My NBA Mount Rushmore

One of the big conversations around the NBA All-Star game this year was who would be the four players on your Mount Rushmore of basketball. I certainly didn't want to be left out of the conversation, so here are my thoughts for the four faces that make their way onto the iconic rock:

• Michael Jordan
• Could this one be any more obvious? The man IS the NBA in so many ways. 50 years from now, we will still be talking about the shrug, the flu game, the shot and the push-off (depends on who you ask). With any luck, we'll have burned any records that remind us that he is one of the worst executives in NBA history.
• Larry Bird
• 3x NBA champ, 3x MVP, 9x 1st team All NBA and a whole bunch of other accolades that aren't worth listing out because it would take way too much time. Tough as nails, but with a shooting touch as soft as fresh sheets in the summertime. Plus, you're telling me his face wouldn't look great chiseled out in rock?
• Oscar Robertson
• The man revolutionized the point guard position. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. I don't care if the pace of play was insanely high that year; averaging a triple double over the course of 82 games is something we might not ever see again.
• Tim Duncan
• Yeah, okay, so maybe I am biased because he is the best player that I can remember watching the entire duration of his career. But his statistics, consistency and team's relevancy for his time in the league is nearly unmatched. Timmy D may not be the sexiest player in NBA history, but he is damn sure one of the best. As a sidenote, there would be some construction issues trying to make his eyes pop out like they do when he is upset about a call.

The next two athletes whose faces should be getting molded right now because they will probably make their way on there - LeBron and Durant.

Who would be in your Mount Rushmore of NBA players?

Is LeBron James against supporting the troops? No. Just stop.

Following Saturday's seriously climactic finish of USA vs. Russia in hockey, where TJ Oshie rightfully became a household name after willing the US to victory in a shootout, fans were treated to a great post-game interview. Hockey players make for some of the best interviews in my opinion because most of them have clearly not had media training and seem to genuinely love what they do.

TJ Oshie is no different. He said all of the right things in several interviews - the thanks should go to US goalie Jonathan Quick, this was really a solid team effort, forecheck, forecheck and forecheck some more - and, of course, in what has become a strange motif of all sporting interviews, Oshie brushes off the title of hero and says that "the American heroes are wearing camo."

Nobody doubts that our American soldiers, whether overseas or based here in the US, are truly heroes for which we all owe great thanks. Athletes, in particular, have become rather fond of praising the troops whenever the opportunity arises. Great! The more appreciation and recognition, the better.

Then a curious thing started happening. This meme started to make its way around Facebook:

You know what, I don't even have the time to sit here and pretend to be diplomatic about this. If you liked this meme on Facebook, retweeted it, shared it on Instagram or whatever form of social media you used - you are dumber than a lobotomized pig and I think less of you.

You're totally right - LeBron is definitely against the troops and is completely selfish for saying that he likes being seen as a role model. Anyone who embraces that fact and is cognizant that it affects his actions on and off the court clearly cares about nobody but himself. No, that makes plenty of sense. I mean, how DARE he suggest that he can serve as a level to aspire to for kids and adults of any age. Coupled with the audacity of not showing love for the troops? ASSHOLE.

Seriously, though, can someone please explain this to me? Why are we trying to vilify LeBron here? It's not like he does about 45x (at LEAST) the number of interviews that TJ Oshie does on a yearly basis and has almost certainly given his thanks to the troops at some point.

Oh, wait. Yes, he has - LeBron James does right by troops. Thank you, internet archives, for allowing me to Google that in approximately 10 seconds and post it to show just how truly idiotic people are for making this comparison.

Supporting the troops is a given. Saying it in every single interview is not a requirement. Especially for a guy who is interviewed multiple times a week.

And promoting bull shit memes like this perpetuates the stereotype of the self-absorbed, thinks-he's-the-greatest-of-all-time black athlete and nobody should stand for it.

LeBron James is a hero to millions of people around the world for his works on and off the court. TJ Oshie is a hero to so many patriots in this country who feel that the Olympics stand for something more than just sports. And the troops that support us are certainly heroes as well - a fact that barely needs repeating at this point.

It's great to remind ourselves that there isn't just one type of heroes in this world.

Is BusinessInsider or its readers the problem?

While perusing Twitter today, I came across a link to a Business Insider article. It was a standard BI type of article where the news was kept fairly high-level, digestible and concisely written - just a quick snapshot of the news and why it was important.

I think that there is a certain amount of that that is healthy for readers in today's fast-paced world. Many would argue that we can only take in so many pieces of information in a given day, so it is better to get as many 1000 feet views of numerous topics than it is to develop an in-depth understanding of a few select issues.

But too much of that and we start to lose the significance of issues by glancing over some of the nuances. And that is where I start to get a little frustrated with a publication like Business Insider. In addition to its click-baiting (save that for another day), it would prefer a gatling gun style approach where it guns down issues left and right rather than focusing on some truly solid reporting on bigger issues. Ultimately it is the reader who loses out when this happens.

Take for instance an article that came out just before the Olympics - 16 Crazy Anecdotes About Sex In The Olympic Village. Never mind the fact that the title of the article would seem to suggest that these are direct anecdotes the journalist acquired, the entire article is simply a "listicle" of a truly excellent piece of journalism that Sam Alipour put together for  ESPN two years ago just before the 2012 London Olympics - Will you still medal in the morning?

The ESPN article is long by our "this article seems interest...holy shit there's a squirrel!!" attention spans. But I have read this ESPN article before and I can tell you that it is well worth the additional 15 minutes that it takes to go start to finish on it. It provides everyone with an authentic description of what it is like in the Olympic Village for an athlete - something which none of us will ever have a chance to experience.

The Business Insider version is a list of one line snippets that were pulled from the article and paired with random images. It took me about 30 seconds to go through the entire thing, told me literally nothing about the actual Olympic village itself and shed no insight on the great lengths that Alipur went through to acquire his information in the article.

So is Business Insider the problem? Or are the readers to blame? It is a little bit of both. On one hand, readers can demand some modicum of effective journalism rather than the laziness of turning an outstanding piece into a tiresome list. On the other hand, Business Insider should be pushing its journalists to produce content that is better than that.

Don't get me wrong, I am not condemning every story that appears on the website. I have seen some longform journalism on Business Insider that I truly enjoyed. I have also seen some great reporting on issues around business and technology. But articles like the one above cheapen the rest of those articles to the point that I frequently avoid reading Business Insider articles that people post on Twitter and Facebook.

Alipour leveraged an insane rolodex on contacts to provide this look into the Olympic Village. Business Insider took his work, gave him a one sentence credit at the top, turned it into a list, slapped a click-baiting title to it and called it complete. And that's where the issue comes in for me.

The next time you're reading an article like this on Business Insider or another similar website and they link back to the original piece - do yourself a favor and read the original. You'll be surprised by just how much you can learn and you just might put the pressure on Business Insider to do more reporting just like it.

For an example of Business Insider doing excellent reporting to show that they truly are capable of it, check out this article on the story behind AOL CEO Tim Cook firing an employee in front of the entire company - The Story Behind Why AOL CEO Tim Armstrong Fired An Employee In Front Of 1,000 Coworkers

TTBG #6 - Matching Your Leathers

One of the keys to acting more like a gentleman is to dress more like one as well. I am not suggesting that a person needs to look like they're on the cover of GQ each day, but paying close attention to the small things can take you from unkempt to dapper in a few minutes.

As we are at the tail end of the holiday season, which is ripe for opportunities to dress up for parties, family gatherings or church, I noticed one thing in particular that men frequently struggle with when it comes to dressing up. It is a violation that is rather minute, but one that can be quite glaring when seen in public. The most common mistake that I saw this holiday season and see on a daily basis for a man is failing to match the color of his belt with his shoes.

Now, I am sure that you are thinking that I am a crazy person who places too much stock in the appearance of a person. And you wouldn't be completely incorrect. But I can assure you that this is one simple fashion change that is easily fixed and won't require you to go out and change up an entire wardrobe.

It is pretty simple - if you are wearing brown shoes, wear a brown belt and not a black one. If you are wearing black shoes, wear a black belt. As those are the standard dress shoe choices for men, you're pretty safe just sticking with that simple rule. If you are venturing into blues, grays or greens, then do your best to simply complement the shoes and belt. They don't need to be a direct match.

Nothing is worse than seeing a man in a nice suit and rocking offsetting shoe and belt colors. Continuity in an outfit is critical so avoid this whenever possible. Remember: being a gentleman is not just in your actions, but how you present yourself to the public as well. So next time you walk out of the house, always remember to check your leathers.

TTBG #5: Thankful All Through The Year
TTBG #4: Hats Are For Outside, Not The Restaurant
TTBG #3 - Eat to the Pace of Your Company

You Can't Simply Play the Satire Card When You Screw Up

For those of you who may have missed it, last week Megyn Kelly, who is essentially Bill O'Reilly in training, claimed that Santa Claus is white. Well, sure, the representations that the majority of Americans see on a daily basis during the holiday season depict him that way. But that wasn't what she was trying to convey. She said that Santa Claus is white, only white and can pretty much only ever be white.

Oh, boy. Okay. Where to begin? In an argument that nobody tried to start with her - or anyone who claims to defend against the crusade against Christmas (looking at you Bill O'Reilly) - she felt the need to make some fairly questionable comments on many, many levels.

Looking aside the fact that Santa Claus is, well, not a real person (sorry kids!) and therefore can be whatever race, gender, sexual orientation you want him to be, why is this even an issue? Why are we trying to pick fights over whether or not guy who dresses in an all red suit, uses magic reindeer to fly his sleigh to deliver presents to every child in the world and somehow manage to fit down a chimney is white, black, hispanic, asian? He's probably not even a real human being if he can manage to do all of those things!

Naturally, the national media jumped on this in a heartbeat and derided her for her comments. I mean, they really let her have it. And why not? Public figures such as herself should be mocked for saying things like "Santa Claus is white, get over it" (note: not a actually a direct quote, I'm summarizing here).

So what does Megyn do after all the criticism? She tries to turn it right back around and claim that it was all satire.

Goddamnit, people, you cannot simply play the "satire" card when you screw up and are looking for an easy way to deflect judgement. That's not how it works. The way individuals throw around the word satire is reminiscent of Alanis Morissette's use of irony - it just doesn't make sense.

Certainly, the strategy makes sense only from the perspective that it gives her an opportunity to turn the situation around on her attackers and attempt to make her the sympathetic figure. But if anyone ACTUALLY believes that this is satire, you're probably going to tell me the name of the clown college you got your degree from so I can let others know to avoid it.

So here is a note to all those public figures that make inappropriate and baiting statements: just because you have a loyal band of followers who will back you up doesn't mean that the rest of the public can't see right through your bullshit.

Very rarely in times of crisis comms is it best to try and turn it around on your attackers. Deflecting the blame to another party is dangerous at best; but spinning it 180 degrees back to those who rejected the initial comments adds further fuel to the fire. And typically people aren't going to just go along with it. When you look to blame another party, you better have a strong platform to stand on or your character and reputation will continue to serve as a punching bag for those whom you upset.

All I know is that I would hate to be part of Fox's PR department if it means dealing with fire drills like this every week.

TTBG #5: Thankful All Through The Year

Thanksgiving weekend is truly special time during the year. Much of society has become so consumed in the "now-now-now" of life that we neglect to recognize the things in our world that are important to us.

