Hard Knocks Recap - Episode 3 - by MM

Episode 3 8/25

During a skype session, the defensive coordinator's daughter chimed, any news on Revis? Later we see a Jets' assistant negotiating a deal to bring in talent for the rookie show. "Anything else?, " she asks. "Yeah, call Revis," says Rex Ryan. There was a magician at the show. "Make Revis show up, that'd be a hell of a trick," interjected LB Bart Scott.

Yup, we're now 25 days into the Darelle Revis holdout, and he remains a central figure in this Hard Knocks.

We're also three weeks away from the season, and these Jets have a roster to sort out. The episode begins fresh off a loss to the Giants in the first preseason game. The 2nd and 3rd units were major disappointments in game 1, giving up the lead that the starters had built. Depth is key to overcoming injuries, and you have to wonder if this could ultimately be this teams downfall when the season is all said and done. Only time will tell...

The episode's concentrates mostly on the reserves battling to make the team, mostly for a chance to be on Special Teams. We find out about this youtube legend, O-lineman Adam Tadisch...


....and also get a glimpse into some good-natured rookie hazing and the always funny rookie show.

The Jets beat the Panthers in their second preseason game, with the 2nd teamers improving. Vernon Gholston continues to impress Ryan, Youtube sensation o-lineman, and the backup punter, not so much. They're the cuts in the this episode, but as done before, the Jets do it the classy way. Center, Nick Mangold's new contract signing is also shown.

Overall, kind of a snoozer of an episode, but hopefully we'll see some more of the starters next week.

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NEW JOAKIM NOAH BULLS COMMERCIAL - FRIENDS

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MARK'S KADDY KORNER Safeway Classic, North Plains, OR - by Mark Huber

Sunday practice rounds for a tournament starting Friday aren’t the norm but Misun wanted to play eighteen holes and practice a bit Sunday afternoon. I reluctantly obliged and was glad to see a cart available in the sweltering 100 degree heat. We beat some balls, teed it up about 2:30 and accomplished a lot. I was able to chart all the greens and she worked diligently on her short game. The nice thing about working Sunday afternoon was getting a head start on Helvetia Tavern cheeseburgers that evening.

Ghost Creek at Pumpkin Ridge sets in the rolling hills northwest of Portland and has hosted numerous USGA events, Tiger won his last U.S. Am here, and Helvetia is about three miles east as the crow flies. We stumbled onto this old country general store turned burger haven about ten years ago during the Champions Tour Jeld-Wen Tradition and salivate every time someone mentions it.

 It was a nice respite from the hot afternoons but five cheeseburgers in one week was a bit much. They serve RC Cola, everything comes on thin wax paper, the pepper shakers work, and you see all walks of life gnawing on the monster burgers. Dave and Ronnie Stockton thanked me profusely for the good yardage and made two trips themselves.

I thought Misun would take it easy after the early start but she spent at least 8-10 hours every day practicing. The youngsters don’t quite understand that rest is an important part of your routine and beating balls for hours doesn’t groove a good swing. You need a purpose in your practice for improvement but a lot of the Korean parents demand they hit balls all day long, even when they are noticeably tired. We paid the penalty Friday.

I think we were physically and mentally wore out by Friday. Paired with Amy Hung and Sandra Gal, a young long hitting German who Dave Stockton is trying to set me up with, we fired a smooth 78 and did all the damage the last seven holes. A wayward tee shot on twelve cost us a double and we followed it with three straight bogies, a birdie, another bogie, then parred eighteen. Her dauber was down, she was tired but still headed for the range at 7:00, beat some balls and accomplished nothing. Maybe one of these days she’ll listen.

The Safeway Classic of Portland has been around since 1972 and is the second longest continuous LPGA event. The crowds were large and the pro-am turnout was huge. Usually you have 40-45 pro-am teams but this tournament had over fifty for both days, quite a tribute to the area support. The tournament director, Tom Maletis, was constantly roaming the grounds making sure everything was in order and everyone was in good hands. He was on a first name basis with all the veteran caddies and made sure we had a hot meal and a cold beer after the round.

We started on the back nine early Saturday way back in the pack and needed 69 or 70 to make the cut. The conditions were ripe for scoring but nothing fell early and we were two over making the turn after bogeying the reachable par 4 seventeenth. Birdies dropped on the second and third holes then we knocked it close on the par five fourth. Misun pulled the five-footer and we left our birdie putt on the next hole in the jaws. At six over we still had a chance with two reachable par fives remaining but we didn’t take advantage of any opportunities, missing the cut by three.

Walking from the scoring tent I expected to say our goodbyes, pack up, and haggle over the check. She was off for some lunch and wanted to practice more that afternoon. After the practice session I asked if I was receiving a little extra salary because of the Sunday practice round. “Oh, no, I can’t afford to pay you any more but can you come out tomorrow at ten for some more practice, I’ll have my checkbook then.”

For some reason this didn’t set well with me but I showed up little late Sunday morning, watched her hit balls while she chatted with her ailing coach, Phil Ritson, over the phone. She’s been unable to work with him the last three months and it’s taken a toll on her game. When we finished she gave me a big hug, thanked me, admitted she probably overworked this week, and wrote me a check. At least I covered my expenses, barely.

Some weeks are like that but it’s time to get back to the Champions Tour. Bob Gilder is playing good so next week in Snoqualmie things should be much more rewarding.

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan. Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

 

 

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The Amazing Race: Pujols & the Cards vs Votto & the Reds

NL Central Race


Heading into the last quarter of the MLB season, the Cubs have mailed it in, Lou has retired, and the Brewers are 13.5 games back of the NL Central leading Reds. Yes, that's right, the Cincinnati Reds (72-52) lead the St Louis Cardinals (67-54) by 3.5 games. Even if the Reds were to finish the season going .500 (19-19), the Cardinals would have to go 25-16 the rest of the way to take the NL Central outright. It's possible but highly unlikely.



A key reason the Reds will hang on to the division is because they have Homer Bailey back in the pitching rotation (last pitched on May 23rd, missing 73 games on the DL). Since returning, Bailey has gone 2-0 in two starts, giving up only 7 hits and 1 earned run in 13 inning pitched. He ended 2009 as the hottest pitcher in baseball and I think he'll continue that trend this year. Over his last 9 starts in 2009, Bailey went 6-1 with a 1.70 ERA. He would have ended up 8-1 if it wasn't for two blown saves. Another reason is that their bats are healthy and have been consistent all year. The Reds lead the NL in Batting Avg, Runs Scored, Total Hits, and RBI.

The Cardinals have some things on their side that could spoil the Reds dreams of winning their first World Series since 1990. First, they have some of the best starting pitching staffs in the MLB. 3 starters have an ERA under 3.00; Adam Wainwright (17-7, 2.06 ERA), Chris Carpenter (14-4, 2.88 ERA), and Jaime Garcia (11-6, 2.42 ERA). Second, they have the 3-time NL MVP (2005, 2008, 2009) Albert Pujols. Third, the Cards have one more 3-game series with the Reds to gain ground and they swept them earlier this month.

The NL Triple Crown Race - Pujols vs Votto

The last NL Triple Crown batting champ was Joe Medwick (.374 BA, 31 HR, 154 RBI) in 1937.
Right now we have a close race between the Reds slugger, Joey Votto, and the Cardinals reigning MVP, Albert Pujols. Albert has played about 5 games more than Joey, so if they can both stay healthy, it should be a fun race to watch that will come down to the last game of the season.

• Albert Pujols (.316 BA (NL Rank: 4th), 32 HR (NL Rank: 1st), and 89 RBI (NL Rank: 1st)

• Joey Votto (.323 BA (NL Rank: 1st), 29 HR (NL Rank: 3rd), and 86 RBI (NL Rank: 2nd)

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DERRICK ROSE BREAKING ANKLES

Almost another Andre Miller incident...Sick!

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Dream Team aptly named - by Kent McDill

We called them the Dream Team before they ever played a game.  They were the 1992 U.S. Olympic Basketball team, and they smoked the competition on the way to the Gold Medal, just like we knew they would. They recently were enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

But you know what was weird about the Dream Team?  They were the overwhelming favorites, yet they had a chip on their shoulder.  It doesn't usually work that way, you know. A team that is an overwhelming favorite has to worry about overconfidence. But the Dream Team had to worry about regaining the standing of American basketball among the world's Olympic programs.

Just for fun (and it really is fun) let's remember who was on that team: Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Christian Laettner, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson and John Stockton.  Nice.

In 1989, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) decided to allow professional basketball players into the Olympic competition. That came just months after the U.S., using an amateur team of college players, finished third in the 1988 Olympic Games, losing to the Soviet Union in the semifinal game.  So the United States, finally allowed to send its best players like the rest of the world already did, went overboard. We sent some of the best players ever, and Laettner.

The Dream Team won its Olympic games by 68, 33, 43, 44, 41, 38, 51 and 32 points. Do you know what that means? They never took their eyes off the prize. They played with the conviction that comes from being pissed off, and they played as a team, perhaps thebest team ever to play the game of basketball.

By the time the Olympics were over, I was tired of the whole show. We proved our point to the point of making it pointless. Domination of that sort is only fun for a short while, then it's just time to go get something to drink. A team that strong needed a team of super-villains to battle, but the world could not
provide that.

So let's remember what was best about the Dream Team: Bird and Magic playing on the same team; Ewing and Robinson patrolling the middle, Malone and Barkley dominating inside, Jordan again playing big on the biggest stage, and Pippen getting his due at an early stage in his Hall of Fame career.

It was fun while it lasted, but it was the zenith of basketball. No team will ever match the Dream Team for star quality or basketball skill. And the Dream Team was ours. It's good to be king.

Kent McDill has been covering sports in Chicago for 30 years, and spent 11 seasons with the Bulls from 1988-99, covering them for the Daily Herald. He has covered the Chicago Bears, Bulls, White Sox, Cubs and Fire in his career, as well as Chicago's college basketball scene. Kent will be freelancing for Docksquad Sports...
 

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LOU PINIELLA STEPS DOWN AS CUBS MANAGER

We'll miss you Lou, thanks for the past few seasons...

Press Conference:

 



H/T: Chicago Breaking Sports

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DERRICK ROSE HITS GAME WINNING FREE THROW VS SPAIN - TEAM USA WINS

Here are the highlights from today's Spain vs. Team USA game...Check out DRose's game winning FT's in the recap video below!



Also check out DRose's clutch layup on Marc Gasol on the possession before that...



