Nate Dogg had one of the most unique voices in the music industry. If you needed a catchy hook on a song, you enlisted the services of Nate Dogg. Hook experts like T-Pain and Akon can’t hold a candle to what Nate brought to a track. Rest in Peace Nathaniel Hale.
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SEC Tourney Preview, Mississippi State Style
Mississippi State did exactly what it needed to do: survive the SEC schedule and earn a first-round bye in this week’s SEC Tournament. That result is not good enough for some as MSU was chosen in the preseason to win the SEC West. That prediction was made based on the potential of this year’s squad. Would Renardo Sidney play like the McDonald’s All-American he was in high school? How would the team perform when Dee Bost returned from suspension? When it was all said and done, MSU finished 9-7 in conference, three games behind division winner Alabama. MSU played to its potential at times but also underperformed at critical moments this year. Losses to SEC West cellar dwellers Auburn and LSU put a sour taste in the mouths of the Bulldog faithful. However, the Bulldogs responded with wins against SEC champion Florida and won at Thompson-Boling Arena against Tennessee in Jack Cristil’s last radio broadcast as the voice of Mississippi State athletics. A lot of people are critical of Rick Stansbury when it comes to coaching, but he seems to shine during the SEC Tournament. As head coach, he has two championship trophies and two more finals appearances since taking over from Richard Williams in 1998. If history happens to repeat itself, MSU won’t win its quarterfinal game against the LSU/Vanderbilt winner. In 2002, MSU won the tourney, lost in the finals in 2003 and was bounced in the quarterfinals (with a first-round bye) in 2004. MSU won the tourney in 2009 and lost in the finals last season. However, the field could not have shaped up any better for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs play its first game Friday against the LSU/Vanderbilt winner. MSU split the season series with the Tigers, but one bounce here and there could have turned the two matchups into sweeps in either team’s favor. MSU lost its only meeting with the Commodores this year, but was very much in the game. They made some crucial mistakes in the final minutes and let a winnable game slip from their fingers. Last year MSU proved that they could lose to Vandy mid-season and beat them when it matters most: in the SEC Tourney. It seems like a possibility again this season.
On the other half of MSU’s bracket sit three reams that MSU is a combined 4-0 this season. The Bulldogs swept the Razorbacks, defeated Tennessee on the road and upset the ranked Gators in Starkville. If the Bulldogs can play up to their full potential and get Sidney plenty of rest, MSU can cruise into the finals for a third straight year. Will it be that easy? Of course not, MSU has made the incredibly easy look impossible in athletics since 1878. But working in MSU’s favor is two seniors who have been on the wrong side of Stansbury. However, they have learned from the error of their ways and embraced their roles on the team. The result is Kodi Augustus averaging career-highs in points and rebounds and a rejuvenated Ravern Johnson after his suspension and benching. The national media (Andy Katz and Pat Forde in particular) may not like how Rick has handled this season, but he’s done wonders with the hand he was dealt and has his team in position to win two SEC Tourney titles in three years. The ride to this position has not been a smooth one, but the roads have settled. Stansbury and crew seem to make magic every SEC Tournament, and this year’s field is set for MSU to make more magic.
Throwback Thursday – Nas
I am not the biggest Nas fan, but he has been a mainstay in the rap game for a reason. He is one of the best ever lyrically, and he does not use a lot of features on his albums. This song here is the exception. He and Lauren Hill create one of rap’s greatest collabos with “If I Ruled the World.”
Throwback Thursday – Ice Cube
We are still patiently waiting for Detox to drop. So, in the meantime, here is some Ice Cube for you. Dre drops a hot verse on this one.
Throwback Thursday – Big Tymers
Cash Money Records ran the rap game in the late 90’s and the early part of the 21st century. The Big Tymers ware a large part of that.
Throwback Thursday – Lil Troy
I used to be on that free lunch like crazy when I was a kid. It’s a shame Lil Troy had to mess up his friend he used to go to free lunch with.
Throwback Thursday – Soul 4 Real
It’s hard enough trying to find one singer in a family. But four?? Soul 4 Real had a brief…and I mean brief…run in the early-to-mid 90’s.
2010 in review
The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.
Crunchy numbers
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,800 times in 2010. That’s about 7 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 57 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 59 posts. There were 47 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 5mb. That’s about 4 pictures per month.
The busiest day of the year was December 20th with 76 views. The most popular post that day was A College Football Playoff is Needed…More Than Ever.
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were twitter.com, facebook.com, en.wordpress.com, langkawicentre.com, and freeblogtools.info.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for damsel in distress, the bella twins, damsels in distress, wwe bella twins, and distress.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
1
A College Football Playoff is Needed…More Than Ever September 2010
2
SEC Preseason Predictions August 2010
3
2010 NBA Finals May 2010
4
UK/MSU – The Aftermath February 2010
5
MSU Not Over the Hump Just Yet September 2010
Throwback Thursday – Dr. Dre
Still waiting for Detox to drop. In the meantime, here is some classic Dre material.
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