Soriano Sits For 6 Weeks

I want to say to Cubs fans don’t worry, every team will have injuries to deal with during the 162 game marathon. But when you see your #1 man - Alfonso “Big Al” Soriano - get smashed in the hand… that can make any fan a little uneasy. Courtesy of a pitch by the Atlanta Braves’ Jeff Bennett, Soriano will have to sit out for at least 6 weeks while a bone in his left hand (finger) heals.

For the Chicago Cubs this is a major blow to their offense. They lose more than their leadoff man, they also watch his .283 BA, 14 HR, 40 RBI sit in the dugout for about 30 games.

Finally The Finals (pt. 2)

Aiiiight…..yea I said it, aiiiight and that is how I meant it when it comes to the NBA Finals moving west to Cali. First this game is a grown man business, and you better keep your eye on the ultimate prize, Bostons’ big 3 left 2/3rds of that group on the tarmac in Massachusetts in Pierce and Garnett, well the good news is its about time Walter Ray Allen showed up. Grown folks tend to do better in an environment that they are use to, comfortable, and confident, that was the case for the Lakers on Tuesday night in Staples Center at they closed the deal on their first win of the 08 NBA Finals. Kobe Bean Bryant (always remember, great athletes and serial killers use their middle names) did his thing and dropped 36 pts on the “Cs” while helping shut down Paul Pierce on 2 of 14 shooting. It has been said and will continue to be said by this observer, when it comes to the “glorious association”, and most sports the great ones can carry their game on the road and close the show…the great ones always do.

Think about anyone who has won dat ring in recent times in the NBA, they usually have their greatest performances in their road jersey, from Magic in the Boston Garden in 87 to D. Wade killing Dallas in 06, and of course Michael Jeffery Jordan in just about every final he laced them up, it is no coincidence those teams got it done. Even some honorable mentions from Reggie Millers’ 25 point 4th quarter in Madison Square Garden to Lebrons’ epic explosion on Detroit in the Eastern conference finals last year stand out more because of the hostile environment in which it was accomplished. Notice the free throw attempts tonight…hmmm, I did too.

The fix is in Tim Donaghy NBA refs blog is on the way. “That being said”, enjoy the Lakers showing up at least in terms of Kobe and SASHA Vujacic (What?) in game 3, and lets see how those other guys in the green uniforms respond to the second guessing of their skill, heart and competence the next 48 hours. Remember you have to be special to perform in any environment, and blessed with talent and hard work ethic for the results to consistently enjoy success. Great teams and athletes, porn stars and race horses come to mind when I try to emphasize this point. Tell me its not true…what did brown do for you?

God I love my job.

Steve Haywood, Host of “That Being Said”
ESPN Radio 540 Milwaukee

Finally The Finals (pt. 1)

It really begins in earnest when you can’t wait for the game to come on. You start getting fired up around mid-afternoon at whatever you are doing in life, school, work or being a useless food eating, excuse making waste of someone else responsibility, also known as children, you start getting “that buzz” that you cannot explain. Then it is that time where you sit down in front of the TV and the music starts, the graphics and the visuals of all the main characters in the real-life tv drama that is “The NBA Finals.”

As a true NBA knucklehead it has taken me back to my teenage years when the Bucks were the 80s’ version of the Detroit Pistons modern day, the 76′ers and the Celtics used them as a just a passable obstruction to get over on their way to the Lakers and the finals, (damn it hurts to say that, but it is true). Then it happened, just like you thought it would with several current hall of famers doing their thing and a number of very great players accompanying them, it was always…and I mean always was worth everything to watch. The Boston Garden, The Forum, The Spectrum and all the pomp and circumstance would be replaced by the game, and the game would live up to the hype in these match-ups of the early to late 80’s. As a hard core Laker fan rarely did it happen, but when they lost to the Celtics or the Sixers it was not a good summer for me because it didn’t sit right.

Now let us look at it from a modern day era. We have had some semi dynasties in Isiahs’ bad boy Pistons, Shaq and Kobes’ Lakers, Duncans’ Spurs, Dreams’ Rockets and of course the real dynasty that was Michael Jordans’ Bulls of the 90’s. The one thing missing is the rival that pushes you to the limit. That doesn’t exist today like it did then and here is why I say that: everybody won and everybody lost that were the best in the league at that time in the finals. Today, the finals are interesting because of the players stories and their quests for the ring. In Boston for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen it validates the ultimate team success to go along with their great individual careers if they win, while Kobes’ quest to shine out of Shaq’s shadow in a Laker uniform is a great sub-plot.

Boston wins game one in a forgettable contest that lacked “sizzle”, except for the Pierce near-death experience, but was bringing back that buzz I had as a teenager in those great matchups at those great venues. It has all the potential to be one of those finals match-ups you never forget and I hope it turns out that way, but my experience in living tells some things don’t repeat themselves and generate that same feeling after it has been established. I rarely wish that a thought is proven wrong that I have…this is one of those rare occasions I hope that is the case. Stay tuned for more blogs on the actual games in the NBA Finals.

Steve Haywood, Host of “That Being Said”
ESPN Radio 540 Milwaukee

ECSMG Hip Hop Business Summit Welcomes AllHipHop & Global Grind

 

Washington, DC – June 6, 2008, ECSMG Consulting, LLC Hip Hop Business Summit -aka- “Hood Economics” will be held on Saturday, August 23 at Symphony Hall, Newark, NJ, from 9am - 2pm. The Summit  will be held in conjunction with the Celebrity Golf Classic Weekend.

 

The panelists of Industry Executives, Business Leaders and Celebrities will discuss diversification of business in urban culture through music, clothing, movies, gaming and communications, Newark’s re-development,  succeeding in entertainment, health, successful competition & winning at an executive level, help in starting a business and facts of successful business ownership in today’s changing economy (i.e. barbershops, hair salons, carpentry,  electricians, restaurants, spas, clothing stores, and web based & digital businesses). There will be a Q&A session, along with a variety of give-aways. Hip Hop Business Summit Tickets are $55 pp.

 

The weekend of events from August 21-23, includes an exclusive Welcome Reception for Celebrities, Sponsors and Invited Guests, a Welcome to Newark Dinner, Golf Classic Awards at Weequahic Parks Golf Club with remarks by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and a Golf Classic VIP “White” Party at The Spot on Commerce St. Tickets needed for weekend events.

 

Confirmed guests include “Grouchy” Greg Watkins, CEO & Founder of AllHipHop.com, Navarrow Wright, CEO & President of Global Grind.com,  Ed Lover, Morning Radio Host at Clear Channel Power 105.1 FM, Lance Smith, Walter Briggs, RW McQuarters, Dwight Hicks and Harry Carson from the NFL, Kurt Thomas, Eric Williams, Norm Nixon, Greg Anthony, Brevin Knight, Brandon Knight, Ira Bowman, Steffond Johnson and Randy Smith from the NBA, Actors Brian White (”Stomp The Yard”) and Michael Kenneth Smith (HBO’s Hit Show “The Wire”), Karen Hunter,  Publisher, Hip Hop Artists Bun B, “Pepa” of the legendary group Salt -n- Pepa and Loose Cannon, Def Jam Comedy Artist Queen Aishah, and many more. Golf Classic proceeds benefit Newark Youth Golf, Inc.

 

Media Partners: The Star Ledger Newspaper, Clear Channel Power 105.1 FM, AllHipHop.com, Global Grind.com, Game Sports Magazine, with support from Urban Sports Talk & Entertainment & BlackGivesBack.Blogspot.com.

 

AllHipHop.com was founded and launched in 1998 by CEO’s “Grouchy” Greg Watkins and Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur.  AllHipHop.com has become a valuable resource for hip-hop on the internet, featuring daily news, interviews, reviews, multimedia and other interesting content. AllHipHop.com is the most widely read Hip-Hop entity in the world, reaching millions of unique visitors per month.

 

Global Grind.com was started by Navarrow Wright, CEO & President and Hip Hop Mogul Russell Simmons. Global Grind.com is the place to explore multimedia that matters to you.  It is  a community based website allowing people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web, by linking, voting, and commenting on each others content, in a social and democratic way.  Voting submitted content up and down is the cornerstone function of the website, and is respectively referred to as grinding and trashing. Russell Simmons currently sits on the board of Global Grind.com. 

                                                                                                                                          

ECSMG Consulting, LLC

The mission of ECSMG is to provide the highest quality of service to clients, by performing at a maximum level. The business strategy is to leverage expertise in providing business consulting services to professional athletes and entertainers, as well as managing and hosting celebrity golf tournaments globally. ECSMG is rapidly becoming the leading firm in the industry with a specially designed transition for athletes and entertainers. ECSMG also hosts charity events, which assists clients in improving global communities.

 

For celebrity confirmations and event info contact Ernest Ruffin at 973.573.2505 or eruffin@ecsmg.com.  For media credentials, interviews & event itinerary contact Tafia L. A. Pringle @ 202.575.7774 or tafia@tlapr.com. To purchase tickets visit http://www.ecsmg.com.. 

These Fathers Knew Best

     

Say what you want to say about them… but they were right!
 
It was at the time when they made the comments somewhat a general thought amongst the mainstream media and those that listened to what they predicted as the ramblings of just loving parents or crazy black men who had delusions of grandsire. It is about a decade and change later and those “ole crazy black men”, being the late Earl Woods and Richard Williams sound more like Nostradamus than Uncle June after some drank at the bar be cue.
 
They both predicted their seeds or children would be prolific athletes that would excel and succeed at the highest level of their sports and have proven to do so. We have watched the greatness of Tiger Woods from his here I am world performance in the ‘97 Masters, to now being the greatest golfer in the world and it’s not even close. We are surprised when he doesn’t win a tournament now, we are somewhat disappointed when he doesn’t when a major.

We actually have suggested if he has the audacity not to win at least 1 or 2 majors a year that he is in a slump, but we didn’t set that standard for him as much as those goals were created and publicly put out there by Earl Woods, Tigers dad who groomed him for every element of challenge on a golf course, and showed what it takes in the world of golf from the time he could stand to live up to those expectations.
 
Tiger is a world icon now who has not just captivated his sport, but made golf relevant to people who could care less about the game, unless he is teeing off in that particular tournament. He not only has backed up his daddies bold assertions of success with what he has accomplished so far in the game, but seems to be in his prime even as he deals with the 1st significant injury of his career.

Remember, he played this year in The Masters on a busted knee and damn near won the thing! He has also carried himself without any major controversy or life issues that have impacted peoples opinion of him in terms of marketing or thoughts that he his a fraud. Earl Woods passed away a few years back and clearly has left a major mark on this world…job well done! 
 
Richard Williams was right about his daughters getting to their destinations of greatness, but he conducted them to it on an entirely different path. From the time the former junkman made the the decision to raise world class tennis players, he did it his way, from how they would learn the game, to grooming them himself and avoiding the tennis academies and junior tennis circuit that have burned out and ruined more than their share of tennis prodigies.

On the rough streets of Compton California, he took his baby girls to to local tennis court and taught them skills, stamina, mental and physical toughness. The biggest thing they learned from father Richard was total self-reliance and how to be great by playing each other more than anyone else. By doing that, he created ultra-competitive women’s champions who not just took the game by storm, but have taken it to a higher level.  The quick walking gray-haired smallish black man to this day is the trainer for his daughters many majors and many millions made, they still roll with papa Richard. There is still major work to do as both of them still have major years of quality tennis left in them.
 
The other aspect of their greatness is the way the have grown up right before our eyes and become great examples of not just women of color, but great role models for all young women, on and off the court. The absolute way they handle themselves with such class in all situations from the murder of their older sister in Los Angeles, to some of the racist issues they have had to overcome here in the US and around the world in the world of tennis…once again, job well done.
 
Now a major shout out goes out to moms for all parties too, but these great athletes and people have always went out of their way to talk about the driving force to their greatness being their dads. As we roll up on Fathers day here in the near future, remember what you may have thought when you first saw on television or read in a magazine the ramblings of these at the time “crazy ole black men.” They were crazy alright… I wish I was crazy like that too! 

Steve Haywood, Host of “That Being Said”
ESPN Radio 540 Milwaukee

Kimbo Slice… Urban Street Fights (videos)

The hype of Kimbo Slice is official now that CBS Sports has put him on primetime. Therefore, just like all celebrity fighters, there has to be a “best of” knockout video coming. Here are some of his greatest hits… this is how he has gone from homeless to primetime.

Some of the following video is graphic. These are street fights with no rules or refs.