By: Raphael Gellar
Let’s go back ten years to Waco, Texas home of the Baylor Bears. The school was getting a lot of media attention, but not for the right reasons. The Baylor Basketball program was a complete mess. A player was charged with murdering a team mate, and just when Bear fans believed that things couldn’t get worse the NCAA decided to investigate the Bears for multiple NCAA violations. The NCAA decided to punish the Bears by imposing such harsh penalties no one was sure the Bears would ever be able to come back. Their first task in the mass rebuilding project was to hire a new coach. In 2003 they settled on Scott Drew who had spent the previous season coaching Valparaiso, a small team in the Horizon Conference. Little did Bears fans know that Drew would be the answers to all their problems; even though it would take a while. The next four seasons the Bears went a combined 12-52 in Big 12 play. At this point fans had lost hope. Despite this, the following season Coach Drew led the Bears to the NCAA tournament and from there on, things would get much better.
Now let’s fast-forward to the present. In the past three years the Baylor Bears have made two appearances in the Elite 8. The reason for Baylor’s success is not a secret; Coach Drew has done an amazing job recruiting. He has gotten top talent such as Perry Jones III, Ekpe Udoh, Tweety Carter, Quincy Acy, and LaceDarius Dunn to buy in to his style of coaching. Considering everything Baylor basketball has been through the past decade Coach Drew deserves a lot of credit for turning things around and the University deserves credit for giving him the time to do it.
Next up is the Baylor Bear Football program. Before the 2010 season and the arrival of Robert Griffin III, the last time the Bears had played in a bowl game was 1994. The Baylor football program needed someone to put them back on the map and that’s exactly what Griffin III did. In 2011 Griffin III threw for 3,998 yards while completing an amazing 72.4% of his passes. Griffin III also threw for 36 TDs and only 6INTs. The Bears spent most of the season in the Top 20 poll and finished out the year ranked #13 in the AP poll-their best ranking since 1986. The most amazing accomplishment though was that Griffin III was able to win the Heisman Trophy over pre-season favorite Stanford sensation Andrew Luck. Griffin III was the first Heisman Trophy winner in Baylor football’s 116 year program history. Winning the award helps Head Coach Briles recruit players who would normally go to the University of Texas or other elite programs in the Big 12 and shows that any player can receive national attention at Baylor; something that didn’t seem possible five years ago. Despite Griffin III’s departure for the NFL, the football program appears to be on the right track.
Though it’s true the men’s football and basketball teams have had a lot of success the past few years, the most successful team in Waco, Texas right now is the 40-0 Baylor Lady Bears Women’s Basketball team who just routed Notre Dame to win their second national championship in six years. The Lady Bears were led by AP National Player of the Year Brittney Griner. Griner will be returning for her senior year next year so expect the Lady Bears to compete for another national championship.
The turnaround at Baylor has been remarkable and should receive more positive media attention. It seems the media only focuses on negative things these days and doesn’t like to focus on positive things. A lot of credit should be given to Ken Starr, the president at Baylor. He has worked very hard to hire the right people and make sure everything is being done the right way. Waco, Texas is officially on the college sports map. So next time someone asks where is Waco, Texas? Tell them it’s the home of the Baylor Bears.

By: Clenaure Carter
As the NBA playoffs take place we take a look at the top five teams that have a chance to make a significant impact towards the NBA Finals. Plus a look at our true NBA playoff dark horse.

1.) San Antonio Spurs: Overall San Antonio has the coaching, talent and youthfulness to make a deep playoff run. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, Stephen Jackson, De Juan Blair, Kawhli Leonard, and Danny Green are just a few names who lead Greg Popovich’s talent latent team.

Problem: Defense is not the same defense fans are accustomed to in San Antonio. Greg Popovich and the Spurs are relying more on their offense this season versus their defense and Duncan is entering his twilight years.

