A thin line between Love and Hits

"You dream of fights like this, but this is more than you could ever dream of"

"Stop it Frank, you can stop it at anytime" 

"I am humbled by watching these two guys taking the punishment they are taking"

These are just a few memorable quotes from ringside commentators Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant and the late great Emanuel Steward at Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward's first fight. I remember screaming at my television OH MY GOD THIS IS CRAZY! These guys were beating each other’s brains in and I was loving it. I remember after the legendary 9^th round Arturo’s trainer told him “I’m not going to let you take this punishment”. He was threatening Gatti with stopping the fight. I remember screaming NOOO DON’T STOP IT PLEASE!! Arturo pleaded with Buddy not to stop it and he didn’t. I think at the end of the day Buddy knew he was witnessing history and there was no way he was truly going to stop this fight, even at the cost of his fighter potentially suffering life threatening injuries. Micky Ward’s trainer (also brother) said a couple times he was on the edge of the ring about to throw the towel in.

Frank Cappuccino, the referee for the fight was quoted in a recently released documentary from HBO Legendary Nights: The Tale of Gatti-Ward as saying “I would have got killed if I would have stopped that fight”.

Had anyone of these men stopped the fight this wouldn’t have gone down as one of the best fights in history. There would be no documentary and who knows, as great as he was, maybe Arturo Gatti doesn’t even get into Canastota’s Boxing hall of fame.

It’s the excitement/rush we get through our veins when we watch the brutality in contact sports. It’s the allure we get watching warriors do something that most of us could never do. In 2007, Kevin Everett of the Buffalo Bills was paralyzed on the football field on the opening kickoff after a head to head collision with another player. How many times watching a football game do we hold our breath and cringe when we see a vicious hit, but in the same breath we say WHAT A GREAT HIT!

Has the NFL taken some “necessary” steps to protect its players? Sure, it has moved the kickoff line up thus preventing most kickoff returns. It has implemented such rules as “not being able to hit a defenseless receiver”. Two rules that have football fans and players alike disgusted. I hear it all the time from fans and the media. We all say the same thing…they are killing the game. In boxing nowadays fights are being stopped way more quickly than we could have ever imagined. Even the NBA has gotten soft. I remember growing up watching teams like the “Bad Boy Pistons” with bully’s like Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn. How about the Knicks with Ewing, Oakley, Starks. The Pacers with the Davis brothers, Ric Smits, and another guy named ummm Reggie Miller. This was a time in the NBA where teams made it far by being bully’s and wearing down their opponents. Now if you breath on a guy there are whistles blowing, flags flying and heavy punishments being handed down.

Some say its politics, some say its money, but the people putting these rules in place say its simply to protect the athletes. As a fan we say this is bullshit, but have we really stopped to examine the facts?

Ex football player and hall of famer Tony Dorsett was recently part of an Outside the lines special detailing former football players suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.  A degenerative condition caused by head trauma and linked to depression, aggression and dementia.

Due to his condition a teary eyed Dorsett says he suffers from depression and has become aggressive to the point that his daughters are scared of him.

There has even been suicide cases such as Junior Seau, Paul Oliver, David Duerson (former NFL players) and even kids like Nathan Stiles, a high school senior who collapsed at halftime and died or Owen Thomas, a Penn University junior who hung himself. All were found to have CTE.

As harsh as this sounds we probably don’t think about the effects and consequences these sports have on peoples lives because we are being so caught up with being entertained. And when the powers that be in these sports implement these “senseless rules” as we call them, we feel like they are ruining the sport just to protect their financial investments.

I recently watched a classic boxing match with a friend of mine between Mike Alvarado and Ruslan Provodnikov. Two warriors known for their brawling style. It was a brutal fight and after the 10^th round Alvarado retired on his stool. Prior to this fight Alvarado’s last 4 fights were absolute brutal wars. After the fight he was quoted as saying that he had taken enough punishment and risking his health wasn’t worth it. I remember my friend loving the fight but heavily criticizing Alvarado for quitting and not finishing the fight. He said that is not what boxing is about. How could I argue with him, he was right. My conscious said this was wrong and I felt bad but at the end of the day who wants to watch a boring fight?

That was 2 weeks ago. Since then Mexican boxer Frankie Leal died as a result of head trauma in his fight and Magomed Abdusalamov suffered a stroke while in an induced coma due to his injuries in his fight against Mike Perez. Maybe Alvarado saved his own life. Maybe one more round could have landed him in ICU in a coma.

As a fan, I personally think all the rules and penalties implemented in these sports ruin the game. As a fan, when a fighter quits on the stool I tend to judge as well. The sad part is that as long as I’m being entertained, everything else seems irrelevant. Nothing will ever change from a fans perspective but for some reason I don’t think it’s the same with Dorsetts daughters, Stiles Parents, and the doctor’s who are currently trying to save Abdusalamov’s life. 

Till Death Do Us Part

1908

Funny how this number can be so depressing to so many people. What people you ask? The faithful fans of the Chicago Cubs, better known as the "Lovable Losers".
Year after year in early April, spring brings new hope and Cubs fans everywhere are shouting that universal Cubs phrase, "This is our year". Then around October/November when the leaves start to fall and the brisk cold hits the city off of Lake Michigan there are Cubs fans everywhere shouting another popular Cubs phrase...."Wait Till Next Year"
This is the attachment/loyalty that Cubs fans have with their beloved team. I remember as a kid I would always watch Cubs games on WGN with my father and Uncle and was sucked in by the illusion that "this was gonna be the year". I grew up watching Andre "The Hawk" Dawson, Ryne Sandberg, Rick Sutcliffe and so many other Cub greats and still scratch my head and ask how hell is it that we haven't won in over a century??
As a youngster I used to feel bad for older Cub fans. I used to think to myself how sad it was that there was Cub loyal's in their 60's, 70's and 80's and even older that had never witnessed their team hoist that championship trophy. Now after 32 years on this earth I'm starting to feel the same way about myself.
I never asked for this heartbreak. I was an innocent child who just loved the game and through my family loop I have become part of what the Cubs fans call "A way of life".
I remember in 2008 after being swept by the Dodgers in the NLDS I screamed THAT'S IT, I'M DONE (mixed with a few words my mother wouldn't be so proud of). I remember saying that I was done being a Cubs fan. I was literally depressed for days following the game. This is where reality and perspective kick in. In a Cubs documentary "We Believe" someone said something that can resonate with every Cubs fan be it good or bad. He said being a Cubs fan is like being in a bad relationship. This could not be more true. Its like that relationship that's a continual cycle of love and hate. At times you feel like you want to break free but then you realize how much you love them so you decide to stay put and let hope float.
Its more than just a team and fans. Anyone who is not a Cub fan will never understand this. How many Cub fans have passed away and never got to see them win. Fathers, Grandfathers etc etc. I remember when I was younger my cousin passed away and was laid to rest in Cubs apparel from head to toe. It is emotional attachments such as these that will never let us break free from this team.
Who knows maybe they are cursed. Maybe bringing billy goats into Wrigley Field and dousing the Cubs dugout with holy water will never work. Maybe the black cat of '69 or the outstretched hands of Steve Bartman have doomed Cubs chances for life. We will never know until WE finally win. One thing is for sure though. We will never break up with them no matter how much they disappoint us.

The "King James" Version

I'm gonna start by saying that as much dislike as I carry for Lebron James I am gonna try my best to be as fair and objective as I can with this blog.
As we all know "King James" and the "Dream Team" aka the Miami Heat just lost in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. Congrats to Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd on finally getting their rings. They have poured their souls into this game and it is a well deserved accomplishment.
But this is not about them, its about the self proclaimed "King"/"Chosen One" (which he has tattooed on his body). Lebron James has arguably become the most scrutinized player in sports history. I've have said/heard everything from choke artist to fraud to some people even saying he is shaving points. That's how crazy the past 15 months of Lebron being under a microscope has been or as I like to call it "Lebronathon".
I want to be fair in saying that a lot of this hype created was mostly our (as fans) and the medias fault. It was us who started with the comparisons to Jordan. It was us who said he was the best player on the planet before he had even finished a full season in the NBA. Before he had even bounced a ball on an NBA court NIKE had signed him to a 90 million dollar contract. That's outrageous. The kid was 18 years old, hadn't played a game and was already worth a 100 million bucks.
These are the reasons why I want to give Lebron some credit. He was only a kid and he had the whole world putting him on a pedestal, not to mention the fans of Cleveland calling him GOD and our savior. I can see how he would develop some sort of arrogance and entitlement. We gave it to him.
Fast forward to the present. Here is where he fails. He is no longer a kid. I don't care if he's only 26. He has been in the spotlight for a very long time and has not only grown more arrogant but he flaunts it in such a disgraceful manner. The man decides to leave Cleveland... fine I get it, you feel the franchise wasn't going anywhere so you wanted out. At least have the decency to let your fans and your owner know first. NO, what does he do.......he goes on national TV and does an hour long special to glorify himself and then tells everyone, more importantly the fans of Cleveland that he is "taking his talents to South Beach". He then goes to Miami within a few days and again on national TV celebrates on a stage dancing around like a clown.
Fast forward to the Finals. He and Dwayne Wade mock Dirk Nowitzki about Dirk faking an illness. Then right after losing to Dirk and the Mavs when asked how he feels about so many people loving to see him fail he responds with "well they still have to wake up tomorrow and have their same problems and I get to keep living the way I wanna live". I understand his frustration, he feels like he's constantly being attacked so he fought fire with fire. Problem is he used a terrible choice of words and those words once again carried a tone of "I'm King James and I'm better than YOU". This is why the media and the fans of basketball crucify him.
Let's go through some quick stats on Lebrons 4th Quarter numbers in the Finals.
Lebron had 19 total points in the 4th quarter of the NBA Finals. I repeat 19 TOTAL POINTS. Let's break those 19 down. He had 3 dunks, 1 layup, 1 mid range jump shot, 6 points in free throws which means he only got to the line 3 times and drum roll roll please........... one 3 pointer. So this is what you produce after all the talk? All the party's, all the celebration, all the mocking? People can say he doesn't owe anything to the fans all they want but when you talk the talk you better be able to walk it especially when we as the fans are the ones filling the stands, buying your jersey and putting the money in your pocket.
In the end it is us as the media and fans that made you and it is also us that can ultimately break you. I hope that going forward "The King" can learn some humility and do his talking on the court.
In the words of Dan Gilbert (Cavaliers Owner) "There are no shortcuts".

Athletes in trouble with the LAW!

Okay so I'm writing this blog because another athlete has gotten in trouble with the law once again. The most recent being Plaxico Burress. Former wide receiver for the New York Giants. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison followed by 2 years "under supervision" once released. This after he plead guilty to a weapons charge stemming from accidentally shooting himself in the leg at the Latin Quarter night club in Manhattan on November 29th.
Okay am I crazy to think that these athletes are stupid and really need to get it together or what? First off I am a huge Plax fan. He played for my Steelers for many years BUT we all know him to be a huge pre-madonna. I'm not sure if he just thought he was this big superstar who was untouchable or what but his reputation definitely proceeded him and his carefree attitude finally caught up with him.
In march of this year Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth was arrested for DUI Manslaughter after hitting and killing a man in Miami.
What the hell is going on? You have millions of dollars! Why are you driving drunk??
So many of these guys are so called "Ballers". Can't they afford a chauffeur?
Lets take a look back at Maurice Clarett, the superstar running back for Ohio State who was found with guns and ammo in his trunk and then later arrested for holding up a bar at gunpoint. He was sentenced to 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison. I don't think I have to mention Michael Vick do I? $130 million contract plus endorsements down the drain. I understand that the problem is probably a lot more deep rooted than a lot of us could imagine or convey through a blog but this is a growing problem with so many of today's athletes and it needs to be addressed more often.
So many of these athletes have grown up knowing nothing but sports. A lot of them are freakishly talented and have had everything handed to them because they dominate at a level of "invincibility". A lot of these kids/adults have never been educated properly or mentored at least to understand the vast consequences that life hands you for making a mistake that could have easily been avoided.
Lets take Lebron James for example. He signed a contract with Nike for 90 million dollars at the age of 18. Let me type that again...90 MILLION DOLLAR$$$$. He hadn't even been signed by an NBA team yet and he was worth over a 100 million dollars in endorsements. I'll take a quote from the great B.I.G. "Either your slanging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot" Therein lies the problem my ppl. We are teaching these kids, most of them whom are inner city kids who have minimal education and only know the streets that money is everything. Then we turn around and criticize rappers for teaching the same message. Ha! (You know I had to throw that one in there!)
Its hard to feel sorry for these guys when they are making more in one year than most of us will make in a lifetime but we do need to speak out more on this topic.
Plax, why are you carrying a gun inside the club? I know celebrities get robbed but no one is gonna rob you in the club. This is why you have security. I didn't want to see him get 2 years in prison but lets face it, had that been you or I they would have sentenced us the same night and threw away the key. Especially in New York where the law is if you get caught with a fire arm its a mandatory 3 1/2 yrs behind bars. We all make mistakes but these guys have to start using better judgment. One minute you have the world in your hand and the next its crashing down on you.
Please take time to forward this blog. Lets educate. Each one teach one! Peace y'all!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

YES! That's all women want to hear! In the words of the famed Chris Rock, don't even let them finish their sentence. Baby can I have a..Yes! Baby will you..Yes! YES YES YES! This is the only way to avoid conflict and be at peace. Our fathers have told us this and their fathers have told them the same. Its a never ending piece of advice passed on from generation to generation. No matter what a woman says she HATES to feel like she doesn't have the upper hand. This is why we throw in the towel for every argument. We give women the satisfaction of thinking that they won the argument and we get the satisfaction of not having to hear them complain. I know I'm gonna get a lot of shit for this blog but whatever ladies this is what its for. Lets create some dialogue. Trust me, all men are gonna agree and most women will too. Men can never win an argument with a woman because we operate with logic and common sense. Women operate with emotions. Plain and simple. If they feel backed up in a corner they will bring up shit from the past, they will call you names, shit, even talk about your mother. As long as they can get you heated enough to either hurt their feelings or put hands on them. Ultimately you will be the cause for the fight. Now don't get me wrong I don't think men should ever hit a woman but if u talk about my mom I might shake the shit out of you..lol!
I have been single for the last 5 yrs but its been by choice simply to focus on my career because a relationship is work and right now I just don't have that time to dedicate. Now ladies I'm not saying that men aren't a handful as well. I know that many times men can act like little bitches just to keep it all the way real. BUT..for the most part we are simple creatures who just want to eat, have sex and watch sports. Anything you want to do in between is cool with us. We'll even go shopping with you and chase you around the mall for 3 hours while you go through every shirt and pants in every store and only walk out with a lipstick you found in Sephora. I am in no way trying to come off as a chauvinist or a man who is not sensitive to a woman's feelings. I get it! We both have to be there for each other through thick and thin. Its 50/50. I just cant sit here and argue with you all day about senseless shit. I'm not talking about if your man cheated or if he got caught indulging in promiscuity. That's something completely different. Overall if your not happy with your situation then CHANGE IT. Who knows maybe I bailed out of my last relationship to early but at the end of the day I was unhappy so I made a change.
I don't feel sorry for men or women who constantly say they have headaches from their partner. Yes as couples we all have headaches and you must go through them to test the love for your counterpart but there is a line and ultimately there is no love like love for self!
To finish up I hope I can get some good feedback on this. Lets create some good dialogue here! Pls leave your comments here and not on facebook or texting me!! Ladies....I love you all! YES! YES! YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Yankees "Fortuned and Famished"

I must start off by saying if you are a huge fan of the New York Yankees you are probably going to hate me after this. What can I say..we can't all love the Yanks. I can't really pinpoint why it is that I dislike the organization so much. Maybe its because of the huge payroll they have every year. Maybe its cause they have one of the richest traditions in sports history and some of the most loyal fans yet they charge these same fans an arm and a leg to purchase a ticket to see their beloved team. Don't get me wrong I know they bring in the "High Profile Players" and they have to pay their contracts somehow but its ridiculous when a fan has to pay 75-100 bucks for nose bleed seats. I was online and saw some tickets for the opening series with the Red Sox going for 500 dollars. That is absurd I don't care how good of a rivalry they have. Which by the way the Red Sox have won the first 5 meetings with them this year. Not looking like much of a rivalry anymore huh? There was a report that the stadim had over 3 thousand seats available at game time, and that was before the rain delay.

Okay my sports fans lets do a little history on some of the "High Profile Players" they have brought in in the last decade. How appropriate to start off with the ridiculous amount of money they spent on 3 players this off season. The Yankees shelled out over 420 million on CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira. The most insane one being Teixeira who signed for 8yrs 180 million. This is a guy who has a career batting avg of only .280. I know this is still a young season but lets go over some quick stats. CC and AJ currently have a combined ERA of over 10.00. while Teixeira is batting a measly .209.
Therein lies the problem my Yankee faithful. I know the Yankees have had many succesful players. No one can deny their 26 rings. (Most out of any franchise in sports history) However in the last decade this same franchise has been NOTORIOUS for paying huge money for these big names and have ultimately become a laughing stock after these same players become what the sports world call "Busts".

Lets rewind a quick second and take a look at some of these "Busts". In 2003 they signed Kevin Brown. First season was subpar, for a Yankee at least. He went 10-6 with an ERA over 4. Following season he leaves Joe Torre's office angry after a meeting, punches a wall breaking his hand and never recovers. He missed the last half of the season and only pitched one game in the playoffs. Next is Jaret Wright who signed a 3yr 21 million dollar contract in 2005. He never pitched well and was traded at the end of the next season and the Yankees had to eat the remainder of his contract. Lets move on to Carl Pavano who also signed early 2005 for 4 yrs 40 million. In his first season with the Yankees he hurt his arm in the second month. He didn't pitch the rest of the season. Very next season he hurt his ass (Literally his ass) in spring training and that was followed by more arm problems. He never pitched a game in 2006. Do the history. Kenny Rogers> Bust, Chuck Knoblauch> Bust..The list goes on for days. They haven't won a ring since 2000 but spend almost double every year than every other team. Oh and lets not even begin to get into A-ROID who always produces in the regular season but come playoff time with the Yanks has a batting avg of under .200 I guess we should just put all the blame on Joe Torre and fire him right. I think they need to take these stats and toss them in the trash with their whole front office.

To conclude I just want to say that I'm really not a Yankee hater. In fact there's nothing really to hate on, its actually quite amusing to see them spend so much money and have such poor results. Who knows, maybe subconsciously I'm just bitter cause I'm a Chicago Cubs fan and we haven't won a ring in over a 100 years!!



Hope you enjoyed this blog! Please leave your feedback in the comment section below even if it is hate mail!! Lets Go Yankees! HaHa!

Whats Beef??

Jay-Z said it best. "Young rappers getting at me, my nigga B.I.G. predicted this shit exactly. Mo money mo problems gotta move carefully, cause fa**ots hate when you getting money like athletes". I wanna take some time out with this blog to discuss a major issue in Hip Hop. This is young rappers or even newcomers into rap taking shots at Veterans in the game. I don't care how much money you got or how desperate you are to get recognition, there are certain rules to the game and it seems like nobody follows these rules anymore. I recently saw an interview with Soulja Boy where he said that at the present time he is hotter than Jay-Z, Kanye and Lil Wayne. This interview is from last year but it is relevant to this blog. Is this kid out of his mind? He in no way will ever be hotter than any of these artists. I don't care if you have a song or two in heavy rotation. His buzz could never exceed any of these artists at any time. I was on youtube and saw countless videos of no-name "artists" taking shots at the big boys in the game. Where did the respect go? If it weren't for our predecessor's we wouldn't even be able to make music. They made this possible for us whether they are hot or not. To go out and say that you are presently hotter than Jay-Z is a joke. These artists make it possible for you to breathe in the game and this is your thanks? I'm not saying you have to like them or their music but give them some respect. At any given time if Jay, Kanye or Lil Wayne had decided to pay any attention to this kid they could have shut him down instantly. Its crazy how these kids get a battery in their back and they start talking wreckless.
Okay on another note. Aren't these "rap beefs" today just the most entertaining thing out. This feud between Rick Ross and 50 is the best. I was never one to invest time in this nonsense but it just sucks me right in now. The reason why is because it has absolutely nothing to do with who is a better rapper. Now its just about who can humiliate the other one more and the person with the most money usually wins. I love it when people war with 50 cause he has so much cash to throw away on embarrassing you. You cant war with someone like that. This guy actually went out and paid for the official transcripts from the jail in Miami where Ross worked as a correctional officer just to show the world. He sent his child's mother and a friend on a shopping spree. WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH RAP? Nothing at all but its damn entertaining. This isn't about music anymore. Hip Hop is turning into a fucking spectacle. We are now the WWE of music. Maybe I am a hypocrite in ways for feeding into it but its kind of hard not to when its thrown in your face everyday. Its like protocol now with rap artists that they must beef with another one to promote their albums. Turn on the damn radio and Flex and Angie Martinez are interviewing someone about the beef they have with another artist, meanwhile half the Hip Hop albums that have been released in the last year have been straight trash. Where did the music go my people? Well to conclude let me take this opportunity to say that my album will be dropping very soon so any rappers that wanna beef with me please do so in helping me to promote my album. Wait! I forgot. I'm broke so I really don't have any money to help promote yours...
Below is a link to the Interview with Soulja Boy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW-i8Zi7gMw