Tis’ the Season for a Tebow Tissy

As if you haven’t heard enough of the Tim Tebow show. Here’s our two cents, short and sweet…
Tim Tebow is a hard-working, dedicated-to-his-beliefs, natural-born-leader, great-running, awkward-throwing, great guy! He’s a strong Christian who dedicates his spare time to going out and helping the world. For an occupation, he plays football for the Denver Broncos. They are on a bit of a hot streak, (6-2). Is this because Tebow is their quarterback? Well, were they 6-2 when “the other guy” was their quarterback? Nope.
Why does everyone HATE Tebow? One argument could be because he gets too much air time on ESPN. Is it Tim Tebow’s fault ESPN has nothing else to talk about? Didn’t think so.
Another reason people hate Tebow is because of what he “preaches” after the game. Some people would call him fake. Really? So, you’re more of a fan of players brutally killing dogs, shooting themselves in the leg in clubs, and raping women than a young man trying to be a leader for what is right and what he believes in? Tebow is a great spokesman and role model for Christianity. As a Christian, it’s nice to see a successful, mainstream athlete stand for what he believes in. Everyone has their right to their own beliefs and Tebow just has the access to broadcast what his are.
We just find it comical that people build up so much hate for a good guy. Is he the best quarterback in the league? No. Has the Broncos won six football games? Yep, and Tebow was the quarterback for those games.
Throughout the Tebow dispute, I’ve been dying to hear what kind of jokes would arise in the media, and Saturday Night Live did not let me down… If you didn’t catch last Saturday Tebow skit here’s an early Christmas present on us, Merry Christmas Tim Tebow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ6vat1DIRI

Watch Out Lake-Show, There’s a New King in Town

About a month ago the NBA world was buzzing about the Los Angeles Lakers potential new acquisition, point guard Chris Paul. Hollywood would never be the same, Kobe was going to have a new sidekick, celebrities would sit court side actually interested in the game, and the Lakers were willing to dump their entire roster for him. Dictator Stern ruled against the trade and the New Orleans Hornets were looking to wheel and deal with another team.
BOOM! The Los Angeles Clippers nabbed Chris Paul, offering up Chris Kaman, rising star Eric Gordon and a few others. Headline trade right? Well, look who else the Clippers signed while everyone had their eyes on Chris Paul and Dwight Howard! Veterans Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler were added to the Clippers!
It sounds like the Clippers just beefed up one of the historically worst NBA teams, making them a serious contender for this season and more importantly the future! They are building around young Mr. Highlight Himself, Blake Griffin. And who throws the best lobs in the NBA Chris Paul.
Did you happen to catch the preseason game between the Lakers and Clippers last night? The Lakers look like they’re on their way out and the Clippers are the new attraction in town. Very bold statement, we understand. The Lakers management will pull some tricks out of their sleeve, believe us! But, for the time being the Clippers are the major attraction in Hollywood!
I know the NBA is afraid of stacked teams such as the Miami Heat, but it makes the games more fun to watch. Plus, the NBA is still making money! The Los Angeles Clippers have immediately sold out their games for the year! Money. The Miami Heat, (pre-Big Three) had the worst attendance, now they sell out every night. Money. The New York Knickerbockers’ are rebuilding the once thriving Madison Square Garden, making New York basketball attractive again. Money!
Many will complain about “the little guy.” “But, Adam, what about the smaller market teams without these stars?” Well, my friends they’ve won before. The Clippers used to be that team, and now look.
All I’m saying is the NBA had hit their all time low with the lockout! Hopefully, with all these major All-Stars finding new homes the word is spreading and anticipation is largely building! Let’s get ready for a great NBA season, even if it is short….the NBA is back!

Building a Dynasty? Not As Easy As You Think

Hey Albert,

Before you even think about walking the plank and leaving the St. Louis Cardinals for the worst attendance holding, ugliest jersey-having, awful record possessing, Miami Marlins, here’s something for you to chew on:

We literally just listed three major reasons in the previous paragraph about why the 83-79 record holding Marlins stink! Let’s take a look at history for the small markets trying to build a dynasty. For instance, the Miami Heat. They bought LeBron James and Chris Bosh, expecting to fully sweep through the entire NBA. “The Heat are gonna beat the Chicago Bulls regular season record in wins!” “Not 2, not 3, not 4, 5, 6 but 7 Championships!” This is what the nation, (LeBron) was saying. Well, we all know how that worked out. Can they win a championship in the future? Sure. Will it be as easy as they thought? No.

When you buy two or three All-Star caliber players, commit your entire budget on them and then fill in the rest of the field/court with rookies and no-namers, you get a BAD mix! We don’t care what who you are, if you’re an All-Star athlete you have a bit of an ego (except for Tim Tebow). Teams aren’t big enough for two egos, little less three egos. Albert, if you went to Miami, who would be the Miami “King”? You? Hanley Ramirez? LeBron? or Dwayne Wade? Or would it be recently signed Jose Reyes? Yeah, Miami couldn’t even handle that. In St. Louis, Albert’s the man! The St. Louis Sultan of Swat!

Al, what about Coach Oz? Would you really wanna play for Ozzie Guillen? Having him call you and the team out after every bad outing through the media. Wouldn’t you rather have Matheny in your corner, doing what’s best for yourself and the team?

AP5, did you see what happened to LeBron when he took his talents to Miami? He was the most hated person in sports! They made that title official! St. Louis is known for having the best baseball fans in the world! Fact. Why leave?

Oh you want more money? Were those millions and millions of dollars through contracts, endorsements and commercials running low on ya? As if players need to be paid more. We’re not even going to touch the money issue, but there’s a point where you should feel some sort of greed overtake you.

My final point for you Mr. Pujols is that the St. Louis Cardinals are the current World Series Championship winners! Even though you didn’t perform like you should have, everyone else did and got the job done. Add a healthy Wainwright and Holiday and the St. Louis Cardinals could be setting up for a dynasty.

Ponder that!

We’re Back and in Full Throttle

It’s been awhile since the last blog on Up and Adam. A lot has happened since the last entry, some good and some bad….real bad.

Let’s start with the basics- First and foremost, The St. Louis Cardinals did the unthinkable and won the 2011 MLB World Series. I must say there was plenty of opportunity for our writers to rant and rave about the team during their tremendous run at the playoffs, but being the superstitious blog that we are, the decision to just let them play prevailed. No one, (including Up and Adam) believed the Cardinals had a chance to even make the playoffs from ten games back. Well, they did. And the rest is history! Come to find out today the Chicago Cubs are trying to beef up their line-up and reach out to Albert Pujols. Good luck with that one Theo Epstein. No one wants to see Pujols in those disgusting Miami Marlins jerseys, (mainly because no one in Florida goes to a Marlins game anyway), and the East Coast (Red Sox and Yankees) are so tied up with their money they couldn’t afford him. If Albert decides to go somewhere other than St. Louis next year, he would be confirming the fact that he only plays the game for the money and strictly nothing else. Speaking of leaving St. Louis, Tony LaRussa has my full support in his retirement. I’ve ALWAYS thought that TLR was the best coach in baseball and his age and health were catching up to him, (did we ever figure out what that “rash” was on his face?). Walking away from the game with a championship is what little kids always dreamed of growing up, and to get the chance to do that is awesome for Tony LaRussa!

During our break the NBA began a lockout, and then ended a lockout. Players and Owners complained about how many millions they were getting while the fans suffered and had to watch hockey and relentless football highlights on ESPN. Thanks a lot guys. December 25^th games will begin again; it’s almost like Christmas for us NBA followers.

On a serious note, the Penn State scandal broke out and has put a black eye on the face of sports as a whole. Sports fanatics everywhere were forced to hear about this tragedy on ESPN’s, sports radio, news channels and newspapers. This really made everyone take a step back and get slapped with reality. It seemed like everyday for a week or two a new detail to the story would arise and as if it wasn’t already bad enough it got worse. All together, in everyway, this story saddened us. Without even liking Penn State you had to like Joe Paterno and respect that he was still going hard as a coach in his old age. You would think he would die on that field and leave that school in no other way. The awful, inhumane things that this mentally unstable, disgusting, “man” (who doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned) did ruined people’s lives. Not just the school’s, not just Joe Paterno or the President of the college, but these victims. It’s like the media was more worried about how JoePa was getting treated or what the football team was going to do. There were 45 cases of child molestation in The Report!! 45 CASES!! How sick is that? Kids’ lives were changed for the worst. Families now have to deal with this backlash. Are we sorry to see Joe Paterno, the legendary coach, have to leave the team he so dearly loved in this way? Yes. Should he have done more? Yes. Should the Graduate Assistant who witnessed this disgusting act with his own eyes get in major trouble? Yes. You’re telling us that if you were in your shoes you would tell one person and wash your hands of it? Funny how that same Graduate Assistant got hired on as a full-time coach and got promoted through the years, never speaking once about the child molestation he witnessed.

Now, more stories are leaking of coaches being accused of the same crime. Syracuse is the next school being investigated. Well, this kind of crime needs to be put to a complete stop and one day hopefully it will be. Sports is supposed to be about our heroes slam dunks and amazing catches, it’s supposed to be about the underdog, down-and-out team come back and win the World Series. We want to turn on ESPN in the morning and see the amazing highlights from the previous day, not what sad news the sports world will bring to us today.

Sorry for the wait, and we promise the next entry will be coming sooner with an up-tempo theme! Unless the Sports World has nothing uplifting to write about.

For the Desks of ESPN Executives

Dear ESPN,

I have a bone to pick with you. I’ve felt this way for sometime and now that I have an outlet to voice my opinion, it’s time for me to be heard.

There is such thing as a sports show and not a sports show. For those who don’t know, ESPN (Entertainment & Sports Programming Network) is a franchise that has vastly expanded since its start in 1979. Not only is there an ESPN, but an ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN U, ESPN3, ESPN News and ESPN Classic. The ABC/Disney-owned network has routinely showed baseball, football, hockey, basketball and soccer games as well as covering a wide range of other sporting events. My personal favorite show, which is regularly left on my television screen, SportsCenter, seems to be every man’s “go-to” show. But, you (ESPN) can only go too far. POKER IS NOT A SPORT!

Never again, do I want to turn the channel to ESPN, expecting to see a baseball game and see The World Series of Poker. How many times have you sat down and turned on the T.V. thinking, “Man I can’t wait to see what amazing play guy on poker is about to make!?” It’s not a sport; it’s not remotely entertaining and has no business being shown on ESPN. And while I’m at it, here’s a list I can do without watching on ESPN:

-The World Series of Poker- reasons stated above

-Cheerleading- I’m sorry, just belongs somewhere else

-The Little League World Series- I understand American teams playing on ESPN, but why do we need to watch a game between Japan and Korea?

-Fishing and Hunting- leave it to FOX Sports and Versus

-Skip Bayless- I don’t think anyone likes him.

-An hour of NFL, MLB, NBA in the offseason- Nothing that important is happening in the offseason, so an hour dedicated to it, isn’t necessary.

-Hot Dog Eating Contest- keep it. I actually enjoy that.

There are just some things that don’t belong on ESPN, and I believe I needed to bring this to your attention. Let’s stick to what you’re best at; bringing me the latest in the sports world and showing me the best highlights from sporting events. Let Stuart Scott give me crazy sayings and keep the arguments between Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser coming. But, drop the non-related sports programs. Though, I’d still much rather watch that than Teen Mom or Basketball Wives.

Yours truly,

The good people at Up and Adam

Running For the Sake of Running

This past Saturday I was talked into running The Scorcher Four. The Scorcher Four is four mile race in St. Louis, hosted by the good people at Missouri Running. Being an avid hater of running, conditioning or anything resembling a jog for the sake of running, I reluctantly signed up and began my training.

I have had my fair share of conditioning and running with my various basketball teams and soccer teams, but as I’m growing older, I was excited to see how I would do in this run. I try to keep my workout routine to 4-5 times a week this summer, and increased my cardio to prepare for the race. After a month or so of training with my running partners, the big day quickly approached.

Unsure of how a race worked and having numerous butterflies in my stomach, the race began and hundreds began their trek of four miles. There were all kinds of different runners. Many guys intensely sporting the thigh high shorts who took the race extremely serious. Other runners could have considered the race as a “cool down,” from their previous morning run. Few runners were like our crew, running for the fun of it.

Mile 1:

We began the run throughout the neighborhoods of University City even passing by the high school. I began passing the intense runners all the time thinking, “Four miles? This will be a breeze, I have to be at least halfway done with the race by now.” And as I was dead tired climbing the hill on Delmar, I see a sign that read Mile 2!

Mile 2:

Time to slow my roll. I lost pace and even began thinking about walking for a bit. Determined to keep a jogging pace I put my head down and kept going. As the volunteers were holding waters for the runners, I did the classic move of snagging a cup and completely missing my mouth, spilling water all over my face.

Mile 3:

Finally, to see a sign saying that I had advanced another mile was a relief to say the least. Trying to focus on my breathing, I noticed few runners slowly starting to pass. That was okay with me. My goal was to keep running the whole time and see how I would end up.

Mile 4:

Really tired, I was searching for the street I knew the race would end on. As I turned onto the road, I kept pushing myself. Hearing someone approaching me, I turned and saw a mother pushing her child in a walker. You’ve got to be kidding me!? As I saw that, I looked up and saw the FINISH sign. There was no way that this mom was going to beat me pushing a kid! I began a full out sprint for the finish. Bad idea. I started the sprint way too early, and twenty feet before the finish line I felt something coming up, and thought I was going to get sick. I mustered up the strength to calm it down and finish the run at 34:12.

I was proud of myself and my team for running the race and finishing the way we did. I have no idea how these runners enjoy running these races. I thought about those who run marathons and it quickly gave me a headache.

Headaches from College Sports, Not College Exams

The biggest trend in the sports world right now is college athletes getting paid from boosters, agents, special treatment from coaches, etc. Whether it’s Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor or the Miami Hurricanes football teams, everyone is freaking out about college athletes committing the biggest sin of all; receiving illegal benefits.

