Arbitrary Opinions

New Music: Jay Complex - WildFire (Bonfire Freestyle)

2011-10-11T05:21:00.001-07:00

Here's a pretty dope freestyle of Childish Gambino's track, "Bonfire" done by my bruh and former ACCC blog mate Jay Complex. He's based out in Nassau and he's pretty ill on the bars. So if y'all could just help me please check out the freestyle below and hit the links to peep the mixtapes too and let me know what y'all think on twitter (@Jabber_Wocky) or Facebook if you got me as a friend or better yet hit up the artist himself on twitter @JayComplex and let him know what you think.

Mixtapes: The Underdog Mixtape and b.l.i.s.s.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Mixtape: Chris Brown - Boy In Detention

2011-08-05T01:29:00.000-07:00

Chris Brown has been working hard on his music since his rise back to popularity with his album release F.A.M.E. earlier this year. His latest effort however, is coming to his fans in the form of his first hip-hop/rap mixtape. I must say that it is actually pretty good for a first mixtape. The second half of the mixtape is considerably better than the start, but the project is still a well rounded compilation of hip hop based songs from Breezy. It features a wide array of hard hitting beats that really seam the mixtape together well from top to bottom. Also that is some dope cover art for a mixtape shout out to the artist, Mina Kwon. Without further ado, enjoy!

Download Mixtape

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Throwback Thursday Vol. 1.0

2011-08-04T21:36:00.001-07:00

In an order to post on a more frequent basis I'm gonna post something every Thursday that was influential in the past and has either been forgotten or had a lengthy legacy. It could be music, movies, sports, shoes, style trends etc... you get the idea. Anyway here's the first throwback: The Nike Air More Uptempo (1996).

Now y'all might be thinking "they're just shoes" but to me these were the first real pair of shoes that I was proud to rock on the playground. I was 6 years old and I begged my ass off to my parents to buy me a pair of Air Jordan XI's but they were mad expensive and my parents weren't about to spend a whole lot of money on kicks so instead they bought me the much more affordable Uptempos and from that day forward I was a sneaker head for life. They were to me at that point in my life the best shoes I'd ever had.

What made them even cooler to me was that they were worn by one of my favourite players in the NBA in Scottie Pippen. I grew up as a Bulls fan and Michael Jordan was my favourite player (I used to watch a video called "Come Fly With Me" which was about Jordan's life in the NBA, pretty much every single day) and of course I rooted for Scottie too so when I found out the shoes I was wearing were the same ones he wore on the court I felt like maybe the shoes had magical powers and I would become a better basketball player (It's gotta be the shoes right?). And for that the Nike Air More Uptempo's will forever be remembered by me and for other shoe aficionados it'll just be the fact that they were one of the most stylish kicks of the mid 90's that embodied the fast rising hip-hop culture revolution that was taking place.

Let me know what y'all consider your first "real" pair of kicks to be in the comments box.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Raptors Draft Review

2011-08-04T19:35:00.001-07:00

“With the 5th Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft the Toronto Raptors select Jonas Valanciunas...”

Mere seconds after NBA Commissioner David Stern uttered those words I took to twitter and was not surprised at the reaction of my fellow Raptors fans. The subsequent tweets that followed from Raptors fans were very much calling for Raptors general manager, Bryan Colangelo, to trade the pick to get Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker or Kawhi Leonard depending on who Raptors fans wanted but one thing was certain: no one wanted Valanciunas. I personally was very happy with the pick (maybe even ecstatic) of Valanciunas at the end of the day (I was not so pleased with the fact that the Raptors couldn’t acquire a 2nd round pick to use on Josh Selby or Isaiah Thomas). At least he didn’t take Bismack Biyombo (great name aside he is way too raw and has buyout issues and is a shorter version of current Raptors project: Solomon Alabi in my opinion).

The frustration of the pick for Raptors fans stems directly from Andrea Bargnani’s 1st overall selection in 2006 and the Euro style of play the Raptors have unsuccessfully tried to play since he was drafted. Bargnani is the most polarizing player on the Raptors because although he can score 20+ points per game, the consistency isn’t there and in 5 years he still hasn’t learned how to play defense and lacks the drive to rebound the ball even though he is 7 feet tall and more athletic than most bigs. Even Colangelo (his biggest supporter) seems to be running out of patience with Andrea as he called him an enigma in the exit interviews after the season and made some pointed comments about Andrea’s development on the defensive end. Valanciunas is unfairly being cast as another Andrea simply because he’s physically a carbon-copy of what Bargnani was like in ’06 (Legit 7 footer who’s athletic but too frail for the NBA, worst thing he did was admit it which fired up the naysayers to heights unseen). However, I’m glad the Raptors took him at 5 and here’s why.

Pros:

He’s long (like really long), agile, and very fluid while running the floor and at only 19 years old he’s a bigman with a lot of promise who still has potential to grow over 7 ft and of course fill out physically. In terms of his style of play he is the exact opposite of Bargnani. His game is much more North American than European. He is much more comfortable playing in the low post and his range only extends to about 12-15 feet. He is surprisingly a really good free throw shooter which should translate to a good mid range game with some time and work. He is at this point much better on the defensive end. He is intimidating in the post because he is so long and he plays with a lot of heart often taking hits to the body in order to protect the rim. He has a very high motor on both ends and on the glass and loves to play the game (basketball in Lithuania is like hockey in Canada). He’ll take some time to develop but he’ll be a good starter at the Center position with the potential to be really good. He’s more of a C than a PF which would allow Bargnani to slide over to his natural position at the 4. However, the Raptors already have a logjam at that position so it’ll be interesting to see what Colangelo does if the lockout ever ends.

Cons:

There aren’t really many but the main thing is he needs to fill out physically and he has to develop a lot more post moves as he is predictable down there. To be fair, Lietuvos Rytas (his current Lithuanian team) uses him as a defensive specialist and someone to collect garbage points on the offensive end so he hasn’t really had many opportunities to be a significant contributor on the offensive end. With a new coach in the fold for Lietuvos Rytas who has said he plans to use Valanciunas a lot more in the upcoming season hopefully Valanciunas can improve on the offensive end because presently he doesn’t really have an offensive game. His jumper also lacks consistency or real range but he has good form and release so after lots of repetition he should be able to develop a solid mid-range jumper. The other big issue with him was his buyout but it seems it’s not too big of a deal ‘cause apparently it was taken care of rather quickly after the draft and he will be coming over to the Raptors for the 2012-2013 season. This could work in the Raptors favour if the lockout cancels the season but if it doesn’t, it becomes a bit of a drawback because they won’t be able to directly develop him with an NBA regimen and schedule. However the Raptors have the peace of mind that this isn’t anything like the Ricky Rubio situation or what the Biyombo situation might become.

Conclusion:

The Raptors could quite possibly have the best player in this draft after it’s all said and done and they were really fortunate he was available at 5 ‘cause most mocks had him going 3 or 4. He has been successful at every level he has played at especially when he has been matched up against players in the same age group as him. In 2008, at the FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Italy. He dominated the tournament, averaging 14.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 23.5 minutes of action. His team went on to win the gold medal and he was chosen as the MVP of the tournament. Fast forward 2 years to the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship held in his native Lithuania and he once again dominated the opposition to claim the gold while averaging 19.4 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks, and was once again voted as the MVP. And earlier this summer at the, 2011 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Latvia. He led his team to another gold medal, averaging 23.0 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in 31 mpg. He was once again named the tournament MVP. Furthermore, he scored 36 points in the gold medal game against Serbia, which was the highest point total scored in a game by any player in the tournament and displayed his improving offense. He has also had success with Lietuvos Rytas and should be on the roster for the Lithuanian senior men’s national team for EuroBasket 2011 which will be held in Lithuania starting August 31st. All in all he is a very promising big man and I look forward to his Raptors debut. Also the Raptors could market him as "V" think of the ad possibilities! (as long as I never have to see another Bargnani Primo Pasta commercial I'll be happy)

Mixtape:

2011 U19 World Championship Highlights:

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

A Breakdown of Choices for the Toronto Raptors

2011-05-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

So all of you probably know by now that the NBA Draft lottery on May 17th was not kind to the Toronto Raptors, as they fell from the 3rd spot to 5th in the order. This isn’t necessarily as bad a thing as many fans are making it out to be as the Raptors technically had a greater chance to move down than move up. Furthermore, from a salary cap point of view, based on the rookie scale the 5th pick will be paid less than the 3rd pick which frees up a few extra dollars for the Raptors which is always a good thing especially heading into a year with CBA uncertainty (I’m praying there won’t be a lockout but it doesn’t look good). Also if one wanted to fall from 3rd to 5th in a draft this would be the year to do it with what is being called the weakest draft since 2006 (coincidentally the same draft that the Raptors selected Andrea Bargnani #1). After the 1st 2 picks who will undoubtedly be: Duke PG Kyrie Irving and Arizona F Derrick Williams; the draft pool from picks 3-9 is pretty much a coin flip.

Here are a few of the names you may hear tied to the Raptors in the coming weeks: UConn PG Kemba Walker, Kentucky PG Brandon Knight, Turkish/Kentucky C/F Enes Kanter, Lithuanian F Jonas Valanciunas, Czech F Jan Vesley, San Diego St. F Kawhi Leonard, Texas F and Toronto native Tristan Thompson. Now whom should they take? Let me break down every one for you.

Enes Kanter – Height w/shoes: 6' 11.25" Weight: 259lbs Wingspan: 7' 1.5" Standing Reach: 9' 1.5"5

He’s the #1 center on the board with excellent size, strength and what appears to be a high basketball IQ. However, he hasn’t played since he dominated the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit in April as he was deemed ineligible by the NCAA to play for Kentucky in 2011 for taking improper benefits from a Turkish pro team. He did remain at Kentucky as a student and practiced with the team but no one has seen him in a game in quite some time and there is risk in that. Also shows signs of immaturity as he has stated he would like to play for the Washington Wizards and declined interviews, at the NBA Combine in Chicago, with the Raptors (5th pick), Utah Jazz (3rd pick) and the Milwaukee Bucks (10th pick) but you do have to keep into account that he is only 19 years old. He’ll most likely be gone before #5 but he could slide and the Raptors would take a serious look at him if he does but if declining his interview means anything it could mean that he’d hold out to force a trade to team he really wants to go to a la Steve Francis and the Vancouver Grizzlies fiasco of 1999.

Brandon Knight – Height w/shoes: 6'3.25" Weight: 177lbs Wingspan: 6' 6.75" Standing Reach: 8' 2.5"

Depending on whom you talk to he’s rated as the #2 or #3 PG in this class. He has excellent size for a PG and a great amount of speed and scoring ability and excels pushing the ball up the court. Also has a great first step to get by opponents off the dribble. With that said he isn’t an elite athlete but he is above average and his basketball IQ and decision making need a lot of work. He didn’t make the type of impact most expected in his 1 year at Kentucky but he has a high motor and seems to be a hard worker. He shoots it well but nowhere near consistent enough for the pros. At 177lbs he was the lightest player at the combine but in time he will fill out so I don’t see that as much of a concern. At 19 years old he’ll be a project and teams will have to wait a bit for him to develop. I’ve heard Utah likes him at 3 or would be willing to trade down to get him but most mocks project him to be there at 5 if the Raptors want him. If Kanter is gone the Raptors will look really hard at him.

Jonas Valanciunas – Height w/shoes: 6’11” Weight: 240lbs Wingspan: N/A Standing Reach: N/A

I know that mock drafts don’t mean anything since they’re never right but it seems that most of the mock drafts out there see the Raptors selecting Valanciunas. This could be true especially if the Raptors are serious about shopping Andrea Bargnani because Valanciunas is almost a carbon copy physically of what Bargnani looked like in ’06. He’s long, agile, and very fluid while running the floor and at 19 he’s bigman with a lot of promise who still has potential to grow over 7 ft and of course fill out physically. In terms of style of play he is the exact opposite of Bargnani. He is much more comfortable playing in the low post and his range only extends to about 12-15 feet. Defensively he is intimidating because he is so long and he plays with a lot of heart. He needs to fill out physically and he has to develop a lot more post moves as he is predictable down there but he has a very high motor and loves to play the game. He’ll take some time to develop but he’ll be a good starter for any team down the road. He’s a PF and the Raptors already have a logjam at that position so they’d probably only take him if they have a deal in place to free up that part of the roster.

Jan Vesely – Height w/shoes: 6’11” Weight: 230lbs Wingspan: N/A Standing Reach: N/A

If you see this guy play you would think he was a North American player. He isn’t a traditional Euro player as he isn’t robotic in what he does and openly shows his enthusiasm, often times trying nice dunks in the layup line and screaming and gesturing to the crowd when he makes a dunk or a block. In Europe that is frowned upon and seen as not having respect and all that other strict stuff but it fits right in with the North American culture of the NBA. He has a terrific combination of size and length for the SF position but again he’s another player that needs to fill out physically (do they not lift weights in Europe?). He’s great at running the floor and attacking the rim but his offensive game is very limited and with his handle he won’t be leading the break. He is great on defense however and fits more into the mold of someone like Andrei Kirilenko but he is more athletic than Kirilenko was in his prime and he’s also taller and longer. The Raptors would look at him ‘cause he is huge at the SF position but he doesn’t push the ball up the floor and that doesn’t fit with the style of play that they want to play with but he does have the potential to be a lockdown defender and that is something the Raptors severely need.

Kawhi Leonard – Height w/shoes: 6' 7" Weight: 227lbs Wingspan: 7' 3" Standing Reach: 8' 10"

Has good size for the SF position but his wingspan and huge hands are what are really impressive. He is a terrific defender on both the perimeter and inside. Physically he is very strong but he is also very agile; he can push the ball up the floor but not on a consistent basis. He has a relentless motor and plays the game with a lot of energy and aggressiveness. He likes to play on the outside and although his shooting has improved it has to get a lot better since he likes to drive and attack the rim. Showed a willingness to play with his back to the basket but he has to vastly improve in this part of his game. His huge hands combined with his length, energy and great timing allow him to grab rebounds on both ends of the floor that are seemingly well outside of his rebounding area. He is extremely quick off his feet, and he is very good at tipping the ball and keeping it alive on the rim. He’ll bring the defense and intangibles and give a little bit of offense but he possesses leadership qualities and already has a NBA body and his shooting will become more consistent over time in my opinion. 5 may be a little too high for him so the Raptors could trade down to 7 or 8 to take him. He provides toughness, rebounding and intangibles something the Raptors desperately need at the SF position but could maybe get those same qualities out of incumbent SF James Johnson.

Tristan Thompson – Height w/shoes: 6' 8.75" Weight: 227lbs Wingspan: 7' 1.25" Standing Reach: 9' 0.5"

He is a Toronto native and has already said he would love to play for his hometown team but that is not a reason for the Raptors to draft him or to please the fan base. He’s a lefty post player with average size for the PF position but he has a tremendous wingspan. He’s also worked really hard on his body to gain some muscle but his frame looks like it’ll allow him to carry even more weight without sacrificing his speed and quickness. He’s not a great athlete but he’s a good athlete, he’s able to make plays on both ends of the floor thanks to his length, energy and blue collar style of play. He’s got great hands and can catch passes in transition very easily and he runs the floor extremely well. He’s also fundamentally sound in positioning for rebounds and although his post game is a work in progress he has shown the ability to go over both shoulders. He is extremely quick off his feet especially on a second jump but he needs to attack the glass at both ends more consistently. He’s a good defender and with his long arms he alters and blocks a lot of shots but with time he can become a great defender especially on the help side. 5 is too high for him so the Raptors would trade down to get him if they really want him but his stock has risen since the middle of the college season to now. He’ll go in the top 10 and some mocks have him up as high as 7 but I think he’ll be in around 8-11. If the Raptors were to take him they would have to deal a forward and most likely it would have to be Amir Johnson as they have similar skill sets. With that said I don’t see him ending up with the Raptors in any scenario but I wish him the best of luck and as a Canadian I’ll definitely follow him closely and root for him.

Kemba Walker – Height w/shoes: 6' 1" Weight: 184lbs Wingspan: 6' 3.5" Standing Reach: 7' 7.5"

At 6’1” he is the second shortest player in the draft (only Isaiah Thomas from Washington is smaller) and at 184lbs he is the second lightest player in the draft (only Brandon Knight is lighter) so that should be a testament to how tough he is as he led UConn to the national championship. However, he is explosive for a PG. He has amazing speed and quickness and his ability to change direction and tempo make him the player he is. He has a great handle and gets into the seams of the defense quite easily with his quickness and often times uses floaters to score or just gets to the rim for easy layups. His shot has improved but is still not quite fully there yet. He's become a better spot up shooter but it’s his pull-up jumper off the dribble that will propel him to become an effective PG in the NBA especially off of screen and rolls and who better to learn from than Jose Calderon who has all but mastered the screen and roll. He already has a good feel for the screen and roll but his range isn’t consistent yet. However, with time he can become a good 3 point shooter. He finishes well and gets to the line a lot but at his size there is a risk of injuries with his style of play. He has above average vision with the ball and has shown the ability to hit the open man, open up the floor, or thread the needle but his decision making needs to get a lot better. Often times he forces the issue too much but this could be a by-product of playing with inferior talent around him. On defense he is strictly “in-your-face” because his speed and quickness allow him to keep up with opposing PG’s but he’ll have to get stronger physically for bigger guards. He does play the passing lanes well and has good instincts on when to go for the ball. His biggest drawback is his size and poor decision making as he is still turnover prone but the NBA is filled with small guards who are great players like Chris Paul, Aaron Brooks, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton etc... and his decision making will get better with time. In my opinion if the Raptors keep the 5th pick this is who they should draft. There is something to be said of a winning track record and at every level he’s played at he’s won and he proved he could carry a team on his back and I think he’ll be fine at running a team in the NBA as he has great leadership. If he were to go to the Raptors he would fit right in with their up-tempo style of play and also if you’re drafting on the best talent available he’s probably it at 5.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*All the measurements used are from DraftExpress.com*
**Don’t forget to comment!! Let me know what y’all think and if I’m right or wrong!**
***I’ll have full draft profiles for the projected top 15 in the coming days!***

A New Cabinet for a New Majority Government

2011-05-18T20:26:00.000-07:00

The new cabinet was sworn in today to signify the birth of the new government led by a Conservative majority. There were many rumors floating around preceding the official event, the main one being John Baird (who was the Government House Leader) filling Lawrence Cannon's old position as Minister of Foreign Affairs. This turned out to be true and can I say that I am very satisfied with this particular shuffle.

Some people claimed Baird is too hot-headed and, to put it politely, angry, to represent Canada on the world stage. Bullshit. He played the role of government attack dog very well because he is a very talented politician. In a cheesy American-style line, he serves at the pleasure of the Prime Minister because a united government is an effective government. Now that he can put away his snarky hat (and boy will I miss that), he can focus on the current international missions, mainly Afghanistan and Libya. Osama (that didn't autocorrect, odd) being dead and Gaddafi being close to something similar will lead to troop levels rightfully lessening. I know European countries, and when I say that I mean the UK, want to bring home troops soon, especially from Afghanistan. Canada will inevitably follow suit if the timing is right. I am confident these big decisions, negotiated on the world stage, will be competently made by Prime Minister Harper and his new right hand man, John Baird. I can't wait until other foreign affairs ministers (namely William Hague who is my favorite for many reasons) and Hillary Clinton meet him.

I am incredibly proud and glad that BC MPs Alice Wong (Richmond) is the new Minister of State for Seniors and Ed Fast (Abbotsford) is the new Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway. James Moore remains in his position as Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. Jason Kenney is also staying as Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jim Flaherty as Minister of Finance, McKay, Toews, Ambrose, and some others are also keeping their old portfolios. Tony Clement has been given President of the Treasury Board and Julian Fantino has the new title of Associate Minister of National Defence. This leads to the total number of cabinet positions increasing to 39. The small government in me is raging but I am taming it. I've already crossed off a bunch of cabinet positions that does not need to exist (most of the "Minister of State" positions, especially Sport).

All in all, a very exciting day. I'm back =)

- Franny.

March Madness 2011!!!

2011-03-17T03:36:00.001-07:00

This is by far my most favourite time of the year. The NBA and NHL seasons are winding down towards the playoffs and the MLB season is just around the corner. However, before all of that we have March Madness and as much as I love college football there is nothing like March Madness in terms of college athletics. There is always drama, intense jubilation, and intense heartache as some emerge as Cinderella stories while others settle for maybe just one upset and some live up to their ranking and go all the way. The possibilities of what can happen are endless and what makes it supremely unique is that it's the way sports is played on the playground: if you win you get to stay on the court but if you lose you go home.

This year's tourney is a little different because there was no "play-in game" but rather a "play-in round" consisting of 4 games between 8 teams this is also being called the 1st round so technically March Madness is under way but in the hearts of many (like me) it won't start until the "real" first round: the round of 64 (which is now the 2nd round). The field of 64 is set as VCU, UT-San Antonio, UNC-Asheville, and Clemson won their respective play-in games and March Madness is set to begin!!! So fill out your brackets ladies and gentlemen if you have not already. Check out my brackets below, just click on them to enlarge them:

My very professional, official and objective bracket:

My uber prejudiced: "what I want to happen" bracket:

This year's tourney is really tough to predict 'cause there hasn't been any team that's really been consistently good or dominating so I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of upsets. In my opinion though, this may be a tourney where there might not be monumental upsets like we had last year with Butler and Northern Iowa but there are plenty of teams in that 8-13 seed range that could make a good run because honestly they shouldn't be seeded as low as they are.

Anyway I don't care if my brackets don't run true, because in all honesty they probably won't. I'll be rooting for my Duke Blue Devils to the fullest (shout out to all my fam in Durham, Fayetteville, and Charlotte even though some of y'all are UNC fans) and of course I'll be rooting for the home town Washington Huskies (shout out to my fam in Lynnwood). So let the madness begin!!!

Share your Final Four picks with us in the comments section!!

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

LASERS Review

2011-03-10T03:26:00.000-08:00

It has been way too long. That is mostly my fault. We haven't blogged in a long time mainly because our lives have somehow become incredibly busy (yea still wondering when that actually happened). However, I will try to post more on the blog as of now mainly because the written word is still the best way for me to express my emotions and thoughts (seriously I'm really quiet and reserved, just ask Franny) and also because I like to believe (foolishly) that somehow, somebody out there in the world actually cares about what I think; but I digress.

My last post was about Lupe Fiasco so now that his much anticipated album Lasers (Love Always Shines Everytime Remember 2 Smile) has actually come out what better way to get back into blogging than posting an album review? I bought the album the day it came out but admittedly I've had the bootleg for a good month or so (I waited 3 years for this album and did not mention to anyone I had it out of respect to the artist). To those who are Lupe fans and haven't bought it yet 'cause they already have the bootleg I advise you to buy the album (it doesn't cost that much) so that Lu's label will be happy and we get even more music from Lupe, mainly that Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album gets released on time (though if I have to I will wait like I did for The Cool and then Lasers).

It has been over two and a half years since Lupe Fiasco wrapped on the first tracks for what would become his third album, Lasers. What followed was chaos and pun fully intended, a fiasco. to make a long story short: Atlantic Records rejected the tracks deeming that the album was not marketable, froze Lupe’s production budget, and Lupe requested to be let out of his contract. Atlantic refused to drop Lupe or his album, loyal fans protested in the artist’s defense, and the label conceded to release the album if Lupe made some serious sacrifices. He compromised with Atlantic and voila Lasers had a release date. If you’re looking for a detailed history of the ordeal, the folks over at Ology have done a great job in bringing the whole story together.

I’ve been a huge fan and supporter of Lupe since his early beginnings (I've written for 2 blogs about his music) so I was eagerly anticipating this album. However, it’s obvious that this isn't a normal Lupe album. By Lupe’s own admission in an interview with Complex, Atlantic had their hands all over this record and forced him to do certain songs, rap a certain way, and use certain hooks and beats. Lasers is mostly Atlantic’s album when compared to The Cool or Food & Liquor, which were entirely Lupe’s albums and it’s obvious. In the interview mentioned above Lupe said he loves certain parts of the album and hates others not only 'cause of the music but because of what went on behind the scenes and the pressure that was exerted on him to compromise his creativity. I have a feeling fans will also have a love/hate thing goin' on with this album.

However, Lasers is still a fantastic record if you look at it objectively. As a Lupe album it fails to deliver to the expectations of the hardcore fanbase. It's an album that is entirely different and that should be ok with the fans. Just because he's great at making records in a certain way that should not limit his ability to try his creativity out of his normal realm and push the boundaries of his talent. Also I think this album was necessary for Lupe's progression and evolution as an artist because the one thing about this album is that it is extremely radio friendly and appeals to a wide array of demographics and these are good things for Lupe because the core fanbase will always be there but this album is open to a whole new audience that may be experiencing Lupe's music for the first time ('cause they only listen to chart-toppers).

Also, contrary to some reviews, the lyrics are not overly dumbed down and certain songs such as "All Black Everything", "Word I Never Said", "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)", "Till I Get There" and even "The Show Goes On" are every bit as complex and intuitive as Lupe's past work. The lyricism is still great and even on a track like "I Don't Wanna Care Right Now", which is heavy with the electro-pop sound that Atlantic seemed to push Lupe on, is really enjoyable to listen to because of the lyricism and flow. With that said I have to admit that the use of auto-tune on some tracks put me off a bit. Case in point: "Beautiful Lasers"; this was a song I listened to live when Lupe came to Seattle and it was my favourite of the snippets he provided to the fans that day but the use of auto-tune on the hook in the album version put me off a bit because the original song I heard just sounded so much cleaner without auto-tune and flowed much better. "Beautiful Lasers" is still a very good song but the non-synthesized version was great.

I was also really disappointed with the fact that Lupe's frequent collaborator Soundtrakk didn’t have a single production on this album. I believe he is a key factor of Lupe’s sound and holds his albums together. For those who don’t know, Soundtrakk did the beats for and co-wrote Lupe's biggest hits: “Kick, Push” and “Superstar”, plus he produced five songs on Food & Liquor and more than half of the songs on The Cool. They have great chemistry together and Soundtrakk is definitely capable of producing massive hits for Lupe that are loved by both fans and the general public as he has proven. I don't know the situation but if this was a decision by Atlantic they must be profoundly stupid because I can't fathom any reason why they wouldn’t want him to continue contributing to Lupe’s albums.

There are some good songs on this record and while some of the lyrics are not nearly as complex as the dense lyrics on his mixtapes or first 2 albums, Lupe’s message still comes through pretty clearly and he still brings the heat on most of the tracks. The album starts off very strong with “Letting Go” featuring Sarah Green followed by, “Words I Never Said” and “Till I Get There” (produced by long-time collaborator Needlz) which has a real old-school hip-hop feel to it. “State Run Radio” is a great song despite the chorus (which was sub-par in my opinion) and takes out his frustration with the music industry. "All Black Everything” is definitely the most hip hop sounding track with strings and hard drums. The album closes with “Never Forget You” featuring John Legend. Even though Lupe said he had little to do with this song and it was submitted to him by Atlantic, it’s actually pretty catchy (I guess the label did good work on that front) and ends the album on an optimistic vibe.

It’s a heartbreaking thing to see someone you admire being taken advantage of by the music industry. It breaks the idea of an artist, producer and writer actually working together in the same room to create songs they want to make. Instead, Atlantic records exposed the music industry as a bunch of cut-throat faceless business executives whose job is solely to create hits with little care for the artistic integrity and individual creativity of its signed artists. With that said take Lasers for what it is because it delivers as a pop-rap record and honestly it's still better than most of the major rap releases in the last year or so. To me this record is a stop-gap/experiment in order for Lupe to make the music he actually wants to make.

