Summer's Been Cut Short...

The "do or die" season that Sasha Vujacic was heading into for the Lakers next season was supposed to be one that would be helped by the Summer he would spend playing basketball for the Slovenian National Team...well, that didn't last long.

It was reported earlier today that he had been cut from the team.

There haven't been any details, just a basic "he was released...blah blah blah...minor knee injury". Something's not right here...

Based on a report I read on Sasha's site, "announcing" that his knee was 100% healthy, and then these reports say the knee was bothering him, I have no idea what to believe. All I know is, he went to Slovenia to work on his confidence in his shooting and he ended up being cut, which probably won't help his confidence.

The saddest thing about all this is many of his fans believed that he would be able to turn things around with the help of this Summer in Slovenia. And now, we're back to worrying about if/when he'll be traded/released.

I want to stay positive, I want to say he'll turn things around, and I want to say he'll prove everyone wrong, but at what point do you just say "it's not happening"? When he's missing all of his shots? When he's getting ZERO playing time? When he's cut from his country's national basketball team? (I'm sure many people couldn't name a single player on the team, which is even more embarrassing)

This post is all in frustration and I'm sure tomorrow or months from now, my thoughts will be different from what they are in this post, but, am I wrong for posting this?

And in no way is this anger towards Sasha, this is anger towards whatever reason he was cut, anger towards whatever reason he's missing shots, anger towards all the fans who criticize him, and anger towards the pressure on him going into next season.

I haven't given up on Sasha and I haven't had that thought ONCE cross my mind and I do believe he will turn it around...but at what point do you stop praying?

From A to B and Everything in Between...

"World Champions."

In 2003, I found my love for sports. I was a "late-bloomer" because my parents weren't into sports. It wasn't until I met my would-be stepmom that things changed. I fell in love with sports and it hasn't stopped since.

Since 2003, it was tough because I had never known the feeling of winning a championship. I had loved the Broncos from 03-06, Dodgers 05-now, Lakers 05-now, and it seemed like they always got pretty close but never won. So when the Lakers won this year, it was meaningful, like truly meaningful and amazing.

The strange thing though is that I didn't feel any different at first. I felt like any other day. I expected to be crying and going crazy, but I was about as excited as if we won a preseason game. It didn't feel like we won. I feel like it's too good to be true that I didn't believe it.

It wasn't until Sasha tweeted "World Champions." that I realized the greatness and significance of this win. Then I realized how amazing it's been to go from disappointment to the very top. But what is also amazing is what has happened in my life in that time period.

Since the Lakers lost to the Celtics in the Finals last year, I've gone through one of the most amazing up-and-down rollercoasters I have ever been on. From being the "Fan Spotlight" on Sasha's site and being known as one of his biggest fans to getting kicked out of another high school and going through my mom and stepdad splitting up.

The creation of Sasha's site was something that I would've never guessed being significant in my life. I remember being excited for Sasha's site but I didn't expect it to be as great as it is. I remember thinking how cool it would be to be the "Fan Spotlight" only after it's first week. And to think that I would be the 2nd ever(first male) to do it, is just amazing. The amounts of friend requests and messages were crazy but I didn't expect it to get as crazy as it did.

Being viewed as this "Sasha look-alike" was silly to me. Some look at it as intentional, but I'm saying it now: I'm not trying to look like Sasha. It started off with just growing my hair, then people said things and others caught on and then it became this big thing, which I don't mind at all. I'm having a lot of fun with it and enjoy every minute of it.

4/4/09. That was the day of the Sasha/AT&T signing in Torrance. If there was one day I'd wish to relive, it would be that day. We were all around L.A. that day. I woke up at like 5( I slept like 3 hours), went to work with my dad, went to Irvine, then Torrance, then back to Irvine where we slept in a hotel for my sister's pageant. It wasn't just the signing that was crazy, it was everything about that day that was nuts.

