Are You A Breadwinner?

These guys make priceless TV. I don't know what I'm going to do when the playoffs are over.

Chris Webber's Bread Challenge.

Camraderie

I managed to see one of the last Indiana Pacers home games this season which was against the Cleveland Cavaliers. What amazed me, aside from the fact the fans cheered almost as loudly for the Cavs as they did for the Pacers, was how much of a team the Cavs are. Prior to tip it seemed like non-stop hugs and daps between all players one through twelve, trainers... everyone got love. Aside from the Cavaliers league leading success this season and their penchant for having fun, this is a team that's a family and trusts one another. All of this starts with Lebron James and trickles on down, whether it's the bench rooting the starters or the starters rooting the bench this is a talented bunch to watch that you can't help but root for. Maybe that's why they get the love in every arena around the league.

Obviously the video is a play on the Heineken walk in fridge commercial, but if that many shoes showed up for me and my boys, that would be a likely reaction.

Good looking out to my man MaZe at Kixandthecity for the tip.

Mon-ey, Mon-ey, Mon-ey, Mon-ey, Mon-eeey.

There are two things I find incredibly entertaining one obviously is basketball, the other is WWF wrestler Ted DiBiase, (I'm old school the "F" stays). For those unfamiliar with the "Million Dollar Man" he would always find ways to dehumanize people in the name of a dollar and then basically cheat them out of their potential winnings. Yeah it's cruel, but DiBiase pretty much steadily got his a** beat anyhow.

First Impressions: Nike Zoom MVP Trash Talk.

Remember when the world first started to go green and restaurants started using napkins from recycled materials, yet they were as coarse as sandpaper? Well that's sort of how the Nike Considered project started in the spring of 2005. With a goal of reconsidering both design and environmental impact to deliver products that looked utterly different from anything ever created; Nike delivered footwear that lightened it's environmental footprint, but didn't necessarily rub people the right way, being a little too avant garde on the style spectrum. In our modern society, many want to be ecologically cognizant, but really don't want to sacrifice aesthetics or comfort to do so. Well as usual, the folks in Beaverton, Oregon have an answer for that with the newest edition to the Nike basketball family.

Even though Steve Nash won the NBA MVP Award in 2006, Nike is calling his newest signature shoe the Zoom MVP Trash Talk, I'm assuming the MVP stands for "most valuable planet". It's little secret Nash cares about the environment just as much as he does setting up his teammates with assists, they drop on Earth Day, April 22nd no less. With that in mind this edition reduces the fiber content by 30%, utilizes environmentally preferred materials and comes in a box made from 100% recycled fiber. So now that you can ball with a clear conscience, how do the shoes perform?

Despite the fact that the Zoom Kobe IV's set off a low cut basketball furor, Canada's finest baller has been sporting lows for a long time now. While the Trash Talks aren't as light as the Kobe's they don't tip the scales that much heavier. When I first slid my foot in, I was pleasantly surprised with the abundance of support. This is largely attributed to Nike's optimal motion midsole architecture which offers a solid base for the foot, yet still provides great lateral motion. Also within the heel of the shoe is an additional Dri-Fit lined sleeve with a pull tab to keep your foot in place. Conversely the toe box is strikingly comfortable with an increased sense of feel allowing you to get a great feel for the court when pushing off cutting or turning.

I'm assuming this is where Nash & Nike would say this was developed like a soccer shoe/football boot for that very reason and I would have to give them credit for it. Obviously designed for the spirit of play that Steve Nash typifies, I've played in them twice and while it offers the free flowing mobility to run, it definitely doesn't leave you second guessing the support or balance you would need to break, cut or turn.

While there is much hoopla over the Trash Talk's ecological merits, it's a solid performance shoe. If you were none the wiser you wouldn't have had a clue that the leather, suede, nubuck and patent patches on the shoe are scrap fabric from the cutting room floor or that the shoelaces are made from 100% recycled polyester. The Zoom MVP Trash Talk is a strong, yet light shoe that offers the mobility, feel and comfort for a top flight NBA athlete, and while I'm apparently not on that level, it came pretty close to feeling like it... at least my feet did.

March Madness!

I will confess, I don't follow college hoops as closely as I used to. Throughout the season I check in on the rankings periodicaly, we always know who has the strong programs and who the top coaches are, but for the most part I don't buckle down until tourney time. This is when the cream rises to the top, when that college player they have been harping on all season really proves they have the grit and pedigree to carry their school to destiny. Honestly, there is no better basketball than March Madness, on any given night anyone can win, and it delivers some of the most exciting basketball the tournament so far has been a perfect example.

While there were upsets, no Cinderellas have been invited to the Final Four dance with the Elite Eight consisting of 4 number ones, 2 number twos and 2 number threes, the best of the best are here. I didn't complete a bracket at the beginning of the NCAA's, so it would be presumptuous to sit and pick a winner based on who's left. What I will guarantee though, is some exciting basketball and some great moments, however, you don't have to follow college hoops that closely to know all of that.

"Bosh Baby Drama" Is Poor Journalism By The Star's Feschuk.

Well everyone loves drama and Chris Bosh is in the middle of it. Amidst allegations of abandoning the mother of his child and cutting off financial support during her pregnancy, the Raptors power forward is under a lot of scrutiny. I'm not one to comment on court cases before they've been ruled on, but regardless of fact or fiction this is news. Society wants to know everything about our athletes good or bad, however we tend to hone in on the bad. With the Raptors dismal season some people would love to have something to point to, or explain how it all unraveled yet I don't think this is the reason.

As a writer, and someone who is a fan of basketball, I consume all information on the sport and it's players. Unfortunately while it is newsworthy, I feel this story is not a story for a "sports columnist" to write. This is a personal matter, and Bosh's status by virtue makes it a public one, but there are no merits to this story being connected to his on court play or the Raptors performance. "sports columnists" shouldn't be trying to get their Maury Povich or TMZ on with sensationalist journalism making "deadbeat dad" comments.

Oh I know Feschuk, you didn't make the headline, "Your editor wrote it." You are a sports writer, not a celebrity insider, nor are you a family matters analyst. You're a reporter but you report on basketball, if a player murdered someone would you be writing the investigative story for the Star? I think this is in bad taste, I'm not saying this to absolve CB4 of the accusations he is facing, I just think that you should know better.

However I'm sure you'll find out next time you're at a Raptors practice, or in the locker room, or when you are trying to get any news or information from players. I'm sure they would be glad to sit and chat and have a latte with you, knowing any misstep they make off the court is just as fair game as any move they make on it. I think you'll really have to rely on twitter as a source for quotes as I don't think anyone will be talking to you.

If you are going to pin this crappy season on Bosh and his baby drama you really haven't been paying attention. I think you really need to take a bigger look at the picture here, and maybe you haven't been following this ball club as closely as you would have us believe. But then again, you are a sports columnist right?

Protect Ya Neck.

Awesome yet scary at the same time, no more words necessary.