Pryor and the Ohio State debacle really grinds my gears. Pryor, doing one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard, “allegedly,” traded his Bowl Rings, jerseys and other items for a tattoo. Yes, that’s right; he needed a tattoo so bad that he was willing to risk everything he had ever worked for athletically, for a tattoo. Not only did he get into trouble, but he screwed over Ohio State’s football program, not to mention forcing legendary coach Jim Tressel to cover for him leading to his dismissal from the team. Today, the NFL declared Pryor eligible for the NFL Supplemental Draft on Monday. What kind of punishment is that? Way to set an example. Pryor initially was going to stay at Ohio State for his senior season, until these rumors of him doing illegal activities arose. So, he was late declaring for the original draft. His only “punishment” is that when Pryor gets drafted he can’t practice or play until Week 6. What kind of message is that?

Miami University has an interesting situation arising in the last week. Allegations of a Miami booster, Nevin Shapiro, giving “gifts” to Miami football players from years 2002-2010 are being investigated heavily by the NCAA. These gifts were not just the average money payments but, prostitutes were bought for players, cars, houses, jewelry, even an abortion was paid for by Shapiro for a player, allegedly. Now, the NCAA declares they are going to set precedence with Miami University if these allegations are true. The “Death Penalty,” is rumored to be the punishment for the school, (taking away Miami’s Division I title). But, there is a lot to factor into this. Shapiro is singing like a bird with these allegations due to the fact his sitting behind bars serving a twenty-year jail sentence for his own illegal actions. Some say the creditability of Shapiro can really be questioned.

Coming from a college-aged athlete, I have my own views on these situations. First, let me say that if you are privileged enough to get a full athletic scholarship to a major school, you better count your blessings. The fact that you don’t have to pay $80,000+ for an education should be treasured and not taken advantage of. In saying that, many people don’t know that a scholarship athlete is a full-time job. Outside of schooling, athletes’ days are full of training, practicing, working out and playing.

I would even address the stupidity of Pryor getting a tattoo, but the situation with Miami is definitely nothing new to college. I guarantee that there is way more situations like this happening at college nationwide, but they are able to keep it “hush-hush.” As a young, poor, college kid, if someone offers you a brand new car, or money, or jewelry for free, what are you going to do? Would it really be that easy to just say, “Oh, no thanks, I don’t need the new Mercedes.” Especially, when you see the amount of money you generate for the schools’ athletic program every Saturday when you play a football game? Wouldn’t you want a piece of the pie? It’s illegal though, that’s the bottom line.

Adults and coaches should know better than to tempt these players, but it’s a sticky situation to get into. The NCAA is really getting themselves into a pickle and some action must be taken in the future. I’m just glad I’m not the one who has to make that tough decision.

Big 12? Big 8 Again?

The Big 12 is a losing business right now. Once a powerhouse conference with Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and many other leading universities, the Big 12 was a force to be reckoned with in a wide range of sports. In recent years, the Big 12 has begun deteriorating and major universities have been looking for other conferences to call home.

It started with the talk that the University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska were leaving the conference. Colorado joined up with the Pac-10 last season and Nebraska joined the Big Ten. There were also rumors that Texas, Missouri and Texas A&M were soon to follow. The Big 12 pulled it together and were able to keep the conference intact for a season. But, the problem is arising once again.

Texas A&M is now in negotiations with the SEC about leaving the BIG 12 this season. And the rumors come back in full force. Turn on ESPN for a second and watch the Bottom-line fly with Big 12 rumors. Being from Missouri, I have much interest in these rumors. Is the University of Missouri going to finally leave the Big 12? Who knows?

To a college sports fanatic, I am trying to pay close attention to these rumors (even if it’s hard to keep up). The Big 12, once one of the strongest conferences in sports, is really losing it. Why? Could it be the money? The exposure the universities aren’t getting? What?

It’s been rumored that Missouri is going to follow Texas A&M to the SEC. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I enjoy watching Texas and Oklahoma (two of the top sports universities) compete with Missouri on the football field and basketball court. But, how cool would it be to watch Missouri play Florida, Auburn, LSU and these SEC schools play each other? So, either the Big 12 Conference pulls there act together, get their money right and get these schools maximum exposure, or they let these schools go and find what they need.

Caddy Shackin’

Let’s get the facts straight first:

Towards the beginning of the year, Tiger Woods fired the most famous caddy to carry a golf bag since Danny Noonan (Caddyshack), Steve Williams. Steve was considered by many as Tiger’s wingman, through thick and thin, Steve had always had Tiger’s back, and Tiger fired him. So, Steve went on and was hired by the up and coming, Adam Scott. This past weekend, (Tiger’s first tournament back since recovering from a knee problem), Adam Scott went on to win the Bridgestone Classic with Steve Williams carrying his clubs. After the tournament, in the heat of the moment, reporters jammed microphones and cameras in Steve’s face begging him for a controversial quote. Steve, never backing down from a fight, gave a couple jabs at Tiger saying this was the biggest win for him as a caddy in his life.

Mixed opinions:

As if there hasn’t been enough unnecessary drama in the world of golf already, but I can’t help but to have mixed emotions about this whole deal. Did I start watching golf every weekend because of Tiger Woods? Yes. I was, just like everyone else, a huge Tiger fan. Then the whole Thanksgiving fiasco happened and everyone turned on Tiger, but not his caddy, Steve Williams. Steve was almost like Tiger’s bodyguard on and off the course. They were best friends, they’re Bromance was strong. Steve helped Tiger get through the rough times and got him back on the course.

As we all know, Tiger hasn’t been the same Tiger since the incident. He’s tried a new swing coach, therapy, rehab, just about anything and everything to get his golf game back. At the beginning of the year, Tiger really seemed desperate and fired his true, blue friend and caddy, Steve. I was so disappointed in Tiger when he did that. Steve could’ve abandoned Tiger like everyone else did, when he was going through a rough time, but he stuck with him, and this is how Tiger returned the favor. A business move? Fine. But, in reality not a good look for Tiger.

Steve Williams moved on to the next one and was quickly picked up by Adam Scott. They’re second tournament together Adam won. Interesting turn of events, considering it was Tiger’s first tournament back in months. So, right after the victory, Steve went to the media and sounded off. He released all the frustration he had built up for Tiger and targeted him through words. He made an outrageous statement in saying that the win with Adam Scott was the biggest and best win he had ever had in caddying. Really?? Every golf fan rolled their eyes as they heard him say that. Oh, you mean the Bridgestone Classic was bigger than winning the Master’s with Tiger? Or the PGA Championship? Okay Stevie.

Bold statement by Steve. It seemed so immature to everyone. But, that’s who Steve is; he’s such a stubborn and rough-edged man. Steve and Tiger had the same attitude in that they wouldn’t back down from anyone and were strong in their beliefs. The old Tiger, (pre-Thanksgiving 2010), would’ve came right back swinging, (no pun intended). But, I’m sure Tiger’s publicist has trained Tiger not to. Steve went on to later apologize and said that the statements were all in frustration about being fired. Who would’ve thought there would be this much drama going on in the PGA? Seems like a bad MTV reality show doesn’t it?

They Just Wanna Play

Here we go again with the lockouts. Just as the NFL finishes up their lockout, the NBA enters into one. You’ll never hear a fan say, “Man, I’m sure glad there’s a lockout right now.” Let’s face it, lockouts are the worst. The athletes in NFL didn’t have too many other options, but the NBA players sure are exercising theirs.

A few years leading up to this point, NBA players were getting attention from the European leagues. Many ask: Why would you want to go play basketball overseas? Well, there are several reasons. First and most importantly: money. European teams were willing to dish out millions of dollars, because there is no limit to how much they can spend on a player. Not only that, but the government isn’t going to take away half of your money with taxes. In Europe, there are no taxes, so the money they would earn is the money they keep. Finally, if you are an average player in the NBA and go over to Europe to play, you instantly become an All-Star over there; a fan favorite.

Prime example would be Josh Childress. Childress was an average undrafted player in the NBA, but when he decided to leave, he just about doubled his net income while playing with a team from Greece. This caught much attention in the United States. When LeBron James’ contract was up in Cleveland and he was weighing his options on where to play, rumor was he was being offered $50 million a year to play in Spain.

Now, that the NBA has a lockout players want to continue to play ball. I mean, face it, Kobe Bryant isn’t getting any younger; his time of playing is expiring. Maybe that’s why he was quoted the other day as saying it didn’t matter where he plays, whoever pays, he’ll play.

All-Star point guard Deron Williams has already made the move to Turkey. He’s getting paid, staying in game-shape and running a team while the lawyers and players union try to figure out the business side of the NBA. In fact, the union is encouraging players to go out there and try and play for whatever team necessary. Why not? Go travel for a couple months; put some untaxed money in your pockets meanwhile keeping your game tight for the potential upcoming season.

Coming from a basketball fanatic who has no hometown NBA team, one of two things need to happen. Either David Stern and the players union get something worked out as soon as possible, or ESPN starts televising games overseas so we can watch them at home on the couch.

It’s Christmas and Everyone is Getting Gifts but Us

The lockout is over! It’s like a dam burst and the flood gates opened wide. Trades have been crazier than ever, free agents are getting signed and teams are getting a whole new look. Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth on the Patriots, (how does that happen)? Reggie Bush on the Dolphins? And the recently free convict Plaxico Burress signed on the Jets? It’s like the NFL was put into a snow globe, shaken for a couple months and then let out. Side note: shout out to Webster Groves grad, Adrian Clayborn (Tampa Bay Bucs) and Kirkwood grad Mike McNeill (Indianapolis Colts) for getting to the league. It’s fresh, new and exciting. All these teams are benefiting off the new NFL, but where do the Rams lie?

If you’re like me, I’m waiting for the Rams big comeback. But, they really aren’t making a strong case for themselves. In the 2010 draft the Rams picked Sam Bradford, which was finally a step in the right direction. Offense was finally in the heads of the Ram’s organization. I’m sick of getting the mediocre receivers that we keep adding to the team. Steven Jackson was a nice surprise but he can only do so much. Call me greedy, but I’m just used to “The Greatest Show on Earth.” I love cheering for a team that has a fast and fun offense. I mean the last couple of years the Rams offense consist of our kicker putting three points on the board at a time. Touchdowns came far and few between. So, what do the Rams do? Draft Bradford. Get the city interested in the team again. But, Sam the Ram is going to need some weapons.

When the lockout was finally over and the mayhem started, I was so excited for the St. Louis Rams to get in the mix and throw their names in the hat for Reggie Bush, Randy Moss, somebody to put people in the seats. A week goes by, nothing, while other teams are signing up the big timers and making big moves. It’s frustrating to be in St. Louis and not see the Rams make a move. It’s bad enough, us Rams fans, have to watch the football games at the overly-crowded, dark and gloomy Edward Jones Dome, but to watch a slow moving offense in that atmosphere is nothing I really want to be apart of. The least we could do is act like we are trying to get a better offense. Will the Rams win the Super Bowl? Most likely not this year, but let’s start building a team around our golden boy, Bradford. The other teams are making blockbuster moves; what are we doing? C’mon Rams!

It’s Christmas and Everyone is Getting Gifts but Us

Pre-DMB Caravan

I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite awhile now. Last year, my eyes were opened as I experienced the infamous Bonnaroo festival. The crew and I decided we were going to save a little money and experience a new music festival this summer. The Dave Mathews Band Caravan instantly began calling our names.

Chicago will be hosting the DMB Caravan this summer coming up this weekend. This line-up has got everything for every genre of music. The legendary Dave Mathews Band will be performing all three nights of the festival. Bands such as O.A.R., Michael Franti and Spearhead, G. Love and the Special Sauce, and Yonder Mountain String Band are all just a few of the great bands performing this weekend. Kid Cudi will be on stage Saturday night. The Flaming Lips will be performing a tribute to Pink Floyd as well.

Festivals like this seem to attract the hippie crowds in mass amounts. Let me assure you the crew that I’ll be attending the DMB Caravan with, are far from hippies, just major music lovers. Nowadays, there are major music and art festivals such as Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo or Coachella. The DMB Caravan is on its way to being in the same category as these major festivals with fantastic line-ups like this year’s.

DMB Caravan will be held outside along Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago. What a great venue to have concerts. I have a high expectation for this festival. My “Can’t Miss” shows this weekend include Dave Mathews Band, O.A.R., Kid Cudi, The Flaming Lips and The Wailers. Just like any other festival I’m also extremely excited to listen and watch the unknown bands and artists. It’s great to hear up-and-coming performers pour their heart out on stage to try and get recognition and fame.

Needless to say, I am extremely excited for this weekend. Look out for my “Post-DMB Caravan” review following this weekend! If you’re interested in anything about the DMB Caravan here’s the link, http://www.dmbcaravan.com/chicago-lineup/

A Game Called Greed

As of midnight last night, the NBA announced that it would officially be locking out the players. It’s a Lockout! Players are no longer to enter the teams facilities, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with other teams, and the entire league has been put on hold. The possibly of not having a NBA season in 2012 could be likely. Why is this? Because players believe they are not getting paid enough, draining the organizations funds, making it very tough to run a business.

Does anyone else find this frustrating? Frankly, as a fan, all these sport’s lockouts are like Ryan Franklin’s ERA….they stink. Who wants to see million-dollar athletes complain that they don’t get enough money for playing a sport for a job? Millions of people have dreamed when they were little kids growing up about playing in the NBA, NFL, etc. The brutal truth is that 1% of those athletes ever get that chance to play professionally. The rest of us have to resort to something different, (such as writing a blog about it).

I’m not going to sit here and say that the NBA is the only major league sport that is guilty of having a lockout. Through my lifetime, I’ve been fortunate to see the MLB, NHL, NFL and the NBA all whine and complain about how badly they get treated and force the league into a lockout. Let it be known that it’s not all athletes who are doing the complaining either. Many players are itching to hit the field/court and do what they love. But, the truth is, a lockout forms and everyone suffers from it.

The NBA is having the most outrageous lockout to me. There are ridiculously paid athletes believing they are owed MORE money than they already have. There are players that you’ve never heard of, players that have never touched the floor, and they are millionaires. NBA athletes are paid better than the NFL athletes and are still complaining they want more money. Read some player’s twitters about this joking about they’re unemployment and the unemployment lines. While the real unemployment problems and “normal” people are struggling in the job market.

This is not fair to us as fans. Give me a quarter of what they are getting paid, and I’ll suit up right away. I’m sure millions of guys feel the same way. To play the sport they love and get some good money for it, what a dream. Ever seen The Replacements? Bring it on. But, until then, c’mon guys give us a season to watch and stop being greedy.

Tiger’s Out, Is the PGA to Follow?

Everyone and their mother knows what happened to Tiger Woods that one late Thanksgiving night. Though there is speculation of what really happened, (SPOILER ALERT-DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING ON TMZ AND PEOPLE MAGAZINE), Tiger’s golf game has never been the same. So, now that all the excitement of golf disappeared virtually overnight, why should we watch golf tournaments anymore? Well, though there may not ever be a golfer as dominant to sweep the PGA like Tiger did, there are some exciting young golfers that the public should take note of.

Tiger Woods was arguably one of the most dominant athletes in his sport. He made people like me, who weren’t too excited to watch the Sunday stretch of the U.S. Open with their grandfather, want to watch the tournament Thursday through Sunday non-stop. To me, Tiger completely changed the game. He worked out, kept in shape, and became a prominent advertising king for several major companies. He married a beautiful model, was always in the celebrity magazines and was looked up too not only by the African American community, but to all inspiring young golfers. He made kids who thought golf was for old people, want to pick up a club and start swinging away.

The PGA was at an all-time high in ratings weekend to weekend, with people waiting to see how Tiger’s next legendary shot was going to come, in his “Sunday Red.” The fact is, all that came crashing down after the “family outburst.” But, when Tiger said he was coming out of his den and back to the game of golf everyone was excited to see how he did. As we know, week after week Tiger would get worse and worse, until he made it clear, that his knee needed surgery and he needed to take more time out.

Tiger wanted to make his come back at the U.S. Open this weekend but this was not within reach for Tiger. Even Tiger’s caddy, Steve Williams, has moved on to find other income, caddying for Adam Scott this weekend. The question is now, who and why should we watch now that Tiger’s out? There is good news; young golfers are starting to arise to the top and make golf fun to follow again.

Obviously, if you were a Tiger fan, it would be wrong to say you were also a Phil Mickelson fan as well. Every hero has to have a villain; you could say Mickelson was a Ying to Tiger’s Yang. Not just Mickelson we can enjoy, but young golfers like Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and many others give young golfers reason to watch this weekend. They are the future of golf right now, as we are unsure of Tiger’s future.

So, go ahead and turn the channel to ESPN, watch the U.S. Open and enjoy the young guns. Although, Tiger isn’t able to play, there are 160 other reasons to watch. Sit back, relax and enjoy the next four days of great golf.

Concert Fans Beware, You Could Be in For a Scare

I’m a huge fan of going to a live music show. What’s better than going to see your favorite artist blow the speakers and sing the songs you know by heart? Fist pumping, stereo-blasting and rocking out to whatever you love, are the main reasons people enjoy concerts, (unless you go to a calmer music show). There are concerts in which you go and see a real performer and performance; and sadly, these days, there are concerts where the performer just isn’t a real performer. Let me explain.

My first concert was at the Fox Theatre, (beautiful setting), to see The White Stripes. I was asked to go and I knew nothing of what The White Stripes were. I was in for a serious wake-up call. Jack White and his “sister” Meg, orchestrate the two-man band; Meg keeps the beat on the drums, while Jack puts on the show of a life time. Dancing across the stage hitting riffs on the guitar, balancing the piano and stroking the xylophone all the time while singing, was like seeing a five-man band perform at their best. Immediately, I was The White Stripes number one fan!

Jack White wasn’t satisfied by just having The Whites Stripes and holding the title of Rolling Stone’s 17^th best guitarist ever, he decided to join another band, The Racontuers of which I was also blessed to see live. In The Racontuers he sang co-vocals and lead guitar. Bored, White decided to create another band called Dead Weather where he performed limited guitar but mainly played the drums, equally as exciting to watch. Needless to say Jack White is a real performer who gives his audience his all every night whether it be with The White Stripes, The Racontuers or Dead Weather.

Since my first concert experience I’ve been able to see many other great live performances. Anyone from Jay-Z, to OAR, to Coldplay, to Stevie Wonder, to Kings of Leon and even Lady GaGa, I have seen some amazing performers play the most incredible live shows. These kinds of shows are what the average concert music enthusiast live for. Watch Beyonce perform a live show and you will see a woman sing her heart out, dance like no one is watching and all the while manage not to fall from wearing high-heels. These are performers!

Once we get spoiled and jaded from watching these amazing shows we start to recognize those artists who cannot perform. These are the kind of artist who sounds completely different live than they do on the radio. In studio’s today there is technology that can make someone sound beautiful even though they don’t, (ask Milli Vanilli). It’s a shame that we support people like this. They go on stage and try to dance and sing, but can’t do both so they lip sync. If we wanted to hear the DJ play your record and you’re lip syncing I could watch you on MTV Jams.

Another pet peeve of a concert enthusiast is an artist who goes on stage and yells every other word of their song. I’m not saying this is true of all rapper’s but this is common in rap shows. I’ve seen my share of rap concerts and those artists such as Jay-Z and Nas perform great in their shows. But, it’s annoying to watch a “talented” artist go up on stage and listen to them yell their lyrics along with their on-stage posse.

This recent Music Awards show Britney Spears, Kesha and Beyonce all performed. What I wanted to really focus on was not just the glitter and lightshow, but how well these similar pop artists performed and what I found was obvious. Beyonce blew me away with her perfectly choreographed dancing and flawless vocals. I was in shock to see how well she put on this amazing show and dance in these high heels. Next was Kesha, who performed an average show, yelling most of her lyrics. It seemed as though she was more interested in the flying stars and hoopla instead of the music. And last and certainly least the infamous Britney Spears was next to perform. After watching Beyonce perform, it made Britney look like a rag tag Barbie, stiff-legging her way through dance moves and lip syncing her way through the simplest song ever written. This drove me crazy. By supporting Britney’s career we are saying that any pretty person can become a million-dollar pop star, even if they can’t sing or dance or perform.

What I’m trying to allude to is that people pay a lot of money to go to a concert. Do you want to spend your hard earned money to watch an artist who isn’t worthy of it? Or go to a concert and be in awe of how hard the performers work to please their fans and audience? Whether they play an instrument, dance and sing or put on a phenomenal rap show, a live concert should be real, not some fake singing, every-other-word yelling, glitter invested show. We, as fans, deserve better than that.

Did the Heat lose, or Mavs Win?

You probably won’t believe me, but I was very indifferent about this NBA Finals. All I wanted was a great series that lasted seven games and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I really didn’t care who would win. I like Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and even “The Janitor,” Brian Cardinal. But, if the Heat would have won, I would’ve been okay with that as well. I like Dwayne Wade, Mike Bibby and Chris Bosh, I’m trying to keep my liking for LeBron James, but he’s really trying to lose everyone’s respect. As we know Game 6 the Mavericks won in Miami and Dirk Nowitzki deservingly won the MVP of the series.

Turn on ESPN this morning and watch SportsCenter, what do you see? “Dallas Mavericks Win Championship?” No. The bigger headline is that the experiment of the “Big Three,” in South Beach was a failure. If the Heat were to come short of anything other than the championship they would be considered a bust, like The Hangover Part Two.

Why does it have to be like that? Instead of watching Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler celebrate after the game, the cameras shoot right at LeBron; which is a shame. Because what the world (3 a.m. in Germany) saw was LeBron pouting his way into the locker room. The other Heat members stayed out and said “good game, congratulations.” LeBron cannot be called The King by others anymore, because no King is ring less. It’s a shame the kind of person LeBron is portraying this year.

Did you watch the postgame interviews? Any question asked by the media about the team Wade answered with a humbling response. If LeBron didn’t defer a question like a baby, LeBron answered every question he had to and referred to himself as the individual. “I work hard in the off-season, that’s all I can do this off-season. That’s how I’m coming back next year. I can only improve myself as an individual.” Not word for word, but that’s what LeBron was reminding everyone; it’s about him. I never knew this LeBron in Cleveland. I could barely listen to this interview.

Like I said before, I didn’t care who won the series. But, watching the Miami Heat play basketball the way they did in Game 4, 5 and 6 made me furious. To have that much talent and to play the way they did makes me sick as a basketball enthusiast. One pass and a three-point-shot one possession, then come down next possession and watch LeBron shoot a six-foot, bank-shot that doesn’t even hit the rim. I almost turned to channel to watch MTV’s 16 and Pregnant. Maybe he can’t handle the fact that Dwayne Wade is the man in Miami, because while Wade was making spectacular drives, LeBron was over pouting in the corner of the court.

Enough of the Heat, they lost remember? The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Finals and they definitely deserved it. Dirk Nowitzki played like a MVP, after Nowitzki “called out” Jason Terry, Terry responded in a big way, and Jason Kidd led the team like the veteran he is. J.J. Barea, the smallest, white guy on the court was playing like a crazed man, driving to the bucket carefree challenging LeBron’s shot blocking ability. Never once was Barea ever challenged at the rim, and that blows my mind. Shawn Marion, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic and Dirk Nowitzki have all made it to the Finals but could never win it. Terry and Nowitzki both lost to Miami five years ago in the Finals. That was back when Mark Cuban seemed to be another player out there running his mouth, (why was he so quiet this time?). This time it was Wade and LeBron running their mouth and look what it got them. I’m happy for the Mavs and especially for Terry, Kidd and Nowitzki. Immediately after the game last night, Nowitzki ran right to the locker room holding back the tears. He deserved that Championship, he deserved that MVP Award. Nowitzki made every else better on his team, he doesn’t play selfish and it’s never always about him. The Mavericks play the game right; they play team basketball and hard defense. By the way, the Mavericks didn’t even have arguably their second best player with Caron Butler dealing with his knee injury.

So, congratulations to the Mavericks. They played with poise and maturity, heart and skill. As for the Heat, please knock LeBron’s head back on his shoulders and get him to stop acting like a little kid. I wonder who was celebrating more last night, Mark Cuban or Danny Gilbert?

Bonnaroo: Not Just a Festival, But a Lifestyle

This blog isn’t just about sports, (i.e. Sports AND Entertainment). This weekend Manchester, Tennessee will be swarmed with 80,000 or more hippies, music-lovers and thrill-seekers. The Bonnaroo Festival started last night, and all hell has broke lose. Last year, I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in this insanity, not only with an amazing crew and VIP passes but with the knowledge to stay at a hotel.

My buddy and I drove into Manchester around midnight, decided we weren’t tired and wanted to check the scene of Bonnaroo. We really had no idea what kind of experience we were in for, or how we were going to get in. We ran into some drunk roadies for a band, and by blending in, snuck onto there bus which took us through the backdoor of the festival. After escaping the confused roadies and event security, we eventually found our way to where the party was. This scene will forever remain branded in my mind.

Upon walking toward a stage, we saw numerous people passed out face first in piles of mud, hippies passed out in the middle of a field sitting up straight, while Wale was performing and blaring from the speakers. Walking further we saw a tent packed with people dancing like a Jersey Shore club. Normally this wouldn’t faze me, but considering there was no music being played, I was a little freaked out. We later found out that each person was given headphones with the music and danced to the music that way. Needless to say this weekend was going to open my eyes to a whole new experience.

We saw so many bands and artists that weekend and the music was phenomenal to say the least. There were five major stages throughout the thousands of acres and smaller stages for lesser known bands as well. There was “trippy”, bright and colorful art placed throughout the festival. The regular Bonnaroo-er would camp out in various interesting ways, (some in campers, tents or even just under a towel hung from cars), keeping in mind that it was uncomfortably hot 24/7 and there was no bathrooms, just Porter Potties, people could never have seemed more happy, (possibly due to the drugs).

If you are a music fan, or even if you aren’t, Bonnaroo is something I wish everyone could experience. You would think that with so many people gathered together there would be numerous fights or security problems. Not once did I ever witness a problem, the people there were all friendly and seemed to be just happy to be in the presence of great music. Though I wasn’t able to attend Bonnaroo this weekend, I’m excited to follow any coverage I can coming out of it. Some could say that Bonnaroo is this generation’s Woodstock. Well, I’m just glad I’m able to say I attended it even once.

Making Hasselhoff Proud

“Dirk Nowitzki is one of the top ten greatest players to ever play in the NBA,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said during the Western Conference Finals. Nowitzki went 12-15 from the field and set a NBA record shooting 24-24 from the free throw line, scoring 42 points for the game. I was never a real fan of Nowitzki during his 16 years on the Mavericks, but this 17^th year I have a newfound respect for him and his skills.

You won’t find Nowitzki in a dunk contest or rarely on a Top Ten reel from the night before for some spectacular play. But, Dirk will tear up team’s defenses faster than a New Jersey Housewife in a diamond shop. Not only is he scoring a boat-load, but he’s clutch. In the 2-2 series with the Miami Heat, the two games that the Mavericks have won he’s hit the game-winning drive, including last night while he was nursing a 102 degrees fever.

Let’s see, a white guy who can shoot the ball and isn’t the flashiest player of them all, remind you of anybody? Maybe, Larry Bird? Well, until he wins a championship, I’d have to hold that conversation. But, Dirk Nowitzki can play some basketball. What other seven-footer can play the way he does? He posts up….at the three point line. He creates the worst match-up problems for defenses. You would think a seven-foot player could just shoot over the defense, but no, throw in Nowitzki’s deadly fade away and he can’t be stopped.

