Shall We Dance?

Some may look forward to their 5^th grade dance. Others are anxious about their Prom or their wedding day dance, but my favorite time for dancing occurs in March. Ask anyone what their favorite sport is and you will get many different answers but phrase the same question in March and an overwhelming portion will lean toward saying college basketball. Even the President is getting in on the act, as he already filled out his own bracket on ESPN. It is full of twists and turns with storylines that captivate our attention with a variety of mixed emotions that last more than just the month of March. Duke’s Christian Laettner catching a pass from across the other side of the gym only to turn around and sink a jumper to win it; The mistake that defines Chris Webber’s career as he called a timeout only to realize he did not have one, costing Michigan a national title, and a name that sounds more like your history teacher than it does a university as George Mason, the number 12 seed, defied all odds making a run to the final four defining what it means to be a Cinderella story. All of these many moments and more are what describe March for me. Of course it has an element of madness but more importantly it is the tournament of memories. College basketball and March just seem to go together like Christopher Walken and more Cowbell.

Now if you are going to a dance, what is the best thing to do before hand? Pregame of course. And that is why there are the conference tournaments. They wet are appetite just enough as we yearn for more basketball until we cannot get enough of it. Syracuse and Uconn needing 6 overtimes to settle it out in the World’s Most Famous Arena, do I need to say more? Here in the conference tournaments are also when schools such as Radford and Robert Morris, who we did not even know existed, get their chance to enter into the spotlight. As fun as pregaming is, the party is always more fun. So the next 34 at large teams are decided upon to make a field of the most deserving 65 teams. Now I know how we get to this next point can be debated and criticized on for days because there are many snubs; however, at the end of the day the committee who picks these 34 at large bids are usually correct. Sure one or two teams could be argued over another one or two but the college basketball tournament is the most fun, compelling, and entertaining tournament on a yearly basis in all of sports which is why there is no reason to expand the field.

Of course you now want my picks and last year I did have all 4 number one seeds reaching the final four but was robbed by a Mario Chalmers buzzer beater that defeated my Memphis Tigers. So here are my final four picks and get ready to put on your dancing shoes and enjoy the party.

{1 Louisville over {2} Memphis {1} Pittsburgh over {4} Gonzaga

Louisville beating Pittsburgh in the championship game.

I know 3 of these picks do not need much explanation and are pretty much chalk so I will just skip right to Gonzaga. Gonzaga has a legit NBA player in the middle who is a 6-11 senior, Josh Heytvelt that matches up well against Tyler Hansbourgh. They have 4 wins against tournament teams, won their last 9 games in a row and are being overlooked by many which is usually when they thrive under the radar. Ty Lawson, North Carolina’s best player is also hurt and his status remains uncertain throughout the tournament. In addition, everyone is taking North Carolina and as we saw against Florida State in the ACC Tournament, they are more vulnerable then we once thought.

Steroids Should Still Mean Hall of Fame

What do these names McGwire, Bonds, Clemens, and now A-rod have in common. Besides having their rear ends injected with syringes, they are some of the greatest players to ever play the game. McGwire is one of the greatest home run hitters of all time. Bonds is the greatest home run hitter of all time and A-rod has the chance to become the greatest home run hitter of all time. Oh and Roger Clemens may just be the best pitcher of all time. In my opinion, shouldn’t that entitle each of them a trip into to the Hall of Fame? It should not be based off judgments of character or take moral stands like they did against Pete Rose. {I still find it hard to believe that the all time hits leader is not in.} The Hall of Fame should include the very best players that define a generation. Unfortunately for baseball, all players that make it to Cooperstown within the last 20 years will be under a cloud of speculation no matter if they did use performance enhancers or not.