H/T For layp vid - Bulls by the Horns

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Arjun Atwal wins the Wyndham Championship

Arjun Atwal beats the odds at the Wyndham Championship. He became the first Indian to ever win a PGA Tour event and the 1st qualifier to win on the PGA Tour in 24 years. Congrats to Arjun on earning his PGA Tour Card for 2011.

AP recap


Peter Kostis interview right after he sank the winning putt..


Nick Faldo and Bill Macatee recap Atwal's win at the Wyndham Championship

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DERRICK ROSE TO RUDY GAY ALLEY-OOP USA VS. LITHUANIA

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Hard Knocks Recap - by MM

We're two episodes in on this season's HBO Hard Knocks that features the New York Jets. We at DSS would be remiss if we didn't provide a recap of quite possibly the most interesting and engaging sports show on tv, as evidenced by the Emmy awards that the show received after last year's season with the Cincinnati Bengals.  The series covers the team's preparations for the upcoming season and provides viewers with team inside jokes and pranks, players' family matters, and position battles. The series especially focuses on rookies' adjustments to the NFL, usually with the team's highest draft selection and an undrafted or journeyman player that looks to make the team.

Onto a few tidbits from the first two episodes,  going forward we'll have a episode recap for you by Thursday morning.

Jets Management-  The beauty of this team is the clear-cut order of the organization at the top. In previous seasons we've seen the oil-slick Jerry Jones, and frugal Mike Brown of the Cowboys and Bengals,  respectively, rule with an iron-fist ultimately making all the decisions.  On this team Woody Johnson is the owner, he's seen occasionally but he's assembled some of the best minds in the game and he clearly let's them do their job.  GM Mike Tannenbaum is one of the brightest young minds in the game having completely rebuilt this Jets team over the last 3 seasons through the draft (Mark Sanchez, Nick Mangold, Darelle Revis) and Free Agency (  Kris Jenkins, Bart Scott, etc etc etc.) 

Coaching:  In his 2nd year at the helm, Rex Ryan, steals the show. From his diet (the ogre lost 50 lbs in the offseason) and dalliances from it, his constant yet inspiring cursing, his random rants and anecdotes on and off the field, the man could certainly fill up 60 minutes alone. He's loud, fat, and boisterous, but he's exactly what every NFL team needs in their boss, and this star-studded Jets team feeds off of his confidence and personality.  Brian Shottenheimer is the hottest young head coaching prospect in the league, but he decided to return for another year as the Jets Offensive Coordinator  It'll be interesting to see what kind of improvements he can make with Sanchez in year two, and how much he can get out of his free agent acquisitions (Santonio Holmes, Tomlinson).

Personally, I think last season was interesting as HBO highlighted all the drama and position battles of the Cincinnati Bengals. Great TV to see how badly these guys fight for their dream of making an NFL roster.  This season, as of yet, The Jets haven't had too many position battles. Most of the starting jobs are locked up.  What makes it entertaining though is seeing this squad of pro bowlers come together;  so much talent, so many dynamic personalities, yet still so many question marks.

Here's a few players that have been featured:

Darrelle Revis:  "Revis Revis, where are you? Come home now," quipped  Rex Ryan during bed checks in the first episode. Revis is sitting out training camp due to contract issues.  His story is what makes this Jets management and Rex Ryan so entertaining. Most teams take the p.c. route and skirt the issue. This team constantly acknowledges the fact that he's their best player and m.i.a, but the show must go on without him.   Strategy perhaps, but compelling TV for us.

Kris Jenkins:  A serious knee injury kept the NT out of the last 10 games last year, he's back and looks like a man possessed. His motor and mouth are constantly running.

Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes-   Cromartie came via the chargers in the offseason after some lackluster effort last season. He's made a few great plays in training camp so far, flashing that pro-bowl ability.  He still, however, is in his mid 20s and has 7 kids, of whom he struggles to remember their names.  Great unintentional comedy with that. With Revis out, he becomes one of the most important players on the field.  Holmes, the 2009 Superbowl MVP was brought in from Pittsburgh after a drug charge.  Get rid of Holmes, keep Big Ben and his more ridiculous baggage? Interesting, but i digress. Holmes has looked sharp in footage making some nice grabs.  Also surprisingly has played the role of leader helping rookies in a few scenes.

John Conner- Rookie FB from University of Kentucky.  He's gotten a lot of  footage and is the apple of the coaching staff's eye for his bone-crushing blocking.  YouTube some of his footage if you can.  4-time pro bowler, Tony Richardson, has a competition on his hands.

Vernon Gholtson- The #6 pick in the 2008 draft is a bust, so far.  You get the feeling that he's Rex Ryan's pet project, and so far the kids made improvements from LB to DE.  One of the funnier moments of episode two was when Ryan and the coaching staff decided to light a fire in VG.  They had a player get under his skin to force a little practice scuffle, and it seemed to work. Hopefully we'll see more out of Gholston the rest of training camp.

Some players we'd like to see more of in the coming episodes:

Sanchez-  The weight of New York are on this kids shoulders. He had an up and down rookie campaign, but the team made it to the AFC championship game with him behind center.  Sanchez seems cool and collected so far, but it would be nice to get some more football footage of him in the next few episodes.

Running Game: They relied heavily on the running game, but there are questions in that area. How much will this team miss Leon Washinngton & Thomas Jones?  Can Shonn Greene build on his rookie year? Does LTD have anything left? Give some more face-time for these two.

