Jam Session Ticket giveaway

Hey everyone!! First of all, if you are on twitter follow the new official twitter account for the blog, @page3blog. Secondly, we are giving away two FREE TICKETS to NBA Jam Session for Friday night. If you want them, all you have to do is find us at Jam Session tonight and say "I read page 3!" and they are yours!! If you need hints, we are the two good looking gentlemen in the Page 3 picture collage (graduation robes). Also, we will be wearing blue MVP volunteer T-shirts. We will be tweeting and posting pics from the Mavs only Jam Session tonight as well as throughout All Star weekend. Good luck!!

More info on the Sprite dunk contest...

From NBA.com:The search for the nations best amateur dunker will culminate when four finalists compete in the inaugural Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown at NBA All-Star 2010 in Dallas, Texas.


The Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown will take place at NBA All-Star Jam Session presented by adidas at the Dallas Convention Center on Friday, Feb. 12 at 9:00 PM ET / 8:00 PM CT. The event will be streamed live on NBA.com and will air on NBA TV on Saturday, Feb.13 at 6:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 PM CT.

An All-Star panel of judges will help determine the winner, including NBA All-Star LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA Legend Darryl Dawkins, and two-time GRAMMY® nominee Drake, who also will perform before the fans at Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session during the event.

Each participant will perform two dunks in the first round. The two with the highest score from the judges will advance to the second and final round. In the finals, each participant will complete two dunks and fans will determine the winner via SMS text message. The champion will receive a $10,000 grand prize and the opportunity to present the trophy to the winner of the Sprite Slam Dunk competition at American Airlines Center the following night.

The four finalists who will compete at the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown are:

Willie Barnes, 6-6, a.k.a. Flyte Barnes, 28, hailing from Wilson, N.C., brings 10 years of dunking experience to the Showdown and is the winner of the semifinal competition in Washington, D.C.

Taurian Fontenette, 6-2, a.k.a. Air Up There Fontenette, 27, of Hitchcock, Texas, is an 11year dunking veteran who won the semifinal competition in Dallas.

Haneef Munir, 5-10, a.k.a. Young Hollywood Los Angeles native Munir, 21, has been dunking for more than seven years and won the semifinal competition in his hometown.

Carlos Smothers, 6-0, a.k.a. Los Smothers, 21, from Union City, Calif., is the only finalist to clinch a spot in the Showdown through the online competition by uploading his dunk clip to NBA.com/dunk. He has been dunking since he was 13.

The art of the dunk has inspired athletes for decades, but some of the highest levels of creativity have been reached with only a few witnesses at the playground or gym, said Ellen Lucey, director, sports marketing, Coca-Cola North America. The Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown gives some of the best amateur dunkers in the country a chance to put their talents on display in front of a national audience during NBA All-Star weekend.

Inspired by the NBA Sprite Slam Dunk contest that takes place annually on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, Sprite and the NBA launched the national search for the best amateur dunkers with competitions in eight cities throughout the summer of 2009. James also led a panel of judges that picked two semifinalists from video entries. Through online votes, fans narrowed the top ten down to the four finalists who will compete in Dallas.




Fans can visit the online home of the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown at NBA.com/dunk, where they can access highlights from all the local competitions, including the finalists. Sprite is the worlds leading lemon-lime soft drink and has been the official soft drink of the NBA since 1994.

NBA All Star 2010! Page 3 will be there!

In case you weren't aware, Cjessup and I are going to the All Star game this year at Texas Stadium. The real highlight of the week in my opinion will be Jam Session, because during Jam Session this year we will be witness to arguably the greatest dunk contest in the history of man. No NBA names, these are Dunking savants from across the globe who have won in their regions and are coming to Dallas to dunk in the Sprint dunk contest. Many are names well known the basketball insiders such as Team flight Brothers' Guy Dupuy and Former And 1 star Air up there (Mr. 720). They can outdunk anyone in the world, besides James White:

The dunk 720 does starting at 2:25 is one of the most outlandish things I have ever seen. EDIT: Sadly, Page 3 has learned that Guy will not be in the dunk contest, allegedly because he is playing professional ball overseas and has been disqualified for not being an amateur.

Ditto on Guy Dupuy's ridiculous between the legs OVER 2 people boom:

National Championship game thoughts: Roll Tide, and a devastating loss for the Longhorns.

1) FINALLY. We are back! National Champs! But the score doesn't tell the bigger story of this game. First for the bad:

2)Certain parts of Alabama's team played horribly. Just bad. Special teams, as well as the playcalling in the first quarter could have been much better. Also the offense's passing game and inability to convert 3rd downs (1/12). Inexcusable. We almost gave the game away due to stupid mistakes. It is unbelievable to me that Texas was able to punt/kickoff to us TWICE and recover the ball. If they convert those this is a much different game, McCoy or not. The fact that Alabama didn't get a 1st down for the entire 3rd quarter is mind boggling.

3)Now for the good: Our defense proved we were the best defensive team in the country, shutting down Florida and Texas. Texas came in averaging 41 points a game, and got held to half of that. Also, the clean hard hit that took Colt McCoy out was all part of the game plan (somewhat). By that, I mean it is a SEC/Alabama philosophy to target the QB on defense and disrupt their offense, either by interceptions, hurry up, knockdowns, or blocked passes. We did all of the above, and the strength of our hits are directly what caused the injury to Colt. All of the what-ifs about how the game would have been are irrelevant, because Alabama caused the hit and injury. The biggest reason this was such a game changer is because TX is a one trick pony on offense. Everything they accomplished this year offensively ran directly through Colt McCoy. He was the second leading RUSHER on the Longhorns. In the SEC, this is blasphemy. The most average SEC defensive coordinator would take this as a personal and professional insult for a team to come in and run all over them with a QB. Not going to happen. the Longhorns honestly wouldn't have made it to the NC game if they were in the SEC, not with the game plan they have concerning their QB. The SEC defense is too physical for the QB to carry the ball even 10 or 15 times a game, he would have been hurt by their bye week.This should come as a surprise to no-one. Alabama has been the most physical football team in America the entire season. We knocked out 3 starters from LSU earlier this season in one half, and we nearly took out Gilbert, the backup QB from Texas. If you are gameplanning for Alabama you have to either protect your QB or have a good backup plan in place because we are going to hit him, and hit him hard. Texas as the king of the Big 12 was not used to that ferocity. Neither were they used to SEC running capabilities. Alabama exposed their vaunted #1 rushing defense by shredding it with not one but TWO 100+ yard rushing backs, Richardson and Ingram. Richardson broke the game open with a 49 yard TD run up the middle in the second quarter and Ingram shut the door in the fourth quarter muscling in for a 1 yard TD. While the TX defense was good, they were just not ready for that caliber of running back. Plays that would be a loss of yardage tackle in the Big 12 last night became gains of 3 and four yards. I saw plays where Richardson and Ingram required gang tackles to bring them down, and even then they were moving the pile. Unbelievable.

4)The freshman kid from Texas (Gilbert) looked solid after he calmed down a bit. He couldn't have been expected to carry the team to the Title but he gave it a good shot with 2 TD passes to Shipley, who just played himself into the first round of the NFL draft. Saban's defensive schemes were too much, and, as expected, a big hit caused a fumble from him and sealed the game. The 4th and final interception in the last 2 minutes didn't help TX either.

5)The biggest challenge now for the Tide is going to be replicating this next season. They are losing a lot of valuable assets, especially on defense. Mt. Cody is done. Same for Rolando, the QB on Defense. luckily both running backs will still be available, but Saban is going to have to do some heavy duty 5 star recruiting to get some major talent in Tuscaloosa. I have confidence he can do it. The SEC is wide open for the Tide to take it next year, with Florida losing their superman in Tebow, Ga not having a coach, and LSU being the only team seemingly with the personnel to threaten us. The issue will be winning the conference and staying injury free, something that we were lucky enough to do this year but could truly strike next year. Football has a 100% injury rate. We are one big hit from losing out on a National Championship bid every season, which is why a little luck is involved with these things.

6) How big is this for the State of Alabama? In a place where Football is king, and the closest NFL team of merit is 2 hours away (Titans) and there are no professional sports, for the Crimson Tide to win here means more then any other place in the country,I am sure of it. As it is, the state takes an unfair amount of ribbing and "redneck" jokes and is looked down on by the rest of the Country, even though we are the birthplace of the space program, the missile defense center for the US, top 10 place to raise kids, center for world class research and development,most economical cost of living, nice weather, nature, etc. etc. The past 10 years have been hell for Bama fans, with 3 coaches, a losing season, and an Ungodly streak of losses against the Auburn Tigers. We as fans and members of Bama nation prayed (this IS the Bible belt, you know!) for the day when the state's namesake would return to the glory days.

The biggest gripe I have always heard from haters (Florida fans, LSU fans especially) is that Alabama is not relevant, nor have they won any Championship in 20 years. That we as Bama fans cling to the Bear and won't let him die. So you now have your wish. We have let the Bear go, and have entered the BCS era of championships. Be careful what you wish for, you may get more then you bargained for. How ya like us now?

THE BIG NUMBERS

205

Rushing yards for Alabama, which was the most Texas had allowed in a game this season.

33:39

Time of possession for Alabama, including an edge of more than nine minutes in the second and fourth quarters.

5

Turnovers for Texas, all originating with backup QB Garrett Gilbert.

5

Number of plays before Colt McCoy exited for good with a shoulder injury

64

Years since Alabama had won a game in the Rose Bowl stadium.

2004

The last year that the Tide had two 100-yard rushers in a game as Mark Ingram (116) and Trent Richardson (109) managed.

272

Number of minutes Alabama had gone without a turnover before the fake punt interception in the first quarter.

13

Number of national titles now claimed by Alabama

1

Number of coaches to have now won BCS titles at multiple schools (much less within six years of each other).

(Big numbers From AL.com, Gentry Estes)

Just as a public service...

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 0013
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 0926Z 07 JAN 2010

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS

... A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT ...

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

PASADENA, CALIF, USA

FOR ALL OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS BULLETIN... IT IS FOR
INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME.

AT 0000Z, SENSORS INDICATE AN EARTHQUAKE OF 10.0 MAGNITUDE OCCURRING OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST IN THE AREA OF COST MESA. SEA LEVEL READINGS CONFIRM A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED. THOSE IN PASADENA AND SPECIFICALLY THE ROSE BOWL PLAYING FIELD SHOULD EXPECT A MASSIVE AND DEVASTATING TIDAL SURGE RESULTING IN UTTER DEVESTATION AND ULTIMATELY WEEPING AND ASKING FOR YOUR MOMMA. EFFECTS OF THIS TSUNAMI WILL BE FELT MOST SEVERELY IN PASADENA, CALIF AND AUSTIN, TX.

UPDATES WILL FOLLOW. FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK THE LINK BELOW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cn8w2vzUsCA

A Bama Fan's Prayer.

Lord,bless McElroy and help him be accurate and a good game manager.Help Julio and Maze to hit their routes crisply and run to daylight.Bless Ingram and Richardson to be Thunder and Lightning and run through hits.Help Johnson, Carpenter, Jones and Davis to remember their blocking schemes. Rub Tiffin's leg and foot and give him unerring accuracy.And Father,a special blessing on the secondary, Arenas,Woodall,Barron,& K. Jack. Give McClain wisdom and your timing on when to call Blitzes, or cover 2. Help Fitzgerald to boom 50 yard punts.Bless the defensive line to destroy the pocket around McCoy and sack him/rush him. And lastly Lord, bless Cody to see the run developing and smite it like a Crimson flood. This is the prayer of a Bama Fan Lord. BLESS US TONIGHT. Show that for an entire State you have not left us nor forsaken us. Amen. ROLL TIDE.

Stumbled across this, and had to post it just out of principle. Roll Tide and go win National Championship #13 (most ever, haters!)

Alabama Football: Number 13

(Hook)
Were the Alabama Crimson Tide, Pasadena Bound
From the SEC, here to represent the South
Gotta sing it loud, we coming for the ring
Thats all Im about, is number thirteen

Im going back to Cali, teams coming with me
And if you want it Texas, try and come get me
Im too shifty, Im too fly man
Im running with 22, Mr. Heisman
Yeah, but that's not it
Cause if he's not in, then it's Mr. T Rich
Teams too sick, the lines just stacked
Five wide, no backs, better ask G-Mac
Hah, and that's fact, we better than great
Run the play action pass straight to number 8
All day, Alabama's gonna drop that hammer
Domination, play that Rammer Jammer

-Hook-

Going, going to the ship
From Pasadena back to the T-town strip
Defense, welcome to the freak show
Can't beat that, just ask Tim Tebow
You wan't the crown, you gonna have to show me
How anybody gonna try to climb mount Cody?
And oh me, oh my, it's just scary
How teams throw it deep right to Mark Barron
Now that's a pick or an incompletion
So punt it deep, Javier Arenas
One, two step, now we gone boy
Number thirteen, believe it Longhorns!

-Hook-

Going, gone, where we belong
At the number spot sitting on the throne
It's domination, It's dedication
It's Roll Tide in the Crimson Nation
Do it Bear, do it for Prothro
Do it for Demeco, Do dat Rolo!
Do it for Donte, it's no game man
Cause if nothing we gonna do it for Saban
Run that route Maze, do that Ingy!
Bring that trophy to Bryant Denny
Oh, envy, the Crimson colors
Cause there won't ever, be another
Team this strong, or team this sick
Or team this nasty, this teams legit
You'll never see a team this mean
One goal: bring back number thirteen.

