:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::
Thoughts, observations, and introspections from an
:: Thursday, January 26, 2006 ::
:: Thursday, January 19, 2006 ::
So back in December, when Kobe Bryant dropped 62 points - in only three quarters - on the Mavericks (who combined for only 61) and sat out the third quarter, I felt an odd combination of both pride and melancholy. Pride for the fact that one my boys not only put on one of the greatest scoring spectacles of all time, but in an unusual display of sportsmanship, sat out the final quarter so as to not show up the other team.
But the melancholy came from how that game might have been remembered. I didn't realize until I left L.A. just how vehement some of the animosity towards Kobe and the Lakers is, and I just knew that there would be people out there who would criticize his decision to sit out the fourth. Not that I cared in any way, but I wondered if he lost out on his chance to really punch his critics in the mouth by making history. There were many half-hearted compliments but quite a bit of rhetoric about how he lacked Michael Jordan's "killer instinct" or some petty horseshit about how he disrespected the other team by sitting out. I don't care about what the Lakers Haters would say to me when I'm the only one rooting for them in a sports bar; I just wanted Kobe to silence his critics for no other reason than that he can.
And as if he read my mind, he goes and spanks the Raptors for 81 points.
And single-handedly willing his team to a victory on a night they started off getting killed.
My kid brother, who's devoted to basketball and the Lakers the way I'm loyal to my 49ers and Dodgers, who loves Kobe the way I worship Bono, wrote this on his blog:
Where are all the haters now?
The key difference between Jordan and Kobe is that Jordan wanted both the respect that comes with being one of the best as well as the love and adoration from people outside his fan base. Right now, Kobe doesn't want respect from his critics. He wants them trampled and humiliated. He may appreciate his fans but anyone and anything else is nonexistent. He just realized that even a sincere display of sportsmanship won't placate his critics so now he's welcoming any and all hatred and using it.
One of the things that great athletes do is focus their intensity on opposition - be it the other team, a bitter sports writer, or even something fabricated - to get themselves pissed off and take that anger out on that opponent. Jordan always did this but Kobe is taking it to scary new levels. And there's really nothing to fabricate. He believes that the sports world is collectively yearning for his downfall. He's become the most hated/selfish/overrated/showboating athlete in the NBA. It's become him vs. The World.
He's not playing a sport. He's engaged in combat.
He's not just an athlete playing for a win. He's a gladiator fighting to see another sunrise.
He's not just playing against another team. He's fighting every self-satisfied sport columnist. Every ignorant fan. Every jealous player, every personal demon, and every shortsighted coach.
And most importantly - I may be the only one who thinks this - he's fighting the stigma created by the management of his own team. Jerry Buss knows that the team he has now won't win a championship. Buss knows that even the Zen coach Phil Jackson can't bring home a title. Even Phil admitted the current roster is a long way from even going to the playoffs, and he doesn't put up much of an arguement to people who say he only came back for the paycheck. As cynical as this may seem, my Lakers are built strictly for the purpose of showcasing the NBA's most gifted player. Kobe, a very intelligent person, knows this. And it makes him livid. Whatever else you want to think about him, Kobe wants to win. But instead of sulking or whining to the media the way lesser players would, he simply embraces that anger. His mindset is that of begrudging acceptance. "If all this is about is showing me off, then you haven't seen anything yet. If this isn't about getting the team a Ring, I'm gonna make this all about me and break a few records while I'm at it."
If Kobe is addicted to scoring, than the Lakers management are his enablers.
Kobe said he would have been "sick to his stomach" if they lost that game to the Raptors. I almost wish they had. One can only imagine the level of hatred he would have left on the court for the next game. Who knows, he still might. And he may break Wilt Chamberlin's 100 while he's at it.
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 12:03 PM [+] ::
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:: Monday, January 16, 2006 ::
I'm not sure exactly where to start with this... I've been on many dates while I've had my blog but never wrote about them till recently. From the comments I've been receiving a few of you are concerned that things may be moving a bit fast and to some degree, it has been for me. But this girl I've been dating is a surprisingly comfortable (or rather, non-panic inducing) presence for even a commitment-phobe like me. Things have progressed fast since she returned to Miami about ten days ago but we've actually been communicating with each other since the end of October (I think).
When I first met her, my first impression was that she was a lot fun but there wasn't any attraction on my part at first. But since she seemed so fun, I exchanged emails with her and since then I've been emailing/iChatting/talking to her almost every day. Her attraction to me was pretty instant (and really, who can blame her? Just nod and agree dammit) and as clueless as I can be about picking up signals from women, I guessed back then that she might have a crush on me. Partly because she seemed genuinely excited to hear from me and asked questions beyond the typical "what kinda music do you like?" But mostly because she told me "Dan-E I might have a crush on you." (I'm perceptive aren't I?) We got to know each other quite a bit during those two months and sometimes our conversations got pretty intimate. A little different for me considering how long it usually takes for me to open up to people,
Remember that one episode of "Friends" back in season three where Pheobe makes the observation that Ross and Rachel's first date would be more like a fifteenth (fifth?) date just because they've known each other for so long (I really shouldn't be able to remember these things)? It was kinda like that for us when she finally got back. I took her to Primanti Brothers up in Ft. Lauderdale and there weren't any first-date jitters from either of us. And really, if you put a really good sandwich in front of me, I'm too busy enjoying my food to be concerned about anything else.
I'll write more about her next time. It's been a fun ride so far and I'm happy for the company. Last thing, someone told me that the moniker "My Girl" is a little too mushy-feely and I've felt the same way. There's a few that I can think of that are all fitting; The Goofball, Blue Eyes, or Smart Ass. However, there's this most excellent thing about her that no other girl I've dated has: she's a diehard football fan. And not a girly they-have-pretty-uniforms or Tom-Brady-is-so-dream kinda fan. She really knows her shit and sometimes yells at the TV during games more than I do. So I've decided to refer to her on my blog from this point on as "Football Chick."
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 5:09 PM [+] ::
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:: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 ::
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:02 AM [+] ::
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:: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 ::
My life is so over as I know it, isn't it? It was nice knowing you folks.
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 11:14 PM [+] ::
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:: Monday, January 09, 2006 ::
I'm serious.
I thought my place was fine until she saw my kitchen and had a look of abject horror on her face. Maybe it's because I'm a dude but it seems my definition of "cleaning" is somewhat different from hers. So anyway, she offers to clean my place under the reasong of "if you want me to spend any time with you at your place, you're gonna let me clean this fucking dump of an apartment." When someone puts it that way, you're not exactly flush with retorts.
Look, I'm a modern guy and I like a modern woman so it felt a little weird to have her clean my place especially since she just got back into town and we haven't been dating that long. She insisted (she actually enjoys doing this crap!!!), that's my story and I'm sticking to it.
So anyway, she did it while I was at work and when I came back home I barely recognized it. She reorganized my stuff, cleaned up some of my clutter, scrubbed the floors (they're actually smooth now!!!), and dusted off just about everything. Seriously, how awesome is she? The best I could do in return - so far - was cook her breakfast (I make the best omelets ever, especially my Bacon Cheeseburger Omelet; it's to die for.), buy her some beer and ice cream, and take her shopping, and *gulp* cuddle with her.
I just thought it was odd how she completely bypassed the "nesting" stage or whatever you call it and pretty much just barged into my dwellings even before I could get my shields up. And I'm actuallly - sort of - okay with this. I think.
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:52 PM [+] ::
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:: Wednesday, January 04, 2006 ::
I've forgotten what it's like to be in a relationship and one of the things I've been rudely reminded of is what happens to your brain when with a good woman: she has this ability to make you feel like the biggest, manliest, stud on the planet but at the same time she can make you (through no fault of her own) question, scrutinize and magnify every little flaw or insecurity - be it real or perceived - that you may or may not have. You guys know what I'm taliking about, right?
Umm, me neither.
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 12:30 AM [+] ::
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:: Monday, January 02, 2006 ::
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 4:32 PM [+] ::
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Again, I have no way to prove this.
:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:49 PM [+] ::
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