Au Revoir Mamba: A Requiem for Kobe

It's time to Break It Down!

Last Sunday morning, around 9:45 PDT, a helicopter crashed in Northern Los Angeles County, in California. As we now know, that crash ended the lives of Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, A.K.A. GiGi, six other passengers, and the pilot, nine souls in total. Kobe Bryant gained immeasurable notoriety as a star among stars in the NBA constellation. There have been numerous memorials, and undoubtedly, there will be countless more.

But before going any further, let’s make it perfectly clear, the accident was a tragedy not just because Kobe Bryant was killed, though that was tragic. Rather it was a tragedy of immense proportion because in a moment, 9 people lost their lives, including one of Kobe’s own daughters, whom Kobe was scheduled to coach in a basketball game at noon Sunday at Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy, two of her teammates, both parents of one of them, and the mother of the other, an Assistant Coach, and the pilot, in addition to Kobe. Every single one of those individuals was a vital functioning and contributing member of a family and friends circle. That multiple members were taken from three different families certainly deepens the blow. Those killed include: 

Kobe Bryant, 41

Gianna (GiGi) Bryant, 13

John Altobelli, 56

Keri Altobelli

Alyssa Altobelli, Daughter, Team Member

Christina Mauser, Assistant Girls Basketball Coach, Harbor Day School, and at Mamba Sports Academy

Sarah Chester, Mom

Payton Chester, Daughter, Team Member

Ara Zobayan, Pilot

For many basketball fans, Kobe Bryant often appeared larger than life. This was especially true for the majority of folks who claim occupancy in Laker Nation. More than a few consider him the greatest ever. He certainly distinguished himself with a highlight reel career that included 20 years with my beloved Lakers. Kobe amassed a resume that includes 18 All-Star Team selections, 15 times a member of the All NBA Team, 12 Times All NBA Defensive Team, 5 NBA Championships, 2 Time NBA Scoring Leader, 2008 NBA MVP, 4^th on the all-time NBA regular season scoring list (Just passed by LeBron James this past Saturday night), 4^th in all-time NBA post season scoring, first guard in NBA history to play 20 years, scored 81 points in a single game, and amassed 60 points in his final game as an NBA player. Without question, he’s a Laker Legend, and an NBA luminary of the first order.

In laboring through constructing this retrospective, I’m the first to admit, I was not always all-in on Kobe. I am that rare Laker fan who was not the most avid Kobe fan. Don’t get me wrong; I fully appreciated his talent and totally respected his game. He was all that, and a bag of chips. But in 1996, when the Charlotte Hornets used the 13^th pick of the First Round to Draft him, I therefore and forever adhered to the notion he should have been a Hornet; my home team. Never mind that the Lakers are my all-time favorite NBA Team. Been a fan since the days of Baylor, West, Chamberlain, and Company. But as a Charlotte resident, and original Hornets’ Season Tickets owner, I’m also vested in their success. Moreover, I fully believe Kobe would have elevated their trajectory.

After his retirement, I softened my position. I never altered my opinion he should have played his career in a Hornets uniform, but I did understand (as I always did), that he made a shrewdly strategic business decision, and I absolutely respect that. I also recognize that he was instrumental in helping the Lakers win a handful of NBA Titles, and I don’t know if he’d have been able to do the same in Charlotte. On balance, he made the right call for Kobe. Each of us must do that for ourselves.

That brings me back to an undeniable reality. Our time on this earthly journey is brief, and unpredictable. According to Job 14, King James Version:

“Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. And doth thou open thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with thee.”

Mamba obviously had a great career in hoops. He had also created a successful Brand and had become a formidable business magnate. Of late, he was immersing himself into being a model husband and father of four daughters. By most accounts he was committed to helping GiGi develop her basketball talent and eventually achieve her stated dream of playing in the WNBA. More complete biographies will address the challenges Bryant overcame in his quest for unparalleled greatness. I am content to report that he lived his life by the standards he set, and the bar was high. He was not afraid to pursue his passion, or of the success that came from such pursuits. Many will say, he left us too soon. Unfortunately, to paraphrase Job's sentiment, that call is not ours to make. It's above our pay grade. 

