Deeper Than Sports!

Athletes have become more than just players on the field or court. We grew up wanting to shoot, catch, and run like them for years, now we can even dream to emulate them off the playing field. Athletes are proving themselves to be more human than ever pushing for more success just as do we. Aside from the die-hard dedication given to their own devoted sport they are making plays in the board rooms.

Once I saw Serena Williams “twerking” in Beyonce’s new anthem video “Sorry”. I knew there was nothing she couldn’t do. Seriously, we are coming to see more and more athletes venturing into other avenues and we’re here for it! Of course a feature in a video has been done this not her only endeavor.  Williams has been serious about branding herself. Delving in fashion she has her own clothing line and her collections have been seen at critically acclaimed fashion shows.  She is part owner of the Miami Dolphins and has done voice overs and appearances on multiple television shows. All while dominating the tennis court. See any signs of Serena Williams slowing up? …. 

Boy BYE!

Serena is not the only athlete that we know holding it down on and off the court. Many athletes are using their initial sports recognition to take them down other paths.

 I asked Siri how many sources of income the average millionaire had and dozens of articles read "seven or more". I think some of these athletes asked Siri the same question and got the memo. Endorsements are nothing new to the sports world but they are not relying on those alone.

Sports do not last forever and though the case may be true for former Laker Kobe Bryant, he’s not done working. It is said that he will be trademarking the name “Black Mamba” and has founded Kobe Studios. He intends to bring the story of others’ to life through an assortment of media outlets. 

Stories of athletes going further and pushing the limits are important because they are idolized by our youth. Kids want to be like Lebron or Curry more than they do FAMU graduate and Microsoft Chairmen, John Thompson. 

Having any of those individuals as an idol is great but letting the youth know not to set limitations on themselves is the ultimate lesson and best example they could give. 

Lets talk about athletes doing more than just their first job and show the world brains and bronze can be the perfect recipe. The boundaries to our creativity and passions can be endless so why limit ourselves? Athletes have shown us how perfecting our craft can take us to higher places but once your there the climb does not end. We have to strive to be better and allow ourselves the opportunity to manifest multiple opportunities and showcase all of the many talents we possess. Challenge yourself to be more than just enough. I'm more than a striving college student. What are you more than?  

Blue Chip Collections Presents The Bombers VS The Birdmen

By: Jimbo Brown 

Blue Chip Collection has put a twist to one of their previous designs that was influence the motion picture Above The Rim. BCC believes that the movie shows America that the road for the minority athlete has many obstacles. The athlete has decide whether their going to take the positive or negative route on the journey to success. 

The Blue Chip Bombers & Birdmen jerseys are symbolic of those triumphs and struggles. The championship game of the Shootout Tournament summarizes the film and BCC's collection. No matter what someone says, stay true to your beliefs and it will play out in your favor. 

You can pre-order your jersey starting tomorrow 05/31 at BlueChipCollection.net and receive 20% off by using the code: NutSo. 

Believe. Love. Unite. Empower

The Bigger Picture: Jackson Robinson West striped of Little League World Series Title

By: Jimbo Brown 

Life has shown us that if you are in a position of power (race, money, title) you are somewhat above the rest of society. You are more than likely will go through life without any major hiccups. Growing up in the 90’s when most of the MLB stars were using PED’s while the people in charge turned the blind eye. Alex Rodriguez, arguably one of the greatest Yankee players admitted to the DEA that he used Performance Enhancement Drugs for a two-year period. Even though the MLB has since tightened their polices, the actions of the 90’s probably played a part in A-Rod decision making. Kids easily can see that if you are in a position of power the rules of life are beneath you. This got me to thinking about the Jackie Robinson West little leaguers.

If your not familiar with the situation, an all black team of little league baseball players from the inner city of Chicago had some players out of their region on the team. This was against the rules of the Little League World Series and had their 2 championship titles vacated. The players of Jackie Robinson West will be hurt because they are not the Little League World Series Champions. The memories created can never be destroyed. I believe the committee did make a impact on the future athletes of the world. 

I believe that this can be an example for future generations to learn from. With great success it can be great failure. The adults in the situation failed the kids. The committee could have slapped them on the wrist and punish them for the next year, instead extreme measures was took and the title was striped from the team. We may prevent the next Josh Gordon or Johnny Manziel from happening once they get success. 

The Best in Florida: Gators, Hurricanes or Seminoles?

By: Candy Man

            Who can lay claim as the best football program in the state of Florida? College football in the Sunshine State took off in the 80’s when Miami won their first national championship in ’83. The U went on to win 3 more titles before UF or FSU won their first. FSU got on board in 1993 with Heisman Trophy winner, Charlie Ward. Soon after, the Gators joined the club in 1996 when they beat the Seminoles in the title game. Since the 1980’s, the rivalries between the U, FSU & UF have grown into the national spotlight and these 3 programs combined to win 11 national championships, about 1/3^rd of all the championships in that time period. That is a great accomplishment and a testament to the quality of football being played in this state at the college and high school level. But who can say they have the best football program out of the three?

The team that invented swagger makes a good case as they have the most national championships with 5. The U was the most dominant and most hated team in the 80’s when head coaches Schnellenberger, Johnson & Erickson led them to 3 championships. They spoiled many teams’ shots at winning a title including Florida State, Nebraska, Oklahoma & Notre Dame. That success carried over into the 90’s until a Pell grant scandal knocked them off for a few years. They came back strong with Larry Coker and won another title in 2001 with the “greatest team in college football history.” Their cocky & flashy style created a brand & a legacy that is recognized throughout the college football landscape. You can say they produced the most talent in the state also. 2 Heisman Trophy winners have played for the Canes, quarterbacks Vinny Testaverde & Gino Torretta. They have set multiple NFL draft records & they could field a complete NFL team, 2^nd string and all, with just their own players. Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin, Warren Sapp, Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Clinton Portis, Devin Hester, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss, the Blades brothers, Jonathan Vilma, Jim Kelly, Jerome Brown, Bernie Kosar and many other stars at every position.

The Florida Gators are the oldest team in the state but didn’t reach consistent success until the 60’s when they had Steve Spurrier, 1966 Heisman winner, at quarterback and Ray Graves as head coach. This is also the time when Gatorade was first invented. The 70’s were so-so with head coach, Doug Dickey, and the 80’s were more successful but tarnished with major infractions that resulted in severe penalties from the NCAA. The Gators rebounded in the 90’s & reached national prominence with multiple SEC titles and a national championship in 1996 under head coach, Steve Spurrier. They won 2 more championships with Urban Meyer & arguably the best college football player ever, Tim Tebow. Some of the Gator greats include Heisman Trophy winners, Danny Wuerffel & Steve Spurrier, Emmitt Smith, Fred Taylor, Ike Hilliard, Jevon Kearse, Brandon Spikes, Percy Harvin, Joe Haden, the Pouncey Twins, Kevin Carter, Rex Grossman, Jack Youngblood & Wilbur Marshall.

           

The Florida State Seminoles, the former all-girls school & the youngest team out of the 3, started playing D1 football in the 1950’s. It’s impressive what they’ve done in a short amount of time when there are schools that have been playing D1 since the 1800’s. One of the greatest coaches in college football history, Bobby Bowden, took over in the 70’s and led the program to great heights. FSU ran the 90’s, fell off in the late 2000’s at the end of the Bobby Bowden era and have rose back to the top under Jimbo Fisher. Now you can say they are on the same level as UF with both having 3 national titles and 3 Heisman winners. No question, the best team right now are the Seminoles. Jameis Winston led them to a championship last year & he is on his way to becoming the 1^st overall pick in this year’s draft. They’ve racked up on a lot of talent with top 5 recruiting classes and are sending them to the league more than any other school besides Alabama. Their most impressive accomplishment, in my opinion, are the 14 straight years they finished in the top 5 beginning in the late 80’s to the end of the 90’s. That’s consistency and they could’ve added a few more championships if it wasn’t for Miami & Florida. Some of the greatest athletes to come through Tallahassee are “Primetime” Deion Sanders, Heisman Trophy winners, Charlie Ward, Chris Weinke & Jameis Winston, Warrick Dunn, Peter Warrick, Terrell Buckley, state of Florida legend Derrick Brooks, Marvin Jones, Ron Simmons, Peter Boulware, Anquan Boldin, & Fred Biletnikoff..

            

One thing for sure, each one of them had successful runs. It’s like a power cycle where one program is on top for a few years then comes back down to Earth while the others catch up & take over that top spot. Miami ran the 80’s, all three programs dominated the 90’s, UM was scary in the early 2000’s & the Gators were on top a few years later while FSU struggled. Now FSU is one of the best teams in the nation while the U & UF are struggling. Miami hasn’t done much in more than 10 years after losing their last title game to Ohio State & moving to the ACC. The Gators were in a great position just a few years ago but all that got derailed when Urban Meyer left & Will Muschamp was hired. It’s been years since Miami & Florida beat Florida State and both are trying to place themselves in the best position to knock off FSU & return to their glory days. Factoring in the history & present day of all three programs, who would you say is the best in the state of Florida?

