If Tyson can do it, we can too

If anyone reading this is going through a rough time or transitioning from a string of bad circumstances, have no fear....I have great news. If Mike Tyson can bounce back and totally revamp his image, so can we!

And I'm being completely honest here, all jokes aside. On July 31st, Mike Tyson (yes...that Mike Tyson) will be making his Broadway debut. Yes...that Broadway. The man who was addicted to drugs, convicted of rape, arrested numerous other times, bit off the ear of an opponent, tattooed the entire left side of his face, had it all and embarrassingly lost it all, well...you get the idea. That same man turned his pain into a must see show on the worlds most prestigious stage. And the best part is...he's talking about all of the things in his life that should have kept him from a Broadway stage. Stop playin!

Two things immediately stood out to me when I read that article. One...through it all, Mike Tyson kept moving forward. He never gave up on himself. We'd see him pop up on a tv show or two, a movie or two. We may have dismissed it as Tyson being Tyson, but he was slowly changing our perception of him with each step forward. We all remember the Tyson of 10 years ago. None of us could have or would have predicted this type of turnaround. Not from what we saw of Tyson to that point. It took a while, and I give him credit for continuing to believe in himself.

The second thing that stood out was the fact that Tyson, through all of his embarrassing moments never took himself too seriously. He was ok with the fact that he was "not ok". He knew that he was the butt of the joke, and he laughed right along. I guess he knew something we didn't. Tyson's Las Vegas show was a brutally honest assessment of his trials and tribulations, but done so in a light hearted manner. It was a hit! Comedian Kevin Hart turned his own pain into prosperity with his smash hit "Laugh at My Pain". It's something to be said for that. Neither could be accomplished without first...forgiving yourself.

I'm rooting for Mike to continue to evolve and move forward with his life. I'm rooting for that for all of us that have fallen short. Did I mention that Tyson will be 47 this month? It's never too late. We still have hope!    follow @plcolter

The fans are the ultimate Finals winner

Wow...what a fantastic start to the 2011-2012 NBA Finals! Two equally matched, star studded teams are tied at a game a piece. I have no clue who will prevail in this now best of five series between the Heat and Thunder. What I do know is...regardless of who's crowned champions, we (the fans) will ultimately come out the winner!

What makes a great basketball game? Points! And not just points, points from the best players. LeBron James and Kevin Durant have not disappointed, averaging 30.8 and 28.5 points respectively. And they're not just being Prima Donna scorers, they lead their teams in rebounds as well. Both teams have played well offensively, and the stars have been just that.

The late game drama, the huge runs from both teams, and the frenetic pace has kept me glued to my seat. Kevin Durant has been spectacular in the fourth quarter, and LeBron seems to have turned the corner from the passive player who shrunk in last year's finals. Those were two clutch free throws in the closing seconds of game 2.

Like most fans who's team is out of the race, I just wanted to see a good series. And boy have we! I encourage everyone to enjoy these next 4 or 5 games, we may be watching one of the best Finals ever when it's all said and done....regardless of who wins.   follow @plcolter

The NBA must have a rabbit's foot

I am not much of a gambler, but I am willing to bet that NBA commissioner David Stern is somewhere smiling from ear to ear. From the time the lockout ended, the NBA has enjoyed one good break after another. Nothing about last summer would lead you to believe the NBA would deliver like this.

Most of us thought there would be no season at all when Stern started cancelling games, but starting on Christmas day was a blessing in disguise. Starting late lead to a fast and furious regular season. Not a day went by without a good match up, and most of us got to see our teams play at least 3 or 4 times a week.

The NBA lucked out when it came to injuries. Yes, several stars went down with injuries...but not the two best. LeBron James and Kevin Durant not only played every game, they played at an MVP level. The NBA lucked out with the Chris Paul trade. The Clippers are now an exciting contender and the Lakers were no worse for wear. They still won the Pacific division.

The NBA lucked out with Jeremy Lin. It seems like years ago now, but remember Linsanity? When was the last time the world cared about an NBA team in New York? It was a feel good story and unexpected merchandising juggernaut for the league.

The NBA even lucked out in these playoffs. Four match ups went seven games, and the "sexier" team (Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, Heat) advanced each time. Hey David Stern...can you pass around that rabbit's foot? Sharing is caring...and we all know "The NBA Cares".    follow @plcolter

Karma has LeBron right back in Cleveland

While watching last night's game between Boston and Miami, I couldn't help but ask...is this the old Cleveland team in Heat uniforms? I am sure that LeBron James is asking the same thing. You may not believe in karma, but I'm sure it's weighing on LeBron's mind now. It's almost as if the same things that plagued and angered James as a Cavalier have reared their ugly head on South Beach. Somewhere in Cleveland...a groundhog is laughing.

Remember the "King's Cavaliers"? They were a one man show, a regular season juggernaut, and a playoff disappointment. LeBron won back to back MVP's and was the best player on the planet. But each postseason he would be let down by a bunch of coulda been's, shoulda been's, and has been's. Players who were once solid, but a year or two past their prime. Or worse, players that never reached their projected potential. LeBron would put up Herculean stats only to fall short...and take all of the blame. James left Cleveland to get some help. I guess life is not without a sense of irony.

LeBron is once again MVP. The Heat were a regular season juggernaut. And so far, the role players have been a disappointment against Boston. LeBron is averaging 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists in the eastern conference finals. 32,9, and 4? Stop playing! LeBron is right back in Cleveland...having to put up stats like these to be tied after four games. And to another inferior team. Chris Bosh is out, and Dwayne Wade is having arguably the worst playoff performance of his career. LeBron is once again forced to carry the load. Isn't that supposedly why he left Cleveland? The only thing different about this team than the Cavaliers are the expectations. Could it be the curse of the "decision"? Only time will tell. For now LeBron...at least you're in South Beach.   follow @plcolter

The NBA lottery selection is fixed

OK. Since no one will say it...dammit I'll say it. The NBA lottery selection is fixed! We have been bamboozled, lead astray, well...you get the idea. At best you have to admit the NBA has been extremely..."fortunate" when it comes to those bouncing ping pongs.
In 2008 the Chicago Bulls had a 1.70% chance of landing the number one pick. They "overcame all odds" and drafted Derrick Rose, who was an NBA ready can't miss prospect. The Bulls got their post Jordan superstar. And the league restored one of their trusted cash cows. Coincidence.....

March 2010, Gilbert Arenas is suspended for pulling a gun on a teammate (we wont even rehash the lunacy of that last statement). Arenas at the time was a great player, and the Wizzards were routinely making the playoffs. The fallout was a public relations nightmare for the league. May 2010, the Wizzards are awarded the number 1 pick with a 10 % chance of getting it. John Wall was drafted and the image of the team has been restored. Coincidence....

July 2010, LeBron James announces his "decision" to leave Cleveland. The Cavaliers immediately went from one of the best teams in the league the past several years to the worst. May 2011, the Cavaliers are awarded the number one pick with a 2.8% chance of getting it. Kyrie Irving goes on to become rookie of the year. Cleveland fans haven't said a word about LeBron since. Coincidence.....

May 2012, the New Orleans Hornets pull off the upset to snag Anthony Davis from the really horrible teams. Wait...didn't the league own the Hornets the past season or two? Didn't the league sell the team just this year? Maybe even throwing in the number one pick to seal the deal? I'm not sayin...I'm just sayin.   follow @plcolter

Smith could learn from Cam Newton

Alex Smith...can you please explain to me why you would call out Cam Newton of all people? When asked why the 49ers were 29th in the league in passing, Smith took offense. “I think that is a totally overblown stat because if you’re losing games in the second half, guess what, you’re like the Carolina Panthers and you’re going no-huddle the entire second half. Smith continued..."Yeah, Cam Newton threw for a lot of 300-yard games. That’s great. You’re not winning, though.”

Mr. Smith had to be speaking on emotion, because the stats suggests that Newton is far more advanced at this stage of his career than Smith. Men lie...women lie...numbers don't lie.

Both San Fransisco and Carolina were 2-14 prior to selecting Smith and Newton number one the following draft. Smith lead the 49'ers to a 4-12 record, throwing for one touchdown and 11 interceptions. Newton lead Carolina to a 6-10 record, throwing for 4,051 yards and 35 total touchdowns. Newton broke 9 nfl rookie records on his way to becoming the 2011 rookie of the year. Um...Alex? Not only did Newton's stats obliterate yours, but he won more games as well. Sounds like someone is sipping the red hater-ade.

Newton exhibited a different approach with his recent self evaluation, and it made Alex Smith look even worse. Cam was quoted as saying...."I was very immature. I'll be the first one to tell you, the pouting and the moping, I kind of overdid it. I know that. I was a bad teammate. I shut off to some people who gave unbelievable effort. That's where I have to mature."

Why does this quote make Smith look even worse? With all of Cam's accomplishments, he still held himself accountable to mature and improve. Not once did I hear Smith acknowledge there were areas to improve. And please...don't throw 13-3 around either. Most of Smith's career starts were mired in losing and ineptitude. Ask any 49ers fan if they would trade Smith for Newton...right now. I am sure the answer would not surprise you.   follow @plcolter

NBA wants Heat in finals

The NBA wants the Miami Heat in the finals. And no...I am not talking about superstar treatment or bad officiating. During the 2004 playoffs, NBA Commissioner David Stern was asked who the league would like to see in that year's finals. His response? The Los Angeles Lakers vs.....the Los Angeles Lakers! Stern's devilish grin indicated he was dead serious, and for good reason. If you recall, the Lakers turned the regular season into must see tv....and it had little to do with their play on the court.

For starters, the Lakers signed Carl Malone and Gary Peyton. Along side Kobe and Shaq, these new look Lakers were called the best team ever before they scored one point together. And speaking of Kobe and Shaq, ESPN made a living off their well publicized and contentious beef. Sprinkle in a rape trial for Kobe Bryant that same year and BAM...you have ratings gold! People could not look away, and everyone tuned in to see that finals match up between L.A. and Detroit. We all remember the scandals, but no one outside of those two cities could tell you how many games Detroit won the series in. The NBA doesn't care either way...they still hit their numbers!

The next two seasons San Antonio represented the west in the finals. The Spurs won both times, in what turned out to be two of the lowest rated finals (in terms of viewing) in the history of the league. Advertisers had to be disappointed their top dollar ads did not reach the projected amount of viewers. Did I mention that San Antonio is just as boring now? Did I also mention they have a more than legitimate chance to win it all again? Advertisers must be nervous.....

Fast forward to present day and Stern has got to be sweating bullets. The Miami Heat are his 2004 Lakers team now, and he needs them in the finals. We already saw Derick Rose, Carmello Anthony, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant eliminated. Stern can not afford to have LeBron James out of these playoffs. Once he's gone, so are the casual fans. San Antonio vs Philadelphia or Indiana? Stop playin! Or even Oklahoma City vs either one of those teams would be a disaster for the league. Advitisers pay top dollar for those commercial slots, hinging on the fact they will reach a mass audience. Love him or hate him, LeBron can do that all by himself.

If you are a fan of Lebron you will be watching every minute of every game to see if he can finally get it done. If you hate LeBron, you will enjoy every minute of every second of another choke. Casual fans will tune in to see what all of the fuss is about. Every one is happy. Don't be surprised if you see Stern in the stands for the Heat's pivotal game 6 tilt with the Pacers. It's still a business.....  follow @plcolter