What The Term “Student-Athlete” Should Mean
Josh Williams
4-23-2014
When I was a young boy, every Christmas I would receive gifts from my aunts and uncles, my cousins and godparents. The best ones were from our grandparents, and some more from friends and family. After every Christmas was over, my mom would grab me by the ear and drag me over to our dining room table. While there I would try my hardest to write legibly the word “Thank You” to each and every person who spent the money to pay for my new Ninja Turtle toy or LEGO set. It would take all of five minutes, but I dreaded it every time.
Some people say that NCAA “student-athletes” deserve to get paid extra money for representing their Universities and Colleges. But I say they need to sit down and write a Thank You note to those providing them a free education.
Today, the term “student-athlete” gets stretched more than Michael Jordan’s arm in the movie Space Jam. After UCONN won the National Championship, their star player Shabazz Napier exclaimed to reporters that he went to bed some nights “starving.” Once that hit the newswires I knew something would happen. 8 days after the MOST OUTSTANDING Player in the NCAA tournament said he couldn’t afford food; the NCAA stepped in and proposed a new rule providing unlimited meals and snacks to all athletes. Little does everyone know, athletes are already given three meals per day OR a stipend for those meals. What happened to that stipend you got Shabazz?
More importantly, what happened to personal responsibility? College is a place for people to learn and gain maturity. To budget their money. To learn time management. To understand how to live on your own. There were times in college where I went by with hot dogs and easy mac, but you don’t see me or every other non-student athlete asking for handouts or a “stipend.”
But how much is enough? First it’s as if the college athletes want money for food? Then they will want a stipend for gas. Next it is going to be - I need money for clothes, because I can’t afford them. These colleges weren’t provided for you to suck off the teat and steal every penny away. How about you spend the money that was given to you for food, and not jewelry, new rims for your car, or beer and liquor. Maybe they should buy you a pen and paper so you can write a THANK YOU note.
Depending upon which University or College you attend, the average “student-athlete” reaps between $100,000 to $250,000 in free money from scholarships. Some students are redshirted, and then medically redshirted; so they have five, sometimes six years of living tuition-free from their scholarships. Many athletes, (who know the full repercussions when they signed up to play), have been injured in their respective field of play, are also covered for every single penny of medical costs they incur. Oh yeah, don’t forget the free books, rent in the best apartments, all the apparel you want, and the fact that you get to play the role of BIG MAN ON CAMPUS, just by wearing a letter jacket.
According to the NCAA, there are 450,000 “student-athletes” that compete athletically. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the United States Department of Labor, there are 13,800 professional athletes in the U.S. So by my calculation only 3.1% of those College athletes become professional in their sport. That means that for every Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle making millions in the NBA, there are 97 people living their everyday lives just like you and me. And not every pro is making millions either.
What I’m trying to make you understand is that we all see the success stories, the millionaires, the endorsements, the shoes, posters, Youtube videos and Sportscenter Top Ten highlights. Everybody always talks about the few who are in the limelight, because that is what we see on TV and on the internet. But they are the few…
The average income for those 13,800 professional athletes is $71,850. So for every Peyton Manning you see in another Buick Commercial making $20 million, there are hundreds of more minor league baseball players, endorsed track and field athletes, and others that are just scraping by like the average US citizen (which makes $44,000 plus). What is even more disheartening is that the majority of these athletes become bankrupt, broke or in financial distress by the time they get out of sports.
In a 2009 Sports Illustrated article, studies showed that 60% of former NBA players became broke within five years of retirement. And it gets worse. 78% of former NFL players become bankrupt within TWO years of retirement!
The problem isn’t in the system, it’s the players themselves. They don’t know how to manage money, because they never were taught how to. Many athletes grow up in impoverished homes, and didn’t have much, if any support from their parents. So when they become rich they over-indulge and don’t care about their long term future. All they care about is the NOW, not the LATER.
People need to realize that if you want to pay those Johnny Manziels for their autographs or Shabazz Napier for their food, then, whelp now you have to pay for all that food for the big guy throwing shotput. And don’t forget the entire team of soccer players, swimming and diving, women’s golf and lacrosse teams, etc, etc. This is not a pity party for just one person, it is a Free-For-All that SOMEBODY has to pay for, and it is going to come straight out of the pockets of the Colleges and Universities.
The day you see “student-athletes” get paid is the same day you will see thousands of athletic programs get cut. Thousands of scholarships will get pulled from the hockey teams, the baseball programs, the volleyball squads, etc. And the worst part – the mid-major schools that don’t have those big TV contracts will have to start chipping away at the top. All those football stadiums in the non-BCS conferences will be sitting empty because they won’t have the money available to keep it going.
Little do you realize, but every sport except football and men’s basketball LOSES money. Only 12% of women’s basketball programs make money. The rest of these sports are kept afloat by subsidizing the “Granddaddy of them All” – FOOTBALL. If Colleges were forced to pay all athletes, we would truly have the HAVES and the HAVE NOT’s.
If we paid athletes, the Kentucky’s in basketball will get EVEN better. Heck, even the Nebraska football program might just be good again. Parody in College athletics will be non-existent. But with rewards for the few big programs, we will see suffrage by many smaller schools who won’t be able to afford to pay ALL of their athletes. Traditions will be broken, letter winners won’t be able to come back and watch their old programs play, and most importantly – the majority of those average athletes out there won’t get the opportunity to play sports at smaller schools.
SAD, but so very TRUE.
So back to that 3.1% number. How come we don’t hear any flack from the other 96.9% of “student-athletes” who think they deserve more money? It’s because they are fully compensated. And then some. Sure they would like more money, but their face isn’t on ESPN. Their jersey isn’t getting sold at the bookstore. It’s because they are gracious for their scholarship money and don’t ask questions. Shoot, the majority of Division III, NAIA and lower level Colleges don’t even give out scholarships. They are paying tuition, room and board JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
Recent College graduates in the US in December 2013 had an average student loan debt of $29,000. Add on personal, auto and credit card debts that were incurred in College, and that number jumps up to $35,000. All those “student-athletes” that received scholarships don’t have to pay a single dime. And if they did need money for food or spending money, there is financial aid, work studies, and part-time jobs available at their disposal. I just wish they would have used their time wisely and attended that FINANCIAL 101 course freshman year.
We shouldn’t be putting the blame on the Universities and the NCAA, we should be pointing the finger right back at the athletes themselves. And oh yeah, maybe they could spend five minutes out of their day and write a thank you note to the Colleges that gave them that free education.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Inconsistencies of Coaching Marriages
The Inconsistencies of Coaching Marriages
By Josh Williams
With the current transgressions coming out about Jim Tressel and Ohio State University, it made me put my thinking cap on about the short marriages that end in such dreadful divorces for coaches and universities.
Some coaches leave for greener pastures, others don’t live up to expectations, and then there are the ones run out of town by the media and its fans. Very rarely do we see a happy separation between coach and college. Unless your name is Joe Paterno, it seems every coach is one measly slip away from the utter fall of coaching instability.
I compare it to marriages in today’s society. They say that 50% of wed locks end in divorce in the United States. It seems like an astounding number. And while I am one that likes to see consistency and stability within athletic programs, the never-ending desire for Win Now At All Costs has put a bad taste in the mouths for sports fans.
What happened to the days of reliability and trust? It’s all about What Have You Done For Me Lately, and it hurts me to say, but it has put a damper on college athletics. In this technological age of up-to-the-second tweeting, message boards and every-day call-in shows, WE are the ones at fault for this.
According to many bloggers out there, the majority of coaches are on the verge of failing Coaching 101, even though many of them have received grades of 3.0 or better. I don’t know if any of you have been to a job interview lately, but not every employer expects a perfect 4.0 from applicants. Now the curriculum of coaching seems to be more of a 500 level course, and only a few can manage the hard rigors that it provides. Many will fail, few will persevere.
It takes time to build success, and the best teachers are the ones who can learn from their mistakes. We must embrace misfortunes and burn it as fuel for our journey. Does anyone think newly acquired Lakers coach Mike Brown would have been hired if he had continued to tutor a Lebron-less Cavaliers team this past season? I can guarantee you he would have been thrown to the wolves after a heartless season in Cleveland. I’m happy to see him given that shot in L.A.
Adversity introduces a man to himself, and it is the hardships in life that bring out the best in you. Just last year LSU football coach Les Miles was talked about as a coach on the “Hot Seat.” Multiple analysts were placing an over-under on how many victories he needed to keep his CEO throne in Baton Rouge. And, only four short years before, he had won a National Championship.
The dexterity for a football coach in the present day is similar to a Swiss army knife. Their face is the footprint for organizing the most volatile budget for a university. Marketing and publically selling themselves, year in and year out, to current and prospective season-ticket holders, boosters, college students, high-school athletes and their families, university staff, assistant coaches, etc. They must present to the school that they are the right man for the job, and that truly they want to be there for the long haul, whether they mean it or not.
Take Iowa State Football for instance. In 1995 Dan McCarney was hired on as the new football coach. He was the right fit, in the right place, for the right team. He grew up in Iowa, created a rapport with university officials and gained the respect of coaches in the Midwest. And it took time. After 5 years and a despicable record of 13-42, he was thrown under the bus. His head was on the cutting board, and if that were the case today, he probably would have been fired. But we stuck with him, and in the next six years, Iowa State was represented on the sidelines in five bowl games by Mr. McCarney himself. It couldn’t have been sweeter. This was a man who would jump off a cliff for the Cyclones. But there was one problem, he couldn’t take our team to the next level.
Gene Chizik trailblazed his way up from Texas in 2007, and was thought to be one of the most prolific up-and-coming young coaches in the game. But he wasn’t the right fit. Born and bred in the south, his arrogant style didn’t click with the University. The professionalism and dependability of McCarney was gone, and all that was left was a high-risk high-reward dictator, who didn’t even unpack his cardboard boxes in his prosperous new manor. With a few games left, in what turned out to be his last season in Ames, Chizik proclaimed he was, “firmly entrenched” at ISU. Chizik’s nose couldn’t have grown faster than Pinnochio’s.
So what is the right fit for a coach? Is it the upstanding individual who cares about education and graduation rates? Or is it the recruiter, who will do anything, right or wrong to get HIS type of athlete. Maybe it’s the school’s former player and assistant coach, who bleeds loyalty and respect. Or is it the detailed X’s and O’s wizard who can draw anything up on paper?
You ask any fan, the tall and the small, and all they want, are Victories.
From the words of Al Davis, “Just Win, Baby.”
So how much winning is enough? John Cooper had an incessant winning style at Ohio State. But he was canned, because he couldn’t beat Michigan. Mike Shula went 10-2 at Alabama in 2005, leading the Crimson Tide to Number 8 in the country, only to falter to 6-6 the following year, then flung hopelessly into the unemployment line.
Jim Tressel was a highly respected man at Ohio State. He was looked up to by many in the coaching fraternity. But the man wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. His athletes were the ones who made the mistake, and they will pay for their wrongdoings. Based on the severity of the actions – selling OSU memorabilia and receiving tattoos - at a discount isn’t life-threatening. The fact was, Tressel couldn’t go on as CEO of Buckeye Nation with these clouds overhanging in his shadow.
The judge and jury has become the voice of the media. Sportscasters and analysts have all weighed in on this topic, (and many others) and with all that clout comes responsibility, they say. While I hope to see Mr. Tressel go on and prove these naysayers wrong, the past will never escape him.
So what is the moral of the story do you ask? I prefer to look at the glass half full. Everybody makes mistakes, no one is perfect. Our media has scrutinized and blown out of proportion too many instances that are commonalities in today’s society. Our standards may need to be lowered to a certain extent.
It makes any fan proud to see a coach on the sidelines who they can relate with, and who has been with them for the long haul. It’s similar to your local banker, family doctor, or insurance salesman. It’s OK to not always finish in first place. Oh how much sweeter it is, when the guy, who you’ve had his back for all those years, can step up and become great.
Nobody is perfect. Not everyone can live up to the expectations. Give our coaches the opportunities to build their programs up to their own potential.
The Field of Dreams says it best – “Build It and They Will Come.”
By Josh Williams
With the current transgressions coming out about Jim Tressel and Ohio State University, it made me put my thinking cap on about the short marriages that end in such dreadful divorces for coaches and universities.
Some coaches leave for greener pastures, others don’t live up to expectations, and then there are the ones run out of town by the media and its fans. Very rarely do we see a happy separation between coach and college. Unless your name is Joe Paterno, it seems every coach is one measly slip away from the utter fall of coaching instability.
I compare it to marriages in today’s society. They say that 50% of wed locks end in divorce in the United States. It seems like an astounding number. And while I am one that likes to see consistency and stability within athletic programs, the never-ending desire for Win Now At All Costs has put a bad taste in the mouths for sports fans.
What happened to the days of reliability and trust? It’s all about What Have You Done For Me Lately, and it hurts me to say, but it has put a damper on college athletics. In this technological age of up-to-the-second tweeting, message boards and every-day call-in shows, WE are the ones at fault for this.
According to many bloggers out there, the majority of coaches are on the verge of failing Coaching 101, even though many of them have received grades of 3.0 or better. I don’t know if any of you have been to a job interview lately, but not every employer expects a perfect 4.0 from applicants. Now the curriculum of coaching seems to be more of a 500 level course, and only a few can manage the hard rigors that it provides. Many will fail, few will persevere.
It takes time to build success, and the best teachers are the ones who can learn from their mistakes. We must embrace misfortunes and burn it as fuel for our journey. Does anyone think newly acquired Lakers coach Mike Brown would have been hired if he had continued to tutor a Lebron-less Cavaliers team this past season? I can guarantee you he would have been thrown to the wolves after a heartless season in Cleveland. I’m happy to see him given that shot in L.A.
Adversity introduces a man to himself, and it is the hardships in life that bring out the best in you. Just last year LSU football coach Les Miles was talked about as a coach on the “Hot Seat.” Multiple analysts were placing an over-under on how many victories he needed to keep his CEO throne in Baton Rouge. And, only four short years before, he had won a National Championship.
The dexterity for a football coach in the present day is similar to a Swiss army knife. Their face is the footprint for organizing the most volatile budget for a university. Marketing and publically selling themselves, year in and year out, to current and prospective season-ticket holders, boosters, college students, high-school athletes and their families, university staff, assistant coaches, etc. They must present to the school that they are the right man for the job, and that truly they want to be there for the long haul, whether they mean it or not.
Take Iowa State Football for instance. In 1995 Dan McCarney was hired on as the new football coach. He was the right fit, in the right place, for the right team. He grew up in Iowa, created a rapport with university officials and gained the respect of coaches in the Midwest. And it took time. After 5 years and a despicable record of 13-42, he was thrown under the bus. His head was on the cutting board, and if that were the case today, he probably would have been fired. But we stuck with him, and in the next six years, Iowa State was represented on the sidelines in five bowl games by Mr. McCarney himself. It couldn’t have been sweeter. This was a man who would jump off a cliff for the Cyclones. But there was one problem, he couldn’t take our team to the next level.
Gene Chizik trailblazed his way up from Texas in 2007, and was thought to be one of the most prolific up-and-coming young coaches in the game. But he wasn’t the right fit. Born and bred in the south, his arrogant style didn’t click with the University. The professionalism and dependability of McCarney was gone, and all that was left was a high-risk high-reward dictator, who didn’t even unpack his cardboard boxes in his prosperous new manor. With a few games left, in what turned out to be his last season in Ames, Chizik proclaimed he was, “firmly entrenched” at ISU. Chizik’s nose couldn’t have grown faster than Pinnochio’s.
So what is the right fit for a coach? Is it the upstanding individual who cares about education and graduation rates? Or is it the recruiter, who will do anything, right or wrong to get HIS type of athlete. Maybe it’s the school’s former player and assistant coach, who bleeds loyalty and respect. Or is it the detailed X’s and O’s wizard who can draw anything up on paper?
You ask any fan, the tall and the small, and all they want, are Victories.
From the words of Al Davis, “Just Win, Baby.”
So how much winning is enough? John Cooper had an incessant winning style at Ohio State. But he was canned, because he couldn’t beat Michigan. Mike Shula went 10-2 at Alabama in 2005, leading the Crimson Tide to Number 8 in the country, only to falter to 6-6 the following year, then flung hopelessly into the unemployment line.
Jim Tressel was a highly respected man at Ohio State. He was looked up to by many in the coaching fraternity. But the man wasn’t the one who pulled the trigger. His athletes were the ones who made the mistake, and they will pay for their wrongdoings. Based on the severity of the actions – selling OSU memorabilia and receiving tattoos - at a discount isn’t life-threatening. The fact was, Tressel couldn’t go on as CEO of Buckeye Nation with these clouds overhanging in his shadow.
The judge and jury has become the voice of the media. Sportscasters and analysts have all weighed in on this topic, (and many others) and with all that clout comes responsibility, they say. While I hope to see Mr. Tressel go on and prove these naysayers wrong, the past will never escape him.
So what is the moral of the story do you ask? I prefer to look at the glass half full. Everybody makes mistakes, no one is perfect. Our media has scrutinized and blown out of proportion too many instances that are commonalities in today’s society. Our standards may need to be lowered to a certain extent.
It makes any fan proud to see a coach on the sidelines who they can relate with, and who has been with them for the long haul. It’s similar to your local banker, family doctor, or insurance salesman. It’s OK to not always finish in first place. Oh how much sweeter it is, when the guy, who you’ve had his back for all those years, can step up and become great.
Nobody is perfect. Not everyone can live up to the expectations. Give our coaches the opportunities to build their programs up to their own potential.
The Field of Dreams says it best – “Build It and They Will Come.”
Monday, October 25, 2010
NBA Keys to Success
NBA Keys to Success
The NBA season starts tomorrow, and while I will be tuning in once in a while to catch a game, I’m seriously thinking about catching a nap, Hibernation style, until the Playoffs start up.
Everyone at the beginning of every season has one goal – To Win It All.
Well Mr. You Gotta Be Realistic is here to tell you that sometimes you can’t always follow your dreams. For all those parents out there that haven’t sat down with their kids to tell them Santa isn’t real, here is a friendly reminder.
While there comes a Hoosiers moment every once and again, we don’t see it in professional sports. Why?
Parity. Chemistry. Coaching. Depth. And whoever has the best player at the End of the Game.
The NBA season is like Thanksgiving Turkey. The 82-game regular season consists of the mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, green bean casserole and all the fixings. All I care about is the main dish – The Turkey. Nobody cares about the regular season. It’s all about the Playoffs Baby!
The NBA is not what it used to be. To tell you the truth I enjoy watching White Boys in their Way Too Short Shorts Running and Gunning in the 1980s more than Black Boys with their Red Lip Tattooed Shiny Earring I’m Better Than Everyone Else Attitudes in 2010.
Its everyone for themselves in this league, and that’s why I say the Playoffs ring true – because we have a few Contenders, and a lot of Pretenders.
Here are my Five Keys to Building a Championship Winning Team
1. You can’t win on jumpshots alone, you need guys that can get to the basket and finish ABOVE the Rim.
Penetrators like DWade and Lebron are a perfect one-two combo. Teams that rely on the jumpshot too much - Bulls, Mavs, Hawks, Thunder and Suns to name a few - cannot make shots consistently enough to win a seven-game series. You win by driving to the basket, drawing fouls and making free throws.
2. On the defensive side of the ball you HAVE to have a banger inside who can handle his own and get rebounds in crunch time.
In Game 7 of the Finals last year the Lakers absolutely dominated the glass – which led to no second chance shots for Boston, and more opportunities for the Lakers in the clutch. A few more shots here and there can lead to two or three baskets, and when it comes down to the end - those two or three baskets will make all the difference in a one-point win. Why do you think the Celtics added Jermaine AND Shaquille O’neal to their roster this year.
3. You must have a coach on the sidelines who can teach DEFENSE and understands when NOT to call a time out over those who take them at the WRONG time.
It can be said that Phil Jackson aka the Zen Master understands the game of basketball better than anyone – I mean he does have the most rings of any coach. Ever. Sometimes Phil lets his players play through an opponent’s run just to see how HIS players will react. This tactic can result in either a bad shot or a good shot. If players can weather the storm and get that much confidence from their coach, then sooner or later they will know how to deal with adversity on their own, and that poise and composure in crunch time situations will come back to benefit you more than you realize.
Now for DE-FENSE… DE-FENSE…. Offense Sells Tickets, Defense Wins Championships. Right? Of the Top 16 teams last year in Defensive Efficiency only ONE didn’t make the Playoffs. Any coach can make up a play to score, but those who preach defense and rebounding will come out the victors more often than nought.
4. Depth - Bench Players have to step up, and step up when they are called upon. Everyone has a role, they just need to know when to use it.
Look at how big last year’s Lakers’ trio of Fisher, Artest and Bynum were for LA’s championship. None of them scored 20 every night, and none of them wanted to. They stepped up to the plate when they needed to.
The forgotten bench players – the Steve Kerrs, Bruce Bowens, Robert Horrys and Dennis Rodmans are some of the most important players on their teams – because they have ONE role and fulfill that as One piece to a 12-man puzzle roster.
5. Imagine your team has the ball with 20 seconds left and the game tied. If it came down to your LIFE and you could pick ONE person to have the ball who would you pick?
When the game is tied and there is 20 seconds on the clock you HAVE to have a player that when they get the ball there is absolutely Nobody that is going to stop them. You need a player that has IT.
What is IT might you ask? Well a few players have it, some don’t have it yet, and some, well – it just isn’t in their blood.
My favorite player is Dirk Nowitzki, and he has never shown the mentality of a player in the clutch that, when the time comes, says Give Me The Ball and Get Out of My Way. He settles for jumpshots and doesn’t give his team a chance for second shots.
Jordan had IT. Bird had IT. Magic Johnson had IT.
When it comes down to crunch time and you need a basket who do You Trust to give the Ball to Score – no matter whether it’s a 3, two free throws or a drive to the basket.
Now I have left out a few players here, because either A) They don’t have IT yet, B) they just weren’t born with IT, or C) they lost IT.
Dwight Howard is not a consistent offensive force and can’t make free throws. Vince Carter missed two of the most important free throws in the playoffs last year when his team needed him the most. Tim Duncan used to have IT but he doesn’t move as well on the block. Dirk only has one play – a fade-away jumpshot. Danny Granger, Joe Johnson and Steve Nash are all limited with jumpshots as well. Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh have never had a killer mentality and can’t take over a game by themselves. Some guys just don’t have IT in their blood.
Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant are the up and comers who have yet to play in enough clutch situations to show me that they have IT. Were they born with IT and will they have the opportunity to utilize their talents in a crunch time situation? The verdict is still out on that one.
That leaves Kobe, Lebron, Melo, Wade, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They all have IT. If they have to put up 50 (Lebron, Kobe, Allen), they can do it. If they have to get knocked to the floor and shoot 25 free throws in a game (Wade) they'll do it. And if they have to guard the best player (Pierce, Lebron, Kobe) they will be the first ones to offer it.
They have shown time and again that they can make game-winning shots, free throws, defensive stops and when they get the ball they have that look in their eye that NO ONE is going to stop me.
So there you have it – my FIVE Keys to Building a Championship Winning Team
You can’t have one, two, or three. Sorry Orlando, Dallas, New Orleans, Utah or Chicago, but like I said before, Santa Claus is for real this time, so keep hoping that those cookies and milk are getting gobbled up by someone other than your mom and dad.
My FOUR teams this year that can Win It All are the Lakers, Celtics, Heat and New York Knicks.
That’s right – once Carmelo gets traded to New York, him and Amare are going to be making baskets like Politicians make promises. So keep that healthcare reform and trillion dollar deficit on the back burner, because the only cities with a parade come June are Los Angeles, Miami, Boston or New York.
The NBA season starts tomorrow, and while I will be tuning in once in a while to catch a game, I’m seriously thinking about catching a nap, Hibernation style, until the Playoffs start up.
Everyone at the beginning of every season has one goal – To Win It All.
Well Mr. You Gotta Be Realistic is here to tell you that sometimes you can’t always follow your dreams. For all those parents out there that haven’t sat down with their kids to tell them Santa isn’t real, here is a friendly reminder.
While there comes a Hoosiers moment every once and again, we don’t see it in professional sports. Why?
Parity. Chemistry. Coaching. Depth. And whoever has the best player at the End of the Game.
The NBA season is like Thanksgiving Turkey. The 82-game regular season consists of the mashed potatoes, crescent rolls, green bean casserole and all the fixings. All I care about is the main dish – The Turkey. Nobody cares about the regular season. It’s all about the Playoffs Baby!
