Cincy host best All-Star MLB Weekend Ever? Dr. Serena performs surgery?; Chris Wright camp does major numbers;

With baseball in All-Star mode and numerous events going on, lets take a look at the hottest and most recent events:

(1) All-Star Celebrity Game, Home Run Derby shines in Cincy
When you haven't had a All-Star game in almost 30 years, you build a new stadium, you bring some Celebrities in the know (Snoop, Macklemore, Rob Riggle), and then you add some legends (Ozzie Smith, Vladimir Guerrero, Aaron Boone, Rollie Fingers) along with some lovely recognizable faces (Jenny Finch, Kirk Herbstreit, etc).

Lo and behold, you have a Instant Classic.

Hell, even Ohio State football coach and National Champion Urban Meyer was running around bases and football seasons knocking on the door.
Not to mention the "New and Improved" home run derby format, which is a understatement to say the least. But add to the fact that the Reds own Todd Frazier won the event, in "reality TV drama style" no less.

Bear in mind that the last All-Star game in Cincy? Home Run Derby was rained out.
Entirely.
This year?
The early festivities have been called the best in MLB All-Star history.
This is from certifiable Hall of Famers all the way down to the fans.
If the All-Star game is half as good as the preleminary events the Nati will have shown that they can host a top level sporting event as good as any city, and maybe it shouldn't take 30 years to bring it back.




(2) Chris "Flight" Wright camp does major numbers, as he continues to give back.
With hundreds of kids in the building and with 3 different gyms packed? It was easy to see why Chris Wright was feeling good for his 2nd Annual Basketball Camp held at Trotwood HS last weekend.

Wright, who played in the Euroleague last year, helped his Polish team reach new heights, as he took his skills to Europe for a year after playing in the NBDL and the NBA Champion Warriors a couple years ago.
Seemingly comfortable in his position, Wright felt very humbled to have the type of turnout and support of his camp.
While Wright will look to get into a NBA Camp for next season he knows that his path has lead him to great things regardless.
 "I'm very blessed to be able to give back to the kids after having so many opportunities in basketball."
As for the NBA?
"Im ready when the NBA calls, but I want to thank my team last season for the great opportunity they gave me. We'll see what happens. No matter what, I will enjoy and appreciate whatever opportunities I get."



(3) Dr. Serena continues to dominate, ties Graf

Serena Williams won another Wimbledon championship this weekend, as she won in straight sets.
With 19 Grand Slam titles she now enters a statosphere only a few have ever even sniffed.

Navratilova, Graf, and now Williams.

Serena is within eyeshot of becoming the greatest tennis player ever, after tying Graf last weekend. A couple more and Serena will be atop the women's world in Grand Slams.

Although she's 35, her skill set, her training regimen, her focus (working on a doctorate as we speak and her WILL is what pushes her above the rest year after year.
Will Serena become the most successful female athlete of All-Time?
The list is shorter than ever now.
And she seems more intent than ever to make that happen.

#Salute Doc.
Oh she's not a Dr yet?
Just a matter of time. Just ask Venus.

NBA prospect Juwan Staten shows why LeBron had so much faith in him as West Virginia defeats Kansas

  

Juwan Staten reppin' West Virginia after huge W

    Seven years ago Juwan Staten was "The Man" in the state of Ohio. A junior at Thurgood Marshall out of Dayton, Staten had led his squad to the Ohio High School State Finals and had just fallen short of winning a state title, which had sent the All-State guard in tears. LeBron James, on the sideline watching Staten put on a show to keep the Cougars in the game, had consoled the young star, letting him know his future was bright, that he had balled out and dominated in the presence of one the best players in the NBA, all the while patting him on the back and hugging the distraught Staten.

LeBron consoles Staten at HS State Finals

     Staten would then go to a prep school his senior year, leaving Thurgood, to better prepare himself for college. He would use those words for inspiration that LeBron had left him. When he decided to stay at Dayton, the whole city was in shock. The best player in Ohio - who left for prep school - will comeback to play for his hometown?

This was sure to bring a level of respect, love and appreciation to Juwan, as he would be able to lead the Flyers to the promise land right?

In the words of Borat the Entertainer, "Not so much."

In a tumultuous year at UD, Staten decided to transfer after his freshman year. He was badgered by the city. He was dissed by the UD faithful. Called a quitter, a trader, and not loyal. It hurt him and his family, especially his father, Bill Staten, who had carefully watched his son throughout the whole process, and was not hesitant to step in, when he felt needed. Staten had coached at Thurgood and Colonel White, and heard all the negative words that was said about his son. Not to mention the fact that Staten wasn't starting his freshman year. Whether he was ready to start or not, is another story, but then-coach Brian Gregory decided to bring him along slowly, which was not happily taken by Staten. This caused a rift between Staten and the staff, and ultimately would lead to Staten heading to West Virginia.

