And then there were four. The Eastern and Western Conference Finals are finally upon us. Boston vs. Detroit and Los Angeles vs. San Antonio. Home court advantage did what it was supposed to do for the Celtics and the Lakers, it delivered a win for each.
The Lakers barely pulled theirs out though. Smooches to KB24 for throwing the dagger in the end as a MVP should. Your first half antics, or lack thereof can be forgiven. I'm catching up on all the highlights on Sportcenter as I write since I was in class for the duration of the game. L.O. blocked The Big Fundamentals twice! I saw Pow Wow getting his block on too! The Spaniard is never scared!
In Tuesdays Celtics - Pistons match up, it was clear that Sugar Ray's mojo had resurfaced. Damn, that man can shoot the rock. Anyway, this will be a hard fought battle, and if Boston can't get on the good foot at The Palace of Auburn Hills (they are 0-6 on the road this playoff season) they are gonna be home pickin' toe jam sooner than they would like. And how about RoDney StuckEy? He could be the X Factor for Detroit. I love an X Factor. I love that the playoffs are an amazing opportunity for a youngster to strut his stuff. Besides, he's learning from Chauncey B., it doesn't get much better than that.
The draft lottery netted my home town team the number one pick in June's Basketball League draft. Go Bulls! Don't screw this up, OK? Your track record on fostering and securing talent has been suspect for many years now. Of course, I will recommend taking the home grown talent in D. Rose. South Side. The Meon. How can you go wrong? However, I'm sure either way you go, Rose or Beasley, it will be a good look. After that's out the way, please go out and get a Big Man! 2008 is the year of new beginnings. Take note.
I think the O.range J.uice and Mayo.nnaise saga is gonna get worse before it gets better. The mere thought of any wrongdoing in this situation screams for the need of regulation and reform. I will get into my thoughts on the bigger picture at a date.
Fine ass Al P.ujols was doing serious damage tonight in San Diego, literally. First he unintentionally hit a pitch on C.hris Young that hit Young in the face, causing blood to gush like a crystal geyser. Prognosis, broken nose. Then, he unintentionally slid into home plate and steam rolled over the ankle of catcher J.osh B.ard. Prognosis, The Cards won the game, but Al seemed very remorseful in the end. They will be in LA for a few days to play my second home team Dodgers. Maybe I'll dip to a game at the stadium for a closer look at his Dominican goodness.
My Baseball League heart belongs to The Chi White Sox and they are killin' it right now with the seven game dub streak. Much love to J.ermaine D.ye (my girl A. Renee J. adores you) for coming up big in Cleveland with the two homers.
South Side forever!
Note to Football Leaguers............the owners are gonna bend you over in 2011. Stand tall. Stay strong in the struggle. Demand your worth. Most importantly, send Eugene packin' as soon as possible! I don't think he's your friend.
The Maven
Showing posts with label The College Pros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The College Pros. Show all posts
5.22.2008
3.13.2008
Pac-10 Journey
Yesterday, I spent my day at The Pacific Life Pac-10 Tournament. Big ups to my connect. I've attended in years past, but for some reason, this year, I was more observant of my surroundings. It's tournament time all over the country, but it is an exceptionally exciting time for basketball here in L.A. The Pac-10 Tourney is a "future star" showcase. There is boundless talent 'round these parts, so consider this Conference the land of plenty.
The Staples center was an array of young, old, short, tall, female, but mostly male (did you hear that ladies?) people, of many ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Of course you had your casual fans, but the highlight of the day for me were the "arena refs", as I like to call them. They call plays, chastise players for mistakes, use profanity, argue calls, and get down right indignant. It's a beautiful thing to see! Then you have the team allegiances, highlighted by the lively bands, some better than others (Cal's band was groovin'), the mascots and the sea of tees, sweatshirts, and hats. During TV timeouts, they showed casual fans in the lobby singing their favorite school's fight song, which was kinda cute, until they booed a woman who had to read the words from a book. She really was pitiful, though.
The atmosphere resembles a glass menagerie when you interject the presence of the "The Life"; this group includes the proud parents, the university big wigs, the pro level general managers and scouts, the agents, the managers, the marketing companies, the endorsement companies, the financial advisers, the sports writers, and the lifestyle managers/personal assistants (wink and smile).
