LA Lakers: Observations & Predictions

- The Lakers seem like they’re a team that needs a moment where they all are going to have to play scrubs on Venice beach and have an 80’s bonding montage some time during the mid season just to give themselves confidence.

- This is the first time in the history of life that fans know more than the coaches. We all see the inevitable fall of Mike Brown’s questionable offense. He’s somehow made one of the greatest point guards of all time a non-factor.

- This year could be a year that blows up the franchise. Mike Brown will kill Dwight Howard’s thoughts of signing an extension, which will result in him leaving. Brown will get fired. Nash will retire early.

- The Lakers are going to have a players only meeting after their Venice beach fun and say, “fuck it, lets do what we want.”

- Princeton offense is gone.

- Derrick Fisher signs with the Lakers. Where is D. Fish?

- Lakers somehow make it to the NBA finals.

Greatest Basketball Story Ever: Magic Johnson

I just finished watching “The Announcement” on ESPN. It revisited the time when Magic Johnson had announced he was HIV positive and the massive ripple effect it had on the world. Yes, the world, not just sports. I’m not going to get into the impact that The Announcement had because I think we already kind of get it.

Instead, I need to tell a story. It’s a story that I’ve told roughly 1,583 times and I will continue to tell until I can’t talk anymore. It’s a story that I literally don’t care how much time I take telling it because I love it so much. It’s a story that will grow and I’ll be making my grandchildren listen to me as I reminisce with a tear in my eye while exaggerating every moment by 100. It’s a moment that was written in my journal as incoherent blabber and random flashes because I couldn’t hold a thought. As far as I’m concerned it’s the greatest basketball story of all time.

- The Time I Played Basketball With Magic Johnson - Pre Game:

It was a weekday in the afternoon and my friend Evan aka “The Swed” called me to play some basketball at 24-hour fitness in Hollywood. Good thing we work in the entertainment industry because that translates to: Our afternoons are completely free because we didn’t have jobs at the time. Anyway, he picked me up in his old school pick up truck and we proceeded to head to the indoor court.

We played ball there pretty regularly, I probably would look back at this period of my life and say I was in my basketball prime, which isn’t saying much, but Its something. We were comfortable in the gym; it wasn’t one of those places you’ve never played before so you’re reluctant to hop in a game. We were at the point that when we walked in we’d see familiar faces and would be able to jump into a game pretty easily. Fortunately for us when we walked in there weren’t many guys so we called “next game.”

We assembled a team of random guys and when the current game ended we were ready to go. It was typical as usual and the scattered play of gym basketball was in full force. I specifically remember feeling pretty good that day and my buddy Swed seemed to be on his shit to. I always felt bad for Swed because he’s roughly 6’3 so everyone expected him to play under the basket like he’s Shaq but in reality he had a really good jump shot. Any time he wanted the ball passed to him everyone would force him under the basket, where… I might say he’s not at his most comfortable (Sorry Swed!) But on this particular day… he was feeling it.

Not sure if it was our fresh legs but we were rolling. Our team was leading 7-4 (the game plays up to 11 by 1 and 2 point shots). Somehow the other team started to chip it’s way back into the game…

7-5: No problem we’re still winning.

8-5: We’re going to win!

8-6: We’re good.

8-7: Fuck it’s 8-7!

I could sense our team feeling a little un-easy and the play was getting sloppy, and then it happened…

At the far end of the gym a guy walked in that had a presence of a human who probably won 5 NBA championships and 3 MVP’s. In about 6 seconds everyone’s heads turned and Magic Johnson was in the building. Swed came up to me and said, “Dude, that’s Magic Johnson” I said, “I know!” He put his bags down and went to a side hoop with his friend to start shooting.

Meanwhile we had a close game to finish but nobody could focus. I think there was an understanding that Magic could potentially say he wanted to play. Holy shit! In the blink of an eye my current game was tied 9 – 9. I seriously don’t remember what happened or how it got there. I was to focused on looking really fucking cool in front of Magic by making sound bounce passes.

