What You Know About That

Kevin Love: The Next Great White American Hope?

2012-02-05T16:58:00.001-05:00

Race in Sports is always a touchy subject that no one ever wants to talk about, but it's scary when certain situations bring it back to the forefront, i.e. Kevin Love "stepping" on Luis Scola's face. Kevin Love is a rising star in the NBA and he puts up some great numbers, but he's been getting more "love" than usual over the past year.

In a game yesterday against the Rockets, Love and Scola were pretty much wrestling under the basket and it ended up with Scola on the floor, and Kevin Love looked down and stepped on Scola.

Now: correlation between the title and what I've talked about so far. This story has been posted on many major media outlets so far, and there has been an outcry in defense of Love. Most comments have been the same, trying to compare it to Ndamukong Suh's stomp on Thanksgiving and how that was a "real" stomp (done with cleats, weight etc. so that's irrelevant), and/or talking about Scola's attack on Love's private parts in a game earlier this season.

The question I pose is whether this defense has to do with Love's pending status as the next Great White American Hope of the NBA? It's been discussed a lot this season, including ESPN First Take:

A few questions I pose about both situations:

If a Black player did what Kevin love did, what would be the response?

Why do White American fans focus so much on looking for a Great White Hope, whereas Black fans looking for a Great Black Hope in Hockey, Football (Quarterback Position)?

Why is it that easy that these things happen every day, yet we don't ask why we have to look at Kevin Love as a great White Star, but not as a great star? Does there need to be a hope in the sport?

AC'S Spotlight-Super Bowl 46 the Prediction

2012-02-03T07:22:00.006-05:00

America wanted this rematch, and now it has it. Giants/Patriots II, the rematch of one of the greatest Super Bowls ever played, which the Giants won 17-14. Think about that game, the Patriots went into that game looking for perfection and unmitigated immortality, and they were brought down in stunning defeat by the underdog New York Giants. Fast Forward 4 years later, and in some way the roles are reversed.

While the Patriots are the team that went 13-3 and won two home playoff games to get here, it feels like they are the underdog. The Giants after starting the season off 7-7 have gone on a similar run to that 2008 Super Bowl team. They've had a ferocious defense and great QB play from Eli Manning. Everything and everyone tells you why the Giants should win this game. Who should win this game?

THE MATCHUPS

Giant Offense vs. Patriots defense

We know how explosive the Giants have been with Eli Manning's stellar play, and the tremendous play of Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Mario Manningham. As always though, if the Giants can get a decent running game, it makes that much more difficult to control. The Patriots D who has been suspect and been the subject of a lot of criticism this year, while playing better than at the beginning of the season still is very shaky. I expect more blitzes than you see from usual, as I think you need to hit Eli Manning to reduce his effectiveness. The 49ers did a great job of this in the 2nd half of the NFC Title game, and if the Patriots want to keep this game under control, that's what they have to do. With that being said, I think the Giants will play their game, and put up the numbers you would expect.

Patriots Offense vs. Giants defense

I truly believe that this is where the game will be won or lost. If the Giants are as effective with their pass rush as they've been the last five games, then this will be a relatively easy Giant victory. Tom Brady is going to need help from his coordinator, and his offensive line to make the game much easier for him. Obviously the most talked about subject on the Pats side has been the health of TE Rob Gronkowski (high ankle sprain) and whether he'll be effective or not. If he plays, good, if he doesn't then the Patriots still have Aaron Hernandez and Wes Welker. If there's anything that Brady is great at, is spreading the ball around to his receivers. This is Tom Brady we're talking about, one of the best QB's to ever play the game. It's amazing that people are talking about him as if the Giants are going to automatically win this game. Which leads me to....

Intangibles

The Patriots will have motivation for this game, and not just cause it's the Super Bowl. Remember, Eli Manning and the Giants not only prevented an undefeated season, but took away another championship from Brady & Co. I buy the revenge factor in this very high. 4 titles for Brady would tie him with Joe Montana, somebody that people like to compare him to. On the other end of the spectrum, a 2nd title for Eli and Coach Coughlin changes their legacy. Multiple titles in sports is what people want to talk about, and want to remember. The Giants will achieve that and more if they win. Eli is knocking on the door of being the greatest New York Giant ever (Yes I said it, and it's true) and winning this game will do that. Both teams have a lot to play for, but I think Brady has much more to lose.

THE PICK

Giants 28 Patriots 24

Too much Eli, too much pass rush. I'm really not feeling all the trash talk the Giants have been doing this week, hopefully it doesn't bite them in the butt. Remember, I'm going live this Sunday, stay tuned for AC'S Spotlight Super Bowl Special!

Real Music Xposed Interviews Moufy

2012-01-30T23:47:00.002-05:00

Yours truly interviewed Boston Rapper Moufy on Saturday at The Feastival. Check it out!

AC'S Spotlight-Not so Super, Dwight and other NBA notes

2012-01-29T18:03:00.004-05:00

Dwight Howard if you were basing him on statistics and his impact on the court is of MVP caliber, I don't think there's anything to debate there. Without Howard, the Magic are a lottery team. Not breaking any ground there. With all the trade rumors, speculation on where Howard will go or where he wants to go, him calling out his teammates in New Orleans the other night was a little weak in my opinion. Here's the story if you haven't read it or heard it yet.

I'm not going to argue his passion for playing the game, I just think it's absurd that he calls out his teammates when he's essentially halfway out the door. It's utterly ridiculous. This is the same guy who's having chats with Deron Williams, offering thoughts on why it would be great to play with the Celtics, and etc etc etc. Seriously, why should his teammates give a damn about what he says? To be quite honest, no one should care.

Part of leadership is taking accountability for ones actions. Howard wants to pretend that his trade request is not there, when it's in everybody's face like a neon sign. He plays for the Orlando Magic, but will be more comfortable and happy when he's out of there. Sorry bro, it doesn't work that way. Howard needs to stop playing politician, and just let the chips fall where they may. This act of "leader" that he takes is at best BS and at worst an insult to his team and organization by in large.

Dwight doesn't want to be the bad guy, but the fact is this; he's not Lebron James. Whether Howard is on the Nets, Lakers, or Mavericks this year or next year won't change anything. In two years people will forget that he left Orlando. It'll be a footnote in the story to be honest with you. By walking on eggshells, and going through this "routine" has been so awkward for everybody involved in Orlando this season, and I have to legitmately wonder if Howard is truly mentally tough as a player. It's a legit question.

Whenever Dwight leaves Orlando, it'll be overblown and there'll many who believe that Howard took the easy way out. All I'm saying to Dwight is just stop faking the funk.

-Watched Heat/Bulls today; and I learned nothing. Despite the fact that Luol Deng was out, the Bulls competed as hard as they could. Lebron was awesome today until missing those two FT's and the same with Rose as well, just an awkward ending to a great game. Preview of the almost certain ECF between the two.

-Looking at the West standings make my head hurt, 3rd through 8th place changes almost daily.

-Did Minnesota handle the Kevin Love situation wrongly? Come back to me in 3 years.

-The Knicks underestimated that having a steady point guard and some shooting in a Mike D'Antoni offense matters, hence 7-13 record.

-Quietly or not so quietly, Denver is 2nd in the West, Denver to Melo, "How does our behind taste?"

-I did 3 great interviews this past week on my podcast, I talked to Sean Grande (Celtics Radio PBP) regarding the Celtics struggles, and ironically they've gotten hot since we talked. Then I talked to John Ireland (Lakers Radio PBP) about the Lakers and their offense being so offensive, and a lot of good Dwight Howard speculation. I ended the week talking with Chris Haynes (Comcast Blazers coverage) about the Blazers, and the Western Conference. I reccomend all NBA fans who are reading this to check them out if you haven't, all three gentlemen did a tremendous job, and I thank them for coming on.

This week whether it's writing or podcasts will be related predominantly to the Super Bowl, I'll be going live for the Super Bowl with a pregame show, which should be fun, I'll have my friends on who are big Giant fans, so check that out, I'll have a time soon. I'll talk to you guys soon.

AC'S Spotlight-Championship Sunday

2012-01-19T20:23:00.001-05:00

There's 3 games left in the NFL season, as the Super Bowl participants will be determined. There's a majority of people (myself included) in America want to see a Giants/Patriots rematch in the Super Bowl. It's the perfect grudge match/revenge game. While Niners Ravens has the whole brother vs. brother thing, it's coaches. No offense but I watch football for the players. Nonetheless, we have two interesting championship games, 1 being a rematch, and 1 with a lot of emotion on both sides. Let's get it going.

Ravens vs. Patriots

After all the talk about Ed Reed and whether he should've been so honest about Joe Flacco and how he should play this Sunday. Mr. Reed should worry about the defensive side of the ball, and Tom Brady who's coming into this game with a continued motivation to win a 4th championship after some playoff failures the last few years. I think the Ravens defense is not as good as it's been in the past. It can be thrown on, and with LB's Terell Suggs and Ray Lewis being more of the run stopping types, who's stopping Gronkowski and Hernandez? Who's covering Welker and Branch? It'll all about getting pressure on Brady, because if they don't it'll be lights out for the Ravens.

