Watching MTV last weekend, I came across a special on Combs' quest to run the New York City Marathon. Knowing Combs' history as a dancer, I figured he must be in average physical shape. Boy, was I wrong! I could not believe my eyes when they showed Combs on TV with his shirt off, weighing in at almost 200 pounds. What mega-superstar celebrity in his right mind would ever take his shirt off on national television like that? Talk about losing your street-cred, what a terrible career decision! Diddy should immediately consult Kobe Bryant's PR director to learn how to gain street-cred. Puff, in the future, keep your shirt on!
Combs finished the race despite a few short walking breaks, in a time of 4 hours 14 minutes 54 seconds. At a news conference after the race, Combs said, "Never in my life have I ever experienced anything as crazy as this." Was he serious? How about the thousands of nights spent at exclusive night clubs, strip clubs, bars, etc.? How about almost going to jail on gun charges? How about dating J-Lo? How about dealing with the Making the Band crew? If running a marathon is the craziest thing Puff Daddy has ever done, I, as well as millions of people around the world, need to seriously reconsider our perception of what the life of a famous athlete/celebrity is really like. Can you imagine Snoop Dogg ever saying something like that? Hell no! Snoop's craziest experience would put running a marathon to shame!
Combs was running for a great cause; that fact cannot be ignored. He raised over $2 million for inner-city New York children and I respect him for that. Running in general is something I respect as well. Runners have extraordinary stamina and must be in tremendous physical shape. However, running involves no skill. Want proof? Combs trained for only two months and was still able to complete the race in a very good time. What does this say about running a marathon? It's really not as difficult as it seems.
There is no throwing, hitting, catching, striking, etc. involved in running. Anyone can just stand up, move their feet swiftly and start running. Even swimming, a comparable activity, is much more of a "sport." You can't just throw someone into a pool and expect him to be able to swim.
Even if this was just a publicity stunt by Combs to further his own stalling career, Combs used his celebrity to benefit those less fortunate. Despite all of his partying, drinking, sexual activity and violence, Combs did what so many athletes have access to, yet so few do. He was selfless. I wonder who the next celebrity will be to run a marathon.
King James reigns Cleveland
This much is clear after three Cleveland games this season: Lebron James is the real deal. What isn't so clear is whether James' Cavaliers will surpass their win total of 17 from last season. Sure James has looked incredible thus far, but his team has been far from spectacular, losing their first three games.
The Cavs' roster lists eight players born in the 80s, as well as two others born in '79. They are extremely young this season, have very little experience and list Kevin Ollie, Ira Newble and Zydrunas Ilgauskas as their veteran leaders. Gross. Five of their players did not even go to college and at least two more left college before their junior year.
What does all this mean? For one, it means the Cavs will commit a multitude of turnovers this season. They will frustrate their coach, Paul Silas, to the point of exhaustion, and they will be infinitely better by the end of this season than they were at the beginning. However, this information also leads me to believe that they will miss the playoffs once again. What does that mean? It means another talented sidekick for King James next season! Another high lottery pick for the Cavs is a dangerous scenario, not only because it will add another young talent to the roster, but also because it could push them to a point where they will have too many players to sign and not enough money. However, with the increased revenues that James' presence will bring, this should not be a pressing concern for owner Gordon Gund.
Despite this, the Cavs have done exactly what they should do with a player like James. They have surrounded him with a very talented nucleus of young players who will be together for a number of years. They have spent very little money on this year's team, because they know there is no point in trying to win this year when most of their players are still young and inexperienced. The Cavs are in an ideal situation right now. They are a team with a very bright future (assuming James doesn't decide to bolt his home state in four years) and endless potential.
James is not only the future, but he is also the present. Okay, so his stats are probably a little inflated because he handles the ball so much, but even so, no one can ignore this line: 18 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 7.7 apg. I'm not ready to make Michael Jordan comparisons yet, but I do think James will be mentioned in the same breath as other sub-6'8" superstars like Kobe, T-Mac, Pierce and Iverson within the next two to three years.