Who we root for

LeBron James is an awesome player and appears to be a solid, good human being. I have no idea why I can’t seem to root for him.  Same thing with Tiger Woods.  An incredible talent and apparently okay guy (maybe a little arrogant?  who knows.)  It’s not simply an underdog thing (though I do root against Kobe Bryant with some passion – just don’t like him.)  I wanted Michael Jordan to win everything, including the first Survivor series though I’m fairly sure he wasn’t even on the island.

Maybe it’s because LeBron knocked the Celtics out of first place, but I have no idea why I root for the Celtics.  KG and crew are also great players and seem like good human beings, but that’s clearly not enough.

Fanhood seems utterly irrational, and I guess that’s okay (at least in sports and entertainment – not so sure about it when choosing our real-world leaders).  More of a left-brain thing, which many of us probably keep on too short a leash (yours truly as a prime culprit.)

Arnold says “Don’t do drugs”

Highly recommend the film “Bigger, Stronger, Faster.”  Fascinating, informative (for me at least), thought-provoking, and at times disgusting, enraging and depressing.

And it’s not just about anabolic steroids.   Though it consciously lacks a singular point of view or judgment (those of you who hate Michael Moore will appreciate this), it shines a bright light on some questionable aspects of (American) culture, including its preoccupation with body image (and its evolution over the last several decades) and its glorification of winners (and corresponding disdain for losers).

Moneyball hits the NBA

Great article in today’s NY Times Magazine about the Houston Rockets’ efforts to look for greatness in players regardless of limited, official statistics.  It’s a nice reminder of how we often focus on the wrong things and how we can find success by changing our perspective.

It’s also a great article for you probability (read poker) fans out there, as it touches upon a competitor’s need to focus on the process rather than the outcome.  If you force Kobe Bryant to take his least effective shot every time down the floor, then you’ve succeeded even if he makes them all.  Or, if you push all your money in on the turn when your opponent has only one out, you’ve still made the right move even if he sucks out and bankrupts you.

Don’t do me any favors

As you may recall, I have a bit of an issue with the phrase “do me a solid” when used to mean “do me a favor” rather than “Sweetie, please take a dump now, for Mommy.”  (Oddly, it’s also the most popular post on this blog, hands down.)

This morning, it got worse.  Bill Simmons, a funny ESPN sportswriter and Boston fan, writes that he wants to “throw a solid to Andrew in Seattle.”  Is it me, or does this conjure up the image of those monkeys that toss their feces at each other?

(If they can can stand the smell of it.)

Winged BASE Jumpers

crazy bastards