Blog Outsourcing - 2/21 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

The previous weekend has been dubbed as the welcome to the Blake Griffin Experience. He played in the Rookie-Sophomore Game, with his team winning and John Wall being named as the MVP. We all know the Dunk Contest. And of course, he is the first rookie after Tim Duncan to be selected by the reserves. Naturally, being a first-timer, he got limited minutes.

So, let me use this to give my own personal viewpoint and assessment of the past few days:



Rookie-Sophomore Game: Dejuan Blair does not need ACLs to fly. Budenholzer has a sense of humor like Pop.

Celebrity Game: Apparently, fans did not allow someone to screw over Justin Bieber again, even if it was in a losing cause.

Shooting Stars: The mantra of "Beat Kenny" was enough as Team Atlanta eases out the champs as the Texans could not make any of their midcourt tries.

Skills Challenge: Stephen Curry wins it. He's wicked quick. Terribly disappointed though with Derrick Rose coasting during his run.

Three-Point Shootout: Finally, Miami beats Boston, as James Jones (also known as Reggie Miller's apprentice) beat out both Jesus Shuttlesworth and the self-proclaimed best shooter in the world.

Dunk Contest: Best field to compete in years. The creativity was awesome. I personally want all four of them back in Orlando for a rematch. Kenny Smith is a preacher man.

The Game itself: Hey, Kobe was on a Wilt-like scoring record pace, but Kevin Durant scored probably the quietest 34 pts in an All-Star game. In the end, Kobe ties Bob Petit with his 4th All-Star Game MVP. Lebron secures the 2nd triple-double in the Game's history.

Sidelights: Loved the musical intros. Kudos to TNT for stuff like these:



Hereforth are the links:

It's not a good idea to stir debate on a topic like this when you yourself admit that you lack certain aspects. (c/o National Football Post via Yahoo)

Regrets, yes, I have had a few - David Stern. (c/o Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Jim Gray gets himself involved again. (c/o USA Today)

The 70s represented the psychedelic era. Obviously, with the fashion tastes, must be prevalent. (c/o Sports Illustrated)

In order to keep this guy (c/o Colts Chronicle), Indianapolis has to release this guy. (c/o Indianapolis Star)

Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists named (c/o International Business Times). Don't worry, Reggie. You'll get in eventually. (c/o Dime Magazine)

Why the Knicks should or should not go for Carmelo? (c/o Hoopsworld)

Los Angeles Kings of Anaheim? (c/ o Los Angeles Times)

Need a bat? Well, whilst pitchers and catchers report? In India, it is in full swing. (c/o Cricket World)

Remember the Vancouver Grizzlies? (c/o Vancouver Sun)

This bobblehead surely will reopen old scar tissue from the early 90s. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

One more year of Don Cherry. (c/o CBC)

Gary Bettman wants a new arena for Edmonton. (c/o Toronto Sun)

Heritage Classic was a success for the Flames. (c/o Calgary Herald)

The Motherland caught between football and basketball. Can't they all get along? Or maybe a reality check. (c/0 Fire Quinito)

The Filipino Flash can knock you silly. (c/o Fire Quinito)

Stu Holden > Clint Dempsey in the FA Cup. (c/o The Sun)

Trevor Bayne won the Daytona 500. Trevor who? (c/o Washington Post)

NASCAR must know something is afoot with its Daytona scheduling. (c/o Fox News)

General Greivis gets his jersey retired. (c/o San Francisco Chronicle)

Who's #1 now? Both the Longhorns (c/o SB Nation Kansas City) and the Buckeyes got beat (c/o Fort Wayne Journal Gazette). The Blue Devils escape the axe, however.

You're a New York City, boy... Where St. John's Basketball is rockin' (c/o Sportsrageous)

Wilson Holloway, RIP.

The music is great during the weekend. This was my personal fave, because I believe in the lyrical genius of Kanye West.

Blog Outsourcing - 2/14 edition

Wassup people and welcome to today's edition of the Victory Formation!

I would like to wish everyone here a Happy Valentine's Day or for some like me, Happy Singles' Awareness Day. I mean, my own personal lovelife has been elusive and it can be a pain, so sometimes, one just has to continue and just wait for the right girl to come and sweep me off my feet and let me sweep her off hers.

You're probably wondering where I got my picture for today. Well, I spent 40 hours in a place called Bacolod to watch a football qualifying match for the first time. I was holed up there from February 8 to 10.

You see, the Philippines is now basking in football glow. We have been pretty much down in the doldrums, being the whipping boys over the years for this sport. Not only that, they have been pretty much ignored. But then, the 2010 Suzuki Cup happened. We made it all the way to the semifinals, losing to the eventual champions Indonesia, but made a good account of themselves.

With the newfound fame, the Azkals (the team's monicker, which is a colloquialism to askals when translated means street dogs) aimed to capitalize that with the next step, qualifying for the AFC Challenge Cup. (c/o Fire Quinito) Being on a home-and-away format, the only place that can currently handle a match like this is the Panaad Stadium (c/o Wikipedia) in Bacolod. Thus the reason why I flew down there. (spending slightly over US $50 for a plane ticket (inclusive of taxes) & spending a total of US $75 for my whole stay in Bacolod.)

Hey, it was worth it. It really was. See below. (c/o Philippine Star)

Here are the links to love! (Note: you can always tweet me @misterjpmanahan if you have links for me to use.)

Has been a tough year for the Redskins, and you can add their best offensive weapon to the victims. (c/o SB Nation DC)

Jerry Gray is back in the NFL, after a month. (c/o Dallas Morning News)

The old guys are still better than the young guns. (c/o Celticsblog)

The Cavs ended two streaks the past few days. Theirs (c/o ProBasketball Talk) and the Wizards' (c/o the Washington Post).

