I contemplated the idea of starting a blog entirely dedicated to the musings of and about Bobby Knight. However, since he retired from coaching (temporarily, at least), I found it difficult to continuously create fresh content.
The title of the Blog was going to be Daily Dose of Knight; a much needed spiritual lift in the heart of this cheerless period in economic history. Though I still have hope in Obama's leadership capacity, I honestly think that he's severely constrained by macroeconomic forces that are beyond his scope of control.
In light of these limitations, and in respect to its continued relevance, I am reposting my first and only article about petitioning for Bobby Knight to open up shop as a college and university commencement speaker. You know, for that extra verbal kick in the rear that graduates will need. Here you go:
The "real world" is starting to look a lot like an 8-10 record under The General.
I hate to sound morose, but if you're a star-crossed senior scheduled to pick up a University sheepskin in May, you're in need of much more than Seuss' rhythmic rousing.
That's right, kiddies. Desperate times call for candid measures. In this economic titanic, there's a high chance you'll be retreating back to your folks' nest to continue your job search and/or pay down your mortgage-sized student loans.
Don't fret though, we understand. Some of us, too, have circled back after four to six years of unrelenting debauchery to the quiet and embarrassingly decorated confines of our high school bedrooms. The return is humbling; although the experience is necessary for, and equivalent to, securing that entry level gig. There's no glory on the ground floor (sorry, the pecking order pun was too predictable under this image).
If your job search continues to yield a similar result to opening your wallet, you may need an intervention. But waiting until after your motivation is drained is entirely too reactionary. That's why we're appealing for a Bob Knight keynote at your commencement.
University can't afford our prescription? Try our generic brand (below)...or just join the Marines. Good luck graduates.
"Columbia head coach Joe Jones is the younger brother of tenth-year Yale head coach James Jones. The battle of the Joneses is 6-4 in favor of the elder Jones and Yale. The only time in Ivy League history that two brothers were simultaneously serving as head basketball coaches was from 1924 to 1928. Basketball Hall of Famer Ed Wachter was the coach at Harvard while his brother, Leonard, coached at Dartmouth in the Eastern Intercollegiate Basketball League, the forerunner of the Ivy League. Research indicates that two brothers coaching within the same conference is extremely rare. The most notable tandem was Clarence and Hank Iba, who each coached in the Missouri Valley Conference from 1949 to 1957. Clarence was in charge at Tulsa while Hank coached Oklahoma State. "
Mike Brown is the founder of Hoop Connection, an online community and basketball service company headquartered in Orlando, FL with strong regional contacts throughout the country. Hoop Connection has reached millions of people, from being featured in SLAM Magazine and sponsoring tournaments in Massachusetts, Iowa, to sponsoring the nation's largest 3-on-3 tournament in Spokane, WA and has even been mentioned on a popular radio show by The Professor from AND 1’s Mixtape Tour.
1) Talk to us about the idea conception behind Hoop Connection?
I went to a small Division II College and I saw that our basketball program didn’t have the recruiting resources to find enough athletes to fill out the roster; yet we offered athletic scholarships. Then, as I traveled the country playing basketball, I saw quality athletes that only dreamed of playing in college because they didn’t have the resources to find schools that would be a good fit for them. Basketball opened a lot of doors for me and I wanted to give that same opportunity to generations of players to come.
2) When did you decide to bring this idea to fruition?
I’ve been working on various ideas for Hoop Connection since 2004, but it was challenging starting a company and maintaining a career. Nonetheless, my job did help put money into the business to build awareness.
We officially launched in January 2008 after receiving funding from a couple of investors. We had a launch party at the Orlando MagicArena and we haven’t looked back since.
3) What type of resources are available for players and coaches through Hoop Connection?
Hoop Connection is a unique recruiting service and online basketball community solely focused on basketball. We feel that basketball players are made from a different mold. Their passion and love for the game is unlike that of any other sport. We offer a personal and professional recruiting service - guaranteeing satisfaction - that helps young athletes get the necessary exposure to take their game to the next level. Our focus is on those athletes that may lack exposure, resources, or a second chance. Most of the athletes we come into contact with are looking at Division II colleges and lower. While many services focus on the elite basketball players, from the magazines, recruiting sites to other services, we want to help those athletes that may not be getting the exposure they need. Hoop Connection also provides resources for training, questions, links, and other helpful resources surrounding the sport today.
