Thursday, March 28, 2013

Marriage Equality= More Wedding Cake For Everyone!

This is not going to be some long drawn out condemnation of those who disagree with me. This is just my humble opinion because I have read some things over the past few days that really made my heart hurt reading them. And the idea that something like this is still being discussed in 2013 while encouraging that we are going in the right direction, but also it’s sad as well that it has taken this long. I think what confuses me the most are the people who are up in arms over gay marriage are the same ones whowant the government out of their daily lives, except for when they disagree with something. Then constitutional bans are needed.

What I hate the most is what message is this sending to the youth. That it’s ok to exclude people just because they are different from you. I have friends and family members, smart, kind, and frankly better people than I who are gay. Are you telling me that just because I am attracted to someone of the opposite sex that I am somehow more worthy of marriage than they are? Nah. I don’t buy it.

So I guess the point is I support gay marriage. And even if you disagree with it, hopefully you won’t deny the happiness of two people that have nothing to do with your daily life.

Now everyone, enjoy this gif!




Tuesday, March 26, 2013

The Marshall Henderson Paradox

With the NCAA tourney the country is exposed to all sorts of characters and human interest pieces. Throughout all these I have noticed and I know I’m not the only one who has noticed this but there seems to be quite the let’s call it vexing portrayal of the polarizing guard from Ole Miss, one Marshall Henderson. Now allow me to say this, I find the kid entertaining, and this is by no means a condemnation of him, this is a condemnation of the narrative that most people choose to believe or the media chooses to report.

My problem with the Marshall Henderson paradox we’ll call it, is who we vilify. In 2010, a very talented player came along. Kid had no legal problems and really the only thing people could say was it looked like he had a bad attitude.
What a thug.
He was Demarcus Cousins.

In 2012, a very talented guard who was arrested in high school for trying to buy $800 worth of drugs with counterfeit money, he failed a subsequent drug test, failed to do community service and did jail time.

He is Marshall Henderson.

Now guess who is described as a problem child and who is described as playing with a reckless abandon and passion. And this isn’t anything new. The media and fans pick players that they love all the time and choose to ignore what the facts are. Typically the guy who gets the benefit of the doubt is of Caucasian descent. Or at least the skin tone is on the lighter side. Hell look at how Allen Iverson was forever labeled a thug because he got in a fight in high school. Wouldn’t the thug behavior be flipping off the crowd and trying to buy $800 worth of weed with fake cash?

It’s not just basketball. Look in the NFL. Tim Tebow is being put on every squad by armchair general managers and the kid couldn’t complete a pass regularly. Vince Young has had to apologize to every person he ever met in the NFL and have a pro day at the University of Texas just in the hopes of getting a shot at a backup quarterback spot. The perception of players is not based on their performance on the field. And there is where the problem lies.

This is all however just a part of a bigger picture that unfortunately won’t change anytime soon I fear. If you’re a white athlete who by all accounts is a decent person you’re everything that someone should want to be (See: Warner, Kurt; Manning, Peyton/Eli, etc) and if you’re a black athlete who is a decent person (See: Dawkins, Brian; Duncan, Tim etc) you’re boring or more insulting you're not really "black."
What a cornball!
Now on the other side of the coin, the white athlete that is a knucklehead is having fun (Patrick Kane) or he made a poor choice reflecting only on him (Ben Rothliesberger).
He's just having a blast and not publicly intoxicated!
The black athlete who has fun has his home life dissected and told he’ll never be a winner due to the lack of a father figure (John Wall) or if arrested it’s not a poor or reprehensible choice made by an individual, it’s something that basically was going to happen because all young black guys are criminals right?

The issue is bigger than Marshall Henderson, Johnny Manziel, or any other player out there right now. Those kids are allowed to be themselves. I can’t knock them. But I can knock the lazy people who cover them and expect other people to shoulder the burden of an entire race without learning the people they're covering.

Thanks for the memories Spice!


Friday, March 22, 2013

Day One of the 2013 NCAA Tourney: A Puma's Tale

The NCAA tournament is upon us. So if you don’t want to hear about brackets, matchups, and his my strategy will work this year I invite you to hit the little “x” in the right hand corner. After much though and far more hours of research than was probably needed I settled on my picks. Below is the tale of a man anxiously watching gametracker, twitter and google alerts for scoring updates until I got home.



11:15- Holy crap it’s tip-off! I wonder if I should change the Harvard-New Mexico game…nah. What are the odds of an upset?

11:16- Should I change it though? Amaker is a good coach.

11:17- Nah, Harvard will destroy them.

11:30- Michigan St. is looking good. Real good, glad they’re in my final four.

11:51- This Butler game is closer than I’d like. I have those scrappy fuckers going deep.

11:55- What the shit Butler?!?!?!

11:56- ?!?!?!?!?!

11:59- Ok, I’ve calmed down. It’s tied and all will be ok.

12:45- No one can hit anything in this Pittsburgh-Wichita St. game, if both teams could lose I’d choose that option.

1:10- Alright St. Louis, you’re a trendy pick…don’t screw me over.

1.32- Well, touché St. Louis you look really good.

1:33- WHY DIDN’T I HAVE THEM GOING FURTHER?!?!?!

1:55- This Memphis-St. Mary’s game is too close for comfort…

1:58- 8 point run by Memphis, much better.

3:00- Memphis…if you fuck this up for me…

3:01- Whew. St. Mary’s played their ass of in the second half.

3:15- Just looking in on this Marquette-Davidson game and what the shit?!?!

3:16- Seriously Marquette!

3:50- Whoa Gonzaga, remember this is Southern now.

3:59- SERIOUSLY GONZAGA. THEY ARE A 16!!!!!

4:02- Looking like a genius right now with this Oregon over Oklahoma State pick though.

6:00- Just got this update….I really regret not having Louisville go further.

6:01- Marquette won? Thank you Vander Blue.

6:05- Holy shit…I’m perfect so far. Could this be the year? Could I win a million dollars for having a perfect bracket?!?!?!

.7:30- Well it would appear UNLV is not down with me and my perfect bracket.

8:40- Well UNLV, you seriously gonna do this to me?!?!

8:45- Come on Missouri!

9:00- Well screw you UNLV.

9:05- I can’t do this anymore. I need to go to sleep. Colorado St. will falter.

6:15 am- WHAT?!?! God damn it Missouri.

Well folks, here is a recap of the first day of the NCAA tourney. After my first 16 picks, I have correctly chosen 13 out of 16. Will my luck continue? Probably not, but a chocolate man can dream.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Daliances in Disrespect presented by the Puma

With the recent evisceration on Brandon Knight by DeAndre Jordan many people have been calling it the most disrespectful display of dominance in the history of sports. Well slow down baby birds that is why old Uncle Puma is here to set you straight. After much soul searching and many hours of the Youtube I have compiled the top 5 all time sports disrespectful moments, for argument’s sake I am going to include things ten years and older. Enjoy.

5. Brian Bosworth is introduced to Bo Jackson.
Brian Bosworth was the savior to the linebacker position. A hard hitting beast that was unable to be stopped from unleashing his particular brand of pain and destruction amongst unprepared offensive players…or so the media would have you believe. On a goal line play he goes one on one with Bo Jackson and the result was such an epic example of ownage that Bosworth was exposed as overrated and eventually spent his time starring in horrible action movies.
4. Pete Rose being Pete Rose aka a massive dick.
If it's any consolation, you'll make the Hall of Fame before me.
At the 1970 All-Star game, a meaningless game mind you, Pete Rose rounded third and with the intensity of a lion pouncing on its prey and destroyed Fosse at the plate separating his shoulder and effectively altering his career forever.

3. Shawn Kemp brings shame to Alton Lister’s family.

Shawn Kemp was Blake Griffin before Blake Griffin. People forget how legit a player he was. And for my money he may be the most powerful in game dunker of all time. Attacking the rim with a fury unmatched by players of this generation, only this time 7’0 Alton Lister dare challenge him. What transpired after that was one of the great dunk shamings of all time.

2. Vince Carter meet Fredric Weis

Wrap your brain around this one, Vince Carter leaped and cleared a 7’2 center. Cleared him. Holy crap.

1. Scottie Pippen reminds Patrick Ewing who is boss.

First off what makes this dunk the best disrespectful domination of all time is one, the heated rivalry between the two teams. Second, the early 90’s Knicks were as tough as they come, no layups were allowed or you were promptly put on your ass. Not only did Pip dare venture into the lane, he eviscerated the leader of hooligans and for that the 10 year old Puma was forever grateful.

(Sidenote: In looking up all these dunks the Puma noticed that Patrick Ewing got dunked on…a lot. If not for Shawn Bradley he may have been the most dunked on person in the 90s.)

Well folks I’m gonna leave you with the dunk that caused this entire rant…WITH COMMENTARY BY WWE HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCER JIM ROSS!!!!