Celtics Clinch East, Knock off Lakers in NBA championships

Yes, I said it.


Confident? Yes. Cocky?


Yes I am. But so are they, and so they should be.


So much so that they even have an empty banner hanging in their practice facility in preparation for their 2010 championship banner. During NBA TV's study of the Celtics pre-season, Doc Rivers claimed that "there is a real passion and excitement at camp. The championship is all that we're working for."

Can they do it? Well, let's see...

Critics didn't think the big three would gel with each other in their first season. But they cruised through the regular season, winning the east by a large margin, and then embarassed the Lakers in the finals.

Last season, with an injured Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe as well as the loss of arguably the best provider off the bench (James Posey), the Celtics made it all the way through to the Eastern Conference Finals. It took a resurgent Orlando Magic seven games to beat them. Seven games!

If we were healthy, I'm pretty sure we would have just added another chapter to the already storied Boston-Los Angeles rivalry.

But with the start of a new campaign, we have new fuel to add to our hopes of championship glory don't we?



Well, what are we up against?




The Lakers have definitely gotten better with the addition of the notorious Ron Artest. But, they will probably have a harder time in the West with the key addition of Richard Jefferson and a healthy Manu Ginobli in San Antonio. The Mavericks look better and the Nuggets will probably show a lot of potential. But let's be honest, it's STILL Kobe's playground.

Cleveland and Orlando have also added fortified reinforcements to help booster their chances of a championship. Bron has Shaq, but will they help each other out? Can King James take it to the next level? Orlando added Vince who will bring some more razzle-dazzle to Orlando. But will Dwight start dominating the paint night in and night out? This whole 'dominate once every three games' is getting old. (Yes that's for you too Mr. Stoudamire).

But it seems like Boston has made all the right moves. Adding a defensive big man, Rasheed Wallce, who can shoot the ball will trouble the Shaquille O'Neals, the Dwight Howards and the Pau Gasol/Andrew Bynums.

Marquis Daniels is the perfect answer for the void created by the loss of utility man James Posey. Daniels can shoot, dribble and defend. He can play the 1 or 2, giving valuable minutes on the bench to Rondo, Allen and Pierce.

Also. Let's remember that Rondo and "Big Baby" Glen Davis are only getting better and better. They both displayed superior performences in the play offs. Their numbers and efficiency have improved since they got in the league. This pre-season, Ray Allen said that "Rondo is taking over."


And, most importantly.... We have a healthy Kevin Garnett.

The only detremental factor that will cause some hindrances to our championship run is for the roster to stay healthy. An article in yesterday's USA Today stated that this will be the last shot the Celtics have at a championship due to this very reason.

Yes the Celtics are old. Yes, injuries will keep the Big three out for a few games here and there. But they are deeper than they were last season. They are hungrier than they were last season. They will win this year.

All in all, it's a recipe for a championship. Expectation is high and confidence is at it's peak.

So go ahead Celtic nation, swagger on.

I will sport my celtic pride at Conseco, the day after my 25th birthday. I will also join your fan nation in Boston at the Garden this spring. I will drink my Sam Adams and reflect the intensity that KG and Rasheed bring every night. And I will cherish a cigar in memory of the great Red, and light it when we bring home that 2010 banner.

Thinking outside of the Box

This past Sunday I heard a sermon that encouraged people of Hamilton County (one of the top 10 richest counties in the country) to wander out of their suburbs, to forget about their wine-tasting parties and their nights at Broadway productions and to "think outside of the box."

Very cliche right? But yet very true.

I like walking into a bar and seeing people of different cultural backgrounds. People dressed completely differently. Some rocking the dance floor while others debating politics.

I like zipping through my grocery and noticing aisles titled 'Mexican' and 'spices,'
'Asian,' or 'imported brews' bustling with activity. I like hearing Harry Connick Jr and Mary J. Blige one after the other while I browse through a clothing store.

As you can see, I like the diversity. I like variety.

I was sad when our bartender at Houlihans told us that they don't serve the Tandoori Wrap anymore because no one orders it.

In his message on the Good Samaritan, the pastor stressed the importance of combating the fear of the unknown. He encouraged people to break the mould of the mundane in order to try something new.

I thought about this, about how it is so easy to fall into a confined routine. You know, the 9-5, the gym, dinner with the family, catch up with the news and watch your favorite show and then hit the sack. Five days a week of the same daily routine can really hinder that "spontaneity" and support that rigid mould.

I'm not scared of what's different or foreign or new. But I am scared of doing the same thing over and over. To surround myself with the same people and with the same daily duties is mediocre. The world is too large and beautiful of a place to limit oneself to a neighborhood.

So what's the point of this post? It's a reminder to myself and to whoever reads this, to head out and break some barriers. To make friends with someone completely different than myself. To eat food that sounds absolutely unappealing (that raw fish that they call Sushi). To try a new hobby and to learn about the struggles of someone else.

The world is shrinking, and I hear the phrase "it's such a small world," on a weekly basis. Diversity is always right around us. Even here in this rich white suburb, there are 15,000 people that fall below the poverty line. It's time to break that comfort zone and to start thinking outside of the box. Then, to the next level, and to act outside of it.

The cross before me the world behind

I was born and raised in a devout Christian family. Not the type of family that is unrealistically conservative in their Bible thumping, but to parents that are global Christian leaders. They are educators: teaching at seminaries all over the globe, equipping future Christian leaders. They are pastors, preaching the gospel in every church and fellowship that they meet. They are missionaries, they supervise and create large missions in the third world that educate, clothe and feed orphans who otherwise would not know the love of Christ. They are mentors who lead forums, advise pastors, mediate seminars and present workshops on issues that our faith comes in contact with.

It amazes me that wherever we are, whatever the culture, context or zip code, we are always approached with the "Dr. Arles, I have read your book and….," or "Dr. Arles, please speak at our forum on the church's response to the 4-14 window."

For the past week, I have been my Dad's driver. We have been invited to the offices of various presidents and pastors from all realms of ministry, missions, seminaries and churches throughout Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

I'm currently sitting in the library of dad’s alma mater, Asbury Theological Seminary, in Wilmore Kentucky. Chapel today was inspirational. The worship was powerful and echoed through the halls of Estis Chapel. The message on the call to global missions by their new president, Dr. Timothy Tennent (who of course, knows my Dad), was thought-provoking. Then there was the lunch forum that featured a panel of President Tennent, Terry C. Muck - a former editor of Christianity Today, a scholar who is an expert on Sufism, and Dr. Arles. They tackled a plethora of questions on the topic of Christianity and Islam and the increasing concerns of Islam's growth in America.

It’s encouraging to hear outcry’s from these learned Christian communities about how perhaps we focus too much on going outside our borders to baptize the third world. Perhaps we are neglecting our own blatant struggles in our local Christian families. Perhaps we are ignoring the terrible division in our communities. Perhaps we have taken this beautiful Eastern-born religion, westernized it out of our own capabilities, and are now struggling to find our real identity. It’s clear for everyone to see that institutionalized religion has a horrible knack of corruption, exploitation, hatred and hurt. For centuries, our communities have struggled with it.

I don’t know what the purpose of this post is. My mind has just been buzzing with all these issues and my own thoughts and perspective on the church and its role.

By no means is my life a reflection of my parent’s piety. By no means am I to judge, or is anyone other than Yahweh to judge. I do not want to enter a seminary, and I constantly struggle with living up to Jesus’ standards. But I do have an opportunity to sift through my thoughts and express my feelings.

One thing I do believe in, is unity. One thing I love to witness, is unity in diversity. The beauty of my religion is that it is personalized. To my faith, it is a phenomenon in itself that Jesus is a unique being and different to a six-year old country boy on a Texas ranch, as he is to a 68 year old Nepalese lesbian.

