Celtics visit the White House

So you know I love my C's!! In all the major sports, the league champions make their rounds on TV shows, radio programs and websites alike. The champs also get to go to the White House and meet with the current president.

This year's top dogs, including the New York Football Giants, had the red carpet rolled out for them. And now, so do my Boston Celtics!!

The team made the trip just over a week ago to be honored by President George Bush.




The Celtics were afforded every luxury. Their chartered flight was allowed to land at Reagan National Airport, and they had photo ops and camera access in areas where the Secret Service would definitely be all up in that ass.

The team also presented Bush with a (parting) gift - an honorary jersey Boston Celtics jersey, which I'm sure his dumb ass would love to wear to meetings with world leaders. A $100,000 donation was also made by the team to Red Cross for Hurricane Ike relief. And this is all coming a few days after Boston awarded head coach Doc Rivers with a contract extension.


Now here's the real scoop ("Scenario" style): This blog is usually reserved for sports, but occasionally I have to expand. This, my friends, is one of those times.

I'm sure the players were happy to be in the White House as it holds such historic value in our nation's history. And I would never want to rain on my C's parade but I can't help but think that they were all looking at Bush with the crooked ass eye because the man is a fool!

Yes they had the rare opportunity to meet the Pres but it wasn't Barack Obama. Instead, it was a lame duck incompetent whose re-election further highlights the stupidity of many Americans.

Many of those looking for "change" now were the same ones who voted for Bush to stay in office for a second term. After he's done as much damage as possible, you bumbling fools are clamoring for Obama to show us the way. As you should be!

I know this was supposed to be about MY C's getting the royal treatment, but I can't wait for them to do this same thing next year (yes, we will repeat!!) with MY choice for President of the United States of America - MR. BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA!!! cue the clapter!! (I made up the word 'clapter.' Laugh is to Laughter like Clap is to Clapter!! I know, I should give it up...)



I actually go to see Obama speak a few times, the last time being at a rally in NYC last year. The last entry I wrote about politics was about him. Check it out.



**I still love Kevin Garnett and anyone skimming this blog knows that he's my favorite player - EVER!! So what would a life-long (ok, maybe decade long) KG fan want more than anything? TO MEET HIM!!

And that's exactly what I'm going to do on Thursday!! I don't want to give away when, where, why, and how. But know this, I'll have the pics, the article and everything set for you. And don't worry, it's not illegal. But if u see me on the news...

Wish me luck!

Look at dem boyz wit the DAISY DUKES on!!

So this is the second time in about 2 weeks that Lamar Odom has been charged with a flagrant foul. I went to the game Sunday, December 23, 2007 when the Lakers came to the Garden to play the Knicks. Lamar Odom committed a hard foul against Jamal Crawford that sent him crashing to the court on his back. The refs called it a Flagrant 1, meaning the play was unnecessary.

This past Sunday night the Boston Celtics headed to LA to face the Lakers, and Lamar Odom decided this would be another chance to pick up yet another flagrant. The Lakers, as a tribute to the Lakers teams in the 80s, rocked throwback jerseys with the matching throwback short shorts. Quite the fright! I felt like I was witnessing something inappropriate; like daisy dukes are usually reserved for women, but when men wear them it belongs on an episode of Noah's Ark.

I'm assuming it was those pum pums that got Odom's junk all in a bunch, because by the 4th quarter he was off his rocker. He charged at Ray Allen like a linebacker, knocking him into the Celtics bench. He was called for a Flagrant foul. "I don't know what Odom was thinking," said Allen. "I got the rebound and he tackled me. I know this is Sunday, but this is the wrong field."

The ruling came down today and Odom will be suspended for 1 game without pay. Along with that, he was assessed a Flagrant 2, deeming the play unnecessary, excessive AND intentional. Odom will miss Friday's home game vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. Celtics' head coach Doc Rivers had this to say; "I just thought he [Odom] lost his composure. I didn't think it was intended at Ray. Whoever had the ball was getting that. It wasn't anything personal. Odom's a good kid, a good guy."

