Basketball player's death

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DallasIma

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:42 pm

From what I am hearing, he was a good man, and his death (and that of his 13-year-old daughter) was a terrible tragedy. It is always sad when a human being passes away.

But all the fuss that's being made, just because he was a star athlete...if ch"v a great rabbi passes away, there usually isn't that much fuss. That thought keeps going around and around in my head.

Just saying.

hodeez

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:45 pm

Are you commenting on how Jews are mourning him or just the general public?

DallasIma

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:46 pm

No, I mean just the general public, and especially the way it's being treated on the news.

asmileaday

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:46 pm

DallasIma wrote:

In the Jewish world? Yeah there's plenty of fuss.

mizle10

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:47 pm

We are in Galus that’s the way it is.
Do you make a fuss when a leader of a different religion passes away? The majority of the world is not Jewish.

DallasIma

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:48 pm

I just mean that it seems like athletes and celebrities are glorified and eulogized in the wider world so much more than if a Gadol Torah ch"v passes away. The latter case wouldn't make it onto the evening news, usually.

DallasIma

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:49 pm

mizle10 wrote:

We are in Galus that’s the way it is.
Do you make a fuss when a leader of a different religion passes away? The majority of the world is not Jewish.

I personally wouldn't make a fuss if the Pope passed away, let's say. But you are right: we are in Galus and that's the way it is. Totally on target.

Blessing1

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 6:51 pm

When a celebrity dies there's bound to be a fuss about it. I don't get the question.

little neshamala

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:00 pm

We Jews make a humongous deal when a big Rabbi passes away ch"v. I don't expect the non Jews to, because they havent necessarily heard of them and it doesnt have any connection to their world.

nchr

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:08 pm

I don't understand what you are asking? When a major leader of any religion passes, it is reported. However, it may get less attention on social media when a Rabbi passes because many frum people are not on social media.

Also, what happened was extremely tragic. It's not like a man died of old age - he was traveling in a helicopter (a safe way to travel - in fact, it is safer than small planers) and died along with eight others. He also meant a lot to very many people - he inspired athletes and kids in sports and was a staple for Los Angelenos for 20 years as one of the best players in their home team. Obviously it is going to get a lot of media attention.

DallasIma

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:10 pm

nchr wrote:

OK. Point taken. Thank you.

Flip Flops

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:11 pm

You sound bothered that the greater population doesn't mourn the death of a Jewish leader.
Who cares? Why would it matter to us if non jews mourn or don't mourn the death of a rabbi? I'm not really understanding the problem.

Kinor Dovid

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:14 pm

The gedolim I know had massive huge funerals bigger than this celebrity.
And our nation cried for real.
Here I heard there was clapping or cheering? I’m not sure why? It’s just a different world where clapping is ok, maybe to honour the guy? But I’m not sure how that represents real grief.
I think it’s so sad that he died because he’s a human being but to me it’s not more sad than if it happened to any average shoemaker or taxi driver.
Sports is just not my world and doesn’t add any special value in my eyes.
It’s a tragedy that happened to a real live person that Is a creation of G-d, so it’s super sad.

zaq

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:14 pm

DallasIma wrote:

Why should it? The secular news plays to a wide audience and is going to include items of interest to a wide audience. Observant Jews are a minuscule percentage of the station’s audience unless it’s YWN, which on the whole does not eulogize athletes and movie stars, and many people who would be interested in Torah scholars don’t read secular papers or watch the evening news, anyway.

The deceased’s merit as a human being is irrelevant. What matters is how many people know of this person and will be interested in hearing about him, not how admirable an individual he was. Torah scholars are of interest only to the Torah-observant world. How interested would you be in hearing about the death of, lehavdil, the Archbishop of New York or the Dalai Lama? Why in the world do you think Mrs. Amelia Brown of Jackson Hole, WY would have any interest in the life or death of Rabbi Whomever from Wherever?

The last Lubavitcher Rebbe was an exception because he was a showman and made himself a public figure. But even so, how many people knew of him vs. how many people know of, lehavdil, Derek Jeter or Brad Pitt? Torah Scholars don’t increase newspaper sales. Neither, for that matter do superb schoolteachers and wonderful family doctors. Star athletes, politicians, movie stars, and famous criminals do.

PinkFridge

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:22 pm

DallasIma, I think I get you and feel free to organize your thoughts on a thread anytime you want.
I remember the day of the siyum hashas listening to the hourly news and on the radio and I was surprised that there was no coverage. But then again, lehavdil, the stadiums are filled throughout the year and it doesn't rate national coverage. But still.

simba

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:27 pm

I remember his game from my childhood days in Los Angeles. He was BIG stuff!

Tragic death and the prime of his life and with a young daughter of his. Is not crying but I get the hype.

DallasIma

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:28 pm

I'm glad I started this discussion because I'm getting other people's points of view here and they are making sense to me. And yes, I had sports heroes when I was growing up, and I can see how the death of a celebrity like that can be tragic in different ways to different people. So, part of me understands it in that way. I think as I grow older and see more and more world events, though, and learn more and more about Jewish thought (you never stop learning!), it just strikes me that maybe the scales of values down here and up there don't quite match.

And PinkFridge, you make a very good point about the Siyum HaShas, too. Bingo!

Cheiny

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:39 pm

DallasIma wrote:

I was thinking the same thing, all the news channels are carrying it non stop. Enough already, I can understand covering it at the beginning of every hour but the entire hour? There’s other news going on in the world.

Blessing1 wrote:

When a celebrity dies there's bound to be a fuss about it. I don't get the question.

His celebrity is due to his ability to throw a ball into a hoop. Deserving of non stop coverage?

dancingqueen wrote:

No matter what religion you are, this was a highly accomplished husband and father who was a hero and role model to many.

Again, what is it that makes him highly accomplished? His skill throwing a ball into a hoop?

Last edited by Cheiny on Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:44 pm; edited 2 times in total

dancingqueen

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:41 pm

No matter what religion you are, this was a highly accomplished husband and father who was a hero and role model to many. He died in the prime of his life with his young daughter beside him. It is tragic, period.

PinkFridge

Sun, Jan 26 2020, 7:41 pm

DallasIma wrote:

I'm thinking of the words of a siyum hadran - we run and they run, we get up early and they get up early....

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