Alright check back with us on Thursday.  Next episode, episode 3, of Hard Knocks airs on 8/25 at 10EST, 9CST

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SERBIA VS GREECE BASKETBALL FIGHT

Check out this crazy fight from the pre-World Championship "friendly" between Serbia and Greece!  Rowdy!



H/T Ball Don't Lie

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Derrick Rose gets his own Skittles Machine!

Check out DRose's new custom Skittles machine!  Sick!!!  I just saw this in CNBC's Darren Rovell's Sports Biz.

This is what it said in his post...

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is known to eat a lot of candy. So when the folks at Wrigley found out that he likes to down their Skittles brand, they decided to do something a little special for the hometown boy.

Rose gets the machine and the Skittles for free; the Skittles brand has a chance of getting more love from Rose; and the Bulls, I guess, hope Rose's sugar highs peak at the right time.

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Mark Ingram tries to do Tiger's famous Nike Commercial Trick Shot

Granted, Tiger went between his legs, around his back, stopped the ball dead on the face of his wedge a couple times, changed direction 90 degrees and smacked it 150+ yards on the first take but Mark Ingram does a decent imitation here...


Thanks to DSS reader, Craig, for the video.

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

August 19th

Happy 41st Birthday to former Ohio State Buckeyes QB and current ESPN College GameDay Analyst, Kirk Herbstreit

You can catch Kirk alongside Lee Corso and Chris Fowler on ESPN’s College GameDay. They open the 2010 season in Atlanta, GA at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between LSU and North Carolina on Sept. 4th.

The highly anticipated Ohio State vs Miami game is on September 11th but since it's an early afternoon game, it may not be a part of the GameDay schedule so don't expect LeBron to be a guest on GameDay or on the Buckeyes sideline this year. It will be interesting to see if he shows up next year when Ohio State travels down to Miami. He's always said he's an Ohio State fan, guess we'll see how loyal the front-runner really is.

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DUSTIN JOHNSON SHOULD HAVE HEARD MANY VOICES - by Mark Huber

 

It's ultimately Dustin's fault but when he walked off the eighteenth tee there should have been a number of voices wandering through his head.

 

First, Dustin should have said to himself, "I'm outside the ropes, I need to be careful of any unusual circumstances that may affect my lie."

 

His caddy should have whispered in his ear, "Hey dude, let's be a little careful over here, you never know what the gallery may have trampled over. Make sure of where we're at before we hit the ball."

 

The PGA official with the group should have walked with Dustin and quietly stated, "Please be aware of the local rule about the unmaintained bunkers outside the ropes."

 

That's all that needed be done and we wouldn't have had the fiasco. I've watched the replays.........caddy or official were nowhere in sight. That's a shame, sometimes a guy needs a little help finishing off a win.

 

I'm also surprised nobody in the gallery mentioned the bunker. Often times you pick up clues from the crowd about what's been happening. They've been there all day and watched it all, they may know more than player, caddy, or official.

 

It's a shame and it would have been a greater shame it that par putt would have dropped. Dustin handled it with class and he'll get his major soon. I can't wait to watch him and Bubba in the Ryder Cup.

 

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan. Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

 

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MICHAEL JORDAN AT RUCKER PARK

Michael Jordan at Rucker Park from John Karalis on Vimeo.

Thanks for the video Sam

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COACH K ON DERRICK ROSE

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN'S HALL OF FAME SPEECH

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DERRICK ROSE INTERVIEW: USA VS. FRANCE @ MSG

Just found this on YouTube.  Check out this new DRose interview, looks like it is with Slam mag...

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DERRICK ROSE DUNK FROM TEAM USA SCRIMMAGE

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GATORADE'S EVERYTHING TO PROVE VIDEO SERIES

NBA fans, Gatorade and the NBA have partnered for the “Everything to Prove” video series, an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the 2010 NBA Summer League.

The ongoing Web series follows three undrafted rookies (Jeremy Lin, Jon Scheyer, Omar Samhan) as well as No. 1 overall pick John Wall, as they fight for roster spots and respect during the NBA’s grueling summer session.

If you are a NBA fan like me, you will love these. They are tight, check these out for sure!

Episode 1 - Everything to Prove



Episode 2 - Prepare for the challenge



Episode 3 - Perform like a Pro



Episode 4 - Let the recovery begin

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Pippen and Jordan Square Off

Check out this footage of Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan playing against eachother in a 1994 charity game.

thanks for the vid Sam

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN AND THE "DUNK"

What, did you think I would have a Scottie Pippen week and not post THE BEST DUNK EVER!?!?!

(clearer video)



(where you can see him tell Spike Lee to sit down)



Another thing about the dunk that was awesome was when Pippen told Spike Lee to sit his ass down afterwards.  Man Pip, MJ and those Bulls just had that swagger back then!  Sick...

Also, check out Scottie talking about the "Dunk" and talking about playing vs. the Knicks...



Congrats on making it into the HOF, and on an incredible career Scottie.

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MEMORIES OF SCOTTIE PIPPEN - by Kent McDill

I enjoyed watching Scottie Pippen play basketball as much as I enjoyed watching Michael Jordan play basketball. I watched them both for 11 years, from 1988-1999, as I covered the Chicago Bulls for the Daily Herald newspaper in Arlington Heights. I saw Jordan mature into the greatest basketball player of all time and I watched Pippen grow into a future Hall of Famer.

