Derrick Rose

Ricky Rubio

Derrick Rose and Ricky Rubio are both outstanding basketball players.

Rose and Rubio are both point guards and therefore are the “quarterbacks of their respective teams.

Derrick Rose turns 21 years old in October of 2009 while Ricky Rubio turns 19 years old in October 2009.

Both Rose and Rubio are listed as 6′3″ tall.

Rose reportedly weighs 196 lbs. while Rubio is reported to weigh 180lbs.

Rose and Rubio are both well paid professional basketball players.

Rose was the first player chosen in the 2008 NBA draft.

Rubio is expected to be one of the first five players chosen in the 2009 NBA
draft.

Rose plays for the Chicago Bulls of the NBA.

Rubio plays for DKV Joventut in both the Spanish ACB League and ULEB Eurocup.

Rose was named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2008- 2009 season.

Rubio was named Mr. Europa and Defensive Player of the Year for the 2008-2009 season.

Rose at age 20 has been a professional basketball player for one season.

Rubio at age 18 has been a professionall basketball player for four years.

Rose is a United States citizen.

Rubio is a citizen of Spain.

Rose’s former team the University of Memphis Tigers, may be penalized because it is alleged that Rose committed fraud by having someone else take a college entrance test for him.

Rubio’s team ,DKV Joventut, on the other hand will receive a multi-million dollar payment if Rubio plays in the NBA.

Because he is a U.S. citizen, Rose needed to be 19 years old and one year removed from high school to be eligible to play in the NBA.

Because he is not a U.S. citizen Rubio could become a professional athlete in his country without regard to his age or educational status.

Rose, who in the education vernacular might best be described as an “indifferent student”,was probably not interested in attending college but went through the motions in order to promote his future professional career.

Rubio was able to pursue his profession at age 14 and was able to continue his education while doing so.

Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler are examples of  U.S.high school basketball players who are  circumventing the current system which requires elite players to attend college for at least one year prior to entering the NBA draft.

Jennings who it is said could not achieve a qualifying score on his college entrance test,made more than one million dollars playing in Italy in the 2008-2009 season and will enter this year’s NBA draft.

Jeremy Tyler a San Diego High School basketball player announced that he is foregoing his senior year to play professionally in Europe and enter the NBA draft in two years.

Perhaps if U.S.citizens had the same opportunity to play professionally as Ricky Rubio there would be no reason for elite players to cheat on college entrance tests.

Or will Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler become the catalysts for changing the NBA  age rules?

Al Davis and John McCain

In the 1970,’s I lived in Northern California and owned one-half of a season ticket for the Oakland Raider football games. The Raiders were an exciting team and the atmosphere at the games was exciting. On Sundays when my turn came to use the tickets, we would assemble at a neighborhood restaurant have brunch board a bus and begin a Sunday morning rolling cocktail party. By the time the bus reached the stadium, many on our bus were “well oiled.”

The Raiders’ Black Hole

Raider games in those days and in many ways today, were parties as much as football games. The story that was spread then was that the Raiders built their fan base by selling tickets to bars and restaurants that like us traveled to the game in large groups. While I had been to N.F.L. games in other cities, none compared to the energy and excitement of a Raider game. A major characteristic of Raider games was the racial diversity of the fans in the stadium. Again, the story was that the Raider fan base was built from the black, white, and Hispanic neighborhood bars.

The Raider teams were always different from most other teams. Al Davis the managing partner was devoted to wide-open football that emphasized the long passes. Darryl Lamonica, the “mad bomber, “might connect for seventy yards with the likes of Warren Wells on any given play. Kenny Stabler who succeeded Lamonica as quarterback, had Cliff Branch and Fred Biletnikoff to grab his throws.

Al Davis created a team filled with sometimes wild and crazy personalities. He had, for example, the “Mad Stork”, Ted Hendricks. The Raiders had Otis Sistrunk, an alumnus of the “University of Mars”, George Blanda, a quarterback who played well into his 40’s, and Warren Wells, a man troubled with a variety of legal and personal issues. The Raiders were the last refuge for talented players who had troubles in college or with other N.F.L. teams.

Just Win Baby

The Raiders’ motto was and is, Commitment to Excellence. Al Davis’ personal mantra was and is, “Just Win Baby”. Moreover, Davis and his Raiders have been winners for many years. The Raiders throughout their history have been one of the most successful teams in the National Football League. The Raiders have also been Super Bowl winners.

