All the Stuff You Never Wanted to Know...

"It" is officially a "She"

2011-12-22T18:56:00.000-08:00

We are expecting our first child, and today we got to see some interesting shots on the ultrasound. We also found out that it's a girl!

Preps Magazine

2011-01-10T16:41:00.001-08:00

The third issue of Preps Magazine is now out and it features the teams from the winter sports season (with boys' basketball on the cover). We are covering 15 high schools in Utah Valley. Here are the covers we have had so far:

If you are interested in getting a subscription to the magazine, go to utahvalleypreps.com, and click "Subscribe." For a limited time, you can get a free one-year subscription by simply completing the brief survey on the site's subscription page.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

We were mostly home for the holidays this year, but we had a good time. Patricia made some Brazilian treats and we listened to some Christmas music to get in the right mood. We ate and delivered goodies to neighbors. Everything turned out really well. There were dulce de leche pastries, three types of mousse (chocolate, lime and passionfruit) in cups and little pie crusts, caramelized grapes, pão de queijo (cheese bread) and some tube-shaped potato and rice patties that had garlic/onion/chive seasonings.

We were simply having a wonderful Christmas time with these foods.
Above you can see a sample of the plates we gave to some friends.
Christmas trees: real or fake? Santa Claus came to town.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Chuck Norris Spit Here

2010-12-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

Recently (in the last few months, anyway) I was with my honey near the library and I spotted this car:Notice that Chuck didn't punch the car. He didn't roundhouse kick the car. He just spit on it. Now that's some strong saliva.

October 27, 2010

2010-12-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

She: It's white outside

Me: (groan)

I looked out the window, and what did I see? Nearly one month before Thanksgiving, our ground was already blanketed with snow. I guess that might be par for the course where I live. Anyway, the snow melted within a day, and it was a few weeks before we had snow again. And the November snow has since melted. It's actually been kind of nice out lately, considering it's December and all.

NBA 2010-11: Stories, questions and awards

2010-10-31T23:05:00.001-07:00

Every year around this date I put on a blindfold and throw some darts at a dartboard to help me make some NBA predictions. Who will win the championship? Who will win the individual awards? Will Shaquille O'Neal ever retire?

There are always some stories that fly under the radar. Of course, we know that the last two years saw the Lakers winning the championship and LeBron James earning the league's MVP award. But did you know that the Raptors' Jose Calderon set a major record two years ago -- a record that will probably never be broken!

In the 2008-09 season, Calderon made 151 of 154 free-throw attempts, good for 98.1% percent. The previous record of 95.8% was held by the Rockets Calvin Murphy and set back in the 1980-81 season. In other words, a record that lasted for 28 years was beaten by a pretty good margin. (keep in mind that a player must make at least 125 free throws in order to qualify for records or league-leader status).

In that same '08-'09 season, Rudy Fernandez made 159 3-pointers to set an NBA rookie record, one more than the previous record set by Kerry Kittles in 1996-97. In a neat coincidence, Fernandez and Calderon are teammates for the Spanish national team that won the 2006 World Championship and was runner-up to the U.S. in the 2008 Olympics.

So what will be the big questions this season? Obviously a lot of that focuses on the Miami Heat and their trio of stars. How will they do in their first season together?
Another team to watch would be the defending champs. Can L.A. three-peat?
I won't take the time to go into more detail, but ESPN has a pretty good post with 20 questions for the NBA season.

In keeping with tradition, I will unveil my picks for the NBA's regular-season individual awards.

Most Valuable Player -- the last couple of years I picked LeBron James and ended up being right. This year I am sticking with tradition by going with the safe pick again. That means Kevin Durant is my pick. KD became the league's youngest-ever scoring leader last season and is likely to make it two straight scoring titles. He is also coming off an MVP performance at the World Championships of Basketball, where he was the top player on the gold-medal winning team. While the game's best all-around player, LeBron James, may still be in the running despite playing with two perennial All-Stars, Durant looks to be leading the pack heading into the new season.
Rookie of the Year -- We have the last two No. 1 overall draft picks gunning for this award. Clippers forward Blake Griffin (drafted No. 1 in 2009) is back after missing all of last season because of injury. John Wall, this year's top overall draft pick, looks to lead the Wizards from the point guard position. I see this as a pretty good ROY race, but I will take Wall mainly because he should have an easier time getting opportunities to have the ball in his hands and make plays. While Griffin will likely have to share shots with Eric Gordon, Baron Davis and Chris Kaman, Wall will clearly be the featured player on the Wiz. Gilbert Arenas hasn't played much in recent years because of injuries and suspension, and Washington has cleaned house to start fresh. This means Wall will have the figurative keys to the Wizards' figurative car (sorry, Arenas, JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche).
Defensive Player of the Year -- Dwight Howard appears to be the safe pick. I will go with Superman even though history is technically not on his side. No player has won this award for three consecutive seasons. Dwight could become the first.
Sixth Man of the Year -- I could see a previous winner of this award duplicating the feat. Manu Ginobili apparently is beginning this season as a starter, so that eliminates him from consideration, unless Coach Popovich makes some lineup changes during the season (entirely possible). Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford and Leandro Barbosa are some of the other recent winners. I'll pick the Mavericks' guard.
Most Improved Player -- Ick. How do you predict this one? It usually goes to someone who has a big increase in the role they play for their team, which sometimes has less to do with improvement, and more to do with additional playing time and shot attempts. Whatever. I'll take Reggie Williams of the Warriors (not the one who played with Denver in the mid-'90s). He was called up from the D-League last year and put up some pretty good numbers for Golden State. If this pick is looking stupid at mid-season, feel free to laugh -- but not until then.
Coach of the Year -- This one is a shot in the dark (just like the MIP award), but I'll go with Tom Thibodeau of the Bulls. The first-year NBA head coach was credited as the mastermind of the Boston Celtics' recent defensive dominance when he was an assistant in Beantown. Will see how well he does as the head man of a team with a couple of young stars and some nice offseason additions.

2010-11 Early NBA Playoff predictions

2010-10-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Based on the rankings from my previous post, here is how I think the playoffs would play out.

1st Round
East: (1) Miami defeats (8) Charlotte
(2) Orlando defeats (7) New York
(3) Boston defeats (6) Milwaukee
(4) Chicago defeats (5) Atlanta

West: (1) L.A. Lakers defeat (8) Phoenix
(2) Oklahoma City defeats (7) Houston
(3) San Antonio defeats (6) Portland
(5) Utah defeats (4) Dallas

Conference Semifinals
East: (1) Miami defeats (4) Chicago
(3) Boston defeats (2) Orlando

West: (1) L.A. Lakers defeat (5) Utah
(3) San Antonio defeats (2) Oklahoma City

Conference Finals
East: (1) Miami defeats (3) Boston
West: (1) L.A. Lakers defeat (3) San Antonio

VS.

NBA Finals: So it comes down to these teams. The super-talented SuperFriends vs. the champs from Hollywood. Will the Heat get enough support from their role players? Can they matchup with the Lakers big men? Can the Heat gel in time to win a title in their first season with the current roster? Will injuries play a factor in who wins? How about home court?
This could go either way, but here is my pick:
Miami defeats L.A. Lakers

2010-11 NBA Predictions

2010-10-25T22:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, folks, it's that time again. I'm rolling out my predictions for how this season will go. This post will list the teams in order of their division standings, with playoff seeding in parentheses.

Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics (3) – Aging unit still has what it takes to make a good run. But can they go all the way?
New York Knicks (7) – New additions, including Amar’e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton and Anthony Randolph, look to turn the ship around. ~~STAT~~ Apostrophe reunites with former Suns coach Mike D’Antoni in hopes of giving the Big Apple its first winning record in a decade.
Philadelphia 76ers – They have a lot of talent, but the pieces don’t seem to fit together (several scores, very few passers – only one basketball). Doubters say No. 2 pick Evan Turner, who struggled in summer league and preseason, could be a bust.
New Jersey Nets - Should win more than the 12 games they won a year ago, but they’re still a lottery team barring a major trade.
Toronto Raptors – Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Leandro Barbosa will be among the team’s top players. I think I’ve made my point.

Central Division
Chicago Bulls (4) – Had a nice offseason, unofficially branding themselves as a Utah Jazz reunion tour by signing free agents Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer. Can the Bulls win their first division title since the Jordan/Pippen/Rodman era?
Milwaukee Bucks (6) – Andrew Bogut took a nasty spill and broke his arm late last season. If – and this may be a big IF – the Aussie can stay healthy, the Bucks should be a solid playoff team.
Indiana Pacers – Their biggest move of the offseason was likely the four-team deal that landed them Darren Collison and James Posey, while costing them the services of Troy Murphy.
Cleveland Cavaliers – They still have Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson. They’re not too much different from last season, right? ... Right?
Detroit Pistons – I think they have way too much talent to be placed so low, and yet this is a classic case of a team that will likely play below their talent because the pieces don’t fit well together. Much like Philly, they don’t really have a passing team, they have some injury prone players and they’re coming off a lottery season.

Southeast Division
Miami Heat (1) – The NBA hasn’t seen a free agent bonanza like this since … well, probably ever.

Orlando Magic (2) – They entered into the conversation of elite teams a couple of years ago, but don’t quite seem able to get over the hump to win it all.
Atlanta Hawks (5) – The squad that basically used to be “the Clippers of the East” should make their fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
Charlotte Bobcats (8) – Made their first-ever playoff appearance (in their sixth season) in 2010. Can they make a repeat performance?
Washington Wizards – On paper, there is some good young talent, plus Gilbert Arenas. However, something always seems to derail this team, whether it’s injuries, bad defense or bringing firearms to the locker room.

Southwest Division
San Antonio Spurs (3) – Tony Parker has said he thinks this is the last chance for Tim/Tony/Manu to get another ring.
Dallas Mavericks (4) – They have won 50 or more games for 10 straight seasons. On the other hand, they have only won a total of one playoff series in the past four years.
Houston Rockets (7) – I actually think this team has the talent, work ethic and chemistry to be really good if they are healthy. It’s just a bit difficult to place the non-Laker playoff teams in a proper order out West.
New Orleans Hornets - They have arguably the game’s best point guard in Chris Paul (with Deron Williams as his main competition), a recent All-Star in David West, a not-so-recent All-Star (Peja), a starter from a championship team (Trevor Ariza, ’09 Lakers), the No. 2 overall draft pick from 2004 (Emeka Okafor) and a burgeoning second-year scorer (Marcus Thornton), yet somehow I still find it hard to make room for them to be in the playoffs.
Memphis Grizzlies – I could make a list here (Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, O.J. Mayo) like the one I did for the Hornets, and the same thing would apply.

Northwest Division
Oklahoma City Thunder (2) – Everyone is on the Zombie Sonics’ bandwagon. I am not completely convinced they will finish this high, but they certainly could. They will rely heavily on Kevin Durant and other young, perimeter players for scoring (Westbrook, Green, Harden), but will be complemented by big men who will do the dirty work (Aldrich, Ibaka, Collison, Krstic).
Utah Jazz (5) – Out with Boozer, Matthews and Korver. In with Al Jefferson, Gordon Hayward and Raja Bell. They seem to have replaced the recently departed players very well and are hoping the new blood will mix well with their holdovers.
Portland Trail Blazers (6) – The Blazers have some very nice talent and enviable depth. They also have a major injury history with Greg Oden and, to a lesser extent, Brandon Roy, Rudy Fernandez and Joel Przybilla.
Denver Nuggets – In all seven years of the ’Melo regime, Denver has made its way to the postseason. They could make it eight for eight, but I am skeptical about their chances of keeping their star for the entire season. If he’s traded, he may only yield young assets who might not contribute immediately. So, for now I’m saying their season will end mid-April.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Their roster is a scrapheap to rival the one in Toronto.

Pacific Division
Los Angeles Lakers (1) – The two-time defending champs look for a fourth straight conference championship – and the fourth three-peat of coach Phil Jackson’s career.
Phoenix Suns (8) – Without Amar’e, is the Fun ’N Gun over? At least they have Nash and a nice mix of shooters.
Los Angeles Clippers - I think Blake Griffin has a chance to become a Stoudemire-like explosive big man. Baron Davis can be great or awful; the Clips need him to at least be closer to the former than he is to the latter. Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman help give the team a chance at respectability.
Sacramento Kings - Reigning rookie of the year Tyreke Evans leads a young squad that could make some strides this season. Top 5 draft pick DeMarcus Cousins could be a beast inside.
Golden State Warriors - Expect a lot of scoring from the Dubs, but all those points won't necessarily translate into a lot of wins. However, they should be clearly ahead of the bottom-feeding teams like Toronto and Minny.

Guest Post: 2010-11 NBA Predictions

2010-10-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Editor's Note: The post below is written by my buddy and co-worker, Devin. His predictions are going up first because he is less lazy than I am, and therefore, got his done first.

West:

1. Lakers-Haven’t done anything to get dethroned. Unless Kobe AND Pau go down, there is no way they will lose the top seed.
2. Thunder-Everyone’s new crush. Not sure if I feel comfortable putting them here, but no one else stands out enough to change my mind.
3. Spurs-Please bless they take the Southwest Division back from the Mavericks…please!
4. Jazz-As a Jazz fan, I know they get as little love as possible. Although a doomsday mentality started creeping in at the end of last year’s playoffs, the BIG changes this past offseason will end up working out for the better. I think the Jazz will surprise a lot of people.
5. Mavericks-Overrated. Period. Cuban will try a couple more big trades this year in another attempt to fix a lineup that will never win a title.
6. Blazers- They need to buy disaster insurance for Greg Oden. Feel bad dropping the Blazers to 6, but until they can survive a season without losing 1 or 2 major players in the first month, I can’t put them any higher.
7. Hornets-My sleeper pick. Chris Paul alone could keep this team pretty close to .500. If he stays healthy and finally gets a little more help from everyone else, they may be able to survive long enough to lose in the first round.
8. Rockets-Honestly, my shot in the dark. I am sure we are in for another crazy season in the Wild West. There will be at least a team or two who will end up missing the playoffs because of the last week of the regular season.

East:

1. Heat-Obvious number one pick. Although Dwyane Wade and his sidekicks have played about 3 minutes together, I can’t go against them.
2. Magic-They may struggle winning when teams figure out how to shut down Superman…but who cares in an East where anything below the 6 seed BLOWS!
3. Celtics-Oldies but (semi)Goodies. Easiest division in the league will give them the 3 seed. That being said, there is no way they get back to the finals this year…or the foreseeable future.
4. Bucks-A bit of a surprise in the East. They may be able to slide in under the radar and beat out a good, but fragile Bulls team. In the end a lot hinges on whether or not Bogut can get healthy again.
5. Bulls-I have one thing to say to Bulls fans…enjoy the illusions of hope and possibility Carlos Boozer intermittently brings and the frustration each new injury brings.
6. Hawks-Ladies and gentlemen…Joe Johnson! Really?!
7. 76ers-I have them making the playoffs based on the coaching change they made this past summer. Doug Collins alone can make them decent enough to make the playoffs (does decent enough mean they are over .500? Doubt it.)
8. Knicks-We should have a competition in the east for the last spot called “Who Can Suck the Least?” Winner gets the honor of serving as practice for the Heat as they prepare for bigger and better things. My winner this year…the Knicks!

Champions: Los Angeles Lakers-Overall, I like the idea of the Heat on paper, but until they actually DO something I cannot go against the Lakers. Especially with how easily they have manhandled my Jazz in the past couple of years. Kobe is too clutch, Gasol is too good, and Artest is too psychotic!

The thrills of working at a college football game

2010-09-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

A close friend of mine started working security at his university's football games. He told about getting paid to watch the game from the press box, and he made it sound like a cush job. So the next time his school had a home game I asked him the following:

Hey were you at the football game yesterdee? I saw that it was delayed for a while b/c of lightning. Then the "Visiting Team" kicked "Your Team's" bottom.

(NOTE: misspellings -- intentional and otherwise -- from the email will be preserved for hilarity)

Friend's response:
Yeah dude I was at the game yesterday. One of the worst jobs I've ever had. I stood in the same position on the field for about 7 hours except for the lighting break and having to tell people on the field to stand behind the orange line that is about 5 feet from the edge of the field. I constantly had to ask these people with field passes to step back from the line but lots of them would insist on having one foot over it. Then I had to stare blankly at thousands of people in the crowd and watch to see if anyone was about to jump onto the field. My job was to tackle them if they did and I don't know how to tackle anybody. I was not allowed to look at the game and I never looked at the scoreboard to prevent myself from getting involved. The crowd would go wild and I would just stare blankly straight ahead. It was comical and embarrassing. I was so miserable that I was happy we lost because I wanted the entire crowd to be misearble too. It really really sucked man. But thanks for asking! :)

My response: Welp, glad to find you in good spirits.

Friend:
Thanks. the worst part I think was the staring at about 10,000 people in my corner of the stadium. It was embarrassing having to give a solid blank face while they are cheering. The second worst part was standing in one place for about 7 hours. The third worst part was the anticipation, every moment expecting somebody from the crowd to bolt onto the field and then me making a spectacle of myself trying to tackle them on national tv. The forth worstest part was having to pester people about not crossing the line (like hearding sheep). The next worstest part was the rain and the last worstestest part was having my bosses come around and chew me out every few minutes in a military fashion. Oh yeah and I made about $X but the company kept $X/2 to pay for my security clearance.

