NBA Hall of Fame

Every year the NBA Hall of Fame inducts a few people into its hallowed halls. They've just admitted the Class of 2009, and what a class. One person overshadows them all, of course: Michael Jordan. But he's not who I want to talk about. Alongside Jordan is John Stockton, the NBA's all-time assist and steals leader. There have been flashier passers, but Stockton is the type of player who knows where he wants the ball to go to, and that it will go there. I once watched him throw a bounce pass that looked so simple, but was so razor sharp in splitting the defence - it was ten times better than any behind-the-back pass you find on an ESPN highlight reel. Of the other point guards I've actually watched (as opposed to those I didn't, such as the old-timers like Bob Cousy), only Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd are comparable.

And then there's David Robinson. My favourite player as a teenager was Penny Hardaway, but there's no player in the NBA, possibly in all sports, I admire more than the Admiral. David Robinson is class, not just as an athlete, but as a person. I like to think the reason why the San Antonio Spurs has remained such a professional and respected organisation unlike one or two others (see: New York) is due in no small part to his influence. I don't think I got to watch him at his peak - the early 90s, where by most accounts he could justifiably lay claim to being the best centre of all-time, but I did watch him in the late 90s and especially after he gracefully ceded leadership of the Spurs to Tim Duncan. He had no ego. I'm proud he calls himself a Christian, because he has shown complete integrity; no one speaks of him badly. Here's a brief news profile, and a more in-depth one. Here's a tribute post.

9.58!!

That's just a crazy time! Lightning Bolt strikes again!

Bulls-Celtics

Wish I could be watching! If you're not an NBA fan, basically what was expected to be a rather blase first-round series has turned out to be one of the best first rounds ever. Game 7, the final game is tonight. Game 6 highlights below. As someone whose primary strength is shooting, I was enthralled by Ray Allen here.

Gavin Peacock's new career

People might enjoy this piece on Gavin Peacock, former Premiership footballer - I remember him from his time at Chelsea (when they still had players like Paul Furlong and Frank Sinclair! How Chelsea have changed from the mid-90s), now studying to be a pastor.

(HT: Stephen Murray)

Federer-Nadal Wimbledon 2008

Sadly, no TV = not even a single Wimbledon match watched this year!

Spain 3 Russia 0

I have to say, I really did enjoy this game. Spain are a very good team technically, and I particularly noted their excellence in ball control and on the turn. The second half in particular was a masterclass. To be fair, Russia are not a bad team, but I suspect that they happen to play a style which the Spanish enjoy playing against. In the second half, they failed to use the flanks as much offensively and failed to press defensively, as they did in the first, and coupled with Spain's edge in quality when it comes to delivery of the final ball, this resulted in a rather decisive Spanish win. Btw, which coach wouldn't be envious of a squad which gets to bring on Fabregas and Alonso as subs?

Spain were actually the team I was ready to support going into Euro 2008, but because of their reputation as chokers as well as the emergence of the Dutch team in the group stages, I was rather reticient in declaring my allegiance. But I am definitely backing the Spanish against the Germans in the Final! (Hope I didn't just jinx them...)

The wrap

Wrapping paper is often dyed, laminated and/or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver coloured shapes, glitter, plastics etc which cannot be recycled. But wraps found on this blog are fully reusable and will surely please the carbon-conscious visitor. For instance, there is no reason why you can't repeatedly visit Infernal Ramblings, a blog devoted to socio-political issues of interest to Malaysians, by a Malaysian studying at Dartmouth (HT: DD), or Sola Panel, a group blog by a few Sydney Anglicans. Of course, being green can sometimes be too much of a good thing, for you could suffer something akin to Bono Fatigue. Don't laugh, it could happen to U2.

Two interesting and important pieces from two respected periodicals:

Nomads at Last (The Economist) on the connectedness of our world; how wireless communication is changing the way people live, work and relate to places.

The Post-American World (Newsweek) on the changing global realities of our world. It's an excerpt from Fareed Zakaria's forthcoming book of the same name.

Browse people's opinions on what books they'll put on a church's book table.

Great discussion on what preaching should achieve. Make sure to read the comment thread, that's where all the action is!

