The Schwam Goes Off!

Gangsta D:

Damn Chris. How do you really feel?



Wow. Like...wow. Oh yeah, wow. I think he said Jesus more often in a minute and a half than T.D. Jakes said in his entire sermon last Sunday:)

Da Realist:

That was funny as hell. I'm not gonna bust his balls though. Sometimes a man gets frustrated. That sounds like me sometimes i gotta admit. I come home after a long day and my precious daughter still thinks she's at daycare. She's yelling, screaming and jumping on everything like she has no sense. I try to take a nap. Da Wife casually tells her to be quiet 1000 times while Da Kid happily ignores her 1000 times. When I bust out of the room this is what I sound like. :-D You could hear a mouse yawn for the next 2 hours.

Gangsta D:

Oh man, I would pay to see that:)

Yeah, people give Berman a lot of crap but I could see how he could get frustrated. I had to snap on a dude in college once, during senior year, and everybody was like "Damn, did you hear about D going off on dude?" Sometimes you just can't help it, especially if it has to do with your job.

Da Realist:

It's normal. I couldn't tell you all the things I heard come out of my (deacon) father's mouth growing up. What i don't like is the self-righteous type that will try to get people fired or embarassed for things like this. I don't advocate cursing your co-workers out by any means, but sometimes it pays to have a little understanding.

Gangsta D:

True. Trying to get someone fired is douchebaggish. But you do need to let people know what the deal is sometimes. My boss cusses people out on the regular. I've heard curse word combinations I hadn't dreamed of until I started working here:)

Hat tip: Deadspin Read more!

You're Out Of Touch? Is The NBA Out Of Time?

Da Realist:

I can't explain to you how out of touch I am with NBA basketball this year. It's really sad. This is the first year in the last 6 that I did not order the NBA package. And i haven't really missed it. I may catch a game here or there, but for the most part I'll see the scores on sportscenter while i'm in the gym.

Gangsta D:

The old man returns once again:)

How can this year be the year you tune out? Forget about the east, the West is crazy this year. All the surprise teams, Chris Paul turning into isiah Thomas right before our eyes, the possible decline of the Spurs, the rise of Andrew Bynum(pre-knee subfluxation), the emergence of LaMarcus Aldridge. There's tons to get into this year. The NBA is fine, and if they would contract a couple teams, it would be off the hook.

Da Realist:

I'm ashamed of myself. 23 year old [Realist] would not recognize me. I...just...don't...feel the regular season anymore. I look back to 99 when I used to go to my boy's crib and watch those thursday night double headers until 1am. And then watch the after game show! Now...the reg season just doesn't mean that much to me anymore. I've lost my innocence.

Waldini:

You're not intrigued by the possibility of where Jason Kidd will land?!?! That's a joke.

The league really needs NY, Boston, Philly, Chicago, Detroit, and LA (Lakers not Clippers) to all be playing at least .500 ball or better to keep the fan's interest. Well at least 4 of them anyways. As great as the Hornets' or Blazers' story is this year is or how cool Chris Bosh's All Star campaign is, people don't care unless they play in the major markets.

Sucks b/c I like watching Chris Paul who;s about to become the first PG in nearly 15 years to average 20 pts, 10 asst for a season. And he prbly won't win MVP which is said considering a PG earlier this decade won it for averaging 15 and 12

Gangsta D:

Well 3 out of 6 ain't bad:)

Da Realist:

I don't know what it is because back in the day I used to watch all the games. But that may be because we didn't have that many options. Tues and Thurs on TBS and after January sundays on CBS. There are so many more options now. You almost need a Barkley vs Dominique to pull someone toward a regular season game. Duncan vs Lebron ain't doing it for me in January.

I do think the NBA has a problem on it's hands. If I don't care then you know the casual fan sure doesn't. This will never be considered, but maybe less is more. Cut a few of these teams to increase the talent level of the ones that are left. Who does chris paul play with? Who did isiah thomas play with? See the difference? Who does Kevin Durant play with? Who did Shawn Kemp play with? Just a thought.

Gangsta D:

Expansion kills everything. Did we really need to add two Canadian teams in the 90's? Did Charlotte really need another team after running the old one out? Contraction would be a great move, will never happen, but it would be a good idea. Imagine how deep teams would be. 2nd units would be more inclined to maintain the intensity of the 1st unit.

Da Realist:

Considering one of those Canadian teams moved to Memphis, the answer is no :-)

Contraction may boost the NBA's popularity back to early 90's level. In a few years, the NFL would pull out of the christmas day game altogether.

Great idea, but like you said, it will never happen. Money isn't generated on the quality of the teams or even fan interest because the ESPN cut the check already. Regardless of who watches or doesn't, the NBA is paid. The only thing ratings increase is ESPN's bottom line.

Read more!

Knicks Are This Close To The Playoffs!

Gangsta D:

Do you guys realize that the Knicks are 14-31, but only 5 games out of the playoffs? There will be a Western team with at least 45 wins that doesn't make the playoffs. How HORRRRRIBLE is that?

Waldini:

I guess that's why Dolan can't pull the trigger on firing 'Zeke. He's got them in contention and that is what he promised

Gangsta D:

Who'd ever think that 14-31 got you into contention? Although, to be fair, they have been playing better the last few weeks. Crazier things have happened. If he gets them to the playoffs, does Zeke get COY consideration? lol

Waldini:

While you laughing, he probably would get a few votes if he did. However in reality this team should not be struggling to begin with. It's not like the cupboard is bare there. You got two above average post men, decent 3s, an overrated but still sufficient PG and good energy off the bench.

Gangsta D:

He probably has too many good parts to work with. Doesn't seem like they ever have the right combo on the floor to consistently get it done.

