Hook 'em Stern

Stephen A. Smith quite frankly cracks me up.  His bashing on Portland cracked me up.  They obviously don't know what they're doin' he says.  It's easy to pick on the lousiest team in basketball and say they don't know what they're doing, they look lost, they don't have a plan.  But I think that sort of speculating came back to bite him as the little weakling that is Portland drank the milk, bulked up and that's why Stephen A. Smith couldn't and didn't want to talk about Portland anymore.  He was speechless and he said it was a waste of his time to talk about them.  That's because they fought back and he saw what they were up to.

I won't even even talk about LaMarcus being an asset to the team because I'm very biased.  Let's just say defense has improved immensely for Portland.  They don't need the Vanilla Gorilla.  Where was he last year anyway?  Where was anybody in Portland?  Where the hec was Zach Randolph? 

If I had to pick the most NBA ready person it would be Brandon Roy.  Seeing him play in the tournament last year, I was watching someone who appeared a few dozen steps ahead of everyone else.  Even in the game against UCONN where they lost he was brilliant.  This guy is READY in the way CPaul was ready.  They come in full steam.  If he plays like he's been playing he's my early pick for ROY.

Spanish Chocolate?  That is funny!  Hopefully he takes a better pic than JWill.  JWill sits on the waiver wire every year in my fantasy league because of that horrible pic that Yahoo has of him.  He's the bane of every fantasy team.  But hey, at least he's a world champ now.

I'm going to root for Portland.  I like what they're doin' despite Stephen A. Smith's rumblings.  I used to root for Portland back in the Drexler days so it won't be anything new.

SOME PICKS I LIKE:

1.  SHELDON WILLIAMS -- ATLANTA -- They need a lot.  I see them trying to trade Harrington for a guard or something.  You never know what you're gonna get from Duke as far as how the players translate into the NBA.  But this guy has the same sort of work ethic and dig deep attitude that Elton Brand has.  He'll be a star early on.

2. RONNIE BREWER -- UTAH --  Defense, defense, defense and heart, heart, heart.  I think he fits the mold of Sloan's type of player.  Deron Williams is spectacular and will definitely start there for a while but I think sometimes Sloan loses gray hairs over this drive the lane every time shoot first type point guard.  I'd love to see Sloan coach the Knicks.

3.  JORDAN FARMAR -- LOS ANGELES -- I love this pick.  I think Kareem had some say in this I'm sure.  I'm feelin' it.  He may not even be that good in the NBA but this is good karma for the Lakers.  Looking out for the hometown kid. 

4.  PJ TUCKER -- TORONTO -- I have to give props to this guy as he was this season's Big 12 player of the year.  I think he's underrated and I think Toronto's a big winner here.  But like LaMarcus don't listen to me on this one because I'm biased.  Just watch.

5. SAER SENE -- SEATTLE -- This guy fascinates me.  Raw and super tall.  I think once he gets the hang of the NBA we're going to see something a little different.  I mean he's not going to shoot threes like Uncle Cliffy but I think we're going to see that big man swatting everything in sight that the Sonics have been missing for the past few years.

GUYS I HATE:

1. DANIEL GIBSON -- CLEVELAND -- I really hope he proves me wrong because he's a Longhorn but the guy is NOT ready for the NBA.  That being said,  he may be a good fit with Lerbron who likes to dish it off to an open sharpshooter.  I personally was nervous every time Gibson had the ball at UT.  Gimme some confidence in you.

2. JORDAN FARMAR -- LOS ANGELES LAKERS -- What?  C'mon you love the pick or you hate the pick.  Which is it?  I'm not a fan of the player.  Something about him bugs me.  I just think it's a statement for the Lakers feeling it, giving something back to the home crowd.  He's got a lot of heart and he's extremely competitive.  So there, I can't make up my mind.  Hate it and love it.

