The Tucked-Tail G.O.A.T.

LeBron...

It really hurts that I am having to write this...

you could have been...

could. have. been.

The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT)

Think about that for a second 'King James'...the greatest player to ever compete in this Naismith's beautiful creation.

That is a very rare thing Mr. James.....what many would give to have that as an option

But... instead..... you have for all of eternity have forfeited that coveted place in the argument as soon as you decided to 'take your game to South Beach' and the Miami Heat.

Now, not only will you never be considered the greatest to play the game...but now you don't even have a chance to be the best player on your team...ever.

If you win 1 ring 'Bron...congrats.

Win 2. More power to you.

Win 7...WOW...you've done it....right? Mission accomplished?

No.

Because as long as you play for that team, no matter how many rings you win, no matter how many points you score, no matter how many MVP's you will add to your china cabinet .....

Dewayne Wade will always have one more.

If you went to Miami so that you can secure a ring...I can understand that.

Cleveland isn't exactly the best place in the world to begin a dynasty.

But accept that you forever wasted your chance to be the greatest basketball player that ever played the game.

You think the number of rings are important?

MJ has 6...Kobe will soon have the same.

Those are the greatest players and they stand by big numbers in regards to championships. We all also know Bill Russell is the Godfather of rings will 11.

But notice you never see Russell's name in question about being the greatest!

Lots of rings are good. But 6 rings in Miami will never amount to what 2 or maybe even 1 rings in Cleveland would have meant.

Think about it. In Cleveland....everyone loved you. You were playing in Cleveland...we had to....you pose no threat to the rest of us there. Which is what would have made that single ring there would have been legendary.

If the Saints hadnt had such recent misfortunes (Katrina) and weren't the worst team in the history of the NFL do you think so many people would have been happy to see them win?

You seem slow so I will answer for you.....NO....No, no one would not have cheered for the Saints just because they a A ring. Did everyone jump on Tampa's bandwagon after they won their first SB?

You went from the whole world loving you to, now, having the whole world gunning for you.

Outside of Miami and it's surrounding counties that is.

Im sorry.....you were the King

Now you're just a........

You did it to yourself...and JBG

SHAQ

Jim Rome just attempted to throw some fire in Shaquille O'Neal's direction...big mistake Rome

Rome's argument was that Shaq underachieved throughout his career. That he could have won 6 rings with the discipline of Kobe Bryant. Calling Shaq a disappointment with a human of his size.

This is one of the most annoying things to me in sports talk today. ohhh jimmy

How can someone ever say that one of the Top 5 big men OF ALL TIME could underachieve for his career.

There should be no sub-argument on the topic. This is one of the greatest centers to ever play the game....he was not the heaviest to enter this league, nor was the the tallest, nor was he the most hyped.

Rome's problem is that he judges Shaq on the dominant figure during the Lakers three-peat in the beginning of this decade. Not the Shaq from San Antonio Texas. The Shaq that paired with Penny Hardaway in Orlando way before he had any rings.

Shaq never consistently took conditioning seriously. True

Shaq never took time to better his free throw shooting and his D on the pick and roll. Also true

But, Shaq 'UNDERACHIEVING' for his career. False without a doubt.

Shaq could have one six rings with a better work ethic; possibly. Noway that should take away from the 4 rings he did EARN. Not some Adam Morrison ring.

Another instance of someone stretching a small piece of truth and declaring it law. How can someone with a Journalism background tell the greatest center of MY GENERATION that "you were alright...but you should've done better??"



I know this is just another way to generate a story...but c'mon...let's be real



I live with a 7 foot ex-college basketball player. Believe me when I say it.....a player's physical stats (H&W) don't always have a direct relationship with the player's output on the court.

LeBron Theory Take: 457

Reports are in. Reports are always in, reports from anonymous sources on LBJ's future residence...I think I should jump on the bandwagon.

I think the most of these reports are more blown smoke than a smoking barrel.

This is intended to be used as another infamous "anonymous source."
LeBron, Bosh to Dallas in an epic S&T.

Reason's why:
1) Mark Cuban--He never needs to be the favorite in the discussion to still be within firing distance...this guy has shown in the past that he has no reckless disregard for the rules of the league.

I'm sure, Cuban has been chatting it up with these free agents way before he co-hosted the NBA all-star weekend with Jerry Jones.

Mark Cuban has made some crazy things happen...he would give up his net worth to actually be succussful in this league. It

I'm just saying....he COULD make it happen....


2) NBA All-Star Game
Insane,

Anyone who also lucky enough to be there knows what I'm talking about. Simply wicked. There was a whole concert stage that would evolve like a Transformer that was set-up snug with the baseline of the court.

If you wanna be the biggest LeBron....you know what they say about Texas. The All-Star game and Cowboy's Stadium prove it.

3) Bosh
--There are 3 friends. 1 friend is going to stay home. The second friend wants to be with the 3rd friend. The 2nd friend is from Dallas. Played at the #1 ranked high school team Dallas Lincoln. Neither of these two players would be dumb enough to close their ears to Cuban, his money is felt all over the league. He's a pretty good business man may I add

4) Dallas' Lineup
--They have everyteams dream that trying to compete after a sign and trade. Bulter, Marion, Hayward, Dampier, Kidd, Terry....basically everyone except for Dirk. If the Mav's could dump enough roster salary in the sign and trade with Toronto then they might have enough room to sign King James

I have to stop here...this is not going to happen. That last comment I couldn't even pretend to take myself seriously. Something headline worthy can happen in Dallas but this one is still a long shot.

But, remember, Cuban loves the longshots

FIFA officiating

YO!!!!
The problem is not with the technology. It is with the referees.

