Giving Thanks

How lucky am I to be playing professional basketball? Very Lucky

How lucky am I to be in great physical health? Very Very Lucky

How often do I count my blessings and really appreciate my luck? Not Enough

A few weeks back, I had a chance to get over to the Children's section of the Gottingen Klinikum (hospital) and shoot around with some of the kids there (we set up a hoop, they don't have basketball courts in the hospital). The orange team was out there giving the golden children the business.

It was a ton of fun and it meant a lot to these kids. I've been lucky in the sense that I've never had to spend too much time at the hospital (knock on wood). My family genes are pretty strong and there is no history of anything running in the family of those I love.

That being said, the hospital still gives me the heebie-jeebies. I don't like the smell, I don't like the food and I don't like seeing people in pain, but a visit is due every once in awhile to remind me just how lucky I am.

After shooting around with them, we signed some autographs and gave away some cool prizes but the best part of the whole experience was meeting Vincent. He's a young kid who had to have a bypass heart surgery and he's the epitome of toughness. It didn't hit me until one of my teammates (whose name I won't say) asked him if basketball was his favorite sport. His mother told us that his "heart has never been strong enough to play sports" and I almost broke down. It made me really think that every time I hate running sprints or hate going to practice, there are people out there that would give anything to be in my shoes...and that's the kind of stuff that keeps me going.

Stay Strong Vincent...You are the Man

Happy Thanksgiving

Do What You Do       Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

Get Caught Up

So apparently there is some copyright b*ullsh*t with the Beko BBL and our fansite can no longer post game highlights on youtube. Not sure the accuracy of that rumor but here is the link for our team website where the highlights can be found

http://www.meggoettingen.de/herren/pages/VeilchenTV.199.php

As most of you know, my girlfriend just left so I'll need to write blogs to pass some time. On the site above you can see both highlights from Paderborn and Giessen. Those were two big home wins, we went back on the road and lost to a tough Trier team that jumped on us from the get go and our efforts to get it back fell a bit short. So we're currently 2-2 with our fifth game coming up this weekend.

There has been a (Swine?) flu outbreak in the apartment complex and I've decided to quarantine myself in my room when I'm not out at practice, so look for some good blogs coming in the next few days. Here are the stats from the past three games.

Date: October 18, 2009
Goettingen harassed Paderborn Baskets 97:70 behind 28 points from Oliver. Jacobson nailed 23 and Boone scored 12. Moore delivered 18 points for the visiting side.

MEG GOETTINGEN (Coach: Patrick, John)

			Field Goals			Rebounds
#	Name	min	2pm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	bs	pts
12	Jacobson, Ben	33	2-6	6-9	1-2	2	5	7	7	2	1	1	23
23	Oliver, Chris	25	6-7	4-5	4-4	1	6	7	1	3	2	1	28
11	Little, John	21	0-0	0-3	2-2	0	4	4	2	4	0	0	2
21	Boone, Jason	18	5-6	0-0	2-2	3	3	6	0	3	0	0	12
7	McNaughton, Christopher	21	4-7	0-0	2-2	2	3	5	0	1	1	1	10
5	Kulawick, Robert	21	0-0	2-7	0-0	1	0	1	0	1	2	0	6
13	Frazier, Chester	21	0-0	0-3	2-2	1	2	3	2	3	0	0	2
22	Anderson, Dwayne	16	3-5	1-2	2-2	2	1	3	1	0	2	0	11
33	Toppert, Cody	9	0-0	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	3
31	Finger, Taj	4	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
8	Welzel, Tobias	3	0-1	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
10	Rochestie, Taylor	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
Total			20-33	14-33	15-16	13	24	37	15	20	8	3	97

PADERBORN BASKETS (Coach: Stolz, Olaf)

