The Dugout - April 9
Branding 101 With Robert Griffin III
The Washington Redskins QB knows how to make it in the cut-throat world of sports marketing and merchandise. You see, he understands the value of a brand. That's why having played a big part in bringing star receiver DeSean Jackson to DC, he is still refusing to give up his iconic number 10 to DSJ, who has also famously worn that number. Then he came out with this, his new personal logo. It's actually pretty cool.
The Most Amazing Thing You’ll See Done With Lego Today
Unless you actually go searching for better things, in which case it’s probably just one of the most amazing things you’ll see done with lego today.
Big Al’s Paint
The Charlotte Bobcats have gone the distance in making their big fella Al Jefferson a fan favourite. In honour of his old school playing style and his dominance in the paint (geddit?) they’ve created a website full of cheeky digs and paint/paint puns. Pat on the back, Bobcats. You’ve outdone yourselves both on the court and off it.
Top 5 NBA 2014 Draft Prospects:
- Joel Embid (Kansas)
- Andrew Wiggins SF (Kansas)
- Jabari Parker SF/PF (Duke)
- Julius Randle PF (Kentucky)
- Dante Exum PG/SG (Australia)
The Best of Twitter:
Quote of the Week:
Good Week:
- Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) – The streak ends at 41. But he knocked off MJ’s record 40 consecutive games with 25+ points for the last 50 years. In reality, he was never gonna challenge Wilt Chamberlain’s all time record of 106 games in a row, was he…
- Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) – Yeah he’s a cheat. But he’s still a handy baseballer. Phillies fans booed the bollocks off of him today, and in return he hit 3 homers with 7 RBI.
- Hank Aaron (MLB Hall of Fame) – Because Braun is still a cheat, this needs to be balanced out with some wholesome baseball talent. Hank Aaron’s been honoured by the Atlanta Braves and the MLB this week on the fortieth anniversary of his record breaking 715th home run. Hammerin’ Hank ended with 755, which has been beaten by Barry Bonds, but come on, not really. Hank’s still the Home Run Kings as far as The Dugout’s concerned.
Bad Week:
- Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers) – The Indiana centre was benched after playing only 9 minutes against Atlanta, putting up 0s almost across the entire box score. The Pacers are calling it ‘resting’ him, though Hibbert’s body language on the bench showed he was far from happy. The Pacers are running out of gas with the playoffs around the corner, and it’s reflecting in their results.
- Joe Dumars (Detroit Pistons) – The Pistons president is planning to resign at the end of the year, after a solid season of recruitment has failed to mean an improvement on the court in Detroit. Despite having the likes of Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings and Andre Drummond on their roster, they’re sitting miserably way outside the playoffs.
Player of the Week:
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) – The great man. Baron Von Dunkenheimer. Dirk’s having a resurgent season, and is finishing it off in his best form. With the Mavericks playing for their playoff lives, Dirk Diggler has been outstanding, averaging 25 & 8 for the week, including a big win over the Clippers, and has been rewarded with NBA Western Conference Player of the Week honours too. Oh, and he’s surpassed both Dominique Wilkins and Oscar Robertson on the all-time scorers list a to now sit in 10th.
Upcoming Dates (NZ Time):
April 17 - NBA Regular Season Ends
May 9 - NFL Draft Begins
June 27 - NBA Draft Held