Russ Moore: Beyond a Veggietales Gospel - why we must preach Christ from every text. Spoiler alert, he gives away the ending of The Sixth Sense!

C.S Lewis scholar Devin Brown on Lewis's characters and looking at the world rightly.

What to do when your pastor (or anyone) offends you.

A Two-Way Street: Suffering, Free Will, and the Glory of God. Or, Reformed and non-Reformed views on theodicy ain't worlds apart, sir!

For the football obssessed: Stats galore on the recently concluded Premier League campaign. Did you know England's finest finisher is...Joleon Lescott?!?

Charlie Peacock on the future of Christian music.

Job interviews are like dates - don't get them mixed up. Funny.


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Man U's done it!

I'm delighted to see Man U crowned as European champions again, and pleased that it was such an exciting final. Man U really bossed Chelsea in the first half, after Sir Alex initially outthought Avram Grant by recognising that the flanks were key for exposing Chelsea's more narrow 4-3-3, and thus going with a traditional 4-4-2. Putting Ronaldo on the left against a makeshift fullback (Essien), and thus making sure Essien was pinned bank instead of contributing to the Chelsea attack was a great idea, especially when the alternative was going against a player he's traditionally not done well against (Cole). The first goal was indicative of that, as Scholes and Brown had a lovely interchange of passes before the inswinger for Ronaldo to head past a stranded Essien.

Still, Chelsea's reputation as a resilient side isn't unfounded, and while their equalizer had some element of fortune, you have to credit Lampard for following-up in the first place. The momentum definitely swung to Chelsea in the second half, as their midfield had the upper hand, correlating with Scholes' waning influence due to his tiring legs. Now it was Essien pinning Ronaldo back (or more accurately getting into the attack more as Ronaldo doesn't defend!). Drogba was unlucky with the curling shot that hit the woodwork, and Joe Cole had one or two legitimate complaints at decisions that went against him. Vidic and Ferdinand were immense as they have been throughout the season. Btw, both keepers should get plenty of credit for their performances - they kept their respective sides in it at crucial points. VDS is coming to the end of a great career; Cech is one of the best of the new generation.

I'm ambivalent about penalties - they don't seem fair, but a final has to be decided somehow and they provide for amazing drama. Not surprising that Ronaldo, who had a good, though not outstanding, game overall missed - you just knew he would. I feel sorry for JT, and it should not go unnoticed that Scholes immediately went to console him at the end afterwards.

But on the whole, Manchester United do deserve it - I honestly can't think of a squad outside of Barcelona, who were less that the sum of their parts this season, who have so much quality.

playing NBA pundit again

The NBA season is about to come to a close. It's been pretty wide open the past couple of years, and it's been no different this year; I honestly have no idea who will be crowned champions come June. The Boston Celtics have the best regular season record and probably deserve to go into the playoffs as slight favourites, if only because their role players have done well to complement the Big 3 of Garnett, Pierce and Allen. I'm especially happy for Pierce, who has stuck out 9 seasons of mediocrity for this. Anyone who's smart will never discount the Spurs, but they might be too old to repeat - they're the AC Milan of the NBA. On the other hand, the other veteran core of Pistons still have it, with a talented if youthful bench to boot. The Lakers are to be taken seriously after pulling off the trade of the year to land Pau Gasol; they now have one of the best, if not the best, starting fives. Flying lower under the radar than in years past are the Suns and Mavs. The Suns wanted to see if an aging Shaq would get them over the hump - I don't think so. The Mavs have been less consistent this year but maybe not having to carry the tag of favourites for once might help. The Jazz, Hornets and my team, the Magic, who have had a good season, aren't quite there yet I think to go all the way. Cavs got to the Finals a season ago on the back of Superman Lebron; he won't repeat the trick.

End of season awards:

MVP: Well, this is the year Kobe deserves to win it. It's a little surprising that he hasn't got one already, he's so good he's taken for granted. Kevin Garnett was the MVP for the first half of the season and I wouldn't begrudge him a 2nd MVP, but it's more likely Kobe will be rewarded. Lebron is the only other serious contender but he's got plenty of time to collect a few before he's retired. Same with Chris Paul.

