Wednesday, September 6, 2017
2017 Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl or Bust
The 2016 Pittsburgh Steelers season ended in New England in disappointing fashion; the Steelers fell 36-17. The secondary was picked apart by future hall fame quarterback Tom Brady and company. Since then there has been some uncertainty about the future of the Steel Curtain. How long will Ben Roethlisberger be the team before retiring? Will Le’veon Bell stay healthy for a full 16 games. How dangerous are the Steelers with Martavis Bryant and a healthy Cam Hayward? Lastly can the secondary players help the Steelers, rather than hinder them? The Steelers are at the point where it is a do or die situation. What do you think?
Uncertainty at Quarterback and Running back
Entering the 2017 season the Steelers had questions to answer, would Ben Roethlisberger return and would Le’veon Bell ever rejoin the Black N Gold? Roethlisberger was the first to come around, one day after losing the AFC Championship, the franchise quarterback had said he was not sure if he would return. Roethlisberger is signed through the 2019 season but was contemplating retirement after the 2016 season. For Steeler fans and the organization, this should be a scary thought as the depth at quarterback is nonexistent. Big Ben decided early in the offseason to return for at this point could be a last ride, all in season. The 14-year veteran understands that his window is closing to win, part of that window is having a dynamic two position running back.
All summer long, the question in Pittsburgh and around the NFL was what was going to happen with Le’veon Bell? Bell, a star both running the ball and catching the ball out of the backfield, was given a franchise tag earning him $12.12 million dollars, yet Bell was absent from training camp and the preseason. This action caught Bell a lot of heat, both from national and local media but let us look at it. For the first time in his career, Bell is entering the 2017 season 100% healthy and able to play. He himself said he did it not because he was upset with the franchise tag, but more he wanted to stay and be healthy for the season. This season being a do or die year for him, Bell is looking at the big picture he realizes this is a brand-new opportunity to prove himself, that he is worth being paid as a #1 running back and a #2 wide receiver. With the mentality of these two being out to prove something, Roethlisberger trying to win one more ring and Bell playing for a contract the offensive side of the ball for the Black N Gold and “Yinzer” nation looks very good.
Welcome back Martavis and Heyward
The Steelers will get an added boost on both sides of the ball, on offense fresh a year suspension Martavis Bryant and his 14 career touchdowns, and Cam Heyward the defensive team captain returning from injury on the defensive side of the ball. Martavis Bryant was suspended for the entire 2016 for violating the NFL substance abuse policy following his second violation of the rule. Which means the Steelers were without the 6’4 wide receiver who in 21 career games has 76 receptions for 1,314 yards and 14 touchdowns. With his return, you can open the offensive threats with a true number 2 receiver opposite Antonio Brown, who can stretch the field for the other offensive weapons in the Steelers arsenal. Bryant can stretch the field and keep defenses in check. Also returning healthy for the Steelers in the middle of the defensive line is Cam Heyward, who only appeared in seven games before a season ending injury halted what looks to be a promising career for the six-year pro out of Ohio State. In 7 games last season, Heyward accounted for 3 sacks and 17 solo tackles. With the front Defensive line regain its leader the defense in Pittsburgh is poised to return to what was once know as the steel curtain with disruption up front which forces offensive units to become one sided. If the Steelers front seven can cause problems up front, it should be a good year for the defensive unit for the Black N Gold.
Young Linebackers and Improved Secondary
James Harrison enters the season as a backup to the younger unknown Watt and Ross Cockrell is out in the secondary with Pittsburghs addition of veteran Joe Haden at corner. In the draft, the Steelers drafted younger brother of All-Pro JJ Watt, TJ watt since being drafted has done nothing but be impressive. In his first preseason game, he registered 2 sacks and the sky has been the limit since. Earlier in the offseason, linebacker coach Joey Porter had already named him the starter over Veteran James Harrison who famously had the 99-yard interception for a touchdown in the last Super Bowl for the Steelers. To many, Harrison has been an ageless wonder has even been impressed by the young Watt’s performance. Time will tell, but the Steelers seem to have a good young group in the linebackers that can cause a lot of problems for opposing offensive units.
Late in the offseason and preseason, the Steelers needed to address the secondary; they did so in the tail end of the preseason adding, all pro corner and former Cleveland Brown Joe Haden. He will be responsible for most teams number 2 receiver which gives the Steelers two number 1 corners on the field with second year Artie Burns cover the number ones. The Steelers also added help and depth in the safety position trading for JJ Wilcox who can fill in for injured safety Mike Mitchel. All in all, the secondary is 10000 percent better than it was last year entering the AFC championship game.
The 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers have gone above and beyond to prove they are all chips in, Super Bowl or bust this season. Time will tell if they made the right moves and can get over the hump of that team up north in New England. As all roads always seem to lead there. I predict another AFC North title for the Black N Gold. My question for you, is did they do enough to beat New England?
This article is in dedication and remembrance of Chuck Kern 1958-2017. This year is for you Chuck all the best buddy I know you are going to have the best seat in the house for all the games this year!
Written by:
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited
References
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/ben-roethlisberger-3595/stats-valuation/
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BellLe00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BryaMa00.htm
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HeywCa01.htm
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates: When Hope and Disappointme Collide
The 2017 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates did not start off well, to say the least. It started in the summer, when the team was actively shopping around star center fielder Andrew McCutchen, almost dealing the center fielder for now Chicago Cubs starter Josè Quintana. Then the Pirates found out that third baseman Jung Ho Kang was having trouble receiving a visa, following some DUI problems in his native country of South Korea. If that was not bad enough, left fielder and two-time Gold Glove Winner Starling Marte was suspended 80 games for his use of performance enhancers. Through all that, the Pirates have remained in the thick of the National League Central race. The things that jump out as why they can not get over the hump are countless, but this season has not been all bad. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly are what we are going to look at. The basics are the fans of Pirates baseball are loyal but are getting fed up with the ownership, and that is apparent in the increasingly dropping numbers both in attendance and viewership. What do you think is it an ownership issue, refusing to spend money to improve? Could it be that Clint Hurdle has lost his power in the clubhouse? I think it is the first of the two but what do you think?