3. RODNEY CARNEY  -- PHILLY -- I'm not sold on him or anyone from that Memphis team.  Think he's super-uber-athletic.  But I'm not there yet on whether this guy will be a major factor in the NBA.  He'll have to learn how to handle the ball a hec of a lot better.

4. THABO SEFOLOSHA -- CHICAGO --  I had to pick on some European and this is the one.  From Switzerland, c'mon!  He'll have the best working watch on the team, he'll have the best knife, hot chocolate, cheese and ski moves on the team.  But can he play basketball?  It just feels like a fad.

5.  SHANE BATTIER -- HOUSTON --  C'mon H-town, have some patience and take the time to develop a good college player.  Houston hates developing guys but they have to do something since the TMac and Yao thing is wearing thin.  I thought Rudy Gay was an excellent pick.  Somebody needs to be a third scorer for this team and it's not going to be Battier.

SEIZE THE RAY

I always wonder what happens to athletes after they've had their day in the sun.  There's the rare superstar who signs the mega contract and never has to worry about another day, moneywise that is.  Then there's the regular player, the player who maybe played an all star game or two, not your star but somebody who's made a career from what they love.  That athlete succeeds enough to make a career out of it, to have enough money to retire from the sport alone, along with the occasional guest speaking appearances. 

Sometimes the dream is very brief.  Sometimes it's just that cup of coffee and then it's gone.  Sometimes it never happens.  And you're so close.  And you're good, very good: you could've been a contender. 

I read this story in the Austin American-Statesman about Ray Lassiter.  Ray was a soccer genius and a hopeful for the 1998 World Cup US Team.  He was cut at the last minute because the coach decided the team needed a third goalie.  Ray is 37 now and his time has passed.

And you wonder what goes through his mind as the World Cup approaches.  Are there ghosts of himself, the could've should've beens, running around the field as the teams battle for glory? 

For sure.

Does he go back in time and try to change a decision that was out of his control?

Probably.

You wonder about these nightmares an athlete goes through, the reliving of the tale of what should've happened, over and over.  It happens to athletes, who are at their very core competitive folks and when not given that chance to quench that competitiveness on the field, you bet it hurts.  It happens to everyone, ordinary folks who are denied something that they feel they deserved. 

And then again all athletes are ordinary folks.

The thing I liked about this story of Ray Lassiter in the Statesman is that it realizes "reality".   And reality is about the triumph of the transition.  Dealing well with the changes going on in your life is really the key to success.  Ray has a daughter on the way.  That's definitely a change in his life.  And he's learned somewhat through his athletics and somewhat through pure living how to deal with this great, positive news about to happen. 

Athletics and reality make a good coach.  Ray now directs the Austin United Capitols Soccer Club.  He teaches young boys and girls the game of soccer and how to be excellent on the field, and I'm sure off of it as well.

 MeanDo make BooBoo? 

I wrote this comment on the Judge's New Finalist Blog:

"What the heck happened to MeanDo? - I go to his blog...nothing there...a totally vacated virtual apartment.

--It's like I'm in that show "The Game" and I'm Michael Douglas -- everything's changed, disappeared like it was never there before.

-- I just wanted to give my condolences for not getting into the contest and having a great blog -- where is he? Maybe he was just a figment of my imagination... "

Maybe the guy left on his own volition.  If so, we'll all miss him. 

 It's interesting how some of these blog guys get zapped into oblivion.  Makes you wonder.  Was it "Running Man" where they had the collars around their necks and couldn't escape and if they did they got obliterated?

Maybe MeanDo is taking a temporary timeout?  If so, we'll see you when you get back, brotha!  Hopefully soon!

If he was obliterated by cyber enforcers then God (of the Internet) rest his cyber soul...he was a good man, an honorable man.  And he pumped us all up when he read our posts and put in his two cents.

MeanDo hope to see ya doing extremely sucessful on the outside world -- you're "good people" and a great sportswriter, my friend.

Jerry aka "Mav"