"THEY AINT"

His momma called him AINT! Ima call him AINT!

An old Chinese proverb says, "Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow." That means that in order for the duck to lead he's got to show up for boyz to follow him. He can't be chillin' at the crib and tell them to go on without him and he'll catch up later. He's been designated as the leader for a reason. You can't expect the flock to make it to their destination without his leadership.

If we can understand that simple analogy then why is it so hard for people to except it when we bring up the New Orleans Saints? Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! The Saints without head coach Sean Payton is merely a shell of itself! Sure, they've got all of their offensive weapons back from a year ago including Drew Brees. However, the head coach is chillin' at the crib.

The Saints won't even make the playoffs this year bruh! Write it down, carve it in stone or tag it in the ghetto right along side of all of the gang affiliations. THE SAINTS WON'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS! Not only is Payton out for the entire year the assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who is running training camp right now, will be suspended for the first 6 games and another cat will have to take over until he gets back. That's like the substitute teacher having a substitute bruh!

That means that the Saints will be down to the 3rd cat on the depth chart in terms of LEADERSHIP! You can holler they've got Drew Brees all day long pimpin' but he "AINT" the head coach. There is a reason that every team has one. If the head coach wasn't important they'd still have player coaches like they had back in the day and they sure wouldn't be paying them a king's ransom to stand around and look important.

Do you really think that the Patriots could have won those Super Bowls without Bellichick or the Giants without Coughlin? Do you really think that the Packers would be who they are as an organization without Lombardi? Do you really think that the Bulls or Lakers would have won all of those titles without Phil? Really? If the head coach isn't important why do people even have them? Why not just eliminate the position altogether?

So how disrespectful is it to the other 31 head coaches in the league to even suggest that the Saints will make the playoffs without a coach? I've heard boyz saying that they'll even make it to the Super Bowl. I just want to know how much of that stuff you smoked, injected, inhaled and drank before you came up with that? Not only are they missing Payton and soon to be Vitt but they've lost significant contributors on defense as a result of this whole Bounty Gate joint. Does Johnathon Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Scott Fujita ring a bell bruh? Forgot all of them huh? Now I know that a couple of them aren't even on the team anymore but you can't just replace that production on the fly. It's not like they were scrubs carrying somebody's shoulder pads around. So how are they going to win without all of that on the field?

What are guys around the league saying behind closed doors when they hear this foolishness? They're on scholarship too! They're getting paid handsomely to go out an win ball games too and they have coaches. So they sure aren't trying to let the Saints show up and beat them without a head. The boyz in the NFC South especially aren't trying to get embarrassed by the not so long ago "AINTS." You know how cats grow up in the hood with a nickname like Flip or Slickhomie. Then go out and get educated, get a great job and you run into them later in life and they try to act like they ain't Slickhomie from around the way? Well... the Saints are still the Aints bruh no matter how you try to dress it up and put a ring on it. They're still the Aints from around the way!

Every team in the league has a certain amount of pride. For the Saints to show up and beat them would be like letting some cat from the suburbs show up in the ghetto and start taking boyz lunch money with a butter knife.

That's like trying to fly to the Super Bowl without a pilot. Everybody gets on the joint and sits down with their head phones on and the plane never takes off. Why, because there isn't anybody flying the joint. You can't just go get the 3rd man down and expect that he's gonna take you to the promise land. God only went down to the 2nd man on the depth chart when he chose Joshua to take over for Moses! Although he could have gone as far down the chart as he wanted to because he's the ultimate but stop with all of this Drew Brees foolishness. He's a player on the field. He's not the head coach. He can't play and see everything too.

Sure, the head coach isn't calling plays because under normal circumstances he has offensive and defensive coordinators to do that and the Saints still do. However, you've disturbed the head so everything else is shook. That's why there is an old proverb written by the O'Jays that says, "Your body's here with me but your mind is on the other side of town. You messing me around." Also the most famous joint of them all was written by an old wise man named Jim Mora! "What's that? Playoffs? Don't talk about- playoffs?! You kidding me?! Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!" The Aints will be singing both of those joints by mid season bruh!

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

Poison

"This joint has the plague right now!"

In 1990 Bell, Biv, Devoe (BBD) released the hot single "Poison" and folks went crazy. They were warning boyz of falling in love with the signature line, "never trust a big butt and a smile cuz that girl is poison." They also sampled the old Boogie Down Productions joint "Jimmy" with "the J, the I, the M, the M, the Y, the Jimmy!" To let cats know to protect themselves in the process. The 1st law of nature is self preservation and if you don't look out for yourself who will bruh?

I'm blown away that these cats at Penn State are vowing to stay. That joint has the plague right now and these guys are trying to stay? Now I completely get why a senior that is on pace to graduate or is already starting and doesn't want to risk leaving and not playing somewhere else. I get that. However, the highly productive underclassman or those that aren't playing anyway like those cats that were red-shirted last year that still has 3 or 4 years of eligibility left should be in the wind by now bruh.

I saw where their top rated pocket passer in the ESPN Top 150, Christian Hackenberg and several others in the recruiting class of 2013, have decided to remain commented to the Nittany Lions. These cats are crazy. That's like getting in the car with some guys that you KNOW are ridin' dirty that are going to the suburbs to hang out.

Why remain committed to a joint that can't recruit at the same level because of scholarship reductions. They can't go to a bowl, can't compete for a Big Ten title or national title, which they weren't going to do even if they weren't on probation but it's the principal. Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! You know that going on the road (playing away games) this year will be brutal. Y'all already know that the opposing fans are going to be off the chain. They're going to be egging the Penn State buses as they roll into town. They'll have all kinds of signs calling them every derogatory name in the book as they jog onto the field etc. It's not worth it bruh!

Dude it's going to be a mess and why would you want to voluntarily go through that? The NCAA gave you a pass to bounce without penalty. That means that you can transfer without having to sit out this year. So take advantage of the opportunity!

I know who isn't crazy though, Silas Redd! Penn State's leading rusher from a year ago that ran for over 1,200 yards is still making moves. Ole boy has already sat down with Lane Kiffen from USC in Happy Valley and has taken a trip to LA to check the joint out. While no decision has been made officially y'all already know a decision has been made bruh! It's Hollywood! When he got off of the plane they were bumpin' that old Bootsy Collins "Hollywood Squares" for him. I can hear it now "Um L.A. Californ-I-A the city of angels, Hollywood!"

USC has their entire offensive line coming back not to mention that they're ranked #1 going into the season. Whereas, Penn State has only 1 returning starter on the O-line. The weather is a whole lot better than it is in Happy Valley and the most important piece in the entire equation bruh, the girls just look better in LA. Don't get mad at me folks. I just trying to get you to think like a 21 year old kid. There is no reason on earth for Silas Red to be in Pennsylvania this season.

I also saw where junior quarterback Rob Bolden visited LSU over the weekend too. Keep in mind that both of their QB's were seniors last year so he's gone too!!! Not to mention that the Tigers are the 2nd ranked team in the country! Again you gotta be on something to stay at Penn State. The only reason that companies require a college degree is because by having the college experience you at least have learned how to think in the process. Most companies could care less what the degree is in. They just want to see it because it is evidence that you were at least disciplined enough to make decent enough decisions to graduate. So if these cats have been in school for 2 or 3 years they should be able to make good decisions.

Life is a thinking man's game. Not a game where you should be loyal to a university that put everybody in harms way. A university that didn't care about the well being of children and put more stake into winning football games. Now that you have an opportunity to bounce you can't stick around because if you do you're not listening to my boyz BBD. You're trusting a big butt and a smile bruh and that joint has been sinking ships and destroying kingdoms since the beginning of time bruh! That "girl" is Poison!

Now I will say this, because people in the state of Pennsylvania are so loyal to Penn State they won't have such a hard time bouncing back. 

Holla At Ya Boy! 
Jay Graves

Get @ at me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport

"Put Me In Coach"

"C'mon dawg put me in?"

When a person is or becomes deficient in one area God blesses them in other areas to make up for the loss. For example, people that are blind become extremely gifted in smelling and hearing. Those that can't hear have unbelievable vision and smell. So whenever a person lacks something they don't lose out on the ability to be productive because the equation is always balanced.

That's why I'm trippin' off of boyz that keep blasting Tim Tebow for his inability to throw the football because they are simply putting him in the traditional quarterback box. Yes, his mechanics are awful. His ability to drop back in the pocket and throw the football down field sucks and his completion percentage is terrible. However, his ability to lead a team is astronomical. There is no debating his ability to win games when it counts. They used to call that being clutch but now they just refer to it as Tebow! Why, because he's a football player bruh!

