Anybody read a good book lately?

[rjs246]

Seems to me that this book focuses on reason, which is exactly what you're espousing. Stop being contrarian.

[Diomedes]

A book about atheism, or by a "leading" atheist, is just a damn book by someone trying to make some money.  What is so farging hard to understand here?  I have as little interest in reading an atheist book as I do a christian book.  

[rjs246]

Oh I get it. I just think your rationale is misguided.

[Diomedes]

Probably so but I'm sticking to it, Friend of Smart People.

[rjs246]

I answer to iPhone-owner or Alero-rocker these days. Try to keep up.

[Sgt PSN]

How 'bout iLero doosh?  Pretty much sums it all up. 

[rjs246]

Also acceptable.

[General_Failure]

Maybe you should change the shocks on that Alero.

[MDS]

just finished play their hearts out, a book chronicling an AAU team from the time they started (10/11 years old) to their high school graduations.

ill keep it short: if you like basketball, even remotely, you need to read this book. unbelievable depth of reporting and detail about not only these kids' lives, but the disgusting AAU scene and the god-awful people who run it. weve all heard some stuff about this life and now here it is, clear as day.

i realize im on the wrong board trying to get people to talk hoops but this is easily the best sports book of the last decade.

[Don Ho]

Thanks Todd.  I need to read this.  I coach Freshman basketball and club ball.  I do it for the fun of it but my god the shtein you see is disgusting.  9 out of every 10 parents thinks their kid is the next Michael Jordon.   

[Diomedes]

Even I've heard AAU is a corrupt organization, and I don't really understand what it is.  The old man across the street, born and raised on the block, a local star in sports in his time, spits when AAU is mentioned in conversation.

[hbionic]

just finished play their hearts out, a book chronicling an AAU team from the time they started (10/11 years old) to their high school graduations.

ill keep it short: if you like basketball, even remotely, you need to read this book. unbelievable depth of reporting and detail about not only these kids' lives, but the disgusting AAU scene and the god-awful people who run it. weve all heard some stuff about this life and now here it is, clear as day.

i realize im on the wrong board trying to get people to talk hoops but this is easily the best sports book of the last decade.

For some reason...you don't come across as a hoops-faring person.

[MDS]

Even I've heard AAU is a corrupt organization, and I don't really understand what it is.  The old man across the street, born and raised on the block, a local star in sports in his time, spits when AAU is mentioned in conversation.

the top of AAU is run by people like pat barrett who have massive deals with shoe companies and give away free gear to make all-star teams with the best younger players of his area (for barett its so cal). if 1 or 2 of the guys on your time wind up being big time and you deliver them to USC or whatever school you have relationship with, you get paid. then if that kids make the nba, you get paid.

barrett was, just to site 2 examples, caked off by tyson chandler after he got drafted out of high school and caked off by ucla after he delivered them kevin love. so hes running these teams and pimping these kids out specficially so he can get paid when and if they go pro or make it to top d1 schools.

[ice grillin you]

when are you going to write your own book on the aau tennis circuit?

[phattymatty]

there's a juicy new behind the scenes of ESPN book coming out soon. it's like 700+ pages but I love reading that stuff about the guys we grew up watching on sportscenter.  lots of fun excerpts coming out already...

You hear about the "Rug Races?" Well, [redacted] had this place near [redacted] and we used to go out there for meetings a couple times a year. There was a lot of drinking that went on there, a ton of drinking. [Redacted] and his buddies apparently called these hookers and in front of [redacted], he got them to lie naked on the floor on their backs with their legs spread and apparently [redacted] and one of his buddies kneeled down naked in front of them and just started licking them and sort of like pushing them along the floor, with their tongues in the girls' crotches