "<" or ">" September 11, 2001. It was the greatest tragedy my generation has ever experienced.

But even if/when a greater calamity falls, nothing can change the fact that many sat, as I did, in high school classrooms around this nation, and saw their entire lives flash before their eyes in an instant. No numbers and statistics can supplant the reality of what we and the rest of the nation experienced that Tuesday morning.

Never forget.

(Please see note at end of blog)

__________________

great (grt)
adj. great·er, great·est

1. Very large in size.

2. Larger in size than others of the same kind.

3. Large in quantity or number: A great throng awaited us. See Synonyms at large.

4. Extensive in time or distance: a great delay.

5. Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent: a great crisis.

6. Of outstanding significance or importance: a great work of art.

7. Chief or principal: the great house on the estate.

8. Superior in quality or character; noble: "For he was great, ere fortune made him so" (John Dryden).

9. Powerful; influential: one of the great nations of the West.

10. Eminent; distinguished: a great leader.

11. Grand; aristocratic.

12. Informal Enthusiastic: a great lover of music.

13. Informal Very skillful: great at algebra.

14. Informal Very good; first-rate: We had a great time at the dance.

15. Being one generation removed from the relative specified. Often used in combination: a great-granddaughter.

In my belief, greatness, both in its positive and negative forms, does not fade. The emotions, however, can regress over time.

25 years from his first NBA game, and less than a decade removed from his last dribbles up the court, Michael Jordan's legacy as a great player is well remembered, but his status as the greatest player has already come into question.

Kobe Bryant, for many years seen as the heir apparent, has finally climbed to become the best player in the league, after cementing his first MVP award and Finals trophy sans Shaq. Were he to win one or two more trophies, and climb a bit higher in the record books, many will be ready to give him the "greatest" status already.

Less than a decade removed...

LeBron James, now entering his 7th year in the league (we are getting old), is only 25 but has already established a hall-of-fame career for himself. He has led the league in scoring, won the MVP trophy, and carried his team to the top of the league. If he continues on his current pace and plays for another decade or close, with a few title wins he will likely be considered among-if-not THE greatest player of all time...to many.

Less than a decade removed...

Then there's Dwyane Wade, who has already won a title; Carmelo Anthony, a Jordan-brand athlete who has shown flashes of being absolutely unstoppable and could one day get his game in focus; Kevin Durant, who is 1/2 an inch and 25 pounds from being impossible to guard, and Chris Paul, a small guard who has the will and toughness to compete with players well beyond his experience and size.

Less than a decade removed from seeing Jordan play his last NBA game, there are already whispers of players who could take the reins. What will his legacy be in a full decade? In 20 years? In 30?

Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons asked an interesting question in one of his recent mailbags: What if Kobe Bryant was a good guy all this time, and we misperceived him because of the Shaq beef? Does that change things?

My first thought, of course, was the way he is perceived compared to Jordan. Would I personally feel that Kobe is closer to catching up with Jordan if I actually saw him as a person rather than a species? Yes, that was a bit harsh, I know.

But then I realized...sure, Kobe could acquire 6 rings, and more MVP's. Sure, Vince Carter might've produced more electrifying dunks in games. Sure, It only took Wade 3 seasons to do what took Michael 7. Sure, LeBron might shatter every scoring, rebound, and assist mark Jordan ever set by the time he's 30. Sure, Kevin Durant could one day average 40 points per game.

But what no one can ever match, and what makes him the greatest player of all time in my eyes, is not his statistics, but his story.

Watch the commercials. Read his quotes. Jordan didn't want to become rich, or famous, or a great dunker, or a leading scorer, or a defensive player of the year, or an MVP, or Finals MVP, or NBA Champion. He wanted it all. He fought for it all. And he achieved every bit of it.

It would be a calamity to see a generation pass and watch Jordan become nothing more than a high-flying dunker who scored a lot of points and won 6 rings. In this highlight-friendly era, that's what he's in danger of becoming. But the beauty of his career is found not in his successes, but in the things we discovered about him in his failures...Being picked after Sam Bowie

• Losing to the Celtics in his 2nd season
• Being abused and defeated by the Pistons for three straight years
• Losing his father
• Struggling as a minor league baseball player
• Coming back into basketball, older and further removed from the game
• Coming back into basketball at age 38 to join a losing Wizards team

...and when he faced the brink of his own demise...

