Penn State Scandal

By Payton Wales

So much has come to pass in just a few days. The downfall of a legend, a person whom most of the nation painted as a pillar of moral excellence has failed us, not just as a fan base or a state or nation but as a educator and caretaker. There is anger among so many, and rightfully so. After all, we are talking about child abuse and sexual molestation. It's ugly and it's gross and it's tough to deal with.

It hits closer to home for me. I was sexually molested and abused as a child over two years while under the care of child protective services. Enough so that there is no reason I should be the person I am today. Enough that I feel I should be some psychologically-twisted misfit. But I'm not, and that's due in large part to the love I received from my extended biological family who worked their asses off to eventually be my caretakers, a family who, until this moment, had little to no knowledge of what happened to me as a child.

That why this Penn State situation has me in knots. It brings up so many of the same questions I had growing up. When blame was passed around, I asked for more answers. When people called for Joe Paterno's head, I said "Wait wait wait." Not because I have loved Penn State my entire life and felt Paterno should be in the clear, but because upon reading the grand jury testimony, the first thing that struck me was Mike McQueary's actions.

I need to know why a 28-year-old man watched Jerry Sandusky perform "anal intercourse" on a boy "he estimated to be ten years old" and chose to walk away from the locker room without so much as a word to Sandusky. To take it a step further, he left the facility all together and went home to ask his father what he should do. WHY!? Why didn't he pick up a phone? Call the police. Call campus security. It does not add up. You can't tell me there wasn't a phone somewhere in the facility. Hell, it was 2002, more than likely McQueary had a cell phone. How does a 28-year-old man walk away from seeing the rape of a 10-year-old? 

What's worse is the general public and some media have made excuses for McQueary. "It was one moment of inaction, how can you judge him?" "We all say we would do something but in the heat of the moment ... you never know." "Sandusky was a father figure to him and he was confused."

None of these excuses are acceptable, not in the least. If these excuses are not good enough for Paterno's inaction -- and they are not -- then how in the hell are people applying them to a man who is far more culpable than Paterno?

Don't get pulled into the malignant lie that because Paterno had all the power, or perceived power depending on your level of naivety, that it makes him more culpable than anyone else. That's a false and moronic assumption. Each man had the power to pick up a phone. One man had the power to stop the whole thing in its tracks as it was happening.

I heard Dan Patrick respond to a comment today about placing the blame on Paterno first with the comment of "you have to start somewhere." Yes, you do at the beginning, and that beginning was McQueary, not Paterno. That should have been the first media target. He should have been the first name read in last night's press conference, the first man fired.

Don't get these words toward Paterno's culpability confused with me coming to his defense. I want and need answers about his role and I'm not willing to lay blame until I know the whole story. I'm sorry; I can't do that. Blame should be placed where blame is due. Should Paterno have picked up a phone? Yes. Did Sandusky stay under his employ after the incident was reported? Apparently yes.

But what did Paterno really know? This is a huge question. What was Paterno told? All I know at this moment is what the Grand Jury testimony tells me: "Joseph V. Paterno testified to receiving the graduate assistant's report at his home on Saturday morning. Paterno testified that the graduate assistant was very upset. Paterno called Tim Curley ("Curley"), Penn State Athletic Director and Paterno's immediate superior, to his home the very next day, a Sunday, and reported to him that the graduate assistant had seen Jerry Sandusky in the Lasch Building showers fondling or doing something of a sexual nature to a young boy."

In the Grand Jury testimony, it appears the story told to Paterno by McQueary was an attenuate version. Why? Why would you ever dilute something so serious when reporting it to an authority figure? Yet both McQueary and Paterno's testimony are considered credible and accurate to each other.

The "mandatory reporting statute for suspected child abuse is located at 23 Pa.C.S. ?63l1 (Child Protective Services Law) and provides that when a staff member reports abuse, pursuant to statute, the person in charge of the school or institution has the responsibility and legal obligation to report or cause such a report to be made by telephone and in writing within 48 hours to the Department of Public Welfare of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Did Paterno do his job to the letter of the law? Yes. I dare you to tell me different. He did exactly what he needed to in this instance because he was not the person who witnessed the crime, and Curley is Paterno's authority. Outside of McQueary, Curley is the only other person with the authority to report this for the school. Paterno did his job to the letter of the law up to that point. He took action, calling the person he trusted to do the right thing in a timely manner and, according to testimony, he trusted Curley to file the report and investigate. Anything beyond that is an assumption.

Did he say he should have done more? Yes. Does that mean he has been living in guilt for 10 years? I don't know. It is possible he just came to the realization his friend is a monster. I doubt he knew about all eight victims. It's possible he was convinced there was none. A lot of other people were, why is he different?

What did Curley and Gary Schultz, former Penn State vice president, tell Paterno after he presented this information to them? Did Paterno follow through again? There was a second meeting after all. I doubt there was zero discussion of the topic after it came up. Did these two men, who just finished being indicted for lying to a grand jury, possibly lie to Paterno?

They could have told Paterno campus police investigated and found nothing in order to protect their university and themselves. After all, it was reported Curley knew of the allegations against Sandusky. I'm not going to be naive and say they couldn't pull the wool over the eyes of a 75-year-old Joe Paterno. Anything is possible. It's possible they all conspired to sweep this under the rug.

Some other things I need to mention here. In the state of Pennsylvania, the law states campus police possess the same authority on campuses as municipal officers. Meaning, if Curley told Paterno campus police had become involved, then by all account the police had been involved. If this is told to Paterno, then what's his accountability since as a major authority figure at the school it could be assumed he would know this rule.

Also, how did Sandusky have so many people fooled? It's not as though he had two or three fooled, but by all accounts we might be talking hundreds of people who had known of previous accusations and yet still believed this man, believed he really cared about these kids in a genuine and compassionate way and not as the sick depraved monster that he is.

We keep labeling Paterno an enabler, someone who made it possible for him to rape more children, as if he handpicked the kids this monster attacked. But if we are going to label Paterno, then we need to label some other people, too.

Sandusky's wife, his children, his adoptive children, his foster children, child protective services, his friends, the people at The Second Mile Foundation, his bosses at any and all jobs since the first accusation then fall under this category of enabler, right? 

Have we stopped to ask how so many people let this go on for so many years? They all knew of these accusations, all of them. Are they all enablers? Or is it possible somehow Sandusky convinced them all this was just false accusations? After all, that's what predators do. Cover their tracks, convince you they are something they are not. It's the personification of the saying, a wolf in sheep's clothing. Ask any profiler of child molesters and murderers, these people survive by convincing people there is no way accusations like this could be true about them. It's how they blend in for years, start families and hold jobs.

Sandusky is obviously an effective predator. Look at the facts. Not one of the current victims was picked in his first year in the Foundation. All were picked in the second year, after Sandusky had time to study their personalities and manipulate their minds. Just as he has done to the people around him his entire life to hide the monster he really is. We haven't even started to ask how many victims there were before he even arrived at Penn State. How many when he was in his 20s. What about his teens? How long has he had to learn to blend in, to convince others? 

If that's a possibility, then it's very possible Paterno sat Sandusky down, confronted him, asked him for the truth about the situation. And it's also possible he convinced the coach the accusations were baseless, false or inaccurate. After all, look at how many others he fooled. Is this idea so far fetched?

Not for me. I've dealt with a predator firsthand. The worst part is it was a foster sibling, someone who was still under the age of 20. I told people for years and that sibling convinced everyone -- police, case workers, the parents, counselors -- that I was simply lying, lashing out at them because I had been taken away from my biological mother. So in this situation, this rabbit hole can be deeper, muddier and more complex than anyone can imagine. 

