So Close, And Yet...
The irony of all ironies was unfolding before my very eyes. Well, not really, but if you enjoyed that delve into the over-dramatic, stick around for the coverage of the NBA Finals. I'm sure it will be full of almost religious references to the two iconic teams that will match up now that the Lakers have eliminated the Suns. But of course, my interests lies in the impact zone of the collision between sports and politics that took place in the Western Conference Finals.
The only reason I took any interest at all in this series was of course due to the Arizona Immigration Law, and the events that unfolded prior to the series in L.A. as the city announced it's boycott of the State of Arizona.
The city of Los Angeles agreed yesterday to declare a boycott against the state of Arizona, reports La Opinión. The boycott signals the city's rejection of the recently approved Arizona Senate Bill 1070, which makes it as a state misdemeanor crime for an immigrant to be in Arizona without carrying legal documents.
The city of Los Angeles will suspend business with Arizona and will not sign any new contracts to doing business with that state.
Hence, the immediate question that popped into my head is how will the Lakers react? Will they have the courage of their convictions, and refuse to play their games in Phoenix? Having home court advantage, they could easily do this of course. This gave them four games at home, enough to forfeit the games in Arizona and still win the series. So, would the Lakers honor their cities boycott and only play their home games?
Obviously, it would be absurd to expect the Lakers to boycott their series with the Suns. But as representatives of an area with the largest Hispanic population in the country, could the Lakers take some kind of stance, symbolic or otherwise, against a law the National Basketball Player's Association has called "disturbing"?
Thank you, Time magazine. I couldn't have put it better myself. It would be absurd to think that a liberal would have the courage to stick to their convictions if it would make their life the least bit more difficult. After all, true liberalism is about sliding through the easiest way possible without having to honestly do anything for yourself. Think I'm kidding? Consider the law. All it says is you have to show your drivers license. Liberals? "That's not fair! It's in my wallet! I might have to lift my leg or something!"
So, enter my twisted mind. What I wanted to see was a game seven. I wanted the Suns to win all of their home games, forcing a game 7 in L.A. where the Lakers would win and amplify the fact that all they had to do was have one once of backbone. A late rally by the Suns almost made my dream come true, but it wasn't enough. The Lakers closed out the series to move on to face the Celtics in the finals, leaving us with only this gem from Los Angeles City Council Member Ed Reyes to ponder.
"If they were to change their jerseys or wear headbands, or do a PSA, it would hit home with a lot of households." Los Angeles city council member Ed Reyes, one of the co-authors of the Arizona-boycott legislation, is also holding high hopes for the Lakers. "It would be huge," says Reyes. "Let's be frank: most people might only give a small percentage of their day to think of a political thing. Sports are a pastime; it's something in the head. It would send a strong message."
Yes, that's the true spirit of a boycott, Mr. Reyes. You see, many people think that a boycott is to put pressure on the target but hurting them financially. But Ed here understands the true meaning. Ed Reyes could effectively boycott Wal Mart while spending his whole check there, so long as he was wearing a K Mart t shirt. And that's why you, Ed Reyes, are our Real Liberal Genius of the week.