I had high hopes for this season. I actually thought they'd be at .500, but when Steph was suspended and let back on the team, they just went into a nosedive. Now that he's not playing, they are playing better, just not consistently better.

Would you be afraid of them in a series? If Jamal Crawford gets hot, he's nasty. Z-Bo is 20/10, Eddie Curry is good enough to be 20/10, Nate Dogg might dunk on you and then try to fight you. It would be interesting, to say the least, to see them in the playoffs. Read more!

When Wrestling Was Real: The Pimp Spectacular

There really isn't any doubt that Ric Flair was the Original White Pimp. Just check out the clip below.




This dude's talking about jewels around his neck, Rolex watches, expensive shoes, and 25 chicks in a limo waiting for him. If that ain't pimpin, then Bishop Don Juan is an understated dresser. You can't tell me that the Nature Boy wouldn't fit right in at The Player's Ball. Game recognize game.

You also had to recognize his mic game. I know people love The Rock, but Ric was the original Million Dollar Mouthpiece. Just watch the clip below as he eats Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A., Nikita Koloff, and Buddy Landell for breakfast.



Check out Ric at the end of the clip. Was he cranking a "Yuaaaaah?" Solja Boy might owe this cat some royalties. Read more!

Trouble Ahead For TMF?

Da Realist:

TMF goes down in the semis to Djokovic...in straight sets no less.

Gangsta D:

Can't win them all. I guess now everyone will question whether he still has it or if he's ready to fall from his perch. I would not put money on that any time soon.

Da Realist:

Djokavic just outplayed him. It happens. Well, it doesn't happen that often to roger but still...

I think Roger is getting close to the point where he needs to tweak his game juuuuuust a little. he's always been so good that he can just play his game without taking any risks. now some of the younger guys are pushing him, meaning he has a slightly smaller margin of error than before.
Why not channel Pistol Pete and use that serve as a weapon more often and get a few cheap points? djokavic beat him from the BASELINE. And Federer's best shot (forehand) couldn't keep up today. Yet Djokavic was wheezing the last 2 sets. Why not get a few cheap points and push to the 4th set. Who knows what would've happened there. But federer kept
trying to outslug him.

As he gets older he's gonna have to take a few more risks. He has the tools. maybe one day we'll see Federer 2.0

Gangsta D:

Does he have the trust in himself to tweak his game, a la Tiger? That's the question. Is he willing to do it?

Da Realist:

We'll see. So far he has been reluctant to change his core strategy, but when you're winning 3 majors a year, who's gonna argue? It may take a few more high-profile losses before he changes his mind.

Waldini:

Well the next major coming up is the one he's never one and he didn't tweak his game after each loss from that. So does that mean it will take a loss at Wimbledon for the change to happen?

Of course, I could be overreacting

Da Realist:

Well, no one expects him to win the French so that wouldn't cause much change. But if he loses Wimbledon, there will be a little doubt seeping in. Going into New York without 1 major all year may get him to change a few tactics. But it's still early. He can still win a few majors playing the way he's been playing.

But my belief is, when this phase is over, he could win even a few more just imitating Pete (huge first and second serves, serve and volley).

He's so talented, it's ridiculous. The question is, does HE really know what he's capable of? If he stays the way he is he'll break pete's record. If he changes his game like tiger or Mike, he'll reach 20. Read more!

Old School Friday - Ain't A Hit Til Nate Dogg Spit

We're giving a little love to hip hop's greatest assist man: Nate D-O-Double G. Now just because Nate spit on a song didn't mean it was going to be a hit, necessarily, but he never made a song worse. If the song wasn't a hit, it wasn't his fault. He definitely had the Midas Touch when it came to other artists' tracks. When it came to his solo joints....not so much. But it's all good. Nate's spot in Cooperstown is on lock. On to the videos.


Luda feat Nate Dogg - Area Codes

This song is straight ignorant...but it is banging. I love it when people get excited when Luda calls out their area code. "Yeah, Luda know all about the 803." I'm like, "That dude ain't trying to hit no chicks in Columbia, SC." But I guess you gotta rep your hood. 912 up in this bitch!




Pharoah Monch feat Mos Def & Nate Dogg - Oh No

"You claim thug but go two ways without Skytel pagers." Nate Dogg spitting on an east coast track? What? It definitely took me by surprise, as Nate was strictly a west coast maven up to this point. But, the combination mos def(initely) worked[I kill me]. By the way, can we send some love to Pharoah Monch? Dude is just too slept on for words.




Warren G - Game Don't Wait

REMIX!!! While the remix is an upgrade over the album version, I didn't think that version was all that bad. Waldini, on the other hand, would like to shit on the original, burn it, then bury it in the Dead Sea. Hey, to each his own.




Dr. Dre feat Snoop & Nate Dogg - The Next Episode

"Whooptee whoop. Nigga what!?!" That shit still cracks me up eight years later. This is a situation where the song and the video are so simpatico, you'd have thought the song was written as a score to the visuals. Paul Hunter put his foot in this one. I also love the musical tag at the end of the video. Even Dre's throwaway beats are crucial.




Fabolous - Can't Deny It

Why are New Yorkers so proud of their chipped teeth? Is that a measure of gully-ness? Get that shit capped pimpin'.




Kurupt feat Roscoe & Nate Dogg - Girls All Pause

I dare you to keep from c-walking while listening to this track. I double dog dare you motherfucker!




Snoop feat Warren G, Kurupt, & Nate Dogg - Ain't No Fun

"I'm too swift on my toes to get caught up with you hoes." Nope, this isn't an official video but this song brings back so many good memories. 12th grade was so much fun. Hard to believe that was 14 years ago.





AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT


Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

You just got Rick Rolled! On the for real, this was my joint in 6th grade. Rick brought that "Ascot Pimpin'" to the game.

