Sauer's Suite

All-Time UConn Team - Special Championship Edition

2011-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

PG - Kemba Walker (2008-present ) - I initially wanted to go with Khalid El-Amin here, but after looking back at the season that Kemba has put together this year I realized that it was a no brainer. Walker, who pretty much single handily willed the Huskies to an improbable BET championship this year, now has his team in line to capture the school's third NCAA National Title. This season Walker was named First Team All-American and was also the recipient of the Bob Cousy Award (an award given to the nation's top point guard).

SG - Ray Allen (1993-96) - Yes sir. Best believe that Jesus Shuttlesworth makes this team. Arguably the owner of the prettiest jump shot on the planet, Allen was UConn's first two-time All American as he finished his collegiate career third on the school's career scoring list with 1,922 points. He was also the 1996 Big East Player of the Year.

SF - Richard "Rip" Hamilton (1996-99) * Pre protective face mask - The driving force on the Huskies' 1999 NCAA championship squad, Hamilton twice won the Big East Player of the Year Award (1998 & 1999) and was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1999 Final Four. Hamiton's 2,036 career points is still good enough for second all-time on the Huskies' career scoring list (despite only playing three seasons).

PF - Donyell Marshall (1991-94) - Donyell not Donny Marshall (Donyell's college teammate for three years). After scoring 855 points and averaging 25.1 ppg during the 1993-94 season (at the time both UConn individual season highs), Marshall was named the school's first consensus All-American and was also that year's unanimous pick for Big East Player of the Year.

C - Emeka Okafor (2001-04) - Probably the single most dominating defensive force to ever come through Storrs, Okafor is the only Husky to ever garner National Player of the Year honors. Okafor, who graduated as the school's career leader in blocked shots with 441 swats, was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after leading UConn to the 2004 NCAA Championship.

Near misses: SG Ben Gordon (2001-04), PG Khalid El-Amin (1997-2000), PF Clifford Robinson (1985-89), SF Caron Butler (2000-02).

All-Time Michigan State Team

2011-04-03T15:12:00.000-07:00

PG - Mateen Cleaves (1996-2000) - Named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after leading the Spartans the 2000 National Championship, it's safe to say that Cleaves will always have a key to the city of East Lansing. Cleaves, who finished up his collegiate career as the Big Ten's career assists leader with 816 dimes, also snagged the Big Ten Player of the Year award in both 1998 and 1999.

SG - Shawn Respert (1990-95) - Gotta have R-E-S-P-E-R-T. No one Michigan State player has scored more points over the course of their college career then Mr. Respert. Respert, whose 2,531 career points is still good enough for tops on the school's all-time scoring list, earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 1995 and was named to the All-American team in both 1994 (3rd team) and 1995 (first team).

SF - Steve Smith (1987-91) - Mainly a shooting guard during his college career, I politely asked Smith to play the small forward on my team. Smith, a First Team All-American as both a junior (1990) and a senior (1991), currently ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 2,263 points and eighth on the all-time assists list with 453 assists. Smith led the Spartans to a Big Ten Championship and Sweet 16 appearance in 1990.

PF - Earvin "Magic" Johnson (1977-79) - If the Magic man can play center (as a rookie) in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals and tally 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals then I'm pretty confident that he can play the "4" on this team. Magic was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1979 Final Four after helping Michigan State defeat a Larry Bird led-Indiana State team in the championship game. Only Spartan to garner All-American honors as freshman after averaging 17 points, seven assists and seven rebounds a game.

C - Kevin Willis (1981-84) - After spending his first two years at Jackson Community College, Willis then "took his talents" to East Lansing. Willis, who had career averages of 10.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.2 apg, was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team in 1983 and was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with 11th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft.

Near misses: PG Scott Skiles (1982-86), PF Paul Davis (2002-06), SG Morris Peterson (1995-2000), SG Jason Richardson (1999-2001), PF Zach Randolph (2000-01)

All-Time USC Team

2011-03-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

I had written up little blurbs for each of my top 5 guys but blogger decided it didn't feel like saving. So with that said, I figured I would still share with you my USC "All-Time Team". More to follow.

PG - (1999-02) - Brandon Granville

SG - (1990-92) - Harold Miner

SF - (1999-01) - Brian Scalabrine

PF - (2007-09) - Taj Gibson

C - (1999-02) - Sam Clancy

Near misses: PG Robert Pack (1990-91), SG/SF Nick Young (2005-07), SF David "Blu" Bluthenthal (1999-02), SG Jeff Trepagnier (1998-01), PG/SG OJ Mayo (2008), SG Paul Westphal (1970-72).

All-Time Temple Team

2011-03-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

PG - Lynn Greer (1997-02) - I feel like I should be putting the Owl's all-time career scoring leader Mark Macon here-but I simply couldn't do it. I had to go with Greer. Usually the smallest guy every time he took the court, Greer finished up his collegiate career right behind Macon on the school's all-time scoring list with 2,099 points. During his junior season he led the Owl's to the elite eight where they lost a closely contested game to #1 seed Michigan state. Greer also gets this spot because he was probably one of my first favorite college basketball players of all time. Just saying. SG - Aaron McKie (1991-94) - This was a very difficult decision. I could have easily went with Eddie Jones (Aaron's former teammate) here as well. But if you go by the stats McKie had a little better collegiate career then Jones. Playing alongside fellow future pros such as the aforementioned Jones and Rick Brunson, McKie a then-sophomore averaged 20 ppg to led the 1993 Owl's to the Elite Eight. He was also the A10 player of the year that season as well. SF - Dionte Christmas (2005-09) - It's always Christmas in Philadelphia. Christmas, who possessed the prototypical size for a college swing man, was a scoring machine during his four years in the maroon and white. Christmas finished his Temple career with 2,043 points, becoming only the fourth player in school history to eclipse the 2,000 point-mark. He was also the first player to lead the A10 in scoring for three consecutive seasons. PF - Tim Perry (1984-88) - Not going to lie this might be a little bit of a biased pick on my behalf. But these are my teams so I guess I can do that. Perry, who was a fixture in the Jersey Shore Summer Basketball League (a league I frequented quite often as a youngster growing up on the shore) stared at power forward for one of my favorite teams-Seaview Buick. But all that aside, Perry was a four-year standout on the defensive end for the Owls as he finished his career as the school's all-time leader in blocked shots with 392. His career .544 field goal percentage still ranks as second best all-time. C/PF - Marc Jackson (1995-97) - No this is not THE Mark Jackson, it's the other one. A relentless rebounder on both ends of the court, Jackson's career 9.0 rpg average is tied for eighth best in school history. Also a gifted offensive player, Jackson tallied 1,059 points over his three-year collegiate career. Near missses: PG Mark Macon (1987-91), SG Eddie Jones (1991-94), PG Rick Brunson (1991-95), Lavoy Allen (2007-Present), Pepe Sanchez (1996-00).

All-Time Wake Forest Team

2011-03-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

PG - Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues (1984-1987) - I know a lot of you are thinking "No Chris Paul?" Well as dynamic as Paul was, he's not the owner of the school's all-time assist (275) and steals (781) mark like my man Muggs is. But then again to Paul's defense he only played two years as he left after his sophomore year. SG - Justin Gray (2003-2006) - You remember this guy? Gray, who for two years coupled with Paul to form one of th sickest back court duos of the early 2000s, could score with the best of em' as he currently ranks 8th all-time with 1,946 career points. SF - Josh Howard (2000-03) - The super athetic Howard, who tallied 1,765 points, also finished his Demon Deacon career with school top 10 marks in steals (2nd-215), block shots (5th-143) and rebounds (8th-836). PF - Rodney Rogers (1991-93) - A Small forward trapped in a big man's body, the sweet shooting south paw won the 1990-91 ACC Freshman of the Year Award (over Duke's Grant Hill ) and also won the 1993 ACC Player of the Year Award after averaging 21 points and 7 rebounds. C - Tim Duncan (1994-97) - Come on... is an explanation really needed for arguably the school's best player ever? Near misses: PG Randolph Childress (1991-95), PG Chris Paul (2004-05), SF/PF Darius Songaila (1999-02), SG Tony Rutland (1995-98).

Gotta Love March Madness

2011-03-12T10:40:00.001-08:00

With Selection Sunday on tap for tomorrow, I figured that I'd have some some fun and do a few "Sauer's Suite All-Time College Basketball teams.". Basically I'm going to be forming starting lineups consisting of (in my opinion) the best college players past and present from various NCAA programs. Now granted I've only been around 27 years, majority of these dudes will be from my era (Mid 90's-to present). But oh well. Enjoy the Madness that is March and I hope you enjoy my teams.

Back and Battle Tested

2010-06-15T18:57:00.000-07:00

By Justin Sauer

During this past year, 26-year old Minnesota Lynx guard-forward Seimone Augustus has had plenty of time to reflect on her brief but decorated basketball career-in fact, too much time if you ask her.

After undergoing a pair of surgeries to repair an anterior collateral ligament (ACL) tear in her left knee and to remove three non-cancerous but painful tumors from her abdomen and lower back in a 10-month span, a now healthy and rejuvenated Augustus is looking to lead the Lynx somewhere the franchise hasn’t been since 2004 and somewhere she’s never been-the WNBA playoffs.

In a June 6th shoot-a-round before the Lynx took on the Indiana Fever, we had a chance to catch up with the two-time WNBA All-Star and Gold Medal winner.

HOOP: How does your surgically repaired knee feel? And how close to 100% do you feel it is?
Augustus: My knee is feeling a lot better. I would say I’m at 99% if I’m not already at 100.

HOOP: When exactly was the surgery? How do you believe it went?
Augustus: July 7th. Yea, it was a real clean surgery. I had more than just an ACL tear though. I also partially tore my meniscus and sprained my medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL). There was a lot more then people know of-they just think I tore my ACL. But the “Doc” did a great job with the surgery and the recovery went great as well.

HOOP: What types of therapy and training did you have to endure during your rehab? Except for the surgery to have the fibroids removed (which I’ll discuss with you shortly), did you suffer any other setbacks during this time?
Augustus: Starting out, because I sprained my MCL and LCL so bad, I really couldn’t do too much. I mostly did ankle weights in an attempt to lift my leg and get my quad and hamstring muscles strong again. Once the MCL and LCL sprains healed I was then able to do squats (body weight and one legged squats) and little shuttle runs. I also did a lot of planting and maneuvering type basketball drills to help strengthen my knee. The only real setback was that I expected to be playing in our first game of the season (May 15th). But yea the surgery (to have the fibroids removed) was successful. The doctor went in and took everything out. After that it was just a waiting process to let my abdomen heal. Then once my abdomen was healed I was able to get back on the court to see if I got contact would it hurt. So, so far so good with that.

HOOP: Before going down last June with that torn ACL, did you ever have an injury of that severity before?
Augustus: No. Before that the worst injury I had was probably just a bad ankle sprain, but no never anything to the extent of a tear.

HOOP: When you first suffered the injury you grabbed your knee and screamed. What was initially going through your head?
Augustus: Initially I thought I might have dislocated my knee cap because I felt my left shin move. As soon as I planted and the contact happened the first thing I said was, “It moved, it moved”. From there the other team and my teammates begged for the trainer and then they came out to attend to me.

HOOP: In late April you then had three benign but painful tumors called fibroids removed from your abdomen and lower back, a procedure that I’m sure brought both emotional and physical stress to you. When did you realize that this could be a serious matter?
Augustus: It was probably when I started to pick up the intensity during my rehab workouts. They were more up tempo and I was doing many more high level things. After the third day of workouts I started getting this excruciating pain where I couldn’t even sit down in a car and actually take a ride. So we then went to the hospital, where the doctors said everything was good except for the fact that the fibroids had started to grow and that’s what was causing the pain. The doctors had said the pain was equivalent to a woman having contractions when giving birth. So it was pretty painful.

HOOP: When was that surgery and how did that surgery go?
Augustus: April 24th. The surgery was very good. I felt great after the surgery until the doctor showed me the pictures of the tumors and I had the chance see how big they were. The biggest one, which was actually closer to my back, was about the size of a baby’s head or a small bowling ball. As far as the other two, one was about the size of a golf ball and the other was about the size of a grapefruit or a softball. So they were pretty big. Those pictures were pretty amazing. I began to wonder how in the world was I actually playing basketball with something that big inside of me?

HOOP: How difficult mentally was it to go through your grueling rehab for your knee, then to only found out that you had to have three tumors removed?
Augustus: It was difficult because I was trying to wait until the end of the season to have the tumors removed. I knew about them (the tumors) and I knew I have to take care of them at some point in time. But the doctor said as long as you aren’t in any pain then you can go forward and play. So I figured after working hard rehabbing my knee that I would go right into the season and get the surgery done at the end. But I’m actually happy that it happened the way it did with the surgery. I only missed three weeks of training camp and three –four weeks of the season, so in reality I’m actually not missing that much time. I’ll be able to play the majority of the season.

HOOP: Aside from being self-motivated, was there anything or anyone else that helped you to stay motivated and keep your spirits up during the grueling rehab process? Maybe a teammate, family member, movie, a musician/artist or a song?
Augustus: It was a lot of different people. My one friend was with me 24-7, during the surgery and all. She really came up big by helping me move around the house and by also driving me back and forth to my rehab appointments. So she was a big help. My teammates did a great job of just coming by the house to just check on me whenever they were in town. My family members were also very supportive. I also had a great physical therapy staff. I had about 5 or 6 people that helped me specifically with rehab when I was here in Minnesota and when I went back home to Baton Rouge. It just seemed like one big family, with everybody helping me mentally and physically. Everyone I mentioned really played a big role in helping me to get over that hump of getting back onto the court.

HOOP: Before you went down, the Lynx had won four for their first six games, and were in second place in the Western Conference. After you went down, the team went 10-18 the rest of the way to miss the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. How difficult was it for you to watch from the sidelines knowing that you physically couldn’t help your teammates on the court?
Augustus: It was very difficult. I mean you never want to see your team struggle and I really wanted to be out there to help them. We had a tough time after I went down, but they fought every game. I don’t think any team in the league (last season) can say they just ran over us and had their way with us. They fought every game and that’s all you can really ask for-to just to compete. It was definitely a hard feeling not being able to be out there with my teammates, but I actually enjoyed just being a fan and helping support them like they did for me during my rehab.

HOOP: Before you got hurt last season you were also leading the Lynx’s in scoring with 21 points per game, which was good for third-best in the WNBA. Coming off the injury and recent surgeries, do you think you’ll be able to quickly pick up where you left off last season?
Augustus: I hope so. It’s going to be a difficult task. I’ll have to get over that mental hurdle of going out there and actually playing and having confidence in myself and in my leg. I’ll have to be able to trust my leg and understand that it is not going to give out or anything like that. Maybe it will take me one or two games in to get used to being back out there on the court and getting back into my groove. But I expect to hopefully pick up where I left off last season, maybe by mid-season or towards the end of the season.

HOOP: What are your personal and team goals this season?
Augustus: My personal goal this season is to just really have fun. I really don’t have anything set in my head like winning the MVP or anything. I just want to get back to enjoying basketball again. Our team goal of course is to make the playoffs. We don’t want to go too far ahead of ourselves and say a championship. We kind of want to take it one game at a time. We’re just trying to be in the playoff hunt.

HOOP: Do you think the additions of new Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve and 2010 WNBA Draft 2nd overall pick Monica Wright will infuse some new life into this year’s team?
Augustus: Coach Reeve (who served as an assistant coach, general manager and director of player personnel at different times for the Detroit Shock from 2006-10) came from Detroit with a winning mindset. She came in with the intention of turning us into a more physical, aggressive team-sort of like the “Bad Boys” Detroit Pistons’ teams of the late 1980’s. It’s taking a little while for everybody to kind of pick up on that. But I feel like once we do we’re going to look like a championship caliber team with her coaching. With Moni coming in as a rookie and all, she’ll have a lot to learn, but she’s willing to learn and that’s a big difference between a rookie coming in that’s stubborn and a rookie coming in that wants to help the team and learn her role. She’s been doing a great job of just going out and playing ball, listening to the coaches and getting better every game.

HOOP: Being that you were the first overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft, what advice, if any, did you give Monica as she enters the league as a high draft pick fresh out of the college game?
Augustus: I just told her to be calm and to be patient. It’s kind of intimating coming in as a high draft pick because of the high expectations. But you just have to stay within your game and try not to do too much, too soon. Just try and get a feel for everything and go with the flow. The key is to pace yours self because we have what we call a “rookie wall”. Most rookies run into it early, some run into it late. I was fortunate enough to run into it later on in the season before my legs got heavy or I got tired. So I’ve been telling her about pacing herself, so she can hit the rookie wall later in the season instead of earlier.

HOOP: How hungry are you and your teammates to make it back to the WNBA playoffs, a place the team hasn’t been since ’04 and a place you’ve never been?
Augustus: I know. It’s been a long time man (laughs). I mean I’m hungrier than ever. Getting to the playoffs is definitely higher on my list then winning individual awards. I want to do it for the team, do it for the organization, and do it for the fans. Our fans have been very loyal throughout the hard times we’ve had during the past couple of seasons. I feel like we owe it to them and to ourselves to go and be in the playoff hunt and make it to the playoffs.

HOOP: You’ve been on a gold medal winning Olympic team and you’ve been a WNBA All-Star and Naismith Award winner. Where would a WNBA championship stack up with all those other achievements?
Augustus: I mean its right up there. (Laughs) But I don’t think you knock the gold medal out of first place. Yea, that’s a big deal. But it’s probably second or third best. It’s up there with those awards because the Naismith Award is a big achievement just like the Wooden Award and every other award that you receive so I would definitely put it high on my list.

HOOP: What was it like winning a gold medal for your country at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008?
Augustus: It felt great. That whole process was an experience for me. I started out as a member of the 2006 USA World Championship team, where I was in a situation where I was one of the youngest players on the team. I didn’t really get to play a lot but I got the experience under my belt so when it came time to pick the 2008 Olympic team I know what the coaches expected of me and I was going to do nothing less than what they wanted. Winning that trophy and gold medal was definitely special. It kind of sends chills up your spine to know that you finally accomplished something only a few select athletes ever achieve in a lifetime.

HOOP: At LSU you received your degree in General Studies and you’re just short of a second degree in Finance, correct? Have you given thought about what career path you might want to pursue once your playing days are over?
Augustus: Yes. I’m not really sure what path I want to pursue after my playing days are over. I sometimes think I want to coach, or I want to do this or I want to do that. Basketball is controlling a lot of my life so once I do hang these shoes up I’ll probably want to take a rest for a few years and just kind of enjoy life. Maybe travel the world and do stuff like that. But as of right now I’m still up in the air as to what I want to do.

HOOP: Word on the street is that you have a love of classic cars, stemming from your uncle's 1969 Chevrolet Impala convertible? So did you uncle ever let you drive it? What do you drive? What’s your favorite classic car?
Augustus: Yea he’s actually trying to send it to me right now (laughs). That’s funny. But I have a few of my own classic cars; I have three old school cars now. Right now I’m in a 96’ Impala, but I wouldn’t consider that too old. I also have a 66’ Caprice, a 68’ Convertible and a 68’ hard top. My hard top is similar to one of those low riders you might see in a magazine. But my all-time favorite classic car is the 63-64’ Impala.

HOOP: On January 9 you had your No. 33 retired by LSU, making you the first female athlete in school history to receive that honor. Now if you, a career .887 free throw shooter, and that the other guy that has his No.33 retired by LSU squared off in a free throw shooting duel and you spotted him 20 free throws, who would be the first to 25?
Augustus: Ohhhh me of course (laughs). Me of course (laughs). I love Shaq but I would get him in the free throws, I would definitely get him.

HOOP: Come to think of it, was that just a sheer coincidence that you took the No. 33 when you went to LSU?
Augustus: Yea, you know I love Shaq but going into college I originally wanted No. 3 because at the time I loved to watch Allen Iverson play as he was an idol of mine. So after I found out that I couldn’t get No. 3, I then wanted to wear No. 6 like Dr. J (Julius Erving), who I try to model my game after. But then I found out I couldn’t get No. 6 either. So I kind of settled with No. 33 (laughs).

HOOP: I have another “what if” scenario for you. In 2006, during the WNBA All-Star festivities you showed the world that you have “skills” by winning the skills competition. If you and another former LSU b-ball great “Pistol” Pete Maravich had went head-to-head in a skills competition, who would have put on more of a show?
Augustus: Ahhhh that’s a tough one. But I’d have to give the edge to Pistol Pete. You know he had all the trickery going for him and he knew how to get in and maneuver and do all those no look passes. I mean I can do a little razzle dazzle but my game isn’t as sweet as Pistol Pete’s.

