All Balls Don't Bounce Attacks The Small Screen: ABDB vs The Grill Room.

So it would appear I'm on a mini promotional tour of sorts. You know how Tom Cruise is promoting his latest movie Valkyrie, and he's everywhere, TV shows, magazines, Bar Mitzvahs? Well I have the lite version of that, as by some scheduling happenstance, I'm doing television (Casino Rama Grill Room) and radio (The NBA Breakdown), within 4 days of each other, hardly a whirlwind tour, but lots of fun. What pray tell is it that I'm promoting? Nothing but my own humble opinion which I do each and every day right here.

Today was The Grill Room, alongside Gareth Wheeler, (the host), it was Glen Shiller from The Score, Sherman Hamilton from Raptors TV and myself. We talked a lot about the Raps, (Bosh and Bargs), as well as Tiger Woods and Brett Favre. I had a lot of fun, it was basically like talking sports with your friends, although no one is talking over you, and throw in some lights and cameras. I was a little nervous, but got a little better as it progressed, although I think I flubbed my money shot.

The topic came up about Kevin Mchale and his statement that bloggers have influence over general managers leading to a lot of coaches getting fired this season, (I'm paraphrasing, but I will get into this in it's own post, believe me). So as they posed the question to the resident blogger, I said it was pretty ridiculous, but if we did have that influence as I turned and looked into the camera, I said "Bryan Colangelo you have to make some trades." The only thing is, I turned and looked into the wrong camera. Insert the don't-quit-your-day-job jokes here.

Oh well, it was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out, expect a follow-up post with video, where you can throw darts, knives and comedic comments. The irony is that I've been in television studios countless times, but it's a completely different experience in front of the camera.

The Casino Rama Grill room is on tonight at 11pm on Sun TV (EST).
Next up radio...

One-Hundred Posts.

Wilt Chamberlain's achievement of scoring 100 points in a game, will likely never be duplicated. But your bloggers favourite basketball blog has achieved a mini-milestone of sorts, as today is the 100th post on All Balls Don't Bounce. Really the genesis of this blog was some therapeutic self serving way to flex my hoops knowledge, not to get props or get on radio or TV shows, or in magazines. So to all of those that have commented or showed your support in any way, it has been greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, every time I want to just log out of my gmail and go to bed, I know that somebody, somewhere is actually curious about what I will write next.

So thanks, and here's to 100 more posts.

When Bloggers Attack.

The joy and pain of blogging is that while you are able to share your opinion with the world, there are a million other people out there likely doing the same thing. Unfortunately it provides a voice to some who probably don't deserve one.

Take for example MVN blogger Amir Panchmatia of the Cavalier Attitude fan blog, who literally wanted to go American History X on Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski ...literally.

"I wish I could meet Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.

You want to know what I'd do? I would bust him in the jaw, throw him to the ground, force him to put his mouth on a curb, and smash the back of his head with my foot.

Yes, American History X style. And yes - I really, really would. Part of this disturbs me. Part of this depresses me because I'll probably never get the opportunity."

What did Wojnarowski do to invoke his wrath? Basically what thousands of other sports writers and bloggers do every day, speculate on Lebron James' numbered days as a Cleveland Cavalier. Hardly worthy of Panchmatia's twisted fantasy, oh and a little extreme? Yes. But what comes next is the best plot twist since Usual Suspects, Wojnarowski called Panchmatia on his post ...literally. He found his phone number, called him up, and offered to buy him a plane ticket so he could come try and kick his ass.

"You don't get to channel "your inner Ed Norton," —-- celebrating a neo-Nazi movie and that curb stomp scene —- and think that I'm sitting that one out. I don't know what this guy's deal is, but because he wrote that he worried he'd never get a chance to live out his fantasy of going all skinhead on me, I sure did offer him up a plane ticket so he could come and give it a shot. Listen, I have no issue with a blogger writing whatever he wants about my work. He can say anything. That's part of the deal. I understand. Hey, there are times the criticism has merit. But when someone is fired up over a neo-Nazi movie and openly dreams of putting his workboot through the back of my skull, well, I'm not laughing that one off."

Personally I don't think Wojnarowski crossed the line. Anytime we put something down in writing we're open to criticism, however this was taken too far. The aforementioned posts by Panchmatia are no longer active, and he's now likely back in his mother's basement acting out how his death duel would have went down with action figures.

Raptor Blog escorted me to the ring, and Deadspin gave me the play by play, who needs Don King?