Will the real LeBron James please stand up?

By Joe Tidei

There are moments in sports when the legends take center stage and orchestrate magical performances. In the NBA Finals we recollect the image of Michael Jordan standing with his hand in the air after the final dagger in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. We picture Magic's sky hook over Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish and Larry Bird in Game 4 of the 1987 Finals. We have visions of Tim Duncan's almost quadruple double in Game 6 which clinched the 2003 Finals in our minds and Shaq's almost quadruple double in Game 2 of the 2001 NBA Finals as well. Or we remember Larry Bird's incredible 34 points on 15 of 20 shooting in the 1984 Finals.

Time and time again the greats from days past have acted out the epic scripts that have been written for them. The NBA Finals are a place where the players we idolize and deify remain immortal. The best of the best don't succumb to the surmounting pressure. They rise above the opportunity and define it because they see it as a chance to reach their ultimate dream; an NBA Championship and mythical status.

This years' NBA Finals presented an opportunity for 3 superstars to write their own scripts of greatness. Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James were seeking their first ring and Dwyane Wade was looking to add a second to his trophy case. It was also a chance for both Dirk and LeBron to shed their choker labels.

The Heat were the heavy favorites going into this series because of their star power, but they were struck down by the balanced team play of the Mavericks and more importantly the disappearing act of the best player in the league. I give full credit to the Dallas Mavericks because they were the better team, but for now I am going to focus on LeBron James and put him under the microscope.

LeBron is the greatest talent the NBA has ever seen. He has immense physical gifts and the size and strength to take advantage of them, but it's what is on the inside that really matters and he's full of fluff, doubt and passivity.  Instead of going all in when the chips are down he folds because he fears failure. He's not willing to do what it takes to win especially when it means going all in and risking everything; at least on the NBA Finals stage.

Flash back to the previous two series' against the Celtics and Bulls. LeBron played with aggression, pace and purpose. He closed out Boston in the 4^th Quarter of Game 5 and did the same against the Bulls in Game 6. He took the ball, told everyone to get out of his way and sank clutch jumper after jumper. He was finally showing signs of shaking off the anti-clutch gene that has plagued his career and then he goes out and puts up one of the worst finals performances of any star in NBA History. I just don't understand it.

It may seem like the media and fans are putting the world on his shoulders, but he's the one who wanted it with his 'we are all witnesses' campaign, the chosen one tatoo on his back and his King James nickname. Who is LeBron James and who does he want to be? He claims he wants to be recognized as the next global icon on and off the court, but this mentality doesn't translate on the hardwood where he is a passive playmaker more keen on setting up his teammates than going for the jugular when blood is in the water. In the biggest decision of his life he chose to ring chase and join two other stars instead of leading his own team to a title. The self porclaimed King is more Robin than he is Batman.

In fact, Batman is Dwyane Wade who did make his fair share of mistakes the final two games, but he did so being aggressive. He was the one trying to put the team on his shoulders not LeBron James. When the game was in the final act and it was time to close curtains players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Larry Bird would go for the kill shot. Or when their respective teams were down they'd become more aggressive. LeBron did neither in the Finals, but he did so the previous two rounds.

It appears to me that LeBron is going through an identity crisis. He doesn't know who he is and who he should be on the court. He's not decisive in his decision making and the weight that has been put on his shoulders has brung him to his knees. A true King knows how to lead. A true King has fortitude and confidence in his decicsions. A true King doesn't wilt under pressure and distribute clutch responsibities to others around him. LeBron did all of those things.

The moment was too big for him. The spotlight burned holes through his skin so he hid in the shadows, but his glowing ego emits a light that can be seen even in the darkest of places. Hence why everyone outside of Miami is ripping him to shreds.

I don't feel sorry for him. I don't have pity for him. I don't believe that he's being made out to be the scapegoat for his teams' loss. I believe he got what was coming to him. This is what he wanted. He wanted the attention in the offseason. He wanted to be the man in all of his commercials, slogans and nicknames. He wanted the spotlight. Be careful what you wish for.

All of this talk about how LeBron needs to work on his game though to me is irrelevant. LeBron needs to work on his psychological game. He needs to find himself. He needs to figure out why in big moments he chooses to defer and become passive. This is a career defininig offseason for him. He has the ability to be the closer and the alpha dog, but he has to want to take on that role.

