That's James Carville

So Trevor and I went to the big game yesterday. We were across the street from the Verizon Center waiting for the light to change, when I glanced over and saw the man standing next to me. It was James Carville. I turned to my son and whispered, "That's James Carville."

My son looked at James Carville, then looked at me, and asked, "Who's James Carville?"

Some times I think about the great divide seperating me and my kids.. This is just the latest episode. A few years back also at the Verizon Center, we ran into Bill Walton. Walton reached down tassled his hair and said, "How ya doin big guy?" I turned to Trevor and said "Wow that was Bill Walton!" My son said, "Who is Bill Walton?" Of course a few years ago I was talking about O.J. Simpson and what a great running back he was. My son and daughter looked at me like I had three heads. Their comments that day, "O.J. Simpson played football! I didn't know that!"

I think these episodes are great teaching experiences. No not the way you think. Although I did inform my son who James Carville was. He peered back around me and looked at him, and said, "Wow that's cool!" No I really think it's a teaching experience for me. Our job is to attract younger viewers, and in the case of our blogs, younger readers. It's impossible to do that if you have no clue of what they know, and what they are interested in. I think all too often we talk about people like Carville, and Walton, as though everyone should know who they are. We may think that, but clearly that's not the case.

Maybe one day my son will have to explain to his son who Kobe Bryant is. Yesterday Bryant was on fire, totally dominating the Wizards. Having grown up in Southern California I was delighted. I know that sounds traitorous, but it isn't. Any other game, I would be rooting for Caron and company. I do have some observations about the game and the team though. The Wizards are never going to be able to compete effectively in the NBA unless they can get a presence down low. You need a big man who can intimidate, rebound, and score. The Wizards may get an occasional game like that from Brendon Haywood, but it doesn't happen often enough. Yesterday the Lakers didn't even play new addition Pao Gasol, and their other twin tower Andrew Bynum. Yet they easily won the game. Haywood needs to learn when someone fires a pass to you down low, put it in the basket and not on the floor. This has been a huge problem with him. He always dribbles just long enough to allow defenders to converge on him, and the rest is history. Brendon if you are reading this, please stop doing that.

One final thought on the game. I was not alone. With about 9 minutes left in the game, the chant began.

"Let's go Lakers!"

It was thunderous in the upper deck. They flashed "boo" on the big screen. Fans began to boo, but that only inspired the Lakers fans. They started the chant again, only this time louder. My son glared at me. Which led to this exchange:

"I wouldn't do that, it's just too rude!"

"Like rooting for the other team isn't rude."

Perhaps it is, but it's the only time it will happen this year, I promise. By the way I was wrong about that other big game. It was incredible, and the team I was pulling for, the Giants won. I tend to like the underdog, unless of course they are playing the Lakers.