I'm very disappointed that my hometime heroes, the Lakers, let the Rockets steal one at our home, but I'm picking L.A. in 6. But at least the horrible green team lost one at home also to the Magic, who have majestically mesmerized fans, analysts, and scholars of the game everywhere. In bigger news, as expected, Lebron James has won the 2009 MVP award. As the great Hubie Brown says, "We know that, OK?!" But, in my opinion, the media and thus, the blogosphere, has failed to analyze more than stats. It seems that with this post, I'll be the first to criticize the MVP balloting process, which has become so sacred in today's SportsCenter Era. Let's take a closer look at some over-hyping that's been going on in society today before tackling the MVP issue.
One of the more common examples of image modification and hype abuse can be seen in Obama. While I am a strong supporter of the President - yes, I give you permission to dub me a Democrat - I honestly believe that the media went overboard on coverage of the Big O. During the campaign, if you were watching any form of news, you probably would have thought that the nation would reach a Messiah when he reached the White House. But it didn't end there. No, the media continued their pursuit of high ratings with plenty of "100 Days" banter. Pundits everywhere were saying one of the following:
1) Obama hasn't really accomplished much in 100 days; the future looks bleak.
2) Obama hasn't really accomplished much in 100 days; that's too short of a time period to judge someone, especially a president.
3) Obama is on track with FDR and Reagan.
What am I getting at? Well, why do we favor certain people in the first place? Usually the answer to that is tied in with the concept of public appeal and image. First off, he's black. Meaning that the best way to exhibit the American principles of equality would be to support a minority candidate and elect him president. Secondly, all the famous rapper and singers were talking about the dude. And I mean all of them. From Jay-Z to Young Jeezy to Will.i.am, there were plenty of songs made about the African-American commander-in-chief. Third, we never really heard anything legitamately bad from his campaign. No dirty attacks or ruthless accusations. Plus, the man was chill. He could care less about what McCain was saying, and focused on "It's about me winning, not him losing" (I basically rephrased Rick Adelman from last night's game. Just replace the "him" with "we"). All of these elements together have changed how we view our president and after having Bush, has redefined "president" altogether. Obama's image is at such a good position right now, late night comics are scowled at when taking a jab at the President or a current administration policy - but the audience doesn't mind wise cracks about the cabinet.
And how do we automatically start disliking people before giving them a chance? Again, when hype had its date with destiny it made sure it was memorable. Tina Fey singlehandedly destroyed Palin's chances of reaching second-fiddle, and by the transitive property, screwing over the McCain's possibilities of becoming president. The media constructed Palin's image as really a female version of Bush. The (vice) presidential campaign this year proved that we are in a period of Media > Truth. It's hard to believe, but a once-a-week comedy show had such a huge political impact on a historic presidential election.
I'm a bit suspicious about this year's MVP voting. I understand the need for change. But it's become quite clear that the media has been hyping and favoring Lebron all season. The members of the media - sportswriters and the bunch - are the ones who vote on the award, which clearly explains why Lebron won by such a large margin. Lebron is to the media, as Obama is to Democrats and a majority of the American people - at least on election night. He has the all-around good image. The renowned "Witness" ad campaign. The smile. The shoes. The magazine covers. The stats.
First of all, what is the criteria for MVP? It appears as though this year it was based on individual statistics and team record but here's the truth: While Lebron may have had better individual stats, and his team barely had a better record that the Lakers, he's still in the Eastern Conference. And although the East has gotten much better recently, if you were seeded fifth in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, you still wouldn't have made it to the Western Conference Playoffs. The fact that the Cavs won 1 or 2 more games than the Lakers doesn't mean anything. They played against much worse opponents, which means LBJ had an easier time collecting his own in-game accolades. But if we were really judging MVPs predominantly on ppg and all the other factors, KB24 should have won it the year he scored 81 and averaged 35.4 ppg. These hints all add up to the big conclusion: the media is on Lebron's side.
I was reading some column in the Los Angeles Times this morning - I think it an article by Plashke - and Kobe was referenced to as a "walking scowl." These two words quite literally summarize Kobe's image as he plays the game. They may also serve as a reason why Lebron gets his way. Lebron is that chill, happy Obama-esque character that can commence sparks of joy everywhere. Kobe is the serious, McCain, sticking to fundamentals and staying away from what he believes are naive pitfalls. If they were rappers, Kobe would be Kanye West, "amazing" in every right and always ready to deliver the opponents with some "bad news," and LB23 would be Akon ahead of the game "right na na na." People think Kobe's assistance - Kanye's autotune - has gotten him his new success, while there's a unique, playful feeling in the air as Akon's voice resonates through a party. Conclusion: There's no question Lebron deserved the MVP this year, but the vote should be rationally thought out instead of going with the more popular player.
Dope Jam of the Day
Love Lockdown (1994 Pilotpriest Remix) - Kanye West - The song opens with some cool, snappy percussion which goes along with the upcoming synth notes and bass vibe. This all forms the chill sound and then a froggy voice just comes out of nowhere. The dope part about this mix is its juxtaposition of that froggy voice with a normal sounding dude, along with a chipmunk version of Kanye singing the original track. The occasional b'more breaks give it a party feel. And the sharp, electro squeaks are somewhat of a nuisance until you adjust to them after the first couple of minutes. Beware though, the song ends rather abruptly. Concluion: Wierd song, I know, but it sounds like some strangely-appealing song that would be recommended by FADER or some other avant-garde, Melrose inspiree (I think I just made up my own word).
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