Some thoughts on the Conference Finals, Game 1

Looking Westward:

The Lakers escaped with that Game 1 win because Denver didn't execute on the Defensive or Offensive end when they were supposed to late in the game. The first mistake was the silly foul on Kobe by Kenyon Martin with less then a minute left, he should have just played good defense. The second mistake (one I am still shaking my head at) is the inability to inbound the ball. There is no reason that the team shouldn't have broken their set and scrambled to get free when they realized it was going to be a problem getting the ball inbounds, its called adaptation. Absolutely NO REASON why someone shouldn't have sprinted into the backcourt to receive the inbounds pass, inexcusable. Ditto for Denver having one of the shorter players on the team inbound the ball. It should have been a big man, especially after seeing that 6'9 Lamar Odom was guarding the inbounder. On the good side for Denver, they know deep down they can beat this team and they were allowed 

to be physical with this Laker team. They also got a wonderful effort from Carmelo Anthony, who admirably took it upon himself to defend Kobe during the game. I still see this series going to the Lakers, but Denver certainly can make it interesting. 6 or 7 games, especially if Denver can somehow win tonight in Game 2. Also, Nene and Kenyon Martin are making the Laker's front line look Charmin Ultra soft. I haven't seen a grown man dunk on lesser men since that Church league game where Spudd Webb showed up and killed my team (another blog post for another time). Nene looked around in the first half after booming a couple times and realized that he was the only true big man on the floor and proceeded to have his way. Hiliarous.

On the East Coast side of things, I must say I am

 surprised Orlando took Game 1 in Cleveland. Looking at the game a second time though, some things jumped out at me:

Cleveland looked downright tired in the second half. I have a feeling this is conditioning based and has to do with the fact that they were probably a little out of game shape after sitting at home 9 days, practices or not. You just can't simulate these late game energy sapping situations, and it cost them the game. Lebron was actually so exhausted he cramped up to the point of not being able to walk off the floor, something I have never seen from him. Dehydration probably played a role. He also didn't deliver in the clutch the way an MVP should have (I know I'm getting email from people for that one). Missed freethrows, losing the ball in the air when he drove to the basket were pretty uncharacteristic for him, (well maybe losing the ball was.)  Orlando played pretty well. Dwight Howard HAS to learn how to stay out of foul trouble. If he had just not left his feet on his sixth foul while standing straight up, maybe he is in the game at the end. Hedo played like a beast as well, hitting open and contested jumpers. That is when he is at his most dangerous, when he is able to use his shot making ability to keep the defender honest and drive to the basket. Rashard Lewis was a big key for Orlando as well, hitting the big 3 and playing solid defense. Same to Rafer Alston (Skip from here on out) he played a solid game and contributed by hitting some open 3's, which is something Orlando has to do if they take this series. I still call Cleveland in 6 or 7, but if Orlando keeps shooting and doesn't mess stuff up at the end of games (I'm looking at YOU, Stan Van Gundy!) then we might have to swap out that Lebron puppet for a Rashard Lewis puppet in those Nike Commercials.

For all the readers, enjoy the coupon!

Just print it out and take into any Footlocker store over the next 6 days and enjoy 30% off clothing and sneakers. Some exclusions apply. Save some money!!

Bring on the Conference Finals! And then there were four....

Some random thoughts:

Was anyone surprised the Lakers ran over the Rockets in LA for Game 7? I felt that this was a game that the Lakers would assert themselves and their superstars would play like superstars and get those types of calls. Rockets just didn't have the firepower to overcome. And you know what? I couldn't be prouder of that team. They had more heart this series then any other team in the League. I challenge anyone to point out another team the past 10 years that could lose not one but both their superstars and still push the Championship favorites to 7 games. Gutsy stuff. Sadly, I can't help but think that this series would be over sooner if Tracy McGrady was playing. Good to know that he finally got out of the 1st round though.

The real shocker for me was seeing Orlando (Orlando?!) go into Boston and run them off their own court. Live by the 3, die by the 3, and boy, was Orlando living! Not much you can do when they are hitting contested and uncontested threes and jumpers. Boston also played with the heart of the champion this series, especially considering no one in their right mind even picked them to get o the conference finals. They just ran out of gas, and didn't have their emotional leader in KG. Hope this isn't the last we see of them. So now we have Orlando and Cleveland, I'm picking Cleveland in 6, 5 if they really get going. Looking at the matchups makes me think that Orlando's chances are directly predicated on how they defend Lebron's supporting cast, foul trouble and dominant play from Howard, and how well Orlando shoots at home and on the road. I'd love to see the series go 7 because as great as Lebron is, he gets better when he is challenged and the stakes are higher.

In the West, I see the Lakers taking the series but dealing with some serious heat from Denver. I find it completely possible that Denver wins this series if a perfect storm forms. That Perfect Storm would take several ingredients: Denver shoots the ball incredibly well. LA plays like they played against Houston. Denver is able to defend Kobe Bryant and turn him into a volume shooter. Denver is able to take 1 or 2 on LA's floor. If these things happen, we may have a next generation finals matchup between Melo and Lebron, and the Kobe naysaying chatter will only grow louder.

Either way, I'm happy that the Playoffs are progressing and hope that the good basketball continues.

Rockets-Lakers Game 1 notes and observations

The Rockets surprised many in the Basketball community by taking game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals Last Night on LA's Home Floor, but, if one looks at certain trends and team makeup, this should not be surprising to anyone and may hint on some surprising future events.

Some things I noticed from last night:

1) The Lakers have not faced a team this Playoffs who play them defensively the way these Rockets do. The Rocket's D is predicated on body to body contact. Not only are you going to get your shot challenged, you are going to feel a body on you before you even elevate to shoot. This can be extremely frustrated, especially if fouls are not called and Kobe is not able to take advantage of the defender's closeness at the free throw line.

2) The Lakers have no answer for Yao Ming. Even when Yao was doubled last night (few and far between) he was skilled enough to either turn and shoot over both the defenders or pass to a wide open shooter who could pull up and make the Lakers pay. He also played like a MAN after getting bumped knee to knee with Kobe Bryant. As soon as he went down, I sat up and visions of the Lakers sweeping the Rockets immediately after they inbounded the ball after his injury. But, Yao stopped before going into the locker room, stretched in the hallway, talked down his trainer, and walked back out and hit 2 jumpers and 4 freethrows to put this game away. He gave the Rockets an emotional lift and set the tone for toughness for the series, something I never thought I would be attributing to him.

