Website Review: DerekFisher2.com
I know y'all have been waiting with bated breath, so I figured it was time for another NBA player website review (I might branch out to other athletes as the offseason stretches on, but it's best to start with what we know, ne?). I figured I'd do someone who's been in the news lately, so I looked for the Stephon Marbury official website. If you missed it, he was on ustream live for 24 hours on Saturday. Turns out, though, that the ego head doesn't even have his own website. Well, at least not one dedicated to anything but shoes. In a way, it's admirable. It kind of goes to show he doesn't need it, his rep is so (in)famous. Starbury.com would get a B for its general swagginess, including Starbury fragrances and custom Starbury cursor. The only negative is the stiff posturing of Steph on the site.Next I thought of Monday Night Raw's host Shaquille O'Neal, who also tried to get into the White House today without an appointment (secret service says, "no."), but it seems the Big Twitter(er) sticks to his preferred media outlet. The closest thing he has to an official website is twitter.com/THE_REAL_SHAQ, and if you try to go to ShaquilleONeal.com you actually get re-directed to NBA.com (although the address stays shaquilleoneal.com and for some reason you can't access player info but can get all the official team websites as in www.shaquilleoneal.com/cavaliers...the interweb, what a wacky place!). Anyway, those two players being sans official websites had me turning to another pg role player on great teams of this decade (you'll remember, obviously, that the inaugural Website Review was former Sacto King Mike Bibby): Derek Fisher, who recently lost to David Arquette in a from-the-roof shooting competition.
DerekFisher2.com is fairly new, and really I can't see enough about Fish the man. By all accounts (we reserve the right to disregard Luis Scola's opinions), he's a stand up guy. NBA players prez, etc. The website, though? That still stands to be evaluated!
- Accessibility/layout: The site is pretty fresh, with well integrated video, links/features, and a "coming up" spot that is pretty cool in theory but at the moment only flashes today's date. There's also a link to "Derek's schedule," but it only takes you to the Lakers' game schedule. The focus right now is the Lakers having won the Larry O'Brien, and the pics of Fish celebrating that alternate on the home page look quite good. Every page has links to outside sites that are "related," though for the most part they are just to D-Fish's facebook or things like that. Still, the website looks pretty professional. No broken links and lots of info to connect to. Media available for viewing from every page. You could really spend days here, which IMHO is a great thing for a player's website. It's a little unfortunate that the video plays automatically, as you keep hearing the same first line as you cycle through the home page, but really that's really an inconsequential quibble. You can sign up for an RSS feed, for crying out loud! Apparently Fish used Athlete Interactive to help get the website flowing, and it worked beautifully. I'll have to look into this new AI. Grade: A+
- Video:
The videos on site are not any old things you could find on Youtube. Rather, they show interviews and occurences of personal importance to the D-Fish narrative. They show highlights like the 0.4 second shot, examples of Fish at his basketball camp, training, and even footage of Fish campaigning for President Obama. You would love a little more selection (there are just under a dozen) and there should certainly be more playing highlights--the 0.4 second shot is actually the only one. Also, with the exception of the miracle shot, none of the content is older than a year. You have to attribute that to Athlete Interactive, as they probably suggested the videos be only originals. You can make playlists with the videos, which is a fun idea but really why would you want to? I'd much prefer to be able to embed the videos, which you cannot do. Grade: B- - Photos: There are three wallpapers available to download and the scrolling pics on the homepage, but other than that nada. Grade: D
- Up-to-date-ness: Love, love, love the way the News section is set up, but it kind of lacks any body behind the lovely face. Of course, there's not much to report right now, so...it's great the site has its own original writing and links larger site articles for certain features on Fish, but it strikes me as a bit insular not to link to more outside content. Love that there's an article on Fish trying to get Lamar Odom to stay in LA. Grade: B-
- Marketing: None to speak of, though you can sign up for his summer camp (registration now closed) or the Fisher Fan Club, and there are links to the UALR scholarship Fisher Fellows Program and an article on retinoblastoma. Let's just give him the slight nod for using the site to promote honorable ventures. Grade: B
- Original content: Let's put it this way: Community service! Fan club! Skills camp! Wallpaper! Articles! Videos! Podcast!?! The podcast is pending. I've sent in a question, we'll see if it gets answered. I never got an e-mail back from Mike Bibby regarding his return to the Hawks. Let's hope Fish comes through a little more reliably. All the original writing, including on the Bio (printable version available) is really great. I also love the 'Features' section, which shows recent material added to the site, including a piece on helping with education in Darfur. What can I say, Fish acts like royalty ought to. In the end, there's a lot of original content promised here, though some of it is yet to be delivered. Grade: B+
- Trivia: The site's too glossy to dip here, I guess. There might be some trivia sprinkled throughout the bio, but as much as I love Fish I didn't read it. Maybe one winter day when I need something honorable and inspiring on which to warm myself. Grade: D
Phillies Fan uses a “laser pointer” to distract, not a metaphor.
