The Shoe Revolution- From Air Jordan's to Air Penny's

Recently the new Air Jordan's shoe was released. An interesting design to be sure but as they have been in the past they are more about fashion then as a 'Basketball Shoe". The picture (shown) makes the shoes look a little out there but actually look better when you see them in action on the court.

There is little doubt that the basketball shoe revolution began with Michael Jordan and his custom personalized shoe. Shoes were shoes before the Nike Air Jordans hit the market. Michael was such a powerful marketing and advertising force that he not only helped make Nike the powerhouse that they have become but also with the popularity that his 'Jumpman' brand has become managed to break away from its own maker to form its own brand, logo, marketing and style. From that grew the 'shoe deal'. This was primarily made for the basketball players and the sport of basketball. That has now spread to other sports and was what has lead to the Mega Deal that Tiger Woods got when he broke into the PGA.

The sport lends its self well for this as 1 superstar player can make a huge difference on what happens on the court and you can see the players up close and can recognize them, form a bond with them. Football and hockey players wear helmets that hide their faces and de-humanizes them a bit. Baseball is more methodical and cerebral. Basketball, Basketball is high paced, played with flow and just the sounds of the game...the squeaking of shoes on the hardwood just fits with footwear. After the success of the Air Jordan line Nike and other companies have been in competition to sign these high profile players of various sports for their celebrity endorsement and marketing needs. The real marketable ones get their own line. Some are more successful then others. 'Kemps' were big back in the day, Shaq had his own brand. Kobe for one reason or another was great at marketing but never had that specific shoe that set him apart. Odd for probably the best player post Jordan. But make no mistake Air Jordan's were the true Pioneer success story. This was the the evolution of the new shoe culture, and this is where my shoe story begins.

In 1994 I entered High School and thus began my 'sporting career'. I was very competitive when I played any sport, I wanted to win, I wanted to be a leader, I wanted the ball in my hands. I knew that if I had the ball good things were going to happen. I like to be the facilitator in whatever sport it was at the time. I was the point guard in basketball, the setter in volleyball, the shortstop in baseball and fastball...positions that were the captain/general of the game. Sure I was cocky, I was full of confidence I made no apologies for that. I was probably more confident then I should have been because I know I was not always the best player on the court at any given time but I never let that affect my mindset. Off the court, I was insecure and did not have near the same level of confidence. (The difference was like the kid Archie "Moonlight' Graham transforming into something completely different when crossing over the foul line in Field of Dreams and turning into old Archibald 'Doc' Graham). It is strange looking back at that now on how much different I was when I stepped across  the lines in either direction. The difference was night and day. With all that said my choice of shoe needed to reflect that mentality so I always wanted to have the kicks that were flashy, that said...'yep, I am better then you', shoes that would talk the talk as well as walk the walk.

 Each summer when kids set out with their parents for back to school clothes, my trips would include getting a new pair of kicks for a year of a variety of sports and gym classes. I was lucky and my parents felt that having a good pair of footwear was important and were willing to let me get quality shoes. At the time, even back then shoes were not cheap, especially the ones that I wanted, needed and required. If nothing else I wanted the nice new shoe on the market...not last years model. I can't stress this enough, I was very lucky and had the freedom to procure these each year.


Year 1 Grade 9 - I started with a aumage to the shoes from back in the day. Everyone back in the 80's were wearing Con's! You always hear about people who were wearing the Chuck Taylors from the All-Star of American Footwear. So, with that in mind I opted for the Cons React. They had a little bit of flash a Velcro strap over conventional laces. In the sole were round gel pads that were visible in the heal of the shoe. They had a tight look, a good fit, decent weight and squeaked on the hardwood! Not a bad beginning to a high school athletic career that was somewhat successful. Nothing that earned any athletic scholarships but moderate team success, moderate individual success and a whole lot of fun at whatever sport was played at the time.

Year 2 Grade 10 - This is where the 'Streak' began and there will be a pattern from here-on out in terms of the choice of footwear that seemed to follow me throughout high school. Lets call it comfort with the product, the quality and the brand loyalty that I had during that time period. Next up were the Nike Zoom Rookie. These were the debut of the Air Penny. Anfernee 'Penny' Hardaway was a at the time one of the bright spots of the NBA and was a new hybrid guard that was taking hold of the league. While in Orlando he was paired with a young Shaquille O'Neal and was the floor general on teams that went to the finals only to lose to the Houston Rockets in the time that Michael Jordan had 'decided' to go try his hand at baseball. Penny was a 6'8'' point guard that had great court vision, was a great passer a high flyer and shot maker. He was one of those special players that was a real team leader. It is too bad that his knees caught up to him but a great player in his own right for the time that he was at his peak. He was one of my favorite players during that time period and as a result was one of my first jerseys as well. In addition to that Nike created a huge marketing campaign with Penny and his little buddy L'il Penny! This was a joint venture with Nike and Weiden & Amp; Kennedy on their unforgettable Lil' Penny commercial series. L'il Penny was voiced by Chris Rock and that just added credibility and comedy to each spot and to the character in general.

