My Reflection on the Easter Season and Bandwagon Jumping

I hope you all reflected with the time you have been given this Easter season. One of the topics I consistently explore in my blog is how internal values affect external actions. The lack of internal values leads to mob mentality. As Kenobi puts it " The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. "





A manifestation of mob mentality is bandwagon jumping. making choices more to fit in with people around you than to align your actions with your personal beliefs. Of course if your beliefs are not really convictions then you will easily be swayed into mob mentality. Anthony Robbins said that you make every decision to get closer to pleasure to avoid pain. If you voluntarily experience pain it's with the belief that you are avoiding a greater pain.


When your values do not have roots, then you allow yourself to morally drift with the crowd. Hence the mob mentality. Hence the bandwagon jumping. Sometimes not wishing to conform to those who easily conform is seen as being stubborn.

 

Ever since I was a young lad and I started paying attention to the story of the Passion of Jesus Christ it always struck me the contrast between the people's behavior hailing Jesus on Palm Sunday and then come Good Friday they were calling for his head. The video I have provided below.  Please note in the third scene where Pilate gives the people a chance to vote who among Barabas or Jesus will be set free, the intimidation tactics used to manipulate the outcome of a vote does not seemed to have changed in two thousand  years. Once again proving the relevance of the Bible today.  And on a slightly less humble note, I saw the actor that plays Pilate on the plane, twenty years after this movie was made. 



In previous blogs I have quoted Tom Cochrane and Red Rider to explain mob mentality: ”People do some strange things
When they're all together
They wouldn't even dream of
By themselves” .

Just  like there is strength in numbers. Mob mentality also proves there is weakness in numbers.



I have no problem admitting you that I am a very flawed human being. One thing about watching and reading the story of Christ this Lenten season once again reinforced to me that the Church as we know it was built on flawed human beings. I told you last month that last year I was introduced to the School of the Word. Where we study scripture and apply it to our thinking, experience and our lives. One thing I will not forget Fr.Gerson say was that the Bible is not naive.

The Bible accounts for human flaws. Otherwise it would be impossible to have redemption stories. It's all there. Whether it's Moses or David or others. Trials and difficulties abound in the Bible. And wouldn't you know it , we all go through trials and difficulties.
 

 
Peter was all vim and vigor about Jesus when times were good. He denied Christ when the going got tough even when he was warned that he would . Peter himself jumped on the bandwagon when it was convenient. But Peter ultimately rebounded for his moment of weakness to be the Rock he was predicted to be. The Apostles scattered like roaches when you turn on the light at the time of Jesus' arrest. But they overcame that weakness and sustained the courage to build the Church. People of weak or no faith will be quick to point out the current weaknesses of humans in the Church and ignore any good they have done. If you will dwell on the bad, try to see the good.

 
All through out the story of Jesus. There are elements that want to subvert what Jesus stood for and his message and his following for their own purpose. What hit me while watching Jesus of Nazareth is that the story happens with the backdrop of the land being occupied by the Roman Empire. As in any occupation that requires military means to perpetuate it, there are always dynamics in play in everyday life. This affects the Gospel. If Jesus did not stick to his guns, the fundamentals of his teachings then they would have been subverted. For the record his teachings were love, faith, obedience , humility, caring for one another. It's all there in the book. Remember that when people of today speak in his name or claim to be his followers and want to subvert you . What values do you see in their actions? 


Warning the following are examples that hit me as mob mentality. Sorry if you disagree but read my explanations before you violently react to me. It would not be mob mentality if only  very few bought into it. I had to pick examples that were conspicuous. If the example bothers you I will listen to a well said rebuttal. My previous observations of people jumping on bandwagons:

Noynoy Aquino. His meteoric rise to the highest elected office in the land is proof of bandwagon jumping and mob mentality. He has no internal values that lead to concrete deeds. Like I said a while back pre election, he is wallpaper. He is just there.

You could not convince me in a million years that the people who jumped on the Noynoy bandwagon valued integrity, leadership and action. Noynoy was not any of those things yet he won the election. They valued ephemeral family ties and counterfeit patriotism. People jumping on the Noynoy bandwagon for me was the ultimate mob mentality. Supporters glossed over leadership and tangible evidence of crisis management. Look at Noynoy's campaign. All he did was anchor himself to the past. His parents' past. Not even his own. The color yellow, the 'L" sign, his dead mother's picture over his shoulder. Things he had nothing to do with.  And our nation rewarded him for that. Electing as your ultimate leader one who does not fit the traditional framework of  a leader is not exactly the Filipino's shining hour .

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1114/You_Mean_We_Have_To_Elect_A_Leader_


http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1118/Noynoy_By_The_Book_Again

Efren Penaflorida - pinoys jump on his bandwagon not because they value what he does but they value the attention he gets. So they pretend they value his mission of education.

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1017/Hypocrisy_of_the_Recognition_and_Admiration_of_Efren_Penaflorida

Azkals   - nation pins their hopes on people who are not even from this nation to represent this nation. http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1263/ESPNs_Scott_Van_Pelt_Describes_Azkals_Bandwagon_Kind_Of

Pinoy Drug Mules- yeah, true leadership is jumping on the bandwagon of countrymen who go to other countries and break their rules. Instead of using it as a teachable moment for being accountable.

