Mike Bibby at Thundervalley
- Thread starter macadocious
- Start date
Oh, don't get me wrong, I agree 100%.
My issue is not necessarily with the points being made, but with the argument itself.
Tell me that spending a tremendous amount of money on a gaudy bracelet is silly/wasteful/boastful/tacky and you'll get no argument from me. I deal with that kind of thing -- albeit on a much smaller level -- every day at work. I can't tell you how many people I've had to evict that had platinum chains and a tricked out Benz in their garage but couldn't manage to pay the rent. The importance that our current society has placed on certain material possessions is disgusting.
However, I can't agree with the argument that a $140M house is somehow of more inherent value than a ton of diamonds. Who determines this value? Who determines what is considered gluttonous excess and what is considered just a "splurge"? I would argue that having a house fitted with new fangled techno dodads that allow each room to automatically adjust to your preferred temperature/musical tastes/whatever is every bit as unnecessary and boastful as a huge bedazzled arm cuff. Only thing stopping someone from waving around such a status symbol is that it's hard to strap an entire estate to your wrist.
In the end, I think I just have a bit of a problem with seeing Bill Gates' name waved around as if he's the latest philanthropic messiah. He's not. He's a billionaire. He lives like a billionaire. He gives a tremendous amount of his time and money to various charities and organizations. As he should. Good for him.
My issue is not necessarily with the points being made, but with the argument itself.
Tell me that spending a tremendous amount of money on a gaudy bracelet is silly/wasteful/boastful/tacky and you'll get no argument from me. I deal with that kind of thing -- albeit on a much smaller level -- every day at work. I can't tell you how many people I've had to evict that had platinum chains and a tricked out Benz in their garage but couldn't manage to pay the rent. The importance that our current society has placed on certain material possessions is disgusting.
However, I can't agree with the argument that a $140M house is somehow of more inherent value than a ton of diamonds. Who determines this value? Who determines what is considered gluttonous excess and what is considered just a "splurge"? I would argue that having a house fitted with new fangled techno dodads that allow each room to automatically adjust to your preferred temperature/musical tastes/whatever is every bit as unnecessary and boastful as a huge bedazzled arm cuff. Only thing stopping someone from waving around such a status symbol is that it's hard to strap an entire estate to your wrist.
In the end, I think I just have a bit of a problem with seeing Bill Gates' name waved around as if he's the latest philanthropic messiah. He's not. He's a billionaire. He lives like a billionaire. He gives a tremendous amount of his time and money to various charities and organizations. As he should. Good for him.
I work at thunder valley and I can confirm the Bibby sightings... he has been known to stop by occasionally. Also, every time the pacers come into town, ex-king Scot Pollard almost always stops by the casino without fail either the night before or night after the game. If you see him say hi but don't tell him I sent ya, hehe.
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Relatively speaking, billionaires like Bill Gates and especially Warren Buffet, lead very modest lives in comparison to people like Mike Bibby. They have billions and billions of dollars but you don't see them rolling with a crew and "bling" do you? Look at all the money that Bibby throws away to his buddies that he calls "team dime."
Heady stuff for a basketball forum.
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist" - Dom Helder Camara
Unfortunately the system that allows us to enjoy so much prosperity also allows a guy who throws a ball through a hoop for our entertainment to walk around with giant useless status symbol on his arm (as well as a false sense of entitlement) while the people who did the work to uncover those diamonds have a life expectancy somewhere in the mid 30s. I'm not saying it's time to start the revolution, I don't have a lot of confidence that it can be solved. But you can't really say that is the way it should be.
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist" - Dom Helder Camara
Unfortunately the system that allows us to enjoy so much prosperity also allows a guy who throws a ball through a hoop for our entertainment to walk around with giant useless status symbol on his arm (as well as a false sense of entitlement) while the people who did the work to uncover those diamonds have a life expectancy somewhere in the mid 30s. I'm not saying it's time to start the revolution, I don't have a lot of confidence that it can be solved. But you can't really say that is the way it should be.
I find it absolutley hilarious that this has turned into a political and social thread.
I was trying to lighten up the forum with some humor in regards to the Kings and everybody has had to put there "Charity" spin on it.
Bottom line: BIBBY LOOKED RIDICULOUS AND IT WAS FUNNY!
Its no comment on him as a person or player or a philanthropist, etc.
If I had seen anyone wearing that I would have said the same thing, it just happened to be Mike Bibby and if I had known him personally he would have never heard the end of it. We would be 75 years old and I would say "Remeber that friggin bracelet you though was coool back in 2006, man were you an idiot", then I would tell all his grandchildren so they could laught at him too.
I was trying to lighten up the forum with some humor in regards to the Kings and everybody has had to put there "Charity" spin on it.
Bottom line: BIBBY LOOKED RIDICULOUS AND IT WAS FUNNY!
Its no comment on him as a person or player or a philanthropist, etc.
If I had seen anyone wearing that I would have said the same thing, it just happened to be Mike Bibby and if I had known him personally he would have never heard the end of it. We would be 75 years old and I would say "Remeber that friggin bracelet you though was coool back in 2006, man were you an idiot", then I would tell all his grandchildren so they could laught at him too.
Does it hurt you to have a philosophical discussion every once in a while? A forum is by definition "a public meeting place for open discussion" and we are all entitled to state our opinions in a respectful manner. I don't see what's so wrong with an intellectual conversation every once in a while rather than another +1 thread. Not that +1 threads don't have their place, but it's nice to have some variety.