Christmas, taxes, and punt returns

written by:stacia_doss.
I think that Desean Jackson's (Philadephia Eagles WR)punt return against the New York Giants on Sunday was one of the most phenomonal plays I've seen in a while. If you haven't seen it..here it is.

After having the lead for most of the game, the Giants faltered to the Eagles with the help of their talented quarterback, Michael Vick. Desean Jackson simply put the icing on the cake with his 77 yard punt return.

But don't worry,(if you were wondering),Giants' punter Matt Dodge is still employed. He can't be totally blamed for the team's loss.

In other news, The Tennessee Titans were somehow able to snap a six game losing streak on Sunday in their second meeting against the Houston Texans. Tennessee closed the game out with a 31-17 victory. Good for them.

Good news pertaining me, and several other Americans is that President Obama signed a 'holiday-season tax bill extending cuts for all Americans' on Friday.

This sounds like a bill that will pretty much help all Americans and I'm glad he and the GOP could finally come to a compromise. I look forward to economic progress in the future.

If, by some chance, I don't get an opportunity to post between now and Christmas, have a Merry one, or a Happy "Whatever it is you choose to celebrate" Day! :)

For the sake of scoring...do the Jefferson! :)

Pretty Speechless

For once, I don't have much to say...let's see. Some key things that happened this week that I thought were vital in mentioning were:

*The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Lakers with a 98-96 victory Tuesday night. (But they faltered to the Atlanta Hawks in a close loss 112-109 Thursday night.)

* President Barack Obama announced that government employees will receive a two-year pay freeze, which yielded very mix reviews. (I remember Rand Paul mentioning he wanted to do this...hmm)

* The Democrats and Republicans agreed to negotiate and find a compromise on Bush-era tax cuts. (Finally, some tiny hope of unity.)

* Lots of important government (that we probably didn't need to know) information was released on "Wikileaks".

* People across the world wore red and spread awareness for World AIDS Day..(I can't stress how important it is to know your status!)

And I pretty much have no comment on any of the matters...other than the minor ones stated. That's all, folks!

Where's gridlock politics leave us? In the wind.

written by: stacia_doss.
Since the "shellacking" that President Barack Obama took a few short weeks ago--the switch of power in the House of Representatives from Democratic to Republican--the American people have seen no mercy and help for the suffering economy.

As the two go back and forth, failing to pass things that could help us, we are the ones suffering.

I just read an article...check out the headline..something about it seems wrong to me...

Democrats fail to pass jobless benefits extension

But as I read a little further, I realized that it was the House (which has Republican control) that failed to pass the extension, so why does the headline read like it was the fault of the Democrats? They don't even have enough power in the House of Representatives to really even make a difference anymore. I guess it is supposed to mean that "Democratic efforts fail to pass" but the headline is very misleading to me.

Check out this quote, from a Democrat:

"I don't see how Republicans can go home for Thanksgiving knowing that, because they blocked this bill, hundreds of thousands of people may not have a turkey on their table," said Democratic Representative Sander Levin, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

I don't understand. The morning after the election, I wrote a piece stating that if these two parties could learn to work together for our sake (the American people) instead of going against everything, the country would be a lot better in several aspects. However, it seems like the Republican agenda is that of which I thought:To do absolutely nothing for the overall benefit of the country. Rather, the itinerary is nothing less than the slogan of "stop everything" but "do nothing". Sad day for us.

Presidential Stuff..I really like this.

President Barack Obama embraces First Lady Michelle Obama as they wait to speak at a rally on the campus of Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, Oct 17, 2010.

(Courtesy of jackandjillpolitics.com and White House photographer Pete Souza)

A weekend 'For Colored Girls' and Sports

written by:stacia_doss.
This weekend, I did the usual: watched football. I sadly saw one of my college teams get trampled with zero points on their end for the final box score.

Through my observations of the quick snippets of games that the NFL Redzone showed me, I only saw

one major pass (from Vince Young) to newly acquired Randy Moss in the only NFL game I cared about watching yesterday. The Tennessee Titans fell short with a 29-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. 

In fact, every Tennessee football college team lost this weekend except for Tennessee Vols with a sweeping 52-14 victory over Ole Miss for their Homecoming.  

On a higher note, the Dallas Cowboys have not experienced a victory in a while, and they finally did on Sunday...against the New York Giants. Good for them, I think they needed to feel what it was like to win again.

Also, my Memphis Grizzlies held their own against the Boston Celtics on Saturday. Although they lost 116-110 in overtime, I was pretty proud of them. It's too bad I can't see them on television now that I'm not in Memphis anymore. Bummer!

One thing I did, out of the ordinary, was go to the movies to see Tyler Perry's widely talked about film "For Colored Girls"...Except, it wasn't my first time. It was my second time seeing the movie in two consecutive weekends. But it wasn't because I just loved it so much. It was because the experience of viewing something can be different based on who accompanies you..so I wanted to see it again with my mother.

I only noticed one minor detail the second time around that I hadn't the first, but that's about it..All of the buzz and debate about it that followed its premiere last weekend cluttered my mind as I watched it the second time around. It just wasn't the same...

Wednesday Update on Randy Moss

Phenomonal wide reciever, Randy Moss, was recently released from the Minnesota Vikings. I knew it wouldn't be long before he found another home.

He's going down south, after being acquired quickly by the Tennessee Titans. I'm sure he will be a great asset to the team, just as he would with nearly any other team.

Welcome to the Tennessee Titans, Randy!=)

What were people doing yesterday that was better than voting?

article by:stacia_doss.
Tuesday night’s Midterm elections resulted in the Democrats losing control of the House, but retaining control of the Senate.

With Republican control of the House and Democratic control of the Senate, a long battle is foreseen for President Barack Obama, leading into the election of 2012.

But some think this change in House power could be just what President Obama needs to regain his positive rank.

According to an article on cnn.com, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico (Dem.) said the following about the election before the voting results:

“The divided government result, if it happens, is good for the president, because he now has some potential enemies but he also has some potential partners to get things done where he didn't have them before."

On the other hand, with declining popularity, skepticism about his economic plans, and an “eroding base of support”, signs for 2012 re-election look ominous for President Obama, according to CBS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Take?

I see myself as much less of a skeptic, and more of a believer. I’m hoping and foreseeing that this (Republican power in the House) will have a reverse effect on the President.

I can’t be certain that the Democrats are on the right track for sure, but I can say with certainty that the Republican Party is forgetting that what is passed for the people in the Senate and House is for the benefit of the American people.

It’s not for the benefit of a specific party. I feel as if this midterm election resulted in a sense of satisfaction to have the opportunity to cease what has been done under the current leadership.

The agenda of both parties should be moving forward with the agenda of helping the American party, not battling against and reversing everything President Obama has done thus far. It’s silly and selfish to go in to 2011 thinking the latter, and I hope (for everyone’s sake) it is not their mindset.

Aside from the obvious issues in voters voting anti-Democratic this midterm, CBS found that the numbers that were huge in 2008, were diminished in this election. I think it was simply because of ignorance and voters not understanding the importance of yesterday’s midterm.

I was unable to vote, because I unfortunately missed the cut-off for absentee voting. I even tried to register in my new home state, but it was too late.

Those that I knew who didn’t vote that were registered and in their district were ignorant about what was going on. “What is it for?,” someone asked me. “What’s it about?”. All I could do was attempt to explain the importance of the election to them.

According to that same article mentioned earlier that CBS posted online:

-Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 comprised 18 percent of the electorate in 2008, but only 11 percent of the electorate in 2010.

-Union voters comprised 23 percent of the electorate in 2008, but only 17 percent in 2010.

-African Americans made up 13 percent of the electorate in 2008, but only 10 percent of the electorate in 2010.

Where was everyone yesterday who voted in 2008? If you had no setbacks, and stayed at home, why didn’t you vote?

This Weekend in Football

written by:stacia_doss.
The Biggest News:
It was only Sunday when I saw a press conference with Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Randy Moss' complaining about being fined for not cooperating with the media...Just a day later, and he's off the team!

It's official, the Vikings have waived Moss from the team, according to the NFL network. The team has not yet confirmed, but if it's true, Moss would have only been on the team for a month. Where could he be headed next if his stop in Minnesota has ended?

The Biggest Disappointment:
The Tennessee Titans, once again, fell short to the San Diego Chargers Sunday evening with a 33-25 loss. The Titans have lost to the team eight times straight, since 1993.

They have never won against San Diego chargers neither under the name as "Tennessee Titans", nor under the coaching of Jeff Fisher.

Bummer. =(

So Tennessee is now 5-3 leading into their Bye Week, San Diego is 3-5.

The Best Experience:
I was able to attend yet another St.Louis Rams game on Saturday afternoon in St.Louis to watch them face the Carolina Panthers.

It was a great 20-10 victory for the Rams, and a moment to shine for former Rams player (and University of Memphis alumni), Isaac Bruce. As the presence of his number 80 jersey hung for display in the Edward Jones dome, the team gained an early Saturday win.

The Rams will go into their Bye Week with a win, at a standing of 4-4.

The Most Racist Campaign in Decades, and What It Demands of Us (re-post)

'Tis the season to be voting. Will you be at the polls? I certainly hope so.

In my web browsing earlier, I came across something posted on a page that I visit from time to time. I deemed it worthy of re-posting.

Check out this important post found on: jackandjillpolitics.com


---->>The Most Racist Campaign in Decades, and What It Demands of Us<<----

So the blog has been on hiatus for a while...

written by:stacia_doss.
I've been tediously studying for an important test, but I certainly haven't been slacking in keeping up with status of my teams.

The Memphis Grizzlies have made me very proud, winning all eight of their preseason games. But I'll never forget what Coach Lionel Hollins said in a press conference.

"Preseason means nothing..." Well..it means something, but he was referring to the preseason performance in comparison to regular season games.

I am confident that they can take the hard work and persistence that they have shown during the preseason and transfer it into their regular season performance.

The Grizzlies will play their season opener Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Another team, The Tennessee Titans have been playing well, also. Sunday afternoon, the team defeated the Philadelphia Eagles with 37-19 victory. What, at first, seemed like a rocky game for Tennessee ended up being a night of franchise history.

The team scored 27 points in the fourth quarter alone, and played phenomenally against the Dallas Cowboys on October ninth.

I'm looking forward to more wins leading up to January for the Titans as well as the first regular season win for the Grizzlies.

What ever happened to Allen Iverson?

written by:stacia_doss.

Before I go into where he is now, let me give a brief explanation of my history with hooper, Allen Iverson.

As a little girl, I loved the Philadelphia 76ers during the big era where they, the Lakers and the Spurs were the frontrunners for the NBA finals. I remember it like it was yesterday. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant verses Allen Iverson ( Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, etc.).

The games got my heart racing, even back then. Iverson, however, was my favorite player.

As timed progress, I started to hear less and less about Iverson. He went to some other teams but seemed as if he was slowly fading away as he got older. But I unexpectedly came across the opportunity to meet, even interact with him.

Last season, after starting my internship with the Memphis Grizzlies, I was notified that Iverson would be a member of the team.

I could not believe someone who used to be my favorite professional basketball player was playing for the very team I worked for, but it was not for very long.

During his short time there, he said hello a couple of times. He even held the door open for me, but then he was gone.

After the drama with himself and with the team subsided, I did not hear a peep from Iverson until I saw him on television crying about finally being part of a team, the Philadelphia 76ers once again.

Shortly thereafter, I took a trip to Atlanta and saw him in a crowded "Wet Willies" restaurant hanging over the stairwell peering down. Who would have thought that I would see him again in the same place?

Now, where is former NBA star, Allen "The Answer" Iverson?

Possibly signing a 1-year deal in Turkey! Crazy, huh?

Grizzlies start their tenth season off right

article by:stacia_doss.
The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night with a close 89-87 victory for their first preseason opener at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis was led by forward Rudy Gay with 12 points, while center Marc Gasol helped with nine rebounds.

Center Roy Hibbert guided Indiana with 18 points and ten rebounds, but the team efforts just were not enough for a Pacers win last night.

The Grizzlies will hit the road to Atlanta to face the Hawks Thursday night. The Pacers will try to earn their first preseason win at home as they prepare to face the Orlando Magic on Friday.

Click here for the complete box score of Wednesday night's game.

Mindless reality shows...

article by:stacia_doss.

Last weekend, I attended a St. Louis Rams game...they won, too. My method of transportation to the game, though, is what started my thoughts running wild with imaginings of possibility.

A lady sitting behind me on the train I rode to and back from the Edward Jones dome on was having a conversation with the woman seated beside her about puzzles. (Sudoku, to be exact.)

She said that puzzles keep her mind fresh, and went on to say that all television does is "rot the mind". Her abstinence from TV,"mindless reality shows", etc. and total focus on doing puzzles, in her view, was what made her feel intelligent.

As everything else was said between the two women rambling on about puzzles faded out of my head, I sat and thought..is television rotting our minds?

I have become victim to having a schedule at least two days out of the week that "my shows" air on television. Tuesday nights consist of Glee and Teen Mom, while Thursday nights include Grey's Anatomy and Jersey Shore.

But can we really say that all television, including reality shows, does is rot the mind? I certainly don't think so.

We could, though, take the time and read a book or two, and live a little more instead of planning schedules around what is coming on television that we cannot bear to miss.

According to research, the happiest people spend 30% less time parked in front of the tube.

But, in defense of reality shows, some of those featured on television can show you issues, you otherwise would have never learned about.

MTV's True Life highlights issues that Americans have daily from obesity to body dysmorphia..even soldiers returning from Iraq. You can't hear those types of things and see the emotions reading a book.

When the lady's voice finally faded back into my mind after all of these thoughts, she said "I don't know very much about what's going on in the world, though, when I hear people discuss it at work."

I ask you, would you rather be clueless about issues going on in the world or puzzle-less? Find the median.

What a Weekend..for Tennessee football.

written by:stacia_doss.
This weekend, I journeyed to Nashville, Tennessee for a college football game. It was unfortunately a loss for Tennessee State University to Austin Peay State University. The APSU Governors closed it out with a close 26-23 victory against TN State's Tigers.

The opposite was happening in West Tennessee football. To my surprise, my alma mater, The University of Memphis' Tigers gained their first victory at home against the Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders. With a 24-17 win, the Tigers experienced their first "W" with their new coach, Larry Porter.

When I went to bed that Saturday night, I woke up with higher hopes for another Tennessee team that would also play at home on LP Field Sunday at noon, the Tennessee Titans.

The battle against the 2008 Champion Pittsburgh Steelers turned out to be an upset for another Tennessee football team. The strong Steelers defense was no match for the shaky Titans offense Sunday afternoon.

Tennessee returned to the locker room with a 19-11 loss and more yards than Pittsburgh, but a painful seven turnovers, over just one for the Steelers. Check out the boxscore.

Better luck next weekend, I hope?!

College Tigers of The U of M will head to El Paso, TX to battle UTEP and TSU will face FAMU in the Atlanta Classic in Georgia next week.

The Tennessee Titans will prepare to play the New York Giants at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

"Let's have a toast for the douche bags."

Written by:stacia_doss
MTV premiered its annual Video Music Award show Sunday night, hosted by comedienne Chelsea Handler in Los Angeles, California. While there were a few good performances, the overall show was pretty dull.

The night ended with eight VMA awards for Lady Gaga in a meat dress, Chelsea Handler in a hot tub with the Jersey Shore cast, a memorable performance by Usher, and two "interesting" performances by both Kanye West and Taylor Swift.

To provide a little background, West interrupted Swift last year during her award acceptance for video of the year, but this year, the two of them interrupted our televisions with odd performances that seemingly addressed last year's incident.

First, it was Swift. Her performance opened with a video showing West interjecting during her acceptance speech. Then, she proceeded to debut a song which rang "forgiveness" to West for his actions.

The song definitely wasn't the fairytale, Romeo and Juliet-type songs the 20-year-old's audience is used to hearing.

To close the show, Kanye West performed his song in a bright red suit with gold chains. No rapping from him, just singing.Runaway (Live):

The lyrics possibly alluded that he was going to change his ways. He spoke of someone being fed up with his actions and sang about "making a toast" to various groups including "douche bags", among other negative name-callings. Cool, huh?

And that was about all that made the show worth watching.

Tired of not hearing back from Employers?

article by:stacia_doss.
So am I! As I continue to apply for numerous jobs, I often hear not even a peep back from any of the employers for the positions of which I've applied. Hearing nothing at all back is even more of a bummer in an already depressing job search.

I recently found out from a helpful former employer that the follow-up is often beneficial when it comes to hearing back from them. I actually found that advice to be true recently. Although, I wasn't chosen for the position, my follow-up letter yielded a response from the employer. This was actually only my second time sending a follow-up letter. (Both times have resulted with a response.)

I found out why I was not chosen and was given thanks for my application, with some encouraging words as I continue my employment hunt. That's a whole lot more than I had before. Thumbs up for follow-ups!

Here is a helpful way to write a follow-up e-mail that I recently found online (courtesy of David Green).

-Put your full name and the title of the position you've applied for in the subject line.
-Write a professional note that reiterates your qualifications and interest in the job.
-Attach your resume again. (Don't make the recruiter have to dig though old e-mails to look for it.)
-Include your full name in the file name of your resume.
-Don't forget to proofread carefully before you hit "Send"!

I hope it helps you out as much as it helped me!

Sports buzzing in my Ears...

article by:stacia_doss.
"Cards!Cards!"

Lately, that's just about all that I hear.

Three to four times,weekly, I go to exercise at the local YMCA. It seems that almost every night I go, a game is on one of the televisions in front of me. But, surprisingly, it's not anything I'm interested in seeing. The truth of the matter is, I live in Cardinals country: St. Louis Cardinals,that is. All I know is that they currently are 27-34 on the road this year, compared to 41-23 at home. Yeah, that's about it.

While my life is almost immersed daily with Cardinals baseball surrounding me, another sport drove my excitement this week: football.

The Tennessee Titans defeated the Arizona Cardinals in their second pre-season game at L.P. Field in Nashville on Monday night.

