The Cinnamon Challenge!

As part of stunt series at 1560 The Game I tried to beat the Cinnamon Challenge...





Pass it on to your friends and family and see if you can win the challenge!

NBA Second Push

Well the All-Star break is over and now its time to buckle up for the exciting conclusion of the NBA regular season. I made my NBA season predictions here and now I will tweak them based on what I have seen. I originally had the Suns meeting the Bulls in the Finals...Well thats not happening since the Bulls suck. The Suns could make a run to the Finals so thats not out of the question.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics: I think this is the team of destiny. They will be in the Finals some how some way. Even without Garnett the Celtics pulled off some wins and its stretches like the one without Garnett that builds character. Rajon Rando has made huge gains and he will only get better. I think the Celtics finish at 64-18.
   
2. Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have an eight game lead for second in the Eastern Conf. and their veteran play will allow them to keep this lead. I am not biting on the Detroit bait and picking them to win the Eastern Conf. or catch the Celtics. This team still lacks a strong presence in the middle that will shut down the penetration by LeBron, Pierce, etc. This is basically the same team from last year with Afflalo and Amir Johnson. Call me crazy but I just don't believe in Maxiell shutting down anybody.
   
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Sitting at 29-23 I think the LeBrons will make a big push and take over the Magic. Now I know the Cavs don't have much around LeBron but I believe in post All-Star momentum so look for Mike Brown to start Daniel Gibson. LeBron will start playing the basketball that he played during last year's playoffs.
   
4. Orlando Magic: I think the Magic finish in the top four but by the slimmest of margins. I'm still not sold on the Magic PG situation to carry them over the final stretch of the season. Dwight Howard will be getting a lot more attention and still will put up sick numbers so I feel okay with the pick. The Magic's season will come down the hot shooting of Lewis. Will he be able to keep up his play from the first part of the season? We will find out.
   
5. Toronto Raptors: Just fill in the East after the top four. I really like the Raps here just because the Wizards might be thrown off for a bit with the return of Agent 0.
   
6. Washington Wizards: Will the Wizards be able to gel with Agent 0 without losing the high out put of Butler and Jamison?
   
7. Atlanta Hawks: Mike Bibby will make the difference and help this franchise into the playoffs
8. Chicago Bulls: Erase the first half of the season and start over. Only .5 a game out from the playoffs! They can still make the playoff push!
   

Playoffs:
1. Celtics v 8. Bulls----> Celtics
2. Pistons v 7. Hawks---> Pistons
3. Cavs v 6. Wizards---> Cavs
4. Magic v 5. Raptors---> Magic

Second Round:
1. Celtics v 4. Magic---> Celtics
2. Pistons v 3. Cavs---> Cavs

Eastern Conf. Finals
Celtics beat Cavs


Western Conference

1. San Antonio Spurs: The Spurs are the ultimate second half team and they will do it again with the motivation of a repeat in mind. They are only 2 games behind the Hornets and they will catch the Hornets with big wins and big losses by the Hornets. Look for the Spurs to be healthy and ready to make the push.
   
2. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers are 1.5 games behind the Suns for the Pacific and I think this is the year they win the Pacific. Now I know Kobe's pinky is injured but if there is one guy that will still put up points and play defense with an injury, its Kobe. This Lakers team has been together for three years and will not melt under the pressure. Look for Sasha to keep up his strong play and also Radmanovic to get some big minutes. The Lakers also get back Ariza and Bynum so that will be huge.
   
3. Dallas Mavericks: I still believe in Jason Kidd. The Mavericks are one of the strongest defensive teams in the NBA but now adding a defending first team all-defense PG into the mix will just make them better. Jason Kidd makes players around him better and if he can't score enough then bring Jason Terry into the game. This Mavs team will be a force in the second part of the season.
4. Denver Nuggets: This is a make or break season for George Karl and his Nuggets. They have all the players and all the scoring they can ask for in the lineup. I think they pass up the Jazz and win the Northwest.
   
5. Phoenix Suns: The addition of Shaq will not be that big of a push. I think Shaq goes down with an injury in three weeks or less. Take out Shaq and you are down to Nash, Amare and Barbosa...I know Basbosa put up some huge numbers two years ago but that was with him being a big piece in the pick and roll. That job is taken by Amare now.
   
6. Utah Jazz: The Jazz will not have a horrible second part of the season but will slip to the 6th spot. Remember the West is so loaded that the Jazz will probably miss the 4th seed by 2.5 games or so.
   
7. New Orleans Hornets: The Hornets drop from 1 to 7 but like the Jazz its because they lost 2 more games than the teams in front of them. I really like the makeup of the Hornets this year and they will feed off the post All-Star momentum. Let's just hope Tyson Chandler does not come down with some freak injury because he is the key for their playoff push. He is the wild card for me...can Tyson actually have a whole season of great stats and great play?!
8. Houston Rockets: The Rockets have been the hottest team in the NBA for the last month. This means they will hit a stretch where they lose 4 out of 5 games and fall behind. They will be the 9th seed with two weeks left and will have to win out to make it ahead of the Warriors.
   

Looking In: Golden State Warriors...I know the Warriors were the feel good story of the season but I've seen them in person and I'm not sold on this team to pull it out two years in a row. Just a gut feeling more than anything because they have the talent and system to pull it off but I say nooo for them this year.

Playoffs:
Spurs v Rockets---> Spurs
Lakers v Hornets---> Lakers
Dallas v Jazz---> Dallas
Suns v Nuggets---> Nuggets

Second Round:
Spurs v Nuggets---> Nuggets
Lakers v Dallas---> Lakers

Western Conf. Finals:
Nuggets v Lakers---> Lakers.

Music Time...

So all of this week I've been finding my favorite music video clips on YouTube. I thought I would share some here...

Kanye's Grammy's performance...This is by far one of the most moving performances I've ever witnessed...I heard the song "Hey Mama" on a mixtape because I was trying to find all the Kanye songs out there. The first time I heard it I thought it was up there with 2pac's "Dear Mama"



The Beatles- Here comes the Sun...as performed by George Harrison...I did not grow up in the Beatles era but I recently started to listen to their music and I am addicted. This is probably my favorite song so far.


John Mayer freestyling to Souls of Mischief---I am a big John Mayer fan because of his talent and because he is incredibly funny (youtube his name and comedy)....This is a really good clip of Mayer just going with it.


Brian McKnight ft. Kobe Bryant...That's right, Kobe had a flow in this song and he is in the music video.


Justin Timberlake @ the Victoria Secret Fashion Show...You can hate JT all you want but this is one of the best performances in terms of hot lingerie models and good music.

WWE Smack Down

Pictures and some clips from our night out

Back From Vegas...

Well I'm back but I left a big piece of change back with the Golden Nugget at their Black Jack table.

The trip to Vegas was amazing and I had a lot of adventures. I took a lot of pictures (see below) and made a lot of memories. Being in Sin City during the Super Bowl could be better than being in the Super Bowl city because of the sports book. It was like a meeting of degenerates at the Sports Book, I felt at home.

Here are the highlights and pictures from the weekend:

1. Love at the Mirage: This was the highlight of the weekend. I watched the Cirque Du Soleil's production and was blown away by it. I did not grow up in the Beatles era so when I hear songs by the Beatles I have no images to relate to the songs but this production helped with that task. I am a big fan of the Beatles music because their music will last forever and will always resonate with any generation. The show captured what the Beatles mean to people.
   
2. In N Out Burger: My big goal for this trip was to eat at my favorite fast food chain, In N Out. I ordered the Double Double Animal Style! It was so good! The best part about eating the Doubles was that four hours before I ate at Vic and Anthony's but I was not satisfied but I sure was with In N Out. The best feeling was when I took the first bite after five years since my last meal at In N Out.
   
3. Partying with Jay-Z: On Friday night I went to the 40/40 Club in Vegas and got in due to one Nick Van Exel. Since we knew Nick we got into VIP and sat next to Jay-Z for the night. Although we did not talk to Jay, it was cool being in the same area as one of my favorite rappers. At one point, Jay helped his friend Phil Ivey (the poker player) celebrate by buying champagne for everybody in the VIP. Jay-Z is so gangsta. All in all, the Las Vegas party scene is the ultimate hangout for douchebags like this Dbag.
   
