We all remember the sure-fire Kobe vs. LeBron NBA Finals matchup last year that didn’t end up so….sure-fire. Nike definitely took a risk in producing a handful of commercials that would coincide with the would-be rivalry. Well, in spite of the failed Finals heavyweight bout, the good folks from Beaverton have decided to bring back the the Sesame Street versions of Mamba and The King (deemed the MVPuppets) for another season. Here is the first installment in the second season of commercials…
In all seriousness, the Redskins are probably cursed by some Indian tribe for the constant defamation of the Native American image. Nothing else can explain the abominable results spewing from FedEx Field sans a report that Daniel Snyder struck a deal with the devil. It’s no secret that I think Jason Campbell is the worst quarterback in the league; however, today’s culprit is none other than Shawn Suisham.
Tread softly Mr. Suisham, for the people are not happy with thee. As usual, Twitter provides us with insight into how America is feeling regarding current events. Needless to say, no one will be buying Suisham a drink tonight at the bar…
Dear DC police, be on full alert for Shawn Suisham’s well being. If the natives don’t get to him, he might be do us all a favor and off himself.
Congratulations to the East Carolina Pirates on becoming back-to-back Conference USA Champions. Yesterday, the Pirates defeated the #21 BCS ranked Houston Cougars in C-USA Championship Game.
With the victory, the Pirates earn themselves another trip to Tennessee and the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Last year they were defeated in the Liberty Bowl by the Kentucky Wildcats, 25-19. They will surely be looking to avenge that loss this time around.
The reason I’m so keen on the ECU football squad? One of my best friends, Kevin Gidrey is the starting tight end for the Pirates. Here are some pictures of him in action and during the post-game celebration.
After going 0-18 (the worst starting record in NBA history), the New Jersey Nets celebrated part owner Jay-Z’s birthday by winning against the Charlotte Bobcats. The team celebrated similar to a team that won a championship game. They deserve it. It’s been a rough month and a half. Final score: 97-91
If you’re ever in the mood for a good laugh, during live events, type in keywords into the Twitter trending topics based on what’s going on. Guaranteed someone somewhere is saying something funny about.
During the 4th quarter of the LA Lakers vs Miami Heat game, Jermaine O’neal dunked and swung on the rim. The result was his genital area being exposed to Lamar Odom’s face to which Odom took offense and shoved O’neal. Odom was assessed a technical foul and thrown out of the game. Below is the Twitter reaction.
Less than a week after we dedicated two full pages of this site to his retirement, Allen Iverson pulls a Jay-Z, a Michael Jordan, a swindle, a hoodwink of catastrophic proportions; he unretires.
Not mad at you A.I. We’ll just re-post those two pages whenever you retire again. In the meantime, go out there and show the world you still got it.
CG asked me to add on to his Allen Iverson retirement post but I feel AI is worthy of two entries if not more. Living all of my adolescent life in the DMV area, Allen Iverson is a name we’ve held to a very high regard for over a decade now. From his days at Georgetown where coach Thompson took a chance on him, to setting the league on fire with his patented crossover, Dr.J afro, jewelry and tats. Long before Jay-Z became the epitome of ‘cool’ there was Iverson. Every boy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him.
Needless to say I practiced the dribbles in the mirror, bought the shoes, and at one point even tried to grow the hair. More important than the aesthetics is the hope that AI gave to all of us. He was our height, from our neighborhood, with a past that would make the strongest individual crumble. I remember the stories of him visiting his biological father in jail and giving him the sneakers off his feet. Or the governor pardoning him after serving jail time for his part in a bowling alley brawl which bystanders say he was simply trying to break up. Basically, he had it rough.
That’s why every time I saw him speeding down New York Avenue in his silver Lamborghini or on Florida Avenue with his Rolls Royce Phantom, I made it a point to let him know that I appreciated everything he’s done for the game and for us underdogs. As I grew older I made friends and associates with people close to AI and through them I was able to get an even closer look into his life. A former athlete client of mine is good friends with AI and he knows him simply as “Bubba Chuck”, a nickname used by close friends and family. Everyone of them will tell you that Bubba Chuck is the most down to earth superstar you will ever meet. I can vouch. Two summers ago I saw him stand in the rain barefoot (after giving away his sneakers) shaking the hands of every kid that came to his charity football game.
So with all that said, thanks Allen. I caught the tail end of the Michael Jordan era. Magic and Isaiah were way before my time. Allen Iverson was the only player that could even get my mother to tolerate basketball. If he was playing, the TV didn’t have to go off, even on school nights. When you are who you are and you give your heart and soul to what you do, people tend to like you like that. I’ll remember the “practice” rant. I’ll remember the sub par rap album. I’ll even remember the fiasco that one summer with wifey. But none of those things can overshadow who The Answer really is; a warrior, a humanitarian, a family man, and a basketball legend.
I think this video sums up Allen Iverson and his ability to overcome obstacles.
Not too long ago I had a conversation with a prominent photographer and video director (more on this coming soon), and something I asked him was if he thought heart could overshadow a lack of talent. He preached balance. He said that without talent heart is useless and vice versa; however, those that excel possess both aspects.
I couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately there’s only so much talent you can pack into a 6′0″, 165 pound body (generously speaking). That is where Allen Iverson’s heart took over. The Answer had the skill to set him apart but let’s face it, he was a little guy playing a big man’s game. Heart (along with that ridiculous crossover) earned Allen Iverson MVP awards and NBA scoring titles. Battling through broken tailbones, numerous shoulder dislocations, broken thumbs, hip pointers, and a few elbow contusions (if I recall, AI was the first guy to break out the now common padded arm sleeve in the NBA) Iverson slashed through the lane with wreckless abandon among the trees. He was Dwyane Wade before Dwyane Wade.
Reebok somehow snatched this kid up after he was rocking Jordans during his days at Georgetown. I’d be willing to bet that the peak of Reebok’s sneaker sales was the peak of Allen Iverson’s popularity. He was the cornrow wearing, tattoo having, thug that the corporate NBA was scared of. The people embraced his game though, and along with his game came his merchandise. I remember every year during opening day I would try and catch replay after replay to get a glimpse of what the new Allen Iverson sneaker looked like. He was Michael Jordan after Michael Jordan…and let’s not forget what he did to Michael Jordan.
When I talked about doing a tribute post to AI a friend asked me, “Is it going to include how overrated he is?” Overrated? He’s a franchise player and we in here talking about overrated? Not underrated, not appreciated, we talking about overrated?….Impossible. This is the kid who led his Bethel High School football team to a state title while assuming the role of arguably the best dual threat QB to (n)ever play college football. This is the kid that went to Georgetown, won 2 Big East Defensive POY awards, and ended up leaving school early as the leading scoring in Georgetown history. This is the kid that was taken with the 1st pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and went on to win the ROY award in a landslide. This is the kid that butted heads with one of the most prolific head coaches in NBA history and won. This is the MAN that single handedly lead the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA Finals. Did I mention his best role player was Aaron McKie? No shots. This is the MAN that took Tyronn Lue’s ankles and pride; and then laughed about it….
ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER
Let’s be honest, AI hails from the notorious 757 so did we really expect anything less than a controversial, freakish athlete with an entirely too large (uh huh uh…) ego? Did we really expect for him to willingly accept a diminished role and minutes when all he knows is to be the most deadly scorer in the game? I’m sad that his career is going to end this way, in NBA exile. No one willing to take a chance on a quality player because of chemistry issues. I can dig it though, but when all is said and done…fans will remember the excitement he brought to the game, coaches will remember the fear that he instilled in their teams, and I pray that the Hall of Fame Committee will remember what a prominent player he was.
He leaves the game as the 17th leading scorer in NBA history, and one of the only players to average 25 ppg, 5 assists, and 2 steals over his career. The only thing he never accomplished? A ring. Add AI to the list of greats that never fully accomplished greatness; a truly sad story.
On this Thanksgiving Day, I’d like to say that I’m thankful for growing up and being able to enjoy Allen Iverson and his career.
You women wonder why you can’t find a good man….it’s because you’re all crazy! Elizabeth Lambert, a member of the New Mexico women’s soccer team, goes bezerk on her opponents from Bringham Young University…
Somebody sign her up for a UFC match against Kimbo, she could probably take his soft ass. Seriously though, she completely lost sight of winning the match and was solely focused on wreaking havoc on her opponents.