I've been blessed with some truly special people in my life - friends from home, friends from school, coworkers and, most importantly, family. And when it comes to a weekend that is fully dedicated to these people, it is easy for me to appreciate all that they have done for me. This Thanksgiving was no exception as I was fortunate enough to spend it with my girlfriend's family in Massachusetts, marking the fourth different Thanksgiving location in the last five years for me. Whether Boston, D.C. or Athens, I've had the good fortune of having people I care about to share the weekend with.

But as I lie in bed on a Sunday night before returning to the workweek and the hustle and bustle that comes with it, I can't help but feel like the good memories and appreciation that I have felt this weekend will disappear the second I start replying to emails. It isn't as if I choose to allow this to happen; life just starts to pick up the pace again and it becomes harder to slow down enough and give that thanks all year long.

Thanksgiving shouldn't be seen as the best opportunity to really demonstrate how much we value people and places in our lives. Thanksgiving should be the reminder that we need to be doing it every day of the year. We have the holiday to give us an in-your-face sign that we always need to take a look around and see that our life gives us much for which to be thankful.

Call a friend who you haven't heard from in a while. Shoot an email to the family. Write a letter to your grandparents. It doesn't matter the delivery mode; it matters that you take the time and effort to show you care. And you'll find that people appreciate it even more in the months of April and May as they do November and December.

Love and gratitude don't simply have to be sequestered to a few weekends out of the year. Let them flourish and keep the world thankful all through the year.

The Birds Attack J.P. Morgan, Twitter Edition

Twitter, for better or for worse, has forever altered the way that humans connect with one another on a daily basis. It took the basic concept of the text message and changed it from a private conversation between two parties into a public platform for all to spread their opinions.

This, in turn, brought corporations into the social media fold as customers would be frequently tweeting away about what they loved and, more commonly, what they hated about about the brands. Twitter serves as an excellent medium for customer relationship management for brands: an opportunity to directly connect with unhappy customers to address their concerns and transform them into brand advocates. At least, that's what effective social media management looks like for a large brand.

But for some companies, consumers spit so much vitriol at them that no matter how much the brand communicates with them, its image cannot be fixed. This is where the strategy around how a company uses a tool like Twitter. Marketers and PR pros have to look carefully at a company's position in the eyes of the media, the consumers and its competitors to help dictate its social media strategy.

Clearly, J.P. Morgan missed the memo on this lesson. Right in the middle of its settlement negotiations with the US government over its role in the 2008 financial crisis (which ultimately resulted in a $13 billion settlement), the team at J.P. Morgan decided that this would be a good time to host a Twitter chat with its vice chairman, Jimmy Lee.

Call me crazy, but people don't seem to like banks very much since 2008, do they? And I don't exactly think that this is uncommon knowledge. So it should come as no surprise that thousands of individuals descended upon the Twitter chat's corpse like vultures and picked it apart so badly that J.P. Morgan ceased the chat right in the middle of it. But the damage was already done by the time they stopped it. They completely lost control of the situation.

J.P. Morgan, in its defense, isn't the first major brand to have a screwup like this. McDonalds experienced a similar crisis when it tried to start a chat with the hashtag "McDStories". It was quickly hijacked by various groups that used the social platform to bombard the brand with its grievances. Just like J.P. Morgan, McDonalds had to stop the chat almost immediately. The fact that J.P. Morgan committed the same exact social media sin after all of the negative whiplash that McDonalds saw from this makes it all the more embarrassing.

Customer relationship management is a tricky business. Don't engage with customers and they complain that you don't listen to them. Listen too closely and you just might not like what they have to hear.

But when it comes to brands like J.P. Morgan, giving consumers a vocal platform where many voices can drown out one may not be the best option. If the company's intention was really to target students in particular, as they claim, set up a series of seminars on college campuses and have local leaders appear there to speak with the students. While it may require slightly more money and time, it is in a situation that the company can control.

Twitter really has changed the way that we interact. But that changes means different things to different parties. Brands that want to communicate with their consumers or spread a message must closely examine the inherent risks that these changes have brought and weigh the benefits against them. Otherwise their carcasses will be picked clean by the flocks of tweeters above them.