Blog Posts:
My First Greyhound: Springfield to KCMO
Top 10 Best Performances of the 2014-2015 NBA Season
Videos:
Podcast:
Effort and Confidence
My expectation for this class was bleak. The idea of having to create a blog was a scary thought and still is today after a semesters worth of practice. I had never created a blog or anything of substantial value on the internet. Of my time on the internet I have been able to see and view so much creative genius that I didn’t know how I was going to be able to do the same. This led to lots of procrastination as I struggled with this idea.
As the blog assignments went on throughout the semester I started to realize that I should not be so worried about trying to replicate the content of others and just focus on what I could do. I spent too much time worrying what others would think of my blog.
Some of my best posts came after I let go of that fear and created whatever I wanted to with no thoughts on anything else.
To wrap it up, this class taught me that the internet is a massive place that is full of creation. The creations that fill the web are infinite. Why should I be worried what I put out there when maybe only 5 people will even see it? This thought is useless and all it does is hamper my ability to create without anything holding me back.
What and Why: Net Neutrality
IMPORTANT INFO: If you have read the blog before this you may notice they are on the same subject. This is because I have taken the opportunity to redo that post. My purpose for this is to provide a more informative and entertaining post. Enjoy.
What just is Net Neutrality?
This concept can be a tricky to understand. You might find a simple definition but not feel like it goes in-depth enough, or find a complex definition and find yourself bogged down with technical terms that you have no idea what they mean. Heres a video from the Wall Street Journal explaining it.
Basically if Net Neutrality is gone then the big name service providers will have the power to block different content that is either not affiliated with them or is “highly controversial” by their standards.
How Did We Get So Lucky?
Isn’t the Internet great? There are many great benefits the Internet provides us. Those are unlimited information, connectivity and instant communication.
These advances have come over the last 30 years through the idea of Net Neutrality. If it weren’t for its idea of free and open Internet then the way we live now would be drastically different.
Two Sides to Every Argument
- Keep Net Neutrality and with it uphold the standard of openness.
- End Net Neutrality and allow service providers the power to become gatekeepers of the internet.
For Net Neutrality
The idea that the web is an information service and not a cable service is one of the foundations of Net Neutrality. Another source of information is the library. The library is a place where anyone can go to learn and explore the world and all the knowledge it holds.
The Internet is this generations library. Here you can go to any search engine and look up any imaginable subject there is, just as you can at a library.
“The Internet is not a finite resource, it’s a system of communication and free commerce that needs to be protected.” – John Hodgman
This quote by Hodgman does a good job visualizing what the Internet should be when Net Neutrality is in effect.
Here is a graphic of what kind of cable-like packages could come if Net Neutrality is ended
The internet was born to be free. This packaged product goes against everything it stands for. If this is allowed it will just be another area where big business has creeped in and poisoned something that is great because of its freedom.
With Net Neutrality the Internet can be represented by the view of endless ocean every which way. This gives off a sense of openness and endlessness that is apart of the present Internet. This creates a culture where you don’t have to be big business to succeed. You can create a start-up and succeed because of the power of open Internet.
In this openness, information from all over the world moves almost instantaneous. This is a result of the new Internet culture that provides good favor to those who have the skill to connect with strangers through their media and message.
Against Net Neutrality
The group against Net Neutrality would be the providers of Internet. This would include AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable.
It should be quite obvious why these big companies are against Net Neutrality. If you guessed more money to be made then your correct.
If they get their way they would be able to get away with creating a fast lane and a “slow” lane. What’s this you ask? It would be as if these big companies can choose which services online get fasted speeds and which are stuck in the “slow” lane. This is the killer of competition. It can also be seen as almost a monopoly which as you know are not legal.
Heres a mockumentary that shows exactly what big providers like Comcast and others think about Net Neutrality
Which side to choose?
I’m most definitely for Net Neutrality. I think that it is important to keep the Internet untouched for it may be one of the single greatest innovation of this generation. If the FCC were to do away with Net Neutrality, there would be a decline in different and new media produced. The Internet providers will have gotten away with monopoly. This is the sole reason the younger generation known as millennials must protect the treasure of our time.
Before you choose your side in this “war” take a listen to President Obama’s take on Net Neutrality.
Like many other supporters of Net Neutrality, Obama speaks to how the internet is meant to keep the principle of openness. That idea there is the one that needs to be brought up in the FCC discussions. They must understand that if this idea is changed, the internet could cease to exist.
For anyone who is passionate about keeping our Internet protected from big business then head here and contact the FCC to let them know how you feel on the topic of Net Neutrality.
Net Neutrality For All
How Did We Get So Lucky?
Isn’t the Internet great? There are many great benefits the Internet provides us. Those are unlimited information, connectivity and instant communication.
These advances have come over the last 30 years through the idea of Net Neutrality. If it weren’t for its idea of free and open Internet then the way we live now would be drastically different.
Two Sides to Every Argument
- Keep Net Neutrality
- Monopolize Internet to gain bigger profit
For Net Neutrality
The idea that the web is an information service and not a cable service is one of the foundations of Net Neutrality. Another source of information is the library. The library is a place where anyone can go to learn and explore the world and all the knowledge it holds.
The Internet is this generations library. Here you can go to any search engine and look up any imaginable subject there is, just as you can at a library.
“The Internet is not a finite resource, it’s a system of communication and free commerce that needs to be protected.” – John Hodgman
This quote by Hodgman does a good job visualizing what the Internet should be when Net Neutrality is in effect.
With Net Neutrality the Internet can be represented by the view of endless ocean every which way. This gives off a sense of openness and endlessness that is apart of the present Internet. This creates a culture where you don’t have to be big business to succeed. You can create a start-up and succeed because of the power of open Internet.
In this openness, information from all over the world moves almost instantaneous. This is a result of the new Internet culture that provides good favor to those who have the skill to connect with strangers through their media and message.
Against Net Neutrality
The group against Net Neutrality would be the providers of Internet. This would include AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable.
It should be quite obvious why these big companies are against Net Neutrality. If you guessed more money to be made then your correct.
If they get their way they would be able to get away with creating a fast lane and a “slow” lane. What’s this you ask? It would be as if these big companies can choose which services online get fasted speeds and which are stuck in the “slow” lane. This is the killer of competition. It can also be seen as almost a monopoly which as you know are not legal.
Which side to choose?
I’m most definitely for Net Neutrality. I think that it is important to keep the Internet untouched for it may be one of the single greatest innovation of this generation. If the FCC were to do away with Net Neutrality, there would be a decline in different and new media produced. The Internet providers will have gotten away with monopoly. This is the sole reason the younger generation known as millennials must protect the treasure of our time.
For anyone who is passionate about keeping our Internet protected from big business then head here and contact the FCC to let them know how you feel on the topic of Net Neutrality.
Millennials & Sports
The generation of Millennial’s has changed the world. The one area in which I have the most interest for is Sports. To understand Millennial’s in sports, one will look at their impact in marketing, stadium environment, stat analysis and viewing. In coming years these will each take steps forwards and change the sporting world forever.
4 Areas of Millennial’s influence
1. Marketing
Marketing is very important for leagues like the NBA, MLB, NFL and the NHL. With the coming of the Millennial’s, the marketing strategies have changed. When social media was still in its early stages most of the promoting of the leagues was through the Television.
As the Digital age has taken off in the past few years the marketing strategies have shifted towards social media and the Internet. These two platforms are ways for people to make content, view others content and share others content.
A great example of a league correctly utilizing these new tools is the NBA. For them it all starts with their players and teams being active on Facebook and Twitter. The NBA’s official twitter account leads the NFL, MLB, and the NHL with 13.8 million followers. This number is 3 million more than the NFL, 9.5 million more than the MLB, and 10.5 million more than the NHL. This platform and others allow them to reach out to fans all over the world. The connectivity that is achieved today is remarkable considering how different it was 20 years ago.
2. Stadium Environment
One of the best experiences for a fan is getting to go see your favorite team play in person. As it gets easier to watch games from the comfort of your couch, the stadiums need to adapt to what the fans want.
The latest trend is to add Wi-Fi for everyone in the newest stadiums. This is for connectivity. This is huge for this generation, because the thought process for them is if they can’t access their Twitter, Facebook, or other social media then they won’t be able to share their experience with friends.
The best example of a venue reinventing the way that stadiums put on an event is the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Before the opening of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara of the San Francisco 49ers in 2014 it was the most connected stadium in the world.
The progress of the latter two stadiums gives the public an idea of how much better the fan experience can be. Imagine being in your seats and you want to get food, but the game is really close so you can’t afford to wait in a long line and miss an important play. What do you do? A stadium like Barclays has you covered. With their arena app you can order food without waiting in a long line. Its as easy as order, wait, pick up. Other features of this app include live video feeds and other channels that give the fan unique video for enhanced viewing.