In addition, Al Davis has been in the forefront of important changes in professional sports. Davis hired the first African American head coach and the first Hispanic head coach in the N.F.L. Davis , is the man who elevated a young assistant coach named John Madden to head coach. Madden is now and more known for his television work and video games than his stint as Super Bowl champion coach. Davis involved himself in on-going disputes with N.F.L. commissioner Pete Rozelle and several of his fellow team owners. Davis won court decisions that in part changed the way the N.F.L. does business to this day. It is important to remember, that Davis was once an assistant football coach in the old American Football League who rose to become commissioner of that League and through his shrewd moves became the managing partner of an N.F.L. Many sources report that Davis’ net worth now exceeds 100 million dollars.

Tony Dungy’s Tampa Two

In recent years, however, the Raiders have fallen on hard times. They have been perennial losers. They have had a revolving door of coaches and have selected a number of players who have not succeeded in the N.F.L. The Raiders, who were once at the top of professional football, are now the subject of ridicule and scorn.

As great as Al Davis has been in the past, he is now and aging, disabled man who has let the game pass him by. Tony Dungy’s, “Tampa Two”, defense that has been adopted by many N.F.L. teams, has neutralized the long pass. Defensive players in the league are so big and fast that many of the plays that once worked do not work as well today. The so-called “west coast offense” perfected by the late Bill Walsh which emphasizes short passes is the predominate offense in today’s N.F.L.

Despite the changes in present day football, Davis continues to build his teams the same way he did in the 1970’s and 1980’s. He has let go two of the league’s best head coaches, Mike Shanahan and John Gruden and now has a 33 year old, former college assistant coach, Lane Kiffen who he wanted to get rid of after one season. Another thing that has changed in today’s N.F.L. is the salaries paid to players. In Davis’ heyday, players’ salaries were modest compared to day. The world has changed and Al Davis has not.

A Cautionary Tale for McCain

John McCain needs to look carefully at Al Davis’s current situation. Although McCain has had a reputation as independent and a maverick Republican member of the U.S. Senate in his run for president, he has adopted the standard Republican Party orthodoxy. McCain thinks the solution to the nation’s current economic woes rests on the continuation of the tax cuts that President Bush has touted as producing prosperity. The credit crisis, the growing wave of house foreclosures, the skyrocketing price of gasoline, the falling U.S. dollar are just some of the challenges that McCain needs to address. McCain wants to see the Iraq War through to a successful completion. The people of America want a swift end to the war. Similarly, most Americans want the nation to regain its role as a leader of the world but McCain argues to continue the unsuccessful international policies of the current administration.

Can old warriors change? Al Davis has not. Will John McCain change?

Since her blowout loss in North Carolina and a razor thin win in Indiana, there are increasing demands for Senator Clinton to drop her campaign.In response to these demands, the New York senator says that, she plans to continue her campaign until a nominee is chosen. NBC’s Meet the Press host Tim Russert ,has declared that we now know who the nominee is and it is Obama.

The Two Georges, Will and McGovern Urge Clinton to Quit

Former Democratic Party presidential candidate George McGovern has joined a growing number of political leaders urging Clinton to quit the race. Newspapers and the “blogosphere “ , cable news, and radio talk shows are jammed with articles and commentaries pointing out the futility of Clinton continuing her efforts to secure the nomination. The arithmetic is certainly against Clinton since she cannot win more states, get more votes, nor win more delegates than Obama. Even conservative columnist George Will has joined the cause urging Clinton to quit in a column, Yankee Fan Go Home.

Remember the Wisdom of Mrs. Loman

In a moving scene in Arthur Miller’s classic play Death of a Salesman, Mrs. Loman tells her son who is deeply disappointed with his father that “attention must be paid to such a person”. Mrs. Loman’s wisdom now should apply to Senator Clinton’s current situation. Clinton started this race as the odds on favorite to win the nomination. She has won a number of large states including New York, California, Texas, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Senator Clinton has a passionate following of older women. For many women Clinton symbolizes the same world-changing phenomenon as Obama represents for African Americans. The Clinton brand in the Democratic party is powerful. The Clinton presidency with all its foibles was a time of peace and prosperity in the nation. It is important to remember that less than a year ago, Clinton seemed to be the almost certain nominee.

