Not a Cake-Walk

Photo courtesy of nbcsports.msnbc.com

The NBA Western Conference is so deep that even the number one versus number eight seed game is not clear-cut.

The Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs split their regular season series against each other (2-2).  Both of the Grizzlies wins came in the second half of the season.

Player to Watch: If Memphis plans on giving the Spurs a run for their money, leading scorer (20.1 PPG) and rebounder (12.2RPG) Zach Randolph to have one hell of a series.

During mid-March, the time period Tim Duncan was sidelined with an injury, the Spurs lost the most consecutive games since he has been on the team (6).  If Duncan is not at 100% health level by the time this series starts, the Grizzlies may have an even better chance at getting the upset, than previously perceived.

Despite some of their recent struggles, the Spurs finished with over 60 wins for a reason.  They scored the 6^th most amount of points per night in the NBA (103.8), and allowed the 14^th fewest (97.8).

Bottom line: The Spurs were an eye-popping 36-5 at their AT&T Center.  Look for the Spurs to continue to defend their turf in San Antonio.

Prediction: the Spurs will not get by without some bumps and bruises, yet they are too good not to make it through the first round (Spurs over Grizzlies in 6).

(Statistics up-to date as of April 10, 2011)

"We're Not Done With This Thing"

Photo courtesy of nbcsport.msnbc.com

Last time the Bulls made it to the playoffs, Chicago was the number eight seed in the East.  LeBron James and the Cavilers destroyed the Bulls from start to finish by taking only five games to eliminate the Bulls from the playoffs.

Flash-forward to Friday, April 8, 2011: Derick Rose and the Bulls ironically defeat the LeBron-less Cavilers 93-82 in Cleveland to clinch the number one seed in the East.

However, despite the big accomplishment there was not much celebrating over receiving the best seed in the East.  “It’s a goal that we were chasing and we’re proud to have that goal,” said Carlos Boozer on April 8^th.  “But we have other goals, too.  We’re not done with this thing.”

If the Bulls are going to reach their “other goals” they will first need to go through the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

Chicago was 3-1 this season against Indiana, yet their 115-108 OT loss came in their most recent game. 

Derick Rose put up 42 points, including three free throws with 1.2 seconds left in regulation to tie the score, and send the game to overtime.  The scary thing: It still wasn’t enough to win!

Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Granger, the two Pacers that need to be shutdown if the Bulls plan on winning this series, put up a combined 48 points in Indiana’s overtime triumph.

Bottom Line: The Pacers finished the season as the only team in the NBA to make the playoffs with a sub .500 record.

While the Bulls are young and playoff inexperienced, soon to be NBA Coach of the Year, Tom Thibodeau will have this team ready to play.  There is a reason the Bulls turned around from a .500 team the year before and now a 60+ win team this season.  Thibodeau knows how to get the best out of his players night in and night out.

Prediction: The Bulls will win the series over the Pacers in the same amount of games it took to get them out of the playoffs last season (5 games).

Wiz Khalifa's Rolling Papers Review

My view of Wiz Khalifa prior to listening to Rolling Papers: I had tried to "get into" Wiz's first two albums, and some of his previous mixtapes.  Here and there I found a song that was decent, but nothing ground-breaking.

Wiz Khalifa's September 2010 single Black & Yellow put him on the mainstream map.  I did not have huge expectations for Rolling Papers.  But with mainstream attention now, Wiz would get better than ever beats to rap over.

     

Track by track review:

When I'm Gone - Rolling Papers starts with over a minute of slow piano playing.  After the beat starts to pick-up, Wiz starts rapping about how he is going to spend all his money now because its useless to him dead.  An average song with catchy lyrics to start off the album. C

On My Level ft. Too Short - Outside of not being able to fully understanding what Wiz Khalifa's "level" was, On My Level is the best track on the album.  The smooth beat sets the tone for the song right from the start.  The chill-ness of the song can be summed up from the opening lyrics to the chorus:  "See after drinking champagne all night, Never worry bout a damn thing - y'all might." A-

Black and Yellow - Like Khalifa said "You know what it is."  This song has been overplayed by the radio, and "free-styled" over by so many other artists that there is not much else to say about it that has not already been said. A-

Roll Up - Contrary to what you would infer the track would be about from reading the title, Wiz goes a complete different direction.  "Whenever you call, baby I roll up," Khalifa spits in the chorus.  Despite being thrown off from the track's title, Roll Up is a fresh gap in-between Wiz's normal track subject.  B+

Hopes and Dreams - Track number five is the worst score on the album.  The beat is chill, yet the lyrics are "wack" beyond belief.  "Oh we can go to my house or we can go to your crib; We can jump in your car, you can see how I live, but I’m still throwing money up."  What the f*ck does that mean?!  D

