The Starting Five

As the the 2010 NCAA Tournament begins today, it’s a chance for a new star or team that most people around the nation have never heard of to forever etch their name into the lore what has become known as March Madness and have their chance to create their “one shining moment.” For some, it’s also a chance to reflect on the mark they left on the celebrated sporting event. Looking back, all anyone involved with the 2005 Bucknell Bison and Vermont Catamounts could do is smile.

“It is really difficult to point to one part of the whole experience of that game and say that was my favorite part, said Kevin Bettoncourt,” the former guard of Bucknell who is currently an assistant coach to the men’s basketball team at Bentley University in suburban Boston.

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Chris Webber Part IV later today or early tomorrow. This happened over the weekend. Posting it now because of no Monday links.

News on Twitter spreads fast and I think it was Dwele who broke the passing of Baatin on the social network. There was great tribute and respect given after the news struck. I immediately was upset because Slum Village was one of my favorite Hip Hop acts. Grown folk smooth, hardcore rough I used to say about the group because nothing was off limits lyrically and the beats were always Dilla tight. Yeah, anything else just won’t do. I dig that smooth stuff because life is tough enough. When it’s time to chill, I want it easy. Music is peace to me in this particular form. Slum Village speaks to my mind. I could bang Dilla every minute of the day and not listen to anything else.

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Still the death continues in a couple of links below. We’ll obviously never shake it. Interviewing Howard SID Ed Hill today regarding Air McNair. Any football or questions relevant to Air’s life, shoot me an email. Finishing up a piece on Michael Jackson after this is posted.

I’m sure most of you read Whitlock’s he ain’t learn nothing from that wack Sean Taylor death column hit piece on McNair. Can a brotha have a funeral before you kick his casket down the steps? Anybody can write that trash. Seriously. He’s trying to stay relevant. Dude just waits for someone to get into some BS and then slams them for it. Even in death. Nothing is off limits. That’s his hustle. Crap ain’t objective, is not informative, serves no purpose, definitely doesn’t help, exacerbates stereotypical thoughts of Black men by others, is lazy, lacks substance and it straight up sucked.

Fox trot, spam bot, words rot, corporate got, writer not, mouth slot, lip stick shot?

Go ahead, keep getting ya Becky on.

Ya column is garbage.

Have a great hump day. The year is flying by isn’t it?

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(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Damn Damn Damn! What a game. The way Ben Gordon was shooting, I thought he was gonna pat Larry down like Mike did on the left baseline. Ben was en fuego (Temple 3) and hit for 42 on a myriad of difficult positions and angles. So Andrew Toney like he was. But then…

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(AP Photo/Bill Haber)

TNT NBA Thursdays continue on Thursday, March 12 at 8 p.m. ET featuring the Los Angeles Lakers @ San Antonio Spurs followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers @ Phoenix Suns.

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(AP)

Donovan McNabb’s 2008 stats: 333 completions, 550 attempts, 3741 yards, 60.5 %, 21 tds, 11 interceptions for an 85.3 rating.

I bet you think these numbers are low huh?

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The Lake Show continues in LA

In the aftermath of Game 2, most of the blame went towards the officials…however the time is now for Los Angeles to regroup and play like the Western Conference champions that they are. Either that, or prepare for a bitter summer vacation. Read more »

Best basketball video game ever

The NBA Finals have a nostalgic flavor to it, with Los Angeles playing against Boston for all the marbles. If I didn’t know better, I would think I fell into a time portal and landed somewhere in front of a floor model color TV, circa June ’87. That last sentence alone is enough to perplex anyone younger than I, because I’m guessing, the thinking by the younger reader would be…since when did television broadcast in anything but color, and why would anyone place a TV on the floor? Nevertheless, let’s stay on memory lane, but I’d like to talk about a time near and dear to my heart…1990. Read more »

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talked to TNT prior to Game #4

Jackson on San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili’s performance in Game #3: “The impact that (Manu) Ginobili had in the last 18 minutes of the first half (of Game 3) was tremendous. Every time we’d come back, he’d hit a three. We matched scores for a while and obviously, at the end of the half, we fell behind and stayed behind the rest of the game.”

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Barkley on whether or not Spurs guard Manu Ginobili’s performance is crucial to the series: “It’s not about Manu (Ginobili), it’s about (the Spurs) bench. Even if (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Ginobili) have great games, it’s still not enough points to beat the Lakers. (The Spurs) have to hope that their role players: Robert Horry, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and (Ime) Udoka play well at home. We’ve seen that throughout the playoffs…role players play better at home.”

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Ice Man? Is that you?

TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Spurs guard Manu Ginobili before Game #7

Ginobili on if the Spurs can win without a big game from center Tim Duncan: “Yes, I think we can (win without Duncan). He’s a very smart player and every time he is going to get blitzed defensively, he’s going to kick it (out). I think we’ve got good enough shooters to step up. I think we haven’t been making those shots in (New Orleans). If we add that part of the game (and play) solid, steady defense for four quarters…not just three, we have a chance (to win).”

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(Photo: John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer)

Paul Pierce was not getting into that pic

Magic Johnson on the Boston Celtics: “I think Atlanta exposed (the Celtics) that they don’t have great athletes, number one. Number two, where is their leadership? One of those guys has to step forward and say, ‘We’re not playing well and here’s why we’re not playing well and let’s correct it.’ Whatever it is, one of The Big Three has to step forward and get on the other guys and make them say, ‘we’ve got to come with a better effort and be ready for games.’”

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(Photo:Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images)

For the first time in the playoffs, Chris Paul was outplayed by a quicker Tony Parker

Congratulations to Robert Horry for tying Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s NBA playoff games record of 237.

Is he a Hall of Fame Player? Why or why not?

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(AP Photo/Mark J. Terril)
Does this look like a team led by a selfish superstar?

Game 1: Detroit Pistons (86) @ Orlando Magic (111) – The Pistons lead the series 2-1.

Announcers Marv Albert and Reggie Miller with Pam Oliver reporting

Miller on how Pistons center Jason Maxiell has found a successful way to post-up Magic center Dwight Howard: “(Jason Maxiell) has posed a lot of problems for Dwight Howard, who is about four inches taller (than Maxiell). He is using his legs to get underneath Dwight Howard a little bit down low. He’s not worried about the upper body strength of Dwight Howard He’s trying to get into his legs and bring him down to his size.”

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