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Prayers For Blowouts will be featuring posts from PFB Members this summer. This submission is from Member #020, Christian Arvold.

So Kobe finally got his first Shaq-less ‘ship and now… he can start smiling once in a while! In all the comparisons between Kobe and MJ, the one that always sticks out to me is that both have the “killer” instinct. Both guys HATE losing, whether it’s a game, a drill in practice, ping-pong in the locker room or cards with the fellas. Most of us who play sports (or board games) play to win the game. But apparently, MJ and Kobe have a competitive streak in them that rivals anything mere mortals may have ever known. If you have or had the misfortune to end up an opponent of either guy, neither would think twice about killing you, then grinding your corpse into dust, then mashing the particles back together just to blow them up again. All through the Finals (as Bill Simmons pointed out a few times), we were told over and over again that Kobe was really, really¸serious about winning this Title- and how did we know? He never smiles. In fact when he’s zeroed in, he has a scowl that would frighten most wild animal predators.

Lately, I have decided that this is just strange. Why is it that when the world’s best basketball player (sorry LBJ, you need a couple rings) is playing his best, he looks livid? Why is that when we witness basketball played at its highest level humanly possible, the athlete performing other worldly stunts looks like he’s been told his mamma is ugly, his car has been towed-locked-up-and-the-attendant-won’t-be-back-for-three-hours, his tax guy made a mistake on his taxes and he now owes a couple mil to the government, his Nike shoe contract has been terminated, and his puppet commercials have been pulled all at the same time. Why must it be so painful to be the best in the world at something? I am not really musically inclined, which is why I really enjoy watching a musician who is great and really enjoys being great. It makes me want to learn to play an instrument.

A few weeks ago I was talking to a new friend who had grown up a pastor’s kid and as an adult does not embrace the Christian faith he was brought up in. One of the reasons for this was his experience with Christians in his father’s church who were always angry with him about how he did not live up to their expectations of what a pastor’s kid should be. Even now as a young adult, he is strongly turned off to Christianity by their anger towards him. If that is what a Christian is, he wants no part in it.

It is hard to hear his story, since I have met several Christians like those he encountered. It is frustrating because Christians should be exhibiting joy- it is a fruit of the Spirit. Though we are not “happy all the day” as the old hymn says, we have a living hope in Christ that should remind us that our worst days and issues (that may take some time and prayer and support to work through) pale in comparison to what God has done for us and what he promises to still do for us (Romans 8:18).

My 5 and 3 year old sons have decided that Kobe is their favorite player this spring (though Michael Redd is still their hometown hero). When the Finals’ games came on, I would tell them to come watch the best player in the world. After watching a little bit they would inevitably run from the couch to their hoops set up in our family room and try their best 5 and 3 year old impressions of Kobe with two major differences: they lacked the world-class abilities of Kobe and they laughed and smiled all the time while they played.

It is my hope as a father that as they grow up playing ball, they always remember that it is a game to be enjoyed. But more than that, I hope they grow up in the Faith knowing that their God and the life of faith he offers are also to be enjoyed.

(reprinted from my blog)

We’ve been having some great conversations, and I would hate to distract from that but I can’t help myself. I have a hankering for a sports rant. It hits me every now and again. In this case, it’s why I want the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, which begin tonight. Here are my five reasons:

# 1 Keeping the memory of MJ alive

IMO, Michael Jordan is the best basketball player to have ever played the game. There are fewer and fewer traces of him in the league. Lakers coach Phil Jackson is one of them, and he helps keep the MJ memory alive for me. No disrespect to other NBA greats, and even if Lebron (or someone else surpasses) MJ in numbers, MJ will still be on top in my mind.

