ROUNDBALL

The biggest news of the day came in a press conference held by Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov. At this conference, he announced that the Nets were effectively ending their pursuit of Carmelo Anthony. This move quickly sent shockwaves throughout the NBA, apparently even in the NETS FRANCHISE. Sorry, but the funniest thing to me is how Prokhorov talks about "not using computers." HAVE THE NETS BECOME THE CLIPPERS? It seems like Carmelo Anthony is a little annoyed with the way things were handled by the Nets. I think he is handling all of the interviews and questions about going to other teams (Chicago and New York) very well too. Most people seem to think that the Knicks are now the heavy favorite to land Anthony at this point. I have now changed my stance and would love to see Carmelo Anthony in Houston as a rental for the rest of the season. That way they can start over next year, and possibly make a run into the playoffs this season. I still like the idea of Anthony finishing the season in Denver. I doubt it's going to happen at this point though.

Despite all of this drama, there was a lot of action on the courts last night. Thirteen games were played last night again, just like on Monday. Unfortunately this time the games were all sandwiched into five hours instead of twelve. I was able to see most of the Rockets/Knicks game (save for the awkward episode of Modern Family). Afterward, I checked out the rest of the Lakers and the Mavs game. That game was already over by then though.

I have always enjoyed watching the Rockets beat the Knicks. While I do admit that I have enjoyed watching this Knicks team finally become good this season, as a basketball fan nothing excites me more than watching the Rockets win games. I think Knicks fans remember a certain Rockets win more than others...


Last night's victory wasn't quite as great as that one, but it was still a great win. It was great to see the Rockets hold the highest scoring team in the league (heading into the game) to 89 points. Amar'e Stoudemire was his usual self, scoring 25 points on 11-21 shotting. He had a dunk at the end that reminded of dunks I used to do for hissy fits. Anyone who saw the game or played with me at the Monroe Y knows what I am talking about here. The rest of the Knicks were kept in check throughout the evening. The rest of the Knicks starters shot a combined 16/44 (36%). Anytime you have that, you will see Amar'e take his frustrations out with a dunk like that. The Rockets were led by their strong guard play of Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin. Martin has been quietly averaging 23 points per game all season. While he probably won't make the all star team, he might be able to snag a roster spot if someone gets injured the week before. This Rockets team isn't great, but they are a Carmelo Anthony away from making a run into the playoffs.

The Mavericks got back onto the winning track in a big way last night. They beat the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. They were able to win on a night where Dirk Nowitzki didn't play all that well, possibly still feeling the effects of the knee injury that recently cost him nine games. It was no matter, as Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Jason Terry all stepped up and helped Dallas win this game. Where is Ron Artest?


Can the Cavaliers become any worse? I am going to jump on the bandwagon and write a piece on this later on today. I can't help myself, Dan Gilbert is just such a great punching bag.

Orlando and New Orleans were both able to sneak away with one point overtime victories at home last night. Ryan Anderson continues to put up good numbers for my fantasy team.

The Timberwolves were on the road facing the Clippers last night. I can't imagine a more hyped up game featuring two teams that are unlikely to make the playoffs. I started falling asleep (sitting up) around halftime of this game. At that point, Kevin Love did not have a single rebound. He still finished with 26 points and 11 boards, good for his 29th consecutive double double. While he was able to hold Blake Griffin without a double doube, it wasn't enough as the Clippers won their third straight and seventh game out of their last ten. If Blake Griffin doesn't make the all star team, I am not watching. The Rookie of the Year finished with 29 points, 8 boards, 6 assists, and a three pointer (!) last night.

The Boston Celtics and The San Antonio Spurs continued on their path toward a potential Senior Citizen League Finals with victories last night. I think this year is most definitely final shots for Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett to help their respective teams win a ring. We won't be seeing much more from Shaq as a player after this season either, especially if they win a ring.


Apparently Mikhail Prokhorov knew what he was doing when he ended the Carmelo Anthony talks. The Nets held the Jazz under 100 points, and were able to get the win. None of their players really dominated last night, instead they turned to a balanced attack where they saw seven players reach double figures. It would be interesting if this Nets team all of a sudden develops some great team chemistry now that all the rumors have been squashed.

Like I said, I think Carmelo Anthony is handling all of this very well. On the night it was announced the Nets were backing out of trade talks for him, Carmelo Anthony came out and had one of his biggest games of the season. More importantly, the Nuggets beat the Thunder. Chauncey Billups even had a decent game. I guess he's probably glad the trade talks are dead, for now...

There were three other games last night, all featuring teams you most likely don't care about. The Bucks beat the Wizards. It seems like so long ago that the Bucks were taking the Hawks to a seventh game in the playoffs. The Warriors used 36 points and a nasty game winning shot from Monta Ellis to get by the Indiana Pacers. Remember when people were saying that Monta Ellis should get traded so that Stephen Curry could fully blossom? The Warriors would clearly be giving up a big time scorer. I still don't know if Stephen Curry has superstar in him anyway. The Blazers used good nights from Nicolas Batum, Andre Miller, and Lamarcus Aldridge to get by the Sacramento Kings in overtime. You're halfway there, Kings fans!

