Welcome to AI’s Haircut

This is the third blog I've operated, and I'm very certain that this will be my last change. I'll still be heavily concentrated in the sports world, but I have much more to contribute than to merely report the goings on of the NBA, NFL, NCAA, etc. I also vow to speak up for the underdog as much as possible, even if I'm speaking to four readers. So without further ado, here we go.

Iverson cutting his hair was a HUGE deal, whether he meant it to be or not. Iverson is the godfather of the "gangster" image that David Stern is trying so hard to rid the NBA of; he came into the league with short hair and few tattoos, but something (…) forced him to decide to go out of his way to prominently display his individuality. What came next was over a decade of AI developing an image rife with street flair, both in his physical image and his on-court style of play. And while his impacts in both areas are immeasurably underrated, it just never really seemed to be him. All of his missteps were either overreactions based on this persona he created for himself, or mistakes he made in his personal life that just didn't seem to fit who he really was. And now he's playing for the Detroit Pistons, and not performing like the superstar he always has been. His skills and physical abilities haven't gone anywhere (well, maybe a little bit), considering his age and style of play I'd be surprised if they ever left him (he's a downright freak of nature). I believe that this last change of scenery just took him too far away from who he truly is. And regardless of how the rest of his career plays out, this hairstyle-homecoming represents the restoration of an INDIVIDUAL, back to the man he once was.

A lot of people might scoff at my interpretation of this haircut, but to me its meaning is very significant. Before the tat's, before the 'rows, before the practice, AI wasn't the Answer; he was Allen Iverson from Hampton, Virginia. I admire the man who can break the mold that society has put him in and return to the identity he was born, and bred, with. (And yes, Allen Iverson was placed in a mold. He was just a kid coming into the NBA; you can't expect him – or any of the other KIDS in his position for that matter – to step into the spotlight and be a fully mature individual. In addition, it's really unfair to hold it against any of these young individuals when they can't keep their heads on straight once they're thrust into the spotlight.)

AI has always been one of my favorite athletes and this spoke volumes to me, whether it was meant to or not.