Life is too short

Uninformed sicknesses and apathetic approaches in being more aggressive to finding out people’s health cases early on has to  be more gingerly, especially to the athletes playing a competitive sport. Perceiving competitive players take an abrupt falling to the ground has to be an abhorrent image to watch.

Who would have thought that an enlarged heart can utterly change someone’s life so drastically? In 2011, I found out that I had Cardiomyopathy which causes weakness in the heart muscle and increases the left ventricle. Stress to your body, artery disease, or just simply working your body harder than it can take are symptoms of an enlarged heart. Basketball had to be removed from my life and stress had to be limited or eliminated completely. As a result, my eyes were opened wide and I had to make sure that I do not trigger anything off.

Canaan Cadwell's father Durey Cadwell

In 2011, my father fainted and was immediately rushed to the hospital where he found out he had Cardiomyopathy. My father, Durey Cadwell, has been having it all of his life but just found out only four years ago. He was a phenomenal basketball player in high school at Port St. Joe High in Florida and at Western Kentucky in college. Without knowing about his heart, Cadwell continued to play without feeling a sign of this heart problem. 

Canaan Cadwell's uncle Damien Byrd  

In 1995, my father lost his younger sister Davida Byrd (my aunt) to an enlarged heart when she was only 17 years old. She had no idea about her heart condition.  My father just recently lost his brother Damien Byrd (my uncle) from a heart attack which was the twin of his younger sister. He had an enlarged heart as well. He refused to stop living his life for the disease. He did not want to stop living due to fear.

Why do we still see so many athletes passing out on the court or field from an enlarged heart? Why are the doctors not documenting heart problems during the required annual physical? Are the doctors omitting an important step of the annual physical?

Loving and playing the game of basketball all of my life, I did not find out about my condition until my sophomore year in high school.  At this point of my life, I am required to go to the cardiologist every 8 months. The physical demands on my body triggers my heart to grow in size is what the doctor tells me. I received EKG’s, echocardiograms and MRI on a regular basis. 

Wes Leonard, a former Michigan high school basketball star, collapsed on the court in 2011 from having an enlarged heart.  "This was a total shock," the family said. "He was 'like a man' and such an athletic boy, in seemingly perfect condition."

Wes Leonard

Too often, heart problems that can cause an irregular heartbeat and sudden death are missed because there is not enough uniform screening of athletes, said Dr. Lori Mosca, director of preventive cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. There are an estimated of 125 athletes per year who die from enlarged hearts and/or sudden deaths like cancer. Just to name a few; Ryan Shay and Wes Leonard.

Early 2013, David Wilganowski, a high school football star in Bryan, Texas had cardiac arrest in the middle of a football game where his heart completely stopped and gave up on the sidelines. Trainers did their job by doing CPR and AED. Wilganowski is one of the lucky ones for his heart to start pumping again before the paramedics showed up.

David Wilganowski

There were cases where doctors thought it was an enlarged heart but what he had was a genetic Long Q-T syndrome where he receives rapid heartbeats.

In 1993, a young man from Chicago Illinois changed the ESPN atmosphere by bringing his own catchphrases and attitude that people weren’t used to. SportsCenter changed drastically when Scott took off. “Boo-yah!” From that moment on, the entirety of ESPN2 caught on to Scott’s notable sayings that are still said to this day.

January 4, 2015 the inner city Chicago man left this world from a type of cancer that he has been fighting with for years. He was undergoing chemotherapy and fighting cancer for the past seven (7) years. His first emergency appearance happened in 2007 and still never revealed what kind of Cancer it was exactly. In 2013, he was more open to tell the public about his cancer and how he missed work days for chemotherapy treatments where he trained at a mixed-martial arts gym. Fighting through this cancer, like many other athletes, Scott reflected on just being the best dad he can be for his kids.

"Taelor and Sydni, I love you guys more than I will ever be able to express,” said Stuart Scott. “You two are my heartbeat. I am standing here on this stage tonight because of you."

