Competitivenss of High School Basketball-WA State

Note: To understand the varying levels of high school basketball programs, we sat in on basketball practices of multiple high schools and interviewed coaches and players. This gave us an in-depth, up-close, and personal look at some of Washington’s basketball programs, from 4A to 1A schools. The research for this article was gathered in an attempt to answer questions regarding press coverage, the different competitive levels, and player perspectives.

As the 2011-2012 High-School Boys Basketball Season comes to a close, all high-schools across Washington have had a chance to give it their all, getting those hard earned ‘and ones’ and doing everything possible to show why they think their program is the best in state. From the large 4A schools with 1304+ students, to the small 1A schools, with about 208-512 students, each program has a different mentality, different goals in mind for the season, different levels of intensity, and different players to work with. 

There are obvious advantages from playing in the upper divisions. Better funding, more press coverage, and increased skill level are just a few of these. But some perks aren’t as obvious. Just ask junior Blake Fernandez of Mountlake Terrace (3A), who appreciates another benefit—more attention “…from the girls…”     

            The majority of people living in the Puget Sound area associate high school basketball with the major schools: Skyline, Bothell, Redmond, and Garfield. Recaps of games are most likely to be about the 4A or 3A schools. Some argue that these biases to the bigger and more prestigious schools are unfair. However, as Skyline Athletic Director Ryan Gilbert says, “The sports coverage is pretty skim in general because of the reality of economics of newspapers, but they (the newspaper editors) put in stories and names of schools that they know people will read and be interested in.” 

            Skyline High School, a 4A school, is one of those top-notch schools that are known for their athletics. At a glance, Skyline’s vast resources and impressive equipment are overwhelming. As senior point guard, Will Parker, puts it—“Our facilities are unbelievable. We have four gyms.” The four gyms, along with their recently updated weight room, pose an intimidating challenge to Skyline’s players. However, the players measure up to the high expectations. Immediately walking into a Skyline practice, you automatically noticed the intensity level. Head Coach J Jay Davis got right down to business, making the players run the complicated plays over and over until they got them nailed down. 

            Talking about the different level of competition and intensity level between the 1A and 4A schools, Coach Davis says—“There are some really good 1A teams that probably would be competitive, but it (the idea of a 4A playing a 1A) would be the equivalent of our varsity playing someone’s JV. It’s just that separation of talent and ability.“ When then asked about someone transferring from a 4A school to a 1A school to get a bigger role on the school basketball team, Senior Will Parker states –“I think it’s all the same, it’s just how much responsibility you take on, there’s different types of leaders and it doesn’t really matter the size of the school.” Coach J Jay Davis echoes this point by mentioning how most players wouldn’t want to leave their school because “the kids have grown up together and they would rather play with their friends more than anything.” 

            Skyline’s basketball program is what a typical high-press getting high school basketball program would be like. With their football team winning State, it was natural and easy for newspapers to take the household name of ‘Skyline’ and put it in the sports section again. However, this time the articles would be about their basketball team. The press they got throughout the season was very well deserved. Skyline’s basketball program is very talented and had a group of players who were humbled for the chance to play for a school like Skyline. 

            Moving on to Bothell High School, expectations were high across Washington State. With Bothell having “the best player in the state, and one of the best in the country” in Junior Zach Lavine, as stated by Bothell Head Coach Ron Bollinger, Bothell was ranked 2nd for the 4A division at the beginning of the season. Bothell didn’t disappoint. With practices starting off with music blasting out of the speakers into their double gym, Bothell’s JV and Varsity squads took to the court every day except for game days to participate in their two-hour practices. Even though the atmosphere of practice was more of a fun, relaxed mood to begin with, it was evident that Bothell players worked harder than ever to be at the top of their game. 

            However, compared to the four gyms of Skyline, Bothell’s double gym can barely measure up. Though, for Junior Perrion Callandret, a transfer from O’Dea (3A school), Bothell’s facilities are a big change from what he was used to. Perrion says—“Bothell’s facilities are way better. At O’Dea, everything is old. Everything here is new. It’s an underdog story for everybody who comes out of there.” Perrion also talked about how the pressure, motivation, and fans were bigger at a 4A level than at the 3A level he was at before. He mentions how—“4A is the highest and it over-ranks all the other schools.” Matt Henry, a transfer from Granite Falls (2A school), had to cope with joining a new team, making connections with new teammates, and finding his role on an already stacked team talent-wise. Matt was quick to elaborate on the difference in competition at the 4A level—“The competition here is way bigger. The game is faster and I mean, you don’t see guys like Zach at a 2A.” 

            Talking about what it was like to have someone like Zach on his team, Coach Bollinger says—“With Zach comes a lot of recognition and there will be a lot more…he brings a lot of notoriety...he’s handling it well though, it’s only going to get bigger from here.” Zach says –“I don’t feel like it (the attention) is overwhelming. The pressure…you always need pressure to do good, so to me, it’s good pressure.” When contrasting the intense pressure of 4A to 1A schools, Zach mentioned how 4A schools must be better than 1A schools because 4A schools get more money for the program and have more students available to tryout for the team.

            Woodinville High School, another 4A school, was already a well-known name across Washington State after a successful football season. With a talented KingCo division to play against, Woodinville had their fair share of tough competition throughout the season. However, according to Head Coach Jamie Rowe—“The competition is great for the players. They get a lot of exposure playing in these high-level games.” Coach Rowe also addressed the idea that the amount of press each school got was due to the having key marquee players-hence that was why Bothell got a lot of press with Zach Lavine and Perrion Calladret on the team. For player Ben Wineman, the want to win games is something that is on the same level as having fun. Ben says –“We want to win every single game, but we aren’t getting paid or anything like that. I think there’s just a part of it that you play for the love of the game.” 

