Jason Kidd Retires from the NBA

Jason Kidd announced his retirement from the NBA earlier today June 3, 2013. Kidd said, “My time in professional basketball has been an incredible journey, but one that must come to an end after 19 years.”

Kidd played in the NBA for 19 seasons and just turned 40 years old this past March. Kidd just finished his first season with the New York Knicks who made it to the second round in the playoffs where they were beat by the Indiana Pacers 4-2.

During his career Kidd played for four teams including the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, and the New York Knicks. Jason Kidd said, “As I reflect on my time with the four teams I represented in the N.B.A., I look back fondly at every season and thank each and every one of my teammates and coaches that joined me on the court.” Kidd ends his career with 1 NBA title in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks and 2 Team USA Olympic gold medals. Kidd had an average of 12.6 points, 8.7 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game. But overall Kidd wants to be remembered as a winner; “No matter what percentage, no matter what my numbers say in the sense of points, assists, rebounds and steals, it’s always been about winning. And it will always be about winning … making my teammates better.” And that is just how many will remember Jason Kidd as he is predicted to eventually have his name added to the Hall of Fame. Ohm Youngmisuk wrote on ESPNNewYork.com, “Kidd leaves the game as a sure-fire Hall of Fame point guard.”

Jason Kidd was a phenomenal point guard in the NBA, and one I have had the pleasure of seeing play many times. Kidd was the best at knowing where his teammates were at all times or where they would be and could get them the ball. Kidd had a way of making his assists look effortless.  Kidd was loved and respected by fans, coaches, and teammates. Head coach of the New York Knicks, Mike Woodson said, “Jason provided an incredible voice inside our locker room and I considered it an honor to say I coached him.” Also some tweets that have already gone out to congratulate Jason Kidd include:

James White @flight8, “Man it was just a honor to be in the same locker room as @RealJasonKidd. One of the best to ever lace them up And a great guy.”

Kevin Durant @KDTrey5, “Congrats on a wonderful career JKidd..it was a honor playing against you after watching you dominate as a kid! Enjoy your retirement.”

Baron Davis @Baron_Davis, “#jasonkidd one of the great players of our time. Always tried to pattern my game after him. #neverforgotten #legend.”

Congratulations to Jason Kidd for a great career. I wish him the best as he moves on to the next chapter in his life.

Resources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/sports/basketball/jason-kidd-announces-retirement-from-nba.html?_r=0

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/9337625/jason-kidd-new-york-knicks-retiring-19-nba-seasons

Nate Robinson beat the Heat

Nate Robinson led his team to beat the Heat, 93-86, in game 1 of round 2 in the NBA Playoffs. Chicago leads the series 1-0, winning the first game in Miami on the night LeBron James was rewarded the MVP award of the 2012-2013 season.

Last night Robinson was the Bulls MVP of the game. With just over 4 minutes left in the first half Robinson and James went after a loose ball. James fell on top of Robinson busting his lip on the court. Robinson was taken out of the game to get 10 stitches in his lip. After Nate Robinson got his stitches in he was right back on the court. Robinson said, “You have to play through it. I got 10 stitches, but you just have to continue to fight. You have to muster up enough energy and enough fight to go in there and play as hard as you can and produce for your teammates. They expect you to get stitched up and come back out there and continue to battle, and that’s what I did.” Robinson played his heart out finishing the game with 9 assists and a game-high 27 points.

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau described Robinson as “about as confident as they come, and that’s the thing that makes him good. If he misses a shot, he has a very short memory. He always thinks he’s hot, never afraid, and will step up in a big situation. He has the courage to take and make.”

Robinson has really shown his toughness throughout this postseason, and has proven to his team that they can count on him to be there no matter what. In the first round against the Brooklyn Nets Robinson had his head stepped on and in game 6 was battling the flu. Still Robinson fought through those challenges and played. Robinson is no doubt one of the toughest players in the NBA.

After last night’s game Nate Robinson said, “God blessed me with a lot of heart and no height, and I’ll take that any day.”

Nate Robinson, 5’9″, is one of the shorter players in the NBA but he does not let that faze him. Robinson plays with all heart and that is what makes him so much fun to watch. Robinson is a fighter and will not give up even if his team is playing the so called “best team” in the NBA. It would be interesting to see if the Chicago Bulls can keep this up and knock the Heat out of the playoffs.

Game 2 will be played in Miami tomorrow night May 8th at 7:00 PM Eastern. I look forward to seeing if the Bulls can get two road wins in a row, and what Robinson will face the rest of this series.

