Top 5 Small Forwards All-Time

Here's my list of the top 5 small forwards in NBA history:

1. Larry Bird

"The Legend"

  Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1998); NBA champion (1981, '84, '86); NBA Finals MVP (1984, '86); NBA MVP (1984, '85, '86); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1980-88); All-NBA Second Team (1990); All-Defensive Second Team (1982, '83, '84); NBA Rookie of the Year (1980); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996); Olympic gold medalist (1992).

2. Julius Erving

"The Doctor"

 Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1993); NBA champion (1983); NBA MVP (1981); All-NBA First Team (1978, '80, '81, '82, '83); All-NBA Second Team (1977, '84); 11-time All-Star (1977-87); All-Star MVP (1977, '83); J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
3. James Worthy


"Big Game James"

 
  Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2003); NBA champion (1985, '87, '88); NBA Finals MVP (1988); All-NBA Third Team (1990, '91); All-Rookie Team (1983); Seven-time NBA All-Star (1986-92); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).
4. Elgin Baylor

"The best Laker Ever?"

  Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1977); All-NBA First Team (1959, '60, '61, '62, '63, '64, '65, '67, '68, '69); Rookie of the Year (1959); 11-time NBA All-Star; All-Star co-MVP (1959)
5. John Havlicek


"Mr. Defense"

Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1984); NBA champion (1963, '64, '65, '66, '68, '69, '74, '76); NBA Finals MVP (1974); All-NBA First Team (1971-74); All-NBA Second Team (1964, '66, '68, '69, '70, '75, '76); All-Defensive First Team (1972-76); All-Defensive Second Team (1969-71); 13-time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

"Jordan made him relevant"

 I know that all of my Chicago Bulls fans are saying, "what's up with Scottie Pippen?" While "Pipp" was good,  making the Top 50 greatest NBA list, he wasn't as good as the numbers showed. He played with Jordan for crying out loud.


  I get into this argument all of the time with my brother-n-law because he's a huge Pippen fan. Post Jordan, "Pipp" was in my opinion, a mediocre player. Nothing special about him. My point was made in the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks. Chicago was down 0-2 with 1.8 seconds left and Phil Jackson drew up the last play of the game to go to then rookie Toni Kukoc instead of Pippen. Pippen was so upset at not being the go to guy on that play, that he didn't even go back in for the final play.

 If Phil is the guru and he didn't trust "Pipp" to win it for him.... I'm just sayin'.  Scottie couldn't carry the squad on his own and was eventually traded to Houston to play with Barkley and Olajuwon and that didn't work primarily because of ego's.  Then he was traded to Portland where he never really did anything. So please don't bring Scottie Pippen up. If you don't agree with my five that's OK, just give me somebody other than Scottie Pippen!

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from NBA.com was used in this article.

Top 5 Point Guards All-Time!

"Will this guy eventually make the list?"

 In my opinion, these are the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. Now some of you may have a different #4 or 5  because some of you old school guys may say, "what about Tiny Archibald or even Gary Payton"? However, I'm pretty sure I nailed it. Will the list change in the next 10 to 15 years after we have seen the careers of Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and Darrin Williams or will it be the same? What's your opinion?
1. Magic Johnson 



"Nuff said!"



 Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2002); NBA champion (1980, '82, '85, '87, '88); NBA Finals MVP (1980, '82, '87); NBA MVP (1987, '89, '90); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1983-91); All-NBA Second Team (1982); 12-time All-Star; All-Star MVP (1990, '92); Olympic gold medalist (1992); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

2. Oscar Robertson

"Completely changed the game"

 Honors: Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1980); NBA champion (1971); NBA MVP (1964); Nine-time All-NBA First Team (1961-69); All NBA Second Team (1970, '71); Rookie of the Year (1961); 12-time NBA All-Star (1961-72); All-Star MVP (1961, '64, '69); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996); Olympic gold medalist (1960).

3. Isiah Thomas

"Played hard every night"



 Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2000); NBA champion (1989, '90); NBA Finals MVP (1990); All-NBA First Team (1984, '85, '86); All-NBA Second Team (1983, '87); NBA All-Rookie Team (1982); 12-time NBA All-Star (1982-93); NBA All-Star Game MVP (1984, '86); J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1987); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

4. John Stockton

"The definition of playing under control"


Honors: All-NBA First Team (1994, '95); All-NBA Second Team (1988, '89, '90, '92, '93, '96); All-NBA Third Team (1991, '97, '99); NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1989, '91, '92, '95, '97); 10-time NBA All-Star; Olympic gold medalist (1992, '96); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996)

5. Bob Cousy



Inventor of the "No-look" pass

 

 Honors: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1971); NBA champion (1957, '59, '60, '61, '62, '63); NBA MVP (1957); 10-time All-NBA First Team (1952-61); All-NBA Second Team ('62, '63); 13-time All-Star; All-Star MVP (1954, '57); One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.















Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from NBA.com was used in this article

The Best Coaches Are Intense!

Coaches have always been a special breed of human being. Primarily because they not only spend their lives teaching young people how to be better players, but how to be better people. Male coaches especially, have played the role of father to so many young men for decades whether a child has a father at home or not. When he stepped onto the field or court "Coach So and So" was in charge. These guys have turned boys into men over the years but that hasn't been done with a simple pep talk.

There is so much testosterone in a young man's locker room that many times it becomes a battle of wills. I've seen coaches of mine jump all over some players to get the best out of them. Many times it becomes physical and there is no way around it. You can't always talk a guy into giving his best. That's part of growing up and being a man. Now, by no means am I justifying a coach beating up a kid. However, we've got to be able to distinguish between what is coaching and what is abuse.

Just recently, the head basketball coach at tiny division II Holy Family Univiersity, John O'Connor, was suspended and has now resigned  after he was accused of pushing, kicking and injuring sophomore Matt Kravchuk. The tape of the incident hit the Internet about five days ago and has created quite a stir.  I see a very intense coach at a normal basketball practice. I don't see a guy trying to hurt or embarrass a kid. Law enforcement would have charged him if there were enough evidence to suggest that he did anything wrong.

Matt continued to practice for seven more days after the incident before going to police. That sounds like he's got something against his coach, not that the coach abused him in any way. If he felt like he was really abused he would've gone straight to the authorities right away.

If you think that Coach O'Connor's behavior was out of line then you shouldn't allow your son to play sports, especially football when he get's older. I've seen coaches do much worse to get the best out of some players. Teams don't win with guys like Matt Kravchuk playing a significant role. There is a reason why this 6' 5" kid is playing at lowly Holy Family. He doesn't have the heart to compete at a higher level. Kids that play at the Division 1 programs are accustomed to seeing coaches with fire that might curse, grab and throw etc.

Coach O'Connor was in his first year at Holy Family after being an assistant at Georgia Tech which is a Division 1 program. He was accustomed to coaching a different type of athlete that responds to his intensity. Kids playing at Holy Family aren't used to coaches being that aggressive so it was culture shock.

If you turn on your television there isn't a guy that's winning that hasn't been guilty of being too aggressive. I can also say that Matt won't ever play basketball again because nobody wants a guy that is that soft on their team. His own teammates wrote a letter to the university completely supporting Coach O'Connor. This kid was clearly not abused, he was being coached. Once again, if you think this is abuse, then pull your son off of whatever team he's on right now or don't let him play past the 8th grade. Because somebody is going to curse him out, grab him by the collar or kick him in the butt if he's not working hard.  What's your opinion?
















Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Danger Zone!

The danger of head to head hit's is everywhere

Steven Threet, Arizona State's starting quarterback for most of the 2010 season, says he will not play football anymore. Threet, who will be a senior in 2011, has suffered four concussions, two of which occurred last season. Threet told The Arizona Republic on Wednesday that he's still experiencing symptoms from the last concussion and still has headaches and has trouble sleeping.



Arizona State's, Steven Threet

 With the technology in the athletic training world advancing over the years, the increased threat of head  injuries has skyrocketed. Players are getting bigger, stronger and faster every year. Back when I was in high school and college,  an offensive lineman was 260 lbs. Now guys playing that position are on average 300 plus lbs with great agility. You're finding defensive lineman playing at 260 to 285 lbs that have the speed of most running backs now.

A few years ago, I was at the NFL combine and Ronnie Brown from Auburn,who was eventually drafted by the Dolphins, was there. This guy was 6' 3'' 230 lbs and was clocked at 4.3 in the forty yard dash. A guy moving that fast and that big should have been arrested for moving that much weight so quickly. He may as well have been driving a car. Can you imagine the impact that occurs when he collides with a safety that now days is 6'1'' 210 lbs running just as fast? Dangerous combination!

 The game of football is becoming increasingly more dangerous every year. We've just started to see the profound effects of the head injuries from older players. Just recently, former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson took is own life. Before shooting himself in the chest, he asked family members to have his brain examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which has been tied to depression, dementia and occasionally suicide in former NFL players.

 I had a friend of mine that played 6 years in the National Football League, that continuously suffered from headaches. He died at only 38 years old from a brain aneurysm shortly after visiting his doctors office for a headache. Looking back at it, I often wonder if his death was related to head trauma from football.



"Turn it down, Please!"

  I'm so glad that medical technology has improved along with the strength training technology. Twenty or thirty years ago they weren't diagnosing concussions at the same rate. They would just say you got your bell rung really good. You would sit out a few plays and go right back into the game. Now they are very cautious about letting a player back onto the field that exhibits any symptom's of head trauma.  The NFL has cracked down on head to head hits and handing out heafty fines. It will curb some of the dangerous hits but not all of them.

Unfortunately, because guys are so powerful and fast that there is still a significant threat to players. The rules can't always account for freak accidents because a player may move slightly to the right or left just before impact that would cause a dangerous head to head encounter anyway. Let's hope that the new rules along with the diligent work of the medical community makes it a safer game to play.  What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygraves@report.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Coaches Should Be Paid More Than Professors

"Tommy Tuberville hopes to turn the Red Raiders"

So often we hear about the plight of our teachers not being compensated for the outstanding work that they do in the classroom. I completely agree that they have been under valued and under appreciated. However, I don't believe that they should be paid more than people that have a direct impact on generating revenues.  I strongly agree that they impact our children's lives and help build the future leaders of this country but I always ask the question, "Where will the money come from to pay them." Teachers are paid with federal and state funding, that means tax dollars. If people aren't willing to pay higher taxes, then teachers can't get higher salaries.

