LBJ wins Coach of the Year and shares w/ Mike Brown

Lebron James (LBJ) officially became the most influential person in the United States and maybe the world.



Obama has a plethora of checks and balances and can only make a decision when there is a clear and present danger (See lil Harrison Ford). Oprah is television, Biden is vice president, and Scalia has 8 other people and many other forces acting against him and diminishes his individual power, and Michael Jordan can only do so much.



However, LBJ is young, rich, handsome, powerful, and has done the unprecedented.

To start,

LBJ signed a US$90 million shoe contract with Nike before his professional debut....pause and ponder...

$90 million dollars at the age of 18 or so. Mark Cuban famously said that if you were to start counting to 1 billion when you are first born you would never get to a billion in your lifetime. LeBron hopes to reach that billion and started his path to a billion early real early. Not saying he'll get there but 90 million is the lottery. And, it's only gonna get better.

He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003–04, NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008–09, and has been both All-NBA and an All-Star every season since 2005.

James has also been a member of the USA national team, winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics (at the young precious age of 20) and gold at the 2008 Olympics.


Unprecedented history begins to be made...

LeBron's mother did the outrageous when a bank took her son's future earning power into consideration, resulting in an approval of a loan used to buy an $80,000 Hummer H2 for her son's 18th birthday...now that's what's up. You know you are somebody when that happens and can happen. Just think about that. LBJ is more reliable than the stock market, the weather, Bill Belichick, and Google.

Later, LBJ scored 29 of Cleveland's last 30 points, including the team's final 25 points in a double-overtime victory. NBA analyst Marv Albert referred to James's performance as "one of the greatest moments in postseason history."

Then, on February 27, 2008, against the Boston Celtics, James became the youngest person to score 10,000 points in his career at 23 years and 59 days, achieving the feat in style with a slam-dunk over 11-time All-Star Kevin Garnett, eclipsing the old mark by more than a year...by more than a year...a year!

Recently, LBJ nearly scored the first 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975, when he recorded 52 points, 11 assists, and 9 rebounds against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 4 effortlessly. He did it without breaking a sweat...a sweat.

Lastly, and probably most noteworthy, LBJ won the coach of the year, but due to current NBA practices had to share the award with figurehead "coach" Mike Brown.

Lebron Jr., LBJ's 4 year old son set up an interview with the chosen one, his papa, a week and a half ago. In this candid interview, LBJ revealed that he actually makes 50 million a year from the team and has General Manager duties as well as Head Coaching duties. He is without a shadow of a doubt the most powerful person in Cleveland and influential player.




To further display the power and influence of LBJ and how LBJ single-handedly won Mike Brown coach of the year, kept Danny Ferry employed, and how LBJ's unparalleled loyalty, see the media.

Media members voted Mike Brown as the coach of the year, despite him doing absolutley nothing to prove that he was indeed a coach or the coach of the year. Mike Brown struggled tremendously with the x's and o's, made zero adjustments, and displayed zero offensive imagination. Mike Brown exemplifies the statement that true madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Stan Van Gundy (SVG) outcoached this guy so badly that he, Brown, probably should have lost his job at halftime particularly in this economic climate. After all, you can't have people employed that are not producing and when there are clear substitutes out there. "Dude is good and turrible."

Let's delve even further into Brown. In a close game, Brown calls a timeout to draw up a play (which is a respectable coaching move), then he draws up a play (which is another respectable coaching move), next the play emerges...LBJ iso with 30 seconds to play (dumb as rocks play). That is to say, he did absolutely nothing. Everyone and their mother knows and can all that play. SVG puts his best player on LBJ and sends help as soon possible. LBJ has to keep driving to the hole in clear traffic, pull up for a jumper, or pass the ball to one of his "great" teammates aka scrubs (that we will get to soon) with shattered confidence while also leaving a plethora of time of the clock for SVG to do work.

Abruptly and quickly Danny Ferry keeps, gets, trades for Wally's World, Big Ben Wallace, and Anderson instead of getting someone like Gerald Wallace.

Please keep in mind that LeBron made the supporting cast look like Duke Basketball All-Americans...and also please do not forget...like Duke Basketball All Americans they were garbage. Ferry is a dead man walking and so is Brown. Brown, pray that you don't become a significantly worst version of Joe Gerardi whom also lost his job after winning manager of the year.



Brown and Ferry, your fate lies in the fate of a 24 year old that happens to be the most powerful man in the United States of America.

Stay classy sporty nation. This is my Minority Report!

Why Manny should not apologize to his teammates...