Utah Valley Preps magazine

2010-08-31T23:10:00.000-07:00

The exciting first issue of Utah Valley Preps magazine -- a magazine that I helped create -- came out last week. The magazine covers all sports from 15 high schools within Utah County. The current issue details the fall sports teams and has some interesting additional feature stories. Let me know if you'd be interested in getting a copy (I've got connections, you know!).

We're looking to get the word out about the magazine and we hope to watch it grow. We've already distributed many issues at football games (some copies, unfortunately, got soaked in the downpour of rainfall at last Friday's games), doctors' and dentists' offices, etc.

Anyway, the magazine looks great, and it seems to be the first of its kind in the area. All things considered, it's probably the Sports Illustrated of Utah County sports publications. Maybe we can trademark/copyright that saying.

"Utah Valley Preps: the Sports Illustrated of Utah County sports publications™."

There.

Our first live taste of Major League Soccer

2010-08-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

On the Saturday before last, which was a state holiday called "Pioneer Day" (July 24), my wife and I made the trek to Sandy to watch Real Salt Lake take on Chivas USA. It was the first MLS game we had watched (not counting some scattered minutes of viewing on the tube). We are generally not really big soccer fans -- in spite of Patricia's nationality -- but we did watch quite a bit of the World Cup. Watching live, however, would be a first.

Thanks are in order to some friends who got us the tickets (plus concessions vouchers) through their work. Thanks, guys!

So how was it? Let's recap:

The action on the field was OK, and although we are not soccer aficionados, the talent level is clearly not the same as what you would see at the Cup or in many European leagues. But it's fun to go to a game in person at least once in a while. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. RSL seem to play better and get more chances at goals, but they ended up even (Update: Curiosity led me to stumble upon some stats, and I can now confirm RSL outshot Chivas, 17-4, and 4-2 on goal). No overtime, no shootout. I guess that could be a downside to soccer sometimes: no winner. On the other hand, the team stretched their home unbeaten streak to 19 games, which I believe was announced as the longest such active streak in the MLS, and one of the longest in the league's relatively short history. By the way, the RSL goal was impressive, accurately described in an ESPN game recap as "a stunning left-footed volley," whereas the somewhat-cheap Chivas goal (and I say this not being a real fan of either team) was "knocked down from chest level (by the goalkeeper), only to have it bounce under him and into the goal."

What stood out the most, though, was the cheering and singing from the section of Chivas fans in the deck above us. It didn't just go on when their team did something good; it was nonstop. They only rested their vocal cords at halftime. It makes sense, right? When the players rest, the fans get to rest. But the truth is I had never seen anything like it in person. Even the college football and basketball games I've been to, which had some good crowds, weren't like this.

Chivas fans threw a LOT of streamers and confetti a few minutes after their team's goal (The picture doesn't do the scene justice, but you might get some idea of how it was)

The singing from the video above included the words "Yo soy de Chivas"--"I am from Chivas," or "I am a fan of Chivas." Other than that it mentioned the "sentimiento" or "feeling" they have for the team, and they said "ole" a lot. I don't remember much else from the singing. But they did have a sign that said "Los capos del tablero"--"The bosses/studs of the standings." RSL fans had their own version calling themselves "kings of the standings" ("Siempre seremos los reyes del tablero").

By the way, many of the MLS teams are named after famous European clubs, e.g. Real Salt Lake/Real Madrid, and Chivas USA, based in L.A., is named after a famous Mexican team. Randon thought: do a lot of Chivas fans automatically become Chivas USA fans if they live in the states or follow MLS?

Because it was a holiday, the festivities didn't stop when the game ended. Area performers sang some contemporary hits, after which there was a massive fireworks show. All in all, it was a good night of entertainment. And that's not to mention some earlier events in the day that included parks and grub.

A fast/prayer for Uncle Terry

2010-07-31T23:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the late notice here, but I just wanted to get the word out to anyone who might see this blog (intentionally or otherwise). My Uncle Terry is having some health issues, and we are wanting to fast and pray on his behalf. Anyone who would like to participate in this in their own way, please feel free to do so. You can see frequent updates on Terry's family's blog here.

This is from my mom (Terry's sister):

(Terry) is having a few issues that the Drs have never dealt with before. There is a mass on his adrenal gland. They have seen this with other transplant patients but not with stem cell transplant patients. There are 100 Drs and medical persons involved in studying the situation and trying to come up with a treatment. One problem is that Terry is allergic to the RX that they would automatically recommend.

Anyway, again I ask that you put his needs in your fasting and prayers this Sunday, and often in your prayers.

Reasons why LeBron should stay in Cleveland

2010-07-08T17:18:00.003-07:00

As LeBron James prepares to announce where he will play in the near future, rumors are coming from everywhere about which team will be his employer. Some say he is staying with the Cavaliers. Others think he will play in Michael Jordan's old digs in Chicago. New Yorkers want him to be in an Empire State of Mind. Recently, the Miami rumors are gaining steam, which would mean a triumvirate of Team USA and Eastern Conference All-Star teammates -- James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh -- sharing the shores of South Beach.
I can't even say I am a Cavaliers fan (I like them better than the average team, but they are not my favorite team), but I think it would be fitting for him to stay home. In somewhat of an open letter format, here are some reasons why I think James should remain with the Cavs.

Legacy - If you leave, LeBron, you won't be viewed throughout history in the same way as, say, Michael Jordan is viewed. Jordan's team's initially struggled, but he stayed with the Bulls, his teammates developed their skills, and Chicago won six titles. Leaving the Cavs is a way of saying you (LeBron) don't think you can win a championship there. Whether this is true or not, you will be seen as a quitter who couldn't finish the job -- unless he took the easy way out and joined a better team.

Home Team - LeBron, you can bring a championship to your home area city. Would that mean more than winning somewhere else?

Fans - You know as well as anybody that Cleveland sports fans would adore you for bringing home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. And you know as well as anybody that these fans have suffered greatly.

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home."
Please stay in Cleveland, LeBron. Thanks.

Drama King James

2010-07-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

After at least two years of mainstream speculation among media and fans alike, coveted NBA free agent LeBron James is set to announce which team he will sign with. In fact, he has decided to go through with a televised one-hour special to make his official declaration, with advertising revenue going to the Boys & Girls Club. While the charity work is a nice gesture, LeBron is really building the drama to bring attention to himself.
The only way James comes out a winner -- in the minds of most fans and pundits, anyway -- is to stay in Cleveland. Imagine if he leaves: he will be leaving his hometown (he was born and raised in Akron, less than one hour away from Cleveland) team after having lifted them from the doldrums of the league to somewhere near the top of it. He wouldn't be finishing what he started (does that make him a "quitter?"). He would also be delivering a gut punch to the Cleveland fans who have dealt with Earnest Byner's fumble, Michael Jordan's game-winning shot, John Elway's drive and the Indians falling short in the World Series. Remember, this is virtually his hometown.
If he stays in Cleveland, he will continue to be revered by the Cavs faithful, as Cleveland lets out a collective sigh of relief.
Would he really make a big ESPN presentation just to say he is staying with his team? On the other hand, if he is switching teams, would he really announce it on national television with so many Clevelanders watching? Wouldn't this making his departure more painful?
One thing is certain: King James is certainly letting the drama build.
Drama King James, that is.

Enter to learn, go forth to serve

2010-05-31T22:55:00.001-07:00

A major milestone has been reached in the family. In late April, Patricia graduated from BYU with a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies, as well as a business minor. I'd just like to say it was a job well done on her part; she worked hard and did extremely well.

The Graduate

The Marriott Center (and a picture of a guy taking a picture)

Oh, and by the way, her GPA for her last semester was 3.93. But I like dealing with whole numbers, so that means she got a 4 -- and a cumulative GPA of 4! (Hooray for rounding!).

Mission Reunion

2010-05-31T22:54:00.000-07:00

In early April I had my first mission reunion in several years -- and President and Sister Vazquez were there. It was the first time I had seen them since leaving Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003.

It was cool to see some of my missionary companions and los Vazquez, and to take some pictures.

Hermana Vazquez, Patricia, Sam and President Vazquez
(we must have been breathing out!)

Bert & Ernie, Stockton and Malone, Scorup and Miller...

When you're good, you're good

2010-01-31T21:20:00.000-08:00

Been there. Done that.

But it's time once again to heap some praise upon a special someone for the successful completion of another successful semester.

Taking classes in the fields of both Business and Latin American Studies, Patricia pulled off two A grades and one A-minus in her three classes in the fall. The people who calculate some newfangled thing called "GPA" say that amounts to a cool 3.9 on the four-point scale. Phew, that's high! If only the economy/government/Hollywood movies were so good.

That's the look of a happy camper

My first eBay sell

2010-01-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

In the last few months I had the opportunity to make my first eBay sell. It was a re-sell of some books that my wife had acquired from eBay, read once, and didn't need any more.

So how did it go? Let's just say I made less than what we paid for the books. In fact, I paid more to ship the books than the buyer paid for the books -- including their shipping cost!

You see, when I posted the book lot online, eBay -- for some reason -- didn't let me charge more than $4 for shipping. Even though it was something like 15 books (maybe only 13)! I am wondering if it is because I marked a category such as "books" or "novels" in addition to "book lots." Maybe the category that was not for "book lots" assumes you are only selling one book and doesn't allow for any big shipping charges. Additionally, when I checked price estimates for shipping, there was very little difference between the costs for Priority Mail and other services. So I chose Priority. When I went to the Post Office, however, there was a BIG difference between Priority and Media Mail. Regardless, I shipped it Priority because that's what I said I would do when I put the item up for sale. It seems I made a mistake when getting the shipping estimates because I used a local or nearby zip code to calculate the costs.

In the end, I got less than $9 (including shipping) after my PayPal and sellers fees, while forking out $13 to send the item. Oh, well. Maybe I am meant to be more of a buyer than a seller :-)
...But this doesn't mean I will never make an eBay sell again. Perhaps I just need a little change in "strategery." Maybe I need more of those positive rating "stars" to get more bidders. Maybe it's simply a matter of finding an in-demand product to sell.

I guess I should have asked Dr. Dre to blow his nose for me.

Cash for Clunkers in the style of Comedy Sportz

2010-01-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

Chances are you heard about the "Cash for Clunkers" event the government instituted to try to jumpstart the flagging auto industry. It's a little less likely that you have heard of Comedy Sportz. Comedy Sportz is an improv comedy group with several locations across the United States. It is not about sports, but rather is comedy as a sport. Two teams -- wearing red and blue baseball uniforms -- challenge each other to improv contests where they invent songs and skits using things mentioned by the audience (this is somewhat like the TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"). Whichever team gets more cheers from the audience will receive more points ...

Anyway, what I am trying to do here is write a post that merges one of the Comedy Sportz skits, "Boo-Yay," with "Cash for Clunkers." In "Boo-Yay," a hypothetical character in the skit goes through both positive and negative experiences, thus eliciting a "boo" or "yay/yeah" from the crowd.

Here goes....

The government made it easier to get a new car ... YAAAAY!

But only certain people will qualify ... BOOOO!

You can save $4,500 on a brand-new car ... YAAAAY!

But to get this discount, you have to buy a car that gets 10 MPG more than your current auto ... BOOOO!

But you can still get the $3,500 discount ... YAAAAY!

However, this would still require trading in a car that gets 18 MGP or worse (combined highway/city), and buying a car that is at least 4 MPG more efficient than the "clunker." ... BOOOO!

But this will get some environmentally unfriendly cars off the road ... YAAAAY!

Actually, environmentalists debate how much difference this will actually make ... BOOOO!

Look: the economy -- and the auto industry -- needs a helping hand. This may just be the proverbial "shot in the arm" to get businesses going again ... YAAAAY!

But the money for this has to come from somewhere. Hello, tax $$$ ... BOOOO!

But imagine trading in a clunker for a BRAND-NEW CAR ... YAAAAY!

But imagine, most people driving the clunkers still can't afford a new car, even with the discount ... BOOOO!

Let's go bowling!

2009-12-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

The college football bowl game season is upon us, and I figured I would do something crazy like throw out some guesses for the scores of each game. Then I saw an espn.com article that did the same thing. So although it was not my intention to compare how I do with my picks relative to how an "expert" does, that will be a byproduct of this post.

If you have any picks for any or all bowls, leave a comment or send your picks in an email. I can put it up as a guest post if you would like.

New Mexico: Fresno State 34, Wyoming 17
St. Petersburg: Rutgers 31, UCF 24
R&L Carriers New Orleans: Southern Miss 35, Middle Tenn. St. 27
MAACO Las Vegas Oregon State 28, BYU 24
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia: Utah 24, California 21
Sheraton Hawaii: Nevada 38, SMU 28
Emerald: USC 24, Boston College 17
Meineke Car Care: Pittsburgh 27, North Carolina 20
Little Caesars (!): Marshall 28 Ohio 24
Gaylord Hotels Music City: Clemson 24, Kentucky 14
Independence: Georgia 24, Texas A&M 17
Champs Sports: Miami 34, Wisconsin 20
EagleBank: UCLA 23, Temple 17
Pacific Life Holiday: Arizona 17, Nebraska 13
Roady's Humanitarian: Idaho 34 Bowling Green 28
Texas: Missouri 35, Navy 14
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces: Houston 42, Air Force 28
Brut Sun: Stanford 27, Oklahoma 21
Insight: Minnesota 28, Iowa State 10
Chick-fil-A: Virginia Tech 31, Tennessee 20
Outback: Auburn 20, Northwestern 17
Capital One: LSU 27, Penn State 17
Konica Minolta Gator: West Virginia 31, Florida State 20
Rose presented by Citi: Oregon 24, Ohio State 21
Allstate Sugar: Florida 30, Cincinnati 21
AT&T Cotton: Oklahoma State 24, Mississippi 21
AutoZone Liberty: East Carolina 24, Arkansas 20
International: South Florida 30, Northern Illinois 7
Papajohns.com: South Carolina 27, Connecticut 17
Valero Alamo: Texas Tech 38, Michigan State 21
Tostitos Fiesta: TCU 38, Boise State 20
FedEx Orange: Georgia Tech 17, Iowa 14
GMAC: Troy 24, Central Michigan 21
Citi National Championship: Alabama 31, Texas 21

2009-10 NBA award winner predictions

2009-12-19T10:26:00.000-08:00

This is the third annual "post like this" I am doing. Bear with me.

MVP - It would be fun to go with somewhat of a darkhorse pick here, maybe Brandon Roy, or even Tony Parker, or a slightly less darkhorse pick like Carmelo Anthony. Realistically, though, it will probably be one of the top 5 candidates from last year -- LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard or Chris Paul. I will go with a pretty generic/universal pick here: LeBron James.

Rookie of the Year - Right before the season started, it was announced that Clippers forward and No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin would be on the shelf with an injury for six weeks. I really have/had some big expectations for him, so I tried to convince myself that he mightcould win Rookie of the Year anyway. I couldn't convince myself. And more than six weeks have already passed. It looks like it'll be a battle between the Bucks' Brandon Jennings and the Kings' Tyreke Evans. My pick: Tyreke Evans

Defensive Player of the Year - From here on down until the end of the post, this predicting process gets a lot more difficult. We'll go with Dwight Howard repeating last year's DPOY performance.

Sixth Man - I'll go for Jason Terry, which would be another repeat, along with Howard and James. But you can't count out new Atlanta Hawk Jamal Crawford or previous winners Manu Ginobili and Leandro Barbosa.

Most Improved - The winner of this award is usually somebody who gets more opportunities than he did in the previous season--not necessarily someone whose skills drastically improve, although that is sometimes the case. This could mean a young player on a young team or someone who will get more opportunities because of injuries, etc. Someone for the Rockets (Ariza, Scola, Brooks, Landry?) or Kings (Jason Thompson, Donte Greene, Spencer Hawes?) could win. A talented youngster on a middling-to-bad team could win it. Think Anthony Randolph of Golden State. OK, that's my pick. Anthony Randolph.

Coach of the Year - This award generally goes to a coach of a team that exceeds expectations or improves tremendously from the previous season. Scott Brooks of the OKC Thunder comes to mind because his team should be improved. But I will take Rick Adelman of the injury-ravaged Rockets. They'll be competitive even without some of their stars.

2010 preliminary playoff predictions

2009-12-18T23:11:00.001-08:00

I'm finally moving on from the regular-season portion of my early predictions (those last two posts took waaay too long) and delving into some early playoff picks. Remember, this is sort of like a season preview except we're more than a quarter of the way into this thing.

First Round
East
(1) Boston Celtics defeat (8) Toronto Raptors
(2) Orlando Magic def. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
(3) Cleveland Cavaliers def. (6) Chicago Bulls
(4) Atlanta Hawks def. (5) Miami Heat. If this first-round rematch occurs, expect the same result: four Atlanta victories.

West
(1) Los Angeles Lakers def. (8) New Orleans Hornets
(2) San Antonio Spurs def. (7) Phoenix Suns. Wouldn't it be funny to see these two teams hook up again after all their recent playoff battles (2003, '05, '07, '08--all won by the Spurs)?
(3) Portland Trail Blazers def. (6) Utah Jazz
(4) Denver Nuggets def. (5) Dallas Mavericks. These teams met in the second round in '09.

Conference Semifinals
(1) Boston Celtics def. (4) Atlanta Hawks
(2) Orlando Magic def. (3) Cleveland Cavaliers. Rematch of Eastern finals.

(1) Los Angeles Lakers def. (4) Denver Nuggets. Rematch of Western finals.
(2) San Antonio Spurs def. (3) Portland Trail Blazers

Conference Finals
(2) Orlando Magic def. (1) Boston Celtics. This one is basically a coin flip for me, but it seems Boston has a more injury-prone team, so I gave the edge to the Magic. Orlando beat Boston in the 2nd round last season, but Garnett did not play in that series.

(1) Los Angeles Lakers def. (2) San Antonio Spurs. Battle of the top franchises of the decade.

NBA Finals
Los Angeles Lakers def. Orlando Magic. I wouldn't be surprised to see a rematch of either of the last two Finals (L.A. vs. either Orlando or Boston). Hollywood repeats its title.

2009-10 NBA Western Conference musical preview

2009-11-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you enjoyed the Eastern Conference musical NBA preview. Now let's take a look at the West.

Southwest Division

San Antonio Spurs (2) - "It's Not My Time" by 3 Doors Down
You may think their time as title contenders has passed. But they're still in the hunt.

Dallas Mavericks (5) - "Getting Better" by The Beatles
They re-tooled their lineup by adding Shawn Marion, Drew Gooden and Rodrigue Beaubois to their core of Nowitzki, Howard, Terry and Kidd.

New Orleans Hornets (8) - "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes
Without talented point guard Chris Paul, this team would have a hard time living.

Houston Rockets - MASH theme
With Yao Ming out for the season and Tracy McGrady missing a good chunk of games, Luis Scola may be the Rockets' best player. While that normally wouldn't be a good thing, the Rockets should fare better than one would expect when looking at them on paper (Remember the 7-game series with the Lakers last season when Yao and T-Mac were hurt?). Former Rockets player Charles Barkley said they would have the worst record in the West this season. I say Barkley is wrong.

Memphis Grizzlies - "Sweet Dreams" by Beyonce
As the song says, "you could be a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare." You have plenty of scorers--O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Allen Iverson, Zach Randolph--but most of them would much rather shoot than pass (or play defense). I am guessing they will be more of a nightmare than a dream. UPDATE: Iverson has since parted ways with the Grizzlies.

Northwest Division

Portland Trail Blazers (3) - "Electric Youth" by Debbie Gibson
This young squad coming off a 54-win season should only get better in upcoming seasons.

Denver Nuggets (4) - "This Kiss" by Faith Hill
This song is for Kenyon Martin, who somehow decided it was a good idea to have a tattoo of lipstick marks on his neck.

Utah Jazz (6) - "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash

Carlos Boozer heads into the final season of his contract reportedly unhappy to play in Utah. Would it make sense for the Jazz to trade Boozer now, or to just let him play out his contract and hope to make a splash in the free agent market. FYI: The Jazz own New York's 2010 first-round draft pick.

Oklahoma City Thunder - "Fallin' For You" by Colbie Caillat
With four top-five picks -- Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden -- since 2007, this team should be on the rise in the near future. However, many fans and analysts seem to like their present even more than I do. Here is one article about what's going down in OKC.

Minnesota Timberwolves - "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran
What the Wolves will be starving for is a few wins. It's too bad draft pick Ricky Rubio didn't make it across the pond this season.

Pacific Division

Los Angeles Lakers (1) - "We Are the Champions" by Queen
This is me paying respects to Hollywood's team not only for being the defending champs, but also because they have a good chance of repeating in '10.

Phoenix Suns (7) - End of the Road by Boyz II Men
This may be the first time in the past half-decade or so that the Suns didn't enter the season as a highly regarded championship contender. Have they come to the end of the road?

Los Angeles Clippers - "O ne Day" by Matisyahu
"Sometimes in my tears I drown/but I never let it get me down/so when negativity surrounds/I know one day it'll all turn around because/All my life I've been waiting for, I've been praying for..." These lyrics almost make Matisyahu sound like a Clipper fan. Which would be really rough because, despite all of the high draft picks, most of them have been busts (i.e. Michael Olowokandi), have suffered injury (as Blake Griffin did before playing a single regular-season NBA game) or have left as free agents after a few short years (a la Lamar Odom).

Golden State Warriors - "Falls Apart" by Sugar Ray
Things looked promising for the Dubs after the 2007 playoff upset of the Mavericks. Since then, they've lost some key players, including Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson (he departed early this season), and things have fallen apart to some degree. However, they may have enough young talent to provide fans with hope.

Sacramento Kings - "Bonito" by Jarabe de Palo
This franchise had a few good seasons in the early part of this decade. Before then -- and since then -- things have been less than rosy. Still, the Sactown faithful seem to maintain a positive outlook while supporting their team.

2009-10 NBA Eastern Conference musical preview

2009-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks into the season, here comes my NBA preview, starting with the East. You may have noticed my NBA previews in the past.

This one will be much different, with as much music as basketball.

By the way, if winning the championship is the only thing that matters, then coming into the season, it looked as if only five teams would matter: Lakers, Celtics, Spurs, Magic and Cavaliers. I guess we'll see.

Teams will be listed in order of their predicted standing in their division. Playoff teams' seeding will be in parentheses.

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics (1) - "Bad" by Michael Jackson
They'll talk trash, strut and try to intimidate you. And they won't back down from an opponent. Newcomer Rasheed Wallace has the record for most technical fouls in a season and in a career. Kevin Garnett picks on smaller guys and bangs his head against both the basket support and the basketball.

Philadelphia 76ers (7) - "Run" by Collective Soul
They have a group of youngters who seem to fit a run-'n-gun game plan. Their highest-paid player, Elton Brand probably needs a half-court style of play to be most successful. Does Brand fit into the team's game plan? Would anyone trade for his contract?

Toronto Raptors (8) - "Around the World" by Daft Punk
One of the most "international" teams in the Association -- and the only one from outside the United States-- features a Canadian coach and players from Italy, Slovenia, Turkey and Spain.

New York Knicks - "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations
Knicks management will inspire hope in the New York faithful for a big 2010 free agent signee, i.e. LeBron James or Chris Bosh, but their hopes may come crashing down next summer.

New Jersey Nets - "I Like to Move It" from "Madagascar"
They have a new owner from Russia, and they could be moving to Brooklyn soon.

Central Division

Cleveland Cavaliers (3) - King Without a Crown by Matisyahu
Although basketball is a team sport, "King James" will not officially be crowned in many people's eyes until he is an NBA champion -- whether that's fair or not is up to you to decide.

Chicago Bulls (6) - "Eye In The Sky" by Alan Parsons Project
This young team is looking to the future, but their intro song takes you back to the Jordan-Pippen era.

Detroit Pistons - "Yesterday" by the Beatles
They played in six straight Eastern Conference Finals from 2003 to 2008. Last year they lost more games than they won. Pistons fans long for yesteryear.

Indiana Pacers - "White and Nerdy" by Weird Al Yankovic
I feel bad just for making a connection between the Pacers, whiteness and nerdiness, but I noticed the team from the Hoosier state has six white guys--quite a few by NBA standards--and I figured I would link to this funny song and video.

Milwaukee Bucks - "Down Under" by Men at Work
In order to make big strides, the Bucks need Australian big man Andrew Bogut to play like he's a former No. 1 overall draft pick (which is exactly what he is). Besides, I'll take any excuse to put up this song/video.

Southeast Division

Orlando Magic (2) - "So Close, Yet So Far Away" by Hall and Oates "Welcome Back, Kotter" theme "All I Want" by Toad the Wet Sprocket
Explanation of the three songs and how they relate to the Magic: 1) Orlando had a couple of Finals games they easily could have won, which would have put them in the running to win the series, and yet you never really felt they would win. 2) Daytona Beach native Vince Carter is making a homecoming of sorts. 3) If you read some of Dwight Howard's quotes after the Finals, you got an idea of how badly he wants to win a championship.

Atlanta Hawks (4) - "Fly" by Sugar Ray
This song title is a lame pun based on the facts that Hawks are birds and, as such, can fly. But besides that, they also have some great athletes, namely Josh Smith. Plus, they have flown up the list of Eastern Conference teams.

Miami Heat (5) - "The Heat is On" by Glenn Frey; "Please Don't Leave Me" by Pink
Check out the cool mullet in the first video. The second song represents the Heat brass asking Dwyane Wade not to sign elsewhere in free agency (This song could just as easily be applied to the LeBron-Cavaliers situation).

Washington Wizards - "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.
The Wiz have scorers and talent, but they also have injury-prone players and poor defense.

Charlotte Bobcats - "First Time" by Lifehouse
This squad, now entering its sixth season, has never made the playoffs. Could Larry Brown's team sneak in for the first time in 2010?

Twilight Halloween -- Edward and Bella

2009-11-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

On Halloween night, my wife and I dressed up as the lead characters from Twilight (You can probably guess whose idea this was). We bought some clothes/stuff to help us look the part. How do you think it turned out?

And here are our model photos.

We did okay, huh?

We even made a little Twilight video...

...with the requisite outtakes for the DVD...

Ginobili Swats Bat; Spurs Defeat Kings

2009-11-05T17:08:00.000-08:00

Are the two things mentioned in the title above related to each other? I say "Why not?"

A bat flew around the AT&T Center on Halloween during a game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. You may even see that if flew above the Kings' Kevin Martin as he attempted a shot in the video below.

Later on, Manu Ginobili decided enough was enough. He wacked the bat and potentially rescued thousands of people in the stadium from a bat attack.

Here is another video, this time with a hometown-announcer slant.

Here are some quotes from the Spurs after the game regarding Manu's bat "heroics."

From teammate Tony Parker said: "That was amazing. The legend continues with Manu. Unbelievable. ... He's always doing crazy stuff."
Coach Gregg Popovich said, "The drummer that he marches to sometimes is a little bit different. He never ceases to amaze me and he just did it again. The legend grows. It's incredible on Halloween night. You would call someone a liar if they told you that story."
Manu was less impressed with himself. "When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news," he said. "So that's what I did. I grabbed a bat. I didn't think it was a big deal."

The fallout from the incident, however, was not all good. Gino had to get a battery of rabies shots, just in case the bat was rabid. Some organization that ~~squawks loudly to get attention~~ vehemently defends animals' rights said that Manu was a small man-u, even though he is 6'6".

And this is Manu's comment from his Facebook page:

Just wanted to give you guys an update on the bat situation. As many of you already know, it wasn't a great idea. Not only for the fact that bats are great part of the ecosystem, but also, because some carry rabies, which is an incurable disease. That's why I had to get vaccinated today (and it wasn't just one shot!).
Only 0.5% to 3% of the bat populations carry the disease, but if you can't find the animal, it's not recommended to take any risks, it can kill you! Since after the incident, the usher took it outside and the bat flew away (not lying!), there was no way of knowing if he was infected or not, so I had to do the safe thing.
Finally, please, don't do it at home or anywhere, avoid contact with bats, skunks, raccoons, rats and animals like that.

The High Ate Us

2009-11-05T12:24:00.000-08:00

So a good number of months have passed since I've posted on this here blog. As the cool people say, it's been a minute. I have a number of things I've been planning to post -- and I've been holding on to some of them for several minutes, if you know what I mean -- but for various reasons I haven't gotten around to writing.

Here is a summary of some of the reasons, in no particular order:

1) Motivation - How many blogs have regular posts when they start out, then they fall off the face of the earth?
2) Money - I don't get paid for this blog. Some folks put ads on their blogs and make money for it, but in most cases it's a pretty meager sum. Like it or not, sometimes you have to focus on doing things that make money. That includes working for pay and/or looking for work that pays.
3) Time - It's said that time is of the essence. The essence of what? Probably just about everything, really. So time may make it difficult to put up a post. Some of my posts have only taken me a few minutes. However, some have taken a few hours, believe it or not.
4) What was reason #4 again?
5) Priority - This relates to #s 2 and 3. If you need to make money, and you are doing several different things with your time, then you must prioritize. Assigning different levels of importance to things you do sometimes means leaving some things out. You can do good things, better things, and maybe even "best" things. Hopefully, when we omit some good things, we are doing better or best things. Or even bestest things.

I will continue to post on the blog. Sometimes it will be basketball related, sometimes it will be personal stuff, etc. I can't guarantee how often I will write, but I will write.

Just for making it this far down the page, I will give you a visual/audio cookie. It's a reminder not to take everything too literally. On second thought, maybe you do want to take things literally. Oh, and if you figured out what this post's title means, give yourself a pat on the back. As always, comments are appreciated.

Mid-season NBA review of my NBA preview

2009-01-31T15:08:00.000-08:00

So how are my preseason individual award and team predictions panning out so far? Let's take a look:

Individual awards
MVP
Preseason pick: LeBron James, Cavaliers.
Current Front-runner: James. MVP buzz early in the season can snowball and carry throughout the season. Thanks to his suberb stats and the Cavs' standing as one of the best teams in the league, it's hard to see someone unseating the King from his pole position in the MVP race.
The Best of the Rest: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade

Rookie of the Year
Preseason pick: Michael Beasley, Heat
Current Front-runner: Derrick Rose, Bulls
The Best of the Rest: O.J. Mayo, Russell Westbrook

Defensive Player of the Year
Preseason pick: Ron Artest, Rockets

Current Front-runner: Dwight Howard, Magic
The Best of the Rest: I've seen a few names thrown out by espn.com's awards man, such as Kevin Garnett, Wade, Bryant, James, Paul and Marcus Camby.

6th Man of the Year
Preseason pick: Lamar Odom, Lakers
Current Front-runner: Jason Terry, Mavericks. Manu Ginobili may have a better all-around game, but his limited minutes and early-season injury -- combined with Terry's scoring average at around 20 per game -- will help Terry's cause.
The Best of the Rest: Ginobili, Andrei Kirilenko

Most Improved Player
Preseason pick: Rodney Stuckey, Pistons
Current Front-runner: Beats me. How about Danny Granger, Pacers. It's interesting to note that many of the top candidates are All-Stars or All-Star candidates this year.
The Best of the Rest: Jameer Nelson, Devin Harris, Jeff Green, Paul Millsap, Kevin Durant, Stuckey

Coach of the Year
Preseason pick: Rick Adelman, Rockets
Current Front-runner: Stan Van Gundy, Magic. Or Mike Brown, Cavaliers. It's almost a toss-up. The Best of the Rest: Nate McMillan, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Erik Spoelstra

Team Performances
So far, things have shaken out similarly to what I expected. Some examples:

A Celtics-Lakers Finals rematch certainly doesn't appear to be out of the question.

Ditto for my prediction of a Cavs-Celtics ECF, and maybe a Lakers-Hornets WCF.

13 of my 16 playoff picks are in position to make the postseason; the three I didn't choose were among my most difficult playoff omissions.

On the other hand...
I had the Washington Wizards returning for a fifth-consecutive playoff appearance. That obviously will not happen; the only things the Wiz are contending for may be a high draft pick and potentially the worst record in the league this season. I guess the injury to Gilbert Arenas (and Brendan Haywood) had a bigger impact than I expected.

NBA All-Star '09: Who will be there?

2009-01-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

The fans have spoken and, for the most part, they've done a good job selecting the All-Star starters. Here they are:
West:
Guard - Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul
Forward - Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire
Center - Yao Ming

East:
Guard - Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson
Forward - LeBron James, Kevin Garnett
Center - Dwight Howard
Not bad. The sketchiest pick is probably Iverson, who may not have made the team without his popularity with the fans. Now the coaches' picks for the All-Star reserves will be announced later tonight. There is sure to be plenty of complaining about who should have made it once these selections are released.

Here is my list of predictions for the All-Star reserves, based on a combination of what I think will happen and what should happen. Remember only seven guys from each conference can make it.

West:
These guys are very likely to make the team: Brandon Roy, Dirk Nowitzki, Chauncey Billups
My other picks: Shaquille O'Neal, Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Al Jefferson
Other possibilities: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash
Darkhorses: Jason Terry, David West, Paul Millsap, Deron Williams, Manu Ginobili

Jefferson and Durant are in the same situation: they're good young players putting up good stats on bad teams. However, their fortunes have turned around lately with the Timberwolves 10-3 in January with one game (vs. the Lakers) left in the month, and the Thunder winning six of their last nine games. Carmelo's situation could be compromised by an injury, though he is now cleared to play again.

East
Very likely: Danny Granger, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson
Likely: Paul Pierce, Devin Harris
My other picks: Jameer Nelson, Ray Allen
Other possibilities: Vince Carter, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis
Darkhorses: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mo Williams, Tayshaun Prince, David Lee

Team record could be the deciding factor in some of these choices. The Boston Three Party might all make the team, and Ray Allen is shooting the lights out, which, along with team record, could propel him ahead of one of the Nets' two candidates. A second Orlando player (Nelson, Lewis, Turkoglu) would appear likely to be chosen. We'll see if LeBron gets a Cavs teammate in Phoenix.

The Eastern Conference predictions come with one caveat: selecting a backup center is mandatory, and I didn't choose a true center. However, coaches can list a player under their secondary position if they get substantial playing time at that spot. In this case, I make the assumption that Bosh gets picked as a center. Otherwise, it could be Ilgauskas, or another hybrid forward/center who plays center more often than Bosh (David Lee?).

UPDATE: The coaches votes are in, and I got them right, except David West got Al Jefferson's spot in the West, and Rashard Lewis is there in the East instead of Ray Allen.
Re-UPDATE: The NBA's commish has chosen Ray Allen as the injury replacement for Jameer Nelson. Mo Williams was later selected as an injury replacement for Chris Bosh.