The Good
After many years of platooning players, the likes of Gabby Sanchez, Garret Jones, and that failed experiment with Pedro Alvarez at first base. The Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have found their long time starting first baseman, Josh Bell. Bell has grown in the position throughout the 2017 season and although he has not perfected it yet, the upside with Bell seems to be great. At the age of 24, the young first basemen has provided a much needed offensive spark to the Pirates lineup, batting .264 with 118 hits and 22 home runs. Bell has only 9 errors while posting a .991 fielding percentage, not to bad for an outfielder who was converted out of necessity. Look for Bell to continue to improve his fielding, while continuing to provide an offensive spark for the “Battling Buccos”.
The other bright spot for the 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates is the bottom 3rd of the starting pitching rotation and closer. Trevor Williams and Chad Kuhl have provided stability at the bottom half of the rotation and continue to improve; they need to get better at working deeper into games would be the knock against them. What they provide the Pirates with is a chance to get a W on the 4th and 5th day when the top 3 starters on the mound. If these two can bring the earned run averages down from the slightly above 4.00 they are at now and work deeper into games, these two could be a dangerous end to a pretty solid pitching rotation the Pirates have. The other brilliantly bright spot has been closer Felipe Rivero. The 26-year-old Venezuelan has been all but lights out coming out of the bullpen. Rivero has a 1.25 ERA and is under contract with the Pirates through 2022. Things are looking up if the Pirates can utilize the young closer effectively.
The Bad
The Bad must start with Gerrit Cole, who wants to be called an ace and be paid as such and he is the outright ace for this Pittsburgh pitching staff. Cole has been inconsistent at best and seems to still allow small things to adversely affect him throughout the game. A call does not go his way, a play does not get made on the field or he gives up a homer, and it is a toss-up what Cole you will get on the mound for the rest of the game. I understand that his frustration level must be high given last season and this season out comes, but to be an ace you must be the man the club knows is going to give them the best chance to win. For a large portion of this season, it was a toss up between Cole and counter part Ivan Nova for the title of ace. Cole through this point has a 3.99 ERA and a 11-8 record. If Cole wants to be a true star in the league he will need to improve his numbers. It is also unlikely that Pirates fans will see Cole in a Pirate uniform after this season, as he has expressed little interest in returning when his contract expires in 2020. The Pirates have to hope that opinion changes or they will have to move him and get something worthwhile in return, not just prospects, the Pirates norm for star caliber players when moving them.
Lack of effort to improve the team at the trade deadline is the other Bad for this list and probably could and should be above the Cole issue. At the trade deadline, the Pirates were right in the thick of the Central race, sitting in third or fourth but within striking distance of the division title. Neal Huntington who has over priced and valued many of his prospects stood firm as the deadline approached. On the day of the trade deadline, the only moves that were made was adding Joequin Benoit from the Phillies, who has just been completely awful. Then while players like Neal Walker, and Jay Bruce were being claimed on waivers the Pirates decided to bring back a familiar face in Sean Rodriguez. This is pretty much par for the course for a General Manager who has had his budget from ownership and over value of prospects hinder his ability to improve the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Ugly
The inconsistency of the team, one week they can win 6 of 8 and the following week they will go 1-8. The fact that Clint Hurdle is forced to trot out the likes of John Jaso, David Freese on a regular basis, Sean Rodriguez and a handful of minor leaguers. These guys are good, solid bench players but are not every day players. The fact that Hurdle’s hand was forced after losing third baseman Jung ho Kang and Gold Glover Starling Marte due to off the field issues. Gregory Palanco, who when is in the lineup shows he can anchor the bottom part of the batting order, but has been injured and inconsistent at his best. You cannot blame Hurdle for this season because of what he had to work with, but some of his in game decisions making has been questionable at best.
This brings me to the biggest Ugly of them all, Bob Nutting refusing to do anything financial to improve the club, with a payroll of $109,154,936, ranking the Pirates 23rd of 30 teams. It is like watching the movie Major League in real life, and then to put the icing on the cake, Mr. Nutting and company have recently came out and publicly said they are disappointed in the Fan Base. No Mr. Nutting, the Fan base is disappointed in you. You continue to grow your wealth, but show no interest in improving your ball club and put a worth while product out on the field; it is an embarrassment and you should be disappointed in only yourself. What is next, are you going to hire Ricky “wild thing” Vaugh from the California Prison League and Lou Brown to manage after he sells those whitewall of course?
In closing, the Battling Buccos are not quite mathematically eliminated yet with 30 games left to play, but the window is closing and the things mentioned above are factors. The true fans will stick around for another year of hopes and dreams, but I think it is growing more and more obvious that the fan base has become disheartened and fed up with the lack of effort from the front office and above; the team and fans are suffering from the higher ups’ incompetence or just lack of care. That is what I think, let me know what you think!
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Daniel Bishop
Reference
http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-pirates
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/belljo02.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riverfe01.shtml
http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/payroll/
The Good
After many years of platooning players, the likes of Gabby Sanchez, Garret Jones, and that failed experiment with Pedro Alvarez at first base. The Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have found their long time starting first baseman, Josh Bell. Bell has grown in the position throughout the 2017 season and although he has not perfected it yet, the upside with Bell seems to be great. At the age of 24, the young first basemen has provided a much needed offensive spark to the Pirates lineup, batting .264 with 118 hits and 22 home runs. Bell has only 9 errors while posting a .991 fielding percentage, not to bad for an outfielder who was converted out of necessity. Look for Bell to continue to improve his fielding, while continuing to provide an offensive spark for the “Battling Buccos”.
The other bright spot for the 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates is the bottom 3rd of the starting pitching rotation and closer. Trevor Williams and Chad Kuhl have provided stability at the bottom half of the rotation and continue to improve; they need to get better at working deeper into games would be the knock against them. What they provide the Pirates with is a chance to get a W on the 4th and 5th day when the top 3 starters on the mound. If these two can bring the earned run averages down from the slightly above 4.00 they are at now and work deeper into games, these two could be a dangerous end to a pretty solid pitching rotation the Pirates have. The other brilliantly bright spot has been closer Felipe Rivero. The 26-year-old Venezuelan has been all but lights out coming out of the bullpen. Rivero has a 1.25 ERA and is under contract with the Pirates through 2022. Things are looking up if the Pirates can utilize the young closer effectively.
