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• Super Bowl LVI - Here for the Halftime Show

  Feb 14, 2022 Gene Clemons 1 Comments

  

   

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  Super Bowl LVI took on an HBCU feel this season. Congratulations to the LA Rams and all of their mercenary players who were able to turn this team into a winner. It has been said that the Rams have justified moving back to LA because of the success they had. The truth is that they had the same type of success in St. Louis. Ultimately this was a money play and fortunately for them, it worked. SoFi Stadium was packed to capacity and on full display. It’s over five-billion-dollar price tag was spent on every amenity that a high dollar fan would ever want but only a fraction of a percent was spent to protect players as the synthetic turf claim yet another victim. It was the type of game that most of us are used to a back-and-forth chess match where referees made calls and no calls on both teams that helped impact the outcome. We waited to watch offensive innovation and once again the spotlight was stolen by defensive brilliance. Stars were stars and the Rams had more than the Bengals. In the end that was the difference. It was OBJ, Cooper Kupp, Vonn Miller and Aaron Donald walking away champions and shedding tears of joy.

   

  But did anyone really care? From the moment it was announced everyone was buzzing about the Super Bowl halftime show. The idea of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, Eminem, Mary J, and Kendrick Lamar all gracing the stage together for the night seemed like an homage to the West Coast. The halftime show commercial was released almost three weeks before the big game and garnered over 15 million streams on YouTube. It was clear that everyone was hyped up about the halftime show more than the game. But what made this halftime show different? What made this one unique?

   

  For me and for many others like me, it was personal. We have seen performers grace the Super Bowl stage that we have grown up with but the aggressive, outlandish, outlaw nature of Hip Hop, especially Hip Hop in the 90’s, that we fell in love with and that defined our generation was something we never believed would get the opportunity to headline that event. It was too raw, too real, too rebellious. Hip Hop artists might get a song on the set of another Pop artist set but never the stage to itself. Hip Hop has finally had the opportunity to do what many of its artists have not been able to do throughout the years due to untimely death or incarceration, mature.

   

  Never forget Dr. Dre was once a part of a group that openly defied police and their practices and was arrested repeatedly for performing “F The Police”. Snoop Dogg was on trial for murder. These two guys have grown up to be luminaries of the genre. Dre is a billion-dollar mogul and Snoop Dog is every artist’s cool-ass uncle. Mary J was the round the way girl that grew up to be the unquestioned queen of Hip Hop Soul. Eminem went from being the enigmatic caricature vulturing black culture for profit, to one of the most socially conscious performers of the time. Now they were able to receive their flowers in the light reserved for the hall of famers.

   

  The performance was everything and certainly lived up to the hype. Dre and Snoop kicked it off and both performed the songs we would expect to hear. They didn’t sound run down or old, they were definitely more mature but also still masters of the craft. In true hip hop fashion, the surprise performer was, another hip hop artist and 50 Cent hung upside down doing his smash hit “In Da Club”. Mary J was glammed out and did her thing although I admittedly thought there were a couple other songs that would work better than the songs, she performed but that’s just me nitpicking. The fly thing about the halftime performance is that you were able to see the torch being passed from those luminaries to one of the hottest performers today, Kendrick Lamar. He embodied everything we love about the performance aspect of the genre. Then came Eminem with high energy and raw emotion. Even a star like Anderson Paak was there on the drums smiling from ear to ear because you could only imagine that he too grew up like we did listening to this music and now he was a part of making history. How many artists do you know would be humble enough to play the background like that?

   

  The audacity of Hip Hop to embrace its brand right there for everyone to see. It was reported that Dr. Dre was told to not say “still not loving police” and he did it anyway. Eminem was told to refrain from kneeling, and he did it anyway. Why would we expect anything less from this genre? It was epic and the perfect respect paid to the ones who came before them.

   

  This halftime performance ranks third for me. Number one will always be Prince because how do you top singing Purple Rain in the rain; it was epic! Second is the Beyonce performance because it really was one of the most action-packed half-time shows ever, it just kept coming. I felt tired after it was over. Then comes this show followed by Michael Jackson and then the Bruno Mars show. I originally said Katy Perry on the podcast but my guy Brandon Howard who I travel down memory lane with on the podcast made me change my mind.