The other question here, can Flacco play big when the Super Bowl is on the line? While the Patriots defense is shaky, Flacco will need a big game from Ray Rice to take the pressure off him, and while I think Rice will play big, Brady will make enough plays to win. I like the Pats here.

THE PICK: Patriots 28 Ravens 20

Giants vs. 49ers

Is everyone really ready to buy what the Niners and Alex Smith are selling? Not me, who takes more out of the fact that the defense gave up 2 Td's in 4 minutes than Alex Smith scoring on a terrible Saints defense. Just saying, it's going to take a lot more of a complete effort against the New York Giants, who are white hot now. The Giants are playing with a sense of purpose, and destiny. Eli Manning with Nicks, Cruz, and Manningham have not only been explosive, but impressive.

The Giant pass rush has been dominant, making their average secondary look like world beaters. In the 1st matchup, I really thought the Niners were the more physical team on both sides of the ball, and that's really the way they need to be on Sunday in order to advance. Frank Gore needs plenty of touches to keep the Giant pass rush off of Alex Smith. The Niners D also has to put pressure on Eli and make him at least a bit more uncomfortable than last week, where he had all day to make plays against Green Bay.

I really believe the Niners with the weather (rain and muddy potentially) will fight the Giants to the bitter end, but too much Eli, too much pass rush, and too much karma. Giants win in the final 5 minutes.

THE PICK: Giants 23 49ers 17
Two games to decide two teams for the big game in Indy, can't wait.

Superstar Syndrome

2012-01-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

Pound the ball, hold it and stand around in the same stationary position. That's really how you define the New York Knicks of the 2011-12 NBA Season so far. The Knickerbockers are currently 6-7 right now, and have won a few games due to the fact that on most nights they have more talent than their competitors.

That reminds me of the 2nd half of the 2010-11 season for the Knicks. There was little ball movement, and the Knicks limped to a 42-40 record, and were swept rather easily out of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

The Knicks made a major acquisition in Tyson Chandler to solve their defensive problems, but he really doesn't solve any of their major offensive flaws as a team. The honest truth is that the Knicks should have never even attempted to trade for Carmelo Anthony AT ALL. They should've kept Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and Danilo Gallinari and built the team around Amar'e Stoudemire.

In the first half of the 2010-11 Season the Knicks were not an elite team, but they were a solid NBA team that was predicated on moving the ball around, making quick reactions and unselfish decisions. This current Knicks team is built on Carmelo holding the ball and taking a contested midrange jumper, while Amar'e stands around as a "decoy" and remains unproductive and inactive on several plays. This "offense" helps the defense and makes their job easier.

It can already be seen through a statistical lens in this young season. The Knicks are tied for the 5th worst assist/turnover ratio in the league.

Maybe The Knicks should have been less focused on obtaining a superstar and focusing on a good all-around team that was guided by the basic principles of teamwork and maximum effort on the court. One has to wonder why despite all Mike D'Antoni says in interviews, the Knicks still fall to the same mistakes and shenanigans that have haunted them since the Carmelo saga ended.

Look at this George Karl interview during an ESPN game that shows his thoughts on the Superstar:

"It's not the superstar that makes a superstar, it's a team that wins big that makes a superstar".

I hope this way of thinking comes back to the NBA because the Knicks are never winning a championship playing Basketball like this let alone winning a playoff series. We can all make excuses about the fact that the Knicks don't have a credible Point Guard or they don't have enough overall talent, but at the end of the day it comes down to how much their team leaders want to change to win.

Too bad that in the NBA overall statistical production is what makes you a team leader.

AC'S Spotlight-The NFL's Divisional Round

2012-01-13T07:54:00.005-05:00

It kinda sucks that we only have 3 weeks of football left, and the last doubleheader weekend of the season. That also means we're getting close to deciding a winner of the Lombardi Trophy as well, and we have interesting matchups across the board, so let's get to it!

Saints vs. 49ers

For a lot of reasons this is the most interesting matchup due to the contrast of styles. The Saints and Drew Brees with that high powered offense vs. The Niners and their top ranked overall defense. The question here is does homefield advantage help the niners that much? How will the Saints play away from their Superdome? I expect Brees and the Saints to get at the very least 24 points in this game. The bigger question in this game is whether San Fran can score enough to hang with them. This is all about running the football with Frank Gore and keeping QB Alex Smith in enough good situations that are conducive to success. I think the Niners will play hard and play well, but I think Brees and the Saints have momentum. I like New Orleans.

