My man Llama Tatum!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Seeing as how PCTI has developed into something more than any of us thought it ever would, I figured we needed a set of written rules for anyone to go back to at any point. I will breakdown the integral parts of PCTI. First, here is a list of the Board of PCTI and a brief history:
President and Chief Financial Officer – Daniel A. Krow
Chairman of Competition Committee and Director of Player Personnel – K. Anthony Hopkins II
Vice President and Director of Media Relations - Brent D. Carney
HISTORY:
The concept of PCTI was and is in the forefronts of all pure pick-up basketball players’ minds, but was brought to conception by a group of people. Josh Pitto, along with friend Brian Eskildsen, first approached current President, Daniel Krow, about organizing a trip, similar to a golf trip; they would organize a group of players and get together for a weekend of basketball and hang out when not hooping. Little did they know it would turn into something much greater. After calling around and getting some reactions, PCTI was well on its way to being born. It escalated rapidly from there. First thing was securing a location outside of the unofficial capitol of the South, Nashville, TN (Daniel’s nemesis of a city). Daniel Krow reached out to his good friend Brent “BC” Carney, who loved the idea and had the perfect gymnasium in mind in Lexington, KY at Hoop Dreams Basketball Academy for us to use. With the gym locked down, and most members of PCTI committed, Daniel went on to get referees, Priceline a hotel, while also securing the memory of PCTI lasting forever by getting “Deuce” Hite to video tape all our games, which we would all receive a set of DVDs with all the games on them. BC then took the next big step in organizing the event by getting local staticians, WL Stats, to keep our stats for us, which turned out to be one of the most crucial parts of the weekend. I can’t mention the conception of PCTI without mentioning the man responsible for the name, Joe Thompson. Some historians believe it was a mistype, but no one is complaining anymore about the name of the event. Joe “The Doctor” Thompson was in charge of getting jerseys that had something along the lines of The Pick-up Convention. When the players got their jersey, they were surprised to see the letter P-C-T-I across the front of their jerseys. With a great name for the event, the only left to do was compete!
· Year one of PCTI was held in BC’s current city of Lexington, KY. June 4th-6th and proved to be all most members of PCTI could handle. With a lack of knowledge of how to schedule games for a seven (7) game series, playing four games on Sat and two one Sunday made for some ugly basketball and some serious cramps. Led by Mike Hite and Josh Stephen, both averaging over 16 a game, Inglorious Ballers became the 1st Annual PCTI Champions. Below is a roster with no true draft order of both teams(MVP, D-MVP, All-Tourney):
| *Inglorious Ballers | Team 2 |
| (C)Anthony Hopkins | (C)Daniel Krow |
| Wes Murray | Dawson Huff |
| Ian Van Horne | Josh Pitto |
| Mike Hite | Ben Wilson |
| Josh Stephen | Brent Carney |
| Joe Thompson | Jeff Sabin |
| Brian Eskildsen | Bryan McKinney |
· With such a successful inaugural PCTI, year two of PCTI was once again held in the great city of Lexington, KY held April 7th through April 10th. This year some new additions happened that everyone was excited about. Adding some new players (Michael Orr, Chase Hardin, and IR Fill-In Scott Donley) would help the competition be better and make for a more enjoyable weekend. Another good addition was a Thursday night viewing of the previous year’s PCTI while consuming multiple bottles of wine. PCTI went to the max and after a hard fought seven (7) game series, Team Carney won in a close game seven (64-57) to win the series four games to three. Four people from Team Carney averaged double digits over the series. Below is a roster with the draft order of both teams(MVP, D-MVP, All-Tourney):
| *Team Carney | Team Eskildsen |
| (C)Brent Carney | (C)Brian Eskildsen |
| Mike Hite | Chase Hardin |
| Scott Donley/IR – Dawson Huff | Ben Wilson |
| Josh Stephen | *Jeff Sabin* |
| Joe Thompson | Ian Van Horne |
| Daniel Krow | Wes Murray |
| Bryan McKinney | Anthony Hopkins |
| *Michael Orr* | Josh Pitto |
| DRAFT DAY TRADE: | |
| Team Carney sends overall #13 pick, Jeff Sabin to Team Eskildsen | Team Esklidsen sends overall #6 pick, Michael Orr to Team Carney |
· Year three should prove to be as exciting as ever. PCTI 3 will be held in the Dallas, TX, home of Jeff Sabin and childhood city of Anthony Hopkins, Danny Krow, and Joe Thompson. With the addition to the money making blog, Joe Thompson has once again taken PCTI to the next level, even creating a PCTI Podcast with co-host Brent Carney that is THE buzz news in the podcast world. New additions to the roster (Michael Beasley and Patrick Higdon) are only going to bolster the enjoyment of this weekend. The addition of a third referee will be a significant change for the 3rd year that should help cover more angles. Exciting things on the horizon at PCTI changes venues for the first time. The roster below is in order of draft:
| Team Breaking Bad | Team Legs Feed the Kitten |
| (C)Josh Stephen | (C)Jeff Sabin |
| Brent Carney | Ben Wilson |
| Brian Eskildsen | Daniel Krow |
| Joe Thompson | Ian Van Horne |
| Scott Donley | Michael Orr |
| Patrick Higdon*/*IR – Dawson Huff | Michael Beasley |
| Anthony Hopkins | Bryan McKinney |
| Josh Pitto | Wes Murray |
HISTORY OF LEADERS:
| MVP | DEFENSIVE MVP | ALL-TOURNAMENT |
| Brian Eskildsen (2010) | Brent Carney (2010) | Ben Wilson (2) |
| Josh Stephen (2011) | Jeff Sabin (2011) | Josh Stephen |
| | | Mike Hite |
| | | Josh Pitto |
| | | Joe Thompson |
Points:
| | Total | Average |
| Overall – Josh Stephen | 199 | 15.31 |
| 2010 – Mike Hite | 100 | 16.7 |
| 2011 – Josh Stephen | 103 | 14.7 |
Rebounds:
| | Total | Average |
| Overall – Josh Stephen | 106 | 8.15 |
| 2010 – Brian Eskildsen | 50 | 10 |
| 2011 – Josh Stephen | 64 | 9.1 |
Assists:
| | Total | Average |
| Overall – Josh Pitto | 39 | 3.0 |
| 2010 – Josh Pitto | 24 | 4.0 |
| 2011 – Brian Eskildsen | 18 | 3.0 |
Steals:
| | Total | Average |
| Overall – Josh Pitto | 14 | 1.08 |
| 2010 – Josh Pitto | 9 | 1.5 |
| 2011 –Joe Thompson and Anthony Hopkins | 7 | 1.0 |
Blocks:
| | Total | Average |
| Overall – Brian Eskildsen | 10 | 0.91 |
| 2010 – Brian Esklidsen | 7 | 1.4 |
| 2011 – Michael Orr | 9 | 1.29 |
CAPTAINS:
Captains are determined by their peers. Following each PCTI, each participating member from PCTI votes for an overall MVP, a Defensive MVP, and 3 different All-Tournament Team members. The MVP and the Defensive MVP are deemed Captains for the following year. Those voted on cannot turn down being a captain except for these reason:
1. If the person voted for captain has been a captain before AND in that year his team got swept, he is no longer allowed to be captain.
2. The person voted to be captain has been a captain at least once in the past two (2) years, that person has the option to be captain or not.
A) If they choose not to be captain, the second captain has to choose one of the remaining 3 people on the All-Tournament Team to be the opposing captain.
B) If this happens with BOTH captains and they BOTH choose to not be captains, The Board of PCTI will choose 2 new captain from All-Tournament Team.
C) If someone from the All-Tournament Team is chosen to replace a captain, he has no choice but to be captain.