   

  From a nostalgic aspect, it hit all the bells and really left me feeling good about the opportunities for hip hop going forward. It has broken through the glass ceiling and now the sky's the limit. It has renewed my hope that we will see more hip-hop headliners and keep alive my dream of an Outkast Super Bowl halftime show.

   

  Let’s make this happen Jay Z!

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

   

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• Gene Therapy: Sweet Sweet Fantasy!

  Jan 25, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  The 1st time I ever tried sports betting I was convinced that it was the easiest thing in the world to do. After all, we were just picking games. I know basketball, I know football, I know baseball so how hard it could possibly be. The first time I looked at a betting line I was shocked by how complicated it looked. There were so many numbers on it. I saw the name of the team and then I saw nine to 10 other numbers that I had never seen before. I thought I was just picking the winner. 

   

  The reality was something far more complicated. I immediately realized why Vegas is so rich. We wander into this world as novice but with the ego and the hubris to believe that we know something that everybody else doesn't. And even further than that, we believe we know something that the people who have made trillions of dollars don't know. Only in America can a person walk into another person's profession and believe that they know the business better than that professional yet here we are.

   

  Fantasy sports were different for me as I began to participate because there was no money involved. It was for fun, for bragging rights. But a funny thing happened mid-way through the season. I noticed that not everybody was keeping up with their rosters. One season I remember losing out on making the playoffs because a team went on a four week win streak playing against people who never updated their roster. It was frustrating and ultimately not fulfilling or challenging. My response was to seek out a league that had financial investment. If there was money involved people would be in it to win it until the end. That definitely helped but what I found was that the amount of money really made the difference. A league with a $25 due was not going to keep anyone's attention over a season that lasts five months. The bigger the investment, the bigger the prize, the better the engagement.

   

  That led to the instant gratification of daily fantasy where the prizes are high, and investment could be low. That still achieved the same outcome of keeping people invested and wanting to play again. On a certain level, the daily fantasy contests with thousands of entries reminded me of those 10-team parlays that I used to play when I first began betting on sports. My little $10 bet had the chance to bring back 10 thousand dollars. The chances of me winning were slim to none but because I thought I knew sports and was invested in it mentally, I believed that it gave me an advantage. Clearly, I lost my money like the other dummies who thought the same thing, but I continued to play like that for much longer than I care to admit because of my arrogance. I had the keys to beat the system and that's how the casino has always won. That exact logic is why one day fantasy has made that industry so much money. Everybody believes they have the perfect combination to win it all and of course only one can.

   

  As sports betting slowly becomes legalized in every state, The negative connotations that used to surround sports betting dissipates. Fantasy sports and gambling sites like Fanduel and Draftkings allowed sports betting to be slowly accepted into a society that was obsessed with fantasy football. In essence fantasy was our gateway drug into gambling acceptance. As the money involved with fantasy wagers grew to astronomical levels people began to look at fantasy as a viable source of income and the world of the fantasy analyst exploded. The divide between fantasy sports betting and regular sports betting closed quickly.  Now as sports gambling casinos like MGM moved into the space with BetMGM and the many other sites that are ready to go at a moment's notice prepare for this inevitability.

   

  Sports betting and fantasy are definitely here to stay and are going to become a regular part of our sports world. In-game, real-time win probabilities are not just there to make the viewing experience better. These are tools that help influence the next level of sports wagers, the live bet or in-game wager. This allows people to place bets as the game unfolds. The level of engagement that this provides the user only brings them closer to the game and closer to parting with the money in their wallet. After all that's the end game, money. Most of these online sportsbooks will give you free money to bet. They call it free play and it is designed to get you used to gambling, suck you in, and ultimately make wagering on sports a part of your everyday life. This is not a bad thing, after all you can win, but it is a numbers game for them. The more that plays, the more they make, regardless of the game's outcome. 