THE PICK: Saints 28 Niners 24

Broncos vs. Patriots

This game has the potential to be either a disaster or a classic. Nothing in between in my opinion. We've all one way or another got caught up in the theatrics and dramatic efforts of one Tim Tebow. I think the Broncos off the victory against the Steelers have a little momentum on their side. You also have to remember that the last 3 consecutive years, the Pats have lost their 1st playoff game. I really do think that Tom Brady will be ready for this, there's no better QB for this game than him, and the Patriot offense in a lot of ways is better equipped for the playoffs. They'll get enough running from Ellis, Ridley, and Woodhead, and their TE's Gronkowski and Hernandez will be deadly. Tebowtime goes belly up in Foxborough.

THE PICK: Patriots 37 Broncos 20

Texans vs. Ravens

T.J. Yates after a little bit of a slow start played very well at home last week in the throttling of the Bengals. This game will be a completely different animal. I expect this to be the most physical game of the 4, and one that will more likely be decided on will and who turns over the ball the least will be the winner. For Houston to win they'll need a very good to dominant performance from Arian Foster and their offensive line. Simply for Baltimore, play good D and Flacco must be sound and give Ray Rice the appropriate amount of touches. I wouldn't be surprised if it's Baltimore comfortably or anyones game in the 4th qtr. I like the Ravens.

THE PICK: Ravens 24 Texans 14

Giants vs. Packers

The Giants are coming into this game not only with a ton of momentum, but also a lot of bravado and confidence. As echoed by JPP, they really believe that they can win the title again. Eli Manning is playing great, the running game has finally started to bear fruit, and the defensive line has played like a beast with Tuck, Osi, and JPP handling business. The Packers are coming off of a bye and a great 15-1 season led by the likely MVP QB Aaron Rodgers. I really believe that this game will be similar to the one in Week 13, which the Packers won 38-35. Both teams will score early and often, and it'll be the 1st mistake made by Rodgers or Manning that will decide it. The Giants have a legit shot at the upset here, I just think Green Bay is destined to play New Orleans in a rematch of that Week 1 classic. Green Bay in a nailbiter.

THE PICK: Packers 34 Giants 31

AC'S Spotlight-Episode 68(Checking in with the Mavericks)

2012-01-12T17:19:00.007-05:00

It's been awhile since I've been on since the Jet disaster, but I'm back, and I'm talking NBA with Mark Followill (Play by Play of the Dallas Mavericks for TV). We discuss his trip to the White House with the champs to visit President Obama, the state of the team as they try and develop some more consistency as well. Other topics include what the hell is going on with Lamar Odom, when Dirk will get going, and thoughts on the rest and the best of the West. We also found time to talk a little bit about the Dallas Cowboys. Link is here. Enjoy y'all! (Much thanks to Mark for joining me again)

Lack of Common Sense

2012-01-12T14:29:00.002-05:00

Common represents everything good and positive about Hip-Hop. He's progressive, aware, passionate, and everything else you would want from a Rapper. I am a very big fan of his work and to this day listen to much of his extensive. I want to side with Common so bad but I just can't. Common is wrong in this whole "beef" with Drake.

97,600 and 1,289,000 are two very important numbers. 97,600 represents the album sales tally for Common's latest album The Dreamer, The Believer which dropped three weeks ago. 1,289,000 represents the total sales tally of Drake's Sophomore set Take Care which dropped eight weeks ago and debuted with over 500,000 copies sold the first week.

The irony in this whole episode is that Common's record Sweet is a bitter record. Common went through chastisement from the public for his album Electric Circus which many traditional Hip Hop fans viewed as soft. Now, he is upset about the fact that other Rappers (headlined by Drake, get it... HEADLINED) can have successful records while discussing love and happiness and very emo topics.

I guarantee that Common's Electric Circus would've received a warmer reception in 2011 rather than 2002. I guarantee that Marvin's Room would've been heavily made fun of in 2002 and would not be topping the charts.

Common will never have the commercial success and adoration of Drake and I bet he questions why that is a reality, when he probably considers himself a better MC (secretly I feel the same way). Common should get over it though because he has carved out a nice career as an actor and celebrity Basketball player, and did I forget to say he's pretty nice on the mic?

