20/10 in 2010. Oh Let's Do It!

I want to ask you guys a question, How many books do you read in a year.......not counting the books that you HAVE to read for school?!


Well, my sister sprung this question on me while we were driving and like a deer in headlights, I was caught, stuck, looking for a way out, but the question hit me.....HARD! I could have lied and said, " Like 10", but the 20 second pause would've given away my lie. So I was honest. Quietly and ashamedly, I told her that I MAY read 3 books a year! THREE!!!!!! Now I don't know if your answer was as pathetic as my answer, but I know that we (I) have to do better! I know you're wondering to yourself, "where is he going with this?", "why did his sister randomly asked him this?". Well, she asked me that because she ran across this blog that poses a challenge for you to read 20 books from 10 categories in 2010. Now I'm not one that does New Years Resolutions, but I'm a man that loves to be challenged so I am accepting this challenge and I am challenging YOU to do the same!



Now, we (my sister and I) didn't quite like the categories that they had on the blog, so we chose our own categories that would help us reach our 20 book goal. So with that, here are my categories and some of the books that I have chosen....

1. Black Culture/History (Know your history, learn your culture)
1.
2.
2. How-To (Branch out, learn something new)
1.
2.

3. Love/Relationships (Learn about women/men or TRY to at least. Also learn about yourself and how you can be a better man/woman)
1.
2.

4. NY Times Bestsellers-Past & 2010 (The books aren't on this list for nothin')
1.
2.

5. Presidential (Get inside of the mind of the most powerful man on earth)
1. The Audacity of Hope/Dreams from My Father by President Barack Obama
2. My Life by (Arkansas Native) Bill Clinton

6. Self-Help (Cooking, Motivational, anything that will help you become a better you)
1.
2.

7. Sports (Who doesn't like sports,,,,,,no really,,,,,WHO DOESN'T LIKE SPORTS?!?)
1. Open by Andre Agassi
2. The Book of Basketball: The NBA according to the Sports Guy by Bill Simmons

8. Wealth (I'm pretty sure the author knows what they're talking about, if not, its worth a try!)
1.
2.

9. Recommended (Mentors, hearsay, Oprah, whoever recommends a "must-read". Also, as more people accept this challenge, we can recommend books to each other.
1.
2.

10. Other (Have a category you show favoritism to? Put another book in this category! A healthy way of cheating ;-).)
1.
2.

Categories that should be considered

Music- Who doesn't like music,,,,,no seriously,,,,,,WHO THE HELL DOESN'T LIKE MUSIC?!?!

Movies- Get the story behind the silver screen. You know they leave some stuff out!

Religion- I personally will include this and you should too! It's time to get right!


Ok, so now that we have that out there, WHO WILL JOIN ME IN THIS CHALLENGE?! Comment and let me know so we can check on each other and get on these books!

Don't Count Me Out!

First and Foremost, from the deepest corners of my heart, I'M SORRY (if it means anything to the few of you all who check to see if I still write). No excuses, I truly left you all stranded and that's bad business. I can only hope that you all won't count me out and stop checking in on the Express.

Throwback Thursdays

Last week, I promised all you big men out there that we would have something special for you and your the express ALWAYS delivers (may be a little late, but it's here!)!!! Anyways, I must apologize for my tardiness. I have the grind flu (itchy eyes, runny nose, stuffy pockets, let me know!!!). I'm sorry!!!! But on with out Throwback Player of the Week!

Rik "The Dunking Dutchman" Smits

All I'm going to say about this guy is that if he we're playing in today's league, he'd average 25 and 9! Need more on him, GOOGLE HIM! Enjoy the video!

Throwback Thursdays

First and Foremost, to all you big men out there, I want to apologize for the lack of Power Forwards and Centers in the Throwback Thursdays section. Next week I have a very special big man for all of you guys! As for this week, we're going to feature another point guard who kept on amazing us with his "organized street-ball". Who?! I'm glad you asked! Drum roll please...........

And your Throwback Player of the Week is-Kenny Anderson. Silky smooth handles, amazing court vision and an above average jumper made Anderson one of my all time favorite point guards. His glory years came while he played for the New Jersey Nets from 1991-1996. In his 3rd NBA season, he nearly averaged a double double with 18.8 ppg and 9.6 apg. Those numbers earned him his only All-Star appearance. As the story often goes, sadly, Anderson's career was riddled with injuries, keeping him from reaching his full potential and turning this talented point guard into a journeyman player.

Anderson now coaches The Hombres of the Slamball League (I think it airs on Comedy Central.......if not, IT SHOULD!). Anyways, enjoy the video and comment please!!!

Before Michael Jordans Teammates wore his shoes.......

..............Simply Amazing!!!! I would REALLY love to see Phil rock some Kobe's.............


(Editors Note- Last sentence was PURE sarcasm. Anyways, as much as I want to, I can't take credit for this. I saw it on NiceKicks.com) Hope you enjoyed it!

Throwback Thursdays

This week, we have a very special Throwback Thursday. Normally, this section is for special players who we remember made their mark on the league, but may be somewhat forgotten.