If we understand that concept, why is the faculty at Texas Tech so upset with Tommy Tuberville, their head football coach, who was just recently awarded a $500,000-per-year pay raise through 2015. The raise has angered some university faculty members, who have been asked to take a pay freeze in 2011. Already facing an 8 percent state funding reduction and with more funding cuts possible, Tech officials killed $3 million in faculty raises for 2011. However, Tuberville's new five-year, $11 million contract guarantees the coach at least $2 million per year. That's up from $1.5 million in the contract he signed in 2010.


At a faculty senate meeting last week, several faculty members questioned Tech's announcement last month that it would pay Tuberville the raise even as lawmakers considering cutting university revenue by tens of millions of dollars, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported in Monday's editions.

"If that was me, I would have turned it down. I would have been embarrassed," Julian Spallholz, a human sciences professor and Tech faculty senator, told the newspaper. If it were him he wouldn't have been offered the raise because he's not the head coach or CEO of a multimillion dollar enterprise. What people don't realize is that the head football coach at a major institution is like being a CEO of a corporation. Winning programs generate millions of dollars every year not to mention the millions in alumni donations that come in as a result of the team winning. However, in order to win at the level that the university needs to compete, they've got to pay the head coach at the level that his colleagues are being paid in order to keep him. Here's a look at the highest paid coaches in college football:

1. Nick Saban Alabama $5.16M
2. Mack Brown Texas $5.1M
3. Bob Stoops Oklahoma $4.2M
4. Kirk Ferentz Iowa $3.75M

Tuberville's salary is not even close to these guys but the university has to be competitive in pay in order to retain good talent bruh. If Tuberville can win at the level that Tech is expecting him to, that $2 million dollars per year will look like peanuts in a few years. Take a look at what the big time programs pull in when the teams are winning.

From the Equity in Athletics reports, here's a look at the top ten football revenue schools (2003-2004):

1) Texas $47,556,281
2) Tennessee $46,704,719
3) Ohio State $46,242,355
4) Florida $42,710,967
5) Georgia $42,104,214
6) Alabama $39,848,836
7) Notre Dame $38,596,090
8) Michigan $38,547,937
9) LSU $38,381,625
10) Auburn $37,173,943

Once again,  I respect the job that teachers do all over this country because my mother is a retired school teacher. My sister is currently a middle school teacher in Houston as well. However, just because the professor and the coach work at the same university doesn't mean that they should be judged by the same standard. They serve completely different roles and are paid out of two different baskets of money. By the way, when the professor lectures on Friday there won't be 90,000 people paying an average of $65.00 per ticket to see him or her do their job. It also won't be televised and the final exam doesn't pay the school $17 million(BCS bowl win or lose) at the end of the semester.

People don't spend money at the local restaurants and hotels all weekend and buy items in the bookstore when the professors show up to do their jobs. We have to begin to understand that sports is a multi-million dollar business on these college campuses and the head coaches are the conductors of those trains. Football and basketball are responsible for the all of the new growth on campus, new buildings, increased enrollment etc. Studies have shown that when a universities athletic programs are successful, it has a direct impact on admissions. The entire university will benefit from the $2 million investment into Tommy Tuberville in the long run. Professors can come and go and it won't make a bit of difference to the bottom line bruh.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Basketball Wives?

"How about calling it Basketball Wife and the Gold Diggers"

Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife, Shaunie, is the executive producer of the very popular show on VH-1 called “Basketball Wives”. Now it’s well into its second season and seems to be doing very well. I’ve got serious problems with this show because of the title. First of all, there is only one married woman on the show. Everyone else, including Shaunie, is either an ex-wife or an ex-girlfriend or second girlfriend of some current or former professional basketball player.

I don’t really care that they are who they are, but don’t call it “Basketball Wives”. Call it “Basketball Ex’s” or “Basketball Jump Offs” or “Basketball Gold Diggers” or something but not wives. It’s insulting to those women that are truly wives or those that aspire to become someone’s wife. There are young women watching this show that may have no clue of what marriage is all about or that may have grown up in a dysfunctional family that may be looking for answers on having a functional relationship with a man.

From the word go its ignorant. These women care nothing about themselves or their children because if they did, they wouldn’t be exploiting the fact that they were involved with a pro athlete on national television. Their kids have to go to school and deal with their classmates and if kids are anything like they were when I was coming up, they’re in trouble. We talked about your mother just because and we didn’t have evidence of them being wild and out of control. We just made things up. So I know that the children of these women are fighting everyday at school. They don’t have a choice at this point. You can’t let someone talk about your mother, regardless if she’s an idiot.

The other big problem I have is with Jennifer, who is married to Eric Williams, she’s keeping the wrong company. The biggest mistake a woman can make is to hang out with a bunch of single or divorced women and get marital advice from them. Those women can’t give you advice about your marriage because they aren’t. Misery loves company! Why do you think that they hang out together? If you want to get marital advice you’ve got to get it from Godly married people. Not someone that doesn’t understands the sanctity of it. What kind of advice does she think those ladies are going to give her? Last season I saw an episode where all of the ladies were encouraging Jennifer to divorce her husband. That’s not something that other people have the right to do. It was easy for them to give that advice because very few of them had ever been married. They were just the “baby momma” or side hustle for some guy.

The whole situation is a result of women with low self-esteem. It’s so important for parents to love their sons and daughters and show them how precious they truly are. If we teach our children how to be husbands and wives by example we can save them from going through this type of foolishness. Our sons would learn from their fathers how to treat their wives and our baby girls will know what types of men to choose as husbands as a results of watching their parents love each other, even during times of difficulty. She won’t go out looking for some guy that has a million dollar contract for the purpose of being rich and more than likely, ending up being miserable.















Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport　
　

Kobe is Kobe! West Wins!

Kobe leads the West to victory and takes home the MVP

Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant always shines brightest among the stars, especially in his hometown.
Bryant brought Showtime back to the All-Star Game, scoring 37 points and tying a record with his fourth MVP award, leading the Western Conference to a 148-143 victory over the East on Sunday night.

"I feel like we have a sense of responsibility and we are voted in for what we do during the season, which is play hard," Bryant said. "And we come here, that's what the fans want to see. They want to see us go at it and see us compete and that's what I try to do and that's what I try to tell my teammates to do."

Returning to the game he dominates after a one-year absence, Bryant added 14 rebounds in a spectacular performance in front of the usual celebrity-filled crowd that turns out to see his Lakers at Staples Center.

"It feels great, being at home here and playing in front of the home crowd," Bryant said after receiving the MVP trophy. "This will be my last All-Star game in front of these home fans, so it feels good to do it."

Kevin Durant chipped in 34 points, scoring five straight after the East cut a 17-point deficit after three quarters to two points with 2:34 to play. The NBA scoring leader added the clinching free throws after the East got back within three in the final seconds.

LeBron James powered the East rally, finishing with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to join Michael Jordan as the only players with a triple-double in the All-Star game. Amare Stoudemire also scored 29, but Miami's Dwyane Wade, the MVP of the East's win last year, had to leave with an ankle injury after scoring 14.

Wade said he rolled the ankle he originally hurt in a loss at Boston last week. He was hoping James would pull it out without him.

"I wish the East would've won, then my teammate with the triple-double would've stole [the MVP]," Wade said. "But [Bryant] deserved it."

Plenty of Hollywood giants were sitting courtside, but Bryant's popularity here can rival most of them. This week, he became the first athlete to have his handprints and footprints put in concrete outside Hollywood's famed Grauman's Chinese Theater. He told fans to "enjoy the show" before the tip, and as always he delivered a good one.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

Worse Dunk Contest Ever!

Blake Griffin wins the NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Man what was that? Not one of those guys got a dunk on the first try. I felt like I was watching them at practice. Are you kidding me? I heard some the comentators saying that it was the best they've ever seen because of the creativity. I can agree that the creativity was there but it took them three or four times to get the dunk. That's garbage. The best dunk contest was when Jordan and Dominique went at it in 1988.

Blake Griffin jumped over the car but he jumped over the hood of it and not the roof. It would've been more difficult if he had leaped over another player etc. Yeah, the presentation was cool but it was a whole lot of nothing. Vince Carter, Spud Webb, Dominique, Jordan, Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson would have ran away with that conest tonight hands down. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

The New Dr. Dunkenstein

Blake Griffin is "The New Dr Dunk"

Regardless of who wins the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest tonight, the new Dr. Dunk is Blake Griffin. When I rank the best dunkers to ever play the game I'm talking about in-game dunkers. I  know Jordan was a great dunk contest performer but he doesn't make my list. Blake is the most exciting player in the NBA right now!

My Top 5 "In-Game" Dunkers are:


1. Dominique "The Human Highlight Reel" Wilkins

"Mr. Highlight"

2. Julius "Dr. J" Irving

"Dr. J"

3. Clyde  "The Glide" Drexler

"The Glide"

4. Darrell "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins

5. Vince Carter

"Vince"

What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Cat Fighting!

"The richest game in the world"

As we move closer to the March 4th deadline for the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement to expire the owners and players union are still no closer to an agreement than they were a year ago. The two sides have at least agreed to median in their dispute. The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent U.S. government agency, will oversee negotiations in Washington beginning Friday. Hopefully they can resolve the issues that are keeping the world's greatest game from going on strike.

According to Forbes The National Football League is the strongest sport in the world. The reason: No other league has so successfully exploited new stadiums as the NFL during the past decade. Last year the NFL made more than $9.3 billion according to the most recent Sports Illustrated. With all of that money being made why would anybody jeopardise losing that stream of income? 


DeMaurice Smth, Executive Director NFLPA


The unfortunate part about this whole ordeal is that the players have no leverage. They can't accord not to play. We hear so much about these huge contracts that the guys are getting but what we don't bother to pay attention to is the amount of guys that are going broke after their playing days are over.  According to a Sports Illustrated article on March 23, 2009,  by the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.
So if the NFL were to shut down for the 2011 season, within a year of that, according to these numbers, more than half of these guys will be broke. The owners would lose a substantial amount of income but they'll be fine. Please understand that the NFL is a second or third job for these guys. This isn't their only way they eat. They were billionaire's prior to buying an NFL franchise. Take a look at the net worth of  some of these guys:

1. Paul Allen, Seattle Seahawks
Net worth: $16.8 billion

2. Malcolm Glazer, Tampa Bay Bucs
Net worth: $2.5 billion
3. Wayne Huizenga, Miami Dolphins
Net Worth: $2.5 billion
4. Randolph Lerner, Cleveland Browns
Net Worth: $1.6 billion
5. Robert McNair, Houston Texans
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
6. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
7. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys
Net Worth: $1.5 billion
8. Robert Kraft, New England Patriots
Net Worth: $1.4 billion
9. Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens
Net Worth: $1.3 billion
10. Daniel Snyder , Washington Redskins
Net Worth: $1 billion


The average NFL team is worth over $1 billion for the first time ever. Nineteen of the league's 32 teams are worth 10-digits, according to Forbes. We can argue about how the players at getting screwed all we want but the owners will determine what happens in 2011. I believe that the players will get some of things they want but by in large the owners will dictate the proceedings.

