On the 8 Spot

This is a nice story

By CHRIS BROUSSARD

It’s safe to assume that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant haven’t talked privately about giving the world what it wants – the dream NBA Finals matchup between James’ Cleveland Cavaliers and Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers.

But in January, the two superstars talked about giving another gift to the basketball world, or at least to the basketball world’s greatest players.

James and Bryant decided to buy each member of the 2010 NBA All-Star team a pair of custom-made “Beats by Dr. Dre’’ Monster headphones. James bought them for his 12 Eastern Conference teammates, while Bryant did the same for the 14 other Western Conference all-stars.

Speaking via blackberry, James and Bryant settled on getting Dre’s $350 “Studio’’ version headphones. They then contacted Dr. Dre and asked him to customize each set of headphones by making them in the All-Star colors (blue for the East, red for the West) and putting each player’s number on them. That cost an extra $100 per set.

via LeBron and Kobe Team Up – TrueHoop Blog – ESPN.

I’ve been giving MJ the benefit of a doubt because he was always more of the controlling type, and not having complete control is something that colored my judgment of his past decisions. I hope he shines in being an NBA owner.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — He has been called the NBA’s greatest player and one of the country’s top pitchmen.

Now Michael Jordan is ready for a new title: NBA owner.

With minutes to go until his exclusive negotiating window was to expire, Jordan struck a deal late Friday night to buy controlling interest of the Charlotte Bobcats, putting the six-time NBA champion in charge of the money-losing team in his home state.

Owner Bob Johnson announced in a statement that he’s agreed to sell the Bobcats to Jordan, who been a part-owner of since 2006. Jordan has been running the team’s basketball operations.

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/nba/02/27/jordan.bobcats.ap/index.html#ixzz0gtcK1B8O
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via Michael Jordan reaches agreement to buy Charlotte Bobcats – NBA – SI.com.

I wanted the Saints to win. This was because as chuck said when Peyton Manning gets his second ring its almost hard to not agree that he is his generations best. I’m not ready for that world. I love watching Manning play but not yet.

Didn’t stretch when I played basketball earlier this afternoon. I didn’t have the time, this was somewhat comforting. PS I was able to do some warmups so the evidence is for what I did! hehehe!

More negative evidence on stretching

For Dr. [Stephen] Thacker's paper “The Impact of Stretching on Sports Injury Risk: A Systematic Review of the Literature,” he and his colleagues pored over nearly 100 other published medical studies on the subject. Their key conclusions: stretching does increase flexibility; the highest-quality studies indicate that this increased flexibility doesn't prevent injuries; few athletes need extreme flexibility to perform their best (perhaps just gymnasts and figure skaters); and more injuries would be prevented by better warmups, by strength training, and by balance exercises, than by stretching.

via The .Plan: A Quasi-Blog: More negative evidence on stretching.

Smiled reading this!

Q: If the boxing higher-ups had any sense whatsoever they would give us Pacman/Mayweather in six months. I would stop everything to have a fight night party for this event. I have not paid for a boxing event since Holyfield/Lewis in 1999 but I would spend at least $300-$500 to see this. What is the holdup?

– Seth Johnson, Middletown, N.Y.

SG: It’s going to be disappointing. Just warning you now. Floyd Mayweather Jr. could never in a million years trade punches with Manny Pacquiao. He will be on his bicycle for 12 rounds. There is no way that, at this point in his life, Mayweather wants any part of Pacquiao, a concrete-headed, indefatigable freak of nature who can finish with either hand from every angle. If Mayweather gets in the ring, he’ll end up doing more laps than Steve Prefontaine did for the University of Oregon. Just keep your guard up when you’re spending that $64.95.

(Important note: Will I be spending that money? Of course! Happily! I made the decision during Pacman’s glorious evisceration of Miguel Cotto that he finally had reached the exalted “I Don’t Care Who You Are Fighting, I Am Watching It Live & That’s That” status, which puts him in the following company: Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Tyson. My own personal Mount Rushmore. Pacquiao hit Tiger/Federer status about a year ago, and nobody cared. That’s why he needs the Mayweather fight so badly. We’ve seen dominant pound-for-pound guys these past two decades, but nobody with finishing power anything like what Pacman has. He’s like a coked-up Aaron Pryor, only without the coke. Insane. If he’s fighting, I am watching.)

via Bill Simmons’ Thanksgiving mailbag – ESPN.