In the battle of quarterbacks, Tennessee's Vince Young had the upper hand over Cardinals QB Matt Leinart, with the help of team members like tight end Craig Stevens and running back Chris Johnson.

I think what we saw on Monday was the potential for a great season all the way through this year for the Titans. Last year started off rough, but Vince Young pulled through about mid-way in the season.

The Titans' defense also did a superb job against the Cardinals' offense. They managed to stop the run many times, leaving the Cardinals' only open for one
touchdown and one field goal the whole night.

Tennessee closed the game out 24-10 against Arizona. The Titans will hit the road to play the Carolina Panthers Saturday night, while the Cardinals prepare for the Chicago Bears.

Cool Post: World's Farthest Shot...

I saw this last week (courtesy of rivals.com and Yahoo!) Pretty amazing shot!

Recent transformation of a Team

I just want to touch on one of the recent highlights in sports...last week, the Boston Celtics NBA team announced the signing of forward Shaquille O'Neal. I think, if he can remain healthy, O'Neal is a great addition to the team.

After all, the person who was the team's tallest player last season, Kevin Garnett, is not even seven feet tall. This can be a vital addition for the team when it comes to increasing rebounds and scoring inside points against teams with players that are massive in height...weight as well.

Good luck, Boston.

NCAA violations punish more than the school

written by:stacia_doss.

So often, colleges are unveiled for their shady dealings like providing money, cars, plane tickets, etc. to their "star athletes" along with their families. The families accept these offers, and they

often blow up in the school's face somewhere down the line. I wonder if it will ever stop and if (and I'm sure) there are cases of these deals that have never been discovered.


The University of Southern California is the latest to hit the news. Former USC player and current Memphis Grizzly, O.J. Mayo, is still under investigation. But what's even bigger is the Trojan football scandal..And guess what? It's five years later.

As I think back to my Alma mater, The University of Memphis, I reminisce on the whole Derrick Rose fiasco. Because he was technically ineligible during the 2007-2008 school year, the entire record of wins (which was historical) had to be forfeited; basically wiped from history. So I guess we can say it never even happened, but at least it wasn't five years later. It was only one or two.

What I find a bit sad about this USC case is that current NFL player, Reggie Bush, led the Trojans to their victorious national championship in 2004.

For his athletic ability, Bush was awarded the Heisman trophy in 2005. Everything from 2004-2005 has to be erased, possibly including his Heisman trophy. He's had it for nearly five years. He probably placed on a mantle with pride, and now, he may soon have to seize it like it never existed.

The thing that makes this different is that in most cases, the player is long gone and gets nothing much more than a slap on the wrist. (Such as the Derrick Rose case.)Even in the huge University of Michigan scandal with Chris Webber, he was only fined and briefly suspended from the National Basketball Association. If you ask me, that's not much (to an NBA player).

The school is generally the one that suffers in these situations. In this situation, punishment has been heavily weighted against USC. While the player who caused all the wins walks away practically scotch-free, the present and former students who supported the team through it all are swept of the historical victories. Meanwhile, the player is enjoying his time in a professional league making a ludicrous amount of money.

I have sympathy for Reggie Bush, but for once, it's good to see that the school isn't the only one punished. After all, the offers that violated NCAA regulations could have been avoided with the refusal to accept them. These cases are a two-way street. They cannot be solely blamed on the school, because accepting that the offers were wrong and refusing to take them was always an option.

Memphis Grizzlies..Bright future?

written by: stacia_doss.

I must admit that I haven't been following the Summer league progression of the Memphis Grizzlies. At first, I didn't want to, honestly. But I feel like I finally understand their draft choices and recent acquirement of players. I definitely think this young team will be a better and stronger one than it was this past season.

For the 2009-2010 season, the team performed very well. Coach (Lionel) Hollins did a great job with them, but a large part of what hurt the team was the lack of points from the bench. Also, getting the flow of chemistry between players just right after the dramatic and short Iverson era. This explains why the team has recently signed a number of guards.

The newest signee is Tony Allen, former Boston Celtics guard. He joins other new players Greivis Vasquez and Xavier Henry with hopes to lead Memphis a step further this season. I hope that with the recent additions, the players will take the Grizzlies franchise into the playoffs.

I see all the potential and I have faith in them.=)

Check out what Pete Pranica had to say, so far, about the Summer league with Memphis here.

Obama Administration: Was firing Shirley Sherrod wrong?

written by:stacia_doss.

This week, Shirley Sherrod, former Georgia Director for Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture,was fired by Thomas J. Vilsak, the Secretary of Agriculture, for former comments made to the NAACP.