• The Knicks battles of the mid-90's
• The '96 season, 72 wins after losing to Orlando the previous year
• The Sick Game
• Game 7 against the Pacers, 1998
• Game 6, The Shot, against the Jazz in '98
• The "game winner", 2003 all-star game, his last

When you've seen those moments, when you've seen how he fought his way to the top--and stayed there for nearly a decade--it's hard to confine what he accomplished to just numbers and highlights.

Michael Jordan is... a global empire...of shoes.

Michael Jordan is…a shot. THE Shot.

Michael Jordan is… evidence of human flight capability.

Michael Jordan is… a player that cannot be duplicated.

Michael Jordan is… Craig Ehlo’s father

Michael Jordan is…

...at last, a Hall of Famer.

And tomorrow.................................who knows?

*(Please note: in no way am I attempting to tie the legacy of Michael Jordan with the events and destruction of 9/11. This was merely done in tribute and, I hope, in good taste).

Never Forget....9/11/2001

With all the adulation and praise being rained down on the Hall of Fame inductions today, it's important to remember that today is the 8th anniversay of the biggest Terrorist Attack in US History. If you get a chance today, I heavily encourage you to reflect.

More Michael Jordan memories....

Once again, I was lucky to get to talk with Nick Fairclough(A Fellow member of the Niketalk forum and currently a Macro Financial Engineer with The Cambridge Financial Center former Utah Ball Boy about some of his favorite Michael Jordan memories:

Nick: February 13, 2003: The Washington Wizards utilize the Utah Jazz practice facility located at FranklinCovey. The practice seemed light and casual as players went through full court skeleton and shooting drills. Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing excused themselves from the court and engaged in a friendly game of ping-pong. Due to the laidback nature I thought it appropriate to approach MJ about signing some items I had brought in hope of getting autographed. With a few strokes of a pen…Cha-Ching!!! Michael made my day with additional MJ signatures to add to my collection as well as a posed photograph later that day.

As I left the practice facility I thought to myself “How could/should I possibly show my appreciation to a man who has everything?” I called a friend - Phil Rosenthal, Bell Captain at The Grand America Hotel where the Washington Wizards were staying, and had a case of Bud Light beer delivered to Michael’s room. A gesture that I hoped wouldn’t go unnoticed.

February 14, 2003: I met the Washington Wizards for their morning shoot-around. Michael made eye contact and approached me with an outstretched arm. As we shook hands it was clear who was in charge (my hand could fit in the palm of his giant hand).

“I know what you were trying to do. You got the tall bottles trying to get me drunk!” he said. “What is it with you guys in Utah? Always trying to get me sick or drunk, you remember what happened last time, don’t you?” I can only assume he was referring to the 1997 Game 5 NBA Finals. With the series against the Utah Jazz tied 2-2, Jordan awoke in the middle of the night before Game 5, shaking, sweating and vomiting with the flu. George Koehler, Michael’s long time friend and body-guard describes the event as follows:

“To this day, I don’t think anyone appreciates how seriously ill Michael was in Game 5 on the 1997 Finals against Utah. In those days, Michael never really left his room. So we’d all be in there close by, to pass the time. We all ordered room service, and Michael didn’t order anything. Then at the last minute, he ordered a pizza from a local joint. If I’m not mistaken it was a pepperoni pizza. Nobody ate the pizza except Michael. At two or three o’clock in the morning, Michael wakes up with an upset stomach. So he calls Chip Schaeffer, the trainer, who gives Michael something to settle his stomach. After the antacids, they gave him sleeping pills. Nothing works. He felt like throwing up, but he couldn’t throw up. And he’s getting hot and cold flashes. All of this could have been attributed to the flu, or whatever. Now it’s early in the morning, time to go to practice. So now they give him a laxative. He’s too weak to go to practice, so he skips the shoot-around. Michael tries to sleep, but he can’t sleep. We get on the bus to go to the game at 3 p.m. and he’s just a rag doll. He has no energy. He still hadn’t thrown up. And he still hasn’t slept. Now he’s got antacids, sleeping pills and laxatives in his system. At 5 o’clock, an hour before the game, he can’t stay awake. So he pumps himself full of coffee. He goes out and plays, and we all know what happened. He plays 44 minutes, scores 38 points, brings Chicago back from 16 points down, hits a key three-pointer to put them ahead, and the Bulls win. But at halftime, he’s just drained. If you had seen him, you would have thought there was no way this guy could walk back to the court, much less play. Michael always drank Gatorade to full himself back up with fluids. So one of the locker room kids went to get some Gatorade. Two cans came back, but it’s not Gatorade. It’s Gatorlode, the stuff you are supposed to drink after you are done playing. Michael didn’t even realize what he was drinking. He hasn’t slept in more than 36 hours; he’s get pepperoni pizza, all the medicines, sleeping pills, who knows how many cups of coffee, Gatorlode in his body – anybody else would have been in the hospital. And Michael should have been in the hospital. Nobody else would have been out there playing, much less been able to make a pressure shot and walk off the court. Michael was so dehydrated after the game that he could hardly move. He looked like he was dead. He was barely conscious. I had seen the whole show to that point, and I am still amazed by what he did and with what he had to deal with.That’s just who he is, and it’s hard for people to understand the depth of his will. His whole life is a competition – every aspect of his life. And he’s going to win. It’s just that simple.” (Driven From Within / Michael Jordan” Marl Vancil page.157)