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1231/PNoy_Proposed_Prayer_Vigil_Preposterous_Presumes_Privilege_is_Pseudo_Patriotic_and_Prostitutes_Piety_

Using Death as an excuse to jump on the bandwagon

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/913/Riding_the_Momentum_of_Death

Crab Mentality- question bandwagon jumping and you get accused of being a crab

http://edrlopez.blogspot.com/2011/07/injecting-dose-of-reality-is-not-crab.html

This Easter Sunday I hope you took the time over the break to reinforce your values through thinking and prayer so that you are not easily shoved into a convenient bandwagon. The deeper your values are the less room there will be for you in the bandwagon.

Ed

WHY? Because We Are Dumb

(double click to see the comics in full size)

Bart Simpson: "I can't believe it, but it looks as though television has betrayed me."

Once in a while, somebody will publish something that is very close to what I have been saying for sometime. I saw this article in our local newspaper. I used to read this Nestor Torre before but when his reviews always revealed the climax of a movie, I figured my reading time is best spent elsewhere. I agree with his starting point. He concludes that regulators and TV stations should get together to "undumb" the audience. At best I think it's a two way street. Like a chicken and egg question. At worst, this culture wants dumb, this culture will not appreciate anything that is not dumb so give them dumb. A lot of what I want to say on the topic is here. http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1017/Hypocrisy_of_the_Recognition_and_Admiration_of_Efren_Penaflorida



This culture does not value intellect, learning or dignity . TV stations are only answerable to one group . Sponsors. Sponsors want a large audience . They don't want a discriminating audience but a large audience .I don't care about the mandate of the KBP. Because who really is serving the public good? By providing shows that will enlighten? None as far as main stream consumption . Media does not shape the audience. The audience is attracted based on what the programmers perceive will attract that audience.The dumb shows, dumb audience and the high ratings are both a vicious circle and a self fulfilling prophecy. Make a long story short. If programming is based on perception of audience and programing is dumb then the audience is perceived as dumb. And the proof of that is the size of the audience attracted. Dumb sells. Something that requires brain cells does not sell to the extent that dumb does. If you think my critique is solely on TV guess again. Filipino newspapers have not escaped my gaze. http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/688/Why_Are_Our_Filipino_Newspapers_So_Dumb





You want proof, we are dumb? These shows appeal abroad only to Pinoys who are abroad. Other cultures do not find any hidden worth in them. You know why? There is nothing of value there for them to find. Calvin and Hobbes (The comic strip above) has resonated for so long because it is such a mirror to our reality. Another excellent parallel to the state of dumb TV is the film The Running Man. If you never saw the film you might describe it as some dumb muscle film with Arnold Schwarzenegger sprouting corny one liners. I actually saw this movie the day it came out 23 years ago. I had no idea that 23 years later I would be calling it genius for what it predicted.


Read one imdb user's breakdown of the film. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093894/usercomments Prophetic, 3 November 2004 8/10 Author: obiwan-27 (lckrause@gmail.com) from New England *** This review may contain spoilers *** I entered my first comment on this film almost five years ago. Then, the ideas presented in the movie still seemed mostly fictional, if indeed they could ever transpire at all. Not any longer. Now, the politics, society, and media in The Running Man seem very close to home indeed. Consider the following factors, which were mostly absent in 1987 (the year The Running Man came out) that are present today: Concern with, as Richard Dawson's character Damon Killian puts it, "traditional morality." CHECK Entertainment in the form of extreme reality, including pain, fear, and discomfort on the part of contestants. CHECK Cameras everywhere. CHECK Restricted travel for citizens at the whim of the government, controlled by a centralized computer system complete with barcoded passports ("travel passes" in the movie) and sanctioned under the guise of national security. CHECK An increased intermingling, bordering on incestuous, of government and media. CHECK Computer-generated graphics that are advanced enough to manipulate real film footage (such as the "digital matting" of Ben Richards' image onto the stunt double). CHECK Jailing of conscientious objectors or detractors of the current administration. CHECK Flagging economy further widening the gulf between the wealthy and not-so-wealthy; increasing numbers of fringe groups reacting to the tightening noose of big government; civil unrest brewing just under or at the surface of nearly every sizable public event regardless of its origin or intent. CHECK, CHECK, CHECK Then again, maybe it's just a movie based on a Stephen King novella. But just to be safe, I'm moving to Switzerland. If I can leave you with one thing, just remember, if TV is dumb or if media is dumb it's because we are dumb. TV is so much part of our lives that who really analyzes it's effect on a society? Well I will leave you with yet another quote from Running Man which says it all. Video provided in Multiply version of this post.


Damon Killian: This is television, that's all it is. It has nothing to do with people, it's to do with ratings! For fifty years, we've told them what to eat, what to drink, what to wear... for Christ's sake, Ben, don't you understand? Americans love television. They wean their kids on it. Listen. They love game shows, they love wrestling, they love sports and violence. So what do we do? We give 'em *what they want*! We're number one, Ben, that's all that counts, believe me. I've been in the business for thirty years. Ben Richards: Well, I may not have been in show business for as long as you have. But I'm a quick learner. And right now, I'm going to give the audience what *I* think they want.