Notable Tracks: "Letting Go", "Words I Never Said", "Till I Get There", "The Show Goes On", "Beautiful Lasers", "State Run Radio" and "All Black Everything"

Grade: 8.75/10

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

MTV Offers Lupe Fiasco Some "Career Advice"

2010-10-01T23:40:00.001-07:00

So today being a #FiascoFriday it was only too appropriate for the haters to come out and bash the way Lupe goes about his business. An MTV article claims that because Lupe doesn't drop a new track every week that he's fading out of the public imagination, hence the album delay. They also sort of inferred that Lupe doesn't deserve the #FiascoFriday protest, that is being held on October 15th outside of the HQ of Atlantic Records in New York, because he doesn't "deliver" to his fans on a more consistent basis.

One of MTV's main arguments was the fact that Lupe passes on "hit" records and refuses to record the types of songs that get massive radio play. Specifically the fact that Lupe passed on "Nothin' on You" and instead gave it to labelmate B.o.B. What MTV forgot to tell was that Lupe did initially record his own version of "Nothin' on You" but when he heard B.o.B.'s version he felt that it would be more of a success than his previously recorded version and guess what? it was. So a selfless act to give a labelmate a push in the public sphere gets Lupe criticized for not being selfish enough (yea that's what you want to teach kids right?). MTV instead makes it seem like Lupe passed on "Nothin on You" because he thought it would be a success. Seriously? who thinks like that? That's like a baseball player saying he's not going to use a bat to hit because he could actually get a hit (yea it makes no sense to me either).

Another thing that the article brought to the front was that if Lupe is actually all about the music why doesn't he just release L.A.S.E.R.S. as a mixtape? This is where the label politics and legal jargon come in. An album differs from a mixtape in the fact that the money provided to create it comes from the label versus a mixtape which an artist pays for themselves and sometimes the label will pitch in. Therefore an album is an entity of the label and not the artist themselves. This is why artists don't make crazy amounts off album sales because they only get a percentage of the profits and most of the profits go to the label in order for them to one, at least break even on the production value of the album and two, to create a profit (the album makes more than it took to make). Therefore if Lupe were to "release" L.A.S.E.R.S. without Atlantic's permission it could possibly be a breach of his contract (not totally sure about this 'cause I don't know what the particulars of the contract are) and Atlantic would have the right to sue him.

Anyway, Lupe fans went on the offensive and flooded Twitter and Facebook with messages of support aimed at Lupe and bashing MTV for it's um, "advice" to a critically acclaimed artist. It wasn't just fans either, artists like Chamillionaire and fellow All City Chess Club member Wale, also gave their endorsements to Lupe.

MTV has once again incensed the Lupe fans and let's all hope it's for the best and results in the release of L.A.S.E.R.S. I've been waiting for the album since the Cool dropped and I'll continue to wait but in the meantime I'm going to continue listening to the timeless and countless Lupe mixtapes and his 2 studio albums (by the way I did BUY the albums when they dropped) that have messages in them that ring true to this day. Certain artists get immortalized with their music and that's what Lupe's music will be like. It'll be remembered years from now and still ring true. Just like Tupac who some (like me) regard as the greatest rapper of all time. 'Pac didn't have an extensive mixtape collection or a large quantity of studio albums but his music lives on forever because he was a true poet that stayed true to his craft and didn't hold back in sending out the truths of society. If Tupac is the Malcolm X of rap then in my opinion Lupe Fiasco is the Martin Luther King Jr. of rap.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*you can read the original MTV article here*

R.I.P. Ian Cameron

2010-09-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

UK Prime Minister David Cameron's father, Ian Cameron, died earlier today after suffering a stroke while on holiday in France. The Cameron family was at his side shortly before he passed away. I know many of you don't follow UK politics and this actually isn't political, but I wanted to give a bit of background information about the life of an inspirational person.

Ian Cameron was born with very deformed legs. His father had little faith in his ability to fit in but nothing ever held Mr. Cameron back. He played many sports in school, even football; nobody could tell him he couldn't. In his adult years, Mr. Cameron persevered to become a successful stockbroker just like the generations before him. He went through several surgeries in his lifetime, especially in his youth, to ease the pain from his legs, but later had both legs amputated and lost the use of one eye due to an infection. Regardless of the appearance of misfortune, Mr. Cameron was very adamant about leading an extraordinary life, passing on the same attitude to his children, one of whom is now the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Cameron has always praised his father and said this during the campaign:

"My father is a huge hero figure for me. He's an amazingly brave man because he was born with no heels – quite a disability. But the glass with him was half-full, normally with something alcoholic. I think I got my sense of optimism from him."

The House of Commons sent their condolences today prior to the Prime Minister's Questions period, which was led by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

I just wanted to add that President Sarkozy of France gave the Cameron family a helicopter to use so that they could get to the hospital as soon as possible. Great man.

May our thoughts and prayers be with the Cameron family at this difficult time.

- Franny.

A G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape

2010-08-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Ahead of the November release of his fifth studio album, Kanye West along with longtime friend/collaborator/blogger Perajok have released a brand new mixtape. The aptly titled G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape features 30 tracks of music and skits from Kanye and artists signed to his G.O.O.D. (Getting Out Our Dreams) Music label, including Kid Cudi, John Legend, GLC, Big Sean, Fonzworth Bentley, Tony Williams, and Mr Hudson among others. This will clearly be the prelude of the anticipated domination by Kanye's camp in the coming Fall.

Whether you like him or not, it’s clear Kanye is working his way out of the trenches that his big mouth got him into (one of the biggest faux pas' of all-time!!), and he’s showing just why he IS the superstar that he is. Recently he's done new songs, new videos, new appearances, new tweets (yes Kanye FINALLY has a twitter, and it has been every bit as entertaining as I thought it would be)… and now a new, FREE mixtape. Some people might argue that it’s too much too late to make amends, but if he’s working on a change, then maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt.

But I digress, the mixtape itself is a great sample of what is to come from the G.O.O.D. crew. As a label it's always great to give a sample of what is to be expected. With that said, it has to be pretty stellar to grab the audience's attention. This mixtape certainly does that as it provides not only a deep tracklist but also good music to listen to. It includes some new songs and some snippets of new songs to come as well. All in all a very solid effort. You can listen to the mixtape below courtesy of Hypetrak and then download it here. Enjoy!!

Perajok & Kanye West Present: G.O.O.D. Ass Mixtape by Hypetrak

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

The Chase For 600

2010-07-30T03:54:00.000-07:00

600 home runs. Only six players in the history of Major League Baseball have achieved this feat (Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. & Sammy Sosa) 2 of them will have a dreaded asterisk beside their names in regards to their “alleged” involvement as active participants in the steroid era. Sammy Sosa, is one of them and has the least of the 600 club with 609 career homeruns and the other is the all time leader in homeruns, Barry Bonds, who has a total of 762 career homeruns. These 2 players are often called out as cheaters and many baseball fans disregard their homerun totals and many still believe there are only 4 members of the 600 homerun club and that Hank Aaron is the rightful “homerun king”. As baseball records go, joining the 600 Club is a very big deal (it’s much more difficult to achieve than 3,000 hits or 300 wins). Now there is another player on the cusp of making it into this prestigious club and no one seems to care. Why?

Alex Rodriguez is an enigma, he has been, in my opinion, the 2nd best player in the last 35 years (Ken Griffey Jr being the best between 1989-2000) and the best player in the last 10 (mainly ‘cause Griffey’s body broke down with various debilitating injuries). However, instead of being celebrated as one of the greats in the game A-Rod is continually hated by a vast majority of baseball fans despite him wanting everyone to love him. He was one of my favourite players growing up because he played for my home team the Seattle Mariners (even though I grew up in Vancouver) and his departure from the Mariners was the beginning of his vilification.

What’s so different about A-Rod? After all Griffey left the M’s too but instead of being hated Griffey is celebrated as the greatest Mariner of all time. I believe what makes A-Rod different is three things. First, in 2000 A-Rod had become the M’s cornerstone player as they had dealt their 2 biggest established stars in Griffey and Randy Johnson after losing to the Yankees in the ALCS (yea the M’s were THAT good back in the day) in the hope to rebuild around A-Rod. So he was now the face of the franchise. However, it was not meant to be as a bidding war erupted for A-Rod unlike any other player at the time and the M’s simply could not financially compete with the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers. In the end A-Rod spurned the Mets, who were a better team, for the much inferior Rangers and an absurd contract (10 years/$252 million). No one can blame A-Rod for taking the money but it seems everyone does, he was seen as a sell-out and also someone who hampered his team as the Rangers couldn’t field a competitive team simply because they couldn’t pay anyone else (they’re still feeling the effects of that deal as they head into bankruptcy court). Despite all of that A-Rod had 3 of the best seasons of his career (although we now know they are tainted).

The 2nd reason people hate A-Rod is because he is now also tainted with the steroid asterisk. Why is this more significant for him? It’s because when everything surrounding Barry Bonds and steroids was settling down and it was evident Bonds’ record was tainted; the hope was A-Rod (then thought of as a “clean” player) who had vehemently denied steroid use would be the saviour to reclaim the record. Even the biggest A-Rod haters held out for this hope because they could at least respect the record but when he came out last year and admitted to using performance enhancing drugs and lying to baseball fans about his PED use, it was a big blow to baseball and like a punch in the proverbial “balls” (I’m not trying to be sexist ladies) of baseball fans. So now the haters became uber-haters and A-Rod became another example of “cheating the game” for baseball purists.

The 3rd reason why A-Rod’s “chase for 600” has been so irrelevant is because he isn’t the best everyday player on his team right now, that’s Robinson Cano who recently hit his 1000th hit, and he’s not the face of the franchise, that belongs to the much loved and respected Derek Jeter. So much for all that talk about A-Rod finally earning his pinstripes in this past year's playoffs. He’s been the 3rd best 3rd baseman in his division this year, behind Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria and Boston’s Adrian Beltre. Also, A-Rod turned 35 on July 27, and reports have surfaced that his age and his bothersome hip are both starting to eat at his skill. Meanwhile, statisticians and fans have been debating about whether the Yankees will regret the seven years left on A-Rod's 10-year, $275 million contract and whether his power numbers will stay high enough to pass Bonds' all-time home run record of 762.

A-Rod's talent is unquestioned. But it's bizarre, fans don’t see an A-Rod at-bat as a must-see event. You rarely hear talk about how he's about to enter the realm of baseball's all-time gods which is justified by his stats. Maybe it’s been all the off-the-field dramas that surround him or maybe it’s true that he is the most vilified athlete in sports because of his personality, or maybe the game of baseball is changing and instead of seeing homeruns, fans would rather watch someone like Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg, who has taken the league by storm, throw 100 mph fastballs and back breaking curveballs to strike out 10+ batters a game. One thing is certain, A-Rod will hit 600 homeruns and many more, maybe he’ll break the all-time record or maybe he won’t but one thing is clear, nobody outside of New York (and even some in NY) cares if he does. This brings up an even bigger question, what will A-Rod’s legacy be? Will he ascend to be one of the baseball gods as the stats suggest or will he just be remembered as a great player in a very flawed era?

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

"Teflon Don" Review

2010-07-23T23:41:00.000-07:00

Rick Ross isn't in my top 10 as far as emcees go in the game right now but I would put him in the top 15 that's just me though, others however love his style and laud him as one of the best rappers out right now and that's fine with me 'cause I respect everybody's opinions and realize we all have different tastes. Prejudices aside, I did take a fairly objective view towards his latest release: Teflon Don

Since his hit single “Hustlin’” came out in 2006, Rick Ross has become a heavyweight in the hip-hop game (much to the dismay of 50 Cent) and it's evident in this release. Teflon Don stands on three legs: Ross’ image, the album’s impressive production value, and its supporting cast of featured artists. Seriously, Ross proved he's got some serious superstar cred with the supporting cast on this album with tracks from producers like: J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, No ID, The Inkredibles, Kanye West and Danja just to name a few.

It doesn't stop there either as Ross pulled out some big names for appearances as featured artists, such as: Jay-Z, Kanye, T.I., Drake, Jadakiss, Erykah Badu, Ne-Yo, Diddy, Trey Songz, Gucci Mane, Raphael Saadiq, Styles P and Raekwon. That is an impressive gathering of course but it is also a negative for the album. Sure collaborations are great, but when 11 of the 12 tracks have featured artists with heavy lyrical input it devalues the album as truly just Rick Ross'. Rather it sounds like the album should be titled, "Rick Ross and friends present: Teflon Don".

Ross has improved his wordplay on Teflon Don, which helps the listener forget the utter lack of depth in his lyrics. He just doesn’t have much to say (hence all the artists, maybe?). With Ross, you simply have to take what you hear at face value. He has money, he thinks he’s awesome and yes, he loves his sunglasses. Rick Ross often gets criticized for his less-than-proficient lyricism, and rightfully so (which is why he'll never be in my top 10), but I can’t help but enjoy Teflon Don. Look at the featured artists and try not to be intrigued; Ross is the definition of commercial rap, and he clearly understands the business of hip-hop.

The impressive production value puts this album over the top because it is so beautifully constructed by the myriad of producers providing the beats. Each track seamlessly flows to the next and all in all it's a fun album to listen to. Take it for what it is because it doesn't fail to deliver.

Notable Tracks: "Free Mason feat. Jay-Z", "Aston Martin Music feat. Drake and Chrisette Michele", "Audio Meth feat. Raekwon", and "All The Money In The World feat. Raphael Saadiq"

Rating: 3.75 Stars (out of 5)

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Raptors YoungGunz Dunkoff!!

2010-07-18T00:46:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty sick so I haven't been able to type a real thought provoking article but I did promise a post soon and I don't ever go back on my promises. So I decided for this post to keep it fun. For those of y'all who know me personally know that I am a huge Toronto Raptors fan (I still secretly like the Grizzlies even though they left our wonderful city). And with Chris Bosh heading down to Miami (I told y'all that's why he cut his dreads for the fade lol) some Raptors "fans" have abandoned ship but not me. Why? 'Cause of the "Young Gunz" of course!! (also 'cause I stick with my teams through the good and the bad)

The original 3 members of the "Young Gunz" are Amir Johnson, DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems. These guys play a fun and high-flying game and it was shown last season. Although they have all been working hard during the Summer to improve, and it's shown as we went 5-0 in Vegas Summer League!! Sonny and DeMar not only participated but were the leading scorers and carried the team, they took some time out after a workout in Toronto to challenge each other to a dunk off to determine who's the best dunker on the team. After watching the video y'all can head on over to www.amirjohnson.com and vote for who you think is the best dunker. right now Amir leads with 49.19% of the vote while DeMar is in 2nd with 41.74% and Sonny is last with the remaining 9.08% of 39,137 votes!! Oh and the losers have to wear tights through downtown Toronto which I'm sure will be filmed by AmirTV. Hope y'all enjoy it and don't forget to vote!!

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

A Very Arbitrary Thought.

2010-07-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to apologize for my absence, I've been on vacation (as JabberWocky has mentioned) and is still in vacation-mode so I'm still shaking off my lazy. Second of all, the new look is awesome =) JabberWocky really goes ABCD (above and beyond the call of duty...I read it on a sign somewhere) and I'm very thankful and grateful!

This is short but it's been on my mind since I've been selecting classes for next year. If you had to choose one, which would you prefer: the same professor for multiple classes or a hot professor? Here's what I've been weighing:

Same professor for multiple classes

Pro- Could be buddy-buddy with the prof and he/she would have to know your name. References are important for grad studies!

Con- Could be a bad/dick professor and you're stuck with him/her for multiple classes! What a nightmare...

Hot professor

Pro- Eye candy and incentive for attending class, as well as actually paying attention (which would allow you to do better in the class)

Con- A huge distraction, trust me. Going to class just to drool and doodle disturbing images (not me I swear) is not the way to go.

What's the verdict y'all? Comment below (I know some of you wanna comment...there's someone out there...) and I'll keep it in mind, I promise!

Until next time!

- Franny.

A New Look!!

2010-07-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

First of all I would like to apologize to all our readers for not updating the blog in a LONG time. I have been very busy with other aspects of my life (yes I do have a social life, contrary to popular belief) and Franny is on vacation so she hasn't been able to blog (actually a valid excuse). However I am back!! and I promise that the blog will be better than ever!!

The first step in the rejuvenation of the blog is the look of the blog. Our regular readers will notice the larger margins in the main text area as well as the "argyle sweater" like pattern as the backdrop ('cause we're so fashionable). This isn't a final look and because we value the opinions of our readers, if you have any suggestions on ways we can improve the design or template let us know and we'll try it out. Also we will be adding some more interactive features on the blog if we can. I have been considering moving the blog from blogger to maybe wordpress or livejournal but for now we're staying with blogger ('cause we're loyal) if we do decide to move the blog to another site we will notify you in an appropriate manner (no we're not gonna do a 1 hour special called "The Decision" on a national tv network).

If you guys have any questions, suggestions, concerns or are looking to be contributors to the blog you can email us at arbitraryopinions@gmail.com, tweet us @ArbitraryO or me @Jabber_Wocky, or just comment in the comments section of this post, we're always looking for cool people to work with and you can obviously post anything you want about anything you want and anyway you want (we are called Arbitrary Opinions for a reason).

That's all for now but I will be posting again very soon!! 'til then,

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Perfection.

2010-05-29T21:42:00.000-07:00

I'd like to congratulate Roy "Doc" Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies for pitching his first perfect game, and the 20th in MLB history! I remember only ever watching the Jays play either when Doc pitched or they were playing the Yankees (Doc vs. Yankees always upset me, but in a good way?) Now that he plays for the Phillies, I've seen him pitch once this season but he's been superb! This is a BIG DEAL to those of you who don't watch baseball (to which I say, WATCH IT!) Congrats again and THANK YOU for giving me a crapload of points for my fantasy team =)

And I'd also like to thank JabberWocky for the profiles of the top drafts! I must say, Wall is my fav cuz I've heard of him and I hear he's good =P

Until next time!

- Franny.

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #4

2010-05-27T03:34:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson

Bio:
Birthday: 7/11/87
NBA Position: Small Forward
Class: Junior, Syracuse University
Ht: 6'7"; Wt: 206 lbs
Hometown: Corsicana, TX

NBA Comparison: Tracy McGrady without the ballhandling abilities but better defense and rebounding.

Strengths:
- Has all the tools, and fits the mold of the classic athletic small forward.
- Quick when maneuvering in the lane.
- At 6'7, he has a huge wingspan (easily over 7' feet), and tremendous leaping abilities which allow him to rise above traffic around the rim.
- He has a smooth and fluid motion on his jump shot, and gets nice elevation.
- Has a strong mid-range game that will only get better.
- Arguably the best shooter in the draft.
- Can shoot spot up from anywhere, but seems to excel at shooting off one dribble after using his quick first step to create space between him and his defender.
- He also uses an effective jab step to create separation and get off his shot, a must-have tool for a scoring small forward in the NBA.
- Has deep range with a high and quick release, and his consistency will only improve.
- He shoots 50% from the field overall, and does not need 20 plus shots to be effective.
- Extremely unselfish, the offense rarely becomes stagnant when the ball is in his hands.
- An underrated passer showing excellent vision and passing skills for a 3.
- He moves extremely well off the ball, and does a great job of getting himself open off back screens.
- Can run the floor and finish effectively in transition.
- His quickness, awareness and long wingspan come into play defensively as well, as he is a terrific off-ball and help defender.
- Can quickly move from the weak-side to ball-side, and used those long arms and high leaping abilities for 2 blocks per game.
- He's athletic and long enough to play effective on-ball defense at the next level.
- His wingspan and leaping abilities also make him an excellent rebounder, and his persistent nature and good nose for the ball make him a good offensive rebounder.
- One of the more NBA ready players in the draft.
- Has an infectous smile that is always on display during games; should be a fan favourite for his personality as well as his game.

Weaknesses:
- Sometimes settles or relies too much on his jump shot, and when it's not on, he becomes invisible for long stretches throughout the game.
- Needs to bulk up; when guarded by stronger defenders, he tends to pull back for tougher jump shots as opposed to taking it strong to the hoop and drawing the foul.
- Attempts less than 4 free throws per game (too low).
- Tries to get out of slumps by shooting jumpers instead of attacking the basket.
- Does not have much of a back-to-the-basket game yet, but his skills, high release and length give him a shot to develop a post game over time.
- Has trouble creating off the dribble, most of his opportunities come after one dribble or a catch and shoot.
- Not much of a playmaker, his ball handling skills are average, and he tends to throw the ball away too often.
- He's 23 years old, so his upside and potential might be little low for some GM's in comparison to younger players.

Consensus: Will most definitely be a SF in the NBA. At 23 years old already, he should be more mature and NBA ready than most players entering the draft. The big question with Wes is whether or not his inability to create will prevent him from being a consistent scorer in the pros, he has to develop some dribble moves. However his defense and rebounding skills should translate well to the NBA.

Minny's other options: Trade the pick (a possibility but probably not going to happen); Draft DeMarcus Cousins (possible, if they are willing to depart with either Kevin Love or Al Jefferson) or draft Al-Farouq Aminu (not likely) or Xavier Henry, Greg Monroe or Patrick Patterson (all longshots)

Official Mixtape

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*NOTE: there have been rumblings that the Sixers are very high on Derrick Favors and he has moved up as the 2nd pick in many mock drafts and then if New Jersey took either DeMarcus Cousins or Wesley Johnson both of whom the Nets like, Evan Turner could fall to the T-Wolves and they absolutely love Turner, but I doubt this is going to happen as Wall, Turner and Favors are locks for the top 3 picks in any order you want to put them in.

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #3

2010-05-26T01:32:00.000-07:00

New Jersey Nets: Derrick Favors

Bio:
Birthday: 7/15/91
NBA Position: Power Forward
Class: Freshman, Georgia Tech University
Ht: 6'10"; Wt: 245 lbs
Hometown: Atlanta, GA

NBA Comparison: Amare Stoudemire

Strengths:
- Explosive athlete with unique combination of power and quickness.
- Possesses an extraordinary wingspan, with Georgia Tech official website claiming a 9'1" standing reach.
- Tremendous leaping ability.
- Frequent target of the alley-oop pass and seemingly nothing is out of reach.
- Soft hands allow him to catch passes most bigs would muff.
- Runs the floor like a gazelle showing great speed from baseline to baseline.
- Finishes with power around the rim; a dunking machine.
- Has made dramatic advancements in his post game repertoire and footwork.
- Features a drop step into the lane for a mini right hook and quick spins to either side of the floor.
- Very quick in the post. Displays a deft touch with his left hand around the basket, almost inclined to use his off hand.
- Has a nice looking jumpshot out to 12-15 feet, but does not appear overly comfortable.
- An absolute vacuum on both the offensive and defensive glass. Averaged 8.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes of action (5.4 def and 3.0 off).
- A shot blocking menace (2.1 per game this season); alters countless other attempts.
- His mere presence makes opponents think twice before driving inside.
- Not a boastful personality, but rather allows his game to do the talking.
- Excellent student and quick learner.

Weaknesses:
- Has done a good job adding bulk to his frame, but needs to continue to get stronger.
- Needs to increase trajectory on his jumper and increasing his range would serve him well.
- Ball handling is decent for a big, but must be improved for his face up game.
- Needs to continue advancement of his footwork and comfort level in the post.
- Seems to predetermine moves rather than reacting to the defense.
- Does not handle double teams well.
- Needs to slow the game down and not panic.
- Not a great passer out of the post.
- Has relied heavily on his athletic gifts up to this stage against inferior competition.
- Needs to work harder and understand court positioning.
- Can be lazy at times defensively and on the boards, depending on his length and leaping ability.
- Stands too upright on defense and his lateral movement needs to improve.
- His conditioning has been questioned, often tiring in the latter stages of games.

Consensus: Derrick Favors could go #1 in most drafts but for this year he's a lock for #3. He's arguably the best athlete in this draft but needs to continue developing fundamentals in order to become truly great; his work ethic seems to be good but could be a lot better. He has very high potential and although NJ wouldn't get Wall at #3 they would get a guy who perfectly compliments their cornerstones in center Brook Lopez and point guard Devin Harris.

NJ's other options: trade the pick (only if they can trade for #1 or #2 or they can land one of the big free agents in a sign and trade) or draft DeMarcus Cousins (possible) or Wesley Johnson (not likely). Reports are also surfacing that the Spurs are very high on Favors and want to move up to get him so they can make him Duncan's successor at power forward.

Official Mixtape (couldn't find a decent one of him at GA Tech, but this one shows off his athleticism very nicely).

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #2

2010-05-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

Philadelphia 76ers: Evan Turner

Bio:
Birthday: 10/27/88
NBA Position: Shooting Guard/Point Guard/Small Forward
Class: Junior, Ohio State University
Ht: 6'7"; Wt: 215 lbs
Hometown: Chicago, IL

NBA Comparison: Brandon Roy

Strengths:
- Big combo guard with great versatility and a tremendous feel for the game.
- Extremely smooth with the ball in his hands and has a bag of tricks offensively.
- His handles are that of a point guards; Has supreme confidence with the ball in his hands with an excellent crossover.
- Great mid-range game with the ability to change directions and get defenders off balance to create looks.
- Good upperbody strength allows him to absorb contact and make plays at the rim.
- Strong finisher. Very adept at finishing after contact. Also utilizes the glass effectively.
- Has a good runner when he meets up with shot blockers in the paint.
- Understands how to use his body to shield the ball from opponents.
- Has a great ability to drive which really sets up his ability to pull up for shots.
- Utilizes the spin dribble to get by opponents effectively and into the paint.
- Creative playmaker with the ability to find others for shots when his path to the basket gets cut off.
- Solid vision and a good passer capable of finding the open man.
- An above average athlete with good speed and long arms.
- Makes a lot of impressive plays at the basket using excellent body control and creativity.
- Jumpshot has good form.
- Has a big wingspan (near 7-foot); his long arms allow him to disrupt passing lanes.
- Draws a lot of fouls on drives due to his aggressiveness.
- Runs down a lot of loose balls and makes plays based on desire and hustle.
- One of the best defenders in the draft.
- Plays with a high level of intensity at all times no matter the game situation.
- Good rebounder off the wing.
- Solid free throw shooter at 79%.
- As a Junior, he is one of the more mature players in this draft and one of the most clutch.
- Coming in as the AP Player of the Year and National Player of the Year

Weaknesses:
- Not a freak athlete, but above average by NBA standards.
- At times appears to be susceptible to being thrown off his game by physical defensive play.
- A better scorer than shooter.
- Needs to improve his catch and shoot ability and expand his range and consistency from the perimeter.
- Sometimes drives too much if it is too effective and forgets about his jumpshot.
- At times can fall in love with the dribble and become too ball dependent; needs to improve off-ball play.
- His creativity can lead to being a little careless passing the ball.
- Not great at setting defenders up off of screens and shooting spot up. He prefers to create a rhythm with the ball in his hands dribbling off screens or creating off isolation.
- Injury issues as he missed 4 weeks with two fractures in his back but was deemed to have fully recovered before the March NCAA tournament so doesn't seem to be much of an issue.

Consensus: Like Brandon Roy was in 2006, Evan Turner is the most NBA ready player in this draft class, could go #1 but most likely will go to the Sixers at #2. Also the most versatile guard in the draft as he can play and guard 3 different positions but will most likely play Shooting Guard in the NBA. A threat for a triple-double on any given night.