Oh the difference a second makes....

Just one year ago, Texas was moving through a perfect season on a collision course for the National Championship game. They were unbeaten and were playing extremely well. Then, one second happened against Texas Tech in Lubbock:

Flash forward to 2009 and Texas is again playing well, moving through a perfect season on a collision course for the National Championship game

against the winner of Florida-Alabama. Then, on e second happens again against Nebraska:

Lets look at some of the possible outcomes changed by this one play. If 1 second is not placed back on the clock, and Nebraska wins, then

1)Texas does not go to the National Championship game.

Who goes instead?? The polls would be a mess. Would Alabama play Boise State or Cincinatti or one of the so called "BCS Busters?"

Perhaps a FL-AL rematch? (There would be riots in the streets).Either way, I don't think the National

interest would be there for the championship game. And how does this affect Mack Brown's contract?

I doubt he gets that 2 million dollar annual pay raise.

2) Ndamukong Suh would have at worst been second in Heisman voting, at best could have won the whole thing.Being a direct reason the Longhorns and another candidate don't make the NC might have been to much for the voters to bear, even if he does play on defense.

3) Can you honestly say Brian Kelly leaves for Notre Dame if his team is up for a National Championship? I say no way he leaves. And what happens to the Cincinatti program as a result

of making the National Championship? Recruiting explodes, and they don't have to go Juco or redshirt transfers as much anymore. The program takes on national relevance. What about the increased stock for the best players on Cincinnati's team? We are talking better draft positions and possibly millions of dollars in pay difference.

It is amazing what a difference one second can make.

A fan for hire: The joys and sadness of being linked to no team in particular.

Living in Huntsville, AL puts me in a unique perspective as far as fandom goes. We have no big 4 professional teams within 2 hours. The Titans are up the road in Nashville, Memphis Grizzles to the west, and the Hawks and Falcons to the east in Atlanta. Close, but still not truly ours. For this reason, most hardcore fans in Huntsville look to College Football, and we, like everyone else in our state, support and root for either the Auburn Tigers (BOOOO!) or the #1 ranked National Championship bound Alabama Crimson Tide (YAY!!!!!!!). No need to tell you who I root for. For this reason, I am a diehard Alabama fan and fan for hire in all other sports. Currently I am a fan of the Houston Rockets (due to them being closest to me geographically in Graduate School + their heart and hardworking playing style) the New York Yankees (family ties to NYC +their fine history) and the Dallas Cowboys (always a supporter since the winning days of the 90's with Emmit and Troy, + my girlfriend being from Dallas.) Someone would look at this list and say I am a front running bandwagon fan, and I would respectfully disagree. The Cowboys have not been playoff relevant since '96 and I have still been a fan (also a fan of the Titans). The Yankees are a great team and have been for awhile, and I have a direct family link to them. Now that Alabama football has returned to national relevance I do see a definite difference personally in the feelings I get cheering for them compared with the other out of state teams. I guess there really is something to being geographically linked to a team. I take AL's losses much harder then the Yankees, even in the World Series. I guess I just have a stronger connection to the true "home state" team. What do you all think? Would your fandom for your teams be any different if you actually weren't directly geographically linked to them? For those of you who aren't geographically linked to your favorite teams, can you tell a difference in your support compared to when your hometown team is doing very well? Give me some feedback....

The return of the Answer: Questions I have....

1) Will he actually contribute from a basketball perspective? Given all the shots he wants, can he still put out at 26 or 28 points a game at this point in his career (34 years old)?

2) How much of a bump in attendance will this bring? With the consensus being that the Sixers are making this move as a business move (at least as much) as a Basketball move, how will the fans react? While Iverson has his die hard fanbase, will the casual Philly sports fan flock to the Comcast center to see the return of #3?

3) Is Reebok going to bring back out a special edition Question? (sorry, the sneaker freak in me flared back up.See pic) I'll continue....

4) How will the Sixers juggle the lineup once Williams returns? Will they start both Iverson and Lou? Iverson has been extremely clear he is not a bench player.

5) Do the Sixers make the playoffs? If they are able to make the 8th spot, they would HAVE TO consider Iverson's signing a major reason why.

My review of the Blackberry Tour: Showdown between Winmo and RIM.