They suck, their technology is not flawed.

The mistakes and missed calls in the the Premier League games over seas aren't nearly as prevalent. The problem is that FIFA wants refs that are completely 'fair'. Fair because they are not otherwise employed by a Major league. They work solely for FIFA and are from diverse corners of the globe. The problem with this is that they can't get the higher quality refs to agree to this. Also FIFA wouldn't want them because they feel it would be considered 'biased.' These FIFA refs have been in training for 4 years for this world cup. No true professional ref would need 4 years to screw up this royally.

Get better referees....not better technology.

Was USA's World Cup run a sucess?

No, it was not. It was a good step forward, but over all, it cannot be a success.

I don't claim to know international soccer well, but from a competitive perspective there shouldn't a reason to call it a success for the lone reason that in the last two World Cups they have a total of 1 victory.

Not two Demps....just ONE!

Of course, we are competing at a higher level then we have ever seen the stars and stripes do, and we have much more national and international attention than ever before. But, although we have made large strides forward in regard to American soccer, you can't call the individual team's performance a success just because it had higher TV ratings than ever before.

ESPN has made the American public more interested in soccer, based on the fact that they have a sports marketing monopoly. What is said on their channel is always regarded as the bare-line truth, what ever that is fortunate enough to be endorsed by ESPN will gain enormous amounts of attention that was not around before the sports entertainment power offered their help.

Look into every sport that has exploded in the recent years......

-Soccer, perhaps?

-Hockey (before Versus screwed it up)?

-X-Games: Winter & Summer?

-TCU Baseball?

-College sports in general?

-Poker even?

Point is ESPN can make anything (besides bowling) cool.

This does not mean that our team performed up to AND PAST the teams expectations. They were irrationally high, but still, two ties, a loss, and a 90th minute goal in the lone victory are not enough for me to claim success. Especially since it has been shown that our group was more flawed than we thought.

I'm sure the US's second loss to Ghana has to imply something. That we aren't that good....yet. We had times during the cup that we look like a top 5 team. Everyone would be running, pressing, even when not around the ball, on defense. At times on offense they were capable of showing great discipline and ball control, with players making clean runs into open spaces and never turning the ball over. This lead to an influx of scoring 'opportunities.'

The problem is that they didn't seem to capitalize enough times during those good stretches to make up for the last-luster performances they put up the rest of the game (Usually only reserved for the first half).

I have been told by someone who knows soccer a whole lot better than I that this was all because that is Coach Bradley's soccer philosophy....to make streaking passes up-field and capitalize on quick runs. The only problem with that is our 2 forwards are indeed quick...very quick but they have little ball handling skills. So even when they make a nice run along with a lead pass the forwards do not have the control to capitalize. Sorry.

Bradley's performance in the midfield was phenomenal. He showed great confidence holding onto the ball and distributing it properly. The problem was the lack of scoring upfront caused Donovan and Dempsey to play up more leaving him paired with one other in the true midfield. The guy he was paired with was less than phenomenal. Ricardo Clarke was rewarded most of the playing time for only God knows that reason. Maurice Edu look much more worthy of the starting position in the lone game that he started, the last game of group play, but, was benched for the first 28 minutes of the important knockout game only to be subbed in after Ricardo Clarkes pitiful performance. Early subs hurt bad in soccer, especially if the game goes into etra time. Findlay instead Gomez was another eyebrow raiser.

So, once again, no this years World Cup was not a success for the American Soccer team. Ask any of the players if it was a success, most likely they will say no or decline to answer. I am glad, sort of, that more people watched the Cup. But they, like me, are not going to all of a sudden start attending Dallas Burn (or whatever) games. We are American, we are attracted to greatness, not mediocrity. We tuned into the WC partially because we had a solid squad, but mainly because it is the lone opportunity most bandwagon fans have to watch the greatest players in the world compete in a sport that is religious in the rest of the world. Donovan, Dempsey, Altidore, Demrit, Bradley, all those guys are cool and all, but it is plain to see that they do not compare to the players that make up some of the more upper echelon teams.

We are getting better, but we are still not 'there' in American soccer. Honestly, it will take more than a miracle for soccer to jump into one of the top-3 sports in America. Until the Kobes, LeBrons, D-Wares and such take up soccer....I would expect to invite friends over for the MLS Cup game. Keep your Real Salt Lake City jerseys in your closet, at least for another 4 years.

Donovan you are the F'n man regardless. I can't ignore clutch, US and especially Donovan made some major clutch plays in their mid-length run.

Didn't mean to write that much.

I am currently reading a book about one of my ancestors by the same name. He wrote in his journal that he often kept in 1773:

"When I sit down to write, I must confess I know not where to begin, or where to end, or what to say."--Ditto John...ditto

Ketchup

I have been pretty , stacked at school, this'll be a quick drop of just a few minor things.

Rangers/Josh Hamilton are on an unbelievable tear...lets just see if they can do it when they start facing actual competition. 9-game roadtrip says a lot...but Marlins, Astros, Pirates say a lot more. Don't count out this team...they have a different personality from anything I have ever seen. Beautiful to watch....mixture of Sandlot and the Major League trilogy.

-Peice of advice--dont make a stupid trade for a big name pitcher. Our youth and prospects is what allowed us to be where we are. I honestly think we could make a run into October with our team as is. A couple breakout performences from that young pitching staff and we have a serious contender. I'll take a standout catcher over an over priced pitcher.

That is unless...of course....we can get a guy like Lee or Oswalt. If the price is right....make the move.

