Bleacher Report - Articles by Gabe Mambo

Put It on The Record: The Future Is John Morrison

Gabe Mambo — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:56:54 -0400

Last night was a night where the WWE conveyed a message to the WWE Universe.

The fans of the WWE rose out of their seats in excitement, joy, and ecstasy as a young ring warrior hit his sensational turnbuckle move, "The Starship Pain."

The fans of the WWE cheered as Rey Mysterio was pinned by this said warrior for the three count, and had to relinquish his Intercontinental title.

The fans of the WWE saw the future of their beloved company standing in the middle of the ring, his arm raised by the referee, his face showing many emotions, awe and gratitude amongst them.

The fans of the WWE saw the future of their beloved company officially begin his rise to the top of the brand known as "Friday Night Smackdown."

The future won the Intercontinental Championship last night, and the future has a name:

Its name is "The Guru of Greatness."

Its name is "The Friday Night Delight."

Its name is "The Shaman of Sexy."

And its name is John Morrison. The future is John Morrison. The new intercontinental champion is John Morrison. And the next fresh face of the Main Event scene is John Morrison.

It's not the first time John Morrison has been considered a man in the graces of the WWE creative staff; he's even had a solid title shot against Jeff Hardy, but lost in a valiant effort.

Earlier in his career, Morrison scored gold in ECW, winning the championship at WWE Vengeance in 2007. He had a solid reign, due to the gimmick change that has remained intact and loved by the WWE Universe. His title defenses against CM Punk were definitive for him, and gave a solid push to the top of the ECW Brand.

That wasn't the first taste of gold he had in the WWE. As the cocky, Hollywood-esque narcissist known as "Johnny Nitro", Morrison won the WWE Tag Team championship three times with former WWE superstar Joey Mercury. With Melina at their ringside, they arguably became the top tag team stable of Friday Nights known as "MNM."

When Nitro was traded to Raw with his manager Melina, he managed to win the Intercontinental Championship in 2006, and had a good three month reign with the title. He managed to regain it again, but that title reign was only a short week long.

Nonetheless, his feud with Jeff Hardy over the championship was memorable.

John Morrison did revert back to the tag team phase of championship success, teaming up with The Miz to win the WWE Tag Team titles. Their title reign was long and illustrious, solidifying them as one of the best tag teams that the 21st Century has seen thus far.

Their double dose of arrogance put them over with the fans as heels, and although they were meant to be hated (And definitely were); they no doubt gained the respect of wrestling gurus and internet fans.

But, good things had to come to an end. After a second tag team title reign (This time with Raw's tag team title), John Morrison and The Miz were separated by the draft. Both wrestlers benefited from the split, as both needed to branch off into their own singles careers.

But, with all due respect, I think that John Morrison is the one who has the slightly better part of the deal.

He's a near-future Main Event wrestler.

He's primed and ready to be pushed to the top of the wrestling chain. His win over Rey Mysterio proved that.

You can attribute his win to Mysterio's current 30 day suspension from the WWE, but if he were not worthy of winning the championship, why did he?

The answer is simple: He is the future of the Smackdown, and likely the company. Holding the historic IC title didn't hurt him in anyway, either.

Many world champions have held the belt in their careers, and those particular reigns were just what they needed to be boosted to world championship status.

Morrison will likely drop his championship to one Dolph Ziggler, a future main eventer in his own right.

But, Morrison will reap the benefits; he'll be in line for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

And when it's all done, John Morrison can-and will-be the World Heavyweight Champion.

And yes, he'll still be the Friday Night Delight. He'll just have some gold laced upon his greatness.

The Future is John Morrison.

Where Are Their Puppet Commercials?

Gabe Mambo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:19:25 -0400

If there is anything that can be said about the LeBron James and Kobe Bryant puppet commercials released by Nike, it's this: They are comedy gold. Every commercial I have seen has charmed me, and everyone else who has seen them. I know I don't have the info to prove that, but I'd have an even more difficult time disproving it. These commercials are timeless, priceless, and c'mon, man, they're puppets! All praise aside, though, I wonder...why haven't there been other commercials like this? Many people might be wondering why other duos, whether they're rivals or not, don't have any commercials of their own. Although the Kobe-LeBron advertisements are amazing enough, just think of how expansive these things could be if another pair of athletes got counterparts made of felt. Thus, that's why I'm making a slideshow to display some duos that could make it big...while being small, puppety (I know, that's not a word), and cute, all at the same time.

Begin Slideshow

The Memphis Scandal: We Are All To Blame

Gabe Mambo — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:15:21 -0400

The words of the headline may offend you. Hell, I'm offended by the headline as well. Who do I think I am to add such appalling words at the top of that page?

Well, I think I'm an aspiring sports writer trying to figure out what's going on here. At the same time, I'm also a basketball fan who is afraid that basketball is losing its luster.

But most of all, I'm a basketball fan who may have contributed to the scandal we have before ourselves.

Recently, it has come to our attention that a basketball player who played for the University of Memphis Tigers team in the 2007-2008 season cheated to get on the team. Instead of walking in and trying to take the test himself, a stand-in earned a 740 or 750 SAT score. That was good enough to allow the unnamed player entry into the school.

Add a changed grade in his high school record, and he's officially a cheat. He's officially a player who can admit he didn't always do that well in school.

He's probably Derrick Rose, but as of late, we're yet to confirm if he's the one in question. Rose has denied the allegations.

The University of Memphis has also denied the allegations that anyone cheated to gain entry into the school. Right now, there's apparently no record of fraud, according to school officials. If the allegations are true, though, then there will be no record of their historic 38-2 season.

The NBA has gone under some fire because of the NCAA scandal. Many attribute this resort to cheating a result of the new eligibility rules the league implemented three years ago.

The rules stated that any individual who wanted to be drafted had to wait a year before they could enter the draft. They also were required to be 19 years of age. This only applied to American basketball players, but the league seemed to have forgotten that's what the majority is made up of: American basketball players.

Fingers are being pointed to many parties.

Fingers are being pointed to the NBA for having players feel cheated out of going to the NBA whenever they desired. Fingers are being pointed to the University of Memphis for being so irresponsible, assuming they knowingly allowed a cheater to play for them, per the allegations. Fingers are being pointed to the player in question for taking the easy way out in order to be eligible for college basketball.

In the end, the answer should be clear. Apparently, we're not making the bold statement, because we hate to admit it.

All of us are to blame, my friends. Every single one of us.

The player in question—whether it would be Derrick Rose or whoever—is to blame for his irresponsibility.

Although his anger is understandable, his actions can't be. He shouldn't have resorted to employing a friend to do his test for him.

If he really wanted to play basketball at the University of Memphis, then he'd take a study guide, hire a tutor, and prepare for the SAT. He didn't have to cheat. He could have taken the test, and he probably would have passed with the score required if he studied hard.

He's to blame.

The University of Memphis is to blame if they knew they allowed a cheater on campus.

They should have denied him entry and shown him the error of his ways by keeping him off the court. Now, your program could be tarnished because of one cheating scandal that could have been avoided by condemning it. And now, your NCAA-record 38 wins will be wiped off the record. NCAA basketball books will have an asterisk next to your 2007-2008 record.

You're to blame for your own irresponsibility.

The NBA is to blame for limiting the choices of players.

Although their intentions may have been good, their actions were not. Like the player, your actions did not help your thoughts.

Instead, they damaged their relevance.

Why would you keep players out of the NBA Draft? I understand that you want to make sure players have futures, but I don't think all of the failed high school players end up being hobos on the streets.

Will there be more failed high school draft picks than successful ones? Definitely.

Still, the same can be said for all draft picks. One out of every 3,800 high school basketball players will make it to the NBA. That includes those who enter the draft after their freshmen, sophomore, or junior years of college. That also includes men like Tyler Hansbrough, who stay all four years in college.

The rarity is inevitable. There will always be a LeBron, Kobe, Garnett, or Dwight Howard among 10 to 15 high school busts. That's just the way the sports world goes.

There will always be a Sam Bowie to every Michael Jordan. Hell, there will be 20 Sam Bowies to every Michael Jordan.

You cannot prevent failure. You can only encourage success. And you, Mr. Stern, have done nothing but further the failure.

Your further failure is not the NBA, but in college basketball. You damaged the importance of NCAA basketball by trying to force it down the throats of NCAA players.

I'm sure plenty of NBA stars today could have skipped college to go to the NBA. Many of them went to college, though, and stayed for a considerable amount of time.

They were given free reign in their options, and saw the benefit of going to college. Their freedom to choose gave them freedom to appreciate a free education at a university in exchange for playing basketball. If they chose to go the NBA, then they felt they were ready. The previous system worked because it gave lenience to the players. They were able to choose.

Your current system only gives players the feeling that college basketball is a prison. They want to go to the NBA, but because of your ridiculous rules, they can't go.

