Illinois High School and Gang Colors

Illinois High School has a problem with their athletic teams, Volleyball and Soccer, that they want to make casual t-shirts incorporating black with the blue and white t-shirts.  The administrators see them colors together as gang related.  Even though their usual school school colors are blue and orange. The student athletes feel that they are not worried about the shirt having gang colors or people thinking they are gang related.  They feel as long as they win games, gang colors will be the last thing on their minds.

The team should be able to used whatever colors they want to put on their shirts as long as they are not doing gang related activities.  Yeah, their school colors are orange and blue and most schools stick with their school colors on their t-shirts.  Black is a color that can go with any color though, but the school administrators can't allow the gangs to use the two colors that is usually worn by everyone to be just for the gang.  Making it seem only gang members can only wear blue and black, a lot of people wear blue jeans with some type of black shirt or shoes.

If the soccer team and volleyball team can win and look good doing it, they should be able to wear almost any color put together.  Being concern about your school's safety is good in all but a situation like this is despicable.  When the principal said that adding black to their color scheme is breaking tradition and sets a bad example for what they stand for, that really out of line and could be (to some people) a racist statement.  And what do their school stand for?

Overall, this whole situation is ridiculous and can easily be handled without the school prohibiting the t-shirts.  The principal should allow them to use those t-shirts with black and blue and if any problems occur with any type of gang related activity, they can prohibit the color.  The team wants to look good to feel good and win.

Da Bulls get 1st Pick.

The Chicago Bulls had a 1.7% of getting the 1st overall draft pick in the 2008 NBA draft.  Reporters were saying that the best pick the Bulls would get is the 9th overall pick.  Last night, a miracle had happened.  With the Miami Heat having a 25% chance of getting the first pick, after a horrible 15-76 season.  The Chicago Bulls  surprisingly got the 1st overall draft pick.  The Bulls had high expectations after going to the eastern conference semifinals but losing to the Detroit Pistons after 6 games.  The Bulls went 33-49 plus firing coach Scott Skiles before Christmas day.

The Chicago have a hard decision to make between Kansas State star foward, Michael Beasley and Memphis University star guard, Derrick Rose.  Mike Beasley averaged 26.2 ppg and 12.4 rpg during his first year at Kansas State.  Derrick Rose, took his team to the National Championship game but lost the game in overtime.  Derrick Rose makes a lot other players better and able to score on his own.  This would probably be the best pick for the team.  Beasley is 6-10 and 240lbs, he would be a great player for the Bulls also, because the Bulls could use a big body foward who can score, rebound, and move the ball a little better than most players his size.  Some match ups against him would a miss match.

  Even though the Bulls still don't have a coach and letting Mike D'Antoni go to the Knicks.  This draft pick has given excitement back into Chicago and making fans anticipating for next year.  As long as the Bulls don't trade the pick for nobodies, we should be back in the playoffs next year and have a franchise player.

The Truth vs The King: Game 7

On Sunday, game 7 of the eastern semi-finals.  There was a match up of small fowards in this game that went down in history.  On the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James scored 45 points, 6 assist, and 5 rebounds.  For Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce scored 41 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assist.  This was battle of the best and this game will go down in history.  Being compared already to the epic match up of Dominique Wilkins vs Larry Bird.  Even though LeBron had the better game, what really matters is getting the win. The Celtics won 97-92 against the Cavs.  This is second time in NBA history, where 2 opponents scored 40 points or more in a game 7.  Sam Jones and Oscar Robertson were the first to do it in 1963.  Robertson had 43 points and Jones had 47 points.  This was one of the best games in the 2008 playoffs and will be compared by many other great duels in history. Both players had a lot to say about the contest and going at it with this link here.

Basketball is Getting Too Soft!

Remember the old days around the late '80's and through the '90's when basketball was way more physi cal than now in 2008.  The 1986-7 season of the Detroit Pistons that got dubbed "Bad Boys" because of their physical and defensive oriented play.  There were so manyg games where this team had got into altercations with the other team and referees.  Players like Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumar, and Rick Mahorn that were taught.  Their most rivaled team were the Chicago Bulls.  So many games during the regular season and playoffs that the "Bad Boys" would beat up the Bulls physically, especially Michael Jordan.  Michael would go for a dunk or layup and would up on the floor.  

The NBA now has gotten soft in the past few years.  Especially since the 2004 Detroit Piston/Indiana Pacers brawl.  Giving Ron Artest a 72 game suspension.  The league had changed totally from the dress code to fouls called and etc.  It kind of started after the 1999 season where a few players called "Floppers" or players who act like they were fouled harder than they really were.  Vlade Divac was one of the kings of flopping.  Also Manu Ginobli has become known as a flopper.  When they are on defense and the player on the opposite team drives to the basket and try to lay it up for the shot, the player gets in a stance to get ready fall backward.  Those are called offensive fouls or a charge (also defensive fouls to.) They are more chargers in a NBA game than points.  They are doing that to get a quick 2 points or get the ball back.

Recently, in the NBA Playoffs especially in the Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards series.  It seemed like the game plan for the Wizards was to hurt/injure LeBron James.  LeBron was pushed while in the air, punched in the mouth, decapitated (almost), and tripped.  Brendan Haywood said he whining about those calls and thinks they were trying to hurt him. See what he said here at LeBron and his whining .  Other flagrant fouls that were led to rejections or suspensions were Jason Kidd puling down Jannero Pargo nearly on his head.  Marvin Williams clotheslined Rajon Rondo.  So, many fouls were called during this playoffs.  

NBA has really gotten soft and hope that referees spot out the real fouls and the flops.  This was the only bad thing in the NBA season and hope it will improved.

O.J. Mayo gets caught up

Recently, a former associate of USC Trojans star guard/NBA prospect O.J. Mayo has reported that Mayo has received thousands of dollars in money, clothes, and other benefits since his high school years and his first year at USC.  He was supplied with money from a sports agent named Rodney Guillory, who works for BDA (Billy Duff Asssociates).  

O.J. was given these benefits only if he said he would sign with BDA once he turns pro.  Mayo signed with BDA the day after he decided to go pro. Mayo was given at least $30,000 in gifts and money while in high school and in college.  This situation was brought up on ESPN's "Outside the Lines."  Pac-10 and NCAA reviewed Mayo's status during and before he got to USC and claimed they haven't identify any amateurism.  

That's all I have on this reports but if anything comes up about O.J. Mayo, i will keep you posted.

Athlete Controversy P.1

Recently, their have been a up rise of many professional athletes' getting in to trouble with the law or in their sport.  From the NBA, MLB, NFL, and other major league sports in the world.  Problems in the MLB is that a lot of the baseball players have used Human Growth Hormones (HGH) or steroids to perform better for their personal stats.  Players who names have been brought up is Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Mark Maguire, Roger Clemens, and the guy who started it all Jose Conseco.  Players were doing steroids way before Jose but he was the players to write a book about it, confessing he used HGH and steroids, also including names.  Roger Clemens is also in trouble about having a decade long relationship with country singer Mindy McCready when she was fifthteen.

In the NBA, there are problems with players abusing the drug policy, players being armed, and players driving under influence.  Players like Rasheed Wallace was known for smoking weed before a game or just too much on his off day with former teammate Damon Stoudamire.  Many other players were accused of abusing the drug policy, but Center/Forward of the New Orleans Hornets Chris Anderson abused it so much that he was banned from the NBA for two years but was just reinstated into the league.  Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks admitted that during the off season, he smokes weed with a few players. Carmelo Anthony was recently arrested for DUI and many of the NBA players have guns in their lives but were caught with them while driving or in the club or something.

The NFL has about the controversy as the NBA and MLB, with the possible use of steroids and marajuana/guns.  Adam "Pacman" Jones has the most problems with the law and the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.  Several times he was caught fighting in a club in Atlanta or shooting at a Las Vegas Strip Club. Many other legal problems like gambling has led Pacman Jones to a full year suspension with no pay.  A lot of other players have been accused of drunk driving, steroids (Shawn Merriman), and having a armed weapon.  There is a reporting that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison was in a shooting over the past week. (WTF?)

These stories are just a few of today's athlete controversies and there will be plenty more to come.  Look out for legal problems and situations with these million dollar athletes and if you have any other information about any other controversy please feel free to comment.

Chicago Baseball is BACK!

Last year, the Chicago Cubs made a great run in the second half of the season to come from 3rd place of their their division to winning that division and going to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.  But it was a waste of time because they ended up lost the series against Arizona Diamondbacks by getting swept 4-0.  This year, they starting off with a great season of 17-10 and leading their NL division and having sports experts say they have the best chance of coming out of the NL Conference to go to the World Series.

For the Chicago White Sox, things were bad for them. From the pitching rotation to the infield/outfield and the offense was horrible.  They didn't make it to the playoffs since their World Series win in 2005 and was dead last in their AL division.  Now, this year they kind of turned it around.  With the addition of Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera, the offense is a lot better and the pitching is doing well so far.  They are leading the AL Division with a 14-12 record. 

Both teams are doing great on both sides of the ball and it they keep on winning both Chicago teams will be able to be in the playoffs at the same time and could possibly see a Chicago only World Series.  If that was to happen, I personally would put my money on the White Sox, representing the South Side!