Most Improved Player: Wow, there's lots of candidates this year for this one. LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers had a great sophomore year, and the improvement in his stats is quite something. Chris Kaman of the Clippers had a breakout year and made lots of fantasy basketball fans happy. Chris Paul has even been mentioned, since no one figured he would make the jump from star to superstar so fast, but historically the award has been given for those who make the jump from potential to good/very good. It's a close call for me between the Lakers Andrew Bynum, who was derided a year ago but has shown the mental toughness to take criticism in his stride and become a force down low, and Hedo Turkoglu, a former supersub with the Kings who has become quite a clutch all-rounder for the Magic. As I'm a Magic fan, I decide that my bias should win here and I'll give to Hedo.

6th Man: Talk about key subs and a few come to mind: Jason Maxiell has done really well for the Pistons, and last year's winner Leandro Barbosa still makes an impact whenever he's on the court. Jason Terry came off the bench enough times to qualify for this award, and was the leading candidate for this in the first 3rd of the season. But in the end, really, it has to be Manu Ginobili of the Spurs, who has made the transition from starting lineup to sixth man effortlessly and has become the sparkplug of their offense.

Rookie of the Year: Once Greg Oden went down, we all know this belongs to Kevin Durant of the Sonics, who's done well on a struggling team, although like all non-Center rookies, the field goal percentage isn't great. Honourable mentions should go to Al Horford, who will be a useful power forward on many teams, Al Thornton on the Clippers, who showed his potential once he was given the minutes, and Jamarion Moon of the Raptors, a defensive hustle type of guy with a nice feelgood story of making it in the NBA after years of toil.

Executive of the Year: Well, this boils down to Mitch Kupchak of the Lakers for his trade of the year to steal Paul Gasol, and Danny Ainge, who took a chance and got both Ray Allen and KG to come to the Celtics, but more importantly, managed to get important role players such as James Posey and drafting Glen Davis.

Defensive Player of the Year: I pick Marcus Camby to repeat based on his ridiculous stats - check out his averages for blocks and steals. Competition is likely to come from Josh Smith, who has only slightly less ridiculous stats. Although Kevin Garnett will also come in for consideration based on the fact that the Celtics have really tightened up since he arrived.

Pick for winner? Well, I've got it wrong the last few times, so take my prediction with a pinch of salt, but I think whoever wins the Celtics-Pistons matchup goes on to take it all.

Oh, and I struggled this year in Fantasy NBA, spending the first 2/3s of the season in the bottom half of the table before managing a bit of a run after that. Had a team with too many guards, an injured star player and not much else. Tonight will determine whether I finish in the top half of the table or not. :)


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This weekend

and the past week has been encouraging in general.

• Listening to Charlie and William preach faithfully, in the Spirit's power, to head and heart.
  
• Spending time in 2 Corinthians.
  
• Joyfully leading a group of non-Christians through Mark 8:22-38, where Peter, for the first time, proclaims Jesus as Christ.
  
• Being part of a united voice singing From the Squalor of a Borrowed Stable and Great is the Lord.
  
• Praying with friends.
  
• Feeling happy on behalf of a good friend over a piece of good news.
  
• Feeling less anxious about pending job applications.
  
• Watching Juno, which, though it's early in the year, will probably end up as my favourite film of 2008.
  
• Enjoying my bedtime reading.
  
• Eating trout with minced crab and herbs for free. :)
  
• Man U thrashing Arsenal.
  
• Watching this year's thrilling NBA All-Star Slam Dunk contest, with a favourite of mine, the Magic's Dwight Howard, winning it. Highlights below:
  

NBA watch

I see that the NBA All-Stars were named today, which means that it's halfway through the season. It's been an interesting season, and at this stage there's no clear favourite, not even the Boston Celtics, who after their amazing 29-3 start have cooled off considerably - they won't be repeating Jordan's Bulls as the only team to win 70 games in a season. This is a season as good as any where an unheralded team could nip in and steal a title.

The Spurs and Mavs haven't been quite up to their usual high standards, and to a lesser extent, the same goes for the Pistons. The Portland Trail Blazers have been quite the surprise package so far, and have cemented Nate McMillan's position as the best young coach currently in the game (sorry, Avery). Although I don't think Brandon Roy should have been an All-Star just yet, although there's no doubt he's very good, just not better than either Baron Davis or Deron Williams at this point. I'll have to grudgingly admit that the Lakers' above-par performance so far shows Phil Jackson in a positive light. Chris Paul, meanwhile is fast becoming one of the elite point guards in the game, and the New Orlean Hornets are definitely on the right track. I'm glad for them, because Paul, on all accounts, is a decent young man and the team has provided a boost for this recovering city.

