Month: January 2021

(1) Cade Cunningham | 18pts 7rebs |Oklahoma state vs Kansas highlights – YouTube

Time for me to get back on track with the Cade Cunningham Journal. It was a log jammed schedule last night for me hoops-wise as I had my eye on four games. But clearly Mike Boynton’s O State team beating No. 6 Kansas 75-70 inside Gallagher Iba was the game I watched primarily.

A great win for O State as they’ve steadied since a shaky Big 12 start and stand at 9-3 overall, 3-3 in rugged Big 12 play, and now sit as the No. 5 seed in the league.

This young team is falling into its roles while getting better every game. Cade, Ike Likekele, Rondel Walker, and Bryce Williams to me at least are the best four players on the team and it looks like Mike Boynton has his team going the right way heading into Saturday’s home Bedlam game with OU … 7-4, 3-3.

Cade was ice-cold steady as usual with 18 points and 7 rebounds. He plays with a fluid coolness which at times belies he’s the best player on the floor. But what impressed me more was the collective play of Likekele, Rondel Walker, and Bryce Williams. Those guys are legit and they made big plays when big plays needed to be made.

OU down in Norman blew out Jaime Dixon’s Horned Frogs setting the tone for a Bedlam game on Saturday which will easily be my No. 1 local hoops game to watch this week-end. Brady Manek and Jalen Hill both sat out the win over TCU as both are in Covid protocol.

In Oklahoma City the tanking Thunder played the semi-tanking Spurs with San Antonio prevailing 112-102 in a game in which I probably saw about eight minutes of game time as I did not miss any of the O State game.

What can you say? The Thunder needed to lose and get back on track on the journey to lose enough to possibly put Cade Cunningham on their team next season. Job well done and with the Lakers in town tonight on the second night of a back to back one would think the Thunder will have it back in gear with a two game losing streak working in this home stand.

To date — the Thunder have yet to win a home game in this Covid season of empty arenas. I would submit the lack of fans negates home field in basketball more than in any other of the four major league sports.

Again…this is the perfect season for Sam Presti to tank in an innocent college market such as Oklahoma City which by chance came upon an NBA franchise by way of Hurricane Katrina. If Sam Presti is going to tank this is the year.

It just stuns me that in little sleepy Birther racist Oklahoma… I’m still reading people who think the Thunder shouldn’t tank this NBA season. Just stunning. Sigh.

The fourth game I kept track of was the Houston Rockets’ loss to the LA Lakers. We might not need Houston to implode to this point as the Rockets have dropped to the No. 13 seed in the West currently. Steady in Houston… please don’t lose this much.

I can’t wait to watch Bedlam.

Former Trump aid Anthony Scaramucci predicts that President Trump will go to jail at some point – YouTube

The Articles of Impeachment will easily pass in the House today. But more striking is Mitch McConnell has finally found his soul and indicated he will vote for impeachment in the Senate as well.

This changes the whole dynamic from a procedural standpoint.

Impeachment in the Senate is now on my Vegas board as 40-50% doable within the next week or so. Maybe symbollically the Senate’s verdict of conviction will come sometime on next Tuesday right before Joe Biden’s inauguration.

The evidence is a veritable slam dunk.

The question is in states like Oklahoma, Alabama and the such is if with McConnell on board and Trump’s Twiiter account closed is if the senators in these states can finally break from their Jm Crow constituents and for once exhibit some courage.

The math of 67 votes with McConnell on board is very doable and it’s time for this country to move on and begin the arduous process of making America great again.

This should be a great day to be an American. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There is a reason we have laws.

Lindsey Graham back when John McCain was alive is the one on the video below. Unfornutately the Lindsey Graham we see today has been radicalized by Trump as much as those idiots we saw on television murdering and looting in our Nation’s capitol.

It would make John McCain geninuely sad to know after he left this earth his buddy Lindsey proceeded to figuratively or maybe literally suck Donald Trump’s dick every day four years running.

Excuse the language, but it is what it is with Lindsey.

There was a white former congressman from South Carolina on the news this morning sharing his thoughts about the Lindsey Graham we see in front of us today.

In his closing he said with a dignified Southern drawl, “You know, the Democrats hate Lindsey. The moderate Republicans and Independents hate Lindsey. And the Trump batf–k crazies now hate Lindsey. Those people might even kill him in an American airport before this is over. Everyone hates Lindsey.”

He paused and then finished the interview smiling as he said, “Lindsey Graham better go get him a good dog is my advice.”

Lindsey won’t have a chance to go get a dog this week in that it appears he’s been designated the Trump adult day care surrogate these final days. But my advice to Lindsey would be after you’ve tucked Trump into bed and let him use your Twitter account till he’s worn out these last few days… go get yourself a black lab and start listening to Jake Owens singing Journey of Life, buddy.

I’m done with Lindsey. Next up for farewell hugs and kissess….maybe Devin Nunes.

Devin is living proof you don’t have to live in SEC country to be f–king dumber than a sack of rocks. Devin will be my first winner of the Mike Gundy Medal of Courage winner.

Here’s a video below before Lindsey’s mouth became super-glued to Donald Trump’s crotch… figuratively of course.

(1) ‘The Verdict’ | Critics’ Picks | The New York Times – YouTube

I’m highlighting The Verdict this week because to me it is a connection to what is transpiring in our country currently. At somepoint you become numbed to what is happening from within our own country… it drains a little from our collective American souls every day. We can’t deport every person who’s still defending Donald Trump. Building a wall or impeaching Donald Trump won’t solve this either.

When there is a constant assault on the truth we begin to lose fatih and trust in our institutions. We lose faith in our communities and our neighborhoods. We lose sight of the very core beliefs of which should be steering our lives. In the end… if we’re not careful we lose ourselves in the process.

This NY Times movie reviwer had a different take on the ending of The Verdict than I did. I actually found the ending somewhat uplifting and somewhat aspirational. It actually gave me some reaffirmation in the good which is in all of us if we seek the truth.

So given the condition our country finds itself in currently–I thought I would feature this movie review on my blog this morning.

I would hope every American is in deep inner inflection this week moving forward as we seek the truth and the best which is in all of us.

Here’s the complete ending scene of the movie and why I’ve held this movie close to my heart ever since I saw it the first time.

There is justice and goodness in all of us…we just have to relocate it as a group.

(1) The Verdict by Sydney Lumet – Final Scene – Paul Newman – YouTube

From the first play of scrimmge you knew it was going to be a very long night for the Buckeyes when Trey Sermon suffered a game ending shoulder injury.

For Ohio State to beat this historic Alabama offense it was going to have to be a game where the Buckeyes could run the ball and create some turnovers.

Without Sermon–the Ohio State run game fizzled and there was only one Mac Jones turnover which led to a red zone field goal for the Big Ten champs.

Alabama averaged 48.5 points a game this football season and were better than their norm in this national championship snoozer.

Ohio State’s defense had no answer whatsoevr for Heisman winner DeVonta Smith who was the game’s MVP. Ohio State’s four linebacker defense was in no way going to keep DeVonta Smith in check. But then again… no one in college football stopped Smith this season either.

Nick Saban has now won six national titles in the past twelve years. If you throw in Saban’s title at LSU he’s won seven national tiles and has now passed Bear Bryant on the leaderboard for national championships in the AP era.

OU will start next season ranked No. 2 behind Saban’s dynasty. Unlike in previous years the concern in Norman isn’t going to be on the defensive side of the ball. The concern is if OU wants to beat Alabama can they score forty-nine points or so and make a few clutch defensive stops through the course of a back and forth game.

Saban is a smart football coach. The college game changed and he not only changed with it but he went one better than Lincoln Riley on the offensive side of the ball.

(1) Steve Miller Band – Music Video – Living in the U.S.A. – YouTube

Well…here we go–National Championship Monday. Before I give my feel on the game the AP Poll just came out for next college football season: 1 Alabama, 2 Oklahoma, 7 Iowa State.

Apparently… Iowa State with the expanded eligibility rules this past season due to Covid will be bringing back all twenty-two starters. I love the fact these Iowa State players are this vested in their team. I love their coach and with O State on the slow gradual decline without Boone driving Gundy to earn his money it’s a good thing for the Big 12 Iowa State will be filling the lane which either Texas or O State should be driving. I’m not sure about Texas with another coaching change.

Last time I checked Alabama was favored tonight at -8.5 against the Ohio State Buckeyes…The Buckeyes definitely having a puncher’s chance if the game goes to script for them. This means for me… Trey Sermon has to reach the 150 yard rushing plateau and Justin Fields has to sustain some possessions during the game with his feet. Justin Fields with his feet is a clear advantage the Buckeyes should have in this game over Bama’s Mac Jones running wise.

You would think Ohio State needs to win the turnover game and the kicking game as well. Alabama needs to help them a little bit though.

I do think the windows Justin Fields has to throw through tonight be will tougher than what he experinced in the Clemson game. Clemson was minus several key defensive players due to targeting and it really came easy for the Buckeyes’ offense. Almost too easy from my perspective.

But that Alabama offense. Oh, my. I’ve seen some talent laden offenses with the Sooners over the years, but this Bama offense may be the best I’ve seen in the last decade of college football. THEY ARE LOADED AT EVERY POSITION.

Nick Saban is a very smart coach as he said of late, ” Defense doesn’t win games in college football any longer. Offense wins football games in the current world of college football.”

I see this game almost like I see the Cleveland Browns at Kansas City this week-end unless there’s some Covid scratches I’m not aware of as of this writing. I see a game where Alabama is the better team and would probably beat the Buckeyes seven out of ten games on a neutral field setting. But I do think Ohio State has a chance if Alabama turns the football over.

Just for fun to keep the game interesting for me…I’m taking the Buckeyes and the 8.5 points., but taking Alabama to win the game.

Game Day music provided by Stevie Miller. Can’t get much better than that.

In my not yet complete life there are three artists I’ve been to see three times in concert. One is Tony Bennett. Two is Billy Joel. And the third is Stevie Miller. I just don’t feel I would have lived a full life otherwise. I’m so jacked…OU is preseason #2. I’ll have to live vicariously through Ohio State tonight.

Steve Miller Band – Rock’N Me – Live From Chicago (HD) – YouTube

The Verdict Paul Newman – YouTube

I just read today on the internet there is a current petition being circulated calling for the disbarrment of both Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley for their roles in the insurrection upon our Nation’s capitol. To date over 6,000 lawyers and law school students have signed the petition.

I know, I know I only have a Juris Doctorate from the Bob Jackson School of Law. I didn’t go to Harvard or Yale or Georgetown. But if I could sign up on this petition count me as 6,001.

Why do we go to law school and become officers of the Court? Do we do it to make a lot on money? Do we do it because of ego? Do we do it to file one frivilous bullshit lawsuit one after another as some do?

I would hope one pursues a career in law because of a passion for practicing law. I would hope there is an inner desire to somehow in these times we live in to be an agent for decency and justice for the poor and the rich. For the brown, the black, and the white. Justice should be colorblind.

Justice for all.

That our hope regardless of sex, race, religion, or sexual orientation we are all viewed as equals by our constitution and our laws. Because if we do not have this in a democracy….. we have nothing.

What we are witnessing currently before our eyes is an American tragegy laden with historical infamy perhaps even moreso the Civil War. Nothing more than a dumpster fire slowy burning before our very eyes.

So…should Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley be disbarred? Of course they should be disbarred. They should not only be disbarred but they should each be found guilty of a felony and spend some time in federal prison to reevaluate the remainder of their lives.

Too harsh?

No. Because they not only committed this disgraceful crime but after a four hour or so delay they walked right back into the building and did it again in their desire to win over some of the human rabble Trump voters.

Their fealty was to the ocean of dysfunctional Trump supporters and not to the law. It seems pretty simple.

Please watch the video above if you have time. It’s the best closing summation I’ve ever seen.

We have to be better than this. What we have become is not acceptable…not even in a dictatorship, let alone a democracy.

(1) Remembering The Life And Legacy Of Tim Russert | Morning Joe | MSNBC – YouTube

What a great week-end of the NFL Playoffs. Timmy Russert is looking down from heaven with that grin of his. Buffalo, Cleveland, and Tom Brady are advancing to the second round of tournament play.

Plus…the Thunder won their third in a row with a nice victory over Kevin Durant. I have to give Sam Presti some slack on this win. There is one supreme rule to tanking to this season….you never tank against either Kevin Durant or James Harden this season. You play those games to the death like it’s a Game 7. Especially with the Rockets who now occupy the 13th seed in the West with us having their first round pick unprotected beyond 1-4 in the draft. It was really a great game for the Thunder.

Gotta give Diallo and Shai a shout out… they were magnificent for the second game in a row.

Now… on to the national storylines which quite frankly are what I like to follow on my blog. The NHL season is getting ready to start as well. I’m doing more hockey this season since the Thunder are a third tier level story this NBA season. I’ll do my best to keep the Thunder involved in some storylines on my blog since the domain is okcthunderground.com.