Congratulations to Bata and Amit for winning the World Mixed Doubles 9-7. You make your countrymen proud!

Whatever more happens, politics, fall from grace I will choose to remember when he was fighting in the ring.  Quoting from “For The Love Of The Game”. “You and that game, you’re perfect together!”

Pacquiao TKOs Cotto, makes history

INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 13:34:00 11/15/2009

Filed Under: Sport, Boxing, Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 3) Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao made history Sunday (Manila time) when he bagged the welterweight title, his seventh in as many divisions, via technical knockout of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, the reigning champion in that division.

Kenny Bayless, the referee of the match, stopped the fight at 2:04-minute mark of the 12th round declaring Pacquiao the winner in the fight held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pacquiao bucked a size disadvantage against Cotto on his way to becoming the first fighter to win world titles in seven divisions.

Pacquiao has won the world championships in the flyweight (112 pounds), super bantamweight (122 lb), featherweight (126 lb), super featherweight (130 lb), lightweight (135 lb), and light welterweight (140 lb).

No man has won seven world titles in seven weight divisions and only five boxers have won six – Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Thomas Hearns, Hector Camacho, and James Toney.

via Pacquiao TKOs Cotto, makes history – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.

Gorres fought valiantly. I hope and pray you that you get well!

RP’s Gorres in critical condition after boxing fight in Vegas

November 14, 2009 16:02:54

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Just as the nation was preparing for the megabout between Manny Pacquiao and Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, a nightmarish tragedy struck Filipino prospect Z “The Dream” Gorres after winning his fight Friday in Las Vegas (Saturday in Manila).

Gorres, one of the top bantamweight boxers from the Philippines, collapsed after hacking out a 10-round decision over Columbian Luis Melendez at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay and was rushed to the UMC Hospital in Las Vegas.

via Pinoy Boxing Republic – GMANews.TV Sports.

LEt’s get this out of the way. What Arboleda did was inexcusable.

Heckling is really part of the game, in some ways its one of the top 5 reasons (this is a nice post idea) why I love watching games live. And based on experience some people lose all verbal decency during games. This has to stop. There should be limits and its refreshing to see that the PBA commissioner is finally going to create a framework to handle unacceptable behaviors on the players and the fans camp. I feel for Arboleda, what players experience oncourt is really a very harsh form of verbal abuse. This does not excuse his behavior but it really puts things in context. Arboleda is a passionate player, he is easy to cheer against because you see he really tries his best. His not playing for the year is really going to weaken an already weak BK team.

Agcaoili said his client is still in mental anguish and in shock as a result of Arboleda’s vicious attack.

“His parents, who are both in their senior years, had elevated blood pressure after seeing the incident. His wife, who is six months pregnant, shook violently after seeing the incident on television and on the internet and continues to have chills as a result,” Agcaoili said.

“His family is still in total shock and in complete fear and indignation over how a professional basketball player in the country’s premiere league can behave in a manner as Wynne Arboleda did,” Agcaoili added.

Arboleda, however, said he’s ready to face Katigbac in court.

The hard-nosed BK player said they will file counter-charge against Katigbac.

“I lost my source of livelihood because of him. I will not allow him to totally destroy me,” Arboleda told The STAR.

Arboleda said he was provoked in committing the act.

“He cursed me no end in front of my family,” said Arboleda, who was suspended for the rest of the season without pay.

Last season, Marlou Aquino, Danny Ildefonso and Marc Pingris were meted penalty as they also figured in a fight with fans. The three were restrained before getting to the fan.

“I’d like to look at the positive side out of this ugly incident. We’ll undertake program on responsible game watching. It’s about respecting each other and conducting ourselves in the highest integrity,” said Barrios.

“We’ll sit down with the Araneta Coliseum management to craft arrangements not only on security but protocol on fan behavior. Among the players, I doubt if someone else would do something like this with the severe penalty (imposed on Arboleda),” Barrios added.

via Fan wants life ban on Arboleda | ABS-CBN News Online Beta.

I have a feeling that the Cavs finally got the muscle with the addition of Powe, I’m already feeling giddy about the coming season!