Lots of interesting names in the mix for Most Improved Player as well. Chris Kaman has become a legit center, thanks in part to the injury to Brand. Same goes for Andrew Bynum. Hedo Turkoglu had an outside chance of becoming an All-Star this year, and I'm glad to see him doing well on my team, Orlando Magic. Some of the Sacramento Kings, John Salmons and Francisco Garcia, have shown they can play as well. And how about Toronto's Jose Calderon? He's a rookie, so not exactly qualified for the award, but he played overseas for a couple of years before finally getting a shot at the NBA this year, and he has an amazingly impressive assists:turnover ratio.

OK, all this basketball talk must have bored you football fans out there, so you can go and check out this column on David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo instead. If only I can watch the NBA here in the UK!

Hoops Hype

I've been floored pretty badly by a viral infection - the sickest 24 hours I've had in years! - I was vomitting, feverish, aching all over and literally bedridden all of yesterday. Was very thankful to two of my friends who, at their inconvenience, brought over porridge for dinner. The fever appears to have burned itself out, so I can actually get out of bed today, although my back still hurts pretty badly. Can't make it to dinner with a friend as originally planned though.

Anyway, time for a change of pace. A new NBA season is now underway! Last season was pretty good in that there were no outright favourites, the only disappointment being that the Cleveland Cavaliers were completely overmatched against the Spurs in the Finals. But this season proves to be just as intriguing.

First up of course is the Boston Celtics, who made not one, but two blockbuster trades to acquire Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Together with Paul Pierce, that's easily the best trio in the NBA. The problem is they're pretty thin elsewhere. The bench isn't as horrible as some have suggested: Tony Allen is talented if a bit hotheaded, Eddie House will always get you some points even if he plays no defence, but getting James Posey is the real coup, he'll be a reliable sixth man. I figure they'll win the Eastern Conference though, and should be the favourite to make the Finals.

The Eastern Conference still isn't as strong as the West. The Chicago Bulls have a great talented core: Luol Deng and co. If they still have Tyson Chandler I'll say they're the best team in the East. But they don't, but this is still a very good team and will challenge the Celtics for the East. The Detroit Pistons have kept their veteran starting five, but I wonder if they've reached their peak. They'll still be a force to reckon with, however...Ditto with New Jersey Nets, good trio of Kidd, Carter and Jefferson, interesting addition of Magloire, but I don't think it's quite enough. And my team Orlando Magic overpaid to get Rashard Lewis. He's a very good, but not great player. Still, if Dwight Howard were to improve...the Cleveland Cavaliers have done nothing this summer and will not be back in the Finals unless they swing a trade for a good point guard. Miami Heat? No longer a good team. Expect the New Orleans Hornets to improve...

The Western Conference is still where all the powerhouses are, though. I have a huge soft spot for the San Antonio Spurs and wouldn't begrudge them a succesful defence of their title. But the neutral's choice surely must be the exciting Phoenix Suns who again came so agonisingly close last year. And with all-round good guy Grant Hill now on their team, you really want them to win one. Losing Kurt Thomas hurts though...Dallas Mavericks have officially earned the choker tag - favourites the last two years and botching it up each time. They still have the deepest team in the league, and it won't be a surprise if they once again finish the regular season with the best record. Utah Jazz are interesting. They have an underrated starting five, and Boozer and Williams will probably be recognised as All-Stars this year. Houston Rockets also have that deadly inside-out tandem of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady with a fairly strong supporting cast, but the questions are still the same: Can McGrady stay healthy and will there be team chemistry? Denver Nuggets are most definitely a dark horse. The LA Lakers are more like Hollywood at the moment...

So who'd I like to win? I know the Magic won't, so once again, it's that sentimental favourite - the Phoenix Suns. I want Nash and Hill to retire with at least one ring to their names.

Oh, and I've succumbed to playing Fantasy NBA for the fifth time!

