White MEN can't jump...but black GIRLS can dunk!

White men can’t jump…but black girls can dunk! 

Let’s be honest, Robert Griffin III is a legit athlete.  He was the 2011 recipient of the Heisman Trophy and will likely be the 2^nd overall pick in this years NFL Draft.  But right now even RG3 will have to take a back seat to another Baylor University student athlete. 

Say hello to my little friend….I mean 6’8 Brittany Griner.  She can dunk!

She wears jersey #42 for the Baylor Bears Women’s Basketball team and also laces up a men’s size 18 shoe.  Be jealous Shaq!  Now, although some may have questions regarding Miss Griner, there is no question that she can flat out ball!  She is the #1 women’s basketball player in America and is leading The Lady Bears squad to an undefeated season.  They are currently 38-0 and are straight dominating the women’s basketball tournament.  So “All-That-Hoop-Laaa” that Griffin has generated is being taken to a “higher level” by Griner.  I have no doubt that she will lead her team to a championship this year which will solidify herself not only as Baylor’s star athlete, but a nationally known collegiate star.  

I’d like to think that I am good at basketball.  However, in a recent conversation with several of my good friends we have all come to the conclusion that not one of us could back her (Griner) down in the low post, let alone dunk on her.  I want no part of her on the basketball floor and have mad respect for her athletic ability. 

I guess size does matter after all…just ask Brittany…Griner that is.

Brackatology

Brackatology

Hello again.  Let’s just check the pulse of your NCAA Bracket.  How is it doing?  Are all of your Final Four teams still alive?  How about the two teams you had in the championship game?  Oh…how is mine you ask?  I shredded my bracket right after the sweet 16.  Seriously I don’t even know why I fill that shit out. 

Here are the current brackets as of Saturday night.  http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/ncaa-tournament/brackets/viewable_men

My Final Four teams consisted of Kentucky, Michigan State, Florida State and North Carolina.  As you can see, two of these four are long gone and my prediction for a Kentucky vs. North Carolina Championship game is on thin ice.  Tomorrow we find out the other two teams that will represent the Final Four in New Orleans.  Kentucky plays Baylor and North Carolina plays Kansas.  At the end of the day I still believe Kentucky will end up winning it all.  I know…that is really going out on a limb.  But hey, almost everyone else I know picked them as well.  They were the consensus #1 overall team in the entire tournament. 

By the end of tomorrow we will know all Final Four teams.  Honestly, unless you have some tie to these schools or are financially invested in this tournament (like me) you probably don’t care what happens.  I have a small amount of money invested, but can only win if those Wildcats from Kentucky win the championship by 7 or more vs. any opponent.  So stay tuned, the final game is just a week away and so is an extra $100 bucks if I have it my way!    

 

Monta...Traded!

Monta…Traded!

Hello again, thank you for taking a moment to read the latest entry of  "All-That Hoop-Laa."

Just like that Monta Ellis is gone!  As a Warriors fan it was hard to see him go.  He brought energy and excitement to the Warriors and over the past 7 years had undoubtedly become the fan favorite.  He was the man people paid big money to see, but he was also the man that Warriors ownership wanted to trade.  His time was up.  This trade served as a reminder that the NBA like other sports, is a business.  Things can and often do change in an instant!  Let me warn you Mr. Joe Lacob (owner) you did not score any points with the fans by doing this...trust me.       

The NBA trade deadline was last week and with it brought the end of an era for Golden State Warrior fans.  One minute #8 is streaking down the court as a Warrior; the next minute #8 now sports a #11 Milwaukee Bucks jersey!  This You Tube clip says it all, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skOUOlFMil8.  He heard about being traded through the media not from Warriors management.  That is unprofessional to say the least.  Warrior’s management should have the decency and courtesy to let him know before the media that he has been traded.  That was Tuesday March 13^th….  

Today is March 16^th and isn’t it ironic, that Monta’s first game in a Bucks jersey is against the team that just traded him?  Don’t ya think?  I sure do.  I felt that it was only fitting since I attended his last game as a Warrior, that I was in the house for his first game as a Buck.  So, along with 19,000 other fans I made my way down to Oracle Arena to show my appreciation for the highlights and excitement he provided me as a Warrior fan.  To no surprise, Warrior fans showed some love as he was introduced by giving him a standing ovation.  Even the owners that traded him showed their respect and gratitude for Monta’s accomplishments as a Warrior by clapping as he was introduced for the first time.  Just wish that same owner could have informed him he had been traded before Monta flipped on ESPN and saw he was no longer a Warrior.     

Thank you Monta, it sure was fun! 

 

 

MADNESS!

MADNESS! 

It’s that exciting time of year where gambling picks up, work productivity slows down and your brackets get filled out.  That’s right, it’s time for MARCH MADNESS!  68 college teams compete for one championship!

You don’t have to be a fan to get caught up in all the “Hoop-Laa” and excitement but you do have to be one lucky bastard to pick the winner of all 67 games that will be played the next few weeks.  Besides the four “play-in” games, to be played tomorrow and Wednesday, the official first round of 64 teams starts on Thursday.  So I hope you have been brushing up on teams like Creighton, Belmont, Harvard and Norfolk St. because these are just a handful of the teams competing for all the glory this March!

I just filled out my bracket…and no, I don’t have LIU Brooklyn winning it all!  They face Michigan State in the first round.  I will tell you that the odds of picking the winner of every game including the National Championship game are 1 in 18,446,744,073,709,551,616.  That would be a perfect bracket.  You have a far greater chance of winning the state lottery than picking all these games.  This figure was found by taking 64 teams (not counting the play-in games) and using the math equation 2 to the 64^th power. 

Of course I should note that in the history of the NCAA tournament NO #16 team has ever beat a #1 seed and the lowest seed to ever make the Final Four was ranked #11.  If you really want your brain to explode please visit this website http://mkaz.com/sports/the-odds-of-a-perfect-bracket.html.

It will provide more mind boggling odds information.

So now that you know, you are not going to pick the perfect bracket, grab one and fill it out.  Have some fun and see how close you are to picking the winner of all these games!

Kardashian Kurse

Kardashian Kurse

I’ve really enjoyed attempting to blog about basketball topics which have resulted in topics that mostly revolve around racial issues and things that are happening off the basketball court.  It would simply be to easy to write about what happened on the courts….right?  This week “All-That-Hoop-Laa” makes a stop in the great state of Texas as I find the demotion of Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom interesting…and shocking. 

He stand’s 6’10 and is a former 6^th man of the year award winner.  He has also won 2 NBA Championships with the LA Lakers and then he got married to a Kardashian.  Call it a curse…or call it a “Kurse” with a capital “K” but it seems to me that the more athletes get involved with any of the Kardashian girls their careers take a nose dive!  Ask Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin or Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bust…I mean Bush.  Both were involved with Kim…both are now afterthoughts at their positions on their own teams.  I won’t even mention the 72 days of love with Nets Forward Kris Humphries.  Sorry.  Okay I mentioned it.  You get the point.     

Lamar was demoted to the Texas Legends of the NBA’s Developmental League (D-League) at the All-Star break.  Luckily for him, he was called back up to the Dallas Mavericks earlier today, just in time for tonight’s game vs. Utah.  I write the following from my heart to Mr. Odom.

Dear Lamar,

I’m sure you are happily married to Khloe although it is fairly obvious to me that she came from the shallow end of the “gene pool.”  Kim got most of the good ones!  She has all the right genes in all the right places, the leftovers went to Kourtney and the scraps went to your wife…but that’s really beside the point.  Your interracial relationship probably has nothing to do with your demotion to the NBA’s developmental league but seriously dude I see more of you on an episode of the Kardashians than I do on the NBA hardwood.  And…..I don’t even keep up with the Kardashians!  Lay off the candy, get your mind right, give Khloe some shopping money…and play ball.  That’s what you get paid to do!

Sincerely,

Mike

For more information on interracial topics, please visit my friend Hayley’s blog.  It’s good!  She will put everything in black and white for you.