4) What do you see as the most difficult challenge for prep ball players trying to take their game to the next level? What advice would you give to overcome this challenge?
I think the biggest challenge is the competition and level of play. With so many talented athletes I think that expectations are set very high. Emotionally, young athletes have a hard time with the ups and downs when it comes to success and failure. It is important for people to keep their options open. People think if they do not make it to Division I that there is no chance for them to get a scholarship or get exposure to play pro ball. I went to a small school in a small town and we had athletes go on and play after College. Division II has scholarships and Division III has financial aid and support available. Confidence is a big thing as well; if your confidence is down don’t give up; find a place that’s a good fit and build it back up again. When I was in high school I lost my confidence my senior year and if felt like I wouldn’t be able to play anywhere, but I went to a Junior College and got it back. Confidence can change your entire game it can mean the difference from averaging 20 points or 4. It’s a big deal; athletic ability is important but confidence is just as big.
5) How do you feel about the new NCAA rule that declares 7th graders as college basketball prospects?
I leave those types of decisions to the experts. If I was in the trenches dealing with the issues that the NCAA deals with then I might have a stronger opinion. My focus is on the kids. We have to make sure that we have their best interest in mind at all times. So many emotions go along with sports and I know from experience what those emotions can do to a young athlete. Through sports, kids learn work ethic, dependability, good listening skills, teamwork and much more; but they tend to think that they will be judged by their performance on the court. We have to continue to be sensitive and provide education and resources for young athletes because most of the time they are stereotyped. I want to use the love of the sport to reach kids and help them better their lives.
6) If you could waive a magic wand that would yield ultimate success for HC. What would that success look like?
I think about that everyday. I would have reputable sponsors supporting Hoop Connection that believe in our cause and the athletes we help. I would have the ultimate website and service that has helped thousands of young athletes play in college and afford an education. I would be traveling the country speaking to kids, motivating, inspiring and enjoying the sport of basketball. We want to help kids achieve their dreams and change lives while helping sponsors reach their target audience and assist in the growth of businesses that supply quality products and services to our athletes. Dreams are attainable and if we do not try to achieve our own how can we tell kids they should follow their dreams.
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament is my hands down favorite event of the year. Sixty-five of the nation's premier teams competing in a single elimination format over three weeks to determine one winner.
Intense, yet completely fulfilling.
Then there's the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), a precursor to the NCAA tourney that has hung around for a bit too long--kind of like Johnny Lechner did in college. Hence, the harsh nicknames: "Nobody's Interested Tournament," "Not Invited Tournament," and National Insignificant Tournament."
While I understand the frustration (i.e. subjectivity and controversial criteria) of not receiving an at-large bid to the big dance, I find the formation of additional postseason tournaments to be a sad attempt at justifying the situation. If anything, we're replicating the same problematic situation that exists in college football.
If two tournaments weren't enough, you now have the College Basketball Invitational (16 teams) that was launched last year and the recently announced Collegeinsider.com Postseason Tournament (16 teams). Collectively, there will be 113 teams competing in postseason play this year.
As a self-proclaimed "uber-competitive" athlete (formerly speaking), I never had a problem opening a can o' whup ass on an inferior opponent. I've sent many a younger cousin home crying to their mamas after a backyard hoops thrashing.
Remember DaJuan Wagner's Benjamin on the rather anemic Gloucester Township Technical School? Yeah, I snickered at that too.
Keeping your starters in the game when you're holding onto a sizable margin is one thing. Shutting a team out in basketball while you ring in triple digits is........pretty hilarious.........but wrong.
In any case, it makes for a noticeable headline and valid case study in teaching sportsmanship.
I recently had the opportunity to correspond with Amy DiElsi, Communications Director for Sustainable Development and Children's Health at the United Nations Foundation. In her role with the UN Foundation, Amy helps drive the Nothing But Nets campaign--a grassroots initiative aimed at saving lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Given its metaphorical basketball name and the austerity of the challenge, I was honored to have Amy participate in a Q + A to learn more about the campaign and how we all could help.
Please tell us a bit about the Nothing But Nets campaign. How did the organization come to be? What do the logistics look like to make things happen?
While the UN Foundation has been working with the UN to fight malaria for years, it was a column that Rick Reilly wrote about malaria in Sports Illustrated, challenging each of his readers to donate at least $10 for the purchase of an anti-malaria bed nets -- and the incredible response from thousands of Americans across the country -- that led to the creation the Nothing But Nets campaign. The reaction to Reilly's call to readers who had "ever cut down a net, jumped over a net, watched the New Jersey Nets, worn a hair net, surfed the net, or thought about Angelina Jolie in fishnets" to donate $10, made it clear that thousands of people were ready to help the millions of children dying unnecessarily each year of malaria. Within a few short months, Nothing But Nets raised over 1 million dollars. And so, Nothing But Nets was born.
With the money raised through Nothing But Nets, the UN Foundation and its partners work with the Measles Initiative, one of the most successful vaccination efforts ever undertaken, to purchase bed nets and distribute them in countries and communities in greatest need. Using its proven distribution system, which in just five years has vaccinated nearly a quarter billion children, the Measles Initiative will distribute bed nets along with measles vaccinations and other medicines to children and families living in at-risk countries. It's an effective and cost-efficient way to get the nets to the people who need them most.
Describe the urgency and necessity of the nets in Eastern Africa? What type of impact does malaria have on those countries and communities in that region of the world?
Recently, Nothing But Nets partnered with the UN High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) in response to an urgent and immediate need for bed nets in refugee camps throughout eastern Africa. After fleeing their native countries refugees are forced into temporary camps without adequate shelter or medical care. As a result, refugees are left especially vulnerable to malaria. Women and children run the highest risk of dying from a malaria infection. Bed nets become even more crucial as the approaching rainy seasons create ideal breeding grounds for malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
Right now, Nothing But Nets is working with UNHCR to send urgently-needed nets to more than 630,000 refugees temporarily housed in the 27 most malaria-endemic camps (as identified by UNHCR) in Uganda, Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania.
Have you partnered with any sports organizations before (or do you plan to) in order to leverage the nothing but nets sports metaphor?
NBA Cares, the league's social responsibility program, is a founding partner of Nothing But Nets. Working with players like Luol Deng of the Chicago Bulls and Ruth Riley of the San Antonio Silver Stars, as well as through special events and Nothing But Nets "in-arena" nights, the NBA has been an important strategic partner in Nothing But Nets' effort to raise funds and awareness for malaria prevention. Nothing But Nets has also partnered with MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative. MLS Commissioner Don Garber, as well as several MLS players, have become personally involved in the campaign and continue to devote their time to the cause. Players Dwayne De Rosario of the Houston Dynamo and Diego Gutierrez of the Chicago Fire even traveled with Nothing But Nets to Mali last December for a bed net distribution, and to witness first-hand the effects of malaria on families in sub-Saharan Africa. For two years, Nothing But Nets has also been a featured charity at MLS Cup.
Please let us know how our readers (myself included) could help out with this cause?
$10 covers the cost of purchasing and distributing a long-lasting insecticide-treated nets and educating the recipient on its proper use (the UN Foundation covers all overhead costs, so every dollar of your donation goes to those in need). However, no donation or action is too small. From bake sales to soccer tournaments to 5k races to charity bar nights, supporters around the country are getting involved in all kinds of creative ways to raise funds and awareness for Nothing But Nets and the global effort to prevent malaria in Africa. Link to us on your Facebook or MySpace pages, or organize a party or sports competition to challenge your friends and family to get involved and help save lives, while having fun! Anyone can also join a Netraiser Team, or start a new one. Our website, www.NothingButNets.net has all the resources you need to get up and running.
What is the ultimate goal of this campaign? How far along is Nothing But Nets to reaching that goal or goals?
To date, Nothing But Nets has raised more than $22 Million to distribute life-saving nets across Africa, including Mali, Nigeria, Gabon, Chad and Cote d'Ivoire.
Although Malaria has been eliminated in the United States, it still kills more than one million people each year, most of whom are children. In fact, every thirty seconds a child in Africa dies of malaria. Bed nets are one of the easiest and cost-effective methods of preventing the spread of the deadly disease. A $10 dollar donation is all it takes to send a net and save a life.
Coaches have long endured a wide range of scents in the post-game locker room. But, barefoot retribution? Is that taking it too far?
Obviously, it wouldn't behoove a coach to put their bunions or corns on a sideline display. Unless, of course, they have perspective. "300 million people wake up each morning without a pair of shoes to protect their feet from injury and disease."
The good folks over at Samaritan's Feet recognize this fact and have set a goal to "provide shoes to 10 million of these individuals in the next 10 years." NCAA basketball coaches have caught on to the cause and spent this past weekend patrolling the sidelines in shoeless fashion.
The leader of the pack, in my opinion, is Ron Hunter of IUPUI. Last year, - according to a KansasCity.com article - "he took the barefoot plunge on a request from Samaritan’s Feet. He helped collect 140,000 pairs and last summer took part in a delivery to some children in Peru."
“When I left Peru, I knew that I had to continue this,” Hunter said. “The tears on the kids’ faces that I saw that we couldn’t help were enough to say that I will do this for the rest of my lifetime.”
"People who want to gamble are going to listen to anyone with an opinion," said Knight, who retired from coaching last year with an unprecedented 902 wins and is currently providing regular-seasons analysis for ESPN. "It doesn't matter where you're doing the show. It's always going to be there. If you say X has an advantage over Y, someone's going to put a bet on it."
Effects of the economic crisis are rippling through every industry.
Longstanding investment banks have disappeared overnight; well-branded franchises are closing hundreds of stores nationwide; automakers and insurers are begging for a bailout; and sports organizations - once a recession-friendly outlet - are trimming their workforces to curtail costs.
Thinkthe ever-popular NCAA is immune? Think again.
According to an AP Release, the college sports governing body is actively implementing cost-cutting strategies:
"When members of the NCAA selection committee are setting up those brackets for the men's basketball tournament, they'll be able to plug in a school's name and first-round site into a software program and get a quick idea as to how much it will cost for the school to make the trip.
If a school in the NCAA baseball tournament find itself 375 miles away from its regional site, it can take the bus instead of fly.
And, for those athletes who fly to an NCAA championship event, forget about taking as many bags as you want. The limit is now two."
Tonight I spoke with Jason Curry, Founder and President of Big Apple Basketball (BAB). BAB is "a grassroots, not-for-profit organization that hosts basketball tournaments, conducts clinics, offers college scholarship programs, mentoring programs and manages touring teams."
One of those tournaments - Big Apple Basketball's 6th Annual High School Invitational - is coming up next weekend and is featuring some of the top teams and players on the east coast. For a very modest entry fee, you will witness a full slate of competitive games and some of college basketball's future stars, including:
Rice High School (NY): Durand Scott (committed to U. of Miami)
Lincoln High School (NY): Lance Stephenson (top ranked senior nationally)
Pine Crest (FL): Brandon Knight (#2 junior nationally)
St. Thomas More (CT): Dan Jennings (committed to West Virginia)
Blair Academy (NJ): Austin Johnson (committed to Rutgers)
Jamesville-Dewitt (NY): Brandon Triche (committed to Syracuse)
Notre Dame Prep (MA): Sean Kilpatrick (committed to Cincinnati)
Saturday, January 17, 2009 @ Baruch College - NYC (corner of E. 24th Street & Lexington Ave.)
12pm - St. Peter’s (Staten Island) vs. Benjamin Cardozo (Queens)
1:45pm - Notre Dame Prep (MA) vs. Apex (NJ)
3:30pm – L.I. Lutheran (Long Island) vs. Thomas Jefferson (Bklyn)
5:15pm - Pine Crest (FL) vs. Rice (Manhattan)
7pm – Jamesville-Dewitt (Syracuse) vs. Lincoln (Brooklyn)
Monday, January 19, 2009 @ Hunter College - NYC (corner of E. 68th Street & Lexington Ave.)
11am - Greenport (Long Island) vs. Archbishop Molloy (Queens)
12:45pm - Pine Crest (FL) vs. Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn)
2:30pm - Long Island Lutheran (Long Island) vs. Rice (Manhattan)
Another fine NYT article on President Obama's penchant for, and impact on, hoops. “The fact that he is a basketball fan and player will be translated around the world,” said John Doleva, president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., the birthplace of the game. “Basketball is an international language. There is a global American message here.”
Justin Walsh is a Senior Writer for the fabulously successful basketball social networking site, Ball is Life(BIL). Official Partners of SLAMonline, BIL combines powerful video footage of the best high school, college, and streetball players in the country with engaging forums and an active blog--enriched by, none other than, Justin Walsh.