TEAMS:
Teams are determined by the two (2) captains have a draft, in snake fashion (Captain A gets first pick, Captain B gets second and third, Captain A gets fourth and fifth, and so on). The person who won overall MVP (or his replacement) gets his choice on picking first or deferring to pick second. The following is a list of players that can be drafted (including potential captains):
| Josh Stephen | Anthony Hopkins | Daniel Krow |
| Brent Carney | Josh Pitto | Joe Thompson |
| Michael Orr | Jeff Sabin | Brian Eskildsen |
| Michael Beasley | Ben Wilson | Wes Murray |
| Bryan McKinney | Scott Donley | PERMANENT RESERVE |
| Dawson Huff | Ian Van Horne | Patrick Higdon |
For any year where we have someone drop out or be injured, Patrick Higdon will be their replacement. If there is an instance where we need another replacement, The Board of PCTI will contact their first name on the list of Replacement Options.
Each team must come up with a team name before the current PCTI.
GAME RULES:
A hybrid of (mainly) college, high school, and professional rules. Here is a list of rules that differ from the NCAA rules:
· Twenty (20) minute halves, running clock, except the last two (2) minutes and at timeouts.
· No thirty-five (35) second shot clock, until we get a gym with that capability.
· No non-charge circle.
· Two (2) time-outs per half. A team can use one (1) timeout to advance the ball to half court in the last two (2) minutes of each half.
· Six (6) fouls to foul out of the game.
· A person can enter the lane on a free throw ON the release of the ball.
· Depending on gym, will determine the three (3) point line. If college line is on the floor, we play by that.
· Technical fouls result in one (1) free throw for any player on the floor for the opposing team. Team with possession will retain possession.
· Five (5) minute overtimes.
· Best of seven (7) series over the weekend. Minimum of six (6) games. If there is a sweep or 4-1 series win, the teams will be switched up, which will be determined by the Board of PCTI.
LOCATION:
We will try to change the location from year to year. We want to go to a city where one of the people participating in PCTI lives in order to make the scheduling of the event as easiest as possible. We are going to try and avoid Nashville for the most part. The location will ultimately be determined by the entire group. The Board of PCTI, along with the participating member of PCTI that currently resides in the chosen city, will be in charge of putting the weekend of PCTI together.
SCHEDULE AND PRICING:
The schedule for the weekend will be determined by President and CFO, Daniel Krow. Usually the festivities for the weekend will start on Thursday evening with a viewing of the previous year’s PCTI and consumption of alcoholic beverages. We will then have two (2) games Friday, three (3) games Saturday, and two (2) games Sunday, with tip being determined by the aforementioned Daniel Krow. We will have an attendance mandatory Saturday evening dinner and immediately following, an optional night out.
Pricing will most likely differ from year to year, but here is a list of costs we will most likely always have:
GYM
HOTEL (3 NIGHTS)
VIDEOGRAPHER
REFEREES
SCOREKEEPER
STAT KEEPERS
TRANSPORTATION
Food and drinks will be at your own expense.
EXCESS FUND:
As some of you know, the blog we use [http://pctinvitational.blogspot.com/] has been creating some excess funds with the amount of interest and traffic it has generated. Since our award winning staff is made up of some of PCTI’s finest members, the creator, Joe Thompson, along with the Board of PCTI has decided to unselfishly invest the money back into the event. There for our President and CFO, Daniel Krow, will be in charge of distributing the “Slush Fund” how he sees fit for the good of the entire group.
Thank you for you participation. With any suggestions, questions, or concerns, please contact Anthony Hopkins at ahop31@gmail.com.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Don't Worry About Our Offense, Aight?
There has been some fuss made over the past months since the draft about the supposedly lack of scoring threats on The Kittens. The question is "Besides Big Burly Ben (Triple-B), who is going to put up points for them?" To answer that I present you with this clip of an article posted by The City Paper, Wednesday November 20, 2002 -
The Bruins should wage a tough battle with Hillsboro for the district title, headed by hot-shooting guard Walker Campbell (who scored 25 points in a recent scrimmage), along with the lone returning senior starter, Danny Krow (5 ppg). Coach Dennis King has great depth in shooters, along with experience at the point guard position.
I think Danny's numbers should speak for themselves and I consider this matter closed....I just hope we can get Walker on our team before this thing starts.
The Bruins should wage a tough battle with Hillsboro for the district title, headed by hot-shooting guard Walker Campbell (who scored 25 points in a recent scrimmage), along with the lone returning senior starter, Danny Krow (5 ppg). Coach Dennis King has great depth in shooters, along with experience at the point guard position.
I think Danny's numbers should speak for themselves and I consider this matter closed....I just hope we can get Walker on our team before this thing starts.
Promotion Announcement for Smo Orr
To: PCTI Players and Management
From: Jeff Sabin, Captain TLFTW
Date: January 23, 2012
Subject: Promotion Announcement of Smo Orr as new Defensive Captain
I am very pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Smo Orr as Defensive Captain for Team Legs Feed the Wolf effective immediately. Smo has been with me for the past 5 months as a leader of perhaps the most talented roster in PCTI's history. Over the past several months, Smo has held the unofficial title of defensive stalwart for our team, but his outstanding contributions to the team merited a more formal position. Smo's offseason performance for Team Legs Feed the Wolf has been nothing short of exemplary and his excellent record of working out and providing timely comedy justifies such a promotion. Smo is known for his ability to be a great teammate, protect the rim, and, cover up his team's defensive mistakes. Smo reflected on the promotion by commenting "I'm glad Coach Sabin decided to make this announcement. It gives me the ability to bring my significant talents to the table to help our team win. As the leader of the vaunted TLFTW defense, I assure you that little guys like Joe, Pitto, and this new guy Higdon will not be scoring in the paint. I look forward to protecting the rim and providing great help-side defense. I'd also like to be referred to as "Smo the Show" moving forward."
The quality and dedication of teammates like this are paramount to our team's success. We look forward to Smo's ability to lead our defensive efforts in PCTI 3 and ultimately achieve the DPOY trophy, as well as help us to earn the championship hardware. Please join me in congratulating Michael Smo Orr to his new post as Defensive Captain.
Sincerely,
Jeff Sabin
Captain of TLFTW, DPOY 2011
From: Jeff Sabin, Captain TLFTW
Date: January 23, 2012
Subject: Promotion Announcement of Smo Orr as new Defensive Captain
I am very pleased to announce the promotion of Michael Smo Orr as Defensive Captain for Team Legs Feed the Wolf effective immediately. Smo has been with me for the past 5 months as a leader of perhaps the most talented roster in PCTI's history. Over the past several months, Smo has held the unofficial title of defensive stalwart for our team, but his outstanding contributions to the team merited a more formal position. Smo's offseason performance for Team Legs Feed the Wolf has been nothing short of exemplary and his excellent record of working out and providing timely comedy justifies such a promotion. Smo is known for his ability to be a great teammate, protect the rim, and, cover up his team's defensive mistakes. Smo reflected on the promotion by commenting "I'm glad Coach Sabin decided to make this announcement. It gives me the ability to bring my significant talents to the table to help our team win. As the leader of the vaunted TLFTW defense, I assure you that little guys like Joe, Pitto, and this new guy Higdon will not be scoring in the paint. I look forward to protecting the rim and providing great help-side defense. I'd also like to be referred to as "Smo the Show" moving forward."
The quality and dedication of teammates like this are paramount to our team's success. We look forward to Smo's ability to lead our defensive efforts in PCTI 3 and ultimately achieve the DPOY trophy, as well as help us to earn the championship hardware. Please join me in congratulating Michael Smo Orr to his new post as Defensive Captain.
