Diary of a McDonald's All-American Part II: Joshua Smith

It's the end of the March. Another high school basketball season has come to a close, and with that comes the annual McDonald's All-American Game. The 2010 edition takes place in Columbus, Ohio at the Value City Arena this Wednesday.

HHR enlisted a player from both the boys and girls' teams to give us a personal diary of some of their time as a McDonald's All-American.

In part 1 you read about Haley Peters, a New Jersey native playing on the East Squad bound for Duke. Today we check in with Joshua Smith, a Kent, Washington native ready to suit up for the West squad. Smith goes 6'10" tall, 280 pounds, and is bound for UCLA next year, we are sure they can use his help. Smith is just the latest to come from the Emerald City area in what is quickly becoming known nationwide as a hotbed for basketball talent. Current NBA talent such as Brandon Roy, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson among countless others call the state of Washington home. Smith hopes to be the next in line, he gave us an inside look at some time behind the scenes as a McDonald's All-American.



Josh Smith Journal
Written on March 30, 2010

I’m here at the 2010 McDonald’s All American Games to share a behind-the-scenes look at what this experience has been like for a player.

When I started player basketball and following it seriously, I knew I wanted to become a McDonald’s All American so it’s really a dream to be a part of this experience with such great alumni like Shaq.

I’m rooming with Terrence Jones while I’m here in Columbus, which is funny. I know both Terrence and Jared Sullinger pretty well and of course I’ve played with a lot of the other guys over the past couple of years. Jered has been challenging me to tweet battles every since we got to Columbus.

Game week has been great so far. On Sunday I accidently overslept a little. I do that a lot, haha. My nick name is actually sleepy time. I blame it on the time difference. Give me a break, it’s a three hour time change! I still haven’t adjusted.

Fortunately I didn’t miss the Ronald McDonald House and hospital visit with the rest of the players and coaches. I had never been to a Ronald McDonald House before and it was an amazing experience. I had a blast interacting with the kids and putting a smile on their face. It was truly life-changing.

On Monday we had the POWERADE Jam Fest competition. I didn’t compete but I really wish I had. I was going to do the three point contest, but I was being cowardly. I was cheering for Patric Young in the dunk contest and Ray McCallum and Keith Appling in the skills challenge. The dunk contest has been one of my favorite parts of Game week so far.

Before Jam Fest we went to the Columbus Zoo. I always love going to the zoo but the snakes were freaky! I was a little scared of them.

On Tuesday we got dressed up for our banquet where Clark Kellogg spoke. We also got our official Game rings. Man, the girls looked great! It was fun to get dressed up – it was my first time ever wearing a bow tie. It was kind of hard to figure out how to put it on.

Today we got to meet Alonzo Mourning who is the captain of the McDonald’s All American Games’ Advisory Council. It was really cool. Zo, Jay Williams and Jessica Davenport talked to all of the players about preparing for our futures and life outside of basketball.

I’m looking forward to being on national TV tonight. Don’t forget to tune in – you can watch the Girls Game live on ESPNU at 5:30 p.m. ET and the Boys Game live on ESPN at 8:00 p.m. ET. I can’t wait to see what the atmosphere will be like. West will win!

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Rusty's Reckons: Power Rankings Part 1

Well, we are now officially six races into the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and as NASCAR takes its annual Easter break, the brain-trust at HHR thought we'd bring you a new feature, Rusty's Power Rankings. Every so often, I'm going to reach back into my bag of tricks and pull out some gems as I ruminate and pontificate on the best and the brightest in NASCAR, and I won't be just discussing drivers in these rankings. As you'll see this week, this ranking is going to include all elements in the sport. So, sit back, relax and enjoy the first installment of Rusty's Power Rankings.

1. Jimmie Johnson & Chad Knaus - Sigh! Don't these guys ever take a day off? So far this season, the 48 team has won HALF of the races (3 of the 6)! As you might imagine, the 48 team finds itself in a familiar position, atop the points standings. Usually, Knaus and Johnson find their streak towards the end of the season. Just like in individual races, they make adjustments, and get hot coming down the home stretch, leaving the competition in a cloud of dust. This year, they seem to be hitting their stride early. Too early? Time well tell, but it's hard to imagine the dominant force that is the Lowe's team beginning to struggle after such a great start.


2. NASCAR - Rusty's going to tip his hat to some big changes this year from NASCAR, all of them so far working out great. First, they got rid of the restriction against bump drafting, like it did any good. A penalty for bump drafting was about as likely as getting a travel called on Kobe Bryant. It won't gonna happen, folks. Nevertheless, it was a rule that allowed them to wag their fingers at the drivers four times a year. Second, they are going to be getting rid of that ridiculous wing and going back to the more traditional spoiler. That stupid wing looked like something out of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Stock cars were meant to have spoilers, and I'm glad they are coming back. Lastly, the new green-white-checkers rules. In the past, they only allowed one shot at a green flag finish with the green-white-checkers system, which is NASCAR's version of overtime. This year, they are going to give it 3 shots, a much better idea! I mean, just look at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon conspiracy theories aside, what an ending!

3. RCR - What a resurgence from the team who didn't field a single car in the Chase last year. Currently, all three drivers are in the top 12 (the top 12 make the Chase after Richmond in the fall). For Happy Harvick, this could be partially due to the fact that his contract's up at the end of this year with RCR. There's been rumors flying about where he might go, and whether or not he's going to stay with the team who brought him in to finish out the season after Dale Earnhardt's passing. He's cooled off over the past two weeks, but the 29 came out of the gate with four consecutive top 10 finishes, two of which were runner-up. Teammates Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton are also sitting comfortably in the top 12. Bowyer amassed 3 top 10's before struggling with a 23rd and 40th place showing. He righted the ship somewhat this past week with a top 10 in Martinsville. While Burton hasn't had the finishes of his Childress teammates, he has been consistent, which has gotten him to where he is. Being in the top 12 after 5 races is a really good predictor for those who end up in the top 12 at Richmond. If this holds true, RCR would be ecstatic to have all 3 drivers in the Chase, after last year's drought.