The ones who are ready for the NBA go to college for a year, as required, then get drafted. The ones who aren't drafted are still cynical when they see the success of players like Durant, Rose, Beasley, and Mayo, and go to the NBA to follow suit.

So congratulations, Mr. Stern—you're to blame for limiting players' options.

We are to blame as well. We're to blame for not objecting to the one-and-done deal. We're to blame for encouraging "NBA, NBA" every single time, and then provoking the NBA to flip us off as a a response.

We are to blame for never believing the NBA is full of integrity. We should criticize them, but the league will not budge. It will continue to do as it desires, and we will get nothing.

We're to blame for wanting so much, and getting nothing in return. We're to blame for demanding.

When you look for someone to blame, don't look at one party. Look at the cheating player who refuses to show some integrity. Look at the school that allowed someone of the sort on their campus. Look at the league that tries to control the landscape of professional basketball. Look into a mirror and see the demanding hoops fan.

Look at everyone. We're all to blame.

Cleveland's Lack of Composure: Their Poison Pill

Gabe Mambo — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:45:32 -0400

The NBA's best team may not be the "best team."

Or perhaps they are.

Either way, the Cleveland Cavaliers are proving to be the outmatched team in the Eastern Conference Finals. Going into tonight's Game Four, they are down 2-1 against the Orlando Magic. Many would probably agree that win tonight is crucial. As of now, though, Cleveland is struggling to just keep up any momentum that they create.

Sometimes, they lose it all and falter in the end.

In the first game of the series, Cleveland was showing itself to be a team that can beat the Orlando Magic. They led for a majority of the game, and didn't let up in anything. Unfortunately, they lost control of the game, and it became close.

Rashard Lewis was left open for a three-point basket, which sailed through the net to give the Magic the lead, and the win. Cleveland was handed their first loss of the playoffs.

The second game initially indicated that Cleveland learned their lesson. A 23-point lead was built by the Cavaliers, and it left the Magic in a gap. The lead slowly started to vanish though, and Orlando led again.

If it weren't for a miracle buzzer beater by NBA MVP LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers would be down three games to none as of today. Their chances at winning their first NBA championship would be jeopardized.

The third game of the series proved to be the one that showed Cleveland at its worst. The Orlando Magic put a world of hurt on the Cavaliers, and capitalized on a bad shooting night for the team. The final score was 99-89, in Orlando's favor.

Now, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a problem. They have a strong opponent. Its name is Orlando.

The Cavaliers have a predicament. It's a two-games-to-one series that isn't in their favor.

The Cavaliers have a weakness. It's called a lack of composure.

The Cavaliers have a poison pill in their mouths—and they're about to swallow it whole.

Cleveland has to make a turn-around tonight of all nights if they plan to continue their quest for the NBA championship. There are a variety of things that they need to do, and it all begins with composure.

The Cavs can't always rely on LeBron James. His 41.6 ppg during the playoffs are wonderful, but will mean nothing in the end if the Cavs cannot win against the Magic. The rest of the team isn't stepping up, and they are more than capable of doing that.

LeBron James spent most of Game Two shooting at least 50 percent of the team's shots. When that happens, you know that his team isn't doing what they need to do. James cannot take a game upon himself and win it for them. Every player has to have his role in this series, or else they'll have to wait until 2010 to get a shot at the NBA title again.

The team must have composure.

The Cavaliers must stop the Orlando Magic's three-point shooting. If they don't, then that's it. Orlando's already won. You can't make two miracle buzzer beaters, but you can make sure your opponents miss their shots.

Cleveland has to pressure Orlando. Close, tight defense should cause offensive mistakes such as turnovers and hopefully misses from three-point range.

Either way, it takes composure.

Cleveland has to make their shots. Again, LeBron can't do it alone. In Game Three, he had an off night, and couldn't make his shots. If Mo Williams, Delonte West, or Anderson Varejao could make their shots, then James' misses would mean little. The team would be doing their jobs.

It takes composure to do that.

Tonight is the night that Cleveland shows what type of series they want to have. There will be a Game Five for sure, but tonight determines if there is a Game Six. It will ultimately be up to how Cleveland plays.

If they don't maintain control, then they'll have swallowed the poison pill in their mouths. And it will all be from a lack of composure.

NBA Draft What If Part 3: The Toss For Shaq

Gabe Mambo — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:22:28 -0400

This is a continuation of my what-if articles inspired by the recent NBA Draft Lottery that just happened and what it would be like if it didn't exist at all.

I enjoyed hearing about Shaq. That was the only name I knew him by. Shaq.

Of course, anyone with a brain would realize his full name was Shaquille O'Neal. Also, anyone with a brain would know not to make the 7'2", 300+ pound giant angry. You'd just hope that he dunked on you and made you look silly; It's just what he did.

I admired seeing Shaquille O'Neal in his Orlando Magic jersey. People were probably more excited when they saw him in his Lakers uniform tough. With the Lakers, he found more success than ever, winning three consecutive NBA championships, and one MVP award before being traded to Miami. There he won an NBA title-again-thanks to his work with Dwayne Wade and a loaded Heat bench.

Still, we basketball fans can never forget about the Magic days. Shaquille O'Neal was the most sensational player not named Michael Jordan in my opinion.

When you hear about Michael Jordan, you hear about God in ways. You can't elaborate more than that.

When you hear about Shaq, you hear about this great player who could dominate the paint without breaking a sweat. This guy needed the whole starting five to stop him in college, and needed to be hacked so his weakness, free throw shooting, could be exploited.

Other than that, Shaquille O'Neal was unstoppable.

The Orlando Magic were lucky to have gotten him.

The NBA Draft Lottery didn't go wrong in 1992; the Magic were last in the Atlantic Division with a record of 21-61, the worst record in the Eastern Conference. As a matter of fact, if the coin toss was still implemented, the Magic would be one of the two teams crossing its fingers for the diesel.

Still what if the coin toss was still around?

If so, the Minnesota Timberwolves would have had a stake to claim for O'Neal. They had the league's worst record at 15-67.

In the eyes of some, it would only seem fair. The T-Wolves had the league's worst record, for one. That's always something that should merit the top pick.

On top of that, the Timberwolves center situation was wreaking havoc. The best center the Timberwolves had was Felton Spencer, who averaged 6.6 ppg, and 4.2 rebounds a game.

The Timberwolves drafting Shaq would have alleviated the mediocre stock of centers. In the long run, Minnesota wouldn't have needed to draft Kevin Garnett, although that would have been a great addition if possible.

Minnesota would have turned into a legit playoff contender, if not a championship contender with Shaq.

If the T-Wolves had gotten Shaw then the Magic would have to settle for Alonzo Mourning, not bad, if you ask me.

I won't elaborate on some history changing tirade, apparently, it's random and weird.

Just think about the possibilities, and how excellent they could have been if they had been decided by the flip of a coin.

NBA Draft History: What If a Coin Toss Decided the No. 1 Pick In 1992?

Gabe Mambo — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:48:18 -0400

1991.

It was the year of the Show of Shows.

It was the year that Michael Jordan finally had his ring.

It was the year that marked the 100th anniversary of the great sport we know as basketball.

And it was the year of Larry Johnson.

Larry Johnson's college career came to an end this year. The previous spring, he led the UNLV Running Rebels to a National Championship. The team was close to winning back-to-back championships, but an upset from Duke prevented the repeat.

Nonetheless, Larry Johnson finished a solid college career. He won the John Wooden and Naismith Awards, becoming the consensus national player of the year. His future was now to be determined in the 1991 NBA Draft, where he'd be bound to become the first pick.

We know how it all went after he got drafted.

Larry Johnson had a somewhat-successful NBA career. Although he didn't win an NBA championship or league MVP, he was still a moderately-skilled player. He was popular as a member of the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks. He even enjoyed a trip to the NBA Finals in 1999 with the latter.

Johnson was a two-time NBA All Star, both of those selections being made while he was in Charlotte. He won the Rookie of the Year award as well. Larry Johnson's achievements were minimal, but his contributions on the court were invaluable at times.

Larry Johnson was a great pick for the Hornets—but what if he didn't become the number one pick for them? What if the NBA Draft Lottery was eliminated? What if the first pick was once again decided by a coin toss?

The Coin Toss

The Denver Nuggets were the punching bag of the NBA in the 1990-91 season. They lacked a big man or viable guard, and thus were affected immensely. They were 20-62, so they had to put their chances on the newly-reinstated coin toss in May.

They'd go up against the Miami Heat, a team that went 24-58 for the second-worst record in the NBA that season. They also needed a big man, and had to make up for that by drafting Larry Johnson—but they'd have to win the coin toss as well.

Let's say David Stern got the owners of the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets to gather at his office in New Jersey to make the coin toss. Both owners crossed their fingers as the golden coin flipped in the air. The Nuggets owner said "Heads" in hopes of it coming up as so.

It didn't.

The coin showed the NBA logo, signaling that it was tails. It was in the favor of the Miami Heat. The Heat GM shook his fist in excitement, realizing that he had the pick of a lifetime.

In June of 1991, the Miami Heat selected National Player of the Year Larry Johnson, as expected. The Denver Nuggets settled on Kenny Anderson, a talented guard from Georgia Tech. The disgruntled Hornets, who wished to have the flawed lottery continue, selected Dikembe Mutumbo at fourth, feeling they had the worst out of the three teams.

Miami Heat Revised History

Larry Johnson adjusted quickly to the Heat's play. He became the main man for Miami, and averaged 20.3 ppg on his way to winning Rookie of the Year. He became an All-Star his rookie year, the first in franchise history to achieve such a feat. Despite the Heat's failure to make the playoffs, Miami fans soon had faith in Larry Johnson.

The Heat management decided to pull some strings. After drafting Harold Miner in the 1992 NBA Draft, they traded a future pick and a starting guard for Alonzo Mourning. The slight sacrifice of the Miami starter was worth it. A contributing Harold Miner, the star Larry Johnson, and rookie sensation Alonzo Mourning became a strong front court.

They made the playoffs multiple years, and won the Atlantic Division crown in consecutive years. In 1997, the Heat were a win away from the NBA Finals, losing to the eventual-champion Chicago Bulls in seven games. In 1998, they were a win away from an Eastern Conference Finals return, but a buzzer beater from Reggie Miller sent the favored Heat packing.

In the 1999 lockout season, the duo of Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning was enough to stop the lackluster eighth-seeded Knicks. The Heat finally overcame an obstacle, and reached the NBA Finals. They'd go on to lose to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games.

The loss disheartened Johnson, and he asked for a trade. He was eventually traded to the Knicks, where he helped them reach the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals, only to lose to the Pacers—and...well, yeah, that's where reality took over again.

Denver Nuggets History

Kenny Anderson became the star point guard for the Denver Nuggets. Anderson and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf became a great back court, although many were above them in experience and skills.

The Nuggets made the Western Conference Playoffs as an eighth seed, but had to play the favored Seattle Supersonics. Without a good center to constantly challenge Seattle, the Nuggets fell in five games. The Sonics would go on to defeat the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks respectively to win their second NBA championship.

Charlotte Hornets History

The Charlotte Hornets got more than what they bargained for in Dikembe Mutumbo. His skills were tremendous, and surprised them to the point where they were glad to have had the fourth pick by default.

Mutumbo became their big man, and was on the All-Rookie first team in the 1991-1992 NBA season. He also achieved the rare accomplishment of winning the rebounding championship in his first year.

The Hornets became a winning team, but always fell short of making the Finals. The Hornets were always challenged by the Bulls, Knicks, and Miami Heat for all of their great years. They also blew an opportunity to become a gradual contender when they traded Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac in the 1996 NBA Draft.

Though Divac helped greatly, injuries on both centers doomed the team's championship hopes. Mutumbo was eventually a free agent, and signed with the needy Philadelphia 76ers. He achieved the dream of making the NBA Finals in 2001, but...yeah, reality took over here too.

I'll be back with Part Three: The Toss for Shaq!

NBA: What If The Draft Lottery Never Existed?

Gabe Mambo — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:36:39 -0400

The NBA Draft started out like any other sports event. It had a humble beginning, only being mentioned in the back of newspapers the day after. The process was not public and the importance of the draft was only seen by the NBA coaches who selected players for their teams.

The process of the NBA did, however, change over the years.

Fans were excited; their dream of having the next great basketball star may have only been a coin flip away.

The NBA Draft's coveted number one pick was rewarded to the winner of a coin toss between the worst team in the Eastern Conference and the worst team in the Western Conference. Whoever won the coin toss would go on to win the right to select the best player in the draft.

Sometimes, the coin toss could make or break a team's long term success. In 1969, Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar) was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the coin toss over the Phoenix Suns. In just his second season, he teamed up with NBA great Oscar Robertson and gave the franchise its first NBA championship.

The Phoenix Suns were successful regardless of losing Lew Alcindor. They made the NBA Finals in 1976, losing to the Celtics in six games. In 1993, they managed to have NBA MVP Charles Barkley lead them to the Finals that year, only to lose to the defending champion Chicago Bulls.

They are yet to win a title to this day.

That was not the only coin toss that cost a team dearly. The Philadelphia 76ers lost the 1974 coin toss to the Portland Trailblazers that brought the latter UCLA center Bill Walton. Bill Walton led the Blazers to the 1977 NBA championship, and won league MVP the following year.

Marvin Barnes' contribution as the 76ers' second pick was minimal.

The 1979 coin toss between the Lakers of Los Angeles and the Bulls of Chicago was also costly for the latter. The Lakers won the toss, and subsequently won Earvin Johnson. In his rookie year, he was pivotal in the Lakers' first of five NBA championships.

The Bulls did not suffer all that much with David Greenwood; They did get the third pick five years later, and draft Michael Jordan. The rest was history.

Nonetheless, the stakes were always high at the coin toss. One flip of a coin could win you the best NBA basketball player in years. Thus, teams allegedly lost games on purpose to make the annual determination of that first selection.

When the Houston Rockets were accused of tanking games to select Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in the 1984, the NBA started a reform. They created the NBA draft lottery, a process that made it a little more random to decide who had the number one pick in the NBA draft.

The controversial NBA Draft lottery of 1985 sparked another reform. Instead of big giant envelopes that could be bent, thus created theories of rigging, there were ping pong balls that formed four number lottery combinations.

The Draft Lottery's relevance and credibility is disputable to this day.

The NBA Draft Lottery has brought about questionable results. The Orlando Magic winning back to back lotteries, despite low odds, helped them snatch Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway respectively (Although, if I am correct, Hardaway was acquired through a trade with the Warriors in exchange for the real number one pick, Chris Webber).

Only two teams with the worst record in the league have won the NBA draft lottery. Last year, the Chicago Bulls only had a 1.7 percent chance of winning, and managed to grab the top spot. They selected a Chicago native by the name of Derrick Rose.

The NBA Draft Lottery only created conspiracy theories, and thoughts of the NBA being a corporate money machine. The NBA Draft coin toss, however, did not deter the integrity of the league, but only of its teams.

Still, what if the NBA Draft Lottery was never made? What if the coin toss was still the "make or break" event that it was throughout the league's history. Could the flip of a coin have actually brought a championship to an unsuccessful team, or on the contrary, prevented such a thing from happening? What would it be like?

1985 NBA Draft

This was already established in the Sporting News. In that What-If, the Indiana Pacers won the coin flip, and selected Patrick Ewing in the summer. The article stated that Pat Riley would have accepted a job to coach the Pacers, and with Ewing being their main man, the Pacers would have won the NBA championship in 1991.

To parallel this, the New York Knicks would continue to struggle under coach Dave DeBusschere. Although Wayman Tisdale helped alleviate the mediocrity of the Knicks, they would be doomed to be a large market loser for the rest of the decade, and half of the 90's until new coach Rick Pitino turned them around to be a solid playoff team. They'd not be contenders to this day.

1986 NBA Draft

The Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks face off for the first pick in the NBA Draft. This time around, the New York Knicks would win the NBA Draft Lottery. They would select Brad Daugherty from North Carolina to be their second big man alongside Patrick Ewing.

The one-two combination in New York becomes a dream. Although Daugherty is not a five star caliber player, he proves himself worthy of being a solid forward. Patrick Ewing, Daugherty, Ron Harper, and Bernard King would be a great troop to play with. They did win the Eastern Conference championship in 1989, and then completed the ultimatum in 1992, edging the Portland Blazers in seven games to win the NBA championship.

1987 NBA Draft

The Los Angeles Clippers would win the 1987 coin toss over the ever unlucky New York Knicks. Lacking a man in the middle who could consistently perform well enough, they drafted David Robinson from the Naval Academy.

They had to wait until 1989 to use him, but when he came along, he shined for them. David Robinson's solid play turned the Clippers into playoff contenders. Danny Manning, Charles Smith, Loy Vaught, and Robinson all impacted the Clippers franchise.

They did win more games than the Lakers starting in 1992 when they had Larry Brown at the helm to coach the team. Although they never won an NBA championship due to the competitive Western Conference and Bulls Dynasty, they did manage to make the Western Conference Finals in 1993 (They lost to their division rival, the Suns), and won the Pacific Division title along with a return trip to the Western Finals in 1995. Robinson would retire with a lone MVP award in 1995, but no ring.

The Spurs never won an NBA title.

1988 NBA Draft

The New Jersey Nets won the draft lottery of 1988, and to no one's surprise, selected NCAA champion Danny Manning. Manning became a popular rookie in New Jersey, even after being out with a knee injury in his first season.

When he returned, he came back to a lackluster Nets team. He eventually led them to the playoffs, and became a two time All Star while in New Jersey. After a losing season in 1993, the management traded the injury prone Manning to the Atlanta Hawks. He'd shift from team to team for the rest of his career.

1989 NBA Draft

Despite having the league's worst record, the expansion Miami Heat lost the coin toss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets drafted Pervis Ellison, while the Heat drafted Danny Ferry.

Neither team benefit all that well. Pervis Ellison's injury almost harmed him, but the next year he improved well enough to become the team's starter. His injuries plagued him, and he only helped the Hornets to the playoffs. Ferry didn't want to play with the upstart Heat, and spent time in Italy to hone his skills. He was traded to another team, but never became a star player like he was hyped to be.

Meanwhile, the Spurs still drafted Sean Elliot and won the NBA title in 1999 with him.

1990 NBA Draft

The New Jersey Nets won the 1990 coin toss, and drafted sensational player Derrick Coleman.

Despite winning only 26 games in his rookie campaign, he did well enough to become NBA Rookie of the Year. In his third season, the Nets won a playoff berth.

They didn't win an NBA championship with Coleman, but he became their starting forward, and led to them to the playoffs multiple times.

There will be more in Part two of my series.

Derrick Rose: The Man I Hate To Love

Gabe Mambo — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:36:18 -0400

On April 22, 2009, Derrick Rose won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. With this achievement, it capped a remarkable rookie season to behold. Someday, he could become a star in the NBA and take the league by storm.

And until now, I dreaded the thought of that.

I am a lifelong Bulls fan who only strayed from them when I was a young bandwagon fan. When my loyalties were once again focused on Chicago, they suddenly became a great team again. My heart leaped with joy when I saw they were marked to make the playoffs for three straight years.

In 2005, the Bulls lost to the Washington Wizards. The following year, the Bulls fell to the defending champions, the Miami Heat. Still, I had love for my Bulls.

In 2007, the Bulls earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, the best they've had for years. To top it off, they defeated the defending champions in a compelling sweep before falling to my bitter enemies, the Detroit Pistons. Regardless, this team was made.

The 2007-08 season came along. The Bulls struggled in the beginning. And then the Bulls management did the unthinkable:

They fired Scott Skiles. They fired one of the best up and coming coaches, and the Bulls faltered.

So then, my beloved Bulls had to play under some interim coach, and went 32-50, missing the playoffs in embarrassing fashion. It got so bad, that things could only get better for them. I at least hoped for that much.

My hopes came true after that. The Bulls participated in the 2008 NBA Draft lottery with a 1.7 percent chance of gaining the No. 1 pick. There was no way they could have gotten the top slot.

They emerged from the lottery with the No. 1 pick. I smiled that night.

Then, draft night came around. My heart was leaping, because my Bulls were on the verge of choosing a franchise star. In my mind I thought of only one player who could lead Chicago back to the promised land with little effort. He would solve the problem the Bulls had had for years.

And there was no way in Hell that Chi-town would want the Bulls.

My hopes were dashed the moment I heard of the pick. The Bulls did choose a stellar college player in the NBA draft that night. He had a high chance of being a great NBA player. There was no way it could have been Derrick Rose.

Derrick Rose left the ballroom that night wearing a Bulls draft cap. I scowled that night.

Now, before people start getting argumentative with me, just hear me out. First of all, as a sports fan, I like picks to be made when I'm 100 percent sure that they will benefit the team. This draft pick, while a good one, was not the best one. In my eyes, the Bulls wasted a pick.

Michael Beasley was a strong inside force, and I feel he had been underestimated. As a matter of fact, I still despise the Bulls bypassing him despite the full blown guarantee they had. Beasley went on to play 81 games with the Heat, and start 15 times this past season.

On top of that, there were other things that bothered me. First of all, the Rose pick looked like a publicity stunt for the city of Chicago. The hometown hero would remain the hometown hero, bringing in ticket sales for the franchise (this is fan speculation, of course, but it was logical to them). There was no true need for the Bulls to draft him, personnel-wise.

Then, I felt that players such as Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich were being blatantly disrespected. Given career years, Gordon and Hinrich could have donned All-Star uniforms had Skiles stayed. Their performances, along with those of their Bulls teammates, suffered because the impatient, hasty Bulls management fired a solid mentor for the team.

With Rose being drafted to replace the two, it was an insult. They had already proven to be good point guards. Hinrich was a solid passer, and good floor general. Ben Gordon scored like no other, and was a back court threat. It's not their fault that the system they played under was altered by Skiles' dismissal.

This was why I started to hate Derrick Rose so much.

And now, after this season, I'm hating that I love what the guy can do.

Throughout the season, Rose provided an athletic presence for the Bulls. He took over at point guard and never really looked back. He average 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game. It's incredible for a 19-year-old to start for a pro team and do so well at his position.

Hell, I'll consider him reminiscent of LeBron's first year at Cleveland, or even Jordan's rookie season. Although his is a lofty third place behind the aforementioned, he's proven himself stellar.

Rose has no flaw. He's merely just a rookie with great skills. He proved this by leading the Bulls back to the playoffs. He proved this by winning the NBA Skills Challenge at All-Star weekend.

He displays it on the court when he drives through the lane for a layup. Every time he goes for a great play, he comes close, if not successfully. Rose has no flaw. And I hate to love him for that.

In Game One of the Bulls' first-round playoff series, I saw Rose lead the Chicago to its first-ever postseason win against the Boston Celtics. If one could take Michael Jordan's total of points, add it to Rose's total, and switch the digits around, you'd have what the latter did to the Celtics.

He dominated them that night, plain and simple. And I hate him for that.

On April 22, Rose won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. He deserved the honor. Who better than a young man who turned around a team to receive the Rookie of the Year award? I hate him for that.

Rose is a future star of the NBA. For this year, in his class of draftees, there's no one better than him. I wanted him to fail, but maybe he saw every scowl that I had for his success, and every cringe at the mention of his name.

He wanted to prove me wrong for that.

Someday, the Bulls will win a championship again. They'll no longer worry about being in the shadow of the golden days where the greatest player in history shaped the franchise's greatness by himself. And I doubt that Derrick Rose will not be the reason why they win it all.

And I'll love him for that...and hate him at the same time.

The Top 10 Greatest NCAA Championship Games in History

Gabe Mambo — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:13:35 -0400

A week ago, the North Carolina Tar Heels won their fifth NCAA championship. This was done in a dominant fashion against the Spartans, who let their turnovers catch up with them. Because of Michgan State's errors, the Tar Heels were able to easily settle into a 89-72 win. Factored along with that was North Carolina's consistency and strong start to the game. In all truth, Roy Williams' squad had the game notched by halftime, if not sooner. The Tar Heels had an excellent game while nothing seemed to click for Tom Izzo's Spartans. If anyone tuned into last week's title game expecting a classic similar to last year's overtime thriller, they were disappointed. The game gave Roy Williams his second championship, and Tyler Hansbrough his first as a player, but other than deserved achievements, nothing special happened. The Tar Heels were clearly the better team all the way through. In the past, though, we have seen games that made our eyes widen with excitement. Older fans relish the great moments that the NCAA has had due to great NCAA championship games. Younger fans such as ourselves can only imagine what it was like to witness great moments in NCAA history. Today, I hope to try and give the best perspective possible. In this slideshow, there is a list of ten great NCAA championship games, in order from my opinion. Along with that, there are five honorable mentions that deserved recognition, and I wasn't going to disacknowledge those great games. All of these games deserved recognition. If anyone is to disagree, then they can write whatever they believe is fine. It's OK to have an opinion that is different from others. Still, I hope that this can be a solid, accurate verdict on the ten greatest NCAA title games in history.

Begin Slideshow

WrestleMania 25: What Should Have Happened

Gabe Mambo — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:32:16 -0400

WrestleMania XXV was presented to 72,000 fans in Houston. Reliant Stadium managed to garner large sums of money for the event. I'm almost certain that millions of fans around the world paid $54.95 to watch the silver wrestling spectacle on Pay Per View.

If I hadn't worked from 5-10 p.m. yesterday at the Cinemark Theater, I would have happily plopped down in front of my TV set and ordered the event from my satellite TV service. And so...

I was fortunate enough to not be able to watch it.

Apparently, the "25th Anniversary" of WrestleMania lacked the WrestleMania feel. Fans who watched it all felt like they were robbed of every penny they spent on seats or pay-per-view. If I were one of them, I would agree given the results.

With the exception of a few matches, the wrestling event known as WrestleMania XXV failed to live up to expectations.

Weeks of excitement, hype, and exhilarating tensions between superstars led to the biggest letdown that any wrestling pay-per-view has given us in the past year. In the end, I'm glad I didn't watch it.

I would have made it better.

There are WWE matches I personally believe would have been great matches if they were run correctly. The WWE, of course, has lost its touch, and is very inconsistent with good writing and booking.

Thus, I'm going to make sure that they don't become that stupid ever again. It's time for me...and only me...to decide who pro wrestling should really be. Let's get it started, folks.

Dark Match: Tag Team Title Unification Lumberjack Match

What Happened:

Carlito and Primo Colon defeated John Morrison and the Miz to become the second Undisputed tag team champions in WWE history (If I'm right). It was the dark match, and preceded the WrestleMania card.

What Should Have Happened:

Two things should have happened. First of all, the match should have been on the card to begin with. It was a decent premise, and although the buildup seemed minimal, it was a fitting match to show on the Pay-Per-View.

Why take away such a monumental moment from the fans? It was the unification of the tag team titles to solve the tag team division problem.

Second of all, Miz and Morrison should have won. I'm alright with the Colon Brothers being tag team champions, but in the end, Miz and Morrison had a good reign going on with them.

They were very over with the fans, and their heelish ways would have been blown to new heights with a unified tag team title. Good job, WWE, Good job.

You just screwed over your most popular tag team.

What I Would Have Done:

I would have killed the whole thing. First of all, a unified tag team division messes up the point of brand extension. In my most recent article, I pointed out that only ones to blame for the bad tag team division was the WWE. They failed to forsee a problem with pushing singles wrestlers while seldom adding tag teams.

When they had an abundance of duos to push, they apparently believed they weren't over enough (Which is preposterous and ridiculous to me). The WWE really needs to try actually pushing teams and wrestlers so these problems don't arise. In the end, two tag team title matches would have been nice.

I would have put Miz and Morrison against Cryme Tyme, the most popular tag team without a championship reign to their names. Shad and JTG could have used the feud to become the company's top tag team, and thus, I would have extended it by having Miz and Morrison keep the straps.

They'd drop it at Backlash, though, and Cryme Tyme would have some bling to show off.

For the Colon Brothers, I would have let them have a feud with Brian Kendrick and Ezekiel Jackson. The WWE never really seems to understand that some people grow stale because they put them on the shelf and forget to go back and take them out.

The two would desperately need a tag team push. I would have a coin toss on the issue, and see what happens with the result.

The Money in the Bank Ladder Match

What Happened:

CM Punk became the first man to win the Money in the Bank ladder match itself more than once. He's also the first man to win the match in consecutive years.

What Should Have Happened:

CM Punk probably shouldn't have won. The feat that he accomplished is worth applauding. He won the match for two years in a row. I have to admit, that's something awesome...for him.

The WWE creative team didn't notice the other potential superstars in the running for the briefcase. Christian was coming off a strong comeback to ECW, and almost came away with the ECW championship.

Winning the briefcase would have given him a great start. MVP was also having great momentum as U.S. champion. With the Money in the Bank briefcase, he'd be on his way to the Main Event scene in no time.

Shelton Benjamin, while lacking some essentials to world champion material, would have put his act together if he were awarded the case.

His in-ring skills are phenomenal, and by word of mouth, he apparently lights it up in these matches. He was also the most experienced. It would have been fitting to give him this case.

Hell, I could make a case for Kingston, Henry, Kane, and freaking Finlay! CM Punk is underrated, and he deserves attention. If he were to win King of the Ring, I'd be cool with that though.

Winning the 2010 Royal Rumble would earn him full respect and admiration everywhere. In the end, he got something he deserved, but didn't need to get again.

What I Would Have Done:

I would have given this to MVP. His Main Event push was long overdue. The WWE became paranoid, and gave him a losing streak when he decided what he wanted to do with his life. Still, at least he has respect now.

25 Diva Battle Royal

What Happened:

Santino Marella's cousin from Italy, Santina Marella, became Ms. WrestleMania without even touching a single diva. An...interesting first.

What Should Have Happened:

Anything but that. Santino Marella is one of my favorites because he's a funny guy. I'm hoping he'd win another title just so he can be comedic about it. I...don't want him to pull a Vito on us though.

My little brother's going to have nightmares now.

What I Would Have Done:

I know that the Diva Battle Royal is not the best idea. Some would have been more suited to something different. A title match, a unification match, or a Playboy girl match would have sufficed.

I beg to differ, though.

The wrestling, from what I heard, was horrendous. Still, it's a good idea. It shows some emphasis on the Diva's division.

Just imagine if a diva needed a push to the women's title of their division, but nothing was in sight for them? Well, there's a 25 Diva battle royal. There you go!

I would have given Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly, Melina, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, or hell, even a future star like Rosa Mendez, this battle royal win. It would have helped them in the long run.

Ultimately, Mickie James needed some love. And still does. She won't get it now. Everyone's too busy going gaga over Santina.

Jericho vs. Legends Handicap Match

What Happened:

Chris Jericho defeated Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Snuka, and Roddy Piper in a 3-on-1 Handicap match. Afterwards, he called out Mickey Rourke, who in turn punched his lights out.

Apparently, Ric Flair did...something.

What Should Have Happened:

In the end, this was acceptable. Y2J wasn't getting a title shot, and should have gotten better. Even a match with Batista would have kept him in the title picture.

Still, this was a good match on the part of Jericho and Ricky Steamboat. I love me some Steamboat (In a non-sexual way, thank you very much), and it was nice to hear he still got it after all these years. So, I'm cool with it.

What I Would Have Done:

There is some beef. If I were to book this Y2J vs. WWE Hall of Famers match, I would have had Flair and Rourke cost Chris Jericho the match. I was only right.

Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy Extreme Rules Match

What Happened:

Matt Hardy bested his brother Jeff in a match for merely pride and glory. After a twist of fate on a chair, the older brother got out of his brother's shadow for a night...by defeating him.

What Should Have Happened:

Again, there's no beef with this, man. Actually, I like where this is going. Jeff already won a match to my knowledge, and this feud is for Matt's gain. A win on the grandest stage of them all is good way to push him into the Main Event. Everything that should have happened...happened.

Rey Mysterio vs. JBL for the Intercontinental Championship

What Happened:

In a record of 21 seconds, Rey Mysterio defeated the Texas Loudmouth JBL to become a triple crown champion (Wow, three Triple Crown champs in a row; Are they trying to help wrestlers accomplish huge feats, or what?) History was made at WrestleMania; JBL quit on the spot, signaling a retirement in real life.

What Should Have Happened:

A longer match. Rey Mysterio winning the Intercontinental title was well-deserved, but really? 21 seconds? C'mon, folks. It should have been a flash pin victory that frustrated JBL into retirement...not this crap.

What I Would Have Done:

Consider this to be the second complete snip from the card. I would have put Rey in the Money in the Bank match, and JBL would be somewhere, once I find out where he belongs. In the end, two wrestlers would have put on a great match in Houston

Those men would have been CM Punk and William Regal.

CM Punk's Intercontinental title reign was too short. He came off a nice feud with William Regal to win the title. Instead of losing to JBL, he should have just continued a title defense against Will.

After the Royal Rumble, both Punk and Regal lose their elimination chamber qualification matches. Both decide to make up for it by facing each other in a rematch. CM Punk retains, to the delight of ROH marks everywhere (LOL, take that as a joke, guys). Regal is still steaming.

Then, in the coming weeks, Regal wants a rematch. This time, he wants to take Punk out like he did in the King of the Ring Finals; with a submission move. Punk responds by taking him down. He makes him tap out with an anaconda vice.

I think he wants a submission match, too.

At WrestleMania XXV, two men whose skills gel like...gel...put on a great match. The first IC title match since whatever WrestleMania before this is a success, with either another Punk win, or Regal regaining his lost gold. Either way, I'd want the win clean.

The Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels

What Happened:

Everything that should have happened. I'd be crazy to change anything from this match. Both Michaels and Taker gave it their all, as expected, and we know they went beyond our imagination.

Good job to you two. You did a hell of a job.

John Cena vs. Edge vs. Big Show

What Happened:

John Cena displayed Herculean strength by lifting both Edge and the Big Show on his shoulders for an FU...I mean, Attitude Adjuster (Stupid PG rating). Eventually, he only got the Big Show, but managed to take out Edge as well. He regained the title he lost at No Way Out.

What Should Have Happened:

Alright...alright...this is OK. I personally like Cena, as he's the face of the company, draws in business, and has the essential tools to be a world champion. I know he doesn't have the best skills, but neither did Hogan or some other guys. On top of that, he doesn't have a huge ego like Triple H or Hulk Hogan in his heyday.

What I Would Have Done:

I would have scrapped this two. Big Show's presence was ridiculous in my eyes. Edge's world title reign was stupidly booked, as it was only used as means to shock the fans. Cena should have won at No Way Out so we wouldn't have to deal with this crap.

John Cena wins a lackluster Elimination Chamber match at No Way Out. He makes Chris Jericho tap out to the STFU in order to win. He's practically unchallenged.

Then, out of the blue..."I hear voices in my head..."

Randy Orton come out, and he's hungry. He just punted McMahon in the freaking head, and he did the same to Shane. He's ready to kill everybody, folks!

He tells John Cena that his days as the face of the WWE are numbered. Soon, he will take his rightful place as World Heavyweight champion. No one will stop him.

Cena does some stuff, blah, blah, blah. Poop joke, blah, blah, blah. Orton and Cena have a face-off, and Stephanie McMahon, clearly siding with Cena, makes the match official. Orton vs. Cena, WrestleMania 25.

After weeks of back and forth conflict, Cena seems outnumbered. Fortunately, Cryme Tyme saves him from a beat-down courtesy of Legacy members DiBiase and Rhodes. Cryme Tyme Cenation is a full-blown stable now.

The fighting continues, but eventually, Cena's in a hot spot. To make things safe, a treacherous Stephanie McMahon reveals she was in cahoots with Orton.

She wanted power, and got it with her dad and brother out of the picture. "And Cryme Tyme is banned from ringside. Good luck at WrestleMania, Mr. Cena."

She decides that it becomes official on the last Raw before WrestleMania. Cena's put in a 3-on-1 handicap match, loses, then gets a bloody beatdown from Orton. The psychotic challenger holds on the punt, though. He'll save that for Sunday.

Sunday arrives. Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes are at ringside with Orton. Stephanie McMahon is cockily sitting at ringside as well. Then..."Here Comes the Money"

Shane O'Mac is back, and dancing better than before. "Hey, Steph," He says. "You and I are at odds, now. Oh, and bye-bye, Legacy. This is between Orton and Cena."

So, the match ensues. Orton and Cena go back and forth, back and forth, back-and-forth. Eventually, Orton gains an upper hand when he runs Cena into an exposed turnbuckle.

He's about to hit the punt to the head when Vince McMahon comes in. He's pissed, Randy. Run, Randy, run! Oh, too late. You got hit in the head.

With a chair. It hurts, doesn't it? Well, you know what they say, Randy.

Payback's a bitch.

Cena F—I mean, Attitude Adjusts-Randy Orton. 1-2-3, Cena wins. It's like WM 17, but Vince is a face this time around.

And don't worry; the age of Orton would have begun at Backlash 2009. Too bad I didn't do it that though, huh? And before you bash me: The WWE didn't either.

Triple H vs. Randy Orton WWE Championship

What Happened:

Triple H defeated Randy Orton in a 25 minute match. His win came when he pedigreed the Legend Killer, and retained the McMahon Family's "Coat of Arms." Randy Orton's loss makes it the second consecutive year that the Royal Rumble winner did not win his championship match.

What Should Have Happened:

The winner wouldn't have mattered to me in this case. Either way, Orton will get that championship, like it or not. It's his destiny. Still, the match he was in did him no justice. He was beaten by Triple H, who has the backing of his wife Stephanie.

The No-DQ match would have sufficed. On top of that, Orton should have been made more dominant. Perhaps a run-in from the Legacy would have been good. It would at least show Orton is a traditional heel.

In the end, this match should have just been more exciting.

What I Would Have Done:

Assuming I'd have to book this specific match, I'd say...as a risk...let Orton win! It would sort of bring a bitter end to Triple H's quest for revenge, but at the same time, he could always cost him the title by winning his rematch, or having him lose the strap to another wrestler.

Randy Orton's momentum was substantial. It was gargantuan. It-was-phenomenal.

There's no way that Randy Orton should have lost in such a decisive manner. He's the future big heel of the company, and deserved to get his dues. Triple H, while still in his prime, will be waning soon. He needs to push the ego aside and push younger talents.

His time is over, or should be soon. Randy Orton's time should at come on the grandest stage of them all.

In Conclusion...

In conclusion, WrestleMania XXV was a big disappointment. I wasn't even a mile away from a TV, and I knew that it was lackluster from what I saw on the computer. Even the worst WrestleManias were WrestleMania-caliber.

This, on the other hand, was a WWE Pay-Per-View with a bigger budget. It's like the Resident Evil Movies. Can be entertaining, but it's not Resident Evil, dammit...oh, sorry.

Anyway, that's all I have to say. My back's hurting. I have Pre-Calculus to do. And on top of that, North Carolina's playing Michigan State now. Peace out.

A Star Is Born: A Potential College Hoops Star Being Recruited

Gabe Mambo — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:14:56 -0400

All of us want to find that one perfect basketball star.

We spend our nights dreaming to see the next big thing in the world of the hardwood, and wake up hoping to hear about that star.

Today, perhaps I have found that great star. He's nothing like the kids in the photo for this article, although I believe he is their age. You see, the two boys doing a jump-ball to start a game are middle school age students, but their level of play is nowhere near that of the subject of this article.

The next big college star is here, and I'm more than excited to tell you about him. And someday, in the cold state of South Dakota, you'll love hearing about him, too.

Patrick Henry Middle School is a school of just 1,000 students in my hometown of Sioux Falls. Many of the kids go on to attend Washington High School or Lincoln...some even attend Sioux Falls Roosevelt, or decide to pay four years tuition and take private school at O'Gorman or Sioux Falls Christian.

The middle school has an impressive basketball repertoire, although we are talking about something insignificant. Nonetheless, their school has produced many basketball starters for Washington High. Within these walls, a basketball season ended with an undefeated record of 14-0 (We have no tournament due to a lack of a good opt-out plan), and the subject of my article is the reason.

Ryan Peterson is an eighth grade student at Patrick Henry. He's a once-in-a-while prodigy who is likely better than some high school hoops stars. He's seldom been featured beyond regional newspapers due to South Dakota's scarcity in significant sports figures.

To this date, only Eric Piatikowski, current NBA player Mike Miller, and Wisconsin basketball player Joe Krabbenhoft can say that they have notability in the sport. Mike Miller could become a future Hall of Fame player if he could up his game. Piatikowski's contribution to basketball was minimal, but still notable to a point. Joe Krabbenhoft is awaiting an invitation to the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Florida, but nonetheless will try to climb the ladder in the pros.

All of these men have raised eyebrows back home for their fellow South Dakotans, but Ryan Peterson is different.

In one year, Patrick Henry went from a mediocre sixth place finish to a first place finish in the Sioux Falls Regional Championship, all thanks to Peterson's performance. Peterson averaged 25.4 PPG, and 6.5 RPG. He also averages two blocks a game, and broke the record for most blocks in a game by a player in the Greater Dakota Conference (which is a high school-level conference!).

With 11 blocks against my alma mater, Axtell Park, Ryan Peterson turned heads for many. He wasn't just a kid who happened to be 6'4" with a vertical of 25"; Peterson was the ideal basketball prospect, and no one can deny that.

Like any other player who starts shining early, Ryan Peterson's play garnered the attention of various schools. He is set to dress for the Washington Warriors next year, and may even break into the starting five. Washington Coach Jim Trett is already impressed with the young star.

"Ryan sort of reminds me of Cody Larson [A local basketball player at my high school, Roosevelt], except he's playing at the same level as this kid. He's surprised a lot of people, I can tell you that."

Frequently, he has also had a plethora of college letters. Along with offers from every school in the state of SouthDakota with a basketball program, Peterson is getting attention from the University of Minnesota, the University of Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Kansas State, and most significantly, the University of Kentucky. None of the coaches were able to be contacted by the Argus Leader, our local newspaper, but the local form of print media confirmed these offers through an interview with the family yesterday.

Of course, the pressure would seem to be too great for one young eighth grader. He's garnering attention that hasn't been brought since O.J. Mayo's days of youth in middle school. His shocking height of 6'4" keeps him from trying to hide out in public, but in truth, he's alright with the attention.

Ryan Peterson is one of the most unique individuals I've personally met, and I'm glad that I ran into him while shopping at Hy-Veea a week ago. He agreed to an interview, and I drove seven miles across town to see his family. He has two wonderful, courteous parents, and three sisters, all younger than him and who aspire to follow in his basketball-playing footsteps. Actually, his 12-year-old sister, Whitney, is 5'6" and growing. She has some skills herself, and was practicing while I interviewed his parents.

Oscar and Martha Peterson show a great amount of pride in Ryan.

"He's so gifted and talented," Martha said. "I couldn't believe that 12 to 13 years ago, I was able to still hold the boy."

Oscar is taken aback by his son's talents. In fact, Ryan is a second generation basketball player in the family. His dad played basketball for Miller High School, and helped them to the state championship in 1980, alongside the father of Roosevelt basketball star, Cody Larson, a University of Iowa recruit.

Oscar Peterson went on to play basketball at South Dakota State University, and holds the record for highest free throw shooting percentage. The difference is, he did all this while he was a guard; Ryan is likely to be a center for all four years at Washington.

Leslie Susan, a representativeve for the University of Kentucky, stopped by the home of the Petersons yesterday. Although a new basketball coach has been named at UK, Billy Gillespie didn't hesitate to show interest in the 14-year-old prodigy.

"I think the boy's going to be someone great someday," said Susan. "I was actually on the phone with John Calipari just a few minutes ago on my way here. I told him about Ryan Peterson, and he said he was already looking at a tape of him sent by his father. Calipari already has plans for Ryan, and I hope they're used greatly."

So, what will this discovery by Division I schools mean for South Dakota? Will it spell prosperity for the next four years of South Dakota High School sports? Will it mean national titles galore for Calipari's Kentucky Wildcats? Will we all win in the end?

Who knows?

All I can tell you about Ryan Peterson is one thing: Take the first letter of these words in the article to find out:

All

Patrick

Ryan

Frequently

Oscar

Leslie

What's Up with That? Rants on the WWE

Gabe Mambo — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:02:08 -0400

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING WILL LIKELY DISAGREE WITH YOUR OPINION, HURT YOUR FEELINGS, AND/OR MAKE YOU CRY. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

What's up with the WWE nowadays? Do they spend their time in the creative room pegging themselves when they think of booking ideas?

First of all, they had a freaking comedy movie star as a part of their booking staff, then had problems with one of their unruly bookers who made racial slurs about a wrestler-and still keeps his job!

As a brother, I know I would have kicked his @$$ out of the team without even thinking about it. Their employment decisions make me want to kick a baby off the highest floor of the Empire State Building. What's up with that?

To add on, the WWE booking staff is starting to notice that they can become too predictable. That's fine, they're actually trying to surprise us. Now, when they decide to book things for the sake of being unpredictable, without any foresight into what will happen, thenthere's a problem.

Seriously, does it make sense for Edge to lose the WWE championship in an Elimination Chamber match only to come back and win the World Heavyweight title the same night? No, it does not. I know you guys are trying to gain as little criticism as possible, but good LORD, don't overdo it!

Being unpredictable for the sake of being unpredictable leads to a love square with Vickie Guerrero and the World Heavyweight title in the middle and a possible world title switch just 10 months after the CM Punk cash in. What's up with that?

Here's something to the fans: Stop. Bashing. John. Cena. Seriously, if anyone has beef with Cena, then they're just whiny b*****s who want everything in wrestling to go their way. John Cena has more commitment on his pinky finger than guys with potential like Shelton Benjamin and Carlito have had in their whole lifetimes.

To this date, he is yet to take roids to our knowledge, and at least has decent mic skills. Do you crybabies have someone else to complain about? How about you complain to Vince about the lack of pushing for guys like CM Punk or Matt Hardy?

Why aren't there a 1,000,000 complaints about Triple H's possible backing from the creative staff-led by his WIFE, who happens to be the owner's DAUGHTER-as a opposed to a 1,000?

John Cena hasn't done a whole lot of wrong, except for criticizing the Rock for leaving the business, but I hate Mr. Dwayne Johnson myself for not coming back yet...if he ever does.

Try booing Triple H once in a while, or booing guys who have little character, commitment, or just half-ass everything. John Cena isn't anywhere near those parts. What's up with that?

So, let me get this straight: You drop the somewhat credible cruiserweight championship...and replace it with an unnecessary women's championship? Instead of making the women's title cross-brand, you decide to market things to the female fans of wrestling.

I will admit, I was a little enthusiastic about this. It indicated-and still does indicate-that professional wrestling is starting to open its eyes to women's wrestling. I was excited up until the point where I saw the Diva's championship belt...and it looked like it came from a Barbie: The greatest wrestler commercial.

Good God, it was a merchandising scheme from the start. You dropped a title that you misused, constantly, to promote a belt for the little female fans to scream about. What's up with that?

On top of that, let's talk about the tag team division. So, when things go wrong, merge the tag team championships? What happened to equal balance and putting various tag teams on the different brands?

Did the WWE ever think that maybe things in the tag team division weren't working because they apparently have no idea how to maintain brand extension?

It's your fault for not upholding brand extension, so don't try to make things easier for yourself by unifying the tag team championships. Instead, try to add more tag teams on Smackdown, Raw, and ECW.

You guys could have put a solid amount of tag teams on both divisions, but your poor planning and booking skills screwed up the two tag team divisions. If you merge the tag team titles, then you have brand extension lose its credibility. What's up with that?

I could say more, but I don't have time now. I'm in first period journalism, trying to hone my skills, but this wasted my time. I should talk about the importance of the midcard, the PG rating, Hulk Hogan's ego, ECW's subservience to the evil McMahon, and more, but no, I won't.

Everyone should take these words and put them to heart because it's probably your fault the WWE went to this...no, it's mostly their fault, even the Cena part. Maybe they shouldn't push him so much.

Wait, I'm going off subject about things, and not focusing on the what should be done. I'm going my own way, and not thinking before I do it...sort of like the WWE. What's up with that?

Look to UCLA If You're Eyeing a Deep Tourney Run

Gabe Mambo — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:35:08 -0500

Above is a picture of the last national championship at UCLA. It was considered one of the school's best seasons, along with the other 10 seasons that made UCLA the most storied program in college basketball. The days of glory and championships for the school may seem behind them, but their prominence in college basketball isn't.

In 2006, the Bruins advanced to the Final Four for the first time since their 1995 national championship season. They lost to a strong Florida Gators team in the championship. The following year, the Bruins returned to the Final Four, only to be downed by the same Gators team in the semifinals.

2008 was their best year yet, with sensational freshmen Kevin Love and junior Darren Collison leading the Bruins to a third consecutive Final Four. Once again, though, a strong team thwarted their plight for a 12th NCAA title.

Although UCLA is once again a national powerhouse, it has lost two key players to the NBA. Regardless, the Bruins are striving to remain in the Pac-10 and NCAA title picture. UCLA is currently ranked 19th in the country with a 20-7 record going into tonight's game. The Bruins are also fourth in the Pac-10 standings with a 9-5 record.

As the season reaches its ending point, many wonder if the Bruins can repeat what has happened in the last three seasons. A fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four is unheard of these days, but so was three straight trips.

If the Bruins advance to the NCAA Final Four once more this year, it will be because of the positive factors that impact their overall play.

Ben Howland has a solid defensive system that has helped the Bruins win conference championships and stay in the national title mix. His strategy has helped UCLA rank in the top 10 in many major defensive categories. The team ranks second in defensive rebounding and is fifth in allowing points. The Bruins top the conference in steals.

The next two opponents that are in UCLA's schedule may very well dread the idea of playing them. UCLA clobbered the Stanford Cardinal by 34 in their last meeting, and California was bested by the Bruins by 15. Precedence might help UCLA stay in contention for a fourth straight Pac-10 outright title.

Despite their good defensive numbers, though, UCLA has underperformed in recent games. UCLA lost to 18th-ranked Arizona State and Arizona before winning a crucial conference game against the Pac-10 leading Huskies. Afterwards, though, the Bruins' chances of defending their regular season crown became jeopardized after falling to Washington State in a one-point loss.

Now UCLA must hope to win the remaining games in their schedule and see some losses from conference rivals. UCLA's count of points allowed went up in the last four games. They have allowed 78.5 ppg.

UCLA is fortunate enough to have a floor general leading them. Darren Collison, one of four players left from the 2006 team that made the national championship game, is probably the best player in the Pac-10. He is averaging 15 ppg and leads the conference in assists. In addition, Collison is also a strong defensive player for his position. He has 1.7 spg, which ranks second in the Pac-10.

Alfred Aboya is becoming a good rebounder, with six boards a game for the Bruins. Josh Shipp, another member of the last three UCLA squads, is averaging 13.8 ppg. Jrue Holiday, Nikola Dragovic, and others have also been essential to UCLA's success this season.

The Bruins have four more games remaining in the schedule. Although they are fourth in the Pacific 10 standings, they are technically in a tie for second place. If they achieve a 13-5 mark, they should at the very least receive an at-large bid into the tournament. With that, they'll have the opportunity to make it to a fourth straight Final Four.

Teams with records such as UCLA's do not make it to the Final Four very often. Some are even eliminated in the first round by a solid small conference team. Still, some have shown the capability of being a national championship team. Just five years back, the Connecticut Huskies won the NCAA championship and only had one loss less than the Bruins.

If any team has the capability of winning a national title despite their win/loss record, then UCLA is an ideal team.

Their history of going deep in the tournament has now spanned into the 21st century. Three consecutive Final Four appearances is better than any other team, and it would be a shame to see the streak be put to rest anytime soon. Darren Collison's stellar senior season has kept the Bruins together, and Coach Howland's defensive system is instrumental in UCLA's success.

The odds will be higher this year than any other time for the Bruins, but no one knows what happens in March. UCLA should make it to the Elite Eight—unless they have a fourth Final Four appearance up their sleeve.

