Tuesday, October 6, 2009

GOALLINEBLITZ & Courtrivals- Best MMORPG sites

NEW SEASON OF GLB HAS STARTED --- SEASON 12!

Today I want review some of the best mmorpg sites on the net. I must make it clear though that, THIS IS NOT SPAM OR ADVERTISEMENT ! Now that I've made that ABUNDANTLY CLEAR let me start. MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game) are gaining more and more popularity as online users look for a new way to connect with their favorite sports. If you want to create your own player(s) and control their training and watch their stats, the best sites are goallineblitz.com & courtrivals.com. GLB is for Football (american football) lovers and courtrivals is the basketball equivalent. I'm on both and i promise you won't be disappointed in either of them. The sites are well-run and constantly updated and millions use both. GLB is actually the MOST POPULAR MMORPG (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game) on the internet (check alexa) and courtrivals is the hottest upcoming mmorpg after gaining popularity a little over a year ago. Both are the top sites in their respective sports so get to it!

If by chance:
1. you're not familiar with MMORPG
or
2. you're tired of playing fantasy sports and watching your team lose because you can't control what your players do and want the control for yourself
then
read up more on it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mmorpg


To sign up for GLB (goallineblitz), copy and paste link below:
http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=33333245

To sign up for courtrivals, copy and paste link below:
http://www.courtrivals.com/register.php?ref=3000


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Sunday, April 5, 2009

Portland Trail Blazers: "Bad Boys" ON THE COURT

by Xavier Thompson

http://www.nba4all.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/portland-trail-blazers.jpg


What a difference a few years of turmoil and unproductive seasons make.


Portland, which for 21 consecutive seasons, from 1983 to 2003, made the playoffs (second-longest streak in NBA history), had their fall from grace begin in the 2003 – 2004 season when that streak was halted. This was only the beginning, however, of a string of bad seasons as for the following two seasons they slumped to one of the NBA’s worst teams, “accomplishing” the feat of worst record in the league in the 2005 – 2006 season.

In the past two seasons, however, they have managed to get back on track, recording a .500 record for the first time in four years, last season (a season which included a 13-game winning streak) and set to finish with an over .600 record this season.



The playoffs are in sight and the Blazers are looking to create an upset or at least cause uproar.



Why are they back on track?



From even in times of prominence, the Blazers were known for their ‘bad boys’.



First was original bad boy, Rasheed Wallace, in the late 90s to early 00s whose love for technical fouls found him leading the league in the category for several seasons. As uncontrollable as he may have seemed at times and the fact that he was not the best teammate to play with (I’m sure Arvydas still remembers the towel Wallace threw in his face), his bad boy attitude and tenacity helped to propel Portland and keep them afloat.



‘Sheed’s departure, after the 2003 – 2004 season, did not take the “bad boy” out of Portland but this “bad boy” persona started to be channeled in completely negative ways. The next couple of years brought about the worst period of behavioral problems for the Blazers which led to their subsequent downfall.

Sure every franchise has their period of struggles and rebuilding, but this is usually due to young players still learning the tricks of the trade, NOT because of players who refused to manage their behaviors appropriately.



Where to start?

Qyntel Woods possessed more marijuana than actual basketball skill and know-ho.



Bonzi Wells was a child trapped in a man’s body, temperamental and nagging.



Sebastian Telfair’s IQ was apparently lower than his age as the terrorist-in-training brought a gun on the team plane (could it be that the Middle East isn’t the only place that harbors terrorists?).

Darius “I wish I was white” Miles was the pot that called the kettle (coach Maurice Cheeks) “nigger” (no wonder they wanted back their 10 million).



Ruben Patterson a.k.a. Mr. Cop-A-Feel was a registered sex offender.



Zach Randolph, who seemingly had a problem with this, decided to send a strong message of “No funny business” by all but breaking Ruben’s eye socket. Maybe it was that wanting glare in Ruben’s eyes or a little wink here and there that sent Randolph over the edge (this, of course, is merely speculation on my part).



These instances of bad behavior led to several years of bad luck.



Slowly, but surely, however, the Blazers rid themselves of one bad apple after another with Zach Randolph being the last to go and apparently bringing his selfish ball hogging playing style (which would have certainly continued to stifle Brandon Roy’s development) and hopefully playoff jinx with him.



I will admit that I questioned the Blazers move to trade Z-Bo and take Oden first instead of keeping Mr. Sock-it-to-you and taking Durant to fill their SF void. Looking at their roster, record and overall play now, I see why.



This brings me to the new era of Blazer basketball. Gone are the “bad boys” off-court and chokers when it really matters, on court and in are players who take their “anger issues” out on opponents instead of on each other (ye that was a cheap shot at you Mr. Randolph).



If you look at the Portland team now, they’ve got a ‘tude (attitude for those with Telfair-like IQs), a swagger, a silent aggressive nature that big opponents take likely and usually pay for, especially in the Garden of Rose (Rose Garden Arena).



Case in point, this year Portland has beaten some of the NBAs best, CONVINCLY, at the Rose.




One commonality in almost all the wins, aside from a sound a-whooping, was confrontation.



From The Big Ticket, KG, and Aldridge (vs. Celtics) to Ariza and Roy {dirty fool Trevor, dirty!} (vs. Lakers) and Shaq/Shaqovic/The Big Aristotle/The Big Cactus/Diesel (can’t remember any more nick names but I think I covered about half the list) and Carlos “C-Boo” Boozer vs. Przybilla (vs. Suns and Jazz, respectively), experienced teams are learning that this young team aren’t the pushovers they thought.



The latest incident, on March 31, in the rout of the Jazz, saw Boozer and Przybilla tossed for offsetting Double Techincals, going to show you that even the best of the best are being sucked in by the Blazers tenacity and even audacity – how dare such a young team, with absolutely no playoff experience, stand up to these experienced Juggernauts.



Easy, by doing just that and guess what it’s paying off - big time.




Dare I say the Hornets of this year? .... Let me not get carried away.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/151458-ding-dong-the-witch-is-dead-blazers-make-playoffs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TO READ FULL STORY GO HERE:

http://diphoenix.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/portland-trail-blazers-bad-boys-on-the-court/




Saturday, January 31, 2009

NBA 2009 ALL-STARS HAVE BEEN NAMED

Shaq among list of All-Star reserves with 15th appearance

Enlarge By Rick Scuteri, AP

Shaquille O'Neal will join Amare Stoudemire as hometown representatives of the Suns in the All-Star Game in Phoenix.


var storyURL = "http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2009-01-29-all-star-reserves_N.htm";
"Shaq among list of All-Star reserves with 15th appearance";



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The NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix will have a decidedly Magical feel.
Eastern Conference coaches voted two Orlando Magic players as All-Star reserves, guard Jameer Nelson and forward Rashard Lewis, to join the leading vote-getter in the fans' first-team balloting, center Dwight Howard. The Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns have two All-Stars each.



ROSTERS: 58th NBA All-Star Game
Among those playing the best who did not make the Feb. 15 game are Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry and Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

The Lakers' Phil Jackson will coach the West as Los Angeles has clinched that conference's best record; the East coach will be decided this weekend between Orlando's Stan Van Gundy and Cleveland's Mike Brown.

