Mayweather vs Pacquiao: Running Blog

As most of you know, I frequently travel to big sporting events across the country. NBA playoffs/finals, MLB games, and quite a few UFC events. In May of 2014, I was blessed enough to travel to Las Vegas for the Mayweather vs Maidana event. I was able to take in all of the festivities while staying at the MGM Grand and it was a surreal experience. This year, I am lucky enough to have the ability to travel to Las Vegas once again to take in another Mayweather weekend. This time, the event is of a grandiose magnitude with it being the fight we have all been waiting for. So, to commemorate the event, for the first time ever, Tha WeathaMan will do his best to keep a running blog timeline going for all of you that may or may not be in Vegas for this historic event. So without further ado, let's get it!

4:45am - Alarm goes off. Time to get up. My Friday night ended at 2 am, and my Saturday begins 2 hours and 45 minutes later. Ironically, this is about the average amount of sleep an individual gets in Vegas. So my body is already thanking me.

6:00am - Arrived at San Antonio International Airport. Easy drive in, parking was immediate. Walk into the airport and notice a line that look formidable. Luckily, Southwest has tons of kiosks open and the wait is only 10 minutes followed by a brisk 2 minute journey through the TSA Pre-Check line.

6:20am - Sitting at Gervins inside of the airport. If you ever travel from or through San Antonio you have to stop by this establishment. Great drinks, and the staff is always friendly. Tell them that Tha WeathaMan sent you (it won't mean a thing to them, and it won't get you any discounts, but the looks on their faces may be worth the stop),

7:00am - First drink of the weekend. Due to San Antonio law, 7am is the earliest an establishment can serve alcohol and the bartender made sure to hit it right on the dot. My flight doesn't leave for another hour, give or take, but so far this trip is off to a roaring start. Yes please, may I have another!

7:50am - On the plane and about to take off shortly. I have a quick layover but I may or may not blog from the plane. I can tell you that the energy on this plane is extremely high and pulsating. It seems that everyone is looking forward to a helluva weekend.

9:22am - Just landed in Denver where I have about a 30 min layover with no plane change. Now the excitement from the plane crew and incoming passengers is at a fever pitch. I'm about 5 or 6 vodka and cranberry drinks deep so appropriately this is the best flight of all time. The couple next to me on the flight had to be told to not judge me as I ordered my last drink. The flight attendant just told me that the last 2 days has been insane for them in regards to the amount of people going to Vegas. Makes sense considering it is expected that Vegas will have approximately 350k people coming in for this weekend. I'm one step closer, which means you are one step closer. Stay tuned!

11:51am - I've been in the hotel for about 20 minutes and the atmosphere is unlike any I've ever experienced. I've traveled to Vegas every year for the last 5 or 6 years and I've never literally felt the electricity in the air. The only way I can describe it is to take the most exciting event you've ever been to and multiply it by an exponential number. I've never seen this many people on the strip at this time of day. Literally thousands of folks just walking around. All prepared for tonight.

The Fight of the Century

Almost exactly 4 years ago I took this to this space and laid into Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao for their inability to come together and make a fight that, at the time, was estimated to generate over $100 million in revenue (that outstanding write up can be read here). Fast forward 4 years and it is May 1, 2015 and it is safe to say that some things have changed.

For starters, my writing has improved. I know you are all thankful for that. Most importantly, the two biggest stars in the sport of boxing finally came together and got the deal done and will fight in a little over 24 hours in Las Vegas. Another big point that has changed is that this fight will far surpass that $100 million in revenue as Mayweather himself will bring in more than that when it is all said and done. So here we are, on the eve of the biggest sporting event in my 31 plus years of life. Quite simply put, this may be the biggest sporting event in most of our lives. However, when you take away the $4000+ tickets, the $100+ pay per view cost, the $500+ plane tickets, and the $600+ hotel prices, and you're left with the fact that one of these two fighters will cement their legacy when that final bell rings at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

In the 4 years that has passed since I wrote that first article, the fighters themselves have changed. Pacquiao suffered a knockout loss to Marquez after that article. Mayweather fought Shane Mosley and was in trouble in the first two rounds, but eventually recovered to dominate that fight. Money May has gone on to fight for Showtime and pocket millions upon millions of dollars, and Pacquiao has gone on to recover from losses to Marquez and Timothy Bradley to establish himself as the clear cut #2 pound for pound fighter in the world. So here we are. Hours away from the fight that, whether these fighters like it or not, will define their legacies. The defensive wizard against the power punching ball of energy. The only thing left to decide happens to be the biggest question: Who wins?

The first thing to do is to realize that the past performances from these two fighters mean absolutely nothing to this fight other than to establish the tendencies that they are capable of. Truthfully, it doesn't really matter that Mosley rocked Mayweather in the second round of their fight. Likewise, it doesn't really matter that Marquez caught Pacquiao coming in and knocked him out cold. What DOES matter is that Mosley showed us that Mayweather can be caught early on in a fight, but we've known that for years. What DOES matter is that Marquez proved that Pacquiao is susceptible to a counter right, but we've known that for years also.

Pacquiao has been known to throw over 100 punches in a round, and I don't expect this fight to be any different...in the early rounds. I expect a very aggressive Pacquiao to come out of the gate and to attack Mayweather, not allowing him to dictate the pace of the fight. I believe this will work for the opening 9 to 12 minutes of the fight, which breaks down to the first 3 or 4 rounds. I expect the flow of the fight to cause Pacquaio to have to decrease his output after that to closer to 60 to 70 punches a round, still a substantial amount but far lower than the amount Pacquiao theoretically wants to throw. That's the beauty of Mayweather's defensive wizardry. He always seems to force his opponent to adapt to his style versus the other way around.

If Mayweather wants to win this fight, he has to avoid falling into the trap of allowing Pacquiao to steal rounds. Meaning, that even if he manages to force Pacquiao to throw "only" 60 to 70 punches, Mayweather must also return fire at a decent rate. Throwing 40 punches a round may not get the job done for Money, so he'll have to increase his work rate. The key punch for Mayweather will be his jab, specifically the jab to the body of Pacquiao. The Filipino warrior will throw punches, and he will throw plenty of them. In order for Mayweather to drain Pacquiao of as much energy as possible, he must work the body. Also, by working the body it will open up the right hook that can be Pacquiao's kryptonite.

Anybody that tells you that they know what will happen on Saturday night is a liar, and that includes Freddie Roach. I'm no different. I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. In my opinion, a draw is just as likely as a Pacquiao victory via knockout which is just as likely as a Mayweather victory via the same method. This is a true "pick em" fight, and that's just another reason why this fight is a can't miss event. However, I know you didn't make it this far just to read that I have no official forecast. Well, Tha WeathaMan's official forecast for the Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao fight is...Mayweather by Unanimous Decision.

I will be in Las Vegas for the weekend's festivities, so stay tuned for updates to come on that. Enjoy the fight ladies and gentlemen, because we'll never see another event like this in our lifetimes.

The News About LeBron Isn't News At All

Note: This article will not detail thoughts on where LeBron James will end up signing this summer. For those thoughts, please check out the latest audio version of The Weatha Report here.

Around 8am CST on Tuesday June 24, 2014 I received an ESPN alert on my phone. I glanced down and read that LeBron James' agent had informed the Miami Heat of his client's intentions of opting out of his contract and becoming a free agent. This news set off alarms and whistles across all sorts of platforms. Channels such as ESPN and Fox Sports became all LeBron all the time. Setting up scenarios in which different "teams" were allowed to throw out their best pitch in order to get King James to sign with their teams. Social media was turned on it's head as everything from "Miami Heat" to "bandwagon Heat fans" began to trend. My reaction when I read the alert? 

:Kanye shrug and yawn: 

Not because I was tired, but instead because this wasn't news at all. This was an expected development. I fully expected to hear that LeBron James had opted out. Just like I fully expect to hear that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have both opted out. Just like I wasn't surprised when Carmelo Anthony opted out. Its why you negotiate an opt out clause in your contract....so you can utilize it. Seems like a completely astute and shrewd move on the part of a player that is universally regarded as not just the best player on the planet, but also a smart business man.

Numerous text messages and conversations would follow throughout the day, all met with a nonchalant response. 

"What's wrong with you? Isn't this a big deal?"

Well, yes and no. Allow me to explain. 

Why LeBron opting out is not a big deal

Let's play a game. Your name for this game is Jim. And you, Jim, work at Joe's Computer Repair Shop. Your boss is the owner, appropriately named Joe. You two have a good working relationship. Over the last four years your partnership has resulted in the company being recognized as one of the top two computer repair shops in your city. Two of those years even resulted in the title of being the best repair shop in the city. The last year resulted in a devastating loss of the title to a rival repair company, but for the most part things are good. Sure, the surrounding cast of employees needs to be updated but there are two repairmen that are considered two of the best around. Hey, it could be worse right? 

When it is time for your employee evaluation you are approached by Joe, who gives you two options:

Option 1: Opt in and stay with the current contract you're working on for another year. It's guaranteed to pay throughout the 12 months. At the end of the year, you have to renegotiate for another contract either with Joe or another company. Not a bad option at all. 

Option 2: Opt out of the contract, sign a new five year contract with Joe's company with the option to opt out of that one after four years, getting a raise in salary each year, with all five years being guaranteed. 

I think the majority of us would select option 2. Lebron doesn't repair computers, that we know of, and his bosses go by the names Mickey Arison and Pat Riley. But I'm sure you get the comparison. Simply put, it is a smart business decision for LeBron or any high profile athlete to opt out of a deal and to take a new deal. Remember, basketball contracts are fully guaranteed for the most part. Once LeBron signs that deal, with whichever team he signs with, he will get all of that money whether he gets injured halfway through or plays the string out. The former MVP doesn't seem to be hurting for money, but you still take the security of a new deal with multiple years as opposed to playing on what essentially works out to be a one year deal. After all, you can't put a price tag on security. 

Why LeBron opting out is a big deal

Even though I was indifferent to the news, I'm not oblivious to it. I understand that there is a flip side to it all. It was thought that Wade, James, and Bosh would all get together and discuss the courses of action that they would take. On Tuesday, James acted solo with Wade saying that there was nothing to report on his end. Is LeBron doing things on his own terms? Have the Big 3 talked about this scenario and it is all apart of a calculated plan on their part? No one seems to know at this point. 

I also recognize that LeBron James is not just the biggest fish in the free agency pond, but that he is the biggest fish in the biggest lake in the world. James isn't called The Chosen One because the moniker is catchy. He's the best player in the world and the face of the NBA. When he makes a move, it creates ripples in the lake known as the NBA. Essentially by throwing his hat in the free agency ring, it prevents other high profile free agents (read: Carmelo) from making any moves at this point. Basically, everyone is frozen until LeBron decides to put pen to paper for a team. Once the biggest domino falls, the rest will follow. And, of course, the biggest reason why this could be a big deal...LeBron could shift the balance of power in the NBA. While we won't get a television special announcing his plans, it is clear that his decision will be anticipated.

The free agency period in the NBA doesn't start until July 1st, but the maneuvering has already started. It is always news when the face of the league is announcing his unemployment, and is waiting to be courted by billionaires waiting to make him even richer while showing him detailed plans on how his championship ring collection can improve under their watch. However, at the end of the day this isn't news. The news didn't start when LeBron's agent informed the Miami Heat brass that the star was opting out. On the contrary, the news starts when LeBron's agent tells a team that his client is bringing (or keeping) his considerable talents to their organization. The fun may have begun, but the news.....well, that will have to wait until after July begins.

Carmelo vs Durant: Who's The Purer Scorer

"Carmelo Anthony is the best pure scorer in the NBA and it isn't even close." 

The above statement was written by yours truly on a social media site the night that Carmelo Anthony scored 62 points against the Charlotte Bobcats, setting a New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden record. As I expected, that single statement set off a firestorm of replies. I made that statement as Kevin Durant was in the midst of a streak that hasn't been seen since Tracy McGrady's heyday. At the time Durant was on his ninth straight game of at least 30 points, a streak that would eventually extend to 12 straight games. Predictably, most of the disagreeing posters felt that Durant takes the title of the best pure scorer in the game. I was then challenged to showcase why I believe Melo is as opposed to Durant. As all of you know, The WeathaMan loves a challenge. So let's dive in and find out, at least for now, who is indeed the best pure scorer in the NBA. But first, a couple of notes:

- Let's be real, this question comes down to only these two players. There isn't anyone else that belongs in this discussion. Remember, we are talking about best pure scorer and not the best player in the game. That's a discussion for another day.

- While I believe that Anthony is indeed the best pure scorer, I do not write blogs with any bias or subjectivity. I am willing to allow the argument to be made solely off of the evidence put forth. I also am aware that my opinion may change based on the evidence that will be presented.

- All of the stats and info used in this blog was gathered from basketball-reference.com which can be assessed here. If another source of information is used it will be noted.

