Today's Headlines: Tornadoes, Donald Sterling, Ferry Disaster Update

Tornados: East coast residents are moaning and groaning as they make their Tuesday morning commute to work. Many baseball games and outdoor events are likely to be cancelled as well with the impending rain due to hit late Tuesday. While many north easterners will moan and grown, many residents of the mid-west and deep south will duck and cover. Over the weekend, Mississippi and Alabama were major targets for widespread Tornado damages. According to a CNN report, tens of thousands were without power in these two states alone.  13 have been reported dead in these two states, on top of an additional 16 in Oklahoma, Iowa, and and Arkansas.

More than 75 million Americans are under risk of severe weather as the calendar turns to Tuesday April 19th. From New York to Mississippi, and all states in between, impending Tornado, flood, and hail warnings have residents seeking shelter. The two states mentioned before, Mississippi and Alabama, are once again the bulls-eye for a predicted Tuesday storm that can bring more Tornados to an already devastated area. We will keep you updated on more information regarding the tragic Tornados of this past weekend.

Donald Sterling: When I turned my radio on Monday morning, I anticipated hearing the fall out from Sunday night's Rangers and Nets playoff games. Instead, radio personalities on ESPN NY and WFAN NY spend countless hours breaking down the fallout from the alleged Donald Sterling remarks. The way the story goes, Sterling's girlfriend recorded him saying he did not want her bringing African Americans to the arena, among other racial slurs. News broke Saturday afternoon and has spread nationwide ever since. While a sports story at first,  Sterling's comments have become a societal issue. In a matter of moments, NBA commissioner Adam Silver will address Donald Sterling and likely dish out a punishment. While I'll leave all the arguing about the type and length of the punishment up to Twitter and radio shows, I will just say that the single fact that any American still feels this way towards African Americans disgusts me. It isn't 1970 anymore. The expected outcome of Silver's press conference are that Donald Sterling will be suspended in-definently and will include a multi million dollar fine. Sterling's family is allowed to have control of the organization.

Ferry Disaster Update: Per a FOX News article, South Korean President Park Guen-Hye apologized Tuesday for the government's inept initial response to the disaster that occurred back on April 12. Nearly two weeks after the incident, nearly 100 people are still unaccounted for. The death toll has been added pushed to 193. As I have posted before on this blog, many of the passengers were high school students. The article continues saying that many families have pressured the Government into believing they did not do enough to save their loved ones who were perishing off the coast of South Korea. I said it when the Costa Concordia went down in 2012, and I said it again when this incident occurred, and that is the fact that in this day and age, tragedies like this continue to happen under the watchful eye of not only the government, but also water patrol. In this case, apparently families and the government of  South Korea agree enough wasn't done to save more lives. Just pitiful.

Links: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/04/29/south-korea-president-apologizes-for-government-response-to-ferry-sinking/?intcmp=latestnews

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/29/us/severe-weather/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Brooklyn Nets thoughts: Experience, Talent, Heart

Ever since I began this blog earlier in the month, a few of my friends have asked me to do a post on the "other" basketball team in New York City: the Brooklyn Nets. As many of you know, I am a die-hard New York Knicks fan. When it comes to the other teams that the Mets and Knicks share the city with, I am very territorial. Having said that, I do not like the Brooklyn Nets, and never will.

Now, as a basketball fan, I watch the Brooklyn Nets on a nightly basis, and have followed them as if i'm a die-hard fan myself. In this blog post, I will give my unbiased remarks on the Brooklyn franchise currently playing in the playoffs without their big brothers from Manhattan. Below are three things I have have noticed with the Nets over the course of the 2013-2014 season:

Experience-Once the Nets pulled off the trade to land Garnett and Pierce, along with Jason Terry, we envisioned a scenario where big shots were going to be made by very experienced players come playoff time. We all know how the Nets season started and ended. Once at 10-21, the Nets owned the league's best record when the calendar turned to 2014. Give credit to coach Kidd, the players, or both, but something sparked a fire under the Nets. Now, as they battle the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs, the Nets are relying on their key veterans to pull out a series victory. I predicted the Nets would win in 5 or 6, and the reason is simple: Paul Pierce. While it is not as automatic as it used to be, Paul Pierce has carried the Nets through the first four games of the playoffs. The team has lived the died with Paul's play, and if you look at his track record you'll learn that's not a bad thing. Pierce was brought here for the playoffs, and he's producing. There's not question the Nets have the experience to make a deep run but do they have the talent? Which leads us to...

Talent-Many NBA fans, media, and radio personalities concluded that the Nets had the game's best starting five when the season opened back in October. I mean, add Pierce and Garnett into a lineup already featuring Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, and Brook Lopez, and you have an eastern conference all star lineup. Unfortunately or Nets fans, the starting five took a major hit when Lopez was lost for the season after another foot injury. With Garnett injured as well, and D-Will in and out of the lineup, the Nets' starting five was far from the best. In fact, their bench was their strength this past season. Deron Williams is not what he once was in Utah. The same can be said for Pierce and Garnett with Boston. The Nets will rely on their experience, and bench, to make a deep run in the playoffs. Not necessarily raw talent, like the Wizards, Warriors, or Raptors are doing.

Heart- Every aspect of the Brooklyn Nets is based on the aforementioned blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics. The heart of this team sits in the chests of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Deron Williams. In fact, the experience, talent, and heart all fall on Pierce, Garnett, and Williams. Many Nets fans will argue Joe Johnson fits into this equation, and he may, but let's face it. Joe Johnson wasn't brought here to change the culture. He's just an expensive and streaky piece of the puzzle. We all know the 2012-2013 Nets were heartless. They lost to an injured Bulls team in game 7 of the first round on their own court. THAT is the only example I need to prove the Nets were a heartless bunch. The Nets knew this as well. That's why they brought two future hall of famers to this city. This team was supposed to be tough as nails. In some cases this season they were. They beat the Miami heat 4 straight times for God's sake. Having said all of that, the series with the Raptors is truly testing the toughness of this team. Last night, the Nets were a disaster. They came out of the gate flat against a Raptors team that had their back's against the wall. The Nets let them back into this series. As said before, many of the Nets aspirations live with what Garnett and Pierce do. But last night, all blame needs to be on the coach. His team showed the same toughness they showed all of last season, and in the first half of this one. If the Nets win the series all of this will be forgotten, but if you are a Nets fan you have to be saying, "oh no not this again."

My top 10 Sitcoms of All-Time

My Number 1-The King of Queens

Since the Three Stooges are not considered a "sitcom," they are excluded from the list. As you all know, the Three Stooges are my favorite show of all-time. We'll save a post about them for another day. For now, I will rank my top 10 sitcoms of all time, with hope that you'll also comment on yours!

All sitcoms are ranked based on one factor: Funniest! After all, that's what makes a sitcom a sitcom.

10. George Lopez Show

9. The Honeymooners 

8. Full House

7. Three's Company 

6. Leave it to Beaver

5. The Cosby Show 

4. Abbot and Costello Show 

3.

Throw back thursday: My friends and I

Today is Thursday. Meaning, it's also "throw back thursday" on all social media outlets. While I occasionally celebrate on instagram, I have yet to have a trow back thursday post on this blog...until now. Below are some throwback pictures of me and my friends throughout the years:

John, Justin, and myself exploring back in 2009

Prom senior year-2010 

High school graduation with Vin and Mike

One of my first days in the kitchen-2010

Vin and I as best buds in 2009

The "fab 5"-2011

The Entourage-2011

A year that was: William Paterson University 2013-2014

In a mere two weeks I will have completed my entire junior year of college. I came to William Paterson this fall from the County College of Morris. While at county college, I began my post-highschool career by studying business administration. I made the smooth transition to marketing at William Paterson, where I have completed nearly 75% of all my college credits. The year went fast, always does. In a few weeks I will wake up a senior, my last year of schooling. I share with you today some pictures I took along during my journey as a William Paterson junior. A journey that will end come May 8th.

 

1600 Valley Road-the business campus

King of Queens on TV at the Student Center

Homecoming football game 

A view from inside Hunziker Hall

The old-style Hunziker Hall

A chilly fall day waiting for the campus shuttle. 

A beautiful fall day in late September

If the Brooklyn Nets win tonight...

Tonight the Brooklyn Nets continue their best-of-seven series with the Atlantic Division champion, Toronto Raptors. As we all know, the Nets began the season with championship aspirations, only to find themselves in a 10-21 win-loss hole before January 2014. How about after January 2014 you ask? Well, they only posted the best record in the Eastern Conference over that span.

