Nike announced this week that they have developed a new Nike Hyper Elite Platinum uniform for nine teams that will be worn during select games between now and March Madness.  The nine schools that were selected for this honor have all won National Championships wearing Nike footwear and apparel.  The teams include Arizona, Baylor (women), Duke, Florida, Kentucky, Syracuse, UConn (men and women), and last but not least, the University of North Carolina.

Aesthetics aside, the uniforms utilize the most recent innovations to spawn from the Nike labs.  These uniforms were designed “at the intersection of sustainability and performance”.  Even though the prominent color is platinum, these uniforms are also green.  The fabric of the shorts are made from 100 percent recycled polyester and the jersey fabric is made from 96% polyester.  These sets are also five percent lighter than the previous Nike Hyper Elite uniform.  I’m not sure if you have worn the previous set but there isn’t much too them and they are already incredibly light.  At some point I don’t think I mind a little weight.  I don’t want to be out on the court feeling like I’m wearing a plastic baggy around my loins.

As I mentioned before, the prominent color for all the schools will be platinum but each will feature the school’s colors as accent colors.  This has already started to cause a stir with some of the fans from each school but to them I say relax, it is only one game.  Although, UNC will be wearing their set on senior night.  I imagine some seniors dreamed of wearing Carolina blue on their final home game so I can understand that but as long as they win, everything will work out just fine.

The back of each jersey will sport a full Aerographics panel with a blown up version of their logo (i.e., a large interlocking NC logo for Carolina).  I thought that choice was a little weak but the best part is that the back will contain one star for each of the school’s national championships with the corresponding year.  Carolina is looking nice with 5 stars across the top (only to be outdone by Kentucky’s 7).  The stars are in the location where the nameplate normally is sewn so I doubt that they will have names on the back of this set but we shall see.  Nike also took some liberties with the team name that normally adorns the front of the jersey.  For example, UNC classically states North Carolina on their traditional set but for these, it simply states Carolina.  Other changes include Zona (Arizona), Cuse (Syracuse), and Gators (Florida).  Another interesting difference I saw was that UCONN’s accent colors are black and red instead of navy… and I have to say I like it.  One last observation on the new set.  I noticed a slightly different design on the Elite socks in the photos.  I’m sure that if my son notices them he and all of the other kids will soon be trying to find out where to buy them.  In fact, if any of you notice where you can buy any of these pieces, please let me know.

The dates and match-ups for when these uniforms will be seen in action are found below.  If you look closely you will notice that all of these match-ups are against schools who support Addidas or Under Armor… coincidence?  I think not.

If you know me well you know that I am brand-whipped by Nike.  I am generally in full support of anything they put out and these are no exceptions.  Would I like to see Carolina move to these full-time?  No… but I am glad to see the innovation continue and pushing the edge with style and performance.  I have included photos of the UNC set but you can see the rest by clicking on this link.

Dates include UConn vs. Notre Dame (1/29), Kentucky vs. Tennessee (1/31), Duke vs. Maryland (2/11), Baylor (women’s) vs. Texas A&M (2/11), Florida vs. Tennessee (2/11), Syracuse vs. USF (2/22), Arizona vs. UCLA (2/25), UConn (women’s) vs. Notre Dame (2/27) and UNC vs. Maryland (2/29).

Nike has recently launched the new “Life is a Sport: Make it Count” campaign.  The key product highlighting this campaign is the new Nike+ FuelBand.  This new FuelBand is basically a device you will wear on your wrist to count your steps, tell time, and measure your overall activity through its accelerometer.  The metric is called NikeFuel and you will be able to monitor your NikeFuel through the web or the mobile app.  Any type of physical movement will add to your NikeFuel count, whether it be walking down the hall at the office, hard core parkour, or chasing your kids around the house.  The system will encourage you to set goals so that you will have something to push for each day.  If you are lagging on a particular day, the display on the band will be red, reminding you to get moving.  Once your daily goal has been hit, the display will turn green and you can stop moving for the day… kidding, but you get the idea.  I think there are also plans to share your performance with your friends to compete with them or to simply hold yourself accountable for your goals.  After all… nothing like peer pressure to cause you to act, right?

The FuelBand opened up for pre-orders on the 19th and from what I understand they did sell out so I’m not sure when more will be available.  The price of the FuelBand is $149 which indicates Nike isn’t marketing towards the general public but if you look into the technology inside it, it seems very cool indeed and I’m sure more ideas will spawn from it.  Being the early adopter that I am, I went ahead and placed a pre-order on it.  I am always looking for more ways to stay motivated and I’m starting to get more involved in the physical training side of sports through my children.  With those reasons and the fact that this is a unique Nike technology product (and I didn’t have to wait outside in a line for it – just hit F5 to refresh) I had to give it a try.  The release date in the US is on the 22nd of Feb so stay tuned for my review.

January, for some it means making resolutions of how to change our lives for the better. For others, January signals something of more significance, what wrestling fans refer to as “The road to WrestleMania”. In recent years the WWE Hall of Fame inductees is as big a deal as the WrestleMania event itself and the January-March time frame consists of a slow burn of unveiling of each years candidates.

As a big wrestling fan in the 80′s and someone who still keeps tab on the product thanks to the beauty of internet recaps, its always fun to scour the memory banks and try to predict who should get into the Hall of Fame each year. The WWE Hall of Fame is a veritable who’s who of the wrestling industry, or at least a who’s who of past performers that got in the good graces of Vince McMahon just long enough to get inducted. Looking at the list you see the legends;Andre The Giant, Billy Graham, Bret Hart, Curt Henning, Dusty Rhodes, Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund, Hulk Hogan, Harly Race, the Briscos, Jesse Ventura, Jim Ross, Pat Patterson, Nick Bockwinkel, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, Terry Funk, The Von Erichs, The Road Warriors, Verne Gagne the list goes on and on.

For the most part, every inductee is memorable, their mark on the sport undeniable, their resume for induction undeniable. But for others…well how can I say this…well Koko B Ware is in the freaking hall of fame…the guy whose only claims to fame are Frankie the Parrot and his singing performance in Piledriver is in the hall of fame.

So with that in mind I’ve come up with my “Top 15 wrestlers that should be inducted into the Hall of Fame long before Koko B Ware” or TFWTSBIITHOFLBKBW for short…

As with any list, I have some self imposed criteria for my list that I may or may not follow depending on what I feel like. Hey its my list I can do what I want but here are few points I want to make clear on the selection criteria I tried to follow:

• Most pro sports claim a grace period between when an athlete “retires” and when they are eligible for the Hall of Fame. Pro Wrestling however has more comebacks and re-retires than you can shake a stick at so this becomes a little more difficult. So I’m attempting to apply a 5 year retirement rule to my nominees and wrestling in your 60′s at an indy show doesn’t count. That’s 5 years since they last had main stream exposure.
• While I know the WWE HOF houses many wrestlers who never graced the WWF/E my fandom in the 80′s was purely WWF based so my list likely will be a bit 80′s WWF focused. Many wrestlers from pre-1980′s probably deserve to be in but I just don’t know enough about them to put them on the list.  Again its my list.
• This year the nominees so far are Edge (who the WWE must be really confident is never coming back since he hasn’t even been retired for a year) and the 4 Horseman. This is notable because it marks the second time Ric Flair will be inducted. For that reason I am making eligible tag teams that may may already be in as singles.
• We all know Bruno Samartino isn’t in the HOF and we all know why. So I’m not counting him as one of my 15 but he and Bob Backlund should definitely be in. The Hall of Fame should be named after Bruno. He held the World Heavyweight title for a combined 4040 days. That’s 11 years people, longer than most careers.
• No celebs or non wrestler athletes on my list.  So no David Arquettes or Bob Barkers here.
• Last but not least, there are way more than 15 wrestlers who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame before Koko but there just isn’t enough time to list them all.

15. Brutus Beefcake

Claim To Fame: Cut peoples hair with gardening shears

Finishing Hold: The sleeper hold.

Titles Held: 1 – Tag Team Championship with Greg Valentine

Peak: 88-90: Fued with Honky Tonk Man for IC title. Main eventing SummerSlam 89 with Hogan vs Savage and Zeus. Becoming the first person to pin Mr. Perfect at WrestleMania VI

Memorable Because: Turned on the Dream Team at WrestleMania III to become the barber and turn face. After being attached by Outlaw Ron Bass and his spurs (including some of the first blood shown on WWF TV in the 80′s) missed his IC title match at SummerSlam vs Honky Tonk Man and launched the carreer of the Ultimate Warrior. Missed a year due to a serious parasailing accident and returned briefly with a furry mask. Hosted the Barber Shop talk segment in 91-92, known for moments like Shawn Michaels throwing Marty Jannetty through the plate glass window. Being best buds with Hogan and following him wherever he went.

Why isn’t he in?  Impact on the sport has been minimized over the years.  Probably won’t get in unless Hogan gets back in Vince’s good graces and pushes for his friends to get in.

14. King Kong Bundy

Claim To Fame: He was really fat

Finishing Move: The Avalanche

Titles Held: None

Peak: 85-87: Shortest match in WrestleMania history beating SD Jones in 9 seconds at WresteMania. Main evented WrestleMania 2 in a steel cage with Hogan. Squashed Little Beaver at WrestleMania III

Memorable because: Key member of the Heenan family. Would tag with Big John Studd in matched vs Andre The Giant. Broke Andre’s sternum and Hogan’s ribs with his splashes and Avalanches.

Why isn’t he in?  His body of work is too short but he was a monster.

13. Rick Rude

Claim To Fame: His abs

Finishing Move: The Rude Awakening

Titles Held: 1- WWF IC Championship, 1 WCW US Championship, 3 WCW International World Championships, 1 NWA Tag Team Championship.

Peak: 87-93: Feud with Jake Roberts over his wife, Feud with Ultimate Warrior in 1989-90 over IC and World titles. Holding the WCW US Championship for 14 months, Defeating Ric Flair and Sting for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship

Memorable Because: His airbrushed tights, winning the Jessie the Body award slammy. Participating in a “Super Posedown” with the Ultimate Warrior at the 89 Royal Rumble.

Why isn’t he in?  I’m guessing his little jump to WCW during the Monday night wars rubbed Vince the wrong way but you would think his death would have eventually smoothed that over.  He’ll get in eventually.

12. Rick Martel

Claim To Fame: The Model

Finishing Move: The Boston Crab…or Quebec Crab as I think he called it in WCW

Titles Held: 1 AWA World Heavyweight Championship, 1 WCW TV Championship, 3 WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times with Tony Garea and once with Tito Santana

Peak: 85-89: Winning the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. The Can-Am Connection. Beating the Hart Foundation for the WWF Tag Team Championship with Strike Force. Heel turn to The Model.

Memorable Because: Tag Team specialist with the Can Am Connection and Strike Force. Had his own brand of cologne as The Model called Arrogance which he would spray in opponents faces. This led to the infamous blindfold match with Jake Roberts at WrestleMania VII.  Fought in a “No punching in the face” match with Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 92.

Why isn’t he in?  No idea actually, seems like a perfect fit for one of the filler bids.

11. Sid

Claim To Fame: Sadly the squeegee incident and his softball career which I realize doesn’t make him sound like a great candidate for the HOF.

Finishing Move: Powerbomb

Titles Held: 1 WCW US Championship, 2 WCW World Heavyweight Championship, 2 WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

Peak: Hard to say in a carreer full of ups and downs but 96-98 featured his two WWF Championship runs and main eventing WrestleMania 13

Memorable Because: had a run in WCW as one of the four horseman. Main evented WrestleMania VIII vs Hogan in what was billed as Hogan’s last match in the WWF. Got into a real life fight with Arn Anderson in 1993 where both men supposedly stabbed each other with scissors. Had a sad near career ending leg injury with WCW in 2001 in what was seemingly one of the final nails in the coffin for the failing promotion.

Why isn’t he in?  I doubt he cares enough to suck up to Vince for the invite.

10. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Claim To Fame: The snakes

Finishing Move: DDT

Titles Held: None

Peak: 88-92: Fueds with Honky Tonk Man, Ravishing Rick Rude over his wife, Andre the Giant, Ted Dibiase, The Model, and attacking Randy Savage with a Cobra.

Memorable Because: Well his snakes first and foremost. Having the best short arm clothesline and knee lifts in the biz.  Master of mind games.  Always found himself in memorable feuds although rarely challenging for a title, a feat that would be near impossible today.

Why isn’t he in?  His life has been in shambles in recent years.  Vince probably wants to avoid any potential bad press.

9. The Honky Tonk Man

Claim To Fame: The greatest Intercontinental champion of all time

Finishing Move: Shake, Rattle and Roll

Titles Held: 1 WWF IC Championship

Peak: 87-88: Wins a fluke victory over Ricky Steamboat to capture the IC title and held it through DQ’s and count outs for 1 year and 3 months.

Memorable Because: Elvis impersonator gimmick that was surprisingly successful. Had a memorable fued with Jake Roberts where Roberts became victim to one of the first guitar shots in the WWF. Memorable fued with Macho Man over the IC title led to the formation of the Mega Powers. Honky indirectly caused Macho’s first WWF World Title reign when he famously refused to drop the IC title to Savage causing a reshuffling of plans that led to Savage getting the World Title at WrestleMania IV. Great theme songs.

Why isn’t he in?  I heard a few years back that he was a lock for the HOF but Honky always speaks his mind and drives a hard bargain, two things Vince isn’t fond of.

8. Demolition (Ax and Smash)

Claim To Fame: Being WWF’s answer to the Road Warriors

Finishing Move: Demolition Decapitation

Titles Held: 3 time WWF Tag Team Champions

Peak: 88-90: Ended the reign of Strike Force for their first WWF Tag Team Championship at WrestleMania IV. Memorable fueds with Powers of Pain and the Brain Busters. Feud with Powers of Pain and Brain Busters. 3 WWF Tag Team Championship reigns.

Memorable Because: While nobody will ever admit it, they started as WWF’s version of the Road Warriors before becoming very successful in their own right. Have the record for longest Tag Team Championship reign in WWF/E history at 478 days before losing to the Brain Busters in a shady 2/3 falls match where one fall ended in a DQ. Also held the titles for a record number of 698 days. Added Crush as a third member in the later years where they defended the titles under “Freebird” rules. Had an awesome theme song which declared, “Here comes the Ax, Here comes the Smasher, Demolition is a walking disaster, pain and destruction are their middle names!

Why aren’t they in?  It seems like Vince wants us all to pretend Demolition never happened and he’s content to have the Warriors in.

7. Lex Luger

Claims To Fame: Horsemen, Being the heir apparent to Hogan and the first big surprise of the Monday night wars.

Finishing Move: Torture Rack and Running forearm Smash

Titles Held: 5 NWA/WCW United States Championships, 2 WCW World Heavyweight Championship, 3 NWA/WCW World Tag Team Championship, 2 WCW TV Championships, winner of the 94 Royal Rumble.

Peak: 88-91: Run with the horseman, 1^st World Championship & 95-97: Jump to WCW and feuding with NWO.

Memorable Because: Membership and fued with the Horseman when that meant something. Was the only person anyone remembers with ties to Vince’s WBF in 92. The Narcissist gimmick and his push as the mega face to replace hogan. The Lex Express. The famous urban legend that he was booked to win the title at WrestleMania X before he blabbed and Vince changed his plan altering his path to become the next Hogan. The Allied Powers. Becoming the first bombshell of the Monday night wars that signified that Nitro was must see TV.

Why isn’t he in?  Had some legal issues throughout the late 2000′s but that seems to be cleared up and hes in good graces with the WWE so I would imagine sooner than later he’ll be in.

6. Owen Hart

Claim To Fame: Being a member of the Hart family.

Finishing Move: Sharpshooter

Titles Held: 1 WWF Euro Championship, 2 WWF IC Championship, 4 WWF World Tag Team Championship ( 2 with Yokozuna, 1 with The British Bulldog and 1 with Jeff Jarrett.

Peak: 93-97: Feud with Bret, winning the tag titles with Yokozuna and Bulldog. The Hart Foundation stable.

Memorable Because: Tragically because of his death. Being Bret’s little brother and being one time where the matches in a feud delivered everything they should have with Bret. Won the USWA World Heavyweight championship during an invasion from the WWF. Being the King of Harts winning the King of the Ring. Of course being the Slammy Award winning Owen Hart. Not being a nugget and breaking Steve Austins neck and very nearly altering the course of all Pro Wrestling in the process.

Why isn’t he in?  With Bret back in the WWE fold you would think it would be a surefire bet to put Owen in but rumors suggest his wife won’t allow it and hates Vince McMahon.

5. The Hart Foundation

Claim To Fame: Feud with the British Bulldogs and launching the career of Bret Hart.

Finishing Move: Hart Attack

Titles Held: 2 WWF Tag Team Championships

Peak: 86-88 

Memorable Because: Being my most hated team when they robbed the Bulldogs of the title. Led to some of the greatest tag team matches ever.  Brutalized the Bulldogs in a steel cage at a house show I attended in 87 where I legitimately thought they killed Davey Boy by slamming his head in the cage door.  Their two reigns put them on third of the longest period of time as Tag Team champions in WWF history at 483 days. And come on, they were the Hart Foundation, they had great matches with everyone.

Why aren’t they in?  Well Bret already is and chances are everyone just forgot about the Anvil.

4. Yokozuna*

*He’s rumored to be getting into the HOF this year so he may need to be removed from this list soon.

Claim to fame: sitting on people and “ending” Hulkamania

Finishing move: The Banzai Drop

Titles Held: 2 WWF World Heavyweight Championship, 2 WWF World Tag Team Championship

Peak: 93-94, Main eventing WrestleMania IX & X. Ending Hulkamania in the WWF for 9 years.

Memorable Because: He was perhaps the heaviest wrestler ever topping out around 700lbs during his WWF run. Involved in one of the shortest reigns ever at WrestleMania IX. Took out Hogan at King of the Ring after Hogan “supposedly” vetoed dropping the belt to Bret Hart. Also took out the Undertaker in a casket match where the Undertaker made a double wide casket for Yokozuna. Also had memorable tag title reigns with Owen Hart. Was the first long term heel champion in the WWF since the 70′s signaling a shift in booking style from the Hogan dominated 80′s.

Why isn’t he in?  Guessing its just timing, he’s rumored to be part of the upcoming 2012 class.

3. The Ultimate Warrior

Claim to fame: being absolutely insane…that or WrestleMania VI

Finishing Move: Big Splash

Titles Held: 2 WWF IC Championship, 1 WWF World Heavyweight Championship

Peak: 90-91: Winning the title from Hogan at WrestleMania VI, feud with Randy Savage and winning a career ending match at WrestleMania VII

Memorable Because: Was completely roided out beyond belief at all times. Beat the Honky Tonk Man in 13 seconds at SummerSlam for his first IC title. Was pushed as Hogan’s replacement and faced him at the Ultimate Challenge at WrestleMania VI in what may have been both men’s best match ever. Pinned hogan to hold both the IC and World championships at the same time. Started the trend of color matching title belts. Also gave the most insane interviews ever..no really check this out:

See?

Why isn’t he in?  Legal issues with the WWE and burned bridges galore make this unlikely but maybe someday.

2. The British Bulldogs

Claim To Fame: being the best tag team ever…

Finishing Moves: Combinations of slams and diving headbutts.

Titles Held: 1 WWF World Tag Team Championship

Peak: 85-87: Winning the Tag Team titles from the Dream Team at WrestleMania 2 and fueding with the Hart Foundation.

Memorable Because: The most underrated team ever.  One of the most innovative teams of the 80′s they wrestled a style years ahead of its time. Title run was abruptly ended when Dynamite Kid severely injured his back. They then fought the Hart Foundation where Dynamite took a megaphone shot before the match started to hide his injury and get the titles off of the Bulldogs. Every match with the Hart Foundation was a gem. Had a mascot named Matilda who was then kidanapped in story by the Islanders. After they got her back the WWF launched the “Get Well Matilda” campaign where fans could send letters to Matilda wishing her well, in reality this was just a clever ploy by the WWF to fill out their mailing lists for the WWF catalog. Injuries and legitimate issues between Dynamite Kid and the Rougeau Brothers cut short a promising tag team.

Why aren’t they in?  Dynamite has been critical of the WWE and pro wrestling in general for years and I doubt he wants anything to do with it.  I’m guessing Davey Boy will get in someday as its hard to piss McMahon off when you aren’t alive but maybe there is something there I’m not aware of since it seems like he has the resume to already be in.

1. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (and Elizabeth while you are at it)

Claim To Fame: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YEAH!!! DIG IT!

Finishing Move: Flying Elbow Drop

Titles Held: 1 WWF Intercontinental Championship, 2 WWF World Heavyweight Championship, 4 WCW World Heavyweight Championship

Peaks: 87-92: WrestleMania III with Steamboat, winning the World title tourney at WrestleMania IV, explosions of the Mega Powers at WrestleMania V, Macho King and fueds with Warrior, Jake Roberts, and Ric Flair.

Memorable Because: He was the greatest wrestler of all time. Nearly every fued he was in was memorable. Perhaps the greatest combination of in ring ability, mic skills and charisma ever. Too many memorable moments to name.

Why isn’t he in?  Depends on who you believe.  Whether its just some long seeded anger regarding money and McMahon or a more dubious wrestling urban legend many thought with Macho’s untimely passing last year and the WWE’s willingness to get back in the Macho fold that this might be his year.  Who knows.

Tyler Hansbrough has fully embraced “Psycho T” with his new look.  Tyler got elbowed in the face in last night’s game and as a precaution (and a little humor) he rocked the headband and RecSpecs in practice.  He discusses maybe keeping the look in the video below (after the Granger interview at the 1:10 mark).  If he does, I know my son will soon be asking where to buy them.  GoHeels!

Well, what can you say Raider Nation?  Reggie McKenzie is in as the new GM and Hue is shown the door 2 days later.  Really not much reason was given other than Reggie wants “his” guy which is rumored to be former Raider LB and current LB coach for the Packers, Winston Moss.

I have wanted the Raiders to establish some consistency and I thought Hue was going to bring that to the table.  On the surface many will probably question this move and chalk it up to a typical Raider move but hear me out.  Apparently Hue’s rapport with the players wasn’t as strong as it appeared to be, especially with the WRs.  Looking back, you can see evidence of this in his press conferences and the epic collapse of the team down the stretch.  If a leader can’t get the respect of his players, he really isn’t a leader at all.  Trust and respect is a two way street though so I don’t lay the blame totally on Hue – there is plenty to go around with the players as well.

In order to truly change the culture and get players who are committed to excellence, you will need to clean house and from what Reggie stated in his press conference and according to Hue, Reggie plans on “gutting this place”.  This could mean we are in for more bumpy roads but there are no shortcuts to success and it will most likely be painful at times but let’s keep a long term hope that we are on the road back.  Something needs to change because status quo hasn’t been cutting it.  I wish Hue nothing but success in the future but as for Raider Nation, onward and upward!

P.S. Now that Mark Davis has someone to focus on football operations he needs to stop going to the Dumb and Dumber salon and fix that do.

Another fantasy football season is in the books.  Seven and I continued our tradition of not letting any co-workers win the work league.  My team lead the league the entire season but then stumbled in the playoffs and Seven took the championship… basically a reverse scenario of last year.  Then, in our family league, I ended up taking that one over my 12yr old son in the championship game… no mercy!  My other team finished first during the regular season but also stumbled in the playoffs (similar roster as my work league) so overall it was another successful year of fantasy football for us.  Even though it is sad to see another season end, it is time to recognize those players that surprised us, impressed us, or made us pull our hair out.  It is time for the Droppin Fantasy Football Players of the Year:

	QB of the Year	Drew Brees– Drew had more down games than Rodgers but I give him the edge for two reasons.  First, Drew wasn’t ranked as high as Rodgers to begin the season so in my mind he exceeded expectations.  Second, he came up big in the playoffs.  He carried my son’s team to the championship and at the end of the day, that is all that matters.  Rodgers is the reason two of my top teams ended the season without the trophy.  Maybe a little sour grapes there.
Biggest surprise: Cam Newton – I didn’t think Cam would perform well in the NFL but apparently I underestimated his physical skills.  He still has a long way to go but those rookie numbers cannot be ignored.  Biggest disappointment: Mike Vick – I know he was dealing with injuries but many of the pre-season rankings had him going very high and he just didn’t bring it this year.  You couldn’t depend on him at all this year from a fantasy pov and given his draft rankings, you need more from that pick than he gave you.
	RB of the Year	Ray Rice– Rice was on all of my draft lists but I wasn’t fortunate enough to get him on any of my teams.  I expected him to be the guy and with AP & Foster dealing with injuries this year, Ray rose to the top.  Consistency is key when looking for a RB and you will be hard pressed to find a more consistent RB than Ray Rice this year.
Biggest surprise: Marshawn Lynch – it took Seattle about 9 weeks to unleash the rainbow… I mean beast but once he got going, it was lights out.  Not to mention that you most likely picked him up off the waiver wire as he was undrafted in many leagues.  In the words of Rocky Balboa, “this is how winning is done!”Biggest disappointment: Chris Johnson – we knew about the holdout and I knew better than to take him but luckily his draft stock fell so I wasn’t counting solely on him.  We all thought things had clicked late in the season but alas, it was a mirage.  Darren McFadden is an honorable mention here – if it weren’t for his early season performances and the fact that he was injured instead of just sucking, he could have given CJ a run for his money.
	WR of the Year	Calvin Johnson– Calvin did have four games where he disappeared but the way he started and finished the year was fantastic.  He scored nearly 20 pts a game for the first five and then averaged 25 for the last three weeks (14,15,16) when it counted.
Biggest surprise: Victor Cruz – this was a fun category this year.  You had receivers like Wes Welker who bounced back in a big way.  Greg Jennings was a stud as expected until his injury and then you also can’t forget Jordy Nelson’s rise.  You even saw AJ Green step up big for the Bengals and Laurent Robinson step in for the Cowboys (more on the other Boys WR in a moment).  WR were a very important part of the fantasy scene this year and it was fun to watch it all unfold.  The emergence of Victor Cruz at first was only seen as a fill in for Nicks and Manningham when they were injured but he quickly proved that he is a big play threat and had 6 games near the 20 pt mark.Biggest disappointment: This is a tie between DeSean Jackson, Dez Bryant (I’m excusing Miles Austin & Andre Johnson because of his injuries).  The Eagles all around were disappointments so not much more needs to be said about DeSean.  Dez has all the skills to dominate but hasn’t yet put it all together and is too up and down – I didn’t have him this year but he must have driven fantasy owners crazy.
	TE of the Year	Rob Gronkowski – Rob disappeared during the playoffs and Jimmy Graham was more consistent but Gronk was unbelievable at times this year.  He had about 7 games around the 20 pt mark and at TE, especially where he was drafted, you got to give it to him.

I’m bringing back the “Favorites” page by showing what my influences were as a child, when Droppin.com first dropped, and my current sources of enjoyment.  These lists are no means exhaustive but they are mainly highlights that have good memories associated with them.  Seven, I expect to see your matrix soon.

It’s not a shoe, it’s a system!  The Kobe System VII was driven from the mantra that, “Good design is the perfect balance between science and art.” -DaVinci

Didn’t know about the Kobe pattern was inspired from Kobe’s “predator” mentality… on the court… he is a predator on the court.  The pattern is a combination of shark, snake, & leopard patterns.  Cool insight in the vid…

Droppin Ol’School Post – Written on Nov 24, 2003

Minnesota Vikings (6-3) @ OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-7)

And were back!!!  We thank you for waiting six weeks since the last State of the Raider Nation and we appreciate any inconvenience this may have caused (thanks for nothing One2Host!).

I am bringing back the SRN this week because there was a special event that took place this weekend besides the big Raider win.  Before I let you know what that was, I need to recognize that to me, my wife is THE BEST WIFE IN THE WORLD!!!

Let me explain.  My birthday is next month and she surprised me last Saturday night with an early b-day gift.  The gift was a day trip to go see the Raiders play the Vikings the following day!!!  I was to fly out Sunday morning with a friend of mine (Slammin), see the game, and then return home Sunday night.  This was a huge surprise for me as I have never attended an NFL game before, let a lone get the opportunity to see the team that I have eat, slept, and drank for my entire life.  I was in shock when she told me the news.  At that point I didn’t even care that we have only won 2 games all year and that Rick Mirer would be leading us against the division leading Vikings.  My blind giddiness wiped all of that away from my memory.  I honestly felt that the Raiders would step it up somehow and play well enough to win.

Here is my running diary of the day: Sunday, November 16, 2003

8:00 a.m. – This is the earliest I have been up on a Sunday in a while.  I couldn’t sleep that much last night.  I am now faced with the decision, which jersey should I wear C Wood or T Brown?  I go with T Brown because it is a home game and I want to fit in.

9:30 a.m. – My buddy, Slammin, picks me up at my house and we head off to the airport.  Being that we are both decked out in Raider gear we strike up a conversation with another traveler who lived in Oakland.  We talk about who the Raiders are playing and then he asks us if we are going to the game.  We proceed to tell him that we are and I can tell that he is jealous.  He also confirms the fact that I have a great wife (reoccurring theme of the day).  I am getting more and more excited by the second.  Even though I am very tired, I cannot sleep on the plane.  I even spend time reading the Sky mall catalog.  Note to self, look into that hot dog toaster.

12:00 p.m. (PT) – We land in Oakland and walk through the airport to see many other fans who have traveled to attend the game.  The number of fans wearing Raider gear is breath taking.  Unfortunately where I come from there are tons of Denver Donkey fans.  I have never seen so many Raider fans in one place.  This is awesome!!!

12:15 p.m. (PT) – We are told that we can take a shuttle straight to Network Associates Coliseum so we are on the search for this shuttle.  We find out that we need to purchase a $2 ticket at the kiosk found near the shuttle stop.  We find the kiosk and witness every other person getting ripped off a $1 as the “broken” machine fails to recognize every third dollar that is placed into it.  The machine counts both of my dollars and the good luck mojo continues to gain momentum.

12:25 p.m. (PT) – The shuttle arrives and as I step up into it, I see that it is packed with Raider fans.  Once again, my heart is warmed and I get goose bumps at the very sight.  As I walked back to find my seat, a Raider fan in his forties holds out his fist towards me without saying a word.  I extend my fist to tap it which results in him nodding his head in the affirmative.  No words spoken, but I believe I have just been accepted as one of them, very cool moment.  I feel a bond with each of these fans that I have never felt before in my home town.  I am beginning to understand more of what the Raider Nation is all about.

12:40 p.m. (PT) – The shuttle arrives at the station and we are now following the hordes of silver and black onto the overpass which takes us across the railroads and into NAC.  The whole environment is very Raiders: concrete, chain link fences, complete with barbwire in some spots.  My only regret at this point is that we couldn’t arrive earlier and partake of the tailgating.  Maybe next time.  Did I just say next time?  I haven’t been in 30 years but now all of a sudden it has become a reality.  I will do this again!

12:45 p.m. (PT) – We work our way around to the South side of the NAC and work our way through the flood of fans trying to get in.  Everybody is packed in like sardines as the security measures have obviously slowed down this process.  The tailgaters are starting to join us and you begin to hear spontaneous cheers of RAIIIIIIIIDERRRRRRRRS coming out of the blue from different individuals.  At first I thought nothing of it but it was a common occurrence as the day progressed.  In the midst of much silver and black you would occasionally see a spot of Purple and Yellow.  I thought to myself, “Do these people know where they are?”  You can’t bring that stuff in here!  I said a quick prayer that their families would be comforted with their upcoming loss of a loved one.

12:50 p.m. (PT) – We find ourselves in the stadium and see some of the Raiders practicing on the field.  Wow, I am speechless.  I have no speech.  Please give me a moment, I think I have something in my eye.

12:55 p.m. (PT) – Slammin and I are sitting on the 5th row now less!  We are up close and personal with the fans, the players, and the Raiderettes for that matter.  Originally I only saw about 12 Raiderettes.  Then they disappeared only to reappear with another set of twelve.  Before too long, there are about 48 of them lined up near the Black Hole.  They are multiplying faster than the fem-bots on Austin Powers.  As I am sitting there in my seat, listening to AC/DC and as the occasional “F the Vikings” floats down from the crowd, my buddy mentions to me that our wives and families are in church right about now.  Given our surroundings I replied, “this is pretty close.”

1:00 p.m. (PT) – I just spotted the Darth Raider fan in the Black Hole, the police are watching that area very closely and it seems that the fans have a great rapport with them, shaking hands and what not.  There are two Viking fans located right in the middle of the Black Hole and I can’t help but wonder how they got those tickets.  Does someone in the Black Hole buy and sell these seats on eBay just to torment the opponent?  They are decked out head to toe in Viking paraphernalia and I am starting to wonder how long they will survive there.

The Vikings (or as some of the fans call them, the Vi Queens) emerge from the locker room and Daunte leads a group of them right over to the Black Hole.  Daunte proceeds to stop and smash the Raider logo in the end zone just to taunt them.  I felt as if lightning was going to strike him dead in his tracks.  I am suddenly not a Daunte supporter anymore.  How dare he disrespect us like that.  “WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!!!”

A fan in our section suddenly emerges as the leader / cheerleader, I will call him Juan.  Juan weighs about 250+ and is very loud.  He spots a couple of Viking fans (an older couple) in our section and proceeds to chew them out, in a fun loving Raider Nation kind of way.  He didn’t threaten them by any means but he did let them know that they were not welcomed, it was hilarious.  I still don’t think Juan had purchased a seat in our section but he was in fact part of us.  He had earned our respect, he was our leader.

1:10 p.m. (PT) – The announcer begins to play “Autumn Wind” and I am really getting chills at this point.  He states, “There are 31 teams in the NFL… and then there are… the OAKLAND RAIDERS!!”  The crowd loses it and the RAIIIIIIIIDERRRRRRRRS chants are becoming more frequent.  We are ready for the kickoff!

GAMETIME

As we prepare to kickoff, Juan is trying to hype the crowd but fails to realize that the kicking team has started down the field.  The crowd points and yells at him to turn around and he then recognizes that he has screwed up.  The Vikings return the kickoff to the Raiders 44 yard line and a bit of reality creeps in that I haven’t remotely thought of in the last 24 hours, we are not that good right now and we could lose this game.

On the first play of the game, Bennett gains a few yards on the ground.  On the second play of the game, Daunte throws and out pass to Philip “SHOWTIME” Buchanon that he takes down the sideline and into the end zone!!!  I have no idea who he was throwing to but I didn’t care.  I started to go crazy along with my buddy and the other Raider fans.  Again I get the feeling that today will be different.  This turn of events also reveals that I have a Vikings fan directly behind me.  I will call him Barry.  Barry is disappointed with this play but still feels confident in the Vikings ability to come back.  He is very complimentary of the Stadium, Fans, etc.  In his words, “This is much more exciting than the ‘Dome.”  The Raiders are ahead 7 – 0.

This time the Raiders stop the Vikings at their 13 yard line.  Several plays later, Rod Woodson recovered a fumble by Burleson.  Philip was also involved in this takeaway as well.  The good luck mojo is in high gear at this point.

We proceed with our new game plan of Wheatley, smash it down your throat ball, which I am a fan of right now.  However, Fargas gets tripped up on what would be a 22 yard gain and fumbles it back to the Vikings at their 38 yard line.

The Vikings moved down the field and attempted a 39 yard field goal.  From my seat, I couldn’t tell if the ball was good or not so I relied on the fans of the Black Hole who jumped up and started celebrating.  At that point, I knew the kick was wide.

A couple of more Wheatley runs ensued, followed up by a 16 yard pass to Santiago (the current TE of choice).  Then I was able to check off one of the things on my “see in this life” list, I saw Tim Brown catch a 25 yard pass.  However, on the next play, Crockett fumbled the ball back to the Vikings on their 29 to end the first quarter.  The turnovers are coming fast and furious right now.  At least we have turned ours into points so far.  The Vikings must have heard my thoughts and drove it down to convert the field goal this time.  Raiders 7 – Vikings 3.

After a short drive, the Raiders were forced to punt and Shane gets it down to the Vikings 10 yard line.  Napoleon Harris bursts through the line and forces Daunte to fumble the ball which we recover on the one-yard line.  We all know what this means, Crockett Time!  He punched it in to give the Raiders a 14 – 3 lead with 8:22 left in the second quarter!

Later on in the second quarter the Vikings attempted a 45 yard field goal which missed as well.  Viking fan Barry is starting to get a little more upset with his team.  The first half ends, Raiders 14 – Vikings 3.  That first half just flew by.

My buddy and I get up to get something to eat.  We end up spending $4.50 for a Stadium dog and another $4.50 for a 32 ounce soda.  I didn’t even care.  By the way, I know why the Raiders are connected with the Steroid abuse.  That was the thickest hot dog I have ever seen!  We ended up buying some souvenirs for the family as well.

To start the second half, the Raiders quickly put points on the board after several carries by Wheatley and Crockett. Seven plays and 74 yards later, a Wheatley 2-yard touchdown put the Raiders 21-3 over the Vikings.  This is our day, I can feel it!  The losing streak will end here and I will be a part of it!  It doesn’t get any better than this (in regards to being a fan that is).

Later on, Philip intercepts Daunte again in their end zone on a 3rd down and 20 play.  The catch was great but if he would have knocked it down instead, we would of had the ball near the forty rather than the 20.  I like Philip’s enthusiasm but I think he is too cocky at times.  That selfishness has caused some trouble in the past and I expect that it will continue to do so unless he turns it into confidence instead of show boating.  Don’t get me wrong, I love show boating.  One of my favorite players of all time is Deion Sanders but when you make crucial mistakes, it comes off as fake.  By the way, Barry is now calling for the heads of Daunte and Tice.  He wants Gus in the game now!

After we cannot move the ball, the Vikings move it down to the 11 yard line.  On the next play, Daunte runs it in to cut the lead to 21 – 10.

On the Raiders next drive, Doug Jolley catches a 25 yard pass along the sideline.  Jerry Rice finally gets into the game with a 20 yard reception.  However, Sebass misses a 52 yard field goal attempt.

As the Vikings drive downfield, Chris Cooper recovers another Viking fumble but we were not able to do anything with it and end up punting it back to them.

Philip proceeds to get burned twice by Campbell for 81 yards including a touchdown which brings the Vikings to within 3, 21 – 18, with 8:28 left in the game.  Time is going by so fast and it is starting to get more intense.

Wheatley then rushes for 24 yards and Porter catches two balls for 48 yards on the next drive.  They decide to go for it on fourth down and the unbelievable happens.  Tim Brown drops a pass in the end zone.  From my seat I couldn’t see what exactly happened.  I saw that Tim was wide open and then I saw Rick make the throw.  I thought it was a TD for sure but the players were not celebrating.  Many of the fans were so I was very confused as the defense trotted onto the field.  Doubt started to creep back in.  The good luck mojo was slowing down but I still thought that we would pull this out somehow.

The Vikings began their drive at the 4 yard line and after two incomplete passes (Daunte was off a lot today), Rod saves the day with a game turning interception.  This man makes some of the biggest plays!  It is amazing.  The play was reviewed but not overturned, it was Raider ball.  RAIIIIIIIIDERRRRRRRRS!!!

A carry by Wheatley was followed up with an insane, dare I say, Elway-like dive for Mirer.  Rick launched himself high up in the air and is then hit which spins his body completely around like a helicopter.  This run set up a 2 yard Crockett touchdown and a 10 point lead, 28 – 18.  The Vikings closed their efforts with several incomplete passes and the Raiders took a knee to win the game 28 – 18!!!

The rest of the day is pretty much a blur.  We got back to the airport, chatted it up with more Raider fans, and tried to get some rest on the flight home.  As we pulled into the driveway, my wife was still awake and wanted a complete rundown of the day.  After talking for a couple of hours I hit the sack.

I want to thank all of the Raider fans who were in attendance that day as well as all of you who were not.  I didn’t know what to expect coming into today but I felt at home with all of you and I thank you for letting me be a part of it.  This was an experience that I will never forget and one that I hope to recreate in the future.  I will forever bleed silver and black no matter what the record or circumstances.  This is the STATE OF THE RAIDER NATION!

RAIIIIIIIIDERRRRRRRRS!!! 

Okay so we’ve got a few new colorways of the Kobe VII to show you today.  If you don’t know one of the design themes behind the Kobe VII was predatory animals, not only the black mamba that is his namesake but also animals that represent speed and power, namely a shark and a cheetah.

So its only fitting I suppose that there is going to be a “predator pack” featuring colorways inspired by various animals.

First up we have the wolf, which I can only assume was added due to the popularity of the “wolf grey” color schemes over the years:

I don’t really know what the orange swoosh has to due with the Wolf theme on this one but its a striking colorway nevertheless.

Next up its the “Shark”:

I guess not wanting to have more than one grey colorway in this pack the “Shark” focuses on the water aspects of the ocean with a nice looking gradient on the upper that shows the potential for future colorways on this design.

Last, and possibly least if you aren’t colorblind, its the cheetah, which bears no resemblance to a cheetah whatsoever.  You have been warned…

No really you might want to look away if your squeamish at all…

Sure to go down in history with the likes of the Kobe V Chaos and the Kobe VI Grinches, its the Joker inspired Cheetahs.  Why this has a Cheetah print on it I have no clue.  Perhaps they are making shoes for…PIMP DADDY DESTRO!!!