You’re Turning Me On like a Keri Hilson song- Let Me Knock You Down

Chris Brown is back with his third album titled Grafitti. Mainly, critics want to label this effort as a “too soon” after his recent happenings. However, I think its perfect timing. It’s excellent music and it’s one of the best albums I’ve heard in awhile. The content is more involved and in detail. Instead of “beating around the bush” like his last album Exclusive, Chris Brown decided to say exactly what is on his mind.  The songs “Take My Time”, “Pass Out” and “Wait” are prime examples of this in action.

The song listing for Graffiti is as follows (Includes Deluxe Edition):

1. I Can Transform Ya (Feat. Lil’ Wayne and Swizz Beatz)

2. Sing Like Me

3. Crawl

4. So Cold

5. What I Do (Feat. Plies)

6. Famous Girl

7. Take My Time (Feat. Tank)

8. I.Y.A.

9. Pass Out (Feat. Eva Simons)

10. Wait (Feat. Trey Songz and The Game)

11. Lucky Me

12. Fallin Down

13. I’ll Go

14. Girlfriend (Feat. Lupe Fiasco)

15. Gotta Be Ur Man

16. Movie

17. For Ur Love

18. I Need This

19. I Love You (Feat. Ester Dean)

20. Brown Skinned Girl (Rock City and Sean Paul)

21. Chase Our Love

Chris displays his mishaps with Rhianna very bluntly in the song “Famous Girl”. This is one of the most surprising song on the record. He does not spare any hurt about the situation he found himself in and how he is trying to go on with his life dealing with what happened. The album hits various aspects of relationships internally and externally. It is an upgrade from his Sophomore effort Exclusive. Exclusive was an outstanding album and to top it is a definite improvement into his style of music and the effort he puts in to make a great album. Overall, Graffiti is an excellent work that combines numerous styles and personalities to convey Chris’ emotions and viewpoints.

 

Tampa Bay: Will They Win a Game?

Tampa Bay is a sad sight. I was expecting them to win at least 2 of their first 5 games. That never happened. The Tampa Bay had a pre-ranked defense of 4 which includes cornerback veteran Ronde Barber.

I think it’s very doubtful that the Bucs will win a game before week 13 versus the Carolina Panthers. After pulling Byron Leftwich and inserting Josh Johnson things have not changed. Another factor is coaching. With their rookie coach it seems as if they cannot lead the team the way they need to in order for a winning organization to be put in place. Josh Freeman is the next step in attempting to save the season. I know one man can’t alter an entire season but he can at least put them on the right track for the rest of the year and beyond.

 

I’m Stuttering OH OH OH…

Today marked the release of Mario Barrett’s 4th studio album. His first single off his new album D.N.A. is the song called “Break Up” featuring Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett. I have been listening to this song over and over and over for about 2 solid months. It’s an amazing song and it is catchy as hell. In fact, the rest of D.N.A. is just as catchy if not more!

Here is the track list for D.N.A.:

1. Break Up Feat. Gucci Mane and Sean Garrett

2. Thinkin About You

3. Get Out Feat. Ludacris

4. Soundtrack to My Broken Heart

5. Starlight

6. Stuttering

7. Emergency Room Feat. Rhianna

8. Ooh Baby

9. Before She Said Hi Feat. Young Chris

10. I Choose You

11. Don’r Walk Away

12. I Miss My Friend

13. The Hardest Moment

Mario’s last release was the album GO! which was released back in 2007 This album really set a tone for what D.N.A. would eventually become. “Kryptonite” was a song that I thought really lets people know that Mario was looking for lyrics that were attention grabbing. It didn’t hurt either to add rapper Rich Boy to the track to spice up the song a little bit. The song “Let Me Watch” is a song in which Mario is able to tell listeners is that he just wants to move slowly with lyrics but have a fast track in which to do so. In my opinion, “Let Me Watch” was a big inspiration for the track “Ooo Baby” off of D.N.A. The track “I Choose You” is really the only slow intimate song on the album. Why is that? I am not quite sure. However, maybe he was attempting to do a more upbeat record. His other two albums besides D.N.A. and GO! are Turning Point and Mario. His first two albums were more pop than r&b. His last two albums are more adult themed. Now Mario for sure, in my eyes, is a great artist and he will continue to make music that people enjoy listening to for years to come.

-Biz

 

Hello Brooklyn 3.0

Hello Brooklyn! how’s it going? Can I come too? Jay-Z who is a minority owner of the New Jersey Nets, is pushing for them to go to Brooklyn. He says they are looking to break ground early this December for a brand new basketball facility.Only time will tell if this actually goes through with the state of New York seeing two brand new baseball stadiums for the Yankees and the Mets. Shawn Carter must strongly market the team to land them in Brooklyn. It will not be easy. Also, with this news is tthat HOVA will not pressure his friend LeBron James in coming to his team.

He’s my friend first so I wouldn’t do that to him if we didn’t have a chance of winning [the NBA championship] because he’s going to be great,” Jay-Z said. “I want him to be great. Whatever team lands him, I want him to be great.

-Biz

 

Getting Out of Ohio..Not a Bad Idea.

Lately, I have been thinking that a great time waits for me in several places. Such as anywhere south of Ohio. Ohio would be a great state if it didn’t consist of snow. I hate it. It’s a huge inconvenience to people commuting just about anywhere. In some cases people are “trapped” inside their homes for a day or two because there is so much snow on the ground. I can’t deal with that. I need to feel comfortable and free to roam where I live.

The rents have put their two cents in about where I should go and they agree with me. My progressing degree in Sports Management pretty much requires of me to move to a busy city setting and go from there. I can’t wait to see what other states and cities have to offer. I have been thinking about different states that would be a good fit. Here is what I have come up with so far: Florida, Georgia or South Carolina. I have been to Florida for vacation a couple years ago and really really enjoyed every bit of it. The cost of living is insane but I have to pay something regardless of where I would end up. Hopefully I get a job in a state that does not have horrible weather. I am going to try to work my hardest to get the best job for the best pay at the best place I can think of.

This is my promising plan. Will it work? We shall see.

 

Kiffin Looks to Boost Tennessee in the SEC

Lane Kiffin wants to bring back Tennessee football where it found itself in 1998

New head coach Lane Kiffin is out to crush the SEC this year. There is no doubt that is what he and his Volunteers are attempting to do this upcoming season. By putting his past reputation (from the Raiders) as being a notorious liar, the Raiders think Tennessee is stupid and really having their campus at risk because of Kiffin. This is ridiculous! 1. The Raiders (and AL Davis) are the DUMBEST organization in the NFL. 2. They picked Darius Hayward-Bey at #7 in this years draft.

Lane Kiffin should be the happiest man alive that he received the boot from Oakland. The most amazing thing I see with Tennesee’s hiring of Kiffin is the switch for his Dad. Monte Kiffin was Defensive Coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was there under Tony Dungy and under Jon Gruden. Monte Kiffin will certainly implement his famous “Tampa Cover 2″ defensive scheme.

Lane Kiffin has been outspoken during his first Off-season as Head Coach. Taking verbal shots at Urban Meyer to boost fan hype and ticket sales. In camp, he has been quite aggressive with his roster. Often, he makes the team hit in full pads and not dim down the practice. The reason for it is to see who can really hit. Lane Kiffin doesn’t want to practice and not have his team feel what it’s like to get hit until the first game comes around. I think this philosophy will certainly work in Kiffin’s favor.

After last year’s dismal 5-7 season the new head coach is excited to make the necessary changes to become a powerhouse in the Southeastern Conference. Lane Kiffin is depending on a duo of the Senior Jonathan Crompton who took over for Erik Ainge when he was injured, and Nick Stephens who is a Junior. If these two quarterbacks work together then then the Volunteers should fair pretty well within their conference. The other aspect is that if the season does not go in Tennessee’s favor then it ALL falls on Lane Kiffin. He does not want that to happen and will take every step to prevent it. The Oakland Raiders organization is hoping that they are proved correct by how Lane Kiffin approaches football as a head coach. I just really want Lane Kiffin to succeed and to prove the Raiders completely wrong.

Lane Kiffin can make a name for himself in a positive way if he can create a stable football program year in and year out at Tennessee. He can have a tenure at Tennessee that may surpass his predecessor Phillip Fulmer.

Lets see how high Lane Kiffin can set the bar. Lane Kiffin your time starts……………..now!

-Biz

 

Down and Out

There is no question that the Cleveland Indians have been making big moves before the trade deadline which was July 31st. Cliff Lee traded to the Phillies along with Ben Francisco. Victor Martinez was traded to the Boston Red Sox for a list of pitchers which inlcudes Justin Masterson. The Indians organization says the talent that they received in the Martinez deal will turnout to be bullpen help for the most part. That is what Cleveland needs. Masterson however, I can see being somewhere in the starting rotation next season. At this point, the Indians do not have an ace on the pitching staff. Cleveland fans have lost all hope for the future.

The reality is that the MLB draft has been a total letdown for the Cleveland Indians. The talent acquired via the draft in the last 5 years have not panned out at all. The draft picks are still down in the farm system or are out of baseball completely. So that’s definitely not an option anymore.Pitching has ALWAYS been a concern for the Indians. Personally, I hate it! When the bullpen is good the starting pitching sucks or the starting pitching is excellent and the bullpen sucks or both aspects of pitching suck. The Indians during the year have been ranked 4th and 6th in the major leagues in runs scored. They can really swing the bat and get results. The pitching just has not been there all season. The only sure thing was Cliff Lee. Someone has to step up this next year and years to come or else we will end up just like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates develop a shit load of talent then deal it away for something to take them 769496 steps backward towards being a contending team in the National League. The Indians do not want to go that route. In the early 2000’s the farm system for the Indians was loaded and now its reduced to average or below that. Matt LaPorta and Trever Crowe are names that will need to aid in carrying the franchise going forward.

I see that Travis Hafner has not produced this season. I feel Shapiro will deal him during the winter meetings. 11 HR and 29 RBI’s with a .279 AVG. is not going to cut it! Choo, Peralta, and Cabrera are producing very well. That needs to be stable going into next season. The Indians were and currently are  going nowhere fast being last in the division standings in the AL Central.

People can be pissed about the moves the Indians made recently. The fact is Mark Shapiro knows he and the Cleveland Indians can’t go into next season with the same team he has this season. Even if Cliff Lee and Victor Marinez were still in the organization it wouldn’t change the AL Central standings next year. The moves needed to happen to get younger and rebuild. The rebuild this time around will not be as catastrophic as the one back in 2003-2004.

The Cleveland fans need to thank Bartolo Colon for the value he had when he was with the Indians. Without Colon, Cliff Lee and especially Grady Sizemore never would of made it to Cleveland. Also, for a short time Brandon Phillips would of went elsewhere. Cleveland should be thankful that the Expos were going out of business and they had to give all their talent away. They should also be thankful that Cliff Lee became a Cy Young winner with the Indians. They should be thankful for Grady Sizemore who is undoubtedly the current and the future face of the Indians and represents what they stand for.

Cleveland fans must move on and look ahead into the future. Who knows the organization might end up on top and stay there like they did in the mid to late 90’s

-Biz

 

University of Akron’s New Football Complex:InfoCision Stadium

InfoCision Stadium and Summa Field

In Akron, Ohio there is going to be a brand new complex for University of Akron’s football fans and their players. This facility is nothing but the characteristic of class. State of the art seating, including loge seats! I almost forgot to mention they will be having luxury suites! This is what will catch people’s eyes in my opinion. When I heard about the feature I was excited! The university is pushing for the goal date of Sept 12th of this year for their home opener against Morgan State.

Tom Curtis said “The finish is going to be tight but we are going to make it”

I hope they make it! If they do not hit the due date then I promise there will be some disappointed fans. Of course, the university would not want anything like that. Its important to know the facility is rentable. I have no clue how they are going to go about renting the stadium out but whoever gets the chance will certainly have a blast!

Costs for the stadium to its budget is $61.6 million dollars. The only drawback when the stadium is 100% completed is that it really won”t be completed. What I mean by that is the education classrooms will not be installed until fall 2010. To me, this is not right. It must all be taken care of!

According to the given article, The University of Akron does not have adequate funds to support putting in additional classroom space. If that was in your plan and supposedly in your budget it should be happening!

Already, InfoCision Stadium is bringing in more revenue for the university which is a definite plus and a high demand for the use of the facility. This is all compared to its former stadium the Rubber Bowl. Here is the proof:

2005 (MAC Championship Season):The university sold 1,247 season tickets. Total ticket revenue for that season was $154,911.

2009 (Demand for InfoCision): Has raised about $1.1 million by selling 4,493 season tickets, 125 club seats, 34 loges and 13 luxury suites. The University of Akron is shooting for 10,000 season tickets by their first cycle of debt payments which begins in June 2010. These season tickets do NOT count students. They only include non-student revenue. 5,500 seats are put aside for the Akron’s student body.

With all the good news about InfoCision stadium, here comes the bad news: No dedicated parking facility. This makes  me (and certainly others) furious! How could they miss this completely? Instead, to compensate, the university will have gravel lots “next” to the stadium. 485 allocated spaces to be exact. This includes VIP and disabled spaces. As this project comes to a close The University of Akron is looking to expand in the future. Specifically, they would like to add residence halls next to the gravel parking lots. There is a residence hall currently under construction that will open duing fall of 2010.

Overall, I have the utmost excitement to go visit this facility. InfoCision Stadium will be the best in the Mid-American Conference easily. I have been to BGSU facility but this overshadows it completely! The University of Akron will be really happy with the turnout it will be receiving during the upcoming football season and the future seasons to come. There will be season ticket holders coming back every year to enjoy the sights and the sounds of InfoCision Stadium.

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/50367457.html

-Biz

 

Cavs Sign G/F Anthony Parker:Taking Big Steps Forward

Anthony Parker is now a Cleveland Cavalier

I am in love with this free agent acquisition of Anthony Parker. He is certain to impact the Cavs in so many ways! I have admired his style of play while he was with the Toronto Raptors. The addition of Candice Parker’s older brother gives more shooting ability. I’m specifically talking pure shooting ability. There is a downside to Mr. Parker though. He is not a lockdown and shutdown defender which is an issue for the Cavaliers. His strength on defense is perimeter defense which Cleveland desperately needs! Practice will help his weak defensive attributes tremendously . He said in his press conference in Cleveland when being introduced as a Cavalier that he wouldn’t mind coming off the bench.

http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/video/2009/07/13/parker.090713.cavaliers/index.html

No matter how Anthony Parker is used he is certain to contribute in a massive way. The Cavs assistant GM Lance Blanks said that the organization has had Parker in there cross hairs for quite awhile. Specifically, Lance was talking about Anthony’s stint over in Europe before coming to the NBA. Parker said he definitely wanted to jump at the chance at playing in the National Basketball Association. Although he was drafted in 1997, it was a really short time before going to Europe so its not recognized. His time spent in Europe gave him Most Valuable Player twice in the Euroleague consecutively. While in Europe, Parker earned more honors and has a lot of experience to bring to the table.

Along with Shaq, LeBron, and Z, Parker gives veteran status and can teach Danny Green a few pointers especially if he is coming off the bench. I have always viewed Anthony Parker in a very positive way and he can light an opposing team up quickly. Anthony Parker is going to be very fun to watch this coming season with a stellar Cleveland Cavaliers lineup once again. Set them up and knock them down. Anthony Parker is a sniper from behind the arc the other NBA teams better take notice!

-Biz

 

Why? I Would Like to Know!

Trevor Ariza. What is he thinking? My guess is he just wants money. There is nothing wrong with that but he based his decision very very poorly. The Houston Rockets were the best fit for him? Not at all! The reason is the unknown status (and future years) of Yao Ming and what is in store for Tracy McGrady?

Is this really where Ariza belongs?

Okay so the Los Angeles Lakers were going to do away with him but to just the fact that he did everything really fast. The reports that the Cavaliers were trying to pull Ariza out of his deal…I don’t know about that. He would do so on his own accord. If he were to back out from his deal with the Rockets that would be great and he would be really happy. The issue Ariza has with that is if LeBron will stay past 2010. Trevor Ariza is looking towards the future and that is important but what is more important is dealing with the present.

Why Trevor Ariza? Why?

-Biz