I recently made the switch from the HTC Touch Pro to the Blackberry Tour. I am on sprint's network and they made me an upgrade offer I couldn't refuse. So far the Tour is one of the best phones I have ever had. It is an email and messaging powerhouse, has thousands of apps, gets good battery life and is a 1000 times more stable and dependable hardware wise then anything I had from HTC. As I sit here in austin airport looking around, of the people surrounding me with cell phones in their hands, I count 6 iphones, 5 blackberries, and what seems to be a g1. I also spot what seems to be a droid and a htc hero. I don't have many gripes about my blackberry except that I wish it had a touch screen (sometimes) and used the regular mini usb charger connector instead of the slimmer one (all the time). I had to get rid of all the chargers I had previously. Also I wish that the Tour did automatic reverse lookup when I just stat dialing a phone number. My old Touch Pro did it, auto sorting as you typed more numbers until it had matched up a contact. Something little I appreciated. I also would love for RIM to allow auto sorting of the email inbox as you type key words. Say I wanted to pull up emails from Clifton, all I should have to do is start typing his name or even a subject we had talked about before and the phone sorts and pulls up all of our interactions. The way it is set up now I have to press "s" and then type in a key word or person and then ask it to search and match it up.Another thing I wish they had done better is placing the speaker on both sides or even the back of the phone. Also my Berry is horrendous voice quality wise in the wind. Completely unusable for a voice convo. The keyboard on the Tour has less buttons then the Touch Pro but I like the keyboard just as much. Typing long emails can make your hands a little sore and give you berry thumb though. The holster that comes with the phone is very nice Ad the phone senses when it is in the holster compared to being pulled out. I also like that the screen brightens automatically to a wonderful reading level when it senses it is outdoors in direct sunlight. Lastly, the web browsing on the blackberry leaves MUCH to be desired compared to the iphones and winmo phones of the world. This ancient RIM browser needs a complete overhaul. In the interest of full disclosure, I am running an unreleased 5.0 rom on my phone and it is fantastic. New messaging options, faster boot up time, and dozens of other improvements. I can't wait for it to officially release. In the meantime, for all your berry needs and information, I highly recommend visiting crackberry.com.
Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Sorry for being so dormant!!

Hey everyone, sorry for being so dormant the past month. I have a bunch of stuff I am working from for the blog, like a response to a very interesting Kobe text message from Clifton, a full review and breakdown of Blackberry vs. Windows Mobile, Windows 7 ultimate review, A full review of NBA 2k10, and a review of Bill Simmons' The Book of Basketball. Stay tuned and don't give up on the blog!!

LOL

-Steven

In celebration of the Alabama Crimson Tide being #1 in the AP Poll, some Bear Bryant Quotes:

Happy Monday! Been while since I updated the blog but I am back. The team I shed blood and tears for, the Alabama Crimson Tide (12X National Champions), are now ranked #1 in the Country ahead of the Gators of Gainesville in the AP Poll, and #2 in the BCS poll (HOW?!). In celebration, some quotes from one of the finest men to ever reside in the State (and the greatest college football coach of all time); Bear Bryant.

"How many people watch you give a final exam? [About fifty is the reply.] Well, I have 50,000

watch me give mine - every Saturday!"

• To English Professor Tommy Mayo (at Texas A&M) when questioned about his emphasis on winning and his salary.

"I left Texas A&M because my school called me. Mama called, and when Mama calls, then you just have to come running."

• On why he had to leave Texas A&M with six years left on his contract.

"Hell, no! A tie is like kissing your sister!"

• After being asked if he had considered going for a field goal when trailing by three points.

"What the hell's the matter with you people down there? Don't y'all take your football seriously?"

• Upon calling Auburn at 6 AM only to find out that none of the coaches were in their offices yet.

"What matters...is not the size of the dog in the fight, but of the fight in the dog."

"I ain't never been nothing but a winner."

"Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don't quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don't quit until you reach it. Never quit."

"The old lessons (work, self-discipline, sacrifice, teamwork, fighting to achieve) aren't being taught by many people other than football coaches these days. The football coach has a captive audience and can teach these lessons because the communication lines between himself and his players are more wide open than between kids and parents. We better teach these lessons or else the country's future population will be made up of a majority of crooks, drug addicts, or people on relief."

"What are you doing here? Tell me why you are here. If you are not here to win a national championship, you're in the wrong place. You boys are special. I don't want my players to be like other students. I want special people. You can learn a lot on the football field that isn't taught in the home, the church, or the classroom. There are going to be days when you think you've got no more to give and then you're going to give plenty more. You are going to have pride and class. You are going to be very special. You are going to win the national championship for Alabama."

"At Alabama, our players don't win Heisman Trophies. Our teams win National Championships."

• After being asked why no Alabama player has ever won a Heisman Trophy.