# 2 Kobe hasn’t gotten his just due

IMO, Kobe is disadvantaged by the fact that his career has been wedged between two greats – MJ and Lebron. At first he was compared with MJ, which was always destined to be a losing battle for Kobe. Then Lebron came in and stole the show. Even Kobe’s championships are attributed to Shaq. I sometimes feel like Kobe has been robbed in terms of people truly appreciating his superiority as a NBA player. He might end up being one of the best who ever played the game but will still be a footnote in some people’s minds. If the Lakers and Kobe win the Finals, I feel like Kobe puts a period on the sentence of his basketball greatness.

# 3 Goofy Gasol

Sometimes it seems like Gasol just doesn’t fit the stereotype of the typical NBA center. He’s not the mean, lean machine like Orlando’s Howard, and he’s not necessarily the most graceful guy on his feet either. Honestly, there’s a certain goofiness to him that intrigues me. And yet, he gets the job done. Where would the Lakers be without Gasol?

# 4 My daughter Jessica

Jessie was hoping for a Lakers/Cavs NBA Finals. Her favorite player is Lebron. As we know, that didn’t happen, and so Jessica is rooting for the Lakers. We have watched several games together and she made some “Go Lakers” signs with construction paper, which she holds up and yells when the Lakers do something good. She also has some pom poms that she shakes and a few cheerleader moves she does while she chants, “Lakers!!.. Defense!!..Lakers!!..Defense!!”

# 5 Reverse Psychology of Laker Bashing

‘They’ say I’m not supposed like the Lakers because of the LA persona – the glitz, the stars, the bling, the $, the Beverly Hills and Hollywood mentality, blah, blah, blah. Everyone’s waiting for the Lakers to blow it so they can gloat over their demise. Normally I am prone to cheer for the underdog. But in this case, even though I have nothing against the Orlando Magic, I wouldn’t mind seeing the Lakers clean their clock. I would have felt the same way if the Cavs had made it or whoever.

Though I want the Lakers to win, there are also some reasons why I wouldn’t be distraught if the Magic did. Most people didn’t expect them to beat Lebron; finishing off the Lakers would be historic.

Okay, I feel better now.

a few things to check out while you say “can you believe it’s June?” 145 times today…

+ Dwight Howard and his merry band of 3-point shooters vanquish LeBron James. How will they beat the Lakers in a 7-Game series? “God”, according to what Howard told ESPN’s Chris Sheridan:

Earlier, I asked Howard in the locker room to give me one or two reasons why I should consider picking the Magic to defeat the Lakers.

“God” was his answer, which was met with the counterargument that the Lord probably has better things to worry about than who wins a basketball game, and besides, religion and politics are usually best kept out of sports stories.

“That’s the reason, I’m telling you,” Howard replied.

+ Some MLB players go days without hearing their wife’s voice. The Rays’ Ben Zobrist hears his wife’s voice every time he steps into the batter’s box. Julianne Zobrist’s debut CD, The Tree, which “is considered in the Christian rock/alternative genre, (though) she has a broader sound.”, provides the musical backdrop for all of Ben’s at-bats.

+ Former Detroit Piston John Salley talks about his time on “I’m a Celebrity, Get ME Outta Here!” Why is he a Vegan?

Well, I don’t eat anything that has the right to live, meaning, I say this to all those Christians. God said thou shalt not kill. That means everything, not just humans.

So who’s crazier? Dwight, Ben, or John?

a few things to check out while you celebrate Canada’s Victoria Day…

+ Former KU basketball star Wayne Simien is transitioning from playing pro basketball to working in the ministry. Regarding his move to his organization called Called To Greatness, Simien said, “I am more excited about this transition into ministry than I was on college signing day or even draft night.” (h/t: PFB Member Matt Ralph)

+ Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass. has dropped the name ‘crusaders’ as their mascot, stating “the Crusader no longer represented the positive message of Christian love we aim to share with the world.” Their new mascot name, The Lions, was chosen “because it is a symbol of courage and strength.” It was not chosen because lions routinely ate Christians in ancient Rome.

+ Over at Stuff Christians Like on Friday, Bryan Allain (that’s me) presented a 20-Question Sports Idolatry Quiz to help readers determine if they needed to take a time out from sports.