As I got to thinking about a throwback player for this week, I started to think, "there are special players, but there are also some very special teams". So in honor of the team that brought the circus to the hardwood, this Throwback Thursday is dedicated to the 1999-2004 Sacramento Kings. I mean, of course the greatest show on the court was the original Showtime Lakers and the '96-'98 Bulls (based on Jordan and Pippen alone!), but these Sacramento Kings, under the tutelage of Rick Adelman (now coach of my Houston Rockets), had that certain "spizazzz" about them that you can never forget! I mean, really, what team do you remember throwing 10 precise behind the back passes on one possession?!?! Ok, so maybe I exaggerated a little bit, but they certainly made basketball fun (except for the not winning a ring part. sorry.). Hats off to Vlade "King of Flop" Divac, Doug Christie, C-Webb, Jason "White Chocolate" Williams, Bobby "6th man" Jackson, Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and Hedo Turkoglu and the Maloof Brothers for bringing these players together. Thanks for the memories.

(Editors Note- Excuse the music on the mix.....I PROMISE it won't get you hype, but the play will! LOL!)

In Case You Missed It-Delonte West Freestyle

This guy is a true character! If you think celebrations were out of line this year in Cleveland, just imagine how crazy things are going to be this year now that Shaq is in town. Anyways, check out this hilarious video with Delonte West freestyling while waiting for some KFC.

NBA Top 100 Slams via SLAM Online

I know you NBA fiends have been licking your chops for some kind of action this summer (I know I have!). Summer Leagues, Free Agency and Stephon Marbury have all kept us somewhat entertained over the summer, but there is NOTHING like re-living some of the moments from the season/playoffs. NBA.com does a good job of that with top 10 lists (dunks, assists, blocks, etc.,), but the great people at SLAM have more than 1-up'd them with a top 100 list of dunks for the 08-09 NBA Season. ENJOY!

http://www.slamonline.com/online/media/slam-tv/2009/07/video-nba-top-100-dunks-2008-2009/

Throwback Thursdays

YES! It is that time of the week again people! Throwback Thursdays is here once again, and I think you all will be pleased with this weeks selection. (Drumroll please)


By popular demand, Nickey (Nick) Maxwell Van Exel, is this weeks Throwback Player of the week. Most of you may remember Nick the Quick in the early 90's with the L.A. Lakers. The loud-mouthed lefty tortured defenses with his quickness, clutch shooting, dazzling passes and crazy celebrations (who can forget the clutch walk! Lol!). Anyways, enough of my blabber, let's get to these highlights. (Check the track on the video. Its quite fitting for this Throwback Thursday!)

(Editors Note- Excuse the video quality and focus on Nick's quality play!)

Hot Boyz Reunion

I know I'm very late on this, but after running across this article on MTV.com, I found out that my personal favorite group from back in the day is reuniting! Waaaaaaaaaaa! Anyways, until the reunion actually goes down (Free Turk!) Here's a video to remind you of the Hot Boyz.

Can we all just get along?!?!

My relationship with Lance (Armstrong) is zero.....






These words came from this years Tour de France winner, Alberto Contador. He went on to say,"He's a great rider and he did a great Tour. Another thing is on a personal level, where I have never admired him and never will." OUCH! Now, normally I really wouldn't care much about this feud, being that I'm not really a cycling fan, but I'm a fan of sports, so I said, "Oh, what the heck!"

This recent beef is stirring up the cycling world and is the cycling version of Kobe v. Shaq, Jim Jackson v. Jamal Mashburn v. Jason Kidd (Not really, but its pretty heated), or Terrell Owens v. ANY of his teammates (watch out Buffalo!) lol!

The now former Astana teammates were never on the same page during the Tour and now their beef certainly makes a great storyline for Tour de France 2010. More on this story on ESPN.COM.

Gatorade commercial honoring Michael Jordan

My colleagues over at Page 3 beat me to this post, but I just had to post this amazing video. In the latest installment of classic Michael Jordan Gatorade commercials, the creative minds at Gatorade honored M.J. not only with 6 limited edition bottles of Gatorade, but with a bottle collage at an undisclosed location on the Southside of Chicago. The collage uses 14,641 bottles of Gatorade and took 16 hours to finish.

The theme of these limited edition bottles is Jordan Then, Now, and Forever. Jordan Then (1 and 2) comes in Championship Blue, commemorating him overcoming being cut at Laney High and his UNC days. Jordan Now (3 and 4)comes in Championship Gold, which highlights his activities with Jordan Brand, Jordan Motorsports and the Charlotte Bobcats. Jordan Forever (5 and 6) comes in Championship Red, remembering his flu game and his legacy as, listen closely Kobe fans, the GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER.

It never ceases to amaze me how people can make these collages, although I'm still a little baffled to where the "brown" Gatorade came from to make out Micheal's skin tone, lol! Either way, That's G!

Stephon Marbury Breaks Down......

I don't know what's really going on here with Steph, but clearly the man is going through some things. Maybe its a lack of a contract or personal problems or maybe he's just putting on a show. You tell me.

Throwback Thursdays

After watching those Tim Hardaway highlights last week, it was easy to choose the player worthy to grace Throwback Thursdays.

Rodney "Rod" Strickland, in my mind, was one of the most underrated point guards of all-time. He was a journeyman early in his career, but found a home in Washington for the Bullets/Wizards. In his first season in Washington, Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in 8 seasons. He ended his career with nearly 8,000 assists. He is now an assistant coach for John Calipari at The University of Kentucky. Much love to Rod Strickland. Enjoy the Video!

Chris Brown's Apology. What do you think?