Philly's other options: The Sixers have said they'd be open to packaging the #2 pick to any team who would be willing to take back Elton Brand and his enormous contract off their hands. Or they could draft Derrick Favors (a maybe), DeMarcus Cousins (not likely) or Wesley Johnson (a maybe)

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Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

2010 Mock Draft Lottery Pick #1

2010-05-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

Washington Wizards: John Wall

Bio:
Birthday: 9/6/90
NBA Position: Point Guard
Class: Freshman, University of Kentucky
Ht: 6-4, Wt: 196
Hometown: Raleigh, NC

NBA Comparison: Derrick Rose

Strengths:
- One of the most electrifying players to come out of college in years especially at the Point Guard position.
- Has a confidence that only the truly great ones possess.
- His speed in the open floor and first step blow by ability is absolutely jaw dropping, possibly the fastest player in this class.
- His body control and ability to make plays around the rim as well as find teammates with passes while playing at such a break neck speed is what sets him apart. At first you think he's out of control but he actually makes great decisions while playing at such a fast pace.
- Fearless at attacking the basket off the dribble and seems to find a space in the defense when it seem there isn't one there.
- His ability to finish from all angles around the basket with BOTH hands borders on the absurd.
- Very high potential, and his style of play (SPEED) is tailor made for the NBA level.
- Point guards with his size and athleticism are rare.
- Possesses elite athletic ability with length and explosiveness, especially for a point guard.
- His speed and ability to change direction allows him to get any place he wants on the floor ...
- Pushes the ball up the floor as well as any Point Guard.
- Potential to become dominant at both ends of the floor, being able to use his length as both a defensive stopper and above average rebounder from the wing.
- An excellent passer, particularly on the move. Can pick a part a defense setting up teammates for easy scores using his great vision, and creativity.
- A true floor general, best passer and court vision in this class.
- Huge hands give him excellent command of the basketball, with either hand.
- A ball hawk able to rip opposing point guards using his quick hands and feet and long arms.
- Excellent anticipation on passes contributed to his 1.8 steals per game.
- Shows leadership ability and will look to become a more vocal leader as he matures.
- Great character and a very smart guy, posted a 3.5 G.P.A. Spring Semester
- Has a chance to be a merchandising phenomenon with his incredible talent and charisma.

Weaknesses:
- Similar to Rose, Wall's jumpshot is a work in progress.
- Shooting form is not horrible, but it will require some tweaking and hard work (repetition) in the gym to become a real strength to his game.
- Not a good set shooter, prefers to create a rhythm using the bounce.
- His shot lacks great lift and is a little slow to get off. His form and release are decent, but should look to get a little more trajectory.
- At times it appears he is too caught up in making flashy plays instead of focusing on the ultimate goal of winning.
- More comfortable operating in the open floor than in the half court, will need to hone his pick and roll skills and half court command of the game.
- While possibly even quicker than Rose, he lacks the same body strength and ability to absorb contact. Adding some core body strength would allow him to finish stronger around the rim.
- Gets careless passing the ball at times. 4 turnovers per game show his lack of ball protection and that his point guard skills are still raw.
- His 1.6 assist to turnover ratio is solid for a freshman but should be better for such an elite level player.
- Competitive player, but will need to develop his killer instinct and ability to take over at the end of games.

Consensus: Virtual lock for the #1 pick; Wall is blessed with such incredible physical gifts that it will be up to him to put in the work to get the most out of his abilities.

Washington's other options: Trade the pick (not likely); choose either Evan Turner (a maybe) or Derrick Favors (not likely).

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Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Badassery to the Max.

2010-05-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Heyo ya'll, sorry I haven't been around lately, I've been pretty lazy. But the big news is that IRON MAN 2 is finally out and it is AWESOME! I don't know where the haters find their hate, but somehow they do, so all I can say is: do not read their bad reviews! They're just jealous. See I was going to do a little write up myself but I don't want to try to convince ya'll to go see it, I am demanding that you all do!

Second order of business, I really want to spice up this blog. I don't even know how many of ya'll there are who read this because no one comments. So that could mean that no one reads the blog, but our visits counters says otherwise! I am going to think of some ideas but those of you lurking in the shadows are encouraged to come out and tell us what we should do to make this blog more badass! I mean, me and Jabberwocky blogging is already awesome enough, but clearly we need something more! Shall we sing and dance?

Which leads me to my next point of order: watch Glee. Seriously, the hype ain't just there, it is such an awesome show! It makes me miss high school and kinda wish there was a Glee Club. I guess me being in band was kinda the same thing, but honestly, the band geeks ran the school kay, we'd never get slushied. Today I watched the episode about Rachel and her crush on Mr. Schuester, which made me think about how my school lacked hot teachers. Cept for Superman...

Anywho, I just wanted to make sure ya'll knew I was still alive and doing (relatively) well. Keep on rocking in the free world! ...Do people not use that anymore? They should.

- Franny.

Jazz Rally To Beat Denver; 33 Days Left

2010-04-24T01:36:00.000-07:00

Utah's reserves were able to do what the starters couldn't for the first 12 minutes; get inside and score on the Denver Nuggets. Paul "The Paper Boy" Millsap led a surge early in the second quarter that got Utah back into Game 3 after a disastrous start, then the Jazz took control of the game and their Western Conference playoff series with a 105-93 victory Friday night to take a 2-1 series lead. Millsap finished with career highs of 22 points and 19 rebounds. Millsap's 18 points in the second quarter gave the Jazz a chance to recover after Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams struggled early. Once Williams and Boozer got going, the Nuggets never recovered in their first road playoff game of the series.

Utah limited Denver's Carmelo Anthony to 25 points and flustered him into five fouls. He also had just four free throw attempts after taking 19 while scoring a combined 74 points in the series' first two games. Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who also scored 25 points, were the only Denver players to score in double figures. Williams finished with a double-double of his own with 24 points and 10 assists and Boozer added 18 points despite missing his first five shots. Wesley Matthews added 14 points and helped pester Anthony into foul trouble for the second straight game and C.J. Miles added 10 points for Utah.

Denver shut down Utah inside through the first quarter, forcing the Jazz into outside shots that usually missed and bounced right to one of the Nuggets, who led by as many as 11 points. Millsap ended that trend with two quick layups and a dunk as the Jazz opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run. He made his first nine shots and finished 11 of 14 from the field for Utah. The Jazz outscored Denver 31-21 in the second quarter, then topped that with 32 points in the third while holding the flustered Nuggets to just 20. Denver's woes slowly built throughout the quarter as the Jazz quickly pounced to stop any rallies, then the Nuggets really lost their composure at the end of the period. Matthews took a high elbow while defending Melo with 1:05 left in the third, sending Denver's frustrated superstar to the bench with his fifth foul. Melo, who had four offensive fouls and fouled out in Game 2, was stuck watching as the Jazz took an 84-68 lead into the fourth quarter and continued surging early in the final period. Utah's lead reached 23 points and even Anthony, who scored 42 in the series opener, couldn't rescue Denver when he returned in the fourth. Game 4 is Sunday in Utah, where the Nuggets will need to win to avoid falling behind the short-handed Jazz 3-1.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

The Batlle Of Texas Gets Physical & The Celtics Win A Close One; 33 Days Left

2010-04-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

Spurs G/F Manu Ginobli was bleeding profusely after he caught an inadvertant elbow from Dirk Nowitzki, then disappeared into the locker room while leaving a trail of red blotches behind him on the tunnel floor. He didn't know yet his nose was broken. So he patched up his gushing nose with a bandage and came back late in the third. He then scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 94-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. The Spurs took a 2-1 lead by surviving the first shot at home from the NBA's best road team. Ginobili was diagnosed with a nasal fracture after the game. He is scheduled to undergo a CT scan on Saturday.

The Mavs have their own problems to diagnose. Nowitzki made good on his vow after the Game 2 loss to hit the looks he got last time, scoring 35 points. He and J.J. Barea jump-started the Mavs back into the game with a 17-0 run in the third quarter that gave Dallas a lead for only the second time in the series since their Game 1 win when Nowitzki had 36 points. Nowitzki had help in that game though; notably from Caron Butler, who had 22 in the victory. Friday night Butler never left the bench in the second half on Friday as coach Rick Carlisle instead went instead with Barea in the backcourt. Butler has gone from being a major force in Game 1 to being nonexistent by Game 3. He made just one of three shots and finished with two points, which comes after he averaged 19.5 points in two games in Dallas.

The Mavs will spend between now and Sunday trying to figure out how to even this series. They can start by figuring out what happened to Nowitzki's supporting cast. Terry scored 17 points and Barea had 14 but Butler, Jason Kidd, and Shawn Marion had 16 points combined. Aside from Game 4, Sunday is also when Duncan turns 34 but so far in this series, he's looked ten years younger. He scored 25 points for the second straight game, and has the Spurs in position to possibly celebrate a commanding lead in this series if they can win on his birthday.
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There was no special play play being diagrammed in the final Boston huddle, no brilliant piece of strategy. Paul Pierce simply wanted the final shot and his coach Doc Rivers let him take it. And with Dwyane Wade watching helplessly from the bench, cramps rendering him unable to put any weight on his left leg, Pierce put Boston one win away from a first-round sweep of the Heat. Pierce dribbled the clock down to 2 seconds, got to his favorite spot just off the right side of the key and nailed a 21-footer at the buzzer Friday night, giving the Celtics a 100-98 victory in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference first-round series. No team has ever rallied from an 0-3 deficit in a series.

But Miami might have even bigger problems. D-Wade hurt his left calf after missing a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left, replays showing he landed on Celtics guard Ray Allen's foot. D-Wade, who had to change jerseys during the game because he was sweating so much, crumpled to the court and was carried off by reserve center Jamaal Magloire and the team trainer, he then chugged a cup of Gatorade after stretching out his legs so he could play if the game went to overtime. It didn't. Pierce saw to that, his final shot capping a 32-point effort. Wade said he didn't think he landed on Allen's foot, insisting a cramp was his only problem. He took intravenous fluids after the game, but said he will play Sunday for game 4.

Boston has made all the plays against Miami this season, winning all six meetings and 14 of the last 15. And when Miami didn't elect to use its "foul to give" in the last 2 minutes, all Pierce had to do was make the shot. For the last play, the Celtics loaded the floor with shooters and ran a bunch of cuts, all of which were merely decoys. Doc Rivers said the play was basically to let Pierce have the ball and get out of his way. Allen added 25 points for the Celtics, who got 17 from Rondo and 16 from KG. Wade finished with 34 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Heat, who rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead, yet saw the game and more than likely, the season, slip away. Michael Beasley scored 16 points, Dorell Wright had 15 and Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers added 10 each for the Heat.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

J-Rich Torches The Blazers; 34 Days Left

2010-04-23T01:55:00.000-07:00

Jason Richardson kept finding himself alone behind the 3-point line, so he jacked up shot after shot from behind the arc. Richardson made eight 3-pointers and finished with a playoff career-high 42 points Thursday night in the Suns' 108-89 victory over the Trail Blazers, which gave Phoenix a 2-1 lead in the first-round playoff series. Richardson hit his first 3 late in the first half as the Suns built a lead that would extend to 31 points. He made 13-of-19 shots from the floor. The secret to Richardson's success? Portland was so occupied with containing the pick-and-roll combo of Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire that they kept leaving J-Rich open to contain those two with multiple defenders so Steve Nash just flitted the ball out to the perimeter every time.

Portland mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, closing within 91-80 after Rudy Fernandez hit three consecutive 3-pointers. But the burst came too late for the Blazers, who suffered a setback when starting forward Nicolas Batum aggravated a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return (the Blazers are either cursed or have the worst luck ever). Home-court advantage meant little for the Blazers. The red-clad Rose Garden fans even booed their team as the players left the court with a 66-37 deficit at the break. LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 17 points. Andre Miller, who scored 31 in Portland's Game 1 win, was off for the second straight game and finished with just 11. And the home team was dismal from the free throw line, making just 16-of-28 attempts. Stoudemire had 20 points for the Suns, while Nash finished with 13 points and 10 assists.

The Suns jumped on Portland early, quickly quieting the sellout crowd. Nash's left-handed layup midway through the first quarter put Phoenix in front 16-6. The Blazers were hampered by early fouls on both Fernandez and Aldridge. It didn't help when Jerryd Bayless was hit with a technical, and coach Nate McMillan had to signal his team to calm down. Richardson hit a 3-pointer and Leandro Barbosa made a layup to close out the first period with a 34-16 Suns lead. Richardson, who had 29 points in the Suns' Game 2 victory, had 21 in the first half alone while the Blazers unsuccessfully used second-year guard Bayless to defend him. Batum was questionable before the game after hurting his shoulder in the second half of Game 2 when he collided with Nash. But he started, and answered any questions about his shoulder with an early two-handed dunk. But late in the first half, Batum was fouled under the Blazers basket and appeared to re-injure himself. He quickly retreated to the locker room. The injury was of concern because Batum, the team's primary perimeter defender, had surgery on the shoulder just before the season opener and missed the first 45 games of the season.

The Blazers are already thin because of injuries. All-Star guard Brandon Roy tore the meniscus in his right knee and had arthroscopic surgery two days before the playoffs got under way. Centers Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla needed season-ending knee surgeries (twice for Przybilla who re-tore his knee after slipping in the shower) and Fernandez had midseason back troubles. Former forward Travis Outlaw, who was traded to the Clippers, sat out for a time with a foot injury. Roy missed more than a dozen games with a sore hamstring earlier this year before the slight meniscus tear was discovered. Even the coach, Nate McMillan, ruptured his right Achilles tendon earlier this season when he and assistant coach Monty Williams were filling in as practice players because the team didn’t have enough healthy bodies to play five-on-five. In all, 13 Blazers missed a combined 311 regular-season games, second only to the Warriors this season and somehow miraculously still made the playoffs in the Western Conference no less. Only Miller and forward Martell Webster played in all 82 games. No team can ever use injuries as an excuse ever again for underperforming after what the Blazers have been through this year (I'm looking at you Raptors). Game 4 is Saturday at Portland.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

Bulls Buck The Cavs & OKC Gets Their 1st Ever Playoff Win; 34 Days Left

2010-04-23T01:12:00.000-07:00

"M-V-P!! M-V-P!!" this chant wasn't for LeBron tonight, instead the Chicago faithful bestowed the honour upon their hometown hero, Derrick Rose. He later said that he almost fainted after hearing the chorus of chants; but being guarded by LeBron James late in the game didn't faze him at all. And now, the Cleveland Cavaliers can forget about sweeping the Bulls out of the playoffs. Rose scored 31 points, Kirk Hinrich added 27 and Chicago hung on to beat the top-seeded Cavaliers, 108-106, on Thursday night in Game 3 of a first-round series after their 21-point lead dwindled to one.

LeBron scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but also committed some turnovers down the stretch. Even so, the Cavaliers were within 107-106 after Mo Williams nailed a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left. They immediately fouled Luol Deng, who hit the first free throw but missed the second. Cleveland guard Anthony Parker got the rebound and raced up the right side but missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer, and the Bulls escaped with the win despite some shaky foul shooting late in the game.

Hinrich, a career 80.9 percent foul shooter, missed two with 26 seconds left and the Bulls up 104-99. LeBron then buried a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. The Cavs immediately fouled Rose, who missed the first free throw before converting the second to make it 105-102 with 10.1 seconds left. Chicago fouled Anderson Varejao to prevent a 3-point attempt, and he made the first but missed the second. Brad Miller got the rebound and converted both foul shots to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls hung on for a wild win. They will try to tie the best-of-seven series on Sunday.
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Scuffling through another rough shooting night, Kevin Durant wanted to do anything he could to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder from falling hopelessly behind the Los Angeles Lakers. So he decided to take on the task of defending Kobe Bryant, that's the sign of a great player; even though his offense hadn't been rolling he decided to impact the game on the defensive end. The result? Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk while guarding Bryant to lead the decisive run, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night in the first playoff game in Oklahoma City (Portland and, more so, Seattle fans are probably still crying right now or drowning they're sorrows of what could have been).

Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay. The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Bryant's driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line to pull within 2-1 in the seven-game series. Bryant scored 24 points to surpass Jerry West's franchise record for playoff scoring, and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles. But when it came down to crunch time, shockingly Bryant couldn't deliver as he did in scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the Lakers' 95-92 victory in Game 2. He went 2 for 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Durant stopping between free throws at one point to motion to the bench that he wanted to guard the former MVP.

Undaunted by a raucous sellout crowd, the Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game and were in control until the Thunder roared back with an electrifying run of eight straight points late in the third quarter. The fans reached a deafening pitch as the Thunder completed their charge back from an 11-point deficit set off by Westbrook's right-handed tomahawk dunk. James Harden and Durant followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 74, and Oklahoma City finally took its first lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter. Near the end of the game Durant celebrated by thumping his chest and popping his jersey to show off the "Thunder" printed on the front while Westbrook, who scored 27 points, flapped his arms to egg on the screaming crowd. Game 4 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

Spurs Draw Even With The Mavs & Charlotte Loses Handle Against Orlando; 35 Days Left

2010-04-22T00:06:00.000-07:00

Knowing he was among the guys Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thought "played like dogs" in the opener, Richard Jefferson bounced back by scoring 17 of his 19 points in the first half to help San Antonio beat the Dallas Mavericks 102-88 in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The win ties their first-round series at a game apiece, with the next two games in the Alamo City. Jefferson matched the measly four points he had in Game 1 in like 45 seconds into the game. He was 7 of 9 by halftime, and was at his best during a 12-1 run late in the second quarter that broke the game open for good. He got it started with a fadeaway jumper and a finger roll, then added a reverse layup after the Mavs somehow lost track of him.

While Jefferson was the first-half star the second half belonged to Tim Duncan, scoring 17 of his 25 points in the half, often just in time to break up potential Mavs runs. The "Big Fundamental" also had a game-high 17 rebounds. Mavs All-Star Dirk Nowitzki went from a scorching hot performance in which he hardly missed in Game 1 to hardly making shots for an ice cold Game 2. The Spurs didn't even send multiple defenders at him; merely knowing they were creeping his way threw Nowitzki out of whack. He missed six of his first seven shots, and even missed a free throw after having made 88 in a row.

The Mavericks played their best only after they repaeatedly seemed to have buried themselves. Down 16-5 early, they got within one by the end of the quarter; down 80-60 late in the third quarter they scored 12 straight points; down 13 early in the fourth, they clawed to within five. However, they never led and have now given away home-court advantage. Game 3 is in San Antonio on Friday night, and the folks down there are probably looking forward to seeing, and booing, Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who heated up the rivalry in recent days by repeatedly saying, "I hate the Spurs."
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Dwight Howard and Vince Carter haven't played great but they have played good enough to win so far. Carter finished with 19 points, Howard scored 15 (both went 5 of 10 from the field) and the Magic took a 2-0 series lead with a 92-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night. The Magic's star combo was less than stellar once again, but took over when it counted most. They combined for 21 second-half points to help Orlando build a 20-point lead and hold on late. Still, they'll have to be better if they want to compete for a title.

Charlotte is simply playing to steal at least one win. Stephen Jackson showed no effects from his hyperextended left knee in scoring 27 points, and Gerald Wallace had 15 points for the Bobcats. But their 21 turnovers are a big reason they're heading home still searching for the franchise's first playoff win. This one was one of the ugliest playoff basketball games you'll ever see. The Bobcats went more than eight minutes to start the game with only three points and had just one field goal with six turnovers during the stretch. The goods news for them: The Magic were almost as bad early.The first half was a turnoverfest for both teams, and nobody could consistently hit a shot. However, the Magic were 24-for-35 on free throws, while the Bobcats were 13-for-18, simply too large of a margin from the charity stripe.

The Magic put together the closest thing to a run in the first half, and they slowly went ahead 41-30 at the half on Ryan Anderson's 3-pointer. With Charlotte's 14 first-half turnovers, though, they should've been up more. Eventually, they would. Howard used a drop step, spun right and hammered home a rim-rocking dunk over Tyson Chandler that started a big Magic push. He had nine points in the first six minutes of the third before picking up his fourth foul, again relegating him to the bench. Then, Carter took the reins. Orlando's biggest offseason acquisition, Carter sliced his way through the lane for several layups late in the third quarter. He anchored a run that put the Magic ahead 75-55 after three quarters with their entire bench standing, waving towels, shouting and smiling as they pulled ahead big. After Charlotte trimmed the lead to eight with 3:16 left, Carter followed with a jumper. Then Jackson missed a layup, and Jameer Nelson raced down court to convert a three-point play that sealed Orlando's win. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Charlotte.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Suns Blaze Portland & Lakers Keep Thunder At Bay; 36 Days Left

2010-04-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Phoenix Suns finally rid themselves of the methodical style of play of the Portland Trailblazers and took charge of the tempo in game 2. The Suns played fast and they played on the break. Jason Richardson scored 29 points, Grant Hill made 10-of-11 for 20, and the Suns routed the Blazers 119-90 Tuesday night to emphatically tie the first-round playoff series 1-1. When the capricious Richardson has a night like this, his team almost always wins. Phoenix was 27-4 this season when he scored at least 20 points. Richardson finally got to concentrate on scoring after being freed from the chore of guarding Andre Miller. Coach Alvin Gentry turned to the 37-year-old Hill for that assignment, and Miller managed just 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting after getting 31 in Portland's 105-100 victory in Game 1.

Amare Stoudemire added 18 points for Phoenix and Steve Nash pushed the team from the start and finished with 13 points and 16 assists. Martell Webster led the Blazers with 16 points and Nicolas Batum also scored 12 before leaving with a right shoulder strain at the end of the third quarter. He said he was going to have an MRI on Wednesday but didn't think the injury would keep him out of Thursday's game. The injury-ravaged Blazers already are without leading scorer Brandon Roy for the series.

Roy or no Roy though, no team was better than Portland all season in disrupting the Suns' offense. But the Blazers didn't do it this time. Phoenix shot 52 percent to the Trail Blazers' 38 percent. The Suns led by 14 at the half and blew it open in the third quarter. The Blazers had won three of four meetings this season, counting their Game 1 victory that gave them home-court advantage, and didn't allow more than 102 points in any of them. However, the Blazers failed to slow down the NBA's highest-scoring team in this one. The Suns dominated the points in the paint 58-38 and had a 26-12 advantage in second-chance points. Portland trailed 63-49 at the half, and any hopes for a comeback vanished in the Suns' blistering third quarter. The Suns outscored Portland 13-4 to lead 78-58 with six minutes to go in the 3rd. During the run, Nash provided the highlight of the night with a circus shot. The 36-year-old playmaker drove to the hoop and, with his back to the basket, banked the ball in with his left hand. Portland went nearly five minutes without a field goal while the Suns poured it on.
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Kobe Bryant scored 39 points, carrying the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they lost the lead three times, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-92 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in a Western Conference playoff series. Bryant was 13 of 15 from the free throw line, but just 12 of 28 from the floor in front of his dad Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, who sat next to the Lakers' bench. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points and Russell Westbrook added 19, making all eight of his free throws. Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had six points and 10 boards for the defending champions, who failed to sustain a strong start for the second straight game against the Thunder. The series now shifts to Oklahoma City for game 3. History is on the Lakers' side as they are 39-1 all-time when winning the first two games of a best-of-seven series.

The Thunder had the lead 47-45 going into halftime, despite Westbrook picking up his third foul midway through the 2nd quarter. The Lakers were limited to 33 percent shooting, with Bryant going 2 of 7. The Thunder also had nine blocked shots in the half. The Lakers regained the edge in the third quarter, although not by much. Their largest lead was six and it dwindled to 73-69 going into the final 12 minutes. Durant was called for goaltending on the Lakers' last basket of the 3rd quarter or the Thunder potentially would've trailed by two.

The Thunder's defense kept them in the game, as they had 17 blocked shots. The Thunder led three times, but Bryant twice brought the Lakers back, the last time tying the game 88-88 on two free throws. The game was decided at the line over the final 2:20, with the Thunder forced to foul while repeatedly missing from the perimeter. Bryant scored 15 points in the fourth, but sent the crowd into an anguished groan when he missed the first of two free throws with 15 seconds left. He made the second to keep the Lakers ahead 94-92. Durant then missed a 3-pointer and Gasol got fouled, but he also missed the first of two with 7 seconds left, keeping the Thunder's hopes alive. Gasol hit the second, and then Jeff Green, who had 12 points, missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

Atlanta Pounds Milwaukee Inside & The Celtics Stomp Over The Heat; 36 Days Left

2010-04-20T23:44:00.000-07:00

High-flying Josh Smith dominated the game inside. While Joe Johnson stepped up from the outside when the Hawks needed him. Atlanta now has a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series for the first time in 40 years. Johnson took control in the fourth quarter to finish off a 27-point effort and Smith finished one assist shy of a triple-double (21 pts, 14 rbs, 9 asts) as the Hawks ran away from the pesky, but outmanned, Milwaukee Bucks for a 96-86 victory in the Eastern Conference playoffs Tuesday night. Smith is playing as though he's still upset about being snubbed for the All-Star game, when teammates Johnson and Al Horford were selected but he stayed home. He's certainly a player capable of taking control of a series in many ways and is the player that makes this team go, as he demonstrated with his near triple-double, not to mention two blocks and two steals.

The Hawks aren't taking anything for granted, even though they've seemed capable of pulling away any time Milwaukee tries to make a run. Last season, Atlanta blew out Miami in its playoff opener but then lost at home and had to go the full seven games. This time, the Hawks took care of business on their home court. They'll head to Milwaukee on Saturday night with a commanding 2-0 series lead, the first time they've won the first two in a best-of-seven series since the Western Division semifinals in 1970.

Again, the Hawks' balance and size advantage on the inside were just too much for the Bucks, who knew they'd face a huge challenge in this series after 7-foot center Andrew Bogut took a hard fall late in the regular season (seemingly breaking every bone in his arm) and was done for the playoffs. All five Atlanta starters reached double figures for the second game in a row, and the 4 and 5 spots sure took advantage of Bogut's absence. Smith had the crowd on its feet with four thunderous dunks and a couple more above-the-rim lay-ins. While, Horford was nearly as dominant, scoring 20 points, snatching down 10 rebounds and blocking three shots. Johnson then took over in the fourth quarter. After Milwaukee had closed the lead to single-digit range, he buried four straight jumpers, the last of them a 3 from the corner, pushing the Hawks to an 87-74 lead that essentially finished off the Bucks.

Johnson also led the defensive effort against Bucks rookie phenom Brandon Jennings, who followed up a 34-point performance in Game 1 with just nine points on 3-of-15 shooting. John Salmons led the Bucks with 21 points and Ersan Ilyasova came up big off the bench with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but Jerry Stackhouse was the only other Milwaukee player in double figures with 15 points. The Bucks shot only 41 percent from the field (37 of 90). The Bucks head home, hoping to turn things around in the next two games. But it seems tough especially considering that they've led only three times in the series (never by more than two points) for a total of 1 minute and 32 seconds.
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No Kevin Garnett? No problem as the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat easily Tuesday night in the Eastern Conference playoffs. With the "Big Ticket" out, the "Ticket Stub" filled in. The good-humored but hard-playing Glen Davis was the starter in KG's place while the Celtics' emotional leader served a one-game suspension, as Boston rolled to a 106-77 victory that Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called "embarrassing." Davis had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Ray Allen heated up in the third quarter to end up with 25 points. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 29.

With Garnett serving a suspension for elbowing Quentin Richardson in Game 1, Davis started and went aggressively to the basket to grab missed shots and draw fouls. The Heat took a 29-25 lead on a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal. But the Celtics then went on a massive 44-8 run over the next 16 1/2 minutes to go ahead 69-37 with 5:38 left in the third quarter, capped by one of Allen's five 3-pointers in the period. The Celtics never looked back as they led by 25 to 33 points the rest of the way.