Sincerely,
Jeff Sabin
Captain of TLFTW, DPOY 2011
Saturday, January 21, 2012
My NBA Comparison
Thursday, January 19, 2012
2 Calls
I would like everyone to read this like the guy on the ESPN countdown, or the black open mic slam poets are saying it (emphasize on the first two words and then really bring it home on the last word of each line):
Two Calls for it to get booked
Two Calls and it was all lined up
Two Calls and we got hooked up
Two Calls to get new people coming
Two Calls to get PCTI humming
Two Calls to make it all make sense
Two Calls with Jeffrey riding on the fence
Two Calls with one being a hint
Two Calls to make sure we get prints
Two Calls or even a short drive in play
Two Calls that couldn't get done 10 miles away that did 650 miles away
Two Calls Sabin couldn't make
Two Calls for goodness sake
Two Calls and that was that
Two Calls just to get stats.
-AHOP-
If you didn't pick up on it during that moving poem, I made two calls and now have people booked to keep stats for PCTI III. For the same price as last year. Your welcome. Ohbytheway, it is the same people that keep the stats for my mighty SMU Mustangs (led by the GREAT Matt Doherty), and they will bring their printer.
#bombdropped
Gamblers Taking Interest In PCTI Guard's Unpredictable Lifestyle
Several Las Vegas sports books announced Thursday plans to offer a new proposition bet in anticipation of PCTI's relocation to Dallas that centers around the erratic behavior of one of the organization's most marketable athletes.
Bettors may wager on how Breaking Bad combo guard and one time Dallas resident Joe Thompson is most likely to spend his time away from the court during the annual weekend of basketball.
Thompson has become iconic for his nomad lifestyle. The 27-year old is known to change home addresses and social circles on a whim, leaving even some of his closest friends and family unsure of where he lives or what he does.
In an interview in the January Vanity Fair, Thompson described himself as, "a man of great social foresight. As a young boy I learned to never over stay my welcome. If you're having a party, I'll be the last one there and the first one to leave."
His PCTI teammates, several of whom have known Thompson since he grew up as the fifth of six children to an upper class West Nashville family, have a straightforward description for his predictably unpredictable behavior.
Anthony Hopkins first met Thompson playing youth sports in Nashville, a city the latter has publicly disassociated from in recent years.
"Joe's got a nice cross over dribble but his real specialty is his first step...out the door...when we're hanging out," Hopkins said.
According to Vegas insiders, the proposition bet began to take form after Thompson's popularity grew on the popular social networking site Twitter. Users began using Thompson's nickname - The doctor - as a punchline to help relay their own real life experiences missing important events.
For example: @BigShiv352 wrote "Shit. Wife mad. Just missed son's birth. should not have left 2 c old friend oh well #doctorsorders"
"@Yerdatdude21 Regional work meeting officially skipped, in pursuit of hot piece of strange at bar #doctorsorders"
In recent weeks Thompson has been at the center of a public battle with embattled former Team Legs Feed The Kitten captain Jeff Sabin. What started as a few jabs lobbed through email has spilled in to the media.
Sabin, a Dallas native, is the host of PCTIIII and The vitriol between the two has one long time friend of Thompson's believing that he'll be even more evasive this spring.
"Don't let Joe fool you. He couldn't be happier about having a feud with Sabes," former high school teammate Brent Carney said in an interview with the Huffington Post.
"It's a classic Joe move. It gives him an out that he doesn't have to justify to the rest of the league. As long as he has a disagreement with the guy and everyone knows about it, he doesn't have to explain why he's not around. Can you imagine how he would shade out if he was tight with everyone? This makes his life easier. And let's also be frank, Sabin is a very hatable guy."
So where will Thompson be and who will he be with during the first weekend in April? Vegas Insiders have laid the odds.
"Handicapping Thompson's unpredictable behavior was a challenge even for us," said Johnny Avello, chief oddsmaker of the Wynn Las Vegas, "but the demand for action was too great, the bet has to be offered."
Odds
Robbie Beatty (even money) Rhodes College is a school of only 1,700 students yet Thompson somehow has a dozen Rhodes friend in every city in America. Beatty is his main chrony in Dallas.
The Adkinson Family (3-1) The family that housed Thompson at no cost during his tumultuous months in Dallas. Easy out because a visit sounds like a good deed.
Carli(21-1) A first date left Thompson craving more and there's no better way to get some hang out time than to pull the, "hey, I'm randomly back in town for the weekend," move.
Robbie Beatty's Sister (24-1) Yet again a Rhodes connection. Some already believe Thompson has already agreed to hang out with the younger Beatty. With Thompson's plans always subject to change that could make this a sucker's bet.
John O'Rourke (28-1)World's most hated man has a reputation as a scumbag and thus presumably has access to what Joe covets: women. This is a good price for bettors looking for value.
Kevin Luff (30-1) Mutual friend of Sabin and Thompson's from the Dallas basketball scene. It's believed that Thompson always craved his friendship and looked up to his ability on the hardwood.
Everyone Else/Field (32-1) Thompson is known for building relationships away from the public eye. Could there be someone even Vegas has left unaccounted?
Kelly Burns (40-1) Former work colleage. Price will plummet if it's revealed that she has split with long time out of town boyfriend.
The Friend of The Girl Abe Sleeps With (45-1) It's a guarantee that Joshua Stephen will be on the prowl when the timing is right during the weekend. Thompson is his most likely cohort. Could he find love as a wingman?
Kale Butcher (64-1)If Thompson is interested in supposed guy time he's more likely to stay with his PCTI teammates.
Bettors may wager on how Breaking Bad combo guard and one time Dallas resident Joe Thompson is most likely to spend his time away from the court during the annual weekend of basketball.
Thompson has become iconic for his nomad lifestyle. The 27-year old is known to change home addresses and social circles on a whim, leaving even some of his closest friends and family unsure of where he lives or what he does.
In an interview in the January Vanity Fair, Thompson described himself as, "a man of great social foresight. As a young boy I learned to never over stay my welcome. If you're having a party, I'll be the last one there and the first one to leave."
His PCTI teammates, several of whom have known Thompson since he grew up as the fifth of six children to an upper class West Nashville family, have a straightforward description for his predictably unpredictable behavior.
Anthony Hopkins first met Thompson playing youth sports in Nashville, a city the latter has publicly disassociated from in recent years.
"Joe's got a nice cross over dribble but his real specialty is his first step...out the door...when we're hanging out," Hopkins said.
According to Vegas insiders, the proposition bet began to take form after Thompson's popularity grew on the popular social networking site Twitter. Users began using Thompson's nickname - The doctor - as a punchline to help relay their own real life experiences missing important events.
For example: @BigShiv352 wrote "Shit. Wife mad. Just missed son's birth. should not have left 2 c old friend oh well #doctorsorders"
"@Yerdatdude21 Regional work meeting officially skipped, in pursuit of hot piece of strange at bar #doctorsorders"
In recent weeks Thompson has been at the center of a public battle with embattled former Team Legs Feed The Kitten captain Jeff Sabin. What started as a few jabs lobbed through email has spilled in to the media.
Sabin, a Dallas native, is the host of PCTIIII and The vitriol between the two has one long time friend of Thompson's believing that he'll be even more evasive this spring.
"Don't let Joe fool you. He couldn't be happier about having a feud with Sabes," former high school teammate Brent Carney said in an interview with the Huffington Post.
"It's a classic Joe move. It gives him an out that he doesn't have to justify to the rest of the league. As long as he has a disagreement with the guy and everyone knows about it, he doesn't have to explain why he's not around. Can you imagine how he would shade out if he was tight with everyone? This makes his life easier. And let's also be frank, Sabin is a very hatable guy."
So where will Thompson be and who will he be with during the first weekend in April? Vegas Insiders have laid the odds.
"Handicapping Thompson's unpredictable behavior was a challenge even for us," said Johnny Avello, chief oddsmaker of the Wynn Las Vegas, "but the demand for action was too great, the bet has to be offered."
Odds
Robbie Beatty (even money) Rhodes College is a school of only 1,700 students yet Thompson somehow has a dozen Rhodes friend in every city in America. Beatty is his main chrony in Dallas.
