Friday, June 22, 2007 Sayson: Why I don’t give a damn about Rodman By Homer Sayson Second Overtime
CHICAGO – Cyben Mitch Arias opens today’s e-mail session with a question about a decorated ex-Piston and a former Chicago Bull: “Do you have any whereabouts on Dennis ‘The Worm’ Rodman?”
Nice of you to ask, but I only have three Ds to say about Rodman—Don’t know. Don’t care. Don’t give a bleep.
Rodman visited our shores to peddle his worn-out act last April 2006. And even though he has long departed the A-list and turned into a washed-up D-celebrity, Dennis still behaved like a diva.
The 6-foot-8 brat snubbed the media and the good office of the Mandaue City mayor. Rodman was also reported to be arrogantly indifferent to a sparse crowd who paid good money to see his diminished skills thrash the squeaky-clean Mandaue City Sports Complex.
Thanks in large to Rodman’s morbidly unique people skills, the Bad Boy Tour flopped like a drunk gymnast. I feel so sorry for promoter Mario Whitmire, a good guy who paid $300,000 to Rodman and his teammates in the tour.
To his credit, though, Dennis was a terrific NBA player, borderline Hall-of-Famer. He won five championship rings and seven consecutive rebounding titles. A two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, he was an in-your-face menace who carved a legend by being able to neutralize Shaq and slow down Karl Malone’s mail.
But Rodman went out of his way to be disliked. He did not always love his fans back. He often disrespected both the game and his opponents, and he seemed determined to burn every bridge he ever set foot on.
Rodman is 46 now. He is so 1998, his 15 minutes of fame long gone. And as far as I’m concerned, he can go to hell.
Now, we interrupt my rant with this e-mail from 21-year-old Elmer Silot: “I’ve been a fan of yours since I was 16. Anyway, do you have any update on my idol, Dirk Nowitzki?”
Dirk, the first European-born player to ever win the MVP award, spends the off season at home in Wuzburg, West Germany, where he hooks up with his high school coach and works on further improving his game.
I asked Mavericks s team owner Mark Cuban for more details, but my e-mail remained unanswered as of last night.
E-MAIL OF THE WEEK. From Dr. Roger Belina, who wrote these lines after he saw a picture of me posing with the sultry Eva Longoria during the 2007 NBA Finals in Cleveland:
“I just can’t take it anymore. While the Dalai Lama toured New Zealand, I asked him ‘Why Homer and not me?’ The Dalai Lama replied: ‘You just don’t have it.’
Protesting, I said ‘What?’ But the Dalai Lama went on to say, ‘Did you know that in the past life ‘Charisma’ reincarnated as Homer? And worse, Tony Parker maybe was Homer in the past life, too.’
“Life is so unfair,” added Roger, who capped his brilliantly hilarious e-mail by signing off as the “Desperate Husband.”
MORE LETTERS. I’d like to thank the following Spurs fans for their e-mails: Dwight David Villares of New Zealand, Angelo Daniel Parcon and Jason Rey Batucan, who was generous enough to slip this note: “Thanks for being such a great read in an equally perfect newspaper.”
Thanks also to the other e-mailers: Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer, a Ludabi at heart, Gerald Manigos, Chester Benedict Go, John Paul Emmanuel Manlegro, Alfonso Cal and Stephen Alloso of Banco De Oro.
Finally, my sincerest gratitude to Stephen Tan, manager of ibank at Mango Avenue in Cebu City for his and his company’s support to my recently-concluded trip to Cleveland for the NBA Finals.
When I acknowledged my coverage sponsors last week, I foolishly forgot to mention Stephen and ibank. My deepest apologies, Stephen, and as you probably know already, I could be quite an idiot, sometimes.
