Knowing When To Say When!

"Isayah Muller running towards his future"

Wisdom is the ability to use life's past experiences to make better future decisions. It's that simple! Wisdom is being able to say that I've seen this movie before so I don't need to stick around to see the credits run. Unfortunately, the father of star running back Isayah Muller of Harry S Truman High in the Bronx decided to stay in the theatre way too long to see the end of a movie he'd seen so many times before.

His son was fatally stabbed during an altercation in a Bronx parking lot Tuesday, just hours after leaving his high school graduation. Truman High's graduation ceremony had been held that afternoon at Lehman College. The family left the parking lot when Isayah's father noticed that a package containing cologne, a gift for his son, was missing from the car, according to the New York Daily News. The group returned to the lot and a fight broke out.

"What a tragedy. (Andre) Muller was the aggressor," NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly said during an interview Wednesday with "Good Day New York." "He struck one of the attendants, whom I believe is still in the hospital. He assaulted the attendant. He picked up a shovel and struck the attendant. Another attendant had a shank. ... The young man also participated in the assault and was stabbed."

Now there's three sides to this story, his side, their side and somewhere in the middle we find the truth! However, finding out who the aggressor was isn't really important. Wisdom says that growing up in the hood you've got to use me at all times. Let's say that the parking attendants did steal the cologne. Once you asked them about it and they denied everything you move on.

Wisdom says that sometimes things just pop off and get out of control without notice. Before you know it you're in way too deep. We've seen that movie more often than we would like to admit. When Isayah's dad picked up the shovel he stepped out of the kiddie pool and into the ocean. Now you've put the entire family in harms way. Your son's got to help you because, well...he's your son. He’s not going to let you get beat down. Now there’s no turning back!

I had a high school classmate pull a gun in a restaurant and fire it in the air to stop some of his girlfriends from fighting. Problem was, once he pulled the trigger every body in the joint pulled their guns. While he’s trying to back out of the restaurant because he had no intention of shooting anyone, someone rolled up behind him and blew his head off. They eventually got off on self-defense because my guy fired his gun first.

If Andre, Isayah’s dad ,grew up anywhere near the hood he’s seen that movie too.
So now when he pulls the trigger on foolishness it won't stop until, well....We’re a witness to the sad conclusion.

As a young boy I learned that it’s always somebody crazier than you out there. If you don’t believe me check the penitentiaries and cemeteries because they’re full of them! This kid is dead over a bottle of cologne bruh? C'mon Man! This was a kid that was full of life with all of the potential in the world and is gone because his dad just didn't know when to say when.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Running Scared!



"I'm just trying to get my head right first bruh!"

 There was a time when the best of the best stood in line to fight the best. When I was a kid there were super fights all of the time and boxing was at it's peak in terms of popularity. It was nothing to see Ali/Frazier, Ali/Forman, Spinks etc. Great nicknames like Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and so on! Then as I became a young adult Tyson was knocking boyz out.

Anyone in contention for the belt, any belt, got in line to fight the champ. It was exciting to say the least. Remember how Vegas used to buzz in the late "80's and the early to mid "90's when Tyson was fighting. It was like going to the NBA All-Star game when he was in town to fight. All the ballers and celebs would be ring side to watch a fight that we all knew was only going to last 30 seconds. How many people do you know that ordered the joint of pay-per-view and new it was going to be over in 2 rounds at the most?

However, people ordered it anyway and just charged folks five dollars to get in their crib so that they wouldn't lose money on the fight. They just made a party out of it. Those were the good old days when boxers were boxers! Now were stuck with guys that talk about being the best but keep running scared like my man "Pretty Boy Floyd".

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, Floyd Mayweather is afraid to fight Manny Pacquiao. If Manny is the champ and Floyd keeps saying that he's the best pound for pound fighter in the world then fight him. He's like the kid in the hood that doesn't really want to fight but only talks trash when is mom comes outside. He gets real loud when there’s a crowd because he knows that somebody‘s going to save him. Put the money on the table and fight, straight up!

Mayweather is so afraid of Pacquiao that he's even accused the cat of taking steroids. What? The guy weighs 140 lbs with a brick in his pocket, fully dressed and soaking wet!

"I've never said that Manny Pacquiao was taking steroids, I never said he was taking enhancement drugs," said Mayweather, who failed to turn up for a court-ordered deposition in Las Vegas back in June of 2011 involving the defamation suit. "I want to fight the best they got out there, not just him, the best they got out there," Mayweather said, "and if he's on the list as one of the best guys, then absolutely."

It's time to man up or shut up dawg! Would Ali or Frazier avoid each other? Would Tyson avoid the best in the world? Not a chance bruh! I know that he doesn't want to fight Manny because if he loses, he loses more than the fight. He loses his street credibility and that's all most cats have.  Mayweather wants us to refer to him as "Money Mayweather" to keep us from referring to him as "Running Scared Mayweather".

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Direct Hit!

The Infamous Horse Shoe

Ohio State is like the kid that gets into trouble at 4pm and his dad doesn't get off until 10pm. He can't do anything but sit on the side of the bed and wait it out! He knows he's going to get tore up but doesn't know how bad. Is dad going to be understanding or is he going to just go nuts about it?
That's what the Buckeyes are doing right now. They've been busted and the NCAA hasn't given their decision yet on what the sanctions will be but they know it's going to be ugly. Most importantly their recruits know it and they're running like roaches when the lights come on. The Buckeyes are losing top recruits it seems daily!

Interim head coach Luke Fickell has his hands full and probably wishes that he could stick his head in the sand until this nightmare is over. He wanted the keys to the Bentley but Tressel totaled the joint and hadn't renewed the insurance on it. So he's got to drive it around with a bent axle at least until November.


He recently lost his prized recruit, St. Edward (Lakewood, OH) offensive tackle Kyle Kalis. According to Scout.com Ohio recruiting analyst Bill Greene, "(Kalis) is a legit 6-foot-5, better than 300-pounder, and he's a guy who plays with attitude." "He's a house out there. He's a very good football player and a very good right tackle prospect." Ouch that really hurts!



This is some B#*&%!

With Kalis jumping ship there will be more looking to play somewhere else as well. These top recruits are looking for a program that has stability and Ohio State just doesn't offer that at this point. "That stability has been their strength at Ohio State," Greene said. "And for as good as Luke Fickell is as a recruiter, there's nothing he can do about it right now.

"Fickell is out there fighting these battles with a squirt gun. It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out."

Well... I can tell you how it's going to play out, bad! Real bad! A kid that is a 5 star recruit with any sense wouldn't go anywhere near the Horse Shoe for the near future. Kids on that level want to compete for national titles and go to bowl games and the Buckeyes definitely won't be doing that. Their talent alone entitles them of that. When you're one of the best players in America you don't have to settle for playing somewhere that is unstable. That's what a kid does with very little options.

So what your going to start seeing is kids coming to Ohio State that in the past never would have gotten a recruiting visit to Columbus. The kid that would have gone to Purdue, Illinois or Indiana will now get offered by the Buckeyes because the top guys are going back to Ann Arbor or now Nebraska. Hey don't get mad it me I'm just the guy setting in front of the neighborhood store watching the whole thing go down but when the police comes I didn't see a thing!

I'm not involved, I've just seen my share of these movies and I don't need to sit through the entire film to tell you how it's going to end. The Buckeyes are "hit" and it is what it is! Now they won't get the death penalty or anything like that but they won't date the finest girl in school again for about four years.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Names Can Have Power (or Not)

Leaders vs Legends

The Big Ten is now officially the "Big 12" without the name change but has 12 teams. The Big 12 is now the "Big 10" because it has only 10 teams. However, neither conference actually changed it's name. I guess I can understand the hassle of trying to make the changes only to add or subtract a team next year. However, the “Pac 10” was the only conference with the sense to make the changes so it’s now called the Pac 12 because it has 12 teams. Really?

The Big Ten has really been the "Big 11" since Penn State joined the conference in 1991. However, they never blinked about changing the name. I’m cool with it being the Big Ten because it's the “brand” and it is what it is. My problem is with the divisional names that some genius came up with for the two sides.
Instead of dividing the schools up by geography like the Big 12 or SEC has done in the past and calling them North/South or East/West they've come up with Leaders vs. Legends. This is the breakdown for the divisions:

Leaders Division: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin

Legends Division: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern

"The Legends, not too hard in that we have 215 College Football Hall of Fame members, we have 15 Heisman Trophy winners," commissioner Jim Delany said in an exclusive interview with The Associated Press. "We thought it made perfect sense to recognize the iconic and the legendary through the naming of the division in that regard. ... We've had plenty of leaders in the conference, that's for sure, but the emphasis here is to recognize the mission of using intercollegiate athletics and higher education to build future leaders."

That explanation sounds great in a history lesson on Tuesday but the whole concept is dumb. Sports is about intimidation and power! How do you show up in a bowl game to play an SEC team and you're the winner of the Leaders division of the Big Ten? I can hear people laughing at you and the season hasn‘t even started yet.

They should have broken the teams up by East or West and called it lovely but they wanted Ohio State and Michigan to play on opposite sides so they could meet in the title game. Bad move because Ohio State is about to get hit and will be irrelevant for the next few years. Why not make it more interesting and put them on the same side so the that match up during the season always means something.

The Big 12 south was always decided by the Oklahoma/Texas game! That way the regular season match up was always off the charts. Also by putting Ohio State and Michigan on opposite sides to set up the match up in the title, you’ve told your other schools that they aren’t important. Folks up north just don't get it when it comes to college football. Also by adding "Big Red Nation" the Big Ten is in for a rude awakening. Say hello to the new Big Daddy of the Big Ten, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Well...at least for the first 2 to 3 years anyway. Then they'll lose their original recruiting base of kids from California and especially those from Texas because they'll be playing games too far away to attract the same kids. A guy from Texas would in the past go to Nebraska because they were playing 4 to 5 games a year in his home state with Big 12 games and his family could see him play. Now the furthest south they'll play is Bloomington, In. Good luck with that! Leaders vs. Legends sounds real juvenile wouldn't you agree!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Grace and Mercy!

"Ashley gets a second and third chance"

I’d like to applaud Louisville Head Coach Charlie Strong for being a man of integrity and keeping his word to his players and their families. People tend to forget that when a coach recruit’s a kid to come play for him they make a lot of promises. The most important of those is when he tells the kid’s family that he’ll take care of their child while they‘re under his care.

Well…this week Strong did just that when he suspended junior cornerback Darius Ashley because of his second DUI in six months. Now you might say that the kid is responsible for himself and that Coach Strong had every right to just kick him off of the team and keep it moving. In many regards you may be right.

However, the key word here is kid! Therefore, because he is a child and because Strong promised his family that he would take care of him, he has an obligation to the family to do just that. A head coach is like a father on campus and more often than not he’s the only father that many of these guys will ever have.
You wouldn’t just throw your own kid out on the street would you? So why would you expect him to just dismiss the kid without trying to get him help.


“He may not ever run down that field and make another tackle; he may not make another interception on this football field,” Strong said at a Friday news conference. “But our major concern right now is to help him tackle what he is fighting right now, and that's the issue of alcoholism.”

“Any time you talk about do you dismiss a young man,” Strong said, “when you see what has happened, two within seven months, you dismiss him from the team — What does he become? Just another statistic in society? So what did we accomplish and how did we help him? You have to help people. Here’s a young man who has never been an issue on our team until those two issues that he had, which are two serious issues, but he’s a young man, he went to class, never had a class issue with him, did all the right things. … We have to help young people.”

Thank God for coaches like Charlie Strong because most people wouldn’t have thought twice about getting rid of the kid after the first incident. By suspending Ashley, he still keeps his scholarship and can therefore go to class and they can keep him active in the program whether he plays or not.

We serve a God of second chances. What would many of us have become if he’d thrown us to the wolves every time we made a mistake? To be quite honest with you many of us are still making mistakes and he hasn’t given up on us yet. Thank God for Grace and Mercy!

I look forward to seeing this kid redeem himself and going on to become a productive man with a degree helping some young knuckle head that has found himself in the same situation!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport


 

Man Up!

Duke's Kyrie Irving taken by the Cavs as the #1 pick!

Millions of kids play the game of basketball all over the world but only 60 of them were good enough to be drafted into the NBA last night. The man sitting at the top of that pile was Duke's Kyrie Irving. He only played a total of 11 games in his college career as a result of a toe injury that sidelined him for most of his freshman season. However, he was so gifted that the NBA scouts didn't blink when he declared for the draft.

Many times at the draft we see proud mothers sitting with their sons in the green room with so many fathers noticeably absent. Well, in the case of Kyrie Irving it was just the opposite. His mother, Elizabeth, died from an illness when he was four, so his father Drederick raised him with the help of his aunts.

I was insulted, as a father, at the fact that people were shocked that Kyrie's dad actually raised him. What do you think he was supposed to do? A real man provides for his family, especially after the unfortunate death of his wife. I know that in this country we aren't always shown examples of African-American men raising their children and being responsible, but yes we do exist. It's not something that is only legend like the sighting of the Lock Nest Monster etc.

I wouldn't expect any less from a God fearing man to hold up the legacy of his wife and provide for his children. The word of God says in 1 Timothy 5:8, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." Knowing and understanding that, I'm not surprised that this man raised his child to become a productive individual.

Yes, there are people that would have just walked away and allowed those aunts to raise Kyrie. They would've folded under the pressure of responsibility and let "Big Momma" take over. Some would've been content with just stopping by every now and then to see if the boy was getting bigger. I know that!

However, those that would have taken that road wouldn't be referred to as men. They would be known as cowards. That type of person couldn’t ever join the fraternity of fathers. He wouldn’t get the secret handshake and would be barred from all fatherly functions. We've got to be careful not to confuse a male with a man. They both are born with a penis, however the comparison stops there. A male simply possesses it, while a man understands the responsibility of having it.

Thanks Drederick for being our "Big Foot" last night and showing the world that there are strong African-American men providing for their families daily. We live, we breathe and we celebrate the accomplishments of our children just like you did last night with your son Kyrie! I need all of the brethren to say Amen!

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

Best NBA Draft Classes Ever!

The 1984 draft was probably the best ever!

The All-Time Best NBA Draft Classes (listed in chronological order)

2003 NBA Draft

When it's all said and done, the 2003 NBA Draft could go down as the best ever. In many NBA Draft classes there are no players drafted who average, or averaged, 20.0 more points per game or better. The 2003 class has four.

LeBron James(notes) (27.69 points per game) has the third highest scoring average in NBA history, Dwyane Wade(notes) (25.43) has the 10th highest, Carmelo Anthony(notes) (24.84) has the 13th highest and Chris Bosh(notes) (20.0) has the 58th best scoring average all-time. ( as of 2011 stats)

The fact that three of the four players now play together with the Miami Heat is also unprecedented in NBA history. If the trio keeps scoring and winning championships in Miami, the class of 2003 will be the best of all-time.

1996 NBA Draft

The 1996 NBA Draft class contains two of the highest scorers in NBA history, the league's all-time leader in three-point field goals, a five time assist leader, a Defensive Player of the Year Award winner who averages double-double figures, and six other players who were all-stars in their careers. A great draft loaded with quality and depth.

The 1996 NBA Draft includes Allen Iverson(notes) (26.66), who has the sixth best scoring average in NBA history, and Kobe Bryant(notes) (25.27), who has the 11th highest scoring average in NBA history. Ray Allen(notes) (20.22), who is the all-time leader in three-point field goals and the 51st best scorer in history, Steve Nash(notes), who has led the league five times in assists including 2011, and Marcus Camby(notes), who was Defensive Player of the Year in 2007 and has career averages of 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

Other great players who were all all-stars from 1996 include Stephon Marbury(notes), Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Antoine Walker(notes), Peja Stojakovic(notes), Jermaine O'Neal(notes) and Zydrunas Illgauskas. The only player from the 1996 draft who averaged double-figures in scoring and did not make the NBA All-Star Game is Kerry Kittles (14.1), who was drafted by my Nets.

1985 NBA Draft

The 1985 class includes four Basketball Hall of Fame Players. Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin and Joe Dumars.

Other great players from the 1985 draft who were all-stars include Xavier McDaniel, Michael Adams, Detlef Schrempf, Terry Porter, Charles Oakley and A.C. Green. Spud Webb, who stands 5' 7" tall and won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1987, was also drafted in 1985.

1984 NBA Draft

The 1984 NBA Draft has the greatest scorer in NBA history in Michael Jordan. Three other Basketball Hall of Fame players in Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton. Other 1984 draftees who were all-stars include Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis and Alvin Robertson.

In the history of the NBA, only four players have ever officially recorded quadruple-doubles. Two of those players were in the 1984 NBA Draft class.

On February 18, 1986, Alvin Robertson had 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a game. On March 29, 1990, Hakeem Olajwuon had 18 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and 11 blocks in a game. (The other two players with quadruple-doubles are Nate Thurmond and David Robinson.)

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor,Joe Dorish.

Side Money!

"Former Michigan great defends Ohio State?"

Former Michigan Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard came to the defense of it's most bitter rival, Ohio State, this week saying that he didn't see anything wrong with players selling memorabilia.

"Do I think any other student-athlete has sold something for money? Yeah. Is that a big crime? Not at all. It's not even relevant," said the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner. "It's only (important) because some guys sat in a room one day and decided, 'OK, this is going to be illegal.' Other than that, everybody else on campus can sell whatever they own. But because they're players, they can't sell anything they own. It's almost like they say, 'OK, you own that merchandise, but in essence we own you, so you can't do it.' "

I completely agree with Desmond on this issue. The NCAA wants a complete monopoly of all of the money. Why can't a kid sell what belongs to him if the university and every store in the area can sell a players likeness for profit? Does it make any sense for a kid to walk around campus broke while the bookstore sells his jersey for $50 to $75 a piece and he has the authentic one but can't sell it? That’s hypocrisy!

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, the scholarship only pays for room and board, tuition and books. It doesn't pay for pizza on Friday and Saturday night, it doesn't put gas in the car or pay for laundry to get done. It doesn't pay for new clothes once the weight program puts 25 to 30 lbs on a kid and now he's out grown all of his clothes. It doesn’t pay for a kid to take his girlfriend out etc.

Many of the kids that were talking about are from inner-cities from all across this country and their parents can’t send them allowance or a care package. So as sad as it may sound, the game jersey or championship ring becomes worthless to a person that only wants some money in his pocket. Why do you think that 12 and 13 year old kids start selling drugs in the ghetto? Because they aspire to go to jail or die in the street? Not at all, they want the new Jordan’s and the new clothes everybody else has and that want is so strong that it clouds what little judgment they have.

During the school year these kids can't work to make money because it's an NCAA violation. Even if a they could work, there wouldn't be time enough to work. So what's wrong with a kid signing an autograph or selling his jersey to make money on the side?

"Spring what?"

To kids like Terrelle Pryor signing a helmet or ball isn't stealing, selling drugs or car jacking anyone. So in their minds it's easy money and I can't go to jail for it. Spare me the "it's still against the rules" crap. The same person that's screaming that had parents that were able to send them money every week or better yet had their own bank account while on campus. Whenever they ran low of funds their parents just made a deposit and kept it moving. This is the same guy that went to Florida every year for spring break. Well, I didn’t get to Florida until I was grown man with a degree and several years of corporate experience.

Don't try to tell me that these guys were aware of the rules so they should know better. These kids don't live in the world of what should be. They live in the world of what is! Your decision making is altered based on your circumstances. The word of God even says in Proverbs 30:8-9, "Give me only my daily bread, Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say who is the Lord?" Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God.

The good Lord has already told us what will happen when people don't have enough. So why are we surprised when kids become desperate and break the rules? Any time a person feels like they’ve been taken advantage of they’ll look for ways to come up. So unless the NCAA changes the rules they’ll continue to get bent, battered and destroyed.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Three And Out!

"Cleveland bruh? Man let's get this over with!"

The Cleveland Cavaliers were blessed with the worse record in the NBA this year and for that reason they get the first pick in the draft on Thursday. They were so bad that someone threw them a bone, a skull and an entire torso and gave them the fourth pick as well. As a matter of fact, they could use the first twelve picks and it probably won't help!

The Cavs organization is a total hole and for any lottery pick taken the mission should be 3 and out of that hole they call the Cavaliers organization. There is a reason why certain teams consistently lose, it's called management. Whenever you see a team at the bottom of the league every year it's not the players that are the problem. There is a reason why the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Chicago Cubs, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Royals lose every year.

It's not the players because they're all on scholarship too. They're getting the same money the Lakers, Heat, Celtics players etc are getting. They live the same lifestyle, drive the same cars, date the same type of women and pop the same bottles. So don't think that because the Cavs have the first pick and will probably take Kyrie Irving from Duke that things are going to turn around.

Dan Gilbert is one of the worse owners in sports. Let's keep it real, any owner that would write a former player the letter that he wrote Lebron after he decided to leave has people skills problems. The fact that he was crazy enough to write a letter like that shows a clear lack of leadership and respect for his players and therefore, will have problems getting future free agents to come play for him. Why would any kid with options want to play for him? When the 216 area code pops up guys are letting it go straight to voice mail.

Kyrie has probably already made up his mind to sign the standard 3 year $10 million deal and have already marked his calendar for his exit out of Cleveland. Believe it or not every player in the world with the potential of playing in the NBA watched how Gilbert handled that situation and it will haunt him for the rest of his career. When he approaches potential free agents in public they're saying, "Naw... I'm cool."


LeBron was a 26 year player at the time and wasn‘t responsible for running a franchise. So he can make questionable decisions and still be alright. Making it to the Finals in his first year was an over achievement, like him or not. Yeah, he choked but how will Gilbert's reaction to the situation affect his ability to get players going forward? He'll be able to draft because kids don't have a choice as to where they play. However, free agency is another beast that he won't be able to overcome.

I don't see very many guys lining up to play for him and by the way have you ever been to Cleveland? Not very many young rich millionaires are breaking their necks to go to Northern Ohio to live. The only reason they had LeBron for seven years was because he was from nearby Akron and he was at home! Good luck with that!

Holla At Ya Boy!
JayGraves
Twitter:@jaygravesreport

The Most Powerful Man In The NBA!

"Still King James whether you like him or not"

Love him or hate LeBron James is the most powerful man in the NBA. More people watched professional basketball in 2011 & 2012 than ever before primarily because of the interest in or hate for LeBron. He's literally resurrected the game just like Magic and Bird did in 1979.

When they came into the league it was at an all-time low in terms of interest and the rivalry created between the two pulled the NBA out of bad times. Then a few years later Jordan was drafted in 1984 and we've been spoiled. However, after the Jordan years the league hasn't been that interesting to watch especially during the regular season.

We'd just wait until the playoffs to watch it with intensity. However, not in 2011 or 2012 bruh. When LeBron made "The Decision" it was on and popping. People tuned in, in October and didn't let off of the gas until the final game last year. Folks even watched the pre-season not to mention the match up in Cleveland when Miami beat the brakes off of the Cavs in October of 2011.

"Those months of free-agent intrigue fed into robust television ratings in the regular season and on into the playoffs. Viewership for the first round was up 30 percent from last year. We actually couldn't be more pleased," Commissioner David Stern said just before the playoffs. "We're actually a little surprised, but pleasantly." I can't wait to see what the final numbers will be for 2012!

According to NBA.com first-round games in 2011 on ABC, ESPN and TNT were watched by an average of 4.15 million people, up from fewer than 3.2 million last year. The big jump came on top of already-strong ratings. In 2007, the first round averaged fewer than 2.7 million viewers. To this point of the playoffs, TNT has drawn the highest average rating ever for games on cable. The network's 23 games averaged a 2.7 rating - representing the percentage of American homes with televisions tuned in - easily eclipsing the previous high of 2.3 in 2009. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals this year (2012) was the most watched NBA game in cable television history! Why, because all of these clowns that hate LeBron James!

Hate on him all you want but the league knows who the money man is. You better believe that he'll be compensated for it too. If you don't like him don't watch the games because as long as you do you'll keep putting money in his pocket.

According to CNBC.com, James was the new king of NBA jersey sales in 2011, reclaiming the top spot on the NBA's best-selling jersey list during his first season with the Miami Heat. Kobe Bryant held the second spot. So you can listen to the media all you want but the numbers don't lie. Coaches have been saying it for years, "Look at the film son if you want the truth". Keep hating on him because it has done nothing but generated more revenue for the entire league and will continue to do the same for years to come. King James has single handedly put the NBA on his back right under your noses. To all of the LeBron haters, "The jokes on you!" He and the league are laughing all the way to the bank. As a matter of fact, they owe LeBron money!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Like the Report on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheJayGravesReport

Learning to Play The Ultimate Game!

As a young man my parents taught me how to play the game of life. They explained to me early on that not everyone is going to treat you with God's respect. Even though America has gone through the civil rights movement not everyone is going to be tolerant of the diversity in this country. As a result, we were taught that we have to carry ourselves with the utmost dignity at all times. That means looking your best and being respectful everywhere we go.

Don't become a target of some one else's ignorance by allowing them to push your buttons and set you off. We saw an example of this earlier in the week when University of New Mexico football player Deshon Marman was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, battery of a police officer and obstruction after trying to board a flight in San Francisco. The whole incident started when the passenger was asked to pull his pants up because he was sagging.

I can assume that flight attendant wasn't very nice when she asked him to pull up his pants. Consequently, I know he responded back to the flight crew in a negative way because he was a youngster. The video didn't show the initial confrontation, however. He'd just come from the funeral of his best friend and was probably a little testy anyway. So it's plausible to believe that he snapped after, in his opinion, they came at him sideways.

On Thursday, Marman told San Francisco television station KGO that he felt the flight crew was harassing him and that he had pulled his pants up as requested by a boarding agent.

I tell my kids all of the time don't present yourself in such a way that you become a target of some one's intolerance. As a young man, I would get pulled over regularly by the police not for speeding or for breaking the law but because I looked suspicious driving a new car. People have been getting profiled for years, it just didn't start with the fight against terrorism movement. The police would pull me over for the purpose of searching my vehicle to see if there was a reason other than having a corporate job I was in a new car.


