Respect Due

"That blue and yellow, yeah that's the Carmelo jag..."

Nicki Minaj - Up Out My Face

"Melo had a great game...if the West would have won, he would have been MVP..." - Dwyane Wade

Super Official

On Sunday the NBA hosted the All-Star game, however last night the Cavs matched up with the visiting Nuggets, for an entertaining duel between best friends.

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James will forever be linked not only through basketball, but also because of their mutual respect and bond. The league is driven by stars and team dynasties, so when Kobe and LeBron get the international advertisements, and continue to do the impossible...they tend to overshadow their peers. However there are special players throughout the association, and one such person is Carmelo Anthony.

He has been given the nickname Captain America from his breakout play with Team USA, and ability to score as well as defend, making Anthony one of the best. At 6'8", 230lbs he moves like a guard, with Usain Bolt like speed.

In Cleveland, he and the Nuggets needed an extra 5-minutes playing into overtime to outlast the Cavaliers 118-116. Carmelo had 40-points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks, while James counted with a triple-double (43-points, 15 assists, 13 boards), but it was Anthony's jump shot with 1.9 remaining that delivered the win.

One thing is true, in that after everything is said and done...there will be nothing left to say or do.

Photo: David Liam/NBAE via Getty Images

Run it!

Irie

"Bad bwoy...big talk..."

Kardinal Official - Grindin' (Selector Remix)

The title of the world's fastest man has become more cliche' in track and field than ever. So much so, that whenever there is a new world record...people are almost apathetic.

Welcome To Jamrock

Super sprinter Usain Bolt has been a quiet anomaly since he first arrived on the scene at the age of 14...however on Sunday, he did what a lot of so called experts would consider the impossible. He shattered his 100-meter time from last summer's Olympics (9.69)...with a 9.58 run at the IAAF World Track Championships in Berlin.

In an interesting twist...Bolt achieved this feat in the same arena that Jesse Owens once dispelled hate in the 1936 Olympics, winning 5 Gold medals.

The more things change...the more they stay the same...as Bolt and the country of Jamaica continue to show their track and field prowess.

'08 Year in Review

25-years in the making

Gold Standard

Rookie of the Year, MVP, and Olympic Gold

Superman

Pursuit of happiness

"Shine your light for the world to see..."

Mos Def - Umi Says

Today as I look back at the past year in sports...I eagerly anticipate what 2009 will bring. Penn State has returned to the Rose Bowl as they will battle against USC, the Lakers and Celtics are once again 2 of the better teams in the NBA, and the NFL doesn't have a clear cut favorite, making the playoffs more interesting than it's been in recent years. No matter the outcome from the various teams around the leagues this upcoming year, 2008 was one of the best 365 days of sport in a longtime.

Great in '08

The things that made last season one of the best ever was a combination of the underdog, and the allure and delivery of memorable moments from the summer games in China. I'll keep this post short, because everyone has their own opinion, however I feel that when a team like the New York Football Giants won the Super Bowl against the juggernaut favorite, New England Patriots, it shifted the paradigm in all of sports. To further the shift, the Philadelphia Phillies did the impossible by not only making it to the World Series, but to win it all and restore order in the City of Philadelphia...that may have been something only the Phillies saw coming. Last but not least...'08 was an impressive Olympic year...between Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, and the USA basketball teams, it made for some of the most magical summer memories, reminding me of the '88 and '92 games, with Flo Jo, and the Dream Team.

2009 could very well be the year of the championship teams everyone loves to hate. The University of North Carolina could win the NCAA basketball title, the New York Yankees may return to their winning ways, and the Los Angeles Lakers could win that elusive 4th ring for Kobe Bryant, making last season a distant memory.

The game isn't won on paper, or my computer screen for that matter, so we will all watch and wait, for what will be another interesting sports cycle.

The Last of the Mohicans

On the road to gold

Kidd gets instructions from Coach Bozeman

California dreams

“In 1995, you’ll twist to this, as you raise your fist to the music...united we stand, yes divided we fall...together we can stand tall.”

Chuck D – Brothers Gonna Work It Out

The summer Olympics are a dream come true, as I can watch sports on several networks for a full 24 hours. I’ve watched everyone from Usain Bolt, Guo Jingjing, Misty May, Kerri Walsh, Shawn Johnson, Natasha Liukin, and Michael Phelps, to Sue Bird, Candace Parker, Cullen Jones, Angela Hucles, Hope Solo, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Cat Osterman, Jessica Mendoza, and the Cuban women’s volleyball team.

However, the main event in my narrow opinion is Team USA...affectionately known as the Redeem Team. Now that pool play is over and the United States have remained unscathed with a record of 5-0, they enter a daunting lose and go home format beginning Wednesday morning against the pesky Aussie’s.

This team has yet to be tested as they have outplayed the competition with ease, nevertheless, it seems that everywhere I read and turn; the so-called experts are out doing themselves pointing to the bronze medal of 2004, saying that this team can lose the gold at any given turn. Yes these are the Olympic Games with the best talent in the world, but in my mind team USA is that much better than everyone else. Here are a few reasons why:

• First and foremost, this is not the NBA. I repeat, this is not the NBA, therefore the games will be played at a different pace than you are used to watching. Just because the United States are playing in a very close game in the 1st quarter...that doesn’t translate into the opposing being extremely good. The next time you see a close 1st quarter, ask yourself, can this team stay close over a 40-minute span? That answer is usually spelled no, in both English and Spanish.
  
• Dwyane Wade has regained his top form of a few years ago, playing sans injury with a high basketball IQ and energy off the bench. With Wade, Bosh, and Chris Paul leading the charge of the second unit, this team is difficult to defend.
  
• Camaraderie, this squad is a very close knit group both on and off the court. They keep one another accountable, and the jokes never stop with Kobe, LeBron, Dwight Howard, and Carmelo Anthony. This team is loose playing with one mission to bring the gold home.
  
• Jason Kidd. I shouldn’t have to explain this one, however I reluctantly will. Who is the only member of team USA with a gold medal? Kidd, he won Olympic gold during the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. Who has an undefeated record in exhibition and Olympic play? Jason Kidd, who has an impressive record 43-0 (50-0 including exhibition matches) Who is a superior talent at the point guard position? You guessed it, number 5, as he led the NBA in triple-doubles during his rookie season...enough for him to share the 1995 Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill. Who was named USA Basketball’s 2007 Male Athlete of the Year? Kidd, as he averaged 1.8 points per game, while handing out 4.6 assists per contest. He may not score but he understands the game better than most, and if you are open, he will find you.

I have often said that Kobe Bryant will not let this group come home with anything less than gold, and while I believe that to be true, this is a team game, as this ship has a strong anchor in Jason Kidd. His basketball expertise and international familiarity place this team in a different category than the 3rd place 2004 team. Nothing against the bronze medal the United States earned, because that team didn’t have the years of planning, and preparation that this team has enjoyed...and at the end of the day team USA still earned a medal. You have to look at the bright side, because imagine what the “experts” would have said if they didn’t win a medal...just something to think about?

For more on Jason Kidd watch the video below: