Time to take our medicine Tar Heels faithful

Carolina showed up at Rupp Arena to play on Saturday afternoon, Kentucky met them head on and when the dust settled, the 24,398 fans who came to see a basketball game left with one of those "ESPN Instant Classic's"  burned in their memories forever. The game was hyped as much as any regular season game I have ever seen, and i've been watching college basketball since around 1988. Carmelo Anthony's run to the title is now something of Syracuse legend as the freshmen let the entire team get up on his shoulders and he carried them with each game becoming bigger then the last yet that can't even come close to how the Carolina vs. Kentucky was broke down into individual matchups, team experience vs team recruiting talent, coach vs coach, home court advantage vs road warriors, every inch of this game was explained 9 ways to sunday before the tip came and I still can't get over the exponential ways it became so dissected. Fans across the country jumped in and I heard so many different meaningless statistics it was more then funny but that's just it, this all was brought out by the historic showdown of national powers in all phases of college basketball. The top two universities in wins, two of the best 3 or 4 recruiters in the country, and the same goes for those coaches overall. Yes they always will get top tier talent because of the name on the front of the jersey; but when those coaches turn a kid who was pretty good but not supposed to be as great as the rest of the class into a first round pick of some NBA franchise that's magic just waiting to happen.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7311109/north-carolina-tar-heels-kentucky-wildcats-stage-special-afternoon-rupp-college-basketball


Not time to panic, and this could be the time we look back on after a championship year and say the team needed to feel what a loss was like to see they weren't invincible against ANY opponent. As good as they are 1-6/7 if they come out and play lackadaisical and let the game stay close, anything can happen. The longer a team finds a way to stay within 5-10 points the better they feel and the more they build momentum.

Hopefully this is just the one loss in a special year.





+Joshua Hastings
 @joshuadavid1121
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

Time for the Eagles fans to trade in your Eagles jackett for that Flyers sweatshirt and get back in business!

Loses piling up combined with enough stars injured to form half a pro-bowl team has the Philadelphia Eagles setting themselves up for one of the most disappointing seasons in team history and quite possibly the worst record for a team that was one of the favorites to win the Superbowl just a couple months ago when the season began.


The loss to the lowly Seattle Seahawks may be the nail in the coffin for the team with such high expectations to start from everyone from fans, coaches across the league, reporters, sports analysts and players. Maybe it was the pressure they put on themselves with all of the predictions and playoff talk before they even stepped on the field. Maybe it was the fragility of their franchise quarterback who has proven to be tough but toughness dosen't matter when your getting sacked 5-7 times every game and then taking hits on every other play sometimes. 


Andy Reid won't throw his players under the bus ever, he's too good for that both as a coach and as a man, the first in line for the firing squad would be Desean Jackson if you ask many Philly fans. Philly is a hardworking, blue collar city and as fans they're known as brask to the point that even their own players hear their wrath, sometimes in GAMES THEY WIN! They took it to the extreme with the snowball fight heard round the world as they berated Santa with chats, vulgarities that would make a sailor blush and snowballs. And this wasn't your neighborhood fight that had your mom standing on the porch laughing and joining in either....this was one of those, don't bring a snowball to an ice-ball fight type of every man women and child for themself. 


Back to Jackson, what they love about him is also what fans across the world and even some in his own locker-room hate about him, that flashy, look at me, game-changing plays that just drip of arrogance but have you shaking your head in amazement as he ends up in the endzone....but between some nagging injuries and his public stance on deserving, wanting, and now may never getting, that BIG contract extension. It's one thing to talk about it while your going to work everyday and suiting up because you have your teammates backs and are going to go to war with them regardless of how angry you are with ownership; but if that angry, "under-paid", rich, arrogant, wide receiver isn't coming out ready to play every other game then you have to start wondering....is it just really hurting him that they don't see how much he means to the team and he wants to fight with his friends for years to come, THAT'S why he wants that new contract, it's not about the money per-se. Or is he protecting himself and his future by taking plays off, not going hard over the middle, not trying to come down with that big catch if it means a big hit, and not caring enough to put in the work during the week so you don't have big drops every game that you never had as much past years?


http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7307147/andy-reid-philadelphia-eagles-defends-desean-jackson-denies-commotion


We've all seen how talented the guy is, he's dominated games like only a few have before him sometimes, but his talent has NEVER been his achilles heel, the question that is only going to get louder and louder is, DOES HE CARE? and that's one of those that can go with a lot of different things and still hold true. Does he care about winning, or is it just stats so he can get the accolades and attention? about how the fans think of him, or does it not matter cause you don't want to talk to them unless you have to and even then only to let them know what size to go get you out of the back of the store? Does he want to be great or just good enough to get paid to live large for his life and then just be done with it? 