Lebron needs to have his kids around all the time, then? (c/o SportsGrid)

DeMarcus Cousins still has issues. (c/o Cowbell Kingdom)

Mario Lemieux blasts the NHL. (c/o Boston Globe)

Fulmer Cup update: The Volunteers enter the race. (c/o the National Football Post via Pat)

Bielema gets rewarded. (c/o Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Randy Shannon to Maryland? (c/o The Sporting News)

Robert Burton will let UConn keep the money. (c/o The Day)

Happy birthday. Now say where you're going already. (c/o Charlotte Observer)

Bo knows. Ask Ohio State. (c/o The Daily Cardinal)

Georgetown on a sizzling roll. 8 straight in the BEast. (c/o Casual Hoya)

Gators just sneak up on the Vols. (c/o The Independent Florida Alligator)

Junior's on the pole. (c/o From The Marbles)

The Sound of Silence on Lap 3. (c/o Miami Herald)

Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin. Who knew? (c/o Paddock Talk)

Danica Patrick wants another go-round. (c/o The Ledger)

Ford wants to show the world that there is only one thing that comes to mind with the F-150. (c/o Ford Muscle)

The Glazers and Qatar both benefitting from the Manchester United buzz.(c/o Telegraph)

Wayne Rooney wants to ride a bicycle. And he did it in style. (c/o Huffington Post)

West Ham gets to keep the 2012 London Olympic Stadium. (c/o Forbes)

Can Roy Hodgson save the Baggies from the drop? (c/o Mirror Football)

The leading goal scorer in World Cup history has announced his retirement. (c/0 Bloomberg)

America, you ready for Pacquiao on free TV? (c/o Boxing Scene) He's also rockin' the Bieb do, also (c/o Fanhouse). Here are some more quotes. (c/o Fight News)

Toronto fans must be giddy for this as practice if they want to engage Chris Bosh for screwing with them. (c/o Inside Fights)

End of an era for the MMA Legend known as the Last Emperor? (c/o Baltimore Sun)

To end this day, here is a new long song. Also serves as a LSS.

Blog Outsourcing - 2/7 non-Super Bowl edition

Hey, I was in the minority with regards to the Black Eyed Peas performance. Not necessarily because I like the group (feel free to lambaste me for such), but mainly due to the fact that the sound technicians botched this one, like pretty much how this year has been for Jerry Jones and Jerryworld. What we all can agree on is to how the hell Alex Rodriguez tried to steal the show again for a brief moment?




As I promised, here forth are the non-Super Bowl related links:

Kevin Love is Yao's injury replacement, (c/o ProBasketballTalk) which leaves LaMarcus Aldridge out. (c/o The Oregonian)

Gilbert Arenas got served in Orlando. (c/o Afro-American)

Here's the latest on Marquis Daniels. (c/o The Patriot Ledger)

Pacers on a roll. (c/o The Indianapolis Star)

Amar'e sizzles (c/o The Epoch Times), but not as much as the latest Melo rumor. (c/o HoopsWorld)

The 411 on the Madoff-Mets mess. This could possibly be the reason why Alderson left MLB for the Mets. He could Bud's eyes on the team. (c/o The Wall Street Journal)

Vlad joins the O's. (c/o The Baltimore Sun)

Vandalized Caray Statue! (c/o The Chicago Tribune)

Larry says: I want this guy, or this guy. Definitely not this guy. Not this one, either. (c/o Real GM)

Feels odd that this New Jersey band wants to get involved down south. They're halfway there.... Living on a Prayer. (c/o Football News Now)

Jeff Fisher thanks Titans fans. (c/o Music City Miracles)

Bo owns Izzo. (c/o MLive)

And a Marshall shall lead them back. (c/o Daily Tar Heel)

Ohio State keeps chugging along. (c/o Columbus Dispatch)

I was enthralled by the chants from there. (Rivals)

Liverpool beats Chelsea, who had signed the Reds striker Fernando Torres before the end of the deadline. (c/o Goal)

16 straight wins for FC Barcelona, a La Liga record (c/o San Antonio Express).

Nothing like celebrating your birthday in style, Cristiano. (c/o Caught Offside)

If you made it to MTV Cribs, you've made it (c/o Underdog Boxing).

Formula 1 fans will miss Robert Kubica this upcoming season. (c/o Autoblog UK)

Peter Forsberg out-Favre-ing Brett Favre. (c/o Sportsnet)

This has been my LSS for the week. And by the way, Kylie Minogue is 42.

Blog Outsourcing - 2/7 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation. Congratulations to the Green Bay Packers



I am sure everyone remembered about last night, so, let's go straight to the links (all-Super Bowl edition, the non-Super Bowl links will be in another post today):

Yup. Green Bay won the Super Bowl. (c/o Green Bay Press Gazette)

Aaron Rodgers wins MVP (c/o USA Today) and probably is one lucky guy, too. (c/o GossipCop)

Jordy Nelson smashed a very very old Super Bowl record for Green Bay. (c/o Austin American-Statesman)

Charles Woodson gets his ring. (c/o SB Nation Detroit)

Clay Matthews finally gets what is due on behalf of his great clan. (c/o NFL)

Guess who is coming to Wisconsin this week. (c/o Miami Herald)

Well, I thought it was only here in the Motherland that just had issues with the singing of the National Anthem. (c/o The Guardian)

Has been a tough week for Jerry Jones and the handling of the Super Bowl. This ices it. (c/o Detroit Free Press) Might be appropriate that he failed to break the record considering the zeal he had. (c/o Fox Sports Southwest)

The Black Eyed Peas performed at halftime. (c/o Los Angeles Times) And elicited different reactions. (c/o the New York Times). Quite simply, Pat and Big D simply encapsulated it with a response to what I thought were mic issues: The mic issues are the fact that they are on.

The commercials this year is said to be disappointing. (c/o New York Daily News) Feel free to make your own opinions after seeing them all here. (c/o Youtube)

To end today, The Lombardi Trophy's singing this particular song, as it returns to Titletown, USA.

Lebron being Efficient and Consistent

Okay, I know some people grow sick and tired of talking about the Heat, because they really do make an interesting storyline for the whole year. However, after what most saw during the game (it was shown on BTV), and from reading the tweet streams and tweet conversations after the game(s), color the world impressed with the Stud-worthy statline.



What the King pulled off against the Magic was definitely an impressive feat in itself. He started off like a house on fire, making his first 11 attempts.



Then, with Wade getting beaten up and Bosh not really being a factor, Lebron just went on and on.



I still think Derrick Rose is the front runner for the MVP, but Lebron is really making a creditable chase for it even with he and Dwayne Wade putting up pretty much the same numbers as what they had last year.

(c/o CBS Sports)

TWTWTNBA: Finalizing the Western Conference All-Stars

Other than Tracy Morgan's moment (and TNT's subsequent apology), the highlight of last week's pregame was the naming of the All-Stars Starters (which are voted on by the fans) for both conferences.

The Coaches will dictate who will comprise the reserves. Each coach, however, cannot vote for his own players. Now each coach can be creative in designating positions, because there is a need to have at least one "Center" on the roster.



In the West, these are the starters:

Guard - Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets)

Guard - Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)

Forward - Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Forward - Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets)

Center - Yao Ming (Houston Rockets)

If I were a part of a NBA Coaching Staff, the following would comprise my choices for the West All-Star Reserves:

1. Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) - 3rd in the balloting among forwards this year.

2-3. Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs) - The Spurs are the best team in the league.

4. Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers) - Carried the team while Kobe paced his way through the early part of the season.

5. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder) - If he elevated his game in the playoffs last year, he raised it to another level this season.

6. Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) - If CP3 is here, D-Will has to be here. He's on the pine, so there might be a possibility of an opening for someone.

7. Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers) - At this point, we can no longer ignore his impact anymore. This is meant to be HIS weekend.

Injury replacement for Yao Ming

Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) - As much as they are facing the wrath of Kaaaaaaaaahhhhhhnnnnnn, it is really hard to ignore the numbers and that double-double streak of his.

Close calls:

Big Men: Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph (Memphis Grizzlies) , LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trailblazers), Luis Scola (Houston Rockets), Paul Millsap (Utah Jazz),

Guards: Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns), Chauncey Billups (Denver Nuggets), Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers)

The West is really loaded. So loaded, I can name a 2nd All-Star team from the snubs. That's why the Yao scenario provided a break which the NBA could plug someone in.

TWTWTNBA: Finalizing the Eastern Conference All-Stars

Other than Tracy Morgan's moment (and TNT's subsequent apology), the highlight of last week's pregame was the naming of the All-Stars Starters (which are voted on by the fans) for both conferences.


The Coaches will dictate who will comprise the reserves. Each coach, however, cannot vote for his own players. Now each coach can be creative in designating positions, because there is a need to have at least one "Center" on the roster.





In the East, these are the starters:

Guard - Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)

Guard - Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat)

Forward - Lebron James (Miami Heat)

Forward - Amar'e Stoudemire (New York Knicks)

Center - Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)


If I were a part of a NBA Coaching Staff, the following would be my choices for the East All-Star Reserves

1 -4. Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics). The Celtics own the best record of the East.

5. Chris Bosh (Miami Heat) - If the four of Boston gets in, the three in South Beach likewise gets in.

6-7. Josh Smith & Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks) - J-Smooth deserves to get in at this point. He's been phenomenal.

Close calls:

Big Men: Gerald Wallace (Charlotte Bobcats), Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks), Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers), Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee Bucks)

Guards: Raymond Felton (New York Knicks)

If you notice, only six teams from the East are represented. It is also not a coincidence that those are the same six teams that are the virtual locks to make the playoffs. Just goes to show that the deep gulf still exists in that side of the Association.

Bacolod beckons

A week from now, I will be on my way to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, on a flight down south, to a place called Bacolod. It will be a very brief stay, less than 40 hours in the land of the Masskara. I will be there for one purpose really, and that is to watch a football game in person.

I did manage to catch 2 practices at the University of Makati, although I missed seeing the men's team do their drills the first time. Plus, it rained like crazy. But one thing for sure, there were a lot of interested people observing the activities, from the University students to the media to even "fan girls" and of course, the rabid fans of the sport of football.

I do encourage you to go watch the game on Studio 23 on February 9 against Mongolia. Cheer on our fellow countrymen as they play for our flag, in the pitch of Panaad in Bacolod City.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.

Blog Outsourcing - 1/31

Welcome to the latest edition of the Morning After, the final one this month of January 2011.

I pretty much spent the whole day watching television. Watched a little of the FA Cup before proceeding with the NBA on ABC. Managed to catch a little of the NHL All-Star Game and the start of the Pro Bowl until it was the Royal Rumble. Really have nothing to say, but again, the Royal Rumble is probably my favorite PPV match ever. It even screwed the TNA storyline by having both Kevin (a.k.a. Big Daddy Cool Diesel) Nash and Booker T appear on it.



Hereforth are the links:

The Pacers fired Jim O'Brien. (c/o Indianapolis Star)

Not only does Chris Bosh not want to hustle, but also he is pretty much a fake tough guy.

Kevin Garnett is merely staying true to who he is. (c/o Beantown Banter)

Duke was not waylaid like this since Earl Boykins made his name at Eastern Michigan. (c/o New York Times)

Obviously, Basketball Wives would be chomping at the bit to secure her. (c/o Washington Post)

Jon Kitna thinks if you engage in laptop porn, you are not manly. (c/o Deadspin)

NFC > AFC. Ho-hum. (c/o San Francisco Chronicle)

There might be more action outside the field than inside the field next week. (c/o Arizona Central)

Bill Maher credits socialism for NFL success. (c/o Huffington Post)

Lindstrom > Staal. More entertainment value during a game context than the Pro Bowl. (c/o Detroit Free Press)

There is a new show called Chicago Code, maybe they can figure this case out. (c/o Chicago Tribune)

This happened now, what more come 2022. (c/o Sports Illustrated)

Fulham annihlates Tottenham (c/o Scottish Daily Record)

He definitely had a dream. I don't know if that will prosper (c/o New York Post)

Being the writer was from Chicago, it was understood that they are still trying to figure out why the Cubs suck. (c/o NPR)

He ain't no gamer, he's a player. (c/o Kotaku)

Coming to the Victory Formation: the GITC homage to the X Games. Presumably, this will be included. (c/o Grind TV)

Colin Cowherd bringing his comedic talents to CBS. (c/o Entertainment Weekly)

Aussie Kim takes home a Slam. (c/o Winnipeg Free Press), to the consternation of a certain person. (Busted Racquet)

No Nadal, No Federer, Novak! (c/o Kansas City Star)

Even though they lost, i like their entrance theme.

TWTWTNBA: The Pacific Division All-Star Roster Pool

All-Star Voting for the Starters ended on Sunday, with the final ballot numbers to be released on Thursday in TNT at Madison Square Garden (Friday for those in the Motherland). Heat vs Knicks being the reason why Ernie and his crew will be in Broadway instead of their cushy Atlanta studios. A week after that, the All-Star Reserves are to be named.

Now, if the Pacific Division were to set up an All-Star team of their own, this would be their logical pool of candidates:

Golden State Warriors - Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee, Dorell Wright

Los Angeles Clippers - Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin, Baron Davis

Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom

Phoenix Suns -  Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Vince Carter

Sacramento Kings - Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins

Based from this, I believe this would be their roster composition.

