Why I hate the Lakers. And the Red Wings, the Yankees, the Habs, the Raiders....

I was totally going to write a post about my ardent and undying love of Xena - yes, the Warrior Princess. And I still will, because I have an ardent, undying love for her. And I'm 11 episodes into the second season, on my way through to all 6. Oh, it's on like Donkey Kong, my peeps!

But the reason why I'm not writing about this now, is that the ever-lovin' Lakers had to go and win the NBA Finals. 

Let me clarify one thing for you right now - I am NO Laker fan. I am a native of Southern California, I grew loving the Angels, the Dodgers, and in the days of Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, AC Green, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, and James Worthy. You want the best basketball team of all time? Look at the Lakers of '87. Now there was a TEAM. Basketball was better then - fundamentals, passing, three-point shots, POST MOVES. Do you remember them? Man ... back in the day, a young girl about 8 years old could watch players like Kareem, Hakeem Olajuwon, and the "Mail Man" - Karl Malone - and LEARN from them. Sky hooks, drop steps, reverse fake bankshots - it was the golden age of basketball. 

And learn from them, I did. Hakeem Olajuwon was my personal favorite. I would watch him all the time, and by the time I was a freshman in high school, I had created my own move called "The Bradac Bounce" that was somewhat akin to his mid-key drop hook. Mine wasn't a full hook shot, but for girls basketball, it wasn't bad. 

The other player I watched with shock and awe and delight - Larry Bird. Larry Bird will *always* be one of my sports heroes. His quiet, yet pronounced intensity, his shot, his hustle - THAT, my friends, is a basketball player. But the best thing about the players back then, was that (for the most part) they respected each other. The Laker/Celtic rivalry was *awesome* because while it was two epic dynasties battling it out for guts and glory, they were battling with the utmost respect for each other. And the respect carried on to the fans. And you know who set that respect on their shoulders and carried it through? Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. 

Cut to now. Kobe Bryant is the star of the Laker's Show, with underrated help from Derek Fisher. The other Lakers - Gosol, Odom, Bynum, Artest - serve as sometime heroes, though are more often than not - comic relief. The Celtics of today are a little better - they, at least have a solid team, with a lot of heart from the likes of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce - and some awesome efforts from unsung heroes Glen "Big Baby" Davisand Nate Robinson are the "Shrek and Donkey" of basketball (that was the best metaphor/analogy ever!). However, the Celtics are not without their faults - and that was evident in the last two games of the series. But you know what? At least the Celtics won and lost as a team. The Lakers rode on Kobe's coattails all the way to the riots of celebration last night. 

Oh yes - I said the riots of celebration. For those of you on the other coast or even in different countries, I'm not sure what you're seeing in regard to the "celebration" in Los Angeles. Really, you shouldn't be seeing anything at all - it shouldn't be news worthy. But if I know our news system at all, and I think I do, you've probably heard some talk of some rowdiness, maybe some fires, almost certainly of policeman being injured by hooligan fans who were burning taco trucks downtown, and getting into fist-fights with each other. And yes - it's all true. 

The sad fact, is that had the Celtics won? There would have been rioting in Boston too. Don't believe me? Go google the last few championship events that ANY Boston team has won - including the BoSox, the Patriots, and yes, the Celtics of 2008. When I lived in Massachusetts in 2004, the patriots and the BoSox both won championships that year. There were riots during both events. I distinctly remember a news story of a girl who attended BU getting trampled by wild and crazed fans. 

So my question for both teams, cities, and fans is WHY? Why is this necessary? While I'm asking, I should include Montreal, New York, and Detroit in this quandary. WHY must you loot, riot, and set things on fire when your team wins?? What is celebratory about destroying your city, while trying to declare to the world that it's the best at the same time?? It makes you look like a city of assholes, thugs, and vandals. And what tourist in their right mind wants to go to a city like that? What person in their right mind wants to LIVE in a city like that? 

And the worst part. The WORST PART is that no one on any of these teams ever speaks out against it. No "star" player ever says, "Hey guys. Let's celebrate in a non-violent way! Let's NOT destroy the city we've fought for to win this major sporting event. Let's celebrate with some class and common sense, rather than bumbling, drunken criminals." 

So. very. lame. 

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I am a cliche, new-age country song.

[Authors Warning: This post is a total downer. I apologize profusely; I'm not having the best week.]

So remember when I told you about Lady's awful visit to the veterinarian? My parents decided to put her down. Tonight. Lady is no longer here with us. She took a turn for the worst, stopped eating, stopped her nightly/morning routines, and her breathing was greatly labored. It was definitely the right decision; this does not, however, make it any easier.

I do find great comfort in the fact that we had the option to put her down; that the end of her life was not dictated by pain, medication, or a poor quality of life. In fact, she had a pretty damn good life. It makes me never-endingly grateful that Lady was, indeed, a dog. If she had been a human, we wouldn't have been able to do a thing to ease her pain, which is unfathomable to me. But again I say, I am very grateful.



You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

I love you, Lady. I hope that Shadow, Skippy, Megan, Molly, and Murphy are there to greet you, so you won't be alone. I hope I see you again, one day, too.

It's been a very sad week in the Bradac household.

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In much less mournful, yet annoying news, my laptop is broken. Apparently there's a defect in the AMD Turion/NVIDIA chipset in Hewlett-Packard/Compaq computers. I have no sound, no operating CD drive. This laptop, by the way, is less than 18 months old. If you're in the market for a new laptop, I do not recommend mine.

(This constitutes the "new-age" part of my country song.)
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Finally, I found out yesterday that a person I used to date (very briefly) after college is getting married. Normally, I would issue my congratulations, except that this individual is in possession, and has been in possession of a book of mine for 5 years. And has not given it back.

The book in question is by Anna Deavere Smith, entitled, "Talk to Me." Anna talks beautifully about her history, the events/political issues that inspired her toward documentary theatre, and the process she's developed to create the phenomenal pieces she performs. For those unfamiliar with Anna Deavere Smith, she is best-known for creating one-woman shows in which she portrays anywhere from 20-40 people. The plays are from the true stories/experiences of communities affected directly by racial tension and violence. "Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn," "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992."

The truth is that the person in question actually has more than just this book of mine. In fact, I think she has three or four. The others I've already replaced. So why am I upset about this book? Because this book was not only signed by Anna Deavere Smith, but was given to me, by her - personally. I met her, and she gave me this book. I don't have many "heroes," but Anna Deavere Smith is one of them. I based my Senior Thesis around her and her work. The night that Anna gave me this book, she spoke at my university. Afterward, two of my best friends and I had, I maintain, the best night of our collegiate career.

And that book is somewhere in the bowels of Maryland, kept by a person that has such little regard for me and my feelings, that not only has she not sent it back to me in 5 years, she hasn't even had the decency to answer my calls or e-mails. I am not an inauthentic person, I am not an ungenerous person, I am not impatient, pushy, vindictive, or spiteful.

But 5 years of this ... only to find out that this thief is getting married. A thief, by the way, who has nothing to do with theatre AT ALL (of what interest is my book?!). To this person, I cannot even find happiness in my heart to give.

I hope your wedding sucks.

The Cliche, New-Age Country Song Tally:
1. My dog is dead.
2. My computer is crashing.
3. My book is being held hostage by an ex, and I'll probably never see it again.

[I would attempt to put my song to lyrics, but I feel that such an act would be glib, distasteful, and self-pitying....and I can't think of anything that rhymes with "paramecium" or "entrails"]

Hank Williams, you ain't got nothin' on me.

And for Tracy: The current total of my "Christmas in Canada Fund" is $50.00.
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This blog post is brought to you by:

Hank Williams, Hank Williams, Jr., Hank Williams III
Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Star Cookies
Dogs everywhere

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