Hello to all, thanks for coming back for more of my ranting!

First off, congratulations to the Lakers for their amazing post season run and taking the championship for the second time in a row. I felt they celebrated with class on the 76ers court, then smartly moved the festivities inside the locker rooms as not to rub it in the Philadelphia players' and fans' faces. The 76ers players and fans seemed to respect the Lakers win, although I felt Allen Iverson needed to demonstrate a little more class and exemplify his MVP status by at least acknowledging his competitors after the game. I know what it's like to be in that final game and lose…every athlete, professional and amateur has, but at the end of the game win or lose; you shake hands with your opponent. This isn't war, it's a game, and sportsmanship and mutual respect are large parts of it.

After all the distractions Iverson faced at the beginning of the season (his controversial rap album, fighting with Coach Brown and bumpy plane trips), I felt his play and conduct during the season, help change a lot of opinions about this young man. His regular season culminated with a MVP nod and a trip to the NBA Finals; an almost storybook/ Hollywood ending to a great season. His determined play in the playoffs rallied his teammates and helped make basketball fans all over appreciate his playmaking abilities. I think a lot of people became 76ers fans because of the heart and courage Iverson demonstrated on the court in those final 5 games, and I also believe he let those fans down by not showing the prevailing team the respect they deserved for winning.

Someone once said, "sports doesn't so much show character as much as it reveals it". Words all athletes and fans should stop think about.

June 22, 2001

edmarinaro@sportshollywood.com

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Ed Marinaro

In his three seasons as Cornell's tailback, Ed Marinaro was the all-time leading rusher in Ivy League history. He established eight NCAA career records and was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. After turning pro he became a running back for the New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. Then he turned to acting and played everyone from Joe Coffey on the classic TV show "Hill Street Blues" to Joey Buttafuoco in "Long Island Lolita." In his off-time he enjoys ranting in his column for SportsHollywood.

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