A Jester in His Own Court

Last night was supposed to be Lebron James' defining moment. The moment that solidified his place among the game's elite. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals would help keep the Kobe vs. Lebron debate up for another summer.

That answer is a definite no brainer now.

More importantly though is the legacy Bron will leave in Cleveland (if he leaves). From now until he wins a ring, Lebron will be remembered as the guy who dances, salutes to the crowd and comes up with funny pregame routines when he's winning

His naysayers will remember him as the guy who faded away when the city needed him most. 

Lebron shouldn't take all the heat for losing that game but he will. He Did have a triple double but also logged nine turnovers (one shy of an idiot's quadruple double). While Antawn Jamison shot 2-8 and Delonte West had one of the worst performances by a role player in the history of the NBA.

But this is about the "King." In a game where Mo Williams kept the Cavs competitive in the first half with 20 points, Lebron should've been able to carry the Cav's the rest of the way. At least to a gmae 7. 

As good as Rondo and the Celtics are playing, they deserved to win the series.  But for Lebron to get sent fishing without a fight, makes him a jester in his own court.

Travis Williams | Co-Host/Reporter | Main Event Sports Talk Radio
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The Long Shot Final

The NFL draft has come and gone and Scott Long wraps up his draft diary with this final entry.  Long went home to North Carolina to watch the draft with his friends and family and also feast on some good ol Carolina barbecue. 

There were 255 players selected over the course of seven rounds and three days.  That's 255 life-long dreams accomplished and televised in a span of 72 hours and Scott expected to be one of them.  But when draft coverage ended on day three, his name had gone uncalled.
But anyone who has met Scott knows his priorities are Faith, Family and it just doesn't really matter much after that.  Mainly because he literally had only minutes to think about it. Almost immediately after the draft the Carolina kid had signed a deal with San Francisco 49er's.
He'll be sleeping just fine.

The Draft
By Scott Long as told to Travis Williams

The draft was kind of a surreal experience.  It was nerve-racking but at the same time it was a great experience.  Just anticipating your name being called, even though mine wasn't, just to be in the situation to expect it was a blessing.
My phone started ringing around the sixth round.  Teams were calling and saying, "We didn't expect you to be here this late. We'll see what happens."

Funny story, one team called me in the sixth round that my agent had told me to keep circled. He said they really liked me and we're thinking about picking me in the sixth round. This team is on the clock and my phone rings, I'm thinking, "This is it!'   I answered and the guy on the other end said in an excited voice, "Hey Eric!"
I say, "No this is Scott Long."
I'm thinking that maybe he just has the wrong name, but he asks me to confirm my phone number and I told him it was the wrong number.  He's like, "Oh I apologize, sorry about that."
Then I see the picture come across the screen and it's a guy named Eric, and his last name was similar to mine. 

Post Draft
Immediately after the draft, there were a bunch of teams that called my phone.  I eventually had to forward all my calls to my agent.  The offers I seriously considered came down to the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and of course the San Francisco 49er's. I went with my gut feeling and chose San Francisco because they were the first to contact me and contacted me the most often.  They were really upfront and explained why things shook out the way they did as far as why they didn't pull the trigger on me in the draft. They felt like i was a good football player, I could fit in there and their depth chart matched up favorably for me.

I had never been out there (San Francisco), I'm hoping I can adjust well.  I know its alot different than what I'm accustomed to.  We'll just have to see if a little small town boy can make it in the real world.



In Closing

I wanted to use this closing to thank everyone who followed and supported this blog over the past couple of months. A special thanks to Will Thompson and Victor Anderson for helping spread the word. This has been an awesome experience and I'm grateful that Travis approached me about this opportunity. God has been so good to me, by opening a door for me to realize my dream. I encourage all of you to put your trust in him as you look to achieve the things your hearts desire.

Not just because of what you'll gain, but because of the relationship you will build with him. Which will ultimately allow you to gain something that will last forever. Peace and Love have a blessed week.

Yours truly , 84

The Infield

Thanks to some low grade media credentials, I made it to the 136th Kentucky Derby Saturday with my co-worker and socially conscious colleague Rob Bizzy.
It was the first time for us both being at Churchill Downs on Derby Day.

We did what all respectable journalist attending the Derby do. Which is stalk celebrities, get turned down at the entrance to private parties and then walk the infield as we were above it.
But while we were there, my man Bizzy posed an interesting question.

"Why don't more black people attend the Derby?"

I could only answer for myself as to why I had never been (too busy worrying about other parties) until now. I couldn't come up with a clear, meaningful answer. I felt like Sammy Sosa on Capitol Hill.

Let me explain the infield to those who've never been. There's every class of person there, poor, mid class, rich and stinking rich.

There's food, drinks, fights, nudity and stupidity. I saw some woman letting random guys "motorboat" her. There were people running across the tops of port a potties while others slung anything they could find at them.

