Golf is not a sport. It is an activity which requires a certain skill set, to be sure, but it is not a sport.

Tiger Woods wins the US Open golf tournament on a left leg which has two stress fractures and a knee which has a torn ACL??? Name a real sport that would allow such a phenomenal feat of endurance, focus, and fortitude. Not basketball. Not football. Not baseball. Even the most willing athlete in a true sport would be forced to shut it down. 

Sure, athletes have risen to the occasion and played through the adversity of pain, illness, and injury in some of the most memorable displays of courage and toughness. Jordan's pizza poisoning in Utah, Kirk Gibson's home run, Willis Reed through the tunnel against Wilt, to name a few. Yet, Tiger had to not endure a moment or a game, he had to "play" through the pain over a four-day period, walking thousands of yards while twisting and bending a bum leg. No sport would have allowed that.

No, golf is not a sport. This is not to say that Tiger is not one of the most phenomenal athletes in the world- he is. But he is a world-class athlete who is the best in the world at a particular skilled activity. Shouldn't athletes dominate any activity that non-athletes are able to participate in? It just makes since.

While I'm at it, here's my top 10 list of "non" sports:

1. Bowling
2. Archery
3. Golf
4. Bobsledding
5. Skeet shooting
6. Weight lifting
7. Sumo wrestling
8. Kayaking/ canoeing
9. "Sport" fishing
10. Ballroom Dance

Jordan. End of story.

Stop with the Kobe beef. He's good. He's even great. But if this series has shown us anything, it's that he is human. For all his talk about "living in the moment," it appears to me that Kobe has become swallowed up by the moment.

Can any of you imagine MJ being as overwhelmed by the stage as Kobe has been during this series- with the exception of one fantastic game at home? Can you imagine a Jordan-led team not playing good, hard, impassioned defense- in the FINALS??? Can you imagine Mike not being able to will his way to a fourth quarter display for the ages rather than allow his team to succumb to defeat after a 20-point third quarter lead? Can you imagine a Jordan team giving up that kind of 4th quarter lead? Can you imagine Jordan not being the difference-maker in any Finals series? Can you imagine Jordan being upstaged by anyone in the Finals?

Perhaps this is my greatest beef with Kobe. He hasn't distinguished himself as the dominant superstar in this series. The Staples Center is Paul Pierce's house right now. The two leaders look remarkably interchangeable- something that could never have been imagined with MJ. Have Kobe and Paul Pierce trade jerseys this season, and you'd still possibly have the same teams in the finals- and the Celtics would still win. Put Jordan on any playoff team in 1991-93 or 1996-98, and that team wins the NBA title. No one would beat Michael 4 times out of 7 in any of those years. He was the difference.

The sports memory is so subjective... With the passage of time, the fan often develops a historical amnesia. Do we really remember Dr. J? Don't we talk more about the Magic-Bird Rivalry, and less about how the single most unstoppable force in the NBA in 1984 and 1985 was Bernard King? It's a shame that Oscar has faded from our awareness, and we don't truly appreciate what an offensive wunderkind Kareem was. Let's not forget Mike, I beg you. You'll never see another, I promise you.

When Michael was playing, there was no question who was number 1. He was without peer, and even his so-called peers among the upper echelon of the NBA's superstar stratosphere knew they were just playing for second place. Everyone tried to beat him, all failed. He was the ultimate black cat- it's bad luck if he crosses your path. There is no one in the league today who strikes genuine fear in the hearts of world-class athletes the way Jordan did every night. Conversely, on a given night in 2008, we don't even know who's better- LeBron or Kobe.

Kobe is fantastic, and an all-time great. I'd spend my last lunch money to see him play. To insist that he is the Air-apparent, or (as some clown on Fox Sports proclaimed) better right now than Jordan ever was, is ridiculous. That's ridiculous pressure and even more ridiculous praise to heap upon anyone's shoulders. Let's let Kobe be Kobe.

Because there will never be anyone else Like Mike.

I'm just curious...

Now that :
1) You have a real choice between presidential candidates;
2) You are asked to offer your voice in choosing the direction of the country;
3) A gallon of gasoline is more expensive (barely) than a gallon of milk;
4) Someone you know is either in foreclosure, or approaching foreclosure;
5) The Supreme court, as presently constituted, is as polarized as America itself;


I'm just wondering... now that all of the above is true...

NOW will you register to vote AND VOTE???!!!!!

Just wondering.

They didn't win, the experiment was unsuccessful, the coach is now with the Knicks, and Shaq is headed for the beach for the summer. Ok, so I admit that I'd better keep my day job and not try to be a sports prognosticator.