He is goooooood->->->->->

We also need to add playoff depth to our roster...Arias, Salty, Davis, Smoak are all good players and will be very good in the future but they don't supply the experience that we need in the post season. I would like to see more veteran back-ups for our otherwise stacked line-up (when we are healthy).

Chad Jones--Should be first on the list
The string of news worthy hardships continued this morning as it was announced that the pitcher/safety from LSU has been seriously injured. From what I have read so far...it is not a good situation. I have never been more impressed with a college athlete, he was a dream of every kid's youth. Winning two national chapionships in two different sports at one of the premier athletic schools in the nation. I really gained my full knowledge of what Chad Jones was all about when he made an unbelievable goal line swat of Tyson Lees pass. He changed direction in mid-air unlike anyone else. That inevitably won his team the game against Mississippi State (my favorite school) and forever cemented him in my memory. Hearing this happen to Chad is maddening, why does this pattern of tragedies keep reoccuring? Judging by Jones' character, I see him overcoming his perils without a doubt. God willing, the competitor within Chad will never relent in his current fight for his life. Untill then, know you'll be in everyone's prayers.

Lebron-
-I am competely relenquishing any further insight on his future situation. I think he has a pretty good idea of where he is going. Im going to just sit back and enjoy the madness once the clock strikes midnight on the eve of July 1. Where ever you go...please just get a ring. Do it for me...if for nothing else

TCU
-Games on right now with the bases loaded 2 outs in the 7th. UCLA batting, now down one. Obviously this will be where today's post ends.

Until nextime cyberspace...this is Johnny Bravo...signing out.

Run Ricky Run

Since I am on a pattern of bragging about my lucky run-ins with greatness....I thought I would keep up the pace. Why not? No one reads this thing anyways!

I will first of all state that I am a diehard Mississippi State Bulldog fan...both of my parents went their and all my relatives the same. 1998 was one our last competitive teams we put on a field, and we were rewarded by getting to face the team that runs college football in my parents new state...Texas. That year they had the Heisman winning running back and what many thought was to be the number 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft--he ended up going 5th, much to the dismay of E-A-G-L-E-S faithful; they wanted the flashy running back Williams instead of the QB from 'Cuse...I would say a good move by Philly.

Anyways here MSU is with one of their most successful years in a while are they were to face the Texas Longhorns, a Hiesman trophy winner, and all in their own back yard. It was a blowout to say the least...but one memorable thing I did take from the game is Ricky carrying the ball like 30 times for a little over 200 yards, and also, from what I recall, it was the most rushing yards by a Longhorn in a bowl game. Big feat considering the company Williams has in the UT history books. I was forced to leave the game early that day to beat the early SOC traffic...against my will though. I could have seen that young man carry the ball for the rest of the afternoon. Not many players could match strength and agility like ricky could. He was strong enough to carry the weight of his team on back, and as 30-plus carries in the Cotton Bowl proves, he would do it without a care in the world.

Even to this day Ricky is a workhorse in the sport...just because he was corrupted by Austin, Texas does not mean he was a bad guy. The drug tests are hard to argue for the guy...I mean couldn't you find any alternative to get high like all the other athletes. Say...Coke? Which only stays in your systems for a matter of days...not months like marijuana, thus, much easier to pass a test. Ask Michael Irvin, Matt Jones, and many others. But he only smoked weed...not as harmful...but illegal nonetheless.

My point is that he did walk away from the sport...for whatever reason you may assume, but walking away from the sport shouldn't kill your character. Like any other human...this is his job. Not still his dream. He was so physically and mentally strong that whatever he does he would be great. Work ethic makes superstars...not talent (Look at all of the 1st round reciever draft picks out of USC...talent doesn't take you everywhere). I think Ricky Williams is a hell of a guy...with problems of course...but honestly I think he is more normal than anyone in the league. The NFL requires a wicked mindset that calls for an athlete to put nothing before his team. Not his God. Not his friends or family. Not his own physical well being. Not anything...the league wants football to be your life and want you to beg to play as long as you can with limited amounts of outside distractions. I mean they drafted an All-American Rhodes Scholar in, I believe, the 6th round.

Instead MY WORLD CHAMPION NEW ORLEANS SAINTS selected him in the 5th spot...giving up every draft pick they had that year to get him. I could have told you it wasnt going to be a success after he signed Master P for his agent...what else would you expect from the 'Aints?
I am all for people stepping away from the game early, asking for more money, and basically doing whatever they feel just in order to maintain their and their families well being. Athletes are modern day slaves that need to treat the game just like it is...a game. That is what makes this sport interesting. Nothing is more entertaining to me then seeing old baseball highlight where the players would act a fool. Stop sucking all the fun out of sports....PLEASE. The players are entitled to free speech...even if it about their employers. No more fines for speaking the truth.


These are gonna be a common theme for the articles i post....I tend to get off subject with related material. This is my way to begin to start finding more parallels by just rolling these things off my head. IDK....

Much props to R-Dub and anyone else fighting for justice (and money) in each of their given fields. The only facts I judge the kid once with dreadlocks is his stats on the field, which for Miami (both times) has been more than impressive. Especially for a weed smoking philosophy in a NFL players body.

TCU Baseball

Just to pass the time I am going to bore you even more with stories of myself.

I grew up in Fort Worth and have only lived outside the city limits for a year of my life. As a kid I was consumed with baseball year round, with all the other sports taking a back seat to America's Pastime. TCU did not necessaraly have a dominant team during my youth in the 90s, but they did have one strong attractive appeal to attend thier home games. The recently retired Nolan Ryan's two sons played for the Horned Frogs. He attended almost everygame...usually making hime 1/25 of the total attendence. Because the games were so bare...naturally Nolan would give out autographs occassionly after each game.