Tempers stayed under control throughout the game, just three days after a skirmish with 40 seconds left in Boston's 85-76 game 1 victory led to Garnett's suspension without pay and Richardson's $25,000 fine. Garnett wasn't allowed in TD Garden, but made a prerecorded appearance on the scoreboard above midcourt during a timeout after the Celtics scored 19 straight points to take a 44-29 lead with 2:56 left in the first half. He encouraged the fans and when the scoreboard followed with a "Let's Get Loud" message, they raised their voices. Richardson was booed almost every time he touched the ball. Game 3 is Friday night in Miami.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Deron Wills Jazz Past Nuggets And LeBron Doesn't Let The Cavs Lose; 37 Days Left

2010-04-20T03:43:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Bulls kept daring LeBron James to shoot jumpers and he obliged. LeBron scored 40 points (15 in the fourth quarter) as the Cavaliers, fueled by a rabid home crowd that booed every move by Joakim Noah, maintained home-court advantage by beating the Bulls 112-102 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

James added eight rebounds and eight assists, just missing a triple double for the Cavs, who led 96-93 with 4:30 left before the league's soon-to-be 2-time MVP took over. When James came off the bench in the fourth, teammate J.J. Hickson touched his fingers to his forearm the same way a baseball manager would to summon his closer from the bullpen. And in came basketball's version of Mariano Rivera (though I still think Kobe is a better closer). He hit a 3 with the 6-foot-11 Noah coming at him and followed with a quick dance move and wink directed at Chicago's talkative bench. LeBron then made two free throws, a layup and two jumpers, scoring 11 straight points as Cleveland opened a 107-98 lead with 1:36 left.

Noah, who drew the ire of Cleveland fans by criticizing the city's lack of downtown activity, had 25 points and 13 rebounds. He has officially become the most hated person in Cleveland history. He dissed LeBron for his lack of professionalism while on the sidelines early in the year and now he just basically said Cleveland sucks. His exact words were, "You like it? You think Cleveland's cool? I never heard anybody say 'I'm going to Cleveland on vacation.' What's so good about Cleveland?" (obviously Joakim has never seen season 1 of 30 Rock) Derrick Rose added 23 points and Luol Deng had 20 for the Bulls, who will head home for Game 3 on Thursday night.
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With Utah seemingly running out of players, Deron Williams carried an even bigger load. Williams had 33 points and 14 assists while chalking up nearly 45 minutes to lead the Jazz to a 114-111 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series. Carlos Boozer, pitched in 20 points and 15 rebounds also; as the injury-riddled Jazz tied the series before it shifts to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday night.

Williams and Kyle Korver made two free throws each in the final 11 seconds to hold off the Nuggets, who had overcome a 14-point third-quarter deficit to take a 102-98 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the game. And Utah was playing without two of its most experienced playoff performers in forward Andrei Kirilenko, who is out for this series with a calf injury, and center Mehmet Okur, who tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 1 and is done for the playoffs.

Carmelo Anthony was flustered all night despite scoring 32 points just 48 hours after his playoff-best 42-point performance in the opener. Melo made 14 of 15 free throws but was just 9 of 25 from the field and was whistled for four offensive fouls and he fouled out of a playoff game for the first time in his career. Anthony didn't have the open looks he did in Game 1, when he shot over his defenders. This time, Wesley Matthews and Miles were up in his face every time he took a step toward the basket.

Denver is 1-11 all-time when Melo fouls out and he was whistled for his sixth foul with 25 seconds left and the Nuggets down by a point. However, the officials blew the call. C.J. Miles had stepped out of bounds before Melo fouled him, which would have not only kept Melo in the game but Denver wold also have gotten the ball back, but the officials didn't see it and Miles made both free throws for a 110-107 lead. Each of Denver's other four starters finished with five fouls, and the Nuggets had 37 altogether. The slow-down effect of the fouls had Denver off-rhythm all night as they struggled for any sort of fluidity to their game but they were still in it in the end. Too bad some poor officiating at the end dictated who won the game. Honestly though the NBA refs do a solid job every game and they do make mistakes from time-to-time but after all they are human.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*Again I apologize for the lateness of this post my internet problems have persisted for 2 days but it seems now it's all under control so I shouldn't spill over to the next day anymore.

Portland Blazes Suns And The Mavericks Beat The Spurs In Game 1 Of The Battle Of Texas; 38 Days Left

2010-04-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Brandon Roy or no Brandon Roy, the Portland Trail Blazers give the Phoenix Suns fits.
Game 1 of their first-round playoff series was no exception, and the homecourt advantage the Suns worked so hard to get is history after Portland pulled away over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the game to beat them 105-100 on Sunday night. Andre Miller stepped up in the absence of Brandon Roy and scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and tied his career playoff high with 31 points as Portland made Phoenix the only home team to lose in a playoff opener.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and Nicolas Batum had 18 for Portland in a game played in the methodical style the Blazers wanted. Jerryd Bayless also had 18 for the Blazers, 10 in the fourth quarter, but missed two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give Phoenix a shot to tie. Steve Nash's 3-point try was well short, though, and Miller's two free throws iced the victory. Marcus Camby also grabbed 17 rebounds for Portland, two off his career playoff best.

Roy is out for the series after arthroscopic knee surgery, and the Blazers lost Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla earlier in the season. But Portland won two of three against the Suns during the regular season, including a win at Phoenix when the Blazers didn't have Roy. Miller was in his attack mode from the start, but found another gear in the final quarter. The Suns, the NBA's highest-scoring team at 110 points per game, never got into that fluid style. Phoenix shot just 42 percent and was 9 of 24 in the final quarter, including 3 of 13 on 3s.
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Dirk Nowitzki must have been amazed. Even after hitting nearly every shot he took, the San Antonio Spurs still weren't sending defenders to double team or triple team him. So he kept shooting. And kept scoring. Nowitzki made 12 of 14 shots and all 12 of his free throws, coming up with 36 points to carry the Dallas Mavericks to a 100-94 victory over the in-state rival Spurs on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series. The Spurs slowed Nowitzki in the first round last year by swarming him with two and sometimes three defenders but did not employ the same game plan this time around.

Caron Butler scored 22 points and Brendan Haywood added 10 in their playoff debuts for Dallas. Both were part of a major trade in February that turned a good Mavericks team into a title contender. The Mavs rolled into the playoffs having won eight of 10 and five straight. Jason Kidd added 13 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, and Erick Dampier had five points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio got plenty from its stars Duncan, Ginobili and Tony Parker. But that was about it. While Duncan had 27 points and eight rebounds, Ginobili scored 26 and Parker had 18 points and four assists. The rest of the club made only 10 of 26 shots. Antonio McDyess was the only other player to crack double digits, scoring 10.

The poor distribution of points was only part of the Spurs' problem. They were outrebounded by eight and gave up 13 offensive rebounds. They had 17 turnovers, leading to 20 Dallas points. They also took just 14 free throws; Nowitzki and Dampier each took 12. The game was tight the first 2 1/2 quarters, with Dallas leading most of the time. Then San Antonio edged ahead and the lead swapped hands a few times but near the end Nowitzki and Dallas pulled away. The Spurs tightened their defense on Nowitzki, but he simply turned into a distributor, moving the ball into areas vacated by the extra guys who came after him. The Spurs took a short flight home to sleep in their own beds and get to work on a new game plan at their headquarters. They have some time to figure things out as Game 2 isn't until Wednesday night in Dallas.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*note: I apologize for not posting these two posts last night but I did not have internet access as my service provider f@!*ed it up.

Lakers Quiet Thunder And The Magic Survive The Bobcats; 38 Days Left

2010-04-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

Andrew Bynum leaned over, his chest heaving, struggling for breath from his first minutes of game action in nearly a month. Other than being out of game shape, Bynum displayed little rust in teaming with Pau Gasol to dominate the middle in the Los Angeles Lakers' 87-79 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their playoff series opener Sunday. Bynum ignited the Staples Center crowd into a frenzy with a monster one-handed "poster" dunk over a defenseless Nenad Krstic in the second quarter that pushed the Lakers' lead to 17.

Gasol scored 19 points, Bynum added 13 and Kobe Bryant had 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting after missing four of the final five regular season games to rest his swollen right knee and broken right index finger. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points on 7-of-24 shooting in his playoff debut (way under the 30.1 average of the NBA's youngest-ever scoring champion) while former UCLA star Russell Westbrook added 23 for the young Thunder.

However, Bynum made all the difference for the Lakers. He returned from a 13-game absence because of a strained right Achilles tendon, teaming with fellow 7-footer Pau Gasol to pull down a combined 25 rebounds and deny the Thunder key second-chance baskets. Bynum also tied his career playoff high with four blocks. History is on the Lakers' side against the NBA's youngest team (average age of 25 years and 42 days). When coach Phil Jackson wins Game 1 of any series, his teams are 45-0. Game 2 will be on Tuesday at the Staples Center.
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Dwight Howard was slapped, scraped, pushed, punished and overall abused physically. His frustration overflowed so much that he was sidelined with foul trouble for a majority of the game. Superman was grounded, but luckily for the Orlando Magic, they had Mighty Mouse healthy for the playoffs. Jameer Nelson scored 24 of his 32 points in the first half, and the Magic nearly blew a 22-point lead with Howard out before beating the Charlotte Bobcats 98-89 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday. After missing the first three rounds of the playoffs last year recovering from right shoulder surgery, Nelson is healthy again and ready to redeem his dismal NBA finals performance.

Vince Carter was 4 for 19, finishing with 12 points and fouling out late. Howard had nine blocks but was limited offensively. Gerald Wallace had 25 points, and Stephen Jackson played through a hyperextended left knee to finish with 18 points in the Bobcats' first playoff game in franchise history. Charlotte swarmed and slapped Howard on every opportunity near the rim. The Hack-a-Howard approach left the All-Star with five points and seven rebounds, and he was 1 for 6 on free throws and if the Magic want to continue to win, Howard has to rise above the physical play and he has to shoot a better percentage from the free-throw line. He also has to stay out of foul trouble because the Magic suffered without him.

Wallace's free throws trimmed Orlando's lead to 85-80 late in the fourth, and had the Bobcats on the brink of a stunning upset. Howard then returned with a put-back dunk, Mickael Pietrus had a 3-pointer and the Magic eventually went ahead 92-84 to put the game out of reach. Charlotte's gritty comeback attempt at least provided them with some hope that this best-of-seven series might not be so lopsided when it resumes Wednesday in Orlando. That also gives Jackson, who will have an MRI on Monday, an extra day's rest.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Celtics Clamp Down Against The Heat And Melo Torches Utah While JR Smith Makes It Rain; 39 Days Left

2010-04-18T00:58:00.000-07:00

Kevin Garnett's lack of composure didn't lead to a loss but Miami's did. Boston's emotional leader was slapped with two technical fouls, leading to an automatic ejection after he elbowed Quentin Richardson (kind of unintentionally) in the jaw with 40 seconds left in the Celtics' 85-76 victory over the Heat in their NBA playoff opener Saturday night. The Big Ticket faces a possible suspension and most likely will miss the second game Tuesday night in Boston (David Stern hates fighting). However, KG was remorseful of his lack of composure even though he said he was just concerned about teammate, Paul Pierce, who had fallen in front of the Miami bench and hurt his shoulder and he wanted to clear space around him. Before his ejection, Garnett had played well with 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Heat's loss of composure lasted much longer. Leading 61-47 with 7:02 left in the third quarter, they fell behind 71-68 with 3 minutes left in the third, mainly 'cause they finished with 22 turnovers that resulted in 38 Boston points. Trailing 44-41 at halftime, the Celtics held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. And with substitute guard Tony Allen shadowing D-Wade, the Heat star scored 26 points after averaging 33.7 in three regular-season games against Boston. Allen also scored a playoff career-high 14 points, and Pierce led Boston with 16. While Richardson added 15 for Miami to go with D-Wade's out-of-this-world stat line of 26 pts, 8rbs, 6 ast, 3 stls, and 2 blks.

Trailing by two starting the final quarter, the Celtics tied the game at 68 on two free throws by Rajon Rondo, who had 10 points and 10 assists. Then the Glen Davis gave Boston the lead for good with an acrobatic layup.Miami followed with a 24-second violation before a tip-in by Davis gave Boston a 73-68 lead. The Heat then missed their next two shots and Rasheed Wallace stretched the lead to six with one free throw. Wade followed with a free throw, but Allen increased the lead to 76-69 with a layup. Michael Beasley then hit a shot for the Heat but any chance they had faded as the Celtics scored the next five points on a dunk by Garnett, a free throw by Davis and a layup by Rondo. It's going to be a scrappy and defensive series but an intense one to watch.
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It had been a while since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith found the net like they did Saturday night. Melo scored a playoff career-high 42 points and Smith's fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped the Denver Nuggets beat the injury-riddled Utah Jazz 126-113 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the playoff series. Anthony, whose previous playoff high was 41 points against Dallas in the second round last year, benefited from the absence of Jazz forward and defensive stopper Andrei Kirilenko, who re-injured his strained left calf in practice Thursday and won't play in the series. So we might see a few more games like this from Melo in this series; he was on a mission and C.J. Miles and Wes Matthews were powerless to stop him.

Although Carlos Boozer returned to Utah's lineup from a rib injury and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles' tendon injury in the first half, leading Boozer to believe he'll have to move over to center for Game 2 Monday night. Memo said after the game that he felt something "pop" and will undergo an MRI on Sunday. CJ Miles also missed some time because of nausea after colliding with Chauncey Billups in the second half. He returned to start the fourth quarter but quickly went to the bench with five fouls. He scored 17 points but none after halftime.

Kenyon Martin pulled down 12 rebounds in 34 minutes, the most he's played since missing 18 games because of a balky left knee during the stretch run when the Nuggets fought through lots of adversity, including George Karl's two-month absence to fight throat cancer. Assistant Coach Adrian Dantley has run the team in Karl's absence, and on this night, he certainly didn't mind Smith's flurry of fourth-quarter 3-point attempts (something that drew his ire last week when Smith fired up four 3s in the final 2 minutes of a blowout win over Memphis). Smith (20 pts) sank three straight 3s to break open a 90-90 game and give Denver a 99-93 lead. A fourth 3-pointer hit the front of the iron, but Smith grabbed the long rebound himself and sliced through the lane for a finger-roll that put the Nuggets ahead 101-93.

Smith and Anthony combined for 30 of Denver's 38 points in the fourth quarter, giving Dantley a win in his post season debut. Coach Karl recently completed his six-week treatment of radiation and chemotherapy and hopes to return to the bench later in the playoffs if the Nuggets can advance. We will all be praying for his recovery.

Peace and Much Love to Y'all :)

Cavs Swat Bulls And The Hawks Soar Past Bucks; 39 Days Left

2010-04-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

They've got LeBron James, forget about the 2010 free agency, 'cause right now is all that matters to him and it was evident in the way he played against the Bulls tonight. LeBron who has throughout, his short but spectacular career, played with a mediocre group of surrounding players comes in this year with a team with depth. They've got more size and a bevy of wing players that can provide solid 2-way games, and of course they've got Shaq in the middle. Overall this is a Cavs team that has the swagger of a championship team and even LeBron can feel it this year with this group as they finished with the best regular-season record in the NBA.

Completely healthy and well rested, the Cavaliers took their first step toward an NBA title on Saturday as LeBron led the Cavs with 24 points, 6 boards, 5 assists, and 4 blocks and Shaq played like he was 10 years younger in a 96-83 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. Shaq, playing for the first time since tearing a thumb ligament on Feb. 25, had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 24 minutes as the top-seeded Cavs won a testy opener between two teams that obviously don't care for each other. The teams, which split their two regular-season meetings, traded words and shoves on more than one occasion. Noah, who said the Bulls would "try to shock the world" in the series, got into it with Anderson Varejao. LeBron and Brad Miller were assessed technicals in the first half following a collision, and LeBron and Luol Deng had a few verbal jabs after the halftime horn.

The Cavs' performance spoiled Derrick Rose's spectacular individual one (28 pts, 10 ast, 7 rbs). Leading 68-46, the Cavs were coasting to an easy win when the Bulls, who have virtually been playing playoff basketball for the past two weeks as they fought for the No. 8 seed, stormed back. The Bulls scored 12 straight and were within striking distance, down 73-60 entering the fourth. Chicago then cut it to 82-75 on Brad Miller's basket, but LeBron converted a three-point play with 2:29 left and Mo Williams (19 pts, 10 ast) followed with a 3-pointer to put Cleveland up 94-81 to seal the game. The comeback may have fallen short, but it gave the Bulls confidence for Game 2 on Monday night in Cleveland.
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For the first half, the Atlanta Hawks did nearly everything right. They made shots. They blocked shots. They dunked and defended and did their best to run Milwaukee out of the building early on. And one half was all they needed Saturday to get off to a good start in the playoffs against a gritty and embattled Bucks squad.

Led by Joe Johnson (22 pts, 7 rbs, 5 ast, 3 stl) and getting production from all their key players, the Hawks blitzed the Bucks before halftime, then survived a lackluster showing over the final two quarters and held off Milwaukee 102-92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. The Hawks had mismatches at every position but the point, and took advantage of the gruesome injury that took out Bucks center Andrew Bogut two weeks ago. The home team never trailed, building a 20-point lead in the first quarter and going to halftime with a 62-40 edge.

Milwaukee made a game of it led by Brandon "Young Money" Jennings, who scored 34 points in his playoff debut. But the rookie didn't have nearly enough help against the No. 3-seeded Hawks, making their third straight playoff appearance and hoping to break up the expected Cleveland-Orlando duel in the Eastern Conference. The short-handed Bucks meanwhile were making their first playoff appearance since 2006, and that inexperience showed even though Jennings tried to take matters into his own hands. He went 14/25 from the field and accounted for 37% of his team's points, the highest for a rookie in his playoff debut. But, it's going to be tough for one man to beat the Hawks, who have a balanced lineup and perhaps the best sixth man in the league, Jamal Crawford (17 pts, 5rbs),who played in his first ever playoff game of his 10 year career. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Your 2009 World Series Champions.

2010-04-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

No no, we haven't gone back in time, ya'll haters don't have to re-live the horror *cough*JabberWocky*cough* Kidding! The Yankees had their home opener today and prior to the game against the Angels, they (finally) received their championship rings! They look GORGEOUS! Like seriously really really good. MLB put up a bunch of pictures but it looks much better on a Yankee hand, so here's Swish with it and another and another. I know for one I would definitely say "I do" if proposed to with that beauty!

And I want to share a video of the ring ceremony (which I can't embed apologies) because you not only see the core four receiving their rings (and Derek being freaking adorable with Yogi!), you get to see the classy-ness that is the Yankee organization as Hideki Matsui, who now plays for the Angels, receives his ring then is promptly NOM NOM NOM-ed by the Yankee boys who were his teammates not too long ago! Too cute for words seriously. Also, before the ring ceremony, Derek gave Hideki a fake ring as a joke! Boys will be boys =)

And, of course, to top off such an amazing ceremony, the boys win it 7-5 (though it should've been a shut out game...still hate Park and my hatred for Abreu has not died either, but I do forgive Robertson). Andy Pettitte looked 37 years YOUNG with SIX scoreless innings pitched and SIX strikeouts. Then the shaky middle relievers came in and gave up 5 runs, before Mo solidly shut it down to get the save. Derek also got his first home run of the season (before Alex and Tex I might add)! All in all, it has been a great day for the Yankees and Yankee fans (so ya'll haters can suck it!) =)

In other news, @KeithOlbermann is now on Twitter and believe me when I say I am obsessed with his tweets. I cannot stop reading whatever he's tweeting! I can only hope he replies to my crazy comments one of these days (though I doubt it since I always end up just retweeting him and telling him I may be a stalker...)

And Iron Man 2 is out in 23 days! Less than a month woo!!

Until next time! (new sign off? I still like GNGL better but haven't used it in awhile...)

- Franny.

Duke Are NCAA Tournament Champions!!! :)

2010-04-06T02:27:00.000-07:00

OH MY GOODNESS!!! that's what everyone was screaming repeatedly at their television sets down the stretch of one of the greatest National Title games of all time (and probably the best one of this decade). It didn't matter if you were rooting for Duke (like @DynastyJL and I were) or if you were rooting for Butler (like the majority of people) we were all probably screaming the same thing after every play in the last five minutes of the game. And what a game it was.

You thought it was going in, didn't you? I did. I thought when Butler's Gordon Hayward rushed up the right sideline with the ball, and teammate Matt Howard completely leveled Duke's Kyle Singler with a crushing blind-side screen, which left Hayward suddenly clear at midcourt and he went off his left foot yet still balanced and extended his right arm for a shot in textbook fashion to send a prayer through the air and toward the hoop... I thought it was in.

As soon as it left his hand I just saw it like it was in slow motion and I thought to myself "it's gonna go in, in a tournament like this one it just has to go in 'cause it would be the storybook ending". It was gonna be the basketball world's revenge on Duke and Christian Laettner for stealing the title 18 years ago at the buzzer. It was gonna be "Hoosiers 2: The Butler Bulldogs". I thought that shot was going in for every small school out there that never had a chance to get to the national championship. I thought it was going to be the greatest game-winning shot in basketball history to climax the greatest NCAA Tourney in history.

As the ball descended with marvelous accuracy, it looked like it was going to go glass-net-floor. And then it missed. Off the Glass-off the rim-to the floor. No soft, fairy-tale landing in the nylon for the hometown Hoosiers, instead it was a dose of cold reality, Duke wins 61-59. Most of the 70,000 fans on Butler's side let out an "Ohhhhhh," and the Duke players piled onto forward Kyle Singler at center court. What a way to end the season, even if America's favorite underdog came up a little short. Duke fans like myself let out a collective sigh of relief and sat back for minute to comprehend that Hayward actually missed, before going crazy.

Kyle Singler scored 19 points and Brian Zoubek rebounded Hayward's miss with 3.6 seconds left (the first of two chances Butler had to win it) to end Butlers bid for a real-life "Hoosiers" sequel. The "Big Three" (Singler, Jon Scheyer (15 points) and Nolan Smith (13 points)) won the Big One for coach Mike Krzyzewski, his first championship since 2001 and fourth overall, tying Coach K with Kentucky legend Adolph Rupp for second place on the all-time list.

Butler (33-5) shaved a five-point deficit to one and had a chance to win it, when its best player, Hayward, took the ball at the top of the key, spun and worked his way to the baseline, but was forced to put up an off-balance fadeaway from 15 feet. He missed, Zoubek got the rebound and made the first of two free throws. He missed the second one intentionally, and Duke's title wasn't secure until Hayward's desperation heave at the end bounced out.

It was a fitting game to end one of the most memorable tournaments in history, filled with close games, upsets and underdogs; the kind of tournament that some (like me) fear could be history if the NCAA goes ahead with an expansion to 96 teams, something that is very much on the table for next year.

It was the closest margin of victory in a title game since Michigan defeated Seton Hall 80-79 in 1989 and only the 11th title game in history to be decided by 2 points or fewer. Playing against the Bulldogs and working against a crowd of 70,930 with very few pockets of Duke fans, the Blue Devils persevered although never leading by more than six but also never falling behind after Singler hit a 3-pointer with 13:03 left for a 47-43 lead.

The Blue Devils won with defense. They held the Bulldogs to 34 percent shooting and contested every possession as tenaciously as Butler, which allowed 60 points for the first time since February. Zoubek, the 7-foot-1 center, finished with two blocks, 10 rebounds and too many altered shots to count. He also came out to trap the Butler guards and disrupt an offense that was already struggling.

They won with some clutch shooting, including Singler's 3-for-6 effort from 3-point range, and went 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the second half until Zoubek's intentional miss. Constantly called soft, they won with a mean streak, most evident when Lance Thomas took down Hayward hard to prevent an easy layup with 5:07 left. The refs reviewed the play and decided not to call it flagrant (one of a hundred moments in the game that could have swung the momentum).

A disappointing ending for those who wanted to see the "Hoosiers" sequel play out in real life. Butler, though, may have proven its point nonetheless. Teams with mega-money from power conferences aren't the only ones that win in college sports, especially when it comes to basketball. Nothing proves that better than the NCAA tournament. March Madness is a great event that stayed great into April this year.

It has never been better for Duke, which won a different way this season. There were no superstars on this team, just a bunch of solid players who may end up in the NBA not with lottery-pick money in their pockets (exept for maybe Singler), but with the label of being a national champion forever. That's always the goal in Coach K's program, and the fact that the Blue Devils hadn't been to the Final Four since 2004 didn't go unnoticed down on Tobacco Road, especially while North Carolina won two championships over that span. But while last year's champions, the Tar Heels, rebuild, Duke is the standard for next season.

Everyone thought the perfect ending would be for Butler to win in its hometown, but the Blue Devils also have history in Indianapolis. It's the place where they won their first championship, with Christian Laettner and Grant Hill at the helm, back in 1991. It's also the city where Nolan Smith's late father, Derek Smith, led Louisville to a championship in 1980. Some might call that a Hollywood ending, too.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Opening Day Comment.

2010-04-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

I hate Chan Ho Park. That is all.

- Franny.

National Title Preview

2010-04-05T01:17:00.000-07:00

Of course. This is the only way it could end.

The most dramatic, theatric, heartwrenching, and in some ways most curative NCAA tournament in many years (maybe ever) has to come down to this. It seems the basketball gods have decided, it has to end with an overdog-underdog matchup of epic proportion.

Duke versus Butler for the national championship. This is better than any movie script, and y'all know which movie I'm talking about.

Duke, is known as the program with everything, high academic ratings as well as high athletic standards in most sports but none more so than basketball; they are perfectionists in everything they do be it school or sports. Butler, is known as the program with a nice doggy mascot, a program playing in the shadows of Indiana and Purdue and in the late '70s Indiana State.

Duke, playing for its fourth national title in 19 years, is the most accomplished program of the past quarter century, playing in a title game for the sixth consecutive decade and 2nd time this decade. Butler is playing for its first title in school history after decades of never even dreaming of a NCAA tournament bid.

Duke, coached by Mike Krzyzewski, owner of an Olympic gold medal and three championship rings and 76 NCAA tourney victories, trying to become the third-oldest coach to win a title. Butler, coached by Brad Stevens, was mistaken for a player by Lucas Oil Stadium security last week, and a mere 70 NCAA wins behind Coach K, trying to become the second-youngest titlist.

Duke, led by its six McDonald's All-Americans. Butler, with its 10 homegrown Hoosiers. Duke will play the role of uber-villain on Monday night against the fresh faces from the little school just 6 miles up the road. If you thought people were predisposed to root against Duke before now, the dislike just went off the charts past the atmosphere and into another galaxy.

So until tipoff, we have the perfect script. After that, we'll see how long it holds up. If Duke plays the way it did Saturday night in demolishing a tough West Virginia team, or if Butler is too battered from its brawl with the equally embattled Michigan State, the plot will collapse right after the opening tip. It would be last season's title mauling all over again, another home-state overachiever being bulldozed by an ACC powerhouse.

The Blue Devils were simply brilliant in dismantling the Mountaineers 78-57. They made 13 of 25 from behind the arc, had 20 assists, and only six turnovers. They frustrated West Virginia leading scorer Da'Sean Butler into a 2-for-8 shooting night before he went down with what is now being reported as a torn ACL (please pray for his speedy recovery).

Butler, on the other hand, played only well enough to win 52-50. They staggered to the finish line missing 19 of 25 second-half shots against the Spartans, including all seven from 3-point range. Forward Matt Howard went down with a mild concussion and played only 15 minutes. Point guard Shelvin Mack played just eight second-half minutes because of dehydration and severe cramps in both thighs. Even star Gordon Hayward was sporting a fat lip postgame. Howard and Mack are questionable right now while Hayward will most definitely play but the loss of the former 2 could be too much for Butler to overcome if they can't play.

They will have to keep Duke off the glass. They will have to make more than one of every three shots if they want to win. But Duke isn't taking Butler lightly. Coach K correctly pointed out Saturday night that Duke's institutional memory of its title runs pretty well stops with him. The players on this years team are in their first Final Four, same as Butler's. And he also made sure to declare that Butler is a good team and not a Cinderella; stating how they have won 25 in a row and have beaten top programs in Syracuse, Kansas State, and Michigan State.