I know I'm coming across as a Paterno defender, but I'm not. I'm a seeker of answers. As a person who has been through this type of abuse, I want answers. And I can tell you the other victims do too. I want blame to be placed appropriately because I know the guilt of placing anger, blame and rage on the wrong person. That guilt can come back to haunt you when you have been through something like this. I assure you as answers come in, and hopefully they will for the sake of all the victims involved, I will be more than happy to place blame where it belongs.

If Paterno is found to have been a conspirator in some way, then I will gladly place blame and call him a conspirator. But until then, until I have facts, he is just another man who fell victim to the evil devices of a well-trained predator posing as a caring and giving human being.

Trust me when I tell you what has happened in the last few days, the media spectacle and all of the people demanding this and that, is opening wounds that for some of these victims were just starting to heal. Hell, it's opened some of mine. But probably the worst feeling I have through this is so many people are losing focus on who is really guilty here, of who the depraved and vile monster really is and how our actions, riots, accusations, questions and most importantly lack thereof are affecting these victims.

Bozo Of A Lifetime, Part Deux!

Damn you woodchucks. Quit chucking all my wood.

By Payton Wales

OK, so last week we reported about how a LeBron James fan got a full calf tattoo of the Brat Prince himself.  So when it came across my wire last night that another fan(-atical) had gotten a full calf tattoo again, I immediately assumed it was some more LBJ ink.

I mean who else would be crazy enough to do such a thing? Certainly not a Dirk fan or Nash fan right? What about a Kobe fan? I know, right? No way! These were my thoughts too because Lakers fans are completely normal and not lunatics at all. You know, aside from our yearly panic to trade every one if we lose two games in a row. Other than that, completely normal.

And that, my friends, is where my logic was way off the rail because, low and behold, as I was surfing the interwebs last night I came across this:

Now I know what you are going to say here, people. Payton, you're a Lakers fan and there is no Laker-on-Laker crime. But, other than applauding the guy's dedication, obviously ginormous cojones and the excellent work of the tattoo artist,  I have to do it. It's just not fair to the guy we ripped into the other day. So, without further ado ...

First off, why does Kobe look like some important historical dignitary, like Nelson Mandela or Malcolm X? This isn't your normal Kobe look. Wouldn't the fist pump or the reverse beaver overbite be more appropriate?

The only thing this reminds me of is the look Kobe was giving Smush Parker as they were getting their ass handed to them by the Suns in the 2006 playoffs after being up three games. You know the "did that fat Twinkies-eating Mother F&%@$er just turn the ball over again? Why didn't I beg Shaq to stay?" type of look.

Second, the only way this tattoo gets any worse is if he was actually doing the reverse beaver overbite thing. So maybe that's a positive now that I think about it.

Third, why does Kobe have the coloring of Panthro from the Thundercats. I mean I get the Lakers colors are  purple and gold, but this isn't even a true purple. This is just a weird bluish-purple haze marred by this guy's leg freckles. Dude, you are white, or at least a really pale minority. You could have added some color to this tattoo. Don't be afraid to make Kobe look like Kobe instead of one of the tribes' people from the movie Avatar.

Yes, I know what they are called, but I'm boycotting that movie. Why? Because it sucked! If I want to watch Dances with Wolves again I'll Netflix it. I certainly don't need to see it in space though.

Sorry got off topic there.

Anyway, it's pretty commonplace as a guy to know your "Man Rules." Getting a tattoo of another guy's face on your body is unacceptable unless they are a dead relative or friend or maybe a historical revolutionary leader. But making Kobe Bryant look like the latter does not qualify.

I just can't wait until this guy puts on some weight in the calf area and then we'll get to see the Fat Mamba, or as we would call it here at the PBT, Shawn Kemp.

Bring Back Our Sonics!

Are you still as bitter as I am that the fan's most beloved franchise in Seattle was ripped away from them? Are you on the Bill Simmons' boat, refusing to refer to Oklahoma City as anything but a city and referring to the team as the Zombie Sonics? If you saw Clay Bennett broken down on the side of the highway, would you drive away, flashing him the finger as you wiz past?