Also, when Nolans second son signed his letter of commit with TCU, Nolan agreed to be taken on the staff as an assistant coach. Just to prove a point, Nolan agreed to work for a 1 dollar anual salary. This, I believe, was a statement that his becoming of a coach for the school had no factor on why his sons were recruited tpo play thier. Either way it is an admirrable thing of a living legend.

Since I am on the theme of reminiscing my younger days at TCU sporting events I will go ahead and shout out a few mroe things:

I scarcely attended TCU basketball games as a yougster but I distinctly remember a period in which I attended more than average. This was a period in which Lee Nailon was dominating the paint for the Horned Frogs and lead his team, along with long-time coach Billy Tubbs, to a NCAA Tournament bid where thier team would lose in the first round to Florida State--pretty sure that's right. The game I really remember going to was Billy Tubb's 500 victory--a game that Nailon scored a TCU record 52 points. Most likely the most momorable game in TCU basketball history.

Continuing the trend...
Their was one more occurence, in my opinion, that was more wicked then both of the the others. When LT rushed for 305 yards againsts UTEP in '00. The number of yards is irrelevant...his performance, though, was breathtaking...I remember moments of that dominating performance still. Mainly because he was shedding blockers like I am shedding hair and partially becausenwe sit in the end zome by the frog horn thing and I think it has permently affected my hearing over the years. Especially because the amount of times it was going off that day.

Augie Ball

Last weekend when TCU was battling UT in the NCAA Super Regionals I was reminded with the rare style in which the University of Texas Longhorns baseball team plays with. This style has been known in the baseball world as 'small ball'. Small ball is a common baseball philosophy that preaches the importance of base running, situational hitting, and good pitchers with good control. Idea is to limit the other team from scoring while you position runners for an attack like a chess match. This is a very respected thing with baseball purist, many consider it to be the ideal way of organizing a disciplined team. Most others complain it is boring, conservative, and untrustworthy. These three elements arguments against the style of baseball in which UT has perfected also struck my interest.

In order for Texas to continue to be a powerhouse in college baseball they have to continue playing their own style of baseball. It is just strange that this rare strategy is being used by such a dominant program, especially since the powerhouse school of the 90's had their own nickname for the style the used to succeed--'Guerrilla Ball'. These conflicting styles are more different than here and China. China would probably play small ball...just FYI. It is very strange that in a sport where the Aluminum bat has dominated that a team would compete with pitching...ever more so weird that the coach that has adopted small ball--Augie Garrido.

I was once told a story of a drunken man stumbling outside of Eddie V's Prime Seafood in Austin, Texas, he was shouting obscurities and and his eyes were half closed. One of the valets quickly noticed the man stumbling out--He had several friends on the Texas Baseball team and spoke with Augie frequently-- so he quickly ran to Mr. Garridos car to pull it to the curb for him. When Augie approached the car the valet couldn't help but say something about AGs black-out state he was in....he offered to call him a taxi. Augie quickly got in, closed and locked the doors, rolled down the window and said "I am Augie Garrido...I have 8 CWS rings...PISS OFF!'

This probably wasn't the exact quote but it was the same principle.

This wasn't a smart comment seeing as he was arrested leaving the same restaurant a month earlier for a DWI...but he is Augie Garrido...it couldn't happen to him again...and sure enough...it did. He was arrested later that night for his second DUI.

Pretty risky moves for a guy that has established his name by being conservative....

The moral of this story...when you are being a belligerent drunk at night, don't be a belligerent drunk at your regular bar. People know you. People know you are important. I mean c'mon AG....MADD is at everywhere now-a-days. But most importantly....keep on winning games champ. It's not like you get paid 7 figures to conserve lives is it Augie?

What is more corrupt...Politics or Colleges?
They are too much of the same to even ponder the answer.

Spains Loss

I am currently watching the late re-run of the game played earlier between the Spanish and the Swiss. I didn't follow enough of the game to even try and give a lack-luster description of why the favorite for the world's cup laid a goose egg.

Since I don't have any educational information on why Spain did lose to an inferior team...I am going to have to take this time to blame it on their Unis. Yes...the Red/Blue/Gold/Black/Orange(cleats...if they count) uniforms that they sported for the Cup opener. This might be another biased American opinion but...... I feel like your uniforms should follow a strict guideline on their colors and/or layout. That strict guideline would state: The color of the team's uniform in question must match the color of the team's country flag, with some sort of fashionable thought. I'm assuming there is a good reason for why they wear the blue mismatching shorts....Country history I'm sure, but they gotta find some kind of better way to blend that collage of colors. Of course that would mean their sponsors,Adidas, would have to try and be creative for the first time as a corporation since that Oregon track coach-Bowerman-made those shoes with a waffle iron 30-plus years ago. Why Adidas refuses to make anything that doesn't resemble the USSR's wardrobe from the Cold War is perplexing. That's all puffery...Those jerseys are uglier than the lunch lady's daughter. Tengo no mas...estan bien Espana, conducen a la derecha 'PARA LA GANOOOO PARA LA GANOOOOO.'

Infamous...BALL

There has been wayyyy too much talk over the ball that is being used in this years World Cup. If you recall this same thing happened in 2006. The speculations are manifested by people complaining initially about the lack of scoring in the early days of the tournament....which has given the players an opportunity to bitch as well. And of course, any player would jump to do so. They are most likely downplay the ball if they are not sponsored by the people who happen to make it,Adidas. I can bet you that none of the players that are criticle of the ball wear Adidas cleats and/or are sponsored by them. I might consider it's legitamite impact on the games played if it was only the strikers that were complaining, same if it were only goalies that had a problem with the ball. But it's not...it is both of them complaining. If both hate of them it then it is fine...everything must be fair. Done deal. The difficulty of this ball just makes the Cup that much more intriguing for me...it's like the hard greens on a Sunday of a Major Championship in golf. They want a 280 to win the Championship...it just sheds light on the truely remarkable performances you are enjoying. My point is..if it is harder for a player to score long distance goals with this ball then it just makes those special goals more rare, therefor, more enjoyable when to watch when it does happen to occur.
Appreciate the game for what it is, the numbers that are attached to each game are nothing but a bookmark to remember the heroic events that defined those numbers. Like the NBA finals, you know it is good competition when it is low scoring. I wouldn't change a thing....nil-nil draws are alright by me.

Not 0-0 ties guys. Tune in. Yi

'Who would you rather be? Purple/gold? Or Green?'

This was a question that came up on Around the Horn today...I didn't exactly like the route the 'professional bickerers' went with the topic. Since the series at 3-2, I don't think there is any intelligent person in the world that wouldn't rather be the Celtics going into game 6. If it goes to 7...then it will be a different story. Kobe, Phil and the rest of the Lakers would all confirm this. The Celtics have already won a game in the Staple Center, and they have good enough defense to do it again. Defense in the intangible in all playoff games....and that is where the Celtics shine...they have a very good chance to close this out and there is no way they will get blown out in game 6 or in game 7, if necessary.

This does not mean that the Lakers now have no chance to win it all...in actuality they are probably the favorite to do so right now. With home court, Kobe and Phil it is easy to have the Lakers as a sure pick to pull off two in a row. This does not factor in 'who would you rather be' though...they are two completely different subjects. Without a doubt...I, and everyone, should rather be the Celtics up 3-2 on the road.

Most Important Player??
--Another question from ATR...and I would have to say the most important player for game 6 in Ron Artest. He was the lone man brought in this year from last years championship team and he is the guy that was looked as the X-Factor in most series...these last two games are no different. He is known for his lockdown defense, but it hasn't gone to well for him so far this series. Paul Pierce has pretty much played Artest throughout the series...and he has multiple games in the ballpark of 4-12. 12-17 points from Ron will be enough for the Lakers to seal this series...they need the 'Robert Horry' player of the past...Artest was thought to be that...a 6'9 guy with good range to make clutch 3's. He needs to spread out the C's D to open up more room for The Black Mamba to drive and more room for him to operate the triangle offense with O.G.B. (Odom, Gasol, Bynum).

--Kobe is the best closer in the game, no question, but he need players to step up in the fourth--Like fisher in game 3--to set him up for a close. You can have Mariana Rivera, but he wont factor in the outcome unless someone sets him up...same theory. If Kobe doesn't have to score more than 50% of the points in the 4th to win...they will be in good shape. Lets just hope it does...

'The Eyes of Texas are Upon You'

Okay....first of all....I am sick of hearing reports from orangebloods.com. It just looks like this Texas alumni site has been prematurely announcing all these reports, causing a snowball effect on what I thought I knew as College Football. Give me facts....I'm so sick of these sports RUMORS having a unnecessarily serious effect on the subject that is headlined. Had this website not said any of these RUMORS then the Big-12 would be the same 12 team conference we knew before. Instead... the Pac-10 has 11, the Big-12 has 10, and the Big-10 has 12 teams.

I'm am glad for the Big-12, that is, if this is the last report out of Orangeblood.com for a day or two. This restores all the tradition that this conference has carried with it, and the legacy and records that follow this historical conference. The allows the fans to, again, think they are the lone premier conference in this country. Regardless of what TV market they offer. The Big-12 culture has been returned, for that alone...everyone should be happy.

The fans, no doubt, got the best outcome. The same can not be said for the schools that were actually in the middle of this game of musical chairs.

Texas is the lone school to really get something good out of this. Like a High School Prom King.....so much smoke has been blown up Texas' ass that their head is about to explode. Everyone knew before that UT ran the Big-12....but now it has been made very clear that they actually DO run the conference. And I am willing to bet you that the Big-12 TV deal that is being spun will, with out a doubt, not have equal sized slices.

All the other schools now have to answer to why they were willing to follow UT down the Pacific death route. It was obvious that any school invited to ride UTs coattail was more than willing to do so. Texas can forever hold this against the Big-12....whenever they feel like they aren't getting their way all they have to do is bring up the last 2 weeks. What has unfolded the last two weeks will be the ultimate 'F*@# You.....I can do what I want'. Like an immature girl laying down an unnecessary verbal low blow....but it does erase any attempt of a rebuttal from the other side. Texas holds the reigns...SP?

Now what is left to come?

North/South?
-Now that 2 teams from the Big-12 North have left the conference...what is going to be the two 5 man divisions now made? Or are they going to have divisions any more? Just a ten team conference where everyone plays everyone every year....? Most likely OSU will move to the North...where they should be able to dominate annually....which would beef up the lagging Big-12 championship game. They can still have the Bedlam series...or just play every year and have one of them none conference...again it depends on if they will still have divisions.

