Friday February 24, 2012  the festivities begin with the Sprint Celebrity Game.

Participants: (R&B Singer) Neyo, (Rapper) Common, (Curb Your Enthusiasm) JB Smoove, (Actor, “Jersey Shore’s”) Vinny Guadagnino, (Comedian/Actor) Kevin Hart, (“The Voice”) Javier Colon, (“Property Brothers) Drew and Jonathan Scott, (“Greys Anatomy”) Jesse Williams, (NBA Legend) Mitch Richmond, (4x NBA All Star) Penny Hardaway, (NBA Legend) Nick Anderson, (2011 WNBA MVP) Tamika Catchings, (ESPN’s) Doug Gottlieb

The Sprint Celebrity Game Coaches: Orlando Magic Center Dwight Howard and Reigning NBA Scoring Champion Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Also, Friday night the NBA Rising Star Challenge will display some of the top young talent in the NBA (Rookies and Sophomores). This Year teams were selected by the coaches, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and 4 Time NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal.

#Team  SHAQ:

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves

Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Bobcats

Markeiff Morris, Phoenix Suns

Landry Fields, New York Knicks

Norris Cole, Miami Heat

Brandan Knight, Detroit Pistons

Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers

And, on the opposing bench is none other than……………………………………

#Team CHUCK

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacremento Kings

Paul George, Indiana Pacers

Marshon Brooks, New Jersey Nets

John Wall, Washington Wizards

Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz

Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs

Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers

Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

*That rounds out the Festivities for Friday Night

Saturday February 25, 2012

Haier Shooting Stars Challenge: Teams and players from the NBA as well as the WNBA get together for bragging rights in this remarkable jump shooting challenge.

Teams/Participants:

Team Orlando: Orlando Magic Guard Jameer Nelson, WNBA All Star Mary Ferdinand-Harris, and former Orlando Magic Forward Dennis Scott

Team Atlanta: Atlanta Hawks Guard Joe Johnson, WNBA Atlanta Dreams Lindsey Harding, and NBATV Analyst and Former Atlanta Hawks Guard Steve Smith

Team New York: New York Knicks Guard Landry Fields, 4x WNBA All Star of the New York Liberty Cappie Pondexter, and Former New York Knick great Allan Houston

Team Texas: Houston Rockets Rookie Chandler Parsons, Sophia Young of the San Antonio Stars WNBA, and Two Time NBA Champion and Former Houston Rockets Guard Kenny “The Jet” Smith

*Followng the Haier Shooting Star Challenge will be the Taco Bell Skll Competition get ready for this tremendous showcase of ballhandling skills, passing technique, and clock management.

Participants:

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

John Wall, Washington Wizards

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

*Note: Reigning Champ Stephen Curry will not participate.

After the Skills Competition, will be none other than the guys that like to make the long distance calls you guessed it the Foot Locker 3 Point Shootout!

Participants:

Reigning Champion: James Jones, Miami Heat

Anthony Morrow, New Jersey Nets

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic

Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

*Joe Johnson will not compete Kevin Durant will take his place in three point shootout

After we have been dazzled by the trey ball we can feast our eyes on the highlight of the evening none other than the Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.

*Although reigning slam dunk champion Blake Griffin will not participate along with New York Knicks Roookie Guard Iman Shumpert

Participants:

Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves

Paul George, Indiana Pacers

Jeremy Evans, Utah Jazz

Chase Budinger, Houston Rockets

*Also this year there is a new Dunk Contest format that has been placed into effect

Sunday February 25, 2012

Sprint Pre-Game Concert:

Before the All Star game will be a concert performing live will be Grammy Award Winning Artist J. Cole, Also performing will be Acapella great Pentatonix, also up and coming star Kayla Brianna will be performing, Lastly Neon Hitch will hit the stage.

*Following the concert will be the tip-off of the All Star Game!

61st NBA ALL STAR GAME!!!

East Starters:

Lebron James, Miami Heat

Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Reserves:

Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76es

Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers

Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets

*Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau (Chicago Bulls)

West Starters:

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers

Reserves:

Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trailblazers

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves

*Head Coach: Scotty Brooks (Oklahoma City Thunder)

NBA All Star Weekend 2012 is coming your way this weekend! I LOVE THIS GAME!

Follow me on Twitter @JdotBras, also check out my blog at thesportsedification.wordpress.com and thesportsoutlaw.com

Last night the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets in an overtime 124 to 118. It was an amazing game that I’m glad I got the chance to take a look at. I didn’t have the opportunity to catch the whole game because of my homework and writing, but what I did watch was borderline amazing.

I caught the game in the third quarter with about seven or eight minutes to go. Throughout these minutes, I saw why the Thunder may or may not go to the NBA Finals this summer. They showed me both ends of the spectrum last night; when watching I thought for sure that they were going to blow that game. The Nuggets had proceeded to clamp down on defense and diminish a double digit lead. Andre Miller and Aaron Afflalo combined for 48 points and Miller had an especially excellent third quarter. They had come back to take the lead, and then the Thunder seized control once again.

It seemed like with Harden going only 2-12 last night that Durant and Westbrook had no where else to go with the ball. Ibaka was having a monster game in terms of defense, but they can’t rely on him for consistent points. It was all in their hands. What you would wait on too see is how they would deliver in the clutch moments of the game. We can see from the win and the final results that they obviously performed well.

In the fourth quarter I thought that the Thunder would lose the game. The Nuggets had taken a 111-109 point lead. Aaron Afflalo was dropping all types of shots in the fourth quarter and was looking to close the game out. After a missed free throw, there was a bit of a suspenseful feel in the air for me. I wondered what was going to be drawn up to get Durant or Westbrook a shot.

Normally, they would go to a PnR with their dynamic duo late in the game. The Nuggets had played that perfectly for the last minute and a half though. What they did was when Durant slips the screen, which he tends to do because it springs him open quickly on the 3 point line for an open look, they placed Al Harrington on him. With his superior strength Harrington as able to push Durant all the way behind Westbrook instead of letting him catch the ball on a spot that he was comfortable in.

Chris Mullin had stated this many times in the game before. Durant was catching the ball at spots that were comfortable for him to go to work at. Either at the top of the arch or somewhere between the wing and the elbow would be a suitable spot for him. Harrington denied him this position and that meant no shot for the Thunder. This created some bad looks for Westbrook; some of which he was able to make and some that he wasn’t. I mean, he did have a 40 point game. So some of these looks had to fall. On a night where these guys aren’t the hottest thing next to the Sun, this could be detrimental.

We can’t fault Westbrook for taking shots in these situations either, because he has no other option but to shoot the ball. Sure, he does take ill-advised shots from time to time. But last night, this was not the case. Westbrook thrived so you have to give credit where credit is due.

The look that was drawn up to tie the game up was a SLOB play with Harden inbounding the ball. Durant had caught a screen from Ibaka at the top of the arch and proceeded to make the catch. After setting the screen, Ibaka slashed to the basket to give Durant a pressure release if the defense flowed to him. All he would have to do is make the pass to Ibaka and it was an easy dunk. The play was executed beautifully and Durant had an open lane to dunk the ball.

The Thunder went on to win the game, but this showed me how dangerous of a team they are. Not only to the league, but to themselves. I still have them going to the Finals for now, but any potential slip up could be dangerous for this team. They showed me that if Harden is not on, they will struggle to score the ball consistently. Westbrook and Durant aren’t going to go for 91 every night. This was a performance for the ages. The last duo to score 40/40 was Jordan and Pippen. Before that it was KeKe Vanderwhege and Alex English with the Nuggets. Before them George Gervin and Mike Mitchell managed to do this. In each instance the game went into triple overtime according to ESPN and Elias Sports Bureau. Not to mention that Serge Ibaka also had a triple double with blocks for the first time in Franchise history. They are the only triple threat to go for 90 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks in league history. That’s saying something.

That’s pretty great company to be in for these two young superstars. I don’t know how legitimate of a title contender you thought this Thunder was before, but now you have to keep your eye on them. The only question is how will they play after they see we’re watching.

Isaiah Thomas is a Sacramento fan favorite. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Isaiah Thomas sat there wondering, is it really possible that I might not be picked by anybody? I played great in college, I played strong and hard. Isaiah Thomas was trying to come out of college as a junior, he must have been wondering what was going to happen now?

Could I really not get my name called, in the draft!

This point guard that stands at 5 foot 9 (with shoes on) and weighs 185 pounds was one of the best point guards to ever play at the University of Washington.

Isaiah Thomas Ranks 6th on all-time UW list with 1,721 points, 3rd with 415 assists, eighth with 122 steals and third with 164 three-point field goals.

Isaiah Thomas Had 213 assists as a junior, the second most in UW single-season history, trailing only Will Conroy who had 219 in 2005.

Then it happened David Stern walked up to the podium and said, “With the 30th pick, in the second round of the 2011 NBA draft the Sacramento Kings have selected Isaiah Thomas out of the University of Washington”.

The rush that must have went through Isaiah’s body was off the charts, He made it, he was on a NBA team, the Sacramento Kings.

Isaiah in his junior year for Washington averaged 16.8 points per game, 6.0 assists per game and 3.5 rebounds (did I say he is 5’9”), and got over 1 steal a game.

I have heard Isaiah Thomas say many times in interviews, “the only thing I have is my heart and my effort”. Also that he holds a little grug that he feels strongly that he should have been picked a lot higher than he was, but he loves the Sacramento Kings!

So this little man, is on a mission and has a heart bigger than most players in the NBA and has a lot more effort than most players in the NBA.

Just what the Sacramento Kings need!

Think for a minute about this roller coaster he has been on, after being draft the reality sets in that the NBA is in a lock-out, then when on the brink of most likely no season, a deal gets done, yeah!

Then after getting use to his new team and new coach, there is a change, Keith Smart replaces Paul Westphal.

As it looks for now things are going better for the Kings and it was a good move, the Kings look a lot better, wins will come later but for now their playing better.

Hey I’m happy to be in the NBA no doubt, but I want more…..new coach or not, I want more!

I want to help my team, and I know I can!

This is no doubt what Isaiah Thomas is and was thinking, you only have to watch one interview with this great kid to know whats always on his mind. Trying your hardest and helping your team!