Bonus: Top 10 plays of the 2006/07 season

On the England team

Having watched both England games over the past week, I had a lengthy post all lined up on a team reborn, but then Rob Smyth pre-empted me and said everything I was going to say. I agree, and it's time to end the Lampard-Gerrard experiment. Go read him!

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer retires

I still remember when Man U bought these 2 Norwegians, and I was going: Ole who? But both Ronny Johnsen and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer turned out to be some of Ferguson's best purchases. Jaap Stam, I think, said of Johnsen that he was the best defender he ever played with; certainly, he was one of the most underrated defenders of his time.

As for Ole, he was a true servant. He remains one of the most clinical finishers of his generation, his most famous goal, of course, being the Champions League winning goal in Barcelona. And he was totally without ego, you would never hear him complain, even when he was confined to a supersub role, or to the right wing just after Beckham left. And while he didn't have the overall talent of a Zola or a Bergkamp, like them, he was the player that opposing fans just couldn't hate. Some of his best moments, Barcelona apart, include a four goal blitz in 10 minutes against Nottingham Forest and the winner against Celtic in the most recent Champions League, showing he was still the baby-faced assassin.

Unfortunately he was bedeviled by injuries for the past four seasons, although Man U, recognising Ole's contribution, stood by him. (Heinze, are you listening?) Solskjaer will now remain at Man U as a coach and in some sort of ambassadorial role.

Premiership 2007/08 preview

Ah well, since I don't seem to be making much progress on the academic front, why not talk a little footy for the moment?

I'm quite looking forward to this year's Premiership season actually; I think it has the potential to become the most exciting yet. I don't think there's much to separate the Big 4, and I see a couple of other teams making a renewed challenge to their hegemony. I would especially love it if say, with only four matches remaining, all of the Big 4 (or even 5, Spurs anyone?) were still in contention for the title.

Big 4
Manchester United: The squad looks as good as ever, even if I think we're a little light on the striker front. Hargreaves, if overpriced, will still be a valuable addition especially as we don't have any other midfielder like him. I haven't seen Nani or Anderson in action, but Nani in particular has been much praised - Deco apparently told Mourinho that he missed out big-time. Still, I'm sure it'd take some time for them to settle, but it means we're covered in midfield, especially since Giggs in particular probably won't be able to play as many games at optimum level. It's a shame about the Heinze saga, since I like him, but we do have some talented young defenders - Pique, Evans, and Bardsley. I expect one will have an O'Shea like breakthrough. It's a shame we had to lose Rossi and Smith too, although I understand why we had to let them go. Rossi was in search of first-team football, and while I like Smith's tenacity, he's not exactly a 20-goal striker is he? Tevez/Rooney together? We'll see.

Chelsea: They've spent sensibly. I've watched Malouda in the World Cup and think he's great, and certainly it seemed that way in the Community Shield. They've added some badly needed defensive cover in the form of Ben-Haim and Alex and the returning Glen Johnson. Pizarro is a big name but is a bit of a gamble, although one worth taking considering he was free. Sidwell is another good addition too. How well will they cope without Essien and Drogba when they're away at the African Nations Cup? That I think, will be the key as to whether they can reclaim the title or not.

Liverpool: Liverpool always look great on paper, but it's always been about team chemistry for them. They have plenty of big names - Torres, Babel, Voronin etc etc. What Benitez needs to do is stop rotating the squad a la Ranieri. He should establish a core like what Mourinho does with Terry and Lampard. If he accomplishes that, Liverpool is a scary team.

Arsenal: You write off Arsenal at your own peril. After all, Man U fans know all about "winning with kids" don't we? Sure Henry is gone, and he will be a big loss, but this remains a potent squad. I think Arsenal's only mistake was not to keep Sol Campbell years ago, as he provides a wise head and a physical presence in Arsenal's defense, which I think still remains a weakness. Still, Van Persie looks like he's ready to graduate from potential to star, and Wenger is a good buyer, so De Silva might turn out to be a great capture as well. The test for this team would be whether they can kill off the smaller teams. Oh, and if Wenger is still looking to improve his squad, he should look for an out-and-out winger. Neither Rosicky nor Hleb are true wingers, and someone to spread the opposing team would be a devastating weapon in their arsenal (pun intended).

