SUNDAY AT YOU GOT JC

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes." -Proust

"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to use it." -Confucious

"We only have one life to live, and we must spend our lives trying, as Pat Riley once taught me, to leave footprints." -New Wolves GM David Kahn

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel has only 2 rules: 1. Hustle 2. Be on time

"Life is never either/or. Decisions are complex. Nothing is ever as straightforward as it appears. -Nelson Mandela

Happy Sunday everyone. I hope we all had a good productive week and a fun weekend. And if you didn't, today is a good time to get this week off to a good start.

Friday night was my buddy Danny's birthday. His sister got us a party bus, and we were able to make our way around the city. It was a really fun night. We drank and carried on until early in the morning. We got to a couple good watering holes. Made some new friends. Danced like no one was watching. Good times. I'll tell you what, the party bus business isn't a terrible business idea to get involved in from where I am sitting. I haven't really given it a ton of thought, but those things are great. And you can charge a nice price, because they are so worth it. No one has ever said "wow we shouldn't have gotten that 30 man party bus with all our friends, a bus that we can drink on, pull random skanks unto, carry on and play the music loud as hell, get dropped off and get picked up right in front of our destination, and have no worries about getting home." It's just a question of being in the right area. Just something to think about.

PEAKS AND VALLEYS

I read a neat book this week called Peaks and Valleys. It was written by Dr. Spencer Johnson, who also penned "Who Moved my Cheese."

It was the story of a young man who lives unhappily in a valley until he meets an old man who lives on a peak. And it changes his work and life forever. Through the stories and conversations with the old man who lives on the peak, the young man makes some discoveries of his own. He comes to understand that the old man's principles can help him through his good and bad times, and he learns to become more calm and successful.

Here are a couple takeaways from the book:

-It is natural for everyone everywhere to have peaks and valleys at work and in life.

-Peaks and valleys are connected. The errors you make in today's good times create tomorrow's bad times. And the wise things you do today's bad times create tomorrow's good times.

-The path out of the valley appears when you choose to see things differently.

-If you do not learn in a valley, you can become bitter. If you truly learn something valuable, you can become better.

-The most common reason you leave a peak too soon is arrogance, masquerading as confidence. The most common reason you stay in a valley too long is fear, masquerading as comfort.

-Whether you are temporarily up on a peak or down in a valley, ask yourself: What is the truth in this situation?

-A great way to get to your next peak is to follow your sensible vision. Imagine yourself enjoying your better future in such specific believable detail that you soon enjoy doing what takes you there.

NBA DRAFT

My second favorite day of the year came and went on Thursday. We had a bad storm on the west side, and it actually knocked our power out for a while. Luckily, I was DVRing it so I did not miss anything. Hey, the talent wasn't great in this draft, but it was still a solid night I thought. The draft came on the heels of a couple big moves in the NBA. Shaq got moved the Cavaliers, and Vinsanity was traded to the Magic. So in a year where there was only 5-10 really good guys it kind of took a back seat. Here's a couple takes about the draft.

-Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to the artistic stylings of Mr. David Kahn. I knew who David Kahn was before Thursday night. Most of you didn't. But within an hour and a half of that draft, you knew him. He became a household name for a night. TALK ABOUT BALLS! The Wolves had 4 picks in the first round, including # 5 and #6. He took 3 point guards in a row and a shooting guard. Ricky Rubio, Johnny Flynn, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington. Awesome. There is a lot to hate about that draft. There is also a lot to like though and here's why. They didn't do what people thought they were gonna do. They didn't try to win the respect of the fans who don't know shit about basketball. They didn't try to win the press conference in some respects. They thought outside the box. They trusted their scouts and their analysis. They took who they thought were the best players. If you wanted to win the press conference, you take Stephen Curry and Ricky Rubio, and everyone loves it. And maybe they become the best back court of all time. Or maybe they stink. But they took who they wanted to take. They took who they thought were the two best assets for their team. Is Rubio ever gonna play for the Wolves? My guess is no. But he's not gonna come cheap. And whoever wants him, whether it be the Knicks or someone else is gonna have to pay a big price to the Wolves.

-I am shocked that Sam Presti and the Thunder let Rubio get by them. If I had made that bet, I would have lost. I guess they believe that Russ Westbrook is gonna be their point guard, and adding Rubio might have f'd him up. I don't love Harden. I think he's not a great athlete who needs time and touches to get his. But he is a strong one on one player, who can weigh on people and get his buckets and get to the line efficiently. He's gotta be ready to get in the back seat though, because they have a pretty good young player named Kevin Durant who is gonna get 25 opportunities a night. Would have loved to see Rubio here though.

-Johnny Flynn, like I wrote the other day, is gonna be a beast in my opinion. It was no shock to me that he went 6th. He's gonna struggle a little bit on both ends, but his presence, charisma, toughness and insane ability to play will make him a good point in this league, on a team on the rise.

-Can't wrap my head around the Tyreke Evans pick at 4. Unathletic, jury is still out on whether he is a 1 or a 2, he can't shoot, and he finishes below the rim. Can he play multiple positions and get to the rim at a high frequency? Yes. I think it takes him way too long to get where he needs to go. Generally 2 spin moves. A lot of dribbling. Bilas said he was ball dominant, which is another word for ball hog. But here's the gist: he's big enough, strong enough, and can help a bad team quickly. I just don't like his upside and don't like that he can't shoot. We'll see where is in a couple years.

-I dunno much, but those guys from Pittsburgh are gonna make a lot of people pay. I am just saying. Those two guys look like they keep a notebook of people who have wronged them. And it this case, 29 teams just got added to their books. I think both guys are gonna make teams. I think both guys help a team this year. DaJuan Blair, I have a soft spot for him. He might help the Spurs right? Coach Pop might find a roll for him. TD is getting old. Blair could help him by cleaning house around the rim a little bit. I mean Blair is spectacular. He's an offensive rebounding assassin. There's a roll for guys who get 20+ rebounds in a 40 minute game in the NBA. Blair did that every third game. I get why he fell though. NBA teams don't give guaranteed money to guys with bad knees. And D Blair does not have ACLs. Sam Young is a little older, but watching him fall was a little surprising. He has a big body and really good hops. His J is ugly but it found the bottom of the rim enough. And he's a warrior. He was working out for a team, I forget who and cut his arm very badly during a drill. It was gushing blood and they couldn't stop it. They said, "hey man, you gotta get that stiched." But he taped it up and kept playing in the workout. He's tough. Didn't anyone else in the league here that story? I want a guy like Sam Young playing for my company.

-Sad to see Stephen Curry wind up in GS. That's probably the worst spot he could have gone. It's a terrible environment for a guy like him to develop in. I really hope they pull the trigger on this Amare trade, and Curry can get outta there and possibly into Phoenix. It sounds fun. Curry in Don Nelson's system. And it probably will be fun if things stay the way they are. But there are just so many toxic guys on that roster. Big ego guys. Guys that would retard Curry's development. Monte Ellis has proven to be kind of a jerk. And he's not playing second fiddle to anyone. GSW has committed a ton of money to him. And he's gonna dominate that ball and get his looks and points. Captain Jack is a good guy. A warrior. But he's not exactly the guy I would hand pick to take Curry under his wing. I dunno, maybe I am thinking about this wrong. Maybe Ellis and Curry become friends. Maybe Ellis is just in constant attack mode as a slashing 2 and Curry is a catch and shoot point guard. Maybe that's a great combo. But for me, I would rather see Curry traded to Phoenix, where he can learn from Steve Nash until he retires and become the second coming of Steve Nash.

-I was so pleased when Tyler Hansborough got picked 13th. It was a great moment. And in all honesty, I think that is a fair place for him to go. He's definitely a great player. And he's definitely gonna play a nice role in the NBA. He measured taller than Blake Griffin. He's 6'10 in shoes, 6'8 in socks. He was more athletic than the scouts anticipated him to be. I think he is gonna be a good piece for the Pacers. His motor and energy are second to none. He's gonna be a screener and a popper. He has a great midrange J. He's a great free throw shooter. Yea, he has a lot of junk shots. That side arm shot put shot, that contributed about 1200 outta his 2500 college points--that's gonna get blocked most nights. He's gonna have his struggles but his energy and focus are gonna carry the day for him.

-Brandon Jennings went a little high, but I think he'll come in and make an impact. Guys just won't be able to stay in front of him. He's got a great handle and quicks. And just by the fact that he'll be playing PS3 with his boys instead of being locked in a one bedroom flat overseas will help him tremendously. Expect him to do whatever he wants on a bad team sooner rather than later.

-A lot of people upset about the Cavs selections. I dunno what to tell you. They needed to draft a couple guys that were not gonna take up roster spots this season. They need those roster spots open to add free agents and veteran players. They guy they took at 30 is a high ceiling player. He's long, athletic and a good defender. He's the kind of guy who can check that Rashard Lewis type hybrid player. He's still a few years away though. He will be part of the Cavs plan in several seasons. It's a good thing to accumulate high ceiling assets and stash them overseas for a couple years. I don't really have a problem with the pick, I just think you could have gotten him at the 46th pick. When you brought in Shaq, I think it eliminated a lot of possible guys that they would have picked at 30. A guy like Sam Young just didn't fit the model anymore. Everything you do changes when Shaq is on your team. Offense, Defense, Special teams.

This week marks the start of free agency in the NBA. I am hopeful that it will be an exciting time around the league. The Cavs have a couple moves to make, along with many other teams. Here are a couple things to look for:

-Are the Bucks committed to Charlie Villanueva? If they are not, is he gonna be happy playing for the mid-level exception (5 years approx $28mm)? Because, that is what he is gonna have to play for if he wants to play in Cleveland.