Just Hit the Bookies

By: Candy Man 

​Every weekend on social media, you see people post theirtickets that made them hundreds of dollars off parlays or cost them hundreds just off of one team. Floyd Mayweather regularly posts tickets on Instagram of him winning millions. Sports gambling has become big business in this country & all over the world and there are many outlets to feed this business. From Vegas to Atlantic City, people go to the books or casinos to put in their tickets. Online gambling sites have become ever more popular lately. People tune in every week to the Vegas books to see the spreads and odds of every game in every sport. Even popular fantasy sites like FanDuel, which pays out about $10 million every week in cash prizes & just locked up a deal with the NBA, are participating with daily fantasy games. Wagers are placed on anything from who will score first in a certain game to youth sports on athletes as young as 6.

​As a whole, about $400 billion is wagered illegally in the U.S. every year. Sports gambling is still illegal in most of the country except Nevada, Oregon, Montana, & Delaware. Despite that, major sports figures such as NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBA owner Mark Cuban have come out in public to back the legalization of betting in sports. Even media outlets such as ESPN have recently come out with an entire section dedicated to money lines, point spreads, & over/unders on their website and t.v. coverage.

​I, along with many of my peers, gamble on sports. It gets you more invested in the games while giving you an opportunity to make some extra money at the same time. I think America is changing their mindset when it comes to this topic and you’ll see more states legalize sports gambling in the future. The major concern is that it will creep into the sports itself and start affecting the games in a negative manner. Controversial scandals like Pete Rose in baseball, Tim Donaghy in the NBA, and Boston College men’s basketball, which inspired an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, have illustrated this point. But with strict regulations and safety measures, the federal and state governments can guard against that.

​

Candy Man's NBA Bold Predictions

By: @yachtclubrandy aka Candy Man

East playoff teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors

West playoff teams: L.A. Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks

Eastern Conference Champs: Cleveland Cavaliers

Western Conference Champs: Los Angeles Clippers

NBA Finals Champs: Los Angeles Clippers

Most Valuable Player: Lebron James...teamed up with a supporting cast just as good, if not better, than the one he had with the Heat. With Kevin Love & Kyrie Irving, he will produce all around numbers that won him the MVP twice during Miami’s championship run.

Underdog: Blake Griffin

Anthony Davis blocks Zeller shot with ease.

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis...just 21 years old & coming into his 3^rd season, you can say that he is already a top 10 player in the league. Averaged about 21 points, 10 rebounds, & 3 blocks last season. Skilled, productive, & a threat in all statistical categories; he’ll improve on all of his numbers this year. Off to a great start this year and one of the best big men in the NBA.

Underdog: DeAndre Jordan, Serge Ibaka

Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker...unlike other high-profile rookies that will most likely settle into a bench or rotational role, Jabari Parker will be the main man in Milwaukee on a team with not much talent. Good enough to start every game for the Bucks and will play over 30 minutes a game with plenty of opportunities to handle the ball and put up shots.

Underdog: Andrew Wiggins

Sixth Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford…obvious choice, 1 of 4 players in NBA history that have won this award twice. One of the most exciting players & probably has the best ball-handling skills in the league. A good bet to win his 3^rd Sixth Man Award..

Underdog: Isaiah Thomas, Taj Gibson

Reggie Jackson wants to continue to improve this season.

Most Improved Player: Reggie Jackson…productive & underrated player that is off to a great start this year. With Durant & Westbrook out for a significant time, he’ll be the main man & go-to scorer.

Scoring Champion: Stephen Curry...he best pure scorer along with Kevin Durant & Carmelo Anthony. Has the ability score in multiple ways & get a shot off from anywhere on the court with long range & accuracy. Just set the record for most 3-pointers in a season last year.

Season of Giving: 1st Annual Turkey Bowl Extravaganza

By: Jimbo Brown

“Good works is giving to the poor and the helpless, but divine works is showing them their worth to the One who matters.” - Criss Jami

One day while exploring the clouds, I had a flashback of some of the great times my close friends and I enjoyed together. These times included throwing one of the biggest house party in Tallahassee, Florida, to playing football every thanksgiving morning. The one I remember the most was when my homeboy from Oregon gave us some gear and we all was out there looking like baby Ducks. This was one of the few times that we could all get together and indulge in an activity that brought us all together. It became an event that us and other compadres would look forward to while home for the holidays. Once I came down from cloud surfing, the idea of making this an annual event for the community was stuck in my mind. Thus, the 1st Annual Turkey Bowl Extravaganza Fundraiser/Flag Football Game was born. 

