Bill and Jalen

When it comes to first impression's, like most, I don't make them the be all-end all when it comes to meeting new people.  But when it comes to TV personalities, that's a different story.  Usually when I look at them, I can instantly tell whether I like or hate them.  And because of my stubbornness, my views rarely change.  That was the case with Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose in the past.  Years ago, I told my friend I couldn't stand anything about Bill Simmons from the way he looked, his voice, to his commentary and work on ESPN and on podcasts.  While for Jalen Rose, I didn't like him because of his attitude, such as with the Grant Hill "Uncle Tom" incident.

After a few years though, my feelings changed.  Bill Simmons wasn't the guy I disliked anymore.  I thought he was funny, well-spoken, and not to mention passionate about his work, which you can tell from his fan perspective.  The same goes for Jalen Rose.  Like many, that Duke comment was taken out of context at the time, and I recognize Jalen Rose for who he is.  He was part of the Fab 5 and NBA for years, and now he's giving his perspective, which is very interesting.  Not to mention that he's just as funny as Bill Simmons, so when you get them together, you have comic gold.  That's why I had to post about these two.  I've been watching their NBA preview videos for the past couple of weeks and they're so entertaining.  They have hilarious clips to describe team mindsets, "Clairvoyant Bill", and "Champagning and Campaigning", all while talking about the NBA seriously, which I need as I wait for the season to start.

If anyone is interested, 3 videos I recommend watching from the NBA preview countdown are the Boston Celtics (#24), Denver Nuggets (#13), and the Detroit Pistons (#12).  The Nuggets one has the funniest moment I've seen when Bill Simmons attempts a Javale McGee and eats... Well, you'll have to see and find out.  You won't be disappointed though.  All I can say after this is, how did I ever not like these guys?  They're the best, and now part of my daily routine.

Source of Picture: http://www.sportsgrid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bill-simmons-jalen-rose.jpg

Halfway There

I am officially halfway done with my hectic essay/midterm/project period in my mind, since I've already taken one midterm, and I've done or attempted most of my projects.  There's still one I haven't started, which worries me, but I did do an outline.  Still better then nothing in my book.  I was really stressed before, and while I still am, I feel better than I did a few days ago, which is always good considering I have high blood pressure.  I need to take it easy, especially during this busy period of the semester.  One thing I will say though, is that today was one of the best days I had in awhile.  Nothing really happened to me; I went to class, ate, and stayed in working on my essay, but I suppose the point is that I progressed and the day itself was calm.  Most people hate days or jobs where they do habitual things, but I don't mind knowing what to expect.  In life, this is one of the few times I have that luxary, so I'm grateful for it during this midterm period.  Of course, despite the positive feeling I have, I know I need to continue working to graduate.

If only getting an education wasn't this tedious, or so necessary compared to the past.  But I've come this far; I can't stop now.  For all you others in school, I hope you're all staying strong  or getting by during this time.  It's all we can do...

Go Crazy, Folks...

In honor of tonight's Game 6 NLCS match-up between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, I thought it fitting to post a clip of Ozzie Smith's famous home run called by the legendary Jack Buck (Joe Buck's father).  This call was before I was born, but since I grew up listening to baseball on the radio, I've heard it many times.  And like all baseball people, we are rooted in our history, which this call is definitely a part of.  Enjoy, and let's go Dodgers just so we can have a Game 7.

Baby Mama's

A term that is loosely thrown around in our culture is the term baby mama, which honestly, is a term that befuddles me.  On Facebook, it was used for women who wanted to be "married" to each other, and for celebrities, it is someone who is not married to the father of their child.  It has other meanings, but these two are the most used that I see.  In hindsight, I suppose it is not a big deal because people have children with different people all the time, but when it's accepted or praised in culture, I think that is when it's a problem.

Case in point, Adrian Peterson, the all-pro running back from the Minnesota Vikings.  His son he had died a few weeks ago, and there was a lot of media coverage over it.  Everyone felt sorry for AP and gave him praise for playing on Sunday, but I think they lost sight of the fact a child of his died that he never met before.  I understand he was the biological father, but someone else raised him.  I'm not here to bash AP because I think he is a great athlete, and he's been through a lot.  I just get disgusted with the way sports culture and most of America is, thinking it's alright to just have children with anyone.  Having children is a huge responsibility, so if you cannot do it, then you should not do the deed.  But that does not stop athlete's such as Antonio Cromartie and others having multiple children from many various women.  Some even praise it or think it's cool, which is a damn shame.

I know what I'm criticizing is nothing new, and adds on to the list of many reasons why athlete's are not as great as they seem sometimes; it's just that these people are more privileged then us, and are supposed to be role models, yet they overuse the power they have.  And when they do get caught, they act like they're sorry, or think they can just pay someone off, but that's not enough.  When someone has a child, being financially sound is nice, but more often then not, they need parents, and they can't have that if there father is someone who just doesn't give a damn.  I know what I'm saying only speaks to a minority of athlete's, and that there are many who are happily married that love their wives/husbands.  It's just a shame sometimes that they do not get our attention.

Midterms

With all the midterms I have the in the next upcoming weeks, I am going to unfortunately be too busy to blog on a frequent basis.  I'm disappointed because I was just starting to get back in the flow of things, and there were some interesting things I wanted to blog about, but grades come first.  I may be be too busy to blog, but if I have free time, I'll definitely say how I feel.  In the process, I hope to come back more inspired and with the same good grades I started with.  Hope you're all having a good Columbus Day weekend everybody!  And whether you read this blog or not, thank you!

City Guys

People can classify themselves as rural or city people depending on where they live, but how many people can call themselves City Guys?  Literally, many people can, but in the TV sense, only the people from the TNBC sitcom City Guys can do that.  The show, which was about 6 high school friends (Jamal, Chris, Cassidy, Dawn, Al, and L-Train) and their principal (Ms. Noble) dealing with everyday teen issues, may not have been as popular as Saved By The Bell was, or had the theme song California Dreams had, but I think that's what made it stand on its own.  It wasn't as campy or preppy as Saved By The Bell, and even though the theme song wasn't as good as California Dreams, I still like it because of how catchy it is, and the fact it depicts Jamal and Chris having fun living in New York, which every person wants to do.

Out of all the shows on TNBC, each has their own special place in my heart.  Saved By The Bell will always be there because that was the show my siblings and I grew up on, and deep down, every guy probably wishes they could be like Zack Morris (although his grades were terrible).  California Dreams wasn't as deep too me, and is the one I remember the least, but the theme song, and the fact that it was about friends playing in a band together seems so deep.  City Guys though, is by far my favorite because of how realistic it is to my life.  The cast was diverse like my high school was, the jokes were hilarious, and it depicts friends in school, dealing with real life issues, as well as recalling the good times, which my friends and I do all the time.  I wish TNBC or shows like this still existed because of the humor, and what their influence on kids, but I suppose it isn't possible now with the way TV is.  It's sad, but we'll always have the memories, and the catchy theme song: "C-I-T-Y, you can see why, these guys, the neat guys, are smart and streetwide"...