1997 NBA Finals Post Game Comments: “I almost played myself into passing out," Jordan said. "I came in and I was almost dehydrated and it was all just to win a basketball game. I couldn't breathe. My energy level was really low…”

Now, just for the record, I was not trying to get Michael Jordan drunk or sick! Nor was I the individual responsible for giving Michael Gatorlode instead of Gatorade.

Michael thanked me for the beer and we engaged in casual chit-chat before he went onto the court for shoot-around. While the players were on the floor I assisted the Equipment Manager, Jerry Walter, with the set up and organization of the visiting team locker room (hanging uniforms, laying out shoes, placing name plates, etc.) After the team left I took the opportunity to get a few pictures. (How many people do you know who can say they wore MJ’s jersey?)

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/nickfairclough1/Page3WW4copy.jpg

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/nickfairclough1/Page3WW2copy.jpg

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/nickfairclough1/Page3WW3copy.jpg

There you have it. My memory of Michael Jordan, The Greatest Player of All Time, Hall of Fame Inductee September 11, 2009.

Hey Nick, thanks for the info...a few follow up questions:

Did you work the Bull's locker room for Mike's sick game?

I was not officially assigned to the Chicago Bulls locker room during the finals. However, I assisted the Chicago Bulls bench and was on that end of the floor helping the other Utah Jazz Ballboys along with the Chicago Bulls Trainers and Equipment Manager.

Were those of you who were employees of the Jazz aware of what was happening with Michael's health?

Michael’s health was public knowledge due to the media. However, there were several employees (as well as fans) who believed that MJ was faking his illness in hopes of sabotaging the Utah Jazz mentally.

Do you have any specific memories from that game?

I was sitting on the basketball standard as Michael dunked the ball. The reverberation from the dunk was exciting as the standard shook. After MJ's epic performance, Pippen would say, "He's the greatest, and everyone saw why tonight."

Inspirational Images, the Greatest of All Time becomes an Icon.

Click image for full size view

For this week, the choice was a no brainer. Even though this was his 3rd time performing this dunk (twice in this 1988 dunk contest and once in the 1986 contest) this one was a bit different from the rest. First, he dribbled the length of the court and blasted off from inches inside the free throw line. Second he double pumped the ball in the air before dunking it. Huge difference from the fist time he did it laying down the tape as a rookie. For this inspirational image (AND ONLY this inspirational image) no introduction or explanation of who the "he" I am referring to is. If you don't know who that is in the picture or what he is doing, click exit on your internet browser and go read a book.

Michael Jordan enters the hall of fame this week!

In celebration of Michael Jordan entering the Hall of Fame this week, Page 3 is changing out top banner as well as posting a bunch of stuff in review of Mike's career. Celebrate with us as the Greatest Basketball Player who ever lived gets his due Sept. 11.

-Page 3 Staff

Inspirational Images:Hakim Warrick gets the ROYAL treament.

"We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way." ~Author Unknown

"I knew that with all the good of being a possible NBA draft choice and a great defensive player Karma would (voice muffled) catch up sometime."

~Royal Ivey

One of my all time favorite "dunked on" plays. Hardly anyone remembers that it didn't count and that Warrick was assessed a charge for it. Doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. Both these guys made the league, and both have money so I am sure it is easier to look back on now, but for a while, this was one of the worst College Dunks, in history. Truly a jaw dropping (pun intended) play from Warrick. Context: Final Four, Sycrause vs. Texas, and Royal Ivey is the only one left baseline under the basket.

So nasty it gets unprecedented treatment with a bonus alternate angle photo:

The People (of God?) vs. PJ Morton

I don't write much about music on this blog. Well, I guess that's a bit disingenuous...

...

I don't write MUCH on this blog.

Because of that, I guess that many of my interests and favorites aren't ever brought up much.

