Reflections and Resolutions - Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012 - Part IB - Goodbye 2011. Top 100 Hip Hop Tracks of 2011. Hello 2012. 12 Resolutions for 2012.

I had my doubts, but here it finally is - Part I B of Reflections - Goodbye 2011 - 2011 Hip Hop Top 2.0         ( Better make that 10.0!)

Hope you enjoyed Part I A's collection of interesting films, albums and people. Next I set out to complete a  Hip Hop 2.0 for all of 2011. Obviously I found the task of narrowing the number down to 20, I ended up with a top 100, so here's a pretty comprehensive list of solid songs that popped up in the hip hop world from 2011. So without further ado here is my list of the best 100 Hip Hop songs released in the 2011 calender. It's not Billboard, or YouTube, just my own opinion. Furthermore, I didn't hear every song made in 2011, so save it, and I know Rack City is the bomb.

The Top 100 Songs of 2011!

100. When I'm Gone - Wiz Khalifa
99. Face Off - Reks Feat. Termanology
98. Never Stop Loving You - 9th Wonder Feat. Terrance Martin, Talib Kweli
97. Welcome To the Jungle - Jay Z and Kanye West
96. Focused - Wale Feat. Kid Cudi
95. Boom, Bap - B.O.B. Feat. T.I., Mos Def
94. Reppin' 4 Flint - Jon Connor
93. The Invitation - Saigon Feat. Q-Tip, Fatman Scoop
92. Ain't No Future 2011 - Jon Connor

91. Loud Noises - Eminem and Royce 5'9" Feat. Slaughterhouse
90. How High - J. Cole
89. Legendary - Wale
88. 3D - Game Feat. David Banner
87. Underground King - Drake
86. The OtherSide - The Roots Feat. Bilal Oliver, Greg Porn

85. Pot Of Gold - Game Feat. Chris Brown
84. The Real Her - Drake Feat. Lil Wayne, Andre 3000
83. Strange Clouds - B.O.B. Feat :Lil Wayne
82. Need Some Bad - Slick Rick
81. What Goes Around - Big Sean
80. Sookie Now - Big K.R.I.T. Feat. David Banner
79. She Will - Lil Wayne Feat. Drake
78. Enemies - Saigon
77. Friends - Saigon

76. I Love Music - Tech N9ne Feat. Kendrick Lamar, Oobergeek
75. Over My Dead Body - Drake
74. F5: Furiously Dangerous - Ludacris Feat. Slaughterhouse
73. Who Gon Stop Me - Jay Z and Kanye West
72. Fuck Your Ethnicity - Kendrick Lamar
71. See It To Believe it - J. Cole
70. On My Level - Wiz Whalifa Feat. Too Short
69. Country Shit (Remix) - Big K.R.I.T. Feat. Ludacris, Bun B

68. No Church In The Wild - Jay Z and Kanye West Feat. Frank Ocean
67. Come On Baby - Saigon Feat. Swizz Beats, Jay Z
66. Band Practice - 9th Wonder Feat. Phonte, Median
65. Words I Never Said - Lupe Fiasco Feat. Skylar Grey
64. Worldwide Choppers - Tech N9ne Feat. Ceza, J.L. B.Hood, Uso, Yelawolf, Twista, Busta Rhymes,  Twisted Insane, D-Loc

63. Let's Roll - Yelawolf Feat. Kid Rock
62. Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys
61. Toast To the Dead - Immortal Technique
60. Fast Lane - Eminem and Royce 5'9"
59. Success Is My Cologne - Currency
58. Pimps (Remix) - Big K.R.I.T. Feat. 2Chainz, Bun B

57. Bundle Up - The Cool Kids
56. I'm On One - Rick Ross Feat. Drake, Lil Wayne
55. Ballin' - Young Jeezy Feat. Lil Wayne
54. Work Out - J. Cole
53. DC or Nothing - Wale
52. Martians Vs. Goblins - Game Feat. Lil Wayne, Tyler the Creator
51. Enjoy - 9th Wonder Feat. Warren G, Murs, Kendrick Lamar

The Top 50!!
50. Am I a Pyscho - Tech N9ne Feat. B.O.B. - Tech N9ne experiences a long overdue epiphany!
49. The Show Goes On - Lupe Fiasco - Again, hardly a track from 2011, despite it's inclusion on Lasers. I still dig the Modest Mouse back riff none the less.
48. Ric Flair - Killer Mike - The song is great, the Ric Flair soundbites are even better!
47. Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay - Big Sean Feat. Kanye West - "The fuckin anthem, get it, the fuckin anthem!"
46. He's a Mental Giant - Tech N9ne - Tech N9ne killing the beat with his incomparble word play, which he is well aware of, being the mental giant he is.

45. Makin Dough - Obie Trice -Obie's got a new album in 2012, good to hear his gravelly flow again on this one.
44. Phone Numbers - Big Sean, Trae the Truth - My pay cheques be looking like phone numbers! I wish.
43. Murder To Excellence - Jay Z and Kanye West - I found Watch the Throne to be a series of hits and misses, this one hits!
42. My Sub - Big K.R.I.T. - Filling my Outkast void with the Southern banger.
41. Capcom - Kid Cudi - Ya'll know I love some Cudi.
40. Molasses - Raekwon Feat. Rick Ross, Ghostface Killah - As smooth and syrupy as the title would suggest.

39. Ghetto Dreams - Common Feat. Nas - Two originals.
38. Wake Up - Wiz Khalifa - Laid back Wiz flow. Run my town, like the mayor. Run my town, bitch, I'm like the mayor. Brilliant.
37. I Do It - Big Sean - Witty punchlines, Big Sean at his #hashtagging best.
36. Cole World - J. Cole - J. Cole brings lyrics to compete with the beat as he goes in on this offering.

35. The Noose - Tech N9ne Feat. Mayday - Tech N9ne's apocalyptic tale of the shortcomings that doom us.
34. Sweet - Common - One of the singles that drove Common's 2011 revival.
33. One Time - The Roots Feat. Phonte, Dice Raw - More great music from The Roots band with a little help from Dice Raw and Little Brother alum, Phonte.
32. Marvin's Room - Drake - Some more sing-songy rap shit from the man who does it best.
31. Memories Pt. II - Big Sean Feat. John Legend - My favourite track off of Finally Famous.

30. Lost Ones - J. Cole - Modern day take on Brenda's Got a Baby. 
29. That's Life 2 - Killer Mike - Killer Mike preach!
28. 6'7' - Lil Wayne Feat. Cory Gunz - Crazy beat.
27. Ready Set Go Pt II - Killer Mike Feat. T.I., Big Boi - Had to get Big Boi on this list!

26. Trust Issues - Drake - Drake's open-book-sing-songy flow. He, "doesn't trust these bitches"
25. Black and Yellow - Wiz Khalifa - Points taken for it can hardly be considered a 2011 release, the song that rode the Steelers to the Superbowl and Wiz Khalifa to the mainstream.
24. Roll Up - Wiz Khalifa - The freshest track off of a bit of disappointing and over commercialized major label debut from Wiz Khalifa.
23. M I Crooked Letter - Boo Rossini Ft. Big K.R.I.T. - I am an unapologetic Big K.R.I.T. fan for 2011, including this battle cry from the South.
22. Niggas In Paris - Jay-Z and Kanye West - This song continues to grow on me.
21. I Do - Young Jeezy Feat. Andre 3000, Jay Z - An all star cast, Jay Z in cruise control somewhat holds it back.

The Top 20 Songs of 2011!!

20. Greatest Story Never Told - Saigon - Best track on the long anticipated Saigon album that has been delayed for nearly a decade! Worth the wait!