The Adkinson Family (3-1) The family that housed Thompson at no cost during his tumultuous months in Dallas. Easy out because a visit sounds like a good deed.
Carli(21-1) A first date left Thompson craving more and there's no better way to get some hang out time than to pull the, "hey, I'm randomly back in town for the weekend," move.
Robbie Beatty's Sister (24-1) Yet again a Rhodes connection. Some already believe Thompson has already agreed to hang out with the younger Beatty. With Thompson's plans always subject to change that could make this a sucker's bet.
John O'Rourke (28-1)World's most hated man has a reputation as a scumbag and thus presumably has access to what Joe covets: women. This is a good price for bettors looking for value.
Kevin Luff (30-1) Mutual friend of Sabin and Thompson's from the Dallas basketball scene. It's believed that Thompson always craved his friendship and looked up to his ability on the hardwood.
Everyone Else/Field (32-1) Thompson is known for building relationships away from the public eye. Could there be someone even Vegas has left unaccounted?
Kelly Burns (40-1) Former work colleage. Price will plummet if it's revealed that she has split with long time out of town boyfriend.
The Friend of The Girl Abe Sleeps With (45-1) It's a guarantee that Joshua Stephen will be on the prowl when the timing is right during the weekend. Thompson is his most likely cohort. Could he find love as a wingman?
Kale Butcher (64-1)If Thompson is interested in supposed guy time he's more likely to stay with his PCTI teammates.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Scouting Report: Pat Higdon
Pro's:
Above average size for the wing position. Great vision and an even better passer. Vocal leader with a passion for the game. Knockdown 3-point shooter from the right wing. Although not physically imposing with minimal leaping ability, is a fantastic rebounder. Defends guards and posts effectively through smarts and effort. Heart/Glue guy.
Con's:
Not going to wow you athletically. One dimensional scorer offensively. Suspect diet that fits in perfectly with his Breaking Bad teammates. Not exactly considered a "Gym Rat." Not a natural attacker. Character issues.
Overall:
A lot has been made of Higdon's renegade like approach, something that could very well provide a much needed spark within Breaking Bad's locker room. His personality is much more dynamic then his game, however. Questions will linger whether Higdon, a renowned fast-food eater(Something the Father Ryan system preaches) will be able to get through the rigorous schedule of 7 games in one weekend. However, you can guarantee the guy will come to play with a passion second to none, and provide significant value both on and off the court.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
New Podcast Featuring Patrick Higdon, Michael Beasley, Bruiser
Listen to internet radio with BestCoasts on Blog Talk Radio
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Attempted PCTI Mutiny has been put down
January 12 – Dallas Morning News
In the last 48 hours, an attempted mutiny against LFTW Captain and reigning PCTI DPOY Jeff Sabin has been initiated by his best friend and PCTI Godfather, Danny Krow. The uprising began late Monday evening when Krow lobbed a grenade into the chemistry of his team by announcing on Brent Carney’s podcast “I am officially taking command of Team Legs Feed the Wolf, and my first order of business is to re-name our ballclub Team Legs Feed the Kitten”. When asked for more information regarding the purpose of the conspiracy, Krow replied with “Sabin has become too much for our team. He demands that we workout in the offseason, that we come into PCTI 3 in great physical condition, play hard, compete, share the ball, and help each other. At the end of the day, he put himself out there as one of the great sports leaders of our time, and he was outshining me. So this rebellion is in response to his top leadership skills.”
Krow initially learned the concept of mutiny from the French word “mutiner”, meaning to revolt, and it has been applied to military conspiracies through the course of time. One key element of a mutiny is that it must have followers, an important piece that the Founder seems to have forgotten. In fact, the only PCTI members who seem to have embraced the insubordination are Joe Thompson and Brent Carney. But since Thompson has no credibility at PCTI and Carney simply roots for chaos in any form, it is not anticipated that their support will carry any weight with fellow PCTI participants.
Members of Team Legs Feed the Wolf are shocked at the recent development. Sabin and Krow’s favorite PCTI teammate Bruiser Van Horne was quoted as saying “Look, I like both of these guys. I don’t want to get in the middle of their power struggle. I mean, Sabin is like my big brother, but me and DK have been tight for years. So how do you choose between that?” When a reporter reminded him that Sabin had promised Bruiser that he would purchase him lunch at a Japanese steakhouse on Thursday, Bruiser quickly responded with “Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. I guess I’m following Sabin then.” Some analysts believe that the key to Bruiser’s loyalty goes through his stomach. Gaining Bruiser’s support is the key the entire rebellion, insiders say, since going against the Bruise in a physical confrontation is tantamount to getting destroyed.
Likewise, other members of Team Legs Feed the Wolf seem to be leaning towards Sabin’s leadership style over Krow’s. Longtime Krow friend and teammate Smo Orr weighed in on the issue: “Look, I love Danny. He and I go way back. But if I’m thinking about this correctly, and I like to think that I am, what our team needs is leadership, not likeability. And if we are serious about winning in PCTI 3, then Sabin is hands down the best leader for our group. Danny is good too, but I’m afraid that he won’t be able to bring the same kind of intensity and fire that Sabin will. I mean, Sabin wants to go Sandusky on Breaking Bad, and I’m not sure that Krow shares that level of hostility for the other team.”
By Tuesday morning, reporters were questioning Krow’s loyalty to his team as evidenced by the fact that he has become a regular on the mediocre BestCoast podcast, founded by mediocre Joe Thompson. Many of Team Legs Feed the Wolf teammates have seen through Krow’s tired act of being friendly to members of Breaking Bad while professing to be 100% committed to his own team. The show’s guest of the night, Big Ben Wilson, was appalled by Krow’s announcement, stating that “I came on this show looking to be the Main Event. Then Danny leads off the podcast with that bomb. I wish he had a better sense of timing and a better feel for the moment.” The Scott Donley voice-impersonator continued with “I don’t know where my loyalty lies. Danny will let me keep eating Chik-Fil-A and probably let me come into the weekend rolling large at 250. But Sabin wants me to be trim and svelte so I can lead our team to victory. I guess I have to choose between having a good time with Krow and losing, or hating Sabin’s in-my-face leadership and winning. Tough call, I’ll have to get back to you on that one.” Reports from Dallas are that Sabin is fuming at Wilson’s lack of dietary control. Since Sabin expects Wilson to be the offensive leader of the group, the podcast was at once hilarious and disheartening. Carney and Thompson were happy to hear of the current physical status of Wilson, believing their chances to win at PCTI 3 improved, albeit marginally. Carney concluded “Wilson is the key to their team. If he shows up to camp at 250, their team might not score 30 points in any single game. I really like our chances now.” This statement seemed out of character for the rangy lefty. Most insiders think that Carney prefers going for 20-10 and losing instead of going for 6-4 and winning.
Still, other members of the team were completely oblivious to the situation. Wes Murray was asked what he thought of the recent developments with his team and responded with “Wait, we’re still going to In-n-Out Burger right? That was really the only thing I wanted to do in Dallas anyway. A pre-game meal of heavy burgers and greasy french fries is exactly what I need to drop trays waiter on Pitto and his gang. I’ll give some more thought to the mutiny, but right now, I need to get to Chik-Fil-A for brunch. I just love their nuggets.” Most insiders don’t believe that the uprising has any traction as the prevalent thought is that DK is a great teammate, but not what LFTW needs at the helm to bring home the hardware. Long-time friend and ardent DK supporter Dawson Huff weighed in the prospects of Krow taking over the championship mantle: “Look, we all love Danny. He organizes this thing, connects us all together, and always gets you 3 points per game, as well as leads the tournament in A/T ratio. But just because a rebellion worked for Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean doesn’t mean that it will work for DK. I mean, we all know that Captain Barbosa was the best captain of the Black Pearl, right? To me, it was no contest. So Sabin is the guy, and we all know it.” When asked a follow-up question if Dawson was able to answer any question without a movie quote, Huff channeled his inner Dumb and Dumber, enthusiastically responding with “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!”. On a related note, the sexy female reporter who asked the question simply walked away in disgust.
