Spmusic Mondays: #100 And I'm Outtie 5000

(1 Cent): Lakers Finally Clinch Playoff Spot ... I Can Sleep Easier

Before I get all sentimental with the last blog for a while, let's get to more important things, like the Lakers officially being in the postseason.

The Lakers beat the Sonics last night behind Kobe's 50 points and secured at least an 8th seed (they are 7th right now) ... they own the "tiebreaker" against the other two teams fighting for the last playoff spot, the Clippers and Warriors (i.e., the Lakers have beaten the Warriors and Clippers in head-to-head match-ups this season more times than they lost, so if they end up with the same record, the Lakers get the nod).

So, if they beat the Kings in their last game, the Lakers get to play the Phoenix Suns in the 1st round for the second year in a row. If we somehow get the 8th seed, we'll take on the Dallas Mavericks. I'm hoping for the Suns because, 1) I would love to see Kobe redeem the Lakers from last year's free-fall from being up 3 games to 1 and 2) the Mavs are a better team and we can actually match up with the Suns better.

The only way for LA to beat Phoenix is if:

-- Lamar Odom outplays Shawn Marion like last year, if not by more ... Lamar has to be that 2nd scorer that Kobe needs to thrive ... and Lamar has to be our main defensive presence in the paint against Marion and even Amare Stoudemire

-- Smush Parker has to not look like Steve Nash's shadow ... I mean that literally and as a pun on skin color ... Nash is in his mid 30's or so and Smush is in his mid 20's ... there's no reason he should be getting left behind in the dust on layups and drives (note: see Sam Cassell OWNING Parker two games ago)

-- Luke Walton has to be the playmaker he can be while eliminating Boris Diaw's playmaking effectiveness ... Walton is a better than average passer and can hit a three and even post up ... he's got to do this and more and be the 3rd option for offense while making the Triangle run smoothly ... all this he must do while making Diaw look like he's back on the Hawks

-- Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum and Ronny Turiaf have to morph together into this Voltronian center and slow down Amare Stoudemire ... I know Brown is playing on one ankle; Bynum is two years away from being able to legally drink and Turiaf is playing after some crazy heart surgery and isn't even supposed to be in the league right now, but by golly, you're the best chance the Lakers have at beating the Suns in the paint ... Brown has to be a force inside, both offensively and defensively (which happened in spurts in last year's playoffs) -- without that, the Lakers are sunk ... Bynum has to stop looking scared out there and realize, "Hey, I'm seven feet tall and have really long arms and have been getting coached by one of the all-time greatest centers to ever play the game [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] and I can actually take over inside the paint" -- he can't play the "I'm Too Young" card; with great height comes great responsibility ... and Turiaf has just got to keep doing what he's doing -- namely, giving us awesome energy, going all out on every play, coming up with big boards and FINISHING EVERY PLAY KOBE CREATES FOR HIM (okay, he does everything except the last part in all caps).

-- Team-wise, the Lakers need to play an entire 48 minutes of above average defense and not squander away leads (i.e., basically the last 10 games) ... they can't take a play off because it'll end up being one play that decides most of these games ... AND they have to (see: MUST) defend the Suns' three point shot -- I can get into all the stats but just know this: the Spurs defend them the best at the three point shot and they beat the Suns very consistently.

-- With x-factors, we're going to need Jordan Farmar (he started last game over Smush, by the way) to play like the man who lead his UCLA team to the college championship last year; we need Farmar to play with confidence, whether starting or off the bench, so we can have someone to at least bother Leandro Barbosa ... we're going to consistently need Sasha Vujacic, Brian Cook or Valdamir Radmanovic to be a scoring threat from the three point line; one of those three will need to step up EVERY game

See? That's all the Lakers have to do. Doesn't seem to hard, right? Right?

(Sigh)

At the end of the series, Lakers either will have beat the Suns because they did everything listed or will have lost because they failed to do just one of the things listed. There's no in between.

(2 Cent): The Rest Of The List

Unfortunately I won't have the time to flesh out the rest of my top Hip-Hop producers list but this will at least finish it (half-arsedly).

My Top Producers List:

1a - Timbaland
1b - Dr. Dre
3 - The Neptunes
4 - Jermaine Dupri
5 - Scott Storch
6 - Swizz Beatz
7 - OutKast (Big Boi and Andre 3000, individually or collectively)
8 - Kanye West
9 - Eminem
10 - Just Blaze

Honorable Mentions:

DJ Quik
Poke & Tone (Trackmasters)
Jazze Pha
Daz Dillinger
Lil' Jon
Mannie Fresh
Rockwilder
Will.I.Am
Jelly Roll
Battlecat

Up And Coming Producers:

7 Aurelius
Mr. Collipark
Trackstar
Alchemist

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I was supposed to give a review for Blades of Glory ... which I will ... right now ....

I had high expectations going in ... and still felt that it was better than anticipated. Will Ferrell's deadpan humor mixed with outrageous theatrics combine to make him one of the rare comedy actors that can keep you laughing continuously. He and Jon Heder make a great on-screen duo that feed off each other surprisingly well. Will (Chazz Michael Michaels) and Jon (Jimmy MacElroy) have this heated rivalry relationship that turns almost to a brotherly relationship, with both having the creativity to make both paradigms work. And no, paradigms probably wasn't the best word to use there but I thought it would make me sound smart ... uh ... believe me, it works.

I definitely had some "LOL" moments (which for me is not rare). I just love the theme of taking rather obscure, seemingly unimportant occupations or non-popular, quasi-sports (male modeling, anchormaning, dodgeballing and now ice skating) and making them seem like they're the most important positions in the world and that the people or athletes doing them are cooler than the other side of the pillow. Just brilliant.

I can't really say there was anything that I didn't like about the it ... Will Ferrell does his thing ... great movie ... I'd give it a solid 8.5 out of 10 ... but might raise the score with another viewing or two.

(1/2 Cent): I'll See You Later ... Much Later

This blog entry concludes Two And A Half Cents for a season ... how long is a season? Well, Jimmy, I don't know ... I just don't know. My goal will be about once every 3 weeks, but as long as I don't have Internet access as readily available as I did, then I don't think it can be much more than that.

I've enjoyed this little run, a little under 9 months of writing. To my readers, I hope that I had made you smile at least once, that you learned at least one new thing and that I had burned at least 5 minutes off of your life that you will never get back again. Thanks for the reads and for your comments and questions.

Until we meet again, root for my Lakers to go deep in the playoffs ... don't sleep on my Dodgers (now 8-3) ... and hope that something I do within the next 8 months results in me being filthy, stinkin' rich so I can write in my blog in the future.


HCP

Grab Bag Fridays: There's The Finish Line ...

(1 Cent): S.M.S. (Save My Soul)

I'm sick yet again ... don't know what it is about me ... of all the things I could be a magnet for (money, success, ho's ... well, money and success) I get 'sickness.' Perfect.

Let's consider how I'm bowing out (for a season) of Two And A Half Cents:

-- My body is suffering (super sore throat, runny nose, headache, no energy)

-- My fantasy basketball team had 4 players with injuries that destroyed my 6 months of happiness with a culmination of getting boned by only 12 points in the playoffs

-- My fantasy baseball team is starting the week out in 2nd to last place

-- My Lakers forgot how to play basketball (all except Kobe) and are in serious danger of not even being in the playoffs anymore

-- My last two dates have gone absolutely no where (i.e., no need for second date)

-- My employment switch is a BIG question mark (hopefully just a stepping stone to better places)

-- My friend J.D. has been AWOL because of work for the past 2 1/2 months (i.e., he's been located to live in Boise, Idaho) and watching the Lakers lose alone is no fun

What a month, huh? Yeah, I know. I should feel lucky because I have all of my limbs intact, I don't have cancer, I have a job, blah, blah, blah. Well, poo on that. Life's been better, that's all I'm saying.

If anyone wants to cheer me up by divulging how crappy their outlook on life is right now, feel free to click on the Comments link below or write to HCP2007@gmail.com. Cheer up a brotha.

(2 Cent): One Fo' The Heck Of It

So, I've had two reader's responses ... here they go:

Q: "Sorry about your loss. It really chaps my cheeks." -- Nony

HCP: Yes, it chaps mine too, indeed. I've already exhausted the 'why's' and the 'how's' in a previous blog ... but c'mon, doesn't that seem a little staged? A little rigged? A little unfair? Doesn't it seem odd that every year this happens? Should I just start doing the opposite from now on, like, instead of picking player 'A' I go and pick player 'Z' and just see where that gets me? I mean, I didn't even get to pick my players this year and it still happens the same way. I'm like Rainman, but kinda opposite. I don't know. Eff the world!

Q: "It sounds like the more a team has to pay for a "superstar" on contract the quicker that player gets a minor injury that puts him out of the game for a full season. When I pay for a ticket to a game I feel great that 70% of the proceeds go to injured, pansy@$$ed, spoiled, getting paid for nothin', sandbaggers and a good 5% go to all the other players that actually, well, you know, PLAY!!!...I wonder what the actual numbers are?" -- Crash N. Burnett

HCP: Well ... kinda. This stuff happens more on crappy teams (NBA we're talking here) that have only 1 good player ... and the only way to get better is to have a worse record so they can get a high draft pick in the upcoming draft, so they'll be better next year. Bill Simmons has written a lot about this the past month (see: tanking). It blows for the fans, but more so, it blows for me -- the person that has them on their fantasy team. That's it. I have a new rule: only have superstars on contending teams (i.e., making the playoffs).

(1/2 Cent): I'm Spent

Okay. My brain stopped working. I can't come up with anything else. Talk about going out on top, eh?

This Monday will be the last installment for a while ... look for an analysis of the Lakers final games, my so-called baseball fantasy team, a movie review for Blades of Glory and the rest of my top Hip-Hop producers list (minus a huge song list and in-depth description) ... and whatever else comes up. Have a good weekend. My "At-A-Glance" calendar says this Sunday is Holocaust Remembrance Day ... so ... remember it or something.


HCP

Spmusic Monday (On Wednesday): Counting Down

**NOTE: Spell check isn't working again so sorry if there are mistakes I missed**

(1 Cent): R.I.P. Busdrivers VI

I knew it. I predicted it. I saw it coming. It was inevitable ... it still didn't make it easier to digest.

The Busdrivers VI fantasy basketball team took on too many injuries and couldn't withstand the punishment the other team had to offer. I will now go light fire to the Sno Shack across the street.

I mean, why wouldn't it happen? It's happened for 6 straight years, so why should this year be different? Not only was Wade out (yes, he came back but is playing less than 22 minutes a game and wouldn't have helped me one iota) and Randolph out (season ending surgery to his non-shooting hand AFTER he had a CAREER HIGH 43 points and SEASON HIGH 17 rebounds) ... but Stephon Marbury -- the man I traded for to help put me over the top -- had 47 FP's his first game ... which is good ... then he got injured playing in his second game of the week (sprained big toe) and went out scoring only 5 FP's. You do the math. So, we were stuck with him in our line-up (and it says a season ending injury) and it was game over. PLUS ... another guard Delonte West sprained his ankle and has been out since, leaving me with a pathetic 20 FP's in the wind. I mean, wtf?!?! 4 guys out for the season (I count Wade out for the season, at least the fantasy one). What are the odds!?!? FOUR guys!?!? And I still only lost by 12 FP's. Gosh dang it, this is going to haunt me for a very, very long time.

Also not helping our cause:

-- Amare Stoudemire giving me a pedestrian 25 FP's

-- Richard Jefferson giving me NOTHING by scoring 20 FP's ... THEN THIS WEEK AFTER ELIMINATION HE'S AVERAGING 36!!!!!! WTF!?!?

-- Chris Wilcox giving me his usual subpar performance with 23 FP's

AND:

-- The main thing from the other team that absolutely KILLED me was Hedo Turkoglu (ORL, F) scoring a SEASON AND CAREER HIGH 37 FP's ... his previous week he scored 25 ... and before that 15!!!! WHY ME?!?! WHY NOW!?!? I mean, why wouldn't he have his best week of his effing career against me this week, huh? The fantasy gods are cruel.

Week 23 (1st Round of Playoffs): L - 295.75 to 307.92 ... Eliminated

Week 23 Fantasy Stud: Kobe Bryant (LAL, G) - 51 FP's ... my only constant the whole season ... eff Wade.

Week 23 Fantasy Dud: The rest of the Busdrivers team, but mostly Richard Jefferson (NJ, F) ... he's a loser, he's soft and I will never have him on my fantasy team again. Ever.

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Players that are added to my list of people whom will never be a Busdriver again:

-- Richard Jefferson (NJ, F)

-- Delonte West (BOS, G)

-- Stephon Marbury (NY, G)

-- Chris Wilcox (SEA, F)

-- Zach Randolph (POR, F)

-- and ... Dwayne Wade (MIA, G) ... well ... maybe ...

It's stuff like this that makes me not even want to do fantasy sports ... it's more unpredictable than guessing whether or not Britney Spears is wearing underware.
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Our fantasy baseball team VTC is kinda doing good ... well, we thought they were. At first, we thought we won, then the stats updated or something and we got blown out. I'm still figuring out this scoring business. It's like, we play a team head-to-head, but then it ranks us against what all the other teams in the league did (i.e., we're 8th out of 10 teams right now in overall scoring). So, I have no idea what the actual "games" are for, since it just puts us with everyone else's scoring. Lame.

On the bright side, our 7th pick Alex Rodriguez (NYY, 3B) has hit 6 homeruns in his first 7 games ... ha! That's how you do it ... that's how you draft!

(2 Cent): Number 3

The third producer on my list is actually a duo. Their names are Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, more commonly known as The Neptunes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Neptunes

Now, I said that longevity plays a big part in my personal ranking, but they started to make hits when I started to listen to Hip-Hop (circa '95 and they started becoming popular in '96-'97). Twelve years is good enough for me. Plus, they have a really distinct sound and had major hits (i.e., within the Wikipedia article, it says in 2003 that a survey revealed that The Neptunes produced about 43% of what was on the radio ... that's insanity).

They live up to their name, with their spacey out-of-this-world type sound. It's crazy to even begin to think of how they came up with their beats. Like Timbaland and Dr. Dre, you'll have to look long and hard to find a song that isn't produced well or not original (which is difficult to do). They have produced some of my favorite songs of all-time, which some will be listed below.

Sample of 20 Songs From Hit List (in no particular order):

-- "Lookin' At Me" by Ma$e featuring Diddy

-- "SuperThug" by Noreaga featuring Pharrell & Tammy Lucas

-- "Got Your Money" by O.D.B. featuring Kelis

-- "I Just Wanna Luv U (Give It To Me)" by Jay-Z featuring Pharrell & Memphis Bleek

-- "Southern Hospitality" by Ludacris

-- "U Don't Have To Call" by Usher

-- "Young'n (Holla Back)" by Fabolous featuring Pharrell

-- "Pass the Courvoisier (Part 2)" by Busta Rhymes featuring Pharrell & Diddy

-- "Hot In Herre" by Nelly

-- "When The Last Time" by the Clipse featuring Pharrell & Kelis

-- "Like I Love You" by Justin Timberlake featuring the Clipse

-- "Excuse Me Miss" by Jay-Z featuring Pharrell

-- "What Happened To That Boy" by Baby featuring the Clipse

-- "Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell & Uncle Charlie Wilson

-- "Light Your Arse On Fire" by Busta Rhymes featuring Pharrell

-- "Milkshake" by Kelis

-- "Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell

-- "Say Somethin'" by Mariah Carey featuring Pharrell & Snoop Dogg

-- "Margarita" by Sleepy Brown featuring Pharrell & Big Boi

-- "Vato" by Snoop Dogg featuring B-Real & Pharrell

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I kept finding it difficult to give only 10 songs for a sample, so I did 20 this time (Timbo and Dre could've had that easily). Since this will be one of my last regularly written blogs -- meaning I won't be able to finish my top 10 list in its entirety with tracks) -- I thought I'd give a little more here.

My Top Producers List:

1a - Timbaland
1b - Dr. Dre
3 - The Neptunes

(1/2 Cent): Review & Explanation

As I mentioned the other day, Timbaland came out with a solo album. Now, I was at first excited about it but then remembered that he usually saves his best tracks/beats for other people, meaning that his solo albums are a tad less quality overall.

Now, I don't know if he stepped his game up because of that supposed beef with former friend and producer Scott Storch, but this is by far Timbaland's best solo album. Not only does he keep his trademark sounds, but he invents some more new sounds that are totally unique while blending in Hip-Hop, R&B, Rap, Pop and Alternative music throughout. It is an incredibly well produced album that I've listened to for over a week straight in my car.

He just combines so many elements and has so many layers throughout the tracks, it's an auditory delight that basically can not be matched. Since there are no interludes, has 17 tracks, each track is way above average, all are unique, has great guest appearances (even Elton John on the ivories!) and has an awesome first radio single that's superb ("Give It To Me" featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake), I totally feel comfortable giving this a 10 out of 10. No hesitation.

(Note: you must listen to this -- and any other CD -- with a good sound system ... whether it is in your car or your home audio ... you will not be able to distinguish all of the intricate sounds and layers if your speakers are junk)

Also, I couldn't do just five ... I had to do 10 ...

**My Terrific Ten** (in descending track order)

1) Track 3, "Release" featuring Justin Timberlake - The duo of Timbaland and Timberlake is straight money ... this is another club/dance hit that takes some of the elements they did together from Timberlake's latest solo album ... I am diggin' the little "yeah!" in the background from Timbaland.

2) Track 4, "The Way I Are" featuring Keri Hilson & D.O.E. - Keri has some hot vocals (an insert in the CD says she has an upcoming album) ... I am in love with the hook ... a great dance beat that makes you move (even if you're stopped at a signal and people are staring at you).

3) Track 5, "Bounce" featuring Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott & Justin Timberlake - One of the hardest beats Timbo has come up with ... I love the new sound he created which I can't explain or describe, but he singles out the sound at 3:28 ... absolutely crazy.

4) Track 6, "Come And Get Me" featuring 50 Cent & Tony Yayo - Another hard, street beat with half of G Unit helping him out on the verses ... I like the background singers that gives it that almost gothic church sound.

5) Track 7, "Kill Yourself" featuring Sebastian & Attitude - The beat is a more mellow sound, with a different church-ish choir sound in the background ... almost like this song should be in a movie (in a good way).

6) Track 10, "Scream" featuring Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - A mix between a chill beat and one that makes you nod your head ... killer vocals from Keri again and the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls ... I likes it.

7) Track 12, "Bombay" featuring Amar & Jim Beanz - Timbo brings back that Indian sound with tight drumming and who ever sings that crazy stuff ... then it switches to a different beat ... simply crazy.

8) Track 14, "Time" featuring She Wants Revenge - I've never heard of this band, but their vocals are pretty cool ... just a crazy mix of styles that result in a great song.

9) Track 15, "One And Only" featuring Fall Out Boy - I really like the hook from the singer of Fall Out Boy (again, don't know much about them) ... this is a more up-beat rock song, that still works ... Timbo gets his rock on as he semi-sings/yells out a verse ... great collaboration.

10) Track 16, "Apologize" featuring One Republic - It's just this group (or the one guy from the group) crooning and Timbo in the faint background with some sounds and his great track ... one of my favorite mellow songs of all-time now.

Don't get me wrong ... you can totally listen straight through the CD, but these were the songs that stood out to me.

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As I've mentioned earlier in this space, I'm not going to be able to consistantly write in my blog anymore since I am starting a different job next week on the 17th. So, most likely Monday the 16th will be my last blog for a while. What's funny is that on that day, it will mark my 100th posting (including the lame ones where I announced that some had to be postponed). Still, a landmark.

Thanks again for the read and I will have another one on Friday the 13th in two days ....

HCP

Postponed To Wednesday

A surprise audit at work (all-day) will postpone today's article to Wednesday (do'h!)


HCP

Grab Bag Fridays: Throw Some D's On That ...

(1 Cent): You Got Somethin' Riiiiight There ...

You know what really chaps my cheeks? "Average" people who wear those hand-less earpiece phones (the ones that look like a mini canoe dangling from your ear hole).