So, as I conclude, instead of lamenting the irreversible, or framing an even longer good-bye, I say, go with God. “Au Revoir Mamba: A Requiem for Kobe!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/us/priest-kobe-bryant-church-visit/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/28/us/kobe-bryant-crash-timeline/index.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/27/kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash-here-nine-victims/4586582002/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2020/01/au-revoir-mamba-requiem-for-kobe.html

He May Be One-of-a-Kind: However, King-like, He Most Certainly Is Not - Redux '20

 It’s time to Break It Down!

We just put a bow on another holiday weekend. While many may have moved on, once again, I have chosen not to do so. Instead, I am opting to carve out a moment of reflection on a few of the ideals so appropriately notated as millions across the United States, and around the world remembered Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. over the course of his Birthday Observance/Holiday weekend and beyond. I am also going to juxtapose Kellyanne Conway’s (Last year it was Mike Pence) characterization of Donald Trump as acting in the spirit of King, as Trump blew off the Observance, allegedly to prep for and fly to Davos, Switzerland for The World Economic Forum’s 50^th annual meeting. Ignore the fortuitous coincidence that by jetting away, he afforded himself the opportunity to vamoose at the exact time the Senate began its impeachment deliberations.

In looking back on the many works of Dr. King, I am revisiting a post I wrote and posted Wednesday, January 19, 2011, and that I reprised January 18, 2017, January 17, 2018, and again last year, January 23, 2019, examining the advent of the King Holiday. It’s been 34 years since the initial observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (MLK DAY), and 37 years since President Reagan signed the MLK, Jr. Holiday bill into law. Contemporary events remind us that now is an apt time to take a look into the rearview mirror of time.

After over three decades of inculcation into the very fabric of our society, it may be largely forgotten that the conceptualization, submission and continual resubmission of the idea, the enactment, and the gradual national observance, was not the product of universal acceptance of a grand and enlightened concept, but rather, was emblematic of the civil rights struggle itself; steeped in controversy, and the eventual victory of a relentless movement to achieve richly deserved, and long overdue social justice.

Several members of Congress, a number of states, and even a President, using a host of creative means, sought to undermine, outmaneuver, sabotage, subvert, and otherwise derail the efforts of the measure’s proponents. Ultimately, the movement was consolidated, snowballed, and would simply not be thwarted.

The effort to create a King Holiday was started by U.S. Representative John Conyers, Michigan, shortly after Dr. King’s death, in the spring of 1968. It was first introduced in the House of Representatives in 1979, but fell 5 votes short of the number needed for passage in the Lower Chamber.

High profile opponents to the measure included Senator Jesse Helms, NC, Senator John McCain, AZ, and President Ronald Reagan. Both Senators voted against the bill, and Senator McCain publicly supported Arizona Governor Evan Mecham for his rescission of MLK Day as a State Holiday in Arizona. The campaign however, reached a critical mass in the early 1980’s. Spurred on by Stevie Wonder penning a song in King’s honor called, “Happy Birthday,” a petition drive to support the campaign would attract over 6 million signatures. It has been called the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. History.

Buttressed by what had become a wildly successful public campaign, Congress soon followed suit. The proposal passed in the House by a vote of 338-90, and in the Upper Chamber by a vote of 78-22. Given the dimensions of this overwhelming support, in the form of bicameral veto-proof votes, President Reagan signed the provision November 2, 1983, and it became Federal Law. The first observance under the new law took place January 20, 1986, rather than on January 15th, Dr. King’s birthday. A compromise in the legislation specified that the observance take place on the Third Monday in January, consistent with prior legislation (Uniform Monday Holiday Act).

Of course, that was not the end of the story. It would actually take more than 30 years after Dr. King’s death before the Holiday was fully adopted and observed in all 50 states. Illinois holds the distinction of being the first State to adopt MLK Day as a State Holiday, having done so in 1973. Twenty years later, in 1993, for the first time, some form of MLK Day was held in each of the 50 States. It was not until 2000 that South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make MLK Day a paid holiday for State employees; giving the Palmetto State the dubious distinction of being the last of the 50 States to do so. However, Mississippi also sets itself apart by designating the Third Monday in January as a shared Holiday that honors the memory of Robert E. Lee and Dr. King…two fine southern gentlemen.