The Background: Conservative Blogger, Andrew Breitbart , published an edited video on Monday, showing Sherrod speaking during an NAACP function. The clip showed her saying that when a white farmer had once asked her for help in saving his farm,she did not “give him the full force of what I could do” to help him, because of his race."

With the recent revealing of honest and blantant racism within the Tea Party, USDA(United States Department of Agriculture) fired Sherrod, with a non-tolerance attitude and justification for eliminating any speculation of reverse racism within the administration.

What the tape did not show was the rest of the speech, where Sherrod says that she did indeed help the white farmer and his wife in saving their farm.

My Take: The termination of Sherrod was hasty and unnecessary. I believe she should be re-instated. Her words were taken in part, not in full spectrum, and blown out of proportion. Had the administration seen the WHOLE video , it would have seen the entire story. No one should be fired off of an incomplete statement. It's simply not right or fair.

As I was watching the news last night, I saw the Georgia farmer and his wife that asked Sherrod for help all those years ago. They were thankful for what she had done, and stated that racism towards them was completely absent. She did everything in her power to help them.(Watch from this post) So why do the critics refuse to believe the opposite? Ignorance. It was just an attack to counteract the overwhelming recent discussion of the racist Tea party and diverge attention away from it.

It's only Tuesday...

And this week's news has already been tragic and full of drama.

LeBron James

In his attendance of fellow NBA player, Carmello Anthony's wedding on Saturday in New York to television personality Lala Vasquez, he was booed by several Knicks fans. What a way to steal the shine from the bride and groom, huh? They[Knicks fans] will get over it!

Also, Dan Gilbert, owner of James' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, was threatened by commissioner David Stern about a fine for his comments on James' departure. His threat was more like a promise, seeing as how Stern fined Gilbert shortly after by $100,000 dollars. That sounds pretty steep for most of us, but probably not much for him. I bet it was just enough to make him cease with his comments, though.

George Steinbrenner
A controversial owner of a different sports team, baseball, has passed away. The owner of the New York Yankees, George "The Boss" Steinbrenner died today, Tuesday, July 13, at age 80. Read more about him.

Bishop Walter Hawkins
A Gospel great, Bishop Walter Hawkins passed away on Sunday at age 61. He recorded so many touching and uplifting songs over the course of his short life, inspiring several of today's younger artists within the gospel genre. Read more about him.

We'll see what the rest of the week bears for us..hopefully good news!=)

LeBron James Update:The Verdict is...Miami

written by:stacia_doss.
LeBron James made the decision to leave his hometown of Cleveland Thursday morning, he said in his official announcement on ESPN later that night. Several Cavalier fans were upset with his decision. Ultimately, James chose playing on another team with other NBA stars for the hope of winning a championship over the money Cleveland had to offer him. He will join Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade with the Miami Heat in the upcoming NBA season. The only question at hand is whether or not these players,(who are used to being the "main men" on their home courts), can put their egos to rest and allow each other to take turns stepping up during games.

What I'm thinking the team is hoping to achieve is a group like the '07-08 Boston Celtics, or maybe even the '03-'04 Detroit Pistons team. Both teams had great players and there wasn't always the same,constant leading scorer. With each game, the teams worked together and different leaders stepped up to do their individual parts towards the goal of winning.

I'm excited for the '10-'11 NBA season. We'll see where the Miami Heat ends up and I'll be sure to keep a lookout for pre-season team performance.

James: Should he stay or should he go?

written by:stacia_doss.

Will LeBron "King" James have a new city to reign over? All the buzz has been about whether or not James will stay in his hometown to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers or start again with another team.

There are many advantages to staying in Cleveland, but critics fear that the NBA star could be held back from winning championships if he stays with his current team. Thus, preventing him from being in the ranks of other basketball greats like former player Michael Jordan and current player Kobe Bryant, both of whom James is often compared.

Teams across the league have been trying their best to up their salary cap in order to accommodate James and make the financial factor more attractive for him. The last I checked, though, Cleveland can still offer him the most money.

My question is, is it really about money anymore though? With the sizable salary and numerous endorsements James has under his belt, money may be a smaller factor than the public would think, at this point. Anywhere he ends up, he's going to be making much more than an ample amount.

The New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls were the top teams that had been more than rumored about wanting James, but with New York's huge sign with Amare Stoudamire yesterday, I believe they are out of the running. The Miami Heat have now emerged as possible front-runners to sign James.

Thursday night, on ESPN, King James will officially announce who he is signing with for the next season and beyond suring an hour-long special. Who will it be? Will he stay in his hometown or venture to another team?

