Gracious Winners Wanted

The Los Angeles Lakers' Derek Fisher, left, and Kobe Bryant. Photo courtesy SportsIllustrated..

Nothing supports a player's legacy more than being a gracious winner while nothing destroys their reputation worse than being a graceless loser. While I don't consider Kobe Bryant to be an arrogant person, his public persona says otherwise. The pat he gave Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry could be misconstrued as arrogance, a sign of "we own you" or "payback time". Kobe's media sessions both at practice and postgame are short, with the Black Mamba not being very talkative and at times can be aggressive toward reporters. Again, I don't think Kobe is inherently arrogant and graceless, but his public actions don't do anything to discourage the notion that he is. To contrast, teammate Derek Fisher is eloquent with the media, complimentary of the opposing team, and while he's not the best player on the Lakers, he's certainly one people can look up to. In a world of 24/7 media coverage, it is imperative that players realize they are role models both in attitude and conduct.

But the players aren't fully to blame. Success can breed arrogance and there's a reason why franchises like the Lakers, Boston Celtics, and New York Yankees are known for having fanbases that can get cocky. It is the unstated objective every season for the New York Yankees to win a title because that's what their fanbase expects and demands. The Lakers are prone to picking up bandwagon fans during their playoff runs, as evidenced by how many Laker flags magically sprout up on cars around Los Angeles in May. These fans don't help the matter. They pull the ol' "I've been a fan since Showtime!" routine, but can't name the current Lakers starting five then have the cajones to mock the opposing team and call it all sorts of things not fit for print. This weekend, I had a Laker bandwagoner slam not just the Phoenix Suns but the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona itself, calling it all sorts of vulgarities. As someone who's originally from the Grand Canyon State, this did not go over well with me. This fan behavior is a shame for the team they root for, whether its the Lakers, Yankees, or the Kansas City Royals.

And for fans of teams that are on the losing end, it's best not to say any witty retort back. There's always another year. The law of averages dictates that a championship will come to you, eventually, unless you're the Chicago Cubs. By retorting back, the loser becomes just as graceless as the winner who brags or tries to pull a Terrell Owens-esque stunt.

What do you, my readers, think of the situation? Are there fanbases that have a reputation for arrogance? How do you deal with graceless winners/losers?

Tale of Two Franchises

Photo courtesy of USAToday.com

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Washington Wizards last night 115-103 at the Verizon Center in DC. The game provided a glimpse of two teams traveling in opposite directions. First, the Lakers have one of the best records in the NBA (34-11) and are 6-4 in their last ten games. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each scored 26 in what looked like a show of dominance. The Lakers are having a season free of drama, unusual for the Lakers given the microscope they're under.

Then, there are the Wizards. The Wizards' leading scorer, Gilbert Arenas, plead guilty earlier this month to felony gun charges and awaits sentencing. Arenas was storing guns in the Wizards' locker room at the Verizon Center, which lies within the actual District of Columbia. DC gun laws are among the toughest in the nation, so as a result, the revelation that Arenas was storing guns in DC outraged many in the Washington metro area. The Wizards' haven't been able to cope with the loss of Arenas on the court and are currently 14-30 and are 2-8 in their last ten games. Assuming Arenas will be having a long-term suspension, the Wizards will take several years to recover from one player's terrible decision.

The Long Fall

Photo courtesy of NewsOne.com

The news of Tiger Woods' infidelity over the last couple of weeks has rocked the sports world. His reputation for being a family man shattered. So how does one look at Tiger Woods now? On the golf course, he's my generation's Jack Nicklaus. His level of play and era of dominance is unmatched. His passion for competition is admirable. But that's where the love ends. Off the course, he's made a grievous mistake. There are so many aspects to Tiger's misdeeds, it makes it difficult to support him.