Shaquille O'Neal is an All-Star for the 15th time, second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 19 appearances. O'Neal will be reunited with the Lakers' Jackson and Kobe Bryant, with whom he feuded in the past. But hugs and high-fives were exchanged when the Suns and Lakers met in Phoenix in November. Nelson, New Jersey Nets guard Devin Harris and Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger are the only first-time All-Stars, all as reserves for the East squad.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Atlanta | Boston | Houston | Cleveland | Phoenix | Orlando | Charlotte | Los Angeles Lakers | Denver | Phoenix Suns | Kobe Bryant | Shaquille O'Neal | LeBron James | San Antonio Spurs | Boston Celtics | East | Dallas Mavericks | Cleveland Cavaliers | New Jersey Nets | Lakers | Indiana Pacers | Orlando Magic | Dwyane Wade | Kevin Garnett | Tim Duncan | Yao Ming | Phil Jackson | Allen Iverson | Utah Jazz | Hawks | Chauncey Billups | Pistons | Mike Brown | Ray Allen | Hornets | Tony Parker | Dirk Nowitzki | Big Three | Dwight Howard | Chris Paul | Paul Pierce | David Stern | Amare Stoudemire | Magic | Pau Gasol | Stan Van Gundy | Nuggets | Pacers | Caron Butler | All-Stars | Chris Bosh | Nets | Jason Terry | O'Neal | Raptors | Joe Johnson | Rashard Lewis | Bruce Bowen | Trail Blazers | Jameer Nelson | Devin Harris | Brandon Roy | Rajon Rondo | David West | Mo Williams | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Stoudemire | Danny Granger | Paul Millsap | Hakeem Olajuwon | East All-Stars | Magical
NBA coaches voted for seven reserves from their respective conferences but could not vote for their own players. NBA Commissioner David Stern will select replacements if All-Stars cannot play because of injuries.

New Orleans, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers also had multiple players on the West roster.

But for the second year in a row, only two of the Boston Celtics' Big Three made the initial roster: Paul Pierce was voted in with starter Kevin Garnett, while Ray Allen was left out.

Traded to the Suns at last season's deadline, O'Neal endured the worst season of his career and had his record-tying streak of 14 consecutive All-Star appearances end. Now he's back in the showcase game, and trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 19 for most appearances.

Abdul-Jabbar, a Lakers assistant, will help coach the West team.

The 36-year-old O'Neal was averaging 18.2 points and 9.1 rebounds entering Thursday night's showdown against the Spurs. He needed five more points to catch Hakeem Olajuwon for seventh on the NBA's career scoring list.

O'Neal isn't the only veteran on a West roster flush with experience. The Spurs' Tim Duncan and the Bryant are each making their 11th appearances, while Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki was picked for the eighth time and Houston center Yao Ming for the seventh time.

Carmelo Anthony, who's missed the last 10 games with a broken bone in his right hand, was left off the roster even though he's been cleared to play Friday night at Charlotte. That leaves point guard Chauncey Billups the lone selection from the division-leading Nuggets.

"I was definitely excited. My next question right directly after that was, 'Did Melo make it?' Of course I'm disappointed in that," Billups told The Associated Press. "The only reason why is because of the injury. It's just an unfortunate situation."

Acquired in a trade with the Pistons on Nov. 3, Billups has given Denver a steady backcourt presence. The four-time All-Star is averaging 19.0 points and 6.5 assists.

Stoudemire, Yao, Bryant, Duncan and Chris Paul of the Hornets were voted by fans to start for the West. The East starters are Garnett, Howard, Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson of the Pistons and LeBron James of the Cavaliers.

Coaches were then required to vote for two guards, two forwards, a center and two at-large reserves. The other picks for the West were Pau Gasol of the Lakers, Tony Parker of the Spurs, Brandon Roy of the Trail Blazers and David West of the Hornets. Filling out the East roster are Raptors forward Chris Bosh and Hawks guard Joe Johnson.

There was little controversy in fan voting — besides Stoudemire beating out Spurs reserve Bruce Bowen by just 68,000 votes — but the ballots turned in by the league's coaches left a bunch of deserving players with a gripe.

Allen was passed over despite averaging 18.0 points and helping Boston to a 38-9 record. The eight-time All-Star was skipped over last year, too, but was later added by commissioner David Stern as an injury replacement for Caron Butler.

All-Star Game rosters

EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

4
Chris Bosh, Toronto
F/C
6-10
230
Georgia Tech 4th

5
Kevin Garnett, Boston
F
6-11
220
Farragut Academy 12th

33
Danny Granger, Indiana
F
6-8
225
New Mexico 1st

34
Devin Harris, New Jersey
G
6-3
185
Wisconsin 1st

12
Dwight Howard, Orlando
C
6-11
265
SW Atlanta Christian Academy 3rd

3
Allen Iverson, Detroit
G
6-0
165
Georgetown 10th

23
LeBron James, Cleveland
F
6-8
250
St. Vincent/St. Mary HS 5th

2
Joe Johnson, Atlanta
G
6-7
235
Arkansas 3rd

9
Rashard Lewis, Orlando
F
6-10
215
Alief Elsik HS 2nd

14
Jameer Nelson, Orlando
G
6-0
190
St. Joseph's 1st

34
Paul Pierce, Boston
F
6-7
235
Kansas 7th

3
Dwayne Wade, Miami
G
6-4
210
Marquette 5th

WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

1
Chauncey Billups, Denver
G
6-3
202
Colorado 4th

24
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
G
6-6
205
Lower Merion HS 11th

21
Tim Duncan, San Antonio
F
6-11
260
Wake Forest 11th

16
Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers
F
7-0
227
Spain 2nd

11
Yao Ming, Houston
C
7-6
310
China 7th

41
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
F
7-0
245
Germany 8th

32
Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix
C
7-1
315
Louisiana State 15th

9
Tony Parker, San Antonio
G
6-2
177
France 3rd

3
Chris Paul, New Orleans
G
6-0
175
Wake Forest 2nd

7
Brandon Roy, Portland
G
6-6
211
Washington 2nd

1
Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
F/C
6-10
245
Cypress Creek HS 4th

30
David West, New Orleans
F
6-9
240
Xavier 2nd

***

Contributing: Chris Colston, USA TODAY; The Associated Press





http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2009-01-29-all-star-reserves_N.htm







-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHO DESERVED IT AND WHO GOT SNUBBED

---- Xavier Thompson

yes

FIRSTLY LETS JUS RECAP THE CHOSEN FEW

All-Star Game rosters

* — starters

EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

4
Chris Bosh, Toronto
F/C
6-1
230
Georgia Tech 4th

5
* Kevin Garnett, Boston
F
6-11
220
Farragut Academy 12th

33
Danny Granger, Indiana
F
6-8
225
New Mexico 1st

34
Devin Harris, New Jersey
G
6-3
185
Wisconsin 1st

12
* Dwight Howard, Orlando
C
6-11
265
SW Atlanta Christian Academy 3rd

3
* Allen Iverson, Detroit
G
6-10
165
Georgetown 10th

23
* LeBron James, Cleveland
F
6-8
250
St. Vincent/St. Mary HS 5th

2
Joe Johnson, Atlanta
G
6-7
235
Arkansas 3rd

9
Rashard Lewis, Orlando
F
6-10
215
Alief Elsik HS 2nd

14
Jameer Nelson, Orlando
G
6-0
190
St. Joseph's 1st

34
Paul Pierce, Boston
F
6-7
235
Kansas 7th

3
* Dwayne Wade, Miami
G
6-4
210
Marquette 5th

WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

1
Chauncey Billups, Denver
G
6-3
202
Colorado 4th

24
* Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
G
6-6
205
Lower Merion HS 11th

21
* Tim Duncan, San Antonio
F
6-11
260
Wake Forest 11th

16
Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers
F
7-0
227
Spain 2nd

11
* Yao Ming, Houston
C
7-6
310
China 7th

41
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
F
7-0
245
Germany 8th

32
Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix
C
7-1
315
Louisiana State 15th

9
Tony Parker, San Antonio
G
6-2
177
France 3rd

3
* Chris Paul, New Orleans
G
6-0
175
Wake Forest 2nd

7
Brandon Roy, Portland
G
6-6
211
Washington 2nd

1
* Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
F/C
6-10
245
Cypress Creek HS 4th

30
David West, New Orleans
F
6-9
240
Xavier 2nd


Firstly, let's start with the deserved ...



On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially hARRIS AND nELSON (gRANGER was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections. The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don't get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we're seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year's dismal season (by my accounts) I think he's made very big steps in shwocasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don't light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase. Allen Iverson's selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.