I was in attendance during the second session, which consisted of two games. The competition was varied. USC battled Arizona State in the first game. It was cool of course, to watch O.J. Mayo handle his business, he's smooth. But it was also nice to get an up close look at a few guys whose names are not as "household" yet. I liked the Sophomore guard, Daniel Hackett, from USC, and the Freshman guard, James Harden, from Arizona State. The UCLA-Cal game, was not as good. Actually, it was a blowout. UCLA has the big Freshman Kevin Love, who was a fan favorite. They are lead by the finesse PG, Darren Collison, and showcase one of the Shipp Boys, Josh. I also got the tip from a colleague to keep an eye on the skills of Cal Freshman forward, Ryan Anderson. He's solid all around and should get a good look at the next level, whenever that time comes.
I didn't get the chance to hang around to watch Stanford eliminate Arizona, but I'm quite happy with the outcome. Go Cardinal!
All in all, I had a great day. To those of you who get paid to sit and watch basketball all day, bless you. Can we switch?
The Maven
The Staples center was an array of young, old, short, tall, female, but mostly male (did you hear that ladies?) people, of many ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Of course you had your casual fans, but the highlight of the day for me were the "arena refs", as I like to call them. They call plays, chastise players for mistakes, use profanity, argue calls, and get down right indignant. It's a beautiful thing to see! Then you have the team allegiances, highlighted by the lively bands, some better than others (Cal's band was groovin'), the mascots and the sea of tees, sweatshirts, and hats. During TV timeouts, they showed casual fans in the lobby singing their favorite school's fight song, which was kinda cute, until they booed a woman who had to read the words from a book. She really was pitiful, though.
The atmosphere resembles a glass menagerie when you interject the presence of the "The Life"; this group includes the proud parents, the university big wigs, the pro level general managers and scouts, the agents, the managers, the marketing companies, the endorsement companies, the financial advisers, the sports writers, and the lifestyle managers/personal assistants (wink and smile).
I was in attendance during the second session, which consisted of two games. The competition was varied. USC battled Arizona State in the first game. It was cool of course, to watch O.J. Mayo handle his business, he's smooth. But it was also nice to get an up close look at a few guys whose names are not as "household" yet. I liked the Sophomore guard, Daniel Hackett, from USC, and the Freshman guard, James Harden, from Arizona State. The UCLA-Cal game, was not as good. Actually, it was a blowout. UCLA has the big Freshman Kevin Love, who was a fan favorite. They are lead by the finesse PG, Darren Collison, and showcase one of the Shipp Boys, Josh. I also got the tip from a colleague to keep an eye on the skills of Cal Freshman forward, Ryan Anderson. He's solid all around and should get a good look at the next level, whenever that time comes.
I didn't get the chance to hang around to watch Stanford eliminate Arizona, but I'm quite happy with the outcome. Go Cardinal!
All in all, I had a great day. To those of you who get paid to sit and watch basketball all day, bless you. Can we switch?
The Maven
3.07.2008
A Do-Over
I know about do-overs. When it rains here in So-Cal, the car wash will grant you a do over within twenty-four hours of your initial visit. If one of my braids slips, I can skip back over to Compton and get it redone. If I fail a traffic school exam, I get the opportunity to take it again and again. If mother nature rains on my hometown White Sox while they are here to play my second home LA Dodgers, and the game is called, well shit, I'll just have to catch the make-up game later in the season. All these things make sense to me.
However, just as I disagree with the The League's decision that the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat should have a 51.9 second do-over before their game on Saturday, the mere suggestion that the states of Florida and Michigan should have a chance to Primary or Caucus again, is making me sick to my greedy stomach.
In Atlanta, a stats crew made a mistake calculating the score during a game played earlier in the season. Atlanta won that game. Case closed. This replay seems inconsequential, and I don't think The Hawks should have to waste their pre-game time making up for the flub of some folks who were acting in an "official" capacity. I wonder if Stanford will get a do-over because the ref's bent over in UCLA's favor and called a foul on Lawrence Hill when he CLEARLY made a clean, fundamental block on Darren Collison near the end of regulation in last night's pivotal game.
In Florida and Michigan, the powers that be violated Democratic Party rules by holding their respective primaries too early in the process. The consequence, clearly outlined, reprimands such action by stripping the offending states of their delegates for the upcoming August convention. Seems simple to me. They broke the rules, and they must accept the repercussions.