First, this incident shows Tiger to be clueless. Surely he had to have known someone was going to find out about his indiscretions. With as many as seven women (and counting, it seems) coming out as his mistresses, he had dug a hole so deep, there was no getting out. Did he not realize his reputation would be destroyed if these relationships came to public light? Second, this whole saga shows Tiger to be arrogant. If he had thought all this through and thought he could sweep it under the rug because he's Tiger Woods, than he's an arrogant fool. Third, Tiger underestimated the media's ability to gather information. What started as a car crash on Thanksgiving became a bigger story when it was revealed his wife wasn't with him in the car and it was in the middle of the night. By the time reporters verified everything, Woods' skeletons were jumping out of the closet.

Tiger is now on the same level as Tom Brady and, to a lesser extent, Kobe Bryant. Tom had an affair with a supermodel than broke up with his pregnant fiance Bridget Moynahan and married the supermodel. As a result, Tom could win twenty Super Bowl titles and I still wouldn't buy his jersey. Kobe had an incident that nearly got him thrown in jail, but he has since been "on the straight and narrow" with his wife and two daughters. Regardless of whatever he does at this point, when you have that many extramarital affairs, let alone the morass that Brady and Bryant found themselves in with one indiscretion, your reputation is gone. Sad for Tiger, as he is one of the game's greats.

Kobe Waffles on Trade Demand

All it took to change his mind was a few hours. Kobe Bryant is now saying he doesn't want to leave Los Angeles. All the while Lakers fans hold their breath and prepare for the worst. It is clear that Kobe is not happy with the current state of things, otherwise this fiasco wouldn't have happened. But the question now is is he discontent enough to follow through on his trade demand or is he willing to wait more?

How did he waffle on his position? According to John Nadel of the Associated Press, Kobe told LA radio station KLAC, "'They said nothing to me about a long-term plan. Absolutely nothing. They told Phil one thing and they told me another. Actions speak louder than words." Then on Wednesday morning he told ESPN Radio, "'I would like to be traded, yeah. Tough as it is to come to that conclusion, there's no other alternative. It's rough, man, but I don't see how you can rebuild that trust. I just don't know how you can move forward in that type of situation." Later in the day, he told KLAC, "'I don't want to go anywhere, this is my team."'

Why the sudden change of heart? Apparently, Kobe contacted Phil Jackson, who said, "'You know what, Kobe? Let's try to figure this thing out."' If Kobe finds content with the Lakers once again, Laker fans may remember this moment as the time when Phil saved the Lakers. This soap opera will continue for sure and Angelenos will watch every moment. But, Kobe has taken a gamble in that if this drags out and he is perceived as the villain, Laker fans will turn on him and demand he be traded.

All quotes in this entry are from John Nadel's AP article on this story. Here's the link to the full article: "Bryant requests trade, then backs off"

Launch of My Blog & Kobe Demands a Trade

The big headline today is Kobe Bryant demanding a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers, and with the demand, the soap opera continues. Kobe has the talent, that is unmistakable, but it has always been his attitude that has plagued him over the years. From demanding Shaq be traded and getting the max contract possible from the Lakers to demanding Jerry West come back, Kobe has always wanted his way. Though he has been more of a team player in recent years than previously, his drive to get his way has trumped other people, whether it be Shaq or Jerry Buss, the Laker owner. Up to this point in his career, what Kobe wanted, he received. Now, his desire to leave the Lakers and contend for a title elsewhere will leave fans feeling blue. This situation that Kobe put himself into is one that may define him further. If he gets traded, will he find the happiness he doesn’t feel right now in Los Angeles? If he wins a title elsewhere, what happens if his team doesn’t win the title the year after? Or the year after that? Kobe will once again be in the same situation, but a different team. Teams being rumored to have interest include Houston, Boston, New York, Chicago, and Phoenix. If I were Kobe, the rumored McGrady-for-Bryant swap doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me. If Kobe stays put in LA, will he accept his role or be disgruntled and push and push for a trade until fans demand one as well? Will he embrace the concept of a team and embrace the team-first style of the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons? Unfortunately, I wouldn’t count on that.