Nevertheless, after raising over 100 million dollars and making personal loans of more than 11 million dollars to her campaign, Clinton has apparently lost the nomination. Not only has she lost but also she lost to a first term senator with little experience at the national level but who can give a good speech. She has lost to an African American when just a few months ago African Americans revered the Clintons. In addition, young women and well-educated women have turned against Clinton. The world of politics, the Clinton’s have known has changed dramatically. I am sure the Clintons are asking themselves how could this happen?

Older White Women Are People Too

I believe it is not appropriate to demand that Senator Clinton quit the race. She is the only one who can decide when and how to end her campaign. Democrats owe the Clintons the opportunity to exit the stage with dignity. Passionate Clinton supporters will be sensitive to the way she leaves the race. Will Obama treat Clinton as a loser or as a powerful former opponent?

The Obama campaign needs to treat the New York Senator respectfully. The Obamas will need the Clintons to help them connect to the various components of the Clinton constituencies. In football terms, it is time for the Obama team to just run the ball up the middle and not try any long passes. Obama must save the long passes and the “razzle dazzle” for John McCain. The clock is running out on the Clintons.

Roger Clemens

Rev. Jeremiah Wright

With apologies to Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens is probably the greatest pitcher in the last twenty plus years of baseball history. Clemens has won 354 games and lost 184 in his 24-year career. He won the Cy Young award seven times. The Cy Young award signifies that during that season, Clemens was the best pitcher in his league. Clemens has won three games and lost none in his World Series appearances with the New York Yankees.

Clemens has always presented himself as a “real man’s man.” He is an articulate, college-educated athlete and appeared to represent the best, baseball had to offer. During his career, Clemens made more than $100 million dollars in salary from his teams. He has also been very successful in endorsing products and services of corporate America. He has been in demand for speaking at events and memorabilia and card shows.

The Mitchell Report Changes Lives

Clemens’ life and reputation changed dramatically on December 13, 2007. On that day, the Mitchell Report was made public. In the report, Roger Clemens was identified as a player who had used performance-enhancing drugs. Brian McNamee, a former trainer, said Clemens used performance enhancers on several occasions. McNamee also identified Andy Pettitte, as another of his clients who used banned substances. While Clemens denied McNamee’s claims, Pettitte admitted to using performance enhancers.

Clemens and McNamee went “toe to toe” before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. McNamee forcefully repeated his accusations. Clemens vehemently denied that he ever used banned substances. Republicans on the committee seemed to believe Clemens while Democrats on the committee seemed to support McNamee. In the end, the committee voted to ask the Justice Department to investigate both Clemens and McNamee to determine which one had committed perjury. Clemens compounded his problems by appearing on the CBS television program “60 Minutes“. In his “60 Minutes” interview , Clemens suggested that everyone is lying but him.

Making the Beast with Two Backs

Clemens reputation took another hit when the New York Daily News reported that Clemens had a number of extra marital affairs with a variety of women. The first woman identified as “making the beast with two backs” with Clemens, was Mindy McCready a troubled, country singer whom Clemens first met and invited to his hotel room when she was fifteen years old. Clemens denies having an “inappropriate relationship” with McCready.On the other hand McCready, seems to suggest that her sexual relationship with Clemens did not occur until after she turned eighteen. The Daily News has identified several other women, including one of golfer John Daly’s ex-wives, who were intimately, involved with Clemens. For Clemens who often declared that his wife and family were the most important parts of his life, these revelations are particularly damaging.

Jeremiah Wright – Another Successful Career

Like, Roger Clemens the Rev. Jeremiah Wright has had an outstanding career. Wright a decorated member of the U.S. Marines and the U.S. Navy was riding high .In Chicago, as pastor, preacher, teacher, scholar, and community activist Wright was one of the best. He helped build the ministries of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago to the point where this church became one of the most important and vital churches in the city. Oprah Winfrey and other local movers and shakers were often members and visitors in Wright’s congregation. For African Americans visiting Chicago, Trinity was a must stop in the same way that Rev.T.D. Jakes’ Potter’s House is in Dallas.

In 2007, Jeremiah Wright was about to retire from the active pastorate. A successor was in place and Wright was about to be honored and recognized by churches, seminaries, and civic organizations across the nation. Wright was being honored for his outstanding body of work. On top of these accolades, one of Wright’s congregants, Barack Obama, was becoming the first African American with a serious opportunity to become the nominee of his party for President of the United States.

