Time to Draft - Chappelle's Show

 

Every so often, Pepster and I get together to do big, irrelevant, time-consuming things that only make sense to a few people. A couple of months ago, a significant birthday and trip to Chicago provided the backdrop of one more of those important moments. 

It was 10 years ago that we got together with the idea of determining which was the best of the ESPN 30 for 30 series. After some debate, we decided that we would rank the first 48 episodes of the series (including the 14 ESPN Films Presents) from best to "I didn't even care that happened." This was done as a snake draft, so the coin flip to determine who went first was as dramatic as any argument we had that day. And there were a lot of arguments! 

Pepster won that draft and I now have to accept that The Two Escobars is the best of the early 30 for 30 episodes. If you were wondering what would have been first had the flip gone the other way, it was the obvious choice of Benji. 

The Top 10 back in 2013 went as follows:

1. The Two Escobars
2. Benji
3. You Don't Know Bo
4. June 17th, 1994
5. The U
6. Once Brothers
7. The Fab Five
8. Ungarded
9. No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson
10. Pony Excess

So, what thing would we do in 2023 to anger people close to us looking to spend meaningful time on vacation? There was only one answer. The best episode of Chappelle's Show! 

The rules were simple. We would again flip a coin to determine the first pick with a snake draft following for the 28 available episodes. Yes, we included the questionable third season. The goal was to pick the best episode, not skit. So, we were evaluating the strength of the best skit in the episode, the quality of the remaining skits and the musical performance where applicable. Sinickal won the toss and the draft went as follows:

1. Season 2, Episode 4 - True Hollywood Stories: Rick James. There was no argument this year on Sinickal's pick as this was a consensus #1. Season 2 got off to a tremendous start and this was the best of the best! And as Pepster noted, we forget that Rashida Jones said no to anal in the love contract skit. Plausible?

2. Season 1, Episode 6 - Mad Real World. I mean, damn. Pepster's first pick produced some unbelievable jokes and quotable lines - "What's the square root of this apartment?" Pepster also commended the musical guest as an important part of the theme of the episode. Yes, that was David Broom from Real World New Orleans.

3. Season 1, Episode 1 - Clayton Bigsby. We all sat down to watch the premiere and we all came away thinking that Dave Chappelle had just broken television. A black, white supremacist? 

4. Season 2, Episode 5 - True Hollywood Stories: Prince. Season 2 of Chappelle's Show was a television miracle. The week after Rick James, Charlie Murphy was telling stories about Prince. We also got some more of Negrodamus. Brilliant.

5. Season 2, Episode 12 - Wayne Brady. "I'm Wayne Brady, bitch!" This episode was beyond quotable. 

6. Season 2, Episode 7 - World Series of Dice. This is the first episode in the list to have a stand out musical performance (Kanye West and Common) to go along with a great skit set in the Marcy Projects. Great episode top to bottom with Mooney on Movies.

7. Season 2, Episode 2 - The Niggar Family. I will simply say that I didn't think something like this could be put on television in 2004. Add in Negrodamus - "Everybody wanna be black, don't nobody wanna be black," Black Gallagher and DMX, and damn. 

8. Season 2, Episode 1 - The Racial Draft. We still can't believe this was still on the board. Genius skit and a great R. Kelley joke.

9. Season 1, Episode 9 - Playa Haters Ball. The first real debate in the draft as Pepster thought this would go later in the draft. Sinickal felt that the primary skit was really strong. I mean, "She wears underwear with dickholes in them."

10. Season 1, Episode 2 - Tyrone Biggums at School. This pick recognizes the strength of the musical performance. This was Mos Def and it was spectacular.

11. Season 2, Episode 8 - Jury Duty. And Oprah Winfrey gets pregnant - "It's not what's gotten into me, it's what's gotten into Oprah. My seed, bitch!"

12 Season 1, Episode 12 - Trading Spouses. Sinickal had this much higher on the board than Pepster. Long debate went on with Pepster stating that this episode had Jalen Brown talent, but Jason Tatum closing ability. Sinickal loved the main skit. 

13. Season 2, Episode 11 - Greatest Misses. Great musical performance by Kanye West, Freeway and Mos Def, and some unbelievable quotes including "You so dark that when you touch yourself it is black on black crime," and "She got one big tittie and one little tittie. They call that bitch Biggie Smalls."

14. Season 1, Episode 5 - Great Moments in Hook Up History. Pepster had this really high for Sinickal's liking. Pepster commented that this was for the Fat Joe musical performance and that "it came in higher than I thought, and I did my list."

15. Season 1, Episode 7 - Real Movies. Very different views on this episode. Liked much more by Pepster than Sinickal here. 

16. Season 2, Episode 10 - Making the Band. Neither of us can believe this lasted this long. Great guests, and the Oscar the Grouch quote "I beat my dick like it owes me money."

17. Season 2, Episode 8 - I Know Black People. The quote from Sinickal on this lasting so long is that "we must have been drafting for need up until now."

18. Season 1, Episode 8 - Tyrone Bigum's Intervention. It is at this point of the draft that we both begin selecting for one aspect of the episode. 

19. Season 2, Episode 6 - Internet as a Real Place. Also included what life would be like for Lil John which was hilarious.

20. Season 1, Episode 4 - Reparations. With Busta Rhymes as the musical guest, Pepster and Sinickal believe this episode was drafted exactly where it should have been at the end of the top 20. 

The last seven episodes are:

21. Season 1, Episode 11 - Fisticuff: Turn My Headphones Up

22. Season 1, Episode 3 - Zapped

23. Season 3, Episode 3 - MTv Cribs

24. Season 1, Episode 10 - Piss on You Video

25. Season 2, Episode 12 - Black Bush

26. Season 2, Episode 3 - White People Dancing

27. Season 3, Episode 1 - Tupac is Still Alive

28. Season 3, Episode 2 - Black Howard Dean

I will close this post with this thought. Season 3 was awful, but this draft was a lot of fun. Can't wait to see what the next several hour waste of time produces. 

Are you Ready for some Football?!

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football.  We have already had a fascinating start to the season with 6 ranked teams losing (and a record-breaking 7th to fall tonight, as FSU and Ole Miss - two ranked teams - faceoff in Orlando).  What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 on each side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.  (Starters in capitals).

Offense

QB - DESHAUN WATSON, Clemson; Pat Mahomes, Texas Tech; Greg Ward, Jr.,  Houston  - Watson is one of the easiest selections on this list.  Mahomes might be the biggest and strongest quarterback that Kliff Kingsbury has ever had at Texas Tech and Greg Ward, Jr. is the best quarterback nobody (except Florida State) has heard of.

RB - LEONARD FOURNETTE, LSU; CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, Stanford; Dalvin Cook, Florida State; Nick Chubb, Georgia; Samaje Perine, Oklahoma - The returning talent of this group is absolutely astounding.  Any of these five could be the load-carrying feature on this all-star team.  I start McCaffrey because he blocks, and catches better than Cook.

WR - JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER, USC; MIKE WILLIAMS, Clemson; Christian Kirk, Texas A & M; Calvin Ridley, Alabama; Corey Davis, Western Michigan - Nowhere near the names of the other positions (especially running back), but this is an exciting group of receivers.  Kirk is a threat to score every single time he touches the football.

TE - O.J. HOWARD, Alabama; Jake Butt, Michigan - Howard makes his third straight appearance on this list.  Although Butt will likely have better stats because of the overall talent of the skill positions at Alabama, Howard is a beast.

OL - CAM ROBINSON, Alabama (T); RODERICK JOHNSON, FSU (T); PAT ELFLEIN, Ohio State (C); DAN FEENEY, Indiana (G);  DORIAN JOHNSON, Pittsburgh (G); Zach Banner, USC; Conor McDermott, USC; Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame - Elflein returns from last year's All-American team, and Feeney is one reason why Jordan Howard was such an effective runner at Indiana last year.  Robinson and Johnson are the prototypical college star tackles.

Defense

DE - MYLES GARRETT, Texas A & M; JONATHAN ALLEN, Alabama; Charles Harris, Missouri - Between Garrett and Allen, we could see 50+ tackles for loss this  year.  Harris completes the SEC trifecta on the outside of the line.

DT - MALIK MCDOWELL, Michigan State; CARLOS WATKINS, Clemson; Lowell Lotulelei, Utah - Not just big space eaters, McDowell and Watkins both make plays from the interior of the defense.

LB - RAEKWON MCMILLAN, Ohio State, REUBEN FOSTER, Alabama; DEVONTE FIELDS, Louisville; Anthoney Walker, Northwestern; Jabrill Peppers, Michigan; Tim Williams, Alabama - With McMillan on the field, you better diversify your plays, bitches.  Foster is a tackling machine, and Fields is the type of playmaker that has moved Louisville into the upper echelon of college football programs.

CB - DESMOND KING, Iowa; JOURDAN LEWIS, Michigan; Jalen Tabor, Florida - Desmond King won the Jim Thorpe award as the nation's best defensive back last year, with 8 interceptions.  Lewis had 20 passes defensed.  Tabor is the second consecutive Jalen to make this list.

S - DERWIN JAMES, Florida State; BUDDA BAKER, Washington; Jamal Adams, LSU - JAMES is the heir apparent to Jaylen Ramsey, while Baker returns after a phenomenal year last year for the Huskies.

Special Teams

K - ANDY PHILLIPS, Utah - Phillips was on the team last year (behind Aguayo) for no reason that I just thought we should have three kickers on the team (kickers means kickers and punters).

P - JK SCOTT, Alabama - A booming punter who grew 1 1/2 inches this offseason.

KR/PR - EVAN BERRY, Tennessee - Berry led the nation in kickoff return average last  year, beating second place by almost 5 whole yards per return.  No backups needed because the two Christians can also return very well (McCaffrey and Kirk - not a religious reference).

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the weekly installment of the almost weekly perspective of college football.  As a refresher, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race this early in the season. After all, who knew who Johnny Manziel was at this time last year.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Johnny Manziel - Texas A & M; - He will probably stay in this list for a long, long time; barring a Dennis Dixon.  Only 244 yards passing against SMU, but he did have over 100 yards rushing and 3 more touchdowns.

Teddy Bridgewater - Louisville - Against nobody, he still had 4 touchdown passes.  I think he only played four plays against FIU.

A.J. McCarron - Alabama - A solid game against Colorado State.  Let's remember that nobody really played anyone this week..

Rising - Brett Hundley - UCLA - A solid season with 848 yards and 8 touchdowns, but more importantly, he seems to be settling in.  The second half comeback against Nebraska was fantastic, and this week He was 23-35 for 280 and 3 TDs.  He does need to watch his interceptions though.

Dark Horse - Blake Bell - Oklahoma - The Sooners were idle, so Bell did nothing to hurt his dark horse status.  Plus it gives me the opportunity to post another picture of Lake Bell.

Falling - Devin Gardner - Michigan - From a player who looked exciting against Notre Dame, to a quarterback that has struggled against Akron and UConn on consecutive weeks; including a (not-so) stunning 13-25 for 111 yards and 2 TDs.

Running Back Edition

No change this week in the major runners - why?  Nobody played anybody this week.  The top 3, are simply the top 3 and that is it.  More discussion in those rising/sleepers.

Favorite - Todd Gurley - Georgia

De'Anthony Thomas - Oregon

Lache Seastrunk - Baylor

Rising - Melvin Gordon - Wisconsin - The sophomore leads the NCAA with 624 rushing yards.  This is made more astounding by the fact that Wisconsin has had 5 other instances this season of running backs gaining over 100 yards per game.

Sleeper - David Fluellen - Toledo - Fourth in the country in rushing yards with 497 yards, but that number seems suppressed because he opened the season against a very stout and stingy Florida Gators defense.  As Gordon's numbers will lessen as he enters the Big 10 schedule, Fluellen's is likely to rise as he enters his conference season.

Wide Receiver Edition

Brandin Cooks - Oregon State - Leads the NCAA in receptions with 43 (next best is 33), yards with 639 (next highest is 575), and receiving touchdowns with 7.

Paul Richardson - Colorado - 21 catches for 417 yards, and this despite missing a game due to the flooding.

Jordan Matthews - Vanderbilt - He has 32 catches for 471 yards, and is by far the only offensive weapon that the Commodores have.

Rising - Mike Evans - Texas A & M; - He is averaging over 26 yards per catch (largely thanks to the 95 yard TD play against Alabama, and his strength is making him a go-to receiver in tough situations.

Falling - Quarterback play is killing his chances.  Although he is still a likely top 10 draft pick, and has a respectable 23 receptions, he only has 293 yards and 1 Touchdown on the year.

Defensive Edition

3.  Keith Smith - LB - San Jose State - Is averaging an astounding 17 tackles per game.  I don't care what team you play for, and what teams you play - that is a ton!

2.  Martin Ifedi - DL - Memphis - Has 5 1/2 sacks and 9 total tackles for loss (averaging 3 a game).  That is the type of production anyone would take for their team.

1.  Dominique Easley - DT - Florida - I have been waiting to see when to put him in this list, and today is definitely the day.  Florida's defense just stymies its opponents, and it starts in the middle with Easley.  He is a converted end, so he has the speed and quickness to go along with his strength.  Watch the Toledo game film where he is lined up askew to the center because Toledo was in shotgun formation (when a lineman cannot directly engage the center), and when Toledo runs a receiver under center to accept the snap (no longer shotgun so a lineman can directly engage the center) and Easley just throws the center into the receiver, causing a fumble at the snap.  Great athletic ability and the smarts to know the rules.  (Just prior to publishing, Florida has announced the Easley will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL.  This is a HUGE loss to the Gators)!

Player to Watch

Sean Mannion - QB - Oregon State - Another 367 yards and 3 TDs with no interceptions, giving him an NCAA leading 1604 yards passing and 15 total TDs passing, with only 1 interception.  If Mannion can lead Oregon State to an upset of either Oregon or Stanford, he will start to get some Heisman hype.

My New Favorite Player Besides Baker Mayfield - the Walk On Freshman

Tyler Murphy - QB - Florida - I am not going to post another cheap picture of Lake Bell, but this selection is not because of his talent.  It is so I can post this ...

Players of the Week

I am excusing myself for not picking any of the players from the major schools that ran up huge numbers against absolute cupcakes.

5.  Chandler Jones - WR - San Jose State - 7 catches for 193 yards and 3 TDs in a valiant effort against Minnesota.

4.  Antonio Andrews - RB - Western Kentucky - Rushed for 213 yards and 5 TDs against Morgan State, in a route.

3.  Derek Carr - QB - Fresno State - 460 yards passing for 4 TDs and no interceptions in a 41-40 defeat of Brigham Young to stay undefeated on the season.

2.  Melvin Gordon - RB - Wisconsin - 147 yards and 3 TDs for the Badgers against Purdue.

1. Jeremy Hill - RB - LSU - 183 yards and 3 TDs rushing against Auburn, handing the Auburn version of the Tigers its first loss of the season.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Each and every player that was somehow injured in any of the cupcake games.

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition) (Actually - this week its the Administrators)

Each and every Assistant Athletic Director involved in the scheduling of these scams of football games, and every Athletic Director who approved this slate.

Predicted BCS Championship Game Match Up

Alabama v. Oregon - Alabama passed the first of its 3 tests, and Oregon is cruising along.  LSU and Stanford seem to be the next two big hurdles for the two teams that otherwise seem on a collision course.  I wrote this last week, and it remains true this week.  However, Alabama does not look unbeatable, and the Clemson - Florida State match-up could become incredibly huge should the Tide or the Ducks falter.

Rant(s) of the Week

Easy - there is no way that this many ridiculous games are all scheduled for the same week.  I understand that if you play in a tough conference, and if you play 1 difficult and 1 moderate out-of-conference game that you deserve two easier games, but for crying out loud teams - spread those games out.  They all do not have to come in Week 3.

Interesting Fact of the Week (Even if only to me)

Jarvis Landry of LSU has a 6 game TD streak, and has scored a TD in 8 of his last 9 games.

Under Performance of the Week

Michigan - Yes, they defeated Connecticut on a late field goal, a winless Connecticut by the way.  This comes on the heels of a narrow 28-24 victory over now 1-3 Akron, whose only win was against FCS team James Madison.  There is not a chance that - at this point - Michigan should be receiving any Top 25 votes, regardless of their records.

Last Week's Trivia Answer

The last college to win 3 consecutive championships was Minnesota from 1934-1936.

Trivia Question of the Week

Earlier we saw that Jarvis Landry of LSU has a 6 game TD reception streak.  Who holds the NCAA FBS record for most consecutive games with a touchdown reception, and how many games was the streak?

Match up(s) to Watch

5.  UCF v. South Carolina - UCF is undefeated, and it is time to see if they are for real.  Their running back, Storm Johnson, was a big-time recruit coming out of high school, and has amassed 305 yards rushing and 6 TDs already this year.  Can he do it against an SEC defense.

4.  Wisconsin v. Ohio State - The Big 10 is really weak this year, so Wisconsin might be the second best team in the conference, and might be the best opportunity to beat Ohio State.  Ohio State has just named Miller and Guiton as "Co-Starters", which could undermine the team's chemistry against the Badgers.

3. Mississippi v. Alabama - With Mississippi's last two recruiting classes, this match-up should be awesome next year.  Given that Alabama has rarely dominated teams this year, I am interested to see how they do against Mississippi, but more importantly interested to see how the youngsters like Nkemdiche do against a more established Alabama offense.

2.  Arizona v. Washington - Arizona will be a great test for the Huskies, who are quickly looking to assert themselves into the Pac-10 North title conversation.  Is it possible that the Pac-10 North - with Oregon, Stanford and Washington (and even Oregon State) - are better than the SEC West?

1.  LSU v. Georgia - The best game of the year, and LSU needs a win bad.  Why?  Because they got the worst of the cross-over matches, having to play Georgia and Florida as their two SEC East games.  Having already beaten South Carolina, Georgia can absorb a loss better than LSU can, who still has Alabama, Florida and Texas A & M remaining.

Mt. Rushmore of Rap

I was listening to Eric Kuselias on Mike and Mike in the Morning a couple of weeks ago, and LL Cool J was doing promotions all over the station that day. He sat in to be interviewed by Eric, some of the TV guys and Scott Van Pelt. Anyways, Kuselias brought up the topic of who would be the four (presumably) guys that would be pictured if they made a Mt. Rushmore of Rap. I think this was a great question, would like to debate it myself, and this post is my answer to that query. Now the parameters for the answer are Mt. Rushmore itself, 4 faces and 4 faces only. This necessitates that groups are excluded. However, if you really want to make a case for your favorite group in the comments, be my guests. On to the Mt. Rushmore of Rap.

1. LL Cool J

His discography is lengthy and phenomenal. Radio (1985) had I Can't Live Without My Radio" and "Rock the Bells". Coupled with his appearance as himself in one of my favorite movies, "Krush Groove", and you could tell that a star was about to break out. And boy did he ever. Bigger and Deffer (1987) had the ever popular "I Need Love", which put him on the map in my middle school world as soon as it came out. Walking With a Panther (1989) had such hits as "Big Ole Butt", "Going Back to Cali", "I'm That Type of Guy" and "Jingling Baby". Big Ole Butt had the line - "she worked at Red Lobster but I didn't remember". Now that's poetry. Mama Said Knock You Out (1990) had 3 hits, including "The Boomin' System", and two absolute MONSTERS, "Mama Said Knock You Out" and "Around the Way Girl". He released 14 Shots to the Dome (1993), which went platinum without a single being released. Mr. Smith (1995) returned him to the forefront of the music world, with the singles "Doin It", "Hey Lover" and "Loungin". Phenomenon (1997) came out next, followed by G.O.A.T. (2000), 10 (2002) and The DEFinition (2004), which featured the hit, and club favorite "Headsprung". Todd Smith (2006) and Exit 13 (2008) were his latest two albums. This doesn't even include his greatest hits album, all world.

LL Cool J makes Mt. Rushmore primarily because of his longevity, along with some very popular and excellent songs of various styles. From his slow "I Need Love" and "Around the Way Girl", to the hard "Mama Said Knock You Out", to the creepin' classic "I'm That Type of Guy", to the club hits "Headsprung and Doin't It", LL always brought it.

2. KRS-One

KRS-One's discography is equally as long as LL Cool J's, even if not as well-known and popular to the general public. Criminal Minded (1986), By All Means Necessary (1988), Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop (1989), Edutainment (1990), Sex and Violence (1992), Return of the Boom Bap (1993), KRS-One (1995), I Got Next (1997), A Retrospective (2000), The Sneak Attack (2001), Spiritual Minded (2002), The Mix Tape (2002), Kristyles (2003), D.I.G.I.T.A.L. (2003), Keep Right (2004), Life (2006), Hip Hop Lives (2007), Adventures In Emceeing (2008), Maximum Strength 2008 (2008), Conflosation (2008).

Although not necessarily commercially successful in the way we think of extremely popular groups, KRS-One is not recognized for his popularity, but rather, because of his actual skills on the microphone, and his ability to create on the fly. He was a true freestyler, and his rivalry with MC Shan over the song "Queensbridge" made people pay attention to rappers, and not just the songs themselves. He practically created battle rapping, at least as far as the general public is concerned. A truly great MC.

3. Dr. Dre

Became popular as a leading member of the group N.W.A., with Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella. In 1988 N.W.A. released Straight Outta Compton, with three immediate hits, "Straight Outta Compton", "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Fuck Tha Police". After leaving N.W.A., Dr. Dre released The Chronic in 1992, his first solo album, although he did release the title song to the movie Deep Cover with Snoop Doggy Dogg, starring Lawrence Fishbourne and Jeff Goldblum. The Chronic contained such hits as "Ain't Nuthin But a G Thang", "Fuk Wit Dre Day" and "Let Me Ride". [Note - Fuk Wit Dre Day and Cop Killer were the songs I listened to in college to prep for any sporting event - those songs would get you in a mood]. Dre's next big production was to produce Snoop Doggy Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle, followed by the soundtracks for Above the Rim and Murder was the Case. He later released 2001 (2001), which contained the single "Forgot about Dre".

However, it was what Dre did between solo albums that puts him on Mount Rushmore. His production of Snoop Doggy Dogg, and later Eminem and 50 Cents, among others, is what makes Dre stand out among rappers. To quote one of his own songs, "You never been on a ride like this before, with a producer that can rap". He also is known for his funky beats, often sampling funk hits from the 1970's. For his contributions as a rapper, producer, and for practically starting, with Public Enemy, the urban conscious movement in rap, Dr. Dre belongs on Mount Rushmore.


4. Kurtis Blow

I thought about this last person a lot, and Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube and Chuck D, all were finalists for this last spot. Plus, the Asian delegation would have selected the RZA, the GZA, the Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and the entire Wu Tang Clan.

However, I kept coming back to Kurtis Blow. Kurtis Blow's discography is not as lengthy as LL Cool J's or KRS-One's, but it does include, Kurtis Blow (1980), Deuce (1981), Tough (1982), Ego Trip (1984), America (1985), Kingdom Blow (1986), Back by Popular Demand (1988), and Kurtis Blow Presents: Hip Hop Ministry (2007). His hit singles include "Christmas Rappin'", "If I Ruled the World" and "The Breaks", which has been sampled and referenced in all sorts of popular culture, including video games like Grand Theft Auto, Vice City.

However, Kurtis Blow's greatest contribution may have been his compilation series, History of Rap, in both book and CD formats. In addition to being a capable MC himself, Kurtis Blow's contributions will allow future rappers to know the lineage from which they developed, and allow all of us to truly know the history of this purely American form of music.

Your thoughts?

Dude Made Thriller

We here at We Make it Rain love sports primarily because we can appreciate talent, especially talent that can evoke jokes and/or mockery. Talent like that doesn't just exist in the sports milieu, it can cover a myriad of endeavors, like music. And in music almost nobody is more talented, or evokes more jokes, than Michael Jackson.

Without embarking on a biography of the King of Pop, we simply just want to acknowledge Michael Jackson's 50th birthday today. So, Happy Birthday Michael Jackson!

Just remember, no matter what accusations people have brought against you, you still made Thriller. For that, and your entire discography, you are certifiably in my Top 10.

That Cat Can Ball

So we have had a couple of absolutely phenomenal performances today in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, none more so than that of Davidson sophomore Stephen Curry. This should come as no surprise to basketball fans, as Curry burst onto the scene in last year's NCAA Tournament, scoring 30 against Maryland. This year, he averaged 25.1 points per game, good for fifth in the nation.

In today's game against 7th seeded Gonzaga, Curry was an absolute monster. He scored 40 points (30 IN THE SECOND HALF) on 14-23 shooting, including 8-11 from three point range. Lest we think he is simply an offensive juggernaut, Curry also had 5 steals on the defensive end. He did everything except take Gonzaga inside and make them pancakes. And he did this all without the help of any "fruity picks". I just hope that Gonzaga brought their peoples with them, even though they didn't get embarrassed.

Miami's Jack McClinton, Western Kentucky's Tyrone Brazelton and Drake's Jonathan Cox had monster outings, but Stephen Curry, you are the clutch player of the early games.