Weekly Web Roundup (4/15/17)

Photo Credit:
World Bank Photo Collection

Here is a collection of items from around the web that caught my attention over this past week:

'What a total God shot!' Understand that? Then you speak Christianese by Patrick Cox (PRI.org)

"This religious dialect is spoken by increasing numbers of English-speaking Christians, especially evangelicals. And it isn't just deployed for Bible study. Everyday non-religious conversation is also sprinkled with words from the scriptures, and phrases popularized by charismatic preachers and writers. So for example, instead of "results," you might hear a Christianese speaker refer to "fruits." Instead of "thoughtful," "intentional." Christanese can also depart slightly from English grammar: "My friend spoke into my life." "I was called to move to Nicaragua." It's code, a useful way for believers to seek out like-minded people."

Who Would Jesus Abort? Confessions of a “Christian” Abortion Doctor by Russell Moore

"The biggest hurdle, though, for Parker, is to redefine life itself. Like many in the abortion movement, Parker scoffs at the possibility of fetal personhood because the child is small, “no bigger, from crown to rump, than the first two digits of my pinkie finger,” and because the child cannot live, in most cases, on his or her own outside the womb. He seems to recognize though that lack of size and lack of power won’t be persuasive on their own, so he continues to what he sees as the real problem: the idea that life is “a miracle.” Parker writes that to say that “conception, or birth, or even death is ‘miraculous’ does an injustice to God.” Life is, instead, he argues, merely “a process.” As I read this abortion doctor’s repeated inveighing against the metaphor of “miracle” for human life, I could not help but be reminded of Wendell Berry’s manifesto against scientism and materialism, which he says demotes humanity from creature to machine. The rejection of the miracle of life, Berry wrote, leaves us with the coldness of abstraction."

How Single Women Became an Unstoppable Force in Bible Translation by Kate Shellnutt (Christianity Today)

"Though women in Bible translation are well represented in the field, they remain underrepresented in leadership positions. In recent years, SIL has worked to bring more women into administrative leadership, believing that “God works through women and men of every ethnic group and age level, and calls them to be involved in leadership roles in all facets of our organizational life.” Women mostly feel free to focus on the work they were called to in the first place—getting more people access to the Bible in their own languages—but the pressure’s still there. Everyone on the mission field works hard and sacrifices much; women may notice themselves working extra hard to demonstrate their contributions."

How Isiah Thomas became the greatest Detroit Piston ever by Bill Dow (Detroit Free Press)

"And then there was Isiah Lord Thomas III, the player whose impact turned around the once floundering franchise and laid the foundation for the construction of one of the premier arenas in basketball, especially for its time. Thomas blossomed into the Pistons' fearless leader during his career, cementing a legacy befitting of his middle name. During his 13-year career, he established himself as one of the greatest “small men” in NBA history. A dangerous shooter and spectacular playmaker, he still is the franchise’s all-time leader in points (18,822), assists (9,061), steals (1,861) and minutes played (35,516). The 12-time All-Star was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time team. “Simply put, Isiah Thomas was the difference maker and the key to the franchise’s success,” says Tom Wilson, the former Pistons president and CEO and right-hand man to the late club owner Bill Davidson. Wilson was the project manager of the Palace and first suggested the pioneering concourse-level suites. The arena opened in 1988. “Internally," Wilson said, "we called the Palace 'The House that Isiah Built.' "

That's My King Dr. S.M. Lockridge

In honor of the commemoration and celebration of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that Christians around the worldwide recognize this weekend, here's a video that reminds us about the King of Kings.

Weekly Web Roundup (3/25/17)

Photo Credit:
City of Seattle Community Tech

Here is a collection of items from around the web that caught my attention the past couple of weeks:

God Made Me Hispanic. And It Was Good by Rebecca Gonzales Kelsall (Cru.org)

"God opened my eyes to the values I’d grown up with, Latino values, scrawled all over His Word after a conversation about the beautiful differences among cultures. I realized, because Christian Latinos didn’t teach me about Christ, I learned a lot about how majority American culture reflects Christ, and nothing of my own. But we, Hispanics, were His brainchild too. Each of us and each of our cultures, reflects Him in specific, amazing ways. In learning more about our ethnic identity, we learn more about ourselves and more about the great God who created us in His image."

The Key to Raising Kind Kids by Rebecca Randall (Christianity Today)

"Until more recently, parents did not concern themselves with cultivating their child’s happiness and self-esteem. Weissbourd address this dramatic cultural shift in The Parents We Mean To Be. He writes, “It’s important to pause and consider how unique this belief is—that many parents are conveying that happiness or self-esteem leads to morality appears to be unprecedented in American history and may be unprecedented in the history of humankind.” He also points out that “many vital moral qualities… do not spring from happiness or self-esteem.” These “missed values” include fairness, justice, and caring for others. In Huck’s Raft, Mintz makes a similar point. Although historically, children’s contributions to the family provided a type of service beyond self, “young people today have fewer socially valued ways to contribute to their family’s well-being or to participate in community life,” he writes."

Why Leaders Fail to Stop Bad Behavior by Jessica A. Kennedy (TIME)

"Although the failure to stop an unethical practice is often attributed to character problems such as greed, sexism or the relentless pursuit of self-interest, our explanation is subtler. According to our studies, ethical failures like these can also stem from a psychological factor endemic to very successful teams: identification with the group or organization. Identification is a feeling of oneness with the group. When you identify highly with a group or organization, you define yourself in terms of your membership in it. When asked, “Who are you?” your answer will reflect a category (e.g., you might refer to yourself as a man, a Texan, a Yankees fan, an environmentalist, a Christian). You focus on the traits that you and other group members share, rather than on personal traits that distinguish you. 

We found that holding higher rank increases identification. People in high-ranking positions feel more connected to their group or organization and value their membership in it to a greater degree than do lower-ranking people. This trend has benefits for the group, as strong identifiers cooperate more readily and contribute more to the group’s goals. But stronger identification has an ethical cost: It makes it more difficult to perceive ethical problems within the group."

Meet the man who helped transform Michigan's Derrick Walton (and Tom Brady, Desmond Howard and Michael Phelps, too) by Pete Thamel (Sports Illustrated)

"The emergence of Walton as one of the elite players in college basketball can be linked to another success story for Harden, who for three decades has served as a mentor, confidant and advisor for all of the boldfaced names in the Wolverine athletic department. He came to Michigan in 1986 at the request of Bo Schembechler, who valued Harden’s background in social work to address alcohol and drug problems. Since then, Harden has worked with everyone from Desmond Howard to Tom Brady to a volunteer assistant swim coach named Michael Phelps. Harden’s hair is far more salt than pepper, and in his 31 years at Michigan the 67-year old has shared blunt advice and deep bass laughter with everyone from Glen Rice to Mike Hart to Tim Hardaway Jr. “I wouldn’t be the person I am today without having Greg Harden in my life to help me with development,” said Warde Manuel, Michigan’s athletic director who arrived on campus with Harden in 1986. “There’s hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of student athletes—both men and women—who feel that way.”"

That Asian mom is not the nanny. Why do so many people assume she is? by Jessica Roy (Los Angeles Times)

Here are some helpful insights about how a recent viral video uncovered racial stereotypes that often go undetected.

The first time I discovered I was white by John Blake (CNN)

"But the evolution of whiteness is so much more complex. It was invented; not inherited. Some race scholars say it was created around the 17th century as a legal term to confer certain protections and privileges on Americans of European descent. It was also used to reinforce the notion of a superior white race -- and to justify slavery. Dow gives some of this historical context in the "Whiteness Project" in between interviews with his subjects. But I think the most fascinating part of his project is seeing white people grapple with their racial identity. Some people denied their whiteness. Others were apologetic. One young white man said "I'm not happy that I'm white," citing the historic oppression associated with his people. Another guy wondered why black people still get hung up on "the slave thing.""

Body Language Matters – Geno Auriemma on body language and the type of players he recruits

Geno Auriemma, the women's basketball coach at the University of Connecticut, offers a challenging perspective on his values when it comes to his players. Even though Coach Auriemma has been highly successful on the court, there are other qualities beyond winning and losing that he wants to see from his teams.

Weekly Web Roundup (10/30/16)

Photo Credit: Guitguit

Here are some interesting stories that I have noticed from around the web this past week:

6 Primary Life Patterns of a Mature Leader by Dan Reiland

"Maturity isn’t merely about age and experience. You can be young and mature, or older and immature. Maturity is an inner quality that resonates through all the components of a leader’s life. This doesn’t mean that a mature leader has “arrived.” We all have moments of immaturity, but it’s easy to identify the primary patterns of a mature leader."

Here's What the Average American Owes After College by Maurie Backman (The Motley Fool)

"So just how much does the average American owe post-college? Here are some key statistics on student debt, courtesy of Student Loan Hero: The average Class of 2016 graduate racked up just over $37,000 in student debt, up 6% from the previous year. The average 20- to 30-year old American's monthly student loan payment is $351. 43 million Americans collectively owe $1.3 trillion in student loans."

How Millions of Good People Can Vote Differently Than You Will by Conor Friedersdorf (The Atlantic)

"Imagine that you were conceived by different parents––that your very brain was shaped by different genes. Nine months later, you were born into a different household. Different people raised you, teaching you different values, both by word and example. They shared different religious beliefs with different intensity than your parents. And they instilled different loyalties, prejudices, and emotional ticks."

Where are all the White American NBA Players? by Marc J. Spears (The Undefeated)

"According to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, the NBA was 74.3 percent black during the 2015-16 season and 81.7 percent were people of color. The study said that the NBA was 18.3 percent white last season, which was 5 percent less than the season before. The league was also a record 22.3 percent international last season."

Powerful Photos from the Dakota Access Pipeline Protest as Cops Prepare to Make Arrests by Inae Oh (Mother Jones)

Protests in North Dakota continue as hundreds of demonstrators voice their disagreement with the Dakota Access Pipeline. Here are a number of photos capturing the demonstrators.

Guy dresses up as dog's favorite toy

A man decided to dress up as Gumby, a lifesize version of his dog's favorite toy. Here was the result was his dog saw him for the first time dressed up in the costume.

The Miraculous Story of Michigan's Austin Hatch

Photo Credit: MGoBlog

Basketball player Austin Hatch has faced unimaginable tragedy in his young life. Having lost a number of immediate family members and nearly his own life in two separate plane crashes, Austin has shown remarkable faith and perseverance in his journey to earning a basketball scholarship at the University of Michigan

ESPN tells his inspirational story here. Get your tissues ready.

The Greatest Moments In The History Of Sports

Here's a compilation of some of the greatest moments in the history of sports. For those that know me, it's probably no surprise that my favorite moment happens at the 3:07 mark. Enjoy!

Who Would You Put On Your All-Time Greatest NBA Roster?

Though it seems hard to believe, it has been well over twenty-two years since the 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team known as "The Dream Team" first played together. Comprised of professional basketball players from the U.S. for the first time and loaded with future Hall of Famers, the Dream Team trounced each of their opponents while easily winning the gold medal.

With an NBAtv documentary and a book by Jack McCallum telling the story of the '92 squad, there has been much debate about whether another team could ever be assembled that could surpass the '92 U.S. Olympic basketball team.

Although it's always difficult to compare players from different eras since they never had a chance to compete against one another, it is fun to speculate on who the greatest to play the game have been. If I could have an all-time, top-12 NBA roster, I would go with the following players (with mention of their championships won, individual honors and career averages):

Guards:

• Michael Jordan (6x NBA Champion, 5x MVP, 14x All-Star, 30 pts, 6 rbs, 5 assts/game)
• Magic Johnson (5x NBA Champion, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 20 pts, 7 rbs, 11 assts/game)
• Oscar Robertson (1x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 12x All-Star, 26 pts, 8 rbs, 10 assts/game)
• Kobe Bryant (5x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 16x All-Star, 25 pts, 5 rbs, 5 assts/game)
• Jerry West (1x NBA Champion, 14x All-Star, 27 pts, 6 rbs, 7 assts/game)

Forwards:

• Larry Bird (3x NBA Champion, 3x MVP, 12x All-Star, 24 pts, 6 rbs, 10 assts/game)
• Tim Duncan (5x NBA Champion, 2x MVP, 14x All-Star, 20 pts, 11 rbs/game)
• Julius Erving (3x NBA/ABA Champion, 4x MVP, 16x All-Star, 24 pts, 9 rbs/game)
• LeBron James (2x NBA Champion, 4x MVP, 10x All-Star, 28 pts, 7 rbs, 7 assts/game)

Centers:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6x NBA Champion, 6x MVP, 19x All-Star, 25 pts, 11 rbs/game)
• Bill Russell (11x NBA Champion, 5x MVP, 12x All-Star, 15 pts, 23 rbs, 4 assts/game)
• Wilt Chamberlain (2x NBA Champion, 4x MVP, 13x All-Star, 30 pts, 23 rbs, 4 assts/game)

If I had to go with a starting five, I'd pick Magic at the point, Jordan at shooting guard, Dr. J at small forward, Tim Duncan at power forward and Kareem as my center. Between the five of them, there are a total of 20 MVP awards and 25 titles. That would be a tough starting five to beat.

So those are my picks. Who would you place on your greatest team?

For an informative and often humorous look at who some former NBA players would pick on their all-time team, check out this video from 2011 where the NBA on TNT crew makes their selections:

How Jeremy Lin Is Shattering Stereotypes

Photo Credit: Kimberly*

Timothy Dalrymple has written a great article about New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin, a talented guard out of Harvard who is busting up stereotypes about Asian American men.

A highlight:

"But stereotypes are stereotypes because they’re intellectually lazy generalizations that only tell a part of the story.  They feed more off our ignorance and our fears than our knowledge and understanding.  The stereotypes I listed above do not describe the Asian-American men I know, or only offer a profoundly caricatured description of one part of their character.

Jeremy, like many Asian-American male athletes, is consistently underestimated.  Great basketball players don’t come from Harvard for a very simple reason: because great basketball players don’t go to Harvard in the first place.  They’re recruited by Duke or Kansas or UCLA or UNC.  A high school basketball player with Jeremy Lin’s statistics should have been recruited heavily by the nation’s top programs.  But Jeremy Lin was unrecruited and had to send video tapes and pitch himself.  He performed brilliantly in college, and many college coaches kicked themselves for overlooking him.   

Then he was undrafted for the NBA — but performed well in the Summer League and was picked up by the Warriors. Arguably, there are reasons he was overlooked other than race.  Jeremy isn’t the flashiest player; never the tallest or strongest guy on the court (he entered high school 5’3″ and 125 lbs), he has had to add layer after layer of skills and strategies and basketball intelligence.  But still, someone with his track record, someone with his statistics and all around game, would have gotten more notice if he weren’t a relatively small, baby-faced Asian-American in a league that has hardly ever seen an Asian-American succeed."

To read the rest of the article please click here.

Is Kobe Better Than Jordan?

I first wrote this post a couple of years ago after the Lakers triumphed over the Magic in the NBA finals and, with another championship added to his resume, the debate over whether Kobe Bryant is a better player than Michael Jordan has intensified.

The comparisons make sense since there are a lot of similarities between the two. They were shooting guards that played the same style of game and were both prolific scorers. Both played in Phil Jackson's triangle offense for the bulk of their careers and won multiple championships.

But in order to examine the two we'll need to look at some of the relevant facts of what they were able to do in their careers. Anytime we compare players from the same sport, especially from different eras, it's important to not only look at their statistical numbers but also how they compared to their peers during their playing career. Although Kobe's playing days are far from over, he and Jordan have played a comparable number of games.