Ed

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1017/Hypocrisy_of_the_Recognition_and_Admiration_of_Efren_Penaflorida

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/864/_Dont_Point_the_Finger_At_Willie

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093894/usercomments

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/688/Why_Are_Our_Filipino_Newspapers_So_Dumb

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1097/WHY_Because_We_Are_Dumb_

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kFXIETlJoU

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20100325-260840/Least-common-denominator-TV-programming

Viewfinder
‘Least common denominator’ TV programming

By Nestor Torre
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:46:00 03/25/2010

Filed Under:

Television, Entertainment (general)

MANILA, Philippines—The unprecedented popularity of television is both a boon and a bane. That the biggest TV networks now command an audience of millions is a testament to the medium’s utter viewability and vitality.

On the other hand, that very viewability and 24/7 accessibility have often resulted in a stultifyingly "least common denominator" kind of programming, with many popular shows providing the video equivalent of popcorn—momentarily yummy, but offering little in terms of substance and sustenance.

The industry mantra seems to be: "Keep it simple, stupid; that’s all the simpletons out there want, need—or deserve."

For this reason, some TV shows attract similarly "stupid" or "stupid-making" workers, and lack of depth and sensitivity is in fact preferred, because the simpletons "know" what viewers go for. The dumb leading the dumber? You bet—and, as the "stupid" shows’ robust ratings reveal, they’re pretty smart and savvy, after all.

Of course, some viewers find them really shallow and, in fact, downright demeaning to watch. Unfortunately, they’re in the distinct and churlish minority, so the channels can do spectacularly well without them and their stuffy, snitty ilk. And the situation remains as "hopeless" as ever.

Is there any way out of this desultory conundrum and downward spiral of ever diminishing returns? Well-meaning do-gooders and reformists mistakenly believe that errant or irresponsible TV workers can be "shamed" into more responsible behavior. They forget that TV is a game of numbers, and thus far, the least-common-denominator guys are winning the battle by a mile. They have the numbers, because their "stupid" shows appeal to the many simpletons out there. So, dumb yourself down and join the fun!

But that can’t be the way to go, because therein lies perdition and retardation. That’s why TV is supposed to be a public trust that’s protected by all sorts of pledges of responsible and balanced programming—except that, the rules aren’t followed or enforced, and the pledges remain unfulfilled.

One way out of this quagmire of pap is for government regulators and industry self-regulators to do their job. But, if they fall short, who can compel them? The country’s more concerned, demanding and enlightened viewers—only, there aren’t enough of them to make a big difference.

Which is why media education is so important, but who will teach it? Our teachers? Not likely, because they too are watching those least-common-denominator shows and enjoying them.

The real solution can be arrived at only if both concerned TV workers and viewers join forces to produce and support more substantial TV programs. And work together they must, because young Filipinos’ mental and moral prospects hang in the balance.

That’s the common denominator that should motivate and inform their concerted efforts to reform and redeem what is now the viewing nation’s most popular, persuasive and powerful medium of expression, communication and entertainment.

Tags: television, values, dumb, morons, running man, learning, culture, public service

Why Would Anyone Want Manny Pacquiao's Advice?

Look at this stupid excuse for journalism.

http://www.inquirer.net/specialreports/ThePacquiaoFiles/view.php?db=1&article=20091213-241845

Headline says Manny has no advice for Tiger.(You can see the text below) But it starts off with him getting a tattoo. I have no idea why they sneak in the crisis du jour in there of Tiger. Actually I have an idea, they have no story. Look how long it takes them to get the meat suggested in the title? There are two sad facts about journalism in this country: 1) a lot get killed 2) the ones who do not would have a hard time writing for a school paper. There is no story there but it is the headline. The meat of the article has nothing to do with their tease.

My previous thoughts on how our so called writers have no perspective or insight:

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/688/Why_Are_Our_Filipino_Newspapers_So_Dumb

On a semi related thought: Everybody else is looking for Tiger Woods' sponsors to abandon him but we have no such blood in the water in the Philippines for the thinking man's athlete Manny Pacquaio. Want to know why?? Fidelity and loyalty are not values treasured here. Erap was , is and will always be popular among the hordes here. He flaunts his infidelity and his bigamy and nobody calls him on it. He has the cojones to run again and he is not laughed out of Comelec because he knows the electorate will take him seriously? This is a source of personal shame for me. That our people can care so much for Manny and so little that convicted plunderers run for office.

Who cares about Manny Pacquiao's advice? The guy is not educated and concussed. I am not blind. This is a third world country and many are uneducated and that is because of circumstance. Manny himself does not even have high school but unlike the rest he can do something about it. He has the money and he has the time. But he rather worry about politics even though he has no college or high school education. But guess what ?? If Manny lives to be 80 and does not achieve first year high school he will be loved because this society does not value education. They value the attention Manny brings. Never mind that boxing itself has been waning. Now gambling, that does not go out of style.

Our writers in the Philippines are so bad. Let's look forward to the following headlines:

Pacman has no advice for Timothy Geithner

Manny would have told Geithner to extend the TARP bailout program even further until October 2011. But he got confused since there really is no need for tarps since he never sees it rain in Las Vegas. Therefore it does not rain in the US.

Pacman has no advice for Stephen Hawking

For a brief time Manny wanted to argue with Dr, Hawking's theory that the universe has no edge or boundary in imaginary time. Arguing that Bob Arum defined the parameters of the edges.