            Regarding Woodinville’s facilities, John Villaseñor says –“They are decent. I mean I though they were great until I went to Skyline.” Even though Woodinville doesn’t have those four gyms like Skyline does, Woodinville has the will and the drive to fight for every game. The team knows what it takes to win and makes the effort to compete against some of the elite teams in the State. However, if one thing were to improve about Woodinville’s basketball program, it would be the fan support according to player Ben Wineman. Ben recalled how he thought –“The spirit kind of died after football season.” 

            Going down to a 3A school, the Mountlake Terrace Basketball Team knows what it takes to win games. They pride themselves with their hard-core defense and participate in tough practices in order to be the best. Watching game film on their opponents is a key component to their preparation for games. Ranked in the top 10 for 3A schools in the Seattle Times, Mountlake Terrace “values everything about the program” according to Head Coach Nalin Sood. Being at a 3A school, they are one step down from 4A, but that doesn’t mean that their talent level decreases whatsoever. Some might even say that the 3A schools play harder than 4A schools. “I think it’s more the competitive drive that the 3A schools have to beat the 4A teams or any team in general so we want to play harder”—Junior Marquis Armstead. 

            Teammate Ryan Shannon, a transfer from 4A Marysville Pilchuck High School, stated that—“The competition is actually a lot different down here. Defensively wise, it’s a lot tougher down in 3A and a lot of the guys play a lot harder than 4A players do.” Regarding the idea of players transferring, senior Coby Russell pointed out that –“Players will go to a specific school for a reason. Those schools always have good basketball programs, like 3A Metro teams always have good basketball. Whereas in 4A, even the Metro 4A teams are really just on and off.” When asked about whether athletes in general would rather play for a big-name high school, Coach Sood replied—“No, players would rather play for a good program wherever that may be.” 

            To go along with the idea of having any advantages of playing for a 3A school, Coach Sood used the example of athlete Joe Harris. At the NW Shootout two years ago, Joe won the MVP.  Joe is now the starting guard at Virginia and is playing at the ACC level. Joe played 1A basketball. As Sood says, “It’s a surprise he wasn’t drafted in the NBA. He’s that good of a player coming out of a 1A level basketball program.” Speaking of good programs, Junior Blake Fernandez says—“I think Terrace has one of the best programs in the State and if I ever left, I’d be missing out on a bunch of stuff I could improve on.”  

            Below both the 4A and 3A schools then come the 2A programs like Cedarcrest High School. 2A schools like Cedarcrest aren’t used to getting as much attention from the press as the higher-level schools, but when they play, they play with a pure passion and love for the game. They know what it takes to win games and at practice they have no problems with starting drills themselves and taking advantage of every minute they get to practice on the court. This passion for the game turns into wins and with wins come more and more recognition throughout Washington State. As Head Coach Mark Prince says—“One of our goals is to get Cedarcrest on the map a little bit and to be known throughout the state as one of the top basketball programs.”

             Being at a lower level doesn’t effect the player’s determination or competition Coach Prince says. Rather, what he tells his kids is that—“If you have aspirations to play at a higher level, scouts and colleges will find you wherever you are at.” Smaller schools often seem to be lost in the shuffle of things, but there are good athletes at smaller schools as well. With a rising star in Junior Zach Taylor, one would wonder if players with a tremendous amount of talent on lower-level teams would ever think about moving up to a higher-level school if given the shot. When talking about what he would do, Zach says that—“I would stay here. I’ve been here my whole life and I wouldn’t want to leave. I love playing with all my teammates here.” This seemed to be the consensus among most players when asked this same question. It’s one thing to want to play basketball just to see how high you can get your stats to go. It’s another thing to play the game of basketball just to play it. 

            As Senior Chris Dowd says –“Regardless, when you are playing with your teammates, your friends, you are going to have fun. It’s about winning at the end of the day, but you got to have fun while playing too.” Coach Prince says –“Since the players have grown up together since the 4th or 5th grade, they became good friends on and off the court and that’s something you can take with you and there’s that bond from a family perspective that they take on the court.” Not only having the chance to play with your friends, but the idea of actually getting the chance to play for the school team was also a topic at Cedarcrest. This past year, the school had to make budget cuts and they cut their C-team for basketball. This caused more competition at tryouts and coaches were forced to make hard cuts. However, despite the intense tryouts and grinding weeks of practice and games, the team looked stronger than ever and their hopes of continuing to build for the future looks to be right on track. 

            Even below the 4A, 3A, and 2A schools are the small 1A schools. 1A schools like Overlake High School are also the schools that receive the least attention from the press. Along with the lack of press, the talent differential is evident due to the small amount of students to chose from. However, Head Coach Justin Prohn makes no excuses –“When it comes to high school athletics, the talent that you get…you work with it. You build it into a team to the best of your abilities.” The intensity level at a 1A school also differs immensely from a 4A school. Senior Dean Poplawski says –“The 4A schools, they take basketball and sports a lot more seriously. At smaller schools, I think it’s more of a fun thing.”

            The idea of having fun while you win is the style in which most schools are accustomed to playing with, however down in a 1A school, the fun usually comes first for most players. Especially at a private school like Overlake, sports are just something to do besides athletics. As Coach Prohn says-“It’s just a different mentality.” Sophomore Rob Neir says—“The competition here is a lot lower than at a 4A. There is a no cut policy, so that’s different, but I like it.” Overlake also has to deal with their zero dollar budget for their basketball program. They aren’t allowed to fundraise for any specific activities, but instead the students have to buy their practice gear. Usually when they need equipment, sometimes they get it and sometimes they don’t. 

            Coach Prohn says—“We did a summer tournament this year and we raised some money, but we weren’t allowed to use it towards our basketball program, which is difficult, but at the same time, that’s the philosophy of the school and that’s the decision they made. The money then goes to the financial aid area so if students want to apply for it to help pay off any of their gear they can.” As with 2A schools, the question of whether players would transfer up to a 4A school or even a 3A school comes into play. Dean Poplawski mentions how he has a younger brother who used to go to Overlake, but transferred out to a larger school in order to have a better shot at being noticed by colleges for playing sports. 

           Although each basketball program across Washington State has their own way of doing things, at the end of the day, basketball is basketball. Whether it is to win, to get noticed by colleges, or just to have something to do aside of school, you are still just playing the game. The press each school gets does differentiate greatly, but there isn’t much one can do about it. Newspapers just want to give the community stories that are interesting, entertaining, or shocking to read. The students at each school are what each individual program has to work with and it just turns out that some schools have a greater level of talent and coachability level of the players in their program. However, after going through stats, comparing the wins and the loses, and who transferred where, at the end of the day, as Skyline Athletic Director Ryan Gilbert puts it—“It’s still just high-school sports.”        

--Research/Interviews done with Helen Lee and Nina Braddock            

Here's to 2012

Of course now that 2012 is finally upon us, the first thing everyone thinks of is sports right?

You think of what football teams will make the playoffs, who will be the next Super Bowl Champ, what team will have a breakout year in the NBA, who will be MVP in the Finals, if Lebron and D-Wade down in South Beach can actually get it done this year or not, whether the Celtics have one last run left in them, whether Indiana University is for real in the college hoops world, who will make it into the Final Four, what underdogs will sneak into the tourney, the WNBA and what pro team will become bankrupt next.

You think of how the Sounders will fair without Kasey Keller, how the baseball season will start, Spring Training, how bad the Mariners will be, how WSU football will turn out with Mike Leach as coach, how UW football will do if Chris Polk is leaving for the NFL, whether or not Price will be able to lead his team to a winning season, and whether or not all the refs in the sports world will finally make the right calls.

Oh...you didn't think of all that right when the clock struck midnight? Well...I guess I thought of all of that for you! Just think, it's all coming up in 2012.

It's a new year with bigger headlines, new players, new roles, new standouts, young new rookies, and new coaches....let's see what happens!

The Highs and Lows of College Hoops-All in One Day

College basketball is supposed to be thrilling. It's supposed to make you jump out of your seat and scream and the tv. It isn't however supposed to make you shake your head and say, "What in the world just happened? How could a game of college basketball end like that? On those terms?" 

This is the reaction many fans across the nation probably had, (I know I did), to the actions of the Xavier and Cincinnati players with 9.4 seconds left in a tough rivalry game. What both teams did was completely unacceptable and I hope that the schools will take action against the players for their roles in what was a shocking display of unsportsmanlike conduct and pure stupidity of the players from both teams-particularly the Cincinnati players.

Watch: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Yancy-Gates-decks-Kenny-Frease-in-wild-Xavier-Ci?urn=ncaab-wp6817

Quote from the Cincinnati coach during the press Conference: "If my players don't act the right way, they will never play another game at Cincinnati," Cronin said. "I made everybody take their jersey off and they will not put it on again until they have a full understanding of where they go to school, what the university stands for and how lucky they are to even be here let alone have a scholarship."

On the other hand, the game between previously ranked #1, undefeated Kentucky, vs undefeated, but unranked Indiana, shocked the sports world. Indiana claimed victory 73-72 on a game-winning, 3-pointer buzzer beater. They took out the ball with 5.6 second left with no timeouts on their own side of the basket and Watford made the three in the only appropriate way to hit a game-winning three. By making it a swish. The fans at Bloomington stormed the court and the players hopped up onto the scorers table in celebration. It was one of the most exhilarating games I have seen in college hoops I have seen in awhile. “I haven’t felt anything like that,” Watford said. “That’s probably the biggest moment of my life.”

College hoops. There's nothing else like it. 

High School Sports

High school sports. Are they really such a big deal? I mean, the athletes aren't as good as the professionals, you don't know every player by name and you don't know their stats by heart.... So the question is, why do high-school sports matter so much to some people?

Answer? It's just because they do. High school sports are exciting. Exhilarating. Breath-taking. Amazing. Shocking. Wondrous. Crazy. Heart-stopping. Even heart-breaking to watch and experience. High school is the time to try new things, to get the most out of your life before you go off and experience college. It is your chance to shine in your communities before you leave and leave it all behind because before you know it, high school will soon be a just another blurred memory.

Participating in a high school sport can be one the greatest things a student experiences in high school. You get to have that bond and connection with your teammates and show not only your school and friends how good you are, but you get to represent your school in state-wide competition and give it your all. You get to experience the drive, the pride and the heart that so many of your peers share.

Not only do the athletes themselves get to feel the thrill of the sport, but the whole student body gets to join and come along for the ride. The student body has that sense of pride that they are from a winning high school football team. They share the tears with the athletes on the field when they lose in a heart-breaker. The students are the school. It's their friends and classmates out on the field, court, or arena.
Students cheer them on not because they have to, they cheer because they want to.

An individual high school sports team may not matter to some random person across the country, but they sure do matter to the students at that high school and their communities. Appreciate high school sports, because without them, what else would students have to cheer about under the lights on a cold and rainy Friday night? 

Let The Games Begin

Finally. The NBA Lockout is over! The players and the owners have reached a tentative agreement and plan to open Training Camp on December 9th, with games planning to start on December 25th-Christmas Day. What a fantastic Christmas present that will be! The planned match-ups for Christmas was the Finals rematch between Dallas and Miami and Derrick Rose and the Bulls against Kobe and the Lakers. Dang...I can't wait!

The fans are finally being able to watch these superstar athletes play their hearts out for at least a partial season. We are lucky. It's better than nothing. Could you imagine having no NBA season this year? I know that thought had crossed my mind a few times, but now I'm extremely thankful we get to see "Where Amazing Happens" this year. Are you?

----Oh, and by the way, the whole league better watch out. Lebron and Wade down in South Beach are ready to play. Ready to take home that trophy. Bring it. Game on.

NBA Lockout

Empty arenas. No long lines at the door. No excessive honking after a win. No popcorn being thrown in the air. No loud chants of "BEAT L.A!" No jaw-dropping dunks. No awe-inspiring three-pointers at the buzzer. No wicked crossovers. No No. 6 out on the court breaking ankles. Welcome to the "who knows what day" of the NBA lockout.

It's the 2nd of November. The time where NBA fanatics should be prepping for another great NBA season. But no. We are experiencing a lockout because the owners and players can't compromise. Both sides are just being absurd. They are losing millions of dollars every single day players aren't out on that court. They are losing the support of millions of fans worldwide. They are causing thousands to be unemployed. They are just being ridiculous. End of story.

I don't even care that there isn't an NBA team in Seattle. I just want to see where AMAZING happens! I want to see the heated rivalry games between the Celtics and the Lakers.  I want to see Lebron go flying through the air and dunk in Kobe's face. I want to see Ray Allen make almost every three-pointer he attempts. I want to hear the crowd's reaction to a blown call by the refs or the sound of the crowd at the end of a Game 7 in the Finals.

Not only do I want it, but millions of other do too. #letamazinghappen

New and Improved Hawks?

Today I will be attending the Seahawks Training Camp Practice. Just coming off an ugly preseason win in San Diego, I am expecting a very hard, grueling, in-your-face type practice. I'm hoping. Even though it's preseason, there is no excuse for stupid mistakes. I hope the Seahawks take their time at practice seriously and the fans get to witness some spectacular plays on the field.

For one, I hope Jackson gets most of the reps behind center. Coach declared him as the starter and obviously, he still needs some work getting in sync with his teammates.

Special teams is another area that needs some work. Both the return team and the kickoff team. To let the kid from San Diego take it 103 yards back for a touchdown off a kickoff in the preseason is just unacceptable. Let's work on some tackling perhaps??

Now, the O-Line. What to say......well for starters, Okung is out again with his "hurt" left ankle. Really? Again during preseason? If the Hawks have any chance of winning some huge games, the o-line needs some improvement. It's their job to protect our QB and with a hurt QB, well we're done.

Secondary time! The secondary is a huge part of the team now. With Lofu gone as a leader on the defense side of things, another leader will have to emerge and take charge. With the size of Jennings being slightly smaller than the normal wide receivers, he will have his work cut out for him again this year. Hopefully his uses his quickness to disrupt the players routes and get ahead of them.

Kicker. I'm excited for the kicker this year to be honest with you. We got Jeff Reed from the Steelers and to my knowledge he is a great kicker. We also have Coutu from Georgia.  Reed might be a little rusty, but he will work on it and get better.

RB-Lynch, Washington, and Forsett. Very good-looking group. I'm hoping for some more earth-shaking runs from Lynch again this season. Forsett is growing and with Washington there to give a little more advice to the younger Forsett, it should be a good season. Seattle hasn't had a prominent RB since Alexander...maybe this year someone will step up...

Our receiving core looks pretty good. Rice, Tate, Stanback, Bulter, Carter, Obomanu, Williams, and Carlson at TE. We got some big names in there. Obomanu was a surprise last season and hopefully he can bring it again this year. Tate was always there for the big, long balls down the field last year-good addition. And of course Mike Williams and Rice are amazing athletes. Both have the ability to make the spectacular plays with their huge hands and their size will be a great advantage to the team.

Overall, I'm excited for the season to start. Good QB. Working RBs, and a great WR core. Let's see what these guys got.

NBA Fever

What is NBA fever you may ask? It's something that most die-hard sports fans have to deal with everyday during the NBA season. It's the ever-lasting feeling of wanting to watch your favorite athletes day after day after day on TV. It's the feeling of disappointment when you miss a jaw-dropping play. It's the feeling of complete happiness when your team advances to the next round of the playoffs. It's the feeling of nervousness when your team is down 2 points with 1.2 left on the clock and your star player is out with 6 fouls.

These are the moments that fans with NBA Fever live for. They want to watch every second of every game. They want to be there, sitting on their couch, watching Lebron James hit the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. They want to see Dwyane Wade do a reverse lay-up while getting knocked down onto the court. They want to see Kevin Garnett and Dirk get up in each others faces and exchange some words! These fans live and breathe NBA basketball.

And so do I.

Some may not understand why people like me care SO much about the NBA or any other Professional Sports Team for that matter. I love the NFL, the WNBA and the NBA.

I am an athlete myself, and seeing other athletes make it so far with their dreams and goals is really just inspiring to put it in simple words. Most of the NBA players didn't come from big, rich families that got them everything they ever wanted growing up. They came from the same place like you and me live right now. Just normal people, living our lives, not sure what will be around the corner.

And that's why I have so much respect for all of the athletes. They all work so hard to get where they want to be and to see them all go up against each other, the best on the best, is well...breathtaking!

