From the Great Camadini...

Dave is the most intellegent person when it comes to basketball. There is no one that has a greater knowledge or passion for the game. His words speak volumes. Here is his take on the Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan discussion:

It's in my nature to question authority, or in this case the media. I always disagree with the media when they say that Kobe is better than Jordan. But after doing a little research, I realized that they are right. The numbers don't lie. Kobe really is better than Jordan. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the numbers I have compiled below. They are sure to clear the air on the whole Kobe vs. Jordan discussion.

Jordan's 1st NBA Finals (1991 vs. LA Lakers) 31.2ppg, 11.4apg, 6.6rpg, 55.8%FG Finals MVP (age 27)
Jordan's 2nd NBA Finals (1992 vs. Portland) 35.8ppg, 6.5apg, 4.8rpg, 52.6%FG Finals MVP (age 28)
Jordan's 3rd NBA Finals (1993 vs. Phoenix) 41.0ppg, 6.3apg, 8.5rpg, 50.8%FG Finals MVP (age 29)

Kobe's 1st NBA Finals (2000 vs. Indiana) 15.6ppg, 4.2apg, 4.6rpg, 36.7%FG (age 21)
Kobe's 2nd NBA Finals (2001 vs. Phila) 24.6ppg, 5.8apg, 7.8rpg, 41.5%FG (age 22)
Kobes' 3rd NBA Finals (2002 vs. Nets) 26.8ppg, 5.3apg, 5.8rpg, 51.4%FG (age 23)

Jordan's 1st three NBA Finals: 36.3ppg, 7.9apg, 6.6rpg, 52.6%FG
Kobe's 1st three NBA Finals: 22.0ppg, 5.1apg, 6.1rpg, 42.5%FG

I know what your thinking, how come Jordan got 3 Finals MVP's and Kobe didn't get any? That's because Kobe got robbed. Some guy named Shaq was given the MVP all 3 years. Needless to say he didn't deserve it. But don't take my word for it, I've got the numbers to back it up.

Shaq NBA Finals (2000 vs. Indiana) 38.0ppg, 16.7rpg, 2.3apg, 2.7bpg, 61.1%FG (age 27)
Shaq NBA Finals (2001 vs. Phila) 33.0ppg, 15.8rpg, 4.8apg, 3.4bpg, 57.3%FG (age 28)
Shaq NBA Finals (2202 vs. Nets) 36.3ppg, 12.3rpg, 3.8apg, 2.8bpg, 59.5%FG (age 29)

As you can see, Kobe was definately the main reason for the Lakers success. Plus, I think it's safe to say the Lakers played better teams than the bulls. After all, Jordan met teams lead by Magic, Clyde, and Barkley; while Kobe had to contend with teams lead by Reggie, Iverson, and Kidd. But this is only the begining. Jordan left in his prime for two years to go play baseball because he didn't know how to handle his father's death. Upon his return he led his team to another 3peat. But that's not all that impressive if you ask me. What's really impressive is that Kobe found a way to break-up the dynasty they had previously built. Not only that, he found a way to lose in the finals to an inferior team like Detroit. In fact, Detroit is the only team since 1980 that won a title without a legitimate superstar. But it was probably because Kobe didn't have enough help. Shaq, Payton, and Malone just isn't enough to get it done. Plus, Shaq didn't come to play in the finals that year. Don't believe me, here's more numbers.

Jordan's 4th NBA Finals (1996 vs. Seattle) 27.3ppg, 4.2apg, 5.3rpg, 41.5%FG Finals MVP (age 32)
Jordan's 5th NBA Finals (1997 vs. Utah) 32.3ppg, 6.0apg, 7.0rpg, 45.6%FG Finals MVP (age 33)
Jordan's 6th NBA Finals (1998 vs. Utah) 33.5ppg, 2.3apg, 4.0rpg, 42.7%FG Finals MVP (age 34)

Kobe's 4th NBA Finals (2004 vs. Detroit) 22.6ppg, 4.4apg, 2.8rpg, 38.1%FG (age 25)
Shaq NBA Finals (2004 vs. Detroit) 26.6ppg, 10.8rpg, 1.6apg, 63.1%FG (age 31)

Jordan's Career NBA Finals: 33.6ppg, 6.0apg, 6.0rpg, 48.0%FG (35 games)
Kobe's Career NBA Finals: 22.1ppg, 4.9apg, 5.2rpg, 41.1%FG (19 games)

Just a side note, Jordan also averaged more steals than Kobe did throughout their Finals' career. All the numbers in the world don't change the fact that Kobe is better than Jordan. Besides, Kobe couldn't didn't get a chance to dominate because that of that Shaq fellow. Not to worry, no that Kobe ran him out of LA and is in his prime, his numbers will definately show he is better than Jordan. Still don't believe me? I go to the numbers yet again.