3) The Rockets didn't do their customary lay down in the 4th quarter. This is the first game of 2008-2009 season/playoffs that the Rockets have beaten the Lakers on any court. This is extremely surprising, as some people were calling for 4 close Laker wins and a sweep. The Rockets were able to shake off what had previously happened, go into LA, and take an 8 point victory.

4) The Lakers have no answer for Aaron Brooks. He shows the uncanny ability to go by almost any Laker on the floor, getting into the key and causing havoc with his layups or kickouts. If the Lakers can't figure out a way to neutralize his speed, this could be a wild series.

5) The Rockets have not one, but 2 better then average Kobe Bryant defenders. A unique advantage the Rockets have over any other team facing the Lakers is that they are able to put 2 very good defenders who have already had exceptional defensive games against Kobe. Monday that defense was on display, as Kobe had 32 points on 31 shots. He went 3-5 while Artest was guarding him, and 8-22 when Shane Battier was in front of him. Houston loves this, as it throws the Lakers out of sync and causes Kobe to shoot more. Both Shane Battier and Ron Artest also openly welcome the challenge of defending Kobe, which I am sure irks Kobe.

6) The Lakers still almost won, even though they played badly. This is still one of the top 3 teams in basketball, make no mistake. They have the ability to take the next 4 and make this blog post irrelevant. BUT, they are certainly not in a good position right now, with Houston at worst taking a split back home to Texas. We will see if the Lakers can rebound tonight.

Track your lost Smartphone!! Useful App (For FREE!!)

If you own a smartphone, then I am sure you know the panic of not knowing where it is/having it stolen. One of the beauties of the WinMo platform is that there is no limit to the type and function an app can have. One of my recently discovered programs is Smartphone Tracker. You install it on your phone, your phone gets lost or stolen, you text something to the phone, and the phone responds by email/text with it's current GPS coordinates/ google map location! And if it isn't able to get a GPS lock, it will relay the nearest cellular tower info to give you a general idea of where it is. Fantastic!!

Check it out HERE.

Happy Sabbath!

That's all I have to say. Just got a new blog program for my phone and I wanted to try it out.

-2 Cor 12:9

Well here it is, the cover for Madden '10

I'll be getting it.

15 minutes could save you.....LOL

A LETTER TO
OPTIMUS PRIME
FROM HIS GEICO
AUTO INSURANCE
AGENT.

BY JOHN FRANK WEAVER

- - - -

Dear Mr. Prime,

We have received your accident-claim reports for the month of June—they total 27. I regret to inform you that GEICO will not be able to reimburse you for any of those repairs. I feel that I have sent the same letter to you once a month for the last six months, and I am now sending it again.

Since becoming a GEICO customer in January of this year, you have reported 131 accidents, requesting reimbursement for repairs necessitated by each one. You have claimed not to be responsible in any of them, usually listing the cause of the accident as either "Sneak attack by Decepticons" or "Unavoidable damage caused by protecting freedom for all sentient beings."

The only repairs for which you were reimbursed were the replacement of a cracked fender and a headlight, required after a Mr. I. Ron Hide backed his van into your truck; these cost $1,286.63. Our own investigation concluded that you were not at fault and that Mr. Hide had been drinking prior to the accident. Though police were unable to test his blood-alcohol level—Mr. Hide claimed that it would be impossible for police to examine his blood-alcohol content with a Breathalyzer, because he "doesn't breathe"—under Washington-state law, refusal to take a Breathalyzer test is equivalent to returning a result above the legal level.

But, I repeat, those were the only repairs for which you have been reimbursed, and it was a very minor accident in comparison to your other claims. I mention a few to illustrate the larger trend:

• $379,431.34 requested reimbursement for repairs to your truck cabin. You claimed the damage was caused by attacking fighter jets.
• $665,789.11 requested reimbursement for repairs to your trailer. You claimed the damage was caused by a giant mechanical scorpion, which I can only assume is some amusement-park ride, although I question the wisdom of bringing your mobile home so close to such dangerous equipment.
• $6,564,239.44 requested reimbursement for repairs to a truck part called the "Autobot Matrix of Leadership." You stated this occurred in "an ultimate confrontation between good and evil," with a Ms. Meg Atron and a Mr. U. Nicron causing the damage in question. Mr. Prime, I have checked every known car- and truck-part catalog published in the United States and have found nothing even resembling that part, never mind any part so expensive. Whatever disagreements you had with Ms. Atron and Mr. Nicron, I suggest that next time you either settle things peaceably or leave your Autobot Matrix of Leadership at home so it doesn't break. GEICO does not cover Autobot Matrix of Leaderships.

And the list goes on. Mr. Prime, I am going to remind you again: Your policy with GEICO only reimburses you for accidents that occur while you are engaged in the reasonable use of your truck and trailer. As I told you when you originally purchased the policy, GEICO does not offer Megatron coverage, Starscream coverage, Soundwave coverage, Decepticon coverage, or Energon-blast coverage. Those are just not the types of damages we would expect from reasonable use.

To sum up, GEICO has been unable to reimburse you for any repairs, but due to the high number of accidents you have been a party to this month, combined with the many accidents you have had in the preceding five months, your premium has increased to $235,567.50 per month. While that may seem like a lot, I remind you that it is a savings of $137 over Progressive and $98 over State Farm. Please have your check into our main office by the end of July.

Regards,

Simon Furman
GEICO Agent

Cavs playoff commercial. LOL

Poll results: Who will win the NBA Championship this year?

With 40% of the vote, you, our loyal readers, chose.....

The LA Lakers.

Not a bad choice, as they seem to be on a collision course with whoever happens to come out of the East (The League is praying for the Cavs to make it so they can go into marketing overdrive with Lebron vs. Kobe.) I would love to see a 7 game Finals. Your thoughts on the popular opinion being that LA wins the Finals this year?