My major concern with Hall of Fame voting is that voters are too focused on athletes who have been linked to banned substances when in reality Major League Baseball was the problem. Bud Selig said in a recent statement that A-rod “shamed the game.” I’m sorry commissioner who makes 18 million a year, but you in fact “shamed the game.” It took until the year 2005 to finally make steroids a punishable offense, and HGH is still being used because your league has not found a way to test for it yet. So technically every athlete who used a banned substance, while it might have been unethical, did nothing legally wrong that could be punished by the league. Baseball ignored steroids as an issue during the 90’s when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire were competing for the single season home run record. Why you might ask? That’s a good question. The reason is because baseball used their record setting race to generate revenue from the fans. Baseball became a relevant sport again from an economic aspect since it just went through the turmoil of a strike in 1994. You would think baseball had to have known that their players were on some sort of “juice” for a long time but decided to handle that issue for a later day. Well, that day has come and it is not leaving us anytime soon.

Many players who have actually admitted to using steroids in their confessions often say “It was part of the culture.” That is true, yet it took baseball quite a while to understand that. What seems to be lost in this whole A-rod scandal is that he was just 1 of a 104 players who tested positive for a banned substance. The greater problem is an entire league has been plagued by this issue and not just a select few. It is easier to focus on the great ones because they make more money, become instant role models, and we feel like we deserve better from them. Though there still remains 103 other players on a list somewhere who have also “shamed the game”, but nothing imminent appears as far as tracking them down. That might be because once again at the time of these testing’s, steroids were not a punishable offense by Major League Baseball.

Rather than trying to go back and time, I and many other fans just want to know that the current game we are watching is in fact clean. It is Major League Baseball’s responsibility {that would mean you Bud} to have regular testing for all, not just some or the ones that are testable, but I mean all banned substances. Most fans are tired of congressional hearings that seem similar to the Salem Witch Trials. Besides doesn’t congress have bigger issues to solve like the economy?

Super Prediction

Maybe it is because I admire Kurt Warner’s journey.*{for those that do not know his story I found it online and decided to post it at the end of my blog because it is quite intriguing}Maybe it is because Kurt Warner helped me win fantasy football two years in a row. Maybe it is because these Arizona Cardinals have never reached the Super bowl and it is fun to root for the underdog. Whatever the reason may be, I have jumped along the Arizona bandwagon and honestly believe they will be the next NFL champions and here is why.

1. The Cardinals Coach is a former Pittsburgh employee and if anybody wants revenge on his former team for not giving him the head coaching job when Bill Cowher left it is Ken Whisenhunt. As an Offensive Coordinator for Ben Roethlisberger during their Super bowl win three seasons ago, he knows his strengths and weaknesses better than anybody. The coach also knows and surely discussed plays that Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau likes to call. It should not be extremely significant to the outcome of the game; however, knowing the opposing quarterback’s flaws and being familiar with plays that the defense will call should surely play some sort of role throughout the course of the game. Shouldn’t it?

2. There are not too many injuries worth mentioning for either team because after all it is the Super bowl so if you have a heart beat chances are you’re playing. {Even Dick Chaney would be considered healthy enough to play] It is worth noting though that Hines Ward has an injured right knee and will probably not be that effective. He is the heart and soul of this offensive with his run blocking and pass catching abilities and was also the Super bowl XL MVP when they won a couple of seasons ago. His limitations on the field should really hurt the Pittsburgh offense as they try to play catch up to the potent and high scoring Cardinals offense.

3. Usually the best player on the football field will let it be known to the entire world with practically the entire world watching. So who exactly is the best player between both teams? Larry Fitzgerald. 419 receiving yards, 23 receptions, and 5tds in just three post season games. Do I really have to go further? These numbers are absolutely astonishing over a three game span in the playoffs. A healthy Anquan Bolden, after getting an extra week of rest, and Steve Breaston makes it nearly impossible to double Fitzgerald, which means the Steelers defense will have to pick their poison. Fitzgerald should continue to dominate like he has all season long even if he is going up against the number one ranked defense in the NFL because he may just be the best wide receiver in the NFL.

4. If the game was being played in cold, rainy conditions I might change my opinion, but the game is in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida and this should only play into the Cardinal’s advantage. A warm weather atmosphere type game should logically favor a team that plays its home games in the desert you would think.