By seeding, there have been bigger underdog-overdog matchups in NCAA title game history. In 1985, Villanova was a No. 8 seed and Georgetown was a No. 1. But those two programs were both Big East schools of similar background, funding and profile. And in 1983, when No. 6 seed North Carolina State shocked Phi Slama Jama Houston, NC State owned a national title from the previous decade and membership in the ACC; not the Horizon League.

This is totally different. The closest comparison could be 1979. Indiana State of the small Missouri Valley Conference against Michigan State of the Big Ten. But the Sycamores had Larry Bird and were an undefeated No. 1 seed and there are no Larry Legends on this Butler squad. The Spartans, with Magic Johnson, were a six-loss No. 2 seed. Hardly a true underdog-overdog matchup but the matchup is similar in the sense that the small school of Indiana State took on the big program of Michigan State.

So feel free to flip back, through the record books as far as you can and find the comparison that strikes you best. The Texas Western-Kentucky final, in 1966? (that inspired the movie Glory Road) The Loyola Chicago-Cincinnati final, in 1963? Knock yourself out. Rest assured it will be a game unlike any my generation has ever seen and if Butler pulls off the upset (I hope they don't) it could be our generations ultimate underdog winner.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Red Sox And Yankees Kick Off Opening Night Of Baseball

2010-04-05T00:23:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox stressed run prevention and defense as they built their team for this season. In the off-season they picked up some pitching in John Lackey and 3 position players known more for their defense in 3B Adrian Beltre (who I predict will have a breakout year), SS Marco Scutaro, and OF Mike Cameron. Then it began and they looked like the BoSox of old as they won with run production.

Kevin Youkilis had three extra-base hits, Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run homer and the three new starters brought in for their defense had big nights with the bat as Boston rallied to beat the defending champion New York Yankees 9-7 in the major league opener Sunday night (In Yo Face Franny!! :).

The signings of OF Mike Cameron, 3B Adrian Beltre and SS Marco Scutaro were part of what general manager Theo Epstein called the "run prevention" approach after a poor defensive season by the club last year. But the trio went a combined 5 for 9 with three RBIs. And it's not like they totally suck at the plate, they're actually quite good but all of them played for consistently bad teams so went under the radar.

Beltre, a 2 time gold glove winner, hit 48 homers and drove in 121 RBI's in 2004 with the Dodgers and since then has consistently, with the exception of last year, hit 20+ HR's and 75+ RBI's every year for the Mariners. The 37 year old Cameron, a 3 time gold glove winner, is no slouch at the plate either. And if you think his age is a problem, in the last 4 years Cameron has hit 20+ HR's and 70+ RBI's. What about Scutaro? he's the worst of the 3 at the plate but he has driven in 60 RBI's in each of the past 2 seasons and hit 12 HR's for the Blue Jays last year, not gaudy offensive numbers but he drew 90 walks last year and had an OBP of .379 as well as a batting average of .282 so he does get on base. Though he isn't the most talented of the 3 at the plate he is certainly the most patient.

New York took the early lead but Boston erased a 5-1 deficit against CC Sabathia in the first night opener in the history of 98-year-old Fenway Park. Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers (the latter on his 1st at bat as a Yankee) off Josh Beckett to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the second. It was 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Scutaro singled and Pedroia tied it with an opening-day homer for the second straight season.Youkilis then doubled with two outs, went to third on Damaso Marte's wild pitch and scored when the left-hander's high pitch bounced off Posada's glove for a passed ball.

Pedroia added an RBI single in the eighth. Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless inning to get the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for the save.Yankee newcomer Chan Ho Park recorded just two outs while taking the loss in his Yankees debut. The right-hander was charged with three runs and three hits.

Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez got a warm greeting when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The real starters didn't do as well. Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his second poor opening-day start since he joined New York for a $161 million, seven-year contract. Beckett allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was the worst of five Opening Day starts for the right-hander, who had allowed just four runs in 22 2/3 innings in his previous four.

It was a classic see-saw battle between the two bitter rivals and a fantastic way to officially open the season.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

**Note: If anyone wants to join our Fantasy League of ESPN.com send us your email address at arbitraryopinions@gmail.com and we will send you an invite to join the league; the season ending winner will win Madden '11 if it comes out by season's end or any game of their choice worth a retail value of $70 Cdn. (before taxes) the cutoff date to join is April 13th**

Final 4 Recap

2010-04-04T02:10:00.000-07:00

In the first game of the Final 4 the underdog Butler Bulldogs, in their quest for their first national title visit, took on the embattled Michigan State Spartans who a year ago lost in the national title game to North Carolina. It was a hard-fought game that was all about defense, and Butler did not disappoint the hometown fans in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Gordon Hayward had 19 points and nine rebounds, including one with 2 seconds left that sealed the game. The small school of 4,200 students looked nothing like a mid major team, taking down another of college basketball's biggest names with a 52-50 victory over Michigan State in the Final Four on Saturday night.

Michigan State (28-9) has been living on the edge all tournament, ravaged by injuries and squeaking through game after game, and this night was no different. After trailing by as much as seven in the second half, Draymond Green made a pair of free throws to pull the Spartans within 1 with 56 seconds left.

On the following Butler possession, Ronald Nored missed a jumper, and the Spartans got the rebound. However, Hayward wouldn't give the driving Green an inch on the defensive end, forcing him to put up an awkward layup that didn't come close. Nored scooped up the rebound, and Green had no choice but to foul him, ending the big fella's game. Nored, who had been just 3 for 12 from the line in the tournament, made both, and the Bulldogs had a 52-49 lead with 6 seconds to play.

After a timeout, the Spartans inbounded the ball and Butler was all over them, choosing to foul rather than take a chance on the Spartans getting off a 3. Korie Lucious made the first and intentionally missed the second for an offensive rebound opportunity but Hayward came up with the ball to seal the victory and set off a party that Indiana hasn't seen since tiny Milan beat Muncie Central for the state title in 1954, the real-life inspiration for "Hoosiers."

They might just have to make a sequel if Butler wins the National Title. No team has won the national title in their home state since UCLA in 1975, when the Final Four was down the road from Westwood in San Diego but Butler has a chance to do it. And the entire Hoosier state is along for the ride as Butler continues it's improbable run. Indiana and Purdue may be the state's traditional basketball powerhouses, but it's little Butler that's providing the shining moments now.

So who would Butler play in the final? That would be decided between another feel-good team in the West Virginia Mountaineers, looking for their first National Title bid since 1959 when Jerry West led them to the final where they eventually lost 71-70 to Cal (just a short history lesson), and the Duke Blue Devils, who were looking for their first bid since 2001.

Jon Scheyer scored 23 points Saturday night to lift Duke, the team so many folks love to hate (I LOVE them though), to a 78-57 victory over a tough West Virginia squad and set up a meeting against tiny Butler. A classic matchup of big vs. little, with the national title on the line.

Still, Butler is a No. 5 seed which isn't truly Cinderella-esque plus they're riding a . But in a tournament where nothing has been predictable, the Blue Devils (34-5) were the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. Their trip, however, wasn't totally expected. Duke had gone six long years since its last appearance and hasn't been to the final since winning it all nine years ago (against another 5 seed in Arizona which was led by NBA stars Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson) a veritable century by Tobacco Road standards. Now, this group of Blue Devils has a chance to give coach, Mike Krzyzewski, his fourth national championship which would tie him with Kentucky coaching legend Adolph Rupp for 2nd on the all time list of most NCAA championships and 6 behind John Wooden's incredible 10 at UCLA (I don't think that record will ever be broken).

It was an inspiring journey for West Virginia as Bob Huggins returned to West Virginia to bring an elusive title back home to a state that loves its flagship school like few others. But any chance of that ended with 8:59 left, when the Mountaineers' star, Da'Sean Butler, twisted his left knee and, to add insult to injury, got called for a charge as he crumpled to the ground. The sequence left him writhing in pain under the basket and his coach, the Huggy Bear, came out to the floor, first to yell at the refs, then to kneel down and tenderly cup the head of his star (the player who, more than anyone, made this run possible) in one of the most touching moments in NCAA tournament history. The injury deflated the whole West Virginia team (it deflated me and I was going for Duke I can only imagine what his teammates were going through) as they finished the game sort of disjointedly yet still giving it their all.

Duke stayed on a road that could lead to the school's fourth championship despite the lack of a true superstar, there are no Christian Laettners or Shane Battiers or Grant Hills on this squad. Instead, this is a group of humble players who do what they do well and fill their roles perfectly for a program that routinely has been dissed across America as being too arrogant.

The Duke-bashing came up again, this week, on several fronts; including the retraction of an illustration of Coach K on the front of the Indianapolis Star sports section with horns and a target scribbled onto his head.

Coach K's response to all the hate? "If you want to hate us because we have kids who go to school, graduate, play solid, team ball and win a lot, go ahead."

They're without a single superstar, but with an emotional center in Nolan Smith, who finds himself back in the city where his father, Derek, led Louisville to a championship back in 1980. Derek Smith died of a heart attack at age 34, when Nolan was 8, and the Duke guard is just coming around to talking about it. Given Smith's history, a title in Indianapolis would only be fitting. There's another team, the hometown Butler Bulldogs, who could make an argument for the same thing though. May the best team win.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Dayton Flyers Are Tournament Champions...Of The N.I.T.

2010-04-02T00:48:00.001-07:00

Dayton players danced in jovial and expressive fashion at midcourt and then lingered on ladders as they cut down the nets at the Mecca of basketball, Madison Square Garden. Forgive the Flyers for taking a little extra time to soak it all in. They're not accustomed to championships, or any trophy ceremonies for that matter, as the North Carolina team they had just beaten.

Marcus Johnson, looking like a modern day Dan Patrick :P, scored 20 points and Dayton denied last year's NCAA national champs yet another title in their illustrious school history, topping the Tar Heels 79-68 Thursday night to win the National Invitation Tournament.

Relying on depth, defense and some clutch 3-point shooting (obviously they were channeling their inner DP), the Flyers took home their first title in 42 years and handed North Carolina one more disheartening loss at the end of what has to be the worst season in a LONG time for the Tar Heels (Duke all the way!!!).

Reserve guard Paul Williams added 16 points for No. 3 seed Dayton (25-12), which bounced back from a disappointing regular season of its own (should have made the NCAA tourney this year as a 6-9 seed) to win its third NIT title and first since 1968 under coach Don Donoher. Picked by a majority of analysts to win the Atlantic 10 Conference, the athletic and experienced Flyers faded late in the season and missed the NCAA tournament before turning things around and finishing on a high note.

And while Dayton has been a regular in this event (this was Dayton's 22nd!! appearance in the NIT 2nd only to St. Johns' 27), it was strange to see North Carolina in the college basketball consolation tournament this year. One of the sport's true heavyweights, the Tar Heels own five NCAA national championships, including an 89-72 victory over Michigan State in last year's title game. Tom Izzo and the embattled Spartans are back in the Final Four, set to play Butler in Indianapolis on Saturday. Meanwhile, North Carolina was left to chase a consolation prize following a 16-16 regular season wrecked by injuries, leaky defense and a string of embarrassing losses. The blue bloods from Tobacco Road do have one NIT title though, which came in 1971.

The Tar Heels also fell short in their attempt to grab a somewhat perplexed piece of college basketball history. A victory would have made them the first team to follow up an NCAA national championship with an NIT crown the next year. And with officials discussing expanding the NCAA tournament to 96 teams as soon as next year (please don't let this happen NCAA), this could be the last NIT ever, an event with a rich history that dates to 1938. The NIT was the premier tournament back in the day but after the mid '60s or early '70s (it's debatable) the NCAA tournament supplanted the NIT in terms of crowning the true national champion.

If this is indeed the last NIT ever it was a fitting way to end it, a small-conference team beating a perennial powerhouse. Though an oldschool mash up of Dayton vs. St Johns wouldn't have been bad either. All in all the NIT was fun to watch this year and I'll be sad to see it go. Here's hoping the NCAA decides to keep the NCAA tourney at 64 teams so we can keep watching NIT basketball at Madison Square Garden.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Countdown to May 7!!

2010-04-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings all (at the stroke of midnight, which isn't a coincidence because I've been sitting on this completed post for 15 minutes...and now I realize that the post time is when I created this post and not when I publish it...time well spent)! As I haven't posted anything substantial lately, I present to you a Countdown to May 7!! What's happening on May 7th? Honestly, if you don't know then I judge you for life, but I will explain anyway because I am a kind blogger (unlike those mean ones, you know, the ones over at Red State really...and HuffPo gets snarky...ANYWHO). There are 35 days until IRON MAN 2 comes out!! *LOUD CHEERS*

If I didn't have school, don't doubt that I wouldn't watch Iron Man every day until the sequel comes out, because if I didn't have school, I would have for real, seriously. To further explain to those non-movie-goers, Iron Man 2 will star THE Robert Downey Jr (and if you don't know the extent of my love for him you can crawl back into your cave because society doesn't want you) as well as Don Cheadle (who replaced Terrance Howard as Jim Rhodes), that Wrestler dude who loves dogs, that chick who's married to Ryan Reynolds, and of course, the lovely blonde lady who will reprise her role as Pepper Potts. OH and of course director Jon Favreau will be back as Happy Hogan!

I'm going to try to update as often as possible between now and IM2 (as much as my work/study load will allow) because I'm pretty much following everything that's happening. Instead of trying to explain the awesomness to you (not that I should need to, just the title itself is enticing enough), I leave you now with links to the various trailers available:

And the newest one that I am unable to embed for reasons beyond my mental capacity (I'm sure Tony Stark would be able to do it, if only he were here with me...and real...)

ALSO THE WEBSITE IS UP

AS WELL AS STARK EXPO 2010

Apologies for the weird size of the youtube embeds, just click it to open it up nice and big to enjoy its HD goodness. Ok, I have over-excited myself at such a late hour, I shant be sleeping tonight. Guess what I'll be doing? (hint: It involves my Iron Man dvd...)

- Franny.

BTW I have revived the TWITTER account @ArbitraryO, follow and I will update I promise!

Oh How Sweet It Is!!

2010-03-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

The Sweet Sixteen is set after a wild weekend of basketball and although my brackets, just like many others around the world (4 million+ brackets on ESPN's Tourney Challenge), were upended when the consensus favourite (40% of the Brackets on ESPN's Tourney Challenge) to win it all, Kansas Jayhawks, got "rock chalked" by the Cinderella that is the University of Northern Iowa Panthers, my brackets have fared pretty well. My "official" bracket stands at #331 out of approximately 9 million brackets on ESPN's Tourney Challenge while my "what I want to happen" bracket stands at the slightly lower position of #558,244.
____________________________________________________________________

The Sweet 16 includes teams from the Atlantic 10, Horizon League, Ivy League, Missouri Valley Conference and West Coast Conference. And there's one team from the Pac-10, which only looked like a mid-major conference this season. Conclusion: year of the Cinderellas.

Now the tournament takes a three-day hiatus before regional semifinals begin Thursday in Salt Lake City and Syracuse, New York. And college basketball fans can probably use a break after watching one of, if not the most, entertaining opening weekends in NCAA tournament history.

Cornell becomes the first Ivy League team to reach the regional semifinals since Penn advanced to the 1979 Final Four, where the Quakers lost to Michigan State led by some guy named Earvin "Magic" Johnson in the national semifinals. After going 4-63 all-time against teams ranked in The AP Top 25 poll, the Big Red upset No. 12-ranked Temple and No. 16-ranked Wisconsin in their last two games. Up next for the Big Red? Kentucky and freshman sensation John Wall (I can already see Ashley Judd doing the John Wall dance).

Michigan State is the only team alive from last year's final 4 and their journey is nearly as remarkable as Cornell's. In a game that saw four lead-changes in the final 39 seconds, the 5th-seeded Spartans beat 4-seed Maryland 85-83 on Korie Lucious' 3-pointer at the buzzer in a second-round game in Spokane, Washington, on Sunday. Michigan State won after losing star guard Kalin Lucas with about 2½ minutes left in the first half. Tom Izzo told reporters after the game that Lucas, a two-time All-Big Ten selection, probably tore the Achilles tendon in his left leg and will miss the rest of the tournament. The Spartans will play 9-seed and "giant killer" Northern Iowa next. Without Kalin Lucas in the game for the Spartans UNI might just move on to the elite 8 but there is no doubt the Spartans will be fighting the whole game.

The Spartans weren't the only Big Ten team playing short-handed on Sunday. Purdue, which lost star forward Robbie Hummel to a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 24, defeated Texas A&M 63-61 in overtime in Spokane as well (the fourth time in five years the Aggies have lost in the NCAA tourney by two points or less). Senior guard Chris Kramer scored six of the No. 4-seeded Boilermakers' eight points in overtime, including the winning layup with 4.2 seconds to play. They'll have to get past 1-seed Duke (my pick to win the tourney) to keep their hopes alive. The Blue Devils reached the Sweet 16 for the 25th time on Sunday by routing No. 8-seeded California 68-53 in a second-round game in Jacksonville.

Syracuse, the No. 1 seed in the West Regional, didn't have any problems reaching the Sweet 16, either. The Orange routed 8-seed Gonzaga 87-65 in the second round on Sunday, after beating No. 16-seeded Vermont by 23 points in the first round on Friday. Syracuse forward Wesley Johnson went off for 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds against the Zags. The Orange play No. 5-seed Butler in Salt Lake City next. The Orange should be able to dominate that game as well but don't be surprised if Butler makes it close or pulls off the upset.

With its 71-68 win over No. 3-seed Pittsburgh Sunday night, Xavier became one of two programs in the entire country to advance to the Sweet 16 the past three years and are demanding some respect. The other is Michigan State. They're labeled as a "mid-major" but this is a team with major talent that could go to the Final Four. They'll be in tough though as they go up against that other Kansas team that plays in "the little apple" the 2-seed Kansas State Wildcats from Manhattan who would have been a #1 seed had they not lost to their in-state rivals, the Kansas Jayhawks, 3 times this year including in the Big 12 tourney final.

Saint Mary’s, a tiny Catholic school of fewer than 5,000 students, led by big man Omar Samhan, has moved past the first round of the NCAA tournament only once before. The Gaels made the Elite Eight in 1959 when only 23 teams were in the field. They'll try to do it a second time behind their big man Samhan, who is averaging 30.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg for the tourney, when they face a high octane offense in 3-seed Baylor. It'll be a matchup of an uptempo offense (Baylor) versus half court sets (St. Mary's).

2-seed West Virginia also advanced on Sunday to face 11-seed Washington in Syracuse. It marks the fifth time the Mountaineers reached the final 16, and first since 2008. Don't be fooled by UW's ranking, they are a much better team than an 11th seed and although they disappointed this year in terms of not being a top 3 seed they are playing their best basketball down the stretch led by Pac-10 tournament MVP 5'9" Isaiah Thomas. WVU will have to limit their turnovers like they did against Missouri on Sunday if they want to win or else UW and it's plethora of "freak" athletes will run them out of the gym.

In the first half, Ohio State looked average. Then the Buckeyes decided to run. That change in mindset led to an 18-6 run in the first seven minutes of the first half that extended Ohio State's lead to 46-32. Rather than settling for challenged jump shots, Ohio State led off the 2nd half with three dunks and several layups on their way to a 75-66 win over a disappointing Georgia Tech squad. The Buckeyes will now take on 6-seeded Tennessee, if they play the whole game like they played the 2nd half in the GT game they should cruise past the Vols. However, Tennessee is a tough minded team that just seems to grind out wins so they most likely won't go down easy if they go down at all.

Those are all the matchups and we can only hope the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are as exciting as the first two rounds. That might be asking for a lot though after what we all witnessed this past weekend. There was heart and heartbreak, ultimate joy and ultimate dissappointment, tears and smiles. All in all it has been everything that the NCAA tourney is about and college basketball fans would have it no other way.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

Let The Madness Consume You!!!!

2010-03-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's official the field of 64 is almost set and March Madness is set to begin!!! In order to become the last seed into the NCAA tourney Arkansas - Pine Bluff and Winthrop will battle each other in the play-in game on March 16th. The winner will face #1 seed Duke on the second day of the tourney (March 19th). So fill out your brackets ladies and gentlemen!! I already have. Check them out below, just click on them to enlarge them:

My dream, and uber prejudiced, bracket:

My very professional, official and objective bracket:

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*Note: share your brackets with us or your final 4 picks in the comments section!!

R.I.P. Theodore C. Olbermann 1929-2010.

2010-03-13T15:48:00.000-08:00

After a long and brave fight, Mr. Theodore Olbermann, father and hero to a man I look up to passed away today in New York City. May he Rest In Peace.

A link to Keith's post about his father: http://bit.ly/duL6Cf

May our thoughts and prayers be with the Olbermann family.

- Franny.

Unfortunately All Good Things Come To An End

2010-03-01T00:32:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics were 17 days of pure fun and enjoyment and I'm sad to see them go. I remember cheering in the 7th grade when it was announced that the 21st Winter Olympics would be held in Vancouver. Being the nerd I am I understood the ramifications of hosting an Olympics but I did not care, I felt what happened to Montreal after '76 and Calgary after '88 could never happen to Vancouver in 2010.

VANOC should be proud of themselves. Although the games started with the tragic death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili just hours away from the opening ceremonies, Canadians did not let that spoil the festive atmosphere but everyone was still grieving as life intervened on what was supposed to be a dreamlike opening ceremony.

Then there was the international media (I'm looking at you Great Britain) that labeled the games as the "Glitch Games" after a pillar of the indoor Olympic Cauldron malfunctioned, and numerous reschedulings up in Whistler due to bad weather (which no one has control over or can accuractly predict) despite forgetting that most Olympics have their "glitches".

Did they forget the Salt Lake City bid scandal and figure skating scandal in 2002? or the fact that it seemed no one showed up to watch the Athens Games early on in 2004? (seriously I've seen more people in the stands at Marlins' games when they suck, but in fairness the games were somewhat successful) or the same thing happening in Turin in 2006 along with all it's other problems? or about all the myriad of problems at the Beijing games in 2008?

The 2010 Vancouver games might have had its "glitches" but they were over-scrutinized because lets face it, they all happened early on and at the time there was nothing else to really report about the games. Plus, and this is just my personal theory, the British media by bashing the Vancouver games was trying to create a cushion so that if something went wrong in London in 2012 they could just say "well we're not worse than Vancouver".

Other than that the games were the most successful Winter Games by far and also one of the most successful Olympic games despite taking place after the phenomenal games in Beijing. And the reason they were so much more successful than Montreal's or Calgary's games was because of five factors:

1. The reputation of Vancouver as a tourist city. Honestly, most people around the world had heard of Vancouver before these games and most people knew it is one of the top 5 most beautiful cities in the world and the most beautiful city in North America. The same thing was a factor for Beijing in 2008 and probably explains why Salt Lake City and Turin weren't too successful. In their respective countries there are way more well-known cities internationally whereas Canada only has 3 (Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver). And if Sochi doesn't have a successful winter games in 2014 this could be the number 1 reason why, no one really has heard of it or knows where it is on the map.

2. The Digital Age. This is why the '08 and 2010 games have been so successful and the '76 games in Montreal were such a disaster. Viewers were constantly bombarded with beautiful images of the cities and also of their respective countries. People couldn't get enough of the images of China's historical Great Wall or other culturally significant monuments in '08 and in 2010 they couldn't get enough of Vancouver's and Canada's natural beauty especially Americans who are only used to seeing giant skyscrapers in their big cities. Also everything about the games is viewable on the internet thus allowing billions of people around the world to watch events. Montreal, despite being a fantastically well-known city, unfortunately took place at the wrong time.

3. Pacific Coast Time. The two major markets that these games were catered to was the U.S. and Canada itself. Events were scheduled at times that were convenient for people on the west coast and especially the east coast. With the scheduling the bigger TV markets on the East Coast were able to broadcast events live in prime time. While on the West Coast people were able to watch events the whole day as they were repeated in prime time, so if anyone missed events in the morning due to work or school they were able to watch the repeat once they got home.

4. Owning The Podium. It was scrutinized after the first week when Canada only had about 7-9 medals and looked on course to fall below even 20 medals. But the best was yet to come, and Canadians were finally relieved to have something to celebrate as the medals came pouring in for Canada in the final two weeks, capturing a total of 26 medals (a Canadian record). 14 of which were Gold making Canada, a nation that had no Gold medals at home before, now the country with the most Gold medals of any Winter Olympic games let alone a host country. Also the U.S. took home 37 medals (the most ever in any Winter Games) giving many Americans a reason to tune in to watch the games. So overall North America took home 63 medals between the two neighbours.

5. Canadians Embracing The Games. From the first day the Olympic torch arrived in Canada and began its relay across this great nation, Canadians everwhere came out to see the flame. Even from the outset Canadians could tell that these would be an Olympics to remember. And they were, all the venues were packed as it literally seemed that the whole world had flocked to Vancouver for 17 magical days, virtually every event was sold out and although I don't know the official ticket numbers or the revenue numbers I predict they'll be huge. It was a block party and everyone was invited and I'm sad that its ended but I will never forget these Olympics as long as I live. I am proud to be a Vancouverite and I am even prouder to be Canadian.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

**share your memories and thoughts with us in the comments section!!**

Joannie Rochette A True Olympic Hero

2010-02-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

It's tough to be an Olympic athlete, it's even tougher when you're on home soil and the pressure of a whole nation is heaped upon your shoulders, and it's especially tough when you lose the one person that was always there to help you deal with that pressure and the daily ups and downs of life as an Olympic athlete.

No person in the world could have prepared Joannie Rochette for having the moment she'd waited for all her life arrive amid the terrible grief of her mother's death two days earlier. The standing room only crowd at Pacific Coliseum would have gladly rushed the ice and carried the 24-year-old through the two minutes and 50 seconds of her short program. But a figure skater must literally face the music alone, in the middle of a vast and hard white surface, and try to carve something beautiful out of the ice in just under 3 minutes.

It would have been quite easy and justified to pull out of the games and many thought that she should have. Many thought that now it would be too hard to focus on skating and that she would easily falter on a spin or a jump or even in the intricate step work required of an Olympic figure skater. However, Joannie Rochette stood there, letting the fans' warmth and applause wash over her, knowing that when it grew quiet, she would have to skate the hardest 3 minutes of her life, all by herself. And she did it all pretty flawlessly, every jump, every spin, every step to the tango of "La Cumparsita", whose lyrics begin: “The little parade of endless miseries ...”

Only when it was over would she let the grief take over, and she crumpled into the arms of her coach, Manon Perron, and wept uncontrollably and understandably while her marks came up.

On a night when Japan's Mao Asada and Korean world champion Yu-Na Kim had pretty much brought the house down with back-to-back works of art (Asada with the Olympics' first-ever triple Axel combination by a woman and Kim answering back with her matchless combination of technique and show-stopping artistry) there was little chance of Rochette matching their firepower.

But she is right there for a medal, sitting third heading into Thursday's long program, and with everything that must have been going through her mind, it was one of the most remarkable and memorable performances any Canadian, let alone any Canadian skater, has ever laid down (and I'm sure her mom was watching over her and was proud of her performance).

She's distantly in third, but also comfortably ahead of fourth-place Miki Ando of Japan. I will be cheering with all my heart for her to medal and even if she doesn't, I don't think I will ever forget her beauty, grace, poise, strength and most of all her courage to do what she did under the circumstances she faced. She has earned a higher medal than gold in the hearts of many Canadians.

Peace and Much Love to Ya

*Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rochette family

**Update Feb 25, 2010 --> Joannie Rochette has won the Bronze medal; Korea's Kim Yu-Na (coached by Canadian and 2-time silver medalist Brian Orser) wins the Gold and Mao Asada of Japan wins the Silver medal**

Hello Vancouver.