   

  Like anything with gambling, the goal is to be smart and responsible. Whether it is fantasy, sports betting, cards or the stock market, if you are doing it out of desperation, there's a better than likely chance you will fail. If you are doing it for entertainment, you will probably still lose. However, if you approach it as a way to make passive income and you show it the respect you would for any other job, there's the opportunity to come out on top. Never wager what you can't afford to lose. Don't let greed overwhelm you. Little wins are always better than big losses. Parlays are normally losing propositions and the way the sports book would prefer you bet. Imagine if you could add an extra $400 a week to your income, would that make a difference? Of course, it would. So, think consistent winners instead of longshots with big odds. Be boring all the way to the bank or be the most exciting person in the poor house. Your choice.

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

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• First Year Coaching Highschool in the Pandemic Era.

  Feb 5, 2022 Andrew Williams 0 Comments

   

  by Andrew Williams

   

  After accepting the position to coach Junior Varsity girls for Legacy Highschool in North Las Vegas I was unsure what to expect.  Sure, I had experience with the Freshman squad a few years before but that was a different climate. That was the good ole days. That was B.C. (Before Covid), things were different then. With only two games remaining in my season, I felt I can take some time to reflect on what made this year so different.

   

  This year I was first chair, head coach, the big kahuna. All the good and bad fell on me and I was determined to turn all bad into good.  Normally the main issue would be just grades and disciplinary issues but not this year.  This year my roster suffered from continuity issues. At one point I had 8 players out due to Covid and this by the fifth game. The main hurdles were faced by my back court I watched possibly one of the more capable ball handlers in my freshman class miss game after game due to academics, and then watched our turnovers almost triple. 

   

  One of the things that stood out the most as far playing in a pandemic season was the development of basketball greatly fell off.  In this area (Las Vegas) we used to have a great pipeline for girls' basketball. In the before times, we had a league for young ladies from ages 4- 13 called GYBL. This league was focused on developing girls in every age group to be ready for school ball. The beauty of this league was it was never directly associated with any AAU program. This neutrality made a safe place for all teams. Rivals would welcome rivals; every week was the Game of the Year. Every challenge was intense, at any given time you can see an icon in Women’s basketball roaming a sideline or giving an amazing life changing speech. This was our Gauchos; this was our testing ground for all the new moves we learned. This competitive environment created a pool of excellent women basketball players that would go on to be competitive in Highschool and college basketball.  Once the Covid shutdown happened the pipeline dried up. Now I see across the Valley, multiple junior varsity teams with novice players.

   

  As for my junior varsity team yes, we had some novice players and some covid absences but with all that we still are sitting 8-5 before our last two games are played. We played, we lost, we fought back, and we won, all in all we grew from this season as a team. I as a coach has grown from this season and as a person. I wish at some point these girls would have had a chance to experience the purity and innocence of the GYBL. 

   

  So here we are 3 years after the doors shut on the greatest basketball prep league in Las Vegas area, and we have a disconnect. As I sit at my desk prepping for my last 2 games of the season I sit and wish they could have played more. I wish they had the games they needed to be great at this point. Who knows what girls' basketball will look like in the future in Las Vegas, but one thing that is for sure it will never be what it was B.C (Before Covid)?

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  Andrew Williams is a Sports Analyst and Host of BallCourt - The World of Basketball with Coach Drew and Let's Kick It - Courtside.

   

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• Gene Therapy: NBA - Is Philly Special?

  Feb 27, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  Ben Simmons and James Harden finally got what they were looking for and in doing so they have possibly changed the entire landscape of the NBA's Eastern Conference. While New Jersey will definitely miss what Harden brings to the table as a scorer and a facilitator, removing him from the lineup and inserting players secure in their roles, and willing to do some of the dirty work offensively and defensively that Harden was not committed to, can actually improve the team. Adding to that intrigue is the opportunity for Kyrie Irving to return to the team full time with New York relaxing their restrictions. For Philadelphia it is simple. They will actually get a player willing to play. While getting rid of a player who has been a tremendous distraction to their team since the end of their 20-21 season. 

   

  If Simmons can return to the court and become the player he was with Philly, he is a plus defender and elite athlete who could be a slasher in an offense that would not require him to play the point or dominate the ball. He also provides them with another ball handler who can facilitate with a second unit. The Nets also received help in the form of sharpshooter Seth Curry, who can provide even more off-the-ball scoring power or to compliment the on-ball offensive prowess of the team.

   

  My problem with Philly

   

  Although the "trust the process" days are over for the sixers, the stigma behind what they did still permeates the halls and affects everything. What they created was a culture of losing with zero accountability. The thought that you could purposely lose your way to a winning team is a flawed logic. While you may end up drafting valuable pieces, if you never teach them the value of winning, how do you expect them to build and sustain a winning culture? The process stunted Joel Embiid's progress as he spent too much time on the sideline and not enough on the court becoming the leader, and dominant force that we see today. Now he's spent the last few years figuring out the dedication necessary to be a champion. That's something Ben Simmons never learned (we'll put a pin in that).

   

  In steps James Harden who, because of his immense skill, has been able to skate by without absorbing full responsibility for his postseason shortcomings. Harden has never been the model of health and fitness (similar to Embiid) and when the lights were brightest, he seemed to shrink. But more damming is when it was time to collect responsibility, he's looked for the out and now for the second time in his career he purposely sabotaged his current team to force a trade to what he believes is a better option. That type of behavior doesn't scream champion, but this is what we sew being sold as legitimate championship contenders. Two supremely talented stars who have never won anything with a history of fitness issues and a track record of unavailability or coming up small in big moments.

   

  My Problem With Brooklyn

   

  This issue with Brooklyn is simple. They can't be relying on Ben Simmons, right? There's nothing about the Ben Simmons situation that would make me feel good about putting him on the court. I have long suspected Simmons was fool's gold. Choosing to go to LSU over all the major players who understand what the one and done life is all about, felt like he was afraid of the pressure that would come with attending one of those marquee universities where basketball is king.

   

  The second red flag came with his disinterested game at LSU and inability to elevate that program to a tournament level. Then there was his rookie season. While most believe that Simmons misses his first season due to injury, the truth is that he was capable of coming back but he (armed with the blessing of an organization dedicated to losing on purpose) decided that making a couple million dollars by sitting out and waiting until next season to play and possibly win rookie of the year was worth more than playing the second half of the season and gaining valuable experience. 

   

  Finally, after last season, where he was upset over receiving deserved criticism, he wanted out. He refused to show up for work this NBA season and when the Sixers began to fine him, he announced that he was dealing with mental health issues. The issue was that with Philly, Simmons was not expected to play this season but magically when he's traded to Brooklyn now, he's preparing to return. Did a trade really solve his mental health issues or is it fair to wonder if he ever really had issues. That's the type of element that Brooklyn is welcoming in.

   

  Instant rivalry 

   

  At the very least, this immediately becomes the best current rivalry in the NBA. Not since the Pierce/Garnett Celtics were bumping up against the Heatles'' has the Eastern Conference been so spicy. KD and Kyrie will definitely be looking to cook Harden when they match up and of course Harden will look to show them what they are missing. Of course, Embiid will jump into whatever beef as he is the biggest troll in the NBA and maybe, just maybe Ben Simmons will stand up and show the type of fire that could make him a legit factor in a series.

   

  As of now, the Sixers are the new Belle of the ball. Harden has come out doing all the things that make you fall in love with his talent and if you listen to Embiid, life has never been better, and the game has never been easier. We've seen this honeymoon phase before. The question is, will this marriage last or will the Wandering eye of Harden and his unwillingness to work on his flaws rear their head once again?

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

   

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• Gene Therapy: NFL Scouting Combine 2022 | Speed Kills

  Mar 11, 2022 Gene Clemons 0 Comments

  

   

  by Gene Clemons

   

  The moment we saw all of the receivers blazing fast times on day one of the on-field drills, we should not have been surprised by what we saw on the final day from the defensive backs. 13 prospects recorded sub 4.4 forties during the premiere drill of the combine. They wrapped up what will go down as one of the fastest NFL combines in history. But why?

   

  There's curiosity behind these turbo-charged times. Why now? What made this year different? Is this an anomaly or is this a turning point in history? Will this result in a recalibration of what is considered a fast time? It used to be that a sub 4.5 marked elite speed, and those that recorded times below 4.4 were considered freaks of nature worthy of track and field consideration. 4.2’s that was flirting with all-time greatness, the Prime Time, CJ2K elite that would net you an immediate shoe contract.