I am pretty sure this is now the funniest news story of the year

Deciding that being on a youtube video wasn't enough, this stupid woman has come forward and publicly decided to sue the people who released this hilarious video. I highly recommend watching headline news this morning for a ridiculous interview. Below is an article that features the video, which should be up to two million views by weeks' end.

Woman falls into mall fountain, sues people who provide us all with entertainment.

I really was just starting to kind of respect lil wayne

Then he reminds me what a pompous piece of shit he really is! I mean what is that? NBA players are responsible for dapping or throwing the peace sign to you for spending the money on the tickets? Maybe they should go up to the nosebleed section and give high fives to all the poor families that were effected by Hurricane Katrina and just go to the games to get a release from their everyday lives! Seriously, Lil Wayne should go back into solitary confinement.

WATCH FOR DETOX

According to a video posted by Just Blaze recently, DETOX will be out on 4/20?? I don't care, as long as it comes out before summer and there is another tour like the Up In Smoke Tour.

ROUNDBALL

Thirteen games took place in the NBA yesterday. Several players seemed interested in capturing some of the Martin Luther King day spotlight.

Derrick Rose and Boris Diaw had triple doubles. Unfortunately for Diaw, his came in an overtime loss to the 76ers. The Bobcats are clearly getting into full on rebuilding mode. Gerald Wallace is almost definitely going to be traded before the deadline. Derrick Rose continued on his MVP path yesterday, posting his first career triple double. Kyle Korver was even trending on twitter during the game, by way of his six three pointers. It had been almost three years since the last time Korver had that many triples in a game. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if it takes him another three years to have another game like that.

John Wall had a career high 15 assists in a win against the Utah Jazz. How many times will that number change over the next few seasons? Nick Young also had 25 points and looks fit to be inserted into the guard spot on my fantasy roster. The Utah Jazz have to be one of the most boring and mediocre first places teams in the history of the Western Conference.

Amar'e Stoudemire put up a season high 41 points against his former team, the Phoenix Suns yesterday. It wasn't enough, as the Suns used a strong third quarter to help them upend the Knicks at the Garden. Suddenly, I am kind of intrigued by this older Phoenix Suns team. Five starters averaging over 32 years of age (with a 22 year old to accout for) manage to all easily put up double digits. I have enjoyed Steve Nash more and more as the years have gone on.

The Hornets won their fifth game in a row yesterday, beating eight Toronto Raptors, most of which should be in the D League. Luke Wilson and Samuel L. Jackson were seated courtside for the game.








My Rockets once again got strong efforts from Luis Scola and Kevin Martin in beating a fast fading Bucks team. This Bucks team was supposed to finish second in this weak Central division. Now they will be lucky to make the playoffs. The Rockets seem pretty similar to last season's team. They will play right around .500 ball all year and just miss the playoffs, unless they get Carmelo Anthony in a trade. Even then they wouldn't exactly be a lock to make the playoffs.

The Dallas Mavericks lost their fifth consecutive game, this time to the Pistons. Like I said yesterday, Dallas is clearly a team in need of a roster shakeup. Detroit didn't have one clear leader yesterday, instead turning to a balanced lineup featuring five double digit scorers. Greg Monroe would be making a run towards rookie of the year if it weren't for John Wall and...

Blake Griffin easily had the most talked about performance of the day yesterday, abusing the Indiana Pacers weak front line for 47 points and 14 rebounds. The 47 points were easily a personal best, as well as a season best for the LEAGUE! We will be running out of positive things to say about Blake Griffin real soon. Blake Griffin took 24 shots yesterday and only missed five! The kid is about three months away from winning rookie of the year honors. More importantly, the Clippers are playing inspired basketball for the first time in a real long time, if ever. If they keep this up, they might sneak into the playoffs with the eight seed. I don't think Tim Duncan are Dejuan Blair would like that very much.

Monta Ellis and David Lee were too much for Brook Lopez, Devin Harris and the Nets as the Warriors were able to hold on for a 109-100 victory. Ellis is so consistent, I hate to admit that I slept on him for much of his career.

The Hawks also beat the Kings, Boston slipped past Orlando (Ryan Anderson in the house), Portland beat Minnesota, and the Lakers took care of the Thunder.


I did not have as much of an eye on the night games as I would have liked. I was watching Jeopardy and college basketball at that point. Pittsburgh handed Syracuse it's first loss and my Jayhawks look better and better each time I watch them. They lost a lot of talent to the NBA last year, but somehow this Kansas team might be better than last. The Morris twins are going to tear the tournament up this year...

More info from the rumor mill later on today. I am as stoked for Kansas basketball as I have been in a long time! Follow us on twitter @94ftg !!!!! Rochester hardcore shows to announce in the next few weeks, stay tuned....

Naysayer/Take Offense etc. in Rochester/early festival lineups

As mentioned here a couple weeks back, Naysayer, Rhinoceros, and a few other good hardcore bands will be playing at Dub Land Underground on February 1. I hope to have a show or two to announce by then. Get to this show early and make sure you check out These Eyes.