I've had guns drawn on me for no reason. However, during the confrontation with the authorities I remained calm and cooperative. When you've done nothing wrong and you're cooperative your chances of being arrested drops considerably. When you become belligerent and combative that's when the suspicion of trespassing, battery of a police officer and obstruction charges show up.

I'm upset with Deshon's parents for not teaching him the rules of the game before he went out into the world. Not every one will treat you with the respect you deserve regardless of how you dress or present yourself. That's why it's so important to understand the rules of the game. Be polite even though you feel like you've been targeted and get to your final destination without ending up all over the news. Then file a complaint against the airline. This whole incident could have been avoided if he'd just listened to the wise old timers that have been begging him to pull them up in the first place.

The world isn't fair and you need to know that before you walk out of the door in the morning. According to the Bureau of Prisons statistics 70% of prisoners in the United States are non-whites. Did you really believe that 70% of the crimes committed in the U.S. are committed by non-whites? Please understand that the 70% that are in jail or the ones that were more likely to be convicted. Teach your children the rules so they can play without fouling out.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves

Man Overboard!

"Sacrificial Lamb"



Just weeks after Ohio State's program has all but imploded under the tattoo scandal of extra benefits. The Oregon Ducks are scrambling to make sure that Pandora's Box doesn't open in Eugene. Starting cornerback Cliff Harris, 20, was cited Sunday morning after police said they clocked him driving 118 mph on a suspended license in a rental car.

Head coach Chip Kelly announced that Harris would be suspended Wednesday after the school said its compliance office was looking into the matter because the car Harris was driving had been rented by a university employee. Kelly announced in a statement that at the very least, Harris will sit out Oregon's season opener against LSU at Cowboys Stadium in Texas on Sept. 3
.
After that, Harris' status would be dependent on his adherence to the football program's rules.
"Cliff's future clearly is in Cliff's hands," Kelly said. "Earning an opportunity to represent the University of Oregon and this football program certainly rests far beyond a player's ability on the field of play. Our behavior out of the spotlight often is more important and will be held to a higher standard. Until Cliff is able to conform to the same standards all of us must comply with, his status will remain unchanged."

The fact that Harris was driving 118mph wasn't the major issue here. Although he put his life and several others in danger as a result of his actions the university is really concerned about how his actions will affect the school's football program. The issue here is the fact that a university employee rented Harris the vehicle. That's a major NCAA violation and it only takes one for people to start snooping around and the skeletons will start to fall out of the closet.


The Duck's going to class today!

Kelly is smart enough to know that and he's willing to sacrifice his starting corner to save the ship! Don't think for one moment that Oregon made it to the BCS National Title game without some extra benefits floating around Eugene? It's the nature of the beast.

There's no tradition of winning at Oregon and all of a sudden these guys show up in the national title game? Nobody wants that box open! I'm just just sayin'. The Dam is starting to leak and some kid has his finger on the whole. If you move slightly in either direction the whole thing will blow. There isn't a kid on the Ducks squad driving anything today. I can bet that Chip Kelly has grounded the whole team from driving until this thing passes over. Bicycles only! They aren't going to have another Terrelle Pryor pulling up while the media is all over campus.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves

"Gin and Juice" Moment

"I'm glad it's over bruh!"

I'm not tripping that LeBron finally spoke up for himself because if it were me I would have in October. I completely understand the guy saying enough is enough. It's time for folks to pull a Snoop Dogg and "back up off of him and sit your cup down". Let's keep it real, he completely choked in the Finals and is the reason why the Miami Heat lost the championship. No doubt it! That we all know and witnessed for ourselves.

So should LeBron and company eat crow and man up at this point? Absolutely! A man's man would simply say, " The Mavs were the better team and they put us in our place. Therefore, I've got a lot of work to put in this summer and we'll be back next year to compete for a title." Straight up that's how a real cat would handle it.

However, I'm not mad at the guy for letting folks have it by saying; "All the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today," James said Sunday.

"They have the same personal problems they had today. I'm going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point."

Folks that were offended by him snapping were like the kid that threw rocks at the neighbors dog everyday because they knew he was on the chain. Then one day the chain broke and the slowest kid got bit. He threw the most rocks and the dog squared off on him.

I wasn't offended at all by what he said. As a matter of fact, I was surprised that he didn't snap months ago. In my opinion, if he would have gotten it off of his chest earlier he wouldn't have fallen apart in the Finals. Dude, he's human so at some point he was going to snap. Everybody is talking about his arrogance like that's abnormal. I know very few athletes that aren't arrogant, especially professionals.

Jordan was one of the most arrogant guys to ever play the game. Did you hear his Hall Of Fame speech? It was classic Jordan! The only thing that saved him from being exposed as the jerk that he was, was the fact that we didn't have the 24 news cycle when he played that we have now or better yet, video camera's on cell phones or TMZ! Otherwise, people would have been saying worse things about Jordan, Malone, Barkley and others.

C'Mon man! Barkley was throwing fans out of windows in his day! LeBron can't back fans up off of him? You have to admit, this wasn't just some "boo go home" type hate. It was personal for a whole lot of people. So if he offended you, you were the guy that made it personal because he didn't offend me.

I wanted him to win for one reason, so he could tell all of the haters to go head on! Now don't believe for one minute that he won't ever win a title. He's only 26 years old and Jordan didn't win one until he was 28. Magic played in 9 Finals and lost 4 of them and was terrible in 2. People tend to forget that and the youngsters didn't even know that. Well, I'm just saying you haven't seen the last of him yet.

Now granted he's got some growing up to do but we all act like we had it together at 26. Truth be told it's a lot of folks that are 40 plus that still don't have it together. Those same folks have got their mouths open about this kid trying to be the judge and the jury and can't keep a job because of bad decisions.


If "The Decision" was the worse decision of his career he'll be alright. For a kid that grew up without a father and an unstable out of control mother, he's done very well for himself to this point. He's never been in trouble with the law and he's never been involved in any foolishness off of the court. I got love for him because most African-American males raised in the same circumstances he came out of are in jail. Fact, 70% of long term inmates in state prisons were raised without a father. He could have easily been one of those guys. So I'm proud of him regardless of "The Decisions" that he has made.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

World Champions! Really?



Did they really win the "World Championship?"



Now that the NBA Finals are in the books and the Dallas Mavricks have been crowned king of the National Basketball Association. 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 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 Mavs 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 Mavs have won the NBA title 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 back in 2004 when the U.S. Olympic basketball team, which was comprised of NBA players, had to settle for 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.

Holla At Ya Boy!

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

Mavs Win First NBA Ttitle!

NBA Champions




Dirk Nowitzki wins his first NBA Championshp last night and it couldn't have been sweeter. He and his fellow Dallas Mavs knocked off the Miami Heat on their home floor with the LeBron James watching.   He'll have an agonizing wait continues for at least one more year.

A season that began with Miami celebrating the signings of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Along with those signing they  promised a championship but no one realized that it would be the Dallas Mavericks hoisting the title trophy in Miami instead of the Heat. The Mavs win their first title  franchise history after beating the Heat 105-95 on Sunday night. The Dallas Boys won four of the last five games to claim the trophy.

"I really still can't believe it," said Nowitzki, who had 21 points and took home Finals MVP honors.

He and Jason Terry, who led the Mavs with 27 points, were the two remaining players from the Dallas team that lost to Miami in the 2006 Finals. "Tonight," Terry said, "we got vindication."

Well, LeBron James did what LeBron does in big games and he'll have to wait another year to get on the bike and start from the bottom.  He scored 21 points but it wasn't enough to keep Dallas fro going home with the hardware. Bosh had 19, Mario Chalmers 18 and Wade 17 for the Heat.

Congratulations to the Dallas Mavs for showing up big not only in the Finals but during the entire playoff run this year. I knew they had something special after they ran through the Lakers in four games. Nobody saw that coming.  Sometimes teams are destined to be champions and this year was it for "Big D". Who would have thought it at the beginning of the season or even the playoffs that they would be the champs whe it was all said and done? They got rid of Kobe's Lakers like lunch meat and it was on. Again Congrats to the Mavs and their loyal fans!

Holla At Ya Boy!

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

Job Security?

"Hi I'm James, let me know if I can help you with anything!"

With the recent removal of Jim Tressel as Ohio State’s head coach, I’m reminded of just how difficult the profession of coaching can be. Not only is it difficult but it can be very volatile. As I survey the landscape of big time college football, success becomes the anchor that destroys so many college coaches.

The question is, which came first the chicken or the egg? Did these programs start winning first or did the boosters and alumni get involved with players first to kick start the success of it.  That’s a question that will never be answered. All I know is that most programs go on a 10 to 15 year run and the wheels seem to fall off and then they have to start over. They either get hit with NCAA sanctions or the coach gets fired because the level of expectation is too high.

Programs win in phases. The USC Trojans owned the 1970’s and were nonexistent in the 1980’s because of the power of UCLA at the time. Just like during the ‘90’s Michigan were the beast of the Big Ten until Ohio State took over at the turn of the century. Now the Wolverines will get back on top. The OU Sooners completely disappeared in the ‘90’s  after Switzer was ran out of town and when Stoops took over in ’99 they came back to prominence. Nobody wins forever!

Don’t even try to tell me anything about Joe Paterno because he should’ve been fired years ago. No one at Penn State has had the nerve to pull the trigger because he’s been there so long. Yes, he built the program but they’ve been mediocre for way too long.  I hated to see Bobby Bowden go at Florida State but it was time. Now the Seminoles will be back in the discussion for the next 10 to 12 years. Starting with knocking off  top ranked Oklahoma on September 17. 

Solich goes from Nebraska to Ohio?

How many guys have we seen get shown the door way too early? Frank Solich gets fired a year after going to the national title game and winning 9 games in his final year at Nebraska. Lloyd Carr won 9 games in his final year and was forced to retire from Michigan. Fan expectation goes through the roof and success is a beast that no one can seem to tackle.

Guys like Tressel, Carroll and Switzer and were victims of their success because boosters and alumni just seemed just take over their programs. Yeah, they didn’t do much to get rid of them but it’s the monster that the success created. Everybody see’s it but the high from it is too intoxicating to walk away from.

Along with winning come the fame and the power that drives the monster out of control. Top 10 finishes, BCS bowl appearances that pay $17 million, 10 win seasons create an atmosphere that most can’t handle especially the man in charge, the head coach.

It seems like the dream job that so many people covet but don’t understand that it can get away from you very easily. When you’re in charge of one the most powerful revenue streams in the state it’s suffocating.  So by the time that you realize it, you’re looking for another job.

How can a guy be the man that everybody respects and loves one minute and be the heel of the state the next. That’s the nature of the business. No loyalty at all. It’s like Janet Jackson’s, “What have you done for me lately?” The coach finds a way to win 9 to 10 games a year, get to the BCS and help every one else makes money on the ancillary products. Lose one extra game or let the program get out of control just a bit and then he’s fired.  “See ya wouldn’t want to be ya!”

Who’s up next?

Holla At Ya Boy!

Jay Graves
 Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Mavs Make It Rain!

"Mavs Flyin' High"

Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points, to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals. Five years after going up 2-0 on the Heat, the Mavs finally got that elusive third victory, and can finish off the Heat to win their first championship in Game 6 on the road Sunday night.
"We didn't want to go to Miami and give them basically two shots to close us out. So we kept plugging there in the fourth. So definitely a big win for us," Nowitzki said. "And now we have to go down there and basically approach Sunday's game as Game 7."

James, who called this game "now or never," showed up on paper with a triple double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. However, his boy Dwyane Wade battled through a sore left hip after a first-quarter collision to finish with 23 points. Now I know that the triple double is balling in February but this is June and the NBA Finals. Down the stretch "ya boy" was often standing in the corner.

"I could have made a couple of more plays for my team," James said. "But at the end of the day, all it's about is a win or a loss. Triple-double means absolutely nothing in a loss. So we will be better in Game 6 on Sunday."

I'm confused bruh! I mean you're taught in “Biddy Basketball” to leave it all on the floor. So to make the statement, "I could have made a couple more plays for my team" doesn't fly. I've got a rule that I deeply enforce with my children while playing sports. It's, if you're going to play you've got to give 100% all of the time win or lose. Don't have me show up to see you play and you're not giving everything you've got. Otherwise, I can stay at home and watch somebody on TV that really wants to play.

Well if I'd stayed home last night I would have been upset because even with the triple double LeBron, in my opinion, could have given more than he put in the collection plate. He was the guy that thumped the bottom of it and passed it to the next guy.

The Mavs showed up to play last night in full force. They pulled a Fat Joe and Lil Wayne and made it rain by hitting 13-3 pointers.  It seemed like they had a rope on it and if I see Jason Terry throw up anymore junk that goes in I'm going to be sick. This guy is just putting it in the air like some kid at the rec center and cashing in. Unbelievable junk do your hear me?

Hey, but you've got to give the Dallas boys credit. Their putting in work when it counts. Can the Heat keep the Mavs from coming to South Beach and celebrating on their floor? We'll see, but I know one thing, D. Wade has to be on fire because his boy has pulled an ostrich move on him and just stuck his head in the sand. 

Holla At Ya Boy!