Tottenham: It's Big 4, but I include Spurs because maybe, just maybe, this is the year where there'll actually be included in this category. They must defend better, and keeping King healthy will be imperative. They bought Kaboul, the French Under-21 captain who also comes with a big reputation, to provide cover in this area as well. Secondly, they must hope that their yong midfield quartet improves. Can Lennon become a better crosser? Jenas and Zokora be more imposing? Malbranque recapture his Fulham form? If they do, then I think they will pose a genuine challenge.

UEFA Cuppers
Blackburn: Most people have them finishing midtable again, but I don't see why they can't challenge for a UEFA Cup spot. Their strikeforce is the best outside the top 4 (except maybe Newcastle?), and I am a fan of both Garmst Pedersen and Bentley. They've always had a sold defense. If Dunn can shake off his injury woes this is a team to reckon with. The only thing is that they don't quite possess as much depth. Still, I like Mark Hughes - he's now my no.1 choice, ahead of O'Neill and Moyes, to suceed Fergie when he goes.

Aston Villa and Everton: Speaking of those two managers, their teams might be fighting for UEFA Cup slots as well. Well, Everton is essentially the same, so it might be tougher for them, but Moyes always gets them to overachieve. Villa got Reo-Coker, and their new strikers, Carew and Young, will now get a full season together.

Intriguing
Newcastle: Who knows with Newcastle? A good strikeforce on paper, and a whole plethora of reinforcements at the back. And of course, that X Factor, Big Sam. I think it'd only be upper midtable for them, but who knows?

West Ham: They've suddenly decided they're Chelsea. But they don't yet possess quite the same pulling power, since it's only Alan Curbishley. They could end up anywhere, from fighting for UEFA cup spot to fighting relegation.

Portsmouth: This is a good team. They have a mean defence, Matthew Taylor's left foot, and my favourite Ghanaian, Sulley Muntari. Interesting too to see how Nugent will do.

Sunderland: Roy Keane. 'Nuff said. (Anything higher than 16th would be an achievement I think).


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Wrestling and the breaking of the fourth wall

Most of you probably don't know this, but I am a bit of a wrestling fan. While I didn't follow the WWF (as it was known then) religiously as some of my peers did, I did enjoy the occasional match. When I was around 13, I remember actually following WCW for a few months - I thought they were more interesting than their more famous (in Southeast Asia anyway) competitors. I don't follow it that closely now, but whenever I'm home I would tune in to an episode of RAW just to see what was going on in the wrestling world.

I guess it was a combination of cartoonish elements, the soap opera storylines, the straightforward "good vs. evil" fights - and as I got older and understood better how the business works - the interest in how the creative team booked matches to further a particular angle that got me hooked. Of course, there were plenty of unsavoury elements as well, such as the shameless objectification of women or the ridiculous stereotyping, but it was quite enjoyable as a form of escapism. And I always thought that wrestling as sports entertainment also provided some fascinating insights into human psychology and behaviour (but that's a thought for another time).

Unlike most of my friends, I wasn't a big fan of people like The Rock (too mouthy for me), or Stone Cold Steve Austin (Austin 3:16 struck me as being blasphemous). But I remembered finding myself attracted to Chris Benoit. Even a casual fan like me could see that technically, he was one of the best, and that he was nothing if not professional. I find I naturally like quiet heroes(thus I am a big fan of Tim Duncan) so it's not big surprise Benoit became a favourite of mine. It seems that his on-screen persona reflected much of his true character as well.

Which is why I was as stunned as anybody to discover that not only has Benoit and his family died over the weekend, but it appears to be a murder-suicide. The details are a little bizarre and seem to be at odds with what everyone backstage knew of Benoit. It comes as the WWE had recently been running a storyline of the "death" of "Mr. McMahon" (the on-screen character of the WWE boss) and is just one instance of life imitating art in the most unfortunate manner. The story has been big enough to receive mainstream news coverage from places like ESPN and someone even called it "the biggest sports news of the year". I guess to non-fans it all seems a little bewildering, but someone mentioned that it was like OJ Simpson in that it transcended categories of sport.

I don't know, but the details don't look too good. If it is confirmed that Benoit was guilty, then he has tainted his own legacy permanently. And I guess that's what made people so confused, so unsettled: that the person they thought they knew could have done this. Secondarily, it would also turn the spotlight back on the wrestling industry and the problems they have with things like drug abuse, but primarily, it is is the human tragedy that people are dwelling on. John Cote, on the Slam Sports website writes:

I am so angry right now at Chris Benoit. I am do not know what led to these events so i will not voice my opinion on them, someone far greater than me will be judging Chris Benoit. From a selfish standpoint, Some of my greatest memories of pro wrestling involved Chris Benoit, and with this single act, he has tainted them, not just for me but for millions of people who looked up to him and admired his work.

One of the most obvious things I noticed is that many people's reaction is that of anger, a sense that some sort of justice must be exacted. In a very emotional piece and by no means untypical of what I've seen so far, GRUT rages:

The saddest death of the three is Chris Benoit. He got to take the shortcut...He gets to fade into the darkness instead of facing the truth...God, don't let him get off that easy. Let there be a Hell...

Best commentary at the time of this posting, complete with references to Dostoyevsky, is from Eric Szulczewski:

Until we get an explanation, we have to deal with this. We're fans of a medium where violence is inherent. But we know that the violence is make-believe. People do get injured, but it's accidental. They're not trying to cause injury in the ring. That's what makes this situation so shocking to us. We've seen Chris Benoit get down and dirty with opponents for two decades. We just can't imagine him doing it outside the ring. We certainly can't imagine him committing acts of violence on his wife and child...

There was once a man who was a specialist in this area, attempting to explain the inexplicable. Fyodor Dostoevsky's books are crammed full of irrational characters performing actions that violated every precept of what was considered moral society...Evil had this tendency to lose, because Dostoyevsky always had faith that morality would win out in the end, no matter how despicable his characters were...
Read the whole thing

. I don't really have anything profound to say. Have a look at some of the pieces above and I'm sure you'll notice quite a bit to chew on, on God, on justice and judgment, on humanity. Some of the people I quoted above have already made quite overtly theological statements, and I think the majority of my readers, as Christians, already know all about total depravity and the fallen world. I see no reason to expand on this for the moment, I have reflected on it more in this post from a couple of years back. I guess I just feel a little sad, a little disorientated. Kevin Jones on SLAM talks poignantly about being unable to convey the reality of death to his nine-year old son, who doesn't quite understand that the wrestling world is fake, but this isn't. Death and tragedy never gets old, never quite gets explained away.


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The NBA season ended today

[This post is also to discover if anybody out there loves the NBA too.]

I have participated, with the exception of 2005/06, in an NBA fantasy league for the last 4 years - this year I'm fourth, which was more or less where I was the whole season. (I'm a two-time winner, btw. :-p) I briefly flirted with 2nd place, but was mostly fighting for 3rd. The eventual winner was quite something, though - he started out hovering between 4th or 5th; roughly a third into the season he picked up a free agent that propelled him into 2nd. That's where I thought he'll end up, since the league leader for just about the whole season was so far ahead, but somehow in the last week he overtook him! It was truly impressive.

My best gamble was Deron Williams, who had a breakout season, and I did benefit, in spurts, from Monta Ellis, Al Harrington and J.R Smith too. Carmelo was doing fine until he got himself suspended for 15 games. Gerald Wallace was frustrating - he was a complete stud in the final quarter of the season, but he's so injury-prone I don't know if it was worth it. I missed out picking up Bierdrins when he was shooting something like 78% FG though.
:(

Anyway, my season-ending awards:
MVP: Dirk Nowitzki. Just beats out Nash. If the Lakers had a better record, I'll give it to Kobe.
6th Man: Probably Leandro Barbosa.
Defensive Player: No Artest, No Ben Wallace. So Duncan. If Gerald Wallace wasn't injured so often he had a chance.
Most Improved: Some will plum for Kevin Martin, but Monta Ellis is who I'm going with.
Rookie of the Year: I don't know, since I can't watch the NBA in the UK so am not familiar with any of the new guys. But everyone seems to be putting their money on Brandon Roy.

And this year's NBA champs? ...I think the Mavs will win it, but I want the Suns to. So, Phoenix Suns!

A special night in Europe

Sorry, couldn't resist.


Man U 7 - Roma 1