tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44615919748503714262024-03-21T13:07:51.602-07:00The Sports Prophets...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-31127786182801366492012-11-15T17:18:00.003-08:002012-11-19T11:15:02.443-08:00Introducing the G - Score: Efficiency Scores of Old vs New StarsThe G-Score is an original, recently-unveiled player rating system based
off efficiency that takes away many of the biases present today in player
analysis. Like the PER by John Hollinger, it is meant to be a true efficiency
indicator, however the G-Score is obviously significantly different. Below I have run G-Scores on many of the most
prominent players of the past and present. Their yearly scores show how their
careers progressed. The formula used to determine the G-Score is comparable for
any position, which helps shed some light on arguments of basketball greatness.
Paired with immeasurable and intangible qualities it helps to form a better
picture of how great a player truly was. So enjoy and if you have any suggestions of
comparisons to run or want to get the G-Score of your favorite player let us
know!
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;">G-Score Explanations:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;">60+ = MVP type year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;">55 - 60 = All Star Year<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;">50 - 55 = Starting 5 Quality <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-themecolor: dark2;">40 - 50 = Solid Year</span><br />
<span style="color: #1f497d;">30 - 40 = Bench Warmer</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1f497d;">0 - 20 =
Is this the WNBA?</span></div>
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Unknownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14693908492282934657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-88533760475927691472012-06-25T10:50:00.004-07:002012-06-25T10:50:42.740-07:00Deron Williams Returning to Utah (A Daydream)Look, I know. <a href="http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8090057/deron-williams-only-interested-signing-brooklyn-nets-dallas-mavericks-sources-say">He wants the Nets or the Mavs</a>. But can't a Jazz fan daydream?<br />
<br />
Imagine the following:<br />
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<div class="mod-article-title" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="subhead" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 10px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<cite class="source" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Associated Press <span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Updated:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: normal;"> July 3, 2012, 11:51 AM ET</span></cite></div>
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SALT LAKE CITY – After his unexpected trade to New Jersey on
February 23, 2010, Deron Williams thought his time in Utah was finished
forever. However, the last few months had started to change his mind and had
him considering a return to the Jazz where he began his stellar career.</div>
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“My wife and I really enjoyed living in Salt Lake City,”
said Williams, “and my kids had spent five years there, so we were all pretty
upset when I got traded.”</div>
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With his free agency upcoming, Williams said he and his wife
started talking about the places they might want to end up, with Brooklyn,
Dallas, Houston, and Salt Lake City all being in the mix. When he asked his
four children, though, only one place came up: Utah.</div>
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“My kids all wanted to go back to Utah,” said Williams. “They
loved their friends and especially the mountains, skiing and hiking and all
that, and that made me and my wife really consider going back.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a shocking turn of events, Williams decided to return to
the Jazz, making the Nets victims of one of the most lop-sided trades in NBA
history.</div>
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On February 23, 2010, the Nets received Deron Williams in
exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, two first round draft
picks, and $3 million in cash. Now, with their upcoming move to Brooklyn
imminent, the Nets have nothing to show for the trade. Utah, on the other hand,
after trading Devin Harris, has a bright future with Williams back in town.</div>
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“This is where I learned the NBA and where I became an all
star,” said Williams. “I wanted to sign somewhere that could contend for an NBA
title quickly, and I think we’ve got the team to do that I’m happy to be back
in Salt Lake City and hope I finish my career here.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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Meanwhile the Nets will be moving into their billion-dollar
arena with MarShon Brooks as the headlining star—not exactly what they had in
mind when they made the trade two years ago.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“We wish Deron all the best,” said Nets coach Avery Johnson.
“Obviously, we wanted him back, but he chose to leave and we are grateful for
the time he spent here. We feel good about our future and are looking forward
to the upcoming season.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s the type of story that sounds like a Hollywood movie, a
superstar unexpectedly getting traded then returning later under better
circumstances. This time around, Deron hopes it has a fairy tale ending.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I want to win it all man,” said Williams. “I started here
and we got close in 2007, but this time I want it all.”</div>
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<br /></div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-80738479252307975882012-04-13T12:17:00.004-07:002012-04-13T12:23:57.614-07:00<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thibodeau showed what makes a truly great coach last night in the 96-86 overtime win against the Miami heat. With 49.3 seconds left in regulation and the Bulls down by two, he made the critical decision to bench his star point guard.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thibodeau’s personnel management late in the game was beyond belief; the work of a master. In all, <b>17 substitutions were made in the final 1:20 for the Bulls</b>, each one catering to the specific needs of the next several seconds.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> It must be noted that the Bulls bench stepped up big and earned the time they received. While Rose went -27 on the court and +37 off, CJ Watson, Taj Gibson, Omer Asik, and Kyle Korver averaged +28.5 on the court while averaging 11 points each.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> However, the depth of a team has little impact on a game if the coach doesn’t know when to make a change, and when to leave a player in. In Thibodeau’s case last night, his skillful orchestration of player substitutions earned him not just a 10-point win, but the respect and trust of his players.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">-Kyle Owen</span>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-63951629164860952452012-03-13T15:38:00.000-07:002012-03-13T15:38:11.105-07:00<div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><b>Mitch:</b></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></blockquote><br />
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><blockquote style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0.8ex; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 1ex;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVTn-dnPH4mlEWxxW-Q6p-FLaAxz0RhyF66_mP1vQhBfozN1qw8tn-ZvWkKsleMF4l-9rMOxUqs3xz67m-EU6iRkJff2TlD3cf9gylP9l9uZK0SLqP04FQANPAoq7KelB4-sRuPZ8Jio/s1600/manning-face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVTn-dnPH4mlEWxxW-Q6p-FLaAxz0RhyF66_mP1vQhBfozN1qw8tn-ZvWkKsleMF4l-9rMOxUqs3xz67m-EU6iRkJff2TlD3cf9gylP9l9uZK0SLqP04FQANPAoq7KelB4-sRuPZ8Jio/s320/manning-face.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">So, my friend, it has come to this. Tomorrow, the Colts will release Peyton Manning and free themselves of the $28 million millstone they had hung around his neck. (Is it too early to make neck puns? I think not). Being a Pats fan, I've always had very strong and very negative feelings about Peyton. But really, this must suck for him, his wife, his kids, and just about everyone except their creepy Tweeting owner. And yes, I understand he'll probably cry tomorrow and say Peyton asked for this and whatever, but man. Wow. Joe Montana got</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">traded, </i><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Peyton Manning is getting</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;">cut. </i></div></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div><br />
</div><div>Wow. Your thoughts?</div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></div></div></blockquote><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><b>Grant:</b><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I think this is officially the start of the Apocalypse my good friend. I hope you have built your bomb shelter and filled it with Hot Pockets and Simpsons DVD's because this is the last thing anyone would have ever expected. You may disagree with me on this one, but I feel 100% confident in saying that this was a mistake by the Colts. Yes, keeping him, and his $28 million dollar iffy neck, could be a huge risk. However, there are too many good reasons to keep him that stand out when I look at the situation as a whole. 4 MVP's + 1 Championship + Perennial Pro Bowler = GUY YOU NEVER CUT!</span> </div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><b>Mitch</b>:</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">My good, poor old misinformed friend, I wholeheartedly disagree. Now, as I said, I despise the Colts. Everything about them fills me with blue-colored vomit. But, sickening as it is, I think they made not only the right call, but the</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">only </i><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">call there was to make. 28,000,000 + 4 neck surgeries + not playing for a year + Andrew Luck (who I hear will be making like 15,000,000 this year, so add that to Peyton's bonus money plus $7 mill salary and that's 50,000,000 to 2 guys! Insane!) = cut ties with HOF player. I know it sucks, but what other choice is there? I just can't see you telling Luck, "Hey, you're ready, but sit for a couple years and let Peyton have one last hurrah." It just doesn't make sense. Does it?</span> </div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><b>Grant:</b></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">No it does not. In fact I would be remiss if I didn't note that nostalgia and loyalty are probably an NFL owner's worst enemies. Yet, that being said, there are a few players that deserve the chance to come back even though the inherent risk is huge. As a Patriots fan, realizing all that Tom Brady has done for the Patriots, the guys who played with him, and THE FANS, you have to admit that if the roles were reversed you would hope that they gave the guy another shot to play instead of casting him off in favor of a young guy with potential. I am appealing more to sentiment <var></var>than logic obviously. I am not saying that Andrew Luck will not be great someday but he hasn't done anything yet so let's not get ahead of ourselves. If Manning can in fact play up to his old level, he gives the Colts the best chance to win out of almost any QB in the NFL or college. The question then remains as to whether the Colts want to win or just rebuild?</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I believe the Colts have a number of good pieces in place to be good again soon, especially if Luck turns out to be the stud he appears to be in college. However, any time that Luck can spend with the QB who has run the offense (literally single handedly run it himself) and won a Super Bowl with it, the better Luck and the Colts will be. The money is an issue, but who is to say that Luck would be opposed to sitting for a year if he could learn from one of the best to ever play? As good as Sam Bradford, Joe Flacco, and Matt Ryan have been, I am still inclined to think that if a QB can learn from a Hall of Famer for at least a year that they will improve and learn much quicker.</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><br />