The whole game was chippy though. It was way physical and there was a lot of 'Yo momma!' back and forth. Andrew Bynum inadvertently hit Kevin Garnett in the face with his elbow, opening up a bloody gash on his face. Somehow that foul ended up going against the Celtics. Refs clearly OD'd, calling 61 personal fouls, and 7 technical fouls on Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Ray Allen, Doc Rivers, Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza and Kwame Brown.

The Celtics won the game, 110-91, and have a league-best record 26-3. KG had a double-double, scoring 22 points and 12 rebounds, and game-highs 6 assists and 3 blocks. Paul Pierce led the team in scoring with 33, Ray Allen had 19. G Tony Allen had 16 pts, and really stepped up his play, starting in place of injured Rajon Rondo.

Funny quote:

Kobe on the short shorts - "I don't know what it feels like to wear a thong, but I imagine it feels something like what we had on in the first half. I felt violated. I felt naked. It's one thing to see films with guys wearing those things. I'd rather stay warm man. "

KG Leading All-Star Vote-Getter

Kevin Garnett will be the 2007-2008 MVP.

Kevin Garnett is also the leading vote-getter for the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Surprised? You shouldn't be. The second set of results came out today, and KG leads the pack with 1,186,690 votes. 727 of those votes came from me by the way. KG is averaging 18.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 3.6 apg. His fellow teammates G Ray Allen and F Paul Pierce are both fourth in their respective categories.

Garnett is ahead of all players, East & West, including LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Yao Ming, Jason Kidd, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Tracy McGrady.

KG's addition to the Boston Celtics was the best move made in the offseason. The Celts, who finished last season 24-58, are now 23-3. A win tonight vs. the Seattle Supersonics will tie the team's total number of wins last season. Ray Allen has missed the last 2 games resting a sore right ankle. He is expected to return the the lineup tonight and face his former team. The Sonics also plan to honor Allen in a ceremony before the game for all he did for the team, including community service, during his tenure from 2003 through the end of last season. No doubt Allen will be thanking them as well for trading him to the winningest team in the league.

Behind The Bench - NBA Wives Mind, Body & Spirit

Behind the Bench, the National Basketball Wives Association, held their annual Mind, Body & Spirit Conference in New York City from September 19 - September 23. Everything from guest speakers, financial management seminars, and pampering were available in this all inclusive weekend affair. This organization has been in existence for over a decade and is made up of over 100 talented and diverse women who are married to professional basketball players, both retired and active. These women do volunteer work, as well as donate financially to charities in several communities. Their motto includes the belief that as priveledged women they should be "committed to creating and strengthening internal and external alliances in order to impact and empower youth at risk by utilizing our network of resources across the country and worldwide."

This year, the group broadened their scope for this conference and invited wives of all the major leagues; football, baseball and hockey. Sponsors for the event included Tiffany & Co., Carol's Daughter, Sean John, Ambi, Bobbi Brown, Jimmy Choo and Premier Air. When I was first asked to cover this event, I was very intrigued. There are such negative stereotypes of wives of athletes that permeate our society; they are gold diggers who do nothing more than sit around and look pretty while spending their husbands millions. I have to admit, while I wasn't that extreme with my judgement, I did share some of those feelings. This conference changed my outlook and opinion on a group of women who are often mislabeled and misunderstood.

PHEW! There goes the official stuff. Now, for the juice! This past Friday I covered 2 events; the first was a wellness seminar, and the second was an auction/fundraiser. The forum was held at the Hilton Hotel, and the first thing I saw when I first walked in was a room full of amazingly beautiful women. I mean, wow. These athletes got some good taste! Or wait, is it the other way around? Hmm...The money in the room was almost tangible; Prada bags, Jimmy Choo shoes, diamonds and spot-on hair weaves. You would expect the air to be stuffy and haughty but on the contrary, it was very relaxing. Maybe it had something to do with the manicures, facials and full body massages all the women got the day before. Either way, they were all very welcoming.

Holly Robinson-Peete, wife of former NFL QB Rodney Peete, was one of the guest speakers. I thought to myself, what is she going to talk about? Her singing career? Hangin' with Mr. Cooper? I was so off base it wasn't even funny! She spoke about her children and her husband, and how her family is dealing with raising an autistic child. The Peete's have 4 children, 3 boys ad 1 girl, and their oldest, son RJ, is Autistic. Earlier that week she was actually on Oprah, along with actress Jenny McCarthy, helping to bring awareness about one of the fastest growing illnesses affecting children today. Mrs. Robinson-Peete spoke about what she believed some of the causes may be, and also insisted on parental input. It's easy to go with everything your pediatrician says but she encouraged the mothers in the room to trust their "mommy gut" and push physicians for more testing when they think something may be wrong with their children. Robinson-Peete addressed immunizations, in particular the MMR, Measles, Mumps & Rubella. These high dosage shots are administered altogether and some believe this booster shot to be one of the causes of Autism. She also promoted her most recent book, "Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!," a woman's guide to understanding football.

Motivational speaker, life coach, author and pastor Paula White also addressed the organization. Let me tell you, this woman was GOOD! She spoke about several of the issues that affect women married to such high powered, famous men. It is easy for a woman to lose herself in a marriage and become Mrs. Athlete or Mother-of-athletes-children. Instead, she encourages the women to stay true to their "authentic selves" and to work within their established boundaries. White spoke about living with personal integrity, and all the pitfalls that one can experience when ideals and morals are compromised. There was also the issue of dealing with outside women, and the husbands, who don't respect the sanctity of marriage, and women understanding that what is truly meant to be will be. Paula White was not only speaking to the wives in the audience; her words also touched me deeply. While her talk was directed towards the wives, I, as a single woman, could relate to and learn from many of the examples and guiding rules she set forth.

Another speaker that I have actually had the pleasure of meeting prior to this occasion is Dr, Hilda Hutcherson. She is a renowned sex therapist, co-director of the New York Center for Women’s Sexual Health, OB/GYN, and professor and author. Dr. Hilda writes sexual health columns in both Essence and Glamour and has been on shows such as Oprah, Montel Williams, and the Wendy Williams Experience. Dr. Hilda was there not only to answer the different intimacy questions the wives had, but also to promote her most recent book, Pleasure: A Woman's Guide to Getting the Sex You Want, Need and, Deserve. Is my plan to spill the dirt on all the secrets I learned during this particular panel? Well, my answer is no. There is such a thing as privacy, so we're just gonna front like I wasn't even there...I came away with much more than I expected, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to hear the speakers.

The next event was a Fundraiser/Auction held at the Louis Vuitton store in Manhattan. Look, I've never been in the store before and I don't even make eye contact with it when I walk past. But this night the store was shut-down for the Behind the Bench event and I was in there like swimwear loving every minute of it! Some of the notable celebrities in attendance were Elaine Brocco of The Sopranos, retired New York Jets running back Curtis Martin, and rapper Swizz Beatz. Several women were honored by the Behind the Bench Association, including Paula White for her motivational work and the new Life By Design Empowerment Center that she is opening in New York City. Holly Robinson-Peete received an award for her cause, The HollyRod Foundation, devoted to giving the less fortunate suffering with Parkinson's disease financial, physical and emotional support.

Sheila Johnson, co-creator of BET, Black Entertainment Television, and creator of Teen Summit, a show geared towards educating the youth, was also honored for her many philanthropic endeavors. Johnson is also part owner of several professional teams including the NBA's Washington Wizards and the WNBA's Washington Mystics. The entire evening the women shopped and proceeds from their LV purchases went to the organization and its charities. There was also an auction emceed by Charles Smith, retired NBA player and husband of the chairwoman, Lisa Johnson-Smith. A round-trip, private jet excursion for six to the 2008 NBA All-Star game in New Orleans was sponsored by Premier Air, the leading authority in exclusive jet service. The trip, valued at $20,000, also included tickets to the All-Star game, was won by Curtis Martin. Another notable moment that night was the gospel performance of a pregnant Deleon Richard-Sheffield, wife of ex-Yankee Gary Sheffield.

Tim EFFIN Donaghy

TIM DONAGHY!! Name sounds familiar but you can't quite place it? That's because with all the attention that the Barry Bonds steroids scandal and the Mike Vick dog fighting brouhaha got, Donaghy's name got lost up in the mix. Of all 3 stories, Donaghy's seemed to get the least attention but I think it deserved the most. Fighting dogs - bad. Steroids - bad. But a referee fixing NBA games for the purpose of financial gain? That's just low.

And this "Rogue Official" wasn't only betting on any old NBA game. He was betting on games he officiated. If that's not a conflict of interest I don't know what is. We've all been there; you're watching a game thinking, how the hell did the ref miss that blatant foul? Or, wow, he really pulled that one out of his ass. And what about the looming threat of a technical foul for being too animated about a call a player doesn’t agree with? Now all the refs are handing out technical fouls like the shits are goin outta style. We can pretty much count on Rasheed Wallace leading the pack when it comes to technical fouls, but what about a guy like Tim Duncan pickin up back to back techs, even one from the bench, and getting tossed from a game?! Crazy? FIXED? One may say so... This scandal throws shade on all referees and brings to light the fact that they are given too much power. It's been said many times that we don't want refs "deciding games," especially down the stretch. We all recognized that a ref's call can shift momentum from one team to another. Calling a shooting foul can give a team a number of points with the clock stopped. With a few bogus calls, a team can get right back into a game, take the lead, or lose it. Players can pick up quick fouls and spend a majority of their time on the bench. Those few calls affect the way a guy plays. Is he going to be aggressive and risk fouling out, or does he now have to play soft and let guys come right at him?

This scandal is bigger than the Donaghy, and even the NBA. Donaghy has mob ties. Yes, he was taking bets and placing orders for and with THE mob. Donaghy is soooo illegal. Mind you, referees are prohibited from gambling on ANYTHING but, of all things, horse racing. Not in casinos, on the NFL or even frickin American Idol. And now they're talking about him cooperating with the FBI. He could be giving up as many as 20 names of other referees who were involved in some form of gambling. Yes ladies and gentlemen, that is what we in the hip hop community like to call a snitch. Donaghy not only thumbed his nose at the rules, he was in cahoots with in one of the most underground, illegal, and dangerous organizations known to man. Donaghy is rat and he compromised the integrity of a game that I have loved all my life. People say basketball has fallen off, but many of us still watch and support. To know that someone on the inside who is supposed to be impartial and fair can be so corrupt and deceitful is appalling. Damn you Donaghy. Throw the book at him son.

Agent Zero - NBA & Blog SUPERSTAR!

The NBA has done several things of the past few years to make their website more than just a place to look up players and stats. They have everything from the Best Dressed competition to player blogs. I love the Best Dressed. During the season I like to vote. These guys are smoooooth. And now I love the blog idea! Did you know?! Washington Wizards PG Gilbert Arenas has a blog! It's called "Agent Zero: The Blog File" and it's on the NBA's blog site. I thought it was a great idea, athletes blogging about whatever, however. I've heard about Gilbert Arenas' blog for quite some time now, but I never read it. I was alI was listening to some late night sports radio sometime last week and the overnight guy was talking about one of his blog entries. It was about shark attacks, and how they really not shark attacks. It was one the funniest takes on shark attacks that I've ever heard in my life. I wanted more. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and see what his blog was really all about. I sat my ass down, and I read it. People, I must say, I LOVE IT!!

He's been blogging since October of '06 so it takes a while to get caught up from then til now, but I read the whole thing, and wow! I want to be his friend!! He sounds so fun, cool. Not only that, this isn't some PC, prerecorded robotic blog. This is REAL. You learn a lot about the man we see, on occasion, drop 50 in a game. In 2006, he was having a phenomenal season until he injured his knee. We can all go on any sports website and look up stats, but with this blog, the superstar becomes almost tangible. That's something that is hard to feel from players these days because all we, the fans, usually get are sound bites and snippets from post game interviews. A lot of the time, we end up looking at these players as just that, players. We forget that they have lives; families, friends, and experiences. Arenas' blog gives you insight into his life. Everything from rehabbing his knee, interesting stories from being on the road, his 2 children, sharks, his relationship with his father, charity events, and all kinds of weird, quirky things that go on in his life. It's entertaining. Arenas has been in Washington since the '03 season, and if his knee is healthy by the start of this season, the Wizards will again be contenders in the East. I've been an Arenas fan for some time now, and I was so happy when he was traded to the Wizards. I am now a regular Agent Zero blog reader. You should be too.