			Field Goals			Rebounds
#	Name	min	2pm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	bs	pts
9	Moore, Malik	31	1-4	4-9	4-4	0	1	1	3	4	2	0	18
23	Haynes, DeAndre	29	1-3	2-2	5-6	1	4	5	1	2	1	0	13
15	Barrett, Sefton	22	3-4	1-3	4-4	1	3	4	2	1	2	0	13
42	Terwilliger, Matt	22	0-2	1-3	0-0	0	3	3	1	2	0	0	3
4	Gerwig, Nate	21	1-1	0-0	0-0	1	0	1	0	5	1	0	2
6	Langford, Kevin	26	3-6	0-2	4-5	3	0	3	2	3	0	1	10
11	Borha, Lawrence	22	1-2	1-3	0-0	0	1	1	0	3	1	0	5
7	Lieneke, Daniel	9	0-1	0-3	4-4	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	4
40	Oehle, Robert	9	0-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	2	0	0	0
12	Huelsewede, Robert	4	1-1	0-1	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2
25	Gajda, Thomas	DNP - Coach's Decision
Total			11-26	9-26	21-23	6	15	21	9	22	7	1	70

Date: October 20, 2009
Oliver Chris posted 21 points and Jacobson Ben brought Goettingen 18 as the latter overcame LTi 46ers 86:64. Teague David answered with 21 points for the guests and Freese Jannik scored 13 points.

LTI GIESSEN 46ERS (Coach: Bogojevic, Vladimir)

			Field Goals			Rebounds
#	Name	min	2pm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	bs	pts
23	Teague, David	33	5-11	2-7	5-6	2	5	7	2	3	0	0	21
7	Johnson, Kevin	26	2-4	0-1	2-2	4	7	11	1	3	0	0	6
20	Weber, Max	22	0-0	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	1	4	1	0	0
21	Reed, Charles	21	1-1	0-2	0-0	1	0	1	3	0	0	0	2
11	Kohlmaier, Martin	17	0-1	0-0	4-4	1	1	2	0	3	0	1	4
32	Jeffers, Maurice	30	4-11	0-0	3-4	1	2	3	3	0	0	0	11
24	Freese, Jannik	22	5-7	0-0	3-3	1	4	5	0	2	0	0	13
4	Jacovic, Viktor	15	1-2	0-2	2-3	0	3	3	0	3	0	0	4
34	Werner, Joe	8	1-1	0-0	1-1	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	3
12	Theilig, Falko	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
19	Christen, Robin	DNP - Coach's Decision
31	Tapuskovic, Stevan	DNP - Coach's Decision
Total			19-38	2-14	20-23	10	23	33	10	20	1	1	64

MEG GOETTINGEN (Coach: Patrick, John)

			Field Goals			Rebounds
#	Name	min	2pm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	bs	pts
23	Oliver, Chris	31	5-7	3-9	2-2	2	2	4	2	1	2	0	21
12	Jacobson, Ben	31	6-8	2-4	0-0	1	1	2	5	3	2	0	18
21	Boone, Jason	28	4-4	0-0	4-6	2	5	7	1	4	0	1	12
11	Little, John	16	0-1	0-1	0-0	1	0	1	1	0	0	0	0
5	Kulawick, Robert	26	0-1	5-10	0-0	0	5	5	1	2	1	0	15
10	Rochestie, Taylor	20	4-5	1-6	1-2	0	0	0	3	1	1	0	12
13	Frazier, Chester	14	0-0	1-2	1-4	0	2	2	0	2	0	0	4
22	Anderson, Dwayne	12	0-1	0-2	0-2	2	0	2	0	3	1	0	0
7	McNaughton, Christopher	11	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	3	3	0	4	1	0	2
33	Toppert, Cody	5	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2
8	Welzel, Tobias	0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Total			21-31	12-34	8-16	8	18	26	14	21	8	1	86

Date: October 23, 2009
TBB Trier stayed among the league leaders as they held off Goettingen for the third success. Christopher Copeland poured in 30 points to pace Trier. Jamal Shuler secured 23 points and 8 boards for the winners. Chris Oliver finished with 21 points for Goettingen.

