The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

Is it just me or is this the worst time of year in sports? The two days after the all-star game, I was so bummed without any major sports to watch, a bunch of guys and I met up at a local pub because we didn't know what to do with ourselves. Hockey and basketball are officially over. Baseball is just past the midway point. There's still a month left until football season starts, and until that point, sports commentators will spout about stories (or non-stories) they wouldn't even think about discussing during the course of the season. In recent days, I've heard talk show hosts speak about the following topics: 1) Johnny Manziel wearing his hat backwards - Have I ever been one to wear my hat backwards? No, because I think it's kind of silly and defeats the purpose of showcasing a team I'm rooting for, but others disagree, and see it as a fashion statement. Do most professionals whom regular appear in front of the camera typically wear their hat backwards? No, b...

Having lived in Ohio over the past 5-6 years, and gone through the LeBron-James-is-heading-to-South-Beach transition, I've heard a great deal of talk and debate regarding the superstar. While it seems that approximately 80% of basketball fans in the state still want to give LeBron the middle finger to his face, the two main points of debate regarding him are: 1) Where does he stack up with the all-time greats (namely, Michael Jordan), and 2) Is he the main reason why his teams have fallen on the short end of the stick in the playoffs more times than not? NBA fans in this state - especially Cleveland Cavaliers die-hards - appear to believe that LeBron James was simply a choke-artist in Cleveland - that and he gave up too frequently. When it comes to the Cavs losing in the finals, or during other playoff runs, it seems that a majority of fans here mainly blame James for the team's disappointing finish to their season. They also don't believe he's even in Michael Jordan...

I'm sorry to ruin sports analysts' and commentators' fun, but let's put this LeBron James. vs. Michael Jordan debate to rest for the time being. Based on the two players' resumes, there's really no comparison to be made. While LeBron James has always been a very exciting player, who has improved from good to great status the past couple years, he's not even in the same ballpark (well, court) as Michael Jordan right now. In the seven NBA seasons between 1990-91 and 1997-98, Michael Jordan led his Chicago Bulls to six championships, where he won the MVP Award in each. For his career, Jordan's Bulls were 6-0 in the NBA Finals. LeBron James, meanwhile, has led his teams (Cleveland and Miami) to a 2-2 record in the NBA Finals, where he was awarded the MVP Award twice. James is still young, so it's possible he could win multiple more championships and be the face of the NBA for years to come, where at career's end, a legitimate argument could be ...