   

  This year a defensive end ran sub-4.4, that’s right, a defensive end!

   

  Overall, three players broke into the 4.2’s. Baylor cornerback Kalon Barnes was the fastest man at the combine, recording a 4.23. 28 players ran faster than 4.4 seconds and 36 players crossed the laser in under 4.5 seconds. That’s 67 players who ran under a 4.5 forty. That’s more players who ran sub 4.4 than they did in 2021 and any other combine in the 21st century. But again, why? The interesting part of evaluation is that the forty is not the best drill to assess talent at the next level because it is only a straight-line drill. The three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle are both much better drills to assess a prospect’s ability because they incorporate change of direction and acceleration. However, neither of those drills really show well on camera, they don’t do well with a simulcast. It is not easy for the laymen’s eye to decipher the difference between a good performance and a bad performance. At the end of the day, speed kills on the field and it sells off of it.

   

  Preparing for the event

   

  With the spotlight being shone on the forty-yard dash and teams proving that speed moves players up draft boards it is not surprising that more and more prospects are focusing less and less of their pre-draft workout on getting better at their craft and more time on being better at the 40. It has become its own competition with costly ramifications. Performance institutes seem to work on increasing explosion, stride length, form and leg drive. It seems to be working if we go by the numbers. More players are running faster times but at what cost?

   

  Dane Brugler, draft analyst for The Athletic, tweeted that there were only two receivers that ran sub seven seconds in the three-cone drill; that’s compared to 23 in 2017. The steep fall off can be directly related to the effort expended training for the 40. They spend less time training their change of direction because they know many novices don’t pay attention to it and those numbers don’t seem to move the needle on draft day. 

   

  We also see more and more prospects cherry-picking their events and it is not surprising that we see so many draft hopefuls only complete the 40 and maybe one of the two explosion drills (vertical or broad). They want to put their best foot forward and then maybe double back to the other drills at their pro day. It is a smart strategy when it pays off but it does not answer questions like it used to. There was a time where the combine was stressful because it was a one shot deal, a place where everyone got to do everything at one time. With their film in hand and the information gathered from the combine, an evaluator would have all they needed to give an accurate assessment of a player's potential at the next level. It also showed the ability of the player to perform under stressful conditions. Now prospects are choosing to piece out their performances over several stops which might help them produce better numbers but does not answer any questions that may be there regarding their internal makeup. It definitely makes it more difficult on an evaluator who would rather see things with their own eyes instead of relying on just numbers. 

   

  Evaluations are blinded by speed

   

  The fascination with speed has led to many teams missing on talented prospects because they fell in love with the speed of their contemporaries. In this draft University of Arkansas receiver Treylon Burkes was thought by many to be the top guy at the position. He ran a 4.55 40-yard time and people started backing off that prediction. It is funny because nothing about his football performance changed, he just ran a slower time than prognosticators believed he would. Because of that, many believe he has fallen below other receivers who have produced better times. That seems Counterproductive, especially when you consider the NFL player he has been compared to; Deebo Samuel. 

   

  Samuel ran a 4.48 forty at the combine in 2019 and received similar reactions. That caused him to drop out of the first round where he was projected to go. Marquise Brown and N’Keal Harry were both taken in the first round as Samuel draped into the second round and was chosen with the 36th overall pick. Samuel just finished an All Pro season for the 49ers and while neither Brown or Harry have been bad, they have not lived up to their draft status. AJ Brown and DK Metcalf were also taken late in the second round of that draft. So clearly there is no formula for a receiver that should be based on speed alone. 

   

  Every NFL Draft season mistakes are made because people get enamored with speed, at every position. Does it really matter that an offensive linemen ran sub five seconds on the forty, does that equate in any way to on-field success? The answer is no. But every year we marvel at those behemoths running items that used to be reserved for tight ends and linebackers.

   

  Speed kills, and when people believe that you lack it, it can kill so much more.

   

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  Gene Clemons is a Sports Analyst and Contributor to CWN Sports. His weekly column and podcast - Gene Therapy focuses on Sports, Politics and Social/Urban issues.

   

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