Where do I  start?

Well I had another birthday and yes it does suck having a winter birthday…my husband’s birthday is in June and last year we had a huge BBQ..catered food, 2 tents and lots of sun and sangria.  I got to plow out my car so I could go to Alexandria and do a database upgrade..sucks to be me right.  Actually, I am just happy and blessed to see another year!

With school being closed for over a week everybody was climbing the walls waiting to get back in the gym.  Things have returned to normal(define normal) and the  playoffs are kicking off..which is a good thing.  For the life of me I still don’t get Virginia’s regional alignment and playoff schedule..it is way too much…and I don’t like the Super Site games and mixing boys and girls together.  Maryland’s playoffs are straight forward 4 regions 4 classes..everybody in the regional playoffs, you lose you go home..girls play at their own site. But Virginia has their games on TV…which works for me because the smaller regions play on Saturday when the Maryland State finals are at UMBC.  So the week of the playoffs I spend driving back and forth to VCU and UMBC like 4 times!!! I will have my playoff predictions coming out later in the week.

There has been a lot of noise in the universe about All-American selections..this year’s rendition of bitching and moaning may be a little worse than year’s past.  Personally, I don’t get bent out of shape over selections..I am not a voting member of the WBCA, McDonald’s or Parade but I do get consulted by voting members about players in my region.  I honestly don’t want to be involved formally because it is why too much drama,  in fact had several people roll up on me and ask if I was responsible for this kid or that kid not making All-American…I had to laugh I am not that important.  I know a quite a few fans were pissed off that Maryland recruit Alyssa Thomas did not make WBCA or McDonald’s, yes I was shocked, especially since was a unanimous selection for the Hoopgurlz 2010 team(I do vote on that). I know the political reasons that Thomas was not selected, I am not going to give any credence to it here because it is what is and there is nothing that I can do about it.  Let’s be honest when all these All-American’s hit their respective campuses this summer the slate is clean and they are starting from ground-zero, time to stop sniffing the ink on the press clippings because your new teammates and coaches don’t give a crap about your high school accolades.

As much as I am not into high school All-American games, I am thinking about going to Mickey D’s only because Ronika Ransford and Jen O’Neil want me to help them get all gussied up for the banquet..now that may be worth the trip to see those two in dresses.

Believe or not I have never been to a Final Four… the time always conflicted with my coaching schedule with AAU and club basketball..put this year I am clear. I may not stay until the finals but I am definitely going hit up some of the parties…for networking purposes of course(wink,wink).

With the school season in the stretch run, this month is when all the club and AAU coaches start getting cranked up looking for players. There is always some intrigue and drama going and thus far I have heard about so many high profile players playing with every team up and down the east coast.  I wish I had a dolloar for every time I hear a player mentioned in the same sentence with Boo Williams, Fairfax Stars, Team Unique, Philly Belles, Exodus, Gauchos, Blue Star within the same day.  Peeps y’all have got to stop polluting the atmosphere with all this crap…my thing is I only believe a player is playing with who they are supposed to be playing with when I see them in the lay up line. AND if you want to know who a girl is playing for in the club season ask the MOTHERS, because the FATHERS listen and entertain all kinds of gas and bullshit from every joker who has a summer team, they will even have their kid attend a tryout of a team that they have no intention of playing on(just to get a whiff of that gas).

There are only so many elite level players and apparently in the DMV there are more elite teams than they are players..so if you do the math the numbers just doesn’t add up.  If you have a team full of guards and no college size wing or post players you are not an elite team, if you have a parent coaching you are not an elite team and if your coach has been bounced from an elite level team and is now coaching his own team you may want to ask why. Do your homework folks, every team is not for everybody.

This weekend was a perfect example of why I love DMV basketball…we were treated to a great college game #14 Georgetown vs. #4 Notre Dame. It was a great game and this was the biggest win in the history of Georgetown basketball.  Terry is doing a great job and Keith Brown’s(Coach Sexy Chocolate) influence on the defensive end is making all the difference.  If you haven’t seen the Hoyas this year you are missing out on some hard-nose, scrappy, in-your-face basketball and freshman Sugar Rodgers is a special player.