Sign of the times is really all you can say because the truth is that Rappers today are allowed to be "softer" and toned down. There is no place for a DMX or The LOX in today's commercial Rap scene.

One thing I will say about Drake, he should've never said ANYTHING about catching bodies. He's more likely to catch a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl next month than catching a body.

Anyways I love silly beef so it doesn't really bother me. Catch the diss that Common made Monday towards Drake. Peep the lyrics as well:

via MTV

“My Motto is/Chicago bitch/everybody know you sweet/ what the problem is/Don’t play dumb I’m the one that acknowledged it/ Son of a bitch I imagine what your father is/ She said how you make your opponent the rapper of the moment/the style he don’t own it/acting all hard when he hardly like that/You gonna mess around and make me catch a body like that/owww

“My Motto is/Chicago bitch/everybody know you sweet/ what the problem is/Don’t play dumb I’m the one that acknowledged it/ Son of a bitch I imagine what your father is/ She said how you make your opponent the rapper of the moment/the style he don’t own it/acting all hard when he hardly like that/You gonna mess around and make me catch a body like that/owww

“Don’t do it/cuz every song you make Joe is really hoe music/I heard you say you wasn’t a bitch cuz you sing/ you a bitch cuz you cling like a bitch that’s 18/ can’t say my name but rap about a nigga’s wife/you so black and white/ trying to live a n*gga’s life/I’m taking too long with this amateur guy/You ain’t wettin’ nobody n*gga you Canada Dry. ”

Make no mistake/I’m Talking to Drake. It’s the remix , Rick Ross Common and that Hoe ass n*gga. Don’t hide behind them other n*ggas. This is man to man.”

Somewhere French Montana is mad that Common didn't even acknowledge him!

AC'S Spotlight-Wild Card Weekend

2012-01-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

After a wild and wacky regular season, the NFL Playoffs are finally here. This 1st round doesn't have THE sexy matchup, but there's always 1 game on wild card weekend that surprises. We know the favorites, the Packers, Saints, and the Patriots. We have the old reliable in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then there's the team trying to break through the glass window, in the Baltimore Ravens. Last but not least, we have the alleged "sleeper", the New York Giants. There's a lot of labels here, but winners are determined on the field.

Cincinnati at Houston-

This is the game I have no definitive idea about. The Bengals are mainly a product of their weak schedule, and Houston has T.J. Yates at QB. The Texans haven't played very well for awhile now since winning the division title on both sides of the ball, and you have to wonder whether this carries over. The key matchup here is Cincy's defensive line vs. the Texans offensive line. If the Bengals can stop the run and make this game all about T.J. Yates, then their chances of winning go up exponentially. That being said, Andy Dalton will have to play better than he has recently, look for A.J. Green to make some plays. I'm picking an upset here.

THE PICK: Bengals 24 Houston 20

Detroit at New Orleans-

This game certainly won't lack for points being scored. Both Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford threw for 5000 yards this year, and will continue to put up prolific numbers in this game. No one is giving Detroit a chance in this game, and rightfully so. The Saints in that dome this year have been unstoppable on offense, and after seeing Detroit's D play so awfully against Matt Flynn and the Packers last week, you can't expect the effort to be better. Brees played well in the 12/4 meeting as the Saints won 31-17. Something tells me that Detroit will come out playing with nothing to lose and go toe to toe with the Saints in a shootout. New Orleans wins this though, and sets up a date with the 49ers next Saturday.

THE PICK: Saints 37 Lions 31

Falcons at Giants-

The Giants are now viewed as the "sleeper" team. After beating the Jets and Cowboys to close the season, they allegedly have momentum and there is some truth to that. They have Tuck, Osi, and JPP which makes their pass rush very formidable against any team. We've seen what Victor Cruz has done this year, a year in which he's become one of the most explosive players in the NFL. Hakeem Nicks and Manningham are no slouches either, and that has helped Eli Manning have probably the best year of his career. People have jumped on the Giants bandwagon, but I tell you this, looking at the Giants in the Eli-Coughlin era, being the favorite isn't the greatest thing in the world. How many times have we seen the Giants, especially at home with everything in the world going for them play terribly? A lot, but even with all of that I can't trust the Falcons. The Falcons will be playing outside in cold weather, they haven't beaten anybody this season of note, (check out the wins), and besides Julio Jones is there anybody on that team that remotely scares you? I didn't think so.

THE PICK: Giants 28 Falcons 17

Pittsburgh at Denver-

Is there any chance for Tim Tebow in this game? His numbers have been absolutely atrocious in the last 3 weeks, he's regressed to an extreme. Denver's defense has not played with the same fire, not including last week's game against KC. Is there any reason to pick the Broncos? Maybe one. With the health of Big Ben in question, and the Steelers banged up all over the place, no Ryan Clark, I can see this game being a lot closer than it should be, but the Steelers losing this game? No way, they're destined for a showdown with the Pats or Ravens.

THE PICK: Steelers 20 Broncos 10

AC'S Spotlight-Talking NBA in a nutshell

2012-01-05T19:24:00.016-05:00

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships"
Michael Jordan

Through almost two weeks of NBA action, there have been great storylines, great theatre. You have the Heat looking cohesive and impressive, the champion Mavs struggling with a new mix of players, the Knicks struggling, Derrick Rose continuing to astound, and the CP3-Blake combination. At the epicenter of all this, and the best storyline to follow IMO is the Oklahoma City Thunder, and not just because of the simmering Durant/Westbrook combo.

This team is not ready to win a championship, at least not yet. Watching them closely through 7 games, while they still have their continutity, everything is way too difficult offensively. They have 4 plays, Durant Isolation, Westbrook Isolation, Harden Pick and Roll, and Ibaka baby jumper in the corner. Most if not all of their offensive success is made from those plays. You can argue that their best playmaker and creator is James Harden, not Russell Westbrook. If you're trying to win it all, that is a HUGE problem.

I do have to ask, at what point does this fall on Scott Brooks? The OKC organization has stressed patience, but we're past that point aren't we? Isn't it now about winning the title? I thought what Steve Kerr said on TNT last week was right on the money. The easiest thing to do is make the climb to relevancy and prominence, but the final step, winning the championship is hard and comes with so many different challenges. Can the Thunder stay together? The dynamic will be so intriguing to watch. Will Westbrook crack under the pressure of the media and whatever pressure he puts on himself? Will his ego and play affect the team? I think they're all legit questions, and won't be answered till June.

AC'S LEAGUEWIDE THOUGHTS:

Paul Westphal getting fired from the Sacramento Kings is one thing, and I can understand it, but why does Keith Smart get an automatic contract extension? For his stellar work at Golden State? So all of a sudden Keith Smart will prevent Demarcus Cousins from running him out of town too? Right....

I remember Derrick Rose said something at halftime of the Christmas day opener against the Lakers, to paraphrase, "Last year I was inefficient, I'm trying to be more wise about when I shoot the ball, and make sure my teammates involved." The Bulls are 6-1, D.Rose averaging almost 4 less shot attempts, and almost up to 9 assists. The Essence of an MVP.

The Knicks are at 2-4, and just looking discombobulated after losing to the offensive juggernaut Charlotte Bobcats who threw up 118 in the Garden. Since I am a Knick fan, I guess it's fair to 2nd guess the way this squad was put together. I do have a problem with the mad bombing from three that the Knicks are doing, especially due to the fact that they're not making any. That's an issue. D'Antoni on the hot seat? You know it, how long till the "defensive specialist" Mike Woodson takes over? A month the way they're going, and while I say this Amare is shooting another three.

Losing Ginobili sucks for the Spurs, but don't be shocked if their continuity holds them up to be a top 8 playoff team until he comes back. Coach Popovich knows what he's doing, and the Spurs will survive the REGULAR season.

Nate Robinson to the Warriors, I really hope Nate finds a niche, but I don't see it with Ellis and Curry who play the majority of the minutes. Hopefully Nate can stay focused.

Kobe really needs to save his legs for the postseason and let Bynum and Gasol caddie him to the playoffs. It's nice to know he can score 30+, but he'll wear himself out like that.

I love the way Portland and Denver have played thus far, two deep teams with solid principles based on TEAMWORK. Very refreshing to see.

Till next week y'all!

Kanye's Twitter Extravaganza

2012-01-05T03:17:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Kanye took tweeting to a whole new level as he tweeted constantly over a two hour period. Here is his whole rant in stereo! But seriously Kanye just went into every possible topic of life.

Translation: I'm annoyed, tired and need to get attention. I'll complain about my lack of success in the fashion world, and the illuminati's ability to shut me down after the Taylor Swift incident.

I have tons of money and potential opportunities to make more money, but I care about the kids! Our kids should not be taught calculus!

Why Was Pill X'd Out of Maybach Music Group?

2012-01-04T06:36:00.002-05:00

So Rapper Pill announced that he was never signed to MMG and does not communicate with Rick Ross AT ALL. The question I have is why would Pill never be signed to MMG and rock the MMG chain, be featured on the album, make cameo appearances in the videos and be featured on the album cover.