A huge thank you in advance goes out to Justin and the BIL crew for coming to our 1st Annual AAU Invitational at Rucker Park, the Mecca of playground basketball. This is an event that you do not want to miss. Stay tuned with the EBC and BILsites for more details, as they unravel.
Justin, talk to us about the history behind Ball is Life. When was it founded, by whom, and for what purpose?
To answer it correctly and fully, I'll have to get a little help from Matt Rodriguez. He founded BIL and really has the true story.
MATT:
I wake up in the morning. I get up out of bed, and I proceed to prepare myself for the day that lies ahead. My first objective is to go to work, second is to make sure I get to my classes on time after work, and my third - which is my pride and joy - is doing what we do here at ballislife.com. Now don't think that what I just said is what I think ballislife means. Ballislife itself can mean so many different things, but to me it means hard work to get where you want. The term "ball" has so much meaning in itself. It's a type of term in the sense of hustling, and getting on your grind and not letting anything stop you to where you need and want to be. You see, when we first started out, we were nothing but a thought, an idea. A bird waiting to be hatched and eager to learn how to fly. That idea then became a reality when we made our very first website and decided to start making mixtapes back in 2005. At the time, I had no clue what I was getting myself into, by 2006 I moved over 400 miles from where I called "home" to Southern California. I had no money, no job, but I had a drive. A drive instilled in me that I would not give up. That I would push until I could push no further. As soon as I landed on my feet in 2006 I went out and bought a new camera, just a cheap little hand held Sony. I was ecstatic to finally get to start doing things in SoCal. With that Camera I went out and started filming games left and right. In my mind I had a vision, and my vision was starting to take place. By the end of the 06-07 high school season, I had taped over 60 games in a matter of 2 months. All the while, I was doing this on my own.
I decided to post a blog on the site asking for some help with video editing. A friend at the time introduced me to some kid who called himself "MixtapeLive." He came with a rather large following of fans that loved his mixmaking skills. This kid was extremely legit, and he wanted to work for ballislife.com. At first he was just jumping at the opportunity to make a mixtape that would actually be published on a dvd, not really for the sense of making website videos. After I sent him some footage of this kid from Compton (Demar Derozan), he later changed his mind.
The Summer of 2007 came, I was fresh off going to Houston and the Kingwood Classic, which I required saving money for a month and a half just to go. I approached Arek (mixtapelive) about going to an event in Las Vegas together called the GBOA Challenge of Champions. He said sure and we were off to Las Vegas. As we continued to show our work to the GBOAHOOPS.com guys, Arek began to like what we did even more. Together we witnessed the appreciation for what we do by an awesome cast of future NBA players, as well as their supporting cast. After this tournament was over, we headed back to the OC and prepared for a tournament the next weekend.
As we kept pushing forward, we were repeatedly hit with obstacles left and right. We were told that our stuff wasn't gonna make it; "these are just mixtapes, where is it going to take you?" And my personal favorite "You're not media, you can't film." As much as we went through (I left a lot out of this story) never once did we say to ourselves, "lets give up."Instead, we got angry, but in the end we sat down and talked, we talked about how to change things, how to be accepted by certain types of people, and ultimately how to do all of everything by continuing to contain our original vision of showcasing talent to the fullest. With all that happened behind the scenes of it all, we decided....hey, lets just come out with our dvd and show everyone we are serious. We came out with a dvd that was rushed out to you all, and we put our stamp and star in the sidewalk. We got a writer, and we changed the whole outlook of our website. Everytime I go to an event and some kid says "Hey, you're with ballislife?" I'm honestly very proud to say, "yes, yes I am." Everytime when things get rough and I unconsiously say to myself "is it worth it?", some kid IMs me and says, "when I watch a ballislife mixtape, I am inspired and it makes me want to work on my game even harder. I feel like just going and playing basketball", it makes me smile. A smile in the sense of hey, we are still pushing through barriers, but look, we are making a difference in a kids life, when he is truly happy to be seen on ballislife.com or is inspired to watch a ballislife mix. Those are some of the main reasons why we do what we do. We truly do this for the "Love of the Game".
Now, that's his experience with the history of BIL. My history with BIL is a little different.
...I was 15 when I decided I wanted to be just like Scoop Jackson. I wanted to work forSLAM, ESPN, DIME...But I was so lazy. I played basketball and lacrosse in high school and I figured...Well, I'm busy, I'll just put that off for a while. A few years past, and I was hospitalized and was never the same. So, I got down on myself and just watched ball non-stop. One of my favorite players, Demar DeRozan had a mix out...From some basketball website, www.ballislife.com. I remember seeing that mix and saying to myself... Oh -----. So one day, I got the guts to contact the site. It was the founder, Matt Rodriguez. We had talk after talk about basketball, LeBron, Kobe, MJ...our opinions and just an all around chill session of basketball. I asked if I could write some stuff for the site; I figured my opinions wouldn't bore people to death...He gave me the chance. He let an untested cat from Dallas write for the site. My first write-up for the site was on the Oden-Durant ROTY debate directly after the draft. Hours after I posted it, people were fiercely debating it...I knew then and there: BALLISLIFE is what I want to do.
I've written for BALLISLIFE for a couple of years now. I get to chat with one of the best editors out there, "mixtapelive" as he was dubbed. I'm friends with him, and Matt (one of the most candid, honest dudes out there). Because of BIL, I get to talk to all-americans, future NBA stars, division 1 ballers....everyone associated with the game. I feel lucky that I was in the right place at the "write" time. Matt worked his butt off to build up Ball is Life like he has; he has built up a grassroots basketball site that goes deeper than just a statline after an NBA game. People ask me what it's like to be one of the ball is life crew. My answer is simple; I get to network with the best people in the sport, and be a part of something truly special. You know that saying, "for the people, by the people"... To me, that's what ball is life is. We aren't 45 year old guys that only know about basketball because they caught an NBATV game last labor-day...We love the game. And people that follow BIL...They make the hard work worthwhile. So I guess that's my story...
And now, continuing from BIL, I got to be able to do some work for SLAM Magazine's website. I am a SLAM intern and I have to give 100% of props to BIL for giving me that opportunity. Sorry that was such a long winded answer Peter, but any shorter and I just don't think we would have done it justice.
Ball is LIfe is a Social Network. It appears that you already have a large community. What are some of your target goals for growth?
Well originally, as you know, we weren't always a social network. We were just a grassroots site trying to get some traffic for people to watch our mixes and read our blogs. Then, with the help of David Astramskas (aka VincentDa and Exipred Pineapples, the cat who did one of the best basketball mixes ever in ART OF WAR), who does an online marketing company helped set us up a social networking site. It totally revolutionized our way of thinking. We started off with a modest fan base and now we have a very respectable amount of traffic, with over 12,000 members who interact on our site. I think it's a great thing. Our main goal, as always is to make sure that we get exposure to as many basketball players we can- We don't do this to drive a Bentley. Obviously, we hope to keep growing in numbers to become one of the biggest grassroots basketball media outlets on the internet, and to get to that goal we need to stay on the grind. Day in, day out.
You have documented some top quality players: Demar Derozan, Brandon Jennings, and Jrue Holiday to name a few. Who is the most exciting player - in your opinion - to have been featured on the site?
Well, I think EVERYBODY knows how much of a Demar Derozan fan I am. Youngbuck can jump out of the world. His hops are STUPID. He is an outrageously entertaining guy to watch. But I have to be a bit of a loyalist here. The first major player that I filmed in person was Brandon Jennings. He and his Oak Hill teammates flew down to Dallas, TX (where I was then based out of) to play against Duncanville HS, then sporting a 52 game winning streak. Brandon was ridiculous. I mean I could give you superlatives and all that but I'll just stick with brass tacks. Homeboy dropped 45 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals. He had no help in the game, beating Duncanville 77-76 in overtime singlehandedly. He crossed dudes, he dunked on cats, he did it all. After the game, he was getting jeered at by the thousands of fans in the stands (The game was held at SMU), they were cursing at him, spitting in his direction...He just screamed back at them "52 IS OVER, 52 IS OVER, 52 IS OVER. I AM YOUNG MONEY!" That totally made me stop in my tracks. The man's swagger was PHENOMENAL. He was in a different state, he just beat the #1 ranked team in the nation by himself, stopping a 52 game winning streak...He was IT. So Brandon Jennings aka Young Money is the most exciting to me. I know Arek and Matt have different players in mind, but I gotta be loyal.
I noticed that you have a relationship with the Basketball Bible, SLAM, and their website. How did that relationship begin and what does it entail?
Well, it all began with the BIL DVD we have out. We sent it out to SLAM Magazine in the hopes that they might review it. Matt Caputo, SLAM Magazine's assistant editor got hold of it and watched it. He loved it. He contacted us, and from then on, he's been a big part of helping us out. He got me my interview with SLAM's editor in chief, Ben Osborne. He helped cultivate a relationship that got it to a point where we got a contract to make basketball mixes for SLAM exclusively. We are now SLAM's video crew. From that, I got to talking with the online editor, Ryne Nelson, one of the coolest cats on the web. He gave me the opportunity to write on SLAMonline, being the accompanying feature to the mixes we did. It's something we are very grateful for, because as everyone knows, SLAM Magazine is the end all as far as basketball magazines go (at least in my eyes and everybody I've spoken with), and being able to say we are official partners with SLAM- That definitely adds some gravitas to what we do at BIL.
Tell us about some of the other services that BIL offers?
Well outside of making mixes and the DVD from all of the footage we own, plus the social network we provide for free, we also make recruiting mixes for players to send to college scouts/coaches. We have a website that goes into more detail on that at http://ballislifeservices.ning.com/
Beyond all that, we are always looking to help in basketball. On the forum at the site, we usually personally respond to people who need help or advice with their game, good drills to improve, and so on. We also have live discussions to interact with BIL members during high profile NCAA games.
What is your vision for BIL? Where do you see the network in next, say 5 years or so?
My personal view of what we will be in 5 years? I would hope that in 5 years that we will be able to say that we helped improve the way players get exposure for the next level. I hope that we can proudly say we cover the best events in HS and Streetball. What I really hope though is that we can someday in the future get rights to make mixes for NCAA and NBA events. I don't know if we can do that, and I am not trying to hint that we are close to that...But I will say if we ever got the opportunity to do that within the next 5 years- we would blow up on the scene faster than a Ray Allen jumper.
I never walked in Jermareo Davidson's shoes, but I could certainly - if only somewhat - relate to his story.
January 28, 2009 will mark the 18th anniversary of my sister's sudden passing from viral myocarditis.
She was 10 years old at the time. I was nine; old enough to understand the implications of death, but not emotionally mature enough to want to talk about it.
One night per week, I would sit quietly with a counselor, drawing or playing which ever board game she had on hand. Weeks would go by without an utterance of the episode, how I felt, or why I felt that way.
I chose this option.
My escape was an orange round ball with seams and a less than regulation-sized hoop, draping a rusty chained net. The cement yard was uneven and the rectangular playing area made West 4th street look roomy. But I was fortunate; this was Brooklyn, and yards are a frill in Brooklyn.
Before my sister's death, baseball was my preferred sport of choice. However, when seeking solace, basketball offered the best outlet for solitary pretending. I would play well into the evening despite the winter's cold and early darkness, dreaming up last minute game time scenarios. In this made up world, I would rarely, if ever, face loss. The swoosh of a chained net felt much more relieving than an hour at the counselor's office.
Obviously, as I got older, I opened up about this traumatic experience and shared my sense of loss. But I never forgot, or strayed away from, the therapeutic power of hoops when life gets tough.Jermareo Davidson could attest to this fact. Check out his story.
Why you should care about a small Big West school this college basketball season.
The Matadors opened up their schedule with a convincing 'W' over Cal Lutheran. So what did I do? I shamelessly passed along the hyperlink to my family and friends. Check me out! Peter Robert Casey, resting under the banner of four of the most important letters in sports: E-S-P-N.
And then, the Matadors went to work. A six game slide was met with an orgy of sarcastic congratulations from my new found fan club.
Though I picked up four of the next six contests, the Matadors' sharpened sword was anxiously awaiting behind the obscuring red muleta.
Of course, I didn't know that. I was staring at a 5-8 overall standing (2-1 in conference), dwelling on the positive momentum going into the second half of the season.
But suddenly, and painfully, I felt the thrust of a sword piercing between my shoulder blades.
(What the heck is going on in the background here?)
Welcome to Orem, Utah!
Home of Noelle Pikus-Pace, 2005 overall World Cup Skeleton title winner, and two So You Think You Can Dance finalists (Allison Holker and Chelsie Hightower).
I'm not going to lie; if it wasn't for the always reliable Wikipedia, I would've mistaken Pace's honor for an anorexic starve-off.
And I've seen enough of Simon's face on the Idol to have two pennies about Holker and Hightower.