4. Paul Menard - Who? Exactly! Menard pilots the 98 Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports. Prior to this year, his career had him bouncing around teams as a weekly also-ran. His highest career finish was 5th at Talladega in 2008. Last year, he finished 31st in points, his best finish being a 13th place at Texas. This year, driving for a new team, though, has lit a fire under the cheese-head from Eau Claire. Menard's already matched his career best with a 5th at Atlanta, and has consistently finished in the top 20 earning him a standing of 11th in points. While maybe not a serious championship contender, if he keeps this up, Menard could be a force to be reckoned with in the Chase. In the right equipment, he's shown an ability to handle a race car and wrack up consistently good finishes. A bit of a surprise to this point in the season, Menard may continue to fly under the radar and surprise some people.

5. Bump-n-run - One of Earnhardt Sr.'s favorite way around a short track like Bristol or Martinsville was the technique dubbed the bump-n-run. Earnhardt would put a fender on a car, get'em loose, and as he drifted up the track, shoot underneath for the pass. His use of this little move helped earn him the nickname The Intimidator. In fact, it got to the point where he wouldn't have to actually touch a guy. They see that #3 in their mirror, and just move over for him. Well, those who pine for those good old days got a good taste of it this past Monday at Martinsville. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth showed us just what the bump-n-run was, and more importantly what it looks like after the race is over (read: The Real Housewives of NASCAR city). As noted above, NASCAR's made a real concerted effort to try and bring back some of the lost aspects of the sport. The bump-n-run is certainly one of those that's back in full effect, and kudos to that!


The Rusty Old Jalopy award: Track conditions - It seems like ages ago now, but that race in Daytona felt like it took ages to complete on account of two long stoppages to fix the asphalt. Sure, with all the snow we got here on the East Coast this winter, there's going to be a pot-hole festival in nearly every city, but that's no excuse for Daytona. The Daytona 500 is the Super Bowl of NASCAR. The track, therefore, has a responsibility to the sport and its fans to put on the best possible show it can. Not having a track that's up to snuff is like having a big dead spot in the outfield for the World Series or a loose board on the hardwood at the Final Four. The racing at the 500 this year was great. It's just unfortunate that it was great racing bookended by long periods of sheer boredom watching asphalt dry, literally.

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Diary of a McDonald's All-American Part I: Duke-Bound Haley Peters

It's the end of the March. Another high school basketball season has come to a close, and with that comes the annual McDonald's All-American Game. The 2010 edition takes place in Columbus, Ohio at the Value City Arena this Wednesday.

HHR enlisted a player from both the boys and girls' teams to give us a personal diary of some of their time as a McDonald's All-American.

First up is Haley Peters, a member of the East Squad from The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. Haley is headed to Duke, but in the meantime she gets props for being a Garden State native like so many of the HHR staffers. She takes us inside her life for two days as a member of the McDonald's East squad.


Haley Peters Journal
Written March 28, 2010

Saturday, March 27

I arrived in Columbus for the 2010 McDonald’s All American Games yesterday here from Newark at 4:00 p.m. with fellow New Jersey native Laurin Mincy. We were greeted at the airport by a few of the McDonald’s volunteers and staff members, who were friendly and helpful as usual. From there we took a short car ride to the hotel, and since then the activities and events have not stopped. Right away I met up with some former and future teammates, as well as some friends from other teams. Chiney Ogwumike was in the lobby when I walked in. Soon after I saw Maggie Lucas, my Philly Belles teammate, and fellow future Dukie Richa Jackson.

I first went to a meeting room to collect my gear and sign a few basketballs that are going to be auctioned at the banquet Tuesday night to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio (more on that later). I tried on my #33 white uniform, shirts, sneakers, and shorts for sizing and then moved on to the next meeting room for a picture in the jersey.

From there I had a minute to put my stuff into my room and met my roommate Jennifer O’Neill, a PG from the Bronx. She and I have played against each other a few times in some New York events, so I was excited when I saw we were rooming together. Not to mention that we were hooked up with the corner room in the hotel, so it’s a little more spacious and has a couple extra couches.

The rest of Saturday had more fittings, specifically for the banquet dresses. This year, they are red, and every player had the option to go with a long or short one, and everyone who was being fitted at the same time as me looked beautiful in them.

The main event of the day was the welcome dinner. So far the meals have been delicious- the first night included chicken, mashed potatoes, salad, and chocolate cake. I had to break my Lent fast of deserts for the night to try the chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies.

After dinner we had team meetings. Coach Rogers, Schlabach, and Moser are heading up the East team this year, and the tone from the outset was that our team will not be the stereotypical all-star game team. Coach Rogers brings a lot of intensity, and as a team we established pretty quickly that our main goal was to win. We then hung out for a little while in the players lounge, watched some of the NCAA tourney games, and played EA Sports and Rock Band before heading to bed.

Sunday, March 28

Sunday started pretty early with breakfast, then optional religious services. From there we headed out for a full day. First we headed to the Ronald McDonald House in Columbus. The entire event is truly centered on this charity and one of the most surprising things for me these past two days is how central that organization is to all that we do. We ate an early lunch at the House, then baked cookies, read stories with the kids, played HORSE, and had a tour of the facility. The volunteer work there is incredible.


We headed across the street to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital and I ended up in a group with Ronika Ransford, Jenny from the Bronx, and Samarie Walker.

We visited about four rooms in the hospital and handed out basketballs, teddy bears, and signed pictures for the sick children. For most of us, this has been the highlight of the week thus far. Volunteering there put a smile on my face for the whole day.

From there we headed to practice at Ohio State. We went for just about an hour and a half after a quick warm up. The East team’s intensity from the previous night’s meeting carried over as we worked on some transition and defense.

Since then, we’ve had some time to hang out with some of the boys players during the EA Sports tournament. Tiffany Moore, Afure Jemerigbe, and I entered into the Rock Band tournament, and for a first time band we performed pretty well. Quite frankly, we should have won, but there was a little interference from some opponents... Tomorrow is another busy day with the Jamfest at night and a visit to McDonald’s and the Columbus Zoo!

------------

Tonight’s Jam Fest begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with the finals will air live on ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

As for the games themselves, both will air this Wednesday. The girls game starts at 5:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPNU. The boys game will tip off at 8:00 p.m. ET and broadcast live on ESPN.

Game tickets are still available, and you can get them here.

For those in the Cleveland area, you can get POWERADE Jam Fest tickets for tonight here.

(Or you can buy tickets to both by calling (866) 909-GAME)

You can visit www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com for additional info.

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HHR's @WesTheCynic gets Billboard Time in OKC

Which is kinda cool...right? It's like the Madison Avenue of the heartland.

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 26

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 26 here, or subscribe via iTunes.



Our guest this week a award-winning journalist Amy K. Nelson. Amy covers major league baseball for ESPN.com and is part of the site’s Enterprise team. Born and raised on the north shore of Massachusetts and a graduate of Hampshire College, Amy has been covering professional sports for close to 10 years.

(Image: ESPN.com)

She writes both investigative and long-form pieces for the site, and among her recent highlights is a piece on the timeline of death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and a breaking news story and in-depth feature on Alex Rodriguez’s infamous cousin who allegedly provided him steroids. She also served as a moderator for ESPN’s First Take program, chatting with fans online and relaying their comments live on the show, and has appeared on SportsCenter, ESPNews, Baseball Tonight and Outside The Lines.

Amy talks about her path to ESPN, starting with her decision to forgo a career as a photo-journalist and dive head first into sports journalism. Admittedly addicted to Twitter, she describes the role social media plays in complimenting her work.

She and Chris, two card-carrying members of Red Sox Nation, talk about Boston's prospects for the up-coming year, their thoughts on some faces familiar to Fenway - namely Nomar and Mike Lowell, and whether this is finally the breakout year for minor league superstar and major league enigma Clay Buchholz.

Finally, in one of the most groundbreaking revelations on the BwB show, Amy reveals the connection between Boof Bonser and the single greatest moment of her professional career.


This week's links of interest:

• Amy K. Nelson at ESPN.com
• @amyknelson
• Amy K. Nelson Facebook Fan Page
• ESPN Boston
• Rupert 'Stiles' Stilinski

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Winning Team has Winning Choreography

This video of Utah state's Winning Team/Losing Team cheer is making the rounds of the interwebs today. Aside from it getting me completely psyched up before I figured out what they were actually saying ("lyrics" below), I would like to point out that based on the commentators' discussion, the Modern Tabernacle Choir apparently has choreography.

Is that not a score board?
Yes that is a score board!
Is that not a 74?
Yes that is a 74!
Is that not a 62?
Yes that is a 62!
Is that not the winning team?
Yes that is the winning team!
Is that not the losing team?
Yes that is the losing team!
WINNING TEAM! LOSING TEAM! WINNING TEAM! LOSING TEAM! WINNING TEAM! LOSING TEAM! WINNING TEAM! LOSING TEAM!

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Mother Hen Brad Childress on Farve Clucking with the Vikes

WISN: Vikings coach Brad Childress said he is comfortable with Brett Favre waiting as long as he did last year to decide if he will play for Minnesota this season.

"Well, as a coach, you're a mother hen."

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Finn's Preview & Predictions: UFC 111 Fight Breakdown

After basking in the glow of my mostly semi-correct fight predictions from this last weekend’s UFC matches I decided it was time to zip up my footie-pajamas and write a truly hard-hitting preview article for next weekend’s UFC 111. Five hours and innumerable fits and starts later I finally found a winning combination: actually watching a few of each fighter’s previous fights and developing a prediction based around their skill-set and a little bit of intuition. Now let’s see if research can trump the random guesswork and coin-flipping that I based my picks on last week. And yes, research in adult-sized footie-pajamas –while a little unorthodox—is still research. I looked it up, using science and graphs and everything.


Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy

This should be a great fight, but one who’s outcome I don’t have any doubt about. Having said that, get ready for pre-fight prediction cop-out #1. Are you ready? Here it is: Dan Hardy has a ‘puncher’s chance’ in fighting Georges St. Pierre, but I expect GSP to dominate this match.

Do you see what I did there? I made a fight prediction stating one thing but prefaced it with a condition that covers me should the fight go the other direction. Genius! While aligning myself with a St. Pierre victory I have nevertheless left a small amount of wiggle room with the first half of that sentence; now, if Hardy manages to land a lucky punch or just simply out boxes St. Pierre I can point to that sentence and claim that I predicted the outcome. Granted, if Hardy beats St. Pierre on the ground or murders him with a robot-army and a tazer, then I am truly S.O.L. Still, George St. Pierre is head-and-shoulders above Dan Hardy in nearly every facet of MMA and should have no problem putting him away and avoiding the same type of fluke KO that caused him to lose his belt to Matt Serra two years ago.

GSP via TKO in the 3rd round.


Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin

Now here’s what we like to see: two 260lbs. guys with hands the size of car-batteries punching each other in the face. While both Carwin and Mir each possess amazing ground skills –Mir has a stellar all-around ground game based on BJJ and wrestling, while Carwin’s strength is based almost entirely on his wrestling prowess and physical resemblance to a shaved Grizzly bear—these skills should serve to cancel each other out and leave each fighter winging punches at each other in the middle of the ring.

Mir has shown a substantial improvement in his stand-up as of late. He knocked out the previously un-knockouttable (I don’t care what you say spell-check, it’s a word) Antonio ‘Minotauro’ Noguiera before his brutal loss to Brock Lesnar, and then bounced back by dismantling Cheik Kongo in less time than it takes most people to tie their shoes. It was quick victory for Mir that was predicated on a vicious uppercut that knocked Kongo flat on his ass and left him open for the Guillotine-choke that ended the fight. For years Mir’s ability to win was entirely based upon taking his opponent to the mat and tying different parts of their body in to knots until they were forced to tap-out. Now that he has stand-up to go with his ground game he has evolved into a truly formidable fighter.

Being able to place himself back atop the Heavyweight division will be based on the next step in his evolution: whether or not he can bulk up and compete with the true 260lbs giants of the sport, Carwin and Lesnar. Ever since his devastating loss to Lesnar, Mir has been on a mission to never be put at such a strength disadvantage again. He has worked on his strength, adding 25lbs. to his already sizeable frame. Whether Mir can adapt to carrying this extra weight is a big question mark going into this fight. Thankfully for Mir, I don’t think that Carwin is going to be the guy to put his conditioning to the ultimate test. Shane Carwin is undefeated in the octagon, winning his first 11 fights in a grand total time of 12 minutes and 22 seconds. That comes out to just under 1:08 per fight! That’s barely enough time for the color-commentator, Mike Goldberg, to say something completely asinine (as he is contractually obligated to do) and for Joe Rogan to take a deep breath, sigh, and call him an idiot.

Mir via TKO in the 1st round; Rogan via Goldberg ineptitude more times than your DVR has room for.


Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves

This fight is interesting in the fact that Fitch and Alves have met once already, albeit much earlier in their careers. Their 2006 meeting was dominated by Fitch’s ground game and ability to take Thiago down almost at will and was ended via TKO after a vicious upkick that sent Alves sprawling and unable to answer the punches that Fitch then rained down on him. Since that night both men have only one loss each on their respective resumes: unanimous decision losses to the same man, Georges St. Pierre. But while Fitch dropped a fight in which he was simply all-around outclassed by GSP’s athleticism and ability to stuff any and all takedowns, Alves lost much the same way that he did to Fitch: he was taken down a total of 10 times in the fight and proved completely ineffectual in his ability to sprawl or fight off of his back. While both men are quite a bit more seasoned than they were almost four years ago when they first met, the aspects of their respective games that will dictate the outcome of this fight have not changed much at all. Fitch is still a much bigger and more powerful fighter with vicious takedowns and Alves is still a stand-up Muy Thai fighter that only has enough BJJ to not completely embarrass himself once he inevitably gets put on his back.

Fitch via General ground-and-poundery in the 3rd

What time is it? 3pm? Must be time to put on some clothes and play some video games; I’ve earned it.

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JoeSportsFan: Cuban Bat Fight (Remix)

Cuban Bat Fight (Remix) from JoeSportsFan.com on Vimeo.

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 25

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 25 here, or subscribe via iTunes.



We kick the show off this week with a very pointed voicemail we received from the incomparable Softball Guy, who was not all that thrilled with our guest selection this week: Matt Sebek from our podcasting partners JoeSportsFan.com.

An Exclusive, Emotional Interview with Softball Guy from JoeSportsFan.com on Vimeo.

Long before partnering up on the Internets waves, JoeSportsFan was a everyday read for HHR.

Matt's experience as an online programmer has helped take the site's brand to a new level of online media that includes blogging, and the incorporation of both audio and video.


About a month ago, JSF launched JoeSportsFanSTL.com which focuses on sports in the site's home town of St. Louis, and puts out a weekly Basketball Jones-esq video segment covering the latest hot topics surrounding the city's teams and athletes in the offbeat tone JSF fans have come to know and love.

Ep. 3: The One with Derrick Chievous from JoeSportsFan.com on Vimeo.

The city-centric, or "hyper-local," approach to online sports coverage is one we have been keeping a close eye on leading up to BwB3 in light of national companies like ESPN and Comcast, and regional ones like NESN and SNY going full force into blogging and multimedia/online platforms. We talk about how this could affect team and city-based sites, including the new JSF STL.

The guys that run the site have also dabbled in AM radio, and Matt talks about the advantages to working online as opposed to the terrestrial waves.

For any aspiring podcasters, and those bloggers looking to attempt video, this week is a must listen, as Matt let's you know from his experience what steps you can take to make your show(s) better and differentiate them from the field that is rapidly saturating.

This week's sites of interest:

• JoeSportsFan
• JoeSportsFanSTL
• The JoeSportsFan Show (iTunes)
• The St. Louis JoeSportsFan Show (iTunes)
• Sebek Media
• @JoeSportsFan
• @MattSebek
• @thesoftballguy
• The Basketball Jones
• The Jones on Vimeo
• BwB on The 700 Level/Comcast deal

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Happy St. Patrick Chewing Day

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The Ghost of Christian Laettner Haunts KY Politics

Via LA Times' Top of the Ticket:

Trey Grayson started it.

As soon as the NCAA men's brackets were announced, Kentucky's Republican secretary of State was up with an Internet ad assailing his opponent in the Senate primary -- Rand Paul. Not because he's the son of presidential candidate Ron Paul, the darling of Libertarians everywhere, or because he has never held public office before, but because he's a graduate of Duke Medical School.

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Every picture tells a story

A friend of HHR passed this along today. We've never seen it before today and obviously split a nut laughing. We are childish like that.

Thanks for the tip TJ!

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Preview & Predictions: UFC Debuts on Versus

While I had already been planning to watch the UFC’s first foray onto the VS channel this weekend, several contributing factors have made it a virtual certainty. One was my nearly separating my left foot from the rest of my body via playing soccer in what might as well have been clogs. The other was that I recently discovered that the white metal thing I had been using as a bookshelf in my kitchen was, in fact, an oven. Add together the winning combination of my left leg being encased in a boot that looks like something out of Robotech and pizza rolls from my newly discovered oven and the odds are 100-to-eggplant that I will be watching an evening full of face-punchery on March 21st. Needless to say, if I’m going to watch several hours of what my girlfriend refers to as ‘man-sex’ then I need to at least know enough about the fights to be condescending to those around me. Thus, several hours of video-perusin’ and internettin’ have netted the following highly opinions which you should now pay me for.

No? Commie.

Fine...Be that way. No charge, but I’m thinking bad thoughts about you. Specifically things involving your genitals and my kicking them.

Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones

The headlining fight between Jon Jones and Brandon Vera is shaping up to be an exciting fight, both men having unorthodox styles and enter this weekend ‘needing a win’. Vera’s last fight was a lackluster affair vs. Randy Couture that ended in a controversial unanimous decision while Jones’ last fight was a disqualification loss vs. Matt Hamil.

It is the disqualification loss for Jones that troubles me about Jones’ chances in this fight: despite dominating the fight, Jones showed his lack of cage-seasoning and discipline in landing several illegal 12-6 elbow strikes that weren’t even close to being legit. It is this lack of discipline and basic cage/MMA knowledge that could end up being the deciding factors in this fight. Vera is a cagey veteran who has shown an ability to stick to a game-plan that exploits the weaknesses of an opponent and lessens his own. Contrast this with Jones, who, despite his height/reach advantage and explosiveness has shown a wild-streak in the ring and the odds may swing in Vera’s favor. Unless Jones completely overwhelms Vera in the opening round or reins-in his trademark unpredictability I can’t see him sticking to a game-plan long enough to keep ‘The Truth’ from finding his range and picking him apart. Win or lose, someone needs to interview Vera after the fight and ask the question that we’re all begging to ask: what in the screaming monkey-hell is that gibberish tattooed on your back and does it really mean “Eggroll Combo #16”? The people need to know.

Vera via Decision

Dos Santos vs. Gonzaga

This is a fight that has all the makings for a grappler vs. striker fight that the UFC has become so fond of recently, pitting Gonzaga’s ground game against Dos Santos’ stand-up. Gonzaga has the better Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, sporting a black-belt from Chute Box Academy but has shown an inability to keep strong grapplers (a la Shane Carwin) pinned on the mat for long, while Dos Santos is far superior in stand-up with an 18-0 kickboxing record in Brazil. While this type of stand-up vs. grappler pairing has made for some eventful and unpredictable fights it is Gonzaga’s loss to Carwin that may provide Dos Santos with the ultimate roadmap to victory.

Wait, you don’t know what I’m talking about? Go ahead and google Gonzaga vs. Carwin on the interwebs, I’ll wait.

Are you back? That knockout is ridiculous, isn’t it? Carwin’s hand travels about three inches and nearly separates Gonzaga’s head from his body. The fact that Dos Santos is an elite heavyweight kickboxer and has a physique that closely resembles Carwin’s truck-engine-with-limbs appearance makes me wonder about Gonzaga’s chances.

Apart from his stunning win over a diminishing CroCop, Gonzaga has shown a propensity to lose standup battles against game opponents. His knockout loss to Carwin should serve to be the blueprint for a Dos Santos victory as Gonzaga has admitted to training heavily in stand-up and kick boxing leading into this fight and may be more easily coaxed into slinging leather than taking it to the ground. The fact that two of Gonzaga’s four losses came at the hands of Fabricio Werdum, whom Dos Santos uppercut straight out of the ring and the UFC not too long ago, does not swing the odds in Gonzaga’s favor either.

Dos Santos via General Ass-kickery in round 1

Cheik Kongo vs. Paul Buentello

Kongo vs. Buentello strikes me as a fight between two guys who, while decent fighters in their own right, have always withered against top-tier talent. While at the time his decision victory over CroCop may have seemed impressive in 2007, hindsight has proven this to carry far less weight than it would have 4 years ago. Combine this with losses to Frank Mir, Cain Velazquez and Heath Herring and you begin to see a pattern develop. Kongo looks frightening as hell but when confronted with adaptable, versatile fighters his pulling off a victory is as likely as me getting out of a strip club without getting covered glitter and smelling of strawberry lip-smacker.

Lucky for Kongo, Paul Buentello is far from his days of being a top-tier fighter. Buentello is a heavier, more out of shape version of Chuck Lidell, refusing to do anything more than sling leather and sprawl when someone tries to take him down. In matching against Buentello vs. Kongo, who while he looks like the lovechild of an Army Tank and a Grizzly Bear has also shown a lack of adaptability and plodding footwork that opens him up to accurate strikers, you have the makings of either a quick, exciting fight or a boring, man-hugging snooze-fest.

Kongo via Decision.

Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin

This is a pick ‘em. Both guys are going to do their best impression of Rock-em-Sock-em-Robots and stand in the middle of the ring with their eyes closed windmilling punches at each other. Flipping a coin will carry the same odds as this fight and probably last longer. What, you want me to pick one?

Fine: Sakara will win in 3.2 seconds, beating Frank Dux’s Kumite Record and pissing off Chong-Li.

Satisfied? Fine. I’m going to go and hobble into my kitchen and pull those books out of my oven before I forget. Those Choose Your Own Adventures aren’t going to move themselves.

-Posted by MMA contributor Finn

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From BwB Blog: The Localization of Online Sports Media & The 700 Level Goes Corporate

Yesterday, Enrico announced what can probably be seen as the inevitable:

Today, I’m excited to announce that The700Level.com has entered a new stage in its history. We have officially partnered with Comcast SportsNet and CSNPhilly.com. The700Level.com will retain editorial independence, while tapping into the unique access, technology, and resources of Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia.

View full post here.

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Vince and Linda McMahon's Sexy B*tch

No, we are not referring to Vince's guns, but rather the 47-foot "Sexy Bitch," sports yacht that she and Vince dock in Boca Raton, FL according to a Stamford Advocate article on "The running of the rich: Is wealth changing Connecticut politics?"

