Do it.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
EPIC DOUBLE POST
This past weekend an awesome movie about the Michigan basketball team from the early 90’s popularly known as the Fab Five premiered on ESPN and the response to be honest has confused me. The most polarizing point of the entire film has been when Jalen Rose referred to Grant Hill and other black players on Duke as “Uncle Toms.” Talking heads and editorial writers have filled the blogosphere and the airwaves with condemnation of Rose’s comments.
Allow me to shed some light on his comments, which I am not saying were correct but were most definitely taken out of context.
Well actually I feel I don’t now, here is a guy looking back on how he thought as an immature 19 year old kid and giving what he thought at the time. Does he still believe Grant Hill or black people at Duke are Uncle Toms? No, he has matured. Let me ask this of those criticizing Rose, look back when you were young. Did you ever say something that in hindsight was wrong or misguided? If you can show me one that claims this I will show you a liar. I understand where Rose was coming from, the black face of Duke was someone who was a lot like him in many ways but differed where it mattered most. Having that famous father but one was there and the other was not, it’s simple he was bitter. I understand that. I had friends growing up who I deeply resented for having that father figure where I did not; I look back and realize it was not the fault of friends.
Equally Important
My other problem with the criticism has been that they were not the most important black team, that title many feel belongs to the Georgetown Hoyas of the 80’s. Even the star of those teams Patrick Ewing has come out and asks where their movie is? Well first, they were more important but that doesn’t mean the Fab Five weren’t important. They are important because they changed the culture of basketball, for better or worse. Baggy shorts, black shoes, black socks? Something that simple blew America’s mind. Their brash attitude and cockiness shocked the world, but let’s be real that has always been a part of the game. Also it was unheard of for five freshmen to not only start but they made it to the championship game. Twice.
Alright, I’ve ranted enough on that subject. I guess I’ll end there ...or will I?
Boom! Double dose!
So my Chicago Bulls recently topped the Washington Wizards, no big deal. The big deal is that they took over first place in the Eastern Conference with that win. But that’s not what this is about; I just wanted to brag for a second.
My beef today is with ESPN’s resident asshat Colin Cowherd who I recently railed against for his assessment that John Wall is a future terrible leader because he did the dougie once at the behest of an assistant coach who just happens to be Sam Cassell and knows a little about winning. Yesterday the esteemed talent evaluator that he is declared via twitter no less among other things “When D rose wins a big playoff series, it will be his first. Lebron gets crushed by media yet w less talent, has already been to finals.” And he is right, it will be his first playoff series win, never mind it’s just his third season in the league and the Bulls drew the Boston Celtics both times, never mind that he did this with a coach who had no idea what he was doing, the man he is comparing Rose to DIDN’T EVEN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS HIS FIRST TWO YEARS.
“thats it. Rose wants his OWN fame. the ‘GET IT’ guys like lebron, wade. kobe, K.G. want rings. Iverson wanted own fame 2” All of these players that he is listing are established stars who took many years to get their first ring and in the case of Lebron have yet to get a ring. You see Rose doesn’t hold elaborate pre season dance parties at the United Center, he doesn’t have a lot of commercials and tv appearances like King James, and when the NBA world was salivating at the altar of Lebron where was D-Rose? That’s right; he was in the gym working on his jumper, strengthening a weakness in his game. But hey this the guy who proclaimed flashy guys don’t become all time greats, you know except for Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Pete Maravich, Dominique Wilkins, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson…you know there are too many to list.
Too bad you'll never win because you have playing the game...oh wait
I’ll end by saying this is extremely biased as I am a Bulls fan, but please if you are going to make statement as asinine as the above by Mr. Cowherd then please make sure you can’t drive a Mack truck right through your theories.
Allow me to shed some light on his comments, which I am not saying were correct but were most definitely taken out of context.
Well actually I feel I don’t now, here is a guy looking back on how he thought as an immature 19 year old kid and giving what he thought at the time. Does he still believe Grant Hill or black people at Duke are Uncle Toms? No, he has matured. Let me ask this of those criticizing Rose, look back when you were young. Did you ever say something that in hindsight was wrong or misguided? If you can show me one that claims this I will show you a liar. I understand where Rose was coming from, the black face of Duke was someone who was a lot like him in many ways but differed where it mattered most. Having that famous father but one was there and the other was not, it’s simple he was bitter. I understand that. I had friends growing up who I deeply resented for having that father figure where I did not; I look back and realize it was not the fault of friends.