The nightcap on Saturday was a match up of two national powerhouse teams, as St Michael Academy from NYC came down to get some bump from Riverdale Baptist.  Tons of talent on display…the speed, athleticism  and intensity were off the charts, it was definitely a n0-Barbie Ball zone, there were a lot of turnovers but at that frantic of a pace it was par for the course.  It was good to see Apache and Co. come to the DMV,  they don’t ever duck bump and we love and respect them for it.  They will be back next year and they are lining up games since nobody really wants to see them in NYC…so if you are looking get in ring with them let me know so I can get you in touch with Apache.

Tonight I am going to miss Pam Goodwin’s farewell to Mount Vernon, when they play Edison for the District Championship.  Ms. Pam and the Mt. Vernon faithful have a love hate relationship…they love to hate each other..LOL. Edison vs Mt. Vernon has always been one of my favorite high school rivalries, more drama than a soap opera, with this being Ms. Pam’s last Mt. Vernon game it is almost like Erica Kane leaving All My Children. But have no fear because Ms. Pam is stepping up to the ACC so, Brenda and Debbie will get to hear that familiar voice in their gyms now when they play NC State.

I am missing that game for a good reason…Florida State vs UVA @ JPJ tonight, first time I get to see my girl Chastity Clayton live in a college game and of course watching Monica Wright is always special.  7PM ESPN if you look hard you will probably see me.

Awkward Family Story: The Thanksgiving Letter

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2. If you can’t walk or are missing any limbs, sit your butt down until someone makes your plate for you. Dinner time is not the time for you to be independent. Nibble on them pecans and walnuts to hold you over until someone makes you a plate.

3. If you have kids under the age of twelve, I will escort their little butts to the basement and bring their food down to them. They are not gonna tear my house up this year. Tell them that they are not allowed upstairs until it’s time for Uncle Butchie to start telling family stories about their mommas and papas. If they come upstairs for any reason except for that they are bleeding to death, I will tear their butts up and you better not ask why!

4. There is going to be one prayer for Thanksgiving dinner! JUST ONE! We do not care that you are thankful that your 13 year old daughter gave birth to a healthy baby or your nephew just got out of jail. The time limit for the prayer is one minute. If you are still talking after that one minute is up, you will feel something hard come across your lips and they will be swollen for approximately 20 minutes.

5. Finish everything on your plate before you go up for seconds! If you don’t, you will be asked to stay your greedy butt home next year!

6. BRING YOUR OWN TUPPERWARE!! Don’t let me catch you fixing yourself a plate in my good Tupperware knowing that I will never see it again! Furthermore, if you didn’t bring anything over, don’t let me catch you making a plate period or it will be a misunderstanding. And why are you making plates before you eat? You never bring a dish or offer a dime do you?

7. What you came with is what you should leave with!! Do not leave my house with anything that doesn’t belong to you. EVERYBODY WILL BE SUBJECTED TO A BODY SEARCH COMING AND GOING OUT OF MY DOMAIN!!!

8. Do not leave your kids so you can go hopping from house to house. This is not a DAYCARE CENTER ! There will be a kid-parent roll call every ten minutes. Any parent that is not present at the time of roll call, your child will be put outside until you come and get him or her. After 24 hours, I will call CPS!

9. BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM BEFORE YOU COME INTO TOWN!! There will be no sleeping over at my house! You are to come and eat dinner and go home or to your hotel room. EVERYBODY GETS KICKED OUT AT 11:00 pm. You will get a 15 minute warning bell ring.

10. Last but not least! ONE PLATE PER PERSON!! This is not a soup kitchen. I am not trying to feed your family until Christmas dinner! You will be supervised when you fix your plate. Anything over the appropriate amount will be charged to you before you leave. There will be a cash register at the door. Thanks to Cousin Alfred and his greedy family, we now have a credit card