Good hair Friday.
Well, we’ve heard about Sasha’s soft, soft hair. But this guy’s do is enough to make Ron Artest jealous.
Gd.
Hater Tuesday Special: WWSVD? or What Would Sasha Vujacic Do?
It’s Tuesday May 26th. Your Western Conference Finals Series against the Denver Nuggets is all tied up and your next game is tomorrow night back at home in LA. You’re Sasha Vujacic. What are you doing right now? You might be getting your eyebrows shaped at the Beverly Center, or maybe you’re listening to your favorite cut off the third Color Me Badd album. You could be sending your Youtube highlight reel to all your friends back home for the 47th time. Perhaps your conditioning your hair again. Your soft, soft hair. Could it be that your practicing? Yes, you are probably practicing that indefatigable defense of yours. Opponents call it annoying, but you know it’s just unbeatable baby. Except when it’s beaten by Chauncey Billups, but you’re not thinking about that right now. Because right now, you’re practicing your jump shot which represents you - unpredictable, hot and cold, fire and ice - the mystery of Sasha. Each time you practice taking that last-second shot. You know, the one where the clock is running down and 20,000 fans are on their feet, holding their collective breath and you’re all alone on the court when suddenly everything around you goes dark- as dark as your hair, your soft, soft hair. Even Kobe fades into the lightlessness of The Staples Center, and you ask yourself the same question that thousands of Slovenian boys ask themselves every day, “what would Sasha Vujacic do?”
M. Meschery
Extra days off + conference finals + dunk contest in SF = awesome weekend.
First, some local news. You know you’re having an interesting day when you get an invitation from the NBA or one of its representatives. And when that letter includes the promise of a “meet and greet” with “Chocolate Thunder” himself, Darryl Dawkins, I’m circling the date.
See, here’s the deal. Sprite and the NBA are adding a new event to next year’s All-Star festivities: an amateur dunk contest, the winner of which apparently gets to compete against the big boys from the league proper. And they’re traveling the country hosting dunk contests for local schoolyard Supermen to round up contestants. The Bay Area’s event is this Saturday at San Francisco’s Carnaval street fest on Harrison Street. The winner gets to go to the big show. And will probably do some sort of interview for FTB. Hopefully, I’ll get to find out what’s good on Planet Lovetron too, if I can get a little face time with Chocolate Thunder. C’mon! The man used to name his dunks!
Video of some vintage Chocolate Thunder and a few thoughts on the Conference Finals for those so inclined after the jump. Otherwise, hopefully, I’ll see some of you at the dunk show.
Turman
Better late than never: Blazers post mortem with The Mole.
A couple of weeks ago, before I got crazy busy, I asked our friend in Portland for one last look back at the season. So, we did a little question and answer about the team that I had hoped would rise above the physicality of Houston and go deep into the playoffs. Here’s the back and forth. Thanks to The Mole and hopefully next year will see a more mature team get a better matchup in the first round. And make a little more noise on the big stage. But that is neither here nor there at the moment. Here’s what The Mole had to say.
FTB: You’ve seen what? Every single home game this year?
The Mole: Yessir! All 41 games, plus the first two home playoff games. I had a bet going with one of my season ticket holders that if I missed a game I would pay him half my day’s wages if I missed a game. Talk about motivation, especially in this economy.
FTB: Nice bounce back from a game one that hurt me personally. Your thoughts?
The Mole: Total change in the two games. It was actually a microcosm of the Blazers’ season. Have a terrible run in one game and come back to look like a team that actually is pretty damn good. It is a Jekyll and Hyde complex with this team, and it usually all revolves with how they play in first quarter. Now, in both games they didn’t play terribly in the first quarter. Yao got hot, got the benefit of some whistles due to his aggressiveness, and obliterated any hope we had of competing in the first game. In the second game, Artest was feeling himself to the tune of 15 first quarter points, but didn’t do anything after that. The difference between the two games was the Blazers intensity and will to be aggressive. This team can play, as seen in their run to end the season, but the consistency of bringing it nightly against upper-echelon teams is still not there in my eyes. But the team is getting a crash course in it now and will be better for it next year.
FTB: It’s been a great season, by the way. And the team has performed in the face of fairly high expectations—not a given for a young team. What has been the most revealing thing that you’ve seen?
The Mole: The team’s resolve and the fact that they don’t get credit for being as tough as they are. Joel played 82 games for the first time in his career while having to back up Oden who got the rookie treatment from the referees (some good calls, other rather questionable) and taking the task of getting charges and guarding the paint. Aldridge slapped the perpetual mouth that is Kevin Garnett in a testy December ballgame. Roy has been playing with a torn tendon in his pinky, just like Kobe, but you don’t hear the press questioning why he is delaying surgery or even talking about the fact that he is injured. I mean I could go on and on. This Blazers team is the hardest working team that I have had the pleasure of watching evolve. No matter what the ailment is they play and give it their best. If they are soft, then I don’t see it. As for the resolve, I believe the win over the Spurs puts a cap on it. 18 comeback victories from 10 or more points is unheard of, especially for the 2nd youngest team in the league. Read More »
Fine-Art Friday: Soul of the Bay.
It’s time for a little more from Michael Marshall (aka. Mike Meezy), our FTB associate and resident hit maker.
This cut right here, “Who Is He?”, is a rich, autobiographical journey. The track boasts an infectious hook – partially re-purposed from Mike’s first first hit single, “Rumors” – you may remember it. The song twists and turns as he chronicles some of his toughest life lessons. No punches are pulled, no skeletons dismissed. But don’t be sad. Our boy Meezy is just fine. Married, kids, making music and thrivin’. Right here in the Bay.
And, you gotta’ love the A’s cap with ear warmers. Classic.
Gd.
Oh, and look out for what might be this Summer’s anthem, “Drinks R on Me“, featuring E40 and Mistah FAB.
T-Pain, you better watch you back.
Crips and Bloods documentary delayed, but fear not, we’ve got the mixtape.
Even though FTB’s Meschery actually works for the arm of PBS that is airing Baron Davis and Stacy Peralta’s documentary, local programming still calls the shots sometimes. Thus, while much of the nation enjoys Crips and Bloods: Made in America, we in the Bay Area have to wait until May 27th.
But fear not. With minimal finagling, we are able to offer up something to hold you over. Baron and company have done a fine job of promoting the film down to recruiting an all-star lineup of hip-hop heavies to record a mixtape as an homage to the film. And here’s the link. You’ve got your Snoop, your Weezy, The Game, Kurupt, Raekwon, Freeway, and others. That’s why we’re here. The film will air soon enough. The beats are here today.
Turman
PS. It might take a few minutes, but that’s what high-speed workplace connections are for, right?
Chris Mullin, you will be missed.
It seems like a lifetime ago, when the Warriors drafted a floppy-haired sharpshooter out of St. Johns. The Run-TMC years that followed are certainly remembered fondly in these parts as well, but seem nearly as far in the rearview mirror. Then it seemed like a sheer impossibility when he played on the first Dream Team, alongside Magic, Larry, Charles, and all of the other titans of hoops. And then finally, after some years in Indiana, his surprise return as GM breathed new life into a franchise that had fallen into a sickly reverie of poor draft choices, bad veteran signings, and a pervasive culture of losing.
Now, he is gone.
Sure, there were ups and downs during his tenure, but I don’t really want to get into that here. That’s what the comments are for. I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks to the guy who was ballsy enough to stand tall against the best players of his day and ballsy enough to make mid-season deals for Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson. In fact, a strong argument could be made that he has had more to do with the Warriors making the playoffs over the past 25 years (and their chances therein) than just about any other single individual. Don Nelson is the only other person really in the conversation. But tonight, in spite of my impulse to, I’m not even going to waste any hate on Robert Rowell. I just wanted to take a minute to say “thank you” to a true Warrior who deserves a better farewell than the “don’t let the doorknob hit ‘cha where the dog shouda bit ‘cha” that he’s getting from the clothes-less emperors currently micromanaging the Warriors’ basketball operations back into irrelevance.
Mully, you deserve better. And I’m sure none of us would be shocked to see you return home to New York to reunite with your old trading partner from Indiana, Donnie Walsh, and run the Knicks. But I’m getting ahead of myself again. This is supposed to be a thank you, and a thank you it shall be. We all owe you one. Thanks for doing everything you’ve done for the Golden State Warriors. You will not be forgotten soon.
It was a great ride,
Turman
Hater Tuesday, the evening edition: Swine Flu!
Sorry, I meant, Influenza A virus, subtype H1N1. I wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea and see the price of pork bellies fall any further.
Anyway, I’ve been traveling quite a bit these days (most recently to the lovely state of Michigan) and I can’t believe how many people I’ve seen wearing those protective masks with the little rubber bands wrapped around their ears. Frankly, I think it’s all a bit ridiculous. I mean, haven’t they been following the news? It’s just the friggin’ flu. Seriously, get yourself some CleanWell and stock up on Emergen-C if your really worried.
Regardless, thanks to industrious designers, like Irina Block here, perhaps a few of the hysterical germaphobes will don a mask with a big piggy snout, gigantic kissy lips, or even a manly, fearsome beard.
At least that way the rest of us can have a good laugh.
Gd.
Hater Tuesday: Rainy Day Edition featuring Mat Weddle
Mat Weddle’s version of “Hey Ya” is perfect for a wet and wooly Tuesday morning. It’s also a post that I’ve pulled from our “Rainy Day Fund” as the FTB crew has all been too busy tryin’ to make a dollar out of a nickel and a dime. Seriously though, this song makes me so f-ing happy. The fact that this Mennonite Hillbilly-lookin’ dude can flip Outkast like this, is enough to lift the worries right off of my shoulders - carried away by some chubby bearded cherubs. So, if you’re starting off your morning with a mini hate-fest on mother nature for the rain, just remember, “What’s cooler than being cool?” Yes, “ICE COLD,” so cool the hate and let Tuesday do it’s thing. Fine Art Friday is just around the corner.
M. Meschery
Fine Art Friday: Baron Davis interview with Terrence Howard.
I had the pleasure of being present for this interview as it was something of a work-related production. I work for the public media organization that produces the PBS Series “Independent Lens,” and Terrence Howard is the host for the series which will be presenting the Baron Davis-produced documentary “Crips and Bloods” on May 12th. So, that’s how the dots connect.
The interview was great and both Baron and Terrence were good sports. The whole production was smooth sailing. I guess for dudes like Baron and Terrence, doing taped interviews is the equivalent of me going to a staff meeting. Really, the only thing that stood out was everyone seemed to be intrigued by Terrence Howard’s cane-sword. Probably because it gave him that English Gentlemen meets Gentlemen of Liesure vibe, if you catch my drift, and well, there’s not too many people walking around The Hollywood Hills with cane-swords I imagine. Anyway, both Baron and Terrence had similar upbringings in Los Angeles, so this was a nice opportunity for them to reflect on their experiences growing up in a world of Crips and Bloods. Enjoy.
M. Meschery