The Bad
The Bad must start with Gerrit Cole, who wants to be called an ace and be paid as such and he is the outright ace for this Pittsburgh pitching staff. Cole has been inconsistent at best and seems to still allow small things to adversely affect him throughout the game. A call does not go his way, a play does not get made on the field or he gives up a homer, and it is a toss-up what Cole you will get on the mound for the rest of the game. I understand that his frustration level must be high given last season and this season out comes, but to be an ace you must be the man the club knows is going to give them the best chance to win. For a large portion of this season, it was a toss up between Cole and counter part Ivan Nova for the title of ace. Cole through this point has a 3.99 ERA and a 11-8 record. If Cole wants to be a true star in the league he will need to improve his numbers. It is also unlikely that Pirates fans will see Cole in a Pirate uniform after this season, as he has expressed little interest in returning when his contract expires in 2020. The Pirates have to hope that opinion changes or they will have to move him and get something worthwhile in return, not just prospects, the Pirates norm for star caliber players when moving them.
Lack of effort to improve the team at the trade deadline is the other Bad for this list and probably could and should be above the Cole issue. At the trade deadline, the Pirates were right in the thick of the Central race, sitting in third or fourth but within striking distance of the division title. Neal Huntington who has over priced and valued many of his prospects stood firm as the deadline approached. On the day of the trade deadline, the only moves that were made was adding Joequin Benoit from the Phillies, who has just been completely awful. Then while players like Neal Walker, and Jay Bruce were being claimed on waivers the Pirates decided to bring back a familiar face in Sean Rodriguez. This is pretty much par for the course for a General Manager who has had his budget from ownership and over value of prospects hinder his ability to improve the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Ugly
The inconsistency of the team, one week they can win 6 of 8 and the following week they will go 1-8. The fact that Clint Hurdle is forced to trot out the likes of John Jaso, David Freese on a regular basis, Sean Rodriguez and a handful of minor leaguers. These guys are good, solid bench players but are not every day players. The fact that Hurdle’s hand was forced after losing third baseman Jung ho Kang and Gold Glover Starling Marte due to off the field issues. Gregory Palanco, who when is in the lineup shows he can anchor the bottom part of the batting order, but has been injured and inconsistent at his best. You cannot blame Hurdle for this season because of what he had to work with, but some of his in game decisions making has been questionable at best.
This brings me to the biggest Ugly of them all, Bob Nutting refusing to do anything financial to improve the club, with a payroll of $109,154,936, ranking the Pirates 23rd of 30 teams. It is like watching the movie Major League in real life, and then to put the icing on the cake, Mr. Nutting and company have recently came out and publicly said they are disappointed in the Fan Base. No Mr. Nutting, the Fan base is disappointed in you. You continue to grow your wealth, but show no interest in improving your ball club and put a worth while product out on the field; it is an embarrassment and you should be disappointed in only yourself. What is next, are you going to hire Ricky “wild thing” Vaugh from the California Prison League and Lou Brown to manage after he sells those whitewall of course?
In closing, the Battling Buccos are not quite mathematically eliminated yet with 30 games left to play, but the window is closing and the things mentioned above are factors. The true fans will stick around for another year of hopes and dreams, but I think it is growing more and more obvious that the fan base has become disheartened and fed up with the lack of effort from the front office and above; the team and fans are suffering from the higher ups’ incompetence or just lack of care. That is what I think, let me know what you think!
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Daniel Bishop
Reference
http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-pirates
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/belljo02.shtml
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riverfe01.shtml
http://www.spotrac.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/payroll/
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Back to Back Champions: “Elvis Has Just Left the Building”
The whistle heard around the hockey world. A non-goal that should have have been a goal early in the second period was not the straw that broke the Nashville Predators’ back, but the beginning of the end. The Pittsburgh Penguins led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Matt Murray captured their third title during the “Crosby Malkin Era” and fifth in franchise history this past Sunday. The path for both teams was not an easy one. The Penguins, love them or hate them, played with a largely depleted lineup, and had to go through a Nashville Team that was 9-1 on home ice coming into Sunday's game. The controversy, the awful officiating and the hostile Nashville fans made for a great feeling back in Pittsburgh with 1:35 left on the clock. Patrick Hornqvist, the former Nashville Predators, sent his former team to the golf course on the 87th day of playoff hockey. How did he do it? The only way Hornqvist would, starting in front of the net and finishing with a goal from behind the net that banked off Pekka Rennee’s back and into the net. What did you think of the service? How did you feel about the NHL playoffs as a hole? Does this make this Pittsburgh Penguins team in the same category as other great NHL dynasties? Without a shadow of doubt this team deserves to be in the Conversation that's for sure.
The Whistle that Should Not Have Been
Kevin Pollok was out of position at 18:53 of the second period when a shot from Filip Forsberg rifled a shot to the left of Matt Murray. From Pollok’s vantage point that was the end of the play and Murray had frozen the puck. While Pollok was blowing his whistle due to losing site of the puck, Colton Sissons put the clearly loose puck in the back of the net. Pollok blowing his whistle early robbed the Predators of a 1-0 lead "You can discuss that all you want. Obviously 1-0 is better than a tight game. I think it should have been a goal but at the same time you can't do anything about it," Forsberg said. This was a shot to the heart of the Predators, but did not cost them the game. For 32 seconds of the third period the Predators had a 5-3 power play when they failed to capitalize, the momentum from killing that penalty carried the Penguins to the closing minutes of the game. That is when the former Nashville Predator struck with 1:35 left in a pivotal game six of the Stanley Cup Finals.
A Trade Comes Full Circle
On July 27th, 2014, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded James Neal to the Nashville Predators for Patrick Hornqvist. With 1:35 left to play in game 6 of the Stanley Cup final, that trade came full circle and Hornqvist broke the hearts of an entire city. Scoring a goal against his former team to win the Stanley Cup made it that much more special. "This is where I've been playing most of my games and to win it and score that goal here, it couldn't end any better for me." How did he do it you ask? The same way Hornqvist has made a name for himself since his arrival in Pittsburgh, causing havoc in front of the net, chasing down a loose puck, and banking it off the back of Pekka Rinne. With 14 seconds left to play Carl Hagelin slammed to door shut on the Predators and locked up the Penguins third Stanley cup in the Crosby, Malkin era. They also become the first team to repeat as champions since the 97’-98’ Detroit Redwings, and the first team to do so in the salary cap era.
The best and worst thing that could have happened to the NHL was this final series. On one hand Sidney Crosby, the face of the NHL wins his third ring, back to back Conn Smythe trophy and having an atmosphere like Nashville a 16 seed who no one ever saw making it this far. The Predators all but pushed the defending and now reigning Champs to the brink. Nashville’s fans were loud, the atmosphere was amazing and two good hockey teams battled tooth and nail to hoist Lord Stanley's cup. That is the good. The bad was a playoff issue and that was the officiating, which was inconsistent and at times filled with make calls and no calls for all 16 teams involved. The NHL needs to strongly look at the way their officials conduct themselves in these playoffs. The biggest point for this need to reevaluate, is what occurred at 18:53 of the second period in game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. In the end , my title pays homage to the great announcer Mike Lange “Spit shine my shoes Sidney” and “you can tell your ma, you can tell your pa, I'm sending you back to Arkansas. The Pittsburgh Penguins are repeat champions”.
Written by:
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by:
References
https://www.google.com/amp/amp.usatoday.com/story/102756526/
https://www.nhl.com/news/pittsburgh-penguins-nashville-predators-game-6-recap/c-289884970
http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/19610362/nashville-predators-goal-game-6-called-quick-whistle
https://www.google.com/amp/www.sbnation.com/platform/amp/nhl/2017/6/12/15780346/penguins-stanley-cup-champions-2017
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
King James vs His Airness Michael Jordan: A Tale of two different Giants!
For years now we have heard the debate about LeBron James and Michael Jordan, as questions have surfaced regarding who is better? There are those that say without a shadow of doubt that it is Jordan, and there are those that say it is James. Many on the Jordan side say rings are what make Michael the better of the two. This should not be the argument for two players who play completely different styles of basketball. Stats do tell a very loud argument that James is the better of the two. Again, these are two completely different basketball players. Putting biases aside, who do you think is the better all-around player?
His Airness
Michael Jordan hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA history and thus, the legend was born. He was drafted with the third overall pick in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls as a shooting guard/small forward. Here are what Jordan's career stats look like: 30.1 points per game, 5.3 assists,2.3 steals, 6.2 rebounds. Let's focus on the second stat there, just over 5 assists per game Michael was a scorer we all know this, but was Michael out there to make his teammates better? From all accounts, Michael was not a “pass first player”, and he did not have to be when he wanted to, he could take over games and the other four players were along for the show. When this happened, Jordan’s mentality was “give me the ball and get out of my way player.” So, was Mike a better basketball player and teammate then LeBron? The answer is yes because it was about winning and not just about stats. He had what a lot of experts call the killer instinct when Michael wanted to take a game over he did and the highlight reels show this to be true. Jordan could just be Jordan with a great surrounding cast that many people forget about Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, Harper, and Grant.
He had other players that were quite capable but at the end of the day, it was Mikes show. The 6-6 guard has the edge on James in scoring titles, rings, finals MVPs (currently). The other thing Michael had that James has never had in his career was a gambling issue that stained the NBA in 1993 an issue that some believe was an alternative factor in Jordan stepping away from basketball along with the loss of his father. Now there is no question that Michael left his mark on the game and made the game better at a time when the NBA was floundering. But, as a basketball player and a teammate, it still goes back to Michael only worried about winning, if that meant he had to score 61 in a playoff game, he would but he used his surrounding cast to the best of his ability. At the end of the game was Michael passing the on a game winning shot? Ask that question to the 1992 Detroit Pistons or the 1998 Utah Jazz, that killer instinct that fans loved so much was in full view. That same killer instinct has been questioned in LeBron James, but let us look a little deeper at the King.
King James
LeBron James drafted first overall in the 2003 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers has been chasing the “Ghost from Chicago” since he stepped into the league. Looking at James stats: 27.1 points per game, 7.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 50.1% field goal percentage, and can play every spot on the court at 6-8 250 pounds. Yes, LeBron only has 3 rings in 7 appearances but one of those 7 appearances is where I want to make my argument. 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers, can you name the roster? LeBron James took the likes of Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Illgauskas. Yes, that is the supporting cast the LeBron James had when he went to and lost his first finals appearance. He finished that series with 22 points per game adding 7.0 rebounds a game and just under 7 assists, what he did not have and has not had constantly in his career is that killer instinct to go and take a game over and win it by himself. There should be no question LeBron makes his team better not just by scoring but by all the little intangibles he adds to the team on and off the court. The court vision, the freakish ability for a man his size, the knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball. Those are what make James a great basketball player.
The Decision
When Michael came into the league, he was the first of his kind and did not have to chase ghost or compete to be known as the greatest of all time. That title was placed upon his head due to the exceptional things he did. He had an entire generation of wanting to “Be like Mike”. LeBron has been chasing again from his own words “the Ghost in Chicago” since he stepped on an NBA floor. For me it still must be Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. For one simple reason, everyone who grew up during the Michael Jordan Era wanted to “Be Like Mike” that includes LeBron James, the difference between the rest of us and James is LeBron did it better than the rest of us. On my list, it is Michael number one Kobe number two and LeBron number 3 for the simple fact the first two guys had killer instinct every time they stepped on the floor, sometime in my opinion that killer instinct is not there in LeBron. You know how I feel, who is in your opinion the greatest of all time? Let the debate continue.
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Daniel Bishop M.A.
