#MNR: March Madness

#MNR: March Madness

Howdy, y’all. How y’all feeling? That was rhetorical. Y’all be aight either way. Y’all tough right? Exactly. Anyway, it’s my favorite day of the week. While most of the world struggled to muster the energy to get out of bed before the second snooze was triggered, I’m up, showered, and ready to embrace the day. My last few blogs have been quite serious in tone, devoid of humor or fuckery. Well, let’s just say that I can’t make any guarantees about today’s blog. The best I can do is tell you the same thing Ray Charles Robinson told Steveland Morris Wonder before he passed – we shall see.

A year ago this time my brother Marcus Boogie Davis from Medina (that’s Brooklyn for you 85ers) hit my line and told me he’d meet me at the Barclays Center for the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Boogie was OD excited to see then Dayton Flyers sensation Obi Toppin, son of Obadiah “Dunkers Delight” Toppin, a fellow Brooklynite and streetball legend. I was like “bet!” off jump. I couldn’t wait for the chance to get drunk and talk my shit while our boy Obi styled on whomever advanced to play Dayton, a top 5 team last season and overwhelming favorite to win the conference tourney. Shit, they were a lot of analysts’ prohibitive favorite to win the whole damn dance. As fate and history would have it, we never got the opportunity to see Obi that Friday night in Kings County. COVID shut the A-10 tourney down like a NYC bath house in the ‘80s. Not being able to congregate with the bro and see a future star get busy sucked ass. Little did we know that our world would be on pause for the better part of an entire year…

Fast forward to present day. I, Mr. Monday, a college basketball fanatic since the late ‘80s, have not been able to find my usual exuberance this season, and the only “excuse” I can find is the lack of fans in attendance. Ironically, the lack of fans at pro sports venues hasn’t really affected my viewership. In my eyes, they’re pros (obviously). I’d have the EXACT same excitement for viewing a Nets/Lakers game broadcast live from Thomas Morgan Gymnasium, home of the mighty Dwight Morrow Maroon Raiders, as I would watching it broadcast from Barclays. If I’m not actually at a pro game, I’m not that concerned about the crowd. The fans don’t really affect my perception of a pro game in any sport. But they do in college. I just can’t get into watching college ball played in empty gymnasiums. The fans give their home gymnasiums an advantage that can overwhelm opponents coming in from out of town. Without them, the games have an AAU tournament feel to them, at times almost pedestrian. Ain’t the same without the Cameron Crazies or having to go out west and trying to win one in The Pit (nostalgic reference). Fans give the sport life.

This lack of excitement for college sports has seriously diminished my viewership this season. I’m usually champing at the bit around Thanksgiving for the preseason invitation tournaments more than I am for the bird and stuffing, and I’m a fat nigga. It’s my opportunity to get an early look at all of the past year’s prep gawds that I’ve read about and seen on YouTube. I also like to get a peek at the teams that have a serious chance of cutting the nets down in early April. But this season, outside of watching Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State (freshman phenom and the projected #1 pick), Gonzaga (who really might do it this year), the North Jersey kids (lil Ron Harper and Jahvon Quinerly, namely), my guy Penny and his Memphis (State, damn it) Tigers, or in passing flipping through channels, I haven’t watched the game nearly as much as I have in years past. But…it is conference tourney time. The big dance kicks off next week. Let’s see if I can get that old thing back.

Much respect to the Greek Freak, but Giannis WAS NOT the MVP of last night’s NBA All Star Game in my eyes. Yes, he went perfect from the field (16-16). But he had like eight layup line dunks, 35 uncontested layups, and he banked the three he made (this ain’t horse MF). I’ve seen more D in a 40 and over basement church league. That shit looked like playing 2K on Pro level. I should know. I play on Pro level. Chef Curry and/or Dame Lillard deserved the MVP last night. They put on a shooting exhibition for the ages. I also put a vote in for CP3 and those 16 dimes he dropped. The lil guys sell tickets. No one really cares about a 6’12” super athlete uncontested dunking throughout the contest. Now, if this were back in the day and those boys were out there hurking and lurking (Oakley/Mason, the Davis boys, Laimbeer/Rodman, etc.), I’d respect it. You’d need a helmet and mouthpiece to attack the rim. But today’s NBA is Candyland (which isn’t always a bad thing). Ain’t no risk in taking it to the Baja. And the All Star Game is MUCH worse. No one attempts to play defense until clutch time. And Zion, please tell your barber to clean and sterilize his clippers. Your below the chin/above the neck area really does look like the bottom of an unwrapped Nestle Crunch bar. Either that or you gotta eliminate something from your diet. It may be a combination. I’ve always said that you still get $5 haircuts from the one non-athletic scholarship Black homie from your old dormitory at Duke. And I’m certain you still eat 3pc breast combos AND a lake trout sammich from Tyrone’s at least 3.5 times a week. But the blogs are on you heavy. You’re worth a stack of paper. Get that shit taken care of. And Bron, that’s a real nice lace front you wore last night. It almost fooled me, until I saw you were still rocking the Tory Lanes in the back. Respectfully.

I’m very, very excited about the coalition of R & B heavyweights Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars, who’ve formed a band dubbed Silk Sonic. Their new single “Leave The Door Open” is crazy. It’s a breath of fresh air in the current autotune era of hip hop and R & B. It’s reminiscent of that ‘60s sound. The two complement each other very well. It’s definitely grown folk material. I’m not sure if Gen Z can get with it. Y’all are not accustomed to hearing artists sing in natural voice. The lack of autotune may turn y’all off. But if you like good, natural R & B, look no further. Be on the lookout for “An Evening With Silk Sonic.” Soon come.

Republicans are under the impression that: a) raising the federal minimum wage from $.7.25 to $15.00 is nonsensical and b) a $1,400 stimulus check is an incentive for Americans to not want to return to work. Now, I could EASILY rip the Rs a collective new asshole, but that’s too easy. Any idiot with half a brain knows that both arguing points are ridiculous, so I won’t waste my precious time. I’m just bewildered that they are showing such incompetence when all data leads us to believe that they are way off tune with this one. More than 60% of the country was in favor of Sleepy Joe’s America Recovery Act. Why? Because most Americans have suffered greatly from the pandemic. Any type of nest egg (which most working and middle class folk can barely speak of) was depleted long ago. All stimulus and federal aid were necessitous. Single mothers suffered the most. When you add all those folk up from the poor to the working class to the textbook definition middle class, you have the majority of the U.S. population. Many are Rs. Rs that supported Sleepy Joe’s package. Yet, Rs in congress made the silliest of arguments to “support” their non-support of a package that will put money in the hands of the people who need it most – their constituents. If you ask me, Rs are making a very poor calculation. Midterm elections are less than 18 months away. There are plenty of senate seats on the ballot. This R strategy may very well backfire in their faces…big time. But I’m a take Ray’s advice. And I’m a just sip my black Earl Grey with honey and burn my reefa L.

Be on the lookout for #MNR hoodies and apparel. They’re on the way like a baby 36 weeks in their mama’s womb. We’re gonna keep flooding the streets with heat. Look out for the audio version of #MNR. I’m a get my Billy D. Colt 45 commercial on for y’all. Keep tuning into the podcast “Hope Somebody’s Recording This!” on your YouTube dial. We gon keep working. Trust.

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