Day Of Killers: Air Jordan and Columbine

CLEVELAND - Today is one of the most historical days in American history. As far as I'm concerned, one horrible tragedy and one incredible triumph will forever define this day of winners and losers, victims and assailants.

It is a day of killers.

It was 24 years ago today that a young NBA hotshot named Michael Jordan took the floor with his woefully overmatched Chicago Bulls to compete against the imposing Boston Celtics at their very best and put on a seminal, groundbreaking performance worthy of an Academy Award. Also, it was 11 years ago that two twisted teens went on a shooting spree at their own high school in Littleton, Colorado and killed more than a dozen people including themselves.

Jordan murdered the Celtics with a playoff record 63 points. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, the Columbine High School whack jobs, murdered innocent students and one teacher. Though the Bulls lost that Sunday afternoon classic in double OT, 135-131, it was clear that MJ was the assailant. Despite missing a whopping 64 games with a broken foot in his 2nd pro season, Jordan dazzled, slithered, soared and scored with impunity against the seemingly invincible Celtics in their nearly impervious building, who were 40-1 at home and boasted the iconic Larry Bird in his prime along with superstars Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

For the Columbine killers, they were assailants as well...just far more ominous and sinister. They were cast as social mis-fits after the fact and information came to light about just how calculated the April 20, 1999 shootings really were. Going back to 1997 and 1998, Klebold and Harris (pictured at right) had studied how to make bombs at home and also acquired themselves an extensive collection of rifles and other high powered weaponry. Apparently upset with the way they were ridiculed and outcast in school, they ignored their otherwise privileged lives and masterminded an evil crime that still stings.

I joke when I put Michael Jordan into the same category as Klebold and Harris. But the sad part is, Jordan simply played a phenomenal game. The Columbine boys considered their heinous actions to be a game as well.

What did the rest of us learn?