YouTube Changes Lives

For Jeremiah Wright, YouTube changed his life. Snippets of Wright’s sermons form several different dates appeared on YouTube. In those snippets, Wright blasts America for its treatment of African Americans. In one clip he suggests that the American government may be responsible for the spread of AIDS among African Americans. For many the most disturbing clip involved Wright saying,”Not God Bless America but God Damn America.”

Wright the decorated former Marine was now seen as “unpatriotic”. The pastor who helped develop a dynamic program to address the issues of HIV/AIDS in the African American community was now called a “nut case.” The spiritual adviser to a potential U.S. President was now being called “a dangerous old man”. The national media descended on Wright’s church and congregants looking for more examples of Wright’s “inappropriate words and deeds.”

Wright compounded his problems with speeches he made before the Detroit NAACP and the National Press Club. These were nationally televised speeches and Wright seemed intoxicated by the presence of the television cameras. Following these speeches, Barack Obama felt it necessary to totally repudiate Wright’s words and to some degree distance himself from Wright the man. Obama said that Wright was now a caricature of a once talented and distinguished pastor.

The Tragic Flaw in Clemens and Wright

To see two men who have had such successful careers fall so far in the estimation of the public is deeply disturbing. Roger Clemens the great pitcher and competitor is now the butt of jokes about sex and drugs. Jeremiah Wright the great preacher and pastor is now a racist “madman” in the eyes of many Americans. For many African Americans the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is now a “dream killer”.

In both cases, the body of work that was celebrated not long ago will be forever tarnished and in some cases dismissed. Both these men are exceptionally talented but their flaws have brought them to this difficult time in their lives. In the Greek tragedies, it was hubris that brought great men down to their knees. In today’s world, it is the television camera and hubris, that can bring great men down to their knees.

“The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves…..”

In London, Paris and now San Francisco there have been protests following the Olympic torch relay as it makes its way to China for the 2008 Olympic Games. The protests are focused on issues such as China’s repression in Tibet, China’s failure to act to end the genocide in Darfur, and the general suppression of human rights in China.

There have been calls for the U.S. to boycott the 2008 games in China. Others have called for U.S. President George W. Bush to boycott the Olympic’s opening ceremony. What do you think should be done?

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I don’t bet on sporting events. But for the last 15 or so years I have always picked the winner of the Super Bowl and helped my friends make thousands of dollars following my advice especially on proposition bets. Tyra Banks has nothing to do with this but I figured she knows as much about winners as any of the Las Vegas touts. Just like the “slickster” sports handicappers if my picks don’t win you can have all my next season’s picks for free. But then again you can get them for free anyway. So as a public service, here goes:

Propositions:

Coin Toss- Heads Team to Win the Coin Toss- Giants

Receiving Opening Kickoff- Giants

Team to Score First – Patriots Team to score Last- Giants

First Score of the Game- Field Goal

Eli Manning Pass Attempts- Over 34 ½

Tom Brady Pass Attempts- Over 37 ½

Will Eli Manning Throw an Interception? – Yes

Will Tom Brady Throw an Interception? – Yes

Over / Under 53 ½ - Over

Point Spread Winner- Giants +11 ½

Money Line Winner - Patriots (Never Bet against a Michigan Quarterback Even One On One Leg)

Let me know how you did. Should you win big donate, 10% to your favorite charity in the name of politicsandsports.com.

Representative Christopher Shays (R) Connecticut

On Tuesday January 15, 2008 a committee of the United States House of Representatives held hearings on the use of performance enhancing drugs by major league baseball players. For several hours committee members grilled Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Player’s union chief Donald Fehr, and former U.S. senator George Mitchell on the failure of baseball to remove steroids and HGH from the game.

Representative Shays Frightens Many With His Lack of Knowledge

One of the most unusual happenings in the proceedings was the behavior of Connecticut Representative Chris Shays who didn’t seem to know the name of the baseball commissioner. He also struggled with the name documented steroid user Rafael Palmero. Baseball is clearly not Shays best sport. With such limited knowledge one wonders whether legislators like Shays can make informed decisions on matters about Major League Baseball.

Mitchell Defends a Flawed Investigation

George Mitchell, the former senator, lawyer and diplomat with unblemished credentials, defended his report and outlined many of the challenges he faced in examining the substance abuse problems in baseball. Mitchell’s group did not have the power to subpoena players or team employees. The Mitchell group relied on hearsay often to identify abusers of performance enhancing drugs. In other cases Mitchell’s group based it conclusions on the work of journalists and commentators to identify substance users.

Selig Throws the San Francisco Giants “Under the Bus”

Commissioner Bud Selig admitted that his office could have been more vigilant in its oversight of the substance abuse issues. While admitting his failings, Selig blamed individual teams and especially the San Francisco Giants for not being forthcoming with information about suspicious actions of team employees. Selig suggested that if the Giants had reported Barry Bonds’ trainer to his office, this problem may have been addressed much sooner.

Fehr Like Sergeant Schultz “Knows Nothing”

Baseball union head Donald Fehr lectured the committee on labor law until he was brought up short by committee member Eleanor Holmes Norton who has also taught law. Fehr now admits that until two years ago he like many baseball officials and journalists knew nothing about the steroid problem in baseball. He now has found religion and is working closely with the commissioner.

Are There More Important Issues That Congress Should Be Investigating?

Several million Americans are subject to losing their homes through foreclosure. Home prices are falling. Iconic American corporations such as Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and Citigroup have had to go “hat in hand” seeking investments from foreign countries to avoid insolvency. The Taliban is surging again. The dollar is in free fall and oil is “sniffing” at the $100 a barrel mark. There are droughts in the West and the South.

Given all these challenges facing this nation, I wonder if investigating major league baseball is the best use of the time and energy of the U.S. Congress?

Tony Dungy

David Palmer/Dennis Haysbert

Barack Obama will forever be a historic figure in the annals of American politics. Unlike Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Shirley Chisholm, Obama is a serious contender for his party’s presidential nomination. In two states, Iowa and New Hampshire, with minuscule African-American populations Obama is at or near the top of the presidential preference polls. Obviously, Obama has outstanding intellectual, analytic, and oratorical talents. I believe that events in the worlds of entertainment and sports have also helped Obama in his quest for the nomination.

David Palmer : A Post Racial President

David Palmer was the President of the United States (POTUS) in the hit television show “24“. Dennis Haysbert who played the role of Palmer gave us a picture of a capable and complex leader and provided the perfect counterpoint to Kiefer Sutherland’s character Jack Bauer. If you have spent anytime around college students and other young adults you might believe that “24“ was a deft portrayal of reality rather than a fictionalized television series. Far down on the list of attributes of “President Palmer” was that he was an African-American. Haysbert was so commanding in his role of POTUS, that he is now the ubiquitous television pitchman for ALLSTATE Insurance.

Tony Dungy : Super Bowl Champ

Tony Dungy has won more games than any other coach in the National Football League (NFL) over the past twelve years. His current team, the Indianapolis Colts, has set a new record for winning twelve or more games for five consecutive years. Before taking his current position, Dungy was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dungy is a “soft spoken” coach who doesn’t yell and scream at players and many analysts believed that he was not tough enough to win a Super Bowl. Dungy was the, most successful African-American coach in NFL history, but no African-American coach had ever won the Super Bowl. You can see Dungy’s complete record at the following site:

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=coachbio&coach_id=18

When the Colts won the 2008 Super Bowl the assessment of Dungy’s talents changed. He was now a Super Bowl winning coach. He had now joined a select fraternity of coaches who had won “the Big One“. Now that fraternity of NFL coaching legends was no longer a “whites only” group. Dungy capitalized on his football success by penning a biographical memoir, Quiet Strength. The book, which has become a national best-seller, provides rare insight into the NFL and into a complex man.

Palmer and Dungy Have Blazed the Trail for Obama

I am not suggesting that sports and entertainment are deciding reasons in Barack Obama’s emergence as a formidable candidate for his party’s nomination. I do believe the games we play both on the playing field and in the entertainment field help shape some peoples view of the world. Like Palmer, Obama’s race is not first on his list of qualities. Like Dungy, Obama, is putting forward a different approach to achieving political success. Many people can now see an Obama in the Oval Office picture.

