No Country For Defense?

Yesterday, some of the NBA’s best players put on a exhibition game in Baltimore. ESPN lays out the details here. The final score of the game wound up being 149-141. When I see a score like that, the only thing I wonder is…where was the defense? The ESPN article had this quick line:

“The game was every bit like an NBA All-Star Game in that it featured big-name players wearing generic uniforms and showing very little effort on the defensive end.”

Path of the Black Quarterback

I recently read Toure’s article asking “What if Michael Vick were white?” You can find it on ESPN. As you can imagine, the article set off a maelstrom on twitter, particularly among the people who dislike Toure & love to disagree with him on principle. Its hard to get an objective opinion on anything, even harder on twitter, so I stayed away from looking at it until now.

Comparing The Different Eras Of NBA Basketball

Been a while since I’ve blogged anything. Wasnt sure I would again but got the urge again because of something lingering in my mind.

Stumbled across the 1972 NBA All Star Game tonight while bored & flipping through channels. VERY interesting game…for several reasons. The initial reason I’d decided to watch is that I’ve never really seen Jerry West play…beyond some kind of 5 second clip anyway. That fact is crazy to me given that the guy is the inspiration for the NBA logo. I honestly dont think the NBA puts forth enough of an effort on showing people the games of generations past. Wonder why that is.

My Top 5 Greatest Basketball Shoes of All Time!!

Whenever I see, or take part in, basketball discussions, I cant help but think of shoes. Particularly, the ones that I hold in high esteem..especially when I see some of what people wear now and how they’re either similar or different. As most people who hoop know, basketball shoes are not only like an investment, they’re damn near a relationship. You take care of them, they’ll take care of you. You can expect certain things from certain shoes…and sometimes “the grass is greener…” For some folks, what you wear on your feet can be indicative of what you might be on the court. Better make sure the statement you’re making, is the one you’re attempting to make…or all might be lost as soon as you step into the gym and/or pull your shoes out of your bag.

So, for your viewing pleasure, these are, IMO, the best basketball shoes EVER:

Lebron: The New Kanye

On September 13, 2009, during the MTV VMAs, Kanye West jumped on stage, interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech. He proceeded to tell the crowd, and essentially the world, that Beyonce should have won. He ended this drunken ramble (brown liquor STAYS causing bad decisions) with the now famous Kanye Shrug, grabbed his lady, and drunkenly left the event. This comedy of errors, while hilarious, brought Kanye a tsunami of negative media attention…dwarfing that of entertainers that were being accused of actual crimes or other more harmful acts. I mean…you woulda thought the guy was OJ Simpson.

The Case Against Michael Vick

Michael Vick is currently playing VERY good football in the NFL. A resurgence for him that I believe to be well deserved…and possibly even karmic justice. This is because I believe he went to jail on a flimsy case, as presented by the Feds, and was brought to court to face a judge with an obvious agenda.

The Olympics

This is a topic I’ve been meaning to cover in the last few days. The Beijing Olympics. The spectacle of all spectacles. Well, I’m here to tell you that this whole thing is a sham. The Olympic spirit has been lost, or maybe just converted, to a essentially meaningless series of events and challenges that people will forget as soon as they end…with the exception of Phelps’ achievements.

I try to think back on what the Olympics was/is supposed to mean. A celebration of good will among nations and games in the spirit of competition. Can anyone say that is what is going on here? Personally, I cant watch the Olympics without thinking about the atrocities that China inflicts or contributes to around the world. Maybe I’m out of line for saying so but this is a country that seems to have NO regard for people, their own or others. They participate in so many crimes against humanity that you would almost think they actively pursue it. And what does the IOC do? Reward them? How sad is that?

What kind of issues is this Olympics ignoring in order to have the games in China? Correct me if I’m wrong but doesnt China play a role in the atrocities going on Darfur? Burma? Minority issues (Tibet, etc)? Where are all those conservatives who trumpet religious freedoms? Doesnt China have a TERRIBLE pollution problem? Forced evictions (This even happened again RIGHT BEFORE the games!)? And thats just the stuff that pops into my head. Anyway, I just think they ruined a chance to make a statement about human rights and its a shame. I guess the Great Wall is still doing its job.

Concerning the games themselves, am I the only one who finds it a little suspicious that all of a sudden China is handing everyone their ass in these events? Not that they havent done well before but the amount of difference MUST invoke suspicion of some sort. Home cooking, maybe?

Whatever doesnt kill ya…

I’m not into the X games but I actually happened to be watching when this went down. As you can see, it…was….CRAZY. I bring it up b/c this guy is back in it again and going for it. Most people would probably be way too afraid to attempt any of that again. Right back on the horse. I can respect that.

Good luck Jake!!

Brick layer

You see this picture? Its an ugly brick. I just finished putting a ton of these on the basketball court. It was RI-diculous. Couldnt buy one tonight. I was playing with a group from work, the city, and some folks from the police department. They should’ve arrested me for assault & battery on the court. My team won 1 game…out of 6. And the 5 we lost…werent close. Oh and to top it off, I completely forgot there was like a 5 year old girl in the gym with us and I had been cussing like a sailor. Real class act. Thats what I am. I’m more ashamed of that than my poor showing at the gym.

But enough about me…how are my ghost readers doing? Ok back to me. I just caught the end of Deep Impact 2. WOW! What an ending! Cant speak to the rest of movie but the ending is on point. I even liked the corny “No one beats me in the kitchen” line. Actually, looking at Steven Seagal, dont you kinda expect anything he says to be on the corny side? Yes…yes, you do.