But yet, despite that unique concept of Christianity, we have so much division. So much contradiction in our subjective perspectives on the Bible’s teachings seem to corrupt our faith. This was a concept that I have heard over and over. The repetitive call for a united front is old news.

Here in the Bible belt, this division is obvious. It’s common to stop at an intersection which has a church on each corner, each hailing from different denominations. The sad reality is that each church is struggling with numbers and with raising the funds to sustain it and yet the thought of unifying into one large church is deemed impossible.

Is that not madness? As you can tell, I struggle with this.

More Than Words

“Whatever words we utter, should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill.” Buddha knew exactly what he was talking about. I think PR and Journalism folk, and most people with common sense, can relate to the enlightened one’s words.

But others, like Chris Brown, need to pay close attention.

As we all know, Brown is in a huge predicament. What he did was horrible and it will take a long time for him to gain the forgiveness and support of his fans. He is working on rebuilding his image and with making public appearances, apologizing on various media outlets and doing his community service (picking up trash), it seems like he’s taking the right steps.

Well, all untill he decided to pick a fight with Oprah. Yes, the billionaire-business-mogul-Oprah. It’s as if Rihanna was not a worthy enough target for Brown, so he decides to climb up a few rungs of the Forbes ladder and choose Oprah. Why would anyone want to anger the world’s (arguably) most influencial woman?

After the Chris Brown debacle, Oprah devoted an episode to domestic violence and condemened Brown’s actions, clearly supporting Rihanna. Brown was upset with Oprah. He expected her to be more supportive considering he appeared on her show and even put on a concert for her school in Africa. When asked about what he thought about the show, he said, “It was a slap in my face.”

Really? Were those the best words Brown could come up with? Did he even think about how appropriate they were? “A slap in my face?” Wow, now those were choice words!

People, including celebrities, have all the right to express their emotions. But why not take the time to filter and polish those words to accurately reflect what you feel? Why not take extra caution when your words are spoken from a public platform and think about how your words fit the context?

This is a simple PR exercise: find the best words to paint the picture. Websters, Shift+F7, Dictionary.com, in today's day and age, there are no excuses. I don't know what Brown's publicists were thinking, and I'm sure this will become a case-study of 'why your celebrity/CEO/spokesperson/brand endorser needs to be prepped before public appearances.'

But, it’s a lesson that we all can learn from. Choose your words wisely. Actions do speak louder than words, but sometimes, words can be pretty loud as well.

Yeah, We lost a lot of good men out there..

Doesn’t change suck? I couldn’t come up with anything more profound. I really didn’t want to. Considering that I feel like a teenager when I think about change, I find this rudimentary question appropriate.

Moving house, graduating high school and college are great experiences. But to me, they were more bittersweet than joyous. All the memories, all the friends and all the mundane experiences that are often taken for granted are suddenly extinguished. It’s as if, like all the candles on a cake, they are abruptly blown out. Except this time, you’re not an overzealous birthday boy/girl waiting to tear open presents, you’re an adult ready to familiarize yourself with a new environment.

I had the pleasure of attending a wedding this past weekend and in the process, reconnected with a number of people from college. One of my old roommates from the Beaver, (a house on our college campus) AKA the house of legends, and his wife stayed with us for the weekend. It’s amazing how I hadn’t seen or talked to some of our old friends in years, and yet, as soon as we were face to face, every memory and significant incident returned with ease.

Isn’t it crazy how a few months of the nine-to-five, business-clad routine changes a person? We had all changed. I hadn’t seen a number of these people in years. But it felt great to be able to have no small-talk, have no awkward silences, but to just jump into conversation as if we had just played a round of pong last weekend at the Trophy House. (Another Anderson hot spot).

It felt natural. Amidst all the change: rings on fingers, ironed shirts, titles next to our names, new hobbies, expensive cocktails instead of cheap beer in hand, it felt natural. Laughter and good times are never forgotten.