References
http://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/lebron_james_vs_michael_jordan.htm
https://www.google.com/amp/sportsworld.nbcsports.com/michael-jordan-vs-lebron-james/amp/
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2007.html
His Airness
Michael Jordan hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA history and thus, the legend was born. He was drafted with the third overall pick in 1984 by the Chicago Bulls as a shooting guard/small forward. Here are what Jordan's career stats look like: 30.1 points per game, 5.3 assists,2.3 steals, 6.2 rebounds. Let's focus on the second stat there, just over 5 assists per game Michael was a scorer we all know this, but was Michael out there to make his teammates better? From all accounts, Michael was not a “pass first player”, and he did not have to be when he wanted to, he could take over games and the other four players were along for the show. When this happened, Jordan’s mentality was “give me the ball and get out of my way player.” So, was Mike a better basketball player and teammate then LeBron? The answer is yes because it was about winning and not just about stats. He had what a lot of experts call the killer instinct when Michael wanted to take a game over he did and the highlight reels show this to be true. Jordan could just be Jordan with a great surrounding cast that many people forget about Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, Harper, and Grant.
He had other players that were quite capable but at the end of the day, it was Mikes show. The 6-6 guard has the edge on James in scoring titles, rings, finals MVPs (currently). The other thing Michael had that James has never had in his career was a gambling issue that stained the NBA in 1993 an issue that some believe was an alternative factor in Jordan stepping away from basketball along with the loss of his father. Now there is no question that Michael left his mark on the game and made the game better at a time when the NBA was floundering. But, as a basketball player and a teammate, it still goes back to Michael only worried about winning, if that meant he had to score 61 in a playoff game, he would but he used his surrounding cast to the best of his ability. At the end of the game was Michael passing the on a game winning shot? Ask that question to the 1992 Detroit Pistons or the 1998 Utah Jazz, that killer instinct that fans loved so much was in full view. That same killer instinct has been questioned in LeBron James, but let us look a little deeper at the King.
King James
LeBron James drafted first overall in the 2003 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers has been chasing the “Ghost from Chicago” since he stepped into the league. Looking at James stats: 27.1 points per game, 7.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 50.1% field goal percentage, and can play every spot on the court at 6-8 250 pounds. Yes, LeBron only has 3 rings in 7 appearances but one of those 7 appearances is where I want to make my argument. 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers, can you name the roster? LeBron James took the likes of Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, Zydrunas Illgauskas. Yes, that is the supporting cast the LeBron James had when he went to and lost his first finals appearance. He finished that series with 22 points per game adding 7.0 rebounds a game and just under 7 assists, what he did not have and has not had constantly in his career is that killer instinct to go and take a game over and win it by himself. There should be no question LeBron makes his team better not just by scoring but by all the little intangibles he adds to the team on and off the court. The court vision, the freakish ability for a man his size, the knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball. Those are what make James a great basketball player.
The Decision
When Michael came into the league, he was the first of his kind and did not have to chase ghost or compete to be known as the greatest of all time. That title was placed upon his head due to the exceptional things he did. He had an entire generation of wanting to “Be like Mike”. LeBron has been chasing again from his own words “the Ghost in Chicago” since he stepped on an NBA floor. For me it still must be Michael Jordan as the greatest of all time. For one simple reason, everyone who grew up during the Michael Jordan Era wanted to “Be Like Mike” that includes LeBron James, the difference between the rest of us and James is LeBron did it better than the rest of us. On my list, it is Michael number one Kobe number two and LeBron number 3 for the simple fact the first two guys had killer instinct every time they stepped on the floor, sometime in my opinion that killer instinct is not there in LeBron. You know how I feel, who is in your opinion the greatest of all time? Let the debate continue.
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Daniel Bishop M.A.
References
http://www.landofbasketball.com/player_comparison/lebron_james_vs_michael_jordan.htm
https://www.google.com/amp/sportsworld.nbcsports.com/michael-jordan-vs-lebron-james/amp/
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/CLE/2007.html
Monday, April 3, 2017
Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude
If you have played or watched high school basketball in Western Pennsylvania, when you hear the name Tim McConnell, three things come to mind: passion, intensity, and winning program at Chartiers Valley. Coach McConnell finished his 24th season as head basketball coach at Chartiers Valley. In those 24 seasons, 3 of the previous were not 20+ win seasons, 3 WPIAL Championships at the Triple A level and 3 at the Quad A level winning one with son TJ (now playing for the 76ers) and one with son Matty (currently playing at Robert Morris); success through hard work is a common theme for the McConnells. The phrase that he always instilled in campers, players, and students is “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude”, he explains what that means plus much more in this week’s article.
The Culture
His phrase “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude” is a very simple explanation when it is put in his words “It is exactly what it means, the better your attitude is the better chance you have of succeeding. If you have a great attitude about something, you can accomplish it. If your attitude is bad you will be like a cancer spreading through your team and it will limit your success.” With all of coach McConnell’s on the court success, I asked if he had ever had an offer to move on from Chartiers Valley to coach at the next level, “ I have not had an offer to go to the college level. I am treated really well at CV and love this school district and the community.” Just think about this the year before Coach McConnell arrived at Chartiers Valley, the Colts went 7-15, since then 20 of 23 seasons with 20+ and 15 players who have scored more than 1,000 points. How does that happen? “I think the hard work of the players in the off season plays a major part in our team’s success.”
The Coach
Coach Tim McConnell is as successful of a basketball coach as he is a life coach. When asked what got him into coaching, “I got into coaching because I knew I wasn't good enough to continue playing after college and this was my way of staying involved and giving back to this great game. I love teaching young men and women to get better as people and players.” Then he gave simple advice to young coaches out there just getting started, “Some parents are unrealistic about their child's ability and when things don't go right the 1st person they look to blame is the coach.”
He also covered the the best and worst things in addition to who his coaching rivals are in the WPIAL, “Best thing is the relationships we build with our players that last a lifetime. Worst thing is all the outside distractions that could be possible pitfalls for young athletes. We love playing USC, Lebo and Montour every year.
Coaching rivals are Danny Holser of USC and Billy Swan of Hempfield, I love beating them every year.”
The Father
Father of three, Coach McConnell has two boys: TJ, point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, sophomore guard at Robert Morris Matty McConnell and the youngest of the family his daughter Megan a freshman at Chartiers Valley. As a coach, it is special to watch players grow from young kids to young adults, as a parent you want to watch your kids reach all of their goals and more. I asked coach how many games of TJ and Matty does he get to watch, “I don't miss any of Matt's home games and I see about 10 of Tj's games because of my games and now Megan's games for the CV varsity girls.” Diving a little deeper, I asked coach of his sons, which ones playing style resembles his when he played, “TJ's because I was a pass first point guard like he is. Knowing the competitive drive of Coach and TJ and Matty, I asked him who he thought would win in a game of horse, he answered “Megan beats us all.” So, the youngest of the McConnells is the horse champion!
Coach Tim McConnell can teach you how to shoot and he can teach you how to play defense. The most important thing he instills in you is how to be a good person and how to succeed long after the lights are off in the gym and your basketball days are behind you. He without a doubt is one of the best people I have had the privilege of knowing, he has been one of my role models since I was in kindergarten. The tools that he gave me that had nothing to do with basketball, but with life and how to be a respectful human being, are some that I use still to this day. He coaches with intensity, knowing his players’ capabilities and expecting nothing but your very best. The last question I asked Coach was what's after basketball? Again, coach being the straight shooter that he gave a very simple response to that question. “I plan on dying on the basketball court.”
Special thanks to Coach McConnell for taking the time to answer my questions. As coach would say “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude!”
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Ethan Barnes
Daniel Bishop M.A.
The Culture
His phrase “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude” is a very simple explanation when it is put in his words “It is exactly what it means, the better your attitude is the better chance you have of succeeding. If you have a great attitude about something, you can accomplish it. If your attitude is bad you will be like a cancer spreading through your team and it will limit your success.” With all of coach McConnell’s on the court success, I asked if he had ever had an offer to move on from Chartiers Valley to coach at the next level, “ I have not had an offer to go to the college level. I am treated really well at CV and love this school district and the community.” Just think about this the year before Coach McConnell arrived at Chartiers Valley, the Colts went 7-15, since then 20 of 23 seasons with 20+ and 15 players who have scored more than 1,000 points. How does that happen? “I think the hard work of the players in the off season plays a major part in our team’s success.”
The Coach
Coach Tim McConnell is as successful of a basketball coach as he is a life coach. When asked what got him into coaching, “I got into coaching because I knew I wasn't good enough to continue playing after college and this was my way of staying involved and giving back to this great game. I love teaching young men and women to get better as people and players.” Then he gave simple advice to young coaches out there just getting started, “Some parents are unrealistic about their child's ability and when things don't go right the 1st person they look to blame is the coach.”
He also covered the the best and worst things in addition to who his coaching rivals are in the WPIAL, “Best thing is the relationships we build with our players that last a lifetime. Worst thing is all the outside distractions that could be possible pitfalls for young athletes. We love playing USC, Lebo and Montour every year.
Coaching rivals are Danny Holser of USC and Billy Swan of Hempfield, I love beating them every year.”
The Father
Father of three, Coach McConnell has two boys: TJ, point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, sophomore guard at Robert Morris Matty McConnell and the youngest of the family his daughter Megan a freshman at Chartiers Valley. As a coach, it is special to watch players grow from young kids to young adults, as a parent you want to watch your kids reach all of their goals and more. I asked coach how many games of TJ and Matty does he get to watch, “I don't miss any of Matt's home games and I see about 10 of Tj's games because of my games and now Megan's games for the CV varsity girls.” Diving a little deeper, I asked coach of his sons, which ones playing style resembles his when he played, “TJ's because I was a pass first point guard like he is. Knowing the competitive drive of Coach and TJ and Matty, I asked him who he thought would win in a game of horse, he answered “Megan beats us all.” So, the youngest of the McConnells is the horse champion!
Coach Tim McConnell can teach you how to shoot and he can teach you how to play defense. The most important thing he instills in you is how to be a good person and how to succeed long after the lights are off in the gym and your basketball days are behind you. He without a doubt is one of the best people I have had the privilege of knowing, he has been one of my role models since I was in kindergarten. The tools that he gave me that had nothing to do with basketball, but with life and how to be a respectful human being, are some that I use still to this day. He coaches with intensity, knowing his players’ capabilities and expecting nothing but your very best. The last question I asked Coach was what's after basketball? Again, coach being the straight shooter that he gave a very simple response to that question. “I plan on dying on the basketball court.”
Special thanks to Coach McConnell for taking the time to answer my questions. As coach would say “Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude!”
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Ethan Barnes
Daniel Bishop M.A.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Slapped in the face, The NBA product and its Fans!
$123.22, that is the price the average NBA fan will pay for a single game. The fans pay to see the likes of Lebron James or Kyrie Irving, but these players, and many more are choosing to rest their bodies for the playoffs. Coaches, former NBA greats, and the commissioner have all chimed in about the growing problem. Charles Barkley escalated the situation when he suggested that the fans to boycott attending games. The NBA is at the point now where the regular seasons game for teams and players are telling the league and its fans that the regular season does not matter. If that is the case, then why as a fan would you spend $123.22 for a 50/50 chance to see your favorite star play? Sounds to me like a direct slap in the face to the NBA fans who pay to see these athletes at the games that they anxiously attend.
Lebron on Resting Player
Lebron thinks the only reason this has become such a big issue is because he is involved. In an interview last Tuesday, James said “I just know the conversation gets a little bit more talked about when I'm a part of it.” This coming off the heals of James and the “Big Three” sitting out a nationally televised game over the previous weekend and the NBA voicing its displeasure last Monday. James did have a rebuttal to all the rest talk saying “listen Popovich has been doing this for 10, 12, 15 years now, and everyone was like you know what……? That's the smartest thing Pop has ever done.” James continued “he gives his guy a couple of games off and just like that they win 5 championships, but in our league Pop has a stature that not all coaches have, our head coach doesn't have that and he gets killed for it.” The shame of the matter is Lebron just does not see it as a non-issue, but also has stated that the season should be shorter. When that is how the face of the league feels, there is an obvious problem and the NBA acknowledges that issue.
Charles Barkley Sounds Off
Never one to keep quiet, Charles Barkley has sounded off on the issue stating, “the league needs to look into this “resting” players, I don't remember back in my day players needing rest late in the season.” He added “I know I'm an old guy hating on the young guys but if you have bad teams in the league today that aren't going to make the playoffs resting guys, For What!” Barkley pointed out that not only is it a slap in the face to the fans, but also to the TV partners who are making it possible for these players to make 10, 20, 30 million dollars. He called on the fans to boycott attending and watching NBA games to send the players a message. He pointed out players like Tim Duncan and Michael Jordan played in college and then had long NBA careers without breaks. Jordan's team the Hornets with Jordan philosophy on the breaks coach Steve Clifford said, “…it's easy for me not to do it, I have an owner who just doesn't believe in it, and associate coach (Patrick Ewining) that would kill me if I started doing it.” It's easy to see where the former generation of NBA stars feels about this new age NBA basketball. How do you feel about it?
NBA Commissioners Thoughts
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo out to the league last Monday addressing the situation that he called a ‘significant issue’ to let teams know where the league stands on the practice. Here is what he had to say, “Decisions of this kind ... can affect fans and business partners, impact our reputation and damage the perception of our game.” Silver wrote in the memo, according to a release by The Associated Press “With so much at stake, it is simply not acceptable for governors to be uninvolved or to defer decision-making authority on these matters to others in their organizations.” “Please also be reminded that under current league rules teams are required to provide notice to the league office, their opponent and the media immediately upon a determination that a player will not participate in a game due to rest,” Silver continued. “Failure to abide by these rules will result in significant penalties.” The league has to do something, for the amount that they charge for a game and the money the TV networks are paying to broadcast these games, it is at the point a watered down product that owes it to the fans to put the stars on the floor every night.
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Daniel Bishop M.A.
References
https://www.google.com/amp/www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-says-players-resting-is-significant-issue/amp/
http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/charles-barkley-nba-rest-041816
https://nbalead.com/2017/03/21/charles-barkley-tells-fans-to-boycott-games-to-combat-nba-players-resting/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/charlotteobserver.relaymedia.com/amp/sports/nba/charlotte-hornets/article140395273.html
https://www.google.com/amp/www.sportingnews.com/amp/nba/news/lebron-james-admits-nba-rest-issue-is-significant-because-hes-involved/12bx6oysbhxgq17i05j14b7yn4
Monday, March 20, 2017
How Sweet is the Madness of March!
The defending National Champion is eliminated, Lavar Ball is enjoying his fifteen minutes of fame, plus Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers have pressed every team out of the gym so far. It's that time of the year everyone, whether a sports fans or not, most will fill out brackets for money and watch for their team to get hot and make a run. The 2017 men's basketball National Tournament is the most exciting thing in sports year after year.
Down go the Champs
Wisconsin came into the tournament with a lower end seed, the Badgers were only one of two teams in the Top 25 of Big 10 teams and yet they were still slated as an 8 seed. The seeding did not matter this past Saturday, as the Badgers downed the number one seed and defending national champion Villanova. The wildcats struggled in their first-round matchup against 16 seed Mount St. Mary 76-56, that score does not accurately show the struggle but it was anything but a good performance for the defending national champ.
The Badgers felt disrespected by the selection committee and took that out on the defending champs. With 11.4 seconds left, Nigel Hayes scored the winning layup. Josh Hart had a productive 19-point day for the Wildcats, but lost the ball to Vito Brown; Brown who would hit a free throw and miss the second one final score 65-62. Head coach of the Badgers had this to say when asked about seeding, “Seeds don't matter, I told these guys regardless we have to win six games let's start with two this weekend.” I' would say so far so good with that goal.
Parents just don't Understand
Lavar Ball is just like every other parent in America, my son/daughter is the best of all time, blah blah blah. The difference between most parents and Ball is that he has been given national spotlight due to his oldest son Lorenzo Ball staring at UCLA and youngest son scoring 92 points in a high school game as a sophomore. There is a lot of talent in the family, father Ball has even said he taught the best thing you can teach in basketball, “there is no such thing as a bad shot!” This coming from the man who said he could beat Michael Jordan one on one. Ball played one season in college during the 1987-88 season for Washington State, where he averaged 2.2 points per game and basically no other stats, I do not think I should remind you of Jordan’s greatness do I? Ask Patrick Ewing and the 1982 Georgetown Hoyas. This man is everything and I mean everything that is wrong with sports today. He has taught his sons to shoot from wherever they feel on the floor, from watching the three play none of them play defense, or give a damn about their teammates, the Ball brothers are out there for themselves and that's it. I will leave this topic with this, Golden State when asked about Ball’s comments had this to say, “I think it'd be better for them if they can just play and have fun and not have to hear that every day, but whatever. It's all part of him."
Press Virginia
Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers of West Virginia or “Press Virginia” as they have become known for this year never trailed on Saturday as they downed Notre Dame 83-71. The Mountaineers came out hot and continued that throughout the game. West Virginia’s full court press really threw a wrench into the Fighting Irish offense as the relentless pressure from WVU caused uncharacteristic mental mistakes from Notre Dame. The Mountaineers now turn their sights on No. 1 seed Gonzaga, who knocked off cinderella Northwestern amidst controversy over a block and technical that changed the course of the game. This game is going to come down to can Gonzaga play tight team defense for 40 minutes and for WVU can Bob Higgins get another complete 40-minute performance on both ends of the floor from his Mountaineers. West Virginia can rattle the best of them with their press and very active “in your face” defense, while Gonzaga has the advantage in size. For me I think you will see another WVU win in, this one in a close contest WVU 77-73, Mountaineers moving on.
For basketball fans, it is the greatest time of the year, basketball everyday teams leaving everything they have on the floor and the emotional rollercoaster that is the big dance. Lavar Ball-- sit down, shut up-- and let your kids play, it is not about you and the fact that every chance you get you make it about you is just sad, stop living vicariously through your children. Lastly, when watching the tournament and watching your bracket bust always remember they do not call it March Madness for no reason. The best part of the weekend had to be Duke and the immature Grayson Allen getting axed from the tournament by The fighting Gamecocks’ of South Carolina, the Gamecocks’ first sweet 16 since 1973. Expect the unexpected, embrace the effort of the student athletes, and realize why this is the best tournament in amateur sports!
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Ethan Barnes
Daniel Bishop M.A.
References
https://www.google.com/amp/s/campusinsiders.com/news/gonzaga-vs-west-virginia-prediction-game-preview-03-18-2017/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/lavar-ball-lonzo-liangelo-lamelo-stephen-curry-michael-jordan-craziest-comments-nba-ucla/amp
https://www.google.com/amp/ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/lavar-ball-lonzo-liangelo-lamelo-stephen-curry-michael-jordan-craziest-comments-nba-ucla/amp
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18928205/steve-kerr-golden-state-warriors-lonzo-ball-dad
https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/no-repeat-villanova-fails-down-stretch-while-carrying-crown-031917%3Famp%3Dtrue
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/lavar-ball-1.html
https://www.google.com/amp/www.smokingmusket.com/platform/amp/2017/3/18/14967832/west-virginia-advances-to-sweet-16-with-win-over-notre-dame-83-71
Down go the Champs
Wisconsin came into the tournament with a lower end seed, the Badgers were only one of two teams in the Top 25 of Big 10 teams and yet they were still slated as an 8 seed. The seeding did not matter this past Saturday, as the Badgers downed the number one seed and defending national champion Villanova. The wildcats struggled in their first-round matchup against 16 seed Mount St. Mary 76-56, that score does not accurately show the struggle but it was anything but a good performance for the defending national champ.
The Badgers felt disrespected by the selection committee and took that out on the defending champs. With 11.4 seconds left, Nigel Hayes scored the winning layup. Josh Hart had a productive 19-point day for the Wildcats, but lost the ball to Vito Brown; Brown who would hit a free throw and miss the second one final score 65-62. Head coach of the Badgers had this to say when asked about seeding, “Seeds don't matter, I told these guys regardless we have to win six games let's start with two this weekend.” I' would say so far so good with that goal.
Parents just don't Understand
Lavar Ball is just like every other parent in America, my son/daughter is the best of all time, blah blah blah. The difference between most parents and Ball is that he has been given national spotlight due to his oldest son Lorenzo Ball staring at UCLA and youngest son scoring 92 points in a high school game as a sophomore. There is a lot of talent in the family, father Ball has even said he taught the best thing you can teach in basketball, “there is no such thing as a bad shot!” This coming from the man who said he could beat Michael Jordan one on one. Ball played one season in college during the 1987-88 season for Washington State, where he averaged 2.2 points per game and basically no other stats, I do not think I should remind you of Jordan’s greatness do I? Ask Patrick Ewing and the 1982 Georgetown Hoyas. This man is everything and I mean everything that is wrong with sports today. He has taught his sons to shoot from wherever they feel on the floor, from watching the three play none of them play defense, or give a damn about their teammates, the Ball brothers are out there for themselves and that's it. I will leave this topic with this, Golden State when asked about Ball’s comments had this to say, “I think it'd be better for them if they can just play and have fun and not have to hear that every day, but whatever. It's all part of him."
Press Virginia
Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers of West Virginia or “Press Virginia” as they have become known for this year never trailed on Saturday as they downed Notre Dame 83-71. The Mountaineers came out hot and continued that throughout the game. West Virginia’s full court press really threw a wrench into the Fighting Irish offense as the relentless pressure from WVU caused uncharacteristic mental mistakes from Notre Dame. The Mountaineers now turn their sights on No. 1 seed Gonzaga, who knocked off cinderella Northwestern amidst controversy over a block and technical that changed the course of the game. This game is going to come down to can Gonzaga play tight team defense for 40 minutes and for WVU can Bob Higgins get another complete 40-minute performance on both ends of the floor from his Mountaineers. West Virginia can rattle the best of them with their press and very active “in your face” defense, while Gonzaga has the advantage in size. For me I think you will see another WVU win in, this one in a close contest WVU 77-73, Mountaineers moving on.
For basketball fans, it is the greatest time of the year, basketball everyday teams leaving everything they have on the floor and the emotional rollercoaster that is the big dance. Lavar Ball-- sit down, shut up-- and let your kids play, it is not about you and the fact that every chance you get you make it about you is just sad, stop living vicariously through your children. Lastly, when watching the tournament and watching your bracket bust always remember they do not call it March Madness for no reason. The best part of the weekend had to be Duke and the immature Grayson Allen getting axed from the tournament by The fighting Gamecocks’ of South Carolina, the Gamecocks’ first sweet 16 since 1973. Expect the unexpected, embrace the effort of the student athletes, and realize why this is the best tournament in amateur sports!
Written by
Carlo Guadagnino
Edited by
Ethan Barnes
Daniel Bishop M.A.
References
https://www.google.com/amp/s/campusinsiders.com/news/gonzaga-vs-west-virginia-prediction-game-preview-03-18-2017/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/lavar-ball-lonzo-liangelo-lamelo-stephen-curry-michael-jordan-craziest-comments-nba-ucla/amp
https://www.google.com/amp/ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/lavar-ball-lonzo-liangelo-lamelo-stephen-curry-michael-jordan-craziest-comments-nba-ucla/amp
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/18928205/steve-kerr-golden-state-warriors-lonzo-ball-dad
https://www.google.com/amp/www.foxsports.com/college-basketball/story/no-repeat-villanova-fails-down-stretch-while-carrying-crown-031917%3Famp%3Dtrue
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/lavar-ball-1.html
https://www.google.com/amp/www.smokingmusket.com/platform/amp/2017/3/18/14967832/west-virginia-advances-to-sweet-16-with-win-over-notre-dame-83-71
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