It is also festival season! While I always TALK about how great it would be to be in attendance at these, I rarely make the trip. In fact, the last festivals I attended were in 2003.

First up is United Blood Festival in early April. This lineup features about a dozen bands so far that I would be interested in seeing live, many for the first time. It is in Richmond, a city I did not have the greatest luck in last summer. It would be nice to get some food at Strange Matter again.

Bamboozle is back in New Jersey again the weekend of April 29. I can't really say that there are any bands I would be interested in seeing on this lineup. I think I would have more fun partying at a festival like this anyway.

Krazy Fest I never made it to a Krazy Fest in my heyday, but I did get to chill in Louisville during my fun summer of 2006. Apparently this festival is slated to take place in mid-May, though no bands have been announced of yet.

Rain Fest will take place on May 27, 28, and 29 at Neumo's in Seattle, WA. Bands announced thus far (more are coming) include:

All Teeth
Another Breath
Devotion
Figure Four
Grave Maker
Madball
Make Do And Mend
Most Precious Blood
Nails
Oblivion
Rotting Out
Ruckus
Run With The Hunted
Supertouch
Trial

While there are some good bands on this one, I can safely say that I wouldn't be attending even if I were still an active member of the 'core. It would be nice to see Trial and Figure Four again though.


Finally and possibly most eclectic of them all, is the Chaos in Tejas fest. Same goes for this as with Rain Fest, though I never got to see any YOT reunions. I did do a show once though where Porcell came onstage and did a PX song on vocals.

FIND THE JL MOSH CAMEO IN THIS TERROR CLIP FROM HELLFEST 02

ROUNDBALL: MLK EDITION

Another Martin Luther King day is upon us. I will always remember where I was on Martin Luther King Day 2009. I caught a bus down to Washington, DC to witness history. Most people have heard the story of how amazing those two days were by now. If not, here's a couple photos of what I witnessed those two days...




One other thing I recall from that day was chilling in a bar for a couple hours before the Beastie Boys show started. Every year on Martin Luther King day, the NBA has a full tilt of games. 2011 will be no different. I will be sitting around watching basketball all day today. Not much different from any other days. First, here is a recap of what went down in the association this weekend...

There was 22 games this weekend. I did not see as much action as I would like to have seen. I will play catchup with you here.

The Bulls won back to back games and Derrick Rose was clearly the star, averaging 31.5 points, 7 boards, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 blocks(!) and threes in the two games. As several media outlets have recently pointed out, Derrick Rose is quickly blossoming into a superstar and deserves MVP consideration at the midway point of the season. Carlos Boozer sprained his ankle at the very end of the Heat game. If he is to miss anytime, the Bulls will need to rely even more heavily on their emerging star.

The Dallas Mavericks losing streak reached five games as they lost by double digits to the Spurs and the Grizzlies over the weekend. Dirk Nowitzki returned to action after three weeks against the Grizzlies, only to get ejected in the third quarter for arguing a foul call. He probably needed the early exit anyway. This team is clearly starting to feel the stress of losing a lot of their players to injuries. I have been seeing Tayshaun Prince's and Gerald Wallaces's names tied to Dallas recently in trade rumors. Anytime your teams leading scorer is Ian Mahimi, you know you are in trouble.

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost back to back road games by 50 points combined. They have now lost 13 games in a row by an average of 16 points. Things are not looking good in Cleveland. Again, I would like to point out that Dan Gilbert guaranteed that help was on the way when Lebron James took his talents to South Beach. I don't think the Cavs are as bad as the Nets were last year, but they are not far off. Poor Antawn Jamison. Maybe the Cavs just need a little extra motivation.

Blake Griffin continues to do his thing. He is well on his way to earning rookie of the year, averaging 22 points and nearly 13 rebounds per game. Not only can the dominant rookie boast about wins over the Heat and the Lakers in the last week, but he can also brag about his first NBA ejection!

I would have liked to have seen Baron Davis and Lamar Odom go toe to toe. I wonder if they both would have been able to keep a straight face. Don't expect anything too crazy in the way of punishment by the league. This was a pretty small fight. The Clippers host the Pacers today.

The Spurs continue to lead the pack with an astounding 35-6 record. I still wonder how they are going to do in the playoffs with an aging Tim Duncan.

The big news out of the Carmelo Anthony saga yesterday was that the Denver Nuggets are now letting Carmelo and the Nets work out an extension this week. That would appear to be the final step in getting this deal done. Of course at this point this is all still chatter and I will believe it when I see it. Carmelo keeps updating his status after each game and it would appear as though he plans to remain with the Nuggets at least through this week.

Robert Rodriguez and Kobe Bryant have a film debuting all star weekend, most likely a short. Trailer here...

KU Alum Kirk Hinrich looks to be joining the ranks of Amar'e Stoudemire and Horace Grant. Never a bad look for an NBA player in my opinion!

Here's what will be on Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant's feet today.

I don't claim to enjoy football very much, but Bart Scott had some good things to say last night.