-If I had to bet, I would guess the Pistons are gonna target Hedo Turkuglou and Carlos Boozer. Let's say they add them. Where does that put them in the east? (Turk, Booze, Rip, Prince, Stuckey, McDyess, Walter Herrman)

-What are the Celtics gonna do? Have they put themselves in a bad spot with the Rondo rumors? Is Rondo gonna move? The Celtics have to be worried about resigning him. They made their bed in the sense that they are so committed to KG and PP money wise, that they might be able to pay Rondo's freight, which is gonna be $80 million easily. Stay tuned on that.

-Amare to the GSW. That would be a good game to go to when they are in town if that happens. Ellis. Captain Jack. Maggette. Anthony Randolph. Amare. Tough lineup. It's just a question of whether the GSW think that 1. is this guy gonna be healthy long term? 2. can we resign him next season?

-Are the Lakers gonna resign both Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza?

-Is Rasheed Wallace gonna sign with the Magic, and if so, how much does he have left in the tank?

-How far are the Cavaliers willing to go to try to make this happen in 2009?

D DAY

"Wherever fast players go, they always get there faster than slower players." -Pete Carrill

"More men fail through lack of purpose than lack of talent." -Bill Sunday

"It's nothing new to me, people saying, 'He can't do this.' It doesn't faze me. I'm confident in my game; I can get better." -Stephen Curry

"For all the most important things, the timing always sucks." -Tim Ferriss

Hawks asst. Larry Drew on Hansbrough: "His energy is at another level. He plays at a totally different level than some of these young guys."



Look, there's no fucking dialogue today. This is a huge day. If the Cleveland Cavaliers don't make DYNAMIC roster changes today, I am gonna go crazy. I am not gonna sugar coat this. This is a huge night. I really really wanna be excited for tonight. I feel like a lot is going to happen around the league. And the Cavs have to be involved in a big way. I know all my readers are huge Cavs fans, and that's a great thing. But we need to be objective here. I love Delonte West. But if he needs to go, I will pack his bags for him. JJ Hickson? I hope he's renting, and didn't buy a ton of furniture. Hard decisions have to be made. Good decisions have to be made. Play well tomorrow Mr. Ferry.

Just for the record, as I am writing this, Johnny Flynn, one of my favorite guys in this draft just did an interview on the ESPN draft preview show where he spoke in the third person on 3 separate occasions. He is also wearing a fucking cardigan sweater. Not a good start Johnny. A Johnny Flynn divided against itself cannot stand.

NBA DRAFT NOTES

Thursday night marks my second favorite sports day of the year. The NBA draft. This night falls just behind the NFL Draft.

Not exactly the LeBron, Wade, Melo draft of years ago. But Thursday night includes plenty of good players. Guys who can potentially make a big impact on good teams in a couple seasons.

I am going to do a mock lottery either tonight or sometime tomorrow, but here's a look at some of the guys.

STEPHEN CURRY--A high scoring 2 guard who will try to be morphed into scoring point. I love him. I think he's special. He's the best shooter in the draft. He can really get space and creates shot in college. So, although it will be much tougher to get space in the pros, I think he is good enough to do it on most players. You have heard for 2 months how much the Knicks love him at 8. I'm not convinced he'll be around at 8. If nothing else, you can put him in a corner and he can stretch a defense for you for 20 minutes a night. Think about how many open shots you see in an NBA game. There are plenty out there. Might as well have him getting the looks.

JOHNNY FLYNN-Another one of my favorite guys. I love Syracuse. And Flynn really played strong this season. He is a vocal leader, who can run an NBA team. He demands some respect with the way he knows where the ball should go at different points in a game. Doesn't have a problem getting and living in the key. Jumper getting better. In a league where it's 75% screen and roll, Flynn isn't a bad guy to have navigating the ball. I can think of worse guys. As good as he is and as cool as he plays, he for all intents and purposes will get eaten alive on defense. Huge question marks there. He got to sit in a 2-3 zone for 2 years. He's 5'9. A guy like Rafer Alston, whose 6'2 and skinny could put him on the box and eat him alive. But Flynn COMPETES. And he's a WINNER. And I love him in the lottery.

JEFF TEAGUE-This is a guy that Steve Lavin loved in the Pre-Draft Workouts on ESPNU. I tend to have to agree. He's young. And I haven't seen one guy stay in front of this kid. He has a machine like jumper when he's in rhythm. When Wake was #1 in the country and playing well, he was a force. He's big and smooth, and can be a dominant scoring point. That whole team checked out and started playing very shitty at the end of the season. He was a big contributor to that. He missed a ton of shots and played poorly. But he's smooth and explosive and can score at will when he's playing with confidence. Got a lot of Devin Harris in him. But is a pussy and doesn't play hard yet. In a draft like this, you grab a guy like Teague and hope he learns what the game is all about.