Nate Robinson’s post game interview:

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/tnt_overtime/2013/05/07/20130506-courtside-chi-mia-gm1.nba

Resources:

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bulls/post/_/id/13791/cut-lip-doesnt-slow-down-robinson

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/05/07/naterob-the-pound-for-pound-king/

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/nate_robinson/index.html?nav=page

Tim Tebow is on the Market for a New Team

Tim Tebow was a New York Jets for only one season before being released from the team. The Jets released Tebow early Monday morning after acquiring a few other quarterbacks this off-season.

In 2007 Tim Tebow won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore in Florida. Then he was picked 25th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2010 draft. During the 2011 season Tebow showed the world he had God on his side. Tebow was not the best quarterback in the league but he led some miracle comebacks that season. Tebow took the Broncos to a division title and a chance to play in the 2011 playoffs.  The Denver Broncos were the AFC wild-card and played the Pittsburgh Steelers who were favored to win. Tebow led the Broncos to a miraculous win in overtime, 29-23. Tebow threw a surprising 316 yards on 10 completions during that game. In college Tebow would wear bible verses on his eye-black stickers for everyone to see, his favorite being John 3:16. During the Broncos vs Steelers game Tebow was not wearing his stickers but Palm Beach Post reported that 92 million people searched that verse on the internet after that game. From that night on Tim Tebow had fans of all kinds, football and not, cheering him on.

The Broncos didn’t make it to the championship, and Tebow was traded to the Jets during the offseason. Tim Tebow became the Jets backup quarterback behind Mark Sanchez, neither doing much for the Jets in 2012. The Jets tried to get Tebow to play another position but after trying a few out he was not up for it. So during this offseason the Jets decided it was time to let Tebow go. Monday morning Tim Tebow went to the training center but before he could make it to the weight room he was called into the office.

Tim Tebow is not the best quarterback in the league, but he is definitely a player I would want on my time. Tebow is a great leader that supports his team. Personally I am a fan of Tebow and fully support him as a person, what he stands for, and as a pro football player. I think Tebow should be more open to playing other positions, but if he wants to focus on the position he loves and grow as a quarterback, then who can blame him? I am anxious to see what team picks him up if any, and at what position.

Resources:

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_release_tim_tebow_twHFvSOgnkbGMj45xHPzeK

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/76596/new-york-jets-release-tim-tebow

http://www.biography.com/people/tim-tebow-20786869

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/john-316-tim-tebow-bible_n_1195221.html

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/9222870/new-york-jets-cut-tim-tebow

Keith McCants Shares His Story

Keith McCants has accomplished a lot in his life and is starting his mission to make a difference in the world today.

McCants was born in Mobile, Alabama on April 19, 1968. In high school he was the talk of the state because of his great athleticism in both football and basketball. Keith McCants was great at both sports but his love was always football, so he proceeded on with his chosen career as the linebacker for the University of Alabama. McCants continued his greatness in college so much so that even coaches from other teams were giving him compliments. Billy Brewer, former Ole Miss head coach described McCants as, “The best football player I’ve seen since I came into the conference”. Dennis Erickson, former Miami head coach said McCants was “comparable to Superman I and Superman II”. Impressive compliments! McCants was All American in college as well as Defensive Player of the Year in 1989. In 1990 McCants was drafted 4th overall in the 1st round to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCants played in the NFL for teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Houston Oilers, and the Arizona Cardinals improving more and more with each team he played for. McCants retired from the sport in 1995.

But it is not his greatness during his NFL career that he is sharing with people everywhere today, it is what happened after. After McCants retired from the NFL he became addicted to pain medications and was victim of substance abuse and legal problems. Behind all the glory during his college and the NFL he was dealing with lots of pain from his knee he had hurt in college and other injuries he had sustained. In football McCants had a total of 29 surgeries and 6 concussions. In order to keep away the pain and keep McCants on the field the organizations he was a part of would give him multiple pain medications including shots of morphine and shots of cortisone. All this is legal in the NFL and happens a lot. Teams want their players to be able to play; they do not pay them the money they do to just sit on the bench. None of this really presents a problem till after football is over as McCants explains. When McCants retired from the game of football all the pain medications are stopped and no longer legal, so eventually he turned to street drugs to take away the pain. Keith McCants never realized how addicted he was to all the pain medications during football. McCants spent all his money on street drugs along with some being taken from his family and friends, McCants soon became broke.

Keith McCants interview on 105.3

Eventually Keith McCants realized how bad his situation, got cleaned up, and is now sharing his story to help prevent it from happening to someone else. McCants is traveling to many different high schools and colleges to share his story and to help athletes everywhere become more aware of addiction and the importance of managing their money, so that what happen to him does not happen to them. McCants also has a book coming out soon.

