"Game Recognize Game"

"JaMarcus Russell was the king of bling but is now already out of the league!"

I wrote an article entitled "Starting Off On The Wrong Foot" which was simply about pro athletes, specifically the young NFL draft picks, that are shining(wearing expensive jewelry) before the checks come in. This isn't just a problem with professional athletes, we see this behavior within our society as well. Everybody wants to look like they've got money but don't understand the game.

We always hear the phrase "Game Recognize Game" but so few people understand what that really means. Let's peel the onion back to see what it really looks like. When you've got money people with money recognize that. You don't have to put on a watch with diamonds all over it to prove to people with money that you've got it. You look stupid because people that are financially savvy understand how bad of an investment that watch really was.

The only people you are impressing are those that don't have money and that isn't the crowd you're trying to get respect from. People that are on your level understand what expensive things look like without all of the flash. For example, if I pull out a MONTBLANC pen I don't have to explain to folks what it is or how much it costs because people with money already know. Simply because they shop in the same places or perhaps browse in the same stores.

If you go out and buy the Gucci hat, belt and shoes and wear them all at the same time to prove to folks that you've made it, you simply haven't because you don't understand how stupid you look with all of that on. It's not about having those items, it's about understanding how to wear them.

Your goal isn't to impress people that have less money than you. You simply want to be respected by your peers so you don't have to buy the item that has the label plastered all over it. Your peers recognize that the shoes that you may have on are top shelf without seeing the label because they shop in the same stores.

So when I saw the young guys at the NFL draft in April "shining", I simply shook my head because many of them will never become millionaire's at all because they don't understand the game. They'll sign million dollar deals but because they're goal is to impress people with less money, they'll  fail to play on the level of true millionaire's.

When you get to a certain level financially, you should be hanging and living within the same  financial environment. So therefore, you shouldn't feel the need to impress those around you because they've got the same financial means that you do. If you still have the mentality of trying to one up folks, you're not in the same game as the real ballers. A pro basketball player doesn't have to prove to other pro basketball players that he can dunk!

"Ask me too"

 Just ask JaMarcus Russell about trying to impress the wrong crowd. He made $32 million guaranteed and he's out of the league already. Also at the rate he's spending money, he'll be out of that soon. This guy wears $10,000 minks while  playimg in Oakland and he's from Mobile, Alabama. There's no reason for him to even own a mink coat. Bling and money can't occupy the same space! You'll either have one or the other.

How many times has someone just volunteered pricing information to you that you didn't ask for? "Man I paid $400.00 for this shirt" etc. They were simply trying to impress you. However, if you were on the same level, you'd already know how much the shirt costs because you shop in the same stores. Do you follow what I'm saying? It's OK to buy nice things or even expensive items every now and then but only buy the things that YOU truly want or like. Don't buy items with the logo plastered all over it to try to impress your peers because you end up looking like an idiot. Remember, "Game Recognize Game".


Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
 Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Starting Off On The Wrong Foot!

Hey Roger, do you think they can see my watch?

As I watched the 1st round of the 2011 NFL draft last last year I couldn't help but notice that many of the players were wearing more than $100K in watches and ear rings. The only problem with that was, they hadn't signed a contract yet. Now I know that agents will give the players loans before the draft to buy cars and jewelry but it's a trap bruh.

Many times the banks will also give guys that are potential first round picks, loans of up to a half million dollars as long as the agent or the NFL can provide proof that the kid will be drafted. The worse thing that can happen to youngsters is for someone to give them credit because they'll charge to the limit not understanding how the game works.

I can remember being a broke college student and the banks would show up on campus and give out credit cards. It was like hitting the lottery because we would get approved and head straight to the mall. If the card had a $1000 limit we'd try to spend $1100 with no thought of how we would pay the bill. So many people are still making the minimum payment on those cards and will be paying them for the rest of their lives or they'll eventually start hiding from the creditors. Lack of self-discipline and maturity can be deadly to a person's financial health.

As I was watching the guys get drafted and go up to shake commissioner Roger Goodell's hand, all I saw was the bling from "Jacob the Jeweler" timepieces on their wrists. After all, they did spend the week in New York City.  They're spending like we did at the mall but it's on a whole different level. I'm talking about being broke before the first check comes in.

If a kid signs a contract to make let's say $1 million per year that would sound like a lot of money. However, it really isn't when you start deducting the foolishness right off of the top. Uncle Sam is going to hit you for $400K right out of the gate. That leaves you with $600K  for the rest of the year.  You spent $100K on the draft night watch and ear rings. You bought the family and entourage new clothes and jewelry($100K) for the draft as well. Not to mention the Supercharged Range Rover($100K plus) loaded with all of the toys to push around campus or the crib before the draft. Oh yeah, you still have to pay the agent his 10 to 12%(another 100K or so) off of the million.

So the day after the draft you're down to less than $200K and you still haven't signed the contract that's supposed to be a million dollars per. Remember, this is the NFL, contracts aren't guaranteed like they are in the NBA. He may sign a deal for maybe $3 million/year but only $1 million is guaranteed. So that's why I settled on the example of a million dollars.

 What happens if the deal swings a $100K in the wrong direction? You're really in trouble! Oh yeah bruh, you still have to find somewhere to live and pay for the up keep of the joint like paying for lights, gas, furniture, landscaping, property taxes etc. At some point you've got to eat, right?  It's grown man business now!

That million dollars doesn't look all that attractive now does it? One thing I've learned about money during my lifetime is that it will only be loyal to the one that's holding on to it. Once you give it away it's gone. So my advice to you would be to wait until you sign the contract before you start looking for people to give it to. Money is like a woman, when you don't understand her you can't keep her. That's the X-factor! I hope these boyz don't clown at tonight's draft bruh but you know they will! One thing is guaranteed, Jacob has alright made his bread for the year on these cats!

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

NFL Owners Perspective: "Big Red Speaks!"

"Still Wanna See My Book?"

Hi, I'm Big Red, owner of Big Red Records from the 1991 musical drama "The Five Heart Beats" directed by Robert Townsend. I've since moved on from the music industry doing very well for myself and now I own an NFL franchise. I'm as disgusted by this whole CBA situation as the rest of you. With that being said, let me give you the owners perspective on this whole thing. First of all, the players have no leverage, straight up. I own the joint and have more money so therefore, I get to call the shots. You have to remember that this team is my 4th job. I was a billionaire before I got into this business. So therefore, I don't need football to survive. I can take my money out of this and do something else very easily. Now I realize that we're talking about $9 billion collectively, so I'm willing to at least listen to some of this but my patience is growing thin.

You want me to open my books to the employees? Is that what you're saying? Remember what happen to the last guy that asked me to open my books? As an owner of a business, I'm not obligated to show you anything, it's my business. Where else can an employee demand to see the financial records of a company, especially if it's privately owned?

As players you either roll with what I'm saying or don't play. It's that simple! Where else can you make several million dollars a year playing football? I've given you that opportunity and it doesn't exist anywhere else. Also according to a Sport Illustrated article in March of 2009 entitled "How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke" explains even further why I don't need to negotiate with players.

If I just sit tight they'll be broke enough to give me everything I want. According to that article, 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 I know that, why would I be interested in negotiating with some guys that could potentially be broke in two years.

I didn't become a billionaire by making dumb moves and sitting at the table wrestling with people that don't understand business. Think about this, many of the guys you want me to sit down with are living way above their means buying 10 to 15 automobiles and several homes and none of them are paid for. I can simply afford not to play football this year. How many of them can?

Knuckle heads like Antonio Cromartie had to get a half a million dollar loan from the Jets after being traded to them last March before he'd even played  a down to get caught up on child support payments. He has 7 kids by six different women and he's not the only one out there like that. Now, you think I'm going to negotiate with that knowledge?

I was a billionaire before many of them were even born. Making money is what I do and I know exactly what I'm doing. These guys haven't earned the right to sit down with me because many of them were broke college students when they were just recently drafted. You 've got to bring something to the table, because as an owner, I take on all of the financial risks. As a player there isn't any financial risks, no up front money etc. All you do is show up and play. It doesn't cost you any money to be good. Of course, you train and lift weights but I pay for that by having a strength and conditioning staff on site.

I want an additional  two games so that I can make more money. All I hear is you complaining about risk of injury. However, you've been playing this same injury plagued game for free since you were 8 years old. Now you're making millions to play and two games is going to end your career? How many people in this country are taking furloughs on their jobs and have to either deal with it or quit. I see policeman, fireman, construction, mill and iron workers risk their lives daily for not even a tenth of what I'm paying you and you're complaining?

I'm simply going to sit in the cut and wait because I can!! Now my office hours are between 9 and 5!!

If you like it, share it! Holla At Ya Boy!!

Jay Graves
 Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Bad Move Bruh!

"Yeah I know, that didn't make too much sense!"

I watched the e60 documentary yesterday of Jake Locker's decision to stay at the University of Washington this past season. He passed up the opportunity after his junior year, which would've been the 2009 season, to go to the NFL. That sounds very admirable on the surface to come back for his senior season until you find out that he was projected to be the first overall pick in the draft. Normally kids stay in school to improve their draft status like going from a potential 2nd or 3rd round pick to a 1st round pick.
You can't get any better than the #1 overall pick in the draft. He says that he did it out of loyalty to the program and the community etc. Again that sound admirable but it doesn't make an ounce of sense. The only reason that we go to college in the first place is to prepare ourselves to get a piece of paper that will allow us to apply for certain jobs that we wouldn't get the opportunity to apply for without it.

By him being a football player and having the opportunity to go to the professional ranks and that is the piece of paper for lack of a better word. The reason I'm all over the guy about it is because he had such a bad senior year and now he'll be lucky to get drafted in the first round according to draft expert Mel Kiper.

What does that mean? It means that by staying in school an additional year it's going to cost him about $50 million. The first pick in last years draft was Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma, who only moved up because Locker decided to stay, signed a 6 year $78 million deal with $50 million guaranteed. I wrote an article earlier this year about Andrew Luck's dumb decision to stay at Standford entitled "The Educated Idiot" Staying in School Makes No Sense! where I broke down the financial impact of that decision. Believe me I do my homework before I just blurt out things unlike most people. 

Matt Leinart did the same thing in 2005 by staying at USC after winning multiple national titles and winning the Heisman Trophy because he said that he enjoyed school. He was only taking a ballet class that last year. What a complete waste of time! He could've taken that final class during the spring semester the following year after getting paid if he wanted to finish school. Instead, he stayed and was picked tenth overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006.
He then had the nerve to hold out of camp for more money. This guy lost about $25 to 30 million dollars by staying in school and now he isn't even on an NFL roster. JaMarcus Russell is in the same boat but he was the first pick in the 2007 draft and signed a $61 million contract with $32 million guaranteed. So even though he's currently not on a NFL roster he got his money up front. Without the league having a Collective Bargaining Agreement right now there isn't any free agency so they can't sign with a team if they wanted to. That's why you have to take the money when it's on the table.

 Listen people, the 1st pick in the draft is the highest you can possibly go and that means the most money. Why stay in school if you can't get any better than #1? That's basic math!

Locker says that he did it because of his loyalty to the school and his community. We'll... you can be a heck of a lot more loyal to them when you've got $50 million guaranteed to help build a community center, buy equipment for the kids to workout or help the impoverished etc. How many people from his home town of Ferndale WA. will be able to help him if he falls on his face when the average income is $35K? People have their own lives to deal with.

Jake says that it has never been about the money because he turned down a $2 million contract from major league baseball coming out of high school. However, his upside was in football so it sounded better than it actually was. Until it's free to live in America it's always about the money. Legal money that is!


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 Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
 Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Jealousy Reeks

Cam Newton will probably be the 1st pick in the draft on Thursday.

The NFL draft is only two days away and we're still seeing jealous media and fans spitting hate towards Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton. NFL Weekly published an article a few weeks ago claiming that Newton wasn't genuine and had a fake smile. The article went on to say the he always knew where the camera's were etc. Why wouldn't he know where they were he's a star and that's what stars do? He's getting ready for Madison Avenue and they're hatin'.
 Whatever he says or wears is being scrutinized to the tenth power. Now a fan who has started a site called "Cam Newton Lie Detector" is offering $1 million to Cam if he can pass a lie detector test by honestly answering “no” to these four questions:

1. Prior to signing with Auburn, were you aware your father was “shopping” you to Mississippi State or any other school?
2. Did you tell Dan or Meghan Mullen that you signed with Auburn because of the money because you truly believed Auburn had paid for your commitment?
3. Did anyone on the Auburn coaching staff/athletic department instruct you how to answer questions from the NCAA by lying or avoiding the truth?
4. Did you or your family ever receive any impermissible benefits from Auburn?

It amazes me that someone would stoop that low to insult this kid. The NCAA and even the FBI conducted a full investigation to uncover the truth in the recruitment of Cam Newton and found him to be clean and people still won't let it go. Jealousy is a strong emotion that gets the best of folks and we're seeing it in full affect here.

 I wrote an article last year entitled "Shake Them Hata's Off" that explains how plausible it really is for this kid to have been clueless of what his dad was doing. Here is a excerpt:

 "I can hear them saying now, “He’s guilty because his dad has been found guilty during the investigation. He had to have known what his dad was doing.” It’s completely plausible that Cam didn’t know what his dad was up to. He’s a kid and as a child he clearly may not have known about the conversations that occurred on his behalf. We didn’t always know what our parents were doing and we didn’t ask either.

 I can say that in African-American homes a kid wouldn’t dare question his parents behavior whether it was right or wrong. Cam has said on many occasions that his father was making the decision as to where he would play. He thought that he was going to Mississippi State and at the last minute it became Auburn. As a child in that situation he didn’t ask any questions."