Coach: Phil Jackson - He has 11 rings as a coach and 2 as a player. That's all.

Starters:

Guard: Steve Nash - The two-time MVP is the only reason why Phoenix is relevant.


Guard: Kobe Bryant - The Black Mamba recently celebrated the 5th anniversary of 81.

Forward: Lamar Odom - Khloe's husband was definitely rejuvenated by playing for Team USA. His role there also helped him with his role in LA. He's in near double-double territory.


Forward: Blake Griffin - He's just simply the gift that keeps on giving. There's already Clipper merchandise available dubbing him as "The Poster Child."


Center: Pau Gasol - He is the early season MVP for the defending champs, with Kobe having a slow start.


Reserves:

Guard: Monta Ellis - He's ballin' at a ridiculous level. Apparently, only a moped can derail him.


Center: David Lee - He's an offensive upgrade compared to what they had previously. Plus, the Warriors went in the tank when he was sidelined.

Guard: Tyreke Evans - Plagued with plantar fasciatis, he's still producing numbers harkening to his 20-5-5 ROY.

Guard: Stephen Curry - Hard to argue with the numbers. He really can shoot the lights out.


Forward: Dorell Wright - Golden State needed a small forward. He needed to prove himself. Perfect match.

Guard: Baron Davis - He definitely needs to thank Blake Griffin for re-energizing him as well as figuring out his new role as a distributor first and scorer second. (Update: This was supposed to be Eric Gordon, but he's injured)

Forward: Grant Hill - I will take him over Vince Carter. The wonders of the Phoenix Suns Medical Staff at work.


Inactive Roster:

Guard: Eric Gordon - Beneath all the flash of Blake Griffin is a smooth suave killer instinct Ambrose provides for Clipper Nation. He's now ready to take over games. (Update: He's out until the All-Star break, so I moved him here.)

Guard: Vince Carter - I just don't know how he can be revived. What started out with a bang will end on a whimper.


Center: DeMarcus Cousins - If only he can get his head screwed on straight. Definitely needs mentoring from someone with similar attributes: Zach Randolph

TWTWTNBA: The Southwest Division All-Star Roster Pool

All-Star Voting for the Starters ended on Sunday, with the final ballot numbers to be released on Thursday in TNT at Madison Square Garden (Friday for those in the Motherland). Heat vs Knicks being the reason why Ernie and his crew will be in Broadway instead of their cushy Atlanta studios. A week after that, the All-Star Reserves are to be named.

Now, if the Southwest Division were to set up an All-Star team of their own, this would be their logical pool of candidates:

Dallas Mavericks - Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, Caron Butler

Houston Rockets - Kevin Martin, Luis Scola

Memphis Grizzlies - Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol

New Orleans Hornets - Chris Paul, David West, Emeka Okafor

San Antonio Spurs - Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan


Based from this, I believe this would be their roster composition.

Coach: Gregg Popovich - Pop reinvented how the Spurs roll this season unlike before, now using its speed.

Starters:

Guard: Chris Paul - Arguably the best amongst all the point guards out there, although there are still concerns regarding that huge knee brace that he has on.

Guard: Manu Ginobili - With Duncan slowing down / aging gracefully, this is now Manu's team.

Forward: Rudy Gay - Has taken the next step. He's Memphis' go to guy in the clutch. Could have had the Game-Winner-Of-The-Year if not for the Tyreke heave.

Forward: Dirk Nowitzki - We credit him for the great start Dallas had this season. Also the reason why the Mavs have slumped as of late, due to his injury.

Center: Zach Randolph - He's averaging 20-10 again, proving the previous season was not exactly a fluke.


Reserves:

Guard: Tony Parker - Free from Eva's grasp, he's the straw that stirs the uptempo Spurs.

Guard: Kevin Martin - The perennially underrated small-school standout is probably one of the most efficient players in the NBA. Might be the personification of what Daryl Morey wants in his version of Moneyball.

Forward: Luis Scola - He's Mr. Do It All for Houston. No Yao, he took on his load and then some.

Center: Marc Gasol - Surely, the Pau Gasol deal giveaway killed Chris Wallace's reputation, but the Wendigo has proven to be a positive for the Grizzlies

Forward: Tim Duncan - Slowly descending into the graceful exit mode that David Robinson took in the latter stages of his career.

Forward: David West - Can't let a fellow Jesuit alum down. (He's from Xavier). Has the numbers to back it up, too.

Guard: Jason Kidd - Because he might be one ahead of his time back in the day, with all the quality point men prevalent in the Association right now. It's hard to imagine an All-Star game without J-Kidd's flashiness. (although that time is coming soon)


Inactive Roster:

Center: Emeka Okafor -  Arguably one of the best Centers on the Western Conference ballot.

Guard: Caron Butler - Was on his way to possibly his last big payday before he innocently got injured to (in all likelihood) end his season.

Guard: Jason Terry - The former Sixth Man of the Year winner has ably stepped up in both Dirk and Caron's absence.

TWTWTNBA: The Northwest Division All-Star Roster Pool

 
All-Star Voting for the Starters ended on Sunday, with the final ballot numbers to be released on Thursday in TNT at Madison Square Garden (Friday for those in the Motherland). Heat vs Knicks being the reason why Ernie and his crew will be in Broadway instead of their cushy Atlanta studios. A week after that, the All-Star Reserves are to be named.

Now, if the Northwest Division were to set up an All-Star team of their own, this would be their logical pool of candidates:

Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Nene

Minnesota Timberwolves - Kevin Love, Michael Beasley

Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, Serge Ibaka


Portland Trailblazers -  LaMarcus Aldridge,Wesley Matthews, Andre Miller, Brandon Roy

Utah Jazz - Deron Williams, Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson

Based from this, I believe this would be their roster composition.

Coach: Jerry Sloan - The taskmaster has a good knack coming from behind.

Starters:

Guard: Deron Williams - The new age John Stockon for the Jazz. The new rules are tailored for him to take over.

Guard: Russell Westbrook - He has The Sports Guy using references from The Wire comparing his situation with Kevin Durant. Also a Most Improved Player candidate.

Forward: Kevin Durant - NBA's leading scorer. All around good guy. The future has definitely arrived.

Forward: Carmelo Anthony - Currently the center of attention. His move to New York seems inevitable.

Center: LaMarcus Aldridge - With Brandon Roy out, he's emerged as the go-to-guy for Nate McMillan.

Reserves:

Forward: Paul Millsap - Quite simply the most egregious omission on the All-Star Ballot this year.

Forward: Kevin Love - Only Minnesota's miserable record is keeping him from being universally considered as an All-Star.

Guard: Chauncey Billups - With all the unsteadiness of the Carmelo situation, the veteran has somewhat stabled the ship

Center: Nene - Can make the argument for being the best performing center on the Western Conference All-Star Ballot.

Guard: Andre Miller - Without Brandon Roy, he gets to run the team his way, instead of having the usual clashes he has when both of them are on the court.

Guard: Wesley Matthews - He definitely is the main beneficiary of Brandon Roy's absence. He's definitely earning his pay.

Forward: Michael Beasley - Being transplanted from the hotbed of Miami to the frozen tundra of Minneapolis sure helped him, although there are still signs of immaturity still lurking (getting ejected in their loss against the Clippers). David Kahn snagged him cheap.


Inactive Roster:

Guard: Brandon Roy - Please do not rush your comeback. Please do not rush your comeback.

Center: Al Jefferson - Stepped up nicely with Memo being sidelined.

Forward: Jeff Green -  He's the third wheel in Oklahoma City.

TWTWTNBA: The Central Division All-Star Roster Pool

All-Star Voting for the Starters ended on Sunday, with the final ballot numbers to be released on Thursday in TNT at Madison Square Garden (Friday for those in the Motherland). Heat vs Knicks being the reason why Ernie and his crew will be in Broadway instead of their cushy Atlanta studios. A week after that, the All-Star Reserves are to be named.

Now, if the Central Division were to set up an All-Star team of their own, this would be their logical pool of candidates:

Chicago Bulls -Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah,

Cleveland Cavaliers -Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao

Detroit Pistons - Tayshaun Prince, Rodney Stuckey

Indiana Pacers -  Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert

Milwaukee Bucks - Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings, John Salmons

Based from this, I believe this would be their roster composition.

Coach: Tom Thibodeaux - He's the only choice.

Starters:

Guard: Derrick Rose - MVP Candidate. Really elevated his game to top tier status among the best in the league.

Guard: Darren Collison - Really sound acquisition by the Pacers during the offseason. He was handed the keys to the offense and is running rings around like he was last year when CP3 was unavailable.

Forward: Danny Granger - He's Mr. Do It All for Indiana.

Forward: Carlos Boozer - Has been a nice complement alongside Derrick Rose that the top brass of Chicago needed. That is, when he is healthy

Center: Andrew Bogut - the Innovator of Squad 6 and the linchpin down low for the Bucks.

Reserves:

Guard: Brandon Jennings - If he was healthier, he would be starting alongside Rose. (4-6 weeks from his injury would be around early February, so he's on the reserves instead of the inactive roster).

Forward: Luol Deng - Just like Elton Brand, a nice bounce back year, but still a disappointment due to the amount he is getting paid.


Forward: Tayshaun Prince -He's the most consistent Piston around. He and Rip are the most valuable asset they have that is available for trade.

Guard: Rodney Stuckey - If there is a future for Detroit Basketball, he'll probably be in it (or maybe not).

Forward: Antawn Jamison - The only bright spot offensively for Cleveland, and it's a very dim one.

Guard: John Salmons - He's here because of a need to fill out the roster.

Center: Roy Hibbert - See John Salmons.

Inactive Roster:

Center: Anderson Varejao - Once he was sidelined for the season, whatever positive hope that still remained, left Cleveland.

Center: Joakim Noah - If he was healthy, I'd be having a hard time choosing either he or Bogut to start.

Guard: Mo Williams - He's only here because of a need to fill the roster and because he is out indefinitely.

Post-script reflection:

Admittedly, there is only one certifiable All-Star from this division (Rose). There are two who deserve consideration for inclusion (Granger and Bogut). Another three had injury issues (Noah, Boozer, Jennings) that prevented consideration for inclusion. Richard Hamilton would have been considered if not for the pouting that eventually resulted in the current stretch of DNP's he is on.

TWTWTNBA: The Atlantic Division All-Star Roster Pool

All-Star Voting for the Starters ended on Sunday, with the final ballot numbers to be released on Thursday in TNT at Madison Square Garden (Friday for those in the Motherland). Heat vs Knicks being the reason why Ernie and his crew will be in Broadway instead of their cushy Atlanta studios. A week after that, the All-Star Reserves are to be named.

Now, if the Atlantic Division were to set up an All-Star team of their own, this would be their logical pool of candidates:

Boston Celtics - Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett

New Jersey Nets - Devin Harris, Brook Lopez

New York Knicks - Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, Danilo Gallinari

Philadelphia 76rs - Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Jrue Holiday

Toronto Raptors - Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan

Based from this, I believe this would be their roster composition.

Coach: Doc Rivers - All about Ubuntu.

Starters:

Guard: Rajon Rondo - The guy can serve it up to anyone, anywhere.

Guard: Ray Allen - As what Bill Simmons has been pointing out, he's turned into Reggie Miller 2.0

Forward: Paul Pierce - He has said he's the best player in the world. And he has his followers (you know who you are) who will back up that statement.

Forward: Kevin Garnett - Face it, Boston's title chances lie in with his health.

Center: Amar'e Stoudemire - MVP Candidate. The Spotlight is on him in Broadway, and has met the challenge of bringing the Knicks back to respectability.

Reserves:

Guard: Raymond Felton - Has become adept in running the SSOL. He is definitely not Steve Nash, but he has definitely arrived as a playmaker.

Guard: Devin Harris - Now free from the burden of the Melo-drama (thanks to Mutant Russian billionaire owner), he can do what he always does, score and handle the ball.

Center: Andrea Bargnani - Toronto's best offensive weapon

Forward: Wilson Chandler - Dutifully handling what the Matrix's role was in the SSOL in Phoenix, albeit at a smaller extent, numbers-wise. (Shawn Marion was fantasy gold in the heyday of the SSOL in the middle 00's)

Guard: DeMar DeRozan - Definite candidate for the Most Improved Player race. Solid #2 option for what was supposed to be a moribund Raptors franchise (and probably still would be if not for the state of the Cavs and the Wizards).

Center: Brook Lopez - One of the better young bigs in the league. If he can raise his disappointing rebounding numbers, he'll be taken a little more seriously than what he is right now.

Guard: Jrue Holiday - I thought that he showed the most marked improvement in Philly.

Inactive Roster:

Forward: Andre Iguodala - The most talented player on the Philly roster. He's my biggest omission to this squad.

Guard: Jose Calderon - Had to leave him off because of the PG's ahead of him.

Forward: Elton Brand - He'll probably never ever live up to the contract the Sixers gave him, but definitely a bounce-back season for him.

Blog Outsourcing - 1/24 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of the Victory Formation.

I am writing this a little earlier than the usual time I am doing this. I have a football practice that I am supposedly am able to watch, observe and enjoy. Unfortunately, the effort it takes for me to whip up a post entails a lot of time. Thus, I can't watch. But I hope I can do something else instead.

Anyhow, the local blogosphere was caught off-guard by a certain article written by a known food blogger. Being a part of it here, it piqued my interest as to whom she is referring to. From what I see online and in the differing conversation streams, no one really knows or if they know, they're not telling. Reaction has been fast and quick all around. All I know is that this happens within traditional media and just made its entry into the online realm.

Meanwhile, I recently managed to stumble into a couple of musical documentaries, one about Woodstock that had Martin Scorsese's involvement and the other is the U2 documentary Rattle and Hum. Looking at the classic Woodstock footage was surreal considering the era and awesome artists who were there for the ride.



Let's go to the links, shall we?

Pittsburgh wins the AFC. (c/o USA Today)

Whole lotta humpin' going on. (c/o Huffington Post)

Which New York City landmark would you want to place a Terrible Towel in? (c/o Gothamist)

Mark Sanchez need to get this particular pick out of the way. (c/o Washington Post)

Packers win the NFC, looking to claim a trophy that has Lombardi's name. (c/o Oshkosh Northwestern)

Before we eviscerate Jay Cutler like they have (c/o San Francisco Chronicle & Shutdown Corner), let's wait for the MRI (c/o Football News Now). Then again, we all heard about Philip Rivers and his torn ACL against the Patriots.

So who was Caleb Hanie who pulled a Favre in the NFC Championship Game? (c/o Dallas Morning News)

I am definitely sure the Bengals wanted Carson Palmer to seek a trade. (c/o Scoop Du Jour)

Cam Newton seeking to imitate Ben Roethlisberger. (c/o ESPN)

Peyton Manning is deservedly going to be a very very rich man. (Stampede Blue)

Pictures always tell a thousand words. (c/o Albany Times Union)

Just one game today in The Association, with Melo getting his groove on. (c/o Indy Cornrows)

Please, take your time, Brandon. We do not want a repeat of your previous attempt to come back. (c/o ProBasketballTalk)

Kevin Durant puts the dagger on the Knicks. (c/o Hoopsworld)

Also yesterday, the Legend of Blake Griffin grows. (c/o Quake Griffin) He almost secured a triple-double against Golden State. (Los Angeles Times)

We all knew this will be inevitable in Miami. (c/o Miami Herald)

It has been 5 years since Kobe 81. (c/o Toronto Sun)

I am very very sure Mark Cuban is not yet finished with wheeling and dealing. (c/o Dallas Morning News)

Much like the Yankees, the Angels needed to show its fanbase that it made a big league splash in the offseason. (c/o Lookout Landing)

Sparky Anderson's number to be retired. (c/o Detroit Free Press)

Nolan Ryan setting a benchmark for the Rangers again to meet. (c/o Hardball Talk)

The Baseball Writers honoring three recently retired managers and others. (c/o Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Jeff Francoeur taking potshots at Citi Field. (c/o New York Daily News)

Oklahoma has made headway in the Fulmer's Cup. (c/o The Sporting News)

Norm Chow to return to the Beehive. (c/o Salt Lake Tribune)

Jayhawk streak ends at 69. (c/o Slam)

You guys have been ridiculing me for the Jeff Hornacek stuff, but he might be the one who can replace him. (c/o The Big Lead)

At least they faced off on the men's court. Should be for the women's court also. (c/o New York Times)

Well, Mark Emmert, you will have to change our assumptions on that. (c/o NCAA Basketball Fanhouse)

Gus Johnson has to call this fight. He just has to. (c/o Sportsnewser)

If you ever paid for this fight, I hope you get your money back. (c/o Boxing News 24)

Andy Roddick exits again. (c/o Seattle Times)

Kim Clijsters corrects 1/2 of the Woodies. (c/o The Daily Telegraph)

Caroline Wozniacki is not boring. (c/o Busted Racquet)

Remember Luis Suarez? He's coming to England. (c/o Caught Offside)

Manchester United going Qatari? (c/o The Guardian)

Hat trick for Arsenal. (c/o The Daily Mail)

Gnarly waves, dude. (c/o Grind TV)

Maybe I should look into her regimen to lose weight. (c/o WTKR)

Evgeni Nabokov does not want to play for an also-ran. (c/o Albany Times Union)

Here is a simple footage from classic Woodstock.

TWTWTNBA: The Prokhorov Presser

While watching the LA Clippers manhandle the Minnesota Timberpups (and feel the frustration of Blake Griffin's double-double streak end while Kevin Love's still chugging along), local tv showed NBA TV's Gametime announcing that Mikhail Prokhorov (yes, the guy who owns the soon-to-be-Brooklyn Nets) was to hold a press conference on their Night of Russian Culture (a.k.a. their veiled attempt at recruiting upcoming free agent and fellow Russian Andrei Kirilenko of the Utah Jazz). I was relatively surprised at what happened next...

He announced that the New Jersey Nets are exiting out of the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes. He said that he is done with this circus. It was shocking. But it probably might be the right decision. Both the Nets and the Nuggets have been in a tailspin. Even Carmelo's numbers were on a dip until their win at home against Oklahoma City yesterday.

Well, the proposed deal also involved the Detroit Pistons, who already showed their hand with the constant DNP-CD's of Rip Hamilton. The collapse of the deal has shown immediate results as Troy Murphy has asked for a trade.

Obviously this might be good news for the Knicks, who are currently on a 4-game slide. But, they do not have the necessary assets pull off the deal as of the moment. Still don't know if the Pistons are interested. The Grizzlies were rumored to be involved and as much as people want the Clippers to make a move, I and along with some of my fellow Clipper fans, say no to such a deal, because Melo is bad juju to a young and upcoming bunch of kids with OKC-like chemistry blending.

The question now lies with Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri and Nuggets Owner Stan Kroenke, as well as Carmelo. The Nets made their gambit. What is your response?

How to Get Tickets to the Philippines vs Mongolia match in Bacolod?

I am reposting this from the Filipino Football: Read first then ask later.

Tickets for Mongolia match

Tickets for the Philippines vs Mongolia Grandstand match will be sold for P300 (4000 seats only). Pls send your reservations to: (ticketing@the-pff.com RE: Grandstand ticket reservation). This will be on a first come first serve basis only. Book and Buy. We will be providing bank details for payment. Those who sent emails for VIP reservations will need to confirm their intentions for Grandstand tickets, if you still want them. VIP tickets will be for PFF invited guests. No VIP tickets will be sold. We will be releasing rules on how to get VIP and Gen. Admin tickets. If you sent an email inquiring about Gen Admin tickets, pls read the Q&A posted in facebook. No phone in reservations pls.

PFF Facebook

From last week :

Q & A for PANAAD tickets Philippine (white home jersey) vs Mongolia

1.Gen. admission tickets are free on a first come first serve basis for the first 10,000 fans all over the Philippines.
2. VIP tickets will be announced soon.

Q: I am from Manila how can I get a ticket
A: Check the Philippine Football Federation facebook page
Q: My family booked our tickets to Bacolod. We want to watch. How can I get a ticket for sure. Sayang naman kung booked na kami sa PAL?
A. Send an email to ticketing@the-pff.com. No group reservations and first come first serve applies.
Q:I want to reserve VIP tickets how do I do it?
A: Pls visit the facebook page. Instructions will be posted
Q: Are VIP tickets free?
A: The PFF will announce VIP tickets next week
Q: I am the President of a multinational company. I am a VIP. Pls send me my tickets.
A: Yes sir. I will send your tickets. When can we get your donation for the Azkals?
Q:I want to reserve for my group of 20. When can I get my tickets
A: Tickets for Gen Admission are free. First come first serve basis
Q: If you send an email will you get a confirmation back that you have a ticket.
A: Yes we have been responding to ticket requests already.
Q: I want to know how much the airline tickets, hotel rooms and game tickets? Can you book them for me pls.
A: PAL and other airlines have on-line booking. We are putting together a list of local hotels in Bacolod. You can call them directly and reserve your rooms. Game tickets: Pls read the earlier post for game tickets.

Unfortunately the PFF is not an authorized travel agent of any major airline flying to and from Bacolod.

There are some funny ones also. I hope this Q&A helps some people.

If you are from outside Bacolod, and would like to get a ticket? Pls send an email to ticketing@the-pff.com to get on the list. To be fair to others, we will not allow a person to request for group tickets. A group is more than 1 person.

If you are from Bacolod? Pls wait for local announcements or visit the PFF facebook page. Tickets will be on a first come first serve basis.

Blog Outsourcing - 1/17 edition

Welcome to the latest edition of The Victory Formation

Today is a special holiday. After all, it is Martin Luther King Day today. In sports terms, that means a lot of matinee games in the NBA.

Of course, he was the man who championed the Civil Rights Movement and nonviolence.

Meanwhile, like I said last week, I did have my brief 2-day vacation to Ho Chi Minh City. I went with my fellow family members. The days were pretty much checking out the marketplace. But as per Cabbage's advice, I did find a coolie hat. Unfortunately, I really wanted to go inside the museums, but I never got the chance. Hope for a next time. But I did take a lot of pictures during the stay.

Here forth are the links:

Yup. The Patriots endured the agony of defeat. (c/o New York Daily News)

Sure fulfilled Star Wars references like this one. (c/o Shutdown Corner)

Deion Branch sourgraping? (c/o Boston Herald)

Wes Welker was benched (for a series, anyway). (c/o NFL Fanhouse)

Seahawks get a whiff of the reality. (c/o Chicago Tribune)

Pittsburgh outlasts Baltimore. Quote the Raven. Nevermore. (c/o Fox Sports) and the ratings showed (c/o TV By the Numbers).

Matty Ice out cold. (c/o Atlanta Journal-Constitution) and was a primetime hit (c/o The Hollywood Reporter).

Neatest thing about Bears-Packers: winner gets Halas Trophy. Then the winner goes for the Lombardi Trophy. (c/o Chicago Sun-Times)

What would you rather have? Incessant Big Ben talk or Incessant Jets talk? (c/o Newark Star-Ledger)

Rob Ryan will now attempt to unleash his powers on DeMarcus Ware. (c/o Just Blog Baby)

Sean McDermott is out in Philly. Could Jim Mora be on the horizon? (c/o PhillyBurbs)

NFL continues to be overprotective. (c/o The Red Zone)

Al Davis fined Tom Cable and Tom wants the money back. Good luck. (c/o The Inquisitr)

Time to reminisce the previous memories of the Super Bowl. (c/o WTKR News Channel 3)

Adrian Peterson causing trouble for someone. (c/o Now Public)

The Yankee indecision cost them Joba Chamberlain. A definite what-could-have-been. (c/o Sports Haze)

Clock now ticks for the St. Louis Cardinals. (c/o MLB Daily Dish) On the other hand, Cincinnati delayed theirs by three years. (c/o Red Reporter)

The Knicks are about to make their attempt to bolster assets for Carmelo. (c/o Real GM) The Nets really want to get him. (c/o CBS Sports)

Clippers beat both the Heat and Lakers in a span of week. (c/o Los Angeles Times) This is where Blake Griffin gets his first ejection. (c/o SB Nation) Must have been due after giving this to the Heat. (c/o Quake Griffin)

Spurs keep chugging along showing no mercy to a Denver team that desperately needs a break from the Carmelo drama. (c/o 48 Minutes of Hell)

The Heat are down to a Healthy One. Good thing they need this break right now. (c/o Miami Herald)

Probably the best news to arrive in Boston today. (c/o Enterprise News)

Case Keenum gets another shot at breaking a record. (c/o Houston Chronicle)

John Brantley will not leave Gainesville. (c/o Palm Beach Post)

Rich Rod's does good work in leaving Michigan. (c/o Detroit Free Press)

Pat Fitzgerald is staying on at Northwestern. (c/o Sporting News)

Nothing like a jilted lover venting. (c/o Sports by Brooks)

Obviously they did not hear about the Eastern Washington field. (c/o Prep Rally)

They have decided to dip in the uncertainty of the upcoming NFL season. (c/o Sports Illustrated)

Just thought about choosing the appropriate video, and so, enjoy the rest of your day.