Keith McCants has overcome a lot in his life and he has found a way to make a difference with his struggles by getting his story out there to others. I hope that his story goes a long way and helps many athletes today and in the future to be more aware of things like pain medication addiction and managing their money in the right way. So many times you hear of these things happening to athletes after their careers are over, it is nice to finally hear of someone coming out on top and taking action to prevent it from happening to others. In an interview on 105.3 the Fan Keith McCants said, “I feel the National Football League should put everyone through a rehab or wean them off of whatever they put them on.” I completely agree with him. I feel that it would greatly benefit athletes to be prepared for the real world before they enter it. You cannot just cut someone off of something they have done for many years and expect them to be fine. Now I am not saying things like this are fully the leagues fault, some players move on from the game and are just fine. Also it is up to the athlete to educate themselves and take care of themselves. Still I feel that some kind of awareness before and or some kind of program after an athlete’s career would be beneficial. I fully support what Keith McCants is doing and wish him the best! I look forward to reading his book when it comes out.

Resources:

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/audio/1007-rage-with-richie-greggo/former-football-star-keith-mccants-tells-his-story-of-addiction/

http://keithmccants.com/bio

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/more_studio10/celebrities/former-nfl-star-keith-mccants-talks-about-his-rough-life-after-football

DeAndre Jordan’s Dunk or LeBron James’s Dunk?

Some NBA fans and media are debating over which dunk was better; DeAndre Jordan’s dunk over Brandon Knight or LeBron James’s over Jason Terry?

Though they are both good dunks, to me there is no question that Jordan’s dunk was WAY more impressive. The thing that put these two dunks apart was the defender. While watching and reviewing DeAndre Jordan’s dunk everyone can see that Brandon Knight was clearly guarding one man (Jordan). This made Jordan’s dunk more challenging because Knight was right there in his face the whole time. Then taking a look at LeBron James’s dunk over Jason Terry you can see Terry, alone, defending three Heat players. Terry was not able to effectively defend LeBron James making it less challenging for James, who also had a running start, to dunk the ball. So therefore DeAndre Jordan gets my vote. Keep it up “Lob City”.

What’s your vote and why?

Is Nolan Ryan leaving the Rangers?

Early this week news broke that Nolan Ryan may be leaving the Texas Rangers. Randy Galloway of Galloway and Company of ESPN Dallas radio and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram heard from a few sources that Ryan may leave as early as the end of spring training.

Over the weekend an announcement was made that Jon Daniels was promoted to general manager and president of baseball operations, and Rick George was promoted to president of business operations. But these are not recent changes; these moves were actually made back in November. Before Ryan was stripped of his power, he was the president of baseball operations for the Texas Rangers. Could Daniels promotion and the changes to the front office be a sign that Ray may be moving on?

Nolan Ryan is still CEO of the Rangers but many fear the promotion of Daniels and George are steps toward Ryan’s exit. Also Randy Galloway explained that when the announcement was made it was “written as a tribute to Nolan Ryan.” Why would you contribute to someone who is still in office? Are they saying the day for him to leave is near?

There are still many questions left and can only be answered by Nolan Ryan, who still has 3 years left on his contract. Ranger nation will just have to eagerly wait and see what Nolan Ryan has to say about what his future hold.

Resources:

http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/understanding-the-situation-between-nolan-ryan-and-rangers-management.html/

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/21806193/report-nolan-ryan-could-soon-leave-rangers

http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/03/03/4657206/nolan-ryan-could-leave-rangers.html

The Heat do the Harlem

Miami really did it this time. The Heat got together on their day off and jumped on the Harlem Shake band wagon making their own video. The video takes place in the Miami Heat locker room and starts with Chris Anderson, aka The Birdman, flapping his wings while the rest of the team stretches. Then the video cuts to the whole team dancing in costumes. LeBron James says the video was made from the “King James and Dwyane Wade” production.

Not only does the Miami Heat know how to compete on the court, but they also know how to have a good time. I like it when players can show their goofy sides to the fans. This video was a great idea and is very entertaining to the fans. I can’t wait to see if any other teams catch on and make their own.

Resources:

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/9000907/lebron-james-miami-heat-jump-harlem-shake-craze

Happy 50th Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley is one of the most entertaining sports analysts on TV today. Barkley was born in Leeds, Alabama on February 20, 1963. After playing basketball at Leeds High School, Barkley was recruited by Auburn University. Barkley played college ball for 3 years before he entered into the NBA Draft in 1984. The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Barkley with their 5th overall pick. For 6 seasons Charles Barkley, #34, lead the 76ers to many competitive post-season appearances. In the summer of 1992 Barkley was a part of the original Dream Team that won the Olympic gold medal that summer, and again in 1996. Also during the summer of 1992 Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns where he player for 3 years. Then in 1995 Barkley moved on to play for Houston to finish out his career. Barkley retired from the game of basketball in 2000. In 2006 Charles Barkley was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Barkley was very competitive and one of the best during his career as an NBA player. Now Barkley is working for TNT as an analyst for the Inside the NBA show with host Ernie Johnson and analyst Kenny Smith.

I love watching Barkley on TNT analyzing games and just having fun. Not only was Barkley an amazing NBA player, but he has an awesome and entertaining personality as well. Charles Barkley is an outspoken person that is not afraid to tell it like it is. Inside the NBA is hilarious to watch, especially when Johnson and Smith mess with Barkley. Here are a few Barkley highlights I found to share with you on this special day that Charles Barkley turns 50. Happy Birthday Charles Barkley!

Resources:

http://charlesbarkley.com/biography/

Hamilton Speaks out about Ranger Fans

On Sunday Josh Hamilton was interviewed by the DFW CBS television station. In this interview Hamilton called DFW a “football town.” Hamilton said, “There are true baseball fans in Texas, but it’s not a true baseball town.” This comment has caused a lot of talk in Dallas.

Many seem to be really upset with Hamilton for saying Dallas is not a baseball town. But in my opinion, the truth is it’s not. ESPN’s Ben and Skin said it best when they described Dallas as a “football town first and a winning town second.” There are way more Cowboys fans here than anything. Many will attend the Cowboys games and stick up for them even when they are losing. That is not the case for baseball, basketball, or hockey in Dallas. Cowboys have fans in football much like the Yankees have fans in baseball and the Lakers have in Basketball. That proves that this town in a football town first.

When the Rangers, Mavericks, or Stars are having a losing streak or season you will notice not many people attend the games. But that completely changes if that team is having a winning season, which proves this town is a winning town second. I feel that the handful of true baseball, basketball, or hockey fans will back this statement. Josh Hamilton was just stating his opinion that he feels to be true, and I have to say I feel the same. After the interview on Sunday, Josh Hamilton in an MLB.com report said, “It’s not saying I don’t still appreciate them, and thank you for cheering for me and all that. But reality’s reality. I think I’ve always spoken the truth in what I said and not beat around the bush. But I loved my time there.”

Hamilton will return to Arlington on April 5th for the first time wearing an Angels uniform. I am sure many will be there to boo Hamilton for these comments and for the slump he went through last year. I disagree with this action and feel that people should either sit quietly or cheer for him for all that he did do as a Texas Ranger.

Interview:

To hear Hamilton’s CBS interview click here: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=8418588

To hear Richard Durrett’s opinion on Hamilton’s comments click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7UM0wBgZX4

Resources:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/8959488/los-angeles-angels-josh-hamilton-says-dallas-forth-worth-not-true-baseball-town

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/02/18/hamilton-says-dallas-isnt-a-baseball-town/

Will Ferrell Loves Sports

Will Ferrell is always full of surprises. You never know what he is going to do next. Throughout the years Will has made many appearances in the sports world. This may not surprise some who already know, but Will Ferrell studied sports broadcasting at the University of Southern California before he pursued a career in comedy/acting.

Will’s most recent appearance was at the Staples Center Tuesday night during the Lakers vs Suns game. Ferrell dressed as a security guard and stood on the court. “Ted Vagina”, which was the name printed on Will’s name tag, was very serious and played the part to a “T”. Will even took it as far as ejecting former Laker Shaqille O’Neal.

Now that is what I call funny! Here are a few other appearances of the great Will Ferrell.

• Will Ferrell introduced players during Hornets vs Bulls game in 2011:
• In 2010 pitcher Billy Ray “Rojo” Johnson, aka Will Ferrell, made his baseball debut with the Round Rock Express:
• In 2008 Will Ferrell accepted the Best Male Athlete award at the EPSY as Tiger Woods:
• Will Ferrell jumped on stage at the EPSY in 2006 to serenade Lance Armstrong:

These are just a few of Will Ferrell’s sports appearances. If any of you know of any others you would like to share, feel free to comment below.

Resources:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1269055-will-ferrells-21-funniest-sports-moments

http://www.totalprosports.com/2012/02/13/13-will-ferrell-sports-moments-videos/

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2013/02/14/will-ferrell-staples-center/