Pacman has no advice for Charlie Weis.

Manny agrees with Brady Quinn that Notre Dame should not have fired Charlie Weis. Then again Manny believes a quarter back is what happens when you break even in the 25 cent slots in the MGM Grand.

Ed

http://www.inquirer.net/specialreports/ThePacquiaoFiles/view.php?db=1&article=20091213-241845

Pacman has no advice for Tiger

Bayani San Diego Jr. Philippine Daily Inquirer December 13, 2009 21:57:00

BOXER-turned-big-screen-superhero Manny Pacquiao has a new tattoo—that of a meteor on his left arm, which he got at a local bar, he said.

“Hindi pa nga magaling.” The ink is still fresh, he pointed out.

The blazing meteor is meant for his next opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr., according to a web report.

But conspiracy theorists can’t help asking: Is there a heavenly body named Krista out there?

Nah.

Pacman dismissed the gossip linking him with “Wapakman” costar Krista Ranillo as “intrigue” meant to drum-beat their Metro Manila Film Fest entry.

His only message to rumormongers: “Sana manood sila ng pelikula.”

He finally saw Krista, post-scandal, only last week (Dec. 6) when the action flick resumed shooting.

“Hindi namin pinag-usapan ’yong intriga. Sandali lang kami nagkasama; hindi kami magka-eksena e. Sabi ko lang sa kanya, ‘Grabe ang mga chismis. Sana suportahan nila ang pelikula natin.’ Tawa lang kami nang tawa,” he recalled. “Ganoon naman ako, kahit sa loob ng ring. Kahit bugbugan na, naka-smile pa rin.”

He would also like to steer clear of the raging cat fight between costars Krista and Bianca King.

(Bianca was allegedly ejected from a common dressing room by Suzette Ranillo, Krista’s aunt.)

“Ayokong makialam sa buhay ng ibang tao. Pero kung kunin nila ang advice ko: Sana magka-ayos na. Sana magkapatawaran na tayong lahat ngayong Pasko,” he said.

He repeated the same mantra of non-involvement and forgiveness when asked to give advice to fellow beleaguered athlete, golfer Tiger Woods, who figured in an extramarital scandal as well.

“I don’t care,” Pacman said, laughing. “Ayokong pakialaman ’yan. Ang masasabi ko lang ... laging magdasal. Lapitan niya ang Diyos dahil ang Panginoon ay pag-ibig.”

He related that he has a special relationship with God—which began when he had a “one-on-one conversation” with Him.

This “turning point” will be discussed extensively in an upcoming book he’s preparing.

“Sa bilyong-bilyong tao sa mundo, bakit si Manny Pacquiao ang binigyan ng Panginoon ng ganitong suwerte? Hindi ko akalain na mabe-break ko lahat ng record sa history ng boxing,” he said.

He refrained from giving further details about his personal “conversation with God.”

“Baka hindi n’yo na bilhin ang libro,” he said.

The book would be his focus after the fight; the Hollywood movie with Sylvester Stallone would have to wait. “Hindi na namin napag-usapan kasi naging busy kami.”

He promised that he would not leave anything out in the book, which is being written by a Filipino author and will be published in the United States upon his retirement after the Mayweather bout.

He will reveal everything, including chapters on his colorful love life.

“Wala akong itatago,” he said.

The tell-all book, which is entitled “Pacquiao,” will disclose the secret of his success. “Simple lang ang sikreto ni Manny Pacquiao: Ang taong mapagkumbaba, lalong tinataas ng Panginoon.”

Pardon Pacman for referring to himself in the third person; it must be because he’s working on his memoir.

“Hindi ko sinasabi na perpekto ako ... Ang katawan maaring magkasala, pero ang kaluluwa at puso naman ang ibabalik natin sa Panginoon,” he explained.

It’s all about love, you know.

Case in point: Although he has gifted wife Jinkee with a new diamond ring, (an annual Christmas tradition between the couple and not a “peace offering” as was reported in the tabloid columns), he expects nothing exorbitant from his wife in return.

“Ngayong Pasko, hindi ako nag-e-expect ng regalo. Basta unawain, alagaan at mahalin lang ako. Hindi ako materialistic na tao; ang importante as akin, ang puso,” he said.

E-mail bayanisandiego@hotmail.com.

Relevant links:

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/449/Keep_On_Boxing-_Yeah_Right_

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1017/Hypocrisy_of_the_Recognition_and_Admiration_of_Efren_Penaflorida


http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/943/What_part_of_beyond_reasonable_doubt_do_you_not_understand_Erap_related

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4688944

Hypocrisy of the Recognition and Admiration of Efren Penaflorida

Yes, he is all over all kinds of Filipino media. But I want to ask this question. You nation of band wagon jumpers, why now? The simple answer is because CNN says so. We would have never recognized him on our own. What I find heroic about this man and the others I looked at in the CNN showcase was that the most important thing this guy teaches is HOW TO LEARN. Like the classic Biblical quote do not give a man a fish , teach him how to fish (which also shows you Jesus' take on vegetarianism). Give the man a fish and you feed them for a day, teach the man how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime. That is what I see to all those who make investment in youth.



After seeing all this token praise for him I decided to write about this. Then I saw this article. My simple question is if we did value learning and education before as a culture. Show me where.

I see this sudden shower of attention and campaigning very hypocritical and counter intuitive of our culture. Look at our noon time TV and tell me what do you learn from that?

Look at our prime time news and what do you learn from that? You know what I learn? News should be read with intonation similar to pro wrestling announcers.


Look at what local movies and prime time shows succeed and what shows are simply not produced and you can tell what the values of this society are. Jim Rohn says the marketplace is reality. If that is true look what succeeds in the market here. Nice reality huh?



Our reality does not value education or learning or even reading. Why change now?



I have to recall an anecdote. A while back we had a flash in the pan starlet called Belinda Bright. Like many show biz types , that is not her given name. Apparently she was given her stage surname by her director who saw her reading a book between takes. What I find fascinating is based on that story, reading a book qualifies as aberrant in the eyes of the culture and worthy of a nickname.


I am not anti Filipino, I am anti dumb. Efren Penaflorida is anti dumb. There are not many like him and they are obviously not celebrated. Unlike me, he goes out and educates. He is like the Bookmobile driver in South Park who has come to life teaching the magic of reading



Point being, we are celebrating an educator which is an admirable thing. It's just that we have never done it before. We celebrate morons. People who thumb their noses on education. We had a former president who released a joke book about himself with transposed polack jokes and it made him more popular. We don't celebrate intellectuals in this country, we reward, celebrate and elect imbeciles. You are welcome to disagree with me if I offend you but better yet identify somebody of substance that the man on the street relates to that does not fit the grim portrait of shallow values I am painting.





Let's list popular figures in this country. The people who capture the imagination of our countrymen:


Joseph Erap Estrada




Richard Gomez


Sharon Cuneta

Willie Revillame

Manny Pacquaio -

All the so called spokespersons/ endorsers for products that the advertisers crave.


Fernando Poe Jr.

Tito, Vic and Joey

Sex Bomb Dancers

Rico Yan

Richard Gutierrez


I can go to any bustling sidewalk in Metro Manila and everyone will know these guys.


Now tell me:

1) who am I missing ?

2) tell me one person in my list or yours who is valued by this culture for their intellect?

3) based on the people this society values, what do they learn from them?

4) If you put Efren Penaflorida on that list, does he look out of place? Actually not fitting in that list is his strength.

A lot of the people on my list are barely literate . Even if they are, they barely show it.They don't inspire their followers to learn. Maybe the followers do not want to learn. And you tell me as a society we value people Efren Penaflorida? We have not in the past.



I rest my case.

Ed








http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091124-237986/Peafloridas-intl-triumph-indictment-of-RP-govts-failure

http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive09/index.html


http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/688/Why_Are_Our_Filipino_Newspapers_So_Dumb

http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1004/The_Filipino_Cry_For_Attention

I Just Want Your Kiss

I'm not totally caught up in the hardware, though. After the game on Friday night some photographers wanted a picture of me kissing the championship trophy. I told them that I'm not kissing anything that doesn't kiss me back. Everybody thinks the trophy and the ring are the ultimate things, but as valuable as they are, they're just things. They'll wind up on a shelf somewhere, but the experience of winning them, the journey, will be right here in my heart forever. Our guys will take more away from this season than just the fact that we won the title. They'll remember how we won it. They'll think about the way we bonded, the way we trusted in one another day after day, and that's even more important.

David Robinson after winning the NBA Championship in 1999

NBA Finals what have we learned since David Robinson

The NBA Finals are upon us. Los Angeles Lakers vs The Orlando Magic. First of all, name one lake in Los Angeles. Orlando's nickname is the same as one of the most popular Lakers ever. There are logical explanations for both actually but will not bore you with them.

There is much talk lately about Lebron and his behavior immediately after getting eliminated. My opinion briefly is that when you are as iconic as he is, you have to have it both ways. Deal with the glory (game 2 miracle shot) as well as the tragedy (being eliminated by Orlando)

I have been watching sports a long time. Every year you see some teams and players play well and not so well. So you would think really following sports would eventually be boring since the names change but the results. I read about sports because I am continuously looking for that rare moment where someone who happens to do well also has perspective that cuts through the cliches.

I read the highlighted quote above in the magazine back in 1999 when I was still in Vancouver. I thought to myself , maybe athletes have turned the corner. Maybe they realize they are here to play a game. Maybe people are listening to David Robinson.

My optimism was short lived. A year later we saw this:

Any coincidence that after this shot Kobe was accused of rape. The charge did not stick but he was an adulterer at best. None of these character flaws seem to affect jersey sales.

David Robinson is a good guy. A guy with values. The perception is to win the big one you have to have that "edge". And in some circles the "edge" comes with being deprived of values. Having a nasty streak. People thought it was impossible to be polite, educated, refined and nice without losing that competitive edge.

He admits to having being dealt a blow to his ego then he composes himself by quoting the bible.

Spurs went on to win 3 more championships. Without a lot of sizzle. Just guys playing together. As someone much better versed in basketball than I am said. "When your superstar is nicknamed the Big Fundamental you can't be that exciting".

Colin was right ( link) . There is a huge difference between what plays well on the playground as opposed to what makes a team more effective. What is also true that some of these guys that can't help draw attention to themselves with their dazzle don't necessarily make the team better.

