When the Gas Light Is On While You're Running on Fumes

When I thought about what I was going to talk about today, I was thinking about my car that is in the shop for problems under the hood. You see, I had this car ever since 2005 and I have put some miles into this car being that it is a gas saver. It has gone to and from Mississippi to places like North Carolina, Washington DC, Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and good ole Alabama on numerous occasions. I have garnered over 200,000 miles with only tires, changing oil, timing belt, radiator problems and tune-ups. Now driving it to work one day, I noticed that this car seems like it is on its last mile and almost wanted to quit on me. I just drove it to the shop and it just starting putting on me like it just wanted to give up.

…All in all, this car is and has been a real trooper and I tip my hat to my car. I can relate my car to two people yesterday that was like this, one Maya Moore and one Mark Calloway

Maya Moore is seriously linked as being one of the best players in this women college basketball era. Don’t believe me, go to my blogging cuzzos Ed the Sports Fan and Bull City. Sunday in the last 6 minutes of the Semifinals of the Women College Basketball Tournament, Maya Moore put on a clinic that was nothing more than amazing. It was like she took it to another level of women’s college basketball driving down the lane, making threes, and scoring from anywhere that was not out of bounds.

…The funny thing is that it was the LAST six minutes of the game, UCONN was down by 12, and Skylar Diggins along with Natalie Inc. (Achonwa and Novosel) was matching her blow for blow.

After the clock reached 35 seconds, you can see that Maya Moore was gassed out and the Mighty UCONN Huskies fell to the Luck of the Irish. You know it is funny that two of the most historic program with the longest winning streaks in college basketball fell to the Luck of the Irish in a tournament (UCLA 88 winning streak actually fell in 1974 by Digger Phelps’ Irish (Cue the Digger dance)).

The other person is Mark Calloway, better known as WWE the Undertaker, Wrestlemania for the Undertaker is more of Satan’s structure than his Hell in a Cell matches. It seems like the Undertaker kick his gear into overdrive when the Spotlight is on him and when the smoke clear, he always come out on top. Every wrestler entertainer’s dream is two things, Main Event Wrestlemania and now beat “The Streak.” This year was Triple H’s turn and one thing I know about the game is that he is a true competitor. He put his all in all physically and mentally in a match so much that he is moniker “The Cerebral Assassin.” I have seen matches that the Undertaker has participated in previous Wrestlemanias, but this one is highlighted as one of those matches where a person’s body can take a toll on them. I will call this the second best match I saw. I was on the edge of my seat after Triple H’s whap him with the chair and the Undertaker was looking like he was somewhere else other than the A, but what got me is that he was always kicking out the cover. It was so bad; you can hear Triple H telling the Undertaker to “Stay Down.” To some unveil Triple H made one uncalculated move and the Undertaker clamped on Hell’s Gates to make him tap to extend “The Streak” to 19-0. After the match, you did not see the usually Undertaker finishing rise and tongue showing with fist in the air. You saw the Undertaker still laying down looking into the sky like this match took literally everything he had. His entrance theme song from the late Johnny Cash summed up what we thought last night, ain't no grave can hold his body down.

-Stay Hungry my friends

~ SA

So There Is This Other Team From New York.......

…that is creating much buzz around the world of basketball. They haven’t been a contender to make the NCAA tournament since 2000 and have not made any noise in college basketball since 2003. Their name is the St. John Red Storm.

Now when you think of basketball, you think of New York; Rucker Park and Madison Square Garden. It is a hoop star’s dream to make your name there. Now During my time the Knicks was okay with Ewing, Bernard King, Oakley, Big Mase and his many haircuts, John Starks, Reggie Miller taunting Spike Lee, Jordan, Lebron, Melo, and Wade going for 50, and the infamous John Starks rising on Jordan.

What people don’t remember is that while all this was going on. The St. John Redmen (AKA Red Storm) was the one of the beast of Big East with other teams like Georgetown, Villanova, UCONN, and Syracuse in the 80s and early 90s. The Red Storm has the 7th-most NCAA tournament appearances (27), two Wooden National Player of the Year Award Winners, 11 consensus All-Americans, 6 members of the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and has sent 59 players to the NBA Led by the one O.G’s of the “Sweater Committee,” Lou Carnesecca. The Redmen (name at that time) was a dominant force in the 80s led by one of the best playground basketball-turned NBA star in Mark Jackson and one the sharpest shooter in the NBA in Chris Mullin. It is also the alma mater of one of realist and craziest character of the NBA. This might help you out…….

