Video: Artest Explains: It was not a Cheap Shot! It Was Erratic Passion!
Posted on | April 26, 2012 | No Comments
One must channel his or her passion before something like this happens. I mean, one time my passion was so erratic that I found myself watching 56 hour marathons of “Chopped” on the food network, while collecting all of the Hideki Irabu rookie cards that I could find. It only took a couple months to realize that I really only had a hankering for some Southern Barbeque. Boy did I feel foolish.
You can imagine what Ron Artest felt when he meant to just be excited with a good play, but instead he needlessly concussed the 6th man of the year.
The Internet Gives Us: Charles Barkley & Shao Kahn VS. Ronald McDonald & Carlton Banks
Posted on | April 24, 2012 | No Comments
You can’t make this stuff up. Well, you can, but why would you. Thanks Internet!
Watch out for a little typed NSFW language
Malaysian Soccer News Blooper: I got bad news for you. John Robinson isn’t there anymore
Posted on | April 24, 2012 | No Comments
“That’s not a stat. That’s just a bit of information.”
In Case You Forgot!!! Here Is 23 Years Of MJ in a 7 Minute Video
Posted on | April 24, 2012 | No Comments
From North …..CAAAAAROLINA! Michael Jordan!
( Editors Note: I had to shake the dust off this blog. What better way than with an MJ vid? )
2012 Summer Olympic Games: Why should you care? ( part 2)
Posted on | April 5, 2012 | No Comments
2012 Summer Olympic Games: Why should you care? ( part 2) Written by Cole Frederick
Why you should pay close attention to this USA Basketball team
Right now, the NBA is as good as it’s been in two decades. Last year was an incredible year for the league. Superstars joined forces in Miami and New York (one worked, one didn’t), Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant tried for one last title together (and failed, miserably), and emerging young stars took the league by storm (MVP Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love). The Heat made it to the Finals and seemingly had the title locked up before Dirk Nowitzi turned in one of the greatest Finals performances of all time and LeBron drove the Miami bus off a cliff in every fourth quarter.
After the lockout nearly destroyed the entire season, the NBA started on Christmas Day with spectacular TV ratings. Nearly all the league’s stars showed up ready to play (with the exception of Carmelo Anthony, who looked like he ate Baron Davis), and once again fans were hooked.
This season is even more important than most because this is an Olympic year. Twenty players made the cut for the roster, and twelve will make the team. Here they are broken down by position:
Guards: Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant, Eric Gordon, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams.
Forwards: LaMarcus Aldridge, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Lamar Odom-Kardashian (This might as well be his name, right?), and Brian Scalabrine (just kidding).
Centers: Dwight Howard and Tyson Chandler.
Throughout this season, the players who made the Olympic roster cut have been extremely competitive when they faced each other. For example, earlier this season when the Clippers and Bulls played, Rose and Paul went head-to-head. Rose dominated the matchup, and you can tell it was more than just a regular season game for those guys. The same thing happened last night when LeBron and Durant squared off. These players know what’s at stake. These guys are superstars, and while they will all be on the same team this summer, they don’t want to be a back up to another player.
When I first saw the twenty guys who made the cut, I automatically separated who I knew would make it and who probably wouldn’t. The guys who are locks are Chris Paul, Rose, Kobe, D Wade, LeBron, Durant, Howard, Carmelo and Kevin Love. Barring injury, those nine guys will definitely make the team.
Rose and Paul are two of the most dominant guards in the league. Rose has been injured this year, but he’s the reigning MVP. Paul has taken the Clippers from the doormat of the West to a contender in three months. Wade and Kobe are the two most elite shooting guards in the NBA, and both have championships and gold medals on their resumes. LeBron, Durant, and Carmelo have been the three go-to small forwards the past two seasons, and each have the potential to take over a game. Howard is still the premier center in the league, despite his
ongoing saga this season about leaving Orlando. Kevin Love is the most complete power forward in the game, and he’s averaging nearly 27 points and 13 rebounds a game (which is something that Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, and Moses Malone have never done).
That leaves three spots available, and eleven guys from which to choose. Let’s look at the remaining candidates:
Chauncey Billups: Had he not torn his Achilles, Billups would have been a frontrunner to make the team despite his age. Players respect him for his leadership and experience, but he will likely be unavailable due to injury. OUT.
Lamar Odom-Kardashian: A year ago, Odom-Kardashian was the best sixth man in basketball, and was the perfect role player for Los Angeles. After being traded to Dallas for next to nothing, he is currently having the worst season in his career. OUT.
Eric Gordon: After being traded for Chris Paul in the offseason, Gordon has missed every game this season but three after being hobbled by a knee injury. I believe Gordon is a future star in the NBA, but he’s not ready to be on this team. OUT.