The Greed Of The Rookie

Gabe Mambo — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:16:39 -0500

Tell me if I’m wrong here when I say this. We are told in life that we have to work hard to receive rewards. This idea is stressed through the education system, where a 4.0 grade point average and a thousand academic achievements will get us a ticket to an Ivy League school like Harvard or Princeton.

If we do well in our jobs, then we get a promotion for what we have done. If we do our chores, we receive our allowances for showing responsibility. In life, we’re told that we’re supposed to work to earn our dues.

And that’s where I’m confused.

I can admire my family physician for her excellent work ethic and difficult path to her $200,000+ salary. She had to go through eight years of college to learn her trade, and probably had to work her way to becoming a trusted doctor in the community.

My physician earned her $200,000 salary, and the rest of working America has probably earned their own current salaries. But, I can’t say the same for a first round NFL draft pick fresh out of college who demands for millions of dollars before he even steps on the football field.

In professional sports, salaries can be high. I clearly understand that. Professionals are supposed to be paid a tad bit high, because they’re one of few people who can do well in their job.

Kevin Garnett is the highest paid player in basketball with $24 million dollars to his name. I’m not going to criticize that as long as the Boston Celtics can afford to pay him and maintain the rest of their roster.

Kevin Garnett is a former league MVP, and was the heart of their championship team from last year. He worked hard to earn every single cent of that fat paycheck. He could have chosen modesty over money, but decided to get what he deserved. I can’t beef with KG, folks.

I do, however, have a problem with rookie contracts.

Rookies seem to demand a huge load of money before proving that they are worthy of such incentives. JaMarcus Russell of the Oakland Raiders signed a contract worth $61 million, with $29 million of it guaranteed. And he didn’t set a single foot on the gridiron yet. How is it that an unproven player is given a contract worth that of an All-Pro superstar?

Peyton Manning is paid $14.17 million a year as of late, but at least he earned his stripes. Last time I checked, this man just finished up his third MVP season. Russell has tons of potential in my eyes, but he’s yet to prove that he’s the cornerstone player of the Raiders franchise.

As a matter of fact, he’s yet to prove that he can help the Raiders win more than five games! JaMarcus only started four games his rookie season behind Daunte Culpepper, and instead of giving Raiders fans a glimpse of a potential winning season for next year, he enshrouded them into a field of doubt.

What in the world did he have to prove for it? Nothing...except $61 million, $29 million guaranteed.

The ridiculous amounts of cash that rookies get aren’t limited to the negotiated playing contract. I have an itch or two with endorsement deals that happen. LeBron James, a clear star for years to come, had $135 million in endorsement deals.

He was being paid over $4 million during his rookie season, but before he even stepped on the court, he had a $100 million deal with Coca-Cola! I love the kid just as much as anyone else, especially since LeBron has proven himself to be beyond the hype, but c’mon! What if he gets injured, or was another Kwame Brown?!

Then companies were wasting their time, and money trying to get deals with young studs yet to earn their stripes. But hey, Coca-Cola and Nike (Who signed a $90 million deal with James) can pull out at anytime.

Sports franchises on the other hand can pull out only after realizing that their first round pick wasn’t worth the dough he was signed for. Teams invest so much money into their “future stars” only to find out that they weren’t that in the first place.

Rookies need to start thinking more about earning their place of fame in the game than demanding that it’s handed over to them. Players such as Peyton Manning, Kevin Garnett, and Derek Jeter earned their multi-million dollar salaries because they decided to sweat for it.

If a rookie demands the treatment of a veteran in his prime, then that rookie should just get up, turn around, and leave the General Manager’s office. He can come back when he says “Yeah, I’ll take a million now, and demand more when I average 20 points a game.”

If rookies could grow up when trying to get a contract, then they could probably always become the big superstar they’re hyped up to be.

Chicago Bulls: Finally, an Inside Prescence

Gabe Mambo — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:03:35 -0500

For months, if not at least a year, the Chicago Bulls have lacked an inside presence in their starting lineup. Luol Deng has been invaluable to Chicago's front court, but they were still missing a key element to help them on the inside.

Joakim Noah, a second-year player in the starting lineup, has failed to live up to expectations. Tyrus Thomas, while improving, is still learning the game as well. The Bulls had a chance to remedy their front court problem in the 2008 NBA Draft, but understandably chose point guard Derrick Rose over forward Michael Beasley.

Though the pick had its benefits, the Bulls failed to get what they needed: An inside force. Then, seven months and 24 wins later, the Bulls did something right. They received an inside presence. They received Brad Miller.

Brad Miller is the inside presence the Bulls need. He's a consistent center with all the tools Chicago desperately required to win. Miller can score on the inside, and could possibly become a leading scorer for the team. For a center, he's a solid passer with good ball-handling skills.

Brad Miller is also averaging 8.0 rpg, and the Bulls could desperately use a big man who can grab boards. Miller's turnover ratio is minimal, emphasizing on his ball-handling skills. The Bulls needed Brad Miller. They just didn't know it.

The Bulls should be able to rise up in the NBA ranks now. The aforementioned Noah and Thomas were unable to instantly lead the Bulls to much needed success. Both still have tremendous potential, and Tyrus Thomas has signs of being a great forward, but Brad Miller is a veteran.

He'll impact Chicago the moment he steps on the court as their new starting center. For the first time in awhile, the Bulls will have a notable starting center. And for the first time in awhile, the Bulls will have a strong inside presence.

Did I (and You) Forget the Boston Celtics?

Gabe Mambo — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:45:19 -0500

Last night, I was browsing the Internet looking at...certain things, when I eyed something on MSN.com. In the FoxSports Panel, I saw the fourth story from the top, and my eyebrows were raised in surprise. The Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards and had the best start in franchise history. All I could say to myself was something I should have said a long time ago. "Damn," I thought. "The Celtics are still NBA champs, huh?"

A lot of readers will laugh at this revelation. They'll wonder if I was living under a rock for the first 23 games of the season, or if I'm just really high. All I can say is that I'm not on drugs, or a man who isolates himself from society in the wilderness. I'm a pessimist who plays video games and procrastinates from homework, and I forget about basketball after the WNBA Finals end.

On top of that, I'm running on about five hours of sleep, and that's four hours short of what I need to make it through the day. If anything, I'm one of many who have forgotten that this Celtics team is not a one time team at all.

The Celtics are still the NBA champions. That's the point of my writing. I'm actually ridiculing myself for thinking that the Lakers are a 100% lock for the 2009 NBA title. I'm frowning right now because I've realized that LeBron and his Cavs are going to have to hope that management can hold on to all of them until the Celtics' big three are out of their prime.

The Pistons are a tad bit over-hyped, though Allen Iverson doesn't hurt them in anyway whatsoever. The Hawks...well, they'll be short of players for awhile. Maybe they'll be more legit when they all reach their primes and get Josh Childress out of Greece. In truth, the Celtics' 21-2 best start is thrusting them back as the top favorite to win the championship.

I will always question the apathy that people hold for the Celtics. It's a unique sort of dislike for Boston, and one that I'm fairly annoyed by. We suddenly doubt that the Celtics can pull things off. In an era of parity, we expect the unexpected, or else we'll just end up losing more money at some point like we did in 2007 (But really, the Mavs getting beaten by the WARRIORS? Who would thought?).

We refute the 66-16 record the Celtics had last year when they were the best team in the NBA. Hell, we were almost right to refute it. The young soaring Hawks and the defending East champ Cavs took them to seven games. The Celtics even had to struggle to prevent a game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals. If it weren't for the practical whipping they gave the Lakers in the Finals in June, we wouldn't be kicking ourselves in the rear ends.

Well, I-along with others-are doing it again. We're sometimes forgetting that the best thing out there is...well, the best thing out there. Basketball's faithful casually sits down, wanting to see who will get the NBA championship trophy in the end. Some root for the era of Kobe to officially begin with the first Shaq-less title.

The residents of Motown are begging for AI to work up some magic and at least get the Pistons to the evasive NBA Finals. Hell, someone out there is fervently rooting for the Hawks to pull off another big one, but in the end, Josh Childress is still a man out for money in Greece.

Look at the top of the article. While you're at it, gaze at the picture, and keep your eyes on the prize. The Celtics should have started their season out with targets on their backs, but instead, they were just given a label: "Hey, remember us? We won the NBA championship."

I don't know if they were labeled. I don't know if they were insulted. I don't know if they were too captivated by Paul Pierce's late tears of joy at his first NBA championship ring (Hey, why didn't you cry with Garnett, buddy?), but they sure as Hell are making me kick myself in the rear end.

The Boston Celtics are the NBA champions. And if you forget them, they'll make you remember. They'll do it in the same fashion they did last year too. Expect the Boston Celtics to win back to back titles this year. And expect them to make us kick ourselves in the butt cheeks once again.