- When I say "best pure scorer", let's be clear that it is not based on how many points each one scores. What will be discussed is how each player accomplishes getting the points they score and where on the court these baskets come from. 

- I was prepared to compare each player from the time Durant entered the league until this season. However, I decided to just compare them for this season and last season. Comparing a rookie 19 year old Kevin Durant to a 23 year old Carmelo Anthony who had been in the league for four seasons just didn't seem conducive to the article. It is beyond clear that Durant and Anthony have both been established in the league for a few seasons, and using their last 1 1/2 seasons is not only fair but also sensible.

- Make no mistake about it, I am on trying to say that Durant does not deserve all of the coverage, hype, and praise that he is getting for this season. He has basically carried the Thunder the entire season all while showing improvements in a skill set that had already placed him as arguably the second best player in the game. I am simply of the opinion that Anthony is a purer scorer.

Now that we have all of that out of the way.....

Currently Durant leads the league with a 31.2 ppg average while Anthony is second with a 27.2 average. Out of the last four seasons, Durant has won the league scoring title three times. The other person to win the title in those four seasons was Anthony who is the reigning NBA scoring title champion. It is clear that both players score in volumes, and can light up the stat sheet. However, as has been stated earlier, we cannot confuse quantity of points with quality of points.

Split	Value	FG	FGA	FG%				eFG%
Shot Distance	At Rim	246	458	.537				.537
	3 to <10 ft	49	132	.371				.371
	10 to <16 ft	148	325	.455				.455
	16 ft to <3-pt	178	413	.431				.431
	3-pt	174	471	.369				.554

The chart above is the breakdown of Anthony's field goals from the 2012-2013 season. As can be seen, Melo did most of his damage at the rim (dunks and layups) and from beyond the arc. When it comes to post ups and mid range those shots combined are less than the 3 pointers that Anthony attempted.

Split	Value	FG	FGA	FG%				eFG%
Shot Distance	At Rim	259	351	.738				.738
	3 to <10 ft	131	282	.465				.465
	10 to <16 ft	159	332	.479				.479
	16 ft to <3-pt	133	310	.429				.429
	3-pt	161	404	.399				.598

This chart showcases the breakdown of Durant's field goals from the same season.As it shows, Durant's shot chart is more balanced than that of Carmelo Anthony. Not only that, but the "Slim Reaper's" field goal percentages from each distance is considerably better than that of Melo's with the lone exception being the long two pointers found in the 16 ft to the 3 point arc range. Admittedly this is more than enough evidence to show that as of the 2012-2013 season, Kevin Durant was not only a better shooter but also was a purer scorer. The chart shows that Durant was dangerous anywhere on the court and scored at a higher rate than that of Carmelo. On the other hand, it appears that Melo either drove to the rim or settled for shots beyond the arc. While Melo still scored at a prolific rate, it is easier for defenses to key in when they know you're either going all the way or not going at all.

Uh oh, it appears that my opinion may be a little off base. Let's see what this season has to show:

Split	Value	FG	FGA	FG%				eFG%
Shot Distance	At Rim	117	195	.600				.600
	3 to <10 ft	30	96	.312				.312
	10 to <16 ft	63	160	.394				.394
	16 ft to <3-pt	118	270	.437				.437
	3-pt	83	195	.426				.638

So far this season, as you can see, Carmelo has done a better job at being a more balanced scorer when it comes to using the entire court for his assault on the scoreboard. Granted the season is only halfway over, but the improvement is clearly evident. Anthony has improved on his percentage at the rim, and has also improved from 16ft to beyond the arc. Melo is also on pace to post up more frequently than he did last year, which has always been a strong aspect of his offensive repertoire. However, it would be nice if Anthony could improve on that 31% number that represents his post up game. Let's compare this to the chart that Kevin Durant has put together so far this season:

 

Split	Value	FG	FGA	FG%				eFG%
Shot Distance	At Rim	152	191	.796				.796
	3 to <10 ft	62	151	.411				.411
	10 to <16 ft	81	173	.468				.468
	16 ft to <3-pt	75	163	.460				.460
	3-pt	97	237	.409				.614

At this point it does appear that Durant's case for being the best pure scorer is getting stronger. The number that immediately jumps out to me is the fact that Durant has increased the rate of shots that he is putting up from 3 to 10 ft which is the post up range. Another impressive point is that Durant has maintained a healthy shooting percentage while increasing his frequency. Durantula is once again showing the basketball world that he is an efficient scorer from all over the court. While Carmelo has the edge in shooting percentage from beyond the arc, it is a somewhat negligible advantage considering that Durant has taken considerably more shots from that range while making more of those shots than Anthony has.  But, as is common knowledge, numbers can lie so it is important to actually take a look at the facts. Those facts tell us that Kevin Durant is on a tear that is not only taking the NBA by storm but his streak has also managed to take Durant straight to the top of just about every MVP list. While Durant may not be viewed by some as the best player on the planet, he sure is scoring like he is. At the end of the day, Tha WeathaMan can admit when his argument is not backed up by the facts. Clearly in this situation, my original statement cannot be supported by the evidence and facts that are out there. If Melo is indeed the better purer scorer, it isn't a runaway case. At this point however, I am ready to bestow the title of best pure scorer in the NBA on one man and one man only. This is one title that Kevin Durant doesn't have to wait until June to achieve.

Richard Sherman: The Man of the Moment

"A cruel or vicious ruffian, robber, or murderer."

"A young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang." 

That first sentence that you read was the dictionary.com definition for the word thug. The second sentence is the dictionary.com definition for the word hoodlum. Both of these words have been used to describe the man of the hour, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. By now, unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard the interview that sent shock-waves across the Twittersphere and social media mediums everywhere. If you haven't, go ahead and click here to catch up to the rest of the world. 

Now that we have covered the bases of the true definitions of those two words, let's take a few sentences to outline a few things: 

- Graduates high school with a 4.2 GPA and ranked second in his class

- SAT score of 1400 

- Graduates from Stanford with a 3.7 GPA and a Communication degree

- Frequent contributor of time and money to the Compton, CA school district 

Those four points describe Richard Sherman. As you can see, Mr. Sherman doesn't exactly fit the definition of a thug or a hoodlum. Sherman has never had run-ins with the law or been a suspect in any crime. For all purposes, he's been a model citizen in everyday society. If the talking heads really want to use the words thug or hoodlum to describe a NFL player at least use it correctly (eh Aaron Hernandez?). 

Also, during the infamous interview, Sherman made a few proclamations. But here's the thing that most people are missing....HE WAS RIGHT on just about every point. Hands down, Richard Sherman is the best cornerback in the league. In case you want to waste your time arguing that, just take the time to look. Since Sherman entered the league in 2011 he has more interceptions than any other player. Since 2011 he also has more passes defended than any other player. Oh, and just for good measure quarterbacks only have a 39.4 QB rating (the highest a QB can have is 158.3) when throwing passes at the receivers he's covering. In case you didn't guess, yes that is also the best mark in the league. Now while Tha Weatha Report tells you that numbers can lie, the facts don't. The fact that Richard Sherman is indeed the best in the league is easy to see. The one point of Sherman's interview that can be debated is whether or not Michael Crabtree is indeed a mediocre receiver. Crabtree's numbers have improved every season he's been in the league before this past season as he missed most of it with injury. Is Crabtree an average receiver? That's open to interpretation, but that really isn't the main point. 

The point is that Richard Sherman is getting raked over the coals by some all because he essentially spoke the truth. Now granted, maybe he could have chosen his words in a much wiser fashion but what did you expect? Football is an extremely intense and emotional game. After playing 60 minutes in the biggest game of his life and just having made the play of the season to send his team to a Super Bowl we expect an already emotionally charged man to find a way to contain his emotions? Tha WeathaMan isn't buying that and neither should you. We've all said things that we wanted to say, but we chose the wrong words. The only difference is that FOX cameras wasn't in our faces when we said it. Get off your high horse people, Richard Sherman is just the same as any of us after an emotional experience. We say or do things that we normally wouldn't do. Just the way things go. 

At the end of the day, Richard Sherman and his fellow teammates are gearing up for the Super Bowl and 30 other teams are at home. If you don't like what Sherman has to say, you might want to root for a team that can actually beat them. Until then, to the victors go the spoils as they say. You may not like what Sherman said or how he said it, but the FACTS are that he told the truth. And we all know, the truth never lies.

D12 Has Landed: Who wins and loses?

In case you've been living under a rock over the last few days, or are just in hibernation until the NFL season starts, you know that Dwight Howard has let the world know that he will sign with the Houston Rockets once the league allows it. Before we get into the winners and losers of this deal, can't we all agree that the fans are the ultimate winners here? The "Dwightmare" is over, at least for the next three seasons when Howard can opt out of his soon to be signed deal. But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Instead, let us all focus on the here and now and talk about who wins and loses with Howard, wait for it......taking his talents to Texas.

Winner: Dwight Howard

Obviously one of the big winners is D12 himself. By all accounts and opinions he chose the team that gives him the best chance at winning a NBA championship over the next few seasons. He can finally unpack his bags and set up roots on a team that is up and coming, and he can go about the job of repairing his damaged reputation. Of course, the best way for him to ultimately make people forget about his exit and waffling in Orlando and the failed season in Los Angeles is to win big and consistently in Houston.  

Winners: Houston Rockets

We will continue with the obvious theme here with the organization of Houston being a huge winner as well. The Rockets haven't truly been relevant on the NBA's landscape since the days of Yao Ming, but now they have managed to catapult themselves into the upper echelon of the Western Conference's elite teams. It is amazing what a trade here and a signing there can do for the Vegas odds of a team.

Winner: Rocket's GM Daryl Morey

This man now officially looks like a genius while the people who doubted him are left to ponder what they could have possibly been thinking. Morey set out on this plan a couple of off seasons ago and even in his wildest dreams he couldn't have imagined his plan working out any better than it did. He has officially turned Houston around and he didn't have to mortgage the future to do it. Houston.....you have yourself one helleva general manager.

Winner: James Harden

If you're "The Beard" you have to love the situation you're sitting in now. You went from a guy coming off the bench in OKC (albeit a team that made the NBA Finals and has a great future as well) to a guy that signed a max contract, being one of the top 10 (arguably) players in the NBA, and now being the go to player on a team that has the look of a potential Western Conference Finals team. Not bad for a guy who received some criticism for not taking less money to stay in Oklahoma City. I'd say he landed on his feet.

Losers: LA Lakers

Wherever there are winners, if you look in the corner you will see the losers wondering what happened. In this case, in one corner you have the LA Lakers. Regardless of what the smoke signals emanating out of the Staples Center are saying, you have to believe that the Lakers are reeling from D12's decision. Never before has a star player spurned the bright lights of Hollywood for another team. But now, not only has the best big man in the league decided to play elsewhere but he also left the Lakers in a state of uncertainty. No one is quite sure what the future looks like for the purple and gold, and they more than likely will reload because they are still the Lakers after all. But for now they undoubtedly have to be considered one of the losers in this deal.

Losers: Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks

Never has a NBA championship seemed so far gone. In case you have forgotten, before the Miami Heat went back to back there was the "other" team in Texas that were the champions. It was after that season that Mark Cuban decided to gamble the precious prime seasons of his seven foot tall German MVP on the belief that his skills to persuade star free agents like Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to join forces in Dallas would all be worth it. Yeah....how did that work out for Cuban? This isn't Shark Tank buddy, in the world of the NBA you don't sit in the position of power. I think Cuban found that out, but it is unfortunate for Dirk Nowitzki that he'll have to waste his last few seasons on teams that have zero chance at winning a title. Or will he? Stay tuned.

Losers: Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder

How are the Thunder and their general manager considered losers in this scenario? Mr. Presti is now responsible for the rise of two power forces in the Western Conference. Not only has he built up the Thunder, but Presti is directly responsible for the growing juggernaut known as the Houston Rockets. On October 27, 2012 Sam Presti and OKC traded James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks, and a second round pick. If Harden doesn't land in Houston, neither does Howard. The city of Houston should send Presti a gift basket filled with fruit, NASA memorabilia, and a gift card to iTunes for the purpose of downloading Houston rapper Slim Thug's greatest hits. Because without that trade taking place Houston is just a minor footnote on the NBA's path and not a premier destination.

As for the Thunder, that trade doesn't look as good as it did some nine months ago does it? The jury is still out on Lamb so no indictment there, but Martin lasted only one season in OKC and wasn't the difference maker that Harden was/could have been. The Thunder used one of those first round picks to draft Steven Adams this past draft, and he might turn into a serviceable big man in the league. But he isn't the player you envision when you manage to pry coveted first round picks from the cold hands of opposing general managers. While there's still time for OKC to come out on the winning end of this deal I wouldn't hold my breath.

Losers: Every team that was in the Howard sweepstakes with the exception of Golden St. 

Golden St. never had a legitimate shot to get Howard, regardless of what you may have read. Plus, they managed to sign Andre Iguodala who is a better fit for the personnel and team that they have assembled in the Bay Area. Atlanta, LA Lakers, Dallas, all come out on the losing end here. Any time you try to sign an impact player and you come up short you are in the losing category. It may work out over time for all the teams involved but in the meantime if you're not winning....well, you know the rest. 

