Sprinkles and Lighting Bolts

Okay, people...do you have Thunder Fever?  I just don't know how you couldn't.  It's overtaken the world...okay, maybe just Oklahoma, but we're on our way.  I'm officially entrenched in the mania.  I've worn the same shirt every playoff game for two reasons 1. It's the only one I have that fits and 2. It supports my boy James Harden.

So as we sit several hours out from a possible clinching of the Western Conference Finals, I thought I'd share my Thunder-related thoughts...

I don't know what "Thundering Up" actually is.  I assume it's similar to Cowboying Up.  I don't know how to Cowboy Up either.  I don't let my lack of understanding deter me from using the phrase on a regular basis.  You know, I just like to fit in.  Thunder Up!  I have to be honest, I don't officially start Thundering Up each year until after college basketball is complete.  My first love is Cowboy basketball, and yes it's been a little dismal lately, but you can't just breakup with your girlfriend because she gained a little weight.  She still has a great personality.  So maybe I'm fair-weather, whatever.  Labels don't bother me.  But I am Thundering Up...I'm pretty sure.   Our household is filled with lots of shouting during games, I throw my hands in the air when a long three goes in, and Husband and I spend lots of unnecessary time analyzing driving to the hoop, Scottie Brooks, and James Harden's basketball knowledge and vision.  I think that constitutes adequately Thundering Up.

Can I express to you how much I hate the Spurs?  I mean I hate them.  And I hated them long before the Thunder even existed.  Okay, not that long before.  Since 2003 when I moved to Arizona and started following the Suns.  I announced to my 2003 roommate that I hated Tim Duncan.  He informed me that no one hates Tim Duncan, because he has no personality.  Wrong.  Kathy hates him.  And I'd like to point out that my favorite memory of Tim Duncan was watching Big Country beat his Demon Deacons in 1995 on our way to the Final Four.  Loser.   And stop referring to him as the Greatest Power Forward of All Time...he doesn't play power forward.  He's a post/center.** 

My hatred of the Spurs peaked during the 2007 Western Conference Semi-finals...game 4. Dirty Robert Horry hip checked everyone's favorite Canadian Steve Nash, and I've never forgiven the Spurs franchise for it.  While watching the game with Husband (who at the time was Fiance) I jumped off the couch, charged the TV and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL!!!"  I'm almost positive that's the moment Husband knew he had a keeper.  Either that or my rage deeply concerned him.  He asked me if I was planning on getting in on the fight, I told him it was a strong possibility.

But mainly, I really, really hate Manu Ginobili.  He plays basketball like South Americans play futbol, and that makes him the enemy.  He has been flopping and shooting by way of bicycle kicks and trick shots for what seems like 84 years, and frankly, I've had enough.  I despise him.  He is my least favorite NBA player that currently exists on the planet right now.  Blake Griffin is probably number two.  Enough with the stare downs after dunks.  We get it.  That's your thing.  When you can make a 18 foot jumper or a free throw, then you can stare people down all you want.  Oh, and I'm not a fan of Jason Terry either.  You are not an airplane.  You are just an annoying human who plays basketball.  I've gotten completely off point.  I called Manu French the other night on Twitter, which is embarrassing.  I know he's not French.  I blame it on the fact I had taken Ambien and had just had a long discussion with Husband about the amount of time Tony Parker spends on his back.  I got my annoying foreign Spurs mixed up.  Whoopsie.  For the record, I don't like Tony Parker either.

Finally, I'd just like to declare my love of James Harden.  Isn't he the greatest?  He's a Sun Devil, you know.  I love how he plays.  I love his smooth shot, and his ability to distribute the ball, and how he will drive to the basket when no one else will.  And I love the crazy eyes that he gets from time to time.  I heard someone call him a flopper yesterday.  Maybe he is, but I love everything about him.  I'm currently in the market for a beard for our baby.  Let me know if you have any leads.

So on that note I encourage you all to Thunder Up, Buckle Down...and wiggle from side to side.

**Husband has been complaining about this for years now, so I felt it needed to be included in the blog.  All credit for that comments goes to him.

You Don't Say

I felt like this was a really big news week.  Lots of fun and interesting things going on.   I love weeks like this.  From time to time, I really ponder why I didn't follow my instinct and become a journalist.  I guess for now, I'll just have to settle for scouring the internets at home while wearing a fedora with a little "Press" sign stuck in the brim.

Cannibal eats man's face off while high on bath salts.  To say I became obsessed with this story would be a gross understatement.  Seriously, what an insane thing to happen!  I had so many questions that I felt the media never answered.  Why did the victim have no pants on?  How hard do you have to bite to pull someone's flesh off? Why are people in Florida so crazy?  Every time a new story was released, I read it.  I discovered through my obsession there were pictures of the victim's face that was no longer in existence floating around the internet.  I, of course, began to search for myself.  I have no idea what is wrong with me.  I'm part of the downfall of society.  Oh well.

I would like to point out that I was aware of the dangers of bath salts due to my addiction to the show Intervention.  Last season featured a young man addicted to bath salts.  It was such an odd episode, I watched it twice.  I was disappointed to learn that bath salts aren't actually used while bathing.  I also learned this week that Grape Ape is not just a cartoon, it's a kind of marijuana.  There is so much about drugs I don't know.

Lil' Wayne not allowed in to Thunder game.  So, this made me laugh.  As Wes Welker tweeted, "Sorry bro, this ain't L.A."  I became very interested in the conspiracy theory of some lady named Trina being the ultimate cause.  Supposedly, this woman used to date Weezy, but then was dating my favorite Thunder star, James Harden.  So then what happened was Trina kissed Lil' Wayne at Mya's album release party (I can't remember if Mya was in the Lady Marmalade video or sang that song with Brandy in the 90s) and then Lil' Wayne professed his love for her at a recent concert.  So then, James Harden had beef with Lil' Wayne, because that was his lady and he wasn't feeling that.  And then Young Carter wanted to come to the Thunder game and Harden was all, "hells no!" so he was denied and said, "Go Spurs!" on Twitter and then we won.  No idea if ANY of this is true, but that was the story I pieced together from the world wide web.

Can we all focus on the fact that if this is true, Trina went from dating someone who was 5'6" to dating someone who is 6'5".  Almost an entire foot!  Talk about an adjustment.  And that's the angle I decided to focus on...

Oklahoma State football players break the law... twice!  Let's all agree it was a rough week for the Cowboys in the PR department.  And Twitter really takes crime reporting to a new level, especially from bloggers.  One blogger has now referred to both incidents as "felonies."  Neither are.  Another blogger wrote a very judgmental blog about Justin Blackmon.  Good for you and all your omniscientness and holiness.  And then there are the actual journalists/reporters who won't give you the good, juicy stuff because, you know, they are aware of libel laws.  It's a virtual circus of information out there.  Sometimes I think it's a shame that life doesn't work like Jeopardy!  You know, where people were rewarded for being right and money was taken away from them for being wrong.  Wouldn't that be great?  Imagine how much less obnoxious social media and sports/talk radio would be if people lost money every time they were wrong.  And people like me, who are always right, would be rich!

In regards to the young men associated with OSU who can't seem to make good decisions, a certain quote from Jim Carey from the movie Liar, Liar comes to mind... "Stop breaking the law!"  As for the rest of you hooligans, keep up the good work, I enjoy following along at home.