Slept-On Young Gun(s) Of The Week...2/27-3/6

Jarrett Jack...

Jarrett Jack was the man at G-Tech (i.e. their '04 run to the National Championship), and while he wasn't getting splinters out in Portland for his first three seasons, he was certainly under the radar. This season, though, since being traded to Indy over the summer, Jack's really gotten a chance to do his thing, especially in recent weeks. As opposed to running point solo, he's the second member in the Pacers' two-PG starting lineup, with T.J. Ford being the other half. In the Pacers' 4 games since last Thursday, Jack's averaged just over 21 a game, to go along with 4.5 assists. And he's done it on 48% shooting. Indy's gone 2-2 in that period. Moreover, while's been good for 12.5 points on the season, Jack's stepped that up to 20.4 since the All-Star break. Big ups to Jarrett Jack.

Via: ESPN

Thursday Night Rundown...

NBA Basketball....

HORNETS!!!! CP3 had 27 and 15. Tyson Chandler added 10 points and 11 boards, and David West put in 19 and 10, as the Hornets cruised to their 6th straight W. Also, props to Rasual Butler who added 18, and is averaging 17 and close to 5 boards since the All-Star break....Melo B. Easy had 38.

Scores From Around The League...3/5/09

Mavs 88, Hornets 104

Blazers 90, Nuggets 106

NCAA Basketball...

Pretty dead in college ball...Illinois and Arizona St. both suffered upsets....Penn St. likely locked up their NCAA bid with the W over Illinois...Xavier wrapped up the A-10 regular season title...As rough as their season's been, Tennessee locked up a share of the SEC East, and has set themselves up nicely going into March. 

Top 25 Scores From Around The Nation...3/5/09

Providence 80, #16 Villanova 97

Oregon St. 54, #17 UCLA 79

Dayton 59, #18 Xavier 76

Stanford 74, #21 Arizona St. 64

#23 Illinois, Penn St. 64

Via: ESPN

Chris Brown Hit With 2 Felonies...

Chris Brown has been charged with two felonies stemming from an argument with his girlfriend, Rihanna, court documents show.

Brown is expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon on charges of assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. The 19-year-old R&B singer remains free on $50,000 bail.

The felony complaint handed down in court Thursday morning identifies Brown's alleged victim only as "Robyn F." Rihanna's real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.

If convicted, the possible sentence ranges anywhere from probation to four years and eight months in state prison, said district attorney's spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

Los Angeles police arrested Brown on Feb. 8 and booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats. Police said at the time a woman identified Brown as her attacker during an early morning dispute in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood.

Full story here.

Via: Yahoo

NBA Basketball...

10 games on tap in The League Wednesday...Highlights: The Cavs and Celtics clinched playoffs berths. Wow....D. Wade went for 35, and dished out 16 dimes, tying the career-high he set just last month...Rudy Gay had a career-high 35, to go along with 8 boards....Despite Tony Parker's 37, the Mavs topped the Spurs, 107-102. Was it Mark Cuban's words that inspired them??? 

LOOK OUT FOR UTAH!!!! 

The Jazz have battled injuries all season long from D. Will to Boozer to AK-47, and so on. But that's only made them stronger, namely in the forms Ronnie Brewer, and Paul Millsap, who stepped up in Boozer's absence, and is averaging 14 and close to 10 boards on the season. Plus, despite those injuries, they sit just a game out of 1st in the Northwest Division. Well the Jazz are all healthy right now,, and hitting their stride, and their DANGEROUS. They take care of business at the crib (27-6), and may be the most balanced team in the West - they're a legit 9/10 guys deep. And winners of 9 straight.

Scores From Around League...3/4/09

Bucks 71, Cavs 91

Suns 129, Heat 135

Celtics 115, Nets 111

Hawks 105, Knicks 109

Wizards 83, Thunder 88

Warriors 88, Bulls 110

Spurs 102, Mavs 107

ROckets 94, Jazz 101

Pacers 105, Blazers 107

Grizzlies 118, Clippers 95

VIa: ESPN

NCAA Basketball...

A few Top 25 games on deck Wednesday night. #12 Mizzou provided further evidence that they're a force to be reckoned with, beating #5 Oklahoma, 73-64. Although he grabbed 21 boards, the swarming Mizzou D forced Blake Griffin into 6 turnovers, double teaming him whenever he touched the rock. Mike Anderson's "Fastest 40 Minutes In Basketball" system spells trouble for every team in The Tournament...It was upset city for a few:

• Texas Tech knocked off #9 Kansas. The Jayhawks never led, and shot 33%, including 4-24 from deep. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders knocked down 15 of 27 their threes. 
• Vanderbilt spoiled #11 LSU's senior night. The loss snapped a 13-game conference winning streak for the Tigers.
• Northwestern came into West Lafayette, and snapped #20 Purdue's 9 game home winning streak.

Bubble Teams That Jagged:

• Florida. The Gators are 21-9, and own just one win over a currently ranked team (a November win at Washington), and just 8-7 in a weak SEC. The last thing they needed was a loss 18-12 Miss. St. 
• Kentucky. The 19-11 Wildcats have no major wins, and are, like Florida, are 8-7 in SEC conference play. The beast that is Jodie Meeks is the Wildcats only legit argument that they deserve a Tournament bid. Losing to the 12-18 Georgia Bulldogs certainly doesn't help their chances.
• Boston College. Not too many teams can boast W's over North Carolina and Duke. The Golden Eagles can. Losing to N.C. St. doesn't mean their chances are out the window but it could have very well locked up a bid for them. Taking care of G-Tech, and showing up in the ACC Tournament may do the trick, though.

DePaul, losers of 17 straight after Wednesday night's L to West Va., is just one game away from completing a winless season in Big East play....wow.

Scores From Around The Nation...3/4/09

#2 North Carolina 86, Virginia Tech 78

#3 Memphis 69, Houston 60

#15 Marquette 75, #4 Pitt 90

#5 Oklahoma 64, #12 Mizzou 73

Seton Hall 78, #6 Louisville 95

#9 Kansas 65, Texas Tech 84

Vandy 75, #11 LSU 67

Northwestern 64, #20 Purdue 61

Also, big ups to Shump, who had 7 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals in G-Tech's 78-68 win over Miami.

Via: ESPN

Flava In Ya Ear...

New Music...

More Keri!!!

Keri Hilson Feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo - Knock Me Down

Keri Hilson is shitting on every female in the game right now. Period.

Cons to the Quence...

Consequence Feat. Red Cafe - Hottest In The Hood (rmx)

The Cons is a beast. Low-key, he's been in the game for a minute, too (he used to rock with Tribe). 

New Videos....

Rick Ross Feat. John Legend - Magnificent...

Musiq - So beautiful...

That's just the cut right there.

Fight Club, Fight Club, Fight Club...

Murda Mook...

Serius Jones...

Max B Goin' In On Hell Rell...

"I rather do 30 years than have your face"

"Taco meat face ass"

LMAO...Owwwwwwwwwwww.

The Game Speaks...

As if anyone really believed him when he said he was done. Wow. 

Definitely not mad at it, though.

Via: nahright & worldstarhiphop

BREAKING NEWS: COWBOYS RELEASE T.O.!!!!!!!

The Dallas Cowboys have released controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith late Wednesday.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not deny the team is discussing the possible release of Owens in late February.

"There are several decisions on our roster we have to look at," Jones said at the time. "This is the time of year we do that. I'm not trying to be trite, but as you all know we're evaluating players in college, we're evaluating free agents and we're evaluating our own roster. This is an ongoing thing, not any different than this time last year."

There has been talk since the end of the Cowboys' 9-7 season, in which they missed the playoffs, that they would consider cutting Owens to improve moral in the locker room.

Not only did Owens have relationship issues with quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten, but the receiver consistently criticized offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's play calling and his offensive schemes to the point that sources say Garrett does not believe they can coexist.

The Cowboys paid Owens a $12 million signing bonus just last year, included as part of a new four-year, $34 million deal.

Owens caught 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

WOWWWWWWW (Flavor Flav voice, LMAO). For as long as the T.O. shit has been goin down, it honestly never crossed my mind that they'd actually release him. Watch him put up numbers wherever he goes though. (Philly? I wish...)

Via: ESPN

Politics & Bullsh**

Chuck D and DL Hughley Rap with RNC Leader Michael Steele...

Knowledge....and much respect to Michael Steele, even though he rolls with the Republicans. He seemed 100% genuine.

Michael Eric Dyson Takes on MSNBC's Pat Buchannon...

I'm mad it always jagged when Dyson was trying to make a point. 

Nonetheless, as common as it is, the ignorance of some white people never ceases to amaze me.

League News...

Will The NBA Change The Traveling Rule???