These ideas are the first of many that will create a domino effect. With every successful innovation there will be 2-3 to follow. This is very good news for the millennial sports fan.
3. Stat Analysis
If anyone plans to be an informed sports fan then they will have to be comfortable and knowledgeable about stats. This rings especially true in this new generation of Millennial’s. What we have is an ever-growing amount of new and different stats, and with this growth and diversity the analysis of sports by the media has become more in-depth and knowledgeable, as it has ever been.
The coolest ability that comes from the access to these stats is how easily you can make comparisons to players from 30 years ago. For the NBAs there is Basketball-Reference. This is a free service where anyone can go and find basic to advanced stats to compare players and what they’re doing now to players in a different time period. You can see this tool being utilized more in more by sports writers and analysts. The free and easy access to this resource gives sports analysis more credibility as readers can double check different stats they see.
4. Alternative Viewing
Before the Internet and streaming you would only be able to catch an NBA game either in person or through your television set. These mediums very much limits you to only see games depending on where you live. If you don’t live in a state where a team is at, you will for them majority watch national TV games that include primarily big market teams. The big ones are LA, NY, MIA, and BOS.
With the introduction of streaming services offered by leagues, fans from all over have a way to view any team they want. The one catch is the cost, which may not be affordable for all.
NBA charges at most $199 for all teams and includes the playoffs. This includes games on your phone, TV and computer. You can get cheaper packages that may restrict the customer to just mobile or broadband only. NFL charges the same fee of $199 for their NFL game pass. This is comparable to the NBA. The NHL comes in a bit cheaper at $169, or eight monthly $18.99 payments. MLB comes in the lowest at $130, and provides the most bang for your buck as baseball has the longest season of the four major leagues.
Fear not, there is a cost-free way to stream games. While not the best quality will be available, just searching “free streams” on Google will result in a decent selection. This route is by far the best for fans that are in there 20’s.
Future Trends
Wider Reach, Wider Influence
As fans get easier and more in-depth coverage of their favorite sports to follow, the biggest effect will be more passionate fans all around who have more ways to be connected to the sport(s) they follow. New technology, better viewing experience
These could include:
- Live camera feeds (select players view)
- Mic’d up any player
- View live practices
- Interview & press conferences on demand
If this is what is being thought up today, just imagine what else has yet to be thought up. With the rapid progression in technology and teams trying to push the envelope to create the best product, its not crazy to think that all these and more could be possible in the next 5-10 years.
NBA Awards Voting: Players vs Media
Change is coming to the NBA awards. Just recently the Players Association executive director Michele Roberts sent out a memo throughout the NBA announcing the implementation of the 2015 Players Choice Awards. What this entails is that starting next season the voting for the end of season awards will change from the media’s hands to the players. Unlike previous votes where you can see every ballot cast this new way will have votes be anonymous.
This isn’t a completely new idea. Up until the 1981-82 season the most important award, MVP, was voted on by the players. After that season the select media members made up broadcasters and sportswriters from the United States and Canada.
One of the main problems with the voting is bias. Beat writers cover one team. During their time they will develop relationships with the players, coaches, and franchises. Who’s to say they won’t be biased. If you look at it for the broadcasters, they are employed by their respective teams. Couldn’t this be seen as a conflict of interest? Those teams are the source of your paycheck. Of course if they were asked if that plays a part they would of course deny deny deny.
Another problem is that many of the voters are just not qualified to be given that responsiblity. These voters would be the beat writers. For these voters they cover just one team. They may only watch that one team and this means they won’t be a credible judge. For instance that beat writers team may only play another team just twice in the year. This means he or she has just two opportunities to see another possible candidate for one of the major awards. Is two games enough to really judge a player? No its very flawed. This argument is just as applicable to the broadcasters who vote if not more. They are going to see the same team for 82 games.
Even with its problems I don’t think voting should be solely up to the players. The idea that players will be a better judge of who is deserving sounds good at first, but are they could end up being just as biased and if votes are anonymous it could be even worse. There will be no reason for a player not to just vote for himself or not take it serious. There will be no accountability. That is why I believe its inevitable for another change to the voting process soon after this newest one. 