Tonight the Nets, who lead 1-0, look to keep the pedal to the metal and burry the Raptors once and for all. Look for the Raptors to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, as they try to crawl back into this series, but the Nets may just have enough to withstand the punch from Canada's sole NBA franchise.

With an inevitable second round matchup with Miami, if the Nets win tonight, they'll all but seal the deal against the Raptors. This, in return, will allow an older Brooklyn team to rest up and get to a level where they can give the Heat a real run for their money. Don't forget though, the Nets need four wins to secure this series, and the Raptors are no slouches. Even if they do go up 2-0, they must put the hammer down at home, where they are virtually un-beatlable. Expect the Nets to squeeze by tonight on experience alone, and then put the hammer down at the Barclay's Center.

Why you shouldn't feel your current iPhone is outdated.

This upcoming September, Apple is expecting to launch their newest addition to the iPhone family: the iPhone 6. Alongside each new iPhone annually, Apple also releases  updated iOS software. The iPhone 6 is technically the eighth iPhone to date, and will thus be shipped out with the eighth version of the iOS mobile operating system.

I've been following Apple ever since I converted to a Macbook from my Dell PC in 2010. I then switched over from my traditional flip phone to the iPhone 4 (at the time), and the rest they say is history. The predictability of Apple has been well documented, ever since the iPhone was released in 2007.  Early every summer, sometime around June, the California-based company holds a keynote presentation to inform the world about their newest mobile creation.

In an era where technology is growing at lightening speed, many consumers feel that their latest tablets, smartphones, and laptops are outdated within a year. While Apple will announce their latest iPhone, a mere eight months after its predecessor was launched, there is no reason to fear your current smartphone is outdated, and here's why:

1. iOS updates let older generation users get up to 75% of new content. People walking around with an iPhone 4 are still reaping the benefits of iOS 7. Apple has allowed it such, that older generation phones (up to a certain year) are still capable of downloading the latest software. Essentially, the operating system on your older iPhone is the same as one on a shiny new iPhone 5s. Now, when your phone becomes so ancient that it no longer allows you to upgrade your software, then upgrading your phone is a smart idea.

2. It's mostly hardware upgrades that separate current and older generation iPhones. Unless you are jumping from an iPhone 3GS to say, an iPhone 5 or 5s, there really isn't that significant of a difference for any average smartphone user to care about. Chalk this up to Apple's clever marketing, as they have converted many older generation users into buying their current model. Many times the camera pixels are enhanced, which is always something I look forward to personally. But, is that going to propel me to go out and spend another $200 on a new iPhone, no it won't.

3. The fact that we feel like we need an updated phone is what Apple and other smartphone providers feast on. Young, old, or middle aged, we as consumers need to have the latest and greatest. I, many times, have fallen into this same category. My iPad 1 works flawlessly, yet I went out and spent $325 on an iPad Mini so I could "fit in with the crowd." If people can just learn to accept what they have, and not be so obsessed on the latest and greatest, they would save a boat load of money.

Well there you have it, my top three reasons why it is foolish to spend your hard earned money, unless you HAVE to, on a new iPhone when it isn't really worth it.

Extremely scary movie trailer

I am a horror movie junkie. Halloween is my favorite holiday for the sole reason that there are non top horror movies on TV 24/7. Below is a link to an upcoming horror movie I believe will be one of, if not the scariest movie of 2014. Check it out:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GNyQusclgw

A trip to the beach-2011

With warmer weather looming, and spring flowers blooming, I have taken a few minutes to look back into my iPhoto library and resurrect some beach photos from one of the best summers of all time-the summer of 2011. Here's a look back at some funny pictures my buddies and I took while we took a trip to heaven, otherwise known as the beach.

Cooper waiving off the media after a long day at the beach. 

Best pals for many years know, meet John Edmunds IV. 

The older brother I never had, the healthiest friend of them all, Kyle Crooks

Kyle as shown on the hit television show "TMZ"

If I'm Moe, they certainly are Larry and Curly. 

After a long day at Seaside Heights, we had back North. 

South Korean Ferry Disaster: What happened?

    On the night of April 15th, 2014, news quickly spread of a South Korean sinking not too far off the coast land. Nearly a week later, many questions have been answered surrounding the disaster and many questions have not been answered. Ships and shipwrecks always fascinate me, ever since I become obsessed with the Titanic, and this one sparks my interest as well. To help summarize what the case so far, I have laid out the facts and the questions about that fateful night on April 15th: 

Facts-no particular order of events.

