On a night that Cleveland finally wins, I care more about this Lebron story...

Only in Detroit...

Good for the Cavs though I guess. The entire Clippers front office should be fired. And it was funny seeing Baron Davis exit like that. But seriously, calm down Cleveland fans it's just a win. Now if you beat the Wizards, that's called a winning streak. I think that is the most excitement Antawn Jamison has gotten on the basketball court during his entire NBA career.

Watching this Utah Jazz game, what the hell is with Andrei Kirilenko's hair?

I saw Tonya Harding trending on yahoo, I figured she was in jail..

Lock your doors.

NBA trade rumor updates

I know a lot of Minnesota fans are probably excited at the prospect of acquiring Steve Nash, but I wouldn't get too excited. The chances of that are about as likely as Ricky Rubio starting in next year's all star game. This Michael Jordan talk is pretty interesting. Let's not forget about how mediocre he was his last season with the Wizards. I wouldn't be all that surprised if the Carmelo Anthony trade happens in the final hour before the trade deadline. All signs are still pointing to him being in New York, be it at the end of the season or the beginning of next.

Tonight, the Cavaliers will be facing the Clippers as they try to not re-write history, again. The Knicks are hosting the Lakers on ESPN. Maybe the Lakers will be worn out from playing on TNT versus the Celtics last night. Ty Corbin will make his debut as head coach of the Utah Jazz tonight. It appears as though Utah is planning on moving forward for a few years to come with Corbin as their coach. It's good to see some new blood in the coaching ranks of the NBA with Corbin and Frank Vogel.

Krazy Fest lineup adds more bands, Indecision now rumored

Yesterday, Krazy Fest announced the following bands:

7-SECONDS
COALESCE
HOT ROD CIRCUIT
THE BLED
THIS IS HELL
STRAIGHT A'S
FRONTIER(S)
MOVING MOUNTAINS
LIONS LIONS
READING GROUP
KEVIN SECONDS SOLO ACOUSTIC
TOUCHE AMORE

And in what could have been an oops moment,
This is Hell also posted this on their Facebook yesterday.
"This is Hell We'll be playing KrazY FEST in Louisville, KY this May w/ 7 Seconds, Bouncing Souls, Indecision, By The Grace Of God and a bunch of other cool bands
22 hours ago"

I haven't seen Indecision in years and I would love to. Coalesce and Botch were the two main bands I said it would take to guarantee my attendance to this festival. Now that one half of this is confirmed, I can almost assure you I will be in attendance at this festival this summer.

ROUNDBALL: RAY'S RECORD, AARON AFFLALO, SLOAN SAYS GOODBYE

As most hoops fans saw last night, Ray Allen broke Reggie's Miller's all time 3 point record. It was an emotional moment and it was great to see Ray Allen and Reggie Miller shake hands afterward. The celebration proved to be short lived, as the Lakers shut down the Celtics in the second half and eventually won the game by a final score of 92-86. The Lakers have been the topic of a lot of trade rumors the last week or two and they will continue to be at the center of these talks until the deadline. Nights like this show exactly why the Lakers don't really have the need to make a trade. Although I guess if they could get Dwight Howard, it wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't be fair for anyone else, though. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol literally butted heads at one point in this game and Odom had to receive a few stitches. I think Odom will be OK

The Phoenix Suns defeated the Golden State Warriors for the second time in four days last night. The win brings the Suns back to the .500 for the first time since December. This game was over early, as the Suns were up by 25 at the half. Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis were both overmatched in this game and both barely sniffed 25 minutes played in this game. I personally think that this Warriors team is a hell of a lot worse than their 23-29 record would lead to you believe.

I went to bed early last night and missed an excellent game between the Nuggets and the Mavericks.This was a back and forth contest that saw each team win the first two quarters by 13 and 14. The second half proved to be very exciting, including one of the better finishes of the season. Carmelo Anthony fouled out in the final minutes for the Nuggets. Down by one to the Mavericks in the closing seconds, they turned to Aaron Afflalo and he answered with a buzzer beater. He had 19 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony did finish with 42 points before fouling out with less than a minute to play. Tyson Chandler had another big game for my fantasy team, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds, on 8 of 9 shotting.




In what was clearly a roller coaster 24 hours for the Utah Jazz, Jerry Sloan stepped down as head coach yesterday. Seeing Sloan on the Utah Jazz bench was as regular a sight for NBA fans, as seeing Jack in LA, Spike Lee in NY, and Brian Scalabrine on the bench. I have been ragging on the Jazz for weeks now, but even I did not want to see this happen. As a child- when the Rockets weren't playing- I was rooting for the Jazz. Karl Malone and John Stockton were some of my favorite players to not call Houston home. It always kind of bummed me out that Stockton, Malone, and Sloan were never able to put it all together. They might have, if it weren't for that jerk in Chicago. I even would have been content with the Rockets having been in their path that season. But I guess it wasn't meant to be. Depending on what you read or listen to, Jerry Sloan may or may not have left because of a few recent blowups with star point guard Deron Williams. Of course, the Jazz brass are now saying this had nothing to do with Sloan departing in mid-season when the Jazz are still in contention for a playoff spot. Whatever the reason was, it definitely sent shockwaves throughout the league yesterday. Obviously, something happened for him to step down days before the all star break. You would think if everything was ok in SLC, that Sloan would have announced that he was stepping down at the end of the season. The only positive I see here is that we won't have to wait until next season to see how Ty Corbin works out as a coach for the Jazz.

How I spent my New Year's Eve 1996: Despair, Battery

Picking up where we left off in the last entry...

On New Year's Eve 1996, I was hanging out at home watching my sister get ready to go to Buffalo with some friends for the evening. I knew there was a hardcore show at Showplace Theatre and I really wanted to go. My sister was always pretty cool so it didn't really take much for me to coax her into letting me go with her. My show wouldn't get out that much earlier than her friends wanted to leave, would it?

I remember being so excited when we pulled up to the Showplace Theatre. Seeing vans parked out front of that snowy club and not buses made so much more sense to me.

Now as we all know, hardcore shows tend to start a little bit earlier than most other club events do. Being that I was mainly going to this show to see Despair and Union, I couldn't really, nor would I want to try to tell you what other bands I missed. This was just before the internet got involved with hardcore and I really didn't know much about this show until a couple days before. As I stated before, I was still relatively new to all of this. I got there and realized I had in fact missed Union. As they were one of the two bands on this bill that I had heard previously, I was bummed that I had missed them.

Now this was my first experience at a hardcore show in another city. I would visit Buffalo again several more times over the next seven years for hardcore shows, including many return visits to Showplace. I remember seeing a couple distros around and being excited at the prospect of picking up some new records and fanzines. On this occasion, I recall picking up the Strong Intention 7" and a copy of Surprise Attack fanzine. This set the stage for a lot of my future endeavors in the hardcore scene. I always loved fanzines and had my own at the time. I would become friends with EMS, the editor of SA fanzine. He is still a stand-up guy to this day.

I only remember seeing Battery and Despair play this show, but I think there might have been another band in between. This would unfortunately be the only time I would get the chance to see them, as I missed them a couple years later at the Showplace. They were a great hardcore band from the DC area who released a couple records on Conversion and Revelation. I really liked their Until The End record, very solid melodic hardcore with some real good mosh. At the time, I would have called them a mix of old school and new school hardcore. Brian Mcternan obviously went on and did other things within the hardcore and punk community. I was still getting a feel for everything and it would be another year or two before this band really grew on me. Too bad.





I finally got to see Despair at this show. I remember Scott Sprigg running around the pit in his underwear with "97" on his chest. I also remember Steve Titus saying "one more year of Demonstrating My Style" shortly after Despair rang in the new year. I had been listening to the As We Bleed 7" a lot before this show and was stoked to sing along to those songs. I think I even stage dove at one point. Unfortunately, Despair was only around for another year after this. Luckily, I got to see them a couple more times. That was when Vogel really started to develop the presence that he would later use in bands like Buried Alive and Terror.

After the show, I was sitting by the front door waiting for my sister and looking at the records and fanzine I had just scored. After about a half hour or so, I realized only myself, the bands, and the people that ran the club were still there. I started to get a little worried. As it was just now 1997, I wouldn't have a cell phone for another four years. I kept waiting as all of the bands and assorted scenesters took off. Then some old lady who said she ran the place came up to me. I ended up waiting with her in her car for about fifteen or twenty minutes until my sister got there. I felt kind of dumb, but I was glad that lady was cool enough to let me sit in her car instead of out in the cold.

I really don't remember much about the drive home. The stage had definitely been set for the next decade of my life.

*Edit 2/11/11
Thanks to Mike Jeffers for the flyer from this show. Sucks to think about how many good bands I ended up missing. I think Turmoil played before Battery, but I could be wrong. That explains why there were so many vans parked outside! Shows around New Years were a tradition in Buffalo and Syracuse for years to come. I even got in on the fun in the year 2000, with Standfast, Every Time I Die, Building on Fire, Premonitions of War, and a bunch of other good bands.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't think this was all that funny or care really at all. At the end of the day, I don't very much. But it is kind of sad to think of how many elected officials in this state alone have had problems like this arise in the last few years. It really makes you think that I do actually have a future in politics afterall.

ROUNDBALL- Cleveland loses again, Spurs keep rolling, Nets escape Hornets in OT,

I don't know who in Las Vegas decided to make the Cavaliers favorites against the Pistons on Wednesday night. The Pistons got out to an early lead against the Cavs and never looked back. Cleveland did cut the lead to three in the third quarter at one point, but that was as close as they would get on this night. The Cavs are one loss away from setting a new record for futility, by losing the most games (27) in a row in all four major sports. On the brightside, JJ Hickson and Ramon Sessions both had double doubles for Cleveland. Both players would likely be reserves on most teams. To give you a clue as to how bad these Cavs are, Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons starting five with 10 points. Yes, ten points. It is that bad in Cleveland.

The Orlando Magic got yet another strong effort from Dwight Howard in a 99-95 victory over the 76ers last night. The Eastern Conference All star finished off the evening with 30 points and 17 rebounds. Howard is averaging 23.8 points and 16.2 rebounds in five February games. That is pretty dominant. The Philadelphia 76ers had been playing good basketball up until this game, getting to within three games of the .500 mark. They face San Antonio on Friday so we'll see how they rebound.

The Wizards were able to end their 8 game losing streak, by defeating the Bucks by a fifteen point margin on Wednesday. Javale McGee was all over the place, finishing with 16 points and 17 rebounds in one of his better games of the season. Nick Young also had three three pointers and a few nice dunks en route to a game high 26 points. Has there ever been a team that plays so different home and away? Brandon Jennings continues to work his way back into shape for the Bucks. He finished with 20/5/4 and 3 steals. He still has yet to find his shot though, as he went 9 of 24 from the field in this one. The Wizards next three games are against San Antonio, at Cleveland, and at Orlando. I predict a three game losing streak heading into the all star break.

The Pacers won for Frank Vogel again, this time defeating the Bobcats 104-103. Vogel still clearly has a lot of fresh meat and would like to see some movement at all times from his team. Under Vogel, the Pacers have quickly moved up into the 8th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Roy Hibbert has re-established himself as the inside presence we all thought he should have been. He finished this game off with a season high 29 points and 10 reabounds. Danny Granger had and pretty good game too Josh McRoberts was all over stat sheet. These Pacers could very well find themselves climbing into the 6th spot before the season is over if they continue to play like this. Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace meanwhile continue to dominate the trade rumors along with Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony and the Nuggets were in action last night. They lost to the Warriors last night, 112-106. The Nuggets came back and kept it close in the fourth, but the Warriors were too much to handle. Monta Ellis led all scorers with 37 points. It would be nice if could get a little bit more exposure. The Carmelo Anthony rumors are starting to get annoying. Either go to the Knicks or Rockets or sign your extension already!

Keyed by a fourth quarter run, the Spurs were able to defeat the Raptors 111-100 last night. Dejaun Blair had his third double double in a row. He also tied his career high in scoring with 28 points and 11 rebounds. The fact that the Spurs let the Raptors stay in this game for so long makes me wonder about them though. I think they will run out of gas before the playoffs starts. That is just me though.

Blake Griffin didn't finish with a double double, but his Clippers were still able to defeat the Knicks at the Garden. Randy Foye shut this one down for the Clippers, scoring 17 of his season high 24 points in the fourth quarter. Deandre Jordan fouled out, but was able to make the highlights with some ferocious dunks before. All of the Clippers starters scored at least 16, as Baron Davis finished the night off with a season high 16 dimes. Timofey Mozgov had another good game, this time in a losing effort though.


Carlos Boozer returned to Utah for the first time since joining the Chicago Bulls over the summer. He finished the game with only 14 points and 6 rebounds, but the Bulls were able to walk away from this game with a five point victory. They used other ex-Jazz players Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer in helping them defeat the Bulls. Derrick Rose led all scorers with 29 points. It wouldn't surprise me all that much to see this Jazz team fall out of playoff contention in the next two months.

I picked up Demarcus Cousins in fantasy basketball again, but his Kings still lost to the Mavericks. He did finish with 19 and 15 though and over the last month he has been averaging a solid 16.0 points and 8.7 rebounds a game, to go along with a steal and a block per game.

The Nets tried as much as they could to give the game away to the Hornets last night. The short handed Hornets wouldn't bite though, eventually falling by two points in overtime. Chris Paul had a three point shot at the end that looked good. It rimmed out though. David West collected his tenth rebound around the ten minute mark of the third quarter. He finished with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists in playing 52 minutes! The rebounds and assists tied season highs and the minutes were the second most of his career. THIS being the most. I have David West in fantasy basketball and would prefer it if Emeka Okafor takes his time in returning from a strained oblique muscle. Sasha Vujacic paced the Nets with a career high 25 points, most of which came in the second half.

ROCHESTER: BORN LOW, DEATH CAMP, NIGHTMARES, MEMORY LOSS, DAWN OF WAR, ENTERPRISE HARDCORE!!!

2011 marks the ten year anniversary of Enterprise Hardcore, although most of the action was mainly in the first three years of existence. Dave has been trying for five years to get me motivated like I was in the early days of Enterprise. I now feel that motivated again. All of this also started again because I will be turning 30 this year. I wanted to do a show on my birthday on March 18, 2011, just like I did on my birthday on March 18, 2001. We have done of plenty of shows in the last ten decade and this is only the beginning.

The Houston Rockets NEED to make a trade NOW!

As mentioned earlier today, it is pretty embarassing to lose to the Minnesota Timberwolves. With that said, it is time for the Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets to get the trades going again. As I have mentioned time and time again, Daryl Morey has proved in the four years that he's been with the Rockets that he's capable of pulling those stunning deadline deals. I would not be at all surprised to see Carmelo Anthony in a Rockets uniform in the next two weeks. Either way, I am convinced that Morey will do SOMETHING to improve on this season. It isn't too late, as the Rockets find themselves only four games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the 8th and final playoff spot. Speaking of those Blazers...

Not so fast on the Brandon Roy return tour bandwagon! Joe Freeman of the Oregonian reports that Roy will not return to the lineup this weekend. He has returned to practice and there is still no definite timetable for his return.

I can ALMOST guarantee you that Carmelo Anthony will finish this season on either the Lakers, Knicks, Rockets, or Nuggets. I still think he will end up a Knick, but I would love to see the Rockets pull off a deadline deal on him.

ROUNDBALL Lebron takes over, Rockets lose to Twolves?

Just under half of the NBA teams were in action last night, with seven games on the schedule. The Houston Rockets proved yet again that a trade for Carmelo Anthony wouldn't be all that bad. Again, this draft crop doesn't look all that great this year. Why not trade that pick, Yao Ming's contract, and a couple young players for Anthony and Chauncey Billups?

Philadelphia got it going early against the Hawks and never looked back. These 76ers have been the talk of the town lately and this was another example, against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers have five remaining games until the all star break, with their next two coming against the Spurs and Magic. It would be interesting to see what happens with all of the Andre Iguodala trade talk if they continue to play like this.

The Bucks used well balanced all around scoring from their team, in defeating the Raptors at a packed Bradley Center. The Bucks do still have a legitimate shot at getting eliminated in the first round of the playoffs again this year. Still, these two teams are both building for the future. The Bucks just happen to have a few more pieces to build with than the Raptors do.

Blake Griffin was finally shut down, by Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. The Magic defeated the Clippers by 16, as Blake Griffin just barely managed a double double (10 and 12 on 4/12 shooting). Of course, he still made the highlight reels. It was in defeat though, as Orlando continues to cruise to a potential Eastern Conference finals showdown with either the Boston Celtics or the Miami Heat. Will Dwight Howard ever enter the MVP debate? He finished with 22 points and 20 rebounds last night, good for his fifth 20/20 game of the season.


The San Antonio Spurs continued to cruise into the NBA playoffs, last night defeating the Pistons by a final score of 100-89. As long as Blair's knees hold up and Duncan is healthy, this Spurs team will be trouble in the playoffs. They have the experience, coaching, and the depth that could very easily lead to them hoisting another championship banner. The Pistons meanwhile continue to struggle with mediocrity.

Lebron James continued his unprecedented run at a third consecutive MVP last night. His 41 points, 13 boards, and 8 assists led the way for the Heat in a 117-112 victory over the Pacers. Since the new year, James is averaging 30.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and just under two steals a game. The Cavs are 13-5 over that stretch, including two losses that Lebron sat out. Coincidentally, my fantasy basketball has stead right around second place all season, thanks in large part to the contributions of Lebron James. I still don't know if the Heat have enough big men to compete in the two month long playoff saga.



I feel pretty embarrassed for having trashed the Minnesota Timberwolves on various message boards yesterday. I will never learn. Anyway, the Wolves, defeated the Rockets in a wire to wire matchup last night. In the end, Kevin Love was too much and Wayne Ellington hit a big three in the final minutes to seal the deal. If there's one game I would like back, it's this one. This is yet another in a long line of reasons why the ROCKETS NEED CARMELO ANTHONY!!!!!! I like this team now, but I would like it more if we had a legit center and wing man. Then we could bring in Chuck Hayes and Shane Battier for a defensive spark. Hopefully the Lakers don't end up with Anthony.

Memphis went into Oklahoma City and defeated the Thunder in overtime last night. Tony Allen got his first start in almost a month and went off for 27 points. Zach Randolph is going to get paid this summer. I wonder if this is his last real productive season.

What really got me into hardcore...

When I first started getting into hardcore, there wasn't much of a scene in Rochester. Moment of Truth had just broken up and Innerface was in their final days. There was the occasional show here and there, but I was mostly traveling to Buffalo and Syracuse for shows. I had been into the local scene and had been listening to punk rock since the end of 8th grade with my friend Ben. I was quickly realizing that while punk rock had a great message, it lacked the aggression I was looking for at the time. I was a pissed off 15 year old straight edge kid and I needed a good soundtrack for all of this hatred! I was somewhat familiar with hardcore at the time, as I had seen Moment of Truth and Innerface a couple times. I was even listening to Gorilla Biscuits, Minor Threat, Agnostic Front, and Youth of Today pretty heavily by now. The only real live exposure I had in 95 and 96 though was those Moment of Truth shows. Now I am not trying to rag on Moment of Truth, but I always kind of knew there was more to this whole hardcore scene. I found a lot of that on November 3, 1996.

I was a pretty clueless teenager at the time. I did not know much about hardcore or any of the bands that were playing on the show this Sunday afternoon. I tried to act like I did throughout the show anyway though.

Anal Muscle Rips/Shodokan opened up this show. This was a sign of what was to come in Rochester over the next couple years. I wonder how a band like this would go over here now. They were one of the first improv grindcore bands to incorporate mosh parts. And they were usually damn entertaining to boot.

The next two bands are kind of a blur to me. As I mentioned a couple times, I was a young buck then and a lot of these bands were still new to me. Plus, I am pretty sure I caught a Steve Titus forearm to the head at this show. That is something I miss about hardcore, it was such a small community that you could remember seeing random people from show to show. After a while, you would ordinarily become friends with said people just based on common interests alone. Anyway, I guess End of Line was a side band of OKD, although I never heard of them again after this show. UNION I would see again a couple more times. On top of that, their drummer Mike Jeffers is still actively playing in Buffalo hardcore bands (The March is playing here on my birthday). This band had some good songs and some bad, a product of the mid-90s hardcore scene no doubt.

Pennsylvania emo band Autumn was up next. I bought a copy of Open Season fanzine at this show. I sat down and read most of this fanzine throughout Autumn's set. What a shitty band. I am open to having other bands of other genres play shows and all, but bands like this would bore me for years to come.

Next up was One King Down. I really never got too into this band. At least once or twice, I jokingly sang along to their intro but that was for nothing more than a laugh. This band did seem to have a pretty big following for some reason though. They would always get a good response whenever they played Syracuse. The space that this show was at was a small loft on the second or third floor of St. Paul Street. Unfortunately, during OKD's set the kids got a little bit too excited with the mosh and an amp broke one of the windows. One King Down would finish playing and kids didn't go quite as nutty for the rest of their set.

Despair was supposed to play next and did not get to because of the broken window. Scott Vogel was trying to get them to let his band set up in the freight elevator, but it didn't end up happening. I got to see Despair again on New Year's Eve the following month in Buffalo with Battery so I didn't end up caring all that much.

None of these bands have become my favorite hardcore bands over time or anything like that, but I can thank them all for helping light a fire under me that would one day help create Enterprise Hardcore. Everything else I would get into over the years- especially including veganism and DIY Hardcore shows- can be traced back to this night. While hardcore has grown in popularity in recent years, the true scene will always remain alive through underground shows like this.

Happy 70th birthday to Nick Nolte!!!!

Good dude.

Chris Broussard has reported on a lot of destinations for Carmelo Anthony this season

Chris Broussard has reported on a lot of destinations for Carmelo Anthony this season, well mainly the Nets, Knicks, and Bulls. The Rockets and Mavericks have been mentioned as wild cards at times. Now, the Lakers have just been mentioned by Broussard on Sportscenter as a team that has recently been stepping up their discussions with the Nuggets. The thing I hate most about this (aside from it all being speculation) is that the Lakers possess all of what Denver needs. I don't even know that a third team would be needed, unless Denver is looking to stock up on draft picks and expiring contracts. Otherwise, the Lakers could be primed to offer the Nuggets a combination of Andrew Bynum and a few other contract players. Expect all of these rumors to continue to pick up steam in the days leading up to the deadline.

While I don't expect Houston to make much of a push for Anthony, I do expect them to make some moves around the deadline. Darryl Morey is the man afterall.

Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers have made history...

The Cleveland Cavaliers have stolen a lot of the spotlight in the NBA recently by playing such a terrible brand of basketball. Lost in their losing streak has been another team playing just as awful. Tucked away securely in our nation's capital, the Washington Wizards haven't won a game on the road since last season (April 9 in Boston, Shaun Livingston had a good game) and have lost their first 25 road games this season. The futile record for road losses to start a season is 29, set by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1992-93 season (the Mavs were really bad back then). The Wizards next five road games will have them facing the Cavs, Magic, 76ers, Heat, and Pistons. While I would love to see this team go winless on the road this season, I know it's not going to happen. In order to break the all time record of 43 consecutive road losses, these Wizards would have to lose every game this season and their first two road games next season. Sleep easy, Kings fans!

ROUNDBALL: CAVS MAKE HISTORY, MELO HITS 50 IN LOSS, ALDRIDGE KEEPS ROLLING

The obvious place to start would be the oh so terrible Cleveland Cavaliers. They are in a league of futility all by themselves now. No way Dallas was going to let Cleveland come down there and end there streak on their court, especially not a night after one of the biggest sporting events in Dallas history. As a basketball fan, I feel really sorry for Byron Scott and Antawn Jamison. They both came to Cleveland to help Lebron James win a title. Unfortunately, that (and an aging Shaq) was the most help Dan Gilbert was able to acquire to pair with James in pursuit of a championship. I would have jumped ship, too. It would be great to think that the future is oh so bright for these Cavs, but unfortunately it isn't. It's not like they don't compete in some of these games. They were in this contest against the Mavs right until the final shot. Unfortunately for Cleveland, they didn't take that shot. Antawn Jamison had this to say on the record breaking losing streak after the game: "It is what it is."

Derrick Rose led his Bulls into Portland to face the short handed Trail Blazers. Rose led the Bulls with a great game, finishing the night with 36 points. It didn't matter though, as Lamarcus Aldridge led the Blazers to victory with yet another career night. Again, Tim Duncan or Kevin Love should have been left off the all star team. No knock to either of them, but Aldridge needs to be in this game. He finished this game with a career high (for now) 42 points, as the Blazers ended up winning by six. The other big news out of Portland on Monday night was that Brandon Roy will in fact be returning to action this weekend. That comes at a very opportune time for these ailing Blazers. We'll see how those knees hold up.

Carmelo Anthony tied his career high with 50 points, as the Nuggets hosted the Rockets on Monday evening. The rest of the Nuggets weren't able to hold off the Rockets though, as they won the game 108-103. Kevin Martin continued his recent tear, going off for 37 points, 4 boards, and 7 assists. I wish there was more room on the all star team. I finally picked up Chuck Hayes in fantasy basketball, too. The real negative news for the Nuggets in this game was involving Chauncey Billups. He injured his left knee and will go in for an MRI today to determine the severity of the injury. Aaron Brooks was inactive in this game due to his one game suspension. How quickly he has fallen for the Rockets. I still think he should have significant trade value. Recently, his name has been linked to the Knicks and the Timberwolves. Hopefully they get some cap flexibility in return for him, or Carmelo Anthony.

Steve Nash led his Suns to victory over the Warriors last night on his 37th birthday. He finished off the night with 14 points and 15 assists. He could be doing this when he turns 47, too. Monta Ellis led all scorers with 21 points. He also tied his career high with 12 rebounds. This game was honestly a letdown, in comparison to what you usually get when these two teams face off against each other.

Apparently, the Celtics were too concerned with Ray Allen breaking Reggie Miller's all time 3 point record. Keyed by a 29-20 fourth quarter, the Bobcats were able to defeat the Celtics by five last night. Shaun Livingston had a season high 18 points in the victory. Stephen Jackson was ejected for arguing a foul call. We'll see if there's any suspension handed down by the league. Ray Allen needs one three to tie Reggie Miller and one to pass him for the all time record. He will be playing his next game on Thursday, which Reggie Miller will be broadcasting.

The Timberwolves got a rare victory last night, on the road against the Hornets. Kevin Love had 27 points and 17 boards, another in a long line of beastly lines from him. The Hornets are clearly reeling again and it could be time for a trade. Recent injuries to Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor have clearly effected this team's play. Ariza should be back soon, while Okafor is likely out until after the all star break.

Marc Gasol's team still isn't quite ready for his brother's. The Lakers came into Memphis and won 93-84. Pau Gasol brought the Black Swan out as much as he had to in this one, finishing with 17 points and 9 boards. It would have been interesting to see Ron Artest and Marc Gasol go at it. The younger Gasol did still finish with a double double in the losing effort, ending with 10 points and 12 boards.

The Utah Jazz went into Sacramento and defeated the Kings 107-104. Demarcus Cousins had another strong offenseive game for the Kings, finishing with 25 and 14. Al Jefferson proved to be too much on the other end of the court though, as he finished with 23 points and Cousins fouled out in just over 30 minutes played. This Jazz team remains destined to be ousted early on in the 2011 playoffs.

Brandon Roy to return this week, likely vs. Pistons?

This just broke on twitter, so take it with a grain of salt until it is 100% confirmed. But Trail Blazers fans are apparently in for some reinforcements, in the form of the unexpected early return of Brandon Roy. In what form and how he produces all remain to be seen. More on this in the morning. Until then, KU!!!!!!!!

Also, here's a great article for those of you that like three point shooting, as well as numbers. A funny side story on the Donyell Marshall game...he was on my bench in fantasy basketball at the time. I remember sitting there getting more and more pissed as I sat at my computer and watched the three pointers pile up. Of course I would get some decent production from over the next two weeks, but what could have been if I would have played him that night...this video is slightly NSFW around the time Marshall hits his second three.

LA Dodgers to wear Brooklyn throwbacks for six games this season!

We all know these are struggling times for my Los Angeles Dodgers. The McCourts had a highly publicized divorce hearing last year and the team is going to be reeling from it for years to come. So in the spirit of making money, the Dodgers have unveiled today that they will wear throwback Brooklyn uniforms for six games this season. Of course, most of the opinionated internet chatter is that this is merely a move to sell merchandise. Of course, I am sure that is one of the main reasons why they will switch to these jerseys for the six game. I don't really care what the reason, I've always loved throwback jerseys- especially when my team is wearing said jerseys. Let's just hope they can win all six games in the throwback duds! Also, for the record I voted for the first choice.

DODGERS THROWBACKS 2011

AOL to not acquire 94FTG for 305 Million

So if anyone would like to buy this blog, it is for sale still.

Happy Birthday to Juwan Howard, Dilla Dog...

Juwan Howard will almost certainly be forever linked to the Tracy McGrady era in Houston. Of course, he was acquired by Houston with McGrady in the summer of 2004. I remember being extremely excited about this trade at the time. Both Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady at the time were still at their peaks. Anyway, I was sad to see Francis leave the Rockets but extremely excited about the prospect of Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady teaming up together and going on some incredible playoff runs. That of course never happened. Juwan Howard spent the first three years of this era on the Houston Rockets, averaging 10.4 points and 6.1 rebounds a game. These would be the last real productive years of Howards career, although he has managed to hang on in limited roles the last few seasons. This season, he is a part of a Miami Heat roster that could potentially be competing for a title at the end of the season, a victory Howard has still yet to taste. That would be a nice way for him to go out. Of course, he almost got a title before he left Michigan.I leave you with footage of the greatest Rockets road victory in franchise history.



Today is also J Dilla's birthday. Tragically, he passed away three days after his 32nd birthday in 2006. Before that, he blessed us with some of the finest and most original music through Slum Village and a number of other artists that worked with him over the years. He is certainly in the discussion for top ten producers in hip-hop. Another of the "greatest of all time," Big Pun tragically passed away eleven years ago today. Listen to Big Pun





Finally, I have to recognize Steve Nash's great accomplishments on the basketball court today I guess, even though the Suns suck! Back to back MVP trophies is great and all, but back to back NBA titles is even better!

ROUNDBALL

The NBA decided not to schedule any games last night. I guess there were some commercials debuting on TV that none of the players or owners wanted to miss. Not THIS COMMERCIAL though.

Anyway, there were four games played during the day before the festival of commercials and BAD MUSIC began.

The Knicks really need to win their second of a home and home with the Philadelphia 76ers. Courtesy of some home cooking, the Knicks got just what they needed. Amar'e Stoudemire had one of his biggest games of the season, going off for
41 points (17/21 fg and 8/8 ft), 7 boards, and 4 assists and blocks. Landry Fields also had his second 20 and 10 game of the season, finishing with 25 points (career high five threes!) and 10 boards. If Blake Griffin had only played last season... On the plus side, Elton Brand did have a solid 28 points for the Philadelphia 76ers. It is great to see him playing at a top level again.

The Indiana Pacers continued winning under Frank Vogel. They set it off early against the Nets and never looked back. The Nets got the lead down to single digits briefly in the third quarter, but that was about all of the action that New Jersey was able to get yesterday. Frank Vogel clearly has his players motivated. He will get his first big test tomorrow, as the Pacers head into Miami to face the Heat. Paul George showed that it doesn't matter what hat he wears on the team plane, going off for some great aerial moves in this contest. Evidence of this is available in these highlights, just before the minute mark. I especially like the alley oop.


Those Heat cruised to victory against the Clippers yesterday. Dwyane Wade had another big game, finishing off with 28, 8, and 8 as Lebron and Bosh had quiet days. Blake Griffin continued his dominant play for the Clippers.

The Celtics defeated the rival Orlando Magic yesterday. Marquis Daniels had a very ugly injury in this game, which ended up being a bruised spinal cord. He will be out indefinitely. It looked a lot worse and moments like that make you stop thinking about all of this drama. Luckily, it appears as though he will be ok. Anyway, the Celtics will need some reinforcements without Daniels and O'neal in the lineup. Luke Harangody?

On a completely unrelated topic, a BELGIAN MAN BROKE A WORLD RECORD BY RUNNING 365 MARATHONS IN 365 DAYS. I doubt I will ever run one marathon, let alone one a day for a year. I bet this man will live to be 200 years old.

Also, is anyone really surprised by Christina Aguilera? Really, she sucks at life- always has, and always will. On with the next topic.

Heavy Metal Kings Tourdates (ROC CITY) Vinnie Paz and Ill Bill

Yessir Vinnie Paz and Ill Bill will be gracing the stage of Dub Land Underground in Rochester, NY. This will be the end of their Heavy Metal Kings tour. Expect some pretty crucial stage dives and moshing (yes, moshing) from yours truly. It will be an event to remember for sure....

Heavy Metal Kings tour Dates




4/2/11 – San Bernardino, CA – Paid Dues Festival
4/3/11 – Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones
4/5/11 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
4/6/11 – Los Angeles, CA – Key Club
4/7/11 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
4/13/11 – Baltimore, MD – Sonar Lounge
4/14/11 – New York, NY – The Studio @ Webster Hall
4/15/11 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
4/16/11 – West Chester, PA – The Note
4/17/11 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
4/19/11 – Ottawa, ON – Ritual Nightclub
4/20/11 – Toronto, ON – Opera House
4/21/11 – Rochester, NY – Dub Land Underground

European Tour Dates coming soon…

Will the Carmelo Anthony saga soon be over?

According to Chris Broussard, Carmelo Anthony is going to soon be headed to the Knicks...possibly. I am so sick of all this speculation and drama over where Anthony will be headed. I guess if Anthony wants to go to the Knicks, the Nuggets should be trying to facilitate a trade that would help everyone's needs. At the same time, it doesn't seem like they are making out nearly as much as they would have been with the Nets/Pistons three team deal, or even with the Rockets. This will be good for New York though, if it happens...

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY

I honestly have cared less and less about this game as years go by. But as a sports fan and a true gossip king, I love knowing what's going on in pop culture. Plus the commercials should be pretty cool I guess. The last time the Steelers were in the Superbowl was two years ago. I decided to catch a bus down to Philadelphia to see Cold World, Cruel Hand, Internal Affairs, and a bunch of other bands. Mother of Mercy opened. They are pretty hyped now I guess. Philadelphia is always a good time and I really need to get down there again. This was also my only time seeing Cold World so far, something that is bound to change this year.