5. Finally the one and only thing while watching the big game that should be expected is the unexpected. Did you think that the new comer onto the scene, Tom Brady, would be able to win his first Championship by defeating “The Greatest Show on Turf” in the Rams? Remember when Oakland was favored only to get destroyed by the Tampa Bay defense. Those who say defense always beats offense, how about the Colts two years ago beating “Da Bears” and their dominant defense. And honestly did you believe that the undefeated New England Patriots were going to lose to the New York Giants? Whatever you believe might happen surely could occur, but all I am saying is I would not count on it.

*KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy was busy working when a new voice
came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was
almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the
call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the
new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26 and he was
only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find
out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card
and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only
to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left
the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again,
outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a
baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted
his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived
at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The
baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well,
let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not
taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet
her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis
thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a
paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't
come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman
with two kids, especially if one had disabilities just like her first husband
and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary, he had a
different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the
movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he
needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and
brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda
knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life
with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.
Since then they have added two more kids.

Road Warriors Should Win on Wildcard Weekend

Kurt Warner was an early MVP favorite {and I appreciate him helping my fantasy football team} but his team decided to stop playing competitively after they clinched the NFC West division. They went 2-3 in their last 5 games and were defeated by an average of 30 points in those losses. Their two wins came at home against the struggling Rams and Seahawks. While they are 6-2 at home their two losses came against NFC playoff opponents. Michael the Burner Turner should be able to run all day against a porous Arizona defense. Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan as well as rookie head coach Mike Smith will not be fazed by the national exposure of playoff football. In the battle of the birds, the falcons will come away victorious.

In the most compelling of the wild card weekend games, the hottest two teams in the league will collide where somebody has to lose. The Chargers at 8-8 have won their last 4 games to overtake the Broncos in the AFC West while the Colts have won their last 9 games to get the number 5 seed. They come into the playoffs as an extremely dangerous team as they continue to get healthy with Joseph Addai and Bob Sanders returning to the lineup. They have the post season experience necessary, after winning a super bowl only two seasons ago, and have a chance to do some real damage after seeing the Giants win the Super bowl last year from the same # 5 seed. With the consistency of Peyton Manning, who should win MVP, the Colts will continue their successful season by defeating the Bolts in a close but exciting high scoring game.

Sunday has two great games as well. The first features two teams that last season had a total of 26 losses. Now with both teams finishing at 11-5, the Ravens and Dolphins make for the most unlikely of matchups heading into the year. New coaches and new quarterbacks have allowed both of these teams to improve drastically. Joe Flacco won the job by default and has exceeded expectations as a rookie by playing excellent football. Chad Pennington was gift rapped to the Dolphins after the Jets let him walk. He won his second comeback player of the year award and has helped to ignite the wild cat offense which was unseen in the NFL before. In another close game the key question will remain can the Ravens force enough turnovers to win the game? My answer is yes. While the Dolphins actually lead the league in fewest amounts of turnovers, this is the number 2 ranked defense in all of football. With Ray Lewis 117 total tackles and Ed Reed’s league leading 9 interceptions, the defense will be the great equalizer and give the edge to the Ravens.

Alright Scott Silverman I am finally going to give one of your Philadelphia teams some respect. After getting some much needed luck {Oakland yes Oakland beat the Buccaneers and Chicago lost on the road} they humiliated the Cowboys to earn the last playoff spot. After tying the Bengals earlier in the year, the season seemed all but over. Andy Reid made a gutsy decision to bench Donovan McNabb in Baltimore and now looks pretty smart for doing so. Since then, the club has gone 4-1 and McNabb has only thrown one pick after previously throwing 10 interceptions in 11 games. Having a healthy dose of Brian Westbrook and an effective Jim Johnson schemed defense of heavy blitzing have also helped in this late season turnaround. Minnesota’s head coach Brad Childress plays his former employee in what should be a defensive contest with few points to show. As good as Adrian Peterson is, he cannot do everything for his team. A young Tarvaris Jackson will look his age against this Eagles defense that strives on playing inexperienced quarterbacks. As they play a tough Minnesota opponent, the Eagles in the end will prove to be too much for the Vikings to handle.

BCS More Like BS

I know I’m not the only one who hates this current college football system, if you can even call it that. All team sports have a playoff or tournament format except at the football collegiate level. Doesn’t it feel like every team makes it to a bowl game? Well Notre Dame posting a 6-6 record could not possibly have right? Wrong, they did and the only reason as to why is because they are Notre Dame. I forgot that mediocrity gets rewarded as well in this ridiculous BCS system. Paris Hilton could come up with a better formula for what teams play each other in these Bowl Games.{Though she probably doesn’t know what formula means} Sponsors continually have their own bowl games weeks after the conclusion of the regular season. There were 32 bowl games last year and have now expanded to 34. Great that’s all we need more bowl games. Companies range from Papajohns.com, Meineke Car Care, Outback, Roady’s Humanitarian, and the just recently added magicJack bowl game. I’m still waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out of a bush and scream “you got Punk’d, no more bowl games.” But he hasn’t yet and it doesn’t look like he will for a long time or at least until there is enough protest. Maybe are next president Barack Obama will help since he is also not a fan of the current BCS.

The worst part about BCS Bowl Games is that every year people debate over which two teams should be playing in the National Championship Game. It should never be a question left up to a bunch of sports writers and computers to decide. Did you know there are the BCS Standings, AP Top 25, and USA Today Poll which all cannot agree on a consensus number one team in the nation? The conclusion of this season, and every other season, has us scratching our heads with more questions than answers. Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech all finished 11-1. A triangle emerged with all of them losing to one another, yet Oklahoma was considered the best of the three. They somehow got the opportunity to play Missouri for the Big 12 title. And with a win, get the chance to play against Florida even though Texas defeated Oklahoma.

For those who argue that this system makes the regular season that much more important, the answer is NO! Just look at Texas they won every game except for a last second thriller to Texas Tech on the road. This system is ludicrous when you also realize there are still two undefeated teams in Utah and Boise State with a bunch of excellent one loss teams that will not be playing in the championship game. Are you telling me that USC, Alabama, Penn State, Texas, Texas Tech, and the many other talented teams on any given day could not beat Oklahoma or Florida? You seem to get rewarded for running up the score like Oklahoma did with the computer rankings, yet we tend to forget about the aspect of football called sportsmanship.

Those who believe Boise State upsetting Oklahoma was an awesome bowl game, it was; however, it should have meant even more. Boise State might have been the best team in college football in 2007, but we will never know. In fact, we will never know the best college football team on a yearly basis and I find that sad. Imagine if the NFL was like the BCS system. The Steelers under Ben Roethlisberger would have never won the Super bowl, and the greatest Super bowl of our lifetime would have never occurred. After all, the Giants were a wildcard and had no right playing the undefeated Patriots. {at least that’s what the computers would have said in the BCS}

The idea that every year multiple teams can make a case claiming they deserve a shot in the national championship game makes the winner seem less justified. The only way to solve this problem is simple: have a POST-SEASON! Nobody disputes a champion after they won the World Series, Super bowl, NBA Finals or March Madness. Critics of the BCS talk about a one plus format or playoffs between the best eight teams in college football at the end of the regular season, but I do not think that is enough.

The most fair and exciting way to conclude a regular season is to have the same tournament college basketball has, known as March Madness. A creative title such as December Dizziness or how about December Dreams could be given to the eventual winner of the tournament. Instead of having bowl games with close to 64 teams playing in them, have a tournament that would incorporate the most deserving 64 teams. Instead of having a regular season that ends in the first week in December with a month hiatus in between bowl games; a tournament could be installed. The regular season would be cut to only eleven weeks with teams having one bye week. Schools would play a total of five home and five away games making up their regular season. Then just like with college basketball, winners of each regular season conference would end up in the tournament while the rest would be at large bids. That way the regular season really does mean something. Whether you are a dominant university fighting for a top seed or a mid major school hoping to survive and reach the tournament. The season would end at the same time it does now while creating more thrilling games as the season reaches its conclusion. An actual winner would be crowned without any debate over who the best team truly was.

Can we please have a Brittney Spears like transformation to the BCS? I think it is finally time to change old traditions that are not effective anymore. I am tired of watching meaningless bowl games that have no real significance. I suggest not watching any bowl games unless you like witnessing games a month after the season. We are part of the problem as sponsors thrive on our revenue by going to these games. I refuse to watch a complete bowl game. The only reason I’ll watch parts of a game is to see players that will be drafted in the NFL. If college football went to a 64 team, knockout style tournament, universities would eventually make its profits back while satisfying the hearts of fans across the country.

New York "Glory Days"

While the Stock Market has been struggling of late, that’s not true for The New York Sports market. After the Giants improvable run to the Super Bowl title, there encore performance has been remarkable in its own right. With a 9-1 record and winning in the tough NFC East, there team only seems to improve as the post-season approaches. Losing the cornerstones of their defense, Michael Strahan to retirement and Osi Umenyiora to injury, many worried they might not even make the playoffs heading into the season. Now, they have the best record in the NFC, and are arguably the best team in the entire National Football League. Ahmad Bradshaw could be a legitimate starter on any other team, but with the punishing Brandon Jacobs and change of pace Derrick Ward in the back field, he remains the best third string running back. Eli’s leadership and play on the field even has some considering him to be the better Manning {though I still slightly prefer the 6’5,230lb, laser rocket armed quarterback from the Sprint commercial}

Speaking of New York football, how about the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets. There is always that one game that defines a team’s season and this was their statement performance indeed. Beating the rival Patriots in Foxboro, they are now 7-3 with sole possession of the AFC East for the first time since 2001. The Jets defense has improved tremendously in just one season. They have not allowed a 100 yard rusher all year and are currently third in the league with 34 sacks after being 25^th a season ago. Brett the Jet has given them a new dimension to the offense. While at times he can become interception happy, he delivers when it counts the most. Favre only threw 7 incompletions in the overtime thriller to go along with 258 passing yards and 2tds. Thomas Jones leads the AFC in rushing yardage and has 9 rushing touchdowns a dramatic increase from last year’s lone touchdown.

Is it just me or do you see these two teams meeting in the ultimate game come February? The Giants are favorites to represent the NFC while the Titans are in the AFC. The Jets will have a legitimate chance to end the Titans undefeated streak playing them this coming week. A competitive game between the two should prove that the Jets belong in the upper echelon of NFL teams. Call me crazy, but the Jets do have the second best overall record in the AFC. Isn’t also fitting that the Boss, Bruce Springsteen will be performing at the halftime show of the Super Bowl? While not a New Yorker, a clear representative of the two since after all the Giants and Jets do play in East Rutherford, New Jersey. I can see it now as Tri-State area fans rejoice over the singing of “Glory Days” telling their children about this once and a lifetime New York Super bowl.

Even if it is not the dream matchup of the Giants-Jets on Super bowl Sunday, New York has other teams it should be proud of for a change. The Knickerbockers actually have a winning record after their first ten games. Usually this should not be newsworthy but with the Knicks recent struggles, it is difficult to use Knicks and win in the same sentence; so whenever the opportunity presents itself I will. Mike D’Antoni has this team playing competitive and exciting basketball, something that could not be said about them since 1999, the year they went to the finals. A Knick playoff spot is still premature, but if it were to occur, a coach of the year award for D’Antoni seems more than realistic.

And just when you thought I would not get desperate in regards to sharing my love for New York sports, the New York Redbulls make my article. I know most of my readers probably do no keep up on their MLS knowledge so I will keep it short. After beating back to back champions Houston 3-0 on the road and Real Salt Lake on the road 1-0{thanks to the goal posts for those few who did watch} New York will be playing in the MLS Cup finals for the first time in their 13 years of existence on ABC.

Around the NBA

AI and Billups Swap Uniforms

The Answer for Detroit may just be the man who’s been “talking bout practice.” Coming to the Pistons, Allen Iverson has a chance to make this offense dynamic, which is something they have not been able to say for a while. After reaching the Eastern Conference Finals 6 years in a row, Joe Dumars decided it was time to mix it up. The Pistons are gaining a former MVP and the third leading scorer in NBA history only behind Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan. Besides his impressive resume, his contract terminates at the end of the season, so if they decide not to keep him, they will be well under the cap and serious contenders in the 2010 free agency class. This features superstars such as Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. Oddly enough all of these guys that the Pistons might be interested in were drafted in the same year as Darko Milicic, {great draft pick their Joe}

The Nuggets also benefit from this deal by bringing in two former players such as Antonio McDyess {though his contract is about to get bought out} and the hometown hero Chauncey Billups, who played his college ball at Colorado. This is the first time that Coach George Karl will actually have a true point guard run his team. As good as Allen Iverson was, the experiment with him and Carmelo Anthony was just not going to work. There was no chance of them reaching the NBA finals with the way their team was constructed. Both of them took too many shots without playing enough defense. Carmelo will be the unquestioned scorer now who will play alongside a point guard that actually looks to pass first. Billups is also a prolific defender. Look for Kenyon Martin to be productive again with a new floor general as well. The last time he was relevant was with Jason Kidd.{You might not remember those days but gas prices were close to a $1 and the economy was stable}The Nuggets will still probably be in the lower half of the western conference playoff race, but bringing in somebody with an NBA title does not hurt.

Starbury No Longer a Star

If you can, try to imagine you are a trial lawyer for a big law firm. One day your boss decides that while you may be the best lawyer in the entire practice, since your contract with the firm runs out at the end of the year, it is not worth going to court anymore. Well you assume this is just for one day. Your boss tells you; I mean for the rest of the year, you are going to be inactive. We do not need your services anymore. Still show up to work, but do not participate. Oh and by the way, we will still pay you your 21 million plus, just show up to work and not doing anything!

My Knicks sure have more fun making news then actually playing basketball. While not a trial lawyer, Stephon Marbury is on the inactive list and there is a better chance 2pac comes out with another new song then Marbury playing for the Knicks again. The Knicks Management has proven to be cheap by not buying out Jerome James contract in order to keep Patrick Ewing Jr. That’s right; we cut the son of our franchise’s best player in order to keep the injured, and ogre like figure, Jerome James. At this point, if Marbury is not going to play then why is he still here? Get rid of our losses now, so we can look towards a brighter future without the New York media writing about what Marbury’s next move is. Nobody cares and people at the garden just want to see good basketball preferably at Coach D’antoni’s pace of 7 seconds or less.

History in the Making

After a historic election with Barack Obama’s nomination, two historic basketball performances were made the next day. Tony Parker had 55 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds in an overtime win while Amare Stoudemire had 49 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 2 blocks. Parker joins a select group of players who have gone for 55 and 10 assists in a game. Only Oscar Robinson and Michael Jordan have accomplished this task. That’s Amore was quite dominant too becoming only the 7^th player in the last 20 years to record a 40 point, 10 rebound, 5 assist and 5 steal performance. King James was quiet compared to these two yet impressive in his own right with 41 points, 9 boards and 6 dishes.

Politics and sports usually do not go hand in hand, but it is at least worth noting these career performances. I do not think it is a coincidence that the NBA’s best players pulled of some of their best performances in their lives the day after America voted for the first black president. The NBA, a predominantly African-American league, showcased its talent the next night with players feeling a sense of pride after hearing the news. Barack Obama’s win surely did not have a direct effect on these players; however, it must have been in the hearts and minds of many of these players as they stepped onto the court. The future president is a huge basketball fan himself as he will be the first president to play a game of Horse or Around the World in the Whitehouse.