For a student, there's nothing better than straight A's

2009-01-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

It's time again to give credit where credit is due. If you remember (or even if you don't remember), last year I chronicled my wife's impressive GPA for winter semester. With her fall semester grades now posted, I can say she's done it again -- she followed up all those A's (and a single A-) with A-minuses and an A. That means she scored in the "A" range for every class she took in 2008. Mad props, yo!

Happy 2009!

2008-12-31T19:23:00.000-08:00

I didn't get around to writing a Christmas post, and New Year's Eve is now upon us, so I'll take the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May this year be a good one for you and your loved ones!

Quote of the Day: Jacob Riis

2008-12-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

"When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before."

Blood is not funny

2008-12-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Washington Sports ... Lets just hope 2009 is better

2008-12-01T06:40:00.001-08:00

It wasn't too long ago when the Mariners and Seahawks were good. It's honestly only been three years since the Squawks were in the Super Bowl getting hosed by the officials.
The baseball team tied an American League record for wins in 2001, and they have had some successful seasons since then as well. In fact, I think ESPN Radio's Mike Greenberg predicted prior to the 2008 season that the M's would win the World Series this year. Hmmm...

Ichiro: a rare athletic bright spot in Washington

If you're a twentysomething sports fan in the Northwest, you've been around long enough to see the Sonics in the Finals, WSU in the Rose Bowl and UW sharing a national championship with Miami.

Nice knowin' ya, Ty. No one surves a completely imperfect season

Those days seem oh-so-long ago.

A recap of 2008: Even with Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant, the NBA's Supersonics went 20-62, good enough for the 29th-best record in a 30-team league - and that was their highlight. The lowlight came later when the new ownership moved the team to their home in Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. The Mariners were 61-101, which was worst in the American League, and, like the Sonics, second-worst overall. The Seahawks are 2-10 and mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with four games left to play.

How high will Durant fly in the NBA? Seattle fans will no longer be able to see it firsthand

That brings us to the Grand Daddy of them all - the college football seasons of U-Duh (misspelling intended) and Wazzu. With a loss on Saturday at Cal-Berkeley, the Dawgs will finish the season 0-12. The Cougars, unfortunately, had to play an extra game - 13 in all - and finished 2-11. Nevermind that the first victory came against FCS opponent Portland State, and the final one was against the arch rival Huskies. That Apple Cup game sure was a barnburner - it went into overtime with the Cougs winning, 16-13, but the quality of play wasn't the greatest in the rivalry's history (although both teams would surely relish a win versus their hated rival under any circumstances).

The Apple Cup: A rare moment of jubilation in Martin Stadium

About the only thing we can hope for now is some good college basketball from the aforementioned universities, among others.

Go 'Zags.

My ninth post of the month! Yes!

2008-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

OK, that is a silly title for this post, but I'll put up links to my recent articles.
Here is the running link to my bylined articles.

Springville: 400 South closure saves city time, money
BYU team helps improve tortillas
City of Mapleton explores ways to cut costs
Salem aims to go green: changes garbage service
UVU Hunger Banquet benefits Provo food bank
HEAT program helps low-income families with utility costs
House Fire-Public Log 11/11
Natural gas leaks, children lose consciousness

Sage Creek Elementary honored by Forest Service
BYU Marriott School most family-friendly
Feds approve Mountain View Corridor
Fans stay up late for 'Twilight' screenings
UDOT to demolish Pleasant Grove bridge
Slightly more students qualify for free, reduced meals in U.C. (plus video voice-over)
Economy takes a toll on winterization efforts

Utah County generous on food donations
Area stores see normal Thanksgiving sales
Thanksgiving food sales video voice-over
Plenty of local holiday activities for families
United Way's Sub for Santa
Orem car dealership provides Thanksgiving meal to hundreds

Other stories I contributed to:
Who really won the election?, Vandalism over Prop. 8 denounced, Dead man found in Payson, Daily Digest 11/26 (Public Thanksgiving meal announcements)

Church vs. State

2008-11-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

It's November, and news reports say some folks in Utah - including Mormons - are openly complaining about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its influence in the state and/or nation. This can only mean one thing: it's time for "The Holy War," the nickname given to the BYU-Utah rivalry football game, pitting a church school against a state school.

This is the time when the reddest city in the Union, politically, turns blue, and the school up north supports its troops wearing red and white.

In addition to being the biggest annual sporting event in Utah, this year's game has added some national interest. With a potential BCS bowl game and a conference championship on the line, the #7 and #14 teams in the BCS will go at it today, sporting a record of a combined 21 wins and one loss.

Sorry, no predictions on this one.

Unusual combinations- Brat Tail: a maple bar and bratwurst

2008-11-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not making this up. At BYU football games, you can get something called a brat tail (that's brat, as in bratwurst - not a spoiled, whiny person), which is one of the stadium's extra long maple bars, or "Cougar Tails," sliced down the middle and used as a hot dug bun for a 1/3-pound bratwurst.
A Brat Tail. That's what it's called and it really must have some of the most interesting combinations of flavors you'd never want to try. On second thought, maybe it's no more strange than those peanut butter-and-pickle sandwiches I ate as a kid (no joke!).

MORE LINKS

Check out what this food critic has to say about the Brat Tail on video.
Photo, video, and further description of the Brat Tail experience can be found here.
Amazingly, Average Joe's Sports Blog calls the Brat Tail "excellent."
Another Brat Tail article

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 4-They're good guys

2008-11-12T06:39:00.000-08:00

Every year ESPN publishes results from some survey called "ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings List" which ranks all the big-league teams in American sports (yes, that includes the NHL) according to what they do to satisfy their fans. The composite score comes from a load of categories including the affordability of attending games, winning, fan relations, and so on.

For 2008, the Spurs were number one in the NBA and number two out of all 122 "major" professional teams (again that included the NHL, but not MLS). San Antonio is the only team to rank in the top three for all six years of the survey's history.

Spurs players ranked second (behind the NFL's Patriots) in a category determined by on-field effort and off-field likability, which shows their commitment to community. The team ranked first in fan relations for "ease of access to players, coaches & management." Ownership ranked first for "honesty; loyalty to players and city," and the coach was third for strong on-field leadership.

The survey "aims to quantify the unique relationship between fans and their favorite teams by determining which MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL franchises establish and maintain the most overall reward for their fans," according to a press release on the Spurs Web site. Individual categories factored into the survey are Bang for the Buck (how much the team wins for the amount of money pouring in from fans), Fan Relations, Ownership, Affordability, Stadium Experience, Players, Coaches and Title track (recent championships or those expected in the near future).

So despite the team's ironic identity change from "soft" to "dirty" - which took place in only slightly more time than it took Robert Horry to hip-check Steve Nash - there is plenty of evidence to suggest the players and management are good guys. Bruce Bowen - probably the team's most questionable on-court character based on (possible) cheap shots taken at other players - gets involved with kids in the San Antonio community with his Bruce N Buddy's fitness program. Many other Spurs are similarly involved in good works, but I'll spare you the details.

Lets just say you won't see Spurs players giving interviews like this one from Mike Tyson ...

Sure the Spurs have had some characters like Dennis Rodman and Stephen Jackson, but most of their issues took place while they played for a different team.

So yeah, the Spurs have character. They'll even help a former teammate up when he gets knocked down on his keister.

Stephen Jackson writhes in pain while former teammates Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan offer him an ice pack. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Frank Caliendo

2008-11-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

I've been planning on posting some Frank Caliendo video for a while. The man is a master at impersonating politicians, athletes, broadcasters and celebrities. He does President Bush, President Clinton, Al Pacino, Charles Barkley, Bill Walton and Robin Williams. But I'd have to say his signature character is John Madden.

(Click here for a clip of the real John Madden talking. Note the similarities?)

Here is a crazy mix of impressions from an appearance on WGN.

And more on David Letterman as he goes presidential.

What I've been writing lately...

2008-11-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here's the stuff I did at the Daily Herald the last few weeks.

Rate increase: Salem plans for future savings in water
Orem humanitarian aid group to help Dominican Republic
Springville 8th-grade students host presidential debate
Daily Wrap video 10/23
Springville youth get involved
$9.8M library bond on ballot in Springville
President Monson dedicates BYU building addition

(photo: Mark Philbrick/BYU)

Genola reprimanded by state
Spanish Fork's Home Depot on active construction, other projects delayed
It ain't necessary to water lawn in fall months
Daily Wrap video 10/29
Provo man hikes the Y daily to fight illness
Spanish Fork man arrested for sexual activity with a minor and supplying alcohol to a minor (this was a full-length article chopped down because of space issues)

Prop. 8 opponents gather at Provo vigil

(photo: Davis Archibald/DAILY HERALD)

Colder weather, rain not expected to turn away voters
Springville says yes to library building bond
Salem Hills H.S. and Make-A-Wish give Utah girl trip to England
All-digital Cinemark multiplex opens in Orem
Storms returning to Utah Valley

I also contributed to these: State House of Representatives: Republicans hold off Democrat blitz (Clark defeats Jarvis), Candidates dispute run-in, Orem woman is Citizen of the Year, New programs aim to help needy, Public Log 10/25 (fatal crash)

In light of the election of a new president...

2008-11-04T23:43:00.000-08:00

...let's take a humorous look at the president whose time in office is in its final months.

For me, posting this video is an appreciation of humor, not a put-down on the prez. Besides, as my uncle said, the video has stuff for people who hate Bush and for people who love him.

Wyclef for President?

2008-11-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

This one is interesting.

Election time is coming. Who you gonna vote for?

2008-09 NBA Individual Award guesses

2008-11-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

MVP - LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Watch out for: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant

Last year, Kobe won it as the game's unofficial "best player to never win an MVP." If that form holds true this year, LeBron is the man. Team success will be necessary for whomever wins MVP.

Rookie of the Year - Michael Beasley, Miami Heat

Watch out for: O.J. Mayo, Greg Oden, Kevin Love, Rudy Fernandez, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose.

The award will probably go to whoever puts up the nicest stats, although they may be on a bad-to-mediocre team.

Defensive Player of the Year - Ron Artest, Houston Rockets

Watch out for: Kevin Garnett

One of the best defensive players in the league, Artest is now on one of the best defensive teams. Will he avoid suspension and help Houston finish near the top of the league?

Sixth Man of the Year - Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers

Watch out for: Leandro Barbosa, Andrei Kirilenko

Manu's injury helps open this race up, as we'll see if new 6th men Odom and AK-47 stay in their positions for the entire season. Barbosa has a shot at his second win in three seasons.

Most Improved Player - Rodney Stuckey, Detroit Pistons

Watch out for: Thaddeus Young, J.R. Smith, Ronnie Brewer

A product of Eastern Washington University, Stuckey broke out in the playoffs last season, showing poise under pressure as a rookie. Brewer was my pick last year, and I might as well put him on the list again, right?

Coach of the Year - Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets

Watch out for: Nate McMillan, Byron Scott, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Mike Brown, Erik Spoelstra, Maurice Cheeks

If Yao, McGrady and crew stay healthy - a big "if" - the Rockets should win a lot of games. Team improvement and total wins are the big factors. Jerry Sloan, consistently one of the best coaches in the NBA, could become a sentimental favorite.

2008-09 NBA Preview

2008-10-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

The time has come (and almost gone) for me to look into my ... well, I don't have a crystal ball, but it's time for me to throw some darts at a dartboard and make semi-educated guesses at what will happen this season.
Without further ado...

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Divsion
Boston Celtics - The defending champs look for their first back-to-back titles in 40 years.
Philadelphia 76ers - Elton Brand joins a playoff team. Are they now legit Eastern contenders? (Hey, here's a video of a nice Andre Iguodala dunk, with Charles Barkley actin' a fool as a commentator)
Toronto Raptors - Key moves include adding Jermaine O'Neal and freeing up more minutes at point guard for Jose Calderon - although it came at the cost of losing T.J. Ford. (Bosh vid)
New Jersey Nets - With Jason Kidd in Dallas and Richard Jefferson in Milwaukee, Vince Carter is the lone man remaining from the Big Three of the past few years. New York Knicks - Things might be looking up in New York ... then again, probably not. At best, they'll finish in fourth in the Atlantic - which would be an improvement.

Central Division
Detroit Pistons - Six years in the NBA, six conference finals appearances for Gumby. Is another one coming?
Cleveland Cavaliers - Some people think this team can go really far. It's hard to doubt the King.
Chicago Bulls - Coming off a majorly disappointing season, these guys could break into the playoffs after a one-year sabbatical - you wouldn't hope for any less from a team with nine lottery picks on its roster.
Milwaukee Bucks - Exit Mo Williams, Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. Enter Richard Jefferson, Luke Ridnour and draft pick Joe Alexander. It will be interesting to see how the pieces fit together on this team.
Indiana Pacers - At least one writer calls Danny Granger the most underrated player in the game.

Southeast Division
Orlando Magic - Superman, Hedo and 'Shard want to improve on last year when they advanced to the second round - it won't be easy though.
Washington Wizards - They'll have to survive a good chunk of the season without Gilbert Arenas once again.
Atlanta Hawks - I almost put them behind Miami, but decided last season's playoff experience and a talented starting lineup put them over the top.
Miami Heat - Looking for big production from Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and rookie Michael Beasley. They don't have much else.
Charlotte Bobcats - This division might be the toughest to predict because all the teams have legitimate hope for the playoffs on some level, but you don't see a single one of them as a Finals contender. It wouldn't be a shock to see the 'Cats have a decent year, at least by their standards; they've never won more than 33 games in a single season ... Uh, how about a J-Rich dunk with more crazy announcers?

Western Conference
Southwest Division
New Orleans Hornets - One game away from the conference finals last season, they look to go even further this year.

Houston Rockets - Add Artest to Yao, T-Mac and a solid complement of players, and you should have a good team. However, Ron-Ron is combustible and Yao and T-Mac are fragile.
San Antonio Spurs - Some people would like to see the end of their run, but they're still a contender for now. They need to stay afloat 'til Ginobili returns from injury, but don't count them out yet.
Dallas Mavericks - Things have really unraveled for them in the playoffs since '06, but they still have enough talent to return to the postseason.
Memphis Grizzlies - Simply building for the future with some unfortunately named youngsters - Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo.

Northwest Division
Utah Jazz -Gunning for a third straight division title.
Portland Trail Blazers - A young team on the rise. Will they make the playoffs for the first time since 2003?
Denver Nuggets - They literally gave away Marcus Camby in a cost-cutting move. Could A.I. be next?
Minnesota Timberwolves - See Memphis Grizzlies, but a little bit better.
Oklahoma City Thunder - I promise this ranking is not based on bitterness over the move from Seattle.

Pacific Division
LA Lakers - It's kind of scary to add a healthy Andrew Bynum to a Finals team and to have the luxury of bringing Lamar Odom off the bench.
Phoenix Suns - Similar to Dallas, it appears the window for winning a championship has closed, but they are still capable of a good season - by most teams' standards, anyway.
LA Clippers - Al Thornton should be a rising star and Baron Davis and Marcus Camby help cover for the exodus of long-time Clips Elton Brand and Corey Maggette.
Golden State Warriors - Along with LAC, this team had some of the highest volume of transactions in the past offseason, losing star Baron Davis, but nabbing Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf and Marcus Williams, drafting Anthony Randolph, and resigning Ellis, Biedrins and Azubuike.
Sacramento Kings - Hey, they have Kevin Martin, right?

Playoffs
First Round

West: (1) Lakers vs. (8) Trail Blazers
(2) Hornets vs. (7) Mavericks
(3) Rockets vs. (6) Suns
(4) Jazz vs. (5) Spurs

East: (1) Celtics vs. (8) Hawks
(2) Pistons vs. (7) Wizards
3) Cavaliers vs. (6) Raptors
4) Magic vs. (5) 76ers

Conference Semifinals
West: (1) Lakers vs. (5) Spurs
(2) Hornets vs. (3) Rockets

East: (1) Celtics vs. (4) Magic
2) Pistons vs. (3) Cavs

Western Conference Finals: (1) Lakers vs. (2) Hornets
Eastern Conference Finals: (1) Celtics vs. (3) Cavs

NBA Finals: Lakers defeat Celtics
So there you go; I'm predicting a Finals rematch, only with the other team winning it this time.

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 5-Diversity

2008-10-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Previously we alluded to the fact the Spurs were trendsetters in the field of international scouting. And let me tell ya, these guys come from around the globe.

Currently the roster includes Emanuel Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto from Argentina, and Tony Parker and Ian Mahinmi from France. Tim Duncan - who is from the U.S. Virgin Islands - could be considered a pseudo-international player, and American Ime Udoka, whose father was born in Nigeria, has played for Nigeria's national team.

In recent years, the team was more international, with Rasho Nesterovic and Beno Udrih of Slovenia reppin' the squad, as well as Dutchman Francisco Elson and Kiwi Sean Marks. All of these players were with the team in 2005 or later ... oh, and who could forget the stellar career of Romain Sato, a 2004 draft pick from the Central African Republic?

The Spurs also have a pet project of drafting players from overseas and letting them stay there until they're ready to play in the Association. As John Hollinger of ESPN said, "They were the first team to think of using its second-round draft picks to build up a base of players in Europe who could develop on somebody else's dime. They were also the first ones to realize there were perimeter players from overseas good enough to be NBA stars, and stole Parker and Ginobili in the draft because of it."

Their current stash includes Brazilian big man Tiago Splitter and Lithuanian Robertas Javtokas.

Only recently has this trend backfired, as Splitter was able to command a much higher salary playing for Spanish powerhouse Tau Ceramica than he could as a late first-round pick under the NBA's rookie salary scale. The team could sure use Tiago agora. Also, trading away Argentine baller Luis Scola after letting him develop in Spain - he played in Europe until 2007 after being drafted by San Antone in 2002 - didn't turn out so well.

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 6-Teamwork

2008-10-22T06:35:00.000-07:00

Share the ball. Cover for each other on defense. Don't worry about who gets the credit for the team's success.

These might as well be lines from Gene Hackman in "Hoosiers." And I'm sure many a high school coach has extolled these virtues to young athletes. But this could never happen with multi-million-dollar professional athletes. Unless they really bought into what their coach and management told them...

A lot of pundits and fans thought the 2005 NBA Finals between the Spurs and the Detroit Pistons were a bore. I, for one, actually enjoyed it. Why? First of all, I probably need to get my head checked. Secondly, both teams had a tremendous amount of talent, combined with unselfishness, high basketball IQ and effort. Maybe the rest of the world wanted more slam dunks, or an in-team soap opera with guys like Kobe and Shaq who are practically tabloid material, but as for me and Hubie Brown (who was broadcasting the series and is old enough to be my grandfather), we'll be just fine, thank you, with some team basketball.

On a side note, you should have heard Hubie go own about the "defensive rotations" and other little things the teams were doing so well. It was kind of funny, but the retired coach certainly knows what he's talking about. Regardless of how old school he may be - he's the human equivalent of a one-room red brick schoolhouse ... really "old school" - he knows hoops.

(And here's a funny link about Brown's penchant for going into unnecessary detail about a simple play.)

Back to San Antonio: For a cohesive team like the Spurs that always talks about "flying under the radar" - and enjoying it - spotlight hogs are something to make fun of.

Sweet 16 ... but not 17

2008-10-20T06:15:00.000-07:00

If you had the chance to have the best 16th birthday ever, but you wouldn't be guaranteed a 17th, would you take that?
No?
Me neither.

But since we're talking about football here, how about this example: you're told your team will win 16 games in a row, but not a 17th. How does that sound?
Most people would be cool with that, I think.

But some of the extreme BYU faithful seem to think the end of their longest-in-the-nation winning streak is the end of their ~~lives~~ season. The loss to TCU is probably the end of their hopes to get into a BCS game, although if they win out (perhaps a dicey proposition at this point), who knows what could happen?

The point is, Cougar fans, to be grateful for the team's success. We all know you/we wanted more, but this team just isn't up there with the elite teams (Texas, Oklahoma, etc.). So take a time-out and consider how much the team has accomplished these past three seasons.

(AP Photos/Donna McWilliam)

Daily Herald updates

2008-10-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

More links to stuff I did for the Daily Herald (I might not keep posting these, except for maybe the Daily Wrap videos, because the articles will be easily accessible at this link. I will put the link on the right side of this blog under the heading "Favorite Web Sites"):

Daily Wrap video
BYU student wins $20,000 on Regis and Kelly show
Nebo School District makes the grade
Organ recipient gets ATV from Make-A-Wish Foundation
Youth hockey team helps out special needs team
Utah County Sheriff Dept receives grant money to stop sex predators
Fall weather coming to Utah County

Governor Huntsman and power companies celebrate wind power project
Daily Wrap video
MP3 players and social isolation
others I contributed to: Daily Log 10/9, Daily Log 10/10, Transportation open houses

Food bank donations start to rise, more still needed
Springville High monument to honor alumni who lost their lives in battle Jolley's Ranch gets ready for winter with outdoor activities
Salem seeks fire and ambulance volunteers
Daily Wrap video
Salem library expanded, reopened with state certification
BYU study shows infa nts note difference between happy and sad music

(Fall weather and iPod photos: Craig Dilger/Daily Herald. Baby pictures: Mark Philbrick/BYU)

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 7-Lack of ego

2008-10-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

When Michael Finley signed with San Antonio in 2005, he was not far removed from a starring role with a prominent NBA club. At this point, you may think of Findog as the guy that fires away - and fades away - with heavily-contested jumpshots from the left elbow, while the only thing he hits frequently is the rim.

But three years ago, Finley was a vet near his prime with several championship-contending teams lining up to sign him. Phoenix and Miami were able to offer more money, and likely more playing time, than the Spurs. What convinced him to sign with the Silver and Black? He thought it was his best shot at winning a ring - which he won in 2007 - and he liked the idea of being part of the Spurs' organization and team culture.

Two years later, Ime Udoka signed for about $1 million per year. Now that may sound like some serious scratch to you or me, but believe me, in the NBA, players coming off a season in which they started 75 games, played good defense and made 40% of their 3-point attempts generally earn much, much more.
But perhaps no one embodies the team's unselfish ways more than Manu Ginobili, an All-Star-caliber player who has won just about every major basketball tournament in the world and has garnered his share of individual accolades as well.
Alternating between go-to-guy and complementary player from game to game, Ginobili has accepted the role of coming off the Spurs' bench with open arms - in spite of being one of the team's stars (there will be much more on Ginobili later on in this countdown).

This is what Brent Barry (no longer with the Spurs) had to say about his then-teammate coming off the bench:

"We've gotten to the point in professional athletics where we just expect somebody to be upset with that role or automatically assume it's a demotion of some sort.
"Ultimately, I think that's what people assume it comes down to: saying you're in the starting five, as opposed to not being announced in arenas around the country. ... I don't know how much importance there is in that for guys on our team.
"He's a starter in a substitute's role. He's Clark Kent, then he checks in and gets his Superman cape on.''

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 8-The Organization

2008-10-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

Remember this list? Of course you don't. But I figured I would continue the list I started last year. The timing is right, now that a new season is coming upon us.

The No. 8 reason on my list of what's good about the Spurs is the organization. What do I mean when I say organization? Basically, I'm referring to the management team and the culture created within the team. So the owner (Peter Holt) and general manager (R.C. Buford) are the ones I'm referring to first, but also the head coach, Gregg Popovich - who also happens to fill a management role - and whoever does the scouting.

ESPN's John Hollinger wrote this one year ago: "The Spurs are the best-run organization in sports, hands down, and this grows more evident by the stampede of owners from other teams racing in to mimic their methods - in many cases by hiring directly out of the Spurs' organization."

The Spurs were the first team to make a habit of finding diamond-in-the-rough players overseas. Now all NBA teams are sending scouts to Europe and other places.

The Spurs have created an environment where people can fit in, plugging in players with specific skill sets to complement their stars. Except the stars don't always get the royal treatment. Popovich is not above chewing out, say, Tim Duncan. And the fact that Timmy doesn't take it personally or act like a prima donna lets everyone else on the team know they're not above the occasional (or frequent) scolding they'll get from the coach should they mess up.

Popovich told Sports Illustrated, "We try to spend as much time to bring people to the program who have, quote-unquote, gotten over themselves.'

The Spurs organization has been successful to the point that other franchises have modeled their style after them. It's no wonder the ~~Seattle Supersonics~~ Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers have taken their current head coaches and GMs from San Antonio. Mike Brown and P.J. Carlesimo were assistant Spurs coaches directly before landing their current gigs, and Danny Ferry and Sam Presti were front-office executives.

And the culture/atmosphere created among the players? Let's just let James White tell you how it is (yes, this James White). And if you don't know White's history, he played a handful of games in the Spurs 2006-07 championship season, but never suited up in the playoffs that year.

"It was a very cool experience going through the playoffs with the Spurs even though I didn’t play at all. Just living in that atmosphere, watching how the veterans were able to handle all types of different situations. … It was great. You learn a lot just being around. No matter how tough it was when they cut me, I’m going to keep good memories from my time there."

Thrown into the fire ... and liking it

2008-09-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

I started working at the Daily Herald on Monday. It wasn't one of those things where the whole day is filled with listening to orientation and mindlessly filling out paperwork. In fact, as soon as I entered the building I was given an assignment for a story. I was to write about a new show to air on BYU Television called "Real Families, Real Answers." I spoke with the program's producers and the article made the front page of the paper the following morning. Click here to read it.

Here's a promotional video for "Real Families, Real Answers."

Also on my first day of work, they had me do the Daily Wrap, a short video with descriptions of some of the day's top stories. Watch it here.

Since then, I've also been assigned some other stories, which were deemed interesting enough to put on the front page. One was about an upcoming expansion project for I-15, and another was about the Utah Flash (a minor league basketball team) owner planning to build a new basketball arena, hotel and residential units in Lehi, Utah. The project's architect is Frank Gehry, who designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Experience Music Project in Seattle and more.

I actually had turned in my portfolio to apply for work at the Herald in May, but there weren't any openings, and it sounded like there wouldn't be for the foreseeable future. The boss said I could leave my portfolio there and if/when there was an opening they would have my contact info. I considered just picking up my stuff, but decided I would leave it for a while just in case something turned up.

Last month, I was contacted about an opening. After a pair of interviews and a little bit of waiting, I was offered the job, and that's where we stand now.

UPDATE: I'm adding links to more articles that I wrote during my first week at the job. I may just do a post every week or two listing what I've written. That would make it easier for people - including myself - to find the articles.

"Real Families, Real Answers" TV show
Daily Wrap video
I-15 expansion
30-year-old Utah Flash owner Brandt Andersen teams w/architect Frank Gehry in plans for large development ALSO: check out this TrueHoop article about Andersen, where he discusses taking his team to Iran
Plans for hiring new Utah Valley University president
Rowley's South Ridge Farm and Red Barn
APX Alarms employees volunteer for trip to Galveston to help Hurricane Ike survivors
I also contributed to this sad fatal car crash story

Why would someone change their last name to Ocho Cinco?

2008-09-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

Cincinnati Bengals star Chad Johnson wears the number 85 on his jersey. He's referred to himself as "Ocho Cinco" - Eight Five. He seems to have fallen in love with the nickname so much that he wants to legally change his name to Chad Ocho Cinco. Seriously. And now he has succeeded. The state of Florida has granted Chad a legal name change. All of this, just so Johnson can have his preferred alias on the back of his jersey. So, besides the fact that he wants "Ocho Cinco" on the back of his shirt, why would a person do this? Here are three main reasons:

3. He's Crazy. You'd have to be at least a little loco to do something like this, wouldn't you?

2. Attention. Some people are always starving for attention, no matter how much they are in the spotlight. Chad Johnson is the prototype center-of-attention wide receiver that has been so common in recent years (think T.O, Moss, et al).

1. He wants to stick it to the NFL. Mr. ~~Johnson~~ Ocho Cinco does not want anyone - not even the No Fun League - to tell him what he can and can't do. If you can't beat the system...find another way to beat the system!

Finally something related to BYU football

2008-09-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

Now that BYU has a 4-0 record and has outscored their last two opponents by a combined score of 103-0, it's about time I mention them - and put in a plug for True Blue Magazine. I wrote a preview for the issue that came out last month, researched the experts' preseseason rankings and bowl predictions for the team and proofread several articles as well. Pick up a copy at your local newsstand. You can check out some excerpts from this issue at the True Blue site (Rumor has it Madonna is also a fan of True Blue).
In the latest AP and coaches' polls, the Cougars have moved up to No. 11 - their highest ranking since 2001. The last time BYU finished a season in the top 10 was their 1996 season (No. 5). This year, the biggest regular-season roadblocks during their Quest For Perfection should be road games against TCU (Oct. 16) and Utah (Nov. 22), both of which are undefeated and ranked nationally at the moment.

My Wife, the TV Star

2008-09-14T18:14:00.000-07:00

Patricia was shown recently on an episode of BYU Weekly. The department she works for, Global Service Desk, was spotlighted for one of the show's segments. I've had difficulty uploading the video directly to this post, but I have found a link you can use to watch the video. Just click either of the hyperlinks in the previous sentence. When the Web page appears, there will be a green area that says "stories" in the top right corner. From the list of stories, scroll up from the bottom and click on "Global Service Desk" (about 1/5 of the way up). Click on the video in the green "Feature Stories" section. Patricia shows up at about 1:04 of the vid. She also is in the background at 3:17 (with pink shirt, and white coat on chair).

Trish was on some BYU Television International commercial(s) that we haven't seen, but people have told her they saw her in the commercial(s).

Are you a Twilighter?

2008-09-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

The series that has taken the New York Times Bestseller list by storm (at one point, the four books in the series were all in the top five) and captured the attention of fans across the globe, including my wife - not to mention friends and family. Normally not an avid book reader, Patricia has had difficulty putting these stories down. It's a good thing she only found out recently about the books written by Stephenie Meyer. By the time she finished plowing through the first three books in a matter of just a couple of weeks, it was almost time for the fourth and final book of the series to be released. Imagine if she had to wait an entire year before each book came out!

In early August, fans anticipating Breaking Dawn were finally able to satisfy their vampire fix. The much-ballyhooed release was celebrated by Twilighters wearing "Team Edward/Jacob" shirts or vampire garb. As for my wife and I, we just stood in line at the bookstore (dressed normally) a little after midnight to buy the book within minutes of its release (I have not read any of the books; it's mainly young adult women and teenagers who have caught the Twilight fever).

Next up: the Twilight movie, to be released Nov. 21. I'm sure we'll be watching it not long after that date.

Recap of a few of the top Olympic performances

2008-09-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

Alright, this might be my last Olympic post.

I say "might" because I may have something up my sleeve for another post if I can get some help.

So, without further ado, here are some of the memorable images of the athletes of the 2008 Beijing Games:

Michael Phelps went into China with the goal of breaking Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics, participating in five individual events and three relays. Nine days, 17 races and 97 bajillion calories later, Phelps had eight gold medals hanging around his neck, bringing his career Olympic gold count to 14 - and he's only 23 years old.

Michael Phelps won an unprecedented eight gold medals in a single Games.

Usain Bolt was considered a a gold medal contender, but was expected to get some stiff competition from fellow Jamaican and former world record holder Asafa Powell and American Tyson Gay in the 100 meters. However, Bolt turned the sprint events into his personal playground, showboating for the final 15 meters of the 100m - and setting a world record in the process. He went on to win two more golds and set world records in both the 200m and the 4x100m relay. Bolt's 200-meter time of 19.30 seconds eclipsed Michael Johnson's time of 19.32 - a mark that had not even been approached before or after those 1996 Games until Bolt's sensational race. The relay team, with Powell running the anchor leg, crushed the 15-year-old world record by a full .3 seconds, finishing in 37.10 seconds.

Contrary to popular belief, this pose actually was not made while Bolt was still running the 100-meter dash.

While the U.S. men's basketball team was seeking redemption for recent shortcomings in world competition, the women's squad was busy making its fourth straight undefeated run toward Olympic gold.

Lisa Leslie (center) starred for Team USA again and earned a fourth consecutive gold medal (delicious!)

The U.S. and Brazil dominated the volleyball competitions, with the Americans taking gold in men's and women's beach and men's indoor. The indoor team overcame the murder of their coach's father-in-law in China to come out on top. The women's duo of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor swept each of their best-of-three matches to earn a second straight Olympic gold. The U.S. added a silver medal in the women's indoor competition.

Brazil was golden in women's indoor - piling up a record of 8-0 in matches and 24-1 in sets - while the defending Olympic champion men's team settled for silver. Their men's beach teams won silver and bronze, while the women came in fourth place.

Brazil not only went undefeated in the tournament, they didn't even lose a set until the gold medal match, where they topped the Americans 3-1.

It was an emotional victory in the wake of tragedy for the Americans.

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopa is the world-record holder in both the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. In 2004, he won gold in the longer race and was outkicked at the end en route to a silver medal in the 5k. Just a couple of months before this year's Olympics, the AP quoted Bekele as saying he did not want to run both races. Turns out, he went on to run - and win - both races in Olympic-record fashion.

Bekele ran for about 40 minutes to win two gold medals. Usain Bolt, on the other hand, ran for about 40 seconds to capture three golds.

And last, but not least, the Chinese national team, which led all countries with 51 gold medals. The host nation put on quite the spectacle with its opening ceremonies, as well.

Gymnastics was one of many sports in which the Chinese athletes made their mark.

Labor Day

2008-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is Labor Day the most ironically named holiday?

...What do you think?

Either way, I'm not complaining because I didn't have to work today.

My Olympic Moment with Billy Mills

2008-08-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

Who is Billy Mills?

The man won the Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 meters in 1964. A movie, "Running Brave," was made about him.

When I was about the same age as some of the Chinese Olympic gymnasts, I was in the student leadership group for my school. We got to go to a couple of events and workshops with motivational speakers and teamwork exercises. Our advisor told us about an upcoming assembly where an Olympic gold medalist would speak to us. I hadn't heard of Billy Mills at that time, and I hadn't yet become a runner, but it still seemed cool that a gold-medal-winning runner would speak to us.

We attended the conference, and Mills told us of his upbringing as a part-Sioux American Indian and his experiences as an Olympian. He signed autographs - I still have that piece of paper at my parents' house. I don't remember a lot more details from that meeting, but I remember him describing his thoughts/feelings as he neared the end of his 10K race:

I won! I won! I won!

Looking at the video in this post, I am reminded that he first thought, "I can win! I can win!" Later, he took his positivity up another notch. Now I also remember Mills playing a clip of the announcer going bananas at the end of the race.

To call Mills' victory an "upset" would be a major understatement. From what I've read or watched recently, it's been said not a single reporter asked Mills a question in the days leading up to the race. He wasn't on anyone's radar.

But the rest is history.

If my memory serves me, when our group of students got back to school after the conference (which took place in a town about 40 miles away), I told one of my teachers we met an Olympic gold medalist. I didn't say the name initially because I didn't think it would be a name she would recognize. She asked who the speaker was, and, when I said "Billy Mills," she said, "Billy Mills! I think he is a real American hero."

Redeem Team lives up to name/Beijing Olympics monumental

2008-08-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

When Jerry Colangelo was given the reins to the USA men's basketball program, certain changes were implemented with the intent of bringing the gold medal back to the United States. Colangelo asked for a firm, three-summer commitment from players who were interested in playing for the national team. Players were thus given more practice time to build team chemistry and become more familiar with each others' games. The athletes also grew in their knowledge of FIBA basketball and the style of play of their opponents. All of these developments led to the successful recapturing of gold at the Beijing Olympics.

When the U.S. Olympic team was hyped as the favorite going into the basketball tournament, someone(s) came up with a name that was a spin-off from the 1992 Dream Team moniker: The Redeem Team. This was supposed to be the team that atoned for the failures of other U.S. men's basketball teams who were unable to take home the gold medal in either the World Championships or the Olympics earlier this decade.

One question often asked now is who would win a game between the 1992 squad and this year's team. It may not be fair - or accurate - to state this year's team is more talented. However, based on the fact the level of competition has risen each successive year, it may be fair to claim the 2008 team's performance reached a higher standard than that of any of their predecessors.

Hats off to Team USA basketball for being gracious in victory, not getting involved in trash-talking matches with opponents and limiting their banter with referees, regardless of what they thought of the calls being made. Congratulations are in order to Spain for such a well-contested final game, and to all the Olympians, regardless of their sport or country, who helped make this year's Games a rousing success.

I miss the Olympics already.

Beijing Preview

2008-08-09T08:47:00.001-07:00

Time Magazine came out with a list of 100 Athletes to Watch at the Olympics. At the top of the list is a certain U.S. men's basketball star.

Also on the list...Lopez Lomong, Liu Xiang, Marta and more.

ESPN has a list of Olympic matchups to keep an eye on.

And, as a big hoops fan, here is my prognostication for the men's basketball tournament:

12th place: Iran - They won't win a single game in this tournament. In fact, they lost two summer league NBA games (many of the players in those games are minor leaguers who won't be on an NBA roster when the season begins) at the Rocky Mountain Review by a combined 42 points, but Iran's victory comes just in competing at the Games.

11th place: Angola - The perennial African champion has made great strides since the days of being elbowed by Charles Barkley in 1992, but they still have a way to go before they reach the level of the elite teams.

10th place: China - The host nation is big on size, led by their 7'6" flag-bearer, Yao Ming, but a medal is out of the question.

9th place: Australia - The Boomers gave Argentina and USA a run for their money in pre-Olympic play, but just to reach the quarterfinals, they'll need to finish pool play ahead of either Argentina, Russia, Lithuania or Croatia.

8th place: Germany - They're led by superstar Dirk Nowitzki - with help from American-turned-German Chris Kaman - but this squad is a bit short on depth. Still, they were able to qualify for the Beijing Games and are strong candidates to reach the quarterfinals.

7th place: Croatia - This country has produced high-level basketball talent and should perform well enough to make the Croatian faithful proud.

6th place: Lithuania - After three consecutive Olympic bronze medals, they hoped to have taken another step toward gold when they beat the U.S. in 2004. They returned to play the U.S. again that year in the bronze medal match, but went home empty-handed. A medal will not come easily in China either.

5th place: Russia - They won last year's European Championships when they pulled off a major upset in rallying to beat Spain. The Russians were relatively competitive against the Americans in a pre-Olympic exhibition.

4th place: Greece - Winners of the silver medal at the 2006 World Championships, it seems unfathomable that a team this good won't win a medal. However, in a field of competition this talented, there are no guarantees. The top four teams may all have aspirations of gold, but at least one of them won't even medal.

Bronze Medal: Argentina - The gold medal winners of the 2004 Athens Games have their work cut out for them. They struggled a bit in the friendlies prior to the Olympics - losing to Spain twice and Lithuania once, and getting a better-than-expected game from some other opponents - so picking them ahead of Greece may show bias on my part. However, the Argentines have generally put their best foot forward when the games count most, and they could advance to the semifinals (or better) for the fourth straight time in major world competition. Miracles can happen when you have this man on your team.

Silver Medal: Spain - The defending World Champions are loaded with talent and should have a chip on their shoulder. Not only would they love to avenge their loss to Russia in the last EuroBasket, but they also were shafted in the last Olympic games. After going unbeaten in pool play in Athens, Spain ran into Team USA in the quarterfinals - on a day the Americans' outside shots were finally falling at a high rate. That left Spain to settle for seventh place, despite a 6-1 record. Spain actually beat the silver and gold medalists of that tournament (Argentina and Italy), but went home with nothing.

Gold Medal: USA - By no means is this a sure thing, and after dominating Olympic basketball for generations, the U.S. may never be a clear-cut favorite again. With that being said, they still have a good chance at the gold - it just won't be easy. Their players are trained for a different brand of basketball than what FIBA plays, and other countries' headlining players are more familiar with international basketball - and with their teammates (see this Kelly Dwyer column for more on the challenges the American team faces). However, if they dictate the tempo of their games, the Americans should stand at the top of the medals podium.

My neighbor is an OLYMPIAN!

2008-08-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Niklas Arrhenius, who lives a few steps away from me, will be competing in the discus at this month's Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Nik was the 2007 NCAA discus champion while at BYU. Although he is American, he will be wearing the blue and yellow colors of his father's homeland, Sweden.

Nik has been featured in recent stories in the Daily Herald and The Daily Universe, as well as other media outlets.

Congratulations, Nik!

The whistles go woooooo!!!!

2008-07-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

Have you seen me in the last three years? Have you heard me say "Woo Woo?" If the answers to these questions are not the same, then something is probably wrong.

The "Woo Woo" comes from this video:

Plenty of remixes of this video were made, but I like this one that my buddy Brian sent to me. It's audio from Bubb Rubb and Li'l Sis matched up with Star Wars video.

Guess who got nominated for some college writing award

2008-07-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

An article I wrote for BYU's The Daily Universe last year about some suspensions given out during the NBA playoffs was nominated for an award for college newspapers. The Universe staff made the nominations. I found out about this nomination about three months ago, but I assume I didn't win because I haven't heard anything else about it.

Keep reading to see what I wrote. The story was also linked (along with a bunch of other things I wrote) in this post.

Many people at BYU have conflicting feelings when it comes to "the letter of the law" vs. "the spirit of the law." The sports media has been no different lately, shoving this very topic down our throats in recent days.

The reason? The suspensions handed out by the NBA after a hard foul by the San Antonio Spurs' Robert Horry.

Near the end of game 4 of the Spurs-Suns series, Horry hip-checked Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash into the scorer's table on the sideline. A minor melee ensued and, in the process, Suns players Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench area to either check on their teammate or to participate in a brawl. No sooner did they set foot on the court than one of their coaches pulled them back to the bench.

The coach was aware of an NBA rule that states that any player leaving "the immediate vicinity of their bench" receives a mandatory one-game suspension. The players are also aware of this rule and should be able to exercise enough judgment to avoid hurting their team by forcing the NBA's hand and suspending the players.

As you probably know, Horry was ejected from the game when the foul occurred and was later suspended for two games. Stoudemire and Diaw were suspended for game 5. According to the league rules, the suspensions were justified.

Now what you are reading was written by someone who has openly rooted for the Spurs. However, this is not the point.

If the NBA failed to suspend the players, all you-know-what would break lose. Pundits, reporters and fans alike would rip the league for not sticking to its guns and enforcing the rule that has been strictly upheld for more than a decade.

Granted, nobody wanted to see it play out this way. Teams want to be at full strength against their opponents. The opponents also want the other team to be at full strength so they feel they are beating the best that team has to offer. It's hard to get motivated for a shorthanded opponent.

Not only do both teams "lose" in this situation; the fans also lose. They want to see the best players on the court.

The only suggestion I could make would be for the league to slightly amend the rule, making it possible for some interpretation. As it now stands, the rule is hard and fast, and the league's figurative hands are tied. There really isn't much decision making in the process, just the application of a rule. If league officials meet this off-season, they can alter the rule so that players who do not escalate an altercation situation may go without suspension.

Yes, the Suns were the team hurt more by the suspensions. And yes, a Spurs player, Horry, was most at fault for the incident. But this is not unprecedented. You basketball diehards may remember in 1997 when the Heat's P.J. Brown body-slammed the Knicks' Charlie Ward. Several key Knicks players were suspended for leaving the bench. The Heat ended up coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

So while the suspensions may not have been fair -- much less palatable to the average NBA fan -- they had to take place.

Maybe some rule bending will take care of this problem before next year's playoffs start.

UPDATE: This year NBA team owners had the option to discuss league rule changes; the owners, in effect, decided to uphold the rule requiring a one-game suspension for any player who leaves the vicinity of the bench during an altercation (as reported here).

Reflections on Independence Day - one week later

2008-07-11T16:53:00.000-07:00

So, how was your Fourth of July?

The American Independence day is a holiday generally associated with family, fireworks and barbecue. Those are all things I enjoy - and they were all part of my Fourth again this year. However, I believe this holiday means something more. Just as it can be easy to forgot the real purpose of Christmas, it can be easy to forget what Independence day means. It means freedom from tyranny. It means having a nation to call one's own. It means stars and stripes and 13 original colonies that have now exploded and become 50 United States.

Here's an excerpt from The Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

Thank you, Founding Fathers.

Six Months of Marriage!

2008-07-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 29, Patricia and I reached our six-month anniversary mark, so that week we decided to celebrate in style. It started on Wednesday when we went to the Jordin Sparks concert at the SCERA Shell Outdoor Theatre. They have a whole lineup of concerts, musicals and movies scheduled there for the summer. On Friday, we went to a dance at BYU that had Brazilian music. On Saturday, we found ourselves some good food and dessert and played mini golf. It was good that - despite our busy work schedules - we were able to spend time together, and also spend time with Luciana (Patricia's sister) and her husband. All in all, it was a good week.

Hangin' out at the concert

In the video, Jordin sings "Tattoo" (the girl on the right side of the stage was ~~picked before the show to sing the song with Jordin~~ randomly called up to the stage to sing with Jordin). Sparks closed the concert singing the hit, "No Air" (without her duet partner, Chris Brown). When she and the band were called out for an encore, Jordin sang "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. During the concert, along with her own music, she also performed covers by Alicia Keys, Tracy Chapman and Pat Benatar. And some dude proposed to his girlfriend on the stage.

Is the U.S. National Team capable of Olympic Gold?

2008-06-25T17:56:00.000-07:00

USA men's basketball has announced its roster for the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Here's the roster, listed by their usual NBA position:

1 (point guard) - Jason Kidd, Deron Williams, Chris Paul

2 (shooting guard) Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Michael Redd

3 (small forward) LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tayshaun Prince

4 (power forward) Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer

5 (center) Dwight Howard

Not bad, eh? One thing: look at the breakdown by position. Is it just me, or does the team seem to be a little thin in the post? Only three big men? Granted, 'Melo is projected as the starting power forward, and LeBron may even see time at the 4 spot, allowing Boozer to get playing time at center, but don't we need more than 3 true post players? ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan pointed out the same thing here and here. What if one of the bigs gets injured? What about foul trouble? Will this doom the American side?

On the other hand, there probably isn't a team in the tournament that does not have a major issue confronting them. The following nine teams have already booked their tickets for Beijing: Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and USA.

The latter four teams and Argentina could be in contention for medals. However, the Argentines may not even have their usual complement of stars at the Games; Manu Ginobili's presence is questionable because of an ongoing ankle problem. Pepe Sanchez, the team's starting point guard in several tournaments, and Walter Herrmann, a valuable reserve on the gold-medal winning 2004 Olympic squad, are reportedly retiring from the national team.

Spain, the 2006 World Champion, might have injury concerns as well. Starting power forward Jorge Garbajosa may be unable to play because of a leg injury. Lithuanian center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was denied permission by his NBA team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to play in the Olympics. The Cavs cited injury risk and insurance policy issues as reasons for the denial.

Three more teams will emerge from a qualifying tourney held in Greece, rounding out the Olympic field of 12 teams. The tournament features the following pairings for group play:

Group A: Brazil, Greece and Lebanon

Group B: Cape Verde, Germany and New Zealand

Group C: Canada, Korea and Slovenia

Group D: Cameroon, Croatia and Puerto Rico

Assuming they qualify for the Olympics, Greece could be another contender for a medal. They hauled in the silver medal from the 2006 World Championships.

So you want a post on Kurt Rambis? You've got a post on Kurt Rambis!

2008-06-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

At this blog, we try to give the people what they want (and by "people," I usually mean me). And the people (not me, in this case) asked for a post on ex-NBA player and current Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis. Now, I recognize the request was mostly made in jest, but apparently your request is my command. You know the saying: be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it!

When I was in seventh grade, I was co-creator of something called "The Rambis Files™." It was a collection of drawings and writings dedicated to the one and only Kurt Rambis. We waxed eloquent about how many teams he played for, how every NBA superstar copied Kurt's style to achieve success, and even created a name for Kurt's (imaginary) sports drink, Rambis-ade™.

Kurt could have used some Rambis-Ade here.

Lakers, Suns and Hornets. Where's the Kings photo?

Apparently, there are many out there who share our sense of fondness for the man we nicknamed Kurt "The Flirt."

There are T-shirts...

...and Web sites devoted to the NBA champion (I almost wish I had created this Web site).

Although Rambis didn't lead the league in scoring 10 times like Michael Jordan, he still left his mark on the Association. In fact, Kurt's superstar teammate, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, stated in his autobiography, "Magic's Touch," that Kurt's role on the Lakers was just as important as Johnson's role.
If anything defined Kurt on the basketball court - aside from the long hair and black glasses - it was toughness. In fact, The Flirt was so tough, the refs only gave him a two-shot foul when he was closelined by Celtics star Kevin McHale on this play:

Kurt was so tough, the character "Rambo" must have been named after Rambis. Kurt was so tough that the refs kind of let that clothesline go unpunished. In today's NBA, that play would have been a flagrant foul (two shots and the ball) and possibly a flagrant 2 (two shots, possession of the ball and an automatic player ejection). But times have changed, and so has Rambis.Gone are the long hair and black glasses, in favor of more conservative locks and spectacles, but the memory of Rambis the player lives on in the hearts of true basketball fans worldwide.

Word of the Day: Bloggist

2008-06-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

blŏg·gĭst

definition: one who blogs - emphasis on the word one.

example of usage: Sam is the world's first bloggist; the rest are all bloggers.

Things that make you go Hmmm?

2008-06-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

I've seen and heard a few things recently that made me go Hmmm or do a double take. One was when I found out the New Kids on the Block were making a comeback. I am not kidding.

Although they have updated their wardrobe slightly.

Really I think these guys have ~~humiliated themselves enough~~ earned enough money to ride off into the sunset and never be seen again.

No. 2 headscratcher: Last week I was at a city celebration/carnival with Patricia and we saw a dog with clothes on. That picture is not the dog we saw, but that was the closest looking picture I could find to what we saw: a little dog with some type of jacket on - in warm weather - while being pulled around by a boy in his early teens (I don't think I would have been caught dead with something like that, especially when I was that boy's age).

The other thing that struck me as odd was a sign I saw on a department store on my way to work. It mentioned a "half-yearly" sale. Half-yearly sale? Since when do department store shoppers have insufficient vocabulary to understand the term "semi-annual?"

Maybe since this happened:

That could be it.

Happy Fathers' Day!

2008-06-15T17:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers' Day to everyone, and especially to those of you who are fathers!

What is Humility?

2008-06-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

Sometime in the past few weeks, I caught myself thinking about what it means to be humble. I wondered if asking someone who is really good at something - say, painting - if they are good at it, would they be "un-humble" if they answered yes. It would seem that acknowledging his skill may be a prideful thing to do. Also, most people would say if someone calls himself humble, he is clearly not humble. I, on the other hand, can't agree completely with that line of thinking. While we can all agree that humility is found in not lifting yourselves above others or having an arrogant attitude, it is also not based on saying you are a lowly, filthy worm. I remember reading a quote from Hakeem Olajuwon, saying "humility demands the truth." If that's true, the excellent painter would "admit" he/she is good at what they do.

Now, let's take it a step further. If you asked Jesus if he were humble, what would his answer be? (take a moment to think about that one...)
I think He would find a really wise way to answer affirmatively. Instead of saying, "yes," maybe he would say "I gave my life for you," or "I descended below all." Maybe he would pause and let your question sink in until you knew the answer without Him telling you.

What do you think?

Oooh, that Charlie is a mean guy!

2008-06-10T07:33:00.000-07:00

This video actually has more than 31 million hits on YouTube and has spawned a lot of copycat videos--including this one, which has over 4 million views.

Stick it to The Man (and by "The Man," I mean telemarketers, automated phone calls and junk mailers)

2008-06-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

I got this in an e-mail, but I figured it was worthy of its own blog post.

