by Stop Mike Lupica on March 13 at 11:47AM
The dreaded link dump! The lazy blogger's secret weapon in a pinch. But I will try to direct you to some posts that I have thoughts on...
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Mizzo did a piece for Slam! on the Celtics. What really struck me about it is that he pointed out that Ray Allen is "definitely the man in the locker room". He talked of the pregame focus - "to the point of paranoid military tension". And he got a few questions for Rajon Rondo, Sam Cassell, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Good reporting!
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Non-sports related, but what the hell is up with tourists going to visit slums in other countries? I mean, yeah, I saw some of the slummiest parts of Rio when I was there (9 years ago), and yeah, even then I could see the appeal of that to a tourist. But at the same time, it bothers me that these same tourist, especially the American ones, would never bother to make that same trip to the hood, you know, to see how people really live in poverty... it's such a double-standard. Reminds me of (white) people I've talked to that have travel to South Africa, and gotten to see the "dangerous conditions" up close and personal - you know, the robberies, the house break-ins, the urban violence - and my first thought is "Yeah. And that sounds like NYC in the 80's, or Baltimore nowadays, or Detroit, or Newark. Pick any urban environment. You don't need to go to South Africa to see that..."
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Sports Media Watch has a post up about an article in the Oklahoman about the Sonics possible move to Oklahoma City. It seems that in "talking to the man on the street", the man on the street in OKC has some very ignorant (but also very common, sadly) stereotypes about the NBA and its players. This post really emphasizes what's the biggest problem that the NBA faces, and why it goes overboard sometimes trying to fight it....
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The Big Lead had a link earlier this week to this article on the BYU volleyball team being put on probation by the NCAA for three years.
I just wanted to fill in the gaps with somethings that I know about BYU v-ball, though I am being lazy... I should be looking these things up, but I'll just go on my experiences for now.
BYU has been a top volleyball school for a while now. I don't know exactly when they got great, but I was talking about this not three weeks ago with a coworker. I mentioned how they are always in the playoffs, and how BYU's squad has had more than a few Brazilians on it in the past. The context of the discussion centered around Mormons, and the increasing popularity of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Brazil. I thought that might explain why there were so many Brazilians on the BYU team (though illegal recruiting might do it, too). FYI: Brazilians are generally the best volleyball players in the world, (along with Cubans) and they take the game seriously, from a young age.
Okay, I did some research: On the NCAA document that relates to this probation, there is the mention of illegally recruiting a Cuban defector (who ended up not enrolling at BYU). The BYU team was ranked #1 this season. Some of the players on the squad have non-Mormon sounding names (at the risk of stereotyping): Ivan Perez (an All-American as a freshman), Yosleyder Cala, Rodnei Santos, and Yamil Perez are all on the roster. They have won 3 National Championships in the past decade, and averages about 3,500 fans for home games.
Ivan Perez is a Puerto Rican. The coach of BYU is friends with the coach of the PR team, so that may explain how they recruited some of their great PR players. BYU has had lots of Brazilians in the past, including Carlos Moreno, a three-year starter, including on BYU's 2004 Championship and 2003 runner-up teams. Just trying to add some insight into a small blurb I spotted....
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Leave a comment
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Mizzo did a piece for Slam! on the Celtics. What really struck me about it is that he pointed out that Ray Allen is "definitely the man in the locker room". He talked of the pregame focus - "to the point of paranoid military tension". And he got a few questions for Rajon Rondo, Sam Cassell, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Good reporting!
***********
Non-sports related, but what the hell is up with tourists going to visit slums in other countries? I mean, yeah, I saw some of the slummiest parts of Rio when I was there (9 years ago), and yeah, even then I could see the appeal of that to a tourist. But at the same time, it bothers me that these same tourist, especially the American ones, would never bother to make that same trip to the hood, you know, to see how people really live in poverty... it's such a double-standard. Reminds me of (white) people I've talked to that have travel to South Africa, and gotten to see the "dangerous conditions" up close and personal - you know, the robberies, the house break-ins, the urban violence - and my first thought is "Yeah. And that sounds like NYC in the 80's, or Baltimore nowadays, or Detroit, or Newark. Pick any urban environment. You don't need to go to South Africa to see that..."
************
Sports Media Watch has a post up about an article in the Oklahoman about the Sonics possible move to Oklahoma City. It seems that in "talking to the man on the street", the man on the street in OKC has some very ignorant (but also very common, sadly) stereotypes about the NBA and its players. This post really emphasizes what's the biggest problem that the NBA faces, and why it goes overboard sometimes trying to fight it....
************
The Big Lead had a link earlier this week to this article on the BYU volleyball team being put on probation by the NCAA for three years.
I just wanted to fill in the gaps with somethings that I know about BYU v-ball, though I am being lazy... I should be looking these things up, but I'll just go on my experiences for now.
BYU has been a top volleyball school for a while now. I don't know exactly when they got great, but I was talking about this not three weeks ago with a coworker. I mentioned how they are always in the playoffs, and how BYU's squad has had more than a few Brazilians on it in the past. The context of the discussion centered around Mormons, and the increasing popularity of the Church of Latter Day Saints in Brazil. I thought that might explain why there were so many Brazilians on the BYU team (though illegal recruiting might do it, too). FYI: Brazilians are generally the best volleyball players in the world, (along with Cubans) and they take the game seriously, from a young age.
Okay, I did some research: On the NCAA document that relates to this probation, there is the mention of illegally recruiting a Cuban defector (who ended up not enrolling at BYU). The BYU team was ranked #1 this season. Some of the players on the squad have non-Mormon sounding names (at the risk of stereotyping): Ivan Perez (an All-American as a freshman), Yosleyder Cala, Rodnei Santos, and Yamil Perez are all on the roster. They have won 3 National Championships in the past decade, and averages about 3,500 fans for home games.
Ivan Perez is a Puerto Rican. The coach of BYU is friends with the coach of the PR team, so that may explain how they recruited some of their great PR players. BYU has had lots of Brazilians in the past, including Carlos Moreno, a three-year starter, including on BYU's 2004 Championship and 2003 runner-up teams. Just trying to add some insight into a small blurb I spotted....
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Hi there,
Sorry for going off topic but I did notice that you've replied my comments on Manu.
First and foremost, I respect your opinion and here is my response towards it.
There is a saying "When the buying stops, so does the selling".
In this manner who is buying? The referee. And who is selling? Manu.
Now I'm not saying that diving and flopping is good for sports but whether you like it or not, it is already part of the game and most likely it is here to stay.
Just remember, it is the referee that makes the call or any decision. If the referee stops buying all these diving or flopping and make better decision, pretty soon players will learn to realize that it is no longer useful.
But then again, to single out Manu as the main culprit now that I feel is going over the line. Haven’t you forgot about Anderson VERAJAO?
Now don’t get me wrong here, as I’m not trying to create some unrest situation between you and me. Arguments are good as long as there are constructive and logic.
Despite of our difference, I would certainly love take this opportunity to become friends. Just remember, you may drop at my blog and share about your passion, opinion or comments anytime.
Muchos Gracias. Adios Amigos