The Return.....August 22, 2011

Sorry for the wait. I will rise again......August 22

My reflections on Class

After a four month journey to complete my entry on the "Beyondthegame" piece, i feel accomplished. Im satisfied with the result of my front cover story and with my departmental story on the Greatest Franchise in sports (Go Sox).

I do feel we could've did more with our time while in the classroom. I appreciate the time alloted to complete our assignments and blog entries, but didnt really care about the down time in class.

Having to listen to conversations about what people did on the weekend or who is dating who is as entertaining as cement drying.

A different class schedule being implemented could get more production out of the class. Maybe an hour and a half with reviewing our pieces, then the rest of class time used to do other projects.

In all, i feel i progressed with my writing, Though I have to improve my editing skills.The creation of my blog and the articles that we wrote have helped me take tremendous steps in reaching my goal in journalism.

The curious case of Cam Newton

And with the #1 pick the Carolina Panthers select… The remaining part to that previous sentence is confusing and well… a relative unknown. No matter what Todd McShay and Mel Kiper bicker and debate about, no one player is a consensus top pick. Though the best overall players are arguably Patrick Peterson and Cam Newton, they haven’t solidified their stance at the top of the draft mountain. Both are supreme athletes, from elite programs, with upsides that can’t be measured. This is when intangibles come in . Unfortunately for one of these players those intangibles are attributed from inside and from other sources.
Even though Auburn earned the championship trophy, solely because of Newton; his leadership, commitment, drive, personality, past experiences, decision making, integrity, family, impact have been heavily criticized from the editor of Pro Football Weekly and college football enthusiasts. These premature opinions are reminiscent to former #1 pick, big man on campus, fellow NCAA champion Jamarcus Russell.

Fresh off a successful season with LSU, Russell was tabbed to be the consensus top picks in the draft, but had the same alleged issues as Newton. Plus a history of NOT having a hard work ethic (Cam is the opposite). The 6’6 Russell carried a huge body that was legit for the NFL, perfect combination of mobility and pocket passing ability, and arguably the strongest arm in the history of the league. Impressive workouts at the NFL combine and a reported ability to throw the ball 60 yards, while kneeled, cemented Russell as the #1 pick and the face and the leader of Raider nation for the upcoming years.

Saying Russell didn’t take complete control of the reins of his career is an understatement. H e barely showed up to the racetrack.

Run ins with teammates, inability to lose weight, lack of desire to progress, and legal issues (most notably having a prescription drug without proof of prescription) caused the once messiah to Raider nation to be cut.

Anything can be the main contributor to the dismal train wreck that is called “Jamarcus Russell’s career.” Maybe it was his family upbringing. Maybe he was so dominant at football it soon grew old to him and he lost any type of desire to be successful. Maybe he couldn’t fully harness his god-given gifts. Maybe he just wasn’t a good enough player for the NFL. Maybe it was the lucrative multimillion dollar contract. Maybe it was the fact that the contract WAS GUARANTEED. Maybe all that pressure placed on his shoulders was too heavy. Maybe he didn’t receive a specific type of support needed or the support he received wasn’t enough. Maybe the environment didn’t fit his personality, or maybe he just didn’t chuck it up and perform to the best of ability.

Whatever the case maybe, Jamarcus is a 25 year old FORMER NFL player that has legal and personal issues that haven’t only affected him but also will be burdens to other African-American quarterbacks that are possible first round draft picks.

The reputation of Jamarcus Russell is what burdens Cam Newton. The Great Wall of Russell is what needs to be conquered by Newton. The bad taste that Russell left on all the minds of GMs and coach’s is what needs to be cleaned up and taken care of by the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner. This is the real reason critics have been extremely harsh on Cam Newton. Its not his supposed, “fake smile” or alleged “lack of leadership.” It’s the 25 pieces of raggedy, ripped; unroll able cheap K-Mart baggage Russell has left for future African-American quarterbacks to carry.

