BP, TransOcean and Halliburton giving testimony before Congress

Responsibility, or the lack thereof.

On Monday night, the Utah Jazz lost to the LA Lakers, ending Utah’s playoff run. 25 year old Deron Williams, when asked about the loss, responded with, “We’re a playoff team and they’re a championship team. They’re just better than we are.” He didn’t blame the refs, he didn’t mention that his right wrist might need surgery, and he didn’t blame anyone else on the team or in the state of Utah or the tooth fairy.

On Tuesday, the President of BP America, 51 year old Lamar McKay, testified in front of Congress about the accident on BP’s oil rig. He explained that Transocean was responsible for the safety of drilling operations, so it wasn’t BP’s fault. The CEO of Transocean, 45 year old Harvard MBA Steven Newman, said that offshore oil drilling responsibility begins and ends with the operator of the rig, so it wasn’t Transocean’s fault. Executive VP of “Strategy” at Halliburton, 58 year old Timothy Probert, said they did everything according to accepted industry standards, so it wasn’t Halliburton’s fault.

Personally, despite a losing performance on Monday, I would trust Deron Williams to oversee offshore drilling more than any of these three companies. He pro’ly gets paid more than those clowns, but at least he earns it.

When people ask why sports figures make more than businessmen and teachers and doctors…I’d like to think this is the reason.