Campus Longboard

So, as promised, I've got a short video of me longboarding through UVM's campus. Check it out.

Vlog #2! Best Assists!

I present to you my second vlog! This edition includes my opinion of the top 5 assists of the NBA season thus far. Enjoy!

Weather Changes the Game

Rock Skiing

        As we all know, winter is coming to an end. With a week of 70 degree weather it seemed that the end was going to be more abrupt than it is, but just like every other year Vermont's weather finds a way to tease us. After a week of lawn games, beach trips, skipping class and summer clothes we are now forced to wait-out the cloudy, rainy and cold spring. Needless to say mountain resorts are closing and the skiing is limited to only a few remaining groomed trails. Not the ideal conditions for those who've spent there life skiing the same choice mountains. In which case my posts will begin to change over to summer sports.
        I have recently purchased a longboard so for anyone out there with similar interests, I will continue to blog about different routes and roads that are ideal for cruising. Also the weather continues to stay rather cold and rainy so long-boarding conditions are as well, not ideal. However, I urge you to stay tuned because I will be posting a video blog this weekend about one of my favorite routes to take here on UVM's campus.

Spring Has Sprung

Click Here To Play Podcast

Tiger Finally Wins One

Tiger Woods finished 1st on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer invitational, marking his first tournament win since his private life became all too public in 2009 as he was exposed as an adulterer.  Ever since, Tiger has not been himself on the golf course, displaying steady mediocrity for over two years.  There have been minor injury rumors here and there, but there is not a more athletic, in-shape golfer in the world.  Recently he has been showing slow but steady improvement, being 'in the hunt' on Sunday's at a few tournaments but ultimately falling short.  He broke his win-less streak this past Sunday, but Tiger is measured by major tournament wins, as he hope to close the gap between him and Jack Nicklaus as the all time leader in major tournament wins; Nicklaus' record is 18 and Tiger has won 14.  Tiger's recent win comes just at the right time however, as the Masters at Augusta National approaches; a course that he has owned throughout his career and won four times.  Although the young talent Rory Mcilroy has been playing great golf and is currently ranked #1 in the world, considering Tiger's steady improvement and his history of dominance at Augusta, I wouldn't bet against him.  One this is for sure, golf is more exciting when Tiger is in the hunt on Sunday.

Rajon Rondo: The Art of Stealing

In preparation for the release of my second vlog (my opinion of the top 5 assists of the season) on this upcoming Thursday, I thought I would share with you a video made by ESPN that features Boston Celtics PG, Rajon Rondo and "The Art of Stealing". Check it out and look for my vlog on Thursday:

OKC vs. MIA....Potential Finals Matchup?

Last night on ESPN was a game that I had marked on my calendar for quite some time. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat would be going against each other in a potential NBA Finals matchup. OKC has been on a tear all season and have barely been contested atop the western conference. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have been playing unbelievable all season and role players like James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison, and Thabo Sefalosha have given the Thunder a solid chance at a first franchise championship.

The Miami Heat have also played great throughout a majority of the season. They've went back-and-forth with the Chicago Bulls atop the eastern conference all season and have proven everyone that they are a potential threat for this year's championship. LeBron is playing a typical MVP season and both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were all-stars, as well. The recent acquisition of Ronny Turiaf will only help the role players of Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Shane Battier, Norris Cole, and Mario Chalmers. 

To say the least, OKC completely outplayed Miami. The Thunder had five players with over ten points, including 28 points from Kevin Durant. Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka proved that they could easily maintain the big men of Miami. Check out the highlights below:

Whales Tails

 

        As the winter season came and past (and is now lingering) it feels like a good time to look back and reflect. One of the biggest and greatest snow-storms I can remember came this year, and sadly within a week was gone. That being said, unfortunately this season was fairly far from being one of the best. Even spring skiing seemed to come and go as today only the main trails remain open. However snow or not, there is one segment of skiing that i rarely covered this year, one of the biggest and most fun, park.