2.) Miami Heat: How can you deny LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Miami Heat have been the odd on favorites to win the NBA Finals since losing an heart breaker last season in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. LeBron James is the heavy favorite to win league MVP posting some of the best all around numbers in league history w/ 28 pts, 8 rebs, 7 ast, 2 stls and 1 block . Miami Heat’s BIG 3 has been exciting to watch this season averaging over 100 pts.

Problem: Defensively the Miami Heat are vulnerable against larger more aggressive teams in the post. Joel Anthony has become an offensive liability. The addition of Ronnie Turiaf should help boaster the paint for the Miami Heat but the team currently has no answer in the middle.

3.) Oklahoma City Thunder: Should probably be ranked #2 on this list if Kevin Durant and company played in the Eastern Conference they would be odd on favorites to represent the conference. Russell Westbrook receives a lot of unwarranted attention for his play but OKC coaching staff and fans love the point guard. Sixth man of the year James Harden is playing like an all star averaging 16 pts, 4 rebs and 3 ast.

Problem: Turnovers have been an Achilles heel for the Thunder 15.3% of their possessions end in turnovers which is hurting their assists as well. A team with the likes Westbrook should not fail in assists and turnovers.

4.) Chicago Bulls: Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng lead a balanced attack on both offense and defense for Da Bulls!. Boozer who was struggling last season has rebounded and has become a vocal leader for the Chicago Bulls. Chicago’s defense is tops in the NBA allowing only 89.1 pts per contest and the Bulls control the defensive and offensive glass with a combined total of 55 rebs per game. Bulls regular season record of 40-11 is #1 in the NBA.

Problem: Derrick Rose 2010-2011 NBA MVP has been hampered by a bad groin injury. While the Bulls have managed to stay consistent without Rose during the season the playoffs are a different ball game. The Bulls playoff potential rest on the health of Rose.
5.) Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe, Kobe and more Kobe his leading the NBA in scoring 28.9 pts per game.. Unfortunately The Lakers have been shaky all year but yet manage to be excellent at Staples Center where they are 20-4. Los Angeles traded away two mainstays in Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom changing the landscape of the basketball team. The addition of Ramon Sessions should help at the point guard position, finally a player that can handle the ball outside of the hands of Kobe Bryant. Bynum has been playing at an All Star level and his confidence in the post has increased.

Problem: Kobe, Kobe and more Kobe. Sometimes his offensive struggles can be harmful to the flow of the game which is why Mike Brown pulled the chair on him recently against the Memphis Grizzlies. Kobe has to trust his teammates more. TheLakers are terrible on the road this season playing below .500 away from Staples.

Dark Horse

Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic: Orlando Magic dark horse but possibly not daring enough the Indiana Pacers on the other hand represent everything a dark horse should be young, athletic and no one believes them yet.

Dark Horse checklist:
Possible NBA Superstar- Danny Granger check.
Point Guard: Darren Collison check.
Inside outside game: Collison, Roy Hibbert and David West check.
Bench: Sixth Man George Hill and Tyler Hansbrough check mate.

‘ll be honest. In September 2010, upon reading that Israel’s Division I mediocre team Barak Netanya acquired Romeo Travis, the 2003 St. Vincent St. Mary (SVSM) national high school champion, I thought ‘Who?’

Don’t get me wrong. I was always aware of the Fab 5 gang from Ohio; I simply couldn’t remember any of their names except — LeBron James. To my surprise, during that very season, Travis, one of the Fab 5, who bounced around in Spain and Germany before landing in Israel, became a force within the league. He established himself as a pillar of the team as Netanya unexpectedly reached the state cup finals.

In 2011, Travis joined Galil/Gilboa and currently averages 18.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, leading his team to the 2nd seed in the country. Galil recently clinched the European Balkan League title where Romeo earned All Forward of the Year honors, posting 13.4 points, 6.6 boards and 2.2 dimes per game.

Still, who was Romeo Travis? I thus began my quest to learn more about the Akron native who invented the human ‘Washing Machine’ dance.

Back in December 2010, before a home game, I caught Travis warming up on the sidelines with a fresh pair of kicks that were yet to make their way to local Nike stores. ‘Aren’t those the new LeBron’s?’ I asked Travis, whose face lit up with a smile as he replied, ‘Yup, this is my birthday present, man.’

And that’s when it hit me. Although they haven’t shared a locker room for over nine years, Travis’ high school teammate, Miami Heat’s basketball phenom LeBron James still remains in touch. Constantly.

‘Rome (Romeo) and I talk all the time,’ James told Eurobasket. ‘We talk after tough games and great games. I’ll always support him just like he will always support me. That’s what family is all about.’

Prior to signing with Netanya, Travis and James met at SVSM’s high school gym to work on their game. Netanya’s offer to play pro ball in Israel was on the table and Travis turned to James for guidance.

‘I told him that Israel had one of the best international leagues and it was an amazing opportunity. I’ve heard so many amazing things about the country and can’t wait to visit,’ said James, who in 2006 experienced some Israeli ball when playing a pre-season exhibition game with the Cavs against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Right before pounding the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs series and just 48 hours before Travis hits the playoff battles in Gan Ner, I caught up with ‘King James’.

‘Its amazing,’ James pleasingly reacted to the journey of the SVSM Fab 5, who were all inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame last summer. ‘To see where we started, just a bunch of kids from Akron, and now everyone has great things going. Those guys (Dru Joyce III, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee and Travis) are one of the best things to happen in my life and I love seeing everyone succeed.’

Travis and James always planned to reunite on the court and declared mission accomplished this past July while representing Akron in the Cleveland Pro-Am games.

‘Playing with Romeo is awesome no matter where. Could be in summer league, high school, or my backyard in Akron,’ James commented.

While Travis hopes to protect Akron’s summer title in the Pro-Am games, James has other plans. International ones. ‘This summer is all about the Olympics,’ James says. ‘It’s going to be tough to do the (Pro-Am) game again this year.’

James, behind the eight ball ever since entering the league in 2003, is still in search of his first NBA ring. Playing his best and most dominant season yet, James admits that winning MVP ‘would be a great honor, but nothing is more important to me than an NBA championship. It’s all that matters right now.’

During the recent NBA lockout, James entertained the idea of visiting the Holy Land and supporting Travis from courtside. ‘Ive loved watching his success and I would love to see Rome play in Israel, which has a great level of play. Not sure when, but visiting Israel is definitely on my list.’

Israeli businessman Ra’anan Katz, a partial shareholder of the Heat and former partner of Maccabi Tel Aviv, still financially contributes to Israeli teams. However, Katz and James have yet to discuss bringing the Heat to hoop in Israel.

‘We’ve never discussed about that,’ James confessed, ‘but as I said, I definitely want to go to Israel. If it’s to play hoops, even better.’

While Travis made a habit of joining James in the United States during the post season, it seems that Galil’s hopes of reaching the Final Four will keep Travis on this side of the Atlantic for now.

On December 25, I attended Mifalot’s Know Your Neighbor Winter Tournament held at the Wolfson training compound in Tel Aviv. The tournament brought 300 children from Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan together to play football. The kids ranged in age from 7 to 13 and came from areas such as Jericho, Tul Karem, Tueina, Um El Kheir and Susya, Dir Abu Said, Sheikh Hussein and North Shuna.

During the tournament, I had the opportunity to kick the football around with a group of Palestinian children from Jericho. Although there was a language barrier between their Arabic and my English, we were able to communicate through football. Many times in my life football has enabled me to meet people from various backgrounds and form new friendships. Whether it was playing on diverse teams or traveling overseas, football was a key to meeting new people.

During the tournament, I was able to witness a genuine cohesiveness among the children. Watching the children playing mixed together made me feel that there is hope for a peaceful future in this region. While politics are often a roadblock for peace, this tournament and other programs that Mifalot organizes, have the potential to make a significant impact in uniting these people.

Silvan Shalom, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Cooperation, came to speak about the event at the tournament’s Closing Ceremony. He emphasized the notion that children are the real chance for peace, and they have the ability to make change in our society. In addition, he noted that the ministry believes in the children and trusts in them, which is why the Ministry of Regional Cooperation decided to support Mifalot’s initiative for social change.

As the ceremony concluded, the kids had a chance to take a picture with Silvan Shalom. All the children welcomed Silvan Shalom with open arms, as they were eager to be photographed with him and the football he was holding.

Mifalot ultimately believes that the people participating in these programs are the hope for the future of this region. I am extremely grateful to be part of this innovative project and to assist Mifalot in their passionate work on and off the football field.

I recently attended my first Israeli football (soccer) match, Hapoel Tel Aviv vs. Ironi Nir Ramat HaSharon FC. Despite going to numerous soccer matches all over the world including England, Italy, Australia, and the United States, I was extremely eager to see my first live match in Israel.

As an intern for Mifalot, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s social youth project that serves the educational and social needs of children and youth in the Middle East, I received a number of tickets for some friends and myself for this game. Although Bloomfield Stadium is the true home field for the Hapoel Tel Aviv club, the match was played at Ramat Gan Stadium, home of the Israeli National team.

Hapoel Tel Aviv is currently at the top of the Israel Premier League, also known as “Ligat Ha’Al.”  The League consists of 16 club-member teams throughout Israel, with each squad playing a total of 37 matches during the course of a season.

The league was formed in 1999, creating a promotion and relegation system with Liga Le’umit being the second or lower division in Israel. This performance-based system is used throughout Europe and provides an incentive for teams to be victorious in their respective leagues.

The way these leagues work is the worst teams in the top division move down – relegated — to the lower division and the top teams in the lower division are given the opportunity to play – promoted — to the top league. For Americans who do not follow professional soccer outside the States, this is not always an easy system to understand since the leagues in the U.S. do not follow this methodology.

When I arrived at Ramat Gan Stadium, I immediately went to the will-call counter to pick up game tickets for everyone. I expected to receive typical paper tickets as I’ve received in the past at other professional football matches I’ve attended. However, at this event, I received an unconventional ticket — a wristband – similar to one given out at nightclubs.

Placing the wristband on and walking into the stadium, I found myself able to choose any seat in the stands. This was another peculiar difference I was not accustomed to. It’s important to note this isn’t the normal way of attending matches in Israel, but it happened in this manner due to my connection with Mifalot.

My friends and I sat down and were happy to find that all of the seats in the stadium provided the fans with exceptional views. This often isn’t the case in American stadiums where the capacity may reach 90,000 persons. Ramat Gan Stadium seats a total of 41,583 and was, unfortunately, nowhere near capacity.

Initially I was surprised to see the Hapoel club mostly made up of Israeli players, but as the man behind me explained, each squad could only field up to five non-Israeli nationals on its entire team. This rule was apparent when I read the names of the players in the team magazine and noticed all the names being Israeli except for the five internationals, which ranged from Slovakia, Croatia, South Africa, Armenia, and Nigeria, on the roster.

The final whistle blew and all the fans surrounding the pitch booed at the 0 – 0 final result between both clubs. Although the match lacked the same quality of play of other leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A in Italy, or La Liga in Spain, I was able to appreciate the passion of the fans.

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s red color was seen throughout the stadium as its supporters stood for the duration of the match, changing their collective chorus between singing, yelling and screaming at various points of the game. I could only imagine the passion and fire emanating from the fans during the derby between Hapoel and Maccabi Tel Aviv, who both share the same stadium. The mere mention of “Maccabi Tel Aviv” unleashed ire and disgust from the fan sitting behind me exclaiming, “Do not mention that team here!”

I was extremely grateful to Mifalot for providing my friends and I with tickets to the game and for the experience that came with it. Although I arrived in Israel not a supporter of any team, this exposure is surely the beginning of my loyalty for the Hapoel Tel Aviv club.

On November 1, 2011, I completed a 10K night race in arguably the most vibrant and beautiful city in the world. While I have played football (soccer) all my life, I had yet to participate in any organized race. Not knowing what to expect, I was eager to begin my first 10K.

When I arrived to Rabin Square I saw thousands of people wearing the yellow Nike Night Run Tel Aviv T-Shirt. There was live music and heaps of energetic people warming up for the run. As I looked on the stage, there were volunteers demonstrating how to warm up and motivating the crowd. The DJ was playing music while dancers wearing neon colored latex costumes danced on the stage.

The race began with a cluster of anxious runners like myself. As I broke through the first mob, I enjoyed spacious surroundings for the first few kilometers. My initial thought was how remarkable it felt to be living in Tel Aviv and running along the streets at night with thousands of other people. As I was running, I saw the kilometer markers; each with another DJ playing music and motivating tired runners.

During the run, I was amazed to see how organized the entire race was. While I entered with the perception that Israeli events are often hectic and disorganized, I was pleasantly surprised to see structure and instruction throughout.

I was filled with excitement as I saw the last bright sign from afar reading ‘Finish Line.’ I weaved myself around people doing one last sprint to the end. As I finished, I heard all the names of the runners who had just finished. I listened closely and heard my name and was proud to be part of this amazing run. Everyone around me was cheering and clapping and had bright smiles on their faces. As I followed everyone in front of me, I was thrilled to see the volunteers handing out water, nature valley bars (my favorite), ice cream, and yogurt. The highlight of the event was receiving a medal to commemorate the completion of the run. I am now the proud owner of a medal that reads, “I AM A NIGHTRUNNER 10K.”

Looking for my friends after the race turned out to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Ultimately, I decided to walk home by myself. Not knowing where I was, I managed to say in my broken Hebrew, “Eifo King George Street?” A helpful runner pointed in the direction and I was able to find my way home.

While walking back to my apartment, I was approached by numerous people asking me how the race went. A group of Australians stopped me and asked if they could purchase my Nike Night Run T-Shirt, which I declined saying, “There is no price for this shirt.” I am confident that this shirt will always bring back memories of this special night of what I now consider being one of my most exciting nights in Israel.

Football (mostly referred to as Soccer in the States) has impacted me as well as many people around the world. There is usually some skepticism when the words Football and American are spoken in the same sentence. There is a misconception that we Yanks are unable to play football or understand how the game is played internationally. However, there are plenty of folks like myself who have grown up playing football and even follow leagues around the world such as the Premiership, Serie A, or La Liga. Many British people are often mistaken when they look at us from across the Pond and think we only follow Baseball, Basketball, Hockey or American Football. It is worth noting that there are far more professional sports and teams to follow and support in the States, which is why the MLS (Major League Soccer) will never reach the same magnitude as other leagues around the world.

However, football has grown in popularity in the United States with the addition of English football star David Beckham to the MLS and the success of the United States in the 2010 World Cup. Despite the U.S. losing to Ghana in the Quarterfinals, many Americans view the results as a success, especially after drawing against England, the mighty Three Lions. One of the all-time greatest goals in U.S. World Cup history was scored by Landon Donovan in extra time against Algeria. Not to be forgotten is this past summer’s Women’s World Cup which drew Americans to their televisions as they watched exhilarating extra time goals. Although the U.S. Women’s squad lost to Japan in the finals, it was a well needed victory for the morale of a country just destroyed by an earthquake.

The greatest aspect of football is that it unites people around the world. The Arab-Israeli conflict can hopefully be resolved one day through the youth of today; as programs for coexistence can make this a reality. An organization such as Mifalot, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s Education & Social Project uses sport for development of peace in the Middle East.

Projects such as Mifalot have helped break the barrier between Jews and Arabs in Israel through football and will continue to do so until there is peace and unity for all.

The difference between ice-hockey athletes of today and those of yore, in a word, is helmets.

In the 1970′s, fans would be hankered to find an NHL player wearing a skullcap on the ice, especially if said player was not injured.

Call it toughness, stupidity, lack of knowledge or anything else you may like, professionals of yesteryear were a different breed than those of today.

I’m not going to even touch on the tragedy – and that’s exactly what is was – that occurred this past week in Russia when an airliner went down, wiping out a whole Kontinental Hockey League club; 43 persons in all. For sanity’s sake, all we – as fans – want at this stage is simply for hockey as we know it to be played in front of frenzied crowds.

Nonetheless, one significant change that has occurred over the past few years has been the league’s desire to curb injuries, specifically those of the head nature. This “Witch-hunt” to eradicate head-shots and concussions came to the fore last season when the NHL’s poster boy, Sidney Crosby, was concussed in the first week of January, ending his season and, at the time, placing his career in jeopardy.

More recent has been the issue of players who repeatedly take licks to their cranium and the link it has to degenerative brain disease. There was Bob Probert, a former Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings enforcer, who died suddenly at age 45 of a heart-attack, but was found later on to have developed early stages of mental illness.

Then this past summer came along.

After one of the NHL’s most successful seasons on record, the very untimely deaths of Derek Boogaard, 28, New York Rangers, Rick Rypien, 27, Winnipeg Jets and Wade Belak, 35, recently retired from the Nashville Predators, brought the issue of injuries and fighting back into the spotlight.

Boogaard, known throughout the league as the NHL’s “toughest” tough-guy, was a gentle-giant off the ice and, I can vouch personally, he was a kind and caring individual to boot. However, he – like Rypien and Belak – had their off-ice issues too. Derek’s accidental death – a mixture of alcohol and pain killers – served as a wake-up call to the NHL that its fighters turn to substance to ease the pain and anxiety they face on and off the ice on a daily basis.

Rypien, fair or not, will likely be remembered by the public for his scuffle with a fan after Rick was sent off from a game due to a fight with an opposing player. His suicide only further opened up Pandora’s Box for the NHL in dealing with this issue.

Belak, known as a solid tough-guy throughout his 14-year career, took his own life last week. Although it’s too early to know what the details were surrounding his demise, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what some of the problems were.

What the NHL needs to do is grab control of this issue before it turns into an epidemic. It happened with head-shots already, where too little was done before it became too late, and only now is the league learning what some of the true consequences for turning a blind eye have been. It should not wait any longer for the summer occurrences to further deepen and spread down the road.

Former NHL winger, Brad May, not known for his fighting prowess, but, nonetheless could hold his own when need be, penned an article last week about his experience leading up to a fight, when you, as the player, understand that the only way out is through the lion’s den.

“My mood was affected,” recalled May of the days leading up to his October 2007 fight with Boogaard. “I was really short with everyone; irritable and frustrated. But I still had to live my life, practice and pick up my kids from school. But at the end of the day, everyone knew I was uncomfortable.”

The events surrounding May’s tangle with the biggest NHL heavyweight caused for May to wait and stew nearly four months until he squared off against Boogaard. “It was like going to the slaughter,” explained May.

This is just one person’s account of what goes on behind the scenes and off the ice leading up to a fight. Furthermore, this came from a player who didn’t fight regularly. Can you imagine what it’s like to be in the shoes of someone whose job is going toe-to-toe with the baddest of the opposition on a nightly basis? What sort of anxiety does he feel? Players – even fighters – are human at the end of the day and they, too, need help to sort themselves out mentally so they can still be good fathers, husbands and friends to those they hold dear.

Hockey will not be hockey if fighting is removed in its entirety. I’m not one who professes to enjoy every fight there is in the ice sport. However, I do recognize it as a necessary evil which keeps the game and the clubs on an even keel. Were a team to have one of its star player’s hit by an opponent in a questionable manner, the “hitter” would face-off against the team’s “tough-guy” on his next shift, duke it out and be rid of the bad-blood; game continues.

Were this element of the sport to be taken away, there would be an excessive increase to borderline and illegal hits as there would be no players “policing” the game. Remember, what the referee doesn’t see, never happened.

On top of that, removing fighting from the NHL would prove costlier long-term. There are 75 or so players who rely on paychecks as fighters. Remove that and depression will course through their very being as they will suddenly have to redefine their roles on their respective teams in capacities other than fighting.

Could the deaths of Boogaard, Rypien and Belak be linked to their roles as NHL enforcers? Possibly. Concussions may have had something to do with it or perhaps the pressure of finding a new career after hockey pushed them over the edge.

Or, perhaps, it was just the plague and torment of depression, plain and simple, that took these men at a premature age. But, former player Mathieu Schneider is spot on when he says that linking suicide to being an enforcer is “far too early to reach such preachy conclusions.”

Although it’s impossible to know why exactly someone takes his own life, nor is there any way to establish conclusively that fighting, in this case, played a role in these recent hockey deaths, one thing we can all agree on is there may have been deep, personal issues that scourged these young men away from the arena of play and tugged at their essence to the unfortunate degree and path it led them down.

If the NHL was true to their word of wanting to improve the ice-game, the step forward that’s needed is to make sure all players get attended to by and see a psychologist or another professional who can help them help themselves on, but even more so, off the ice, especially when facing a daunting task such as fighting.

Indeed enforcers are appreciated by their teammates and fans for protecting their teammates, but if Commissioner Gary Bettman and his wing-men allow these recent events to slip by the wayside, they would be causing the NHL to commit its own suicide.

In July 2011, 23 of the 30 N.B.A. owners claimed they lost money in the previous season and as a result they decided to declare a lockout, which is a fancy way of saying an owner’s strike. In June of 2011, the N.B.A. had their highest rated N.B.A. Finals since Michael Jordan’s appearance in the championship round in 1998. The timing of the lockout is a problem, as the league is currently on a ratings’ high and a lockout can ruin the goodwill it achieved last season. Back in 1984, the league had to deal with bigger problems than ruining goodwill. The N.B.A. was in serious financial debt, fights were very common during games and the league’s popularity was arguably the 4th most popular sport of the 4 most popular sports in America. As the newly crowned commissioner in 1984, David Stern took over and since then the game has been taken to a whole new level. Now it’s the 2nd most popular sport behind the juggernaut of the N.F.L. and the N.B.A.’s global appeal can’t be over stated. Today, Michael Jordan yamulkas are still sold in Israel. Stern did some questionable things as commissioner. He fined coaches if they spoke poorly of the referees and fined owners if they spoke harshly of the association. He inflicted strict suspensions on players regarding physical altercations. For example, if two players on the court were engaged in hand to hand combat and a player who sat on the bench merely walked onto the court, he was automatically suspended for a game. This controversial rule has showed itself in the post-season numerous times and arguably cost the Phoenix Suns a championship in 2007. Stern also implemented a dress code, ordering players to wear suits and ties before and after games. In addition to Stern’s dictator like ways, he has been accused of a few conspiracies. In 1985, a year after Stern took over, he created the N.B.A. lottery. The way the draft works in most sports is fairly simple, the team who finished last in the previous season gets the first pick of the upcoming draft. The N.B.A. is the only one of the four major sports to have a lottery. All the teams who do not make the playoffs are represented by a ping pong ball and thrown into a machine. The team’s ball that comes out first gets the first pick. In 1985, Stern was accused of rigging the lottery to give the New York Knicks (who had and have the biggest sports market in the U.S.A.) the top pick in the 1985 N.B.A. draft. Stern was also accused of convincing Michael Jordan to retire in 1993 to take care of his gambling problem, concerned his marquee player would embarrass the league. In 2011, Stern has been accused of another conspiracy; causing the 2011 N.B.A. lockout. For several years now, the commissioner has stated his desires to have N.B.A. teams overseas. For travel and other logistic reasons, owners have been reluctant to give into Stern’s demands. However, now they may have to acquiesce. Within days of the lockout’s inception, N.B.A. players have been in talks to play in Asia and Europe. Deron Williams, who was under contract to make 15 million dollars with the New Jersey Nets, agreed to take a “pay cut” to play in Turkey for 5 million dollars. Kobe Bryant has had talks of playing in Turkey, Italy and Hong Kong for “merely” 1 million dollars a month and a few days ago Jordan Farmer signed with Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Farmer, who has Israeli connections, with cousins who live in Israel as well as an Israeli step-farther, will be an instant success. The two-time champion with the Lakers will go down as one of the greatest players to play in Israel the second he puts on a uniform. Although

Farmer does not generally start in the N.B.A., he will be in an elite class of players in Israel. The lockout will be the best thing for Jordan, who has delved into other realms of entertainment, such as participating in the World Series of Poker. Farmer will be a star in Israel and will pick up fans who had never really heard of him before he got to the Middle East. He will be able to develop endorsements and sponsorships he would have never been able to make in the United States. The lockout will make relatively unknown players like Farmer international stars and once the lockout ends, owners will reconsider Stern’s idea of putting N.B.A. teams overseas. When it’s all said and done, 30 multi-millionaire owners will decide to cave in to the demands of a nice Jewish boy from Teaneck, New Jersey.

When the NFL lockout was going on, numerous calls were made to sports talk radio and many articles were written in Newspapers all over the US and the world. But why? Were these articles written because people would miss the excitement of the most popular game in America , or was it the fact that these same callers and writers would not be able to play fantasy football? Most likely it was the later, as over 25 million people in North America play fantasy football, making it the most popular fantasy sport of all.

What has happened to fantasy football over the years? I remember “back in the day” sitting in a room with 5 friends, drafting and looking up results in the newspaper to see who won for the week. The next league I joined was a 40 team league, 4 divisions, a playoff system more complex than the NFL and the draft was held at a Moose Lodge in Massachusetts . And now 10 years later I am set to draft again. Changes, I would say. I am in a league with guys from Gibraltar , Israel and the US . We will draft online through ESPN. Most of the guys in the league I have never met and probably never will.

So why play? Why do so many people all over the world enter in to this world of Fantasy Football? Some get involved for the gambling aspect, they put-up money and hope their team makes it far enough to get paid. Not me! I am in a free league. Some play to hang out with friends at a draft or a way to bond for 17 weeks with old friends that they rarely see, not me I don’t even know half the guys in my league. I play to make the Brown-Bengals games interesting. Can I get excited over the Raiders playing the Seahawks? Usually not, but if I have Darren McFadden or Tarvaris Jackson, I may watch to see how this meaningless game helps my fantasy football team.

The negative aspect of fantasy football is obvious, work productivity drops as men and women all over the world spend countless hours of “work time” making fantasy decisions. On aver a fantasy player spends over 9 hours a week of work time making fantasy decisions, costing employers millions if not billions of dollars a year. Who to start, who to sit, who is the free agent that has slipped through the cracks, should I approve a trade and other nonsense that we all become wrapped up in. This is not to mention rooting for a team you cannot stand just because you happen to have player on your fantasy team. I can’t wait to see all those Redskin fans rooting for Dez Bryant as he trots down the field and helps their fantasy team as he kills their beloved Skins, or the J-ET-S fans rooting for Tom Brady as he cuts through the vaunted Jet defense.

The bottom line with Fantasy Football is it is here to stay so if you have not done so already, time to embrace. There are free online leagues through ESPN, Yahoo and others. If you want to make it more personal, get some friends together and have a draft of your own. Trust me you will thank me when you look up and the Carolina Panthers are playing the Arizona Cardinals in week 1.