Junk Food Nation, on February 17th the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats won a game…finally.  Having lost 9 of their previous 10, they are the league’s worst team having only won a whopping FOUR games on the season.  The Chairman of the Bobcats is His Airness himself, Michael Jordan.  And the 17th – well, that was Jordan’s birthday.  Happy birthday, MJ – Your joke of a team managed to give you one shining moment this season.

Anyone who ever watched Jordan play knows he was greatest ever…better than Lebron, better than Wilt, better than Kobe.  I’m not going to bother blogging why – either you agree or you don’t.  The question remains, however, why Jordan felt that he could be a basketball executive?  In 1981, Jordan earned a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in cultural geography, not business, not labor dynamics, not management.  He earned his degree in 1986, but played basketball (and baseball) until 2003.  His agent, David Falk, developed “Air Jordan” and the partnership with Nike, not him.  He’s never really played a hand in the business side of things.  Why did Jordan think he could put together a successful basketball team?

The reason is simple to see, IMO: because he is the greatest basketball player that ever lived, he thought he knew what it took to win basketball games…when he’s wasn’t playing.  In other words, he thought he was a good judge of talent. He thought, “I know how I was, what kind of talent I had, so I can put together players who I think have talent, and these teams that can replicate that success.” And he was so very very wrong.

More after the jump.  Today’s junk food: Hunt’s Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie Pudding!

The Money Shot

I reviewed another one of Hunt’s Snack Packs before, and it gave me the taste for some puddin’.  When I saw this Banana Cream Pie Pudding, I knew this would be my next review.  Thanks, Walmart!

PS: I ove how the front of this packaging has the little peel-back foil tab that replicates the pullback foil on the top of one of these pudding cups.  Nice design element, Hunt’s.

Splish splash the pie was taking a bath

I LOVE bananas and I enjoy banana cream pie, so when I first saw this Hunt’s Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie Pudding, I thought it was genius – after all, this had the chance to taste exactly like banana cream pie filling, consistency-wise and all.

In my undergrad there was a tradition of going to the local diner, naked, and asking for a slice of banana cream pie.  You were a legend if you ever actually got some pie, and you were arrested if you failed.  I’d never seen anyone pull it off (so to speak).

10% of my daily Calcium!

Hunt’s Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie Pudding has banana puree!  Thank god.  I’d be having a fit if it didn’t.

MMMM.....murky

Hunt’s Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie Pudding is two-toned for some reason…that always makes me nervous.  Do you need me to mix it? Am I supposed to eat each layer differently?  No instructions, Hunt’s – what am I, a mind reader?

(Don’t worry – when I say it “makes me nervous,” I mean for a split second.  By second numero two, the entire container is in my mouth anyways.)

Spoonful of sugar...

When I peeled back the top of the Snack Pack, a slight smell of banana filled my nostrils.  Good sign for this Hunt’s Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie Pudding.  I dug a big spoonful and slurped…

Two-tone

…and it was good.  Plain and simple, this Hunt’s Snack Pack Banana Cream Pie Pudding tasted…like banana cream pie filling, as predicted.  Great banana taste, and smooth finish.  I tried the lighter layer individually, and it tasted sweet and creamy.  The darker layer definitely had more banana taste, but honestly, the flavor difference between the two layers was negligible.  Together there was just a smooth pudding feeling, with nice creamy banana flavor.  Simple promise, well executed, nice flavor delivery.  Thumbs up, Hunt’s.

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As self-consumed as Jordan was/is, it’s surprising his ego didn’t help him realize the most basic of all truths: the reason Michael Jordan’s Bulls teams won was because of …Michael Jordan.  It wasn’t because of the talent around him.  They did enough to accentuate HIS playing style, HIS talent.  When teams doubled up MJ, they did enough not to squander the kick-out opportunities, the open lanes, etc.

So for Jordan to think he can evaluate talent because of his days as a player is really really strange.  As a player he NEVER had to really think about the talent around him – he knew what he wanted them to do, and he’d bark until they did it.  He knew how to win games. He’d figured out the keys to winning the season.  And he knew how to recognize players that were talented enough not to screw up what he had figured out.

These Bobcats? They don’t have a Michael Jordan playing. And they haven’t figured anything out.  MJ has no clue what he’s doing, because he’s not on the floor himself, and there’s no one close to his talent level.  Maybe Kemba Walker can be that catalyst, but Jordan isn’t the coach, and he can’t make Kemba Walker perform like Michael Jordan.

Make no mistake, there’s no doubt that Jordan has his fingers all up in the Bobcats roster moves. Do you know who the GM of the Bobcats is?  Rich Cho.  Exactly – I’ve never heard of him either.  It’s Jordan who got rid of Emeka Okafor, Tyson Chandler, Gerald Wallace.  It’s Jordan who picked Bismack Biyombo and Kemba Walker.  Maybe this team will eventually gain maturity and win.  But for now, Jordan must watch his team endure its 7th losing season in 8 years of existence.

Remarks? Hit me in the comments below or hit me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or on my Facebook Page.

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy