Live Your Life

I just sat down to write tonight's post and hadn't completely decided which direction to go with it.  Naturally, I flipped on ESPN to get my creative juices flowing and the good folks at the worldwide leader in sports were kind enough to provide me with my topic for the evening:  The X-Games Moto X Best Trick competition.  Let me begin by saying these dudes are a different breed of human being.  They're similar to professional MMA fighters when it comes to being sick in the head, but these guys are on a different level.  When it first began the best trick competition was won by things like a standard backflip or a superman (a trick where the rider lets go of the handlebars, grabs on to the seat of the bike, extends his body completely flat and parallel to the ground, then pulls himself back on to the bike for the landing).  These tricks were dangerous enough for me, but, like the NBA Dunk Contest, they have increased the difficulty tenfold since then.  At this point, if you pull a single backflip with no supplemental trick, you're laughed out of the competition.  It is to the best trick competition what the windmill is to the dunk contest.  It's as if the scoring criteria reads, "The higher the chance of you losing your life on your trick, the better your score."  Want proof?  Here are the first five tricks I saw in no particular order, 'cause I can't remember the exact order:

The first rider was 19 year-old Jackson Strong from Australia.  He pulled a front flip, the first ever in the history of the competition.  In theory, that shouldn't even be possible.  You're accelerating at a ramp that, at it's highest point, is perpendicular to the ground.  How the hell do you throw yourself and a 250 pound motorcycle forward hard enough to perform a full flip?  I don't have a clue but apparently he does and that's why he won the competition with it.

Another dude, probably from Australia as well considering the top three finishers were Aussies, pulled a double backflip.  One backflip wasn't enough so he just added another.  No big deal.  To be honest, it wasn't the first time I saw the trick, but this cat made it look way too easy.  It almost looked like that was his safe trick, the one he goes to when he just wants to land something and get on the board.  When the double backflip has become that trick, I'm afraid to ask where the competition will go from here.

The next guy saw the first guy's front flip and decided that was too easy.  I mean, it was only the first time anyone had ever executed a front flip in competition, so it's about time someone added something to it.  This lunatic tried to execute a 360 while front flipping.  Oh, I forgot to mention that he also took his hands off the handlebars in the middle of it...intentionally.  Needless to say, this dude's landing was not as smooth as the first two.  In fact, and I had a feeling it was only a matter of time, he fell off his bike upon landing and crashed head first into the dirt.  As he lay there unconscious, I couldn't help but think to myself, "Umm...while I hope this dude isn't dead, what did he think was going to happen?"  I'm allowed to say that because I know he's not dead.  He eventually got up and walked off under his own power.

Trick number four was a combination of the two I mentioned in the intro.  Homie began with a standard backflip, then, while completely upside down, he pulls a one-handed superman.  Picture a guy dangling from an upside down motorcycle with one hand while about 30 feet in the air.  Piece of cake.  And this guy had no problem getting himself back on his bike and landing with ease.

And lastly, the biggest psycho of them all, Travis Pastrana.  Pastrana has tried his hand at just about every extreme sport imaginable and been successful.  Here's what his weekend schedule was supposed to look like:  Tonight:  X-Games Moto X Best Trick.  Tomorrow:  X-Games Moto X Freestyle Final.  Saturday:  NASCAR Nationwide Debut.  Sunday:  X-Games RallyCross Final.  Unfortunately, Pastrana didn't make it through his first run in tonight's best trick competition before suffering a setback.  In his typical fashion, he came out with a trick as difficult and unique as any.  He attempted to backflip and then pull a 360, essentially separating them into two individual tricks.  After doing a little research, I learned that Pastrana has been trying to land this trick for years.  In his first attempt, he slightly over-rotated in his 360 resulting in a harmless crash.  He immediately got back on his bike, drove back up the ramp, and approached the jump for a second time.  This time, he wasn't so lucky.  He had the same problem, over-rotating on the 360, but to an even greater extent on try number two.  The man landed directly on his right leg with the bike dropping right on top of it.  He got up, took one wobbly step on that right leg, and went right back down to the ground.  I was certain that he broke something...check that, everything in his leg.  And then came the best part of the entire night:  When the "sideline" reporter checked in, she said that Pastrana diagnosed his own injury to her.  He declared that he broke his tibia and fibula in that right leg.  Hahaha call me soft, but it might be time to think about another profession when you can instantly determine what bones you broke from past injuries.  To his credit, you gotta respect a dude that tries to walk off when his only two bones between his knee and his foot have turned to pixie dust.  Quick shout-out to my co-author, Jae Pierce, who I watched jog off a football field with a fibula that was broken in multiple places.  Sorry to bring back sour memories.

The point of all this is that these extreme athletes aren't normal.  I'd almost go as far to say that they don't care about their lives, but I consider that to be disrespectful to their families.  But it's for damn sure that they don't have a problem with putting their lives at risk every time they perform.  Here's a little taste of what you get in the Moto X Best Trick Competition:  PS - Don't bother watching after the 2-minute mark.  It's pointless...

"It scared me to death.  It just doesn't make sense.  You're still on your motorcycle at the height of the jump going, 'this thing's not going to rotate around.'  I knew it was possible, it just doesn't seem logical."  -Travis Pastrana on attempting his first backflip at the X-Games.  