 While that moment wasn't a storybook ending for Staten, this season sure has been, with his signature moment at the hands of the mighty Kansas Jayhawks.

   Staten was accepted by Huggins, and wasn't coddled by any means. Huggins wasn't sold on his sophomore prodigy. He wanted Staten to take more responsibility for his mistakes. Work harder. Show more. Become more mature.
So Staten did.

Staten GW shot vs Kansas

His junior year for the Mountaineers was phenomenal and you could see Huggins opening up to his star, all the while keeping him accountable. Staten made All-Big 12, and was selected this year as the Pre-Season Big 12 Player of the Year.

So with the Kansas Jayhawks leading by 1 with 9 seconds to go and Staten having missed his last two shots, who would get the ball?
Hmmm....Yep, you guessed it.

Staten went coast to coast with a smooth spin move and left hand layup to give the Montaineers the lead - then ran full speed down to the other end - beating everyone down the court, to rattle Perry Ellis into missing the shot and giving the Mountaineers the huge W, solidifying their March Madness hopes.
After the game, Staten quoted, "We keep fighting and believing. We didn't give up".

Im sure LeBron knew what he was watching that March day in Columbus.

Now the whole world knows as well.



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Top 5 Sporting Events of Weekend

This weekend before the 4th of July featured some HUGE SPORTING fireworks going on, with the Major League All-Star picks, Track and Field Trials, and High School BBall Shootouts and 7 on 7 High School Football goin' down.....Here's the SELive Hot 5 Events last weekend... Have a great 4th of July!! ENJOY

1. Tiger Wins.....Again.
           When Tiger Woods won a few weeks ago, sports people was ready to annoint him king again; All you heard was "Tigers Back!"; then he promptly played sub-par for the final two rounds in the Open, and the wagon-riders fell off faster than Dwight Howard leaving Orlando, saying "Tiger will never be like he used to be!"...well looks like he might be headed back to domination nation, passing Jack Nicklaus for second on ALL-TIME WINS...And as Tiger threw a little salt in the wound of all the reporters, golfers, standbyers and haters during his press conference, you could almost hear him saying in the infamous words of Dave Chappelle, "4 shizzle"

2. Spain wins UEFA EURO Cup 2012.... Again

          When you think of dominance or a dynasty, you think of a team winning multiple Championships in a 5-10 year span. And right on cue, what the Spaniards did to Italy in the Final (4-0) is the crowning achievement to a team who plays with the style and flair that you would see in the Spanish dance floors.  Spain has won the last 3 Major Soccer Championship Events (EURO Champions 2008 & 2012 and World Cup 2010) and became the 1st Team in history to repeat as back to back EURO Cup Champions. When looking for a comparison as to how great this team is? How about Brazil in the Pele days?....and......thats it folks. And when you watch the Spaniards play, you know you are watching GREATNESS. They have guys who can score from anywhere, anytime. They control the ball and do whatever they want. They know all the angles and are a complete team. Just to let you know how dominant they were: Italy, who completely outplayed the #2 ranked Germany team, riding the most dominant scorer in the tourney (Balotelli)..Balotelli was suffocated to the point after the game he pushed his coaches out of the way - literally - to get to the locker room.

Balotelli jerkin around

3. Brandon McKinney Youth Camp, 7 on 7 weekend

Brandon McKinney 7 on 7 Passing Camp

        Chaminade -Julienne grad and current Indianapolis Colt Brandon McKinney hosted a great sports weekend for the youth this weekend as he held his youth camp (saturday) and high school 7 on 7 football camp(sunday) out at Trotwood-Madison High School. McKinney has played in the NFL for a while now, and he loves being able to give back to the community. He told us that he was "excited" for the opportunity to play in Indy and looks forward to having a chance to be a starter and showcase his skills. He also loves the fact that Indy is relatively close to Dayton, so family and friends will get to see him play. Major props to McKinney. There was hundreds of kids to show up for the camp, and notable playoff teams such as Thurgood Marshall & C-J, along with Columbus teams and the State Champion Rams who provided some great action. Coach Douglass was qouted as saying "Some new faces will have to step up this year" which will provide some exciting storylines for the Rams.















