real Carter please stand up

Someone who looks like you is playing in the playoff as a Magic.

One of the most disappointing sport stars of all time. The most celebrated dunker -> the most underwhelming millionaire athlete. Can anyone suck more?

playoffs underway, but F1...

...is where my heart is at this season.

NBA basketball is booooooooooooring! Where are the stars? Maybe they'll pick up the pace deeper into the post season.

I'll have a bucketful of Formula One instead please. I don't really have a clear favorite but I guess I'm naturally rooting for last year's driver's champion Button. Wait, before you bash me, hear me out.

1) Button drove for Honda in 2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08


2) That means there is a connection between him and my S2000, and NSX, which he owns (owned). Kind of like Senna and the NSX.

(not his actual car in this pic)

3) Jessica Michibata being the coolest, needless to say gorgeous, sportsman's girlfriend, good choice so far (yatta indeed, Jessica)


4) But most importantly, his driving style. (smooth as silk)

5) And what a down-to-earth all-around laid-back dude.

Yes, yes, yes, you're right. Hamilton is a better, funner to watch driver. And yes you're right again Button doesn't have as much consistency as, say Schumacher, or Alonso, nor did he win the championship with Honda. But to me he's (tire-management) smart. Going fast gets you somewhere, but being smart and pretty quick makes the race that much more interesting. Go Button.

oh Chicago!

Who would have thought...

The Bulls is playing great basketball. The best Bulls since Michael Jordan and company. This year's Bulls is last year's Hornets.

Now that's a great compliment.

best tribute

to Michael Jordan I have seen on youtube

Team USA basketball

I've been following team USA basketball. It looks like they have a good shot at the gold this time. But pre-Olympic games are still too close for comfort.

A little history with team USA basketball in Olympics. Three phases:
Early Dominance
1930s - 80s (9 golds, 1 controversial silver, 1 bronze, 1 boycott)

NBA Dream Teams
90s (complete fanfare and dominance resulted in 2 breezy golds)

NBA losing it
21st century (1 close-shave gold, 1 bronze, multiple disappointments on international championships)

reference: wikipedia

2008 roster vs the original dream team
2008

Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Deron Williams (Coach: Mike Krzyzewski) (Assistant Coach: Mike D'Antoni)(Assistant Coach: Jim Boeheim) (Assistant Coach: Nate McMillan)

1992

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Chris Mullin, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, David Robinson, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Christian Laettner (Coach: Chuck Daly)
average margin of victory: 43.8 points in 8 games
timeouts called: 0

you win some; you lose some

Boston Celtics took the steering wheel for a joy ride in the much deserved win over Lakers' sloppy game 6 to capture the NBA finals. What is Kobe Bryant's Lakers missing? A better point guard? A consistent center? A productive bench? No, no, no, and no. A leader. There was no direction, no determination, no shit. Better luck next year. On the other hand, Pierce, KG, and Allen can finally laugh in the face of ringless-greats Malone, Stockton, and Barkley. "na na na nan nana..." Congratulations!

In this past week, we're all losers. We lost Tim Russert, the Meet the Press host, a nearly extinct newsman species. But I'm going out on a limb to say that Russert wasn't that excellent of an anchorman. He had his misses with the war and whatnot. He stood out as one because the rest is pathetic, pathetic! You read right. Pa-fucking-thetic!

Why can't Bill O'Reilly have a heart attack? His infamous short temper fits the profile. One can hope.

Russert didn't sell his journalist soul to the devil, nor was he a saint. With all that said, he was more than decent, really good at what he did, and as honest as a major network newsman could be these days in order to remain in that post, of which, is very sad. R.I.P.

Hey Mike!

First off the bat, let me condemn commercialism. EVIL EVIL I tell ya!



Despite the moral setback, enjoy this convincing CG where Michael Jordan plays 1-on-1 with his younger self. Their taunts crack me up. "Get your young butt out there." Wouldn't that be something?

Carter's right hand

I haven't seen this idea thrown around, that Vince Carter's right arm, all the way from his finger tips to his right shoulder, has taken too much stress in his Raptors' years. As a result, he doesn't play ball like a franchise player anymore. Instead he shuffles his feet up and down the court, barely making an effort. After all sticking his arm through the rim in a dunk can't be good for him. You don't see anyone else does it in the league.

That's the price he pays being the most prolific, most violent dunker in the long history of the NBA.

There have been many arguments on who should be crowned the best dunker of all time. Should it be Dr J? Wilkins? Jordan? Carter? Howard? People who argue otherwise have not really paid attention to Carter.


I'm hoping the ranking will settle once and for all like this:


1- Carter (because he simply is)
Listed height: 6' 6" (198 cm)
Style: with authority, he cuts through lanes and jumps over defenders.


2- Jordan (classic Jordan late 80s to early 90s + his success)
Real height: 6 ft 4.75 in (195 cm)
Style: with air, he glides though air and jumps over defenders.

3- open to discussion

World Bball pics

A friend of mine got these exclusive shots at some 2006 World Basketball Championship games held in Saitama which I missed with regrets. Saitama-ken is the prefecture just north of Tokyo, which technically is right next to me although it takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to get there. Going up to Saitama isn't that bad since driving there takes no more than 3.5 hours with normal traffic conditions.

. . . . .
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) of Germany at the line. The cheerleaders appear to have limitless changes of sexy outfits.

. . .
Team USA lined up for the pre-game introduction. Waving and leaving the court after palying a really decent game. 2006 USA Men's World Championship Team Roster here.

hang your heads

US basketball.

These folks need lessons, but when will they learn them, if ever? Despite the fact that the world's arena is much smaller than the US NBA's, financially speaking, losing is simply that, losing. Where is the drive? The determination? The collaboration? A Detroit Pistons would win. The bling-bling ballers who go into this wanting to put on a show, will always walk out hanging their heads.

"The U.S. has dazzling skill; the Greeks are a dazzling team."

The fact that we already know (repeatedly) the above statement is true only makes matter worse. Teamwork, learn it. And while you're at it, pass the damn ball. And coach, don't tiptoe around the stars. Yes, listen to the soothing words from your groupies and your 12-person care unit after the defeat. It'll make you feel better inside.

First I was mad at myself for missing the Saitama games. For 100 bucks you can watch two games back to back. Now this. I thought our excuse was we didn't care about soccer.

teamwork VS star power

I personally find the NBA Eastern conference finals a lot more interesting than the West. You have a team of basketball players that don't stand out as individual stars, no endorsement deals, no striking good looks, just plain textbook bball. And then you have a bunch of guys in which six of them at one time could carry their own teams before coming together under one roof.



Would it be the forever-underdog or the star-studded army?

not your day

Okla. High School Hoops Team Loses 112-2

EARLSBORO, Okla. - The Hanna High School basketball team can take some consolation: It didn't get shut out.

It did, however, lose 112-2 on Friday night to Earlsboro.

"It was embarrassing to watch," Earlsboro coach Jim Walling told The Oklahoman. "But you can't just tell your kids not to score. I've been coaching 27 years and have never been involved in something like this."

The Wildcats led 42-0 after one quarter and 73-2 at halftime. Walling pulled his starters in the second half, and game officials kept a running clock, stopping it only for free throws.

Each player on Earlsboro's 10-man boys' roster scored. Seven players finished in double figures.

Extremely lopsided game, how did they achieve that? Even if someone just flips the ball up the team should have a better chance to score more than TWO points, two freaking points. Did all five of the starters drop down and play dead? Read some funny messages on Yahoo! board.

Bush loses 2154 - 0
by: interstate_101 (32/M)
Msg: 3 of 286

2154 GIs dead and 0 WMD found.
It is embarrassing to watch Dubya make a fool of himself everyday.

Those Kids Aren't Going To Score Ever
by: Rosco6767
Msg: 32 of 291

with the cheerleaders.

