The Bad Ash Blog

  On February 26, 2021 a change was officially made in the WNBA that goes far beyond the hardwood.  History was made as a three-member investor group was approved to purchase the Atlanta Dream. Larry Gottesdiener, Renee Montgomery and Suzanne Abair make up this strong force that is this investor group. Montgomery has become the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise. THIS, this is the breaking barriers.  Pressure began to fall on former Senator Kelly Loeffler as she angered many across the country, most specifically in the WNBA. Loeffler's outward opposition to the league's racial injustice initiative sparked players to push for Loeffler to give up her part-ownership of the Dream.  Yes, she had to go. Not only in her role as Senator but as part-owner of the Atlanta Dream.  What prompted Montgomery to begin considering this journey was a tweet from LeBron James. James mentioned the idea of becoming a part of such a group tha...

  The NFL awards, the NBA awards, the All-Star selection ... how much of it is really ... accurate? Devin Booker initially getting snubbed as an All-Star starter is proof enough for me to realize that the voting system is well, misleading. T.J. Watt missing the mark on NFL Defensive Player of the Year is well, just wrong.  And no, that is not me saying that I do not think Aaron Donald was not deserving of it. However, T.J. should have taken the crown on that. It's not bias, it's just numbers.  So do not come for me.  However, I would be lying if said that we all didn't love to find out who wins these things. It's the sports lover in us. And even though these awards appear to be a wash, they do still become a part of these players' legacies and accolades. This year's most intriguing NBA award is not the Most Valuable Player but the Rookie of the Year. It has been one of those races where the lead runner changes frequently.  It is LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, a...

The era of the Superteams is still in full effect. Oh the joy.  It has been over a decade since LeBron James took his talents to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. This is not the first ever Big Three, but the first time a free agency was used to forcibly assemble a Superteam. We all remember 'The Decision' and we all remember the information we received after the Superteam was formed regarding text messages and conversations between James, Wade and Bosh masterminding the whole plan. The Boston Celtics are the ones who assembled the original Big Three (yes, arguably). This Big Three was formed in a different way, a more natural way maybe? It didn't feel schemed on and it wasn't nationally televised. Boston traded away the fifth and 35th pick in the NBA Draft, and a couple of players for Ray Allen. Around a month later, the Celtics continued their momentum. In a trade that would cost the Celtics five players, two draft picks and some cash ... Kevin Garnett w...

  I do not plan on this being your typical, cliché publication of "Yay, 2020 is almost over. Let's get to it, 2021." We will see enough of that on our Twitter timelines and Instagram feeds over the next 72 hours. 2020 has had ups and it has had downs, maybe some more than others. You don't need my personal testimony. I am more for sharing sports stories and opinions anyway.  Speaking of ups and downs, what better way to describe the 2020 sports year than that? January alone had a few great ups, but also had one of the biggest downs we as sports lovers would experience all year. It started off with the LSU Tigers capping off an undefeated and incredible season with a National Championship over the Clemson Tigers. Heisman trophy winner Joe (or, JEUX) Burrow threw up an incredible stat line of 463 yards and five touchdowns. On January 14 the WNBA established a groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The new CBA included substantial salary increases, improve...

  When you read the storyline the Lakers are the favorite. To keep it real, there is really just no question about it.  Do I have a dog in this fight? Honestly, no. My heart lies with Los Angeles in the spirit of Kobe. In the spirit of the NBA Finals I believe that we are about to have one of the best matchups we have seen in a long time.   LeBron vs. Former Coach Valiant Veterans vs. Raving Rookie Doing It For Kobe vs. Cut From The Miami Heat Cloth I will throw in a prediction for kicks and giggles ... at the end of this blog. Stay tuned as I develop one while writing this because I am still undecided.  Before the NBA season resumed many of us were leery on how the season would feel. We all knew it was going to be one unlike any other. Therefore, it is worth saying that this NBA Finals may mean a little bit more. Players have had to persevere through mental demands, isolation, trying to perform at their highest all while fighting and recognizing the social...

  Where is Paul George? What's going on with PG13? Has PG lost his touch? Is the shoulder soreness too much to handle?  These are the questions that have consumed many minds who have been tuning into the NBA playoffs. Paul George was off ... to say the least. On Tuesday, August 25, the day of Game 5 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks ... something clicked for PG.  "I mean, I just felt it. My energy, my spirit was changed. That's all it needed" said George when referring to his chat with the team psychiatrist. "That's all I needed. I came here, I know what my job was. Left it all on that court. Ready to move forward." 35 points in 25 minutes was certainly needed. Paul George became the only player to score 35 in 25 minutes or less in the shot clock era (1954-55).  PG was hearing it all within the world of social media. All of the comments, the doubts, the criticism, he heard it all. In a postgame interview after Tuesday night's fran...

It is no secret that the NBA bubble works, and whatever the MLB is doing does not work. Baseball began play on July 23 and the NBA tipped off their restart on July 30. MLB, players and personnel, have had over 30 positive COVID-19 cases and 20 games postponed. The NBA has not had a positive COVID test since July 13. Out of 343 tests, zero have been positive.  One is not like the other. Shoutout to the bubble. One league has a commissioner that puts forth an effort to make sure its players are looked out for, and their families. This commissioner makes them aware that their health is actually the priority and money is spent in all of the right places in order to appease all parties (you and I included). This other commissioner lacks the effort in taking responsibility for being blind to reality because of the inconvenience that may come with it.  Robert Manfred may not be a "quitter," but also does not appear to be the most rational either.  It took the MLB quite some...

I have a box of tissues by my side. A glass of water. A pen. Some paper. And, out of the ordinary, ESPN is not playing on the TV in the background. Kobe. I thought so highly of him. Oh, what Kobe meant to me. What Kobe meant to all of us. Legend. Hero. Goat (one of my most treasured sports debates). Icon. Brother. Son. Husband. Father. I wear my #24 Hollywood jersey differently now. I wear my purple Kobe X’s differently now. Every single Kobe highlight I watch, I watch differently now. That time that I went and watched him play in Chicago, I remember it differently now … but how I view Kobe will forever remain the same. My boyfriend and I began to talk about our favorite Kobe memories yesterday and you couldn’t help but to just … feel your blood began to pump faster, clinch your fists, grit your teeth … you know, full-on Mamba Face. It signifies so much. Invincible is the word he kept bringing up in our conversation. Man, we sure do love Bean. Go hard. ...

"Yes, I like Derrick Rose. That's my guy." Now get prepared for the injury jokes. People still find humor in cracking those I guess. It has truly been a series of unfortunate events throughout the career of Derrick Rose. After the ACL tear in 2012... during the first game of the playoffs... Bulls are up by 12 on the 76ers... 1:20 left to play... Derrick Rose still in the game (no, I am not bitter)... It has been injury after injury, plaguing what could have been one remarkable career.  Well, it has still been remarkable to me. Can you even begin to understand how many people would have given up already? Over a span of eight seasons Rose has missed 257 games. He is now just the fifth player to be league MVP and play for four or more teams. Shaq and Allen Iverson are also in this category.  "I'm too far in to just walk away. I'm in love with the game. The love of the game. I still am a winner. I still love learning the game," Rose said in an inte...