Thursday, December 26, 2013

The NBA On Christmas Day Open Thread: Long Live Nick Young

The NBA On Christmas Day Open Thread: Long Live Nick Young
Watching Nick Young play basketball last season for the Philadelphia 76ers was one of the hidden joys of an otherwise worthless season. Behind Jrue Holiday’s breakout All-Star campaign, the unpredictability of the one they call ‘Swaggy P’ was reason enough to tune in.

But holy hell, I never thought he’d become a national phenomenon. Yet here we are, with the talent-deprived Lakers keeping pace with the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat on Christmas day … and all the talk is about Nick Young, his ridiculous nickname and the fact that the poor man’s version of Kobe Bryant is leading Kobe’s team in scoring. This is stupid. And crazy. And magnificent. Just like Nick freakin Young. His Kobe-sized confidence is impossible to ignore, and damn near impossible to dislike. Particularly when he’s not on your favorite team.

Long live Nick Young.


Watching Nick Young play basketball last season for the Philadelphia 76ers was one of the hidden joys of an otherwise worthless season. Behind Jrue Holiday’s breakout All-Star campaign, the unpredictability of the one they call ‘Swaggy P’ was reason enough to tune in.
But holy hell, I never thought he’d become a national phenomenon. Yet here we are, with the talent-deprived Lakers keeping pace with the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat on Christmas day … and all the talk is about Nick Young, his ridiculous nickname and the fact that the poor man’s version of Kobe Bryant is leading Kobe’s team in scoring. This is stupid. And crazy. And magnificent. Just like Nick freakin Young. His Kobe-sized confidence is impossible to ignore, and damn near impossible to dislike. Particularly when he’s not on your favorite team.
Long live Nick Young.
- See more at: http://www.thesportsfanjournal.com/sports/basketball/nba-christmas-day-open-thread-sleeved-uniforms-happens/#sthash.JQDtJyAx.dpuf

Friday, December 20, 2013

Starting Lineups: Maurice Clarett Is Not Who You Thought He Was

Starting Lineups: Maurice Clarett Is Not Who You Thought He Was

It's Friday, Time to Dance

I know I've posted this before, but I don't care. Christmas is Wednesday, and we all miss Rasheed Wallace on the court. Enjoy.


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Roy Halladay: The Workhorse Who Made You Believe

Roy Halladay: The Workhorse Who Made You Believe

Brotherly Love From A Philadelphian

I love Roy Halladay.
As Alex pointed out, we tend to analyze and overanalyze our athletes these days, and that’s all well and good. We should use advanced metrics, more details and learn as much as we possibly can about our athletes.
But Alex is right — with Roy, it’s as simple love. The love of the game. The love of the work. The love of a player who always shows up, always works his tail off, always takes the ball and always gives it what he’s got — which just so happened to be better than anything else anyone else had on most nights.
Yes, Roy Hallady was only in Philadelphia for four of his 16 MLB seasons, and injuries and age made him a stranger in the final two. But I love Roy Halladay nonetheless, and I love him for so many reasons.
For starters, Roy Halladay chose to come to Philadelphia. Yes, he was technically traded to the Phillies, but he was the one who chose Philadelphia as his destination. The best pitcher in baseball, the one Toronto player who was the envy of the Yankees and Red Sox and everyone else, chose to come to Philadelphia in his quest for that elusive World Series ring.
That alone made Phillies fans so happy that some brilliant genius started a blog with the express purpose of going to the zoo with him.
The second he donned those red pinstripes, every Phillies fans imagined more parades down Broad Street, a dynasty led by the best pitcher in baseball. We had heard all about Roy Halladay, but we only knew what we heard. I hadn’t watched much of Halladay over the years, him playing for an American League squad that didn’t exactly conjure good memories for Phillies fans. But the expectations were so sky-high it would be near impossible for anyone to meet them.
Anyone but Roy Halladay, that is. Because not only did Roy live up to expectations, but he far, far exceeded them. In his first season, all he did was toss a perfect game, win a Cy Young, dominate from start to finish and lead the Phillies to the best record in all of baseball. Then, in his long-awaited postseason debut, he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds and later staved off elimination pitching with a pulled groin.
It was far and away the greatest pitching season I’ve ever seen from a Phillie, and he damn near did it again in 2011.
Roy Halladay was perfect. Roy Halladay was masterful. And Roy Halladay made everyone believe he could do damn near anything. He struck out batters yet was economical with his pitches. Walks were a four-letter word for him. He threw more complete games, more innings than all the rest. And he just kept going and going and going, giving his team not only a good chance to win every five days, but an absurdly great chance to win.
Watching him the past two seasons struggle with injury and age and command was one of the most difficult things to take, witnessing a legend fade. Here was the workhorse who made us believe, the workhorse who made Blue Jays fans believe and Phillies fans believe and baseball fans believe, failing to be what he always was.
But these past two seasons haven’t change a damn thing. Halladay — injured, aged, battered — kept going out there, kept taking the ball, kept working his ass off and kept making no excuses. For 16 seasons, he dominated the way few ever have. And in five more years, he should be taking his rightful place in Cooperstown.
This morning, Roy Halladay took out an ad in the Philadelphia Daily News thanking the Phillies and the fans, being the class act that he is. But really, he shouldn’t be thanking us. We all should be thanking him.
I love Roy Halladay, and I sure as shit would love to go to the zoo with him. — Joe aka @RevPaulRevere
- See more at: http://www.thesportsfanjournal.com/sports/baseball/roy-halladay-workhorse-made-believe/2/#sthash.gYBPF6Vr.dpuf


Brotherly Love From A Philadelphian

I love Roy Halladay.

As Alex pointed out, we tend to analyze and overanalyze our athletes these days, and that’s all well and good. We should use advanced metrics, more details and learn as much as we possibly can about our athletes.

But Alex is right — with Roy, it’s as simple love. The love of the game. The love of the work. The love of a player who always shows up, always works his tail off, always takes the ball and always gives it what he’s got — which just so happened to be better than anything else anyone else had on most nights.

Yes, Roy Hallady was only in Philadelphia for four of his 16 MLB seasons, and injuries and age made him a stranger in the final two. But I love Roy Halladay nonetheless, and I love him for so many reasons.

