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Showing posts with label James Harden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Harden. Show all posts

Friday, July 27, 2012

Hat Trick Fam's Choice - Top 10 Chick Pics

To the surprise of...nobody...the Chick Pic feature in the Hat Trick introduced this past spring has gotten the biggest response of any regular entry on this blog. Let's face it, sports is a male targeted topic. Beautiful women are male targeted visuals. Even guys who don't get overly excited about sports have their attention spans widened when beautiful women are involved in sports, no matter how loosely.

Thank to the super awesome features of Google's Blogger application, it is incredibly easy to see which pictures you wolves out there like the most. Through July, 2012, here are the top 10 chick pics of the year. 

#10 University of Kentucky Cheerleaders

On their way to winning the NCAA Men's Basketball championship this past April, the Hat Trick posted a photo of four members of their cheerleading squad hanging out and having a good time. Clearly, you guys had a good time watching them have a good time. I think they had a better time in New Orelans just days after this was posted.
UK cheerleaders: a picture of togetherness.
#9 Danica Patrick - May 7, 2012

Danica Patrick is a bad ass. I love it! The good ol' boys of NASCAR, apparently, didn't know what was coming when Patrick left Indy Car to devote her full-time energy to stock car racing. Perhaps Sam Hornish, Jr. thought he could pick on and intimidate pretty little girls in a man's game. He was wrong!

This picture was a tribute to Mrs. Patrick, literally, sticking it to the man, specifically Hornish.

Too bad she can't compete in this gear. I'd never miss a race on television!
#8 Marlins Mermaids

Miami is a different kind of place. There are 30 MLB teams, so the Marlins may not be alone, but I am unaware of any of Major League Baseball team with a cheerleading squad. Since moving to the new Marlins Park, the team has been renamed the Miami Marlins Energy Team. I have got to catch a series if I am ever in South Beach during the summer!

This is a team from a past season, but you get the idea.

#7 Shonna, (Oklahoma City) Thunder Girl

Late in the 2012 NBA regular season, Metta World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers delivered a vicious blow to the head of Oklahoma City Thunder sixth man James Harden. It was the talk of the sports airwaves for several days. I suggested that a visit from this lovely Thunder Girl (dance team) member, Shonna, could raise Harden's spirits.

Seeing her could probably raise more than Harden's "spirits", but this is a family show!
#6 Danica Patrick - July 12, 2012

I don't need my arm twisted to post pictures of NASCAR driver Danica Patrick to the Hat Trick. She is far and away my personal #1 hottest female athlete. The excuse I used, which you readers appeared to approve of, was her appearance at the 2012 ESPY awards, by ESPN. I could talk about how Mrs. Patrick is every man's perfect combination of beauty, personality, and bad ass-ness. But why tell you when I can show you?

Danica Patrick IRL driver Danica Patrick arrives at the 2006 ESPY Awards at the Kodak Theatre on July 12, 2006 in Hollywood, California.
♫ "Beautifu-ul! I just waant you to kno-ow...you're my fav-vorite gu-uhrl! (Oh! Uh oh ohh! Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah!)" ♪
#5 Adrienne Williams Bosh

Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat and his wife, Adrienne, had their first child together during the past season. While I don't understand the mechanics yet (Bosh is 6'10" and his wife is barely five feet tall), I understand why Bosh will either be having more children or practicing the act of making them in the near future.

See, I don't think (the almost seven foot tall) Bosh could join her in the tub unless their tub is more of a miniature swimming pool.


#4 Keri Hilson

For a short time, there were rumors circulating about NBA star Kevin Durant dating singer Keri Hilson. Those rumors proved to be false; Ms. Hilson has been engaged for quite some time, not to Durant. Still, the curiosity of the readers made the pictures posted of Ms. Hilson #4 among the chick pics.

I wouldn't blame The Durantula for trying!


#3 Chelsea Cain

Your searches to get a look at San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain kissing his wife, Chelsea, after pitching a perfect game restored some of my faith that guys, as a whole, aren't a bunch of skin seeking wolves who only want to look at a woman in a bikini or a provocative pose. Then again, I have no idea what you guys expected to see before opening the link.

Most of our chick pics aren't so wholesome. This one could not be anything but.
#2 Nikki Sapp on June 13, 2012

You people just kept coming back for more! So much that I mistakenly thought you guys wanted to read my analysis of the NBA playoffs or some profound sports social commentary I made. WRONG!

In the words of the late Tupac Shakur, I ain't mad at cha!  And I don't blame ya, either! So I figured you all would want an encore to the Nikki Sapp pictures from the prior week. I was right. 

I would say you guys broke my heart if I weren't as guilty of take a peek for the second time...or the third...or fourth!

#1 Nikki Sapp on June 8, 2012

First and foremost, let me say that this is a little misleading. While the Hat Trick did not start the Chick Pic section as a regular entry until this past March, we have posted pictures of beautiful women. The number of times you, the readers, have reached the Hat Trick looking for pictures of Tigers Woods' ex-wife, Elin Nordegren, and Lucy Pinder & Erin Drewes (rumored to have been dating Tim Tebow) dwarfs every last one of the chick pics referenced in this posting. However, those pictures were posted prior to the Chick Pic becoming a regular piece here.

Second, Miami Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra may be the most criticized championship winning coach of this decade. However, you guys admire something about him, his lady! I can't say I blame you. She...is...FINE! Still, Nikki Sapp made both #1 and #2. So just remember that while you may have a problem with how Spoelstra manages his bench, none of you would complain if you woke up one day with his situation in the bed!

nikki-sapp-5
Don't hate the player; hate the game!

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To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

All images from prior editions of The Daily Hat Trick, citations therein.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Not So Stern Discipline

Metta World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers was suspended for seven games for elbowing James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder on an inbounds play following a dunk by World Peace. The elbow was clearly intentional. Harden suffered a concussion.

Midwest Sports Fans put together a list of all fourteen suspensions that World Peace (formerly Ron Artest) has served in his career, including this one. This is the third time World Peace has been suspended for seven or more games. According to ESPN.com, World Peace will lose nearly $350,000 in salary from the suspension.

                                  
This "before and after" is ridiculous! 1 (left), 2(right)

HE GOT OFF EASY

Due to the vicious nature of the blow to Harden, and World Peace’s track record, many in sports media speculated that a suspension for the remainder of the season was not off the table. Most who ventured to guess expected World Peace to receive a suspension of at least 10 games, myself included.

Still, for all of World Peace’s antics, he likely got a break from NBA Commissioner David Stern (if one calls missing up to six playoff games and the loss of 350 grand a “break”) because of his relatively good behavior following the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl at Detroit in 2004, for which Artest was suspended for a total of 86 games. Of the 14 suspensions chronicled by Midwest Sports Fans in World Peace’s 13 NBA seasons, only three of them, prior to Sunday’s elbowing incident, were handed down to World Peace since the 2004 incident.

I am sure Stern was thrilled to see World Peace's name come across his desk again. 3

CURRENCY IN THE BANK

Since the fight in Detroit, World Peace has been an advocate for animal rights and mental health issues. He has put his money where his mouth is, donating considerable amounts of money and property, including his 2010 championship ring, to worthy causes. Last year, Artest received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for outstanding service and dedication to the community by an NBA player, coach, or trainer. Past recipients include Hall of Fame players Magic Johnson, David Robinson, and Joe Dumars.

In the end, I can only guess that David Stern looked at Metta World Peace’s track record, decided that he made a genuine effort to mend his ways over a long period of time, and simply snapped. Similar offenders are suspended for a game or two. While World Peace’s suspension is considerably longer, it was far from a worst case scenario.

World Peace built up a lot of currency. He has now spent it. For his sake, I hope there is no “next time”.


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To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.
1) Image from www.eurweb.com
2) Image from www.huffingtonpost.com

James Harden - Helping Him with a Speedy Recovery

As you are likely aware, James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder was elbowed in the head by Metta World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers. World Peace was suspended for seven games, up to six of which could be playoff games. Harden has not played since due to concussion-like symptoms.

I think Harden deserves an uplifting visit from Shonna, one of the Thunder Girls (OKC dance/cheerleading team).
Harden took one for the team; he should get a little something in return as motivation.
...I meant a visit, you pervs!

Image from www.streetball.com

Monday, April 23, 2012

Throw Dem 'Bows!!!

Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace (8 PPG, 3 RPG, 27 MPG) threw an elbow to the head of forward James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder after scoring a basket in a double-overtime game on Sunday, won by the Lakers. World Peace has a track record as long as the day, though he, prior to yesterday, had stayed out of trouble with the NBA for several years. World Peace, formerly Ron Artest, is the more physically imposing, more normal looking, more offensively skilled but (probably) crazier version of a modern day Dennis Rodman.

This had to hurt. 1

HIS REPUTATION PRECEDES HIM

By my count, World Peace has been suspended over a dozen times in his 13 year career. Unless you are under the age of 15 and are only a very casual or very recent fan of basketball, I am sure the words "Malace at the Palace" have already come to mind. For those who aren't familiar, in 2004 Artest (before he was named World Peace) was among several Indiana Pacers players who were suspended following a minor altercation between Artest and Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace. After the dust settled between Artest and Wallace, Artest lay on the scorers table. A fan threw a soft drink on Artest while he was on the table. Artest and two other players began fighting with fans and the game was stopped with less than a minute remaining.

World Peace is the same man that thanked his psychiatrist on national television immediately following the Lakers' 2010 NBA Championship. He isn't all there all the time. That said, in between headline-grabbing bouts of lunacy, Artest worked hard to restore his reputation. This was "just an elbow". It is dirty; it is serious; players can be and are badly hurt. Elbows, even intentional elbows, are part of the game of basketball.

I'll bet that guy won't do it again! 2

KISS THE SEASON GOODBYE?

Unfortunately for World Peace, he is a repeat (or three-peat or four-peat...) offender. What would normally garner no more than a five game suspension under the most aggravating of circumstances could get World Peace kicked out for the remainder of the season. Realistically, I don't think we will see him until the second round of the playoffs at the earliest.

This is unfortunate for a Lakers team that got off to a not-so-Lakers like start this season but behind the on court leadership of Kobe Bryant and others (including World Peace) the Lake Show looks poised to make a real run in the playoffs. The problem is that World Peace's value goes way beyond his stat line. He is as close to basketball's version of an enforcer (in hockey) as one will find, only with actual basketball skills on both ends of the floor. The Lakers need World Peace to be on his game to have any shot of winning a title.

The Lakers will play either the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, or the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks (who swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals last year) in the first round. All three of those teams are less potent when contending with a physical defender like Metta World Peace. World Peace may have not only jeopardized his recovering reputation. He may have cost his team its season.

Harden gives new meaning to "taking one for the team." With World Peace possibly out of the Lakers' lineup, the Thunder, one of the top two teams in the Western Conference, may not have to face the talented Lakers at all in the playoffs. 3

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls!

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

The Daily Hat Trick is sponsored by Sports N Stuff. For great deals on jerseys, shirts, cologne, and other guy stuff, visit http://www.sportsnstuff.biz/.

1) Image from www.deadspin.com

2) Image from www.inhistoric.com
3) Image from http://blog.syracuse.com