+ Finally, Prayers For Blowouts has been added to the Guideposts Blog Network. For more information, keep an eye on CNN.com this week. Or not.

You may know Tripp Crosby as the co-emcee of last month’s Catalyst West Conference in Southern California. Or maybe you know him as the co-host of the Maximum Impact Simulcast with Ernie Johnson. Or perhaps you’re familiar with his work playing Harry in Harry and the Hendersons*.

And if you don’t know him at all? Well, here’s your chance to meet him.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Tripp Crosby, new co-host of the NBA on TNT.

My favorite part of that is when Webber almost knocks him over with a high-five. Oh and when he says he’s related to Tree Rollins. Good stuff.

*Factually incorrect.

The Celtics-Bulls series has been so good, I had to jump in and attempt a running diary. Before we get started, 5 points of clarification:

1. I’m a casual NBA fan and a casual Celtics fan (I was born and raised in Massachusetts). Yes, there might be a little bias in play, I can’t help it.

2. I don’t know if Bill Simmons’ created the running diary or simply perfected it, but I realize I am not him and I’m not trying to be him. I’m a huge fan, however, and I know my writing style has been heavily influenced by him. In fact, in honor of Bill let’s not call this a running diary. Let’s call it a jogging journal.

3. If Bill is writing a running diary for this game, it will be infinitely more interesting than mine. So go read it.

4. I’m DVRing the game in case I need to pause it to type something out or go get a refill on my tea.

5. I won’t be going back and editing this afterward, just in case it’s awful.

Here we go…

8:07pm – we’re about to tip. I can’t believe I made a point to watch an NBA first round playoff game. By the way, Ben Gordon has already tried to shoot the ball twice and the game hasn’t started yet.

8:09pm - We’re two minutes into the game and neither bench has sat down yet. Chicago’s got the early lead 9-2.

8:12pm – In case you’re wondering, I’m sitting in my basement flying solo right now. Kids are upstairs watching that new Jonas Brothers show on the Disney Channel. That show is destined to fail. I bet nobody watches it.[/sarcasm]

8:16pm – The Boston fans just pulled out their first chant of the night and it was “bulls&@%!” in response to a foul on Perkins. I thought it was going to be “Yankees Suck!”

8:18pm – Vinny Del Negro’s part-down-the-middle-and feathered hairstyle is amazing. It should have it’s own NBA “Where Amazing Happens” commercial.

8:21pm – Wait a minute, it’s been 14 minutes without a commercial! Is that some kind of record?

8:22pm – Wow, Derrick Rose just rejected Brian Scalibrine from behind on an open dunk. That was ridiculous. You’ll see that one on Sportscenter tomorrow.

8:24pm – Finally some commercials…hey there’s Ernie Johnson with a promo spot for the NBA on TNT. We interviewed Ernie Johnson for this site you know. check it out here. And hey it’s a Coors Light commercial. What about this new technology that makes our lives better? When the mountains turn blue on your can, you know it’s cold. Astounding! But get this: another way to tell if your beer is cold is to touch your can! If your fingers get cold, you know it’s cold. Also astounding!

8:26pm – With the Bulls up 25-20, Rondo misses again and has yet to score. He’s so cold, his jersey numbers are turning blue.

8:32pm – There’s a commercial for the MLB Extra Innings on. I’ve gotta say, I have it and I love it. Not only do I get every Red Sox game during the season, but I get to hear Vin Scully calling Dodgers games. Love that guy’s voice and his style.

8:34pm – Scalabrine just hit a 3-pointer. He’s got 5 points and the first quarter ends with the Bulls up 27-23.

Read the rest of this entry →

The Orlando Sentinel is running point/counter-point style editorials about a recent “Faith and Family” held as a promotion for a Magic game. Two columnists debate whether this type of event is a “smart promotion or an unwelcome intrusion of religion into sports?” (You can read the columns here).

The event was somewhat controversial for blending religion with sports, even though Magic star Dwight Howard is one the most outspoken Christians in the NBA.

Basically, one evening, fans could hang around after the game for a free Christian rock concert. To add a little sub-text to the controversy, the team’s owner is a well known financial supporter of conservative causes like the Amendment 2 ban on gay marriage—a fact that has made him somewhat of a lightening rod in the Central Florida press. Here’s a quote from Sentinel columnist Andrea Adelson, “The entire idea of a Faith & Family Night makes it feel as though the team is supporting that religion, and makes it even worse to know that it is trying to draw in fans with these beliefs in an effort to sell tickets. If this was a true Faith & Family Night, then Jewish groups and Muslim groups and other religious groups would be there singing their songs, too.”

One reason it didn’t get more press is possibly because it was just days after the Magic were involved another controversy—flopgate (or “the flop flap”) as it has become known.

As it turns out, Shaq flopping in the post while playing against Dwight Howard (and the ensuing war of words between the Diesel and Magic coach Stan Van Gundy) was far more interesting to the press than the blending of Christianity and sports.

I think the reason why it’s more fun to talk about Shaq, smack-talk-ridden press conferences and flopping than the political correctness and social repercussions of faith in the public square is because a lot of times, sports provide escapism from difficult issues. We watch sports because it’s fun and exciting—to get away from the screaming political pundits and gloom and doom news. Plus, tacking on a free Shane & Shane concert to the end of game isn’t really hurting anyone.

PS. I’d be amiss to post a story that mentions flopping and not include this YouTube clip of the worst flop in basketball history. I love Duke, and I’m excited about their ACC title, but it’s clips like this that make me understand why people hate them.

The other day Bryan shot me an email asking me: Considering you’re a die-hard Blazers fan, if I offered you a chance to go back, right now, and change the Blazers pick from Oden to Durant, would you do it? Why or why not?

This is a much harder question than it should be.

Kevin Durant was named 2008’s Rookie of the Year. He’s established himself as one of the NBA’s top 10 players this season.

Greg Oden was injured all last year, has been injured much of this year, and has been spotty in his appearances, ranging from dominantly powerful to clumsy to lost.

What’s more, I wanted the Blazers to draft Kevin Durant. I obsessively followed Ben Golliver’s brilliant Draft Kevin Durant blog and argued with people at the store where I worked. It’s not at all surprising to see Kevin Durant become a dominant scorer so early, because that’s what nearly everyone who had seen him play in college expected. What shocked me more was that he didn’t dominate last year. If Kevin Durant is on the Blazers, Portland has two of the 10 best players in the NBA, plus Lamarcus Aldridge, who’s become automatic from 13 feet.

But here’s the other side:

It’s all well and good to mock the Blazers for drafting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, or Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. But that’s the nature of the draft: no one knows for sure. Michael Jordan was hardly a sure thing over Bowie at the time, and the Blazers already had the second best shooting guard of the ’90s in Clyde Drexler. If Bowie had been even a slight upgrade over Kevin Duckworth, it’s likely Portland would’ve had rings instead of Chicago and Detroit.

Kevin Pritchard has built this Blazers team differently than any GM in the league, and he’s succeeding, and we trust him.

Above all, Greg Oden is not done. He’s not out for good by any means, and his ceiling is still higher than, say, Brad Miller. Maybe he’s not Ewing/Duncan/Shaq incarnate, but a big man with his power and quickness is still valuable.

Would I go back right now and change the pick? Yes.

But would I rather be Blazers fan with Greg Oden or an Oklahoma City fan with Kevin Durant? I’d rather be a Blazers fan.

The NBA All-Star weekend is always one of the more entertaining professional sports celebrations. The three-point shoot-out is only slightly less exciting than MLB’s homerun derby, but the fly-slama-jama game makes the NFL’s Pro-Bowl look like a backyard two-hand touch match, which it basically is. (Aside from a few trick plays, the Pro-Bowl is pretty forgettable—it’s hard to take anything seriously when everyone is wearing a ridiculous Tommy Bahama Hawaii shirt).

But the game aside, the NBA Dunk Contest is in a league of its own on the merits of its pure entertainment value. And, thanks to Dwight Howard, it’s seen a much needed resurgence. This year though, TNT added their own event to the weekend’s festivities, realizing that the East vs. West match-up main event was secondary to the fan favorite sideshows. Though it was unsanctioned by the NBA, TNT’s game of HORSE gave fans another chance to see their favorite players goof off and display their playground hoops skills.

Considering the success of the event, I thought I’d add my own input and suggest several events that other cable networks may want to consider adding to next year’s line-up.

Dads vs. Sons

A summertime BBQ just wasn’t complete without a heated game of driveway three-on-three with dads taking on their sons. What always started as good-natured bonding time, inevitably devolved into a strange hybrid of hockey/ football/ basketball when one of the uncles started taking it a little too seriously.

What could be more entertaining than seeing Bill Walton trying to hold on to his last pieces of dignity by using the old jersey pull when his son Luke tries to go up for an easy lay-up?

Finally a chance for Bill Walton to recapture glory

I have a hard time picturing Shaq’s infamously strict stepfather (a former Army Sergeant) allowing any easy rebounds down-low. A national TV audience would also be able to see the usually mild manor Brent Barry become flustered and embarrassed when his father Rick insists on shooting granny shots every time he is fouled. Though there will probably be a few bloody noses resulting from unnecessarily aggressive elbows in the paint, a father-son game would be a solid edition to the weekend.

Pool Basketball

All you need for this one is a standard backyard swimming pool, a cheap plastic poolside hoop and an undersized ball.

Not in this house

Because anyone who has ever played pool ball knows that it’s basically impossible to make a jump shot (not just because shots are so easily blocked, but also because those flimsy hoops only allow for swishes), the game will be a dunkfest. This one also has the potential to get a little rough—because you can’t dribble in the pool, players will be forced to lower their shoulders and barrel their way to the basket. It may not be the safest game, but it sure will be fun to watch.

Buzzer Beater

What kid hasn’t done it? You’re all alone at the local court, and your internal monologue sets the stage for basketball immortality. “Down by two, just seconds left. He steps back behind the three-point line! Three, Two, One …” You jack-up shot after shot, imagining what it’d be like to sink a game winner.

The guy in the orange is insanely pumped

For this event, players could choose a teammate to inbound the ball to them with just three seconds on the clock. They get several attempts to hit a buzzer beater, in a three-round tournament style competition.

Other Possible Additions to All-Star Weekend:

A Celebrity NBA Jam Classic Arcade Tournament (though the Larry Johnson/Alonzo Mourning Hornets are not allowed because of their obvious unfair advantage)

One-on-One (Two players. Half of a court. The first one to 15.)

Eight-Foot Hoops (This one may not translate with players of NBA stature, but it sure is fun for weekend warriors like myself)>

A few minutes ago I started reading Bill Simmons’ 2009 NBA Trade Value column (probably my least favorite of all of his annual pieces), when I clicked over to Youtube to check out the video he mentioned in the lead to his column. Minutes later I was laughing in my cube, thinking, “I need to go post this on PFB”.

After all, John Tesh is a christian…and this musical piece goes hand in hand with the NBA…so really, this could almost be our theme song here at PFB.

Three notes before you watch it…

1) This was 1997.

2) The ferocity with which Tesh sings the song on the voice message caught me off guard the first time. Note to self: when singing yourself messages that could potentially turn into songs that could make you a lot of money, DO NOT HOLD BACK.

3) Simmons referred to Tesh as playing “Air Piano” before playing the actual piano. I think he was actually dribbling a basketball. But, it really is a toss-up.

(h/t: ESPN.com)