1. The call to the traffic control center from the doomed ferry took place at 8:55 a.m. Korean time. 

2. 450 passengers, mostly high school students, were on board. 

3. Passangers could not board lifeboats because the ship began listing so severely. 

4. The death toll (as of 4/20/14) has risen to 58, with 244 missing. 

5. Nearly 100 have been rescued. 

6. The ship was near Byeongpung Island.

Questions

1. Where are the 244 missing people?

2. What exactly caused the ship to sink?

3. Why did the ship sink as fast as it did?

4. Did the captain do enough to help? 

Happy Easter, a NEW Top 5

Happy Easter everyone, sorry I haven't posted yet this weekend, school work and work itself have consumed most of my time. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys the day and checks out the blog for today's new top 5 topic: Songs by The Who

So, recently, we have ranked the top 5 rock n' roll bands of all time. We began our top 5 series with the number 1 artist, the Beatles. Today we continue with the number 2 artist, and my favorite, the Who.

Here's the list:

5. Who Are You? (Who Are You, 1978)-Many may now know this song as the C.S.I theme, along with a few others from the list this afternoon, but Who Are You is the "theme song" of the Who. Written after the Who had reached their "peak," they were still powerful enough to deliver this classic song. The album, on the other hand, does not stack up well with the Who's "big 3" of Tommy, Who's Next, and Quadrophenia, but it stands it's own ground nonetheless.

4. Pinball Wizard (Tommy, 1969)- The biggest hit of arguable the Who's biggest album, Pinball Wizard shows Townshend at his wittiest and catchiest. From a classic acoustic guitar riff, to the break-out vocal performance by Daltrey, Pinball is classic Who songs many die hards are actually getting sick of, that's how popular it is. Tommy took the band to new heights, and this song propelled the album that propelled the band into stardom.

3. I Can't Explain (Single, 1964)- The Who's first song, first hit, and opener of nearly every concert, I Can't Explain sits at number three on the list of top five Who songs. Townshend admittedly ripped off the Kink's "You Really Got Me," guitar riff while writing Can't Explain. Nevertheless, this song speaks about teenage love---something Townshend rarely expressed. A simple three chord tune, the original Who standout in this song alongside then "session" guitarist Jimmy Page, who played the guitar solo on this track. Quickly a fan favorite, this rocker holds the record as the show opener at many Who concerts.

2. Baba O'Riley (Who's Next, 1971)- "How dare anyone open an album with a synthesizer?" These were the words from critics at the time Baba O'Riley first hit airwaves in 1971. Pete Townshend, already ahead of his time, did the unthinkable while opening a rock album with a synthesizer-based song. This tune was named in part after Meher Baba, an Indian guru that Townshend idolized, and Terry Riley, a musician Townshend also idolized. Baba lead off the Who's most successful album of all time, Who's Next. The funny thing is, Townshend envisioned an even greater album titled "Lifehouse." Lifehouse fell apart, and Who's Next came together. Not bad. From the opening synth riff, to the thundering bass, piano, drums, vocals, and finally power chords, Baba O'Riley sits second on the Who's all-time list.

1. Won't Get Fooled Again (Who's Next, 1971) And here we have it, the Who's greatest song of all-time. Another track from the Who's Next album, this one delivers the most punch of any Who song before or after. Arguably the national anthem for rock and roll, Won't Get Fooled Again is Townshend at his very very best. Many themes from the failed Lifehouse project resonate in this song, as well as in the before mentioned Babe O'Riley. All four Who members are at their peak in 1971, and it shows on this tune. Moon's drum solo rivals any to this day. Townshend's chords and cry for a revolution pierce the ears of rockers nationwide. Daltrey and Entwistle deliver their best performances as well. Won't Get Fooled Again, and all of the top 5 Who tracks, will stand the test of time, as will the second greatest band of all time--The Who.

Knicks season ends....finally!!

As I woke up on the morning of April 17, 2014 I realize one thing: My basketball team is finished. No playoff games, no May excitement, and certainly no championship. A team with a near $100 million dollar payroll, 3 perennial all stars, and a superstar player, could not seal the deal in a lost season. Many analysts and radio personalities have voiced their opinions about why the Knicks' season went to terribly wrong. Listed below are the top three reasons, in my opinion, that a 2nd seed potential team turned into a 9th seed over night: 

1. Mike Woodson- It's hard to put one man as the top reason for this disaster of a season. Having said that, Mike Woodson is the number 1 villain. From lack of rotation management, to players calling out his defensive system, Woodson had a lost year. It's not easy to forget about the great job he did in 2012-2013 when the team won 54 games and an Atlantic Division crown. As much credit as he deserves for the success of 2012-2013, is the same amount of blame he deserves for the season that was 2013-2014. Players were just not buying into his system and that's not acceptable. Clearly, Woodson knows he failed. I expect a firing to take place anyday now. 

2. The back court play-The combination of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Raymond Felton, and Tim Hardaway Jr. is very talented. A former 6th man of the year and a defensive wizard help make up the back court foursome. The thing is, each player, besides the rookie Hardaway, had their worst season to date. Felton had a career low in points and assists. J.R. Smith was so inconsistent for the first 60 games of the season. Shumpert was just lost. There is no better word to describe Iman's regression in 2013-2014 than the word "lost." While his defense was up to bar, his offense was non existent. Of course, Woodson did his usual terrible job of managing Shump's minutes, but still this is no excuse. A 3rd year player in th prime of his career should not have regressed this much. Hardaway was the rare exception in the group. And Felton, well we won't even go there. 

3. Tyson Chandler- The 2013-2014 Knicks season is going to be known as a defenseless one. This adjective solely falls on the shoulders of former defensive player of the year, Tyson Chandler. The Knicks 3rd member of their "big three" had one of his worst seasons since becoming a starter in the NBA. During just the fourth game of the season, the oft-injured Chandler bit the dust again and missed 20 games. During this span, the Knicks dug themselves a hole they would never climb out of. While he got himself into a groove later in the season, as did J.R. Smith, it was too little too late. With one year left on his contract, Phil Jackson will look to trade the big man in the off season. 

Top 5: Songs by the Beatles.

A few nights ago I ranked, in my opinion, the top 5 greatest rock and roll bands of all time. Of course, the Beatles charted at number 1. Tonight we dive into the Beatles' storied career and do the impossible by  rank their top 5 greatest songs of all time:

5: Ticket to Ride (HELP! 1965): It's opening guitar riff can be heard throughout generations. It's music video, taken from the movie "Help!" has been viewed by generations. This song, coming in at number 10, proves the Beatles can rock. The middle of the song features a jazzy breakdown only the likes of Paul, John, George, and Ringo can conjure up. Truly a catchy, beautiful, fun, and witty song, Ticket to Ride is a rockin' ride for anybody.

4: Revolution (The White Album, 1968): Revolution, recorded acoustically and then again with a distorted guitar, features John Lennon at his best. In 1968, the world was in a "revolution." The Vietnam war was in full swing, and many protestor's voices were being heard. Lennon could not have come up with a better song for the time period. Acoustically, the song is a plea for a revolution to take place. With its up tempo hard rock style, the song is a demand that a revolution will take place. The Beatles rocked harder than ever on the White album, even if it was the "beginning of the end" for the fab four.

3: Hey Jude (Single, 1968): Like Revolution, Hey Jude was recorded at a time when the Beatles had begun breaking up. Though this song did not appear on  the White Album, it was recording at the same time. Hey Jude features Paul McCartney's best vocal work, in my opinion. The song has brought generations together, and will survive the test of time. The music video depicts a teenage audience singing the refrain of "na na na na" with the group. The song also features nifty drum work by Ringo. All in all, Hey Jude, coming in at roughly seven minutes, is a timeless classic.

2: A Hard Day's Night (A Hard Day's Night, 1964): The title track from the movie, "A Hard Day's Night," features the Beatles at their catchiest. Maturing form their earlier 2 minute singles, the Beatles come through with a rocking' song that features an incredibly groovy bridge. The famous line "it's been a hard day's night, and i've been working like a dog," flows through every American blue collar worker's veins. The movie, album, and song became a huge success.

1: Let it Be (Let it Be, 1970): Another title track to an album, Let it Be is the Beatles' greatest song. Paul was at his song writing peak in late 1969, resulting in two outstanding albums (Let it be and Abbey Road.) The Beatles were all but broken up at the time the song was written, and Paul dreamed of his mother Mary, who he lost at age fifteen, coming to him whispering words of wisdom, "Let it be." The song features the famous fifth Beatle, Billy Preston, on organ. George showcases one of his greatest guitar solos of all time here, and Paul dishes out maybe his greatest vocal work to date.

