The Kiss That Shook the NBA

NBA All Star Weekend 2007 came, went and left some memories with us. Tim Hardaway, a former NBA All Star, told a radio station that gay people do not belong in the World or in the United States. Hardaway made this statement prior to All Star Weekend and after taking pictures with his arms around Sheryl Swoopes, a WNBA star who has recently come out as being homosexual. The shocking statement made by Hardaway led to what may become one of the most memorable moments in NBA All Star history.

Charles Barkley, a 44 year-old retired NBA All Star, found himself challenging Dick Bavetta, a 67 year-old NBA referee, to a foot race. The challenge required the two 'athletes' to run up and down the basketball court three and a half times and the winner would be the first person to cross the half court line. The event, which took place Saturday evening during NBA All Star Weekend in Las Vegas, ended with a lasting memory--a loving glance that was sealed with a kiss.

Hardaway released a statement apologizing for his initial comments. In the apology he states that he should not have said that he hates gay people and that he had simply had a long day and was tired. Does having a long day mean that it is okay to say the things that had been said? Does being tired mean that the statements will simply go away? The answer to both of these questions should be and is no, absolutely not.

However, a new question has arisen out of all of this--Is there a place for gays in sports?

Personally, I would have to say yes--without a doubt, yes! I mean why not?

What do you think?

Death of the Super Bowl May Be Coming Soon

I don't know about everyone else, but I am a HUGE football fan. I absolutely love the sport and although my team didn't make it to the Super Bowl this year, our time will come once again...There will be a day in the future when the 49ers actually get into the playoffs, but until that time we can entertain ourselves with the fearsome fight between two of the biggest and best teams in football this year--the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts.

The Super Bowl is not just about the game itself, it's more than that--it's advertising Heaven. Companies this year are paying more than $2 million to air a 30 second commercial--that is an insane amount of money for such a little amount of time.

The Super Bowl has been known for having the most infamous commercials the country has ever seen. Most of the commercials that air during the Super Bowl are not seen before or after the big event. This year appears to be different though--with the popularity of illegal downloading and the ability to find anything and everything on the Internet it is no surprise that the most infamous and treasured commercials are beginning to leak out.

For the first time in Super Bowl Commercial history, a commercial has leaked onto the Internet. As I was reading BiteMarks, I began to wonder about the future of Super Bowl Sunday--football's most glorious day.

So here is my question...If at least half of the people watching the Super Bowl are watching it for the commercials, how many people will continue to watch the Super Bowl when they can simply just watch the commercials on the Internet and not have to sit through a football game that they have no interest in?

The reason I ask the question is this--if YouTube continues to grow at the rate that it does and if people continue to seek information at such a fast rate, there will come a time when the hoopla surrounding Super Bowl commercials will die down because all the commercials will be found on the Internet and there will be no need to actually watch the game.

YouTube is slowly beginning to take away the glory from the most infamous and most watched game of the year. The only option that is left, is to wait it out and see whether YouTube will ruin the future of the Super Bowl.