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HOT TOPICS: Will Smith Part Owner of the 76ers

19 Oct

HOT SCALE (1-10): 7

Big Willy Styles has stepped up has is baller status. Following in the foot steps of Jay Z (not where rapping is concerned) Will Smith has become an NBA team owner.  Alongside five others, Smith has invested to help save the struggling 76ers franchise.

Apparently they’re all struggling these days, not only making a profit, but making decisions on how to end the NBA lock out.  Yesterday the owners and players met for 16 hours and weren’t able to come up with a solution. 16 hours!  What the heck went on behind those doors for 16 hours, I’d sure love to know.

But let’s not rain on the 76ers parade with all that talk.  The fact that Will Smith who is famously from Philly has invested in his beloved city is a big deal.  And guard Evan Turner seems to think the same.  He tweeted, “I think it’s dope that the Fresh Prince is one of our new owners. Maybe Willow can perform at halftime”.
Apparently Turner is a fan of Willow’s catalogue.  Should Turner be referring to his technically new boss as the “Fresh Prince”?  That show has been off the air for 15 years now, let’s move on.  At least call him Hancock circa his 2008 film.  And please, give Will some credit, he’s released four solo albums (Willenium anyone?).  I think the man could throw down a tune or two if need be.

This is all good news for the league that may or may not see a season.  It’s even better news for fans, as ticket prices will be slashed for their viewing enjoyment (a great distraction for us little guys as owners and players squabble how to divvy up their millions).

Jay Z who has already been fined by the NBA $50, 000 for illegal contact with University of Kentucky players last season should teach Will a thing or two about the biz.

Here’s a thought: maybe the league can reinvest all the money from various fines throughout the year into their ‘struggling” teams instead of donating it to these so called ‘various charities”.

Just an idea.

Thanks to REX for the image.

HOT TOPICS: Telling the Full Tale – Bones v Rampage

25 Sep images

OVERTIME

Jon “Bones” Jones has surely silenced his critics.  After an impressive title defense win against Rampage Jackson where he dominated the fight, I think we can officially say Jones is a legitimate force.  Rampage admittedly was in the best shape of his life, yet was no match for the über athletic, tactically creative, and most definitely cocky, Jones.

Jones (who should be nick named Jon “Long” Jones) has the longest reach in UFC history, at an astounding 84 and a half inches.  That’s 11 and a half inches longer than his opponent Rampage.  His gangly arms made headlines leading into the fight,  but it was Jones’ daddy long legs that were doing the damage when the bell rang.  His leg kicks dominated Jackson and kept him at bay.
This fight got me thinking.  Wouldn’t it have been great to know what Jones’ leg length advantage was?

Before each fight, the UFC has their Tale Of The Tape that breaks down the vital stats of each fighter: origin, age, weight, height, and reach.  Boxing has shown the same stats for years.  We’ve been groomed to associate the term “reach” to mean arm/punch length.  However, noticeably absent in MMA in particular the UFC, there isn’t a stat on the leg reach of each fighter.  Just short of telling me their zodiac sign, it’s a non factor what the kick advantage one fighter has over his opponent.  In MMA, punches and kicks are thrown.  Arm and leg reach work in conjunction.  Why tell me one stat without the other.  When men buy a suit, doesn’t the tailor take your arm length, and inseam?  A jelly sandwich is ok, but with peanut butter, fuggedaboutit!  Some things work best together.  There needs to be this statistical addition, and a change in the terminology culture in reference to “reach”.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that the UFC has only been around since 1993.  1993!  I remember that was such a great year. Basement jams were the ish and Hip Hop was some real music.  ’93 was my personal best year as a sports fan too; the Jays were World Series Champs and the Bulls had three-peated their way into a dynasty.  Good times.  Man, I’m sounding old.  My point is, ’93 wasn’t that long ago, and we are privy to the UFC’s evolution right before our eyes.  The UFC is touted as “the fastest growing sport in the world”, but like all things new, there is still room for improvement.

Those who know me may think I’m championing this leg reach movement  because I’m a disproportionate girl who has problems finding jeans long enough to fit, and you may be right.  But I still  think the addition of this stat not only completes the UFC’s Tale Of The Tape picture, it separates them from every other fighting league.

Dana, you’re welcome.

Thank you to bleacherreport.com for the image

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HOT TOPICS: No Call, No Show

9 Sep

As every fiber of my being wants to yell a Nick Diaz for blowing the biggest opportunity of his life, I can’t help but think WTF?!

In a bizzare turn of events, Diaz who was scheduled for a title fight against Welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre has been scratched from the UFC 137 card. After inexplicably missing press conferences in Toronto and Las Vegas, UFC President Dana White was forced to find a replacement for Diaz’s absence.

Diaz has clearly lost his mind.  Anyone bold enough to pull a fast one on Dana White is obviously not playing with a full deck of cards.  White had told  Diaz when he approached him about the fight that the amount of money he would make on this one fight would top all other winnings he has ever earned combined! COMBINED!  Not to mention, the notoriety he would gain, and most importantly, his shot at the being the new Welterweight Champ.

So, I repeat, WTF?!

Diaz is known to have anxiety issues when it comes to the media, but I don’t think any ‘ol excuse can justify his unprofessional, erratic behavior.  I think it’s safe to assume that this is more than a social anxiety problem.  In the past, it may have been easy to absolve his absences on press days and chalk it up to his “rebellious” side, or “Diaz being Diaz” but this is straight up ludicrous. (Sidenote: the fact that “Diaz being Diaz” is even considered as a pardon for his “ass hole like” beaviour is unacceptable.  You’re a grown man!)  You can be the baddest (yes, baddest) bad man in the world, not give a what about anything, but you don’t handle the situation like that.  Never like that.

Maybe I’m getting soft, but I actually feel sorry for the guy.  Anyone who can throw away their lifes work; blood, sweat, tears, you name it, for no apparent reason, needs help.

In a league like the UFC where fighters are a dime a dozen with everyone clawing at their shot at stardom, I don’t think Diaz should be tossed to the curb, rather, he needs help now more than ever.  Could this be early signs of CTE rearing its ugly head?  Maybe.  Or maybe Nate really is a prick.  I hope it’s neither.  Selfishly, I just want to enjoy and appreciate Nate doing what he does so well, and that’s being a great fighter.

 

Here’s to hoping he get’s it together.

HOT TOPICS: Former NHL player Wade Belak dead at 35

1 Sep

HOT SCALE (1-10): 10

For those of you who know me, you may think I’m partial to this story because Wade Belak use to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong in assuming so.  Sadly, Belak was found dead in a Toronto hotel yesterday.  He is now the third NHL enforcer/tough guy to have died since May along with Winnipeg Jets’ Rick Rypien and former New York Rangers Derek Boogard.

“We’re talking about such a short period of time,” Craig Button, who was the general manager of the Flames when Belak played there early in his career, told The Canadian Press. “It’s not only about the deaths, it’s the deaths that surround similar type players. … It’s not just getting hit in the head, it’s everything that goes with that (enforcer) role. I think that people are paying very, very serious attention to concussions and blows to the head and the role of the enforcer.

“I don’t think anybody can stop until we really understand the impact it has not only physically but emotionally as well,” Button said.
Read the full ESPN article here.

Both the NHL and NFL have changed their rules regarding hits to the head much to the dismay of “purists” of their respective sport, but there is an undeniable correlation between hits to the head and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.

Sideny Crosby, arguably the best player in the league, is still recovering after what appeared to be multiple concussions suffered days apart in January.  Crosby’s return is still unclear (as well as if he will be the same player he once was), but one thing is certain; the NHL is taking these deaths seriously, and maybe it’s time we as fans do the same.
We may soon find ourselves with a generation of athletes we adored suffering from brain injuries, or worse, dead.

Thank you to Frederick Breedon/AP for the Wade Belak Image

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