NBA All Star Weekend-Nawlins!

I have to say watching the NBA All Star Festivities this past weekend was great. Friday night the Rookie vs. Sophomores game was held and it was nice getting to see the young up and coming stars in the NBA go at one another. Brandon Roy, who also played in the All-Star game on Sunday, played soo well. He is always under control and I really believe he is going to be a superstar in this league for years to come...

Saturday night...What a night. First off Jason Kapono shot lights out in the three point contest and retained his title as champion. It would be nice to see him go against Ray Allen as I believe these are the two best three point shooters in the league right now. Now to the dunk contest..I went on youtube earlier in the week and saw a preview of some dunks Dwight Howard was going to do and I was quite impressed. But what he pulled off in the actual contest was unreal

Dunk 1
Standing behind backboard Howard throws it off the back of the backboard, jumps in bounds and does a windmill left handed. very nice..

Dunk 2
Howard puts on the SUPERMAN cape and the crowd is going wild. He receives a pass from Jameer Nelson from behind the backboard catches it in his right hand while at the beginning of his jump, just inside the foul line, then as he begins his flight to the basket, he becomes parallel to the ground and THROWS it through the hoop. This was an incredible dunk and as Kenny Smith said, "You win young fella, superman is in the building" Top 5 dunk of all time in my opinion

Dunk 3
Howard throws himself a self alleyoop, catches the ball in his left hand while in the air, taps it off the glass and then flushes it with his right hand. A very creative dunk that I have never seen before. Top 5 dunk of all time as well.

There was one other competitor who made this contest interesting and his name is Gerald Green. He had a dunk called the "birthday cake" where he put a cupcake on the back of the rim, blew out the candle while in the air and dunked the ball. It was very creative and impressive. Green also did a between the legs dunk with NO SHOES on. I don't know if people really understand how hard that dunk is to do in no shoes but Julius Erving made it clear to everyone which was nice.

All in all the All Star Weekend was one of the best I have seen in awhile.

Mamba's Finger/Slam Dunk Contest Prediction

Soo..as we go into All-Star Weekend in New Orleans the NBA full of news. Proposed trade involving Jason Kidd up in the air and all of the big moves in the West (Shaq and Pau Gasol). Well the most recent piece of news is Kobe Bryant's finger. Word is that he has a torn ligament in his pinky finger on his right hand. This will keep him out of the three point contest. If he opts to get surgery now he will be out 6-8 weeks. Kobe is opting to play through the injury currently as he doesn't want to miss any time. I can't blame him..It's his first time since Shaq left LA that Kobe has a legit chance to win a championship with "his" team.

Now onto the slam dunk contest. It's gonna be a great contest with Gerald Green, Jamario Moon, Dwight Howard, Rudy Gay. My co-worker David Axelrod has put his prediction with J. Moon winning the contest because he was a past Harlem Globetrotter and has sick hops and you will see things you have never seen before in a slam dunk contest. I think it will be interesting to see who wins..

Southampton Press Basketball Reunion Article

When most people look back to the year 1998, many remember sporting events such as the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa and the great run to an NBA championship by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. When sports fans on the East End think back to that year, they will most certainly recall the Westhampton Beach boys basketball team.

The Hurricanes of ’98 were one of the best teams the East End, or Long Island for that matter, has ever seen. They compiled a perfect season of 28-0 for the first championship in Westhampton Beach school history.

On Friday, February 8, Westhampton Beach High School held a 10th year reunion of the team on Senior Night before the current boys team faced Shoreham-Wading River.

“The best experience I’ve ever had as a coach,” said coach Bill Hempfling, who was an assistant on the 1998 team and organized the reunion with athletic director Kathy Masterson. “That season for me was, in one word, ‘incredible.’”

Many of the players, coaches, and fans around the community, have the exact same feelings about that season.

Westhampton Beach was actually one of two teams that won a New York State public school championship that year. The Bridgehampton Killer Bees won the Class D title in the same season, bringing two titles to the East End.

Hempfling, assistant coach Jack Vivonetto, who returned to the Westhampotn Beach bench as an assistant this season, and former head coach Rich Wrase all took part in the festivities on Friday night, along with a handful of former players from the team.

Wrase compiled a record of 168-26 during his career at Westhampton Beach, including eight straight league championships, three county championships, and, of course, the state title. Wrase helped mold 13 all-county players and 10 all-state players.

“In every big game that we played,” he said, “it just seemed like someone always came up big for us.

With half of the team growing up together, literally on the same block, chemistry became almost second nature. Jeremy Liggon, Mike Ford, Jason Ritchie and Bronson Martin, Westhampton’s reigning career leader in points with 1,708, all lived on Hazelwood Avenue and played basketball together. Jermaine Hollman, who lived just a few streets over, would join them.

“I remember playing basketball in Jeremy’s backyard at 9 years old,” said Martin, “and us dreaming about winning a state title together.”

The five of them would go on to play together through junior high and then in high school. Dale Menendez, MVP of the Public School tournament, and Dwayne Sanders joined them and thus became the nucleus of one of the greatest teams on the East End.

“We were seven deep,” said coach Vivonetto. “No matter who other teams tried to take out, there was always someone to fill in that spot.”

The fire for the team was lit the season before the championship run when they ended the 1996-97 season with a loss to Amityville in the Class B county championship.

“The following year we didn’t want that feeling and it brought us together,” said Jermaine Hollman, who became MVP of the Federation tournament in 1998.

The road to the championship was definitely a long and hard one. The Hurricanes had to face North Babylon in the county championship, the only team that gave them trouble in the first game of the 1997-98 season. In the playoffs, the Canes had no trouble breezing past them. Then came the Long Island championship game against Southside, which was one of coach Hempfling’s most memorable games. Hempfling, along with coach Vivonetto, went to go scout Southside in the Nassau County championship game against Hempstead. They were a good team and both were very impressed.

“I remember talking to Jack on the car ride home,” said Hempfling, “and we both agreed that they were very good. We paused, looked at each other, then, almost at the same time, we said ‘so we should beat them by 20 points.’ That’s how confident we were.”

The Hurricanes actually won by 19 and missed the 20-point mark because Hollman missed a dunk at the end of the game.

By winning the Long Island title, Westhampton Beach advanced to the state final four in Glens Falls, New York. The Canes blew out Rochester area Penn Yan Academy before advancing to meet Westhill for the state championship. On paper, Westhill entered the game as an obvious favorite. The Warriors had gone 27-0 to win the Class B state title the year before and hadn’t lost a game in almost two years.

But the Hurricanes’ well known and well regarded trap defense was just too much for Westhill as the they upset the favorite. Southampton head coach Herm Lamison was one of the few who believed Westhampton would win.

“They had a great nucleus of talent and great coaches,” said Lamison. “I am a defensive oriented coach and any team that can play with the energy and passion on defense is critical to a championship team. They were one of the best teams.”

On their way home from Glens Falls, after the state championship, the team was escorted from Sunrise Highway to the high school by the fire and police departments and greeted by an estimated 800 people. It was something that almost every member of the team has fond memories of .

But it was not only the players and coaches who appreciated the gesture.

“It seemed like thousands of people would show up to every game, whether it was home or away,” said Enoch and Lillian Martin, parents of Bronson Martin. “The community helped the boys out so much it was unbelievable.”

One person in particular who was very close to the team and community was Laurance Makransky. “Big Larry” was owner of The Sandwich Club and the Circle M Beverage Barn and a school board member who earned the nickname as the “Godfather” of Westhampton Beach basketball. Makransky died in a 2001 car accident in North Carolina.

Makransky helped out a lot of the players while they played on Police Athletic League teams. Wrase said he also used to send at least two kids a year to a five-star basketball camp in Pennsylvania, something not many in the community knew of before his death.

The Larry Makransky Tournament is usually held every year at Westhampton Beach High School. Although the girls team held the tournament this year, the boys tournament could not be held. The event will be renewed next year, according to Wrase.

