The Golden Rule

Well it has been a long time since the Puma of Chocolate persuasion has graced your presence. No need to worry I am here and ready to give you the unsolicited opinion that you asked for! I’ve noticed some things recently that have troubled me. Granted it’s not a new phenomenon but it is something that just has gotten under my skin more than I am used to. This is a highly sensitive subject, but I feel like it has to be said.

This all started when my sister posted a quote from Cory Booker which in itself was not a bad quote. “Before you speak to me about your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people. Before you tell me how much you love your God, show me in how much you love all his children.”  When I saw that quote it struck me as “hey don’t speak about it, be about it.” You know basically words are cheap, actions are everything. Not a bad sentiment? But like most things on facebook things appear to have been misunderstood and twisted. This quote was taken as an apparent attack on Christianity. 

Apparently because other people practice a different belief, they can’t be a child of God.  That’s fine if you believe that, but I think the point of the quote isn’t that everyone is a child of God; the point of the quote is to be a good person. Don’t talk a big game about what one should do, just go and do it. It also strikes me as kinda being intolerant.  I don’t claim to be a theological scholar, but just because someone has a different belief system than me I don’t think I am supposed to show them less respect than someone who shares my beliefs. 

Most times the people who argue this point claim to live exactly by the bible yet they have no beards (Leviticus 19:27), they don’t leave their wives or girlfriends when menstruating (Leviticus 15: 19) and many other things I could go into. The point of this is probably going to be missed, but it would be nice to just live by the golden rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

My grandmother always stressed to me that I am to love my fellow man regardless of their beliefs and leave the judging to the Almighty, or as she put it “if it doesn’t come out in the wash, it will definitely come out in the rinse.”  

So that’s my two cents.

If Loving This Video Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right

The Dream Team Has No Competition

So I awoke this morning and watched a replay of one of my favorite programs, a little diddy known as ‘Around the Horn.’ On it one of the esteemed columnists, Mr. Bill Plaschke said one of the craziest things I have ever heard. Right up there with an argument I heard on the train how Lil’ Wayne was better than Tupac or Biggie. You see Mr. Plaschke said the craziest basketball related thing I ever heard. He claims that the 2012 USA Basketball team could beat the dream team. I’m gonna say it again because it bears repeating. He claims that the 2012 USA Basketball team could beat the dream team. So I’m gonna line the rosters up side by side and let’s just give a fair analysis of who is better shall we?

Centers:

1992 Dream Team:                                                          2012 Men’s Team:

David Robinson                                                               Tyson Chandler

Patrick Ewing

This is not what Tyson is used to.

I don’t even need to tell you where the advantage lies. David Robinson and Patrick Ewing will haunt the dreams of Tyson Chandler.

Advantage: Dream Team

Power Forwards:

1992 Dream Team:                                                          2012 Men’s Team

Karl Malone                                                                     Blake Griffin

Charles Barkley                                                                Kevin Love

Christian Laettner

They got Kevin Love trying to guard me? Thats turrible.

Again…word? While Griffin and Love would eat Laettner’s lunch, if they even gave Barkley and Malone a side glance they would get their souls destroyed.

Advantage: Dream Team

Small Forwards:

1992 Dream Team                                                            2012 Men’s Team

Larry Bird                                                                         Kevin Durant

Scottie Pippen                                                                   Lebron James

Chris Mullin                                                                      Carmelo Anthony

                                                                                        Andre Iguodala

Chris Mullin is just criminally underrated.

This is where there is some argument for the current team. Lebron and Durant are 1-2 in the league right now while Melo is still a dominant if not ball hogging scorer and Iggy is an immensely talented wing defender. Larry Bird at the time was a shell of his former self dealing with back injuries, Mullin was an amazing scorer but overall the 2012 group gets a slight nod.

Advantage: 2012 Team

Shooting Guard:

1992 Dream Team:                                                          2012 Men’s Team:

Michael Jordan                                                                 Kobe Bryant

Clyde Drexler                                                                   James Harden

Shut up. We all know who get this one.

Advantage: Dream Team

Point Guards:

1992 Dream Team:                                                          2012 Men’s Team:

John Stockton                                                                 Chris Paul

Magic Johnson                                                                Deron Williams

                                                                                       Russell Westbrook

This one is not as tough as I thought it would be. I think the size and speed of Williams and Westbrook would dominate Stockton, and Chris Paul vs Magic would be a basketball nerd’s dream. Overall the athleticism and speed of this year’s guard would be the deciding factor.

Advantage: 2012 Team

Overall I fully expect the men’s team to win gold in London but comparisons to the Dream Team must stop. They remain the most dominant team in the modern era winning their games by 51.5 points per game.  Dream Team would easily coast to victory. No question.

NBA Ranting and Ravings From a Lunatic

Well the NBA draft has come and gone and with it the time of free agency has descended upon us so I guess I’ll drop a blog post on you in the old rambling style. Here goes everything.

· There may be nothing in the world of sports that doesn’t occur on a field or court than I love more than the NBA draft. For one night all of these guys are on equal footing. Yet in a few short months we will see who will be all stars and who of course will be the dreaded Darko and Olowakandis of this draft.

· New Orleans came off like bandits in this draft. A potential defensive cornerstone in Anthony Davis, a dynamic slasher in Austin Rivers and if they match the offer sheet of Eric Gordon the Crescent city may finally have a team as dynamic as the city itself.


· Cleveland? The hell? Dion Waiters? Wow. You know the last player to be drafted before starting a game was Marvin Williams…so yeah that turned out well for the Hawks.

· I was shocked Perry Jones fell as far as he did. I don’t think this kid is going to be Kevin Durant Jr, but if he can get his mind into the game he can be a very valuable piece to a team.

· The Bulls drafted the backup point guard of the future. Not flashy, but solid.

· During last summer the overwhelming theme was the greedy players are ruining the game when really it was the lazy owners are overpaying players. Further proof that the lockout was for naught was when the Houston Rockets signed Omer Asik, a good defensive back up who averaged a whopping 3 points and 5 boards a game a contract for 3 year, 25 million dollar deal. 3 points…25 million dollars. Yeah. Way to go owners.

"They offered me how much?"

· Also Jeremy Lin getting signed to an offer of 28 million dollars is ridiculous. I don’t blame him for signing but word? That kind of deal to a guy who played in 35 games last year? Get your money Lin but owners…yeah
.
· The Bulls should tank this season. Let’s be honest we won’t win with the current roster and no D-Rose. Start Teague; get him some experience to be the 2nd unit guy we need in the 2013 season. That’s right I also suggest sitting Rose all of next season. No need to rush him back and have a Penny Hardaway situation. Then maybe, just maybe we get lucky and San Antonio Spur this thing. You know when David Robinson got hurt, they sucked for a year, got the number one pick, draft Tim Duncan and 2 years later they were champs.

· I don’t claim to know anything about Damien Lillard, but that was the worst suit of the 2012 draft. Congrats young man!

"My mom chose this for me..."

· The 76ers are gonna have an exciting team next year, signed the highly entertaining Nick “Swaggy P” Young along with the addition of dynamic young guys Arnett Moultrie and Moe Harkless. They won’t win, but they’ll be exciting to watch.

"Somebody get young swaggalicious a cheese steak."

Well that’s all I have for now. So I’ll end with this.

The fuck…