Dallas Morning News saved the big gun for last, cold calling Sabin at his new home in Plano that was purchased for the sole reason of hosting 16 guys at PCTI. Well, 15 since Joe Thompson wants to hang with John O’Rourke that weekend. Sabin was asked about the budding uprising and responded with righteous anger, “Look, Danny is my best friend. So clearly it comes as a shock to me that he would try and sink our team’s chemistry level to that of Breaking Bad’s by making this announcement via the enemy’s podcast. But I remain the leader of this team. There’s a difference between wanting to be the leader of the team, and being the God-given, rightfully assigned leader of the team. After all, these are my guys that I hand-selected to destroy Breaking Bad in 84 days. And since my guys are sticking with me, I’m happy to announce that the attempted mutiny has been put down. My team is gonna use this as motivation to kick Breaking Bad’s ass. We’re not totally happy with Krow right now, but we will welcome him back to the group when he comes to his senses. But as of right now, he has lost his starting PG spot to Ben Wilson, and will be coming off the bench. He can earn his way back to starter after making amends with the group though.” When asked why Sabin felt like he was the right leader for the job, Sabin simply replied with “Listen man, you gotta earn that shit. You can’t just say you’re this thing or that thing. There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. Danny is on his way, but still has some work to do. I’ll consider giving him another shot at the best friend title, but as of right now, I’m putting the smack down on this mutiny, and as far as I’m concerned, it was over before it got started.” It is anticipated that Team Legs Feed the Wolf will still sweep Team Breaking Bad even with this slight disruption in team chemistry.
In the last 48 hours, an attempted mutiny against LFTW Captain and reigning PCTI DPOY Jeff Sabin has been initiated by his best friend and PCTI Godfather, Danny Krow. The uprising began late Monday evening when Krow lobbed a grenade into the chemistry of his team by announcing on Brent Carney’s podcast “I am officially taking command of Team Legs Feed the Wolf, and my first order of business is to re-name our ballclub Team Legs Feed the Kitten”. When asked for more information regarding the purpose of the conspiracy, Krow replied with “Sabin has become too much for our team. He demands that we workout in the offseason, that we come into PCTI 3 in great physical condition, play hard, compete, share the ball, and help each other. At the end of the day, he put himself out there as one of the great sports leaders of our time, and he was outshining me. So this rebellion is in response to his top leadership skills.”
Krow initially learned the concept of mutiny from the French word “mutiner”, meaning to revolt, and it has been applied to military conspiracies through the course of time. One key element of a mutiny is that it must have followers, an important piece that the Founder seems to have forgotten. In fact, the only PCTI members who seem to have embraced the insubordination are Joe Thompson and Brent Carney. But since Thompson has no credibility at PCTI and Carney simply roots for chaos in any form, it is not anticipated that their support will carry any weight with fellow PCTI participants.
Members of Team Legs Feed the Wolf are shocked at the recent development. Sabin and Krow’s favorite PCTI teammate Bruiser Van Horne was quoted as saying “Look, I like both of these guys. I don’t want to get in the middle of their power struggle. I mean, Sabin is like my big brother, but me and DK have been tight for years. So how do you choose between that?” When a reporter reminded him that Sabin had promised Bruiser that he would purchase him lunch at a Japanese steakhouse on Thursday, Bruiser quickly responded with “Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. I guess I’m following Sabin then.” Some analysts believe that the key to Bruiser’s loyalty goes through his stomach. Gaining Bruiser’s support is the key the entire rebellion, insiders say, since going against the Bruise in a physical confrontation is tantamount to getting destroyed.
Likewise, other members of Team Legs Feed the Wolf seem to be leaning towards Sabin’s leadership style over Krow’s. Longtime Krow friend and teammate Smo Orr weighed in on the issue: “Look, I love Danny. He and I go way back. But if I’m thinking about this correctly, and I like to think that I am, what our team needs is leadership, not likeability. And if we are serious about winning in PCTI 3, then Sabin is hands down the best leader for our group. Danny is good too, but I’m afraid that he won’t be able to bring the same kind of intensity and fire that Sabin will. I mean, Sabin wants to go Sandusky on Breaking Bad, and I’m not sure that Krow shares that level of hostility for the other team.”
By Tuesday morning, reporters were questioning Krow’s loyalty to his team as evidenced by the fact that he has become a regular on the mediocre BestCoast podcast, founded by mediocre Joe Thompson. Many of Team Legs Feed the Wolf teammates have seen through Krow’s tired act of being friendly to members of Breaking Bad while professing to be 100% committed to his own team. The show’s guest of the night, Big Ben Wilson, was appalled by Krow’s announcement, stating that “I came on this show looking to be the Main Event. Then Danny leads off the podcast with that bomb. I wish he had a better sense of timing and a better feel for the moment.” The Scott Donley voice-impersonator continued with “I don’t know where my loyalty lies. Danny will let me keep eating Chik-Fil-A and probably let me come into the weekend rolling large at 250. But Sabin wants me to be trim and svelte so I can lead our team to victory. I guess I have to choose between having a good time with Krow and losing, or hating Sabin’s in-my-face leadership and winning. Tough call, I’ll have to get back to you on that one.” Reports from Dallas are that Sabin is fuming at Wilson’s lack of dietary control. Since Sabin expects Wilson to be the offensive leader of the group, the podcast was at once hilarious and disheartening. Carney and Thompson were happy to hear of the current physical status of Wilson, believing their chances to win at PCTI 3 improved, albeit marginally. Carney concluded “Wilson is the key to their team. If he shows up to camp at 250, their team might not score 30 points in any single game. I really like our chances now.” This statement seemed out of character for the rangy lefty. Most insiders think that Carney prefers going for 20-10 and losing instead of going for 6-4 and winning.
Still, other members of the team were completely oblivious to the situation. Wes Murray was asked what he thought of the recent developments with his team and responded with “Wait, we’re still going to In-n-Out Burger right? That was really the only thing I wanted to do in Dallas anyway. A pre-game meal of heavy burgers and greasy french fries is exactly what I need to drop trays waiter on Pitto and his gang. I’ll give some more thought to the mutiny, but right now, I need to get to Chik-Fil-A for brunch. I just love their nuggets.” Most insiders don’t believe that the uprising has any traction as the prevalent thought is that DK is a great teammate, but not what LFTW needs at the helm to bring home the hardware. Long-time friend and ardent DK supporter Dawson Huff weighed in the prospects of Krow taking over the championship mantle: “Look, we all love Danny. He organizes this thing, connects us all together, and always gets you 3 points per game, as well as leads the tournament in A/T ratio. But just because a rebellion worked for Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean doesn’t mean that it will work for DK. I mean, we all know that Captain Barbosa was the best captain of the Black Pearl, right? To me, it was no contest. So Sabin is the guy, and we all know it.” When asked a follow-up question if Dawson was able to answer any question without a movie quote, Huff channeled his inner Dumb and Dumber, enthusiastically responding with “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!”. On a related note, the sexy female reporter who asked the question simply walked away in disgust.
