Huh?
"I truly believe that Michael made me a better point guard," Johnson said at Jackson's memorial.
Magic was just warming up.
"I want to thank Michael for opening up so many doors for African-Americans. He allowed Kobe [Bryant] and me to have our jerseys in people's homes across the world because he was already there."
Call me a skeptic, but I think a young Dirk Nowitzki or Manu Ginobili would have idolized Magic or Dr. J even if they'd never heard "Billie Jean." And most basketball historians trace the rise of international hoops to the 1992 Dream Team, not the King of Pop.
As for Jackson making Magic a better point guard, if he believes it who am I to argue? But how much praise will Johnson now have to heap at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's memorial? Something tells me the Big Man in the Goggles helped Magic a lot more than the Wacky Man in the Surgical Mask.
This whole eulogy business has me confused. Actually, it has me wishing I were dead.Croak, and everything you ever did right is magnified. Everything you ever did wrong is forgotten. I'm just surprised Bryant didn't credit Jackson with helping him develop his turnaround jumper.
His speech was one of the few restrained moments at Tuesday's memorial. I can't decide whether my favorite interlude was provided by Rev. Al Sharpton or Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Neverland).
"As a member of the United States Congress, we understand the Constitution," she said. "We understand laws. And we know that people are innocent until proven otherwise."
At least that was a rare passing reference to Jacko's sexual-molestation trial, if not the $22 million in hush money he paid to make a civil trial go away, if not the sacks of drugs police hauled away from his mansion.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.
"Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy," Sharpton looked down and told Jackson's kids.
Let's hope Jacko's youngest son never sees the video of Dad dangling him from that balcony.
Other than Michael's previously undisclosed contribution to the Lakers' run of titles with Magic, I realize he had little to do with sports. It's just this gusher of selective amnesia has me wondering what will be said when some of our more controversial sports stars are laid to rest.
- Barry Bonds -- "Wasn't nothing strange about your daddy turning into Mr. Potato Head."
- Lawrence Phillips -- "He allowed me to have the jerseys of domestic abusers on my team because he was already there."
- Tonya Harding -- "We know people are innocent until it's proven they knew their husband was going to kneecap their biggest rival."
I didn't see anybody roll their eyes during all the Jackson's eulogizing. Of course, Hollywood is so detached from reality the crowd probably believed there was nothing strange about a 50-year-old black man who looked like a white woman and slept with a chimp.The audience will be a little more grounded this weekend at Steve McNair's funeral. The way he died will cast an underlying awkwardness, though I doubt anyone will actually mention how a good family man was supposedly murdered by his girlfriend.
In this case, that's appropriate. Infidelity may have killed McNair, but it certainly didn't hang over his life like steroids with Bonds or domestic abuse with Phillips.
Some people say you're never supposed to speak ill of the dead. I just don't think grief should excuse glaring flaws or create false heroes. So when I heard that Michael Jackson is the reason kids now wear Kobe Bryant jerseys, it was just too much.
At least until we get to O.J.'s memorial. I can't wait to hear what Rev. Al comes up with for that.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
wow. you're a jerk and a half aren't you?
There is a good reason why republicans generate so much hatred and this POS you have spread all over this page is an example. Who are you to criticize a man's eulogy? When retards like you wake up the in the morning, do you reach into the freeze to pick up your hearts? Blood sucking leeches like you have no problem pimping MJ for page views and clicks, yet you claim to be fair minded. What other self righteous egotistical and narcissistic nonsense will you be waxing poetic on today? The Mark Stanford i just arrived from Buenos Aires with love story or the Sarah Palin knowing when to pass, sorry i mean quit for victory, article?
wow, what idiot you are
Michael Jackson -- the drug-addicted, deviant psychotic pedophile -- was a hero to millions of blacks.
Paskulo ...U TOO can go eff a goat! What kind of name is Paskulo anyway. Sounds like your mother effed a goat too!
Great response, Paskulo. You're definitely NOT an internet racist.
Nothing racist at all about your article. If anything, the fact that Sheila Jackson felt the need to mention that MJ was innocent by legal standards (wonder how much of the rest of the US Constitution she stands by?) and Al Sharpton felt the need to mention to MJ's kids that there "wasn't nothing strange" about him show that his molestation charges and odd lifestyle are not white-only topics.
Most of us loved Michael Jackson's music. And we enjoyed watching him dance. But the fact is, the guy was weird. And how many other people--celebrities included--could show up at their own child molestation trial in pajamas and be greeted by a crowd of cheering, adoring fans?
If anyone doesn't like the way MJ is being treated in death, just be consoled by the fact that during his lifetime he was given free reign for anything he did.
New-found Jacko lovers/defenders are such hypocrites. 2 weeks ago 99% of them thought he was a contemptible queerdo has-been. Now they act like he was a musical MLK.
Earth to MJ fans......Earth to MJ fans......
Dying from a drug overdose dose not make Jacko any less wacko!
As soon as I saw "Jacko" in your title, I knew this would be a disrespectful column. However, I actually agreed with your first point about Magic and Kobe's comments, but I wish you had stopped there.
When I was a kid, Jackson was still a little boy on the Jackson 5 and had absolutely nothing to do with all the posters of black athletes on my bedroom walls. Boys who loved sports idolized athletes based on how great a player they were -- color was a non-issue. Jackson opened doors in the music world and on MTV, but to say he did so in sports or becoming a president is a kind of a stretch.
You my friend are definitely going to hell on a scholarship!
this was a very pointless article using michael jacksons name for a few clicks. really. be proffessional.
David Whitley, how did a douche like u get to write in public? You are just another hater, despite the fact that MJ was not found guilty. One of the parents of the kids even came out and said it was a lie. U dumb eff, it was people like u that was the reason MJ couldn't live in peace and now seems u don't want him to rest in peace either. go eff urself! better yet go eff a goat u inbred!
What most people don't understand is that things that happen in your childhood affect the type of grown-up u become. Due to his lack of a normal childhood, he never did actually grow up. He wanted to do the things he never got to do as a kid. Can u imagine sitting down watching kids play ball and ur dad is so effed up he would tear ur ass up if u even tried to join in and play. He missed out on the things kids did like sleepovers. He loved children in an innocent sense of the word. Who the eff are u to judge him? MJ was very misunderstood and that's alright because there are muthaeffers out there doin weird-er stuff that noone knows about, and noone ever cares about just because they r not Michael. Go do something real with ur life and leave the man alone. Let him RIP!
eff u. u just cant accept the fact that michael jackson drugged up child molester.
OK, you MJ lovers have changed my mind. I've decided I love the guy and will honor him by wearing a white glove every time I sleep with a chimpanzee.
If you pay 15 Million dollars to settle a civil suit, it's a pretty fair assumption that you are guilty and do not want a criminal trial on the issue. If I were accused of molesting a child when I didn't, there is no amount of money that would not make me clear my name. Anyone would shout their innocence from the roof tops and welcome the chance to prove it. The creep, Michael Jackson, sexually molested children and it should not be forgotten. BTW, O.J. killed his wife and Ron Goldman, as well.
Seriously. Please have some knowledge before you speak. I civil trial and a criminal trial are completely different. You can't get out of a criminal trial by settling out of court in a civil trial. There was no criminal trial on the first accusation because the child ended up refusing to testify and they state had no case. As for you saying that paying automatically means you are guilty, that's a crap assumption as well. He could have either paid that money to them to bring it to an end (and might I ask what real parent would take hush money if their child was actually molested), or he could pay it to defend himself in a long drawn out trial that would have drug his name through the mud even more.
Great points that needed to be made. Thanks.
I decided to read this on a whim, and I'm glad I did. Good points and excellent articulation of a counterpoint to the breathless hyperbole.
Someone on here said jacko was a hero to millions of blacks..Excuse me but it wasn't blacks i saw at his concerts fainting and passing out and crying like a bunch of idiots.I never saw any black kids staying at neverland ranch. It's not black people committing suicide around the world because they can't live in a world without micheal jackson. oh please give me a break!!! Sorry but i both blacks, whites, asians,latinos,and on and on are in on this one.