Read more!

Wish We All Could Do It Froggy Style

Da Realist:

Mayor busted.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick exchanged romantic text messages with a top aide, contradicting their denials in court that they had romantic ties, a newspaper reported.

Kilpatrick is married, and Beatty was married at the time.

"I'm madly in love with you," Kilpatrick wrote on Oct. 3, 2002.

"I hope you feel that way for a long time," Beatty replied. "In case you haven't noticed, I am madly in love with you, too!"

Gangsta D:

"on Beatty's city-issued pager..."

WTF?!? Why would you do that on your work phone? Come on black people, let's get it together.
Da Realist:

There are some things a cheating married man should never do. At the top of the list is telling another woman "I love you" in a way that can be saved, recorded, reproduced or recalled at a later time. Most wives can't deal with a cheating husband, but a cheating husband who tells the other woman "I love you"???

You might as well pack your bags.

Gangsta D:

Yep. Dude is pretty much a wrap. But then again, maybe he's reformed himself:)

Waldini:

Damn young blood. all the major black publications had high hopes for you. First the Fat Boys break up and now this!

Gangsta D:

People gotta start realizing that we live in the digital world. If your words, voice, actions are recorded they will come back to haunt you.

Waldini:

Whatever happened to the days of getting busted out in public. Now someone can track your texts, check your myspace page, research your cell phone history and it's a wrap....

Speaking of which, I probably need to stop emailing Amerie lol. I kid I kid

Da Realist:

France, where cheating is an artform, has an interesting view. Phone bills do not show every digit of a number because cheating is so rampant. The policy seems to be "you mind your business, i'll mind mine".

In fact, there is even a name for it. "cinq à sept", literally translates to "5-7", the time most affairs take place right after work. It's used to refer to both the person and the meetup, in the same way we use bootycall.

Wanna go to france? Be careful. Wives are FAR more open-minded about extra-marital affairs than their american counterparts. You may not be the only one involved in a "cinq à sept". :-)

Gangsta D:

Europe really is the place to be, isn't it? Lol

Da Realist:

It's definitely more open-minded. Bill Clinton would have never had a scandal there. Cheating is just not that big a deal over there (in france). I read a joke that said, "a french politician without a lover is like a gun without any bullets" because the perception is he's shooting blanks. I kid you not. We talk about all this stuff in french class.

Right now, their president, Nicolas Sarkozy, left his wife to be with Carla Bruni -- who's been linked to every hot rock star in the past century (Mick Jagger, David Bowie, etc). She's rich, Italian and speaks 3 languages fluently but the french think she's at best a groupie and at worst a whore. Yet she's about to be first lady. That's like George Bush leaving his wife and, while in office, publicly dating Jessica Simpson.

Gangsta D:

I gotta get to France. Those guys are 'bout it. Actually, they been 'bout it:)

Read more!

Viva La Revolucion!!!

Gangsta D:

It's hilarious how people don't realize that every single recorded conversation they have is potential fodder for the internet.

"How dare you call us at home! If you have a problem with
going to school, you do not call somebody's house and complain about it," Candy Tistadt's minute-long message began. At one point, she uttered the phrase "snotty-nosed little brats," and near the end, she said, "Get over it, kid, and go to school!"

Da Realist:

That's bullshit. He had no right to call the home. And to post it on the net? It may not be illegal, but it lacks taste. Snotty-nosed little brat...

Gangsta D:

It may or may not be. But you have to realize what era you're living in. You will be put on the internet, so it's best to hold your tongue unless you can say it face to face.

Da Realist:

Screw that. The only mistake that woman made was not being proud of it. If he had called me over some bs like that he would have gotten his little young ass cussed out.

Seriously. Did it warrant calls at 4am? That's just childish. And this little fuck is getting praised for "standing up for what he believed in"? We're talking about a SNOW day. Not genocide in africa. Not the national debt. A snow day.

Gangsta D:

I was waiting for the re-emergence of "Old-man Hunt." lol

If she had replied with less vitriol, it would've been squashed. He wouldn't have put the audio on Facebook and youtube, they wouldn't have got crank calls, there would be no news stories, it would've been over. Right and wrong is irrelevant. She could've saved the headaches by not flying off the handle. I guess they can take solace in being "in the right." But was that worth the embarrassment and phone calls? Sometimes, you have to think before your emotions get the best of you. Contrarily, if you don't care about the crank calls and you're not embarrassed then by all means let both barrells blaze.

Da Realist:

Don't let me do it to you dunny, cause i over-do it.

Gangsta D:

Lol. You can pretty much use a Jay-Z line to make your point in any conversation, can't you? lol

Hat tip:The Big Lead

Read more!

I Get Money! Money I Got!

Gangsta D:

$1,500 on cable?!? What is this dude watching, the Hubble Telescope? I know I hate on Shaq but that is a lot of disposable income. Guess you gotta spend it on something.

You want to know my favorite? The $114,946 that's listed as
"miscellaneous (personal)" -- you know, walking around money, pocket change so
you're never left without something to feed the meter or, I don't know, buy a
new car or two without writing a check.

Waldini:

Was this Before or After Shaunie :-)?

Gangsta D:

Probably since he's been in the league:)

$76,000 for property taxes is egregious. That's more than what some people's lives are worth:)

Da Realist:

i think this is just an exxageration of the money he "needs" every month so it doesn't go in the pot to be divided between he and his wife by a judge.

Waldini:

I would kill for my life to be worth that now :-)

Considering she got busted with her personal trainer and she couldn't find the same dirt on Big Aristotle, she may in for a rude awakening. Juanita Jordan she is not.