We Are ALL Witnesses, By: Lebron James

Thanks Paul! I really appreciate the love man! What's good America?!?! It's ya boy, King James in the building and I'm here to let you know why I should be the MVP.......(like the award isn't already mines already). I've never been a selfish person, (coughing)6.7 assist per game, but in order to convince you to vote for me for MVP, I'll have to brag on myself a lil bit ya know. But before I get started, I would like to dedicate my MVP season to Skip Bayless. Skip, your continual hate has motivated me to take my game to another level. I really don't care if you will never like my game, but you WILL respect it!!!!! Yezzir!

ANYWAYS, here are 6 reasons (in honor of my 6th season) why I, Lebron Raymone James, Should take home the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

1. PPG-28.4, RPG-7.6, APG-7.2, SPG-2, BPG-1, FG- 49%, FT- 79% during 37 minutes per game.....................Team Record 66-16

LET THAT MARINATE PLEASE.............................................................................................

Ok, now last years MVP- PPG-28.2 (lower), RPG-6.3 (Puh-Lease), APG-5.4 (And I know it hurt him to share the ball that much!), SPG-2, BPG-too small to compare, FG- 46% (sigh), FT- 84% (ok, so he has me there)...................Team Record 57-25(Kidding Me!!!).....................

Can I have my trophy now?!?!

2. Let me ask you a question. At the beginning of this season, did you really see THIS Cleveland Cavalier team going 66-16*?!?! I'm POSITIVE you didn't see that coming! I mean, sure Mo Williams was a great addition to the team and yes, he's an all-star, but he was a replacement's REPLACEMENT!!!!! Meanwhile, I have to work with Big Z, Varejao, DW, Big Ben, Wally, Boobie, and whoever else Mike puts in the game (yea, we're on a first name basis.......matter of fact, he's MY assistant coach!). I must give D Wade props though. He is definitely working with scraps. But seriously, 66 wins?!?!?! Yea, i didn't think so! Also, my camaraderie with the team (see picture above), is parallel to no other star in the league! Kobe barely likes anybody else on his team and D. Wade is too into himself to even share the spotlight with his team!



(*- I didn't play in the last game of the season or else it would have been 67-15!!!)



3. OK, so maybe you didn't read those names above, but I'll prove how my presence on the court can make these guys better.



Delonte West- 10 ppg last year, 12 this year



Mo Williams- 39% from 3 last year, 44% this year



Anderson Varejao- (he averages less rebounds this year because I don't miss!) 7 ppg last year, 9 ppg this year!!!!



Do I need to continue?!?!



4. I want you to take a look at something..............http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=MVP-0809 . Witnesses speak the truth! Jon Barry is a BUM so I'm not tripping about him ridding me of being the unanimous choice! Somebody put that man in witness protection!!!



5. Allow me to hate a little bit. Ummm, MV3 (it only caught on in Miami) somehow seems to claim that "this is my house" when he plays at the America Airlines Arena and that's cute, it really is. But last time I checked, the Heat were 28-15 at home and MY Cavs were 39-2*. Also I conquered that house!!! This is MY LEAGUE Mr. Wade!!! (*- that 2nd home loss came at the end of the season when I wasn't playing)



6. Sigh, Mr. Bryant..........Yes he gave us our only home loss (ok, we lost 2, but I'm only gonna count 1), yes his teams record is almost as good as ours, and yes he is the reigning MVP, but his reign must come to an end. I don't know why Pau Gasol is so underrated!!!! This guy is LEGIT! If Kobe was not on this team, they would still have a shot at making the playoffs! As a matter of fact, If Kobe was having an off night, he could easily be the 4th option! Think I'm wrong?! Well, lets see. There's Pau (check), L.O. (check), and the playboy Bynum (check)! I'm sorry, but if I had those kind of options, I'd average a triple double AND have 70+ wins.........EVERY SEASON!



And if that isnt enough................lebronisreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallygood.com......... yea.....nuff said!



I'LL SEE YOU IN JUNE!

Contributed by Terrell McCoy, of P.O.L.R exPRESS. Check him out!!

LBJ is MVP: Part I of our Lebron James MVP profile

LBJ is MVP

By Paul Derek Nixon, Guest Contributor to Page 3

It disgusts me that I have to write this. The fact that everyone in the knowledgeable basketball world doesn’t believe that LeBron James is hands down the MVP of the NBA for the 2008-2009 season is a testament to the times. People don’t watch basketball games anymore, they just look at box scores. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Someone told me once that Kobe is the greatest of all time because he scored 81 points in a game. Someone else told me recently that he thought Lil’ Wayne was the greatest rapper of all time. We have really short memories. More and more we’re becoming an “out of sight, out of mind” society. We eat minute rice because Basmati takes too long to cook and Taco Bell because we don’t have tip a server. We drink soda because it tastes better than water, and we watch Sportscenter because we don’t have time to watch the game. Don’t get me wrong, I love minute rice, Taco Bell, soda, and Sportscenter, but at least I recognize a shortcut when I’m taking one. It is important that we do thorough evaluations of players and their seasons when we’re deciding these end of the year individual awards. That being said, let me explain to you why LeBron James is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that different sports writers evaluate their season MVP based on different criteria. Some say it should go to the best player on the best team. The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the NBA and King James is their leader. LBJ is MVP. Others say it should go to the player with the most impressive individual statistics, regardless of the record of his team. LeBron’s season averages are: 28.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 7.2 apg, 49% fg, 34% 3p, 78% ft, 1.7 st, 1.1 bl, and 1.7 pf. The league hasn’t seen numbers this balanced since MJ’s 32 8 and 8 season 20 years ago. If stats are your only criteria, then LBJ is MVP. Some writers think the MVP is the player who makes his team better. Daniel Gibson. JJ Hickson. Anderson Varejao. Delonte West. These players were all nothing before LeBron came along. LBJ is MVP.

Still others think the award belongs to the player that makes the most difference in the quality of his team. This is the tricky part. See, most people would put D-Wade above the King in this category. I concede that without D-Wade and LBJ, respectively, the Heat are a much worse team than the Cavs. However, it is much more difficult to take something good and make it great than it is to take something horrible and make it decent. Do you know who else makes horrible teams decent? Nearly every all-star on an around .500 team does it. Why not vote for any of those guys? I love Dwyane Wade, I really do, but all he does is make a putrid team decent. The Heat are still not a good team with him at his best, they are only decent. Kobe’s team is good with or without him, but LeBron’s team isn’t as good as sans LeBron as Kobe’s team is without their best player. LBJ is MVP. I’ve even read some sports writers’ opinion that the best teammate deserves the MVP. Have you seen a Cleveland game this year? Those guys love each other, and it all starts with the King. As the leader of that team, he holds his team to an extremely high standard of work ethic and performance, but he’s also the loudest cheerleader and the guy having the most fun. In this regard, he’s more Magic than Mike, and it has worked wonders for his team. Wade isn’t a bad teammate per se, but he’s certainly no LeBron. Kobe’s a bad teammate, pure and simple. LBJ is MVP.

Regardless of the method you use to evaluate the MVP, LeBron should be your vote. We can even go to non-basketball related areas to prove this point. How about marketability? Kobe isn’t even in this conversation. D-Wade has done a good job with his hilarious T-Mobile commercials and his reviving of the Converse line, but LeBron is still head and shoulders above him. LBJ has officially crossed over into mainstream, non-sports arenas of entertainment. He has graced the covers of both Vogue and GQ magazines, and despite his umpteen arm tattoos, has the clean-cut image that both KB24 (rape charges) and D-Wade (messy public divorce) lack. LBJ is MVP. He even has a cooler nickname than those other guys! History shows that sports nicknames work best when they fall in line with either a player’s first or last name: “Air” Jordan; “Magic” Johnson; Larry “Legend;” Wilt “The Stilt;” “Penny” Hardaway; Hakeem “The Dream;” Clyde “The Glide.” Heck, commentators (particularly Mark Jackson) even call Daniel Gibson “Boobie” more often than they call him Daniel because it works so well with his last name. I like D-Wade’s nickname (Flash) better than Kobe’s (Black Mamba), but they both pale in comparison to King James. LBJ is MVP.

But let’s put all of these reasons things aside for a minute. The main reason LeBron James is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA this season is because of the historical significance of the season. See, to all you microwave using, box score studying sports “fans,” LeBron’s season this year is a little worse than his season last year. His point, rebound, and assist numbers are all down. But this year, he played nearly 3 minutes less per game and shot a higher percentage in every category while also averaging fewer turnovers. He also played more games, with the only game he missed being the last game of the season, which he missed because his coach wanted to rest him; the team lost the game, by the way. It’s no coincidence that the same year LeBron plays a career high in games, the team set all sorts of franchise records in victories, types of victories, locations of victories, and margins of victory. LeBron had one of the most efficient seasons in the modern history of the league. The league didn’t record turnovers during Oscar Robertson’s triple double season or Wilt’s 50 ppg season (which, by the way, occurred in the same season), so we can’t accurately evaluate those. But since the ’73-74 season, LeBron had the third best season OF ALL TIME. Such a season must be rewarded with the highest individual honor the league bestows. It simply has to. Don’t believe? Check out this article by ESPN’s John Hollinger for irrevocable proof.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=PERDiem-090324

So there it is. Wins, stats, team achievements, historical significance, cool nickname, and crossover appeal. LeBron James is the MVP of the NBA, period (space, space).

Note: Our thanks to Paul for taking the time to talk about Lebron. Check out Part II by Terrell McCoy coming soon!

Thoughts from the last night of the NBA season (Assembled randomly and haphazardly)

• The clippers suck
• Get your computer out—PC, Mac, whatever. Youtube Kenyon Martin’s dunk from last night. I saw it live and it made me scream…like an milk-craving infant. Ok I can’t wait for you…click here.
• I’ve never seen an entire stadium…on the last night of the season, much less…in a blowout win…stay and cheer the home team BEYOND the final buzzer. But that’s what happened last night in Portland. It was amazing. That’s the greatest non-playoff fan performance I’ve ever seen.
• The clippers suck
• The Bulls really have to be celebrating Boston’s news about Garnett today, because the way they took it from Toronto’s Chris Bosh and Shawn Marion last night, they don’t seem to have any answer for opposing power forwards.
• The Mavericks, as in many years past, have now entered the playoffs with expectations. It’s too bad…underdog status might’ve done them a lot of good.
• And while we’re on the subject…good grief, Jason Terry is amazing in 4th quarters.
• The clippers suck
• Houston somehow farted away a season’s worth of effort in one night in slipping from home court at the 3 seed to playing on the road as the 5 seed. Maybe God doesn’t have the big sense of humor I was expecting, because if they had advanced to the 2nd round without TMac, he would’ve looked like the biggest joke EVER.
• Whether they played well or poorly, I still have not come up with a reason in over 5 years of their existence to watch a Charlotte Bobcats game…
• Royal Ivey. Daniel Gibson was about to become a Cleveland legend (after hitting not one, but TWO clutch threes to send the game into overtime) by hitting a game-winner to clinch a 40-1 home record for the Cavs. But Ivey, the one who was teabagged (if you’re not familiar with the term, you’ve apparently been in all black schools for much of your life, lol) in a legendary way by Hakim Warrick, put him in a ’96 Payton Glove-like lockdown that left him sprawled on the floor. Amazing defense. Sucked to see the Cavs not get the record, but hey, redemption from teabaggage is always nice to witness.
• The team I am most excited to see this postseason, strangely, is the Miami Heat. It reminds me a lot of the Heat from Wade’s rookie season, when they entered with no expectations and a lot of youth and Wade showed the promise and potential that we now have seen maximized in his last 5 seasons. Now, I really want to see what Beasley can do. From what I saw Tuesday, fellow lefty Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks, who is his team’s best defender, can do nothing with Beasley. We know Wade’s gonna eat someone alive. I think the pivotal matchup of that series will be who wins the scoring contest between Smith and Beasley.
• The clippers suck (and if you haven’t figured it out yet, they have lost their privilege of being recognized with capitalization until they do SOMETHING with themselves, starting with firing Dunleavy.
• Hilarious, sad, and probably maddening for Toronto fans to see them finish the season as one of the hottest teams in the league, and closed the season—a season in which they fired a good coach, defied all positive expectations, and possibly alienated their franchise player for the summer of 2010—on a high note. That’s tough…
• The Western Conference playoffs are gonna be AMAZING in the first round, and will get less interesting and more predictable with each round. On the other hand, the first round in the Eastern Conference will be a wash (other than an exciting Miami-Atlanta series) and will get presumably better and better each round. My advice: start off this weekend focusing on the West, and once we get into May shift your focus to the East.
• Philly went into overtime against the Cavs, who rested their 5 best players. So to make it clear, the Sixers starters barely scraped out a one-point game against Cleveland’s 6-12th men…I don’t think that should be a playoff team.
• And finally…watch out for the Thunder in 2010!!! Ok, they’re not winning this thing, but they definitely should make it to the playoffs. I’m gonna call that one now. Especially since the Spurs are a season and a half from life support.

A few quick thoughts, and the secret to Grad School is Deion Sanders?

First off, happy that so many people liked the MVP convo with Wade and Kobe. We will have two guests weighing in on LBJ, Paul Nixon and Terrell McCoy. I'll be posting Paul's shortly. If you weren't aware, today the news broke that Kevin Garnett is out for the playoffs. Probably. Nothing official, but his coach was quoted as saying ..."It's official as far as I am concerned...I had to shut him down after watching him run at practice for 20 minutes...his knee was locking up." I find it amazing that the Celtics were able to keep the seriousness of this knee injury quiet for so long. That is a miracle in today's news driven, youtube, ESPN 24 hour a day society. Secondly, did the road just get a whole bunch easier for Lebron James and the Cavs to come out of the East? The Magic realistically are their biggest challenge, and they would have home court advantage against them. It's really beginning to develop into a dream matchup between the Lakers and the Cavs. Kobe-Lebron. I can only hope. On a personal level, I have a good quote that came into my head from a professor here at A&M. After getting a bad grade on an exam or assignment, he told me

"You have to be like Deion Sanders. A great Cornerback. You just got burned for a touchdown, but you need to have an incredibly short memory, and not let it affect your future work and what you want to do."

I am having a tough class right now that I am not sure the outcome of, and this quote really has helped me. We had a pretty tough exam this morning but I have to forget it and put everything into the remaining homework and final exam. If I haven't run it into the ground yet, you can follow me on twitter @slaihingpg3blog. Have a good evening!

The Full Truth, even if you don't want to hear it. By Kobe Bean Bryant

"If the Lakers are playing, I'm watching to see what he does. He is THAT dude."
-Lebron James

It's simple really. No one wants to root for Goliath. I've been in the league 12 seasons, and have been most hated for 11 of them. I understand, but even after winning one MVP last year (many seasons overdue I might add) all people want to talk about is Bron, or Wade, or Colorado hotel rooms and 7th games against the Suns. I get it. I'm not the sexy pick. I don't get triple doubles regularly, nor do I show the athleticism and young Jordan like abilities in the open court like Mr. Wade (at least not anymore, have to save the legs you know.) What I do show, however, is that I am STILL the best basketball player in the world. I am the best at closing out games against anyone, be it an NBA team, Summer Pickup, Spain, or Martians. I am still the guy you would take to play someone one on one for the lives of your family. I'm still the guy you would take if you needed a last second jumper to win. I'm still the upgrade to what you saw in Mike (hey, let's be real, I have better footwork and a better jumper from 18 feet out.)I'm still THAT guy. What I am not, is a coddler. Hell, He (the one in Chicago) wasn't either. You either perform, or you get off the team. I'm not here to hold my teammate's hands, we are all professionals. I am here to win rings, 3 I already have if you weren't aware. Speaking of rings, let me be categorically clear with you all: Shaq's 3 rings wouldn't have happened in LA without me (and me alone) as the closer. He played 3.5 quarters a game (horribly out of shape) and then was a non-factor late in games due to his being less of a complete player (free throws, cough). I made the triangle go, not him. Now, back to this season. My numbers have only slightly dropped since my MVP year last year, and my team has more wins this year. Shoot, my MVP numbers were less then the previous 2 seasons but somehow I got it last year instead of other years. Go figure. Being the most hated player the past 10 years isn't easy, but someone has to do it. I bet if you asked Wade or Bron who their pick for MVP was, they would be pointing out to LA. And while we are talking about Wade or Bron, need I remind you that I am a big reason why they are having the years they are having in the first place? Those dudes weren't waking up at 6 AM to put up 1000 jumpers before lunch. They watched ME working that hard during the 2008 summer. That helped them realize what it really takes to be the best, to work hard to stay on top of your game, to always add new things. It's the most important lesson I learned early on watching Jordan, and it is probably going to be the most important thing I pass on to these younger guys. So, forget that I have 3x rings Wade has, or that I have lost more finals then Lebron has been to, or that I am a lock for the Hall of Fame, and that I am ranked in the top 3 in points, (while still leading my team in assists.) Forget that I am my team's best player, and that we have the second best record in the league. Forget that my team is the favorite to get out of the West (the tougher conference), and that, with a healthy Bynum, we should be getting another ring this year. It's ok. And lastly, forget that I am still only 30 and have a good 3 to 4 more seasons to make you hate me more. I understand. I'm not mad. I'm not even really going to bother you with numbers or facts to strengthen my case because it doesn't really matter with you all anyhow what I do. You were never completely comfortable with me being the undisputed best player in the world anyway. Story of my life.

P.S. While we are being real, the truth is that I did choose #24 because it was one better then #23. I really do want to retire the best and I have to make even you, the doubting, hating pseudo-basketball fan, give me that title that you so happily give to Jordan.

Dwyane Wade for MVP

Let’s put this in perspective—Dwyane Wade is only getting shafted out of the 2009 NBA's Most Valuable Player Trophy for one reason, and one reason only: his team is only going to finish 2 or 3 games above .500 for the entire season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers and Lakers, LeBron and Kobe’s teams (did I even need to say that??) are sitting more than 50 games above .500, basically implying to many voters and fans that they are more deserving of the award.

In terms of MVP criteria, wins is an extremely important determinant in deciding who actually should receive the award. It is that way, and I believe it should be that way.

At the same time, in order to evaluate an individual award in a team sport, I would like to think that you have to take into account the situation being presented to the player to truly determine whether or not they proved “Most Valuable” in the league, or if a portion of their value is credited to the team around them (and if so, how much).

With all that said, let’s cut to the chase…

Kobe has Gasol, an all-star post player, a $60 million center, a 3-time champion point guard, and an array of young talent around him. He has a team of veterans who all have (at minimum) reached the NBA Finals. He won the MVP Trophy at long last a year ago, and he’s returned this year to similar brilliance, albeit in the form of lesser numbers. 60+ wins, admirable. But expected.

LeBron James is the best player in the league. If that were the argument today I’d be on the wrong side of it writing this article—that much I’ll admit. But from his past we’ve seen that his unselfishness in an even vote should actually work against him in the MVP voting. That is, he is the best player in the league right now because his supporting cast this year has been exponentially better. Surround him with below-average shooters and a loafing center and he is forced to do things he’s not yet great at. Surround him with the best shooting center and backcourt in the league, along with a stifling defensive plan from his coach, and he’s an unstoppable force, and the owner of the league’s best record.
Simple.

And Dwyane Wade? Well, it’s been quite a different road for Wade this year. Despite numerous personal and professional difficulties, he has managed to fight through the season in a way that has impressed voters to give him a peek for MVP. Of course, his actual “peak” seems to be 2nd or 3rd place.

Well here’s a case for DWade. It’s no “LeBronisReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyGood.com,” but I’d like to think that there are a few things people should take into account before letting the Heat’s near-.500 record dissuade…dis-Wade (yes, awful pun) them from voting for #3 for the Heat.


Carrying two rookies

LeBron’s point guard? An all-star. Kobe’s? 3-time NBA Champion
Wade’s? A rookie.

LeBron’s 2nd fiddle? When it’s not Mo Williams, he can kick it to the man in the middle, “Big Z.” Kobe’s 2nd fiddle? Again, he’s got a man (or two, really) in the middle in Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum…and Lamar Odom.

Wade’s 2nd fiddle? A rookie…a rookie who didn’t start this season until 3 Miami starters were lost to injury.

Seriously, LeBron’s two rookies are his 11th and 12th men! Kobe’s rookie Sun Yue has seen less than 3 minutes of action in 10 games this season.

Wade’s two rookies? Are his starting point guard and sixth man! Need I say more?


The focus of defenses

Because of his team’s lack of experience (and talent of any kind at the center position),  Wade has had to fight for everything he’s gotten this season. 7.5 assists on a young team means he is really setting them up in good situations to score. 30.2 points on a young team implies that even while being the complete focus of a defense, he is still able to get what he wants and dictate the game to the other team. Maybe 30 and 7.5 isn’t much when Shaq’s in the middle, but it sure as heck is when the O’Neal in the post is a mummified Jermaine instead. Sorry Kobe, your twin tower duo of Gasol and Bynum definitely take you out of this one. You’re the focus, but not the ONLY focus.


Personal life

Some people can’t even get out of the bed in the morning going through what Wade is currently going through in his life. He’s in the midst of an ugly, ugly divorce with his high school sweetheart, and even with his business being out in the streets, in the midst of a defamation lawsuit against his own wife, he’s been able to thrive and excel above the rest this season. And if he’s…”ailing” in the way his wife suggests he is, then he’s really putting in an incredible season. Not to make light of his situation, just…yeah, basketball and burning in the britches just don’t go together.


What Kobe couldn’t do

Some people may say, “What’s the difference between DWade this year and Kobe not getting the MVP award in ’06 and ’07?” Well I’ll tell you my opinion. Although Kobe carried his team in those low-to-mid 40 win seasons, he also LOST his teams some games in those seasons, by jacking up shots and sometimes taking his team out of the game. This season, DWade has 7 games in which he took 30 shots or more. Conversely, he has 12 games in which he scored more than 40 points, and his team went 9-3 in those games. This means that in even his highest scoring games, Dwyane was playing efficient, under-control basketball. Kobe had a combined 27 thirty-shot games in ’06 and ’07. And while some of his biggest efforts came in wins, some of his worst efforts more than cemented losses for his young team. Kobe in those seasons struggled to find the balance in being an elite scorer and leading a young team to victory—a balance Wade has mastered this season.


What LeBron can’t do

LeBron, like Kobe last year, has seen the positive effect of having a great team behind you. And not just great in terms of talent, which is the team surrounding Kobe; no, LeBron’s team is great because it is designed perfectly for what he can do.

Ideally, with Wade you would want a big point guard, a three-point specialist, a rebounding post, and a scoring post. What he actually has is a small point guard, a rangy defender (Moon), Haslem for rebounding, and a dying, decrepit Jermaine O’Neal (did I mention he’s also mummified?). 1 for 4…

…but he took that 1 for 4 and made it to the playoffs. Even though the team wasn’t that talented. Even though the team isn’t built around his strengths. Wade deserves a heap of credit for clawing his way through a tough eastern conference with a team that is in rebuilding mode (more on that later).

I guarantee…LEBRON JAMES COULD NOT HAVE LED THIS MIAMI HEAT TEAM TO A BETTER RECORD THAN DWYANE WADE HAS. AND ONE OF MY MAIN REASONS FOR BELIEVING THIS IS…


The Michael Beasley factor

Michael Beasley is the #2 reason Wade should be MVP. Sounds strange, but I’ll explain. Beasley is a scoring machine, and he was if not THE most talented player in his class, he was second only to Derrick Rose. But Beasley came into the league with questions about his work ethic, his character, and whether or not he had the drive to fulfill all of his potential.

He couldn’t have run into a better teammate than Dwyane Wade.

I mean, literally. Kobe would’ve “Kwame Brown’d” him and LeBron would’ve catered much too much to his carefree and boyish nature to get him at his best.

Wade, on the other hand, came into this season with something to prove. He also came into this season understanding that he would be leading a young team, and that he would have to show his leadership from start to finish. His attitude and professionalism have more than set a mark for Beasley to follow. In addition, while Coach Spoelstra held Beasley, clearly the teams 2nd most talented player, on the bench for much of the season, Wade never complained. Instead, he picked up the slack, let Beasley learn the lessons about defense and rebounding that he needed, and pushed forward. Now Beasley is in the midst of a stretch in which he has posted at least 20 points and 13 rebounds in his past 3 games. He’s closing the season showing the focus and patience that the coaching staff only dreamed he’d show when they contemplated drafting OJ Mayo with the 2nd pick last year. You can’t help but admit that playing under Wade’s tutelage has helped Beasley to hone his game in a very short time. He might've single-handedly molded a future all star for his team.


Kobe, LeBron: Raise your hands if you had a mid-season trade? Anyone?

