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.