 It's unfortunate because so many people will suffer financially if they don't play this fall. Think about all of the people employed by the stadiums across the country. Not to mention the hotels, restaurants and other service oriented venues. Everybody loses because some rich folks are fighting over money that they can't spend anyway. Well.... I guess the players have proven that they can and will spend it. What's your opinion? 

Jay Graves

jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport 

The Franchise!

Eagles place the Franchise Tag on Vick

The Philadelphia Eagles placed their franchise tag on quarterback Michael Vick on Tuesday, the team announced. Under rules of the soon-to-expire collective bargaining agreement, franchise tags pay players the average of the top five players at that position. The Eagles went so far as to give Vick the "exclusive" designation, barring him from talking with other teams. The only other player to have received the exclusive tag thus far is four-time MVP Peyton Manning by the Indianapolis Colts. It is uncertain if franchise and transition tags will be part of the next CBA.

Vick made $5.25 million in 2010 but would make an estimated $20 million -- the average salary of the five highest-paid quarterbacks in the league -- as the Eagles' franchise player. I'm very proud of Mike for being able to stay focused enough to make it back. For a guy that spent nearly two years in prison and lost more than $100 million and to not give up is amazing. Once again it's grace and mercy! God is good isn't he? None of us deserve a second chance but he seems to always give it to us doesn't he?

The key for Vick now is to keep it on the road and stay in his lane. Don't let the additional money and the love that people are giving him right now get in the way. Remember that it wasn't too long ago that people were protesting the very existence of this young man. The Philly fans didn't welcome him with open arms and will turn on him as soon as the success goes south.

Mike, I need you to understand that these people that are giving you all of the love now are only riding with you because your winning and playing well. If the glass slipper comes off they'll turn into a pumpkin real quick. So put that money up bruh and keep your family and friends close to you  and you'll be alright. When I say family, I mean only those that were with you when you were in prison and those that were there when you came out of  prison. That is the group of people that truly loves you and will be there in the end.

Now that you're considered "The Franchise"  fans will forget that they treated you like crap when you showed up in Philly. Everybody is going to want to talk to you and shake your hand. They'll bring their kids up to you to take  pictures etc.  Be nice and oblige them but remember that they don't love you. They're just using you until the slipper comes off and that's cool. Just make your money and stay out of news and you'll be alright. Always listen to the guy that's calling the plays from the ultimate press box in the sky and you'll continue to win in life.

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

One and Done!

"Next!"

If Jared Sulinger were my son my advice would to him would be simple, One and Done! He is probably the most outstanding player in college basketball and will more than likely win the Naismith Award at the end of the season. His success on the court just didn't start this season. He's been a stud since his days in high school.
He was rated as the number 2 player in the class of 2010 in the ESPNU 100 the number 4 player by Scout.com and the number 5 player by Rivals.com. In his senior year, Sullinger led Northland High School to a 21-0 season and a #1 national ranking. He averaged 24.5 points and 11.7 rebounds for the season.
Sullinger was selected to play in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game where he was named co-MVP. He also won the James A. Naismith Award, which goes to the boys basketball player of the year.

This year he has led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 24-1 record and a #2 ranking. They were undefeated until last weekend and ranked #1.The only reason that he's even in college is because the NBA changed the rules after Lebron entered the league. It states that a kid has to wait a year after high school before entering the draft. With the talent that he possesses there is no reason for him to remain in school. Some people are born with something that very few have. It's like winning the genetic lottery. My instructions to him as a father would've been clear when he enrolled at Ohio State.

Son, I need you to take all of your classes pass/fail. Don't worry about getting a certain grade. You won't need them. Next, I need you to take classes in personal finance, interviewing and speech. Those types of classes will help you next year. Also during the spring semester just enroll in class but it won't be necessary to attend any of them because the draft is in June. This season is your final exam and the NCAA Tournament is your job interview. We'll get a personal trainer to work with you during the day to keep your body in the best shape possible so that you'll be ready for the draft.

I know that there are people cringing at what I just said because they believe that everyone should go to college to get a degree. Well that's simply not true. Most people that go to college go because they don't have other options at the time. If I had an option to make several million dollars at 18 or 19 years old. I wouldn't have a degree today. Do you realize that orthopedic surgeons make $250K per year and over the course of a career will only make about $8 million?

 I wrote an article entitled, "Educated Idiot"  about why Andrew Luck from Stanford was crazy for staying in school. What folks don't realize is that the money in the NBA is all guaranteed. That means if a kid gets hurt, they'll have to pay him the balance of his contract. There is no risk for leaving school early if he's one of the lottery picks. All lottery picks sign a 3 year deal worth $10 million. That's not to mention the $50 to $60 million he'll get in endorsements right from the start. There isn't a degree in the world that pays that type of money. If he gets hurt he can always go back to school with the $50 million that he just made.

Lebron hadn't even graduated from high school when he signed a 6 year/ $90 million deal with Nike and then a month later he was drafted into the NBA. Now this arguement only applies to about 10 people in the world. I'm not talking about some kid that's just playing college basketball and thinks that he's good. I'm talking about Jared Sulinger and kids like him.

I had this same argument with friends when Greg Oden was in high school here in Indy. They said I wasn't making sense when I told them about my instructions. Oden hasn't played in the NBA yet because of knee injuries. Had he listened to them, he'd still be at Ohio State, broke, with a knee injury, trying to get to the league with very little chance of it. It's a good thing he listened to someone like me. What's your opinion?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Kingdom Business? Not Yet!

LeBron still can't get over the hump!

LeBron James and the Miami Heat couldn't win in Boston in the regular season. And now they might have to do it in the playoffs. Rajon Rondo had a triple-double, and James missed a crucial free throw with 12.5 seconds left in the Celtics' 85-82 victory over Miami on Sunday. With less than 6 seconds left he decided not to take the last shot. Therefore,  Boston improved to 3-0 against the Heat this season, taking back the top spot in the East and clinching the potential tiebreaker for home-court advantage in the playoffs. They will play again in Miami on April 10.

If LeBron wants to be considered one of the best players in the game. He's got to be willing to take the last shot in clutch situations and be able to drain them too. You can't be called the "King" if you're giving the ball up to Mike Miller with under ten seconds left. There's no way Kobe or Jordan wouldn't have taken that shot. This is where legends are born!

 Hey LJ, I've had your back through all of the "hateration" that's come your way since "The Decision". I was down with you because I thought that you had every right to leave Cleveland. You didn't owe them any explanation etc. However, if I'm going to ride with you bruh, you've got to step your game up when the game is on the line. The great players thirst for opportunities like beating Boston on the road at the buzzer. Jordan lived for those situations.We can't even count how many times he won ball games at the buzzer.



Kobe dunking on Dwight Howard!

 Kobe is the same way. He'll beat you 9 out of 10 times if he gets the shot off. He's the best player on the planet right now because he has that killer instinct. No doubt about it. Until "King James" starts to win big games at the buzzer and destroying good teams and not just the mediocre ones, he won't be able to live in the Kobe/Jordan stratosphere.

LeBron has got to start handling some "Kingdom Business" if he's going to wear the the tag "King".  Until then Kobe is the "King" because he wants the ball and he'll win the big games. He's also got four rings to flash if you've ever doubted who he was. What's your opinion?




Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.

Learning to Compete is Mandatory!

"Forcier running away from Michigan!"

Learning to compete in this world is as necessary as learning to think. So many of our children are afraid to because their parents have never taught them what it means to endure. Sometimes it's OK for our kids to be uncomfortable because that's the only way they will get better. Being comfortable doesn't give them the desire to become great and find success. So as parents we do our children a grave disservice by coddling them and never making them work through difficult situations.
Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier has decided to transfer to the University of Miami. He was a prep star in San Diego who wound up starting for the Wolverines in his college debut as a true freshman.
Injuries stunted his success and  Michigan lost seven of their next eight games his first year. Denard Robinson moved past Forcier on the depth chart last spring and started the 2010 opener, accounting for 383 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Connecticut.

 Forcier then became a back up to Robinson last season after starting ahead of him when they were both freshmen during the 2009 season. Forcier threw for 2,647 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 20 career games. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound Forcier, was ruled academically ineligible to play in the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl.

Here is an example of a kid that was afraid to compete, no way around it. I've got to call it what it is. Not to mention that it wasn't a great move to transfer. Forcier is a sophomore and is ruled ineligible to play in the 2011 season as a result of the transfer. He's not going to be a priority to anyone during spring ball this year because he can't play in the fall. He'll only have a year of eligibility left when he does get back on the field, if he gets on it. Who's to say he'll even play at Miami. There are studs all over South Florida. They may find some kid that out competes him next year. Then what?

Why transfer to Miami when they've got a new coaching staff as well? Why not  stay and compete for the starting job at Michigan and at least give yourself an opportunity to play for the next two years instead of one. Denard was Rich Rod's guy but in a new system with a new staff the job is wide open. By not teaching a child to compete at an early age we've taught them to believe that it's just easier to give up.

As an adult he's approach life the same way because "The way you do anything is the way you do everything". Being uncomfortable is how people grow and find what's really inside of them. Dieon Sanders calls it, "Bringing that Dog out". In order to find it you've got to first become uncomfortable.

Pearls are formed when a foreign object enters the shell of a mollusk and irritates the soft mantle tissue. As a result of the mollusk being irritated, something valuable  is formed. That's the way God made us and we only become great after we've learned to push past the point where most people would give up. That's why they call it being great!

What's going to happen when he doesn't get the promotion he was looking for on the job. Will he quit or search for that dog and compete for the next one?  If you teach your child that it's OK to run now, he'll keep running for the rest of his life. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad and The Associated Press was used in this report.

Fall From Grace!

"Old News"

I’ve enjoyed seeing the Hoosiers at the bottom of the Big Ten rankings with a 3-9 conference record and a 12-13 overall nose dive. It’s exactly what they deserve. This was a program that completely took recruits and its former players for granted. They never once thought that they would be the worse team in the league because of their storied history. Well…let me tell you something. High school recruits have one question, “What have you done lately?” They don’t care about the fact that you’ve won five national titles because they weren’t alive to see any of them. The last title that IU brought home was ’87.

All-time NCAA Wins!

