Recently, I went to a Lakers game with family and friends, and I came away with a philosophical reflection. I noticed that every time Lakers star Kobe Bryant touched the ball, scored a basket, or even appeared on the big screen, the crowd at Staples Center visibly changed. Lakers fans became loud, energetic, and collectively erupted into a roar. There…
The problem of football is football. Which is to say, it [NFL football] is consciously merchandising violence. — George Will, Fox News Sunday, September 21, 2014 I have been an avid sports fan from the age of nine. Prior to that my interest was presidential politics—I was the only fourth grader in my class who could name all of the…
There seems to be a tendency in human beings to draw the logical conclusion that each of us prefers to be true. So when it comes to evaluating arguments for reasonableness and explanatory power, preference tends to weigh heavily in our final assessment. Preference can even at times trump solid evidence that points to the truth of an alternative conclusion.…
The problem of football is football. Which is to say, it [NFL football] is consciously merchandising violence. — George Will, Fox News Sunday, September 21, 2014 I have been an avid sports fan from the age of nine. Prior to that my interest was presidential politics—I was the only fourth grader in my class who could name all of the candidates running…
When I played baseball as a youth, I had no idea that the game was actually preparing me for later life. Being a hitter involves a lot of failure. In fact, even the truly great Major League hitters fail (or get out) seven out of every ten times at bat. As I later discovered, coping with a batting slump in…
At eleven years old I fell in love with baseball. From that time forward it was on my mind constantly. I was either playing the game, watching it on television, or thinking about it—even while I was supposed to be doing my schoolwork. At the time, the only subjects that could compete with baseball in terms of my life’s priorities…
It’s basketball season and I can’t let it go by without commenting on my favorite team. I’ve been a Los Angeles Lakers fan since the late 1960s. So here is my list of the greatest Lakers players through the decades (in historical order only).
This may shock some of you—but I’m not Spock! Of course, I like to think (or, better yet, have others think) I’m as dispassionate and logical in my thinking as was the original Star Trek science officer Mr. Spock. But, then again, I’m not half Vulcan.
Basketball Legend and Muslim Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Comments on the Death of Osama bin Laden in Sporting News: SN: “As not only a Muslim but a born-and-bred New Yorker, son of a police officer, how did you feel watching the celebratory reactions on American streets after the assassination of Osama bin Laden?”
There’s been some recent public discussion among top NBA players as to who should be regarded as the greatest player of all-time. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James receive frequent mention as candidates for the title. Unfortunately the old-school NBA players are often left out of the discussion.
Reflections 