It's going to say a lot when his next contact does get signed, will he start doing all those interviews ripping what he was offered by this team, and talking about private discussions just to drive up his price hopefully, and does he just sign for whoever pays the most, or is it going to be somewhere that will pay a little less but he could be the missing link to their championship runs, and soon. I can't wait to see, I wish him all the best, I do think he's a little misunderstood, but I believe you should trust 50% of what someone tells you, so maybe he shouldn't be public enemy #1 in the City of Brotherly Love....let's say #5! haha!!!!

SO WHAT SHOULD THE EAGLES DO WITH DESEAN JACKSON NEXT SEASON? SIGN MULTI-YEAR BIG EXTENSION, FRANCHISE HIM, OR JUST TRADE HIM AWAY FOR MAYBE PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR JUST TO GET RID OF THE HEADACHE?????...ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION!






+Joshua Hastings
@joshuadavid1121
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
 http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

CP3 could be the next star to "request"/whine/bitch/pout and lastly demand their way out of town

+Joshua Hastings
 @joshuadavid1121 
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com 
http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

First it was Chris Paul could be on the market for the right price even though New Orleans didn't want to let him go because his contract was running out and he planned to test the free agent market anyways so the team needed to get something before he pulled "a lebron" and defected. Then it was the Hornets were listening to all offers and were in the process of deciding what trade value Paul had with a year before he could opt out on his current deal. Next we heard the Celtics weren't shopping Rhondo but as Danny Ainge always says, no player is untouchable so he will always listen to make sure he does his due diligence. Within hours I heard how Boston was aggressively persuing the point guard in a package to deal Rondo because of the aging stars around him paired with the fact Ainge doesn't believe he can build a championship team with Rondo as the "core".


After all the twists and turns became public it comes out through an ESPN reporter, Chris Broussard, that if the Celtics made the trade it would be useless/only a 1 year rental because Paul didn't plan on signing a long-term deal in Boston regardless because he wanted to play with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire on the Knicks. WHAT? No love for the Celtics? Seriously the Knicks, you want to play for one of the worst owners, of the worst teams, and overall worst franchises over the last decade or more. Yes, the Knicks have amazing fans and then add in the historic nature of Madison Square Garden and i'm sure it's a thrilling place to play, but until New York puts some good complimentary players around their stars and starts playing defense their NOT WINNING ANYTHING! NOTHING. PROBABLY NOT EVEN A PLAYOFF SERIES AGAIN.


Don't tell me Paul wants to go somewhere to win or he wouldn't be talking the New York Knicks. It's just more and more lies and bullshit with another super-star player and the arrogance of these NBA players is disgusting to see year after year. Go to where you have the best chance to win, go play for Boston, show you can just fit in on a winner instead of being the big fish in a small pond on a loser. If you really don't trust the Celtics are going to be a contender for long and don't want to be part of a rebuilding process that's fair, just sign a 3 year deal or something along those lines. You'll get the best of what the team has to offer, a nice chunk of money and then be in line to hit one more huge payday before your career starts to decline. Once you have a ring or two then your legacy is already molded to that of a champion and you can go play with your friends in NY without all of this bullshit. You'll be free to roam the clubs, bars, restaurantes, and other high-end tourist spots night after night with 100 mill already banked and still ready to cash a few more checks with NY.

Carolina gets solid win against tough badgers team 60-57.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=313340153


Harrison Barnes played through the pain of the ankle injury that he sustained during the UNLV game that knocked UNC from it's #1 ranking handing the Heels their first loss of the early season. Barnes paced the Tar Heels with 20 points which was over 30% of the total teams scoring. Carolina was defended tough all night as expected when the Badgers come into Chapel Hill.