 Although I couldn’t stand Bobby Knight he was effective. He was a firecracker and was always sitting on the edge of the envelope. He cared nothing about what people thought of him or his philosophy but most importantly he made Indiana basketball relevant. The late Myles Brand couldn’t see that when he ran the guy out of town. At the minimum, he could have broken the NCAA wins record (880) once held by Dean Smith at IU instead of at Texas Tech. Like I said, I couldn’t stand the guy but he kept IU on the national college basketball map.

The Hoosiers didn’t have sense enough to fire the guy at the end of the season. They got rid of him two weeks before the season started which was the worse thing that could’ve happen. That showed more arrogance than I could handle. Brand and the university, with that move alone, told the basketball world that we’re bigger than any one coach or potential recruits and that simply wasn't true. So they were forced to promote Mike Davis, who was a complete joke,  to head coach when he wasn’t ready. How do you give a guy the keys to the Bentley that doesn’t even have a license to drive?

The program has been in a complete tailspin ever since. Now they made in my opinion a great move in hiring Kelvin Sampson because he was an excellent recruiter. He consistently won twenty ball games at Oklahoma and built his program off of junior college players. That wasn’t Indiana’s style and the good old boys in Bloomington couldn’t accept the difference.

They fired the guy because he was text messaging recruits more than he should have. Are you kidding me? Everyone that is winning is pushing the envelope and in many cases simply ripping it up.  How do you think the guy landed Eric Gordon, who by the way had already committed to Illinois? When Sampson left, so did his team. Arrogance gets you nowhere IU.

Tom Crean is doing the best he can with what he has and from the looks of it he has pretty good recruiting classes coming in for 2011 and 2012. Let this be a lesson to you Indiana, when a guy is winning leave him alone. Being the doormat of the Big Ten and living in a hole isn’t fun for anybody, especially your once proud alumni. Hopefully, in couple of years we can show up on the first day of the NCAA Tournament and wear our t-shirts at the sports bar and talk trash like everyone else. What’s your opinion?

Jay Graves

jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

The NBA Needs KG's Passion!

"I'm All In"

Kevin Garnett has been my favorite player in the league since the day he became a professional. Not because of his game or because of the team that he played for. It was simply his passion for the game and his passion for his team. KG for years has been the only player in the league that plays with a child’s enthusiasm every night. I don’t care if it’s the first game of the season or a Wednesday night in January, he’s going to leave it all on the court.

There are so many guys in the league that have  dogged it until the playoffs start like Shaq, Barkley, Malone, Iverson, just to name a few, for so many years. How many times do you hear of guys not even playing on any given night? I’ve been burned so much trying to see cats play that just decided they're not playing and won’t even make the trip.

My wife was a huge Iverson fan while he was in the league. So we would get tickets to see him whenever they would come to Indy to play the Pacers. I can’t even count the number of times that Iverson didn’t even make the trip with the team bruh. If you see him tell him I'm looking for him because he owes me money too! 

Tickets aren’t free and I want to see guys give it all they’ve got every night. Garnett has been that guy since day one. My wife can’t stand him because she says that he’s animalistic because he beats on his chest and talks to himself all night long. I keep telling her that that is passion pure and simple.  He wants to win every night no matter who they're playing.

Yeah, he picks on guys smaller than him from time to time but you won’t find a player in the league that plays harder than he does every night. Even when he was playing for the Timberwolves and he had absolutely no help, he had played with the same unbridled passion every night.

It’s only been recently that the guys in the NBA are playing hard during the regular season. There’s a new breed of player in the league now that we’ve never seen before. Guys like Lebron, D. Wade, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin all play with the same passion. They’re only going to be on the sideline if they are truly hurt and they all want to win every game. They aren’t doing what the old school guys did by pacing themselves and taking nights off to make it to the playoffs. I think they understand that the game is bigger than them and want to be a part of it more than anything.

 Last year, D. Wade and LeBron got together in South Beach to win a title and remain on that mission today. They put ego’s aside and put a plan in place to win a championship and you have to appreciate the effort. I'm cool with that just don't waste folks money when they come to see you play. Let's keep it real or all the 100, whichever comes 1st! It's all entertainment and folks want to see the product on the floor. If I wanted to see some cats goof around I could go to the rec center and watch old cats run up and down the floor for free.

 I’ve never been a fan of the NBA until just recently when guys like this have taken the floor. Back when Magic, Bird and Jordan were in the league the NBA was only interesting during the playoffs bruh.

People would suffer through the season and get dialed in, in April. The only guy’s worth watching during the regular season was Jordan, Clyde and Dominque. They were so athletic that they would give you a reason to tune in.  Nobody cared about watching Bird until the playoffs. It wasn’t until the Lakers and Celtics took the floor that anybody cared bruh.

I just think that Kevin Garnett raises the play and passion level of his teammates and we need more guys like him in the league. Before KG joined forces with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen those guys didn’t play at a maximum level every night bruh. Now they're getting old now but you understand what I'm saying. Sure, they’ve always been good but they would take nights off but not with KG on the floor or sideline. Even when he is hurt he’s going crazy on the bench and that is contagious. There is no substitute for passion!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

World Champions?




Now that Super Bowl XLV is in the books and the Packers have been crowned king of the National Football League. We can now sit back and examine this whole championship thing. For year's I've often wondered why our professional sports teams call themselves "World Champions" once they win the league championship. The NFL, NBA as well as MLB all do it. Why?

  I think that it's par for the course for Americans to be arrogant and this is just another reason why people from other countries have such  distaste for us. How can you call yourself a "World Champion" when you didn't compete on a world stage? The Lakers aren't the world champions! People play basketball all over the world and the NBA is just one of many leagues. The same goes for Major League Baseball. How can we call it the "World Series" when the only teams that are playing are from America?

The only true "World Champions" are the guys that participate in the World Cup in soccer or the tennis players and golfers etc. The entire world is involved in those tournaments. So whoever wins is the true "World Champion".

Now that the Packers have won the Super Bowl everybody will be introducing them as the "World Champions" and no one is going to blink.

Sometimes we need to check ourselves and our attitudes about who and what we are. Sure, we probably have some of the best athletes in the world. However, that doesn't mean that we've got the best teams in the world. I can remember just recently in 2004 when the U.S. Olympic basketball team picked up a bronze medal. We probably had the best set of athletes in the tournament but we didn't have the best team. So to say that we've got the best athletes and therefore we should call our league champions "World Champions" is arrogant.

  If there were a world tournament played every year for all of the baseball, basketball and football league champions that would be great.  If we win those "world series", if you will, then you can wear the tag "World Champion", but not until then. What's your opinion?

Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Cheesehead Champs!

Aaron Rodgers named Super Bowl MVP

Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Aaron Rodgers at long last casts his own shadow.

All it took was a Super Bowl victory for the Green Bay Packers.

Capping one of the greatest postseasons for any quarterback, Rodgers led the Pack to their first NFL championship in 14 years Sunday, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They reclaimed the Vince Lombardi Trophy, named for their legendary coach who won the first two Super Bowls and is making his own star turn in New York in the play named after him.

Lombardi goes home!

Rodgers, the game's MVP, thrilled his legion of Cheesehead fans with a spectacular six-game string that should finally erase the bitterness of the Brett Favre separation in Green Bay. After sitting for three long years before Favre left in 2008, Rodgers is now equal with Favre in Super Bowl wins, and he extended the Packers' record of NFL titles to 13, nine before the Super Bowl era.


"You can stop it now," veteran receiver Donald Driver said. "Aaron's proved that he's one of the best, if not the best, quarterback in this game today."

You could say it means this: Forget Lombardi on Broadway, Green Bay has the newest Super Bowl hit.

The favored Packers managed to overcome key injuries, building a 21-3 lead, then hung on to become only the second No. 6 seed to win the championship. Coincidentally, the 2005 Steelers were the other.


"Wow! It's a great day to be great, baby," said Greg Jennings, who caught two of Rodgers' three touchdown passes.

Rodgers threw for 304 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown to Jordy Nelson, who had nine catches for 140 yards to make up for three big drops. Rodgers found Jennings, normally his favorite target, for 21- and 8-yard scores.

The fans own the team!

"We've been a team that's overcome adversity all year," Jennings said, who noted injuries to Charles Woodson and Driver. "Our head captain goes down, emotional in the locker room. Our No. 1 receiver goes down, more emotions are going, flying in the locker room. But we find a way to bottle it up and exert it all out here on the field."


Woodson was in so much pain from a broken left collarbone that he could barely address the team at halftime in the locker room.

Few teams have been as resourceful as these Packers, who couldn't wait to touch the trophy honoring their greatest coach -- and their title. Several of them kissed it as Cowboys great Roger Staubach, walked through a line of green and gold, and up to the massive stage on the 50-yard line with the silver prize that is headed back to the NFL's smallest city.

"That is where it belongs," linebacker A.J. Hawk said. "As long as the Packers have lived, it's going to be great to bring that back."

Judgement Day!

"Today is the day"

 My Pregame Locker Room Speech:

Well  fellas.... It's finally here! This is the day that we've dreamed about our entire lives.
We both knew that it was coming, but who is the most prepared for it.
This is the day that separates the authentic from the replica's.
It divides those that only talk about being great from those that truly understand what it takes to become great.

Have we done enough, to this point, to accomplish our goal?
Have we searched our souls and dug deep into our being to pull out what talents God has already given us.?
Or have we just relied on what was at the surface, to sustain us?



Steelers vs Packers

Have we pushed past the point where most people would give up or are we satisfied with being like most people?
Today will ask us... Are you ready for me? Have you prepared for me or do you fear me?
How will you answer today? Will you boldly say...I have not only waited on you but I have prepared myself to stand before you and show myself worthy of you.

At the end of this day you will be known to all of the world, but what will you be known for?
Will it speak of you in high regard or will it ignore you because you weren't of any significance?  What will your legacy be? There are only two ways to be remembered, winners or losers.

Which will they use to describe to you?
Will you win today and forever be known as a Champion?
 Or will you fall short of your goal and remain insignificant?

-Jay Graves-

The JayGraves Report Official Pick:
 Super Bowl XLV
Steelers vs Packers

This should be a great ball game with two excellent defenses. I believe that the X-factor in today's game with be Charles Woodson. I've been saying all season that Woodson off of the edge is unstoppable because of his athleticism. Aaron Rodgers has played better than any QB in the league down the stretch. Troy Palamalu is a beast and I would like to see the Steelers win but I don't pick with my heart.  So therefore, the Packers will be known to the world as Champions!


Jay Graves
jaygraves@thejaygravesreport.com
follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport