Get Starbury Without Star Bucks

You have to hand it to Stephon Marbury. This past week he introduced a line of shoes for under $15. The Starbury One shoes go for $14.98 at Steve & Barry's. He also introduced a line of clothes in the college sportswear shop. He's even got low tops (think Air Force I and New Balance) for under 10 bucks. I have to thank Steph for providing a good laugh for me. Jimmy Kimmel ran a clip where Marbury discussed his reasoning for putting out a clothing line. He basically said something to the effect of - Nowadays people have to wear clothes (do they really?) - that's not a direct quote but feel free to send me the video.

All joking aside though, I think it's pretty cool. The kicks look kind of simple but I can't knock them. It would be foolish for me to suggest that other NBA ballers will follow suit. I wouldn't bank on it. But one can always dream, right? I remember when Hakeem Olajuwon released a shoe with Spalding when I was younger. They weren't flying off the shelves like the Grant Hill or Penny Hardaway shoes, but they were kind of popular. Shaquille O'Neal did something with Starter but the response wasn't the same. I don't know if Marbury's shoes will take off but they certainly should. At least with his shoes you know you're not buying them at a 500-percent price mark up.

There's a faction of players in the NBA that grew up unable to afford the same shoes they hawk today. When you go from having so little, sometimes you forget. And sometimes you may not care. This move is refreshing. People from Steph's old Coney Island neighborhood may not be able to score tickets to see him play at The Garden. But they'll still have Surfside Gardens. Now they have a chance to actually purchase a pair of their favorite son's shoes. Have to love that.

"It's about maximum shine for minimum expense." So says the ad campaign. And to borrow from one of Brooklyn's other favorite sons: I can't knock the hustle.

Check out starbury.com

Stop Shamming, Stop Faking

My apologies to all three of my faithful readers. Journalism ain't - yeah I said ain't - your regular 9-to-5 profession. Thus, I have been away much longer than I would like. Forgive me if I ramble a bit.
Not sure if you all have read the recent articles in relation to diversity and journalism -- sports in particular. I think both Jason Whitlock and Scoop Jackson made valid points. But based on my experience, Whitlock's call for responsibility was on point.

This is my first year as a journalist, so I definitely have a lot to learn. But it's important for journalists to actually have that thirst for more knowledge. There are people at my school - and I imagine many other places - that are serious about their chosen field. Really there's no excuse to not have some type of experience. My school has a newspaper, magazine, radio and TV outlets. One of those has got to be a fit. To paraphrase my man Birdsong, "I've got girls telling me they want to write for Essence magazine and they haven't written an article for the paper yet."

It sounds kind of strange, but sadly it's true. You can't just fall into a job at a magazine without experience. It's simple: Stop Shamming. If you've studied journalism for three-and-a-half years and haven't stepped foot into one of the media offices or labs, you're faking. Either get on the grind or get out the way. Because the industry is hard enough as it is. I've worked with (or read works of) some talented folks especially as it relates to sports. But it's hard to obtain a sports internship at any paper. Writers have to put themselves in a position to make this happen. It's nowhere near easy, but it can be done.

You shouldn't have to convince a grown man or woman that working with student media will benefit them. No experience? No internships. No internships? Consider a change in career. In no way am I trying to act like I've got this thing all figured out. However, I do understand that there are opportunities available that I would be pitiful to leave on the table.

It's okay to actually want to work for something. I'm not close to being alone here. I just want folks to take responsibility. I didn't miss deadline because the man made me procratinate. I missed it because I didn't manage my time. Let's wake up and work folks. I'll catch you sooner than laterand I can't forget --
Birthday shouts to Shani, Drew The Brew, Miguel and Moni!

Rap Game/Hoop Game

Basketball and Hip Hop. Hip Hop and Basketball. They will be linked together for quite some time especially with the popularity of SLAM and And1. Some felt the dress code was a direct result of the connection. Some even blamed The Brawl on hip hop. To quote Chris Rock, "No reason for that." Here's a comparative look at some of your favorite ballers and hip-hoppers. I didn't create this I ripped it from someone's Facebook wall. Feel free to agree, disagree and offer up your own comparisons. There's some truth in the comparisons. Have fun with it!

Talib Kweli=Lamar Odom
Great talent, all the tools but doesn't do enough to become of the elite players/rappers in the league.

Prodigy=Penny Hardaway
Flashes of brilliance earlier in their careers. Both are slowly on the decline.

Jay-Z=Michael Jordan
Many think he's the greatest, some don't but every one wants to be like him, and even after retiring people want him to comeback

Jadakiss= Steve Francis
Perennial All-Star, High expectations year after year fan favorite , highlight material (quotables, punchlines), low shooting percentage (2 mediocre albums)

Fabolous = Stephon Marbury
Plays so well at times, but always seems to disappoint with his POOR decision making during the 4th quarter.

Eminem=Larry Bird
White people think he's the greatest ever because he's white. Black people think he's overrated because he's white.

Nas= Tracy McGrady
(before the trade) One of the best players in the game. On a weak team(Bravehearts) but can raise among stars(that all-star move a couple years ago)

Cormega=Paul Pierce
Great player, underrated

Lloyd Banks = Ricky Davis
Has some highlight reels but in the end will never be an all-star

Lil Jon - Jason Kidd
He can't EVER do it by himself and he makes mediocre cats look like the most dominant cats in the league.

Andre 3000 = Dennis Rodman
Unique styles often overshadow their spectular performances

The 6th Man

There's a movie with Kadeem Hardison and Marlon Wayans called The Sixth Man.
In it, the Washington Huskies have an unfair advantage after Hardison's character dies. The ghost of Hardison's character gives U Dub an "extra hand" on the court. I got a chance to watch this movie again Sunday I believe. If you have watched the NBA Finals, you probably know where I'm going with this.

Granted, the Miami Heat are indeed a championship team. Can't take that away from the guys. Even if I'm gonna hate my last two years of undergrad because I'll be hearing about it daily. That's beside the point. It's kinda hard to win when you're playing 5-on-6 or 5-on-8. We're talking about phantom fouls here! Like the luxury vehicle. Like the comic book character. PHANTOM. Like Hardison's ghost in the movie. PHANTOM. Should Dallas have still taken care of business? You bet, but it's hard when the deck is literally stacked against you. There's a three letter word for this and they use it in boxing all the time.

Stack Bundles gets suspended for Game 5? We just knew The League was trying to set it up for a Game 7. Not so good folks. I was really looking forward to seeing Marc Cuban on that podium. I was hoping he'd pull a 'Sheed and get his ring fitted for his middle digit. Sort of a salutations for Mr. Stern. Ah well, there's always next fall they say. Dwyane Wade is a tremendous talent. But he was getting gifts at the end of games like those spoiled kids on that Sweet Sixteen show. We'll check the YouTube and the highlight shows but I don't think I'm wrong here.

Another beef I have with this whole thing is that I will have to hear that Wade has surpassed LeBron because he has a ring now. Nope, don't give me that crap. Wade was clutch throughout the series. But please glance at the roster. I didn't think they could put it together but they did. Respect where it is deserved. Bronny nearly carried the Cavs -read that again- the CAVS past the Detroit Pistons. With who as is his number two option? Big Z? Yea, he's an all-star but I bet he doesn't get a guy suspended for landing a "love tap" on him.

I'm kinda rambling so I'll stop now. Bottom line The L needs to stop hating on Cuban. The stripes need to stop treating Wade better than Jordan. More on all this later. Despite all this Dallas definitely had their chances. They squandered a chance to go up 3-0. That's on them. Oh well. The hoop season is over folks. Probably a game too soon.

Editor's Note: After calling and venting to my friend and fellow fanatic Shani she hit me with something. She eloquently reminded me that people complain about the refs before, during and after every series. I had to pause on that one. She's right.

Second Round's On Me

This was either the second or third piece. There's this joke I heard one time that asked, "What's the opposite of progress?"

Congress.

Sad to say but there's some truth to this statement. As much as I enjoy sports, in the grand scheme of things they're just not that important in comparison to "life" issues. Especially when you think about education, unemployment, poverty etc. Check it out and as always feel free to let loose with the feedback. I wrote this one last October and wow we're still talking about this huh?

Steroids in baseball an issue for Congress?

The United States Congress has quite the task on its hands. The prospect of rising gas prices, improving emergency communications, steroids in baseball, and the conflict with Iraq are all concerns. Wait, steroids in baseball?

For some reason, the legislation of performance-enhancing drugs pales in comparison to the nation's "other" problems. According to USA Today, "there is bipartisan support in both the House and Senate for the crackdown on steroid use in sports." The paper goes on to reveal that Congress has a "busy" docket this season. No kidding.

Congress may have such a demanding workload because it is attempting to catch up. In July 2005, GQ said that last year's Congress spent the least time in session since 1950. Since the inception of the Iraq conflict, the House was in session 110 days and the Senate 133 days during this time period. Comparatively, during the Vietnam War (1971) the House was in session 163 days and the Senate 186 days.

Congress is meeting less often and not maximizing the time it has at its disposal. Steroid usage in sports - baseball in particular - is a serious issue. Though, I find it hard to believe that the manner warrants congressional attention. Major League Baseball players are studied and adored by numerous youth.

Younger players have a tendency to emulate the professional ranks.Parents, coaches, and health educators must share the leadership role in directing the youth away from experimenting with steroids. As a baseball fan, I firmly believe in maintaining the integrity of the game. My excitement builds as the MLB playoffs are on the horizon.

The fact that more attention is geared toward the steroid hearings than the pennant races is infuriating. Many ESPN and C-SPAN viewers would likely prefer to return to their regularly scheduled programs. If I turn on ESPN, I would prefer to hear the results of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox game than the testimony of MLB commissioner Bud Selig is rather nonessential.

Sen. John McCain said: "Don't you understand this is an issue of such transcendent importance that you should have acted months ago? The patience of this body...is at an end?" The words spoken by the senator from Arizona are indeed powerful. It's rather unfortunate that they do not pertain to a more meaningful topic. The crisis in Darfur may have justified such a potent statement.

The Associated Press reported that the Senate is considering two bills and the House three, in relation to the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports. McCain and his colleagues have expressed that they would rather not form legislation on this manner. Perhaps a hearing should be held on what comprises a productive congressional session.

My First Song

Should college athletes be paid?

Here's my first published piece. It was a point/counterpoint type deal with my dude Mo-Mac. Feel free to post feedback, criticism, hate, love, whatever. I can take it. I'm always looking to improve.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch." A basic economic principle that states: everything has a cost. More often than not, college athletes are footing the bill. While athletic revenues generate enough money for a feast, "student" - athletes always seem to get the last plate.

As a result, student-athletes do not have the opportunity to work for a wage. Former Oklahoma center Vince Carter said the following before taking the field against LSU in the national championship game: "Sometimes it just doesn't seem fair. I'm at the No. 1 football school in the country right now, and I'm struggling to get groceries every month."

Is this the same education where only 23 of the 65 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament teams graduated 50% or more of their players in 2004? Or in the words of Derek Bok, former president of Harvard: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." While most of us are wrapping up all-nighters, our athletic counterparts are preparing for early morning runs. Let's not forget the student-athletes supposed first priority, school.

In between team meetings and workouts, college athletes must still attend class. Some may argue that a student-athlete is not forced to balance school and sports, for they have a choice. For those from desolate backgrounds there is no such option. One must compete outside the classroom simply to have the opportunity to receive a college education.

Due to struggling schools and misplaced value systems, athletics are often viewed as the only viable alternative. This is a disheartening truth that appears to be stuck on eternal instant replay. Countless student-athletes enter institutions with a dual onus. Naturally, the collegians are expected to complete their degrees.

For many, they will be the first in their respective families to reach this level of scholastic achievement. At the same time, the collegians must also excel athletically. If they outperform roughly 90% of their competition, then the professional ranks may come calling.A stipend system will not dissolve such a quandary in its entirety.

Although, a stipend would likely reduce the frequency of such a predicament. Instead of being reimbursed for their efforts, student-athletes deposit even more sweat equity.In no way am I advocating that college athletes be paid salary wages. But is a stipend too much to ask? Not in my humble opinion.

Will athletic departments concede a slice, when they already own the bakery? Probably, not any-time soon. Yet this harsh reality does not justify the flawed system currently in place. College programs often preach that athletics are about the name on the front of the jersey - the school - and not the back - the individual. But who's really out for self in this situation? Who's really out to lunch?

Let The Madness Commence...Ladies Love V-Dub

Greetings All,

Welcome to my world...kinda. Let's have some fun. I'll center this blog on sports but I may interject some other things from time to time. Maybe if I get super large like my cousin Nate and have multiple blogs one day. (jonesonthenba.blogspot.com) Thanks for the idea family! And for the name - Marsh Madness - I gotta thank my dude Vince Wallace, who as you may or may not know gets ALL the girls.

Peace
Jay