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

Pre-Game Speech to LeBron! "Keep It Movin' "

Hey bruh, I’m out here telling folks that you’ve got more talent than Jordan at age 26 etc and you go out and lay an egg in game 4. What’s up with that bruh? I’m going to call it like I see it my man. You looked like you’re scared to just take over! I know you want be a good teammate and involve everybody but it’s the NBA Finals.  It should be you and D. Wade every time down the floor. Every body else should already know to get rebounds and play defense that’s it.

Let’s keep it real bruh, Jordan didn’t care who was on the floor, he was taking over and it didn’t matter what Phil, Pipp or anybody else thought. I know that you have D. Wade but you’re deferring to Mario bruh!Where are Chris Carter, Tom Jackson and Mike Ditka when you need them? C’mon Man!

"Keep it movin' der boi!"

You making me look bad! I’m writing articles giving you all kinds of love, breaking down your stats, awards etc. and you look good on paper bruh! But the game isn’t played on paper! It was played in Dallas at American Airlines Center and you may as well been sitting next to me and Ol' Otis.

By the way he’s got something to say to you, “Whatcha say der boi! Ya say ya wanna be the greatest basketball player ever der boi?  Ol' Otis say ya look like ya scared der boi!  I mean ya look strawberry soft der boi. Ya look like they need to check ya der boi to see if ya got "melons” der boi.  Ol' Otis ain’t got money ta blow on a game der boi , so you either gotta show up tonight or keep it movin’ der boi.” Hear what I say der boi, just keep it movin' der boi.

Hey man Deion Sanders says it best, “You gotta bring that dog out”. It’s in there but you’ve got to dig way down deep and get it. My problem is this, if you have to be told to bring it out and it’s the NBA Finals you don’t have it. All the talent in the world doesn’t mean a thing without the desire to use it and for that matter take over with it.  

You’ve got the complete game and you disappear when all of the marbles are on the table. D. Wade shouldn’t have to go off on you to tell you to hold on to the rock in game three. You’re freaking LeBron James for crying out loud! He can’t want it more than you. Otherwise, what was the point of showing up bruh? I’m riding with you because I don’t like the haters hating but you got me fired up. I shouldn’t be upset about a basketball game man. I’m breaking my own fan rule, “Take your heart out of it”. However, I seem to want to see you succeed more than you do bruh!

 You’re giving folks ammunition to say that you’re soft and that you’ll never be as good as Jordan, when you’ve already got more natural talent than Jordan at the same age. The question is, are you going to have the heart that Jordan had? That’s the x-factor and it’s on you baby boy! If Allen Iverson would’ve been blessed with the natural size and ability that you have he would have been the greatest ever. That guy had more heart than anybody that I’ve seen play the game.

Hey man, I’ve got a reputation to uphold so don’t make me look bad out here again. I’ve got you but you’ve got to have you!  Now you can erase all of the doubt if you just go out here tonight and play like you’re capable of or you can’t establish yourself as a "bust wanna be Jordan with no heart".

Holla At Ya Boy!

Jay Graves

Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Violation Of Hood Protocol

"Witness Protection"

One of the first rules of survival that is taught in the ghetto is to mind your own business. If it doesn't have anything to do with you stay out of it. The moment you get involved in something that doesn't pertain to you, you put bull’s-eye on your back. That rule is taught even before you enter kindergarten. My mother laid that one out to me real easy like, "Mind your own business because tattling will get you hurt and know body wants to be around a tattle tale". That was the clean version of the rule!

So if that's the first rule of survival why would Terrelle Pryor's former friend go to ESPN's "Outside the Lines" and tell them that his boy made thousands of dollars autographing memorabilia in 2009-10. He said that it occurred a minimum of 35 to 40 times, netting Pryor anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 that year, which is a violation of NCAA rules.

The source spoke to ESPN under the condition that his face not be aired on TV and that his name not be published. Why of course! However, everybody on campus and anyone affiliated with Pryor knows exactly who the guy is. That was real smart. Now he's just ruined his life and will probably have to transfer schools as well if he's even in school. We call that going into witness protection.

People that didn't grow up in the hood don't understand that rule and thinks that it doesn't make sense. So let me break it down for you. People see things that are illegal everyday. However, they have to live there regardless of the crimes committed around them. So if you get involved the authorities can't and won't protect you from the very group of individuals that may be guilty of the crime. Even if the guy gets caught and put in jail he has family and friends that will come looking for you and your family.

So if you can't move your entire family out of harms way, you keep your mouth closed. The NCAA and Ohio State had already opened Pandora’s box and was bound to find all the bones of this tragic situation any way. Why put your self in harms way for a couple of bucks and you didn't even get famous because you had to hide your face?

No way that kid can go to class today! He's probably already gotten "ran up on" and had to packed his bags for telling something that had absolutely nothing to do with him.

I've said from the beginning that his first mistake was going to Ohio State! I wrote an article back in January entitled “Terrelle Pryor’s Biggest Mistake” about how he should have done to Michigan because the spread offense was made for his skill set. Going to Ohio State didn't prepare him any better and didn't increase his draft status.

Playing for Michigan under Rich Rodriguez wouldn't have prepared him to play quarterback in the NFL either. However, he would have put up big numbers and possibly have won the Heisman trophy and therefore commanded a first round draft slot just like Tim Tebow who‘s clearly not an NFL quarterback. However, the big numbers got him drafted in the first round. The 1st rule of the Hustler's handbook is to sign the contract before they realize you can't play. JaMarcus Russell was the first pick in the 2007 NFL Draft and couldn't play a lick because he was lazy. He signed a contract worth $61 million with $32 million guaranteed. Being ready to play in the NFL isn't important but being ready to get paid in the NFL is.

The tragedy of it all is that Pryor got pimped as I talked about in Straight Pimpin’ and got nothing out of the deal. He's leaving school without a degree to pursue a pro career where? Even if he'd gotten drafted a couple months ago at best he would have been a 3rd round pick. That draft position pays nothing in the grand scheme of NFL contracts and long term living. As a free agent he gets no guarantee's at all. It's starting to look like Marcus Dupree or Maurice Clarett all over again. Sad situation to have the rare genetics that only come around every 20 years or so and not be able to take advantage of them.

Holla At Ya Boy!

Jay Graves
Follow me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Rings Don't Always Measure Greatness!

"By the way, he's got one on his toe."

I wrote an article entitled "LeBron Is Better Than Jordan (at 26)" comparing the careers of both players. I looked at both careers up to age 26 because of LeBron's current age during the 2011 season. Everyone that has commented or called me has said the same thing, "What about Jordan's 6 titles?" Like I've always said, Jordan didn't win a title until he was 28 years old bruh. So for the sake of that argument they don't exist.  

However, since everyone wants to use titles to measure the greatness of a player let's take a look at it. Here is a sampling of some of the greatest players to ever play the game that have won multiple titles:

1. Bill Russell -11
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar- 6
3. Michael Jordan- 6
4. Magic Johnson-5
5. Kobe Bryant- 5
6. Tim Duncan-4
7. Larry Bird-3
8. Wilt Chamberlain-2

So if we're only looking at titles why aren't people talking about Bill Russell or Kareem as opposed to Jordan? Better yet, why not Robert Horry who has 7 rings? While you're at it throw in Derrick Fisher who has 5! My point exactly! If we were only looking at titles we'd have to put Horry in the discussion and we all know that that doesn't make any sense. He was just a guy that was lucky enough to get on the right boat 7 times.

Titles don't always tell the story of greatness because Dan Marino was probably the most gifted quarterback to ever play the game and he never won a title. Can you say that Joe Montana was better than Marino or Peyton Manning because he won 4 Super Bowls? Absolutely not! He was just blessed to be throwing to the best receiver to ever play the game in Jerry Rice and coached by the inventor of the west coast offense, Bill Walsh!

Along those same lines we saw the same thing happen in the NBA with the Bulls. Not only did Jordan have Scottie and Rodman, they played for probably the best coach to ever walk the side lines. So to win 6 titles with that cast of characters wasn't impossible bruh. 

 Rings don't always tell the story of greatness because Jerry West, who is the Logo of the NBA, only has one. I think that people loved Jordan so much that after he started winning titles they started equating greatness with championship rings. Like I said before if that is the case, then Robert Horry is the 2nd greatest player in NBA history. Now how stupid does that sound?

Greatness comes down to a players complete game and what they bring to a team. Is the team better with a particular player on the field or on the court? But the amount of titles that a guy wins isn't the deciding factor because it's a team award. If that were that case they should change the NBA Logo to Bill Russell or Robert Horry! So to say that a person with more titles is greater based on the rings alone is completely ridiculous. By using that logic what you'll be saying is that Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins and Patrick Ewing weren't great players! C'mon bruh!

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

"My Minds Playing Tricks On Me"

"This didn't happen, you just thought it did!"

In January of 2005 I watched USC beat the brakes off of my Oklahoma Sooners 55-19 to win the Orange Bowl and the 2004 national title. I wasn't imagining things or having a nightmare, it actually happened! Now the BCS and the NCAA is stripping that title from the Trojans and is telling me that I didn't see what I saw.
You can't erase history. Just put the school on probation and keep it moving. You can't tell people that something didn't happen when it did. Taking the championship trophy out of the football facility and taking the banner down doesn't erase the memory of it.

 

 I remember when the NCAA stripped all of the wins and the Final Four from the Fab Five. I thought that it was the dumbest thing that I've ever heard of. You can't tell me that Chris Weber and Co. didn't change the game of basketball and it's flare. So to act like they didn't exist is stupid. Furthermore, it was several years later before the Chris Weber scandal even surfaced. So to punish the school is unfair if they weren't aware of the violations at the time.

I saw what I saw and I'm sticking with my story. Did Reggie Bush run all over the Sooners? Yes! Did having improper benefits help him to make us look silly? No! Did he break the rules? Yes! But to have the school vacate the wins is way over the top. Are they going to go pick up all of the players national title rings and memorabilia as well?

I completely understand what the intent of the ruling is because Bush has since been ruled an ineligible player. However, at the time the school didn't know that. So why punish USC if they didn't know that he and his parents were receiving improper benefits at the time. Taking his Heisman was in my opinion, appropriate and justified. However, to go back seven years later to take away the title is excessive.

Not only did the BCS ruling vacate the results of the 2005 Orange Bowl, the national title game for 2004, it also vacated the Trojans participation in the 2006 Rose Bowl, in which USC lost to Texas, 41-38, in the championship game. So does the official record show Texas playing themselves for the title?  Silly right?

So what I need to happen before we even kick off the 2011 season is for all ineligible guys to raise their hands so that you don't waste my time. We’ll just let you play in the NFL this season that way we can act like it didn't happen because it really won't.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Twitter: @jaygravesreport

Keeping It In The Road! Heat up 2-1

Bosh hitting the game winner!

The Miami Heat managed the keep the Bentley on the road last night and made it home safely. No falling asleep like they did in game 2 of the NBA Finals in South Beach to make this series more interesting than it needed to be. They should legitimately be up 3-0 at this point. Ready to close the Mavs out and planning a party on Star Island!
 Instead, Dwyane Wade  had to show up big on Sunday to help them get a crucial win in Big D. Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem provided the final push to seal the key victory. Bosh made a 16-foot, go-ahead jumper from the baseline with 39.6 seconds left and Haslem pestered Dirk Nowitzki the rest of the way as the Heat held on for an 88-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night for a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.

"This is a total win," said Wade, who led Miami with 29 points and 11 rebounds. "You want to win the game on the defensive end of the floor and we got a stop." Recent history says this is a huge win for the Heat. The Game 3 winner in a tied finals has won the championship all 11 times since the 2-3-2 format began in 1985.

We should all be thinking about the NBA draft coming up in the few weeks at this point because it should be a wrap. However, the Heat have managed to keep everyone interested in a series that should at best go 5 games. By falling asleep at the wheel the other night Miami has allowed Dallas to still have a chance make it interesting and win one or two of the next two at the crib.  They continue to allow teams to hang around that shouldn't even be on the floor with them.

They get up big and then go to sleep. What is the deal with that? My only issue with this team is the lack of killer instinct. Too many guys trying to be good teammates. Whoever is feeling it that night should just take over like D. Wade did last night. Although I can respect guys trying not to step on toes but it's put up or shut up time now. Yes, LeBron I'm talking to you bruh!



"Kept it on the road last night!"

 I'm in your corner but that's the one aspect of your game that you don't have yet that Jordan did have at 26, killer instinct.You have to be able to smell blood in the water and attack until there is no life left in your opponent. Jordan wasn't a very good teammate as a young man but he would put the game on his shoulders and ride. Maybe because he had to by being the only guy capable of closing games out on the Bulls in the late 1980's but either way you've got to upset some people, including D. Wade.

What a lot of people don't realize is that Jordan would constantly fight his teammates(Kerr) until Phil got there in '88 and showed him how to make them better instead of fighting them. Non the less learn how to close out games bruh! Keep the ride on the street late in the forth quarter and you and your teammates can shake off all of the haters.

I only want to see the Heat win it all because of the haters on the other side of the fence. I have no other motive here. I love to see the hated win and the haters(media, fans that burned LeBron's jersey, Dan Gilbert, guy that just bought into the media hype that he should hate LeBron but doesn't really know why) lose!  Go Heat!

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