So, with that extensive preamble, let’s move on. As you must surely know, on November 8, 2016, Americans voted, and based on Electoral College results, elected Donald J. Trump President of the United States. Three days shy of the observance of the first anniversary of his historic inauguration, one he claims to be the largest ever witnessed (despite the fact it was not), his unverified claims, outrageous tweets, and dubious comments continue to frame him in stark contrast to his recent predecessors. I will not leave that last comment hanging, without noting that while many Americans believe that is a peculiar, and often unfortunate situation, there is a certain element of our country that believes Mr. Trump is not just a good thing, but exactly what they had hoped for, and precisely what our country needs. Suffice it to say, those are individuals with whom I disagree. Vigorously!

On Monday of this week, MLK, Jr, Jr. Day, in answer to the question, "What is President Trump doing to observe King Day, Mrs.. Conway, like Pence the year before, crossed the Rubicon of reason and common sense, asserting that "The President is preparing for Davos and agrees with many of the the things Dr. Martin Luther King stood for, and agreed with for many years, including unity and equality."

To be clear, the simple truth of the matter is Trump did nothing, nada, nil, to observe or to commemorate the King Holiday. And you know what? I for one am perfectly fine with that. Based on his words, deeds and actions as President to date, it is clear Trump's aims, views, and values do not align with those of Dr. King. To reinvent himself for the day would first and foremost be unlike himself, but equally as important, would clearly require a level of gross hypocrisy that would at the very least be off-putting to the most casual advocates and proponents of the King Holiday, Dream, Values and Vision.

Last year, Pence asserted that like MLK, Trump has also “inspired us to change.” “You think of how he changed America, he inspired us to change through the legislative process, to become a more perfect union,” he said. “That’s exactly what President Trump is calling on the Congress to do, come to the table in a spirit of good faith.” Left unsaid was…”To build the wall.”

Pence’s remarks came on the eve of the 2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, a week after becoming the longest government shutdown on record, 30 days into the partial government shutdown, and 5 days before 800,000 federal workers will miss their second consecutive payday, if the shutdown isn’t ended. The thing is, arguments that the wall is immoral aside, Trump’s posture, and actions, reflect the polar opposite of those Dr. King articulated when he visited and spoke at the Berlin Wall in 1964. On that occasion, Dr. King said:

“For here on either side of the wall are God’s children and no man-made barrier can obliterate that fact.”

In its purest essence, Pence’s likening Trump to Dr. King was just another fabrication, statement of an untruth, deflection, and flat out lie. Using the occasion of the King Holiday to manipulate Trump’s followers was a dastardly, but not surprising act. This administration has shown time and time again that the race to the bottom…has no terminus. However, that’s pretty low. To add insult to this grievous injury, the day after Pence made the aforementioned comments, a year after Trump did nothing to acknowledge the King Holiday in 2018, and had no public events scheduled to do so in 2019, he accompanied Mr. Trump to the King Memorial to lay a wreath. They spent two minutes there, and Trump never mentioned Dr. King. Pence couldn’t have been more wrong. Two words…epic fail!

Let me be clear. I have never suffered any illusion that Donald Trump is a friend to the cause of equality, diversity, or inclusion. His wall promise and kowtowing to the likes of Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh, when he appeared poised to do the right thing, are just more evidence that his aims and methods are in no way reflective of, or in concert with those of Dr. King. Whether you label his words and actions racist (they often are) is inconsequential to me. But if you insist that you are not, but fail to summon the courage and intestinal fortitude to speak out when he spouts off on one of his offensive jags, or veers left, when clearly the moment calls for right, you display cowardice as best, and quite possibly reveal a picture window into your own moral and ethical failings. As for Mr. Trump, "He May Be One-of-a-Kind: However, King-like, He Certainly is Not - Redux '20!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mlkhistory1.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

http://www.allvoices.com/partner/ap/news/7917530-obamas-mark-king-holiday-with-service-at-dc-school

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Obama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Barack_Obama

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Monday_Holiday_Act

http://www.newsweek.com/kirstjen-nielsen-trump-norway-white-782678

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PgzvxsEUC4

https://www.newsweek.com/mike-pence-compares-trump-martin-luther-king-jr-eve-mlk-day-both-inspired-us-1298644

http://time.com/5504826/martin-luther-king-wall-history/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2019/01/23/he-may-be-one-of-a-kind-however-king-like-he-most-certainly-is-not/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2020/01/he-may-be-one-of-kind-however-king-like.html

"The Streak:" It's All Over Now

It's time to Break It Down!

As we enter the third week of a new decade, there are a plethora of newsworthy items to select from in determining a topic du jour. The final edition of the Democratic Debates preceding the kick-off of the Iowa Caucuses and subsequent Primaries took place last night in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States House of Representatives is set to vote today on whether to send Articles of Impeachment to the United States Senate, the NCAA crowned a brand new National Champion in College Football Monday night, Donald Trump is feverishly tweeting attacks on the Democrats who have declared he will be impeached for life, and nearly a month into winter, the mid-Atlantic states are being toyed with by 70 degree temperatures. Each and every one of those items has the heft to carry the day. Alas, I’m going in a different direction. In the event you would have preferred to read about one of the topics above, I shall endeavor to intervene only briefly.

If you have been a regular visitor to this space, or even perhaps a periodic one, you may know I occasionally dabble in sports topics, and that I lean heavily toward Carolina Blue. This weekend Tar Heel partisans the world over said good-bye to an era. As Saturday afternoon prepared to give way to evening, something happened that had never before occurred. A men’s basketball team representing Clemson University played a game against the UNC Tar Heels, and they left victorious. In a manner of speaking, the barbarians had not only stormed the gate, but they lived to tell the story in every colorful detail.

Casual sports fans, and certainly nonfans likely have no idea the dimensions of the tectonic hoops shift that took place. To place it in context, Carolina and Clemson have been playing basketball since 1926. Prior to Saturday, the Tigers had made 59 visits to Chapel Hill, in 93 years, and exited the premises 0-59. Cutting to the chase, it took 60 visits, over the course of 94 years to break what in Tar Heel parlance has for decades been known simply as, “The Streak.” It had endured my entire life; obviously dating back to before I became a fan, in fact before I was born.

Tar Heel hoops lore is replete with an abundant array of historical achievements. 

·      Won 6 National Titles, trailing only UCLA (11), and Kentucky (8)

·      NCAA Runner-up 5 times

·      Won 18 ACC Tournament Titles

·      Won 32 ACC Regular Season Titles

·      Won 20 Outright ACC Regular Season Titles

·      Produced three players on the NBA 50 Greatest Players List

·      Became the second program to win 2,000 games (remain 1 of 4 to do so)

·      Through 2019, maintain the second highest winning percentage all-time (.739)

·      Played in 11 NCAA Title Games

·      Appeared in 20 Finals Fours (most of any team)

·      Made 48 NCAA Tournament Appearances

·      Won 123Games NCAA Tournament Games

·      Won an NIT Tournament Title 

·      Appeared in the NIT 6 times

·      Been Ranked in the Top 25 in the AP Poll 915 weeks (most all-time)

·      Beaten #1 Ranked Teams 14 times (a record)

·      Averaged more wins per season played than any other team

·      Most consecutive 20-win Seasons (31)

·      Most consecutive Top Three ACC finishes (37)

·      Finished the Season ranked in the AP Top 25 50 times

·      Finished the Season ranked in the Coaches Poll Top 25 52 times

·      Finished the Season Ranked #1 in the AP Poll 5 times

·      Finished the Season Ranked #1 in the Coaches Poll 6 times

·      In 2008, received the first unanimous #1 Pre-season Ranking in either Poll

·      Ranked #1 by ESPN - Most Successful Program in the past 50 years (2012)

·      1957 Season - 32-0; defeated Wilt Chamberlain & Kansas for the Title

·      Currently 16 NBA players are Tar Heel alums

·      !5 Tar Heels have played in the Olympics

·      6 Tar Heels are in the Naismith Hall of Fame as players

·      5 Tar Heels are in the Naismith Hall of Fame as coaches

·      49 All-American Players – Chosen a total of 78 times  

The next time Coach Roy Williams and the Tar Heels win a game, Coach Williams will eclipse Dean Smith as North Carolina’s career leader in wins, with 880. It will be a swell day for Carolina, for the Tar Heel Nation, and especially for Coach Williams. He’ll downplay play it of course, looking for ways to elevate and energize his team, and in deference to his mentor, Coach Smith. More than anything else though, at this point, it will mean the Heels have won a game. After a losing streak that has reached three games already, all in Chapel Hill (a not-so-good record in its own right), a first since his return to Chapel Hill as coach, the Coach the team, and all of Tar Heeldom are anxious for the relief only a W can bring. 

But I digress. I saw a graph that framed it more poignantly than anything else I’ve seen. It said, in essence, in chart form, “Number of Wins in Chapel Hill This Decade: Georgia Tech – 1, University of Pittsburgh – 1, Clemson University – 1, University of North Carolina – 0! The subject is “The Streak.” That it is enhanced by two games (so far) does, I suppose, add injury to insult. 

There are a lot of reasons Carolina is 8-8, but, as Coach Williams likes to say, when you put on the Carolina Jersey and step on the court, you are Carolina. No reasons, and/or excuses resonate. There are 15 games left in the Regular Season, all Conference games, and 9 on the road. By the time this season ends, it could be one of the worse ever in Chapel Hill. But even if the team were to catch fire, and roll through the rest of the season undefeated, I dadgum (a Royism, if you don’t know) assure you, there will be players and members of the coaching staff, as well as fans from near and far who will recall that on January 11, 2020, Clemson finally won in Chapel Hill. “The Streak:” It’s All Over Now!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_men%27s_basketball

https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/enfete/coming_into_today_clemson_had_been_059_alltime_in/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-streak-its-over-now.html

Iran Attacks Two Iraqi Bases Housing U.S. Troops: Back to You Donald

It's time to Break It Down!

Last week Mr. Trump crowed that he authorized a drone strike at a Baghdad Airport Thursday night that resulted in the death of Iran’s top General, Qasem Soleimani, as well as Abu Mahdi Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), which is backed by Iran. The action has drawn global attention, deepened partisan divisions in the U.S. where the Senate is waiting for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to forward Articles of Impeachment, and as of early this morning, Iraqi time, prompted the firing of more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two bases housing American troops.

Trump made the announcement in a statement Friday from his Mar-a-Lago resort. He said, “We took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war.

Later at a Miami church for an Evangelicals for Trump event, Trump said Soleimani “was planning a major attack and we got him.” He claimed that the General was in Iran planning sinister and imminent attacks that would kill Americans.

Back in Washington, Democrats groused that Trump took this action without advising members of Congress, particularly the Gang of 8, a group of Democrats and Republicans who typically expect to be consulted in advance of such major military attacks. Meanwhile, most Republicans, at least on camera, took a wait and see attitude, and professed their belief that Trump had received sufficient intelligence intel to justify the attack.

The humongous irony in that assertion, by both Trump and many of his supporters is that he and they have for years now consistently decried the accuracy and effectiveness of American intelligence agencies. All of them! Any number of critics have presaged this moment with warnings of, “What will happen when something happens and we need to believe not Trump, or, the intelligence community, but Trump, echoing the findings of the intelligence committee. 

Not surprisingly, those who always believe Trump barely noticed the intelligence community played any role in (which frankly the exact nature of is still not fully determined) in ascertaining the nature of the threat level, and whether it was in fact imminent. Remember, from November 2011 to September 2013, Trump tweeted at least half dozen times warning about President Obama initiating some armed aggression against Iran, first to get re-elected, then to show how tough he was…after he got re-elected without any such acts. Now it’s time to wonder if Trump’s ramblings on the subject of attacking Iran were simply the relentless echoes of the incessant musings about what he would do, if he were in the Oval. OK, some of us aren’t wondering. 

While Mar-a-Lago guests and Miami church-goers were getting preferred intel ahead of at least Democrats in Congress, Mr. Trump eventually Tweeted Sunday afternoon, “These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner. Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!”

So, for nearly a week now, as the ebb and flow of the internal (American) discourse has vacillated across our airways and our individual consciousness, Iran did what was anticipated; they responded. Preliminary information is that the U.S. had prior knowledge the attack was coming and took necessary precautions. As a result, early reports from both American and Iraqi sources say there were no known casualties due to the strikes. Trump, who has not publicly addressed the nation did tweet, "all is well!"

Over the past several days, Trump, advancing his usual bombast, has threatened to attack Iran forcefully, perhaps even disproportionally in the event they responded to Soleimani death with attacks on Americans or American targets.

Today, the ball is in Trump’s court. Hope your vehicles are sitting on Full. The price of gas just went up. “Iran Attacks Two Iraqi Bases Housing U.S. Troops: Back to You Donald!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/us-iran-soleimani-tensions-intl-01-07-20/index.html

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com/2020/01/iran-attacks-two-iraqi-bases-housing-us.html