| Big Cat's Corner | Sports & The Spectacle |
| Wednesday, 11 January 2012 | |
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For example, Kris Humphries played for 3 seasons in the Air Canada Centre as a Raptor. Did you ever hear fans even consider booing him during his games? Never. But the other day when The Nets touched our home court, the Toronto fans were ruthless, bringing the volume up in the ACC every time he even looked at that basketball. Boos upon boos…that had absolutely nothing to do with his abilities as a ball player or the team he was on. Then you have people’s family life and marital problems plastered on newspapers and prime time news coverage. Talking about it on CNN like it’s an earthquake or war! Who’s getting divorced and why…and how much the settlement is. Who’s spending money on what. Who got arrested. Child custody drama. Reality show drama. Who’s lost their mind and why. I bet you can think of at least a couple of players that could fit in any of those categories. From various sports! Why? Because people are too fast! Because once you are in the public eye, your private life, your family, and your finances become a source of entertainment. Believe me, I don’t study the media. In fact, I’m reaching right now trying to name names and pull references. The situation with Humphries at the ACC just made me think: could you imagine if there were reality shows taking us into the lives of Dominique Wilkins or Michael Jordan back in the day? If there were gossip magazines regularly reporting on Larry Bird’s movements…or what if you could have followed Bill Russell on Twitter? It’s a different time, yes! Even with technology taking us too close for comfort with the professionals we should be respecting—or at least recognizing their athleticism—the game still goes on. Even with the ongoing scandals...the game is still stimulating. Regardless of what people are blogging about online or what TMZ is reporting…even if the whole world knows about your worst moments and continuously replays them on TV. Even if the media has taken your family and livelihood and dragged them through the mud! You still have to get up in the morning, as a professional athlete, ignore the spectacle, and do your job. Brush it off, and go to practice. Suck it up, and play to the best of your ability! That is the nature of sports. Regardless of everything…the fans still need to see you do your best when it’s game time. Even when you’re tired and playing three games in a row in three different cities. You heard Garth: work is work! I’d love to hear your feedback at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . You are a part of my cultural community, and now also my professional community, and the reason why I contribute to this weekly column. This is my chance to communicate with you and hopefully continue to be an ambassador of the city of Toronto, the Caribbean culture, and a proud member of your Toronto Raptors. You can read Jamaal Magloire's weekly column in the Caribbean Camera where he reflects on his childhood, community, career, and culture through current events. The Caribbean Camera, founded in 1990, is currently distributed weekly to 380,000 Caribbean-Canadians across the Greater Toronto Area. The publication can be found at many community businesses and West Indian establishments, or online at http://www.thecaribbeancamera.com. |
A friend of mine, when speaking to my father Garth after a recent game, commented on the particularly busy schedule of this NBA season. Back-to-back games, frequent travelling, and a hectic routine as a result. My dad simply replied: “Well, it’s his work!” Regardless of what the circumstances were, he knew that every day I had to wake up… and do my job.
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