Friday, April 29, 2011

The Dodgers' Dark Era


There is a reason why attorneys rarely, if ever, act as their own attorneys when they are personally involved in litigation.  We’ve all heard the saying “A lawyer that represents himself has a fool for a client.”  Well, there’s actually some reasoning behind that saying.  Lawyers must try to see every situation from an objective standpoint.  Now what does that mean?  It means that attorneys try to look at most situations from a neutral point of view.   This allows for more effective analysis of facts and legal theories without those nuisances like bias, feelings, or emotion.

For those reasons I had refrained from chiming in on this particular subject because I am obviously bias and emotionally attached to the subject.  I love, baseball, I love the Dodgers, and I bleed Dodger Blue.  But as Popeye would so eloquently put it, “That's all I can stands, and I can't stands no more!”  The McCourts are solely responsible for what I call the Dark Era of Dodgers Baseball.  The details of the debacle that is the McCourts has been well documented and talked about and I will not bother to rehash those details here.  What I will say is that Frank McCourt needs to bow out gracefully like a man.  For all intents and purposes it is over for Frank McCourt, and everyone seems to realize this except for Frank McCourt.  Apparently he did not take the hint when fans booed him as he introduced Joe Torre during Torre’s farewell speech.  Apparently he doesn’t pay attention to Twitter or Facebook, because if he did, he would quickly come to the realization that he has become the laughing stock of the greater Los Angeles area and everyone wants him out.

Listen, we all make mistakes, we all make bad decisions, and we will all fail at something at one point or another.  It is how a person handles those situations, which really shows the true character of the person.  As for McCourt. he is holding on to some absurd notion that he may be able to hold on to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Despite the obvious public sentiment that he sell the team with all due haste, he has taken to making a media blitz and talking to anyone that will give him air time.  Today, David Vassegh, a reporter at KLAC 570 AM, will interview Frank McCourt at McCourt’s request.  In addition, McCourt will join the Petros and Money show on KLAC 570 AM sometime next week.  The question is:  For what?  Better yet, who cares?

Whatever it is he has to say is too little too late.  McCourt has taken one of the most hallowed franchises in sports and stripped it of its identity, hope, enthusiasm, mystique, and of course, its monetary capital.  From now until the end of time, the name Frank McCourt will be linked with names like Jackie Robinson, Vin Scully, Rick Moday, Don Drysdale, Roy Campanella, and Tommy Lasorda, and that’s just a damn shame.

Mr. McCourt, if you are any kind of a man, take the little dignity you have left, sell the team and bow out with grace.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Lakers' Not-So-Secret Weapon

It is interesting that my first ever blog entry would be about the Los Angeles Lakers.  After all, I am a die hard Dodger fan, I practice law for a living, and I love politics.  Needless to say, basketball is a bit out of my comfort zone, but after watching Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Hornets I couldn't help but make an interesting observation.  Granted, I was falling in and out of consciousness as I had worked a full day and played softball game immediately thereafter, sleep was beginning to get the better of me.  But I made an interesting observation nevertheless.

While the Hornets were concerned with shutting down Kobe Bryant (and his now famous ankle) and Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum quietly put together a rather impressive playoff performance.  Bynum finished with 18 points, second only to Bryant's 19.  He also ended up with 10 rebounds and went 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Comparatively, Gasol and Odom combined for 15 rebounds and went 8 of 9 from the line.  So Bynum did almost as much as Odom and Gasol combined.  Not bad for a guy who took a lot of heat this year for several reasons and who some fans were calling to be traded.

Should the Hornets allow a similar performance from Bynum in Game 6, he will put the final nail in their coffin.

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