If you haven’t heard of them, I’d suggest checking out The Head and The Heart. They are one of my favorite bands of all time; a highly talented group of folksy looking individuals who’ve come to together to produce beautiful, beautiful music. Maybe it’s not your cup o’ tea, as they say, but any normal human being can appreciate talented people using their God-given gifts toward a common goal.
But aside from the music, I loved the band’s name. The Head and The Heart. The matrix of memory, logic and thought combined with the ultimate source of passion, feeling, and love? Awesome blossom. No doubt, combining seemingly polar opposites provided an interesting paradox.
Such is the case in all of life, it seems. My head tells me to eat carrots, but my heart tells me bacon tastes much better. My head tells me that I should do my homework, but my heart wants one more round of Call of Duty. My head knows that Kobe’s time is running out, but my heart reminds me of all the times that he’s come through. Pure logic versus pure desire.
One has to wonder which organ, figuratively speaking, has influenced Orlando Magic center’s Dwight Howard thinking process. When he agreed to extend with the Magic this past spring, it seemed that his mind had been made up. But it is obvious after the so called “Dwight-mare” these past few months, his heart was not into the decision.
The frustration has been endless, and Lakers fans have grown tired of Dwight’s drama queen antics, even to the point where they’d reject his considerable talents in favor of a lesser (yes, Bynum still trails Dwight as a center) but more mature (supposedly) center. And yet again, it seems Dwight has changed his mind.
After long stating that he’d only sign an extended contract with the newly christened Brooklyn Nets, Mr. Howard has expanded that list to include the Los Angeles Lakers. I’ve been careful to get too deluged in the hype, but one can hope that Dwight’s most recent change of mind can be translated as a change of heart.
Critics have been quick to point out that Dwight’s departure to Los Angeles would mirror Shaquille O’Neal’s move to the Lakers exactly sixteen years ago today, along with other great Lakers big men. Logically, Dwight’s move might shine a poor light on his legacy, casting him among the shadows of Lakers legends to fend for himself. But the pulls on his heart might be too much to bear. Logic says carve your own path, but there’s a reason why so many free agents see the Lakers as an attractive free agent destination.
Should the Lakers sign Dwight Howard, there’s no doubt that he’d stay a Laker for awhile. It may seem that Dwight would have just made one choice of many options, but there is a definite pull in Los Angeles that has the power to change players and their attitudes. It can change Los Angeles from an attractive new home base to somewhere a player can call home.
If Dwight is able to experience a change of heart within the next few days, I’m sure the Lakers fanbase will be able to as well.