The head of officials for the NBA wants to rewrite the league's traveling rule to legalize taking a "second step" and clarify what he considers a hard-to-enforce rule.

"I wrote a version and I put it out there," said Joe Borgia, the NBA's vice president of referee operations. Borgia said he's waiting for the league's upper management to decide if they support the change.

The rule book says players get one step without dribbling, shooting or passing before they will be called for traveling. In practice, NBA players get two steps on a regular basis -- and have for years. "We really don't reference the rulebook," Borgia said in an interview with TrueHoop's Henry Abbott.

Borgia claims the current rule is so confusing that it's impossible to tell if it allows one step or two. The suspicion is that the NBA ignores the rule to inspire exciting offensive players to create great moments. Borgia insists the rule is ignored simply because its intent is lost in a tangle of legalistic terminology.

The NBA's official rule says that "a player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may use a two-count rhythm in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball. The first count occurs (1) As he receives the ball, if either foot is touching the floor at the time he receives it; or (2) As the foot touches the floor, or as both feet touch the floor simultaneously after he receives the ball, if both feet are off the floor when he receives it.

"The second occurs (1) After the count of one when either foot touches the floor, or both feet touch the floor simultaneously."

That allows for interpretation -- and some confusion. "The book possibly could be interpreted differently from what actually happens. You could read it so that it's almost like you're allowed one. If you interpret it that way, right. That's where we're having an issue."

League officiating instructors have been interpreting it as two steps. Officials are taught that, Borgia said.

"Forever, as long as I can remember, a player has been allowed two steps," said Borgia, whose father was an NBA referee for the league's first two decades, and then a referee supervisor. "I've never heard anything other than that ... Everyone in the world knows you're allowed two steps."

Borgia's new version of the rule would clarify that. "We're not really making a rule change," he said. "We're just trying to write the rule that makes sense."

This makes a lot of sense. How many times do we see players travel, but its not called. In fact, its become so commonplace that it doesn't seem like traveling at all. The rule is only making what we always see, legal.

Uh-oh....Somebody pissed off Mark Cuban...

The outspoken owner called out his entire roster Tuesday, a day after the Mavericks fell behind by 23 and lost to Oklahoma City, which is among the worst teams in the NBA and played without its top two scorers.

"It's only one game, which I keep reminding myself of," Cuban said in Wednesday's editions of The Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "But let's just say I wasn't happy with our preparation, execution or effort. Not only did it look like we had no idea what we were doing, but we did it without effort. The effort and energy, on both sides of the ball, by each player will decide their future with the Mavericks."

..."If each player can't take the personal initiative to make every game important and play like it, I don't see them being here next season," Cuban said. "The ball won't always bounce the way we want it to, but every player can control their level of effort. I don't care what their contract is. I would rather turn over the roster 100 percent than subject fans to another game like last night."

Full story here.

You know Cuban's not afraid to do anything. He should be mad at himself for trading Devin Harris more than he is at anybody on his roster.

Via: ESPN

Peep The P.E.'s...

Joe Johnson and Ray Allen in the Air Jordan 2009 P.E.

Joe Johnson...

Ray Allen "Home"...

Ray Allen "Away"...

Nate Robinson Foamposite Lite P.E...

Chris Paul in the "Mardi Gras" CP3.II...

On the hip-hop tip, peep Jim Jones in the Nike RT1 High...

Via: sneakernews

Manny Being Manny....

Manny and The Dodgers Agree To Deal...

After months of back-and-forth negotiations, a meeting Wednesday between Manny Ramirez, his agents and Los Angeles Dodgers management has culminated in a deal for the slugger.

Ramirez and the Dodgers have agreed in principle on a two-year, $45 million contract, pending a physical.

According to MLB.com, $25 million of the contract is deferred over five years and Ramirez has the right to opt out of the deal after one year. According to The Associated Press, Ramirez has full no-trade protection.

The outfielder, his agents Scott Boras and Mike Fiore, Dodgers manager Joe Torre, and owner Frank McCourt and general manager Ned Colletti met in the Los Angeles area Wednesday morning. Torre and Colletti arrived from spring training in Arizona.

Los Angeles announced last week that Ramirez declined its latest offer, a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. That deal would have included deferred payments of $10 million each in 2011 and 2012 and $5 million in 2013.

Full story here.

I don't care what the Dodgers said, you knew they had to sign him. There is absolutely no way that anyone on the roster could replace his production.

Via: ESPN