4. Daequan Cook High School Shootout 

      Continuing on the local note, Dunbar hoop legend and Oklahoma City Thunder G Daequan Cook held his High School Shootout this weekend at the Dunbar and Stivers High School. Cook, who attended the Shootout as well, is another guy who loves giving back to the community. With the amount of talent in the city area, the Shootout had all the City League Teams as well as other schools. Cook continues to help out the city which helped him realize his dream. Cook was dissapointed that his Thunder didn't get the NBA Title, but feels his squad will be back next season.

5. Major League Baseball All-Star snubs, Cueto takes LaRussa's girl?
     Major League Baseball announced their All-Stars this weekend and the Reds were not happy with the omission of Johnny Cueto and Brandon Phillips. Manager Dusty Baker was pissed, and said BPhillips not being on the team was a major mistake and was baffled, while Cueto was a little more blunt saying himself, "My numbers were very good. Maybe the Manager (All-Star Game) was mad that I was dating his girlfriend." Girlfriend? Huh? Ok, first... whos the All-Star Manager? Oh yeah, Tony LaRussa, the manager of the Cardinals. The one who still holds a grudge over Cueto spiking his players like Bruce LeeRoy and BPhillips squaring off against Cards in the Brawl in Cincy a couple years ago. Hey, I thought LaRussa was married? He has a girlfriend?....Hmmm...What's really goin' on LaRussa?

6. Free Agency Begins in the NBA

Superman to Brooklyn?

      I think this summers free agency is actually BETTER than last years, with all the big names that will be on the move - or not.  Starting with Dwight Howard, to Steve Nash, to Deron Williams, to OJ Mayo, to Roy Hibbert, to Brandon Roy coming back, this summer will shape the NBA newest team to challenge the Heatles. Remember SELive Says: Whoever gets the blockbuster deal will be in the NBA Conference Finals THIS SEASON. Chalk it up.


HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!  DON'T BLOW YASELF UP TRYING TO LIGHT SPARKLERS!     

                                          
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NBA Top 10 Biggest STORYLINES in 2011-12 season

      The labor lockout this year has turned this NBA season into a Autobahn, where teams are having to play, think, revise its roster, practice, add / release players, and travel at a rapid, record setting  pace. The offseason, while short, was memorable and the 2 preseason games? C'mon man!! As a whole the NBA games have been slightly under par, but most of the players are in shape. Finding out where your favorite role player is now who was on your team last season? Not so easy....No matter what, you gotta love the NBA and its great that its back, even if Principal Stern (oops, Commissioner Stern)  threatened to send all the players to China and Turkey...

Anyways, here are SportsEffectLive.com TOP 10 STORYLINES of the NBA 2011-12 season. Enjoy!

(1) Can the Heat rebound? (Norris Cole Effect, Humblization of Lebron)

Not 1, not 2, not 3....

     Last year the Miami Heat was the overhyped bullies of the league, figuring that if they team up, instead of going solo aginst the likes of Boston and LA, that they would have a better chance to win not 1, not 2, not 3 championships...etc. and so on...However, that fairytale ending ended with a suprised thud the size of Dirk Nowitzki's arc on his jumper every time it left his hand. The Heat had lost to the Mavs in classic meltdown fashion (after being up 1-0 & 2-1), had looked unclassy in the process (imitating Nowitzki's cold) and with it had Bosh on instant meltdown with LeBron going in hiding for a month or two. After workin' on his game this summer with Akeem the Dream, LeBron seems more at peace than ever before. Miami did do well in the draft, getting sleeper Norris Cole and aquiring Shane Battier through free agency, and looking at their early gallop out the gates, they could be headed back to the NBA Finals; Getting there won't be enough as they are win or bust this season.

Can LeBron get a ring ring?

(2) Will Lakers get over Paul trade block? (New coach, Odom traded, DHoward to LA?Kobe divorce)

      The Lakers tried to pull off the deal of the brief NBA offseason by doing a huge trade to get Chris Paul a few weeks ago; However, principal (I meant commissioner) Stern disallowed the trade AFTER ALL TEAMS in the trade had given it the stamp of approval, making it feel like the Lakers had pulled another doozie, only to be Kevin McHaled (SELivedefinition: up and under pump fake) by Stern and swooped on by the LA Clippers. Although the Lakers lost Lamar Kardashian Odom (Mavs) and Coach Phil Jackson (meditation school), they still have enough talent to win a NBA Championship. They are still on the Howard bandwagon, and dont be suprised if Superman ends up in Hollywood. However, will Kobe be able to play at the level he always has, with a (1)new coach(2)a divorce on the way and (3) Father time catching up with his leaping ability?...We think he will, as he always has. So look for the LakeShow to be in the Title Mix.

(3) Where will Dwight Howard end up?

Superman to Hollywood?

       Superman has one year left on his contract, and the Magic have tried (to no avail) to get Howard a second star to help them get to a championship; They lost in the Finals a couple years ago, only to move backwards since, while aquiring Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and others; Seems like the Magic aren't sure what to do, as trade rumors had Howard going from Jersey all the way to LA...I think he will eventually be traded, although Howard has said if we get another primetime player that he would be willing to stay. One things for sure - wherever he goes, the shift in power will go as well. 

(4) Can the Mavs repeat?

      Dallas had a dream season last year, starting fast, and finishing strong with a dramatic Championship run; The hard part is that because of the new labor agreement, the Mavs had to let go of a few players who were catalysts in the championship run (JJ Barea, Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, Deshawn Stevenson). Grabbing  Odom, Vince Carter, and Shawne Williams were good moves, but will it be enough to get them back to back Titles? Not so sure....Word is that the Mavs are in the hunt to get Dwight Howard, but that looks like a longshot.

(5) Can the new BIG 3 make it happen in New York?

     New York Knicks hasn't been relevant since the Pat Ewing days and one magical year with Larry Johnson,(I do miss the grandmama ads) Allan Houston, LaTrell "choke em out" Sprewell and company; Now with Tyson Chandler joining Melo and Amar'e, the Knicks look like a team headed in the right direction. If they get any production from the guard spots, they will be a Top 4 Team in the East (along with Chicago, Boston and Miami). They had a winner in Billups, but didn't wanna pay 14 Million to the vet, so they let him go. Will that hurt them in the long run?

(6) Does the Old BIG 3 in Boston have anything left in the tank?

     Boston's Big 3 (now BIG 4 with Rondo) has won a Championship, lost a championship, and now looks like they have 1 last title run left;  Paul Pierce is now back and playing good nontheless, which means they still will be a player for the East; Will they be able to muster enough energy in a short compressed season to challenge the Heat, Bulls, or Knicks with all 3 of those rosters having young hungry talent?    

(7) Miami Valley Local Lookout...(Daequan Cook, Norris Cole, Derrick Brown, Chris Wright)

DCook with NBA 3pt Trophy

     For the first time ever, Dayton, Ohio has 4 guys, born and raised in the DYT, on NBA rosters; While Daequan Cook is the elder statesman of the group, he's only 24 with a NBA 3-pt Crown to his achivements; Norris Cole (Miami) has burst onto the scene stealing the Heatles show in his second game (14 of  his 20 pts in the 4th quarter to seal the win) and will be a Rookie of the Year Candidate; Derrick Brown is now in the rotation in Charlotte and Chris Wright is on the practice squad in Golden State, but making great strides and im willing to bet that he will be in uniform before the end of January. This is a GROUNDBREAKING year for Dayton, and hopefully all the youngsters in the Miami Valley will realize, with hard work, patience, and a little luck, they can too be on a NBA roster.

(8) Will the Cavs look good or bad about their draft decisions? (Rookie of Year talk)

Irving and Thompson

      Cleveland had 2 of the top 4 picks in the Draft, and went with Duke Guard Kyrie Irving and Texas big man Tristian Thompson; Irving has a load of potential, but due to the fact he only played in a handfull of games at Duke, this season will be paramount to him and the Cavs. Thompson is a athetic 6'10 who is in the LaMarcus Aldridge mold...The Cavs passed up on Arizona's Derrick Williams (Minnesota), will they regret that?...Meanwhile Cavs Coach Byron Scott loves the way Irving plays, and feels he will be a star in the league. Until that happens though, the Cavs will pray for 30 wins and continue to rebuild.

(9) Can the Clippers join the NBA Elite? Blake Griffin / Chris Paul MVP?

Rookie of the Year Clownin'

     The Clippers, up until this year, has been the JV team in the City of  Los Angeles. No doubt about it. After decades of penny pinching by the owner (Sterling), and horrible front office moves, they finally got it right by drafting Blake Griffin, aquiring athletic young stud and horrible FT shooter Deaundre Jordan,  trading for Chris Paul (giving up Eric Gordon sucked) and aquiring Caron Butler and Chauncy B-B-B-Billups through free agency..Now they look like a team ready to make a move from the JV and share the spotlight - or dare we say - take it over from the Lakers. Should be a special year for the Clip Joint.

(10) Is this the Year of the Thunder?