Blog Outsourcing - 1/10 edition

Welcome to today's edition of The Victory Formation.

Later tonight (in my case being tomorrow morning), it will be the BCS National Championship Game featuring the Auburn Tigers (a.k.a War Eagles) powered by UnderArmour against the Oregon Ducks powered by Nike. I am sure we will be covering it in our own little simplistic way, the way we do it best.

The key will be which defense can pull off the necessary stops against the imposing offenses devised by each squad. Any turnovers produced would really benefit as the University of Phoenix Stadium will become a scoring slot machine. Special teams would be crucial, too. Anyway, I'll just look back and enjoy this game, still hoping for a miracle of a split title with TCU. No matter how unlikely that might be.

Anyway, as for me, in a few days, I will be going to go on a brief 2-day family vacation to Vietnam, specifically Ho Chi Minh City. Hope I can find some neat Viet Cong stuff for me to take home. That story could be coming to you, next week.



Hereforth are the links you may have missed:

Yep. The Seahawks ensured we will have new Super Bowl Champions this season. (c/o The Modesto Press)

This is probably the most apt video adaptation of the Marshawn Lynch TD Run. (c/o The SportsGrid)

What now for the Who Dat nation? (c/o The New Orleans Times-Picayune)

Peyton Manning left too much time on the clock for Mark Sanchez (more like Nick Folk, actually). (c/o NFL Fanhouse)

Seeing that the Jets won, the Ravens turned it up a notch to send a notice to Pittsburgh. (c/o Sports Illustrated)

Football serves as therapy for Ed Reed. (c/o NY Daily News)

If David Akers made two field goals... (c/o Philadelphia Inquirer) or if not for Michael Vick puling off a football Favre (c/o San Francisco Chronicle).

NBC stumbled into ratings gold. (c/o TV By The Numbers)

Apparently, the 4-3 formation is still a relevant defense. (c/o the Windy City Gridiron)

Jeff Fisher hopes he can pull off what Lovie Smith just did. (c/o The Tennessean)

Talk about being eternally optimistic... (c/o Cincy Jungle)

What has John Elway been doing? (c/o NFL.com)

Obviously, the first thing he would ask them is a guarantee that they will have a real QB running the offense. (c/o Arizona Republic)

If you want to get interesting stuff on your Twitter stream, you can follow this guy. (c/o Fox 59 Indianapolis)

I am sure Kurt Warner suggested this. (c/o Chicago Bears)

The Worst Coaches of the NFL. Let them know if there were egregious omissions. (c/o Bleacher Report)

Who wants Nnamdi, please raise your hand and offer a contract, please? Thank you. (c/o San Jose Mercury News)

The finalists have been named. Who will make it? Provide your pitch. (c/o Bloomberg)

SNL with another humor football bit. (c/o Gawker)

At least Jim Harbaugh gets to stay at home. (c/o Stanford Daily) So what will Stanford do internally (c/o Fox News) and externally (c/o SB Nation Bay Area)?

Chip Kelly must have been inspired by the Navajo. (c/o Deadspin)

Patrick Peterson looks like he's heading out. (c/o Shreveport Times)

Hungry Like the Wolf. (c/o Los Angeles Times)

Not exactly Dewey beats Truman, but still a gaffe nonetheless. (c/o Opposing Views). Apparently, the Yankees were approached by the Rays for Garza. Did they make the right move, we will know eventually. (c/o LoHud Yankees)

The World Series MVP moves to the Great American Launching Pad. (c/o Blog Red Machine)

Tiger Woods gets screwed out of his own video game. (c/o Switched)

I blame this gaffe on the racing organizers. #cmonson (c/o Break)

The Oracle really wants to be a NBA owner. As a Clipper fan, he ought to take the Clippers away from Donald Sterling. (c/o Forbes)

The continued lowdown on the Gift that Keeps on Giving. (c/o Quake Griffin)

Teams looking for a big to help them now have to look for other alternatives. (c/o Hardwood Houdini)

Yes, the Cavs are still way way behind in the Lebron recovery process. (c/o Akron Beacon Journal)

This deal is inevitable. All about dotting i's and crossing t's now. (c/o Monsters and Critics)

About time, Lebron. About time. (c/o Palm Beach Post)

Feel free to pick and choose GIFs to your heart's content. (c/o SB Nation)

Speaking of which, Donald Sterling is approaching Al Davis-level creepiness. (c/o Ball Don't Lie)

The Crosby waaahmbulance? Unfortunately for him, his commish seems to be ignorant unlike the overly aggressive NFL Commish. (c/o The Sporting News)

Lindy Ruff and 500. (c/o Sabre Nation)

Nice to know Ovie has been a role model for the young Russian hockey community. They start them early, I presume. (c/o Toronto Star)

Banning journalists to your locker room seems to be not the ideal way of ensuring no bad PR. (c/o Toronto Globe and Mail)

The beat goes on for the defending champs. (c/o Washington Post)

Buckeyes escape the grasp of the Gophers. (c/o Eleven Warriors)

Enes Kanter now fully ineligible. Still think he should explore the D-League route to the NBA. (c/o The Sports Jury) I am sure the Wildcats would have needed him against Georgia (c/o Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Wow. Penn State > Michigan State. (c/o Black Shoe Diaries)

A fan punching his team's player after the team pulls off an upset win? That's odd. (c/o The Sun)

Roy Hodgson is out at Liverpool. Seems to mirror failures of the Red Sox pre-2004. (c/o New York Times)

Sometimes, you just need to put everything in perspective and just chill. It's only a sport. (c/o NBC Chicago)

Yup. Only in America this happens. (c/o Fox 12 Oregon)

The First Sportsman gets called out by a UFC fighter. Must be a neat wrestling promo. (c/o Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

This is definitely for H-O-R-S-E material. (c/o Huffington Post)

He's definitely a bigshot lawya, I tell ya. (c/o Detroit Free Press)

Melissa Leo will be getting an Oscar nod because of her. Looks like she is in recovery. (c/o Boston Globe)

Bullfighting should go the PPV route now. It's the rage anyway... (c/o Off The Bench)

Something that Cabbage might interested to do in his neck of the woods. (The Guardian)

To end, here is a really great song by The Script, because I have nothing... nothing... nothing...