4. Black Jack: The only reason I'm putting this up is because I know like being punched in the junk. The dealers sucker punched me in the junk all weekend long.
   
5. The Shark Tank: The Golden Nugget has a shark tank and it was cool watching some sharks by a pool. I was waiting for a shark to snap and eat some of the other fish in the tank. It never happened.
   

Pictures from the trip:


Going into Love
Hallway leading to the Stage
The Stage

Shark Tank















Tonight I am going to WWE Smackdown so I will post pictures from that tomorrow!

A Hodge Podge of Stuff

Whats up Gamers!

Usually I like to bring new stuff to yall but today I ask for some stuff from you! As you might know, I am going to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. I will be staying at the Golden Nugget (Downtown Las Vegas) so I wanted to open up the comments to find out the best things to do in Vegas while I'm there. I went to Vegas when I was 18 so I was thrown out of a few casinos for gambling. I really thought some big guys in black suits were going to break my legs out back for trying. Let me know what I need to do in Vegas while I'm there. Here is the list so far:

1. Eat In and Out
2. Hang out with somebody from the Mitchell Report
3. Take a picture with an Elvis impersonator
4. Take a picture with a Pimp
5. Meet somebody from the cast of the Office
6. ....

DeeJay Mike Rizzy

As always I like to update yall with some good music that I find on the Web so here is a new addition to your playlist, DJ Mike Rizzy!

I came across his work with this random YouTube video about some guy trying to impress the opposite sex:



The best thing about Rizzy's page is that you can listen to the awesome mixes with some great old school songs and take a trip down memory lane. I highly recommend the "Behind the Beat" and "Feel Good/Mr. Happy" mixes. He blends good music with great original beats. You can also download the 30min mixes and put it on your iPod for workouts, fights or anything that might require you to have some good music on.




Laugh:

Hornswoggle takes on some other wrestlers in the MINI- ROYAL RUMBLE



This might hurt:






What happens when Chance and Raheel get by a fire? Check this out from my Camera on the phone...

Cowboy as the Sheik and CHEESE!!!

Well here are the first pictures from Demeris today when Cowboy Bill Lamza dressed up as the Iron Sheik in order to pay up for a bet we made on-air...Cowboy is one of the funniest guys I know but for whatever reason people hate him on-air! I think it might be all the racist things he says. hmmm we might never know...enjoy the pictures...






The following pictures are from the Paul Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award Banquet. As part of my initiation process I was told to hold a brick of cheese at the silent auction. Also, since it was Chance's first day, he had to hold a pineapple head.

UFO Crazy and Cowboy Switches Roles

All of this Stephenville UFO talk had me excited so I decided to get some of the leading UFO experts from Texas on the show Tuesday. Now, I am a big believer of UFO's and Aliens. I have seen a craft hover in the sky and then take off to never be seen again...at least by me. I am a big fan of those UFO specials on the Travel Channel and Sci-Fi so the recent UFO stories are pretty cool for me. Here are the interviews with Ken Cherry and Darrel Sims. Please post your best UFO stories.


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Also, come out to Demeris today to see Cowboy Bill Lamza dress up like the Iron Sheik...it will be one of the funniest things you will see in your life! I will post pictures and videos later.



Cowboy Lamza-------------------------------------------->

Nick The Quick watches the video...

Just watch and comment

Tommy Chong---I'm so HIGH!

Just in case you missed it, Tommy Chong from the famous Cheech and Chong joined us to promote his stand-up comedy tour.

Here is the whole interview...

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Now, I did not grow up in the Cheech and Chong era but I have watched their movies when Comedy Central puts them on once a year. I was blown away by the fact that Tommy still smells like weed. He is an incredibly nice guy that has a lot of great stories so it was good hearing the stories.

The Deuce is Loose Tour
I will be posting more information about the tour in a few days.

Update on Taucha Hogue
Congrats to Taucha for winning her Seim-final round in the contest...she will now face a cheerleader from Arkansas in the finals. More info to come soon about the finals.

Vote for Taucha Hogue

Since you're at work or home right now and have nothing to do, vote for University of Houston Cheerleader Taucha Hogue on the Cbssportsline.com cheerleader of the week finals. You can vote here for Taucha.

Taucha came on the show so if you want to listen to her while you vote for her than you can do that here...I mean just look at the picture! She is hot and needs to win this one for Houston!


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First Show Done!

The first live broadcast from Demeris is DONE! It was a huge success and we had a lot of fun! I want to thank all the listeners who stopped by and also a HUGE thanks to tall of the guests who took time out to come hangout with us for a bit!

I think the highlights for me after the marquee (look right) had to be when Lucy Noland and Dominique Sachse gave each other a hug...cue the Debbie Does Dallas music. I also enjoyed Cristina bringing in a special guest, Rebecca Spera! Rebecca actually reads this blog so if you are reading, thanks for coming out special guest! To all the guests, I enjoyed all the great conversation and laughs that we had today. We will be live every Wednesday from 12-2 p.m. at Demeris so if you missed this one don't worry because we will be there all year long!! If you would have told me five months ago that I would be doing a show in Houston live from Demeris with some great newscasters, I would have called your bluff a thousand times over. I truly am grateful.

Here all the segments in order from 12-2pm:

Cristina and Rebecca:

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Lauren Freeman:

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Lucy Noland:


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Dominique Sachse:

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Live from Demeris!

If you just got into work and are hungry then come to Demeris BBQ on South Shepard!(2911 S. Shepherd Houston, TX 77098 )

Look, you don't want to eat at the same old place, do you?! Come out today when I do my show live from 12-2 p.m. with Ken Hoffman. Try the Hoffy Burger or a big plate of chopped beef. The food at Demeris is awesome but if that's not enough to bring you out then how about a star-studded lineup.

12 pm: Cristina Terrill w/ special guest
12:30: Lauren Freeman
1: Lucy Noland
1:30: Dominique Sachse

It will be our first show from there so please stop on by and say hello.

Here are some good YouTube Picks to pass time while you wait to head out to Demeris.

Kickin' It Off Right...

Happy New Year yall! I hope everybody has a prosperous 2008 and I only wish the best for everyone reading. In honor to celebrate the new year, here is a quick clip from ABBA..



Alright, with the New Year we will find out a lot of things like, Will the Texans make the playoffs in 2008? Will the Rockets make the playoffs this season? Will I still have a job? Will the Astros be a dominating team or just another team? So many questions but oh so much time!

One thing that I do know is that Chance McClain (my mentor and legendary sports producer) is a free agent right now and should be signing with a station this month...Let's look into his everyday life and see what he is up to..



Wow, I really hope he some how ends up at 1560 The Game...

Okay, now to recap some big moments from 2007:

• I graduate from the University of Texas at Austin
• I bum around Houston
• Start my job at 1560 The Game
• The Daily Catchups with Jacoby, David and Jeb
• I meet Kobe and find out he is my brother
  
• Dynamo win the MLS cup again!

Speaking of those catchups, here are the final catchups with David Anderson and Jacoby Jones.

Jacoby Jones

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David Anderson

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Finally, just want to pump up my friend Omar Adam who is an actor from Houston. He lives out in L.A. but is back home due to the writer's strike. He has been in a lot of big things so check out his website. While he is in Houston, Omar will be conducting some Acting classes so if you are interested please checkout his website and sign-up! I can promise you that he is an awesome teacher and will help you take a right step towards your goal!

A Quick Music Review

Alright the new Lupe Fiasco CD The Cool hit the shelves last week and I just did not get around to review the CD until now. Before I start let me just say that I think Lupe is the savior for real hip-hop. He is doing what Common did for rap in the late 90's. I'm not a big fan of rap and hip-hop songs that just talk about money, hoes and other irrelevant stuff so as you can imagine Lupe Fiasco, Common and Talib Kweli have been some of my favorite artists in the last 7 years and change.

Overall, I give The Cool a 9 out of 10. I thought the CD was very daring in terms of sound and lyrics because it sounded like a raw artist trying to make a name. Lupe switched up his style from his rookie CD Food and Liquor. The one thing that did not change is his dedication to sending a message with his songs. Every song is a look into his soul. The Cool did a great job of sounding like a unique CD with good beats and fresh sound. Lupe captured this unique sound by mixing in Matthew Santos into a few songs. It took me a while to really get into the CD but once I gave it a solid listen I have not put it down. From the first track to the last you will not find one song that you skip.

Since the CD overall was very good it was hard to find my favorite tracks but I finally decided on the tracks...SuperStar, Tokyo/Paris, Hip-Hop Saved my Life, Streets on Fire, Little Weapon, Fighters and Go Baby.

Pick-up this CD because you will not be disappointed. Here are some songs from the CD so listen and enjoy!

Super Star


Streets on Fire


Fighters

Happy Non-Denominational Holidays

I want to wish all of yall happy holidays and a happy new year! Thank you for reading the blog and listening to the show. What is yalls favorite Christmas Tradition? I just took part in the 96th Annual Ramzanali Non-Denominational Bowl. Nothing says American like a bunch of Pakistani guys playing football on Christmas morning. Enjoy these Christmas themed Youtube picks.


The New Santa is Coming to Town Song....KLAUS!



Nothing like some old school claymation


Santa Getting Crunk

The Coolest Thing EVER!

Hey everbody!

Let me start by saying that I am still part of 1560 The Game. If you are not aware of what happened you can check out the podcasts of the whole thing (underneath)...The incident is behind us and now we shall move ahead. Thanks for posting kind words on the blog and the e-mails.

Raheel being fired part 1

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Raheel Being Fired Part 2

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Raheel Being Hired

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KEVIN HARLAN

TNT Play-by-Play Announcer Kevin Harlan joined the show today to talk about the NBA and dropped the coolest thing ever for me! He did a play-by-play of me dunking on Ken! Check out the ringtone here....The whole interview is posted underneath.


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Reactions...

Some good reactions by 1560 The Game on-air personalities Kailee Wong and Brent Blackburn

Listen to Kailee Wong every Monday Morning with John and Lance on 1560 The Game


Listen to the Back 9 Golf Show every Wednesday at 6pm on 1560 The Game

A sit down with Chris Mihm

So back when the Lakers came to Houston I had a chance to speak with Chris Mihm about his career in the NBA and other Longhorns in the NBA. I am posting this interview right now because there are rumors floating around about Mihm being traded.

I cut some of the questions out but just listen and enjoy...



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A Whole Jambalaya of Stuff

Hey everybody!

First of all thanks for voting in the polls and thanks for reading the blog...Its very kind of you.

Before I get into some stuff around sports I want to remind you that you can win prizes by listening to the Ken and Raheel show on 1560 The Game from 12-2pm CST. We are playing a game called "Stump The Raheel" so if you stump me with a trivia question then you win a prize. Listen and win!

I have a lot to talk about so lets start eating this big jambalaya of a posting.

• The Falcons' Support Michael Vick
• Watch this video first and then read on...
• Okay so the quality sucks but here is a recap...Roddy White catches a TD and celebrates by showing his Free Michael Vick shirt. THIS COULD BE THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN! These players are acting as if the government was out to get Michael Vick. The Feds did not bust Vick on some bogus charges. Vick is not a saint. Please do not make him into one. He is a sick human being that thought he was above the law. I hope PETA protests in front of Roddy White like they did for Vick
• MONDAY NIGHT RAW IS AWESOME!
• Say what you want about men who watch wrestling but I love Raw! It is the best soap on tv. I guess I'm some what bias to wrestling since I am an amatuer wrestler. The story lines might be scripted but the actual beat downs hurt. For example, watch the video posted underneath. Last night, I watched the Raw 15th Anniversary Special on USA with my brother and we loved every minute. It was like taking a trip down memory lane. We've had some laughs with DX, Jericho and The Rock. I remember in middle school I would finish homework early on Monday nights so I could watch Raw. Raw is awesome and WWE is awesome. Start watching more of it.
• Upcoming events on King Of Sports...
• An interview with Chris Mihm
• More daily catchups with Jacoby, David and Jeb
• More pictures from interviews
  
• The winner of Raheel's Houston Talent Search
• And Much more...