David Robinson was a solid player in his time. But during that time he was criticized for essentially not being an anti hero.Sometimes you can't win but David Robinson stuck to his guns and he won. In more ways than one.

Ed

July 05, 1999

Mission Accomplished

The Admiral settles accounts with his critics, sizes up his teammates and savors his long-awaited championship

David Robinson, Phil Taylor

I'm sure a lot of my teammates had a pretty wild party after we won the NBA championship last Friday night, but I'm the wrong guy to ask about it. I celebrated by going back to my room at the Four Seasons in Manhattan and climbing into bed next to my six-year-old son, David Jr. I had promised him that if we won Game 5 against the Knicks, he could sleep next to me. He was at Madison Square Garden, and when we fell behind in the second half, he was crying because he thought he wasn't going to get to do it. After we won, he was one happy little boy, but he's still not quite old enough to really understand what we'd done. The next morning I reminded him that we were the world champs. He said, "You mean, like the Bulls?" I said, "No, son, it's not the Bulls anymore. It's the San Antonio Spurs."

It's going to take a while for me to really comprehend that myself. After we stopped the Knicks on their last possession and the buzzer sounded, all those people poured onto the floor. Everybody was running around and hugging everybody else, but I was just dazed. My mind was saying, Is it over? One minute you're still climbing that mountain, and the next minute everything you've been working for is right there in your possession. The suddenness of it can throw you for a loop. That scene was a tremendous thrill, but I've been at this for so long—10 years in the NBA—that all my emotion just wasn't going to come out in one moment. I still have to get used to the idea that there's nobody left to beat. It's going to take me a month to exhale.

Those 10 years haven't always been fun, but I've always said that I've enjoyed the journey, even the hard times, even the criticism. People try to make you feel bad about your losses, but if you grow from your failures, they become the seeds of your success. I've had to listen to a lot of people say different things about me—that I was soft, that I would never win a championship because I didn't want it badly enough—and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't hurt at times. But that definitely makes winning my first title even more satisfying. I'm not big on rubbing people's noses in it, but it is kind of nice, you know?

Before this year, a lot of guys used to get in my face about losing in the playoffs. Charles Barkley would talk his trash and end it by saying, "I've been to the Finals." Well, now I can tell Charles that I've been there, too, and because he lost to Chicago in '93, when he was with Phoenix, I can say that my experience was a little better than his. I'm not taking anything away from Charles or Karl Malone and all the other great players who have never won a title, but it's a fantastic feeling to know that nobody can say I'm not a winner anymore.

It's also a great feeling to have Tim Duncan by my side. He's obviously the best player in the league. Tim was phenomenal against New York, and his Finals MVP award was well deserved. The Knicks had no answer for him, and I'm not sure Patrick Ewing, if he had been healthy, would have slowed him down much. Tim's like me in that he doesn't show his emotions too much, but trust me, he was hyped-up for Game 5. You could see it in his eyes, in the way he moved. Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that he's not intense.

People have compared the way Tim helped me win my first title to the way Terrell Davis helped John Elway win the Super Bowl. But by taking a lot of the pressure off him, I'd like to think I've helped Tim maybe as much as he's helped me. If we lose, the media and fans don't point fingers at him; they point at me because I'm the veteran. That's a nice deal for him. I wish I'd had that when I was younger. Having another high-caliber player on your team makes all the difference. You don't feel so stressed out, like I did early in my career. If Tim goes out and gets 15 points and eight rebounds, that's not the end of the world because I'm capable of picking up the slack. During the eight years before Tim arrived, if I put up those numbers, it was the end of the world—we were going to lose, no two ways about it. I love Tim like a brother. He's a precious friend and an awesome talent, but I think my presence frees him up to do his thing.

Tim and I knew that with Patrick on the bench because of his Achilles tendon injury, the Knicks were so small up front that we should control things around the basket at both ends of the floor, and that's pretty much what we did. The last play sort of summed up the series. With 2.1 seconds to go and the Knicks down 78-77, they inbounded the ball to Latrell Sprewell under the basket. Against most teams he would have had a layup or drawn a foul, but with Tim and me in the area he just couldn't get off a decent shot. Throughout the series our size took away too many opportunities from the Knicks for them to win.

But New York still played us tougher than any other team in the playoffs. Even though the Knicks were banged up, those guys fought hard. People say they had no chance without Patrick, but, to be honest, I don't see how they could have played any better with him. Without him they had a transition game that made Spree and Allan Houston much more dangerous. Patrick could have helped if he'd been there just rebounding and playing defense and not looking for his shot—like a more talented version of Chris Dudley—but if he'd been out there calling for the ball, it would have given the Knicks a whole different look. I don't think they would have been as effective.

I can really sympathize with what Patrick was going through: having to sit and watch instead of playing to win his first championship. I know he told the Knicks to get him his ring, but if your team wins without you, how are you supposed to feel? Are you supposed to be happy that they were a better team without you? I know getting the ring is the be-all, end-all thing, but I don't think it would have been a satisfying feeling for me.