Stuart Scott 

Last year at the ESPYS, Scott accepted the Jimmy V award for one of the notable people battling a type of cancer like Coach Valvano did. Valvano is a former NC State basketball head coach whose life was cut short to an end ten years after winning the NCAA National Championship due to cancer. His speech in 1993 still goes down as one of the greatest speeches in sports history.  The V foundation was created to open the awareness of cancer patients and raised over $90 million dollars to open facilities worldwide.

There are many sports athletes and anchors that are currently fighting cancer to this day. Cancer, Cardiomyopathy, and other diseases should really be taken more serious.

Something doctors don’t realize, that having an enlarged heart is mostly emotional and that enhances it more than anything. It isn’t always an irregular heartbeat.

Currently, I am fighting this enlarged heart every day of my life and “still as cool as the other side of the pillow.”  I don’t play basketball anymore but I found another passion. A passion to be a sports journalist/broadcaster and still being around the game I love is a dream I hope come true. Having the family and friend support is the reason I am here today. I think about my heart all the time throughout the day but I try to live like I don’t have it.   

Inspecting into finding health problems more pensive needs to take a stand now before the issue escalate in number. The collapsing of athletes and rare sickness of players, coaches, anchors, and etc. should be the demonstration that is shown to help a better nation.

“Don’t give up,” said Stuart Scott. “Don’t ever give up.”

Houston Rockets Identity?

Without Dwight Howard being on the floor, the Houston Rockets are trying different ways to win. Howard has been out of the lineup for his 11th straight game after the 113-109 win to the Sacramento Kings. 

“My legs are a little weak,” said Howard. “But I want to say that is from the long flight here. Get a good workout in tonight and hopefully try to play Saturday."

The 17-5 Rockets have gone 8-3 since their starting big man has been out with knee soreness.

Injuries have been a problem for Houston all season long starting with Patrick Beverley at the beginning of the season. Francisco Garcia and Isaiah Canaan have been sidelined due to an ankle injury. Greek forward, Kostas Papanikolaou is listed Day-to-day with a knee injury and Terrence Jones is out indefinitely.  

Without having all of their players, it’s hard to tell how good the Rockets could actually be. With James Harden being the primary option, he has emerged into the league’s leading scorer averaging 25.6 ppg. He is also fifth in the league in steals per game.

Harden showcased his skills last night with a 44 point performance with eight assists, three steals, and four rebounds. Ten of his points came in overtime helping uplift the Rockets in a close victory against the “Cousiningless” Kings.

The takeover skills that Harden produced is what Houston need and could’ve used in last season playoffs against the Portland Trailblazers. The aggressiveness that the Rockets displayed in the end of regulation rally is what should be expected more.

Living and dying by the three is what Houston rely on and it looks good when everybody is on. The Rockets made 15-44 three pointers shooting 34% from the field. There aren’t many other options the Rockets have because of their injuries. When the Rockets decide to bring in their small lineup, they’re mismatched with other teams. The Golden State Warriors exposed the Rockets “small” lineup by beating them off the dribble and penetration on the floor. Spacing them out, Houston had no rim protection in the paint.

In last night’s victory, Beverley contributed with 15 points and 10 boards with five assists. Ariza had 15 points on poor shooting and Jason Terry hit 13 points coming off the bench. The Rockets had to go small in the second half due to their big men being in foul trouble like Motiejunas. The Kings 22 turnovers helped the Rockets comeback down the stretch with Harden hitting a clutch three pointer in the 4^th quarter with 20 seconds left.

When the Rockets finally get all of their players’ healthy, things will start to get clear on how good Houston can actually be. As of now, we will see a “small” lineup that they like to rotate in and sometimes go big to feed their low post scorers. Improving scoring off of points in the paint is the area of improvement that should be focused on heading to Saturday’s game against the Denver Nuggets. 

