Posts filed under: ‘Men’s Basketball‘
Serena sick… Young aspiring athletes… Extremism…
I don’t know maybe it is because I have become somewhat disappointed in both Serena and Venus in the last few months… that when I looked at my blog 
stats yesterday…and the day before… I just never paid any attention to all the hits for info on them. As a rule I do pay a lot attention to what people are hitting my blog in search of. But for some reason not to the hits for information of the William’s sisters.
But this got pass me…until today when I happened to see the title of an internet news headline… reading that Serena was sick.
The story read that Serena had to go into the hospital following the Oscars due to a blood clot in 1 of her lungs. And it said that this past Monday it seems that Serena had to undergo…what they called ‘medical treatment’…. but sounds more like surgery for what they are calling ‘hematoma.’
It definitely sounds serious… and certainly reason for great concern.
We certainly pray for Serena and her family.
No matter how much money we may amass… it may aid in getting the best possible medical attention… but it cannot compensate for life without pain or health issues.
What would you rather have… money or life without pain or illness?
In looking over other news pieces over the internet lately… which has basically today has become my only primary means of regularly reading news… it seems to me that most of it is geared towards todays new up and coming rising athletic stars. Be it football or basketball… or whatever have you… though mostly football and basketball… it strikes me like…
Well, to me… like they are robbing candy from a baby.
Most of these new talents are nothing more than just kids that they are running after 
today… many are barely in junior high… or what they call today… middle-school. And they are running after them waving money… jewelry… and everything else that they can in order to get the young hopeful’s attention. And that of their parents also.
In fact, 1 mother was so gun-ho over what they were promising her and her son… that she signed his papers for him. They call that forgery… and it is punishable by the law. And she did it so she could commit her son to a certain college.
And today it is such a big thing just watching to see what school certain of these young hopefuls will be going to. And it means big money… endorsements… and all kinds of business to certain schools. Not to mention the attention media and otherwise to the school and/or college campus as well.
Whether it is an athletic franchise… or national pro team… or some high and mighty college… these young kids… babies really are being sought out and after to their own demise whether they know it or not.
A young kid in junior high… or–or in middle-school, if you must… has no business having his or head turned towards looking for a big pay-day sometime in 
their foreseeable supposed future. Rather their minds should be centered on their education. They should be concerned about making good grades and getting out of grade school… and then on to college.
These kids today… the chosen few… are being scouted far too young. They are being spoon fed on a bunch of hopes and far away dreams that may never come into being. The promises may 
simply not materialize for most of them. And this is a very real fact.
Then what?
Where will they turn?
What will become of their lives?
Sure LeBron made it. And so didn’t Moses Malone.
But success is certainly not guaranteed to a bunch grade schoolers who may show promise today… but may not be able to step to the mark as 
they continue to grow and develop physically. Or not grow… or not be able to stand up to the pressures of pro sports and all the baggage that those pressures bring into the life of many professional athletes.
And these kids are developing over inflated egos… and attitudes that will sooner or later destroy them and kill any promise that they may or may not have really had. But mouth and arrogance got in the way of what might have become.
A key basketball player at Brigham Young University found out the hard way… that the same way they can put you up… they can take you down. And even if it costs them a season.
There is a message to the below story LINKED here. Never get too big for your own breeches… because somebody inevitably will show you who is really the boss.
There is just so much extreme extremism in America… it is just hard to believe.
What crazy church would want to picket the funeral of U.S. military men and women who have sacrificed their lives for this country… to be outside the funerals carrying signs decrying America …and saying things like-
“Thank God for 9/11.”
Or… “God hates America.”
What sick perverted people would be doing that?
It is as insane as saying you are pro-life and you go out and blow up an abortion clinic filled with pregnant women in it.
It is contrary…and insane. And it certainly is not Christianly.
There is nothing about such acts that can be proclaimed as being holy or saintly. The people who set about enraging people to go out and to do such things are just people who are full of nothing but the devil.
And though I usually do not speak in such terms… the truth is the truth. And 
this is truth telling-time.
I felt the same way about preachers who loaded up buses to take people to Capitol Hill to protest gay marriages.
These things are just foolish.
Putting people of buses and travelling to the state capitol did not change 1 thing.
T
here is ‘sin’ in the land. There are ‘evils’ in the land. And none of this extremism attitude is addressing any of the real issues. This is why the devil is called ‘the great deceiver.’ He takes people’s eyes off what they really should be paying attention to.
There are some real core issues in this country and around the world that are in dire need of addressing. And they …these issues… go beyond self perceived notions of what is or is not sinful… or a greater sin.
Why should every American soldier have to endure a bunch of crazy people targeting their funerals in that small Kansas town… or anywhere is this country… causing nothing but more grief for their already grieving 
families and friends?
Is there not enough chaos and unrest all over the world without us here in America causing ourselves any more than what is necessary?
Soon people will be in the streets searching out their neighbors… and brother will be against brother. It is prophesy.
So, some berserk preacher… and it is funny all these little un-named and unknown preachers coming out of the woodwork wanting to make some kind of stir that will land them on ‘Good Morning America’ or ‘Nightline’… or some other television show. Then they’ll write a book …get an agent and go out on tour.
Going back to my original thought… these berserk little preachers trying to make a name for themselves… go out and stir up their congregations feeding them false doctrine… and backward ignorant thinking.
We serve a God of love. Who tells us to seek peace with ‘all’ men.
During Biblical times were there not homosexuals?
Did Jesus target them?
Did he set out to get them?
Did Jesus even preach against them?
No. Because we serve a God of love. Who says with ‘love and kindness have I drawn thee.’ And do note those words… ‘drawn thee.’ Not tried to chase you away… or antagonize you… or belittle or berate anyone.
And anyone who acts in such a way is not of God. But serves that other master… no matter how much they would debate this.
Well, God bless…hope you enjoy the rest of your evening. It is now March… time certainly is marching on… and seems to be getting away from us. It is flying by so quickly… fleeing.
Some time during the course of your day just take the time to look up and observe the beauty has planted up there for you to enjoy.
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2011
Add a comment March 3, 2011
Michael Jordan’s acceptance speech… Tyra Banks getting real…
When I read the article on Michael Jordan regarding his acceptance speech… during his induction into the Basketball of Hall of Fame… I thought based upon the slant given the article that-
“Okay, maybe he had too much to drink.”
You know…celebrating. It is after all a great 
honor.
But when I woke up this morning it dawned on me…about all those years how Michael had probably sat around and listened to a bunch of people taking credit for his success. P
eople who stood up at podiums with their chest stuck out like his coach at the Univeristy of North 
Carolina…and all the others who Michael slapped in the face…and shook them up a bit while delivering that speech Friday night. And I thought about all the people who we encounter in lives who tell us we will never make it…and how we need 
to consider doing something else…or going to another school…move some place else…or not go on to college…etc…etc…
And then years later you emerge as the greatest basketball player of all times…after time after time…you were told that you didn’t have what it took … or would never make it into the pro’s…or that your were too dark…hair to nappy…that you are not smart enough…can’t talk right…etc…etc…
And so what do you do when all this is coming at you?
Well, if you’re like a Michael Jordan and half of the other black folk in this 
country…you pushed harder…worked harder…always striving to perfect that which they told you…you could never do…and were not good at.
It is true. Behind closed doors white counselors, educators…school officials…coaches…tried to sway us not to go on to college…not to pursue our dreams…not to climb any mountains…or swim any seas. Working tirelessly to deffer ever dream that could be deffered…that is what they did. But you looked 
towards the stars any how…pushed against the grain…filtered through the forces…and worked harder to make it happen. And one day it did.
Then along came those who had tried to quash your dreams…take away your aspirations…steal your hopes…ripe out your future…to feed you where they wanted to keep you…and all black folk. And here they came as the rings started mounting up…championship after championship…contract after contract…deal after deal…and everybody now singing your glory. All of them… all accrediting your fame to what they did for you.
So, yeah…I can understand Michael Jordan when he stood up at the reception fo
r his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame…finally deciding to clear the air…wanting to set the record straight. Setting the record straight…that it wasn’t them…but him. Telling every wrong thing that they had ever done to him. It all had made him work all the more harder to get to where he has…the greatest of all times…the one that all the young ball players coming up behind him are compared to…if they 
show just the slightest bit of promise. He became the marker…the standard gage for talent…that they measure the young boys by today.
But like Muhamumed Ali… there will only be one Michael Jordan. And on his night…he can say whatever he wants to…and if truth hurts then let it…as well it should.
After years of holding it in Michael deserved a chance to let it go. And boy…did he.
I know so well what it is like to have people try to re-direct you from your path and tell you-
“You can’t make it.”
When I was in high school I began sending out applications for college. This following my high school counselor telling that I was not college material…and should consider going to business school instead so I could learn a trade.
Needless to say…I didn’t listen to him. I pushed harder…sending out all ![BLD058945[1]](https://bsmith101.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/bld0589451.jpg?w=305 "BLD058945[1]")
my own applications and doing all my own research about colleges and what they had to offer. And this way before there was anything that even remotely looked like a computer…and before such materials became so widely available in libraries or any other place outside of a school counselor’s office.
Following my graduation from high school I was off to college. I had to figure out all that financial aid stuff on my own…but I did it. My first year into college…I started getting offers to do radio. Though our college did not offer any courses in communication…we did have a radio station. And I almost lived in that place.
![kt_060611_331[1]](https://bsmith101.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/kt_060611_3311.jpg?w=305 "kt_060611_331[1]")
Though I had gone to school to become a lawyer…I recognized some faults that I had. For one, I hated to talk in front of people…or read anything out loud. I also possessed a speech impediment. And this is why I decided to go up to campus radio station to see about getting on air…I thought that it could help me.
I never thought that I would develop a whole other persona. I just thought that if I could play music and talk every now and then…that it would help me to become less introverted…and that I would develop more confidence when talking with and before others. Attributes which I definitely felt would be key for me to have…in order to be able the best lawyer I could be…and an effective one for my clients. So, I almost lived in that radio station…covering almost every shift…and job available to me in our little station.
I taped every program…and still do…listening over and over again for everything I did or said…what I liked or didn’t like. I never realized that 
this was creating a radio personality…or anything close to it…not to mention that I had never considered ever working in radio. But the offers started coming in…followed my tons of fan mail. Who would have ever have thought such a thing would or could have happened to me?
And finally, I decided to take one of those offers to do radio professionally and the rest is history.
But it never would have happened had I listened to my high school counselor. When I walk into oour teacher’s credit union…I see his face smiling down from upon the wall…as they have a very large painting of him hanging on their wall. And I sometimes wonder-
“How many black students had he told not to go to college?”
And if he were alive today…and read about me…I have no doubt that he too like Michael’s past coaches…from his high school and/or colleges years…and anybody else who ever tried to discourage him…would poke out his chest and try to take a piece of the credit. When he did nothing at all to aid me…but everything he could to deffer me.
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/09/12/jordan-goes-from-classy-to-clown/
To view the CLICKS BELOW just double click a few times and ignore the text.
I have to admit that I have vast respect for Tyra Banks and the job that 
she is doing…knowing good and well that many teens look up to her as both their she-ro…and model for whom they would like to embulate.
The topics she covers on her show are provocative, intelligent, moving…and touch upon many topics that no one else has dared to examine in quite the same way that Tyra has. Topics such as black women bleaching their skin…teen 
pregnancy…teen prostitution…racism…gay for pay…and shows about loving and respecting youself…all of which our teens are in dire need of seeing and hearing. And for some reason Tyra does it so well…that they enjoy watching her. And I guess it all comes down to them knowing and feeling that Tyra is real…and dealing from her heart.
And she talks about fashion…and realizes how important it is to them…our 
teens.
Recently while sitting out on my parent’s front porch, I have noticed this young… Well, I thought she was a young woman…but since school has started back…I now realize that she may well be a teen. But she is so thin…super thin. She looks like 2 sticks walking. Though she appears healthy…nobody without any degree of body fat can possibly be healthy.
Whenever I see her, I find myself staring at her because I have never seen
anybody as thin as she is. And I can tell by her dress…that she feels she looks good…maybe even sexy.
But to me…she looks anything but sexy. Because I know she definitely is a product of an eating disorder. The product of disillusion…who bought into that ‘thin is in’…and beautiful. If she could see herself as I do…she 
would know that is a lie…an absolute lie. Because anyone the size of this girl could never be beautiful…because she looks sick.
And this is why a Tyra Banks is so important…because she works hard as dis-spelling the myths.
Well, I finally did in the glasses totally and completely. Now, they are so broken that I can hardly use them. So, you can imagine how hard it was for me to just trying to get through this blog…trying to see through a pair of glass which I have to tuck tightly down on nose in order to see as best I can through them. 
But I made it through…and now I can go to sleep.
Enjoy your Sunday…how you get out to church.
It was dark all day today…then finally rained just a little…but remained
to be dark. We are well on our way to an early winter…and I hope you are gearing up for it.
Hope you have a beautiful day tomorrow.
Well, God bless…
Thank you for reading this blog…and my others. Please be sure to continue to share this blog site with your family, co-workers and all your friends… “pass 
it on…” www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2009
THE BISHOP’S WIFE is now on sale…CLICK this LINK to purchase my book. You do not need a paypal account to purchase, and you can purchase using a debit card. Thank you. 
Add a comment September 13, 2009
Olympics 2008… Williams’ …Track & Field, baby
The Bijing Olympics Games 2008 are almost over…and to date we’ve have only grabbed 22 gold metals compared to China’s 39…and Great Britain l2. If 
you have been like me and haven’t watched any of Olmpics yet…it is till not too late. There are still plenty of events straight through to the 24th of this month.
1. Track & Field
2. Basketball
3. Canoeing
4. Equestrian
5. Gymnastics
6. Swimming
7. Volley Ball
8. Diving
CLICK BELOW for scheduling of events….
http://www.chinaorbit.com/2008-olympics-china/olympics-2008-timetable.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92642187
For their second time in the Olympics, Serena and Venus have walked off the courts with the gold in the Women’s Double’s match…they walked all 
over the competition delivering 6-2, 6-0 to take home the gold.
And if you’re like me…and missed them during the Olympics…but can’t get enough of the Williams’…here’s something for your Williams sisters’ habit.
Just love those Williams sisters…Venus and Serena. Now, that is what I call family…and as all families should be. CLICK BELOW for the full story.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-olytennis18-2008aug18,0,2450347.story
Cannot close without mentioning a little Track & Field…just lov
e the sport. In fact, many would not believe this…but when I was growing up…I used to fantasize about being a Track and Field star.
Well, lets face it if you’re going to fantasize…why not put yourself at the very top. So, yes…star. And I really really did fantasize about it…and often. In 9th Grade, I was the fastest girl in my class. During gym…as a warm up the teacher would take us outside (our
school had a track) and he would have us all line up and then count us down to ‘go.’ For the first 50 yards…no one could catch me…but I would always be the last one walking around track…into the finish. But I prided myself on that first 50 yards…I could not be caught.
Once my father took us out to one of the local tracks and raced us. He shouted ‘go’ and let us all start running before he started running…but once he started running he blew right pass us. I recall feeling the win
d as he sweep pass me, my other sisters and brothers. I will never forget that day…because I never knew daddy could run. But he’s a Jamaican…and even though he was years older than us…and we were not young kids when he did it…nevertheless, he beat us ha
nds down. I marvelled at it…I was amazed by it…I thought about it all the way home as daddy drove us first to get some ice cream cones, and then home from the track. I wondered how he had done it. And when I say ‘flew pass us’…you would’ve had to have been there. It was definitely one for the books. Today, when I think back on it…and realize that maybe I could have been that Track & Field star…as speed evidently was and is in my genes. “Go, Jamaica!”
Boy, I could have been a Wilma Rupdol
ph or an Evelyn Ashford…Flo-jo…Marlene Ottey…if only somebody could have seen my potential. I could have been the Tiger Woods…Venus and Serena…Cullen Jones…all wrapped in one of the track. And yes…as you see I am still fantasizing. But I could have been it though…I could have… I know I could have.
http://www.2point6billion.com/2008/08/14/asians-win-31-gold-at-the-olympics/
Jamaica…1-2 & 2…in for gold and a tie for double silver…what an Olympic story. Go Jamaica…go!
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/jamaicans-1-2-3.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/track_field/news?slug=ap-ath-mens200&prov=ap&type=lgns
More men track & field events….
And of course Cullen Jones…taking home his gold…
To read more regarding the Bijing Games CLICK on the LINKS below…and check out the info on the Women’s and Men’s basketball beneath it.
Congratulations to Lisa Leslie and American Women’s Basketball team from bringing home yet another gold metal…their 6th total…straight. Go, USA!
http://www.abc.net.au/olympics/
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/Sports/Olympics
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/news/olympics/
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/olympics2008/index.html
http://www.examiner.com/x-426-Sports-Examiner
Women’s basketball…
http://www.lsusports.net/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&KEY=&SPID=2167&SPSID=27830
http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/basketball/story/2008/08/11/olympics-basketball-women.html?ref=rss
Men’s b-ball…
http://www.sportsline.com/olympics
http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=2008molyschd
Enjoy your day…and the Olympics.
Bring home the gold…
Had a busy weekend. But it was a good weekend…I am paying for it now. But I won’t regret it.
Be encouraged…love the Lord…and always believe. God bless…
And keep reading…thank you for reading.
And I do hope that some of this is making sense to you…if so ‘pass it on…’ www.bsmith101.wordpress.com ©2008
Don’t forget that your vote counts…so, please get registered if you are not. And if you are registered…stop by your local Voter Registration Office to double check on your registration…so, there won’t be any surprise
s on Election Day. It has happened to me a couple of times. Once they claim I hadn’t filled out a US Census form…and I hadn’t. But did that have to do with my vote? It is a game…to keep down certai
n numbers…any ol’ thing to hinder you. That is what they will do…throw up anything ol’ thang to stop you from voting. So, don’t be hindered…double check your registration before November just to ensure you won’t have any problems casting your vote come Election Day November 2008. ©2008
Add a comment August 18, 2008
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