As much as I would like to believe it's that simple, I just don't believe the full truth has been released. Currently, Wale & meek Mill are on fire and have been heavily promoted, showing the impact that MMG can have on the career of an artist. Pill is rough around the edges, and still needs time to work on his craft, but with all the promotion and association, there clearly is something fishy going on in this story.

Good luck to Pill though because I do believe in his lyrics, which are realer than anyone on MMG, but does real sell?

“I never signed any paperwork with Ross. It was just my deal was over at Warner already,” Pill revealed to MTV News Tuesday.

“I never really went on tour with them; I never really did anything with them,” Pill said. “The only time I performed on tour with them is when it stopped in Atlanta. They still showed love to a n—a when it was time to go to Vegas, or Cali, you know, whatever the label had put together for us to be on as a whole.”

“I ain’t really got too much to say to somebody that ain’t got too much to say to me. I’m not a brownnose, I ain’t a punk ass n—a and I’m not finna go trying to chase behind somebody that ain’t sayin’ nothing to me.”

AC'S Spotlight-Episode 67(Ranting on the collapse)

2012-01-02T01:48:00.005-05:00

Before I talk NFL Playoffs, I had to talk about the pitiful way my New York Jets ended the season on Sunday. Not only they showed a complete lack of character, they showed that they're a bunch of front running punks. This is Rex Ryan's fault, and the Jet fans as usual have to suffer. This is a MUST listen for Jet fans. Link is here.

2012... The Year It All Changed

2012-01-01T18:10:00.001-05:00

What's good y'all! Happy 2012. I hope everyone had a dope celebration these past two weeks and now we all have to return back to the daily struggle this week.

Some quick changes:

There will be less videos and new music posted and more writing. The whole posting music and videos was cute, but I prefer to have discussions over the music rather than just posting it. Quality over quantity is always the way to go. Also, the background was inverted to white. Gotta refresh it up for the new year!

My plans for the blog will evolve and change the whole way the blog was ever thought. Watch the changes unfold and you will be surprised!

100 Ways To Save Hip-Hop

2011-12-29T02:29:00.000-05:00

100 Ways To Save Hip Hop by Henry Adaso

Stop playing the same 5 songs on the radio.
Stop listening to radio stations that play the same 5 songs.
Stop blaming Diddy.
Stop Diddy.
Stop dubbing every new jack “the next great” this and that.
Stop charging body parts for shows.
Stop fabricating feuds to sell records.
Stop putting Lil Wayne on every song.
Stop saying hip-hop is dead.
Stop hating Kanye for being weird.
More battles, less beef.
Stop biting Jay-Z’s flow.
Stop biting Biggie’s ad libs.
Stop putting weed carriers on your album.
Stop trying to please everyone.
Stop leaking entire albums song by song.
Stop making posthumous collaborations.
Stop getting arrested for dumb things.
Stop being homophobic.
Stop blaming record labels.
Stop whining about how much you miss the golden age of hip-hop.
Stop cluttering albums with corny skits, unless you’re Prince Paul.
Support creativity with your wallet.
Stop making 50-song albums with 90% filler.
Stop faking the funk.
Stop calling people who disagree with you “haters.”
Stop hating.
Stop kissing ass for favors.
Stop saying you miss “real” hip-hop.
Stop hating Jay-Z.
Stop saying you’re carrying ___ city on your back. That’s not even possible.
Stop acting too cool for school at concerts.
Stop rapping about the same three topics.
Stop rapping about UFOs.
Stop promoting sexual violence under the guise of hood reportage.
Stop defending misogyny.
Stop being a Twitter groupie.
Stop taking contrarian views for the sake of being different.
Stop hating people who disagree with you.
Stop dissing Soulja Boy.
Stop Soulja Boy.
Stop dissing people who make dance-tastic rap. It’s been around forever.
Support innovative DJs.
Actually make the effort to move the crowd.
Stop radio payola.
Stop blog payola.
Push the envelope.
Stop biting.
Stop yelling on mixtapes.
Stop blaming bloggers.
Make meaningful music.
Stop obsessing over airplay (or lack thereof).
Stop showering undeserving veterans with blind praise.
Stop sleeping on unsigned talent.
Stop hopping on trends.
Stop making everything a race issue.
Stop being so gimmicky.
Stop calling everything a concept album.
Stop making tinkerbell beats.
Stop blaming skinny jeans.
Stop blaming hipsters.
Stop explaining your art.
Let your music speak for itself.
Stop playing it safe.
Invest in better artwork and packaging.
Stop promoting ignorance.
Stop burning bridges over stupid things.
Stop bragging about sales.
Stop showing up six hours late to your own shows.
Stop blaming the South.
Stop putting people in a box.
Stop tossing “classic” around.
Stop congratulating yourself on every other song.
Stop trying to sell the same album twice.
Stop looking for the next 50 Cent.
Stop hating people who color outside the lines.
More rapping, less singing.
Stop wasting your budget on video hos.
Do tell me, how do you get in those jeans.
Stop getting murdered by Eminem on your songs.
Stop telling me to “bring that sh-t back!”
More improvised freestyles, less written freestyles.
More originality, less biting.
More RZA, less Bobby Digital.
More effort, less ghostwriting.
More albums, less mixtapes.
Stop using auto-tune to mask a lack of singing talent.
Stop making contrived girl songs.
Stop wearing obnoxious gold chains.
Stop calling everything a movement. Civil Rights = movement; Bugatti Boys = not a movement.
Stop shooting up the clubs.
Stop wearing jackets that look like LV handbags.
Stop nominating idiots for Hip-Hop Honors.
Stop handing out awards to the same 5 people every year.
Stop sending impostors to your show (I’m looking at you, DOOM).
Ban Diddy from Twitter.
Stop putting baby pictures on your album cover.
Be aware that the roof is not literally on fire.
Retire the word “swag.”
Stop trying to save hip-hop. It doesn’t need saving.

p.s.- i didn’t write this. found it here. love Ronnie.

Freddie Gibbs: "Cold Day In Hell" (Lyric Book)

2011-12-29T02:23:00.002-05:00

I miss the little things like this.

Download HERE

Nas Reflects On It Was Written

2011-12-29T01:51:00.005-05:00

Esco’s It Was Written turned 15 years old back in July. In a recent interview with XXL, he reflects on his sophomore album. Peep the entire article here

What was your inspiration for “I Gave You Power?”
A Premier beat. Just a beat from Premier… in the studio. Back then I was around a lot more guns and my reality was that. There was no armed security back then, it was just us moving around so that was a lot more in my world.

I remember you had “Silent Murder” on the cassette. What made you put a bonus track on cassette at a time where things were moving to CDs?
Well, the cassette still wasn’t dead. They was still sellin’, so we figured, the cassette is what we grew up on. CDs is takin’ over so we need an extra attraction to get people to not buy the CDs, and also try to keep the cassette alive. We needed something to help keep the cassette alive so that’s what we did with Stretch and that was his last works, that was his last works with me. I miss him. I do. I think about him from time to time. Great dude. He was a real good dude.

New Video: Ace Hood "My Speakers"

2011-12-27T13:54:00.001-05:00

Featured on Ace Hood's Mixtape The Statement 2. Features a sample of Rick Ross' verse on the Hustle Hard Remix. They even used the same clip of Ross saying that in the video for Hustle Hard.

New Music: B.o.B Feat. Andre 3000 "Play The Guitar"

2011-12-27T01:55:00.000-05:00

Off of BOBs album Strange Clouds which will come out in March. Features a sample of TI.'s verse in Fancy.

New Music: Rick Ross Feat. Meek Mill "No Church In The Wild [Freestyle]"

2011-12-27T01:48:00.001-05:00

It's MMG over the popular WTT instrumental

New EP: Young Chris Young Christmas

2011-12-25T13:09:00.002-05:00

1. Property Tax (Produced by: Mike Jerz)
2. So Fly (Produced by: Cardiak)
3. Still Creeping (Produced by: Mike Jerz)
4. 100 & Rolling (Produced by: Mike Jerz)
5. 6 In da Morning Prouduced by: (CERTIFYD)
6. Make you a Believer (Produced by: CERTIFYD)
7. *Bonus* Black out
8. *Bonus* Trouble on my Mind (Produced by: Ritz)

Download HERE

New Mixtape: Fabolous There Is No Competition: Death Comes In 3′s

2011-12-25T13:06:00.000-05:00

Download HERE

New Video: Rihanna "You Da One"

2011-12-23T13:10:00.001-05:00

Rihanna's album Talk That Talk is in stores now!

New Video: Ludacris Feat. Meek Mill "Say It To My Face"

2011-12-22T18:44:00.000-05:00

Ludacris drops the video for his second diss record ‘Say It To My Face’ featuring Meek Mill off his 1.21 Gigawatts: Back To The First Time mixtape.