While Jordan was a marvel of physical ability and competitive drive, Pippen was the athlete I would want my kids to be, someone who transformed himself into a great player. Greatness was not thrust upon Pippen, it was something that he earned through hard work and determination.

I bristle at the continued use of Batman and Robin to describe the relationship between Jordan and Pippen. Giving it exactly 10 seconds of thought, I prefer Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with Jordan as Robert Redford's Kid and Pippen as Paul Newman's Cassidy.

Pippen was the best defensive player I ever saw. With his incredible wingspan and quick reflexes, Pippen was able to stymie the best players in the game. In fact, by the time his career was over, I believe Pippen was more highly regarded as a defensive player than Jordan was.

Offensively, Pippen was adept at taking advantage of situations, but he never overstepped the bounds of basketball decorum by trying to score when he did not have the advantage. He employed his teammates and gave them scoring opportunities never offered to them by Jordan, who would just as soon score himself.

While Jordan brought many basketball highlights to the game, and did things that younger players tried to emulate frequently, Pippen brought back the bank shot to professional basketball. Remember how great he was at that? The 15-foot bank from the right side was his specialty, and brought to mind the thousands of bank shots I attempted under my father's watchful eye as I was growing up. I never tried to stuff a basketball.

It was difficult, I'm sure, for Pippen to exist in Jordan's shadow, but I'm sure Pippen will tell you he would not have become the player he was without Jordan's involvement. But many people deride Pippen for the times he bristled at the snubs Jordan would never have received.

That play Phil Jackson drew up for Toni Kukoc in the playoff game, when Pippen begged out of the game in the final seconds in a snit, would never have been drawn up if Jordan were with the Bulls. No chance would Jackson ever ask Jordan to serve as a decoy.

Pippen once told me how his statistics were affected by playing with Jordan, especially in the area of steals. Pippen said if he tipped the ball away from an opponent and it was picked up by Jordan, Jordan was credited with the steal. If Jordan tipped the ball into Pippen's hands, Jordan again got the steal.  I don't know if that is true, but having watched the games all those years, and seeing how Jordan was treated by officials and official scorers, it sounds believable.

Pippen also had numerous contract squabbles over the years (he gave me the biggest story of my career when he said he would never play for the Bulls again because of contract issues) but all he wanted was for the team to show him the respect it showed Jordan. He didn't want the same amount of money, but he did want there to be no question they would give him his financial due.

When I thought about Pippen, I could not help but think of where he came from, a truly dirt-poor family, a college career at a very small school, and the constant struggle to serve as Jordan's bag man. Anybody would suffer in that scenario, and Pippen did. But he always got through it, and he became a respected member of the NBA's history, to the point that he is now in the Hall of Fame.  I'm not exactly sure why, but I am proud of Scottie Pippen, and I am glad I got to see him play during his Hall of Fame career.

Kent McDill has been covering sports in Chicago for 30 years, and spent 11 seasons with the Bulls from 1988-99, covering them for the Daily Herald. He has covered the Chicago Bears, Bulls, White Sox, Cubs and Fire in his career, as well as Chicago's college basketball scene. Kent will be freelancing for Docksquad Sports...

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN'S NBA STORY

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN HALL OF FAME SPECIAL

H/T ESPN Chicago

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THE PIPPEN YEARS PHOTO ALBUM TRIBUTE

Well here is the Pippen Slideshow I promised you guys.  These are my favorite photos/memories of Pippen through the years.  Some of my favorites include the Dunk over Ewing (of course), D'ing up Mark Jackson full court, D'ing up Magic and Malone, holding up Jordan in the flu game, all the Chip ones, the ASG MVP one, Dream Team ones, and well, just all of them!  Thanks for the memories Pip!



Also a big thanks to all the Bulls fans/DSS readers for sending in some of your favorite Pippen photos for this album!

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POWER BALANCE CHARITY AUCTION FT. DERRICK ROSE ART

DRose and Bulls fans, check out this DRose art below.  This piece and others like it, are apart of the Power Balance auction, and they being auctioned off for a great cause.  If interested, check out this website for sure.  The money raised from this is going to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

H/T DRose's Facebook page.

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MARK'S KADDY KORNER - 3M Championship, Blaine, MN - by Mark Huber

 

Hey all,

Travelling through Scotland and England was nice but you miss the little comforts of the U.S. Cheeseburgers, hot showers, driving on the right side of the road with no roundabouts, and a toilet that flushes regularly were high on my list.

It was a quick turnaround landing Sunday at O’Hare and then hitting the road for Minneapolis Monday noon. Zach, my dog, was riding shotgun and the Brooklyn Park Motel 6 was the only hotel in the area that allowed both of us. It had hot showers, flush toilets, and a good cheeseburger joint down the road so it was perfect. We didn’t expect all the police activity in the eclectic community but we survived.

I spent Monday evening in Eau Claire with friends and tried to shake off the jet lag then cruised into Brooklyn Park Tuesday morning planning to meet Jim for an afternoon practice round. About three the text read “Not coming to the course, see you in a.m. for pro-am. I checked out the course during the wait and headed back to a parking lot full of cops. It was going to be an exciting week off the course.

This was Jim’s last ditch effort to maintain exempt status. Since he hadn’t made a lot of money his status after this week wouldn’t let him play any more tournaments. There was a lot of pressure but he’s been playing reasonably well the last month and the Twin Cities TPC was right for him. Wide fairways and reachable par fives make for low scores and Jim fired an easy 67 in the Wednesday pro-am, we were both fired up. After a long practice session I headed for police central, took Zach for a long run, and settled in early.

The toothache started about 8 p.m., the throbbing persisted until about four in the morning, and I showed up at the caddy shack with a swollen left jaw late Thursday morning. Luckily, every tournament has an on-call dentist and he pulled me off the practice about one, took me to his office, jerked the culprit out, and had me back on the practice range at 2:30. I was a little stiff and sore for the weekend but caddying was no problem.

We were on cruise control Friday managing our game well but the putts weren’t falling. Two under with one hole to play disaster struck and we finished even par. One bad drive all day and it cost us a double on the last hole. Tough finish but you have to come back the next day, regroup, and go low. We didn’t, fired a 73 and teed off very early Sunday morning.

Jim’s wife Cheryl and daughter Lauren were there for the week and it was a bit tough on every one Sunday morning knowing this may be Jim’s last round for the year. There wasn’t a lot of conversation we just went about our business and managed birdies on the last two holes finishing in the red.

There were puffy eyes saying our good-byes but I sincerely believe Jim will be back next year. He learned a lot; hopefully I helped a bit, and knows what he needs to work on. Everyone we played with this year admired his swing and he has the talent, there’s a comfort zone you need to work yourself into, and he’s getting there. It’s just going to take a little more time and some attitude adjustment sessions.

It’s an off week next week, I wish I was heading to Whistling Straits but the cabin is a close second. It looks like Misun Cho for Portland, Bob Gilder in Seattle, and Dave Stockton called last week wanting me to work with one of his protégés, Sandra Gal. I had to juggle a few things with Misun but she understood. It’s a long drive to Portland, I’m ready for a road trip, hopefully the van is up to it.

Take care,

 

Mark

 

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan. Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN - ULTIMATE DEFENDER

Awesome, this video gives me chills...

In my opinion, Scottie was the best defender of our time.  Again my opinion, but anyone who watched the game back then, will tell you the same.  Pip could shutdown anyone, 1-4.  Pippen was always swarming everywhere in that doberman defense, and if he wasn't ripping you, he was swatting your shot, or causing you to alter yours.  Yes, some guys might have been better for a season, or so, but Pippen did it on the defensive end for a very, very long time.  Also, if you disagree with me, then let me know who you think was better back then? 

Just watch this video, and enjoy!  Scottie Pippen ladies and gentleman!

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DOCK'S DOSSIER

What's up everyone?  I'm hyped this week because my main man Scottie Pippen's HOF ceremony is this Friday.  I can't wait to see Scottie and MJ on the stage together, that's for sure!  I'm also excited because Football is right around the corner.  The preseason always brings newfound optimism, no matter which team you follow.  You always see Darkhorse teams make meteoric rises, and in the preason, everyone thinks that rise will come from their own team!  I too am an eternal optimist, so I'm expecting big things from this year's Bears squad.  The Bears kick off their first preseason game on Saturday, and I honestly can't wait...

Anyways, here are some my favorite links from the past few days, in case you missed them...

• SI's Joe P with his 32 greatest RB's post.  - Walter should've been 1!!!
• Full Chicago Bulls schedule - Can't wait until that Heat game!
• The sad but true grim reality that American Tennis is dying. - Where are all the kids playing tennis?!?!
• David Haugh giving us Bears fans some hope that Matt Forte and Tommie Harris are back! - Please GOD!!!
• A nice piece about Cutler and Martz, and how trust is the biggest factor in this Offense by Suntimes Sean Jensen.  - I know there will be hiccups, but I can't wait to see the new O on Saturday.
• A wonderful piece about a wrongly imprisoned man, and how Sports played a big role in his life.  MUST READ!  The piece is by Yahoo Sports' Eric Adelson - This piece by Adelson really puts things into perspective, that's for sure...

Thanks for reading, and check back later for some Scottie Pippen videos!

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ESPN 1000'S MICHAEL WRIGHT INTERVIEWED BRIAN URLACHER

H/T ESPN 1000

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JOAKIM NOAH SITS DOWN WITH ESPN CHICAGO'S NICK FRIEDELL

Here is the whole article...

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN/ MICHAEL JORDAN MIXTAPE VIDEO

Thanks to ESPN 1000's Sarah Spain for this video! 

Music is NSFW...



What a video! Man I miss the old days! DRose going to get us back to the top soon!

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN VIDEOS

Thanks to DSS reader Dave Nakamura for these Pippen videos!

'94 ALL STAR GAME MVP!



PIPPEN INBOUNDS PASS OFF DANNY AINGE



Also, thanks to all the DSS readers for sending me your Pippen pictures via email, twitter, and facebook. I am putting together a sick Pippen photo album that will be up by the end of the week, so keep them coming!

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NEW DERRICK ROSE INTERVIEW

Just saw this DROSE interview on Elie Seckbach's twitter account, which btw is @Seckbach.  It's just DRose talking about a bunch of different topics which include the offseason, the upcoming season, TEAM USA, Lebron and his decision, and who the best poker players are/were on the squad.  Check it out...