For starters, Roy Halladay chose to come to Philadelphia. Yes, he was technically traded to the Phillies, but he was the one who chose Philadelphia as his destination. The best pitcher in baseball, the one Toronto player who was the envy of the Yankees and Red Sox and everyone else, chose to come to Philadelphia in his quest for that elusive World Series ring.

That alone made Phillies fans so happy that some brilliant genius started a blog with the express purpose of going to the zoo with him.

The second he donned those red pinstripes, every Phillies fans imagined more parades down Broad Street, a dynasty led by the best pitcher in baseball. We had heard all about Roy Halladay, but we only knew what we heard. I hadn’t watched much of Halladay over the years, him playing for an American League squad that didn’t exactly conjure good memories for Phillies fans. But the expectations were so sky-high it would be near impossible for anyone to meet them.

Anyone but Roy Halladay, that is. Because not only did Roy live up to expectations, but he far, far exceeded them. In his first season, all he did was toss a perfect game, win a Cy Young, dominate from start to finish and lead the Phillies to the best record in all of baseball. Then, in his long-awaited postseason debut, he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds and later staved off elimination pitching with a pulled groin.

It was far and away the greatest pitching season I’ve ever seen from a Phillie, and he damn near did it again in 2011.

Roy Halladay was perfect. Roy Halladay was masterful. And Roy Halladay made everyone believe he could do damn near anything. He struck out batters yet was economical with his pitches. Walks were a four-letter word for him. He threw more complete games, more innings than all the rest. And he just kept going and going and going, giving his team not only a good chance to win every five days, but an absurdly great chance to win.

Watching him the past two seasons struggle with injury and age and command was one of the most difficult things to take, witnessing a legend fade. Here was the workhorse who made us believe, the workhorse who made Blue Jays fans believe and Phillies fans believe and baseball fans believe, failing to be what he always was.

But these past two seasons haven’t change a damn thing. Halladay — injured, aged, battered — kept going out there, kept taking the ball, kept working his ass off and kept making no excuses. For 16 seasons, he dominated the way few ever have. And in five more years, he should be taking his rightful place in Cooperstown.

This morning, Roy Halladay took out an ad in the Philadelphia Daily News thanking the Phillies and the fans, being the class act that he is. But really, he shouldn’t be thanking us. We all should be thanking him.

I love Roy Halladay, and I sure as shit would love to go to the zoo with him.
















 

Brotherly Love From A Philadelphian

I love Roy Halladay.
As Alex pointed out, we tend to analyze and overanalyze our athletes these days, and that’s all well and good. We should use advanced metrics, more details and learn as much as we possibly can about our athletes.
But Alex is right — with Roy, it’s as simple love. The love of the game. The love of the work. The love of a player who always shows up, always works his tail off, always takes the ball and always gives it what he’s got — which just so happened to be better than anything else anyone else had on most nights.
Yes, Roy Hallady was only in Philadelphia for four of his 16 MLB seasons, and injuries and age made him a stranger in the final two. But I love Roy Halladay nonetheless, and I love him for so many reasons.
For starters, Roy Halladay chose to come to Philadelphia. Yes, he was technically traded to the Phillies, but he was the one who chose Philadelphia as his destination. The best pitcher in baseball, the one Toronto player who was the envy of the Yankees and Red Sox and everyone else, chose to come to Philadelphia in his quest for that elusive World Series ring.
That alone made Phillies fans so happy that some brilliant genius started a blog with the express purpose of going to the zoo with him.
The second he donned those red pinstripes, every Phillies fans imagined more parades down Broad Street, a dynasty led by the best pitcher in baseball. We had heard all about Roy Halladay, but we only knew what we heard. I hadn’t watched much of Halladay over the years, him playing for an American League squad that didn’t exactly conjure good memories for Phillies fans. But the expectations were so sky-high it would be near impossible for anyone to meet them.
Anyone but Roy Halladay, that is. Because not only did Roy live up to expectations, but he far, far exceeded them. In his first season, all he did was toss a perfect game, win a Cy Young, dominate from start to finish and lead the Phillies to the best record in all of baseball. Then, in his long-awaited postseason debut, he no-hit the Cincinnati Reds and later staved off elimination pitching with a pulled groin.
It was far and away the greatest pitching season I’ve ever seen from a Phillie, and he damn near did it again in 2011.
Roy Halladay was perfect. Roy Halladay was masterful. And Roy Halladay made everyone believe he could do damn near anything. He struck out batters yet was economical with his pitches. Walks were a four-letter word for him. He threw more complete games, more innings than all the rest. And he just kept going and going and going, giving his team not only a good chance to win every five days, but an absurdly great chance to win.
Watching him the past two seasons struggle with injury and age and command was one of the most difficult things to take, witnessing a legend fade. Here was the workhorse who made us believe, the workhorse who made Blue Jays fans believe and Phillies fans believe and baseball fans believe, failing to be what he always was.
But these past two seasons haven’t change a damn thing. Halladay — injured, aged, battered — kept going out there, kept taking the ball, kept working his ass off and kept making no excuses. For 16 seasons, he dominated the way few ever have. And in five more years, he should be taking his rightful place in Cooperstown.
This morning, Roy Halladay took out an ad in the Philadelphia Daily News thanking the Phillies and the fans, being the class act that he is. But really, he shouldn’t be thanking us. We all should be thanking him.
I love Roy Halladay, and I sure as shit would love to go to the zoo with him. — Joe aka @RevPaulRevere
- See more at: http://www.thesportsfanjournal.com/sports/baseball/roy-halladay-workhorse-made-believe/2/#sthash.gYBPF6Vr.dpuf

Friday, December 6, 2013

Starting Lineups: Joe Frazier’s Statue Is Finally Approved, 20 Years Too Late

Starting Lineups: Joe Frazier’s Statue Is Finally Approved, 20 Years Too Late









It's Friday, Time to Dance

On Tuesday night, the two leading candidates for the NBA's Rookie of the Year — Orlando's Victor Oladipo and Philadelphia's Michael Carter-Williams — each posted a triple-double as the Sixers edged the Magic 126-125 in a double-overtime thriller.

Turns out, Oladipo has some chops too.



That's a multitalented individual on several levels. Nicely done. Enjoy the weekend.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Villanova Stuns Kansas, Goes on to Win Battle 4 Atlantis

This past week Villanova traveled down to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. The Wildcats' journey through the tournament led them to a Friday night semifinal showdown against second-ranked Kansas. I love Villanova basketball, and even I thought that the Cats had a 0% chance of winning that game. Kansas was just too talented, and especially too big, for the Wildcats to have a shot to compete with the Jayhawks.

