Society Being Oversensitive?

So I am listening to ESPN First Take and one of the their topics on today's show was about our society being oversensitive with race. They mentioned about the Lin-sanity frozen yogurt and how Ben and Jerry's apologized about the frozen yogurt. If Lin is being oversensitive, it is tough for him. He is an athlete and will always be in the spotlight even after he retires. People are always going to comment on the fact the he is an Asian-American that played basketball instead of just saying he was a good basketball player. I understand that the game of basketball has been dominated by Blacks and Whites since the beginning of the sport. There has not been to many different races in the game of basketball. There has been a couple of Hispanics and a couple of Asians (not including Yao Ming) but they have not been as successful as Lin. If Lin or anyone else was offended about the frozen yogurt with fortune cookies flavor in it, I think they shouldn't. Ben and Jerry's made the ice-cream in Lin's honor. A writer that was on the show said that he was excited about the frozen yogurt especially having the fortune cookie flavor. He said that he even saw a couple of Asian-Americans in line waiting to buy the frozen yogurt. Many people are going to be excited because it was its cool now and people always want was is cool. Jeremy Lin has been the talk of sports for the past couple of weeks.

I guess  I am not as sensitive about race as other people. I grew up getting picked at because I was Hispanic or because some uneducated people believed that the only Hispanics that existed in the world were either Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban. I have learned how to brush of racist/prejudiced comments so I did not see the frozen yogurt issue wrong. There are times that between race, it is OK for people to call themselves certain derogatory names but when other races call them the same way it is wrong. How am I suppose to know it is wrong from to call you a certain name if I have seen others call you that same name and it is OK for them to do it? Sometimes comments, names, or words can get out of line, but it does not always meant to harm someone. This is tough topic to discuss about but I thought it was interesting. Some people might not agree with what I said but it is just opinion and everyone is going to have a different opinion about this topic.

Here is the link to the discussion on ESPN First Take: http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=espn:7624785

Dwyane Wade vs Kobe Bryant

Alright as we all know, Dwyane Wade broke Kobe Bryant's nose during the All-Star game. Some people are saying that it is wrong for Wade breaking Kobe's nose. Wade was playing too aggressive for an All-Star. They even compared it to Pete Rose's All-Star collision. All they were trying to do is win a game. They are competitors, and they always want to win no matter if it is a pick up game or a practice game. I took a closer look at the foul and it actually did not look like an aggressive foul. It is not like Wade had was trying to intentionally brake Kobe's nose. Wade just tried to wrap his arms around Kobe to not allow him to score easily. All Wade was doing is playing defense.

Now I have read a couple of articles saying that Kobe is going to get his revenge on Sunday when the Miami Heat go to LA to face the Lakers. I think it is all bull. Kobe is a professional and knows that it was an honest foul, nothing intentional. The Lakers' fans are obviously going to take it another way and boo Wade the whole game. And they are going to take the foul more personal because Kobe Bryant got injured. People are just over reacting to this whole broken nose drama. But I do think that the game on Sunday will be as intense and as every other match up between the Lakers and the Heat. The Heat were out before the All-Star break and and I am sure they want to continue on that hot streak. I can't wait for Sunday's game!

NBA All-Star Game/Weekend

First thing first, congrats to Kevin Durant for winning MVP and congrats to Kobe Bryant for passing Michael Jordan as the all time leading scorer in the All-Star games. Now, just like the NFL All-Star game, there was high scoring no defense. I can't lie, seeing flashy dunks and alley oops are always nice but I think some defense would have been nice as well. The dunks during the game were actually more impressive then the dunks in the Dunk Contest. Which I do not want to get into that, but the Dunk Contest was a total disappointment. Jumping over a motorcycle is not as impressive as jumping over the hood of a car. It just feels like lately the NBA is not trying as hard as before to get the fans excited about the All-Star weekend. Anyways, back to the main event. The West had 88 points at half time! There are teams in the NBA right now who are not even averaging that many points in a game.

 I have always thought that defense wins games and the East decided to really play basketball a bit too late. Plus Dwight Howard did not play like an All-Star. The NBA's dominant big man, did not show up. Dwyane Wade had as many rebounds as Dwight Howard did. For Dwight Howard to be the "host" of the All-Star game, he should be ashamed that he did not play as hard as he can. If Dwight Howard would have played harder, the East could have and should have won that game. Also looking at the team's stats, the East had better stats than the West. Again, no DEFENSE no W. Overall the All-Star weekend was OK. The Dunk Contest was not at all as entertaining as in the past. I think the NBA needs to tweak things around to make more entertaining. It is always the same thing every year and it is getting just as boring as the NFL All-Star game. Lets see how next year All-Star game will be.

 

HEAT-KNICKS 2-23-2012

So last nights game was pretty intense upto the 7 minute mark in the 4th quarter. But as I stated in my last post, the Heat were going to find ways to stop Lin. Six turnovers in the first half and only two points. Like I had said, Lin hadn't faced a tough defense in his first 11 games. The Big Three played an amazing game. The Knicks looked almost zombie like on the floor except JR and Steve. The rest of the Heat team played up to their expectations and play hard.

A big surprise to last nights game was Joel Anthony. His offensive skills are not the best for the five spot but he is a great defender. He almost reminds of Alonzo Mourning during his prime years. I think a lot of people underestimate Joel Anthony. Lets not forgot that Detroit Pistons won their championship with an undersized center named Ben Wallace that was not good offensively but gave people hell defensevily.

I think the game was not rivalvry material yet but as long as the Knicks keep getting better, I see a rivalvry unfolding. The game was great, extremely entertaining and as a Heat fan, I am glad they came out with the W.

NBA All Star Break

Well the the NBA season has reached it All Star break. We have seen what some teams can do, what teams need help in and what teams should not even play. Now is when the season is going to get excited. Everyone is going to be fighting for playoff spots. Teams that are at the bottom of the standings will start playing hard. The rise of the Celtics might occur. Things will change after the weekend.

I'm excited about the All Star weekend but at the same time I have been upset how on the events turn out. From the dunk contest, I really don't know anyone. I have to admit, I miss seeimg the old dunk contest. I think that the NBA need to change things around a bit to make it more exciting. But I say we should all sit back and enjoy the All Star weekend

Heat-Knicks

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIIIIIGHT!!!!!! Tomorrow is the big game! The Miami Heat vs New York Knicks. D.Wade, King James and CB vs Linsanity, Melo, and Amare! This game is going to be intense. Maybe this will revive the rivalry the Heat and Knicks had in the late 90's.

This will be the first time Lin goes up againt one of the best defense in the NBA. On top of that, he might have to guard Wade. I'm not saying this will be easy for the Heat either. The Heat need to stop Lin from getting into the paint and try to not leave open men on the perimeter.

The Heat have been super hot these last seven games and I don't see them losing to the Knicks. I guess we all just need to wait for tomorrow.

Beast in the East!

Now my question is who is the team to beat in the east? Miami, Chicago, Knicks? Many people are starting to believe that the Knicks are a legit contender. The Knicks are not even a .500 team yet. Jeremy Lin is good but he still has to go through Derrick Rose, and Rajon Rondo. Seeing last nights game against the Nets, Lin had a difficult time defending Deron Williams.

I believe that the team to beat is still Miami. The Heat are currently playing their best basketball all season. Other than the Spurs, the Heat have the seconds longest winning streak with six. With the Knicks taking all the hype and limelight, the Heat are quietly doing what they best and that is winning games. Even the Spurs eleven game win streak has been over looked.

The Heat and the Bulls have the top defenses in the NBA. Under the D'Antoni system, defense does not exist. Once the playoffs roll around, it becomes more of a defense, half court game. Which the Heat are working on that. I'm a Heat fan so this may sound biased, but I am thinking of this as an NBA fan. Everything that has to do with the NBA right now is about Jeremy Lin and the Knicks. I do see the Knicks battling it out with the Bulls or Miami if the meet in the playoffs, but I do not see the Knicks beating them. This Thursday, we will get a taste of the Heat-Knicks playoff chance.

In my opinion defense is top priority and until the Knicks do not get better defensively, they will not be able to beat the Heat or the Bulls.

Lin-Tebow

So Jeremy Lin has taken the NBA by storm these last two weeks. He has the Knicks on a six game win streak,  outplayed Kobe Bryant, made the winning 3-point shot last night with .05 seconds left. This kid has shown that he knows how to play basketball real well. He has everyone and their grandmother talking about him.

Now, there are certain people who are comparing Jeremy Lin's success to Tim Tebow's "success". In reality, I say there are no comparisons at all! Well OK, the only comparison is that they are both religious. You can say that both Lin and Tebow bring energy to the team. That is it! I am not a huge Tim Tebow fan but you can not compare them. And it is not because they play different sports.

Tim Tebow was the #3 ranked QB in the nation coming out of high school! Tim Tebow received an athletic scholarship to attend Florida which at the time they had one of the top football programs in the nation. Florida was not the only school who was recruiting Tebow. Alabama, LSU, USC, and Michigan were also recruiting Tebow. In the other hand, Jeremy Lin was not recruited by any of the top basketball programs. Standford and UCLA only offered him a walk-in, while Harvard and Brown offered him a spot on their roster. Keep in mind, Ivy League schools do not offer any type of athletic scholarships. Lin chose to attend Harvard.

Seeing both play in the pro level, there is still no comparisons. Tim Tebow is a horrible QB. He is so bad at QB that I am even afraid to call him a QB. The Denver Broncos had to switch up their whole offensive plays in order to accommodate Tim Tebow's playing style. Jeremy Lin stepped in as the starting PG and the Knicks continue running the same plays. This season alone, Jeremy Lin has a higher FG%, then Tim Tebow's completion %. Plus, Tebow won two BCS Championships with Florida and a Heisman Trophy. You expect someone that was drafted in the first round to be a success in their sport. Jeremy Lin has been an underdog from the beginning. I say no comparison at all! What do you think?

If you want to hear what the crew from ESPN First Take, click on this link.

Somebody Quick, Sucker Punch Floyd!

"Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise," Floyd Mayweather wrote on his Twitter account.  That tweet makes him sound like a retard! I think Floyd should have done a little bit of research before he started tweeting about Jeremy Lin. Look Floyd, the hype around Lin is not only because he is Asian, it is because the guy is playing some very good basketball. This is just one of Floyd's ways to get attention. On top of the fact that he is playing great basketball, he is playing on one of the biggest cities of the NBA. It is not like Lin is the first Asian to play in the NBA. There was once a player by the name of Yao Ming. Lin is one of the successful NBA players to come out from the Ivy League. When people hear of players that come out from the Ivy League, it almost a joke. Ivy League schools do not produce NBA players, not good NBA players anyways. Lin is a underdog story. He was not drafted, got cut twice, picked up by the Knicks and was sitting at the end of the bench, and almost got cut by the Knicks. And now, the Knicks are riding a 5 game win streak without Carmelo and Amare. This kid can ball! 


On the other hand, Floyd has not fought anyone is who is comparable to Manny Pacquiao. He is to busy trying to preserve his perfect record, that he has not fought any boxer who is relevant. I can not wait for the day someone KO's Mayweather. Let's see if he is still going to have a big mouth.

Best PG?

Jeremy Lin was the talk of the NBA last week. ESPN had a poll question ask who was the best PG in the NBA. People could vote for Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and yes Jeremy Lin. Don't get me wrong, Jeremy Lin has played amazing basketball this past week but I think it is still too soon for him to be getting compared to PG's such as Rondo, Paul and Rose. 

The poll results showed that Derrick Rose was considered as the best PG in the NBA. Now I think Derrick Rose is the best scoring PG in the NBA. But best PG overall???? I don't think so. When I think of great PG's, I think of John Stockton and Jason Kid (early in his career), and Steve Nash. If you were to look at the career stats of all the PG's mentioned, the PG with the lowest assist per game is Derrick Rose. 

I think that PG's are meant to get their team mates involved. They are there to make their team mates look better. Derrick Rose is just a great scoring PG in my opinion. From that ESPN poll, I consider Rondo and Paul as the top PG's in the game. They both know how to get their team involved in the game and they are great facilitators. They are always in the top of the NBA in assists. Jeremy Lin if he continues playing the way he is and gets his team mates involved, he will be considered as one of the top PG's in the NBA.

LINSANITY!!!!!

So all I've heard about this week is about Jeremy Lin. I have not seen the Harvard stand out play as of yet, but I am hearing good stuff about him. The Knicks are on a four game win streak and the reason is because of Lin. Both Melo and Amare were out these games. Now my question is, what is going to happen to Lin when Melo and Amare get back?
Right now they are playing team ball, but it will change once Melo and Amare gets back. Melo needs to ball in his hands in order to score and so does Amare. Amare's points dropped last year when Melo joined the team.
If the Knicks can continue to play as a team when Melo and Amare get back they will be scary. That's a BIG IF! Plus Melo and Amare don't play defense. Good luck to the Knicks and great job by Jeremy Lin.

Perkins vs LeBron

So Kendrick Perkins is mad about what Lebron wrote on twitter. If I can recall, I remember seeing many other NBA players write about the Blake Griffin dunk on Perkins. Now I know I am a Heat fan and this may sound a bit biased, but all I have to say is that Perkins needs to grow up. I think it is silly that he is all heated about Lebron's tweet. Why out of all NBA players mentioning something about the dunk, he needs to pick and poke on Lebron? Obviously, Lebron seems to be mature about this non sense situation. I think Perkins should just take it like a man and grow up. I just think Perkins do not like Lebron. Perkins is just trying to be on the spotlight.

Who's the Better Manning???

I GO WITH ELI!!!!

Sport's Wives

One of the top headlines on ESPN.com right now is Tom Brady's wife tearing up the Patriots WR's. It seems like a fan said that Eli ruled and Eli owned Tom Brady. So Giesel Bundchen response was, "My husband cannot f***ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can't believe they drop the ball so many times." Was that comment rude? Maybe. Are the WR's going to be mad about what she said? I think so. Should Tom Brady punch her in the throat for saying that about his team mates? OK, maybe not that far.

This is America, and Mrs. Brady has all the right to say what she thinks even if its right or wrong. I hate to say it, but wives are about 99.5% of the time correct. But on Sunday, it was a bit obvious. The Patriots WR's were not catching anything. Some people were saying that Brady did not play good. Other than his one interception, Brady still had a good game. The entire game was controlled by both defense.

Giesel Bundchen is not the first and only wife who has something about their husband's team. There has been many others wives who have comments about certain things. Even Herm Edwards said he would let his wife input about the game. Like I said, wives are always right. What would you do if you were in this situation?

Super Bowl XLVI

First off, Congrats to the New York Giants for winning the Super Bowl! It was also a great rematch from Super Bowl XLII. The game could have gone either way,  both teams played outstanding football last night. I honestly think a game is much better when it is close than a blowout. It really came down to which defense was going to play better and as we all know the Giants D came out on top.

Now this brings me to my second point, I think Eli can be considered as an ELITE QB. Last night he proved that he can go up against another elite QB and win the game. His stats were even better than Tom Brady's. I do not even consider Big Ben or Phillip Rivers as reliable as Eli.

Overall, the Super Bowl was good, it was worth watching. Two great teams went at until the end and the best team won.

Superbowl Strategy

So the Superbowl is right around the corner and both the Giants and Patriots are getting ready for the big game. I am not a huge Patriots fan but I read an interesting article on ESPN. The Patriots took a simulated Superbowl break during yesterday's practice. Which I though was pretty interesting. The usual halftime break during games is about fifth-teen minutes. But with the Superbowl having a halftime show, it is going to be about thirty minutes.  Which thirty minutes do not sound like a lot for the body to cool down but it is just enough time for a player to get relaxed. With a longer halftime, both teams need to bring up the energy level just a bit more. Like I stated earlier, I am not a huge fan of the Patriots but Bill Belichick is a smart coach and he plans very well. I think this is smart strategy to get his team ready for the Superbowl. I have posted the link to read about this unique Superbowl practice.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nfl/story/_/id/7531827/2012-nfl-playoffs-new-england-patriots-take-halftime-practice-break

Peyton Manning's Future

So Peyton Manning is saying that he is ready to play next season. The owner of the Colts is yet to speak to Manning about the future plans of Indy and what they are planning on doing with him. The Colts are obviously going to draft Andrew Luck. Now if I was Indy, I would stay with Manning for two or three more seasons and let Andrew Luck learn from Manning. There is not too many QB's that have immediate success their rookie years. There are not too many Dan Marino's, Peyton Manning's, or Cam Newton's being drafted. There has been many first round busts such as JaMarcus Russell, Matt Leinart, and J.P. Losman. Now I know Indy wouldn't want their QB of the future to be a bust because they played him to quick. I think Indy will be smart and do a Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers learning system. I think they are going to prep Andrew Luck and have him learn the Colts system. With a new coach coming in, he might want to start off fresh with Andrew Luck.

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