Now, some of you still might not be convinced on why watching 10 guys on a small court dribble a basketball up and down the court for 48 minutes is fun. Well, the fun part is not watching the ball dribble up and down the court. It's what the people do with the ball that's spectacular.

Can you jump 10ft off of the ground and dunk a basketball with one hand while 2 guys are shoving you and trying to rip the ball out of your hands?

Didn't think so...

Can you make Ray Allen just about break his ankles as you do a crossover dribble in between your legs and score a basket with your left hand?

No? Oh...

Can you make a basket 47 feet away (half-court length) from the hoop as the buzzer is ticking down?

As you can tell, what these athletes do everyday is nothing less than extraordinary. People would kill for those types of skills and for the athletes that actually get to show off their talents to the entire world is amazing. They are on the biggest stage, living the life, and sharing their skills for the whole world.

NBA basketball is not just sport where guys get paid millions of dollars to play basketball. It's the sport that people all across the world enjoy to watch. It's the sport that makes you excited to see what's happening next. It's the sport that will always be a part of my life and hopefully you can make it part of yours.

Turn on the TV, relax, lay back, and watch some amazing athletes do their jobs.

The Storm Is Almost Here!

     The 2011-2012 Seattle Storm basketball season is just around the corner. Opening Night is June 4th, 12:00 p.m. at KeyArena. Celebration of the Champions! Buy tickets soon and be sure to arrive early! With All-Stars Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson, and Swin Cash fresh off the offseason break, the Storm is looking to capture their third championship in franchise history.

      For those of you who haven't heard much about the Seattle Storm, here's some background information:

- The Storm has won two WNBA championships. Once in 2004 and once in 2010.
-Anne Donovan, the former Storm coach, was the first WNBA female coach to win a championship in 2004 with the Storm. 
-They have the best female basketball player in the world in Lauren Jackson and one of, if not the best point guard in the world, Sue Bird.
- The Storm first came into the WNBA in 2000.
- From the 2005-2009 season, the Storm only made it to the first round of the playoffs.
- In 2008, when the Sonics moved to OKC, the Storm was purchased by 4 local Seattle women, otherwise known as Force 10 Hoops.
- With new ownership also came a new coach, Brian Agler. He is still coach of the team today.

       However, if all of the information above did not catch your interest enough, this season, the Storm will be adding a whole new dimension to their game. All-Star veteran Katie Smith, will be joining the team in a trade from the Washington Mystics. Katie brings more experience, especially playoff experience to this already great Seattle Storm team. When it was first announced that the Storm was looking into acquiring Katie, I was overjoyed! I loved watching Katie play throughout the years and she was always one of my favorites aside from all the Storm players! Katie brings a lot of good, hard defense to this sometimes very offensive-minded team.  I will greatly look forward to see Katie play on opening night and see how she contributes to the team off the bench! Coincidentally, opening night of the Seattle Storm is on Katie's 37th birthday! What a great gift!

        Overall, this season is looking great for the Storm and I hope that everyone will make it to a game this upcoming season! If not, tell your friends about the Storm. We need all the fan support we can get! Go Storm!

Never been to a Storm game and want to get more information? Tell me in the comments!

Want me to share my opinion on a particular sports team? I'm more than happy to! Tell me in the comments!

March Madness-Huskies?

Sooo, on Saturday night I went onto my computer and saw the shocking news...the Huskies had beaten Arizona to win the Pac-10 championship on a Isiah Thomas buzzer beater..in OVERTIME! At first I was shocked, then angry, then confused.

Let me take you though my thoughts...

Shocked: Wow! I couldn't believe the Huskies won AGAIN without Overton. Wow! They went into overtime? Isiah Thomas played the whole game and swished it at the buzzer? Holy cow! How did that happen?

Then the angry stage....
Angry: OMG! Why did I miss that game? I should have known it was on!!!!! Why don't I pay more attention to college hoops? Dad!!! Why didn't you tell me it was on??? Wait, he doesn't watch college either...and the Huskies beat his alum so he probably is angry at the moment...ill just step away now...

Then I was confused...
Confused: Wait soo they won....now what?

End of thoughts.

Okay, so after my whirlwind of thoughts, I decided to find out exactly how this whole college bball works. Yes, I do know what March Madness is and how there are 68 teams, and who were the champs last year, but I really don't know a lot about the specific college teams, so I started my research.

Sunday afternoon: To my surprise I found out that the Huskies were named the No.7 in the East. What in the world...the east? Hmm..still doesn't exactly make sense...Any answers? Then I found out that Gonzaga was No.11. I didn't know Gonzaga was even that good...I guess I have a lot to learn! I googled the college bracket list and filled out my picks. Yes, i did it randomly, mostly looking at the rankings then from past knowledge of big name teams. My pick to win? Kansas over Ohio State. Don't ask why, i wouldn't remember how I got there anyway! But, maybe its beginners luck and im right!

I'm excited to watch the tourney this year and maybe learn a thing or two along the way. How about you? 

What To Think of the Heat....

What is there to think about with the Heat? Are they losing it? Was their losing streak just too much for them? Should they fire their coach?

All these questions are stupid. The Heat are a first year team. They came together only this season and have three players that are used to carrying the weight of a whole team on their shoulders. Yes, it is over halfway into the season, but you have to give them some slack.

First off, firing the coach and having Pat Riley step in isn't the answer. It's not the coach's fault that the team went through a slump. Truthfully, I doubt the coach does anything more than stand on the sidelines and motivates them during timeouts. I mean seriously, when you have Lebron, D-Wade, and Bosh, who needs the instructions? They all know what to do and have been exceeding the expectations for several years.