Where the Heels surprised people could've been on the boards and defensive end of the court where they matched Wisconsin stop for stop and even coming back from a deficit with only 10 minutes remaining. The glass was controlled by Jon Henson, tearing down 17 big rebounds and adding 5 blocks. Those blocks are huge in a game like this where every possession counts. Henson has mastered the block-tip to yourself play that Tim Duncan flashed many years before and perfected before our eyes at Wake Forest and then San Antonio. 


Next up for Carolina is the travel to Rupp Arena for the showdown of the year possibly when they suit up against John calipari and the wildcats. Henson his going to be big and needed more then ever in a match-up with Anthony Davis. Davis has dominated early in his freshman campaign but this will be his biggest test yet.

Calipari talks about ending Kentucky vs. Carolina series

Coach Calipari gives over-scheduling as the reasoning behind breeching the end of the UNC vs. Kentucky home+home series but also throws out the possibility of canceling Indiana or Louisville instead. In my opinion Kentucky needs to rethink their position and if it's absolutely necessary to end the series against one of the 3 teams mentioned then the Hoosiers have to be the ones to go. Louisville is a heated rivalry for obvious reasons and they shouldn't deprive the state of Kentucky their chance to gain bragging rights for the next year. I have a feeling that neither school wants to jeopardize the money that's at stake for a game of that magnitude for both schools.

As far as the North Carolina argument to stay, do I really even need to spell it out for you??? IT'S NORTH CAROLINA VS. KENTUCKY! Coach Cal and the Wildcats continue to bring in the top recruiting class in the nation year after year. They've sent the top pick to the NBA almost every year with Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Derrick Rose and then even Knight went in the top 10 last year. Kentucky has established themselves as a premier landing spot for "1 and done" players and they know that Calipari has the proven track record to make it happen.

Then you have North Carolina and Roy Williams, he brings in class after class filled with Mcdonalds All-Americans at a clip that no other coach can compare to. Carolina is always stocked with talent and this year is no different, the match-up that's on the horizon has been talked about daily for weeks, what better promotion for the game then 2 of the best teams in the country squaring off at the early part of the season. It's a measuring stick for both coaches, and a boon for fans across the country. How can we even consider ending such a popular game? What would be making headlines if not for this star-studded match-up? Just think, we'd be waiting months and months to end the Tar Heels vs. Wildcats debate.




Calipari talks Big Blue Basketball + Possible Scheduling Scenarios


+Joshua Hastings
 @joshuadavid1121
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
 http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

Suh says NO THANK YOU to NFL and says he will appeal his 2 game suspension

UPDATE:
SUH HAD HIS APPEAL HEARD ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3RD AND WAS INFORMED THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGE TO HIS PUNISHMENT...



Is this a conversation that we would even be having if the perpetrator was some no name 3rd string linebacker that was only in the game because someone got hurt, or it was a blowout, or whatever? Answer....of course not! Would it be discussed? Ya, it would be talked about on all the sports shows for a part of a segment just like any other exciting or newsworthy play, it happens daily. But that's it. It dies on the vine right there.

Because Suh took the cowardly position to defend his ridiculous actions on the field that day after the game instead of doing what he did as soon as the team, his agent, parents, friends or PR people talked to him(or maybe any combination of or ALL of the above), and just apologize. It's that simple. We'll never know whether anything or any of the apologies that come out of these athletes mouths are honest feelings, we all only have our judgement to fall back on, we are humans and can be wrong though, JUST LIKE THE SUPERSTAR ATHLETES we watch on tv. They make mistakes too, some more heinous then others obviously but just remember that the next time your chastising someone....don't throw stones if you live in a glass house, good moniker to live by.

If he honestly just had time to think about it and watch it a few times and felt terrible about it then great, call the guy you did it to and tell him that, we aren't the ones he needs to apologize to though, let's remember guys, just because we buy a ticket to the game does not mean we own them, cheer and boo till you don't have a voice anymore, but that's where it ends, leave it at the door, come home and kiss your wife and kids, and get over it!







ESPN.com link +Story



+Joshua Hastings
@joshuadavid1121
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

UNC ONCE AGAIN HAS THE MAKING OF A MARQUEE RECRUITING CLASS IN 2013

North Carolina landed another of the top rated point guards in their 2013 class with Nate Britt who let the world know he'll be wearing Tar Heel blue starting in 2 years.....with Carolina landing top rated pg Marcus Paige next year they look to be solid handling the ball for that high paced attack good ol Roy likes to play. 


http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruiting/national/post?id=793


ESPN has Britt rated as the 15th player in the junior class overall and the 2nd rated point guard out of the Washington, DC area. Britt plays at the national powerhouse and widely known D.C Assault in the summer AAU circuit. Gonzaga is his high school team which will have his services and his full attention now for the next two years.


This is the second recruit out of the Super 60 for North Carolina in 2013 and both are in the top 15 by ESPN's ranking. Isaiah Hicks is the #14 and as I said #15 is Britt overall. Hicks is the 4th ranked Power Foward in the country. This sets up as another strong class for the Heels as always!




+Joshua Hastings
@joshuadavid1121
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

BOBBY VALENTINE'S BEEN GIVEN THE REINS OF THE MACHINE THAT IS THE RED SOX

It's not a surprise to my ears, it's not a surprise to my brothers either. In fact, anyone who is a regular watcher of "Sportscenter", ESPN highlights, NESN or any of the other New England networks knew that he was the frontrunner once their other leading canidate was chosen by the Cubs and Theo Epstein to guide that shipwreck....but back to our shipwreck. In what was the worse kept secret in basebase......


+Joshua Hastings
@joshuadavid1121
 www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
 http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7295956/source-bobby-valentine-hired-boston-red-sox-manager


The Boston Red Sox have decided on their next manager for the 2012 season and beyond....BOBBY VALENTINE.


ESPN is reporting that a source close to the team is reporting the former ESPN analyist has taken the job of leading/rebuilding(as much as a team with a 200 million dollar payroll does) the Boston Red Sox.

American Poker Players looking to re-claim their own money may be waiting with their hand out sooner then later....

http://espn.go.com/poker/story/_/id/7250932/deal-involving-full-tilt-poker-group-bernard-tapie-department-justice-nearing-completion

In a story found at ESPN.com it's being talked about that a deal may be nearly done that will allow poker players with money tied up in the Full-Tilt Poker scandal could find themselves in one of 2 places in the near future.....


1. Back at the poker tables at FullTilt with their bankroll from back this summer when it was frozen available and ready to go or


2.Waiting in line for the release of their money by the department of justice so they can again be made whole, like they should have in the first place if you ask me.


Group Bernard Tapie is rumored to be in the process of making the deal with the department of justice to take on the debts of FullTilt along with the bankrolls of all players from countries other then the United States. GBT would pay 80 million for the assests of FT in addition to those monies owed to foreign players. US players would then have to fill out an application for repayment of their funds. In order for this deal to be approved the currect ownership at FT would need to agree to forfeit their assets to the DOJ for repayment. Its looking like a very positive step at this point and the future looks bright for online poker where its again being discussed to legalize and tax it in the US markets. 


My Take: It's an obvious move to legalize and tax online poker throughout the US as the revenue stream even by conservative estimates is MASSIVE. It would be understandably difficult to regualate unless it was legalized throughout the US instead of just a state by state decision obviously. This would bring in much needed money at a time when our country is in dire need of funds to counteract everything from budget cuts, our incrediblely large and rising national debt and to hopefully regain the strength of the dollar.




What do you think>? Will it happen? Should it happen?



+Joshua Hastings
@joshuadavid1121
www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
 http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

Carolina's loss to UNLV witnessed by the man who can bring the Runnin' Rebels' back to the top!!!

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/dave-telep/post/_/id/460/shabazz-was-at-unlvs-win-will-it-matter


Shabazz Muhammad witnessed first hand the North Carolina slip-up seen round the world. The Tar Heels once again came into a game and were outrebounded by an inferior opponent, were atrocias at the foul line, couldn't shoot their way out of a game of horse, and ended up with the first loss in what could be a banner season. 