So now, after an extended weekend of story-telling and re-enactments, it’s back to the grind. Everyone has soberly and somberly headed home. It’s back to the office, back to the grind, back to the professional life. But at the next reception, or the next homecoming or Super Bowl party, re-living freshman year comes natural. It’s as if a few of the candles were re-lit and don't have to be blown out for a while.

So what did I take back from it? (This is a question I have learned to love) It’s as simple as this: Change is inevitable, so learn to adapt quickly. But along the way, never take anything for granted and make the most out of everything. Get to know everybody, even the little shifty kid in the back of Intro to Psych, the one that smelled bad and was addicted to Pokemon. Because you will see him again.

And finally, learn to love wedding season, take notes from Jeremy Grey and John Beckwith. After having seven to attend this summer, I have to admit, it’s my favorite time of the year.

"Hey! I'm the new face of Public Relations!"

A very public workout routine with Reggie Bush, drama-filled episodes of Keeping up with the Kardashians and a disappointing run on Dancing with the Stars. Those could be chapter titles of Kim Kardashian’s life.

But turn the page, and here’s a new and equally disastrous story. Kim is creating and executive-producing her new reality TV show that is supposed to “show the ins and outs of the Public Relations world.” The show will star her two friends: Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck who work for Command Public Relations.

I took a look at the Command Public Relations website. It’s a joke. I also looked up the twitter page of “PR guru,” or “PR powerhouse,” Jonathan Cheban. His posts are full of repetitive exclamation marks “!!!!’s,” “OMG’s”and “LOL’s.” One of his recent posts read: “Don’t be a bore. Be a WHORE!!” (He chose to capitalize it, I just copied it verbatim).

This is just what our industry needs. PR has already been tainted by the nonsensical world of PR that MTV’s PoweR Girls tried to “reflect.” BBC TV then chimed in with Absolutely Famous adding to a ridiculous image of PR. And today, most people think that our most popular PR guru is Samantha Jones!

Kardashian will provide the public with just another means to raise an eyebrow at the thought of Public Relations.

No, a PR professional does not have the glamorous role of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous. You don’t sleep your way through your client list to seal the deal. It’s not just event planning or crisis consultation for celebrities. If it were, then Dennis Rodman would get my vote to be the next president of PRSA (our professional association).

Sadly, and thanks to Kim Kardashian, most people will continue to think otherwise.

Herpes, Gonorrhea, Schism, HIV-AIDS... Wait a minute... Schism?

The term ‘schism’ has been plastered all over SportsCenter today. I find it quite amusing that it’s such a powerful term and yet most of the involved athletes, when asked about the term, didn’t know what it meant. Jared Allen, an animal on the gridiron, thought a schism was an STD; he thought that absurd because he said “we preach abstinence around these parts.”

The term carries a lot of burdened Christian connotations such as the Roman Catholic schism between the Eastern and Western orthodox beliefs. Common synonyms would be: split, discord, rift and gulf.

More commonly, and in this context, it would signify a division. Such as the division that Brett Favre’s emergence in the Viking’s locker-room has ruptured. Or the tremors of disaster in the city of brotherly love and the overall hype that Michael Vick’s return has created.

That is a schism.

But should these be schisms? I’m sure that once Favre starts winning games, there will be calm waters up in the land of 10,000 lakes. He can’t expect to make friends if he carries on retiring and returning every pre-season. But as he stated “I’m not here to make friends.” Besides, those friendships will soon directly correlate with his W’s in a Viking jersey.

Vick’s predicament is a completely different issue that I’m not going to get into. But I fully believe in second chances. It’s harsh when authorities choose to pick out a guinea pig. So I’m glad that Vick gets a chance to return to his profession and I hope that we can all remember that football is his job. He’s just another man. I don’t know what to think about the Vick-McNabb relationship though. It could either be a great run or just another disastrous duo in Philly.

So that’s the schism Mr. Allen. No, it is not an STD. It’s a little disagreement that your Vikings need to sort out. (I’m glad that I can safely say this to you from a few hundred miles away, from behind my laptop.)