NBA Bloopers

I'm in the mood to poke fun at NBA players who make a fool of themselves on the floor. I just found these videos online and they made me laugh pretty hard. I got a little bored with the news and opinionated posts that I have been doing and thought that these would be a nice replacement for the time being:

And this one:

Kenny Powers is back!

'Eastbound and Down,' the raunchy comedy series starring Danny McBride, has returned to HBO for a third and possibly final season.  For those who are familiar with Kenny Powers and his antics, the third season promises more of the same, and is more closely aligned with season one being that the setting is back in South Carolina, where KP initially won over fans with his hard partying and ego-maniacal rants.  Season two took Kenny and his loyal follower Stevie Janowski south of the border to Mexico.  I myself was not too keen on the change of setting as Kenny Powers is best appreciated in an American setting in my opinion.  I believe that many tended to agree, as season two was not as well received as season one.  Toward the end of season two Kenny comes back home to find out that his spurned ex-lover April has given birth to a child, and its his.  Season three delivers on what created this series' cult following in the first place, Kenny romping around Myrtle Beach, drinking heavily, doing all sorts of drugs, and most importantly making you laugh out loud with his hilarious and profane monologues, as well as impeccable, idiosyncratic comedic timing.  Furthermore, a Will Ferrell cameo here and there never hurts.

 

For those completely new to the series, the premise is this:  Kenny Powers (Danny McBride), a brash, obnoxious, offensive, mullet-headed star Major League pitcher has a public fall from grace a la John Rocker (I am convinced that the character must be loosely based on Rocker considering the similarities) and goes from being wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, to living with his brother back in his hometown, working as a gym teacher at the local high school.  That's about it, and the rest of the series revolves around his ego and his attempts to slowly climb back up to the major leagues.  There is a considerable amount of fairly realistic in-game baseball footage, as Powers is currently playing minor league ball in Myrtle Beach.  If you are a sports fan, or a fan of great, edgy comedy, you will like this show.  If you are both, you will love this show.  I had trouble finding a really good summary type youtube clip, but here's a pretty good one from the first season with some Will Ferrell action which I'm sure everyone can appreciate.  God bless Kenny Powers.

Peyton Manning Chooses to Take His Hall Of Fame Arm to Denver, Forcing Tebowmania to Take a Hike

Manning With His Broncos Jersery

In a bit of a surprise decision, Peyton Manning, the four-time NFL MVP agrees to a deal with the Denver Broncos, a team that seemed to slip into his favor at the last moment. For a while it seemed like the 11-time Pro-Bowler was either going to land with the Tennessee Titans or the San Francisco 49ers. It was just in the last couple days that Denver made it apparent just how ready they were to invest in Manning and they surged ahead of the others to claim their franchise quarterback. The deal is reportedly worth $96 million over the next five years. The contract seems a bit pricey for a soon-to-be 36 year-old coming off a season completely derailed by a neck injury, but I’m guessing the Broncos are willing to take the chance on Manning because of his legendary status in this league. The man is a proven winner and there is only a short list of NFL teams that wouldn’t replace their own quarterback for Manning.

Elway

Unbeknownst to the media for some time the Broncos head executive has had his eye on Manning since the day the Colts released him. NFL Hall of Famer and former Bronco great John Elway knew that getting Manning would be the ultimate score in this off-season. Elway has always admired the play of the former Colt and for good reason. Not only does Manning have stellar statistics that would be good enough for most, but he also plays in a style similar to Elway’s, almost imitating his mannerisms at times. It was the perfect fit for Elway. By making this move he could bring back the glory days of old to the city supported him for so many seasons and Manning would be under the tutelage of one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the league. Sounds like a win-win right?