HASHEEM THABEET--Gotta give equal time to retarded pussies. Jokes aside. This guy has monster upside. His strength and coordination will improve, as well as his offensive game. This guy has only been playing hoops for like 8 years, maybe less. He protects the rim like the man. Gotta improve in the feel of the game department. Must learn to pass out of double teams. Has he ever been involved in the screen and roll game? But, we live in a world where if you have a dominant center who can protect the rim and give you some offense, you can win. The Grizz are probably gonna scoop him at 2. It sounds crummy. It might be crummy. But it's just one of those things you might have to do.

GUYS I HATE--Austin Daye(stay in school and ask where the weightroom is), Earl Clarke(doesn't get it yet, no heart), James Johnson (See Clarke), DeMar DeRozen(high risk/high reward)

RICKY RUBIO--This is a slam dunk for the Thunder at 3 right? Come on now, Sam Presti. This guy is a guy scouts are a little puzzled with. They are not sure about his impact in the NBA. His buyout is a big question mark, and is scaring NBA execs. I think his transition will be a little harder than we expect. But here's a scenario that will make it easier: A guy by the name of Kevin Durant filling the left lane hard, a guy named Russell Westbrook filling the right lane hardm, Jeff Greene trailing--I'll take my chances with that. Rubio just seems to be just a sensational athlete. Long, fast twitch muscle, quick on defense. Gritty--been playing against older men since he was 14. Jumper is a question mark. Screen and roll intelligence is a question mark. I dunno, I think I would take him.

TYREKE EVANS--Not crazy about him, but hey its the NBA--and he'll be tough. Great size and speed. Good in one on one situations. I hated him because I thought he was so inefficient when he had the ball. It takes him 8 dribbles and two spin moves to get where he wants to go. And his jumper is so bad. While I am writing this, I am beginning to hate him again. This guy is gonna shoot 25% on jumpers for the next 5 years, but he'll be a tough pro? Doesn't make sense. O well. We'll see.

JRUE HOLIDAY--The Russ Westbrook of this draft, except he didn't have 10 of the top 12 dunks of the NCAA season like Russ did two years ago. 8.3 ppg this season at UCLA. Limited role. Never got acclamated to anything they tried to do this year. I was reading or watching something about this. And UCLA coaches were kind of the opinion that "hey, we thought Darren Collison was gonna be gone, and he didn't go, and that fucked us up." So Holiday never really got a fair shake. Anyway, this guy is not a point guard. I'm sorry. He can defend point guards. But to ask this kid to play point guard in the NBA is silly. Someone is gonna take him in the top 8, and try to teach him the position. I think he's fine. But I would have much rather seen Ben Howland say hey--come back and run the show and take every shot and make every decision for another year.

DAJUAN BLAIR--JC's sentimental favorite guy in the draft. Unbelievable rebounder. Sensational timing and nose for ball. Will be a natural in the pick a roll/pop game. A poor man's Carlos Boozer if he learns to shoot that midrange J. Solid passer. Is a special kid, and needs to continue to be special to play in the league. Weight issues a problem. Not a gifted leaper.

Monday Minutes

Yo peeps. The new Dave Matthews CD is a pretty strong output. I worked out at 7am this morning and happened to steal my sister's ipod on the way out the door. Dave got me through the workout pretty smoothly. I suggest you guys have a listen to it when you get the chance. Pretty solid.

I had a couple good nights out with my buddies this weekend. Stories. Chasing girls. Beers. But one of the continuing arguments that I walked away with, was the question of how every guy that you see is completely shredded up top. There are so many guys walking around that have huge upper bodies. And I just don't understand it. Do these guys have jobs? What kind of supplements are they taking? My buddy Danny and I postulated that it was a combination of 3 things: no job, high intensity weight training, and strict supplement taking. Emphasis on no job. But my all knowing friend Bobby cleared it up. Bobby has his pulse on everything. He made it clear when we posed the question. The answer: steroids, steroids, steroids. He said the more he has worked out in gyms where guys have taken steroids, the easier it has become to tell. He said there are a lot of things on the market now, where when you take them together, is an equivalent to steroids. Now this isn't a stone cold rule. Obviously there are a lot of guys who are just lifting really hard and taking supplements, and have the potential to be big guys. But I do with Bobby. I agree that you can point the finger with some certainty at some guys. Just an observation.