Year 3 Grade 11 - This was phase II in the progression to the growing line of me wearing the Penny brand shoes. This time around I opted for the Olympic version of the Air Zoom Flight Custom from Nike.  These were released for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and Penny's participation as a member of the Dream Team 2. Penny had to wear the number 6 on that team so the shoes. It had had the number 6 on the back heal. These shoes were awesome. They were the first shoe I had that sported the in-sewn sock as well. They were flashy white an blue and the solid reflective blue on the sides shimmered. A sweet follow-up to the Original Zoom Air's I stared with.

Year 4 Grade 12 - Phase III of the line of Penny's that I rode in on. These bad boys were the BEST and probably my favorite of them all and that was the Nike Air Penny 2 (Atlantic blue / black / white / metallic silver) . Loved these shoes. They were probably the best combination of flash and comfort I have ever had the pleasure of wearing on my feet. These are so good that if I come across them again I will likely pick up a pair. If nothing else but for the nostalgic and sentimental value. These were some of the most resilient and well made shoes I ever owned, they were flashy to the end and durable for years! Just thinking bout them makes me happy.

Year 5 Grade 13 (OAC) - The final leg for my High School Athletic Career. Of course, true to form I had to stay brand loyal and finished up with the Nike Air Penny 3 White Eggplant Black. These too had the in-sewn sock and a 'wall of bright blue material up the side that drew the eye and attention to theses bad boys. These shoes had a style that was un-presidented, there was no precedent for them. They were just as sweet on the eyes and a piece of shoe engineering greatness. Even after High School I cared for these and never wore them outside and kept them in as good a condition as I could for as long as I could. I was no longer playing a lot of court sports but for special event tournaments I would have these on stand-by read to strap them up when need be. Sadly they did die a rough death. When they went they went quick and hard. 1 day the one heal air pocket finally burst and from then on it was all down hill and they quickly deteriorated with the glue giving out and the heal pulling away. It was tough to see but they treated me well for a long time and it was a good run.

Like my favorite team, The Braves, the Penny line was on a championship run for me. I was loyal to them and they treated me well. I hear there are talks of Penny and Chris Rock bringing back L'il Penny in a retro Penny V shoe and series of commercials. If this happens I may be forced to nab a pair for old time sake! L'il Penny was, at the time a hugely successful marketing character and starred in many commercials. Like this one with Tyra Banks L'il Penny also was reported to have gone to high school with Kevin Garnett (just tell him L'il Penny from Science Club says hallo)

Exit From LA - Mike Brown Fired

The Lakers have let coach Mike Brown go after a 1-4 start. After the death stare that Brown got from the unquestionable leader and face of the franchise Kobe Bryant the writing may just have been on the wall. When Brown was hired, Kobe came out and stated that he was a little surprised that he was not only not consulted or asked for input before Brown was hired in the first place. That was a big mistake and it has proven to be the case. Most players should not have a voice on who the coach of a team is, Kobe is not one of those players. He is special, he is the face of the team the team leader and holds A LOT of power in the organization. I am she that the Bulls GM  gave a quick call to Michael Jordan before hiring his coaches.

Now the question is who come in? Jerry Sloan? maybe. Mike D'Antoni? maybe. Bring back Phil Jackson? Doubt that he would have any interest in coming back but that would be very interesting. Kobe wants a ring, Steve Nash wants a ring, I am sure Pau Gasol wants another ring...Dwight Howard, he may be more interested in having fun and that can't sit well with Kobe. One might wonder if the Lakers are rethinking if it was such a good idea to drop Andrew Bynum this off season.

The Princeton offence just didn't get any traction and just never fit with the personnel  It is basically a ball movement offence, a half court offence and one that essentially drains skill from the game. That is why Princeton used it. It was used by a team that used that style because they were not good and needed to drain the skill from the game. When you have players that are by all accounts superstars that are athletic and skilled why would you try to restrict them. Maybe it is time to bring back the triangle offence! With that said the overall offensive rating was not that bad. What seemed to be the bigger problem was the defense and that is odd since Mike Brown is/was a defensive minded coach. That's what makes it all so confusing.

Maybe the Lakers need to bring in 2 coaches or co-ordinators...like in football. Have one Offensive Coordinator that can put it in Steve Nash's hands when he comes back healthy and run a high octane pick and roll offence and then another Defensive Coordinator that can lock down the other teams. Kobe and Dwight are 2 of the better defenders in the NBA when the want to be and Ron Artest is a hard worker and like to crash the boards. There is no reason that they should not be able to lock it down.