All of the critics are having a field day laughing at the Jets for picking up Tebow because they are merely putting him into the traditional box. He's a real football player that can play multiple positions on the field and be effective. Let's keep it real son! He can be lined up in the slot(throw him bubble screens, option & underneath joints), at tight end, in the wild cat(he can run, throw or option out of it) and at quarterback all in the same series. Having he and Sanchez on the field at the same time makes it even more confusing for defenses. The Jets just have to be smart enough to take advantage of what they have. The freaking guy is 6'3" 250 plus pounds and very athletic. He doesn't have to be Tom Brady or Drew Brees with the football.

Let me take you to school real quick, playboy. Like I said earlier, when you are deficient in one area God blesses you in others in order to compensate. Guys like Brady, Brees and Manning are deficient in their ability to run with the football. Therefore, defenses understand that they aren't much of a threat to scramble. With that being said, they can zone in on their assignments and play the pass first. Therefore, the windows that they have to throw into are naturally going to be smaller. Those types of quarterbacks HAVE to be extremely accurate with the football.

Their windows have been that small since they started playing little league ball because they've never had the ability to run with the football. Therefore, these guys have been FORCED over the years to become EXTREMELY accurate passers because of the windows that they've had to climb through.

Tebow's windows however, have never been as small because he plays on the fly and isn't afraid of contact so you have to be able to account for that defensively. While playing against him you can't just line up and pin your ears back on one assignment because there's always the possibility that he'll  run the joint down your throat or at the last minute dump it off. All you need him to do is be able to dump the joint off anyway. He doesn't need to be able to throw that joint 40 or 50 yards on a strike. That's what your traditional quarterback HAS to do bruh.

With the threat of him keeping it always looming his windows are a lot bigger than your traditional pocket passer. We saw that last year against the Steelers in the playoffs. The best safety in the game, Troy Polamalu, was confused all night, right along with the other Pittsburgh defensive backs. As a result, he threw for 316 yards on only 10 completions without being a very accurate at all. He just needed to throw the freaking ball in the area whereas guys like Brady or Brees have to hit a boy in the mouth in order to complete it. That's the difference between Tebow and the traditional quarterback.

 So it's completely asinine to compare the two because defenses have to play them differently. Brady for example, is throwing into a 12" window every time because boyz know he isn't a threat to run it. While Tebow is throwing into a 110" window because he is. It's like Kobe shooting into a regular basket playing against a guy that is shooting into a basketball that's eight times bigger. He doesn't have to be a better shooter than Kobe to beat him.

If the window is always bigger he doesn't have to be as accurate! The fact that Tebow is 6'3" 250lbs makes it easier for him to take off and run because he's delivering more punishment to corners and safeties than they are to him. Michael Vick is listed at 6'0" 215 but that's being generous. He's more like 5'11" 190lbs and he can't take the contact like Tebow can. He's broken more ribs than he can afford to at this point. If Mike breaks another one this year he's gonna have to ask his woman for that joint back that God made her out of. Tebow isn't going to have that problem because he's a beast and can absorb the contact.

If the Jets are smart they'll use the guy all over the field because he's a football player first that can help their team win games. USC lost the 2005 National Championship to Texas in the Rose Bowl on that 4th and 2 because Pete Carrolle didn't have Reggie Bush on the field. Everybody in the building knew that Lendale White was going to run it up the gut. If Reggie had just been on the field, Texas would have had to account for him. They could have ran the same freaking play but boyz would have been watching Bush and White walks for two yards and the 1st down game over.

 If the Jets are smart they'll keep Tebow and Sanchez on the field as often as they can to keep boyz honest. More than anything Tim Tebow has the ability to do the one thing that very few people have ever been able to do and that's Lead Men!!! He's a natural born leader bruh! To not have him on the field at all times is like showing up to a gun fight with a butter knife.

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Like TheJayGravesReport on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/y6xp46
Information in this article was taken out of the brain of Ya Boy!

ThoroughBred$

"The USA Squad is ready to run like it's the Kentucky Derby" 

In the world of sports we always hear folks trying to compare the old school with the new and almost 100% of the time it's a wack argument. I've been sitting in the cut for the past few weeks listening to boyz argue about the Original Dream Team and the 2012 USA Squad after Kobe said that they could beat them. Cats are still going nuts and nobody is making any sense. Like I always say, look at it for what it is bruh!

These new boyz would, in my opinion, beat the Dream Team for multiple reasons. They're far better athletes for starters. I know cats are going crazy even reading this joint but those are the same cats that think Jim Brown was the best running back of all-time. The same duns that think Babe Ruth was the best hitter or baseball player of all-time. Look bruh, Jim Brown was drafted into the NFL in 1957 and retired in 1965. He was 6'2" 232lbs playing running back during a time when there were very very very few brothers playing in the league and he was running over and around corners and safeties that were 5'8" 165 pounds with no speed. He didn't turn the corner and see boyz like Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson, Darrell Green, Sean Taylor or Ronnie Lott. It would have been like taking Eric Dickerson and putting him on the field in 1957. No contest! Babe Ruth didn't play against any of the legendary pitchers of the Negro League like Satchel Paige or the Latin players of today. So to say that they were better is crazy. 

All I keep hearing about is how the Dream Team never trailed in a game during exhibitions nor in the Olympics. They were winning by 50 and 60 points every night. That's absolutely correct bruh but they didn't play against any other NBA players but Tony Kukoc from Croatia. These cats now are playing teams with multiple NBA players on the rosters; Spain has 5, Brazil has 4, France has 6 and Argentina has 4. That's called better competition bruh! That's why they aren't blowing the doors off of teams. They're playing against their peers.  

I keep hearing that the Dream Team was just better because they had 11 Hall of Famers. Well...these new boyz careers are still ongoing. Most of these cats will be Hall of Famers too. Don't think for one minute that LeBron, Kobe, Durant, Melo, CP3, Deron Williams and Russell Westbrook won't make it to the Hall of Fame either. So throw that argument in the toilet and flush it. 

Knuckle heads keep bringing up the fact that the new team has no centers or big men. Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! The new team has big men too, they just play different positions now because they're far more athletic. On the Dream Team outside of David Robinson who was 7'1" 235lbs and Patrick Ewing who was 7'0" 240lbs the new team is much bigger but boyz are playing guards, small forwards and power forwards out on the perimeter these days. Would Robinson and Ewing be able to keep up with cats out on the perimeter? I would doubt it very seriously. It's a different game now. Just think about it, back in '92 everybody had to play man to man because zone defense was illegal. If LeBron were playing in man to man only basketball at his size and speed it would be sick. 

 Durant weights just as much as those two centers at 6'9" 235lbs but he's listed as a guard that can handle the rock and shoot from anywhere. Who's gonna to guard him? Magic was old at the time and he was much slower and Malone wouldn't keep up with him. Not on the perimeter anyway!

Let's pause for a minute on Magic bruh! He was only 1 year removed from being diagnosed with HIV during a time when medications weren't as advanced as they are now. People were still dying at an alarming rate from AIDS because of the lack of technology and science. So at the very least he wasn't as healthy as he otherwise would have been. Now HIV is considered to be a chronic disease according to the American Medical Association like Diabetes, high blood pressure etc. So Magic definitely at the time wouldn't have been as strong as he would have needed to be to keep up with these ThoroughBread$. Consider this, drugs back then had terrible side effects. I know because I've worked in the pharmaceutical industry for years. So sit him on the bench for half of the games for that reason alone. That's just real talk! 
  
 Durant's also got Pippen by 2 inches and 25lbs so he'd  back him down or shoot over him all night. Dude, Kevin Love is 6'10" 260 which is bigger than anyone on the '92 squad in terms of weight and is playing not only in the post but he's running around on the perimeter. I'm not saying that he's better than Ewing or Robinson because he clearly isn't. However, I am saying they've got to play his game while he's on offense(perimeter) and defensively he's not going to get pushed around because he's 20 pounds bigger and more athletic. I'm just sayin'! 

 LeBron is 6'8" 250lbs that plays everywhere and is as strong as a bull. Who's gonna guard him? He's got Jordan by 2 inches and 50 lbs and is far more athletic and 5 times stronger. He's got Barkley by 2 inches and is the same weight. Remember, Barkley wasn't a yoked up 250! He was a chubby 250. So therefore, he'd run circles around him. Do you really think John Stockton would keep up with Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook or Deron Williams bruh? Really?  Bird had back issues at the time so he's sitting next to Magic as a non-factor too. 

I know everybody wants to live in the past but players now days are much more athletic, faster and stronger! Stop loosing sight of that. When Jordan would show up he would always be the most athletic guy in the building. Now there are at least 4 players on every team in the league with the athleticism of Jordan. Stop it! Just stop it!

The Dream Team was awesome but these new cats are much better athletes now and along with their size and strength that gives them the edge. Throw the argument that the old cats were more fundamentally sound out with the bath water too. The fact that a boy is bigger, stronger and faster kills your fundamental argument because he's on the other end of the floor by the time the fundamental cat turns around.

Look bruh, I'm old school all day long but I can see. Just because Jordan, Barkley and the Dream Team came up during my day doesn't make me delusional enough to say that these young boyz wouldn't split games with them or just outright beat them in a best of 7 series. Let's keep it real, the young boyz are missing D. Wade, D. Rose and Dwight Howard due to injuries. If those cats were playing as originally expected we wouldn't even be wrestling about who's better or who's got the most Hall of Famer's on the floor. One thing is for sure, whoever has the horses will win and I just believe these young stallions would outrun the Dream Team! I've got on my big hat and seersucker suit I'm just waiting for my Mint Julep!

Holla At Ya Boy! 

Jay Graves

Get @ me on Twitter:@jaygravesreport   

  

The Genetic Lottery!

"This is some BS bruh! I should be starting!"

We constantly hear coaches telling players that in order to be great you've got to put in the work. The legendary Packers head coach Vince Lombardi once said, "The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary." It's highly motivating to hear those types of quotes because we all need that extra push sometimes. Let's be honest, who doesn't dream of being successful at what they do? The unfortunate thing about life is that you've got to be born with certain skill sets in order to fulfill those dreams, especially if you're an athlete.

I know that every kid that plays sports wants to become a professional athlete. Any time you talk to a group of young people and you ask them what they want to be when they grow up they say, "I want to play in the NFL or the NBA" 90% of the time. However, those dreams don't always come true. Why, because there's only so many positions available. So only the very best in the world at those positions will be allowed to play. Therefore, if your kid hasn't won the genetic lottery of skills, size and speed they won't make it to the pros or even to the major college level as well.

LSU just recently offered Dylan Moses a scholarship to play football for the Tigers. The 6'0" 205lb linebacker showed up at their camp this summer and ran a 4.46 forty yard dash, had a 34 inch vertical and a 9 foot broad jump. The most impressive of all of the numbers that he posted at camp was the fact that the kid is only in the eight grade bruh!

This cat posted a 4.46 at 6'0" 205lbs and he hasn't even started eight grade! It's called hitting the genetic lottery and it is what it is. I don't care how much some other kid works out and puts in two or three a days they won't be able to do what Dylan can do. You can't teach a person how to be tall or how to be fast or to be smooth as silk. Those are genetic markers that either you get or you don't.

Do you really think that Anthony Davis learned how to be 6'10" after only being 6'3" and playing guard when he was in 9th grade bruh? Do you think Shaq willed his way to being 7'1" and smooth? Do you think Dieon Sanders and Bo Jackson figured out some secret formula on how to become professional football and baseball players at the same time? Sure, all of these guys put in mad work in order to get better. However, they had a certain amount of genetic gifts to start with. Of course, Jordan got cut from his high school team but he already had the genetic markers to be great. It took him to be cut from the team to tap into what was already there.

That's why I trip when I see the way over the top dad at the little league field trying to re-live his childhood through his kid by forcing him to play sports. I'm always blown away by the delusional glasses that some of these parents are wearing because with the naked eye it's clear that their kid can't play but they act like they can't see it. The kid is terrible or is as short as Tattoo but dad is trying to make him become a great basketball player.

Dylan Moses

I always trip when I see a kid that is 5'9", weights 290 lbs and runs a 5.4 forty and dad won't give up the dream of him playing major college football. Dude, they've yet to invent a position in the game of football that your kid can play bruh! Go find something else for him to do or just let him play for the love of the game and be cool with him sitting on the bench. He ain't gonna play so stop making a fool out of him and yourself. He doesn't have the genetics.

Here's an early indication as to whether your kid has the markers or not. If you nor you wife were any good at playing anything or none of your siblings or your wife's siblings were good. Then there's a great possibility that your kid can't play either. Athletic skill sets just don't randomly show up my man.

Kids like Dylan Moses is the type of cat that eventually gets drafted and becomes a young rich athlete. If he continues to develop, is humble enough to keep learning, goes to class and stays out of trouble. He'll be a millionaire in 8 years. It is what it is. Stop trying to make your kid the next LeBron. If he's got the genetics he'll become the next LeBron if not he won't. You don't have to spend all of your freaking money traveling to AAU tournaments or putting him on travel teams for him to get a scholarship. If he can play somebody else will pay for him to travel. Trust me! Don't let these cats talk you into going broke because your kid will miss out because everybody else's folks are spending a fortune on it. If he's got the genes he's getting on the bus.

I know plenty of cats that grew up in the hood that didn't pay a dime to travel or go to camps because they had the right genetics. Do you think LeBron's momma paid for him to go to St. Vincent St. Mary? Not a chance homeboy, she barely kept clothes on his back let alone paid for him to go to private school.

So all I'm saying is that you've got to be born with something in order to get something out of it. If your kid doesn't have the skill set to play sports stop forcing a square peg into a round hole. He was definitely born with other skills and gifts that he has to tap into. Not every kid is supposed to be a great athlete. That's why there are thousands of professions to choose from bruh! Find the one that fits his genetic markers and stop embarrassing you kid by forcing him to do something that he obviously can't do. It's no fun sitting on the bench bruh but somebody's gotta do it!

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

"Johnny Hustle"

Mark Emmert is hustling anybody willing to listen to him bruh!"

Sometimes people say things that make absolutely no sense and most people listening to those same words never dispute the foolishness of them. When NCAA president Mark Emmert handed out the sanctions to Penn State on Monday I really had no problem with the way he handled it. I mean, it could have been done differently but hey, what did you expect? Penn State excepted the Freeh report and didn't dispute the joint. So why should the NCAA have wasted more time and money doing another investigation? I realize that they were to some degree waaaaay out of jurisdiction because it was a criminal case and that it should have been handled in the courts but whatever bruh.

 My problem with Emmert was when he made the asinine comments that he wanted to make sure that people don't ever put football ahead of academics on colleges campuses again. Say what? When he said that most people didn't blink an eye and agreed with him without even thinking about it. I'm sorry folks, football is the engine that pulls the entire train on big time college campuses. See most people live in the world of what should be but I live in the world of what is. If Emmert really wanted to live by his words then let's go back to the days when college football games cost $5 to get in the joint and get rid of all of the big time TV and merchandising contracts that these schools sign. Not to mention the video game licensing agreements as well.

Let's have a true playoff in the FBS and get rid of the BCS system or the bowl structure that makes these schools a fortune every year. That way we can make it all about the true reason that these kids are in school and that is to get an education according to you. Most folks don't even realize that the BCS isn't even apart of the NCAA but they allow it to function because of the amount of bread that it generates. If you visit the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indy today you won't see a banner hanging for Alabama winning the title in 2011 because the NCAA doesn't acknowledge it. However, they don't have a problem with the $17 million that the BCS pays out to the schools for playing in the freaking games or all the ancillary bread that is generated during the bowl season. I know some of you cats thought that I was some uneducated schmuck that dropped out of school and decided to write a blog but don't let the lingo fool you! Try and keep up if you can bruh!

 If it's about academics how about banning ESPN College Game Day from traveling around to campuses and hyping up the days events. Let's stop building bigger stadiums on these campuses and paying coaches $3 & $4 million dollars a year and get the gym coach to lead the teams out on the field. Also let's get rid of March Madness while we're at during basketball season and tear up the $9 Billion dollars in contracts that the NCAA makes off of the joint. Stop allowing the schools to sell the student-athletes jerseys on campus if it's really about them getting an education bruh! 

The fact that Emmert even has a job says that it's been about more than the academics for decades. If it were only about the classroom there would be no reason to have an NCAA office in Indy. The schools could police themselves. Why? Because there would be nothing to police. However, when sports became big time business it ceased to be only about the education. Academics is a by-product of all of the foolishness for those that WANT to take advantage of it. I know Emmert didn't think that the darn near million dollars a year he was making while he was the President at the University of Washington was generated by some cat in the chemistry department. If academics were more important than sports he wouldn't be making $1.6 million as the president of the NCAA! 