Maybe he'll come back with a competitive fire and drive that we've never seen before. Or maybe the shots and slanders from everyone around him will bury his confidence even more. I just don't know what to think about him anymore. He shows glimpses of greatness and then he flops in big moments.

Will the real LeBron James please stand up?

The Samaritan

By Joe Tidei

Stricken my insomnia I lay in bed wide awake

I'm plagued by nightmares about the selfish days I take

My wants have risen above my shoulds and my needs

And I've neglected the less fortunate with narcicism and greed

I've followed the voices that have lead me to my aspirations

But I've ignored the cries of the suffering in desperation

I've reached for the stars to obtain my personal goals

But this empty feeling remains leaving a void inside my soul

We all should aspire to fullfil our hopes and our dreams

But we also should answer the call of the helpless and their screams

There are some who have wasted away their lives with poor decisions

And there are others who deserve a script with a second revision

I believe we make our choices with a calculated intellect

But I also believe that life deals cards with a messed up deck

A tornado rips up a town and hurricane destroys a city

Yet there are some who perceive those without any remorse or pity

It may seem like I'm at the pulpit on Sunday and preaching

But my message should resonate to the masses that I'm seeking

Listen closely and open your eyes to observe what's around you

The hungry and hurting are looking for someone to live through

Even if it encompasses only an hour of your day

Those 60 minutes mean more than sixty dollars of your pay

I'm not telling you to lose yourself in the sacrifice for others

I'm asking you to protect and serve all your needing brothers

The good sumaritan helps themselves before their peers

And if you do this I'll guarantee you that your life will be changed for years

Rays of Hope

By Joe Tidei

I'm mesmerized as I sit beneath the stars

Because somehow it helps me find who we truly are

Our lives are eternal through the gifts we've all been given

And when our time comes our actions will be forgiven

All of us are connected through the pathways of our souls

And when we live for others our hearts are occupied in full

We were created to be selfless and designed for compassion

But greed took the vulnerable like an emotionless assassin

We exist in a world controlled by the powerful and corrupted

Covered by the ashes of the anger that's erupted

But through the destruction the immortal continue to shine

Giving me rays of hope of what one day will be mine

Blood in the Water

By Joe Tidei

The Chicago Blackhawks defibrilated what looked to be flat lined series and have shocked their way back from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7 against Vancouver. Who would've thunk it? They showed resiliancy and heart by not giving in to their bitter rivals. They were laying on the mat after being punched in the mouth and they found a way to get back up. Where did this team come from?

All year long the Blackhawks went into the fetal position for their opponent and tended to succumb to pressure situations. All year long this team frustrated and infuriated its fans, coaches and organization with their complacency and lack of fortitude. All year long it looked like this team just didn't have the guts to get the job done like the previous season and for the first three games it looked like the doubters were right. Then Bobby Lou returned to the postseason form that all Hawk fans love to remember.

Seriously, Luongo might be the most mentally soft player in sports not named LeBron James. What other goalie shuts down his opponent for three games and then gives up 12 goals in the next 120 minutes? Roberto Luongo that's who. You want to know why Vancouver won't win the Stanley Cup? Take a look at good ole' #1 in net and you'll find the reason why.

Enough of the moral victories though. There's still a game to win tonight. I'm incredibly happy we bounced back and showed some toughness. I'm elated that Hossa, Toews, Sharp and Kane all decided to play like the superstars they are. I'm thrilled to see Duncan Keith returning to Norris Trophy form, but if we lose tonight it'll be a fitting end to a bad season.

Great teams find a way to win in big games and I have my doubts about this one. I want to buy into this team because they are a good looking product on paper, but it seems like every time I do I find myself at the returns desk wanting my money back. The talent is there, the goaltending is there and the coaching is there. The heart and determination are questionable.

I will say this though. The past three games the Hawks have shown the championship grit we saw last season. They dominated the Canucks in Games 4 and 5 and then proceeded to rip out their hearts in Game 6. Vancouver is wounded. They are mentally soft and result to thug tactics to rattle us and gain the psychological edge. They threw everything including the kitchen sink at us and we returned the favor by flushing them down the toilet. What else can Vancouver do? They had the physical and mental edge and now it's gone. This isn't the same Hawks team you saw in the regular season and it certainly isn't the same team the Canucks beat up on earlier in the series.

