Man vs. Woman?

Cory B

New member
This is long but good.


Jordan vs. Jordan: In Defense of Michael Jordan
By Glenn Sacks

Michelle loves her career. She always has. But her husband
doesn't want her to keep the job she loves. He wants her at home.

Michelle feels betrayed--after all, she had this career long
before she married, and her husband knew from the day they met
that she had dedicated her life to her work. He knew about the
travel and the demands of the job, as well as its rich material
rewards--rewards which he has enjoyed equally.

Michelle tried to submit to her husband's demands. She even gave
up her career for a while and tried to be home with her family.
But she wasn't happy. She felt confined and unfulfilled, as if an
important part of her was missing. Sometimes she felt as if she
were losing her identity. Finally she told her husband that she
was unhappy and wanted to go back to her career. Her husband told
her not to. When she returned anyway, he filed for divorce.

Now her husband wants full custody of her kids, their home, and
at least half of the money Michelle earned. Michelle knows that
she has little chance of keeping her kids because the family
courts will hold her career against her.

Michelle probably believes that this is unfair and wonders what
she did to deserve this. Except that Michelle doesn't exist.
Michael does. Michael Jordan, that is.

After 12 years of marriage, Jordan's wife Juanita filed for
divorce earlier this month and is seeking permanent custody of
the couple's three children, their 25,000-square-foot home, and
her share of the couple's property. Under Illinois law she may be
awarded up to 90% of their assets.

Michael might be wishing he were Michelle about right now, for
Michelle would have our sympathy. In fact, we'd see ringing
op-eds telling us how selfish and controlling Michelle's husband
is, and bemoaning the way our society punishes independent women
for pursuing their careers.

Michael, however, isn't getting off so easy.

"Most Valuable Jerk" is how Deborah Simmons of the Washington
Times described Jordan in her recent column, where she criticized
Jordan for returning to basketball and pinned responsibility for
the divorce squarely on him. Change "Air Jordan" to "Err Jordan"
writes Barry Cooper of Black Voices.com, speculating that Jordan
caused his divorce because he "erred in some rather spectacular
fashion."

Michael is to blame because he allowed his "Lesser Self...to make
a fool of his Better Self," opines Eric Zorn in Jordan's hometown
newspaper, the Chicago Tribune. In the same paper Rick Morrissey
scolds Jordan, noting that "An ugly divorce...will be tough on
Jordan's three children," but that Jordan "should have thought
about that a long time ago."

In discussing relationships, American society has taken the
immense complexity and difficulty of marriage and family life and
reduced it to one simple rule--when in doubt, blame the man.

Of course, it is quite possible that Juanita is right, and that
Michael shouldn't have come back to basketball. Maybe he wasn't
spending enough time with the family. In defense of Michael, one
could argue that at age 38, a comeback was only possible now or
maybe next year--after that the opportunity would be gone for
good. At the same time, Juanita could argue that before you know
it the kids will be grown up and gone for good, too. But Jordan
did try--he gave up basketball for two years. And the man has
been a basketball player all his life. Playing basketball is what
he does.

No doubt there is more to the breakup than Michael's return to
basketball. There have been rumors of philandering about both
Michael and Juanita--mostly concerning Michael, who was
reportedly followed for four years by a private detective hired
by Juanita.

While it is true that men are more likely to struggle with
monogamy than women, our society falsely assumes that every man
is a potential philanderer but his wife is always a faithful,
loyal doormat. Nancy Marshall, ex-wife of former major league
baseball pitcher Mike Marshall, mocked this idea of female
docility in her book Home Games and reported on the raucous extra
marital sexual escapades of baseball wives as well as husbands.
She wrote:

"Often reporters ask [athletes'] wives how they feel about their
husbands being on the road all alone...it never occurs to anyone
that while the guys are on the road, the wives are at home by
themselves...Just once I would like a reporter ask a ballplayer,
'Do you worry about what your wife is doing while you're gone?'
If they don't worry, maybe they should."

Even during the allegedly morally pure 1940s and 1950s there were
high rates of female (as well as male) infidelity. In fact, DNA
examinations taken half a century ago showed that that at a bare
minimum 10% of the fathers who signed their babies' birth
certificates were unknowingly claiming paternity of children who
weren't theirs.

Unlike many divorced fathers, Jordan will probably come out of
all of this relatively unscathed. He'll lose a lot of money, but
he'll probably still have plenty left. And Juanita is probably
too good a mother (or would be too embarrassed) to try to block
Jordan's visitation rights.

Still, it doesn't seem quite fair. After all, Michelle (sigh) is
a victim, a soaring eagle held hostage by the constraints of a
cruel society that just never seems to want women to be truly
free.

And Michael? Oh, he's just another jerk. Good thing she got rid
of him.

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Cory
 
When I see "Important Messages to all Members" light up, I expect to see something that is important to the membership. Michael Jordon's personal life certainly does not belong here.

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Critr

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www.SaguaroSafaris.com
 
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.........BUT i really don't give a **** (insert any appropriate 4 letter word)about his pending divorce.
I'm really sick of hearing about him.....
Wanna talk about Larry Bird?????
Dana
 
Hmmm not really a Important member issue I would think this should be in "In The News" Forum.

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There is no problem that can not be solved with the proper application of a high explosive!!
 
O.K. People, I did not mean for everybody to jump all over me for this, I just thought it was kind of neat and makes a person think a little. I should have put more thought into where to put this topic. Sorry!!! I notice this type of thing alot around here, what I mean is being so quick to harass anybody that screws up. And once again I apoligize.

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Cory
 
How would I move this so I dont give anybody else a window of opportunity to make them selves feel better in some way! Or somebody could move it for me please! Thanks!

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Cory
 
One more thing. I really could care less about the guy myself, but when I read it, that is not what I focused on. I think you are all missing the point. I'm done now.

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Cory
 
Michael Jordan? Who is that. Is he some great coyote hunter that I've overlooked?
biggrin.gif
> Hey Cory!!! Rememebr next time this is a predator board not basketball
wink.gif
(said as a joke buddy)>>>>>>>>>James L.

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people!
 
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