I haven't spoken on the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident, mainly because I really didn't know what to think about the situation. I mean, I do believe that Chris Brown handled her in a way that a woman NEVER needs to be handled. Since there is not video of the incident, we will never know exactly what went down, because we all know that if they both speak on this incident, it will be a matter of he say/she say. Anyways, Chris Brown issued a video apology yesterday. It seems sincere, but practiced. I would like to know what you think of the situation and apology. Lets discuss it.

Throwback Thursdays

I cannot tell u how excited I am about this section of P.O.L.R. ExPress! Throwback Thursdays came to existence when me and a couple of my friends started a mass text war to see who could come up with the most random throwback player. We called these text messages, Throwback Player of the day. A dedicated basketball fan and avid card collector, Brenton Harrison (http://tgiftennessee.blogspot.com) usually came up with some of the best throwback players, so in his honor, I am starting off this installment with one of his favorite throwback players.

Throwback Player of the Week- Timothy Duane Hardaway (Tim Hardaway)

With a crossover so wicked, layup game proper, and a floater that would even make Tony Parker jealous, Tim Hardaway is more than worthy to be highlighted as the Throwback Player of the Week. The 5-time All-Star dazzled wherever he went and often sent his defenders tap dancing with his crossover, which was dubbed the UTEP two-step! I mean, who has a nickname for their CROSSOVER!!!!! Anyways, if you don't remember or u need to be reminded of Timmy's game, here's a video. Enjoy!

(Editors Note: Post is late, I know, but it will be posted on Thursdays from here on out! Lol!)

Congratulations........I guess...

I must apologize for taking so long to post this. Folks, I am overcoming my severe case of Kobe Bryant hatin-um-izm and I know that my personal opinions can be damaging to my career as a journalist, so I checked into rehab and I have come to respect Jack Bauer (even though his Finals celebration made me sick to my stomach!). Sorry for that relapse, I'm almost there people, work with me. Anyways, big ups to The Sidekick, Derek Long, and Samuel Nwosu for their precise predictions of how the series would turn out. Enjoy this ring 24. You........you.....de........(this is sooo hard for me to do, but I'm going to say it)...... 24 youdeserveit. THERE! I said it! Whew!

Ignorance.....

I'm sure one of his cousins need help clearing for school......

Ask a Wizard who will win!

Mankind, this is Gandolf the White, and I bring you greetings from the lands of Middle Earth. As the President of Wizard Affairs I have sworn my allegiance to the Washington Wizard’s…but I would rather eat at Taco Bueno for 10,000 years than to support that defilement and defamation of character, so I made the switch. Lately, I’ve been super busy taming nazgûl [think python meets tiger but the size of a whale, with the attitude of a wolverine and teeth like “Yuck Mouth”] for our annual Elrond [basically a circus] and my old bat of-a wife keeps complaining that my Black Berry is going Khazad-dûm [basically krazy] and if I don’t shut it up, she’s going to sing like Marry J Blige and Keyshia Cole put together. [(((Yikes)))] So I dassssshed inside to prevent this travesty, grabbed my phone, to find that I keep getting tweets from ex-Magic carpet riders that are buying tickets to the “Laker Show.” What the Parth Galen is a “Laker” anyway!? Spell check doesn’t know! They should be called the Fakers! because they yell when they want the ref to blow the whistle.

I digress.

You know, I’ve broken the “Do not intervene in Mankind affairs” rule over and over again, which could, by the way, cost me my Wizardship, JUST to keep things interesting this season and ya’ll still flip flop. I hate that (profane)!!!!

Down 2-1 to the Philadelphia 76ers, and the hot dog sales went right out the door with the fans. Trailing 3-2 against the Celtics, all hope was thought to be lost because Boston was a perfect 32-0 in the postseason when it possessed such an advantage. The Magic couldn't break history, right? You doubters foolishly left in droves. Burned at the buzzer by LeBron James [quite a handsome young man might I add; we Black Berry Messenger on Thursday nights] in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the panic-stricken once again jumped ship, lacking faith that the Magic could overcome such a heartbreaking defeat. But what happened? And now, after a 101-96 Game 2 overtime road defeat put them in a 2-0 Finals hole to the “Faker Show”, and all of the sudden people don’t wanna believe in Magic.

Phil Jackson is 43-0 when his teams win the first game of the finals series, SO WHAT! The GOAT just passed Frank Ramsey into 19th place on the all time Finals scoring list, SO WHAT! Lee miss one of the biggest lay ups of his life, SO WHAT!

News flash, the Magic has been down this road already! "We were down to Philadelphia 2-1 and were down to the Boston Celtics and went on to win the series," said Magic All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, who exploded for 34 points on Sunday. "This is nothing new for us."

Although a 2-0 disadvantage can discourage even the most faithful fan, based on the setup of the NBA's postseason schedule, the series is statistically exactly where it's supposed to be.

"The Lakers did a good job of protecting their home and now it's our turn to do the same thing," Dwight Howard explained. "We've been in some tough situations, we've just got to fight our way out."

The Magic won’t be the first team to execute such a comeback.

In NBA history, three other squads battled back from the same Finals deficit: the 1969 Celtics, 1977 Blazers and 2006 Heat.

And the Magic are going to be the fourth.

"I was still in Miami in 2006 when they lost both games in Dallas and then were way down in the third quarter in Game 3 at home, came back and won that one and Dallas never won another game," Stan Van Gundy explained. "You know a series can change. You've got to take it one game at a time."

The Magic will take the first step on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Well, its Uruk-hai [basically breakfast time] and I’m starved.

Alley....OOPS!

Ok, so was it just me, or was yesterday one of the best days in sports, EVER!!! I mean, the real G.O.A.T Roger Federer started the day off right by taking the French Open to complete his collection. Then Tiger Woods was just being Tiger, coming from behind to take the Memorial (Its just his warm up for the U.S. Open), and then the NBA FINALS!!! Oh man! I was in sports heaven! Anyways, on to Game 2.

Not to knock Courtney Lee, but kid, you blew it. Point blank. No question about it. 2 wide open looks in crunch time, two misses. But enough ridicule on the rookie (who I am a HUGE fan of). While Game 2 was a much better game to watch than Game 1, the result was the same. Lakers 101, Magic 96. And although the game went to OT, it definitely could have been won in regulation (ahem, Kobe NOT passing to his THREE open teammates!!!). But enough of that! My players of game are Lamar Odom and Rashard Lewis. L.O. had one of the most impressive performances of his career shooting 8-9, along with 8 rebounds and 3 blocks! As many of you predicted, the series would be Adv L.A if Odom hoops and so far, so good. Rashard Lewis definitely came alive in Game 2! His 34, 11 and 7 definitely kept ORL in contention for the game. Unfortunately, the slightest mistakes by an inexperienced team cost them the game.

So you think you can predict?!?!

Hello everyone! So sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but we here at http://polrexpress.blogspot.com were going through some major changes, but we're back (and we're back just in time)!!!! Its this time of year that always has TPE (new nickname???) very excited and that time is THE NBA FINALS!!!!!!! I'm hype, my sidekick definitely is hype, heck, even Lil Wayne is hype for this! (Ro, u gon love this) This is somewhat of a special time for me specifically because it was around this time last year that The P.O.L.R. ExPRESS got its start. Last year, I asked everybody to try to predict the outcome of the Finals. The popular pick was Lakers in 6 and Boston in 7 and Boston proved us wrong by winning in 6! I wanted everybody to be unbiased in their predictions, so lets see what happens this time around! Let's go!

Rochard Robinson (Sidekick)-

Welcome to this years NBA Finals! Excitement permeates the atmosphere as this has been some of the BEST playoff basketball my eyes have ever seen. The Spurs-Mavs rivalry (Big Ups to the Mavs for making something out of nothing this season), Rockets in the 2^nd round!!!!!!! (Big Ups to the Rockets for FINALLLY getting to 2^nd base…bunch’a prudes! [sidebar: good to see Yao play inna playoff game…]), last years champions exposed by perhaps this years champions??? More GOAT-ty from the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), King James’ MAGICal Shot against the Magic! Then, Superman to save the day!…..Man o Man! This postseason is almost as exciting as my honeymoon that starts June 15^th! I will be relaxing in a beautiful tropical paradise, with my Heaven Sent, smelling the sea breeze and watching the sunset to the tune of the GOAT’s first NBA MVP title and a 4^th ring for his display case…now that's l.i.f.e. (Laker’s In Five Efforts)

Sidekick out

Eric Adams (Oakwood Ambassador/Laker fan/Law Student) - While this series will be a tough match up for both teams I am picking the Lakers to win in six. Here's why:

1. The Magic won't have Jameer Nelson*. The Lakers biggest defensive weakness is their vulnerability to quick penetrating guards (i.e. Aaron Brooks and Deron Williams). Because of this, the Lakers will be able to double off of Rafer Alston who, while being a decent shooter and penetrator just can't be expected to produce efficiently for four games. *(At the time this was written, Nelson was still on the injured list)

2. Dwight Howard won't be playing against two centers past their prime. Let's not forget that in the Celtics series Dwight was good (not great) against Kendrick Perkins. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are not as good of defenders as K. Perkins but they're young enough, long enough, and big enough to at least keep up with Dwight.

3. Rashard Lewis won't be guarded by Anderson Varajeo. Lamar Odom proposes a much better match up for Lewis and if Lamar plays on the offensive end anywhere near what he did in the last two games of the Conference Finals, then Rashard's defensive deficiencies will be thoroughly exposed.

If the Magic continue to shoot the 3 ball well, they can legitimately beat LA. I just believe that LA will be able to contest the three pointers much better than the Cavs or Celtics and if both teams are playing at the top of their games I just don't see any team beating LA.

Lastly, the Lakers have Kobe Bryant who, contrary to popular opinion, is still the best player in the game and will prove so during this series.

Derek Long (Oakwood Ambassador/Orlando fan) - If the magic three ball is falling then I have the Magic in 6 games, but if the Lakers get Dwight in foul trouble and if Lamar and Trevor can shut down Rashard and Hedo, then the Lakers in 5 games, easy.

Kwasi Agyeman (SWAU hooper/Med Student/Kobe fan) - I say Lakers in 6. Kobe gets his ring without Shaq, and all the Kobe haters finally shut the h*** up.......(a little hostility there Kwasi?!?!?) But seriously though, I do think the Lakers are gonna win, although the matchups are interesting I dont think they will be as big a factor in this series since the Lakers have the length to match up with the Magic's wing players. but I'm curious to see who plays more, Gasol or Bynum? and about the point guards, Jameer will give his team an emotional shot in the arm when he comes back, but he will be ineffective....he practiced for the first time on monday..... and lakers are deeper! Alston vs. Fisher might go either way but no one can say Anthony Johnson will win his match up with either Farmar or Shannon Brown....Lakers have a better bench which translates well for the playoffs.....Lakers in 6 or 7

Stevie Valles (Fellow Sports enthusiast/Ohio bred/Lakers & Kobe fan)- I see L.A. winning in 6. Dwight will have a solid series but I dont see Hedo and Rashard doin what they did to the Cavs to L.A. with L.O, Ariza, Luke(who is underated) and if KB24 has to, him as well...Shane Battier has made Kobe step his game and now anyone guarding him just can't...I do think Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee are the difference makers in this series. If they ball out, we (Lakers) may have an issue...Kobe will get Finals M.V.P...then the stadium roof will open and a dove will land on his shoulder and he will ascend unto the clouds never to return again. (TPE-Ummmm......)

David Cox (Spurs fan/Knicks supporter) - Lakers should be able to have a rebounding advantage ... but not that big because of Dwight Howard. Lakers pick and roll defense isn't great ... Orlando's pick and roll offense is the best in the league. If Bynam and Gasol are on the court at the same time, who guards Rashard Lewis? ... Can the Lakers depend on Bynam to expose Lewis in the post and on the boards during those minutes? ... When Lewis pulls his man out to the 3 pt line, can they keep Howard off the offensive boards? ... How far can Gasol pull Dwight Howard away from the basket? Can the Lakers guard Howard 1 on 1? (I don't think so).

For me the biggest problem for the Lakers is they don't play 48 minutes of defense ... not even close. Any lapses on defense will mean an automatic big run from Orlando, as u saw from all the blown leads in Cleveland. I don't know if the Lakers know what they up against, so I'll give Orlando game 1. Lakers rebound in a must win game 2.

But I've found that unlike other series, SIZE wins in the NBA FINALS. They blow less whistles, maybe thats what it is, or the pressure of the game meaning less made shots, and more rebounds. Because of the pick and roll advantage for ORL, I don't think Los Angeles can win without winning rebounds. So I think the wild card mite be Odom. The only way the Lakers can win the series in my opinion is if they win rebounds. Odom has to be able to guard Rashard Lewis, and hit the boards, and it would help if he could score a little in the paint. He has to make a difference in the paint. 2nd wild card is Bynum. He's gotta get boards and score in the paint during his minutes.

Can the Pietrus/Howard connection stop Kobe in the 4th? Can dat combo stop the 4th qtr Kobe/Gasol pick and roll? Can the Magic get 4th qtr calls IN LA? Can they get good 4th qtr shots IN LA?

There's a lot of unanswered questions ...This means that coaching will play a big part in the series, and here is why I must pick LA to win the series. I give LA game 3, game 5 (IN ORL), a loss in game 6 at home, and a WIN in GAME 7.

If Orlando gets swept I'll look retarded for this long answer. (TPE- You sure will....)

Nicholas Vernon (Knicks fan/Kobe sacker/bum at 2K!) - I respect and love orlando for all they've done this yr...I know Dwight will get his.....one day...i just don't see Van Gundy beating Phil Jackson.

(TPE- Hmmm, you are right. Coaching will play a major part in this. And something to ponder, Patrick Ewing is teaching Dwight how to get a ring......OUCH)

Brenton Harrison (Grizzlies fan/Knows his basketball....except for his hating on Joe Johnson)- Lakers in 6. The Magic are the only team with a point guard who isn't good enough to abuse Fisher. Plus the Magic win by exploiting mismatches,and I don't see any major major ones this series.

Krystal Thompson (Lone Female asked for her opinion/Knicks fan/sexier version of Jemele Hill, lol! She knows her stuff yall)- I'm honored to be the only female in this thread!!! (TPE-We're honored to have you Krystal)

Now for my prediction: : : With Howard in the middle, Courtney Lee, Turkoglu, and Alston, all of whom can shoot the three pointer, pass and rebound, supporting Dwight Howard, and Peitrus coming off the bench the Magic have a great offensive game!

The Lakers are a solid team from top to bottom with good scorers in Kobe, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, good defenders in Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton PLUS a Deep bench! SO There’s no doubt that IF Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol play to their potential, that they should be able to wear down the starting five of the Magic! And they have home court!!

With that being said.............. Lewis, Turkoglu and Alston all can at least slow down Bryant while Gasol, Odom or Bynum have no shot at slowing down Dwight Howard.

I'm going against the odds, MAGIC in 7!!!

Anthony Davis (Magic fan/King Twitterer -@asdavis10) - I want my magic to win. (TPE- so much for being unbiased......) I think we have a really good chance. The regular season doesn't mean anything now but I think it shows how we can beat the Lakers. Rafer has filled in good for Jameer and I still think we have the better point guard matchup. we shoot a high volume of 3s which will always keep us in the game. Pietrus and Lee will do a better job keeping Kobe out of the paint than they did against Lebron. I don't think Dwight will be able to be contained unless Gasol and Bynum can manage to stay on the court together for long periods of time. I doubt it because Bynum is always in foul trouble. If Gasol averages 20+ and Odom averages 15+, the Lakers win in 5 maybe 6 at most. If those guys aren't producing, then its Orlando in 6. If it goes to 7 games, then Lakers win.

Samuel Nwosu (Lakers fan/negrodamus) - FEELS SOOOOOO GOOD TO BE BAAAACCCKKK...David Cox..my regards to your age-less spurs (TPE- Told you he was a Spurs fan!)..My predictions are as follows ..LA in 5 at the most 6...for this simple reason...as much as Orlando spreads the floor....we wont collapse on Howard 24/7 like the Cavs..furthermore, Hedo and, yes, ONLY Hedo is the only player able to legitimately create his own shot...the rest are more prone to either spot up and shoot (usually a missed shot attempt if contested) or pass the ball inside...we are more of a physical team and hands down better defensively....the matchups can only be a problem for us on the OFFENSIVE side..based on strictly Odom and Bynum's gameplay..inspite of all of that, we got the best player in basketball to close out games...and actually hit free-throws when they count...I could go on for days..Orlando, like I have said from the begining (please check my references)...was the best team in the EAST (after KGs injury)...unfortunately they are still not ready for the LAKE SHOW..Enough Said.

Sean Small (Lifelong Bulls fan/Shares my disdain for Mamba man)- Kobe will have a landmark series but he will get little or no help. basically...Orlando will do to L.A what they did to Cleveland. D Howard will get the name MVP killer and Kobe WILL NOT WIN A RING WITHOUT SHAQ and despite his comments to Magic, IT BOTHERS HIM! Orlando in 6...When their 3pt shot goes down they're unstoppable. Lakers big men can't contend with D. Howard in the paint. He's too much MANNN and they don't play that kinda game. They can't stop Hedo AND Lewis for 4 quarters. Maybe one but not both. If pietrus (sp) and the rest of them clowns play strong there's no chance for LA...

TPE>>> Opinion given after Game 1- Brandon Rose (Rockets fan/Extreme opinionator) - I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Orlando is gonna get SWEPT...at first I thought they MIGHT get ONE GAME...but I doubt it...granted the Magic did have a bad shooting night...but WHO THE HELL IS GONNA GUARD KOBE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Courtney Lee? Michael Pietrus is the only guy on the Magic that has the best shot...but even he was getting ABUSED...this game was UNBELIEVABLE BORING...I stopped watchin...I change my predictions...not Lakers in 5....Lakers in 4...this is gonna be like the Spurs vs Cavs a couple of years ago...i at least hope game 2 is work watchin... (TPE- Wowzers....)

Thank you all for your contributions and whoever gets it right will recieve a special, Lebron style, handshake from yours truly!

As for what I believe will happen in this series......Well, I believe that the Lakers will win in 6. Like I said earlier, Patrick Ewing is teaching Dwight how to win a ring......LOL! No, but seriously, the Lakers are more focused on the ring right now and nobody welcomes the pressure like Kobe Bryant does. NOBODY. This will be an interesting series, but when Anthony Johnson and Tyron Lue are the only people on your team with previous NBA Finals experience and a coach with no Finals experience (remember he "took time off" before the Heat won in '06), its very hard for me to see this upset happening. The magic carpet ride will be drowned, baptized, and submerged.....into the Lake Show!!! LOL! Enjoy the Finals everybody and stay tuned for more coverage, right here at http://polrexpress.blogspot.com

Kobe Responds....LOL!

Funny commercial.......to me at least! LOL!

Song of the week

Check out the song "Reality Check" by J.Dilla feat. Black Thought.

There's a market....

I ran across this on raspberrysorbets.blogspot.com and though I should share it with you. Listen and comment.

We Are ALL Witnesses, By: Lebron James

Thanks Paul! I really appreciate the love man! What's good America?!?! It's ya boy, King James in the building and I'm here to let you know why I should be the MVP.......(like the award isn't already mines already). I've never been a selfish person, (coughing)6.7 assist per game, but in order to convince you to vote for me for MVP, I'll have to brag on myself a lil bit ya know. But before I get started, I would like to dedicate my MVP season to Skip Bayless. Skip, your continual hate has motivated me to take my game to another level. I really don't care if you will never like my game, but you WILL respect it!!!!! Yezzir!

ANYWAYS, here are 6 reasons (in honor of my 6th season) why I, Lebron Raymone James, Should take home the Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

1. PPG-28.4, RPG-7.6, APG-7.2, SPG-2, BPG-1, FG- 49%, FT- 79% during 37 minutes per game.....................Team Record 66-16

LET THAT MARINATE PLEASE.............................................................................................

Ok, now last years MVP- PPG-28.2 (lower), RPG-6.3 (Puh-Lease), APG-5.4 (And I know it hurt him to share the ball that much!), SPG-2, BPG-too small to compare, FG- 46% (sigh), FT- 84% (ok, so he has me there)...................Team Record 57-25(Kidding Me!!!).....................

Can I have my trophy now?!?!

2. Let me ask you a question. At the beginning of this season, did you really see THIS Cleveland Cavalier team going 66-16*?!?! I'm POSITIVE you didn't see that coming! I mean, sure Mo Williams was a great addition to the team and yes, he's an all-star, but he was a replacement's REPLACEMENT!!!!! Meanwhile, I have to work with Big Z, Varejao, DW, Big Ben, Wally, Boobie, and whoever else Mike puts in the game (yea, we're on a first name basis.......matter of fact, he's MY assistant coach!). I must give D Wade props though. He is definitely working with scraps. But seriously, 66 wins?!?!?! Yea, i didn't think so! Also, my camaraderie with the team (see picture above), is parallel to no other star in the league! Kobe barely likes anybody else on his team and D. Wade is too into himself to even share the spotlight with his team!



(*- I didn't play in the last game of the season or else it would have been 67-15!!!)