I remember back in the day I had a peeve of people wearing their cell phone on the side of their built like they're a cop or something ... but this is a newer phenomenon because it is a newer technology.

Honestly, though. I can see the necessity of it for some people (i.e., people at work using both their hands for other "tasks", people driving, people with no hands) but to just wear one -- or even have one -- because you think it looks cool or because you're lazy is a bit of an eyesore, not to mention making you a walking billboard, advertising that you're "in desperate need of attention."

Again, in certain situations, it's fine ... when you're trying to play basketball, doing hardcore manual labor or in someone else's house as company, take it out of your ear or I will shove it up your ....

(2 Cent): Lick My Peep

In the spirit of the Easter holiday, I'll write another little peeve of mine that's an annual occasion. They're small, colored and are mostly harmless (unless you eat them). No, not Mexican immigrants. I'm talking about Peeps.

You know those little Peeps, which come in a bunny blob or deformed ducky. Who's anyone foolin'? It's just a freakin' marshmallow covered in dye and Caribbean sugar. Why not go all out, Peeps makers? Why not make Halloween Peeps or Christmas Peeps? Who says people like to just suffer once a year?

Peeps are a peeve of mine because they don't taste good, they don't even aesthetically look appetizing and they keep making them every year because they sell for some reason. Spectacular. I will now go shove about 273 of them down my throat at once in hopes that I pass out from a lack of oxygen and awaken to a world that I can come up with a gross tasting snack that makes me rich. Peep this.

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On the other side of the spectrum, the most fantastic candy ever invented is the Cadbury Creme Egg, with its soft fondant center that even has Willy Wanka saying, "Dag, that's some good ish!" Best. Candy. Ever.

(1/2 Cent): Random Thoughts (Part 3 ... or 4? Or 2?)

-- Akon's newest single "Don't Matter" sounds like the song that usually plays at the end of a movie during the credits ... kinda like after someone gets married or something ... it's really weird for me, because I didn't have it ranked that high when I did the review for his CD, but after hearing it so much, it grew on me and ranks above "tolerable" but lower than "good."

-- I was thinking, after the last thought, that I should go through all my CD reviews and look at "My Fav Five" (which, by the way, was before T-Mobile's little gimmick, so don't think I was all copying them ... go 'head, look it up) and see all the songs that made it to the radio ... such as Diddy's "Last Night" featuring Keysha Cole ... but then decided that'd be a lot of work ... so I'll do it later.

-- I almost broke one of my own pet peeve rules of not asking out girls at the gym ... but stood strong ... but truth be told, if I see her again, it's going down (yes, I'm a walking contradiction).

-- I absolutely am diggin' R.Kelly's newest single "I'm A Flirt (Remix)" featuring T.I. and T-Pain.

-- I did some archery the other day for the first time in my life ... not as easy as it looks ... but I'm pretty good at it ... just ask R.B. about it ... who hit a clutch bullseye? Yeah, me.

-- If anyone knows any 'get rich quick' schemes that don't involve drug distribution, mailing envelopes or prostitution, then let me know.

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I am currently in the limbo of maybe being employed by another company ... if that goes down, then my all-day Internet access will come to a screeching halt, as would the bi-weekly columns. I'll let you know what's up. I'd still try to do them when I could, but the columns would be random (the days they would be done).

Have a great Easter weekend ... eat TONS of Cadbury eggs (and burn those Peeps).


HCP

Spmusic Mondays: D.O.A.

(1 Cent): I'm Effin' Done, Son!

Zach Randolph -- the leading scorer and rebounder for the Portland Trailblazers and my #1 fantasy forward -- is out for the season ... which means my season with the Busdrivers is "officially" done.

He just exploded for a career high 43 points and tied a season high with 17 rebounds (not to mention his 5 assists and 2 blocks)! All of a sudden, he has season ending surgery?!?! WTF is going on here?!?! It was his right hand that was injured ... the fool is left handed! He had his best game of the season! You think he should shut it down now?!?!

I personally think the Blazers are in official "tank mode" as they try to secure a better pick in this upcoming draft. Lame! This is freakin' bogus on 3 levels. I'm going to write to my congressman.