Dallas Morning News saved the big gun for last, cold calling Sabin at his new home in Plano that was purchased for the sole reason of hosting 16 guys at PCTI. Well, 15 since Joe Thompson wants to hang with John O’Rourke that weekend. Sabin was asked about the budding uprising and responded with righteous anger, “Look, Danny is my best friend. So clearly it comes as a shock to me that he would try and sink our team’s chemistry level to that of Breaking Bad’s by making this announcement via the enemy’s podcast. But I remain the leader of this team. There’s a difference between wanting to be the leader of the team, and being the God-given, rightfully assigned leader of the team. After all, these are my guys that I hand-selected to destroy Breaking Bad in 84 days. And since my guys are sticking with me, I’m happy to announce that the attempted mutiny has been put down. My team is gonna use this as motivation to kick Breaking Bad’s ass. We’re not totally happy with Krow right now, but we will welcome him back to the group when he comes to his senses. But as of right now, he has lost his starting PG spot to Ben Wilson, and will be coming off the bench. He can earn his way back to starter after making amends with the group though.” When asked why Sabin felt like he was the right leader for the job, Sabin simply replied with “Listen man, you gotta earn that shit. You can’t just say you’re this thing or that thing. There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path. Danny is on his way, but still has some work to do. I’ll consider giving him another shot at the best friend title, but as of right now, I’m putting the smack down on this mutiny, and as far as I’m concerned, it was over before it got started.” It is anticipated that Team Legs Feed the Wolf will still sweep Team Breaking Bad even with this slight disruption in team chemistry.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
BestCoasts Podcast Featuring Ben Wilson. #hot
Listen to internet radio with BestCoasts on Blog Talk Radio
Comparison Between PCTI Investment and Cash's Portfolio
Ladies,
As I sit here on G-Chat wasting away my day with my boyy Anthony Hopkins, I asked him what I could write of relevance. His response was "How the investment of the weekend will ultimately pay dividends." It's funny he brought that up because lately I've been meaning to write up a little investing article as a change of pace, since one of my favorite pastimes is owning companies (That's my lingo for buying stock). That being said, I'm going to give everyone a little write up about each PCTI cost, it's relation to a stock in my portfolio, and how it's going to pay off as a long term (Or maybe short term) play.
1. Van for Transportation. Portfolio Comparison-General Electric (GE)
Ugly, old, boring all come to mind when thinking about a van. Who is going to get excited about this new cost? No one. Who gets excited about the idea of buying GE stock? Definitely no one. However, without a means of transportation, there is no weekend. That relates to GE in the sense that without GE, you can't really accomplish any day to day activities. Chances are good every appliance in your home/apartment/etc. are made by GE. How would you eat without their goods? Well, you would probably buy a different brand. BUT, GE got in on the ground when houses were actually being built (And bought for that matter) so they are a staple everywhere. Additionally, they used to own WCW Wrestling, which further proves my point that GE makes everyone's lives go. I'm bullish on the van, just as I am bullish on GE's long term growth potential, in addition to their 3.60% dividend yield.
2. Score/Stat Keepers. Portfolio Comparison-Apple (AAPL)
This is a classic example of a company and a service that although should not be considered a need, are. What seperates PCTI from a regular pickup game? Stats. Without it, we are a glorified pickup game. That's why the addition of stats and a scorekeeper play such an intrical role in making our weekend what it is despite the fact that few in this group really care about stats, therefore making me wonder the purpose. There is a striking similarity to Apple in that regard. Apple is a company that makes computers, iPad's (Which is a light weight computer), iPhone's (Which is a light weight iPad), and iPod (Which is a light weight iPhone). Don't get me wrong, I love Apple. However, I can't for the life of me understand the purpose of having all four. The funny part about that, is that in my household, we have all four. It's getting to the point where it's almost frowned upon if you not only don't possess all four, but don't get every new version of the item they put out (Which is like 6 a year). Apple has gone the extra mile to improve technology, similar to how we have gone the extra mile to improve pick up basketball. Apple is trading at $423/share. They currently are not paying dividends because they are re-investing everything they make into their business. This will be an $800 stock in five years. Don't get alarmed with only buying one share, because that $423 will be doubled in half a decade (That's assuming they don't start paying dividends anytime soon). Apple makes more money then the entire United States (Amazing). There is a chance they have an app for keeping stats, in which case we will probably use and therefore make this reference even more credible.
3. Gym. Portfolio Comparison-Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC)
When you figure in the cost of the gym, you really wonder what you are paying for. How much could renting a gym possibly cost? The lights are already going to be on, we are not requesting any help, etc. Can't we just slip the guy that runs the gym a $20 for his efforts of unlocking the door and move on? Sadly, no. Like with Howard Hughes, a Real Estate Investment Trust, you lose track of all the pieces that go into building, managing and leasing real estate. Headquarterd in Dallas, TX, HHC's claim to fame is that they own all the land on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, a national headliner that in my opinion is one of the most grossly overrated properties of all time (Next to the Alamo which is only steps away). HHC's IPO (Initial Public Offering) was at $40/share in November 2010. During 2011, it shot up to $76 based off excitement but has since come back down to Earth, hovering around $44/share. One of my favorite things to track about a company is insider transactions, and this company has repeatedly shown insiders buying buying buying, and to date not one insider has sold. STRONG buy and a great real estate play. Who knows, HHC might own the land our gym is on, therefore the money we pay to rent goes straight into the companies profits, which goes into my bank account. Thanks guys!
4. Refs. Portfolio Comparison-Verizon Wireless (VZ)
Chaos. That would be our lives at this point without a cell phone service provider like VZ. The days of setting a time to meet someone a day in advance and trusting that person to be there without confirming a thousand times via text have come and gone. Verizon is the top cell phone company on the planet, helping all of us communicate better. The blackberries and connection to email makes everyone significantly more productive. Although controversial, having referees in PCTI is crucial to putting together productive, non-bias games. Could you imagine a no ref PCTI game with Sabin on the opposing team as Thompson and Pitto? Refs are also like VZ in the sense that you can do many more sexy things with the money, but you know even at it's worst (Verizon claiming they were going to add billing charges/Refs when they T up Thompson) they are going to be providing value (VZ with it's outrageously high 5.20% yield/Refs with their power to control the games and stop them from being bias). Both are buy and holds.... For the long, long term.
5. Marriott Shops of Legacy. Portfolio Comparison-Procter and Gamble (PG)
This is a classic example of paying for a premium product. Marriott is typically considered the highest end, low cost hotel chain (If that makes sense). In a historical area (Only because I consider it the birthplace of PCTI)in Plano, TX, we are abandoning the if it ain't broke don't fix it model that has been successful for us in years past, no longer pricelining a hotel to get the best rate last minute in an effort to secure a great spot. Why are we doing this? Because walking solves problems. Procter and Gamble is the perfect stock to go with that philosophy. With products like Gilette, Head and Shoulders, Febreeze, Mach 3, Pantene, Dawn and Pampers, there is no doubt you can find MUCH cheaper products at the store. Why do we pay double for P&G's products? Because they solve problems. This stock pays a 3.20% dividend and has so much cash on hand it could buy three huge companies in the next decade. However, look for them to grow organically through their unbelievably impressive innovation (Sorry Scotty), and slowly grow their stock price each year, all the while consistently adding pennies to their dividend... Kind of like we will each year we start making more money, getting nicer hotels in prime locations.
6. Rental of Deuce. Citigroup (C)
Short term cost of this stock (and DVD) is a backbreaker. Most people look at Citi as one of the worst companies of all time. People look at the tapes (Depending on how they played and/or looked of course) as one of the worst videos they have ever watched. However, the long term benefits of this stock (And videos) greatly outweigh the short term risk. Citi is a company on the rise, a company with a market cap of $87 billion that is clearly going nowhere but up. For as long as we are alive, Citi will never have to pay taxes. Think about how much dough that is that they will never pay because of how much money they lost? The good news for investors like us is that the amount they lost never effected us (Well, outside of the bailout which was taxpayer money). It's currently trading at $30/share (Probably $20/share less than it should based on book value and fundamentals) and will continue to rise for the next 30 years. There is NOT ONE great investor out there that does not own a portion of Citigroup. The long term investment of this stock will pay great dividends someday to the patient, sound investors who can think big picture, and can handle losing some money here and there on the short term... Kind of like when we watch videos 15 years from now and see ourselves looking young, fit and energetic. You just can't put a price on it.
Stock Suggestions (1 being the strongest buy):
1-Citi
2-Apple
3-Verizon
4-Howard Hughes
5-Procter & Gamble
6-ConAgra
7-General Electric
Thank you to anyone who read this and made my hour spent writing it worthwhile.