<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><b>Mitch:</b></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">My good friend, I do like that quote. In fact, "</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">nostalgia and loyalty are probably an NFL owner's worst enemies" should definitely be a song title. Let's write that onto our next album, k?</span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;">Anyways, I do agree....with some. If this were Tom Brady getting cut, I would be screaming bloody murder, no matter the cap ramifications or anything else. Tommy could literally have his legs severed at the knee and still, if the Pats cut him, I would blow a gasket. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;">And again, I agree that if Luck had to sit one year behind Peyton, that would have been totally OK. But think about this, friend: Nobody knows how healthy Peyton is. Nobody. (Well, except maybe Peyton). Yeah, we have 27 seconds of grainy footage. So you're OK to dish out one million per SECOND of that Duke video? To me, that's not worth it. And say they do sign Peyton for the year, give him the bonus, and he's great. Then what? Make Luck sit another 2-5 years? By the time he'd play, his prime is half-over. </span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;">The Colts made the right, if not painful, move.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><b>Grant:</b><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">This is a toughie. It's like having to pick between Montana and Young in the last year of Montana's contract. Can you really go wrong with either one? I am assuming that Luck = Young so that could be a logical fallacy in the first place. Young actually played second fiddle for a while too.<var></var></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I agree with you in one regard...letting Manning play out the remainder of his contract would have been a big mistake. I disagree , however, that it was the right move whether you look at it from a business standpoint or not.</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">Therefore, I propose a solution that would have the potential to placate both sides of this issue. In order for this solution to have any vailidity you have to agree with me that Peyton Manning loves the Colts and Indianapolis. I believe this is evident in his expressed desire to stay with the team. I you still don't agree than read this article (<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/sports/football/manning-agrees-to-90-million-contract-with-colts.html?_r=1" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/<wbr></wbr>07/31/sports/football/manning-<wbr></wbr>agrees-to-90-million-contract-<wbr></wbr>with-colts.html?_r=1</a>). Irsay himself said that Peyton puts Indiana, fans, and teammates above all else. Peyton took lower money (even though it was still not a modest contract by any means) in order to keep key guys in Indy.</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I believe that if the Colts had wanted to do this right, they should have done the following:</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">1. Restructure Manning's contract so that he would have at most 2 years left with the team. 1 year would be ideal but I feel that 2 would work.</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">2. Try to convince Manning to take less money, even $10 million a year, so that they can start rebuilding right. Clearly Manning doesn't mind taking one for the team so I don't feel it is as far fetched as it sounds.</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">3.Make it explicitly clear that starting in the 2013 season that Andrew Luck is their starting QB whether Peyton decides to stay with the team or not. As a Colts fan, I would think that one year of Luck's career with some playing time mixed in here and there in his rookie year is not too much to ask for.</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> </div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">I know it is probably a long shot but should they have pursued this course, they could have given Manning a year to prove he has got it again. This leaves Manning in a favorable position and makes fans happier. It also gives Luck one year of prep time and learning.</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Mitch:</b></div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"> Dare I begin my rebuttal with an extended Sports Guy quote? Yes, I dare.<div><br />
</div><div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Let's say Indiana offered <a href="http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=6vqcr2c" style="color: #bc131a; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Paul George straight up for Pierce</a> — something that's actually conceivable because Indiana is $14 million under the cap right now (and could contend this spring with a short-term Pierce/George upgrade). You're running the Celtics. That trade saves you $12.9 million plus another $8.9 million in luxury tax money in 2012, then puts you $38 million under the cap heading into the 2012-13 season. It doesn't totally ruin this year's season and makes you better defensively. It gives you two-thirds of a pretty sweet under-27 core: Rondo and George. Really, it's a logical deal except you'd be crapping on a future Hall of Famer who just gave you 13 great years, wanted to retire with Boston and planned on going down as one of the six or seven best Celtics ever. That's why Boston would say no, just like the Colts would say no if they had a chance to release Peyton Manning and build around Andrew Luck.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(Hey, wait a second … )</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">Anyways, I like your thinking, I really do. But I just can't find it in me to believe Peyton, the uber-competitive dude (who usually choked in big games, but still) would be willing to take your proposed deal. I think the lower money, sure. But thinking he has Luck right there? Would he even acknowledge him? I can see Peyton going to someone like Jeff Saturday and pulling a Michael Corleone/Fredo: "Listen Jeff, I don't ever want to see Luck. Ever. If there's a quarterbacks meeting, you make sure he's not there. If there's a charity event, Luck gets 'sick.' Understand?" </span></span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">I just think Peyton's too competitive. He doesn't want a cap on his progression. What if, by 2013, Peyton is league MVP with a Super Bowl the previous season? You can't bench him. As crazy good as he is, and as hard as I hear he works, I could see him playing for years and years if he's still healthy. At a high, high level. What then?</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div></div></div><br />
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</div></div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-47709000975671032872012-02-22T10:19:00.000-08:002012-02-22T10:19:53.855-08:00It continues...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwTIz4gRFQsanf4VPNFTtDOMpk-m_vGiFqWCif0ytt6Hydt_THYEgkBd3UzLc_H5b3Zc4BV80uonW-nqiUbETo6kP2CB-SNPtkFuOPZkup510fL_eFqukZwnAh38vSGo_Y0-ZQmSIW9o/s1600/Every+Day+He's+BalLIN+T.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwTIz4gRFQsanf4VPNFTtDOMpk-m_vGiFqWCif0ytt6Hydt_THYEgkBd3UzLc_H5b3Zc4BV80uonW-nqiUbETo6kP2CB-SNPtkFuOPZkup510fL_eFqukZwnAh38vSGo_Y0-ZQmSIW9o/s320/Every+Day+He's+BalLIN+T.png" width="318" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6xjrUJMNO6Dik9qrlrOGsrdPnnZAjkjCJN1x7Q5PnRJtxkWy7y04ePCN5H9iuSLE4DJDb9_AsTGm5uuTk9-_xlxgKo2rvOdEEX9tXsqD8fbhyphenhyphenxaFfQhom0DK3dUbUesyen4g0BH8NBg/s1600/BalLIN+detail+smaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6xjrUJMNO6Dik9qrlrOGsrdPnnZAjkjCJN1x7Q5PnRJtxkWy7y04ePCN5H9iuSLE4DJDb9_AsTGm5uuTk9-_xlxgKo2rvOdEEX9tXsqD8fbhyphenhyphenxaFfQhom0DK3dUbUesyen4g0BH8NBg/s320/BalLIN+detail+smaller.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.28merchandise.com/">stolen from www.28merchandise.com </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-65260415373401887372012-02-21T09:48:00.000-08:002012-02-21T09:48:52.578-08:00This is Just LINsaneYou know, with all the hype surrounding Jeremy Lin, I really wanted to join in. I wanted to put my two cents in regarding hype, the Twitter era, nonstop coverage, the race factor, how much America loves an underdog, and all sorts of fantastic insight.<br />
<br />