MEG GOETTINGEN (Coach: Patrick, John)

			Field Goals			Rebounds
#	Name	min	2pm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	bs	pts
12	Jacobson, Ben	32	4-9	1-3	6-8	1	1	2	1	1	0	0	17
23	Oliver, Chris	29	8-10	1-3	2-3	3	2	5	0	1	1	1	21
21	Boone, Jason	24	5-7	0-0	2-3	2	6	8	0	5	0	2	12
11	Little, John	10	0-0	0-1	0-0	0	2	2	1	4	0	0	0
10	Rochestie, Taylor	32	3-5	4-8	2-2	1	1	2	5	2	0	0	20
5	Kulawick, Robert	24	0-1	1-3	0-0	0	0	0	1	5	0	0	3
13	Frazier, Chester	22	0-0	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	1	5	0	0	0
7	McNaughton, Christopher	15	4-6	0-0	3-3	0	2	2	0	1	0	1	11
22	Anderson, Dwayne	5	0-0	1-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3
33	Toppert, Cody	3	0-0	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
8	Welzel, Tobias	DNP - Coach's Decision
Total			24-38	8-23	15-19	7	14	21	9	25	1	4	87

TBB TRIER (Coach: Defraigne, Yves)

			Field Goals			Rebounds
#	Name	min	2pm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	bs	pts
34	Copeland, Christopher	39	3-5	5-10	9-10	1	1	2	5	3	0	2	30
45	Shuler, Jamal	33	3-6	5-7	2-2	1	7	8	1	2	0	0	23
14	Brown, Brian	32	4-6	0-2	5-9	1	6	7	4	2	0	0	13
21	Evans, George	19	0-1	0-0	1-2	2	0	2	1	5	0	1	1
13	Gillingham, James	11	0-2	1-1	0-0	0	1	1	2	2	0	0	3
5	Raivio, Derek	29	1-3	1-3	5-6	2	1	3	4	1	0	0	10
4	Shtein, Maksym	16	5-6	0-0	0-0	3	0	3	0	3	0	0	10
33	Pekovic, Miladin	12	1-1	0-1	2-3	1	2	3	3	1	0	0	4
24	Zirbes, Maik	3	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	1	0	0	0
12	Karamatskos, Kosta	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
31	Andreev, Alexander	DNP - Coach's Decision
Total			17-30	12-24	24-32	11	19	30	20	20	0	3	94

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

Lights Down Low

It's one day away and I can't stop listening to this song...Bobby V nailed it on the head with this one. Anyone going through a long distance relationship should have this jam on repeat when the day finally approaches. Twenty four hours has never felt so long...

Baby yeah
Come on
Baby yeah
Come on
I wanna make love
Oh baby
I wanna make love

[Verse 1]
Three months, two weeks, five days
Phone calls, emails and the games
We been playing with each other
Baby won't you come over to my place
I'm sending you a first class ticket
To a three day love affair
Rose petals, and bubble baths
We can do it girl any way you like it
But you know I got to have it

[Chorus]
Turn the lights down low
Light some candles babe
We can get on
It's been so long since
We last made love
I miss your love
We gonna do it all night long
Put on a sexy dress, a secret Vicky
It's time to get hot, time to get freaky
It's been so long since we made love
We gonna do it all night long

[Verse 2]
Pick you up from the airport
You looking good
You got stilettos on, low cut thongs
It seems to me you know its on
We started kissing at the door
I'm rubbing on your thighs
Couldn't make it past the kitchen
It's what I've been missing
Let's enjoy this ride

[Hook]
Up down, Up down
Sweat all over our bodies (we sweating)
In out, In out
Got you screaming I'm naughty
Cause I'm deep in your love
Round 2 you on top let's get it started
This love we making (love we making)
Is so amazing

[Chorus x3]
Turn the lights down low
Light some candles babe
We can get on
It's been so long since
We last made love
I miss your love
We gonna do it all night long
Put on a sexy dress, a secret Vicky
It's time to get hot, time to get freaky
It's been so long since we made love
We gonna do it all night long

Can't nobody interrupt
Cause I don't even care
If my phone rings
My two-way
We still gone do this thing my way
I don't care
Me and you
Oh girl
All night long
Baby girl
It's me and you
On the floor on the couch
On the sink anywhere you like
I'll just I . . .

