Redemption is coming with the Redeem Team

I grew up loving basketball. It didn't matter who was playing, college or professional. I loved to watch basketball. Then something happened. The NBA went to pot. The players began to wreck the image of the NBA. The ridiculous amounts of tattoos, the fights, the off the court situations, and more. For the last several years I have not even watched the NBA finals, because their game play emphasized individual performances.

I was a big fan of the Dream Team that went to the Olympics. I loved watching Jordan, Magic, Bird, Stockton, etc... Looking back, that might have been the last great moment for the NBA in my book. Most of the players had character and were likable. They were good players too.

This year at the Beijing Olympics, the NBA players representing the U.S.A. have become known as the "Redeem Team", hoping to take back gold. They are living up to their name. Only, I think they are living up to their names in more ways than one.

Repeatedly, I have seen NBC capture images of the players watching the other athletes perform. Like watching Micheal Phelps swimming exhibition and the May/Walsh beach volleyball poundings. I even listened as Kobe Bryant gave an interview in Spanish, something that I had no idea he could do. The players have shown respect on the court and have been playing better as a team. I've been briefly reminded of the NBA days of old.

NBA commissioner, David Stern, would do well to take this momentum and continue showing his players as people, rather than commodities. Let those of us who left our televisions see the players in a new light and we might come back to watch. We may even spend some of our money to do it.

However, I have to wonder if Coach K has something to do with this "redeeming" quality. I imagine he has some influence. Perhaps he should become commissioner and install this new image. That should say a lot coming from a Tarheel fan!

A Lampo Madness Repeat

This year was the second annual 3 on 3 basketball tournament at Dave Ramsey's. The event has become known as Lampo Madness. We all began at the start of the men's NCAA basketball tournament and played double elimination. The first team to 11 wins. This year there were eight teams competing for right to cut down the net. The championship game was then held out in the parking lot as the company came out to enjoy the game and food provided by Moe's Southwest Grill. It was a perfect day if you ignored the wind.

Last year, was great because I was able to compete with two friends from college who also worked with us. We ended up winning it all by way of the loser's bracket, but one of the guys left the company since last year's tourney. So, this year I was approached by one of the players who put us in the loser's bracket last year. Since the mighty Grub Doctor's weren't able to play together this year, I accepted the invitation.

As you can see in the picture below, I had the privilege of playing with elite programmer, Troy Stauffer and creative genius, Paul Farmer. We managed to make it to the championship game without a loss (4-0). Which means our opponent had to beat us twice yesterday. They took a quick lead, going up 1-0. After a few minutes of everyone going cold, Paul Farmer started draining them from outside putting us up 8-2. Brian Beaman, Rob Curwen, and Lon Cherry fought back but we were still able to pull out the win 11-6.

Two years in a row now - Lampo Champion! It feels good even though I have been completely shut down in both championship games. Still, I want to say thanks to all the other teams for making it a great tournament. I'll see you next year.

Big night in Nashville

Last night in Nashville, there was just too much going on to follow. Some of the outcomes were good and some were not. Here are the things that were fighting for my attention.

#1: I'm a Lipscomb fan in the Atlantic Sun, but WAY TO GO BELMONT! I couldn't believe they lost in the final seconds to Duke, 70-71. It was great to hear the crowd cheering on the Nashville underdog. What a game! My wife even got excited about watching it - she did attend a semester at Belmont.

#2: I had to run back an forth between TVs to catch the latest episode of Lost while watching the final minutes of the Duke/Belmont game. The show frustrates me as usual, and I am ready for the resolution. This show has been strung out for way too long. The basketball game got most of my attention though.

#3: Predators....tough night! I wanted to see our boys make it to the playoffs, but I guess the Red Wings were too much to handle last night as they lost 6-3. It was a "must win" for the Preds if they wanted to extend the season. Maybe next year...or maybe not? Who knows? If they didn't have to deal with all of the negotiations of being sold this past year, I'm convinced they would be in the playoffs for sure. The distraction could not have helped.

#4: The US Mens Soccer Team solidified their bid to the Summer Olympics in Beijing last night in Nashville. They won over the Canadians 3-0. Sunday, I am planning to enjoy Easter by watching the championship game of the qualifying between the US and Honduras at LP field. This will be the first time I watch them live. I love this game!

The most wonderful day of the year

March Madness has arrived, making it the most wonderful day of the year! As kids it was Christmas, your birthday, and maybe a trip to an amusement park. However, as we get older we realize the more important things, like Cinderellas, last second shots, and bracket challenges.

This has been a great basketball season so far. Growing up in North Carolina, I'll be rooting for UNC. It's always nice to have your favorite team ranked at No. 1. Some would question my loyalty to the Heels, since I will also be pulling for Duke in the tourney. In one of my brackets I decided to go all ACC in the finals. I think Clemson has a good shot, but Miami is just wishful thinking.

Hold on - let's move to Tennessee since that is where I've moved to 13 years ago. With five teams from the state (Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Memphis, Belmont, and Austin Peay) it has add to the excitement of this basketball season. I'll be pulling for Vandy since it is the local favorite and I like Belmont when they aren't playing my alma mater, Lipscomb. The only downside....Belmont has Duke in round one.

Well, three years ago I didn't pick UNC to win it all because they were my team. They ended up winning it and I lost my bracket challenge. I have reservations of picking them this year, but why not? Go Tarheels!

Who's your pick to win it all?

Grub Doctors Write a New Chapter

Back in 1995 a random group of guys gathered together to form a softball team for the intramural league at Lipscomb University. They were called the Grub Doctors. Over the next 4 years, the Grub Doctors participated in every intramural sporting even that was possible. They played with pride and passion even though their skills and ability were nothing compared to their luck. They played each game with the battle cry, "Let's have more fun than they do!" They had fun, and so did the crowd. The opposing teams hated them because their silly antics were annoying and yet they still found a way to win more often than expected. They were a fun a group, having never won a championship of any kind, until...April 24, 2007,

I was proud to be a part of Grub Doctor history. Along with "Paxwell" & "Nutt", the three of us have all ended up working for Dave Ramsey & The Lampo Group, Inc. When we heard about the first annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament, we pulled out the old green jersey's from our college days, sucked in our guts, and hit the asphalt with intensity. In front of a sell out crowd in the back parking lot of the office, we managed to win our first championship ever! We became the first Lampo 3-on-3 basketball champions. I am proud to be a Grub Doctor today.

Side Note: As a part of the double elimination tournament, we lost one game which caused us to play more games than any other team. Was it luck that we won? Maybe. We finished the tourney with a record of 7-1.

Vanderbilt's loss to Georgetown

Well I just finished watching the ending to Vanderbilt's loss to Georgetown (65-66) in the sweet 16. It has been an exciting year for the commodores and it was an exciting finish.

As a migrant to Tennessee from "Tobacco Road", I've enjoyed what Tennessee basketball contributed to the NCAA this year. Memphis, Tennessee, Belmont (although I would have preferred to see Lipscomb) and my new favorite, Vandy!

It was a tough lost, but the guys have a lot to be proud of. I didn't get to see the entire game, but it is sad that the boys lose on what should have been a traveling call on the final shot for Georgetown. Even CBS was pointing out the disappointment, but that's the game of basketball. The referees can't make every call.

It's bitter sweet I guess. I don't know what it would have been like to have to root for UNC and VU in the next round (hopefully, I won't be typing about UNC lost in a few hours).

Way to go 'Dores!!! Great season!!!!

March Madness

Today is one of the greatest days of the entire year. The NCAA basketball tournament has begun. It's like a snow day, Christmas, the night before going to Disney world as a kid. Today is just a happy day!

I have a couple of brackets filled out on who will win it all but man...it's college basketball. Who cares who wins? It's exciting to watch! However, being from North Carolina, I am pulling for UNC but because I live outside of Nashville, I hope to see Vanderbilt do well also.

If you're reading this blog post today - why? Shouldn't you be watching the scores?

21 Laws of Leadership

So far so good. I'm 10 weeks into the year and I just finished my 10th book. That may not be a big deal for a lot of you, but it is for me. My original goal for the year was one a month.

At any rate, I just finished up John C. Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. This book was a very easy read but it was even more inspiring. It was laid out very simple and I gained a lot out of it.

As I was reading through the Law of the Big MO, it reminded me of the importance of momentum. I remembered when I played little league basketball in 4th and 5th grade, there was a rule that teams were not allowed to full court press until the final 2 minutes of each half. That rule was there to keep some teams from getting frustrated at the beginning of the half. It was suppose to keep games close.

Well, for my friend Scott and I, the last 2 minutes were simply a reward for hard work. Rather than waiting to develop momentum in the final 2 minutes, we played by the rules and instigated a half-court press. As a pair, we didn't let anyone across half court while dribbling the ball. They had to pass it over our heads well before they got to half court, if they had any chance at keeping us from stealing the ball. In fact, it worked to our favor, because once a player crossed the line with the ball, he immediately lost the ability to move backwards due to a back court violation. By the time the 2 minutes came around, our momentum had already started. Victory was the only thing we had on our mind. In fact when the 2 minutes came around, we often times continued to play half-court. We knew they would have to face us in 10 seconds or less anyways. As we grew older, coaches and kids figured out how to get around us and we had to look for other methods. We used what we knew at the time and it worked.

Create momentum with what you have.

The Baseline Camera Angle

This was a huge weekend in basketball. There was the NBA all-star game but, I'm not sure who really cared. The real fun was in the NCAA when Vanderbilt knocked off #1 ranked Florida. Go 'dores!

It was during that game that I once again realized how much I don't like the camera angle from underneath the basketball goal. Especially, on a fast break. I enjoy seeing snap shots or photos from that angle, but when I see a fast break, I want to see it from the main angle. I feel like I can see the dunk a lot better from the side. Plus, there is so much that can happen on a fast break. The underneath angle doesn't allow me to see a block shot very well. Or if a guy gets fouled hard, I don't get to always see him fall to the floor. I feel like my view is limited.

I can't wait until someone develops a box (something like TIVO) that will allow you to be the producer of sporting events. As you watch games on tv you would get to decide the camera angle instead of some idiot in a truck who can only half way pay attention to the game in the first place. Of coarse there would always be an option to watch the producer's camera choice, but I rather decide myself. I don't like the feeling of missing a basket because the producer thinks the fans in the stands are a better picture. I'd also want the ability to do my own replay from the angle I like best. For example, waiting on a network to show me the best angle of a replay in football takes for what seems like an eternity. Then, when they get the right angle, they don't pause it when they need too. Let me be in control of my viewing!

The first network or company that can build this technology, deliver it, and make it affordable, will get me as a customer. For those few that read this blog and like the idea - get moving on it, I doubt that I will ever do anything with the idea. Just remember who you got the idea from.