How many times has your father been involved in something that you didn't know the details of? I can guarantee that if his dad received the $180,000 in question, Cam didn't get any of if. That was a deal that his "old man" cut for himself. I don't doubt that it happened because it happens everyday in college football and basketball.

Whatever school this knuckle head that's trying to give away this million dollars follows is just as guilty, that's if they're any good. So offer your players the lie detector test because they will probably need the money. I can assure you that Cam doesn't need it or want it because he's about to pick up about 60 of those guaranteed. If you're that naive to believe that this isn't a common occurrence in big time college football and basketball. I've got some swamp land full of talking jelly fish in Nevada to sell you.



Those are the dumb things fans and media do though. I saw a guy at the Pacers/Bulls game the other night with a sign that read "I took my S.A.T.'s" directed at Derrick Rose because of the allegations that someone else took the test for him to get into Memphis a few years back. Let's say that did happen because it happens all of the time. Rose had of intention on going to college or class for that matter because he was a "one and done".
 He shouldn't have been forced to go to college in the first place. I just wrote an article entitled "Class Dismissed for One & Dones' " that explains why they shouldn't be in school in the first place.  Fast forward three years and this fan that took his S.A.T.'s just bought a ticket to see Rose play after spending the evening making a dumb sign that makes him look even dumber and by the way, he had to go to work the next morning. Who's the genius here?

Sometimes people need to check themselves. Why waste time hating on things that you can't control and try to accomplish something worthwhile. It's sports and unless you're some type of addicted gambler why would you care if the kid passes a lie detector test, an S.A.T. or not?  I wish both of these kids the best of luck!

If you like it, share it! Holla At Ya Boy!!

Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Can't Win Without Good Coaching



"Listen to what I'm saying son and you'll be just fine!"

 A coaches goal is to train players to one day become champions and  productive citizens. If the goal is always to win why so often do we see coaches calling terrible plays during  practice. In fact, they not only call bad the plays, but they many times go out on the field and try to run them as well. How can a player learn the how to play if the coach never let's them run the plays for themselves?

 When it's finally game time it's no surprise that the team keeps losing, right? It works no differently when you're a parent. So many parents raise children by trying to run all of the plays instead of standing on the sidelines and letting the kids figure out how to best run them. Someone told me years ago that you aren't raising children you're raising adults. So therefore, you have to allow them to make some mistakes along the way so that they will learn how to survive. It's Ok to give them some room to learn where you're close enough to correct them in the process.

So many people that I know that grew up in the ghetto or in lower income situations that have now become middle to upper class never teach their children survival skills. They spend the kids entire childhood doing everything for them or trying to protect them from the world.When all they're really doing is crippling the youngster. I hear many parents say on a regular basis that they don't require anything from their children but good grades and many don't even require that.

Grades only means that the child knew the answer! It doesn't mean that the kid put forth an effort or hustled to figure out the answer etc. It just means that when the assignment was turned in it had the right answers on it. I went to college with people that never went to class but made straight A's. They developed no work ethic and therefore have failed trying to compete in the real world. We all know someone like that. You may even be that person. Either way we can't continue that cycle with our own kids.

"Let's win together"

Stop acting like you can do everything for your children and they'll all of a sudden understand how to do it and survive at eighteen. If you don't require excellence from them while they're under your care. They won't require it when it's their turn to call the plays. We're raising a generation of under achievers because we don't want them to ever be uncomfortable.

A pearl is one of the most precious jewels known to man and people pay a lot of money for them. It comes from the oyster being uncomfortable.  The pearl is only formed when bacteria gets inside of it's shell. The oyster becomes irritated by the foreign object and releases a hormone to fight it off. Over a period of time a pearl is formed. So the precious jewel that we find is only a result of the oyster being uncomfortable. So let me ask again Coach, "Are you training your players to win championships or are you just looking to show up for the game"?

If you like it, share it! Holla At Ya Boy!!

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

The Tupac Influence!

"The Thug Life Movement"

Tupac Shakur was probably the most influential rapper of all-time. His music will transcend all genre's and cultures for a lifetime. He was one of the most talented entertainers to ever hold a microphone. However, he  probably had the worse influence on African-American culture in history because he was responsible for making it sexy to be considered a thug. Erasing nearly all of the self respect and dignity that those that came before him marched and died for.

His movement of Thug Life turned the game on it's ear in the early to mid nineties. Because Pac had so much influence and leadership he was able to convince young African American women that being a thug was not only acceptable but necessary. Allen Iverson took the torch from Pac and ran with it into the NBA after leaving prestigious Georgetown University, I might add. Thus giving birth to the sexy thug baller type cat that boyz don't even blink twice at now.

 Now everybody in the league looks like Iverson did 15 years ago and Pac darn near 20. Boyz like Jordan were clean and always rockin' a hot suit looking like a million bucks. Now these cats look like their about to rob the corner store or be the toughest guy in the nerd house on campus with the gear they're wearing! They look like a thug on the floor and a nerd off the joint. Even corporate and college women have found it to be appealing now. Don't get it twisted bruh, it was the poet that set the game in motion!

When I was kid growing up in the "G" there were thugs and gangsta's everywhere. There were several street gangs that converged on my high school alone. It was cool because the ball players and thugs always had tall respect for one another. Thugs liked tellin' boyz that the athletes were their homies and vice versa. Most importantly, they didn't holla at the same women so there was never any beef.

Now the lines have been blurred. You can't tell an honor student or athlete from a gangsta and the women love it. Thug cats were only able to holla at thug chicks! They didn't get the women that were in the honors classes or those that were serious about school. They passed around the same "bout it" chicks as my man Master P would say and never got in boyz lane. As an athlete or even some regular cat, the last thing you ever thought about was some thug cat taking your woman bruh!

Now it's common to see women in Corporate America dating a drug dealer or some thug type because of the influence of Tupac. How many times do you hear women say that he's not ruff enough or that he's too nice.

In 1993 Mc Lyte's first Gold Album featuring the her first top 40 pop hit featured a joint called "Ruff Neck!" In 2004 even the sophisticated Destiny's Child got in on the foolishness when they released the hot joint "Soldier" to further the case of dating a street cat! Now don't get me wrong thugs need love too.

It's just crazy that professional women have allowed their standards fall to the level of taking care of men or dating some cat that's running the streets.

 It's seems to be adventurous until reality kicks in when he goes upside her head or until he dies in the street and there's no life insurance, savings accounts, 401K, property or pension to fall back on. They'd wish that they had the nice guy then. I've seen it happen way too many times bruh!

"Thug Life Baller Style"

Now let's keep it real or all the way 100, which ever comes first! The dope game had a major influence on why thugs got in on the nice girls as well. When crack hit the scene in the late '80's it made it possible for just your everyday broke cat to become rich in the hood. You didn't necessarily have to be a stone gangsta to sell crack because it was so cheap to get in the game. Therefore, many times what looks like a thug really isn't based on what a real thug is! You'll catch that one in a few minutes playa! When you've got money it's easy to get women with low self-esteem regardless of whether they're professional or not.

Tupac wasn't a thug at all. He was one of the most charismatic and talented people of the 20th century. However, in my opinion, he misused his influence to promote a lifestyle that is destructive to not only the black community but all communities. I see more suburban white kids looking like thugs than ever before now.

Notice that I'm using the words "looking like" to describe these duns. Pac said it best, "if I can influence the women first dudes will follow". He made his music for the ladies because the guys would bump whatever the females wanted to hear. Men will only become what women want them to become. If they wanted clean cut well dressed men then men would be clean cut and well dressed like they were when I was coming up. You couldn't get a woman if you weren't "G'd up"  or "Prep" as they used to say because that's what the ladies demanded. Now because women only want the thug look, we've got everybody walking around in the thug costume.

Pac was my guy but he left a legacy that many people completely overlook. I'm not saying that he wasn't a powerful, politically savvy, outspoken individual but he was flawed in this regard. I constantly hear people give him props for his music and influence which they should, but no one has given him props for ultimately changing the the expectations that black women put on black men for the worse, which has spiralled out of control into the larger community. Now all we see is a shell of what men ought to be. Stop me when I stop lyin'!

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

Everybody Else Is Just Practicing!

"Ya'll can go home bruh"

I know you all have been wondering why I haven't had anything to say about the NBA PlayOffs up to this point. I haven't had anything to say because the first round is only a matter of formality. There won't be any surprises in the first round at all because there are too many teams in the field of play that shouldn't even be in the playoffs.
Teams like the Pacers, 796'rs, Hawks, Knicks are in the game right now but they don't have what it takes to play at playoff level. New York has the talent but they haven't been together long enough to make a run. Look for them to be ready next year. The Pacers don't have enough talent to finish so what's the point. Why even mention Philly and Atlanta.

  One thing you have to remember about the NBA is that the best team will always win the best of seven series. There are no surprises like Butler in the college game making it to the final game. That won't ever happen. The best team will always advance not doubt about it.

With that being said, going forward the only teams that we need to be talking about is Miami, Boston and Chicago coming out of the East. On the other side in the West, the Lakers, Oklahoma City, San Antonio. Everybody can go fishing like Barkley and Kenny Smith always say.

So when I look at the East straight up, I've got go with Boston because of their experience and passion. Now they ran out of gas last year in the Finals against L.A. but I think they'll get it done this year and make it back. See, I can't get with Chicago just yet because D. Rose isn't Jordan, yet. He's the potential MVP but I don't see him being able to carry them through the playoffs by himself when it counts.

 Miami has the talent but they can't figure out who the go to guy will be. Both LeBron and D. Wade essentially are the same guy on the floor. They are better as a team when one or the other is sitting. So in a best of seven I've  got to go with Boston.

In the West, how can you pick against Kobe and Phil? They are the best combination the game! There is a reason why more than 60% of the NBA titles have been won by either Boston or L.A.  It is what it is. OKC is OKC! Hey lets keep it real, "The Darantula" has some help with Perkins and Westbrook but they're in the West and they'll have to go through L.A. and that won't happen. Yeah, I hear you saying, they almost beat L.A. last year but the key word there is "almost". They're OKC that's why we're using the word "almost".
San Antonio is starting to run out of gas as we speak. They're sitting on the side of the road right now with "The Big Fundamental" under the hood. So let's move on.

 Why sit through all of this just to get to L.A. and Boston anyway? I say that we just play the Finals next week so we can hurry up and get to football season.
Boston vs L.A. in the Finals!!!!!

If you like it, share it! Holla At Ya Boy!!

Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Class Dismissed for One and Dones'

Kentucky's Brandon Knight."I'm outta here bruh!"

 At a speaking engagement in Indiana on Saturday, Bobby Knight criticized the policy of allowing players to go to the NBA after one season and incorrectly said that during the 2009-10 season, the starters on Kentucky's NCAA tournament team did not attend class during the spring semester. "My overall point is that 'one and dones' are not healthy for college basketball," Knight said. "I should not have made it personal to Kentucky and its players and I apologize."
Even though Coach Knight apologized to Kentucky for his comments directed toward them. I completely agree with him for saying that it's not good for college basketball in general. I just believe that if a kid is good enough to play in the NBA at 18 years old, then he should have the right to go straight into the league right out of high school.

Let's stop playing games like these kids are going to class if they are in fact "one and dones' ". If players like John Wall, for example, were my child, my advice to him would have been to take a light load in the fall. Take all classes pass/fail so therefore he wouldn't have to worry about getting a certain grade in those classes. I would've advised him to take a public speaking class, a personal finance class and an interviewing class. These are all relevant to his future career and wouldn't be a waste of time.

During the spring semester the plan would be to only play basketball. Spend all of your time in the gym and weight room so that you'll be in the best shape of your life for NBA draft in June. I'd hire a personal trainer to come in and work him out during the day while everyone else is in class. It doesn't matter if he flunks all of his classes during the spring semester anyway. The draft is in June and if the kid is still alive in a few months he's going to be a lottery pick which guarantees a 3 year deal of $10 million, not to mention the endorsements that may follow.

Before you guys dive all over me, we're only talking about the kid that is only in school because the NBA forced him to go because of this stupid rule. If the rule didn't exist he wouldn't be in school anyway. So I'm not telling a kid to skip school that would otherwise be going.

Brandon Jennings, now of the Milwaukee Bucks, pulled he ultimate power move and didn't go to college at all. He went to Europe and played professionally for one season, only to come back and get drafted tenth overall in the NBA draft in 2009. Genius! Essentially, that one year was and should be viewed as an internship.
Now keep in mind that this argument only applies to about 3 or 4 people in the world, annually. This isn't meant for everyone but some people don't need to go to college. People like Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Beyonce' or Venus and Serena don't go to college when they possess a talent at a very young age that few people are blessed to have. The Brandon Knight's of the world, who by the way just declared for the NBA draft yesterday, are 1 in 10 million. How much of a waste of time would it have been for LeBron James to be forced to go to class at let's say Ohio State?

I think it's completely unfair to the kid that doesn't get offered a scholarship because the university goes after the "One and Done". The student that really wants and needs to go to class to represent the true essence of being a student-athlete misses out because the "One and Done" takes his place on the roster. Now the phenom is in school when he had no intension of going to class in the first place.

So again, Coach Knight was spot on in his assessment of the rule but his delivery as usual was wrong.  I won't beat him up for this one because I know I've got plenty of opportunities to pile on when he really says something crazy. Although, he's been pretty tamed since he's retired from coaching.

If you like it, Share it! Holla At Ya Boy!

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

Don't Call Us, We'll Call You!

"Hear that? That's my draft status falling!"

As we get closer to the NFL draft next week the heat is turning up on those hoping to be selected in the first round. One person in particular is Arkansas gun slinger Ryan Mallett. Who for some stupid reason admitted to past drug use during NFL team interviews.  Although he refused to address questions from the media about alleged drug use at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, after dodging several queries, Mallett abruptly ended his press conference. He then apparently came clean in interviews with NFL teams.(1)

"One G.M. said Mallett was the first quarterback ever to admit his drug usage to him in interviews, and his willingness to be honest about his past and acknowledge issues is viewed as a positive," according to Pro Football Weekly. "Concerns about his history of use could impact his draft position, though."

I don't care what the G.M. says, it's never a good idea to admit to drug use while interviewing for a job. He can sugar coat that all day long but it will definitely hurt his draft position especially because he's a quarterback. He's the leader of the team for crying out loud! The ball is in the his hands on every play so therefore, they don't need to have question marks going into the draft. No one wants to take a guy that has admitted to using drugs especially while they were essentially broke.

If the guy is using on a college budget he's going to be a fool on an NFL budget. Let me say my favorite line, "Money is like alcohol, it doesn't change you, it just brings out what's already in you". With that being said, if I were a G.M., I surely wouldn't take him early because the earlier he comes off of the board the more he's got to be paid.

Don't get me wrong, I know that they're more guys are using drugs but he was the only genius to admit it in an interview. You can't be anymore foolish than that. First of all, I don't condone the guy for using but I sure wouldn't tell him, if he were my kid, to admit to the guy that may potentially be paying him tens of millions of dollars that he's used in the past.

He'll get drafted next week, later than he expected to, but why have that hanging over his head during this process. The local media for whatever team picks him up will just blast him with questions about his past behavior. It's going to be a distraction from day one. Let's hope he can handle it.

If you like it, Share it! Holla At Ya Boy!

Jay Graves

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Information from Dennis Dillion's article from the Sporting News was used in this article.(1)

C'mon Man! Stealing?

"My ole' girl is gonna be mad as hell"

Reds pitcher Mike Leake was arrested on a shoplifting charge at a downtown department store Monday, accused of trying to steal six shirts with a total value of $59.88. The 23-year-old starter was booked at the Hamilton County Justice Center on a first-degree misdemeanor charge of shoplifting. It carries a maximum of 180 days in jail. He was arrested about two hours before Cincinnati pitchers were expected at Great American Ball Park to take batting practice before the final game of a series against Pittsburgh. Leake started and got the victory in an 11-2 win over the Pirates on Saturday. C'mon man!
This guy is a major league baseball player running around downtown stealing, before the game! What's up with that? I mean, let's keep it real some groupie working at the store would have given him the shirts if he could as they say "talk up on it". It doesn't matter how much money some people make they're going to do the wrong thing just because. Take a look at Lindsay Lohan for instance, stealing a $2,500 necklace when she clearly has the money to pay for it.

I'll tell you what, if Mike's mother is anything like my mother he'll want to spend the night at Great American Ball Park. I know he doesn't want to go home and face that music. I can hear is family now, "Are you kidding me?" Stealing? His dad wants to just pull his belt off right at the ball park and give him some old school action, belt on bare bottom for that one.

How embarrassing was that situation for the family and the organization. He obviously doesn't care because he was shoplifting. My mother-n-law says it best, "if you end you up in jail, you wanted to be there because you already know what it takes to go and I don't visit criminals."

This guy is going to make $425,000 for the 2011 season according to USA Today. Now tell me how that translates into stealing downtown like a petty thief? Somewhere along the line he never got it just like Lindsay Lohan. Either he wasn't taught as a child or he just didn't pay attention. Either way he needs to pay the maximum penalty for being an idiot if nothing else. Why would he want to steal six shirts that total $59.88?

Where was he shopping? Big Lots? How do you find six shirts that total $59.88 when you're making the type of money he's making. I say we don't even hold a trial. Just bend him over and kick him square in the pants for the maximum 180 day sentence while wearing all six shirts at the same time after they've been put in the dryer. Hopefully, he would have learned a lesson from all of this and at least get better quality shirts and pay for them. Idiot!!!

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

"Marked Up In The Game"

"Allen Iverson was the pioneer of the "Tatted Up" persona!"

In the mid to late nineties Allen Iverson became probably the first NBA player to wear tattoo's all over his upper body. Before him guys would have maybe one or two tattoo's on their arms etc. It was "The Answer" that took tattoo game and put it on it's ear. I know that he was the first guy that I can remember seeing rock a tatt on his neck. Then the game exploded.

Now all over professional sports and in the entertainment industry everybody is tatted up from their arms, backs, necks, hands and now people are even getting them on their faces. In my opinion, they look like complete idiots but fortunately for them they have very high paying jobs. I don't have a problem with them doing what they want do with their bodies because they aren't unemployed bruh.

My problem is with the kid or young adult that thinks LeBron, Lil Wayne or some famous cat looks cool and goes and gets the same type of tattoo but doesn't have a career or a job yet. See Delante West looks homeless but makes more money than most of the us in corporate America will ever make. Unfortunately, there are people that will see him and will think that it looks cool, mimic him and get stuck making minimum wage or close to it for the rest of their lives because of the tatts. I see more and more college athletes marked up bad and very few of them will make it to the league bruh. What sense does it make to have a college degree and be sleeved up or have joints all over your neck? That's just as bad as the guy that gets a masters degree in prison! You can't do anything with it homeboy!

Listen up young people, an employer has the right to hire or fire you at will. Most states are what they call "At Will" states which means an employer can pretty much make employment decisions without reason. Therefore, if you walk into an interview with your girlfriend, boyfriend or daughter's name on your neck your application will most definitely get thrown in the garbage when you walk out. I know because I've been a hiring manager and I didn't  hear a word of the applicants interview when they walked in looking like Tupac. I saw the marks on their neck and said to myself that this person doesn't have good decision making skills.  See Ya! Now don't get it twisted, if they're looking for a mouth breather job then you're in but those joints pay very little bread.

 I see more and more grown folks getting their necks and hands hit and then can't figure out why they can't get a job or promoted on the existing one. Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of folks that are marked up that have great jobs and no one knows that they even have tattoo's.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having one or several but when it's time to go to work your employer doesn't need to see them. Let's say this, if you're cool with working at the bottom of the pile on the job then go on and get the joint on your neck or face. While you're at it go ahead and pull a Dennis Rodman and pierce up your face too. That's a good look if you are an executive in the entertainment industry, a pro ball player or you're your own boss. If you aren't either of those you may want to think before getting a sleeve for Christmas bruh.

It's not always the kids fault because I've seen parents take their children to get tattoo's for their birthdays or graduations etc. and put them in places that will limit their opportunities in life. That's pretty much a permanent mark that people walk into because at a young age they thought that it looked cool. When I was nine, I thought bell bottom pants and stacked shoes looked cool too. I didn't go and buy a permanent pair of them to wear for the rest of my life, pimpin'! Ninety percent of reality is perception bruh!

Think about how stupid people are going to look when they are 50, 60 years old with tattoo's all over their bodies especially on their necks, hands and face. Even the ball players and entertainers will look stupid marked up at 60.  Just because it's fashionable doesn't mean it's a good look bruh! Have you seen Allen Iverson lately? He looks like a complete idiot. This dun looks like an old man dressed up like a child!

