PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-6.9
RPG-4.6
APG-1.6
Pro's:
Jack of all trades basketball junkie with superior leadership skills. Behind the scenes enforcer that takes pride in doing the dirty work. Savvy defender that appears longer and quicker than he measures. Intangibles are off the charts. Plays big. Puts up better numbers than he leads on. Exudes a quiet confidence offensively. Will take the big shot. Feeds off the moment. Muscular.
Con's:
Has lost a step defensively. Despite usually high motor and quality leadership skills, occasionaly zones out and loses focus. Takes the term "Streaky" to a whole new level. Struggles with his percentages around the basket, where he spends most of his time. Game suffers when he loses his cool.
Overall:
A natural leader on the court, Hopkins has carved out the same niche in PCTI that he has made for himself growing up. Despite losing a step defensively, has packed a few pounds around his base to be more stout at the point of attack. Has done serious damage to the opposition in the past when he catches fire. With a team full of scorers, Hops role has never been so important. Expect him to step up as Breaking Bad's top defender, role player, and quite possibly rebounder. Be on the lookout for him to either be voted in for his first All-Tourney team selection, or since he is the one man awards committee, rigging the numbers and plugging himself in to the DMVP award.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Scouting Report: Joe Thompson
PCTI2 Totals:
PPG-11.4
RPG-4.6
APG-1.7
Pro's:
The new look Joe Thompson burst onto the PCTI2 scene with a chip on his shoulder. Gone were the deep three pointers and random spurts of effort on D. Arrived was a ball hawking, playmaker that applied serious pressure to the opposing offense and defense. Proving effective, he was a few votes away from his first MVP, and with an increased effort in the offseason, look for him to be gunning for that trophy in PCTI3. One of the most well conditioned athletes in PCTI, Thompson recognizes when the opposition is worn down and immediately attacks. An effective outside shooter and finisher with the quickness to get to the lane and make things happen. Has recently uped his efforts on the glass, and has become one of, if not the top rebounding guard. Best pick and roll guard in PCTI. Along with teammate Josh Stephens, is the only undefeated player in PCTI.
Con's:
Streaky shooter. Known worldwide for his sharp temper. Will speak his mind regardless of if it's for the bad of the team. Shoot-first PG. If you were comparing him to an ex-Timberwolves PG it would be Stephon Marbury, not Terrell Brandon. Questions remain whether he is more focused on playing good basketball or getting good acting clips for his audition tapes.
Overall:
Some would say Thompson was robbed of the MVP award, but Stephens numbers were too high to overcome. A do-it-all guy in PCTI2, seemed somewhat upset by his new (And popular with his teammates) role because he wasn't the go-to guy. Will he stick with his productive, high energy ways in PCTI2, or will he go back to his go-to guy, shoot first mentality in hopes of securing a higher point total, and thus an MVP award? How he gets along with Stephens and Pitto remain to be seen, but the question will linger all the way up to the close of Game 7.
PPG-11.4
RPG-4.6
APG-1.7
Pro's:
The new look Joe Thompson burst onto the PCTI2 scene with a chip on his shoulder. Gone were the deep three pointers and random spurts of effort on D. Arrived was a ball hawking, playmaker that applied serious pressure to the opposing offense and defense. Proving effective, he was a few votes away from his first MVP, and with an increased effort in the offseason, look for him to be gunning for that trophy in PCTI3. One of the most well conditioned athletes in PCTI, Thompson recognizes when the opposition is worn down and immediately attacks. An effective outside shooter and finisher with the quickness to get to the lane and make things happen. Has recently uped his efforts on the glass, and has become one of, if not the top rebounding guard. Best pick and roll guard in PCTI. Along with teammate Josh Stephens, is the only undefeated player in PCTI.
Con's:
Streaky shooter. Known worldwide for his sharp temper. Will speak his mind regardless of if it's for the bad of the team. Shoot-first PG. If you were comparing him to an ex-Timberwolves PG it would be Stephon Marbury, not Terrell Brandon. Questions remain whether he is more focused on playing good basketball or getting good acting clips for his audition tapes.
Overall:
Some would say Thompson was robbed of the MVP award, but Stephens numbers were too high to overcome. A do-it-all guy in PCTI2, seemed somewhat upset by his new (And popular with his teammates) role because he wasn't the go-to guy. Will he stick with his productive, high energy ways in PCTI2, or will he go back to his go-to guy, shoot first mentality in hopes of securing a higher point total, and thus an MVP award? How he gets along with Stephens and Pitto remain to be seen, but the question will linger all the way up to the close of Game 7.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Scouting Report: Josh Stephens
PCTI II Stats:
PPG-14.7
RPG-9.1
APG-1.6
Pros':
The reigning PCTI MVP is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to athletic ability, talent and overall production. Inside/Out game accompanied by his strong measurables make him a potential matchup nightmare when focused. Wears his defender down by constantly moving without the ball, running off screens, and crashing the offensive glass. Quality rebounder. Short memory and aloof mentality limits amount of cold streaks. Rarely gets fatigued.
Con's:
Below average defender despite superior measurables. Tends to overdribble, always with his head down. Does not see the floor and has no touch on his passes. Has a reputation as a Me-First guy.
Overall:
There were whispers around the league as to how he would draft his team, one that would maximize his opportunity to score, or give him the opportunity to win. He silenced the critics with a quality draft, showing that he cares more about his PCTI record then he does his points per game. The only question remains-How will Stephens respond in his first leadership role? One thing you can count on is another All-Tournament Team selection and borderline MVP performance.
PPG-14.7
RPG-9.1
APG-1.6
Pros':
The reigning PCTI MVP is considered the cream of the crop when it comes to athletic ability, talent and overall production. Inside/Out game accompanied by his strong measurables make him a potential matchup nightmare when focused. Wears his defender down by constantly moving without the ball, running off screens, and crashing the offensive glass. Quality rebounder. Short memory and aloof mentality limits amount of cold streaks. Rarely gets fatigued.
Con's:
Below average defender despite superior measurables. Tends to overdribble, always with his head down. Does not see the floor and has no touch on his passes. Has a reputation as a Me-First guy.
Overall:
There were whispers around the league as to how he would draft his team, one that would maximize his opportunity to score, or give him the opportunity to win. He silenced the critics with a quality draft, showing that he cares more about his PCTI record then he does his points per game. The only question remains-How will Stephens respond in his first leadership role? One thing you can count on is another All-Tournament Team selection and borderline MVP performance.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Musings on the Podcast
So last night I had a chance to listen to a 40 minute chat from 2 prominent members of Breaking Bad. Fittingly, they began their conversation with an evaluation of the top fast food choices available in the marketplace. As they discussed their preferences for McDonald’s fries and Chick-Fil-A nuggets, my initial thought was that these 2 jokers just don’t have the kind of discipline it takes to excel at life, much less PCTI. Their lazy analysis and incoherent speech patterns reminded me of Wayne and Garth after a recording session, or maybe a retarded version of Cheech and Chong during a bender. After having turned down the volume to a minimum to avoid the sloshing sounds of the Doctor and his disgusting and incessant masticating, they proceeded to evaluate the roster of Legs Feed the Wolf, as well as opine on the likely outcome of the tournament. Of course, I was appalled when these ass clowns projected a 4-0 series sweep seeing as how they have so little basketball talent on their roster outside of Abe, Donley, and Dawson. What’s worse is that they then insulted me for encouraging my team to show up in great physical condition, in addition to insulting the Godfather for his unbelievable organizational skills. Well done fellas, you nailed it! So listed below are a few of Sonny and Cher’s criticisms from the podcast, as well as my response to those allegations:
1) “Sabin is so dumb! He asked his team to get into great shape by getting in the weightroom and getting stronger, faster, and having more endurance.” I know, I know…it’s the worst criticism ever. If anything, it only points out how much I care about my team and our individual and collective success. Somehow, Bo and Luke mistook this for a character flaw. You might ask the question, “Why would BC and Joe make this a focal point of their conversation?” I’ve been pondering this myself and can’t come up with a clear conclusion. The best answer I can hypothesize is that they are physically intimidated by the amount of strength, speed, and athleticism coming their way. Maybe they don’t have enough stomach for the fight that is on the horizon, or maybe they don’t want to put themselves through the short-term pain that comes along with getting in shape in order to experience long-term gains. BC is fond of saying that my team just wants to perform Olympic style lifts in the form of power cleans and snatches. I think I understand his disconnected and malformed opinion. Listen, do I think deadlifts and hang cleans have a one-to-one correlation with PCTI success? No. But do I think that these exercises make one faster, stronger, tougher, and able to withstand the rigors of 7 games in 36 hours? You bet your ass I do. Unfortunately, this is where BC misses the mark as he fails to connect the dots of weightroom performance to increases in athleticism.
2) “They have 4 or 5 guys on their roster who are terrified to shoot the ball. Maybe we should play one foot in the lane and dare them to shoot so that we can play too”. So, let me see if I got this straight…Wes is strings, BMac is straight cash homie, BMW is a nightmare from anywhere on the court, Sabin and Krow excel at the midrange, Bruise is a more than capable shooter, and all indications point to Beas being superior from any range. So, I guess what they are really talking about is Smo choosing to be judicious with his shots? Does Smo jack up anything he can get his hands on? No. Is he capable of scoring backbreaking buckets at inopportune times for the other team? History says yes. Does our team value a teammate who chooses to make his teammates better by passing them the ball in their spots as opposed to being an indiscriminate Jack Johnson? You already know the answer to this question. What they are probably most concerned about is guys like Hops, Abe, Doctor, and BC using little to no discretion while putting up more FGAs than their ability warrants. So once again, this is a criticism that completely misses the mark, but did we expect much more from the Joker and the Penguin?
3) “Who is going to shut down Sabin? We have a lot of choices on our team, but who gets the pleasure of shutting him out?” First, thanks for the bulletin board material. Second, let’s think about Breaking Bad’s roster: if Pitto, Doctor, or Hops guard me, I’ll probably have the inside track for the MVP award. If Abe, BC, or Dawson guard me, I’m a lock for all-tourney at minimum. So your choices are B-EZ and Donley. All I can say about those two is this: Pick your poison, and let’s get to work.
4) “They’ll run up the floor for 5 minutes of Game 1, and then revert back to doing what everybody does in PCTI, which is jack up 3s and play soft defense.” Thanks for deploying your team’s strategy so quickly. We thought that you might actually be using some discretion in terms of how best to attack us, but now that we know you’ll be walking the ball up the floor and jacking up terrible shots, I feel even more confident about our probability of success. You don’t think Smo and Bruise are gonna beat your bigs down the floor? You think McKinney and Beas aren’t gonna go to work in the open floor against your wings? You think me and the BMW won’t be pushing the ball down your throats? And I’m just flabbergasted that you two don’t know what a hit-ahead pass is, masterfully employed by the Godfather. I gave you two too much credit for being basketball junkies. Now I understand that you two are just the Laverne and Shirley of PCTI. Once again, their criticism misses the mark entirely.
5) “Danny’s fledgling career is at a crossroads. Does he have anything left resembling basketball ability?” You know, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was quoted as saying this after his country bombed Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with terrible resolve.” And that’s all you’ve done by taking shots at the Organizer. So I guess I should just say thank you and move on. I hope you enjoy singlehandedly willing the Founder into the league lead in assists, steals, and AT ratio. Once again, Riggs and Murtaugh don’t do their team any favors.
Lastly, let me say that at least BC developed some opinions based on previous experience and I could tell that he had at least given some independent thought as to how things will play out in PCTI 3. As for the Doctor, his best analysis consisted of saying things like “Exactly”, “That’s true”, and “No Shit!”. Anybody expecting to get a shred of informed or reasonable analysis from the Doctor will be completely disappointed. I might suggest reading a book once in a while, Doctor, as it may help you to form linear thoughts about what you would like to express. If you two are looking to have an honest discussion about your chances in PCTI 3, then I invite you to bring me on as a guest for your next episode. Perhaps then we can begin to unravel the nasty mess you have created for your team with lazy analysis and intimidated blatherings.
Sabin
1) “Sabin is so dumb! He asked his team to get into great shape by getting in the weightroom and getting stronger, faster, and having more endurance.” I know, I know…it’s the worst criticism ever. If anything, it only points out how much I care about my team and our individual and collective success. Somehow, Bo and Luke mistook this for a character flaw. You might ask the question, “Why would BC and Joe make this a focal point of their conversation?” I’ve been pondering this myself and can’t come up with a clear conclusion. The best answer I can hypothesize is that they are physically intimidated by the amount of strength, speed, and athleticism coming their way. Maybe they don’t have enough stomach for the fight that is on the horizon, or maybe they don’t want to put themselves through the short-term pain that comes along with getting in shape in order to experience long-term gains. BC is fond of saying that my team just wants to perform Olympic style lifts in the form of power cleans and snatches. I think I understand his disconnected and malformed opinion. Listen, do I think deadlifts and hang cleans have a one-to-one correlation with PCTI success? No. But do I think that these exercises make one faster, stronger, tougher, and able to withstand the rigors of 7 games in 36 hours? You bet your ass I do. Unfortunately, this is where BC misses the mark as he fails to connect the dots of weightroom performance to increases in athleticism.
2) “They have 4 or 5 guys on their roster who are terrified to shoot the ball. Maybe we should play one foot in the lane and dare them to shoot so that we can play too”. So, let me see if I got this straight…Wes is strings, BMac is straight cash homie, BMW is a nightmare from anywhere on the court, Sabin and Krow excel at the midrange, Bruise is a more than capable shooter, and all indications point to Beas being superior from any range. So, I guess what they are really talking about is Smo choosing to be judicious with his shots? Does Smo jack up anything he can get his hands on? No. Is he capable of scoring backbreaking buckets at inopportune times for the other team? History says yes. Does our team value a teammate who chooses to make his teammates better by passing them the ball in their spots as opposed to being an indiscriminate Jack Johnson? You already know the answer to this question. What they are probably most concerned about is guys like Hops, Abe, Doctor, and BC using little to no discretion while putting up more FGAs than their ability warrants. So once again, this is a criticism that completely misses the mark, but did we expect much more from the Joker and the Penguin?
3) “Who is going to shut down Sabin? We have a lot of choices on our team, but who gets the pleasure of shutting him out?” First, thanks for the bulletin board material. Second, let’s think about Breaking Bad’s roster: if Pitto, Doctor, or Hops guard me, I’ll probably have the inside track for the MVP award. If Abe, BC, or Dawson guard me, I’m a lock for all-tourney at minimum. So your choices are B-EZ and Donley. All I can say about those two is this: Pick your poison, and let’s get to work.
4) “They’ll run up the floor for 5 minutes of Game 1, and then revert back to doing what everybody does in PCTI, which is jack up 3s and play soft defense.” Thanks for deploying your team’s strategy so quickly. We thought that you might actually be using some discretion in terms of how best to attack us, but now that we know you’ll be walking the ball up the floor and jacking up terrible shots, I feel even more confident about our probability of success. You don’t think Smo and Bruise are gonna beat your bigs down the floor? You think McKinney and Beas aren’t gonna go to work in the open floor against your wings? You think me and the BMW won’t be pushing the ball down your throats? And I’m just flabbergasted that you two don’t know what a hit-ahead pass is, masterfully employed by the Godfather. I gave you two too much credit for being basketball junkies. Now I understand that you two are just the Laverne and Shirley of PCTI. Once again, their criticism misses the mark entirely.
5) “Danny’s fledgling career is at a crossroads. Does he have anything left resembling basketball ability?” You know, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was quoted as saying this after his country bombed Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with terrible resolve.” And that’s all you’ve done by taking shots at the Organizer. So I guess I should just say thank you and move on. I hope you enjoy singlehandedly willing the Founder into the league lead in assists, steals, and AT ratio. Once again, Riggs and Murtaugh don’t do their team any favors.
Lastly, let me say that at least BC developed some opinions based on previous experience and I could tell that he had at least given some independent thought as to how things will play out in PCTI 3. As for the Doctor, his best analysis consisted of saying things like “Exactly”, “That’s true”, and “No Shit!”. Anybody expecting to get a shred of informed or reasonable analysis from the Doctor will be completely disappointed. I might suggest reading a book once in a while, Doctor, as it may help you to form linear thoughts about what you would like to express. If you two are looking to have an honest discussion about your chances in PCTI 3, then I invite you to bring me on as a guest for your next episode. Perhaps then we can begin to unravel the nasty mess you have created for your team with lazy analysis and intimidated blatherings.
Sabin
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
PCTI Edition Podcast
BestCoasts Podcast: PCTI Edition at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
#DriveByShooting
Here's your rebuttal, Sabin.
#DriveByShooting
Here's your rebuttal, Sabin.
Monday, October 24, 2011
"Gun's Don't Kill People... I Kill People." SPOTLIGHT.. Wes Murray.
I bet PCTI never thought they would see a spotlight on PCTI's biggest mystery man.1. Nickname-None that i know of....
2. Height/Weight- 5'10" 190
3. Employer- Macy's Logistics & Operations
4. College- The University of Tennessee 2010
5. Favorite Sports Team- Washington Redskins, Atlanta Braves
6. NBA Comparison (Why?)- J.J. Redick....known as a good shooter, not that good of a shooter, takes a lot of pride his defense, not that good defensively.
7. Favorite PCTI Teammate- Anthony Hopkins, his layup % is our best shooting %
8. Biggest PCTI Enemy- Joe Thompson, stick to "acting" if that's what you'll call it
9. Favorite PCTI Moment- Pitto blowin up on the refs and everyone in turn blowin up on him....all 12-15 times that's happened.
10. What is the biggest question mark on your team?- Can we score consistently?
11. Bold Prediction? 4-0 sweep LFTW, the first in PCTI history, Ben Wilson is not our leading scorer.
12. Not so Bold Prediction? 4-0 sweep LFTW, Joe and Pitto get into it, Pitto gets into it with everybody, I have a game I don't score in.
Editor's Reaction:
1. Surely someone can come up with a nickname about Wes not having email access for a good six months.
2. We can chalk up any body fat to his love affiar with Chick Fil A.
3. I want to put Wes, Smo and Scotty in a room and see who can get me to certain locations in the quickest and most efficient way. I don't have my money on Scott.
4. Another well educated citizen.
5. Man what I would do to be able to cheer for Rex Grossman and John Beck each week!
6. Has anyone killed a comparison like he just did?
7. Take that and like it Hopsy.
8. OH DAMN! Go crawl in a hole Thompson.
9. I can't agree with that. Pitto is well behaved, mature and a pleasure to be around.
10. You must not have heard McKinney is doing Cross Fit and Sabin bumped his power cleans from 40/session to 60/session?
11. A man of few words, but when he speaks people listen.
12. There is a 100% guarantee all of those happen.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
"I'm Your Worst Nightmare Squared, That's Times Two for Those Who Aren't Mathematically Aware" SPOTLIGHT... IRON Mike Orr.
1. Nickname: Smo, Milky Johnson, Milk Dud, Baby Bruiser, Michael Oher
2. Height/weight: 6'4" - 105 lbs
3. Employer: CH Robinson, a logistics company with A LOT more cash flow than CEVA
4. College: Middle Tennessee State University: The School of Hard Knocks
5. Sports Team: St Louis Cardinals, Tennessee Titans (don't watch college sports until they start paying the athletes)
6. NBA Comparison: Shawn Bradley.
7. Fav Teammate: The Bruiser. Been ridin' the coat tails of his physicality since high school. We're back.
8. Biggest Enemy: Whoever is trying to score on MY rim.
9. Favorite Moment: How 'bout a top 3. 1. Becoming life-long best friends with Dr Joe Thompson on the car ride to Lexington. 2. Seeing BMW in Knoxville this weekend and his follow-up email. 3. Getting to lay in bed with Scott Donley. The man is perfect. #questionmysexuality
10. Biggest Questionmark: Our name.
11. Bold prediction: Bryan McKinney MVP.
12. Not So Bold Prediction: Team Pitto realizes any way you divide the teams its going to be competitive, gets scared of that fact, and loses in 6.
Editor's Reaction:
1. Who scored better on protective instincts, Michael Oher protecting his QB or Smo protecting HIS rim?
2. Those are some of the most physically imposing measurables in the history of hoops.
3. Further proving PCTI would be the best logistics company in the US.
4. It's good to see another guy with a decent education.
5. It's also good to see someone with the right outlook on college sports.
6. I've always given Smo mad props for caring more about making a person laugh than he does anything else. This further proves that statement.
7. Sabin-Take note of this. The fact that you smack the ball loud on rebounds does not make up for the fact that Smo is responsible for giving Bruiser the nickname he always hoped for.
8. As if the off season chatter doesn't already have Breaking Bad scared enough entering the paint...
9. Thanks for single handedly crushing all the work I've done rallying people to hate Donley the last few weeks.
10. This is no longer a question ever since Hops re-named us "Legs Feed the Kittens."
11. It's one Cross Fit member or the other.
12. The first smart thing anyone has said outside Pitto in the last two years.
Offense sells tickets, Smo wins championships.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
"I Got a Fever ... and the Prescription is More Kettlebell." SPOTLIGHT... Bryan McKinney
The addition of Cross Fit to McKinney's offseason training regimen has frequently been talked about and highly regarded by LFTK's Head Coach Jeff Sabin. One would question whether he is dedicated or just simply trying to suck up.
1. Nickname: B. Mac, Flyin Bryan, The Dumbest Smart Kid on the Planet.
2. Height/Weight: 6'3" 200.
3. Employer: Allstate Insurance.
4. College: Arizona State University.
5. Favorite Sports Team: Tennessee Titans.
6. NBA Comparison: Tony Kukoc, decent shooter, decent rebounder, decent defender, not spectacular at anything.
7. Favorite PCTI Teammate: Danny Krow. Because I've played the most with you/enjoy playing with you/love how someone streaking down the court never goes unnoticed with you.
8. Biggest PCTI Enemy: Probably Eskildsen since I think he has blocked 27 of my shots
9. Favorite PCTI Moment: Any chance I get to post up Pitto.
10. Biggest Question Mark for LFTK: Whether I actually make layups, cuz if I don't, actually being in shape means dogshit.
11. Bold Prediction: LFTW averages 40 fastbreak points a game.
12. Not So Bold Prediction: The other team doesn't.
Editor's Reaction:
1. I proudly can say I am responsible for every one of those nicknames. Flyin Bryan was simply stolen from the late great wrestler "Flyin" Brian Pillman. Dumbest smart kid is just, well, true.
2. With a motor like Breaking Bad won't believe.
3. Don't we all wish Pedro Cerrano was the spokesperson for our company?
4. Great education, beautiful campus, amazing city. But at UT we got to watch .500 foot ball every year!
5. Booooo.
6. Tough to argue this although I'm not sure Kukoc, despite having the most perfect set of tools imaginable (Outside of insanely slow feet), could guard anyone.
7. My goal was to have as many high school teammates in this to convince the remaining players in PCTI that I actually played somewhat of a role at some point in my career, rather than just moving around on the court yapping my trap.
8. How about maybe Eskildsen because he is a notorious cheap shot artist?
9. Now that I can't blame you for.
10. The good news is that since we have so few guys that shoot, you won't have a choice but to keep putting shots up until you get into a groove.
11. There is no question about this because it's clear we are the team in superior physical condition.
12. Re-think this one. Did you forgot Hops going coast to coast and owning BC on that fastbreak layup in PCTI1?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Lost Scouting Report
So over the course of the last several months, I have sought the basketball opinions of many whom I trust in the hopes of drafting the right personnel to win a PCTI championship. This list of opinions included fellow players, coaches, past teammates, and insiders. But I also felt like I needed an objective opinion from someone who was not partial to one side or the other. So I thought for a while about who had been present at our games enough to be familiar with PCTI personnel, but wasn’t necessarily rooting for one team over another. And who was this objective judge? That’s right, Deuce Hite. So I asked Deuce to provide me with his scouting report of certain personnel and this is what he sent to me:
1) Brent Carney: I have a lot of respect for Big Brent Carney. The guy gave me some good material in PCTI 1 when he interviewed a despondent Joe Thompson, and added more to the archives in PCTI 2 with his rant about his individual performance being more important than his team’s loss in Game 5. But in terms of basketball, I mean, does this guy ever go right? You might as well tie his right arm behind his back when he penetrates because he won’t be using it anyway. Never has the phrase “This guy wants to go left” been more appropriate for a player. On the perimeter, he has become less adept at chasing around the stretch 4s that have become vogue of late in PCTI. Additionally, he was marginalized on the boards last season because of what some are calling a “total lack of leaping ability.” At 192 pounds, the only players he can post up are Pitto and Thompson, but they are his teammates this year. I know he thinks he is PCTI’s version of Lamar Odom, but some analysts think his ceiling may be closer to Cherokee Parks and Christian Laettner. Even so, watch out for the inevitable 24-13 he will slap up at some point in the tournament, and also watch for his inner happiness at doing so while his team suffers a loss.
2) Josh Stephens: Do I respect the fact that he can convince a 44 year old barfly to hook up with him 3 hours before tip-off? Not really. Is it impressive that he can function at a high level on the court after being stoned and wasted on Sunday morning? Probably. Will he and Joe Thompson finally learn to embrace their hatred for each other in PCTI 3? No question. Volume shooter and scorer in the mold of Antoine Walker. Motto is “Never up, never in”. Sacrifices winning plays for FGAs. Degree of difficulty of shots is misguided attempt at challenging self. Racks up turnovers in bunches. Utterly confused by double-teams. Uninterested defender. Routinely beaten down floor on defense, only to routinely beat his man down the floor on offense. Some analysts have questioned leadership skills and ability to share the ball with inferior teammates. Has shown no desire to get in anything resembling basketball shape the past two years, but physical freak somehow makes a mockery of conditioning. The league’s most talented and frustrating player. Make him work for what he gets. Needs to email and blog more.
3) Josh Pitto: Do I like it when Pitto tries to make basketball talking points into my camera? No. Am I uninterested in what he is saying? Yeah. Do I have to pretend like I’m interested because the Godfather is paying me mad cash? Unfortunately. So, Pitto had a career year last year in PCTI 2. He averaged 13PPG and shot 48% for the field. Led the league in 3 balls with 17. How can this be explained from the least athletic guard in PCTI history? Well, Joe Thompson was guarding him. JT is much more bark than bite, and Pitto took advantage of an overmatched Doctor. Problem is, they are teammates this year, so how can Pitto make a contribution? Scouting report is not sure either. Shot happy, shot first PG. Would probably be a shooting guard if he weren’t 5’6” and 120 pounds. Has never set a screen in his life, so don’t worry about having to fight through his picks. Won’t help on defense, so make sure you are prepared to guard your man and his at the same time. Pet peeve is poor shot selection from others, mostly Sabin, but that blame will be redistributed to Stephens, Thompson, and Hops this year. Worst shoes in PCTI 2. Typically plays 3 point line to 3 point line, so doesn’t break a sweat. Will probably have a hate-hate relationship with Carney for much of the weekend. Ceiling for PCTI 3: Bobby Hurley.
4) Brian Eskildsen: Huge, lumbering point forward with good instincts and some passing skill. Lack of speed worsened by poor conditioning. Needs to lay off the bacon and cinnamon rolls. Some PCTI players can’t have their value explained by stats alone, but one look at the statsheet and you see where his value is. Contributor to every category, perhaps master of none. Reluctant shooter. Old school game includes crossovers, handles, shooting passing lanes, and lack of trash talking. Guy just gets it done, but shows uncontrolled anger when team loses including kicking chairs at unwitting statkeepers. Some insiders wonder whether this guy can stay healthy for a full PCTI, and other analysts worry that being so close to DK will only make him eat more bread and get further out of condition. Basketball thinker who bumps up against analysis paralysis from time to time. PCTI’s only 50% career FG shooter takes sound shots, never gets in a hurry, and makes winning basketball plays. Paradoxically, PCTI’s best 3 point shooter and worst foul shooter. PCTI 1 crossover of Sabin and resulting layup remains the best individual move in the history of PCTI. Attention to Stanford basketball team may leave him in terrible conditioning in April. Imagine Kurt Rambis and Brian Cardinal had a basketball love child. B-EZ is the result.
5) Hops: League’s only player whose nickname is the exact opposite of his leaping ability. Alleged shooter who doesn’t make shots, Hopkins mixes up his game with a variety of airballs from the 3 point line and blocked layup attempts in the paint. In particular, he seems to be fond of a step-back jumper that he can’t make, but virtually any shot inside the arc gives him trouble. Uses a diverse skill set of pump fakes, awkward drives, and a unique lack of athleticism to get himself involved in a game. Warning to whomever guards him in PCTI 3: this guy will get loose for 1 game in PCTI 3 where he burns you for 25 points and 10 boards. He may not get 25 points total in the other 6 games, but just know that a game like that is coming. Inspiration behind the phrase “Wear an A-Hop”, suggesting his ability to blanket the opposing team’s best perimeter players. Some analysts argue the phrase is unjustified since he checked his man into an MVP performance in PCTI 2. Mentor to Stephens who often leads him into temptation. Best hair in PCTI history. Comfortable playing sober or with .17 BAL. Imagine Jon Barry and Fred Hoiberg had a basketball affair. Hops is the offspring.
6) Scott Donley: Do I respect the fact that he cares about physical conditioning? Sure. Can this guy guard 2-5 on the hoops floor? No question. Should he overtake Wes Murray for best-looking PCTI player this season? Probably. Newcomer to PCTI 2 entered the game and announced his presence with authority by taking unwarranted shots and missing them. Message to team must have been “I’m here to lead you”. Showed some rebounding skill, ability to move his feet on defense, and the propensity to unnecessarily foul Ben Wilson on every possession. Showed amazing consistency in PCTI by shooting 39% from 2s, 3s, and the foul line. That kind of consistency should help him to get more playing time in PCTI 3. Earned respect from Sabin with his cockstrongedness in PCTI 2, but recent tweaking of Legs Feed the Wolf team could prove to be his downfall. Guy wants to post some, shoot the 3 ball, and foul on most possessions. Never seen a foul he didn’t appreciate or couldn’t duplicate. Will be his team’s most athletic big, which could signal a big problem for his team. Earned so much respect in PCTI 2 that he has nowhere to go but down from here. Both Sabin and Wilson hate when this guy guards them, so maybe we will stick McKinney on him to give him a dose of his own medicine. Dude is like Bob Sura with his physical tools, and Luke Walton with his offensive ability.
7) Dawson Huff: Underrated comedian who is not appreciated by some of his oldest friends. Ability to memorize movie lines and seamlessly work them into unrelated conversation is unparalleled. Last year’s hotel roommates Huff, Sabin, and McKinney was the least exciting room in PCTI history. Huff is appreciated for bringing out his 2 gallon jug of water to fellow crampers in PCTI 1 Game 4. Although his intent was to help, he only further diluted the cramper’s ability to replenish his body’s electrolytes, and therefore added to the cramping cycle. So this player needs to learn more about the human body. Best shooter in PCTI history, and simultaneously the worst rebounder. Shot 56% in PCTI 1 with a mix of midrange, 3 balls, and crafty postup fadeaway jumpers. Amazingly low fouler, in some respects the anti-Donley, suggests the crafty veteran can defend without resorting to unseemly illegal Donley tactics. If you give him an open shot, just go to the underside of the net, because that is where you will retrieve the ball. Incessant phone calls to spouse annoy the commissioner. Since athleticism was never this man’s calling card, injury concerns are moot. Cannot leave this player open, and must run him until exhaustion. Combines the shooting prowess of Jason Kapono with the inability to rebound of Adam Morrison to make a fantastic skillset. Comeback player of the year in PCTI 3.
8) Joe Thompson: Has no shooting range or ball skills. Would prefer to bully his way past guys like Pitto instead of taking on someone of similar size and strength. Crafty at stealing the ball, but in typical Joe style, does it behind your back, and not while you are looking. PCTI’s best actor, and not just on the big screen. This guy looks for any opportunity to let the camera know he just did something good, but at 27% from 3s, those moments come few and far between. Earned an all-tourney appearance in PCTI 2, but let’s withhold judgment until he can do it against real defenders like the ones Legs Feed the Wolf throws at him. Uses a mixture of 3 balls well past his shooting range, along with offbalance leaners in the lane, to generate his scoring chances. One of PCTI’s better athletes that makes sparse athletic plays during the course of 7 games. Notorious hothead who leads the league in career technicals. Interviews with BC are the stuff of legend. Will scream “Wet” after knocking in a 3 ball. Will not scream anything after misfiring on the previous 5. Typically does not get calls he is looking for because of acrimonious relationship with officials. Relationship with teammates needs repairing after threatening to retire last season. Blog founder who refuses to blog. Will probably spend most of time in Dallas with John O’Rourke instead of playing in the games.
Many thanks to Deuce for providing his input.
Sabin
1) Brent Carney: I have a lot of respect for Big Brent Carney. The guy gave me some good material in PCTI 1 when he interviewed a despondent Joe Thompson, and added more to the archives in PCTI 2 with his rant about his individual performance being more important than his team’s loss in Game 5. But in terms of basketball, I mean, does this guy ever go right? You might as well tie his right arm behind his back when he penetrates because he won’t be using it anyway. Never has the phrase “This guy wants to go left” been more appropriate for a player. On the perimeter, he has become less adept at chasing around the stretch 4s that have become vogue of late in PCTI. Additionally, he was marginalized on the boards last season because of what some are calling a “total lack of leaping ability.” At 192 pounds, the only players he can post up are Pitto and Thompson, but they are his teammates this year. I know he thinks he is PCTI’s version of Lamar Odom, but some analysts think his ceiling may be closer to Cherokee Parks and Christian Laettner. Even so, watch out for the inevitable 24-13 he will slap up at some point in the tournament, and also watch for his inner happiness at doing so while his team suffers a loss.
2) Josh Stephens: Do I respect the fact that he can convince a 44 year old barfly to hook up with him 3 hours before tip-off? Not really. Is it impressive that he can function at a high level on the court after being stoned and wasted on Sunday morning? Probably. Will he and Joe Thompson finally learn to embrace their hatred for each other in PCTI 3? No question. Volume shooter and scorer in the mold of Antoine Walker. Motto is “Never up, never in”. Sacrifices winning plays for FGAs. Degree of difficulty of shots is misguided attempt at challenging self. Racks up turnovers in bunches. Utterly confused by double-teams. Uninterested defender. Routinely beaten down floor on defense, only to routinely beat his man down the floor on offense. Some analysts have questioned leadership skills and ability to share the ball with inferior teammates. Has shown no desire to get in anything resembling basketball shape the past two years, but physical freak somehow makes a mockery of conditioning. The league’s most talented and frustrating player. Make him work for what he gets. Needs to email and blog more.
3) Josh Pitto: Do I like it when Pitto tries to make basketball talking points into my camera? No. Am I uninterested in what he is saying? Yeah. Do I have to pretend like I’m interested because the Godfather is paying me mad cash? Unfortunately. So, Pitto had a career year last year in PCTI 2. He averaged 13PPG and shot 48% for the field. Led the league in 3 balls with 17. How can this be explained from the least athletic guard in PCTI history? Well, Joe Thompson was guarding him. JT is much more bark than bite, and Pitto took advantage of an overmatched Doctor. Problem is, they are teammates this year, so how can Pitto make a contribution? Scouting report is not sure either. Shot happy, shot first PG. Would probably be a shooting guard if he weren’t 5’6” and 120 pounds. Has never set a screen in his life, so don’t worry about having to fight through his picks. Won’t help on defense, so make sure you are prepared to guard your man and his at the same time. Pet peeve is poor shot selection from others, mostly Sabin, but that blame will be redistributed to Stephens, Thompson, and Hops this year. Worst shoes in PCTI 2. Typically plays 3 point line to 3 point line, so doesn’t break a sweat. Will probably have a hate-hate relationship with Carney for much of the weekend. Ceiling for PCTI 3: Bobby Hurley.
4) Brian Eskildsen: Huge, lumbering point forward with good instincts and some passing skill. Lack of speed worsened by poor conditioning. Needs to lay off the bacon and cinnamon rolls. Some PCTI players can’t have their value explained by stats alone, but one look at the statsheet and you see where his value is. Contributor to every category, perhaps master of none. Reluctant shooter. Old school game includes crossovers, handles, shooting passing lanes, and lack of trash talking. Guy just gets it done, but shows uncontrolled anger when team loses including kicking chairs at unwitting statkeepers. Some insiders wonder whether this guy can stay healthy for a full PCTI, and other analysts worry that being so close to DK will only make him eat more bread and get further out of condition. Basketball thinker who bumps up against analysis paralysis from time to time. PCTI’s only 50% career FG shooter takes sound shots, never gets in a hurry, and makes winning basketball plays. Paradoxically, PCTI’s best 3 point shooter and worst foul shooter. PCTI 1 crossover of Sabin and resulting layup remains the best individual move in the history of PCTI. Attention to Stanford basketball team may leave him in terrible conditioning in April. Imagine Kurt Rambis and Brian Cardinal had a basketball love child. B-EZ is the result.
5) Hops: League’s only player whose nickname is the exact opposite of his leaping ability. Alleged shooter who doesn’t make shots, Hopkins mixes up his game with a variety of airballs from the 3 point line and blocked layup attempts in the paint. In particular, he seems to be fond of a step-back jumper that he can’t make, but virtually any shot inside the arc gives him trouble. Uses a diverse skill set of pump fakes, awkward drives, and a unique lack of athleticism to get himself involved in a game. Warning to whomever guards him in PCTI 3: this guy will get loose for 1 game in PCTI 3 where he burns you for 25 points and 10 boards. He may not get 25 points total in the other 6 games, but just know that a game like that is coming. Inspiration behind the phrase “Wear an A-Hop”, suggesting his ability to blanket the opposing team’s best perimeter players. Some analysts argue the phrase is unjustified since he checked his man into an MVP performance in PCTI 2. Mentor to Stephens who often leads him into temptation. Best hair in PCTI history. Comfortable playing sober or with .17 BAL. Imagine Jon Barry and Fred Hoiberg had a basketball affair. Hops is the offspring.
6) Scott Donley: Do I respect the fact that he cares about physical conditioning? Sure. Can this guy guard 2-5 on the hoops floor? No question. Should he overtake Wes Murray for best-looking PCTI player this season? Probably. Newcomer to PCTI 2 entered the game and announced his presence with authority by taking unwarranted shots and missing them. Message to team must have been “I’m here to lead you”. Showed some rebounding skill, ability to move his feet on defense, and the propensity to unnecessarily foul Ben Wilson on every possession. Showed amazing consistency in PCTI by shooting 39% from 2s, 3s, and the foul line. That kind of consistency should help him to get more playing time in PCTI 3. Earned respect from Sabin with his cockstrongedness in PCTI 2, but recent tweaking of Legs Feed the Wolf team could prove to be his downfall. Guy wants to post some, shoot the 3 ball, and foul on most possessions. Never seen a foul he didn’t appreciate or couldn’t duplicate. Will be his team’s most athletic big, which could signal a big problem for his team. Earned so much respect in PCTI 2 that he has nowhere to go but down from here. Both Sabin and Wilson hate when this guy guards them, so maybe we will stick McKinney on him to give him a dose of his own medicine. Dude is like Bob Sura with his physical tools, and Luke Walton with his offensive ability.
7) Dawson Huff: Underrated comedian who is not appreciated by some of his oldest friends. Ability to memorize movie lines and seamlessly work them into unrelated conversation is unparalleled. Last year’s hotel roommates Huff, Sabin, and McKinney was the least exciting room in PCTI history. Huff is appreciated for bringing out his 2 gallon jug of water to fellow crampers in PCTI 1 Game 4. Although his intent was to help, he only further diluted the cramper’s ability to replenish his body’s electrolytes, and therefore added to the cramping cycle. So this player needs to learn more about the human body. Best shooter in PCTI history, and simultaneously the worst rebounder. Shot 56% in PCTI 1 with a mix of midrange, 3 balls, and crafty postup fadeaway jumpers. Amazingly low fouler, in some respects the anti-Donley, suggests the crafty veteran can defend without resorting to unseemly illegal Donley tactics. If you give him an open shot, just go to the underside of the net, because that is where you will retrieve the ball. Incessant phone calls to spouse annoy the commissioner. Since athleticism was never this man’s calling card, injury concerns are moot. Cannot leave this player open, and must run him until exhaustion. Combines the shooting prowess of Jason Kapono with the inability to rebound of Adam Morrison to make a fantastic skillset. Comeback player of the year in PCTI 3.
8) Joe Thompson: Has no shooting range or ball skills. Would prefer to bully his way past guys like Pitto instead of taking on someone of similar size and strength. Crafty at stealing the ball, but in typical Joe style, does it behind your back, and not while you are looking. PCTI’s best actor, and not just on the big screen. This guy looks for any opportunity to let the camera know he just did something good, but at 27% from 3s, those moments come few and far between. Earned an all-tourney appearance in PCTI 2, but let’s withhold judgment until he can do it against real defenders like the ones Legs Feed the Wolf throws at him. Uses a mixture of 3 balls well past his shooting range, along with offbalance leaners in the lane, to generate his scoring chances. One of PCTI’s better athletes that makes sparse athletic plays during the course of 7 games. Notorious hothead who leads the league in career technicals. Interviews with BC are the stuff of legend. Will scream “Wet” after knocking in a 3 ball. Will not scream anything after misfiring on the previous 5. Typically does not get calls he is looking for because of acrimonious relationship with officials. Relationship with teammates needs repairing after threatening to retire last season. Blog founder who refuses to blog. Will probably spend most of time in Dallas with John O’Rourke instead of playing in the games.
Many thanks to Deuce for providing his input.
Sabin
"Welcome to South Lake, the Name is Michael." SPOTLIGHT... MICHAEL BEASLEY
Welcoming the next big thing in PCTI:
1. Nickname: White Fang
2. Height/Weight: 6"0 175 lbs
3. Employer: Resort at Squaw Creek....(in addition I am Jeff Sabin's financial advisor)
4. College: The University of Fort Sanders
5. Favorite Sports Team: Team Legs Feed Wolves
6. NBA Comparison (Why?): I am going to go with former WVU great Mike Gansey. He had a nice 6 week stent on the Miami practice squad in '06 before going over seas. he was known for his three point percentage, hustle, and tip in offensive boards. I would say I posses the latter two.
7. Favorite PCTI Teammate: A Hop's mustache
8. Biggest PCTI Enemy: TBD
9. Favorite PCTI Moment: whoever dubbed TLFW TEAM LEGS FEED KITTENS
10. What is the biggest question mark on your team? Our team only has exclamation points.
11. Bold Prediction? Sabin trades me away to the other team once he figures out I enjoy taking hot baths and regularly practice hot yoga.
12. Not so Bold Prediction? Joe Thompson wins an Emmy by 2013.
#passestotheman......................
Editor's Reaction:
1. That's one of the best self-given nicknames of all time.
2. That body is a lean, mean lady drillin machine.
3. Beas had to pick up the advising since there is no more time in Sabin's training schedule to handle these unimportant daily activities.
4. Finally someone with a decent education!
5. Finally someone that has more of an interest in himself and his team rather than these loser sports teams.
6. There is not a more physically imposing 6'0" 175lb player in the history of basketball.
7. That thing is very pretty.
8. I say for now we make it Scott Donley.
9. That Legs Feed the Kittens name makes me laugh atleast twice a day.
10. I guess in theory that could be a weakness. Too perfect of a team leads to really high expectations.
11. No one appreciates someone investing in the body, mind and soul like Sabin.
12. How it took anyone this long to state the obvious is beyond me.
Must be nice to already have the Rookie of the Year award wrapped up.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
"Throw Me the Ball and Watch What I Do With It"-SPOTLIGHT... JOSH STEPHENS
1. Nickname - Abe
2. Height/Weight - 6'5", 220 - 230 depending on whether or not I eat breakfast
3. Employer - Verizon Wireless, DLC Plasma
4. College - THAT University of Tennessee
5. Favorite Sports Team - Colorado Mammoth
6. NBA Comparison (Why?) - Paul Peirce - Pretty good shooter who, although slow, can somehow craft his way to the basket on occasion. Also we both can barely dunk. Like Paul, I rely on a solid group of MVP role players to win but could never do it on my own. And I've been stabbed a bunch
7. Favorite PCTI Teammate - Ahop.Dude has the heart of a lion and the dick of an elephant
8. Biggest PCTI Enemy - Sabin. The ice is broken
9. Favorite PCTI Moment - Getting drunk and high and having random sex with a 42 year old woman only to feel completely fine 2 hours later
10. What is the biggest question mark on your team? If we can average 100 points per game or if it will only be in the mid 90's
11. Bold Prediction? I don't drink alcohol or do any hard drugs
12. Not so Bold Prediction? Sabin cries after losing game 4
Editor's Reaction:
1. "The Black Hole" or "Turnoverlicious" comes to mind.
2. What is a typical breakfast for Breaking Bad anyway? My guess is Cocoa Pebbles or Fruit Loops.
3. You got to give it up to the guys that want to be a part of something great (Verizon). At this point, I believe BC, Smo, Pitto and McKinney are the only non-Verizon guys left. Hopefully all four of them generate a brain sometime soon.
4. Will you show us some more of "That" University of Tennessee education with a spelling error in this post?
5. Are you confusing Mammoth with Buffalos or Colorado with Wholly?
6. It appears he didn't win the University of Tennessee spelling bee did he? Actually, maybe he did and the judges were dumb enough (Which wouldn't surprise me) to tell him "E before I except after C." Despite that, your dead on with that comparison. You left out that you're both ugly as sin.
7. Aww that's cute how you try and make your best buddy feel good. On LFTK, we prefer tough love.
8. Sabin's proving track record of success with his "Us vs. the World Approach" means he you are yet another victim of his bait.
9. We're all very impressed and proud of you for your accomplishment.
10. You guys won't score 100 points in a game if we put three athletes on the floor for a whole game.
11. Dallas women prefer clean cut, savvy guys like Pitto. No one will be interested in your weak game, unless of course you drop that you were PCTI MVP last year.
12. Tears of joy will be coming down his face after Wes busts the game 5 (And series winner) on a last second shot.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
"The Best That Never Was"-SPOTLIGHT... SCOTT DONLEY
1. Nickname: Scotty D, Big D (obviously I was meant for this years locale), The Natural (self proclaimed), and (grave) Danger ("is there any other kind")
2. Height/Weight: 6'2-3", 190lbs - look at all Sabin's numbers and improve them by 10%, except the 40 time - 20%. Recently kicked off the local CrossFit team due to being too Fit, they had enough after my 100th consecutive Kip.
3. Employer: Kimberly-Clark Corporation - Fem Care Project Coordinator and overall Supply Chain/Logistical badass. I will be providing Kleenex to Team LFTK to wipe up any tears during Team Breaking Sabin's 4th win in four games. I'll also be bringing some Cottonelle to wipe up after AHop shits his pants from laughing so hard at the lack of scoring from team LFTK. And of course some tampons for Ben Wilson.
4. College: University of Tennesse
5. Favorite Sports Team: 1992 Cincinnati Bearcasts lead by the one and only Nick Van Exel, and any of the Danny Fortson or Kenyon Martin Huggins teams. Reds. Bengals - I just love Mike Brown and how they run a tight ship and are always in contention.
6. NBA Comparison (Why?): I narrowly chose Shane Battier over Scott Padgett, just because I want people to continue to think that I hustle and am a decent defender when I am not.
7. Favorite PCTI Teammate: Hite - he really made me feel good when he kept telling me I was a good screener. I'll miss that guy, but since he's gone I'll change it to Joe T. Dude is just so cool.
8. Biggest PCTI Enemy: Ben Wilson - the guy gets a foul called if I look at him funny. Plus he's at the front of the anti-Donley campaign and I'm just not ready for that.
9. Favorite PCTI Moment: The actual debate that went on to decide of Brian should go to the Hospital. How was there even a question? And willing my team to victory in game 7 as I was cruising up I75 with the wind in my hair.
10. What is the biggest question mark on your team? Will the unity created around a central focus of punishing Sabin be too much for us to allow LFTK to win one game.
11. Bold Prediction? Beas turns out to be the best player on LFTK and rips Sabin mid-game for not being a better coach/teammate.
12. Not so Bold Prediction? Bruiser accidentally punches one of his teammates after his 3rd missed turnaround jumper in the lane. Danny Krow gets a whistle during the act of shooting, but its for a travel and he still doesn't get to the line.
Editor's Reaction:
1. I'm thinking "Babyfat" is a good nickname for you.
2. I wonder how those muscles are going to be looking after a winter in Wisconsin?
3. Fem Care Project Coordinator.. That strikes fear in us.
4. Nice spelling of Tennessee there Scotty. Classic example of the terrible education you received there.
5. Is claiming to be a Bengals fan part of this bad-boy persona you are trying to create for yourself?
6. I was thinking Chris Bosh. Ugly, weak, despised by all.
7. He really made sure to get everyone involved in the flow of the game.
8. Sorry that Ben wanted you to be held accountable everytime you took a cheap shot at someone.
9. Pitto's obsession with wanting to make sure Brian was OK but not wanting to do anything about it should not go unnoticed. That's the type of friend I actually am, so I appreciated his approach.
10. It's going to take a total team effort to punish Sabin the way he will punish every one of you.
11. Beas understands the chain of hierachy better than anyone, so there is no way he would do that. Not to mention, the only feedback Sabin will be getting is praise of his vocal leadership, his ability to lead by example, and the overall dominance he will have on both ends of the court.
12. The only time Bruise will throw a punch is at Sabin before each game because that's his pre-game ritual (John Henderson style). I have never traveled in my life (My body control/core strength won't allow it) so there is no chance that happens.
Monday, October 17, 2011
"Great Sprits Have Always Encountered Violent Opposition from Mediocre Minds" SPOTLIGHT.. The one, the only, JEFF SABIN.
Introducing the top villain of PCTI:
1. Nickname: Sabedog, Sabedizzle, Sabes, Bringer of the Midrange, Peyton Manning, Steve Kerr, and my favorite-"PCTI's Most Physically Imposing 35 year old."
2. Height/Weight: 6'2" 189lbs. 10.1% body fat, 33 inch vertical leap, 4.9 40, 255lb Bench Press, 300lb Deadlift, 10.4 second shuttle run with a weightest vest.
3. Employer: Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. I am a banker and help lend money to banks. Yes, I like money and yes, I like to talk about money. #probablybadmanners.
4. College: Texas A&M Commerce. 2000 Academic All Conference and Dean's List for 8 consectutive semesters. Averaged 7.2ppg Sr. Year in the D2 Lone Star Conference. 2010 MBA from University of Texas at Dallas. Magna Cum Laude.
5. Favorite Sports Team: 1987 and 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, 1991 UNLV Running Rebels, 1984 and 1986 Boston Celtics, 1985 and 87 LA Lakers, 2005 Phoenix Suns, and 1990 Loyola Maramount with Hank Geathers and Bo Kimble. Also nominated, the 1994 North Mesquite Stallions High School Hoops Team.
6. NBA Comparison: Fat Lever. I love the guys game. He had a shot, some handle, could board, and defended his position well. Much like Lever, I played the majority of my basketball career in relative obscurity.
7. Favorite Teammate: Danny Krow. Much like Wilson, dude just finds a way for me to score. I also love the Bruise, he is like my big, little brother. I have a feeling I will love Beas and Smo this year too. Once I play with Donley, this could change as he is one of my favorites. BC is up there too.
8. Biggest PCTI Enemy: Since Pitto and I will be best friends this year, I'm going to focus my efforts on Joe Thompson. I like Joe alot, but we really would prefer kicking each others ass when we matchup. I respect his bulldogedness, and he respects mine. We have a love-hate relationship, and he will be seeing a lot of me in PCTI3. Much love and much hate for this guy.
9. Favorite PCTI Moment: Game 4 cramp game was an iconic moment. Thursday night videos sessions when Ben Wilson asked me why I didn't make that shot, Saturday evening dinner and recap, anytime game 7 concludes, Bruise's pre-game dunk, and Danny being mad anytime women are in the gym.
10. Biggest Question Mark on Your Team: Whether or not our team will physically impose our will on Breaking Bad by a lot or just a little. We are much more bulldogged than them, but I hope they bring a fight to the table. My hope is that they don't bring a knife to a gunfight.
11. Bold Prediction: Bruise and Ben don't fall down on the new court. Breaking Bad runs it's offense through Hops. Wes knocks down five 3's in one game and we never hear from him again. McKinney is the new most physically imposing player in PCTI. And of course, DK gets to the line.
12. Not So Bold Prediction: Smo wins defensive player of the year, Breaking Bad has chemistry problems for much of the weekend, Legs Feed the Wolf enjoy playing together, B-EZ chips a tooth and plays through it, Pitto and I have a cordial conversation.
Editor's Reaction:
1. Brute Strength, The Villain, The Lionheart, The Gladiator all come to mind as well.
2. If any of you thought he was joking about any of this, jokes on you.
3. Let's all give it up to PCTI's official sponsor, Federal Home Loan Bank. We all owe that company a big thanks.
4. What were your college accolades Stephens? Combine you, B-EZ, Hops, and Little Brent and maybe you could come close to accomplishing what The Lionheart did.
5. Ask Sabin who the best player he ever played against was (The answer is Greg Ostertag).
6. I was thinking Dennis Rodman or Charles Oakley.
7. Yet another guy that appreciates the perfect chest pass I throw that sets people up for a 35ft. 3 ball.
8. I hope we get round 2 between these bulldogs in PCTI3.
9. I guess I'm going to have to get over the women being there seeing as how we might be the next most entertaining hoops event now that the NBA is done.
10. Sabin is 100% responsible for the 30 different fights that are going to take place this year. I call first punch on Dawson.
11. The team names "Breaking Bad" and "Legs Feed the Kitten" have me laughing uncontrollably everytime I hear them. Both are possibly making a run at the greatest team name of all time, Team 2.
12. I hope I'm not there to witness the awkward conversation between Sabin and Pitto. I've never seen two people with such a mature, non-volatile hatred for each other.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
True Stories of Pickup Basketball
Some of you may know that I organize a pickup basketball game twice a week at my local gym, which is also a church. Over the course of the last 9 years, I have had an opportunity to kick out of my pickup game those who showed without confirming, friends of friends, those who I just don't like much, and general riffraff. I do this partly to control numbers at a manageable level, and partly because it bothers me when somebody gets something for nothing. However, today I was kicked out of my own gym in an ironic twist that allowed me to taste some of my own medicine.
Apparently, this morning at 630AM, my church gym had planned to hold a conference. I was unaware of it and we showed up to find 300 chairs and about 15 tables arranged in a nice, neat harmony. Upon seeing this, my choice was to leave it alone and play again next week, or risk the chance of disassembling the chairs and tables in hopes of finishing our pickup game, reassembling the chairs and tables, and hoping no one would notice or care. Of course, my hoops enthusiasm got the best of me and I decided that we would play. I reasoned that if we played from 630AM to 8AM, we would have plenty of time to reassemble to conference by it's commencement at 9AM. So we played. Unfortunately, the conference president showed up at 730AM and found us playing after she had been there until 2 in the morning making sure everything for the conference was perfect. When she entered the gym, this is the following dialogue that took place:
Conf President (screaming in a wild, frantic voice): "What are you doing here? Why have you ruined my conference? I am so sick of you guys!!!"
Me (to my players): "OK guys, game's over"
CP: I am so sick of you guys doing stuff like this!!!
Me: I'm not sure we've ever met before.
CP: What do I care? You're not even supposed to be here.
Me: I understand. We'd like to set the chairs up for you though.
CP: You bet your ass you're gonna set up the chairs!!! Get it done in the next 5 minutes then exit the building immediately.
Me (sheepishly): Yes ma'am. We'll get it done immediately.
After we completed the setting up of chairs and tables, I asked her her if there was anything else we could do to help. She said, "Yes, you can get out of here immediately". And I did.
Lesson: Dont disassemble a conference when it has been planned for more than a year just to play mediocre pickup basketball.
Sabin
Apparently, this morning at 630AM, my church gym had planned to hold a conference. I was unaware of it and we showed up to find 300 chairs and about 15 tables arranged in a nice, neat harmony. Upon seeing this, my choice was to leave it alone and play again next week, or risk the chance of disassembling the chairs and tables in hopes of finishing our pickup game, reassembling the chairs and tables, and hoping no one would notice or care. Of course, my hoops enthusiasm got the best of me and I decided that we would play. I reasoned that if we played from 630AM to 8AM, we would have plenty of time to reassemble to conference by it's commencement at 9AM. So we played. Unfortunately, the conference president showed up at 730AM and found us playing after she had been there until 2 in the morning making sure everything for the conference was perfect. When she entered the gym, this is the following dialogue that took place:
Conf President (screaming in a wild, frantic voice): "What are you doing here? Why have you ruined my conference? I am so sick of you guys!!!"
Me (to my players): "OK guys, game's over"
CP: I am so sick of you guys doing stuff like this!!!
Me: I'm not sure we've ever met before.
CP: What do I care? You're not even supposed to be here.
Me: I understand. We'd like to set the chairs up for you though.
CP: You bet your ass you're gonna set up the chairs!!! Get it done in the next 5 minutes then exit the building immediately.
Me (sheepishly): Yes ma'am. We'll get it done immediately.
After we completed the setting up of chairs and tables, I asked her her if there was anything else we could do to help. She said, "Yes, you can get out of here immediately". And I did.
Lesson: Dont disassemble a conference when it has been planned for more than a year just to play mediocre pickup basketball.
Sabin
Friday, October 14, 2011
"What I Lack In Experience I Make Up for Ten Times Over with Heart, Hunger and Enthusiasm." SPOTLIGHT on ME
Introducing myself has never been so enjoyable.
- Nickname: Dan The Man, Ca$h, Krowbar, The Bulldog.
- Height/Weight: 5'10"/185. Solid measurables.
- Employer: ConAgra Foods-If you see Slim Jim at a convenient store, you can guarantee it's because of me.
- College: Scales Elementary.
- Celebrity Crush: Scott Dissick.
- Favorite Sports Team: New England Patriots Front Office, Oklahoma City Thunders Front Office.
- NBA Comparison: Eric Snow. Slow point guard that can't dribble or shoot, makes the safe play to develop a rep as a smart player, known as a good defender because he does nothing else well, talks a lot on the court and therefore is called a leader.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate: Pitto in PCTI1. Great teammate, consummate leader, selfless, mentally tough performance... What wasn't to love?
- Biggest PCTI Enemy: Scott Donley. Dude SUCKS.
- Favorite PCTI Moment: During Friday morning shootaround, Sabin telling me he wanted to only get about twenty shots in because he didn't want to overexert himself, then deciding he wanted to show us what Cross Fit did for him in the offseason and started doing pull ups on the rim until the point of exhaustion.
- Biggest Question Mark On LFTK? Deciding on who was going to shut down who defensively. With so many superior defenders, how are we going to divide up the enforcing?
- Bold Prediction? I average double digits ppg for the first time since eighth grade.
- Not So Bold Prediction: MVP-Sabin
Money, Cash, Money, Cash Krow.
"I never expect to lose. Even when I'm the underdog, I still prepare a victory speech." Spotlight... BEN WILSON
Time to introduce PCTI's most talented player, person, and tweeter.- Nickname: I've had B-Dub, Benward, Wilson, and the newly acquired BMW. I also respond to "Your Majesty" and "Gustovo."
- Height/Weight: 6'2", 180lbs... SYKE. That was my birth weight. I'm a SVELTE 230.
- Employer: East Lake Golf Club/Georgia State University.
- College: THE University of Tennessee.
- Celebrity Crush: Does Joe Thompson count?
- Favorite Sports Teams: Braves, Bird/McHale Celtics, Patrick Willis/Brian Urlacher, Atlanta Dream (obv).
- NBA Comparison: About to be Ricky Rubio. Tallish for position, not quick for position, can't shoot, Caucasian, can't defend, likes to distribute, has been a childhood phenom/Youtube sensation for years... But I'll leave this one up to the editor-in-chief.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate: Has to be Danny Krow (See PCTI1 Footage). It's like Hoosiers, but he must pass ME the ball 2-3 times a possession before a shot can be attempted by anyone.
- Biggest PCTI Enemy: McKinney (Former, hatchet buried since PCTi2), but now Donley for no reason at all.
- Favorite PCTI Moment: *Offcourt +1 for Reuben's triumphant return, but also actually being mistaken for Stanford's basketball team the next morning, with Josh's position being the immortal "Player/Coach." Shout out Brian Eshhsdkjsdlkfj for the gear! Oncourt-Tie between Bruiser's vicious battles with the blue and his subsequent reactions, or what I thought was going to be the highlight no-look in PCTI1, only to learn McKinney was a little parched and wasn't actually playing.
- Biggest Question Mark on my Team? Can someone step up and help me carry the load offensively, or will LFTW rely solely on my occasionally explosive but usually erratic scoring?
- Bold Prediction: I go for the PCTI Triple Crown (Lead in pts, rebounds, assists) in a return to glory and LFTW scores more total points than whatever the other team is called.
- Not So Bold Prediction: LFTW continues to be underestimated due to their "lack of skill," and we take the series 4-2; Donley heads home before Sunday's games; BC goes for 25 and 13 in the 4 L's.
Editor's Reaction:
- Who came up with the amazing nickname of Wilson??!?! How clever!
- I guess we are not ready to compare his physique to the Hast's quite yet.
- He is studying to become the GM of the Warriors when I buy them.
- Another proud alumni for some unknown reason.
- Yes he does.
- I applaud a guy that aligns himself with athletes he actually likes, rather than being a regional fan.
- The anaylsis is so spot on I can't even respond.
- For anyone that is interested, I suggest you pay attention to the PCTI1 film. The truth behind his statement is laughably accurate.
- I think we are going to see the fall of Scott Donley soon. Can't stay on top.
- If I was anyone other than Ben, I would question why McKinney was sprinting. I think after seeing him take Ben out, the move was calculated.
- We are going to ride and die on Wilson's performance.
- A better way of saying it would be that they will score less points than us, thanks to our bulldog defensive philosophy.
- Being the underdog is the only way to win.
Ben Wilson, PCTI's ONE MAN GANG
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
"Basketball is all about BIG. BIG guys making BIG plays against BIG rivals." SPOTLIGHT... BIG Brent Carney
Time to introduce PCTI's Biggest, Baddest Dude:
- Nickname: Some call me BC, everyone used to call me Big Pun, now everyone calls me BIG Brent.
- Height/Weight: 6'4" 192 lbs. Fun Fact-My supposed length is a farce, my arms are exactly proportioned for someone my height.
- Employer: Local TV.
- College: Saint Louis University.
- Celebrity Crush: Don't have one.
- Favorite Sports Teams: Tennessee Titans, Kentucky Football, Nashville Predators.
- NBA Comparison: Some would say Kevin Garnett because we share a mean streak and boney elbows, but the more accurate comparison is Lamar Odom. Lefty that plays long, tantalizes with a rare mix of inside/outside skills but frustrates by being passive and often disappearing in big moments. Has proven time and time again that he can win as his teams primary player.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate: B-EZ. As a defender he gives me the hardest time of anyone in PCTI, as a teammate he gets me wide open shots. That combination a good teammate makes.
- Biggest PCTI Enemy: Being miscast year after year as a post player because I'm an inch or two taller than every wing.
- Favorite PCTI Moment: Tie between Reuben's dramatic return the night before PCTI2 and Ben's first email that featured #mariopaint.
- Biggest Team Question Mark: Are we going to be the first to go for 100 points?
- Bold Prediction: Shooting percentages rise dramatically in year three as we move to a gym that is more shooter friendly.
- Not So Bold Prediction: No free throws for Dan the Boy. Not sure which is less plausible, he takes a contested shot and is fouled or our team is trailing late and is forced to foul him. Even if we get down late (Which I doubt will happen) you know Sabes is going to make sure he is the one shooting the free throws.
Editor's Reaction:
- We all have different opinions on this guy, but the FACT is that this dude is BIG.
- What these numbers don't tell you is that he has the most chiseled lower back anyone will ever see.
- Didn't give me much to react to on that answer.
- Home of the great Larry Hughes.
- The better way of asking this would have been to ask which celebrities crush on BIG.
- Big Brent assured me that UK's new football coach would get those guys going in the right direction. So far, so good.
- Lamar and BIG have similar eating habits too-Garbage for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- I'm doing away with this nickname because we have a guy in PCTI who has the exact same name as the actual B-E-Z.
- This year expect his position to be on the bench until Pitto, Josh and Joe decide they have scored enough points.
- The return of Reuben had to be a top 5 moment in PCTI history that will never be forgotten.
- Nope, Sabin drafted on defense and conditioning.
- Shooting %'s can't possibly get any worse, could they?
- Won't need to shoot any. Sabin will be shooting 15 a game as your entire team somehow tries to control his low post game.
He's not a player he just crushes a lot.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Preseason Awards
Apparently, the next spotlight is on Wes Murray, since everyone else responds to emails within a seven (7) day window. It would have been faster for Danny to track down Wes’ parents, get his new address, mail him a hard copy of the questions, get the questionnaire back, type it up into Word, and then post it on the website.
Jeff just made his best post yet. There was nothing delusional or extreme in his post. In fact, it was some great advice. I am probably going to send Jeff a percentage of my paycheck to invest for me. Even though I enjoyed his post and hope he continues to stick with his own advice and blogs about what he knows (finance not drafting a basketball team), I want to get back to basketball. So here are some preseason awards (I went ahead and included everyone).
Jeff just made his best post yet. There was nothing delusional or extreme in his post. In fact, it was some great advice. I am probably going to send Jeff a percentage of my paycheck to invest for me. Even though I enjoyed his post and hope he continues to stick with his own advice and blogs about what he knows (finance not drafting a basketball team), I want to get back to basketball. So here are some preseason awards (I went ahead and included everyone).
McKinney- Best 3% percentage- Here’s a guy that won’t force the three ball, and let the defense get so bored they forget he’s playing for 4 minute stretches at a time. This is when he knocks down 2 straight wide open threes. He will be middle of the pack for 3PA but at the top for percentage.
Cum- Comeback Player of the Year- In a tight contest with Wes Murray, this guy pulls it out (no pregnant) even while playing at 90%. This guy knows his role and fits in perfectly with his new team.
Bruise- Highest FG%- This guy will get to the FT line a lot. He will also finish inside at a good rate. Also, he will win the unofficial award for most 3rd person references on the court.
Pitto- Most 3’s made- It was either this or most times being shocked when his man scores on him. I went with the better of the two. With Josh and Brian’s movement on offense, BC and Scott who pass well out of the post, and Joe helping stretch the D, I see Pitto open a little too much from three point land.
Beas- Best Newcomer – Not much of a competition here considering the stat keepers were the only ones competing for this, and let’s be honest, no crew will ever be as good as the one in Lexington. Beas comes out strong, only to fade due to the physical demand that all first year people struggle with. Overall solid first time for Beas is expected.
AHop- Best Screener- Obviously there is no way to judge this so I will give myself it. Also up for most on court freakouts with Bruise, best hair with Beas, and most missed layups with McKinney.
Danny- Best A/T Ratio- Daniel is a safe guy on the court. Does not turn the ball over, doesn’t take bad shots, and communicates better than anyone. High basketball IQ that refuses to get free throws. I expect a line along the lines of 2.1 PPG, 3.8 APG, 3.8 RPG, and 0.8 TO. Eat your heart out Jordan Farmar.
Scotty- Best Looking- Duh. In a vote of 15-1 Scott takes this, with Danny being the only one to not vote for him (after the tourney it is corrected to a unanimous vote when we ask Kelsey to vote in place of a blinded DK). In a stat that does not exist yet, he also makes the most dagger plays, that end up keeping Team Legs Feed Kittens from going on a run to cut the lead down.
Jeff- Most Minutes- Most times pushing the ball up the court is too obvious, but if anyone didn’t know, he gets in shape for this thing. After he gets over being disappointed that the rest of his team did not show up in the best shape of their lives, he logs major minutes and filling up stats.
Joe- Most Assists- The game comes so easy to this guy especially when playing with his boy BC (the Father Ryan version of Nash and Amare). Not only does he find people at the right time, he makes it look damn good. I remember one time when he drove middle, came to a stop, pulled the pants down of the guy guarding him, and elbow passed on the dot to a cutting Dylan Lynch for a perfect jump stop, shot fake, power layup. Also, gets snubbed for All Tourney.
Wes- Best Blockout- This guy will knock you to the ground if you pursue a rebound. Sure he gets called for a foul 1 out of 3 times, but his opponent thinks before he jumps to get a rebound. Will also win unanimously of fewest emails throughout the year, as he is refuses to get a laptop, tablet, library card, or use how to use his smart phone.
BC- All Tourney- BC is where the mismatch is. A guy like him can stretch the floor, attack the basket, post up, rebound, guard multiple people, and is a great passing big man. He makes the game easier for everyone. This year, with TLFK concentrating on shutting Josh and Joe down, and Brian creating easy baskets for him, BC averages a solid 14 and 9. Also wins Best Smile.
Ben- All Tourney- In a farce of a vote, Ben “I hate being called BMW” Wilson, gets chosen over the Doctor for All Tourney and The Legs team decides they need at least one victory over the weekend. Even though he scores the most points all weekend, he will also set the PCTI record for most FGA. Nobody will benefit more from a 4 game weekend than Benji.
Josh- All Tourney- In a no brainer, Josh is All Tourney again. The energy and mismatches he brings to the table set him apart. While he might take a bad shot or have a terrible turnover, his team will win again. Also, wins in a landslide with highest BAC.
Smo- DMVP- Rim protector. Blocks. Steals. This is what this guy brings to the table. While he struggles through the weekend trying to guard Team Breaking Sabin’s big men who pull him out to the perimeter, he still averages 1.5 blocks and .8 steals. This on top of nobody wanting Sabin to botch another draft, pushes him to Defensive MVP for the weekend.
Brian- MVP- For a second time in PCTI history, Brian Eskildsen wins MVP. Brian also plays in all the games. He gets people to the right place on offense, penetrates and dishes for easy buckets, can lock down on D, and rebound with the best of them.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Dollars and Sense
Many of you may not know this about me, but I am a banker by trade. As such, the last 2 years of economic uncertainty have given me pause to think about the value of savings and investments in our lives. Some of us may be just finishing up school, others may be just beginning their careers. Some of you probably have some money, and others not as much. Some of you may have solid jobs, while others have been disenfranchised with the current job market. But something that's been on my mind for the past several years is how people can take control of their finances during uncertain times. To me, there are just a handful of questions that need to be answered:
1) When should I start saving and investing? The only answer to this question is early and often. Some of us may only be able to save $50 a month, while others may save thousands with each paycheck. But no matter your age, position, or income level, it is always a good idea to save money and have some leftover funds for emergencies. In the 12 years I have been helping people with money, the only customers that complain about finances are the ones without savings and investments. Those who have saved make life a little bit easier on themselves.
2) What should I invest in? Lots of choices of there. Some like stocks and mutual funds, some real estate, and some bonds and CDs. But it's always a sound policy to buy and invest in what you know. So for example, if you are a patron of the IPhone, IPad, IPod, etc..., you might find purchasing Apple stock to be comfortable for you. Or if you have a good idea about your local real estate market, maybe rental properties are your thing. And for some, maybe your parents were cautious and invested in safe investments like CDs. Whatever vehicle you choose, it's best to stick with Warren Buffett's mantra of "Invest in what you know", so that you aren't adversely impacted by the associated risks.
3) Why should I start now? It may seem like you have an infinite amount of time in front of you, but that is exactly why you shouldn't procrastinate saving now. If you allow time to work for you between the ages of 25 and 60, time compounds on itself and grows your pot of money. If you wait until age 35, you significantly limit your savings and investment compounding advantage. The harder you on yourself right now in terms of saving money, the easier life will be on you later.
I have heard it said, "The love of money is the root of all evil" and there may be a degree of truth in it. But I've always preferred "The lack of money is the root of all evil" because it promotes base sentiments like fear, greed, envy, and hate. So short story long, save now, save often, invest in what you know, and don't stop until you die.
Sabin
1) When should I start saving and investing? The only answer to this question is early and often. Some of us may only be able to save $50 a month, while others may save thousands with each paycheck. But no matter your age, position, or income level, it is always a good idea to save money and have some leftover funds for emergencies. In the 12 years I have been helping people with money, the only customers that complain about finances are the ones without savings and investments. Those who have saved make life a little bit easier on themselves.
2) What should I invest in? Lots of choices of there. Some like stocks and mutual funds, some real estate, and some bonds and CDs. But it's always a sound policy to buy and invest in what you know. So for example, if you are a patron of the IPhone, IPad, IPod, etc..., you might find purchasing Apple stock to be comfortable for you. Or if you have a good idea about your local real estate market, maybe rental properties are your thing. And for some, maybe your parents were cautious and invested in safe investments like CDs. Whatever vehicle you choose, it's best to stick with Warren Buffett's mantra of "Invest in what you know", so that you aren't adversely impacted by the associated risks.
3) Why should I start now? It may seem like you have an infinite amount of time in front of you, but that is exactly why you shouldn't procrastinate saving now. If you allow time to work for you between the ages of 25 and 60, time compounds on itself and grows your pot of money. If you wait until age 35, you significantly limit your savings and investment compounding advantage. The harder you on yourself right now in terms of saving money, the easier life will be on you later.
I have heard it said, "The love of money is the root of all evil" and there may be a degree of truth in it. But I've always preferred "The lack of money is the root of all evil" because it promotes base sentiments like fear, greed, envy, and hate. So short story long, save now, save often, invest in what you know, and don't stop until you die.
Sabin
Friday, October 7, 2011
"No Autopsy, No Foul".... SPOTLIGHT.... BRIAN ESKILDSEN
Introducing PCTI's biggest wanna-be Bad Boy:
- Nickname: B-EZ.
- Height/Weight: 6'2"/195... Ding.
- Employer: Stanford University.
- College: University of Tennessee.
- Celebrity Crush: Rhona Mitra.
- Favorite Sports Team: Stanford Basketball, UT Football.
- NBA Comparison: Louis Admundson. Does the dirty work. Jack of all trades, master of none. Career 50+% shooter because he is left open routinely. Solid as a role player, poo-sauce as a featured player.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate: Josh Stephens. I like winning.
- Biggest PCTI Enemy: The injury bug.
- Favorite PCTI Moment: Riding to Game 1 with Chase Hardin as he smokes a pre-game cig.
- Biggest Team Question Mark? Who gets to "Force" Sabin into a 3-15 performance in game 1.
- Bold Prediction: I play in all four PCTI games next year.
- Not So Bold Prediction: A Hop goes for 28 Saturday morning while blowing a .19 during halftime.
Editor's Reaction:
- I'm starting to gravitate toward Brian Eskildsen, esquire.
- No interest in getting in the ring with this speciman.
- Fun Fact-Second largest campus in the country, with a total of 6,000 students (All credit goes to me on that fun fact).
- Lucky guy.
- Another female I have no idea who she is.
- Another football frontrunner?
- I would dub this a humble brag. Similar game, nowhere near the looks.
- Didn't you mean Joe Thompson here?
- Sure you didn't mean toughness?
- The beginning of the end for the once great athlete converted PCTI's biggest flop.
- He meant 13-15 performance. No one is physically imposing enough to shut him down since he drafted Bruiser.
- Just because you only play four games each year doesn't mean the rest of us won't play them all.
- When dat dude is in rhythm ain't no-body can stop him.
It ain't E-Z being Chee-Z.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
PCTI 3 Information
In an effort to turn the 450 texts I'm going to get in the next six months asking information about PCTI3 into 250, I plan on posting all necessary details to the blog so that everyone can find it for themselves. Seeing as how I got a call from McKinney three weeks prior confirming the date of PCTI2 before he booked his flight (He had it wrong by the way), I think this should be a good resource. That being said:
FILM SESSION: Thursday, April 5th, 2012
DATES: April 6-8th, 2012
GAME 1 Tip: Friday, April 6th at 5:00pm
LOCATION: Dallas, TX (Plano Sports Authority Gym)
HOTEL: A LOFT Hotel, Plano, TX (Located in the Shops at Legacy www.shopsatlegacy.com)
Logistical Information:
Let the countdown begin.
FILM SESSION: Thursday, April 5th, 2012
DATES: April 6-8th, 2012
GAME 1 Tip: Friday, April 6th at 5:00pm
LOCATION: Dallas, TX (Plano Sports Authority Gym)
HOTEL: A LOFT Hotel, Plano, TX (Located in the Shops at Legacy www.shopsatlegacy.com)
Logistical Information:
- Airports-Love Field (For Southwest Flights)/DFW Airport (All Other). Both twenty minutes from hotel.
- Drive Time from Nashville-11 hours.
Let the countdown begin.
"Life is like a play, it's not the length but the excellence of the acting that matters." SPOTLIGHT-JOE THOMPSON
Time to introduce PCTI's most famous son:
- Nickname: JT, JT$, Doctor, The Doctor,
Your Favorite Rapper's Favorite Rapper, White Boi, Bad Ass Yellowboy, PG1, Flight, Pale Ale. - Height/Weight: 6'2"/185lbs.
- Employer(s): CyberCoders, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
- Celebrity Crush: Lucy Pinder
- College: Rhodes College.
- Favorite Sports Team: Vandy Athletics and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- NBA Comparison: Dan Dickau. Floppy hair, devestatingly white, can shoot, no D.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate: Smo. Nobody passes better out of the post. He's also my undisputed best friend.
- Biggest PCTI Enemy: The Refs.
- Favorite PCTI Moment: Any Brian Eskildsen injury reaction from PCTI'ers and the man himself.
- Biggest Question Mark for Breaking Bad: Passing and hangovers.
- Bold Prediction: Bruiser and/or Smo gets first dunk in PCTI history; Sabin and Pitto become best friends for the weekend and are inseperable for the rest of their lives.
- Not So Bold Prediction: My team wins 4-0.
Editors Reaction:
- PG1? Not on Josh Pitto's team.
- Those measurables don't factor in good looks.
- I wasn't sure what he meant until he clarified he was part of AFTRA.
- Would expect nothing less than someone I have never heard of. Look her up.
- Recently named #14 most beautiful college campus by Forbes.
- Frank Secker taught this dude how to run the point 15 years ago.
- With a hint of Rasheed Wallace's technical prowess.
- That's two out of three so far for Smo.
- Three spotlights and still no sign of Sabin in this slot?
- These instances will be the focal point of the PCTI 10th anniversary highlight tape.
- What about minutes?
- The latter seems like truly a match made in heaven.
- Until we see better than a 30% combined shooting percentage from both teams, I doubt we see a sweet.
Another Day, Another Dollar, THE Doctor.
Sabin Lost the Debate.
This is a quick post. Just wanted to congratulate Sabin for illustrating his team's own demise with two points (although there were several) from his post.
"In fact, if you add up their 8 scoring totals versus our 8 scoring totals, it is no contest. But basketball is not a game in which you simply add up scoring totals."
--Jeff Sabin, "Winning the Debate", Oct. 4, 2011
Actually basketball is game that you SIMPLY add up the scoring totals to determine the winner (My squad) and the loser (your squad). The object of the game is to score more points than the other team, which we do have the advantage. I'm glad you spelled that out perfectly for all of PCTI and its fans.
"But I wonder if things could unravel when LFTW goes on a significant run, or there is internal strife, or there is acrimony for minutes or shots."
--Jeff Sabin, "Winning the Debate", Oct. 4, 2011
This sounds like something coming from Sean Hannity. A bunch of ifs, with no coherent or logical thought to back it up. From what I've read and seen over the past couple weeks, Sabin's numerous postings gave my team a common goal/enemy, which in turns give us TEAM CHEMISTRY (cohesion and unity towards beating Sabin) that we supposedly lack. Thanks for that.
I will say this, Sabin does win the war of words or blog posts or emails. I'm pretty sure that is extremely relevant on Gameday.
We get it. Our team noticed. Congrats.
Basically, this "debate" is a collection of assumptions by Sabin and you know that old idiom about what happens when you assume...
It makes an ass out of Sabin.
Last Thoughts...
- I nominate Pitto as our Co-Captain. I'll follow that guy off a cliff.
- I'm working on a few cosmetic dentistry sponsors for the weekend.
- "Split-Out, DC Right, Flip 90 Dig" - Shane Falco because that guy is a winner (besides that Sugar Bowl disaster from a few years back).
--Doc
"In fact, if you add up their 8 scoring totals versus our 8 scoring totals, it is no contest. But basketball is not a game in which you simply add up scoring totals."
--Jeff Sabin, "Winning the Debate", Oct. 4, 2011
Actually basketball is game that you SIMPLY add up the scoring totals to determine the winner (My squad) and the loser (your squad). The object of the game is to score more points than the other team, which we do have the advantage. I'm glad you spelled that out perfectly for all of PCTI and its fans.
"But I wonder if things could unravel when LFTW goes on a significant run, or there is internal strife, or there is acrimony for minutes or shots."
--Jeff Sabin, "Winning the Debate", Oct. 4, 2011
This sounds like something coming from Sean Hannity. A bunch of ifs, with no coherent or logical thought to back it up. From what I've read and seen over the past couple weeks, Sabin's numerous postings gave my team a common goal/enemy, which in turns give us TEAM CHEMISTRY (cohesion and unity towards beating Sabin) that we supposedly lack. Thanks for that.
I will say this, Sabin does win the war of words or blog posts or emails. I'm pretty sure that is extremely relevant on Gameday.
We get it. Our team noticed. Congrats.
Basically, this "debate" is a collection of assumptions by Sabin and you know that old idiom about what happens when you assume...
It makes an ass out of Sabin.
Last Thoughts...
- I nominate Pitto as our Co-Captain. I'll follow that guy off a cliff.
- I'm working on a few cosmetic dentistry sponsors for the weekend.
- "Split-Out, DC Right, Flip 90 Dig" - Shane Falco because that guy is a winner (besides that Sugar Bowl disaster from a few years back).
--Doc
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Winning the Debate
It is often said by championship debate coaches that in order to win, one must first recognize the strength of his opponent's argument. And seeing as how I have spent the past 2 weeks verbally throttling Team Breaking Bad, I thought it might be appropriate to take a moment and publicly recognize the strength of their position. Of course, once I delineate your team's strengths, I'll then take an opportunity to mitigate and deconstruct how LFTW will use those strengths against you.
1) Size: Breaking Bad has some interesting size with Stephens, BC, Donley, and B-EZ. This gives them the top PCTI 2 rebounder, the top 2 rebounders from PCTI 1, and the most ripped rebounder in PCTI. Although not great at blocking shots, they have some length, size, and strength that will help them to defend the paint and contest easy looks. BBC made the comment that his team has the best size, and that very well may be true, but LFTW answers by sending out the most physically imposing player in PCTI history, the best shot blocker in PCTI history, and the 2 best rebounding guards in PCTI. Factor in that LFTW is simply hungrier, and it gives me the sense that "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog".
2) Offensive Firepower: Breaking Bad can throw out some interesting lineups in which multiple players on the floor will be double digit scorers. Stephens, JT, BC, Pitto, and Dawson have legitimate scoring ability, and B-EZ and Hops have both had tremendous individual game outputs. Donley is certainly more than capable as well. In fact, if you add up their 8 scoring totals versus our 8 scoring totals, it is no contest. But basketball is not a game in which you simply add up scoring totals. Last time I checked, hoops is a game that is played with a single basketball, and not everybody gets to shoot equally or as often as they would like. Who is willing to sacrifice his offense for the objective of the team? How does the hierarchy shake out once they start playing? How will JT and BC subjugate their games for the betterment of the team, or will they choose not to? These are not questions that LFTW has to answer as we understand roles and responsibilities. Can Breaking Bad overcome these significant obstacles? There are times when 1 + 1 = 3, and there are times when 1 + 1 = 1. Which equation does each team represent?
3) Confidence: Breaking Bad is an outwardly confident team. Their captain is a 2 time winner, as is their Doctor. And of course, Donley is undefeated. It seems that B-EZ and Hops provide them with a stabilizing influence that may serve to calm some of the rocky relationships on the team. But I wonder if things could unravel when LFTW goes on a significant run, or there is internal strife, or there is acrimony for minutes or shots. These are issues that LFTW simply doesn't have to deal with. I suppose only time will tell, but it is better to climb the mountain beginning at base camp versus starting in a hole.
Does Breaking Bad have a shot in PCTI? Sure they do. They are big, talented, and skilled in some areas. In fact, they have many talented players that I targeted in the draft. However, they have many more questions than answers at this point, and LFTW seeks to exploit those as we make our run for the championship.
Sabin
1) Size: Breaking Bad has some interesting size with Stephens, BC, Donley, and B-EZ. This gives them the top PCTI 2 rebounder, the top 2 rebounders from PCTI 1, and the most ripped rebounder in PCTI. Although not great at blocking shots, they have some length, size, and strength that will help them to defend the paint and contest easy looks. BBC made the comment that his team has the best size, and that very well may be true, but LFTW answers by sending out the most physically imposing player in PCTI history, the best shot blocker in PCTI history, and the 2 best rebounding guards in PCTI. Factor in that LFTW is simply hungrier, and it gives me the sense that "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog".
2) Offensive Firepower: Breaking Bad can throw out some interesting lineups in which multiple players on the floor will be double digit scorers. Stephens, JT, BC, Pitto, and Dawson have legitimate scoring ability, and B-EZ and Hops have both had tremendous individual game outputs. Donley is certainly more than capable as well. In fact, if you add up their 8 scoring totals versus our 8 scoring totals, it is no contest. But basketball is not a game in which you simply add up scoring totals. Last time I checked, hoops is a game that is played with a single basketball, and not everybody gets to shoot equally or as often as they would like. Who is willing to sacrifice his offense for the objective of the team? How does the hierarchy shake out once they start playing? How will JT and BC subjugate their games for the betterment of the team, or will they choose not to? These are not questions that LFTW has to answer as we understand roles and responsibilities. Can Breaking Bad overcome these significant obstacles? There are times when 1 + 1 = 3, and there are times when 1 + 1 = 1. Which equation does each team represent?
3) Confidence: Breaking Bad is an outwardly confident team. Their captain is a 2 time winner, as is their Doctor. And of course, Donley is undefeated. It seems that B-EZ and Hops provide them with a stabilizing influence that may serve to calm some of the rocky relationships on the team. But I wonder if things could unravel when LFTW goes on a significant run, or there is internal strife, or there is acrimony for minutes or shots. These are issues that LFTW simply doesn't have to deal with. I suppose only time will tell, but it is better to climb the mountain beginning at base camp versus starting in a hole.
Does Breaking Bad have a shot in PCTI? Sure they do. They are big, talented, and skilled in some areas. In fact, they have many talented players that I targeted in the draft. However, they have many more questions than answers at this point, and LFTW seeks to exploit those as we make our run for the championship.
Sabin
Monday, October 3, 2011
"Sticks and Stones May Break His Bones, But Bruises Will Never Hurt Him"-Spotlight... Ian Van Horne
When you tell a fellow PCTI member how much the man they call Bruiser loves PCTI, the consensous response is how shocked they are. After bursting onto the scene with some passionate, vocal, inspiring play, it's time we introduce PCTI's favorite bad boy.
- Nickname-Bruiser, Cruiser, Van Gay.
- Height/Weight-6'2"/220 of High School Has-Been Greatness.
- Employer-Project Manager, DC Integration.
- College-MTSU/UT Knoxville.
- Favorite Sports Team-Alabama Football/Titans.
- Favorite Aflete-Kobe Bryant.
- NBA Comparison-Ben Wallace. Will play hardnosed D and rebound with minimal, inconsistent offense. Also, both of us have DUI's on our record showing our bad boy mentality.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate-SMO! Baby Bruise and Bruise are reunited once again.
- Biggest PCTI Enemy-I don't know if I classify him as an ENEMY, but I do most of my battling with "Big BAD Brent Carney." Besides, we all know Pitto is number one.
- Favorite PCTI Moment-Josh Stephens. After a night of boozing, shacking and one hour of sleep, he torched the other team for a Game 6 win.
- Biggest Questionmark of Your Team-Besides Big Ben, who is going to step up and provide offensive firepower for LFTW?
- What do you antipate for PCTI?-Many calls going LFTW's way courtesy of Sabin's home court advantage.
- Bold Prediction-Someone shows up with whiter teeth than Joe Thompson.
- Not So Bold Prediction-I freak out and self destruct after every 4-Footer I miss.
Editor's Reaction:
- Cruiser or Van Gay sound good to me.
- Atleast he acknowledges what we all are (Hold Dawson who is in the top ten all time for three pointers made at McMinville Correctional School).
- Diversifying PCTI's portfolio. We need a guy that knows how to oversee an (Allen Parsons) Project.
- Let's all show some love to this guys background. He accepts a scholarship to play football at West Point, decides to walk on at MTSU, plays his way into a scholarship/starting role as a RS freshman, then quits and goes to UT to blossom with the rest of us. Dude was killer at beer pong throughout college though. That counts for something, right?
- I was about to call him a front runner until I saw the Titans name.
- His love for Kobe continues to show the similarities between him and Pitto.
- This is funny considering I think Cruise's strength is actually offense.
- Is the Baby Bruise/Bruise combo going to make Sabin jealous?
- Talk about a great fight. Bruise's strength vs. BC's length. Would Bruise be able to get inside those quick, precise jabs to actually get a shot in? If so, would he break his hand on BBBC's core?
- Have we confirmed Josh actually did all those things? We sure he did not sit in an ice bath and replenishing electrolytes preparing for the next day?
- Me. That was obvious.
- As long as I can continue my streak of no free throws attempted I'm fine with it.
- Until someone starts utilizing hydrogen peroxide for it's natural teeth whitening substance, there is no chance.
- With an increased focus on post moves, this will not be a problem.
Spotlight on ANTHONY HOPKINS
Fellas,In an effort to continue to generate interest, traffic, etc, we will be starting a new "Spotlight" segment on the blog. What better way to begin then start with PCTI's Golden Boy, Anthony Hopkins:
- Nickname-AHOP, Big Dick, The GM.
- Height/Weight-6'2" 190.
- Employer-CEVA Logistics.
- College-Tennessee VOL 4-Life.
- Favorite Sports Teams-Vols, Titans, Penn State Women's Volleyball.
- NBA Comparison-James Posey because he defends, can knock down shots and is past his prime.
- Favorite PCTI Teammate-Brian Eskildsen. He is the Stockton to my Malone. Plus, he is the only guy to be on my team the last three years.
- Biggest PCTI Enemy-Tie between layups and my mental state. Fortunately, success with one means success with the other.
- Favorite PCTI Moment-Everyone on the floor cramping in year one... Or Saturday nights either year.
- Biggest Question Mark on your Team?-Me or Pitto. Will I be mentally ready? Will I shoot more than I should? Will Pitto play defense? Will he piss off our whole team?
- What do you Anticipate from PCTI3?-A great social weekend, because the hoops are going to be ugly. Team Breaking Sabin wins easily.
- Bold Prediction-Pitto tries on defense. I only miss one layup.
- Not So Bold Prediction-Team Breaking Sabin wins in a sweep. Everyone on team Legs Feed the Kittens leaves hating Sabin.
Editors Notes:
- I appreciate guys who give themselves nicknames.
- Let it be noted that it's a rock solid 6'2" 190.
- If we wanted to turn PCTI into a logistics company, I'm confident we would be one of the best.
- Must be nice being associated with a loser.
- See previous note.
- Not sure he could have come up with a better comparison.
- I expect a lot of Eskildsen choices. That will change once he pops off at your once for not having proper spacing.
- Yep.
- This could win in a landslide.
- I think this is the year Big Brent Carney showcases his temper to PCTI.
- I think Hops was thinking of having O'Rourke around when he made the comment "It will be a great social weekend."
- Who cares.
- If Legs Feed the Wolf Lose, there is no question it will be taken out on Sabin.
The spelling/grammar of this post was not edited.
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