I have no idea what type of game we're going to see tonight. A Hawks blowout wouldn't surprise me and neither would a triple overtime thriller. I conceded this series after we went down 3-0 so I'm pretty much done predicting what the Hawks can and can't do at this point, but in closing I will say this.

All the struggles, the inconsistency and the let downs that encompassed this season doesn't mean squat when the puck drops this evening. The Blackhawks have an opportunity to eliminate the Canucks for the third straight season and what better way than to send them packing on their home ice? This is a going to be a war and I can't wait to wach it. I'm expecting big hits, brawls, elbows or whatever it takes to win. These teams do not like each other. In fact hate might be a more applicable word to describe this match up.

The atmosphere is going to be electric. This hits are going to be brutal. The pace is going to be furious and the physical toll is going to be monumental. This is more than just bragging rights. This is about sending a message and I hope Luongo has a spam folder because we are going to be sending a lot of junk his way.

The Canucks are rattled and the Hawks have all the momentum. Moral victories need not apply here. The Hawks have to win or this season is a failure. Limit turnovers, get pucks to Luongo and have a net presence. Those are my keys for tonight. Poise and control in a hostile environment are the vitals to avoid flat lining. A Blackhawks win tonight and this goes from a rivalry to a massacre.

 

The Moment

By Joe Tidei

The Moment is a place

In a memory you cannot erase

Your back's against the wall

As you lose yourself in time and space

When all eyes are on you

We call this The Moment

And when opportunity passes by

You grab hold in order to own it

Will you climb to the stars

Or will you fall flat on your face

Will you reach new heights

Knowing that this is your fate?

Through all the adversity

Through all the blood and tears

This is your chance

To rise above our fears

It's the moment of truth

The culmination of life's battle

Will you keep getting knocked down?

Or will you get back up in the saddle

Chills creep down your spine

Your heart falls to your feet

It's become mind over matter

The Moment to become elite

Physically exhausted

Emotionally drained

This is legendary territory

Can you fight through the pain?

The greats define The Moment

The ordinary let it define them

They succumb to the pressure

As they drift to another realm

It's all the clichés

But none of the ones you see

The Moment is a mirage

Where one and one equals three

The Moment isn't real

It's based on your perception

But for those who rise above it

Your mythical status awaits allocation

Reafs

By Joe Tidei

Misconception triggering confusion

With ignorance leading to delusion

Perceptions become jaded

From the bright lights that have faded

Inferences seeking answers

But the truth reveals the cancers

Understanding forming thesis'

The conscience is blown to pieces

Identifying all the unknown

Still hiding behind our thrones

So scared of the harsh reality

We starting finding our own mortality

Replacing truth with irrationality

By blinding our objectivity

Redundancy to stay insane

As we hold our truths in vein

Cocooned by the social wreath

Inside the hypocrisy of our own beliefs

Repulsed by perceived instigators

Resistance against all infiltrators

Religiously focused and devoted

Forgive and forget cocked n loaded

As an eye for an eye we come to find

Makes every single one of us blind

Obsessing through our rationality

This is our true fatality

 

9th World Wonder

By Joe Tidei

I'm bottling your emotions and sealing your fate

Catching you with hooks because you can't see the bait

Deciphering my writing is like reading hieroglyphs

The symbols I project form inferences you can't depict

Writing for me is like playing connect the dots

As I sit squared away in the prism of my thoughts

I'm planting ideas to seek all you've sought

Then ripping the grounds to get the root of your thoughts

I'm stealing the sun so hell starts to freeze

While buying my time to give life back its lease

I'm a bridge inspiring those living their dreams

As I close the gap between the scripture and the scene

I'm a key for the imprisoned who want to be freed

But I draw bars around the selfish who gamble their needs

I love all the highs in my ascent to the clouds

But I relish the anxiety that brings me back down

I'm exploring all the outlets to avoid getting shocked

Conducting my sentence on grounds of writers block

I'll pray on your confessions as I commune all your fears

Then baptise my sins off the flow of your tears

This is my prelude to the opening chorus

So you'd better go get a pen, some paper and a thesaurus

Energized by lighting and amplified by thunder

I've been chosen by nature to be the 9^th world wonder