Houston Rockets vs Sacramento Kings full highlights

Canaan Cadwell's 2014 mock NBA Draft

1. Cleveland: Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas

2. Milwaukee: Jabari Parker, SF, Duke

3. Philadelphia: Dante Exum, G, Australia

4. Orlando: Joel Embiid, C, Kansas

5. Utah: Julius Randle, F, Celtics

6. Boston: Aaron Gordon, F, Arizona

7. L.A. Lakers: Marcus Smart, G, Oklahoma State

8. Sacramento Kings: Elfrid Payton, G, Louisiana-Lafayette

9. Charlotte: Doug McDermott, F, Creighton

10. Philadelphia: Noah Vonleh, F, Indiana

11. Denver Nuggets: Adreian Payne, F, Michigan State

12. Orlando Magic: Gary Harris, G, Michigan State

13. Minnesota Timberwolves: Clint Capela, F, Switzerland

14. Phoenix Suns: James Young, F, Kentucky

15. Atlanta Hawks: Rodney Hood, F, Duke

16. Chicago Bulls: Nik Stauskas, G, Michigan

17. Boston Celtics: Tyler Ennis, G, Syracuse

18. Phoenix Suns: Zach LaVine, G, UCLA

19. Chicago Bulls: T.J. Warren, F, NC State

20. Toronto Raptors: Shabazz Napier, G, UConn

21. Oklahoma City Thunder: PJ Hairston, G, Texas Legends

22. Memphis Grizzlies: Kyle Anderson, G/SF, UCLA

23. Utah Jazz: Dario Saric, F, Croatia

24. Charlotte: Jordan Adams, G, UCLA

25. Houston Rockets: Jerami Grant, F, Syracuse

26. Miami Heat: Patrick Young, F/C, Florida

27. Phoenix Suns: Jarnell Stokes, F, Tennessee

28. L.A. Clippers: C.J. Wilcox, G, Washington

29. Oklahoma City: Jordan Clarkson, G, Mizzou

30. San Antonio Spurs: Cleanthony Early, F, Wichita State

Prejudice Thoughts on Society

Racism still exists in a world that has become “free” and most likely will never face extinction. Whether it is at school, outside in public, in entertainment, or involving sports, America will always have its people that still cannot prosper the fact that black activist like Martin Luther King was the voice that turned things around.

            

The Donald Sterling issue scattered across the country within hours after TMZ released the recording from Mr. Sterling and his girlfriend. From guys like Magic Johnson, Doc Rivers, Stephen A. Smith, Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner), and the Los Angeles Clippers team all had something to say about the situation. The Clippers did a protest before a playoff game by wearing their warm-up shirts inside out. Many people wanted to see Sterling banned from the NBA and for him to sell the Clippers team. Eventually Sterling ended up being forced to sell the Clippers and having to pay a fine for the horrible racist’s remarks he made.

            

Weeks after the Sterling incident, the Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spoke at a Nashville conference about society’s challenges with racism. “We are a lot less tolerant on different views & we are all prejudice one way or another,” said Cuban. “If I see a black guy in a hoodie late at night, I’m walking to the other side. If there’s a white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere, I’m walking on the other side of the street.” Many people backfired and made their statements and remarks towards what he said. Some called him a racist some said he was defending Mr. Sterling, and some agreed with Cuban. Cuban ended up apologizing to the Trayvon Martin family after considering the fact he said “black guy in a hoodie.”

            

The overall spectrum of “racism” as a whole speaks for itself. A black guy wearing a hoodie can be any African American in the world wearing a hoodie late at night rather than a white guy with a bald head with tattoos everywhere. Every white person isn't bald or has tattoos everywhere. Cuban isn't the only one that thinks this way given the fact that the first thing that came to his mind was “black guy in a hoodie” could be the first thing he thought of.

 “Race is not a card, it’s a condition,” said Michael Dyson. “Martin Luther King Jr. dress correctly, he spoke the kings English to the queens taste, he wore a fedora. Rose parks were immaculately dressed but despite their immaculately dressed they were subject to the most vicious forms of recrimination.”   

Stereotypes have always been a part of this society. What Cuban did was open eyes to many people due of the fact that he was one of the first to admit that everyone can have prejudice ways in a public matter. There are some white people who agree with Cuban but never wanted to say anything because they didn't want to get listed as a racist. As bad as it sounds, it is very true. America can’t face the truth whether they like it or not. In this society, image matters. The way you look on the outside can be completely different than what’s on the inside. Sagging pants, explicit shirts, and wearing bandannas, will automatically assume that you fit in the “thug” category. If a cop pulled over someone wearing any of what was just mentioned or someone dressing apart delivering the more professional look, which will have the better outcome?

Richard Sherman was criticized after the NFC championship game for the rant he did during an interview with Erin Andrews. He was considered a “thug” for what reasons? He saved the game for the Seattle Seahawks by deflecting Kaepernick pass to Michael Crabtree in the end zone and called Crabtree a “mediocre” wide receiver. Labeled as a thug, Sherman spoke out and said, “The only reason it bothers me because it seems like it’s the accepted way of calling somebody the n-word nowadays.” By the way, Sherman went to Stanford and left with a 3.9 GPA.

 In the sports world, fans view athletes by their production on and off the field. During a post game interview, the athletes are usually going with the professional look. When an athlete features on ESPN, that athlete is usually going with a professional look.  Same goes with draft day, hall of fame ceremonies, and at the ESPYS. Athletes have an image and have to protect that image by dressing professional on TV when they are not playing. If someone wants a job, they’re going to dress professional and same goes with accepting awards at a banquet. It is nothing the black community can do about it as a whole to stop others from thinking prejudice thoughts about their race and the same thing goes the other way around. Image reflects who a person is, that’s why the prejudice behaviors enhance in real belief.

Three things Patrick Beverley can improve on

http://spacecityscoop.com/2013/10/02/houston-rockets-role-players-can-contribute/

NCAA tournament 13

The number 1 seeds in each region this year is: Louisville, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Indiana.  Gonzaga is the overall number 1 seed.

In the Midwest region where Louisville is the number 1 seed, they have to watch out for Michigan St, Duke, St. Louis, and the winner out of the tough Oregon vs Oklahoma St match up.

The Sleeper:
The sleeper in that region has to be St. Louis. St. Louis has beaten Butler 3 times, New Mexico, and a tough VCU team twice. They can score and defend. They can be a nightmare if they meet Louisville.


Best Players:
The best player in that region has to be Marcus Smart from Oklahoma St. He can score, defend, pass, he can just do it all. For Oklahoma St. to go far, has to be the play from the top prospect Marcus Smart. Doug McDermott from Creighton is LIGHTS OUT! Kid can shoot the ball. Averaging 23.1 ppg and leads that Creighton to a NCAA tournament.









Potential Matchup:
Duke vs Mich St. Tom Izzo vs Coach K. What a matchup that would be. The winner out of that game should meet up against Rick Pitino Cardinals for that final four spot.

In the West region, the number 1 seed is the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Gonzaga is the overall 1 seed and looks to make a final four appearance in 2013. But are they really that good? Is that 31-2 record really good? Having only played 2 teams in the top 25 with a 1-1 record, that doesnt show how good the Bulldogs really is.

The Sleeper:
Belmont! Alot of you dont know too much about Belmont but is one of the best shooting teams in the country at almost 50% FG and 40% from the arc. They have a tough matchup against Arizona but you cant count out on the 11th seed Bruins. Ole Miss is another team that won the SEC tournament but is not getting recognized because they are playing a good Wisconsin team. Dont sleep on these two teams!

Potential Matchup:

If the Zags can reach the sweet 16, then they can potentially meet against a good Wisconsin team. And the under the radar team New Mexico against Ohio St. Wisconsin could potentially upset the 1 seed Bulldogs and face against their conference champions Ohio St Buckeyes. That would be REMARKABLE wouldn't? it?