19. Ambition - Wale Feat. Rick Ross, Meek Mill - Wale hits hard and makes you want to be somebody on this one!

18. 5 on the Kush - B.O.B. Feat. Big K.R.I.T., Bun B - A south modern take on Luniz's  5 on It.

17. Otis - Jay Z and Kanye West - Equivalent of a Hollywood blockbuster. They both bring it.

16. HiiPower - Kendrick Lamar - Voted HipHop DX's verse of the year.

15. All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco - One of the only tracks on Lasers that I can actually see Lupe standing behind in post production.

14. Disgusting - J. Cole - All about the beat on this one.

13. 25th Hour - Reks - Dope lyrics over a Premo beat, doesn't get much better than this.

  
12. Intro/Interlude/Outro - Lil Wayne Feat. Tech N9ne, Andre 3000, Bun B, Nas, Shyne and Busta Rhymes - By far the best thing to come out of the Lil Wayne's Carter IV.

11. Dreams Money Can Buy - Drake - Drake is a worldwide superstar, here are all the dreams his new found wealth can help him purchase.

10. Reagan Era - Kendrick Lamar - Representin' the West Coast, Lamar brings a social consciousness to the West Coast gang mentality that hasn't been seen since the likes of Ice Cube nearly 15 years ago.

09. Headlines - Drake - Drake proves he's still a force to be reckon'd with. Punchline after punchline.

08. American Rapstar - Big K.R.I.T. - The making of a Rapstar right before our eyes.

07. American Terrorist - Lupe Fiasco - It might just be the Nighcall beat, but I can't get enough of this, I wish Lasers had been better, but this will do.

06. Who Do I Catch Now - Tech N9ne - What started out as a BET awards cypher, tells the story of his meteoric rise to fame in 2011, where does Tech go from here?

 
05. Nasty - Nas - Nas doing Nas, owning a track and keeping his name in your mouths.

04. Red Nation - Game Feat. Lil Wayne - Love the Zombie nation background beat, a true anthem for 2011.

03. Dreamin' - Big K.R.I.T.- I've been feeling K.R.I.T. since 2011 began. 2011 had to be a dream come true for the Mississippi native,who blew up both on the mic and behind the boards.

02. Make My -The Roots Feat. Big K.R.I.T. Dice Raw - Best song on what is arguably the best album of the year.

01. The Return of Simba - J. Cole - My song of the year, didn't even make an album. Still my song of the year.

And there you have it ladies and gents, the best hip hop singles of 2011. Hope you enjoyed it!

Part II - Resolutions - Hello 2012 

Well isn't this a bit of a self serving blog entry. "I resolve to..." How does one even begin to define their resolutions. How can I improve both myself and my quality of life in 2012 is what it comes down to for me. In retrospect, 2011 goes down as 'just fair' in my books. I can't think of any examples of any life changing events in my world. No big moves, changes, or milestones, No babies (phew!), rings, or career defining moves. Just day to day monotony, supply teaching and serving. The life of a rock in the passing stream of life. That's not meant to be a complaint of 2011, just an observation. More than an observation, it's an admission of that feeling of 'want' that grows inside of us. (Kind of like 3rd Eye Blind "Semi-Charmed Life", but I'm not quite sure this is what they were talking about.) That feeling that you're left wanting more for both yourself and those around you, that's where I start with my resolutions for 2012. How can I appease this feeling of want to the point where I can look back and call 2012 a defining year in becoming the person and having the life I envision for myself. And is that even realistic? Realistic? No. Worth a shot. You bet. I think the whole, shoot for the moon - end up in the stars is an fitting analogy. Here are my self serving resolutions for 2012 for your scoffing pleasure.

12. Decisions, Decisions - That's what it all comes down to isn't it, the choices we make. In 2012 I hope to make all the right decisions, all of the time. Unfortunately, no matter how much resolve I approach  this with, I will not achieve this lofty standard. What I can count on is that I'll take the time to make the best decision I can and then I'll leave it alone. Enough with the over analyzing, replaying out what decisions I could have made differently. In 2012 I will make well thought out choices and stand behind my decisions as they determine who I am and continue to become. Furthermore, occasionally I'll screw up as well. (Really took a leap here, I know)

11. Challenge = Growth - Without challenging ourselves in new situations, environments and opportunities we're limiting our ability to grow, change and improve. Interestingly, the chinese word for crisis includes the symbols for both danger and opportunity. Unfortunately most opportunities tend to be disguised as work and that tends to skew our vision at times. Very much a situation where the more you risk (leaving your comfort zone) the greater your possibility for reward. I resolve to seek out new challenges for the opportunities and learning experiences they present.


10. Listamania - There's a saying that goes, fail to prepare, prepare to fail ...or something like that. For me organization is the key to getting things done. If you've read my blogs you know I like lists, so this resolution is seemingly a match made in heaven. An amelioration of tasks and goals. I resolve to become a master of the list; setting 'to do' lists on a daily, weekly, and monthly scale. Checking off even the most mundane of tasks for that feeling of accomplishment that only completing my laundry, groceries and banking all in one trip can deliver.

09. Chef Budd - Next time someone approaches me and says "What's cooking?" ( Followed by a pleasant "good looking", I hope.) I hope to respond with, something edible, anything edible. If there's one thing I am guilty of, it's being a lazy cook. It's not that I can't cook, it's just easier and more convenient to eat out or order in, which a) costs far too much on the day to day b) rarely results in healthy food choices. That said, an improvement here could serve to fatten up my wallet, while at the same time trim down my waist line. I resolve to eat out a maximum of 2 times a week. 
 
08. The Pen(is) Mightier - I'm a better person when I'm reading, if I have time to read it's a sign that life is moving at a good speed for me. Reading is a symbol of relaxation and control. When I'm reading and writing on a consistent basis I have time and patience to get things done at a pace that's thoroughly enjoyable. I resolve to read at least a book a month, and write 2 entries a month, as well as hopefully something more substantial moving forward.

07. Have the Courage To Think Outside The Box - 2012 shall not be a year of, "but I've always done it this way....". In 2012 I resolve to have the courage to think outside the box; to look at the way I, and those around me, do things and ask, "Is that the best way...?" A lot of the time we can fall into the rut or safety net of continually and habitually doing things the same way over and over. Routine can be a good thing but stagnation, not so much. Maybe the best way hasn't been thought of yet, maybe I'd do well at something I've never considered for myself before. In 2012, I will not overlook the endless possibilities that exist beyond my conscious.

06. Lay Waste to the Waist, and Other Forms of Waste - I'm a criminal wastophile. Time, money, food, opportunities, you name em, I waste em. My goal for 2012 is to try and eliminate some of the waste from my life, including this waist (not entirely, obviously). Clearly, some of these resolutions overlap, and I've already pleaded guilty to wasting ends on eating out at an extravagant pace. I waste loads of time on facebook, twitter, and surfing the net, completing mindless, thankless, and product-less tasks. I've got to do a better job of catching myself in the act and improving upon this. Waste. Get rid of it.  

05. Be Healthier - Sleep more, eat healthier, exercise daily. Shouldn't that continually be a goal we strive towards. When I reflect on the times when I feel crummy on a day to day, week to week basis, the usual suspects tend to always be the culprits, lack of sleep, a bunch of trash in my diet, general malaise. And they domino as well, when you're not sleeping well, it's more likely that you'll be too tired to complete any physical activity, let alone the activity it'll take to fire up the stove and make something worthwhile to eat. Did I say you'll...I meant I'll. I resolve to sprinkle some healthier habits into my daily routine, maybe you should too?

04. Seek and Destroy - For most of this list the resolution involves, doing something new or the addition of something. Addition by addition. Simple. But in some cases what we have is addition by subtraction. Like a computer, we function best when we're not plagued by virus, spyware and clutter. In our daily lives the elimination of some of these hindrances can be just as beneficial as the addition of any new practices or habits. What we destroy shows our character as much as the things we build. I will continue to explore and identify my weaknesses, flaws, and poor habits and work towards their destruction. 

03. Discipline - To me discipline is the ability to overlook your short term wants and desires in favour of doing what it takes to pursue your long term goals. You want both, but your over arching vision has to take priority in these situations. You want a fit bod just in time for summer, but you also want a cheeseburger because you're craving it and they're admittedly a known delicacy. In this case your desire for a burger contradicts your goal of a fit bod. Show discipline. Do not bet on a Bears quarterback. Show Discipline. This is especially important when seeking change, eventually the hope is that long term goals and short terms wants and desires are in sync, until then, show discipline.     

02. Balance -  A big thing for me is maintaining balance, I can be very good in ebbs and flows. As evidenced by November's cleanse followed by December's binge. While, I can maintain the level of discipline necessary for wholesale change over the course of a month, the reality is I wasn't ready to make the full scale lifestyle change. I'll binge for one month on deep frieds, pumphouse beers, and donairs, only to follow up with a month of chin ups, frequent jogs and generally healthy eating. Binge, purge, repeat. I've always been an extremist in that sense, O-Town, all or nothing. I resolve to strike a balance. If I am able to find that fine balance; coupled with an infusion of positive thought  and action, destroy some bad habits, there's no reason 2012 can't be a remarkably productive 12 months.

1. Robotic Cyborg - Lastly, I would hope that having stayed in line on all of these resolutions, my end result is that I will have morphed into some type of machination by years end. It will take a well programmed set of algorithms and software to keep me away from some of the vices that could prove fatal to this idyllic 2012. Best to not let any of my superficial desires and emotions have me seeing short sighted in such a scenario as this. This is mostly meant to be tongue in cheek, as some would suggest I have as good a chance of becoming part man - part machine as I have of carrying out these resos. A simple reminder to dream realistically because I think it's important to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and this life is entirely a work in progress. I am not a robot, I am human - an I can and will make mistakes. I'd love to sit down in 2013 and think 'job well done', but there will continue to be setbacks and obstacles, the thing to remember is to remain realistic in dealing with setbacks. If I can do that and not let any setbacks, which can and will occur, deter my spirit of progress then I have no doubt 2012 will keep me smiling all year long. I resolve to carry these resolutions out with cold, robot-like precision. 

Happy 2012 Folks!


Peace.

Reflections and Resolutions - Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012 - Part IA - Goodbye 2011.

Let's start by wishing a very Happy - Holidays ( All ), Hanukkah (Judaic Friends), Kwanzaa (Brothers) and Birthday (Jesus, Thomas). As well as a Merry Christmas (Christian Brothers), and a Happy New Year (All).

Phew! So much wrapped up in all of that (present pun), it's a seriously busy time of year, merely trying to survive the gauntlet that accompanies the seasonal festivities. My not so subtle excuse for a few weeks blog hiatus. But seriously, tough time of year to sit down and get anything done (written), since the age of 5 we were taught to shut our brains off, engage in stuffing our face with an assortment of Christmas goodies and mindlessly stare off at the consumer products placed before us. I didn't complain about it then and I'm not complaining about it now. I loved watching that little electric race car make his laps around the track. It was mesmerizing and hypnotic. And that was in elementary school. I'm just saying I couldn't hardly find the time to read, let alone write, this break. Beginning in university they tell you shut it down in early December. Okay, do your exams, shut it down, stuff your face, drink your beers, I know the routine. Again, not complaining, just, er, justifying, sorta.

I digress, I had started a holidays survival guide and maybe next year you'll get to read it. It appears we all survived to this point anyhow. I'm not so sure that the Beardo Knit Beard Cap we'll still be a hot ticket item in "gift giving 101", however I can assuredly say it will still be prudent to avoid drunkenly propositioning a coworker at a Holiday staff party function in 2012 so there's that from the "how to survive a holiday functions with dignity"section. Now you're already looking forward to next  Christmas! Regardless whatever I had written, it was so last year.

Here's a fun idea, let's start this year by reflecting on the year that was 2011. A year of water treading as far as I was concerned, in which the lows were never too low and the highs were never too high. Now that's what I call conservative living! I'll get to some lists and opinions here in a moment, but from a personal perspective I felt 2011 was a very safe year. I felt as though I did little in the way of reinventing myself or reshaping my mold. At times this can be a good thing - consistency, stability and balance certainly being positive characteristics. However in this case, while I do feel I have some of those characteristics, I also think we can get into auto-pilot sometimes and we're not allowing ourselves to grow as a person in that state. Just going through the motions and not living with emotion. Just food for thought. Certainly something that I will take into account when I begin to map out my resolutions for 2012 later in the blog. Sometimes I gotta break away from the comfortable coward within.

While I was sleep walking some exciting things went on in 2011. Here's a recap. My Take. Enjoy.

Top 11 Movies of '11:
01. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.... Can't Wait.
02. The Descendents.... Can't Wait.
03. Shame.... Can't Wait.
04. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy .... Can't Wait.
05, Mission Impossible: Ghost Recon .... Can't Wait.
06. The Adventures of Tin Tin .... Can't Wait.
07. A Dangerous Method .... Can't Wait.
08. Moneyball .... Can't Wait.

Wait a minute this looks like a list of movies I most want to see... just haven't yet. (No excuse on the Moneyball exclusion here, have to see it.) But yeah that's exactly what it is, as is usually the case the year's best films are released just prior to Oscar season, an effort to build up their buzz  heading into award season. Below you'll find a list of the best films I actually saw in 2011 that were also released in 2011. I'll revisit a definitive best film of  the year list when we explore the Oscar selections in about a months time. For better or worse.

11. Captain America - Didn't blow my mind, didn't let me down.

10. Margin Call - Enjoyed this office drama that depicts a firm folding over night a la Lehman Bros.

09. Paul - Consider me on the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost bandwagon.

08. The Ides of March - The year of Ryan Gosling...

07. Rise of the Planet of the Apes - Good film, expect more Apes to follow. Not good.

06. Thor - Left the theater feeling pleasantly surprised after this viewing. Have to watch again but I enjoyed this popcorn!

05. Lincoln Lawyer - Early film from 2011. Probably slides down this list when some of the new releases come out but it held my attention, cocky McConaghy.

04. Kill The Irishman - Sleeper pick. Dope film. Check it out.

03. X-Men: First Class - Or the year of Michael Fassbender?

02. Source Code - A very cool idea for a film, I kind of see this as this years Inception, a science fiction movie that seems to have a better grasp of how to deal with the loopholes that exist when we suspend of disbelief regarding the supernatural. 

01. Drive - Best film I saw all year, opening scene sets the table for the whole film. Great music. Gosling owns the film without hardly speaking, acting his way through each and every scene. Check it out if you haven't already, expect something rather artsy.  

 
With further apologies to Warrior, Cowboys and Aliens, The Hangover 2(!), Fast Five, and upon recommendation from Dan, Real Steel, all films I still have yet to see, despite having loads of time to catch up on this. Congratulations movies you are now on the short to-do list.


Top 11 Most Interesting People '11: Solely according to me so you won't find the Kardashians here. These are the people that I will always read an ESPN article or Yahoo! side bar story about whenever their name pops up. Not necessarily out of adoration but certainly intrigue. Odds that they'll return to the list in '12.

11. Cam Newton - What he lacks in philosophy (A lion Cam? Really? In the jungle? Really?) he more than makes up for in raw footballing talent. Newton should be the ROY and flashed talents that will electrify for years to come. 6:1

10. Albert Pujols - Any time a guy signs a 260 million dollar contract they get on the list, throw in the World Series Victory and the 3 HR performance in game 3 and a pretty vanilla guy (read: robot) deserves a mention. 40:1

09. Michael Jordan - I'm always interested in what Black Jesus is up to. Rocked a tidy Hitler-esque mustache. 4:1

08. Barak Obama - The President, always a man of intrigue. This day in age with the challenges the United States have been facing both at home and abroad it's certainly a difficult time to be the man in charge, '11 was a challenging year, but it's 2012 that will be make or break in determining his long term legacy. 1:1 It's an election year! 


07. Derek Jeter - First Yankee ever to hit 3000 hits! Digest that. Arguably the most historic franchise in professional sports and Jeter stands a top the franchise in a sport that holds it's statistical milestones on a pedestal like no other. He did it in GQ fashion as only Jeter could hitting a home-run for number 3000, going 5-5 on the day and driving in the game winning run. I don't like many Yanks but Jeter is a baller. And he reportedly gives gift bags of memorabilia to his romances (read: conquests), a gentleman. 50:1

06. Mike Tyson/Charlie Sheen - Tyson always makes the list (for obvious reasons), sharing the spot this year with roast mate Charlie Sheen who was mildly interesting throughout the year with his Tyson-esque downward spiral out of sanity. 1.5/1  

05. Kanye West - Ridiculously productive last 18 months for Kanye. Guy's a really talented asshole. Stayed out of trouble for the most part. 16:1

04. Peyton Manning - Guy doesn't play and he's still a very interesting topic of conversation. His value was starkly apparent with the Colts looking absolutely listless in the early weeks of the NFL season. Losing him cost the Colts their season, and now with the Colts holding the top pick, Peyton might be out the door. So much can change in just one NFL season. 3:1 (This thing is just getting started! Read: Fearless Prediction)

03. Tim Tebow - White Jesus? Tim Tebow has been one of the most intriguing personality's in sports this past year. Christian values (as if these were a problem) and religious beliefs aside, I find Tebow to be a genuine good guy of the game; a guy who plays hard every down and refuses to give up on himself or his teammates.   Tebow has displayed a penchant for winning, as well as poor quarterback play, two things whose stars rarely align for greatness. Tebow is a polarizing figure, there are those who can't help but respect his track record for winning. While others find it nearly impossible to remain apologetic of a dismal completion percentage, yards per catch, low QBR and general poor QB play. Watch a Denver game and you'll find yourself thinking, "I know a guy who could have made that throw" following a Tebow 20 yard overthrow of a man streaking wide open. These things happen but you can't deny that Tebow took the 1-4 Broncos and led them to the playoffs. (Of course, say what you will about the AFC West.) 20:1

02. Lebron James - Another polarizing figure in '11 was Lebron James, who incidentally has the exact opposite problem as Tebow. He is arguably the best player at his sport, he just hasn't found a way to win on the big stage. (I realize Tebow hasn't won on the NFL's BIG stage) 2011 saw Lebron James, superfriend Dwayne Wade and their merry band of Miami Heat attempt to live up to their preseason parades and press conference posturing. In the end, the Heat were outdone by the underdog Dallas Mavericks, enlarging the size of the monkey to that of an ape now on Lebron's back at this point. Lebron continues to stumble on the biggest stage and, because of his villain image, this continues to delight us. Lebron was probably the player I would most miss watching if it weren't for this season coming together. No doubt it's Bron who has the league garnering it's best ratings in years. Love em or love to hate em, it's all love. 2:1
 
01. Steve Jobs - Have become increasingly interested in Steve Jobs and what a visionary his was for this digital world all around us. In a way he was one of the bridges to our transformation into the digital age. Sadly, it took his passing to bring everything that Jobs meant to our time and place to the fore. We live in the iAge (for better or worse) and it's mostly because of this guy. RIP

Honourable Mentions -  Dirk Notwitzki, Aaron Rodgers, Jack Layton



Biggest WINNERS of  '11

Dirk Nowitzki/Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks and Dirk were both able to shake off previous claims that both the player and the team were too soft to rise to the challenge of an NBA championship. Facing the juggernaut Heat in the NBA Finals, a mid-level seed out of the West, the Mavericks were certainly the underdogs heading into the finals. But Dallas, backed by millions of Heat haters, were able to rise to the challenge. Using a combination of tough defense (Stevenson, Chandler, Marion) and timely shooting, (Dirk, Terry) the Mavs rolled over the Heat in 6, proving that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. It was a good year for the Mavericks!

Ryan Gosling/ Michael Fassbender - As mentioned above in the top films of the year, both Gosling and Fassbender have broken out in a big way in 2011. Fassbender is more of a newcomer on the scene with Gosling being a name on the precipice of super stardom since his role in The Notebook made him familiar to the masses and his role in Half Nelson gave him critically recognition, a nomination nod from the academy. Fassbender was a star in X-Men's enjoyable prequel effort and remained busy with roles in A Dangerous Method and Shame, two films that are currently in theater and have received positive reviews to this point, largely for the efforts of Fassbender.  

Tech N9ne - Tech N9ne finally made it onto the mainstream scene, appearing on Lil Wayne's Carter IV album this past summer with the banger Interlude. Pumping out his uber lengthy All 6's and 7's this past summer. Tech then released collaboration album Welcome to Strangeland in the fall. Was a good year for Tech.

Green Bay Packers - A Superbowl and a 15-1 record to follow it up. In a league that is anything but predictable from one week to the next, sounds like these guys were winners in 2011 to me. 

Honourable Mention: Tim Tebow, St. Louis Cards, Barcelona, Novak Djokovic, Rory McIlroy 

Top 11 Albums of '11: 2011  was a pretty good year for hip hop with some major label debuts from much hyped youngsters Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean and J.Cole. The year also saw some heavyweights back on the mic with Kanye West releasing his own album and collaborating with Jay Z on watch the Throne, Lil Wayne added to his Carter collection (not that you'll see that reflected in our list here) and Drake continued to make a name for himself as a player for years to come. We also had some surprising new talents shine in Big K.R.I.T. and Kendrick Lamar. All told 2012 was a good year for Hip Hop.

(Of note: I've included an Out of 10 ranking here for each album which will be confusing because the scores may not entire reflect their positions on this board, which seems contradictory. But remember this list is my top 10 albums of the year. For instance I recognize that Wiz Khalifa's album Rolling Papers was somewhat of a dud, you won't see it on any critically acclaimed top 10 lists, but I listened to that album a tonne. It just makes me a poor decision maker. Noted. It's like the guy who says Transformers is his favorite movie, and he's watched it 46 times, it's high on his list, but it's not a 10. So yeah, sometimes I recognize an album to be generally less flawed and yet I've enjoyed it less than another album on the whole. Maybe because of a few high points and low points, as opposed to a consistency. For instance I think Watch The Throne has some scintillating material on it, possessing some of the highest peaks of the year music-wise (Otis, Murder To Excellence), meanwhile it suffers lyrically at times with the redundancy of being told how rich and powerful Kanye and the Jigga Man are. Still a great album to ride to and party to. I know, just writing this, I'm thinking this makes no sense, maybe, just maybe, what I'm suggesting, while it appears to be contradictory, might only be paradoxical. Juss sayin.)

Without further ado, my Top 11 Albums of '11

11. Rolling Papers - Wiz Khalifa - On the list solely because of the number of rotations this LP got from me. I can't leave this off the list and feel honest about it. Listen to..... Wake Up, When I'm Gone, Black and Yellow 6/10

10. The Wonder Years - 9th Wonder - Great compilation album from a premier beatsmith. If you like samples and soul music, this is a great album for you. Some relative unknowns on the tracklist but their is the presence of Phonte, former member of Big Brother with 9th Wonder, who holds it down as the two seem like they haven't missed a beat. Listen to.....Band Practice Ft. Phonte and Median, Never Stop Loving You Ft. Talib Kweli and Terrace Martin, No Pretending Ft. Raekwon and Big Remo 8/10

09. Take Care - Drake - Take Care serves as an open account, revealing the past 12 months of Drake's   life, unveiling the tension that exists between his rise to fame and the drawbacks of emerging fame. This collection of offerings expose both the niceties, as well as the struggles, of a life under the microscope. Technically Drake has improved, expanding beyond simply being a #hashtag rapper, his crooning has improved as well. The future is bright. Listen to.... Headlines, Marvin's Room, Over My Dead Body 8/10

08. Greatest Story Never Told - Saigon - After years of delay and set back Saigon finally releases a studio LP,  it's worth the wait. In a word, gritty. Saigon has waited nearly 10 years to finally get his message out their and he makes the most of his opportunity. Listen to.....The Greatest Story Never Told, Friends, It's Alright 8.5/10

07. Section 80 - Kendrick Lamar - Compton MC Kendrick Lamar burst on the seen this summer with Section 80, a disciple of the Dre camp, Lamar represents a more introspective look at the hood, preferring to shine a light revealing the dark aspects of the hood, rather than gloat in it's suffering like many others in this day in age.  Listen to.....Reagan Era, Fuck Your Ethnicity, Hiiipower 8/10

06. Watch The Throne - Jay Z, Kanye West - Jay Z and Kanye prove they can co-exist both in the studio and on the mic in this high powered anthem generating mega success they call watchin' the throne. Listen to.....Otis, No Church in the Wild Ft. John Legend, Murder to Excellence  8.5/10

05. Cole World: A Sideline Story - Long anticipatedmajor label solo  debut from the one known as Young Simba. A few rehashed tracks were the byproduct of the recent mixtape phenomenon but other than that minor gripe this is a dope album and I listened to it lots in the past few months. Cole brings a fresh headiness to the game, punctuated by his ability to mesh popular cultural references within more complex themes and structures. Listen to.....Cole World, Lost Ones, Mr. Nice Watch Ft. Jay-Z 8/10

04. Pl3dge - Killer Mike - Another installment in Killer Mike's Pledge series, Pl3dge might be Mike's best yet. If you like southern rap and you like listening to someone with something to say than certainly check this album out, it was one of my go-to's in 2011. Kind of reminds of Scarface's The Fix in that it's an underrated album from a third coast that likely won't get its props. Listen to..... Ready, Set, Go Remix Ft. TI and Big Boi, That's Life 2, Ric Flair 8.5/10

03. All 6s and 7s and Welcome to Strangeland (Collabo Album) - Tech N9ne - All 6's and 7's sees Tech N9ne begin his 2011 transformation into a more radio friendly emcee, a tough evolution to complete without selling out. Tech still explores some of the stranger sides of life, he just seems to do it with a more positive outlook. His word play has never been in question. Listen to.....He's a Mental Giant, Strangeland, Am I A Psycho 8/10,  and Welcome to Strangeland served notice that Tech N9ne had energy to burn in 2011 with his early release already having an extended length.  Listen to.....Who Do I Catch Now, Slave Ft Kutt Calhoun, Krizz Kaliko, Noose Ft. Mayday 8/10

02. Return of 4eva - Big K.R.I.T. - There's a lengthy review that shows my support of this album in a previous blog. I liked this album immensely and still listen to it regularly, a testament to it's craft.  Can't wait for K.R.I.T. to drop his first major label debut in '12. Could be K.R.I.T.'s year to breakout. (read: fearless prediction) Listen to.....Dreamin', American Rapstar, My Sub 8.5/10

01. Undun - The Roots - This album might be getting a boost because of it's novelty to me right now, it's getting the most play in my itunes the past couple of weeks. The Roots have truly improved as musicians over the years and are now champions of their sound and Black Thought shows that he has not lost a step along the way either. A short play time, the album breezes by, just push play. Listen to.....Make My Ft. Big K.R.I.T. and Dice Raw, One Time Ft. Phonte,  9/10

Honourable Mention: REKS - Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme, Raekwon - Shoalin Vs. Wu Tang Clan (Maybe I owe this another look) Sorry Lupe Fiasco and Big Sean,  Lasers and Finally Famous simply did not make the cut, better luck next year. 

Biggest Losers of  '11:

Jerry Sandusky - One of the biggest stories of 2011 was also it's worst. Jerry Sandusky was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault on young men, children even , whom he encountered during his time working on the campus at Penn State. This is a despicable story and we're all losers for living in a
world where attempts are/were made to let perverts like this go on living their lives while young people are eternally scarred, for the sake of not rocking the boat? This story deeply saddens me about our state of apathy and lack of desire to take charge and seek change. The rest of these losers pale in comparison.


NHL Hockey Fans - No Sid the Kid for basically all of '11 and counting. Undeniably the games best player is leaving fans to wonder what could have been rather than what is. Get well Sid.

Lebron James - Lost the finals and was the butt of countless jokes as the masses reveled in watching James disappear during the the most important moments of the finals. His disappearance was a far cry from his in-your-face-im-taking-my talents-to-south-beach-to-win-6-or-7-titles-decision-blowout-bonanza. James made some poor decisions in '10 and they played out to make him look like a real loser in '11. I think James rights the ship in '12 , takes the necessary steps to winning the chip and cleans up his image in the process, landing him in the Winners of '12 section. (read: fearless prediction)

Boston Red Sox - Epic collapse followed by a massive shit flinging. Make it poor losers.  

Dishonourable Mention: Adam Sandler (Jack and Jill, Just Go With It?) , Joe Paterno (Guilty by Association - Should have done more), Lupe Fiasco (Yes - Lasers disappointed me this much, not even "American Terrorist III" could make up for that), Charlie Sheen


Top 11 Miscellaneous Good Things That Deserve a Spot on a '11 List:

11. Lionel Messi and Barcelona - Only soccer/futbol shout out that you're going to see in here, but 2011 was a huge year for the club team Barcelona. (Champions League Champions, Fifa Club World Cub, Spanish Super Cup) Messi was a big part of that trophy haul, cementing himself as the most talented football player in the world in 2011.

10. Simpson Catch - We've all seen the replay by now, but just one more time.

09. Wilco's The Whole Love - Great to have Wilco back. Not that Sky, Blue, Sky or Wilco were bad albums, they just weren't as challenging and/or dynamic as Yankee Foxtrot Hotel or A Ghost Is Born (IMHO). I've been digging this album since my first listen, and it continues to grow.

08. Michael Rapaport's documentary Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest -If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor. Here's the trailer.

07. Grantland - I love this Bill Simmons spin off site. This is where I go for a lot of my sports and pop culture reading among others. 2011 saw the site develop after years of writing for ESPN.

06. Frank Ocean - Thinking About You - I liked this song since I blogged about it, nearly 7 or 8 months ago. Had to get a shout out!

05. Last Day of the MLB Season - What a great finish that day was. Two games in which the seasons of multiple ball clubs game down to the final pitch. Was a memorable pennant and wild card race to be sure! Of course, that is unless you're a Red Sox fan.

04. Blake Griffin's Dunks - Let the video speak for itself. Take it away ROY.

03. UConn Huskies - NCAA Championship for Kemba Walker and crew. The Huskies outlasted a strong but even field to walk away the winners of March Madness in 2011. Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb hit big shots down the stretch and their rugged Big East defensive style held up in an impressive run through the tourney.

02. St. Louis Cardinals Big Comeback - The Cards entire season was one big comeback and this was never more true than in the bottom of the ninth in Game 6.

01. Roger Craig's Two True Daily Doubles - I watch Jeopardy on a pretty consist basis and this was mind blowing as far as Jeopardy goes. Remember this feat was accomplished in the tournament of champions, playoffs as far as Jeopardy is concerned, Roger Craig makes two ballsy calls, answering the bell on each of them becoming Jeopardy's 2011 Champion a quarter million dollar prize. Cojones.  

 

*Of note - Roger Craig also owns the single day Jeopardy scoring record from a day during his time as champion. Trivia Baawws. 

Reflections Part I B Hip Hop 2.0 Top 20 Songs of 2011: I'm gonna throw a top 20 together on it's own in a follow-up blog and I'll link each song on there so as not to make this the longest scroll ever. Plus, one less thing to sort out before publishing this.

And finally, Part II will feature my 12 New Years Resolutions for 2012:

Stay tuned

Wildcard Weekend Predictions - Reflections and Resolutions blog to come shortly

Wildcard Weekend Predictions: I wanted to have my whole blog done in time but I'm not quite there so I'll throw these up before the games get started and have the blog up and ready tomorrow sometime. So without further ado, it's playoff time and it's win or go home. Here's the way I see it going down.

Houston -4 over Cincy - A lot of people like Cincy here because of rookie TJ Yates as the Houston QB. Remember Dalton too, is a rookie and Cincy hasn't won any meaningful games down the stretch so I'm not expecting it to start here. I think Yates is good enough to win this one for the Texans, but if Delhomme gets into the action all bets are off. Houston

Lions +10.5 to cover against Saints- I don't expect the Lions to cover but I do expect them to be able to continue to put points on the board through til the final horn, giving them a shot at cover a spread of more than double digits. Without the .5 this might have swung the other way for me.

Falcons +3 over Giants - I would take the Falcons on the money line here because I believe they will win this game. The Giants are back to feeling good about themselves and that's never been a good thing, I'd like their chances more on the road in this spot. Anyway I think the Falcons have played pretty good football all year and that will be enough to get them by the G-Men this weekend.

Steelers -8.5 over Broncos - In the book of Tebow it reads; And on third loss Tebow was ridiculed and tormented for his inadequacies. They rebuked him and turned on their former savior just because he threw the ball to more members of the Bills team than Broncos. They lost faith and drove stakes in him (not literally, verbal stakes folks) just because he lost the most important game of the season to his former mentor, turned back up, turned exile, turned back up, turned starter, Kyle Orten. But it also reads... on the 4th game, Tebow rose from the ashes and led the Broncos to the unlikeliest of playoff upsets over the vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers. What do you believe? Personally I'm atheist to this sort of thing. The cult of Tebow is over.

NBA Lunacy Continues: A Comprehensive Take, Hip Hop 2.0 and a few other Odds and Ends.

(Author's disclaimer: This took me so long that it's now near irrelevant with everything that's already gone down in the free agency frenzy that's gone on in the NBA to this point, but hopefully it serves some purpose. For instance the "Chris Paul can't go to LA" has taken things to a whole 'nother level of "Wow, did that just happen, er, more surprisingly, unhappen?" I think if David Stern could have a do over on that one, he would have let things be, but it's too late for that now, what's done is done. Biggest losers would have to be the Lakers; who never gained Chris Paul, and lost the overly sensitive Lamar Kardashian in the process, and the Hornets, who have lost a good deal here and will continue to lose leverage the longer it takes to make a deal and now with the leadership in the Hornet's front office in a total clusterfuck - does Dell Demps have no power? do you have to make a deal that all 31 other owners like? Isn't that messed up? Anyway couldn't release this without that note, as the NBA seems to have completely lost control.)

P.S. If you're not a basketball fan, you're probably gonna want to skip all the way down the page straight away. Here we go.

Who's your girl? You know the one that you could never really get over? The one who played tricks on your heart just cause she could and you didn't really mind - cause you mostly wished she would. You don't don't know why but you kept looking up her number. A fool's hope? Maybe, but it always felt fun anyway, even the painful moments made you still feel alive. So here we are, the NBA wronged me, the system was (still is) stupid, but like that old flame who once did me wrong, I'm hopelessly incapable of not looking back her way. Not looking for that message, that call, that chance to smooth things over, only inevitably, to be wronged once again. I know it's coming, but NBA, you're so exciting, so endearing, of course' I'll welcome you back into my life. And that is how a vicious abusive relationship is maintained in my world. It's all about second chances folks!       

So there you have it, the lock out, I'm over it - pricks.

Let's focus on the future and what's new and different and more importantly exciting for 2011-12. Aside from the major change, which will see the players recover only somewhere between 49-51 percent of the basketball generated revenue, compared to the 57 percent they acquired according to the old deal. Last year's basketball generated revenue was in the ballpark of 3.8 billion dollars, so we can safely assume Latrell was making enough to feed his kids, regardless of the head count, and even at 50 percent the players are still not the poor victims they've portrayed themselves as throughout the lockout. That said the players do stand to lose, nearly a billion dollars over the course of the 10 year period of the deal. Which will likely not last that long as both sides can option out after 6 years, something either side will do if they feel they are getting the short end of the stick. With TV deals set to expire around that time, leverage may have shifted into the players favour by then. Regardless, we need not start fretting over the next lockout for at least another 6 years.

I'll start with some of the systemic changes to the league, I'll try not to become too "jargony" in my explanations and just keep to the plain and simple as it can get a bit complex in a few areas, or for lack of a better word, boring. One of the biggest changes and something the owners clamoured for is the new "amnesty clause", this clause enables teams to come out from under a burdensome contract that is severely limiting the flexibility of their payroll (read: Rashard Lewis). This wrinkle will allow the owners to cut ties with a deal gone terribly sour, an while they still have to pay said player's deal, it no longer counts against the team's salary cap. So in the case of a player like Rashard Lewis that frees up in 43 million dollars in cap space over the next two years. No that was not a typo, if the Wiz 'amnesty' Lewis, that's 21 million they can now use to pursue other free agents this off season alone, and the rest is off the books for next year as well.

- Amnesty - (n) (pl. amnesties) 1. a general pardon, esp for political offences. 2. a period during which people may admit an offence without fear of prosecution.

That's the Oxford English dictionary's definition an it seems pretty apropos. I just wish each general manager who signed one of these "amnesty" worthy deals had to publicly call a press conference, admit their transgression, and apologize to their franchises' fans, that's what I want to see. Just a little accountability, that's all I'm asking for. So with that let's take a look at some my top 5 most overpaid/terrible deals currently on payroll in the L. Needless to say, these players are prime candidates to see their teams execute their newly acquired amnesty clause.

Rashard Lewis ($43.8m/2 years remaining).

Gilbert Arenas ($62.4/ 3 years remaining)

Travis Outlaw ($28m/ 4 years remaining) 

Baron Davis ($28.7m/ 2 Years remaining)

Brandon Roy ($68.7m / 4 years remaining) (This one is almost not fair because if Brandon Roy were to stay healthy he would just be overpaid and not be an 'amnesty guy', but as it stands, this is a crippling contract over the next 4 years for an injured player; think the Allan Houston deal in New York, or my nightmares for the past 10 years.)

Jose Calderon ($20.3m/ 2 years remaining) (I included this one because I assume most of my readers are unfortunate fans of the Toronto Raptors, this is you amnesty guy folks!)

Another change that went in the owners favour was the change to shorter contracts, the owners took one year off the previous length of the deals, which makes sense to me. As thw following has been a developing trend for years; player X is in a contract year, player X plays hard, plays to their potential and in the off season gets overpaid with a multi-year deal in a general managers attempt to acquire their talents, player X, now set for the next 5 years, promptly mails it in and plays at a value far below the worth of the contract thus infuriating the fans and coaches of franchise X.

In this case, player X is Jerome James and franchise X is the New York Knicks. James signed a deal worth 5 years/ 30million back in 2005 to which you respond, "who is Jerome James"? Exactly my point, these were the deals that we're killing the NBA. You can see his 09-10 stats (the final season of his Knicks deal here to the left <-----. This is only kind of a joke, because it is a true story and there are countless other examples just like it. (Well, most aren't nearly this bad, yay Knicks!). The new deal isn't perfect but at least we'll have to put up with one year less of these deals. And who knows maybe the owners have wised up and won't indulge in bunch of the deals that leave a look on your face similiar to the the one Raptors fans must have shared when it was announced they had signed Amir Johnson for 34m /5 years. Seriously, for that signing alone Colangelo should have been let go (read: fired) on the spot, not re-signed to an extension. IMHO. So contracts shortened by one season, teams can re-sign players for 5 years and new teams can sign players for 4 year terms. Probably still too long for my liking but, again, no one has a gun to the owners head stating they must sign the plays to full length max contracts.

The trade rules have changed somewhat, in the past the collective salaries of those parties switching teams had to be within 125 percent of one another, that total has now been upped to 150 percent increasing trade flexibility and making it easier to complete possible trades. One exception/difference will come when sign and trades are no longer allowed. You know the deal, the player signs with his own team for the max length of the contract and for the max money and is immediately dealt, a loophole in the system, this loophole will be covered in two years time, meaning players will finally have to decide between the security of that extra year, or their desire to play somewhere else.

So we've got shorter contracts, less chance for the owners to screw up their own teams, though they still will. (As we will see when we look at the need for spending this off season the free agent pool to choose from) it just won't be for as long, by the same player.

One change that benefits the players is a series of bonuses that actually promote and reward achievement, imagine that. If a player, like say Derrick Rose or Kevin Love, overachieves in the early years of their rookie contract by making All Star teams and All-NBA teams then that player is now entitled to a larger extension salary. Something that actually makes sense, all we need now is a penalty for players who dramatically underachieve the expectations of their contracts. This is only logical, therefore it will never happen. 

So that's the new and different (the overpaying of mediocre role players will be no different, but remains highly laughable) and at long last here's what has me excited for the coming season:

a) The New York Knickerbockers - I must begin with my beloved New York Knicks. Finally relevant in the world of professional basketball once again. This revival comes after years of mediocrity, bloated contracts, under-achieving-chucker point guards (sorry Steph), and outright general poor play weighing us down. (Quite literally in the case of Eddy Curry on most of these accounts.)  Last year the Knicks took a new direction; the superstars and scrubs direction, selling the kitchen sink to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the Nuggets - about 3 quarters, two dimes and a nickle to get a crispy dollar in return. This left us with Amare Stoudemire, Melo, Chauncey Billups and, well, not much else. With the Big 2 + 1 eating up over 50 million cap dollars and no one else on the team making over 1.8m. Eeek. Toney Douglas has shown himself to be a serviceable back up pg who can change the pace and provide a scoring boost. In spite of the fire sale that was the purchase of Carmelo Anthony, I was behind the trade at the time and still am today. We came away with the best player in the deal and that player is in his prime. He and Amare give the Knicks two bonafide stars, and as such they will be counted on to do the heavy lifting, especially in the scoring column. Our back court could certainly use a lift as Billups based days are behind him barring a post 30, Nash-like resurgence, which I'm not counting on.  In fact he very well could be an amnesty type contract for us to free up space this year, and an interesting pick up for a team needing a veteran PG on the cheap. We'd love to have him but not for the money. As far as our guard play? Where will we get a lift? The obvious answer is Chris Paul. Who, in spite of the lockout's attempt to empower it's small market teams ability to hold on it's superstars, has already conceded he will opt out of his contract at season's end and has tagged New York as his preferred destination. It seems unlikely that we could land Chris Paul but we will certainly need some improved guard play if we hope to make a run. Early reports have us picking up Tyson chandler which we dramatically improve our defence and give us arguably the best front line in all of professional basketball. Good things are underway here.

- The 2 week NBA Off-Season Bonanza is well underway. This should be bonkers. Because of the lockout there hasn't been an NBA off season to this point and when the lockout ends on December the 9th, shit is going to hit the fan! For one thing, as part of the new CBA, every team needs to spend AT LEAST 85% of the cap for the next two years, that total then goes up to 90% after that. At present the cap sits at 58 million and the luxury tax line is 70 million. (With increased taxation for those who overspend, to penalize the Lakers and Mavericks of the league -teams who annually over spend compared to the smaller market squads.) This is an attempt to have everyone's spending on a somewhat even playing field. An attempt at competitive balance if you will. Because of this wrinkle, several teams will have plenty of Christmas shopping to do in order to fill out their training camp rosters in time for the Christmas Day start date to the NBA season. Furthermore, we'll get to see the effects of the new "Amnesty Clause" as teams begin to choose to how they will deal with the dead weight on their teams. Will they pull the chute on those contracts or wait until the free agent crop improves next NBA off season, when they will also have a better handle on the CBA and how the whole Amnesty thing is going to play out. Usually this would all play out over the course of the 4 month period between the end of June and end of October, but not this year, this year we get to see all the mayhem go down at once in a 2 week free for all. What's more, is that the teams have all this spending to do, and the free agent class this year is just fair, to say the least. So what does that equal, you got it, more bad contracts! Yay! We're right back into the situation that led to a lockout in the first place. This is why it may have been better to blow the system up than to simply band-aid it, but I digress. Here's my the top 5 teams most under the cap, these teams will have to make moves to get to the 85% minimum.

Top 5 Teams Way Under the Cap
1. Washington: $34.4 million (including Lewis' amnesty clause)
2. Denver: $33 million (including Harrington's A.C.)
3. Indiana: $28.5 million (including Posey's A.C.)
4. Sacramento: $26.2 million
5. New Jersey: $23.1 million (including Outlaw's A.C.)

6. Toronto: $17.7 million (including Calderon's A.C.)

Top 5 Teams Looking to Make a Splash (Spend Now and Win Now)

New Jersey Nets

Houston Rockets

New York Knicks
Los Angeles Lakers

Indiana Pacers

Top 5 Free Agents Available* Italics if no longer available

Guards - Jamal Crawford, Baron Davis (after he's amnestied), Aaron Afflalo, Rodney Stuckey, Jason Richardson (Orlando)

Forwards - David West (Indiana) , Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia), Caron Butler (LAC), Vince Carter (Dallas) , Shane Battier (Heat)

Centers - Marc Gasol (Memphis), The Man Known Simply as Nene, Tyson Chandler (Knicks) Chris Kaman

What's also interesting is this; most years the most highly coveted free agents at each position are scooped up first, setting the standard or bar for subsequent players value across the board at that position during that off season. This year, that's all out the window as teams must begin right away to fill there teams regardless of  where the marquee free agents land, though they'll surely be looking to land those as well. There will still be that trend to some degree but certainly not in the same way it's been in past years. And finally, we get to see what's going to happen with Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. With CP3's open admission that he does not intend to re-sign with the Hornets next season, he has all but forced their hand. If the Hornets hope to avoid a situation similar to the hostage takeover Carmelo Anthony performed in Denver last season, they'd be well served to trade Paul away as soon as possible and I think that's exactly what they'll be looking to do. The situation with Dwight Howard is very much the same, although he's been a little more wishy-washy about his plans to leave. Though I think anyone who has followed the NBA closely has him leaving at the season's end and if the Magic hope to get anything in return I'd expect him to be on the move before too long as well. And that's just the tip of the of the free agent iceberg. It should make for an exciting next couple weeks complete with more poor money management by NBA GM's, coupled with optimistic fans, only to quickly become disappointed when they realize their disillusionment, and are left to scream, "oh wait, we paid THAT for THIS!?!" Enjoy.  

- The Return of the King - Once again one of the most talked about and anticipated seasons will be that of Lebron James and the Miami Heat. As polarizing a team as there ever was, you either love them, or, more likely, you love to hate them. It's no secret that many revelled in watching the Heat choke away their championship aspirations down the stretch in last years finale. And we all enjoyed the LeBron jokes that followed.

Public enemy number one, LeBron James, the best basketball player on the planet, all around douche bag. Apparently this is an image Lebron wishes to shed following last season seeming embrace of the villain image, maybe being hated wasn't for him and it's what led to his collapse in the playoffs. If that's the case, ditch the image, and become a winner Lebron. Lebron has spent the offseason sans headband, smiling incessantly, making self deprecating jokes about himself in McDonald's commercials and generally being an all around good guy, will this shake his villain tag remains to be seen, I can't think the fans will be quick to forgive and forget not to mention it's far easier to root for David over Goliath. 

That said, this off season should provide an already potent Heat line up with an opportunity to grab a few more veterans and possibly a player of Shane Battier's ilk with the mid-level exception. Because of the way last season ended, and with the sky high expectations of this coming season, the Heat remain the highest for of drama the NBA has to offer. Remaining the unquestioned team to beat for now, at least until we see where the dust settles with NBA free agency and the potential movement of Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. 

Wow... that took so long, here's the latest instalment of the Hip Hop 2.0. Keeping you up to date on the best new hip hop as it happens dating back to the last couple months. Only a few new tracks this week after a whole new chart was unveiled just over a week ago.

Hip Hop 2.0
Lw Tw

18. 20.     Underground Kings - Drake

na. 19.     On Time - The Roots Ft. Phonte and Dice Raw

na. 18.     Need Some Bad - Slick Rick

na. 17.     American Terrorist III - Lupe Fiasco (New song over the song "Night Call" by Kavinsky, which you may recognize from the new film "Drive")

10. 16.     Toast to the Dead - Immortal Technique

na. 15.     Believer - Common Ft. John Legend

16. 14.     5 on the Kush - B.O.B. Ft. Big K.R.I.T., Bun B
15. 13.     Cole World - J. Cole

na. 12.     Who Do I Catch? - Tech N9ne (High Debut of the Week - With an Official Video)

09. 11.     Murder to Excellence - Jay Z and Kanye West

12. 10.    I Do - Young Jeezy Ft. Jay-Z, Andre 3000

11. 09.    Slave - Tech N9ne Ft. Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Kalhouny

05. 08.    Let's Roll -Yelawolf Ft. Kid Rock

08. 07.    Lightwork - Lupe Fiasco Ft. Ellie Goulding and Bassnectar

06. 06.    Ambition - Wale Ft. Rick Ross, Meek Mill

07. 05.    Mr. Nice Watch - J.Cole Ft. Jay-Z

02. 04.    Sweet - Common

04. 03.    Interlude - Lil Wayne, Ft. Tech N9ne, Andre 3000 

03. 02.    Headlines - Drake

01. 01.    Make My - The Roots Ft. Big K.R.I.T.

Odds and Ends:  Baseball's Winter Talks have started to heat up and the BIG winners early on are the Anaheim Angels, signing Albert Pujols to a 10 year deal, reportedly in the 250-260 million dollar range, also know as Jordan money or Arab money. Ludicrous dollars there. The Angels also signed former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson. The newly minted Miami Marlins are also making a splash, as expected, landing Jose Reyes, and Mark Beurhrle. Here's hoping  the Jays find a way to land Prince Fielder as J.P. Ricciardi has proven to be a skillful G.M. to this point - and the acquisition of closer Sergio Santos should prove to be a valuable piece as the Jays look to continue to improve as a ball club... Saw J. Edgar over the weekend with my father, though it was just fair. I realize it was a biopic so it's going to be less a story with an intriguing plot and more just a character piece, on that level I thought it was alright, but it dragged on at over 2 hours and was not all that entertaining, as far as I was concerned... Also had the chance to see Drive and it was awesome and well worth seeing, comes highly recommended. How was Kayne West's My Beautiful Twisted Fantasy not nominated for a record of the year award? One of the premiere albums of the year in my estimation, easy guy to hate sure, but you've got to respect what he's accomplished with this album.... Furthermore what the hell is the difference between "Song of the Year" and "Record of the Year"? Are those not virtually the exact same thing? And no it's not "like the difference between a song and an album?" Because there's already an Album of the Yer award for that....Screw the Grammy's. Albums dropping this week that are worth a peek are hmm Naughty by Nature's "Anthem, Inc." and Snoop and Wiz dropped another Stoner album but nothing to see here, go back to Tech N9ne's recent "Welcome to Strangeland"  or Drake's "Take Care". Next week we have Common's new "The Dreamer / The Believer" album and it sounds good so far.... in theatres this week we have "The Sitter" and Robert Downey's newest "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" film. Doesn't seem "Tinker, Tailor Solider Spy"is going to be making it our way, but who knows, hopefully the Dieppe Theatre opens again soon and our options are expanded. Have a good week folks!

Week 14 Picks, Blog to Come.

Been working on a blog all week and it's still not quite ready to post so I'll post these picks before it's too late, expect the rest of the blog tomorrow.

Picks of the Week: After going 3-0 with my picks last week (4-0 if you include the OVER bet I alluded to in my pick for Carolina over Tampa Bay)

New England over Washington - I'll lay the points with the Pats travelling to Washington this week. The Redskins aren't exactly a juggernaut at home and I'm betting the loss of one of their best pass catchers (Fred Davis) and their best offensive lineman means they won't find the points to keep pace with the Pats this week. Beyond that I hope Gronkowski carries DeAngelo Hall all the way down the field on his back. (NE -8)

Miami over Philadelphia - I'll gladly take the Fins at home to cover a spread of less than a field goal against the disappointing Eagles. Miami has been red hot of late and are still not getting the credit they deserve after starting out 0-7. The Eagles on the other hand continue to be over valued based on the players on the team rather than the teams performance. Of course I've rode the Eagles to losses week after week so go figure that they will likely pull off the 'upset' this week rather than theoretically being 'upset'.(Miami -3)

Denver over Chicago - Who are the 5 greatest quarterbacks of all time? Tebow, Tebow, Tebow, Tebow, and Tebow. Cause he spits hot fire, er, wins football games. (Den -3.5)

San Francisco over Arizona - I don't think Arizona is a terrible squad but I think San Fran is a truly elite defence and they continue to prove themselves as a safe bet, covering the spread week after week. I think Kevin Kolb gets exposed this week and the Cards have their answer as to whether we was worth all that money they sent his way this past off season. San Fran continues to take it to the teams it should beat and I expect them to cover this minuscule spread for a  10-2 vs a 4-7 squad. (SF -3.5)

Yeah that's 4 favourites, so what, ya wanna fight about it? Remember WWTD.