This should be another interesting saga to watch play out. After Showtime and The Late Show It will be interesting to see what this turns into...for the sake of Lakers Fans hopefully it doesn't turn into the Magic Johnson show (for those who may not know, I am speaking of the talk show from Magic, not his time on the court)!

Mav's Take Their Tallents To South Beach

It is a sad state of affairs when the one event that looks to have gotten me to begin blogging again is the NBA Finals. The NBA, the same league that will likely be in a lockout next year and unless there are some big concessions could be in jeopardy of missing not only the season but the playoffs too.


If that happens it will be terrible, but we can at least take with us the memories of one of the best NBA Finals in recent memory. This bad boy had everything. A historic comeback, the "Big 3", the under-rated superstar, the oldest player since Kareem to win in the finals and a sick superstar who played his best game of the series with a 103 degree temperature. I hate to use this word but it was Epic.


I was happy for Dirk, I was happy for Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, heck I was happy for Dallas in general but I think I was most happy for Mav’s owner Mark Cuban.
Cuban is probably to most outspoken owner of any of the major sports. He is also likley one of the most fined owner for his actions and comments. Usually people hate billionaires, but people love Cuban. What made the Mav’s win was how he sidestepped the limelight and let the playes and coaches take all the credit. He even had the original owner of the Mav’s accept the Larry O’Brien Trophy from the commissioner. He was all class and so was his entire team.


RICK CARLISLE: - Did a masterful almost ‘zen-like’ coaching job in this series. Every time Miami made an adjustment he countered it with something even better


LEBRON JAMES - Seemed to do what he has been criticized in past playoff games with both the Cav’s and the Heat for mailing it in. People be hate’n LeBron for his actions in coming to Miami and his actions and comments leaving after the finals. His post game comments showed that he is still either very immature, a snob or just on a different planet and just doesn’t get it. He may be the best skilled player in the league but he is not close to being the best player at this point in time.


DWAYNE WADE- The Heat are his team but not even his skill could will this team to a championship. Injuries didn’t help matters either.
Dirk drinks lke a champ too!!

DIRK NOWITZKI- Soft? NOPE, can’t say that anymore. His ‘Jordan Like’ game with a 103 degree fever and injured finger couldn’t even slow him down. Mr. 4th Quarter came up at money time and delivered. He was a machine, A leader on the court, a beast. He was made in Germany and you know that the Germans make good things, you know what I am saying camera guy?? Hmmm, maybe Sham WOW should become the exclusive suppliers for those guys who mop the floors under the basket after a player falls and needs those big mops to clean up the sweat.


For not being overly engaged with basketball this past season, the finals may have rekindled my interest in the pro game. I always like the NCAA and the Madness but now the Pros are making a strong push forward.


Well this felt good to get my first blog in after a way too long time off. Looks like I may just be back on the horse and I hope that all the people who have followed me consistently in the past will continue to do so again. I now also have a Twitter Account so I may look into that for update of new content on the blog but there will be more on that once I figure out how best to utilize it. Thanks for coming back and come back soon for hopefully regular updates again.

The Le-Gong Show

Wow, what a sceptical and what a joke last nights LeBron infomercial was. That was the most un-necessary, over hyped egotistical and poorly produced thing they could have done. It is bad enough that ESPN, who usually prides itself as being at the very least as a network that does a good job at the programs they put on the air, failed miserably. Softball questions, no before and after reaction from the towns an array of interviews with LeBron by different people asking the same questions and not getting very satisfying answers.

It was a dick move to put yourself ahead of not only the league but to hold the other teams hostage, to not let them know was one of many poor decisions from the James camp. Not letting the Heat know (Allegedly) until minutes before. Doing it the way he did it was just one big giant middle finger to the Cavs fans, the team and maybe even the state.

Sure it may be an exciting team to watch now with James, Bosh and Wade but it would have been easier to accept if done professionally and through the correct and regular channels. I will root for Wade to succeed but as of now Lebron is so far down my depth chart of athletes that I like it will be hard to recapture his original standing. He is a huge talent for sure but in my eyes...and many others he is just a spoiled rich kid looking for camera time.

If you are going to move move, thats fine. It is a business and this does give the best chance for Championships but just be humble about it. He went from the most popular person in the league to probably, unless you are a Heat Fan as one of the most disliked. I relate it to the WWE where the once good guy bashes another good guy in the head with a chair and instantly turns into a heal (or bad guy), and the people say "Why? You used to be so good, why would you disappoint us like this?"

At least the Heat will get a boost in ticket sales and NBA merchandising money

LeBron-A-Thon

The LeBron-A-Thon has almost reached the climax and it could not have come any sooner. This media driven hype factory has been more aggravating then the annual Brett Favre saga that we have to sit through every year. Now, on the plus side with other terrible events going on like the world cup, at least some of the focus has been deflected from it.

So tonight is the night that it is all to go down with an hour long "Selection Show" on the ‘Mother Ship’ aka. ESPN. This is an unprecedented move for a free agent to take up an hours worth of network programming to make an announcement of this nature. They say that the money raised will be going to the Boys and Girls Club of America. A transparent attempt to cover a narcissistic, self indulgent, 1 hour infomercial. Nothing says needy kids like The Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich Connecticut. If you wasn’t to help the kids donate some of your millions that you are going to make under this new contract or better yet some of your time. Not everything needs to be a sceptical. If you are trying to grow a Global Brand in LeBron Inc. This type of behavior and action is not going to help public image.

The other 2 big players were Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Wade seemed to do things right and did his other meetings with other teams but didn’t make a show of it. Bosh on the other hand took a camera crew to his interviews with all the teams for a documentary his production company is going to make. That with all the tweets and what not was aggravating but not to the level LeBron took it. Wade and Bosh have decided to land in South Beach with the Heat so at least that ended that. Now if James goes there it will be interesting to see what other pieces they add to them to take a run at some championships.

Question: Does Will Smith make some money on royalties tonight when Lebron grabs the Heat Hat and "I'm going too Miami" starts playing and the light show and confetti begins?

It is funny that at the end of the day, if all 3 end up with the Heat that the one that was the quietest and most professional will be the leader of the team. Make no mistake this is WADE’s Team. If LeBron wanted to be the Michael Jordan type guy he would be the leader of his own team like Mike was, like Kobe is, not just a complementary player...an All Star and maybe talent wise one of the best ever but not the face of the team.

The Wizard of Westwood

It has been close to 2 weeks now but I didn’t want to not touch on the passing of arguably one of the best coaches, not just in basketball but in any major team sport.
UCLA’s icon John Wooden passed away June 4th in his 99th year. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (inducted in 1961) and as a coach (inducted in 1973). He was the first person ever enshrined in both categories. Only two others since have had that honour.

All he did as a coach was win. This is shown by the ten NCAA National Championships in a 12-year period while at UCLA. 3 of his tems went through perfect and undefeated. Also he was a winner off the court in his teaching of his players and just regular people alike. His Pyramid of Success is part of what made him so great as a teacher of both basketball and life.The Pyramid of Success consists of philosophical building blocks for winning at basketball and at life. In his later years he was hired by corporations to deliver inspirational lectures and even appeared in commercials for Hartford Insurance and the NCAA.

Some of Woodens Maxims include:
• Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
• Flexibility is the key to stability.
• Be quick, but don’t hurry.

I am glad to say that I was able to get this All Time Greats autograph before he passed away and also received a card with information about the Pyramid of Success and his 7 point creed. Pretty cool to get something like that from a legend.

Seven Up-In LA

It is a nice thing to see a good team actually play as a team, play with effort and play with heart. The Lakers are a good team and when they show up and play with some urgency they make shots, force turnovers, get rebounds, play good defence and force good luck and good bounces.

While watching the Lakers-Celtics game 6 last night, although one-sided it was still good to watch, especially as a Kobe and Lakers fan. When the team you are rooting for manages a victory in the double digits and the game never in doubt you can sit back and watch a game and enjoy it for what it is and not fear that this could be the end of the line.

The Lakers bench and rest of the team for that matter actually showed up to play and played with a little fire. Ron Artest looked focused and didn’t try to force things. Lamar Odom looked at least a little less laid back and was a solid contributor and Pau Gasol gave a good solid game. The team actually helped Kobe and gave him the option of using them...but more importantly trusting them. Kobe has not taken more then 30 shots in an game win or lose. For him to be criticized for jacking up too many shots in game 5 and not using his team is silly. If your team isn’t helping you, sometimes you have to take over. It is not selfish to put the team on your back, sometimes the best have to be the best. The unfortunate thing for Kobe is he can’t win unless he wins. IF they lose and he put up 40 he is a ball hog, if he only get 18 then he had a bad game or was contained. If they win and he has the same numbers he was a leader on the court with 40 or he made his teammates better with 18...damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

All I know now is there is going to be a Game 7 at the Staples Centre on Thursday night and it is for all the marbles and should be a tight well played game and will likely go down to the wire...and I have no idea what happen, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Celtics came out and take the game.

We will see how it all goes down on the court.

More Madness May Be A Good Thing - NCAA Tourny To Expand

I don’t know where the games are going to be played. I don’t know what teams are going to be involved but what I do know is that the NCAA March Madness Tournament is set to hold the First and Second Rounds on March 17-20, 2011. In addition the field has been extended to 68 from the current 65 where the "opening round" is essentially a play in game between 64 and 65. How this new change will affect the dates and times is yet to be determined. This change comes on the heals of a brand new TV deal that the NCAA is entering into with partners CBS and Turner (TBS and TNT) worth a reported $10.8 billion.

What this means for fans is The NCAA’s agreement with CBS and Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting System Inc, which runs from 2011 through 2024 is that every game next March will be shown live on CBS, TBS, TNT or truTV this will mark the first time this will happen in the tournament’s 73-year history.

It looks like the partnership will morph over time to a similar set up to what NASCAR has with Fox and now ESPN/ABC (formerly dealing with NBC and TNT). Beginning in 2016, coverage of the regional finals will be split by CBS and Turner; the Final Four and the championship game will alternate every year between CBS and TBS. Under the agreement, the NCAA and CBSSports.com will again provide live streaming video of games, though Turner secured rights for any player it develops.

There was very heavy talks to expand to a 96-team field but that would have likely enveloped the 32-team NIT, the NCAA’s other, independently run season-ending tournament. and all but eliminated it. Sure it is less followed and less known, especially here in Canada. Sure it is the equivalent to a B Pool final but it is a little extra revenue for the NCAA, this may be the best of both worlds...at least for the time being.

Time to start planning vacation time around the tournament. Maybe not the play-in game but the first round I try to make my "Masters" a tradition Unlike Any Other!

Around The Horn

The NCAA Tournament is Awesome! Regular Basketball is good to watch. Playoff Basketball is even better, but if they are not careful they will alienate their fans and drive away viewers by trying to accommodate the TV networks. Ironic as it may be, it is funny that postponing the starts of series to fit the TV lineups better there are large gaps in the time between the end of one series and the beginning of another. Granted, when a team sweeps and the other series goes 7 there is going to be a long layoff, that can’t be helped. For instance Orlando is waiting for the winner of the Celtics and the Cavs (2-2) but the Lakers and Suns are both done and ready for the Conference Finals but that doesn’t begin until next Monday, a 6 day layoff. That is a lot of time for rust and a long time for fans to stay interested. Especially when the weather is starting to get nice. The NBA is playing with fire and does so every year.

3 teams have been down this round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 3-0 or 3-1. 2 of the 3 series are still going on and in each one it is/ or was very conceivably the team that moves onuntil last night when the Canucks failed to show up and got blown out 5-1. The Canadiens, Canucks and Flyers have all been on the brink of elimination but now 2 of the 3 have a legitimate chance in making the improbable comeback. At the very least they are ensuring that we get to see some more games, but they are also adding to the excitement of an already great playoffs so far. The first round was good, and the second is holding serve and keeping the quality and entertainment level high.

Just when you think that they are starting to do things right the Bengals make a questionable move to bring in Pacman Jones. The team was bad on the field for a long time. Then they got better on the field, then a bunch of players started to get arrested. At one point it was like you couldn’t go a couple of days without hearing about a player in some hot water. Production began to drop on the field and now it is like they are just looking for players with checked pasts to fill out the lineup. The thinking in Cincinnati is anyone’s guess. If Michigan plays in the Big House I guess that the Cincinnati Bengals play in the Half Way House.

A New Zealander gave new meaning to the golfing term ‘hazard’ when he fell from a cliff while searching for his ball. The 66-year-old sustained serious injuries but was in a stable condition. The man fell 30 metres onto seaside boulders and was only discovered a good time later after his golf cart was noticed. The man was playing alone at the time. Between cliff’s in New Zealand and Gators in Florida nobody can say that golf is not a dangerous game.

The Champs Are Back- UConn women stay perfect

The WNBA may be a bit of a joke/novelty. It is difficult to watch even without the comparison to the men game but that is not the case as it relates to NCAA Woman’s basketball. OK, let me clarify that; the UCONN Huskies Woman’s Basketball Team. They are currently on a streak that ranks about on the same level as the UCLA John Wooden teams of the 70’s. UCONN managed to pull out a 53-47 victory last night versus Stanford to give the Huskies their 78th straight victory and an NCAA Championship at the same time. That is a LONG winning streak. I am sure that there was some worried people in the house last night as they were in tough versus Stanford but still they managed to eak it out.

UCONN coach Geno Auriemma has managed to put together a program that is just consistently dominating and just seems to be able to roll over players and stay at the top year in and year out. He has managed to make UCONN the destination for top level recruits to go. The UCONN team has lost only 2 games in the past 3 seasons. Not too shabby. Regardless of your views about basketball or woman’s sports in general you have to give credit where credit is due and these ladies deserve all the accolades that they get. Led by their coach, they have been lights out and look to add to the 78 game streak next season.

Certainly, Duke is Duke...

This time the Butler didn’t do it! Itwas the little Devils from Duke that have once again climbed to the top of the Mountain, but it wasn’t without a lot of drama. It came down to the wire and down to the last 3.6 seconds and a Hail Mary half court shot that just rimmed out and was mere inches from rattling in and taking over the video of "The Shot" that CBS would play every March of Christian Laettner taking that in bound pass from Grant Hill in the 1992 NCAA Tournament vs Kentucky.

The National Championship game was one of the best finals that has been played in recent memory. Not only was it a close game but it was also a well played game. There was offence, defence and grit. If you look at the game from just a seedings point of view this was a mismatch but Butler came into the game with a win streak in the high 20’s and were the hottest team in the nation..Butler. The coach looked younger then half the players on his team, he makes a respectable $400,000 a year but put up vs Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s $4.4 Million there is a slight discrepancy. In that same light Duke spends $400k per player on the basketball team, Butler spends $400k for their entire team. I think coach may be in for a bit of a raise in the very near future. The good thing for Butler going as far as they did is all the good coaching vacancy’s are filled so they shouldn’t have to worry about loosing theirs...at least this season. I am guessing a 33 year old who just took a "Small" school to the finals would and will be in high demand.

Kyle Singler was the difference in the game offensively and it was the contributions that Zoubek gave as the big man in the middle for Duke that clogged things up and changed the game in Duke’s favour. What Butler has going for it is that they can return a majority of their team and if Hayward stays they may be even better next year. A scary thought even if the tournament expands to the proposed 96 teams next season.

I guess that there now has to be a question to the average fan: What will you remember the national title game for? Duke winning their 4th title or Butler losing?

Either way this was one of the best tournaments in recent memory. It is always great but this one seemed to be a bit of a topper. This is why it is the greatest self contained tournament/sporting event.

Arguments That NCAA Basketball is better then NBA Basketball

Basketball is basketball....not always. Both the NCAA brand and the NBA brand have their pros and cons and their own features and benefits. Sure beauty is in the eye of the Beer-holder but it is the subtle differences that give each their own unique feeling. It all comes down to personal preference.

The regular season is very comparable. Both are anti-climatic for most of the good teams where they are just going through the motions because they are assured of being involved in the "post season" of their respective leagues. Tor the lesser known smaller schools every game could become a do or die game if they hope to move to the big dance. Invites are few and far between if you are a mid major or a small school. Same thing in the NBA The Lakers and Cav’s just need to do enough to stay on top of the league or division and try to be healthy enough going into the playoffs, and the weak inconsistent teams like the Raptors need to scratch and claw for everything just to squeak in.

In the NBA they have "Professional Dancers" that do a good job and are very attractive for the most part but that is all they are, dancers. Sure they can shake to Pump It but that is about it.

In the Collage game they have actual cheerleaders. Cheers and pom-poms and all that good stuff. Again personal preference but there is something more wholesome and entertaining about a cheerleader then a dancer.

The NBA plays Pop, R&B and Rock music blasted over the speakers.

The NCAA has school bands that play the fight songs and popular music with the collegiate touch with trombones, trumpets and big drums. When you hear the sounds of the live bands you can feel that collegiate atmosphere which is pretty cool.

NBA Playoffs last some 2+ months and sometimes seem to drag a bit towards the end when you hit late May and games still don’t have an end in sight. The plus at that time is the games are now intense and for the most part the cream has risen to the top and the game is now a showcase for the top tier talent.

The NCAA and the March Madness Tournament is the greatest self contained annual sporting event in the nation. Not only are the games for the most part entertaining but you are assured an 5-12 upset, a Cinderella team or two that comes out of nowhere to win a few games. Shocking last minute shots...some that go in and some that don’t and that is half the fun.

The NBA you see the playoff schedule and it is what it is, you never know when games are going to happen, dates times and locations are all a crap-shoot. It all comes down to the TV networks on how the games are slotted. There could be back to back games or there could be 8 days in-between. It is hard to hold viewers interest in cases like that. Even for the avid fan it can be tough to stay super jazzed.

The NCAA you know the first 2 rounds are the first weekend noon-midnight...wall to wall madness. Sweet 16 and Elite 8 take up Thursday-Sunday. The Final 4 and National Championship games take week 3. You know when and where to find it, you can plan for it, you can just sit back and enjoy it.

The NBA has "playoffs"

The NCAA has cool catch names that draw in fans like The Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four. They just fall a little short with The National Championship Game.

Upsets-A-Plenty

With the first 2 rounds in the book and all the tickets punched to to Sweet 16, this years NCAA tournament may be one of the best ever. There are so many upsets that have happened over the last 4 days of play. There is only one number 1 that has been ousted (Kansas) but there are a lot of mid seeded teams that have been involved in some of the best games best finishes and biggest upsets. If you had a bracket it is likely good for nothing better then a coaster for your beer, but that is good thing.

If your bracket is busted you can just enjoy the greatest self-contained sporting even in the world. You can enjoy the best games for the games themselves regardless of the teams involved. It doesn't matter that you you don't know that Robert Morris and Sam Houston aren't players on one of the teams but actually schools that were actually in the tournament.

The beauty of this tournament is that part of the fun is to root for the underdog or the Cinderella Story. Usually that happens when the low seed faces one of the big boys like Kentucky or Duke. Granted the way this is shaking down there may be other big seeds to fall and if it comes to the point where there is a match up, lets say in the final 4 with 2 teams where there are 2 underdogs facing each other will that affect peoples viewing? can 2 good guys put on a show that people want to watch or does there need to be a Goliath to root against?

The great thing is there is plenty of more games left to find out...Let the Madness continue!!

Opening Games

WOW, if this is any indicatoin of the way the tournament is going to go it is going to be exciting.
Last year thre were 2 overtime games. Out of the first 3 games today 2 games went to overtime.

Villenova, a 2 seed almost was upset by a 15 seed Robert Morris. Nova's Scottie Reynolds was 2for 15 for 20 points....good thing he was able to hit his free throws.

Notre Dame ios upset and out. St. Pats is officially over, no luck for the Fighing Irish on this day.

Madness Baby!!

On The Verge of Madness

Ok tip off is only moments away with 3 12:30 games

FLORIDA 10 vs BYU 7
OLD DOMINION 11 vs Notre Dame 6
ROBERT MORRIS 15 vs VILLINOVA 2

Gotts my fries cooked, Pepsi chilled, couple pints cold(if need be). Good for a start anyway.
TV is ready, March Madness on Demand is hooked up on the computer for the games that are not on the local CBS channels or on The Score for the live streaming.

This will be no sprint it is a marathon. Pace is the way to go. When Greg Gumble rests so will I. There are always a little time between games, going to have to make an effort to use that brief time wisely.

Ok! lets do this thing!

March Madness Bracket

I am setting up a bracket for the NCAA Tournament with yahoo.
If you wish to join the fun feel free to join. The more the merrier

The name of the group is
abitofeverythingsports

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1
group ID# is 62538.

Hope to see you there!

Jones Joins The WNBA

From the files of " You Gots To Be Kidding Me"

Disgraced sprinter once called the world’s fastest woman was introduced Wednesday as the newest member of the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock. Marion Jones who once starred at the Sydney Olympics, winning gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 1,600-meter relay, and bronze in the long jump and 400-meter relay. Jones was stripped of all five medals after admitting in 2007 that she was using performance-enhancing drugs -- It was the same drug that has been linked to Barry Bonds and the whole BALCO fiasco. The drug in question is known as the "clear". In addition to that she spent about six months in prison for lying to federal prosecutors about doping and her role in a check-fraud scam. Now she is looking to "redeem" her career by joining the - and lets be gentle here, less then popular WNBA.

The WNBA is not well supported in the stands, on TV or for the most part even respected as a league by most media outlets. The only people who seem to care are those in the NBA who are financially linked to the league and have little choice but to try to make it look better then it is. The NBA is like a parent of a delinquent child but have to love them because they are family. I guess even the WNBA can jump the shark Fonzie style - If nothing else, Jones could be a draw.

New 'Shooting' Guard - Gilbert Arenas 00 Agent

The Washington Bullets, errrr, Wizards are the biggest fans of the morning 'Shoot around' of all teams in the NBA. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton of the Washington Wizards have been implicated in a clubhouse dispute over a gambling debt where the two apparently pulled guns on each other. There was an investigation before this incident that Arenas was housing firearms in his locker at the Verizon Center. If any investigation finds that these allegations are true there is a good chance that they will face a stiff penalty from the league, likely a suspension of at least a few dozen games. The NBA under commissioner David Stern has worked overtime to clean up its image which is that it is more of a thug league and that there are severe character issues among a large number of its members.

Players may contest that they are targets more now then ever and they need these weapons for personal safety. Granted, with there position in society that they are held in a different regard but one must also take into account that if you are putting yourself in a bad position things can go the wrong way in a hurry. You would think the safest place should be the locker room, will all the building security and that security around the locker room that that would be the last place you would need to store your guns.

What makes this story just a little bit more funny is the team that they play for. It has been a while now but this was a team that had the name of the Washington Bullets but the owner thought that it sent a bad message to the league and its fans. Washington, DC has been known to be a violent city and this was a way of trying to distance themselves from rising gun violence. In one "foul" swoop all the good will of becoming the Wizards has just turned them back into the Bullets. Maybe it was throwback night and they got caught up in the festivities.

Arenas has tried to defuse the situation with humour implying it was all in jest and he was just a practical joker and nothing more then a joke went down. The NBA and other officials don’t seem to be buying into that explanation even if it was in jest it is a serious issue and at the very least relay bad PR for a league that is trying to project a positive image for itself.

Holiday Season A Busy One

This is a great time of the year to be a sports fan. There is a little something for everyone. You are treated to maybe a little bit more if you are a hockey fan, so this may be more directed to those in Canada and the upper East Coast. First we are right in the midst of the college football Bowl season. Granted with some 30 Bowls or something silly like that there are a lot of meaningless games out there but If you are just going to watch for the entertainment of the game or just want something to keep gambling on then you are in luck. All of the real important games don’t begin until New Years there is still plenty to fill the schedule.

You then have the regular season for both college basketball and the NBA. Both regular seasons are just a matter of jockeying for position for the playoffs and for the NCAA Tournament but there are still some entertainment to be had in watching either of these two distinctive versions of the same sport.

The final week of the NFL schedule is hear and teams are making the final push to make the playoffs, gain home field and to either rest star players or keep their foot on the gas. It can be a week where it is a real crap shoot of games. It depends on what teams come to play. 2 great teams facing off may become the worst games of a weekend. 2 terrible teams with players playing for jobs next year may be the most entertaining. Every year in the NFL the elite teams have nothing to play for...so they don’t. It is games like that that rob the fans of not only specific teams but the sport in general. This is the reason why an 18 game schedule is a bad idea....just more meaningless games.

Then there is hockey. Everywhere you look there is something to take in. You have the NHL regular schedule and it’s array of games, the Spengler Cup which most people in Canada don’t even realize that Canada has a team in that tournament. It is probably one of the most under the radar Major International Tournaments. It is a huge deal overseas but seems to get lost in the shuffle over here. Even with names like Alexandre Daigle and a coach like Craig McTavish. Then of course there is one of my personal favorites, the IIHF World Juniors Tournament. This is one event that I very much enjoy watching. I will be honest, it is a bonus that Canada is prolific and more often then not are one of the teams to win year in and year out (as shown by the 5 straight gold medals) but the style and tempo of play is enjoyable to watch. To see the stars of tomorrow in a competition where they are playing the most elite competition from each country is fun to watch. Sure when you beat a Latvia 16-0 that is not the greatest of games but good for the national pride. It is the games against the USA and the Swedes and the Russians that are the most fun.
And this year we get the added bonus of having the Team Canada Olympic Roster announced before New Years...

All of that equals an embarrassment of riches for the sports fan, whether your interest is sport specific or you just love them all and are a fan of the games

Tee Up To Tip Off

T- minus 8 hours and counting. NBA you are on the clock.

The 2009/2010 season is almost here and is set to get started. There has been a lot of off season changes throughout the league by many of the teams. It looks on the surface that the rich have gotten richer and more then likely the powerhouses that you saw last year will remain the same or may be even better. The defending champion Lakers effectively swapped forwards in bringing in defensive shut down man Ron Artest from Houston and Houston has taken Trevor Ariza, That leaves the Lakers with Kobe, Lamar, Ron-Ron and then throw in a Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynam (health permitting) plus whom ever you choose to run the point. The Spurs picked up Richard Jefferson in a solid move and the West will once again be tight and loaded with talent. The Rockets without Artest, Yao Ming and depending on how Tracy McGrady comes back could be in the worst shape.

In the East there is probably more of a gap between the top tier teams and the lower but the ones at the top should prove to be right there with some of the best from the West. Shaq has joined with Lebron in Cleveland so it will be interesting to see how that marriage works out and if Shaq can keep up with the speed of the game that the Cavs are used to playing. In a sneaky move the Celtics picked up Rasheed Wallace and that can only make the team deeper. A lot of people think that ‘Sheed is too emotional but there is no dispute that he is a winner and a talent. If Boston gets a healthy Kevin Garnett back they will be one of the favorites to come out of the conference. The Magic pick up an older Vince Carter so it will be interesting to watch what they do in Orlando. Last year they had a great run but time will tell if the chemistry has changed for the better. What will also be interesting to see, as we look close to home is how a completely revamped lineup will come together and if they can gel enough to put up some good numbers and secure a solid playoff spot. Into the mix with All Star Chris Bosh is returnee Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon and in his first full year Head Coach Jay Triano are newcomers Hedo Turkoglu, Demar DeRozan, Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson and Jarrett Jack.

It is going to be nice to have another pro sport up and going to complement the Baseball and World Series and NASCAR and the Chase who are in the home stretch. The NHL is a month into it’s season, and the NFL and NCAA football is in full force. Right now is not a bad time to be a sports fan. Enjoy!!