Then here is just the marketing tool you need to show your support. This T-shirt, made by Homers Apparel Co., is available in ranging sizes and comes with a copy of the award-winning documentary, Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team.

Clay Bennett moved the team on April 18, 2008 to much displeasure from fans. A 28-2 vote by the NBA board of governors was all it took to move the franchise from its still-successful location in Seattle to Oklahoma City. 

In addition to supporting the team with cotton PDA, buyers also support the organization Sonicsgate, fighting to bring the Sonics back to Washington; $5 from every T-shirt purchase goes to the organization.

Become a fan of Homers Apparel Co. on Facebook.

Foreign Players Make Out Big In Mass Exodus Overseas

By Krystina Lucido

The NBA has officially been in lockout for 29 days, and instead of coverage heard during the NFL lockout about positions, demands and time expectancies, NBA players are taking a stand, showing league executives they don’t need an in-home league to play ball.

Starting with Deron Williams signing with Besiktas, a small mass of players followed, either signing contracts with international teams or at least considering the possibility should the lockout continue into the season as expected.

Keeping your face out there, continuing to make money playing a game you love, avoiding the loss of momentum -- there are plenty of reasons to play overseas as opposed to waiting out the inevitable here in the States. But who makes out best in his scenario?

Basketball made a huge outburst internationally, especially since the previous NBA lockout, which took place before the 1998-99 season. In 12 years, NBA Global boasts representation in countries including Africa, the UK, China, Canada and more. Though it has made such progress, international pride still holds more weight in most of these countries than anything else.

Players hailing from foreign countries have an advantage in the current mass exodus to international basketball waters. They stand to gain the most financially and in notoriety. It will be interesting to see when the tables turn and Serge Ibaka is the most popular player on the floor over Dwight Howard.

Paul Shirley understands what playing in Europe is all about. Author of the book, Can I Keep My Jersey?, this self-proclaimed basketball vagabond played for 11 teams in nine years, seven of which were international. Even though he never quite reached the status of a Kobe Bryant, his knowledge of the international basketball culture is well-documented.

"As far as the treatment of the players goes, it is true that if you're in Russia, I think (Andrei) Kirilenko is going to be a bigger name than whoever might go, Chris Paul or something like that," Shirley said. "I guess if the players are big enough, if by some miracle Dwight Howard wanted to play in Europe, I suppose he would be a big enough name that he would be the star there. But there is a lot of nationalism and loyalty to a home-grown talent and I don’t know if Americans can compete with that."

NBA commissioner David Stern has always pushed for a basketball culture to grow internationally, but the business aspects of the game in foreign countries are vastly different than what American athletes are accustomed to. Besiktas, for example, was already found to be involved in a futbol-fixing scandal and their funds were frozen as a result. Any player that previously played for an international team knows the luxuries are not nearly the same as the ones given to the basketball elite back in the States.

In his book, Shirley recounted multiple stints with international teams who housed him in small, unseemly living quarters and were late making payments for his services. The grass is certainly not greener across the Atlantic.

"I'm still owed like $53,000 from that team in Greece and another $15,000 by the team in Spain," Shirley said. "A lot of the money that's bandied about is theoretical. It's kind of like talking about the debt crisis, none of this is real. So it comes to actually getting teams to pay up; I think it will harder than people realize."

However, international players know this and are comfortable with it for three reasons. One, they are most likely not the culprit, since they are from these countries and would be treated well by their brethren. They are also reaping the benefits of already being internationally known and respected in their countries for playing in the NBA, which means if they return to actually play in their country, they are heroes. And they don’t even have to worry about making it onto a team.

American players are the ones who should be concerned. There is a cap on the number of American players that can be on one team, usually capped at two, though some teams extended that rule to three.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if that gets relaxed a little bit, maybe this year," Shirley said. "But in general, I've been watching carefully to see who gets these jobs because there just aren’t very many jobs. It's not necessarily fair, but it makes sense. The leagues want local interest in the game. If they just shipped over 12 Americans, there wouldn’t be as much interest, but it does cut down on the availability of jobs pretty quickly."

International clubs will not have nearly the amount of resources necessary to absorb 32 NBA teams into their coffers, but even the ones they do will be experiencing immense pay cuts. The face time players will get for their personal brands will prosper, but most of the tangible benefits they are used to receiving will remain unattainable.

Read my full interview with Paul Shirley.

Rookie School With Gilbert Arenas

By Payton Wales

With the lockout upon us, the NBA cancelled a lot of its summer events, none more important than the Rookie School, a place where all NBA rookies go to learn about how to manage their new life. Money, groupies, work ethic, social media, etc. are all topics covered in the school.

Now, with the lockout, there isn't going to be a class. So it's up to the veterans to school the newbies on how to act in the NBA, and who better to teach than the master himself: Agent Zero, Gilbert Arenas.

Why is he the master, you ask? Well, because nothing says maturity and a grasp of the NBA lifestyle better than bringing loaded guns to the locker room for a practical joke and then a couple days later making fun of the whole event in front of a live audience during player introductions. It was a stay-classy moment if ever we saw one, and that is why we are ecstatic he will be teaching our rookies.

Today, we have two lessons from Agent Zero. Perk up your ears, kiddos and listen.

Lesson One: How To Treat Your Plethora of Dates

Below is a diagram of how your date should go, according to Gil. Don't forget to use social media to berate your date, and as always use your smart phone to take a picture of the hi-jinx so you can show the world exactly what you are talking about. Let's take a peek below as Agent Zero takes us on one of his blind dates via Twitter:





This is a perfect example of how your date should go, rookie. Don't let anyone like your mother or father tell you otherwise because, honestly, how would they know? Are they millionaires? Do they play basketball for a living? Do they have a black card? Did they ever get more women than Wilt on an off day? No, so ignore their advice and listen to Uncle Gil. Follow the rules below.

1. Don't let them think you respect them.
2. Make sure the world knows you don't respect them.
3. Treat them as you see them, in this case, like a prostitute.
4. Berate them as much as you can, women like that and it's sure to get you some action.

-- To be fair, people, the girl does look like a homeless Thundercat in that shirt. And what the hell is the blue thing supposed to be? Is that an Arch-Reactor? Is she wearing an Ironman suit? I mean, if there was an Ironman suit that looked like a character from the stage play Cats. I'm not so sure Gilbert did the wrong thing here. Regardless, let's move on to the next lesson.

Lesson Number Two: Organizing Women in Your Smart Phone

This was another lesson provided by Agent Zero via Twitter. Let's see what he has to say?

 

 For those of you that need a closer look, here you go:

 

The lesson is pretty clear here. For optimal satisfaction, organize your phone as such. Some things to note while you look through this list:

• Out of the 107 girls on the list, he only respects one. I'm going to assume its a family member and leave it at that.
• Notice how there is not a list for "Plays Hard to Get" or "Girls I'd Date." That's because, as an NBA athlete, these categories should not exist for you, unless you are Doug Christie, in which case you only have one number in your phone anyway. I doubt his wife even allows him to keep his mother's number in his phone.

Now remember, Gilbert is just giving you the blueprint here, but there are obviously many different categories  by which you can list your conquests. Be creative, and if you are a pro, like Agent Zero, you should have your own stable of career NBA hoochies in no time.

Next weeks lesson: Password Protecting Your Phone, Multiple Phone Usage and special guest Shawn Kemp will stop by to teach you how to avoid your child support payments. School's out for the day.

-- It's obvious Arenas hasn't learned much, if anything, from his downfall in Washington, but can you get mad at him for this? At least he is being honest, and if he is joking around, he is blasting us for stereotyping players and that is just as good. It's no surprise this is what an NBA player's phone looks like. For that matter, I doubt any of the women are surprised either. They know they are on these lists and they know they aren't the only women in these players lives. Almost all of them, I said ALMOST, are not there for love anyway. They want the free ride, the fairytale. If you don't believe me, go google some of the sites out there dedicated to promoting groupie behavior among today's young women. OK... old women too.

As far as I'm concerned, if you are going to ride Arenas for this and say how bad it is, then you need to call out the hundreds of thousands of women who are willing to be on this list. Trust me, if you pick any 10 women you know right now, six of them would sleep with a pro athlete just to do it. If they were all married to a normal guy, I'd say at least four still would. And that, my friends, is the truth of the matter.

So is Agent Zero really wrong to put this up on Twitter? I say no.

Review: Captain America: The First Avenger

By Payton Wales

Let me start this off by saying I'm not familiar with the continuum of good ol' Cap. Sure, I've read some of the different comic series he has been involved in, but never to the extent that I could be considered an aficionado. I say this so if I miss something or agree with something even though it isn't historically accurate, you nerds ... er ... people don't attack me. After all, I am one of you. A nerd, that is.

The First Avenger takes us through the origin story of the pint-sized Steve Rogers and his transformation into our hero, Captain America. Set in World War II, The First Avenger takes us on a nostalgic ride through the time period while showing there were evils far worse than Hitler in the heart of Germany during the war and, of course, our hero is here to vanquish them all.

First things first. I'll be honest, Captain America isn't going to be the action-packed thrill ride Ironman was. That's not to say it doesn't have its fair share of action, but this movie chooses to focus more on the story and the era it takes place in, something that gives this movie charm, especially compared to the CGI/whizzbang-heavy Thor and Green Lantern. Captain America does have it's share of CGI, but it manages to almost seamlessly blend it into the the atmosphere of the movie.

The cast also plays a massive role in bringing this movie to life. Everyone has hit their marks in this piece. I did struggle with Chris Evans as Captain America just a little bit, but it had less to do with his acting and more to do with what I was bringing into the film from his previous movies. After I got past my own preconceived notions, his performance became more real to me.

Haylee Atwell does a great job as Peggy Carter, the strong-willed soldier and love interest of Rogers. The best thing she does is not overplay, or underplay for that matter, her role. This seems to always be a problem in the superhero movies and it's affected even the best actresses. For whatever reason when we try to bring a woman lead from a comic book to the screen, it just doesn't translate well. Maybe it's the strong yet frail nature of those characters. Maybe its the fact that a woman in real life cannot live up to the ... ahem ... amplified features of the comic. Regardless, Atwell nails the complexities of the character.

Tommy Lee Jones is perfect as Colonel Chester Phillips. His deadpan delivery gives the movie the edge and comedic relief it needs. Another great performance is given by Hugo Weaving and the Red Skull, leader of Hydra, archenemy of the Captain and the world for that matter. It's nice to finally see Weaving's face again in a movie ... er ... sorta. The last one I can remember seeing his actual face in is probably the Matrix Revolutions.

This movie is one of Marvel's gems upon many misses. It delivers enough action to keep you entertained while delivering an origin story that can still hold the public's interest. Although, at this point, I think we can safely eliminate the origin story as the starter movie, especially rebooting from the origin. Do you hear me, The Amazing Spiderman? The First Avenger delivers the goods while helping to establish the blueprint for successful comic book movies in the future.

As good as Catain America was, it was not without its flaws. The movie teetered on being too long and even had a song and dance routine that prompted me to turn to my friend and say, "OK I get it. Can we stop now?" The plot of the movie itself was good, not overly ambitious, and from everything I can tell, stuck to the mythos of the comics. But as the movie approaches finality, some small plot holes, or "illogical WTFs" as I like to call them, do appear. I don't want to give away too much, but I'd really like to know what was actually wrong with that plane. Seems like they skipped an explanation as to why it had to be landed right there. At least tell me there is something wrong with the plane's navigation.

All in all, The First Avenger was an enjoyable ride, giving us a sense of nostalgia while providing some insight into why a character like Captain America was important to the American public during World War II and even beyond.

Captain America: The First Avenger should give you  exactly what you are looking for in a summer movie: a lot good, some bad and worth your $10.

Rating: 3.5/5 Dribbles

Metta World Peace Is Here To Smash All You Knew About Ron Artest

Photoshop by Payton Wales

By Payton Wales

Change is good. It may be cliche to say, but the thing with cliches is they are called that for a reason. In this case, the cliche, like most, holds plenty of truth.
 
Now, the change is coming for a player many once considered the black eye of the league. A player that, for almost his entire NBA career, has quietly but visibly battled his personal demons, and recently chose to open up to the world about his demons, bringing to light a subject many in the media and general public chose to ignore. Brushing them off as ploys to get attention or, even worse, the rantings of a lunatic, someone whose sanity would discredit the validity of the issues he had brought to light.

For Ron Artest, this is the case. His list of quirky behavior, starting all the way back to his first years as a pro in Chicago, is a long one. His campaign to work at Circuit City in his down time as a rookie, his outbursts on the court, his elaborate hair and, of course, the massive brawl in Detroit where, if truth be told, Artest was more protagonist than the antagonist he is now portrayed.

But that's how the media portrays Artest, and that is how the public receives him. Crazy, off his rocker and foolish. And, oddly enough, that is just how he perceives most fans, ignorant to think he should be held to some lofty, politically-correct standard that they put on our athletes, foolish because they chose not only to look at the highly-publicized negatives but failed to scratch away at the surface to see the positive accomplished by that same person.



Everyone questioned his sanity when he thanked his therapist after winning the championship. One of the last things expected to be heard from any male, and probably female, pro athlete, let alone a certified tough guy like Artest. But there he was, baring his soul to the world. The response, "told you he was crazy." For the record, Artest suffered with depression and anxiety disorders his entire life. The fact that he can admit it in today's society is a credit to his character.

Of course when Artest announced at the beginning of the 2010-11 season he would be donating more than half of his season's salary to various children's mental health organizations as well as auctioning his NBA championship ring for the same cause, people did all but institutionalize Artest.

So when Artest went to the county clerk in L.A. June 23 to put in an application to change his name, people were bound to have something to say.

Metta World Peace would be the new monkier and one the public would scrutinize well before it understood it.

Once news of the name broke, all the same accusations came up. He is crazy; he just wants attention, typical athlete narcissism. Except that's not what the last few years have been about at all. His actions throughout the last year have been about everyone but Metta World Peace.

Bringing to light a subject as taboo in sports society as depression and anxiety wasn't for his benefit. He didn't auction off his ring or donate several million dollars for attention. He did it so those who are less fortunate than he will get attention, receive help and maybe even respect.

Maybe the goal of world peace is unobtainable, but it is a beautiful thought and a beautiful goal. Maybe it doesn't have to be world peace in the literal sense. Maybe Metta World Peace is just trying to encourage everyone to find the peace within themselves. Maybe he is just trying to encourage thought.

Maybe Peace has it right. Maybe society is all twisted up and at war inside. The obsession with violence, hate, drama and destruction is seemingly unprecedented. We celebrate and follow musicians with names that depict violence, sex, murderers, weapons, money and historical crime lords. We love to watch reality TV, a constant reminder there are others out there more damaged than ourselves. Not to mention most of the movies out now celebrate death and gore as if it should be common place in everyday life.

Maybe it does make sense then to label Metta World Peace crazy. To try and mock someone  who represents the opposite of what so many love and enjoy in this day and age. How dare he stand for something good and positive after so many years stumbling around as our champion of tomfoolery and violence, a court jester now trying to be a knight.

Maybe Metta has had it right the whole time. Maybe everyone else is crazy, maybe everyone else is slightly unhinged. After all who among us would give up millions and a championship ring for nothing in return but the knowledge that you made a difference? Would everyone not consider that person crazy?

The perception may be Metta World Peace is crazy, but to the people he has helped, inspired and given hope to, he will forever be the opposite. For them, Metta World Peace is exactly what his name means.

Besides maybe, just maybe, you have to be a little crazy to be exceptional and give the world something great.