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback       ...blackhercules21...

My Darlin' Baby

Holly Smith aka My Darlin' Baby is on her way out to visit next week so I decided to dedicate today and tomorrow's blog to her. I can't wait to see my baby...my darliln' baby that is

[Chorus]

Can I dig it,
when you baby me,
oooh oooh, oooh,
my darl..
oooh
my darling baby,
your in…

[Lil Wayne]
Uh, more beautiful than the World,
Word, matter of fact beautiful ain’t the word,
unexplainable is the beauty of her,
and i will be the race car hitting her curves,
errrrr,
i drive her crazy, stupid retarded,
yeah and then i park it,
she got a smile on her that put a smile on me,
she cater to me she get all destiny child on me,
she ride for me even though i got miles on me,
she gon ride till the day they put flowers on me,
thats my darling,
and i love it, yeh,
thats my, yeh,
so sweet she bad for me,
but she so good I’ll take the cavity,
falling for her like how safe is gravity,
i’ll make your girl about face and marry me,
hahahaha, yeh
I do…you do,
……

[Drake]
but ahhh, the things I’m willing to do for her,
I wish I could have a threesome with two of her,
I would sing a love song if I knew the words,
but I’ll be damned if another n-gga do it first,
cos you the one, damn i think i see the sun,
I guess that mean you gotta run,
well holla at me when you done,

[Chorus]
Can i dig it,
when you baby,
woop woop woop,
my darling baby,

[Drake]
uhh,
she nothing like every other dime,
I think about her and couple things come to mind,
thoughts like if she end up my baby mother fine,
cos we only use a rubber like every other time,
oooh, i bet she so embarrassed,
I had to take her ass to Paris,
give her the moments that she cherish,
you know

[Lil Wayne]
yep
she got it coming to her like an heiress,
and anything she want I Will like Farris,
oops i meant ferris and in the coupe i tint very light,
so them hating b-tches can see me and you at every light,
oooh, and i hope its one of them long lights,
I mean I hope its one of them long nights,
no wrong turns, aint no such things as a wrong right,

[Drake]
uh yeah,
you make me feel so good,
and everytime we cut it heals so good,
its been over a year that sh-t is still so good,
no adjusting for you, you know just what to do and all,
yea, oh and i love it,
see Im trying to make it public,
I think a glass never does fit,

[Lil Wayne]
and yesterday I told her she a muthaf-cker,
and how her new haircut is so becoming of her,
oh thats your girl, well Imma make a women of her,
never do to another what we do one another,

now thats a numbers for ya, and i’ll give up my summers for ya,
yeah I’ll spend my winters and my springs on it,
and put a ring on it, eyy,

[Chorus]

[Drake]
uhh, just say yes not no,
the club is overrated baby lets not go,
lets stay home and burn a couple calories,
f-ck the house up and make the maid earn a salary,
yeah I cook you dinner if you cook me breakfast,
they say that nobodies perfect but you look perfected,
i really love to be the one you took a step with,
so trust me when I tell you it’d be worth the effort

[Lil Wayne]
shes unbelievable like a purple leopard (?)
just give me the formula watch me work the method,
hehe, Weezy F, i prefer the best sh-t,

and babe you the f-cking best,
you deserve a trophy,
you could be my four leaf clover
my clothes aren’t tight n-gga their cosy,
and when she turn around they say … like Joey,
thats my baby,
and I love it,
yeah, young money

nice scarf huh?

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

Let's Get Caught Up

Every so often it'll happen where I have a lot of things going on in my head and I wont' want to dedicate an entire blog to each particular issue. Therefore my blog will start to bounce all over the place like our PG Chester Fraziers blog, where apparently anything goes.