SNUBS ON THE EAST:

Mike Bibby - definately deserved a nod due to the way he's provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter - he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any choosen day ... plus his numbers don't lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince - this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valauble on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee - maybe next year but the kid can play





ON THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS .... NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet



Can't really say "Snubs" since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on ... definately should have made it over DAVID WEST), Al Jefferson (not really "surprising" per se but...), The Utah Twins ... Carlos "C-Bo" Boozer and Deron Williams (.... obviously only the injruies kept these two BEASTS off the roster), KEVIN DURANT ( if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT ... who the hell needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? - mind over matter)











Ken Berger

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Shaq & Kobe, together again

Posted on: January 29, 2009 7:27 pm
Edited on: January 30, 2009 7:16 am
Score: 89
2

Predictably, Shaquille O'Neal captured the sentimental vote among NBA coaches, gaining entry to his 15th All-Star game when the chocies were announced Thursday night on TNT.

As vehemently as I argued that Shaq didn't deserve to be in over Al Jefferson, I will enjoy Shaq's presence in Phoenix -- especially his reunion with Kobe & Phil. What bothers me is that he's in and Carmelo Anthony is out. The way the coaches' votes are tabulated --ranking their choices 1-7 with two guards, two forwards, one center, and two wild cards -- Anthony would appear to have been pushed off the squad by Shaq. I haven't seen the voting, but Shaq probably made it because some coaches listed him as the backup center and others listed him as one of the wild cards.

Anthony missed some games, so if you don't agree with me there you might argue for Paul Millsap, Kevin Durant, or Jefferson. All three are having a better year than Shaq. But I've said my piece. I can't wait until Shaq is holding court at All-Star media availability. Should be fun.

In case you missed it, here are the rest of the Western reserves: Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, Chauncey Billups, and David West. The difference between the coaches' choices and mine -- I had Jefferson, Deron Williams, and Anthony vs. Shaq, Parker, and West.

There are three first-timers on the Eastern squad: Danny Granger, Devin Harris and Jameer Nelson. Joining them are Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh and Rashard Lewis. The only difference between the real squad and mine -- I had Ray Allen instead of Lewis. Nothing to quibble about there.

Your thoughts?



Category: NBA
Tags: All-Star Reserves


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FlyingJ

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 7:38 pm
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



I say david lee instead of lewis or nelson i know orlando has a winning record but they already have howard starting. Lewis and Nelsons numbers are not great. David lee has great numbers



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BadgerNation

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 8:12 pm
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Shaq & Kobe, together again

I like to see some players who arent on dominating teams get chosen. You can have great stats when you are surrounded by Garnett Pierce and Allen, or Howard and Lewis and Nelson. Al Jefferson is on a bad team and gets his stats being double teamed and ganged up on every night. Shaq has been great, but he is also playing with superstars Nash and Amare. I think thats why i like the Granger and Harris and Bosh picks. David Lee and Durant also do it often on thier own.





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jlt421

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 8:21 pm
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Al Jefferson snubbed....are you kidding me?



WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

PLAYER A: 22.7 PPG 10.5 RPG 49% FG 74% FT

PLAYER B: 20.6 PPG 10.3 RPG 52% FG 68% FT

You would choose Player A right? Well.....Player A is Al Jefferson, and Player B is Tim Duncan, the starting PF for the West.... A complete travesty he did not make the team just beacuse the Wolves aren't a good team.



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thommie2011jz

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 8:27 pm
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



On top of that, Jefferson averages those numbers with constantly facing double, usually triple teams beacause their are no other legitamate threat for the timberwolves offensively.



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MotownKit

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 9:07 pm
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



Calderon deserves a spot. Hands down. Don't know why he was left off or no one is calling him a possible snub?



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MotownKit

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 9:09 pm
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



Al Jefferson definitely got snubbed too but I dont know exactly who I would take off, maybe David West.



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Bluejays4ws

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Posted on: January 29, 2009 9:26 pm
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



Shaq should be an all-star. If there's anyone Al Jefferson should've made it in over it would have to be David West



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playmaker21

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Posted on: January 30, 2009 12:41 am
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



i don't see why people are making fuss outta the all-star game, the weekend is just an excuse for people

to get drunk and have sex with hookers, nobody takes the game seriously. Also the media dig up the same garbage

every year and brag about the travesty about who didn't got in, or who got in. ENOUGH ALREADY.



also im sick of former nba-players using the all-star weekend to grandstand and promote their useless lives like how that homo amaechi tried to steal the show.



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Hawkman77

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Posted on: January 30, 2009 2:37 am
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Shaq & Kobe, together again



I say david lee instead of lewis or nelson i know orlando has a winning record but they already have howard starting. Lewis and Nelsons numbers are not great. David lee has great numbersTwo problems with that. 1) they play different positions. Nobody is going to pick David Lee over Jameer Nelson when they need a point guard for the team. 2) the numbers don't tell the whole story. Basketball fans know Lee is a good ballplayer, a scrapper who is not a star but who has played very well in D'antoni's system. Nelson is one of the few point guards shooting more than 50% from the field and is leading his team. I think Lewis is less deserving than Nelson but he's been great at what he does also. Lee is a nice player but he does not have great numbers - he has one great number, and that's his rebounding number.



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Hawkman77

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Shaq & Kobe, together again



WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? PLAYER A: 22.7 PPG 10.5 RPG 49% FG 74% FT PLAYER B: 20.6 PPG 10.3 RPG 52% FG 68% FTHorrible question. This is like saying numbers matter more than contributions and skill. Numbers don't account for the type of team a player is on, how he fits in the defense, intangibles, defense, etc.

Duncan = Hall of Fame and having a very strong year. Shooting a better percentage than Jefferson.

Jefferson = Good player. Might make an all-star team or two in his career. Can get to the Hall of Fame if he buys a ticket.



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About BergerSphere
You could read about the NBA anywhere, but you'll read about it here. Because you need Berger's news, notes, and opinions served well done, 24 hours a day. Or thereabouts.
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Xavier Thompson from THE BLEACHER REPORT --- see part of story here: (scroll up to see all)

Firstly, let's start with the deserved ...



On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially hARRIS AND nELSON (gRANGER was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections. The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don't get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we're seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year's dismal season (by my accounts) I think he's made very big steps in shwocasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don't light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase. Allen Iverson's selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.

SNUBS ON THE EAST:

Mike Bibby - definately deserved a nod due to the way he's provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter - he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any choosen day ... plus his numbers don't lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince - this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valauble on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee - maybe next year but the kid can play





ON THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS .... NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet



Can't really say "Snubs" since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash, Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on ... definately should have made it over DAVID WEST), Al Jefferson (not really "surprising" per se but...), The Utah Twins ... Carlos "C-Bo" Boozer and Deron Williams (.... obviously only the injruies kept these two BEASTS off the roster), KEVIN DURANT ( if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT ... who the hell needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? - mind over matter)




:)



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FIRSTLY LETS JUS RECAP THE CHOSEN FEW

All-Star Game rosters

* — starters



EASTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

4
Chris Bosh, Toronto
F/C
6-1
230
Georgia Tech 4th

5
* Kevin Garnett, Boston
F
6-11
220
Farragut Academy 12th

33
Danny Granger, Indiana
F
6-8
225
New Mexico 1st

34
Devin Harris, New Jersey
G
6-3
185
Wisconsin 1st

12
* Dwight Howard, Orlando
C
6-11
265
SW Atlanta Christian Academy 3rd

3
* Allen Iverson, Detroit
G
6-10
165
Georgetown 10th

23
* LeBron James, Cleveland
F
6-8
250
St. Vincent/St. Mary HS 5th

2
Joe Johnson, Atlanta
G
6-7
235
Arkansas 3rd

9
Rashard Lewis, Orlando
F
6-10
215
Alief Elsik HS 2nd

14
Jameer Nelson, Orlando
G
6-0
190
St. Joseph’s 1st

34
Paul Pierce, Boston
F
6-7
235
Kansas 7th

3
* Dwayne Wade, Miami
G
6-4
210
Marquette 5th

WESTERN CONFERENCE ALL-STARS

No.
Player, team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
College/HS/Country All-Star
Selections

1
Chauncey Billups, Denver
G
6-3
202
Colorado 4th

24
* Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
G
6-6
205
Lower Merion HS 11th

21
* Tim Duncan, San Antonio
F
6-11
260
Wake Forest 11th

16
Pau Gasol, L.A. Lakers
F
7-0
227
Spain 2nd

11
* Yao Ming, Houston
C
7-6
310
China 7th

41
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
F
7-0
245
Germany 8th

32
Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix
C
7-1
315
Louisiana State 15th

9
Tony Parker, San Antonio
G
6-2
177
France 3rd

3
* Chris Paul, New Orleans
G
6-0
175
Wake Forest 2nd

7
Brandon Roy, Portland
G
6-6
211
Washington 2nd

1
* Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
F/C
6-10
245
Cypress Creek HS 4th

30
David West, New Orleans
F
6-9
240
Xavier 2nd


Firstly, let’s start with THE EAST …

On the Eastern side of things, we saw all THREE debutantes in Nelson, Granger and Harris. A bit surprising since all are in the middle of their breakout seasosn, especially Harris and Nelson (Granger was pretty good last year but has still improved a great deal). The bottom line, however, is that all three DESERVED their allstar selections.

The rest of the east was pretty expected with Rashard Lewis being the only member chosen by the coaches which I thought was a bit undeserved. Now don’t get me wrong Rashard is playing bball at a very high level and we’re seeing numbers reminiscient of what he put up as a Super Sonic which led to his rise to stardom. Furthermore, after last year’s dismal season (by my accounts) I think he’s made very big steps in showcasing his value to the Magics organization and fans. However, his numbers don’t light up the board enough to be playing in such a showcase.

Allen Iverson’s selection was obviously the MOST UNDESERVED, however, seeing he was actually voted in by the fans then I have no right to argue, they choose what they want to see.



SNUBS on the EAST:

Mike Bibby - definately deserved a nod due to the way he’s provided that extra uumph the Hawks needed to become a contender in the East.

Vince Carter - he may not be able to jump as high or as much but he still can light it up on any given day … plus his numbers don’t lie (maybe if the nets had a better record he would have made it)

Andre Iguodala

Tashaun Prince - this is more because of my view that a player which is undoubtedly the most valuable on his team though his numbers may not show this.

David Lee - maybe next year but the kid can play



THE WEST

NO FIRST TIMERS …. NOT SURPRISED. The ONLY problem with the roster chosen was DAVID WEST. Yeah, 20 ppg, 7 rpg looks pretty good on a stat sheet but he really hasn't provided any 'sting' for the hornets.

Can’t really say “Snubs” since the lineup was a pretty deserved one but there were a number of surprise absentees:

Steve Nash

Carmelo Anthony (no excuse for him not being on … definately should have made it over DAVID WEST)

Al Jefferson (not really “surprising” per se but…)

The Utah Twins … Carlos “C-Bo” Boozer and Deron Williams (…. obviously only the injuries kept these two BEASTS off the roster)

KEVIN DURANT - if only this guy did not play for such a horrendous team but my God has this kid improved in terms of bball IQ and rebounding skills. BIG PROPS TO MR. DURANT … who in the world needs to be able to bench press 180 when u can play like this right? - mind over matter.

—- Xavier Thompson


http://bleacherreport.com/articles/118091-nba-2009-allstars-have-been-named-who-deserved-it-who-got-snubbed?just_published=1

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Campion College Basketball: The Finale! [2007-2008 Season]

TEAM LEADERS

Points: Russell Thompson (16+ points per game)
Rebounds: Xavier Thompson (11+ rebounds per game)
Assists: James Deane (3+ assists per game)

Blocking Leaders:
Leighton Samuels
Xavier Thompson

Stealing Leaders:
Russell Thompson
Jason Blankson

Team MVP: James Deane
--------------------------------------------
AFTER THE SEASON

2008 - 2009 Season
This will begin the rebuilding period for Campion College Under-19 (Varsity) Team. The next two years should be rough but in a matter of time players such as Javier Gordon, Jonathan Mitchell & Leekem Brown, among others, should have the team back on track.

Season (League) Awards
James Deane was awarded a plaque for being the best 3-point shooter of the league.

In-house Awards
At their graduation, multiple members of the team were awarded plaques for their dedication and contribution to Campion College Basketball. These Players were as follows:

Jason Blankson
James Deane
Graham Reid
Leighton Samuels
Russell Thompson
Xavier Thompson


The Sports Chronicles would like to congratulate the 2007-2008 Campion College Under-19 (Varsity) Team for their achievements this year and for putting together a very exciting season and the best finish the school has seen in over seven years.


............

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites end season on high, trouncing Tarrant

Date: 31/01/08 [56-10] {Record: 3-5} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)
[Home: 3-1][Away: 0-4]

Campion College finished their season in the same manner in which they started it - with a win - as action continued in the Southern Zone of the ISSA/KFC/Pepsi Basketball Competition. Campion soundly beat the lowly Tarrant High to complete and cap off a better than average (and expected) season. Though playing slopely, possibly due to their season having being over AND/OR the fact that they knew Tarrant was winless, the Campionites still managed to demolish their opponents 56-10.

Impressive Home Record

Though a sloppy match, the Campionites ended their season with an impressive home record of 3 wins and just one loss. The fans obviously playing a factor with this year being the only year in recent times that Campion fans came out in their numbers and actually outnumbered opponents. All-in-all, it was a great sending off for the Campionites with all but one of their members playing their last year of basketball with the school.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Leading Scorers
James Deane 29 points
Russel Thompson 13 points
Jason Blankson 6 points

Leading Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 11 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 11 rebounds
Jason Blankson 9 rebounds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Graham Reid [5'11, 155 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
The second game more than two players had 8+ rebounds (X. Thompson, Samuels, Blankson).
Blankson, Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 31 rebounds [X. Thompson, 11, Samuels, 11 and Blankson, 9]
Russell Thompson, Xavier Thompson, Leighton Samuels, James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Graham Reid and Kim saw minority minutes.
Mikhail Mattis did not play due to injury (knee).


IN ATTENDANCE:
Racquel Dawkins, Shawntoll Buchanon, Damar Pessoa, Leikim Brown, Javier Gordon, Ashton Blankson.

Euro 2008

Holland/Netherlands!!!

Monday, May 5, 2008

Rossenero

There has been much speculation over the player’s future and reports in Italy have suggested that the Frenchman was a prime target for Juventus.

However, it seems as if the Bianconeri have been beaten to the line to sign Flamini by Milan following a a news report by Sky Sport Italia. The 24-year-old has refused to pen a new deal with the Gunners and it is believed that he was not happy with the package which was offered.

The player will arrive in July on a free transfer and Milan have presented him with a better deal. Flamini will be earning €5.6 million per season over a four year period.

Arsene Wenger was confident of keeping the player on at the Emirates but it now seems impossible.

“If it was down to just football then Flamini would stay, however it does not depend only on that,” said Wenger.

Milan need reinforcements for next season, especially if they are to mount a serious bid for the title as well as the Champions League.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

NBA PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: FIRST ROUND
by Xavier Thompson, basketball player and analyst
The EAST

1. BOS vs. 8. ATL

Not much too say about this matchup except for the fact that Atlanta will be lucky to even win a match. They have a good team but will have to wait for another two seasons before really being a contender.

Celtics sweeps Hawks 4-0

2. DET vs. PHI

With the way Philadelphia has played coming into the playoffs there is no doubt that they will prove problematic for the Pistons to get rid of. In fact, if the 76ers had been fortuitous enough to get the 6th or 5th seed, they would have a real possibility of upsetting a top seed. However, they are matched up with the veteran Piston side who even though have a history of becoming complacent, have not lost a first round series in more than 6 years. So, unfortunately for the upstarts from Philadelphia this is where their surprising season comes to a halt.

Pistons prevail 4-2

3. ORL vs. 6. TOR

This series probably won't provide much in the way of excitement and will be possibly one of the more overlooked matchups. The raptors are a good team but really do not have the strength or vigor to cause much problems for the Magic. In fact they will probably bring the series to six games for the sheer fact that the Magics on a whole are not a very experienced playoff team. However with Dwight Howard at the helm, the Raptors will have little chance of causing an upset.

Magics wins the series in 6 games.

4. CLE vs. 5. WAS

This is the only series in the east with a very good chance of going either way. Though assembling the best team roster since LeBron James' arrival, the Cavaliers have looked less than impressive in their run up to the playoffs and barely managed to get home court advantage over Washington. The Wizards on the other hand have learned to win without their star Gilbert Arenas (including two over the top team in the NBA, the Celtics) and with him now back will have a very good chance of finally getting past arch playoff rivals Cleveland. The two things going for the Cavs right now is the brilliance of King James and their mental advantage.

Wizards pull of the East's only upset and down the Cavs in 7



The WEST

1. LAL vs. 8. DEN

Sweep, sweep, sweep! The Nuggets allowed the Seattle Supersonics led by two rookies to not only beat them in a CRUCIAL must-win game but allowed them to score 161 points. Now double overtime or not that is HORRENDOUS. What does it show? Its a clear indication that this team has no defense and if that young Sonics could run them rampant, then I can only imagine what the Los Angeles Lakers will do to teroirize them. Out of all the playoff series this is the likeliest of sweeps you will find. The Lakers are just too god.

Lakers in easy sweep 4-0

2. NOH vs. 7. DAL

One of the two playoff seires in the West with serious 'upset' possibilities. As good as the Hornets have been and as bad as the Mavericks have proven to be against +.500 teams, one factor will ultimately let down New Orleans - their INEXPERIENCE. None of the starting five, except Peja, have any real playoff experience and though this can be compared to Deron Williams and the Jazz last year, let's face it, the West is just too tight this year (plus the Jazz didn't exactly have the toughest road to the Conference Finals). This series should provide for great entertainemnt and nail biting finishes and will be decided by one player: Peja Stojakovic. Yes, he isn't what he used to be but without him the Hornets will not be able to overcome the Mavericks. WIth him providing offense, the Hornets will probably prove too much for the Avery Johnsons coached Dallas. Who will come out on top?

Dallas given the edge to end Chris Paul's Hornets run in exciting 7 game seires.

3. SAS vs. 6. PHO

This is the other western series with serious threats of producing an 'upset'. The Spurs have previously proven too much for the Suns to handle in a playoff series (they haven't beaten the Spurs in a playoff series since the Spurs championship run began). However with a new look and with the Spurs not looking like they have in previous years, the Suns may just have their chance. The series will go down to the wire no doubt and will be decided depending on the team which is more hungry. Right now, that is looking like the Suns.

Phoenix tipped to win in 7

4. UTA vs. 5. HOU

The Rockets have done the unthinkable. Not only have they made the playoffs without the help of Yao Ming but they were actually in the hunt of a top seed position. And let's not forget their 20+ game winning streak. However, despite all of this Utah will still have an easy time disposing of them. T-Mac is an infamous playoff choker and the Jazz are even better than last year. Though last year's series came down to home court advantage and despite the fact that Rockets have it this time around, they just don't have the players to shut down the likes of Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Memhet 'Money' Okur. Great season but Rockets can't do much to help keep it alive.

Jazz win 4-2

Monday, February 18, 2008

Campion College's Xavier Thompson finishes fifth in Jamaica in Uefa Fantasy Football

Campion College's Xavier Thompson finishes fifth in Jamaica in Uefa Fantasy Football (Euro 2008) with his 'team' "Ardion"(Ardenne Prep + Campion College)

Jamaica's TOP 50(FIFTY) FINISHERS/TEAMS

# Team Manager Mat Tot
1 EuroBombers Joel Polson 53 836
2 dutty ball Burke Hamilton 40 739
3 BarbicanPool S Stowa 46 515
4 Rosedale Chris Charlton 27 482
5 Ardion xav thompson[Xavier Thompson] 28 464
6 The Playerz Ragga Muffin 24 452
7 Gerzy-Side Nicholas Mahabeer 38 424
8 KJAH FC Julian Hudson 49 417
9 Jamaica Oscar Otero 35 412
10 Realest Team Arif Roberts 17 404
11 Yardies Donovan Bunting 25 396
12 BUTCHERS FC Carlton Lyons 27 392
13 Jam-azuris Tahric Johnson 29 391
14 screw_face fc Leon Jarrett 31 385
15 omane Omane Willaims 39 381
16 Italian All Stars Kemar Francis 25 380
17 hollowman robert sanjay 34 368
18 FR Shaine Thetford 42 364
19 GANGSTERSFC Sean Reid 35 353
20 jdfallstar andrew Daley 27 340
21 Deschamps desroy smith 21 317
22 World Superstars leighton atkinson 21 313
23 Crouch's 11 Andre Daley 17 305
24 UCSCLogan Sheldon Logan 30 302
25 JogaBonito Peter Tosh 30 301
26 Juan Warren Kurt Warren 13 281
27 nontugal Mauri Lomelakas 11 280
28 Fenerbache? Gareth Ayriss 6 277
29 madness gianmarco fifi 40 274
30 Brandon FC Kereisha Lewis 27 272
31 SCHOOLAS FC Marvin Morgan 34 272
32 tatty rohan brown 24 269
33 classic XI ernest denton 20 266
34 kavon kavon kinlocke 51 257
35 J-Neal FC Jerry-Neal Richards 15 253
36 YAHMAN daisuke yamashita 20 237
37 Portmore United Alex Conie 14 229
38 The masters Jermaine Simon 32 227
39 polpetta.p Pietro Loperfido 13 208
40 alig Alison Gillespie 10 203
41 feeal F.C Shaunakay Stirling 31 196
42 T-rizzle FC troy baker 29 190
43 Rae Town Christopher Rose 38 182
44 borkor Boris Koren 23 170
45 Darkcloudmon JJ Thompson 22 165
46 France FC Nigel Francis 16 164
47 delgaooo tomas delgado 20 163
48 bobdino mikus wedd 15 158
49 portmore United leon williams 40 142
50 bomboclat david bryan 20 134
51 kkkfc kavon kinlocke 34 131



http://en.euro2008fantasy.uefa.com/M/stats.mc?stat=table&country=107&phase=1

Monday, February 4, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites season comes to an end, with loss to St. Catherine

Date: 24/01/08 [44-58] {Record: 2-5} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)
[Home: 2-1][Away: 0-4]

St. Catherine High officially put an end to Campion College's bid for a playoff/quarterfinal spot as action continued in the Southern Zone of the ISSA/KFC/Pepsi Basketball Competition. The Campionites, who came into this match needing to win, went down in a match that was for the most part closely contested. At halftime the score was 17-26 and the Campionites looked a bt shaky. However they made great efforts in their comeback and drew close to St. Catherine team before finally allowing the match and hence their season, to slip away. The match eventually ended 58 - 44.


SLIPPED AWAY
As the match came down to the final five minutes Campion had drawn withint two points of their opponents. However, offensive blunders turned into easy fast break points which allowed St. Catherine to balloon back the lead to double digits. As the match came to a close, they knew that their spirited season was over.

FIRST HOME LOSS
This match was the first home loss for the Campionites who had previously been undefeated (2 - 0). (Though the loss to Calabar came at their home, it was scheduled and is still regarded as an away encounter).

ONE MATCH TO GO
They still have one match to go against Tarrant and the team is hoping to end their season on a high, not only due to pride but also the fact that most of these players are also seniors meaning this is their last year of high school basketball.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Scorers
Russel Thompson 23 points
James Deane 9 points
Xavier Thompson 8 points

Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 14 rebounds
Jason Blankson 13 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 8 rebounds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
SF Graham Reid [5'11, 155 lbs]
SG Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
PG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]

Bench:
James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]
Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GAME NOTES
Benching Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson & James Deane was a coaching strategy.
This was the only match where Campion's top three scorers (Deane, R. Thompson & X. Thompson) all came off the bench.
The first game more than two players had 8+ rebounds (X. Thompson, Samuels, Blankson).
Blankson, Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 35 rebounds [X. Thompson, 14, Blankson, 13 and Samuels, 8]
Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson, Leighton Samuels, James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Graham Reid and Kim saw minority minutes.
Mikhail Mattis did not play due to injury (knee) and is doubtful for their match against Tarrant.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites get trampled on by Ardenne

Date: 23/01/08 [22-64] {Record: 2-4} Venue: Ardenne Arena (Ardenne High)

Ardenne High further dampened hopes of the unlikely Campion College of qualifying for the playoffs/quarterfinals as action continued in the Southern Zone of the ISSA/KFC/Pepsi Basketball Competition. Th Campionites, who came into this match needing to win at least 2 of their last 3 matches, went down to a handy 22-64 defeat at Ardenne. Th Campionites who managed to take an early lead and obviously caught Ardenne a bit by surprise did a good job defensively of containg the Ardenne offense. However, the Campionites faced their own problems as Ardenne too played great defense nullifying the Campion offense to only 10 points in the half (Season Low), to their 22. The second half seemed to be the breaking point as Ardenne began to exert more effort and caught out Campion College on many fast breaks. Further more, the defense of Ardenne kept the Campion offense locked up tight, resulting in their season-low in points scored in a game.

Dunking Phenomena & Triple Double
As with most blowouts that Campion College faces, there was one outstanding player who, though not scoring a lot of points,15, is the only player to come this close to a triple double againt the Campionites, missing it by only ONE block. Yes Ardenne's #15, Alex Lubsey, blocked anything and anyone in sight repeatedly, with quite a number of his 9 blocks done at the 3 point arc. He also had a 10+ rebound game to go with the fact that he dunked the ball at least 6 times throughtout the match, especially the second half.

Season in Jeopardy
Campion College's home record will be severely tested when they come up against their toughest competitor's at home, St. Catherine. They very well know that a loss tomorrow would ultimately mean the end of the season for the guys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Scorers
James Deane 11 points
Russell Thompson 9 points
Darren Mitchell 2 points

Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 7 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 6 rebounds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------GAME NOTES
Russell Thompson, Xavier Thompson, Leighton Samuels, James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Mikhail Mattis and Kim saw minority minutes.
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Darren Mitchell were the only contributors offensively.
Xavier Thompson was the main contributor defensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 13 rebounds [Thompson, 7 and Samuels, 6] - SEASON LOW
This was the only match where only two starters scored.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

All-Star Game Selections / Formula for "Perfect Team"/Shaun "Polly" Pollock retires - Saying Goodbye to a legend

2008 All-Star Game Starters

EAST
Dwight Howard, C
Orlando Magic
2,066,991
2nd appearance

Kevin Garnett, F
Boston Celtics
2,399,148
11th appearance

LeBron James, F
Cleveland Cavaliers
2,108,831
4th appearance

Dwyane Wade, G
Miami Heat
1,608,260
4th appearance

Jason Kidd, G
New Jersey Nets
1,246,386
9th appearance

WEST
Yao Ming, C
Houston Rockets
1,709,180
6th appearance

Carmelo Anthony, F
Denver Nuggets
1,723,701
2nd appearance

Tim Duncan, F
San Antonio Spurs
1,712,800
10th appearance

Kobe Bryant, G
L.A. Lakers
2,004,940
10th appearance

Allen Iverson, G
Denver Nuggets
1,203,152
9th appearance

2008 Reserves
EAST
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Sel.
Chris Bosh Toronto F 6-10 230 3rd
Caron Butler Washington F 6-7 228 2nd
Paul Pierce Boston G 6-7 235 6th
Chauncey Billups Detroit G 6-3 202 3rd
Richard Hamilton Detroit G 6-7 193 3rd
Joe Johnson Atlanta G 6-7 235 2nd
Antawn Jamison Washington F 6-9 235 2nd
Coach: TBD

WEST
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Sel.
Steve Nash Phoenix G 6-3 178 6th
Chris Paul New Orleans G 6-0 175 1st
Dirk Nowitzki Dallas F 7-0 245 7th
Carlos Boozer Utah F 6-9 266 2nd
Amaré Stoudemire Phoenix C 6-10 249 3rd
Brandon Roy Portland G 6-6 229 1st
David West New Orleans F 6-9 240 1st
Coach: TBD


No real surpsrise .. for the most part i was right on the money on who should/would be chosen. However, they are a couple of decisions I don't agree with, and leading this pack is the non-selection of Baron "B.Diddy" Davis. WHAT??? How did the selectors manage to leave him off...to me it seems nothing short of crazy and delirium taking ahold of them. The player which should have been left off is Brandon Roy. Yes, he is having a great year but guess what Davis noto nly has better stats, on a way more competitive team, his team also has/had a better record at the time of selection. So how did the selectors manage to leave him out??? DUMBFOUNDED is what I am. In my point of view, even Deron Willaims could have been chosen over B-Roy, as with the case with B.Diddy, has the better stats and team(record)The biggest 'boo-boo' made on the East came in the form of Joe Johnson. Excuses can be made for why he made it but to leave off Hedo Turkoglu is easily the biggest snub on the East. Turkoglu is a 18-7-6 player, which easily outduels Joe Johnson's 20-5 line. He has improved tremendously and has been an incredible and integral part of the Magic organization.


Close calls/SNUBS:

Baron Davis & Hedo Turkoglu - MAJOR MISTAKE TO LEAVE THeSe TWO OFF.
Vince Carter - really didn't deserve it this year; way too shaky.
Marcus Camby - DEFINATELY DESERVED IT but didnt stand a chance against Yao and Amare.
Shawn Marion - not good enough this year.
Josh Smith - also a MAJOR SNUB!
Gerald Wallace - great player who would have a GREAT chance off making it, IF he played for a playoff contending team.
Andre Iguadala - same as Gerald, but to a lesser extent,
Al Jefferson - WONDERFUL PLAYER but, as it seems to be an unwritten rule/regulation, his team is WAY TOO BAD for him to have had a chance.

Surprises:
Joe Johnson AND David West - These were the only two I never really thought would make it or had a reasonable chance.

OTHER VIEWS HERE:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/allstar/rosters
http://community.foxsports.com/whoops.aspx?aspxerrorpath=/404.aspx

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Campion College's Xavier Thompson, gives us his formula for THE PERFECT TEAM:

STARTERS:
#C - DEFENSIVE, but with offensive capabilites and who is quick (can run the floor) - eg. Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, Andris Biedrins
*PF - VERSATILE,with an array of offensive ways to score - eg. Chris Bosh/Carlos Boozer
#*SF - DRIVER-SHOOTER WITH DEFENSE, someone who is mainly a driver but can knock down the outside shot and has GREAT defense - eg. Gerald Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Manu Ginobli, Caron Butler, Ron Artest, Josh Smith
SG - OVERLOOKED THREAT, someone who is overlooked due to the stars at the PF, SF AND PG positions and who can easily and consistenly hit open jumpers - eg. Bonzi Wells, Deshawn Stevenson
#*PG - ASSISTING SCORER, a guard who has a pass-first mentality but who isn;t afraid to take over a game offensively (driving AND shooting) if needs be and who can also play defense - eg. Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, Jose Calderon


BENCH - in order of their roles(places of the bench - eg. the first name would be the SIXTH MAN)

*SG - flat-out shooter with lots of range - eg. Kyle Korver, Cuttino Mobley
#C - very defensive, with different (bulkier) body type than the starting C - eg. Erick Dampier .... this ensures that if the oppsoing Centre is too big for the starter, you will have size on the bench.
#SF - defense-minded swingman who can hit open jumpers and 3-balls and who is POSSIBLY a better defender than the starting SF - eg. Bruce Bowen, James Posey...this ensures that if both the SF and SG of a team (eg. Boston Celtics with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce) need to be marked heavily, the back-up SF can fill in.
PG - experienced back up for the youthful starting PG to help guide and mold him, with decent defense - eg. Anthony Johnson, Sam Cassell, Brevin Knight, Derek Fisher
*PF - though a "TENTH MAN" when put on the court should be a main source of offense and also should be a player able to play SF if needs be - eg. Al Harrington

11th and 12th man should be a tall, oversized backup C and a SF/SG rookie.


* - Meant to be the main sources of offense
# - Meant to be great defenders

Additional talents that should be taught to players:

STARTERS:
C - should be taught/train to be able to guard all the way down to a tall SF (eg. Peja)
SF - should be able to guard all the way down to a PG
PG - should be able to guard SG's and SF's and VERY lacklustre offensive PF's/C's

BENCH:
SG - should be able to shoot from just below halfcourt WITH EASE


MINUTES ALLOCATION AND IDEAL HEIGHTS:

Starters:

C - 28-30 mins 6'11/7'0

PF - 35-40 mins 6'9/6'10

SF - 35-40 mins 6'5-6'7

SG - 20-25 mins 6'5

PG - 35-40 mins 6'3/6'4

Bench

SG - 20-25 mins 6'5

C - 15-20 mins 7'0

SF - 15-20 mins 6'8

PG - 10-15 mins 6'3/6'4

PF - 10-20 mins 6'8-6'10


With a line up like this you will have a VERY GOOD balance of offense and defense.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaun Pollock

What a great cricketer he is! The Sports Chronicles would just like to say farewell to such a fantastic player and contributor to the sport of Cricket.

Team: South Africa -
Greatest Bowler in SA history with 391 One Day wickets and 400+ wickets in Test matches.

Will be remembered not only for his wicket taking but his knack for having a great economy rate.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites upset Meadowbrook to remain undefeated at home

Date: 16/01/08 [38-37] {Record: 2-3} Venue: Radley Reid Arena (Campion College)

Campion College upset Meadowbrook to record a narrow 38-37 win to remain unbeaten at home as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. The match was close from the get-go as their previous match, with Campion eventually pulling it out in a 'must win' match for the Campionites in order to keep their playoff hopes alive. The match went back and forth as both teams exchanged the lead. At the end of the first the score was tied at 9. At halftime the score remained close with Meadowbrook having a narrow 20-18 lead. The third quarter saw much of the same with both teams exchanging baskets and deseprately vieing for the win. In the end Campion got it together and kept their cool as they came away winners by one point.

LOST?
Campion was allowed to dribble away the last 18 seconds of the match witho Meadowbrook not seeming to have the presence of mind to foul in order to get back the ball.
CLOSING SECONDS OF THE MATCH


REBOUNDING MONSTERS
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels were monsters on the glass as they combined for a SEASON-HIGH 36 rebounds. Both had 10 rebounds each at the half and 18 rebounds (each)at the end of the match.


'MEN OF THE MATCH'
All starters contributed tremendously and all deserve an award for their outstanidng play.


REFUSED TO CHOKE
Even though they are well known for choking, the Campionites stuck to their guns and came away with an impressive victory.


BIGGEST HOME CROWD
Campion saw their largest crowd at a home match in a number of years. Campion is notorious for having away team crowds outnumber their own.


DAY OF CAREER HIGHS:
Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels both had whopping 18 rebounds each which broke their previous career highs. Prior to this Xavier Thompson's carEer high was 13 rebounds and Samuels 11. This made it back-to-back career highs for Xavier Thompson who had only the match before recorded a new career high in rebounds. Jason Blankson also tied his career high in points with 8.


UNDEFEATED AT HOME
Campion remained undefeated at home with their second win from as many matches.


DOING WAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED
The Campionites who will lose all but one member of their Under-19 squad next year are doing way better than many pundits expected. Last year they were expected to show real improvement as many thought they had the 'dream team'. However, with injury to James Deane and obvious inexperience they slumped to yet another disappointing season winning only one match. This year many thought that with second-leading scorer Raymond Wilson gone, they would not have much of a season. As you can see however they have already won more matches than last year and 2 of their losses came in very close encounters away from home. It is obvious the players want to leave with a bang.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FEATURE PLAYERS :

We continue our look at the individuals on the team Point Guard, James Deane:


James Deane is known as the 'tactitian' of the team with a very high basketball IQ. This is why he is the captain. He leads the team with vigor and obviously knows what he wants out of the members of the team. He always plays hard and with passion and is somewhat of a perfectionist on the court. An essential asset to this team and its success.

STRONG POINTS:
Great passer and vision of the court, great scorer/offense, stealing, great defender.


We continue our look at the individuals on the team Center, Leighton Samuels:


Leighton Samuels has become a very depedable center playing with much gusto and willing to challenge the big men inside. He is a great rebounder and blocker who gives his all and his best.

Xavier Thompson had this to say of Samuels
"I used to think of him as my protege a couple of years ago but he has really grown into his own. He is a great player to work alongside of."


STRONG POINTS:
Great rebounding, blocking and defender.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post Game Press Conference


Mikhail Mattis:
"We played pretty hard, straight through the game. We were definitely active on the boards, which was a great advantage, and the main reason I believe we got the win. Our defence was good, but not great, as i saw that Meadowbrook was definitely not a good shooting team, so i think we should have pressured them to make more jump shots. I don't think we hustled how we ought to, but we still got the W, and at the end of the day thats all that counts. I would have liked some more minutes, but sometimes you, got make sacrifces and just work hard, and the minutes will follow. But that win was good, and now we look forward for our next opponent."



Russell Thompson
"It was a good team performance. I was impressed with how Deane created a lot of chances for us."


Xavier Thompson
"It was a match where everyone and i mean EVERYONE played well. We really put our heart into this and dug deep to pull off this deserving victory. It was also great to have some support at home for a change which I'm sure made a difference to our intensity. I'm just hopoing we can win at least two more matches, that would be incredible!"


Leighton Samuels
"I was hoping we could've beaten them by more. I think we depend too much on Russel and James. It was an overall good effort but we need to beat the zone offense for the Ardenne and St. Catherine."


James Deane
"It was a splendid match and everyone played very well."


Jason Blankson
"I think it was a very good, hard fought match."


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STATS

Scorers
Russel Thompson 14 points
James Deane 11 points
Jason Blankson 8 points

Rebounders
Xavier Thompson 18 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 18 rebounds


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
Darren Mitchell [5'10, 150 lbs]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME NOTES
Russel Thompson, Xavier Thompson and Leighton Samuels played all 40 minutes of the match.
James Deane & Jason Blankson played the majority of the match.
Darren Mitchell, Mikhail Mattis and Kim saw minority minutes.
Graham Reid DID NOT PLAY (Coach's Decision)
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Jason Blankson were the main contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 36 rebounds [Thompson, 18 and Samuels, 18] - SEASON HIGH
This was the only match where ALL starters scored.



REMAINING SCHEDULE:
@ Ardenne - Wed. 23/1/08
vs. St. Catherine - Thu 24/1/08
vs. Tarrant - Mon 28/1/08

IN ATTENDANCE:
Ryan Brown, Audley Gordon, Miya Gentles, Kimberly Shaw, Steven Hamilton, Joni-Kay Johnson, Chad Brown, Steven Moore, Shaun Dufus, Patrica Taylor, Monique Smith, Sheree Henry

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Campion College Basketball: Campionites lose close encounter to St. Jago

Date: 14/01/08 [32-37] {Record: 1-3} Venue: De La Vega Arena (St. Jago)

Campion College came up unlucky yet again, away from home, as they lost a close encounter to St. Jago, as action continued in the Southern Zone of the KFC ISSA Basketball Competition. From the opening whistle the match was closley contested with both teams playing great defense. The teams were tied going into the half, at 16. The Jagonians extended their lead in the third quarter as the quarter finished 30-25. The game came down to the wire with Campion within a 3-point shot from the lead. However this did noot materialize and though coming close, Campion fell short going down 32-37.

Best Defense
This was the best defensive tactics used by Campion. It was very effective and St. Jago had a arduous time scoring.

3 pointers
Campion's offense was not as effective as it might have wanted to be due to St. Jago's disciplined defense but kept close with perfectly-timed three point shots. Russel Thompson went 4 of 7 behind the arc and scored a timely three in the closing seconds of the match.

Rebounding Tossle
The first half saw St. Jago outrebounding Campion. However, the second half saw Campion turning the tables and outrebounding the home side.


Career High
Xavier Thompson had a career high in rebounds as he recorded 13.
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Highlights and Stats:

Scorers:
Russel Thompson 16 points
James Deane 13 points
Xavier Thompson 3 points

Rebounders:
Xavier Thompson 13 rebounds
Leighton Samuels 7 rebounds

Main highlights
James Deane driving and hitting critical free throws.
Russel Thompson's 3 point shooting.
Xavier Thompson's circus 'ballerina' shot.
Leighton Samuels opening block.
Graham Reid's surprising burst of energy of the bench.

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Starting Lineup:
C Leighton Samuels [6'4, 170 lbs]
PF Xavier Thompson [6'3, 205 lbs]
SF Russell Thompson (Vice-Captain) [5'10, 195 lbs]
SG Jason Blankson [5'9, 185 lbs]
PG James Deane (Captain) [5'11, 145 lbs]

Bench:
Graham Reid [5'11, 160 lbs]
Kim Sing Yung [5'10, 150 lbs]
Mikhail Mattis [5'11, 165 lbs]
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GAME NOTES
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson played all 40 minutes of the match.
Leighton Samuels had played the majority of the match before fouling out.
Jason Blankson played majority of the match.
Graham Reid and Mikhail Mattis saw substantial minutes.
James Deane, Russel Thompson and Xavier Thompson were the only contributors offensively.
Samuels and Xavier Thompson collectively tallied 20 rebounds [Thompson, 13 and Samuels, 7]
Kim Sing Yung was sick and only able to play a few minutes of the match.
Campion's coach was not present at the match and they were coached by a stand-in coach.
Mikhail Mattis made his debut for Campion.
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RESCHEDULED MATCH - The match against was postponed due to rain and will be rescheduled.

Monday, January 7, 2008

It’s a crime to be a Knicks fan - literally. An Interview with Ivan Cash



This interview was not conducted by me, but i decided to post it as it corresponds with my Knick post last year

A few weeks back, our Knicks Trade Game generated interest, and some good suggestions, but, surprisingly, no one suggested keeping the Knicks as is and just arresting/banning all fans who disagreed. It is a simple but brilliant strategy. Find those fans who enjoy a 8-23 record and make the rest just go away.

In case you haven’t heard, the New York Knicks have expanded their Isiah Thomas protection net from inside MSG, where hecklers and posters are forbidden, to the streets outside. Ivan Cash a student at SUNY was arrested Wednesday for selling a t-shirt that expressed his feelings at the direction the Knicks are headed in. “Don’t hate player or the game. Hate the coach” reads the shirt which is embossed with a picture of the now infamous Thomas.

I sat down via email with one of those fans who, by way of expressing his opinion, was made to go away.

How long have you been a Knicks fan?

Ivan - I’ve been a Knicks fan for as long as I can remember. In middle school, I listened to EVERY single game on my walkman. Lately though, I just check the box score.

At what point did you start to consider selling the shirts (a specific loss or last season etc . . .)

Ivan - It was actually for a screen printing class I took in the Fall of 2006. I had to come up with a t-shirt idea and, as a Knicks fan who, like everyone else, was frustrated with Isiah’s lackadaisical coaching job, I decided to make it Knicks-themed.

Do you plan on selling the shirts in the future?

Ivan - I don’t plan on going back to MSG any time soon, as I go on vacation soon and then I return back to school in Geneseo, NY near Rochester. (I’m a communications major, graphic design minor by the way.) I do plan on continually selling the shirts through my website though. If Isiah’s still around next year, and I’m able to hook up with another vendor, I’d love to sell the shirts again.

What was your jail experience like?

Ivan - Jail time certainly was an experience! The cell was filthy and smelly, and I felt like an animal trapped in a cage. What a degrading experience—especially since I was charged with a bogus crime!

What do you see that is good about the Knicks right now?

Ivan - I see young energetic players that play with passion: David Lee, Nate Robinson, Rolando Balkman are really the only Knick players I like.

Do you play Fantasy NBA?

Ivan - I do play Fantasy Hoops; I play on SportingNews, and am in 2nd place out of my 21-team division.

How many Knicks are on your roster(s)?

Ivan - *Laughs* Very Funny. (No one)

Do you plan to fight the ticket?

Ivan - While I don’t agree whatsoever with how I was arrested or the reasoning of my arrest, it will probably be too big a pain to fight it, especially seeing as there are virtually no repercussions, aside from having to waste my time getting to NYC from my college which is 7 hours away.

Do you feel like you were targeted because the Knicks made a request to stop the anti-Isiah movement like they did when banning the fire Isiah posters and handing out warnings to fans who heckle the players or Isiah?

The cop at the precinct admitted that MSG anticipated me, and called the police to do something about it. My arresting officer however, who didn’t hear this conversation between me and the other cop, denied any MSG connection. I just find it EXTREMELY fishy that I was arrested literally 2 minutes after getting to my destination, near the Garden. When I sell, I’m holding posters of the shirts as well as shouting catch phrases like “Love the franchise; hate the coach!” or “Give me a draft pick for a T-Shirt.” Up to the point I was arrested, I was doing NONE of those things. I was literally standing, chatting with my friend who would be helping me sell. I was waiting for my vendor to come and put the duffle bag of shirts and poster with the shirt against the sidewalk wall. The cops argued that I had intent to sell since the price was on the poster, even though we weren’t selling nor would I have sold to anyone offering me $ before my vendor arrived. (At one of the prior games, I actually did turn someones $ down because I wasn’t with my vendor.) I was trying to sell everything legitimately, and the cops were really just busting me, despite my compliance and politeness during our interaction before they actually handcuffed me and took me to jail. As I was being hand-cuffed, our vendor arrived. Before even looking at his papers, (which turned out, according to my arresting officer, to be ‘tax papers’ rather than a ‘vendors license’) the cops put me in the van and told me I was going to jail. [Interesting side note: The previous 3 games I’d been selling at, the cops looked at my vendor’s license, which apparently may have been a tax paper, and approved us selling there. So why this sudden extreme disparity in judgement? I blame MSG.

Does this arrest make you feel differently about free speech, the Knicks and the NYPD?

While in the freezing-cold, smelly, ridiculously dirty jail cell, I had an epiphany. What has our society come to where we put people in cages not because they are murdering or stealing but because they are expressing themselves by either selling a product or writing on a wall? I don’t want to get overly political, but it definitely raised my interest in anarchistic ideology. What gives cops the right to lock people in a cage, when the cop themselves could just as easily be morally corrupt.

I was standing for something I believe in—something that is supposed to be a constitutional right in America.

I’m not a cop hater; I have a lot of respect for the men and ladies who put on their lives on the line to battle criminals while most people sit at desks doing office work. I’m just disappointed with the NYPD’s judgement and attention to superficial issues. As a Knicks fan, it’s disheartening to know that they are indirectly responsible for my arrest. I still love ‘em, but it’s sad.

Who would be your choice to run the Knicks?

Ivan - I wish someone like Mark Cuban came in as owner. As for coach? Anyone who’s ambitious, level-headed, and possesses good fore-sight. I don’t want someone who has unrealistic goals and expectations. I wouldn’t mind the Knicks losing for a few seasons if it meant rebuilding from the ground, ensuring a better team in future years to come.


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An funny interview brought to you by:
M.T.M-M