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

Grown Men And Video Games!

Warning: Not made for men over 30 with a family!



 I asked the question sometime ago, "What's the difference between a man and a boy?" A man takes care of his family and a boy takes care of himself. A grown man, for the sake of this argument, is a person that is at least thirty years old, married or not. With that being said, if he's busy taking care of his family or his business there is very little time to spend playing video games.  A grown man has responsibilities that go beyond the scope of himself that reach into the realm of others lives. So when I hear of men playing video games on a regular basis, it disappoints me because that's a problem bruh. They either aren't working, aren't working hard enough or not trying to work had enough. Otherwise they wouldn't have time to play games all day.

 Now I can understand playing every now and then with your son or daughter to burn off stress and bond with the kids. However, if you're an avid player of on-line circles and you're good enough to be ranked in the world you're neglecting your family, job or something because there's only so much time in a day.

If you've got that type of time of your hands you should be trying to figure out how to make more money. A man can never have too much of that. Since video gaming isn't paying a salary and doesn't have the potential to, you've got to find something else to do. Cuz real talk, the cats that made XBox etc are already rich! You need to be trying to get rich homeboy. A real man is constantly trying to figure out ways to improve himself because it's his responsibility to be the leader in his home. Self improvement is the key to wisdom and growth and video games don't provide that.

Gaming is a hobby that kids and college students should be involved in because they've got nothing else better to do. They go to class and hang out. So gaming makes sense for that age group of kids and young men in their twenties but a grown man with or without a family should be on a grind. Not sitting around playing games when there's always something that needs to be done. Like helping the kids with homework, cutting the grass, fixing things around the house that are broken and most importantly, spending time with the wife or potential wife.


"This can't improve your relationship"

If you're not careful the lights, gas and even your wife or girlfriend, depending on your marital status, will get turned off by your behavior and one out the three of them will be hard to get back on, literally. I'm just trying to help you out bruh before you lose the ultimate game.  Wasting time in front of a television playing games doesn't improve your resume in or out of the house.

I hear you saying, "what's wrong with burning off a little stress every now and then playing Madden etc? Absolutely nothing my friend, if it's every now and then. I'm not talking to that guy, I'm talking to the guy that spends the majority of his time playing. The majority of a man's time should be spend doing three things, praising God, nurturing his family and making money in that order. If you aren't doing that in my opinion, you just haven't become a grown man yet because REAL grown men are constantly on a grind.

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

Straight Clownin'

"Just made it by hair on my chinny chin chin"

Seven years ago all Barry Bonds had to do was say, "Yes I took steroids" and he wouldn't be news today. Instead, a federal court jury found the home run king guilty of obstruction of justice Wednesday for giving an evasive answer under oath in late 2003. Rather than say "yes" or "no" to whether he received drugs that required a syringe, Bonds gave a rambling response to a grand jury, stating: "I became a celebrity child with a famous father."

Let's keep it real, the question in major league baseball is who's not taking steroids. We've seen over the years that everybody that's been relevant in the game has admitted to or have been accused of using drugs. The most common excuse is, "I had an injury and was trying to recover" etc. That's all Barry had to say and he'd probably still be playing or would just be retiring.

Alex Rodriguez played the I didn't know role and kept driving. It should have been as simple as that for Bonds. Sammy Sosa acted like he couldn't speak English and brought an interpreter. Mark McGuire played crazy when asked if he used drugs but he didn't lie. He just played crazy and said that he didn't come here to talk about the past which was pure genius. Especially if you didn't want to go to jail for lying to the grand jury.

 Instead, Bonds wanted to be difficult and kept lying while sitting in front of a panel with a bigger hat on and bigger shoes. He looked like a clown. How does a grown man's feet and head get bigger well into his thirties? I know the grand jury wanted to fight him for saying that he wasn't on drugs sitting there looking like pumpkin head and Bozo The Clown by the feet.

Now I will say this, his boy Greg Anderson held him down throughout the entire ordeal by refusing to testify. Either that or he was scared to death of what would happen if he had testified. All I know is that the prosecution needed Anderson and he was cool with sitting in jail. It's just my opinion but Bonds is probably going to break him off with a very large duffel bag sometime this week with a "good looking out" bear hug.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston declared a mistrial on the three charges that Bonds made false statements when he told a grand jury in December 2003 that he never knowingly received steroids and human growth hormone from trainer Greg Anderson and that he allowed only doctors to inject him.

"Didn't need it"

With that being said he'll probably never see any jail time for the waste of time this has all been for him. Could you imagine going to federal prison for lying to the grand jury? I mean how do you tell the other inmates that and still be cool? Guys are sitting around talking about money laundering,  drug trafficking across interstate lines etc and Bonds joins in with, "Man they asked me a question and I just straight up lied to them and didn't break". What?

Even though we all know that it's against the rules to take steroids. How do you convince a twenty year old kid that may be on the verge of not making a team that would potentially pay him tens of millions of dollars in the very near future? When he knows that most of the people that he's competing with are using for the same reason. Does he follow the rule and not make it or does he take the drugs? I know what the right answer is but I'm not twenty years old and desperate to play baseball. Once these guys get into the culture that greed and desperation seems not to go away.

At the end of the day my six famous words come into play, "Do What You're Supposed To Do".  Those words will always save your life, marriage and other relationships and your career.

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

The Only Place Talent Counts!

"How much work are you willing to put in?"

As I get older I've come to realize that the only place that you need extraordinary skill and ability is in professional sports. Only the most talented people are able to play at the highest level. Now don't get me wrong, pro athletes have to have an enormous work ethic to even get to that level. However, when I look at what it takes to be successful in every other area of life skill level isn't as relevant.

You don't have to be highly skilled to be one of the best in your particular field. Have you ever just stepped back and watched the world move around you? Have you ever made the comment, "How did that guy get the job or promotion". The key to success is diligence and favor.

God constantly references diligence in his word and his favor over your life is what opens doors of opportunity. Of course that is always the case in pro sports too. However, those guys have an enormous amount of talent along with the work ethic and favor. In the real world talent isn't as important.

I know people that don't have any talent at all that are Mid-level managers, VP's, Principals, Supervisors etc. Many don't have a clue but possess great work ethic. You can't fake it at the highest level of sports however. You either have it or you don't and coaches, GM's and player personnel people can see it in less than a minute. There's no masquerading skill at that level.

The great thing here is that 99% of us don't play pro sports so we have a greater opportunity to succeed. I'll take those numbers every time. I'm glad that I don't have to possess more natural ability than my peers because I wouldn't be successful today.

When I graduated from high school I could barely read and scored only 642 total points on the SAT. My stats said that I should've been riding the bench in life. Instead, I've consistently been a leader both nationally and globally in the field of sales and marketing throughout my 22 years in Corporate America. It's not about your ability to do something, it's about your willingness to succeed at doing something.