-Brusk Dollas

Sport Pet Peeves

Today marks a day that we've all been waiting for (remember, I'm writing this on Monday night):  NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the lock-out has finally come to an end.  It's the biggest news in all of sports so you're probably assuming that today's post will be completely dedicated to it, right?  Well, the truth is that I'm completely sick of hearing, talking and even thinking about it.  I'm convinced that both sides, players and owners, were bluffing from the start.  When it began, there was talk of missing games, maybe even an entire season.  But as the fall got closer and closer, everybody's attitude changed.  We started hearing that it was no longer a matter of if the lock-out would end, but rather when it would end.  Big-name players were quoted as saying, basically, "OK, enough of this nonsense.  It's time to come to an agreement so we can play football."  And sure enough, that time has arrived.  I've been saying since day one, they're not going to miss games and I'm glad I was right.

But I've got something else in mind for today.  The last time I wrote, I told you about the worst kinds of fans in all of sports.  Today, I'm gonna tell you about the other things in sports that I can't stand.  Today, I give you my list of Ten Biggest Sports Pet Peeves, in order:

10. Arguing With Officials/Whining
This would be higher on my list if it weren't for the fact that I used to be guilty of it when I was a competitive athlete.  In high school (and even before high school) I didn't realize how pointless it was and how ridiculous it looked from an outsider's perspective.  It wasn't until I was on the other side that it became so obvious how bad of an idea it was to complain about calls.  Throughout my time in college I worked as a coach/referee at our school's annual basketball camp.  When I was officiating, there was nothing that pissed me off more than a little kid whining about a call.  When that happened, objectivity went out the window.  Not only did I never change a call, but it made me less inclined to give that individual any calls from then on.  Clearly that's not something that's recommended in the Referees' Official Handbook, but that's why I hung up the whistle.  The best thing you can do as an athlete is to worry about the things you can control.  I'll admit, it's much easier said than done, but quit crying about calls.  If the referee is anything like me (which hopefully isn't the case), it's only going to make things worse.

9. When "Contests" Are Called "Sports"
We seem to be living in an era where just about anything can be considered a sport.  Take July 4th, for example.  For the past several years ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, has aired the "Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest" held at Coney Island.  I don't hate you if you enjoy watching a bunch of gluttons stuff their faces full of processed pig intestines, but I don't like you if you call it a sport.  Competitive eating is exactly that:  A competition.  And the same goes for games like darts and bowling.  If it's something that people do for leisure in between a round of beers and shots, then I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it's far from a sport.

8. Referees Making the Game About Them
I can't stand watching any athletic event where the official seems to think that the fans came to watch him/her. Nobody has ever gone to a game to watch an official perform in the history of sports.  Even when you're family comes to your games, they're not paying attention to you.  The best official is one that you don't even notice.

7. Entitlement
Now that I'm on the other side of the microphone, I've seen it all.  I've interviewed everyone from grade-school athletes to Hall of Fame baseball players, and there's nothing worse than someone acting like it's a pain in their ass to do an interview.  And it's not just the big-time athletes that are guilty of it.  I've dealt with high school coaches that act disrespected when I don't know their name.  Seriously, grow up.  You're the head coach of a girls' soccer team at a school whose graduating class is smaller than your yearly income in thousands.  You should be thanking us for pretending to care about your game.  That being said, those losers are in the minority.  Most athletes and coaches are very respectful, including the professionals.  But when I do encounter one of these jerks every now and then, I find myself wishing I wouldn't get fired for force-feeding them my knuckles.

6. Parents Who Think Their Kid is a Scholarship Athlete
It's most athletes' dream to play their sport at a big-time university on an athletic scholarship, but only a small percentage get to live that dream.  However the percentage of parents who think their kid is going to play at that level is through the roof.  You're not doing your kid or yourself any favors by convincing them that Penn State will be knocking on your front door any day now if it's clearly not going to happen.  Don't get me wrong, I think every athlete should aspire to play at whatever level they want, and it would be a shame for parents not to encourage their child to go for it.  But here's a hint:  If your kid barely gets up off his/her team's bench long enough to pick the splinters out of their ass, there's a good chance they won't be signing with USC come February.  I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, I'm just saying maybe you should spend your time a little more wisely.

5. Terrible Pep Talks
There is nothing that accomplishes the complete opposite of what it was meant to more than an awful pep talk.  There are two variables that can result in these disasters:  Bad timing and poor content.  The first is self-explanatory.  But the latter requires a bit of elaboration.  The worst thing to do in a pep talk is to plan it.  It is something that absolutely must be genuine and unscripted in order to motivate.  Almost equally as devastating is a pep talk in which every word is an expletive.  Don't underestimate the effectiveness of cursing (when it's aimed at an appropriate audience), but it has to be done strategically.  The biggest misconception when it comes to inspiring a team is that a long string of f-bombs is the best way to do it.  Wrong.  Content and timing are everything and if you fail in either category, you would've been better off just keeping your mouth shut and letting Three Six Mafia take care of getting people ready to bash their heads through brick walls.  But when done correctly, there's no better way to bring goosebumps to your teammates' skin and tears to their eyes.  Here are two of the best I've seen:

4. The "Everybody Gets To Play" Culture
Here's a sure-fire way to instill the wrong habits in athletes and guarantee that your team will suck:  Let everyone play the same amount.  This strategy never has worked and never will.  And no, I'm not just referring to high-level athletics.  I'm an advocate for letting the cream rise to the top at every level, except maybe in an elementary school intramural league that is meant for kids who got cut from their travel teams.  Other than that, the best players should play.  Some of you probably think that would be damaging to a child's mentality, but I couldn't disagree more.  It's never too early to teach a child that they have to work for what they get.  If they care enough and want to be good then they'll work for it.  If they don't care then they probably never wanted to be an athlete in the first place.

