Holy mother of Pappy Waldorf! The new AP and USA Today polls are out today. And after winning at Oregon Saturday, the University of California Golden Bears are number three in the country. Seriously. Number three. Cal.
Some of you may remember doing a spit take on your Heineken when DeSean Jackson “promised” Cal fans a national championship after last year’s Holiday Bowl win. Well, apparently he was dead serious. And it gets better from here. As a graduate of Long Beach Poly (Snoop D-O Double Gizzle’s alma mater) the USC game will no doubt have special meaning for him. More on this to come.
D-Jax caught eleven balls for 161 yards and two touchdowns yesterday after some motivational clowning from receiver Lavelle Hawkins. From SF Gate:
Hawkins had a similarly interesting message for Jackson this week at practice. Hawkins consistently poked fun at the Heisman candidate, who hadn’t caught a touchdown pass since November’s loss at Arizona.
“I was going to talk bad about him until he started making some plays,” Hawkins said. “I think he wanted to fight me, and I knew he would really show up today.”
Lavelle’s just one dude. Who knows what motivation to greatness the USC game is going to provide? I know I’m a little ahead of myself here, but ponder it for a moment with me. There’ll be 90,000 people screaming “Go Bears.” There’ll be a national TV audience. He’ll be playing for a possible BCS Bowl berth and national championship. And he’ll be playing against the team that he grew up watching and almost played for, a fact which more than a few SC fans apparently remember. Vividly, in some cases.
Well, at least I haven’t had to read anything in the LA Times about Cal not deserving DeSean yet. Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to be the story in the Southland this time around. Although a certain promise from last winter might come to reside on a bulletin board or two.
Going green never looked so clean. First with Oakland’s The Trunk Boiz and their Youtube hit “Scraper Bikes,” and now with this new joint, “Black Mags,” by Chi-Town’s The Cool Kids, you’d think the quickest way to up your street cred these days would be to lower your carbon emissions. And I’m not talking about the Hollywood Hybrid hype machine. I wanna see Leanordo DiCaprio show up at the Oscars on a Diamondback with a supermodel on the handlebars.
And despite their name, The Cool Kids are hot, global-warming hot. Of course their video doesn’t have the DIY appeal of “Scraper Bikes,” but it’s still better than any big-budget, major label production that I’ve seen this year. With Kanye’s sales victory over 50 Cent, perhaps we’re seeing the end of big media gangster posturing. Who knows, maybe some nerdy-lookin’ kids riding around on bicycles will save hip hop…and the planet.
“My scraper bike go hard. I don’t need no car.”
- The Trunk Boiz
What usually deters me from a life of crime is not my moral compass, the threat of jailtime, or having to go on the lam for a while. What usually stops me is the fact that with a criminal record I will become unemployable. Not that I like having a real job all that much, and certainly choosing a life of crime would be a way to fully-embrace my disdain for “The Man.” But I like thinking of myself as having all the qualities of a good hire, a people person who works well on a team. So, what a relief it was for me to find out that Men’s Wearhouse does not do criminal background checks on any of their employees. Awesome! Bearded East Bay resident and CEO of Men’s Wearhouse, George Zimmer, said of his company’s hiring policy, “I believe in giving people a second chance.” And get this, the company actually loses way less revenue to theft than most retailers. Trust pays. But, in this case, so does crime, so maybe I will go steal that box of Entenmann’s Popettes I had my eye on at 7-Eleven.
Zimmer, who looks kinda like a graying mini-Lyle Alzedo, is a contributor to the Barak Obama For President campaign, as well as a supporter of medical marijuana. He also has backed research into the therapeutic use of MDMA (according to his Wikipedia entry) and he elected Deepak Chopra to the board of Men’s Wearhouse - just in case he needed more joy and affluence circulating in his life. How much fun would it be to thizz with George and Deepak while smashing down the quiet streets of Fremont in a Scraper, wearing some new Versini Suits, just laughing our asses off? And when we get busted by 5-0 and I get locked up ’cause I’m not a millionaire like George and Deepak, it’s all good because there will be a job waiting for me once I get out of ‘Rita. George guarantees it.
In a sense this is the ethos of the modern point guard. As the contract situation unfolds, these videos (from the Mike Montgomery era) confirm some truths about leadership and the ownership of results with regard to the negotiations. Watch the first video and then consider who is in the room. Then consider who is renegotiating for a well-deserved payday. Then read the exerpt from Robert Greene below. Then punch through the jump for parts two and three. Okay, if you’re pressed for time, come back later. They’re kinda long. I know I’m being kind of demanding lately, but there’s some good stuff here. Trust.
Use the wisdom, knowledge, and legwork of other people to further your own cause. Not only will such assistance save you valuable time and energy, it will give you a godlike aura of efficiency and speed. In the end your helpers will be forgotten and you will be remembered. Never do yourself what others can do for you.
Oddly enough, it’s the Boston Globe breaking the story, but Baron Davis is starting the discussions about extending his deal.
While lighter around the waist, the Golden State Warriors catalyst would like to be heavier in the wallet - and sooner rather than later. He technically has two years left on his contract, but he has a termination option for the 2008-09 season. He said he wants the matter cleared up before the start of training camp or else he plans to enter free agency next summer.
“There hasn’t been too much talking. But in the next two weeks, I’m going to make a decision if I will re-sign or play the season out and be a free agent,” he said.
“I know where I want to be. I know what I want to do. You just have to see if the team that you’re playing for wants you the most. Hopefully, we’ll find out that soon.”
Read the full text here. Turman says watch the video and think about it. Then maybe watch it again.
Nice video blog piece on the Dubs from Chiang Mai, Thailand. You might recognize our friend Nate from “Ghostride the Volvo“.
I have to say that their travel vlog and the blog “Huge in Asia” is worthy of review and props. Anyway, good stuff Nate and Alan. I like your style and your Warriors mentality.
I’m not sure we can deliver you international fame, but there is always a job waiting for you back state-side at Fear the Beard.
Much thanks to cousin E in the NYC for hippin’ me to the most excellent “user-generated” internet content.
Reports have it that the Warriors WILL end up with a Timberwolves player after all. Troy Hudson. Seems like a solid choice to back up Boom. The dread head with musical aspirations from Southside Chi-Town (often compared to Oak-Town) should be a good cultural fit for the Bay.
In light of this story I decided to look into Nutty Boyz Entertainment to learn a little more about T-Hud’s off-court passion. Unfortunately I didn’t find much (if any) of the “product”, but the studio looks well-equipped and the female artists did no damage to the eyes (although the studio artwork did).
Perhaps our resident music producer, Mr. Meschery has something to say about the studio. And DT, would you like to weigh in on his automotive selection above?
Meanwhile, I’ll arrange a little meet and greet with Andris.
TGI GSWs!!! Boom Dizzle with White Chocolate. Could this be what’s on the dessert menu this fall? Do you think Nellie got busy with one of those Jack Daniel’s Samplers with extra sauce and put a call in to Pat Riley? (BTW, At the next FTB party we’re totally having naked Jack Daniel’s bbq sauce wrestling. Who’s in?)
So the rumors abound about a Mikael Pietrus for Jason Williams trade. Personally, I like White Chocolate, as a confection and as a basketball player, but I don’t know how this combination’s going to work. There is such a thing as too much flavor. If you don’t know that then maybe you haven’t been to TGI Friday’s lately, or you have… and you’re nine.
Well, no more fumbling around with the name. Our Lithuanian brother is leaving the building in Oakland. I wanted it to work out, but it never materialized. Stews, slaw, stuffed. Blah. It all smells a bit off to me and it has been known to cause flatulence in some.
In the end, the Warriors agree to another buyout for an unutilized roster spot. We wish him the best. But with 4.3 points and 2.3 assists, and even less in toward the end of the season, his production will not be missed.
Regardless, when coach calls you “Cabbage” – that can’t be a good sign.
Update: read the press release from the Warriors after the jump. Read More »
As noted earlier in the week, Baron Davis joined forces with Steve Nash and others to play an exhibition game against Yao Ming and the Chinese national team on Friday in Beijing, China. Carmelo Anthony and Leandro Barbosa were among those present, which raised money for the Special Olympics, the China Hope Project and the Chi Heng Foundation, which benefits Chinese orphans with AIDS, according to the Warriors’ web site. Not a lot of highlights from The Beard in the video, but we do get a tasty crossover step-back three and (as noted earlier) some compelling blogging from Dizzle.