Tebow Walking on Water

Not so fast. The signing wasn’t really a victory for every Bronco. The arrival of Manning also brings an end to the era of Tim Tebow in the Mile–High City a bit sooner than most sports fans were expecting. The second year player out of the University of Florida created quite a bit of hysteria last season when took over at quarterback for the Broncos after replacing starter Kyle Orton. The Broncos were 1-5, bottom of the AFC West division, and the fans were begging for Tebow, the former Heisman Trophy winner and college phenom, to be put in as starter. Denver coach John Fox, although not the biggest fan of Tebow, saw the season slipping away and realized that the team probably couldn’t be doing any worse than they already were and took a chance on him. Then Tebowmania took over. He rattled off a 6-1 record in his first 7 starts and took the Broncos from the basement to tops in their division. Tebow took the world by storm in just a couple weeks. His jersey sales skyrocketed, families in Denver started changing all of their children’s names to variations of Tim (Timmy, Timothy, and Timothina for girls), and as he continued to lead the Broncos to victory people actually started to believe that Tebow was in the second coming of Christ (Surprisingly only one of those statements is made up).

As great a season as he had, Tebow never truly gained the favor of the people who make the important decisions in Denver. They would not commit to him even after he brought them from being a dumpster of the league to playoff participant in less than a season. When news that Manning had been released broke I doubt Tebow ever thought his job was completely safe. He just wasn’t whom they wanted in Denver, as well liked as the guy was by fans. Now, most likely, Tebowmania will be shipped off to a new city and hopefully he can show the Broncos just what they are missing out on.

 

Shit Skiers Say

       Now that the last week has been sunshine and 60 degree's out here in burlington, its starting to feel like the end of winter and the beginning of summer. Thinking back on this season there was a comical phase that I forgot to mention on the blog, and thought I should share. So I'm sure that everyone has watched one or more of those videos on Youtube that are titled "shit ___ say(s)". Truth is most of them are actually pretty well done and hilarious. Its called "Shit Skiers Say" and it is, well, spot on.

Trade Deadline: Grades!

The 2012 NBA trade deadline just recently passed and there were some definite shockers that went down. Yes, Dwight Howard may still be in Orlando, but some of the other trades that went down were completely unexpected and pretty enticing:

Denver Nuggets: A+
The Denver Nuggets walked away from the trade deadline with a huge grin. They dumped an over-priced, injury prone center in Nene and received the ultra-talented young gun, Javale McGee. Also, the Nuggets obtained veteran big man, Ronny Turiaf and also managed to free up a roster spot so that they can sign Wilson Chandler, who is currently finishing out his contract in China.

Los Angeles Clippers: A-
The Clippers walked away with an absolute steal. They simply traded a 2nd round draft pick in exchange for the high scoring Nick Young. The Clippers could really use another big body, but it's hard to argue with this trade. The Clippers are getting better and better.

Washington Wizards: F

Javale McGee

Theres a reason the Wizards suck so bad, and it starts with their management apparently. Swapping McGee for Nene, who is nearly six years older and far more expensive is idiotic. Swapping Nick Young for a draft pick was also pretty silly. Good job, Washington.

Milwaukee Bucks: A-
Milwaukee certainly benefits from this trade. Milwaukee traded away injury-prone big man, Andrew Bogut and trouble maker, Stephen Jackson to the Warriors in exchange for Monte Ellis, Epke Udoh, and Kwame Brown. This is a no brainer for me. Monte Ellis will certainly take over the scoring load that Jackson previously provided and both Udoh and Brown will be solid replacement for Bogut, who seems to always be injured, anyways.

Monte Ellis

Golden State Warriors: D+
Technically, the Warriors only received Andrew Bogut out of this deal. Stephen Jackson has already been moved to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Richard Jefferson, which is a decent deal. Bogut is an injury waiting to happen. He is one of the best centers in the league, but injuries are slowly ruining his career.

Los Angeles Lakers: A
The Lakers traded away arguably their two worst players (Jason Kapono and Luke Walton) for a starting point guard in Ramon Sessions that they so desperately needed. This trade deadline has made me notice that GM's are stupid most of the time. The Lakers must be psyched! The Lakers also traded away their currenty starting point guard in Derek Fisher for a much younger and promising big man, Jordan Hill.

Cleveland Cavaliers: F
How could they make this trade?! They gave away their promising guard in Ramon Sessions for a couple of crappy wing players that hardly ever play. Have fun sucking, Cleveland.

Ramon Sessions

Houston Rockets: C+
They traded away a young and promising center, but they also will receive Derek Fisher, a veteran leader who can mentor this young Rockets team towards playoff success. The Rockets got even older with the addition of Marcus Camby, but maybe veteran leadership is what this young team needs.

Portland Trail Blazers: C+
Trading away Marcus Camby is a tough one because I honestly love this guy, but in exchange, they obtained two former lottery picks in Hasheem Thabeet and Jonny Flynn from the Houston Rockets. The Blazers give up an aging center for two young, promising players.

San Antonio Spurs: C-
Giving up Richard Jefferson for a more expensive Stephen Jackson may not have been the best move. Sure, Jackson will make your team better, but financially, this could have waited and the Spurs could have been more patient.

Corn Snow Already?

     Could it be that Spring-Skiing is here? Retro-jackets, Cut-off Jeans, Corn-Snow, Tailgating...? IT SURE IS. With the weather getting warmer and warmer the slopes are getting softer and softer, the parking lots louder and louder, and the goggle tans darker and darker. 

     During spring-break when all college students were out partying and soaking up the sun on beautiful foreign beaches, I was working at Smuggs (not the worst job when considering I get to ski for free and only have to work for a total of 20ish hours ever winter). For the past couple weekends the parking-lots have been BUMPING. People are out in the sun grilling, playing music, talking about that sweet line they found and by all means drinking. 

     This is debatable the BEST time to go skiing. After a long (or incredibly short) winter filled with TONS of snow (or non, really) and COLD temps the spring brings out the most fun crowds. Everyone's out having FUN in the SUN, and its something that every skier and snowboarder alike should take part in. Lift stations start playing music and the entire mountain vibe cruises to a new level.

     I've been hearing a lot of people around campus complain about the lack of snow this winter. And with all this current warm weather the complaints just keep getting louder. Well i'm trying to tell you guys to NOT listen to them and get out there and ski, because its just FUN from here on out.

End of An Era: Peyton Manning Parts From The Colts After 14 Seasons

This time last year I would have laughed in someone’s face  if they had told me that Peyton Manning would be released by the  Indianapolis Colts this off-season. It would have seemed like a completely unrealistic idea for such an event to occur. Manning is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, with a record setting four MVP awards and some of the most prodigious and gaudy passing statistics of anyone who has ever played the game. In his career he also led the Colts to a Super Bowl victory in 2006. It was their first appearance in the big game since days of  legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas. Manning had clearly become the face of the franchise so it would have come as a real shock to me for any such releasing to take place, but that is exactly what happened last week, the long-standing relationship came to an end and I found myself feeling a bit dazed. A teary-eyed Peyton delivered the news in a press conference and the story immediately took the sporting world by storm.

Yeah Manning is getting up there in age (he turns 36 in two weeks), and yeah he was out all last season with a neck injury that essentially left the Colts without a quarterback, but still the relationship between the “Midwest Mustangs” (my own little nickname I’ve coined for them in order to not say Colts over and over again) and Manning seemed like a bond too thick to sever. Apparently no union is too strong to be broken, even if you increased the worth of the very franchise releasing you by 366%. That’s right, Manning and the success he brought to “Hoosier Ponies” (second nickname, both are most certainly copyrighted, so don’t try to steal them) increased the team’s worth by $233 million dollars over his 14-year tenure in Indy. These ridiculous facts are not something that I heard from an unreliable source like my Sicilian uncle Mickie, no these were based on a Forbes Magazine study that was done on all 32 NFL teams. In 1998 when Manning was drafted first overall out of University of Tennessee to the “I-Town Pre-Pubescent Horses” (Yeah I did it again, I’m pretty sure I could go all day) their worth was last in the league a whopping $47 million below the league median team value.  Although the entire NFL has seen an increase in the same timespan (the average increase was about a 263%) however, the Colts surge was over 100% more than that and most of the upswing can attributed to Manning and his awesomeness.

