Jeremy Tyler is not your typical high school junior. Instead of daydreaming about Prom, Graduation, and moving on to college, Jeremy is thinking about adjusting to professional adult life. Tyler is a 6-11 basketball star from San Diego who has decided to forgo his senior year of high school and become a professional basketball player internationally.
This trend began last season. Brandon Jennings, a McDonald's All American high school phenom decided to skip his freshman year of college at Arizona and play professional basketball in Italy for one year (It was said he was academically ineligible for college). Thus he could comfortably be paid while waiting out the NBA/NCAA rule of having high school seniors delay one year before declaring for the NBA draft. This year, Jennings returned to the US and was drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Now Tyler has taken the trend a step further. He is skipping his last year of high school to become a professional basketball player. Recently, Tyler signed a one year contract worth $140,000 to play for the Israeli team, Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League. Not bad for a kid without a high school diploma.
Jeremy, who initially committed to Louisville, claimed it was time to go professional. He was tired of being hacked and triple teamed on the high school courts. The level of competition wasn't challenging, and he wanted to showcase his all around game skills rather than be planted permanently in the paint.
His bold decision tells me two things. First of all, people are willing to make daring moves just to bypass and protest the NBA/NCAA's rule of having to wait one year out of high school before entering the draft. Secondly, more than ever, American basketball is moving more and more toward a youth professional development model used in other parts of the world and in other sports.
The cause of this commotion is the fabled "One and Done" rule issued by the NCAA (College Presidents) and the NBA (David Stern). This rule is unnecessary and absurd. They claim they want to protect the kids from making mistakes. They point out that for every Kevin Garnett, there is a Korleone Young. In reality, the motivations for this rule are quite contrary. NBA veterans didn't like the flood of younger players pushing them out of the league. Also the NCAA and its College Presidents loved the fact that the "one and done" superstars would generate excitement and revenue for college basketball. This is the same NCAA who makes millions of dollars from these players and yet denies them a dime in a show of exploitation. The fact of the matter is that high school players have proven ready and able to play in the NBA. Look no further than LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and Rashard Lewis. These players have thrived in the NBA and didn't need college basketball. If people are capable of making it at this age, then why dictate that they can't try. Last time I checked, people took responsibility for themselves and their own risks. Without this rule, we wouldn't be talking about Brandon Jennings and Jeremy Tyler. Do we really want our next generation of stars to showcase themselves while playing in Europe and Asia?
As an avid basketball fan, my answer to this question is a resounding no.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Welcome to the Sky
Most people know that I have always wanted to go skydiving. I have talked about it many times. As the years passed, I watched as acquaintances and friends went and later posted their pictures. Eventually, I grew tired of procrastinating and waiting for friends to come with me. Most people were too scared to do it, so I decided to take matters in my own hands.
Back in October of 2008, I heard that the Chicago Sports and Social Club had an outing for skydiving from a friend. I looked into it and decided to sign up. I made an early morning bus trip with tons of strangers out to the Western Suburb of Hinckley, IL, home of Chicagoland Skydiving Center. After a promising morning, clouds settled in and we never got the chance to go due to the weather. However, I had signed all the paperwork, paid all the fees, and taken the basic training. So I left with a debit like card full of my skydiving credits. It was good for one year.
For many months during the Winter and Spring I thought about that card and when I could return to make my jump. I was just waiting for favorable weather conditions.
Once May rolled around, a few things caused me to schedule my jump. First of all, my good friend, Jake, was skydiving out in Cali with his little brother. Secondly, I heard that Jay Niice and Julian from Chicago's B96 jumped over a weekend. This made me realize that I had to take action. So the next Monday, I took a break from working and called CSC. I took a chance and scheduled a jump for Sunday. I then waited nervously all week watching weather.com. The forecast was sunny, then rainy, and finally sunny again right before the big moment. I was set, there would be no weather delays this time.
I drove out to Hinckley early on a Sunday morning. I checked in at the desk and within fifteen minutes I was called out to the hanger. In a whirl of events, I was suited up, and had a harness tied around me. I briefly met my skydiving instructor and quickly had the camera man interviewing me. They joked about being scared and dying, but I was never really worried. I had dreamed about this moment on many nights. Some nights it was a pleasant freefall while other nights were terrifying nightmares. Either way I was ready.
I was quickly ushered out to the plane. It turns out that I was added last minute to a flight full of hard core jumpers. I sat in the small, cramped plane flanked by my instructor and camera man.
As the plane elevated, I watched the dial altimeter's needle slowly move. It quickly went from zero to 15000 feet. It was at this point that everything started to come together. Everyone starting filing to the front of the plane. I watched as they nonchalantly dropped out of the side door. They made it look easy. I strapped onto my instructor and we waddled to the side door. My camera man hung on to the outside of the plane, waiting for us to drop. I looked down and saw countryside way below. This was the time where most people would freeze up. The time their brains would scream "No, don't do this!" To be honest, I didn't have much time to think or resist. My instructor counted to three and before I knew it we were on our way out of the plane. It was a total shock, I couldn't quite comprehend what was happening since I was tumbling.
Eventually I came to a stable position, facing the ground. The instructor tapped my shoulder which meant I could spread my arms and legs. The feeling of flying was exhilarating. The sound of air was whisking past my ears. I was screaming and yelling, but like in space no one else could hear me. The one thing that shocked me was the fact that I couldn't really breathe. I definitely wasn't ready for that. I played around with the camera man, trying to grab his hand and use him to spin myself. It wasn't long before play time was over. The instructor showed me his digital altimeter, which meant it was time to deploy the parachute.
Now before taking off I made sure to see the bright orange ripcord handle on the instructor's hip. For the life of me, I didn't quite remember where the handle was while falling thousands of feet toward the earth. I searched for a bit and just as I saw it, the instructor pulled it. Before I knew it, I was shot upward with the parachute overhead.
I also had the preconceived notion that the parachute descent would be scary for me. I believed freefall would be less scary than being slowly suspended so high off the ground. Rather it was a peaceful journey down. I liked looking below and seeing the lay of the land as well as the other skydivers landing in the field.
Soon, the ground was closing in. I watched and realized for the first time how fast we were really descending. It was kind of scary to think how fast you fell even with a parachute on. I lifted my legs and we slid into a landing. As I sat on the ground, I was dazed and lost in a natural high. It was one of those feelings you had after being on a thrilling roller coaster. I had realized what I had just done.
Skydiving is a thrilling adventure. I am glad I did it, and I recommend it to everyone else as well.
Back in October of 2008, I heard that the Chicago Sports and Social Club had an outing for skydiving from a friend. I looked into it and decided to sign up. I made an early morning bus trip with tons of strangers out to the Western Suburb of Hinckley, IL, home of Chicagoland Skydiving Center. After a promising morning, clouds settled in and we never got the chance to go due to the weather. However, I had signed all the paperwork, paid all the fees, and taken the basic training. So I left with a debit like card full of my skydiving credits. It was good for one year.
For many months during the Winter and Spring I thought about that card and when I could return to make my jump. I was just waiting for favorable weather conditions.
Once May rolled around, a few things caused me to schedule my jump. First of all, my good friend, Jake, was skydiving out in Cali with his little brother. Secondly, I heard that Jay Niice and Julian from Chicago's B96 jumped over a weekend. This made me realize that I had to take action. So the next Monday, I took a break from working and called CSC. I took a chance and scheduled a jump for Sunday. I then waited nervously all week watching weather.com. The forecast was sunny, then rainy, and finally sunny again right before the big moment. I was set, there would be no weather delays this time.
I drove out to Hinckley early on a Sunday morning. I checked in at the desk and within fifteen minutes I was called out to the hanger. In a whirl of events, I was suited up, and had a harness tied around me. I briefly met my skydiving instructor and quickly had the camera man interviewing me. They joked about being scared and dying, but I was never really worried. I had dreamed about this moment on many nights. Some nights it was a pleasant freefall while other nights were terrifying nightmares. Either way I was ready.
I was quickly ushered out to the plane. It turns out that I was added last minute to a flight full of hard core jumpers. I sat in the small, cramped plane flanked by my instructor and camera man.
As the plane elevated, I watched the dial altimeter's needle slowly move. It quickly went from zero to 15000 feet. It was at this point that everything started to come together. Everyone starting filing to the front of the plane. I watched as they nonchalantly dropped out of the side door. They made it look easy. I strapped onto my instructor and we waddled to the side door. My camera man hung on to the outside of the plane, waiting for us to drop. I looked down and saw countryside way below. This was the time where most people would freeze up. The time their brains would scream "No, don't do this!" To be honest, I didn't have much time to think or resist. My instructor counted to three and before I knew it we were on our way out of the plane. It was a total shock, I couldn't quite comprehend what was happening since I was tumbling.
Eventually I came to a stable position, facing the ground. The instructor tapped my shoulder which meant I could spread my arms and legs. The feeling of flying was exhilarating. The sound of air was whisking past my ears. I was screaming and yelling, but like in space no one else could hear me. The one thing that shocked me was the fact that I couldn't really breathe. I definitely wasn't ready for that. I played around with the camera man, trying to grab his hand and use him to spin myself. It wasn't long before play time was over. The instructor showed me his digital altimeter, which meant it was time to deploy the parachute.
Now before taking off I made sure to see the bright orange ripcord handle on the instructor's hip. For the life of me, I didn't quite remember where the handle was while falling thousands of feet toward the earth. I searched for a bit and just as I saw it, the instructor pulled it. Before I knew it, I was shot upward with the parachute overhead.
I also had the preconceived notion that the parachute descent would be scary for me. I believed freefall would be less scary than being slowly suspended so high off the ground. Rather it was a peaceful journey down. I liked looking below and seeing the lay of the land as well as the other skydivers landing in the field.
Soon, the ground was closing in. I watched and realized for the first time how fast we were really descending. It was kind of scary to think how fast you fell even with a parachute on. I lifted my legs and we slid into a landing. As I sat on the ground, I was dazed and lost in a natural high. It was one of those feelings you had after being on a thrilling roller coaster. I had realized what I had just done.
Skydiving is a thrilling adventure. I am glad I did it, and I recommend it to everyone else as well.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
King of Pop
Today, the King of Pop, Michael Jackson passed away.
Despite his eccentricities and scandals, there is no denying that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest music artists and performers to ever live. His resume speaks for itself. He first burst out on the scene as the precocious lead singer of the Jackson 5, displaying a powerful voice and funky dance moves. He later went solo releasing "Thriller" which is the best selling album of all time worldwide. He revolutionized music videos with long epic storylines and dance numbers as seen in the video for the "Thriller" single. His dance movies were smooth, innovative, and jaw dropping. How many people could pull off the "Smooth Criminal" lean, jumping on to their tippy toes, or 720 degree spin moves? People the world over (including myself) are still trying to figure out the moonwalk.
Michael Jackson is one of those people whose name and persona is known all over the world. His influence is readily apparent in music and popular culture. Why else would people wear white socks with high waters or single sequenced gloves? Also without Michael Jackson, there would be no Usher or Chris Brown. It's that simple. He really was larger than life.
When I look back on Michael Jackson, a few key moments will always come to mind. I will recall the little boy in hippie stylings singing "I Want You Back" (my favorite J5 song). I will remember him lighting up the floor tiles in the music video of "Billie Jean." Finally, I will always see the live performance of "Billie Jean" for Motown 25 where he first publicly busted out the moonwalk on national television.
His style, moves, and music will always live on.
Video of Motown 25 "Billie Jean" Performance
Despite his eccentricities and scandals, there is no denying that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest music artists and performers to ever live. His resume speaks for itself. He first burst out on the scene as the precocious lead singer of the Jackson 5, displaying a powerful voice and funky dance moves. He later went solo releasing "Thriller" which is the best selling album of all time worldwide. He revolutionized music videos with long epic storylines and dance numbers as seen in the video for the "Thriller" single. His dance movies were smooth, innovative, and jaw dropping. How many people could pull off the "Smooth Criminal" lean, jumping on to their tippy toes, or 720 degree spin moves? People the world over (including myself) are still trying to figure out the moonwalk.
Michael Jackson is one of those people whose name and persona is known all over the world. His influence is readily apparent in music and popular culture. Why else would people wear white socks with high waters or single sequenced gloves? Also without Michael Jackson, there would be no Usher or Chris Brown. It's that simple. He really was larger than life.
When I look back on Michael Jackson, a few key moments will always come to mind. I will recall the little boy in hippie stylings singing "I Want You Back" (my favorite J5 song). I will remember him lighting up the floor tiles in the music video of "Billie Jean." Finally, I will always see the live performance of "Billie Jean" for Motown 25 where he first publicly busted out the moonwalk on national television.
His style, moves, and music will always live on.
Video of Motown 25 "Billie Jean" Performance
Sunday, April 26, 2009
It's been awhile....
It's been awhile since I have posted to this blog. Well the good news is that I have decided to become more motivated, and I have more material to write upon.
With that said, I will start with a movie recommendation. When I took my trip to Asia, I watched a few movies. One such film was "The Express." I have seen many sports movies, and I would say this is one of the best ones. It's kind of like a football version of "Glory Road" (the second best basketball movie) since it deals with college athletics and racial issues centered upon black athletes. I liked the depiction of 50s college life and the scenes showing the football games. They were shot in a way that was not overly flashy or sensational. It had a nice balance to it. Plus the story of the first black football player (Ernie Davis) to win the Heisman trophy while gunning for the National Title held my interest.
I have one warning though. This movie is more than just about football. It is a bittersweet story of one man's life. A story that will move you and make you reflect.
With that said, I will start with a movie recommendation. When I took my trip to Asia, I watched a few movies. One such film was "The Express." I have seen many sports movies, and I would say this is one of the best ones. It's kind of like a football version of "Glory Road" (the second best basketball movie) since it deals with college athletics and racial issues centered upon black athletes. I liked the depiction of 50s college life and the scenes showing the football games. They were shot in a way that was not overly flashy or sensational. It had a nice balance to it. Plus the story of the first black football player (Ernie Davis) to win the Heisman trophy while gunning for the National Title held my interest.
I have one warning though. This movie is more than just about football. It is a bittersweet story of one man's life. A story that will move you and make you reflect.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Temporary Repreive
This weekend, those of us in Chicago were given a nice surprise: temperatures in the 30s and40s. For a brief moment we were treated to temperatures above the freezing point. After a long unwanted stay, the ice and snow were forced to relent. It gave us a glimpse into what Spring and Summer could bring once again.
It's amazing how things that were once mundane and taken for granted suddenly transform into being fresh and appreciated after a long absence. I mean after having to endure a temperature of -15 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 degrees Fahrenheit really doesn't feel so bad. So 40 degrees Fahrenheit felt awesome. I suppose this is what people mean by relativity. I guess going through the worst of extremes makes you realize how well you had it in the first place.
It's amazing how things that were once mundane and taken for granted suddenly transform into being fresh and appreciated after a long absence. I mean after having to endure a temperature of -15 degrees Fahrenheit, 10 degrees Fahrenheit really doesn't feel so bad. So 40 degrees Fahrenheit felt awesome. I suppose this is what people mean by relativity. I guess going through the worst of extremes makes you realize how well you had it in the first place.
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