HOOP: Being a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, how pumped up were you to see the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl this year?
Augustus: Oh, I was so excited to see the Saints win the Super Bowl, especially since I spent my whole entire off season in Minnesota (The New Orleans Saints def. the Minnesota Vikings, 31-28, in the NFC Championship Game).To see them finally win after everything that the city has been through with Hurricane Katrina and even now with the oil spill situation, it definitely brought a little light, a little sunshine to New Orleans.

Bend, But Not Broken

2010-06-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

By Justin Sauer

After being selected out of Picayne (MS) High School by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, Jonathan Bender was a can’t-miss NBA prospect.

But after playing only 271 games in seven injury-riddled seasons with the Indiana Pacers, the then 24-year old Bender was forced into an early retirement due to chronic knee problems.

Now 28 years old, Bender’s lengthy and inspired NBA comeback attempt became a reality when the New York Knicks signed the seven-footer to a minimum contract last December. Having seen action in 15 games this season, Bender is currently averaging 5.5 points and 2.1 rebounds for a Knicks squad fighting to get somewhere they haven’t been in a while—the postseason.

At a recent Knicks practice, we sat down and got a chance to catch up with the former lottery pick.

HOOP: On Dec. 18, in a 95-91 win against the Los Angeles Clippers at Madison Garden, you made your return to the NBA after a three-year absence. What kind of thoughts were racing through your head before the game?
Bender: I wasn’t really thinking about anything. I was thinking of it like it was just another pickup game. That was the mindset I wanted to keep. I really didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself.

HOOP: When you retired in February of 2006, did you ever think that you would resurface back in the NBA years later?
Bender: I knew when I stopped playing I was going to at least try to attempt a comeback. I’ve accomplished my goal.

HOOP: What did you have planned for yourself “after basketball?”
Bender: I’m interested in being a business entrepreneur. I’m really into social and self-empowerment and I like to use those beliefs to help others in the community as much as possible.

HOOP: When did you realize that you wanted to attempt a comeback into the League?
Bender: I was going to attempt a comeback last year, but I was still deep into what I was doing outside of basketball. I never stopped working out though. So this year I went real hard at it and just made it happen.

HOOP: What types of therapy and training did you have to endure during your comeback? And did you suffer any setbacks during this time?
Bender: A lot of balametrics and step-ups. I used more of a track and field approach to try to keep my upper body slim and not looking like a carrot. I tried to put more emphasis on my lower body, but at the same staying away from heavy weight training. During the middle of my comeback I did suffer a few setbacks though. There were a couple of times when I had to just sit down and rest, but overall it worked out pretty well.

HOOP: What were the hardest things you had to overcome during your comeback?
Bender: Just timing and getting back in gear. The whole “getting adjusted back to the game” aspect was difficult.

HOOP: What was your biggest source of motivation during your comeback?
Bender: I would say myself. I really pride myself on being self-motivated. I knew I had a goal in place that I wanted to reach. So I just put a plan together and made it happen.

HOOP: Have your NBA peers been supportive of your comeback?
Bender: Yes, everyone’s been extremely supportive. All my teammates and specifically Al Harrington [Ed note: Jonathan’s teammate in Indiana from ’99-04) have been great. All of the players that I know outside of my team have been real receptive too.

HOOP: Were you surprised when you found out that New York Knicks President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh, your former general manager with the Indiana Pacers, was interested in giving you another shot?
Bender: No, not at all. I remained in contact with him [Walsh] the entire time I was retired. I told him that if I had ever planned to come back to the League, I would call him first. So that’s what I did.

HOOP: Did you and Donnie keep a close relationship after you both parted ways? Is there a friendship that goes beyond the whole business end? Considering that Donnie did t take another shot on you when many executives probably wouldn’t.
Bender: Yes, we remained close. I definitely consider him a friend.

HOOP: Not many people are aware that you verbally committed to Mississippi State University before opting for the 1999 NBA Draft. Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if you had stuck with your original plan and gone on to become a Bulldog?
Bender: No, I’ve never really thought about it.

HOOP: You know that you were the first high school draftee to score in double figures in his NBA debut (scoring 10 points in 13 minutes against Cleveland on 1210/99), right? Do you ever hang that on the likes of KG or Kobe?
Bender: Yes, I knew that. I actually haven’t. But I need to though. [laughs]

HOOP: Who would win in a game of two-on-two, you and your cousin Mo Pete or your current teammate Al Harrington and his cousin Dahntay Jones?
Bender: We’d win, all day. I’m a winner. What am I going to say? I’m going to lose? We’re definitely winning. [laughs]

HOOP: How do you like playing in the Big Apple and more specifically “The World’s Most Famous Arena”?
Bender: It’s really a different type of atmosphere. New York, along with Los Angles, are definitely two of the bigger markets out there. New York is the Mecca of basketball

HOOP: In a perfect world, how do you envision the rest of your NBA career playing out?
Bender: I really haven’t thought that far ahead yet. I just try and take it day by day. Like I said, my goal of just getting back here [to the NBA] has already been accomplished. But at the moment I’m not making plans or thinking ahead. I’m just taking it day-by-day and step-by-step.

HOOP: Being seven-feet tall, you have “big man” size, but you also possess great wing skills due to your outside shooting capabilities. Who do you like to model your game after?
Bender: I don’t really model my game after anyone in particular. But I would say I look at [Michael] Jordan and [Hakeem] Olajuwon some. In high school, I played the five and did a lot of outside shooting like Olajuwon. To this day I’ll still see certain moves I like and I’ll steal them.

HOOP: Can you tell me a little about your nonprofit Jonathan Bender Foundation in New Orleans? And what motivated you to start it?
Bender: It’s really all about self-empowering kids and young adults. With all the redevelopment I did down there on the profit side, the non-profit side has since teamed up and we now try to teach young New Orleans residents lessons in home ownership and financial literacy. We adopted a school down in New Orleans that was flooded by Hurricane Katrina and we went in and refurbished the library. We also do a lot of different charity events and free basketball clinics in an attempt to reach out to the kids. I like to help others, so any time I get a chance to do that, I do it. I just figured that this foundation would be the perfect forum to do that.

HOOP: Once you retired in 2006, you became quite the businessman, creating a leg-conditioning apparatus for people to "work their legs while they're just walking around" and you called it the “Bender Band”. Have you had any success selling your product?
Bender: It’s currently under research and development at Purdue University. We look to be just about done with that so hopefully I’ll have a prototype out before the end of the month.

HOOP: Who were your role models growing up?
Bender: Growing up I really looked up to guys like Earl Graves, entrepreneur and founder of Black Enterprise Magazine.

HOOP: How did you become interested in basketball?
Bender: My brother, who loved the game, would play all the time. He would take me out to the court and we would play one another. One summer, I sprung up like six inches and that’s when I really got attached to the game of a basketball. A lot of my friends were playing and when your friends are playing most of the time then you’re going to be playing, too. That’s basically how it all started and great things ended up happening from there.

Binaca

2010-04-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Nowadays before I leave my house I make it a point to make sure I have the "Big Three" on me. The "Big Three" consist of my wallet, keys and cell phone. But as a kid in the 90's my "Big Three" looked a little different. "The Big three" then consisted of my velcro wallet, my beeper and, arguably the most important of the three, a tube of Binaca. Binaca, which pumped fumes of peppermint and spearmint goodness into you mouth, was pretty much guranteed to make you gag for a second, but hey it was small price to buy if you wanted that everlasting amazing breath. Binaca was probably the most crucial on those weekend trips to the mall because in the back of your head you always knew that there was a good chance you might run into a few good looking girlys. Heck moments like that might have even called for the "hard to get" cinnamon flavored Binaca.

Now the only knock on my beloved Binaca, which my grandmother (who sprayed Binaca into her mouth like she sprays perfume onto her body) lovingly introduced me to, was the idea that some kids (usually of the d-bag form) thought that if you sprayed Binaca into your mouth a few times you didn't have to brush your teeth. I kid you not folks.

Also, check out the picture above. 150 sprays? Really??

Mannn it's been too long....

2010-04-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

That's right Sauer Suiters, after what we'll call a

mini hiatus, the Suite is re-opened and ready for business. I'm not only gonna continue my sports rambling but I'm also gonna start incorporating some random 1990's "turn back the clock"posts. What I mean by this, is that hopefully at least twice a month I will blog about a random 1990's fad or icon that I remember from my childhood (being that I spent the prime years of my youth in the 90's and quite frankly, in my opinion, the 90's were one of the more underrated decades). Any decade that includes the likes of Bill "Slick Willy" Clinton, O.J. "The Juice" Simpson and Pauly "The Weasel" Shore deserves a little recognition.

Ready to catch on

2009-08-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

For every Randy Moss (69 balls for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns during an impressive rookie campaign with the Minnesota Vikings in 1998) there are 100 more players like future Hall of Famer Cris Carter.

Carter, who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round of the 1987 supplemental draft, had a much more difficult time making the transition to the pro game catching just five passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles during his rookie season.

That's just the way it is. For whatever reason, rookie wide receivers rarely ever put up astronomical numbers in their first NFL season. Although they may not be Moss type-seasons, each draft class has a few receivers that usually put together solid rookie campaigns for Fantasy Owners.

The Denver Broncos' Eddie Royal (91 catches, 980 yards and five TDs), the St. Louis Rams' Donnie Avery (53 catches, 674 yards and three TDs) and the Philadelphia Eagles' DeSean Jackson (62 catches, 912 yards and two TDs) all managed to keep Fantasy Owner's happy last season by having productive rookie years.

Here are this year's top rookie receivers and the impact I believe they will have on the fantasy football world this season

Michael Crabtree

My advice to Michael Crabtree is to sign.

Now.

With a week of training camp already in the books, each day he misses will only make it more difficult for him to learn a brand new offense and get comfortable with his San Francisco 49er teammates.

As 49er head coach Mike Singletary showed when he sent his starting tight end, Vernon Davis, back to the locker room with 10 minutes left in a game last season, he believes that no one player is bigger than the team.

With Crabtree already threatening to hold out the entire season, there is a good chance that the former Texas Tech Red Raider is already in Singletary's doghouse. Yes, already.

So if and when Crabtree does sign, how long will take to the talented wideout to get back into his head coach's good graces?

Also, what helped Royal, Avery and Jackson have successful rookie seasons was the fact that they all had capable quarterbacks throwing them the ball to them. Royal had Jay Cutler, Avery had Marc Bulger and Jackson had Donovan McNabb.

Crabtree will have Shaun Hill/Alex Smith and their combined 80.55 quarterback rating throwing him the pigskin. Now that can't be good for his fantasy value, can it?

As ultra-talented as Crabtree is, I really don't see him putting up the big numbers that he is capable of until the 49ers actually get a quality team around him.

So my advice to Fantasy Owners is to avoid the temptation and stay away.

Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin has all the attributes to make a Fantasy Owner salivate. It's that simple.

When the Minnesota Vikings used their first round pick (22nd overall) to select the speedy Florida Gator, they knew they were getting an offensive weapon that has the potential to score from anywhere on the field.

Not only will he be seeing a lot of time from the wide receiver position for the Vikings, a team that has been searching for a consistent contributor from the WR spot since Moss departed in 2005, but he will also being seeing considerable action as a punt/kick returner and possibly even as a running back in the "Wildcat" formation.

Although he will be an intriguing fantasy pick for owners this year due to his Reggie Bush-like skill set, Harvin's biggest knock (and maybe his only knock) is probably the fact that he is only 5-11 and 192 pounds. Small guys built like Harvin, are usually more prone to injury.

But if Harvin has a good camp, he shouldn’t have a problem beating out Sidney Rice to become Minnesota's WR2 alongside fellow deep threat Bernard Berrian.

With that said, I believe Fantasy Owners should take a chance on Harvin-a guy that dangerous deserves definite later round consideration on draft day.

Brian Robiskie

Although he may not be a household name like Crabtree or Harvin, Brian Robiskie looks to be the most polished rookie receiver of the bunch.

In the mold of New England Patriot Wes Welker and fellow Ohio State alum and current Indianapolis Colt Anthony Gonzalez, Robiskie will be that tough, possession receiver that Cleveland Brown fans will fall in love with.

A strong route runner with phenomenal hands, Robiskie should have no problem beating out Mike Furrey, David Patten, fellow rookie Mohamed Massaqoui and return specialist Josh Cribbs as the WR2.

If Robiskie wins the starting job alongside Braylon Edwards, he will have the potential to have a strong rookie season as he will have a quality quarterback in either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson (whoever wins the starting job) throwing the ball to him. Robiskie will also benefit from having a true No.1 receiver on the field with him; this will allow less coverage to come his way in the passing game.

If your league awards points per reception, then look no further than Robiskie.

Other rookie receivers to keep an eye on are: Jeremy Maclin (Philadelphia Eagles); Hakeem Nicks (New York Giants); Darrius Heyward-Bey (Oakland Raiders); Kenny Britt (Tennessee Titans); Juaquin Iglesias (Chicago Bears) and Austin Collie (Indianapolis Colts).

My sleeper special: Ramses Barden (New York Giants) – It’s no secret that Eli Manning likes his receivers “Jumbo Sized” and at 6-6 Barden is just that. If the Giants’ use him the right way, he has the best chance to replace the departed Plaxico Burress as the team’s main red-zone target.

Old Faces, New Places

2009-08-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

It’s no secret that on draft day fantasy owners will be looking for the next Michael Turner.

By this I mean a player that changes teams in the offseason and then immediately makes a significant impact on their new team.

Last season, Turner (formerly of the San Diego Chargers) rumbled for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons. Both were good enough for second best in the NFL.

After running for 1,257 yards and six TDS in four seasons as LaDainian Tomlinson’s primary backup, “the Burner” was projected to be a second or third round pick in most fantasy football drafts last season.

But after showing the fantasy world what he could do as the Falcons’ every down back last season, Turner is almost guaranteed to go in the first three picks of many drafts this year.

A change of scenery clearly benefited Turner (and his owners) last season, so the question is, who is going to be this season’s “Burner”?

Well here are a few old faces in new places that might help catapult your fantasy team to uncharted heights this season.

Terrell Owens

Arguably the biggest splash this offseason was made by the Buffalo Bills when they signed Terrell Owens to help bolster their lackluster offense.

Although T.O. is sure to bring his “me first” attitude to Buffalo, let’s not forget that he will also be bringing his big play ability and consistent production as well. Even though he will be turning 36 in December, there still is no doubt in my mind that Owens can again be a valuable fantasy contributor this season.

The owner of 951 receptions, 14,122 receiving yards and 139 career TDS, Owens did not skip a beat in his 13th NFL campaign as he went on to catch 69 balls for 1,052 yards and 10 TDS for the Dallas Cowboys last season.

With a lack of offensive options in Buffalo, Owens and fellow starting receiver Lee Evans (63-1,017-3 in 08’) will be quarterback Trent Edwards’ main (and possibly only two) passing targets in 2009.

Plus if Owens isn’t getting his touches, we all know he has no problem “addressing the situation”.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Coming off a 92 catch season with the Cincinnati Bengals, in which he gained 904 yards with four TDS, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, a Southern California native and Oregon State alum, will be returning to the west coast after signing a rather large five-year, $40 million dollar contract with the Seattle Seahawks.

“Housh” should immediately step in and become quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s top option in the passing game. In the process he will also be adding to an already talented receiving corps that includes Deion Branch and Nate Burleson.

Also, working in Houshmandzadeh’s favor is Seattle's lack of a running game, which will probably force the team to throw a little more than it would like. Let’s be real, Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett and their combined 772 rushing yards in 08’ aren’t scaring anybody.

If Hasselbeck can bounce back from an injury-riddled 2008 campaign, Houshmandzadeh, who has produced at least 73 catches and 904 yards in each of the past five seasons, will have a golden opportunity to once again put up very good numbers for fantasy owners.

Tony Gonzalez

There is no better security blanket for a young a quarterback then a talented, veteran tight end that pretty much catches everything in sight. When all else fails, a young QB can always find comfort in dumping the ball off to their reliable tight end.

Well, Matt Ryan meet Tony Gonzalez. Your new teammate, and oh yea, statistically he’s the best tight end to have ever played the game. Will that do?

After spending what seemed like 25 years (but in reality it was 12 years) with the Kansas City Chiefs, “Gonzo” will now try to add another chapter to his already Hall of Fame career with Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons.

The best thing going for Gonzalez is definitely Ryan, the Falcons’ strong armed starting quarterback. Coming off of a stellar rookie season, Ryan should continue to flourish in his second season. With Turner helping to move the chains, Gonzalez should receive plenty of opportunities to pick up touchdowns.

Gonzalez, a ten-time Pro Bowl selection, currently holds the NFL records for single season receptions (102) by a tight end, career touchdowns by a tight end (76), career receptions by a tight end (916), and reception yards by a tight end (10,940).

Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler made it quite clear that he wanted out of the Mile High State after Denver’s new head coach Josh McDaniel went public about the idea of his trading his franchise quarterback.

While a ton of NFL teams (the New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins being a few) inquired about the disgruntled Cutler this offseason, the Chicago Bears wand end up being the prize winners for his services.

I know the whole idea of the Chicago Bears’ possessing a star quarterback like Cutler is bizarre.

The last time the Bears had a Pro Bowl-quality quarterback was when Jim McMahon was behind center from 1982 to 1988. Heck, even though McMahon quarterbacked the Bears to a Super Bowl victory in 1986 and he still remains second on the teams’ all-time career passing list with an 80.4 quarterback rating, most football aficionados will still tell to you that the flashy, quarterback was never a STAR.

The only problem is that the 2009 version of the Chicago Bears doesn’t have a quality wide receiver on the roster. However what Cutler does have is a good offensive line that will only get better after acquiring long time St. Louis Rams’ left tackle Orlando Pace. He will also have two quality tight ends in Desmond Clark and budding star Greg Olson. Not to mention that Cutler will also have one of the best young running backs in football to dump the ball off to in Matt Forte.

To expect Cutler to throw for 5,000 yards like he could have in Denver last year is unfair, but to think his fantasy numbers will take a huge dip due to the move is not practical.

A few other players who could benefit from leaving town are: Wide Receiver, Torry Holt (going from the St. Louis Rams to the Jacksonville Jaguars); Wide Receiver, Laveranues Coles (from the New York Jets to the Cincinnati Bengals); Quarterback, Matt Cassel (from the New England Patriots to the Kansas City Chiefs); Quarterback, Kyle Orton (from the Chicago Bears to the Denver Broncos).

The New Class

2009-07-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Isn’t it funny how things can change over the course of a year?

Before last season, Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Steve Slaton and Kevin Smith weren’t exactly household names. But this season, fantasy football owners are now salivating over the opportunity to draft one of these second-year running backs.

Forte, who finished with 1,238 rushing yards, 12 total touchdowns and 63 receptions for the Chicago Bears last season, is a projected top five pick this season. Johnson (1,228-10-43 for the Tennessee Titans), Slaton (1,282-10-50 for the Houston Texans) and Smith (976-8-39 for the Detroit Lions) should also be one of the first running backs taken in most drafts.

Now for the more well-known running backs that came out of the 2008 NFL Draft, well, a few of them also made significant impacts on their respective teams. The Carolina Panthers’ Jonathan Stewart ran for 836 rushing yards and 10 TDs, despite splitting carries with DeAngelo Williams. Darren McFadden recorded 499 yards and four TDS with the Oakland Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens’ Ray Rice rushed for 454 yards. Not too bad considering that both McFadden and Rice were also forced to split time at their position.

So which rookie running backs are going to be able to help out your fantasy football teams this season?

Well I don’t have a crystal ball that I rub before every Fantasy football season, but it doesn’t take a fantasy football expert to realize that his year’s rookie class MIGHT include a few running backs that could potentially put your team over the top this season.

Let’s first talk about my man Chris “Beanie” Wells, who the Arizona Cardinals took with the 31st overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. The highly touted, power back out of Ohio State finished his collegiate career fourth on the school’s all-time rushing list with 3,382 yards. There is no reason to think that his success at the college level won’t translate over to the pro ranks.

After the Cardinals parted ways with running backs Edgerrin James and J.J. Arrington this past off-season, the desert looks to be the perfect place for Beanie to begin his NFL career.

With last year’s goal line specialist (and also one of last year’s fantasy studs) Tim Hightower now the only running back on the roster with any in-game experience Beanie will be given every opportunity to seize the starting running back job during training camp.

While teams will attempt (key word being attempt )to keep Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and the rest of Cardinals’ high octane aerial attack in check this season, the 6’1’’, 235-pound former Buckeye, who is known for excelling in between the tackles, should be able to put up solid numbers for his fantasy owners in 2009.

Since the mid 90’s the Denver Broncos have been known for churning out 1,000-yard backs year after year. From 1995 to 2006, six different Denver running backs have run for over 1,000 yards in a single season. Terrell Davis (1995-1998), Olandis Gary (1999), Mike Anderson, (2000, 2005), Clinton Portis (2002-2003), Reuben Droughns (2004) and Tatum Bell (2006) were all able to flourish in the Bronco’s run-orientated system. So why can’t former University of Georgia standout Knowshon Moreno do the same in 2009?

Moreno, who began his sophomore season as a Heisman Trophy favorite, was the first running back selected (12th overall by Denver) in the first round of this years’ Draft and for good reason.

After redshirting his freshman year, Moreno then went on to continue the Bulldog’s tradition of great running backs by finishing his two year collegiate career with 2,734 rushing yards and 30 TDs.

A dual threat, as he also possesses the ability to catch the ball of the backfield, Moreno will be given a fair opportunity to battle for that No. 1 spot. However with a crowded backfield that also includes Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Peyton Hills, Ryan Torian and Darius Walker, it may not be easy.

If Moreno does indeed apply a strangle hold on the Bronco’s starting running back position, then fantasy owners will have good reason to be excited.

With the departure of All-Pro starting quarterback Jay Cutler to the Chicago Bears, the once “run first Denver Broncos” are more than likely to revert back to their old ways and Moreno, easily the most talented of the bunch, would benefit greatly.

Since Cutler took over as the full-time starting quarterback in 2007, Denver has not recorded a 1,000 yard rusher. Coincidence? I think not my friends….

Another rookie runner who I think could be a consistent fantasy contributor this season is one of those jack of all trades, master of none running backs.

When the Indianapolis Colts selected Donald “Donnie” Brown out of the University of Connecticut with the 27th pick of the first round, they knew exactly what they were getting.

They were getting a guy who may not do anything exceptionally well, but however there is nothing he can’t do.

An elusive runner with outstanding speed, quickness and vision, the former Huskie is an ideal fit for the Colts’ zone-based running game. With starting running back Joseph Addai suffering from durability issues that became evident towards the end of last season, Brown, who led the nation in rushing with 2, 083 yards as a junior last season, could emerge as a crucial part of the Colts offense in ‘09.

Brown, like Moreno, is also an alert receiver who possesses a pair of soft hands out of the backfield.

A few other rookie runners that I can see making some fantasy noise at some point this season are: Shonn Greene (New York Jets), LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles) and Andre Brown (New York Giants).

Now finally for my big sleeper pick, I really like Rashad Jennings, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 7th round pick out of Liberty. With Fred Taylor now gone, who knows if Maurice Jones-Drew’s body can endure the punishment of being an every down back? If MJD breaks down, Jennings will be waiting in the wings.

9021 - uh oh

2009-07-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

In the early 90's fictional 90210 characters Dylan McKay (first picture above) and Brandon Walsh took sideburns and turned them into a phenomenon.

The two frail Beverly Hills playboys, used their impeccable "burns" to land every single hottie in the entire zip code. Although the two would never be described as physical specimens with raging biceps and ridiculous six-packs, their sheer, well-groomed burns were sufficient enough to pimp the hell out of Beverly Hills.

Now my man Brady Anderson on the other hand - well Brady had the stellar sideburns similar to our 90210 friends, but apparently the former Orioles outfielder's burns didn't have the same impact on the baseball diamond that Dylan and Brandon's did on the females.

Prior to the 1996 season, Anderson, a 3-time MLB All-Star who finished his career with a respectable .256 batting average, 210 dingers and 761 ribys, decided that just his sideburns alone weren't good enough. He wanted that hard body that the Bevery Hill's duo lacked.

Anderson, who never hit more then 24 homers in a single season before or after that 96' season, finished that year with a whopping 50 homeruns and 110 R.B.I.

In 2004 Hall of Fame Oriole pitcher Jim Palmer speculated that Brady Anderson used performance enhancing drugs during his "great" 50 home run season of 1996.

By Golly I believe you're onto something Mr. Palmer!

So in conclusion, ole Brady should have stayed away from the juice and just let his sideburns do the talking. Or maybe he could have just slammed down a few "Peach Pit Burgers" with Dylan and Brandon and got bigger the natural way. Well that's if they thought he was cool enough.

Taken too soon

2009-07-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

It has now been about a week and a half since the tragic death of former Titan quarterback Steve McNair, but I'm still having trouble believing that he is gone.

It's hard to think that McNair, who was known for playing through nagging injuries during his 13-year NFL career, is not getting up this time.

Not only did he just play, but he did so at a high level.

After being selected 3rd overall in the 1995 Draft by the then Houston Oilers, McNair proceeded to take over the Oiler's starting quarterback spot in 1997 (when they officially became the Tennessee Titans) and for the next nine years he would not relinquish the position.

After the 2005 season, he was then traded to the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played for two seasons before officially hanging up the cleats in 2007.

McNair, who led the Titans to the playoffs four times, and the Ravens once, came up one yard short of quarterbacking his team to a Super Bowl XXXIV-victory over the St. Louis Rams in 1999. Come on we all remember Kevin Dyson desperately, trying to reach out his stretched out arm across the goal line.

"Air" McNair, the Titans' all-time leading passer was also selected to the Pro Bowl three times, and was All-Pro and Co-MVP (with Peyton Manning) in 2003.

Although he should be remembered as a gutsy, borderline Hall of Fame quarterback that did whatever it took to help his team win, he will probably be remembered for the bizarre way he died and that's a damn shame.

Dre gets his

2009-06-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to former Seton Hall basketball great Andre Barrett for leading FC Barcelona to the Spanish League Championship this season. After several seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers and a few stops in the National Basketball Developmental League (NBDL), it's nice to see that Dre has found a home overseas. Barrett, a McDonald's High School All-American from Rice H.S. (Bronx), was a part of former Seton Hall coach Tommy Amaker's prized recruiting class in 2000 that also included former NBA first round draft pick Eddie Griffin (R.I.P) and Marcus Toney-El. Although the group as a whole never lived up to the lofty expectations, Barrett certainly did. The heady 5'10'' point guard finished up his collegiate career as the Pirates' all-time leader in minutes played (4,296). He also ended up second all-time in assists (662) and seventh in points scored (1,861). Hey Dre you sure you don't any have eligibility left?

The King of Queens (Well at least for one night)

2009-06-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

After hearing all the chatter about the Met's brand new home, I just couldn't wait any longer. I had to see for myself.

So this past Friday I made my first trip to Citi Field and I must say it was pretty damn sweet. Yea the seats are a wierd forest green color and yea there's not a lot (if any) Met paraphernalia decorated around the stadium, but trust me the Mettie's could have done a lot worse.

Overwhelmed with excitement and anticipation before hopping on the 4:56 train to Penn Station with my cousin Ben, his girlfriend Dana and our buddy "Hurricane" Andrew, it was then clear what I had to do to control my emotions.

That's right my friends, a Bud Light 40. There is no better way to enjoy a somewhat long train ride to the Big Apple then sipping on two dollars and seventy-five cents of goodness. Even though brewskis ARE only 6 bucks at Citi field, it's still hard to go wrong with the ole 40 ouncer. I'll put it this way, it's $2.75 for three and half beers on the train ride up against a $6.00 "shot glass" size cup of beer in the stadium? Granted, it didn't stop me, I still did purchase a few (too many) of those $6.00 beers in the Stadium. But come on now, it was my first time in Citi field. It's a celebration dammit!

