Kevin Durant: Most Valuable Person

Kevin Durant won his first MVP award a few days ago, which was expected, considering the season he had, carrying the small market Oklahoma City Thunder to one of the best records in the NBA yet again.  But one thing that wasn't expected, was the emotional and powerful speech he gave, where he cried and thanked all those who helped him get to where he is today.  He thanked teammates, family members, friends and even people I didn't expect, like staff.  KD is a humble person, but you usually wouldn't relate that to a star player in his league.  Everything KD had to endure in his life made him the person he is, though.  He had a poor and tough upbringing, not to mention being second his whole life in basically everything.  He's such a good human being with everything he's done to help others, not to mention being an ambassador for the game by being a good role model.  Most people say athletes shouldn't be role models, and they're probably right because their lifestyle is something few of us will ever reach, but I don't have trouble saying I'm influenced by KD.  And I hope others are as well.

I get so annoyed when people say KD made himself look weak by crying, but I think if people use that against him, then they're the weak ones, attacking an innocent person who was just being emotional because he was so happy.  Yes, he cried, but so what?  We all do it.  Just because he is an athlete, does that mean he is not allowed to have feelings?  I hate how society judges a person just off of one thing.  KD has done so much, but people don't even care about the past, they only care about the now.  To those people, I say shame on them because they're missing the point of who KD is, and what his speech truly entailed.  He was overjoyed he won the MVP award, but he also wanted to give thanks to all those he loved in his life.  Anyone who does that, and doesn't forget who they are and where they came from is a good person to me.

Kevin Durant, I might be a Boston Celtics fan, but I'm rooting for you and your Thunder to win it all.  You might have come second so many times, but you're a first rate person to me.

The speech in its entirety

Olympic Sham

The Olympics opening ceremony was a few hours ago, and from what I was told, it was a spectacle to behold.  It was civil, patriotic, Boston was represented well, and so far, nothing terror related has happened (to my knowledge).  It's good to see sports of any kind getting attention, but in all honesty, as much as I love sports, I don't care about the Olympics!  Does that make me a bad person?  Many would say yes, but I don't think it's a bad thing.  Let me explain.

On the surface, I understand what the Olympics are.  They're a sporting event where the best athletes in the world compete against each other for medals, and for the honor of their country.  That to me, is noble. But lost in that, is all the negative stuff that gets swept under the rug; the controversies, the bad sportsmanship, etc.  Although, this year, it's been no secret how Russia has handled the Olympics.  They've taken controversial stances on homosexuals, killed stray dogs, and even given opposing athletes/people terrible living conditions.  And yet, people still care?  They still watch?  I understand watching if you love sports and competition of any kind, but as I learned in my Psychology and Women class, sometimes when you want to make a statement, you need to boycott something, which I've done with the Olympics practically my whole life.  Maybe it's wrong and unpatriotic, but at least it's honest, which matters to me.  There are people I know who watch the Olympics, but I feel like they're not being truthful because they don't follow any of these sports fully, play them, or know who any of the athletes are.  They're just "pink hat" fans or people who jump on the bandwagon. To truly care or be passionate about something, I think you need to show that and a lot of dedication to it, which many don't do when it comes to the Olympics.  They just watch, without ever really putting much thought into it, which is a shame because if they did, they might appreciate it more for what it is.

So that's how I feel about these Winter Games.  They may be a great spectacle, but I'll be watching the Sacramento Kings take on the Boston Celtics because that's something I truly know and care about.