Then, I found this t shirt. I feel like enough has been said.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_452336921"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj-KVVMKu5LAEtxhhG1C79rEa_ITAKH8K-ug4dYv_dBuaIXQ9BWmeUqg5NxxynF4NiKshomGKoUSHsLERNNfTW2K62J4y3oFjIaet_Hwkb4kC2bh43MK3QA3SGL9g5YHAGQJMG8uxTdM/s640/Every+Day+He's+HustLIN+White+T.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.28merchandise.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=94">image taken from 28merchandise.com. I don't claim to own this image, but rather to stand in AWE of it.</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-62842190521103612992012-02-17T13:05:00.000-08:002012-02-17T13:05:10.297-08:00Mormon Basketball, or, 10 Jimmers and Nobody Else<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Mormon Basketball</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last night I have the <s>horror of </s>honor of attending a Mormon basketball game. I say attending, rather than playing, because as I was about to take part in the next round of brutality, something crazy happened that caused last night to be one of the weirdest/worst of my life (seriously). But that’s another story. This, my friends, is a tale of Mormon basketball: the brawl that begins with prayer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">*First, a disclaimer: I am white, Mormon, and occasionally think I’m decent at basketball. Thus all my comments and observations are made under that assumption, and as much as I want to act like I’m different from the carnage I’m describing, I am actually a big contributor to it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, every white Mormon guy, ages 11-75, thinks he is great at basketball. Nay, AMAZING at basketball. I dare say they might even compare themselves to Jimmer. (More on Jimmer later). The ascension of Jimmer Fredette has been the absolute WORST development for LDS basketball that has ever happened. Why? Because now, whenever a guy takes a ridiculously long 3 point shot (happens 12,000 times each game), no matter how many he misses, when one FINALLY drops, the name “Jimmer” will immediately be said up to 7 times. ALWAYS. (As in, "Dude, you shot that from Jimmer range!" or "Bro, you're like Jimmer!" or the wretched "Jimmertastic!")</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We have a court full of 30-somethings, more jiggle than muscle, rumbling/trudging up and down the court launching 3’s and occasionally passing. <b>Very</b> occasionally. It’s just crazy how EVERY white Mormon guy in the gym thinks he’s the best on the floor. (I say white Mormon because I’ve played with other ethnicities in California, Florida, Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia and, varying by ethnicity, they either ARE really good, don’t care that much and don’t pretend/think they’re good, or just play rugby. Only the white guys are “superstars,” at least in their own minds.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Remember every derogatory comment made about Jimmer Fredette, both throughout his college career, and also into his NBA days? I.e. shoots too much, black hole on offense, no defense, irrationally confident, etc? Not only are those comments FULLY accurate for a typical Mormon ballgame, but they are almost prophetic. You think you’ve seen a black hole? Wait until #54 gets the ball. He would seriously shoot from half court if the game flow allowed it. Nonetheless, he shot from everywhere else. How many passes did I spy? One—and that was to inbound the ball. How many shots did he make? Perhaps 3 layups (with at least 2 missed layups, 4 running hookshot airballs, 6 LONG 3’s, and a plethora of other cringe-inducing misses.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The best part about Mormon ball is the fact that inevitably, someone becomes the “alpha dog.” (It’s really too bad LeBron didn’t attend his Akron weekly ward activities). Last night, it was the balding orthodontist, who decided his way of “encouraging” teammates would be saying things like “Not the kind of shot we needed, chief” and “Hit me, I’ll make that 3 next time.” It would have been funny if it didn’t make me sad and slightly terrified.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And, inevitably, the arguing. Oh, the arguing. Without question, when the game gets close, the phantom fouls increase tenfold. Suddenly, a clean strip turns into a foul (it’s always call your own, you know) and results in possession at the top of the key. Which inevitably results in muttered comments like “Where’s the blood?” or “Seriously dude? Grow a pair.” It’s actually nice that profanity isn’t (generally) used, but it does make the insults and arguments a lot more entertaining. (Try getting REALLY angry and/or shouting at someone while using 100% appropriate-for-grandma’s-ears language. It takes real creativity!) It always gets tense when the score gets close and the clock ticks down, but to this day, I’ve never witnessed actually blood flow—and last night was no different.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lastly, the irony of it all is when the game ends, guys are huffing like they’ve just finished the Boston Marathon, emotions are running high, tension is thick, and then…a closing prayer. Not only that, but the fact that many of the dudes (usually the winners initiate this) try to shake hands and/or pretend no bad blood exists. In Mormon basketball, nothing is icier than the extended handshake met with a pushing away by the opponent. It’s pretty much a modern-day challenge to a duel. Only in this case, everyone goes and rounds up their kids, grabs their baby carriers, and scurries out to their SUV’s/minivans. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All I’m saying is there is nothing like it. Nothing. I’ve been to hundreds of concerts and sporting events. I’ve seen Broadway. I’ve swam with sharks and jumped out of airplanes. But NOTHING in this world compares to the cheap thrills of watching a Mormon basketball game in all its glory.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-48385250824077504162012-02-11T17:42:00.001-08:002012-02-11T21:54:29.110-08:00Sports, National Anthems, & Whitney Houston<span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Upon recently hearing of the death of Whitney Houston, I caught myself thinking of some of her music and how effortless she made a lot of singing look. Honestly, criticize what you want about her life decisions, but you have to respect her musical talent and voice. I found myself searching through various youtube videos of her and was pretty amazed. </span></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">That led me to this video:</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div><span><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YHmdu_I_0zI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>What has happened to our national anthems in today's sporting events? It was nearly 30 years ago yet I was AMAZED about how many U.S. flags I saw people holding and wearing. That's right, people were actually draped in them. Now either our country nowadays has way less amounts of patriotism or people back then had too much. I am leaning towards the former. At a recent NBA game I saw many who chose not to even take off their hats or even face the flag during the national anthem.</span></div><div><span><br /></span></div><div><span>Lack of actual research on the subject (which I hope to follow up and validate later), has me searching through my memories for a national anthem that has been sung that well in the past 10 years....actually ever. Keep tuned in for a follow up with actual evidence.</span></div>Granthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10546520463975630960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-50298963055774040772012-02-09T12:29:00.000-08:002012-02-09T12:29:05.145-08:00Is OK Go a real band?<div class="MsoNormal">Yes, they are real humans. And yes, they play real songs. And as far as I know, they write their own songs (unlike MANY Disney machine “artists,” country “artists,” tween pop “stars,” etc). But I have to wonder at this point: Is OK Go a real band?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">First off, I want you all to know something: Before they were YouTube stars, OK Go actually released a single and hosted that AWFUL Channel One show they made us watch in high school. I remember watching, hearing them and thinking “Hah, I heard this song ages ago” because it was released in the late 90’s or early 2000’s. And I remember something in the music video about ping pong (I think). If you know the song/video, please send it my way. (Wait, just found it, song’s called “Get Over It.” From 2003. No viral video here, just a normal “band in a room” video.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So yeah, before the videos, they were a normal band. Now I’m not saying anything except to think about this: When you think of OK Go, do you think “Great band” or “Crappy band” or whatever, or do you think “Great videos” or “Crappy videos” or whatever? I’m guessing it’s the latter, which brings up an interesting conundrum: Doesn’t a band want to be known for its music? Is OK Go just another YouTube celebrity that happens to play music?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I know you remember that treadmill video that sort of shot them into superstardom, and I felt the same way I do now, that they have mediocre music set to interesting videos. Without their videos, would they have people posting on YouTube: “OMG, they are so good and singer is so hawt!”? Doubtful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The whole point of this isn’t to rip on them. I don’t care if you do or don’t like OK Go, but I do think their new Super Bowl premiering video brings the argument to a new level. Namely, they made a 4 minute ad for the new Chevy Sonic. I know that music and advertising are hand-in-hand (VANS Warped Tour, HONDA Civic Tour, etc) but is this the first time a music video has been a full-on advertisement? Does it mean OK Go is just into selling Chevys now? How are they different from the AWFUL FreeCreditReport.com band?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know the answers and really I’m just putting it out there. I don’t care all that much about OK Go, I just wonder if they are first and foremost a rock band? A viral video crew? A sales team? </div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-69921049420355039422012-02-09T11:45:00.001-08:002012-02-09T11:45:31.710-08:00Why the Patriots Lost the Super Bowl<span style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My years in high school were spent doing precisely three things: playing Halo, streaking, and trying (and subsequently failing) to attract a girlfriend. My failure with the latter could most likely be attributed to the two former activities listed. I often thought that my investment in playing Halo was a considerable waste of time until I recently caught myself reflecting on the Super Bowl. At this point you might be asking what in the world does playing Halo have to do with the Super Bowl? Well let me do my best to explain...</span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I, like every teenage Halo nerd of my generation, sought to be the best of all of my friends at Halo. Hours, nights (yes even Friday nights), and weekends were spent honing my skills and playing against online competitors and friends. It was a tremendous waste of time but I noticed one thing. My extreme desire to be the best, over time in fact made me one of the best. I consistently won matches and became the envy of many fellow Halo nerds. Even though my skills were probably only above average, it was my desire coupled with my skills that actually made me great. Sans desire, I probably would have been just an above average Halo player.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That leads us to the Patriots. The Patriots have been one of the premier teams in the NFL for over 10 years. Watching them win game after game, Super Bowl after Super Bowl, for nearly 4 years from 2002-2005 made you realize one thing about them...they wanted, more than any other team, to WIN. In fact, not just win, but DESTROY teams. That desire, coupled with their core of very talented players, made them one of the funnest teams to watch because they won and pulled off miraculous victories. Sure some games were too close for comfort, but you could still see that they WANTED to win and they did. This was the case, it seems, for EVERY Patriot player and coach.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Patriots of the past 4 years, meanwhile, have been definitely above average. Two Super Bowl appearances (2008, 2012) is nothing to be modest about. What seems to have been different however, is that their killer instinct, win or die, F-You attitude has almost all but disappeared. It has been replaced by a coach and a star player who seem content to rely on past victories to remain relevant. Players choose to party after a Super Bowl loss as if they had just participated in a Super Bowl win (<a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/02/rob-gronkowski-dacing-patriots-post-game-party/1?csp=hf" style="color: #001582; text-decoration: none;">http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/02/rob-gronkowski-dacing-patriots-post-game-party/1?csp=hf</a>).</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #284de1; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Is my view on these Patriots too harsh? Perhaps, but in the end I don't feel that people will mention an almost undefeated season and two Super Bowl losses in the annals of NFL greatness. Championships are what define greatness nowadays. Tom Brady and Wes Welker were notably remorse after the game which shows that maybe not all players on the Patriots squad shook off the big loss like a preseason game. One thing I know though, is that the Patriots of 2002-2005 would have not gone out like the Patriots of 2012. </div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-83821497690250872922012-02-09T11:44:00.000-08:002012-02-09T11:44:06.224-08:00My Kanye post from his Taylor Swift "Fiasco"*Just worth a re-read seeing how his album, put out AFTER this experience, sold 600,000 units...in a WEEK. People forgave, forgot, and re-worshipped him, and his doing this stunt put him back in the limelight where he "needs" to be*<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Kanye West is a genius.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Before you go calling for my head or praising Taylor Swift, hear me out. This has nothing to do with him as a person. We all know he’s an egotistical jerk. We’ve known that for years, since his other string of outbursts and low-blows on other artists. He’s been doing it for years and you’ve still bought his albums and we’ve all decided he’s a great musician. The fact that he’s a schmuck doesn’t matter when it comes to his albums, as evidenced by the fact that everything he touches goes triple platinum minimum. We hate the dude but buy his music. Hmmmm.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Now, on September 13, 2009, Kanye rushed the stage, took the mic from Taylor Swift, moaned about Beyonce not winning an award, and that was it. Or was it?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In less than one minute, Kanye became relevant again. His last album, <i>808s & Heartbreak</i>, was released 11 months before the VMA’s. Kanye needed to become relevant again. You think a guy with an ego like his likes being out of the spotlight for 11 months? Interestingly enough, Jay-Z’s <i>The Blueprint III </i>had just come out 2 days earlier. Think Kanye liked letting Jay-Z bask in hip-hop’s glow?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In less than one minute, Kanye became The Man again. In less than one minute, Kanye was the most famous music artist, if not person, in the world. Top 3 on Google searches. #1 on Twitter. Think that’s by chance?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>West was supposedly seen drinking from a bottle on the red carpet prior to the show and many have decided he did it because he was drunk. Really? I don’t know the real story, nor does anyone, but if you think this guy’s not scripted and calculated in every moment of his life, you’re missing the point.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Now, on to the fact the world hates him now. Let me tell you one thing: Rap music does not sell on good reputations. Nor does R&B or whatever genre you want to say Kanye West is. A few examples:</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Eminem was involved in gun charges, drug and alcohol abuse and addiction, and was <i>sued by his own mother, </i>just to name a few. Did any of that stop his albums from selling through the roof? Even after disappearing for 5 years, his album<i>Relapse</i> sold over 2 million copies in under 3 months. So much for being a bad person affecting record sales, huh?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>R. Kelly was videotaped having sex with what appeared to be an underaged girl. The charge of child pornography was eventually dropped, but while he was entangled in the scandal, his album Chocolate Factory went on to sell over 2 million copies in the USA. So Americans don’t have a problem supporting a child pornographer, are they really going to hate Kanye for taking a mic for 30 seconds?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The list is endless. Lil’ Wayne’s 2008-2009 tour grossed over $42 million dollars, despite Wayne having battled with marijuana, cocaine and guns charges within the last couple years. Get it in your heads, America: Rap music thrives on the kind of controversy Kanye West just created.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; line-height: 1.55em; text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>So say what you want about Kanye. Is he a bad person? Probably. Has he been threatened with repercussion by MTV and others? Yes, but any follow through is doubtful. Call him what you like, but remember he became immediately famous and relevant from 30 seconds of spotlight. When his next album goes six times platinum, remember I called it first: Kanye West is a genius.</span></div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-55324158397455988992012-02-09T11:41:00.000-08:002012-02-09T11:41:56.334-08:00Funny Experiences<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyriygAKccSonbVlXVtumrSuSeshdE5l-EEIHTeB35GZYXFC4DouCY7tDFlzhSRq6orVu-rgbpvZgbJoLfOLKRU-JVVEGegFakSdn_Qm3Wgvpoqy0TeBNBlufsMqMZz-21o_IJASgzPMk/s1600/DSC00021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyriygAKccSonbVlXVtumrSuSeshdE5l-EEIHTeB35GZYXFC4DouCY7tDFlzhSRq6orVu-rgbpvZgbJoLfOLKRU-JVVEGegFakSdn_Qm3Wgvpoqy0TeBNBlufsMqMZz-21o_IJASgzPMk/s1600/DSC00021.jpg" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">Lately, I've had a few experiences in California that have been life-changing. Like, the kind which I'll probably need 13 years of intensive electro-shock therapy just to try and forget. I've really tried to avoid talking about them, but my therapist, Dr. Nick Riveria (Contact him by calling 1-600-DOCTORB), said a blog/note was the only way to deal. So, without further ado, I present, in order, Roxi Rainbow and Thug.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">1) Roxi: A few weeks ago, a friend, David Joshua Goodtimes Harris IV and I, spent a lovely afternoon at Seal Beach. Upon getting out of my car at CVS Pharmacy, we saw an older woman in a nice BMW convertible. As we walked into the store we heard, "Hey baby. Hey baby! Come here, this music is HUGE in Amsterdam." Of course, my entire life is lived so as to have a good story, so we immediately went to talk to this gorgeous (in her words) woman, of whom I've attached a photo. For the next hour, we heard how this woman, Roxi Rainbow, is the lead singer of a rock band who will win a Grammy, a French heiress, owns a Bentley and many other luxury cars, owns houses in Laguna Beach and around the UK, wanted to take us to a Finnish death metal concert in her limousine that night, is incredibly desirable and all men want her (in her words), etc. The highlights (or lowlights, depending on your viewpoint) included her filthy language, which was hilarious in a low-brow way, her continual touching and rubbing Dave's hair, which I egged on by saying things like "Oh Davey, your hair is soooooo cute," her saying she donates 2/3 of her money to kids, and us saying "We're kids and we love money" (she ignored it) and saying she bought her boyfriend a Corvette and me saying "Oh yeah, I LOVE Corvettes, I'd love to drive one." In the end, I don't know what her intentions were, but the autographed photo of her in a bikini made my life complete and ruined my life simultaneously.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #464646; font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 17px; text-align: left;">2) Thug. After leaving Huntington Beach, my good friend Stephanie Jean Soaring Duck Falling Leaf Rodriguez Ramirez Edwards and I were driving to Los Alamitos with David Joshua Goodtimes Harris IV following us in his car. At a stoplight, David started yelling at Stephanie, mimicking White Trash Guy. Stephanie yelled back and a good time was had by all. Except Thug. As this was going on, Thug pulled up in his thugmobile next to us, rolled down his window, and began listening intently on this fake yelling match. At the next stoplight, Steph and I notice Thus pulling up next to David. We see him roll down his window, then unleash a tapestry of obscenity, telling David if he wants to "mess" (edited version) with someone, then he should "mess" with him, not a girl. After Dave explained the situation, Thug was ok with it and drove off amicably. However, we laughed for hours after.</span>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-55125346251305038192012-02-07T15:32:00.001-08:002012-02-07T15:32:37.770-08:00Response to TrueHoop and Note of Who the Real Victims Are (aka Earl the Usher)<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Thanks to Henry Abbott and TrueHoop for posting my blog yesterday and especially for raising the biggest point I completely forgot. (Side note—I wrote that blog after receiving some big, bad news from home. I guess if I was an emo kid, I would have written sad poetry or something…but alas, I’m just a member of Generation WTF and thus I missed a huge point I should have hit).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Henry made the point that fans are <i>not </i>the real victims of this lockout. In fact, he said <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">this</a>: “I know a lot of fans are really bitter about the lack of NBA basketball. And I respect that. I'm one of them too! But my main thought has been: Be glad if only your <i>entertainment</i> life is at stake here. For the players and the owners and all kinds of other people in affiliated businesses, this is way more real than what they're going to watch on TV or in person. So I get a little antsy when I hear that fans are the real victims. The players are losing $2 billion a year! You're losing a TV show!”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">That is the big thing I missed. First off, I have no sympathy*** (or empathy) for the players, except the rookies who are yet to get paid. Sure, they work hard. So do I. So do you. My minimum salary isn’t $400k+. Of course, people wouldn’t pay to watch me work…or would they? I’m toying around with the idea of a webcam in my office, where you can watch me update corporate Facebook statuses, argue with angry customers on Twitter, and write incredible newsletters. C’mon, you wouldn’t pay $10 a month to watch me?! Ok, bad idea. Anyways, I get that the players are losing money, but I don’t feel bad about that.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What I do feel bad about, especially in my self-absorbed post yesterday, is the fact that I failed to mention the true victims. Like Earl.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Earl is my favorite Jazz usher. I’d guess he’s probably mid 60’s or early 70’s. He always looked rad in those cool green vests the Jazz ushers wear. He was always fun to talk to, especially when I called him by name, because he acted like nobody ever had done that before. He never once remembered me, and that made him seem even cooler. By now, Earl has met my sister, brother-in-law, mom and dad, ex girlfriends, wife, and several friends. And now Earl is jobless.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Now, I really don’t know if Earl worked as an usher because he needed the money, because he was bored, or for some other reason. All I know is he can’t do it now, and that sucks to think about. There are hundreds of workers at the EnergySolutions Arena that are either on unemployment (can they get unemployment during/due to the lockout?) or finding other jobs. They are the real victims.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Just today, I heard a guy on the radio mention a restaurant in downtown SLC that I really enjoy. He then said, “Please go. They need your support, because so much of what they do depends on people coming in before and after Jazz games, and that ain’t happening.” They are the real victims.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">So thanks to Henry Abbott for keeping me honest and for the reminder that yeah, us fans are bummed. I am sad to not have the distraction of NBA ball, but at least I have a job. This lockout goes far beyond typical fans like me, and that’s where I missed the ball. The real victims are the ones who have to deal with the reality of being jobless in a tough economic time. (And Delonte West, for having to apply at Home Depot and work on a furniture truck).<br />
<br />
***Again, Mr. Abbott showed me the error of my ways in a comment. Saying I have no compassion kinda turns me into the inhumane monster, doesn't it. I don't mean that. I mean that it's hard for me to sympathize with ultra-rich, ultra-extravagant lifestyle NBA players. The grunts, and those on 10 day contracts, and those in and out of the D-League, and heck, even the ones that just seem like cool dudes, I do feel for. I can see where they're coming from, and I think my post seemed a little too narrow in my approach. Duly noted, good sir.</div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-9875999054308654092012-02-07T15:31:00.001-08:002012-02-07T15:31:46.430-08:00An Open Letter to the NBA, the (ex) NBAPA, Billy Hunter, David Stern, Derek Fisher, et al<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I consider myself a pretty everyday American, as well as a fairly typical NBA fan. I graduated college 2 years ago, right when things looked at their worst economically. I recently bought my first home, got my first pet, married my first (and only) wife, and work hard all day every day to make sure we can keep chasing that dream.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I grew up in Salt Lake City, so naturally, I am (was) a huge Jazz fan. There have been times in my life when I’ve felt like the Jazz were one of the few things to wake up for. From Stockton and Malone to Williams and Boozer (and everything in between), I’ve worked some long days with the knowledge that at least I would have a game to go home to. I always made my apartment/house/parents house available for games, and it always seemed to provide a nice escape. Even when the Jazz lost, I felt like it was nice to forget the misery of work, the monotony of “adult” life, and the pressures of everything and just kick it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">See, for those of us twentysomethings, life has changed pretty drastically pretty fast. America suddenly went from the land of opportunity to the land of very diminished opportunity. I didn’t expect to graduate during a huge recession. I didn’t expect my degree to be nearly obsolete when only 2 years ago it was a quickly-growing field. I didn’t expect to get a job where my bosses would happily pull the “you’re just lucky to <i>have</i> a job” card when denying raises and promotions, and I DEFINITELY didn’t expect finding another job—ANY other job—to be so bloody hard. But that’s where I am, and, judging from conversations with friends, coworkers, and worldwide news stories, I am not alone in this.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But alas, this is an NBA post, not a “woe is me” rant. (And for everyone going to post about how I should stop whining, do something more, start a business, kill myself, etc: Thanks for the advice. I totally wish I would have thought of those things over the last 2 years! You are all so smart that I’m amazed you’re commenting on a no-name blog rather than curing cancer and saving kittens!)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The point of me writing this is because I feel like these are the collective feelings of a huge NBA demographic. We’re frustrated with life. We’re struggling to get by. We used to love the escapism of the NBA, not just for the sport but because it provided an outlet to get together and feel camaraderie with friends, family, strangers, and the community as a whole. Those feelings are now gone, and I don’t know if they’re coming back.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Now, I’ve noticed many of my old NBA buddies avoiding the topic altogether. We’ve all screamed and whined about the lockout, but at this point, we’re over it. We have bigger issues to worry about. I don’t know how I’m going to pay off my hospital bill—I need to focus on that, not on billionaires versus millionaires playing a horrifying game of greed and bad PR on a national/international stage.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I know the point has been made, but it’s been crazy to hear very little, if anything, about the fans in this whole deal. I agree, most people outside those parties involved have probably chosen a side, but I can’t help but feel like if the fans were mentioned more by one side—either side—they would have gained a bit more sympathy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Instead, it’s leaked letters and emails, ridiculous Twitter campaigns, Stern coming off more like a dictator than a commissioner, and a season on the brink.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">So to every Billy Hunter, David Stern, Adam Silver, Derek Fisher, etc: We don’t understand. We’ve never made $500,000 minimum salary. We’ve never owned a professional sports team. We’ve never had money guaranteed to us whether we live up to it or not. We DON’T get it. We don’t relate. And honestly, when this is all over, I don’t know how we’re going to forget all this and go back to watching basketball.</div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-16846832898370278392010-06-18T09:23:00.001-07:002010-06-18T09:23:43.436-07:00Funny Re-Read from Christmas Eve 2008Seeing how it is Christmas Eve, I thought I'd put together a list of things I am (and some things I am not but will sarcastically pretend to be) grateful for.<br />
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1) The resurrection of Kurt Warner. I really enjoyed this article from ESPN. It's great to see a classy guy reborn in Arizona. Pro Bowl caliber for sure. With all the Plaxicos and Pacmans, it's nice to hear about good guys doing good things. I really enjoy ESPN's package about NBA players and teams doing good things this season.<br />
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2) Dogs that call 911 when their owners are about to die <br />
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3) Al Davis and the hilarious things I think of whenever I see his face or hear his name. I am currently writing an Award-Winning (surely it must win something) piece about him. Stay tuned.<br />
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4) Carlos Boozer convincing all of Utah to act like the way he left Cleveland was OK, win us over with a really good year in 2006-2007, make the All-Star team twice, sitting out half a million games, then telling us he's opting out of his contract after the year because he "is going to get a raise." Wow, I bet he's barely surviving on that $11.2 million this year.<br />
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5) LeBron James. Manchild. Karl Malone tribute. Wow. (That video has 9,000 views. About 4,500 of them are mine.)<br />
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6) Matt Cassel becoming a really, really good quarterback (and probably making himself a lot of money)<br />
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7) Bernard Polian ruining the Patriots season (although they've done a bloody good job of salvaging the wreckage, which I will discuss later) but making the NFL fair for the first time in years. I mean, really, has one man's departure meant so much to a league since MJ? (MJ the first few times, not when he was with Washington. By then, we all begged him to retire and spare us and himself the embarrassment. Have you ever sat and listened to someone say something so incredibly stupid you feel embarrassed for them, their family, yourself, and the entire race of humans? That's how it was watching MJ try and turn around the Wiz.)<br />
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8) Utah Jazz fans continuing to worship Kyle Korver and claim he is the man yet somehow not noticing how many big shots he misses and how many times he turns the ball over. It must be because he's so darn hot.<br />
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9) The term "indie," which used to refer to a cool, specialized genre of music. More than that, it was a way of life, people who were independent, who kept the DIY aesthetic and lived their own way. Bands didn't care about radio play or looking "scene," they played music. Now the term has been so bloated, commercialized and prostituted it's applied like a blanket to anyone and anything trying to be mainstream. How does pop culture do that to us?! It's like the death of Cobain all over again...<br />
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10) The Sports Guy's columns minus the incessant references to porn. Really, ESPN?<br />
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11) Sports actually meaning something. If you break it down, it seems very silly to throw an orange sphere through a rim or toss a lemon-shaped pigskin around a grass field. But sports can mean a lot more than the game. They can represent family bonding, appreciation for others, sportsmanship, and hopefully someday world peace. <br />
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12) Bill Walton. My personal favorite quote from him, "Tony Parker just made the worst pass in the history of Western Civilization!" I met this guy at a Bob Dylan show once. Really.<br />
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13) Kevin Garnett's "Anything's possible!!" video was one of the high points of my sports life. Yet aren't his antics getting a bit old? Play the game with passion, Kevin, but when I can hear you streaming expletives after nearly every play, isn't it time to tone it down a bit?<br />
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14) Speaking of KG, Big Baby Glen Davis crying made me feel like a really big man. Heck, I never even cried in little league basketball and I got beat up on constantly! Anything that makes me feel more manly is much appreciated.<br />
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15) The Lakers, despite having a record of 23-5, being told by nearly every NBA talking head that something is wrong with the team.<br />
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16) "Saint" Paul Millsap. Drafted 47th? Really?<br />
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17) Amazing names in sports. LenDale, Daequan, LaDanian, Delashaun, LeCharles. I'm currently in the process of changing my name to DeLaMitchell.<br />
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18) Bill Belichick keeping the Patriots competitive despite losing the best quarterback to ever play the game (Tom Brady), Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Lawrence Maroney, and on and on and on. I also love how so many people can't get over SpyGate. But seriously, people, if a coach ever deserved Coach of the Year honors, it's Billy B this year.<br />
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19) People accusing all Patriots fans (well, I assume they don't do this in Boston, but I'm not sure) of only liking the Pats because they're good, or something along those lines. I can NEVER tell someone they're my team without getting that response. Come on, people. I've been with 'em since 1993 and will be until the end of time, get over the fact that my team wins and yours does not.<br />
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20) The incessant media attention of the Dallas Cowboys. What have they done to merit so much attention? Shouldn't more attention be on the Titans, who very few people thought would be so good this year, or on the Panthers, who went from training camp punch-up to NFC contender? Or on the fact that Chad Ocho Cinco has possibly disappeared from the continent?<br />
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21) Wes Welker's snow angel. Yes, the NFL fined him $10k. But Wes, it was worth it. The sad thing was (despite the penalty and fine), he sounded penitent for doing it. Come on NFL!<br />
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22) Roger Goodell cleaning up the NFL by punishing guys like Pacman, Chris Henry, and Tank Johnson, then eventually taking that power WAY too far and fining everyone who does anything. Check out this quote from Clinton Portis (bottom of the page), which seems to sum up the entire world's sentiment!<br />
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Remember this quote from The Simpson's? "You can't treat the working man this way. One day, we'll form a union and get the fair and equitable treatment we deserve! Then we'll go too far, and get corrupt and shiftless, and the Japanese will eat us alive!" Well, it reminds me of Goodell. He did some good in the NFL and now he's taken it too far. Let the NFL retain some fun, please? We pay good money for this stuff!<br />
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23) Tony Romo. Yes, he is a great guy (Well, according to this and this.) Yet we all know no matter how good the person is, media folk don't praise people for good deeds. So why is Romo still worshipped? Hasn't he choked in nearly every meaningful game as a Cowboy? Why, then, after a horrendous game against Baltimore, when he threw a touchdown, did the commentator say, "Now this is the Tony Romo we're used to seeing."? Really? I'm pretty sure none of us has any clue what Tony Romo we're used to seeing or will see on any given Sunday.<br />
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24) Brett Favre making the Pro Bowl. Seriously? Over Chad Pennington? Brett, 21 touchdowns and 19 interceptions wouldn't cut it in the 5th grade. Give it up.<br />
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25) The BCS mess continually proving what a sham college football is. I will never get my head around the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma yet OU is playing for the national title.<br />
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26) Sports talking heads having no accountability. I love to watch ESPN commentators argue over games, swear by their picks, and make ridiculous statements. When they're wrong, nobody cares. Like when Shaq "guaranteed" a repeat in Miami? Hey, Big Cactus Guy, we're still waiting...<br />
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27) Waiting for Terrell Owens to self-destruct is a sick pleasure I'm sure most of America takes part in. It's like dating a trophy girl. You know it's going to end badly, you've known it from the beginning, yet you stick with it because it makes you feel cool.<br />
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28) Bright Eyes and Brand New providing the soundtrack to another dreary winter.<br />
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29) The resurgence of the Atlanta Falcons. After last year, I felt sick for the franchise and I don't even care about them. Arthur Blank trusted a criminal and their coach quit on the team. Usually those equal a long rebuilding process, but Matty Ice Ryan has really helped Atlanta feel the love again. Michael Turner too. And this piece on Ryan makes him seem like the kind of guy I'd want my kids looking up to.<br />
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30) HP Lovecraft shoes.<br />
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31) Wondering when pro sports will get over the whole "rookies can't contribute" rubbish. Case in point: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Adrian Peterson last year, etc.<br />
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32) ESPN giving Lil' Wayne a blog despite incredibly filthy lyrics which continually send a message (to kids who listen, particularly) that it's ok to use the b**** word about women, drugs are great, and crime does pay. Really, ESPN?<br />
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34) I really enjoy this quote, "Most great men I have known have been deflated by intimate contact. Not so with [Name withheld] Every common everyday act added inches to his greatness. To me he was [an upright person] even while washing his hands or untying his shoes.” The Kurt Warners and Dwight Howards of the sports world help me realize that although they might not get the most press, good athletes do exist....http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-72425975612845521572010-06-16T14:33:00.000-07:002010-06-16T14:33:00.097-07:00NBA Free Agent Bonanza!Now I'm just wondering other people's feelings on this: What makes an NBA player a Max player? This summer, the biggest NBA offseason EVER is brewing. But every free agent seems to think he's a max player, and I want to know who really is!<br />
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In my humble opinion, I believe LBJ and D-Wade are max players this offseason. Why? 2 straight MVP's (let's forget the postseason on LBJ) and an NBA title oughta do the trick. But the other guys? Puhhhh-leaze!<br />
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Joe Johnson-Wait, lemme check. Why wouldn't the Hawks want to sign this guy, who disappeared in the playoffs, insulted the crowd, and disappeared in the playoffs, to a max extention? I mean really JJ, you're a schmuck. Born to be a #2 player. Do #2's get max money? We'll see...<br />
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Amar'e-2 bad knees, a bad eye, a bad attitude, little to no defense, an ego the size of Rhode Island...But he did show up HUGE this postseason. Max? Not sure...<br />
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Boozer-Ha ha ha ha ha ha! My prediction: 25 games MAX next season for the Heat. Enjoy a max player who actually plays for 2.7 out of the 5 years, Miami. Oh and in crunch time-check his underpants.<br />
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Bosh-Would a Max guy let his team collapse like the Raps did? Isn't David Lee putting up similar numbers? What kind of a punk asks his Twitter followers if he should leave his current team? Show some spine, Bosh, and maybe some loyalty too! Max player?<br />
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I really want to know, what makes players Max? Scoring? Titles? MVP's? I honestly don't know the answer, but spending $100 million on anyone besides LBJ/D-Wade, to me, sounds just silly....http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-22661362527244526992009-05-19T13:03:00.000-07:002009-05-19T14:04:37.165-07:00Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul - Playoff Style - Grant<div align="left">There are simply some comparisons that will go on forever. Here is a brief list:<br /><br /></div><div align="left">Jessica Alba vs. Jessica Biel</div><div align="left">Little Ceasers vs. Dominoes</div><div align="left">Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning</div><div align="left">Michael Jackson vs. Prince</div><div align="left">Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera</div><div align="left">Lord of the Rings vs. Matrix</div><div align="left">Lebron vs. Kobe</div><div align="left">Waking up for school vs. Sleeping in and playing Halo</div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">We will be undoubtedly be debating these topics for a long time. One of the greatest debates in the NBA is Chris Paul vs. Deron Williams. There have been tons and tons of articles and blog entries dedicated to figuring this out. I am sorry to tell you, but this is yet just another one of those. However, I feel that it is my duty as a Jazz fan to shed some light on this topic. I will do so un-biased like. Lets look at the following (according to NBA.com):<br /></div><div align="center"><br /></div><div align="center"><strong>2009 Playoff Stats</strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337639284952701138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 253px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lN6KD73lvMNd3YfcBPi67kqcdJDPKquElOMEqu96oOmWJbKbHgWFsjyTazO7MSxFILKSannD23ldgZnrfqHznEfpq2fJcNvr_vM6fA9DOWpTyxQqOga8X74wBc324uDTRQUYqV-U6lY/s320/pic.JPG" border="0" /> <p align="center"><strong> Deron Williams vs. Chris Paul<br /></strong>20.2 - PPG - 16.6<br />3.8 - RPG - 4.4<br />10.8 - APG - 10.4</p><br /><br /><div align="left">The stats aren't too much different when you look at them in this context. NBA.com, however, makes a great comparison with their Efficiency Ratings. Deron Williams has a +23.2, while Chris Paul has a +19.00. D Will was simply the more efficient player. If you still have doubts, then look beyond the stats and see who has won more playoff games and gone farther into the playoffs. That is what it comes down to. Either way they are both amazing basketball players. It's too bad that the two best PG's in the game are both out of the playoffs!</div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-90177900442325621752009-01-26T22:09:00.000-08:002009-01-26T22:33:48.348-08:00There is no I in team?I was inspired by the last two entries. All that stat info made me delve deeper into thinking about what is wrong with the Jazz. Alright so let me explain what I noticed.<br /><br />The top scorers in the NBA are (with their PPG):<br /><br />Dwayne Wade - 28.7<br />Lebron James - 28.0<br />Kobe Bryant - 26.3<br />Danny Granger - 26.2<br />Dirk Nowitzki - 25.8<br />Kevin Durant - 24.7<br />Chris Bosh - 23.3<br /><br />So now where does the highest scorer on the Jazz rank. Well he, Deron Williams, has a whopping PPG of 16.8. In fact there is not a single Jazz player within the top 40 scorers in the league right now. Paul Millsap has an average of 15.6, while Ronnie Brewer has an average of 12.8.<br /><br />While the Jazz as a team score decently, there is not a player that is scoring in the 20's for an average. Every elite team in the NBA has a person who can score at will. Do we really have one?<br /><br />Another problem we have is rebounding. Paul Millsap is doing a good job here coming in at 1oth in the league with an average of 9.7. The only problem with this is that there is not another Jazz player in the top 35.<br /><br />What this tells us is that the Jazz need someone to fill the role of the leading scorer. Someone who is the go-to guy. After this issue is fixed they need to find someone to share the load of rebounding....http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-24103795097097011352009-01-26T20:49:00.000-08:002009-01-26T21:01:00.594-08:00LOSE BOOZE!Lose Booze. <div>What more really needs to be said?</div><div>An article I once read said Carlos Boozer seemed to get injured if one sneezed at him. (It was a great article in the Deseret News, can't find it at the mo but I will post it if I find it).</div><div>Anyways, let's let the stats tell the story.</div><div>2008-2009 season: Carlos Boozer</div><div>12 games. 12!?</div><div>FG%: .559</div><div>Rebounds/Game: 11.7</div><div>Assists: 2.7</div><div>Points/Game: 20.5</div><div>Salary: $11,593,817 (if he plays the last 25 games of the season as he claims he will try to do, he is making $313, 346.41 PER GAME PLAYED THIS YEAR)</div><div><br /></div><div>St. Paul Milsap</div><div>39 games</div><div>FG%:.564</div><div>Rebounds: 9.7</div><div>Assists: 2.1</div><div>Points: 15.6</div><div>Salary: $707,581</div><div><br /></div><div>Someone explain to me why Boozer would be paid max money for another 5-7 injury-riddled seasons in Utah while Saint Paul can be retained for 1/10th the price and is nearly identical to Boozer in most major statistical categories?</div><div><br /></div><div>Good riddance, Carlos. Enjoy rebuilding Miami.</div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-74506073407929125572009-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:002009-01-26T12:46:29.603-08:00Friend or Foe?Friend or Foe? This is the age old question any devoted Utah Jazz fan must ask themselves when talking about some of the star basketball players that call Utah their home. Without naming names, Karl Malone....Derek Fisher, Utah has been the home to some of the NBA’s greatest sellouts ever. With the most recent landslide of events being the words that just happen to spill out of Carlos Boozer’s mouth in an interview with reporters, we may just have yet another great sellout story to record in our books.<br /><br />Since the beginning of his contract with the Utah Jazz, Carlos Boozer has been a great asset when on the floor, the only problem there in is getting him on the floor to play. In fact, since 2004 I believe most of the complaining about our good friend Carlos has not come from the fans, but instead comes from the very bench that he has sat on while being injured for a combined time of nearly two full seasons with the jazz. The contract was signed in 2004 where he was offered $70 million dollars. Let’s take a break and do some math: A $70 million dollar contract divided into 6 years equals roughly $11.7 million dollars a season. That means the jazz have handed Carlos Boozer over $23 million dollars just to show up and have a front row seat to two season’s worth of games. WOW! What a deal. I’d be willing to take a deal like that, I bet I could even promise the Utah Jazz that I’d not mention to media that I’m planning on bailing out at the end of the season for more money either.<br /><br />When it comes down to it, as fans we have shown our respect for what Carlos has done, but it’s time for us to move on, apparently he moved on long ago. So the question is asked again, is he a friend? Or a foe? While his name still sits on the roster list, and his butt on the bench, for the time being he’s still a friend, but it’s only a matter of time before we have yet another sellout on our hands, but don’t worry Carlos, you and your friends in Miami will have a wonderful welcome visiting us here in Utah, after all, we have the most ruthless fan in the league.<br />-Jimmy Stewart-...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-43796757787911415772009-01-21T21:44:00.000-08:002009-01-21T22:05:12.791-08:00The Elephant in the Room - GrantAnyone familiar with this phrase? Ever been in a situation where there is a giant issue but no one wants to address it. Well, I just got done watching the Jazz lose to the Houston Rockets. Basically I think it is time we recognized the elephant in the room. The Utah Jazz are just no that good. It hurts me like a swift kick to the groin to say so After screaming my voice hoarse, downing 6 cans of Coke, and almost throwing my remote control at the T.V., I have determined that I must vent about the problems with my beloved team. There are I believe 3 main problems that the Jazz must fix in order to truly be one of the elite teams in the NBA right now. So without further delay...and since I know that only Mitch, Jimmy, and I will reading this, I will solve the Jazz's problems.<br /><br />1. <strong>Lack of a true center</strong> - Let's face it. The Jazz have no good center on the entire team. Memo is pretty good, but in all honesty he is more of a power forward then a center. What the Jazz need to do in this situation is the following. I propose that we trade Memo, Kirilenko, and maybe someone like Morris Almond or Jaron Collins for a genuine center. Some centers I would feel would be a good fit and could possibly work would be Chris Bosh or even Pau Gasol. They are both great centers who rebound and most importantly defend.<br /><br />2. <strong>Injuries</strong> - I know this is the obvious problem but it's true. The Jazz just have not been the same without Carlos Boozer. The team was comfortable with him in the game. It seems as though injuries have made their rounds through the team as well. Deron Williams came back from an injury but took a good two weeks to actually get back to playing form. Hopefully next year this problem will have resolved itself.<br /><br />3. <strong>Playing on the road</strong> - I know what it's like to be homesick, but for crying out loud this is basketball! I do not feel that you should play basketball better closer to home than you do away from it. I also understand that traveling can be tiring and stressfull, but they way that teams travel and stay now should have resolved most of those issues. The Jazz have been ridiculously bad on the road. It is seriously weird how big the difference is. If the Jazz could play on the road like they do at home, they would have been champions last year.<br /><br />These are the problems. Have courage though Jazz fan's, when I own the team, things will change!...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-69463170694362383962009-01-06T00:33:00.000-08:002009-01-06T00:56:28.340-08:00Modern Day Cool Runnings - GrantIn Disney's classic movie called Cool Runnings we have 4 black guys who don't like the cold, have never been in a bobsled, and are coached by an extremely large John Candy making it to the Olympics to compete for a gold medal. It is a good movie that inspires everyone, whether you are black or not. The tragedy in this story is that on their gold medal run, after making record time during the whole run, their bobsled flips. Ultimately they don't win gold, but walk their bobsled across the finish line. I don't know about anyone else, but everytime I see it I say to myself, "What the crap? They should have won the gold!" I get the feeling every time that they got ripped off. So why am I even telling this to you? Let me explain.<br /><br />Utah 31 - Alabama 17<br /><br /><div>Let's suggest that Utah is our Jamaican bobsled team. They did everything they needed to do to win a "gold medal" but got ripped off in the end. Utah's bobsled flipped over. Everyone who understands this tragedy needs to sound off as to why Utah can't get respect.</div><br /><br />Any person who really follows sports can tell you that that score meant a lot. A team from a supposedly "weak" conference, pummeled a team that was ranked #1 in all of college football for 5 straight weeks. Keeping that in mind, let me pose a few questions.<br /><br />1. Why did over 90% of people pick Alabama to win.<br />2. Why does Utah not get any National Title consideration at all?<br />3. Why can't the Jazz get it together? (Oh that's for a different column...but seriously why not?)<br /><br />For more insight into this, look at this column by Dan Wetzel - <a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-utah010509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns">http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-utah010509&prov=yhoo&type=lgns</a>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-1196831362578260702008-12-24T19:58:00.000-08:002008-12-24T21:35:59.481-08:00Things I'm Grateful For...Seeing how it is Christmas Eve, I thought I'd put together a list of things I am (and some things I am not but will sarcastically pretend to be) grateful for.<br /><br /><br />1) The resurrection of Kurt Warner. I really enjoyed <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?page=hotread17/kurtwarner">this article </a>from ESPN. It's great to see a classy guy reborn in Arizona. Pro Bowl caliber for sure. With all the Plaxicos and Pacmans, it's nice to hear about good guys doing good things. I really enjoy <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?page=howardholiday-081214">ESPN's package </a>about NBA players and teams doing good things this season.<br /><br />2) Dogs that call 911 <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,422341,00.html">when their owners are about to die </a><br /><br />3) Al Davis and the hilarious things I think of whenever I see his face or hear his name. I am currently writing an Award-Winning (surely it <em>must </em>win something) piece about him. Stay tuned.