Hobson's Ideas

Dec 2, 2012

What is Jimmy V Week?

This year will mark the sixth time Jimmy V Week will be held across the various ESPN avenues in hope of raising money for cancer research. During the first five years of the program, it has raised nearly $5 million, including more than $1.2 million in 2010 and $1.3 million in 2011, setting a new record.

The festivities began on Nov. 27 with the infamous speech Jimmy Valvano gave when he was the first recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award at the 1993 ESPY Awards. The speech will be shown throughout the week before the event concludes with the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 4 featuring Texas, Georgetown, NC State and Connecticut at Madison Square Garden.

In 2011, the 10th annual women's showdown featured the NCAA Champion Texas A&M against the University of Connecticut at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. The Huskies easily dispatched the Aggies by 30 points, 81-51. In the 17th annual men's double header at MSG in New York City, Missouri defeated Villanova 81-71, while Marquette and Washington battled in a great contest that went down to the wire, with Marquette winning 79-77.

Valvano was a legend in the sport of college basketball before being diagnosed with bone cancer in June 1992. During his time as a coach in Division I, he had a record of 346-210 with one National Championship and nine tournament appearances.

Among the many things that Valvano will be remembered for is his infamous ESPY Award speech in 1993, just weeks before succumbing to cancer. He was also the owner of one of the most famous scenes from a college championship, when he went running across the basketball court in 1983 looking for someone to hug after his NC State Wolfpack defeated the University of Houston.

The Jimmy V Foundation has helped raise more than $90 million to help follow Valvano's dream of never giving up. Among the programs the foundation offers is the V Scholar award. This award is heavily sought after by young physician/scientists at the leading cancer centers in the nation.

Source:
ESPN.com

Sep 27, 2012

Articles on Chipper Jones

With Chipper Jones' retirement looming, I have decided to look back on his Hall of Fame career and some of his greatest moments. Whether it was winning the NL MVP in 1999, or his destruction of the New York Mets, Jones left a lasting impression on the city of Atlanta, his fans, and the game of baseball.

Chipper Jones' Favorite Big League Stadiums
Chipper Jones' Favorite Opponents
Chipper Jones' Favorite Pitchers to Hit Against
Top Moments in the Career of Chipper Jones

Sep 4, 2012

2012 Fantasy Football Player Rankings by Division

NFC South
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends

NFC East
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends

NFC West
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers

NFC North
Quarterbacks
Running Backs

AFC East
Quarterbacks

AFC West
Quarterbacks
Running Backs

AFC North
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers

Jul 30, 2012

Jay Z's 40/40 Club Pictures

After visiting Jay Z's 40/40 Club for an article, here are some additional pictures that didn't make the cut of my Yahoo article.

Which piece of memorabilia is your favorite?

Jul 7, 2012

Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Gleison Tibau at UFC 148

After the first two fights from UFC 148 on FX went 15 minutes, Gleison Tibau and Khabib Nurmagomedov fought in a major international affair. For the sake on my sanity, I will refer to Nurmagomedov as Khabib in this write-up. Khabib was 17-0 in his career coming into the fight, including an impressive win against Kamal Shalorus in his UFC debut. Tibau, the UFC veteran came into the fight with a 25-7 record, including wins in three straight (Kurt Pellegrino, Rafaello Oliveira and Rafael dos Anjos).

First Round

Both fighters attempted strikes in the early going, but both fighters missed more than they connected. Midway through the round, Khabib worked at a takedown, but was unable to take the tough Brazilian fighter down. The younger Khabib attempted several wild strikes, but the technical Tibau avoided. The round ended with another failed takedown attempt from Khabib.

My scorecard: Tibau, 10-9

Second Round

The round began with both fighters taking it easy with strikes, as Khabib continued to work towards a takedown. Tibau prevented the takedown and kept the fight on the feet. Tibau then used his strength to get a takedown of his own, but was unable to hold the position. Once at the feet, Khabib went for another takedown, but Tibau once again blocked it. The referee separated them, allowing Khabib to attempt his wild strikes again, but Tibau danced around and avoided the contact.

My scorecard: Tibau, 10-9

Third Round

This round was more of the same from the first two. Tibau continued to block the takedown attempts from the Russian and neither fighter landed any serious strikes. In the final seconds, both fighters exchanged powerful strikes, but the round ended with both men standing.

My scorecard: Tibau, 10-9 and overall 30-27

Official Decision: Unanimous Decision (30-27x3) for Khabib Nurmagomedov