During Saturday’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the St Louis Cardinals, a Phillies fan was using a laser-pointer to distract St Louis hitters Julio Lugo and Albert Pujols.
My real question is how did someone smuggle a laser pointer into the game? The bigger question is who even owns a laser pointer anymore? I always thought it was only that expert at the planetarium owned one.
That is pretty despicable by whoever did it. I’m not going to throw all Phillies fans under the bus but seriously, laser pointers are not toys and can cause blindness.
By the way in a related story, “Are those sharks with laser beams attached to their heads?”
I Love the Internet - Tony Pena Jr. is Finally Becoming a Pitcher
Look at the above picture. Does that look like the swing of a position player? If you said yes, you are lying. LYING!Okay, not really. But Tony Pena Jr., he of the .098 batting average this year, has finally agreed to let the Royals try to make him a pitcher.
It all started last year, when the Royals got their butts kicked on July 21, 2008 by the Tigers, 19-4. Down by a ton and not wanting to waste the arm, the Royals did what all awesome teams do and put a position player on the mound. Only Tony Pena Jr. wasn't any normal position player/pitcher. After getting his feet set after a few pitchers, he put the side down in order, striking out future hall of famer Ivan Rodriguez in the process.
Well first came the Deadspin commentary. But that was followed up with a very serious Joe Posnanski article, asking whether Pena really should consider moving to pitcher. The points were good, and Pena sucked at offense anyways, so I agreed and made a facebook group: Tony Pena Junior: The Anti Ankiel.
The support was there, but Tony struggled on, trying to remain a shortstop. But recently Tony was waived, and desperate times call for desperate measures. There is a glimmer of hope for Tony, however: Teammate Ron Mahay did a similar thing back in 1995, switching from outfield to pitching. And I'd say that, 14 years later, Mahay has been pretty successful. So maybe we'll see Pena before we know it, pitching in the 8th inning to get the game to Soria (or maybe Soria will get the game to Pena?).
Note: Noticed this article on Joe Posnanski's Twitter, so I'm giving credit where credit is due.
Jupiter gets Bruised!
I have been so busy lately that sometimes I miss an event that I really should NOT miss. Case in point, "Who slugged Jupiter when I wasn't looking?"
My husband and I were driving and he happened to mention to me, "Hey what about that bruise on Jupiter?" I said, 'What are you talking about?" and he said, "Didn't you hear, an amateur astrologer found a bruise on Jupiter and now astronomers are trying to figure out what hit it."
Talk about an astrological chiropractic adjustment! I sat up straight and said, "I had no idea about this, I am going to see what I can find." So, last night I went to learn more and actually I am glad it took me a week to hear this story. Evidently in the beginning there was conjecture that the thing that hit Jove was as big as Earth. By the time I got to the news they have learned it was probably only a few hundred meters in size (Thank Heavens!)
I, of course, (like I am sure every astrologer) thought about the astrological connection to this big 'shiner' and the conjunction between Jupiter and Chiron and Neptune. Chiron conjunctions bring wounds that need to be healed. It appears Jupiter's massiveness attracts everything and anything floating through his corner of the universe. And Neptune can bring out the victims.
I wonder what this means for Jupiter personalities? Bigger than life, Oxygen suckers, KnowItAlls, Judges---The people who walk into a room and before long everyone is circling around them, will they attract some hits? I don't know I am just mulling this over for the first time this morning.
Curiously, I remember fifteen years ago when Shoemaker-Levy Comet hit Jupiter. It was a thing of beauty. And I recall Buzz Myers my old astrologer spoke at length about the connection to Jupiter. I remember he suggested that Jupiter was getting something to change it or if not change it, something to influence it. Something from out of Jupiter's normal influence of power, a foreign visitor coming to teach him something. He mused about it but of course we could not know for sure about the implicatons.
At that time Pluto was at 25 degrees of Scorpio and we were dealing with all kinds of Scorpio issues (google S&L scandals) but now looking back on it I am wondering about that influence on Jupiter considering Pluto moved into Sag his home sign a couple years later. Had that rock'em sock'em Shoemaker Levy shaken Jupiter up so much it was a message of what was to come?
Colombine and 9/11 showed how a handful of benign looking guys (not unlike shoemaker levy) can do a whole world of hurt. I certainly don't know this for sure but it does make me scratch my head as we see this new wound.
Anyway, since I am late on the party on this one I have gone to see what some other astrologers have said and I think you might want to read Philip Sedgwick's take. It is interesting and thoughtful. Give it a read.
The Big, Raw, NBA-WWE Comparison
So I'm definitely in the summer doldrums slump, but sports goes on. I'm not invested enough in baseball or football to care enough right now, so I've fallen to watching pro wrestling like I was 14 again. Let me say that it was 1998 when I was 14, as in right in the thick of the nWo, Monday night wars, and invasion storylines that drove the Attitude Era. Suffice it to say, things are different now. I've heard the current era called "the PG era," and it's just one more thing going slack during the recession. Still, things have to happen. Life doesn't stop long enough to always be interesting (though we try to make it so).Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, and newly (almost) heel-turned CM Punk seem to be ushering in an age of heel dominance. The popular "faces" are not showing long term potential, as Jeffy Hardy is rumored not to be returning when his contract expires and Rey Mysterio, Jr. has pretty much peaked story-wise as the lovable little-guy/luchador. (A pairing with...Dolph Ziggler? Wait, who?) It's a sad state of a "sport" when the plus-40s are running it, as Shawn Michaels, Rick Flair, Brett Hart (all inactive at the moment), and the Undertaker are looked at to revive fan interest as we head towards Summer Slam. (Check out the FDH series on ideal events for a long view towards 'Mania 26) You could see it at Night of Champions, though I didn't (why pay per view when you can pick up the essentials on Youtube?). WWE doesn't have a hold on their fanbase's reactions.
Specifics aside, I thought about writing something a little thoughtful, a little Epochryphal, but it's been done already, and I'm not energetic enough to do the legwork necessary for a new spin on it all. If you didn't catch it, and you're interested in further reading, former McMahon foil Paul Heyman has a great piece up on The Heyman Hustle about how WWE screwed up five years ago and how the lack of talent influx is leading to the...well, lack of talent. And weak storylines. And there's no real competition making WWE push itself. Although, in my opinion, I think pro wrestling needs to take MMA, UFC stuff as a serious competitor if not a potential conqueror. See: Brock Lesnar's UFC 100 show, as well as Shaq's bid to compete with Lesnar. We'll get back to Shaq, but the last idea it's important to take away from Heyman's thoughts: Japanese wrestling. The Japan circuits have always been big. What I'd love to see is a bit of a recreation of what pro wrestling looks like. Bring in some of the talented Japanese wrestlers already performing stateside, especially in a kind of Invasion story line...though that might get a litte racist-undertones questionable. Never mind. Just a thought.
Instead of getting serious, though five paragraphs in maybe it's too late not to be serious, I want to give a little heads up for any cross-over fans that may be attracted by Shaq's presence at Raw. In the spirit of the cross-over, what I want to do with the rest of this post is compare the 12 wrestlers from Night of Champions to 12 NBA Players. I didn't write about the ECW guys because, well, I don't care about ECW. And 'care' is a relative word here...
Randy Orton is Ron Artest:I wanted to start with Orton because I feel like he has to be a major player in the WWE's future. He's still young, but he's already one of the most important names, and he's got a great hook for potential story lines. He's evil, a viper. He's the Legend Killer. And he hears voices. With the snakey moniker and the sinuous fluidity of his game, you might think Kobe here, but the Mamba's too established. We got with Kob's new teammate Ron-Ron instead, because Orton and Artest both seem to assasinate the competition while marching
to the beat of a different drummer. Artest is stepping in to the big time lights and the thought is Orton should be doing the same. Artest also has some questionable friends from his past. I really wish Orton's connection to Legacy would go away.Triple H is Kobe Bryant:
Speaking of Mr. 81, he's the perfect comparison for the Game. They've both been around for awhile and they're both consumate competitors. Furthermore, Triple H isn't the biggest guy around; he's not slouch, but he's more Kobe than Lebron if you get what I mean. He's the Cerebral Assasin, and what label is more perfectly suited for Kobe? Of course, with Triple H's marriage to the owner's daughter, he might have more in common with Phil Jackson, but that's another story.
John Cena is Lebron James:
Might as well finish out the Night of Champions triumvirate with a comparison to the King. Both Lebron and Cena have been groomed to be headliners, but both have seemed to slip a bit recently. Everyone's probably familiar with James' gaffes, so I won't revisit them here (oh wait, how 'bout a link? The wonder of the interweb!). Cena just doesn't seem to work up a crowd anymore. So, though Lebron probably has more potential at this point, with his summer of slip ups, his personality's begging for this comparison.
Jeffy Hardy is Paul Pierce:
He's an enigma, but really he's not that hard to understand. A fan favorite. A guy living out his dream as new champion. With the exuberance and high-flying game, I thought Dwight Howard right off the bat. Hardy's had a bit more of a path to the top, though, in which case Paul Pierce is the right comparison. Get out of here with the KG stuff, because Pierce has been steadier when it comes to career rises and falls and fan devotion. After winning that championship, KG became a bit of a questionable character, as he dogged lesser opponents. I can't see Hardy ever doing that. At least, here's hoping.
CM Punk is Dwight Howard:Punk doesn't ooze athleticism like Howard, but when you look at Punk's straight-edge angle the baby-faced Howard necessarily comes to mind. When he came out, Howard looked like the second coming of stars of old we didn't know we were missing. He also had that whole God thing going for awhile, until that illegitimate child un-did that. Punk becomes the comparison here as his straight-edge angle is souring quickly. Similar to Lebron, Dwight made a few missteps on his way to the NBA finals, most notably calling out his coach and getting suspended for rough play. To top it all off, of course, his team won without him. I don't think the WWE would be better off with Punk, but we'll see. Of course, the WWE and NBA are different animals, as heels are actually valued in pro wrestling as I've contended they should be in pro basketball.
Rey Mysterio, Jr. is Chris Paul:
Do I even need to explain this one? They both have incredible control over their games and both can scare up a rabid following out of thin air (or howling, levee breaking air as it were). Mr. 619 is always pitted against the giants, and Chris Paul has shown considerable propensity for tackling the NBA's pillars, like taking the Spurs to the brink in the second round of 2008's playoffs. And, really, does it have to be more complicated than knowing both could easily play the role of unassuming overachiever at a family barbecue? I can just see it now.
Dolph Ziggler is Deron Williams:Just kidding.
John Morrison is Kevin Durant:
I know Morrison wasn't on Sunday's Night of Champions ticket, but he looks to be the next face promoted, so I'm including him here. He's got the title match against Jeff Hardy on this Friday's Smackdown. I couldn't resist the comparison with Durantula, as they're both the veritable new kids to the adults' table, both have a nice set of good moves, and both have had some nice victories in their still young careers. With Hardy possibly taking a break from WWE, Morrison might be Punk's next rival, which could play quite well. Both Morrison and Durant haven't really shown audiences their true personalities, but they've both shown enough ability that we're intrigued.
Legacy are Coby Karl and Mike Dunleavy, Jr.:Seriously, maybe Ted DiBiase, Jr. and Cody Rhodes are decent wrestlers, but I'm just tired of them. I mean, is DiBiase a wrestler or the idiot boyfriend from Wedding Crashers? And why did I enjoy his father's one night turn on Raw more than anything he's ever done? Jeez Legacy, get off the jockstraps of your fathers. I threw in Coby Karl for the whole father thing, but really Legacy are more like the Indiana Pacers. They're nice pieces (and, really, Granger is great, but he doesn't make me care), but they're still waiting for their Orton to show up.
Chris Jericho is Kevin Garnett:
Forget that Jericho has faced down some of the biggest names of his era and come away with a whole handful of championships, whereas KG only has the one. Jericho's going through a stage where he's trying to make the tag team genre matter, an initiative you can also see WWE pushing in Cena and Triple H teaming up against Orton and Legacy. KG didn't get that ring 'til he teamed up with the Truth. Furthermore, Jericho spent a good deal of his career being very well liked, but is not completing a full scale heel turn. We saw signs of the same from KG last season.
At this point in his career, Shaq really only bears comparison to the laughably large guys in WWE. Shaq is probably past his Kane days (Kane's been looking good, but he needs a real match-up for crying out loud), and he does dip into the whole Great Khali-esque fiasco, but Big Show really is an apt comparison. Paul Heyman says Big Show is actually great at breaking new faces, and Shaq has done that throughout his career, from Penny Hardaway to Kobe, to Dwayne Wade, and now on to Lebron James. With the Big Show, it's hard to tell if he's a heel or a ham. Shaq suffers from the same dichotomy. Lastly, of course, if Shaq were to call himself the Big Show, it'd be one in what seems like a thousand names he's called himself including the word 'Big.'
Now the Big Question (can we get Allen Iverson on growth hormones to be the Big Answer?) is will Shaq get in the ring with Big Show Monday night? Or maybe he'll bring Brock Lesnar in with him! Anyway, two-ish months before NBA training camps get going. Lol.
Juan Cole: A report of a "pact" between the CIA and guerillas in Iraq
Al-Shammari agreed and said the alleged deal between the CIA and the armed groups was outside the security pact between the US and Iraq and that this was a "blow" to the new ties between the two countries. He said contacts between the armed groups and the US were known for a long time, but this was a new development. Shammari anticipated huge confusion to ensue as a result. Shammari also spoke of various "wings" within the US Administration, each pushing towards certain goals and each working in "secrecy". Concluding, he said this US Administration was not so different from the previous one.
