Reflections: February 1999

LIVING IN THE VORTEX OF TOMORROW'S HISTORY

We have witnessed a constitutional crisis, war up close and personal from the comfort of our living rooms (and on our television sets no less). . . 24-Hour news brings us 'The World Every 30 Minutes.'

SOME OBSERVATIONS:

IMPEACHMENT: As with the OJ Simpson trial, the prosecutors in the new 'Trial of the Century' brought a flawed case before the jury and upon losing, blamed the jury. The Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman Hyde knew that they had the votes in committee — 21 to 15 — AND in the full house by a wide margin of party votes — to bulldoze the Articles of Impeachment through the House with or without evidence.

THEY ASSUMED that they would be allowed to present their case before the Senate but we all know the Senate is answerable to all the people in a particular state. So the 'VOICE OF THE PEOPLE' (or 'the Polls' if you don't agree) won out in the Senate after all (as everyone knew it would).

It is well to note several realities about the Republican Party:

Its leadership in the House is made up of members from small and marginal districts which do not reflect the nation as a whole. So when the likes of Newt Gingrich, Bob Livingston, Henry Hyde and Tom DeLay assume control of the party, they are reflecting the views of their own insignificant districts in rural Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois and Texas. These districts are essentially free of minorities, and have no urban or world view. This party touts views redeeming only to a constituency of poor and put-upon white males who feel threatened by civil rights, the women's movement, gay rights and other so-called 'left wing agendas.' That these issues were supported by-and-large by 'liberals' and Democrats, played into the hands of the Grand Old Party.

What they need to do — if they want to expand their base — is to develop leaders from places that are more representative of the nation as a whole. They would thereby reflect National priorities as opposed to the rural and regional ones reflected by the above group of so-called 'Leaders.'

Southern Democrat-segregationists like Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, Trent Lott of Mississippi and Jesse Helms of North Carolina actually switched to the Republican Party during the Nixon era, bringing with them their bigoted rhetoric and policies. It does not surprise many southerners that Lott and Representative Robert Barr have spoken before modern-day Klu-Klux-Klan groups like Concerned Citizens Council.

SPORTS

The NBA strike is over. I admit that I listen to guys on Sports Talk Radio like Jim Rome.  It occurs to me that those guys get paid to sit around and shoot the shit over the airwaves just like they would be doing in a bar with the fellas.  Now they just get paid to occupy space on the air between commercials.

AMERICA — WHAT A COUNTRY!

They know nothing about the sports they cover, nothing about human nature — which is the driving force in the doings of professional athletes — and they babble on and on about the stuff they read in the paper.  I spend a lot of time thinking to myself:  'STOOOOO-PID!!!!!'  AND THEN I ASK MYSELF:  'Why do I listen?'

THE ANSWER:  I LIKE disagreeing with fools!

Part of my personality is that I enjoy playing against things I disagree with and forming my opinions in the backdrop of other peopleís failures and shortcomings.  
(Hmmmmm) I'VE GOT TO WORK ON THAT!

THE LAKERS:  With arguably the best talent in the NBA we in So Cal have high expectations (notice I didnít say high hopes) for the team made up of Shaq O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones, Mr. Vanessa Williams; Rick Fox, and a host other great young players. Yet they struggle to win against also-rans like Denver, and can't seem to beat the teams — Utah, Indiana — they have to win against in order to earn 'The Ring.'

MY SOLUTIONS:

FIRE THE COACH:
While he is a great teacher, their coach is not a good bench and game manager.  He's like a sax player like Kenny G.: There are few improvisations in his approach. So if an opposing coach changes his team's M.O., Del Harris is not good at adapting his strategy to the new challenge. He is probably not stern enough and is too accepting of his players' outside interests (Shaq's music and movie career even during the PLAYOFFS!).

THE HEART (Or Lack Thereof)

NBA players have to find motivation every day to get up for the back-to-back drudgery of the season. Opposing players, for instance, were afraid to look into Michael Jordan's eyes for fear that he would take it as a slight, use it as motivation and go off on your ass.

But let's take Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell, the two Lakers most often mentioned in trade talks.  A trade for the two of them for Tom Gugliotta of the Minnesota Timberwolves wasn't made because Kevin McHale the Wolves' GM said in so many words, that the two of them were worth NOTHING!

let Guliotta go to Pheonix — with no compensation — rather than to take the two Lakers in trade. Now, Jones was an All-Star last year and Elden averaged over 17 points a game subbing for Shaq last year during O'Neal's injury-induced absences, so I'd guessed that when the two of them went to play the Timberwolves, they would show Kevin McHale a thing or two.

THEY BOTH BOMBED!  Shaq sat out with an injury, Campbell was 2 for 10 in his absence.  Eddie froze himself out of the offense scoring 6 points.  So much for motivation.  LEADERSHIP.  O'Neal looks upon himself as the leader of the team. He's the leading scorer and is the biggest Laker, but you can't lead when you can't demand the ball in the last two minutes of the close games. He can't shoot free throws! HE ALSO MUMBLES — NEVER TALKS ABOVE A WHISPER. I wouldn't follow someone whom I couldn't hear! Now sources say that Kobe Bryant is fighting for leadership of the team in practce. He is getting resistance from Fox and Shaq, we're told, and has had shoving sessions in practice with both of them . . . GOOD!! A PLAYER WITH PASSION ON A TEAM THAT IS FULL OF YOUNG, RICH COOL MUTHA'S IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.

Kobe wants to win and also wants to be the torch bearer for the NBA a'la Magic, Jordan, Dr. J and the like. MOTIVATION TO WIN!!! THE MISSING INGREDIENT! Sure it's egotistical, but it's a personal ego that has positive ramifications for the team. You think for one minute that MJ, Magic and Bird didnít have ego? You MUST live on Mars or at least in Regina, Saskatchewan! The one worry I had about Kobe and his development on this team was that Shaq would be his role model.  That appears not to be the case. FIGHT ON, YOUNG BROTHER, AND TAKE OVER THIS TEAM.   It's yours for the taking. Now is Dennis Rodman coming? Who cares! If he does, it'll be good for the team on the floor. But can Del Harris handle his weirdness in practice and off the floor? Who Knows! MY NEW MUSIC JUST A THOUGHT. It occurs to me that a career in music affords me a view of life that few can enjoy. In reality, playing music is a sideshow to the real stuff that goes on in our lives and the lives of those around us. Much like a film soundtrack, our songs and melodies underscore the world within our visions.

I'm happily makin' new music with a new team which includes Kevin Toney and Kamau Kenyatta. The style is that which we describe as a Jazz Chamber Ensemble. Keep your ears clean. Soon come! Love, Light, Music . . . and History!

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Reflections is Carl Anderson's Internet-based commentary column. ©Copyright 1999-2008, Abu Khalil Productions. All Rights Reserved.