As I do everyday, I checked out the ESPN.com website and caught 
up on the days sports headlines. And like everyday, some commentary
I found to be funny and insightful, some I just don't like. But what I 
like about ESPN.com is that it is commentary about Sport. So I decided 
to give out the first "Stick to freakin' Basketball Award", created by yours 
truly. And The Winner Is...Bill Walton. Bill Walton should keep his 
commentary to basketball...and my logic comes in consequence to this 
statement he made on the website. He wrote: 

"Brazil's new President daSilva just rejected a proposed expenditure of 
$750 million dollars for military weaponry claiming that 'We have people 
in our land that are hungry and that this waste is unconscionable with 
the current state of poverty and need.' Like Huey Long, this guy has no 
chance at survival. Do you think George Bush is aware that poverty and 
hunger are severe problems in America and not limited to North Korea?"
http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/walton_bill/1488546.html 

Really, I could go on a long rant...but Ill keep my statement short. Let me 
start by saying...what the hell does Walton know about Brazil or Latin 
American for that matter! To 
compare the U.S. to Brazil in 
most fashions just makes no 
sense. It would make more 
sense to compare Brazil to 
other Latin American countries. 
And even then, it's a stretch. 
Would it make sense for 
Costa Rica to spend millions of 
dollars on military weaponry. Of 
course not, they do not need it; 
Costa Rica does not need any 
more military weaponry... for 
                                                             what, no one is threatening them 
                                                             directly and they have no 
                                                             imperialist ambitions. 

Moreover, their position is not one of world police, a role that the United 
States voluntarily takes up. Of course Brazil is different than even Costa 
Rica, point being that it does not make sense to judge Brazil's actions 
against the United States, a world power. It may be in the best interest 
to reject a military expenditure of that size, as far as I'm aware, Brazil 
has no pressing need for expensive military expenditures. Poverty and 
hunger are both more pressing issues in Brazil, aside from maybe 
violence and crime. 
      
And Bill Walton may not know that we are taking about third world poverty 
and hunger, far more desperate than the poverty and hunger in the U.S. 
Maybe Bush is aware of the poverty and hunger, but that is definitely not 
a priority in his administration...North Korea is, among other military issues. 
Every country must prioritize what issues are most pressing to them, that 
is what Brazil's new President da Silva is doing. What the hell does Bill 
Walton know about Brazil, what were his motivations...maybe he should stick 
to kissing up to LeBron James. Either way, he is today's recipient of the 
"Stick to freakin' Basketball Award". 

HOLLA... 

      
- Wednesday, January 8, 2003
      

      

Stick to Freakin' Basketball, no.1
By Rafael Alvarado
Nicademiks Columnist

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