3. OK, so maybe you didn't read those names above, but I'll prove how my presence on the court can make these guys better.



Delonte West- 10 ppg last year, 12 this year



Mo Williams- 39% from 3 last year, 44% this year



Anderson Varejao- (he averages less rebounds this year because I don't miss!) 7 ppg last year, 9 ppg this year!!!!



Do I need to continue?!?!



4. I want you to take a look at something..............http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=MVP-0809 . Witnesses speak the truth! Jon Barry is a BUM so I'm not tripping about him ridding me of being the unanimous choice! Somebody put that man in witness protection!!!



5. Allow me to hate a little bit. Ummm, MV3 (it only caught on in Miami) somehow seems to claim that "this is my house" when he plays at the America Airlines Arena and that's cute, it really is. But last time I checked, the Heat were 28-15 at home and MY Cavs were 39-2*. Also I conquered that house!!! This is MY LEAGUE Mr. Wade!!! (*- that 2nd home loss came at the end of the season when I wasn't playing)



6. Sigh, Mr. Bryant..........Yes he gave us our only home loss (ok, we lost 2, but I'm only gonna count 1), yes his teams record is almost as good as ours, and yes he is the reigning MVP, but his reign must come to an end. I don't know why Pau Gasol is so underrated!!!! This guy is LEGIT! If Kobe was not on this team, they would still have a shot at making the playoffs! As a matter of fact, If Kobe was having an off night, he could easily be the 4th option! Think I'm wrong?! Well, lets see. There's Pau (check), L.O. (check), and the playboy Bynum (check)! I'm sorry, but if I had those kind of options, I'd average a triple double AND have 70+ wins.........EVERY SEASON!



And if that isnt enough................lebronisreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallygood.com......... yea.....nuff said!



I'LL SEE YOU IN JUNE!

LBJ is MVP: Part I of our Lebron James MVP profile

LBJ is MVP

By Paul Derek Nixon, Guest Contributor to Page 3

It disgusts me that I have to write this. The fact that everyone in the knowledgeable basketball world doesn’t believe that LeBron James is hands down the MVP of the NBA for the 2008-2009 season is a testament to the times. People don’t watch basketball games anymore, they just look at box scores. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Someone told me once that Kobe is the greatest of all time because he scored 81 points in a game. Someone else told me recently that he thought Lil’ Wayne was the greatest rapper of all time. We have really short memories. More and more we’re becoming an “out of sight, out of mind” society. We eat minute rice because Basmati takes too long to cook and Taco Bell because we don’t have tip a server. We drink soda because it tastes better than water, and we watch Sportscenter because we don’t have time to watch the game. Don’t get me wrong, I love minute rice, Taco Bell, soda, and Sportscenter, but at least I recognize a shortcut when I’m taking one. It is important that we do thorough evaluations of players and their seasons when we’re deciding these end of the year individual awards. That being said, let me explain to you why LeBron James is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player this season.

To continue reading the rest of this blog, visit http://go2page3.blogspot.com/

The Full Truth, even if you don't want to hear it. By Kobe Bean Bryant

"If the Lakers are playing, I'm watching to see what he does. He is THAT dude."-Lebron James

It's simple really. No one wants to root for Goliath. I've been in the league 12 seasons, and have been most hated for 11 of them. I understand, but even after winning one MVP last year (many seasons overdue I might add) all people want to talk about is Bron, or Wade, or Colorado hotel rooms and 7th games against the Suns. I get it. I'm not the sexy pick. I don't get triple doubles regularly, nor do I show the athleticism and young Jordan like abilities in the open court like Mr. Wade (at least not anymore, have to save the legs you know.) What I do show, however, is that I am STILL the best basketball player in the world. I am the best at closing out games against anyone, be it an NBA team, Summer Pickup, Spain, or Martians. I am still the guy you would take to play someone one on one for the lives of your family. I'm still the guy you would take if you needed a last second jumper to win. I'm still the upgrade to what you saw in Mike (hey, let's be real, I have better footwork and a better jumper from 18 feet out.)I'm still THAT guy. What I am not, is a coddler. Hell, He (the one in Chicago) wasn't either. You either perform, or you get off the team. I'm not here to hold my teammate's hands, we are all professionals. I am here to win rings, 3 I already have if you weren't aware. Speaking of rings, let me be categorically clear with you all: Shaq's 3 rings wouldn't have happened in LA without me (and me alone) as the closer. He played 3.5 quarters a game (horribly out of shape) and then was a non-factor late in games due to his being less of a complete player (free throws, cough). I made the triangle go, not him. Now, back to this season...........