Newton is a great talent, with a tremendous upside. Fortunately for him, he will soon receive enough money to support him and his family. Unfortunately for him, he has to prove to the football universe, past, present, and future Black quarterbacks deserve these large sums of money.

My thoughts on the old, crusty, outdated views of Harry Browne

As a former soccer player and enthusiast, I applaud Harry Browne for his judgment and criticism of flashy style of play against his want to see the beautiful style of play.

Also as a former soccer player and enthusiast, I chastise him for criticizing Brazil and their flashy play.

Soccer as a whole is a sport built on the backs of athletic, strong, flashy and stylish players. Players that can stretch their limit and play not just their beloved sport, but also embark on basketball, cricket, swimming, baseball, rugby, track and field, and football (only wide receiver, ask Ochocinco).

When I played I built my game around my strength, speed, quickness, and skill. These attributes separate the talented (North Korea) from the god-gifted (Brazil) and if that confuses you, it is a difference according to the undefeated Floyd “Pretty Boy/The cash cow/the cash king” Money Mayweather: “there are a lot of talented athletes out here, but in god-gifted! God gifted people beat talent any day of the week!”

So just like Floyd, the Brazil team did just what they were ordained to do and that’s use their dominant abilities to play cat and mouse with North Korea, who they saw as a practice squad.

Brazil’s arrogance and confidence not only should be showcased, but HAS to be exhibited.

For two reasons: the stage the World Cup is on and the lack of interest in the USA for the sport.

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, but inside the US, a small majority is fans. And even a smaller majority can actually tell you they have a professional team in their town and who is the starting lineup on that team. What Brazil stands for and their Deion Sanders/Mike Vick/Brett Favre/Reggie White/Dan Marino style of play has to be shown on the biggest stage this sport can be on. Every soccer game is televised due to the brilliance of satellite and web-TV, but the popularity of the sport peaks during those 4-year intervals when the World Cup is in progress. I believe they not only made their nation proud, but also anybody else who plays or has played the sport of soccer. The soccer gods smile down on teams like North Korea that play traditional soccer, but also smile and applaud for the powerhouse teams.

Brazil also helped the game of soccer by raising the interest of the USA. This is and will be the most important market for any type of financial gain by any money making business. America is the richest nation in the world and can provide any soccer team or club an abundance of financial support if they crack the code. This difficult and inevitable code is: getting Americans not only interested in soccer, but also to intrigue them into spending money on games and merchandise.

Trust me, it seems harder than it seems. Inside of cracking that code is solving a number of other problems which will lead this blog into a totally different direction.

So, I digress. Browne made valid points which keep me interested in his writing, but turned me off with his EXTREMELY-CONSERVATIVE Skip Bayless way of viewing soccer. I didn’t have the time to view an entire game in the World Cup, but did see highlights because of the ESPN. The clips of bicycle kicks, celebration dances and beloved fans fighting almost made me cry and get back involved with a soccer team.

The art of soccer isn’t missing at all. Browne’s type of soccer is missing. That’s sad because it is actually a beautiful game when you play, understand and watch it. Browne just like a number of other sports fans is suffering from “20^th century” syndrome. They are stuck in the past and not ready to move forward.

Well Mr. Browne, its 2011, times have changed and will continue to change. Get in the driver’s seat and enjoy the surroundings.

The future of attending a baseball event...from the eyes of Will Carlos Brown

"Playball," loud and eruptive is screamed into your ears while you run to your seats for the White Sox vs. Royals game. 3 minutes ago you were in a traffic jam on the Dan Ryan and almost late for Game 7 of the American League Divisional Series.

You hover your vehicle to Gate 13A and jump out the car while your keys are left in the ignition. No worries your car which only moves with your permission parks itself.

As usual you don't have to stand in a 15 minute line to gain entrance, just a simple scan of your fingerprints will suffice. "Thank you, Mrs. Brown. Welcome to the new Comiskey Park. The home of your 2020 World Series Champions, The Chicago White Sox," says the finger scanning machine.

As the PEHP (Post-elevator hover pad) raises you to your appropriate level, you look down at your cellphone just to see that you are 40 seconds away from the opening pitch.

The executive suite level is a frenzy, all the concession employees are sweating and running, while carrying loads of food, which was ordered from the digital menu tablets in each suite. "Excuse me mam."

"Sorry for the confusion."

"Pardon me!" the employees shout as they run back and forth in front of you, supplying the onlookers with their food, liquor and freshly rolled Cuban cigars.

After shuffling and walking cautiosly through the ruckus, you finally reach your destination, Suite 15.

The most expensive suite, because its dedicated to the Greatest White Sox, Dayan Viciedo.

The glass door which separates the suite room the hallway, suddenly appears with a slot where you are supposed to get finger scanned again.

"Glad you arrived safely, Ms. Brown. Enjoy the game," says the glass panel.

You are enthtralled by hugs and kisses from the numerous family members, colleagues, your husband, and high school friends that have showed up to the game to celebrate the potential 12th World Series appearance for the White Sox. After talking to everyone, you finally have a chance to rest and watch the game. The floating digital food menu goes from person to person and compiles an extremely long order list.

After 3 Long Islands and 6 beers you realize that its the 7th inning stretch and the Sox are up 10-4 and 6 outs from the World Series. Excited from the possible historical moment, you stumble down the hallway in search of a memorabilia vendor. An Employee spots you in your drunken stance and asks if you need any assistance. You describe to him the several pieces of jewelry, hats, shirts, foam fingers and jerseys that you desire.

"Unfortunately we don't have that mam, but you can place an order and have those items by the end of the next inning." He hands you a small glass panel that brightens and suddenly gives you an endless amount of options to customize your items. Final price $3,400, the equivalent of one day's pay.

"Last Call" flashes on the digital food menu as the top of the 8th inning concludes. You see that extra strength Tylenol are available. Almost immediately you order some and wait for them to be bought to you by an usher. After a 15 minute wait the Usher brings you your medicine along with your ordered merchandise.

"Thank you for shopping with us, Ms. Brown, " says the Usher. You tip him $300 and continue to enjoy the celebration of the Sox hitting another home run. Raising the score to 14-5.

the game has concluded, people have cleared the stadium except for the suite level. Family and friends are still mingling and celebrating the World Series berth.

Your headache is gone, you are relaxed and stuffed from the steaks and liquor, and your intoxicated husband is telling baseball stories with disinterested employees.

The date is September 29, 2022, and you are a minimum wage worker at K-Mart. Today was a successful and enjoyable one, thanks in large part to technology.

Bulls vs. Hawks...who am i watching?

The end of February is here, and is the historical time when the NHL and NBA teams begin to play up to their potential and secure playoff positions. Chicago sports fans are blessed to have what a lot of cities don’t have; a decision of watching their hockey or basketball team.

The Blackhawks are a shoe string away from making the playoffs, as an 8^th seed (I could’ve sworn they are the reigning champions! Now I hardly see any Blackhawks paraphernalia being worn.). The Bulls, hot off a classic win against Lebron’s Heat, are currently seeded 3^rd in the east and riding on the coat tail of Superstar Derrick Rose.

So, what team am I going to focus all of my precious time and attention on? That’s easy, The Bulls.

Not just because Hockey is as entertaining to me as Justin Bieber. Nor that I’m just as knowledgeable about hockey as I am about the cast of Jersey Shore (what is a “Snooki?”). No, it’s not because it’s easier to keep up with the Kardashians. Honestly, I don’t really care about anything dealing with hockey. Never was a fan of what I call “padded figure skating.” I say that to say, “Come on Bulls show me what you got!”

Before I misguide you, I am NOT a Bulls’ fan. I haven’t been one since Scottie signed his name on the dotted line to play with the Houston Rockets. I am an 11-year Dallas Mavericks fan; even have a framed ticket stub with Mark Cuban’s autograph.