The NBA is not what it used to be. To tell you the truth I enjoy watching White Boys in their Way Too Short Shorts Running and Gunning in the 1980s more than Black Boys with their Red Lip Tattooed Shiny Earring I’m Better Than Everyone Else Attitudes in 2010.
Its everyone for themselves in this league, and that’s why I say the Playoffs ring true – because we have a few Contenders, and a lot of Pretenders.
Here are my Five Keys to Building a Championship Winning Team
1. You can’t win on jumpshots alone, you need guys that can get to the basket and finish ABOVE the Rim.
Penetrators like DWade and Lebron are a perfect one-two combo. Teams that rely on the jumpshot too much - Bulls, Mavs, Hawks, Thunder and Suns to name a few - cannot make shots consistently enough to win a seven-game series. You win by driving to the basket, drawing fouls and making free throws.
2. On the defensive side of the ball you HAVE to have a banger inside who can handle his own and get rebounds in crunch time.
In Game 7 of the Finals last year the Lakers absolutely dominated the glass – which led to no second chance shots for Boston, and more opportunities for the Lakers in the clutch. A few more shots here and there can lead to two or three baskets, and when it comes down to the end - those two or three baskets will make all the difference in a one-point win. Why do you think the Celtics added Jermaine AND Shaquille O’neal to their roster this year.
3. You must have a coach on the sidelines who can teach DEFENSE and understands when NOT to call a time out over those who take them at the WRONG time.
It can be said that Phil Jackson aka the Zen Master understands the game of basketball better than anyone – I mean he does have the most rings of any coach. Ever. Sometimes Phil lets his players play through an opponent’s run just to see how HIS players will react. This tactic can result in either a bad shot or a good shot. If players can weather the storm and get that much confidence from their coach, then sooner or later they will know how to deal with adversity on their own, and that poise and composure in crunch time situations will come back to benefit you more than you realize.
Now for DE-FENSE… DE-FENSE…. Offense Sells Tickets, Defense Wins Championships. Right? Of the Top 16 teams last year in Defensive Efficiency only ONE didn’t make the Playoffs. Any coach can make up a play to score, but those who preach defense and rebounding will come out the victors more often than nought.
4. Depth - Bench Players have to step up, and step up when they are called upon. Everyone has a role, they just need to know when to use it.
Look at how big last year’s Lakers’ trio of Fisher, Artest and Bynum were for LA’s championship. None of them scored 20 every night, and none of them wanted to. They stepped up to the plate when they needed to.
The forgotten bench players – the Steve Kerrs, Bruce Bowens, Robert Horrys and Dennis Rodmans are some of the most important players on their teams – because they have ONE role and fulfill that as One piece to a 12-man puzzle roster.
5. Imagine your team has the ball with 20 seconds left and the game tied. If it came down to your LIFE and you could pick ONE person to have the ball who would you pick?
When the game is tied and there is 20 seconds on the clock you HAVE to have a player that when they get the ball there is absolutely Nobody that is going to stop them. You need a player that has IT.
What is IT might you ask? Well a few players have it, some don’t have it yet, and some, well – it just isn’t in their blood.
My favorite player is Dirk Nowitzki, and he has never shown the mentality of a player in the clutch that, when the time comes, says Give Me The Ball and Get Out of My Way. He settles for jumpshots and doesn’t give his team a chance for second shots.
Jordan had IT. Bird had IT. Magic Johnson had IT.
When it comes down to crunch time and you need a basket who do You Trust to give the Ball to Score – no matter whether it’s a 3, two free throws or a drive to the basket.
Now I have left out a few players here, because either A) They don’t have IT yet, B) they just weren’t born with IT, or C) they lost IT.
Dwight Howard is not a consistent offensive force and can’t make free throws. Vince Carter missed two of the most important free throws in the playoffs last year when his team needed him the most. Tim Duncan used to have IT but he doesn’t move as well on the block. Dirk only has one play – a fade-away jumpshot. Danny Granger, Joe Johnson and Steve Nash are all limited with jumpshots as well. Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh have never had a killer mentality and can’t take over a game by themselves. Some guys just don’t have IT in their blood.
Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant are the up and comers who have yet to play in enough clutch situations to show me that they have IT. Were they born with IT and will they have the opportunity to utilize their talents in a crunch time situation? The verdict is still out on that one.
That leaves Kobe, Lebron, Melo, Wade, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They all have IT. If they have to put up 50 (Lebron, Kobe, Allen), they can do it. If they have to get knocked to the floor and shoot 25 free throws in a game (Wade) they'll do it. And if they have to guard the best player (Pierce, Lebron, Kobe) they will be the first ones to offer it.
They have shown time and again that they can make game-winning shots, free throws, defensive stops and when they get the ball they have that look in their eye that NO ONE is going to stop me.
So there you have it – my FIVE Keys to Building a Championship Winning Team
You can’t have one, two, or three. Sorry Orlando, Dallas, New Orleans, Utah or Chicago, but like I said before, Santa Claus is for real this time, so keep hoping that those cookies and milk are getting gobbled up by someone other than your mom and dad.
My FOUR teams this year that can Win It All are the Lakers, Celtics, Heat and New York Knicks.
That’s right – once Carmelo gets traded to New York, him and Amare are going to be making baskets like Politicians make promises. So keep that healthcare reform and trillion dollar deficit on the back burner, because the only cities with a parade come June are Los Angeles, Miami, Boston or New York.
Friday, October 22, 2010
2010 NFL Predictions
Fellas,
Welcome to our blog "We Are The Voice," hosted by four individuals rich in knowledge and will talk about every game under the lights.
We will analyze and discuss a wide range of topics in sports - from chemistry and coaching to who really deserves to say the words "Show Me The Money".
First on the agenda is what we all came up with over the summer - on an adventurous trip up to the Twin Cities..
Our 2010 NFL Predictions..
Now that we are in Week 7 lets see who can afford to push all the chips in the middle of the table or who should, just, well fold...
J-Will's Picks
NFC
*Cowboys 11-5
*Giants 10-6
Eagles 9-7
Redskins 7-9
*Falcons 10-6
Saints 9-7
Panthers 5-11
Bucs 3-13
*Vikings 11-5
*Packers 11-5
Bears 8-8
Lions 4-12
*49ers 9-7
Cardinals 9-7
Seahawks 6-10
Rams 3-13
AFC
*Pats 10-6
*Jets 10-6
Dolphins 9-7
Bills 2-14
*Colts 11-5
Titans 9-7
Texans 8-8
Jaguars 5-11
*Ravens 12-4
*Steelers 9-7
Bengals 8-8
Browns 2-14
*Chargers 11-5
Chiefs 8-8
Broncos 8-8
Raiders 7-9
Playoffs
NFC
Giants over Falcons
Packers over 49ers
Vikings over Giants
Packers over Cowboys
Vikings over Packers
AFC
Pats over Jets
Ravens over Steelers
Pats over Colts
Chargers over Ravens
Chargers over Pats
Super Bowl XLV - Vikings over Chargers
A-Will's Picks (Josh and Aaron did these sorta together)
NFC
*Cowboys 12-4
Giants 10-6
Eagles 8-8
Redskins 6-10
*Saints 11-5
*Falcons 10-6
Panthers 7-9
Bucs 3-13
*Packers 12-4
*Vikings 11-5
Bears 8-8
Lions 5-11
*49ers 10-6
Cardinals 6-10
Seahawks 5-11
Rams 3-13
AFC
*Jets 11-5
*Pats 10-6
Dolphins 9-7
Bills 2-14
*Colts 12-4
Texans 9-7
Titans 8-8
Jaguars 4-12
*Ravens 12-4
*Steelers 9-7
Bengals 8-8
Browns 4-12
*Chargers 11-5
Broncos 7-9
Raiders 7-9
Chiefs 5-11
Playoffs
NFC
Falcons over Giants
49ers over Vikings
Packers over Falcons
Cowboys over 49ers
Packers over Cowboys
AFC
Jets over Pats
Chargers over Steelers
Ravens over Jets
Chargers over Colts
Ravens over Chargers
Super Bowl XLV - Ravens over Packers
Johnny Boy's Picks
NFC
*Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Eagles 8-8
Redskins 8-8
*Saints 12-4
*Falcons 11-5
Bucs 6-10
Panthers 5-11
*Vikings 14-2
*Packers 11-5
Bears 5-11
Lions 3-13
*49ers 10-6
Seahawks 9-7
Cardinals 7-9
Rams 5-11
AFC
*Jets 12-4
Dolphins 10-6
Pats 10-6
Bills 2-14
*Colts 12-4
*Titans 11-5
Jaguars 9-7
Texans 9-7
*Ravens 12-4
Steelers 10-6
Bengals 8-8
Browns 5-11
*Chargers 12-4
*Broncos 10-6
Raiders 7-9
Chiefs 3-13
Playoffs
NFC
Giants over Falcons
Vikings over 49ers
Packers over Giants
Vikings over Saints
Packers over Vikings
AFC
Jets over Broncos
Titans over Chargers
Colts over Titans
Ravens over Jets
Ravens over Colts
Super Bowl XLV - Packers over Ravens
Snail(Josiah)'s Picks
NFC
*Redskins 11-5
*Giants 10-6
Eagles 10-6
Cowboys 1-15
*Saints 11-5
Falcons 10-6
Panthers 5-11
Bucs 3-13
*Packers 13-3
*Vikings 12-4
Bears 7-9
Lions 6-10
*49ers 9-7
Cardinals 8-8
Seahawks 7-9
Rams 2-14
AFC
*Jets 11-5
*Dolphins 10-6
Pats 10-6
Bills 3-13
*Colts 12-4
*Titans 10-6
Texans 10-6
Jaguars 2-14
*Ravens 12-4
Bengals 10-6
Steelers 9-7
Browns 4-12
*Chargers 11-5
Broncos 10-6
Chiefs 8-8
Raiders 5-11
Playoffs
NFC
Falcons over Giants
Packers over 49ers
Vikings over Falcons
Packers over Saints
Packers over Vikings
AFC
Colts over Broncos
Titans over Ravens
Colts over Broncos
Titans over Chargers
Colts over Titans
Super Bowl XLV - Packers over Colts
Well thats all she wrote
Now what do you say about your picks now? Remember its "Your Voice" to be heard
Welcome to our blog "We Are The Voice," hosted by four individuals rich in knowledge and will talk about every game under the lights.
