Shawn Kemp's Kids

Ricky Rubio & A Few Other Rookies Are Turning Heads In The NBA

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:51:43 GMT

Could Ricky Rubio be headlining the best class of rookies in NBA history? Put simply, yes. Rubio is the real deal and he has completely revitalized the previously moribund Minnesota Timberwolves franchise. Fans interested in sports betting online can now get better championship odds on the Wolves than perennial powers like Phoenix and Utah.

LeBron, Melo, DWade and Bosh might feel differently, but don't be surprised if Rubio, MarShon Brooks, Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Derrick Williams, Iman Shumpert, Kemba Walker & Co. prove to be nearly as good when it's all said and done.

Sure, the 2003 draft class led by James has been superb. However, Rubio is playing like a combination of John Stockton and Pistol Pete Maravich right now. In addition, Irving has shown flashes of Derrick Rose, Shumpert has been positively Wade-esque in Madison Square Garden and Brooks appears to be the second coming of Kobe Bryant.

While the season is only a couple of weeks old, it's clear this class of rookies is intent to make its mark immediately. Are we getting carried away with the aforementioned hyperbolic comparisons?
Perhaps, but come April and May the race for Rookie of the Year might be as compelling as the playoff race.

At this point it's Rubio's award to lose. However, we fully expect Irving, Williams and Brooks to make the electrifying Spaniard earn it. A decade from now when league historians look back at the all-time best draft classes, we have no doubt this is going to be one of them.

Archie Manning Unplugged: Papa Manning Talks Andrew Luck, Chicken, Cars & Fashion

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:14:56 GMT

Both Archie and Peyton Manning seem to have a lot to say these days about the hapless Colts drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Earlier today Archie appeared on several radio shows and pontificated about what the Colts should and shouldn't do as it relates to Luck.

"I don’t think it'd necessarily be great for either one," Manning told Fox Sports Radio. "I think Andrew's the type of mature player ... he can walk right in. I mean, these other three or four (rookie passers) that are playing this year, (if) they can walk in and contribute, Andrew can, too.

"Peyton's also tried to help Andrew and kind of be a friend. I doubt if either one want to play on the same team."

Here are a few more of Archie's observations:

"I doubt Peyton and Andrew Luck would want to share a chicken because they both like the white meat. I spoke with Andrew several times, and I know my son. It really wouldn't make sense for them to both order the chicken."

"Andrew would be wise to wear his green trousers on Thursday. Peyton's worn green trousers many times in the past to great success. Andrew is a very mature person, but he can still learn from those that have been there. That's what we teach him when he comes to our camp in the summer."

"My son drives a Mercedes, and if Andrew Luck tries to drive a Mercedes, I see it becoming a problem. It's sort of like when Ryan Leaf wanted to drive a Mercedes. I'm not saying that Andrew will have the career Ryan did, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Plea To Dean Spanos: Please Fire Norv & A.J.

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:25:00 GMT

Dear Dean,

Barring a minor miracle in which the San Diego Chargers run the table, win the division and a playoff game or two it is imperative that you fire both Norv Turner & A.J. Smith at the end of the season. On February 15, 2012 they should be spending time putting their possessions on the online classifieds instead of further damaging a once proud franchise.

These two men have literally sucked the air out of America's Finest City. The team is unwatchable right now and it's due to the utter incompetence of the general manager and head coach. Have you noticed how poorly Mr. Smith has drafted the past few years?

Here is a list of the Chargers top draft picks from 2007 to 2010:

Ryan Matthews
Donald Butler
Larry English
Louis Vasquez
Antoine Cason
Jacob Hester
Craig Davis
Eric Weddle
Anthony Waters

While Ryan Matthews has shown some promise when healthy, he literally can't stay on the field for more than a couple of quarters without sustaining an injury. Otherwise, you aren't getting significant contributions from anyone...including Smith's golden boy Eric Weddle.

Do you know Weddle is one of the three highest paid safeties in the league thanks to the 5-yr $40 million deal Smith bestowed upon him this past summer? This decision was utterly preposterous. Weddle is not a star player. He is an average tackler and possesses below average speed for an NFL defensive back.

Other than inking Weddle to a ridiculous pay raise, Smith's other major free agent acquisitions over the summer were Bob Sanders (one of the most injury-prone players in NFL history and already waived from the team), Takeo Spikes (hasn't been productive in nearly a half-decade) and Travis LaBoy (who?).

Norv Turner's head coaching record prior to joining the Chargers was 58-82-1...a terrible rate of success. The man is simply not a leader. He doesn't inspire and his teams are notoriously soft. Last season's special teams atrocities were unprecedented in the annals of NFL history. This season is just one listless and uninspired game after the next.

A complete overhaul of the team is needed and that begins at the top. A.J. and Norv must go and the sooner this is done the better off your team will be.

Rivers May Have Fumbled Chargers Season Away

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 19:08:39 GMT

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has been a shell of his former self this season. Even Matt Moore and Curtis Painter think Rivers has been terrible.

The absolute nadir was reached Halloween night in Kansas City late in the 4th quarter of a 20-20 game. Rivers led the Bolts down the field and all he had to do was take the snap, lunge to his left and fall down to set up a game winning field goal from Nick Novak. However, Rivers fumbled the snap and the Chargers went on to lose in overtime 23-20.

Rivers can say it's only one play and one game but deep down he knows it's over for San Diego this year. Instead of being 5-2 with sole possession of the division lead, the Chargers are now in a three way tie at the top of the division at 4-3 with the undefeated Green Bay Packers coming to town tomorrow afternoon.

Anyone who has watched the Chargers this season knows they have been abysmal on both offense (especially in the red zone) and defense. Although actual figures are not known, it's estimated that Charger fans have incurred property damage losses of close to $5 million simply by watching the team play. It's reported that most of this damage has been caused by hurling remote controls at televisions, overturning bar stools and kicking in walls.

Now that they're entering the difficult part of the schedule it would be a minor miracle if San Diego finishes the year at 10-6. What a disaster. So much talent has been wasted the past few years that it's hard to comprehend.

Rivers may be the face of the franchise but right now he is not even playing as well as an average NFL starting quarterback. If this doesn't change over the course of the next eight weeks then he could find himself on another roster next year.

Shabazz Muhammed Is About To Become A Household Name

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:48:52 GMT

Based on yesterday's events in New York, there will be no NBA basketball until 2012 barring a last minute miracle. However, college games will be in full swing in a few short weeks. There will also be high school hoops and here are six of the top seniors (courtesy of SKK correspondent Ernie Graham):

Demetrius Birdlong
Jabari Parker
Ishmael Wainwright
BeeJay Anya
Parker Cartwright

and the one and only...

Shabazz Muhammad

You just don't see names like that on the golf and tennis tours do you?

Sounding Off: Bryant Gumbel, David Stern, NBA Hoops, Rex Ryan, Carson Palmer & A Topless Lake Bell (Video)

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:10:00 GMT

Peter King has his Ten Things I Think I Think gimmick. Over here at Shawn Kemp's Kids I just blog about things I know. Here are five of them:

1. Despite what Bryant Gumbel says, David Stern does not have the "mentality of a plantation overseer." The NBA commissioner is definitely an arrogant and egotistical bully/tyrant but he's no slave owner. I'm not entirely certain, but the average annual NBA salary is probably close to $5 million.

2. I consider myself to be a 2nd tier NBA junkie. While I don't live and die with The Association, I follow the sport closely and enjoy watching both regular season and playoff games. Having said that, I really don't care if there aren't any NBA basketball games until January or February. There are just too many other things to watch and do. Here is a column by someone else who feels exactly the same way.

3. Nine out of ten times I see Lake Bell I wonder how she continues to get movie and television work. Her acting is atrocious and she just doesn't appear to be very attractive. However, after watching the latest episode of How To Make It In America I have officially boarded the Bell Bandwagon. Click here to see why...Oh My! (NSFW)

4. Carson Palmer will be the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders this Sunday. While a broken down Palmer is still better than Kyle Boller, it would be shocking if he makes it through the rest of the season. Palmer appeared to be washed up two years ago and unless he has found the fountain of youth, something tells me this isn't going to end well.

5. I love Rex Ryan. Sure he's bombastic and a bit of a blowhard. However, the man speaks the truth. Earlier today he said the following about the San Diego Chargers:

“I think I would have had a couple of rings,” said Ryan, who interviewed for the job Turner got after the 2006 season. “I’m telling you, those teams were loaded. There’s no question about it.”

Amen. Norv Turner should be ashamed of the job he has done during the past few years coaching the Chargers.

Can The Seattle Seahawks Make The Playoffs Again This Season?

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:13:00 GMT

Tarvaris Jackson! Charlie Whitehurst! Just those two names alone should make you want to drop what you're doing and immediately order some Seattle Seahawks tickets.

Seahawks fever is sweeping the nation and people literally can't stop talking about the two headed monster of Jackson and Whitehurst at quarterback. Oh wait. On second thought, maybe they aren't talking about it at all.

Actually, most NFL insiders think Pete Carroll's Seahawks will be one of the ten worst teams in the league. Us? We don't think so. We believe the Seahawks actually will finish with a better record than last year and make the playoffs once again.

Why? Well, first of all, they play in the worst division in professional sports. 8-8 will likely be good enough to win the putrid NFC West again this year.

The Seahawks also play in front of one of the best crowds in the league. Despite years of ineptitude, fans in the Pacific Northwest love their Seahawks and Seattle possesses an undeniable home field advantage at Qwest Field. Don't believe us? Just ask the New Orleans Saints.

While we wouldn't be surprised if the St. Louis Rams eke out a better record and win the division, Pete Carroll should be able to find a way to get the job done again this season. In fact, if we're not mistaken it sounds like we can hear Seattle fans chanting Tar-Var-Is...Tar-Var-Is...Tar-Var-Is...all the way done in San Diego.

Fantasy Focus: These Seven Guys Are Definitely A Pain In The Ass

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:37:39 GMT

1. Dez "Questionable" Bryant – It’s a thigh bruise. Suck it up, practice and play.

2. Michael Vick – Just can’t stay healthy/finish games and isn’t playing all that well when he is on the field.

3. Steven Jackson – Can be a beast but always seems to battling nagging injuries

4. Frank Gore – Another guy with a very low pain threshold. Pain In The Ass poster child.

5. Antonio Gates – Although he’s a Hall Of Fame caliber tight end, Gates is a shell of his former self due to ongoing foot issues

6. Chris Johnson - Currently filming a movie called Take The Money and Run Very Poorly. Although he was a top three pick in almost all fantasy drafts, Johnson has been abysmal so far this season.

7. Arian Foster - Evidently, he has fully recovered from his hamstring injury and will return to former glory. I'll believe it when I see it.

Sounding Off On James Spader, The Office, Community, Ashton Kutcher, Whitney & The Dilemma...

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:21:00 GMT

Robert California - The Office has been running on fumes for several years now and the arrival of James Spader should breathe some much needed life into the show. The first episode of the new season was uneven but Spader's character Robert California shined. I have been an unabashed Spader fan for a quarter century and can only think of one or two roles in which he hasn't been superb. While The Office has been hit or miss with me since 2007 I'll certainly be watching as long as Robert California is around.

Community - Omar, say it ain't so. John Goodman might be a welcome addition to the cast but Michael Kenneth Williams just seems out of place as the Biology teacher. Although I'll always enjoy Abed & Alison Brie, this show has just become too quirky and gimmicky for me.

The Dilemma - Generally speaking, I like Vince Vaughn, Ron Howard, Winona Ryder and everyone else who was associated with this movie. However, the finished product was simply a hot mess. Skip it.

Ashton Kutcher - Although it has been one of the most popular shows for nearly a decade, I've never watched more than 10 minutes of Two and a Half Men. However, I was one of the 27 million people who recorded and/or watched the first episode of the new season with Ashton Kutcher. Sorry Mr. Moore, it was a mostly forgettable half hour of television and I won't be tuning in again.

Whitney - I liked her brash and raunchy jokes on a few of the Comedy Central Roasts but once is enough as far as this show is concerned. I'm officially out. I doubt Whitney will make it to season two, but if it does the laugh track definitely needs to be jettisoned.

Sebastian Janikowski, Larry David, Perrey Reeves & Novak Djokovic Deserve Standing Ovations

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:25:54 GMT

All of Kemp's Kids are standing right now to honor the following people:

Sebastian Janikowski - Kicking a field goal from your own 47-yard line? Even if it took place in the Mile High City that's just wrong.

Novak Djokovic - Winning 3 majors in one year is quite an accomplishment. The new King Of The Tennis World.

Larry David - Bravo...bravo, Mr. David. That had to be the best season of Curb yet. Although there may have been a clunker or two, there were at least four or five all-time classic episodes. Palestinian Chicken may have been the best 30 minutes in television history.

Louis C.K. - I missed the finale on Thursday due to the SoCal blackout but most of this season's episodes have been stellar (if not completely cringe-worthy)

Adrian Wojnarowski - This column was a complete evisceration of Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn

Cam Newton - I don't care if it came in a loss against the Cardinals...422 yards passing? I've always loved Newton's athleticism but thought it might take 2 1/2 games for him to eclipse 400 yards passing in the NFL.

Mrs. Ari Gold - Perrey Reeves...who knew? Quite a nice final scene in Entourage. Where has that red bikini been all these years?

Jay Glazer Is Still The Top Dog Of NFL Insiders

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:38:56 GMT

Jay Glazer is pound for pound the best NFL insider in the business.

Up until recently, the Three Stooges over at ESPN (Schefter, Clayton & Mortensen) typically spent their time confirming Glazer's reports. However, during the past six weeks Curly, Larry and Moe have actually broken a few major stories.

Scooping the boys over at ESPN just doesn't seem to be a priority for Glazer lately. These days Jay seems to be more interested in attracting NFL players to MMA training and SMC Reviews.

However, now that the start of the NFL season is only a week away look for Jay to be the Top Dog once again. He is just so plugged in with NFL players and front office personnel that the other guys don't stand a chance.

Oh, and Jay is also the toughest NFL insider too. Well, unless you think John "The Professor" Clayton could make Glazer tap out. Anyone think that could ever happen?

MMA Sounds Like It's Here To Stay...

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:08:26 GMT

Interest in mixed martial arts seems to be growing each month and the recent UFC/Fox network deal will only increase its popularity.

The new 7-year agreement will result in Fox broadcasting major pay-per-view events at least every three months, along with extensive live programming and highlight shows.

A spokesperson from UFC has said that MMA would become the single biggest sport in the world this decade and the deal with Fox seems to be the first step in making this a reality.

Although the SDSG may be a little long in the tooth these days, watching some MMA workout dvds may make it possible to take on (and take down) Georges St-Pierre in the near future! Don't laugh...it just might happen.

Fantasy Football Focus: Arian Foster & Chris Johnson Just Aren't Worth 1st Round Picks Right Now...

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:35:42 GMT

Although Arian might think we're sick, we just don't think he's a number one pick...at least right now. Hamstring injuries tend to linger and it just isn't worth the risk.

Holdout Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson isn't worth the risk either. While CJ might be back in action by week 3 or 4 we suggest you pick someone else. Come January, you'll be glad you did...

The White Mike Vick? What Will ESPN Do Next?

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:31:10 GMT

Doesn't ESPN's picture of a white Michael Vick just reek of desperation to be relevant? What will new magazine editor Chad Millman think of next?

Grantland Grades Are In: The Good, Bad & Ugly

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:13:00 GMT

It has now been ten weeks since Grantland.com launched and enough time has transpired for Editor-In-Chief Bill Simmons (along with his Deputy Editor, Consulting Editors and seven other Editors) to work out the proverbial kinks. What follows is one man's opinion about the Good, Bad and Ugly of Grantland to date:

Good

Site layout - The exact opposite of ESPN.com. No bells, whistles, pop-up videos, slideshows, and complete information overload. The simple and minimalist approach works for me.

The Winners and Losers column by Kevin Wildes - Short, sweet and to the point. Entertaining without any fluff.

Inaugural article by Contibuting Editor Malcolm Gladwell - Interesting angle about the psychic benefit of owning an NBA team presented in a concise manner.

Bad

The vast majority of articles from Carles - This one about Entourage was particularly egregious.

Lack of reader comments that would enable feedback and interaction with staff writers/columnists to occur - Supposedly, some type of comment section will be forthcoming in a few months but many readers likely will have permanently checked out by that time.

Uninteresting and poor content - I am the main demographic for the site and should theoretically like about 80% of the content. However, whenever I visit I may click on only 25% of the stories/columns/features/articles and actually finish reading about 1/3 of them.

Any non-Mailbag column by Bill Simmons - I've been a fan of Simmons for several years. This pains me a bit to write but he has clearly lost a little off his fastball. Okay fine, a lot off his fastball. Even Jamie Moyer thinks so.

Katie Baker's New York Times wedding section columns - Awful. Simply awful. I understand the desire to build female readership but no self-respecting man would ever read one word.

Ugly

The Simmons Stache - Hideous.

Most of Molly Lambert's columns - Exhibit A being this incomprehensible piece of pablum. Jennifer Aniston and Elliott Gould?

Editing (or the lack of it) - There are a total of 13 editors listed on the main page of the site. Granted, four of them are merely consulting editors but that leaves at least nine individuals who could conceivably have prevented hundreds of mistakes and factual errors from being published. I'm hardly perfect, but this little blog doesn't have a multi-million dollar annual budget and more than a half dozen paid editors on staff. Grantland does and the number of errors that occur on a daily basis is mind-boggling and astounding.

Jim Thome Headed Back To The Philadelphia Phillies?

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 17:39:47 GMT

Don't look now but Mr. 600 may be on the move...back to Philly. Rumor has it that Thome will be dealt to the powerhouse Phillies for the home stretch. As always, the rich get richer...

Are Libraries The Most Depressing Place On Earth?

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 20:07:34 GMT

Perhaps it's the lackluster economy. Maybe it's the utter disappointment about the staggering incompetence of our elected representatives in Washington D.C. Whatever the reason, I just can't help but notice people seem to be generally less upbeat these days.

Nowhere is this more evident than a public library on a Tuesday afternoon. Last week I had forty minutes to kill before a meeting and decided to pop into my local library to do a little last minute preparation.

Talk about a microcosm of society. Every single person I encountered looked angry, sad, depressed or bored. I didn't see one smiling face the entire time I was there. It was almost as if I walked into a screening of The English Patient. Hope was nowhere to be found and only gloom, doom and despair filled the cavernous room.

On that day the library appeared to be one giant petri dish of unforgettable sights, sounds and odors. For the most part, everyone fell into one of the following five categories: slacker students, homeless men, sleepy septuagenarians, religious zealots and computer guys.

The late teen and twenty-something students all wore iPod miniature earphones while staring expressionless at computer screens or textbooks. A steady stream of homeless men traipsed in and out of the restroom as the pungent aroma of body order, urine, fecal matter and desperation wafted through the air...

Click here to read the entire piece/essay

Best Of The Boob Tube: The White Shadow

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:03:45 GMT

Warren Coolidge, Morris Thorpe, James Hayward, Abner Goldstein, Ricky Gomez, Salami...
the boob tube just doesn't get any better than The White Shadow.

Where have shows like this gone? My 10-year old son and 12-year old daughter are now only able to choose from flotsam and jetsam like iCarly and Good Luck Charlie.

It seems like every year a half dozen old television programs are made into movies in Hollywood. The A-Team? Starsky & Hutch? How about someone remaking a great television show for a change?

One can dare to dream, right?

Jermichael Finley Is Not Impressed With The Eagles & Saints...

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:40:07 GMT

Jermichael Finley doesn't fear Philly or New Orleans at all and thinks it's only a matter of time before the Green Bay Packers become a hot topic of conversation in the NFL once again. I couldn't agree more with the talented Packer tight end...the Eagles, Saints, Steelers and Patriots are simply pretenders. The Lombardi trophy definitely will be staying in Titletown, U.S.A. for another year.

Drew Decker Talks Hot Dogs, Dumb Luck & A Reversal Of Fortune

rnman40@yahoo.com (San Diego Sports Guy) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:28:55 GMT

One of Kemp's favorite kids, Drew, has taken a bit of a break from blogging to write a few more short stories for a (hopefully) soon to be published book. Here is an excerpt from one of those stories:

My name is Tommy Dexter and I'm not a misanthrope. Really, I'm not. I'm actually fascinated by people's accomplishments and how they achieved them. More often than not it comes down to getting a break.

Everyone knows the story of Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig. However, there are hundreds of similar stories. Have you heard the one about Brad Pitt? Billy Baldwin originally had the role of J.D. the Hitchhiker in Thelma & Louise but decided to leave the set to star in Backdraft. Pitt took over and as they say the rest is history.

By the way, who are they? How did "they" get to be so smart? The omniscient "they" also say that a person makes his own luck and it's all about hard work. Maybe, but a lot of other times it just comes down to dumb luck.

Let me tell you what I mean. Back in the late 1970's there was a very wealthy and successful businessman named Mickey. While driving through a sketchy part of town after a meeting one morning at about 11:30 a.m. Mickey's car stalled and he was forced to call a tow truck from a pay phone in front of a nondescript unpainted furniture store.

Famished, Mickey noticed there was a hot dog cart in the store parking lot and he walked over to take a peek. Although the foot long dogs hardly looked appetizing, Mickey decided to have a bite to eat while waiting for the tow truck to arrive...

Click here to finish the story...Betty will be happy that you did.