Suddenly, the basketball Gods spoke as we heard Magic say: “I have next game.”

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Okay, it’s official. Magic Johnson has next game. So, what does this mean? It means that whomever WINS this game stays on the court and plays against Magic. Suddenly I felt like I was playing for Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, and to add to the moment, Wonka, I mean Magic, was just staring at us on the sidelines sizing up his future competition.

At this point the game score was 10-10. First team to 11 wins. I repeat, first team to 11 wins.

Our ball. Like I said I was having a good game so I dribbled the ball up court, passed it to someone and then ran around like white guys do in pick up basketball, and then the ball came back to me. I was holding the basketball that would potentially send us into the next game - this was my moment.

I dribbled to the right and had a step on my guy – I noticed Magic looking at me, probably thinking “He reminds me of me” or he was actually thinking, “Hurry up white dude.” I flew to the basket in suspended reality and suddenly realized I had an open lay up, I can win this game! Directly to my right I see Swed flying next to me probably going to get my rebound (if there is one) in anticipation of me going in for the lay up.

I know I just said that time was suspended but I’m not kidding… God had actually slowed things down for me.

I’m up in the air going for the basket… A few guys next to me jump but I know I can lay it in if I need to… I still see Swed to my right… I know Magic is watching… I can make this… But… Wait… Magic is looking at me! I’m not going to score the game-winning basket, I’m going to facilitate just like him!

I proceed to pull the ball back and toss it backwards behind my body to Swed flying in. I think it’s the greatest pass of all time. My logic at the time was: Since I have these people up in the air, I’m going to pass it to Swed for an easy lay up and we’re playing Magic in basketball.

The moment kept moving and I passed the ball and for a second I thought we were going to win, then another second passed and I realized that I missed Swed completely and threw the ball out of bounds. Wait, what? Yes, I threw the ball out of bounds in front of everyone. The other team picks up the ball very quickly and runs down the court to score the game-winning basket. We just lost.

What the fuck just happened?

The other team celebrated like I was planning to. Magic’s assembled team came on the court and proceeds to play against … well, who cares because it wasn’t me. Swed and I were left to mope on the sidelines. Many Many Apologizes:

People had filed in to watch Magic play basketball, we tried to get into the next game but it was hopeless, everyone had announced they wanted next, next after next, and so on. To top it off Magic had said: “I have one game in me.” This was horrible. Swed and I sat with our backs to the wall watching Magic Johnson play basketball directly in front of us. On any other day just the sight of him playing would have been enough, but knowing I just blew the opportunity to play against him was like watching my girlfriend happily hook up with my best friend in front of me… it sucked.

Swed said, “Hallman, I thought you were gonna lay it up.”

Me: “Me too, but then I thought I’d toss you a great pass.”

It wasn’t a great pass and I knew I fucked up. We sat there sweaty and depressed watching Magic smiling in his street clothes torching people in a gym, and then like Magic Johnson’s vote into the All Star game in 1992 we were given a glimmer of hope. Some random dude who we didn’t know but were facially familiar with came up to us.

“Hey, my buddies aren’t coming and I only got 2. You guys want in the next game with me?”

“YES.”

And just like that we were back in, we had next game, but we needed to bank on two things going our way.

1) Magic’s team had to win, which in our minds was inevitable.

2) Magic had to be swayed into sticking around another game.

As Magic’s game was going we could tell his team was winning and Swed and I were on a side hoop warming up. I wasn’t doing much talking; just hoping Magic plays the next game… and secretly building up my confidence to be awesome on a basketball court.

His game finished, and of course his team won. Everyone on the court went to shake his hand and the new team (my team) walked onto the court asking him to stick around another game. Magic had a big ol’ smile on his face and said he’d play another, and when I heard that I looked to Swed and nearly kissed him out of happiness. Magic said he was instantly ready to go, which translates to: We’re playing right now.

As we were pairing up with which guys we’re going to cover, the dude who asked us to play came up to us and said, “My friends are here.” Huh? I said “Okay” and then the friends assumed they were going to play, one even said “You can have next game.”

Okay – typically I’m a pretty nice guy in these situations and try to find a happy medium, but I knew in the back of my head there was no fucking way I was leaving that court. I don’t even think Swed acknowledged the guy. I ended up telling one of the guys, “Dude, we’re not leaving.” At this moment I think I would have actually fought to stay on the court and fortunately these guys had 2 things working against them.

1) It’s poor pick up game etiquette to pull this late arrival shit.

2) Magic was ready to go, he didn’t care who was going to play, he just wanted to play, and on a court you listen to Magic Johnson – it was go time.

So we stayed on the court. Game time with MAGIC JOHNSON!

Truth be told, I don’t remember as much as I should from this game but remember odd specifics -

I remember that Magic had singled out a Asian kid on his team to be his go to man and I was slightly jealous of that, I remember Swed’s height allowed him to GUARD Magic (lucky bastard), I remember I missed my first shot and was scared Magic was judging my decision making, I remember everyone on both teams tried to be fancy, I remember Magic doing a behind the back pass and everyone being faked out and really happy we were faked out, I remember the 20 plus people who filed in to watch the game, I remember the looks of the 2 friends whose spots we took, but most importantly I remember “The Play.”

Although “The Play” is not a recognized moment in basketball history, I may argue that it should be.

The Play:

Magic took a few dribbles towards the hoop from the 3-point line then backed off a little. Everyone was running around being insanely proactive. Magic passed the ball to Asian Kid and he eventually passed it back to Magic. Magic started to dribble to the hoop and in unselfish fashion he proceeded to pass the ball behind his back. Only thing he didn’t know is that my adrenaline was rushing like I was on a Red Bull bender and I telegraphed his pass. I jumped right in front of the guy he was passing to and stole the ball.

I immediately dribbled the ball and started sprinting down the court to my hoop with one guy to beat currently backpedaling and about 15 feet ahead of me. Here’s the thing I need to clarify; I’m a stereotypical white guy on the basketball court. I feel much more comfortable shooting a jump shot than I do trying to make a contested lay up, because I always seem to screw up or look funny when I have a contested anything. Usually I’m okay with looking stupid but when you just stole a pass from the greatest point guard of all time and he’s suddenly running behind you, not to mention a road block of a dude in front of you, you can get a little nervous.

Somewhere in this moment there is a metaphor for life, I’m still kind of searching for it, but it was the perfect set up for exposing weakness. I had no choice but to face this head on because if I didn’t I would’ve had to banish myself from being a Man in the human race.

I dribbled towards the guy in front of me… I got closer to the basket… I was going fast… Suddenly the guy did another stereotypical white guy move and stood still with his hands in the air daring me to charge into him. On any given day I would have pulled up for a jumper but I channeled my inner Bob Cousy and made the greatest move of all time:

I faked right with the ball then dribbled left, the guy brought his hand down to swat the ball and somehow he missed, I suddenly had a step on him and I was going towards the basket. The guy jumped towards me as I was going up with the ball and in mid air I contorted my body and went under the hoop for a reverse lay up. If felt perfect, the ball left my hand and by the time my momentum carried me to the other side of the hoop I looked up to see the ball effortlessly falling in. HOLY SHIT!

I didn’t know what I just did but it felt awesome and I reacted as though I do it all the time. As I turned to run up the court Magic “the greatest point guard of all time” Johnson patted me on the back and said “Good Move.”

I knew at that moment I could retire from pick up basketball a happy man, and I think I almost did, but we still had a game to play.

The Finale:

It may sound unbelievable but we were winning. Swed was playing pretty well, I hit a few more shots and we found ourselves with a nice cushion, that cushion faded quickly when Magic decided to take things into his own hands and drop back to back 2-pointers to bring the game to within 1. The score was 10-9, and once again we were playing first to 11. We ran down the floor and missed our shot… Shit! In my mind I was thinking we might have just blown the chance to beat Magic.

As Magic dribbled down the court I wondered what he would do, would he pull up for another 2 pointer and end this thing? But then he did the second most unbelievable thing of the day and something that’s essentially banned during a pick up game. He dropped the ball and said, “Time out.”

Time out? Who calls Time out during a pick up game? I guess Magic Johnson, that’s who, and who would stop him? He proceeded to huddle his team together and draw up a play!

As he was drawing up his play everyone just kind of looked at each other thinking, can he call a time out?

He broke the huddled and we resumed. There was constant movement but you could tell the play was screwed immediately because Magic was visibly frustrated. He tried to find an open man… he couldn’t. Standing roughly 3 feet behind the 3-point line he casually took things into his own hands and put up another 2-point shot. Swoosh. Game Over. 11-10. Magic won. Post Game:

Immediately handshakes were exchanged and Magic packed his things up and left. Everyone sat in awe at what just happened. I proceeded to tell Swed about the pat on my back and comment he gave me. He didn’t care because he had his own story, but I didn’t care about that either… So we were basically just talking to ourselves…

As we drove home we were crazy.

As I went into my apartment I told every human I could.

I finally chilled out a little as everything sunk in. Hands down the greatest basketball day of my life. He was the nicest guy ever.

I know there is only one thing that can happen to this story: It’s going to be vastly exaggerated over time. But, I don’t care. As long as I mention the game, the play, and the Magic time out - then I know I’ve done justice.

As I watched “The Announcement” I contemplated making a documentary of my own called “The Play” … I wonder if I could get Magic? Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if he did it and then pretended to know what I was talking about. The guy is awesome, and not just on a basketball level. For the few moments I was around him he was nothing but genuine and probably very happy to leave everyone with a good memory… It’s basically how he left everyone in the NBA.

Final stats of the game:

3-6 with 3 points … I think. Ask me this in a few years and it will be 5-7 with 8 points.

Jeremy Lin!

If you’ve been living under a rock or aren’t a sports fan then you don’t know who Jeremy Lin is, and that’s okay. If you are a sports fan and you’re still confused as to who Lin is, then that’s not okay. I’m going to quickly fill in the blanks because this is currently 1 of 7.5 million posts that have been written about Lin in the last week –

Lin was sitting on the bench for the struggling Knicks, and less than a month ago he was demoted to the NBA developmental league. After he had a monster game in the D league he was pushed back up to the Knicks who were in desperate need of a point guard. As it was, Lin was the back up, back up, back up, back up in the point guard rotation for the Knicks. After a few injuries and other random set backs to those guys Lin was given his first shot to play 12 days ago… and he killed it.

After the game 12 days ago, he was entered into the starting rotation for the Knicks and they haven’t lost since, it’s been 6 games – tonight he goes for 7 in a row. Why is this significant? Where does someone begin? To start - The Knicks have been without their 2 best players while Lin was doing all of this, which turned the team on its head (more on that below) and he single handedly CPR’d the Knicks, breathing new life into them. Long story short… The Knicks are the best thing in sports (for now).

In no particular order - Thoughts, Questions, Observations, and Predictions for The Knicks:

- Mike D’Antoni has looked like a wreck with his Luigi moustache on the Knicks sideline. Since Lin has taken over he’s back to looking like himself during his Phoenix days. Lin has saved his job (for now). D’Antoni’s system works, with a point guard. It’s the anti Phil Jackson triangle of the NBA.

- Jeremy Lin has the best pun name ever: Linsane, Linsanity, Just Lin, Linning, Linderella, Lincredible, Played him like a vioLin…. You get the point.

- I love everything about the Lin story. He has pumped new life into what I consider a throw away season. I hate this shortened lock out season because it doesn’t seem that it totally counts. Looking back on the 2011-2012 NBA season there will be 2 asterisks. *Shortened lockout season and *Lin.

- If Lin started 2 weeks earlier he would be a starter in the NBA all-star game. With the departure of Yao Ming every vote from China has just gone to Lin. If Lin finishes this season and doesn’t suddenly disappear off the face of the planet I would bet 10:1 odds that he’s in next year’s all-star game as a top-3 vote getter.

- This has been said 100 times but its true - Tebow is to football as Lin is to basketball. People should take bets right now as to who will have a longer and more successful career… Then take bets on who is the better role model… I say Lin regarding career, Tebow regarding role model. At least Lin has a shot as president one day (Tebow was born in the Philippines).

- When has it ever happened in sports where 2 people have occupied so much attention then delivered to the hype - Lin with basketball and Tebow with football?

- Is Lin’s trademark going to be that band aide that’s half falling off his chin?

 

- Embracing reality and turning the Knicks on their head:

It’s not as thought the Knicks were irrelevant with talent. They have 2 big guys and 1 score machine named Carmelo Anthony and everyone is wondering how Melo is going to now fit with the Knicks. Until Lin, Melo has been the guy who takes all the last second shots and controls the ball, that isn’t the case anymore due to Lin’s antics.

If Melo somehow fucks up this chemistry when he comes back there is a real chance that the Knicks fans will boo him, which would not be good. I hope this works out for ball hog Melo, I really do. I hope he flourishes with Lin running the show and I hope Lin dishes out 15 assists per game. Only time will tell but if the Knicks keep winning before Melo comes back this could be a lose – lose and Melo may never hear the end of it.

- If Dan Brown replaced Robert Langdon with Jeremy Lin in his next book I wouldn’t mind.

- So we’re not talking about Lin’s 30 turnovers in 6 games because they have been winning, right?

- Is Baron Davis going to make a difference on the Knicks when he returns?

- We all know Lin went to Harvard, right? Where will Lin fall in the Ivy League players turned NBAers. Who else is there?

- I hope Lin is the real deal and I think he is. When I say real deal I mean a guy who can manage a game and be a viable option for a team. I’m not looking for Lin to keep pace with his incredible play; he has to come down to earth at some point, right?

- Lin has reminded me that a point guard is more important than I remember.

- 66 game season. Knicks are currently 14-15. 6-0 with Lin. 37 games to go. I predict the Knicks finish 24-13 making the Knicks over all record 38-28, and making Lin’s overall record 30-13 as a starter.

In this blah NBA season I couldn’t be happier that this is happening. There hasn’t been a time in the last 10-15 years that I’ve really liked the Knicks. I’ve liked them but I wasn’t blatantly rooting for them. I like Melo and am a huge Amare fan but this Lin phenomenon has me rooting for them night in and night out, and especially rooting for him. I think I may have finally forgot about Latrell “Bad as Hell” Sprewell and the NY Knicks era.

Team Lin.

Mid Game Lakers VS Clippers Thoughts

Pre Season Game 2 in progress: -This preseason game look like it’s a regular season game post all star break.

-Ron Artest – You need to stop playing basketball. I haven’t quite grasped the amnesty clause yet but I think the Lakers need to ditch Artest yesterday. I’m avoiding calling him Metta World Peace right now.

Seriously, this guy is only good at making 33.3% of his layups, 9% of his shots, and he’s not stopping anyone. I’m sorry to say it… but … Ron Ron – your time is done, you don’t look like a good basketball player.

-The Clippers remind me of a better version of Oklahoma City. They have a ton of young talent that’s eager to prove themselves but more importantly they have Mo Williams and Chauncey to be vets of the team.

-The Lakers are in trouble. They look like they’re in a complete scramble mode hoping and praying someone steps up. Watching the Lakers I’m reminded why they were swept last season in the playoffs. This kills me to say this but they’re starting to take on the identity of the spurs over the last few years. My buddy Corey first mentioned this last year but I didn’t want to believe him… he was right.

The worst part about the Lakers is that they don’t have a young Kobe right now, they have a 1-2 years left Kobe. If anyone thinks he’s dropping 81 points this year they may be delusional.

MID GAME SWITCH

-Turned on the X Factor and its celebrity guest singer night. Avril Lavigne just sang and then R Kelly. Not sure how I feel, I can’t stop thinking that Nicole Scherzinger is crazy and the new Paula.

BACK TO THE GAME

-Ron Artest tried to shoot it but Andrew Bynum intercepted it in the air and he dunked it. Artest acted like it was a pass… it wasn’t.

-I’m trying to wrap my head around something. I’m trying to figure out when the Lakers had so many white guys on their team, and also so many potentially playing together at one time.

Check out this line up: Steve Blake at the point – Jason Kapono at shooting guard – Troy Murphy at forward – Josh McRoberts as the other forward – and Pau Gasol at center. This thought just blew my mind.

-I think only Utah could rival this lineup.

-Kobe Bryant’s injury scares me.

-Chauncey Billups won’t miss when open.

-LOB CITY. McRoberts just dunked. Andrew Bynum was having a good game but I was just reminded he’s good for only 1 half of basketball.

I’m scared that the Lakers.

Chris Paul: The Ex Girlfriend

As a Lakers fan I went through a wave of emotions yesterday. In the morning I was talking to my buddy and we were discussing Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, I was saying how I’d love it if the Lakers got Superfreak Dwight Howard and then we joked for about 3 minutes about how amazing the Lakers would be with both Paul and Howard. About 3 hours later I got this call:

Me: Hello

Him: Did you hear!?

Me: Huh?

Him: Paul for Odom AND Gasol!

(silence)

Me: Dude?

Him: Paul FOR Odom and Gasol!

Me: Don’t fuck with me man, I’m walking down 4th street and can’t take this right now.

Him: Seriously it’s all over the radio!

I ran and checked the Internet but it wasn’t there, apparently 710 ESPN in LA is faster than the Internet. As I scoured various sport outlets to read more I started to think about the trade. I thought about how much I loved Gasol and was even starting to come around to Odom. I started to think of Andrew Bynum’s peanut butter knees and how we’ll have to rely on him, I thought about how this would affect Derrick Fisher, but then I went back to how much I really loved Gasol.

Quick side story on Gasol: I was at a game and as Gasol was walking back to the court after halftime, some crazy fan jumped about 2 feet over the railing right in front of Gasol. As security was running to apprehend the guy, the guy quickly pulled out a marker. Gasol stopped the security guards and slyly grabbed the marker and signed the guy’s jersey. Security ushered him back to his seat. If I wasn’t sold on Gasol, I was then.

You know what else is really weird about Gasol and Odom – my girlfriend knows who they are. Aside from Kobe, I think they’re the only players she actively cares about. In a different time I could picture Gasol as the Dos Equis most interesting man alive, not sure why but he appeals to women… he just does. She knows Odom because he’s a Kardashian – we’ll leave it at that.

Finally the Paul story popped up and it was true, the three-team deal was taking place and I needed to come to terms with two 7 feet players leaving. I had to say goodbye to two key components to rebuilding the Lakers after Shaq departed.

After I was sort of coming to terms with this whole trade and starting to envision Paul tossing an alley-oop to Kobe and Kobe then has to do an acrobatic lay up because his legs are not 23 years old anymore I was officially coming around. I know how great Chris Paul is, that’s not up for question, it’s just the size we’ve lost and the instability of Bynum that’s keeping me worried. And then I get a message….

“The trade was vetoed”

What the fuck? I come to learn Dan “I can’t keep LeBron James so I throw tempter tantrums” Gilbert shot out some email and this is viewed as an unfair trade. The Lakers aren’t getting Chris Paul... And then a moment that happens to every human at some point in their life took place:

The Lakers not getting Chris Paul made me want him even more. I somehow forgot about Gasol’s kindness and Odom’s Kardashian-ness. All I could think about is Chris Paul doing his best Magic Johnson impression to the Lakers last season in the playoffs. I started to envision his healthy knees tossing a half court pass to Kobe and Kobe some how is flying when he catches it, then he dunks on someone.

Chris Paul has become something I want even more because we can’t have him. He’s like the ex girlfriend you didn’t like but she pulled the trigger to break it off with you and suddenly the girlfriend looks about 9 times better. I’m still in this phase. I’m trying to remind myself that when these things don’t happen it’s usually for the better, somehow it always works out.

I have this gut feeling that we’ll get Paul… somehow… someway. In my perfect world we’d get him in free agency next year and the entire Lakers roster reorders their contracts just to sign Paul, just so the Lakers can give the emphatic fuck you to everyone.

Final thoughts:

Even though I know Dan Gilbert isn’t the only man behind this I’ve never been Team LeBron more than I am right now.

It’s too bad we couldn’t get Dwight Howard - that may solve everything.

My friend just text me and said I had a man crush on Chris Paul.

It may not be wise to mock LeBron any more. Last night the Heat played the Magic and Dwight Howar

It may not be wise to mock LeBron any more. Last night the Heat played the Magic and Dwight Howard and co. decided to do a little Bron mock.

Little did they know he probably took offense because he decided to drop 51 pts, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. I actually think LeBron is boring now simply because he’s playing next to D Wade who may actually be better than him, but still… come on, he’s Bron.

Has he really lost all respect, is he a joke?

Earlier this year Paul Pierce took a jab at him. Is the respect gone?

Bridge me.

There are a few ideas and thoughts that rest in my mind on a daily basis: invisible dog leashes, stores that sell only cereal and have a cereal bar, the shoes from back to the future 2, and most importantly… A life with more bridges. I think that the bridge is basically any solution to most city problems.

I live in Los Angeles and I witness the daily human congestion. I always tell my friends and anyone who will listen “if a bridge were here there would be no problems!” Seriously, think about it. I want you to look at any problematic intersection and ask yourself, could a bridge solve a problem here? I’m willing to bet the answer is yes.

Let’s not forget that buildings are building UP so why can’t sidewalks? How do you build a sidewalk up you may ask… yes, it’s a bridge. Also, the view from a bridge is better.

This brings me to the ingenious idea of the day. I just finished reading a Yahoo article that said Madison Square Garden is doing some renovations by the year 2013. One of the main things they’re putting in – yes, a bridge. A bridge is going to be hanging high above hockey and basketball games for more spectators.

Forget all of the crazy bad things that could happen on the bridge, just think of how great bridges are. It’s like the Madison Square Garden president Hank Ratner and I share the thought of bridge, I invite you to share this thought.

Here is the LINK for the article.

Sports Thought: Adam Morrison

I was watching the Laker game yesterday night and one questioned popped in my head - “What the Hell happened to Adam Morrison?” If you don’t know, Morrison was the 3rd overall pick in the draft a few years ago. Everyone thought he was the second coming of Larry Bird when he was playing at Gonzaga, not only because he sported shaggy hair and a mustache, but because he was A) White and B) Really good.

 Well, now he plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. I can’t imagine he plays more than 20 minutes in a entire season, he’s always on the bench. But here’s the thing, and this is the conclusion I came to yesterday night - he’s not your typical bench guy, he’s the Lakers Hype man. 

 If you don’t know what a Hype Man is, it’s the person getting the crowd going. Remember Joe C with Kid Rock?  That’s him, just when times are getting down the hype man picks you back up. This ties in  with Morrison, he plays the best role possible for the Lakers, he’s the DJ who hypes up the crowd and fills in the words when you forget them. He’s the first off the bench and he’s always running up to someone to give them a high-5! 

 He’s Adam Morrison the 2010 hypeman of the year.

I’m not sure how this happened to this guy because I think he’s much better than this, but every team needs this. Every time he checks in the game I expect him to drop 20 points and not miss a shot… maybe one day, but until then…. Adam “Hypeman” Morrison.