Okay so first off, the blog about our team bonding roadtrip is on the way...I'm waiting to see if I can upload videos straight to the blog or if I have to upload them to youtube first.

Secondly, I want to shout out my JETS, being a Yankees fan as well I've been on both sides of the "everyone wants you to beat those guys" fence. I am not sure what side is better, but I enjoyed the hell out of that game. The Jets haven't given up a touchdown all season (although we're only two games in) we've already played against two of the best receivers and one of the best quarterbacks in the game.

Staying on the football note, I need to make some major changes in my fantasy football league. Maurice Jones-Drew, aka the savior of my team, has yet to show up in two weeks, and the determined Jay Cutler has not been at the level I expected him to be. It also didn't help benching Cedric Benson and Willis McGahee while playing Brandon Jacobs and Kevin Smith. Trades are pending as I type this...

Back to basketball, we had an intense game against a rival of ours last night here in Gottingen and ended up pulling out the W. Once the highlights are available to post, I'll elaborate a little, but basically, we're on the right path to be where we need to be come Oct 9th.

In the most impressive news of the day...both my girlfriend Holly and her friends Meggie and Liz-O completed their half marathon ahead of the goals they set. I know I got a little crazy with Sunday's blog, but I definitely am very proud of all three of them. I worked an NYU cross country meet and I swear, the last leg of those races are the biggest test of will out there. More than match point at Wimbledon or the 18th hole at the Masters. Shoutouts to Team Smith

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

"I was raised by this town
To believe the words they put inside me
They made me hide
Inside their loving arms around me"

--Sunrise Avenue- Choose To Be Me

Running A Marathon

Running has always been a punishment for me. Point blank. Period.

Whether it was my AAU coach sending us to the baseline for suicides, my football coach sending us behind the field for hills or my NYU coach sending us up to the track for conditioning, me and running have never gotten along.

Honestly, I don't know whether this is a picture of a mass execution or the start of a marathon

.

I understand the importance of being in good shape, and also what kind of difference good cardiovascular health makes, but that's why I've invested a lot of time in my jumprope. Having said all of that, I'm still an athlete and get to compete everyday. But what happens when my playing days are finished? Where do I go for that taste of competition that I love so much? I'm not sure where I will find it when that day comes, but I promise you it will not be this thing -->

It was brought to my attention by "Team Smith" (my girlfriend and her college tennis teammate) that when athletes finish their playing days they still need competition. "Okay"...so join a women's tennis league or a raquetball club. That'd be much more fun than running around a track or through a borough wouldn't it?

As soon as I learned that they don't do this because it's fun, but rather because it's a challenge, I can give them my full backing/blessing. Before I knew that, I swore they were going crazy. Just like all cross-country runners. Although I worked an NYU XC meet and saw some people's will to finish a race impress me like none other. Shout outs to my NYU XC people.

Anyway, back to these "former atheletes"...Holly and Meggie Smith (no relation) are heading out to Flushing today to run the New York Road Runners Half Marathon Gran Prix Presented By Continental Airlines: Queens

This is the description from the website..."The view from MacNeil Park, a nub of land poking out into Long Island Sound, is just one of many attractions you’ll pass during this fourth race of the Grand Prix series. Be greeted by the residents of College Point, Malba, Whitestone, and Beechhurst as you cruise through the streets of New York City's largest and most diverse borough"...sorry you're going to have to do better than that to inspire me.

So ladies, this blog is for you Hopefully you got up out of bed early enough to read this before you left...but you'll do great. I know it. And how do I know? Because Holly, if you don't finish, you can't come visit. And Meggie, if you don't finish, you don't get an MEG Gottingen sweatshirt. And I want them both in under 2:15 too.

How is that for motivation? 

Do What You Do      Hallelujah Hollaback      ...blackhercules21...

"If it make you feel better, picture me over and done with
Punk bitch, come with all the gossip you can come with
Small thang to a giant, I can overcome this
If God with me, who could be against me sucka?
Can't make me suffer, just make me tougher"

--TI- Moviation