Now back from my tangent...
The best ball player to ever hail from 'Family City USA' - the sixth most populated city in Utah - used to play in the Dub. Erin Thorn, anyone?
Nevertheless, that 'other' outfit under Sternbot's command will descend on the 801 this week for the 5th Annual D-League Showcase. All 16 NBDL teams - and 160 players - will bare their talents for GMs and birdwatchers representing all 30 NBA franchises.
Don't worry, the math even threw Steve Luhm off balance.
What's in it for you, you ask?
"Fans can stay in step with their favorite NBA D-League team by logging onto www.nba.com/futurecast to watch every Showcase game on-line for free" (NBA.com).
Here's the complete schedule (in Mountain Time to further confuse you). Enjoy! Monday, January 5 Sioux Falls vs. Albuquerque 11 a.m. Austin vs. Colorado 1:45 p.m. Los Angeles vs. Bakersfield 4:30 p.m. Reno vs. Rio Grande Valley 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday, January 6 Idaho vs. Fort Wayne 11 a.m. Iowa vs. Dakota 1:45 p.m. Erie vs. Tulsa 4:30 p.m. Anaheim vs. Utah 7:15 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7 Rio Grande Valley vs. Sioux Falls 11 am Fort Wayne vs. Iowa 1:45 p.m. Albuquerque vs. Erie 4:30 p.m. Dakota vs. Reno 7:15 p.m.
Thursday, January 8 Tulsa vs. Idaho 11 a.m. Colorado vs. Anaheim 1:45 p.m. Bakersfield vs. Austin 4:30 p.m. Utah vs. Los Angeles 7:15 p.m.
Before the advent of the internet, good runs were harder to find; especially if you were traveling to a distant city and needed to get your hoops fix with healthy competition. One of the most valuable resources in those days - the early '80s that is - was a copy of The In-Your-Face Basketball Book by Chuck Wielgus, Jr., and Alexander Wolff. The follow-up edition (The Back In Your Face...) proved to be just as effective several years later.
The IYF and BIYF guides were "compendiums of the best sites to play a game of pick-up basketball" and covered a wide range of American cities. Though the guides are out of print and out of date, the accepted playground terminology and pictures from those days are alone worth a used-copy purchase on Amazon or eBay.
Fourteen years after Wielgus and Wolff compiled this list of rewarding runs, they wrote the foreward to Hoops Nation: A Guide to America's Best Pick-Up Basketball; a similar, but more comprehensive field guide of 700 courts covering the 48 contiguous states. Author Chris Ballard offers a descriptive account of his journey through some of basketball's most lored and loved playgrounds, using a "ratings system, complete with graphic symbols, rating such criteria as type of court (indoor or outdoor), level of competition, court quality, rough play, dangerous areas (only exceptional pick-up games in dangerous areas are included), and the regularity of female players" (Amazon.com review).
As much fun as those books are, it's an act of futility to criss-cross the country every few years and to go through the expensive and time-intensive publishing process to share basketball pick -up game reviews. The folks at Dime Magazine and Nike Basketball knew this; that's why they created the Ballers Network, (also available as a Facebook application.)
I'll leave it to them to describe the service:
"Basketball has gone global and Ballers Network is your chance to find a run wherever you are, whenever you want to play. Now you can:
Find a court
Add your home court
Find a game
Schedule your own game and invite other players
Ballers Network will revolutionize the way the hoop world organizes games, runs leagues, and the way ballplayers worldwide stay connected.
Right now someone, somewhere is ready to ball. Are you?
Get in the game with Ballers Network."
If you haven't downloaded this application to your Facebook account yet, I suggest that you do. The more ballers participating, the richer the resource!
I contemplated the idea of starting a blog entirely dedicated to the musings of and about Bobby Knight. However, since he retired from coaching (temporarily, at least), I found it difficult to continuously create fresh content.
That's right, kiddies. Desperate times call for candid measures. In this economic titanic, there's a high chance you'll be retreating back to your folks' nest to continue your job search and/or pay down your mortgage-sized student loans.
Don't fret though, we understand. Some of us, too, have circled back after four to six years of unrelenting debauchery to the quiet and embarrassingly decorated confines of our high school bedrooms. The return is humbling; although the experience is necessary for, and equivalent to, securing that entry level gig. There's no glory on the ground floor (sorry, the pecking order pun was too predictable under this image).