US OPEN

Hats off the Lucas Glover for surviving the marathon U.S. Open at Bethpage. He has a lot of game, and showed a lot of balls today. I was really pulling for David Duval, but I thought Lucas was gonna win. I texted my buddy Josh last night that Ricky Barnes was going to shoot 80 in the final round, and Glover was going to win. And ladies and gentlemen, Richard Barnes! Nice finish buddy. Way to close strong. That must have been tough. Gotta feel for the guy a little bit. Actually you really gotta feel for the guy. This was a guy who had the keys to golf kingdom after winning the US Am in 2002. He was a budding star. He was supposed to be playing in Ryder Cups and competing for majors every year. 7 years later, he doesn't even have a win on the Nationwide Tour. O well. Hopefully, he can build some momentum after this week and find his permanent place on the PGA tour.

So what do you think about this particular US Open? Does it have an asterisk on it? Short answer is no. But it was a wacky week. A chaotic week. The thing about these pro golfers is that they are the biggest pussies in the world, both mentally and physically. Any miniscule buck to their routines and they have a really hard time handling it. A lot of them sucked it up because it was our country's major week, but still. But they must have been going crazy. They had no idea what 9 they were teeing off of. Most of them had no clue what round they were playing. They were called off the course. They were called on the course. They started rounds at 6:32pm on a Saturday night. They're post round practice schedules were ruined. They're inbetween routines were scratched. It was a tough week. I thought that's why guys like Barnes and Duval and to an extent Glover were doing well. Barnes and Duval have been playing on low level tour circuits for a while. Glover has had some experience on the Nationwide Tour as well. Guys that were used to more chaotic schedules played well early. The more pampered guys played poorly early, and hung around. At the end of the day though, Glover has a ton of game. And he sucked it up and won the thing. Other guys didn't hand it to him.

FIRING MYSELF, AN ITCH TO COACH, THE HANGOVER, THE DUEL FINALE, SHAQ, LEO

"Good teams win. Bad teams have meetings. We are at the point where we are having a lot of meetings." -Ozzie Guillen, last week

Mike Maddux when asked about his career as a "journeyman" pitcher: "Journeyman? How about competitor."


Late Sunday morning, I officially fired myself from John Curran, Inc. Those of you who know me, know that I fire myself frequently, if not weekly. I am in constant search of trying to re-invent the way I do things in order to become a better, happier, more productive person. This firing is a little more severe than most of them. I am failing in pretty much every area of my life, and have been for the whole summer. So this firing comes at a good time. It is a good chance to take a step back, and start creating some opportunities to do better. It's June 15th, and I have a lot to get done.

I have had some time to think and the itch to get into coaching at a high level has really began to build in my mind. I have a lot of interests. I have a lot of passion for a variety of things. I want to do and experience a lot of different areas of this life. But I think more than anything, I have an ability and expertise to think about the games of football and basketball and teach them in a unique way. And I think the passion that I practiced and played and thought with with for many, many years of my life can be a positive thing for me to impart on others.

It's a really hard thing to do, to look yourself in the mirror and answer the question: what do I want to get up and do everyday for the rest of my life? It is something that I think most of us battle with everyday. It's hard. But it's fucking 2009. You should be able to find something that you love and have passion for. And you should do it. End of story. It takes patience and passion. And if for one second, your passion wavers; it's over. But I think more than anything, it's about working hard and having patience. And I'm currently working towards both. And I urge all of you who read this, to continue to discover what you love, and work your ass off to try to accomplish the things you want to do, whether its a weekly goal, a summer goal or the foundation of a lifelong career.

The Hangover

The Hangover was fucking awesome right? I mean, whether it surpassed your expectations, or fell below your expectations, it's pretty fuckin' pointless to debate it. It was classic. I laughed my ass off. It was well done. Bradley Cooper, who would have thought? Surprisingly strong. Zach Gallafanakis was great. Surprising you haven't seen more of him. From what I know about him, I think he enjoys the role of "yea, I'm funny as hell, but I'm not really gonna sell out and do stupid movies, I'm just gonna kinda lay low and be really funny, and if you see me do stand-up or know me, then that's great" The great Ed Helms, or Andy Bernard from The Office played a nice role. It was a fun movie. I'm not gonna critique it because it would take too long. But if you wanna sit down and have a couple beers, we can go over it. How does that movie go if Vince Vaughn was Phil, Will Ferrell was Allen, Ben Stiller was Stu, and Luke Wilson was Doug? Just a thought.

The Duel Finale

My buddy Danny is a major proponent of MTV's Real World Road Rules The Duel. So the culmination of "The Duel 2" marked another great moment in TV history. The Duel and everything that is involved in that social experiment would take more than a night and a couple beers to go over. This show is really one of the petri dish's of modern time. So much going on. You have 28 terrible, terrible people all living in one house, playing some of the stupidest games ever. Betrayals. Hookups. Stupidity. Getting blackout drunk every night. Hookups. It's a ridiculous proposition. But it works. And in the the end, Evan and Rachel came out on top after a grueling 3 hour hike up and down New Zealand to take home $100, 000 each pre-tax. This is enjoyable to watch. I think for me at least, it reaffirms that yes, I am a good person. And no matter how bad things get, it could be worse, I could be Brad from Real World San Diego. My favorite part of the season, for all of you who might catch it on a marathon re-run, is when Evan goes on a minute and a half soliloquy about "how this show is all he has." It's classic.

Shaq to the Cavs

I wrote about this at the trade deadline. I thought the Cavs should have done what they needed to do to bring in Shaq in February, to prepare for a stretch run to the NBA Finals. I thought if they would have brought the Diesel in, that it would have been a done deal. With the way our perimeter was playing at the time, having a guy like Shaq for May and June would have been great. He could have created some resistance from what we then thought would be KG and then later Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. But they just couldn't part ways with Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic and JJ Hickson.

This week there has been some buzz about putting the negotiations back on the table, and bringing in Shaq to try to get us over the hump in the East. They should be talking about things like that. It's June. It's their fucking job. For me, I like it, but most of me thinks it a "day late and a dollar short" proposition. I don't think, after watching the Magic just dismantle from every angle, that an aging center, albeit a top 5 center of all time, is gonna be the answer to our problems. We need better players. We need more talented players. We need guys who are gonna play well in the playoffs for us. And why slow down? I mean, whether you love or hate Charles Barkley, he's been consistent in his analysis of "I think the Cavs need to speed up and play faster." He's been saying that for 4 years. Shaq makes you way slower. Way slower. So there is an issue there. I dunno. I loved it in February. But that was lifetimes ago. I liked it when I saw on the bottom line the other day. But there is definitely some negatives that come with bringing in an old overpaid, slow player, who is gonna demand a lot of touches and slow the game down to a standstill. I have turned my brain off with the Cavs for a little bit. I haven't given what they are gonna do this offseason much thought. It will heat up again as we approach free agency in early and mid July. I only have one guy who I would like to bring in on my mind right now: "Captain Jack." AKA Stephen Jackson. I would die to have that guy on the Cavs. Especially with how close we are right now to really win a title. I want a mean, mean person who takes the game very seriously and isn't afraid to take a suspension at any given moment. He knows how to play and the game means a lot to him. He plays to put food on the table for his family. Let's not forget that this guy is crazy good, and can really shoot the ball from 3. He seems to have the balls to make a clutch 3 in the playoffs. He did it for the Spurs on a championship team. In fantasy terms, you see this guy a couple times a week go for 29, 9, 9,2. He can be machine like offensively. He gets streaky. But lets also not forget that aside from being crazy good, he is also CRAZY!

Leo

Lastly, Leonardo Dicaprio dumped his model girlfriend Bar Rafaeli last week. Really gotta feel for the guy. Guy has had some bad luck with women. The last two girlfriends he has sent packing have been Gisele and Bar. I am putting the over under on July 15 before he is banging Megan Fox. Is there a Vegas line for that? Cause I bet the line on that bet is 1:2 by now. Megan Fox goes into this huge diatribe in GQ about how she'll only date older men. And like clockwork, LD drops one of the hottest chicks on the planet. The stars are aligning Megan. What a world!

Bruce

"Define your fears instead of your goals." -Tim Ferriss

"I am an old man and have known many troubles, but most of them never happened."
-Mark Twain

"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid." -Epictetus

"Every time we choose safety, we reinforce fear." -Epictetus

It's been a tough 2 weeks for JC. I somehow got poison ivy working out in the yard. And this wasn't your normal case of poison ivy. It was like I took a bath in it. It's been all over my body for 2 weeks. Luckily, over the last few days it has retreated, and I have been able to kind of get back into my normal routine. No one in my family had ever had poison ivy. I'll tell you what, it was pretty unbelievable. It sucked.

I haven't been able to work out for the last 2 weeks. So I am way behind in my preparation for the summer Y league season. Yesterday, I went through a light rehabilitation workout. The timetable for my return to the league is still a week and a half. There have been reports scattered around league circles that have said I might miss the first two games. As of this morning, my timetable has not changed, and I should be ready to go for the first game.

On Sunday night, it was late, it was 2am and I was just chilling trying to sleep when I stumbled upon a Bruce Springsteen concert in New York. It went from 2-4am. I watched it all. I was ready to fall asleep, but a sudden energy just took over. I turned the lights on and I watched. I grabbed a pad of paper and jotted down a couple things. It was the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. This was an amazing concert snippet too. It was at a great venue in New York. They showed unbelievable songs. The crowd was fantastic. I mean it was fuckin' vintage Bruce. I was almost crying.

I have this theory. My dad and his generation grew up with Bruce Springsteen. They were with Bruce from start to finish. They were there when he started playing 5 and a half hour concerts and changing the world and the way we lived. My dad and my uncles know every line of every song that Bruce has ever written besides the last two so so albums. Bruce has been a huge part of the lives of a lot of successful men, my dad and uncles included. His music got guys through high school and college. His concerts created dates and became instant "I'll always remember this night forever" nights. It created a camaraderie. Bruce inspired a generation of men to do amazing things. He's inspired success in business and success in raising a family. His music was just so powerful, that it still resonates astoundingly today. So I guess my point is, that a lot of the men that we know and like and respect, would not be the people we know without the inspiration of Bruce Springsteen. So in turn, I think you can find a similar energy through his music that my father's generation found. And I think that's what I did on Sunday night.

And what is amazing, is the fact that the concert I watched, was a recent concert. And it was still unbelievable. All those guys are old. They're in their mid 50's. But the intensity and passion that they play with is incredible. That's the thing--it must have been incredible to see one of their concerts when they were in their prime. I mean, we really missed out here folks. Anyway, I love music.

THE MOUNTAIN THAT FACES THE CAVS

I gotta imagine it hasn't been very easy to get outta bed if you are LeBron James, Mike Brown or Danny Ferry. This is a trying time for the Cavs. Like I wrote last week, the fortunes of a professional sports entity can change very rapidly.

Mike Brown won Coach of the Year this season. Now, his status for next season is a talking point.

Danny Ferry was, in many circles, the executive of the year. He made great moves and created a team that had the league's best record. Now he is looking at a roster that has to be completely blown up and tinkered with. His best move, Mo Williams, is now more or less expendable after a post season in which he failed to get it done. And with every decision he has to make for the 2009 season, he has to keep the date of July 1, 2010 very much in his mind.

LeBron James put together a Hall of Fame season, won his first MVP and was the toast of the league. He was a changed man. He had watch Kobe Bryant perform and train all summer in Beijing. He took all that data that he had around him, whether it be from Coach K, Mike Dantoni, or Melo--and molded himself into a new man for the 08-09 campaign. You saw a new focus and will to win. He didn't take many nights off. He was the MVP.

Then in the span of a week and a half, everything that could have went wrong went wrong. And the people that we became comfortable with proved that they were not there yet.

Mike Brown is great. But whether you love him or hate him, we can all agree that he was very much out-coached in the series against the Magic. He failed to make a significant tweak to his and his team's strategy that proved to effective in improving their chances of winning. He sat on his hands, and let the Magic dicatate that series. And they cruised.

At the same time, what were you gonna do if you were Mike Brown? Who would you have put in that game that could have made a difference and made a play for you? Jawad Williams? Darnell Jackson? Boobie Gibson? Mike Brown is at fault very much, but the talent disparity between the two teams resonated very much as the series went on. The Cavs just had no one who could matchup with the Magic. They were not talented enough, big enough or smart enough. The Magic were just way bigger. And that goes back to Danny Ferry. That goes back to being locked into Szerbiak (13 million), Big Ben (14 million), Gibson etc. That goes back to not adding a piece at the trade deadline. Where are we if we added Shaq O'Neal right now? The pieces that we had were not significant enough to matchup with the Orlando Magic. And they were silly to think that they were.

It's very hard to criticize LeBron James. He's great and he played great in that series. But if you really looked at it, and have looked at him for the past couple seasons, there is just something that is still a miss. There is something about him what he does to be who he is that makes a team inefficient. The fact that he hasn't started to dictate the game with his post game creates inefficiency. The fact that he has to have the ball for a long period of time creates inefficiencies. Everything that he does takes so long. It takes him 10-15 dribbles for him to create anything. That is inefficient. And who was he stopping defensively? Why didn't he accept the challenge to stop Hedo Turkuglu or Rashard Lewis? Was he tired? Yea, he probably was because it takes so much energy for him to create things offensively. I love how he played. I loved how he improved this season. But he has to learn how to be more efficient. His teammates are what we know they are. And that is never gonna change. But LeBron is not perfect. Far from it. And until he learns to be more efficient, a la Kobe Bryant, the team is never gonna get to where it needs to be. You can crucify the other guys on the team all you want, but as long as LeBron is skipping press conferences and turning the ball over and being mediocre on defense, he should share some blame.

The Cavs are in very big trouble. The Magic are the prohibitive favorite to win the East next season. The Celtics are probably going to add a significant piece this summer, and if KG is healthy they will be in an all out sprint to try to cash in 1 more title before the Big 3 are rendered the Small 3. The Lakers aren't gonna go anywhere. Teams all over the league are coming of age. Where do the Cavs fit in next season? Time will tell, but it's gonna be a huge challenge, both on and off the court over the next year and a half. I will be back with some trade and free agent possibilities for the Cavaliers going into the 2009 season.

Tuesday Happenings

"GET OUTTA HERE. I WENT HOME WITH SOME RANDOM. THERE IS NO ONE EVEN CLOSE TO BEING ON MY LEVEL RIGHT NOW." -Derek Smith via text

"Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece."-Ralph Charell

"There are many things of which a wise man might wish to remain ignorant." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

After some debate, I decided to take down the latest post written by Rudy Kirbus. Aside from the fact that it was another disgraceful effort and a frickkin disaster, it also besmirched some of my latest posts. I don't think we need to discuss it any further. I will not tolerate anything that takes food off this blog's table.

KING JAMES

LeBron James is taking a lot of heat for walking off the court without dapping up the Orlando Magic after Game 6. I LOVED IT. I THOUGHT IT WAS SPECTACULAR. I FUCKING HATE THAT ALL THESE GUYS ARE FRIENDS.

All these guys make so much fucking money, and it's all guaranteed. And in a world of rapid free agency, where anyone and everyone can be your teammate next season, it has gotten to a point where you can always question the competitive nature of the sport. It has spawned a mentality of "I got love for everyone, no need to dislike anyone, iz all good, can't knock the hustle, iz all in the game." I hate those feelings as a fan. I don't want all these guys to be friends as a fan. I wanna see these guys hate each other. I want rivalry. I want livelihoods on the line, as a fan. I wanna see what the level of play is like when there is bad blood and raw pride on the line. I know we are never going to be able to return to the days where Kevin McHale tried to decapitate Kurt Rambis on a full speed break. But come on. There has to be a way in which we can increase the level of the game. Look, I know this issue is a one of great delicacy. This is obviously a cultural thing. The NBA is a brotherhood. It is a very exclusive club. A lot of these guys come from nothing, and they have nothing to prove to anyone. I know that the level of play is so high, and it is very entertaining. These guys really get after it. I know the future is bright for the league, and getting brighter. But I would like to see a little more discontent between teams and individuals. I would like to see more rivalries between teams. What if LeBron came out tomorrow, and said I fucking hate Dwight Howard. He's a pussy. And I guarantee we beat the shit out of his sorry team 4-0 next year. How good would that be? What if Chris Paul calls out Chauncey Billups. SOMEBODY STEP UP AND BE A VILLIAN.

Having said all that, I do take umbrage to the fact that King James "snuck out" of the locker room without doing an interview. That's what I don't agree with. That was a chicken shit move. As a professional athlete, practicing and doing interviews is what you get paid for. And when you are the biggest star in the league, that only increases that portion of your job description even more. You gotta man up and give the interviews. It's part of being a professional. You cannot let your poor little teammates, who went through the same 6 game battle that you just went through, stand in the breach and handle all these retarded reporter's questions. It's a move that makes you look very bad in the eyes of the majority.

I have a lot of people I know, who dislike LeBron and talk about his lack of class. And a thing like that only adds to that image. LeBron was more than willing to answer every question after his great shot in game 2. He stood in and talked about that for hours, and took time out of his night to join the ABC crew at half of the Lakers game the next night during their game 3. You gotta take the good with the bad. Suck it up and give them 15 minutes. Anyway, this is mostly a non-issue. I loved one decision, wasn't crazy about the other. I expect him to be fined about $30,000 for not making himself available for the interviews.


THE HILLS

I caught the last 15 minutes of the Hills season finale. I don't watch The Hills. I repeat, I DO NOT WATCH THE HILLS. I stopped watching probably 3 years ago. The Hills is great, and it's a brilliant show. It's absolutely the most genius show maybe ever created. It has taken great restraint on my part to not watch it. But it was doing more harm than good. I remember when I just said, you what, fuck this. It was probably similar to when Chris Byrdman Anderson stopped doing crystal meth. It was fun, but doing more harm than good. What perked my interest and why I didn't just click to a different channel was the re-emergence of Kristin Cavalleri. That chick is SMOKING HOT. And unlike all the skanks and bimbos on that show, I feel like Kristin might do something crazy every time she is on camera. She might turn this brilliant show into something more like the Real World set at 3am. Anyway, she is gonna be on The Hills next season instead of Lauren Conrad (she'll be back within two weeks), which is great. Next season might have to get into my DVR schedule.

A HOLE IN ONE

I would be remiss if I didn't mention a great happening of mine two Sundays ago. I made my first hole in one at Thunder Hill Golf Club in Madison. Hopefully I can make a couple more in my lifetime as a golfer. But it was a great moment. It was on a great par 3. Thunder Hill is the hardest course I have ever played, to the golfers out there. Far and away the hardest course to play, especially the first time. I felt like I was playing very well, and shot 84. That might as well have been a 73 anywhere else. But I hit a great 140 yard 9 iron that landed about 6 inches from the pin, and luckily it funneled into the back of the hole. I knew right when I hit it that it had a chance to be good. I actually said, "go in" shortly after the ball go in the air. Euphoria set in as it disappeared. High fives all around. I almost hit my friend Josh with my club as I kind of flipped it at him in excitement. High fives all around though. Great moment. I am glad my buddy Josh called me to spend the day and play golf. Luckily, there is video tape. So all you non-believers out there can watch. Here it is.