Wake Up - Wiz raps about how he does not want to "wake up" from the life he's living.  Nobody wants to hear about a rapper's struggles once they've become part of mainstream rap and made millions.  Khalifia went the right route by appreciating what he's got. C+

The Race - The best beat on the album by far.  Khalifa continues his "I made it" attitude by rapping about the attention he gets from girls now compared to before he was hot.  "Cause we are, young, gifted, not to mention out here making muthaf*cking millions," Khalifa spits in the third verse. B


Star of the Show ft. Chevy Woods - Khalifa puts his listeners in the shoes of the "star of the show" on this song.  Its one of the only songs on the album that actually have a deep meaning. B- 


No Sleep - Khalifa goes the complete opposite direction of his previous track, and gets back to rapping about partying.  Currently (as of March 29th), No Sleep is the number one best seller in the iTunes music store.  There is no doubt this song is fun to listen to, yet its definitely not "number one song on iTunes" special. B

Get Your Sh*t - This song has grown on me a lot since my first play through.  Khalifa will relate to plenty of fans in this track by telling his girlfriend it's over.  "I'm tired of arguing and fighting girl; Every night you keep calling me with the same shit: I'm goin insane, I swear I love you but this ain't right for us," Khalifa sings in the prominent chorus of Rolling Papers. B

Top Floor - A strange beat that catches your ear right from the start.  The lyrics are all over the place in this song, which is a shame because Wiz's flow and the beat deliver nicely. C

Fly Solo - Elementary lyrics with a chorus that repeats "I fly solo" seven times.  You start to get the feeling that the best of the album has already past. C-


Rooftops ft. Curren$y - Another "I made it" anthem.  "Used to not be allowed in the building, but now we on the rooftop," Wiz sings in the chorus.  A chill beat that Khalifa and Curren$y do a good job of spitting over, yet I feel like I already heard this song earlier in the album. C

Cameras - And yet another "I made it" anthem to finish the album.  "Got everything you always dreamed and though about, and everyone knows who you are," sings Khalifa.  Despite the "cameras" flashing, you'll still be able to fall asleep while listening to the repetitive end of Rolling Papers. C-
     
Final Verdict - Definitely an album worth listening to at least.  However, due to the dramatic downfall of the album down the stretch, Rolling Papers is not worth paying $9.99 for on iTunes (unless you are a huge Khalfia fan).  C+

2011 NL Central Predictions

6.  - Last place in the NL Central is nothing new to the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Steel City has not seen their baseball team have a winning season since 1992.  Not helping the cause, the Pirates lost Zach Duke and Lastings Millage.  On the other hand, the "Black and Yellow" team added Lyle Overbay (.243 batting average in 2010), Matt Diaz (.250 batting average in 2010), and Kevin Corriea (5.40 earned run average in 2010).  The reigning last place champions look like they will be able to defend their title by taking more steps backward than forward.

5.  - The Roy Oswalt era came to an end last season (traded to the Phillies), and the 'Stros finished 2010 ten games under .500.  Houston needed to make significant moves in the offseason if they wanted to have a chance to contend for the NL Central crown in 2011.  That did not happen.  While not losing any big names, the Astros did not add any either.  El Caballo (Carlos Lee), 34 years old, is looking to bounce back from his .246 batting average in 2010, yet even if he can, it will not be enough to  contend in the NL Central.

4.  - The Brewers had quite a stellar offseason to say the least.  Then how could they still end up finishing in fourth place?  Zach Greinke has been called by several baseball scouts a "head-case", and now will miss his first three starts (due to a rib injury playing basketball).  ex-Blue Jay Shaun Marcum has been complaining about tightness in his shoulder recently, which is never what you want to hear from a pitcher.  The Brewers set the bar very high on themselves this season by making huge financial moves in what could be Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks' last season in Milwaukee.  Pressure to meet expectations will doom the "Brew Crew" in 2011, and they will start to fade during the second half of the season.

3. - There are a grocery list full of questions when it comes to the 2011 Chicago Cubs.  Jim Hendry (Cubs general manager) added three more to the list this offseason.  Is there anything left of the Carlos Pena that hit .282 and 46 home runs back in 2007 or is the .196 batting average Pena hit last season who the Cubs are receiving?  Can Kerry Wood continue to thrive as he did in the American League the past two years or will his injury problems leave him on the disabled list for most of the season?  Will the Matt Garza who gave up nineteen runs in three starts last September pitch or will the 2008 ALCS MVP pitch for the Cubs?  This team has plenty of potential with their rising star Starlin Castro (As a 20 year old rookie last season he hit .300) leading the way.  However, there are too many questions that need to go right for the Cubs to become the NL Central champions.

2.- Albert Pujols contract talks are looming as his contract expires at the end of this season.  The Cards' ace Adam Wainwright won't even throw one pitch for the birds this season.  How on earth can they contend for the NL Central crown with these huge problems before the season even starts?  Tony LaRussa (Cardinals coach) always finds a way to get the best out of his players despite if there is a circus going around the team or not.  Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday are one of if not the scariest one, two punch in the MLB.  Look for the the Cardinals to be in the thick of both the NL Central and NL Wild Card races as they find a way to win like they always do.

1.- The offseason was pretty dull for Red fans this winter.  After winning 91 games in 2010 there was not much that needed to be changed.  The only major departure was veteran shortstop Orlando Cabrera.  World Series MVP Edgar Renteria came Cincinnati to replace him.  The Reds are solid in both the hitting and pitching department so it will be tough to shake Cincinnati off course in their road to defend their title as NL Central champions.  As long as Joey Votto can have another MVP-like season the Cincinnati Reds will be at the top of the NL Central Standings once again.

Source

AL Central Predictions

5)In dead last will be the Cleveland Indians.  Its hard to believe they almost made it to the World Series in 2007.  What a terrible turnaround this team has faced since then.  Cleveland had the worst attendance in 2010, they are losing money, and the Indians made literally no moves this offseason to improve this disgraceful team. On top of that, Grady Sizemore can never seem to stay healthy for an entire season. Yet, its not like it would matter, considering there is not much of a team after him in the lineup. Their rotation is young and inexperienced which leaves them finishing last in the AL Central's 2011 final standings.

4)There isnt much to say about the Royals except they will be one of the scariest teams in the MLB- in a few years. Kansas City has the second best minor league system behind the Nationals.  What outsiders think the Royals need, though is for these "all star potential prospects" to make their way up to the majors this season if they expect to be an above average team.  They must NOT do that.  The Royals should patient and their time will come. With the loss of Greinke to the Brewers, the Royals have one of the worst pitching rotations in the league.  The Kansas City outfield is decent, infield is good, and the hitting is average.  However, The pitching is an embarrassing.  The hitting, outfield, and infield will eventually come together, but for their pitching to be improved they are going to have to make some moves or at least start focusing a lot more on their pitching prospects in the minors.

3)Looking at this team, I never understood why I choose them as third. But for whatever reason, I just have the feeling the Detroit Tigers are not going to be as good as they are on paper. They added Victor Martinez.  The Tigers have potential Cy Young winner Justin Verlander.  And on top of that, they have Miguel Cabrera. Detroit does not have many gaps in their hitting, pitching, or fielding, but I see them being a team that starts out very hot, slumps for a while, and finally finishes hot. The slump will kill them, obviously. I fail to believe Cabrera will bring his DUI problems to the field, so there should be no reason he struggles.  There always seems to be a team in the MLB that everyone expects to tear the league apart, but struggles severely at one point or another in the season...and the Tigers are that team for me.

2)If Morneau stays healthy throughout the entire season, the Twins have one of the scariest batting lineups in the entire league. My money says Mauer is going to have another killer year, and will remain the best catcher in all of baseball.  Now that they are completely adjusted to their new stadium (not like they needed to) their hitting will be very consistent.  The stadium makes a difference because playing in a turf dome in Minnesota, and then switching to an outdoor stadium- in chilly Minnesota, isn't easy.  However, outside of the top of the Twins hitting order, Minnesota is below average in the batting department.  Joe Nathan will still need to fully recover from his Tommy-John surgery, and Liriano must transform into the ace the Twins once hoped him to be.  Their middle infield is awful, with Casilla and Nishioka. Never heard of them?  Yeah me neither.  But as long as Morneau and Mauer stay healthy the Twins should take second place.

1)  The White Sox will win the AL Central.  It will be close, though, and may even come down to the final five games to decide who wins the pennant (the Twins should be right on their heels). The main reason the Sox will win is because their rotation beats out every other one. With Buerhle, Peavy, Floyd, Danks, and Jackson, the Sox pitching rotation is the strong point of the team. Their hitting will be much more improved, especially with the addition of the ever dangerous Adam Dunn. Hopefully for the Sox, Gordon Beckham can start hot and stay hot (unlike last season). Their weakest point (and a potential pennant killer) is their bullpen.  Not much needs to be said except the White Sox pen does not have as many big names pitchers as other potential playoff teams, and should have spent more money strengthening their biggest weakness.