This is a good season for the intern minions at the Daily Thunder to work on their craft and cultivate some uniqueness to their collective writing voices. Quit trying to copy Royce Young or Little Nick Gallo. Please evolve with your own unique writing voices and your own individual narratives. Blind lemming cult sychophants come a dime a dozen in these days of the Trump phenomenon…..just saying. 2nd Rule of Coaching–You Coach With Your Own Distinctive Character and Personality Traits. I’m trying to help you so your blog will be more interesting to read.

The Cleveland Football Browns cleared their slate of some demons past in Pittsburg with a 48-37 win over their hated rivals the Steelers last night.

From the point Odell Beckam Junior was injured and lost for the season the Browns turned themselves into a playoff team. Baker Mayfield answered all of his many detractors and got it done along with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landy, Miles Garrett, and an excellent offensive line. Rookie head coach Kevin Stefanski should be the NFL coach of the Year regardless of what the Buffalo Bills did this season.

For the first time in 18 years the Browns made the playoffs. For the first time in 26 years the Browns won a playoff game. And for the first time since 1969 the Cleveland Browns won a road playoff game.

Granted Patrick Mahomes and the world champion Kansas Chiefs await the Browns at Arrowhead… you never know. In a season in which the Covid pandemic cursed the Browns more than any other NFL team coming down the stretch—these Cleveland Browns showed a resolve completely out of character from recent Browns’ teams.

I would guess they’ll travel to Kansas City being somewhere around a nine or ten point road underdog, but you never know what can happen when a team gets hot coming out of the wild card round. Maybe Tyreke Hill or Kelce or even Mahomes get injured or have a Covid issue. You just never know and that’s why you go play the game. You throw a couple of haymakers and hope something lands. But what you really do is run the football with Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and that marvelous offensive line. If you can run the football and not turn over the ball that’s what generally translates into NFL post season success.

But beyond the Browns…. look at the quarterbacks we as passionate NFL fans have moving into the seond round of the NFL Tournament. We have in this order in my ranking system 1 Patrick Mahomes, 2 Tom Brady, 3 Aaron Rodgers, 4 Drew Brees, 5 Lamar Jackson, 6 Josh Allen, 7 Baker Mayfield, and 8 Jared Goff.

And even with the LA Rams having the weakest quarterback still playing nobody wants to play that Rams’ defense. Green Bay better be ready play to play next week-end at Lambeau.

I will not leave the house at the Deer Creek ranch other than except for stocking up on pizza and taking Pauli out for search walks for the mountain lion which still haunts her. She can’t just let that go…she’s got some White Fang in her for certain. No beta in this diva lab.

What a great week-end week-end minus the tragedy in our Nation’s capitol.

Who would have thought Tim Russert up there with the NFL gods could even be contemplating an AFC Championship Game with the Cleveland Browns visiting Buffalo for the right to advance to the Super Bowl.

Tim Russert has a big grin on his face right now as does the NFL.

Remembering Timothy J. Russert At 10 Years | Meet The Press | NBC News – YouTube

Before we get down to it… I have to say something about Tom Brady…as in the old guy can still spin a football. Green Bay is my favorite team and my goodness we could see an Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady matchup in the NFC playoffs. Can’t wait.

What we’ve seen in the last several years is support of the statement I make time and time again on my blog…PLAYER MAKES THE COACH. It would somewhat appear to me Tom Brady has shown he could have won in a big way in New England without Bill Belichick. What has Greg Popovich done in San Antonio since Timmy Duncan hung up his snickers? How many rings do you think Phil would have won without Michael and Kobe? PLAYER MAKES THE COACH.

Now…. on to Smerconish Sunday. Michael didn’t use my poll question yesterday which was… ‘Should Donald Trump Be Prosecuted For Felony Murder? So what I’m going to do is come back to that next week after we’ve seen if Mike Pence has the balls the invoke the 25th Amendment or if the Dems in the House have everything in place to impeach Donald Trump and get a Senate conviction.

It doesn’t matter to me which lane is taken just as long as Trump is convicted be it either in an impeachment trial or by federal prosecutors for his criminal and disgraceful involvement as to what transpired at our Nation’s capitol this Wednesday.

If I were Joe Biden–I’d put my eggs in the Merrick Garland basket and try to convict this punk for his role as the leader in the event which put in motion the death of five human beings. For this reason…you can control jurisdiction if you go this route and have the possibilty of having an impartial jury hear the evidence. In the United States Senate…no way. Hakeem Jeffries and Adam Schiff would still just be pissing into the wind with the for the most part still gutless GOP senators.

Jurisdiction is everything. Ask O.J. Simpson if you doubt me.

To me the mosting chilling poll which I saw this week-end was a poll which ask the question of Republican voters only…’Do you support the actions of Donald Trump on the insurrection of our Nation’s capitol’?

Of the respondents…46% responded yes. Ball game. It’s obvious to me regardless of how good a courtroom lawyer you are you’re not winning a conviction from that jury pool. You’re not winning a Seante conviction because those will be the people on the phone lines jamming the lines of the GOP senate office througout the country in support of Donald Trump.

It wouldn’t matter if Vince Bugliosi had Donald Trump on video lynching Mike Pence on Pennsylvania Avenue. You are not getting a conviction in that venue with that jury pool. That isn’t going to happen. No way and Alan Dershowitz knows it. And let’s be clear…Dershowitz isn’t the complete f–king idiot which goes by the name of Ted Cruz. Not every Harvard Law grad is a complete dumbass.

Trust me…I’m an honors graduate of the Bob Jackson School of Law…that scenario is not going to end well.

So…if I were Joe Biden what I would do is huddle with Merrick Garland and put a prosecution team together of Judge Garland, Hakeem Jeffries, and Doug Jones in place and try Donald Trump in federal court where at least all the evidence will be viewed by the what ‘could’ be an impartial jury which will weigh the evidence in a responsible manner.

I’d drop Schiff from the team even though he’s a good lawyer. His prissy demeanor might turn off some jurors while Doug Jones with his home spun demeanor might win over some hesitant jurors. Bob Jackson School of Law Rule #1… make the jury like you. Then they’ll start listening to your evidence.

That much at the minimum…is what should be done to give the families of the five murder victims some hope that they’re going to get the best possible option for justice from our legal options available.

In ending, Michael’s question was excellent. Smerconish’s National Question of the Week was…”After January 20th will Donald Trump still be the face of National Republican Party?

Just under 50,000 people responded which is an all-time record for the question of the week.

The results…63% said no. 37% said yes. But keep in mind many who voted in this poll were Democrats and Independents so from an emperical standpoint you don’t get a pure stain of the idiocy from GOP voters only.

Have a nice Sunday and enjoy cheering on your favorite NFL team. LET’S GO PACKERS!

A special blessing to Timmy Russert and his father up in heaven. Dudes—your Buffalo Bills are going to the second round. Pick up a copy of Tim’s book about his father some time if you want an aspirational read about what the American Dream should be.

NBA Mini Movie: 2012 Western Conference Finals – YouTube

Tough, dark, cold week in Oklahoma City. Our country came apart at the seams and we have a basketball team in rebuild mode. Call it whatever…tank, rebuild, transition season.

But this much is clear Oklahoma City needs to maximize their first round pick and the Houston first round pick. Then you take a deep breath… evaluate how far these young guys went this year and recalibrate your realistic goals for next season with what at that point would be the youngest team in the NBA.

But a team which should be exciting to watch evolve in the future.

This is the year to do this with no fans allowed in the arena and the economic model for a small market team like Oklahoma City in a redo template given the economic effects of Covid on the Thunder’s bottom line.

Enough with this nonsense they shouldn’t tank. They have to tank. Call it a mini-tank…but they have to do this at least this season. Call it a baby tank if you have to.

The best win of the four is arguably against an Orlando team which I would guess would be a Vegas pick to be a first round exit in the East at this early juncture in the season.

Winning is fun. We all love to win every game. I detest losing. But sometimes you have to gut it out for a year to have the potential to become more than just an 8-10 team in the West every year.

These young guys are playing hard for the most part. They’re not a stupid group now that Coach D has informed Poku he’s not Tony Kukoc just yet.

They’ve beaten Charlotte, Orlando, New Orleans, and the NY Knicks to date. Not exactly a gauntlet of championship contenders.

So I’m just going to watch these young guys get better….even Poku. Hope they don’t win too many games. Dream a bit about the future. And appreciate the incredible good fate we’ve had to date in Oklahoma City with our basketball club.

I’m always a dream big guy….just as long as we’re smart doing it.

A perfect time to kick back and watch the first round of the NFL playoffs. Nice to see the Buffalo Bills win a [playoff game for the first time in twenty-five years. Now there you see, Sheldon Diggs is a difference maker. That’s what I’m talking about in regards to team building.