So Isaiah was in and out of lineups earlier this year and things were up and down a bit.

But Isaiah Thomas was turning into a huge fan favorite because of his crazy energy off the bench and his play changed the game, the pace, the effort and the plays were coming together.

This is the type of guy that the Sacramento Kings fans love, an under dog guy and a guy with heart like our city!

BIG HEART!

To my surprise and other Kings fans (but happy as all gettup) Friday night about 1 hour before the start of the Kings game in Detroit, Coach Smart said he was going to be starting Isaiah Thomas over John Salmons and moving Tyreke Evans to the small forward spot.

People were pumped on twitter.

In the first quarter of the Pistons game Isaiah Thomas scored 10 points and lead the Kings to a 31-24 lead after one quarter. Things looked awesome and Thomas looked like a 4 year veteran.

The Kings ended up losing late and it was a heart breaker, Isaiah Thomas ended the game with 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and 1 steal in his first start, but in only 23 minutes.

Tonight in Cleveland Isaiah Thomas got his second start of his NBA career with a lot more minutes (recall the 60th pick in the draft) and man did the Kings get a steal in this guy, we as Kings fans have known this for a month or so now, but really after tonight this young kid is one to fall in love with.

His energy and effort completely over shadow his small size on the NBA court, where players roam at 6′ 6” plus easily.

Tonight Thomas had ally oops like Chris Paul, bounce passes like Steve Nash and rebounds like Kobe Bryant.

I know it was the Cavs but he has done this against all teams this year, he has just had a lot less time on the court.

Isaiah Thomas ended the game tonight with 23 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds (almost a triple double), people he had highlight after highlight. If this kid actually pans out the Kings are close than even I thought at being good.

Like maybe next year, (.500 ball).

I’ve been waiting to do a post my this great young Kings player, but now is the time and this kid is one to watch and keep your eyes on folks.

Players fall into teams laps all the time, Isaiah Thomas was thankful the Kings picked him last and the Kings are thankful to have Isaiah Thomas.

–Bobby Charts!

“All he does is Lin.”

“You just got Tebowed.”

“Jeremy Lin is Linning.”

“Look! He’s Tebowing!”

Both Jeremy Lin (leading ‘Linsanity’) and Tim Tebow (the man at the center of ‘Tebowtime’) are now revered, polarized and are idols to so many worldwide.

Lin, the undrafted free-agent out of Harvard, has been dropped, demoted and doubted throughout his entire career as a basketball player. Now starring on the Knicks, he has a led them to a 7-1 record since he started playing, and is averaging 24.6 points per game and 8.6 assists per game. He also led a

Jeremy Lin exploded against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, scoring 38 points in a 92-85 win.

struggling Knicks team to a 5-0 record without stars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire. While there was worry about what would happen to Linsanity when Anthony and Stoudamire came back, there seems to be nothing to worry about (at least with Stoudamire). Since his return from the tragic death of his brother, the Knicks are 2-1, and Lin is averaging 21 points per game and 9.6 assists per game.What will happen when Anthony returns is a mystery to me. Let’s not forget the Lin puns either. Linsanity, Linning, Linvincible, Linderella, Linception and ‘To Linfinity and beyond’ are just a few, but regardless of which name you want to use, there’s no doubt that the man at the center of it all is thriving (and Linning).

Tim Tebow, the star quarterback out of Florida also had to wait for his turn. When the Broncos were 1-4, and declared Tim Tebow their starter, a mania, a time, and a legend were born. When the Broncos were down 15-0 to the Dolphins late in the fourth quarter, Tebow led them back to victory. When they were down 10-0 to the Bears late in the fourth quarter, Tebow led them back, again. ‘Tebowmania’ was now in full stride. In all, Tim Tebow led the Broncos to an 8-5 record, including a 29-23 overtime playoff victory against the Steelers in which Tebow connected with Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard touchdown to knock-off the almighty Steelers. This magical run included a six-game winning streak, in which Tebow displayed his heart, will and perseverance to a country that was captivated by the magic of ‘Tebowmania.’

“Tebow displayed his heart, will and perseverance to a country that was captivated by the magic of ‘Tebowmania.”

Linsanity and Tebowmania have their similarities and their vast differences. Let’s start with the similarities:

The winning

In the words of former Jets and Chiefs coach Herm Edwards, “You play to win the game, that’s the great thing about sports.” Both Lin and Tebow have fulfilled this grand goal of sports so far. Lin led an 8-15 Knicks team on a seven-game winning streak to put them back into the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. This method of winning with Lin has been deemed ‘Linning.’ (Winning+Lin= Linning)

To say the least, Tim Tebow has done his part in this, too. He led a last-place 1-4 Broncos team to the Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs. It’s not just the wins that count with Tebow, it’s the way he won. Four of his eight wins came in overtime games and all eight wins came in games that were one-

Tim Tebow's breakout moment had to be this game-winning 20-yard touchdown to knock out the Jets.

possesion games with four minutes or less to go. Even with his harsh critics, Tebow kept winning, which is, after all, the great thing about sports.

“Winning+Lin= Linning”

Clutch as can be

In two of the eight games that Lin has made a clutch play in the waning seconds to seal the deal. With four seconds left in Minnesota, Lin drew a foul and made a clutch free-throw to give the Knicks the lead, and the win. Three days later, in Toronto, Lin hit a clutch three with 0.5 seconds on the clock to give the Knicks a 90-87 lead. The poise he showed in the last few seconds of these games was reflective of one Kobe Bryant – or maybe even Tim Tebow.

With Tebow, the fourth-quarter dominance is uncontested by anyone. As I said before, all eight of his wins were a one-possesion game with four minutes or less to go. He threw more touchdowns in the fourth quarter than he did in the other three quarters combined. He also threw for more yards in the fourth quarter than the other three combined. While his apparent waiting to thrive caused criticism, he always seemed to do the same thing in the fourth quarter- lead the Broncos on some miraculous drive for a touchdown–and then do it again. Broncos win. This earned the nickname, ‘Tebowtime.”

Those are some of the similarities between Lin and Tebow. Now here are the differences:

The statistics

In addition to winning, Jeremy Lin has stuffed the stat sheets. Averaging 24.6 points per game and 8.6 assists per game is just the start. His 136 points through his first five starts surpassed Shaq for the most points ever through a player’s first five starts. According to Michael Chernick of Livescience.com, the odds of Jeremy Lin putting together the stats he’s shown every night – eight times in a row- is close to 1 in

In Taiwan, the talk is all about Jeremy Lin.

7,000,000,000,000. Yeah, Jeremy Lin knows how to ball.

“The odds of Jeremy Lin putting together the stats he’s shown every night – eight times in a row- is close to 1 in 7,000,000,000,000.”

Tim Tebow’s strong suit certainly isn’t putting up monster statistics. He finished the season with a putrid 46.5% completion percentage–the worst in the NFL. Tebow averaged a mere 124 yards per game–also the worst in the NFL. Don’t forget about the fumbles either, Tebow fumbled the ball a grand total of 13 times, which is a stat that eventually cost his team in the end. Even though he had a habit of turning it on in the fourth quarter, his stats were still well below-par.

The media reaction

It is almost bizarre that it seems like everyone loves Jeremy Lin. No one on ESPN or any other network has criticized him. No one has said that the magic won’t last or that he doesn’t deserve to be here. It seems as if pretty much all the media is 100% bought in to Linsanity.

Many NFL analysts at networks all over the country were calling out Tebow as “Not an NFL quarterback,” and “not worthy of being on the field.” While there were some Tebow-lovers at ESPN and NFL Network, the voices of the haters outweighed those of the lovers.

Those are the major similarities and differences between Linsanity and Tebowtime, but here’s some of the little stuff.

The team reaction

Both Lin’s Knick teammates and Tebow’s Bronco teammates are very enthusiastic about the madness. They are completely bought in and are having more fun than ever.

That one thing

Here, as Von Miller embraces Tebow, it is easy to see that Tebow's teammates had his back the entire time.

Lin’s one issue is turnovers, as his 46 turnovers in eight games are among the worst in the NBA. Tebow’s weak spot is his completion percentage- 46.5%, which was the worst in the NFL this season.

“(Their teammates) seem completely bought in and are having more fun than ever.”

While Tebowmania has taken a break for the offseason, Linsanity is still in full effect, ripping apart opponent defenses with ease, creating nightmares for opposing coaches. Both of these phenomenons have completely engulfed a nation, and it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before.

By Sam Brief

Linsanity? Tebowmania? Leave a comment, I would love to know which phenomenon is your favorite!

Follow me on Twitter (@SamsSportsBrief)

The Sports Blog Movement

Peyton Manning is a man. He can make his own decisions and no one else should be telling him otherwise. As much everyone thinks they know what is best for Peyton Manning, they don’t.

Manning is coming off reportedly 4 separate neck surgeries in the past 2 years according to Don Banks of SI.com. According to his birth certificate, Peyton will be 36 by the time the 2012 NFL season rolls around. He has played 13 seasons in the NFL according to his stats page on NFL.com.

A lot of people talk about legacy. Brett Favre apparently had his tarnished.

Apparently, Peyton Manning could end up doing the same thing.

Nonsense.

Peyton Manning can do what he wants.

The tarnishing of the infamous legacy is one of the most absurd concepts in professional sports. People illogically believe that it is in duty to protect an athlete’s so-called legacy. There is this idea that one should stop playing before the inevitable decline of father time or injuries take their toll on that person, making them unable to perform close to the level that fans are used to. Rumour has it that continuing to play past this point of substantial decline or even just the possibility of playing past that point is grounds for tarnishing of the legacy.

For some reason, it is engrained in sports culture that what you do late in your career can take away from the things that happened in the prime of your career. The thing is, this George Costanza idea of going out on a high note really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Last time I checked, you can’t erase what’s written in the history books. That stuff is down in permanent marker, you know, the TO kind of sharpie. But more importantly, the decision of whether or not to keep playing really shouldn’t come down to legacy at all.

Brett Favre still wanted to play. Peyton Manning wants to as well.

Who are we to try and tell these guys what to do? This isn’t our life. We aren’t their mothers.

They should be able to play as long as they want. If there is someone out there that is willing to pay them money to play the game that they love, then by all means they can choose to carry on with their careers. If playing is what the heart desires, the barrier stopping that from happening should be a Donovan McNabb situation. McNabb isn’t close to the level of Manning or Favre, but there came a time this past year when no was willing to pay McNabb to play football. Hey buddy, now it’s time to retire.

As weird as it was for fans to see Johnny Unitas in a Chargers uniform or Warren Moon in a Chiefs uniform, the far from fairy-tale endings to their careers have done next to nothing to skew the way they have been remembered.

Of course, not that it matters anyways.

Michael Jordan said that he wanted to go out on his own terms. He did that when he tried his hand at professional baseball. He did that when he played 2 seasons for the Washington Wizards. Michael Jordan did what he wanted to and has probably left the game happier because of it.

Regret is one of the worst feelings in life. I’m young. At 20 years old, I almost certainly don’t understand what real regret is. Nevertheless, it can’t be easy for a professional athlete to live the next 50 years of his life and know that he had more to give to the game. To walk away from the only identity and livelihood you have ever known is undoubtedly a scary thing. It’s scarier to think about when you know that there’s more left in the tank.

Brett Favre became one of the most repulsive athletes for his multiple pseudo-retirements. However, when you reflect back to his magical season at the age of 40 in Minnesota, you can’t help but think it was all worth it. Again, what I think doesn’t really matter. It’s what Brett thinks. I bet he would be the first to tell you that having one of the most improbable, unpredictable and captivating seasons in sports history made it all worth it.

If he had listened to what everyone was saying, we would never have seen what Brett Favre had in store for us that season.

Peyton Manning is barely a year removed from being on top of the NFL mountain. If he wishes to return to the NFL, most likely not in a Colts uniform, then he should do so. If not, he can walk away from the game as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

He has to do it on his terms though.

Follow Chris Ross on twitter @paintstheblack and check out his personal blogPainting the Black

There is a theory that I would like to introduce to you. Its called the Broken Windows Theory. Many of you probably already know what it is–especially sociology majors.

The theory states that if there is a neighborhood that is filled with filth and trash, the windows are broken in the buildings, and its basically a neglected part of a city then it will be more susceptible to crime and impoverish ways. It also states that if you clean the neighborhood up and fix the windows then crime will become less likely in this place. This theory was proposed by a pair of sociologists named George L. Keiling and James Q. Wilson.

With a theory always comes a counter argument, though. The opponents of this theory point out that this theory is more coincidence than correlation. They say that there are more variables to crime than a bad environment. While living in a bad environment does not help, it doesn’t exactly prevent change either.

That brings me to this, the culture of the Washington Wizards has been a hapless and ill-fated one for quite some time now. The franchise has been through the trials and tribulations of Kwame Brown, Jerry Stackhouse, and, more recently, Gilbert Arenas. We’ve lost our long time owner in Abe Polin and Ernie Grunfeld is still making personnel decisions. Ted Leonsis is determined to ride this “rebuilding process” out even though it has been made clear that this franchise currently has no direction.

With all of that being said, the NBA and the Washington Wizards have received a blessing in John Wall. By blessing, I don’t mean ultra superstar player. He’s not there quite yet. But there is potential for Wall to be one of the best players the NBA has ever seen. No one is faster than Wall from end to end and he also has the strength to finish at the rim through contact.

Even with the recent influx of uber-athletic point guards, none have more potential than Wall. They’re all fast, but they don’t have the speed that Wall does. They are stronger than Wall–for now–but none of them are the natural passer or point guard that Wall is. Derrick Rose is more of a scorer, the same goes for Russell Westbrook. Wall? He wants to make his teammates better first.

Wall was picked 12th overall in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge this past Thursday. Among those that were chosen before him were Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Jeremy Lin, Kemba Walker, Marshon Brooks, and last but not least Ricky Rubio. He was the seventh guard taken overall in this draft after earning the MVP honors in last years Rookie Sophomore game and finishing second in ROY voting. He would’ve placed first had a certain power forward not been considered a rookie.

Which one of the guards above have put up better numbers than Wall this season? You can make the argument that none have. I know that we’re all going Linsane right now, but you must take in consideration Jeremy Lin’s sample size. Also, if it weren’t for a shooting slump through his first 10-13 games Wall would probably be considered one of the league’s top point guards on a terrible team. Over the past 20 games Wall has averaged 19 points and 8.7 assists per game. Over the last seven games Wall has averaged 22.2 ppg, 9.1 apg, and has shot 52% from the field. Is that Linsane or what?

We all know how Chuck and Shaq are on the air. I’ve gone from loving Inside the NBA to changing the channel as soon as the last game goes off. I can’t stand either of them, but this isn’t their fault. This shows what having a bad team and playing in a bad environment can do for a player.

Wall leads all second year players in assists with 7.6 and is second in scoring behind only Blake Griffin. With all of that being said, he is still being questioned as being the number one pick in last years draft. Especially with Jeremy Lin jumping on the scene as of late. Fair or unfair, it’s happening and only winning can change it.

Wall is doing just about all he can with the team that he has to change this environment. Being a leader on the floor isn’t a stat and it won’t be leaned on here. The national media will continue to bash the Wizards until they are a team that is at least in playoff contention. There aren’t many players who are more talented than Wall but his play will continue to be looked over as guys like Kyrie Irving resurrect a franchise that couldn’t go any lower from their last season and Jeremy Lin continues to fill the seats in the Big Apple.

Being in one of the largest markets in America isn’t going to help until it is utilized correctly. Wall must be seen more on the national stage; the Wizards don’t have one nationally televised game outside of NBA TV this season. Wall has to emerge as the next great point guard in the NBA to get recognized.

After being picked 12th in the draft in this meaningless sideshow, it seemed to have some meaning to Wall. He tweeted Motivation some time after the BBVA draft. He’s watching, just waiting for his moment to explode and receive his well deserved recognition.

Vandalism is wrong, TNT. I don’t care about any other Walls, but please let this one keep its clean slate.

LeBron is in this box being shipped to Iceland!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the next chapter of “LeBron the Nut Case”. I really thought after the whole “Decision” that stupid moron comments and thoughts from the “prince” would stop and he would have learned his lesson, well i was wrong!

I’m driving home from work last night and I hear on the radio that LeBron is coming out and saying that he would have no problem coming back to Cleveland and playing and would hope that if he did, the fans would welcome him back.

What the in the world, are you on drugs?

LeBron is more screwed up than I thought! This freaking guy is complete out of touch with reality, If I was a Miami Heat fan I would be a little pissed, after seeing this guy flop last year again in the NBA Playoffs,(this time in Finals) hearing him coming out with these latest words I would wonder if this guy is even focused on winning a title.

This is what separates LeBron from Kobe, just ask Mike Brown, who has coached both. He said a month back it’s not even close to who tries harder and cares more.

If I was a Cleveland Cavs fan, I would never want this guy back basically because he is a clown and even more he left the strong-willed home country wife for the fake boob job, skinny girl who was 23 and now after a year or two wants to go back to the home grown country wife.

Please!

Wait, LeBron you mean you thought you win a championship in the first year and now that it didn’t happen you mind is already leaving Miami?

This is simply amazing, se what money and fame do to some people, LeBron be careful ask Allen Iverson (whom I like) money can be lost, and someday you might have nothing, try working on your integrity first and then second work on winning a championship, not where you wnat to bounce around, from team to team.

I’m going to stop now.

What do you think?

–Bobby Charts!

The circumstances are Lincredible. The meteoric ascension to stardom is one of a kind. The hype is more than deserved for this Linderella story. The shock of Lin measured a 9.0 on the Richter scale after his game winner on Tuesday night in Toronto and who knows how long we will feel the after effects.

Still, why are we so flabbergasted by Jeremy Lin?

Asia’s version of Tim Tebow has been dissected about as much as, well, the real Tim Tebow. Most human beings on the earth haven’t gone the past 2 weeks without asking how the hell this kid didn’t get his opportunity sooner. In this age of youtube sensations, endless video scouting and advanced statistics, it is almost unfathomable to have a talent as sensational as Jeremy Lin go undrafted and sit on the end of the bench, about to get cut.

I, as well as you, have read and heard the endless discussion as to why Lin’s talent was missed by most everyone. Yeah, he is Asian. Yeah, he is scrawny. Yeah, he doesn’t shoot well. We get it.

What I still don’t get is why we are continually shocked by these mega-talents who were oh so close to bagging groceries at their neighbourhood Hy-Vee? Because we shouldn’t be.

Not anymore.

Jeremy Lin’s story may be mind-blowing but the thought that he could just as easily be out of the NBA right now instead of taking the Big Apple by storm isn’t. There are too many examples of talented individuals who have taken their respective sports by storm for us to be truly surprised anymore. To continue to be in disbelief as to how these guys aren’t noticed is like being stunned that Lindsay Lohan is back in rehab or that Kim Kardashian is trying to exploit another NBA player for even greater fame (FYI, Kim Kardashian is rumoured to be going on a date with Jeremy Lin).

Prior to Linsanity, Tom Brady was the poster boy for mis-evaluated talent. We all know about the 199th overall pick turned GQ, supermodel dating, touchdown throwing golden boy of the NFL. How did Tom Brady get passed on 198 times in 2000? Crazy? Not so much.

Talent is constantly under and over estimated. In another shocking development, the sun will set in the west tomorrow evening.

There is a very thin line between the big leagues and coaching high schoolers. The line is thinner than most professional athletes would like to believe. Most professional athletes live off of the belief that it was their own exceptional talent and hard work that allowed them to reach the top of the sports world. They need to believe it.

Arian Foster’s pompously narrated ‘self-made’ story on the show E:60 is a prime example of this. He went from undrafted running back to arguably the best in the NFL.

Little do most of them really know about the great deal of luck that made it possible for them to excel and make those millions of dollars. The overweight guy on his couch, hollering at the TV could very well have been overlooked. That’s just the nature of sports though. There are so many talented athletes and so few spots that there is bound to be missed talent.

Sometimes though, that almost missed talent turns into a superstar.

Everyone is now on the watch for the next Jeremy Lin. His Linsational story has made people wonder how many more like him are out there. There is probably someone on a college bench waiting to be the next Jimmer or a division II potential superstar lighting it up in relative obscurity somewhere in Omaha.

Stephen Curry, the son of former NBA veteran Del Curry, only received offers to play at Davidson, Virginia Commonwealth and Winthrop. He became a college superstar, the 7th overall pick in the NBA draft and, aside from the injuries, is excelling for the Golden State Warriors. His brother Seth went to Liberty University before Stephen Curry’s stardom forced scouts to take notice of Seth’s ability. Seth is now the starting for the Duke Blue Devils.

Again, Jeremy Lin’s story is exceptional but, in the end, he’s simply another missed talent. Continue to be amazed at the aura, the man, and the legend that is Jeremy Lin.

Just don’t be so surprised that he slipped through the cracks.

Follow Chris Ross on twitter @paintstheblack and check out his personal blog Painting the Black

The Knicks are a car accident to watch. It’s such a frightening mess and I know it’s bad to look at yet I still drag myself to a television set to watch this pathetic mess almost every night.

Last year they couldn’t play defense, this year they forgot how to score.
Bill Walker is a lackadaisical mess. Toney Douglas gets too trigger happy. Amare Stoudamire is the black David Lee (I told everyone this when he was signed but no one listened to me). Carmelo Anthony has no scoring help and all Mike D’Antoni could do was sit around and watch.

I wanted D’Antoni fired last year for his constant lack of detail, I wanted him fired this offseason for a defensive coach like Mike Brown, I want him fired this year because I’m sick of seeing him and his mustache.

Yet none of this matters right now in New York because Knick fans are on cloud nine thanks to a 6-3, 200 pound, undrafted point guard from Harvard that has become an overnight sensation.

His name is Jeremy Lin, and he is a gift from the heavens above.

Ok maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but jeez not even last year’s acquisition of Melo brought this much buzz an joy to the basketball Mecca that is the NYC.

Lin’s emergence came at a time when the Knicks desperately needed some good news. At 8-15 and flirting with a disastrous season that would’ve surely ended the D’Antoni era for the Knicks, Lin has caught fire and has led the Knicks through their best stretch of the season.

He’s been the missing piece that the fast pace D’Antoni offense has needed to get going. A pick and roll point guard with excellent vision and passing skills that is able to create shots for his teammates as well as fend for himself offensively.

Funny thing was that he was almost released to make room for the return of Baron Davis, I guess that won’t be happening now.

Ever since he stepped onto the court against the New Jersey Nets Lin has created a buzz across the league and has turned skeptics into believers.

He schooled Deron Williams and ran circles around him two Saturdays ago, he treated Devin Harris like a rag doll, he embarrassed John Wall with a sick crossover and dunk that was replayed over and over on Sportscenter, his performance against the Lakers last Friday will be talked about for years, and he showed toughness and moxie in gutting out a win in Minnesota.

He’s done it all from knocking down clutch free throws, reigniting Tyson Chandler’s game and leaving Derek Fisher flat-footed as he spun by for a highlight worthy lay in.

Yeah, I’m in love with this guy. But it took me a while to get into him.

Like most people I had to actually see him to believe him. Watching highlights of Lin didn’t tell the whole story. Yeah it was nice to see him drive at will against Utah and destroy the Nets already grim confidence but I wanted more.

I wanted to know three things about Lin while everyone was already crowning him the next big thing:

1. Can he handle the mounting pressure that comes with being an athlete in New York?
2. How does he deal with failure in a game and can he still stay on point when he’s not on his A game?
3. How will he play with the return of Stat and Melo (yeah, forgot about then right?)

My first question got answered on Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The last few times the Lakers have hit The Big Apple it’s been Kobe Bryant’s town without question. He has carved his own name into Madison Square Garden lore with huge performances like scoring 61 points in a game there just years ago.

It was the perfect test for my Lin theory, play arguably the best player in the game and keep the Knicks on pace with the Lakers.

That was the first full time that I actually got to watch Lin, safe to say I was shocked by what I saw.

He didn’t just keep the Knicks in the game, he controlled it. He dominated the pace and flow of the game by continuously attacking the rim, floating lobs to Chandler, coming up steals on the defensive end and destroying Fisher and Steve Blake when the ball was in his hands.

He looked like a younger Steve Nash, honest to god. Just his style of play and the way he maneuvered around the Lakers reminded me of the two-time NBA MVP.

Every time the Knicks needed a big play or a big shot the ball found its way to Lin. He never backed down and always came through. 38 points & 7 assists later I was starting to get sold on the NBA’s Tim Tebow.

(yep I made a Tebow reference but all of the similarities and hype and mass coverage are there. The big difference? Lin can ball out, Tebow’s a bum… Just saying.)

The next test came the next night against the Timberwolves in a hyped up battle versus Ricky Rubio.

The main reason I wanted to see him fail is because I wanted to see if he was more like Eli Manning or Tony Romo.

When things don’t go Manning’s way his demeanor doesn’t change and he pressed on. For Romo he panics and loses his cool. I wanted to see if when things get too tight of Lin folds or rises to the occasion.

(yeah I fit an Eli reference in there, so what? By the way did you know that the New York Giants are Super Bowl Champions? God that makes me happy)

The T-Wolves game was a game of two halves. Lin was his usual self in the first half 7-12, 4 dimes and running the offense efficiently. In the second half Lin was totally taken out of rhythm. He only hit 1-12 shots and the Wolves forced him into bad shots and 4 turnovers.

However, I got the impression from Lin that even in tough stretches he still doesn’t get rattled.

Even with all of the turnovers and with his shots not finding the net he still continued to set up his other teammates including Steve Novak’s game tying three with less than a minute left. He also scored the winning point from the free throw line after being fouled getting to the basket.

Even without a dominant performance Lin still found a way to pull out a win for the Knicks. That was enough to make me even more of a believer.

Now the third and most interesting task is at hand… Can Lin, Melo and Stat all work together to be effective?

Carmelo Anthony has received a lot of bad press in the last week with all of the Linsanity spreading through NY.

It’s as if we forget that we wanted Melo here in the first place, it’s not his fault that the Knicks traded the farm to get him (thanks James Dolan). Melo has always needed a point guard to stabilize this offense to make more effective. Sorry Toney Douglas wasnt the answer.

With Lin’s emergence Melo and Amar’e for that matter now have a lot less pressure on their shoulders to score.

The main question is can Melo let Lin run the offense without asking for the ball too much?

As dynamic of a scorer as he is, Melo holds onto the ball for too long in too many stretches of the game. With Lin at the point now Melo will have to find his rhythm in the game and let it come to him.

Besides elevating Chandler, Landry Fields has found his game and confidence and Novak has become a reliable shooter off of the bench. The Knicks have gone from a two horse team to an actual team with a good rotation.

If Melo can stay dominant while letting this mix still cook then the Knicks will be making noise come playoff time.

If not then he’ll be the one taking most of the criticism if the Knicks go back to struggling.

The next stage of Linsanity is upon us. He won’t be throwing up 25 shots a game any more or dropping 38 on defenses, but I believe that after watching Jeremy Lin he is the answer to a lot of the Knicks woes.

Lin has dazzled America, balled out on every opponent that he’s faced and is getting better by the day.

In a city consumed by sports with the Giants winning Super Bowls, the Rangers leading the NHL and the Yankees always on the back pages, the Knicks have wiggled their way back into the minds of New Yorkers.

Linsanity is here and hopefully it’s not a flash in the pan.

Kevin Howard is The Brooklyn Buckeye because he is from Brooklyn, NY and is a graduate of The Ohio State University. Follow him on twitter @brooklyngohard and on his blog site at brooklynbuckeye.wordpress.com

Outdoor rink just outside of 100 Mile House, BC.

Today, here in Canada, we celebrate the game we love the most. Hockey. For 13 straight hours, the CBC television network, (paid for by us lowly taxpayers) will talk about, celebrate, and go in-depth on why Canada loves hockey so much. It is Hockey Day in Canada.

Of course there will be games played. My beloved Winnipeg Jets will face the Pittsburgh Penguins without Sidney Crosby. The Edmonton Oilers travel to Ottawa to play the Senators. Montreal and Toronto will resume their historic rivalry. Finally Vancouver and Calgary will tangle in an underrated but heated rivalry in the Stampede City.

Typical hockey arena in rural Canada.

But the focus will be on the roots of the game. Playing outdoors in bitterly cold temperatures. Minor hockey in small towns. The volunteers who spend endless hours at the rink. These are the stories that make hockey tick in this country. (Along with Canadian Tire, Tim Horton’s coffee and Molson beer but I digress.)

The Old Hockey Night In Canada Logo.

For me my love affair with the sport has been going on for as long as I can remember. I can recall the days when Saturday nights were the most anticipated night of the week. It was the only night hockey was on TV and it seemed like the country stopped for 3 hours while the game was on. All I needed was a cup of hot chocolate and the game on TV and I was happy.

During the week, all I could think about was the big game on Saturday night. I bought the hockey cards, read every magazine that talked hockey, played street hockey with my friends. It was part of my fabric. I remember waiting until the next day to see the previous night’s highlights. The warm-up act was seeing the local junior team’s home games every Friday night. It was during that time I saw future hall of fame goalie Ed Belfour guarding the net for the Winkler Flyers.

On those special occasions, we’d make the drive to Winnipeg to see my beloved Jets in the decrepit yet oddly beautiful Winnipeg Arena. Yes the old lady on Maroons Road was a barn but to me back in the day, it was a palace. I saw some of the greatest players of all time lace them up. Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Hull, Dale Hawerchuk, Patrick Roy, Steve Yzerman, Mike Bossy. The list is endless.

Things have changed though. Hockey is virtually on every night. There is no shortage of stories or articles about the game. Coverage of the NHL is virtually 24/7. I can now watch the highlights whenever I want to thanks to the internet. We lost the Jets in 1996 but got them back in 2011. I go to a number of games now thanks to season tickets. The old arena is gone, replaced with the MTS Centre downtown. There are now at least 2 games on every Saturday night. On some occasions, they’ll broadcast 3 games across the country on Saturdays.

But the game is still the game. It is still a part of me. I still look forward to Saturday nights. I still get chills whenever I walk inside the MTS Centre just before a Jets game. I still read about the game every chance I get. And I still love the game.

The hot chocolate is being made. Just like old times.

You can follow me on Twitter @jstar1973