When Will They Learn?

Welcome one and all to another edition of Tha Weatha Report. There’s a lot going on in the world of sports lately, but only one topic can bring me from the dark caves of silence to drop some knowledge on you. So, relax your mind and let your conscience be free and roll with Tha WeathaMan as we hit this journey. 

2013	Aaron Hernandez, NFL	Murder
2013	A. Walcott, NFL	Murder
2013	O. Pistorius, Running	Murder
2012	Josh Brent, NFL	Mans.
2009	Donte' Stallworth, NFL	Mans.
2005	Dany Heatley, NHL	Homic.
2004	Tammy Crow, Swim	Mans.
2003	Dwayne Goodrich, NFL	Homic.
2001	Rae Carruth, NFL	Murder
2000	Ray Lewis, NFL	Murder
1998	Leonard Little, NFL	Mans.
1995	Brian Blades, NFL	Mans.
1992	Charles Smith, NBA	Homic.
1989	Bruce Kimball, Diving	Mans.
1988	Reggie Rogers, NFL	Homic.
1986	Derrick Fenner, CFB	Murder
1984	Craig MacTavish, NHL	Homic.

-        -Credit to ESPN research for this list-

The above list is just the pro athletes that have been arrested and/or convicted of murder, homicide, and/or manslaughter in my lifetime.  Granted, not all of these involve weapons but there are enough that do to give pause. What’s the point? The point is that this is a list that just keeps growing.

As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, the latest incident involves the former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. There’s no need to retell the story (click here if you need to catch up), but the same cycle that has caught up to previous athletes seems to have engulfed Mr. Hernandez into its web. Kid is born, people discover that said kid has athletic talent, kid becomes popular, popularity attracts unsavory characters (commonly known as “thugs”), kid goes on to be drafted by *insert team name here*, unsavory characters follow along said kid’s path, kid ALLOWS (key word here) unsavory characters to hang around, unsavory characters bring said kid down in a heap of fire and brimstone. We’ve seen it too many times to be surprised at this point. The biggest issue is that these “kids” keep making the same mistakes. 

Adam “Pacman” Jones has made the move to speak at the NFL’s annual Rookie Symposium about this very cycle. We’ve seen upstanding citizens such as Ray Lewis caught in this cycle. Michael Vick was the last big name to be involved in something similar. Now true, Lewis and Vick were able to rebound from their incidents to resurrect their careers but something tells me that Hernandez won’t be able to say the same. Hell, at this point he needs to be more worried about his personal freedom versus catching passes from Tom Brady, Peter Brady, or even Peter Pan. 

The problem is that these athletes don’t realize that in order to live a life like no one else, they have to live a life like no one else. Meaning, not everyone around you is for you. Sometimes the folks that are behind you are the individuals that have the knife that will be inserted into your spine. As opposed to finding out the hard way, these athletes need to realize that cutting off the folks that are hanging on by a thread is the only way to live. A five year $40 million contract is enough motivation to “turn your back on the hood”. 

I understand the stigma of “forgetting where you came from”. It is the most common thing that successful people hear. As soon as you become something special and move up in the world, the crab in a bucket mentality kicks in. People want to pull you back in because you’re leaving them behind, and we all know that it isn’t fair that you get to make it big while Pookie, Ray-Ray, and ‘dem stay in the old neighborhood wasting their lives away. Heaven forbid that the athletes deserve to live a nice lifestyle because they showed the dedication and determination necessary to do something with their lives. 

There’s a lot of information still yet to come concerning the Aaron Hernandez situation. He might even make it out of this mess with no jail time and only a ton of press clippings to his name. But that really isn’t the point now is it? The point is that he allowed himself to be put in this situation to begin with. Somewhere along the line Hernandez allowed all of the pre-draft concerns that teams had about him to become a reality and now he will have to live with the consequences of his actions. There has been too many NFL players (28 since Feb 3 of this year) and athletes in general that find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Yeah, they may be targets because of their wealth. But they also create that target by allowing the openings needed to hit the target. You can either close the cycle, or find yourself scrolling across the bottom of the ESPN screen like Aaron Hernandez, Michael Vick, and Plaxico Burress. The choice is yours professional athletes…us “common folk” can only hope that you make the right one.