But I digress; I’m staying locked in on the Bulls because I want to see what all the fuss is about. News articles, sports anchors, radio programs, and numerous basketball fanatics have praised the Bulls so much, that my intrigue about this core of players has risen.

No longer are they the “Baby Bulls.” With Rose at the steering wheel this team has impressed so much they are being considered legitimate title contenders. Though they proved they were contenders in the 2009 series against the Celtics, they improved their roster by stealing major pieces of the Utah Jazz.

This current crop of Bulls has proven they aren’t playing for the future, but are dead serious about keeping Chicago celebrating championships.

With victories over the Heat, Mavericks, Lakers, Thunder, Celtics, Magic, and Spurs, they solidified themselves into the heated debate of who’s the “Best team in the league.”

This is the best Bulls team since 1998, why wouldn’t we be watching them? In a city that is under the shadow of Jordan and the 85’ Bears, it’s almost impossible to get this city this excited and anxious about the playoffs.

Joakim Noah’s wacky and energetic personality on and off the court along with the quickness and flashy play of MVP candidate, Rose, keep fans glued to TV sets and United Center seats.

With a majority of the young and most talented players taking their talents to the Eastern Conference, the 2011 NBA playoffs are poised to remind us of the classic battles in the 90s.

The closer it gets to mid-April the more fidgety I get. The Bulls are back and according to the lack of trade day moves, they will be here for a while.

Brand new batteries are in the remote, the couch is clean and ready for 8 hours of straight sitting, and I have a whole new arsenal of reasons to tell my boss I can’t make work.

Go Go cubbies!

The temperature has risen, the snow has melted, and the NBA season is halfway done. These are signs of one thing, a new MLB season. Continued success for some franchises, a hope for a better tommorow by most franchises, falls from glory for others, and a hope for anything, something positive for that damned team on the Northside of Chicago. Yes, its time for the Cubs and Cubs' hopefuls to claim that "this is the year we win it all", "be better than the White Sox", and the most important claim of all, appoint a "savior." This proclamation or adornment has been fixated on the heads of a new player each year since Corky Romano a.k.a Sammy Sosa left the team. With this blessing of being called a "savior" or "leader", comes several responsibilities:

1) Bring Power

2)Bring Leadership

3)Make the all-star team

4) Put up better offensive numbers than whomever the power hitter is on the Cardinals

5)Show up in the crosstown series

6) and most importantly, Single handedly lift the organization/fan base/team/history of the cubs out of the abyss and back into the World Series

These expectations seem lofty to everyone except for anybody affiliated with the red, white, and blue on Addison!

Milton Bradley, Marlon Byrd, Nomar Garciaparra, Corey patterson, Aramis Ramirez, Derek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, are just some that have came close, never tried, or failed horribly at accomplishing these feats.

Bradley could never get along with teammates, coaches, front office, nor the fans and was immediately shipped away.Garciappara was beyond his prime, but was a favorite in the clubhouse. Patterson never reached his potential. Ramirez cant stay healthy enought to be a season long all star. Soriano is Soriano.

With the Brewers adding two strong arms to their rotation, the Cardinals squeezing at least one more year out of the best player in the league,and the Reds fresh off a playoff birth, its hard to see any silver lining in this upcoming season for the Cubbies. Hell they even have trouble winning against the Pirates.

As a fan that bleeds black and grey (thats a referrence to the great White Sox), i honestly hope that this current trio of heroes, Byrd, Castro, and Colvin, can make the 2011 Cubs a decent team. Not just relevant in NL Central , but also in entire Major League. It hurts my heart that we dont have any competition from a team that is 13 stops on the redline away. The Crosstown series still draws sell out crowds, but is missing the glamour which could be present if both teams were playoff teams.

Chicago's 2011 has been fun so far. We already had the Bears reach the NFC championship game the Bulls are on pace to be the 3rd seed in the Eastern conference, and more than likely the Sox locking up a playoff spot. (its so hard not to add my southside bias)

Hopefully, this season shows a much improved Cubs team. One that is competitive and makes them relevant not just in the crosstown series, but also in October.

Mr. One and Done...Coach Calipari

A senior plays on the varsity basketball team, He earns numerous honors and awards, He takes his team deep in the state playoffs, and his talents and skills catch the eye of one man. This specific man promises college glory, a final four appearance, national televised games, and a spot on a NBA team. This man is one of the top coaches in the game today, considered a genius by many, he goes by “Mr. One and done” a.k.a Coach John Calipari.

Dajuan Wagner, Darius Washington jr. Shawne Williams, John wall, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, Demarcus Cousins and soon to be Brandin Knight are players that won the “Calipari Scholarship.” Though all aren’t currently in the league, they accomplished every step to get there and make their millions, but the longevity and smoothness of their careers fluctuate.

I have always been a fan of Coach Calipari. He brings a handful of the top players to his team and squeezes as much skill and natural ability out of them that he can, because he knows when June comes around he will watch them walk across the stage in New York and shake David Stern’s hand.

What I’m not a fan of is John Calipari as a man. He has led players into a sadistic world, uneducated, vulnerable, and too immature to handle the issues that arise with these profitable positions. Without being properly educated, disciplined and held responsible for their actions, players under Coach Calipari are given the reins to a thoroughbred, but without any horse riding lessons.

Just like Lord Palpatine, Calipari is making several Darth Vaders who once released in the NBA are guided by the league’s intriguing, but evil forces.

Shawne Williams, an extremely high risk- high reward forward, has been a headache and thorn in the side of every coaching staff he has played for while in the NBA. His assortment of disrespectful actions towards teammates coaches and to the game of basketball has led him to the New York Knick's bench.

Derrick Rose, arguably the best point guard in the NBA, isn’t even close to being the smartest or wisest of the “Calipari” bunch. Charged with academic cheating while at the University of Memphis, Rose is the prototype of a “Dumb Jock.” He even had someone else take his ACT for him at Simeon High School.

The immoral recruiting and promises made by “Emperor Calipari” have led players on a journey with no G.P.S.

Though there are players like John Wall and Brandin Knight who excel in the classrooms and courts, others haven’t come close to educational success. This lack of success can be attributed to effort from players, Calipari’s failure to push for academic excellence, influence of boosters, free time for studies, and even being blinded by the glamour of playing at a big institution.

The importance of having book and basketball smarts should be the only goal for every player and every coach. Vince Carter exhibited this by being late for a playoff game so he could walk across the stage and receive his diploma. He was ridiculed by anouncers for this, but was given hugs and praise from his mother and people that actually mattered.

Calipari needs to play every male role in these kid’s lives. Raising and fine-tuning them into being role models and men for future “one and dons”, needs to be his goal.

Superbowl 2011: Me vs. the advertisers

I was thoroughly disgusted with the Super bowl this year. No, not because of the outcome (I’m a Titans fan!), not because of Aguilera, and DEFINITELY not because of the Halftime show (who looks at that anyway!). I was anticipating to be wowed, shocked and entertained by the always extravagant, commercials.

No matter what team a viewer is rooting for, the commercials bring us together as a football-loving family. Our differences, hatreds towards certain players, and arguments on why our favorite team’s didn’t make it to the championship are put aside when we are blessed with a TV break.

Hell, even the “football tutorial” men have to give to women is even put on hold, during these special times. (i.e. “what’s a “pick 6”? “why did he throw in that direction?” , and the most popular: “ohhhh he’s cute, what’s his name?”)

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to enjoy this game of brutality, because there really wasn’t anything to keep me excited.

What happened to the “Budweiser frogs,” “the Snapple lady”, or my all-time favorite “the Wassssup guys?” They keep the party going. They put smiles on the faces of football fanatics, novices, and the people that are there just to freeload off the dinner. I was overly saturated with corny Pepsi max and Doritos commercials!

If the objective of having an advertisement at this expensive primetime position is to attract customers, THEY FAILED…. HORRIBLY. Matter of fact, Ill even goes to say that they have lost a potential customer, forever!

The commercials were so wack, that for the past three days I have been trying to get answers to three questions, which have been glued in my mind:

1) Who came up with the brilliant idea for Velveeta to have a Super bowl commercial?

2) Who was the creator of it?

3) Wouldn’t it make more sense to air the commercial before the game? I’m sure no one is going to risk missing a touchdown to go make a “Velveeta run.”

Though there was this unfortunate lack of quality, I did crack a smile at the “Captain America” and “Transformers 3” trailers. The “Fast and Furious 5” trailer also caught my attention (surprisingly because I HATE anything Paul Walker is in. He has as much acting talent as a mannequin).

I pray that this isn’t a sign of the apocalypse. I hope that all the creativity hasn’t been drained out of advertising geniuses and we are left with Velveeta commercials (yes, I hated their ads that much!). I beg that the commissioner and whoever else is in charge of the commercials don’t let these special blocks of time get watered down like “NBA all-star weekend”.

The Super bowl is comparable to a package deal: good game, funny commercials, absurdly boring halftime show, and beer.

Hopefully Super Bowl 2012 will have a buffet full of clever TV spots that continue the tradition and power wash the bad taste of this year’s advertisements out of my mouth.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Shannahan (revised)

Every franchise has gone through it. The dreaded, dismal, unfortunate period of rebuilding a team into a perennial powerhouse, or at least a playoff contender. But of course any team’s path to hoisting the shiny and glossy championship trophy isn’t smooth. The unexpected tribulations that occur won’t only just cause a shift in a season, but also the entire franchise.

Now there are several reasons for this to happen: fan’s disgust, lack of quality players, frugal owners, and small markets. What if all these problems don’t exist, slashes in the loss column pile up, and the animosity comes from the head coach.

Welcome to the life of the Washington Redskins. Stacked to the brim with talent and big-spending owners, the Redskins hired the only man they thought could take them where they haven’t been since 1991, Mike Shanahan.

A beefy resume that included two championships, coaching a smorgasbord of Hall of Famers, and an attitude that demands respect, is enough to intrigue any team owner.

Almost as soon as the titles of “general manager/ head coach” were given to Shanahan, so did the abomination of the Redskin’s season.

In the eyes of dictator Shanahan (and nearly every redskin fan), Jason Campbell wasn’t a franchise quarterback and was shot putted to Oakland. To fill the void at quarterback Shanahan went to division rival Philadelphia and stole 34-year old Donovan McNabb.

The defense was immediately altered beginning a chain of events that eventually sent the season into a belly flop to “Buffalo Bills/Cleveland Browns/Detroit Lions” land.

$100 million man, Albert Haynesworth wasn’t pleased with the defensive changes and began a verbal battle with Shanahan through the media and in the locker room. Lackluster efforts from both sides to come to a consensus inadvertently destroyed the potential dominance the defense was poised to have.

The over-bearing attitude of Shanahan was soon directed towards McNabb. Labeled as underachieving and a shell of himself, and “can’t run a two-minute drill”, McNabb was shelved for former Bear’s quarterback (if you can call him that) Rex Grossman.

The Redskin’s promising 2010 bombed almost as hard as the career of Jamarcus Russell. If there is any silver lining of their season, at least they had the same amount of wins as historical rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

With the offense and defense humbly ranked, 18^th and 31^st respectively, a final record of 6-10, and the uncertain futures of two of the most important players, the Redskins are faced with an endless amount of questions, which need to be tended to ASAPTUALLY.

The success of the 2011 season is in the hands of the all-powerful Shanahan. A promising draft is looming and blessed with several trade pieces, the move to prominence is on him, to make this $750 million dollar franchise relevant in January again.