Macklen Jackson's Los Angeles Clippers Fan Profile

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Gold Medal Decision posted on 08/03/2008

I, for one, will be rooting for Becky Hammon and team Russia when it comes to Olympic basketball this summer. And just to clarify something right off the bat: I’m not Russian and I am patriotic. I thought I’d explain that early on, because judging by how Hammon has been scorned as of late, the American public seems ready to jump to irresponsible conclusions.

When team USA’s 23-player roster was released, Hammon’s name was conspicuously absent, despite her stats being at least comparable, if not better than several players who did make the list. Hammon was also the runner-up MVP for the WNBA last season, where she plays for the San Antonio Silver Stars. When the roster size was expanded, she was later added and invited to try out for the team, hoping to make the 12-player final roster. However, Hammon declined this invitation because she had meanwhile been offered a very lucrative deal with the Russian club CSKA Moscow to play professionally during the WNBA’s offseason. This decision led to her inability to try out for the U.S. team and here’s why:

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MVP or FWT? (Fair Weather Teammate) posted on 06/14/2008

How quickly we forget. Just last year Kobe Bryant was a whining malcontent who was estimated by just about everybody to be a cancer to the Lakers organization. He was a ball hog who shot first, and thought about winning second. He was the type of player who would rag on his teammates in front of a camera in a department store parking lot, and the type of employee who would throw his employers under the Buss any chance he got. It seems that winning changes a lot of things for Kobe, but even more so for Laker fans.

In June 2008 the Lakers find themselves in the NBA Finals thanks to tremendous maturity from its bench, the acquisition of Pau Gasol, and vastly improved team play from Kobe Bryant. The over-wrought cliché of “Kobe is a facilitator” is annoying to hear, but rings very true. But what has changed about Kobe the person? Nothing. He’s still very eager to ream out his teammates on the court. He still exudes smugness at his press conferences (e.g. going home and drinking 20 shots to forget about the Game 4 loss). And he is still a sore loser, looking to blame everyone else, and point the finger, when things don’t go his way. Just look at how he blasted Luke Walton earlier this season after Walton failed to in-bound the ball in five seconds, not realizing the Lakers still had a timeout, resulting in a turnover and Laker loss. A true leader hides the anger until he is behind closed doors. A true MVP doesn’t ridicule and torment his teammates on the court when the cameras are running.

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A Sched-you'll Want to Know About! posted on 04/18/2008

When the NFL schedule was released I was thrilled to learn that the Jets have a primetime game this year, and a good one at that! They square off on Monday Night Football at San Diego against the Chargers in week 3. However, I have since read an article on newyorkjets.com by Editor-in-Chief Randy Lange, entitled "The '08 Sked's Monday Night Crunch." Lange very carefully articulates the perils of having to play a Monday night game in a different time zone (particularly an east coast team traveling into the pacific time zone) and then having to return home for a 1pm Sunday game the following week. The Jets this year are faced with such a predicament and Lange points out how recent history has not looked kindly on teams dealt such a difficult scheduling constraint. First of all, it hasn't happened very often since 2002 which would suggest that the scheduling gurus are possibly making a conscious effort not to put teams in this bind. (For example, east coast teams should be granted byes after a west coast Monday nighter, or possibly a Sunday night game which would afford them several more hours to adjust and prepare.) And when it has happened, victims of this circumstance have not fared well, losing most games for which they return home.

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It's Only a Game posted on 03/11/2008

With the NFL season at its conclusion, I find myself in a reflective mood. I naturally think about the missed opportunities of my beloved Jets, some of the most spectacular plays of the year, and the biggest off-the-field fiascos. This season, however, I find myself thinking of Kevin Everett, the Buffalo Bills’ tight end who was severely injured on the second half kickoff of their week 1 game versus the Denver Broncos. All year long, sportswriters and analysts wanted to call Brett Favre’s resurgence the biggest storyline of the 2007 campaign. Others wanted to dub the Patriots’ pursuit of perfection as the ultimate subplot to the season. I, however, cannot think of a bigger story, a more compelling tale of human triumph, than that of Everett.

I’ve grown up with football being Sunday afternoon entertainment my whole life. But with the near-death injury of Kevin Everett, I was suddenly reminded that our entertainment comes at a price; the price being the very safety and well-being of the athletes on the field. It’s easy to be desensitized to what a sports injury really is. We hear about them all the time, and for us fans who have never played sports at the professional level, injuries are intangible entities that keep our favorite players off the field for a game or two. I will be the first to admit that I rarely think about the players’ physical well-being before, during, or after a game. Even when my favorite player misses a game due to injury, the camera cuts to them briefly on the sideline and they look so normal, that I subconsciously dismiss the reality: they are in enormous pain.

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Green Spendin' the Green posted on 03/04/2008

In the last week, the Jets have made a big splash in the free agent market, acquiring some solid help for their team. Al Faneca, Calvin Pace, Damien Woody, and Kris Jenkins should all make nice additions to the gang green roster.

Several weeks ago, I strongly suggested that the Jets should pursue Shaun Rogers to bolster their defensive line, but I must say I like the Kris Jenkins move a little more. Of course Shaun Rogers is a tremendous tackle and his strength and size are huge assets for any defensive unit. However, I like the athleticism of Jenkins to fit in better with what the Jets try to do defensively. Eric Mangini’s defensive schemes are not unlike those of his nemesis and former mentor Bill Belichick. The Jets, for the past two seasons, have done a lot of zone blitzing with their newly installed 3-4 defense and you want a mobile nose tackle who can play on the ball, off the ball, or split out to the end spot as dictated by the play-calling. I still think Rogers would have helped immensely, but considering what the Browns had to pay to get him (a third round pick and cornerback Leigh Bodden) and what the Jets shelled out for Jenkins (undisclosed draft picks), I believe Jenkins is not only the better fit for their team, but could ultimately be the better bargain.

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