If you do know me personally, though, you know that I love music. And not that excrement they pump sonically through the radio. I mean MUSIC. At first I really only listened to gospel. Then for about a semester (after rooming with co-blogger Steven LaiHing), I surrendered to the depths of hell and embarked on a journey into rap music and hip hop.

(lol just kidding Steve. I actually did enjoy some of what I heard. I still have to pray for strength to not set Tupac's "When We Ride on Our Enemies" as my alarm some mornings...)

Anyway, over the last 7 years I have forayed into just about every genre, listened to everything at least once or twice, and really expanded my own knowledge and perspective on what music actually IS.

That's why, when I finished wandering across the musical landscape, my heart and mind returned to two genres: gospel music and R&B.

For that reason, PJ Morton is one of my favorite artists. To keep the background brief, he is the son of two pastors, Bishops Paul and Debra Morton, who also are recording artists. So PJ was raised both in the church and in the music biz. He started a group called "Freestyle Nation," who I actually saw perform at Madison Mission in 2003, and from the beginning his songs and themes were different than the big-choir church music his parents performed. His music was not widely accepted in the church.

Six years later, PJ is on the cusp of a breakout as an artist. He is performing for packed audiences and getting invited to perform across the country.

Only problem is...now he is considered a secular artist. His style, musical content, and overall goals haven't changed. He even won a Stellar award for "Song of the Year" in 2008, so his ties to gospel haven't been broken. But he tours as all other soul/R&B musicians do these days, sometimes in concert halls, sometimes in clubs.

So apparently within the last week, CNN actually contributed a segment to this debate, discussing PJ, his book "Why Can't I Sing About Love?", and the debate surrounding his "secular" music career. The segment flashes between PJ explaining his stance and Tye Tribbett offering the opposing perspective. You can watch the video here.

After watching that video, as well as PJ's response to the segment on YouTube, I felt a lot more passionate about this subject than I had expected to. I actually ended up writing an enormous comment to post on YouTube (and I have NEVER posted a comment on a video before). The comment was so enormous that, in fact, it was too big to even post on YouTube. So I ended up just sending it straight to PJ's account. There's a major chance that he never ends up reading it, but either way I had to at least put it out there.

So here is the message I sent. As a disclaimer before the disclaimer, I was writing a message with YouTube in mind, so my shifts in conversation between speaking generally and speaking to PJ specifically were supposed to make sense in that context. In this one...not so much. So just bear with me...it.

This was what i sent to a friend, and then i fixed it up for YouTube, but then realized it was too big to post, so...yeah, here you go.

---------------

PJ, I agree with you AND Tye in this situation. FIRST off, if the debate is about only writing songs about Jesus then Tye really needs to be more introspective, because nothing about "Good in the Hood" was edifying Christ! But honestly I don't even think that Tye is attacking PJ's situation. When Tye & GA were in the secular world they were there as vocalists and background performers, and they had to follow the lead of whatever the artists were doing, in the way they lived and the songs they sang. PJ is a lead artist who controls his own songs, the lifestyle he lives on the road, the places he will and won't perform, and every other aspect of his career/ministry. So whereas I agree with Tye (and the Bible) that "no man can serve two masters," I think that in his secular experience Tye DID serve two masters, whereas PJ is on a path that, I believe through my own experience with his music, is both God-led and God-inspired.

In my humble opinion, PJ is a CHRISTIAN artist. He reflects Christian principles in his music. A LOT of artists within the genre of "gospel music" perform songs that are less about Jesus and really more about Christian themes and Christian life like PJ's music (Examples: Mary Mary, Kierra Sheard, Karen Clark, Deitrick Hadden, Kirk Franklin, J Moss, etc). So I can't understand why GOSPEL artists get so much leeway in what they can and can't perform, but then a Christian artist who presents a message in seemingly every song is seen as being "out there" or "out of God's will." I think we need to think about this a little bit...

Lastly, here's what I suggest we fix: instead of calling BLACK church music "Gospel" and WHITE church music "Christian" (and yes it's true, check iTunes, Amazon, wherever you want!), why don't we stop defining ourselves and our music by race? We can call songs about Jesus "Gospel music" and songs that exemplify the principles of godly living "Christian music". Then PJ wouldn't have to call himself R&B at all.

But then again, until we stop treating love as a secular principle (1 Cor 13), we are just sounding brass and tinkling cymbals anyway. I'm 25 years old, and it's time to "put away childish things"...like that way of thinking.

PJ, just know that the good folk in Dallas are supporting and praying for your ministry. I mean...career. Lol or whatever they wanna let you call it! God bless.