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Ain't this the same cat that fired Ty Willingham at Washington for not winning enough football games even though he cleaned up the program? 

Stop running game on naive folks that will jump up and agree with anything that SOUNDS good. Just because the professor and the coach work at the same university doesn't mean that they live in the same world. When the professor lectures on Friday there won't be 90,000 people paying an average of $65.00 per ticket to see him or her do their job. It also won't be televised and the final exam doesn't pay the school $17 million(BCS bowl win or lose) at the end of the semester. They won't be charging $35 to park in front of the chemistry building either. So stop the madness bruh!

 You're trying to hustle me and I'm not in the mood for a hustle today. I can take the hustle better from the cat at the car wash in the hood because I'm expecting it. I can't take it from a clown in a suit because it's insulting to my hood instincts for you to think you've got more game than I do. I've been highly trained on dissecting the hustle and a cat in a suit from the suburbs doesn't pass the hustlers test bruh. 

People don't spend money at the local restaurants and hotels all weekend and buy big ticket items in the bookstore for academic purposes. Football and basketball are both  multi-million dollar businesses on these campuses and they build all of the buildings and help to increase student enrollment every year. Don't think for one minute that all of the new freshman enrolling at Alabama & Kentucky this fall are showing up because they liked the classrooms bruh!

 Studies have shown that when a school has a championship sports program the following year freshman enrollment goes up by 30%. So the next time you wanna blow smoke, make sure you know who you're talking to. Because everybody listening to you ain't crazy and I'm definitely not falling for the Oakey Doke from a cat named Mark Emmert. Maybe if his name was Lil' Elbow or Potta Man & nem or something like that but not from a cat named Mark bruh!

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

The Come Up!

"The Penn State coaching staff is not playing right now bruh!"

When the Godfather calls a meeting with the under-bosses it never ends well. When the Carter got raided and Nino Brown called a meeting with the CMB, boyz were scared to death. Nino walked in with his sword in one hand and the leash of his rottweiler in the other. As he walked around the room he grabbed random cats by the neck looking for the person to blame for his empire going up in smoke. When he finally put the sword through the Kareem Akbar's hand on the table the rest of the CMB breathed a sye of relief.

Well...when the NCAA walked into the joint on Monday the only cats sitting around the table were Penn State. Once the sword was drawn and it hit the table it was devastating. He got off into their pockets for $60 million, hit them with a 4 year bowl ban, vacated all wins from 1998 to 2011(111 wins in all) and they must reduce 10 initial and then 20 scholarships a year over the next 4 years.

However, Nino did do the current players a solid because he knew that they had nothing to do with this foolishness. So they all were given the opportunity to transfer immediately to other FBS schools without penalty. That means that they could bounce without having to sit out the normal year before they're eligible to play again.

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Y'all know that joint looked like the LA Riots or Hurricane Katrina within 20 minutes of that announcement. Boyz were literally running down the street with football players under their arms all morning long bruh! I saw Urban Meyer pull up with Barry the Buckeye in an Ice Cream truck trying to lure cats to Columbus! Bob Stoops showed up in the Sooner Schooner itself with Boomer and Sooner bumpin' that DJ Khaled "All I do is win!" joint as loud as he could. He started loading boyz up like the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889.

 Then ole Nick Saban pulled up in the Red Escalade with white interior sitting on 26's with Big Al riding shotgun bumpin' that "Sweet Home Alabama" with the national title game playing on the TV's in the head rests! He was talking mad noise pulling an empty U-haul only for those cats with the skillz to play in Tuscaloosa. Then Les Miles completely shout the joint down when he pulled up with the "Hat" cocked gangsta left with Mike the Tiger lounged in the back seat bumpin' that Cashin' Out joint hollerin' at the kittens walking down the street. Ole Les, on the other hand, was talking like he's got a mouth full of bubblicious as usual. While the new Penn State coaching staff was riding through campus playing that Chief Keef "I Don't Like!" as they watched their players role out like Ludacris.  

Hey when Nino said that cats could immediately bounce they weren't playing around. They were loading boyz up and calling their parents from the highway. It was like, "Hey Mrs So & So we've got your son and we're headed to Columbus, Ann Arbor, Baton Rouge, Austin, Norman, Gainsville etc but he'll be just fine. Whatever he forgot in State College we'll pull a P. Diddy and buy it when we get there. Don't trip cuz he's in good hands! He'll call you in a few days and tell Big Momma not to worry either. "

The only cats that should stay are those guys that are senior starters or those that are 2nd or 3rd on the depth chart that could start as a result of boyz leaving that wouldn't play anywhere else. Otherwise, the dorm should look like a drug raid this morning bruh! Drawers pulled open and stuff thrown everywhere as cats were diving out of the windows to get out of town. 

Most people looked at the sanctions as the Death Penalty saying that they were suddenly reduced to SMU and would be done for at least 25 years but I completely disagree. First of all, SMU is a small private school in Dallas, Texas that was only good in 1923 &' 26, in '31 & '35 and when Doak Walker was a beast from '47 to '48. In the early '80's they picked up the Death Penalty because they were crazy disrespectful to the Godfather that had warned them multiple times about paying boyz. That's why they were able to have the "Pony Express" Eric Dickerson and Craig James. They've never recovered because they've had to compete with Texas and Oklahoma not to mention the other football schools in the state to get players and their academic requirements are killing them. Just think what that type of punishment would have done to Notre Dame in the '70's and '80's bruh! Well that's SMU. It's already hard enough to recruit because of academics.

 Penn State, on the other hand, doesn't have that same geographical and academic problem. Let's keep it real! It's been a mediocre program for the past 20 years anyway. Also, once they get off of probation in 5 years they'll still have the loyalty of all of the delusional fans that are still supporting Joe Paterno even though he's been proven to be dirty. Those duns have kids. In the Pennsylvania they've got absolutely no competition in the recruiting game like SMU has had over the years. So in my opinion, they could be back to Penn State in less than 10 if they do it right. 

 They only have to get back to being a mediocre program to be back bruh! It's not like they have to be a top 10 joint because they weren't in the first place. They just have to get back to being  4th or 5th in the Big Ten! There's only 2 and half teams in the conference anyway; Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin makes up the half of the joint. It's not like they're playing in the SEC or the the Southwestern Conference like SMU was at the time of the Death Penalty. 

Sure, they been reduced to Western Michigan overnight but the secret weapon to getting the same caliber  players to come back to Happy Valley is Phil Knight bruh! All they have to do is pull an Oregon! Get rid of those hideous Joe Paterno practice uniforms that they've worn for years and put the Swag Sauce into them joints. Get rid of everything that reminds people of JoePa so start with the uniforms. Put together 50 different uniform combo's with glow in the dark helmets and pants with matching shoes and gloves and boyz will come running to play for the Nittany Lions again.

 There's too much brand loyalty in Pennsylvania for them not to. Don't tell me they won't because they showed up in Eugene when they were garbage and had absolutely no history of winning. Who else reading this joint knew that Ahmad Rashard went to Oregon until they just recently started winning bruh? Put the shine and some spice on those uniforms and kids will show up. Trust me, I've got a 15 year old and these kids now days are different!  Stop me when I start lying bruh!

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Clearly I'm having fun with this joint when I talk about the coaches pulling up.

The Most Delusional Program In Sports

"There actually was a time when this meant something bruh!"

There are many football programs that think that they are better than they actually are but none more delusional than the University of Notre Dame. The good people in South Bend think that their program is still relevant in the world of college football, when it simply isn’t. There are many issues facing this historic program that has allowed it to crumble right before our eyes. The mystique of Notre Dame simply no longer exists bruh. They want to compete for a national title every year but don’t realize that their greed and arrogance keeps getting in the way.

Irish, you either want the NBC contract and keep all of the money or you want to play in a BCS bowl and possibly the national title game. You can’t have both. By continuing to be an independent you put your team at a constant disadvantage. If by chance they lose just one game (and God forbid it’s an early loss), they have absolutely nothing to play for the rest of the season because they aren’t in a conference. There is no conference title to win. It’s either all or nothing at Notre Dame and how do you sell that to an 18 year old recruit? They need to join the ACC like the rest of their team sports next year - and then they’ll have a great shot at getting to a BCS bowl annually because of the automatic bid for the conference champion. They could at least compete in the ACC. They‘ve finally learned in 2010 that they needed to water down that schedule a bit as well.