I do it for NBA L♥ve.

written by:stacia_doss
If anyone reading this shares my love for basketball and my (now) "like" for the NBA, you should know that the 2010 NBA Draft will air tomorrow night at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

The first pick will likely be John Wall of Kentucky...this was predicted forever ago. But what I'm interested in seeing is where Elliot Williams will go.

Williams is a former guard for my Alma Mater, The University of Memphis, who transferred to the U of M last fall from Duke University.

The ex-blue devil and now ex-tiger has been predicted by some to go number 20-something in tomorrow night's draft. Time will tell.

I'm also curious to see who my former employer, the Memphis Grizzlies, will obtain and with that, who they could lose.

At this point, anything could shock me.

Although the referees slightly upset and disappointed me in the 2010 playoffs, the NBA still receives my love. If nothing else, I do it all for the love of basketball. =)

Basketball's Over...Are you ready for some football?

written by:stacia_doss.
All I have to say about last night's NBA Championship Playoff Game 7 is that I was impressed by the determination and hard-work put forth by the Boston Celtics. Even with the absence of center, Kendrick Perkins, and blatantly terrible calls by the referees, the team still did an amazing job.

That was likely the last time we saw that roster of players, as similar to what it was in 2008. Will Rasheed (Wallace) retire?...and how about Ray Allen? Time will tell...

As for the Los Angeles Lakers...well good for them.

Stay tuned for NFL updates...pre-season is on its way!

This series has gotten interesting...3 wins for Boston, 2 for LA.

written by:stacia_doss
So..the 2010 playoff finals have panned out to be pretty interesting if I must say so myself.

I haven't mentioned anything for the past few games, because I wanted the series to progress a little. I wanted to just to see if this was really going to be the competition I'd hoped it would be. It has been.

For the past five games, we've had to watch both teams fight through terrible calls from the referees. Nonetheless, each game has been entertaining. The Lakers and Celtics pretty much kept fans on the edge of their seats.

From the Los Angeles Lakers, we've seen about the same effort as usual, but the last two games did not show the benefits of their actions. Even with 30-plus points from Kobe Bryant, the team is still going to need help from teammates like Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, and the rest of the crew if it has any intentions on gaining a championship ring.

In the first four games, the most action for major points for the Boston Celtics came from Ray Allen, with some contribution from Rajon Rondo. When Allen had an off night, the other big-play shooters like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce did not come through to deliver. Nate Robinson tried to help offensively, while Kendrick Perkins and Glen "Big Baby" Davis helped defensively. But to win the championship, they cannot afford "off nights" from KG and Pierce. Last night, the two of them (Pierce and Garnett) played better than I think I've seen this entire series, and in the first half, Doc Rivers had a good strategy inputting three men on Bryant instead of one.

If Boston can keep up the energy that Pierce and Rondo had last night to win game five, I think they have a chance of closing this thing out in game six. The Lakers have to find a way to combat the Boston defense and reduce turnovers. If they can do that, there could be a game seven.

Boston leads the series, but, realistically, it's still anyone's game.

NBA: And the two meet again...

written by:stacia_doss

Two years ago, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers battled it out in the NBA Finals for the 2007-2008 championship. Tonight, they will do it again.

The two teams made up of fresh faces as well as arguably some of the best veterans in the league to ever play, will go head-to-head in Game 1 of the playoff finals from the Staples Center in L.A.

ESPN analysts weighed in to compare the '07-'08 Lakers and Celtics teams vs. the '09-'10 teams. While the Celtics won the championship after six games in 2008, experts say it won't be so easy for Boston this time around.

Even though the Celtics are back with once again with the even more talented point guard and team leader, Rajon Rondo, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers could have something in store for veteran players like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, according to some ESPN sources.

I feel that stopping some of the bigger guys like Pao Gasol, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom could be difficult for the Celtics. In the series against the Orlando Magic, the primary rebounder for Boston was Glen"Big Baby"Davis. The Lakers, however, have multiple rebounders that have more height than anyone on the Celtics' roster. It puts L.A.at an advantage in that aspect of the game.

I said in my last NBA post that the game would be interesting if it ended up being these two teams..and it did. I'm satisfied.

I'm not even going to discuss the pre-season or regular season stats for either of these teams. We've seen it too many times before to know that when it comes to the playoffs--the past means little to nothing.

I can't wait to see how this first game pans out.

Oh Mama! Gossip is a Beast.

written by:stacia_doss

I thought I would take a few minutes out of my day just to discuss how gossip, word-of-mouth, and assumptions can get a little out of control...especially in the world of celebrities.

Most recently, sources confirmed to the public that singer-songwriter Alicia Keys(left in right picture) is pregnant with the her first child with rapper-producer Swizz Beatz, her fiance`. Before the announcement was officially made, blogs and gossip sites across the web were criticizing 29-year-old Keys on her relationship with Swizz Beatz, claiming that the two were involved before the rapper had even filed for separation from his wife, Mashonda. Bad press continues to surround Keys and Swizz Beatz now, especially with the announcement of pregnancy.

The couple began dating in 2008, which was post-separation from Swizz Beatz' wife. However, the media claims from friends of Mashonda and herself that the two were still happily married when Keys began dating him, labeling Keys a "home wrecker". All is speculation. We, the public, can only believe what is said, and all that is being said is negative. Relationships are private matters, and what happened between the three is only truly known and understood by them. The scrutiny and name-calling being thrown at the two of them isn't fair...but then again, I guess that's just life.

Another similar celebrity has also come under the same invasion of privacy. 40-year-old Mariah Carey(right in picture above) has constantly been in the news recently with rumors speculating that the singer could be pregnant with husband entertainer, Nick Cannon. Assumptions came from recent photos of Carey and Cannon spotted leaving a fertility clinic. The singer-actress also announced last month that she would no longer be starring in writer-producer Tyler Perry's upcoming film,"For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.”

With all the pressure from the media, Mariah Carey's husband Nick Cannon, said the following on his Twitter page yesterday:

"If & when my wife is ready to make ANY announcements about private matters she will do it personally."

All this morning, (not-so-reliable)news reports have circulated across the web, insinuating that from Cannon's statement on Twitter, he has confirmed that his wife is indeed pregnant. But once again, this is another speculation. I believe that the statement simply addressed the privacy of such a matter as pregnancy. It is between the husband, wife, and their family. The issue of whether or not she is pregnant or has been having trouble conceiving is a private matter. If she is indeed pregnant, Mariah will reveal that herself. This is not the type of issue that should be "dug-up" by the pressuring media.

Hey, let's talk NBA.

written by:stacia_doss.
It's been a little while since I've posted anything, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen and thought about a lot of interesting occurrences going on, particularly with sports.

First, let's talk about LeBron. Next month is the 2010 NBA draft.All the hype is about future rookies like Kentucky guard, John Wall, but what I'm interested in is someone who's already there, Lebron James. Coach Mike Brown was fired just a few days ago, and the buzz is that LeBron could also be leaving Cleveland. According to these folks, the Cleveland Cavaliers won't get a pick in June's NBA draft, which (to me), means trades.Who knows what the verdict will be? I've heard he could be going to the Knicks..maybe even out to Chicago with Derrick Rose. Will he leave his hometown for the 2010-2011 season? Time will tell; but for now, it's all plain hear say.

Now, to the playoffs. I must admit that the Lakers are a great team, but I've grown tired of seeing them win over and over again. I just want to see some new champs, that's all.=)The Celtics have been dominating the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, leading 3-1, but how that one win came about the other night is beyond me. All four teams that are still battling it out right now for the championship (Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, and LA Lakers) are all good competitors. Obviously, or they wouldn't be where they are right now. But the way the series are looking right now, Celtics could have it in the bag soon, and the Lakers v. Suns series...well, who really knows?! I feel as if the Magic were to make a miraculous comeback against the Celtics and take the series, and the Lakers came out defeating the Suns, there would be little to no competition in the final show-down. I just have a feeling Magic would get completely swept, and for competing with the Laker team, the Celtics just have the ability to put up more of a fight.The NBA is 'Where Amazing Happens" right? So, I'm hoping amazing happens and surprises me with the winner of this year's championship.

That's all the updating I've got for now...for the next few games, I'll sit back, relax, and see how things play out.

Producer Spike Lee speaks motivation in Memphis

article by:stacia_doss
Spike Lee, the well-known director/producer, spoke to students and guests at The University of Memphis Wednesday night. His overall message to the audience centered around the importance of education and achieving dreams.

While re-canting on his years at Moorehouse College in Atlanta, GA, he said he was unsure of what he would major in when he first started college.

"I didn't declare my major until the summer after my sophomore year when I was all out of electives,"he joked.

Lee said that after a summer of creating short films about various scenes in his hometown of New York City, he returned to school in the fall and knew film was his passion. He then declared it his major.

He stressed to students how important it is to follow a career that will make them happy, not just for material gains, regardless of what others say.

"When I did my first film in college, I showed it to my classmates and they liked it," he said." It was an amazing feeling doing it on a whim when no one but my immediate family thought I could do it."

Lee also discussed how he learned, firsthand, that persistence can lead to success.

He said he did not achieve his success immediately, but it came with patience and learning to perfect his craft with time.

"Keep trying.Who knows? The 101st 'no' could be a 'yes'."