tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2613342288427252812024-02-07T01:25:25.613-08:00Jabroni Free SportsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-75253771330645083912011-10-29T15:13:00.000-07:002011-10-29T15:17:40.707-07:00Why UConn Will Repeat As National Champions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.collegehoopsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/AP110405163707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://www.collegehoopsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/AP110405163707.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last season, UConn was the best team in the nation. This year, they'll do it again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Two years ago, UConn's Era of Prosperity looked like it was wrapping up.<br />
<br />
Just
a year before, greatness had touched the program in the form of a
six-overtime loss at the hands of Syracuse in the Big East Tournament
and a run to the Final Four sparked by their undisciplined young rookie,
Kemba Walker.<br />
<br />
The Huskies were hit hard by the
departure of seniors Jeff Adrien, Craig Austrie, A.J. Price and Hasheem
Thabeet's decision to enter the NBA after his junior year. The 2009-2010
team struggled mightily with consistency. Led by the enigmatic Stanley
Robinson and Jerome Dyson, who could play like Patrick Ewing one night
and Patrick Ewing, Jr. another, the Huskies fell off the map. Jim
Calhoun was forced to take a month-long medical leave for a "serious"
undisclosed issue in January, only to return to a brutally ineffective
team.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
My buddy Ryan and I bought tickets to the Big East
Tournament that year. Two hour drive, 50 bucks for parking, 40 for the
seats in the student section...all to watch the worst loss of the year against the heavy underdog St. John's team.<br />
<br />
UConn finished the year at 18-16, losing in the second
round of the NIT. With Calhoun's health an issue and a less-than-positive outlook for the future of UConn basketball, it looked like Calhoun was going to
call it quits. UConn's recruitment power would take a hit, and the
program's supremacy would be in jeopardy.<br />
<br />
My dad has had season tickets for nearly 40 years.
Loyalty and infrequent donations have moved us from row YY to row T in
the last two decades. Going into last season, other season ticket
holders took flight, and we shot up to row D. And man, wouldn't you know
it, we were treated to a great season.<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25NyJBcl5YY">Maui to Manhattan</a> to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lI0KQ35Emo&feature=related">Houston</a>, led by Walker's unreal late game heroics, the Huskies brought home their third national championship since 1999.<br />
<br />
Now, in 2011-2012, in the midst of a conference hemorrhaging teams at the same rate that characters are killed off in <i>The Walking Dead</i>, the University of Connecticut <i>will</i> win the National Championship, and yes, it <i>will</i> be a big "<i>fuck you</i>" to the forces of conference realignment. <br />
<br />
<b>Reason 1: Experience</b><br />
<br />
UConn
is returning most of its young core that logged heavy minutes in the
run to the championship last year, including Walker's under-the-rader
number two man, Jeremy Lamb. While Walker's massive presence absorbed
the limelight, Lamb, a freshman last year and ranked as the 76th best
national recruit by Rivals.com, well-outperformed expectations. Lamb was
the rock that the Huskies needed in their improbable run.<br />
<br />
His
performance for the U-19 USA team this summer confirmed that he's no
fluke. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigeast/story/2011-10-17/connecticut-mens-basketball-calhoun-jeremy-lamb/50800900/1">According to USA Today</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="inside-copy">
"Lamb, a 6-5 swingman from Norcross, Ga., averaged
16.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field in six
NCAA games. Every floater, every three-pointer (he made 12-for-19),
every rebound and every block seemed crucial for UConn, a No. 3 seed.</div>
<div class="inside-copy">
<br /></div>
His numbers this summer for the under-19 team were almost identical. He led the USA to a 7-2 record, averaging 16.2 points and 4.3 rebounds. He shot 42% and had 18 assists, 18 steals and three blocks."</blockquote>
Alex Oriakhi and Shabazz Napier should also make big strides this season.
Oriakhi, now a junior, has developed into an offensive force. If he
can stay out of foul trouble, he will make a significant impact. Napier,
who took the helm at point for extended periods in the playoffs, now has
the thick skin to stay calm and perform in pressure situations. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://i.turner.ncaa.com/dr/ncaa/ncaa/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/640_width_max/Jim_Calhoun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://i.turner.ncaa.com/dr/ncaa/ncaa/release/sites/default/files/imagecache/640_width_max/Jim_Calhoun.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>Reason 2: Jim Calhoun</b><br />
<br />
I haven't decided whether Jim Calhoun is a warrior or he's the victim of bad luck and brittle bones.<br />
<br />
Seriously though, the fact that this guy's still on the sidelines is a small miracle in itself. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February 2003. Three days
later, he had surgery to remove his prostate. Sixteen days after that,
he returned to the sidelines. He has successfully
overcome two more bouts with skin cancer since then. In June 2009, he hit a pothole 12 miles into a 50 mile charity bike race and broke five ribs. He <i>got back up</i> <i>and continued the race</i>, only to faint from dehydration and trauma as he crossed the finish line.<br />
<br />
There's no two ways about it; Calhoun is a bulldog. If you cross him, he'll make you pay (i.e, the "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokthY5zuPU">not a dime back</a>" speech). And as long as he's in the driver's seat, UConn will have their signature gritty, block-heavy defense to give them a shot to win every game.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Reason 3: Recruiting</b><br />
<br />
First of all,
let's get one thing out of the way. As we've learned over many decades
of NCAA competition, here are the priorities of college athletics
programs: (1) Money, (2) Success, (3) Abiding by the rules, and (4)
Education.<br />
<br />
UConn's recruitment of future top-three NBA lottery pick Andre
Drummond went about as smoothly as tossing a fish in your buddy's
sleeping bag on a camping trip. <a href="http://jabronifreesports.blogspot.com/2011/08/uconn-nabs-andre-drummond-criticism.html">I wrote about this in a previous blog post</a>,
but I won't reiterate how shady this whole situation feels.
While the player that gave up his scholarship, sophomore Michael
Bradley, insists that he wants no pity, we can safely assume that
the UConn brass is twisting his arm a bit.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://almalpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Oct-UC-1st-night-WEB-Andre-Drummond-4591-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://almalpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Oct-UC-1st-night-WEB-Andre-Drummond-4591-2.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshman Andre Drummond, mid-air.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here's the other side, though.<br />
<br />
UConn was able to
get the recruit they wanted, despite being down three scholarships. That
failure is on the NCAA and their inability to properly punish a program
for violations. If they wanted to prevent Drummond from coming, they should have imposed a greater penalty. They didn't, UConn got their man,
and no lesson was learned.<br />
<br />
Also, Bradley will likely get his
scholarship back next season when Drummond bolts for the NBA, and the
two have known each other for several years, so maybe there really is no bad blood after all.<br />
<br />
Most importantly, Andre Drummond is really freakin' good. I mean, future NBA all-star good. So, while this whole situation may make us squeamish, let's remember that innocence never really existed in college basketball in the first place, and the reason we watch games is to root for our favorite teams and players, not hyper-analyze how they got there.<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Reason 4: JackO Is A Jabroni</b><br />
<br />
From Urban Dictionary:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
4. Jabroni<br />
<div class="definition">
-One who is not good at his chosen profession or current task.
<br />
-A jabroni talks smack but has no way of backing up his mouth.
<br />
-A jabroni lets his mouth say stupid things when it shouldn't.</div>
<div class="example">
To quote The Rock, <i>"Who... in the Blue Hell are you... jabroni?</i>"
<br />
As if to say, <i>"Who are YOU to interrupt me?"</i></div>
</blockquote>
I figured, since he didn't provide much, if any evidence in his <a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/7252/why-uconn-will-not-repeat-as-national-champions">declaration of war on UConn basketball</a>,
I don't need to provide much, if any evidence to prove he's a jabroni. While his
appearances on Bill Simmons' podcasts are amusing, something about
seeing his unadulterated hatred in print makes his words that much more
sinister. Maybe he has some karma coming his way...<br />
<br />
Moving on.<br />
<br />
<b>Reason 5: The Big East Isn't Dead...</b><br />
<br />
...in basketball, at least. Just last year, it was the strongest conference in the land. It hasn't lost any teams yet. Even when Syracuse, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia (maybe) leave next year (or the year after that), these are still big names: Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Villanova, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, St. John's, and Connecticut.<br />
<br />
As a conference faithful, I'm truly saddened by the fact that decisions motivated by football are tearing apart basketball's finest conference. Historic rivalries and basketball's most exciting conference tournament weren't enough to stop the money train. UConn should stay in the Big East. That would make a repeat performance that much sweeter. Screw the ACC, screw Syracuse, Pitt, and West Virginia, and screw college football screwing over basketball.<br />
<br />
Go Huskies!<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i> <span class="hash-text"><br />
</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-41902425309350255732011-10-19T12:41:00.000-07:002011-10-19T12:41:42.221-07:00Post-World Cup Blues: How Being A Spain Fan Changed A Yankee Fan's View On The Red Sox<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/7/11/1278884510393/Spains-captain-Iker-Casil-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/7/11/1278884510393/Spains-captain-Iker-Casil-006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iker Casillas and Spain celebrate winning the World Cup.<br />
C/O The Guardian</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always been one to get emotionally involved with my
sports teams: I was in middle school in 2001—only a few months after 9/11—when
my beloved Yankees lost the World Series to the Diamondbacks. I wept for hours
after Luis Gonzalez’s bloop single, and I was sullen for days. In 2003, Real
Madrid was narrowly edged out of the Champions League by a
probably-paying-the-ref-but-shh-I-don’t-wanna-lose-my-job Juventus; I cried
like a baby. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the fact is, I’ve been lucky with my favorite teams:
since 1995, I’ve celebrated at least one championship in every sport except
basketball, and gotten two in most of the other ones (Real Madrid, Spain,
Packers, and the aforementioned evil Yankees). Maybe this luck, and the
accompanying crushing weight of high expectations, is the reason I react so
badly to watching my teams lose. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You wouldn’t expect someone with my track record—that’s a
lot of winning teams, and no, I’m not apologizing—to feel any empathy for (dare
I say it) Red Sox fans. Simply supporting a team that seems hell-bent on
crushing your dreams—for me, pre-2010 Spain, for Sox fans, pre-2004)—doesn’t
necessarily make you feel for anyone else in a similar plight. In fact, it comes
with this circle-the-wagons, you-don’t-<i>get</i>-it-man
mentality: no other fans can understand that feeling of inevitability that
comes with watching <i>your </i>cursed team.</div>
<a name='more'></a><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t pretend to understand the suffering that life-long
Sox fans felt prior to 2004—or even the release that came with that victory. But
I do feel a bit closer to some of you people (and I mean that with the utmost
disdain of a good New Yorker) because I’m suffering from Post Championship
Disorder, a psychological condition that I just made up that affects people
whose long-suffering team recently won a title. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The disease has a slow onset. At first, you bask in the glow
of your team’s success: you buy the memorabilia, those NFL films “Super Bowl
XXXI: World Champion Packers” VHS compilations, shirts, hats, and “signed”
balls (yes, I have all of those, no I don’t know where they are any more).
Then, it passes. You start gearing up for the next season, but, other than
being the defending champions, there’s something different. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s the fire. It’s gone. The passion’s still there, but
suddenly that pit in your stomach, that “oh, shit we’re gonna lose” feeling
when anything goes wrong is replaced by a new sensation—that, “we’ll pull this
out, we’re the best” reaction, that expectation. Something’s not really the
same: suddenly, those players that you felt so connected to before the title
seem less benevolent, less self-sacrificingly team-oriented. You feel yourself
growing apart from players—characters, really, because isn’t this all just a
big soap opera?—that you grew attached to. Maybe it’s the ego. Or the money. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/baseball/mlb/img15661466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/baseball/mlb/img15661466.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, I get it Theo. C/O CBSSports.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hell, maybe it’s better than before. I know I wouldn’t trade
the 2010 World Cup for anything—it’s the best fan moment of my life. But I also
know that something about this Spain team doesn’t feel as special, as
all-for-one, as it did before. I get aggravated by some of the players, tired
of their attitude. Announcers annoy me when they talk about how great the team
is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I also know I’m an extreme case: I shed blood (bar fight)
and tears (every World Cup until 2010) for this team. Every two years for as
long as I can remember, this team ruled everything I did. Now, I have a hard
time watching them play. There’s also the whole club vs. country thing, and a
nationalist dynamic that I (a split citizen) have never fully dealt with. But
shit, it’s all still sports right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Watching the Sox collapse this summer, I noticed something
different about Boston fans. It seemed to me like a lot of them (and I don’t
mean to generalize) had lost the attitude that I used to begrudgingly respect
them for: that “I know we’re fucked but, goddamnit I’m gonna stick it out and go
down kicking and screaming with the boys” dynamic. I get the feeling it was
replaced by s strong “fuck these overpaid assholes, if they won’t try when
they’re out there, why the fuck should I care?” sentiment. But hey, what do I
know. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spain isn’t collapsing (far from it), but I still can’t
shake the thought that <i>if they did</i>, I
would be the first to say that same thing. If this team went to hell, I might
jump off the boat—something I <i>never </i>would
have done before 2010.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, I don’t claim to be some expert of the psychological
makeup of Bostonians—Freud (and <i>The
Departed</i>) taught me that you can’t psychoanalyze the Irish—but damn, I’d be
shocked if I couldn’t find a few people who feel the same as me over on Yawkey
Way. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that’s one of the first times I’ve ever said that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #080808; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<i>Gabe Lezra is the co-founder of Jabroni Free Sports, and Editor-in-Chief of <a href="http://www.managingmadrid.com/">Managing Madrid</a>, SBNation's Real Madrid blog. He is a columnist for SBNation.com/soccer, and his work has been featured on CNN.com, and CNN World Sport.</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-17921112427697991832011-10-05T19:24:00.000-07:002011-10-06T00:03:20.383-07:00Tiger's Blood: Can He Regain Momentum?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCtws_wO1fHiWDegkk7p8fyVyCsHw6h9JEzoVAwgWWXaKch1R-zH0Yixt8wp-D8cyhwxOvmoUZHJXbi_2IiQasdKr1LNLzAgmPdV7qZL5dacQ7cuYLOQWnZHk6U-HiorRDnQJlFwdl1Ci/s1600/128056118_crop_650x440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicCtws_wO1fHiWDegkk7p8fyVyCsHw6h9JEzoVAwgWWXaKch1R-zH0Yixt8wp-D8cyhwxOvmoUZHJXbi_2IiQasdKr1LNLzAgmPdV7qZL5dacQ7cuYLOQWnZHk6U-HiorRDnQJlFwdl1Ci/s320/128056118_crop_650x440.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiger Woods laughs it up with his new caddy, Joe LaCava.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Talk all you want about Rory McElroy. Keep telling yourself that golf is ushering in a new era. The talking heads continue their semi-hopeful babble about the bright new future of the sport. The fact remains: golf's best shot at regaining its former glory is for its fallen leader to reclaim the throne he vacated on a chilly November night in Orlando two years ago.<br />
<br />
Tiger Woods has consistently been in the headlines for the last two years, even while injured. Out for the last two months due to a knee injury, Woods is set to make his much-anticipated return to the PGA Tour.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
On September 25, he chose to hire Fred Couples' longtime caddie, Joe LaCava, to replace the bitterly-departed Steve Williams. LaCava, who originally approached Woods about the vacancy, will be on the bag as Tiger tees off tomorrow in the Frys.com Open outside of San Jose, Calif.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"I contacted Tiger and Mark (Steinberg, Wood's agent) because this is a
unique opportunity to be part of something very special. Tiger and I
have been friends for a very long time, and I know what he can do."</blockquote>
<br />
You hate Tiger, I hate Tiger, women hate Tiger, everyone hates Tiger. Whenever his guilt-ridden face flashes on the TV, my sister groans and mutters, "ugh, he's such a prick." But there are two sides to Tiger Woods. They've been there as long as we've known of him, a lurking symbiotic connection bridging the gap between the two. There's Tiger Woods The Man and Tiger Woods The Golfer. The fearless, calculating, cold-blooded Golfer won championships. The subversive, morally degenerate Man cheated on his wife and violated the trust of his family. The Golfer was the poster-child for an entire sport. The Man was a poster-child for home wreckers. The Golfer held the reigns until 2009. The Man has been in control ever since.<br />
<br />
People want Tiger Woods The Golfer back. The record holder for the most consecutive weeks at number one, Tiger has slipped all the way to <a href="http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?186">51st</a>, sandwiched between Aaron Baddeley and Jonathan Byrd. Having witnessed true greatness for nearly a decade, the media and fans can't help but scrutinize every twist and turn along the route of his "comeback."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.timeinc.net/golf/i/tours/2011/06/woods_600x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://img.timeinc.net/golf/i/tours/2011/06/woods_600x400.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If he aims to intimidate his opponents, this is not the right look.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And it's not like he hasn't been trying to re-light that flame. In the wake of a year of disappointing results, recurring injuries, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tiger-woods-has-a-beard-2011-6">facial hair experimentation</a> (and <a href="http://socialitelife.com/tiger-woods-wont-put-his-sword-away-11-2010/tiger-woods-swordplay-11-2-2010-04">swordplay</a>), Tiger has taken it upon himself to give his game a complete overhaul. In a recent press conference, Tiger discussed some of the steps he has taken, including 36 hole-a-day practice sessions with his new coach Sean Foley, in his two-month absence from the PGA Tour.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"I've done all the work. Now it's just fine-tuning. And that's going to be day-to-day, shot-to-shot. And that's part of golfing, that's part of the challenge. But, understanding the principles that Sean wanted me to implement and then getting the reps in, I've done all that now...I've done all that legwork, now it's time to play."</blockquote>
<br />
Tiger lost millions upon millions in sponsorship money (Gatorade, AT&T, and Gillette, among others), and it seems unlikely that he'll ever regain that kind of outlier financial status. But things are looking up. Rolex just announced a new sponsorship deal with the troubled star, demonstrating their faith that he'll recapture some of his former glory.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"Rolex is convinced that Tiger Woods still has a long career ahead of
him and that he has all the qualities required to continue to mark the
history of golf."</blockquote>
<br />
In <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/tiger-woods-new-york-yankees-top-forbes-magazines-sports-rich-list/story-e6frg7mf-1226159077037">Forbes magazine's list</a> of sports brand values, released today, Woods sits on top. So, for a man that "lost it all," he still has more than <i>all</i> of his peers. In addition to Rolex, Tiger is sponsored by Nike and EA Sports, <a href="http://www.tigerwoods.com/sponsors/sponsors">among others</a>. He signed a multi-year deal with Nike in 2006, <a href="http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,1811171-1,00.html">the terms of which</a> reportedly netted Tiger in the neighborhood of $100 million. His EA Sports deal likely earns him a healthy chunk of change as well. While his value plummeted from $82 million in 2010 to $55 million in 2011, he still holds a $29 million edge over the second-ranked athlete, tennis star Roger Federer.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lov-3.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1301965253-80.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://lov-3.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1301965253-80.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just plain and simple: no one is as exciting as Tiger Woods.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Also, in a recent poll taken among 40 PGA players, Tiger Woods was voted one of the most inspirational figures in golf. Key phrase: <i>in golf</i>. In another allusion to his dual identity, Tiger Woods can simultaneously be hated and totally revered.<br />
<br />
But there's one more thing many people have yet to realize: his personal issues are no longer at fault for his struggles<i>.</i> He's a crummy family man, but two whole years have passed since his fateful car crash. He simply has not been performing. His future in the sport is very much in doubt, as his knee injuries have been severe enough to seriously affect his game.<br />
<br />
Golf is a mental game though (ironically, as Tiger Woods has demonstrated), and with a new man on the bag, a new swing, a new practice-first mentality, and a clean bill of health, the overhaul is complete. Perhaps he will put his demons to rest. One thing is for sure, much like the end of the Brett Favre will-he-or-won't-he saga, when Tiger Woods finally snaps his losing streak, we'll all breathe a sigh of relief. What happens from there on out is anyone's guess.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i> <span class="hash-text"><br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-91829909551778505492011-09-02T19:05:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:36:04.545-07:00Biggest Punchlines In The NBA: Eddy Curry<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/03/10/sports/photos_stories/cropped/curry--300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/03/10/sports/photos_stories/cropped/curry--300x300.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The look on Eddy Curry's face says it all...<i>no mas D'antoni.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>Team</b>:</i> Last seen trying to sneak his way onto the 2011 playoffs-bound Miami Heat squad.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Summary</b>:</i> Eddy Curry has long been the poster-child for terrible, rotten contracts in the NBA. His career began with promise, but crashed within the span of a few years.<br />
<br />
<i><b>History</b>: </i>Even though he had signed a letter of intent to play at DePaul, Curry chose to forgo college and was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the fourth overall pick in 2001. <br />
Curry plowed through four seasons with the Bulls, posting a strong field goal percentage and even leading the team in scoring in his fourth season. However, near the end of that season, Curry was hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat, missing the final 13 games of the regular season and the entirety of the playoffs. In October of that year, after refusing to submit to a team-mandated DNA test in relation to his heart condition, the Bulls traded Curry to New York. In the process, the Knicks signed him to one of the most contraversial contracts in NBA sports history: six years, $60 million, uninsured.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The 2005-2006 season was characterized by Curry not living up to his trade value. His scoring and rebounding numbers were depressed, and his work ethic was called into question. Yet, his sophomore season with the Knicks was much better. His averages climbed to career highs of 19.6 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. But in 2007-2008, expectations were much higher, as he and newly-acquired PF Zach Randolph were expected to form a formidable frontcourt duo. They both bombed, Curry more so than Randolph. Curry showed up at training camp way out of shape, lost his starting job, and ended up seeing the court in only three games that season due to a sore knee, and honestly, inability to play quality basketball. Curry "worked" "hard" to get ready for the 2009-2010 season, but couldn't shed enough weight to make an impact on the squad. He was MIA for a season and a half, and his contract was finally traded in the Carmelo Anthony deal in February 2011. It was bought out by the Timberwolves, and Curry found himself without a job. He made an attempt to crack the Miami Heat squad as a backup center, working out for the team in April, but he failed to make the cut.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Punchline</b>:</i> Eddy Curry is a walking punchline, which made his time with the Knicks nothing short of a "dramedy". No one felt sorry for a man who got paid $60 million over six years, collapsed under the strain of his giant gut, went into bankruptcy, and was nowhere near the court for nearly two years. Knicks fans were grumpy, to say the least. Here are the three sides of Eddy Curry that got him into trouble: his demeanor, his appearance, his injuries. Curry has major weight problems, he lacks the discipline to <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/10/eddy_currys_season_starts_off.html">keep his body healthy and in NBA game shape</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdRDXXAgvFw">his attitude, well, sucks</a>. Increasingly frustrated by their team's rotten investment, Knicks fans ripped into Curry on every occasion, perhaps not as vehemently as they punished the man who offered the contract, Isiah Thomas, but vehemently enough to place blame on him for season after season of disappointment.<br />
<br />
More disturbing, and illuminating, are his alleged personal scandals. On January 12, 2009, his male chauffeur, David Kuchinsky, filed a sexual harassment suit against Curry, claiming that he repeatedly approached him "in the nude," saying, "Look at me, Dave, look," and "Come and touch it, Dave." According to the report filed in a Manhattan court, Curry, a married father of many children, also reportedly made Kuchinsky perform "humiliating tasks outside the scope of his employment, such as cleaning up and removing dirty towels [into which Curry had ejaculated] so that his wife would not see them," and calling him racial slurs like "f***ing Jew," "cracker," "white slave," "white devil," and "grandmaster of the KKK." He also alleges that Curry pointed a loaded gun at him on two separate occasions and owes him tens of thousands of dollars in wages and back payments.<br />
<br />
Just 13 days later, Curry's ex-wife Nova Henry and their nine-month-old daughter were found murdered in Chicago. The attorney that oversaw the custody battle over the child was brought in on two counts of first degree murder.<br />
<br />
By June of that year, Curry's house was foreclosed on, as he owed hundreds of thousands in back payments on the mortgage. The $60 million man found a way to spend all his money, and more.<br />
<br />
In June of 2010, an arrest warrant was issued for Curry, as he had failed to pay $200,000 in hush money to an underage girl with whom he had had a six-month relationship with when he was 18. The payments were part of a settlement from 2007.<br />
<br />
Now, while the limo driver's allegations may not be true, the legal troubles detailed above clearly show that Eddy Curry's personal life is an exercise in dysfunction. If the man has trouble putting the pieces together at home, what chance did he have to make things work on the court?<br />
<br />
<i><b>Future</b>: </i>Believe it or not, Curry may still have a future in the NBA, which is a testament to how thin the market is for 6-11, 7-foot centers. Apparently, since his trade in February, he lost 100 pounds while working with famed trainer Tim Grover. Heat President Pat Riley has reportedly told him that if he reaches a certain weight by the start of training camps, he will offer him a contract for the veteran's minimum. The lockout is a good thing for Curry, as training camps are likely months away, affording him more time to work that extra weight off.<br />
<br />
Yet, old habits aren't easily forgotten. Curry was slated to play in the Melo League exhibition match on Tuesday, but never showed.<br />
<br />
Parallels can be drawn between Curry and famed Oakland Raiders flameout JaMarcus Russell. Russell had all the chances in the world to succeed. Like Curry, he burned his team with lack of proper conditioning. Like Curry, many believed that if he worked hard enough, he could find his way back into the pros. Like Curry, he was drafted high and possesses a fair amount of talent. Russell gave up on the NFL, as he is currently working on his bachelor's degree. The next few months will show us whether Curry can survive in the NBA or is better off trying his hand at a different career.<br />
<br />
<i>Biggest Punchlines is a recurring segment. Click <a href="http://jabronifreesports.blogspot.com/2011/08/biggest-punchlines-in-nba-adam-morrison.html">here</a> for last week's edition.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports. </i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-34075870782823446462011-08-29T21:46:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:40:05.477-07:00UConn Nabs Andre Drummond, Criticism Ensues<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/college/img15498610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/college/img15498610.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andre Drummond is wildly talented, but the road ahead is filled with potholes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Friday, a single tweet launched defending national champion UConn Huskies men's basketball back into the upper echelon of preseason hype. <br />
<blockquote>
"It's official I'm heading to the university of connecticut to be a husky this year! Do I hear <span class="hash">#</span><span class="hash-text">repeat</span> <span class="hash">#</span><span class="hash-text">huskyfam"</span></blockquote>
The verbal commitment of Andre Drummond, ESPNU's second-ranked recruit in the country, comes as a surprise to nearly everyone.<span class="hash-text"> The addition of the highly-touted, 6-foot-10 center will make for a scary-good UConn team with realistic expectations to repeat as champions in 2012.<a name='more'></a> Drummond, a native of Middletown, Connecticut, is a hyper-athletic, force-in-the-paint type center who will likely allow junior C/F Alex Oriakhi to shift over to his more natural position of power forward. He can also step out and knock down jumpers and pass out of double teams to boot. All in all, UConn pulled in one of the best talents in the country and a potential #1 2012 NBA Draft pick to play alongside emerging talents like Shabazz Napier, Jeremy Lamb, and fellow top recruit DeAndre Daniels.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="hash-text">But wait, there's a catch.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="hash-text">Earlier in the summer, UConn had essentially lost hope in their pursuit of Drummond, as he publicly stated that he would not be playing at the college: "No way that happens." Then, earlier this month, he announced a list of five big-name schools that he was interested in attending (UConn, Kentucky, Louisville, Georgetown, and West Virginia). Three weeks ago, he tweeted that he was going to continue playing basketball in prep school for the upcoming year. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="hash-text">The surprise announcement on Friday was met with skepticism from experts. UConn has no more scholarships available for Drummond; they have</span><span class="hash-text"> three fewer scholarships this year, one taken from the program last winter for violations in the recruitment of former top-prospect Nate Miles and two more docked for poor academic standing. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="hash-text">No matter. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="hash-text">Michael Bradley, a sophomore center who red-shirted his freshman year, has been approached by the team to discuss the possibility of forfeiting his scholarship in favor of Drummond and applying for financial aid in the waning days before the commencement of fall classes. The team is also weighing the possibility of Niels Giffey and Enosch Wolf, both German-born players, returning to play hoops in their home country. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.courant.com/media/photo/2011-04/60623582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.courant.com/media/photo/2011-04/60623582.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UConn's talented young core will be fun to watch this season.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="hash-text">However this plays out, Bradley will have to <i>voluntarily</i> give up his scholarship, and Giffey and Wolf will have to <i>voluntarily </i>take their talents overseas to make room for Drummond. The homer in me is ecstatic to watch the first game for this beefed-up squad, but the moralist in me is uneasy at the prospect of a hardworking player being pressured into forfeiting his college scholarship (and in the case of UConn's Teutonic stars, a spot on the team) for "the greater good." If all goes well, Bradley volunteers his scholarship to Drummond, successfully applies for and receives a <i>full </i>financial aid package, and everyone is happy. Worst case scenario, one of these players is <i>forced</i> (behind the scenes) into a potentially career-altering decision. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="hash-text">Above all, two things are clear: (1) Andre Drummond will be on UConn's roster come the start of the season, and (2) NCAA punishments have proven to be ineffective. The defending champions have jumped through another loophole in a porous system. But, as much as this whole "situation" nags my conscience, UConn's 2011-2012 "dream team" will be must-see TV.</span><i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i> <span class="hash-text"><br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-9858901560182839322011-08-26T10:55:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:33:36.424-07:00Biggest Punchlines In the NBA: Adam Morrison<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sportsmedia.ign.com/sports/image/article/747/747383/adam-morrison-interview-20061122115920919-000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://sportsmedia.ign.com/sports/image/article/747/747383/adam-morrison-interview-20061122115920919-000.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where is Adam Morrison these days? Nobody knows.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><b>Team</b></i>: Last seen on the Washington Wizards' practice squad.<br />
<i><b>Summary</b></i>: After a stellar junior season for Gonzaga, in which he averaged 28.1 ppg and shared national player of the year honors with friendly rival J.J. Redick of Duke, Morrison was selected third overall by the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2006 NBA Draft, behind Andrea Bargnani and LaMarcus Aldridge, but ahead of talents like Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, and Rajon Rondo.<br />
<br />
The first player picked in Michael Jordan's tenure with the team, Morrison <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brfOAh66E64">started out on a high note</a>, but eventually lost his starting spot in his rookie season, in part due to awful shooting from the floor (37%). After suffering a major knee injury in the 2007-2008 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in early 2009, where he rode the bench for two championship seasons. In 2011, he was released from the Wizards after training camp.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<i><b>Punchline</b></i>: Adam Morrison was, and still is, an easy target. With his un-stylishly long hair, that wispy peach-fuzz mustache he insisted on growing, and the extreme difficulty he had in producing a smile, every picture of Morrison looked like a mugshot (on the Lakers, he went for a more "Three Musketeer" look, as seen in his starring role in "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=6pMcXSixdVQ">Worlds Fastest Interiew Ever</a>"). His personality was both flat and abrasive in a passive-aggressive way, and his interviews have achieved a cult-like status for being incredibly awkward. He gives off an air of someone who never properly learned how to interact with other people. <br />
<br />
At Gonzaga, he laid his emotions out on the court for everyone to see, most notably after his final collegiate game, dubbed "Heartbreak City," in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbRaRc9nxIw">this YouTube clip</a>. National audiences saw Morrison smash the game basketball on his face after winning the 2006 WCC Tournament title and they saw him break out in tears after the Sweet Sixteen loss to UCLA. Coupled with his ridiculous appearance, people grew to love making fun of him.<br />
<br />
Instead of transitioning subtly to a professional career, Morrison was featured in three different NBA Live spots: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NoeH_RkmcA">emotion</a> (why crying is a good thing), <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZmrNb5-snA">nicknames</a> (Spokane's Most Wanted?), and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzJ7JXFza4A">mustaches</a> ("My mustache speaks to me..."). This set a trend; nearly everything Morrison did in the NBA turned into comedic fodder. In post-championship celebrations in <a href="http://youtu.be/2Y81OWb6e0g?t=13s">2009</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7lEe90g9ZY&feature=related">2010</a>, Jimmy Kimmel rips into the seldom-used backup, the first time to his face. Seeing as he had almost no playing time, Morrison's "highlights" mostly come from his behavior on the bench, besides <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSlA2yb-I4A&feature=related">a stolen high-five</a> (the high-five ninja): <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlPSWGtxwuk&feature=related">throwing a towel at Spencer Hawes</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNql1zsUn4&feature=related">botched celebrations</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqMeo2eUo78&feature=related">yawning at inopportune moments</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDw9c0Udfvo&feature=related">and his victory pose</a>.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Future:</i> </b>Adam Morrison's skill was strongly associated with his confidence, and his confidence was irreversibly shaken when he battled high expectations in his first season with Charlotte. Under the coaching reign of the offensively-challenged Larry Brown, Morrison was too timid on the court, too cautious to shoot, too afraid that he wouldn't live up to expectations. As a high-volume, confidence-based shooter, he was crippled; mentally, he was never the same. Take note of his demeanor in interviews from the past few years; it gets progressively worse. By the time he reached the Lakers, he was throwing up airballs in garbage time.<br />
<br />
Morrison still has talent, but his future in the NBA looks dim. The best thing he can do at this point is to sign a contract overseas and start fresh with a new team, a new league, and fans with low expectations. There he can rediscover his shooting touch, regain his confidence, and rebuild his career.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Biggest Punchlines will be a recurring segment.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i> <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-74944695594347293152011-08-22T19:02:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:40:19.158-07:00NBA Lockout: Greg Oden Will Benefit From Time Off The Court<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.best-basketball-tips.com/images/Greg-Oden-Player-Profile2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.best-basketball-tips.com/images/Greg-Oden-Player-Profile2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Glass Man" still has All-Star caliber talent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 53 of the NBA Lockout.<br />
<br />
Enough cynicism. I, for one, am hopeful that the owners and players will reach an agreement by November. "Hopeful", note the word choice. If you checked out Bill Simmons' "chat" with David Stern on the B.S. Report podcast, you'd hop on the "hope" train too. A little optimism can't hurt. JFS is here to turn negatives to positives. Let's take a look at a particular player who stands to benefit from some time off the court.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Oft-injured Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden has played 82 games (the equivalent of one NBA season) over a period of four years. Microfracture surgery on his right knee ended his rookie season before it began. The 2008-2009 season saw Oden miss five more weeks, on account of various injuries. On December 5, 2009, Oden fractured his the patella in his left knee, which required season-ending surgery. Suffering many setbacks on the road to recovery, Oden was forced to miss all of the 2010-2011 season for microfracture surgery on his ailing left knee.<br />
<br />
While the former #1 overall pick showed flashes of dominance in those 82 games he did play, averaging 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.43 blocks with a shooting percentage north of 57 percent, injury concerns far outweigh potential benefits for the majority of teams looking to add the restricted free agent to their roster for this "coming" season. The Blazers, wary of Sam Bowie comparisons, offered Oden a $8.8 million qualifying contract for 2011-2012, hinting that they haven't given up on the dream of an Oden-Aldridge-Wallace frontcourt. Trail Blazers President Larry Miller spoke to <a href="http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=7910">InsideHoops</a> about the move.<br />
<blockquote>
“We’ve stood behind Greg Oden every day since he became a Trail Blazer and that continues with today’s announcement. Despite the setbacks he’s experienced, he continues to be resilient in working tirelessly on his rehabilitation. We’re all very encouraged with not only his progress, but with his commitment and determination to return to the basketball court.”</blockquote>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Oden is currently working out in Los Angeles (as a <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AmZQPTgM.7bl_ElcxPlteiS8vLYF?slug=mc-spears_greg_oden_blazers_062911">Yahoo! Sports report</a> report from two months ago suggests) but suspiciously little has been divulged about the current progress of his rehab. One can only assume things are moving slowly, as "slow" is the only speed that Greg Oden's injuries can heal. Microfracture surgery generally requires a year of recovery, but the Blazers' front office isn't going to test the issue until the 12-month mark, at the earliest. Taking into account the time it will take to get Oden back to game speed, he's looking at a return date of sometime in January 2012, which could very well be the month the NBA returns to action.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://skeptisys.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/gregoden2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://skeptisys.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/gregoden2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oden's natural advantage: can fit two women on his giant lap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Statements like "Greg Oden has suffered" are bound to be scrutinized, as critics point to the millions he was paid over four production-less seasons, but the mental strain stemming from all his setbacks definitely took a toll (see: <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4861469">scandal</a>; and no, I'm not posting "pics"). He kept a blog on the progress of his rehabilitation during his missed rookie season, optimistic about his future. After his second season-ending injury, he was more reserved, privately growing frustrated with how his career was playing out. But he has since made some form of peace with his bad luck; as <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2010/09/blazers_insider_greg_odens_min.html">the Oregonian reported</a> in September 2010, Oden gave up drinking and going out to clubs. He recently admitted that he had to undergo "interventions" to deal with the mental toll of injuries. Bill Duffy, head of BDA Sports, the agency that represents Oden, opened up on Portland Radio station 750 AM on the "mental rehab" of the star center.</div>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<blockquote>
<div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
"Counseling, therapy, interventions, just to let him understand all the pressures, not to put too much pressure on himself. Everybody needs that. Not just an athlete but someone to talk to and share your thoughts and your concerns and just get reassurance. If you do things the right way, stay patient, keep your eye on the prize, you'll be fine."</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
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For now, with the lockout chewing up the last days of summer, the pressure is off Oden. There's no hurry to rush him back onto the court and risk another career-altering setback. Given his prolific injury history, Oden needs to be completely healthy before he returns. Most importantly, the league seems to have forgotten that Oden is <i>still only 23 years old</i>! Portland is privileged (not taking the last four seasons into account) to have "dibs" on a 7-footer with the type of versatility that Oden has shown in a smattering of games at the professional level. The Blazers know what kind of potential they've invested in. If, if, <i>IF</i> Oden can stay healthy and produce at the same levels as in his breakout 2009-2010 season, Portland will have their big man of the next five years, and Oden will get the monkey off his back. </div>
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Then again, not to be a jinx, Blazers fans might once again be ringing in the New Year with the jarring image of a giant man rolling around in the paint, clutching his knee.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i> <br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-37655705350037260072011-08-19T14:34:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:32:00.599-07:00The Plaxico Burress Saga: Earning A Fresh Start<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/files/2011/02/plax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-falcons-blog/files/2011/02/plax.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaxico Burress won it all in 2008. One year later, he was serving time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As newly-acquired wide receiver Plaxico Burress prepares to make his New York Jets debut September 11 against the Dallas Cowboys, the career-halting incident from nearly three years ago seems to be in the moral rear view mirror (but don't get me wrong, he will still hear it from opposing fans). In the wake of Michael Vick's recent redemption, the question has to be asked: has Plaxico done enough to get the boot off our shitlist?<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
The NFL is no stranger to its players finding themselves on the wrong end of the law, but the former New York Giants star's situation was unique. In late November 2008, Burress was with former teammate Antonio Pierce in the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan when a gun tucked into his waistband slipped and discharged into his leg, narrowly missing a security officer standing inches away. Burress was taken to the hospital and discharged the next day.<br />
<br />
New York City police found out about the incident from a television report. The Glock pistol Burress was carrying had an expired concealed weapons license from Florida and no license for New York. A search of his New Jersey home in December turned up a 9 mm pistol, a rifle, ammunition, and clothing believed to have been worn on the night of the incident.<br />
<br />
He generated some sympathy through <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGvhcKxBA8">a public confession</a>, broadcasted live on ESPN, but his fate was all but sealed when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for full prosecution of Burress in a press conference, determined to set a strong example to back up NYC's strict gun possession laws.<br />
<br />
Burress pleaded guilty to attempted weapons possession in the second degree and was sentenced to 20 months in jail and two years probation.<br />
<br />
On June 6, 2011, Plaxico was released from jail.<br />
<br />
He found his time in the slammer to be less than comforting. His first (and only) night in Riker's Island was plagued by relentless jeers from the other prisoners (Giants suck! Asshole!). Although he was moved to a location with fewer taunts, he admits, in a recent interview for "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel", that he "lost count" of how many times he cried in prison. The irony of the situation gnawed away at his psyche. He went from Super Bowl hero to absolute zero in the pull of a trigger and a flash of pain. His decorated career, spanning eight seasons with the Steelers and Giants, was derailed when he <i>shot himself</i>, and there he was, rotting in prison instead of attending the birth of his daughter.<br />
<br />
But Plaxico deserved to be there. Gun violence is not something to be taken lightly, especially in this country, with roughly 30,000 firearm-related deaths a year. For Plax to show that he had reformed, he needed to demonstrate an understanding of why packing a concealed weapon in a nightclub, permit or not, could only lead trouble.<br />
<br />
Michael Vick certainly blazed a trail for Burress. The public had nothing but vitriol for the current Philadelphia Eagles star from moment details of his vicious dog fighting ring leaked. Vick imploded in every which way, hitting the bottom hard during his prison sentence. Yet, under the tutelage of NFL good guy Tony Dungy and through countless talks for animal rights groups, Vick was able to navigate from bankruptcy and intense public hatred back to a starting quarterback gig and super stardom. And with his new found redemption, Vick turned his attention to a man in a similar, albeit less disgraced position.<br />
<blockquote>
"Hopefully [Plaxico will] use my situation as an example and go out and try and emulate what I've done in his own way. That's what it's about. It's about growth, and it's about learning. Things in life happen in stages, and those are some things you have to go through as an individual."</blockquote>
So, it was no coincidence that Vick was one of the first guys to meet with Plaxico as a free man. It was no coincidence that only a week after being discharged, Plax <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMNh_P3Jq-E">spoke out against irresponsible gun use</a> with Tony Dungy standing by his side. It came as no surprise that he sought out a mentorship with Dungy and Magic Johnson and partnered with the National Urban League and the Brady Center to combat gun violence.<br />
<blockquote>
"I can’t go back in time; I can’t get those two years back. The only thing I can do now is learn from what happened to me, to grow from it and take it one day at a time. That’s really the best way to handle this situation."</blockquote>
<blockquote>
"I no longer own a firearm in my home, and I don’t carry one. With that, not owning one and not carrying one, I know I put myself in a better position in life and with safety and with the people in the community."</blockquote>
Plaxico walked the path, lost his way, then found the path again.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2011/08/08/Plaxico-Burress-still-limited-at-Jets-practice-OI9C1GJ-x-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2011/08/08/Plaxico-Burress-still-limited-at-Jets-practice-OI9C1GJ-x-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the Jets, Burress is confident he'll exceed expectations.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Number 17 received several offers during the NFL's truncated free agency period this summer, ultimately signing for three million dollars to play in the Jets' hunter green. For a recently released prison inmate with so many question marks surrounding his fitness, age, and abilities, Plaxico did very well for himself.<br />
<br />
In the HBO Real Sports interview earlier this week, he put to rest any doubts about his character and his playing career.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
"Yeah, I’m the guy that shot myself. People always ask me, 'Would you change that situation?' Hell, yeah. Nobody wants to go to jail. But the person that I am, and where I’m at at this time, I wouldn’t change the person."<br />
<br />
"I just have that confidence and belief in myself that I'm going to go out and play at a high level. Then everybody is going to go back to scratching their head again: How does he do it? How did he not practice and do it? He's been away for two years. How does he do it?"</blockquote>
Burress is over the sprained ankle that hampered him in the preseason and is now practicing with the team. Rex Ryan is reportedly "bubbling with excitement" over the debut of his new scoring threat. Known for their penchant for signing misfits and men with troubled pasts, Plaxico has found his asylum with the New York Jets.<br />
<br />
Part of why we're excited about his debut stems from an inherent desire to root for redemption, to pull for a man with great talent to get a second chance. The redemption is a necessary step that we moniter with great scrutiny, but we secretly just want him back on TV screens, hauling in passes and entertaining us while we sit on our couches.<br />
<br />
Part of it also has to do with our own lives. Plaxico isn't perfect; we aren't perfect. We all make dumb mistakes (the saying "shoot yourself in the foot" is all too applicable), but we learn from them and demonstrate our understanding to others. At some point along the way, forgiveness becomes an inevitability. We move on with our lives.<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i><br />
<i> </i> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-29874708960505511132011-08-15T22:38:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:32:19.260-07:00The Debate Over Native American Mascots: Claims Of Racism Should No Longer Be Ignored<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.habeeb.com/images/Chief_illiniwek/chief_illiniwek_116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://www.habeeb.com/images/Chief_illiniwek/chief_illiniwek_116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">University of Illinois' fictional mascot Chief Illiniwek was banned by the NCAA in 2007.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the last few decades, a small, but adamant group of activists have been battling for pride, culture, and proper education, as they look to reform or strip away American Indian mascots and nicknames for athletics teams in the United States.<br />
<br />
A new chapter was written last Thursday in their crusade.<br />
<a name='more'></a> Six American Indian students at the University of North Dakota filed a federal lawsuit to eliminate the school's "Fighting Sioux" nickname. According to a report on CBSSports.com:<br />
<blockquote>
"The Legislature earlier this year passed a bill requiring UND to keep the nickname and logo even though the school had begun efforts to retire it. The NCAA said UND will face sanctions if it remains. The school will be barred from hosting NCAA postseason games and its teams will not be able to wear the nickname and logo on its uniforms in postseason contests. <br />
<br />
The students bringing the lawsuit are Amber Annis, Lisa Casarez, William Crawford, Sierra Davis, Robert Rainbow, Margaret Scott, Franklin Sage and Janie Schroeder. In addition to their complaints about the state law and settlement agreement, the suit alleges that the nickname has had 'a profoundly negative impact' on their self-image and psychological health, and has deprived them 'of an equal educational experience and environment.'" </blockquote>
The controversy began in 2006, when the NCAA placed the UND "Fighting Sioux" on the list of schools with "hostile and abusive" mascots and nicknames. Of the two namesake tribes in the state, the Spirit Lake Sioux members voted, in a referendum, to support the nickname, while the Standing Rock Sioux refused to change its oppositional stance. The NCAA asked UND to retire the nickname as of August 15, assuming that it did not receive unanimous tribal approval.<br />
<br />
Activists began fighting against discriminatory mascots and nicknames in the 1960s, but their efforts didn't bear fruit until the 1990s. In the last few decades, scores of schools from the elementary to college levels have changed their mascots out of respect for American Indian culture. Just to name a few: Marquette Warriors became Marquette Golden Eagles, St. John's Redmen became St. John's Red Storm, and Seattle University Chieftains became the Redhawks. <br />
<br />
Other schools have reached out to make connections with the tribes associated with their nicknames and mascots. The Florida State Seminoles are a prominent example. FSU has had a long history of problematic mascots, but in 1972, they retired "Sammy Seminole" and "Chief Fullabull" in favor of Chief Osceola, whose actions and appearance were carefully designed with the help of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The school maintains a working relationship with the tribe to this day, which led to a recent NCAA exception from the "hostile and abusive" list. Other schools have followed suit. The University of Utah has received permission to use the nickname "Utes" from the Ute Tribe. The Central Michigan University Chippewas have the endorsement of Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation of Michigan.<br />
<br />
But, as evidenced by UND's staunch defense of its nickname and mascot, those who haven't changed have dug in and thrown up a weak wall of hollow arguments to deflect criticism.<br />
<br />
One of the many questionable points American Indian mascot supporters make is that the nicknames themselves aren't offensive because they represent something from the past. In an editorial in the Boston Globe from June 5, 2005:<br />
<blockquote>
The use of Aztec or Seminole as a nickname by itself would not appear to be racist, as such names refer to a particular civilization rather than an entire race of people. In this way, they are no different from other school nicknames such as Trojans and Spartans (like Aztecs, ancient peoples) or Fighting Irish and Flying Dutchmen (like Seminoles, nationalities). Similarly, Warriors and Braves are no different from the fighting men of other cultures, like Vikings, Minutemen, or Musketeers (all current NCAA mascots, the first of which is also an NFL mascot) so it seems hard to argue that their use is uniquely demeaning in some way.</blockquote>
This argument is overly simplistic. The cultures that embraced the Trojan, Spartan, Viking, and even Aztec warriors are far removed from the present. The Indian Brave and the Indian Warrior are an integral part of the culture of many peoples that have a long, brutal, and sad history in relation to the founding and development of the United States. The continued use of the Brave and the Warrior (and others) as mascots for American sports teams is, in itself, an extension of colonialism. <i>We have your land, we murder your people, we own your traditions</i>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://aistm.org/cartoonwhichone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://aistm.org/cartoonwhichone.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In or out of perspective, Chief Wahoo is an offensive caricature.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The most hypocritical aspect of this tug-of-war is that many of those fighting to preserve American Indian mascots and nicknames are non-American Indians themselves. The Washington Redskins, a franchise that has faced a lawsuit from activists for most of the last two decades, have faced perhaps the most scrutiny for their team name in recent years. The term "redskin" is a pejorative, offensive, and, quite frankly, offensive term to call an American Indian man or woman to their face. Karl Swanson, former Vice President for the team, once told <i>Sports Illustrated</i>:<br />
<blockquote>
"[The name Redskin] symbolizes courage, dignity, and leadership...Redskins symbolize the greatness and strength of a grand people." </blockquote>
Many of the most contentious mascots, usually in professional sports, like the Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Chicago Blackhawks have been deemed acceptable by the teams themselves and their fans. <br />
<br />
If any one thing bothers American Indian activists, it's this. In that same <i>Sports Illustrated</i> article, Michael Yellow Bird, associate professor of social work at Arizona State, blasts this type of thinking:<br />
<blockquote>
"This is no honor...We lost our land, we lost our languages, we lost our children. Proportionately speaking, indigenous peoples [in the U.S.] are incarcerated more than any other group, we have more racial violence perpetrated upon us, and we are forgotten. If people think this is how to honor us, then colonization has really taken hold."</blockquote>
In addition, many sports teams butcher historical fact in their portrayal of Native peoples and understanding of their cultures. They wear contradictory clothing, confuse basic traditions, and generally refuse to educate themselves.<br />
<br />
That said, college, high school, middle school, and elementary schools are all making positive strives to eliminate ignorance and promote understanding of American Indian culture. University of North Dakota will eventually have to change mascots, thanks to the efforts of the NCAA.<br />
<br />
Yet, professional franchises, with the lack of a powerful governing body, can get away with shooing away activists or ignoring them altogether. They fear a name change will have adverse financial consequences.<br />
<br />
But when one of the biggest teams in sports still operates with a racial slur in its name (Washington), when logos with names like Chief Wahoo are still widely publicized on merchandise (Cleveland), when fans don face paint and do the tomahawk chop (Atlanta), and when the phrase "kill the Indians" can be uttered without any reprimand, we know we, America, have an unresolved issue on our hands.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-3906314701179146862011-08-11T19:48:00.000-07:002011-10-04T18:32:47.824-07:00Colonials, No More: Yet Another Team Bails On Hartford<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacOAUnGIxRcpQZxgSoTVEh0WQ3I9_KWc2FEbZeNogAjRubxZx4peckb45RIRiNUMPuGOs9GbwXcdG-XWRgXk-nTkjWIJRtesafe_Fiv8wftYyOGAcnrqMc1GCgKY6Z7y2a0RJ6v2RVIA5/s1600/ed8b79459f5908020814fd55fd917a96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacOAUnGIxRcpQZxgSoTVEh0WQ3I9_KWc2FEbZeNogAjRubxZx4peckb45RIRiNUMPuGOs9GbwXcdG-XWRgXk-nTkjWIJRtesafe_Fiv8wftYyOGAcnrqMc1GCgKY6Z7y2a0RJ6v2RVIA5/s320/ed8b79459f5908020814fd55fd917a96.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No one outside Connecticut will read this article.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yesterday, it was announced that the Hartford Colonials, of the fledgling, unofficial NFL developmental pool known as the United Football League (UFL), have suspended operations indefinitely. Although Hartford will be reevaluated at the end of the season, the likelihood of a return is slim.<br />
<br />
But, does Connecticut really want them back?<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
In a league that hemorrhaged $100 million over its first two years, the Colonials are responsible for a significant chunk of that loss. It wasn't derived from lack of fan support. With an average announced attendance of 14,366, the Colonials were one of the higher-attended teams in the UFL. Operating costs did much of the damage. Games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford cost $150,000, roughly 50 percent higher than those for other teams, and security costs ran as high as $28,000, in comparison to $7,000 in Virginia. The stadium was too big and too expensive.<br />
<br />
There were signs that the club was facing financial difficulties. When the Colonials promised $10,000 to Quarterback Josh McCown to donate to the Hartford Boys & Girls clubs, the team was late in payment. Dave Heuschkel, Public Relations Director for the Colonials at the time, was contacted by the patient, but check-less nonprofit.<br />
<blockquote>
"Well, I got a phone call a couple of months later asking if the check had been written. I had to press and press for that one. My thought was, I know there are financial difficulties, but, geez, don't stiff a nonprofit."</blockquote>
Moreover, in its short time in this state, the team has burned local investors.<br />
<br />
Glenn Orkin, head of Motion Inc., the company that produced television coverage of the team, is still owed $16,500. He received a check for $5,000 a month ago, but isn't optimistic that he'll recoup his losses anytime soon. Those fans who have been scrambling to retrieve their $50 deposit on season tickets have been getting the runaround from the team, who have set and missed deadlines for repayment. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuj971AJYR1qaxe6do1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kuj971AJYR1qaxe6do1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bring Them Back!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ever since losing the Hartford Whalers in 1997, the people and businesses of Connecticut have jumped through hoops to appease any semblance of a professional or semi-professional franchise. The Colonials were no exception. Taking advantage of favored rates given by hopeful locals, the UFL showed its fiscal irresponsibility in its short time in the state.<br />
<br />
When it turns its eye on Hartford at the conclusion of this coming season, it won't see crowds of cheering fans nor will it see investors with open wallets. It will see nothing but burned bridges.<br />
<br />
Above all, this shouldn't be viewed as a failure of the Connecticut fan. We've embraced everything from this struggling football franchise to women's basketball to the AHL Whaler spin-off, the Connecticut Whale, in search of some form of fan unity. UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue hails from Windsor, Connecticut. When the New York Sentinals sought relocation, he saw an opportunity to get his home state a piece of the pie. While it was a foolish decision in hindsight, it shows that regional identification is very much alive in this tiny state.<br />
<br />
Our beloved Whalers may not return anytime soon, and our facilities may be lacking, but we possess the most fundamental building block of a successful franchise: passion. Maybe we should set our sights a bit lower: how about an <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/553749-mls-in-the-nutmeg-state-why-an-mls-club-would-thrive-in-connecticut">MLS expansion team</a>?<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-70058885633824692522011-08-08T16:58:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:10:15.064-07:00Oscar Pistorius: The "Blade Runner" Eyes London Olympics<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.runnersworld.co.za/files/2011/07/Oscar-Pistorius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://www.runnersworld.co.za/files/2011/07/Oscar-Pistorius.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Pistorius sparked debate by recently qualifying for Worlds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Oscar Pistorius is fast, faster than most runners in the world, fast enough to compete in the Olympic games.<br />
<br />
Yet, there is a very outspoken constituency out there that doesn't want him to compete in the worlds' biggest events, doesn't think he should be allowed to run, to break records.<br />
<br />
The native South African's unfair advantage? His Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon-fiber transtibial artificial limbs, a.k.a. the metal hooks attached to the double amputee's knees that allow him to run with the best in the world.<br />
<br />
Who would've thought a man born into such physical disadvantage (absence of fibulae in both his legs) would be attacked on the basis of an athletic advantage he holds over the able-bodied runners of the world?<br />
<br />
At this point in his career, Pistorius has faced all his critics, voluntarily submitting himself to rigorous physiological testing and routinely shooting down his detractors. He appeared in a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fmiwujYBmY&feature=related">"They said I couldn't..." Nike commercial</a>, concluding with the defiant remark, "Anything else you want to tell me?"<br />
<br />
Should he be allowed to enter able-bodied competitions? The debate heats up with every race in which Pistorius blows away the competition. After sweeping gold in the 100, 200, and 400 meter races at the Paralympic World Championships in 2006, Pistorius began creeping into international competition, with the goal of qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympic games in Beijing.<br />
<br />
However, on March 26, 2007, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) modified its rules to include a ban on the use of "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device." At that time, the IAAF began conducting tests and studying the effect Pistorius' prosthetic limbs had on his running ability. German Professor Peter Brüggemann, who conducted a study for the IAAF in November 2007, concluded that the Cheetah "blades" allowed Pistorius to use up 25% less energy than athletes with full use of their legs, led to less vertical motion, and required 30% less mechanical work for lifting the body. Based on these studies, the South African was officially banned from competition on January 14, 2008, with the IAAF citing his blades as a "technical aid in clear contravention of IAAF rules."<br />
<br />
Arguing that the IAAF made a "premature and highly subjective" ruling, Pistorius appealed to the Court of Abitration for Sport (CAS). He won his appeal, and on May 16 of that same year, the IAAF's ruling was reversed. Despite re-opening the window of opportunity, Pistorius failed to qualify for the Summer Olympics that year, coming up short against the best 400 meter runners in South Africa.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmULv5tKTKmJyuBfDWIcVn5zE2RqV9yJOnOXfHODuBlipFDhcWM6MZK6hRZEmYQkPNLKtvhIJc4-i6Wjl7WQvho1m91K-_aimkxa6h2EqeLmmmDJZIQG2dE_9IbLGZ8_zk6IUUIJzCoyd/s1600/IAAF%252BGolden%252BGala%252B37suAOFPm-El.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmULv5tKTKmJyuBfDWIcVn5zE2RqV9yJOnOXfHODuBlipFDhcWM6MZK6hRZEmYQkPNLKtvhIJc4-i6Wjl7WQvho1m91K-_aimkxa6h2EqeLmmmDJZIQG2dE_9IbLGZ8_zk6IUUIJzCoyd/s320/IAAF%252BGolden%252BGala%252B37suAOFPm-El.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pistorius has qualified for Worlds, London 2012</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But, all the same issues resurfaced last month, when he ran the 400 meters in Lignano, Italy in 45.07 seconds. The career-best time was 0.18 seconds under the qualifying time for the World Championships and the London Olympics. And <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6smGf875jck">watch for yourself</a>. He blows away the competition.<br />
<br />
Now, it seems like every time he "threatens" to topple the world's best able-bodied competitors, that same constituency of experts and fans rush to determine whether or not his participation in these events is "fair." Roger Black, former British 400 meter runner, recently stated in a BBC interview that Pistorius should not race because "We are not seeing 'like' against 'like.'" <br />
<br />
Experts aren't in complete agreement on the benefits and detriments of Pistorius' prosthetic blades, even including those on the panel who helped overturn the IAAF's decision.<br />
<br />
Critics say he doesn't experience the lactic acid buildup that hinders the performance of able-bodied runners, his Cheetah blades return more energy per stride without becoming fatigued, and the lightweight blades allow for fewer strides in a race and quicker repositioning. <br />
<br />
His defenders claim that his prosthetics are subjected to certain detrimental factors that natural legs are not, like difficulty with traction in rainy conditions, greater sensitivity to wind, and returning only 80% of energy absorbed in each stride (compared to 240% for normal legs).<br />
<br />
But as each side attacks the factual evidence of the other, they overlook the most important aspect of the debate: Oscar Pistorius <i>is </i>different from other competitors, and it doesn't take scientific evidence to prove that. Watch the video above again. His pacing is radically different from the other runners. His prosthetics limit him to a slow start, but he seems to accelerate for a longer period. The real question is, will the net gain or net loss of advantage ever be quantifiable enough for the IAAF to rule that a double amputee holds an advantage over able-bodied runners?<br />
<br />
The CAS was able to overturn the IAAF's ruling on the basis that Brüggemann's study focused only on the performance-enhancing aspects of the Cheetah blades. So, according to that logic, Pistorius will be able to race only until the IAAF shows that the benefits of his artificial limbs outweigh the detriments. And if or when that day comes, he may see his career and dreams come to a jarring halt.<br />
<br />
In a world where the physically disabled are increasingly finding ways to live their life without limits, Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee athlete, has overcome every obstacle that has been thrown his way. But if the IAAF finds evidence to ban him from competition, it will send a very mixed message to society. They have to proceed with extreme caution and care.<br />
<br />
So, as we tune in to watch the World Championships later this month in Daegu, South Korea, (or watch the highlights on SportsCenter) all the attention will be focused on "The Fastest Man On No Legs." Some will accept him, some won't. But don't expect Pistorius to care. He's there to win.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-88380566227338811542011-08-03T21:29:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:11:06.550-07:00Takin' It To The Streets: As Lockout Talks Stall, NBA Players Go Grassroots<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://api.ning.com/files/sR73RK4*h1fqskVqi75CRzoJlro9zd*sEXw7s3BSqpytO6sUpC5iPeshuOobyD1eWkKZ1Uu8MR3gNDqZzeMYZjeyrNrj0wG*/Streetball_Kevin_Durant_Rucker_Park.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://api.ning.com/files/sR73RK4*h1fqskVqi75CRzoJlro9zd*sEXw7s3BSqpytO6sUpC5iPeshuOobyD1eWkKZ1Uu8MR3gNDqZzeMYZjeyrNrj0wG*/Streetball_Kevin_Durant_Rucker_Park.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fans rushing Durant to make sure he's made of flesh and bone.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In case you missed it, Kevin Durant went medieval in Harlem's Rucker Park last Monday, dropping a near-record 66 points as his DC Power team beat the Sean Bell All-Stars. If you can name a single player (besides Durant) on either squad, congratulations; you're the most hardcore basketball fan ever (Your prize? You get to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz1iEvTYKWs">dunk on Greg Ostertag</a>. Don't feel special though, everyone has done it).<br />
<br />
After the game, he tweeted:<br />
<blockquote>"No lie, jus had one of the best times of my life at Rucker park..wow! I love NY...Harlem waddup."</blockquote>Then, on Tuesday, he dropped 41 more in a winning effort in the Pro City summer tournament at Baruch College in Manhattan, playing alongside Pacers' center Roy Hibbert and against Bulls guard John Lucas III (who, it should be noted, racked up 60 points himself).<br />
<br />
Two games in, and KD has already wrestled NYC from Amar'e and 'Melo's weak grasp.<br />
<br />
But let's be honest: as the lockout threatens the entire NBA season, some of the best young players will be relegated to exhibition games and touring (if they don't choose to "rough it" in Europe or China). Kevin Durant is only getting better. It would be a tragedy for such a talent to be robbed of an entire year of basketball in his prime.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.digitalbusstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Clippers-The-Incredible-Griff-381x580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.digitalbusstop.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Clippers-The-Incredible-Griff-381x580.jpg" width="210" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"GRIFF SMASH!" - Blake meets Marvel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In that same category is Blake Griffin, reigning Rookie of the Year and athletic freak (Have we come up with a good nickname? I'm all for the moniker "Griff," like an <a href="http://youtu.be/UsMr0Rqk6tU?t=12s">homage to the hoverboard-riding villain from Back to the Future Part II</a>). Griffin spent Tuesday kicking off his first annual basketball camp for kids in Oklahoma City, OK. Having already missed all of the 2009-2010 season with a knee injury, Griffin would be sitting at home, tearing his hair out with impatience if the lockout runs into the season.<br />
<br />
As the NBA players remain locked-out from work, they've taken their talents directly to the people. Fans have to cherish Durant's performance, for gems like Monday night are few and far between and may be a distant memory three months from now, as we may all be watching Turkish League highlights on Al-Jazeera.<br />
<br />
The NBPA and the owners have resumed talks as of Monday, but the situation took another exhausting turn, as the owners slapped two lawsuits against the players' union. This move is largely tactical; the owners hope to confirm the legality of the lockout and to void all existing player contracts, as they were reliant on the old CBA.<br />
<br />
This whole situation is playing out like a nasty divorce between the wealthy, shrewd businessman Stern and his "estranged" partner, NBA players.<br />
<br />
<i>Players: While we're separated, we're going to see other people. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Stern: Hey, fine, go to Europe, see how much I care. Just don't expect to be pampered the way </i>I <i>pampered you. </i><br />
<br />
What he actually said:<br />
<blockquote>"We take very good care of our players because we think they deserve it and we appreciate them. Not sure they're going to get the same level of treatment just as another player on a team fighting for a victory in, you name it, wherever it may happen to be." <i> </i></blockquote><i> </i><br />
Here's to hoping they come to a settlement soon.<br />
<br />
But in the meantime, we can look forward to our favorite stars finding ways to make headlines. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-27195417909762861582011-07-30T12:34:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:11:50.471-07:00Hideki Irabu, R.I.P.: The Big Pitcher Who Couldn't<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/7/29/1311896920833/Hideki-Irabu-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/7/29/1311896920833/Hideki-Irabu-007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hideki Irabu pitched for three tumultuous seasons with the New York Yankees.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I approached my father yesterday with this question:<br />
<br />
"Guess who died today? I'll give you a hint, he played for the Yankees."<br />
<br />
"Uhh, Yogi Berra?"<br />
<br />
"Think more recently. More in the nineties...It was someone who flamed out."<br />
<br />
"Oh! Uhh, the catcher that was recently arrested for DUI...Jim Leyritz?<br />
<br />
"No not him. Think Japanese...Think high expectations."<br />
<br />
"Hideki Irabu! Ohh! Yeah, wow, what a disappointment he turned out to be."<br />
<br />
----------<br />
<br />
Hideki Irabu, one of the most hyped players in baseball history, committed suicide in his Los Angeles home on Thursday. He was 42.<br />
<br />
Irabu had great stuff. He pitched from 1988-1996 in Japan's Pacific League, holding an ERA near 2.00 and routinely throwing 95+ mph fastballs, unheard of in Japanese leagues at the time. But the "Nolan Ryan of Japan" wanted to play in the United States, specifically for the World Champion New York Yankees.<br />
<br />
Privately, Irabu also yearned to explore his American roots and desperately wanted to meet his estranged biological father. He was US military personnel and disappeared before Irabu was born. <br />
<br />
He had stated that it was "his dream" to play for the Yankees, yet when he arrived in New York, he remained introverted, even <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Buster_ESPN/status/96666701256589312">sad</a>. He never met his father, and he never quite felt "at home" in New York.<br />
<br />
While he had flashes of brilliance, Irabu caved spectacularly under the weight of expectations.<br />
<br />
His first year in the league, 1997, was marred by inconsistency. After striking out nine in his much-anticipated debut, he unspectacularly racked up a 7.09 ERA over the rest of the season.<br />
<br />
In 1998, he gave fans glimpses of his vast talent, posting a 13-9 record with an ERA just over 4. Yet, he didn't appear in a single game during the Yankees' sensational playoff run that year.<br />
<br />
In 1999, after failing to cover first during an exhibition game, owner George Steinbrenner famously called Irabu a "fat pus-sy toad," a jeer that was only amplified by the lax workout regimens that supposedly contributed to the japanese import's lack of success on American soil. Unlike the aforementioned Yogi Berra, Irabu had difficulty <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzeuvZc1KI8">dealing with criticism</a> and channeling it into positive results.<br />
<br />
In the 1999 ALCS, Irabu made his only postseason appearance. Against the Red Sox, the mild-mannered pitcher was pounded for eight runs in four and two thirds innings in a 13-1 loss, the only one of the series. The Yankees would go on to capture the World Series, earning Irabu his second ring.<br />
<br />
From the end of that season, Irabu's storyline was relegated to the backpages of the sports section. He was traded to the Montreal Expos but only made 14 starts over a two year period. In 2001, Irabu was suspended for getting drunk before a scheduled start during a rehab assignment.<br />
<br />
In 2002, the Texas Rangers tried to convert Irabu into a closer, but to no avail, as he finished the season with an ERA of 5.74 with only 16 saves to show for it. He returned to Japan for the 2003 season with mild success, but retired shortly thereafter.<br />
<br />
Irabu faced more troubles in connection with his drinking habits. On August 20, 2008, he pounded 20 beers and decked a bartender in Osaka, Japan when his credit card was rejected. The bartender didn't press charges.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;"></div><br />
In 2009, he returned to American soil in the independent Golden Baseball League, but in 2010, he returned to Japan for his final professional season.<br />
<br />
On May 20, 2010, Irabu was arrested for DUI, just another incident in a long line of precursors leading up to his eventual death.<br />
<br />
----------<br />
<br />
When I think of Hideki Irabu, I don't envision the man who retreated in his empty suburban home, his daughters taken away and his marriage in tatters, to hang himself.<br />
<br />
I take the leap back to childhood.<br />
<br />
As an eight-year-old boy who eagerly devoured every bit of Yankee lore, past and present, Hideki Irabu was one man in a lineup of superheroes who were paid the big bucks to throw flaming fastballs and smash towering home runs, day in and day out.<br />
<br />
When I hear his name, the memories that resurface are those of the fanfare of his arrival at Yankee Stadium, of his high-90s heaters, and of his contributions to the spectacular '98 and '99 Yankees squads.<br />
<br />
But still, it remains hard to celebrate the life of a man who gave up, who could never measure up to the hype he helped build, whose only steady relationship was with the bottle, who took the coward's way out, selfishly leaving his two daughters to grow up fatherless, like he was. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-65516107258891408432011-07-24T21:43:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:13:11.095-07:00NBA Lockout: The View From Across The Pond<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://euroleagueadventures.com/wp-content/themes/arras-theme/library/timthumb.php?src=http://euroleagueadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dwill.jpg&w=630&h=250&zc=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="http://euroleagueadventures.com/wp-content/themes/arras-theme/library/timthumb.php?src=http://euroleagueadventures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/dwill.jpg&w=630&h=250&zc=1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Besiktas has assembled exactly one-half of an NBA dream duo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"></div>Day 24 of the NBA lockout. More and more players are considering taking their talents overseas.<br />
<br />
As ESPN.com's NBA insider and intel guru Chris Broussard <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/31218/overseas-options">reported Thursday</a>, an anonymous agent pointed out that 80 percent of the league's players are (mostly privately) pursuing contracts with European and Chinese teams. Superstar players are now looking outside the borders of this country, following the example set by the Nets' Deron Williams and the Hawks' Zaza Pachulia, who both signed with the Turkish club Besiktas earlier this month.<br />
<br />
In the past few days, Besiktas has revived its pursuit of the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, and the agents representing the star shooting guard have reached out to the Turkish basketball club. While it seems like the two parties have a mutual goal, there are still roadblocks to a potential deal. According to <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/6789548/turkish-club-says-managers-los-angeles-lakers-kobe-bryant-contact-team">this report</a> on ESPN.com, Besiktas has offered $500,000 per month, but Bryant's agent is asking for $1 million. Also, issues are cropping up over insuring his massive contract, should injury arise (the premiums for which would be astronomical), and subsidizing his paycheck with an endorsement deal.<br />
<br />
Other NBA stars are looking overseas as well. Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Durant have all indicated that they'd be receptive to offers from European or Chinese teams.<br />
<br />
Now, there are two sides to the debate over players taking their talents abroad: fantasy and reality.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/289/637/119006097_crop_650x440.jpg?1311367647" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/289/637/119006097_crop_650x440.jpg?1311367647" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future starting five for the Liaoning Dinosaurs?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As Kobe lies in his bed at night, he fantasizes about the exposure he'd get from taking his talents to Istanbul...<i>Plane lands, I get out, everyone's cheering. I'm a god to these people. I can't walk the streets without getting mobbed. First game, drop 40, crowd goes wild...my jersey sales are through the roof, the Kobe Zoom VI is flying off shelves, I just filmed a spot for Nike, and there's a picture of me and my rings on the side of a 20-story building downtown. Yachting in the Mediterranean, clubbing in Istanbul, tearing the Turkish league down with my man D-Will. L.A. was stressful...life's good when you're back on top.</i> <br />
<br />
Sorry to poke holes in your (and your agent's) glamorous fantasy, Kobe, but overseas ball is not all fun and games.<br />
<br />
In light of the expected exodus, former and current American players have been speaking out about their experiences abroad. The Phoenix Suns' Josh Childress, who played two years for the Greek club Olympiakos, offered some words of caution in an interview with ESPN Radio Los Angeles.<br />
<blockquote>"It's a different style of play, mentality, overall just a completely different animal. And I think you get some situations where some coaches, you're going to get two-a-days every day, and you're going to be playing one game a week, one to two games a week. It's just different. There's not a ton of things I can say about it other than it's just different and that you're aware of that. I wouldn't want guys going over there thinking it's like the NBA, because it's not."</blockquote>The Bucks' Brandon Jennings, who sidestepped college for a season of pro hoops in Italy, isn't eager to head back overseas. In a text to Broussard, Jennings noted, "Right now, I'm just grinding and staying in the weight room. I wouldn't mind going back overseas if it's the right situation. And I would have to get paid everything up front.''<br />
<br />
Once the initial euphoria of balling in a foreign land fades, players will find themselves unaccustomed to two-a-day practices, sharing a room with a teammate, rowdy and sometimes violent fans, and, as Jennings references, unreliable methods of payment.<br />
<br />
Josh Boone, a former UConn Husky and former New Jersey Net, now of the Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls of the Chinese Basketball Association, <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/31231/dwight-howard-to-china-josh-boones-scouting-report">sat down with Chris Sheridan for a chat</a>. While Boone insists that a player like Dwight Howard would be treated like a king in China, he sheds light on the culture shock that inevitably hits American imports, including curfews, limited internet access, weird foods, isolation, inflated expectations, and caps on playing time and the number of American players allowed on teams (three quarters and two, respectively). <br />
<br />
With the glut of players competing for jobs overseas, these problems could be compounded.<br />
<br />
European and Chinese teams don't have NBA money, so salary expectations have to be modest, even for the most talented players out there. They may not be as eager to open their wallets to "rent-an-NBA-player," who could show up and leave as quickly as he comes. Roster slots may be available only to the best the NBA has to offer. Other players may have trouble competing with foreign-born NBA players, NBA players with overseas experience, and those who choose to leave the NBA behind for good (example: Celtics center Nenad Krstic signed a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow with no opt-out clause). Players could face difficulty negotiating a clause into their contracts that would allow them to return to the U.S. when the lockout ends.<br />
<br />
Although the NBA is still head-and-shoulders above the worldwide circuit, leagues across the world have developed significantly in the last decade. The level of competition is higher, fans are more passionate, and coaches and owners care more about winning. Having "NBA Player" on your resume will no longer bring team owners to their knees to beg for your services. If Kobe Bryant, one of the best players ever and one of the most visible athletes on the planet, is having trouble navigating a satisfactory deal overseas, then that spells trouble for other, less talented, and slower-to-react players.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WxVl_t3c0TiOgNxNe4RNtcZI85GIgPUnUmBT9lmySjqqY3TdcfqIBIv8ZPjp5PV57Uuh5pLyzvImA6UYl4hOOO932RlS7OvbnaVP_Gqk-w2RvyC1l4_TBb6IfhGN7JzTJMbpDaSHk40/s1600/hasheem-thabeet-jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WxVl_t3c0TiOgNxNe4RNtcZI85GIgPUnUmBT9lmySjqqY3TdcfqIBIv8ZPjp5PV57Uuh5pLyzvImA6UYl4hOOO932RlS7OvbnaVP_Gqk-w2RvyC1l4_TBb6IfhGN7JzTJMbpDaSHk40/s320/hasheem-thabeet-jpg.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hasheem could go the 'tea and crumpets' route.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As rosters fill up and money wears thin, expect to see the middle-of-the-road players signing contracts for less money for less than desirable teams in middling leagues (Hasheem Thabeet on the Cheshire Jets of the British Basketball League, anyone?).<br />
<br />
Here's some advice for NBA players: stay healthy, maintain your fitness, and consider <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/6794871/baron-davis-returns-school">doing as Baron Davis does</a>...exercise your brain!<br />
<br />
As for Kobe, if he cherishes his remaining time in the NBA, he should hold off on making plans for a Euro trip. Going into his 16th season, he can't afford to put extra mileage on his weary and injury-prone body. This time off the court should be spent getting completely healthy, so he can be ready to guide the Lakers into the Mike Brown era, and perhaps have one last shot at a MJ-tying sixth championship ring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-9070306908958783652011-07-18T19:10:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:14:19.213-07:005 Things We Don't Want To See In The Post-Lockout NBA World<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIJ0F8CBep39ej1ZXmPCZcfgqaL-A0GiiocLRqABoDmgIoMuHvUoeIPbM9c0Ada04c0sfVuExxx5gSODts3nDtzoCz-cO6Kws4Q_Hq-GW25KjGGUO3cO2JWmU5HIf1V-4bvR0Dpn3JDu9/s1600/charlotte_bobcats_adam_morrison-9763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIJ0F8CBep39ej1ZXmPCZcfgqaL-A0GiiocLRqABoDmgIoMuHvUoeIPbM9c0Ada04c0sfVuExxx5gSODts3nDtzoCz-cO6Kws4Q_Hq-GW25KjGGUO3cO2JWmU5HIf1V-4bvR0Dpn3JDu9/s320/charlotte_bobcats_adam_morrison-9763.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite their mistakes, the Bobcats shouldn't be contracted.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As Day 18 of the NBA lockout rolls around with no signs of movement in the deadlock between players and owners, we at JFS would like to offer up some of our biggest fears about the future of pro ball.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>1. Contraction </b><br />
<br />
If it isn't obvious by now, fan interest and league marketability aren't the most pressing issues for the NBA.<br />
<br />
The biggest problem is cash, and how to make it. In short, the league needs to find a way for small market teams to harness the passion of their fanbases in a profitable way (i.e, finding ways to keep superstars on small market teams, creating a better system of revenue sharing, and instituting a hard salary cap).<br />
<br />
Several months ago, David Stern acknowledged that contraction was a more of a reality than many would've liked to admit. Yet, it seems clear that his pride will force his hand, and he will do what it takes to avoid it. It would be a personal failure to Stern if he watches small market franchises fall by the wayside, several of which (Raptors, Grizzlies, Bobcats, Heat, Magic, T'wolves, and Hornets) came into the league on his watch.<br />
<br />
Putting a team on the chopping block won't solve the NBA's problems. It'll be a move of desperation, offering only a temporary fix. The fans are there, the interest is there, and the players are there. The missing piece is a sustainable business model.<br />
<br />
Coming off one the best years in recent memory, the league shouldn't abandon its nationwide network, its fan base. Instead, it should focus on how to restructure these franchises for success. Evacuating a market is the same as turning your back on part of your loyal constituency.<br />
<br />
You think people in Seattle still care about the NBA?<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE6YhPpdobaH8efOy4sbSRAisehLc32pELtuzq2nx6Bc5ic0jVWJuZ3BodL-qOFR980LVZn0mInmzhJTOJ9wYGxpUuHihMlxBgFpmbZT5SViZLTcNB9aQi0gzV7i70WBPEONZCAES7WdA/s1600/Columbus%252BCrew%252Bv%252BNew%252BYork%252BRed%252BBulls%252BajFJJ8RVEQol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfE6YhPpdobaH8efOy4sbSRAisehLc32pELtuzq2nx6Bc5ic0jVWJuZ3BodL-qOFR980LVZn0mInmzhJTOJ9wYGxpUuHihMlxBgFpmbZT5SViZLTcNB9aQi0gzV7i70WBPEONZCAES7WdA/s320/Columbus%252BCrew%252Bv%252BNew%252BYork%252BRed%252BBulls%252BajFJJ8RVEQol.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No thank you.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>2. Sponsored Uniforms</b><br />
<br />
Jersey sponsorship isn't built into the DNA of professional basketball in America (nor is it for football, baseball, or hockey). To sell the hallowed space on the front of uniforms would be to sacrifice something sacred, something iconic.<br />
<br />
Michael Jordan is forever captured in mid-air during his free-throw line dunk, "Bulls" logo flaring outwards. Can you imagine Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah trouncing around with black and red Pizza Hut jerseys? We see Kobe, Kareem, and Magic in the purple and gold, with "Lakers" stamped on their uniforms, not Gatorade. What about the Celtics? Or the Knicks? It would warp the profile of the NBA's greatest teams and, not to mention, betray the team's nickname. <br />
<br />
Also, put simply, game jerseys just wouldn't look as cool.<br />
<br />
It makes sense for the Euroleague, and it makes sense for the teams that have adopted it in the WNBA. In those cases, sponsored jerseys have been a part of the league's history. <br />
<br />
In sports there are very few spaces that haven't been invaded by advertisements. For now, let's leave the uniforms alone. If need be, there's always plenty of room on practice jerseys, even for subtle advertisements on the sleeves or shorts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYLcOro_TNholIj4yKWhDwhmi9eBEg-j-0uU5hk9vsxfBeGMXZXpnZeWMpghXaMcphgogt_zGqPU7lzinl4pGYOjHUYGNn5fBObngrpL-rELw9oiBbp_q3CCkMy4Lq8gpzor97PmPKKLt/s1600/wnba-average-salary266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYLcOro_TNholIj4yKWhDwhmi9eBEg-j-0uU5hk9vsxfBeGMXZXpnZeWMpghXaMcphgogt_zGqPU7lzinl4pGYOjHUYGNn5fBObngrpL-rELw9oiBbp_q3CCkMy4Lq8gpzor97PmPKKLt/s400/wnba-average-salary266.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Haters beware: Don't understate what these women are doing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>3. No WNBA</b><br />
<br />
Astonishingly, many analysts have suggested canning the WNBA as a viable financial option for the NBA, <a href="http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6749669/if-ruled-nba-world">including the ever-popular Bill Simmons</a>, hegemon of the newly-minted Grantland.com.<br />
<br />
I like to think that I model my writing after ESPN's Sports Guy, but on this point, I think he's bitterly wrong. In fact, I was slightly offended that an NBA lifer such as him, one of the most knowledgeable guys out there, would casually include this in such an important column (I'd wager that David Stern, a friend and habitual guest on Simmons' podcast, has glanced at it, if not one of his cronies).<br />
<br />
It comes off as ignorant and even sexist to casually write off (in 3 sentences of a behemoth column) the standard-bearer for US women's professional sports as a "necessary" casualty of the NBA lockout, saying the league can't afford "noble luxuries" anymore.<br />
<br />
Having weathered its way through 15 years of financial instability, development, and constant talk of disbandment, the WNBA is a survivor, not just a symbol of hope for women's sports, but also a significant achievement in itself.<br />
<br />
In its early years, the WNBA relied heavily on the resources of the NBA, but it has since stepped up. Six of the 12 franchises are now independently owned (when the league kicked off in 1996, all the teams were owned by NBA franchises). As WNBA bloggers, the DC Basketcases, <a href="http://dcbasketcases.blogspot.com/2011/07/not-so-wise-its-unfortunate-fact-that.html">pointed out</a>, the WNBA's salary cap per team is $825,000, tiny in comparison to the men's figure, which sits at a whopping $58 million, with a minimum salary of $43.5 million.<br />
<br />
To put that in perspective, Eddy Curry's contract for the 2010-2011 season alone outweighed the sum total salaries of all WNBA teams. <br />
<br />
Any amount of money the NBA puts towards subsidizing the WNBA is a drop in the bucket compared to expenses within its own league. <br />
<br />
And on the other side, we have the importance of the league, eloquently defended by several writers who get fewer reads but make far more substantial arguments than those commentators casually throwing the WNBA under the bus. Ben York of Slamonline.com <a href="http://www.slamonline.com/online/other-ballers/womens/2011/07/stop-blaming-the-wnba-for-the-nba-lockout/">attacks the carelessness of the general statements being made about the WNBA</a>.<br />
<blockquote><span class="site">"The message being sent to the masses is that women’s basketball isn’t valuable from any standpoint and certainly not worth investing in financially or emotionally. Again, whether they mean to or not isn’t a viable excuse."</span></blockquote>Bob Kravitz of Indystar.com <a href="http://www.slamonline.com/online/other-ballers/womens/2011/07/stop-blaming-the-wnba-for-the-nba-lockout/">outlines how critical the league is for women's sports</a>.<br />
<blockquote>"Simply, it is important to sustain the WNBA, to give it every chance to grow and become completely self-sufficient and eventually profitable. As long as it's not bleeding the owners dry, it's imperative for the NBA to continue its support for the only relevant women's pro sports league in this country. (Women's pro soccer? Really? Can you name a team?)"</blockquote><blockquote>"The WNBA hasn't simply provided the country with a summer alternative and an ever-improving brand of basketball. It hasn't simply shown its male counterparts in all sports how to be accessible and humble and generous. What the WNBA has done is given hope to every girl who has ever dribbled a ball and dreamed."</blockquote>Navigating a path out of the lockout is solely up to the NBA itself. Leave the WNBA out of this mess. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://savingtheskyhook.com/files/2011/02/demarcus-cousins-goofy-ukbigbluenationwordpresscom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://savingtheskyhook.com/files/2011/02/demarcus-cousins-goofy-ukbigbluenationwordpresscom.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DeMarcus Cousins will go into hibernation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>4. "Softer" Players</b><br />
<br />
Now, on a much less serious note, we move on to a category that (barely) fits Eddy Curry. The NBA has to worry about its players maintaining their fitness during the work stoppage.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/nba-lockout-parody-whos-going-to-get-fat_n_892318.html">No, seriously. </a><br />
<br />
We've seen what Baron Davis does with a lack of motivation. We don't (or do we?) want to see bloated versions of Z-Bo and Big Baby bouncing off of each other in the post. And we all know/fear what DeMarcus Cousins is capable of (on a side note, I'm still trying to get the bitter taste out of my mouth from reading Cousins' <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/boogiecousins/status/86527198177136640">sarcastic tweet</a> on June 30, and Dwyane "I Expected Better From You" Wade's <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/DwyaneWade/status/86649287546638336">tweet</a> on July 1). <br />
<br />
I'll refer you to an October 8, 2010 <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/485489-nba-power-rankings-the-10-most-out-of-shape-nba-players-in-the-nba#/articles/485489-nba-power-rankings-the-10-most-out-of-shape-nba-players-in-the-nba">article by Shane DePutron</a> from a website devoted to endless streams of sports lists, the Bleacher Report.<br />
<br />
Worst case scenario: a repeat of Curry's <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/10/eddy_currys_season_starts_off.html">first day of training camp</a> for the 2008-2009 season. Exploding exercise balls right and left.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.knicksdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/isiah-thomas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://www.knicksdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/isiah-thomas.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Which way did Dolan go? I gotta convince him to re-sign Eddy Curry!" </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>5. Isiah Thomas</b><br />
<br />
Could he be back? <a href="http://gothamist.com/2011/06/04/the_isiah_thomas_affair_knicks_fans.php">Never say never.</a><br />
<br />
Knicks fans have ceased trying to be rational.<br />
<br />
While it seems unlikely that Thomas will <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>return to his former position as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks (in all honesty, he and his family aren't safe in NYC), he is on a short list of potential replacements as head coach of the Detroit Pistons.<br />
<br />
And even if that doesn't pan out for him, he's still going to have his voice heard in the Knicks' front office, hardwired through billionaire owner and best friend James Dolan.<br />
<br />
I think I speak for Knicks fans everywhere when I say, "Please, Isiah, anyone but us! Go to LA! The Clippers would be a perfect match...cursed man, cursed franchise."<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-73664674899435602712011-07-14T18:06:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:15:31.649-07:00Know Your Role, James Harrison<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mensjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/MG_7134-final1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mensjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/MG_7134-final1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harrison with two of his many problems. (c/o mensjournal.com)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Of all the dumb things that athletes have shared with the press, revealed in interviews, and tweeted, Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker <a href="http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison">James Harrison's comments in the August issue of </a><i><a href="http://www.mensjournal.com/jamesharrison">Men's Journal</a> </i>are perhaps the most mind-numbingly idiotic. And because of the lockout, the NFL can only sit idly by as one of its premier players tears the league a new one. So, in the spirit of justice, it's the media's responsibility to fire back.<br />
<br />
With the feel and tone of this blog in mind, I'd like to label Harrison a jabroni, but unfortunately, being one of the best defensive players in the league, he eludes that title.<br />
<br />
Let's try this one on for size: James Harrison, you are a tactless moron and a borderline psychopath.<br />
<br />
And with that, I'd like to introduce a new JFS segment I like to call, "Know Your Role, and Shut Your Mouth!"<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hey James Harrison, here's the rundown of how you totally blew it.</i><br />
<br />
<i>1. Take a deep breath and let your brain recalibrate before calling out two of your teammates. Rashard Mendenhall is far from a "fumble machine"...as he pointed out via twitter, he turned the ball over just twice during the 2010 regular season. And you have the balls to call out Ben Roethlisberger, your field general and one of the NFL's most talented quarterbacks? Given, he's far from the most liked in the league, but the man has made three Super Bowls and has two rings to show for it. Get a grip. Without these guys, your team would never have made the Super Bowl. And even if your teammates did suck, you call them out in the locker room, never in public.</i><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://buffalowdown.com/files/2011/05/Roger-Goodell-NFL-Commissioner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://buffalowdown.com/files/2011/05/Roger-Goodell-NFL-Commissioner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commissioner Goodell is the fulcrum of Harrison's tirade</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i>2. So there's a complex issue at hand: you believe the fines that Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down to you last year were unwarranted, even racially motivated. You manhandle Vince Young, a black quarterback, and get fined $5,000. You spear Drew Brees, a white quarterback, from behind, and the fine quadruples to $20,000. </i><br />
<blockquote><i> </i>“Clay Matthews [a white player], who’s all hype — he had a couple of three-sack games in the first four weeks and was never heard from again — I’m quite sure I saw him put his helmet on Michael Vick [black] and never paid a dime. But if I hit Peyton Manning or Tom Brady [white, white] high, they’d have fucked around and kicked me out of the league.”</blockquote><i>You believe that the suits in the NFL aren't in tune with the players on the field. They see a dirty hit, you explain the reasoning behind the hit ("</i>What I tried to explain to Goodell, but he was too stupid to understand, is that dudes crouch when you go to hit them.") <i>but it falls on deaf ears.</i> <i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>Well, James Harrison, those sound like some genuine grievances, </i><i>if properly articulated</i><i>! However, "if properly articulated" is the all-important qualifying phrase:</i><br />
<blockquote>“My rep is James Harrison, mean son of a bitch who loves hitting the hell out of people,” he says. “But up until last year, there was no word of me being dirty — till Roger Goodell, who’s a crook and a puppet, said I was the dirtiest player in the league. If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn’t do it. I hate him and will never respect him.”<i></i></blockquote><i>You go on to call Goodell a "devil", "faggot", "punk", and "dictator". </i><i>Tastefully done.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Here's my advice: Go back, get some words, then people will listen to what you have to say.</i><br />
<br />
<i>3. And the cherry on top: You have the eloquence of tongue to call your commissioner an anti-gay slur. C'mon man, we thought we'd turned a corner, what, with Michael Irvin on the July cover of </i>Out<i> magazine, Phoenix Suns' President Rick Welts coming out, and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6563128">Charles Barkley's unique take</a> on playing with gay basketball players. The world of sports has finally, slowly but surely, seen progress on the gay liberation front. Yet, you've managed to put yourself in the company of bigotry (see: in-game homophobic slurs by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26QqAOrXHes">Joakim Noah</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPYa-kBt8Jw">Kobe Bryant</a>). It's the 21st Century, we like to think that we're at a new pinnacle of enlightenment as a race...get with the times. Homophobia isn't cool anymore.</i><i> </i><br />
<br />
<i>4. I'm just gonna go out and say it: you desperately need anger management classes. I know, you've already taken them once before, for breaking down a door, crushing a telephone, and open palm slapping your wife across the face during an argument over whether or not your sons would get baptized. But in my honest opinion, you still have rage issues, whether you're calling out the Patriots ("</i>I hate those motherfuckers"), <i>ranting about the joy of causing physical pain, or offering your absolutely offensive take on guns and gun violence, saying that the solution to campus shootings is to arm students and teachers. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
When all is said and done, James Harrison, you need to <a href="http://youtu.be/sadRv-xyVYk?t=1m44s">know your role, and shut your mouth</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
On a concluding note, what's most frustrating about Harrison's outbursts is that his inflammatory remarks mask the more subtly important aspects of the article, which raise even more concern about the fundamental structure of the game. If concussions are being treated this lightly by the players, something needs to change as soon as possible.<br />
<blockquote>“I get dinged about three times a year and don’t know where I am for a little minute. But unless I’m asleep, you’re not getting me out of the game, and most guys feel the same way. If a guy has a choice of hitting me high or low, hit me in the head and I’ll pay your fine. Just don’t hit me in the knee, ’cause that’s life-threatening. How’m I going to feed my family if I can’t run?”<i></i></blockquote>These fines being levied aren't changing the tactics of players or coaches, because this is what the game has evolved into and this is how its players have adapted over the years.<br />
<br />
Goodell, listen up: the teacher doesn't punish his student for following the lesson plan, the teacher changes the lesson plan. Football is a dangerous sport as is, and no amount of fines will fix the problem.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-44465509921998223802011-07-11T11:57:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:17:41.242-07:00Cleveland Rocks: The NBA's Worst Franchise Won't Be Quite as Bad Next Season<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.cleveland.com/cavs_impact/photo/9590099-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="http://media.cleveland.com/cavs_impact/photo/9590099-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which of these guys would you root for?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As ESPN.com <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6745794">reported last Thursday</a>, the Cleveland Cavaliers will own and operate their own D-league team, based in Canton, Ohio. Looking back, let’s round up what has been a favorable past few months for a team that tied the record for longest losing streak in American professional sports last season. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>May 17</b> – The feel-good story of the NBA Draft Lottery: the Cavs, with the pick they received from the Clippers in trading away Mo Williams, earn the right to choose first in the NBA Draft. Owner Dan Gilbert has his son represent him on stage, an ambassador for the National Children’s Tumor Foundation and a victim of neurofibromatosis, a nerve disorder that causes tumors to grow inside the body. When queried by ESPN’s Heather Cox, “Your dad called you his own personal hero. How does that make you feel?" The bespectacled Nick responds:</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">“Well, I mean, what’s not to like? [Laughter] I’m the oldest of five. I have a good life. I’m going through this disease, but I’m going through it well, I’m getting better. Research is (helping) with all the money people are donating. Yeah, everything’s going good.”</div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal">Several minutes later, the Gilbert family is embracing on stage in celebration of the conquering of the NBA draft lottery, literally and figuratively, having persevered despite a 2.8% of winning.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And in all honesty, was there even a chance that the Cavs weren’t going to get the top pick? The T’wolves were doomed as soon as the camera panned over President of Basketball Operations David “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnSnfiUI54">KHHHAAAAN</a>” Kahn’s face. It's safe to say that Minnesota will never find success with that man at the helm (I hope I won't be eating my words 10 months from now while reading the headline, "Rubio and his Wolf Pack Score First Round Upset Against the Top-Seeded Thunder").</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>June 12 </b>- Much to the unbounded joy of Cavs fans, Lebron melts down for the second consecutive playoffs, with the Miami Heat losing the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.<br />
<br />
After the win, Gilbert posted a tweet that congratulated the Mavs and said, "Old lesson for all:There are NO SHORTCUTS. NONE." </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cavs fans <a href="http://youtu.be/MZ0x8wBolqM?t=35s">celebrate on national television with an eff-you swagger</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2011/06/24/Top-pick-Kyrie-Irving-introduced-by-Cavs-HM6FIDF-x-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2011/06/24/Top-pick-Kyrie-Irving-introduced-by-Cavs-HM6FIDF-x-large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cavs putting their faith in two very unproven prospects</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><b>June 23</b> - In the draft, the Cavs select Duke guard Kyrie Irving with the first pick and Texas power forward Tristan Thompson. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Irving, despite having only played 11 games an injury-riddled freshman season, was projected to be a top pick all along, based on his great potential at the point. The Cavs satisfy their needs at point guard (Baron Davis is not starter-worthy), which has officially become square one for teams in the "rebuilding" process. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thompson, picked higher than initially projected, is expected to add some size to Cleveland's depleted front court. He's certainly a project; a player with an NBA body and great potential, but very raw.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>June 30</b> - The Cavs trade power forward/center (but in reality, power forward) J.J. Hickson to the Sacramento Kings for small forward Omri Casspi.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hickson, one of the worst shooting big men in the league, grew into his own by the end of the season, seeing extended playing time with the injury to starting center Anderson Varejao. He's a good rebounder and solid back-to-the-basket scorer, but his shooting percentage, turnovers, and maturity need to improve before he can positively contribute to a team. The Cavs frontcourt is too crowded anyways, with Varejao, Thompson, and Samardo Samuels (at least) vying for minutes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Casspi is an average shooter, defender, and rebounder who, going into his third year in the league, can certainly improve in all of those categories. He has size, athleticism, and if not already, has potential to play multiple roles (and perhaps positions). He fills an immediate need at small forward, a position "stopgapped" last season by the likes of Joey Graham and Jamario Moon, two players worth of a roster spot on a D-league team.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>July 7</b> - The Cavs announce that they'll own and operate their own D-League team (a perfect place for Graham and Moon).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Great move by the struggling franchise, perhaps influenced by the recent sellout record of the Dayton Dragons, a wildly-successful minor league niche team that was recently <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/sports/baseball/for-one-minor-league-baseball-team-never-an-empty-seat.html?pagewanted=all">profiled in the New York Times.</a> They join the likes of the Lakers, Warriors, Spurs, and Thunder as NBA teams with D-League teams of their own, all of which have passionate, devoted fans. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, having reached its nadir in 2010-2011, Cleveland looks toward next season (if it happens) with plenty of optimism. Weirder things have happened in the Midwest, a place where tortured fanbases never cease to shell out cash to go see their floundering teams. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-74984659792521978842011-07-07T20:35:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:18:46.855-07:005 Reasons Why You Should Watch The Tour de France<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUJrQW32TjZHQpSLlevBTL_S32P0aszpQoEbNsPrn_rMxj8DBz1emqcQ2pmakr-jcDjBiNrjWRH-O-8RKZLM-jBpuPVk1A-mxE_Xwsn6ltEM1jXMXXUmscq6sR9W3CA9AHtznXO53ttZu/s1600/71483842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUJrQW32TjZHQpSLlevBTL_S32P0aszpQoEbNsPrn_rMxj8DBz1emqcQ2pmakr-jcDjBiNrjWRH-O-8RKZLM-jBpuPVk1A-mxE_Xwsn6ltEM1jXMXXUmscq6sR9W3CA9AHtznXO53ttZu/s320/71483842.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotta pay your dues before rollin' with the big dogs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>1. Strategy</b><br />
<br />
Many people don't realize that cycling is a team sport. The team is a function of its specialized components: the climbers, the sprinters, the domestiques, and the contenders. The contenders have all the tools to take home the "maillot jaune" (the yellow jersey), given to the rider with the lowest overall time at the conclusion of the Tour. The sprinters compete for the green jersey, which is given to the rider with the most accumulated sprinting points, earned by crossing 'checkpoints' along the race route, and of course, at the finish line. The climbers compete for the polka-dot jersey, which, in similar fashion to the green jersey, is given to the points leader of mountain climbs. The domestiques dedicate their efforts to giving the contender (and the sprinters) the best shot at overall victory. They are pace setters, teammates, and the support network. <br />
<br />
The early stages of the Tour are mostly "flat" stages. The riders begin the race in a large group called the peloton. The main principle of the peloton is "drafting," or riding behind the wheel of the cyclist in front of you. It reduces drag, and therefore exertion. In a massive group like the peloton, riders can preserve up to 40% of their energy.<br />
<br />
Towards the beginning of a race, a rider will sprint off the front of the peloton, followed by several other riders. This is called a breakaway, and the benefit of riding in a small group is flexibility, as the riders can set a pace much faster than the less organized peloton. Frequently, the peloton eventually catches up to and overtakes the breakaway, which leads to a sprint finish. With less than a kilometer to go, the domestiques line up in front of their sprinter, setting him up for the stage win. See! Strategy. If the domestiques set up too early, tire out too early, and fall behind, their sprinter will be exposed to a much longer sprint. If domestiques set up too late, a rival sprinter will have jumped out to an unassailable lead.<br />
<br />
In my humble opinion, the flat stages only get interesting during the last 10 miles, when the peloton has the opportunity to catch the breakaway, when the breakaway is successful and one of riders 'wills' himself to a stage victory, or the peloton overtakes (or has already overtaken) the breakaway and a sprint finish ensues. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://acursoryglance.net/wp-content/uploads/lance-armstrong1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://acursoryglance.net/wp-content/uploads/lance-armstrong1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lance vs. some jabroni named Jan...guess who wins?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>2. Individual Riders</b><br />
<br />
The Tour is one of the most difficult challenges in modern sport. Over a three week period, riders compete in 20 stages and a prologue; along the way, they cover, on average, 2,000 mi, and climb the vertical distance of Mount Everest, thrice. Take a look at the average cyclist: tiny frame, pistons for legs, and an abnormally strong heart. <br />
<br />
These physical freaks of nature use the mountain stages as their playground. This is my favorite part of the tour, watching the contenders in all their glory. <br />
<br />
When the peloton ascends a major climb, it splinters into several smaller groups. Contenders begin making their moves, paced by their domestiques. Eventually, as the domestiques completely exert themselves, they fall off the group. Eventually, the leading pack is composed of the contenders. This is one of the most exciting occurrances in sports. Beautiful things happen on the way to the summit. The riders are stripped clean of their support networks and are exposed to the elements. They slug their way up the side of a mountain, trying to break away from the group and, equally so, blocking the breakaway attempts of other riders. Mono y mono. You need visual evidence? Case in point: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7THIhZEP4QM">Lance Armstrong giving rival Jan Ullrich "the look"</a> in the 2003 Tour.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://visboo.com/img/new/bike-crashes04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://visboo.com/img/new/bike-crashes04.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best place to take a nosedive...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>3. Crashes</b><br />
<br />
OK, so you still haven't been roped in by any of my arguments thus far. Let's have a look at crashes, an inevitable feature of cycling. Crashes can occur at any time, without warning, damaging a rider's hope for a stage win or ending a rider's tour. Cyclists can reach up to 60 mph on mountain descents, weaving through hairpin turns and sheer cliffs, and up to 40 mph during sprints on flat ground. Crashing at those speeds on asphalt, concrete, cobblestone, rock and grass, and interfering fans can be harmful, even fatal. Three riders have died during the Tour, the most recent of which came in 1995, when Fabio Casartelli crashed on the descent of the Col de Portet d'Aspet at a speed of 55 mph (in 2010, a rider in the Giro d'Italia was killed in a crash on May 9).<br />
<br />
Crashes can be gruesome, therefore worthy of repeated views. Check out the Tour's <a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/most-dramatic-crashes-of-the-tour-de-france/6fqdzrd?cpkey=a7f22004-70aa-4fdb-b09f-3b3144cba9bf%7C%7C%7C%7C">top ten crashes</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01644/floyd-landis_1644965c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01644/floyd-landis_1644965c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get some Axe, Floyd Landis, you reek of desperation</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>4. Doping Crackdown</b><br />
<br />
So you, among others, have read that cycling is a tainted sport, riddled with dopers. Hopefully, this reputation will eventually come to fade away, but cycling is acutely aware of the grim reality. Fortunately, cycling has a very strict anti-doping policy (first offense: two year ban, second offense: lifetime ban).<br />
<br />
In baseball, future Hall of Famers can confess that they took steroids years ago, and in the same breath, convince you that they're completely clean now. In cycling, if you forget to do your chores, you will be reamed out and grounded. In 2007, on the heels of a stage win that virtually locked up the maillot jaune, Rabobank's Michael Rasmussen was booted from his team for missing drug tests and lying about his whereabouts a month earlier. The Tour director was equally severe in his assessment. If he had heard about the missed tests, he would've kicked out Rasmussen personally.<br />
<br />
Can you imagine if Dirk Nowitzki was booted before Game 4 of the NBA finals because his team ratted him out as a doper? What if a teammate had found pills in Tim Thomas' locker and had him removed from the squad before the Stanley Cup? It wouldn't happen.<br />
<br />
The Tour director is aware of what doping does to the sport, and he will not rest until cheaters are far, far away from the competition. He's keeping an eye on you and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=5632256">your tainted meat</a>, Alberto Contador.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://funnysportingpictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/funny-sports-pictures-tour-de-france-devil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://funnysportingpictures.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/funny-sports-pictures-tour-de-france-devil.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, you're not hallucinating...that's just El Diablo </td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>5. Novelty</b><br />
<br />
If not for any of the above reasons, watch the Tour de France for the novelty of it! Imagine following the progress of hundreds of riders over the course of three weeks and actually enjoying the process!<br />
<br />
I'll admit, I, like many other Americans, was brought into cycling by a certain seven-time Tour winner. And yes, I don't watch any other cycling events throughout the year. But I know entertainment when I see it, and I see it often in the Tour. There's plenty to look forward to as the 2011 Tour de France hits its stride: the Contador-Schleck rivalry for one, crazed fans (see above), and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dTEjERoQbk">Phil Liggett's masterful commentating</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-13072884708785897892011-06-30T21:52:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:20:25.757-07:00Ron Artest (Metta World Peace): New Name, New Purpose<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFycjfzlSPvdDLNEAxMd596fzcJ3qSgE1YLm3LL-ntKNAvbVBVxCPcJpqqIgAGe4CiIWtzFFP7EKF3TyoFi2FgbVrLATr6Zmm7WBF249f0E_y4Q5HrMoxyhvmP-Jqfiuqipp28ufVcb9Q/s1600/RonArtestSI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFycjfzlSPvdDLNEAxMd596fzcJ3qSgE1YLm3LL-ntKNAvbVBVxCPcJpqqIgAGe4CiIWtzFFP7EKF3TyoFi2FgbVrLATr6Zmm7WBF249f0E_y4Q5HrMoxyhvmP-Jqfiuqipp28ufVcb9Q/s320/RonArtestSI.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is this the defining moment of Artest's career?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Millions of people will always remember that look, the look of terror on the face of a fan about to be clubbed by the fist of a professional athlete. The grainy freeze-frame was publicized in newspapers across the country and eventually, the cover of <i>Sports Illustrated</i>. Ron Artest became the symbol of everything that was wrong in the sports world: anger, violence, and lack of self-control.<br />
<br />
Many NBA players come from tough backgrounds, tough circumstances; Ron Artest is one of those players. Growing up in the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York, he once <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/15/nyregion/player-dies-in-stabbing-at-basketball-game.html">witnessed a murder</a> during a game of pick-up basketball. Artest touched upon the memory during a 2009 interview in the <a href="http://blog.chron.com//nba/2009/05/kobe-gets-tough-artest-gets-angry-and-the-nba-makes-its-decisions-with-morning-hoops-links/">Houston Chronicle</a>: <br />
<blockquote>"I remember when I used to play back home in the neighborhood there were always games [of a physical nature]. I remember one time, one of my friends, he was playing basketball and they were winning the game. It was so competitive, they broke off a piece of leg from a table and they threw it and it went right through his heart and he died right on the court.<br />
<br />
"So I'm accustomed playing basketball really rough. When I came into the league, I was used to fighting on the court. That's how I grew up playing basketball."</blockquote>So it wasn't wholly surprising that Artest was at the heart of what will forever be remembered as the "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-UCwYfXqak">Malice at the Palace</a>," one of the darkest moments in recent NBA history. On the heels of a record 86 game suspension and a disappointing season in which the team fell short of the ultimate prize, Artest requested a trade, jettisoning the Indiana Pacers and the demons he created in his time there.<br />
<br />
And yet, in the time since the incident, a sea change has taken place in the once-unstable demeanor of Artest, and many don't see how truly deep it runs. While he has managed to avoid repeating the mistakes he made on that fateful night in the Palace at Auburn Hills, his on-court persona has changed little. He's still the same tenacious defender, locking arms, using his hands, and getting in his man's face and head; he still has that crazy "you don't know what I'm going to do next" look in his eyes; his choice of hairstyles and hair colors conjures up images of Dennis Rodman; he still acts like, is interested in the same things as, and talks at the same rate as a young teenager.<br />
<br />
What you did see, though, was Ron-Ron's transformation during his time with the Lakers. Under the tutelage of a zen master and the guidance of a psychiatrist, Artest was able to quiet the voices in his head and channel his focus on basketball. As the media questioned his lack of scoring output, Artest was quietly adapting to a team-first mindset: maintaining his characteristic grinding defense and improving his shot selection as a part of the triangle offense.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lundberg.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ron-artest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://lundberg.me/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ron-artest.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artest being unpredictable on Jimmy Kimmel Live</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Whether it was the circuitous route he took to get there or simply the thrill of victory, the Lakers' defeat of the Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals acted as a release valve for an entire career's worth of stress for Artest. Throughout that years' playoffs, he had been a model of consistency, stepping up when needed, getting a hand in on every play, and hitting big shots (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSRFnzzhzyQ">buzzer beaters</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mT99HCFFI">Finals-clinching daggers</a>). It was only when the Doris Burke attempted to conduct a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMCeZK3OiKM&feature=related">post-Game 7 interview</a> with Artest that we really got a glimpse of what kind of progress that he'd made. It was evident when he cut loose for perhaps <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FdW9sgWxyo&feature=related">one of the most unusual post-game press conferences ever given</a>, and when he sold his championship ring for $650,000, giving the proceeds to various mental health organizations. At the end of the 2010-2011 season, Artest received the NBA's citizenship award for his involvement in increasing mental health awareness.<br />
<br />
Now, inspired by Chad Ochocinco, Artest filed a petition to have his name changed to Metta World Peace. In a <a href="http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6717448&categoryid=2459788">recent interview</a> on ESPN's Pardon The Interruption, Artest opened up about the reasons behind the name change and winning the citizenship award:<br />
<blockquote>"I'm on that same path, of doing positive [things] and just having positive energy...[The citizenship award] is the best award you can get...This award is something I've always wanted, even when I was going through all that stuff...I thought, it would take some time to get to that point. It was like one of the best days of my life.</blockquote>On the name change:<br />
<blockquote>"It's positive energy...It's not like I'm trying to be Gandhi...it's about education, it's about the youth connecting with the youth around the globe. Overseas, Americans aren't even liked that much...that's my main goal, along with all the charities and visions that I have. It's about giving the youth something to look forward to, especially the youth that are lost..." </blockquote><br />
Artest has come a long way. He is, by no means, a saint or role model, nor is he going to solve the world's problems. He just wants to prove to everyone that he's a good guy. After the 2010 NBA Finals, commentator Mike Breen noted:<br />
<blockquote>"He is not the perfect player, he's not the perfect person, but anybody who knows him well will swear by his loyalty and what a big heart he has. And he has come all the way from that Palace brawl in Auburn Hills, to an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers." </blockquote>He has apologized to the Pacers teammates that he "bailed on" in a move that effectively broke up a title contending team. He owned up to his <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2009-12-02/sn-conversation-ron-artest-i-was-head-case">past issues</a>. He thanked those who helped him along the way.<br />
<br />
Metta World Peace is starting the process of redemption. The Finals win exorcised his basketball demons...now he's working on the personal ones.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-87724136109973873032011-06-29T11:48:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:21:49.807-07:00Serge Ibaka: Spanish After All<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://iamboigenius.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Serge-Ibaka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://iamboigenius.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Serge-Ibaka.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>To "settle" a long-standing debate that I've had with Dean and Ben Carman (who is <i>teetering </i>on the verge of jabroni-status because he <i>said</i> he'd write for us), Serge Ibaka, a Congolese-born Spanish-nationalized basketball player currently on the Oklahoma City Thunder, has been selected to play in the Eurobasket 2012 for Spain.<br />
<br />
Boom.<br />
<br />
OK, fine, that doesn't technically mean that he's Spanish, <i>but...</i>come on. His paperwork is being processed as we speak, and he has had a couple of lengthy chats <i>in Spanish </i>with national team coach Sergio Scariolo, Pau Gasol, Marc Gasol, Rudy Fernández, and José Calderón about how "excited" he is to play with them.<br />
<br />
<blockquote>"I'm very proud that Spain has chosen me to play for them [in the Eurobasket 2012]. I spoke with [Scariolo] at length in Los Angeles, and he seems like a respectable man with a good heart. [...] I am also very excited to play with Spain, especially with my friend Marc Gasol, who is a really good guy, really nice." Serge (Sergio?) Ibaka <i>in Spanish </i>to Cadena SER, a Spanish radio station. [Translations mine].</blockquote>So, what more do you want? A copy of his Spanish passport? Because he can provide that for you... I really want to make some sort of "birther" joke here, but I'm having trouble coming up with one. I'm not on my A-game right now because I just got back from Argentina where I was trying to convince Kun Agüero to come play for Real Madrid, and for Leo Messi to retire and become a <i>gaucho</i>. Still crossing my fingers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Gabe Lezra is the Editor-in-Chief (and founder) of <a href="http://www.managingmadrid.blogspot.com/">Managing Madrid</a>, a Real Madrid website dedicated to bringing English-speaking fans funny, top-quality analysis. His work has been featured on CNN.com and CNN's World Sport, and he regularly contributes to Bleacher Report.</i> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-14247428355961136072011-06-24T05:44:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:25:39.954-07:002011 NBA Draft Retro Diary: The Year of the Euro-broni<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASPxen-FFhKyyXFUhsHNXPHZ1hye-N_V8syJrIE6B2jZUxN5hYZHi3fci4i3hEgIMDfXOXIaH_VyFgzTk2TnFVvPGLW-vTAkarNv53SZkltvyvoLS4VjDzAYE_6hegg9cHFl4eKdaM3Eo/s320/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASPxen-FFhKyyXFUhsHNXPHZ1hye-N_V8syJrIE6B2jZUxN5hYZHi3fci4i3hEgIMDfXOXIaH_VyFgzTk2TnFVvPGLW-vTAkarNv53SZkltvyvoLS4VjDzAYE_6hegg9cHFl4eKdaM3Eo/s320/images.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who Will Earn The Right To Be Dubbed "Lithuanian Lightning?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Hey all, welcome to the first annual JFS live draft commentary!<br />
<br />
So many questions, but one sticks out: is Kemba Walker excited for his <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/29758/kemba-walker-recently-read-his-first-book">upcoming internship</a>?<br />
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<br />
<b>7:24 P.M.</b> - Pre-draft coverage is smothered by Adele's "Rolling in the Deep," which has been played over and over again. British soul just doesn't seem <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_h7Lm7C9Nk">right for basketball</a>. It's apparent that something has gone wrong in the NBA's advertising department. Maybe they've started cutting costs, but a once-prestigious product has taken a hit in quality, with talking basketballs instead of a slo-mo black-and-white clip of LeBron James <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgDRFcjc0mU&feature=related">landing a massive dunk</a> on the Celtics. Times have changed; now we get to see Jimmer Fredette dressed up in golfing regalia, sputtering out a ditty on a drum set and awkwardly pointing the sticks towards the camera.<br />
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<b>7:44</b> - As expected, Kyrie Irving is picked first by the Cavaliers. More importantly, let's talk about his father's name. I feel better about myself and my life, knowing that someone named Drederick exists in the world. Even better: his retro-NBA graphic features one of the finest flat tops I've ever seen. "Don't laugh," Stuart Scott says, laughing.<br />
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<b>7:55</b> - Jeff Van Gundy chimes in with one of those comments only Jeff Van Gundy can make: "Why are [NBA executives] clapping? They already know what the pick is..." He's met by silence and a pat on the back from Jon Barry. Did he hit his head? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slGmTABZtZ8">Oh yeah, I forgot, he did.</a><br />
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<b>8:06</b> - 35 minutes in and Jan Vesely is officially the winner of this year's draft. The Czech big man is taken sixth overall by the Wizards. First order of business in the NBA? Snog his girlfriend on national television. You'd better believe <i>jan vesely girlfriend</i> is trending right now.<i> </i>Fran Fraschilla awkwardly jokes before his analysis of the pick, "Well, first of all Stu, he has great taste in women." I've got a good feeling about Vesely; with his shameless PDA and Arnold Schwarzenegger-like accent, he's going to produce many a great soundbite/YouTube clip.<br />
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<b>8:10</b> - The Bobcats pay the Corey Maggette tax to get a the seventh overall pick. Seems like a dubious first step towards redemption for MJ's franchise...trading a slightly-less washed-up ball-hog for a slightly-more washed-up ball hog. In his twisted (but usually correct) logic, Van Gundy suggests the Bobcats must "get really good, or get bad to try to get good." Yes?<br />
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<b>8:12</b> - Bismack Biyombo is picked by the Kings (to be traded to the Bobcats) with the seventh pick. I agree with Stuart Scott, he has the coolest name in the draft so far. That won't get him far in the NBA, though. Pardon the obvious comparison, but he reminds me of a shorter, more athletic Hasheem Thabeet. Biyombo was chosen by many analysts as the most likely to be a bust, a high risk/high reward guy. Jon Barry says he has "no offense at all." If that doesn't scream "red flag," I don't know what does. Not a problem, he'll just develop his big-man skills and navigate his way through pro ball with the veteran help of new front court mate Kwame Brown.<br />
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<b>8:30</b> - Now on to the "experience" guys. Kemba Walker goes at number ten to the Bobcats. Maybe MJ knows what he's doing, going for one "potential" guy and one "proven" guy. This may be (is) a biased UConn fan talking, but how can you dislike Kemba? He plays with heart and emotion, he's not afraid to take the big shot, and hey, he did (almost single-handedly) dominate the NCAA competition for the last month of the season. Ok, ok, so I'm very biased. <br />
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<b>8:33 </b>- As the clock winds down on the 10th pick, Jon Barry prophesizes, "It's Jimmer time." Fredette is chosen by the Bucks (and traded to the Kings). The two most impressive tidbits of information I learned about Jimmer tonight? (1) His freshman year in college, he and his brother signed a contract confirming his NBA draft aspirations (Stuart Scott snipes, "His defense needs some help, and maybe his handwriting does too"). Balls-y. (2) Jimmer and his brother played basketball with inmates at a local prison. In his first game, Jimmer dropped 40 points. Jimmer vs. The Prison System: sounds like a great movie idea.<br />
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<b>8:44</b> - An interview between the newly-appointed head coach of the Warriors, Mark Jackson, and his former colleagues turns bromantic quickly..."We really miss you here...we all miss you man."<br />
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<b>8:52</b> - Markieff Morris is selected by the Suns with the 13th pick. Mysteriously, his twin brother Marcus is the one who starts crying. As he wipes away tears, he says, "It ain't the end of the world, we're gonna see each other again." <br />
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<b>8:56</b> - As Marcus Morris is taken by the Rockets with the 14th pick, a man at his table musters his inner Lil' Jon and yells "Yeaaaaaaaah, LET'S GO!" No more tears, Marcus. Congrats, Marcus. Time to be the Robin to the Brook Lopez, or even better, the Harvey to the Horace Grant.<br />
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<b>9:05</b> - Mark Jones on Kawhi Leonard's hands: "Those things are meat cleavers!" <br />
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<b>9:14</b> - Knicks fans are starting chants, cheering, and booing. They are loud, unruly, very disillusioned, and preparing for the worst.......Iman Shumpert! ESPN cuts to the Knicks contingent with their hands on their heads in disbelief. One fan mouths to the camera, "What were you thinking? What were you thinking?" He's a great defender, super athletic, but with no shot. Sounds like a player the Knicks <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6171374">cut four months ago</a>. In an uncomfortable post-pick interview with Spike Lee, he gives his less than ringing endorsement of the now-goat Shumpert: "We're gonna go with it, we have no choice." <br />
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<b>9:42</b> - Newark's own Kenneth Faried is chosen by the Denver Nuggets. He kisses his baby, hugs his family, and thanks the crowd. This marks the last-ever feel-good moment for Newark basketball fans. <br />
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<b>9:59</b> - The Celtics choose the offensively gifted, defensively challenged MarShon Brooks with the 25th pick. In another example of the pitfalls of miked-up commentating, Jay Bilas calls Marshon Brooks "a matador defender." Perhaps that's the case, but maybe wait to rip his deficiencies until the kid gets done shaking the commissioner's hand?<br />
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<b>10:05</b> - Brooks is traded to the Nets. Andy Katz announces it to underwhelming applause from the home crowd. C'mon New Jersey, get excited! In a few years, if Brooks is dropping 25 a night, you can always commute up to Brooklyn to watch him play in front of a crowd of hipsters wearing retro Nets hats and sweatshirts from Salvation Army.<br />
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<b>10:21</b> - The Bulls take Marquette's Jimmy Butler with the last pick in the first round. The heartwarming tale of Butler's improbable run to the NBA draft is dampened by a rain of boos on David Stern, who, in typical draft-day fashion, eggs them on by sarcastically replying, "Thanks for that." The boos double in intensity. Unlike the NFL draft, the NBA draft is packed with rowdy, jersey-wearing frat boys who cheer and boo like they're at a wet t-shirt contest. Stern smiles and turns the second round of picks over to the Deputy Commissioner, Adam Silver. I'm getting strong deja vu; didn't they star in <i>Pinky and the Brain</i>?<br />
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<b>Sometime around midnight</b> - Why am I still watching this? The Lakers just made the two worst picks in (what must be, in my limited knowledge) NBA history, Chukwudiebere Maduabum, a skinny power forward from Nigeria and the NBA Development League's Bakersfield Jam, and Ater Majok, a tall jabroni who played for UConn last year under Jim Calhoun before shamefully quitting in favor of pro ball in Australia. On a closing note, the last pick in the draft is Isaiah Thomas, a player whose father named him after the exiled ex-Knicks GM when he lost a bet. And that'll do it for the night.<br />
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As the least memorable draft in recent memory ends, so begins the longest waiting period of these newly-minted rookies' careers: the summer before the lockout-threatened season. But I digress. The most important story of the night: Ron Artest <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/20541/ron-artest-to-change-his-name-to-metta-world-peace">has officially filed to change his name to Metta World Peace</a>. <br />
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<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-58430264283308397442011-06-18T15:09:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:26:29.275-07:00'The Custodian' Sweeps Up His First Championship Ring<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/999/763/109400424_display_image.jpg?1307537018" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/000/999/763/109400424_display_image.jpg?1307537018" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronald Martinez/Getty Images North America</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Brian Cardinal is often the butt of jokes in the basketball world. Known as 'The Custodian,' the blindingly-white, bald-headed, fan-favorite power forward of the world champion Dallas Mavericks looks the part of a graduate of the college of janitorial arts and habitual garbage-time dweller.<br />
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A product of Purdue, his early professional career was defined by his beefy shooting percentage from beyond the arc and his relentless hustle. But in the 2004 offseason, he signed a six-year, $37 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, a ludicrous contract for a slow, white benchwarmer whose strengths were his one-dimensional offensive skills and diving after loose balls. Cardinal's contract was used as fodder by critics of the unsustainable financial system of the NBA. In the 2009-2010 season, Cardinal was traded to the Knicks for Darko Milicic and cash, a meaningless transaction at the time. 'The Custodian' ended up making slightly over 6 million dollars that season and played in only 29 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging less than 10 minutes per game. In 2010-2011, Cardinal received modest playing time when he was picked up as filler for the Mavs roster in the wake of an injury to Dirk Nowitzki.<br />
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Now, I'm not trying to suggest that Brian Cardinal was the driving force of the Mavs championship win, but I will say that he looked more the part of teammate than someone like Adam Morrison, who <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f11JJKEskKw">sat on the sidelines</a> throughout the Lakers' two championship runs.<br />
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His play in the NBA Finals earned him a leg-up in comparison to the jabronies of past championship teams. Cardinal made the most of the playing time he got. After seeing the court a total of seven minutes in the first three playoff series and only one minute in the first three games of the Finals, Cardinal notched 29 minutes in the last three games, all Dallas wins. 'The Custodian' threw his body all over the court, drew charges, drained the occasional three, and provided Dirk with much-needed rest when he needed it. In a critical shift of momentum in Game 4, Cardinal <a href="http://youtu.be/p-Ej2NDPW2Y?t=6s">threw his body in the lane</a> to draw a charge against Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat; although he was called for the blocking foul, Wade was hobbled for the rest of the game, suffering a hip pointer during the collision. <br />
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'The Custodian' has become more than just an injury replacement. His persona embodies something larger than a 'roster filler'. He's the stereotypical white guy in a black league: can't jump, has no driving ability, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3huQuEHno4c">gets dunked on frequently</a>, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv4BbZkbguA&t=5m32s">can't dance</a>. The fans love him for that; he's the designated jabroni. And best of all, he's accepted that. Players like Cardinal and the Chicago Bulls' Brian Scalabrine are a warped relic of the NBA's past: filling out benches with white players to appease white fanbases. The primary reason for having these players is no longer racially motivated (although some could argue that it is), but a noticeable emphasis is placed on their ability to generate positive team chemistry and act as a type of 'mascot' for fans.<br />
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From the <a href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/sports/heat/dallas-mavericks-brian-cardinal-the-custodian-makes-sudden-1534137.html"><i>Palm Beach Post</i></a> a week ago, on getting the call from Head Coach Rick Carlisle:<br />
<blockquote>"He yells, 'Cardinal!' and I reach for a towel," Cardinal said Saturday before practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I thought somebody kicked over some water or something."<br />
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"Who would have thunk?" Cardinal said of playing more than a mop-up role.</blockquote><br />
Brian Cardinal provides hope for jabronies everywhere: escaping expectations is possible if you just <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sadRv-xyVYk&t=1m44s">know your role</a>.<br />
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<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-43767941381791829592011-06-16T13:47:00.000-07:002011-08-16T10:27:08.293-07:00David Tyree: I'm Calling You Out, Jabroni<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2011/06/16/0616-david-tyree-hrc-getty-ex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://ll-media.tmz.com/2011/06/16/0616-david-tyree-hrc-getty-ex.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C/O HRC.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So this might be kind of a weird first post on this blog-of-all-trades, but so be it. I just read David Tyree's <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=6667583">statement against New York's bill for marriage equality</a>, and, well, it REEKS of jabroni. Especially this passage:<br />
<blockquote>"It's about how can marriage be marriage for thousands of years and now all of the sudden, because a minority, an influential minority, has a push or an agenda and totally reshapes something that was not founded in our country, not founded by man, it is something that is holy and sacred. I think there is nothing more honorable, worth fighting for, especially if we really care about our future generations."</blockquote>I'm going to re-phrase what Mr. Helmet Catch's first sentence is really saying: "<i>How can an institution exist for thousands of years, and then all of a sudden, because an oppressed minority is fighting for equality, that institution that was not founded in our country, suddenly change</i>?"<br />
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Seriously? Just look at that sentence. Now imagine we're in Alabama, circa 1959. Hmm. Doesn't the meaning of that statement change?<br />
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It's shocking how people against the marriage equality bill like David Tyree can make statements like that, so blind to the historical ramifications of what they're saying. It's even more shocking that only a few years ago <i>David Tyree's family weren't allowed to vote. </i><br />
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</i><br />
If you're not buying this argument coming from a straight, upper-middle class white guy, here's the same thing from Charles Barkley on Bill Simmons' podcast in reference to what he sees as discrimination against homosexuals:<br />
<blockquote>I grew up in Alabama at the time of the church bombings and Dr. Martin Luther King. My family has always been in the fight. [...] My grandmother, who's the greatest influence in my life, she made a conscious effort to make sure that any time you see or hear discrimination you stand up. You don't be no punk. You don't let your friends tell jokes like that, because if they tell an Asian joke or a Jewish joke, when you're not around they'll tell a black joke. So my grandmother always said, "Hey listen, you don't sit back and let it go like that."</blockquote>So for the first post on JFS, I'm going to listen to Chuck. I'm going to go make a donation to the Human Rights Campaign (which is doing a major fundraising push in New York State to try to get this bill passed). Here's the link so that if you want, you can <a href="https://secure3.convio.net/hrc/site/SPageNavigator/main_donate_go.html">do the same thing</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Hate the column? Love the column? Send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Gabe Lezra is the Editor-in-Chief (and founder) of <a href="http://www.managingmadrid.blogspot.com/">Managing Madrid</a>, a Real Madrid website dedicated to bringing English-speaking fans funny, top-quality analysis. His work has been featured on CNN.com and CNN's World Sport, and he regularly contributes to Bleacher Report.</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-87847347720493701582011-06-14T18:39:00.000-07:002011-06-14T18:39:34.474-07:00Contact UsEveryone who isn't a jabroni is welcome to send us an email at jabronifreesports@gmail.com; if we deem your email sufficiently jabroni-ish, then we will have to treat you the way you deserve. BY CRUSHING YOUR SKULL, YA JABRONI!<div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-261334228842725281.post-868260563312008712011-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:002011-06-14T21:53:41.411-07:00Welcome to JFS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn17/TangSooDoNymII/the-rock-jabroni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn17/TangSooDoNymII/the-rock-jabroni.jpg" width="235" /></a></div><i><b>Jabroni</b> (n.)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>1. A loser, poser, lame-ass. </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>2. One who talks the talk, but could never walk the walk. </i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>3. One who talks shit and doesn't back it up, but rather ends up eating their shit in return. </i><br />
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Jabroni Free Sports was started in the summer of 2011, after Dean and Gabe graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and didn't really have anything to do anymore.<br />
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We'll bring you sports commentary from every part of the spectrum with a decidedly anti-Jabroni bias.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0