As we've pointed out before, Linda is running for US Senate.

From SB Nation's Caged Seats:

No, the Connecticut media hasn't discovered that Vince is cheating on his wife with one of the WWE Divas. "The Sexy Bitch" in question is the name of Vince McMahon's ostentatious 47-foot long sports yacht docked in Boca Raton, Florida, which was revealed in an article by the Hearst newspapers after Linda McMahon refused to answer a questionnaire about how she spends her wealth.

Unsurprisingly, the Rob Simmons campaign was quick to bash her lack of transparency.

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Athletes of Cirque du Soleil [Mathieu Bolillo]

When in Vegas for BwB 2.0, we stopped by Cirque du Soleil to see and interview some of the amazing athletes that Vegas has to offer. We got a chance to speak with Mathieu Bolillo, a former French gymnastic champion who now performs with Cirque du Soleil. Here Mathieu gives an inside view of what it takes to perform at this new level for almost 20,000 people a week.

Athletes of Cirque du Soleil [Mathieu Bolillo] from HHR on Vimeo.

Special thanks to our friends Ben Eckstein (Beryllium Pictures) and Rob Baker (Kabimba Media) for their help filming and editing.

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 24

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 24 here, or subscribe via iTunes.



We are joined this week by the "World's Greatest Chinese Jew," non-Eskimo Ben Koo.

A bucknuts.com blogger and the former Business Development Manager at Yardbarker, Ben is now the CEO of Bloguin.com, a blog network founded in 2009 that now boasts over 130 sites and 800k+ views/day.


With his background as a blogger, advertising point man and now network exec, Ben is able to provide a wide perspective on many areas of the industry.

A quote that I think is worth repeating is one that we haven't heard in such a frank and concise manner:

"There's this misconception with sports blogs that there are media buyers or people looking to purchase advertising...going across the web and reading articles looking for the best writer to sponsor...but the reality is that there needs to be a certain reach that gets them excited that meets their needs and it could be in the millions or hundreds of thousands..."

Ben talks about Bloguin and what sets it apart from networks like FanSided and SB Nation, but notes how the real competition isn’t the other online networks like these, but rather the traditional media outlets.

This week's links of interest:

• Bloguin.com
• Koo's Corner
• @bloguin
• @bkoo
• Interview with Ben Koo, CEO of Bloguin (Buzz Manager Blog/Sports Media Challenge)
• PSAMP

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Waiting for Godunk: Greetings from Estonia

Shortly after landing his writing gig at SLAM Online, Kevin Owens signed a contract to play for BC Kalev Cramo (in SEB Korvpalli Meistriliiga, Baltic Basketball League and VTB United League), and up and moved to the city of Tallinn in Estonia. Below is a piece he wrote about adjusting to his new surroundings.


Growing up I always loved the winter. I imagined living my adult life in a cottage located somewhere in the American Northeast. I would have a warm fire and enough Siberian Huskies to race the Iditarod keeping me company. That to me was my dream of a peaceful life. Fortunately, life took me on a different path than that of a reclusive shut-in. I grew into a large man and was faced with two options...join the circus, or play professional basketball. I chose the latter.

After seven years and thousands of miles traveled, my journey has brought me here to Estonia. My first impressions when I walked off the plane were no doubt like those of Rocky Balboa in Rocky IV. I was excited, anxious and freezing all at the same time. I had left an enormous snowstorm back in Philadelphia, but it was nothing like this. As I quickly rooted through my bag trying to find my gloves, all my childhood dreams suddenly rushed back into my mind.

I was driven to my new home, deep down hoping that it would contain a fireplace and a plethora of dogs. Unfortunately, it was just a clean, spacious apartment…I know, bummer right? I began to unpack my bags, which contained a variety of clothing. Whenever I go to a new country, I try to figure out the climate before I pack my suitcase. Since I am only allowed to carry two suitcases and two carry-ons, correct wardrobe choices are essential.

I have become better over the years, but I still pack certain items I know I will never wear. For instance, this year I packed a pair of flip flops. I am not sure how they would handle the snow, but I am not about to find out. In reality all I need to pack are a few basic items. I end up wearing a similar outfit everyday. It consists of sweatpants, my boots, a sweatshirt and my winter jacket. If GQ was considering asking me to be a “style icon”, I think they may pass after seeing me saunter around Tallinn during the past three weeks. Once I finished unpacking and was officially moved in, I began to settle into my new life in Estonia.

My next order of business was food. I had just arrived from a half day's travel and was famished. I took my first trip to the Estonian grocery store - which I must say was a little intimidating. I think I spent about an hour and a half wandering the aisles like a lost puppy. I was picking up random items in hopes that I would suddenly be able to read Estonian. I relied heavily on my instincts. If it looked like chicken and felt like chicken…then I guess its chicken. Eventually I loaded up a cart full of groceries, paid the nice cashier and made it back home.

The trip to the grocery store was also my first experience with my new car. Although the driving in Estonia is the same as driving in the United States, I found some subtle differences. The traffic lights operate in a slightly different, and in my opinion more practical, way. I’ve found that the yellow light prior to green is quite convenient. It gives you a little head start, which I enjoy.

I have also learned a scientific fact during my time here. Apparently when the heat and moisture emulating from my body during a drive becomes trapped in the car, once I exit the vehicle, it freezes the inside of my windshield. I have never seen this phenomenon before in my life. The one day I scraped the ice from the outside of the windshield only to see more ice on the inside. I have now grown accustomed to scraping both the outside AND inside of my vehicle prior to departing.

Coldness aside, I am becoming more and more familiar with the city of Tallinn. The other day I sat in front of my computer and found many of the tourist attractions this city has to offer. Throughout my career, I have always tried to take advantage of my surroundings. When I was in Australia I snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef. When I went to South Korea, I visited the top of the famous Seoul Tower. In New Zealand my assistant coach took me on a day tour of some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. During my stay in Estonia, I want to walk away with similar memories.

I think the main reason I have become such a tourist is to counteract the loneliness. Now my day is fairly busy. We usually practice once in the morning and again in the evening. However, during my “down time”, I for the most part rest my body and watch one of my countless DVD’s. Currently my rotation consists of television shows. I have over twenty five T.V. shows on DVD. I find watching a full season of a show far more rewarding than a movie.

Let’s take for example my favorite show, The Wire. Each show is about an hour long. Each of the five seasons consists of between 10-13 episodes. That’s 50-65 hours of story. Compare that to a 2 hour movie and it’s an easy choice. This usually curtails my loneliness during the day until I can reunite with my teammates in the evening.

On the basketball court I am trying to find my way. As a basketball player sometimes adjustments take time. I’m in a new country with a new team and new players that have been together for several months. Figuring out a way to work together has been my main focus since arriving. As the season reaches its home stretch I’m excited about the possibilities here at BC Kalev Cramo.

Overall, during my first few weeks, I have a good feel for Estonia. I have adjusted to the different foods and am now comfortable at the grocery store. I have learned to wear gloves and a hat every time I step outside. I have learned how to drive in over a foot of snow. I have adjusted to a new style of play and a new team. I know I am no longer the ten year old boy, dreaming about my cabin in the snow, but twenty years ago if I could have imagined a place like this, it would have put a smile on my face. Now all I need is a Husky.

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Separated at Birth: LeBron James...Potential Terrorist?

I still can't fathom that this is an actual picture of Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed and NOT King James.


Mookie from Stacheketball passed along the look-alike along with his rendition of LeBron in full Muslim head garb.


The Mohamed photo accompanied an AOL News article from about a month ago. See for yourself: UK Court Publishes Details of Alleged CIA Torture.

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The Big (L)East

The Big East Tournament gets started today. As we have said time and again, this is hands down the best conference tournament in all the land. Many of the men that start play today will one day wear an NBA jersey. With that in mind, let's talk about the Big East studs that never quite lived up to the hype in the NBA. Of course, names will be forgotten and omitted so please chime in with your choices. Also, this will kick start at the year 1990. So there. These are in no particular order.

1. Derrick Coleman, Syracuse - Most noted for coining the phrase "Whoop-de-damn-doo" Coleman didn't have a terrible NBA career which gives you the idea of the kind of player people thought he would be. Top pick of the New Jersey Nets he was a five tool player that never really seemed super interested in dominating the way he was capable. Still made an All-Star team and helped rejuvenate the Nets but I think we can all agree, we expected more. Bright side to this, since retirement DC has done amazing things for the city of Detroit in trying to that area back on its feet, and there is your silver lining for the day.

2. Hasheem Thabeet, UCONN - The jury is still very much out on Thabeet but since he just got sent down to the D-League and was the second overall pick in the NBA draft last spring he has to find his way onto the list. Personally, doubts started creeping in on this guy after Dejuan (I'm missing both ACLs) Blair absolutely owned him in a Big East showdown last year. Still, he is still very much a raw talent who will be given a chance to right the ship.

3. Scoonie Penn, Boston College - Scoonie get's thrown in the mix here for his time at Boston College before they left for the ACC and Scoonie left for Ohio State. This guy was a heck of a player in college and ended up not really putting together much of an NBA career. Teamed with Michael Reed on OSU, I thought Penn would be the better NBA players, which shows why I have no personnel responsibilities in the NBA. Won Big East Tourney MVP in 1997, eventually drafted by the Hawks but has spent most of his time playing for a variety of clubs overseas.

4. Brandin Knight, Pittsburgh - Another guard that was electric, the Co-Big East Player of the Year in 2002 Knight was a game changing player for Pittsburgh and it feels like he was the guy that helped get them on this prolonged run of success we have seen the Panther enjoy over most of this past decade. After college it was a few years in the D-League, some overseas action and now he is back coaching. The fact that big brother Brevin Knight who perhaps didn't have the NBA build was able to sustain a nice run in the NBA always kind of surprised me when Brandin wasn't able to hook on with a team.

5. Tim Thomas, Villanova - I read the book "7 Seconds" a few years back and it chronicled the Phoenix Suns for an entire season. Late in that season the Suns need Tim Thomas and it's mentioned that the coaches let TT know if he just turns it on for a few months they will help him find a nice contract in the off-season. Tim Thomas puts on a stellar run and that is all you need to know about him. A world of talent, great size, can shoot from deep, and spent just enough time on the Knicks to rile up that whole toughness episode with the New Jersey Nets. Was only in college briefly which tells you alot about his NBA expectations at the time.

6. Felipe Lopez, St. John's - Felipe Lopez's wikipedia page says it all, "Unrealistic expectations hounded López from the start, beginning with an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated before he even played one college game." Lopez still had a stellar freshman season putting up a little over 17ppg in attempting to be the latest savior for St. John's. He goes down as one of the greats of all-time for St. John's but it never translated for the NBA. Drafted in the first round by the Spurs he ultimately bounced around the league before ending up overseas.

7. Jason Lawson, Villanova - He was a power in the middle for Villanova in the late 90s, think the Kerry Kittls era. There isn't much on the net about him but going off memory he was a force and pretty much balanced out what Kittles was doing on the outside. From there he parlayed his Nova days into just one season in the NBA. Honestly my first thought here was Eddie Griffin of Seton Hall. Talk about talented, and hyped. Then he got into a fight with Ty Shine in the locker room, spent a short period in the NBA and sadly passed away not that long ago.

8. Troy Bell, Boston College - MVP of the 2001 Big East Tourney, another inclusion prior to Boston College leaving the Big East (why did they leave again?). Was named Big East Player of the Year over Carmelo Anthony and broke the BC record for scoring held by Dana Barros. So you get the idea, he was nasty in college. Drafted high by the Celtics at 16 overall, ended up doing most of his damage in the NBA with the Grizzlies. Tried to catch on with Hornets in 2005 and that was that.

9. Joe Alexander, West Virginia - We heard for a long time about his impressive hops, they are still there as far as I can tell. Alexander was a big contributor for the Mountaineers in the post Gansey-Pittsnogle era. The 8th overall pick of the draft in 2008 Alexander was picked by the Bucks and now is on the Bulls where he hasn't done a whole heck of alot. Somewhat in the same boat as Thabeet in that his career is still very early and he was sent down to the D-League, but there is time to get things turned around.

10. Terry Dehere, Seton Hall - Perhaps the best player Seton Hall had in the 1990s, Dehere was Big East Player of the Year and Tourney MVP in 1993. Holds a bunch of Pirate records including most points scored in a career but was then drafted by the Clippers, a bad omen for even the most talented. Strung together a six year career with stops in Sacramento and Vancouver before calling it a career. Averaged just 8 points per game over the course of his career.

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Brett Favre Mocks Big Ben

As if Brett Favre needed another reason for people to disdain him, we found this video of the 'ol gunslinger making light of Roethlisberger's latest unfortunate situation.

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Video: The Russian Four Sweep...It Was Terrible

Assassin Ave. offers his bootleg footage and amateur commentary on the highly artistic form, but inversely terrible outcome, of the famed "Russian Four Sweep."

He notes: "Not only did the Russians have the best looking team, they also had the most unique style, the Russian Four Sweep."

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You'll have to pry the bat from my cold, dead hands

Chico's Bail Bonds beware, if they won't let a gun shop sponsor a team your "get a criminal out on bail" business might not be asked to the next team banquet.

"Carmel, a licensed gun dealer, applied to sponsor a team in the local Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken baseball league, using the name of his business — Constitution Arms. He was rebuffed."

This is a brilliant marketing plan. Carmel sees the potential future buyer named Joey, the crappy right fielder. He is staring at those signs all inning, missing fly balls and still sniffling about the atomic cameltoe in the dugout before the game.

"Kate Schmidt, deputy director of The Baird, South Orange’s recreation agency, said the rule book for the Trenton-based Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken league "strongly advises meticulous care" in the selection of sponsors for the "welfare of youth." But, Carmel notes, other sponsors could be deemed "inappropriate" as well. The league overseers, he said, have permitted sellers of liquor and tobacco, as well as a Cluck-U Chicken eatery whose promos feature a scantily clad woman in a bikini with the suggestive words "Large Breasts, Juicy Thighs. Luscious Legs."

No wonder Joey keeps missing fly balls, his free hand is down his pants.

If only all NJ baseball teams were as meticulous in regard to the people allowed to coach the actual teams.


N.J. kids baseball league rejects Maplewood gun dealer's sponsorship (NJ.com)

Canadian Hockey Fans: USA is Not OK

Part-time HHR contributor and full-time student in British Columbia, Assassin Avenue, was tasked with taking fan photos out and about Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Games. Unfortunately, claims of being "drunk" and "busy" hampered his efforts.

He did pass this one along, which could possibly insight an international skirmish.

...#1 in Your Hearts.

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Blogs With Balls Radio, Episode 23

This week’s Blogs With Balls Show on the JoeSportsFan Radio Network is now available.

Download Episode 23 here, or subscribe via iTunes.



Our guest this week is Phil from the multifaceted men's website Gunaxin.com.

Phil has been a longtime friend of HHR and, more so, the Blogs With Balls conferences, having attended and been vocal at both the New York and Vegas shows.

In Vegas, we had a great panel conversation on whether or not bloggers should be granted the same access and treatment that teams and leagues afford traditional media and journalists. On that panel, Yahoo!'s Puck Daddy Greg Wyshynski - among the most high profile and respected hockey bloggers on the web - brought up the fact that the NHL has embraced new media to circumvent the lack of coverage MSM has allotted the sport. Specifically, the Washington Capitals, thanks in large part to their new-media savvy owner, is regarded as one of the most progressive franchises in terms of blogger credentialing. Phil, who blogs at the Fansided Caps blog Capitals Outsider, is among those select few sports bloggers in any sport that covers games from the press box.

Recently, his actions in the press area drew the attention and criticism from the Internets, the team and even Wyshinski...actions that eventually lead to his suspension from the press box.

With almost 3 weeks to digest the incident, Phil reflects on his actions, the reactions, and the hypocritical treatment in relation to his Verizon Center nemesis Mike Milbury.



Moving on to Gunaxin, Phil talks about how his unique background has aided in positioning the site among the fastest growing men's general interest sites, how and why the Gunaxin decided to dabble in podcasting, and its recent launch of Gunaxin Links - a direct and men's focused alternative to Reddit.

A recurring theme is Phil's appreciation for the online community. He credits folks he met at BwB (Dan Levy, Matt Sebek and Gary Vaynerchuk) as being influential in Gunaxin moving into many of the areas it has, and credits the conference itself as helping facilitate some of the A-list guests they've gotten to interview.

This week's links of interest:

• Gunaxin.com
• @Gunaxin
• Gunaxin on Facebook
  
• Gunaxin Links
• Gunaxin Podcasts
  
• Capitals Outsider
• @CapsOutsider
• Mike Milbury Assaults Blogger (Gunaxin)
• Analyzing the Mike Milbury vs. hockey blogger 'assault' (Puck Daddy)
• Battle With Milbury (KuklasKorner)
  
• DC Sports Bog
  
• On The DL Podcast
• Joe Sports Fan
• Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion
• Purple Cow
• Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us

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Crotchety Jim Bunning Owes You Nothing...

...not an answer...not a ride in his elevator.

Peeved by ABC reporters hassling him for a quote, the pitcher-turned-politician ducks into a lift and reprimands that it is a "Senators only elevator."

He should have said, "Hall of Famers only elevator." A lie, yes. But much cooler sounding. You give those meddling reporters hell, Jim!

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