_____

So what do you think on this issue? Hit the comments section, tell me I'm stupid, whatever you desire. Hopefully this debate will lead to positive changes within the gospel music industry. What those changes are, I guess, is what remains to be seen.

Inspirational Images: Shawn Kemp has a moment with Dennis Rodman

"A dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant may see farther than a giant himself."

Robert Burton

"A Power Forward sitting on the shoulders of a defender may see farther downcourt than the defender himself."

Shawn Kemp

Sorry I was late this week folks, I didn't realize it until 5 minutes ago. For some context: 1996 NBA Finals, game 4, 2:00 left in the 3rd quarter. Seattle leads Chicago 73-57. Isoed on the baseline. Shawn Kemp gives Dennis Rodman a nauseous spin move, and Rodman follows him under the basket to challenge, ending with Kemp hanging...well just look at the pic!! One of the best Finals Dunks in NBA History. Here's the Video for those that care.

"KEMP WITH THE REVERSE!! And lands on Rodman, and is enjoying it!"

Marv Albert

My stance on Mike Vick/PETA. Enough is enough.

*Make sure you vote on the poll question!*
OK. I promised myself I wouldn't get involved with this entire Mike Vick mess, but now it's struck a nerve with me after months and months of absorbing all the media coverage and comments from Animal Lovers and Peta supporters. I'm making a stand here. Mike Vick paid back society for his crime, and I am happy that he is getting another chance to play football. There. I said it. Here is the PETA statement released after Mike Vick was signed by the Eagles:

PETA and millions of decent football fans around the world are disappointed that the Philadelphia Eagles have chosen to sign a man who hanged dogs from trees, electrocuted them with jumper cables, held them underwater until they drowned in his swimming pool, and even threw his own family dogs into the fighting pit to be torn to shreds while he laughed. What sort of message does this send to young fans who care about animals and don't want to see them be harmed?

PETA certainly hopes that Vick has learned his lesson and feels truly remorseful for his crimes—but since he's given no public indication that that's the case, only time will tell. At this point, all Eagles fans can do is cross their fingers and hope that they won't ever have to explain to their sons and daughters what a "rape rack" is and why their favorite player was using one, as Falcons fans once had to.

Interestingly enough, the statement read on ESPN is exactly like this, except for the last "rape rack" line. ESPN apparently chose not to read it on the air (?). Here is my thing, and my major issue with PETA's involvement/responses.

PETA takes the stance that a

Human life is the equivalent (or less, depending on the wacko you are talking to) then an animal life. This includes fish ( they call them sea kittens!), dogs, cats, pigs (which according to a flier here on campus, are smarter then dogs and human toddlers), flies and even ants (!). I simply do NOT agree. If it was between my girlfriend Ebony dying or her beautiful purebred yorkie (see pic below), well Felicity, you had a good run. And it would be an easy decision. I will always place Humans and their welfare on a

higher rung of my personal priorities then an animal. Sorry. I guess it goes back to even Creation, where Christians believe that humans were "given dominion over them" them being nature and animals.

My issue #2: No where in the constitution or in society is it stated or given that someone who makes a mistake of this nature cannot have a second chance. People do prison time for murder, get out, and (although difficult) find jobs. Same for manslaughter, robbery, and DUI. Are we saying as a society that DUI which ends in the KILLING of a human being (Stallworth, and others) is NOT as bad as killing and torturing animals, and running a kennel/illegal gambling ring? Both times required horrible decisions on the part of the perpetrator to be made. Both showed a lack of respect for life, one human, one animals. Both are frowned upon legally. And even with that said, as bad as both crimes are, I just don't see the correlation. From a technical standpoint, dogs have a lifetime of what, 20 years max? They bring joy and love to families as well as protection. Well what does a human do?! I like to think I will live 70 years or longer, and that I have brought joy and love to my family, as well as some protection to my girlfriend by my presence. THEY AREN'T EQUIVALENT.