C-Town Athletics, Behind the Scene Kings and Beautiful Spirited Women has put together this event. The purpose of this event is to give families the ability to have a thanksgiving dinner that we believe everyone should experience. Most people have the pleasure of eating a hot meal on Thanksgiving while others can only day dream about it. These organizations want this event to bring the community together and show that there are people that care. 

TBE2K14 is half fundraiser/food drive and half flag football game. This event will be held on November 23rd from 1pm-5pm at Betty T Ferguson Sports Complex. The day will be filled with music, giveaways and flag football. An limited amount of thanksgiving baskets will be given to the families that need it. There will be two flag football game: CTA vs BTSK and Total Package vs Go Gettas. Come out and enjoy yourself at this community event. 

Outlook on the 2014-2015 NBA Season

By: @yachtclubrandy aka Candy Man

About 2 weeks into the NBA season and the Golden State Warriors were the last undefeated team at 5-0 but recently lost to Phoenix. The Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, & Toronto Raptors all have the best record tied at 6-1. Chris Bosh & Klay Thompson have been named players of the first week. And a few teams are already dealing with major injuries; most significant are the OKC Thunder with Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook out more than a month, the Lakers losing both Steve Nash & Julius Randle for the year, & the Pacers without Paul George.

There are interesting headlines all over the NBA & the championship will be wide open this season with multiple teams looking like viable contenders to win it all. King James returned to Cleveland to bring his city its first ever championship along with Kevin Love & Kyrie Irving and a host of other teammates that LeBron brought with him from Miami. Despite minor ankle sprains to both ankles, Chicago finally has Derrick Rose back and a new addition in Pau Gasol so they’ll be a top pick to get to the Finals. The Heat are off to a great start with Chris Bosh averaging over 23 points & 10 rebounds, a healthy Dwyane Wade, and contributions from new teammates including Luol Deng, Shawne Williams, James Ennis, Shabazz Napier, & Justin Hamilton. The Knicks hope to have a better season with Phil Jackson hired into the front office & Derek Fisher as the new head coach. The Wizards have a solid team coming off a 44-38 record last season looking to aspire for 50 wins and then some with Paul Pierce, John Wall, former Gator Bradley Beal, & Marcin Gortat. Charlotte has a young playoff team, add in Lance Stephenson & they should make bigger noise in the East. Indiana will suffer without Paul George so it’ll be interesting to see how much of a setback his loss will be & who will step up in his place. Despite losing Paul Pierce, Brooklyn will be right in the middle of the pack & should finish with at least 42 wins. Atlanta is an average team with just enough young talent & depth to either finish as a #8 seed or be out of the playoffs.

Things are just as exciting and maybe even more competitive in the Western Conference. As good as the Spurs are with Greg Popovich and their core players, I believe the Spurs will always be in the race but they’ll take a backseat this season to a new Western Conference champ. If I could bet my money on any team to come out the West, it would be the L.A. Clippers. They have the leadership to get it done with a coach that won the 2008 NBA Finals, one of the league’s best point guards in Chris Paul, an even better Blake Griffin, a big threat in the paint with DeAndre Jordan, and reliable depth coming off the bench. They have all the pieces in place to get to the Finals. Golden State is another popular pick. The Splash brothers are wet from anywhere on the court but how will the team play under Steve Kerr after Mark Jackson got the pink slip? The chemistry seems good as they pulled off 5 straight wins to start the season. The Rockets should achieve another 50+ win season. They have 2 of the best players in the league in James Harden & Dwight Howard and look to get past the 1^st round after getting beat on a buzzer beater last season from Damian Lillard. Portland got to the 2^nd round last year and has the talent to compete with anybody. Memphis is the same ol’ gritty team with stingy defense but suspect offense. Zach Randolph & Marc Gasol will play their parts but who will be the consistent go-to scorer when they need it? OKC will struggle early without Durant & Westbrook but will be alright in the second half of the season if they can stay healthy. Kobe will carry the Lakers without Nash & Randle but don’t expect them to win more than 30 games. Dallas looks like a better team than last year’s 49 win season and will surprise a lot of people. My sleeper team is the New Orleans Hornets. They’ll be the most improved team from last year and Anthony Davis will carry them to just enough wins to compete for the #8 seed in the playoffs along with Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans.