A Woman Scorned

So for the first time here at Sports and Shit, The Esquire is gonna drop a little law knowledge on you. For those who haven't heard yet, Dwayne Wade's ex-wife, Siohvaughn Wade, has filed suit against Gabrielle Union on behalf of the Siohvaughn and Dwayne's two children. If you don't already know this, Union is a ridiculously hot actress as well as Wade's girlfriend of about a year and a half.


The suit filed in Cook County, Illinois (where Wade has a home) is frivolous to say the least. Or in non-legal terms, absolute fuckin' bullshit. I'm sure Wade's wife is a nice woman or whatever, but this bitch is nuts if she thinks that this case is ever gonna fly in court. Here is the story from ESPN:


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5165029


As you can see from the story by the Associated Press, Wade's Ex is claiming that Union scarred the children by, pardon my french, blowing him in front of the kids. No way that happened. Dwayne wouldn't have done that.


Although it was funny to read. Not as funny as this excerpt though:

It also claims that the boys received "medium size gifts" from Dwyane Wade for Christmas last year, while Union got "the biggest gift of all."


Haha, I loved that part. As if it's a punishable crime to buy your girlfriend a bigger gift than you buy your children. You can't say Siohvaughn Wade isn't creative. 



Nonetheless, in order to win a civil law suit, which this is, you have to show real damages. Not to mention the fact that there has to be a tortuous act involved. Breaking up a couple is obviously whorish, but not a tortuous act that one can be sued for. The only possible claim I can even dream up is intentional infliction of emotional distress. If that is the claim the Ex-Mrs. Wade is bringing on behalf of her children, she would have to prove that Union intentionally broke up the Wades' marriage in order to cause emotional damage to the children, that it was foreseeable that the kids would in fact become emotionally damaged, and that they did actually experience severe emotional damages. And even then it wouldn't be an easy case to win, and certainly not one I've ever heard of in court before. What this comes down to is that Siohvaughn Wade is probably furious that Gabrielle Union stole D-Wade from her and this was the way she thought she could get back at the two of them. I'm sure the kids are upset that their parents broke up, but I can't imagine that they are experiencing severe emotional damages because Union is now banging their father. It would be even harder to show that Union actually intended to cause them emotional damages even if they were experiencing any. And the intent is the biggest factor here. I would bet with absolute certainty that this case gets dismissed for failure to state a claim for which relief can be granted. Or again in English the judge would be saying, "There's no viable lawsuit here so get out of my courtroom and stop wasting my time."



But really, without sounding like a complete asshole, come on - who would you rather??



Yea, exactly what I thought. And so D-Wade lived happily ever after. At least sexually.

NBA Playoffs Round 2 Preview

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers  vs.  (4) Boston Celtics
Prediction – Cavs in 5

**Rd 1 Predictions**
Cavs in 4 (won in 5)
Heat in 7 (not even close)

--Lebron James is on a mission. The King has won 2 straight MVP’s but now he needs to win an NBA Championship. He knows that he can’t truly be called the absolute best player in the game when Kobe’s been to the mountaintop and he hasn’t. You saw it in his eyes in the Bulls series. The Akron Hammer basically averaged a triple double and dominated every aspect of every game. It would’ve been a sweep if Derrick Rose wasn’t as incredible as he is. Quick tangent. I was talking to Rob Kurz last night (played for Golden State and Cleveland and just signed with the Bulls) and he told me that Derrick Rose is the most athletic person not named Lebron he’s ever seen on a basketball court. He guaranteed me that Rose will be the best PG in the NBA within 2 years. Back to my point – the Celtics are a very good team and seem to be clicking at the exact right time. They rolled Wade’s Heat without a problem. I really didn’t think they had it in ‘em, as I predicted they’d lose. They’ll bring everything they have in an attempt to knock off the King, but it just doesn’t matter. Lebron is too good and he has the teammates this year to help him. Not even Rondo, Pierce, Allen and KG at their very best can do anything about it. Sorry Simmons and the rest of you spoiled Boston fans.

(2) Orlando Magic  vs.  (3) Atlanta Hawks
Prediction – Magic in 7

**Rd 1 Predictions**
Magic in 5 (won in 4)
Hawks in 5 (won in 7)

--Figured both teams would win pretty handily in Round 1. I was right on with the Magic, but the Hawks struggled their way through a 7 game series with Milwaukee. I think that’ll come back to haunt them in this one. They showed how talented they are in games 6 and 7 of the Bucks series, but they never shoulda let Milwaukee take a 3-2 lead playing without their best player, Andrew Bogut. Now they have to deal with Dwight Howard and his band of 3-point shooters. If Horford and Josh Smith can get Dwight into foul trouble like the Bobcats bigs did in the first round, Atlanta will win this one. I don’t see Dwight letting that happen. He will pick his spots, play smarter, and not take dumb fouls like he did against the Bobcats. Jameer Nelson is on fire, Rashard Lewis is doin’ his thing, and at any moment Vince Carter could catch fire although he’s a big pussy and probably won’t. Definitely an entertaining, exciting series that I’m looking forward to. As good as Atlanta can be on some nights, I’ll play it safe and go with the Magic. When it comes down to it, they’re the better team and they have the best player on the court. Playoffs usually come down to that.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(1) Los Angeles Lakers  vs.  (5) Utah Jazz
Prediction – Lakers in 6

**Rd 1 Predictions**
Lakers in 5 (won in 6)
Jazz in 7 (won in 6)

--For the third straight year the Lakers meet the Jazz in the Western Conference Playoffs. Two years ago they lost in 6 and last year they only made it to 5. How unlucky could a team and coach be? Jerry Sloan is one of the best coaches in the history of the NBA, but he was unlucky enough to run into Jordan’s Bulls in 2 finals and now Kobe’s Lakers 3 straight years in the playoffs. The Jazz look great right now. Their leader Deron Williams has claimed the title of Best Point Guard Alive. Rose, Rondo, and Westbrook are great up-and-coming guys. Steve Nash is still unbelievable. And Chris Paul is obviously right there. But Deron is currently playing at another level. It’s rare to even see him hit the rim anymore. He’s too smooth. Kobe, Pau, and the Lakers, however, are too deep and too talented. They had a little trouble with the Thunder who came within half a second of pushing LA to a game 7, but I actually think that woke the Lakers up. They’re pissed now (By the way, the Thunder are soooo good and sooo cool, I almost wish I was from Oklahoma City. Almost). Anyway, Deron will have a great series and may push the Lakers to 7, although I think 6. I just can’t see him being able to carry this team past the most talented team in the NBA. What Deron should really be worried about is his sidekick Carlos Boozer leaving this summer.

(3) Phoenix Suns  vs.  (7) San Antonio Spurs
Prediction – Spurs in 7

**Rd 1 Predictions**

Suns in 5 (won in 6)

Mavs in 7 (wrong)

--These long time foes meet yet again in a huge series. Seems like not too long ago that the Suns were on their way to winning an NBA Championship when Bruce Bowen and Robert Horry stepped in their way. And by stepped in their way I mean provoked Amare Stoudamire to leap from the bench and get suspended for the deciding game. That was bullshit by the NBA. David Stern should still be ashamed of himself for that decision. As for this year’s meeting, it has the potential to be another great one. Nash and Amare have this Suns team firing on all cylinders. They really look as good as ever. Kerr’s probably kinda happy he didn’t move Amare. Jared Dudley and Channing Frye have elevated their games this year and Robin Lopez surprisingly turned into a nice little role player for them. However, like the Mavericks just found out, you can NOT ever count out the San Antonio Spurs. Pop, Duncan, Manu, Manu’s giant nose-bandage, and Tony are too good and too experienced. There’s a reason they wear 4 championship rings (3 for the younger guys). The Mavs kinda shit the bed, which is always nice to see out of a Dallas team, but these guys definitely won that series more than the Mavs lost it. George Hill looks like an all-star PG and Duncan is always ready to put up a 20-20 when called upon. The difference maker though – Manu. The Suns won’t have an answer for him.

A Basketball Eulogy: "Homage to The Answer"

At first glance you’d be hard pressed to find any connection between a black kid from the hard streets of Newport News, Virginia and a white, Jewish kid from the not-so-hard suburbs of Philadelphia. But, for a decade that spanned the mid 90’s to the mid 00’s, Allen Iverson and I shared a special connection (well, special to me at least). The one and only thing we wanted was for the Philadelphia 76ers to become World Champions. He played, I watched. He bled, I bled. He scored, I bragged about his dominance. He held his hand to his ear on the Wachovia Center court, and you’re damn right I screamed as loud as I could.

Allen was more than a basketball player. He was more than just, “The Answer.” To this one little white Jewish kid; along with the rest of Philadelphia, the state of Virginia, and a growing worldwide culture, Allen Iverson was hope. He was greatness. He symbolized the very essence of life in this country. He made it from nothing to something. And most importantly, he did it his way.

To say that he was not loved by all would be an understatement, but that divide was created because older generations, and even whites from this generation, just plain old did not understand Iverson. And listen, I’m not saying I understand him either, how could I? But what I do understand is that he came from a different culture than I did. He saw different things as a child, he was raised in a different way, he had different friends, and he had a different view of the world we live in. But was this the wrong way, or the wrong view? No, it was just different. Allen was not afforded all that I was growing up. He wasn’t as lucky or as fortunate. He didn’t have money in his pocket, a father to teach him right from wrong, or even the safety and comfort of a home. What AI did have though was something that can’t be taught. He had the talent, courage, and desire to get out of the situation he was in. And he did just that. To not respect that, even if you don’t understand him as a person, would be foolish and ignorant to say the least.

I’m not going to get into everything Iverson overcame. Anyone who knows anything about Iverson or the NBA knows what he overcame. I don’t wanna dampen the mood of this, my first blog entry, with a depressing story about how a 17-year-old Iverson was jailed in the midst of a whirlwind of racism that swept through the entire Hampton, Virginia area in the early 90’s. Ultimately, that’s not going to be what’s remembered of the little warrior nicknamed “Bubbachuck” anyway. What will be remembered is that not one person who ever donned an NBA jersey tried harder. More importantly, what will be remembered is that there is a good chance that not one other athlete who reached the level of stardom that Allen Iverson elevated himself to, had to overcome more adversity than he conquered.

As for me, I’ll remember the time at Georgetown when Iverson jumped from the foul line to catch a missed free throw and seemingly defied gravity by hammering it down for a thunderous dunk that dropped the collective jaws of everyone watching.

I’ll remember when my Sixers won the 1996 Draft Lottery and we all knew we were taking the 5 foot 11 inch Allen Iverson over the 7 foot Center named Marcus Camby. Go back in history and find me another time when a player under 6 feet was drafted first ahead of an All-American Center. You won’t. It just does NOT happen.

I’ll remember the night a 20-year-old rookie had the balls to crossover Jordan, and with one quick dribble from left to right announce to the world, “I’m here and no one can stop me!”

I’ll remember when AI averaged 24 per game as a 150 pound rookie.

I’ll remember the time he set a playoff game record with 10 steals against the Orlando Magic on the way to his first playoff series win.

I’ll remember the time he traded 50-point games with Vince Carter in that epic playoff duel that, of course, Iverson came out on top of.

I’ll remember the night The Answer became the smallest player in NBA history to score 60 points in a game.

And obviously I will always and forever remember the time he stepped over Tyronne Lue. That was the greatest non-championship-winning moment of my sports watching life. It was so cool that I don’t even have to explain it and you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’ll remember the night in June when he beat the unbeatable Los Angeles Lakers led by Shaq and Kobe, by far the best team the NBA has seen since Jordan’s Bulls. And if you forgot already, his sidekicks were Eric Snow, George Hill, Tyrone Hill, and a 73-year-old Dikembe Mutombo – not exactly a murderer’s row of talent.

I’ll remember the swagger with which Iverson carried himself, and his oversized heart that ran to the beat of a different drummer. A drummer that wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone, I mean.

I’ll remember practice. “We talkin’ bout’ practice, not a game, not a game, we talkin’ bout’ practice!”

I’ll remember the arm sleeve, the doo-rag, the incredibly artistic tattoos, the braids, the tears, the fallouts with Coach Brown, and then the time he sat on Coach’s lap to accept his MVP award.

And of course, who could forget the statistical accomplishments? The 56-win season, the Rookie of the Year, the MVP, the 11 All-Star games, 4 NBA Scoring Titles, and 7 All-NBA Teams.

Allen Iverson was a little warrior in every sense of the term. In fact, I want Webster’s to add that to the dictionary next year and next to it just put, “See Iverson, Allen.” No one was more fearless. No one tried harder. No one that size will ever take the beating he took and continue to play at the level he played. He was the greatest under-6-foot scorer the league has ever seen. He looked like a boy amongst men……until they threw the ball up at midcourt, at which time everyone came to know that he was the unquestioned Man of the court. The 76ers haven’t been the same since he left, and I’m not sure they’ll ever be the same again.

Well that’s my tribute to AI, or at least all I felt like writing for now. So please allow me to re-introduce myself, my name is HOV, H to the O-V. No, it’s really not, but Jay said it better than I ever could, plus I don’t feel like giving my real name yet and I thought it would be a little gay for me to put, “my name is The Esquire.” And to the man, the myth, the legend, The Answer – Allen Iverson – thanks for your unwavering effort and for the memories that will stay with me always. Oh yea, and thanks for inspiring my first blog. To everyone else (if anyone is actually reading this) I hope you enjoyed it. If you continue to read, and you fuckin’ better if you know what’s good for you, then here’s what you can expect to find:
Tons of sports articles, pictures of hot bitches, weekly movie reviews, weekly article entitled “This Week in Sports We Learned”, hilarious videos, top 10 lists, a few legal tips here and there because, I mean, that is my day job and all, and much more.

I know I’m lazy, but I know my sports, and I know I can write……or at least I think I can. So check me out, you won’t be disappointed.