I have read the comments posted on the official PETA blog, and some of them are sick too. " I hope he never has happiness?" "He doesn't deserve to LIVE?" "He is SCUM of the EARTH?" I think this takes it a little far. Though I actually would have no problem with Vick sitting down for a Psych evaluation just to see what the results were from a scientific perspective, I have reached the end of my rope when it comes to catering to these special interest groups. They are trying to hold the NFL, Mike Vick, and other fans as hostage until we get rid of Mike Vick from society, That cannot happen. They question "What will this teach our kids about animal abuse?" Well, my humble answer is that it will teach them that it is wrong on a moral and legal level, BUT if you are a world class athlete (or have any valuable job skills of any kind) after you pay your debt to society SOMEONE will want you. In other words, better yourself, and become the best at whatever it is you do. Why is it ok for Mike to suffer through JAIL, loss of of his fortune, and now have his first love (football) taken away, yet for other worse crimes, people talk about how it's rough they can't find work post-prison? I have arrived at the point that I feel PETA will NEVER be happy or pacified as to Michael Vick's presence in the NFL, and they will do everything in their power to disrupt games, practices, and fiscal developments with the NFL and the Eagles. I support the Eagles making this decision, and hope it doesn't cost them to many sponsorships who kowtow to this fringe element. Michael Vick deserves to be allowed the opportunity to find work in a field of his choice, outside of anything to do with dogs. He was approached by a business interested in his talents, and he signed. Deal with it. Boo him. But don't do anything crazy, it won't bring anymore positive press to your cause/organization. It's reputation is pretty bad as it is.

'Simply Guitar', A Bible Study Course

About a year ago I decided to learn to play an instrument, along with a few of my friends. Because of desirability, instruments already chosen by my friends, and my parent's desire to not hear incredibly noisy racket coming from upstairs in their home, I went with the acoustic guitar.

When I finally purchased my first guitar (CraigsList), I went to Barnes & Noble to find a book that would teach me the basics--how to tune a guitar, restring it, play basic chords, and so forth. I found exactly what I was looking for, one that included a DVD with lessons for beginners.

What I didn't expect to find, though, was a spiritual lesson I was sorely in need of.

What follows is the introductory letter to my beginner's book, Simply Guitar. Without dumbing it down or overexplaining it to you, let me just say that from the very first time I read it I could almost hear God's voice sort of saying "You know...if this information is that groundbreaking to you, maybe you need to apply it in some OTHER aspects of your life." Things like patience and practicing/applying what you read seem like such simple concepts when learning a musical instrument, yet they seem so foreign and difficult at times when in the context of Bible study.

So read it for yourself. As you do, think of how the tips can apply to your Bible study and, ultimately, your spiritual life. I have tried to minimize the amount of bolding and underlining so you can just read it for yourself and not be worried about what I am thinking. Ok, I said I TRIED...but either way, enjoy:

 

Simply Guitar

To benefit from this book, I recommend you review all the materials as often as you can. Make sure you fully understand everything that has been discussed before you move on to other subjects.

The most important things to remember are the two ‘Ps’; patience and practice. Be patient enough to slow things down and run them over and over, refining your technique with the tips outlined in this book and practice daily.


You will not progress if you don’t practice. I cannot stress enough the importance of daily practice and a regimented, disciplined approach to doing so. Practice all of the priority topics before you mess around. Allocate a few minutes each day to focus purely on your technique. Critique your own playing – could you do that better? is your technique as good as it could be? Does that sound as good as when your teacher plays it? 15 minute practice Monday to Sunday is better than no practice during the week and eight hours on the weekend. (Doesn't that just SOUND like it's talking about how we CRAM all our time with God into one day a week? Oops, didn't mean to intterupt...)


Consolidate your knowledge. I teach a lot of students things that they don’t realize they already know, simply because they haven’t ‘joined the dots’. For example, if I can play a G major chord, I also know that the root not is a G note. Therefore, I know where the G note is on the neck. Using the musical alphabet, I can easily find F# or G# or any surrounding notes from that G note.


Make sure you think about everything you have learnt and everything you know, and try and ‘join the dots’. Try and apply the knowledge you have to your playing.


Listen to great guitar players. Listen to the guitar in songs that you like. Always try and define what you like about them and what you don’t like. Talk to musicians. Use the internet. Buy the videos and books to further your understanding of guitar. Get a good teacher. Try a few different teachers. Play with other guitar players, even if they are beginners. Teach other people what you know, because verbalizing and teaching is a great way to reinforce what you yourself have learnt.


In conclusion, I hope that you have understood my explanations and learnt a lot more than you knew before reading this book.


Keep playing!

Part 1 - Anatomy of a Champion: 1989-2009

What makes a champion a champion? Or more accurately, who?

In thinking about this question, I thought about the players on the championship teams I’ve seen in my lifetime (since the 1989 champion Detroit Pistons were the first team I ever saw playing the sport, I think this is more than appropriate). What I discovered was that, while players varied by ability, age, and position, many of the same roles seemed to apply whether in the late ‘80s, early or late ‘90s, or in the current decade.

