31 Days...

... until the Disney 1/2 Marathon. My longest run so far has been 6-miles and it hurt; that was several weeks ago. 31 more days to prepare, I need some motivation...







... and if these guys can do it; I can do it too...

Dream Team

Heading to Las Vegas this weekend to watch Team USA play in its one exhibition game before they head out to China for the Olympics. It's been 8 years since USA brought home the Gold and anything other than the Gold would be a major disappointment. I do feel the final roster could use more size; KG or Amare would compliment well (I'm sure they were invited; not sure why they declined...). Below, I pit this years roster against the original dream team. Who's the better team:

Chris Paul vs. John Stockton
Jason Kidd vs. Magic Johnson
Deron Williams vs. Clyde Drexler
Michael Redd vs. Chris Mullin
Dwayne Wade vs. Christian Laettner
Tayshaun Prince vs. Scottie Pippen
Carmelo Anthony vs. Charles Barkley
Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan
LeBron James vs. Larry Bird
Chris Bosh vs. Karl Malone
Carlos Boozer vs. Patrick Ewing
Dwight Howard vs. David Robinson

Personally, I think the old guys in their prime would probably destroy the 2008 Team... imagine the Admiral, the Mailman, Jordan, and Magic at the height of their game. Obviuosly the competitive landscape is different in today's game but check out some of the Dream Team stats:
The Original Dream Team Stats

My favorite being '32'; the closest in points any other team came to USA. The 92' team was that dominant - hopefully we will see some similar numbers from this group in Beijing this year.

Tennis & Golf

I was just reading an article on the highest paid female athletes. 9 out of the top 10 were either in tennis or golf (the other being a race car driver). The highest paid female athlete is Maria Sharapova; barely of legal age, her annual salary comes in around $25 million (very impressive considering Kobe Bryant, the NBA's elite, only makes ~$35 million with endorsements). But I guess you can't go wrong with Sharapova; she's a top 5 player and actually wins Grand Slams - then add on her smashing body, good looks, good girl persona and you have yourself a perfect spokesperson for your product (unlike the win less and slutty Anna Kournikova). On the men's side you have baby faced Tiger Woods, who brings in a whopping $100 million a year...

Note to self: if I ever have a daughter make sure to sign her up for tennis and golf; I can be the father/coach and retire early...

Career High

Yesterday I had one of the best games (statistically) in a real refereed game (from my IM days at Cal to our recent 3 seasons in the Diamond Bar league). I put up 34 points (15 out of 26), 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Actually I tapped the ball in twice and my favorite score keeper said she didn't count those as rebounds (in the NBA that would have been 2 additional offensive rebounds, putting me at 34/13); but I don't argue with the statistician so it stands at 11 - my 2nd double-double this season. I did leave out one small item; the opposing team only had 4 players - but they were shooting the lights out; final score was 68-59. Still smokin'.

Clippers Curse

So much hope and excitement has diminished and flamed out within the last few hours. Last week Baron Davis agreed to a deal to come to the Clippers; Clipper Nation rejoiced at the possibility of a new big three (Brand, Davis, Maggette). I was truly excited for the two very strong Los Angeles teams and was ready to purchase some tickets for the upcoming season (Clipper tickets are still way cheaper than Lakers tickets)... But today the Clippers went from playoff contender back to lottery pick. Brand has decided to take 82 million from the 76'ers and Maggette is taking a deal with the Warriors. Even with Davis, it looks like the Clippers are in for a tough season.. actually a tough next few years. At least Los Angeles still has the Lakers (bringing home the championship in 09).

500 Miles

Topped 500 miles on my Yamaha the other day. I've traded the comfort of my air conditioned car for simply zooming through the air. I've had a chance to ride on the freeway; hitting 80 at some points, which was a little too fast for my taste - I'm happy to go the speed limit in the slow lane. Right now I'm getting about 140-150 per 3 gallons (about 46-50mpg). I know some of the bigger Harley's have about 30-35mpg so I'm surprised and happy to be hitting the 45+mpg mark.

Still a little tentative about splitting lanes...

The Beginning or the End?

The Story on BBC

July 4th - a celebration of independence, the overthrowing of a tyrant; a great day to celebrate freedom. How fortunate (or unfortunate) and coincidental that this day also marks the opening of direct flights from China to Taiwan after nearly 60 years of separation. It is amazing how fast President Ma and his trusted advisors closed this deal with the Mainland. "Status quo" - I think not. Happiness to China, a boost in Taiwan's stock market, and the stuffing of many pockets. I dare say this is the beginning of the end; it won't matter if you are blue or green because soon there will only be one nation, "One Family" and one 'red' flag.