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)