Lockouts, Series Finales, Hope Everyone's Enjoying Summer!

What up, getting a little caught up with summer and things of that nature, again, it's been awhile. Trying to get post number 2 for the month of July in here before July is up. Not cool. Things have been on the go though, couple weeks back I coached at BNB's Bantam Elite Camp, a basketball camp in Fredericton for the "top 40" middle school aged boys and  girls from across the province. It was good times, long sweat infused days of great reward, followed by a hotbox of a residence bedroom late into the night, with a spattering of meal hall cuisine mixed in between. All told, the camp was an enjoyable way to pass a summer week. I got the chance to coach a couple of kids from Riverview, which was a fun coincidence, hopefully I get a chance to coach them again in the future at what would be the next level for them. (High School)  

Alright, what else has been up - went to Tracy Morgan's stand up comedy show at the Casino just last week and that was quite a show. The show was a little late getting started as Tracy has some immigration issues getting into the country, ala "The Game", but despite our border patrols reservations, Morgan made his way to the Casino and by 835 the show got started.The opening act, Brain Scolero, was pretty good, sweating and setting the table for Tracy's tardy arrival. Morgan proceeded to put on an x-rated gut busting 40 minutes of jokes. Most jokes were quite sexually charged and unquestionably explicit, apparently leaving some spectators in uneasiness. What I say to that, is you obviously didn't know what you were getting yourself into, Tracy said it himself, "If you came to see 30 Rock you're in the wrong place." Tracy handled a few hecklers in a pretty subdued fashion, although at one point he did call a guy "a faggot" which he followed with "not in a derogatory sort of way." It was at this point where I felt that show took a less funny more human turn, and Tracy was just kind of sitting there talking about how he was just trying to make people happy and what not. That went on for about 15 minutes and then Tracy got back to telling jokes for the shows finale and ended it with some laughs. On the whole the show was pretty enjoyable on a number of different levels; I caught Morgan's towel when he tossed it into the crowd, the noticeable public uneasiness of some, and crude, clever, and  'funny cause it's true' humour. I'd give the show a 7.5 out of 10 and I felt it was worth the price of admission. However, as far as the casino slot machines are concerned, I'm less than impressed.

From there, I hit the Island up for a relaxed 4 day retreat, where I mostly chilled and played Golf with a few friends up there. Thank you to them for their hospitality.  At numerous times for in Freddy and in PEI I had some time to write but I also found myself without Internet at these points. The whole week in Fredericton I was staying on campus at UNB and I couldn't find a wireless connection to speak of at all. I donno what's more concerning their lack of connectivity or my attitude that I need to be 'a clicks away' at all times. I will say it is far easier to check information and find ideas with the internet always on the ready. Betcha didn't know that. But it's true. World Wide Web they say.

So that's whats been up. What else is there to discuss. OK let's discuss the season finales for both the Game of Thrones and The Killing. Take a look at the current sports landscape and reflect on the draft briefly. Beyond that I'll sprinkle in some music as well and we'll get an afternoons writing out of this yet.

Headlines

Game Of Thrones Over The Killing
Obvious spoilers in here. These were two shows that I've been watching on a weekly basis throughout their recently completed debut seasons. Seattle based The Killing grabbed my early attention with it's gripping and gritty tale of the murder of Rosie Larson, a high school teenager. The story jumped out of the gate with fireworks, it appeared no one was safe from guilt or investigation. Game of Thrones a new HBO production based on the fantasy saga novels by George R. R. Martin, I've mentioned in here on various occasions in the past. Game of Thrones though stunning visually, took a couple of weeks for me to totally understand the complexities and enormity of  their fantasy world.  However, as the shows progressed it became clearer to me that GOT is the far superior series and will be one I will follow through into next season. And not just because it has dragons. GOT took it's time and created a universe full of characters and ideas. The characters seem to have a great deal of depth to them as we learn the origins, histories, traditions and codes of each house and region. As an adaptation GOT is well written and seems to have a great deal of scope in what it looks to accomplish. Perhaps the supernatural fantasy element appears to be on the way in season two after season one spent a great deal of time in developing some of its main characters to give the show its depth. To this point much of the talk has been of war but we have yet to really see a clash of epic proportion. GOT has gotten it right and taken its time in doing so. That being said. Game of Thrones has certainly taken some chances.

Ha the 1:30 mark gets me. But yeah like the man says "They killed off one of the main actors before the finale". He's right, that was episode 9 but the show is still all that to me. GOT had a great finale that only makes you look forward to what's coming next. I'll be anxiously awaiting it's return.

The Killing on the other hand, just left me feeling mostly used and confused. After watching the show, week after week, it became clear to me that they were reaching for ideas. A whole episode was dedicated to officer Linden losing her son and searching around Seattle for a whole day. Not a word was mentioned about the Larson case the whole episode. So we could see a human parallel between the detective Linden and the Larson family? This far in? I think they needed another week to plot the course for their ending, call me a conspiracy theorist but I think this came about just about the same time as they signed on for a second season and now had to hurriedly come up with an ending that allowed for a second instalment. You have exhausted the twists and turns and all of the unbelievabilities for this season. As far as I'm concerned they could easily have started a new case with season 2 and wrapped it up with Richmond as the killer - I would have been fine with that. They clearly should have checked the log books and checked the gas on the campaign cars weeks ago (think this is no brainer police work, no?) but I'll let that slide, just wrap this show up for me, I've suspended disbelief for nearly every possible fringe character here. But no, The Killing jumped the shark and tried to end with a big one, I'm not sold. Holder's now a dirty cop, not a misunderstood one? Richmond wasn't guilty despite all of the signs that pointed at him?, Balko kills him so we'll never hear Richmond's side?, The end, see ya next year.  Take it or leave it for me as far as next season goes, I used to feel hmm, invested, I donno that I still will next time around. So that's it. I'd say watch Game of Thrones if you haven't already and as far as The Killing goes, meh, I think I wished I'd tuned out after episode 8.   

Locks On and Locks Off
The NFL has completed a deal between it's athletes and owners and their lockout is over, meaning that as I expected the whole time, the season would go on as scheduled. The NFL earns so many people, sooo much money that there was no way a deal wasn't going to get done. As far as the NFL  was concerned the system wasn't broken it just needed to be tinkered with. The owners wanted a little bigger slice of the pie and the players wanted more guaranteed dollars and better working conditions (No 18 game seasons or OTA's). And after a lot of pomp and circumstance the two sides compromised, agreed, and now a frenzy of off season activity has seen many franchises in rush mode to get their rosters set for training camp and a season that really isn't all that far off. Is it just me,or  is it just the fact that the off season has been reduced to about 2 weeks rather than the usual 6 months, but it seems to me that the free agent crop is more bountiful than ever this off season, plenty off big name players have been available and moving. The landscape has likely shifted yet again for another season, in a league where parity has reigned in recent seasons. The Pats and Eagles look like the early winners with both teams grabbing big name player potential guys at relative discounts for their services. The Pats with Albert Haynesworth and Ochocinco and the Eagles landing prized free agent cornerback Nnamdi Osamugha. The Eagles also acquired Dominic Rogers Cromartie and defensive end Jason Babin as well. The Eagles have helped themselves quite nicely so far, but still look to re-sign DeSean Jackson to remain a home run threat. Where will Plaxico and Moss end up? Lot's of intrigue out there heading into both an exciting new NFL season as well as the equally exciting fantasy football season that will accompany it.

The story as far as the NBA is concerned appears to far bleaker, despite the NBA's scheduled tip off being still a ways off the NBA appears to be headed for a shorted season at the very least. Unlike the NFL, the NBA's system is broken. Considering that the NBA just enjoyed some of it's greatest ratings ever, the leagues popularity is at a high recently speaking. In an NBA that had been a bit starved for hype since MJ hung it up at the end of the twentieth century, the league was rejuvenated when LeBron said he would take his talents to South Beach. People tuned in for love or hate to see what would come of an ultra competitive and ultimately one of the more exciting seasons in recent memory. So with all that momentum and hype machine working how are many of the NBA's franchises losing money? The system is broken and needs to be fixed. The players collect perhaps too great a share of the total percentage of revenue and even then the contracts may not be evenly distributed based on what each player brings to the table. The best article I read on the subject came from Bill Simmons on his Grantland site. Here's a link. http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6749669/if-ruled-nba-world  I don't think the NBA wants a lockout but I think it'll be inevitable in this case. The players have too much power because it is a star driven league and the owners will do anything to acquire the type of stars that can put a team of the top. The NBA, unlike many of the other major sports, is a league in which having a superstar player can mean all the difference for franchises. Having more than one is the covet. Rest assured the stars and the owners will come out of this on top. But yeah I'd said basketball will start up around Christmas time but it could go longer depending on how this European experiment works for some of the NBA players willing to go overseas. This will be an interesting one and I'll be following it for the next little while.

Of Note

Colengelo is an Idiot - I found it hard to believe that the Raptors would take another big European with their 5th pick in the 2011 lottery draft about 6 weeks ago. But then again they are  the Raptors and Colangelo is their GM. Toronto could have addressed a major issue by taking Brandon Knight, who was unexpectedly available. It's become apparent that in today's NBA you need a top level PG, and I'm not so sure Bayless or Calderon fit the bill. Beyond that the Raps already have a soft, finesse big man who doesn't like to rebound in former lottery pick Andreas Bargnani, if you're going to pair his talents with anyone I think it should be a defensive oriented, glass eating, banging big man, not another Euro finesse project and that's just speaking from a basketball standpoint. From a PR standpoint I think the pick is a joke. Does Colangelo not know that people are tired of him trying to unearth the next Euro Dirk? Even if the Raps had Jonas Valanciunas rated that high, shouldn't they be questioning their own rating systems at this point when it comes to overrated talent from across the pond? Anyway I may eat my words on this one but I didn't like the pick then and I still don't like it. 

Twin Peaks - Interesting show that I initially got into because of The Killing. People were comparing The Killing to Twin Peaks so I thought I'd check it out. The show aired in 1990 on ABC and was the creation of David Lynch and Mark Frost, so you can expect some oddities. Twin Peaks was a top rated show during it's 1990's run and tells the story of a Laura Palmer, a high school home coming queen who's body is found in the season's pilot. The film follows a quirky FBI detective, Dale Cooper, (Kyle MacLaughlin) who comes in from out of town to investigate the case. We learn there is more to this quiet Washington town than initially meets the eye, as Lynch and Frost unveil a seedier under belly to the respectable small-town. I enjoyed this show, partial because of its early 90's kitsch but also because of it's good writing and interesting characters. worth checking out if only for the campy theme song.


Big Sean/Killer Mike are taking home my inaugural artist of the month award. Per usual I couldn't decide which artist to honour with this award and per usual I just made this award up but yeah I wanted to acknowledge that Big Sean's album Finally Famous and Killer Mike's album Pledge 3 we're dope albums and were in heavy rotation for me in July. Big Sean's long awaited major label debut is nothing otherworldly but it is clever and catchy enough to  keep you listening, blessed with a lot of production from No.ID  and that seems to be working. Killer Mike's Pl3dge  album is chock full of gritty story telling and conscious questioning of the current 'system'. Killer Mike has some political aims from his music. Undoubtedly these are two of the albums I've played most often this month and that, earns them the Artist(s) of the month. Something I just made up now, on the spot, but meh, why not? Highlights include: Finally Famous: "I Do It", "Memories Pt. 2" Ft. John Legend, "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay" Ft. Kanye West & Roscoe Dash, "100 Keys" Ft Rick Ross. and on  Pl3dge: "That's Life 2", "Ric Flair", "Ready, Set, Go" Feat TI and Big Boi

Speed Read 

Kanye West/Jay Z - Kanye and Jay Z dropped the first single "Otis" off  their new album Watch the Throne set to drop in a few weeks time. The song pays tribute to it's namesake borrowing a sample from Soul Legend Otis Redding. Here's the single I like it but I don't love it. 4/5

Colby Rasmus - I really liked what the Jays did in acquiring the former first round Cardinals draft pick at the deadline. The Jays unloaded some of their arms but as far as I was concerned only Frasor was of any value out of those guys. I think there is still plenty of potential for Rasmus who is still very young and seemed to have butted heads with LaRussa in St. Louis more than played poorly. We got the best player in a trade and to me that's the most important thing. (*He hit a two run double while I wrote this, good omen, no?)

Captain America - Went to see Captain America this week, I thought it was pretty good but not great. Another super hero movie for the summer blockbuster catalogue. I would rate it slightly below what I thought of Thor. So I'd say 7/10. If you got nothing to do then go check it out, another 3D flick, which is almost getting irritating at this point. The origins portion of the film means its a bit slow getting started but then it picks up steam as it goes. Worth a look.

Cowboys vs. Aliens - Movie to check out for this week.

And while I have no new top 20, I will give you the 5 Songs I liked that I've heard the past 2 weeks. The only caveat being that I must have first heard the song within the last 2 weeks.

1. Drake - Headlines - The first official single off of Drake's new Take Care album, set to be released later this year. Produced by Boi-1da.
.

2. J. Cole Ft. Trey Songz - Can't Get Enough - Just business as usual in Cole World as J. Cole drops another track in anticipation of his major label debut, when will that happen? Who knows but enjoy the releases until it does. This one features RnB crooner, Trey Songz  backing Cole up.

3. Frank Ocean - Thinking About You - Fairly new RnB sensation. Heard the song, liked it, what do you think?

4. Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, Big Sean - Flowers - Produced by Big Jerm, these three up and comers have worked together to put out a mix tape for the summer. More leaks to follow.

5. Nappy Roots - Congratulations - First single off of Nappy Roots new album coming out this fall, on the album Nappy Roots collaborate with the production of Outkast Dungeon family members Organized Noize, hence the album title Nappy Dot Org

Hope all is well where ever you're at. Enjoy your extended New Brunswick Day long weekend local readers!

P. 

Blog: The Summer Edition - It's the Final Countdown, and New Hip-Hop Countdown.

Hallelujahs and hoorays for the long awaited arrival of the summer. Better late than never and the latest heat wave has been a a pleasant reminder of what we've come to expect from our summers, especially in this modern 'globally warmed' climate of ours. I near screamed, "conspiracy!" in late June. Hopefully we hit our averages though, things stay the course and we get toasty. So I know its been awhile since I last wrote, way too long really. No excuse really, but we'll try to get back on track. So let's get back to something I've been working on for a while now, my summer countdown, so here is the latest blog - were calling it, the summer edition. We'll give one last look at the countdown to summer, and look at what this summer has in store in regards to some music, movies and anything else entertaining.

Over the past couple months I've been running a tally of assorted summer delicacies to build up the hype, excitement and anticipation of what to expect and adore from the coming 3 months. So here is that list in it's entirety dating back some 70 days! Whooo! This was truly a labour of love as at times I had trouble coming up with enough entries, that's not to say that summer didn't have that many, more so, that I was enjoying a creative spasm and couldn't shake the cramp; so as you'll see, I had a beer. In honour of summer, of course, and that usually did the trick. I've updated some of my commentaries that date back to previous entries, surf's up, take a deep breathe, off we go.

70. Golf - "Isn't it fun to go out in the sun, and lie on the course?" - Bob Hope

Plenty A Gross Bum

69. Skinny Dipping -Not to be mistaken with streaking, which doesn't necessarily require water. If you can incorporate the two, even better.

68. Watermelon - Preferably seedless, wait, preferably vodka infused!

67. Vacation - In the words of Drake, "I'm on one!" I hope you are too!

66. Road Trips - Because you would hate to disrupt your life with something like routine!

65. A Good Toss - Games are easily invented with a ball and a beach.

64. Nice Cars - Give me something double-take worthy.

63. Camp Fires - Man has been fascinated for centuries, now get drunk and jump over that fire!

62. Hot Dogs Over the Open Flame - Your reward for a fiery near death experience.

61. Smores - Complete with a delectable dessert!

60. Ice Cream - Am I still a child if I like moon mist?

59. Slush Free Sidewalks - When I wrote this, this was an issue. Slush. You remember.

58. Green - Life, Go!,  Dead Presidents, Ganja, Innocence, green is plenty good.

57. Summer Sports - Summer time well spent.

56. Bridge Jumping - Give your heart a natural boost!

55. Cliff Jumping - "So there are no rocks, right there? For a bit, ya say?" I'm jumping.

54. Longer Days - The more daylight the shorter the days seems, or is it just me?

53. Summertime - Sublime - Here's a new more recent Sublime song featuring Wiz Khalifa. The band doesn't quite sound the same with Rome on the mic but this is still a good summer jam to bump to.

52. Cottaging - Preferably with no telecommunications to the alleged 'real world'. (Some of you just cursed at me, "#### that!")

51. Cold Beer - I'll take my first on the golf course in my mind. I'm 6 under, and deserving.

50. Reunions - Bring the fellas back together for a time, that's what I'm saying!

49. Frisbee - "Hippies!.... Hippies want to save the world but all they do is smoke pot and play frisbee!" Eric Cartman (South Park)

48. Bar-B-Q's - Bout time I got a few steaks and made this happen!

47. Summer Concerts -Feels ''more alive' to watch a show outdoors.

46. Shorts and Tees - Fuck the Rouge this is summer's unofficial dress code.

45. Summer Kicks - The crispiest.

44. Patios - Put me on the patio and instantly add 3 tall ones to my tab.

43. Summer Bars - Your exclusivity suggests to me, that you, too, like summer the best of all the seasons.

42. Pool Parties - Can easily lead to our #69 entry. Bottoms off, I mean, up!

41. Jet Skies - The effect on your jaw is similar to that of a playing on a trampoline, or magical mushrooms (so I'm told, of course), rigid perma-smile.

43. Flip Flops - Not just for the undecided.

42. Windows Down - In my world a cool breeze beats a cold air conditioner in the car. My world.

41. Boys of Summer -Don doing his thing.

40. Air Conditioning - Because sometimes there is such thing as "too hot".

39. Sundresses - It's more of an aesthetic preference than a practical one.

38. Water Balloons - "Fire in the hole!"

37. BIF Parties - Can we get a beer in someones face already! Dogg!

36. Pool Hopping - Now, it is not recommended to have a pool party in someone else's pool, but that is simply a recommendation, and the full monty is worth the extra effort.

35. Lobster - What a mythical little beast, I like the pinchers.

34. Washer Toss - Assemble your tandem. And we're talking near-gender-equality, in a near-sport here.

33. Cold Beer - Must have really milked that first one!

32. Tenting - "Pitch your tent right over there", that's what she said.

31. Slip and Slide - Preferably a slip into a slide and not the reverse order.

30. Trampolines -  I've always enjoy this video for some reason or another.

 

29. Convertibles - Isn't this just a timeless convention that pervades our consciousness, this notion an image of 'convertibles are cool', maybe, or maybe they're just way more fun.

28. Animals' summer dispositions -  At this point I'm talking all mammals. We're all just a bunch of happy beasts right about now.

27. Bikinis - Happy 65th Anniversary to the Bikini. Well done.

26. Super Soaker 3000 - "Say hello to my little friend!"

25. Keg Parties - Nothing gets me going like a chick banging out a 20 second keg stand. Real talk.

24. Bikinis - So nice, it made it twice.

23. LFO - So many ridiculously good lyrics in this jam, but "Summertime girls are the kind I like, Steal your honey, like I stole your bike" still takes the cake. Dreamy bunch.

22. Devil May Care Attitude - Getting in touch with your inner-rebel nation. See also; joining a fight club.

21. Mussels - Yeah! Give me one of those delicious little snot-shot looking, delicacies. Grossly good.

20. RCHP - Announcing new countdown! New ReD Hot Chili Peppers anthem has been given an August 30th release date. The album is titled, "I'm With You" and was produced by Rick Rubin, famous for his work with the Beastie Boys,'99 Problems' w/ Jay Z, among numerous other accomplishments.

19. Beer - Beer Me.

18. Summertime -This was originally a spot for the jazz tune summertime. I've already posted that. Great summer jazz tune check it out. Here's a new Common track called "Summer Madness", just in time for the summer.

17. Summer Reading - Into Robertson Davies' Fifth Business at the moment. So far I've enjoyed it. Beach. Read. Sleep. Burn.

16. Sun Showers -May there be more sun showers than baby showers ahead in the medium future.

15. Yard Sales - My grandmother would be remiss if I did not include this as one of summer's pleasures. "My Lord, you should have seen the things they had, an they were just giving them away".

14. Mini Golf - If you're with your buddy go golfing, if you're with your girl...

13. Snorkelling - For the last time, where are all the mermaids at?

12.  Corn Boils - Corn on the cob, a uniquely special, summer staple.  

11.  Cold Beer - Take the keys .

10. Lapping Waves - I'm looking for those Pacific ocean waves like down in Oz, you know, like the wave pool at Magic Mountain.

09. Block Parties - Preferably featuring Matchstick Mike.

08. Fireworks - Stru and predicted 15 minutes of fireworks. Moncton gave us 25, I guess we've finally made it Moncton.

07. Hammocks - All that's missing is the breeze.

06. Picnics - Does anyone still do this. Besides, you know, the Teddy Bears, are they still doing their thing.

05. Sand Castles - These can be simple, or elaborate and intricate, either way they usually end up with someone buried up to their neck in sand.

04.  Fresh Cut Grass - It's like a new hair cut for your house. Everything looks bigger, better and cleaner when it's been neatly trimmed.

03.  The First Burn - Nothing like getting your Lester the Lobster on that first couple times to the beach as you transform from a starch-pasty-white, to a fuming-molten-lava-red. The first burn is the first tan. Amirite?

02.  The Beach - I've alluded to it many times here but haven't come out and officially given it numbered status, but the beach is one of the biggest reasons I look forward to the summer season. The relaxed atmosphere, the scenic views(!), the sun beating down, the refreshing dip at arms reach, the perfect terrain for rest or play.

01. Late Night Shenanigans - The summer is the perfect time to stay up all night and keep the good times rolling. Think Dazed and Confused party at the moon tower. The summer can be one of those times where the nights never seem to end, from one place to the next - a new adventure lurks around every corner and time is just a number. That's what I love about summer.

And there we have it, 70 reasons to stop reading, get out and enjoy everything that summer has to offer. 

But before you go I'm gonna give you a most recent Top 20 Hip Hop Countdown because I haven't done that in awhile and there has been a tonne of new music coming out these days. Stay tuned for the next blog, which will be my review blog in which I'll take a look at how I did in my own mock draft as well as the give out some team grades for the selections themselves. I'll review Big Sean's much anticipated "Finally Famous" major label debut album. And we'll also take a look at the first seasons that were, for The Killing and The Game of Thrones, so if you haven't finished those up - spoiler alert in advance, and if you have time, finish 'em up! So that's what I'll be working on this weekend. Here's a song by Chiddy Bang that I've been feeling, it's called "Mind Your Manners", it really borders a bit close to the pop step for me but I catch myself hitting the replay button. More of a  hip-pop track than a hip-hop track. Let me know what you think.

Like I was saying above, there has been a plethora of recent hip hop releases of late and some have been pretty on point. So that'll shake this lastest list up quite a bit and I'm gonna toss out a couple other new tracks and feel free and comment on my fb or whatever if you think they're something you'd be looking to bump. Cheers to some good new hip hop!

Hip Hop Top 20 - Week 06. 07. 2011

LW TW  Song  Title        Artist

16. 20.  That's Life 2 - Killer Mike/ Trust Issues - Drake

n/a 19.  Pot of Gold - The Game Ft. Chris Brown

n/a 18.  I'm On - Trae The Truth, MDMA, Lupe Fiasco, Wiz Khalifa and Big Boi

n/a 17. Marvin Gay and Chardonnay - Big Sean Ft. Kanye West & Roscoe Dash

n/a 16.  I'm On - The Game Ft. Mars

20. 15.  Marvin's Room - Drake

n/a 14.  Reagan Era - Kendrick Lamar Ft. RZA

n/a 13.  Work Out - J. Cole

05. 12.  All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco

n/a 11. Ghetto Dreams - Common and Nas

04. 10. American Rapstar - Big K.R.I.T

14. 09. How High - J. Cole

11. 08. M I Crooked Letter - Rossini Ft. Big K.R.I.T.

01. 07. Roll Up - Wiz Khalifa

06. 06. Wake Up - Wiz Khalifa

07. 05. Disgusting - J. Cole

12. 04.  Nasty - Nas

02. 03. Fast Lane - Bad Meets Evil(Eminem & Royce 5'9")

08. 02. Dreams Money Can Buy - Drake

03. 01. Return of Simba - J. Cole

Cole is simply the best thing going these days in my opinion. He's got numerous songs on here and I didn't even include "See It To Believe It", which is another very good track from Cole. Expect his debut major label album to drop later this year to some critical fanfare.

That's it. P.

Mock NBA Draft preview of sorts.

NBA Draft Preview and Mock Draft

The NBA Draft goes tonight and it could prove to be a pretty exciting event in regards to this season's off season activity. Traditionally the draft can be home to some of the off seasons biggest activities. For instance, think back to the moves that Boston made just a few years back in acquiring their big 3, that went on to become NBA champions that following year. This year the draft holds an even more significant part to play as there is looming doubt over a NBA contractual agreement that could leave the NBA locked out heading into next season. A lockout would mean no more player movement for any of the teams looking to boost their team heading into next season and also could mean a plethora of new things regarding salary caps and that sort of things for players out there without a deal in place beyond next season and an assortment of scenarios like that. So let's hope for fireworks, but for those looking for something monumental, remain assured that Pat Riley will be keeping that same Miami Heat squad together and that won't be one of Thursday Night's big happenings. Okay so without much further introduction let's take a look at who has what picks, what players are available and what I prognosticate each team will do as we move through the lottery. There is no denying that this draft might lack some of the superstars we've seen in the past but it does have a lot of guys that have the potential to be starters just not the all stars and superstars of the past. A good, but not great draft.

First up we have the feel could story of the NBA lottery draft (cough, cough conspiracy), Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert had his 'sick' son represent him at the lottery draft and Clevelant pulled a horseshoe out of their ass, turning the Clippers 8th overall standing and the draft pick received in Baron Davis deal into their own top pick of 2011. The Cavaliers were also quite brutal themselves in the 2010-11 season and for that they have also been rewarded with the 4th pick in the draft as well. So whenever Cleveland is able to get over the fact that Lebron dissed them on national television last July, spurning them and taking his talents to South Beach, they'll begin to realize that they have been given a golden opportunity to turn their seemingly facile franchise back into a winner. Hard to imagine, one player meaning that much to a team but it would as though losing Lebron meant losing everything to last years Cavs and starting from scratch the Cavalier will look to draft a couple of new cornerstones to lead the franchise into the future.

It seems the Cavaliers have already committed to taking Kyrie Irving with their first selection, buying into the recent notion (one I too am buying into) that you need a first tier point guard (re: playmaker ) to be a legitimate title contender in the modern NBA.  The Cavs certainly are in need of a point so this pick makes sense. Will Irving become the NBA cornerstone point god the Cavaliers dream of? I hope so. But I think it's hard to say with such a limited resume of college work. Despite this, I still think he goes first overall and will be at worst a quality pg in the L for years to come.

1st Overall : Cleveland Cavs Select Kyrie Irving

***Breaking News***
As expected, the draft has sparked some trade talk and the first trade to go down features Stephen "Captain Jack" Jackson leaving the Bobcats and heading to the Bucks.

The Bucks will get Jackson and Charlotte's Shaun Livingston, Sacramento's Beno Udrih and the 19th pick from the Bobcats in Thursday night's draft, while Charlotte obtains the No. 7 pick from Sacramento and forward Corey Maggette from Milwaukee.The Kings will get guard John Salmons from Milwaukee and the 10th pick in the draft. Charlotte still holds the number 9 pick as well, and will be looking to rebuild their future, following the departure of former vets Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson.

With the number 2 pick who knows what the Minnesota Timberwolves will do. David Kahn has shown us that he is nothing, if not unconventional. Some might have just left it at nothing. But despite a history of drafting underachieving guards far too high (Ricky Rubio, Johnny Flynn)  Kahn has shown a penchant for keeping things exciting on draft day, so look for the TWolves to get involved in some kind of action. As far as their pick is concerned, I think the TWolves most need help at shooting gaurd or point guard (sadly). With Rubio coming in for this season from Spain look for the TWolves to add some wing scoring with the addition of Derrick Williams. The Arizona swing forward has show the ability to score and defend and looks to be the most NBA ready prospect in the draft. The 25 first half points he put up in the NCAA tourny on Duke were no joke either. I expect the Twolves to see him as the best available player and to scoop him up, which likely means, they won't.


2nd Overall Pick - Minnesota Timberwolves Select Derrick Williams

With the 3rd pick in this years draft the Utah Jazz look to use a pick they received as part of the Deron Williams trade at the deadline back in the spring. The Jazz too, are most in need of some wing scoring look
The seem solid up front with Millsap, Al Jefferson, and Favours. So look for them to go in the direction of a guard. With Devin Harris in the fold, the Jazz will likely look for another guard that can push the tempo and knock down shots and that looks to fit the mould of Brandon Knight from what I can see. It's possible the Jazz go in another direction but this makes the most sense to me as Knight seems to be the considered the second best guard in this draft to Kyrie Irving.

3rd Overall Pick - Utah Jazz Select Brandon Knight

The 4th pick in this years draft, as mentioned earlier, falls to the hapless Cleveland Cavaliers. With Irving already in tow, look for the Cavs to go in a different direction here and bolster things up front. This years draft certainly seems slim on potential big man with big futures and European product Enes Kanter appears to be the best of the bunch. Kanter brings some real size and athleticism to the center position and seems to have an NBA ready body. Kanter was a blue chip recruit for the Kentucky Wildcats this passed NCAA season, only to have his eligibility rejected for having played professionally back in his homeland, Turkey. I expect the Cavs to go big here and select the big man.

4th Overall Pick - Cleveland Cavaliers Select Enes Kanter

And that brings us to the moment you've all been waiting for, the Toronto Raptors. I just assume this because of where we live and the people I know who read this. Well as we all know, all too well, the Raps need a lot of help and hopefully Colengelo has been told that he has not has his contract extended because of his sweet Europeanization of their roster. Pardon my french here but I think the Raps need a good scoring, athletic (re: Black), tough, gritty, did I say tough already? and above all else I would like the player to be tough on D. Hard to say what the Raps will do but I think we can see that the Euro methods have sucked and just led to shitty Raptor teams that can't guard anyone. So where does that leave us. I hope it means the Raps select Kemba Walker, the most NBA ready, gritty, guard out of UCONN. Do I think he is the answer?  Not really, because I think the Raps are full of holes and I'm not sure Kemba is a saviour but I do think they should cut ties with Calderon and let Bayless or Walker duel it out for control of the teams reins. If not Walker then hopefully Kawhi Leonard, he's got tattoos and cornrows and I in the NBA I trust those more than 6 syllable European pylons with a 3 point stroke. Juss sayin.

5th Overall Pick: Toronto Raptors Select Kemba Walker (Hopefully not Vesely)

This years draft is rather weak looking and that's not good for the Wizards. The Wizards need a boatload of help and were looking to trade down for a better pick and an opportunity at one of possibly 2 projected future all stars. The Wiz are solid at the point after taking John Wall first overall last season, beyond that the Wiz could use some help at all other positions. I think that Jan Vesely, a rangy, gangly, athletic forward out of Belgrade will head to Washington with this pick. The swingman has some international experience and plays above the rim, has range but has no defence, which means the Raptors will probably have already selected him.

6th Overall Pick: Washington Wizards Select Jan Vesely

In the 7th hole we get a look at the new look Bobcats now that they have moved Stephen Jackson and embraced the youth movement. With no more veterans around the Bobcats will move out of the mediocrity that has plagued this franchise for a few years now and will start over some scratch. Unfortunately they'll likely be bac for a few years to come and look for them to have a bigger impact on next years draft, but for this years they'll be looking to use the 7th pick as well as the 9th pick to start that rebuilding process. I expect the Bobcats to take a big and the best one available is Jonas Valanciunas out of Lithuanian. With their 9th selection I expect the Bobcats to look to their forwards either with a swingman or a power. That could mean Kawhi Leonard, Tristan Thompson, or Chris Singleton. I'll root Canadian here and have them taking Thompson.

7th Pick Overall - Charlotte Bobcats Select Jonas Valanciunas
9th Pick Overall - Charlotte Bobcats Select Tristan Thompson

In the eight hole the Detroit Pistons are a franchise in disarray. Long gone are the memories of 2004's championship squad and I expect a return to the defensive approach that got them there in the first place. Last year's Pistons squad was quite disappointing  on the defensive end of the court, some of that may have had something to do with the team quitting on coach Jon Keuster mid season with his strange decisions regarding vets Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince among others. So yeah the Pistons could certain use guard help here but I don't think that's what they'll be looking for. I think the Pistons will look to find this years Ben Wallace and rebuild their defence from the top down with relative unknown, Bismack Biyombo out of the Congo. But what do I know?

8th Pick Overall - Detroit Pistons Select Bismack Biyombo

At the 10th selection we see the Sacramento Kings who has essentially traded down through their earlier deals, sliding from the 7th pick down to the 10th pick. The pick doesn't really change the Kings plans as it seems they have plans on Jimmer Fredette. With former ROY Tyreke Evans at the point I expect the Kings to look for another wing shooter to compliousins up front so that is certainly an option but I can't see them passing on Fredette's potential as a wing scorer for them at the next level.

10th Overall Pick - Sacramento Kings Select Jimmer Fredette

Alright there's the first 10 picks previewed. I'd like to do more but I've run out of time so we'll put this out for now.

Final Reflections on the NBA Finals, More Countdowns and Things You Ought to Know!

First and foremost I want to wish my baby sister, Mary Elizabeth, a very happy birthday, as she turns 24 today (Ed's note: now yesterday). Also in the realm of HBD's shout out to my Mom, Diane, as well. Di turned the big 5-0 over the weekend, and if it weren't for you - I wouldn't be here. Literally.

Speaking of family, found this song on my brother Dan's facebook wall this week, liked it, with credit thrown the way of his friend he met in Oz, Clifton Our Coloured Milkman (literal facebook name). Enjoy.

As for the rest of you - Good day sirs and madams! It is, quite thankfully, the last week of exams for the high schools in town (regular classes finished up last week), and that means my last week of day to day work - the end of gainful employment. An I'm perfectly okay with that. The countdown is now at below 0 - as gone are the days of leading phys.ed - no friends left for my daily fix of street hockey, ultimate frisbee, and soccer baseball games. I'm merely left to fill the role of exam administrator and supervisor, and I'm lucky to vulture those days at all. My vocabulary is limited to about a six phrase collection that loops through and offers up suggestions like, "good luck", "one hour remaining", "no", "keep your eyes on your own paper", "finish up" and "well I donno, what do you think the answer is?". Instant villain. Such is life!