Tyson Chandler: Chandler is the type of player who won’t lead your team in any statistical category, but is as important as any other player on the floor. While Dirk was sensational on offense for the Mavs in the Finals, Chandler was the biggest defensive presence in the series. He continually shut down the lane, and he’s the biggest reason Dallas won’t repeat this year. In the Olympics, he would be a great backup for Howard. IN.
Rudy Gay: Gay has always been a solid player for Memphis, but let’s not forget that the Grizzlies won their first ever playoff series without him last season. He’s not as offensively skilled as LeBron, Durant, or Melo, and he’s not as good defensively as LeBron or even Andre Iguodala. OUT.
Andre Iguodala: Speaking of Iggy, why not include him? This would be one of the tougher calls to make because of his defensive intensity, but he doesn’t bring enough offensive prowess or entertainment value to make this roster. OUT.
Chris Bosh: While Bosh is the third wheel in South Beach, he’s quietly putting up 18 points per game on 49% shooting. Bosh was also on the last Olympic team, but overall, he just misses the cut on this team. OUT.
Blake Griffin/LaMarcus Aldridge: I put these two together for a reason. Kevin Love is the best power forward in the league, but these two are either second or third. Aldridge is probably the more complete player, although both struggle defensively. Griffin is a human highlight machine, but is unpolished on offense. I think Aldridge is slightly better right now, but I can’t foresee any way Griffin misses this cut. Aldridge – OUT, Griffin – IN.
Deron Williams/Russell Westbrook: With one spot available, and one more guard needed, these two are the last two remaining. Williams was on the 2008 Olympic team, and Westbrook was on the 2010 World Championship team. Both have put up gaudy numbers this season, with Westbrook averaging nearly 25 PPG, 6 APG, 5 RPG, and Williams averaging 22 PPG, 9 APG, and 3 RPG. Similar to the Griffin/Aldridge debate, many consider D-Will to be the more
complete point guard and Westbrook as more of a combo guard. However, for this team, Westbrook is a better fit (and, like Griffin, he’s more exciting). Williams – OUT, Westbrook – IN.
After cutting down the roster to twelve, now we look at who should start for this team. I think the depth chart should look something like this:
Starters: G-Derrick Rose, G-Kobe Bryant, F-Kevin Durant, F-LeBron James, C-Dwight Howard
Next 5: G-Chris Paul, G-Dwayne Wade, F-Carmelo Anthony, F-Kevin Love, C-Tyson Chandler
Bench: G-Russell Westbrook, F-Blake Griffin
With this team, you have a rare combination of scoring, defense, passing, hustle, and entertainment. The only other team that can compare to this one is the first Dream Team in 1992, and this team has the talent and capability to possibly surpass that team.
USA has won gold in basketball in four out of the last five Olympics. In 1992 and 1996, the USA dominated opponents, but there hasn’t been a dominant team since. However, this 2012 team will be special. Coach K always gets the most out of his players, but I believe his patriotism runs deeper than most coaches. He played and coached at Army, and he takes pride in competing for America. The biggest stars in the NBA actually want to be on this team. They want to represent their country to the fullest. They want to prove to the world that basketball is our game. They want to win. They want to be elite. They want to be remembered.
2012 Summer Olympic Games: Why should you care?
Posted on | April 4, 2012 | 2 Comments
This is Part I of a two-part column about our 2012 Olympic Games. Written by Cole Frederick
2012 Summer Olympic Games
Why should you care?
Nationalism seems like a hard thing to come by these days. Try to think of ways in which you feel pride in your country. For me, any time I see someone in the military, past or present, pride resonates through me. I’m always thankful and appreciative for our freedom, and that America has the world’s finest military. Any time our nation undergoes a tragedy (9/11), American citizens are seemingly intertwined together, albeit for a brief amount of time. Whenever I see a flag or hear our national anthem, I feel a sense of nationalism. Other than that, the only other days when our nation’s flag is seen regularly are Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day. Personally, there’s one other event that gives me an extraordinary amount of pride in my country: the Summer Olympic games
For four weeks every four years, the best athletes in the world join together to compete for international bragging rights and national pride. Sure, the World Cup is a big deal throughout the world, but it is only one sport. The Summer Olympics consists of dozens of events, ranging from table tennis to track and field to basketball.
Basketball. If there is one sport that the USA has claimed as its own, it’s basketball. Soccer is known more as the worldwide sport, but it is predominately strong in Europe and South America. Basketball has grown throughout the world in the last twenty years, thanks in part to global icons such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, as well as the evolution of Europeanization in the NBA.
We can all thank the Dream Team of 1992 for the globalization of basketball. That team was the greatest team ever assembled in any sport. Led by the NBA’s brightest star, Michael Jordan, and the two players who saved the Association, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the Dream Team obliterated their opponents in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona en route to a gold medal.ii
Our 1996 Olympic basketball team (dubbed the Dream Team 2) also won the gold medal, although this team was not quite as dominant as the first Dream Team (perhaps due to the absence of Jordan). Our 2000 team also won gold, although the only thing most people remember from those games was Vince Carter’s posterization of a 7 footer.
The 2004 USA basketball team was perhaps the most disappointing of all time. This group won the bronze medal, but they certainly had the talent to win gold again. The United States won the medal count, but most people were discouraged by the efforts of the basketball team. People had become accustomed to winning gold, and the team was expected to win gold again.
In 2008, USA basketball quietly regained its status as the world’s most dominant basketball country. Although this team, known as the Redeem Team, won gold again, its accomplishments were slightly overshadowed by the performances from Michael Phelps (swimming) and Usain Bolt (track). The whole structure of this basketball team was changed, starting with the head coach. Mike Krzyzewski took over, and his change of style produced
much better results. Carmelo Anthony played poorly in the 2004 Games, but was arguably the best player for the 2008 team. The additions of Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard to the roster helped tremendously, and although the USA did not dominate like the ’92 and ’96 teams did, other countries noticed that USA basketball was once again the best.
The Summer Olympic Games are the most important sporting events in the world. Athletes train for years for competition, seeking dominance over fellow competitors from other countries. The ultimate prize for these athletes is to have the opportunity to stand on the gold medal platform while their country’s national anthem booms throughout the stadium and into homes across the world. When it comes to the Olympics, it’s not about an individual or a group of individuals. It’s about a nation. When the United States of America wins in the Olympics, nationalism sweeps through the nation. The entire country is being represented when our 2012 athletes travel to London for this summer’s games. Why should you care? Because it’s another fantastic opportunity Americans have to prove to the world that we are without equal.
In Part II of the column tomorrow, I’ll give you an inside look on our 2012 Olympic basketball team, and how it might become the most dominant team of all time.
Video: Michael Jordan On Letterman 1989 “I almost chopped my big toe off with an AXE!”
Posted on | February 9, 2012 | No Comments
Michael Jordan was on Letterman in 83-86- and 89. This is the first I have seen of this trip to David’s show. On this program he discusses his infamous “being cut by my high school team” topic. Then he goes on to talk about being 5 years old and playing in the back yard with an axe, which he was told not to do.
What happens when you play with an Axe after you are told not to play with an axe? You almost chop your toe off with said axe. He was rushed to the neighborhood medicine lady who poured Kerosene on his toe.
So, the GOAT almost chopped off his toe at age 5. Can you imagine the sports world if Michael Jeffery Jordan was just another guy in North Carolina with 9 toes? Just to drive home the point, if you are a Cavs fan this should hurt that much worse, because this was aired 3 days before “The Shot“. Craig Ehlo RIP. ( OK, Ehlo is not dead… but you know what I mean.)
Video: Halftime Karate Guy… Is Very Proud Of Himself
Posted on | February 7, 2012 | No Comments
I have been accused of “Cheesing” everyone once in a while, but this guy takes the cake. He got to sit in that little space between the 2 announcers at the Ohio vs Wisc, Feb 4th. game. He waited for his perfect moment. He sensed that they were done with the crowd shot, and Boom! He timed his karate moves perfectly, but ruined it with the cheesiest/proudest post shoulder shrug + cheesy smile of all time.
Video: Countdown To The Hatred of Jeremy Lin Starts… Now
Posted on | February 7, 2012 | No Comments
Jeremy Lin is playing amazing basketball. It just so happens that he is playing it in one of the biggest markets in the world, and he is playing for a team that needed a PG… like, since Mark Jackson played for them 87-92. Lin is up from the D league, and does not even have a place to lay his head. It is a great story!
So, why will everyone hate him? He loves him some Jesus. He mentions it in his interviews. He is in New York, so he will be interviewed a lot, and he will be thanking Jesus a lot. The hatred of this man is inevitable. There is also a countdown to the first time his team loses and someone updates their Twitter Status with “I guess God hates Jeremy Lin now LULZ”, which is always a crowd favorite.
This hatred is known as the Tim Tebow effect, or the Kurt Warner effect. For the NBA crowds, sorry, Coach Avery was not good enough to have an “Effect” to be bestowed upon him.
Update: This is Jeremy Lin‘s Twitter Avatar.
Video: America… Let’s Get Our Twizzle BACK!
Posted on | February 7, 2012 | No Comments
keep looking »