So imagine we are in a world where Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Eric Gagne, Jason Giambi, Pudge Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, and Barry Bonds are all playing on the same team. It’s the year 2005. And, José Canseco has just tested positive for steroids and will be immediately suspended for 50 games. The baseball community is in an uproar. Fans are sad. Baseball historians don’t know what to do. Current Hall of Famers are ticked off. ESPN goes all out. Pedro Gomez is following Canseco everywhere…I mean everywhere. The super blogs Deadspin and the Big Lead have 24 hour coverage of the issue. Talk radio is full swing. The likes of Skip Bayless, Woody Paige, Tony Kornheiser, Dan Patrick, Bill Plaschke, Jay Marriotti, and Bob Ryan are furious. Oprah even touches on the subject. Everybody wants one thing. Everyone wants an apology. Everyone demands an apology. The outrage and furor stemming from this steroid revelation undoubtedly reaches a Gladwell-like tipping point and Canseco succumbs. He decides to apologize to everyone including obvious fans, media members, and baseball, but also his teammates. He is apologizing to his teammates for being selfish and putting himself before the team and ultimately hurting their season. Fair enough right? Wrong! Here’s why…



Theoretically and in a vacuum, indeed, it is the correct thing to do. After all, conveying sorrow and remorse for your hurtful actions and detailing how much that you wish you didn’t cause them this pain is a nice thing to do, and undoubtedly is a step in the right direction. However, we live in the real world and cannot overlook the facts. Canseco is on a team with Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Eric Gagne, Jason Giambi, Pudge Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, and Barry Bonds. These are fellow juicers. These are fellow cheaters. These are people whom also took PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs).These are the people that Canseco is apologizing to. Canseco is saying Barry, Mark, Sammy, Roger, and all of you guys, I am so sorry for taking steroids. I am sorry for hurting the team. Mind you, Canseco is fully aware that many of these teammates are taking currently taking PEDs, have taken PEDs, and/or are suspected of taking PEDs.

The aforementioned story is a parallel to Manny Ramirez. In fact, this is exactly what Manny is facing/faced. Actually, it is probably worse. Manny is by far and away the best player on the team and it’s not even close. Because he is so talented and far and away one of the best right handed hitters to play in the majors which his popularity is colossal and powerful, in addition to that he is the leader of the team, and he KNOWS that he is NOT the only person on the team taking PEDs he just got caught. He is looking in teammates eyes and saying I am sorry…

Kinda strange right? It’s absurdly ridiculous particularly when it is more and more apparent that no one in baseball is safe or clean and that everyone is guilty until proven innocent.

Now, that is why Manny should not have apologized and should not apologize to his teammates.

Sporty nation, this is my minority report. Stay sporty!

Absurdity on a Saturday Morning

Last night before going to sleep, I put that Madrid Master Series in my blackberry. 10am I would be watching this tennis match no matter what. Novak Djokovic (Nole) is unofficially the number #2 clay court player in the world at this moment and Nadal is probably the greatest clay court player ever. Little did I know, I would be getting ready to watch one of the best Master Series matches ever.

This match has been on the tennis channel for more than 4 hours now. Nole and Rafa are in an epic battle. The 3rd set tie break just started! I have not been this nervous in a long time particularly something that I am not a part of. Why am I nervous? Maybe because it is riveting television? Maybe because I am secretly rooting for Nole? Maybe because I love tennis and don’t want it to end? Maybe, because I am soft?! I have no clue. I don’t have a dog in the fight. In fact, while they both have their awesome aspects, they both have their shortcomings.

Nole is battling hard right now. His backhand is on point and he is serving well, but Nadal is the best counter puncher on the tour right now which is evident by him saving two matchpoints so far in this final tiebreak. OMG. This is getting just down right ridiculous. Nadal just won a point that he definitively should have lost...and it was for the win for Nole. Similar to what my homeboy Chris Rock said, I am not saying that I would kill Rafa, but I understand. It’s like doing absolutely everything perfectly in an athletic event and it, nonetheless, goes arry. Think about shooting a basketball perfectly at the end of a 4 hour game or kicking a soccerball perfectly into an empty net and then the world shifts and it goes all wrong…and it is for the championship? What else can you do? This is how depression forms. No seriously it is. An external locus of control is bad business.



Nadal just won 11-9 in the 3rd set tiebreak in front of a Davis Cup like raucous crowd. Nole should be commended for his play today. He fought hard and under normal circumstances would have and should have won the match, but he was playing a brickwall named Rafa IN SPAIN…IN SPAIN! So, that’s that. I am elated, adrenaline is flowing, I am gitty and antsy. Now, I can look forward to the next match of FedEx and Del Portro. I’ll go run a quick 3 miles before the next match to relieve some of this built up tension.