There's no dress code, you can either be GQ or come in a garbage bag. It doesn't matter.

So maybe you can help Bizzy with his question. Why don't more blacks go to the Derby?

The Long Shot Pt. 6

By Travis Williams

It’s hard to sit here and describe a tee-ball injury as “horrific.” But it’s even harder to describe it as anything less when it’s your own kid who‘s been injured. Scott Long’s mother Melanie remembers it vividly.


“There is no pitcher (in tee-ball) but Scott was kept there because the ball often came his way,” his mother told me through email. “At a very young age, he knew where the play was, could stop the ball and make the play. He would run to right, center, left field. It didn't matter, he had to make the play.”

Well on this day Scott did what he always does, he stopped the ball. But this time it was with his face.

“We stopped the bleeding and made sure he was ok,” Melanie said. “I don't remember any crying but my own. My dad asked Scott, ‘son, do you feel like going back in?’ Scott replied, What's the score?

“At that very tender age he learned to play through it,” Melanie said.

Fast forward some years and Scott is a few days away from becoming a professional football player in the NFL. At this point it would take more than a tee-ball to the face to stop the 6’2 216 pound Long from making a play on the field. Besides, he catches everything that comes his way now. Including his fianc’ee Caroline whom he proposed to last week.

This week Scott talks about preparing for the April 22nd NFL draft, the UofL spring game

Spring Game

It seems like there’s a lot more excitement not only from the fans but from the players too. There’s a lot more enthusiasm, guys were flying around making big hits and plays and getting exciting about it. That was something that was different (from last year).

They brought former players that are in the league and played the same position to present jerseys and Deion Branch gave me mine. That was a great honor to have a guy of his caliber present me with my jersey, it was pretty special. I got his number last year at the spring game, I had some questions on the whole agent process and he gave me some insight that, so that was pretty cool.


Draft

I had a bunch of calls from different teams checking on my draft information, making sure they had the right numbers and information. Its hard to say who really likes you. Its a lot different than college recruiting when you come out of high school and they call you and tell you how much they like you and how great you are. But you kinda get a sense by the questions they ask. They all ask “who else has contacted you,” or “who else has worked you out.” Then when they start to call two and three times you start to get a picture of who may like you a little better than someone else.

I’m more anxious than nervous.

There’s not a whole lot I can do about it, it’s in God’s hand. I’ve done physically everything I can do and now it’s a waiting game and having faith that God’s will will be carried out. It’ll be good to finally see what the outcome will be.

Closing

There's nothing worse than having something or someone rain on your parade. A Dream Deferred is a poem written by Langston Hughes that explores the negative consequencese that come with allowing your dreams to be taken away. It's comforting to know that God's purpose for your life was determined far before you were born. It's very likely that throughout life, things will come up that can try and defer your dreams. Let me encourage you with this, "Be assured of this: No one can hinder God from carrying out his plans for your life. Once God sets something in motion, no one can stop it," Isa. 46:11.

 

Don't let ANYTHING steal your dream, with God nothing is impossible.

 

Have a blessed week.

Yours truely, 84

Hey Doc, I got a question!

By Travis Williams

"Hey Doc! What exactly did Bird say to you that made you have to choke him?"

That's what I wanted to ask Dr. J Friday at the Kentucky Derby Festival They're Off! Luncheon. Julius Erving was the guest speaker for the event and about thirty minutes prior to the actual event, he had a brief press conference to talk about the Derby. It was the perfect chance for me to ask that question. But sadly, here's what really happened.


I'm expecting all the local media to be there asking Derby related questions and getting some sound bytes for the afternoon news. So my plan was to let them warm him up with a couple of those softball questions then throw my figurative curveball at him. I know the other reporters would look at me like I'm an idiot, but answering why you had to lock on Larry's larynx is what my people want to know.

No one really cares about what horse Dr. J is betting on or how many Derby’s he's been to. That stuff is for the morning talking heads on TV with the perfect hair.

I've got a real question cocked and loaded, all I need is a clear shot. But when I walk into the conference room I notice there's no one to provide cover fire, I'm the only reporter there. Ok, quick change of plans. I'll have to reel this one in slow. Lob the softball questions myself then hit him with the changeup. No problem.

After a short delay, the good Dr. finally walks in dressed like he could be your boss' boss' boss. He looks professional but not over the top.  No Armani suit or anything, more so Cliff Huxstable'esque with a salt and peppered low even haircut.  He greets everyone in the room, shakes some hands and jokes about an old ABA basketball someone brought for him to sign. Bottom line, he's cool. If Kobe and Lebron were brothers then Dr. J would be there dad.

By this time I'm joined by another reporter and my co-host Haven Harrington who's still upset at the fact he had to pay to park.

Perfect, they can provide some cover fire for me to get my question in. 
Press conference starts and after about three seconds of silence I decide to kick things off.

"Hey Doc, what's your most memorable Derby so far?"

Yea the epitome of lame questions I know, but I had to soften him up. He answers with a story which lets me know he had an answer for that question ready. Something about loving the people here, hanging with Darrell Grifffith and Junior Bridgeman and all the Derby's running together after attending about six of them. Now the other reporter, in a moment of sheer brilliance, recycles my question and asks it again. Great job. The Dr. rattles off another answer adding as much humor and personality to it as he can.  Everyone laughs and it's clear he's won over the room at this point.

My turn, "Hey Doc, how you feel about Lebron changing his number to honor Jordan but then taking yours?"

The CEO of dunking replies, "The first person I heard of wearing number six was Bill Russell. He accomplished more individually or with a team than any other player. So along as he (Lebron) is respectful with it and says respectful things, then I take it as a compliment."

Great Doc, a few more questions and then I'm pulling the trigger.

Another question by the aforementioned brilliant reporter and another by a cameraman and I'm ready to play my Ace in the hole.

And right then the Derby Festival media guy steps in and says,” That’s it, thanks everybody."

Eight minutes and the press conference is over.

Damn.

Well at least I'll get a picture with Dr. J for my Facebook page.
Wrong!!
Right after Haven gets his, Mr. Erving has to take a call. And I'm not sitting around waiting for a grown man to get off the phone so I can get a picture with him. So no pic and no answer to my question. All I have is this pic of Haven gushing as he poses with Julius Erving.
And yes, Haven's eyes are closed.

The Long Shot Pt. 5

Scott Long has issues.  Serious issues which may make his transitioning to the off-the-field NFL lifestyle somewhat difficult. He's weeks away from inking a pro contract and yet he's cruising around a used car lot instead of pricing Hummers.  The first time I met him he addressed me as "sir," and added "God bless you" when I left. He's also got a nagging habit of worrying about other people and making sure his words don't offend anyone. 

It's just weird. 

Throw in the fact that he has strong beliefs and isn't afraid to talk about or stand by them and you can see where I'm going right? 

Transitioning to the NFL may be difficult for this guy simply because there aren't many others in the league like him. 

And that's a shame.

On Handling the Media
By Scott Long as told to Travis Williams

I've gotten a first hand taste of the media with the whole combine experience.  Reading the blogs and different things people write,  the media kinda has free reign to talk about whatever they want to... For example that Tim Tebow story, I don't know first-hand exactly what happened, but I know he was in my group and I didn't hear anything even relevent to that story that came out.

True or not they're just giving their opinion.  Its just something you have to adapt to and know it comes with the territory.  I guess if they're not talking about you then you're probably on your way out of the league.  Hopefully they'll be talking about me, good or bad, for a long time. There's no writer, columnist, reporter or journalist that can ever criticize me harder than I criticize myself.

On the Perfect Shoe Commercial

The perfect shoe commercial? That's tough, but I'd say it would be with Nike and the commercial would be similar to that Adrian Peterson commercial.  But it be with me catching balls and eight or nine sets of arms coming out trying to stop me, and I'd be catching everything.  There'd be some slow motion, smoke and darkness.  It would just be kinda eerie. Maybe the tagline would be something like The Long Shot or something.

The one thing I probably wouldn't endorse would be anything with alcohol.  Not looking down on people who drink alcohol, but it's not something I partake in.  That woudn't be me.  I don't want to be perceived as someone who would do anything to get money, and if my name was on that then that's what I'd be doing.

Closing

One of my all time favorite songs to sing on Sunday mornings growing up was, "Jesus on the Main Line." As a youngster, I didn't even understand what it was actually saying. But I was still clapping my hands and bobbing my head... "Jesus on the main line, tell em' what you want."

As I got older and matured in my prayer life, I started to understand what it meant. James 4:2 says "you do not have because you do not ask, God." We have a direct line of communication with the manufacturer of all things of this world. There's no middle man or one of those annoying pre recorded operators.

Sometimes life weighs on us much more than we can bare. In those situations you have to, "let go, and let God." Take what ever it is on your heart to him in prayer and watch him deliver.
Have a blessed week.


Yours truely, 84

How Do You Dunk With No Hands?

How the hell do you dunk with no hands?
The only other way I can think of is to dunk with your elbows.  Either way, we're gonna find out tomorrow night during halftime of the Derby Festival All-Star game in Freedom Hall.  That's where University of Louisville signee Justin Coleman plans to unveil this mystery dunk. 

When I asked about dunk, all the 6'5 Coleman would say is, "It doesn't take your hands to do it."

So it has to be his elbows right???
Aside from the dunking, Coleman was easily the most impressive player at the Night of the Future Stars event last night.  He showed a great amount of versatility with his shooting and drives while also proving he could bang down low.  It can be hard to judge players from an all-star event but the young cat reminds me of a more atthletic Paul Pierce.  Seriously.

We'll be sure to get a pic tomorrow night during the finals of the dunk contest if he indeed flushes with his elbows so check back for updates.