On Thursday a federal grand jury in San Francisco, indicted baseball star, Barry Bonds, on several counts of perjury and obstruction of justice. This indictment was an outcome of a multi-year investigation by the United States Attorney in San Francisco into the use of steroids and other performance enhancing substances by elite professional athletes. Several athletes have already been indicted including Olympic star Marian Jones who has already pleaded guilty and confessed to using steroids. While the presumption of innocence applies to Bonds as it does to all those charged but not yet tried, this indictment is disturbing no matter what the outcome.

I met Barry Bonds when he was a student and baseball team member at Arizona State University. I saw him play many times as a collegian and marveled at the talent and skills he displayed. He could run, hit, hit for power and was an outstanding fielder. When Bonds left college, he went on to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and was a great player on that team for several years. He later joined the San Francisco Giants and continued his journey to become one of the greatest baseball players of all-time. Although, I moved away from Arizona, I returned to the desert many times to watch spring training and saw Bonds and his Giants’ in Scottsdale.

Heads and Bodies Get Larger

For many years in the late 1990’s and early 2000, baseball players on almost all teams appeared to be getting bigger and more powerful. Bonds was no exception and appeared to have undergone a total body transformation. In college Bonds had a svelte, athletic body which suddenly became a massive frame with a head that had swelled dramatically. Bonds was not alone, baseball players generally, seemed to be getting bodies which looked more like football players. While, the official reason for these changes in body types was credited to better nutrition and training regimens, there were loud whispers that steroid use was rampant among ballplayers.

Bonds went on with his new body to become major league baseball’s most prolific home run hitter. He passed Babe Ruth who had 714 home runs and he passed Henry Aaron’s home run mark of 755. Bonds had always hit home runs but never as many as he did after his body type changed. In his grand jury testimony, Bonds claims that he never knowingly used performance enhancing drugs. The indictment suggests that Bonds did not deny that these substances were in his system but that he believed that he had been using legal nutritional supplements and ointments. With his home run prowess, Bonds has amassed a fortune in salary from the Giants. He should by now be worth well over $100 million even if he had a conservative, personal investment strategy.

Apple Computer Admits to Cheating

Bonds is not alone in being accused of cheating. Another grand jury in San Francisco has been examining whether executives at Apple Computer, which is now just called Apple,
had received illegally backdated stock options. Backdating options is simply a method to make these stock grants to employees more valuable. A team, led by former United States Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore discovered that stock options had indeed been backdated. Gore,s group concluded that this backdating had increased the value of the options by almost $100 million.

Gore’s report concluded that Steve Jobs, the president of Apple, did not directly benefit from this backdating but he did approve the documents which permitted this to happen. Apple’s former chief financial officer, while not admitting guilt in the backdating scandal has forfeited almost $3 million and paid interest and penalties of $700 thousand to settle a Securities and Exchange Commission complaint against him for backdating stock options. There are charges and allegations pending against other Apple executives.

Apple is not alone in the backdating scandals. Some reports suggest that more than 160 major American companies have been involved in this practice. Apple, however, is a company which has been exemplary in its leadership in corporate America in developing innovative products. Apple’s stock price has been rising meteorically over the past few years. Apple’s Ipod has revolutionized the way people around the world access record and playback media. The newer iPhone has spawned a rush by other mobile phone manufacturers to add more and more features to their products. Apple’s array of laptop and desktop computers such as the ibook, Powerbook, and iMac have been transformed from an almost cult status to more mainstream devices for personal , educational, entertainment, and business use.

                                              Never Enough

The value of Apple’s stock has increased dramatically as the companies innovative products have become best sellers. In November of 2002 a share of Apple common stock was worth just under $8. Today in November of 2007 a share of Apple stock is worth about $166. Without any manipulation of the dates of stock options, Apple executives would have made small fortunes when they exercised their options and sold stock.

Similarly, Barry Bonds was on his way to a Hall of Fame career before there was ever any hint that he had used performance enhancing substances. He was Rookie of the Year in 1986 and the Most Valuable Player in the National League in 1990, 1992, and 1993. In addition, Bonds won Most Valuable Player honors in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004. Clearly, had Bonds’ career ended in 1999 he would have been remembered as one of the best ever.

I believe that the cases of Bonds and Apple reflect a condition in our society today where “enough is never enough”. Our athletes, our corporate executives, our politicians, our investment professionals and most of the rest of us simply can never get enough. Today, we have adopted the mantra once expressed by former American labor leader, Samuel Gompers who said, “We do want more, and when it becomes more, we shall still want more. And we shall never cease to demand more …”