Michael Jordan: The Pump-Fake King

There are a couple of things that I swore I wouldn't do when I decided to write about sports. The first one was to not play the hits. That is the thing I hate most about ESPN. They get one topic, beat it to death, resurrect it, and beat it to death again. I refuse to do that. The other one was to not be hypocritical in my opinions and feelings a player or team. This is something that has gone on far too long, and especially in one instance. The discussions regarding Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

For years I've heard people who don't like Kobe have talked about how he emulates MJ. The way he carried himself, the way he played it all was him copying Mike. They also talked about how big of a jerk Kobe is. How he talks down his teammates, how he is snarly to the media, how he is just a mean guy. Michael Jeffrey Jordan wrote the book on being that guy. Yet, you rarely, if ever hear about that. 

As much as people don't like Kobe, he has costs himself millions in endorsements by staying true to that attitude. Personally, that gains him a huge measure of respect. I'd rather a person who is a jerk be that guy 100% of the time, than act one way for the media in order to gain. Again, something that Michael Jeffrey Jordan wrote the book on. It has been painful to watch when Kobe has tried to deviate from that attitude. I don't even think he believes it when he tries to act like something other than a jerk. Yet, he gets villified and killed in the media for doing so.

MJ is a guy who is notorious for talking down his teammates. In the book "Jordan Rules", author Sam Smith chronicled the 1991 season of the Chicago Bulls. He told many stories of how Jordan was with his teammates. How he punched, and verbally abused the grown men that played with him. You never hear about that though. Let that happen with Kobe, the firing squad comes out in mass.

MJ is a guy that spent twenty years saying that he never spoke against Isaiah Thomas being on the 92 Dream Team. It was one of the most openly known secrets in basketball, but he would never cop to it until this year. He finally acknowledged on the NBATV documentary that one of the stipulations of him playing was Isaiah not being on the team. We all know that Isaiah isn't a saint at all. That isn't the point though. The problem is, why go 20 years acting like you had nothing to do with it, then admit it now? That's a sucker move to me.

For the final piece of my argument, here is MJ's Hall of Fame speech: 

The entire speech was a cluster of "that awkward moment when". From talking down his old high school coach, and having the guy who was kept on the Varsity team there to clown him. To saying "I wouldn't want to be you guys" to his kids. It was the real MJ personified. Yet, people just smiled, nodded, and accepted it because it was MJ. This article by Adrian Wojnarowski sums the night up perfectly. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-jordanhall091209

I'm sure this blog won't be received well by most. Jordan has proven to be the Teflon Don when it comes to off the court criticism. I understand and accept that. I also refuse to not voice my opinion on how I think he is off the court. Personally, off the court attitudes really shouldn't matter, yet its what people seem to bring up more often than not when comparing Kobe to MJ. 

So, next time you find yourself saying, "I don't like Kobe because he's an arrogant jerk", please remember your hero MJ, and how he is off the court. Kudos to Kobe for being that guy all the time, and not pump-faking the masses like MJ did. Stay on the floor my people, and stop being hypocritical.

I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message. 

Moments Social Networking Missed

Go back with me for a moment. Back to a time when something special or shocking happened in sports and you tried to call your boys. Yet, they were trying to call you too, and you both were getting a busy signal. A time when before you left school on Friday, you talked about the upcoming sporting events. Then on Monday, soon as you got to class the first thing you did was recap, and talk junk if your team won. Those were the days.

Now, thanks to social networking, those times are pretty much gone. Now, we are able to talk in real-time about events. We can talk junk before, during, and after without getting a busy signal. Its more convenient, however it also evokes some emotions that having time to think about a game would probably calm down. I could devote an entire blog to that. However, I want to focus on some moments from my youth that would have shut the social networks down. Moments that I got the busy signal, and couldn't wait to get back to school to talk about on Monday. Moments that Social Networks Missed. So without further adieu, come back with me...

Mike Tyson losing to Buster Douglas- This is one of the first moments in watching sports that I remember being absolutely silent after it happened. At this point EVERYBODY stopped what they were doing to watch Mike Tyson fight. At this point EVERYBODY who watched this fight was stuck with their mouth on the ground when it ended. It still trips me out to watch this to this day, and knowing that it was the beginning of the end of Mike Tyson makes it even more surreal.

Mike Tyson Biting Evander Holyfield- I could honestly devote a whole blog of these to Mike Tyson. This is another moment that when it happened, the whole room went silent. Only this time, everyone yelled, "YOOOO, HE BIT HIM!!!" One of the most shocking moments in the history of sports still. I could only imagine what would have happened on Facebook and Twitter after this.

Michael Jordan over Byron Russell- Here's another cat, that I could devote an entire blog of these too. From the "Flu Game", to the countless buzzer beaters. However, this is the moment that would have definitely caused the social networks to go nuts. From the people yelling bout how great the shot was, to the people pointing out the pushoff, it would have been great to see the reaction.

Michigan State-Michigan 2001- Due to the amount of time I spend talking junk to UofM fans on Facebook, I had to post this one. This is a moment that is still whined...I mean argued about to this day by those people.  I would have LOVED for Facebook to have been around when this moment happened.

Well there are just a few moments for you to think back on. Moments that you probably got the busy signal trying to call your boys. Moments that you couldn't wait to get back to school on Monday to talk about. Moments that social networks missed.

I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message.