CONGRATULATIONS YAHOO.. RUB IT IN.
by: misterjingleslittlerock
Msg: 45 of 291

THE LEAST YOU COULD HAVE DONE WAS NAME THE PLAYER WHO SCORED THE TWO POINTS.........

Re: Coach should be removed
by: massage246
Msg: 51 of 291

Lets see, the winning team was already playing their second string. I guess they should have put on blindfolds and tied one arm behind their backs to make it fair.

DRUG TEST !!!!!!NOW!!!!!!
by: casper16321@sbcglobal.net
Msg: 83 of 292

At times like these I do believe in drug testing students,...How the hell do you only score 2 ??? What is this a school for the blind ?? He said it was embarrassing, thats not the half of it. this should cause some people to move out of town !!!!SHHHEESSSS, What you gonna say "" Yep my sons on that team ""??? "You should have seen that shot "!!!
"Prettiest 2 pointer.."...not me, brother !!!!

THE UNTOLD PART
by: penn06
Msg: 103 of 292

their real basketball team was out getting drunk. they were replaced with dogs and cats was why the score was so lopsided. there was no one in the audience so no one noticed.

And some possible reason behind such a mess:

Hanna High School's total enrollment. .
by: rkleine45150
Msg: 174 of 293

is only 38 students, whereas Earlsboro's is 87. The winning school had a larger pool of talent from which to draw players.

Yahoo! news

classic MJ 69 points against Cavs

1990, the year Michael Jordan peaked as a scoring machine, not as an all-around player. The thing about MJ's scoring ability is that it's always been a double-bladed sword that cuts both ways. The more he scores, the less the others are involved. A one-man show he is! The Chicago team was once called "Michael and the Jordanians". Later in his career he found the sweet spot where he could score as much as he wanted and the team still won.

Yes you may argue that Wilt Chamberlain scored more points in a game, and you are absolutely right. But Jordan's got that special something, that insatiable competitive drive, those great hands that are much bigger than what a person who claims to be 6'6" should have. He is indeed probably only 6'5". A dunker, a sharp shooter, a fade-away perfectionist, a play maker, a clutch go-to guy, an icon, a champion, you name it, he has achieved it.

Click to download this monster game (Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers - March 28, 1990)
about the video:You can collect as many Jordan DVD's as you find, but a full classic game is hard to come by. Usually most of them classic games have really shaky picture. This one is however clean and relatively crisp. Doug Collins did a fine job commentating the game as he knows Michael quite well having had coached him in his earlier years in the NBA.

about the game: Cavs back in those days had a funny policy when they played against #23 - do not double-team the guy early on. Let him score and let the other guys depend on him. What a foolish decision. But thanks to this foolishness we can witness what MJ was capable of. I still think he should have gone for another point to try to reach the 70/+ territory.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York) is a former National Basketball Association player, considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time.

A remarkable force at both ends of the floor, Jordan ended a career of 15 full seasons with a regular-season scoring average of 30.12 points per game, the highest in NBA history (ahead of Wilt Chamberlain's 30.06). He won six championships, notched 10 scoring titles, and was league MVP five times. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team nine times, and led the league in steals three times. In 1991, he was named Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year." These and other achievements have persuaded many fans that Jordan was the best ever to play the game. (Others call Jordan overrated and point to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, and Shaquille O'Neal.) -Wikipedia

FUNDAMENTALS. You don't see Jordan missing open jumpshots or blowing layups. The man is deadly if you give him an open look or scoring opportunity. He performs even better when under pressure. The players these days can't hit an open jumpshot even if given plenty of time to set up. Lack of focus or mental strength is the problem. Too many youngsters playing their Nintendos or PS2s instead of practising their game (eg. Darius "Hype" Miles) during the off-season. Practise improves skill and Jordan's skill is so immense that he can score with ease. 8 points a quarter and 32 points a game is not a problem. In his younger days (pre-1990), Jordan arrives 2 hours before games to shoot around. Now, he can't do that because fans would swamp him with autograph requests.