And five minutes into the game, my lack of confidence was being justified. 'Nova trailed 11-2 and was something like 0-7 from the field. I was prepared to take in a long, frustrating game. Even though I had no expectations for the game, it is never fun to watch your team get completely out-classed and overwhelmed.

But then things started to change. A couple buckets went down. The team seemed to settle in a little bit. Slowly you could feel the tide start to change, and that change was reflected on the scoreboard. That early 11-2 deficit turned into a 29-22 Villanova lead at the half. As cold and out of sync as 'Nova was to start the game, Kansas was to end the half.

Much credit goes to coach Jay Wright for the turnaround. For much of the half, Villanova played a hounding, smothering, three-quarter court trap. The trap was effective at forcing turnovers, and even when it didn’t force a turnover, it never allowed Kansas to get into the flow of their offense. Stan Van Gundy, who was calling the game for NBCSN (and who did a fantastic job by the way), mentioned how Kansas is used to teams sagging off of them and allowing them to move the ball freely and shoot the jumper, choosing to force them to make jump shots rather than give their incredible athletes an opportunity to drive to the basket or to dump the ball into their post players, where against many college teams they have a sizable size advantage. Sizable size advantage, that sounds weird, but I digress.

Villanova would have none of that, instead pressuring to the max, making Kansas work to get the ball up the court and guarding super tight, which forced freshman phenom Andrew Wiggins into several traveling turnovers.


So at halftime, my whole perspective changed. My team had a seven-point lead. I certainly wasn’t putting the W in the bag, but I was feeling confident and letting myself entertain thoughts of an upset.

The second half was a half of runs, with the teams taking turns bursting and then answering. 'Nova had managed to increase its halftime lead to 11 with about 7 minutes remaining, but the lead evaporated following a 13-1 Kansas run. The Wildcats looked out of gas, and with the frenetic defensive pace they were playing in the first half, no one could blame them.

With the lead relinquished, I had lost all hope. In the end, Goliath was too big, too strong. My team had put up a valiant effort, acquitted themselves well, given hope for the rest of the season, but an upset was not in the cards. I won’t let such doubt absorb me when it comes to this team anymore.

With 13 seconds remaining, Villanova was inbounding the ball from its offensive baseline. Darrun Hilliard and Dylan Ennis had been the best outside performers for the Cats all night, so I expected the ball to go to one of them and let them make a play, or send it inside to JayVaughn Pinkston. Instead, sophomore Ryan Arcidiacono (who hadn’t made a shot from the field all night and had just one point on a free-throw in the opening minutes) curled off of a couple screens to come free near the corner. He caught the pass, rose up and drained a three-pointer to give Villanova a two-point lead. I was going wild, but there were still 10 seconds left and a plethora of talented Kansas players who could make a play. But Frank Mason missed a three-pointer, James Bell got the rebound, and he iced the game with two clutch free throws with just seconds left.


It was an incredible game, and I was going wild. Villanova is now 4-1 in its last five games against top-5 opponents.

One other tactical move I want to point out besides the trap is the decision to front the post most of the game. Villanova was outsized at two and sometimes three positions the entire game. Obviously there would be times where Kansas tried to exploit that. And on countless occasions, you would see a Kansas guard holding the ball, looking into the post. And you would see a smaller Villanova player fronting his man, denying an entry pass. It proved to be effective throughout most of the game, and I thought it was another great call by coach Wright. And props to freshman Josh Hart, who spent much of his night doing the dirty work down in the post defensively, and who did a great job.


Villanova moved on to face 23rd-ranked Iowa in the championship game. I didn’t know what to expect after the energy that had been expended the night before. After a solid start, turnovers started to plague the Wildcats and they fell behind.

Somehow the Wildcats were able to erase a 15-point second-half deficit to force overtime and managed to pull out a gutty overtime victory to claim the Battle 4 Atlantis championship.

Villanova fans have to be incredibly proud of the toughness and energy their team was able to show in two hard-fought games on back-to-back nights. It is a great asset to have two quality wins, including a signature win, just seven games into the season. With their great run in the Bahamas, Villanova has gone from unranked to 19th in the USA Today Coaches Poll and 14th in the AP poll. The rest of the season should be pretty damn exciting.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Dez Bryant and the Wide Receiver Personality Paradox

Dez Bryant And The Wide Receiver Personality Paradox

Terrell Owens. Randy Moss. Two of the greatest wide receivers to ever step foot on the gridiron.  Over 15 seasons, T.O. compiled 1,078 receptions for 15, 934 yards and 153 touchdowns. Randy Moss managed 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns over 14 seasons, and even added two passing touchdowns and a kick-return touchdown. Both have amassed team and league records. Along the way there were spectacular catches and clutch catches and hilarious celebrations. And yet these two incredible athletes are known as much for their sideline/off-the-field antics as they are for their fantastic achievements on it.



Watch any Dallas Cowboys game this season and you will see another incredibly talented wide receiver who seems to be cut from the same cloth as Owens and Moss. That receiver is Dez Bryant. Watch the Cowboys play and the chances are you will see Dez Bryant rack up somewhere around 100 yards receiving and probably a touchdown or two (he has 61 receptions for 851 yards and eight touchdowns through 11 games this season). You will see him make a spectacular catch, or a clutch catch, or a spectacular clutch catch, and you will most likely marvel at his ability and wish he was on your team.

But you will also see him look around with arms spread and palms up after every pass his way that goes incomplete. You may hear references to a checkered past, the details of which I won’t repeat here. And you may see a sideline implosion, with Dez ranting and raving and seemingly screaming at his teammates (NFL Films audio released the day after an incident this year seemed to indicate that the rant had a much more positive message than the video conveyed). Regardless of the message, the video can’t help but bring back memories of T.O. pacing the sidelines screaming at everyone in sight or of Randy Moss walking off the field in frustration before the final seconds had ticked off the clock.


Petulant. Selfish. Arrogant. These are adjectives that you will hear people sometimes throw around in the case of star athletes, and especially in the case of star wide receivers. But using these words and picking out a specific incident to justify their use is insufficient. As we have seen in the case of Dez’s sideline rant earlier this season, the video doesn’t always tell the whole story, and we don’t always have the full context of what is really going on.

Are there times where these types of players act petulantly, or selfishly, or arrogantly? More than likely, yes. But it is these same qualities that help make them great, that take them to that next level, that make them stand out.

To get to where these men get, you have to be somewhat arrogant. You have to be incredibly confident. You have to have a ton of passion. And when we see this combination spill out in a fit of frustration, it looks petulant and selfish and arrogant. When we see T.O. or Dez screaming on the sidelines or hear Keyshawn Johnson scream, “Give me the damn ball,” it’s not coming from a place of selfishness, of me, me, me, of I want to pad my stats. It’s coming from a place of wanting to win, wanting to be a part of helping the team win, and truly believing that getting them the ball is the best way to make that happen.

A parallel from another sport is my favorite athlete of all time, Allen Iverson. Yes, Allen Iverson took a lot of shots. But Allen Iverson took a lot of shots because he honestly believed that him taking a lot of shots gave his team the best chance to win, and most of the time he was absolutely right. Allen Iverson was far from perfect. He will be the first one to admit that, and sometimes the incredible pride and confidence he had that allowed him to become the greatest little man to ever play the game, or the “best pound for pound player of all time” as Lebron James would put it, sometimes manifested itself in negative ways, such as a less than ideal approach to practice or a neglect to take care of his body the way he should. But I wish that every athlete that ever stepped on a field or a court would compete with the intensity on a night-to-night basis that Iverson did, and I wouldn’t trade the privilege of watching him play for my favorite team for 10 years for anything.

I also had the opportunity to watch T.O. play for my favorite team for a short while, and for all the drama and the headaches, it was worth it. Because I knew every Sunday he would be out on the field doing his best to help win the game, and in doing so making incredible plays and providing countless memories.

Although this personality paradox can manifest itself in any athlete in any sport, it is particularly prevalent amongst wide receivers. DeSean Jackson, though not on the level of the other guys mentioned here, is an incredibly talented, play-making wide receiver who has been known to make a scene or have his attitude questioned by some. Even the seemingly mild-mannered Andre Johnson recently had a sideline spat with his quarterback and an early exit from the field, though it got much less scrutiny in the media than Randy Moss’ did. So even the most well-behaved of star wide receivers can occasionally fall victim to it. The very personality traits that allow them to excel and reach the heights of their profession and provide those spectacular moments and memories for the fans are the same traits that can lead to some sideline or off-the-field drama. You have to take the good with the bad, because without the bad the good wouldn't be there to enjoy.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Starting Lineups: The Impending Chaos Of The 2014 NBA Offseason

Starting Lineups: The Impending Chaos Of The 2014 NBA Offseason







It's Friday, Time to Dance

The most anticipated NFL game of this weekend is the Sunday night match-up between the undefeated Kansas Chiefs and the high-powered (albeit hobbled) Denver Broncos. So with that in mind, here is a statistically inaccurate rap by Kansas City Chiefs fans, including of course a name drop of our old pal Andy Reid.


Friday, November 8, 2013

Starting Lineups: Sympathy For Andrew Bynum

Starting Lineups: Sympathy For Andrew Bynum



It's Friday, Time to Dance

Tonight, the Sixers host the Cleveland Cavaliers, and while Andrew Bynum's return to the place he never actually played will get plenty of attention, it is Kyrie Irving everyone will really be watching. That's because Kyrie Irving is really, really good.

So with that, here's Kyrie having a dance battle with a South African student.



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

How Twitter Has Changed My Fandom (And Writing)

How Twitter Has Changed My Fandom (And Writing)

TSFJ’s 6 NBA Players Of Intrigue For The 2013-14 Season

TSFJ’s 6 NBA Players Of Intrigue For The 2013-14 Season

Andrew Bynum because I fully expect him to put up 25-12 playing with Kyrie Irving, re-establishing himself as the best young big in the league, and becoming a perennial all-star … all without ever having stepped foot on the court during his remarkable Philadelphia 76ers career. But then again, this is Cleveland, and we all know God hates Cleveland … which may explain why Bynum still has not actually stepped on the court in live game action yet — and is still not cleared to play. Can I change my answer to watching Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings — two of my favorite players in the league — in Detroit? I guess not, since I already destroyed Joe Dumars. Bynum it is. - See more at: http://www.thesportsfanjournal.com/sports/basketball/6-nba-players-intrigue-2013-14-season/4/#sthash.RhcVL8yh.dpuf
Andrew Bynum because I fully expect him to put up 25-12 playing with Kyrie Irving, re-establishing himself as the best young big in the league, and becoming a perennial all-star … all without ever having stepped foot on the court during his remarkable Philadelphia 76ers career. But then again, this is Cleveland, and we all know God hates Cleveland … which may explain why Bynum still has not actually stepped on the court in live game action yet — and is still not cleared to play. Can I change my answer to watching Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings — two of my favorite players in the league — in Detroit? I guess not, since I already destroyed Joe Dumars. Bynum it is.








Monday, October 28, 2013

Second-Guess the Coach: Chip Kelly

Yesterday the Eagles laid their second straight egg, failing to score a point offensively and losing their 10th straight home game. The defense, which was supposed to be the Achilles heel of this team, played its second straight strong game. The offense, which was supposed to carry this team to any wins the Eagles got this season, which was supposed to be revolutionary, did absolutely nothing for the second straight game.

Yes, I know there are quarterback problems. But teams are scoring points with Terrelle Pryor and Geno Smith and Mike Glennon and Ryan Fitzpatrick and Thad Lewis, so over the course of two games, an offense should be able to muster something regardless of who the quarterback is. The Eagles haven't, and that brings me to my obligatory day-after-loss, second-guess the coach post.

Chip Kelly has made some, shall we say ... curious decisions in his first eight games as the Eagles head coach. Chip is a likeable guy. Chip has a lot of experience on a football field. There will naturally be some growing pains and a learning curve for a coach jumping from the college ranks to the pros. And he inherited a terrible team. There was a lot of roster turnover and glaring holes at a lot of positions, and it will take time for Chip to address these issues and to construct the team the way he would like to have it constructed. But as the baffling decisions begin to pile up, at some point they must be called out.



The first thing that bothered me happened before the game even began. It involved the week of preparation leading up to the game. It was pretty evident that Mike Vick was not 100%. Now I fully support the decision to start him. He gives you the best chance to win, and you hope that at 70% or so he can get the job done. Starting Mike is not my issue.

