Category: Sports (page 2 of 3)

Allen Making His Announcement

imgres-8One of the NBA’s most prolific three point shooters may be making a comeback following the All Star break, and no I’m not talking about Reggie Miller. Ray Allen, who last played for the Miami Heat last season is ready to make a decision following the All Star break. At age 39, Allen has been working out and staying in shape to make another title run in his 19th NBA season should he choose to do so.

Allen, the 5th overall pick in the 1996 draft out of the University of Connecticut averaged 18.9 points per game during his 1,300 career games in the NBA. He has hit 2,973 three pointers at a 40% clip which is good for first all time in three pointers made. Any team would certainly benefit from adding Allen to the mix. While they won’t expect him to play 30 minutes a night. He can certainly help a team and play 15-20 minutes a night while knocking 2 threes down and creating floor spacing for others.

Many teams are interested in Allen’s services. The list includes the Washington Wizards, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Atlanta Hawks. Allen proved to be effective and had something left in the tank last year with the Miami Heat. He averaged 9.6 points, 2.0 assists, and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 44% from the field and 38% from three point land in 26.5 minutes a night. Allen’s three point shooting is just the surface of his value to teams today. Not only has he already won a championship, he also provides great floor spacing for other players to get open. You can’t provide the type of help defense you’re supposed to when covering Allen. If you sag off of him too much, he’ll find the ball and knock down an open three with ease. Stay tuned for the Ray Allen sweepstakes as I’m sure it will heat up in the final hours.

Playing Sports Instills Values

Playing a sport instills values in the player. Work ethic, teamwork, respect and the ability to overcome adversity are all key qualities which playing sports teaches. Those who begin playing from a young age will ultimately learn these values more quickly. They might have grown up watching certain sports with their families and learned to embrace their competitive spirits early on. They might even be inspired to play and compete by their parents or siblings. Whichever path led the player to his or her chosen sport, the player gains immeasurable qualities and experiences learning how to thrive on a team and understanding the value of a strong work ethic. Check out the presentation below to learn more:

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Inspiration of the Week

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The AP Top 25 Poll: 4 Tops Teams This Week

The AP Top 25

Latest Slideshare: 10 NFL Stadiums to See!

Thanks for viewing the latest Slideshare presentation by Will Selva about the Top NFL Stadiums to see and experience firsthand!

Germany Finishes What Klinsmann Started

There’s universal agreement that Germany was the best team at the World Cup and deserved to win it. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was absolutely superb, giving up only four goals in seven games. Of course, it helps that the defenders in front of him, Jerome Boateng and Philipp Lahm in particular, were air-tight, thus making things a touch easier in what is considered the zenith of the national team’s decade long journey to get here.
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A journey that began in 2004 with the hiring of Jurgen Klinsmann. The current U.S. Men’s National Team manager came in and shook the very foundation of German soccer to its core, changing the joyless, stringent approach often associated with the team for a more progressive, attacking style of play.

Klinsmann needed to establish young cornerstones to see his vision through: Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker. That’s 4 players on the current roster of this year’s World Cup winning team, although the latter two were reserves. Mertesacker was quick to give Klinsmann credit saying they were only continuing what he started, but not everyone agreed as evidenced by the German media’s brutal treatment of him. Perhaps with time and now signature hardware, Klinsmann will be judged differently. He certainly deserves it.

(Youtube)

What You Really Get in Carmelo Anthony

The Knicks, Lakers, Bulls and Rockets are furiously elbowing each other out of the way to get Carmelo Anthony’s signature on a contract. The unflinching and relentless pursuit by these teams for Anthony’s services is mostly warranted. He brings instant name recognition and knows how to fill out the stat sheet as evidenced by his scoring title.

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As pointed out by Elias, the 30 year-old star is averaging 25.3 points per game in his career, the 2nd-highest average in NBA history by a player who has yet to get a whiff of the NBA Finals. You wonder if the teams doggedly chasing Carmelo truly realize the impact his signing will have on overall chemistry.

With the high volume of scoring you get with Melo comes the reluctance on his end to share the ball. He needs touches. Lots and lots of them and it comes at the risk of clogging the offensive flow. He’s not one to distribute the ball like LeBron James does. It’s true that he’s never had the strongest of supporting casts, but if he goes to one of these teams, who’s to say that he’ll be OK playing second banana? Besides, Melo does not elevate the play of other teammates. He doesn’t make them better, a staple of a true superstar. If that was the case, maybe one of his teams would’ve gone further in the playoffs. Asking him to buy in for the greater good of the team seems a bit of a stretch at this point in his career. His defense is practically non-existent. Always has been. Always will be. Just ask his former head coach George Karl. I understand teams going crazy for Melo, but buyer beware.

(Youtube)

Why USA Should Feel Good vs Belgium

The U.S. Men’s National Team is playing with house money right now. This is not too say that they should feel content to just make the knockout stage of the World Cup. No, they’ve proven to be rugged, gritty and determined enough to get through the Group of Death, a reality nobody expected to come to fruition in Brazil. That’s why if the Americans fail to get past Belgium on Tuesday, it shouldn’t be seen as a failure, but rather a positive step forward to where it wants to be: an upper echelon soccer power. Now to the actual game versus the Belgians. This was a side considered to be a darkhorse to win the World Cup. A young, talented yet inexperienced bunch. They’ve started off slow in games only to crank things up later. Belgium has relied heavily on Chelsea star Eden Hazard, who has not disappointed, but he is just one player.
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Romelu Lukaku has struggled, failing to score in this World Cup. If you’re the U.S., you hope this pattern continues. The defense has been solid, but could be missing Vincent Kompany, who’s doubtful with a groin issue. Kompany is considered a world-class defender. As for the Red, White and Blue, forward Jozy Altidore could be back on the pitch for the first time since sustaining a hamstring injury early on in the win over Ghana. Boy, is his scoring punch sorely needed. Clint Dempsey is up front as the lone striker and needs the midfield to do something. So far, Michael Dempsey has not gotten the job done despite his tireless energy thus far. Even he admits that he must step up for the U.S. to have a chance to advance. Still, the outlook is bright for the USA, no matter the result on Tuesday. That’s what happens when you play with house money.

(CBS News)

Will Selva: Videos

Below you will find videos of influential Hispanic athletes as well as the top college football stadiums to visit!

Famous Hispanic Athletes from Will Selva on Vimeo.

Best College Stadiums from Will Selva on Vimeo.

College Stadiums Part 2 from Will Selva on Vimeo.

Top College Stadiums To Visit from Will Selva on Vimeo.

Brain Cramping On LeBron

As soon as LeBron James went to the bench for good toward the end of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, it was on. The Twitter haters were springing up like fast-growing weeds in the backyard. You couldn’t pull them out fast enough as the Crampapocalypse was officially upon us, creating such gems as the Twitter handle @KingJamesCramp, which at last check, had over 100 followers.

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While some of the images and messages admittedly provided a hearty chuckle for their sheer absurdity, what I found astonishing is this snap judgement about LeBron’s desire and motivation. He had a cramp. A really bad one that obviously precluded him from continuing to play. Any athlete will tell you that it is extremely difficult to play through it. I can’t explain why he was the ONLY player to develop a cramp when all the players had to deal with the AC being off.

The Celtics and Lakers, by the way, would always play in sweltering conditions like that at the Garden. What’s lost in all this talk about LeBron’s cramp is that as soon as he went out of the game, Dwyane Wade was invisible. A measly 7 points in the 2nd half on 3 of 10 shooting. That can’t happen. Neither can a relatively silent bench. If this is what happens when LeBron goes out or suffers a major injury, then the Heat are doomed. The Spurs, on the other hand, hold a vibrant bench that is much deeper than Miami’s, helping to end the game on a 16-3 run. Manu Ginobili continues to show that no matter the situation, he’s clutch whether he’s starting or coming off the bench. An true energizer bunny that keeps going. Now we must suffer through countless nauseatingly, gut-wrenchingly long debates on LeBron’s psyche heading into Game 2. No thanks. I’ll just chew on a giant shard of glass until then.