2010-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Aside from the fact that I've lived in the lower mainland for over a decade, I'm really starting to enjoy Vancouver more and more each day. Why? The Olympics are in town! And that means throngs of foreigners lost in the pretty streets of Vancouver, as well as Richmond, and Whistler (but who cares about the mountains, they're not in my way). So who are ya'll rooting for? I'm obligated to cheer for Canada, and don't get me wrong, I cheer just as loud as anyone when they win a medal (Montgomery from Manitoba? Hells ya!), but anyone who knows me knows that part of me, ok, all of me, bleeds red, white and blue. Call me a traitor if you may, but there's just something so patriotic about those colors that I can't help but be drawn to it like priests to young boys (oh no, politically incorrect joke, um warning?).

Segue to the man who was conceived by Jesus and Uncle Sam (another politically incorrect joke? oh no she didn't!) on the USS Lincoln: Stephen T. Colbert! *cheers* *chants* USA USA USA! */chants* That's right, the man himself was here in Vancouver and did not one, but TWO shows on muddy as hell land beside Science World. Why was it so muddy? I have no clue but my Uggs aren't happy. Anywho, ya'll will see the footage next week so I won't spoil anything, but I will say that not one, but TWO full grown men ride a fake moose, all because we chanted "Ride the Moose! Ride the Moose!". And in Canadian fashion, when our beloved man attempts to ride the moose, we chanted "Don't Get Hurt! Don't Get Hurt!" to which he responds something along the line of we are fully responsible if he does. Oh how I love this man.

And did I mention that I touched his hand? Ok let's say slapped it cuz I sound creepy otherwise. And he signed my stuff! He signed that day's 24 Hours because for once they put an it-getting cover as well as my iPhone (which is still shrink wrapped; anyone who knows how to preserve Sharpie on plastic let me know). Hmm what else must I tell the world? He's taller than the last time I saw him (though it may be because he flew by me too quickly) and he's noticeably aging but in a good way! Oh and an eagle flew by before the first taping, that was awesomely coincidental.

For those Canadian fans who are still reading, Canada's sweetheart Michael Buble was a guest and when he was backstage, I waved to him and he winked and waved back (either to me or in my general direction, but I took initiative and waved first). He's very good looking =)

All in all, it's been a great Olympics (thus far) and although my volunteer gig sucks (I've only seen local anchors so far) and I never got to meet DP (he left after like 3 days! although I was very close to Bob Costas and he's DP's buddy so in that sense I guess it...nevermind), I can say it's been a success! Although Canada lost in bloody hockey to the U S of A, I'm not surprised, and not disappointed. Keep your chin up Canada, just because it's the national sport doesn't mean you have to be good at it. See how positive I am? Yay Olympics =)

- Franny.

(I've changed the font color because apparently it was hard to read, not that you'll read anyway you -expletives-

NBA All-Star Game Rosters

2010-02-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

First of all Happy Valentines day to everyone (I know it's not a real holiday but let people believe it is). Anyway tonight the NBA All-Star Game will take place in Cowboys stadium in front of possibly 100,000 spectators and it should be an event to remember. And here are the All-Stars you'll see today:

West

Starters

(PHX) Steve Nash (7th All-Star Appearance)
(DAL) Dirk Nowitzki (9th All-Star Appearance)
(DEN) Carmelo Anthony (6th All-Star Appearance)
(SA) Tim Duncan (12th All-Star Appearance)
(PHX) Amare Stoudemire (5th All-Star Appearance)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reserves

(UTA) Deron Williams (1st All-Star Appearance)
(DEN) Chauncey Billups (5th All-Star Appearance)
(LAL) Pau Gasol (5th All-Star Appearance)
(OKC) Kevin Durant (1st All-Star Appearance)
(MEM) Zach Randolph (1st All-Star Appearance)
(LAC) Chris Kaman (1st All-Star Appearance)
(DAL) Jason Kidd (10th All-Star Appearance)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not playing due to injury

(LAL) Kobe Bryant (12th All-Star Appearance)
(NO) Chris Paul (3rd All-Star Appearance)
(POR) Brandon Roy (3rd All-Star Appearance)

East

Starters

(MIA) Dwayne Wade (6th All-Star Appearance)
(ATL) Joe Johnson (4th All-Star Appearance)
(CLE) LeBron James (6th All-Star Appearance)
(BOS) Kevin Garnett (13th All-Star Appearance)
(ORL) Dwight Howard (4th All-Star Appearance)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reserves

(CHI) Derrick Rose (1st All-Star Appearance)
(BOS) Rajon Rondo (1st All-Star Appearance)
(BOS) Paul Pierce (8th All-Star Appearance)
(TOR) Chris Bosh (5th All-Star Appearance)
(CHA) Gerald Wallace (1st All-Star Appearance)
(ATL) Al Horford (1st All-Star Appearance)
(NYK) David Lee (1st All-Star Appearance)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Not playing due to injury

(PHI) Allen Iverson (11th All-Star Appearance)

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

All-Star Saturday Recap

2010-02-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

All-Star Saturday started off great with the H.O.R.S.E. competition presented by Geico. OKC Thunder forward Kevin Durant successfully defended his H-O-R-S-E title on Saturday night against Boston's Rajon Rondo and Sacramento's Omri Casspi. After Casspi was eliminated in the shooting competition, Durant and Rondo went to sudden death on TNT as the pair attempted three-pointers from the top of the key where the Oklahoma City star outlasted Boston's point guard.

The night continued with the Haier Shooting Stars event that was very enjoyable to watch. Team Texas won the Shooting Stars Competition. Texas defeated Los Angeles in the finals after Atlanta and Sacramento were eliminated following the first round. The team was comprised of Mavericks All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, TNT analyst and former Rockets guard Kenny Smith and WNBA star Becky Hammon.

The competitiveness continued in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, which has become one of the more fun events to watch. Steve Nash of the Suns won the Skills Competition by defeating Utah's Deron Williams (2008 winner, and my pick to win) in the finals on Saturday night. Nash finished the course in just 29.9 seconds after taking just 35 ticks in the opening round. He won the competition in 2005 as well. Bucks rookie guard Brandon Jennings (35.7 seconds) and Thunder second-year guard Russell Westbrook (44.1) were eliminated in the first round. Westbrook filled in for Derrick Rose (defending champ), who skipped the competition with a hip injury.

Then it was time for the Foot Locker 3-Point Shootout which has usually been a fan favourite and it did not disappoint. Celtics captain Paul Pierce won the Three-Point Shootout after lobbying so hard to get in. Pierce had 20 points in the final round, beating Golden State rookie Stephen Curry (my pick to win) and Denver point guard Chauncey Billups. He is the first Boston star to win the contest since Larry Bird. Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari, Suns big man Channing Frye and defending champion Daequan Cook of Miami didn't make it past the first round as they all scored 15 points.

The night would wrap up with the marquee event of All-Star Saturday night, the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. It was one of the most hyped dunk contests ever and it was a huge disappointment and close to being one of the worst dunk contests ever. Knicks guard Nate Robinson took home his third Slam Dunk Title over Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan, who had the best dunk of the night. Robinson is the first player in history to win the competition three times. He received 51% of the fan voting in the finals. Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace (78) and Lakers guard Shannon Brown (78), who was the favourite, didn't make it to the championship round after their first two dunks.

All in all it was a pretty fun All-Star Saturday night, the Dunk Contest was a huge dissappointment but hopefully DeRozan will be back next year to take the crown. As for my predictions I fared pretty well, I had 2 wins and the other 3 picks in the finals of their respective events.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

T-Mobile Rookie Challenge Recap

2010-02-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

Aw man first off I just wanna say that the opening ceremonies last night were phenomenal despite the technical difficulties at the end with the pillars of the indoor cauldron, and also the somber news of Georgian athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili's, death in an accident on the luge track during training but much love to the IOC and VANOC for handling the situation in a truly Canadian way.

As great as the opening ceremonies were I was constantly flipping back and forth to the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge that started NBA All-Star weekend in Dallas. It was a great game although the sophomores let me down and lost to the rookies 140-128 for the first time in 8 years.

Dejuan Blair grabbed a record 23 rebounds and scored 22 points for the first 20-20 game in the Rookie Challenge, leading the rookies throughout the game and was co-MVP thanks to a kind gesture from his co-MVP Tyreke Evans. "He started getting the rebounds for us. He did what he said he was going to do," said Sacramento's Tyreke Evans, who had 26 points and was the game's MVP. "That's why I wanted to share the [MVP] trophy with him." Russell Westbrook of Oklahoma City scored 40 points for the sophomores (6 shy of the record set by his teammate Kevin Durant last year), and was one of seven players on the second-year team who were handed consecutive losses in this All-Star Weekend event (they lost as Rookies last year). The sophomores had won seven straight games and eight of 10 since that format was adopted in 2000.

Blair had one of the highlight plays after a turnover by the Sophomores in the first half. Stephen Curry flipped the ball to Blair, who threw it off the backboard and grabbed it out of the air before slamming it home. And in the closing seconds of the game, Blair chased down a ball in the corner and scooped it underhand and backward to save it from going out of bounds. After getting back on the court and begging for teammates to get him the ball, he scored despite being tackled by New Jersey's Brook Lopez under the basket to end with a 20-20 performance. Both players were smiling in a pile on the floor after the ball fell through the hoop at the American Airlines Center, the Dallas Mavericks' home arena.

Evans, the league's top-scoring rookie and 14th overall with 20.3 points a game, made 11 of 15 shots to go with six rebounds and five assists. Milwaukee rookie Brandon Jennings had 22 points and eight assists, and James Harden from Oklahoma City also had 22 points.

For the Sophomores, Miami's Michael Beasley, who scored 29 points in last year's game, had 26 points this time. Golden State's Anthony Morrow had 15 points and Minnesota's Kevin Love, who had predicted a lopsided victory for the sophomores, had 12 points and six rebounds. O.J. Mayo from Memphis had eight points and 10 assists.

Although the Sophomores let me down, Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan did not as he beat the L.A. Clippers' second year guard Eric Gordon in the first ever Dunk-In to become the 4th contestant in the Sprite Slam Dunk contest later on tonight, by garnering 61% of the fan vote.

Here are the video highlights of the game via NBA.com:

And here are the highlights of the Dunk-In, also via NBA.com:

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*note: it seems OKC's Russell Westbrook will replace Derrick Rose in the skills challenge

Olympic Luger Dies During Training

2010-02-12T12:35:00.001-08:00

Mere hours away from the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Nodar Kumaritashvili (21) a men's Olympic luger from Georgia died after a crash during training. We are all saddened by this news and our thoughts and prayers go out to Kumaritashvili's family. Here is the press release from the Associated Press:

WHISTLER, British Columbia -- A men's Olympic luger from the former Soviet republic of Georgia died after a crash during training Friday, an Olympic official with direct knowledge of the crash said.

The official told The Associated Press that the International Olympic Committee received confirmation of Nodar Kumaritashvili's death. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the 21-year-old luger's family hadn't been notified yet.

An official statement was to be released soon, the source said.

Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled near the finish, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center on a course that is the world's fastest and has raised safety concerns among competitors.

Rescue officials rushed to the scene and performed chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Kumaritashvili was lifted into an ambulance. An air-rescue helicopter was summoned and was over the track about eight minutes after the crash.

Kumaritashvili struck the inside wall of the track on the final turn. His body immediately went airborne and cleared the ice-coated concrete wall along the left side of the sliding surface. His sled remained in the track, and it appeared his helmet visor skidded down the ice.

"It's a very rare situation," three-time Olympic champion and German coach Georg Hackl said. "But there's some things that you can't do anything about."

It was unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, although many sliders have exceeded 90 mph on this course. The track is considered the world's fastest and several Olympians recently questioned its safety. More than a dozen athletes have crashed during Olympic training.

At the finish area, not far from the crash scene, athletes, coaches and officials solemnly awaited word on Kumaritashvili.

"I've never seen anything like that," said Shiva Keshavan, a four-time Olympian from India. "I'm afraid it's bad."

Training was suspended indefinitely, International Luge Federation members were called for a briefing and team captains from each nation were asked to attend a meeting.

Kumaritashvili competed in five World Cup races this season, finishing 44th in the world standings.

Earlier in the day, gold-medal favorite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy crashed, losing control of his sled on Curve 11. Zoeggeler came off his sled and held it with his left arm to keep it from smashing atop his body. He slid on his back down several curves before coming to a stop and walking away.

Training days in Whistler have been crash-filled. A Romanian woman was briefly knocked unconscious and at least four Americans -- Chris Mazdzer on Wednesday, Megan Sweeney on Thursday and both Tony Benshoof and Bengt Walden on Friday in the same training session where Zoeggeler wrecked -- have had serious trouble just getting down the track.

"I think they are pushing it a little too much," Australia's Hannah Campbell-Pegg said Thursday night after she nearly lost control in training. "To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we're crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives."

Peace and Much Love to Ya

NBA All-Star Weekend

2010-02-10T05:17:00.000-08:00

Although the Olympic ceremonies start on Friday in our beautiful city of Vancouver to kick off the 3 week winter sports fest (yea we waited 7 years for those 3 weeks); Dallas is the place to be for hoops fans this coming weekend. So instead of watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, I'll be watching the T-Mobile Rookie-Sophomore challenge that kicks off NBA All-Star weekend the same day. Don't get me wrong I'll still be reppin' my city to the fullest (V-City stand up!!) but I'll just have to TiVo the opening ceremonies and watch them at a later time. The Olympics are great but I love basketball and since it's February and love is in the air I have to go with All-Star weekend as my primary focus, so I will blog all 3 days of the event as best I can and then after the All-Star festivities I'll blog about the Olympics. So here's a look at what's to come this weekend:

Friday:

4 p.m. NBA All-Star Celebrity Game presented by Final Fantasy XIII
Notable Celebrities: Chris Tucker, Anthony Anderson, Common, Joel Moore, Pitbull, Mario Lopez.
Prediction: should be a fun game though they are always low scoring.

6 p.m. 16th Annual T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam (also first ever slam Dunk-In) Notable Players: Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Michael Beasley, Russel Westbrook, O.J. Mayo.
Prediction: always high scoring as no one plays defense; Sophomores should continue their dominance over the Rooks; DeMar DeRozan beats Eric Gordon in the Dunk-In to be the 4th contestant in the dunk contest.

Saturday:

4 p.m. 2nd Annual H.O.R.S.E. presented by Geico
Who's in it: Kevin Durant (OKC); Omri Casspi (SAC); Rajon Rondo (BOS).
Prediction: Durant, the inaugural winner last year, will take it again I believe.

5 p.m. 26th Annual NBA All-Star Saturday Night
Events: Haier Shooting Stars; Taco Bell Skills Challenge; Foot Locker 3-point Shootout; Sprite Slam Dunk
Predictions: Team Texas should win the Shooting Stars; Deron Williams will dethrone Derrick Rose in the Skills Challenge; Stephen Curry for the 3-point shootout; and DeRozan for the slam dunk if he makes it in, if not, then Shannon Brown.

Sunday:

5 p.m. 59th Annual NBA All-Star Game
Notable Players: Everybody!!! (I will post the rosters a day prior to the game)
Prediction: what better way to spend Valentine's night, the game will be epic as it will the biggest ever and might reach six figures in attendance if allowed by the NBA and state of Texas; The west might have the best teams but the East arguably has the best individual players therefore I pick the East to win.

Here is the official (and amazing) NBA All-Star Weekend Promo from TNT featuring Usher entitled "More":

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)

*Note: all times indicated are PST

52nd Annual Grammy Awards Recap

2010-02-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

Female artists reigned supreme at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift at the front, leading the charge at last night’s ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Beyonce tallied the most awards, scooping up six trophies (the most ever for a female artist on a single Grammy night) most notably Song of the Year and Best R&B Song for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “Halo.”

Teen sensation Taylor Swift took home the show’s biggest honor, however, nabbing Album of the Year for 2009’s best-selling LP, Fearless. At 20, Swift is now the youngest musician to win Album of the Year; she won four awards overall, including Best Country Album (also Fearless), Best Country Song and Best Female Country Vocal Performance (both “White Horse”).

Lady Gaga, who opened the show with a powerhouse duet with Elton John, that brought the house down, won a pair of awards, Best Dance Album for The Fame and Best Electronica/Dance Song for “Poker Face” however, both were announced during a pre-telecast ceremony.

On the men's side Kings of Leon grabbed three awards, all revolving around their hit “Use Somebody,” Jay-Z scored three trophies for singles (his Blueprint 3 wasn’t eligible this year) and the Black Eyed Peas (we all know Will.I.Am is the driving force of the group) also won three Grammys, including Best Pop Vocal Album for The E.N.D.

Green Day followed up a memorable performance of “21 Guns” with the American Idiot musical cast by winning Best Rock Album for 21st Century Breakdown. In awards handed out before the broadcast, Bruce Springsteen’s “Working on a Dream” was named Best Solo Rock Performance, Jeff Beck took Best Rock Instrumental Performance for “A Day in the Life,” the Beatles scored Best Long Form Video and French electronic pop group Phoenix pulled out a surprise victory in the Best Alternative Album category with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.

The Grammys are known for its electrifying performances as much as their hardware, and last night’s show was packed with big-name team-ups. The aforementioned, Lady Gaga got the party started with “Poker Face” before taking a seat at her piano (adorned with mannequin limbs frozen into Gaga’s monster claw) and faced off against Elton John with her “Speechless” and his “Your Song.” Beyoncé and a SWAT team of dancers mashed up the I Am… Sasha Fierce hit “If I Were a Boy” with Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.” Pink spun from the ceiling, soaking wet, during an acrobatic performance of “Glitter in the Air” (which was my favourite performance of the night and one of the best in Grammys history). The Black Eyed Peas then hit the stage, and performed “Imma Be,” and “I Gotta Feeling" to a robust round of applause.

Later on in the show Bon Jovi took to the stage with country star Jennifer Nettles and belted out three songs for all their fans. They sang, "We Weren’t Born to Follow,” “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” and the classic “Livin’ on a Prayer.” After that, Mary J. Blige, David Foster, and Andrea Bocelli sang Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," dedicated to the people of Haiti. Maxwell (one of my favourite artists) then burned up the stage with his Grammy winning single "Pretty Wings" and was later joined by classic soul/jazz singer Roberta Flack to sing the classic song, ‘Where Is The Love” with him. The quartet of Lil Wayne, Eminem, Drake and Travis Barker kept the censors on their toes with a profanity-laced medley of Rebirth’s “Drop the World” and the hit “Forever.”

Notably absent from the "Forever" performance and the Grammys was Kanye West. Many speculate this was due to his infamous actions at the MTV VMA's last September. T-Dot's favourite son, Drake however, said the Louis Vuitton Don is apparently back in the lab. "I think 'Ye's in a good creative space right now," Drizzy said of his absence. "I think he's trying to create that next album the world needs. I know he's working very hard somewhere." Despite the comments from Drake, fans still believe Kanye's actions at the VMA's cost him an invite to the party.

The ceremony also included a 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson featuring Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and Carrie Underwood singing along with the King of Pop’s “Earth Song.” Jackson’s two eldest children, Prince and Paris, accepted their father’s posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award in one of the night’s most touching moments.

Jeff Beck led a special Les Paul tribute while Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It” merged T-Pain, opera, Doug E Fresh and Slash performing the “November Rain” solo into one strange, yet compelling, performance. Stevie Nicks joined Taylor Swift to duet on “Rihannon” and “You Belong With Me” in one of the few performances that felt out-of-sync. And even though the Dave Matthews Band were shut out of any Grammy wins, the group broke out a full choir, horns and string section for a strong rendition of “You & Me.”

My favourite win was Stephen Colbert winning a Grammy for the Best Comedy Album for his A Colbert Christmas. He was also tasked with presenting this year’s ceremony and opened the awards with a brief comedy monologue where he poked fun at American Idol runner up Adam Lambert and the Jonas Brothers and also took a pop at Susan Boyle saying “Justin Timberlake may have brought the sexy back, but Susan Boyle sent it away again”. Colbert also created a buzz simply for producing an Apple iPad on stage. As he appeared to fumble for the list of nominees, he pulled out the device and teased: ‘Jay-Z did you not get one of these in your gift bag. Am I cooler than you?’ And as part of a running joke in which he was trying to win the respect of his daughter Madeline, sitting in the audience of the Staples Centre in Los Angeles, he said: ‘‘Honey, does this make me look cool?’

In the end the 52nd Grammys was a crazy party that just didn't stop since it started. I liked most of the wins, especially those of Swift ('cause she had a monster year). The only qualms I have is that Green Day should have been nominated for more than just 3 awards. I know 21st Century Breakdown was no American Idiot but it was still a great album. Other than that it was a great night for music and it was an awesome show.

*Note 1: all links are from YouTube and we don't own any of the videos, also if any of the links are down leave a comment about it and we will try to rectify the situation

*Note 2: all blue coloured links are non-Grammy links while the purple coloured links are all Grammy related

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

RIP JD Salinger

2010-01-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

Sad news today: author and long time recluse/hermit JD Salinger has passed away at the age of 91 in New Hampshire. Salinger has penned such masterpieces as "Catcher in the Rye" "Franny and Zooey" and "Nine Stories".

I spent the better part of the day trying to think of exactly what to write in what I hoped would be a mini-tribute to this life-changing author. It is apparent to me now that I have no words to describe the extent of which his writing has effected a great number of teens at some point in their lives. This is author whose book was banned from high schools because it was thought to be too provocative, but turned out to be an eye-opener for multiple generations. It is said that the man who shot John Lennon was inspired to do so after reading this novel. I, on the other hand, had no such motives but was changed in one way or another after a reading of this book. I've read it multiple times since and I still enjoy it just as much each time.

The novel that inspired my pen name, "Franny and Zooey" should be enough proof of how deeply Salinger's writings have been imprinted into my character. I often wish my future spouse's last name will just happen to be "Glass".

I know this tiny tiny tribute does no justice to the genius that is JD Salinger, but believe me when I tell you that he is much more than an author. Read his works and you will know what I mean.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish he rests in peace in a place much better than this one, where he may continue to influence all those around him and still stay out of the spotlight. And I hope he forgives me for being so cheesy as to quote from his own writings: "This is a perfect day for banana fish"

Forever in his debt (more than figuratively if I had to pay royalties for using the name),

- Franny.

Haiti Earthquake Disaster

2010-01-15T01:22:00.000-08:00

First of all, I apologize for not posting this sooner, but I have been very busy with school. I know that is a terrible excuse, but it is what it is, and I sincerely apologize. By now all of you have probably heard about the earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday. The earthquake was charted at a magnitude of 7.2 while some of the aftershocks were charted in the 5-6 range.

A phenomenon like this always puts things in perspective for people when sometimes we forget. Our daily little troubles, like choosing what we want to eat for dinner, are so minuscule they don't even compare to the troubles that an entire nation is going through right now.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was very quick to get aid to Haiti as soon as he heard what had happened. Military and medical supplies were shipping out and hefty dollar donations were flooding in Thursday as Canadians responded fast and furiously.

The federal government announced a program to match donations dollar-for-dollar from Canadians to build an emergency fund of up to $100 million toward humanitarian efforts in the earthquake zone.

After dropping his own donation at the Red Cross office in Ottawa, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, hinted the government will soon relax immigration rules to help reunite Haitian families in Canada. “The minister of immigration has been discussing these matters with us and we will have announcements in the not-too distant future,” he said, noting the situation is “complicated.”

Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis accused the government of acting to score points in the Montreal area which has a large Haitian community (which is a shameful thing to say). He said permanent protocols should be put in place so they can kick in fast when disasters occur around the world.

Also, the first group of Canadians caught in Haiti's earthquake arrived in Montreal early Friday morning. The nearly 100 evacuees were brought home on the same military aircraft that carried Canadian soldiers into the disaster zone Thursday. A second plane carrying more evacuees followed closely behind. However, it is being reported that 4 Canadians were killed in the earthquake while 4 others are still missing.

The B.C. government is contributing $500,000 to the Red Cross to support victims of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti. I have already donated $150 to the Red Cross, I would have spent that money buying a new pair of shoes but that didn't seem right. So I urge you all to do the same, every donation counts even if it's just $15. You can donate to the Red Cross by clicking this link: Donate Now.

May our thoughts and prayers be with those in Haiti.

Peace and Much Love To Ya

Negligence.

2010-01-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Heyo ya'll! Hope the New Year has been treating you well! It sure has been awhile since my last post and I must thank my dear co-blogger-extraordinaire Jabberwocky for stepping up during my inexcusable absence. Here's what I've been up to: (Warning: major "news" dump)

- Currently I am in my Creative Writing for New Media class that is quite interesting. I'm not entirely sure which direction we're taking pertaining to the title of the class but we're constantly talking about blogging (which I apparently do occasionally).

- I realize that football, pro and college, is not my sport. I love watching it, but every team I choose to have a successful season ends up on the wrong side of history. I wasn't a huge fan of college football before this year but after watching a few games, I set my heart on the Texas Longhorns to win the BCS and QB Colt McCoy to win the Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately (for me anyway), Mark Ingram of Alabama won the Heisman and the Crimson Tide won the BCS. I'd rather not mention the NFL...Bears...Patriots...Steelers...*sigh*

- I'm in two political science classes but it seems I've been ignoring politics these days. I can't remember the last time I saw KO on Countdown rather than Football Night in America on TV (thank god for podcasts). I do know that health care is about to pass and that Americans aren't happy with it because for Democrats it's insufficient and for Republicans the fact that it's happening at all is upsetting. My opinion? One of the few things I like about Canada, besides Mr. Harper, is that I never have to care about my health. Or who pays for it. Ever.

- Mark McGwire admits to using steroids? *Yawn* Should've admitted this on a Friday so I don't have to pretend to care for the rest of this week.

- Derek Jeter is getting married? Don't pull a Tiger buddy. Minka Kelly is a very lucky lady.

- Finally, I want to congratulate (for like the Nth time) Patrick "Seton" O'Connor from the Dan Patrick Show for getting "it" done. "It" being big boy things such as the birth of his son lil Jeets, who may or may not have been born yet but should be born today...This birthing thing is very difficult for me to understand through his sporadic tweets so forgive me if it has/hasn't happened yet.

I think that's enough for ya'll today. I am confident I will have more concise posts in the future, but then again, can't promise anything really. I'm sounding more and more like a politician everyday...

- Franny.

Let DeMar Dunk!!!

2010-01-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Toronto Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan is getting a little outside push to get a spot in the NBA all-star slam dunk contest, and since I love the Raptors I thought I should do all I could to make it happen.

The high-flying Raptors rookie, has been given no indication he will even be considered for such a spot when the league finally gets around to putting the field together. He has made it clear that he would love to have the opportunity to take part in the highlight event of the all-star weekend festivities in Dallas this year. In an interview with RealGM, DeRozan even went as far as saying that he could win the dunk contest this year even if "His Airness" himself was his main competitor.

“Yeah I can win it,” said DeRozan. “I don’t care if Jordan was in it.”

Some old friends at Ballislife.com, who have followed DeRozan since he was a junior in high school, in conjunction with Team Flight All-Stars (TFA), have started an Internet campaign to get DeRozan one of those spots.

You can take part by going to http://www.letdemardunk.com and signing the online petition. Let's get DeMar in the Dunk Contest!!!

Here is the official Ballislife Demar Mixtape of his high school days, just let the video play out rather than following the links in the video,

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

A New Year's Day Tradition

2009-12-31T19:12:00.000-08:00

Hopefully everybody had a wonderful Christmas and is ready to move past '09 to "oh-10" or just "10"? whatever we'll just stick with 2010. Anyway, every new year's day, since i was about 9 years old, I've slept in, 'cause of staying up on new year's eve, and then later in the day I watch the Rose Bowl either with friends or by myself but no matter what I make sure I watch the Rose Bowl. The last few years the Rose Bowl games have been great and this year's game seems to be no different.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Oregon Ducks both ended the regular season playing their best football. Big Ten champions for the fifth straight season, the No. 8 Buckeyes will carry a five-game winning streak into Pasadena to face the No. 7 Ducks that overcame early season adversity to claim its first Pac-10 title since 2001. Both teams are conference champions and both of their names start with "O" but that's basically all the similarities between these 2 teams.

Ohio State has a history of championships, five straight in the Big Ten and a crystal football as recently as 2002. Buckeyes fans bemoan the 13 years since their most recent appearance in the Rose Bowl. Ducks fans are thrilled that only 15 years have passed since their most recent Pac-10 title and trip to Pasadena. When Ohio State fans look back a generation, they see Woody Hayes, two-time Heisman winner Archie Griffin and the 10-Year War with Michigan. Oregon fans don't even have a generation to look back to. Ohio State has had seven Heisman winners and four Outland trophies. Oregon's most famous players, QB Dan Fouts and RB Ahmad Rashad, are better known as TV analysts. When the Buckeyes wear throwback uniforms, you need an anthropologist to detect the difference between old and new. Oregon's uniforms mix green, yellow, black and white in so many different combinations that a throwback uniform means 2008.

They're different in the way that they play too. Ducks coach Chip Kelly wants his offense to play fast. The Ducks' 40-second clock rarely dips into the single digits. Kelly's goal is to stretch the defense 100 yards long and 53 yards wide. Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel's style is as old as the game itself. He depends on field position, defense and the kicking game.

When looking at the Duck's top playmakers one has to do a double take, QB Jeremiah Masoli is built like a linebacker (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) and is considered too short to play QB. Masoli's favorite receiver, Jeff Maehl, is too skinny (6-1, 175), and his best running back, LaMichael James, is too small (5-9, 180) by most standards. However, in the Ducks' spread offense, no one can lay a hand on them.

Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor (6-6, 235) has all the measurables, he has great size, he can run and he can throw. He was the #1 rated high school football player overall and also the #1 rated SF in high school basketball and recruiters were chasing after him like a pack of wild dogs. Kelly tried hard two years ago to lure Pryor to Oregon with the promise of a starting position and a style of play practically catered to Pryor's strengths but in the end he chose Ohio State 'cause of their winning tradition. But two seasons into his Buckeyes' career, Pryor has yet to meet the expectations created by his fevered recruitment.

As delighted as Ohio State fans are to return to the Rose Bowl, they demand a victory. The Buckeyes have lost three consecutive bowl games, and their struggles in the BCS are well-known. However, Oregon has won two consecutive bowls and has been the better program in the last few years. It's just one more difference between two very different programs that will share the field on January 1st.

Happy New Year everyone!! and Go Ducks!!

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

Alabama Has A Heisman Winner, Finally!!

2009-12-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

Alabama Crimson Tide fans like to say their team is about winning championships, not Heisman trophies. Thanks to Mark Ingram they can accomplish both this season.

The tough running back turned tearful after winning the 75th Heisman Trophy on Saturday night in the closest vote in the award's 75-year history. Ingram won by 28 points, ahead of Stanford's star running back Toby Gerhart. Next, he'll try to lead the most storied program in the South to a national championship against the Texas Longhorns, led by 2 time Heisman finalist Colt McCoy.

Ingram received 227 first-place votes and 1,304 points. Gerhart got 222 first-place votes and 1,276 points, while Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, last season's runner-up, received 203 first-place votes and 1,145 points. Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who took home a number of awards, was fourth and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who won the Heisman two years ago, was fifth.

In what was billed as the year of the quarterback, with Tebow, McCoy and last year's Heisman winner Sam Bradford, all returning to college, Ingram and Gerhart emerged as the Heisman front-runners at midseason.

Ingram has been the backbone of Alabama's offense, rushing for a school-record 1,542 yards, gaining 6.2 yards per carry and scoring 18 touchdowns. His only poor game, a 30-yard rushing performance against Auburn on Nov. 27, came at the worst time and in front of a national television audience. But with the Tide playing in the biggest game of the season, a No. 1 vs. No. 2 SEC championship against Florida, Ingram had one more chance to impress voters, and he delivered.

In his final chance to make a case for the Heisman, facing Florida's then-top-ranked defense, Ingram ran through the Gators for 113 yards and scored three touchdowns to punctuate his season. The win sent the top-ranked Crimson Tide to the BCS national title game against McCoy and No. 2 Texas on Jan. 7 at the Rose Bowl.

Few college football teams can match Alabama's history of success. The Crimson Tide dominated the SEC for decades. With six AP national championships (only Notre Dame and Oklahoma have won more). But at Alabama, it's a coach who has towered over the program more than any player. Bear Bryant led some of college football's greatest players, from Joe Namath to John Hannah, Ken Stabler to Ozzie Newsome, but never had a player even finish in the top three of the Heisman voting over his more than three decades at Alabama. Also, no major college program had won more games without a Heisman winner than Alabama.

Mark Ingram can take his place among Alabama's greats and the Paul W. Bryant Museum is finally complete with the only football trophy it did not have in it's 117 year history.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

1 Year Anniversary For AO!!

2009-12-12T20:37:00.000-08:00

I was gonna post this yesterday, since that was the official day this wonderful labyrinth of our thoughts was created, but I had other things to do, mainly studying for my upcoming finals (yea so not fun). I can't believe that it's been a whole year since Franny and I created this blog to post our informative, and sometimes, insignificant thoughts. I gotta give a lot of love to my fellow bloggers on this blog for keeping this thing going for as long as it has. Also, thank you to all the readers and visitors to the blog; we love you and even if you only visited the blog once we still appreciate it.

We'll try to keep this thing going as long as possible and after my finals I promise I will post a lot more on the blog about anything you guys want. Again, thank you for reading and we hope it was worth your time, if not you can tell us to shut the fuck up, but we won't listen :)

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

World Series Preview

2009-10-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

At the start of this MLB season a friend of mine and I predicted World Series matchups and bet 50 bucks on each team that made it to the World Series and 100 bucks on the winner. I predicted a Phillies-Red Sox final with the Phillies winning in 7 games and he picked a Yankees-Dodgers finale with the Yanks winning in 6 games. My Red Sox were downright awful this postseason and got beat by the better team in the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and I placed all my hopes on the Angels to make it out of the ALCS as the winner but sadly it was not to be and I lost 50 bucks. However the Phillies did make it out of the NL to the World Series beating the LA Dodgers so I gained those 50 bucks back. Now it’s down to the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. The Phillies were my pick from the start of the season to win ‘cause they won the world Series last year and as their team was pretty much unchanged I felt they were the best team in baseball even over my beloved BoSox. However, the Yanks came in with a $200 million-plus payroll in its inaugural year in its $1.3 billion stadium built for one purpose; to win the World Series at all costs and quickly showed their dominance in the American League as they ended with the best record in baseball with 103 wins.

This year, for the first time in many years (at least since 1999, when the defending-champ Yankees met the 103-win Atlanta Braves in the World Series) the two best teams in baseball will play for a championship. This is the World Series everyone who cares about baseball has been waiting for: a National League team that plays with an American League swagger, playing to defend the championship it won last year, against a team that has won so much in its storied history that they consider the World Series its hereditary title. Both teams have dominated in the postseason and neither team has been challenged this postseason the way they will challenge each other during the coming week.

The Yankees defeated the Angels in six games with a power attack that was led by Alex Rodriguez who hit as many homers (three) as the entire Angels team!! No Yanks starting pitcher has lost a game this postseason and their ace, CC Sabathia, proved to be not only good, but worth every penny of his much deserved contract, and was the difference-maker for a Yankees club that in recent years has thrown too much inferior pitching in too many big games. He was subsequently named the American League Championship Series' Most Valuable Player, after posting an ERA of 1.13, pitching eight innings in each start in his two wins. The Yankees pressured Anaheim to such a smothering degree that the Angels (the team whose signature for the past decade has been forcing mistakes) committed so many unforced errors on the base paths and in the field that this winter for them will not pass quietly for them.

Torii Hunter perhaps summed it up best, "We battled, but we couldn't beat that payroll. Plus, in the eighth, we gave it away. You've got CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, who's got some of the nastiest stuff in the league. And behind that, you got Andy Pettitte, who's got more playoff experience than anyone. They're the best. We got beat by the best team. I'm rooting for the Yankees so I can say we got beat by the team that won the World Series."

Meanwhile, the Dodgers who had home-field advantage and the best pitching staff during the regular season, could not do it in the NLCS. It was the Phillies who won at every critical juncture. The Angels were doomed against the Yanks because of their inability to change the score with one swing, while the Dodgers lost both because the Phillies seemed to have an answer for each Dodgers rally, and in the most critical of games (game 3 especially) the Dodgers could not match Philadelphia's starting-pitching advantage. The Phillies threw Cliff Lee, a proven ace and Cy Young winner, in the 11-0 Game 3 Phillies rout against the Dodgers’ Hiroki Kuroda, a middle-to-back-end rotation pitcher who hadn't pitched since Sept. 28. The Phillies hit 10 home runs by six different players in the NLCS against the Dodgers. They hit .231 for the series (27 points lower than during the regular season) but scored at least eight runs in three of the five games. The Dodgers won two more games than the Phillies this season, but at no point during the season could they be favoured to beat Philly, especially not after the Phillies pulled off the deal of the summer in acquiring Lee from Cleveland for much less than they would have for Roy Halladay. The Phillies ranked first in the National League in home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage, total bases, doubles and stolen-base percentage. They were second in OPS, stolen bases and at-bats.

Above the numbers, the Phillies play a blue-collar, championship style of baseball, capable of raucous and devastating comebacks (just ask Rockies closer Huston Street, who was victimized for losses in the final two games of the NLDS). Third baseman Pedro Feliz had just two hits in the NLCS, but one was a killing home run in game 5. Jayson Werth had four hits against the Dodgers, but three were home runs. Jimmy Rollins hit a dismal .227 against the Dodgers, but when it has mattered most this postseason, whether against the Rockies or Dodgers, it has been Rollins sparking a rally.

Bottom line is that the Phillies know how to win. During the past two postseasons, the Phillies have played five series. They have won all five and have not trailed any of them in games, winning the opener in each. In three best-of-seven series during the past two seasons (two against the Dodgers, one against Tampa Bay in the World Series) the Phillies haven't even been challenged, winning each in five games.

However, it was against the Yankees back in May (Phils won series 2-1) when Brad Lidge's problems reached the concern level. He was dreadful this season after being the best in the business during the Phillies' title run last year. But late against the Rockies in the NLDS and in the NLCS, Lidge rediscovered himself and joined Mariano Rivera as the only closers not to cost their teams this postseason. Indeed, virtually all else being equal between these two powerhouses, Lidge is the veritable X factor at the end of games. It is the only area in which the Yankees have a decided advantage and very well could be the difference in the series.

Ryan Howard is every bit the threat of Alex Rodriguez in run-producing situations if not more, and of the position players, the Yankees have the clear advantage at third base and DH while the Phillies have the clear advantage in RF, CF, and LF. The Yankees can run, and so can the Phillies. The Yankees have ace pitching, as do the Phillies. The Yankees have Rivera, but neither bullpen is infallible and if Lidge continues as he has the Phillies don’t have to worry as much in the 9th inning.

There are many interesting stories with this series as well, Pedro Martinez (my favourite pitcher of all time) pitches once again against the Yanks in a pressure situation; Lee and Sabathia, the two former Cleveland aces, pitch against each other instead of as the 1-2 combo of a pitching rotation as they once did. Two homer-friendly ballparks not necessarily favouring either home team will provide the stage, and two rabid fan bases providing the acoustics. And there will be no shortage of stars: Cy Young winners Martinez, Lee and Sabathia; World Series MVPs Rivera, Cole Hamels and Derek Jeter; and regular-season MVPs A-Rod, Howard and Rollins. If the World Series has been something of a dud this decade (three of the past five Series have been four-game sweeps and none has gone beyond five games and hasn't reached a Game 7 since the Angels beat the Giants in 2002) the Phillies and Yankees matchup looks to provide the antidote for baseball fans across the globe. I still believe the Phillies will win as I did back in April. Hopefully this series goes the distance and my wallet is a little heavier when it’s all said and done and the Phillies repeat as champions.

Peace and Much Love To Ya (except to all the Yankees fans like Franny) :P

And the winner is...

2009-10-25T23:55:00.001-07:00

...The New York Yankees! Did you ever have any doubts? I sure didn't! Doesn't mean I wasn't nervous the entire time. The Yankees beat the Angels in Game 6 of the ALCS with a final score of 5-2 to win their 40th pennant. It's been 6 long years since the Yankees have stepped into the World Series and much has changed, but what hasn't is that they're in it to win it, and anything short of that is failure (I may be paraphrasing El Capitano here).

I must admit, I'M FREAKING EXCITED! Get ready Phillies cuz the Yankees are not going to hold any punches. CC, AJ, Pet, and then CC again is just the winning combination. Be scared, very scared!

"New York, New York" and "Empire State of Mind" is on constant repeat in my head and I wouldn't have it any other way =)

- Franny.

PS Sorry bout your Angels JabberWocky, maybe you'll have better luck with the Phillies! But I sure hope not =)

Bleeding Blue.

2009-10-15T13:12:00.001-07:00

This is a (less factual) counter-post to JabberWocky's preview of the ALCS.

I choose the New York Yankees to win the ALCS (and WS) for the following reasons:

THEY ARE THE BEST.

Besides having the best record not only in the American League but in the entire MLB during the regular season (yes, it does matter even in the post-season!), they are the most stacked. Stacked with horses and other big and strong animals. There's a good balance of youngins and veterans that make for a deadly--and winning--combination.

Everyone is freaking out about CC pitching on short rest and even the great KO has expressed his distaste towards Girardi's choice. My take? CC is a freaking horse! A really big horse that can keep going and going and going (well a horse or the energizer bunny). I don't want him to wear out his arm because even a horse needs to change its hooves once in awhile (I really don't know where I'm going with this metaphor so I'll stop). Let CC pitch an amazing 6 innings in Game 1, and give him another 5-6 in Game 4, and the bullpen will take care of the rest.

The alternative? Joba or Gaudin. Joba has been amazing in the bullpen and honestly this is the only compliment I've ever given (or will give) Joba. Gaudin is decent, but letting him have Game 4? I really don't want a Game 5 so I'm putting my foot down on that one.

I'm well aware that the Yankees and the Angels are quite evenly matched (as shown during the season), that is why I prayed that the Red Sox would take care of them--and they let me down *sigh* But fear not! The Yankees will prevail, you want to know why? (Re-read the words in CAPS). That reason and because I toasted the baseball gods to shine on the Yankees.

Ok here's a few more reasons for those of you who are fans of reason.

Derek Jeter (Captain Clutch. 'Nuff said.)
Johnny Damon (If he learns to swing again)
Mark Teixeira (His smile will blind his opponents)
Alex Rodriguez (SHE is not the reason why he's awesome kay)
Hideki Matsui (GODZILLAAAA)
Jorge Posada (Hip hip, Jorge! Hip hip, Jorge!)
Robinson Cano (Kinda reminds me of TI, don't know why)
Nick Swisher (I don't care if he doesn't swing, he makes everyone smile)
Melky Cabrera (He's clutch in his own way, LECHE!)
CC Sabathia (Everyone says he's a horse...in more ways than one)
A.J. Burnett (I want some of that pie)
Andy Pettitte (He's just so gosh darn solid and rocking the shadow)

I really apologize to the Yankees fans who were hoping my post would totally shoot down everything JabberWocky stated in his post, but I don't have time to do the research I'm sorry! All I can say is that New York is destined for a ring this year, and it ain't going to be the Mets, so, through my philosophy skills, it must be the Yankees.

ALCS starts tomorrow folks! Don't forget to watch and cheer for them Yankees! You'll know my level of joy if in my next post I say things like "El Capitan" "An A-bomb from A-Rod" "Tex-Message" and/or "Swishalicious". Enjoy! (except for JabberWocky, he won't enjoy this series at all).

- Franny.

ALCS Preview; I Pick The Angels :)

2009-10-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Okay so the baseball playoffs are moving along very quickly and I was too busy studying to write the ALDS previews I had planned So I'm writing a preview of the ALCS instead. Enjoy :)

On Friday evening, the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees will begin the ALCS in the Bronx. These two clubs have been the best in the American League since the All-Star break and there is no reason to believe that this match-up will be anything short of a classic.

The Angels have been an inspirational story this season after they lost teammate Nick Adenhart in a tragic drunk driving accident back in April. They came together as a family, as they carry their fallen teammate's jersey as they have all season on their journey to this series, and are now playing their best baseball at the right time.

Ex-Yankee Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales have been pleasant surprises for the Angels.
Abreu, who donned the pinstripes last season, has done everything and more than the Angels could ask for in a guy that every other team in the league thought was washed up and passed on during the off-season. His plate discipline and .390 OBP has had a profound effect on others in the lineup as the Angels have become a more patient team at the plate. Surprisingly, Abreu also tallied 30 steals in the regular season (he may be the fattest guy in history to do so but I'll have to check that) making him a perfect fit in Mike Scioscia’s run and gun offense. When the Angels fell short in their pursuit to re-sign Mark Teixeira, they turned to Morales. He did not disappoint. In the regular season, the switch-hitter exploded with a .306 AVG, 34 HR, and 108 RBIs, rivaling Teixeira’s .292, 39 HR, 122 RBI Yankee debut season for roughly 1/25th of the price.

The rest of the Angels lineup may not be loaded with All-Star names but is formidable. Chone Figgins has learned from the patient Abreu, as he found a way to get on base at a higher clip this season. He reached on walks 101 times during the regular season, leading to 114 runs scored and an OBP of .395, a nice lift from his .367 2008 level. Torii Hunter, Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Rivera, and Mike Napoli stabilize the middle of the order and Erick Aybar is as good as they come in the ninth hole. The bottom line is, there is not a weakness in the Angels lineup.

The Red Sox walked Hunter in the ninth inning of the deciding Game Three Sunday, and Guerrero’s free-swinging tendencies were rewarded with a first-pitch, game-winning single. While he’s not the intimidating force that he was in years past, Guerrero can still punish mistakes. And when he does, there’s likely to be an Angel or two on base ahead of him.

You are not going to find a weakness on the mound either. John Lackey shutdown Boston in Game 1 of the ALDS and he will get the ball in Game 1 against the Yankees. Joe Saunders will take the hill for Game 2. Jered Weaver will start Game 3 in Los Angeles, and like Lackey, seemed to enjoy the spotlight against the Red Sox in the ALDS where he pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up one run on two hits and striking out seven. Mid-season acquisition Scott Kazmir will face his former division foes in Game 4; in his career, Kazmir has put up a 2.42 ERA against the Yankees, with 55 Ks in 52 IP.

A lot has been made about Joe Girardi’s decision for the Yankees go with a three-man rotation in the ALCS against the Angels. Let’s take a close look at how the Angels hitters stack up against the likes of CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte. (stats courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau)

Vs. Sabathia (Career)

Figgins – (5/16, 3BB), 1 HR, 2 SO, .313 AVG
Abreu – (3/9) .400 OBP
Hunter – (20/68), 17 RBI, .294 AVG, .351 OBP, .544 SLG
[Note: Hunter has 74 Plate Appearances against Sabathia – 2nd most against any pitcher]
Guerrero – (3/15), 3 SO
Rivera – (3/11), 2 RBI, 1 SO
Morales – (3/9), 2 RBI, 0 SO
Kendrick – (8/12), .667 AVG, .692 OBP, 1 SO
Mathis – (1/5), 1 BB
Aybar – Never Faced Sabathia
*Iztruis – (5/10), .583 OBP
*Napoli – (3/9), 1 HR, .500 OBP

*Probably will not start.

Besides Vladimir Guerrero, this Angels line-up has fared pretty well against the Yankee ace. It will be interesting to see if Angels manager Mike Scioscia will go with Jeff Mathis over Mike Napoli. Mathis has been John Lackey’s main guy behind the plate, so I expect him to start Game 1, despite Napoli’s minimal success against Sabathia. Howie Kendrick will likely get the nod over Maicer Izturis because of his success against lefties, and in particular, CC Sabathia, who may be called upon to start Games 1, 4, and 7 in this series. "I'm hearing a lot of rain. We may face Sabathia seven times," Scioscia joked.

In 2009, the Angels went 17 for 53 against Sabathia. This was good for a .321 AVG and .379 OBP.

Vs. Burnett (Career)
Figgins – (5/12), .417 AVG
Abreu – (20/64), .313 AVG, .416 OBP, 11 RBI
[Note: Abreu has 77 Plate Appearances against Burnett – 5th most against any pitcher]
Hunter – (2/23), .087 AVG, SO 7
Guerrero – (9/42), .214 AVG, 2 HR, .735 OPS
Rivera – (2/8), .400 OBP
Morales – (1/6), .167 AVG, 4 SO
Izturis – (4/16), 2 BB .333 OBP
Napoli – (4/11), 2 HR, .417 OBP, .909 SLG
Aybar – (1/5)
*Kendrick – (4/11), .364 AVG, 3 RBI
*Mathis – (2/5)

*Probably will not start.

While Figgins and Abreu have had some success at the top of the order against Burnett, the Angels have had their struggles in the heart of the order over their respective careers. However, if the Angels get runners on base there will be a lot of steals and manufactured runs because Burnett is very slow to the plate and the Angels have too much speed. Also, in 2009 the Angels were 15 for 49 against the Yankee right-hander, with a .306 AVG and a .352 OBP.

Vs. Pettitte (Career)
Figgins – (5/18), 3 RBI, .381 OBP
Abreu – (6/21), .375 OBP, 6 SO
Hunter – (8/33), 1 HR, 10 RBI, .242 AVG
Guerrero – (9/23), .391 AVG, .939 OPS
Rivera – (2/11), 1 HR, 4 RBI
Morales – (0/5), 1 SO
Kendrick – (4/16), all singles
Napoli – (5/9), .556 AVG, .636 OBP
Aybar – (7/16), .438 AVG, .471 OBP
*Izturis – (2/4)
*Mathis – (3/9), .333 AVG

*Probably will not start

Figgins, Abreu, and Guerrero have all had pretty good career numbers against the Yankee vet. While Morales has yet to figure Pettitte out in five career at bats, keep in mind that he batted .296 against left-handed pitchers in the regular season.

In 2009, the Angels went 21 for 65 against Pettitte, a .323 AVG. Their OBP was .397.

Although this Yankee three-man rotation dominated the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, they struggled mightily against the Angels all year. Collectively, the Angels hit .317 against Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte. These are the reasons why I believe that the Angels will move onto the World Series despite the Yankees being the favourites to win.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :) (except to all the Yankees fans like Franny :P)

Yanks/Twins ALDS Preview

2009-10-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

First of all let me apologize for the absence I have gotten lazy since school started but I'll try to post more, promise. Second the baseball playoffs have started and I kinda want to preview the division series for every one, so I'll start in the AL with the Yankees facing the Twins.

Why The Yankees Could Win The ALDS

The Yankees head into the postseason with the best record in baseball as winners of 103 games, having outscored their opponents by exactly one run per game. They also are matched up against theonly team that did not defeat them in 2009. Furthermore, the Yankees haven't won a playoff series since 2004 when they last faced Minnesota in October.

All of those things bode well, even if the Twins won 17 of 21 games including a 12-inning instant classic in Tuesday's one-game playoff against Detroit to get in to the post-season.

The first thing that anyone ever thinks about when looking at the Yankees is the power and depth of their lineup. New York features eight hitters with an OPS of .850 or better, while Minnesota has just three such hitters (not including the injured Justin Morneau). That is the kind of lineup that Carl Pavano (former Yankee bust), Scott Baker and Nick Blackburn will struggle with once it turns over.

Unlike previous seasons, the Yankees' offense will not rely so heavily on Alex Rodriguez to deliver in clutch situations as he will share the similar pressure in the middle of the lineup with fellow teammate Mark Teixeira.

New York's starting pitching has two power pitchers in Game 1 and 2 with CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. Sabathia struggled in April, but finished the season with a 3.37 ERA and had a 1.29 mark with a 9.26 K/9 rate during the month of September. That is the kind of a true frontline starter that the Yankees haven't had the luxury of throwing out there in Game 1 of a playoff series the past few years when the best they could throw out was an aging Randy Johnson, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown or the hittable Chien-Ming Wang.

Burnett is capable of being the best pitcher alive on certain outings, but he has always been inconsistent and had a 4.33 ERA in just under 100 second half innings. Andy Pettitte will start Game 3 and though he had a 3.31 ERA since the break, he has struggled in his past few starts. Joba Chamberlain's struggles have made Pettite going with Sabathia and Burnett in the five-game set a relative no-brainer.

The Yankees' bullpen is deeper and more dominant than it has been with Phil Hughes and now Joba Chamberlain setting up Mariano Rivera.

Other than the clear edge New York has at the plate, they are also vastly superior defensively. The Yankees were ranked 18th in fielding percentage compared to the 27th ranked Twins.

Why The Twins Could Win The ALDS

This would be a monumental upset, but in no way is it impossible. After a classic game in the final regular season contest at the Metrodome, the Twins earned the AL Central crown and now will go to New York to face baseball’s best team. The Twins had less than 16 hours to prepare for the Yankees and will head to the Bronx with a fatigued staff and without one of their franchise players in Justin Morneau, but don’t count out Minny just yet.

Over the past decade in postseason baseball, the team that comes in with the most momentum usually lifts a few eyebrows. In 2007, the Rockies won 14 out of 15 games, including the famous Matt Holliday play-in game to clinch the NL Wild-Card. From there they cruised to the World Series. This Minnesota Twins club has the ability to make a similar run. The Twins started September seven games behind the Detroit Tigers, but won 17 out of their final 21 to earn a berth. They play the game with nothing to lose and everything to win.

Contrary to belief, the Twins can actually score with the Yankees. In the regular season, they were fourth in the American League in runs scored with 817. Denard Span (97), Joe Mauer (94), Michael Cuddyer (93) and Orlando Cabrera (83) were all in the top 40. Minnesota puts the ball in play and makes things happen. They were third in the AL in sacrifice hits in the regular season. They do the little things, and they do them well.

Mauer easily was the best hitter in the AL this season and will almost certainly win the MVP. He batted .365 in the regular season with an OBP of .444. He is as dangerous as hitter as anyone in the game and if the Yankees pitch around him, they will be forced to give Kubel and Cuddyer some pitches to hit.

The lineup is peaking at the right time. Even after Morneau went down, the Twins have averaged nearly six runs a game. Delmon Young was just named the co-player of the week. Nick Punto is a pesky hitter at the end of the lineup who battles every time he is in the box and Carlos Gomez is a guy that can come off the bench and steal a huge base late in the game.

Minnesota’s staff may be a little worn-down for the series, but manager Ron Gardenhire will take it game-by-game. He will not force Carl Pavano to go six if he can see that he doesn’t have his stuff early in the game.

The Yankees don’t have a cakewalk here no matter how exhausted you may think Minnesota’s club is. You just don’t get tired at this time of year. After losing all seven regular season contests with the Yankees, the Twins are out their to prove to the world again that they belong.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

*Note: Game 1 was played today and the Yankees won 7-2 to take a 1-0 series lead

He Did It.

2009-09-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late post, this actually occurred on September 11th (apologies for not making a post about that too). Derek Jeter surpassed Lou Gehrig's record for all-time Yankee hits that stood for 72 years. Hard to describe, just watch:

I've seen it a few times already but every time I get a little emotional. Watching it at school, I will my tears of joy not to fall.

- Franny.

The Kid From Kalamazoo.

2009-09-09T22:47:00.001-07:00

Something very special happened today. No, not the Address to Congress (I didn't really watch it, neither did Cantor, he was too busy tweeting and buying Britney Spears concert tickets). Derek Jeter, shortstop and captain of the New York Yankees, tied former captain of the Yankees and Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig's all-time hits by a Yankee at 2721 after going 3 for 4 in tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't thinking about it, because pretty much everywhere I've gone this entire homestand, I've been hearing it," Jeter said. "'When are you going to get a hit? When are you going to get a hit?' I told them I'm trying." And try he did. After going 3 games without a hit, which is rare for the Yankee captain, Jeter started off the game on a high note after essentially going 0 for 12 (4 hits in each of the previous 3 games). "That's why I bunted in the first inning, I needed to get at least one hit." And then the hits just kept coming. A ground-rule double in the 5th inning and then a single to right field in the 7th gave him hit number 2721, tying him for king of hits by a Yankee with Lou.