Quick story. I had some quarterback issues of my own on one of my fantasy teams. I had Andrew Luck on a bye and an injured Jay Cutler as my backup. I found myself needing a quarterback to play this week. I received a trade proposal offering me Vick. As I was mulling it over, the sender texted me asking if I was going to accept it. My response was, "Yeah, I wanna do it, but I'm scared that he will get hurt in the first quarter." I ultimately used the waiver wire to find a quarterback.

Now if I can see this situation coming from my couch in the suburbs, how can the coach of the team who is with the team all the time and is getting paid millions of dollars not see it coming? Why not do a near even split with the first-team reps in practice, knowing that there was a very real possibility that Vick wouldn't last the game, so that your rookie backup could feel that he had some semblance of preparation should he have to come in the game? It was a lack of foresight and preparation that I find baffling.

OK, so then the game starts. The defense is playing well; the offense is not. Even when they move the ball, the rookie quarterback does a rookie quarterback thing and messes it up. This brings me to the first of four in-game decisions that were curious, to put it lightly.

Your offense finally moves the ball. You reach first and goal from the Giants 2-yard line. You have one of the best running backs in the league. And you have a rookie fourth-round pick quarterback in the game. There is no reason why you wouldn't run the ball at least twice. Frankly, if you can't run for two yards you don't deserve to score anyway. But Chip decides to throw, the rookie quarterback holds on to the ball too long, fumbles, and you come away with nothing. I've spent the last 14 years yelling at my TV, "Run the bleeping ball!" when the Eagles were inside the 5-yard line. I got a new coach and with him a new hope that those days were behind me. Instead I was left there sitting and having Andy Reid flashbacks.



First drive of the second half, trailing 12-0, you find yourself in a 4th and 10 from the Giants 32. Chip elects to go for it, doesn't get it, turnover on downs. I believe in the postgame press conference he said something about the wind being an issue at that end of the field. And we all know that Alex Henery has been less than consistent this season. Even with those factors, personally I still would have sent out the field-goal unit. But I could understand your reservations, if you hadn't trotted out the same FG kicker the week before for a 60-yard attempt. Attempting a 60-yarder, which under most circumstances makes very little sense, makes even less sense if you are scared to send him out for a 49- or 50-yarder the very next week.

Around 10 minutes left in the game you run into a 4th and 4 from the Giants 47, now trailing 15-0. This time Chip decides to punt. He said his reasoning was because he knew the defense could get a stop. But that still doesn't make sense. If you fail to convert, you should still be able to count on that stop if you are so confident in it. And the reward of going for it and converting far outweighs the risk of turning it over on downs around midfield.

And finally, the onside kick. You finally score thanks to a gift from the Giants special teams. There are a little over four minutes left in the game. You have one timeout. Chip decides to kick the onside kick. Chip cited the fact that he only had that one timeout as the reason he felt the need to go for the onsides kick.

I couldn't disagree more. If you kick onside and don't get it, then even if you get the stop you need you will more than likely be pinned deep in your own zone. Now you have to drive the whole field, with a rookie QB and no timeouts, to try to tie the game. If you kick it deep and get the stop you need, you most likely get the ball somewhere between your own 30 and midfield, greatly improving your chances at getting the needed score score. Kicking it short also opens the door for the possibility that you do get the ball back, but only after the Giants have kicked a FG that puts the game out of reach. If you kick it deep, you eliminate that possibility because if they end up getting into FG range the game is already over anyway because of the time situation. Recovering an onside kick has such a low probability that there was really no upside, no reason, to do so in that situation.

It's far too early to make any kind of final analysis of Chip Kelly. Maybe he gets his feet under him, adjusts to some of the differences between the pro and college game, gets some of his own personnel in here, addresses the shortcomings this team has talent-wise, and becomes a very good head coach for the Eagles. He certainly has the potential. Or maybe these baffling decisions continue to pile up, the team continues to struggle despite upgrades in personnel, the team continues to meander its way through irrelevancy, and it becomes evident that the Eagles have made a mistake in their coach selection.

Whatever the Chip Kelly era ends up being in Philadelphia (and hopefully it's good because if not and the Eagles got this wrong then they are back at square one again), the in-game errors that in the first few weeks were dismissed as "rookie" head coach mistakes that would not be reoccurring have begun to lean toward being tendencies, and that is not a good sign for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Starting Lineups: The ‘Golden’ Miami Hurricanes

Starting Lineups: The ‘Golden’ Miami Hurricanes

It's Friday, Time to Dance

Wednesday night, I will be in attendance for the 2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers' season-opener, in which they will most assuredly lose by 50 points to the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat. At said game, Allen Iverson will officially announce his retirement in front of the fans who watched him go from excited rookie to leading scorer to troubled star to MVP and back, so might as well enjoy a little Allen Iverson name dropping from Nas.



The Sixers are going to be entertainingly, historically awful, and frankly I can't wait.

Friday, October 18, 2013

Starting Lineups: From Peyton Manning To Andrew Luck, Colts Fans Have Nothing To Complain About

Starting Lineups: From Peyton Manning To Andrew Luck, Colts Fans Have Nothing To Complain About

It's Friday, Time to Dance

Jim Leyland did some gutsy managing in Game 5 of the ALCS with his team down 3-1 in the series, which turned out to be a stroke of genius as the Detroit Tigers pulled off the victory and have a chance to tie things up tomorrow against the Boston Red Sox.

So now is as good a time as any to enjoy the dancing moves of Jim Leyland.



Dallas Sucks.

Monday, October 14, 2013

A Fabulous Football Weekend

There was plenty to look forward to this past weekend for football fans in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania. Saturday evening Penn State hosted undefeated, 18th-ranked Michigan, looking to rebound from an ugly 44-24 defeat at Indiana, the first time the Hoosiers have ever beaten the Nittany Lions. Then on Sunday, the Eagles traveled to Tampa Bay looking to build off of their win over the Giants the previous week and knowing that a W would leave them no worse than in a first-place tie with the hated Cowboys.

Now I was hoping to write a bit more of an in-depth piece, perhaps even dedicating a piece to each game, but work sucked today and the man is holding me down and I really just want to get into relaxation mode, so instead I'm just going to touch on a few things from each game. As we all know, Penn State used an improbable comeback and four overtimes to upset the visiting Wolverines. And Nick Foles played a stellar game in leading the Eagles to a second straight win on Sunday.



I'll start with Penn State. What an amazing game. As a fan, just the excitement level and the roller coaster ride of a game that it was was just fantastic. Penn State builds early momentum and a lead at the half, only to see all of that completely reverse on the opening drive of the second half with a Zach Zwinak fumble that got returned for a touchdown.

And that brings me to my first point. I am tired of Zach Zwinak running the football. He is big and slow and in my opinion should be a fullback, only touching the ball a few times a game. Instead, he leads the team in carries. He is averaging 4.3 yards per carry, but it really seems like the majority of his runs are for 2 or 3 yards, especially in recent weeks. Bill Belton is far more explosive and has more characteristics of a prototypical halfback, and I would like to see him start to get the majority of the carries. I would also like to see promising sophomore Akeel Lynch get some more action. He showed some good things when he got some time early in the year, but has all but disappeared as of late.

Anyway I had to listen to the third quarter and a bit of the fourth on the radio because I was heading to the Rev's house, and the reception was shoddy at best. I managed to hear Michigan take a 10-point lead. I got to Rev's in time to see Sam Ficken hit a field goal to cut the lead to 7. And then Penn State has the ball, still down 7, with only 50 seconds remaining and no timeouts, and a true freshman quarterback playing in his first home Big Ten game. Rev and I were prepared to move on with our nights activities, figuring there was no way they would be able to mount a touchdown drive in that situation. But then they did. If I remember correctly, it took four plays, two incredible catches by Allen Robinson and a QB sneak by Christian Hackenberg.

The second thing that stood out to me was the play of Hackenberg. He is playing in his first Big Ten home game, in front of 108,000 people, on national television, against an undefeated rival. After navigating a successful first half, how would he respond to a miserable third quarter that saw Penn State get outscored 17-3 and saw the halftime lead turn into a deficit? He kept making throws, kept his team in the game, got enough to get Ficken into field-goal range to cut the lead to 7, then lead one of the most incredible and exciting drives I've  ever seen. Sure, he's made some mistakes, some misreads, some poor throws, some poor decisions. But overall he has been very good, showing a good arm and, most impressively, incredible poise. As he continues to mature, he gives Penn State fans a lot to be excited about.

And finally, the play of Allen Robinson. I can't say enough about this guy or what he means to this team. He has consistently been one of the best players on the field this season, and continues to work his way into the conversation about the best receivers in the entire nation. Not only does he consistently put up big numbers, but his two catches on the Nittany Lions' game-tying drive were epic. First, an incredible, somehow-keep-a-foot-in-bounds-as-the-rest-of-your-body-dangles-over-the-sideline beauty that was initially ruled incomplete. Then another beauty jumping over a defender and falling in bounds at the one-yard line to set up the game-tying sneak by Hackenberg. Just incredible plays in their own right, not to mention the circumstances under which they took place. Kid is a stud, and it's a pleasure watching him week in and week out.



After the Nittany Lions' instant classic, it was on to Eagles-Bucs on Sunday. Like I said, the Eagles looked to build off their win in the Meadowlands against a struggling Bucs team. Other than trying to get a second win in a row, evening their record a 3-3 and try to remain atop the NFC East with the Cowboys, the story line was Nick Foles making his first start of the season.

Foles did not disappoint. All he did was go 22-31 for 296 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding another touchdown on the ground. He was decisive with the ball and spread the ball around, hitting eight different receivers. He managed to help Riley Cooper actually be a factor in the game, and DeSean Jackson continued his stellar season. Shady did what we have come to expect Shady to do, and the offense was in rhythm pretty much all afternoon. It was a very impressive performance from the second-year QB.



The defense stepped up as well. Sure, the Bucs started Mike Glennon at quarterback and were missing Mike Williams due to injury. But the Bucs still boast playmaking type players in Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson. The defense allowed only 3 points in the second half, and one player really stood out to me. People expected players like Fletcher Cox and Mychal Kendricks to have good seasons, and they both played good games on Sunday. So to did DeMeco Ryans, who was all over the field while rounding up 12 tackles. But the player whom I was most impressed with was one who no one really talked about during the offseason and one who plays for the Birds' most beleaguered unit, the secondary. That player was Bradley Fletcher. Fletcher had several nice pass deflections and added an interception as well. It was really nice to see someone step up on what has been an absolutely atrocious secondary for two years now.

All in all it was a great football weekend for Philadelphia and Pennsylvania — hell the Steelers even won. While expectations will remain tempered at Penn State as the program navigates the NCAA sanctions, the team provided its fans with a all-time great win and a reason to hope as things go forward.

For the Eagles, they moved their record to 3-3, and have set up a huge match-up with the hated Cowboys that will end with one team gaining a leg up in the standings and taking sole possession of first place as we approach the midpoint of the season. Nothing is better than an Eagles-Cowboys game that has meaning, and it should be a fun week leading up to it. Dallas Sucks.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Starting Lineups: Sports Can Save Us All

Starting Lineups: Sports Can Save Us All

It's Friday, Time to Dance

Well, this one is pretty easy. Enjoy DeSean Jackson salsa-ing his way into first place.






Friday, October 4, 2013

Starting Lineups: Some ‘Fans’ Need To Just Stay Home

Starting Lineups: Some ‘Fans’ Need To Just Stay Home

It's Friday, Time to Dace

The Eagles, like the rest of the NFC East, aren't very good. So might as well join in on the amazingness that was late '80s/early '90s nostalgia.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Runner's High Race Primer Review

Race Primer Review
As a runner, I wanted to share my review of this drink mix from Runner's High called Race Primer. It's not a sports drink aimed at hydrating and keeping you full of electrolytes. It's a drink mix that you take before you run, bike, swim, etc. to "prime" your body for your workout. You should basically save it for your long runs, hard runs, and races. They recommend not taking it more than 3 times per week or you can build a tolerance to some of the effects. This is referring to the caffeine and if you are already a regular coffee drinker, you've already built up that tolerance to some of the benefits of caffeine. Basically if you don't get a regular caffeine fix, then you should take it before races for it's benefits. If you do get a regular caffeine fix, then you should still take it before your race for the remaining benefits and to avoid suffering from caffeine withdrawal. The only reason you shouldn't get some caffeine in before your race is if you have a caffeine sensitivity or a low tolerance. If that's the case and you can't handle caffeine then you shouldn't take this at all.