The Knicks had plenty of talent even without him. In Game 5 Sprewell looked like he was in another world, he was so hot. But Houston was the guy who really impressed us throughout the series. He was already one of the better two-guards in the league, and we really never found an answer for him. Overall, though, we knew we were the better team and that we could wear down the Knicks, and Game 4 was the one that really showed we have a champion's heart. The Knicks had beaten us in Same 3 after we won twice in San Antonio, and the Garden crowd was really into it; they thought they smelled blood. But before Game 4 our point guard, Avery Johnson, gave us a little speech. He said chat the Knicks had won their one game, that they'd had their 15 minutes of fame and that it was time for us to go out and establish control. The key to our 96-89 win was that we had balanced scoring. In addition to Tim's 28 points and my 14, Mario Elie had 18 and Avery and Sean Elliott each had 14. When we get production from our perimeter guys like that, I don't think anybody can beat us.

The series meant an awful lot to Mario, because he's a native New Yorker. The Knicks fans subjected him to some pretty rough treatment with their chanting, but he loved it. We probably wouldn't have won the title without the energy and passion he brought to our team after joining us as a free agent this season, though he ruffled a few feathers along the way, including mine. I didn't like a lot of the things he said early in the season, not just to the press but behind closed doors. Mario would get frustrated after we'd lose a game, and he'd tell the reporters, "These guys will never win." We started 6-8, and Mario judged us before he really knew us. He said this team showed no emotion and didn't know how to win. I told him to just shut up and play. But Mario's going to run his mouth. That's his style. I don't have a problem with that as long as you want to win, which he definitely does. Once he got to know the character of this team, he became an asset to us.

Except for Tim, we're a collection of guys who people thought were lacking some quality or other, but our coach, Gregg Popovich, didn't buy into reputations. Pop made up his own mind about each of us, and he deserves a lot of credit for that. In fact, the two guys I'm probably happiest for, besides myself, are Avery and Sean, because they've had every bad thing you can think of said about them at one time or another. Sean's also been injured a lot, and he went through that nightmare six years ago when he was traded to the Pistons. I wasn't in Detroit, but every rime you mention that city, the hair stands up on the back of his neck. He was sick part of that season, and I can only guess at how unhappy he was there.

This championship is gratifying on so many levels, and one of them is that I think Avery and I have given even more evidence that having a strong religious faith doesn't mean that you can't be a tough competitor. I can't overstate how important my faith has been to me as an athlete and as a person. It's helped me deal with so many things, including matters of ego and pride. For instance, I can't deny that it felt weird to see Tim standing on the podium with the Finals MVP trophy. I was thinking, Man, never have I come to the end of a tournament and not been the one holding up that trophy. It was hard. But I thought about the Bible story of David and Goliath. David helped King Saul win a battle, but the king wasn't happy because he had killed thousands of men while David had killed tens of thousands. So King Saul couldn't enjoy the victory because he was thinking about David's getting more credit than he was. I'm blessed that God has given me the ability to just enjoy the victory. So Tim killed the tens of thousands. That's great. I'm happy for him.

I'm not totally caught up in the hardware, though. After the game on Friday night some photographers wanted a picture of me kissing the championship trophy. I told them that I'm not kissing anything that doesn't kiss me back. Everybody thinks the trophy and the ring are the ultimate things, but as valuable as they are, they're just things. They'll wind up on a shelf somewhere, but the experience of winning them, the journey, will be right here in my heart forever. Our guys will take more away from this season than just the fact that we won the title. They'll remember how we won it. They'll think about the way we bonded, the way we trusted in one another day after day, and that's even more important.

Some people said that whichever team won the title should have an asterisk beside its name, because of the shortened season and the fact that Michael Jordan and the Bulls broke up. I say no way. We went 15-2 in the playoffs, we beat everybody we needed to beat, and we beat them mighty convincingly. Would I like to have played the Bulls? Yes. I think we would have matched up so well with them, especially in the frontcourt. I can't say we definitely would have beaten them, but I don't think you can say that they had a clear advantage over us, either.

Before games all year long, we would have our little huddle and say, "What's our goal? Finals!" It's obviously time to reset the goals. Two championships would be nice, three would be even better. I love having the target on my back. It's as if I finally have what everyone else wants. Let's see them try to take it away from me.

[This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

Find this article at:

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http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1016

Honesty Integrity Would you have done it? Plus Pinocchio

For the original story and files click here. Honesty Integrity Would you have done it? Plus Pinocchio

This story really struck me. J.P. Hayes shows in this one move integrity that you don't see every year. Now, 29 years after I first heard Billy Joel's Honesty do the lyrics really resonate with me. The line "Honesty is such a lonely word". Hayes talks about living with himself if he had cheated and that is a lonely feeling.

This is not a sports story or a golf story. This is a story about doing the right thing and playing by the rules. Even if you yourself are the arbiter. Jimney Cricket was right. (see video below)

I took the time to edit two files for you. One is the discussion of exactly what he did, why he did not have to do it and why he did it anyway. And what it cost him.Some people are not even honest when it costs them nothing. He is honest when it costs him a lot. Second file is is actually J.P. saying that's it's no big deal since others would have done it. He makes himself out to be doing what anyone else in golf would do. Listen to his voice and at least I believe him. Listen to him.

That's what it is , discussion. Not every blogger gives you that . He gives credit to his dad . Listen to his voice, since I am giving you the opportunity. Listen to the voice of honesty.

Maybe I showcase a lot of figures from sports to show what is good in humans. Show some examples of good public behavior that can lead to a better society. For that I will make no apology. I will tell you this, you can't do it with Filipino politicians and TV stars since no one seems to be doing it.

I believe that I can't really use myself as an example of behavior worth copying. The only thing I can do is fuse the worlds of golf and Pinocchio.

Ed

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/25061/

Golfer J.P. Hayes disqualified himself from the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament for accidently using a ball that hasn't been approved. He had his spot on the tour all wrapped up, went back to his hotel room, and then realized he used an illegal ball.

Hayes tells Dan that most golfers are honest and would have done the same thing. Hayes says this kind of thing happens throughout the year, and doesn't usually get this kind of attention.

Hayes said he realized he screwed up two days later. He looked down at a ball on the hotel room floor and saw a ball that made him realize he used a "non-conforming ball."

Hayes had gotten a test ball from Titleist and accidentally used it. But -- and this is a big but -- the ball didn't help him at all. He actually made a bogey with it in the tournament.

Hayes said that he first called Titleist, hoping it had been approved. It hadn't. Then Hayes called a PGA official, who couldn't give Hayes any good news. The next day Hayes found out he was disqualified.

Hayes said if he had lied, he would have made himself sick.

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Hayes turns himself in for using wrong ball, DQ'd from PGA qualifier

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On ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike In The Morning," Greeny, Golic and Jay Bilas talk about honesty and integrity in sports after J.P. Hayes, left, DQ'd himself from the PGA Tour qualifying tournament. Listen
J.P. Hayes says anyone else on the PGA Tour in his situation "would have done the same thing."

During the second stage of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament last week in Texas, Hayes discovered that on two shots on one hole, he had unwittingly used a prototype golf ball not approved for competition by the United States Golf Association.

No one would have known. And a full-time spot on the PGA Tour in 2009 was on the line. But Hayes, honoring the tradition of a game where the players police themselves, turned himself in and was disqualified.

"It's extremely disappointing," Hayes said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and this is going to be a bad nightmare."

It happened a week ago, at Deerwood Country Club in Kingwood, Texas.

On his 12th hole of the first round, Hayes' caddie reached into his golf bag and tossed a ball to Hayes, who played two shots -- a tee and a chip onto the green -- and marked his ball. At that point he realized the ball he was playing was not the same model with which he started the round -- by rule, a two-stroke penalty.

SportsNation

"I realized there was a penalty and I called an official over," Hayes said, according to the newspaper. "He said the penalty was two shots and that I had to finish the hole with that ball and then change back to the original ball."

Hayes shot a 74 Wednesday and a 71 on Thursday, putting him in good shape to finish in the top 20 and advance to the final qualifying stage in December.

But on Thursday night in his hotel room, Hayes realized that the errant golf ball might not have been on the approved list.

"It was a Titleist prototype, and somehow it had gotten into my bag," he said, according to the Journal Sentinel. "It had been four weeks since Titleist gave me some prototype balls and I tested them. I have no idea how or why it was still in there."

Hayes had a choice: He could have said nothing and kept playing, with no one aware of his mistake. Or he could turn himself in and let his mistake cost him a 2009 PGA Tour card.

He chose the latter.

Jason Sobel:
Don't Cry For Hayes
When J.P. Hayes disqualified himself for inadvertantly using an illegal ball, it didn't come as surprise in the golf world, where similar acts of integrity are part of the game. But Hayes will still get to play on tour in 2009 -- and he just might find that the game will pay him back, writes Jason Sobel. Blog
"I called an official in Houston that night and said, 'I think I may have a problem,'" Hayes said. "He said they'd call Titleist the next day. I pretty much knew at that point I was going to be disqualified."

As for his decision to turn himself in?

"I would say everybody out here [on the PGA Tour] would have done the same thing," Hayes said, according to the report.

Hayes, 43, is refusing to blame his caddie for the error, saying he should have spotted the errant ball because it did not have a model name on the seam.

"[The caddie] kind of wanted to take some of the blame, but he knows I'm anal about my equipment," Hayes said, according to the report. "I go through my bag every night. I want to know what's in there. It's almost therapeutic for me."

[+] Enlarge
J.P. Hayes

David Matin/Getty Images

J.P. Hayes, pictured earlier this year, accepted the consequences for using an unapproved golf ball during Q-school last week.
According to the report, Hayes said that if the hole had been a par-4 or a par-5, he would have known he had the wrong ball right away, because he uses the label to help him align his driver on tee shots.

"But it was a par-3 and I don't use the label to line up on par-3s," he said, according to the Journal Sentinel. "It was my mistake. I had no choice but to take my medicine."

Hayes has two career PGA Tour victories, his last coming in 2002. He was playing in the second stage of the tour's Q-school tourney because he finished outside of the top 150 on the money list in 2008.

He earned $312,152 this season, making just seven cuts in 26 events. He was 176th on the money list -- the worst showing of his career.

But Hayes has more than $7 million in career earnings. He expects he still will be able to play 10 to 12 lesser tournaments in 2009, thanks to his status as a veteran player and past tourney champion, as well as sponsors' exemptions, according to the report.

"I'm kind of at a point in my career where if I have a light year, it might be a good thing," he said, according to the Journal Sentinel. "I'm looking forward to playing less and spending more time with my family.

"It's not the end of the world. It will be fine. It is fine."
Related Topics: Golf, J.P. Hayes



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