The Washington Post this morning has a brief story about how basketball star Shaquille O’Neal sent “basketball-obsessed” President Barack Obama one of his game-worn sneakers.
Basketball-obsessed?
Last time I checked the dictionary (this morning), here’s what I found:
OBSESS
verb
Preoccupy, be uppermost in someone’s mind, prey on someone’s mind, prey on, possess, haunt, consume, plague, torment, hound, bedevil, beset, take control of, control, take over, have a hold on, rule, eat up, have a grip on, grip.
Phrases
be obsessed, be fixated on/upon, be preoccupied with, be possessed by, be consumed with/by (thoughts of), have an obsession with; be infatuated with, be besotted with, be smitten with; informal: have a thing about/for, be hung up about/on, have it bad for.
Come on guys. Stop the basketball hyperbole, please. I’m not sure our President is “consumed” or “haunted” by much, if anything. Why would we want that, in any case?
Besides, few pick up basketball players are actually “obsessed” with basketball.
O.K. Enough on that.
The Post article ends with this comment, which didn’t appear in any of the Associated Press or wire service blurbs about the O’Neal-Obama sneaker transaction:
The president is having a basketball court built in the White House.
Guys. You’re saying this with authority, but can you confirm it? Was there a secret groundbreaking at the White House? I don’t think so. So far that’s only been the topic of discussion and widespread speculation. Right?
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