On the other hand, with school winding down I now have an infinitely copious ( re: a lot) amount of time for reading, writing, sleeping, napping, day dreaming, whim'ing, sunbathing, tanning, relaxing, diddling and doting,  gaming, swimming, sipping, sunning and running.  All aboard the EI train, next stop - surviving the summer. I knew there was a reason for this government of ours, good looking out fellas. Little help with the loans would be nice though. Kidding aside, I am genuinely looking forward to this year's summer vacation an not merely because it involves 'not working'. It gives me time to improve my own health and fitness, as well as get back to reading and writing on a much grander scale. In the past, I've found myself contented with mere listlessness. I've watched, quite apathetically, as the days passed by, content with the nothingness each day held. While that can be a productive at times, from a mental well being standpoint - here and there, I mean - however, to make a habit of such wastefulness, it is quite another thing altogether. So rather than teach, I choose to learn, independently and at my own leisure of course, but learn none the less. I'll be reading up on any number of different topics and if it's worth a mention, it'll surely spill over onto here. So with that said, I'm going to have lots of time for researching and hopefully I'll be able to write a little more as well. Couple that with the end of the basketball season and I'm gonna need to find some new things to write about. So what I need  is for any faithful readers out there to let me know what you want to read about. I've got a few ideas of things I'm gonna work on, but I'm always up for new ideas and suggestions. Things I will be working on though will be - NBA Mock Draft for the Lottery Teams involved + extras, trade rumours, speculations, etc., a beginners guide to Jazz music (or something along those lines.), a weekly restaurant review (restaurant suggestions would be great), Top Cult Film Classics of my lifetime (Back to '85), and of course lists upon lists. Anyway those are just a few things, but your feedback would be much appreciated, and I know you need to sign up to google comment or whatever - so if you want to avoid that nonsense, just drop a line on facebook below a posting or whatever and I'll try and cover whatever it is.  (I assume that's how 99% of you come to my blog, however this Denmark thing is still, very much a mystery.).     


NBA Finals - The Dallas Mavericks are your 2011 NBA Champions.


Now it's been quite a while since I last chimed in on the NBA Finals. In fact, the Heat seemed very much in control through the early part of the series -  when I was last watching and writing. One game I did wish to comment on was The Flu Game Part Deux  - So,we'll  skip over game 3 (the last time the Heat won in 2011) and let's remark upon another awe-inspiring 4th quarter performance by Dirk Nowitzki. Stricken with the flu and a temperature in the triple digits, Dirk broke out of the struggles he faced in the first three quarters to score the final 12 Mavs points and rally them to a 4th quarter comeback win. What I found so intriguing about this was the triangle of individuals it encompassed when evaluating and reflecting upon it's importance. First we have Dirk shedding the "soft" image that has burdened him since his disappearance in the Finals of 2006 . Dirk playing through illness and rising to the occasion in the 4th quarter, which quickly drew comparisons to basketball deity, Michael Jordan. For those that don't remember, Jordan too, overcame a triple digit flu and obvious fatigue to lead the Bulls to victory over the Jazz in the NBA Finals back in 1997. And like most sequels, the original was still better. Let me remind you of Jordan's 'flu' game, one of his best and most telling games of his career.

I chose the word telling because this game speaks to MJ's resolve and his sheer competitive nature that despite the Jazz's formidable challenge and despite his own physical shortcomings he would ultimately overcome and triumph. This game and the rest of the series are what has drawn questions on the 3rd individual I spoke of from the outset. But rather than compare Lebron James to MJ, as we had just two weeks prior, the finals have left us with a mere contrast of the two. Just two weeks previous, Scottie Pippen , the Robin to MJ's Batman, made strong allegations (before later back-peddling) that LBJ might just be better than MJ, and in fact stake a claim at being the best of all time . I think this series has gone to show that Lebron still lacks the mental acuity the MJ possessed in spades. While Lebron showed himself to be a closer throughout both the Boston and Chicago series' he seemed to have disappeared from view at the most important moments of the finals. Consider this, in a tighter than series in which most games were not decided until the 4th quarter Lebron James had just 17 4th quarter points. And of those 17 only a select few came in the final 5 minutes, most with the game already decided. That's the whole series! Dirk scored more than that in the 4th quarter from the free-throw line alone. (Sporting an unblemished 24-24 count.) Whats even more telling is his lack of shots, he hasn't even looked to own the moment. Lebron simply differed or 'shrunk' in the games penultimate moments. If anything serves to distance the mans play - and character - from that of Michael Jordan I think this is it. But enough talk of the Heat, they lost and that's still the number one news on SportsCentre, "Miami Heat lose NBA Finals", rather than the Dallas Mavericks make their own decision to take their talents to South Beach and outmatch, outwit and outplay the Miami Heat. So let's hand out some end of the year awards to this years most deserving team, the NBA champion, Dallas Mavericks.

The MVP - Dirk Nowitzki - Dirk was the unquestionable MVP of this series. The only 'superstar' the Mavericks have, Dirk drained clutch shot after clutch shot, raising his level off play in the moments that mattered most. No longer labelled as soft, Dirk has cemented his legacy as the one of the premiere power forwards of his generation and a clutch 4th quarter performer.

The Vinnie Johnson 'Microwave' Award - Jason Terry - An early nominee for this award (pat on my own back), Terry provided instant offence when he entered the game and carried the Mavs through the first half of the clinching game 6, when Dirk struggled with his shot. Terry was called out after a lackluster start to the finals an rose to meet the challenge - I respect that.

The Vernon 'Mad Max' Maxwell Award - Deshawn Stevenson - This award goes to the knucklehead who was able to put aside his usual knuckle-headed antics and contribute in a meaningful way. Deshawn found his touch from downtown in the final series going 13 of 23 from behind the arc and he provided tough hard nosed defence, matching up with DWade and getting under the skin of LBJ. He was also arrested for public intoxication in the days following their game 7 win, one can only assume he was celebrating this award.

The Inaugural Struan Smith 'Stay Out of My Paint' Award - Brian Cardinal - Brian Cardinal hardly saw the floor in the finals, but when he did he made sure someone else saw the floor, literally. The "Custodian" knew his role and came in the game to deliver hard fouls and make good decisions on offence, he did just that.

The 'Real' Magic Johnson of this Year's Finals Award - Jason Kidd - When people are stumped at comparing LBJ to one MJ they often turn and compare him to the other, forgetting that, he too, was clutch when it mattered most, and, he too, has some jewellery. JKidd might not rack up the triple doubles like he used to, but he still found a way to control the play on both ends of the court. The Mavs never felt out of a game with Kidd's steady hand at the helm.Controlling the ball on offence means controlling the Heat's transition and fast break game.

The Masterlock Lockdown Award - Shawn Marion - I think it's easy to pick on Marion because he no longer plays like the Matrix out in Phoenix that we grew accustom to watching nearly half a decade ago. I think it's worth noting though, that he too has downsized his game and chosen to focus on rebounding and defending as his way to best help his squad. Marion's challenge came at the defensive end and though its easy to hurl disappointment at LBJ, something tells me that Marion's relentless pursuit and pressure must have had something to do with slowing him down.

The KG "Change 'D' Culture" Award - Tyson Chandler - Talk about an off season acquisition! Tyson Chandler may have been exactly what the Mavericks needed, and exactly what Dirk needed. Chandler's toughness, tenacity and passion on the defensive end is infectious, spreading like an epidemic throughout the Mavs franchise. Forever a team thought to under achieve, and not be willing to 'gut it out' defensively, Chandler brought a new, much needed energy, to the defensive end for the Mavericks. Ultimately, I think it's the underrated zone defence that won the Mavs this series.

The Reason Eddie House Needs to Retire Award (Some of you might be thinking... Is Eddie House even that old? And I'd say your missing the point. He's old enough. But I digress....)  - J.J. Barea - There are a whole plethora of reasons for Eddie House to retire and simply just enter local 3 point comps for the rest of his days. This is the one that sticks out most in my mind. I'm speaking off the little inside out dribble move Barea put on House before stepping back to knock down a crucial 3 during the Mavs crucial 4th quarter run. I tried to find a clip but nothing out there yet. That said, House was not alone in getting blazed by the one man fast break that is J.J. Barea. Barea enters the game and immediately has the ability to change the pace of any possession. Whether it is slowing the other teams offence down with his pitbull like, on the ball pressure, or speeding up the tempo with his fearless forays to the hoop, you know he's out there!

The Chessmaster Award - Rick Carlisle - As a series progresses you really begin to see the importance of the adjustments and decisions made by the coaches. I think it is safe to say that the decisions made by Carlisle (Start Barea, limit Peja's role, go small and run passed Miami) outmatched those of Spoelstra. (Who like the rest of us, must have just been waiting for LBJ to show up and win this award for him.)

And that's pretty much it from this year's finals. I really enjoyed this season, as well as this years playoffs. I thought the finals was as good as anything we've seen in quite some time. All of the games were highly intense and game down to crucial moments of execution in the fourth quarter. As far as quality of play and competitiveness I think this season was a real treat and I look forward to the continued progression of the new youth movement within the league that has some of the old guard being over taken by new emerging teams and individuals, leading me to believe a strike would be a real shame in light of some of the comments I've just made.

Furthermore, I realize I have hardly touched on the NHL Finals and that's not because I don't enjoy them or think anything less of their entertainment value, I simply don't have the same level of knowledge with regard to hockey. Beyond that there is already innumerable pundits, critics and commentaries regarding the NHL playoffs where we live, so anything I'd have to add would either be amateurish or redundant at best. What I'm trying to say is that no I do do not understand why Bobby Lou is so remarkably staunch at home yet he becomes swiss cheese on the road? Oh what? No one understands that? Maybe I'm not as dumb as I thought.

If you're not watching the Game of Thrones you should. Juss sayin.

Summer Countdown - Whooo! Schools out for Summer! With Alice cooper fresh in my head here we go with one of my final summer countdowns before the big day arrives. I'll throw together a comprehensive list of all my many reasons to smile this summer with the final 5 when I blog next, til then here's the latest. Won't be long now!

17. Summer Reading -  Reading in the sun or reading in the sand, count me in. Get into a good one!
16. Sun Showers - Got to love when it's so hot out that the sun begins to cry and there's a refreshing sun shower for all to enjoy. That is the scientific explanation for this phenomenon, no?
15. Yard Sales - You never know just what you'll find when you roll up to these yard sale flea markets but sometimes they can yield untold treasures for the frugal shopper.
14. Mini Golf - I like to think this is where I work on my putting game, you know, for when the green is littered obstacles and the hole isn't really the hole, it's just a tunnel to another green with another hole.... because I don't have a difficult time on the greens as it is.
13. Snorkelling - I like to get under there and see what's up and there's not much for scuba diving around here.
12.  Corn Boils - Usually involves a bunch of dudes, beers, and delicious side salads. I have a special preference for 2 of the 3.  
11.  Cold Beer - So I guess it's salads or dudes.
10. Lapping Waves - Sometimes, sometimes, I genuinely prefer this here sound to my own ipod when I'm bathing in the sun. If only it wasn't interrupted by the wailing of a small child, en francaise. Are the cries of a babe any different en francaise - me thinks not, shrill as ever -ear buds back in.
09. Block Parties - Dave Chappelles or otherwise.
08. Fireworks - Whether it's a community function or your own private stock, either way people get jazzed up about big bright things exploding. It's why we love the bomb.
07. Hammocks - Cool pillows and swaying hammocks are relaxation.
06. Picnics - Does anyone still do this. Besides, you know, chips at the beach.

So much new FREE music came out this week through leaks and that sort of thing, including a new Nas song that is certainly worth checking out.

Hip Hop Top 20 - Week 06. 14. 2011

n/a 20. Marvin's Room - Drake

n/a 19. Mama's Boyfriend - Kanye West 
12. 18. Red Nation - The Game Ft. Lil Wayne
n/a 17. Reunion - Bad Meets Evil (Eminem & Royce 5'9")
17. 16. That's Life 2 - Killer Mike
08. 15. Capcom - Kid Cudi
19. 14. How High - J. Cole 
14. 13. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys
n/a 12. Nasty - Nas                          ***Top Debut***Top Gainer***

06. 11. Dreamin' - Big K.R.I.T
11. 10. M I Crooked Letter - Rossini Ft. Big K.R.I.T.
04. 09. Eraser - Kid Cudi
13. 08. Dreams Money Can Buy - Drake
10. 07. Disgusting - J. Cole
07. 06. Wake Up - Wiz Khalifa

02. 05. All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco
01. 04. American Rapstar - Big K.R.I.T 
09. 03. Return of Simba - J. Cole
05. 02. Fast Lane - Bad Meets Evil(Eminem & Royce 5'9")
03. 01. Roll Up - Wiz Khalifa

And that's pretty much it for now. Again, gonna have a whole lot more time available to me in the coming weeks and months, so let me know what you want to read about and I'll try and think of a creative way to make it happen.

P.