While Roy isn't in the running for Muhammad's services himself, he could have played his way into being a big part of his decision of where to attend college. Some say that signature win by UNLV could be "THE MOMENT" that was needed to stamp their program in his mind. Some say that it's nothing more then 1 game out of 30-40 played in a college season and it won't have anymore effect then reading the box scores of all the other program prospects on his list. One things for sure though, whether that win does "it" for Shabazz or not, it's going to catch the eye of some recruit, somewhere, sometime, and going to have a positive effect on a program that needs it. Rice is in his first year coaching and wants to get back to playing the uptempo style that brought excitement to campus many years ago and seemed to leave with Jerry Tarkanian and the scandals. 


Now back to UNC. Tar Heels fan hope this loss brings a sense of urgency to the talented team that steps on the court tomorrow night against the Badgers in the ACC/BIG 10 Challenge. With Harrison Barnes nursing an ankle injury suffered the other night against UNLV the doubters are getting louder and louder all over the country. Bo Ryan always brings a tough, defensive minded team that's ready to play so this will be Carolina's biggest challenge to date. They can't be looking ahead to Big Blue and Kentucky who are holding the #1 ranking until Carolina re-establishes themselves around the country. Let's 
hope we see a little more toughness out of Roy's Boy's and all will be calm in Chapel Hill, FOR NOW!


http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7292972/roy-williams-hopeful-harrison-barnes-play-vs-wisconsin


On a side note, i'd really like to see a little more pt for freshmen J.P Hairston to spread the floor a little. Maybe it's worth a look in the starting lineup. Reggie Bullock is streaky so if his shot isn't going hopefully Hairston can eat up a few more minutes, especially if Barnes can't go tonight. It'd be useless to bring him back too quick this early in the season, I want the All-American at 100% so let's be cautious off the court, because we CAN'T BE TAKING IT EASY ON IT.


+Joshua Hastings
 @joshuadavid1121
 www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
 http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/

Ohio's long lost son is coming home to papa.....with 2 titles in his back pocket

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7272658/urban-meyer-denies-reports-new-ohio-state-buckeyes-coach



Following 1 year away from the glitz and glamour of big-time college football at Florida where he had established once again the Gators as a national power and recruiting machine with the help of Mr. Everything, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer has done what the entire world said he was going to do and accepted the head coaching job at Ohio State. 

Meyer is from Ohio and with Jim Tressell's untimely fall from grace it made perfect sense that he take this job and the cat was let out of the proverbial bag weeks ago, but Meyer continued to play the game of semantics and "I have not been offered the head coaching job, i'd have a big decision to make IF i was offered the job, blah blah....so now he can finally put his Clintonesque speeches behind him and start re-building the machine once again.


The name Ohio State will bring in a few recruits, the name Urban Meyer will bring in a few more, but rivals are going to be pounding away at the possible sanctions, how damaging it could be to their future career choices, how's it's a rebuilding process instead of a power and various other gimmicks to lead them astray. 


Don't get me wrong, Ohio State is going to get back to the top of the league and should be a perennial top 10 team once Meyer gets his system in place and the players that fit it...but 1 recruiting class isn't going to show up on the doorstep and Tebow you to a win over the LSU's + Bama's of the world. The SEC is still the top dog and will probably always be, it's a gauntlet of the best recruits, with the best coaches, best facilities, programs, teams and games. In 3 years I hope to see some great battles between Michigan's Brady Hoke and Urban Meyer's boys at Ohio State because the winner of that may get a shot at whoever comes out standing at the end of the SEC championship!


What a difference 4 days can make in the college football landscape, above is espn's article on meyer denying he's been offered the job and below is the espn story on meyer officially taking the job. Good thing that Ohio State did the right thing and kept all of this quiet, it's not like they were disrespectful to that guy actually coaching the team this season. The guy who got his "Dream Job" after patiently waiting his turn, and navigated through the choppy waters that came with Tressell's scandal, players motivation and concentration, and keeping the recruiting machine moving as well as could be expected or better.

 I'd like to say something to "that guy", Luke Fickell, good job. Seriously though, I can't imagine how difficult that whole circus must have been, and for that to be your first expeirance as a head coach, you really kept things together and I hope you land on your feet with whatever happens next....


http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7289592/urban-meyer-joins-ohio-state-buckeyes-coach-1-year-hiatus-sources-say



+Joshua Hastings
 @joshuadavid1121
 www.MassAuthentics.Ecrater.com
 http://massauthentics.tumblr.com/