Yes, how quickly we forget, Shawn Marion wanted OUT of Miami. As if that weren’t enough, they got a bag of bones named Jermaine O’Neal for him (ok sorry Jermaine, I’ll stop). And although Kobe had to deal with the loss of Andrew Bynum for much of the season (whose knee HE actually took out—giving him an LVP vote from me, lol), neither he nor LeBron had anything close to the chemistry disruption that was the Heat-Raptors trade. I would never presume that keeping Shawn Marion for the entire season would’ve made them have a better record, or that an entire year with the…I mean, with Jermaine O’Neal in the post would’ve made them a 50-win team, but you at least have to admit that Wade’s focus has had to be at an otherworldly level this season to keep a young team on task through all the adversity they faced.


Lastly,

The Miami Heat were not even expected to be a playoff team at the start of this season.

Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Toronto, Washington, and even Milwaukee and Charlotte, were expected to be better than the Heat. Yet somehow they sit as the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Heat this season defied many of our expectations, much thanks to their MVP, Dwyane Wade.

Now is he YOUR MVP?

Of course…not.



...

...

Congrats, LeBron.

(P.S. - DWade's not happy)

Nike Patent for new shoe cushioning system

From all the technical jargon, it seems to be liquid based. Very intersting read if you have the time to scan through it.

Abstract

A fluid-filled structure, such as a bladder, is disclosed. The bladder has a first surface and an opposite second surface that are peripherally joined to define various edges. The bladder encloses a fluid between the first surface and the second surface. A portion of the edges may have a concave configuration, or the edges may have both concave and convex configurations. A shape of the bladder may be a tessellation pattern so that a plurality of the bladder may be efficiently.

Application number: 12/016,015
Publication number: US 2008/0110047 A1
Filing date: Jan 17, 2008
Inventors: Vincent F. White, Jennie R. Caudle, Stuart C. Forstrom
Assignees: NIKE, INC.

U.S. Classification
036029000; 03603500B; 036045000

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, at least one of the upper and the sole structure incorporating a bladder that includes a first surface and an opposite second surface that are peripherally joined to define three first edges and three second edges, and the bladder enclosing a fluid between the first surface and the second surface, the first edges alternating with the second edges, and the second edges having a concave configuration.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the bladder is encapsulated within a polymer foam material of the sole structure.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the bladder has a hexagonal configuration.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the first edges have a convex configuration.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the second edges has a first indentation and a second indentation, the second indentation extending closer to a central portion of the bladder than the first indentation.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the bladder includes a bond between the first surface and the second surface, the bond being spaced inward from one of the first edges and the second edges, and the bond defining a channel between the bond and the one of the first edges and the second edges, the channel extending substantially parallel to the one of the first edges and the second edges.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, wherein the bladder includes an inflation area in fluid communication with the channel, the inflation area providing a zone for inserting the fluid into the bladder, and the inflation area being sealed to seal the fluid within the bladder.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, wherein the bond is bisected to separate the channel from a central portion of the bladder.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the bladder includes at least one tab extending from one of the first edges.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein the tab is utilized to locate the bladder within the footwear.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the first surface and the second surface are devoid of internal connections in a central portion of the bladder.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid is pressurized.

13. An article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, at least one of the upper and the sole structure incorporating a bladder that includes a first surface and an opposite second surface that are peripherally joined to define three first edges and three second edges, the first surface and the second surface being devoid of internal connections in a central portion of the bladder, and the bladder enclosing a fluid between the first surface and the second surface, the first edges having a convex configuration, and the second edges having a concave configuration.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein the bladder is encapsulated within a polymer foam material of the sole structure.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein the bladder has a hexagonal configuration.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein the first edges alternate with the second edges.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein the bladder includes a bond between the first surface and the second surface, the bond being spaced inward from one of the first edges and the second edges, and the bond defining a channel between the bond and the one of the first edges and the second edges, the channel extending substantially parallel to the one of the first edges and the second edges.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 17, wherein the bladder includes an inflation area in fluid communication with the channel, the inflation area providing a zone for inserting the fluid into the bladder, and the inflation area being sealed to seal the fluid within the bladder.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 17, wherein the bond is bisected to separate the channel from a central portion of the bladder.

20. An article comprising a plurality of bladders that enclose a pressurized fluid, each of the bladders having a tessellation configuration wherein edges of a first bladder are positioned adjacent to edges of a plurality of second bladders, and the edges of the first bladder have a shape that mates with the edges of the plurality of the second bladders.

21. The article recited in claim 20, wherein the edges of the first bladder include a convex edge and the edges of the plurality of the second bladders include a concave edge, the convex edge being positioned adjacent and joined to the convex edge.

22. The article recited in claim 21, wherein a tab protrudes from the convex edge, and the tab extends into a corresponding indentation in the concave edge.

23. The article recited in claim 20, wherein the first bladder and the second bladders are substantially identical to each other.

24. The article recited in claim 20, wherein the first bladder includes a bond that is spaced inward from a periphery of the first bladder, the bond defining a channel between the bond and the periphery, and the channel extending substantially parallel to the periphery.

25. The article recited in claim 24, wherein the first bladder includes an inflation area in fluid communication with the channel, the inflation area providing a zone for inserting the fluid into the first bladder, and the inflation area being sealed to seal the fluid within the first bladder.

26. The article recited in claim 24, wherein the bond is bisected to separate the channel from a central portion of the bladder.

27. A bladder comprising:

a first surface and an opposite second surface that are peripherally-joined to define an edge of the bladder, the first surface and the second surface enclosing a pressurized fluid within the bladder;

a bond spaced inward from the edge of the bladder to define a channel between the bond and the edge; and

an inflation area in fluid communication with the channel, the inflation area providing a zone for inserting the fluid into the bladder, and the inflation area being sealed to seal the fluid within the bladder.

28. The bladder recited in claim 27, wherein each of the bond and the channel extend substantially parallel to the edge

29. The bladder recited in claim 27, wherein the inflation area is centrally-located with respect to the channel.

30. The bladder recited in claim 27, wherein the bond is bisected to separate the channel from a remainder of the bladder.

31. The bladder recited in claim 27, wherein the channel extends from opposite sides of the inflation area.

32. The bladder recited in claim 27, wherein the edge has a concave configuration, and the bond and the channel extend substantially parallel to the edge.

33. A method of manufacturing a plurality of bladders, the method comprising steps of:

providing a first sheet and a second sheet of a thermoplastic polymer material;

forming bonds between the first sheet and the second sheet in a tessellation pattern to define the bladders; and

bisecting at least a portion of the bonds

34. The method recited in claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes shaping the bonds to have a hexagonal configuration.

35. The method recited in claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes shaping the bonds to have a hexagonal configuration with three first edges and three second edges, the first edges having a convex configuration, and the second edges having a concave configuration.

36. The method recited in claim 35, wherein the first edges alternate with the second edges.

37. The method recited in claim 33, wherein the step of forming includes defining an inflation channel in one of the bladders by forming a bond that is spaced inward from an edge of the one of the bladders.

38. The method recited in claim 37, wherein the step of forming includes defining an inflation area in fluid communication with the inflation channel.

39. The method recited in claim 38, further including a step of placing a pressurized fluid within the bladder.

40. The method recited in claim 39, wherein the step of placing includes coupling an inflation device to the inflation area to inject the pressurized fluid.

Went to the Rockets-Blazers game Sunday, here was the Play of the game...

The Toyota Center went NUTS. Great game...

Teaser schedule for Jordan Brand's releases present-December 09.

If half of this list comes true it will be a crazy year. No April Fools! Note: Not all of these are confirmed releases, but have credible rumors.

Courtesy of a post on Niketalk:

APRIL 

04/11/2009 Air Jordan I Retro Premier "Hare" (limited release) 
374454-011 Light Silver/White-True Red 
$120.00 
 

MAY 

05/30/2009 Air Jordan XII Retro (limited release) 
130690-018 Black/White-University Blue 
$150.00 
 

05/30/2009 Jordan "Raging Bull" Defining Moments Package II (limited release) 
360968-991 Multicolor/Multicolor 
136027-061 Black/Varsity Red-White 
136027-xxx Air Jordan V Retro Varsity Red/White-Black 
$310.00 
 

 

JUNE 

06/2009 Air Jordan V Retro (limited release) 
136027-121 White/Dark Cinder-Dark Army-Del Sol 
$135.00 

JULY- 


07/2009 Air Jordan 60+ Pack #1 (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Multicolor/Multicolor 
xxxxxx-xxx High Black/Varsity Red 
xxxxxx-xxx High White/Black-Celtic Green 
$???.?? 
 
 


07/2009 Air Jordan I Retro High "Do The Right Thing" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-131 White/Sea Green 
$105.00 

 

07/2009 Air Jordan I Retro High "Do The Right Thing" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-161 White/Varsity Red 
$105.00 

 
AUGUST- 


08/2009 Air Jordan 60+ Pack #2 (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Multicolor/Multicolor 
xxxxxx-xxx VII Retro Black/Dark Charcoal-True Red 
xxxxxx-xxx VII Retro White/Varsity Royal-Black 
$???.?? 

08/2009 Air Jordan I Retro High (limited release) 
xxxxxx-003 Black/Neutral Grey 
$105.00 

08/2009 Air Jordan III Retro (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx White/Cement Grey-True Blue 
$???.?? 
 
SEPTEMBER 

09/2009 Air Jordan I Retro High "Alpha/Omega" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Black/Shadow Grey 
$110.00 
 

09/2009 Air Jordan I Retro High "Alpha/Omega" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Grand Purple/Varsity Maize-White 
$110.00 
 

09/12/2009 Air Jordan I Retro High "Hall Of Fame" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx White/Varsity Red-Black 
$110.00 


09/12/2009 Air Jordan III Retro "Hall Of Fame"(limited release) 
136064-xxx White/Fire Red-Cement Grey 
$125.00 
 
OCTOBER 

10/2009 Air Jordan XII Retro "Rising Sun" (limited release) 
130690-xxx White/Black-Varsity Red 
$150.00 

NOVEMEBER 
11/2009 Air Jordan XII Retro "Flu Game" (limited release) 
130690-xxx Black/Varsity Red 
$150.00 
 

DECEMBER 

12/2009 Air Jordan XI Retro "Space Jam" (limited quickstrike release) 
378037-041 Black/Varsity Royal-White 
$175.00 
 

12/2009 Air Jordan XII Retro (limited release) 
130690-xxx White/Varsity Red-Black 
$150.00 
 

12/2009 Air Jordan XII Retro (limited release) 
130690-xxx White/White 
$150.00 

And these have been mentioned. 

Jordan III Retro Package #1: (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Multicolor/Multicolor 
xxxxxx-xxx III Retro colorway tbd 
xxxxxx-xxx III Retro colorway tbd 
$???.?? 


Jordan III Retro Package #2: (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Multicolor/Multicolor 
xxxxxx-xxx III Retro colorway tbd 
xxxxxx-xxx III Retro colorway tbd 
$???.?? 


Jordan XI Retro Package "Snakeskin" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Multicolor/Multicolor 
xxxxxx-xxx XI Retro colorway tbd 
xxxxxx-xxx XI Retro coorway tbd 
$???.?? 


Jordan Slam Dunk Package: (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Multicolor/Multicolor 
Air Jordan II Retro colorway tbd 
Air Jordan III Retro White/Cement Grey-Fire Red 
$???.?? 


Air Jordan IV Retro "DTRT 20th Anniversary" (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx White/Cement Grey-Black 
$???.?? 
 

Air Jordan VI Retro (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx Colorway TBD 
$???.?? 
 

Air Jordan XII Retro (limited release) 
130690-xxx White/White-Varsity Red-Black 
$150.00 


Air Jordan XIII Retro (limited release) 
xxxxxx-xxx colorway tbd 
$150.00 

First screenshot of Madden 10

You are looking at the first screenshot, releasd today on the EA sports blog, of Madden 10. Due this August, the game development is now going full tilt. A few intricacies revealed by this pic that are differences from previous games:

1) Towel in Big Ben's pouch.

2) ON FIELD REFS! Bout time...

3) Chain gang on the side of the field

4) Depth perception from edges of the field to center of play.

According to information leaking, we are supposed to see an improvement called Procedurally generated Animations which means that players will only do certain things when it is appropiate. (CB throws his helmet at the sideline when he gets beat deep for a touchdown.) I liked Madden 2009, and hopefully they continue to improve the game, because Lord knows I will probably get this one too.