The Motley Foolette
As I sit here on G-Chat wasting away my day with my boyy Anthony Hopkins, I asked him what I could write of relevance. His response was "How the investment of the weekend will ultimately pay dividends." It's funny he brought that up because lately I've been meaning to write up a little investing article as a change of pace, since one of my favorite pastimes is owning companies (That's my lingo for buying stock). That being said, I'm going to give everyone a little write up about each PCTI cost, it's relation to a stock in my portfolio, and how it's going to pay off as a long term (Or maybe short term) play.
1. Van for Transportation. Portfolio Comparison-General Electric (GE)
Ugly, old, boring all come to mind when thinking about a van. Who is going to get excited about this new cost? No one. Who gets excited about the idea of buying GE stock? Definitely no one. However, without a means of transportation, there is no weekend. That relates to GE in the sense that without GE, you can't really accomplish any day to day activities. Chances are good every appliance in your home/apartment/etc. are made by GE. How would you eat without their goods? Well, you would probably buy a different brand. BUT, GE got in on the ground when houses were actually being built (And bought for that matter) so they are a staple everywhere. Additionally, they used to own WCW Wrestling, which further proves my point that GE makes everyone's lives go. I'm bullish on the van, just as I am bullish on GE's long term growth potential, in addition to their 3.60% dividend yield.
2. Score/Stat Keepers. Portfolio Comparison-Apple (AAPL)
This is a classic example of a company and a service that although should not be considered a need, are. What seperates PCTI from a regular pickup game? Stats. Without it, we are a glorified pickup game. That's why the addition of stats and a scorekeeper play such an intrical role in making our weekend what it is despite the fact that few in this group really care about stats, therefore making me wonder the purpose. There is a striking similarity to Apple in that regard. Apple is a company that makes computers, iPad's (Which is a light weight computer), iPhone's (Which is a light weight iPad), and iPod (Which is a light weight iPhone). Don't get me wrong, I love Apple. However, I can't for the life of me understand the purpose of having all four. The funny part about that, is that in my household, we have all four. It's getting to the point where it's almost frowned upon if you not only don't possess all four, but don't get every new version of the item they put out (Which is like 6 a year). Apple has gone the extra mile to improve technology, similar to how we have gone the extra mile to improve pick up basketball. Apple is trading at $423/share. They currently are not paying dividends because they are re-investing everything they make into their business. This will be an $800 stock in five years. Don't get alarmed with only buying one share, because that $423 will be doubled in half a decade (That's assuming they don't start paying dividends anytime soon). Apple makes more money then the entire United States (Amazing). There is a chance they have an app for keeping stats, in which case we will probably use and therefore make this reference even more credible.
3. Gym. Portfolio Comparison-Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC)
When you figure in the cost of the gym, you really wonder what you are paying for. How much could renting a gym possibly cost? The lights are already going to be on, we are not requesting any help, etc. Can't we just slip the guy that runs the gym a $20 for his efforts of unlocking the door and move on? Sadly, no. Like with Howard Hughes, a Real Estate Investment Trust, you lose track of all the pieces that go into building, managing and leasing real estate. Headquarterd in Dallas, TX, HHC's claim to fame is that they own all the land on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, a national headliner that in my opinion is one of the most grossly overrated properties of all time (Next to the Alamo which is only steps away). HHC's IPO (Initial Public Offering) was at $40/share in November 2010. During 2011, it shot up to $76 based off excitement but has since come back down to Earth, hovering around $44/share. One of my favorite things to track about a company is insider transactions, and this company has repeatedly shown insiders buying buying buying, and to date not one insider has sold. STRONG buy and a great real estate play. Who knows, HHC might own the land our gym is on, therefore the money we pay to rent goes straight into the companies profits, which goes into my bank account. Thanks guys!
4. Refs. Portfolio Comparison-Verizon Wireless (VZ)
Chaos. That would be our lives at this point without a cell phone service provider like VZ. The days of setting a time to meet someone a day in advance and trusting that person to be there without confirming a thousand times via text have come and gone. Verizon is the top cell phone company on the planet, helping all of us communicate better. The blackberries and connection to email makes everyone significantly more productive. Although controversial, having referees in PCTI is crucial to putting together productive, non-bias games. Could you imagine a no ref PCTI game with Sabin on the opposing team as Thompson and Pitto? Refs are also like VZ in the sense that you can do many more sexy things with the money, but you know even at it's worst (Verizon claiming they were going to add billing charges/Refs when they T up Thompson) they are going to be providing value (VZ with it's outrageously high 5.20% yield/Refs with their power to control the games and stop them from being bias). Both are buy and holds.... For the long, long term.
5. Marriott Shops of Legacy. Portfolio Comparison-Procter and Gamble (PG)
This is a classic example of paying for a premium product. Marriott is typically considered the highest end, low cost hotel chain (If that makes sense). In a historical area (Only because I consider it the birthplace of PCTI)in Plano, TX, we are abandoning the if it ain't broke don't fix it model that has been successful for us in years past, no longer pricelining a hotel to get the best rate last minute in an effort to secure a great spot. Why are we doing this? Because walking solves problems. Procter and Gamble is the perfect stock to go with that philosophy. With products like Gilette, Head and Shoulders, Febreeze, Mach 3, Pantene, Dawn and Pampers, there is no doubt you can find MUCH cheaper products at the store. Why do we pay double for P&G's products? Because they solve problems. This stock pays a 3.20% dividend and has so much cash on hand it could buy three huge companies in the next decade. However, look for them to grow organically through their unbelievably impressive innovation (Sorry Scotty), and slowly grow their stock price each year, all the while consistently adding pennies to their dividend... Kind of like we will each year we start making more money, getting nicer hotels in prime locations.
6. Rental of Deuce. Citigroup (C)
Short term cost of this stock (and DVD) is a backbreaker. Most people look at Citi as one of the worst companies of all time. People look at the tapes (Depending on how they played and/or looked of course) as one of the worst videos they have ever watched. However, the long term benefits of this stock (And videos) greatly outweigh the short term risk. Citi is a company on the rise, a company with a market cap of $87 billion that is clearly going nowhere but up. For as long as we are alive, Citi will never have to pay taxes. Think about how much dough that is that they will never pay because of how much money they lost? The good news for investors like us is that the amount they lost never effected us (Well, outside of the bailout which was taxpayer money). It's currently trading at $30/share (Probably $20/share less than it should based on book value and fundamentals) and will continue to rise for the next 30 years. There is NOT ONE great investor out there that does not own a portion of Citigroup. The long term investment of this stock will pay great dividends someday to the patient, sound investors who can think big picture, and can handle losing some money here and there on the short term... Kind of like when we watch videos 15 years from now and see ourselves looking young, fit and energetic. You just can't put a price on it.
Stock Suggestions (1 being the strongest buy):
1-Citi
2-Apple
3-Verizon
4-Howard Hughes
5-Procter & Gamble
6-ConAgra
7-General Electric
Thank you to anyone who read this and made my hour spent writing it worthwhile.
The Motley Foolette
Monday, January 9, 2012
Estimated PCTI3 Cost Breakdown
Ladies,
I figured people will start wanting a ball-park idea of cost here soon, so here it is:
-3 Nights @ Marriott Shops @ Legacy-$107/person (3 guys/room)
-Weekend Rental of Deuce Hite + Film=$75/person (Includes his accomodations)
-Gym (7 hours @ $60/hour)=$26/person
-Refs (7 games @ $30/ref x 3 refs)=$40/person
-Scorekeeper (7 games @ $10/game)=$5/person ($4.38 for Pitto)
-"Team Camp" Van=$20/person
-Total Estimated Cost=$273/person
I can say with 100% guarantee that this trip will be more expensive for everyone from Nashville since they will now have to fly in. For the rest of us who are used to it, it will probably be cheaper. Now let me get into the dialogue line by line.
Hotel: This cost is estimated for the people that are coming in Thursday who want to get a hotel room. There is room at Sabin's but I wanted to put a most expensive cost possible scenerio out there. As far as the hotel goes, it's about $20/night more expensive than what we are used to. A couple reasons for that 1-We are not waiting until last minute to priceline it 2-It's in a real smooth area that I wanted to stay for selfish reasons. Below is a link to the hotel and the area it is in. Within a short walk are popular bars and restaurants. In addition, you will get the opportunity to see many famous landmarks like 1-My first apartment when entering the business world, 2-The pool I used to lay by, 3-The gym I used to exercise at, 4-The place I ate breakfast at every Saturday morning after hoops, 5-The place I got engaged. In addition to #4 and #5, you also get to see the spot that Sabin, Hopkins, Thompson, and Krow used to hit after Saturday morning hoops. If that doesn't excite you idiots, I don't know what will. The only room requests I have received thus far were from Pitto, Sabin and Joe requesting to be together, so tough luck if you wanted to be in a room with one of those three.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dalpt-dallas-plano-marriott-at-legacy-town-center/
http://shopsatlegacy.com/
Weekend rental of Deuce: When you look at the cost initially, it looks pretty pricey. That being said, you have to take a step back and recognize the service he is providing (Basically what a wedding videographer does, which usually goes for about $300/hour). We split the cost of his room and he flies himself to us and pays for all his meals which he shouldn't need to do, but does anyway. Plus, he is a really cool guy that looks really out of place videoing us, due to the fact that he looks 10, 000 times more athletic than every one of us. The goal of having Deuce is not only to video the games, but video the entire weekend. WE need to do a better job of giving him opportunities to do so. The increased amount of down time will help, and he is open to any ideas to making it better.
Gym: Here is the game schedule:
Game 1-Friday, April 6 @ 3:00 pm
Game 2-Friday, April 6 @ 4:00 pm
Game 3-Saturday, April 7 @ 10 am
Game 4-Saturday, April 7 @ 11 am
Game 5-Saturday, April 7 @ 4:00 pm
Game 6-Sunday, April 8 @ Noon
Game 7-Sunday, April 8 @ 1:00 pm
Noon is the earliest the gym will open on Easter. In reality, that time slot should be perfect so we can actually get up on Sunday, gather ourselves and get ready to play. We are going on two years of showing up later than the refs and stat keepers, so this year we can hopefully change that. I know people have places to be Sunday night, but this is the best we could do. The latest we will be at the gym is 2:30 pm. I assume no one will check a bag so look for a flight around 4:45-5 pm which will get you back to your home base around 6:30pm.
Refs: We are adding a third ref this year to improve the angles and let them know the level of seriousness we take this. Adding one more will only be about $8 extra a person and hopefully improve the level of gameplay significantly.
Scorekeeper: We are still looking for anyone that does what WL Stats does (We were spoiled big time) so stand by on this.
Van: We are going to rent a huge van through the PCTI connections within Enterprise. It will come at a significant discount and will cost everyone about $20/pop on top of making our logistical situation much easier.
As far as the overall number, it's not much different than last year. The stat keepers and uniqueness and intimacy of the gym in Lexington are going to be hard, if not impossible to beat. That being said, this trip is going to be a blast. For the people flying in, the logistical part alone is going to be significantly easier, giving more time to enjoy the weekend and less time flying to Nashville/driving to Lexington. The area we are staying is very trendy so Pitto, Abe and Hops fashion sense will fit in perfectly.
If you made it this far and have any questions, shoot me an email.
DK
I figured people will start wanting a ball-park idea of cost here soon, so here it is:
-3 Nights @ Marriott Shops @ Legacy-$107/person (3 guys/room)
-Weekend Rental of Deuce Hite + Film=$75/person (Includes his accomodations)
-Gym (7 hours @ $60/hour)=$26/person
-Refs (7 games @ $30/ref x 3 refs)=$40/person
-Scorekeeper (7 games @ $10/game)=$5/person ($4.38 for Pitto)
-"Team Camp" Van=$20/person
-Total Estimated Cost=$273/person
I can say with 100% guarantee that this trip will be more expensive for everyone from Nashville since they will now have to fly in. For the rest of us who are used to it, it will probably be cheaper. Now let me get into the dialogue line by line.
Hotel: This cost is estimated for the people that are coming in Thursday who want to get a hotel room. There is room at Sabin's but I wanted to put a most expensive cost possible scenerio out there. As far as the hotel goes, it's about $20/night more expensive than what we are used to. A couple reasons for that 1-We are not waiting until last minute to priceline it 2-It's in a real smooth area that I wanted to stay for selfish reasons. Below is a link to the hotel and the area it is in. Within a short walk are popular bars and restaurants. In addition, you will get the opportunity to see many famous landmarks like 1-My first apartment when entering the business world, 2-The pool I used to lay by, 3-The gym I used to exercise at, 4-The place I ate breakfast at every Saturday morning after hoops, 5-The place I got engaged. In addition to #4 and #5, you also get to see the spot that Sabin, Hopkins, Thompson, and Krow used to hit after Saturday morning hoops. If that doesn't excite you idiots, I don't know what will. The only room requests I have received thus far were from Pitto, Sabin and Joe requesting to be together, so tough luck if you wanted to be in a room with one of those three.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dalpt-dallas-plano-marriott-at-legacy-town-center/
http://shopsatlegacy.com/
Weekend rental of Deuce: When you look at the cost initially, it looks pretty pricey. That being said, you have to take a step back and recognize the service he is providing (Basically what a wedding videographer does, which usually goes for about $300/hour). We split the cost of his room and he flies himself to us and pays for all his meals which he shouldn't need to do, but does anyway. Plus, he is a really cool guy that looks really out of place videoing us, due to the fact that he looks 10, 000 times more athletic than every one of us. The goal of having Deuce is not only to video the games, but video the entire weekend. WE need to do a better job of giving him opportunities to do so. The increased amount of down time will help, and he is open to any ideas to making it better.
Gym: Here is the game schedule:
Game 1-Friday, April 6 @ 3:00 pm
Game 2-Friday, April 6 @ 4:00 pm
Game 3-Saturday, April 7 @ 10 am
Game 4-Saturday, April 7 @ 11 am
Game 5-Saturday, April 7 @ 4:00 pm
Game 6-Sunday, April 8 @ Noon
Game 7-Sunday, April 8 @ 1:00 pm
Noon is the earliest the gym will open on Easter. In reality, that time slot should be perfect so we can actually get up on Sunday, gather ourselves and get ready to play. We are going on two years of showing up later than the refs and stat keepers, so this year we can hopefully change that. I know people have places to be Sunday night, but this is the best we could do. The latest we will be at the gym is 2:30 pm. I assume no one will check a bag so look for a flight around 4:45-5 pm which will get you back to your home base around 6:30pm.
Refs: We are adding a third ref this year to improve the angles and let them know the level of seriousness we take this. Adding one more will only be about $8 extra a person and hopefully improve the level of gameplay significantly.
Scorekeeper: We are still looking for anyone that does what WL Stats does (We were spoiled big time) so stand by on this.
Van: We are going to rent a huge van through the PCTI connections within Enterprise. It will come at a significant discount and will cost everyone about $20/pop on top of making our logistical situation much easier.
As far as the overall number, it's not much different than last year. The stat keepers and uniqueness and intimacy of the gym in Lexington are going to be hard, if not impossible to beat. That being said, this trip is going to be a blast. For the people flying in, the logistical part alone is going to be significantly easier, giving more time to enjoy the weekend and less time flying to Nashville/driving to Lexington. The area we are staying is very trendy so Pitto, Abe and Hops fashion sense will fit in perfectly.
If you made it this far and have any questions, shoot me an email.
DK
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