Archive for March 2008
My Thoughts on UCLA in the Final Four
The last time I attended the NCAA Finals was in 2006 when UCLA played the Florida Gators for the championship. As I was walking down the tunnel with Bill Walton to enter the stadium my cellphone rang. It was Coach Wooden’s family calling to let me know Coach was in the hospital in serious condition.…
Read MoreExclusive Interview With Donald Trump on the Eve of ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ Finale
(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Donald Trump and Deborah Morales) My interest in “Celebrity Apprentice” is more than just the fun of seeing these dignified celebrities battle it out with such intensity. I’m also interested in how these icons that have achieved so much professional success and are willing to put themselves on the line in order to…
Read MoreDr. George Grant: Golf Fit Him to a Tee
(Tiger Woods for the WGC CA Championship at the Doral Golf Resort and Spa, in Miami.) My relationship with golf is rather distant. I can enjoy watching but I don’t have the desire to spend my free time on the course or at the range. I’m from the Mark Twain school of golf. Mark Twain…
Read MoreJames Forten: A Man With the Wind at His Back
James Forten (1766-1842) was born in Philadelphia, the grandson of slaves. Forten began working with his father at Robert Bridges’ sail loft when he was only 8 years old. When his father was killed in a boating accident a year later, young James had to work even harder and longer hours to help support his…
Read MoreObama, the Rev. Wright and the Legacy of Emmett Till
The recent uproar about Barack Obama’s former pastor has pushed a very explosive issue into the presidential campaign. The issue of our country’s history with regard to race is one that Sen. Obama literally embodies in his physical being as well as various political stances he has taken. I’m responding to the attacks that he…
Read MoreCommon Myths About Me: Why Was Kareem So Mad?
(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson) Photo Credit: Malek Mansour Which of the following is not true: A. You can catch a cold from going outside with your hair wet. B. You have to drink eight glasses of water a day. C. Candy makes kids hyperactive. D. Reading in dim light will ruin your eyesight. The…
Read MoreThe Care & Maintenance of the Over-50 Athlete: Strength Training
Whether you’re still trying to be competitive with much younger athletes or are just looking for the maximum health benefits from a fitness routine, strength training is a must. The problem is that strength training is mostly misunderstood—and therefore misapplied—by many who are over 50 (and even under 50). And it’s very important that they…
Read MoreExchanging E-Mails with Obama
(Sen. Barack Obama, seated at center, with his junior varsity basketball team in the 1977 yearbook of the Punahou School in Honolulu.) I was exchanging some e-mails with Sen. Obama and he was able to answer some questions that people have run by me when his name comes up. The one issue that people raise…
Read MoreIt IS How You Play the Game That Counts
All last week I was reminded of the speed and great distance that a person can fill in such a short time. The great track and field athlete Marion Jones had to surrender herself for incarceration at a federal penitentiary in Texas. I had admired her talent and poise as she dominated her sport. She…
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