There are other guys that blog on the NBA website. I haven't read the others yet, but it's on my list of things to do! Raptors F Chris Bosh, Bulls G Ben Gordon, Clippers C Chris Kaman, and Mavs G/F Jerry Stackhouse. I would read all of those, but Chris Kaman? Meh..Wait, isn't he that guy that had his balls grabbed during a playoffs? Hmm, maybe I will read his blog..

L.A. Clippers, Injury Prone?

Ok, so there are a few injuries, not necessarily sports related, that scare me. Head and neck, I think, are a given and would scare anyone because those injuries sometimes cause paralysis. But I have always had a fear of knees. Like, I can't lay on a bed facedown with my feet hanging off the end for fear that some mysterious, magical anvil will fall on my feet and hyperextend my knees. I know it's not rational, but I can't help it! My second fear is the Achilles tendon. Ever since that damn movie Pet Cemetary I've been afraid. You know the part when that old man was looking under the bed and that baby came with the scalpel and cut his tendons! Oh the pain!! I can only imagine, and I NEVER want to find out.

I say all this to say that the L.A. Clippers have 2 guys that have suffered each of these injuries. Last Friday, 8.3, Clippers forward Elton Brand RUPTURED his left Achilles tendon. And no, not the Pet Cemetary, killer, undead baby kinda way, but during his daily workout. A pickup game!! To think that you could just be dribbling , and then POP!! Or is it more like rip? Hmm.. He had surgery today to repair the tendon in Delaware, and I'm hoping it goes well. Last season he averaged 20.5 points and 9.3 rebounds last season, and played a major role in helping the Clippers go from the laughing stock of the NBA to a contender. He's 28 years old so he still has some snap-back in him. A typical Achilles injury usually takes a year to heal, but reports are showing that he'll only be sidelined for 6 months, meaning he could actually play in the 2007-2008 season. Now here's the knee. PG Shaun Livingston suffered a freak knee injury in late February, and while Brand's is season-threatening, Livingston's is career-threatening. He disclocated his left knee, and tore 3 of its four ligaments. Pretty much fucked his whole shit up. Listen, if you haven't seen the video, I linked it, and it is not for the squeamish! I've only seen it once and I REFUSE to watch it again. It's one of the freakiest things I have ever seen. And that's not his only knee injury!! He dislocated his right knee in 2004 as a rookie.

Ex-Giants linebacker Lavar Arrington tore his Achilles tendon in Week 7 during the 2006 season. He was subsequently released in February 07, and is currently looking for work. And no, he didn't ask me to do this.

The Big Ticket Is In Boston!!

Kevin Garnett is my ULTIMATE favorite player of all time!! He's an amazing athlete and a perennial all star. The 6'11', 235 pound stellar forward was drafted fifth overall out of high school by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1995. What later became a trend, he was the first player in over 20 years to be drafted right out of HS. In the 2006 season he averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shot 83.5% from the line. His career nembers are similar at 20.5 ppg, 11.4 rebs, 4.5 asts, and 78% ft, 1.4 stls and 1.7 blks. KG has started every single game since his 2nd year in the league. He is widely regarded as the best all-around player in the league. Riding KG, the TWolves made the playoff 7 straight seasons, from 1996 to 2003, and were knocked in the 1st round all 7 years. The Wolves finally overcame the 'first round curse' and made it to the NBA Western Conference Finals in 2004 but were beaten by the Lakers. From there everyone felt they were on their way to a championship, but they haven't made the playoffs since. In 2004 he garnered 120 of the 123 first place votes and was voted MVP. He has spent his entire 12 year career with one team, something that is rare to find this trade heavy NBA era. He's just one of those great guys that you hate to see work as hard as he does without the payoff of an NBA championship.

