I did not want to see Brian McKnight last night.

The idea of covering an event just for the thrill of a juicy story does not appeal to me. Seeing Brian McKnight in concert, after having written two weeks ago about his unusual decision to release an adult-themed song as a way to revive his career, sounds like a great story, but I wanted no part of it. As the afternoon turned to evening and I vacillated between attending (a ticket had already been reserved, under my name, as a form of peer pressure from a friend), I finally found a way out. I'd watch basketball. That way, at least I'd having something to write about and the night wouldn't be a complete professional waste.

Not all denial is bad. Here's an example.

Last week, people were attempting to tell me that R&B crooner Brian McKnight was trying to make an unusual career comeback with the release of an "adult mixtape." And then these same people alerted me that this track was called "If You're Ready to Learn," and may or may not have been about teaching many a non-academic thing to a lady. And then over the next few days, these same people spoke of alleged covers and remixes of this song, suggesting that it was picking up steam and becoming shockingly popular. And then even more people told me that he was invited to perform his allegedly nasty song at the AVN awards, the event that honors the finest in the porn world. Yes, these statements were being thrown in my direction, and then confirmed by my eyes, ears, and the Internet, but not my heart. I didn't want to believe it, so I didn't.