Side stitches are a problem for runners if they eat or drink too much before running. This is true for me as well, but Runner's High made this to mix with a small 4 ounces of liquid. That's less than 3 shots worth. You can see the final 4 ounce mixed serving in the last picture. I take it about an hour before I run just to be safe. It's not a delicious concoction, but it's not bad and also not a lot to drink. Runner's High said the caffeine makes it bitter and they didn't want to put too much sugar in or make you have to drink too much. They don't use artificial sweeteners either, so it's a natural mix. It's definitely drinkable though and the glass is empty before you know it, but I recommend mixing it with some lemon-lime gatorade instead of water if you want to take away the slight bitterness. It becomes almost tasteless mixed with 8 ounces, but that's too much to drink before running for me. Side stitches are not an issue for me before cycling though so I can eat or drink as much as I want. Sometimes for long rides I would mix this in with my sports drink and sip it as I went.

Race Primer Review Serving SizeThis basically replaces the pre-race coffee, energy drink, gel, flat coke, or whatever you've been using before. The label says it increases aerobic energy, improves time to exhaustion, protects against high blood acidity, clears more ammonia, increases cardiac output, and stimulates the nitric oxide system. I can't specifically point out which of those things are happening, but I know that something is happening.  This puts me in an awake and ready to run state and yet I am also relaxed. It's not something that made me hyper and jumping out of my skin only to burn out shortly after. I was a believer after my first use when I took it before a long run. I never felt like my leg muscles were really burning with effort even on the steepest hills. It felt like the only thing that was limiting me was how much air I could pull in. I beat my Broad Street Run 10 mile race time that night. For those that don't know, the Broad Street Run is flat as a pancake and the 10 miles I had just run on Race Primer had several significant hills. I even felt like I had more left in me after I finished, but decided I shouldn't overdo it. You still need to hydrate and get calories in during your run or your legs are going to run out of steam eventually, but this helped make the long run fly by.

Race Primer Final Mix Since then I have used Race Primer many more times and love it. It helped me to a half marathon PR and makes me feel the "runner's high" with every workout. One mistake I made was when I once used it for a long run in the evening and I couldn't fall asleep until about 3am. I now stick to using it in the morning only.

It's listed for sale at $29.95 which works out to about $1.25 per serving. That may be more expensive than a normal sports drink, but this isn't a sports drink. When people are paying $3 for a 5 Hour Energy shot, I don't think this pricing is that bad at all for what it brings to the table.

Overall I think it's a great product for it's purpose and I recommend giving it a try. If you can handle caffeine and aren't afraid of a few shots worth of bitterness, then I don't see any reason not to.

You can find more detailed information about Race Primer at the Runner's High website here: http://www.runnershighnutrition.com/race-primer/

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Cliff Lee Is Still The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived

Cliff Lee: 8 innings pitched, 14 strikeouts, 0 walks, 3-for-4 at the plate, 1 run, 4 RBI, a triple. Yep, he's still the greatest man who ever lived.


Honoring A Hated Rival: The Uncomfortable Case Of Mariano Rivera At Fenway Park

Honoring A Hated Rival: The Uncomfortable Case Of Mariano Rivera At Fenway Park






Friday, September 6, 2013

The REAL Top 10 Wide Receivers In The NFL, 2013 Edition

The REAL Top 10 Wide Receivers In The NFL, 2013 Edition

My list:
  1. Calvin Johnson
  2. Larry Fitzgerald
  3. Brandon Marshall
  4. Andre Johnson
  5. A.J. Green
  6. Dez Bryant
  7. Reggie Wayne
  8. Julio Jones
  9. Victor Cruz
  10. Roddy White






Starting Lineups: Danny Trevathan, DeSean Jackson And Being A Football Moron

Starting Lineups: Danny Trevathan, DeSean Jackson And Being A Football Moron


It's Friday, Time to Dance

Since this is the first weekend of NFL football and the second weekend of college football, it's going to be football overload for a while. So to break the monotony a bit, here is a healing song for Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo.


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Penn State vs. Syracuse: 'Who Gives a Shit About Bubbles?!?'

In my nearly 30 years on this planet, I have seen Penn State play up in East Rutherford at the Meadowlands complex more than any other place outside of Beaver Stadium. I was there for a couple of the now-defunct Kickoff Classics vs. USC (a victory in 1996 and loss in 2000), witnessed them trounce Rutgers with Bobby Engram running a fumble he picked up in for a touchdown at the beginning of the game, and even saw them play and destroy Temple in Giants Stadium in 1996.



Saturday I was able to add another chapter to bearing witness to Penn State playing at the Meadowlands, as the Nittany Lions topped Syracuse at MetLife Stadium 23-17 in the season opener behind a stout defense and just enough offense. And while the game was all well and good — particularly last year's goat, Sam Ficken, and true freshman quarterback Christian Hackenberg taking home Big Ten honors — the highlight of the entire trip came well before kickoff.

I departed for the game at approximately 11 a.m. with two of my longtime friends, both of whom were roommates of mine during our college days at Penn State. Surprisingly, we hit virtually no traffic the entire way, even as we approached the Meadowlands, leaving us plenty of time to tailgate. The first thing we noticed, which was no surprise, was that the vast majority of the parking lots were filled with Penn State supporters, with very little orange in sight despite this being an official Syracuse home game. We also noticed a lack of, let's say, aesthetic beauty.

Anyway, we posted up and began eating and drinking when something pretty hilarious happened. Across from us was an interesting-looking family — a large, athletic-looking guy with a tough-guy feel to him, his wife that looked a bit off and two young boys. The father was tossing the ball around with one son, as the other was running around. A little later, the father and his two sons were tossing some bean bags when the smaller of the boys tugged on his dad's pant leg and asked him where the bubbles where. The father's reply?

"Who gives a shit about bubbles?!?"

It had us laughing our asses off, and the dad turned toward us and said, "Fucking bubbles!" He was clearly disgusted with his young son discussing bubbles at a football tailgate — and he had no qualms about using the foul language in front of him. Quite entertaining if a bit concerning.

A little later, that same young boy was looked at by medics after falling, but he was fine — just a little scrape on his arm or something. It was quite a different tailgate, that's for sure.

After a couple hours in the parking lot, we headed in and prepped for the start of the college football season. In line, surrounded by Penn State fans, a rowdy group of college-aged Syracuse fans began some chants they found to be extremely clever, such as, "BOWL GAMES! BOWL GAMES! BOWL GAMES!" Because, you know, Penn State should be jealous of Syracuse's impressive résumé of bowl games since the Nittany Lions can't go to any for a little while. Admittedly, it was a tame chant, but it did prepare the Penn State fans in attendance for the few Orange fans that actually bothered to show up.



We got to our seats in the end zone and got all settled in. There were a few Syracuse fans around us, including a drunk, obnoxious woman who eventually was escorted out after causing a fight, but it was mostly Penn State fans surrounding us. It was a remarkably comfortable day, our view was great and we were ready.



Penn State received the opening kickoff and had its drive stalled in Syracuse territory. Nothing noteworthy there … except the fact that reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year Allen Robinson did not see the field the entire drive. That had me scrambling all over to find out why in the world the team's best player wasn't on the field. I sent out texts and hit Twitter, finally learning that Robinson had been suspended for disciplinary reasons. At first, the tweet I saw reported he was suspended for the game, but turns out he was just suspended for the first half. No one knows why, exactly, since coach Bill O'Brien would not disclose the reason and Robinson was muzzled after the game. My guess is he missed a class or practice or curfew or something, but that's purely speculation.

Anyway, without Robinson on the field and with a true freshman quarterback under center, Penn State moved the ball a bit but could not get any points on the board. Then, to close out the first quarter, O'Brien put sophomore junior college transfer Tyler Ferguson in the game, who promptly threw a strike for 18 yards on his first play … only to fumble on his second, losing the ball as he cocked to pass. That led to a field goal by Syracuse to take a 3-0 lead, and it also led to Ferguson spending the rest of the game on the bench. One drive, one turnover and one lost chance to become the starter moving forward.

From there, it was Hackenberg's show, and the freshman impressed. However, he could not cap off any drives with touchdowns, and he wasn't helped by the play-calling of O'Brien.

Penn State did take a 6-3 lead into halftime as Sam Ficken continued to show his remarkable improvement by easily connecting on back-to-back 36- and 35-yard field goals, but the offense was sort of stagnant without Robinson. A large reason for that was because O'Brien was calling quite the curious game — something that continued the entire way. He repeatedly called for Hackenberg to do it all in just his first start, quickly neglecting the running game after it got off to a slow start. But at the same time, O'Brien would not let Hackenberg go all out in 3rd-and-long situations, often running with little chance of getting a first down. Also, the tight ends weren't seeing a ton of balls, especially Kyle Carter, which I found odd as well. I love Bill O'Brien, but Saturday was not his finest play-calling game.

Still, Penn State took the lead despite two turnovers — Hackenberg threw a pick in the second quarter — thanks to a stout defense. Syracuse could not get a damn thing going on the ground, as defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and company were getting repeated penetration, allowing Glenn Carson to sniff out the ball carrier time and time again. On top of that, minus a bad breakdown by Adrian Amos on one play, the young secondary stepped up. Stephen Obeng-Agyapong was outstanding, flying all over the field, and sophomore corners Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams held their own nicely.

Still, the 6-3 margin didn't provide a ton of excitement. Thankfully it wouldn't take long for the excitement level to turn around in the second half, thanks to Allen Robinson.

After Penn State forced a punt on Syracuse's opening drive in the second half, Robinson entered the game and immediately made an impact. And I mean immediately. On his first play, Hackenberg hit Robinson for a 25-yard completion. On the very next play, the freshman went back to his top target, and Robinson dashed 51 yards for a touchdown, 13-3 Penn State. Two plays, two catches, 76 yards and a touchdown. Allen Robinson is fucking good.



That had the crowd amped and me really pumped, directing a few, "Uh, ohs" at some Cuse fans because our stud was back. Of course, the Orange came right back and scored its first touchdown of the game on the very next drive thanks to the aforementioned blown coverage by Amos, making it a three-point game again.

However, Penn State was able to hold on for the 23-17 victory, as Ficken followed his perfect first half by remaining perfect with a 46-yarder, while Hackenberberg connected with Geno Lewis for a 54-yard touchdown pass thanks to all the attention Robinson rightfully received following his first two plays.

Still, it wasn't all roses for the Nittany Lions. Hackenberg threw an absolutely atrocious interception late in the game, which led to Syracuse's second touchdown that put the outcome in doubt. On the play, Robinson was in single coverage. No matter what the play call was, Hackenberg or O'Brien should have changed the play to make sure it went Robinson's way. No one did, and then Hackenberg showed his greenness, tossing a horrid interception into double coverage. Not good, particularly with Robinson, who had seven catches for 133 yards and a score in just one half of football, in one-on-one coverage. Like I said, not the finest play-calling performance by O'Brien.

On top of that, tight end Matt Lehman went down in a heap without being touched in what looked like an ACL injury. It looked bad. Turns out, Kyle Carter also hurt his arm, and while it's not serious, it could explain his zero catches. Then there was the loss of linebacker Mike Hull, who ran off the field on his own accord but did not return either. That's not good considering he was expected to be the most versatile and potentially best linebacker on the roster.

Still, Penn State was able to come away with the victory in its opener, something that didn't happen last year. The defense was extremely impressive, with Obeng-Agyapong the clear standout. He was definitely the defensive player of the game, if not the player of the game, and his teammates — namely Jones and Carson — were outstanding as well.



On top of that, Hackenberg looked very, very good in his first start despite a couple of freshman mistakes, Robinson was inarguably the best offensive player on the field and the biggest difference maker, and Sam Ficken looks like he definitely has put his struggles from the first half of last season behind him for good.



Not the most impressive game ever, but a fine start to the season. Can't wait to see what the Nittany Lions have in store the rest of the way.

Friday, August 30, 2013

It's Friday, Time to Dance

Since I wrote this yesterday about Grant Hill and his fellow 2013 NBA retirees Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd and Tracy McGrady, I figure there's no better time to share Grant Hill and his wife doing Frank Ocean's "Thinking 'Bout You."


Friday, August 23, 2013

It's Friday, Time to Dance

This is a treasure trove of Allen Iverson mentioned in songs that I will surely access often in this space, particularly since the most exciting Philadelphia 76er of my generation recently formally announced his retirement from the NBA.

Today we kick it off with Busta Rhymes dropping A.I.'s name.


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Charlie Manuel Deserved A Better Ending

Charlie Manuel Deserved A Better Ending















Thanks for everything, Charlie.