The Unappreciated Legendary Like; Top Free Agent In The NBA

With the departure of Andrei Kirlenko this past season, it opened the door for Gordon Heyward to Amaze the Utah jazz fans, with the amout of minutes he was able to put in. It wasn't amazing because it was abnormally high for the NBA. It wasn't amazing because it was because he was a younger player. It was abnormal because it was a younger player playing a lot of minutes on the Jazz. Hayward, for all his faults, is amazing right now on the Jazz. Andrei Kirilenko is amazing, period. Andrei is, at the NBA level (this doesn't include all his international stats) on the precipice of joining a super elite club - a club of players who have at least 4000 rebounds, 2000 assists, 1000 steals, and 1000 blocks. There are only 14 players ALL-TIME who have done it. Andrei, if he returns and plays one season in the NBA, will be the 15th. The 4000/2000/1000/1000 Club: We look at points. We look at assists. We look at rebounds. And we look at championships. There's more to winning than just points, assists, and rebounds. It's easy to overlook the guys who help you win - but don't dominate the boxscore in the ways we're conditioned to read them. Though, the people in this club are all dominant players (or guys who played very long). Some of them are overt Hall of Famers, while others always helped their team win. This is a group of guys - some overrated, and some under - who you'd always want to have on your team. Over the course of their careers they also put up a lot of numbers. Some of the star players were great scorers who chipped in elsewhere; while some of the role players did a lot of different things. In fact, you clearly see this in this elite group of 14 players -- half of them are in the Hall of Fame, and half of them are exactly the type of guy you would find being a key rotation guy on a legit contender. Let's look at the numbers, and see where Andrei is. So as the free agency of 2012 really heat up, let's not forget about the best free agent that's available. There is no one player out there who carry a resume such as the one 'Drei can put on the table. In the game of basketball we admire the flash, big dunks, and big names, we're unappreciative to the guys who remain humble, quiet, stay dedicated and perform night in and night out, this is who Andrei Kirilenko is, an amazing basketball player whose numbers are right up there with Hall of Famers. who ever can land him, if he can be landed, Got the best man out there!

It was a little over a year ago, when I had finally got through to you. You was the career woman that I never though I have a chance with. You walked, making your way towards work. and my eyes was glued staring at you the whole way threw Everything I used to think during that time, how great you was, how nice it would be to be with you, it all became as false as a myth. With time, and effort I won your heart. I thought I struck gold, thinking it was a prayer answered. Maybe it was, but it put me back in a world that I remember being so dark. You took my heart and abused it in ways in which you'll never know. Force yourself in, force love upon it, and ignore the request and cry out to take things slow. I want to make it clear that I wasn't perfect. I made mistakes, putting up with her shit lead me to a state of misery. Grant it I know that don't justify anything, it don't make it right. But I needed relief, a break from a fight that occurred every night. I got bitched at for living my life. Wanting time to hang out with my brother, you complain and try to deny me that, as if you was my wife. Independent is something that been apart of me, but with you I was never allowed to be. You bitch'd complained, and took offense when I didn't want you under me. I guess these are the consequences, coming behind a guy who had tied you down in engagement for 9 years. I see how that can be damaging in itself. But it made you insecure, on edge, and faced a lot of fears. With you only thinking about negatives, I wasn't even allowed to be myself. That ultimately what lead to that misery, and you can't even start to imaging how that felt. You have did things in the last few months that has totally change what I though I knew. It opened up new question, like is it something wrong with you? You have proceed, and though for whatever reason, it was O.K. to bring your fuck buddy to my house, the place where I lay my head. Became best friends with the same girls who once wished me dead. The same girl who, when was together, bashed and insulted your name to anybody that would listen Is the same girl you cry out, and be missing. You always talk about the materialistic things you did for me, I always knew you was stable It just a shame that's all you had to bring to the table. I sometimes find myself wishing your fuck buddy become your man. There not many things I want more, than you off my hands. You praise him, his looks, personality, and how much of you he adore. I sit and wonder what the hell you waiting for. What you waiting for is me, even though I continue to tell you that we are no more. What's sad is, even if I wanted to be with you, after all at this point we can never be. The mistakes I made is clear. But I'll never regret getting of the hell in which our relationship cause Being older, You always though you knew it all. Which is a part the reason your not here I wonder if you knew, you would be our downfall! John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

Can You Really Be Whatever You Want To Be In America As We Know It Today? Or Has That Time Come And Gone??

One of the most famous sayings in the world is "you can be whatever it is you want to be". Who haven't heard this at least once in their life? I remember hearing it as a kid, and now I'm a father, gives you kind of an idea how long it's been around. It was probably something kids was told even before I was born, now that I'm an adult I can't help but to question how true this ole saying is. The problem isn't that the statement is inaccurate, it's just nobody tells you all the other things, and outside factors you have to depend on, in order to accomplish your dream of being whatever it is you want to be. It's not hard to see that as the world get older, the ability to live, and live comfortable get much tougher. I'm only 23, but I'm willing to bet that the importance of college was not of the level it is now, I'm sure you could get just about any job without a degree, maybe even without a diploma, I'm sure attending grade school wasn't required the way it is by law today. Take modern time, today getting higher education is more likely to lead you into bankruptcy court than it is to land you a career paying job. Cost of living continues to rise as minimum wage struggle to keep up, the debt of this country gets higher and higher it seem like daily. Some economic expert say we're in so much debt, that we can't possible pay it off for at least 3 generations, meaning our kids, grand kids, and great grand kids will be paying off the debt we're currently in. In order to to get a good paying job now days, it no longer about your skills, or credentials really, it all about who you know. That's a big part of the reason why it seems as if the rich get richer, and everybody else get poorer. The same kids who parents can afford college, usually because they have a high position for some company where they make a nice living. That kind of gets us back to what I said about having to depend on others, today your success is heavily factor by who you know, not exactly what you know. Don't get me wrong the more you know, the more skill you have the better but how many people can afford college, or even trade school? What about financial aid, you ask??? Well I never understood why financial aid was call financial aid. Aid means to give support, or help, is that really what financial aid corporations do for people? The way I see it, they give you money, in order to make a profit, I mean duh this is America, is anyone really out to help people. Aid is used to get young people in as much debt as possible, the people who run these financial aid company wish you don't land a job right out of college, and with the economy the way it is. It's very common for graduates to be jobless years after graduation. After graduation guess who come knocking, whomever you got loans from and you think they care if you can't find work? Absolutely not, they want you to stay unemployed as long as possible so that interest keep adding, and building up. The world changes so fast. My son is only 7 months today, but times fly and before you know it he'll be at that age where he has his own goal and dream of what he want to be. it's not that I don't want him to believe that he can't be anything in the world that he wants to be, because in a sense it's true and he can, however I will be sure to let him know that it will not be an easy road. I was never told that, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who wasn't advised of that. I know we grow up, and it something we suppose to kind of pick up with time, I understand, but can you imagine how different it possibly could've been if we knew what we was getting ourselves into before we got there. The world around us changes fast, so maybe our own parents didn't know any better. Nobody predict this recession, and if they did, nobody believed it. I just don't want my kid to do what i did, I had one dream as a little boy to be a fireman, back in them days, school wasn't a requirement, they wasn't laying guys off, and shutting down houses, the way I knew it, you just go to the firehouse and put an application in just as if you would in a fast food restaurant. If I knew then, what I know now, I'd did sooo many things differently to set myself up for sooner, and better success. I think it only fair that we as parents, give it to our kids straight, no sugar coating. It may not seem like the best parenting method at the time, but they can't do nothing but thank you later down the road, when that dream becomes a reality for them. So can you be anything in the world you want to be? Yes, confidently tell your children that, but also advise, warned, and tell them of the tough road and journey which awaits them in achieving their dreams, Most importantly set them up for success as best as you can, as early as you can, and be there every step of the way, going through all the trails and tribulations they face on the road to success. It won't be easy, but your experience and knowledge will be a valuable asset to them throughout this course. Finally, remember this world changes fast, keep up with it, adjust to the best of your abilities, and keep pushing not only for you but also your children. Remember America society is only set up to see you and your family to fail. John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