Gangsta D:

What he "needs" is irrelevant. There won't be anything held out of the pot to be divided. She's taking half his ish. That's just the nature of the beast. She knew she was gonna come up, the first time he mumbled sweet nothings in her ear. But, I wonder if she's gonna pay half those property taxes? Probably not:) Read more!

Of Heations and Cowboys

Waldini:

I know the Heat are bad but damn I didn't think a team with Flash and Diesel would be 20 games under .500. I actually watched 5-10 mins of their last 2 nationally televised games and I was appalled at how empty the seats were. And these are games featuring marketable teams (Bulls, Cavs). Have the Heat really sunk this far? I know they are pinning hopes on the lottery now but I don't see anyone in college that can make an immediate impact to save this sinking ship. Flash is gone in '09. Mark
my words.....

Da Realist:

Shaq 4 titles
Kobe 3

That's the basis of all these heat emails.

Waldini:

The basis is that I hate seeing cities act like bandwagon fans which shit don't go right. This team just won a title 2 years ago and this is what they get in support. It's why I got annoyed in Houston when the Astros made it to the World Series.

The Cowboys may have down years but the fans still come out and support.


Da Realist:

Speaking of cowboys. I heard an interesting debate last yesterday. Do you think it's possible that this year's patriots are better than the 1995 barry switzer cowboys?

Waldini:

For the sake of giving Gangsta a heart attack this morning, I say yes.

Gangsta D:

They're better than the '95 Cowboys. But I don't know about the '92 Cowboys. If Deion played on the '92 squad, there would be no question. People forget how lethal that defense was. Ask Jim Kelly and the high flying Bills how good they were. But don't get me started.... Read more!

The Boy Genius? Hells No!

Gangsta D:

Can Kupchak go ahead and fucking sign Webber already? I'm officially out of the Kwame business. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because his hometown is 15 mins from me and he wanted to marry my cousin. But all that is out of the window after I witnessed the most pugnacious sequence of basketball ever, last night. He missed a layup and a dunk, and turned the ball over on 5 straight possessions! It actually may have been more, but I was too busy scraping my eyes out with a nail file to pay close attention. He is officially dead to me. Kupchak has actually made some nice moves, in retrospect. But trading Kwame for "The Holy Caron" was not one of them. Kwame "Effing" Brown?!? Ship his ass out!

Waldini:

Did you read the postgame comments from the team? "When Kwame gets booed, it affects him?" He wasn't friggin booed until AFTER he blew a dunk and a layup.

Gangsta D:

He needs to tighten up his panties. Or better yet, make the &#*&$^* shot!

Da Realist:

LOL... i laughed my ass off when i read this comment.

Gangsta D:

I got the line from "Out Of Sight." I think it fits Kwame perfectly. I've never seen a guy 6'11" that misses that many dunks. It's almost like he's trying to miss the shot. The thing is, I know he's trying. He's not a loafer. But that's not really helping me right now. I need PRODUCTION! lol

Da Realist:

I understand that, but it's not the sort of thing you will want to say to his face. So when he comes back home, just give him a pound and move on LOL...

Gangsta D:

I didn't say I was gonna say it to his face. I'm a disgruntled Laker fan, but I ain't stupid. He IS 6'11" 260 pounds:)

Waldini:

He's soft man, you can take him. I got your back....waaaaaaaaaaaaay back. Read more!

Old School Friday - Collabos

Yeah, we're doing collabos this week. You can't succeed without collaboration...or some similar bullshit that corporate weenies try to pound into your skull. Anyway, I know I've left out some quality tracks, but just remember that patience is a virtue. Also, I'm trying something new this week. Ninety-five percent of you will probably hate it, but that's OK. Another quaalude, you'll love me in the morning. Holla.


Slick Rick feat Rae - Frozen

"Ill niggas saying throw Rick and Rae on." Co-sign. Although, I'm not all that ill. Maybe just a tad under the weather, though.




Beenie Man feat Mya - Girls Dem Sugar

This song is so much better than "Who Am I?" Whenever the DJ spun that record, I knew it was time to get a drink. But this was a definite upgrade. The Neptunes blessed us with an incredibly danceable track. Matter fact, in about 10 seconds you're gonna want to get out on the dance floor. Don't fight it.

Aaliyah feat DMX - Back In One Piece

"A dog needs a grrrrr." Damn, did this joint come out eight years ago? It was that long ago that DMX was relevant? Anyway, I always liked this joint. I'm surprised it wasn't a bigger hit. As for the movie, "Romeo Must Die?" Eh. Solid if unspectacular. There were some cute Asian chicks in it though.




Blackstreet feat Dr. Dre - No Diggity

"The homies got at me. Collab creations bump like acne." Actually, it kind of bumps like the measles. This beat is in serious need of antibiotics.




Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam feat Full Force - All Cried Out

"Apology not accepted. Add me to the broken hearts you collected." How can anyone dog Lisa Velez? It's hard to put into words the crush I had on Lisa Lisa. Too bad I was only 10, or I would've given her a shoulder to cry on. It's also hard to put into words the extreme jheri curl action going on in this video. I swear some juice flew out of my monitor and hit me in the face. Put the activator down, pimpin'. Just put it down.




Method Man & Redman - How High

This song is like the first date that would provide the impetus for a long lasting relationship. It kind of made sense. They were both gifted rappers that hailed from Nueva York, and they had "man" in their respective monikers. It was a no-brainer. Also, much like "Brooklyn Zoo," I like the edited version better than the album version. "Up, up to the sky" is much more creative than "How sick? So sick that you can suck my dick."




Freestyle Fellowship feat Daddy-O - Innercity Boundaries

A little smoothed out jazz to end things this week. Hard to believe these cats were from the west coast. Talk about an uphill climb. This song came out in '93, during the height of "The Chronic/Doggystyle" pandemonium. They never had a chance at commercial success. Too bad.




And Now For Something Completely Different

Rollins Band - Liar

I'm not the biggest Henry Rollins or Black Flag fan, but this video has always cracked me up. The visuals and vocals are so over the top, but the beat is actually pretty tight. I think I'm gonna start throwing in videos like this, every now and then, just for shits and giggles.

Read more!

When Wrestling Was Real: Dusty Gets Broken Off

I don't remember seeing this clip live, and that's a shame because I would've gone absolutely apeshit. Back in the 80's, Jesus Christ himself couldn't convince me that wrestling wasn't real. I believed in that shit like Scientologists believe they're not crazy. At any rate, this is a pretty entertaining clip. You have to get through about a minute of J.J. Dillon blathering on, but then the good stuff happens. The good stuff is like the white version of "Menace To Society." The Horsemen were the original version of Thug Life. Pac owes those dudes royalties. Check it out.



Damn, they had The American Dream gagging in a parking lot. They didn't play back in the 80's. Of course, that's when wrestling was real. Read more!

Your Life Is Calling

Gangsta D:

Do you think Joakim should shut his mouth and just play or do you like the fact that he hates losing and losing attitudes. I wouldn't mind a rookie showing heart. Maybe it's not his place, but at least he cares.

Apparently it led to a dispute in the locker room as rookie Joakim Noah complained about the attitude on the bench and argued with veteran Ben Wallace. One witness said Luol Deng had to step between them to ease the tension.

Waldini:

You know the only reason this is an issue is b/c he's a rookie. And a rookie that isn't having the same impact on his team as say his Airness did back in the day. Fact is the Bulls are underachieving in a weak conference and someone needs to say something. The players already got what they wanted when Gritty Gutty was fired. What more motivation do you need?

G-Nice:

This whole thing confuses me and is very sad. I don't care what Noah says, as long as he plays well. What I've read is he's always late to practice, in part, because he's running the streets at night. He apparently doesn't know the plays that well either. Still, he's just a small part of the bigger problem. The bulls are not good right now.

Gangsta D:

If that's the case, he should probably keep his yapper shut. But still, SOMEBODY needs to do something. There's no reason why this team should be this bad. I actually liked this squad last year. Paxon better do something quick or he's gonna be chilling with Skiles.

G-Nice:

No question. Paxton is one major trade or one miraculous turnaround away from getting fired. I still can't believe they are struggling like they are. I don't know why. They are doing and playing the exact same way there were last year. And Gordon is actually better coming off the bench, so I don't understand. Joe Smith light years better than P.J. Brown. Noah is a good addition, Tyrus, I'm afraid, might be a rockhead, but still a piece. I truly don't get it. I do think the contracts, and
the Kobe talk, and then the expections all played into it, but man, I never thought they'd be like this. I did notice some subtle stuff, though.

Like Nocioni. He's doing well right now and carrying the scoring load, but he's out there for self. If you watch games, he's out there jacking. He'll get a rebound, look off the guards, and go coast to coast full speed and jack. Typically, he'll get called for an offensive foul or he'll just turn it over. It's actually the exact same thing Tyrus Thomas does, but for whatever reason, people don't notice it as much. I'm beginning to sour on Noci.

Gangsta D:

Noci going for dolo, Jo Jo mouthing off, Ben "earning" a paycheck, Hinrich bricking like a mason, Tyrus....doing Tyrus type things. This squad may be more disappointing than the Heat. I knew the Heat would struggle, but I had no idea this would happen to the Bulls. Read more!

What The Damn?

Waldini:

Gangsta, the loss isn't even a week old and I see your team getting pillaged. Sparano in Miami? Garrett in B'more?? WTH is going on in Dallas? and Jerry's gonna stick with Wade?!!?!

Gangsta D:

I'm not in mourning over Sparano, even though the O-line played well this year (brain fart false starts in the playoff game notwithstanding). I would be more concerned over Garrett leaving.

1.) We'd have to find a new coordinator and who's available? Maybe Norm Chow. But he'd
install a new system and we were humming last year.

2.) I wanna see Garrett succeed and he's not ready to be a head coach yet. He gets away from the run a little too much in the 2nd half of games, and in the last two months or so of the season, we weren't making the 2nd half adjustments like we were making in the beginning. He needs, at least, another year of seasoning.

Wade didn't do anything to cost him his job. If Fasano catches that ball, if Romo doesn't overthrow TO, if Crayton catches that ball, we win. Preperation wasn't a problem. NY didn't
kill us, they just didn't kill themselves. We'll be fine. We just need a speedback and a reliable #3 WR and it's off to the races next year. Read more!

Cowboys-Giants Recap

That was some ole bullshit.

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Year Of The Waldini

Waldini:

You know I watched that Year of the Bull again, it got me thinking was it that bad for me in high school when I played sports. Granted I didnt play football (soccer, bball), but I dont remember my coaches wanting to fight me. Anyways, I thought about my most embarrassing or exposed moments in high school sports.

- I remember in basketball, our starting PG was out and it came down to me and a cat who was 4 inches shorter than me starting one game. The latter started even though the asst coach thought I was better. I was sitting 3 chairs down from the head coach and assistant coach, listening to the asst repeatedly, "Put Waldo in, he can D up better than lil Sam. He's getting killed out there." My coach's reply was "Waldo can't run the offense." End of discussion, I was crushed

- About a month later, my coach scheduled a scrimmage with his boys vs our team. Since I wasn't really playing except for garbage time, I just used that scrimmage as my stage to show what I could do. I was killing them on both ends, stripping cats cleanly, initiating offenses, pulling up for the 15-17 ft, just in a mood. After the scrimmage, my coach, "Well Waldo you definitely earned some more playing time!" Excited, I called my dad (All state bball, played college) to tell him to come to my next game. He and my grandparents came sat in the first row of bleachers....just to watch me play one more minute of garbage time (I usually played 2 mins in blowouts). Completely embarrassed :-)

- In soccer, my coach got so pissed off at one of the cats on our team that he stopped practice midway and was like Fuck it if Noah has an attitude then we all suffer...ON THE LINE. This man had us do 5 yard suicides on the football field for the rest of the day. Noah, the violator, was kicked out of practice about a 1/3 through the suicides for calling the coach a fat fuck. That was funny watching the guys on our team restrain Noah....

- Soccer, different coach, had us running routine drills. I guess my head must have not been in the practice but I wasn't respnding with the proper body language. He calls me out and for not acknowledging him, he had me run laps until he got tired of watching me run. At one point, he point blank asked me if I was high (he was serious), which I wasnt but I guess I didnt have that look so he said Keep running smart ass. Pretty funny but I was tired as hell that day

I got other stories but for the sake of not boring either of you, I'm stopping right there. But my stories are LIGHTWEIGHT, maybe super LIGHTWEIGHT compared to that defensive end. Just crazy.....

Gangsta D:

"He can't run the offense." Was he expecting you to run the triangle? What offense is run at the high school level? Doesn't it usually consist of bringing the ball up the court, then passing to your best player, and letting him go one on one? What a jerkoff:)

Waldini:

Problem was 10th grade was my first year of playing organized ball on any level. I went to basketball camp the summer prior and I didn't know anything except pick and rolls, 2-3 zones, and man to man defense. At camp, they were yelling box and 1 I'm like what the hell are you talking about?!?! :-).

My coach didn't want to spend time teaching me fundamentals and it never hit me that I should work on that stuff on my own or even ask my dad and uncle to show me the basics.

Gangsta D:

So you were a lazy high school player that didn't have a grasp of fundamentals and didn't have a burning desire to get better?!? If you were a foot taller, you could've made it to the NBA! Lol

Waldini:

Well it probably didnt help that I clowned him one time when he was alluding that Prince was sweet b/c of his appearance. I was like this man has had Appollonia, Sheila E, Vanity, Diamonds and Pearls, etc. What'chu rolling with? Please I'll wear high heels anyday and scream with a high pitch if it brings me chicks like that...

Gangsta D:

I tried out for the team the summer before senior year, but it was just too much running:) A year later I ran into one of the dudes on the team, and he was like "Yo you shouldn't have quit. We went to a basketball camp and it was dope." My reply "Yeah, I went to the Bahamas." Then he was like "Man you could've got a scholarship or something if you stayed." My reply "Yeah, I basically got a full ride to Morehouse." And that was the end of that conversation:)

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Old School Friday - Shame On A Nuh!

"Wu-Tang killa bees! We on a swarm!" That's right, we're giving it up for the Clan today...well except for Cappadonna cause that dude showers in wack juice. Our buddy SML had a post last week where he tried to decipher one of Ghost's verses. Not only was it pretty funny, it sparked a thought. "Wu-Tang? Yeah, need to do that." So here we are. Hope you enjoy. As always, this weekend drink like there's no tomorrow...but ensure that there is one. Holla.


Raekwon - Glaciers Of Ice

The first salvo from "Only Built For Cuban Linx." I have to admit that I was a little cool on this track when I first heard it. It took me a minute to appreciate the beat. But once I heard the album all the way through, I came to my senses. Obviously the shit was tight. Sometimes I be buggin'.




Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin To Fuck Wit

"Survey says...you're dead!" I had never seen this video before, so it's got me tripping. It's really got me reminiscing about freshman year. We played the shit out of this album. I remember those weekends when we didn't have money to go kick it, and we'd be in my boy Brian's room listening to Wu-Tang and playing spades. Thems were the days. Believe that.




Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M

"So I got with a sick ass click and went all out." Classic song. Don't really have anything smartass to say.




Ghostface - Daytona 500

"I slap box with Jesus. Lick shots at Joseph." Love this video. The beat is just infectious. I think this is about the time that I started digging Ghost. Speed Racer is what draws you in, while the beat takes you home. Also, if you didn't know, the Wachowski's are adapting Speed Racer for the big screen. I don't know about you, but judging from the trailer, this looks like about 20 pounds worth of suck. But that's just me.




Inspectah Deck - Tha Word On The Street

The Rebel INS. I think he was the most slept on member of the crew. This dude had serious lyrics, and I can't remember him ever spitting a wack verse. I guess he just didn't have enough umph to break out. The first time I heard this joint was when me, Waldini, and our boy K-Dawg were kicking it in Houston. When it came on the radio we were all like, "Is that Inspectah Deck? Shit's tight." Eight years later, and it still is.




ODB - I Got Your Money

"Gimme my money. GIMME MY MONAYYYY!!!" Of course, the first thing that sticks out about this video is the utter horror that is "Dolemite." I've had shits that looked better than this flick. There isn't the tiniest shred of reality in any action scene and the acting is at a sub-porn level. But when you cherry pick clips and slice them into a ODB video, they turn into magic. RIP Big Baby Jesus.





Wu Tang Clan - Can It Be All So Simple

Yep, I've already posted this video. Nope, don't care if ya'll object. It's the best Wu-Tang video ever. Gotta pay my respects.

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Rally 'Round Yo Family

Miami Northwestern is the #1 High School football team in the country, according to USA Today and ESPN. They've won 30 straight games and two straight national titles. They will be sending 6-8 players to my beloved Hurricanes next year. And they have also attracted controversy a couple times. You've probably heard about the Antwan Easterling fiasco from last year. But you've probably never heard of Taurean Charles, who was a star at "Da West" in 2001. The documentary "Year Of The Bull" chronicles his senior year exploits, in and out of the classroom. The results are eye opening to say the least. Waldini sent me this link and all he could say was "WOW!" Below is just an appetizer.