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SCOTTIE PIPPEN WEEK

I hereby declare this week Scottie Pippen week on DSS.  I'm sure you guys know this by now, but Scottie is my favorite player ever, next to Jordan.  I'm hyped because Scottie is getting enshrined into the NBA HOF on Friday!  I honestly can't wait to see it.  And who better to present Pippen into the HOF, then MJ himself!

Per Bulls.com, this is what Pippen had to say about MJ presenting:

"I can't think of a better person to do it," said Pippen on Monday. "Michael is someone I shared my career with, accomplishing most of what I have accomplished thus far. He was a great teammate, teacher and admirer. I'm excited to have an opportunity to be the first person that he has presented into the Hall of Fame. I figure if anyone deserves to be on the stage with me, it's him." 

Two G.O.A.T.S....Thanks for the memories guys...

Anyways, I will try to post as many of my favorite Scottie videos on here this week.  I'm also putting together an album of all of my favorite Scottie pictures through the years, so check back later this week for that as well.  Also, Bulls fans, please email me any Pippen videos/pictures/memories you want posted, and I will get that up as well.  Thanks!

Here is my first video.  It is one of my favorite Pippen commercials...

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DERRICK ROSE, JOAKIM NOAH HOOP WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA

H/T Chicago breaking Sports

President Obama played ball with DRose, Joakim Noah, and other big named NBA ballers today for a group called the "wounded warriors", and for participant's in the White House's mentoring program.  Wounded warriors is a group that supports troops injured in action. 

Aside from Noah and Rose, the list of other ballers there included Kobe, Melo, Lebron, Battier, Billups, GHill, DFish, Magic Johnson, CP3, Zo, Bill Russell, DWade, Ethan Thomas, David West, and Pau Gasol.

I hope we get a video from the Event soon, but I doubt it as Media was not allowed in from what I heard. That's a sick Event. Can you imagine just even being there to watch the games?

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BULLS SIGN BOGANS TO 2 YEAR DEAL

The Bulls signed Keith Bogans to a 2 year veteran minimum deal just now...I know this is not earth shattering for most people, but I like it. The guy comes cheap, has experience, can play defense, and he can hit the open 3 ball. What more can you ask for from your 10th,11th,12th guy off the bench?

There are still some rumors out there that we will try to get Rudy F from the Blazers, but I don't see it happening. The Blazers are asking for Taj, and I highly doubt we will give Taj up for Rudy, especially after this Bogans signing.

In the end, I'm loving our team right now...

GO BULLS!

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USA BASKETBALL TRAINING

Bring home that gold DROSE!

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DERRICK ROSE TEAM USA SCRIMMAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Someone check Rondo's ankles!


Find more videos like this on BALL IS LIFE

H/T Ball is life

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

August 5th

Happy 48th Birthday to the namesake of the Ewing Theory, Patrick Ewing.
from posterizer...

to posterizee...
Pippen on the Ewing Dunk

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I GOT SCHOOLED BY DERRICK ROSE T-SHIRT FOR NBA 2K11

Check out this new DROSE t-shirt, which is apart of the new commercial campaign for NBA 2K11...

I just wanted to post this in response to this post about Rondo's t-shirt which was on Ball Don't Lie today...

Just remember one thing folks....DROSE > RONDO!!!  ROSE ALWAYS SCHOOLS RONDO LIKE HIS SHIRT SAYS!!!

GO DROSE!

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TODAY IN SPORTS...

August 4th

Updated: Today, Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th HR exactly 3 years after he hit his 500th.


Happy 49th Birthday to the POTUS, Barack Obama
Obama ballin' in H.S. at Punahou
Why does Obama always wear pants and whack low-tops when he balls? Buy some Jordan 11 lows or at least scoop the new Kobe low-tops. I think he's embarrassed of his chicken legs. Also, why is he about to go up with his left hand on the right side of the hoop? You forgot about the fundamentals of the game Barack! Right side layup with the right hand, left side layup with the left hand. Come on son!




A few months ago, Clark Kellogg gave Obama an early B-day present during the NCAA tourney when he let Barack beat him in a game of "H-O-R-S-E" or in this case, "P-O-T-U-S"

Pay close attention at the 3:50 mark when Obama drains the game-winner and says "WAP!" What does that even mean?!



Happy Birthday to The Rocket, Roger Clemens, who turns 48 years old today
Whether he used the juiced or not, 7 Cy Youngs, and a couple World Series chips is ridiculous.



Happy 61st Birthday to Super Bowl XVII MVP and Washington Redskins HOFer, The original Diesel, John Riggins


Riggins rushed for 166 yards (super bowl record, later broken by Timmy Smith a few years later) on 38 attempts (super bowl record). Riggins had more total yards than the entire Dolphins team that game. It was also his 4th consecutive 100-yard rushing game in a postseason game, another record.

The original Haynesworth beef from wikipedia

Contract dispute (1980)

During training camp in July 1980, Riggins requested to renegotiate his $300,000-a-year contract and the Redskins refused.^[12] He then chose to leave camp and the Redskins placed him on the left camp-retired list, a move that made him ineligible to play for any other team in the league.^[12] He sat out the 1980 season^[3] and didn't rejoin the Redskins until 1981, when new Washington head coach Joe Gibbs traveled to Kansas to make a peace offering.^[13]

"He had a camouflage outfit on", Gibbs recalled.

