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And just like that, we find ourselves at the halfway point of the season once again.
The NBA named the starters for the annual All-Star game today and Ray Allen isn’t happy about it.
The Western Conference will start Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash (...who barely slipped past inactive Tracy McGrady) at guards. Tim Duncan and Carmelo Anthony at forward and Amare Stoudamire will man the middle.
The Eastern Conference will start Dwight Howard at center, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James at forwards with Dwayne Wade and Allen Iverson at the guards positions.
How did we get here so fast?
It seems like the season started last week.
I suppose that’s just the way the world works anymore…at hyper speed.
Fast food, instant messaging, 3G this and high speed that…I find myself feeling like Brooks Hadlen at times, overwhelmed.
To quote the character from the classic movie The Shawshank Redemption,
“The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry.”
Time is funny in that regard.
Time can breed familiarity, contempt and, on occasion, comfort.
People as a general rule enjoy comfort.
We like our La-Z-Boys, our comfy slippers and evidently, our Snuggies.
I suppose you could say Allen Iverson is the Snuggie of the NBA this year.
He brings fans the comfort, familiarity and name recognition that led them to vote him to start for the Eastern Conference All-Star team even though his play and stats don’t really warrant it.
It’s the same type of name recognition, popularity contest laziness that many long sitting politicians bank on.
It’s not always the substance or accomplishments that validate them, but more the fact that people are too busy leading their daily lives to bother researching the candidates and their worthiness to hold office.
Blame our short attention spans, A.D.D. or George Bush…blame anything but personal accountability.
Celtics guard Ray Allen recently lamented the fans selection of Iverson by saying that the criteria for the selection process should be altered. Fans are not to be trusted with such important choices. The most popular suggestion seems to be to splitting the vote between fans, players, coaches and media. Ray feels that the people, the fans who ultimately pay his $18.39 million dollar salary for the 2009-2010 season, shouldn’t have the final say on who starts.
The fan vote: Ray’s not McLovin it.
Really Ray?
If the fans who fund this charmed life you lead, you know, the “job” that allows you to cash those monstrous checks every week to play a kid’s game instead of actually working an 8 hour day at Wal-Mart or go to your burdensome job as a welder to put a roof over your head and feed the fam?
I agree with you that Iverson has no business being there based on what he’s done on the court this year but if that’s what the paying customer wants I would remind you that the customer is always right…especially when that customer or customers obsessive interest in your chosen field affords you to live so lavishly.
That being said...Shut up and put the ball in the hole Ray.
It seems Mr. Allen has fallen prey to the elitism of those who fancy themselves intellectuals.
This is the same highfalutin -if you don’t have a degree or a proper education, you are a simpleton- way of thinking that insults the American populous daily. For an example of what I mean, think Keith Olberman.
They feel that the common, blue collar, average Joe six-pack isn’t capable of being trusted with such important decisions.
I say again…Really Ray?
You may or may not know that there was a pretty important election in the state you are currently employed, Massachusetts. It was decided by some of the very same people who most likely voted for you to be an All-Star last year.
For the first time in my life, I have to say it…
(Pause……Deep breath……Exhale....................................)
I LOVE BOSTON!
...There.
Now I can go back to hating the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and the annoying Boston sports fans with chowder breath that make that town smell like rotten fish.
Sorry, I just can‘t help it…My Lakers loyalty skews my opinion of that wonderfully historic city.
Back to Ray-Ray and his crappy opinion…
How would you feel if, say, YOU weren’t allowed to vote in that or any other election since you’re not as knowledgeable in the world of politics as those who follow it with more intent and insight than you do? How about we split the vote between Congress, the media and the lobbyists since they follow things of that nature a little more closely than you or I?
Do you know that when this country started you would not have been allowed vote because of slavery. Women could not vote either. The only people who could vote were rich white men.
Does that sound fair to you?
Me neither.
Logic and fairness dictates everyone should get a vote and we abide by the results whether it’s for a vital Senate seat or a starting spot in the All-Star game, it’s the American way.
WE THE PEOPLE like decide for ourselves.
The system isn’t perfect by a long shot, sometimes candidates like Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Al Franken, or Jesse Ventura slip through the cracks and the rest of us are left wondering just how the heck they pulled that off.
In a perfect world, Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks would be in Iverson’s starting spot but things have a funny way of setting themselves straight. Don’t be surprised if Iverson respectfully declines or suddenly has a nagging injury that prevents him from playing. That way, the finicky sports fans who consider themselves above the fray of the masses, the talking heads on ESPN, and the know-it-all sports columnists who look down on the average fan (who also happen to keep them employed…sound familiar Ray?) will be satisfied and Allen can save face in their pretentious, judgmental eyes. These are the same group that won’t put Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame and delight in making the players…(the people who have the talent and athletic prowess they WISH they had 1/100th of), suffer through waiting year after year to gain their approval before gaining admission to the Hall of Fame. I wonder how those who get to cast votes on such things would fare if the tables were turned and the players got to decide the fate of the writers induction into the sportswriter Hall of Fame?
Would Mark McGwire be as quick to pass judgment on a dyslexic columnist that used spell-check and lied about it?
My point is that it’s easy to judge, but difficult to exact justice.
What about the 12 year old kid who voted to see his hero A.I. play in the All-Star game?
Would it be fair to him?
It is after all only a kids game we're talking about here, isn’t it?
It’s not like the balance of the entire country hinged on the outcome of the vote that was in the hands of the very same people who cheer you on each and every game you play in Celtic green.
They’re too dumb to be trusted with such matters according to you.
Scott Brown and Allen Iverson supporters would say otherwise.
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