Let's look at how Kobe and Jordan compare when it comes to individual accomplishments, awards and team success. The numbers below are based on the completion of the 2010-2011 season.

• NBA Championships: Bryant - 5, Jordan - 6. Slight advantage Jordan.
• NBA Finals MVP's: Bryant - 2, Jordan - 6. Big advantage Jordan.
• NBA MVP's: Bryant - 1, Jordan - 5. Big advantage Jordan.
  
• All-NBA 1st Team: Bryant - 9, Jordan 10. Slight advantage Jordan.
• All-NBA Defensive 1st Team: Bryant - 9, Jordan 9. Draw.
• Scoring Titles: Bryant - 2, Jordan 10. Huge advantage Jordan.
• All-Star Games: Bryant - 13, Jordan - 14. Slight advantage Jordan.
• All-Star Game MVP's: Bryant - 4, Jordan - 3. Slight advantage Bryant.
• All-Star Dunk Champion: Bryant - 1, Jordan - 2. Slight advantage Jordan.
• Olympic Gold Medals: Bryant - 1, Jordan 2. Slight advantage Jordan.
• Scoring Average: Bryant - 25.3, Jordan - 30.1. Advantage Jordan.
• Rebound Average: Bryant - 5.3, Jordan - 6.2. Advantage Jordan.
• Assist Average: Bryant - 4.7, Jordan - 5.3. Advantage Jordan.
• Steals Average: Bryant - 1.5, Jordan - 2.3. Advantage Jordan.
• Field Goal Percentage: Bryant - 45.5%, Jordan - 49.7%. Advantage Jordan.
  
• Free Throw Percentage: Bryant - 83.8%, Jordan - 83.5%. Slight advantage Bryant.
  
• Three-Point Percentage: Bryant - 33.7%, Jordan - 32.7%. Slight advantage Bryant.

Although it is obvious that Kobe Bryant is a tremendous basketball player and will be considered one of the best to ever play the game, the level that Michael Jordan excelled is yet to be matched. From nearly every conceivable angle Jordan was simply better than Kobe. Jordan performed at a level of excellence that had never been seen and has yet to be seen again. Perhaps if Kobe has a few more MVP seasons then this argument will be stronger, but, for now, Jordan is the superior player.

How A Young Dean Smith Challenged Segregation

Photo Credit: WayTru

I am currently reading John Feinstein's 2006 book, Last Dance: Behind the Scenes at the Final Four.  With a special emphasis on the 2005 Final Four that featured North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan State, and Louisville, Feinstein also shares some insights into the most well-known teams of the NCAA tournament and the history of the event that has become commonly known as "March Madness."

As a product of Big Ten country, I wish Feinstein didn't focus so much on the ACC in his book, but I was moved by one story about Dean Smith, the legendary North Carolina coach. Back when Smith was just an assistant coach to Frank McGuire at Carolina in the late 1950's, he took an important stand in regard to race relations in Chapel Hill. Feinstein tells the story:

"Not long after he [Smith] arrived in Chapel Hill, he began attending the Binkley Baptist Church and became friendly with the pastor there, Dr. Robert Seymour. It was Seymour who pointed out to him that Chapel Hill's restaurants were segregated and that it might take someone who had the clout of the North Carolina basketball program to put an end to that tradition.

Soon after, Smith walked into a well-known local restaurant with a member of the church who happened to be black. The two men sat down at a table, daring the restaurant's management to say something. No one said anything. Everyone knew that Smith was Frank McGuire's assistant coach. That was the beginning of the end of segregation in Chapel Hill restaurants.

Twenty-three years later, Seymour told that story to a reporter whom Smith had reluctantly agreed to cooperate with on a newspaper profile. "I wish you'd write about the players and not me," he had said when first approached. He finally agreed because the reporter told him he had been assigned to write the story with or without Smith's cooperation. When the reporter asked Smith about the restaurant story, Smith was clearly perturbed. "Who told you that story?" he asked.

When he heard that it was Seymour, he shook his head. "I wish he hadn't done that." "Why?" he was asked. "Aren't you proud of what you did?" "I did what I thought was the right thing," Smith said. "I don't think you should take bows in life for doing the right thing. You should just do it."

There are opportunities every day where each one of us has the chance to do the right thing. It could be something that is seemingly insignificant like holding the door open for an elderly woman or offering a kind word to a frazzled waitress. Or, like Coach Smith, it could be challenging an entrenched system of injustice. Whatever it may be, as Da Mayor said in Spike Lee's classic film "Do the Right Thing": "Doctor, always do the right thing."

A Short History of Race & Basketball

Photo Credit: GonchoA

Doug Morlino has written the first segment of what I'm sure will be a fascinating series on the history of race and basketball. His post, entitled LeBron James Back to James Naismith: A History of Race and Basketball and published on the Bleacher Report, examines the relationship between black and white players and the role that basketball has played in helping racial progress within the United States. He also touches on the influence that Christianity played in the early origins of the sport.

Morlino traces his youth in Seattle and how his views on race were influenced through his time on the court. He says:

"It also made me question the origins of many of the assumptions I’d held about sports.

Why, I wondered, was the basketball court seen as such an ideal place to mix kids from different backgrounds? Why did I grow up as seeing success on the court as reflecting my own sense of achievement and manhood? And why and how did basketball come to be viewed as a quintessentially "black" sport?

The effort to answer those questions led me back into basketball’s history, which was more complex and fascinating than I’d imagined.

I started to see connections between how early decisions in the game’s development still echo in what we see on the court today, from Blake Griffin’s monster dunks to Phil Jackson’s coaching style. I also found that the history of what’s happened on the basketball court has very closely mirrored that of race relations in the United States, and often preceded changes off of it."

I'm often asked how I came to be so interested in black culture and how my friendships with African Americans developed over the years. Initially, it was due in large part to the time I spent with African Americans on the basketball court during my youth growing up outside of Detroit. I am looking forward to reading more of Morlino's story in the rest of these articles (a planned eight-part series) and how the game of basketball came to be what it is today.

(h/t to AOL Black Voices)

The Fab Five, Duke & A Crisis of Identity

Photo Credit: pursuethepassion

The 1991-1992 college basketball season saw Michigan's "Fab Five" freshmen capture the nation's interest and the Duke program cement its legacy as one of the greatest squads ever with its second consecutive championship. But now, almost twenty years later, these two teams, both from institutions boasting reputations for academic and athletic excellence, are making news once again.

This past weekend saw the premiere of ESPN's newest documentary, featuring Michigan's Fab Five. The film, which garnered record ratings for ESPN, has continued to be discussed days after its initial showing due to some comments made by Jalen Rose, one of the Fab Five and the executive producer of the documentary. In explaining how he felt about Duke's African American players during that time, Rose described them as "Uncle Toms." 

This term, used in a pejorative manner towards African Americans considered to live in deference to white people, is a loaded term that carries with it strong connotations.  One African American member of Duke's teams during that era, Grant Hill, felt strongly enough to respond by penning an op-ed piece for the New York Times. 

Rose has reiterated that the description that he used for the Duke players was how he felt when he was in college and that he doesn't share the same feelings today but his comments have evoked a dialogue that addresses issues much deeper than basketball.  Adena Spingarn has written a thoughtful response to the matter in the TheRoot.com and offers this nugget:

"As a kid from a single-parent household who had to bundle up in layers of clothing to keep warm at night, Rose resented Hill's privilege, both material and familial. But this wasn't generic class resentment. In the United States, there was and is a difference between being poor and white and being poor and black. That's what Rose was talking about.

The history of black folks in America is full of adversity -- and, yes, achievement too. But for better or for worse, the enduring marks of our adversity -- the single-parent households, the poverty, the street culture -- have become ingrained in the way many African Americans define themselves and their histories.

Certainly, as Hill points out in his Times essay, black people who grew up with two parents and financial security are no less black than those who struggled the way Rose did. But Rose, defending his choice of words to ESPN's Bayless, emphasized that backgrounds like Hill's are "the minority. I was speaking for the majority." As a recruited player, he said, "I looked at it as, [the Duke players] are who the world accepts, and we are who the world hates."

What Rose meant by calling black Duke players "Uncle Toms" was not that they had actively betrayed the race by growing up in secure middle-class families but that, by virtue of their backgrounds, they occupied an enviable cultural space that seemed intensely unreachable to a young Rose. The differences between the Fab Five and the Duke team of the '90s may have largely disappeared -- today both Rose and Hill enjoy successful careers and greater financial security than either of them grew up with -- but there remains a deep division within the African-American community between those who are accepted by the nation at large and those who are not."

This topic has clearly touched a nerve and it goes beyond the world of collegiate athletics and race. It extends to issues like socio-economic status, power, class and privilege. In an extremely insightful and passionate viewpoint on the matter, ESPN basketball analyst Chris Broussard addresses this situation in a way that strikes at the heart of the matter. You can view the video below or click here if the video player does not show up.



For the record, I am a fan of both Jalen Rose and Grant Hill. They've both turned successful NBA careers into pathways for giving back to their communities and I admire both of them for their maturity and wisdom. But I don't think that this is fundamentally a Grant vs. Jalen thing. Nor do I even think it's about Duke and Michigan. As Chris Broussard said, this discussion demonstrates an identity crisis that exists for many young black men.

How "blackness" is defined and who gets to define it is a question that has been around for centuries and it won't be going away anytime soon. Will African Americans that seek the best educational opportunities they can find be considered "sell outs" and will those that get those opportunities continue to give back to the communities that gave them birth? For the multitude of African American youth that don't have a jump shot and won't be playing ball at either Duke or Michigan, the concern remains about whether they'll be afforded the same academic opportunities that a Grant Hill or Jalen Rose received. Those issues will continue to be prevalent until the educational and economic disparities that exist between our nation's cities and the suburbs is addressed.

LeBron James & "More Than a Game"

Lebron James is one of the few youth basketball phenoms that went onto live up to the hype. On the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school junior, James went directly from his prep team in Akron, Ohio to superstardom with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA.

Although I've never met James, there are a lot of connections that have enabled me to follow his journey over the years. I lived just outside of Akron for several years and was a member of a church in west Akron, The House of the Lord, that James attended with friends periodically throughout his youth.

That is why I'm looking forward to an upcoming documentary film, More Than a Game, that will be opening in a few select cities this Friday. The film follows the story of the friendship between James and several friends that grew up together and went onto win a national high school basketball championship.

Their coach, Dru Joyce, was interviewed by Christianity Today regarding the movie. Joyce, a strong Christian who was also a member at The House of the Lord during my time there, reflects upon how he views his role as a basketball coach:

"As a Christian, I don't believe that you can separate your faith from anything you do. When I got the opportunity to do the travel team, I saw its purpose as using basketball to teach life skills. And as time moved on and I became a better coach, seven principles developed as the foundation for everything we did: humility, unity, discipline, thankfulness, servanthood, integrity, and passion. So now I hope to grow young men that exemplify those qualities and will carry them into life, whether it includes basketball or not.

Also, I've tried over time to emphasize the relationships. When it's all said and done, the relationships are all the players are going to take out of here. I want them to understand that basketball is a vehicle to help them get from Point A to Point B. It's not the be-all and end-all. They should use basketball and not let it use them."

I appreciate Dru's perspective on the influence that he has on the lives of these young men. Games will come and go but it is the lessons that are learned through athletics that last long after the buzzer sounds. As a coach myself, I hope that my players are much more concerned about the type of people they are becoming than what a scoreboard says.

You can view the trailer for the movie here.

The Spartans, Detroit & The Final Four

Although I am a die hard Michigan Wolverine fan, I couldn't helped but be pleased to see the Michigan State Spartans advance to the Final Four once again. Not only is this Coach Tom Izzo's fifth trip to the sacred ground of college basketball, but this year's event happens to be taking place in the once proud, now struggling city of Detroit.

I have commented before on the current realities of Detroit and the state of Michigan so I won't go into all that again. I no longer reside in Michigan, but my heart remains there. So it is good to see something that the state can be proud of and to see it happening in our major city tops it off.

As I already mentioned, my loyalties lie with the Wolverines, but I have the utmost respect for the Michigan State basketball program. They consistently play well-coached, team basketball and can hang with anybody in the country (as evidenced by Sunday's win over my favorite to win the NCAA tourney, Louisville.)

Jemele Hill, a native of Detroit and now a writer for ESPN, has written another superb article on the Motor City. You can read her complete piece here, but here's a highlight:

"The opportunity to play in our state, especially with some of the struggles [the state of Michigan] has gone through this past year, I guess I felt a little bit like hopefully we can be, you know, the sun shining through some pretty cloudy areas," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said.
"But it seems like a lot of people are happy for Michigan State and Detroit, even if they don't fully understand how important this is. Most people I know aren't Michigan State supporters, yet as soon as the Spartans beat Louisville, my cell phone practically turned into an active heart defibrillator. Text messages flew in from everywhere. I'm starting to think that during Final Four week, Detroit's official license plate slogan should be changed to, "The 4 is in the D!" because I must have received that text message about 263 times."
"We've always stated our team's a blue-collar team ever since I came here -- and there's no better blue-collar city than Detroit and all the things they go through," Izzo said."

My All-Time Michigan Wolverine Basketball Team

In honor of Michigan's re-entrance into the NCAA basketball tournament, I have chosen my all-time Michigan Wolverine basketball team. Based on extensive research that took minutes and minutes to compile, I've selected a first team of five players and a bench made up of eight players. I welcome your comments on these selections.

First Team

Cazzie Russell ('64-'66) - Russell is arguably the greatest player to ever don the maize and blue. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year three times; an All-American three times and was the National Player of the Year his senior year. In addition, he led the Wolverines to three Big Ten titles before becoming the #1 pick in the NBA draft and was part of the 1970 New York Knicks title team.

Glen Rice ('86-'89) - This Flint native had the greatest individual season in the history of Michigan basketball. During the '88-'89 season he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, was a first-team All-American and selected the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tourney when he led Michigan to the title by averaging over 30 points/game. Rice is the all-time leading scorer in Michigan basketball history and was an NBA All-Star game MVP ('97) and NBA champion in 2000 with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rudy Tomjanovich ('68-'70) - Possibly known more as a coach who led the Houston Rockets to two NBA titles in the mid-'90s, Tomjanovich is the all-time leader in rebounds and possesses the second highest scoring average/game ever for the Wolverines. He was selected to the All-Big Team three times and was an All-American in 1970. He was named to five All-Star Games during his NBA playing days and is the third leading scorer in Rockets history.

Gary Grant ('85-'88) - One of the most versatile guards to ever play for Michigan, Grant was the point guard during one of the Wolverines most successful eras during the mid-'80's. Grant was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year during his first season and the Big Ten Player of the Year and an All-American his final year. He is the all-time Michigan leader in assists and steals.

Chris Webber ('91-93) - The most talented player on the most infamous Michigan squad ever, Webber was a formidable presence with the "Fab Five." He led the maize and blue to the NCAA championship game in both seasons he played with Michigan and was a Big Ten Player of the Year and an All-American his sophomore year. He sits atop the Michigan record books as the all-time leader in blocks/game. Webber became the #1 pick in the draft and went on to an All-Star career in the NBA. Unfortunately, his (and others of his era) involvement in scandal have tarnished the proud Michigan tradition.

Reserves (in alphabetical order):

Louis Bullock
Bill Buntin
Rickey Green
Juwan Howard
Phil Hubbard
Bennie Oosterbaan
Rumeal Robinson
Jalen Rose
Roy Tarpley
Henry Wilmore

The Origins of Bird vs. Magic

Although it's hard to believe, this month marks the 30th anniversary of the legendary matchup between Michigan State and Indiana State in the NCAA college basketball championship game in 1979 that thrust Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird into the national spotlight and onto NBA stardom.

Their individual popularity and rivalry transitioned well into the professional ranks as their teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, met several times in the playoffs throughout the 1980's and led the resurgence of the popularity of the NBA.

Seth Davis, a college basketball analyst for CBS and writer for Sports Illustrated, has written a book, When March Went Mad, that chronicles the 1979 championship game. SI.com has published an excerpt of the book that focused on how Bird ended up at Indiana State. You can read it here.

Another interesting slant on the game was that in the pre-Internet, pre-ESPN that existed in '79, many in the nation had heard about Larry Bird's feats on the basketball court but had never seen him play since Indiana State was not featured in televised games. Because of this, many people had assumed that Bird was black. What a surprise most of the nation must have received the first time they caught sight of the gangly Indiana farm boy.

I don't remember the game since I was only six at the time and didn't gain an interest in basketball until several years later, but the influence that one game had on the game of basketball is still being felt 30 years later.

When Winning Gets You Fired

A couple of little known high schools out of Dallas have been getting an awful lot of national attention after Dallas Covenant School beat Dallas Academy 100-0 in a girls basketball game on January 13th. After what happened in the game began to generate unwanted attention for Covenant, administrators from the school issued an apology.

But coach Micah Grimes felt he had done nothing wrong. Since he refused to apologize for his role in the lopsided outcome he is now looking for a job. Much of the hubbub around the blowout revolves around the fact that Dallas Academy prides itself as place to educate young people with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. Although I don't know all the facts of what happened, I have read up on the story and think some perspective is needed.

As one who played competitive athletics throughout my formative years, I'm well aware of competitive sports and the lessons learned from winning and losing. In addition I have several years of coaching under my belt. In fact, I'm currently coaching my third grade son's youth basketball team. So I understand the sports ethic that says that you don't run the score up on an obviously inferior opponent.

However, after considering the facts of this situation, I find it hard to believe that Coach Grimes deserved to lose his job over this. Although some of the details of the game appear sketchy at this point, Grimes had this to say about what happened:

"The game started like any other high school basketball game across the nation. The teams warm-up, coaches talk, the ball is tipped, and then the play begins. We started the game off with a full-court press. After 3 minutes into play, we had already reached a 25-0 lead. Like any rational thinking coach would do, I immediately stopped the full-court press, dropped into a 2-3 zone defense, and started subbing in my 3 bench players. This strategy continued for the rest of the game and allowed the Dallas Academy players to get the ball up the court for a chance to score. The second half started with a score of 59-0. Seeing that we would win by too wide of a margin, running down the clock was the only logical course of action left. Contrary to the articles, there were only a total of four 3-point baskets made; three in the first quarter, and only one in the third quarter. I continued to sub in bench players, play zone defense, and run the clock for the rest of the game. We played fair and honorably within the rules and in the presence of the parents, coaches, and athletic directors for both Covenant School and Dallas Academy.

In response to the statement posted on The Covenant School Website, I respectfully disagree with the apology, especially the notion that the Covenant School girls basketball team should feel "embarrassed" or "ashamed". We played the game as it was meant to be played and would not intentionally run up the score on any opponent. Although a wide-margin victory is never evidence of compassion, my girls played with honor and integrity and showed respect to Dallas Academy. We honor God, ourselves, and our families when we step on the court to compete. I do not wish to forfeit the game. What kind of example does it set for our children? Do we really want to punish Covenant School girls? Does forfeiting really help Dallas Academy girls? We experienced a blowout almost 4 years ago and it was painful, but it made us who we are today. I believe in the lessons that sports teach us. Competition builds character, and teaches us to value selflessness, hard work, and perseverance. As a coach, I have instilled in my girls these values. So if I lose my job over these statements, I will walk away with my integrity."

I wonder what else he was supposed to do when it became apparent that his opponent was over matched. Should he have only played with three players? Should he have called the game at halftime? I can't say that I really know the answer to those questions. But I do know that some of the media exposure that is now being given to Dallas Academy seems unjustified. I watched the team on a national news program yesterday getting interviewed as if they were some sort of heroes. Of course it is to be respected that the girls didn't quit and continued to play hard, but, then again, plenty of teams put forth a good effort only to get beaten by a large margin.

If it comes to light that there was unnecessary taunting in this game, then I would agree it should be addressed. There is no value in humiliating an inferior opponent. But should a team that practices hard and strives to win be punished for doing just that? All-too-often we seek to spare our children from disappointments or hardships in life and, unwittingly, deprive them the opportunity to be shaped through adversity.

As I mentioned, I'm coaching my son's basketball team this winter. We had our first game the other day and lost 38-8. If I had my way, I'd rather we had a closer game but I also know that it gives us something to work for. I will continue to teach our kids about sportsmanship, teamwork, faith and how to have fun through athletics. I teach them to not worry about the score as much about the effort they put forth and the improvement that they're seeing in themselves and as a team. Anytime you keep score you are going to have winners and losers. But a scoreboard doesn't necessarily indicate who the real winners and losers may be.