And there you have it, the top five Beatles songs. Do you agree?...

Thoughts: Titanic anniversary, Lincoln's death, another tragedy

Good afternoon all. My early class was cancelled today, allowing me to "sleep in" until 12:00. It's great being young isn't it? Anyway, for the first time since starting this blog we will talk about world news. Yesterday was April 15th. Not only was it tax day, but it was the anniversary of a couple of tragedies, and unfortunately, now a new one. On April 15th, 1912, the Titanic met her doom on route to New York City from England. Nearly two and a half hours after striking an iceberg, the Titanic, along with 1500, perished into the sea. For those of you who know me personally, the Titanic story has been an obsession of mine ever since I was six years old. The famous Titanic film, made in 1997, depicted the disaster in a way that grips your soul. I can remember all the attention the movie received in 2012, the 100th anniversary of the sinking. April 15 is just a reminder of how precious this life can be.

For  American history buffs, April 15th also rings a bell. On this day, in 1865, Abraham Lincoln was pronounced dead. Many of you know the events leading up to this tragedy, so I will not hold a history lecture today. Instead, we will honor one of the most influential presidents in this country's history. Unfortunately, Lincoln would not be the last president to be shot and killed.

Lastly, a current event that made its way onto the news around 8 PM or so eastern time, was the sinking of a South Korean passenger ship on route to a nearby island. The vessel was holding 450 passengers, mainly high school students. When I woke up this morning, or afternoon since it was 12:00PM, I immediately checked the news. It occurred to me last night while this ship was sinking, that it occurred exactly 102 years to the day that the Titanic sank. The reports this morning from Fox News stated that over 300 people remain missing, and as many as four are dead. I have yet to come across a report stating exactly what happened to the ship, allowing it to list so severely. We will stay tuned for more information on another tragedy that occurred on April 15th.

Thoughts on MLB: instant replay, attendence decline, lack of names.

Following our NBA topic earlier in the day, we turn our attention to Major League baseball as a business. Popular belief has now turned into reality. Baseball has clearly lost the ratings war to football in recent years, and appears to be surrendering to the NBA on a national level. This is America's pastime, yet poor attendance, poor ratings, and poor participation have our beloved sport's back against the wall. Oh yea, steroids didn't help. Or did it? That's a debate for another day. Today we will focus on the top three reasons I believe baseball isn't nearly garnering the attention it did even 10 years ago:

Instant Replay: For years now, fans and critics have expressed their desire for Major League Baseball to "get with the times" and adopt an instant replay policy. Many felt baseball was stuck in the past and too stubborn to make any changes. Of course, baseball has turned a blind eye in the past haven't they? Well, I believe it was in 2011, or 2010, baseball decided to employ an instant replay scenario involving only home-runs. While this certainty helped get many calls right, fans still wanted more. Here we stand today, with "full" instant replay on anything other than a strike. In fact, managers now have challenges, much like football. I won't sit here forever going over the rules because quite frankly we'll be here forever. Two weeks into the baseball season, instant replay has felt like a success. So whats the problem you ask? In this world today where we need instant feedback and instant decisions, instant replay isn't so instant enough. Baseball is a long and drawn out game, and the replay system isn't helping one bit.

Attendance Decline: Add in the arrival of beautiful HD TVs coupled with the ticket prices of various ballparks in big cities such as New York, L.A., and Chicago, all come out to one thing: attendance decline. Now I haven't ranked my list in any particular order, but this may be #1. Sure, every sport has had a decline in attendance, but Major League baseball's has hurt the most. Hockey and Basketball play in 15-19,000 seat arenas. You have to be really bad not to fill an arena more than half of the time in an NBA or NHL season. For football, the once-a-week element of a game, coupled with the absolute rabbid fan bases in major cities, equates to sold stadiums all over the country. With only 8 home games a year, a fan is more willing to spend their money to see a game. In baseball, the lack of success from many big market teams, such as the Mets, Angels, and Cubs, has not helped bring down attendance. In the end, many factors come into play, but baseball stadiums are way too big to have 30,000 fans a night.


Lack of Names: Baseball is very much an individual sport. When you are in the batter's box it's you vs 9. Unlike the other three major sports, single baseball players, not teams, are what has made this sport so popular. Ever since the so called "steroid era" has quieted down, so have the home runs. Pitching is back on top in the baseball world, and quite frankly, that just does not hold a person's interest. Names like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Manny Ramirez captured the attention of an entire nation in the late 90's and early 2000's. Gone, for now, are the home run races. They have been replaced with 20 game winning, sub 3.00 ERA pitchers. Names like Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, and Yasiel Puig have helped baseball in recent years, no doubt, but I don't feel like there are enough big names in the sport today.

Good morning, my rant, NBA news, joke of the day.

Good morning friends, family, enemies, and so on... 

As I write this, I sit in a humid, sticky, and lifeless classroom, as I listen to my professor lecture on identity theft. As I hear the professor in one of my two ears, the other focused on the annoying chit chatter coming from the student adjacent to me, I take in all the information regarding a growing problem in this country. Identity theft is on the rise, and it's scary. Some people live there lives care free, paying their bills in a timely manner. What's so scary about that you ask? Well, when it comes time to get a bank loan, car loan, home loan, a red flag is risen. Suddenly, it is brought to someone's attention that their identity has been stolen and they have accumulate debt beyond repair. Now THAT'S scary. Point being, be careful when swiping debit cards, filling out online surveys, and paying you bills. You just never know who's watching...

Anyway, I wanted to talk some basketball this morning. On my mets blog, I focus entirely on baseball. This blog will give me a chance to voice my opinion on another sport I love deeply. The playoff picture is clearing up after a near 82 game marathon that is the NBA season. The Miami Heat, Indianna Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and the OKC Thunder sit at top the NBA hierarchy for a third year in a row. My beloved NY Knicks are in need of a deeper repair than my first ever truck needed. And believe me, that truck was a mess. Realistically, I believe only three teams are capable of brining home an NBA trophy. These teams are the Heat, Thunder, and Spurs, respectfully. Brooklyn and Chicago will make a run, as will the Rockets and Clippers out west, but REALISTICALLY it comes down to three teams. 

Joke of the day: "that reminds me of an old country song titled, 'If you leave me can I come too?'"-Jerry Lawler 

Top 5 greatest bands of all time

Since my first post centered around my love for classic rock, and since I knows this will bring a great debate from my friends and family, let's look at my un-biased top 5 rock and roll bands of all time. How should bands be ranked? Album sales? Longevity? #1 hits? Popularity? All four are used as measuring sticks to measure who the greatest of all time are, past and present. Taking all four into account, here's what I've come up with:

1. The Beatles

2. The Who

3. The Rolling Stones 

4. Led Zeppelin

5. The Beach Boys

I'm 22 and I like classic rock: thanks to my father and uncle

One of the first things I'll say about myself is that I am an avid classic rock listener. I am my father's first born and he made it a priority to teach me classic rock at an early age. I can remember listening to Van Halen's Balance album when I was four years old in 1995. My father's favorite band is The Who, and we spend hours listening and watching The Who together when I was a kid. Now, at 22, we go to see them together every so often when they feel like touring America. On the other hand, my father's cousin, who I refer to as my uncle, is the biggest classic rock fan I've ever met. Having grown up with him as well, I have listened to classic rock until my ears melted off. My uncle has shown me songs I listen to every day, and will continue to listen to for the rest of my life. Below is a link of a song my uncle showed me just yesterday, and is a song I will listen to on repeat until the day I die.

REO Speedwagon-Like You Do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTwdPgjjmYQ

Hello and Welcome

Hello friends, family, enemies, future employees, and people looking for a good time. For those who don't know me, my name is Vincent Ranieri, I'm a 22 year old college student, currently at William Paterson University. I am a marketing major, while also taking additional management courses to complete by business degree. Some of my interests include music, sports, social media, technology, and news. And guess what? Those are the exact topics we will talk about on this page. Below is how I intend to set up my blog, 7 days a week, 24/7 access via this site, twitter, google plus, and Facebook. In addition to this blog, I also run a Mets Blog. 

Music-  We will talk a look at the music industry today, past, and present, including some of my favorite songs/bands of the past and present. Feel free to post and comment on music you would like to share with everyone. 

Sports- Here we will talk primarily baseball and basketball. My Mets Blog focuses on the New York Mets entirely, but here we will focus on the entire MLB as well as the NBA, and to a lesser degree the NBA. 

Social Media- When I graduate college I am looking to land a career in social media marketing. Here we will discuss the latest happenings in Twitter, LikedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Google Plus, Pinterest, and many more.