Outside teams coming in?
-Now that the MWC has virtually every none-BCS school that has competed in a BCS game--Utah, TCU, BYU, soon to be Boise St....Hawaii didn't compete in their game...they don't count--I don't see any of them wanting to leave
-TCU fans would love to join the Big-12 but they have their own chance at a BCS automatic bid, with much less thorough competition. TCU doesn't have the facilities to accommodate the Big-12...they have no box-seats in their stadium....not a prime situation to host people of importance. TCU will stay put...rightfully so
-New Mexico's two team wouldn't be a bad choice...they have good fan bases and decent teams in sports other than football(UNM BBall and the SuperPit). But they don't have much more TV markets than they already have now...doesn't seem likely
-Unless something big breaks...look for the Big-12 to stay with the 10 teams they have now

BCS?
-Playoff?
-MWC Bid?
-We will see....

yii

College World Series

Dont have much time, just wanna say BIG UPS to TCU on making their first College World Series. The DFW metroplex supplies some of the best players in the county every year....usually our talent goes to the draft, JUCOs, or bigger universities in or out of the state. It is good to see TCU in the metroplex showcasing the talent I have grown up playing against since I was a kid. With Purke on the mound, they have a good chance to make a solid run at the Championship. Beating Texas has to make all of this feel better, especially after last years lost in the Super Regionals to the same Texas team. Hook Em Horn-ed Frogs?

My Generations--LBJ

LeBron is a better 'overall' basketball player than Kobe....right now in each of their careers....and thus he is, of course, the best basketball player in the world.

Now with that out of the way, no body in this world outside on LBJs inner-circle actually knows where he is going to play next year...NOBODY else!

With that taken care.....the people that actually ARE in LBJs circle know WITHOUT A DOUBT where 'King James' will play next year
--everything else is speculations

Let me speculate...

CLEVELAND-
I just gotta say first....whoever made a big deal about Noah saying 'cleveland sucks' (which is BOTH my boys on PTI) is in a major denial stage. The fact is that Cleveland is pretty whack, in pop culture standards. People who said this was 'distasteful' are saying this only because they know that, indeed, Cleveland blows pretty hard. If Noah would have said this about any other city, lets say....LA, then this would be all honky-dorey. But because we all know Cleveland OHIO is pretty lame, it is made a big deal of....say what you want Noah, I gotcha. Take it for what it is...a comment said 1. in truth 2. about a rival team. With that in mind, everything is good

LeBron has every right to do what he is doing about his free agency destination. Cleveland was a shitty franchise before he showed up. It wasnt like when Kobe coming into the lakers, or even MJ coming to Chicago. The Lakers were already a championship caliber team, with the addition of Shaq in the offseason.

Random Fact: Vlade Divac was the lone player that made it possible for the Lakers to get both Shaq (via orlando) and Kobe (Via a trade in the draft with charlotte). Vlade, with his substantial contract, was traded for the rights to select the 17 yr old kid from Lower Marion High in Philly (Kobe) and with his contract off the Lakers Payroll, they had enough funds to snag Shaq and offer him a maximum contract. Damn you Vlade!

MJ didnt have much player wise when he went to Chicago, but he did have a stable franchise in a winning city.

LBJ, upon arriving in Cleveland, had none of this. Every player on his roster this season has been added to the team since LBJ got their 7 years ago. Except Z of course. I like to relate the structure of the Cavaliers team as, 'a team that was put together in a pick up game.' They have a solid roster with talented lpayers, but no player has been drafted or selected for a purpose to play and contribute consistently with lebron. They have some of the best players on the trade block every year, but these aren't players that have been thought about and carefully picked to come to Cleveland and in a few years...win a championship. They are just 'the best out there' put together to try and win the next year. Ask the mavericks, THIS DOESNT WORK. Cleveland has made moves, but they have all been the wrong ones. The Cavs, like the Mavs, are built to win regular season games, nothing more. The teams that have success in the post-season are the teams that have been built from the ground up, and will take a marginal regular season record, but with a bigger picture in mind. IE the Lakers, Spurs, Cs. Unless the Cavs cut the main part of the team and rebuild with a more distant 5-year plan route...than they will never give LBJ the ring he is looking for. LBJ knows this...so. one would think, his only chance would be to leave...

NYC/Windy City--
LB would be an idiot to go to either the KNicks or the Nets. The nets have DHarris and the less-dumb-looking Lopez brother but he find find a much better #2 and #3 and other loations. The knicks have nothing, except for spotlights and expectations. David miller is no better than Boozer was when LeBron first for the CLE. Unless he got together with another big free-agent that said he was gonna sign there....then the Knicks are way out of the question

Da Bulls--
The obvious location for LBJ is his lone interest in winning a ring. They offer a big man and a PG that could take the pressure off LBJ and give him that ring he is chasing for. The problem with Chi-town is that he isnt the star there. He most likely would get the attention upon arrival, but it is D Rose's team. He would have to settle for a little less attention than he would get anywhere else. Still, in my opinion, his best choice. The other problem would be following in MJs path, if the Nets had Chicago's team then there would be no question LBJ would go there.

My biased attempt--
I honestly think that the Mavs would be one of the best fits for a destination for LBJ. It would prolly require a S&T with cleveland (not likely) for Eric Dampier but thats all logistics. As far as his matchup thier...it would be perfect. With Jkidd there another year, you have a pass first PG, and with Roddy on the bench....the mavs have a good future at the position. Haywood is a good 5 man and has another 5 years left in him. And obviously, him and Dirk would be the best 1/2 tandom in the league.
Imagine....pick and role game with a 7ft automatic jump shooter, and a 6'9 guy that can do all. Dirk/Dallas's biggest problem is that they cant create shots when needed. Dirks points come from the same way every game, they cant make baskets late in games or in the playoffs because they have no one to rely on to create a shot when it is not there. LBJ is the best at this is the game. 2 on 5 they win the championship next year. And Dirk would prefer not carrying the weight of the entire franchise....LBJ could play in Jerry World and be the lone star of the region. All things he could prolly do anywhere, but Dallas has the MArket, 5th in the US, the fans, and most importantly a billion dollar owner that will go at all costs to win. He would be sitting nice


I have much more to say...this is a lil rambling but I had to get a foundation....I expect LBJ to take all the spot light in July(when he can actually talk about it and make a move) and also when the World Cup and College WS are over. Late summer baseball is a lillllll dull.