So now the entire league is at a bit of a loss for words. I would guess that most of the NFL teams in the league were just as shocked as I was to see this story unfold but that does not mean that they are not chomping at the bit to claim the highly-touted free agent for themselves. Manning has the skill to take a below-par franchise to the playoffs or a mid-level team to the Super Bowl, he is truly that good. More than a dozen teams have already contacted the 11-time Pro Bowler since last week in hopes of landing him in their cities. Peyton is like the Moby Dick of free agency, the great white whale. So far however, most teams are looking a bit like Captain Ahab, as none have seemed to catch (pun intended) his eye. Surely sometime in the near future a team will win the Manning sweepstakes and be far better off for it. His time is Indy is over but it is clear that his career is not, now I just need to get used to the idea of seeing his name on a jersey without a horseshoe on it.

Sports Injuries: They Suck.

We see it all the time. A simple twist of the knee or an awkward landing on an arm. Sports injuries happen all the time. I've been lucky enough to escape with only a broken hand and a few sprained ankles during my time playing sports (so far), but I have friends who have suffered much worse. Injuries suck. They can happen to anyone. From youngsters to pro athletes, no one can escape the wrath of injury. However, for the Boston Celtics, two of their players are suffering from injuries that aren't necessarilly obtained from playing basketball.

Jeff Green

Jeff Green, the promising 6'8" small forward, has missed the entire season due to an aortic aneurism in his heart that could very well have killed him. During the preseason, he was going in for his typical physical examination when doctors noticed the heart issue.

Chris Wilcox

Chris Wilcox, the veteran 6'10" center, has recently been ruled out indefinitely because of some startling results from his most recent heart examination. It is not 100% clear what is wrong with Chris' heart, but it has resulted in the loss of his availability to the team and coach Doc Rivers said, "They're going to run a bunch of tests on him".

Both of these players are incredible physical specimens and played through their injuries for a long time before ever finding out about issues with their heart's. Had it not been for the amazing medical technology that we possess, maybe they would have never have found out. Injuries and malfunctions in the body are not always painful immediately, but could result in much more pain for other's around you. These two basketball players are millionaires that have the fortune of having highly trained medical staff keeping good care of them. Not all people have the money or the fortune for this type of care. Take good care of your body's and don't take anything for granted in this crazy world of our's!

MLB '12: The Show - Yay for Video Games!

For the second volume of my spring training edition, I would like to shift focus from the actual sport to the playable video simulation version.  I grew up playing Baseball, and in High School played Varsity in the Spring, and some other league in every other season (AAU in the Summer, indoor league at the Edge in Williston during the Winter, 'Fall Ball' and so on).  In my experience, it is the most difficult sport as far as all around skills required to play at a high level.  Sports scientists argue, the simple physics of trying to hit a small round ball with a round bat, especially the ball is traveling 90 mph or 80 mph with a whole bunch of movement, is the hardest thing to do in sports.  I tend to agree.  However, pressing the X button on a PS3 controller is quite easy.  Being that I am currently recovering from my third shoulder surgery and will never be able to throw a baseball again, I have gained an appreciation for sports simulation video games.  I don't even like Soccer, but the FIFA video game franchise is awesome; few would disagree.  Regarding the other major sports, NBA 2K, Madden, and NHL (EA sports) have established themselves as the premier games available.  MLB: The Show is following in FIFA's footsteps as far as year in and year out releasing an extremely high quality sports simulation.  The most recent edition of 'The Show' came out a few days ago and although I can't yet say that its better than last year's version, probably because I was just partial to that one and very used to it, its another great installment and a true Baseball simulation in every sense of the word.

Even the difficulty of Baseball is transmitted to the screen.  Although pressing buttons on a controller might be easy as far as a physical activity, the game is actually pretty hard especially if you play online as I do.  It's not a pick up and play arcade style sports game, and requires some knowledge of the sport to succeed.  I won't go into detail about the game's features and whatnot, because frankly that's not very interesting and this isn't a video game blog.  For all you gamers, I'm sure you know where to find an in-depth review online.  But here is a look at the realism of the presentation and some of the game play.  It's best appreciated in full screen mode, so if you have trouble full-screening you can simply click on the center of the video image and it will bring you to the original youtube video.  'The Show' is without question the best Baseball video game out there, and it is exclusive to the PS3.  So for those with an XBOX, sucks for you.

Spring is in The Air - Let 'The Show' Go On

It's spring training season as Major League Baseball takes its talents down Florida way, or wherever else it's sunny and warm (and has good golf courses).  Some major personnel moves were made this off season, most notably Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder, two elite power hitting first baseman who were formally in the National League and now play for American League ball clubs (Angels and Tigers respectively).  Neither plays first base exceptionally well and I'm sure will be glad to slide into the DH (designated hitter) role on occasion; which they were unable to do in the National League.

The Red Sox and Braves are going to try and redeem themselves from their epic meltdowns towards the end of last regular season that led to both high-octane, high salary teams missing the playoffs.  Theo Epstein, the young GM (General Manager) that helped bring a Word Series victory to Boston for the first time in 86 years (at the time the second longest championship drought in Major League Baseball) has moved on from the Red Sox and joined the Chicago Cubs.  The Cubs, much like the Red Sox, are a storied franchise with a loyal fan-base and a ballpark that could be considered a historic landmark.  Oh and by the way, they haven't won a World Series since 1908.  As the Cubs haven't won it all in over a century now, saying that Cubs fans are hungry for a team that can contend for a championship is an understatement.  'Weary' might be a more appropriate adjective than hungry, and yet with Theo Epstein coming to town there is cause for hope.  Epstein constructed a championship squad in Boston that broke their legendary cold streak, and fans in Chicago would be forever grateful if he could do so once again.  For those who saw the Oscar nominated film "Moneyball" Epstein utilized a similar empirical method for player-scouting and roster-building that was 'invented' by the Oakland A's Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt) and his assistant (Jonah Hill).  Granted the Red Sox had a much larger payroll to work with in '04 than the A's have ever had.  Nevertheless, Epstein has proven himself as a fine executive and one of Baseball's best young minds.

Epstein certainly has a formidable challenge ahead of him as the Cubs were a pitiful 71-91 last season, but I suppose that's the point.  I wish the Cubs and Theo the best, and sincerely hope he can bring the same satisfaction to Cubs fans as he did to Red Sox fans in '04.  UVM students were so satisfied, in fact, that they drunkenly rioted in the streets and set a car or two on fire, if I remember correctly.

I am very excited to watch how the 2012 season unfolds, it would be hard to top the excitement of last year, but with a new expanded playoff format (now 10 teams in instead of 8), anything is possible, especially in sports.

Let The Trade Rumors Begin!

It's that time of the season, NBA fans. The time of the year when the trade deadline is just a couple of weeks away and all of the analysts are being completely irrational as they bring up just about every player's possible trade status. Pau Gasol is too weak, Rajon Rondo is too stubborn, Dwight Howard is just being Dwight Howard, and so on. Television analysts from all sports networks continue to babble on and on about nothing. They're bored and figure that they mind as well just talk about players leaving their teams. Sure, there will obviously be some last minute trades (like there are every year), but this year has been particularly annoying. Once that trade deadline passes, general managers and coaches are stuck with the team they have (unless they sign a free agent). It's TV analysts like these that sometimes push GM's into making hasty decisions, in my opinion.

Tim Duncan

What ever happened to players staying with the same team for the entirety of their career? This is basically a lost art at this point in the NBA's development. Paul Pierce, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki are the only four players in the league that have played for more than 10 years with one team. This is pathetic. There used to be a time when it was shocking to see a trade happen. Nearly all players stayed with their respective teams and didn't strive to team up with 1 or 2 other superstars to increase the chance of winning a championship. They worked TOGETHER to make their team better. Sure, Bird and Magic could have potentially played together and won more championships, but instead, they wanted to beat each other to a pulp and represent their cities. The NBA has taken a change for the worse in these regards. The Boston Celtics, for example, only have 4 players remaining from their 2008 championship team and it may be down to 3 soon! Rather than working to develop young players, coaches are just ditching them and looking for better talent. These young players need to be trained and have enough potential to be great. The age of social media and fast-paced advertising is giving the news industries the upper hand on the people who REALLY decide who comes and goes.