<br /><br />4) Carlos Boozer convincing all of Utah to act like the way he left Cleveland was OK, win us over with a really good year in 2006-2007, make the All-Star team twice, sitting out half a million games, then telling us he's opting out of his contract after the year because he <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3777170">"is going to get a raise."</a> Wow, I bet he's barely surviving on that $11.2 million this year.<br /><br />5) LeBron James. Manchild. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idSUEs1XKVk">Karl Malone tribute</a>. Wow. (That video has 9,000 views. About 4,500 of them are mine.)<br /><br />6) Matt Cassel becoming a really, really good quarterback (and probably making himself a <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3792440">lot of money</a>)<br /><br />7) Bernard Polian ruining the Patriots season (although they've done a bloody good job of salvaging the wreckage, which I will discuss later) but making the NFL fair for the first time in years. I mean, really, has one man's departure meant so much to a league since MJ? (MJ the first few times, not when he was with Washington. By then, we all <em>begged</em> him to retire and spare us and himself the embarrassment. Have you ever sat and listened to someone say something so incredibly stupid you feel embarrassed for them, their family, yourself, and the entire race of humans? That's how it was watching MJ try and turn around the Wiz.)<br /><br />8) Utah Jazz fans continuing to worship Kyle Korver and claim he is the man yet somehow not noticing how many big shots he misses and how many times he turns the ball over. It must be because he's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9FwjsIOnoU">so darn hot</a>.<br /><br />9) The term "indie," which used to refer to a cool, specialized genre of music. More than that, it was a way of life, people who were independent, who kept the DIY aesthetic and lived their own way. Bands didn't care about radio play or looking "scene," they played music. Now the term has been so bloated, commercialized and prostituted it's applied like a blanket to anyone and anything trying to be mainstream. How does pop culture do that to us?! It's like the death of Cobain all over again...<br /><br />10) <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/081219">The Sports Guy's columns </a>minus the incessant references to porn. Really, ESPN?<br /><br />11) Sports actually meaning something. If you break it down, it seems very silly to throw an orange sphere through a rim or toss a lemon-shaped pigskin around a grass field. But sports can mean a lot more than the game. They can represent family bonding, appreciation for others, sportsmanship, and hopefully someday <a href="http://www.wybt.com/">world peace. </a><br /><br />12) <a href="http://www.121s.com/viewtopic.php?t=6191">Bill Walton</a>. My personal favorite quote from him, "Tony Parker just made the worst pass in the history of Western Civilization!" I met this guy at a Bob Dylan show once. Really.<br /><br />13) Kevin Garnett's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyjOy7fRzs0">"Anything's possible!!" </a>video was one of the high points of my sports life. Yet aren't his antics getting a bit old? Play the game with passion, Kevin, but when I can hear you streaming expletives after nearly every play, isn't it time to tone it down a bit?<br /><br />14) Speaking of KG, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uSay2aWTc0&feature=related">Big Baby Glen Davis crying </a>made me feel like a really big man. Heck, I never even cried in little league basketball and I got beat up on constantly! Anything that makes me feel more manly is much appreciated.<br /><br />15) The Lakers, despite having a record of 23-5, being told by nearly every NBA talking head that something is wrong with the team.<br /><br />16) "Saint" <a href="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/paul_millsap/index.html">Paul Millsap.</a> Drafted 47th? Really?<br /><br />17) Amazing names in sports. LenDale, Daequan, LaDanian, Delashaun, LeCharles. I'm currently in the process of changing my name to DeLaMitchell.<br /><br />18) Bill Belichick keeping the Patriots competitive despite losing the best quarterback to ever play the game (Tom Brady), Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison, Lawrence Maroney, and on and on and on. I also love how so many people can't get over SpyGate. But seriously, people, if a coach ever deserved Coach of the Year honors, it's Billy B this year.<br /><br />19) People accusing all Patriots fans (well, I assume they don't do this in Boston, but I'm not sure) of only liking the Pats because they're good, or something along those lines. I can NEVER tell someone they're my team without getting that response. Come on, people. I've been with 'em since 1993 and will be until the end of time, get over the fact that my team wins and yours does not.<br /><br />20) The incessant media attention of the Dallas Cowboys. What have they done to merit so much attention? Shouldn't more attention be on the Titans, who very few people thought would be so good this year, or on the Panthers, who went from training camp punch-up to NFC contender? Or on the fact that Chad Ocho Cinco has possibly disappeared from the continent?<br /><br />21) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptcsOWSZsLA">Wes Welker's snow angel.</a> Yes, the NFL <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3792441">fined him $10k</a>. But Wes, it was worth it. The sad thing was (despite the penalty and fine), he sounded penitent for doing it. Come on NFL!<br /><br />22) Roger Goodell cleaning up the NFL by punishing guys like Pacman, Chris Henry, and Tank Johnson, then eventually taking that power WAY too far and fining everyone who does anything. Check out <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=fleming/081223">this quote </a>from Clinton Portis (bottom of the page), which seems to sum up the entire <em>world's </em>sentiment!<br />Remember this quote from The Simpson's? <em>"You can't treat the working man this way. One day, we'll form a union and get the fair and equitable treatment we deserve! Then we'll go too far, and get corrupt and shiftless, and the Japanese will eat us alive!" </em>Well, it reminds me of Goodell. He did some good in the NFL and now he's taken it too far. Let the NFL retain some fun, please? We pay good money for this stuff!<br /><br />23) Tony Romo. Yes, he is a great guy (Well, according to <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3714369">this</a> and <a href="http://www.620wtmj.com/sports/28284464.html">this</a>.) Yet we all know no matter how good the person is, media folk don't praise people for good deeds. So why is Romo still worshipped? Hasn't he choked in nearly every meaningful game as a Cowboy? Why, then, after a horrendous game against Baltimore, when he threw a touchdown, did the commentator say, "Now <em>this</em> is the Tony Romo we're used to seeing."? Really? I'm pretty sure none of us has any clue what Tony Romo we're used to seeing or will see on any given Sunday.<br /><br />24) <a href="http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id=09000d5d80d60467&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true">Brett Favre making the Pro Bowl. </a>Seriously? Over Chad Pennington? Brett, 21 touchdowns and 19 interceptions wouldn't cut it in the 5th grade. Give it up.<br /><br />25) The BCS mess continually proving what a sham college football is. I will never get my head around the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma yet OU is playing for the national title.<br /><br />26) Sports talking heads having no accountability. I love to watch ESPN commentators argue over games, swear by their picks, and make ridiculous statements. When they're wrong, nobody cares. Like when Shaq "guaranteed" a repeat in Miami? Hey, Big Cactus Guy, we're still waiting...<br /><br />27) Waiting for Terrell Owens to self-destruct is a sick pleasure I'm sure most of America takes part in. It's like dating a trophy girl. You know it's going to end badly, you've known it from the beginning, yet you stick with it because it makes you feel cool.<br /><br />28) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kx8JeJIedA">Bright Eyes</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKg2b8glcpA">Brand New </a>providing the soundtrack to another dreary winter.<br /><br />29) The resurgence of the Atlanta Falcons. After last year, I felt sick for the franchise and I don't even care about them. Arthur Blank trusted a criminal and their coach quit on the team. Usually those equal a long rebuilding process, but Matty Ice Ryan has really helped Atlanta feel the love again. Michael Turner too. And <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/gallery?section=magazine&id=3744283">this piece </a>on Ryan makes him seem like the kind of guy I'd want my kids looking up to.<br /><br />30) <a href="http://www.hplovecraftnyc.com/">HP Lovecraft </a>shoes.<br /><br />31) Wondering when pro sports will get over the whole "rookies can't contribute" rubbish. Case in point: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Adrian Peterson last year, etc.<br /><br />32) ESPN giving Lil' Wayne a <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3772666">blog</a> despite incredibly filthy lyrics which continually send a message (to kids who listen, particularly) that it's ok to use the b**** word about women, drugs are great, and crime does pay. Really, ESPN?<br /><br />34) I really enjoy this quote, "Most great men I have known have been deflated by intimate contact. Not so with [Name withheld] Every common everyday act added inches to his greatness. To me he was [an upright person] even while washing his hands or untying his shoes.” The Kurt Warners and Dwight Howards of the sports world help me realize that although they might not get the most press, good athletes do exist....http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4461591974850371426.post-56831001142822280132008-12-13T17:06:00.000-08:002008-12-14T17:20:07.617-08:00Meet Mr. Mitchell MalloryMy name is Mitch. I am 23, I am addicted to sports, and I am partially responsible for this sports mess. To understand my plight, you must know my history. My "roots," if you will. I was born at age 0 apparently, and as far as I know it was in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Or something. Nobody wanted or loved me, so I spent time mulling around Russia's semi-professional athletes, since nobody loved or wanted them either. At age 7, I was sold into some sort of profession that involved picking lice off circus monkeys and riding a small pink tricycle around the mean streets of Decatur, Illinois. During this time I was not able to experience the '85 Bears, because I was 7-10 years too late. Instead, I found a happy obsession with Rashaan Salaam since there were no other good Chicago teams during the years of 1984-1998...right? <div>Anyways, I now live in and out of gutters and sewage pipes in Armadillo, Texas and spend most of my time thinking about more efficient ways to bail hay into trucks I steal from neighbors. I play several Tupperware instruments such as the plate, bowl, and cup in a kitchen rock band called The Yarrow. </div><div><br /></div><div></div>...http://www.blogger.com/profile/16403814502654262024noreply@blogger.com0