Homeboy, Eric Church (Song of the Week)

Eric Church's new single "Homeboy" was released Friday, March 4th on iTunes.

Country music, for me at least, is a constant reminder of the summer.  Going to concerts with cowboy hats, flannel shirts, and torn up jorts,  road-trips with  99.5 on the radio,  relaxing by the lake with Tim McGraw playing from iPod speakers- All of these "country" filled memories remind me of the summer.


Not surprisingly, as a college student during the last quarter of their school year, all that is on my mind is the summer.  On that note, I decided to try and find newly released country music in the Country portion of the iTunes library.  In the number thirteen slot of the top Country songs on iTunes, I found a song title "Homeboy" by Eric Church.


Being a huge fan of Eric Church's first two cd's, especially his 2009 album entitled Carolina, I needed to give this strange title for a country single a listen.


Listen below to the "Hell on the Heart" singer's new single:

One of the reasons I am an avid country fan is because I love songs that tell meaningful stories.  This song tells the story of a wannabe gangster or "homeboy" who ran away from home, that gets asked to return "home-boy" by his brother.

Eric Church co-wrote the song with Casey Beathard.

  "I love songs that challenge me as a writer and also challenge the listener," said Church. "This song is a journey, both musically and lyrically, about a man and his search for his wayfaring brother."

The prominent lyrics of the song are found in the last verse:

You can’t hold back the hands of time, 

Mama’s goin’ grey, and so is daddy’s mind

I Wish you’d come on back and make it all right

Before they’re called home, boy

  

For the complete lyrics to the song click here.

This meaningful message to all of those "homeboys" that deserted their roots deserves a 4.5 out of 5.

Eric Church is expected to release a new album on EMI Records Nashville later this year.

The summer is yet so close, but yet so far.  Until the summer arrives, country music will have to get me through the rest of this dragging school year.

Source 1

Source 2

Equality in Sports (Lewis Flyer Article)

Joel Northrup was a favorite to win the 112-pound weight class in Iowa’s state high school tournament this year.  When Northrup was scheduled to face off against female wrestler, Cassy Herkelman, in the first round, his hopes to win a state championship changed in the blink of an eye.

Northrup refused to wrestle a girl because it went against his conscious and religious beliefs.  He issued this statement through his school, “as a matter of conscience and my faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner.  It is unfortunate that I have been placed in a situation not seen in most other high school sports in Iowa.”

Herkelman did not feel insulted by Northrup’s decision.

“He had the right to make his own choice, and he made his choice, “ said Herkelman. “It’s not like he did what he didn’t want to do.”

Similar feelings were stated by Herkelman’s dad.

“That’s their belief, and I praise them for sticking to it. This is the biggest stage in wrestling in the state, I would say, and they stuck to their beliefs when it probably tested it the most,” he said. “It was probably a tough pill for him to swallow.”

Herkelman lost her following two matches and was eliminated from the tournament. Northrup was also eliminated completely after losing his first match in the consolation bracket.

This situation could never happen in a college sport because the NCAA does not have coed sports.  Lewis Softball player Alex Washkowiak and baseball player Tom Helwich explained how they felt about letting members of the opposite sex play in their sport.

“I feel that men should not be allowed to play women’s softball just as women are not allowed to play men’s baseball,” said Washkowiak. “Although they seem like similar sports to non players looking in, they are very different and it would be really hard for someone who plays baseball to be able to succeed at softball. Men control most sports and fast-pitch softball is a sport that women have and it would be unfair if men were allowed to play.”

Tom had parallel feelings about allowing women to play baseball, yet for different reasons.

“I do not believe that women should be able to play men’s NCAA baseball,” Helwich said. “I just feel that it goes against baseball’s past. If there were to be a woman that played in the pros then maybe I could see a change, but until then I just don’t think it’s something that baseball needs.”

Washkowiak and Helwich also responded to the current equality of male and female NCAA sports.

“I do not think men and women sports are treated equally by the NCAA,” Washkowiak said. “I believe that men sports have greater opportunities than the female sports. For example, sport television channels rarely show girls college sports; their focus is on men’s college sports.”

Helwich disagreed with Washkowiak on this question.  “Yes, I feel that the NCAA treats women’s sports equally to men. Each school has an equal number of sports between men and women.  I just don’t see how it is unfair.”

“Although there are not many ways I can think of religion having an impact on the game, I would never let my religious beliefs impact anything about the game,” Washkowiak said about religion impacting her in softball. “The only way we show our religion during softball is by having a team prayer prior to the game.”

The Lewis Flyers baseball team will play a total of 18 games in March, which includes four games at home.  Also, the Flyers softball team will start March off with ten games in different Florida locations.