Is Russell Westbrook Really the MVP?

The NBA is a game based upon the motto, "what have you done for me lately." The viewers and fans are all about the here and now, a player can have an outstanding run of games and all of a sudden they are on the front page of every paper, and the timelines and feeds off every fan around the country. Fans seem to discredit longevity, a player who can uphold a superb stat line for an entire year or more.
Recently, Oklahoma City Thunder Point Guard Russell Westbrook has been on an absolute tear lately, gashing defenses for 40 plus points and triple doubles left and right. He has single-handedly brought his below average Thunder team to a playoff seed without last years MVP Kevin Durant. However, with his recent run and domination, has he catapulted himself to the forefront of the MVP race? More so, has the media catapulted him to the forefront. It's all about what the media sees at the moment, and the very media that votes for MVP, is the same media that suffers from voter fatigue. Just like back in the Jordan days, voters got sick of voting for the same player year in and year out, so they began voting for other players. Jordan was always the best. So, is Westbrook really the best player right now?
A strong month, or string of games shouldn't set a player head over heels above the competition. A player who has performed at a high level the entire year, or for a few years should always be leading the pack. LeBron has been the best player on the planet for years now, and he is again this year, but he faces the same thing Jordan faced. Voter fatigue.
Stephen Curry, point guard of the Western Conference leading Golden State Warriors. James Harden, shooting guard of the Houston Rockets. LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers; winners of 18 of their last 21. Then there's Russell Westbrook, a player who has been tearing up defenses and posting insane stat lines, but his team is the 8 seed, barely in the playoffs.
So again it begs the question, is Westbrook really the MVP? Is he the MVP in the eyes of the media? Does the media's coverage of a certain player repeatedly alter the fans opinions on the MVP?
To me, MVP should never be "what have you done for me lately." A player should never lose because of voter fatigue. The system is flawed, and the media is at the forefront of it. If a player is the best player in the league, on one of the best teams, he should always be MVP, I don't care if he's won 10 straight. The best is the best.
They should be rewarded as such.
P.S. LeBron James should be the MVP...

The Combine

Year in and year out, the best college football players in the country take their talents to the NFL combine to showcase those talents for the scouts. This year, the talent is as good as ever, with players like Jameis Winston, Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, and Kevin White. However, this year is different, before the best players didn't always do the drills, the best quarterbacks didn't throw, the best running backs didn't run. But this year is different, the best players at each position all showed up, and all performed. 

I never really tuned in to watch the combine in years past because before it even started, the best players committed to not participating. What fun is that. This year I have been tuning in, and it's been great to watch. To see the best 19 and 20 year old football players in the country all perform together and run drills together. To see the throws the best quarterbacks were making, the greatest throws by Winston and Mariota. It's great for the game, with these players participating. 

In previous years, with the "best" players not participating, teams would draft based solely on college stats, and they would suffer the consequences by selectin a player who wasn't ready to play at the next level. 

The combine is a vital piece of the NFL, and this year hopefully is a stepping stone for years to come. The best players need to showcase their talents, and it's the best stage to do so. The talent would increase in the NFL, and their wouldn't be as many busts. The combine is as important as the draft itself. Come April,c we'll see where everyone goes. Stay tuned. 

The Dunk Contest

I waited until after All Star Saturday night to write my third blog post because I wanted to make sure I covered the festivities that took place in NYC.

For the past few years, all star Saturday night had been trending downwards, the thee point contest has been uneventful, and the dunk contest has been downright bad. No drama in the three point contest and no name players competeing in the dunk contest. It just hasn't been enjoyable to watch. I found myself missing the days of Vince Carter, Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson. Blake Griffin even. Recently, names like Jeremy Evans, and JaVale McGee haven't cut it. So as expected, my expectations were tempered for the 2015 edition. 

With young guns in the dunking field, I wasn't over the top excited, but I was anxious to see what was gonna happen. I knew these kids could dunk from college and YouTube, but could they perform on the big stage? 

Boy could they, the two that made names for themselves were Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo, who performed a 540 as one of his dunks. And the winner on the night, 19 year old rookie, Zach LaVine. I can't even explain the dunks he put down, you'll have to watch it on YouTube. It was astounding. He stole the show and set records for perfect scores in the first round with two 50s. I'm telling you, if you haven't seen the highlights, do it. It brought back memories of vintage Vinsanity. Oh and did I mention this kid is only 19!!! 

The dunk contest is back, and Zach LaVine brought back himself. 

Look out NBA, LaVine is here, and he isn't going anywhere for a long, long time. 

A Day Without Media

I woke up and reached for my phone. Then I remembered the task I was given, see how long you can go without touching any electronic. See how long you can disconnect. So instead of unlocking my phone and going through the daily routine of CNN, Bleacher Report, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, i simply got up and started the day. It felt, weird. After a little bit I was unsure what to do with myself, as I soon found out everything in life is electronic, I had no newspapers, no books, nothing. My phone was my only source of news. Taking it away and disconnecting from electronics was also disconnecting from the news. It was really hard, and it wasn't hard for the fact that I wanted to text, or tweet. It was hard from the aspect that I wanted to check what was going on in the world. Phones have become more important than we know, and now they are much more than just texting. I was only able to stay disconnected until about 2;30, because I just couldn't hold out any longer. I realized that my phone was my only source, and couldn't do it anymore.