3. Idiotic Fans/Internet Message Boards
Last week I wrote an entire post about stupid fans, but that doesn't mean that I can't include them on my list.  Anyway, I need to add these internet forums and message boards that allow people to provide their Monday Morning Quarterback analysis of every game.  And the most ludicrous thing that a fan can do is to criticize play-calling, which is mostly a problem when it comes to football.  Only a real football fan with real knowledge knows that there's no way to criticize play-calling.  Unless you know the offense and the desired execution of the plays you're criticizing, then shut your big, dumb mouth.  Chances are you have no idea what was supposed to happen on that play, what kind of defense it was run against or how the coaches coached the play as they prepared for their opponent.  Did I mention you should get to shutting up?

2. Flopping
Ugh.  Where do I even start when it comes to flopping?  It's like the new, cool thing to do in just about every sport.  Basketball players are hitting the ground from phantom gusts of wind in an effort to draw offensive fouls, soccer players are writhing around on the ground after being grazed by a shoelace and even Derek Jeter acts like he needs x-rays on his hand after a pitch hits the butt of his bat.  Flopping is softer than candy necklaces, crocs and dudes who lay in tanning beds combined.  Flopping is the reason I will never respect Paul Pierce.  It might not even qualify as a flop in your book, but I have to make mention of his antics back in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals.  Pierce went down with an apparent knee injury and was first carried off the court by his teammates, then placed in a wheelchair and wheeled off the court.  He's gotta be done for the rest of the series, maybe even the entire next season with an injury that serious, right?  Eh, not exactly.  About 15 minutes later the dude is running out of the tunnel and is back in the game.  I have since heard Celtic fans defend him by saying that the team doctor called for the wheelchair, not Pierce.  But here comes my favorite part:  Pierce's quote about the situation..."I had no control over it.  I come off the court and I had a doctor telling me to get in a wheelchair.  What am I supposed to do?  Tell him no?"  Uhh...Yeah, actually.  If you weren't softer than cupcake batter, that's exactly what you would've done.



1. Quitting/Giving Up
We've reached my biggest pet peeve in all of sports and there's really not a whole lot to say about it.  There is absolutely, positively nothing worse than watching an athlete or coach give up on a game.  The true test of character and will to win is how you react when faced with adversity.  I don't care what the score is or what's at stake, there is NEVER an excuse to give up.  When you quit, you flush integrity and self-respect down the toilet along with your legacy.  A true competitor never gives up and never allows the people around him/her to do so either.  'Nuff said.

"I've always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me.  I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn't have a chance to win."  -Arnold Palmer

-Brusk Dollas

Do Better

I have to get a few things off my chest: I have been fortunate enough to start my career in the athletics field and, as I'm sure you've noticed on Sportscenter, there isn’t much going on. To maximize my time (and to make some extra cash, of course) I've been working sports camps over the past few weeks. I'd be lying if I said working camp isn’t fun, but the kids who attend are simply unbelievable. In my short time working these camps, I've seen things that make it impossible to hold back laughter, making me wonder what is really going on with our youth and their parents. So I've decided to give you a little insight into the oddities that I've encountered, while offering simple solutions to said parents and children: 

Parents: Don’t send your child to camp unless he/she is prepared to participate. One parent at one of the camps I worked sent her child, Jim, to basketball camp in a Polo shirt, plaid khakis, hiking sandals and a Kufi on his head. When the Director of the camp called the mother, she responded by saying, "There are shoes in his bag for him to wear."  The shoes she was referring to were Steve Madden penny loafers and, even better yet, there was only ONE of them. Jim wasn’t right in the head, and, needless to say, neither was Mom. If I told you Jim spent the week slapping campers like Rick James, would you believe me? Do better.

Kid: We’ll refer to this kid as Ian. Ian, please refrain from talking to me about what major power basketball program you are going to play for or when you're planning on entering the NBA Draft. I just watched you get lit up by a kid who wouldn’t make junior varsity on some women’s teams. You're fifteen years old still attending summer day camp. I know fifth graders who would slow roast you like a porkloin. Go sit down somewhere and hit the books. A college education is in your best interest.

 What is it with children and the words "sit down" that makes them want to do the opposite? I wanted to throw a pigskin at one kid’s sternum for his inability to comprehend simple directions. Parents, I know your children can be a handful, but don’t pawn them off to camps to avoid your maternal/paternal obligations. I don’t want to babysit your child unless I have the privilege of making him do wall sits until his legs turn into cooked spaghetti. Do better parents, do better. 

  I don’t understand why parents spend money on something their child has no interest in. Another child, Jake, was a very well-behaved kid and a delight at camp. One day, we held a dance contest to pass some time and to entertain the counselors. Jake, who looks about as goofy as Anderson Varejao, got in the circle and absolutely killed The Dougie, The Catdaddy, The Jerk and even rocked off like a former Maine Black Bear, Crumbz (for those of you who don't know, those are all recent hip-hop dances). I was absolutely shocked because he resembled Danny Masterson in “That 70’s Show.” The problem is that this was a basketball camp and he performed all four dances when attempting a basic lay-up. I mean, my man was finger rolling lay-ups over the backboard.  He should be attending Shane Sparks Hip-hop Dance Academy, not the HoopMovement Basketball Skills Camp.

Quick video sidenote:  As good of a dancer as this man is, he was twice as impressive on the football field.  It's too bad he only made it through half a season in his career as a Black Bear.

"Swag:" It’s no secret how I feel about the word. It’s a bunch of dudes trying to convince other dudes how much cooler they are than the rest. Doesn’t make sense to me, shouldn’t make sense to you either. I don’t have a problem with Joe Paterno, Digger Phelps or Dick Vitale using the word to describe a team’s confidence, charisma and demeanor. I have a problem with kids who use the word  to describe small, V-Neck, white tee-shirts, belts that are bigger than the sagging skinny jeans, snapback hats, shoes that would fit Crusty the Clown and a backpack with nothing in it. When the women on "The View" are using the word in their dialogue, it's time for the rest of us to eliminate it from our vocabulary. Death to "swag" and everything it represents.

PSA – Snapbacks aren’t back – Snapbacks look like the Fisher Price version of hats. I have never seen a 59Fifty New Era fitted cap on the Lid’s $10 clearance rack. Snapback have been there for the past decade. I'll believe they're back when I see Cliff Lee bust one out during an NLCS contest.

While pretending to know how to properly swing a baseball bat, I saw Sam whispering to Tom which resulted in them both giggling like two little school girls. I was curious to know what was so damn funny. I asked Sam what I missed and he responded with, “Do you know what RAP stands for…RETARDS ATTEMPTING POETRY.” My first thought was to throat-chop this little kid like Denzel Washington in "He Got Game," but can you really blame him? Current rappers like Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman, Lil B and Soulja Boy sound like they've never stepped foot in a classroom in their lives. And that's what Sam and Tom know to be "rap." The comment was very ignorant to say the least, but lets be honest, that is pretty damn funny and accurate when it comes to today's commercial rap.

 Last but not least, parents, please start using your better judgment. One ten year-old, Johnny, was attending baseball camp. Johnny is 5’5 250 pounds, give or take a few LB’s. Johnny has asthma. Johnny hasn’t exercised in six months because he lost his inhaler. Where is the last place a 250 pound ten year-old should be without his inhaler? A baseball diamond where the heat index is pushing 106 degrees at 10 a.m. Little Johnny didn’t stand a chance. During catch, Johnny was wheezing harder than Baby Dee describing a brand new cupcake. Johnny made it to 10:30 before I was forced to call his parents to come pick him up. He wasn’t about to take a dirt nap on my watch.

PS – Camp started at 9am

This is all in fun and was meant to hurt no one. The stories are 100 percent true, however the names are not. Stay thirsty my friends.

“If you knew better, you’d do better.” – Fabolous

-Jae Pierce

Will You Just Shut Up Already???

It would be against my religion to dedicate another entire post to soccer, especially considering our ladies were on the losing end of the World Cup Final yesterday.  I don't have a whole lot to say about it, but I'll give you my take in a few short sentences:  It's tough to win a soccer game when you can't put the ball in the net.  Sure, our girls scored two goals, but anyone that watched that game knows that they missed two or three times as many chances as they converted on.  And the game itself was a simple case of foreshadowing when it came to penalty kicks, where, once again, "we" were unable to capitalize.  There isn't one individual to blame for the loss, but I still can't figure out how the best players in the world can miss half their shots so badly.  That's like Tom Brady having Wes Welker open in the endzone of the Super Bowl and throwing it through the uprights.  Nonetheless, it'd be ignorant of anyone to not give Japan the credit they deserve.  And, like my girl Hope Solo said, if there was one team I would have wanted to win other than the U.S., it would be Japan.  After all the adversity that country has dealt with over that last few months, it's nice to see them have something to celebrate.  I hope you've enjoyed reading about soccer because there's a good chance this is the last time I'll talk about it before the 2014 Men's World Cup in Brazil.

Today I want to talk about something that every athlete and sports fan has dealt with.  From elementary school intramurals to the professionals, there is one constant in every sport:  Obnoxious, uninformed fans.  It doesn't matter if you're at a live sporting event or watching it on TV, there is always someone who thinks they'd make a better referee and/or coach than the ones that they're watching.  If you're like me, you find yourself trying to contain the urge to punch that idiot right in the skull.  If you've never experienced that feeling, it's probably because you're the asshole that the rest of us would like to elbow in the temple.  As a former athlete and current sports reporter and bartender, I'm lucky enough to be around these individuals pretty much every day of my life.  Allow me to give you a few examples that I've seen in the past few weeks.

During yesterday's World Cup final, I was bartending once again.  My bar was completely packed during the game, full of drunken imbeciles screaming at the television every 12 seconds.  For the majority of the day I was able to block out the nonsensical outbursts from the peanut gallery.  But there was one argument that took place between two of the patrons that I was unable to avoid.  I'll begin by reminding you that the U.S. women lost to Sweden in their third and final group-stage game, then beat Brazil in the quarterfinals and France in the semifinals.  Well some dude, lets call him "Moron," was arguing with a guy next to him that the U.S. played Brazil in the semifinals.  The other guy, lets call him "Normal Guy," informed Moron that the U.S. played Brazil in the quarterfinals and then France in the semifinals, which we know is correct.  Now, Moron had been at the bar since about an hour before the game started and I heard him talking about soccer strategy multiple times during that span.  In other words, Moron acted like he knew the game.  So, Moron proceeded to tell Normal Guy that he was wrong, and that the U.S. played Brazil and France in the semifinals.  At this point, I considered throwing Moron's beer in his face, glass included, because that was one of the top 5 dumbest things I had ever heard.  But I restrained myself and continued to listen.  Normal Guy, however, was not able contain his disgust and replied with, "What!?  Are you retarded?"  The conversation continued for a few more minutes with Moron claiming that they played a series in the semifinals and refusing to admit that he was wrong.  The dude was straight-up not smart.  He had no clue what he was talking about, yet he acted like he was Pia Sundhage's heir apparent.  He should lose his privilege to speak during athletic events.  That's a prime example of the uninformed, ignorant fan, but he's not even the worst kind.

The worst type of fan is the obnoxious one that thinks the more they yell at refs and coaches, the better the chances the team they're rooting for will win.  As if the referee is gonna hear you yelling and think, "You know what?  That guy in the stands knows what he's talking about.  I'm gonna listen to him from now on."  A few weeks back I was covering a girls' lacrosse game and that guy was in attendance.  At first it was maybe a tiny bit amusing to hear his constant degradation of the referee.  But pretty soon it got REAL old, REAL fast.  This guy literally had something to say every time the whistle blew.  If a call was made against his team, he complained.  Even when a call was made in favor of his team, he'd make comments such as, "I'm surprised you got that far into the rule book!"  He yelled at the coach, offering his strategic demands, told the players how to play the game, and didn't stop until the clock hit zero.  Before long, the people sitting near him had relocated and I found myself rooting for the other team to win.  I don't care if you were an All-American lacrosse player at Syracuse (and trust me, that's not on this genius' athletic resume), that still wouldn't justify those actions.

The point is that you don't want to be one of the aforementioned fans.  There are plenty of sports fans that don't fall into one of these categories, but the ones that do should be banished from the athletic forum all together.  Get a life and just enjoy watching the game like a normal human being.  Next time you run into one of these hooligans (which I assume will be the next time you watch a sport in public), feel free to jab them directly in the jaw.  Just don't blame it on me when you're handcuffed in the back of a patrol car.

"I threw the kitchen sink at him but he went to the bathroom and threw back the tub."  -Andy Roddick (after his loss to Roger Federer in the 2004 Wimbledon Final)

I couldn't find any good videos that were relevant to this post, so I decided to stick with the Andy Roddick theme because he's far and away the funniest man in tennis.  And one of the best interviews in all of sports:

-Brusk Dollas

Just For Fun

I’M BACK!!! After my month long hiatus I am back in the office ready to entertain our most loyal followers. Yes, when I say the office, that is exactly what I mean: I only write on the clock. Lets keep that on hush from the boss lady. Over the past month I have done pretty much everything under the sun, including participating in the stories from the “It’s a Party” post and believe me, that wasn’t even the half of the shenanigans that took place in that house. It was a great month to say the least but now it’s back to business. I personally can’t post on a specific schedule like my ace *pause* Brusk Dollas, but I will make a serious effort to post once a week. Now that we're back on track lets get into something I thought would be fun. I hope you enjoy.

Since we all were under the assumption that, in order to be elite in the NBA, you needed a BIG 3, other industries followed suit. In the age of the BIG 3, businesses and companies are adopting the notion that a group of stars is the way to accomplish that ultimate goal. Today’s post is a hip-hop mega group tournament that will highlight the greatness of each group, as individuals and as a whole. I will be seeding each group and their most notable members. The top two seeds will receive a first round bye. May the best group win.

6. Hypnotize Minds – DJ Paul, Juicy J, Project Pat, Lil Wyte and Frayser Boy

5. G-Unit – 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Mobb Deep

4. MMG (Maybach Music Group) – Rick Ross, Wale and Meek Mill

3. 2.0 Boys – Eminem, Royce Da 5’9, Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden (Slaughterhouse) and Yelawolf  

2. YMCMB (Young Money Cash Money Billionaires) – Lil Wayne, Birdman, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Jae Millz, Bow Wow and Kevin Rudolf

1. Rock Nation – Jay-Z, Kanye West and J.Cole

6. Hypnotize Minds VS. 3. 2.0 Boys

This 6 vs. 3 match-up is a very interesting battle. Both groups are great at what they do. Hypnotize Minds is the best there is when it comes to “Crunk” music and party jams, while 2.0 Boys were assembled to give you TV-MA, hardcore lyrics. Hypnotize Minds has something none of these rap groups have and that’s an Oscar for "Hustle N Flow," but we would all agree (or at least I hope we all agree) "8 Mile" trumps that movie. Most would say this is a battle between the north and the south which it is not, being that Yelawolf is a heavy trunk hitting artist from Alabama. Hypnotize Minds are great and "Adventures of Hollyhood" was one of the funniest reality TV shows I have ever seen, but if this bracket is an evaluation of actual talent, this isn’t even a competition. Winner: 2.0 Boys

5. G-Unit VS. 4. MMG

If this were 2003, G-Unit would win this tournament by a landslide. G-Unit changed the way we view hip-hop forever. They made the mixtape what it is today, changed the actual description of a DJ and made millions by setting tour records before ever releasing an official album.  They didn’t stop there as they released "Get Rich or Die Trying," which padded the bank for everyone involved, establishing Interscope Records as the King of hip-hop. Unfortunately for G-Unit, it's not 2003 anymore. It's July, 2011 and when G-Unit was elite, Kerry Kittles was a starting guard in the NBA Finals. In an attempt to ruin Rick Ross’ emerging career, 50 Cent actually created a monster. The Ja Rule massacre didn’t work on Rozay. When it comes to the mixtape scene, the club bangers and even the pop industry, MMG is mopping G-Unit up in 2011. Rick Ross and Wale are on everything right now from Lady Gaga tracks to Lil Wayne songs. They are killing the music industry right now and they're just getting started. In terms of wallet size, 50 Cent is still smacking Rick Ross around, but this isn’t a Forbes Net-Worth bracket. Winner: MMG

3. 2.0 Boys VS 2. YMCMB

This is a match-up of two of the top three rappers in hip-hop. Lil Wayne can't compete with Eminem when it comes to record sales, but honestly, who really can? Advantage 2.0 Boys. But where Wayne lacks in record sales, he makes up for in another category. It hurts me to say it, but Weezy is the king of the mixtape. A punchline guru, Lil Wayne is unmatched when it comes to taking your beat and making it his own. If you disagree, go listen to his mixtape "No Ceilings" and tell me the originals were better. You’ll get laughed at. Advantage YMCMB. As a true group Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne are pretty much on Mount Rushmore and I don’t even think it's close. Go to YouTube and watch two females scrap over the last copy of Nicki Minaj's first album "Pink Friday" like they were in an MMA octagon. Actually, allow me to do the honors:

Anyway, advantage YMCMB. Battle rapping is an art that few possess and is something that is undervalued in hip-hop. One of the most powerful battle rappers of all-times is Jae Millz. I don’t know if you remember "Making the Band," but Jae Millz battled E. Ness, one of the winners of the show, face to face on MTV which was ultimately declared a draw to help the TV reality star. What MTV failed to show was Ness getting embarrassed to the point where his boss, P.Diddy, was in shock. And as good as Jae Millz is, Eminem is even better. Advantage 2.0 boys. On a typical day, YMCMB would be the victor as a better group. But, just like the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, they are going to get clipped because of Birdman’s embarrassing attempts to rap. Winner: 2.0 boys.

4. MMG VS. 1. Rock Nation

This will be short and sweet. As hot as MMG is right now with "I’m a Boss," "Tupac Back," "600 Benz" and "By Any Means," no one would argue who’s a better group. Jay-Z would thump Rick Ross, Kanye West and Wale aren’t even comparable and J.Cole is maybe the hottest *pause* young rapper in the game. Meek Mill is decent but he is not on J.Cole’s level. Jay-Z said it best, “Dig a hole, go ahead, bury yourself.” Winner: Rock Nation.

3. 2.0 Boys VS. 1. Rock Nation

I think it’s only fitting we start with the two best rappers walking this earth, Jay-Z and Eminem. We will judge these two by their performance on the same song, "Renegade." It is possibly one of the best songs I have ever heard where the two exchange verses to give listeners lyrical bliss. Both artists put their best foot forward, but Eminem edged Jay in the final moments. I have a soft spot *pause* for storytelling which is a great form of artistic greatness. There are two songs that stand out in my mind as being great stories: "Pray for Me" by Joe Budden and "Stan" by Eminem. These songs are remarkable. That's not to say Rock Nation doesn’t have great storytelling songs, but those two songs take the cake. Yes, they are that damn good. In hip-hop, a freestyle is a premeditated flow of words, bars and verses that are displayed at the request of the audience. If I had to pick one artist to lay down an eight minute freestyle where each punchline counts and every word makes sense, Joell Ortiz is my choice. Ortiz was given Jay-Z’s "Death of Autotune" instrumental and left everyone, including myself, wanting more. Kanye West is a remarkable talent and there is nothing he can’t do in this music industry. I would love to compare his upcoming album with Jay-Z to the "Bad Meets Evil" album by Royce Da 5’9 and Eminem, but that will be a different debate for another day. I bet you can guess where this post is going. 2.0 Boys knock off the Miami Heat of hip-hop, ironic, considering the 2.0 Boys are similarly structured to the Dallas Mavericks. Hip-hop Mega Group Tournament Champions: 2.0 Boys.

Just like in sports, the “best” team doesn’t always win. Going chalk isn’t realistic in most cases, and this bracket would have been pointless had I done that. I hope you enjoyed the post as there are many more to come. 

I must warn you, this song contains explicit lyrics...If you can handle it, just sit back and listen:

-Jae Pierce

Our Only Hope

There's something you should all know about me.  I'm a man of the people.  When my readers request a post on a certain subject, I make it happen.  "My First Baseball Post" was a response to a committed reader/Pittsburgh Pirates fan and tonight's subject matter was actually suggested by more than one follower.  On that note, if you're reading this and there's something you want to hear my opinion about, simply let me know.  Text me, facebook me or comment on here and myself or one of my part-time contributors will do our best to oblige.  Now that we got that out of the way, lets get down to business.

If you had told me that I'd write about soccer twice in as many weeks when I started this blog, I probably would have asked you if you were sick in the head.  However, you would have been correct.  In case you missed it, the USA Women's Soccer team took on Brazil yesterday (Sunday, July 10th) in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals.  I've recently made my opinion on soccer pretty clear, but there were a couple of variables that resulted in my watching of the game:  It began around 11:30 a.m. EST and considering it was a Sunday, the only other thing I could have been watching is "Backwoods Angler" re-runs.  Not a bad option...if you're 90-years old and weird.  Also, I was bartending at the time and the scene was slow, so I was able to focus my attention on the game.

 It didn't take long for our countrywomen to get on the board as just 74 seconds into the contest they scored on a Brazil own-goal.  The rest of the first half was scoreless and the US led at the break, 1-0.  In half number two, things heated up.  In the 66th minute, Brazil's Marta, the three-time defending World Player of the Year, made a run into the US box and was tightly defended by Rachel Buehler.  Marta goes down, Buehler gets a red card, and the Brazilians are rewarded a penalty kick.  I'm no soccer expert, but the referee's ruling was controversial to say the least.  But that was just the tip of the iceberg.  On the ensuing PK, everybody's favorite female athlete (or at least just mine), US goalie Hope Solo stopped the first attempt from Christiane.  [Tangent:  Why do Brazilians only have one name?  I really don't get it.]  The US celebrations quickly came to a halt when the referee called "encroachment" on one of the American players, meaning that she moved before the ball was snapped...er, uh, kicked.  Sorry, for a second I thought we were talking about real football.  Anyway, that allowed Brazil a second chance at the PK and this time Marta took it.  The chances of a soccer goalie stopping two penalty kicks in a row are about as high as Todd McCullogh's vertical:

Needless to say, Marta buried the second chance and tied the game.  Even worse, as a result of the red card, the US was forced to play a woman down for the rest of the game.  Things were not looking good.

At this point, I found myself doing things I never thought possible.  I was yelling at the TV, heckling refs, and basically acting like I cared about soccer.  I was almost embarrassed.  Nonetheless, from then on I lived and died with my girls.  The game would go to extra time as regulation concluded with the scoreboard reading USA 1, Brazil 1.  In the first half of extra time, it was Marta again making magic happen.  Just three minutes into the overtime, while US defender Shannon Boxx was busy petitioning for an offside call, Marta was busy scoring a redonkulous goal to put her team up 2-1.  I have two problems with this:  The first is that the referee missed the call.  Replay clearly showed that the play should have been stopped as a Brazil player was indeed offside.  And it wasn't the first missed offside call of the game.  But my other problem is with Boxx.  Once you see that the referee's flag has not gone up, maybe you wanna try to defend the world's best player?  Or you could just do what she did and rip my heart out of my chest.  All hope seemed lost.  No pun intended.

But on the 12-year anniversary of the USA's penalty-kick win over China in the '99 Women's World Cup final, it was only appropriate that a miracle happen.  In the extra time of extra time (I have no idea how to say that), the Americans had one last chance and it was up to arguably the world's second-best player, Abby Wambach.  Megan Rapinoe played a flawless cross to Wambach and she showed why she's widely considered the best in the world at using her head.  Yeah, I said it, she has the best head in the world.  She did the unthinkable and tied the game with no more than a minute and a half left to play.  That meant the game would come down to penalty kicks, or, in other words, it was up to Hope Solo to make something happen.  And she did exactly that.  With her team leading 3-2 in PK's, Solo made an acrobatic stop on Daiane's attempt and simultaneously captured the hearts of millions of men around the country, mine included.  The US would go on to win the game and advance to Wednesday's semifinal against France.

But the moral of the story is that I love Hope Solo.  As if her physical appearance, her play on the "pitch," and her name weren't attractive enough, check out her reaction four years ago when then coach Greg Ryan started back-up goalie Briana Scurry in the World Cup semifinal against Brazil.  Oh, by the way, the US would lose that game, 4-0.  Great decision, Greg:

Love it.  She calls out her coach AND her teammate and four years later she's the starting keeper again and Ryan and Scurry are eating potato chips watching her dominate.  What a bad-ass chick.  I'm naming my daughter Hope Solo Brusko.  F*ck it, if I have a son, he's getting that name too.  I can only hope he's as much of a beast as she is.

"The person that said winning isn't everything, never won anything."  -Mia Hamm

-Brusk Dollas

My First Baseball Post

What's up kids?  Take one look at the title of this post and it doesn't take an IQ as high as mine to figure out what we're going to discuss today.  After all, the Major League Baseball season has been going on for three months now and I haven't even made note of it.  Hell, soccer got a post dedicated to it before baseball.  But that's only because the first half of the MLB season is almost meaningless.  Not completely, but almost.  That being said, there is one story from the first half that deserves mention:  The Pittsburgh Pirates.  Until this year, the Pirates had been baseball's equivalent of Tiger Woods:  Very successful in the past but unable to win anything in recent memory.  OK, I realize the Pirates' impotence goes back MUCH further than Tiger's, but you get the point.  [Let me go off on a quick tangent:  I know Tiger's latest tournament withdrawals have been a result of "injuries," but when he first returned from his off-the-course issues and struggled to play effectively, I heard numerous sports analysts suggest that he take some time off and get his life and his mental state in order.  Why?  Why would that be acceptable for him?  Did anyone suggest that Kobe Bryant take some time off when he had his own personal issues back in 2003?  Absolutely not.  And there are plenty of other cases where athletes made mistakes outside of their playing arena, yet the thought of them taking time off just seems selfish and downright silly.  Just something to think about.]

Back in the late '80's and early '90's, the Bucs were a perennial contender, advancing to the NLCS three straight times from '90-'92 under .  But after the '92 season the front office decided to rebuild, which clearly was a well-thought-out decision:  The franchise has not finished a season with a winning record since.  But maybe, just maybe, this is the year.  They're currently three games over .500 (45-42) and just a game and a half out of first place in the NL Central Division.  Closer Joel Hanrahan will play in his first All-Star game next week and they have one of the most exciting players in baseball in Andrew McCutchen, a guy that most people consider to be an All-Star snub.  Pirates' Manager Clint Hurdle recently commented that the NL All-Star coaching staff "whiffed" on McCutchen by not selecting him.  Considering his .291 batting average, 12 homeruns, 48 RBI's, .491 slugging percentage and 15 stolen bases, I'm with Clint.  According to the MLB Attendance Report on ESPN.com, the Pirates are averaging close to 23,000 fans at home games this year.  That's about 3,000 more people per game than they drew in 2010 which is especially impressive considering that the overall league attendance has dropped this year as a result of the weather and the economy.  Although I'm a Phillies fan, I'd love to see the Pirates continue their success and make a playoff run.

On another note, what's up with the MLB's policy, or lack thereof, on arguing calls with umpires?  Seemingly every day there's a player or manager that gets in an umpire's face, close enough that they'd be kissing if they simply puckered up, and screams expletives for an extended period of time.  What's the punishment?  An ejection from that game and nothing more.  In the NBA you get thrown out of a game for looking in the referee's direction after they make a call.  Wanna get in a ref's face and look as if you're ready to fight?  I hope your pockets are nice and fat because you'll be coughing up some serious dough while watching your team from the bench for the next several games.  And finally, baseball, please expand your use of instant replay.  At least use it for plays at the plate to get the call right, and preferably at the rest of the bases too.  I'm sick of watching teams lose games because of a blown call.  More importantly, I'm sick of watching pitchers get screwed out of a PERFECT GAME because of some incompetent first-base ump.  No big deal though, perfect games happen all the time.  If you're not going to change the instant replay rule, at least hold the umpires responsible for their failures because, well, is there any other job you can think of where you aren't held accountable for your mistakes?

A tiny dose of Karma:

"The designated hitter rule is like letting someone else take Wilt Chamberlain's free throws."
           -Rick Wise (bonus points if you know who Rick Wise is, 'cause I don't)

-Brusk Dollas

Throwback

First off I want to wish everyone a happy Independence Day.  By the time you're reading this, it's probably not the 4th anymore but it hasn't hit midnight yet as I write so it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the holiday.  I hope you all had a fun, eventful and most importantly, safe weekend of celebrating.  Because it's late in the day and the sports world is downright lame right now, I'm going to do something that I won't make a habit of.  Every once in a while, this being one of those times, I'm going to post a column that I wrote for "The Maine Campus."  This particular one was published on April 23, 2009.  Enjoy...

Pretend you’re the head coach of a high school basketball team. What is the last possible thing that you can ever imagine getting fired for? Probably winning, right? Well, that’s the reason that a Texas high school basketball coach was relieved of his duties back in January. And it wasn’t just the fact that he had won, it was the fact that he had done so by too many points.

His name is Micah Grimes, and he was the head coach of The Covenant School’s girls basketball team. After an astonishing 100-0 victory over Dallas Academy, a team that plays in the same private school conference as The Covenant School, Grimes was fired for humiliating the other team and not representing a “Christ-like and honorable approach to competition.” I don’t mean to sound uncompassionate, but this was a varsity basketball game, not an elementary school intramural game where everyone gets to play. If you’re going to fire the guy for winning by too many points, then why did you hire him in the first place? To instill an attitude of mediocrity in his players? I sure hope not. In his four seasons there, Grimes took his team from a 2-19 record to a state championship contender, a resume that would most certainly earn any other coach a raise. Unfortunately for Grimes, his 100-point victory resulted in the loss of his job.

The reason that this story became such a big deal is that Dallas Academy is a school for students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia and dysgraphia. Naturally, our reaction is to sympathize with those girls who were obviously not at the same athletic or competetive level as the girls from The Covenant School. I’m not overlooking that, but the truth is that they are in the same league and play the same level of competition. It is completely their own decision to play at that level, which means they must deal with the consequences. If they’re worried about their players being emotionally affected by a loss like that, they should not be playing in that league.

After all, Dallas Academy’s athletic director admitted that the girls don’t play for the victories, but rather their hopes to improve skills and develop teamwork. He went on to say how proud he was that his girls gave everything they had regardless of what the score was. If that’s the case, why was this game made into such a big deal? That’s especially a good question when you consider that they lost other games this year by deficits of 50 and 60 points on multiple occasions.

Think of it this way: If there was a high school debate competition and one team outscored the other by a huge amount, would the team that won be punished? Would the coach get fired for preparing his team too well? Obviously the answer is no, so why is it okay to treat athletics that way? I don’t know the answer, but I know that it’s ridiculous when people are getting fired for performing their job duties to a high extent. Sorry Micah, I’m sure there are a thousand high schools around the country that would love to have a coach like you.

"Winning is not a sometime thing, it's an all time thing.  You don't win once in a while, you don't do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time.  Winning is habit.  Unfortunately, so is losing."  -Vince Lombardi

-Brusk Dollas