We will analyze and discuss a wide range of topics in sports - from chemistry and coaching to who really deserves to say the words "Show Me The Money".
First on the agenda is what we all came up with over the summer - on an adventurous trip up to the Twin Cities..
Our 2010 NFL Predictions..
Now that we are in Week 7 lets see who can afford to push all the chips in the middle of the table or who should, just, well fold...
J-Will's Picks
NFC
*Cowboys 11-5
*Giants 10-6
Eagles 9-7
Redskins 7-9
*Falcons 10-6
Saints 9-7
Panthers 5-11
Bucs 3-13
*Vikings 11-5
*Packers 11-5
Bears 8-8
Lions 4-12
*49ers 9-7
Cardinals 9-7
Seahawks 6-10
Rams 3-13
AFC
*Pats 10-6
*Jets 10-6
Dolphins 9-7
Bills 2-14
*Colts 11-5
Titans 9-7
Texans 8-8
Jaguars 5-11
*Ravens 12-4
*Steelers 9-7
Bengals 8-8
Browns 2-14
*Chargers 11-5
Chiefs 8-8
Broncos 8-8
Raiders 7-9
Playoffs
NFC
Giants over Falcons
Packers over 49ers
Vikings over Giants
Packers over Cowboys
Vikings over Packers
AFC
Pats over Jets
Ravens over Steelers
Pats over Colts
Chargers over Ravens
Chargers over Pats
Super Bowl XLV - Vikings over Chargers
A-Will's Picks (Josh and Aaron did these sorta together)
NFC
*Cowboys 12-4
Giants 10-6
Eagles 8-8
Redskins 6-10
*Saints 11-5
*Falcons 10-6
Panthers 7-9
Bucs 3-13
*Packers 12-4
*Vikings 11-5
Bears 8-8
Lions 5-11
*49ers 10-6
Cardinals 6-10
Seahawks 5-11
Rams 3-13
AFC
*Jets 11-5
*Pats 10-6
Dolphins 9-7
Bills 2-14
*Colts 12-4
Texans 9-7
Titans 8-8
Jaguars 4-12
*Ravens 12-4
*Steelers 9-7
Bengals 8-8
Browns 4-12
*Chargers 11-5
Broncos 7-9
Raiders 7-9
Chiefs 5-11
Playoffs
NFC
Falcons over Giants
49ers over Vikings
Packers over Falcons
Cowboys over 49ers
Packers over Cowboys
AFC
Jets over Pats
Chargers over Steelers
Ravens over Jets
Chargers over Colts
Ravens over Chargers
Super Bowl XLV - Ravens over Packers
Johnny Boy's Picks
NFC
*Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Eagles 8-8
Redskins 8-8
*Saints 12-4
*Falcons 11-5
Bucs 6-10
Panthers 5-11
*Vikings 14-2
*Packers 11-5
Bears 5-11
Lions 3-13
*49ers 10-6
Seahawks 9-7
Cardinals 7-9
Rams 5-11
AFC
*Jets 12-4
Dolphins 10-6
Pats 10-6
Bills 2-14
*Colts 12-4
*Titans 11-5
Jaguars 9-7
Texans 9-7
*Ravens 12-4
Steelers 10-6
Bengals 8-8
Browns 5-11
*Chargers 12-4
*Broncos 10-6
Raiders 7-9
Chiefs 3-13
Playoffs
NFC
Giants over Falcons
Vikings over 49ers
Packers over Giants
Vikings over Saints
Packers over Vikings
AFC
Jets over Broncos
Titans over Chargers
Colts over Titans
Ravens over Jets
Ravens over Colts
Super Bowl XLV - Packers over Ravens
Snail(Josiah)'s Picks
NFC
*Redskins 11-5
*Giants 10-6
Eagles 10-6
Cowboys 1-15
*Saints 11-5
Falcons 10-6
Panthers 5-11
Bucs 3-13
*Packers 13-3
*Vikings 12-4
Bears 7-9
Lions 6-10
*49ers 9-7
Cardinals 8-8
Seahawks 7-9
Rams 2-14
AFC
*Jets 11-5
*Dolphins 10-6
Pats 10-6
Bills 3-13
*Colts 12-4
*Titans 10-6
Texans 10-6
Jaguars 2-14
*Ravens 12-4
Bengals 10-6
Steelers 9-7
Browns 4-12
*Chargers 11-5
Broncos 10-6
Chiefs 8-8
Raiders 5-11
Playoffs
NFC
Falcons over Giants
Packers over 49ers
Vikings over Falcons
Packers over Saints
Packers over Vikings
AFC
Colts over Broncos
Titans over Ravens
Colts over Broncos
Titans over Chargers
Colts over Titans
Super Bowl XLV - Packers over Colts
Well thats all she wrote
Now what do you say about your picks now? Remember its "Your Voice" to be heard
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