When I enrolled at Purdue University I took a placement exam like every freshman does. The results came back that I wasn't qualified to be in college and that I was better suited to be a bus driver. The only problem with that theory was that they made the mistake of admitting me before I took the exam and secondly, I didn't care what the exam said about me. I graduated from Indiana University five years later and have been highly successful ever since.

Skill is important but work ethic supersedes it! Don't let other people put restrictions on your life because remember what I always say about the 100%. Only 25% are real and 75% are haters. The key is being able to distinguish between the two and not listening to what they may have to say about what you're trying to accomplish. It's very hard sometimes to figure out who's real and who's a hater. So just don't listen to anybody and you'll be fine. Your success will be determined by your ability to believe in what you can accomplish. God says it better by saying, "As a man thinks in his heart so is he" Proverbs 23:7.


Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

Keeping It All the Way 100: 25% Real 75% Fake

"You gotta love this"

LeBron James scored 34 points and the Heat wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 98-90 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Heat has now ended the season with the second best record in the East at 57-24. I've enjoyed more than anything watching the haters fall silent as the season went on. They were extremely loud all summer after "The Decision" and got even louder when Miami lost early to the Celtics back in November.
I was blown away that so many sports experts, if you will, were on TV and radio saying that the Heat were terrible etc. Now, I don't have a dog in this fight but I know talent when I see it and the Heat were loaded with the big three. It was just a matter of time before those guys developed some chemistry and take off. Of course Boston should've have won that first match up because they've been together for several years and had won a title together.

Now Miami has found a rythm and they're ready to go into the playoffs. They've done what they have set out to do at this point in the season. By finishing with the second best record in the conference it really doesn't get any better than that. Being 1 or 2 pretty much makes the level of competition going into the playoffs the same. I just don't hear the haters anymore. I guess they've found other things to talk about like the Bond's trial which is completely irrelevant but it's taking up their time because they can't blast LeBron anymore.

I've learned as I get older that not everybody is going to be happy when you  succeed. The world is only filled with 25% real cats, the other 75% are haters. That's just way it was set up. The more you find success in your life the more people will find fault in you because they aren't going in the same direction that you're going in. Why would anybody care that LeBron left Cleveland except the people of Cleveland?

Haters are very motivating people because they inspire me to do great things. When I know someone is hating on me I'm even more inclined to succeed because they don't want me to. I just believe that LeBron feels the same way. A hater is like bulletin board material, you should always keep it up.

The amount of hate that this guy received from around the country for going to another team only proves my point. See a real cat doesn't care one way or another because he doesn't have a dog in that fight. What did it matter how he left Cleveland if he played through his contract after taking the worst team in the league to the finals during his tenure with Cavs.

It was only a testiment to his ability to be able to transform a franchise seemingly over night. How many #1 draft picks have you seen come into the league and turn the entire franchise around by putting it on his back literally. If you look back over the last 20 years how many players have come into the league as the number 1 pick and turned a bottom feeder into a winner without any help. Shaq had Penny when he landed in Orlando and Tim Duncan was...well Tim Duncan.

Let's sit back and watch this thing play itself out and I want all of the haters to be just as loud now as they were in November. I just believe that the East will come down to Miami and Chicago because the Celtics will run out of gas like they did last year.

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

Discipline vs Talent

"Wasted Talent"

 I had the opportunity to watch the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Marcus Dupree again entitled  "The best that never was". He was the probably the best running back to ever come out of high school. Dupree was recruited by every school in the country and eventually landed at Oklahoma. This kid was 6'3" 230 lbs and ran a 9.5 100 in 1982. At that time a kid in high school that was his size was a lineman and no one was running that fast.

 Marcus was an instant star for the Sooners during his freshman year and during the middle of his sophomore season he just decided to leave school because he felt like the coaches were being too hard on him. He went to the new pro league the following spring called the USFL, that eventually folded, but he injured his knee and that pretty much ended his career at 20 years old.

"Talent will only take you so far"

Talent is only a small part of the equation. Just because a person is born with a certain amount of talent doesn't mean that they'll automatically become successful. So many times we've seen gifted people become washed up because they wanted to by-pass the natural order of things.

Remember Maurice Clarett from Ohio State in 2001? This kid had all of the talent in the world, only to end up a "has-been"? He fell on his face because he didn't respect the game or more importantly life. Clarett tried to leave school early because he didn't want to wait until his junior year to go into the NFL like the rule states. He thought that he could by-pass the natural order of things to do what he wanted to do and life spiralled out of control from there.

Life is about rules and boundaries and we must respect them not only on the field but most importantly off of the field. These guys are examples of what happens when parents fail to teach their children that talent will only take you so far. Discipline is the key to success! In order to capitalize on the talent that God has given us we have be humble enough to be instructed by people that know more than we do.

Vince Lombardi once said, "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary". I've seen guys with the talent of Michael Jordan end up becoming playground legends in the projects in my hometown of Gary, In. because they didn't handle their business either in the classroom or in life. Having talent means nothing if you don't respect it.

I constantly say that there are six words that can save your life, relationships, career etc. They are, "Do What You're Supposed To Do". It's that simple! If you can follow that piece of advice you can capitalize on the gifts that God has blessed you with. Otherwise, you will become a "has-been" or should I say a  "never-was" like Dupree and Clarett.

The most talented people aren't the ones that typically become successful. Those people that exhibit the most work ethic are the one's that become the most successful. The folks that out work and out hustle all of the rest are the one's that win the championships. It's good to have talent but it's even better to be diligent. The word of God says, "Lazy hands make a man poor but diligent hands bring wealth", Proverbs 10:4.

So let's be diligent today in our efforts so that the talent we've been blessed with will be seen by the world. There is a colloquialism that says, "If a tree falls in the middle of a forest and makes a loud crashing noise and no one is around to hear it, did it really make a sound?" Let's not be that tree!


Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
 Twitter:@jaygravesreport

The Real Definition Of Swagger!

"Is it sawgger or just something else?"

We often hear people use the term "swagger" to describe pro athletes, entertainers and even the president. That's the new millennium word for "Style and Confidence". When I was coming up it was called having some flavor. However, I think that too many people are misusing the term because they're painting with a broad bush. So I'm going to break it down for you.

 Swagger is the ability to walk into a room and captivate everyone in it without saying a word. Having the ability to raise eye brows from curious onlookers, get dap from cats for no apparent reason while women keep a close eye just because. It's an aire that can't be explained, you either have it or you don't. In sports they call it the "The It Factor".

It has nothing to do with your style of dress whether you wear suits, jeans or sweat suits. It comes down to the presence of a man. Now my problem is with people that use the term "Swagger" to describe cats that either don't have it or people that are on another level. There are three categories of men; Gimmicks, Swaggers and Role Players.

We don't have to spend much time on the gimmicks because they are just what it says. These are the guys that show up looking like their trying too hard to have some swagger. They aren't authentic because it comes across as being manufactured or fake.  They're always dressed up in what I call a costume trying  to look like someone famous that they saw on TV. For example, the millions of duns trying to look like Allen Iverson or dress like Kanye West or act like Jordan. Total Gimmicks!

Now the next two categories are very similar and if you aren't paying attention you'll confuse the two. They look the same, walk the same, come across the same way. They even smell the same bruh! However, the difference between the two is MONEY.

 "Swaggers" are those guys that walk into a room and the atmosphere changes. Boyz are walking up to them and giving them all kinds of love whether they know them or not. Women want to know who they are and ask their friends or themselves, why don't I know him? They've got  "The It Factor" straight up. A flair that can't be taught and everything about them is authentic, no gimmicks or costumes needed, they are the real deal. The question is, can you change the atmosphere in the room when nobody knows your name? That's "Swagger".


On the other hand we have "The Role Players". These are the pro ball players, the entertainers and even the president. It's the group of guys that are millionaires and everybody knows their names. This is the category that all men to some degree want to eventually become a part of. When you've got all of the money, power and respect all you've got to do is play your role. It's not swagger if everybody knows your name and kisses up to you anyway. When you walk in you're normally the richest cat in the room and the most powerful guy there. I hear people talk about Jay-Z or Allen Iverson's swagger but that's not swagger that's a lay up bruh. Role Players don't mean any harm for taking credit for having swagger because it comes with the territory. They're only doing what any bonafide baller would do if put in the same situation.

 However, when you're worth several hundred million dollars, like some of these boyz are, it's not swagger at that point, it's money. Now they needed swagger to become the multimillionaire but at this point they've graduated to "Role Player" status.

When I hear women say that Barack's got swagger I laugh because he's the most powerful dun in the world. If you can't walk in the room and change the atmosphere with all of that power then you need to turn in your Role Player ID. So at this point I'll just hold on to all of this "Swagger" that I've got until graduation day!

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

Dear Momma

"I love you momma in spit of you!"

It doesn't matter how much money or success an individual has they can't escape the realities of family issues.  Gloria James, the mother of Miami Heat basketball star LeBron James, was arrested by Miami Beach police after she reportedly assaulted a valet worker because it was taking too long to have her car delivered. Police said LeBron's mother had a strong odor of alcohol on her breath and her eyes were bloodshot when officers arrived at the Fontainebleau Hotel at about 4:47 a.m. ET Thursday.
Unfortunately, Lebron had to answer questions about the incident before practice on Thursday afternoon.
"It's very sensitive because it's your mother, of course," LeBron James said Thursday after practice. "People around me are helping me, helping her."

We can't blast King James about his mother's behavior because he has no control over how his mom acts. He's been dealing with her ridiculous behavior all of his life. It's something that he has grown to expect to some degree. The Fifth Commandment says to honor your mother and your father. It doesn't say only if they've got sense. It's written without condition because it comes down to a matter of faith. That's the reality for so many people not just for Lebron.

I can remember guys that played ball with me that had dads that were alcoholics, we called them "jiks" back then, that wouldn't miss a game or practice for that matter. They would show up to the field loud and drunk, stumbling around every week. Hollering, "that's my boy out there" or something belligerent that I care not to repeat. Everyone knew that it was "Mr So and So" and kept playing. I know that they were embarrassed but hey, it was their old man and we didn't hold it against them. We loved them anyway.

"Ma, I got this!"

I've got to believe that LeBron is getting the same type of support from his teammates and close friends. You can't pick your parents so you've got to be strong and responsible for them too. Many times God places things in your lap to make you more accountable.

Say what you want about LeBron but he's mature beyond his years because of what he's had to endure as a child having irresponsible parents. I applaud the brother for the way he's handled himself since he's entered the league. You've never heard of him getting into trouble or being an idiot etc. This guy didn't have the role models at home that many of us had. The only time he's been criticized in his eight year career was for the so called "Decision" that in my opinion was pure genius, but that's for another discussion. If that's all you can beat him up for then you've got to give him a pass.
For a kid that has pretty much raised himself he's done extremely well. God has blessed him to be able to look after his mother because she unfortunately, can't look out for herself.

We all have family members that have made some mistakes along the way. However, we don't love them any less because of those indiscretions and LeBron is no different.  I believe that he and his mother will get through this situation and will be stronger as result of it.

Jay Graves
 Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Information from the Associated Press was used in this Article.

Dropping Out Of School Makes Sense!

"Taking my ball and running!"

Duke freshman point guard Kye Irving has declared for the upcoming NBA draft after only one season. Irving played only 11 games and missed roughly two-thirds of the season with an injured big toe on his right foot. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists for top-seeded Duke, which was upset by Arizona in the West regional semifinals.
He missed 26 games this season after injuring his big toe against Butler on Dec. 4th. and the lingering subplot surrounding the Blue Devils was when -- or even if -- he would return. Irving is projected to be the top pick of the upcoming NBA draft. Like I always say, it doesn't get any better than the number 1 pick in the draft. If he were my son I would've encouraged him to leave school as well.

The fact that he missed nearly all of his freshman season due to injury only substantiates the fact that it makes sense to leave school because NBA contracts are guaranteed. That means they aren't incentive based so whatever he signs for he gets if he's still alive to see the end of the contract. A rookie drafted into the NBA in the first round is guaranteed a standard 3 year $10 million deal, no ifs, ands or buts about it. He'll make more money from his initial NBA contract($10M) than the orthopedic surgeon that performed his surgery will make during his entire career($8M). Not to mention the endorsements from Nike, Adidas etc. that come with being a high profile athlete. Now this arguement only applies to about 15 people in the world. So if that doesn't include you go to class.

I wrote a similar article a few months ago entitled "Educated Idiot" Staying in school makes no sense! about Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck on his decision to stay in school after being informed he would be the top pick in this years NFL draft. He passed up even more money like a possible guarantee of $50 million.

Why do we go to school in the first place? To get a degree that will hopefully give us an opportunity to apply for jobs that will secure our futures. Ask the millions of Americans that are laid off or unemployed if it makes sense for Kyre Irving to leave Duke for the guaranteed money. I don't think you'll hear them say that he needs to stay in school and most of them have degrees.

Some people are born with talent that the rest of the world can only marvel at. You either use it or lose it. It doesn't make sense to hang out in college when it isn't going to help you. Just ask Bill Gates or folks like him if school was helpful or a waste of time. I'm not saying that Kyre will become a billionaire but millions counts too. After high school people have to specialize in fields that are conducive to their talents and in this case basketball is it.

I had a conversation about Greg Oden with my mother-n-law years ago when he was still at Ohio State. I was of the mindset that he should leave school right after his freshman year and go to the league. My mother-n-law was for him staying in school. Well, eventually left Ohio State after just one season and was drafted first overall by the Portland Trailblazers in 2007. He had knee surgery before his rookie season and as a result he's only played a total of 82 games which only amounts to one NBA season since being drafted.
If he'd stayed at Ohio State he would be a broke college student with no chance of getting drafted because of his knee problems. I believe Kyre understood the risks and made a big boy decision to get the guaranteed money while it was on the table. He can always go back to school if that's important to him but I can tell you that he won't NEED to ever go back to school.

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