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Admittedly I have tried as much as possible to steer clear of discussing the celebrity deaths that dominated the news for much of the end of last week, the biggest of which was obviously the unexpected passing of musical icon Michael Jackson. In addition to my innate desire to steer clear of all topics not somehow sports related, I frankly wasn’t what you’d consider to be much of a fan of any of those that unfortunately passed last week. And although, presumably like most of you, I am quickly growing tired of all of the Michael Jackson talk in particular, you would have had to have lived in a cave for the better part of the last 40 years to not have some type of opinion on the King of Pop.

Here’s what I have to offer in regard to the passing of Michael Jackson, from a sports perspective; I hope Pete Rose is paying attention. The posthumous honors now being laid at the feet of the controversial superstar, seem to be flowing a lot more freely in the era after his passing, than they did during his life, possibly, simply because he is no longer in a position to embarrass himself any further.

I have never been a particular fan of either Rose or Jackson, so I feel compelled to draw the comparison. After all, whether you liked the individuals or not, it would be impossible to be a fan of baseball, or of music, and not appreciate the respective contributions and accomplishments of these 2 misunderstood superstars. Yet both seemed little equipped to deal with the everyday life that happened in between performances.

The biggest difference, for now, is that Jackson lived to see his induction into the hall of fame, it’s becoming more and more unlikely that Rose ever will. Still, even then, it’s unlikely Jackson ever in his lifetime felt the universal outpouring of respect, love, and heartfelt sentiment that we all got to see in the hours following his death.

Rose can probably rest assured that the days following his death will be similar, although on a much smaller scale. People will finally be able to come out and celebrate the magnitude of his accomplishments without worry that he’ll go on to cause any further embarrassment to himself. I doubt that it’s much of a consolation.

The Hit King and the King of Pop, two superstars, both misunderstood in life, both with undeniable impacts on their chosen field of endeavor. Both never truly realizing the commensurate level of appreciation for all that they’ve accomplished.

Peace,

T

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thyrl@wnst.net

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