Couple thoughts.

1.) T-Diddy? You knew that wasn't gonna end well. Kid was feeling himself WAY too much. The whole, "I'm not trying to get hurt" incident was priceless. I didn't think that really happened at the high school level, but I'll be damned if it doesn't. Cautionary tale? Damn straight.

2.) Those have to be the most gully ass coaches I've ever seen. I would be scared as hell to commit a pass interference on that squad. Nevertheless, this kind of thing didn't just happen at Miami Northwestern. I remember hearing stories about our high school coach taking on guys during practice...and winning. Don't forget that we live in a world that's given us Bobby Knight and Woody Hayes, so there's probably some coaches out there even more hard core. That's kind of scary. But then again, that's high school football. Read more!

Old School Wednesday - The Magnum Edition

"Getting it on like two men should do."


Magnum T.A. was an All-American hero. He fought alongside Dusty Rhodes in the Clone Wars-I mean the Cold War of the 80's. He invented and perfected the belly to belly suplex. He rocked the best damn blond mullet anyone's ever seen. And he also recorded the most unintentionally homoerotic wrestling promo in history. This clip is so gay, I'm surprised Harvey Fierstein didn't run across frame, wearing a pink tu-tu, holding Brady Quinn's hand. I kid Brady. Anyway, check it out and try to duck the bodily fluids coming your way.



Oh Magnum. Why you do dat there? Read more!

I'm 'Bout My Green Like Martian Skin

Gangsta D:

It's funny to look at old games at the Garden on ESPN Classic. There usually isn't ONE black face in the crowd. Were we denied entry? There had to be a couple black Celtics fans IN Boston, right? lol

I spent my childhood and teenage years despising the Cs with my Pops and every other black male in my life. Call it male bonding.

Waldini:

Sure there were. New Edition and probably Sean Wright[college friend] lol

Da Realist:

Yeah, Sean Wright opened my eyes a little bit. He was the first black person I know that actually liked the Celtics. Now I look back at how silly it all was. ;-) The Celts ain't all that bad. I can even watch the old games with a little admiration now.

I'm all grown up.

Gangsta D:

Well bully for you, cause I still hate 'em. There is respect, no doubt. I but still hate 'em. Quiet as kept, it's probably more because of Danny Ainge than Bird and McHale. I wanted Worthy to just pound him into anti-matter:)

Waldini:

I watched one of those 80s postseason matchups when they played the Bucks. Those Celtics were cold. But still whenever they show one of the Lakers-Celtics matchups, all admiration and respect goes out the door. Even knowing the final outcome of the game or series, I still watch the game as if it's current, rooting for Showtime to embarrass Beantown

Da Realist:

He[Ainge] was a whiny little wimp, wasn't he? a little pest.

We all know bird was great, but people forget how nasty mchale was. That boy was nasty. And i remember he was the 6th man!

Waldini:

Cornbread maxwell wasnt too shabby at the 4 just not as good as McHale.

And the media has started the comparison.

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Rollin' Wit Da Lench Mob

Gangsta D:

This chick is crazy. All you need to know is that she went to Duke:)

Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman has apologized after saying during Friday's telecast of the PGA Tour's opening event that today's young players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley."

Waldini:

Just waiting for the public "One of my closest friends is black" comment to complete the cycle. And they say racism is non-existent. Shoot we still in denial about it....

Gangsta D:

Nah, now the thing is gonna be: "I'm not racist. I'm voting for Obama!" lol

Waldini:

Someone actually mentioned to me his slogan should be "Obama for ya Mama". Get your peoples Gangsta and Realist. I'm moving to Canada

Gangsta D:

Thems yo people. I'm Cablinuban. I don't have to put up with such suchery:) Read more!

Old School Friday - Female Sangas

What is up party people?!? I hope you guys had a nice holiday season and a great new year. New Year's Eve, for me, was pretty wild. My homegirl had a party at her house that included the following: lesbians, group sex(non-participant), the cops, hard liquor, catfights, an actual black cat, and the Wii. Trust me, it was even more surreal than it seems. I gotta stop hanging with white people. Anyhoo, this week we're kicking the weekend off with some females on that R&B tip. Hope you enjoy.


Zhane - Groove Thang




Janet Jackson - Love Will Never Do

OMFG!! Janet is showing her body!! That was pretty much the reaction when this video came out. After a year and a half of concealing herself in body armor, Damita Jo busted loose like Richard Pryor. And we're all damn glad she did cause it's hard to lust after someone when their body is wrapped up like a Christmas present. Kudos Janet. Now if you would only ditch the Mon Chi Chi and come holla at a playa...




Amerie - Why Don't We Fall In Love

There's just something about a Blasian that can sing. I know Waldini just pulled a muscle rolling his eyes at another one of my Asian references, but I can't help it. This chick just does something to me. It doesn't hurt that this beat has pneumonia. It's too bad she's never really put together complete albums, from a commercial prospective. She drops a dope single then disappears off the planet. At least she's cute. She's got that working for her.




SWV - Can't We

I forgot this song was on the "Booty Call" soundtrack. Over a decade later, and I still can't believe that Roger Ebert gave that flick a thumbs up. There's no way you can tell me his wife, who is black, didn't influence that vote. Rog contemplated what brown sugar withdrawal would be like, and decided to get with the program. Oh yeah, this song is tight.

Mary J Blige - I'm Going Down

"Sleep don't come easy." But apparently remakes did, cause Mary recorded a bunch of them between 93-95. Nevertheless, she does rip this track to shreds. Mary's never been the most technically gifted singer, but who can match her emotion and soul? Yeah, it's a short list for sure.

Vanity 6 - Nasty Girl

I think the first time I ever got a hard on was after watching Vanity 6 on Solid Gold. I know that's kind of personal, but we're all about soul bearing here at The Commission. Digressing, I'm trying to decide between Paula Patton and Vanity. I might have to go with Vanity. She was simply stunning. Essentially her beauty was like Deebo, straight punking fools. I don't if Paula is on that level yet. Nevertheless, she isn't a bad consolation prize.

Betty Davis - Nasty Gal

"You said I was a bitch now. A ho. Didn't ya? Didn't ya?" This chick is so fucking gangsta, I thought she was trying to pistol whip me through my monitor. Seriously, she hits you both barrels and never even stops to look down at the dead bodies under her feet. While looking for Vanity 6 videos, I came upon this sonic blast, and got blasted. For background purposes, Betty was Miles Davis' second wife. Apparently, she introduced him to Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix. Yeah, her musical bona fides are definitely on point. I'd never heard of her before, but I'm definitely jocking her now.

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End Of The Year Goodness

I hope everyone had a great Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa. Mine was pretty good, as I've been eating about a dozen cookies everyday. Anyhoo, I've decided to repost some of the better posts we've had here in '07. I probably should've been doing this all week, but it's hard to think straight while you're drowning in white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies. Enough of my blathering. Hope you enjoy. Read more!

G.O.A.T. vs Pip - The Redux

Ahh yeah, the infamous Pippen-Jordan discussion that was sparked by our good friend SML. When you get Realist going about the Bulls, that passion bubbles to the surface:)

Gangsta D:

What sayeth Senor Realist about this ode to Pippen?

I should preface this post by reminding everyone that Jordan is one of, if not the, greatest basketball players of all time, and this is not suppose to diminish his accomplishments or achievements. It's suppose to be a reminder, if anything, that great players may be great in any setting, but to become the type of star that dominates the game like Jordan did, you have to have some help. Pippen was more than just a role player, damn it. He was one of the greatest talents we'll ever see in our lives, too. But he's destined to be underappreciated.

Da Realist:

I agree with most of his points. Pippen was a great all-around player and never gets his due. jordan's star shined so brilliantly that even someone of Pippen's caliber gets lost in it sometimes.

But where we differ is "Replace Jordan with a comparable SG at the time"... there IS NO comparable sg at that time or at any time. Let's not do the opposite -- diminish Jordan to enhance Pippen. There still are 2 different roles here. It's disrespectful to call Pippen a "second banana" but it's idiotic to ignore the fact that jordan did what he did as the primary focus of the entire league every single night.

As much as Pippen allowed jordan to be jordan -- check the numbers (this from a guy that hates citing statistics) -- jordan allowed pippen to be pippen. Look at the astronomical numbers Jordan posted pre-1990 on both ends of the floor and compare them to the relatively "pedestrian" numbers he posted from that point on.

And about the notion of Jordan only winning as a second banana if there was no pippen... go back and look at tape. you tell me if you think jordan would have kept being denied year after year as the alpha dog in the nba without Pippen. He pushed the world champs to 7 games in 90 with virtually no help from Pippen. Would he have won 6 without pip? NO, but he would have won at least a couple.

Every great superstar needs help to win titles. Look at those Celtics and Lakers teams that larry and magic had the pleasure of playing with. No one denies that Magic was the man for the lakers. Sure Kareem and James worthy were big time players on that team, but they were not MAGIC. Same with the celtics. Why does everyone talk about Bird and not Mchale? Because no matter how good Mchale was, he was not Larry Bird. Even when michael cooper made larry look ordinary, it was still larry's team. joe dumars even won a finals mvp, but is there any doubt whatsoever who was the man for the pistons?

Pippen should get more due. He was a great player and one of the greatest all around players the nba has ever seen. But he was not Michael Jordan. And there is no comparable player.

Waldini:

well said Realist...

Another thing to bring up about lack of credit is people tend to remember the incidents in '94 (when he refused to go back into the game) and '99 (when he ripped Barkley before camp opened). Plus post Bulls era, he didnt help any of the teams he was on, get over the hump, or show the leadership that folks expected. I think either was unfair to Pip as in his prime, he was phenomenal. A great defensive player and basically did everything that was asked of him.


SML's response from the comments:


SML:

Hey, nice response guys!

I admit the "comparable SG" was silly; you are right, there aren't/weren't any comparable SG.

...look at the astronomical numbers jordan posted pre-1990 on both ends of the floor and compare them to the relatively "pedestrian" numbers he posted from that point on.

In Jordan's last pre-Pippen season, he averaged 37.1 ppg; in Pippen's first season Jordan's "pedestrian" number drop to 35 ppg; every other stat - rpg, apg, bpg, spg - all improved with Pippen's addition. Even the season after that - Pip's 2nd - when Pippen became a starter, Jordan's average "dipped" to 32.5 ppg, but his apg went up to a career high 8.0, and his other stats were equally as impressive. Point being Jordan's numbers weren't hurt or effected much by Pippen's presence. In fact, Jordan's FG% went up, and though he took less shots, he made about the same number of FGs. His FTA is what dipped the most, because he no longer had to post as much with Pippen down low.

he pushed the world champs to 7 games in 90 with virtually no help from pippen

True, but Pippen did even better without Jordan. He should have beat the Knicks in 94 without Jordan, and only a bad call in Game 5 sunk the Bulls against the team that always gave them the most problems (the Knicks). Believe me, that's coming from a Knicks fan... Pippen proved his value there.

It's an interesting debate, I admit that... thanks for your feedback.

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