Lou Gehrig's record had stood for 72 years before Jeter humbly hit his way to share the top spot. When that moment came, 45,848 fans as well as the Tampa Bay Rays, stood up and clapped for Derek Jeter for quite a long period of time. At that point, Yankees were still down 2-0 and when asked about the Rays clapping, he said "he didn't want to disrespect Tampa." What a guy. He just tied a record, the opposing team is clapping for him, and he feared he was being rude because everyone was cheering for him. That's the kinda guy that Jeter is, always humble.

Teammates and fellow long-time Yankees had much praise to give Derek: "I felt proud -- I got goose bumps," Posada said of Jeter's record-tying hit. "I didn't know what to do when he got it. The standing ovation is what he deserves -- I think the fans did a great job. It was a perfect moment. I think we took enough time out of the game to really acknowledge something as important as it was." Another record breaker, Mariano Rivera had this to say: "It couldn't happen to a better guy -- a guy that's always there for the team." And his other down-to-earth buddy: "I know he isn't too crazy about the spotlight, but he ought to be proud," Pettitte said. "He ought to enjoy it and he ought to feel awfully, awfully good about what he's done."

Although the game became quite exciting after Derek's 3rd hit of the night, the 2-0 Rays score still stood. That's when the rest of the Yankees wanted to make a night of it all. A-Rod score on a throwing error making it 2-1. And that's when Derek's long-time friend Jorge came to the rescue. He hit a 3 run home run to make the game 4-2 for the Yankees, and that was the final score on a historic day.

Other players from the league as well as managers had great things to say about Derek accomplishing this feat. Former long-time manager of the Yankees and current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers Joe Torre said: "What can you say? I'm tickled for him. When you start saying names like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, guys like that, it's pretty amazing." Detroit Tiger's third baseman Brandon Inge had high praises for Derek's 15 years (so far): "The hardest thing about baseball is consistency. He's got it mastered. That's the most impressive thing about it."

Tonight was a night of records. Yes, plural. On top of hitting his 2721st hit, Derek also stole his 300th career base. To all those who say his 35 years are showing, there's a big eff you (I'm censoring myself to show class just like Jeter and Gehrig). And the record will be broken (no pressure there) in the coming games. The Yankees have a much deserved break tomorrow before facing the Orioles on Friday, when my fav pitcher Andy Pettitte will work his magic. I don't want to jinx it, and I know I'm selfish, but I want it to happen on Friday. Not just because sooner rather than later is a great motto to live by, Friday just also happens to be September 11th, 8 years since the attack on the Twin Towers. New York doesn't have much to celebrate about that day, but it would be nice if they could have a little something to smile about.

His jersey says #2, but he's first in the heart of the Yankees along with all the Yankee greats.

- Franny.

RIP Ted Kennedy.

2009-08-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away after a long battle with brain cancer at the age of 77. May our thoughts and prayers be with the Kennedy family at this time.

- Franny.

The Health If I Care!?

2009-08-15T17:50:00.001-07:00

I tried to avoid this topic because honest to god I have no idea what the progression of the health debate is at this point nor did I want to read into the details. Then I thought, I write for a blog! I can write whatever the hell I want. But I really wouldn't be bringing up this topic if it weren't for me being sick...in the States of all places.

Back in my home country of Canada, I would've gone to the doctors, just to see how he was doing. But since I'm in Chicago, a step into the doc's office, especially being a foreigner, would most likely force me to forfeit my wallet. Why? Well apparently, the wealthy country of the United States of America can't afford universal health care for its good citizens (along with its illegal immigrants). This is another reason why I've stayed away from this topic: I'm a Canadian with free health care and I'm a relatively healthy young adult (except the occasional August bug). How can I understand this issue that millions of Americans are worried about?

Simple: An email from a friend named David Axelrod. Earlier this week I received and email from Axe about a website the White House launched called "Health Insurance Reform: Reality Check". It's a website that contains random people telling you all the good things about health insurance reform. I would sum it up for you, but I didn't watch any of them because none of these people look appealing to me. But the main message is this: Reform=Good. Now I understand!

What I don't understand is where did this "death panel" talk come from? Well, obviously our beloved ex-Alaskan Governor aka unimportant citizen of America, Sarah Palin, has nothing better to do these days than to assume her family, especially her Down-Syndrome baby, is under attack by Obama and his administration. Apparently the evil Obama wants old people to die earlier than they should so they don't eat up health care costs. Well when you put it that way...I'm kidding, I wasn't contemplating that for a minute (not that old people read this blog anyway; but if you're an old person and you're reading this, I apologize, I really didn't mean that). It's the old debate about euthanasia. I'm against it! If you want to die, go find a shady doctor who will inject you with "something special" so you can visit your ol' Ma. Now that I've voiced my opinion on this matter, everything should be settled right? Nope!

It seems that the "death panel" is a very serious issue that was created by the other evil mastermind of health care: Zeke Emanuel, the evil (I need a synonym for this word) brother of Rahm Emanuel. With a few carefully edited words from his many works, Betsy McCaughey, a conservative scholar (I may or may not have italicized that for effect/sarcasm), was able to make the NIH doctor into "deadly doctor". What makes ol' Betsy wrong is that Zeke has been clear from the beginning about his opposition to euthanasia. So her quote about him wanting to limit health care for "a grandmother with Parkinson's or a child with cerebral palsy" is completely untrue --especially the part about cerebral palsy because Zeke's sister suffers from it. Good going Betsy, way to be a dick.

There are many other idiots in this debate, mostly those of the far right, but what's certain is that there are no winners. Just the losers: the citizens (not the rich ones, because they get universal everything) of America. Well, some are more literal losers than others. These people are the ones who don't want government intervention in their medical woes. Sure, the government will leave it to you, but who's going to pay for your medical bills? Who's going to make things cheaper because you keep complaining about how expensive going to the doctors is? Use your brain people, without the government helping you, you'll get nowhere. If I could choose, I wouldn't want my government wasting its time with health care because there are always those ungrateful people who say, "We could've done without them."

In other important news: Shah Rukh Khan was detained at Newark Airport for two hours. No autographs were signed and no pictures were taken at this time.

- Franny.

The Best "Clean" Player In Baseball History?

2009-07-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

The first baseball game I ever saw was when I was four years old, in a game that featured the Boston Red Sox versus the Seattle Mariners and I fell in love with the game. Ever since then the Boston Red Sox have been my favourite team and my favourite player has been Ken Griffey Jr. He was my childhood hero and I always wanted to be like him, so much so that despite being right handed I would try to throw left handed just 'cause that's the hand he threw with, I would always pick centre field as my position 'cause that was his position, and when batting I tried to waggle my bat and swing just like him and when I hit a home run I would do the same thing he did (admire the hit but just enough so the other team doesn't get angry).

In 2009, "The Kid" came back to the Seattle Mariners after spending time with the Cincinatti Reds (8 1/2 seasons) and the Chicago White Sox (1/2 a season), and despite his severe (natural) decline in skills I felt jubilated and remembered all my childhood memories. However what makes Griffey even more special is his acclompishments have never been questioned not by any former players like Jose Canseco, his name never appeared in the Mitchell Report (MLB's official investigation on steroids), and he was never asked to testify in front of a grand jury.

After the year 2000, Griffey was entering the prime of his career and had 438 career HR's, the most he ever hit in one season in that span was 56 (twice), and his HR avg per season was at about 40 HR's/per season, and he was on pace to beat Hank Aaron's record. Sadly, Griffey was deprived from the prime of his career because of numerous knee injuries and never played more than 144 games in a season (2007) and in total played only 841 games out of a possible 1296 games (from 2001-2008). Seeing that people may say well he played a lot but most of those games were played after his prime, seeing as how in his prime years (2001-2004) he only played 317 games out of a possible 648, so he missed almost half of his prime (49%). However, despite all those setbacks Griffey has amassed 621 HR's, 1799 RBI's, 2733 hits, and a lifetime .286 batting average in a 20 year career and is a true first ballot hall of famer. Although 2009 has been statistically his worst ever he has still made an impact as shown in this article written by MLB writer Neema Hodjat of RealGM:

Griffey's Wonderful Season Goes Beyond The Numbers

Through July 21, 2009, Ken Griffey Jr. is sporting a .211 batting average with 10 HRs and 27 RBI, albeit with an on-base percentage of .327. Doesn't sound like a great season? Sure, he's put up much, much better numbers in the past. In fact, this will qualify statistically as his worst season ever.

However, Griffey is having a terrific season. No, I haven't lost my mind. Consider the following:

Griffey, after nine seasons away from the Pacific Northwest, has come home to the Seattle Mariners and has made an invaluable contribution to the franchise yet again. Last season, the Mariners were a 101 loss team, and not surprisingly, were severely lacking in the team chemistry department. Griffey has been a catalyst for changing the atmosphere within the Mariners clubhouse in 2009, which has contributed to improved player and team performance. The team sits at 49-44 as of July 21, 2009, and remains in the hunt for the playoffs. The Mariners need only 12 wins to match their total wins from the 2008 season.

Whether or not this team reaches the postseason, the giant leaps made by the Mariners this season cannot be denied. The foundation for a winning team must include a winning attitude, and a team that comes off a 101 loss season lacks this. Griffey, with his 20 seasons of major league experience, has helped teach this team how to win and how to have a winning attitude.

The Mariners' success in 2009 comes from several avenues: a new general manager, a new field manager and coaches, and revamped roster have each played a major role in the team's improvement. However, do not underestimate the effect of the leadership and accountability that Griffey has brought into the clubhouse. The team's atmosphere and attitude has transformed a full 180 from last season.

Ichiro, the team's current best player, was reportedly disliked by many of his teammates last season. Such thoughts have disappeared this season, due in large part to the tone set by Griffey in the clubhouse. Last season's walls have been broken down, and the players have once again embraced the concept of being not just a team, but a family. Griffey has been able to connect with Ichiro in a manner that few previous teammates have, and Ichiro, feeling more comfortable than he has in a while, has turned in one of his best seasons ever. Someone with Griffey's stature commands respect from all of his peers.

So, Griffey has returned home and helped improve the attitude and clubhouse atmosphere surrounding the Mariners. But, the real reason why Griffey's 2009 season should be celebrated follows in the answer to this question: when is a stat line of .211, 10 HRs, 27 RBI better than a line of .310, 23 HRs, 77 RBI?

The answer: when the former comes from a player that has performed while clean, and the latter comes from a player that has reached those numbers by using performance enhancing drugs. A 39-year-old player naturally will have declining stats. With age, hairs turn grey, daily nicks and pains become tougher to deal with, injuries nag a bit longer, and swings slow down. With PEDs, you can temporarily cheat the aging process and put up statistics that match those from peak years. Griffey, a certain first ballot hall of famer (note that there are far fewer first ballot hall of famers than we originally thought just a few years ago), should be applauded, as his numbers, while not the best, are real.

Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Manny Ramirez and Rafael Palmeiro put up magnificent numbers throughout their careers. In fact, the numbers were a bit too magnificent, as all cheated to reach their statistical heights. Additional names will most certainly be added to this list.

While no one can say with one hundred percent certainty that any player has been clean throughout his career, I would bet the farm on Ken Griffey Jr. He starred right out of the gate at age 19, continued as the best player in baseball throughout his 20's, and slowed down a bit with injuries as he reached his 30's, as did his numbers. Now, as a 39-year-old, he's still producing, although not nearly like he did in his younger days. But, the beauty of Griffey's season is that he's performing like he's supposed to – like a 39 year old. Griffey, unlike many others, chose not to cheat life's natural aging process. For these reasons, his 2009 season, while not statistically his best, is nonetheless terrific, and should be celebrated.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

An Extraordinary But Still Ordinary Joe

2009-07-20T07:43:00.000-07:00

This past winter, while sidelined due to back surgery, Joe Sakic broke three fingers in a freak snow blower accident outside his Colorado home. The injury raised some eye brows. What was a multi-millionaire athlete doing plowing his own driveway? Well, that's just Joe being Joe.

Throughout his 20 NHL seasons, Sakic remained humble and down-to-earth. He was never the most exciting player off the ice, but on the ice he displayed a unique combination of skills and smart that allowed him to compile 625 goals and 1,641 points.
On Thursday, just two days after his 40th birthday, Sakic officially announced his retirement. He isn't retiring at the top of his game. Few players do. But when healthy the past two seasons he showed himself to be an intelligent player – one who could use his experience to overcome the erosion in skill that eventually afflicts all players.

It was his health that ultimately led Sakic down the path of retirement - he played only 69 games in his final two seasons. In the end, it was the snow blower that prevented Sakic from returning from back surgery. In the most disappointing season of his career, he played just 15 games, tallying two goals and 12 points.

Sakic cannot be accused of hanging on too long. After all, just three years ago he scored 100 points for the Avalanche, and he had 87 points in each of the prior two seasons. All things considered, his downside was relatively brief – only a couple of years.

The end of Sakic's magnificent tenure in the NHL makes me think of what critics said in 1998. They opined that Sakic was on the downside of his career and that Peter Forsberg would have to assume more of the offensive responsibility in the coming years. They weren't suggesting that Sakic was washed up, but merely that his best days were behind him.

They did have a point. Sakic had just experienced the two worst offensive seasons of his career. Once a durable player, injuries plagued Sakic in the first few years after the the Avs' Stanley Cup in 1996. Because of these injuries, many wondered how much longer Sakic could be an effective player.

As it turns out, that speculation was pre-mature. Incredibly, he went on to amass 662 points after the age of 30 – mostly in the dead puck era. He led Colorado to another Stanley Cup in 2001 and the next season he was Canada's best player at the Olympics. He had two goals in four points in the gold medal game against the United States en route to being named tournament MVP.

Who in Canada will ever forget the image of Sakic breaking in alone on Mike Richter of the U.S. and beating him with him his trademark wrist shot, essentially putting the game out of reach. Canadians from coast to coast rejoiced in the knowledge that gold was close at hand. It wasn't quite like Paul Henderson's goal in the 1972 Super Series, or Mario Lemieux's in the 1987 Canada Cup, but it has a special place in Canadian hockey history.

Here in 2009, Sakic steps out of the spotlight with two Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy, a Pearson Trophy, a Lady Byng Trophy, a Memorial Cup, and of course an Olympic Gold Medal.

Joe Sakic accomplished it all, yet he remained a reluctant superstar. He is a paradox: ordinary and extraordinary at the very same time. He didn't seek the spotlight, but he didn't wilt when the light shone upon him. Instead he continually lifted his teammates and carried them upon his capable shoulders. For 20 seasons, he was so much more than an ordinary Joe.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

The Most Trusted Man in America.

2009-07-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

A great man died today. A man whose face appeared in the living room of millions of households every night for 19 years. Walter Leland Cronkite Jr passed away today at the age of 92 after battling cerebrovascular disease for many years.

For those who knew of him knows that he was the face of the news, the man who truly represented journalism. There were many before him and many after, but he was and always will be a staple in the world of news. Before the 24 news cycles, the left/right pundits, and the blogosphere, Walter reported the events of the day and everyone listened. He was the definition of journalistic integrity, and not too many can come close in comparison.

Walter was there to report the Kennedy assassination, gave first hand reporting from Vietnam during the war, and played a crucial role in exposing the Watergate scandal. His list of notable stories is endless. The importance of each one emphasized by him and remembered by all.

I was not around during the prime of his success, but I have been greatly influenced by his character and his ability to report the news honestly. Many say that true journalism is fading, and when I think about the loss of Tim Russert and now Walter, I am almost tempted to believe it. I think journalists these days have to try harder to just report what is happening in the world to the world. The "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude is exactly what's destroying journalistic integrity. Journalists have to maintain the path that men like Walter had paved for them in order for the world to respect their work.

I am deeply saddened about the loss of Walter and I am further discouraged about the current state of journalism and where it may head without the guidance of a great pioneer. I truly hope that this sudden and terrible loss of Walter will awaken the passion of journalists so that they may continue to build upon what Walter had indubitably started.

Rest in Peace Walter Cronkite.

And that's the way it is.

- Franny.

Big Headlines.

2009-07-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

I was going to save this news for when I'm not super tired but it's too juicy to wait.

Kim Jong Il, dictator of North Korea (unbiased material here folks), has been (rumored to be) diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to South Korea and China intel. This particular type of cancer has a less than 5% survival rate past 5 years after diagnosis.

I don't often wish "ill" on anyone (nor do I often make puns that are THAT predictable), but he should step down and allow for a democratic election to take place since his son doesn't want to take his place (like Kim did for his daddy). Ok, maybe I daydreamed a bit there, but KJI really annoys me. Such a headline whore! "Wahh, the US isn't paying attention to me so I'll threaten to bomb them with my super cool nukes!" That's so childish.

But he'll most likely receive a lot of media attention for the next while, and I'm sure National Inquirer (and maybe HuffPo or Drudge) will announce he's died more than once in the coming few years.

Another big headline: Texting teen falls in manhole!

THIS JUST IN: Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso will dissolve parliament and hold elections on August 30th.

Until next time!

- Franny.

Yes and No's

2009-07-06T03:11:00.000-07:00

♥♥♥
Wowza, its been too long since I've updated. Admit it Franny, you missed me =D!

Anywhoosies, school starts tomorrow for me so I thought today is the perfect day to do a post!
For the past month-ish, I spent most of my time trying new things so I will share with you some of the things that worked for me and some that didn't.

Product #1:
Lush Tea Tree Oil Toner 4/5♥
The price was very reasonable and it does it job as a toner. I've noticed a decreased in acne and the pores seemed to be less visible. It was very refreshing when you spray it (especially when it feels like its 30 degrees outside) however, it doesn't last that long. The product 'evaporated' after a quick 10-14 seconds.

Product #2:
Freeman Feeling Beautiful Facial PEEL-OFF MASK 5/5♥
OH. EM. GEE. This product cost me only $3.98 and I absolutely love it! After using it, it leaves my skin super smooth. It's so easy to use, and it doesn't take that much time. This product can totally replace any boyfriend. One product, everyone should buy (especially if your cheap).

Product #3:
OPI NAIL POLISH:
1) Strawberry Margarita 3.75/5♥
2) Party In My Cabana 3.25/5♥

OPI nail polish are great however, I must admit the two that I bought was a bit disappointing. Strawberry Margarita got a higher rating because the colour turned out very pink & pretty♥ however the product was just too runny. It was hard to apply and no matter how less I used, it was still very messy. After spending quite some time putting it on, I feel reluctant to remove them.

Party In My Cabana was easier to put on but it wasn't my favorite colour choice. This colour made me feel like I killed a chicken or something. Will I use this again? Most likely not. It was just an awful contrast against my skin colour. DO NOT BUY IF YOU HAVE LIGHT SKIN COLOR.

Product #4:
Joico K-Pak Style Smoothing Balm to straighten & protect 4.5/5♥
This product smells great and I felt that it gave my hair some volume after using it. At first I thought it would weigh my hair down but it proved me wrong. Besides preventing thermal damage, it is also humid-resistant! This product is great for people who straighten their hair when it is still somewhat wet because it does not stick to the straightener whatsoever (at least not on mine).

Product #5:
Hair Spray:
1) TRESemme Tres Two ultra fine mist hair spray .5/5♥
2) TRESemme Tres Two extra hold hair spray .5/5♥
These two hair spray are heart breakers. They are totally useless. Not only do they clump (..big clumps), they made my hair look like a dirty, used, greased mop. Its disgusting. When you spray it, the smell is repulsive and overwhelming. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. I gave it .5 because it did hold my hair (...somewhat) but still, avoid it at all cost. I want to throw it out but I don't know where to throw it because I've used it like twice? (I'll use to kill bugs or something- its just that gross)

TOOTLOOS! <3
♥♥♥

July 4th.

2009-07-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Happy July 4th/Independence Day everyone! On this day in 1776, the United States of America declared independence from Great Britain. This day is usually celebrated with BBQs and fireworks, both of which I hope to experience today =)

This is a special day for all of America, but this day marks another important event. 70 years ago today, Lou Gehrig delivered his emotional farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. Those of you who aren't baseball fans may find Lou Gehrig's name familiar because of Lou Gehrig's Disease. Lou was diagnosed with ALS and died a couple years after making this amazing speech. He was only 37, yet he made a huge impact on baseball and some of his records still stands today. Here is his speech, from July 4th, 1939:

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.
"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift — that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies — that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter — that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body — it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed — that's the finest I know.
"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thank you."

Every team in MLB will be celebrating this speech today. The New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig's team, celebrated by having different players such as Jeter, Teixiera, Pettitte, Swisher, Posada, CC, AJ, and Damon recite the speech. A great tribute to a great man. Very classy, Yankees!

And I must honor Michael Goldsmith, the man with ALS who petitioned the MLB to start 4ALS, to raise awareness for this disease. He threw out the first pitch today.

Now with Video: (sorry for the poor quality, trying to find a better embed right now)

Have a good July 4th everyone =)

- Franny.

Just Some Thoughts From A World Away

2009-07-02T11:35:00.001-07:00

What's up everybody? I hope you guys and girls missed me 'cause I sure have missed you :) A big thank you is in order to the wonderful Franny who despite being on a killer (and much deserved) vacation still finds time to stop enjoying every moment of it and updating the blog.

As all of you probably know I'm in Pakistan right now. At first I hated the idea of coming here but now that I'm here I'm surprisingly enjoying my time (just goes to show to not judge a book by it's cover). I've met A LOT of extended family members and still have A LOT more to meet since I have an impossibly large family :) but they're all very loving people and immensely fun to be around. I'm staying in my birth city of Lahore, and the place is awesome. The city is congested and the traffic is hell but roaming around the city and shopping is pretty awesome and the culture of the people is very lively and it's basically another city that doesn't sleep as all the shopping districts and clubs are open all night.

Anyway on a serious matter I would like to pay my respects to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, I know Franny has already blogged about it but I just wanted to do it again 'cause I grew up listening to MJ and loving Thriller, and all his other music like all his fans around the world. The world took him away too soon and my thoughts and prayers go out to the Jackson family.

Peace and Much Love To Ya :)

The Windy City.

2009-06-29T20:20:00.001-07:00

Greetings! I apologize for the lack of news, it's not my fault the world is boring =P Actually, it is my fault for neglecting the news and blogging because I've been too busy having fun in Chicago! I don't want to make this blog about me so I haven't posted much about my travels, but now I feel like I should (because I want to kay).

I walked around downtown (everywhere is downtown to me here; place with tall buildings) and went to the Chicago History Museum. I know that sounds boring but it was really interesting, they had a Lincoln area and you know how much I love Abe!

Afterwards I wanted to see Second City so I toured the inside a bit; hopefully I'll actually catch a show sometime this summer.

There's a Starbucks near there and me being the coffee fiend, I had to buy something. I'm very glad that I went to this specific store because there's a sign that told me Morning Joe (MSNBC) was going to broadcast there tomorrow morning from 5am-8am! I tried to find this event online but I couldn't, so I had my doubts. But since I'm weird, I have Joe Scarborough on Twitter and apparently he had a signing today (too bad I didn't know) and he said he'd be at Starbucks tomorrow morning. So that's all confirmed!

I have a bunch of pictures taken thus far (Green Bay and Chicago) and I'll upload them something in the coming days and link you. Right now I'm incredibly tired and since I have to wake up tomorrow at 3:30 (5 hours from now), I'm feeling even more exhausted.

Have a Good Night!

- Franny.

(I'm sorry if everything is choppy, I'm just typing what I'm thinking in my current state of tiredness. Hopefully I'll be fluent in my next post!)

Two Major Losses.

2009-06-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to news of Farrah Fawcett's death after many years of battling cancer. She was most famous for her role in Charlie's Angel. She died at 62.

The second piece of news happened within a very short period of time. I was sitting at the mall and I saw on CNN that Michael Jackson was hospitalized. Shortly after, as I sit in a hotel, I see that he has died from cardiac complications. The King of Pop was truly a superstar and his music influenced many generations. He died at 50.

Two great losses on this Thursday, June 25, 2009. May both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson rest in peace.

- Franny.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I hope all the dads out there had a fantastic father's day, I think my dad did. I bought him 5 seasons of Columbo on DVD, he's been wanting that since forever. What made it more awesome was that I bought them the day before flying here so those DVDs have traveled quite a distance and he was thoroughly surprised.

In other blog news, JabberWocky texted me the other day saying he is doing well and he's nice an safe at his vacation spot, I, for one, am very glad to hear it.

There really hasn't been much news besides Iran-related stuff recently. I have strong opinions about that one, and it may not be what most expect. I don't want to just blurt it out without explaining myself so if I have time, I will make an individual post about that.

In gossip news, I hear the very hot Gisele Bundchen and the equally hot Tom Brady are expecting a child! Move over Brangelina children, the spawns on these two tall, talented, and sexy people will sure win any cute baby contest. I would like nothing more than to be their lovechild, but alas, it wasn't meant to be.

I'll feed you gossip folks a bit more of my two cents. You know what I hate reading about? Jon and Kate Plus 8 (or is it Jon Plus 4 and Kate Plus 4? Thanks SNL!). You know who I love reading about? Adam Lambert. Not only do I want to touch his hair, I really want a cd asap. And I think his bf is cute too, what a shocker eh.

For those of you who care, and I know that's all of you, I am heading to the Land of the Free tomorrow! Woo! North Dakota first and then Minnesota where I will be shopping at the Mall of America =) Oh how I love the United States of America =)

See ya'll next time! (With that accent I'll make it to Texas, yeehaw!)

- Franny.

ADD ON: Welcome to the world Andres, first tropical storm off Mexican Southern Coast. I am a hurricane junkie so expect an update with names and whereabouts all summer long. Stay safe coast-livers!

When Superman met THE Man.

2009-06-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not only the cheesy title but my absence as of late from you lovely people! It's going to be a pretty slow summer because our awesome blogger-extraordinaire, JabberWocky, is on vacation ALL summer in Pakistan. I know you all miss him, but don't worry, he'll be back come September!

Anywho, you're stuck with me for the time being so enjoy every (cheesy) moment! Now onto some news:

I know there's some sports fans out there who's followed us since JabberWocky's posts so I shall tell you only the good news: The LA Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the NBA Finals with a final score of 99-86. I was quite shocked, not because the Lakers won (I know they would), but that they didn't just lose this game and win the next one at home so there would be more celebration. I think the saddest part was seeing the Magic bench sitting there and watching the Lakers celebrate. I would've pulled a LeBron *cue drum line*

Iran is going crazy, but what else is new? I just hope the innocent stay safe and the not so innocent don't cause more damage than they already have. That's all I have to say about that situation since I have no news to report because, sadly, I am not in Iran (I would kill to be there right now).

I try to keep this blog about anything and everything, but a reoccurring topic is myself. I would apologize for my egocentrism, but that would imply I have humility, which I do not. Anywho, I'm actually going on a trip this summer as well! I am flying out to Winnipeg next Wednesday and from there I'll be cruising down to the Windy City (Chicago)! But don't worry, I will have plenty of time to blog (I hope) so you shant be deprived of posts! I was thinking I'll add an update of my interesting journey for those of you stuck at home and having no fun =)

I had a gift but it did not embed properly so apologies all!

Ciao! (I'll work on a better sign out, JabberWocky's is really kickass. I'd do the one from my old blog, Good Night and Good Lucky, but that Olbermann fellow at MSNBC is rocking that one. If you have an idea pitch, feel free to leave a comment!)

- Franny.