"I'll beat you with my team today, and I'll beat you with your team tomorrow."

"If you want to walk the heavenly streets of gold, you gotta know the password, "Roll, tide, roll!"

• After being asked of his dedication to the University of Alabama

Inspirational Images:A rookie gets his poster, courtesy of Michael Olowokandi

“You're never too old to become younger”

Mae West

Michael Jordan, Today (9/11), and Tomorrow

Today is the day. in a few hours, the greatest player of all time will be inaugurated into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame.

Michael Jordan...has achieved everything he will ever achieve as a pro basketball player. And no one has ever done it better.

As we've all spent today reflective not only of Michael Jordan's legacy, but also in remembrance of the lives lost eight years ago on this day, a strange and melancholy thought that came to mind, as I thought about these two worlds in collision:

What is the relationship between time and greatness?


Is it inverse, is it direct, or does it vary? Can greatness diminish? Does greatness only swell? Or does time have any relation at all to how monumental a person or event is in history?

Are our lives any less impacted by the great tragedy of 9/11 than they were eight years ago? Yes, our attitudes may have changed. We have returned to a relative sense of peace and stability compared to the emotions of that day. But the reality of what happened, the many lives that were forever changed, the young men that have spent years overseas at war to this day--none of that changes.

The attitude change is attributed to two natural human inclinations: 1) our natural drive towards homeostasis--we were not designed to be emotionally monotone, and 2) today's society is so drowned by information and a world consciousness made possible by 20th-century technology that we are constantly fighting to find our place in history, some assurance that we have had a historically-relevant existence.

(Sidebar: It's the reason that every time you watch SportsCenter there is a new statistic that you would've never imagined was even important, like "Most Time Spent Stranded on 3rd Base", "Most Minutes Played in Toronto by a Non-Raptor", etc.)

So that's why every tragedy that takes place after 9/11 will be compared to 9/11. The lives lost, the effect on the stock market, and the residual damage to our foreign relations will all be marked as "<" or ">" September 11, 2001. It was the greatest tragedy my generation has ever experienced.

But even if/when a greater calamity falls, nothing can change the fact that many sat, as I did, in high school classrooms around this nation, and saw their entire lives flash before their eyes in an instant. No numbers and statistics can supplant the reality of what we and the rest of the nation experienced that Tuesday morning.

Never forget.

(Please see note at end of blog)

__________________

great (grt)
adj. great·er, great·est

1. Very large in size.

2. Larger in size than others of the same kind.

3. Large in quantity or number: A great throng awaited us. See Synonyms at large.

4. Extensive in time or distance: a great delay.

5. Remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent: a great crisis.

6. Of outstanding significance or importance: a great work of art.

7. Chief or principal: the great house on the estate.

8. Superior in quality or character; noble: "For he was great, ere fortune made him so" (John Dryden).

9. Powerful; influential: one of the great nations of the West.

10. Eminent; distinguished: a great leader.

11. Grand; aristocratic.

12. Informal Enthusiastic: a great lover of music.

13. Informal Very skillful: great at algebra.

14. Informal Very good; first-rate: We had a great time at the dance.

15. Being one generation removed from the relative specified. Often used in combination: a great-granddaughter.

In my belief, greatness, both in its positive and negative forms, does not fade. The emotions, however, can regress over time.

25 years from his first NBA game, and less than a decade removed from his last dribbles up the court, Michael Jordan's legacy as a great player is well remembered, but his status as the greatest player has already come into question.

Kobe Bryant, for many years seen as the heir apparent, has finally climbed to become the best player in the league, after cementing his first MVP award and Finals trophy sans Shaq. Were he to win one or two more trophies, and climb a bit higher in the record books, many will be ready to give him the "greatest" status already.

Less than a decade removed...

LeBron James, now entering his 7th year in the league (we are getting old), is only 25 but has already established a hall-of-fame career for himself. He has led the league in scoring, won the MVP trophy, and carried his team to the top of the league. If he continues on his current pace and plays for another decade or close, with a few title wins he will likely be considered among-if-not THE greatest player of all time...to many.

Less than a decade removed...

Then there's Dwyane Wade, who has already won a title; Carmelo Anthony, a Jordan-brand athlete who has shown flashes of being absolutely unstoppable and could one day get his game in focus; Kevin Durant, who is 1/2 an inch and 25 pounds from being impossible to guard, and Chris Paul, a small guard who has the will and toughness to compete with players well beyond his experience and size.

Less than a decade removed from seeing Jordan play his last NBA game, there are already whispers of players who could take the reins. What will his legacy be in a full decade? In 20 years? In 30?

