ESPN: Suckage Continues

Lets get this straight, I still watch ESPN, but I have witnessed its decline over the years.

This happened last night.

Wow. Lebron James blocked Yao Ming. And guess what? It made Sportscenter's top 10 plays at #2.

But mind you, Lebron's NBA player profile lists him at 6'8". Yao Ming's player profile puts him at 7'6". So, if all things were equal, Lebron would have to jump 10" higher if both players had an equal vertical (they do not). Yao jumps about 6" off the ground. Lebron likely has a vertical somewhere between 30-40" (just guessing).

But wait, do you remember this???



NATE ROBINSON BLOCKED YAO! Yes. Little Nate the Great blocked Yao Ming. Nate's NBA player profile lists him at 5'9". Yes. FIVE-FOOT-NINE INCHES. So that means, all things being equal, Nate had to jump TWENTY-ONE INCHES higher than Yao in order to block them (again, they clearly don't have an equal vertical). ESPN sucks. And everyone needs to stop jocking Lebron. Many have blocked Yao. It's not a big deal when a 6'8" dude does it. It is a big deal when a 5'9" dude does it.

Hey Dumb Collectors, GET THIS

Yes, it's just a basketball.

What the hell?!

Yes, a Yao Ming Transformer. This has almost zero to do with basketball aside from Yao Ming being inside, and originally being shaped like a basketball.

Did you ever want to see your heroes being "transformed?"
What's next? A Hibachi - Gilbert Arenas transformer? "Hey Billy, look at that indiscreet hibachi grill sitting on the street." (mechanical noises) "Billy!!! that's not just a hibachi grill, it's Gilbert Arenas the transformer!" "Bobby, I think he's an Deceptacon, we should run!"

And what would a Shaq transformer look like? Maybe a Big Sceptic Tank....or a Big Diesel truck (screams unoriginal), or a Big Cactus. Or just Grimace.

source Freshnessmag.com

Got SWATTED!

How does a 7'6" dude get swatted by a 6'6"/6'7" guy?



That's how kids....

Sports, Ethics, Etc.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5708800.html

An interesting story popped up in the Houston Chronicle indicating that Miguel Tejada (insert Oakland A's chant here) is actually two years older than he reported when he signed to the league back in 1993. Wait, What?!

Yes, two years older. What's up with foreigners lying (or being mum) about their ages (see Dikembe Mutombo, Yi Jianlian, and probably Yao Ming). Tejada cites that he was a poor 19 17 year old kid that needed the money.

I suppose that's a valid excuse. I didn't grow up poor, but we were far from well-off. So I can understand the allure of being a professional baseball player, the money that comes with it, and getting out of a bad situation in general. I also understand what can happen in two years of life (see: Maurice Clarett). Obviously a lot can happen, and the money yielded based upon your talent may not be there once you're of age. [Note: sorry, I forgot the part where I transition to this section. What I neglected to include was that when you're in a desperate situation, it will make you do things that may not be in (in some persons' minds), your best interest, but when the situation is so dire, you will do things that some consider unethical or stupid (skipping college to go straight from high school; challenging a rule of age limits in the NFL) out of necessity.]

Critics will say that the talent will still be there, that it can be time spent perfecting your skills. But in all reality, poverty stricken individuals may have to resort to other means of survival. It happens all the time. College stars (or quasi stars) resort to selling drugs and committing crime for one reason or another.

Some will look to morons professional athletes like Jamal Lewis or Michael Vick who had all the money they could ask for and still resorted to crime. Some may disregard it as you can take the kid out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the kid. But that is a straw-man argument. For every criminal athlete, there are those who turned their athletic talent into a way to make an honest, albeit overpaid, living.

One of my favorite stories has become the life of Caron Butler, SF for the Washington Wizards. Butler grew up in poverty in Wisconsin, and despite juvenile convictions for drug dealing and weapons possession, managed to turn a new leaf. With the help of a local dealer (and a break from a cop), he managed to come up with the tuition to escape the harsh confines of Wisconsin and enroll in a prep school which later got him notice from Jim Calhoun (head coach of the UConn Huskies). This in turn resulted in his entrance to the NBA. Butler now gives back to the community, even showing up at a 16 year old kid's birthday party.

But these are the stories that are far below the radar of national headlines. We'd rather chastise the Vick and Lewis type of players. Making a spectacle of their sins; seldom looking towards the good that so many others do once they make it.

While the means of getting to the professional ranks should be viewed with a degree of scrutiny, let's remember a lot of it is what they do after they get there.

19 Wins....and Counting

It's strange that the first time I really step out to write about basketball it's not about the Kings, but rather about the Rockets. But 19 wins is nothing to sneeze at. Only two teams in NBA history have won 20 games in a row, and Houston aims to do that Wednesday at Atlanta. Seems like it could be a win, but then again you never know.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm a die-hard Kings fan. Hey, I even copped tickets to the game when Sactown came to H-Town. At the time I didn't know we were going to be just another name in the victims that the Rockets have taken out, but it ended up being a great game. Guess everything is bigger down here (winning column is a lot bigger than Sacto's).

It's hard to love the Rockets, but not hard to like the Rockets.

It's hard to love the Rockets because:
- Yao is sooooooooooo buttery, soft. And that's not a good thing. He plays like a 7'6" Chinese guy, meaning he's Charmin soft. If he only knew how to bang down in the post....But now he's wrapped it up for the season and the Rockets are scorching hot.

-McGrady. I used to defend him to my friend Mani. I mean come on, it was what, 3 years ago he went off for like 13 points in less than a minute to upset the Spurs. And let's not forget how purely talented he is. But I hate seeing the Rockets do the iso thing, and let McGrady stagnate the offense. Thankfully, he's been a full on team player.

- Luther Head. His name is Luther Head. It just sucks as a name (not his fault, I know). Call me prejudicial, but I've watched his game....and it's decent I guess. But his name is, and always will be, Luther Head. And he ain't no Deron Williams


But there are reasons for me to like the Rockets:

- Rick Adelman - come on, the dude gave Sacto some really great seasons, the brink of a few championships, and he got the short-end of the stick when they canned him for Eric Musselman. (Excuse me while I go vomit in the corner.....)

- Bobby Jackson - B JAX!! another left over from the golden era of the Kings. Bobby was all heart, copped 6th man award, and despite perpetual injuries (friggin abdomen!), was, as Shaikh would say, "Sooooo sick wit it."

- Justin Williams - Kings never knew how to use this guy. He had monster games (rebounding and defensively) and then would find himself back on the bench. And we're talking about a team without good rebounding or good defense. Guy gets waived in Sac, and he signs with the Rockets. I can dig it.

- Rafer Alston - Skip to My Lou?! One of the few (actually the only, I think) And-1 guys to make it legitimately in the NBA. and He's actually become a top-tier (or 2nd tier at the least) point guard. Skips been on FIRE.

- Carl Landry, Luis Scola, and Chuck Hayes - underrated bangers! scrappy guys getting it done, banging in the blocks.


So there you have it. Rockets go for 20 on Wednesday. Get em.
And since not much is going on with the Kings (although that win in LA WAS OFF THE CHAIN MANG), so for now, I'll watch the Rockets. Well that and every game is televised locally, so that makes it easier for a basketball fan to catch a basketball game.


GET EM'