In the South Region, the number 1 seed is the Kansas Jay hawks. If you forgot, Kansas was in the title game last year against the champions Kentucky. Can Bill Self lead his team to another championship appearance? He has a tough road to get there. Has to get passed the tough UNC and Villanova game. Then could meet either Michigan or a fast paced VCU team. Michigan dynamic duo Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway JR, is probably the best duo in the country!


The Sleeper:
I see Minnesota upsetting UCLA simply because losing Jordan Adams. But the Sleeper in this South Region is VCU. This is the same VCU team that beat Butler by 32. This offense can compete with anybody in the country. This team could creep their way up to the final four...

Potential Matchup:

Bill Self vs Roy Williams? What a game that would be. Michigan vs VCU? Either one of these teams can reach the final four. But the matchup im looking forward to see, is Georgetown vs Florida. Winner will make it to the Elite 8. What a game that should be.






In the East Region, the number seed is Indiana. Averaging 80 points a game, this teams has to be the favorite to win it all. Right? Led by Zeller and Victor Oladipo this team can beat any team in the country. But whos in their path? In the way of them they have either NC State or Temple which is another toss up game. They can potentially see Syracuse if they make it to the sweet 16. That would be a good game.




The Sleeper: 
Bucknell and Davidson are underdogs in this years bracket. Bucknell a 28-5 team led by 6-11 Mike Muscala is very good. Theyre a great shooting team and likes to get defensive rebounds. A upset against Butler is very likely. Also another good shooting team Davidson is very likely to upset Marquette.

Potential Matchup:
If everything falls the way it needs too, Syracuse should face off Indiana. Miami should make it to the elite 8 to play the winner out of the two. Indiana should be to much for Syracuse and that Miami Indiana match-up should be a great one.




This NCAA tournament should be a good one. Anybody can m,ake it on a field of 64! WE shall see!

Flacco earned his stripes!

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Superbowl 47 34-31. Flacco was named MVP going 22-33 287 yards and a phenomenal 3 TDs and 0 INTs. In this postseason, Flacco has committed 0 INT and a total of 11 TD passes. Not committing a single turnover in this post season and winning a Superbowl, Flacco deserves to be called "that guy".

Flacco and the Ravens proved the world that they can do it by being the underdogs all post season long. Against the Denver Broncos, the Broncos were the favorite by 9.5 points. Against the New England Patriots, the Pats were the favorite by 10 points. And in the Superbowl against the 49ers, the 49ers were the favorite by 4.5 points. Despite being the underdog, Joe Flacco and the Ravens defeated these teams in a fashioned way. On top of that, Joe Flacco stepped up and outplayed Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, and Colin Kaepernick. Flacco is that guy!

Superbowl 47 MVP Joe Flacco finally did it. After five seasons, he is named a MVP but most importantly name a champion. Joe Flacco proved that in the 2nd half that he can handle the pressure and the big games. He seems to be a perfect balance on that Ravens football team. Flacco earned his rights to be called an elite QB. With at least one playoff win in his first five seasons, no one besides  Flacco has ever done that.

"He has proved that he is a leader"- Ray Lewis

He has gained respect by the NFL and his teammates. Future hall of famer Ray Lewis has always had faith in his QB Joe Flacco. Many people have doubted his ability and skill to win the BIG GAME. His regular seasons numbers may not be as great as the other elite QBs in the NFL, but one thing is for sure is that he's a winner.

Eli Manning is an elite QB because of his ability to win and his amazing two superbowls, but looking at his regular seasons numbers wouldn't guarantee that he's that great QB. His playoff numbers is where it counts. Same with Flacco. His regular seasons numbers are good but in the playoffs is where really stats matter.

He has earned that crown by being the Superbowl MVP and defeating the red hot 49ers. He managed the game in the 1st and 2nd half. Seemed to be relaxed the whole game through and not giving up. He looked like "that guy" all the way through.

That's why Joe Flacco is elite!