ATHLETICISM. Everyone loves it when Jordan pulls-off an acrobatic reverse layup. Everyone loves it when he slashes through the keyway and hammers it home. Everyone loves his hangtime and leaping ability. Jordan is like the Energizer Bunny, you just have to wonder where he gets his energy from. Many times have Jordan kept on at full-speed late in the final quarter while the opposing players are exhausted. The man is a super-athlete. 3.3% body fat, 40 yards in 4.3 seconds, 48 plus inch vert, free-throw slams. Jordan is the most electrifying athlete to watch. ditto

KILLER INSTINCT. The man is an assasin on the court. Once he sees the opposing players demoralised, he uses that as motivation to demoralised them more. Hasta la vista, flashback to the Lakers in the 1991 finals and Portland in the 1992 finals. Magic and Sam Perkins didn't know what to do to stop Michael. And then Clyde Drexler and Buck Williams with the look of defeat in their faces, they were about to surrender to the Jordan assault. And Jordan won't back down a bit or ease off. He will play hard until the final whistle is blown and the game is won.

HEART. Michael has a huge heart. He wants to win more than any other ball player. Game 5 of the 1996-97 NBA Finals where Jordan was seriously-ill from food poisoning (rotten pizza) and yet manages to score 38 pts and lead the Bulls to victory. If the Bulls lost, there could be a Game 7 and the Jazz would probably win the championship. Jordan's will to win is incredible and it filters down to his teammates, Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, Harper, Randy, Luc, Dickey and Buechler. He plays each game like it's his last game. Makes it worthwhile paying for the ticket to watch him play.

BASKETBALL IQ. The man is a genius. He's the Albert Einstein of basketball. He has the ability to see gaps in defenses and physically take advantage of it. Everything seems to go into slow-motion when Jordan attacks. It's probably because he executes his play so quickly that the defenses don't have time to react. He could visualise where the double-team is coming from, even before it happened. The man loves basketball. He studies videos and scouting reports to discover weaknesses in the defense. His knowledge of the game is second to none in the universe.

SHOES. We love the shoes. Those Air Jordans are the greatest marketing coup by Nike. Each new release of Air Jordan represents the bleeding edge of shoe technology. Visible Air, Zoom Air, Carbon fibre sheaths, Ballistic nylon uppers, Huarache inner sleeve, Lace-locks, Jordan Shroud, Carbon Comfort Plate, double-stacked zoom air units, Techflex... The shoes raise the level of innovation and technology in sneaker production. Companies like Reebok, Adidas and Converse were blown away by the popularity of Air Jordans. Also we love the TV advertisements too. Especially those creative and funny adverts by Spike Lee. What would we be wearing now if it weren't for Air Jordans?

LOVE FOR THE GAME. It's clear that the man loves the game. Two comebacks from retirement is proof enough. He enjoys the game and like all athletes, he just can't get enough of it. When you love something, it's real hard to let go. All the accolades, the admiration, the attention... it's real addictive.

-Jordan EXTREME

conference finals

Ah...the surprise! not!



Game 5 Phoenix Suns v.s. San Antonio Spurs






Game 4 Miami Heat v.s. Detroit Pistons
Game 5 - Miami Heat vs Detroit Pistons
Game 6 (registration required)

photo credit: Yahoo! sport

2005 NBA playoffs first-round action

So, I decided to post.

Well the NBA playoffs is here and if you are away from a tv, like me, you might want to take a look at these links: (torrents)

Game 4 San Antonio Spurs vs Denver Nuggets (05.05.03)



Game 5 Philadelphia 76ers vs Detroit Pistons (05.05.03)



Game 4 - Miami Heat vs New Jersey Nets



Personally I think the Rockets-Mavs is so far the most exciting series to watch, the other match-ups are too predictable.

photos: yahoo!
bt links: various