Detroit Named Top Sports Town

It seems that the boys over at The Sporting News (TSN) feel that Detroit is the best sports city in the United States. The city of Detroit -- which was largely viewed as just "Hockeytown" over the past 15 or so years -- was voted the Best Sports City of 2007 in a recent poll conducted by the Sporting News. TSN based its judgment on 11 different criteria, including attendance figures and won-loss records. This is the second time that Detroit has won the honor (previously taking the crown in 1998) and, even for non-Detroit fans, it would be difficult to dispute the Motor City as its choice. With the Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers all advancing deep into their respective league's playoffs, Motown sports has never been better. Assuming that the Lions actually meet some of their high expectations for this year and make the playoffs, it would be hard to find another city's major sports franchises matching the success of these squads.

Of course many may scoff at hopes that the Lions do, in fact, have the capability of actually achieving a winning record, but we need to look no farther than the Detroit Tigers of last season. Previously the laughingstock of baseball, the Tigers exceeded all expectations last year and advanced to the World Series. It is most likely the Tigers success (along with the continued winning ways of the the Wings and Pistons) that locked up the top spot on TSN's vote. Now I'm not predicting a Lions Super Bowl run this year, but I don't think a 10 win season and a playoff berth is out of the question. I don't think the Lions' record of 2006 (3-13) truly reflected their talent last year and a 6-7 win jump in '07 is a real possibility.

I think another fun discussion involves nominating the city with the single greatest players to ever don uniforms for its respective major sports teams. For the Detroit squads here are my picks:

- Detroit Tigers - Ty Cobb
- Detroit Red Wings - Gordie Howe
- Detroit Lions - Barry Sanders
- Detroit Pistons - Isiah Thomas

While there are some cities that are certainly involved in the discussion (Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, for example), I don't think anyone can match the representatives of the Detroit Teams. Three of them (Cobb, Howe, and Sanders) are arguably the greatest to ever play their sport (at least the discussion involves them) and Isiah was certainly on of the top players during a great era for the NBA. So what do you think? I know there are fans of other cities out there. Nominate your city's best from each of their major sports franchises and let's see where the discussion leads...

Technorati Tags: the sporting news, detroit tigers, detroit red wings, detroit lions, detroit pistons

Repost: The Final Four

I posted this a year ago and thought it would be appropriate to post it again. I'm fortunately doing better with my tourney picks this year and can win a few that I'm in if it ends up being an Ohio State-UCLA final with the Buckeyes winning the final.

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In honor of the Final Four being held in Indianapolis this weekend, the Indianapolis Star is featuring some stories on Hoosier basketball great. One of the greatest coaches of the college game, John Wooden of UCLA fame, grew up in Indiana and attended Purdue. Not only is he a legendary coach, but a very humble man that is a strong follower of Christ. The Indy Star did a great interview with Coach Wooden which was posted online today and it can be found here.

On another note (pun intended), all real college basketball fans are familiar with the song, "One Shining Moment." This song marks the end of CBS' telecast of the NCAA tourney each year with a great montage of all 64 teams in the tourney and highlights of some of the greatest plays and moments. It gives me chills every time I hear it. You can find out some background and learn the history of "One Shining Moment" here.

I'm not really sure who will win the championship game tomorrow night, although there is quite a buzz here in Florida about the Gators making it to the championship game. But this should tell you what's the biggest sport here... The other night I was watching the evening news and they were doing a short story on the Florida team making into to the Final Four, but the footage they were showing was of the Florida football team! Guess football is still king in Gainesville.

My tourney picks did okay this year. Ended up in third place in the bracket I was in. The second place finisher was my wife, Lori. Yeah, I'm man enough to admit it. :) But I did beat my sister, Kelly, by a point. Which I don't think I'd enjoy beating her as much if it didn't bother her so much that she failed to beat me again. :) You can read her early thoughts on the tournament here.

Technorati Tags: final four, basketball, ohio state, georgetown, ucla, florida

Remembering the Fab Five

I love this time of year with the NCAA basketball tourney happening and all that comes with March Madness. But the tournament is just not as enjoyable as it once was for me. None of "my teams" are in it this year so other than wanting the teams I picked to win to advance, I really don't care that much about the games. In recent years, Kent State has had a strong showing, even advancing to the Elite Eight in 2002, and my Central Michigan Chippewas advanced to the second round a few years ago. But the main major conference school that I'm a fan of, the University of Michigan, has not been in the tourney since 1998. They have been one of the dominant teams of the NIT the past couple years, but that doesn't mean too much when you're a Big Ten team.

Michigan's absence from the tournament lately makes me long for the good 'ole days in the late 80's to early 90's when the Wolverines appeared in the national title game three times over the span of five years (taking the title with the Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson-led 1989 squad). As a Michigan fan, it was particularly fun to watch the Fab Five (Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson) when they were tearing up college basketball. Never before had we seen five freshmen experience so much success and they were trend-setters with their baggy shorts, black shoes & socks, and trash talking ways.

I was especially interested in the Fab Five since I was in the same year as school as them and grew up in the Detroit area. I was able to follow Webber and Rose throughout high school and even came within two games of playing against Webber in the state tournament my junior year. It's fun as a fan to follow your team when they are doing well nationally and competing at the highest level. Though they were never able to claim the national championship, the Fab Five were a lot of fun to watch.

Check out this video for some highlights:



Technorati Tags: ncaa, basketball, fab five, michigan, chris webber, jalen rose