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 C.Y.N.I.C.A.L Side of: The 2010 Election Year....So Far

I see that the 2010 primaries are in rare form this year. Between both parties, Democrats and Republicans are feeling the sting. I can tell you from these primaries that these are the most heated in years. Here is the rundown of the survival and prediction of this year’s primary.

People REALLY want change – I like Obama as a president, but his cabinet members…..well not so much. He is really doing the same thing and making the same mistake Bush did. This time it is a turn-around from that ole Kanye West, “Bush hate black people thing,” Even though the Oil Spill is as much of BP screw-up as the government, you can really say the same from the Corp. of Engineers. Both disasters were screwed up by lack of responsibility and both administrators were lacking in response and pointing fingers. Sorry, but that is the exact reason why one was mad then and one is mad now.

People are TIRED of the same songs- I know we wanted change in office, but very few did not understand why people wanted change. If you go by the same rules, people will get tired of them, plain and simple.

People DO NOT like just to be talking and the representatives DO NOT give them any action – Some people just do not get it. Just because you have worked in the same office for many terms does not mean you can turn a deaf ear on the people who put you there. Just ask Representatives Rep. Alan Mollohan, Parker Griffith, and Senators Bob Bennett and Arlen Specter (Yeah, Mr. Steroid Guy).

People REALLY HATE being abandoned – Exhibit A. Artur Davis

That “Obama Effect” only works on one person, BARACK OBAMA – Davis got upset due to him being conservative with his swaying away from the people who put him into office (see the previous point), and McGlowan lost due to her being naïve (Come on, Seriously, I said I was rooting for her. I also knew her election run was going to be literally all of Oxford and that is it.)

People had been through some really rough patches throughout this decade, ENOUGH SAID- I mean if you were born literally between 1978 and 1990. You really had to deal with very little. Now health care, the economy, people stealing money, serious natural disasters, and finger pointing like we are little kids. I can really said Reagan and Clinton were merely the only two problem-solving presidents that really came into mind during the years I have been in this lifetime unless someone can beg to differ with Reagan. I know for a fact Clinton dealt with some serious issues but the only thing he was known for is getting brains in the office. Everything he did was a serious success.

Obama is really not going to be challenged unless someone is has a serious team – I know The Obama Administration is full of it at times, but seriously, who can run against him in GOP. Haley can’t even take care of his own people, Palin got fraud out by LL, Huckabee likes his TV Show, the GOP don’t respect Jindal, Mitt Romney still looks and acts like a Pixar character, Guiliani still think American is all about 9-11 (Playa, get a new line), and Bob McDonnell placed a joker card on the black people in his own state, yet alone fueling fire in the South.

Some Tea Partiers are good for the goose and other are…well just look at RAND PAUL – Nikki Haley could still has shot but she is definitely no Rand Paul. As for others,

…..well just look at Rand Paul, Arizona, and you will get the idea.

So if you want change, listen to all the incumbents and their challengers. See where they stand on issues that are important in your life. Go vote or we will have another 2 more years in turmoil.

(On a side not: Although Bennie Thompson has not done anything to improve the state of the 2^nd district. He will be running against either Richard Cook or Bill Marcy. Personally, Bennie Thompson will win anyway because those two cannot connect with people across the Second District. They are too busy thinking about the cities where it is the rural areas that run the show in the 2^nd district. So Good Luck on the Bill Marcy or Richard Cook.)

How do you feel about the 2010 election so far? Are you voting? What can be done for the incumbents to win general elections? What can be done for challengers to win also?

Voter Backlash could be a sign of new times in America.

Don't Sleep on This Person - Jason Heyward

Next week is opening day of my favorite season for maybe about 2 months and every other day when something literally happen.

…Baseball season.

After that lil Torii talk (You know, Domincan players are “posers” for black players), he must have forgot that there is a “black” that have the baseball world turning heads.

…and When April 5 come he will be the starting right-fielder for the Atlanta Braves. His name….

…Jason Heyward.

Jason Heyward had the baseball world talking when he blasted a homerun off Max Scherzer (Detroit Tiger’s pitcher), but it wasn’t because of the pitcher. It was because of how high he blasted it off him. Jim Leyland, legendary coach from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, and now the Dertroit Tigers said this about Jason.

“I’ve never been one to get excited about the distance. Anything hit over the fence counts a point,” said Tiger manager Jim Leyland. “But obviously a young man with his size, with the strength he has, he looks like a really good looking young player. I was very impressed with his patience at the plate more than anything. He didn’t chase any bad balls. (Albert) Pujols was the other guy who was like that.”

Leyland is comparing him to The Machine and Boss Cox is comparing him to Hamering Hank is something big time. Let just hope he something spectacular for years to come. Don't think so, look at this.

What do you think about this young man ready to take the baseball world by storm?

Who is Jason Heyward?

The Dilemmatic Decision for Artur Davis

After all the HCR yielding, time limit, and time expiration, the HCR got passed. Time will only tell in what direction will it takes us. During the time that people were angry, saying racial slurs, and all sorts of things in the wide, wide, world of America, I had to think about the CBC. Everybody was saying that all the CBC was going to side yeah with the health care reform…..

(Tires skewing)

Hold up. There was one member of the CBC that did not vote yes on that bill.

On Friday, Black Caucus members took turns lauding its provisions that specifically benefit minority communities, such as adding health centers in low-income neighborhoods, expanding the Office of Minority Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, expanding the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health, and making more lower-income families eligible for Medicaid. "It is good for America. It is good for black America," said Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill.

Artur Davis, in an interview off the House floor Friday, didn't dispute the bill contains things he supports that would be good for his district: barring insurance companies from dropping coverage for pre-existing conditions; expanding Medicaid; providing subsidies to low-income people to afford insurance; and helping small businesses provide coverage for their employees.

"But all of these things can be done at half the cost without a 3,000-page, near trillion-dollar overhaul of the system," Davis said. "That's my point of disagreement. Where I stand is in support of a more targeted approach that is less expensive

Now you might be thinking “Why did this guy say no to the bill knowing that African-Americans will stand to gain ground on it.” Or you may just call him the House Negro of the Day like in one of my favorite blogs to read "Field Negro".

….but I believe he just step into something that can make him historic.

Artur Davis For Governor of Alabama

Artur may was thinking about his district, which is majority African-American; but being that Alabama is conservative altogether, he step in for the whole state of Alabama. If nobody remembers, he could be the next Governor of Alabama because 1) he is the front-runner and 2) The candidates the Republican have either have dents in their records or no record of representing the state at all. To African-Americans in the United States this may be just a little “Why did you do that,” but to all minorities and democratic leaders in Alabama, this may be the smartest move ever made. They knew that they were going to get 216 long before that. So Artur Davis just set himself up for the major prize, Governor of Alabama.

Come to think about it, he is a front-runner for Governor of Alabama. Remember Alabama! That is the state that Rosa Parks, refuse to give up her seat, Martin Luther King made a name for himself in this state, George Wallace shouted out “Separate but equal,” and Bear Bryant did not get a black player on his prestigious Alabama Crimson Tide until Sam “Bam” Cunningham of USC roasted them in 1970. So for Arthur Davis saying no, I ain’t mad at you. Keep your eyes on the prize, fella.

Do you think Artur Davis has a chance in becoming Alabama Governor? Was saying no to HCR a smart move or a dumb move?

Davis says no to HCR

A New "Rolle" Model for African American Children.

Sometimes in the daytime, I have to read everything from programs to popular things that are happening on the news. After all, I like reading articles, keeps you in post of what going on in the world. So after hearing about every football player, rapper, and politician acting a fool, it just makes me think.

“Are there any African American Role Models?”

“Answer: Yeah!”

“Question: How come children are still narrowed –minded about things? Is it single-parent housing, bad environment, or just not being raised right?”

“Answer: Neither! Kids do not pick good role models until they feel comfortable with the choices that they have made.”

I am a sole product of bad role models and I lived in a double parent household. I didn’t want to be like my mother and father. Instead I wanted to be like Doc Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Jose Canseco (I actually had an authentic Jose Canseco Jersey. Wish I could find that bad boy?). You know how that ended up (In respective order: drunk, crack, and steroids). So when I read a piece today. I will bet a nickel on how many kids know him. His name is Myron Rolle.

Let me understate Cornell West when he told Myron that “He is the future of Black America.” He is not. He is the future of “All-Americans.” I mean an All-American football star at the prestigious Florida State under legendary coach Bobby Bowden is one plus, earning a 3.75 GPA in exercise science is another, plus he can act, sing, and play an instrument is enough to say “That guy is pretty smart.” What validates him from other (including African Americans like Robert Smith, who in my mind was the perfect student athlete in the game) is that he is a Rhodes Scholar. That is enough to change not only Black America, but Americans in general. He is a feel good story in and outside the life of sports and reality. Mr. Rolle does it well, but you would not believe that no African-American child can tell you about him. They can tell you the Ne-Yo’s, the Souljah Boi’s, the Lebrons, and the Kobes, but they can never tell you about the Robert Smiths, Tony Dungys, Alan Pages, and Myron Rolles of this world. The reason is that the parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles never tell them about those people. So today, to the young African American men, get to know Myron Rolle, because you will see him for many years to come in Black History.

Weekend Jam - Underrated Artists of 2000 Decade

Today is the Start of "Weekend Jam." I would put some popular song that is hot right now...

......but I am not that broad. So, today I am going to put out the artists that was seriously underrated in the 2000 decade.

Jaheim

I can say the first time I heard "Could It Be," I thought Teddy Pendergrass change into the lavish lifestyle of our time. When I saw that video, I say he just had perfect timing. In the wake of the thug-sounding-like a R&B singer, this guy was the real deal and you can feel it on most of his songs. I believe his best is when it is a Hip-Hop style, somewhat like Nate Dogg but with lyrics. Have you ever heard "Diamond in the Ruff?" With or without Jadakiss bars, it still laid back for that gangstaz-need-love style.

Bilal

This cat is deep on so many levels and is a straight story-teller. Bilal is multi-dimension, like a King on the chess. Speaking of chess; if he was on the chessboard, he would be like a knight because he can cross you on so many levels. I favorite from him is a duet with Beyonce (which I said it once, is one of her greatest work) from the Fighting Temptaion Soundtrack called "Everything I Do." The chemistry was so right for the both of them. His collab with Talib Kweli in Waiting for the DJ, Soul Sista, Fast Lane, and When Will You Call (my personal favorite) makes him above so many. For some reason, I glad he did not go mainstream. I don't think the world is ready for Bilal.

Claudette Ortiz

If Beyonce did not come out early and displayed that booty, I have a feeling the voices of Claudette and B would have been mistaken. You think she can't hold her own, She did it with City High and really put it down for Wyclef in "Two Wrongs." I believe either she was seriously mismanage, just pull an Anita Baker and chilled with ole Ryan Toby (that dude from Sister Act), or she just let herself go and thought "I can do it again." Whatever she did, They need to put her back on the block.

Mystic

To me, she was the most underrated artist in the 2000 decade. You have to remember we were coming off an emotional and sensual high with "Lauryn Hill" and she disappeared. Here come this caramel complexion lady with a dynamic style that fit both the soul singer of and the female MC. "The Life" was my song and I still have the album "Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom." Unfortunately, She was a one and goner. I wonder what in the world the west coast was thinking not trying to advertise her as mainstream. If you heard the album, she could have put the West back on the map with The Game, and this underrated artists as my last.

M.U.R.S

For a real gangsta, who swear like a sailors, you cannot tell from his different style. He reminds me of Andre 3000 without all the singing, and he can go 64 bars and beyond. The reason I like him because he is not about the pro-black, gangster, or doing drugs all day screwing women all night mentality. He speaks on what he sees and that is an artist more than an entertainer.

Those are my underrated artists.

Who are your underrated artists?

People Who You Should Not Sleep On: Billy Corben

Look at this face. You may not know him now but you know his work. Roll Tape.



If you don't have Showtime, go get the DVD. They are getting ready to make a motion picture about this.

and coming soon on ESPN December 12. Roll Tape.



I did an old blog about this.

The U is Back!!!!!!!