So, basically I'm out the #1 fantasy player in the league (Dwayne Wade) and now my #1 forward (who I'd rank definitely Top 7 in forwards overall). Game over, man! Game over!

Please enter Tarence Kinsey, Latrell Sprewell and Paul Shirley.

You see, T.K. is a rookie for the Memphis Grizzlies who's been putting up ridiculous numbers since March 24th, where he started to receive playing time because of injuries and because the Grizz are in serious tank mode as well. So, in the last 6 games, his actual playing time minutes are: 30, 39, 44, 39, 38 and 44. I don't see why that should stop with about 9 games left in the season. His points per game are as follows in said games: 20, 12, 24, 20, 20, 21. His last game, where he had the 21 points, he also added 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. I'm hoping for 2 more weeks out of this kid -- I hope they keep giving him PT and he keeps those stats up.

Next, we come to Latrell Sprewell who is not in the league and hasn't played since 2005. You see, since the season is over, I thought I might as well pick him up and put him on the bench, instead of carrying Zach Randolph, who is also dead weight. It just looks better with Sprewell's name on my bench than Randolph (because it doesn't have that little red box with a white plus sign, signifying injury next to his name). What's funny is that there's a 1% next to his name for percentage owned within CBS Sportsline leagues. I hope that's cuz of me! So, Randolph was dropped, Sprewell was added.

Finally, we have Paul Shirley, who is also out of the league and hasn't played in the Association since ... well, I can't remember ... nor do I want to look it up. But, he's a pretty funny writer who does a column or two for ESPN and has aspirations of making back to the League ... so, why not put him on my team's bench? I hear he's a good locker room guy. So, I dropped Wade and added P-Shir.

Although, I have to admit that as soon as I did that move, ESPN had a story that Wade had his first practice with his team and might come back soon. But, seriously, they're not going to do it. They have to be careful with "the franchise" and not make him come back that soon. Plus, why risk re-injury within the regular season? They already have a playoff seeding ... why not keep him out until then? Plus, this week's line-up is already set. There's no way I'd get points off him this week. So, the only week I *might* be able to use him is next week, assuming that I somehow pull of a miraculous upset and win this week. Do you think -- if I make it to the championship game -- that I would want my hopes on a "probable" Dwayne Wade? Heck, no! He won't even give me a full game (i.e., 40+ minutes) which means I wouldn't get full points (he was averaging 48 FP's before his injury). I'd guess around the 20-25 FP range ... which would be what I'm getting from my boy Kinsey easily, if not more. Plus, what if Wade re-injured himself during a game, after scoring like, 3 points? Then he didn't play anymore? I'd be stuck with 3 FP's from one guy, which would certainly destroy any chance I had of winning that game.

In conclusion, there's no way I'd start Wade next week, even if he was cleared to play. So, if anyone wants to pick him up, then by all means, do so. Also, Kinsey's games for this week: at home against Phoenix (which means a ton of points scored, because the Suns play at a face pace while the Grizzlies have been trying to emulate them with running a lot), then at home against Golden State (where they have atrocious team defense and allow a ton of points and also try to play super fast) and then on the road against the Orlando Magic, who also aren't known for their defense. Looks like a good sked to me. Oh, and the last week of the fantasy season has the Grizz at home against the Kings (who the Lakers scorched for over 120 the other day) and home against the Nuggets, who have also been trying the running game and have been horrible at defense. I'm banking everything on you, Kinsey ... make me proud!

Not to sound like Negrodomas, but here's a couple of quotes from me (I bolded the important parts), starting with way back in October of '06:

"I'm feeling a lot better about this team ... if we stay healthy (note: the guy I just traded for last week, Richard Jefferson, had a level two ankle sprain ... I'm not a doctor, but 'ouch') I think we have a good chance again this year to win it all. Ahh ... I love it when I'm in the honeymoon phase of the season. Remember how optimistic I am now -- this tune can change come March of '07."

... and in January of '07:

"In my estimation, I would say out of the 10 games (weeks) left in the season, there are 2 teams that could give us a good game ... which means, like every other basketball season, this year will come down to injuries. The Busdrivers are #1 in record, in scoring, in power rankings, you name it. The only thing that will prevent us from winning the championship is if we take on too many star players being injured. I hate it. I live the fantasy sport Groundhog's Day."

I mean, crap! Even back in October when the season just started I was dreading the Ides of March. Then, in January, I probably jinxed the fuh out of myself by divulging the possibility of losing because star players were injured. Dwayne Wade ... Zach Randolph ... can't get much worse than that (unless it was Kobe or Kidd or Stoudemire ... which I wouldn't even be surprised if they all got into a car crash together in the upcoming week).

I would give us a 10% chance of winning this week, with that being optimistic. The team we're playing is only 1 of 2 teams that beat us once in the regular season (albeit it was in the first 3 weeks of the season, in November of '06 or thereabouts). Here's to the end of what was once a wonderful season ....

Week 22 (Final Regular Season Game): W - 321.75 to 249.75 ... W-L Record: 19-3 (first in division; first in league)

Week 22 Fantasy Stud: Kobe Bryant (LAL, G) - 47 FP's ... I'm going to need him to average 59 FP's like last week to stand a chance ... c'mon, Black Mamba! I believe!

Week 22 Fantasy Dud: Chris Wilcox (SEA, F) - 21 FP's ... followed up his season high 34 FP week with something more around his average ... I'm going to need him to give me another week of superhuman effort.

One more note ... the team I'm playing now has Marcus Camby (DEN, C) , Antawn Jamison (WAS, F), Hedo Turkoglu (ORL, F) and T.J. Ford (TOR, G) -- they can be in contention for the All-Injured Team. Why aren't they injured now? Why!?!

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Baseball season just started ... still don't know how the scoring works ... fill you in more next week.

(2 Cent): Did You Forget About The D.R.E.?

Continuing with my Top 10 list of my favorite Hip Hop producers, we come to the 2nd half of my #1 favorite (see: last week's Spmusic Monday, Timbaland). This guy has been in the game for over 20 years and is the epitome of West Coast Rap. He is Dr. Dre.

To read more about him, check out this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dre

Dre has such a high level of creativity, that he even created a new wave (or angle) for Hip Hop back in the day with that "G-Funk" sound. His beats wouldn't be considered to be super crazy, but they beat hard and have great background accents (i.e., piano, strings, symphony) that create a flow like no other.

Like Timbaland, when you hear a Dr. Dre production, you know it's him -- he too has a signature sound. With hits for Snoop, Pac, Eminem, 50 Cent and so on, he's helped make careers for artists and classic hits for generations. Again, picking just 10 songs doesn't seem right ... he's had a ton of hits.

Sample of 10 Songs From Hit List (in no particular order):

-- "Gin And Juice" by Snoop Dogg

-- "California Love" by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman

-- "My Name Is" by Eminem

-- "B**** Please" by Snoop Dogg featuring Xzibit

-- "Break Ya Neck" by Busta Rhymes

-- "Ain't Nuttin' But Music" by D12

-- "In Da Club" by 50 Cent

-- "Poppin' Them Thangs" by G Unit

-- "Just Lose It" by Eminem

-- "Outta Control (Remix)" by 50 Cent featuring Mobb Deep

-- "How We Do" by The Game featuring 50 Cent

There's nothing left to say other than Dr. Dre has repeatedly changed the game and is in rarefied air in the Hip Hop world. He and Timbo are my #1's. You can check out all his stuff on this web site I found:

http://www.dr-dre.com/

My Top Producers List:

1a - Timbaland
1b - Dr. Dre

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Check back next week for my #3 producer. Or is it #2? I don't know. My list isn't making much sense right now.

(1/2 Cent): Speaking Of Timbo ...

I just saw on the iTunes music store that Timbaland came out with a new CD yesterday! Methinks that's pretty sweet. The only single I've heard from it (only on SIRIUS radio) was "Give It To Me" featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake. I like it. I like it a lot. I can't wait to go to the store and get me that. Dang ... payday is tomorrow!

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Check back Friday for the Grab Bag ... and a new pet peeve (well, new to this blog ... it's been one of mine for at least 6 months now).

HCP