Senator Clinton and her "people" now want to revisit the issue and are trumpeting for a do-over because it could very well benefit her campaign in the end. I don't know about you, but this is politics as usual. I, for one, am not impressed. I am on the same page as Rev. Sharpton, who feels that if in fact, these two states are allowed a do-over, we should raise hell. While the Super-Delegates have a role and a place in the process, it is the vote of the people that should be heard the loudest. It is ridiculous that a state could vote heavily for a particular candidate, only to see their will trumped by the decisions of a few politicians with padded pockets. Even if it were Senator Obama who was pulling Hillary's stunt, I would still cry foul. The rules are the rules. The mere thought of this is as silly as The Football League's Commissioner wanting to implement some stricter rules on cheating. Newsflash, pretty boy, ITS TOO LATE. The sweet has already turned sour.
I tell you what, if this voting mess goes down, and these states have their delegates seated, and Hillary becomes our nominee, I will have to reconsider my vote. I will strongly consider passing altogether, casting my vote for Ms. Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party, or taking a deeper look at crusty McCain and his Stepford wife.
As more evidence that some in the Democratic party are willing to do anything to put Hillary in office, I saw some fraganackle bull on CNN today. I watched one particular bald-headed, spectacle wearing Democratic pundit suggesting that the campaign's of both Clinton and Obama should take fifteen million dollars out of each coffer to pay for a damn do-over. Flick that! If you donated money to either candidate, is this what you had in mind? Hell no.
The citizens of Florida and Michigan should be pissed at their "leaders." I say, let this farce be a lesson to us all........know your rights, participate in the political process, know your representatives and hold those Squirrels accountable.
The Maven
However, just as I disagree with the The League's decision that the Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat should have a 51.9 second do-over before their game on Saturday, the mere suggestion that the states of Florida and Michigan should have a chance to Primary or Caucus again, is making me sick to my greedy stomach.
In Atlanta, a stats crew made a mistake calculating the score during a game played earlier in the season. Atlanta won that game. Case closed. This replay seems inconsequential, and I don't think The Hawks should have to waste their pre-game time making up for the flub of some folks who were acting in an "official" capacity. I wonder if Stanford will get a do-over because the ref's bent over in UCLA's favor and called a foul on Lawrence Hill when he CLEARLY made a clean, fundamental block on Darren Collison near the end of regulation in last night's pivotal game.
In Florida and Michigan, the powers that be violated Democratic Party rules by holding their respective primaries too early in the process. The consequence, clearly outlined, reprimands such action by stripping the offending states of their delegates for the upcoming August convention. Seems simple to me. They broke the rules, and they must accept the repercussions.
Senator Clinton and her "people" now want to revisit the issue and are trumpeting for a do-over because it could very well benefit her campaign in the end. I don't know about you, but this is politics as usual. I, for one, am not impressed. I am on the same page as Rev. Sharpton, who feels that if in fact, these two states are allowed a do-over, we should raise hell. While the Super-Delegates have a role and a place in the process, it is the vote of the people that should be heard the loudest. It is ridiculous that a state could vote heavily for a particular candidate, only to see their will trumped by the decisions of a few politicians with padded pockets. Even if it were Senator Obama who was pulling Hillary's stunt, I would still cry foul. The rules are the rules. The mere thought of this is as silly as The Football League's Commissioner wanting to implement some stricter rules on cheating. Newsflash, pretty boy, ITS TOO LATE. The sweet has already turned sour.
I tell you what, if this voting mess goes down, and these states have their delegates seated, and Hillary becomes our nominee, I will have to reconsider my vote. I will strongly consider passing altogether, casting my vote for Ms. Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party, or taking a deeper look at crusty McCain and his Stepford wife.
As more evidence that some in the Democratic party are willing to do anything to put Hillary in office, I saw some fraganackle bull on CNN today. I watched one particular bald-headed, spectacle wearing Democratic pundit suggesting that the campaign's of both Clinton and Obama should take fifteen million dollars out of each coffer to pay for a damn do-over. Flick that! If you donated money to either candidate, is this what you had in mind? Hell no.
The citizens of Florida and Michigan should be pissed at their "leaders." I say, let this farce be a lesson to us all........know your rights, participate in the political process, know your representatives and hold those Squirrels accountable.
The Maven
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