Futbol

It is quite amazing the swirl of talk for the World Cup that ESPN has been able to generate. Most wouldn't even know it was taking place if it were on stations such as, idk....CBS, FOX? Also, it is hard to not notice the ESPNs analysts that are on sight in S. Africa and their tendency to bend everything in USAs favor. The foreign people try their best at withholding the fact USA 'Soccer' is pretty much irrelevant everywhere except for the United States. With that said, US has a good team, a competitive team. That is unarguable. But, whereas the US is simply worried about making it out of group stage, these other nations are much more concerned with winning the whole cup. We have players capable of making nice runs, beautiful touches, and really control the ball. These other countries whole team is capable of this. US is a team that likes to push quick breaks into a possible scoring opportunity, the problem is that when they carelessly give the ball back, their is a quick break right back in the other direction. I dont claim to know all about soccer, but it seems to be a pattern that the better teams have good midfielders that can control the ball and keep possession. The US doesn't show any patience, they jump at any slight opening to make a low-percentage centering pass which is what has forced US to turn the ball over more than anything. They need to be more reserved in their measure but, still, remain aggressive in their attack. This team has very high hopes back in the states. This World Cup could be a statement for 'soccer' as a sport in America for years to come, or it could be a rough reminder of who we really are in the futbol community, irrelevant. The implications of this World Cup are ESPNs doings, but whether their expectations are met...Ill be cliche and say 'only time will tell' ---which should, if you think about it, be the ending of every sport conversation

PAC-16

It would be impossible to type everything that is going through my mind as far as college football. I still dont know if I have a basis for my criticism of the eventual demise of one of college footballs premier conferences, the Big 12, but it is important to understand that thier are two very differant but at the same time very related elements in each university.

The coaches and athletic staff and the alumni and the universitys board of directors.

Obviously no coach would be in favor of this move and, without a doubt, any college Board would have a strong interest in it. No one can deny that the reason about these moves is for TV money, and from a fans perspective, i know, that is not an easy thing to swollow. But am I too neive to see that the reason these programs are able flourish like they are is because of thier income. Thier income gives them better facilities in order to get better recruits. It gives them money that is disperses throughout the university. It gives them money to spend on the Reggie Bushs of the world. In actuality it makes a lot sense from every perspective except a diehard college football follower.

It is now obvious that the Big 12, all along, has been an inferiour conference. Not solely based on National Championships or quality education, instead its based solely on what its region happens to offer as far as TV markets. And, in the Big12s case, it isnt much. They have the only 2 of the top 10 markets in the Nation and they are both located in Texas. This is why the Big 12s TV contract did not generate more revenue than it did, and inturn has created a snowball effect of schools jumping ships.

I can see Texas, Tech, OSU, and OU all going to the PAC-10 next Tuesday without a doubt. But the SEC really does seem to be a better fit. Now Texas AM, a school who's only recruiting philosphy related to the whole University is 'we arent Texas.' Now being in the SEC, which would still be considered the superior football conference, would allow the aggies to possibly snag a few recriuts that they wouldnt normally get agianst UT. As long as AM is sitting next to UT they will forever be considered as inferior, let's face it. The SEC will give them a chance to shake some things up in that arm pit of a town.

I hope this leads to a new BCS format....I dare not say ...'plaayyoffs?'-jim mora

I try with all my might to not root for TCU but being from Fort Worth kind of forces my hand. If they do not at least have a possible route to a National Championship game then I, agian, am moving to Canada. Same goes for the others that will soon join the MWC.

Please......someone..............make college football fair in some way agian!

SC

USC just got hit hard, it is hard for me to not think the movie 'Blue Chips' with Shaq and Penny....just made me assume SC was paying players. Hell, who isnt these days? Calipari surely isnt--guarantee that

yii

OTAs

Why do we care? Why would we have to hear a 5 minute segment on 'the receiver formerly known as C Johnson' and why he isnt at OTAs. It is called Optional Training Activities. Key word: Optional. If it was mandatory he would be there, he always is, and he usually works hard. He doesnt drink, he doesnt rape girls in club bathrooms, and he doesnt get charged for murder, he is just a goofy dude. Let him have all the reality shows he wants; like a players professional career, a single man's sex life 'doesnt last forever.' When will we return to the days of simply judging players based on their on on-field credentials? Players with felonies and.....perhaps... a class A misdemeanor are excluded. Besides that, if someone just says a stupid comment...take it for what it is--A stupid comment. Most likely the result of a sport-first/education-second culture that many of the athletes grew up in. I dont know this for a fact (I promised to only go from memory, I can be wrong, google me) but I am pretty sure that Kevin Garnett went to 5 high schools and never got above a 800 on his SAT, obviously leaning him towards the pro route. My only point is judge these people based on the the demographic they matched for the majority of their life. Which is not the life of a millionaire, usually it is far from it. Dont let me down 85....big stats this year

First Things First

So I have been procrastinating on this website after I initially made at after the Saints long-awaited victory in Super Bowl XXIV. The events that have transcribed sports over the last 6-8 months are like never before heard. This is my lousy attempt to relay these stories to whomever may care. It is my intention to have a reoccurring theme of "I told ya so's"......here it goes. Poet. Know it? Yii

I Promise To:

-Speak from nothing but memory

-Only speak my original thoughts (Stop reciting sportscenter to me Luke)

-Not do much, if any, editing (besides my good friend SpellCheck of course)

-Ramble non-sense on occasion

-Try to not^

1st-

The things that have and/or are currently taking place in sports are some of the biggest stories of the past decade...here is a quick run through

John Wooden Oct. 14, 1910-June 4, 2010

-It would be a complete insult to all those involved if I didn't start the blog out with the passing of the greatest COACH this world may have ever seen. This man was born into basketball in the Hoosier state and stared at local Purdue (would become first person ever elected into CB-HOF as player and coach.) It is true his initial 14-or-so seasons at UCLA were less than deserving of the title I just gave him, but college basketball in general was not the sport then as it is now. I don't know who said it but an analyst on ESPN partly criticized this fact....saying that, compared to now, they don't know if Woody's record would be as significant because of the lack of competition and overall awareness of the sport at his time. This is the dumbest comment I probably have ever heard. To say the least. Wooden has done more for basketball than anyone that has ever lived (slight over-exaggeration) Shout out Naismith! Regardless, the reason why basketball is the flashy sport that it is today is because of the teams that Wooden assembled in his days. Without the emergence of UCLA as a powerhouse then it would still be a bunch of country white boys jump shooting their way to national championships. It is common sense that when one teams dominates it betters the whole sport (only for college) because now its not a bunch of 'so-so' teams beating each other up....now their is something to model yourself off of. Why the hell do you think anyone cares about women's basketball? UCONN? Couldnt be.. This is all besides the point---John Wooden redefined, like many other, the sport that we now know as Basketball. I have the utmost respect for him, he will be missed.

PGA Golf-

-I title is this only because I become woozy every time I see 'Tiger Woods' name painted colorfully in the headlines. Every time that it does happen to appear, which is frequent, I reflexively switch the channel quicker than an accidental pause on 'Brokeback'....not because I hate him, or because I idealize him. I simply just do not care. I do not judge Tiger based on........1. Hank Haney's cocky ass(when he has his own show only because he is TIGER COACH) 2. 'sir' nick faldos constant criticism 3. Or whatever the hell that TMC can muster up through Revenge of the Nerd like tactics. I just look at what is between the ropes. And currently what is between the ropes is...well... down right shitty; based on tiger-standards of course. This does not mean Tiger will not break Jackie's record in the somewhat new future....it just means he is going to have to be that more amazing when he redefines himself and does win his 19th major, which you can bet your bottom dollar will happen. I can speak as a person who has taken an 8 on a par-3 that the biggest thing related to low scores in golf is a peace of mind. Me, with my 8 on a par-3, can say that I have no clue what that means...my shanks constantly scroll through my mind. So if my situation is what the latter half of the golf community embodies, What do you think the mind state of the greatest, arguably, golfer that has ever lived is? I'd say pretty damn focused! I can understand the statement made that "the disallowing of amphetamines (aderol and such) from the PGA has made a bigger affect than steroids ever could." With that in mind, What would the mindset of a person who/se: a. has been out of golf for 6 months while in hiding from the media b. name appeared on the headlines of The National Enquire for more days in a row than the 9/11 attacks; the worst attack ever on American soil, and happened right across the way from NE's headquarters. I'd have to say that his mindset would be pretty twisted. There are more things to this, also: his inability to swing a driver, his long list of acronyms(MC, WD, MIA, WTF, ect ect), and the numerous other aspects of the meticulous game of golf. The greatest are who they are not because 'it just comes natural' the them. Every player on the PGA tour 'it just comes natural' to. The difference in athletes that are 'the greatest ever' is that they are competitors that believe in thier determination and thier skill. People that will go at any cost to be the best, that is the difference.All of the greats have that, and as long as his name is Tiger Woods he will continue to be one of the few phenomenons on the planet that does posses it. He will win again, and win many.

Junior-

-On the 23rd anniversary of the day he was selected #1 overall, Ken Griffey Jr retired from baseball. Not like Brett Favre, this will undoubtedly be he last rodeo. It is sad to see him go, I still have a pair of his 'Swingman' cleats from my middle school years, he will be the lone player of my generation of baseball (he was drafted in 87 i was born in 88). He will continue to be my favorite long-ball hitter of all time. His swing smashes the Mona Lisa. Big ups JR! Take all the naps you want, you've earned it.

I. Hate. College. Football-

-First of all, I love college football, but what is happening to my beloved child is more brutal than that UFC guy on that acid trip. I have been saying for months, if one team changes conferences then college football is going to be in mad chaos. Sure enough, Nebraska-Gone, Colorado-Gone, next will be the others that were invited into the Pac-10 from the Big-12 south. It is sad, TCU, Kansas, Baylor and many others will be left for ravages. Only time will tell the true nature of the greasy-greedy bastards in power of college football. Money rules all and it is so sad to see sports be thrown around with such disregard. Sports is the escape from the outside world of 9-5 and politics, and now they are very much a part of it. I always was biased towards college sports in the past because of the heart in which the players perform with, and also the tradition that it carries. Now, no more. If there is still to be no playoff system in college football then I will completely vanquish all my allegiances tied to the sport. If not, fine make those 4 soon-to-be power conferences and make them all D-1....make everyone else their own division and let them have a playoff...that would be fair. What is happening is nor fair to all the other teams, now it will be physically impossible for any team outside these conferences to ever win a championship. How is that possible? You can dominate a sport in which you compete at the highest level and you will never have a shot at the title. Disgusting....close your eyes guys its gonna be coming real quick

I got a little carried away on the first 3, more will come soon