He's passionate, supportive and a great team leader. He is respected by all; the league, his peers, his coaches, his fans and the media. While I love his intensity, effort and sacrifice, it's getting progressively harder to watch him play. His progress season after season on both ends of the ball is amazing but the supporting cast hasn't been good in years. He leaves everything he has out on the floor but in his 12 years in Minnesota, that hasn't been enough. You always know he'll give you 20-10, I mean he's done it for the last 9 years straight! No one can guard him 1-0n-1. When you really love and appreciate an athlete that gives so much night in and night out with no supporting cast, it gets more disgusting to listen to trade rumors. I've been talking about a KG trade for YEARS but Minnesota refused to let him go. Not only that, Garnett didn't want to leave. He loves Minnesota but a man can't do it all by himself. There is a culture of losing in Minny that the owners refused to do anything about. As much as management claimed to appreciate him, they lacked the common sense and weren't proactive enough to make anything happen. The Timberwolves have a bunch of young guys, and doesn't have experienced, savvy veterans like himself. They were unwilling to build a team around their superstar, and when they did get players that contributed and helped the team win, they were unable to hold onto them. Stephen A. Smith said it well, KG's only problem has been his "undying loyalty to the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise." Minnesota should have done a better job, and KG tried to wait on them to build a team around him. It never happened. "I'm loyal to a point where if someone's loyal to me, then I have no problem with that. But when that changes, it's pretty easy for me," Garnett said. Reminds me of that Tupac song, "Do For Love." Chorus - What you won't do, do for love/You tried everything, but you don't get love.

The mere hint of a trade excited me, but I always disappointed when talks fell through. The Los Angeles Lakers are interested in acquiring Garnett! I'm already picturing him in the purple and gold!! Wait no, now it's the Phoenix Suns!! Here I am making plans to move to Arizona!! Still a no? Ok, now it's the Boston Celtics? Should I be falling for this one too? The Celts were coming at him around draft time and Kevin wasn't having it. The franchise is one of the most storied in NBA history, with numerous all stars, hall of famers and championships. But the the past couple of years they have been on a dizzying downward spiral. A team full young guys with little experience, no chemistry, and no confidence. It's even been said that they purposely tanked the season, losing as many games as possible so they could get a higher pick in the 2007 Draft. Now that's low. There's no reason to go from a non-contender to a sucka pretender. But after the draft, Boston acquired the 11-year pro Ray Allen from the Seattle Supersonics, and KG changed his mind. On 7.31.07 it became official. Kevin Garnett is the newest member of the BOSTON CELTICS! The Celtics got KG in exchange for sending guard Sebastian Telfair, center Theo Ratliff, and forwards Al Jefferson, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes to Minnesota. The Wolves also get two future first-round draft picks and received cash considerations. This is the biggest deal in NBA history; trading one player for seven. "Kevin Garnett is a great player in our league, with a fierce and competitive spirit, who brings offensive scoring prowess and a defensive presence to our team," said Danny Ainge, Executive Director of Basketball Operations for the Celtics.

Garnett and Allen join veteran forward/guard Paul Pierce - THE BIG THREE BABY!! All have been All-stars multiple times, all have been in the eague for 9+ years, and NONE of them have an NBA Championship. None of them have been in the NBA Finals, but they've all played in conference finals. They are sooooo hungry, and a championship is in the very near future. The chemistry is going to be off the hook! Distribution of the basketball and points won’t be an issue. Garnett is a facilitator and is very unselfish. Ray Allen is a shooting guard, and in the 06-067 season averaged 26.4 pts, 4.1 assists, shot nearly 40% from behind the arc, and over 90% from the stripe. Paul Pierce has been with the Celtics his entire career, and averages 23.6 ppg, 3.9 asts, and 6.5 rebs per game. All of these guys are mature athletes and are itching to let everyone see what they've been waiting for for over two decades, The Return of The Boston Celtics! Garnett, Allen, & Pierce, 3 consumate professionals on 1 team. And it's interesting that Allen and Garnett were both drafted by the Timberwolves and are now playing for the Celtics. Full circle. Fresh start for everyone. THE BIG THREE BABY! The Boston Celtics are back on top! The Eastern Conference is now relevant again, and the Celts have catapulted themselves from the bottom of the barrel and are among the top 3 teams in the East. and I cannot wait for the season to begin. Clearly, neither can they.