The Fighting Irish wants to be an academic powerhouse and a football powerhouse at the same time. You can’t be both unless you decide to move into the Ivy League. ND can’t get the players that the state schools have access too. When you look at the top 150 recruits in the country, the Irish can only talk to about 30 of them because of the academic requirements. Other schools like Florida State, Texas, Ohio St etc can talk to all of them and will sign maybe 12 or 13 of them every year. Now what happens when ND shows up to play one of them and they’ve got 60(12x5 yrs of recruiting for example) of the best and the Fighting Irish only have 3? They’re down 21 points before they even get off of the bus bruh.

I know what you’re saying, “Well, Duke is able to do it in basketball.” You’re absolutely right... but they only have to recruit almost three players a year. In the game of football you have to find 25 of them joints a year. That’s a much harder task. Keep in mind success breads success and the Irish simply don‘t have any. I can hear Irish fans screaming, “We’ve won 11 national titles, 7 Heisman Trophies and have produced 95 All-Americans.” I know that bruh, but the kid that you’re recruiting doesn’t know that. A player coming out of high school now is 17 or 18 years old and wasn’t even born when you won your last title in 1988.

Additionally, the Fighting Irish have to be able to recruit the elite(top 150) African-American athlete. They thought that Paul Hornung(ND 1956 Heisman Trophy winner) was some crazy old dude a few years ago when he told them the same thing. The administration simply dismissed it because they’ve been able to get a few like Golden Tate and Michael Floyd over that past several years. However, they need a roster full of them like everyone else in the country. The reason it’s so difficult for ND to get these players is because of the lack of diversity on ND’s campus. For the most part, the only African American students on campus are the athletes. There are very few black non-athletes on campus. Primarily because it costs more than $45,000 per year to attend. Not very many families can afford that price tag and those who can, don’t necessarily want to send their kids to Notre Dame.

The majority of folks with that type of bread would rather send their children to the prestigious, Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Morehouse, Spellman, Hampton or Howard - clearly not Notre Dame bruh. Because of the lack of diversity on campus players will continue to be reluctant to go to South Bend. There has to be a life outside of football for players to connect to. If there aren’t other students that look like them they won’t come.

I hear you asking,  "How did they get the top African-American players in the 1970's, '80's & early '90's?" Listen up bruh...during that period of time ND meant something because they were a powerhouse coming out of the '40's through the '60's when blacks couldn't attend predominately white institutions. So when the opportunity presented itself, brothers took advantage of it. Notre Dame was where many kids wanted to be because of the national appeal and TV exposure. Now everybody is on TV and has national appeal because of the plethora of channels showcasing college football now. You don't have to go to South Bend to play on TV in this day and age.

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! In order to win, you’ve got to go where the best players are, and that’s down South or out West to California. That’s a problem for Notre Dame because it‘s in the South Bend, In. where it’s cold and snows in winter. Additionally, the girls look better in the south or on the west coast because they‘re half dressed. In South Bend they have on overcoats and snow boots. Don't get mad at me I‘m just telling you what appeals to 18 year old boys. Let’s say a kid does decide to play up north. He’ll more likely go to Columbus or Ann Arbor before he goes to South Bend. Why? Because he’s at least seen them win in his lifetime and there are more people on campus that look like him. That's real talk!

So when they eventually fire Brian Kelly, and they will, like Lou Holtz, Bob Davey, Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis before him. The administration at some point needs to understand that it's still not the coaches fault bruh!

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

The Sore Finger!

"Raise your hand if you had these boyz fooled too!"

I'm blown away by the amount of people that keep saying Joe Paterno had a lapse in judgement when he decided not to turn in his boy Jerry Sandusky more than 30 years ago. Yes, 30 years because it was his boy and there are now reports that there are victims that date back to the '70's bruh! If that's "ya man" then you know what he's into.

 First of all, let's define what a lapse in judgement is. A lapse in judgement is getting in the ride with some cats that you KNOW are shady to go to a party. When they pull over to get something from the liquor store they tell you to stay in the car. The lapse in judgement is not realizing that they were inside robbing the joint all along. You knew nothing about what was going down but got caught up with the wrong crew and you are now doing 3 to 5 for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's a lapse in judgement patna!

To have a homeboy that is a pedophile for more than 30 years and know about his activities isn't a lapse in judgement. It's called being an accessory to the crime. Stop sugar coating what this clown Joe Paterno really was. He was a cat that portrayed one image in public but was an evil sick individual in private. Why, because he knew that his boy was a freak and decided that winning ball games was more important!

I wrote a crazy Hot Joint entitled "Nino Brown" a month ago explaining to boyz how JoePa was the Kingpin of the streets at Penn State and that nothing moved without his knowledge. He controlled everything in town and he had the power to save those kids and decided not to. That's real talk bruh!

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! The statue of Joe Paterno should be taken down because he was a fraud. It no longer represents what it was meant to represent. I'm trippin' off of the amount of former players that are coming to Joe's side in support of him. It's almost like the woman who sells out her  kid for the love of her husband or boy friend that was clearly guilty of molesting her child but she doesn't care. All she wants is her man and is willing to ignore the safety of her child to keep him. Stop me when I start lying bruh!

It doesn't matter that Joe taught you many valuable things during your experience at Penn State. He's also taught you that he was fake as a 3 dollar bill too. He taught you that he was selfish, that he cared nothing about the well-being of children and that winning football games was more important than being a moral human being.

I've been saying for at least 10 years that JoePa should have been fired because he was doing a terrible job of coaching. This freaking guy didn't know a thing about what was going on on the field. How do you coach a game without even knowing the game plan? Sure, I realize that head coaches have staffs that handle all of that but Joe couldn't absorb the briefings.  He knew that the game had passed him by but he was the Kingpin and no one connected to the school had the "package" to step to him like a G and fire him. Even in the streets the Kingpin gets removed when the game has passed him by. Once he starts slippin' the young cat on the come up takes him out. That's "The Streets 101" bruh!

So now you've got this situation on your hands because a new coaching staff would have asked someone who the guy is that keeps bringing boys to the facility? Some ole timer would have said, "That's JoePa's boy and he's got carte blanche around here." The new coach would have said, Not anymore. I'm the G around here now and that looks shady. Get rid of him and I don't ever want to see him in my joint again!" Now Sandusky would have been just some former coach that was a freak on his own. The school would be free and clear of all foolishness because Joe Paterno was not in charge when the joint hit the fan!

That's all it would have taken bruh! However, because Penn State had no one walking around with a large enough "package" they let JoePa have what you keep calling a lapse in judgement. Now the program that he so called was protecting is in jeopardy of being shut down anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if the NCAA buried the joint because of a lack of institutional control or in what so many Penn State supporters called "A lapse in judgement."

The unfortunate thing about it all is that the players will suffer the most. Screw the fans because they allowed JoePa to stick around for way too long. There should have been an outcry years ago because this cat was inadequate. They new that he and his staff were terrible for years but they got caught up in the JoePa hype. They haven't beaten a top 5 team in 12 years.  Let's keep it real again or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Stop calling this cat the winningest coach of all-time. Did he really win? He coached for 46 years and won 409 games. That sounds good on the surface until you do the math!

If you coach for 46 years and win 409 games that's only winning 8 games a year. That's mediocre bruh! That's like ole boy Joe Tiller coaching at Purdue when they were going to the Alamo and Sun Bowls every year. If Tiller had coached at Purdue for 46 years we wouldn't be calling him the winningest coach of all-time or just the oldest?

Don't call a cat the best or winningest coach that only won 2 national titles in 46 years or only 3 Big Ten Titles in 22 years. When Urban Myer has won 2 national titles (2006 & 2008) at Florida within 3 years or Nick Saban that has won 3 national titles in 8 years at two different schools (2003 LSU & 2009 & 2011 Alabama). I could name several more coaches that have won multiple titles within 10 years and this cat won 2 in 46? Why are we even talking about him? Because all of the Penn State faithful drank way too much Kool Aid including those former players.

 Joe Paterno has ran so much game on them that they're delusional even to the facts that have surfaced over the past week in the Freeh Report. On some real talk, all you had to do was read the JayGravesReport in November when I wrote the Prophetically Hot Joint "The Penn State Nittany Ostriches" and you would have gotten all of that information then. I didn't need to read some former FBI agents waste of time report to know what was going on bruh! It was clear as a bell in November. That's the advantage of growing up in the hood. You can see what others can't because you're trained to look for it. 

It's like going to Vegas and walking out on the strip after dark. Most people only see the lights and the shine of Vegas. When I go out after dark on the strip I can't help but see all of the drug dealers, pimps and prostitutes because they stick out like a sore finger just like Joe Paterno did.

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

" Mr. Bobble Head"



Good old Dez's mug shot bruh!

The crazy thing about growing up in the hood is that nothing surprises you after a while. By the time you're in middle school you've seen or heard it all. Violence becomes a normal part of everyday life. Most kids have either known or seen someone that has been the victim of a robbery or homicide. It's nothing to actually know the perpetrator of serious crimes as well. Unfortunately, you have people that you've grown up with that have done everything from committing simple assault to murder. However, you learn very quickly to stay out of it because either you don't have the resources to move out of the hood and even if you eventually earn enough to leave, you can't always move your entire family.

Even with all of the violence that at some point becomes normal any assault on a child is off limits because it's a complete violation of  the code. While you're at it bruh throw in violence towards your mother. On Monday Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant turned himself into Desoto Police after his mother reported that he'd assaulted her Saturday afternoon during an argument at her home. Check out what she told the 911 dispatcher:

"I can't keep letting him do this! I can't keep letting him do me like this. I'm tired. I'm going to put an end to it today. I'm going to put an end to it today. I'm tired."

That's means that ole boy has BEEN jumping on his mom bruh. I can't keep letting him do me like this means that this isn't the first time he's violated the code. According to the police report this cat hit her in the face with his cap, grabbed her by the shirt and hair to the point of tearing both her shirt and bra!

Now I'm always the first to try to understand why a boy would act a certain way but this cat is way out of bounds with this joint. I've known crack heads to break into their mom's house and steal everything in the joint. I've seen them steal momma's car, climb through the back window and even kick in the front door to get whatever they could take to buy drugs. However, even in a drugged out state a boy is completely respectful to Big Momma if that makes any sense.

Sure, the addict is stealing from his momma but he never puts his hands on her. Even a dun out of his mind is thinking straight. That's what makes Dez Bryant, in my opinion, a straight up punk and if he were still in the hood he would have shown up at the police station looking like a bobble head on Monday. As soon as the word would have gotten out that he beat up his mom, street and family justice would have kicked in. Uncle Jun Jun and Dollar Bill nem would have ran up on him real quick. By the time he would have gotten home and jumped out of his truck they would have given him several orders of some two piece and biscuit dinners.

Dez would have run into the police station looking for protection from the streets at that point bruh. Even the word of God according to Ephesians 6:2 says, "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise. So you already know Uncle Jun Jun and his boyz would have got with ole Dez. Ain't it funny how boyz can have selective religion when ever they deem it appropriate. Now Jun Jun and Dollar Bill  have been in and out of jail their entire lives for everything on the menu but they'll tell you that God says to honor your mother and father. So it's permissable to beat ole Dez down. Ya'll know I'm telling the truth bruh!

This cat is a professional athlete and just can't seem to get it together. I hope Roger Goodell suspends him for most of the season for this and I hope Uncle Jun Jun and Dollar Bill get religous and find it in their hearts to baptize ole Dez in the process.

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

Codes of the Brotherhood

"Yeah,  whatever dude!"

When you're baptized into the brotherhood there are two laws that have to be respected and they are found in  Section 1: Articles 6  & 7 of the of the Huslta's Handbook. They're as follows, "Never count another man's money!" and "Never throw salt on his opportunity to make it!' Understanding  those core principles are the keys to respecting the brotherhood.  Any one that violates them are subject to a beat down and removal from the family.

Well...Carmelo Anthony is on deck to get tapped up and evicted from the fellowship. When asked earlier this week how he felt about Houston's contract offer to Jeremy Lin he said this, “It's up to the organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that's out there," Anthony told reporters Sunday before practice with the U.S. Olympic team. Straight punk move Carmelo because you know the rules bruh!

The standard answer when a reporter asks you a clown question like that is to say, " I hope Lin does what's best for Lin." End of story! You never player hate on a boyz opportunity to get paid. Melo ought to be ashamed of himself for even thinking about that man's contract. This is the same cat that held Denver hostage for nearly a year and a half to force a trade to New York. If some dun would have said that he was acting like a punk during the process and that he didn't deserve his bread he would have been ready to fight in the parking lot and that's real talk!

In my opinion, he's not worth the 3 year $65 million contract that he's got because he doesn't play an ounce of defense. So he really should give half of the joint back until he starts playing  both ends of the floor. What good does it do for him to put up 38 points and give up 37 on the opposite end? That's a net of 1 point for ya'll that's checkin'!  But he has the nerve to hate on another cats money and his potential to make it.  That's why I'm trippin' off of  boyz that already know the rules of the brotherhood that are siding with Melo on this.

"That was kinda foul what I did tho!"

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Look at who the source is bruh! It's Melo, Mr. Selfish, the ball stopper himself! He doesn't want Lin on the squad anyway because that takes the rock out of his hands. So it only makes sense that he would player hate your boy. All professional athletes are trying to get as much guaranteed money as possible because their careers are so short. So Melo knew what the drill was and that's why he tried to clean it up on Monday by saying that he would really like to have Lin on the Knicks this year. Buster Brown throwing foul balls driving the wrong way in the HOV lane in a smart car that  tried to U-turn at the last minute. Too late bruh you've already totaled the vehicle.

That's like a guy telling a woman that she shouldn't holler at a boy because he's been known to have several women, only for him to try and date her himself. It's a straight punk move and anybody that doesn't think so needs to check his brotherhood card. It's been written in blood that the code is never to be violated. So Carmelo should be brought before the council and tapped up.

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

"New York Arrogance"

Doesn't matter where I play! As long as the money's green!"

Back in 1975 a couple of cats from the Bronx named DJ Hollywood and his partner Cool Herc started talking over the break beats of records in a rhyme flow at a joint called Club 357.  They soon began plugging their DJ equipment into the street light posts and the Block Party was invented. In 1980 the first recorded rap record was released on Sugarhill Records by the Sugarhill Gang and the genre known as rap music was born. Music execs said that is was just a passing fad and that it would only last a few years. Now it has been incorporated into our every day lives whether we like it or not. It's used to sell everything from food to sneakers and New York gets all the credit for inventing it.

Remember when cats from New York thought because they invented rap that they were the only ones that could do it? When guys from other parts of the country started putting it down they got mad and started saying that it wasn't real hip hop. New York hasn't ran the rap game since the early to mid '90's and boyz wanna to forget that Death Row was in the Finals too! But what blows me away is that if you didn't know any better you'd think that they invented basketball too.

That New York arrogance has kept them from winning a championship since 1973 when the Knicks won their last joint. That same arrogance cost them Jeremy Lin over the weekend. The Houston Rockets offered the restricted free agent a 3 year $25 million deal and all NY had to do was match it. The deal breaks down like this; in year one he would get $5 million, in the second $5.22 million and in the third $14.8 million. However, because of the NBA luxury tax that third year Lin would cost the Knicks $30 million. That New York arrogance kicked in and they decided that he wasn't worth that type of bread. So they signed Raymond Felton! Who? You heard me bruh!

I've been saying for years that players don't win championships, organizations do. That's why I wrote the Hot Joint entitled "The Firm." New York has been terribly run for years and that's why they can't win. Could they have won a title with Lin? Absolutely not! Could they have made a fortune with him on the floor? Absolutely!  Now all what I want to know is who was the genius that was doing the math and pulled the trigger on not signing him? He said that at no point would Lin be worth $30 million to the organization.

Do you know how many people of Asian descent are in this world bruh? Do you realize just how much money they just gave Houston because they were too arrogant to smell it? I heard Stephen A. Smith on ESPN yesterday, a New York cat, saying that the Knicks front office thought that Lin was dogging it during the playoffs on the injury and that he could have played.

However, he got the big head and wouldn't play in fear of risking further injury. Stephen A. then tried to compare Lin to D Wade who was clearly hurt during the playoffs but played through it. Bruh, D Wade is already rich and has made 9 years worth of bread. Jeremy Lin made the league minimum last year of like $652K that was prorated at that because he didn't play the entire season. He was picked up 20 games in!

 You can't be drinking that much New York Kool Aid to think that Lin would care more about New York than getting paid? If he'd done further damage to his injury we'd be talking about this cat's 15 minutes of fame and he'd be working a regular job now. In case you didn't know bruh, he went to Harvard! That means that he's smart. That dun was sitting on the bench during the playoffs counting that money while New Yorker's were trippin' that he wasn't on the floor. It's called professional basketball for a reason son.

Because of your arrogance you just hand delivered Houston more bread than they can count. Lin will be like a traveling road show, a TV ratings dream, an apparel company's gold mine  and a ticket salesman's treasure chest. Ya'll just gave all of that to Houston and they said with a huge smile, "thanks sucka's!" They made that $30 million up this weekend bruh! By the time that third year shows up they'll be so far ahead on money and popularity that they just might be ready to compete for legit superstar free agents that could help them compete for a title. Why, because cats may be willing to come to Houston because of the hype surrounding the popularity of the team. Why, because of the acquisition of Jeremy Lin years before.

 Is he a great player? Absolutely not but he'll start on the Western Conference All-Star team the next 3 years! Why, because of the Asian following that he's got and they make up the majority of the population on the planet bruh and the fans vote for the starters. Just ask Yao Ming what does it mean for Houston? Bread!!!

New York just gave away a gold mine because they thought it was 1980 and it was rap game. They thought at the time that because they invented it they'd always own it. Now 32 years later Jay-Z is the last man standing pulling a Kobe because he's got the entire city on his back. I can hear Rick Ross' "Everyday I'm Hustlin" or better yet DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win" joint bumpin' to remind boyz who's got the mic right now in the NBA and they ain't trying to give it up for a while.

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

Nickels & Dimes"

"Hey Drew thanks for spending some of that $100M with us!"

The key element to any negotiation is leverage. Who ever has the most of it wins every time. That's why you see so many entertainers, typically rappers and young singers selling millions of records only to scream I'm broke in the end. That's because they had no leverage during the negotiations. Do you realize that Tupac was only worth $100K and a Jaguar at the time of his death? Why, because he had no leverage when he signed the deals that made labels like Death Row millions. Master P. however, turned the rap game on it's ear when he sold hundreds of thousands of copies out of the trunk of his car first and then he stepped to the table with all of the leverage. When he finally signed a major label deal he negotiated owning 85% of the distribution and 100% of the copyright and royalties.

Well my guy...It works the same way in the world of sports pro too. My man Drew Brees knew how the game worked so well that he came to the table wearing a smoking jacket, an ascot and Gucci slippers looking like the old pimp/playboy Hue Hefner! He walked into the meeting with some of that Luther Vandross playing softly in the background, lit his cigar and hit the New Orleans Saints up! By the time he walked out of that joint he had a 5 year deal worth $100 million bruh!

They've been trying to play hard ball with ole Drew but he knew the game too well. The Saints just got hit with the whole Bounty Gate joint. Their general manager's been suspended for 8 games. While Head Coach Sean Payton is out for the year along with key elements of the defensive unit including Johnathon Velma. They initially were trying to franchise Brees which, in my opinion, was crazy. Then I saw him pull out the smoking jacket like Fred G. Sanford! When he stumbled down the stairs with the cigar hanging out of his mouth I knew it was on.

Just a week ago Brees was asking for something like $20.2M/yr and they were offering $19.2M/yr. All they had to do was sign him then. It wasn't going to get any better than bruh. They could have signed him and pushed the majority of that bread back to the latter part of the contract etc. By playing like they had some leverage the Saints made the fatal mistake of parking the Maybach in the hood with the windows down with keys in it.

 Brees walked in bumpin' that Luther "Never Too Much"  or better yet that Cash Out joint and stung these boyz right in the wallet by saying, " Ya'll want to play with me (As a two inch ash ball mounted on the tip of the cigar)? I want the same $100M over the 5 years but I want $40M of it this year all in nickels & dimes bruh. Then you can go ahead and throw me $20M more over the next two seasons in singles because I've got a couple of stops to make before I get to the crib. I don't care what you call it; salary/ bonus whatever. Just give me my bread now because I may not be messing with ya'll in 4 years anyway!"

Hey Drew, that's a good look bruh!"

When he got up from the table on Friday he opened his smoking jacket only to reveal the G on his chest which stands for "The Gangsta Got his money and is Going to the crib to Get his woman to buy some Gucci just cuz he's Got it! Get it? Now Get out of my way!"

How in the world did New Orleans think that they weren't going to give Cool Brees whatever he wanted? He could have asked for complete ownership of the City and they would have had to give it to him at this point. They're desperate and in my opinion still won't make the playoffs. Why, cuz it's the NFL son! They're missing too many pieces to think that they're going to limp in and still be one of the best teams in the league. Yeah, Brees threw for 5476 yards and 46 TD's last year but he was driving a brand new Bugatti at the time. Now that joint has been crashed and stripped down in the 9th Ward somewhere and it's a shell of itself. To think that some cat is going to come in for one season and keep the water out of the boat with the same intensity as Sean Payton is simply asinine and disrespectful to the other 31 head coaches in the league.

Don't think for one minute that the Saints are going to be as good this year even with the $100M man. He knows it too. That's why he'll play all season with his smoking jacket on under his uniform while they pump that Luther "If this world were mine" into his headset while he's on the field! Win or lose on the field, he's already won off of it bruh and in real talk that's pretty much all that matters this year!

P.S. Clearly this is all for fun! I don't know if Brees even owns a smoking jacket!

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

The Shake Down!

"I'm hustlin' these boyz bruh and no one's the wiser!"

 Benedict Arnold was a general in Continental Army that later defected to the British. As a member of the American Army he was in command of the fort at West Point and plotted to surrender it to British forces. When the plot was exposed in September of 1780 he was commissioned into the British Army as a Brigadier General. The history books called him a traitor but in the streets he'd be called a snitch or more appropriately an informant and his mother wouldn't be safe back in the old neighborhood. Cats have been selling boyz out for years and as long as the bread is right it'll keep happening.

So just how much bread did the Dominican Republic put in Kentucky head coach John Calipari's brief case bruh? This cat is the head coach of the Dominican team and nobody's blinked an eye! As I watched the U.S. Team boot up to play on Thursday night. I kept hearing the announcers mentioning Calipari's name but I didn't see him on the American bench with Coach K or his assistant Jim Boeheim from Syracuse. No, this dun was the head coach of the Dominican joint and his pockets were so swollen that he couldn't sit down!  

Let's keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! I would have understood if he were coaching the Italian team and he were a citizen of Italy but the Dominican team bruh? He may as well have been coaching the boyz from Ghana, West Africa! We all know that Cal is a hustler and he ain't just doing it just for the bread either. He's recruiting a 6'11" freshman in high school named Karl Towns Jr. from Piscataway, NJ. that is a member of guess what? The Dominican National team. Straight up G move Coach Cal. I love it! He gets to coach a kid that he's recruiting and it's all legal. Straight Gangsta! He's getting all the best players because he's out working all of these boyz out here. I'll never knock another man's hustle but just tell me does the matter of being unpatriotic only apply to the players and not the coaches? Just let me know bruh!

 I wrote a Hot Joint entitled the "The Dream Team Hustle" explaining how that team basically got taken advantage of and now everyone that has followed them has become a pawn in the game. Basically everyone is pretty much forced to play for free while the Olympic committee makes a fortune off of them. According to Forbes the Brits stand to make an estimated $26 Billion off of the Olympic Games from 2012 thru 2017 because of new construction etc.  

When guys like Ray Allen and Dwayne Wade said earlier this year that they thought that they should be paid to play on the Olympic Team boyz in the media went nuts saying, "You should be proud to play for your country etc." Even though they are completely getting used and pimped because every one involved is getting paid but them. The media isn't working for free during the Olympic games nor is it free to attend the events! The jerseys they're selling aren't free, the hotels and restaurants aren't free, the airfare to get over there isn't free. Everybody is gettin' money but the players. Sucka's in my opinion!

However, Coach Cal can go over to the Dominican Republic for a boat load of money and nobody says a word. If it's about loyalty and American pride why isn't he on the sideline with Coach K and Boeheim? Now don't get it twisted, I'm all about boyz getting money but don't use two sets of standards for the same argument. If the players have to be loyal then the coaches should be too. So if cats say that they'd rather not play because the bread ain't right. Then it is what it is and you have to respect that!

Let's keep this real bruh! Blake Griffin got hurt fooling around with the Olympic Team last week right after he signed a $95 million extension, so in that regard he's all good. But what if he'd blown his knee out before signing the deal and it was a career ending injury, he would have ended his career essentially playing a pick up game in the projects. Now what? Stop me when I start lying bruh. But the coaches can go pick up millions for a month or two worth of work and it's cool? Ya'll don't see anything hypocritical about that?

When Blake got hurt it was reported on ESPN that Anthony Davis has been "Summoned" to Las Vegas to take his place! You read that right. They used the word "Summoned" bruh! To summoned is to call for the presence of, as by command or to appear at a specified place, especially before a court. In other words they made it sound like he had no other choice but to show up. How bogus is that?

What if A.D. had said, "Naw, I'm cool on that!" Folks would have destroyed him for being selfish and unpatriotic but he would have had every right to decline. He just saw Blake get injured and could have said, "I don't want to risk injury before my career in the NBA even starts. The rookie deal only pays $10 million and I believe that I'm worth over the course of my career more than a $100 million. So I wanna give myself that opportunity." He would have been a G for saying it but boyz would have killed him for. However, Calipari can coach the Dominican team and it's all good. Now you tell me who's gettin' hustled bruh?

Holla At Ya Boy!
Jay Graves
Get @ me on Twitter: @jaygravesreport
Like TheJayGravesReport on Facebook on.fb.me/y6xp46 

"Ridin' Dirty"

"You want to search this joint officer? It'll be my pleasure!"

The ole timers would always say, "If you haven't experienced joy or pain just keep on living. Cuz at some point you'll meet both of them in the parking lot. What you do with them will determine how successful you'll become." Sometimes it seems like nothing is going your way and you just can't catch a break but if you keep on keepin' on like the ole cat in the barber shop playing checkers would always say, you'll come out on the other side just fine. The word of God says in Romans 5:3 "Not only so, we also glory in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope."

Well... LeBron James persevered after the 2011 Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks and put in work. He spent the summer with Hakeem Olajuwon trying to improve his post game and it all paid off. He was a beast from the start of the 2012 season until he pulled the Maybach into the garage with major work when it was over. He had the Larry O'Brien Trophy riding shotgun, the Finals MVP and the Regular season MVP holding it down in the back seats. Last night his crew made a quick run through the ESPYS, popped the trunk and picked up the Male Athlete of the Year, the Championship Performance of the Year and the NBA Player of the Year awards. Oh by the way they had to strap the Best Team Award to the hood of the ride because the Heat won that joint too!

What was so crazy was that LeBron wasn't even there because he was in Vegas with the rest of the U.S. Olympic Team preparing for the London Olympics. So guess who was driving the Maybach last night bruh? Good ole Juwan! He was leaning in that joint with Mike Miller like two old Chicago gangsta's on the south side pulling out of Harold's Chicken! They were suited and booted and I know they wanted to straighten that middle finger for LeBron but they didn't. Ya'll know I clowned Juwan all season for wearing his street clothes under his warm up and for ordering too much food on the bench during games but that's my guy. As long as he didn't scratch the ride or the hardware last night we're cool!

"Two ole pimps!"

I'm just glad to see LeBron on the other side of the venom but winning normally cures all of that. You can't hate a boy that's bustin' heads and taking names. I know all of the haters were back in the ER last night but they're even starting to turn them away at the hospital because it's a waste of time and money to treat them because they keep coming back.

 As soon as boyz pulled up they had a nurse out there holding a sign that says, "If you got "LeBroninucliosis" we ain't treating that anymore so keep it movin'! Stop hatin' and it'll go away. Just except the fact that this cat is the best player on the planet and he's figured out the combination to the safe. So he's about to get in that joint for the next 3 years at least. If I were you I'd jump on the band wagon and ride with him. Otherwise, you're gonna keep showing up in here and we ain't got nothin' but love for you like Heavy D!"

Ole Otis was on the other end of the parking lot saying the same thing but in pure Otis form though! "Keep it movin' deir boi just keep it movin'! Let me see how you bite the side of that tongue deir boi? Yep, you got it, but you gotta keep it movin' deir boi cuz yo momma don't work here!"

Let this be a lesson to all of the young cats out there. You've got to be willing to work through the pain and defeat. You can't give up when things aren't going your way. LeBron is the best player in the world and he had to go through it. What makes you think that you won't have to do the same? Champions are not born they're made bruh!

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

"Buster Brown"

"Yeah he's yoked up but still gets no respect from REAL Live Cats!"

Every now and then in life you run across a straight up mark, a charge card, plastic, counterfeit, see through, watered down type of cat! You know it within the first 3 minutes of his conversation or sometimes you can see it right when he walks up. It's just something about that dun that makes everybody uneasy. He's the guy that you can't take anywhere. If you're in Vegas and run into him, keep it movin' because he'll bring whatever was supposed to stay in Vegas back to the crib! Dwight Howard is that dude!

He's the new Buster Brown, Pee Wee Herman, Alfalfa, Steve Urkel, both Arnold's: Horseshack & Football Head, Revenge of the Nerd, kick me sign wearing type cat! One of my most famous joints entitled "The Firm" explains to boyz why players don't win titles, organizations do is being played out right before our eyes bruh! When Orlando had the chance last season before the All-Star break to move Humpty Dumpty, they didn't. They listened to this clown hustle them into keeping him after the trade dead line only to start whining to leave again. Then he pushed for Van Gundy's head on a platter like Paul's only to deny that he even asked for it.

Now lets' keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Superstars have been doing this for years bruh! Magic ran Paul Westhead out of LA only to get Pat Riley. So I get it but he was dedicated to staying there to win championships and that he did. He was dedicated to the cause. He didn't push him out of the door only to jump in the ride with him.

So like suckers, the Magic organization fires both Van Gundy and general manager Otis Smith to try to appease this clown. Now he's screaming at the top of his lungs that he wants out of the joint and will only go to Brooklyn! He's been ridin' around Orlando bumpin' that Beastie Boys "No Sleep ''til Brooklyn" all week. From what I know about Brooklyn, fake cats aren't allowed. It's the home of REAL Joe's and ole Dwight won't fit in. I'm just sayin'! It's where of  the late great Notorious B.I.G., Big Daddy Kane, The Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes (even though he stole the name from the real Buster Rhimes, a former Sooner running back), MC Lyte and the one and only Jay-Z says in their LL. Cool J(Queens) voice, "That's where the crib's at!" Brooklyn's in the house without a doubt! Dwight might get his lunch money and sneakers taken out there! Even though he's yoked up boyz will go right at him because they can smell the mark in his blood. He might need to go to Utah somewhere bruh.

What's crazy to me is that everybody, their momma and great uncle Junior hated LeBron for leaving Cleveland but this dun is getting a pass. What's really going on son? LeBron didn't say a word the entire time that the hype was building around his impending free agency for an entire year and a half. Every media outlet in the world was sitting on the edge of their seats pushing him to give it up. However, my boy handled it like a straight up professional and gave Cleveland everything he had up until the last game, last minute.

He even waited to see what they would do as an organization after the season was over too. But what did they do, fire Mike Brown and let general manager Danny Ferry run out of the door two weeks later. LeBron never said a word. He just packed up the U-Haul in the middle of the night like boyz have to do in the hood when you get new furniture. Ya'll know what I'm talking about! You get a new TV but you can't bring it in the crib until 3am because cats are watchin' you. If you slip up and bring it in during the day you've got problems. Why,  because boyz WILL climb through your window to get it before you even have a chance to watch all of the channels.

He made a "Decision" and bounced like the Grinch that stole Christmas! Straight up G move and all of my REAL cats had to respect it! However, Dwight Howard and the Magic are trying to play strip poker with the league right now. These guys have completely lost it at this point. They're trying to get a trade through between Brooklyn and Orlando but they want a third and fourth team to get in on the foolishness to help them make it happen. That's like coming through my crib and trying to talk me into robbing the liquor store down the street and you're going to keep all of the bread. Why would I help you indulge in something that doesn't benefit me at all?

All I've got to say is that this cat is a mark with a capital M and I would ship him off to the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL if I were Orlando. He would be the mascot for the Minnesota Timberwolves when I finish trading his butt around.  He'd be the highest paid janitor/beer/cotton candy salesman in the league and the tallest. This cat would be juggling rats in the mall in North Dakota wearing ballot shoes and a halter top messing with me. Don't EVER let me hear of ya'll hating on LeBron again after what this cat is doing. Dwight Howard's ghetto pass has been permanently revoked, that's if he ever had one in the first place bruh!

Oh and by the way, all of you LeBron haters out there. You can tell Victor Sweet that the Heat just signed another "out of town shooter" in Rashard Lewis who was a teammate of Ray Allen for five years in Seattle from 2003-2007! These boys are about to be deadly for the next several years bruh! Can you say repeat? I just thought you'd like to hear that while you're still licking your wounds!

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