Tennis has officially gotten into my top 2 sports. Indeed, I should have realized that tennis was one of my loves or favorite sports when I became teary-eyed on a ridiculously early January morning after a gut-wrenchingly tough defeat for Roger Federer in the Australian Open…and it only got worse when FedEx realized the magnitude of this loss and became more and more saddened by his collapse and historical loss. The sadness was palbable in Australia as well as in my room.



It is official sporty nation, tennis and basketball are my favorite two sports and it ain’t that close. Be on the lookout for some frequent French Open blog posts.This is my minority report.

Al Davis=genius?

To my dismay the NFL draft consistently is one of the most popular off season sports spectacles in the United States. Indeed, the NFL is by far and away the most popular and profitable sport in the U.S., but why is the draft so popular? The NFL draft is inconsequential television at best. The NFL draft is inundated with overreaction and analysis from the typical sports fans and the ever ridiculous media. Without a shadow of a doubt the Oakland Raiders have had real issues the last few years. Al Davis is “slipping” and the Raiders lack talent all across the field, but despite what Mel Kiper, Peter King, Todd McShay and what the typical sports fans declare this most recent draft was not that bad and should not have received a meaningless “F.” Infact, the team should have received a “C” which is an average grade. In fact, NE and most every other team in the league should have received a grade of “C.” Sporty nation, today is the day they I illustrate why Al Davis and the Raiders did not make poor moves drafting WR Darius Heyward-Bey 7th with Michael Crabtree still on the board and drafting SS Mike Mitchell whom no one really knew who he, Mitchell, was.



1st and foremost, why on earth are Kiper and McShay and to a lesser extent Peter King treated as Nostradamus and/or God’s? That is why do we assume that these men are omniscient. All three of these guys have a glaring flaw omission from there resumes: football. None of the three ever played football at a high level and/or help a position in football like GM, director of scouting, or any position with a professional football yet we treat their words as gospel rather than “educated” guesses or even opinions.

I’ve got a few gripes.

1. Darius Heyward-Bey was a good college wide receiver with blazing speed (best 40 time this year). Michael Crabtree was a very talented receiver that was a unanimous All-American twice, won the Biletnikoff twice, and shattered many records. He also is a guy that had a fracture in his foot, had “reported”diva-like character issues (which are somewhat ridiculous), and played for Texas Tech which is a program that perennially overstates player’s value and performance. Texas Tech has the flaw of running the spread offense which is hard to determine how good players really are and has a coach that runs a system that is at worst brilliant. (Sporty nation, Graham Harrell had 45 TDs, 5,111 yards passing, 9 interceptions, and a 160 QB rating and was not drafted. Many scouts and coaches didn’t believe in him and he was a Heisman trophy candidate). Not totally absurd to take Bey ahead of Crabtree. Right?



2. Next, Brandon Tate and Percy Harvin both egregiously test positive for marijuana (the only two to test positive). However, the perception of both players is significantly different. Harvin is a very risky pick for the Minnesota Vikings and Tate is a phenomenal pick for the New England Patriots. I kinda understand what is at play here, but cmon. We should be better than that.

3. Lastly and most importantly, why do we put much stock into these draft experts’ prognostications? Mel Kiper’s 1st round draft picks were 8/32 and Peter King’s 1st round draft picks went 9/32. Forget about any of the rounds after the first round. They would be lucky to get 1-2 picks correct there after. And, media outlets such as ESPN remove their mock drafts almost instantaneously after the draft. I’ll give you 4 minutes to search for experts mock drafts on ESPN for example. I’ll wait……….They aren’t out there because they are consistently inaccurate and as in one of my favorite movies, “Coming to America,” they are “good and terrible!” In addition to that, not one football expert predicted that Matt Sanchez would go #5 in the draft to NYJ…not one. And, you have to predict trades. These mock drafts should be mocked no?! After all, they are more likely to be 97% incorrect than correct yet we overreact. To their prognostications.



Sporty nation, this blog post is not meant to be incendiary or overly critical of the NFL or the NFL draft, but rather to illustrate and demonstrate some of the critical pitfalls that emerge from putting too much weight into alleged draft experts. The NFL draft is inherently a crap shoot and random. The NFL draft is full of busts and lucky picks and situations (see Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Ryan Leaf, the Boz, and etc. So, why should we put stock into these guys’ guesses? Moreover, why do we get lazy and just say NE is brilliant and The Raiders are an abomination instead of taking the information and making our own opinions? No body knows my friends. This is my minority report.

Before I forget...2010 mock draft will be going live ASAP! Get ready sporty nation!