Random Thought 3.24.08

Love HBO On-Demand. So many choices, so little time.

Today I was watching the UCLA Dynasty Documentary about the unprecedented run UCLA basketball made in the 1960's-early 1970's (10 titles in 12 years). It amazed me that so many of the UCLA atheletes were involved in non-basketball activities (one was Student Body Prez of the University -- many took part in the Watts Riots/Race Equality sit-ins, Vietnam protests, etc.); their awareness of the outside world is really something you don't see in anymore (even by "regular" students). For example, I was struck by how well spoken they were - Lew Alcinder (Kareem Abdual-Jabbar (same guy for you non-basketball followers)) was extremely eloquent for being a "shy" individual, and Bill Walton, while being a little "out-there," was very cognizant of the world happenings (even as a 19 year old). Not to generalize all atheletes, but I am not so sure that Lew and Bill's contemporaries today really focus on such cerebral things - unless it has to do with their next endorsement. Not to sound like an old mizer, but maybe those really were the "good ole" days - at least in some ways.

Ok - done.