“

He had been hunting, him and a buddy. He had a beer can in his hand. It was 10 o'clock in the morning and he's meeting his coach for the first time and I'm thinking [sarcastically], 'This guy really impresses me.' But I went in there, and halfway through the conversation he says, 'You need to get me back there. I'll make you famous.[13] I thought to myself, 'Oh, my God, he's an egomaniac.' I thought, 'I'll get him back and then I'll trade him. I'm not putting up with a fruitcake.' So I fly back to Washington, and two days later he calls me. He says, 'Joe, I made up my mind, and I'm going to play next season.' I thought it was great. I've got him back, and I'll trade that sucker. But then he says, 'There's only one thing I want in my contract.' I ask what it was. He says, 'A no-trade clause.'[13]

Eleven months after he left, Riggins returned to training camp in 1981 with a new contract,^[11] telling the media "I'm bored, I'm broke, and I'm back."

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SEAN PAYTON'S NAPERVILLE CENTRAL LOCKER ROOM SPEECH

Check out this awesome pep talk Sean Payton gives to his alma mater, Naperville Central's Football Team.  It is definitely Coach Taylor (FNL) like!



Thanks to my buddy Mayank for the video...

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MARK'S KADDY KORNER - Royal Birkdale Women's British Open - by Mark Huber

After finishing three, three, three, and missing a ten footer for three on the eighteenth hole of the toughest finishing holes in the British Open Rota it was off to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. The old Victorian seaside resort was about a six hour relaxing countryside drive from Carnoustie. I caught the tournament office closing down and they helped with accommodations for the night. In England it’s either a high priced hotel or a comfortable rather cheap B&B. The first night was a hotel and the rest of the week I bounced around the B&B’s for 25 to 40 pounds per night, including breakfast and lukewarm water in the shower.

Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale are simply delightful to play and caddie. Everything is right in front of you and disaster lurks on every hole. You have to think your way around the pot bunkers and length is a definite advantage. Misun’s length really hindered our scoring ability but she battled through a hip injury and had her chances on Friday. The only hills you find at Birkdale are the gorse covered dunes lining the fairways making it difficult for spectators but an easy walk for us.

The damp, cold air took its toll on my hip the first few days but the European PGA doctor prescribed some Voltaran Tuesday afternoon making my stroll much easier the rest of the week. I’m not sure why Southport is a vacation area; we lived in our rain suits all week and the fifty degree weather didn’t draw many folks to the beach but they did come to the golf course in droves. Brollies (umbrellas), rain gear, thermoses full of private stock, and maybe a pint or two reinforced the large crowds following the marquee groups. They train station next to the course was busy all week.

The English love their golf, breakfast, tea, and ales. The golf is a delight despite the weather, the breakfast with beans, runny eggs, four types of meat, blood pudding in Scotland takes a bit to get used too, and the tea was great before bedtime. The ales, served at basement temperature, need some acquaintance time but I managed to down a couple after the long days on the course. Every ale has its own special glass design; you see all shapes and sizes sitting on the bar at a large ale house.

We didn’t tee off until 3:06 Thursday afternoon and started rough with a couple of early bogies. Birkdale has the toughest first two par fours I’ve ever seen and getting through them in nine shots is an accomplishment. We managed but found a few disasters later and kept them under control with some great putting plus a new found tool around the green. In Toledo I introduced Misun to the rescue club for chipping purposes and after practicing a few days she became an old master. It saved us at least three or four shots Thursday and Friday.

You start with the difficult holes at Birkdale and get your birdies coming home. Three out of the last four holes are par fives and you hang on till you get there. We were six over going into fifteen and my little girl finished with four fours for a three over day, not bad for her very first major. It was getting dark; we hit a few practice putts then headed for dinner. I almost didn’t finish my bangers (sausage) with mash (mashed potatoes and peas) and second pint of dark ale before falling asleep at the table. The wind and cold really took a toll on everyone, luckily we weren’t teeing off till 10:22 Friday.

The cut was looking like five or six over and our chances were good but the putts didn’t fall Friday. We were three over for the round with four to play, feeling good about gathering a birdie or two coming in but nothing dropped. Four consecutive legitimate birdie putts grazed the edge or came up a ball short leaving us one shot over the cut line and very disappointed. We waited awhile hoping anxiously for a miracle or two which might let us play the weekend but we missed.

I’d rather miss a cut by ten then one because there’s always a lot of “what ifs” running through your mind. Her first major was a respectable showing but playing on the weekend is the goal. Making the cut would have made the trip profitable for both of us but instead we scrambled to get an earlier flight home. Instead of heading back to Glasgow I managed a long two stop flight from Manchester to Chicago Sunday morning and I’m still suffering from jet lag.

It’s off to Blaine, MN this week with Jim Roy and the Champions Tour. I’ll hook up with Misun in Portland later this month.

Mark Huber is a semi-retired PGA Tour caddy doing a little writing. You can contact him at markskaddykorner@gmail.com or check outwww.MarksKaddyKorner.com for more stories about golf and life. He's caddied twenty-one years on every tour for over fifty players mainly Bob Murphy, Ray Floyd, Doug Tewell, and worked for Tom Watson twice in 2009. Mark grew up in Havana, IL attended Illinois State on a baseball scholarship and played semi-pro ball with the Eau Claire Cavaliers after spring training with the White Sox way back when. He is a die-hard Cubs fan.  Mark has freelanced for many sites, including ESPN. He will now be contributing his insights to Docksquad Sports...

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