The End Of A Fire Hero

Very confused, don't know what to think or do. Many years ago, I was just a kid with a dream. Things change, as time flew the only thing remain constant was my dream, and the will to make it come true, grew. I eventually became a man and learned that things in the fire service, as kid, wasn't as they seemed. Who would have knew, as a kid, all the things this damn dream would put me through. A service in which holds a different truth. A service that manipulates and mislead are youth. They look at us as these super human, amazing heroes. Too young to realize that, that's only a half truth. Behind the badge, the title, some of us is nothing but another zero. Ever chance we get, we have to make it clear that we're better than you. A earned brotherhood is what they say I live it, surrounded by it every single day. The same brothers you love, that you would risk it all for Can be-little you, judge you so bad to the point you just want to runaway. I speak with an anger, bitter heart that I've continuously ignored. Biting my tongue, holding back everything my heart want to say. I stand here today working this pin in my hand. Facing the reality that I will probably have the opportunity to fight fire again. Is this the reason I'm coming out giving dirt on the service? I guess you can say so. I saw it more as an opportunity to get some old things off my chest, in the efforts of letting go. I look at it like, I been married to the fire service 18 years In that time I've faced a lot of fears, meet some of my greatest peers, but now I just shed a lot of tears. I fought with a broken heart that I couldn't mend, I gave it all my might. Today, not only do this dream end, I have officially lost this fight! I now possess a life that will forever be incomplete From this day, til the end I will suffer in my own defeat! John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

For Coach Isome(Poem)

Coach Isome I didn't get to spend much time with you at all. We meet on the gridiron as nighthawaks, last summer and fall. The gridiron, a fun, cool, wonderful place for people like you and me. I wish I could have express, the major effect, that short time we spent together, had on me. You had an effect on me that I'm sure you never knew. Coming to a team as the new guy like I did, there wasn't always someone to turn too. On a team where favoritism ran so high. Coach Ice I can whole heartedly say, you had no favorite guy. Even When I stormed off that field, mad, helmet went flying. You was there to lend a helping hand to someone you may have only known as the new guy. In simplest terms, Coach Isome I respected you so much because you was real. Even though you in a better place, I speak for all of nighthawk nation when I say, we much rather have you on that field. God called you home, now your with the best. April 30th, 2012 is it, we must lay you to rest. You always told us, do your one-eleven. When I Play I never forget it. So keep an eye on me coach Isome, I expect you to let me know how I did once I see you again in heaven! John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

My First Flight

As a kid coming up, Nothing amazed me more than knowing that you could go thousands of feet in the air and fly anywhere you wanted to fly in the world. At the same time it amazed me, I also learned the dangers of flying in an airplane, which scared me so much I vowed that I would never fly. Having the childhood dream of becoming a firefighter, the events of 9/11 didn't help, neither did the infamous opening scene of final destination ha ha. When that took place, 9/11, I was a 13 year old 7th grader, and knowing that people hi-jacked aircraft to intentionally crash them really scared me. I was way too young to know about terrorism and politics, all I knew was that human beings took these planes with one intention, which was to crash them. For years following the tragic events of 9/11, the sound of an airplane over head put a sense of fear in my heart like nothing else. When you really think about it, you never hear much about airplanes, and flights at all. It just when you do, the news is usually bad and not good. The though of spending your last living moment on a airplane that's crashing has to be one the most horrible and tourterious to go out, all these thing is the reason I said I would never fly on an airplane. They say, never say never, and maybe I should've because I did take a round trip to Las Vegas, Nevada this past weekend. I would be lying to you if I say it wasn't the scariest, most nervous thing I've done, probably since 2009 when I stepped into my first burning building. The plane I caught from Cincy to North Carolina was a smaller jet. I stepped on the plane and my head nearly rubbed up against the ceiling, that made my heart beat even faster from when I step up to board the flight and proceed down the tunnel, gripping the railing with my sweaty palm not realizing that I wasn't on a roller coaster, hell I wasn't even on the plane yet. I boarded my plane and it seemed as if it took forever for us to take off, the anticipation build, and build. I couldn't help but to think about all the thing that could go wrong. The though of my family, parents, brothers, my son who was only 4 months at the time, and all my close friends I was a mental wreck. I got off at 230 that morning and set up all night before the afternoon flight, with the though of sleeping through the flight but I could see at this moment of boarding, sleep was not happening no time soon. So as we finally had the plane cranked up, it seem as if we was just casually driving around the run way for another 15 min, then we came to a complete stop, went from 0 to what seem like a million miles per hour in 3 to 4 second, Now it starting to remind me of a roller coaster, in which I never ride. The next part, the actual lift off is something I would never forget, it actually is what made the experience of flying worth wild. Looking out the window we was moving at speeds where I had a hard time recognizing anything going by, lifting off we got higher, and higher off the ground, it was neat to lift off near I-275 and see the traffic, too see all of the land that now laid below us. Everything got smaller, and smaller as we got up into the clouds. As we leveled on out and stop rising we was basically sitting up on top of the clouds and I started to understand why they say fling is one the safest ways of transportation because it was just us. For some reason I will never know why, the view and feeling of floating on top of them clouds relax my heart, soul, and mind. Above the clouds was so clear and a sight even to this day, I close my eyes and try to bring back when times get rough and life move a lil too fast. Before I knew it we was setting to land in North Carolina, it was that fast, a 50 minute flight. I had successfully complete a milestone in my life, and faced a fear I once said I never would. That flight was a good simple for the 5 hour flight I had to board from North Carolina to Vegas, and I had found a new liking for fling. For anybody who's out there that was like me and may have the same fears I had when it came to fling this post is for you. Fling was something that I'm glad I did at least once and I encourage and recommend you go ahead and take that chance too. Life is a journey, we face all kinds of dangers, and face many moment in which we never forget for the duration of our life. In life there are many things which we would like to do, or experience before we die. If we all made our bucket list most thing on it would be things that's unrealistic like being rich for a day, or playing the staring role in a movie, climbing Mt. Everest, traveling around the world, etc. In life, Your time to leave this earth, is your time to leave this earth, no second is promised to us so don't let the fear of death stop you from experiencing something so small, but neat at the same time. You never know you may, like me, grow a liking for it. John G. Dunn II jgdunn.blogspot.com

Bengals @ Texans Preview.

Well here we are, he Cincinnati Bengals are in the playoffs and will visit the Houston Texans today. First thing first, I mean how about them Bengals?!? This was a team who was considered by most media figure one the worst teams going into 2011 season. I can still remember people saying we would be fighting for that #1 overall pick, and all we did was compete all year long and earned a spot into the tournament. That is oh so bitter sweet when your one of the few fans that this team would have a .500 season or better, I be lying if I said I or anyone though they would be in playoffs, but we are here and facing a very good Texans football team. Keys to victory for the Cincinnati Bengals....... Cincinnati must establish Ced Benson and the running game, this Houston D is very good, and don't allow a lot at all. The Bengals must run the ball, and run it effectively in order to wear the Houston D down, keep theirs rested and control this football game. I know everybody want to see Dalton to Green, but if the Bengals try to get their offense going through Dalton it will be tough on him and the team. Defensively they MUST stop the Two headed monster in Foster and Tate. After the performance Ray Rice had last week, you best believe the Texans will do what I just said the Bengals need to do, especially with a banged up 3rd string QB. Expect to see Houston with a lot of Zone running, Rice had both his biggest runs on HB zone plays last week. If I'm the Bengals I'm playing man D with bracket coverages on Andre Johnson, and everybody else loading the box. Force Yates to beat you. When I do these articles, or post I have to be a realist before I'm a fan. With that said unfortunately I have the Cincinnati Bengals losing this football game. Yeah booo me, curse me, exit the page, do all that but I have to be real. The fan in me will be cheering them on, and I'll be screaming the loudest when good thing happen, AND I HOPE IM WRONG AND THEY WIN! Why do I think they will lose this game??? Well in recollections of the Keys to victory, I don't see Benson doing well. His productivity has been on a downwards fall all year and I don't see that changing today, I also think he'll fumble once or twice. Defensively I think the Bengals will be competitive all game, and make it a good game, but a double dip of Foster and Tate will wear that D down and the weakness of our safeties will hurt us on the run D as well just like last week. I also don't think it possible to keep Andre Johnson quiet. All those plus the inability of the Bengals to turn redzone possessions into TD's instead of FG's, in which they struggle to do ALL season, will result in a 21-16 lost for the Bengals! Ya'll know I can't ended it with that though. Cincinnati Bengals Fans should be damn proud of this football team, and organization for making it thus far! Also fans, get ready to see this team as a regular in the playoffs, no more of that every 2 or 3 years stuff, I'm telling get used to days such as this. ONCE AGAIN I HOPE MY PROJECTION IS WRONG, it just the realist in me, that did the research and logical thinking to come up with it. WHO DEY!!!!!

John G. Dunn II
Jgdunn.blogspot.com