Groundbreaking Hall of Fame center George Mikan died Thursday. He was 80. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound center from DePaul led the NBA in scoring his first six seasons and paced the Minneapolis Lakers to four NBA titles: one in 1950, then three in a row from 1952-54. Because of his eminence in league history, O'Neal announced in the pre-game that he was dedicating his performance in the game to Mikan. After the game, he told a national audience on TNT: "My condolences to the Mikan family. I heard they were having some (financial) problems. If they contact the Heat offices, I would like to pay for the funeral."

The BIG GUY HAS A BIG HEART!!!

SHAQ IS THE MAN!!!!!!

The Big Fella <U>is</U> a stud.

You must remember that Shaq is the son of a military man and has a huge value in public service. He is literally a police officer and even is working under cover to go after child predators on the internet. It does not at all surprise me the gesture was made. That is just the kind of human being he is.

Peace

There was a Rick Reilly article published God knows when (tried to search on si.com, appears to be subscriber access only) that touted Shaq as the focus.

It went on to thank Shaq for not having 7 babies from 7 ladies like another NBA player. For having a sense of humour during interviews. For being an honest human being. For not hitting your wife, or girlfriend. For not shooting anybody..... you get the idea.

Shaq IS the man.

He's a decent basketball player too.

I like Shaq, I think he's funny and generally a good guy, as pointed out throughout this thread. But it's a sad day when we congratulate people for not sleeping around and not abusing your wife. For these acts of heroism, Shaq is "the man".

C'mon Chuck, don't be so cynical. :)

I don't think that's what they're saying. They're just adding that he's a standup guy, a responsible citizen, and a good father and husband. That's on top of what he does for charities and the offer he made to the Mikan family.

IMO, I have to agree with Chuck. I don't think he was trying to put down Shaq, but rather the fact that society has come down to the level of having to praise someone for doing things that should be considered normal. Maybe in the context of NBA players, he is a "great man". I would hope in regular society, his actions would make him just one of us.

<FONT COLOR=RED>Just sayin'...</FONT>

...Not *funny* down south in Canada.

That's all I'm saying.

I like your effective use of <FONT COLOR=GREEN>colour</FONT>! It does bring some <FONT COLOR=YELLOW>honour</FONT> and dignity to this site.

:D

Take off, eh.

Ya hoser.

Easy, Dan.

What would Brian Boitano do?

Blame Canada?

Now there's a thought I really, really, really did not need to have on a Friday!!!

Thanks a LOT M&M!

:D

He would make a plan, then I'm sure he would kick an @ss or 2.

That's what Brian Boitano would do!

First of all Rick Riley is an idiot. I do not listen too much he has to say. He is very cynical about athletes and thinks if they do not fall under this "holier than thou" personality or talk to the media (which is common) he thinks they are all less than human. So it does not surprise me that when you find a regular guy like Shaq, Riley thinks they are superman.

Peace

While I can accept your opinion or Rick Riley, I personally enjoy his writing. In fact, I usually start reading his column before I can get from the mailbox to the house.

I really appreciate all the honourable people on this board. :D

BTW - Chuck's right. Not to take anything away from Shaq, but it is sad that pro athletes who aren't scumbags are somehow revered for not being social deviants away off the court/field.

I like Shaq. He's neither here nor there, he just IS. Too bad Kobe couldn't have learned more from him.

Don't be getting Juggling Referee mad now. You may want to try and enter Canada some time- and you might run into him.
http://www.comedy-zone.net/pictures/...coastguard.jpg
Keeping Canada's borders safe!!

[Edited by Jurassic Referee on Jun 3rd, 2005 at 01:31 PM]

Just an opinion
 

I am not saying he is not a good writer nor has some interesting points in his writing. I do not read SI, so I cannot really speak much about what he writes in that magazine. I have seen him talk in interviews or talk about his articles and he always comes off as a self-righteous prick. When he pulled that little stunt with Bonds and Sosa to get them tested for steroids, then proceeded to rip them because they had the gall to question Riley's motives. Then Riley went around the radio circuit and tried to use his stunt as evidence that they were juiced up. I just do not like reporters that spend time trying to make news instead of reporting it. I do not have a problem that he has an opinion, but just listening to his rant about Shaq is just plain stupid. He should look around. There are a lot of athletes doing the same thing as Shaq. He should stop trying to stereotype ever NBA player because one cannot keep his thang in his pants. I know people that do not play in the NBA and cannot stop having kids by different women.

Sorry for the rant. ;)

Peace

Gotta agree with Rut this time ...Riley makes his living off of finding dirt on famous athletes and then ripping on them. He's a sleaze-bag...a large part of this "problem" - the fact that Shaq is being touted as being such a good guy - is the fact that the hundreds of other professional athletes in all the major sports that are doing the exact same thing get absolutely no press. All the ink is spent on pointing out the minority of the pro athletes who have problems (and yes, I freely admit that there are jerks in pro sports)...so people are "surprised" to hear that Shaq is such a good guy because all the other "good guys" never get any press...something wrong with that situation!

Whenever you start talking about anybody in any catagory, you'll always leave someone out. I presume Riley talked about Shaq because if his article was about Lyle Overbay, most people whould have no clue. What's the difference between his motives and any other magazine or fish-wrap writer? They all want to sell copies. It seems that if the shoe fits, Riley tries to kick someone in the arse with it, but just the same, he'll pump someone up for their good things also.

JMO

Shaq the Cop
 

I read another interesting tid-bit about Shaq in Time Magazine this week that was pretty impressive. (Attached is the snip-it)

_____________________________________

Often, when an NBA star and a cop meet, it's not to exchange free-throw tips--if you know what we mean. And then there's SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, the Miami Heat center who spends his days away from the playoffs working with the Miami Beach police to bust online sexual predators. Shaq became a U.S. deputy marshal this spring and is training to be a reserve police officer. Shaq says he will probably give his day job three more years but will then join the force full time: "I'm definitely running for sheriff in Broward or Orange County, Florida." Game on, bad guys.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...1066951,00.html

I honestly think that Shaq is the best player in the league, with all due respect to Tim Duncan, and I think his actions were genuine and noble by offering to pay for George Mikan's funeral, but I wish he did it in private rather than on national TV. Because he broadcast his desire in public, all of us are questioning his motives.

He's a good man and we should all respect him for that without comparing him to other pro sports athletes. He's always done what's moral and he'll have me behind him as he continues in his path towards doing the right thing.

This is a great job! I can pick my own shifts, allowing me to referee whenever I like.

Don't be getting Juggling Referee mad now. You may want to try and enter Canada some time- and you might run into him.
http://www.comedy-zone.net/pictures/...coastguard.jpg
Keeping Canada's borders safe!![/B][/QUOTE]

This is a great job! I can pick my own shifts, allowing me to referee whenever I like. [/B][/QUOTE]And if you get pissed-off at a coach or player, in lieu of a "T" you can blow 'em away instead.

<b><i>"Make my day, coach"</i></b>

I just think Shaq was being all he knows how to be and that is Shaq. I like the fact that he likes the same things we like, and kids like since he is a big kid, yet his day job is what it is. While I think he does have more than one baby's momma he is obviously a family man. As far as I can remember he hasn't blatantly started any drama in the press. He has been forced to respond many times but that is to be expected. He just seems as normal and fun loving as someone can be when they are 7 feet tall (and almost 7 feet wide, I saw him once and his width is more impressive than his height) and play in the NBA.

Shaq
 

i put the thread out there to see how many negative and not so negative thoughts would come out about shaq i really do not care how many baby mommas he has or if he even hit his wife the statement he made to help the family with the funeral is what i was talking about.

out

Not sure what you're getting at
 

dawg,

There is some risk when posting a message to having to read responses that may not be in line with your original idea. However, they may provide support to the point you are making. Or maybe even provide information that is contrary to the other points, but just as valid.

FWIW, this is called communication.

Re: Shaq
 

You don't care if a guy beats his wife? That doesn't inform your opinion of the person? :confused:

Maybe you ought to call this topic in to the worthless Jim Rome show, clone.

It does not take much
 

to get a conversation going!!! so i guess you r one of the refs that thinks the guy sitting in the front row giving you fits should b kicked out the gym.

out

I like most of his writing as well. I just wish he wrote about sports more often instead of all those articles about golf.

Re: Shaq
 

Why is it that if a poster starts a thread, he/she thinks he/she gets to decide how everyone else responds? :confused: