Jackson not so Illustrious anymore

Phil Jackson, the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Is in a coaching rut. His team has not won a playoff series since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal. The Lakers have went out in the first round the past two years.

Kobe Bryant, the team's only true star as of right now, is quoted as saying,

"Do it and do it now," he said. "Personally for me, it's beyond frustration -- three years and still being at ground zero. This summer's a big summer. We have to see what direction we want to take as an organization and make those steps and make them now."

I am not ready to say that Jackson is done coaching, because he is not a quitter, but is the time getting near where he should just accept the 9 NBA Championship rings and leave it at that? He has lost his possiblity of winning championships since the departure of Shaq ending the Shaq-Kobe duo that was so intrumental in winning championships.

Who does Phil turn to, to be the next big players to win? Or is it time to throw in the towel?

So Dirk, finally has a shot at the MVP and is taking alot of criticsm. Mavs were down 3 games to one, until last nights game in Dallas.
The Mavericks who were up by 21 at halftime, almost let the game slip out towards the end.

If Dallas were to lose in the first round against Golden State, it would make the first time in NBA history a team who totaled a regular season win of 65 games and a first round loss.

The Mavs seemed to pull it together after letting a 21 point led at half slip away. With just a few minutes left in the game, Dallas down 9, Dirk and co. stepped it up and avoided a early exit from the 2007 playoffs.

Other then Dirk finally hitting shots and being able to get by Golden State, always stepping up in the playoffs is point guard and good friend of mine, Devin Harris.
Harris scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, with a game total of 16points .

The Mavericks have 2 games left to prove their 65 wins this season was not a fluke. The Mavs and Warriors square off for game 6 on Thursday at Golden State.

The Newest Major Rivalry

With record breaking numbers being seen throughout the major leagues, a new rivalry has been formed between the steroid raging Barry Bonds and baseball's golden boy Alex Rodriguez, or at least the media would like you to think so.

Although A-Rod recently failed to break the "Month of April Home Run Record" (he only tied the previous record set by the Cardinals Albert Puljos at 14) his power hitting seems to be all that baseball fans can talk about this season. And with Bonds now only 13 homers away from the all time home run leader, Hank Aaron, his quest to break one of the most sacred records in the sporting world has been overshadowed. Even though Bonds had his best opening season since April of 1996, when he hit 11 home runs and notched 32 RBI's, no one is willing to remove the 28 million dollar man (who by the way took about 4 years to prove his worth it) from his pedestal and mention the pill-popping junkie.

Now, obviously I'm no fan of Barry Bonds either. I actually find it kind of funny that if A Rod stays on track he could potentially hit over 100 home runs this season. I find it even funnier that if he continues his career numbers and only hits 30 home runs a season from here on out, he'll be in Bonds all time record range by the time he's 40. So then what's the point?

I find it ridiculous that while Barry Bonds suffers simply because he was the only person actually caught using performance enhancing drugs his numbers are over looked while Alex Rodriguez is drooled over by the media and fan alike. Hasn't anybody noticed his considerable change in over all size since he first appeared in the big-leagues? I realize that there are a few out there have written on the subject and questioned his liegitimacy as a player, but for the most part, and more specifically this past month, he has been nothing but glorified for his incredible numbers while Bonds remains ridiculed and seemingly forgotten. I'm not syaing I want Bonds in the headlines, in fact I'd prefer not to hear about him either. I'm only suggesting that before we bow down to all that is A Rod, maybe we should keep in mind that that the MLB is a level playing field these days.

IU Will Play Georgia Tech in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

The schedule for the 2007 ACC/Big Ten Challenge was recently announced and Indiana will be playing the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. The game will be played at Assembly Hall at 7:00PM on ESPN. IU head coach Kelvin Sampson had this to say about the game, "It will be a great game, Georgia Tech has a great tradition and will be one of the better teams in the ACC. It's a great opportunity for us." This game appears to be a pretty tough match up for IU but may get a lot easier if Georgia Tech sophomores to be Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton remain in the NBA draft.

Young and Crittenton were highly touted coming out of high school and both tied for team lead in points per game as true freshman this past season at Georgia Tech with both players averaging 14 a game. Neither player has signed with an agent so both could return to school.

Other interesting match ups in the challenge for next season include the North Carolina at Ohio State game. Both teams lose key players from this past season with Ohio St. losing Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., and Daequan Cook. UNC is losing Brandan Wright but returns a number of key players from last seasons squad. The Wisconsin at Duke game should be a good match up although both teams lost key players with Wisconsin losing Alando Tucker and Duke Josh McRoberts.

Moss to Pats

When you deal with nitroglycerine, there is one fundamental and inescapable rule of thumb: If you want to keep your thumbs -- or, for that matter, retain any other atom of your physical anatomy -- handle with care.
On Sunday morning, the NFL's master chemist, Bill Belichick of New England, decided to add perhaps the most combustible element in the league to a Patriots locker room where the chemistry is one of near-perfect balance. But lest explosive yet enigmatic wide receiver Randy Moss be misled into believing he will mess with the equilibrium created by Belichick, personnel chief Scott Pioli, owner Bob Kraft and the band of veteran leaders they have assembled, the five-time Pro Bowl player should be forewarned.
Belichick doesn't put on the kid gloves for anyone. Not even for a player who possesses the kind of impressive skills, and big-play component, Moss brings to the team.
No matter the résumé of the individual, toxicity is not tolerated by the Patriots, and Moss will find that out quickly, if he doesn't already know it. Team sources said Sunday that Moss is already on notice and on an even shorter leash.
Step out of line one day, you're out of the lineup the next, and are soon sent packing.
If Moss doesn't believe it, well, he'd be wise not to seek empirical, firsthand evidence that Belichick indeed means business with his no-monkey-business decree.
Randy Moss
Wide ReceiverOakland RaidersProfile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Rec
Yds
TD
Avg
Long
YAC
42
553
3
13.2
51
127
When he was fired by Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell after the 1995 season, after compiling a 37-45 record, Belichick did a lot of soul-searching about what had gone wrong in his first head coaching gig. One of the conclusions he reached after the lengthy self-examination was that if he ever got a second chance to be a head coach, he would treat everyone the same.
The same rules for everyone. No favorites. No exceptions.
The philosophy has worked pretty well, most observers would agree, during Belichick's tenure as a head coach. He inherited a franchise that was a halfway house for malcontents and incorrigibles and transformed it into a team on which everyone is just naturally expected to go all the way, and on every play. Belichick has claimed three Super Bowl titles and, at some point, will earn himself a niche in the Hall of Fame.
For the wayward Moss to get off the detour road he has been traversing the past several years, and get back on course for Canton, a Super Bowl ring would serve as a handy compass. That reality, apparently, has sunk in with Moss, who believes his legacy ultimately will be measured by rings, not receptions. That is part of the reason he made concessions to facilitate the Sunday trade.
And big concessions they were. Scheduled to earn $21 million in base salaries over the next two years, $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008, Moss signed a new, one-year contract with the Pats that might pay him only in the $3 million-$4 million range. With incentives, it could be worth $5 million. But even if he reaches all the incentives, and collects the full $5 million in 2007, Moss will have sacrificed $16 million in base salaries due him.
But financial givebacks alone by Moss won't satisfy Belichick and the team leaders from whom he elicited support before consummating the trade. In the New England locker room, no one is going to care much how much money Moss is making. More important to the Pats is how much effort is he making and, thus, how many plays he is executing. It is those elements on which Moss will be judged by his new teammates.
And if there is one team where the latest attempt to transform Moss into a selfless player could work, and where he will be compelled to work by the examples set around him, it is the Patriots. Belichick is the equivalent of a human hazmat suit. And the New England locker room, the environment nurtured there, is like a sterile laboratory.
There have been some players in the past who arrived in New England deluded into thinking they could buck the system. But the Patriots have a way of quickly diluting such notions. It's notable that one of the properties of nitroglycerine is that it's colorless. The Pats have been successful, in part, because they exist in a world where there are no ambiguous hues and the only colors are black and white.
For Moss, as for everyone else in the Pats' employ, there is no gray fringe. And so Moss would do well to implant that philosophy into the gray matter between his ears, at least as it applies to when he is between the lines.
There was some question Sunday as to why Belichick would even want to take on as notable a character risk as Moss might be. But it's the same reason and the same agenda with which Belichick always operates. He wants to win, plain and simple. Moss' very obvious flaws aside, Belichick believes the volatile player can enhance an offense already upgraded by the offseason transfusion that took place with the wide receiver corps.
With the brilliant Belichick, whose public life is defined by his football success, there are no hidden agendas. Belichick has long been enamored of Moss' competitiveness, of his desire to get the ball as often as possible, but especially at crunch time. For the Pats, every play is viewed as crunch time, and New England was willing to gamble that that will bring out the best in Moss and help him resuscitate a career that has slumped the past few seasons.
Belichick has never been reluctant or shy about taking on players, such as safety Rodney Harrison or now-departed tailback Corey Dillon, who were perceived by others as having a few warts. There have been occasions, such as the ill-advised trade for former New Orleans first-round defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan, when such risks blew up in his face. But for the most part, Belichick has won such gambles, and he clearly thinks he'll win this one.
Inherent in every coach is the belief that there is something good in everyone and that, no matter what has transpired previously with a player, he or she can be the person to unearth that redeeming quality. A lot of coaches have lost their jobs because they were misguided in that belief. Belichick has succeeded because, with few exceptions, he has found a way to emphasize a team concept to even the most self-centered individuals.
More than a chemist, Belichick is an alchemist, it seems. Transforming as poisonous a personality as Moss into gold might be, perhaps, his most daunting challenge. But it is a challenge Belichick and the New England organization agree is worth undertaking.
If they're right, it will make the Patriots an even more formidable team in 2007, and maybe Super Bowl champions for the fourth time.

the disapeering convergence of politics and athletics

The Disappearing Convergence of Politics and Athletics

The era of the political athlete is dying. Past athletes like Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier exactly 60 years ago on 4-15-07, and others involved in the transition from segregation to desegregation in American sports, were much more politically motivated than modern-era athletes. Increased commercialization in the sporting empire has resulted from advancements in technology and public interest. Increased interest brought about significantly higher amounts of money being pumped into the industry every year. Television exposure was the driving force of this transition and led to increased corporate involvement and inflating salaries. Somewhere along the line from 1947 to 2007, the American athlete lost his political interest and objectives, with his additional privileges and money.
Jackie Robinson’s persona encompassed so much more than just an ordinary star athlete. “In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Jackie Robinson was also a forerunner of the Civil Rights Movement. He was a key figure in the establishment and growth of the Freedom Bank, an African-American owned and controlled entity, in the 1960s. He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column for a number of years, in which he was an outspoken supporter of Martin Luther King Jr (wikipedia.com). Robinson was an involved political activist, businessman, writer and broadcaster, and human rights activist along with being an athlete. Robinson used his writing to portray his non-violent beliefs, which even reprimanded violence. He was not afraid to take a stand against public figures such as Malcolm X and Roy Wilkings, who was the leader of the NAACP in the late 1950s. He did support and work with was Martin Luther King Jr. though. Robinson teamed up with King and worked together on several projects. According to McCoy, Robinson also used participation in youth guidance and counseling programs to have an active sense social responsibility (6). He did this through various church and community organizations. Robinson was a man that expected progress though constant change. On the 60th anniversary of Jackie’s first game, his widow Rachel Robinson was asked how Jackie would feel about today’s culture and athletes, and she responded: “he would be frustrated and impatient because the numbers of African American players and in off the field positions have not grown in proportion to the times”. Jackie Robinson is considered one of the most influential members of the 20th century and contributed so much to our culture from 1947 until his death in 1972.
After Robinson’s playing days were over and other minority players were included in professional leagues, more and more political athletes emerged in the 1950s and 1960s. Political athletes became names like Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, and Roberto Clemente. All of these men were educated and well-articulated activists of societal change. Brown and Clemente both lead community assistance programs for the African American and Latino communities, respectively. Ali took many political stances throughout the years, but is probably most famous for his refusal to go to the Viet Nam war after being drafted. Regardless of the nature of the political work that each individual pursued, positive contributions were continually being made by these legends. All men understood that change through service is positive, and good will improves the lives of others. Former athletes were still being racially persecuted and did not take advantage of enjoying equality and nice lifestyles. These men knew that positive change had given them a chance for success, and more would be needed in the future. The athletes of the 1950s and 1960s had an attitude that hard work breads success. And most athletes in this time period did engage political activities for societal benefit.
Modern-day leagues often use advertisements to promote themselves through programs like “NBA cares”, which is a community outreach venture. The NFL uses similar advertisements, showing their players engaging in community service. None of these league programs have any significant societal impacts though. All were created primarily for public relations purposes. So league contribution efforts are doing little to guide current athletes.
Little guidance, low political interest levels, and low education levels, provide modern athletes with low achievement in politics. Athletes’ seems to rather live a lifestyle modeled around partying and wild behavior. Examples of athletes exhibiting this type of reckless lifestyle could be characterized by Stephen Jackson of the NBA, or Pacman Jones of the NFL. This lifestyle re-invests nothing into communities that formed the majority of professional athletes. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that current athletes are not using their power efficiently or effectively. There are exceptions, but athletes still need to make major improvements in using their power for good. Sports were one of the fundamental things that helped integrate American culture and politics, and needs to continue to be used as a vehicle for improvement in the future. The ironic thing about low political activism among athletes is that the majority of modern athletes came from lower income families, precisely the demographic that needs their assistance. According to wikipedia.com, the NBA is over 80% black. Pre-existing economic structures for minorities in the United States prove equality has not been fully achieved. Don Imus’ recent race-stigmatizing comments regarding the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team teaches us that racism and oppression still exist. Athletes simply do not realize or care about logically helping the poor at levels that they should. Minority influence in lower class structures combined disinterest of current athletes; provide little optimism for improvement for the future. Current athletes need to learn how to utilize political avenues to help societal progress like past athletes used. There has been a definite decline in public effort and community contribution from iconic type players like Jackie Robinson of the past, compared to modern-era pro athlete. The 1950s and 1960s African-American and Latino athletes were characterized as hard-working, political juggernauts. Athletes like Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Roberto Clemente are icons who actively engaged themselves in community support and political aide. All of these men supported and believed in educational system as the mechanism that breeds success, and that lack of education is the fundamental reason for economic struggles and lower class duplication.
Modern athletes have such a lesser political impact per capita than past athletes due to a variety of factors including lack of education and interest. Athletes have gone from involved, to utterly disengaged politically. So with modern athletes contributing less, smaller strides are being taken in racial equality. I do not think that Jackie Robinson would be happy to hear that the first African American NFL coach that coached in a Super Bowl was in 2007, or to hear of the miniscule amount of Black head-college football coaches. Or about the slowing momentum of the politically involved athlete. Players need to reconsider their priorities and leagues need to sponsor more programs that achieve positive public benefits. The first thing that needs to occur though is the identification of the fact that a shift in the athletes political agenda has happened through history for no logical reason.

Cardinal's pitched killed in car crash

Late Saturday night, relief pitcher Josh Hancock crashed his SUV into a tow truck at 12:35am. Hancock has been a relief pitcher for the Cars for the past two years, and contributed to the team's World Series title last year.

When news arrived to the city, fans went to Busch Stadium to drop off cards and flowers for their pitcher. Unfortunately this was not the first death for the Cardinal family as Deryl Kile died five years prior.

Sunday's game in St. Louis vs. the Chicago Cubs has been postponed so the Cardinal franchise could pay their respects to the Hancock family. General Manager, Tony La Russa made the dreadful call to Hancock's parents who reside in Tupelo, Miss.

This will be the second death in the Cardinal family, as in 2002 Deryl Kile was killed by a coronary artery blockage. The team will set up a memorial for both teammates in their bullpen as well as wear Hancock's number 32 on their sleeves for the rest of the season.

Hancock was said to be traveling just over the speed limit where then accident occurred. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident, investigators believe he simply did not see the tow truck on the side of the road and didn't swerve fast enough to miss it. The driver of the tow truck was in the car, but walked away from the accident. Hancock was alone in his car.

Hancock was no star. But he was a Cardinal, and more importantly, he appreciated being a Cardinal. A night earlier, in a blowout loss to the Chicago Cubs, Hancock pitched three innings of one-run relief. "We didn't get embarrassed yesterday," said manager Tony La Russa on Sunday, "and that was because of Josh."

"All of baseball today mourns the tragic and untimely death of St. Louis pitcher Josh Hancock," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said. "He was a fine young pitcher who played an important role on last year's World Series championship team." Numerous ballparks around the country recognized Hancock's fatality at their respected stadiums with moments of silence.