My preferred voting process would be to give votes to three different groups. These groups would be:
1. Players
2. Coaches
3. National Media Members
With this idea everyone is happy. Even more importantly the vote will be more precise because you’ll have so many diverse opinions. This idea is not very likely to happen. The reason for this is some if not most players are starting to be irked by media how they do their job. A lot of this primarily could attributed to players just not liking what is written about them and how one day they may be getting praised and another they will be criticized. This is where players need to change their thinking. Just like they have their job, writers have one too. They are paid to get write about sports and attract viewers to the website their affiliated to. They can’t do this if they are just constantly praising the players and pandering to them. What needs to happen is both sides need to come together and work things out like reasonable human beings.
Finally in the great words of Jackie Moon
My First Greyhound: Springfield to KCMO
Its 4:30 a.m. on a Friday and I’ve just been loudly awoken by my obnoxious yet effective alarm. Why am I up this early? That requires a simple answer: I have a date with a Greyhound bus seat at 5:55 a.m. The reason for this: to get home for spring holiday and most importantly my mothers birthday. If I were to miss that…well that’s not an option so we won’t go there.
I’ve never taken a Greyhound before so I plan to get to the station an hour in advance. I arrive at the station at 5:00 a.m sharp. As expected I was one of few their. I pick up my ticket from will call and find spot on a bench as I await my ride.
The Station:
5:55 a.m. comes and goes but still no bus. At around 6:30 a.m the bus finally arrives! After 15 minutes of waiting for the current riders of the bus I finally get to board. Before I go further let me tell you what my expectations of this bus ride was.
Having never been on a bus liner I had no expectations. So naturally I leaned toward the idea that it would be really fun. Boy was I wrong. The bus was packed so it was cramped and the seats were the most uncomfortable seats ever.
My hope was to get a window seat over an aisle because if I have to be sitting for 2 hours I would like a view. That dream was crushed as soon as boarder. The bus was already almost at full capacity so unfortunately I didn’t have very many choices for seats. I ended up settling for an aisle towards the back.
My Bus:
Now, an hour behind schedule, the bus departed from Springfield and I was on my way home. This wasn’t a one way ride to KC. The bus I was currently on was to stop in Joplin. From there I would have have a 2 hour layover. However the 1 hour delay in Springfield ended up being more useful than I imagined as it cut the layover time in half.
For most of the trip to Joplin I spent my time reading and sleeping. Sounds nice right? The reading was great but the sleeping was not. The cause of this? I forgot a pillow and that caused the worst kink in my neck. I was already regretting this method of transportation.
One hour and thirty minutes later I had made it to Joplin. After that first leg I was more than ready to step off and stretch my legs. More importantly find food. I had two ideas in my head: walk to McDonalds or settle for the vending machines in the Joplin station. The laziness of me ended up choosing the vending machine. It wasn’t much but I got myself a bag of my favorite chips, cheddar and sour cream ruffles, which may have been the best tasting bag of chips ever!
My Snack:
As hungry as I was this bag was empty in under 5 minutes. Now I had to figure out my next 55 minutes. There weren’t very many options, and these were my phone and my book. I went with the book and got some solid reading in.
Joplin Station:
Unlike the first bus this one came a couple minutes early. I boarder the bus and was relieved to find out that this one was not nearly as full as the first. I had plenty of choices for seats. I ended up with a window seat to my excitement. This was already a good omen for the last part of my trip.
Leaving Joplin:
My ride to KC was similar to my ride from Springfield to Joplin. I read more and and slept. The big difference this time was the quality of the ride. Primarily the fact I had my own row to myself. This was a big upgrade from before and made my sleep a lot better.
My View:
After waking up from my nap there was only 20 minutes left. Fittingly the most interesting part of my trip came during the last 20 minutes. On US-71 N we hit traffic due to construction. For about 10 minutes it was stop and go. For some reason the bus driver decided to be a little reckless and was making some very sudden stops. If anyone was still sleeping they sure weren’t after this. Along with that a truck behind us decided to go off road and pass us. This wasn’t not very smart as we were approaching a bridge and for a second it looked as if this truck was not gonna make it.
After this fun experience the bus soon arrived at the station in KC. This was a huge relief! Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long at this station, for my mother was already at the station awaiting my arrival.
To sum it up: I was glad to experience a new way of travel. Trying new things is important even if it doesn’t meet the expectations you set for it. I came out of this with more appreciation for my car and the different opportunities it affords me.
Bro Time at the Movie
For our experience as a group we decided that the only reasonable thing to do would be to see a movie and document our experiences. While using many different apps we came to the conclusion that not only is going to the movies an amazing time but social media has many different uses at any given moment. This same idea can also go along with any app that we used. The movie we decided to see was Get Hard.
Our group needed to find a way to discuss what we were going to do to share an experience through applications so we collaborated and brainstormed all of our ideas through groupme. It is an extremely simple app and was a quick and easy way to figure out how we wanted to tackle this project. Eventually we decided to use going to the movies as our experience. in order to figure out which movie we wanted to see we used youtube. We used YouTube to look up the newest movie trailers.
After we decided on the movie Get Hard, we wanted to check out the reviews to see if it was worth our money. To do this we went onto the IMDB app. What we got from it was two types of reviews: the type from common folk who saw the movie and felt the need to give a review, and the other from reputable critics whose jobs it is to review movies. These two opinions gave us the basic information needed to make our decision. Next we needed to find a theatre to watch the movie and a time to go. For this we used the app Fandango. Reasons for using this app ranged from: its easy to use, we were all familiar with it and the app answered both of our needs all in one place.
The use of Google Maps was helpful in our experience because without it we wouldn’t know how to get to the movie theater. This app gave us exact directions from our location, including multiple routes which allowed us to choose which one would be the easiest or the fastest. This is an app used all the time to help people arrive at their destination.
Following the movie, we took to social media to share how our experience went. Via Twitter, we were able to immediately post in a small number of characters how we felt about the movie. All of our followers were able to see our post as soon as the movie concluded, with their options to favorite, re-tweet, or even reply to us and tell us what they thought about Get Hard.
We also used apps such as Facebook and Instagram to help share our experience with our classmates and other people that may be interested in what we have to talk about regarding our experiences and day to day endeavors.
After we had our experience we decided to analyze exactly what we did through our night and this is what we came up with! Enjoy!
Top 10 Best Performances of the 2014-2015 NBA Season
If your a big sports fan you know all about Top 10s. Probably the most well known Top 10 in the sports world is ESPNs top 10 plays. My top 10 is going to be similar in the same way that I will be analyzing sports, but unlike ESPN I will be looking at the top 10 games of the 2014-2015 NBA season.
The NBA is by far my favorite sport at this time in my life. I can trace back my basketball fanship to the 2011-2012 season. Ever since then I have been hooked and haven’t looked back since.
The players who make up the NBA are some of the most skilled athletes in the world, and because of this I believe that they create some of the most impressive highlights in all of sports. From highflying dunks, flashy dribbling, and the smoothest shooting in the world, they can do it all. Some would even say they are artists on the court and every time they step on the floor they are creating masterpieces.
This particular season NBA fans have been witnesses to a multitude of great games that it’s impossible to judge which one is greater as they all showcase greatness in many different ways. Now on to the list. ENJOY
#10 Pau Gasol: 46 points and 18 rebounds
On January 15th Pau Gasol of the Chicago Bulls had a career game. He put up a career high of 46 points in 38 minutes. In my opinion this game is one of the most underrated games of this year. Being a power forward and almost putting up 50 points is a very impressive feat. One reason for this is that if you go back in the history of the NBA centers and forwards dominated the game and were generally more important to the game than guards. In the the last 5 years or so basketball fans have seen a change of guard as teams have started to shift their strategies. For example old school NBA was a grit and grind type of game where defense ruled the courts and offenses game plans were centered around post ups and isolations. Nowadays the game has gone more to analytics where the 3 pt shot is valued more than a 2 pt shot, and in turn the big men that once ruled the game have had to adapt to the new age NBA. For these reasons Pau Gasol’s monster 46 pt 18 reb game is so much more amazing.
#9 Anthony Davis: 41 points 10 rebounds and one game winning shot
On February 6th the New Orleans Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis played one of his best games of season, he put up 40 pts and 10 rebs and scored the game winning shot against the reigning MVP Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. This game could easily be interchanged with the previous one but the reason that this one gets the nod is for the outrageous shot to win the game. If you don’t know who Anthony Davis then here is a two words to describe him: Athletic Freak. He is 6’10 with a 7’5 wingspan. With this size he has the uncanny ability to alter shots and finish shots around the rim that others players wish they could. This game in particular highlights every aspect of his game that makes him an MVP candidate. The parts of his game that you see is his silky smooth jump shot, his crazy length and athleticism and his defensive prowess around the basket. This will be a game to remember when looking back on his career.
#8 Hassan Whiteside: 14 points 13 rebounds & 12 blocks
At first glance this game might not look like it belongs here, but thats wrong, because this game is goes beyond the stats. In basketball speak this is game is a triple double. As its a defined a triple double is when a player records double digit number totals in three of five statistical categories—points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots—in a game. The most common way this is accomplished is in points, rebounds and assists, and as you can see Hassan Whiteside achieved it with points, rebounds, and blocks. If your still not impressed then listen to this: he did all this is 25 minutes coming off the bench. If not your still not impressed then I’ll just leave this article from the San Francisco Chronicle which tells a nice story about his ascension to relevance this season.
#7 Russell Westbrook: 21 points 17 assists & 8 rebounds in 3 QUARTERS!!
FULL DISCLOSURE: There are multiple Russell Westbrook games in this post.
This first paragraph doesn’t relate to his game but to truly understand the greatness of this game and his upcoming ones you need a background on Westbrook. Russell Westbrook is a freak of nature, when watching him play you may ask yourself does he have a jetpack strapped to his back? The answer is no, he is just that freaking fast and explosive! What’s even more amazing is that two seasons ago he suffered a tear in his meniscus and coming back he probably was more explosive then before, but it doesn’t end there. Not too long after his return he suffered another setback and required surgery for a second time. That must be the end of it right? No. Yet again he suffered another setback and went under the knife again. After this it was questioned by the NBA world if he would be the same player that has defined his greatness. No worries, Westbrook has came back even better then ever.
Now we can get to his remarkable game that he gave us. On February 22nd Westbrook put up just a ridiculous stat line with 21 pts 17 ast and 8 rebs in 3 QUARTERS! Most players never even come close to that in their entire career and this freak did it in 3 quarters. To be fair the opposing team is one of the worst teams in the league, but that shouldn’t take away from this game. Another point to bring up is in that game Westbrook’s sidekick Kevin “Reigning MVP” Durant was out. So this meant he had to carry the team, and that he did which further enforces his case for MVP.
#6 James Harden: 40 points 12 assists & 9 rebounds
James Harden of the Houston Rockets is an MVP candidate this year and this game is a prime example of why. Nearly a triple double, he dominated in every facet of the game. Being the MVP candidate he is this is not an unusual game for him and when he has them he makes it look so easy. What you might try to do is go to the gym to try what he does and you quickly realize that what he pulls off in games is truly remarkable and something that took him years to master. From his pull-up 3s off the dribble to his spectacular vision in the passing game and lastly his ability to draw contact and get to the charity stripe, he is truly the definition of an NBA superstar.
#5 Russell Westbrook: 17 points 17 assists & 15 rebounds
Surprise surprise Russell Westbrook has another top game. This game while is very comparable to his previous mentioned game, but what set that one back was the worse opponent. This game was played against the team with the best record in the league, the Golden State Warriors. This game I watched live on TV so I can appreciate it more than others. Its tough for me put this game on here for the the simple fact that the team that had to endure this spectacular game is my favorite team but enough about that. Im here to talk about the gaudy stat line and the impressive showing by the emerging MVP candidate. In this game Westbrook took over, he showed his critics who think he can’t be a true point guard, that he can. Even more he showed his all around game and ability to stuff the stat sheet in a way that most players only dream about. This was truly a impressive performance that not only wowed but also proved his critics wrong.
#4 Stephen Curry aka The Baby Faced Assassin: 51 points with 10 THREE POINTERS!
Because Stephen Curry is my favorite player I feel I should give some background on him.
Stephen Curry attended Davidson College and played basketball there for 3 years before moving on to the NBA. In the 2009 NBA draft Curry was selected 7th overall to the Golden State Warriors(my favorite team as well). There were lots of concerns about his physical attributes which were valid as he was 6’3 and only 180 lbs coming out of college. The one thing that set him apart from others was boy he could shoot the lights out! He is one of those players who when they step into the gym they are in range. His first few years were plagued with ankle injuries which made people wonder if he would ever be healthy enough to make it in the league, because there was no doubt he had the talent. Fast forward to the 2013-2014 season and Curry broke out and became a star. Now in his 6th NBA season he has become one of the biggest rising stars in this league and one of the top players at his position. Along with this he is an MVP candidate and on the team with the best record in the league.
Ok now that I’ve gotten that out there we can look into this spectacular game he put up against the Dallas Mavericks on February 4th. This game is the perfect showcase of Curry’s beautiful jumper, as he hit 10 three pointers(no that is not a typo). This wasn’t all he did, along with the 10 three pointers he also showed his ability to get into the paint and finish amongst the trees(centers). In this game he did most of his damage in the 3rd and 4th quarter which for him is common. I can remember sitting at home watching this game and whenever he shot you just knew it had to be going in, because when he gets in a rhythm you better hope he either gets subbed out or the quarter ends because if not, your going to get buried.
P.S. If you want more Steph Curry on fire check this video out.
#3 LeBron James: 42 points 11 rebounds & 5 assists
Did you think LeBron I forgot about LeBron? Nope. This season has been full of ups and downs for the King of the NBA. After leaving his super team in Miami to come home to Cleveland there were a lot of questions. Can this Cavs team win a title this year? How will Kevin Love fit? How will the Cavs fare with a rookie head coach? These are all good questions. The one thing that never was questioned was if LeBron would still be as dominant as he was in his 20s. Turning 30 for most NBA players can mean your career is winding down. LeBron isn’t most players, he is going to continue to be a dominate player for at most 5-7 years. I could list all of his accolades but that could take me all day. I’ll just simplify it by saying LeBron James is easily a top 10 player all time and maybe even top 5 when he decides to retire.
This season for him has seen him take a back seat to some of the rising stars in the league such as James Harden, Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook. This game against the Golden State Warriors was a statement game and coincidently took place the same day I’m writing this post. Its a reminder to everyone else in the league that LeBron is out for blood and will go through anyone. LeBron knew the significance of this game and what you saw was probably one of the most dominant games this season. LeBron did it all in this game. He attacked the basket in the way only he can, he hit impossible jumpers, he played strong in the post, and played spectacular defense. Even if you don’t like LeBron you can’t help but be dazzled by how great he is and how great he has been consistently throughout his career.
#2 Russell Westbrook: 48 points 11 assists & 9 rebounds
If you thought those last games from Westbrook were awesome then sit back and enjoy this because its truly amazing.
WOW
That was my immediate though after watching this game from Russell Westbrook.
This game by Westbrook is something special. Unfortunately he couldn’t complete the triple double but still that should not take away from what was accomplished by him. In the first half alone he had already scored 20 points and you could tell he was on track for a monster game. He didn’t disappoint. He scored 28 more points in the second half and dominated more than ever. I may just be restating points from earlier but I love watching Russell Westbrook. He plays with such passion that even if he is killing your favorite team you still root for him. Not everyone has his fire and attitude that make him such a unique athlete. It may seem crazy but I’ll say it anyway: Russell Westbrook is the closest comparison the NBA has to Kobe Bean Bryant right now. He plays with the same fire and passion and its a great sight to see.
#1 Klay Thompson: 52 points, 37 POINTS IN THE 3RD QUARTER
If you only watched the video once I suggest you watch it again. Now before I try to even put this performance into words I’ll give you some stats from this night:
52 points, 16-25 from the field, 11-15 from 3, 9-10 FTM
37 points in the third quarter, 13-13 from the field, 9-9 from 3
This performance still gives me chills. To see a player in such a zone is truly a sight to see. Not many other players get to the same level Klay Thompson was in. The only other players to score 30+ points in a quarter are George “The Iceman” Gervin, Carmelo Anthony and Wilt Chamberlain. To be in the company of players like this gives this game instant credibility. After a solid first half of 13 points it looked like Thompson was on track for a good game but I don’t think anyone, even him, expected him to score 37 points in one quarter and to do it without missing a single shot when 70% of those shots were from the 3pt line. You can be sure this game is one that will go down in the NBA history and won’t be forgotten anytime soon, and may even be the breakout game of a potential Hall of Fame player.
Who am I to the Internet
Whenever I browse the Internet I click on a lot of different things. If it interests me then I click. Up until learning more about a thing called my digital footprint I wouldn’t think too much on it and most people don’t.
The way that I would explain digital footprints is everything that you have ever posted, liked, clicked, upvoted on the internet. It is scary to think how little privacy we actually have.
In the podcast following this sentence I will talk more about what I think about how little privacy we actually have and what I found when I googled my name and us.
Jacobs Blog 