Thirsty Thursday for the Soul

Amazing how one little weekend home can completely throw off my blogging schedule. I don't have a ton of things to say, but just some discussion points to mull over to help you get through until Friday evening, because come Monday, we're back on the roof again.

-LeBron is claiming that race played a role in the debacle his crew put together to announce his free agency plans. He's right, it did. If he was white, he probably wouldn't be in the NBA, wouldn't be sponsored by Nike, wouldn't have near a billion dollars, and wouldn't have had the option to sign somewhere else. I'm not discriminating here, I'm honestly stating the facts. The odds are against him as a white male of making the NBA. I'm sure he has felt the negative side of the race argument, but he has also felt the benefit of it. I want equality as much as the next guy, believe me, but as long as you get opportunities that others don't for being a black athlete, don't complain about the downsides that come along with it. Everyone has to deal with the reality that what we do in life has both up and downsides every day, and as long as you are making MILLIONS of dollars to do what you love, don't expect sympathy from me LeCon.

-If we're talking about teams flying under the radar, then I want to throw the Oklahoma State Cowboys into the ring. They average 596 yards a game (first in FBS) and have what I would argue is the most elusive running back in the NCAAs in Kendall Hunter. Don't forget that last season Hunter was getting Heisman publicity before battling through bad ankle injuries all season. The big question surrounding the Cowboys is this though; Will they be able to break through the wall that is Bedlam and the OU Gooners, er, excuse me, Sooners. Posmotrem.

-Training Camp hype is reaching full throttle. Locally, the big buzz with the Jazz mostly surrounds Al Jefferson and Gordon Heyward, and whether or not the Jazz will end up trading AK. The Nets trade falling through was better for the Jazz as a team starting camp than saving that money....for now, but with the hype surrounding Jeremy Evans and Ryan Thompson coming into camp, I can't see the Jazz hanging on to AK through the end of the year unless the changes in personnel really revitalize his game. My hunch is that they expect Evans to be a better version of Andrei.

-Pennant Race. Pennant Race. Pennant Race. Best one in years. Giants, Padres, and Braves. The NL West basically to be decided by the final series of the season. I'm going to take a shower now, because I'm going to spend all weekend sweating this one out.