2008 NBA Finals (down 0-2 vs. Boston) 27ppg, 7apg, 3.5rpg, 40.1%FG (age 29)

Clearly that's better than what Jordan did when he was 29. Did you forget already, don't worry I'll refresh your memory.

Jordan's 3rd NBA Finals (1993 vs. Phoenix) 41.0ppg, 6.3apg, 8.5rpg, 50.8%FG Finals MVP (age 29)

K-O-B-E!!!!!
K-O-B-E!!!!!
K-O-B-E!!!!!

Stern is in hot water now...

I read a story on CBSsports.com today that claims that the NBA is one big conspiracy. Playoff series are fixed, star players are given special treatment and the outcome of games are controlled in a way to maximize profits. A friend at work and I often talk about sports in general, but basketball most often. He has a passion for the game. A deeper passion than anybody I know and a wisdom and knowledge for the sport of basketball than any of the talking heads on the air (both on TV and the radio). He truly should be a host of a daily talk show on the NBA. To say that he has a finger on the pulse of the NBA is an understatement. So after reading this article, I posed the question to him "Is it true?" fully expecting him to rip it to pieces, this is what I got:

It's tuff to say if it's true and how much of it is true. Everyone knows the star players get calls in this league. It's the same in every sport, at every level, and it's been that way for some time. To be honest with you, it's not a big deal and I don't think it changes the outcomes of games. Now, the whole rigging playoff series is a whole other allegation all together. I don't want to believe it, but a part of me has thought it for about 5 years now. I think the refs do dictate the outcomes of games. Whether it's because they are gambling on them or they are getting paid to call it a certain way or the league itself is telling them to call the game a certain way. Look at this series. In game 3 the Lakers shot more free throws in the first 6 minutes of the game than the entire game 2 in Boston. Leon Powe played 15 minutes in game 2 and shot more free throws than the entire Laker team. That is truly unbelievable. Sure the Lakers were being a little more aggressive in game 3, but you tend to be more aggressive when the refs keep giving you the calls. I was sitting there watching the game last night and at least ten times I saw a play and said to myself...."That's not a foul in Boston" or "They call that the other way in Boston". I understand the home team gets the benefit of the doubt at home, but when one team gets every close call it will dictate the game. Like game 2, where Boston shot 28 more free throws than LA. That's how Atlanta beat Boston 3 times in the 1st round. Atlanta shot 15 more free throws in game 4 and 22 more free throws in game 6.

But going back to those original allegations, the series in question is the Houston vs. Dallas series in 2005. Van Gundy himself said that he was told by an NBA official that the refs were gonna call the game a certain way. It truly is tragic, but we must come to realization that pro sports is purely a business these days. The purity and integrity of pro sports has been replaced by the hunger and greed for money.

At the end of the day, most NBA refs are immoral, bitter men with huge egos. Years ago they were under investigation for tax fraud because they were exchanging their 1st class airplane tickets for couch and pocketing the money. Plus they are in the spotlight big time. Think about how many refs you know by name or by face. We shouldn't know them at all. I leave you with this..... Refs are people who weren't good enough to play and weren't smart enough to coach.

After reading that article, I believe the worse it yet to come. People are going to take this story and run with it (Just wait until congress gets involved, and they will). Pro sports has turned into entertainment for hire. As much as we want to believe that the little guy has a chance, the deep pockets of whoever is concerned is going to conquer. I think that championships particularly in basketball are guided. For example, a Boston/LA series is just what the public wanted to see. Stern and company benefited HUGE from this. Don't misunderstand, both Boston and LA are terrific teams. but the image of the league that is portrayed in an Garnett/Kobe match up is what dreams are made of. That is what the fans wanted and Stern obliged. Is this a bad think? Only if you still believe that integrity is important in pro sports and you love the game for its purity and competition. Otherwise, its all about the money/matches. Stern is a shrewd businessman and has assured the monetary success of his business.

Stern was pretty arrogant when he proclaimed that Tim Donaghy was the lone bad apple. He tried to dismiss the whole situation. There is no hiding it now. It doesn't stop at the referee. The trail leads all the way to the top of NBA management. I think now we are understanding why Stern acted the way he did. He himself was aware of everything that was going on. Conspiracy Theory? Nope! Try Conspiracy Action! Move over WWE! I believe that the NBA will have a new commissioner by the time all this is over.

Are You Kidding Me?

To me, this decision is a no brainer. watch the video. I do not understand people, not just in Arizona, but anywhere. Why would you leave your child in the car? The manager of Food City should be relieved of his duties. The parent should be held accountable. The security guard should have ignored the manager and broke the window. They were all lucky this time. I would think that the security guard would be trained in such situations, especially if it is his responsibility to patrol the parking lot. It makes me wonder if there is a law that would hold people accountable for just standing by and letting a helpless victim die. If this is the case, would have the security guard and the bystander, both who did not act, be responsible? What about the store manager? He stopped the security guard and bystander from acting. Should he have been held accountable if the baby had died? There are times where you have to stop worrying about the action and consider the bigger picture. The child was visibly stressed and a locked car in summer...break the window and get the child out. No brainer...

Valley Metro

A few months ago, I , with my wife's prompting, decided to participate in "Don't drive one in five". My work provides me with a pass that pays for it. It was pretty easy, I must admit. In order for it to work, the route you need has to be convenient. Mine is. I walk about a quarter of a mile from my house to the bus stop and less than that to get to my work. No transfers, it only requires a 13 minute journey. Because of the price of gas these days, I am riding the bus at least 3 days now( I just paid $3.75 a gallon at Quiktrip). Here are some random thoughts about my experiences. The bus drivers are always pleasant. This surprises me. They great you with a smile, are always willing to answer questions, and generally care about your experience. I guess you really would have to like to drive, but even if you did, why would you want to drive a city bus? Because of the culture of the bus environment, I would be scared to drive it. They are not. I thank them for that. They are truly enforcers. I have literally had a driver get out of his seat and remove a person from the bus because the person was swearing. Imagine that! (that was the most tense moment of my bus career!). The buses are generally clean. Again, this surprises me. For the most part, people are considerate of the cleanliness. When I ride the bus, I am the minority. I do not have any negative experience because of this, but good or bad, I am aware of it. At least once each week, on the trip home, I have to get off the bus I start on and get onto a second bus. I do not understand why. It pulls over, waits for the next bus, everyone is told to get on the new bus, and the first bus drives away. It usually doesn't take that long, but when your commute is only 13 minutes, and the switch takes 5-10 minutes, its annoying. I do not know how effective the fares are in paying for the expense of the bus. About 50% of the time, the machine that collects the money is broken. When it is, everyone rides for free. If the dollar people are using for the fare is rejected (old, wrinkled, torn), the driver doesn't make them pay. They ride for free. If people ask for a free ride, the driver lets them ride for free. I have seen more than a couple people do this. It surprises me how many people sleep on the bus. I would be afraid to relax that much. I am sure I would wake up at the end of the route way past my stop. Not everyone is willing to share their bench. People will put their personal belongings on the seat next to them and expect people to stand to ride. It amazes me that people are that inconsiderate. Lastly, the buses are usually on time. Once in awhile, they will run a couple of minutes late. They never leave early. They have certain stops that they must wait until the correct time to leave. This happens all the time. The drivers will pull over and wait until it is time. At least they tell you what they are doing. If you miss your bus, its your fault for running late, not theirs for running early. I am lucky, the #45 route (my and my fellow bussers' route) runs every 30 minutes westbound and every 15 minutes eastbound. I am thankful I not only have the ability to ride the bus, but also that it is convenient. Thank you Valley Metro !!!

Hats off to H

I am sitting upstairs at Tasha's gymnastics class enjoying the fact that not only does the place has wifi access, but our computer picks it up! The girl next to me must me about Kyra's age. She is struggling with her math homework. Her father is hovering over her, trying to understand what she is doing. She is very frustrated, but not as frustrated as the dad. She tries to ask him a question but he doesn't help. He explains to her that the only way to learn it is to work it out. His theory makes a little sense. But at this point he is unwilling to explain the method she needs to understand. He mumbles a question to her, barely audible, mumbled enough that I can not understand him. When she meekly answers, "I don't know", he yells loud enough that we can now hear and understand him, "Well, what in the hell am I paying your school $5000 for. They aren't teaching you a thing". At this point, he leaves the room and goes downstairs. She hangs her head, packs her books up, and goes to find him. I'm not sure what is worse: The fact that he acts that way or that he did it in front of a group of people. Maybe that was his point. So this post is for Helena, who works extra hard with her students and has extra patience when it comes to Kyra! Thank you babe! You are amazing!

Mothers Day History

This Mothers Day marks the 100th anniversary of Mothers Day. Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mothers Day, would want us to give mothers a white carnation — she felt it signified the purity of a mother's love. Jarvis, who got the Mother's Day idea after her mother said it would be nice if someone created a memorial to mothers. Three years after her mother died in 1905, she organized the first official mother's day service at a church where her mother had spent more than 20 years teaching Sunday school. Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church is the official shrine to mothers around the world. On Sunday, the shrine will celebrate the 100th anniversary, giving each mother attending a special service a white carnation. The shrine also serves as a "reminder to the accomplishments of these women and to the issues mothers still deal with today, trying to do the balancing act of being everything to everyone," According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 83 million mothers in the United States. Jarvis' devotion to and her fierce defense of Mother's Day is tied to the feeling that "a certain era was passing and mothers like her mother were becoming fewer". Jarvis' mother Ann was a community activist who worked to heal the divisions in north-central West Virginia following the Civil War. "She was a soft-spoken, gentle woman, but she could convince the devil to give up his pitch fork." West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother's Day in 1910. President Woodrow Wilson approved a resolution in 1914 marking the second Sunday in May a nationwide observance. “Mother's Day was meant to be — and still is — a celebration of a nineteenth-century ideal of motherhood, when mothers were supposed to dedicate themselves completely to nurturing their children and making a cozy, safe home," So, to all the Mothers out there, Happy Mothers Day.

Just me and the kids...