This is Part 1, which will take a look at the players that make up each of the 13 Roles. Now mind you, this list is only as exhaustive as my feeble mind, and if you see necessary additions, please leave them in the comments.

And in Part 2, I will make whatever additions are necessary, whether they are player roles or actual players, and then break down each of the champions/dynasties by what exactly made them special.

So here we go—the first player you need…is sort of obvious. Unless you’re the Detroit Pistons circa 2004, that is.

1. The Anomaly (in the Matrix, lol) – the player who came to the team and he’s waaaaay better than anyone else in his time. Game plans are changed when he’s on the court—for both teams.

See:
• Isiah Thomas (Pistons ’89-90)
• Michael Jordan (’02-03…just kiddin…but he still was better than Koooobeeeee!!! Lol)
• Hakeem Olajuwon (’94-95)
• Tim Duncan (Spurs ’99, 03, 05, 07)
• Shaquille O’Neal (2000-02…no we cannot include ’06. We just can’t)
• dang it…Kobe (’09) –could’ve been you, LeBron!!



2. The Surprise – the guy who was never expected to be as good as he is, but he is
See:
• Scottie Pippen (Bulls ’91-93, 96-98)
• Tony Parker (Spurs ’03, 05, 07)
• Chauncey Billups (Pistons ’04)
• Tayshaun Prince (Pistons ’04)
• Ben Wallace (Pistons ’04) - Yup, the Pistons had THREE of these
• Rajon Rondo(Celtics ’08)

3. The Foul Magnet– for some reason, as soon as he comes in the game, the other team starts running out of big men…

See:

• Bill Laimbeer (Pistons ’89-90)

• Michael Jordan (Timeless)

• Tim Duncan (Spurs ’99, 03, 05, 07)

• Manu Ginobili (Spurs, 03, 05, 07)

• Tony Parker (Spurs, 03, 05, 07) – Spurs have THREE of these!!!!

• Shaquille O’Neal (2000-02, ’06)

• Kobe Bryant (Lakers ’00-02, ’09)

• Rip Hamilton (Pistons ’04)

• DWYANE WADE (!!!)(Heat ’06)

• Leon Powe(Celtics ’08)

4. The Giver-and-Taker – This is the player who is the KEY to the team’s chemistry—the one who is good enough to demand the ball more, but is unselfish enough to make the rest of his team work even better by sacrificing his numbers

See:
• Isiah Thomas (Pistons ’89-90)
• Scottie Pippen (Bulls ’91-93, 96-98)
• David Robinson (Spurs ’99, 03)
• Kevin Garnett (Celtics ’08)
• Pau Gasol (Lakers ’09)
• Lamar Odom (Lakers ’09)

5. The guy who EATS jumpers and layups– He’s in his prime, he’s angry, he has crazy leaping ability, and he wants to win. Shoot at your own peril

See:

• John Salley (Pistons ’89-90)

• Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets ’94-95)

• Shaq (Lakers ’00)

• Ben Wallace (Pistons ’04)

• Alonzo Mourning (Heat ’06) – Clearly he was out of his prime, but he has to be included. He single-handedly ended Game 6 on the road against the Mavs

• KG (Celtics ’08)

6. The Big Shooter– he can moonlight as a 4 or 5, but his shooting range extends to where he almost could be a passable 3
See:
• Bill Laimbeer (Pistons ’89-90)
• Horace Grant (Bulls ’91-93, Lakers ’00)
• Carl Herrera (Rockets ’94-95)
• Robert Horry (Rockets ’94-95, Lakers ’00-02, Spurs ’05, 07. Seriously.)
• Memhet Okur (Pistons ’04)
• Rasheed Wallace (Pistons '04)
• Pau Gasol (Lakers ’09)



7. The Old Vets who want to win– they all had varying levels of talent when they were young, but now they have just enough talent left to maximize their basketball experience to be in the rotation—and all they want to do is WIN
See:
* James Edwards-Vinnie Johnson-Mark Aguirre (Pistons '89-90)
• Kenny Smith-Otis Thorpe-Vernon Maxwell (Rockets ’94)
• Kenny Smith-Drexler-Mario Elie (Rockets '95)
• Rodman-Harper-Kerr (Bulls ’96-98)
• Vinny Del Negro-Sean Elliot-Avery Johnson (Spurs ’99)
• Harper-Horace Grant-Glen Rice/Brian Shaw (Lakers ’00-01)– Yo…that dude Glen was ready. lol
• Shaq-Mourning-Payton (Heat ’06)
• Garnett-Pierce-Allen (Celtics ’08) - Quite possibly the most talented 3 members of this category in the HISTORY of professional basketball