To read the rest of this blog, visit, http://go2page3.blogspot.com/

Dwyane Wade for MVP, by: Clifton Jessup

Let’s put this in perspective—Dwyane Wade is only getting shafted out of the 2009 NBA's Most Valuable Player Trophy for one reason, and one reason only: his team is only going to finish 2 or 3 games above .500 for the entire season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers and Lakers, LeBron and Kobe’s teams (did I even need to say that??) are sitting more than 50 games above .500, basically implying to many voters and fans that they are more deserving of the award. In terms of MVP criteria, wins is an extremely important determinant in deciding who actually should receive the award. It is that way, and I believe it should be that way. At the same time, in order to evaluate an individual award in a team sport, I would like to think that you have to take into account the situation being presented to the player to truly determine whether or not they proved “Most Valuable” in the league, or if a portion of their value is credited to the team around them (and if so, how much). With all that said, let’s cut to the chase…Kobe has Gasol, an all-star post player, a $60 million center, a 3-time champion point guard, and an array of young talent around him. He has a team of veterans who all have (at minimum) reached the NBA Finals. He won the MVP Trophy at long last a year ago, and he’s returned this year to similar brilliance, albeit in the form of lesser numbers. 60+ wins, admirable. But expected. LeBron James is the best player in the league. If that were the argument today I’d be on the wrong side of it writing this article—that much I’ll admit. But from his past we’ve seen that his unselfishness in an even vote should actually work against him in the MVP voting. That is, he is the best player in the league right now because his supporting cast this year has been exponentially better. Surround him with below-average shooters and a loafing center and he is forced to do things he’s not yet great at. Surround him with the best shooting center and backcourt in the league, along with a stifling defensive plan from his coach, and he’s an unstoppable force, and the owner of the league’s best record. Simple. And Dwyane Wade? Well, it’s been quite a different road for Wade this year. Despite numerous personal and professional difficulties, he has managed to fight through the season in a way that has impressed voters to give him a peek for MVP. Of course, his actual “peak” seems to be 2nd or 3rd place. Well here’s a case for DWade.

You can find the rest of this blog at http://go2page3.blogspot.com/

I am speechless.....

March Madness!!!!!

Every March, the NCAA Tournament captures the nation with excitement over who will be crowned "king of the hill". Househoulds, schools, offices, and the president participates in predicting who will win it all. I'm very excited about my chances of winning all of the brackets that I fill out this year. I have seen 46 of the 64 teams play this year and I have a good feel for how the teams match up. However, there are plenty of concerns that I do have with the tournament. ACC player of the year, Ty Lawson from North Carolina, is out with a toe injury and it is unknown to when he will be ready to take the floor. This is a problem for me because I believe that the Tar Heels will go deep into the tournament, but if Lawson is not able to play at full strength, then the Tar Heels will be looking at an early exit. Overall #1 seed Louiville concerns me. they have been very inconsistent, but when they are playing to their full potential, then they are very tough to beat. The key to their success is the return (from Rick Pitino's doghouse) of guard, Edgar Sosa. As long as he is playing, I think that they can go very far. I would love UConn's chances, but without their key guard, Jerome Dyson, I don't see them putting it all together in order to come out on top. #2 seeded Memphis has a lot of talent, but I'm concerned with freshman guard, Tyreke Evans erratic play. He seems to have given himself the greenlight and that, in the end, can hurt the Tigers chase for the title. My early favorite for the title winners are the Pittsburgh Panthers. They have all the weapons for success. Dejuan Blair, Sam Young, and Levance Fields lead this young, scrappy and experienced team. I like their style of play and I believe that they can take it all. Unfortunately, they lost in the 1st round of the Big East Tournament. Which is where I get queasy all over again! Anybody can lose on any given night! Welp, that's just the beauty of the madness!

Twitter?!??

So, I've been hearing this buzz about Twitter, so I have joined twitter in an effort to see what it's all about and if it lives up to the hype! lol! It's basically Facebook, but just status updates. Which is funny because the new facebook layout looks a lot like Twitter........hmmmmmmm. Anyways, we'll see how this Twitter business works out!

Can I talk my shhhh again?!?!

2009, Really?!?!?! WOW!! Man, the express has been down for a while and i have broken my promise of a blog a week (which is harder than you think) and for that........I'm sorry :-(. A lot has been going on in my world so let me catch you up! Ever since October (the date of my last post), I really haven't been that busy, but more so on the lazy side when it comes to keeping my blog up to date! Oops! LOL! Anyways, I was not in school last semester due to Oakwood being Oakwood, but I truly believe that God really has a plan in store for my life, which is why he did not allow me to be in school and graduate last semester so I'm no longer upset. That was really tough to deal with, but like I said, I'm cool, because I know God has my back! So despite my CHILLIN last semester, I got on some LSU online courses in order to make my load extra light during the spring semester. Well, long story short, WTF was I thinking?!?! LOL! Those teachers are really psycho! For example, do you remember the essay style questions at the end of the chapter from your grade school textbooks and you crossed your fingers, plotted, and prayed that your homework wouldn't include those questions?!?! Well, basically, every single question is like that! Anyways, I gotta do what I gotta do to get out of here, ya dig! Fast forward to right now, I am in school, classes going great, grad application approved, and I'm ready to dipset! Oh yeah, I got an internship at Speakin' Out News (The story behind how I got it is tooooo funny, but its SUPER EMBARRASSING so idk if I'll share that!). Anyways, my internship is going pretty good. I already have one story that went to print and I'm working on another one right now. I have already learned alot about my writing, research and interviewing techiques and I know what I need to do in order to improve and move toward making moves within the Journalism industry which leads to my next topic...........I really don't know what I'm going to do after I am done with school!!!! I want to go to J School (Journalism School), but if I can get a job anywhere, which would be such a blessing in THIS economy, then I will be there. Just keep me in your prayers as I advance in my career! Anyways, that's whats been going on with me! If I forgot something, I will definitely write about it. Anyways, new posts to come include- an update on MY ROCKETS (you don't wanna miss this one! A MUST READ!), My disgust with the entire Micheal Vick situation, a post from my sidekick (Fellas, it is NECESSARY that you read it), and much, MUCH more!