Last weekend, with Helena jet setting to New York, I was in charge of the kids. Now, at first, that does not seem like a big deal. I am a very capable father; taking care of my kids needs is not a new concept. Helena from time to time has gone on other trips. She usually will take one of the girls with her. This weekend was different for some reason. Don't get me wrong, we had a great weekend. This time, the girls were A LOT of work! Helena left Thursday night and Momo (her mom) watched the kids Friday morning, but it was just me from then on until Monday afternoon. The time flied by. Friday night, we had dinner out, even though the kids had already eaten at Wendy's for breakfast and lunch. Bedtime came and went, and then the kids got to bed. Saturday came early. Breakfast was easy, pancakes for everyone. Where did all those dishes come from? Really, the kids ate out all day Friday! How many pairs of shoes does Tasha have? Does she really wear them all in one day? It looked like the laundry bin was mostly full, I thought I would throw them in the washer...how does this machine work? Did I miss the seminar that explains it? In my defense, it is a new machine. Now, we are no means a wealthy family. How did our kids get so many clothes? Do they really have to change 5 times each day? I know Tasha does. I get the kids situated to keep them busy so I can mow the lawns. Just my luck, both the back and the front need to be mowed. Sure is a warm day. Mow, edge, blow. Everything went well except for the couple times the kids wanted to know if I was done yet. I have to stop the mower to hear them. Lunch was simple. Both kids like bean burritos and they are easy. Wait! Kyra has soccer! Crap, where is the game today? Where is the schedule? Found it. Where is the game? Wait, Kyra' team doesn't play today. What? I'm not sure if I am mad because there is no game or glad because now we don't have to go across town for the game. Time to switch the laundry (you didn't think I threw it all in one load did you?). Put the next load in. This is actually a cool machine. Switch the load to the dryer...wait, we don't use the dryer...out to the back yard to the clothesline. Set up the clothesline. Where does the support rod go? H has shown me too many times for my own good. Never mind, just string it tight enough to hang the clothes (it is a retractable line). Hang the clothes. Surprisingly, this is a calming, positive experience. No wonder H enjoys it. The clothes smell so nice. Kyra is a trooper and jumps in to help without being asked. This is a surprise because when I asked her to help with the lawn, she hated every second of it (her part was to scoop the dog poop)! Are all the clothes going to fit on the line? Whew! Just barely. Good thing I didn't wash all of the clothes at once. Come back inside only to find that WWIII had hit our living room! How do two kids create a natural disaster so quickly? Pick up the living room, have the kids pick up their rooms so I can vacuum all the carpet (it's not a big deal, we mostly have tile in our house). "Dad, can we go to the park?" You can, I can't (I've got too much to do and to be honest, I am getting tired). Crap! Almost forgot about softball (see Monique's blog for the report). "Dad, what are we having for dinner?" Dinner? I haven't a clue. Besides, I have to take down the laundry and hang the next load. Ok. Done with the clothes. Dinner... As it turns out, I score a break. At the softball game (yes I know it was a tournament, but we all knew we would only play 1 game), they were serving all the sub sandwiches, Gatorade and popsicles you could eat. Kyra eats a sandwich and has some Gatorade. As I walk up to Tasha, who at this point has red lips, she tells me that she had a popsicle. I ask, "Was it cherry?" She says yes and then admits that she had more than 1. "How many?" I ask, a little concerned. "Just 5." Great. What a supervising father I was. As we were leaving, Tasha grabs a sandwich to go. She has one bite and proclaims she is full. Really? There's a surprise. She claims that the sandwich was spicy. It was a little bit, but come on, 5 popsicles! We finally get home. Time for showers...all of us! Have to be clean for Church. Showers go well, to my surprise. Tasha asks about her hair. That is clearly a mom thing, so no hair. Time for bed because we have to get up early for Church. I tuck Kyra in, and make a deal with Tasha that I will lay down with her, but only for a little while. This is the first night Tasha falls asleep by herself (it was in our bed, but still)! I get up because I still have a lesson to prepare (yea, better late than never). Finally, I go to bed (it really felt good). Morning comes quick. The girls are up and I am ready for breakfast. Today on the menu is cereal. As it turns out, the girls do not want breakfast. Time to get ready for Church. Church starts at 9:00? Really? Since when? Ok, I knew that one. But there is no way we can make it to Sacrament. We do make it for Primary. The kids were good and my lesson goes smooth. Thank you to Shanton for your assistance. The kids in class behave fantastic. Home for lunch. The kids are, of coarse, starving! Nachos are a big hit. The kids settle in to watch a Church Video as I clean up lunch? Are you kidding me? Whose dishes are these? We didn't even eat breakfast! Get the dishes done, load the dishwasher again, start the dishes. Time to take down the laundry (yes, it still is up from the day before). Finally, rest with the kids for a few moments. "Dad, what’s for dinner?" permeates from the girls. "You just ate (5 hours ago)." Spaghetti and salad is a favorite and don't forget, it's easy. I ask Kyra to bless the food but of coarse Tasha throws a fit...fine, Tasha gets to bless the food because I do not have the strength for this fit. Clean up from dinner. Where did all these dishes come from? I ask Kyra to help unload the dishwasher which she does...reluctantly. Finally, time for bed. We are all exhausted. I tuck Kyra in and then, tuck Tasha in! She actually went to sleep by herself! Before I go to bed, I straighten the living room and vacuum (it had been a whole day since I vacuumed). Time for bed. Morning comes early. Monday. The best Monday in a long while. Helena comes home this afternoon. Neither girl shows any interest in breakfast. Kyra packs her lunch. Off to school. Drop her off. Tasha is sad that she didn't get to swing at Kyra's school. But the kids who actually go to school there are swinging. We come home for alone time before she goes to preschool. A quick last pickup of the house, once again vacuum the living room. Off to preschool. Drop Tasha off and head to the airport! Yea!!! I haven't seen my wife since Thursday and she looks good! Just enough time for lunch, the two of us at Rosita's. Off to get Kyra from school. Drop Kyra and Helena off at home, and then head out to get Tasha. Finally, we are home. As Tasha is getting out of the van she asks, "Is Mom inside?" As soon as I answer yes, she runs as fast as she can to find her. Mission accomplished! The weekend and a momless home is over. Thank goodness! Don’t misunderstand, the weekend, although busy, was fun. Helena got to get away and visit with a friend and see her Aunt. I got time with my girls, which is a million times better than work. All I have to say is: "Welcome home babe, you’re my hero! What I want to know is how in the world do you do it week in and week out?"