TAR HEELS VS. GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL GAME

North Carolina's 5th game of the year had the same outcome as the previous 4, a Tar Heels win. The game was never really in doubt as Carolina established themselves at both ends of the court holding South Carolina to only 62 points while putting up 87 themselves. Harrison Barnes was his usual self scoring 21 points followed by sharpshooting freshman P.J. Hairston who connected on 5/8 3's for 19 points. Jon Henson continued his solid start putting up 18 points and grabbing 8 rebounds while once again shooting over 50% controlling the paint. Henson only had 1 block uncharacteristically but his length and presence alone changes shots that don't show up in the box score.

The player that made a lot of that scoring possible, both on the break and in the half court sets is Kendall Marshall, one of the best point guards in the country. Marshall only scored 4 points in his team leading 32 minutes but he controlled the game, kept the tempo in North Carolina's favor and dished out 14 assists and most importantly only had 1 TURNOVER!

The season could very well come down to how well the Tar Heels can control the tempo and make outside shots. Down the line the better teams that can match up inside are going to pack it in and make Carolina make shots and if this game is any indication, they will. Hairston putting in five 3's is HUGE for a team that needs a shooter and at this point he's coming off the bench. That's some big pop from one of your first subs and the other big substitution is heralded freshman James McAdoo who hasn't quite put up big numbers but is still adjusting to the college game and has a long career ahead of him. Many think he will end up a big-time player and if he opts to come back for his softmore year, he'll slide into that leadership/rebounding/scoring role that should develop more as the year rolls on.


TAR HEELS VS. GAMECOCKS BOX SCORE FROM ESPN.COM








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

A game that could put the finishing touches on a perfect regular season, A game that could propel Arkansas to the championship game if their offense could move the ball against one of the top defense's in all of college football and some say of all time, A game that could end that dream the Razorbacks had or rewrite all of LSU's wins by making them utterly meaningless.

LSU played an uninspired first half of football where the vaunted defense kept them close enough and the Razorbacks could only manage a 14 point edge at the half. Then it happened. It was like someone told the Tigers that there was a spot in THE big game on the line here, bang, they outscored Arkansas 41-3 in the second half. Now THAT is how you go into your conference title game, THAT is how you cement your place in THE BIG GAME, The Championship, THAT IS HOW YOU SEND YOUR SENIORS OFF THEIR LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME!

It all came down to 2 SEC teams like it often does. This year once again the SEC is BY FAR the most dominant league with the possibility of sending Alabama and LSU to the championship game even though a "rematch" is often frowned upon if other close options are possible. At this point it's hard to imagine another group that has earned their place in that title game then those of LSU/Alabama.

Now it's time to see what the BCS does with all of the craziness that has surrounded college football the last few weeks with top 5 teams falling fast and watching their title hopes crash and burn.

SO WHO YA GOT?????


THE ESPN.COM LSU VS. ARKANSAS STORY














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

"The Great One" back on the ice AGAIN???

SUMMARY: In what would have been a sight for sore eyes, and a chance for another generation of hockey enthusiasts to see perhaps the greatest player to have EVER LIVED the NHL and NY Rangers owner Glen Sather contacted Wayne Gretzky to ask him to play in the 2012 "Winter Classic"- Alumni Game, which will be held December 31 in Philadelphia.

It had been reported that Gretzky already had plans with his family but until now it was still under consideration, at least in the prayers of many, there was HOPE! I personally was young when he was still on the ice and didn't follow hockey at that point, I was hoping I could see just how graceful "THE GREAT ONE" was, even years past his prime many think he could still hang with the guys on the ice instead of making personnel moves about those guys which he had been doing in Phoenix for the Coyotes the past few years.

As of today the Coyotes owe between $8 and $9 million dollars of his contract with the team when he was fired in 2010. They have continued to default on that obligation and mediation talks with Coyotes team owner Jerry Moyes last Tuesday with the NHL who has a lawsuit pending that was filed in March 2010. Sources told ESPN.com that those talks have not gone smoothly so they may have their day in court, who knows?

MY TAKE: Growing up around sports my whole life I heard thousands and thousands of stories of the men who played the game the "right" way, guys who were "tougher then anyone playing today", guys who didn't need half the protection that players have now, and that was for all sports. Look at baseball, football, and hockey for instance. Over the last 40 years there have been astronomical changes in both the rules/game and in the equipment both mandatory and optional.

I have a framed photo hanging right next to me in my office that was signed by Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe, in it both going for a loose puck. They don't have those leather helmets you see in the old black and white football games, not even the half shell helmets, THEY ARE NOT WEARING ANYTHING BUT THE HAIR ON TOP OF THE HEAD. Just think about that for a minute, these guys played 20 years in the league, taking and giving a beating night in and night out. Just playing in that many professional games would compound the wear and tear on your body, joints, ect many times over but add in the fights, checks, and it's even more incredible. These men had careers just like gretzky, careers that spanned decade after decade.

It's a tribute to each of them to be considered one of the greatest to ever skate but to many Gretzky was just at a different level because of his uncanny ability to score, and score in bunches. I can still remember today a time I was looking through some hockey cards but I didn't really know who was good and who was bad so I'd just go by their points totals and keep the ones that had over 40 points or something. I had to read the card about 5 times when I scanned Gretzky's. I couldn't believe it said over 100. Out of the 30 packs I opened I had NEVER seen that. I ran upstairs to show my dad the misprint I found thinking it would be a valuable collectible and it was. Only it was a valuable collectible for a different reason, because that was my introduction to who "The Great One" was!

All in all I just really think it would have been cool to get to see the man that really reinvented hockey in the US skate again. I have several signed jerseys of Gretzkys and a few framed photos signed too and seeing that game would have been just another step in my admiration of "The Great One".

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