The Passing of the King of Pop

The unexpected and unusual passing of Michael Jackson has caused me to evaluate my own favorites among celebrities and sports stars. I tend to favor those that are unusual, underdogs, or those that have been falsely accused. To wit: Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer that ever lived, but he had to deal with false accusations against him and his behavior. The poor man never had a childhood; he was the front of a group (the Jackson Five) since an early age. Growing up as a pop star robbed him of his childhood. That he grew into a man that did unusual things such as creating his own amusement park and hanging out with kids came only because of his own desire to have a childhood. The people that accused him of untoward acts against children are only money-grubbers, and took advantage of the situation. Any truly sympathetic person can but see that he was only trying to live the childhood that he never had.

Dennis Rodman: One of the greatest basketball players of all time, but also a unique individual. So he wore a dress; does that offend anyone? Tattoos, piercings, suspensions for aggressive play? The man is a great individual that doesn’t have to live by anyone else’s expectations. His appearance as an alien on “Third Rock From the Sun”, with multi-colored hair and portraying an alien is right inline with his personality. A great man.

Kobe Bryant: Don’t mind that the cum from (at least) two other dudes is in the ginch; Kobe forced himself on me. She just wants money. I was never really a big Kobe fan, but the way he overcame the false accusation and got even better as a National Basketball Association ballplayer, to include winning the USA Gold Medal and the latest NBA Championship is worthy of admiration and great respect. He is now one of my favorite athletes.

Mike Tyson: He has a tattoo on his face; so what? The greatest heavyweight boxer ever was the victim of a setup. Think about it; he dominated the ranks and knocked out opponents in 90 seconds. Often was the time that taking a bathroom break would lead one to miss the entire fight. The powers that be in professional boxing needed to take him down for financial reasons. I don’t dispute that he did what he was accused of, but how many dingbats go to his hotel room at 3 AM and just want to talk? She was dispatched specifically to get Iron Mike in trouble and remove him from the heavyweight fighting arena. Heavyweight boxing has sucked ever since then.

Terrell Owens: The man is a living example of arrogance and has exhibited many reasons to be disliked. As a Cowboys fan, I found it to be quite distasteful when he danced on the Star. But, I admired his performance as an Eagle when he played in the Superbowl with a broken leg. I liked him as a Cowboy, too. The sports media is just too critical of the man.

Chris “Birdman” Andersen: He has spiky hair and sleeves of tattoos, but so what? His nearly two year suspension for “substance abuse” from the NBA is understandable. His return to prominence and helping lead the Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009 is also something to admire.

Sean Penn: Used to beat up paparazzi that got too close. Good man.

Charlie Sheen: “You don’t pay the prostitute for sex. You pay the prostitute to leave after you’re finished”.

Barry Bonds: Did he use steroids? Probably. But, he also hit more Home Runs in one season and one career than any other baseball player. Unless and until accusations against him can be proven, he is the leader in both categories.

Vanessa Williams: She was stripped of her Miss USA title in 1984 for doing a nude spread in “Penthouse” magazine. Hell, if it were up to me, nudity would be one of the determining factors in choosing a winner.