Tips for Handling Telemarketers

(1) Three Little Words That Work!! The three little words are: 'Hold On, Please...' Saying this, while putting down your phone and walking off (instead of hanging up immediately) would make each telemarketing call so much more time consuming that boiler room sales would grind to a halt. Then when you eventually hear the phone company's 'beep-beep-beep' tone, you know it's time to go back and hang up your handset, which has efficiently completed its task.These three little words will help eliminate telephone soliciting.

(Sam's Note: I do wear a headset, answer calls, and type at a 'puter, but I am not a telemarketer or salesman. I only take inbound calls which make me a "troubleshooter" and a "gift giver.")

(2) Do you ever get those annoying phone calls with no one on the other end? This is a telemarketing technique where a machine makes phone calls and records the time of day when a person answers the phone. These techniques are used to determine the best time of day for a 'real' sales person to call back and get someone at home. What you can do after answering, if you notice there is no one there, is to immediately start hitting your # button on the phone, 6 or 7 times, as quickly as possible. This confuses the machine that dialed the call and it kicks your number out of their system. Gosh, what a shame not to have your name in their system any longer!!!

(3) Junk Mail Help: When you get 'ads' enclosed with your phone or utility bill, return these 'ads' with your payment. Let the sending companies throw their own junk mail away. When you get those 'pre-approved' letters in the mail for everything from credit cards to 2nd mortgages and similar type junk, do not throw away the return envelope. Most of these come with postage-paid return envelopes, right? It costs them more than the regular 42 cents postage 'IF' and when they receive them back. It costs them nothing if you throw them away! The postage charge is according to the letter's weight. In that case, why not get rid of some of your other junk mail and put it in these cool little, postage-paid return envelopes. One of Andy Rooney's (60 minutes) ideas. Send an ad for your local chimney cleaner to American Express. Send a pizza coupon to Citibank. If you didn't get anything else that day, then just send them their blank application back! If you want to remain anonymous, just make sure your name isn't on anything you send them. You can even send the envelope back empty if you want to just keep them guessing! It still costs them 42 cents. The banks and credit card companies are currently getting a lot of their own junk back in the mail, but folks, we need to OVERWHELM them. Let's let them know what it's like to get lots of junk mail, and best of all, they're paying for it...Twice! Let's help keep our postal service busy since they are saying that e-mail is cutting into their business profits , and that's why they need to increase postage costs again. You get the idea! If enough people follow these tips, it will work -- I (Andy Rooney, I suppose) have been doing this for years, and I get very little junk mail anymore.

Could blogging be a "Superman Job?"

2008-06-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't be surprised if Superman (or Chuck Norris) had a blog.

So, yesterday I was at my Clark Kent job (another, more detailed explanation of the Clark Kent job is found here), and I found out my mom had called my work to get one of these for a special someone: That's right. It's an Accu-Chek Aviva blood glucose monitor. I was taking a call from a customer, and a co-worker who was sitting not too far from me asked if I have relatives in Washington. I said I did, and it turned out they were sending out some product for my dad. My mom called for him after I advised her they could call for a free meter. So that was cool that I was right there when she called. Too bad I didn't get to answer that phone call!

NBA Playoff bracket

2008-05-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

The two greatest words in sports? Game Seven

2008-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Celtics and Cavaliers played a game 7 that came down to the wire. The final stats show each team's leading scorer went for 40+ points (LeBron James had 45, Paul Pierce 41). The Celtics now move on to play the Detroit Pistons, while the L.A. Lakers await the winner of the game I'm pumped to see: tonight's game 7 between the Spurs and the Hornets.

Check out this post describing one blogger's feelings heading into the game.

Happy Mothers' Day!

2008-05-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

A Happy Mothers' Day to all the moms out there (and for those who aren't moms, you can have a happy day, too!)

"Motherhood is another word for sacrifice."

-???

3.94

2008-05-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

What does 3.94 mean? I know what you're thinking. The real value of π ≈ 3.14. Could this number be my IQ?. No, my IQ is actually 39.4.
So what's with 3.94?
Well...Patricia got a 3.94 grade-point average for the semester that just ended. So I'm very proud of her!
PARABÉNS!!!

Mag·nan·i·mous

2008-05-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

see page 9 of this issue for my article on Chicago-based hip-hop artist Prince Early The Magnanimous (or keep reading this post)

mag·nan·i·mous
1.generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies.
2.high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler.
3.proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character, etc.: a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness.
(from dictionary.com)Prince Earl Simpson was born in Indianola, Miss., as the second of three children. He was raised in Illinois and studied marketing at Illinois State University. So far, nothing sounds out of the ordinary for the life of a 28 year old. Don’t be fooled – nothing about the Chicago native’s life has been ordinary.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in my life and I don’t want everyone to have to go through everything I did to learn the lessons I’ve learned,” Prince said.

Rap artist Prince Early the Magnanimous grew up with a rough life where he became well acquainted with the streets. His two best friends (and hustlin’ partners) while growing up were taken from him in a span of five months – before reaching the prime of their lives. One of the friends was gunned down while involved in drug trafficking, while the other was shot during a police chase. Suddenly, of the three friends, all that was left was Prince.
“I’ve tasted the world – and it’s painful,” Prince says. “But the bad times make the good times even greater.”

Music became Prince’s outlet from life’s struggles. He writes all his lyrics and is heavily involved in the musical production. He now feels that his musical talent influences his spiritual life.
“Creation is a gift from God,” Prince says. “When we create something, we get closer to our God because that’s what He does. [With music], I began to see life differently with every stroke of the pen.”
Driven by past tragedies and hard knocks, Prince is passionate about helping others avoid life’s pitfalls. He practices what he preaches – as you can see when he works with at-risk youth in Utah.
“I want to instill a sense of hope for better things,” says Prince. “There’s a greater degree of glory in another life.”

This “Magnanimous” artist is peculiar for reasons besides his bumpy early life. For instance, Prince has refused to have a TV in his apartment for the past year. He prefers reading books instead. Besides, reading is more beneficial than watching TV for someone whose craft requires skills of flow, rhythm and performance while using an extensive vocabulary in his rhymes.
Prince is currently living in Utah and banging out new tracks for his fans. He has performed locally at sites such as Velour in Provo, and is prepping for a spring/summer tour that will hit hot spots like Miami, Atlanta, Chicago and New York, before coming back to the West for shows in California, among other places.
With his second album, “The Lost Files: Memoirs of a King,” set to be released soon, Prince is looking to attract a wide audience with his fusion of eclectic sounds. Working with his Magnanimous band and collaborating with other vocalists, Prince’s set melds the tunes of hip-hop, jazz and soul music. Plus, his intelligent and clean lyrics apply to a broad audience that transcends age, gender, race and ethnicity. Prince’s faith drives his music and his socially conscious and spiritual messages are designed to uplift the listener and give them a proper perspective on life.

Prince is upbeat about his upcoming release.
“On my first album, ‘King Me,’ I was trying to see what people liked,” Prince says. “On the new album, every song is going to sound different. The hard times represent real life, and people can relate to it.
“My music is to help people get a message. They should ask themselves ‘what’s the message? How can I grow from this?’ Everybody has a cross to carry, but you have to move on to get through it.”
Prince said he saw the potential in everyone to become great.

“We are all magnanimous, or at least we have the opportunity to be.”

Health Food Article in Schooled Magazine

2008-05-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well most of the article was chopped off due to space issues, and the fact I didn't interview enough young people to reach our college-aged audience, but I had something published in Schooled Magazine about health food stores and their products in the last mag.

Check out page 18 of this issue to see a blurb of the article w/a list of health food stores in Utah Valley. Or read the full article (minus the photo/color) below:

Health stores have been popping up around Utah Valley in recent years. This trend suggests Utahns are becoming more health conscious.
But what could be the cause for the interest in this unconventional style of eating? And what does it take to be healthy?

For Ruth, a 69 year-old resident of Orem, it took a complete change of perspective.
“I would make fun of the health stores; I thought they were quacks,” Ruth says.
Then, about 38 years ago, Ruth made a trip to a health food store when she didn’t trust her doctors, who prescribed iron tablets for anemia. When those pills didn’t work, the docs prescribed another iron tablet. After two months with no progress, the doctors ordered Ruth to take both tablets and to drink Jell-O water three times per day. Instead, Ruth found some iron supplements – at a health store – that soon solved her anemia problem.

Ruth said she liked health store foods because they are free of MSG, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fat. These foods have helped her lose 30 pounds and lower her cholesterol substantially.

Good Earth is one of the health food stores that have become popular in Utah. The business, which has locations in Orem, Provo, Riverdale, Sandy and American Fork, has this mission statement posted on its Web site: “Good Earth is committed to providing fresh, wholesome foods and nutritional supplements that will help each individual gain optimum health of body and mind.” So, clearly, keeping one’s mind and body healthy and strong is at the forefront of the health food phenomenon.

Even college students have to be careful about what they eat. BYU student Tori Kohlieber’s allergies to wheat and dairy products have led her to look for alternatives – some of these can be found at health food stores.
“You feel ‘normal’ because you still can eat cookies and find specialty foods and ingredients,” Tori said of finding healthy products that don’t betray her allergies.
Tori said knowing how food affects one’s body is essential because every individual is different. She also said exercise is a key to feeling well physically, as well as emotionally and mentally.

While shoppers sometimes gripe about the prices of health foods, Ruth offers a simple quip to those who ask if she can afford to follow her diet.
“Well, it’s cheaper than a triple bypass [heart surgery],” Ruth says.

Humor(less)ous Poetry

2008-05-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

I was out running (check out this link) the other day, and what I saw inspired me to write some poetry.

Hands are placed at 10 and 2,
She peers directly into the horizon, grinning.
What is she thinking?
Focused intently on what is directly ahead of her...
while her hair rests inside a shower cap

And now for a re-do on my picks for NBA individual awards

2008-04-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

During the early part of the NBA season, I wrote my predictions for who would win the MVP and other individual awards in the NBA this season. Now, that the regular season has come and gone, I will re-visit my picks and share who I now think will win the awards.

MVP

Earlier prediction: Dwight Howard
Who should win: Chris Paul ... or Kobe Bryant
Who will win: Kobe Bryant
But if not, who else might win?: Paul

Rookie of the Year

Earlier prediction: Kevin Durant
Who should win: Durant
Who will win: Durant
But if not, who else might win?: Al Horford

Defensive Player of the Year

Earlier prediction: Josh Smith
Who should win: Kevin Garnett
Who will win: Garnett
But if not, who else might win?: KG is pretty much a shoe-in

Sixth Man

Earlier prediction: Manu Ginobili
Who should win: Ginobili
Who will win: Ginobili
But if not, who else might win?: [::crickets chirping::]

Most Improved Player

Earlier prediction: Ronnie Brewer
Who should win: Rudy Gay
Who will win: Hedo Turkoglu
But if not, who else might win?: This award has too many potential candidates to list.

Coach of the Year

Earlier prediction: Stan Van Gundy
Who should win: Byron Scott
Who will win: Byron Scott
But if not, who else might win?: Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, Rick Adelman

Click here for a list of the actual award winners, which will be updated as they are announced.

Well, I may have been wrong before, but not this time

2008-04-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the season (no, not winter, spring, summer or fall), I made predictions for how teams would fare in both the regular season and the playoffs. I had a mixed bag of accurate picks and terrible picks. Now that the playoffs are about to start (about one hour after I write this), I will take a mulligan and make my playoff prognostications. We'll see if I continue the roll I was on during the NCAA Tournament, when I got seven of the Elite Eight right. Woo Woo!

First, let's took a look the goods, the bads, and the terribles of my early season predictions.

"My bads"

I had the Bulls earning the No. 1 seed in the East and advancing to the Conference Finals. Instead they went 33-49 and missed the playoffs.
The Heat were supposed to win their division (yikes!) and earn a spot in the playoffs, but they won 15 games--the worst total in the league this year.
"Philadelphia 76ers - Won't make the playoffs." My bad.
Ditto for the Atlanta Hawks.
I said choosing a division winner in the Pacific would be easier than in any other division. If it were so easy, than why did I pick the wrong team? The Lakers won it - not the Suns. In fact, I had the Lakers just on the outside of the playoff picture, wondering if Kobe would be traded (or become a malcontent if he stayed in La-La Land), commenting that "Either way this team is first-round playoff fodder at best." I guess I did not foresee the improvement of the supporting cast, or the Pau Gasol ~~steal~~ trade.
While I thought the Southwest Division would be a three-way race for first place, my fourth-place team, the Hornets, won the prize.

"The Goods"

7 of my 8 playoff picks out West qualified. The one who didn't make it: the Warriors, who went 48-34, and still got left out of the postseason party. In the East, on the other hand, the Hawks got in with just 37 wins.
The Jazz and Celtics won their divisions.
The Texas Triangle was extemely tough, with all 3 teams winning more than 50 games.
Other than the Timberwolves finishing 2 games ahead of the Sonics, I had the order of the Northwest Division picked perfectly.

My updated playoff predictions...

First Round

Eastern Conference

(1) Celtics vs. (8) Hawks; Celtics in 4

(2) Pistons vs. (7) 76ers; Pistons in 6

(3) Magic vs. (6) Raptors; Magic in 5

(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Wizards; Wizards in 6
Western Conference

(1) Lakers vs. (8) Nuggets; Lakers in 5
(2) Hornets vs. (7) Mavericks; Hornets in 7
(3) Spurs vs. (6) Suns; Spurs in 7

(4) Jazz vs. (5) Rockets; Jazz in 6

Conference Semis

East: (1) Celtics over (5) Wizards, 5 games; (2) Pistons over (3) Magic, 7 games
West: (1) Lakers over (4) Jazz, 7 games; (3) Spurs over (2) Hornets, 7 games

Conference Finals
East: (1) Celtics over (2) Pistons, 6 games
West: [pulling teeth] (1) Lakers over (3) Spurs, 7 games

NBA Finals

Celtics defeat Lakers in 6

Ladies and gentleman...your (potential) NBA champion Boston Celtics!

Honeymoon Photos! Exclusive!!!

2008-03-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Space Needle

Pike Place Market

Experience Music Project

Pictures from reception in Othello

2008-03-18T10:26:00.001-07:00

Take a look at the new issue of True Blue Magazine

2008-03-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of True Blue Magazine is out on newstands, so if you are in Utah, there's a good chance you could find it at a grocery store or some place that sells mags. It's got a slick design and good writing, so if you're interested in BYU sports, or you just want to see some stuff I have being doing lately, you might check it out.

For the new issue, I researched key stats and quotes for the games played in the second half of BYU's football season, and I edited the entire season recap (see pages 62-87). I also wrote and edited a full-length article previewing the school's men's volleyball season (pp. 48-51), which has seen the Cougars ranked No. 1 in the nation, and I researched 2007 team stats and 2008 preseason predictions for the football team (p. 112).

Get a sneak peak at some articles on the True Blue Web site, including the football season recap, a feature on BYU Brazilian basketball star Jonathan Tavernari , and a story on running back Harvey Unga, who is featured on the cover.

Check out my stuff--It's tight!

2008-03-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, I linked to an article I did for Schooled Magazine that gave some tips on making friends. The next month, I did an article on date ideas--creative, unique and romantic date ideas. Click on any link in this paragraph and read page 8. Unfortunately, they misspelled my last name in the byline, but oh well.

Coming up soon in Schooled Magazine, you should see these articles I wrote: 1) something on health foods and health food stores. What does it take to be healthy? and 2) A profile of Chicago hip-hop artist Prince Early The Magnanimous. Prince is now living in Utah and his second album is coming out soon. He's even backed by a jazz band at some of his performances.

Wedding Pictures Are Here At Last

2008-02-10T20:47:00.000-08:00

(Click on a picture to enlarge)

Happy Birthday, Blog!

2008-01-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

Yep, this here blog is one year old. The first posts went up on Jan. 18, 2007. Every month since then, the blog has featured at least one new post. Thanks for a memorable year and for checking out the site.

Now let's cut the cake!

Craziness

2007-12-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

Craziness, madness, locura, lío, whatever other synonym you want to use. This is what it has been like lately getting ready for the wedding. Too many things to worry about--wedding, reception, honeymoon, Christmas, invitations, video, pictures, music, catering, cake, clothes, apartment, furniture, utilities, electronics and electronic services. There's more, of course, but I will spare you the details. The bottom line is...

WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!
So Patricia and I are very happy about that. It's all going down on Dec. 29...

NBA Individual Awards (Besides MVP)

2007-12-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

Who will win the awards besides the MVP? Let's take a look:

Rookie of the Year

Contenders: Kevin Durant, Seattle; Al Horford, Atlanta; Yi Jianlian, Milwaukee; Juan Carlos Navarro, Memphis; Luis Scola, Houston
And the winner will be...Durant. KD will get as many shots as he likes in Seattle. He is currently averaging about 20 ppg, but shooting less than 40% from the field. He still will win the award, although Horford, a threat to average a double-double, will give him a challenge.

Defensive Player of the Year

Contenders: Josh Smith, Atlanta; Kevin Garnett, Boston; Tim Duncan, San Antonio; Bruce Bowen, San Antonio; Marcus Camby, Denver; Andrei Kirilenko, Utah; Dwight Howard, Orlando; Gerald Wallace, Charlotte; Ron Artest, Sacramento
And the winner will be...Smith. While I have not seen enough of Smith to know if he is a good one-on-one defender, he runs all over the place to swat shots. The total of blocks and steals he amasses this season may be too much to overlook. If someone else wins the award, I would pick Kirilenko or Bowen. Bruce never winning this award seems about as wrong as Jerry Sloan never being voted Coach of the Year. Believe it or not, The only previous winners on this list are Camby and Artest-not Duncan, Bowen or Kirilenko.

Sixth Man of the Year

Contenders: Manu Ginobili, San Antonio; Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix; Jason Terry, Dallas
And the winner will be...Ginobili. The other contenders are great, but in the early part of this season, Manu has been phenomenal. He has even inspired copycats around the league as Dallas has brought one of its big three, Terry, off the bench many times, and even perennial All-Star Vince Carter has played the sixth man role for New Jersey in some games. Still, Ginobili's biggest opposition for the award may be the threat of Coach Pop returning the Argentine to the starting lineup.

Most Improved Player

Contenders: Kelenna Azubuike, Golden State; Ronnie Brewer, Utah; LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland
And the winner will be...Brewer. The son of former NBA player Ron Brewer, Jr.'s big preseason performance helped him gain a spot in the Jazz's starting lineup. The increase in playing time will also mean an increase in other stats.

Coach of the Year

Contenders: Stan Van Gundy, Orlando; Gregg Popovich, San Antonio; Jerry Sloan, Utah; Phil Jackson, LA Lakers; Mike Woodson, Atlanta; Doc Rivers, Boston; Jim O'Brien, Indiana; Byron Scott, New Orleans
And the winner will be...Van Gundy. This award is based on overachieving, which will make it difficult for Popovich, Sloan and coaches of other elite teams with high expectations, such as the Suns' Mike D'Antoni, to win COY. In the early going, the Magic have been the best of the overachieving teams. Boston will have the biggest improvement in wins from last year, but the additions of KG and Ray-Ray will have more to do with that. Just ask Boston sports nut/columnist Bill Simmons (aka The Sports Guy) what he thinks of Rivers. Jackson and and Scott have a chance if their teams win about 50 games; O'Brien and Woodson will be contenders if their teams sneak into the playoffs.

NBA Individual Awards: MVP

2007-12-07T00:26:00.000-08:00

I got worn out doing the playoffs/individual award winners post, decided it was to long, cut out the MVP predictions and put them here. I thought I would continue with some more awards, but that will be another post ('Cuz this one is already long enought to scare people off).

On to the MVP Award:

MVP
The Contenders
Kevin Garnett, Celtics - Reasons he could win: Of all NBA teams, the C's will have the biggest improvement in wins from last year to this year. And he's an all-around stat machine.
Reasons he may not win: If Garnett and Ray Allen are added to a team with Paul Pierce, shouldn't they be expected to win a lot?
Steve Nash, Suns - Reasons he could win: The two-time MVP-and last year's runner up-is a real contender. The Suns don't run the same without their floor general.
Reasons he may not win: I don't know. Maybe all of the big perimeter scorers like LeBron, Kobe, T-Mac, et al. One factor might be the difficulty both the Suns and Nash will have in exceeding expectations.
LeBron James, Cavaliers - Reasons he could win: The stats will be off the charts. A combination of points, rebounds and assists perhaps not seen since the days of Oscar Robertson.
Reasons he may not win: The team might not win enough. I would say the benchmark would be about 50 wins, or else no award for Bron-Bron.
Kobe Bryant, Lakers - Reasons he could win: This scoring machine lead the league in ppg the last two seasons and even dropped 81 points in a single game in 2006.
Reasons he may not win: Lack of team success. See the reasoning for LeBron not winning it.
Tim Duncan, Spurs - Reasons he could win: The Big Fundamental actually won two of these a few years back. Few players are as important to their teams as Duncan is to his.
Reasons he may not win: When it comes to the MVP award, Duncan has generally been a bridesmaid in recent years. He's usually in the top 5, but Timmy's days winning that trophy are done. Parker and Ginobili will carry a good portion of the offensive load, reducing Duncan's stats, but helping the Spurs win. TimVP wouldn't have it any other way.
Dwight Howard, Magic - Reasons he could win: He's an absolute monster inside. I wouldn't be surprised if he led the league in rebounding and/or field goal %, and he should be among the leaders in scoring and shot blocking. If I would have written this at the start of the season, he would have been a darkhorse. Now, he's a legit candidate.
Reasons he may not win: If the Magic don't continue their winning ways, Howard has no chance. Orlando is a young team; we'll see how they hold up through April.
Carlos Boozer, Jazz - Reasons he could win: The man known in Cleveland as Carlos Loozer is a nightly double-double. He has some of the best scoring and rebounding numbers around, and the Jazz are one of the top teams in the L.
Reasons he may not win: He kind of flies under the radar and is hidden in a remote outpost some call Utah. Plus, there are plenty of other worthy candidates.
Dirk Nowtizki, Mavericks - Reasons he could win: How many 7-footers in NBA history can knock down shots from the outiside like Dirk? His true shot % is usually off the charts. Last year, he was the only player to make at least 50% from the floor, 40% from 3, and 90% from the stripe (Steve Nash was mighty close, just missing with an .899 FT%). Plus, Dallas figures to be one of the winningest teams again.
Reasons he may not win: Quite simply, there is no way on earth D-No wins this award again this year. He embarassed the voters last year, when he and the Mavs petered out in the first round of the playoffs.
Tracy McGrady, Rockets - Reasons he could win: Pretty much can win games single-handedly when he catches fire.
Reasons he may not win: The injury bug is always threatening to bite T-Mac's bad back, and the Rockets have been a little slow out of the gates in 2007-08.
Yao Ming, Rockets - Reasons he could win: The dude is like what, 7'6"? That's TALL. Pundits had him as the replacement for Shaq as the league's best center, although Dwight Howard is suddenly changing some people's minds about that.
Reasons he may not win: see the comments on Tracy McGrady.

Darkhorses: 'Melo, D-Will, CP3, Amare, The Truth, Manu, Baron, CB4, Parker, J-Kidd, D-Wade, Chauncey and A.I.

My pick?

NBA Playoff Picks

2007-12-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the other part of my NBA preview--more than a month into the season.

I am going to predict the playoffs based on the matchups I predicted from the start of the season. That means Chicago will be in as the #1 seed in the East (I feel stupid), the Magic will be 7th and the Heat will be the top team in its division (I wish I could have those picks back!). In other words, the Bulls will be pitted against the No. 8 team in the East, and I will try to make my predictions as close as possible to what they would have been in the preseason, but of course I will let myself be biased by hindsight.

I have no idea what all that means.

First Round
East
(1) Chicago defeats (8) Toronto, 4-2
(5) Cleveland over (4) Miami, 4-3
(2) Detroit defeats (7) Orlando, 4-2
(3) Boston beats (6) New Jersey, 4-2

West
(1) Phoenix over (8) Golden State, 4-2
(4) Utah beats (5) Houston, 4-3
(2) Dallas defeats (7) New Orleans, 4-2
(3) San Antonio beats (6) Denver, 4-1

Conference Semifinals (2nd Round)
East
(1) Chicago over (5) Cleveland, 4-3
(2) Detroit defeats (3) Boston, 4-3

West
(1) Phoenix beats (4) Utah, 4-3
(3) San Antonio beats (2) Dallas, 4-3

Conference Finals
East
(2) Detroit defeats (1) Chicago, 4-2

West
(3) San Antonio over (1) Phoenix, 4-2

NBA Finals
San Antonio defeats Detroit, 4-3

So when it comes down to it, it's a repeat of the 2005 Finals. Confetti rains in the Alamo City once again. I actually wanted to see which other teams had real championship hopes-mainly to not be a homer-but I couldn't see anyone beating the Spurs in a seven-game series. I thought Dallas might match up best with them, though.
Caveats: At this point, I feel confident that some of these predictions will absolutely be wrong. For example, don't expect Chicago to be in the conference finals. Now, I would pick Boston to go against Detroit, with Orlando as the most likely party crasher. Besides that, it's a pretty safe bet that not every 2nd-round series will go the full seven games. And, the homer that I am, I almost took the Spurs in 5 over the Suns.

Haphazard NBA projections

2007-11-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Alright, so I wanted to do an NBA season preview. I believe the word preview has something to do with seeing things before they happen--at least trying to do so. Now that the season has already started, I think I will do a sort-of preview anyway.

Division standings (playoff seed in parentheses)

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
1. Boston Celtics (3) - The Big Three will make Boston tough to compete with in this division (I'm a rocket scientist, I know).
2. New Jersey Nets (6) - Tough pick for second place between the Nets and the Raps, but I stuck with Kidd, Carter, Jefferson and Krstic. Maybe I've been drinkin' a little too much of the ESPN Kool-Aid.
3. Toronto Raptors (8) - If All-Star Chris Bosh stays healthy, Bargnani continues to develop and the role players buy into the team concept like last year, this should be a playoff team.
4. New York Knicks - Plenty of talent (even ask Steph), but they may be on the outside looking in once again come playoff time.
5. Philadelphia 76ers - Won't make the playoffs. And Andre Iguodala got robbed in the 2006 dunk contest.

Central Division
1. Chicago Bulls (1) - You mean I just picked against Detroit? Well, they do have Deng, Gordon, Hinrich, Nocioni, Wallace and a cuppla recent lottery picks in Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah.
2. Detroit Pistons (2) - They still have one of the best starting lineups in the league. Are they hungry enough for a championship after being unceremoniously bounced out of the Eastern Conference Finals by Wonder Boy and the Cavs?
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (5) - The aforementioned LeBron needs Sideshow Bob to sign and something (anything) productive from Irishman Larry Hughes.
4. Milwaukee Bucks - They actually have some good pieces in place. Michael Redd is their scoring star, former No. 1 draft pick Andrew Bogut is improving, Mo Williams got some All-Star consideration last year, Desmond Mason is back, The Eyebrowless Man should be in an old movie with Charlton Heston and Yi Jianlian is a big "?"
5. Indiana Pacers - Last year, they missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They won't make it back this year, and their star, J.O., has been on the trading block.

Southeast Division
1. Miami Heat (4) - Wade begins the season hurt, Shaq is often injured and past his prime (but he can still dance), and somehow I am picking them to win their fourth straight division title.

2. Orlando Magic (7) - They made Rashard Lewis the most overpaid player in the Association and the perimeter complement to emerging big man Dwight Howard. Howard is a beast and Jameer Nelson is solid, too.
3. Washington Wizards - They have a good Big Three of their own--Agent Zero, Jamison and C-But (sorry for the nickname, Caron). They aren't especially adept at playing defense--or even wanting to play defense. That and their lack of an inside game will be their undoing when they lose in the first round or miss the playoffs entirely.
4. Atlanta Hawks - Like the Knicks, the young Hawks have plenty of talent; however, they will remain playoffless in the new millennium, at least through 2008.
5. Charlotte Bobcats - Injuries to May and Morrison hurt (no pun intended), but they still have Okafor, J-Rich, G. Wallace, Felton, Brezec and Fabio. They still have dues to pay, though.

Western Conference

Southwest Division
1. Dallas Mavericks (2) - Everyone says they are a regular season team and that they can't win the big one and Dirk isn't a real superstar in crunch time. This may be unfair to a team and a player that have had plenty of success. Still, they'll have to hear it until they prove otherwise.
2. San Antonio Spurs (3) - Yeah, it took some deliberation here, but I figure the Mavs have more motivation than the Spurs to win now--but look for the Spurs to go further in the postseason than Dallas.
3. Houston Rockets (5) - You could say it's a three-team race for the division title now that the dreaded Texas Triangle is tougher than ever.
4. New Orleans Hornets (7) -At the tender age of 22, Chris Paul is one of the top point guards in the league. If Peja can make a comeback, the Hornets could snag a playoff berth.
5. Memphis Grizzlies - If nothing else they have some of the most interesting names in the NBA: Darko, Pau, Stromile and Gay. They'll definitely win more than last year, though, when they had the worst win-loss record in the game.

Northwest Division
1. Utah Jazz (4) - I pick them to repeat their division championship because Coach Sloan won't let them slack off (too much). However, Boozer and D-Will need to bring their A-games all season long and AK-47 needs to pull his head out of the trash can. Or something like that.
2. Denver Nuggets (6) - These cats are a popular pick for the division title, in large part because of their two phenomenal scorers, 'Melo and AI. Kenyon Martin returns from injury to join Camby and Nene on the frontcourt.
3. Portland Trail Blazers - Losing top draft pick Greg Oden is huge, but fellow youngsters LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, last year's ROY, should help carry the load for a team with a bright future.
4. Seattle Supersonics - No more Ray Allen or Rashard Lewis, but the team is building around No. 2 draft pick Kevin Durant and No. 5 pick Jeff Green. And they might move to Oklahoma City.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves - Yeah, the team's not that great, but at least they have a bona fide superduperstar in KG. What? You mean he got traded?

Pacific Division
1. Phoenix Suns (1) - This is by far the easiest division champ to predict--even more so than Boston. Nash. Stoudemire. Marion. Barbosa. Bell. Hill. Diaw. But they still won't get by San Antonio if they meet in a seven-game series.
2. Golden State Warriors (8) - They traded away J-Rich for a youngster named Brandan Wright. Hmm...We'll see if they can match their 2007 playoff run. I'm a bit skeptical.
3. Los Angeles Lakers - What will they do with Kobe? Either way this team is first-round playoff fodder at best.
4. Los Angeles Clippers - With Elton Brand down for maybe the whole year, it figures to be a long one for the Clips.
5. Sacramento Kings - Oh, how the mighty have fallen. In 2002, Sac-town was thisclose to winning a title. That was also the year the Raiders were AFC champs. Go figure.

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 9-Tony Parker

2007-10-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Wee Frenchman (another nickname from ptr), who actually isn't that wee at 6'2", has been selected to play in the last two NBA All-Star games, and deservingly so. Tony also won the 2007 Finals MVP award. He was deserving of that, too. Parker is one of the quickest players in the league; no one can dribble down the court faster than he can.

Unfortunately for Tony, he loses a few points on my list because he seems to be the one Spur who cares about the limelight. Maybe I'm blinded by the fact that he has a Hollywood wife, or the fact that he makes ridiculous rap videos where he takes himself too seriously (I love the dancing fool on the right side of the screen of the Tony Parker Freestyle video at the '05 championship celebration), but it seems he cares more than other Spurs about getting recognized. It shows in his comments about being devastated during the years he didn't make the All-Star team. It shows when he pads his point totals late in a game that's pretty much out of reach. It shows...OK, maybe I'm just hatin' at this point.

Tony's had to take some tough love from Reason No. 10 (by the way, it's only coincidence Tony is Reason No. 9 and jersey No. 9), but that discipline has been a big part of his development. Hey everybody makes mistakes, but check out Pop's reaction after this play:

Priceless. For everything else, there's MasterCard.

Why it's good to be a Spurs fan: Reason No. 10-The Coaching Staff

2007-10-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Starting off my countdown of the Top 10 Reasons to be a Spurs Fan, I've got the man who ridiculed me in front of reporters back in 2006: Coach Pop.

No one in major North American sports has come close to the coaching success of Gregg Popovich over the past decade. In that time, his teams have won more than 70% of their regular season games and nearly 65% of their postseason games. And then there's that little matter of the 4 championships.

And, as Stephon Marbury said of Isiah Thomas, "he can see the light."
Even shooting coach Chip Engelland has made a big impact. Before last season I would literally cringe when I would see Tony Parker line up a jump shot. Now I don't think it's such an unreasonable court decision when The French Layup Machine (thank you poundingtherock.com) fires away from 15 feet.

This takes us to number 9 on our Spurs countdown...

Welcome to Provo

2007-10-12T16:33:00.001-07:00

I currently reside in the town of Provo, Utah. Provo–especially BYU-has parking shortage problems. This may not be news to those of you who live in the town. You may have paid the $50 boot fee or the $121 fee to have your car unceremoniously dragged for two blocks. Not that I would know about that.

So anywho, on Wednesday night, I came home and my old car had disappeared. Because the car is in bad condition and I had bought a (slightly) newer ride, I hadn't driven the car for several weeks. I thought maybe someone had noticed that and called to tow it, but that would still have been a bit strange considering it was in one of my house's parking spots, which is on a lot that is basically part of a gravel backroad.

I called the towing company that had signs posted nearby and told them what had happened. They told me to call back in 20 minutes. I called back. They said they had the car. I told them it had been parked at my house. Their records said it was parked at an apartment complex nearby. They also said I could call the next morning and talk to Nancy, who handles such and such type of complaint.

The next morning I called and told them what had happened. Their phone answerer said sorry and that she thought they had already brought my car back that morning. I looked outside, and lo and behold, they had brought it back!

To make a long story short, be careful about where you park in the P-Town--even if it's just at your own home. They might tow your car!

Today's video: cool sunglasses trick

2007-10-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Once in a while I'm going to put up a "video of the day." It won't be every day, it won't be every week and it won't even be at any regular interval. This kind of thing needs no structured schedule.

Anyway, today's video is a bit unusual: some guys catch sunglasses with their faces. Not a bad trick.

Making Friends 101

2007-10-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

Hey peeps. I decided it wasn't enough to be published in The Tri-City Herald, The Daily Universe, Total Blue Sports and on the Web. So I figured I would get some of my writings in Schooled Magazine, too.

Schooled is aimed at college students, particularly the ones at BYU and Utah Valley State. I just had an article printed in the September issue. Check it out in the PDF version here and look for the article titled "Making Friends 101."