Bill "The Sports Guy" Simmons asked an interesting question in one of his recent mailbags: What if Kobe Bryant was a good guy all this time, and we misperceived him because of the Shaq beef? Does that change things?

My first thought, of course, was the way he is perceived compared to Jordan. Would I personally feel that Kobe is closer to catching up with Jordan if I actually saw him as a person rather than a species? Yes, that was a bit harsh, I know.

But then I realized...sure, Kobe could acquire 6 rings, and more MVP's. Sure, Vince Carter might've produced more electrifying dunks in games. Sure, It only took Wade 3 seasons to do what took Michael 7. Sure, LeBron might shatter every scoring, rebound, and assist mark Jordan ever set by the time he's 30. Sure, Kevin Durant could one day average 40 points per game.

But what no one can ever match, and what makes him the greatest player of all time in my eyes, is not his statistics, but his story.

Watch the commercials. Read his quotes. Jordan didn't want to become rich, or famous, or a great dunker, or a leading scorer, or a defensive player of the year, or an MVP, or Finals MVP, or NBA Champion. He wanted it all. He fought for it all. And he achieved every bit of it.

It would be a calamity to see a generation pass and watch Jordan become nothing more than a high-flying dunker who scored a lot of points and won 6 rings. In this highlight-friendly era, that's what he's in danger of becoming. But the beauty of his career is found not in his successes, but in the things we discovered about him in his failures...Being picked after Sam Bowie

• Losing to the Celtics in his 2nd season
• Being abused and defeated by the Pistons for three straight years
• Losing his father
• Struggling as a minor league baseball player
• Coming back into basketball, older and further removed from the game
• Coming back into basketball at age 38 to join a losing Wizards team

...and when he faced the brink of his own demise...

• The Knicks battles of the mid-90's
• The '96 season, 72 wins after losing to Orlando the previous year
• The Sick Game
• Game 7 against the Pacers, 1998
• Game 6, The Shot, against the Jazz in '98
• The "game winner", 2003 all-star game, his last

When you've seen those moments, when you've seen how he fought his way to the top--and stayed there for nearly a decade--it's hard to confine what he accomplished to just numbers and highlights.

Michael Jordan is... a global empire...of shoes.

Michael Jordan is…a shot. THE Shot.

Michael Jordan is… evidence of human flight capability.

Michael Jordan is… a player that cannot be duplicated.

Michael Jordan is… Craig Ehlo’s father

Michael Jordan is…

...at last, a Hall of Famer.

And tomorrow.................................who knows?

*(Please note: in no way am I attempting to tie the legacy of Michael Jordan with the events and destruction of 9/11. This was merely done in tribute and, I hope, in good taste).

Never Forget....9/11/2001

With all the adulation and praise being rained down on the Hall of Fame inductions today, it's important to remember that today is the 8th anniversay of the biggest Terrorist Attack in US History. If you get a chance today, I heavily encourage you to reflect.

More Michael Jordan memories....

Once again, I was lucky to get to talk with Nick Fairclough(A Fellow member of the Niketalk forum and currently a Macro Financial Engineer with The Cambridge Financial Center (www.camonline.com), former Utah Ball Boy about some of his favorite Michael Jordan memories:

Nick: February 13, 2003: The Washington Wizards utilize the Utah Jazz practice facility located at FranklinCovey. The practice seemed light and casual as players went through full court skeleton and shooting drills. Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing excused themselves from the court and engaged in a friendly game of ping-pong. Due to the laidback nature I thought it appropriate to approach MJ about signing some items I had brought in hope of getting autographed. With a few strokes of a pen…Cha-Ching!!! Michael made my day with additional MJ signatures to add to my collection as well as a posed photograph later that day.

As I left the practice facility I thought to myself “How could/should I possibly show my appreciation to a man who has everything?” I called a friend - Phil Rosenthal, Bell Captain at The Grand America Hotel where the Washington Wizards were staying, and had a case of Bud Light beer delivered to Michael’s room. A gesture that I hoped wouldn’t go unnoticed.

February 14, 2003: I met the Washington Wizards for their morning shoot-around. Michael made eye contact and approached me with an outstretched arm. As we shook hands it was clear who was in charge (my hand could fit in the palm of his giant hand).

“I know what you were trying to do. You got the tall bottles trying to get me drunk!” he said. “What is it with you guys in Utah? Always trying to get me sick or drunk, you remember what happened last time, don’t you?” I can only assume he was referring to the 1997 Game 5 NBA Finals. With the series against the Utah Jazz tied 2-2, Jordan awoke in the middle of the night before Game 5, shaking, sweating and vomiting with the flu. George Koehler, Michael’s long time friend and body-guard describes the event as follows:

“To this day, I don’t think anyone appreciates how seriously ill Michael was in Game 5 on the 1997 Finals against Utah. In those days, Michael never really left his room. So we’d all be in there close by, to pass the time. We all ordered room service, and Michael didn’t order anything. Then at the last minute, he ordered a pizza from a local joint. If I’m not mistaken it was a pepperoni pizza. Nobody ate the pizza except Michael. At two or three o’clock in the morning, Michael wakes up with an upset stomach. So he calls Chip Schaeffer, the trainer, who gives Michael something to settle his stomach. After the antacids, they gave him sleeping pills. Nothing works. He felt like throwing up, but he couldn’t throw up. And he’s getting hot and cold flashes. All of this could have been attributed to the flu, or whatever. Now it’s early in the morning, time to go to practice. So now they give him a laxative. He’s too weak to go to practice, so he skips the shoot-around. Michael tries to sleep, but he can’t sleep. We get on the bus to go to the game at 3 p.m. and he’s just a rag doll. He has no energy. He still hadn’t thrown up. And he still hasn’t slept. Now he’s got antacids, sleeping pills and laxatives in his system. At 5 o’clock, an hour before the game, he can’t stay awake. So he pumps himself full of coffee. He goes out and plays, and we all know what happened. He plays 44 minutes, scores 38 points, brings Chicago back from 16 points down, hits a key three-pointer to put them ahead, and the Bulls win. But at halftime, he’s just drained. If you had seen him, you would have thought there was no way this guy could walk back to the court, much less play. Michael always drank Gatorade to full himself back up with fluids. So one of the locker room kids went to get some Gatorade. Two cans came back, but it’s not Gatorade. It’s Gatorlode, the stuff you are supposed to drink after you are done playing. Michael didn’t even realize what he was drinking. He hasn’t slept in more than 36 hours; he’s get pepperoni pizza, all the medicines, sleeping pills, who knows how many cups of coffee, Gatorlode in his body – anybody else would have been in the hospital. And Michael should have been in the hospital. Nobody else would have been out there playing, much less been able to make a pressure shot and walk off the court. Michael was so dehydrated after the game that he could hardly move. He looked like he was dead. He was barely conscious. I had seen the whole show to that point, and I am still amazed by what he did and with what he had to deal with.That’s just who he is, and it’s hard for people to understand the depth of his will. His whole life is a competition – every aspect of his life. And he’s going to win. It’s just that simple.” (Driven From Within / Michael Jordan” Marl Vancil page.157)

1997 NBA Finals Post Game Comments: “I almost played myself into passing out," Jordan said. "I came in and I was almost dehydrated and it was all just to win a basketball game. I couldn't breathe. My energy level was really low…”

Now, just for the record, I was not trying to get Michael Jordan drunk or sick! Nor was I the individual responsible for giving Michael Gatorlode instead of Gatorade.

Michael thanked me for the beer and we engaged in casual chit-chat before he went onto the court for shoot-around. While the players were on the floor I assisted the Equipment Manager, Jerry Walter, with the set up and organization of the visiting team locker room (hanging uniforms, laying out shoes, placing name plates, etc.) After the team left I took the opportunity to get a few pictures. (How many people do you know who can say they wore MJ’s jersey?)

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/nickfairclough1/Page3WW4copy.jpg

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/nickfairclough1/Page3WW2copy.jpg

http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad70/nickfairclough1/Page3WW3copy.jpg

There you have it. My memory of Michael Jordan, The Greatest Player of All Time, Hall of Fame Inductee September 11, 2009.

Hey Nick, thanks for the info...a few follow up questions:

Did you work the Bull's locker room for Mike's sick game?

I was not officially assigned to the Chicago Bulls locker room during the finals. However, I assisted the Chicago Bulls bench and was on that end of the floor helping the other Utah Jazz Ballboys along with the Chicago Bulls Trainers and Equipment Manager.

Were those of you who were employees of the Jazz aware of what was happening with Michael's health?

Michael’s health was public knowledge due to the media. However, there were several employees (as well as fans) who believed that MJ was faking his illness in hopes of sabotaging the Utah Jazz mentally.

Do you have any specific memories from that game?

I was sitting on the basketball standard as Michael dunked the ball. The reverberation from the dunk was exciting as the standard shook. After MJ's epic performance, Pippen would say, "He's the greatest, and everyone saw why tonight."