Second, yes I agree Chris Bosh doesn't carry his weight and can't make shots. But...to get rid of him means that you are losing faith in your team. Its like kicking a member out of a group and saying that they aren't good enough to play with you. Think about what that would do to the Heat organization and fan base. They had so much hype about another Big Three and you want to kick him out? Imagine all the taunts from the other teams..However, there is a reason for Chris Bosh not having a spectacular season.

Lebron and D-Wade share the court with him. It's the LJ and D-Wade show, not so much CB...

There isn't much Chris can really do because he doesn't get a ton of touches on the court and when he does he usually kicks it out to the guards.

I know i have faith that the Heat will pull it together in time for the playoffs. I mean, they already secured a spot in the Eastern Conference, so now they just have to focus on closing.

Ahh...closing....a big question for the Heat is who should take that last shot in games. I believe D-Wade should take it to the house. He is way too good of a player to watch Lebron isolate and miss (srry Lebron but you have been doing that often..) D-Wade was leader of the team before all the moves and he should stay that way. D-Wade should take the last shot.

In closing, the Heat are fine. They will make it to the playoffs. They will make it passed the first round and _________________.

(You can fill what will go next yourselves)

Miami Heat Preseason

4:30pm:
--Yes, its already that time. The NBA preseason has begun. Not only has the NBA preseason started, but the Miami Heat's preseason has started. Tonight at 7:30 ET and 4:30 PT the Heat started their preseason against the Detriot Pistons.

5:10pm:
--Early, D-Wade was out with a hamstring injury after 3 minutes so it will be Lebron James and Chris Bosh leading the rest of the way.

5:15pm:
--Lebron and Chris head to the bench after 1st quarter. Lebron had 12 points 6/9 on field goals, 2 assists. Bench players lead the team in the 2nd quarter.

5:20pm: Miami 31, Detriot 17: 2nd 9:07
--So far in the game it seems the Heat has got it down. Lebron had a nice 1st quarter and the bench looks strong.

5:23pm: Miami 33, Det 23
--The Heat let their guard down, Prince scores 2 3's. No excuse for lack of defense for the Heat.
It is game 1 of 8 preseason games for the Heat. They face OK city on Friday night. The first game for Miami is against Boston. It should be ineresting game. The Big Three against the previous Big Three in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen.

5:29pm: Miami 39, Det 25: 2nd 6:11
--Miami seems to be holding a nice lead with the bench leading the way. Only concern is some over-passing. Haslem looks good on the block and on 16-18ft shot.

5:32pm: Miami 43 Det 25: 2nd 5:03
--Lebron and Bosh check back in the game. Getting ready for some fireworks. Lebron and Bosh should be in abou 20 minutes, maybe more, should start 3rd quarter. Five time all star Bosh, looks healthy on layup, newcomer on the Heat, Anthony, looks like a very strong player.

5:36pm: Miami 49 Det 30: 2nd 3:48
--Teams trade free throws. Lebron looks a little off on his shot. Heat's defense collaspe on Daye's open layup. James gets an offensive charge foul...not looking too good for Lebron now.

5:42pm: Miami 51 De 33: 2nd  2:00
--Lebron nice layup down the court. Chalmers hits the 3 with assist from James (behind the back). Bosh has easy layup opportunity. Mason gets an easy layup for Miami.

5:48pm: Halftime Miami 58 Det 38

Looks like Miami has a decent start to their season. The team is blending nicely and that last week of training camp really helped this team out. I can't say how the team will do for the rest of the season but they seem to be doing great so far. A championship could be in the future.

What's the Big Deal?

The Seattle Seahawks. The soul of Seattle, who could be better? The Storm of course! But, not including the Storm, the Seahawks are the team of Seattle. They are on everyones televisions on Sunday and if you don't root for the Seahawks in Seattle then you are looked as an outcast and a traitor. The Seahawks are the first name that comes to mind when talking about Seattle pro sports. But what makes the Seahawks so big? That is the question I ask.

Of course, I love to watch Seahawks football as well, but usually they just let everyone down. Today they are on the road against the Broncos in Denver. It has been two years since the Seahawks won an away game against anyone outside their division. It should be an interesting game to watch. Will Matt open the game with another interception or go big with the long throw down the sideline? Will the defense of the Hawks dominate and stop the offense of the Broncos? Nobody knows right now, but they will in a few hours.

People in Seattle will soon start turning on their televisions at 1:05 to see if the Seahawks are really for real or if last Sunday's opener was just a fluke. 1-0 sounds great so far, but time will tell if it will last. Good luck Pete Carroll, you have a lot on your hands!!!

Oh by the way, if the Seahawks game goes down the drain, then you can always turn the channel to watch the Jets game against New England! Go Jets! Then at night you can turn on your televisions to watch the NY Giants against the Colts. Manning against Manning. Now that will be a game to watch!

How do you think the Seahawks will do this year? Write what you think on the comments and if possible I will respond. Also, if you have any teams you want my opinion on, go ahead and write that too!

For now, Go Seahawks!

We Did It

Did you know it was "Stay Out of Seattle Day" on September 16th? Now I know why. September 16th was the day that the Seattle Storm beat the Atlanta Dream for the WNBA championship. The Storm swept the playoffs, becoming the first team to do so after the formatting of the games changed. The Atlanta Dream were "swept" away by Seattle's presence and just couldn't finish down the stretch. However, the Storm stayed strong and took the championship home to Seattle on the 17th. Now, September 17th is "Seattle Storm Day" in Seattle and across the country.

They deserved it. They are the only team in Seattle so far that we can depend on to win and give 100% 24/7. They went undefeated at home and undefeated in the playoffs. They did better than any other team in Seattle. They are a team that is consistent and has a consistent coach and ownership which will hopefully never go away! They are the foundation of the team and has built the team up for good to great in a few seasons. We were already good with Lauren and Sue, but bringing in Swin, Svet, Willingham, Vesela, and many more, just made the team stronger.

I except many more championships for years to come for the Storm. The only team in Seattle that REALLY knows how to win and be consistent.

Check out how fans in Seattle celebrated:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ53AhJt-bw

Crazy In Seattle!

It was unbelievable...actually it was just Storm basketball. The Storm has been making things exciting from Day 1 this season and they weren't going to stop now. With everything on the line in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals the Storm was down to the wire. Tie game, 1 possession left...ball in Sue Bird's hands...the clock ticked down 5,4,3...the ball soared into the air and landed with a triumphant swish in the basket. The arena went crazy, towels flying high everywhere you looked. The Storm was up by 2 with 2.6 seconds left in this foul-crazy game called Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Going for the win, Angel McCoughtry pulled up for a three at the buzzer...the arena held its breath as the shot fell...NO GOOD! The Storm Won!

From the minute you stepped into the Arena around 11pm today you could feel the excitement in the air. We had been waiting since 2004 for a chance to come back to the Finals and be champs again. Today, the Storm went one step closer to that goal. But, it didn't come easy. The Referees were blowing the whistle like there was no tomorrow and the game quickly turned into the Referee's game. Swin was called for 2 quick fouls in the first. And when I say quick I mean QUICK. Swin had to sit out of the rest of the quarter and most of the second, and then after playing for a bit after she finally came back in, she picked up her 3rd foul. Back to the bench... If Swin had not been charged with those fouls, the momentum of the game would have switched. Swin would have and could have been the difference maker for the Storm. Instead she was stuck as a cheerleader on the side.

Going into halftime, the score was tied 39-39 on a buzzer beating 3-pointer by the Dream. Coming out of halftime Key Arena was nervous but ready to cheer the Storm on to victory. The teams kept on battling back and forth, but the refs just couldn't give them a break. Or should I say they didn't call it both ways...a foul on one side, is apparently not a foul to the other...Bottom line...WE NEED NEW REFS!!!!

So, other than the refs messing up a perfectly good game, the game was exciting and it was a game that anyone would have paid to go see. Sometime in the third quarter, Angel McCoughtry and Jana Vesela collided. Both fell to the ground and Jana was charged with the foul. CMT's were called over to look as Angel and it appeared as she had a bump on the side of her forehead. She eventually got up, took her free-throws and headed to the locker room. Even with their star out, the Dream still looked to push. This sadly made Swin Cash pick up her 5th foul. In the fourth things were tense. Angel came back and looked strong. Swin was on the bench and Lauren had picked up a Technical late in the fourth. Things were looking ugly for the Storm, but somehow, like they always do, they pulled through. With Sue making that shot, it was a moment every Storm fan will cherish.

However, the player of the game was no other than Camille Little. She had a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She was a player even I didn't notice played a big game until I saw the stats at the end. I watched the game from Row 3, Section 106 and it was one of the the best, most nerve wracking games I have ever seen. The arena was packed on the lower-bowl and they even opened up the upper-bowl for fans! Basketball icons were in the stands to support the Storm. Bill Russel, Jeff Green, Jamal Crawford, Lenny Wilkens, Fred Brown, and Nate Robinson were there. Nate even showed off his "Stanky Leg" dance to the crowd in the second half, surprisingly it was very good too! It was a game that no one in Seattle will forget!  Only 2 more games to win and we are the champs!

Game 2 is Tuesday Night, 6 pm on ESPN 2. If you can't make it to the game be sure to watch it on TV. They need all the fans they can get! Go Storm!

Finals Game Tomorrow!

Finally the most anticipated game of the season for the Storm has almost arrived! Game 1 of the 2010 WNBA Finals is happening at noon at KeyArena on Sunday. Seattle vs Atlanta in the best of 5 series is about to go down in Seattle. KeyArena is expected to sell out and they are even going to open the upper level seats for this historic series.

We have LJ, Sue, and Swin on our side. We are against the Miller twins and 2009 Rookie of the year Angel McCoughtry, who scored a playoff high 42 points on Tuesday. This will be a tough series but we have defeated the Dream before and are ready to do it 3 more times in our chase to win it all. It also looks like a storm is coming in to Seattle on Sunday, no pun intended. The weather forecast is calling for rain! Looks like a good sign, except for the Seahawks who have a game on Sunday too.

Even though the Seahawks have their home opener on Sunday, I believe that the fans will still come to Key Arena to cheer on the Storm. The Storm has MUCH more potential to win the championship than the Seahawks will this year. So, go out and root for the Storm, the only team that has a shot to win the championship for Seattle sports this year! You can always go waste that $100 ticket to the Seahawks game on a game that they will actually win! Hmm...will they ever win??? In the meanwhile go see to Storm!

Go Storm!

We Are Going To The FINALS!!!!!!!!

The Storm has finally made it back to the WNBA Finals! After not even making it out of the first round of the playoffs the last 5 years, the Storm defeated Phoenix on the road 91-88, on a fantastic Sue Bird 3-pointer to break the tie with 2.8 seconds left on the clock. The Storm were down by 19 points at one point in the game and we all were looking forward to a Game 3 back at KeyArena.

Instead, we are looking forward to Game 1 of the Finals either against New York or the Atlanta Dream. The Storm will get a long deserved rest since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series doesn't start until tonight. The Storm pulled off an unbelievable comeback against a Phoenix squad that was hungry and ready to go for the win. Diana Taurasi was coming off an awful Game 1 and was looking to shoot from her very first touch. She nailed a three... but that's Diana. However, the Storm still played hard and gritty defense and was able to stop her from making the tying 3 pointer in the closing seconds that would have sent the game into overtime.

The Storm kept on chipping away at the deficit and was able to put them it a spot to win it. The Storm had to go through more than a large deficit to come back though, Lauren Jackson picked up her 4th fouled in the beginning of the 3rd, and sat almost all of the quarter! She came back in the 4th quarter with a new found strength and helped her team pull to a victory on the road. Swin Cash also shined. She was running the floor, playing defense, and everything else possible to help her team win. The bench was up and cheering and even some fans came from Seattle to cheer on the Storm!

I can't wait for the Finals to start! I know we now have the best team in the league and WILL win the Finals! Go Storm!

Storm WIN!

The Storm just recently defeated the LA Sparks in Game 2 of the first round series in the 2010 playoffs. They completed the sweep of the Sparks 2-0, winning one game at home and today's game on the road. They got off to a rough start, trailing 4-12 just after a complete minutes in the 1st, but stormed back to take the lead going into halftime. The second half was great basketball by the Storm. In the third quarter the three's were flying and swishing. They made 7 of 8 three's in the third during the scoring run by the Storm. Swin Cash was nailing three's from left to right, Lauren make a three, Vesela, and even Sue started hitting them in the fourth quarter to end the game. The Storm were making all the right adjustments and nailing all the big shots to close out the series on the road.

Next up for the Storm is the Conference Finals against the Phoenix Mercury, who just swept the San Antonio Silver Stars on the road as well. Phoenix likes to get out and run, so it will be a test to see if the Storm can match their agility on the court. They best Phoenix in every game in the regular season, but have had some very close games this year. With Diana and the team finally finding their groove halfway through the season after losing Cappie Pondexter to New York before the season, they will be a tough team to beat. Especially since the stakes are so high. I know KeyArena will be loud and rocking when Phoenix comes to play against the Storm and so the Storm will just have to give the crowd all they got. This will be a very fun series to watch, very high-paced and some very good match-ups on the court. I can't wait to see it all go down. What about you?

Looking..Looking...8???

So as I am looking through the paper to find the Sports section in the Times I didn't see what I expected. Today is Saturday, which is the day of Game 2 of the playoffs for the only team in Seattle in the playoffs and actually doing well. This team is not on the front cover, the 2nd page, the 3rd page...as I scan through I am still looking for an article about this team. Ah! I finally found it on...page 8? Not only is the article on page 8, but it only takes up 1/6 of the page. The rest of the page and the page next to it is all car ads. I would have most definitely gone past these pages unless I was looking for something. Really? 1/6 of a page on page 8 for playoff coverage of the Storm? Pathetic.

The only team in the playoffs for Seattle and the Times gives them a smidgen of a space? They probably really only care about selling advertising space to earn some money than give the Storm more page space. Now, the front page at least has some good information, but most of it could go in the 2nd or 3rd pages. 2 articles on golf? Not everyone likes golf. Maybe one article in the front and one later on. Not both.

The Storm deserve recognition and so does the whole organization. They could finally win the first round of the playoffs, after being eliminated the past years and people should be aware of that. Instead of watching movies all day, why not watch the Storm on ESPN2 at noon? It will be more dramatic than any movie will be. With an amazing starting lineup and a fantastic bench, the Storm has a very good chance of winning the series. Even if you are not a basketball fan or a Storm fan, watching the game will make you be one. I know I will be on the couch watching the Storm today. Will you?

No Front Page in Seattle

Recently in the Seattle Times I have noticed that the Seattle Storm has not gotten the front cover after two big victories. What did I see on the cover instead? Once I saw an article covering another Mariners loss. The other was a couple days ago, it was an article in a three part series about how major Seattle Sports teams are "Bottoming Out", so says the headline. I am in disbelief of how inconsiderate the Times is to the Seattle Storm. They almost always put them towards the back of the sports section and almost never get the cover. So while the Storm is the only Seattle sports team in the playoffs, why don't make the cover?

I don't really care about the history of how the Mariners, Seahawks, and Huskies have been awful throughout the years. Don't get me wrong, I still love ALL of the sports teams but I really don't care when they lose or a stupid article of why they are losing. I would much rather read about an amazing Seattle Storm team going into the playoffs with the best record in the league about to play LA in the first round on Wednesday. Jayda Evans has done a fantastic job on covering the Storm and she doesn't deserve the back page either. Why is everyone complaining that we don't have basketball in Seattle anymore because the Sonics left? We still have the Storm and everyone seems to be forgetting about them or just choosing to ignore them. For all of you who just care about the Hawks or the struggling (badly) M's, try flipping the channel to a Storm game. Or better yet, go buy tickets to a Storm game instead of wasting your money elsewhere. These girls can play, no doubt about it. With arguably the best player in the world in Lauren Jackson and her amazing friend and point guard Sue Bird, these ladies can make it all the way.

Why watch the Hawks lose when you can watch the Storm win a championship? I wouldn't know why you would, but I guarantee that most of you will. If the Times would just give the Storm more cover space and recognition, then the Storm could be the heart of Seattle sports. They would be the hero's of Seattle and get us out of this losing slump that is happening with the other teams. May I also remind you that they are the only team in Seattle than has won a championship in the past 30 years. They did it in '04 and they can do it again in '10 if you give them a chance. Go out and support the Storm. They deserve it more than anyone else in Seattle.