8. The Powder Keg – the guy who’s gonna take the ROOF off the building with a HUGE in a home game at the exact moment your team needs it

See:

• Michael Friggin Jordan (Forever)

• Dennis Rodman (Pistons 89-90, Bulls 96-98)

• Kobe Bryant (Lakers ’00-02, ’09)

• Ben Wallace (Pistons ’04)

• Rasheed Wallace (Pistons ’04)

• Stephen Jackson (Spurs ’03)

• Kevin Garnett (Celtics '08)

• Dwyane Wade (Heat ’06)

9. The Syringe full of Testosterone--the guy who cheers like he was created to warm benches – He has the talent to MAYBE be in the league for another year or so, but his cheering ability is unparalleled, and helps to drive his often-older teammates to push themselves even further

See:

• Cliff Levingston (Bulls ’91-92)

• John Salley (Bulls ’96-98)

• Mark Madsen (Lakers ’01-02)

• Darvin Ham (Pistons '04)

• Sam Cassell (Boston Sam)
• Rony Turiaf (Lakers '…oh wait, he DIDN’T win with them, lol)

10. The guy with the big nutzzz who is 1000 times more valuable in the clutch, for some reason…--he may have taken the entire regular season off, or just not produced big numbers, but all of a sudden, LOOK OUT!!!

See:

• Joe Dumars (Pistons '89-90)

• John Paxson (Bulls ’91-93)

• Robert Horry (Rockets ’94-95, Lakers ’00-02, Spurs ’05, 07)

• Sam Cassell (Rockets '94-95)

• Tony Kukoc (Bulls ’96-98)

• Rasheed Wallace (Pistons ’04)

• Steve Kerr (Bulls ’96-98)

• Stephen Jackson (Spurs ’03)

• Derek Fisher (Lakers ’00-02, ’09)

• Ray Allen (Celtics ’08)
• James Posey (Celtics ’08)
• Eddie House (Celtics ’08)
• Trevor Ariza (Lakers ’09)



11. The guy who might SNAP…at any moment – you might call it a scoring outburst, but it really just refers to a guy who can get CRAZY hot for his team at any moment, and it doesn’t surprise anyone…actually everyone was just waiting for it.
See:
• Joe Dumars (Pistons ’89-90)
• Isiah Thomas (Pistons ’89-90)
• Vinnie Johnson (Pistons ’89-90) (The Bad Boy Pistons had THREE guys who could snap and give you 30…monstrous)
• Michael Jordan (∞)
• Kobe Bryant (Lakers ’00-02, ’09)
• Manu Ginobili (Spurs ’03, 05, 07)
• Rip Hamilton(Pistons ’04)
• Ray Allen (Celtics ’08)
• Paul Pierce (Celtics ’08)

12. The Mouth – He’s not even the best player on his team, but he takes up for his teammates, never backs down from a battle, and when teams get distracted and start talking back to him, suddenly...the game is over

See:

• Bill Laimbeer (Pistons ’89-90)

• John Salley (Pistons ’89-90)

• Michael Jordan (Don't ever talk to him. seriously. Yes you, John Starks.)

• Ron Harper (Lakers ’00-02)

• Rasheed Wallace (Pistons ’04)

• Alonzo Mourning (Heat ’06)

• James Posey (Celtics ’08)

• Eddie House (Celtics ’08)

13. The Crusty - The old guys who are old and smart enough to NOT screw up a good thing – they may be there because they are nearing retirement, or because they are near death

See:
• The end of Phil Jackson’s bench (Bulls ’96-98 (full of old Pistons), Lakers ’00-02 (full of old Bulls))…lol

Part 2 coming soon!!! Please leave your comments.

Inspirational Images: McGrady-Bradley meeting at the rim

"Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us."

…

"Thank God, because my reputation just had gym shorts in it's face!!!"
Thomas Paine (& Shawn Bradley)

Starting something a little new, Monday's I am going to post a pic (or 2) under the banner of "Inspirational Images." Short caption with it, just to get your minds right for the week. Probably sports related, sometimes current or even a historical moment. The first one is above.

For some context: NBA Playoffs 2005, first round West. Rockets-Mavericks, AKA the shootout in Texas. American Airlines Arena. First Quarter, score 19-18 in favor of the Rockets. Mac is in the corner isoed on Dirk, beats him baseline and meets up with the human dunk prop and destiny. One of my favorite all time McGrady dunks. Get healthy Mac!

"Here come McGrady! OH! He just sucked the gravity right out of the building!"

Have a good week!