FIRST GRADE

Make the grade. Pass a grade. Salary grade. Investment grade. Grade level. Above my pay grade. Percent grade. Grade book. GPA.

How in the name of political correctness, do we perceive ourselves with the profound proficiency to “grade” another? The capability to establish accurate, expeditious assessments?

From all 256 selections of last weekend’s NFL, 40-zillion-hour-long draft to President Obama’s first 100 days in office, somehow so many of us believe we can accurately assess a person’s performance or value instantaneously. Now it is no secret that I am not a fan of spending money not in my possession (See “Personal Finance 101”); however, a majority of Obama’s monetary spree falls into the category of “S.N.A.R.L.” -- “Spend Now And Results Later.” In other words, we have yet to net the results. Thus, a positive OR negative assessment is inconclusive at this time.

I wonder how the Boston Celtics, the NBA’s winningest championship franchise, was graded following the 1986 NBA draft. They had tremendous, birdlike returning talent, but still attained the 2nd pick in the entire draft. With our profound assessment ability going immediately into affect, any Mel-Kiper-like appraisal would have been superb. Yet less than 48 hours after the draft, the Celtics’ pick, Maryland’s Len Bias, suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia that resulted from a cocaine overdose. Bias was projected to be a “can’t-miss” superstar, drawing comparisons to the Airness himself, who was only in year 2 at the time. Rims shattered throughout the fragile basketball world.

Magic Johnson, 3 time NBA MVP and 12-time all-star, said the following in remembrance of Bias’s death a few years ago:

"I can't believe it's been 20 years. I thought he was going to not just be an all-star but make an incredible impact on basketball. But to leave us early and not have a chance to even put on that Boston Celtics uniform, buy his mother that house, brag to his friends that he scored on Magic and Dr. J and Michael Jordan. He didn't get a chance to do any of it. You work your whole young life to be drafted and fulfill that dream of making it in the NBA . . . and all because you experimented with drugs. . . . I think it shocked the whole sports community. And unfortunately, I don't know that we've learned. That would be the saddest part, that we didn't learn and kids in our communities are still dying, still ruining their lives by selling it... It's just on, and on."

The grades were wrong. Instantaneous assessment is full of loopholes. From athletic drafts to presidential activity, we “grade” based on superstardom and public perception. The conflict is that superstardom and perception do not dictate long term performance. Performance cannot be accurately assessed via public opinion.

Chances are we will be wrong again. Probably already are.

AR