The reason I wasn’t a fan of Nowitzki’s before was because I questioned his toughness. It seemed as though he complained about every play, and he flopped at every shot. This year that hasn’t been the case. Nowitzki sprains a finger and he plays with a splint the next game. As I said before, Nowitzki was very sick last night in Game 4, but he gutted it out scoring 24 points including the winning lay-up. He can’t be stopped! He can get any shot he wants to get, whether it be a drive, a fade away or a three-pointer.

Maybe Rick Carlisle is right. I can definitely say that Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest players yet to win a championship yet. Until, he does win the title, it’s hard to say he one of the best ever, but I have a hunch when it’s all said and done, Dirk Nowitzki will get his championship.

The Bird’s Are Red, Pujols is HOT

The St. Louis Cardinals are on fire. They currently sit atop on the National League with the great record of 36-25. The Bird’s are winning despite nothing going the way things ought to. Where to start?

Albert Pujols is in his last year in his contract. Arguably the greatest player in baseball and without a doubt one of the greatest player in St. Louis’ franchise, may not be returning to St. Louis to play ball, (I know the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach as well). As far as the public knows, (supposedly we know nothing), Pujols is asking for a 10-year contract and $30 million; the Cardinals just won’t give it to him. So, there’s supposed to be a little animosity in the clubhouse? From an outside perspective, I don’t see it. Pujols has been in only the worst slump of his career, until this weekend. Welcome back to the throne, Prince Albert. In the past two games, Pujols was the hero in extra innings, against the Chicago Cubs, in front of his home crowd, punishing the leather off the ball sending it over the fence. I’ve never seen anyone hit two game-winning homeruns in back to back games, and to make it better, it was against the Cubs!

Next downfall for the Cards this season was losing ace pitcher Adam Wainwright. As soon as that information was released, you could almost hear the air being sucked out of Busch Stadium. What a loss for the organization? Pitching Coach Dave Duncan had spend so much time building a tremendous bullpen and it was slowly deteriorating right in front of him. Who was going to step up and fulfill the role? Well, even though Chris Carpenter is pitching well, his record sure isn’t doing him justice, (1-5). The top three winning pitchers for the Birds are Kyle Lohse, Jamie Garcia and Kyle McClellan. Hey, even though these guys may not be All-Stars, I’ll take that. If you would’ve told me, the Cardinals are where they are and Chris Carpenter is 1-5, and All-Star closer Ryan Franklin has virtually single-handed taken himself out of baseball, I would have said you’re crazy.

Did I mention the Skipper himself has been placed on the DL this season? Tony LaRussa’s “reaction,” (still not convinced that’s what it was), made his face look like the mob took baseball bats to his moneymaker. Not to fear, LaRussa made a swift recovery and was calling the shots as soon as he could.

Now, we have Matt Holiday listed on the disabled list for a strained left quad. But, the Cardinals won’t let that come as an excuse. Though, Holiday is one of the best players on the team this season hitting .342 and leading the National League batting race, his teammates are filling in his shoes. Lance “The Big Puma” Berkman has become an instant favorite in St. Louis. Berkman has revived his career and turned St. Louis fans from his biggest haters to his biggest fanatics within a year. Ryan Theriot has stepped up with his bat, nursing a 19-game hitting streak. Theriot came up with a huge double yesterday in the bottom of the 9^th inning extending the game to extra innings. John Jay, Colby Ramsus, and Yadier Molina all have lifted their games this season.

Bottom line, nothing could make St. Louis fans happier than to see Pujols high-stepping his way to a home plate full of the Cardinals cheering for him, meanwhile, hearing Carlos Zambrano whining and complaining about his Cubs teammates not being good enough. Go Cards!

The Ageless Sport of Golf

There is an underground competitive sports league happening right in the middle of St. Louis. This unofficial men’s golf “league” takes place in Forest Park, and is an invitation-only competition. At the Forest Park golf links in the early mornings of Monday through Fridays, you can find the men preparing for long nine holes of golf. Yesterday, I was blessed with the invitation to swing the irons with these men. Upon arrival I found that these athletes ranged from the ages of 75-85 years old. My grandfather, a regular, reached out and let me see what this therapeutic experience was all about.

My grandfather is a lifelong golfer. Everything my extremely in shape, 75 year old grandfather does in life involves golf. As a boy growing up in Indiana he caddied, throughout high school he won state championships in golf, he played in the competitive Pro-AM’s and in his 22-year retirement he hasn’t stopped caddying and playing as much as he possibly could. Six out of seven days a week, my grandfather is caddying, officiating or playing on a course. Some people pay counselors for therapy to keep sane, my grandfather takes to the links. Seventy-five years young, and sticking to his old-school roots, I’m proud to say that he refuses to ride a cart and carries his bags of clubs all of 18 holes, the entire time looking for stray golf balls; and yesterday was no exception.

This 8:30 am tee time at Forest Park has always been a tradition for these men. They put their names in a hat and pick out the foursomes they will be playing with for the day. Names like Skinny George, Wild Bill and Slick Willy left me intrigued to see if the name’s held up to their personalities. These old-timers were as full as life as any college frat kid, cracking jokes and roasting each other throughout the morning. When meeting Skinny George for the first time he asked, “You ready to play with the L-D’s.”

“Sure,” I said unfamiliar with the phrase.

“You know L-D’s stand for right? Us, Limp Dicks.”

Immediately, I knew I was in for a fun morning.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I am not the best golfer, and really just play for the fun of it. Hands down these L-D’s were taking me to school on the golf course. Though, they couldn’t drive the ball as they used to when they were younger, they could hit the ball far enough and always hit their fairways, (the two foursomes, ended up -1 and Even for the day). Though they didn’t move as fast as they once could, you would have never guessed their age by their golf game. It was refreshing to play with guys that were older and were full of life. They would give me some much needed tips on my golf game and a new outlook on life.

Golf is a weird sport like that. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can be a great golfer at age 7 or 87. What is the most popular hobby to take up in retirement? Golf. It’s one of the unique sports in which you can go out with friends, relax and take in the most beautiful views you’ve ever seen. It doesn’t matter if you are a terrible golfer or not, golf is a fun sport for all ages, male or female. As the old saying goes, “A bad day of golf sure beats any day at work.”

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience playing with the guys yesterday. And I got the sense that the guys were excited to have some young blood in their presence as well, by the way they were telling me all kinds of great stories. So, next time you see the grumpy old men going out to play a round of golf, don’t take them lightly. Those guys may have been three times as old as me, but their golf score was at least three times better than mine.

LeBron and the Hate

LeBron or Kobe? LeBron better than MJ? I have heard the arguments and it seems as though those arguments could last longer than a Willy Wonka Gobstopper. Let me come out and say the argument is dumb and a waste of time.

LeBron and Kobe are completely different players. LeBron can’t shoot, but can’t be stopped when he drives. Kobe can shoot and doesn’t always look to drive. Period. Stop comparing. They are both great players and amazing at what they do.

Now, as for the comparison between Michael Jordan and LeBron or Kobe; give it up. Michael Jordan was the best athlete and basketball player that the NBA had ever seen….IN THE 80’s and 90’s!!! Player’s were different then. Weights and the weight room didn’t seem to exist back then. Muscles and strength didn’t play the role it does now in basketball. Look at a picture of Michael Jordan in his prime, and look at LeBron James now. MJ weighed 215 lbs then and sense LeBron is “sensitive” about spilling the beans about his weight, it’s been estimated that he clocks in at 275 lbs. Did I mention, they play the same position.

My point is, look at how far the game has evolved. That goes for all sports. Athletes are freakishly taller, faster, stronger, etc. Records are constantly being broken around the sports world. Steroids? Maybe. Do I really care? Kind of. Yes, I agree that steroids and “muscle producing supplements,” ruin the authentic natural beauty of sports, but I must admit the athletes are a lot more fun to watch. I’ll save the steroid conversation for another time, because if you’re like me Barry Bonds needs to hideout in a cave far away.

Back to something that’s rarely talked about on ESPN, LeBron. Let’s look at his history. He went to Cleveland, made a suffering team (and city) one of the hottest teams in the league but couldn’t carry the entire organization on his back to a championship. He asked for help numerous times, they didn’t help him yet he was loyal to Cleveland for seven years. SEVEN YEARS, LeBron was stuck with bum players and expected to win them a championship.

The Decision: Last summer was LeBron’s downfall. Unless you were living under a rock, you saw or heard about The Decision. Dumb PR move there, (It was even rumored his own managers and agents told him not to do that show). If you hate LeBron because of the way he made that announcement, then so be it. But, don’t hate him for going to Miami. Unless, you lived in Cleveland you can’t be mad about that. Put yourself in his shoes- Where would you want to live? Cleveland or South Beach? Who would you want to play with? Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh or Booby Gibson and Anderson Varejao? If you are already making millions of dollars, would you want tons of more money or a championship(s)?

So, LeBron couldn’t carry a team by himself to a championship. Could you? Did you forget Larry Bird had Robert Parish and Kevin McHale on his team? Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman. Magic Johnson had Dr. J and James Worthy. Kobe had Shaq. All of which were Hall of Famers. Fact-No one wins championships by themselves.

Bottom line, there will always be haters. When the Heat were suffering throughout the regular season, all the haters rose up and yelled, “I told you it wouldn’t work!” Well, look where the Heat are now. I’m not saying I’m necessarily a Heat fan, or a LeBron fan, because I really just like watching good games. But, lay off the guy will ya?

It All Started with a Peach Basket

Basketball has always been my first love. Family, friends and girls will always be loved, but to me there is no other feeling than picking up a basketball, going outside and shooting the last second shot or working on your best impression of Jordan’s legendary dunks on your eight-foot rim. As a kid I would spend hours dreaming about basketball, and when I got home from school I would work on moves that I had watched from that morning’s highlights on SportsCenter. I would dream about one day making it to the North Carolina’s and the Duke’s and play for the NCAA Championship. Nothing would make me happier, than going outside, clearing my head from all problems and just playing ball.

I was awkwardly tall as a kid throughout school. At first I always believed this was a curse. Why was I a foot taller than all my friends? But, what I soon realized was that I could use this to my advantage in sports. Basketball, football, baseball and soccer were the sports I played and height was beneficial in all of them; basketball especially. When I was in middle school, basketball was a Shinkansen and I was a foreign traveler just hoping to catch a ride.

My height and skill was noticed on the court and I was contacted by an inner-city basketball team in St. Louis who had seen me play and asked to come out and play for their select basketball team, the P.A.L. (Police Athletic League) Junior Bulls. My dad took me to practice downtown and I was hit with one of the best experiences to affect my life. Here I was a shy, suburban, middle class, white, twelve year-old kid walking into a practice with all African-American kids in inner-city St. Louis. This was a whole new experience for me, not just because it was my first real select team, not just because I was the only white kid in the building, but on top of that my new coaches were big, intimidating police officers, and they were dressed as so, guns and all. Needless to say I was nervous as hell doing simple tasks such as two-lined lay-ups. After practice Officer/Coach Dace, (Head Coach/Mentor), informed my dad and I that we had a game the next night downtown and I was given my first real uniform. I’ll never forget going home and immediately putting on the extremely oversized, basic print, reversible jersey that reached my ankles. I thought it was the greatest thing ever and didn’t take it off all night, begging my parents to let me wear it to school the next day.

Game day: School couldn’t get over fast enough, thinking about the game that night was the only thing on my mind. After searching for the gym downtown with my dad for quite sometime, we quickly realized that we were in for something new. No longer were we around the Schnucks, the suburban cul-de-sacs and luxurious shopping outlets, but the broke down buildings that were boarded up and the dark corners were streetlights no longer shined. I wasn’t worried about that, it wasn’t something that really affected me, because my mind was on the game. As I walked into the gym I realized my dad and I stuck out like the Delta chapter in Animal House walking into the all black bar. All eyes felt as though they quickly shifted at us and you could hear a pin drop. Of course, this isn’t what really happened, but that feeling came over me. When the game was over and we defeated the other team by 30 points or so, I knew right away that I was blessed on being on the fastest, strongest, quickest, 12 and under boy’s team in St. Louis and East St. Louis. It was at that moment I knew I was in for a great ride.

Over those next three years, I learned a lot about a lot. I never again saw the differences in race. I was just another one of the guys. I learned about competition. I traveled and got to see the Midwest. At national tournaments after our games were over, I would look up where O.J. Mayo’s team was playing next or where Lil’ Romeo’s “ballin’” squad was playing. AAU was the greatest thing for me. I got to travel, play basketball and watch the best players play ball. In high school, I played for other teams and I would travel even further, play tougher competition and watch the best players in the world play. My favorite thing to do was to scout out the college scouts in the crowd. Who was wearing the college polo shirts and held a notepad everywhere they went? Ask anyone who has ever played AAU, there’s nothing like that atmosphere.

I have been blessed to play for great teams with great players and great coaches. At Webster Groves High School I played with guys that would go on and play in college sports. Our teams over those four years were some of the best teams to ever play in Robert’s Gym. I’m proud to say that Webster has gone nine years without losing a single conference game and I was apart of four of them. I went on to play basketball for Westminster College, a Division III team in the SLIAC conference. We played in the Historic Gym, where Sir Winston Churchill gave his famous “Iron Curtain Speech.” The program was just turning around and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the conference. In four years, I was lucky enough to become the winningest player ever at Westminster due to the fact I played with great players.

I recently graduated from Westminster and “retired” from competitive basketball. All those years putting everything I could into the sport, and now it’s over. It’s sad to think about and hard to comprehend but going to practice everyday, working out and competing is over. Basketball has given back to me everything I put into it and more. I got to learn different cultures, meet friends, watch freak athletes, travel all over the U.S. and learn what it means to lead, compete and be disciplined. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. But all this leads me to one question; what do I do now? James Naismith invented the sport of basketball with a peach basket and a few balls. He realized it was something great and at some point I bet he asked himself the same question….What do I do now?