So with my 40 in hand, the train ride to Penn was undoubtably smooth. Our only problems (and there are usually are a few problems when my friends and I try to venture out of our respective small home towns to do something out of the norm) occured when we had to figure out how to get from Penn to Queens. After blankly looking out a few train schedules and asking a few dozen jabronis in Met jerseys how to get to the stadium, we were then headed in the right direction.

But because of our slight detour at Penn, we ended up getting to the stadium just before the start of the fifth inning. It sucked being late, but in reality it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

As we approached the will call window to purchase our tickets we ran into a couple of old fogie Tampa Ray fans who apparently decided to leave the game early. Disenchanted by their beloved team's 4-0 deficit, they kindly offered up their tickets to us free of charge. Apparently Citi Field tickets rescan. Who knew? And OH YEA their tickets where 24 rows up from the field level on the third base side. Riding our lucky streak we then managed to get two more free tickets. The night was starting to look up.

After checking out a bit of the stadium, including the Jackie Robinson Rotunda which I'm not gonna lie is the real deal, we then took our GROUND LEVEL THIRD BASE SIDE seats. We pretty much had the whole row to ourselves, so we had no problem doing the old "movie theater sneak job" to get my other two friends down there with us.

While we watched the Metties and their new found ace Fernando Nieve make relatively easy work of the Rays , the Hurricane and I then noticed that it read "free admittance to the Acela Club" on our ticket stubs. Are you kidding me??? So after we looked at each other and nodded in agreement, we then headed to the 350 seat club located in left field for the final two innings for a few more "cocktails". Which in retrospect was huge because all liquor sales in the stadium are cutoff during the seventh inning. Except in the Acela club babbbyyyyy.

To give you an idea how legit the Acela Club is checkout what Wikipedia has to say about the subject. "Admission into the high-end luxury Acela and Delta clubs, and including the other semi-luxury clubs are exclusive to high-end ticket holders only, and some restaurants enforce that you make reservations." So yea the "Cane" and I were pretty much ballin'.

All and all, I must say my first trip to Citi Field was an overall success. Now I just gotta found out where those nice nice old farts live so I can sent them a "thank you fruit basket" or something.

I'm still trying to figure out how to put pics up on this bad boy, but feel free to check out some more pics of our Citi Field Adventure on my facebook page.

Until next time party people...

Former SHU basketball standout bound for the Gridiron

2009-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

According to MSG's Anthony "Fooch" Fucilli, former Seton Hall basketball standout Paul Gause is joining the Las Vegas franchise of the new UFL, coached by former Giants head coach Jim Fassel.

The 5-foot-11, 188-pound former South Jersey prep star, who owns several school basketball and football records in Pittsgrove, N.J., was drafted by Las Vegas and is believed to be considered a cornerback.

Sauer's Suite Analysis - If you follow Seton Hall hoops, this really isn't a shocker. Earlier this year, the rumor was that Gause was itching to get back onto the football field. In fact, when Gause arrived on campus during the fall of 2005, the word was that he spoke to USC head football coach Pete Carroll about possibly walking onto the Trojan football team. But SHU bball fans, including myself, are happy that he did choose to stick it out on the hardwood. Gause, who finished his career second on the Pirates all-time steals list, was a defensive stud and crowd favorite throughout his four years in the blue and white. Welp with Gause potenially manning one of the cornerback positions and Fassel (one of my favorite coaches of all-time) leading the charge, it looks like I'll be purchasing my Las Vegas UFL beer koozie soon.

Ode to Dell Curry: A Tecmo Titan

2009-06-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Before there was former Davidson College standout Stephen Curry and his little brother Seth, who made news a couple months ago by transfering from little known Liberty University to THE Duke University, there was Pops. Wardell Stephen Curry. But best known around the basketball stratosphere as "Dell" Curry. Although Mr. Curry was a very good NBA player for 16 seasons, averaging 11.7 points per game and shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range for such teams as the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors, it was in video game land where Dell made his biggest contribution. As a young child growing up in the Nintendo era, it was Dell's sweet shooting from behind the arc that catapulted myself to an absurd amount of victories in my favorite Nintendo sports video game of all-time - Tecmo NBA Basketball. Thanks to Dell, I literally made my cousins' and friends' lives a living hell. My recipe for success was simple. I would camp out beyond the the 3-point line and drain 3 after 3 with the former 1994 Six Man of the Year award winner. Yea, Yea, Yea. I know you're thinking. "That's cheap" or "That's gay". But hey if you can't stop it, you best believe I'm gonna keep doing it. So Dell, wherever you are, this Blue Moon is for you. God bless ya.

Here are a few more fun facts about Dell: Before being selected 15th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 1986 NBA Draft, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14th round of the 1985 MLB Draft but decided to play basketball. He is also the all-time leading scorer for the Charlotte Hornets with 9, 839 points.

Starvin' Marvin

2009-06-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

That's right folks. Marvin is indeed starving. Starving for employment that is. After Harrison asked the Indianapolis Colts to release him following the 2008 season, the future hall of famer still remains a free agent. At 36 years old, I still believe that Harrison has a decent amount of gas left in the tank. Granted he is no longer a No. 1 receiver, Harrison could still contribute as a No. 2 or 3 receiver for a number of NFL teams. A few teams that come to mind are the Redskins, Bears and Titans. As training camp nears, I would be shocked if Harrison didn't get invited to some team's camp. But then again if the former Orangeman's phone doesn't ring, he shouldn't worry. With 1,102 receptions, 14,580 yards, 128 touchdowns, a Super Bowl ring and eight Pro Bowl appearances to his name, Harrison really has nothing left to prove.

Easy does it Brandon

2009-06-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

According to Rotoworld.com, Brandon Jennings, who played in Italy last season, said Friday in a press conference after a workout for the Kings that Spain's Ricky Rubio is all hype and overrated after Rubio had "zero assists and two turnovers" when they met in a game last season.

"Yeah, I think I'm a better player than he is," Jennings said. "I can shoot the ball better than he can, you know the only time I have seen him do something is when he has a homerun pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype." He also added that he cannot wait to face Rubio in the NBA, as Jennings' stock (and legend) continues to grow.

Sauer's Suite Analysis - Yea I can't wait until Jennings and Rubio square off in the NBA either. It's gonna be nice seeing Rubio whipe the floor with Jennings. I don't know about you but I am sick and tired of these dumb, young athletes flapping their gums before they even enter the league. So Jennings plays one year of pro ball in Italy, averages 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals over 27 games and now he thinks he's the second coming of Allen Iverson? Pleaaase. Also, I love his comment about how Rubio, who http://www.nbadraft.net/ projects will be taken with the 4th pick in this month's draft, had zero assists and two turnovers when the two played each other. In the Yank's 15-0 victory over the Mets on Sunday, A-Rod went 0-for-4 and Yankee back up catcher Francisco Cervelli went 3-for-5. So Cervelli is a better hitter then A-Rod, right? Come on. I saw Jennings play in last year's McDonalds All-American Game and there is no doubt that he is a talent, but grow up kid. If you're gonna start playing with the big boys, you better start acting like one.