Durant Westbrook combo must work to win Title

      Anybody who watched the Oklahoma City Thunder last year in the playoffs KNEW two things; One, that this team has the talent to win it all and (two) can Westbrook and Durant get along? We feel like  Durant will be MVP this season, only because it is CLEAR that he is "the man" on this team, the Batman, the lead guy, the Superstar. Russell Westbrook is the x-factor that seemed to be pouting during crucial moments of the playoffs, during nitty gritty parts of key games against the Mavs. If Westbrook can accept the fact that he is playing with one of the GREATEST scorers (and soon to be players) in NBA history, then the Thunder will have a great chance to win a NBA Title. This season. If not, it could be a stormy end of year. Westbrook and Durant have already been arguing this season and if they can't iron it out, either a blockbuster trade or a unsettling situation will be the final result in OK City. They have all of the pieces to win a Title; Two great 1 on 1 players, athletic bigs who can guard and rebound, wing players of all sorts, and speed and defense at the top of the League. But can they get that cohesion that will lead you there? If you looked that the Mavs last year, their teamwork and team first mentality was unparalled in the NBA. Can the Thunder get to that level?


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Ex-Flyer Chris Wright signed by Warriors, should thank NBA Lockout

Four years ago around this time Chris "Flight" Wright was making a splash onto the college scene by helping the Dayton Flyers get to the highest national ranking (13) they had in decades, maybe ever. He averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds and a block as a Faboulous Frosh, and with his high flying dunks, aggressive blocks, and high energy demeanor, he look like a SURE FIRE future 1st-rounder and  guy who could lead the Flyers to a possible deep run into the NCAA tournament. However, in a twist of cruel fate, he hurt his leg after one of the Flyers best starts in team history (14-1) and the team never recovered.

       Wright would continue to do what he did best in his next three years, which is rebound, fly high, bring energy and dominate on defense. Standing at a legit  6'8 with crazy hops and a NBA body, the knock was that he needed to develop a consistent 15-20 ft. jump shot, and work on his ball handling so that he could make himself more valuable to the NBA as a small forward along as a undersized power forward.
     However it didn't look like he developed the consistent perimeter "J" that would take him from a prospect to a 1st rounder. And so as the experts, the so-called experts, ballers, non-ballers who have opinions, and the rest of the world spoke on Wrights' inability to drop 3's consistently, it seemed that Flight Wright would be on a flight forreal - to play overseas.

But then something insane happened. The owners decided to play hardball; therefore, a NBA lockout created.

    Now at first everyone had questions such as: Will there be a NBA this year? Should he just do the smart thing and go overseas off jump? Why wait for a chance to get into a training camp, only to be sent to the D-League or be cut? What is the chances of him even getting to the NBA after a strike? Slim to none?
     Looks extremely good I would say.         
   

"Flight Wright" in motion

      A few days before the draft Wright had admitted that he had not put the time in to make himself a better shooter. Could it had been that former Dayton coach Brian Gregory didn't utilize Wright properly or help him develop his skills? Could it had been that Wright thought he would get to the NBA anyway despite the shortcomings as a shooter? Whatever the case was, he was honest with himself and the media. So he went into the gym. And put shots up. Hundreds and thousands of shots. And continued to work. And with the supreme dissapointment embedded in his head of not getting drafted to the NBA - and then having to watch a friend and localballer (Norris Cole) get drafted - in the 1st round no less - had to be as humbling a moment as Wright has ever had.
  

     Now most players would have accepted his fate of being a good college player who couldn't really shoot. Not Chris. He remained positive, continued to work on his negatives and was rewarded. He was the 3rd player drafted in the NBDL (behind Jamaal Tinsley & Alando Tucker, both NBA vets) by the Warriors organization. And once the NBA owners decided that they were ready to play ball, they had waited so long that it put most GM's and Coaches in a frenzy. Normally, Wright would have been on a summer league team, trying to make the team, which would have been small chance (at best). But because of the strike, the league schedule was pushed back, money was taken from the players, a soft cap was revealed and other little tidbits had been changed, making room at the end of the bench for players who are high energy,a good skill set, excelled in college, and have room for development. Like Chris Wright. Wright was signed this past week to the Golden State Warriors squad and is in training camp trying to secure a spot in the NBA. The Warriors currently have only 11 players signed, so he has EVERY opportunity to prove himself worthy - which I have no doubt he will.                      
    Once I heard this news, I was extremely happy. He's a humble great young guy. He deserved it. Never been in trouble or doing the wrong things. Im cool with the Wright family all the way back to high school. But hopefully Chris Wright has learned a valuable lesson. No matter how much talent you have, you must work on your weaknesses to be able to take that rainbow all the way to the pot of gold. And oh yeah, it doesn't hurt when the owners hold out so you can sneak into training camp. To get to the NBA, no matter how much skill you have, it still takes a little luck somewhere along the way. Its how prepared you are that will decide how big that pot is when you get that chance.
                                   
  Remember,       Preparation + hard work + opportunity = Success.



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