The Federation tournament includes champions from the Catholic High School Association, the New York City Public School Athletic Association and the Independent Private School Athletic League along with the Public School Athletic Association. The Hurricanes had to make a second trip to Glens Falls during a massive winter storm to partake in the tournament. When they got to the championship, Wadleigh from Harlem was waiting for them. The Hurricanes took the championship with astonishing ease and shocked not only themselves but the entire state.

It was not too long after winning the championship that the players and coaches had to move on. Bronson Martin graduated and went on to Cornell University, where he graduated cum laude with a degree in economics and management. He now works in New York as an associate at a financial services firm. Jermaine Hollman graduated and played basketball for four years at the New York Institute of Technology and was, for a short time, a graduate assistant coach. He now works in Manhattan at Scholastic Publishing. Wrase moved on to Suffolk County Community College in 2003 where he became head coach of the men’s basketball team. According to the SCCC website, coach Wrase’s record is 110-13 and he has won two regional championships. In his first year as coach, he finished the season 34-0.

Coach Wrase perhaps summed up the Hurricanes’ accomplishment best when he spoke to his team after the after the Federation championship.

“No one can ever beat it, they can only tie it,” he told them.

Basketball Reunion

Ten years ago the Westhampton Beach High School boys basketball team made history. They went 28-0 winning the class B state and federation titles in New York State. This past friday the team gathered at the high school to be honored before the last home game of the season for the high school team.

What a great time it was. Getting to see old teammates and coaches was soo great. It gave me chills to be back on that court after ten years and having people applaud you when your name is mentioned. During the high school team's game we sat as a group and cheered the boys on. Two of the assistant coaches when I played (Jack and Bill) currently coach the team and they were running some of the same plays we ran 10 years ago. Dwayne said, "they are running the trap and it is giving me chills!" I knew exactly what he meant because it brought back memories (great memories) from a decade ago.

Sitting in the coaches locker room before the game and reminiscing with my old teammates and coaches was priceless. We talked about anything and everything and soo much excitement filled the air. All of us know how special a bond we have. Being the only team in long island history to ever go undefeated and win everything is an amazing accomplishment that all of us are soo proud of and knowing we did it with childhood friends makes it that much more special. With most of us growing up together and playing together from the age of 8 and 9 accomplishing what we did on the basketball court was special.

After the game we shot around a little bit on the court. I was shooting threes from halfcourt, dwayne and lucion were throwing down nasty dunks. Roc was hitting his threes and talking smack and everyone was just having a good time. After a bit we headed to Finn McCools and hungout some more and just caught up with one another.

As the night ended I had a huge smile on my face. It was probably one of the most happy days in my life thus far because seeing everyone together and soo happy to see one another after all of these years was priceless. What a great night we had and I look forward to our next get together in the future.

The Rivalry

Duke and North Carolina. A storied rivalry. The biggest in college basketball and one of the most intense rivalries in all of sports was resumed tonight. Duke pretty much held the lead the whole game and wound up beating Carolina which is always great. Regarding the game I have a few observations:

1) Duke won the game but Ty Lawson didnt play because of a sprained ankle. He is Carolina's floor general and without him in the game Carolina is just not the same team. Thus even though Duke won I feel they should have because Carolina was missing their star point guard.

2) Duke's inside presence is drastically lacking. Tyler Hansbrough just manhandled the Duke big men as did the other bigs on Carolina. Granted Duke played them tough but I really feel that their lack of an inside presence might hurt them down the road in the NCAA tourney..

3) Greg Paulus is playing great. He is hitting most of his threes and just playing great basketball right now. Lets hope he keeps it up!

4) Duke's perimeter game is probably the best in all of college basketball. They spread the floor soo well, can all shoot and dribble and play soo well together. This is what will carry Duke for the rest of the year.

Anyways I'm glad Duke won this game. Now they are in the driver's seat for the ACC regular season title.

Super Bowl Champs Parade

Unfortunately I was not able to attend the Giants ticker tape parade for winning the Super Bowl because of a thing called work...However I have to say it was great to see the players and coaches on the floats and all the supporters and fans lining the streets and screaming in delight as I watched the parade on the television. The best part of the whole thing was the ceremony that took place at the end of the parade, and the star was Michael Strahan..

The star defensive end of the New York Giants fired up his team with a leap that he calls "stomping you out." And with that, Strahan jumped skyward on the podium at a Super Bowl rally Tuesday, lifting his knees to his shoulders.

"We would like to extend this to every other team in the NFL and particularly for the last team we defeated, the New England Patriots," he said, his teammates standing behind him. "Because you know what we did to you? We stomped you out!"

Simply put this was straight gangsta!! He just put it out there. "We stomped you out!!" I loved his speech and it was great to see the team get keys to the city at the end of the ceremony. What a great day in New York sports history.

Bobby Knight

So a legend has decided to retire. Bobby Knight stepped down yesterday as head basketball coach at Texas Tech, handing the job over to his son Pat Knight. Coach Knight has meant soo much to college basketball. He has taught great coaches of today like Coach K at Duke soo much about the game. Currently I am reading a book about Bobby Knight to get a better understanding of the type of person he was and is. A lot of people look at him as a harsh individual for his demeanor on the court and in press conferences but as a coach he has done a great job with his players. For the most part they remain loyal to him and he has always had a high graduation rate with his players. Lastly Coach Knight prepared his players for the real world and for that I'm sure they are forever grateful.

Words to Live By

"If you hoot with the owls at night you cannot soar with the eagles in the morning"

Super Bowl Champs!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I have been saying this for the past couple hours but I still cannot believe the Giants are Super Bowl champs!! This has to be the biggest upset in Super Bowl history considering the fact that the New England Patriots were UNDEFEATED heading into the Super Bowl. This was a game for the ages.

The Giants defense was incredible. I had not seen Mr. Tee Brady get hit like this all season. Justin Tuck was incredible. His pass rush was soo instrumental in the Giants defense manhandling the pro-bowl laden front line of the New England Patriots. Also the Giants secondary played well. They minimized the big plays the Patriots receivers were able to get. Wes Welker played well for the Patriots but this is ALL about the Giants. Hahaha. GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG Men!!

Eli Manning. Plaxico Burress. The Giants Defense. I dont think anything else needs to be said...Well I am going to continue saying things. Eli Manning was incredible. His poise on the game winning drive is what you see from great quarterbacks like his brother Peyton and Tom Brady. He was cool, calm and collected and when Plaxico caught that touchdown pass for the lead it was surreal. Plaxico played hurt all year and his dedication and hard work and impressive play should be commended. I hope all the critics realize now how good Eli is and how valuable he is to the Giants. He is a legend in the making and winning the Super Bowl and being named the MVP is evidence to how far he has come. I could not be happier for him and the Giants team as a whole. They have been doubted all year. Lastly the Giants defense. They played incredible like I said before and the pressure they put on Brady all game long was awesome. I just feel the Giants wanted this game more than the Patriots and they played like it.

Personally I am soo happy for the Giants. They have come soo far this year and to finish off the season with a Super Bowl title is priceless. This is soo exciting. As I write this, hearing the cheers, cars honking out in the new york city streets from my apartment is priceless as well. Go Giants. We all are soo proud of you and your parade on Tuesday is soo well deserved. Thank you for a season full of great memories and for showing the world how a team can achieve anything if they believe in themselves when no one else does.

Trade Alert!

So word on the street is that Pau Gasol has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Javarus Crittenton, Kwame Brown and two future 1st round draft picks. I believe this is a good deal for the Lake show. Kwame Brown is a terrible basketball player and the Lakers still have Jordan Farmar and Derrick Fisher so I feel like Crittendon is not a big loss either.

Now the Lakers will have a very nice starting lineup when all players are healthly. Andrew Bynum at the 5, Gasol at the 4, Luke Walton at the 3, Kobe Bryant at the 2 and D ee Fish at the 1. Off the bench they have Farmar, Trevor Ariza, Vladamir Radmonovic and a couple others. I'm telling you if this team is healthy come playoff time they are going to be hard to beat...