Now the Red Storm has not been that team since 2003. Even Rutgers, who was always the laughing stock of the Big East was getting better player than they were. That was until Steve Lavin actually saw the Red Storm play in the Big East Tourney in 2010 and had a thought that most of the player from NYC were going to other programs such as Duke, UNC, Syracuse, Villanova, and UCONN where some of the NYC best high school players were leaving to become part of the their dynasty. He wanted to bring the NYC talents back home to play in the Mecca thus taking the job at St. John’s. This year’s Red Storm looks like the Old School Redmen, knocking off top 15 – caliber teams such as Notre Dame, Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, and the Mighty Duke Blue Devils. Now, the Red Storm is in the ranked polls for the first time since 2000 and they are not trying to stop. Could the Johnnies be marching back into the ranks of the NCAA Elite? Only time will tell and we will find out soon if the Johnnies are back.

….but for now, the climb is waiting for the Red Storm.

- Stay Hungry My Friends!!!

-SA

The Ace Revisits: The 2005 NBA Drafts, The Busts

Yesterday I gave you the boom of the Class of 2005. Now today we are going to talk about the Who’s Who of the NBA Draft Class of 2005: The Busts

The UNC 4 (Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants)- (picks 2nd, 5th, 13th, and 14th) I, The Smoking Ace, with along with many others thought that this Quad will go on dominate like they were in college.

….and that is when I heard that “Thud” because they had everybody picking up their faces.

Sean May can’t seem to get his game right, averaging 7 points and 4 rebounds respectively. Rashad McCants (10 points/ 2 rebounds) will only be known for dating the Big Kardashian and losing her to Lamar Odom (R U Serious?). Raymond Felton is an okay player (13.3 points/ 6 assists) , but more suited for a backup role after seeing him get handled by Jameer Nelson and Jason “Old White Chocolate” Williams. Marvin Williams is a good player, but being that he was picked 2^nd in that Draft behind both Chris Paul and Deron Williams will have people calling him the Sam Bowie of the 2005 Draft.

Gerald Green – Being the first of the last time high schoolers can come out, Gerald Green was suppose to be in comparison to Tracy McGrady, but that did not panned out. The only highlight of his career was winning the Slam Dunk Competition in 2007. Then again he is an answer to stepping stone of another high schooler turned pro, Kevin Garnett, career by being traded for him and other players for the Celtics to win a NBA Championship.

Juilus Hodge – You can really say bust when you only played 2.4 minutes and barely averaging scoring a point (.9).

Joey Graham – You can also say bust when you are being replace after 5 games of being a starter. Just never made it back after that 5^th game.

Who do you feel like was a bust in the NBA Class of 2005?

The Ace Revisits: The 2005 NBA Drafts, The Booms

Yesterday, the 2010 Draft started with the Washington Wizards becoming the team to draft the first overall pick. I always think to myself 5 years ago and the players that came out in the year of 2005 so I present to you the Who’s Who of the NBA Draft class of 2005. Today we are going to talk about the booms.

Deron Williams and Chris Paul (picks 3 and 4) – both point guards respectively change the demeanor for Utah and New Orleans. Paul came in after the Hornets let Baron Davis go and never looked back anchoring a second seeded team into the Playoffs, 2^nd in MVP voting behind Kobe. Deron Williams is what you call John Stockton reincarnated, leading his team to now three straight playoff appearances in 5 straight years after not being in the playoffs in three years, nuff Said. In combination 4 ALL-NBA Teams received (1 1^st team, 3 2^nd team), 2 Gold Medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics, 4 All-Star appearances, and both on the All-Rookie Team.

Andrew Bogut – (1st pick) other than Dwight Howard, Andrew is starting to live up to the big man status that he was picked. Although he was not an All-Star, he has put up number similar to Dwight Howard. This year he along with Brandon Jennings led the Milwaukee Bucks to the playoffs for the first time in many years. Bogut will be fine at number one as long as he do not get hurt.

Danny Granger – (pick 17) Every fantasy player’s player. Granger can get you 20/10 in every game that he plays.

David Lee – (pick 30) Another fantasy player’s player. Lee is also double-double person and is the most under-rated player in the game. He will give 10/20 every game. Don’t believe me; ask Golden State when he notched 37, 20, and 10. The last guy that put up those numbers was some guy named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Andrew Bynum (pick 10) – Speaking of the man with the sky-hook, Kareem mentored this young man. Although he does not have an All-Star appearance yet (which I think is coming soon), He does have a ring (and possibly two more if Kobe doesn’t retire).

Honorable mentions: Charlie Villanueva (7th pick) , Jarret Jack (22nd pick)

If any basketball fans out there, Can you think of anybody in the class of 2005 that I omit of being booms? Who is your NBA class of 2005 booms?

Kenny's Second Shot

~ We're given second chances every day of our life. We don't usually take them, but they're there for the taking. ~

Andrew Greeley

Today, I was catching up on some reading today before I get the see the Queen graduate from college. I got an article that was a pretty decent timing of an NBA guard who really turned his life around. I am talking about Kenny Anderson. Now I can tell you my story about him.

Kenny Anderson was very known in NYC as a top tier point guard, but I remember when he was playing at Georgia Tech as part of “Lethal Weapon 3,” with Dennis Scott (3-D) and Big Brian Oliver. They were a force on the court, making it all the way to the final four. I still remember when got drafted by the Nets. He was pretty good making it to one All Star game and playing in playoff games. After that he met Tami Anderson from the Real World Los Angeles and married her. After I remember that, it was like his world just turned upside down; moving from team to team, partying, infidelity, and having a big ego throughout his career. All this backfired from him leaving him broke, divorced and serious no education.

Now let’s fast forward to now. Kenny Anderson is now a NYC basketball hall of famer, he runs a basketball Academy at 24 Hour Fitness, which is a private company, and now he has done something that he should have done a long time ago, get his degree.

After the child support and the squandered millions, Kenny Andersonwas the one who registered for college, who mastered the digital classroom, who studied in his spare time.

“My son sees me with books in my knapsack and he says, ‘You’re 39 years old, you’re still going to school?’ ” Anderson said of his son Ken Jr., 9.

The payoff will come Saturday at St. Thomas University in Miami, when Anderson will don his cap and gown and graduate, 19 years after leaving Georgia Tech.

The degree is a statement that his life did not end after 14 years in the N.B.A., after the tangled relationships with hisseven children with five women — much better now, he said — and the vanished salary, somewhere above $60 million. He did that himself, too.

So Kenny, I say congrats to you on your life turn-around. You bounce back in a way others cannot. I really tip my hat to you.

How do you really feel about this turn–around story of Kenny Anderson?

The Education of a Point Guard

Bobby V Likes True Blood and Michael Beasley Likes The Booty, Literally. (AKA: Things Groupies Will Tell You)

Let me tell you this story.

One day, the Queen and I were having dinner at her place. We got on the discussion on black men and what I as a black man do not find very attractive because she wanted to know my limits. I told her two things in particular that was pet peeves to me

1. 1. I don’t like my sex life out in the streets, single or not.

2. 2. I don’t like my private business in the streets, single or not.

Well seem like Bobby Valentino and Michael Beasley didn’t catch that memo

Note to Bobby and Michael, never do stupid stuff because you have people like this that will air your “nasty” little secrets. Kat Stacks has just opened the floodgates for pure foolishness.

How would you feel if somebody aired out something you did on video?

Groupies are really dumb and disgusting.

The C.Y.N.I.C.A.L Side of: UCONN Huskies Women's Basketball Team

I can really say that being a sports fan, either you like the underdog and you love your favorite. I can tell you things like this.

In the NFL, you love the Cowboys or you really, really hate them.

In the NBA, you love the Lakers or you really, really hate them.

In Major League Baseball, you love the Yankees or the Red Sox or you really, really hate them (sorry, both are annoying at times).

In college football, you love THE Ohio State University Buckeyes or you really, really hate them.

In men’s college basketball, you love the Duke Blue Devils or you really, really hate them (...and you don’t have to be an UNC fan for that one).

And now it has spewed over into women college basketball.

In women’s college basketball, you love the UCONN Huskies or you really, really hate them.

I cannot feel sympathy for the rest of women’s college basketball when I say that UCONN is either “that good” or women’s college basketball recruitment has gotten “that bad.” Geno Auriemma is really that legendary of a coach. Their dominance in the women’s rank has gone down as even legendary as those Tennessee Lady Vols day and even Louisiana Tech dominance in the early 80s with the short sleeve jerseys. They play the game with great fundamentals and every time they usually have a backup player waiting to place their status of women’s basketball legendaries when their players graduate. You remember those old UCLA teams in the 60s. John Wooden replaced Lew Alcindor with Bill Walton, Gail Goodrich with Lynn Shackleford and Sidney Wicks with Keith Wilkes. Other colleges just ended up stepping the recruitment up after that.

So for all the women’s college basketball coaches that want to end UCONN, here is a note. Start recruiting better.

Would you rather watch UCONN beat the breaks off every team until someone challenge them or would you be happy just to see someone upset them?

Schaap Talk: The UCONN Lady Huskies

Can anyone Challenge UCONN? Seriously!

A Sad WTF Moment - Dee Dee Jernigan

I felt sad for Xavier's Senior Dee Dee Jernigan. Come to think about, I am still feeling her pain now.

How would you feel?

The NIT is going "NUTS"!

I know it is March Madness, and there are going to be people with and without jobs watching who wins, who will be upset, is your tourney bracket up to par, and who will wear this year’s glass slipper into the elite. Blogs are already posted and predictions are already made, but I was looking forward to is one tourney.

……………………………..The NIT

The reason is that for some reason watching UAPB beat Duke, The Gauchos upsetting Evan Turner and THE Ohio State Buckeyes, Todd Bozeman making a coaching comeback and beating West Virginia, or Leigh beat Kansas is really irrelevant (Sorry, that ain’t gonna happen). Even I was a witness of a 16 upsetting a 1 seed in women basketball (See Harvard-Stanford 1998. Trust me, that game was classic). What makes the NIT good is that some of those bubble teams that people were talking about for almost two months are 1 seeds and anything can happen, literally.

………..with that being said this is why players play hard or get upset in the NIT.

Herb Pope from Seton Hall against Texas Tech and Phillip Williams from Jackson State against Mississippi State guess did not like how their counterparts (Darko Cohadarevic of Texas Tech and Dee Bost of Mississippi State) were making them look so they took matters in their own hand (or fist, should I say).

(Note: For those who hate waiting go to the 0:19 mark)

(Note: for those who hate waiting, go to the 2:03 mark)

Well I can say this. Although they went for the jewels, Baylor star Brittney Griner went for the haymaker and connected on Jordan Barncastle’s face. Talk about knockout queen.

That is why I like college sports!

With all these wild incidents, are you watching the first round on the NCAA men tourney, the NCAA Women’s tourney, or the NIT? I know it is sad but what do you all think about this?

Texas Tech beats Seton Hall in the First Round

JSU Reviewing Punch Thrown By Player.

How Low Can You Go! (aka Royce Reed Enters "Dat Contest")

I heard that VH1 is getting a new minstrel show African-American reality series called “Basketball Wives.” It is suppose to show an inside look at the lives of NBA players' wives and girlfriends or baby mama’s. Shaq soon-to-be ex-wife Shaunie O’neal will be featured on there is an executive producer, which is cool. The other feature on there is somebody can be call a serious jump-off. Her name is Royce Reed.

For people who don’t know Royce Reed she is the mother of NBA’s All-Star center and funny guy Dwight Howard’s 2 year old son. Howard obtained a court injunction barring Reed from using his name or referring to him indirectly, either orally or in writing. Personally I think it is a smart move just for this reason right here.

Yes, That is Royce Reed; Yes, This do look like it was taking at the Kappa Beach Party or Myrtle Beach, but it was at Super Bowl party held by T.O. (who also has a show on VH1) on Luda’s “How low can you go.” (which is ironically the name of the post); and you would not believe what she was dancing for?

She was dancing for…………………Super Bowl Tickets.

Are you serious? Maybe if you stop trying to be the next Supahead, Superman would at least drop some of them lawsuits.

But wait, there is more

Check out the twitter quote she posted.

I really think Dwight may need to get a one more suit in hand. Namely parental custody. I don’t care who you are, when you are linked to an athlete, with status like that you need to be just as careful as the athlete. I guess she didn’t get the memo.

…….And she still want us to believe she is victim in all this. GIRL STOOOOPP.

What do you think about athlete children's mothers making personal appearance that does not make the father yet the child look good?

Dwight Howard’s Baby Mama Getting Loose in Miami

Royce Reed Pictures Gyrating ( I know, sounds corny?)