A few parting questions, and then I'll leave the sports commentary to the so-called experts...

1. Have you all seen Chris Paul play? Man!!! I would have loved to have seen him play against some of the really good ones: Nate Archibald, Mo Cheeks, Norm Nixon, Isiah Thomas. He's for real!
2. Don't you believe Kobe has developed to the point where he not only tries to be like Mike, but he actually is quite a bit like Mike? I used to hate that he tried to talk like Jordan, and even does Jordan's fist-pump/crowd stare-down after a made clutch basket. But Man! There will never be another Mike, but Kobe is at least headed for that rare Air of superstardom. On another note, I wonder if he's out of the dog house yet for that trip to Colorado?
3. Shouldn't they just put the teams in the NBA's Eastern Conference on the Western Conference's JV squads?
4. Did you really think KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen were going to make you forget Bird, McHale, and Parish?
5. How 'bout them Cowboys?!! You'd better recognize what's going to go down in Big D this year, Son. You heard me??

The angels enter the throne room in Heaven and immediately begin praising and worshipping the LORD of Hosts. Although they haven't yet reached the Master's feet, just the thought of HIm and nearness of the splendor of His glory quickens them. They begin to prostrate themselves even as their spirits begin to soar. They feel an overwhelming inadequacy, even as they yet feel complete- somehow, unmistakeably... WHOLE. It's the strangest thing, how one in God's presence can feel overwhelmed by His greatness and how it compares to their simpleness, and yet at the same time feel this incredible sense of belonging that they've never felt before! It's an almost surreal paradox, and yet it is reality. The most authentic reality they could ever know. Your sense of the awesome GREATNESS is accompanied by your sense of your utter lack of self-worth, yet you praise HIm for both- "LORD, we bless you for who You are, and we bless You that you welcome us despite all that we are not!" This is what it's like to be in the presence of the Lord. And all the angels are caught up in the reverie.

All except one.

One evil, irreverent being looks dismissively in the general direction of the One on the throne. "Where have you been, Adversary?" says the Lord to the rebel. 

"Out looking at those pathetic morons you love so much, O King of Kings," comes the reply.

"Have you considered my servant__________ (insert your name), who is righteous and faithful, and the very apple of my eye."

The above is a variation of the familiar introduction to the book of Job, who suffered mightily at the hands of a devil Hell-bent and determined to "show God up." The reader of Job's story are given far  more information than Job ever received. The reader knows why so much suffering came to Job- not because he sinned, but because God called him 'faithful' and 'friend.'" Job, however is never told of this conversation in Heaven. Job is never told, although he repeatedly asks, "Why me, Lord??"

It would probably have blown Job away if he had ever learned that so much trouble came to Job because God mentioned his name. The story seems to suggest that Satan wasn't really concerned with Job specifically until God mentioned Job's name, after which point Satan unleashed a furious volley of calamity and tragedy. It would probably blow us away if we knew that this latest trial, this latest struggle, this latest disappointment, this latest attack came because God mentioned our name.

It seems punitive... that God is somehow setting us up for suffering by mentioning us to the enemy. I have a different perspective... Job was singled-out by God because he was faithful and obedient and sought the righteousness of God for his own life. This pleased the Lord, and the Lord proudly pointed this out to Satan. Satan, not knowing the future, but knowing the Lord's ways, attacked Job because he could safely predict (based on God's past dealings with man) that God would continue to bless Job because of his humility and faithful obedience. THAT'S what made Satan so angry! THAT'S what made Satan attack Job- he wanted to discredit God by discrediting one who worshipped the Living God.

So what's the point? After all of the suffering, the bible declares that Job received double from the hand of the Lord than he had at the beginning (Job 42:10-17). 

Great is His faithfulness! Perhaps the next time you're going through a difficult period and you're tempted to ask, "Why me Lord?" you should reflect that the answer may be something like this: "Because I know your ways. I know you are faithful. I know you love me. I know you are a genuine Christian, and I am so proud of you that I couldn't help but mention your name to Satan."

Don't worry, Satan could never take more away from a child of God than God can give in return. God knows your name, and everything else about you. He promises to be with you in the storm, deliver you from evil, and restore to you anything the enemy takes.

Next time you're in a trial, just tell yourself, "God must be bragging on me again!" And then ride out the storm until your change comes. I suspect that on the other side God will have given ample reason for you go and brag on Him.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." Psalm 23:4

I love the expression that says "It's not WHAT you know, it's WHO you know." It's true! "It," with all of "its" challenges, complexities, problems, questions, and mysteries, often comes down to "WHO" you know. Whether it's a promotion, a new job, a spot on the team, a loan, a recommendation, or a letter to a judge, bottom line: knowing someone whose in a position to influence the outcome so that it works in your favor is always preferred to going in blindly without an advocate and hoping for the best. Put it this way: it's better to have a good friend who sits on a bank's Board of Directors than to have a million dollars under a mattress. Have you ever stopped to consider "WHO" you know?

I can remember as a child how I would lay in my bed and watch the shadows dance across the walls, across the floor, across my bed, across... my... body! I used to be terrified because God created me with the terrible combination of a robust imagination and a robust yellow streak. So, everytime a car would go by, a new terror would reign- more in my imagination than in my bedroom. In those moments, it was a grand thing to know Roscoe and Geraldine (my parents). I knew them so well that I even knew where they slept! I would lay there until I couldn't take it any more. Then, without further ado, I would make the mad dash down the hall and into their bed.

In the passage, the Psalmist, David, draws a vivid picture: 'The Valley of the Shadow of Death.' Think about it, the valley- a low, desolate place- of the Shadow- not the essential, but the image of the manifestation- of DEATH- the dreaded eradicator, the eliminator, the unrelenting, eventual, inevitiable consequence of illness, tragedy, and time. Eventually, everything dies. Death reigns in this world, and rears its ugly head every minute of every day. When we are just sitting there, we are slowly dying. When we are having fun, we are dying. No matter what we do, DEATH is doing his work on us, and on all of creation. 

Here David is, in the valley of Death's shadow. You cannot cast a shadow without blocking light. A shadow is cast when an object comes being between the light and a second object, like a wall, or the floor, or... my... body! Why is this important? Because in the valley of the shadow of death, David must have sensed that the very presence of DEATH had come between him and the light, and was descending upon him. David was describing a more than a perilous destination, i.e. a valley. Here, he's describing a perilous soul condition.

Yet, it is precisely here that David promises that he will not be scared. Why? He says it is because God is with him. That's instructive to all of us who find ourselves in low, dark, scary places. We sometimes find ourselves in valleys of despair, hopelessness, joblessness, friendlessness, and helplessness. When this happens, remember WHO you know.  You have the ultimate connection to the Sovereign Creator of the universe! Don't be scared! Remember WHO you know.

Do you know Him? His name is Jesus.  He is able to influence the outcome of your situation. He already has! He came and allowed sinful men to position a tree squarely between us and Death. On that tree, he gave his sinless, uncorrupted, incorruptible life as an atoning sacrifice for all of us who were too corrupt and too compromised to do it for ourselves. Death had cast its shadow across time and eternity, spanning the entire human landscape from Adam until today. Yet, the One who is Light climbed that tree and courageously engaged Death, willingly succumbed to Death, and ultimately triumphed over Death, chasing it away forever.

He is alive today, and He is the Light who promises to be with you in low places. If you find yourself in a dark valley, be encouraged and look to the Light and realize that light always wins the battle against shadows. If you want a shadow to disappear, shine a light its way. Shine the Light in your valley. It's never WHAT you know, or think you know- it's WHO you know. His name is Jesus.

Shaquille O'Neal got traded again. I suppose it shouldn't surprise me. The trading away of a franchise center is nothing new in the NBA. After all, the Bucks traded Kareem; Moses Malone was traded several times; Pat Ewing even played for Seattle (but I don't think it counted). For the life of me, I still can't get used to it. An immensely talented behemoth with strong leadership skills, but questionable personal work ethic seems to wear out his welcome in the city that made him King. Yet he somehow always lands on his size 22 feet.

I don't cry for Shaq. The Big Evita kept his promise. He delivered a title in Miami. I am concerned however by the things that will inevitably come out of Miami. More than likely, they will echo things that came out of LA, more particularly out of Kobe Bryant. Things like, he was out of shape, unmotivated, didn't rebound, didn't defend, got into foul trouble because he was chronically overweight, etc. I'm sure that his is not the way Shaq wants his epitaph to read: Shaquille O'Neal, NBA Hall of Fame Center, 1992-2010. Olympian; Rookie of the Year; Winner of 4 NBA titles, league MVP. Poor free-thrower; matador defender. Should have scored more, should have played more, should have won more; too lazy to do more than he did. But I think that's what is being chiseled in stone at this point.

So now it's off to Phoenix. Why would GM Steve Kerr take a chance on Shaq when Pat Riley had to rescue the Big Darryl Dawkins this season from setting the all-time NBA record for most consecutive games fouled-out? Why would they want to add the next Big Lovetron to a high-octane lineup when last-place Miami was content to let him "rehab" on the bench for most of this season? Because O'Neal is 7' 1" and 340 pounds of nasty when he's motivated- and when he drops 15 pounds. 

Unfortunately, Shaq has to get dissed before he'll get angry enough to be motivated. But when he's properly motivated, point guards deliver, backboards quiver, and Andrew Bynum shivers. Properly motivated over a six week span in the spring and Pat Riley's trash will become Mike D'Antoni's title. This is the historic pattern, and for that reason somebody in the next city will always want Shaquille- even when none of his current teammates seem to. This is not way it's supposed to be with a Hall of Fame Center. Kareem could have gone back to Milwaukee at any time; same with Malone returning to Houston or Philly. A young Shaquille could have returned to Orlando, but do you think they'd want him now, even as a backup to the emerging Dwight Howard?

Still, I believe in Shaquille O'Neal. I'm a long-time Shaq fan. He's the Daddy, the Diesel. The man you want to ride with. The Big Sheriff. The friendliest, most out-going, most comical, and perhaps most comically gifted Big Man the league has ever seen. Like his many fans, Shaquille just needs to be reminded sometimes.

So, Miami sighs and Phoenix holds its breath. Who comes away looking like a genius? Only June will tell. I believe there's a storm brewing in the West. The Big Weatherman is again predicting REIGN.

Perseverance is a noble trait.  Noble not only because of it's admirable quality, but because of its rarity. Face facts, most relationships fail when at least one of the parties grows weary and gives up. Perseverance, loyalty, and faithfulness are characteristics that we search for in identifying our personal heroes of faith, family, and fiction. They are also foundational characteristics of those relationships that have survived rocky beginnings and/or weathered stormy moments. In a real sense, "faithfulness" not only reveals to us the why's of committed relationships, but often gives insight into the how's. Said simply, they "make it through" because they not only choose to faithfully persevere, but because they in fact faithfully persevere.
 
We acknowledge that  persevering and remaining committed to a person is no easy thing. Sometimes, there seems to be an abundance of compelling evidence of  disloyalty on the part of the one which commends itself to the other's sense of righteous indignation. Were it not for faithfulness and perseverance, this indignation, born out of an innate sense of justice, might insist upon a parting of ways. Other times, there may be a nagging feeling that, "The Thrill is Gone," or else the presence of that essential call of the restless heart to "move on" with your life- go out and find something, or somebody, better. 
 
I wonder if God ever gets fed up with me. This thought has led me to ask a number of difficult questions, even before I could go to my knees and thank Him for staying with me. For example, how is it that He remains committed to me despite my senseless sins, personal difficulties, spiritual dry spells, and even disastrous events that seemingly shake the very foundation of my relationship with Him? How does He protect  the flame of His love when the wick of my heart becomes dampened by my late-night tears and my call of the forlorn and forsaken- "Lord, Why have you forsaken me"? How does He pick me up when I sin, and put things back together (again) with the same Helping Hands that I have repeatedly slapped away while I erected my own Babel by building what sometimes appears to be a monument to futility? Doesn't He get tired of my foolishness? And how does He re-embark with me on the journey of my life when no fuel appears to be left in my tank? How does He  find the words "I still love you," to speak to this seemingly unlovable man- even when all reason and rationality would seem to suggest to Him that "it's time to move on?" How does He keep the music playing when He should accept no more of the counterfeit coins of "I'm sorry" in my pockets, nevermind the fact that He's heard my tired "I Repent, Lord" song  played on that jukebox too many times already? 

These are difficult questions, and yet I believe that the pursuit and discovery of the answers adds value to who we are as people and makes us appreciate Him even more.
 
I believe that God's love  perserveres by first affirming that it was right and proper to love and to commit in the first place; that based upon His best information at the onset (and remember- He knows the end from the beginning), the decision  to love me was proper- i.e., based in truth. Secondly, He affirms the depth and quality of His love (see John 3:16- "For God so loved the world") by refusing to change it's essential quality and character based on my circumstances. His is a "loyal love," Hebrew word 'hesed,' which is reflective of God's divine nature and His best intentions towards me. Finally, He doesn't let the fact that some of His other relationships might seem healthier and more rewarding dissuade Him from working on our relationship. He commits to working harder and loving me more for His name's sake.
 
The Bible teaches us that "love is patient. Love is kind. It doesn't puff itself up. does not parade itself. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." That's what I want for my life and for my relationships- with God, and with family. That is what God is calling me to do. That is what will reflect God's personality best in my own life. "Because of His faithfulness, we are not consumed. His mercies are new every morning."

Tomorrow, I will love those whom I love more than I did today. No matter what they say or do. I love them no matter what because He loves me no matter what. Lord, help me to love like you do.