The Amazing Race....Card

White Canadian NBA-ers like Nash - unite!

Let's see....a white Canadian boy wins the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and....it's racism?

How many white Canadians have won the NBA MVP, anyway? I'd say it's about time we recognized one.

First, you must read Steve Aschburner's column about this recent vote (click link at end of this post). Not only is it funny, it's also insightful. Aschburner is a columnist for AOL Sports. I don't know if he's white, red, green or yellow -- but he has a marvelous take on things.

Anyhow, the brouhaha is about the selection of Phoenix's Steve Nash as the league's MVP, instead of Miami's Shaquille O'Neal. On a basketball level, an outstanding case can be made for both men. Each spearheaded a remarkable turnaround for their new respective teams. Each is, indeed, so valuable that if either player were lost for any significant amount of time, the results would be catastrophic. Actually, Nash was hurt, early in 2005, and the Suns struggled.

Shaq is the Eastern Conference MVP, anyway

Too bad we can't have MVP's of each conference, like baseball does with its leagues; that would straighten out all the mess.

The funny thing about this whole "race" issue when it comes to Nash over Shaq is its source -- or rather, its lack of a source. Somehow this grew legs, yet no one has really been credited with starting the whole flap. Of course, how does anything start? Who told the first "knock-knock" joke, for example?

And that's what all this MVP "controversy" is -- a joke. Apparently it has roots in south Florida, hardly a coincidence considering Shaq plays in Miami. But in this world of Internet and cell phones that send messages and other methods of electronic communication that makes this world about as large as a peanut, you have the Cup-A-Soup of issues -- just add water for instant hubbub.

For the record, Shaq himself doesn't seem all that bent out of shape about it. He jokingly feigned horror when the reporters asked for a sound bite, then proceeded to very graciously congratulate Nash, even mentioning the joy of Nash's new twin girls. Classy move.

I could use up an entire blog just on racial issues alone, of course, but I won't do that. But I will tell you that Steve Nash was no more voted MVP because of the color of his skin than Shaq was when he won it.

By the way, I can't stand coconut, and that's as white as snow.