Equally ImportantMy other problem with the criticism has been that they were not the most important black team, that title many feel belongs to the Georgetown Hoyas of the 80’s. Even the star of those teams Patrick Ewing has come out and asks where their movie is? Well first, they were more important but that doesn’t mean the Fab Five weren’t important. They are important because they changed the culture of basketball, for better or worse. Baggy shorts, black shoes, black socks? Something that simple blew America’s mind. Their brash attitude and cockiness shocked the world, but let’s be real that has always been a part of the game. Also it was unheard of for five freshmen to not only start but they made it to the championship game. Twice.
Alright, I’ve ranted enough on that subject. I guess I’ll end there ...or will I?
Boom! Double dose!
So my Chicago Bulls recently topped the Washington Wizards, no big deal. The big deal is that they took over first place in the Eastern Conference with that win. But that’s not what this is about; I just wanted to brag for a second.
My beef today is with ESPN’s resident asshat Colin Cowherd who I recently railed against for his assessment that John Wall is a future terrible leader because he did the dougie once at the behest of an assistant coach who just happens to be Sam Cassell and knows a little about winning. Yesterday the esteemed talent evaluator that he is declared via twitter no less among other things “When D rose wins a big playoff series, it will be his first. Lebron gets crushed by media yet w less talent, has already been to finals.” And he is right, it will be his first playoff series win, never mind it’s just his third season in the league and the Bulls drew the Boston Celtics both times, never mind that he did this with a coach who had no idea what he was doing, the man he is comparing Rose to DIDN’T EVEN MAKE THE PLAYOFFS HIS FIRST TWO YEARS.
“thats it. Rose wants his OWN fame. the ‘GET IT’ guys like lebron, wade. kobe, K.G. want rings. Iverson wanted own fame 2” All of these players that he is listing are established stars who took many years to get their first ring and in the case of Lebron have yet to get a ring. You see Rose doesn’t hold elaborate pre season dance parties at the United Center, he doesn’t have a lot of commercials and tv appearances like King James, and when the NBA world was salivating at the altar of Lebron where was D-Rose? That’s right; he was in the gym working on his jumper, strengthening a weakness in his game. But hey this the guy who proclaimed flashy guys don’t become all time greats, you know except for Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Pete Maravich, Dominique Wilkins, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson…you know there are too many to list.
Too bad you'll never win because you have playing the game...oh waitI’ll end by saying this is extremely biased as I am a Bulls fan, but please if you are going to make statement as asinine as the above by Mr. Cowherd then please make sure you can’t drive a Mack truck right through your theories.
Awesome Video
I promise this blog is not becoming a shrine to Donald Glover but I love this video and song. That said keep your eye open later today for an exclusive Puma double post. It'll be awesome I promise.
Freaks and Geeks from Donald Glover on Vimeo.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
The Fab Five
No team in my opinion, college or pro has had the effect on the game like the Fab Five. Ushering in an era of hip hop into the game when it had become come stilted and stale. This Sunday a documentary about these young men will be aired on ESPN. I would definitely suggest watching it, it could be better than the 30 for 30 documentary on the University of Miami.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
NCAA...Still A Bunch of Hypocrites
I have said it numerous times to anyone who will listen to me. The NCAA is filled with hypocrites and it is almost equal to unfair working conditions of a sweatshop to be honest with you. The latest example of how the NCAA is just a massive joke is the “suspension” of Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.
Allow me to give a little background into this situation. A few months ago it was revealed that several starters from the Ohio State football team sold some of their jersey, championship rings and trophies in exchange for tattoos. Now allow me to say that according to the rules the players were wrong, they deserved to be punished but the university’s methods seemed odd. You see if Ohio State had a financial reason to let these guys play because if they won they would receive a payout from the Sugar Bowl. So Tressel decides to make them promise to come back for another year forgoing millions of dollars if they wanted to play that game and would be suspended the first 5 games of the 2011 season.
Flash forward to yesterday when it was revealed that before the season even began the good old vest wearing coach knew of everything that happened and didn’t do a thing about it until 9 months later, AFTER the season was over. How is Tressel being punished? He’ll miss two games against the world beaters Toledo and Akron which went a combined 9-16 last season. So let me get this straight, a coach is complicit in the cover up of NCAA infractions and gets a slap on the wrist? If you can explain to me how a coach who covers up something that directly affects his 3 plus million dollar salary is worse than some dudes selling things the spoils of their victory I’ll give you control of this blog for a month.
This is just the latest in line of downright idiotic decisions by the NCAA, from suspending A.J. Green for selling his jersey to effectively ending Dez Bryant’s career over lunch with Deion Sanders. While these young men see their jerseys and likenesses used to sell video games and posters, greedy athletic directors and coaches are reaping the benefits. Not every member of the coaching or AD fraternity is evil, but enough are that makes the need for a rehaul of the system more necessary.
I’ll end by saying what I always say when this topic comes up, if you believe that a full academic scholarship is payment enough you are insane. You can’t compensate these kids with something worth $30,000 when they are bringing in BILLIONS of dollars. That my dear reader is damn near slave wages.
Allow me to give a little background into this situation. A few months ago it was revealed that several starters from the Ohio State football team sold some of their jersey, championship rings and trophies in exchange for tattoos. Now allow me to say that according to the rules the players were wrong, they deserved to be punished but the university’s methods seemed odd. You see if Ohio State had a financial reason to let these guys play because if they won they would receive a payout from the Sugar Bowl. So Tressel decides to make them promise to come back for another year forgoing millions of dollars if they wanted to play that game and would be suspended the first 5 games of the 2011 season.
Flash forward to yesterday when it was revealed that before the season even began the good old vest wearing coach knew of everything that happened and didn’t do a thing about it until 9 months later, AFTER the season was over. How is Tressel being punished? He’ll miss two games against the world beaters Toledo and Akron which went a combined 9-16 last season. So let me get this straight, a coach is complicit in the cover up of NCAA infractions and gets a slap on the wrist? If you can explain to me how a coach who covers up something that directly affects his 3 plus million dollar salary is worse than some dudes selling things the spoils of their victory I’ll give you control of this blog for a month.
This is just the latest in line of downright idiotic decisions by the NCAA, from suspending A.J. Green for selling his jersey to effectively ending Dez Bryant’s career over lunch with Deion Sanders. While these young men see their jerseys and likenesses used to sell video games and posters, greedy athletic directors and coaches are reaping the benefits. Not every member of the coaching or AD fraternity is evil, but enough are that makes the need for a rehaul of the system more necessary.
I’ll end by saying what I always say when this topic comes up, if you believe that a full academic scholarship is payment enough you are insane. You can’t compensate these kids with something worth $30,000 when they are bringing in BILLIONS of dollars. That my dear reader is damn near slave wages.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Get These Albums Now!
Stop reading this and go get Lupe Fiasco's Lasers and download the new Childish Gambino EP like right now if you have any kind of sense of hearing.
Friday, March 4, 2011
My Thoughts on the Brandon Davies/BYU Situation
This is Brandon Davies. He is a player that any team with a shot at winning the national title needs.
This is BYU. A private university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Anyone who attends this institution must agree to adhere to a strict honor code which among other things states that its students abstain from premarital sex.
Where the two collide is Davies is a member of BYU’s nationally ranked and he admitted to having premarital sex of a consensual nature. What did the university do? They kicked him off the basketball team. And I for one applaud the move. It shows that in an environment that stresses wins over all else that standing up for what you believe in can be truly inspiring. Now allow me to state that I don’t think the kid did anything wrong, but he signed an agreement with the university to adhere to their rules. He did not; he now faces the consequences of said actions.
I think both this young man and the university deserve to be applauded for how they have handled the situation. This kid could have lied and continued to play when confronted but he owned up to it and faced his punishment. That to me is the definition of a real man, flawed but honest enough to take responsibility for his actions. The university suspended a player that has been key to their success which ensures they will most likely not advance very far in the NCAA tournament but it is refreshing to see a college put its standards before that of wins.
Do I believe he should be permanently banned for doing something 9 out of 10 of us were doing at that age? No, the difference between us and this young man is we didn't agree to abstain to attend that institution. So hopefully this young man gets another shot, BYU remains highly ranked, and other schools take note that while winning is great it shouldn't come at the expense of our principles.
This is BYU. A private university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Anyone who attends this institution must agree to adhere to a strict honor code which among other things states that its students abstain from premarital sex.
Where the two collide is Davies is a member of BYU’s nationally ranked and he admitted to having premarital sex of a consensual nature. What did the university do? They kicked him off the basketball team. And I for one applaud the move. It shows that in an environment that stresses wins over all else that standing up for what you believe in can be truly inspiring. Now allow me to state that I don’t think the kid did anything wrong, but he signed an agreement with the university to adhere to their rules. He did not; he now faces the consequences of said actions.
I think both this young man and the university deserve to be applauded for how they have handled the situation. This kid could have lied and continued to play when confronted but he owned up to it and faced his punishment. That to me is the definition of a real man, flawed but honest enough to take responsibility for his actions. The university suspended a player that has been key to their success which ensures they will most likely not advance very far in the NCAA tournament but it is refreshing to see a college put its standards before that of wins.
Do I believe he should be permanently banned for doing something 9 out of 10 of us were doing at that age? No, the difference between us and this young man is we didn't agree to abstain to attend that institution. So hopefully this young man gets another shot, BYU remains highly ranked, and other schools take note that while winning is great it shouldn't come at the expense of our principles.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
My Two Worlds Colliding
If there is a more epic photo on this earth I have yet to see it. As it relates to this picture Kanye said it best "swagger on a hundred thousand, trillion."
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