May 28, 2007

With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

Michael Jordan was once asked to speak out against the reactionary senator from North Carolina, Jesse Helms, and provide an endorsement for Helms’ rival in the race, a civil rights leader named Harvey Gantt. He responded, “Republicans buy sneakers too.” That glib response was similar to his ostrich-head-in-the-sand response to Nike’s Asian sweatshop scandal. And he remained close-mouthed on the issue of gun control when his father was tragically shot. LeBron James, often seen as Jordan’s successor in terms of basketball skills and marketability, was put in a similar position recently when asked to sign an open letter to the...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 10:33 PM

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May 16, 2007

David Stern, Strict Constructionist

In what was probably the most highly anticipated and now definitely, closely watched playoff series in the NBA postseason, the Suns and the Spurs continued to try to settle the great basketball debate: Does Offense or Defense win playoff games? Now, while it’s acknowledged that teams that play tough defense are often unfairly accused of dirty play (see: NY Knicks during the Pat Riley years), the San Antonio Spurs have crossed a line. The fouls are no longer clean, hard fouls; they are unjustifiably vicious. Yet Bruce Bowen’s knee to Nash’s groin in Game 3 went practically unpunished. Bizarrely, that...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 11:12 PM

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May 9, 2007

Nash’s Nose, Brady’s Hair

Entirely too many words are given over to debating the superficial in sports (and subjects beyond), but in this eventful week for issues tangentially related to sports stars, Steve Nash’s nose and Brady Quinn’s haircut seemed to warrant at least a minor note. (For those looking for a reprieve from the infamous Yankee-cap seen atop a Patriot QB’s head, you’ll find it here – that is not the Brady referenced in this edition of this column.) Brady Quinn, former Notre Dame QB and a Cleveland Browns’ draft pick, was publicly chastised by fellow former ND QB Joe Theismann who was...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 11:22 PM

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January 29, 2007

Barbaro (April 29, 2003—January 29, 2007): Death of a Champion

Today, after a long and courageous fight following a broken leg sustained during the 2006 Preakness, Barbaro was euthanized. The Kentucky Derby champion, who, arguably, had showed the most promise of any horse since Secretariat and was widely expected to take the Triple Crown, had hung on for eight months, despite the pessimistic prognosis of his veterinarians. Dreams of being the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 were cut short when, a mere hundred yards into the race, Barbaro pulled up lame. While in the past this would have resulted in immediately putting the horse down, Barbaro’s owners...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 11:47 PM

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December 30, 2006

You? It Should’ve Been Me

"In the harsh climate of the 24/7 media, in which gossip and controversy are so much more newsworthy than real news, people forget." -UK Prime Minister Tony Blair TIME Magazine’s annual Person of the Year issue hit newsstands recently and readers were intrigued to discover that they’d each been named. At first blush, this felt akin to the competitions entered into by children – “you’re all winners today, there are no losers” a grown-up would happily, breathlessly declare so as to spare the kids from the traumatic experience of losing out in the grade school talent show. And then, there...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 1:04 PM

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December 27, 2006

A Champion without a Ring

Allen Iverson. The name, instantly recognizable amongst basketball fans the world over, strikes fear into the hearts of defenders. The man stands barely six feet tall –diminutive by NBA standards. Those who see him in “real life” are often stunned by his small stature. That someone of his height made it in the NBA is in itself remarkable. That he’s become one of the greatest players of all time, someone to be mentioned in the same breath as the contenders for “greatest NBA player of all time” – the Abdul-Jabbars, the Jordans, the Birds, and the like – is nothing...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 12:48 PM

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November 19, 2006

Music & Politics: The Twain Meet Again

Brandon Flowers, lead singer of the rock band The Killers, recently lambasted alleged ‘rivals’ Green Day in the press, claiming to be upset by the latter’s concert DVD Bullet in a Bible. Mr. Flowers is no stranger to courting mild controversy and telling fellow rockers what he thinks of them through the press. Not two months ago, he was practically pleading with Thom Yorke (of Radiohead fame) to return to a style of music Mr. Flowers preferred and to stop “wasting” his talents on his current projects. For a singer who fronts a band that has enjoyed a marginal amount...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 10:36 PM

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November 5, 2006

Right-Wingers’ Hail Mary Attack

On Monday October 23, 2006, on his daily radio show, Rush Limbaugh, the implausibly popular conservative talk show host, controversially criticized actor Michael J. Fox for appearing in campaign ads endorsing Democratic candidates who support stem cell research. His initial disgust was at the actor’s purported exaggeration of his condition. Although Mr. Limbaugh later apologized for the statement when many pointed out that the physical manifestation of Mr. Fox’s Parkinson’s Disease was in fact not deliberately amplified for the sake of the commercial, he did not relent entirely. He proceeded to lambaste the actor for apparently abusing the power of...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 6:27 PM

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November 2, 2006

Kerry Misses a Line, GOP Misses the Point

Yes, it’s true. Senator John Kerry botched a joke. While the Republicans dance with glee over the election-eve verbal slip by a Democrat who’s not up for re-election, dwelling on the perceived “attack” on our troops, they continue to attack the troops in more covert and malicious ways. In the years since President Bush was first elected, they’ve revoked veteran’s benefits, have failed to provide them with the necessary armor or weapons, and have asked them to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save their own sorry hides. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow - as usual, focusing on...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 10:59 PM

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October 17, 2006

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium Tour

It is a rare moment when during a rock show, the band’s lead singer – an international bestselling author who has a voice that transcends genres and a stage presence rivaling Axl Rose’s – is overshadowed by the instrumentalists in the band. On the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ latest tour, Stadium Arcadium, that has become the norm. Anthony Kiedis, turned in a stellar vocal performance, but was nonetheless outshone by his two guitarists – Flea on bass and John Frusciante on lead. Both performed stunning solos as lead-ins to songs or as extended instrumental portions, the likes of which are...

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Posted by Sam Clemens at 12:02 AM

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