The signing though, man, nothing like I expected it to be. The idea that girls were taking pictures of me and with me, I've never been in a situation like that. Another unknown thing about that day was that I had to pee before the signing and didn't get a chance till after the signing. I got there around 2 and didn't pee till about 5. If you can imagine, right before I went up to Sasha, I had to pee the most. Haha.

I still can't believe talking to everyone and all that going on. There was one family who apparently really liked me and one girl wanted me to go see a movie with her and all this stuff. Like being known as the "Sasha look-alike" has so many positives and that's why I'm doing it. I'm having fun with it and people like it so why stop?

I'm probably the most featured guy on Sasha's site, being mentioned in probably every other article. I almost feel guilty because I feel like people look at me as 'obsessed' and trying too hard for attention. I just happen to be in the right spot at the right time. I'm lucky, that's all it is. But I still feel like people won't understand. I haven't heard anything yet, but I feel like seeing my name all the time makes me seem crazy. Or, maybe I am wrong and people like seeing my name.

In no way do I regret being mentioned or hope to be mentioned less, because I love it. My life has never been better. I really have to thank Sasha and everyone who works on his site for making my life so much better. Everything that's gone on in that time period wouldn't have been as easy without being mentioned on Sasha's site.

So, there was all this negative happening around me yet all I cared about was positive over the past year. I still can't believe everything that has gone on and really am truly grateful for everyone and everything positive that has happened.

I usually never write about good stuff that happens in my life in fear that I might jinx what is happening but moments like this don't happen often and I really felt it was time. I've always written about the negative points in my life and they were always depressing for people, but I have no idea. I just felt like writing something positive for once.

But anyways, to end this "rant", I really have to thank some people for making this year so great:

1. Sasha Vujacic(obviously) and the Los Angeles Lakers
2. Everyone who works for Sasha's site, you have no idea how much it means to me.
3. TheLakersNation Forums, everyone on that site has been amazing.
4. My best friend Alysa.
5. My family, definitely definitely definitely. Working through everything.

So now what? Life doesn't end here, does it? Right now, I gotta live in the moment and just hope we can do it all over again next year.

What An Amazing Night.

When I heard Sasha was throwing the first pitch(3rd really, 2 people threw before him) at the Dodger game, the first thing I did was text my mom. The message said:

'Mom, is there any possible way we/I can get tickets to the Dodger game this Friday? Sasha is throwing out the first pitch...'

That was at 11:06 on June 3. I got this message at 1:57 the next day:

'I got tickets for all of us to go tomorrow.' ('all of us' being me, mom, sister, brother, mom's friend)

Filled with excitement, I watched the Lakers win Game 1 of the Finals later that day, already knowing that the next day would be a good one. However, I was so excited, I had a hard time trying to fall asleep. I finally fell asleep a little after....5 A.M. 

I finally woke up around 3 P.M. and just waited for time to go by. Then we left for the game. When we got there, the weather was much more beautiful than it was at home. We read it was possibly going to rain, but there was no chance with how nice the weather was that day. 

When we got into the stadium, I kind of left everyone else. I was focused on trying to find Sasha. When I found him, I took a picture from my phone, but there was no way you could find him. I sent that picture later that night to twitter and joked "Where's Sasha?"

While the rest of my family was walking to their seats, I stayed and watched from the top of the lower level seats, wanting to get close, but I didn't know what the Dodger stadium security would do, so I just stayed there. 

The funniest part was after awhile, Sasha got a glove, and started warming up with the Dodgers' ball boy. Sasha's throwing style is interesting, because it looks like he's gearing up for a big throw, and then it comes out slow. They did that for about 20 minutes. After they were done, Sasha was given his own Dodger jersey, a white home jersey with the name 'Vujacic' on the back and the #18.

When I had a chance, I went to find my seats. I talked to my mom about what was going on, and she said I could use her camera. So I went back to my spot, and just 'stalked' the situation, using the zoom on the camera to follow what was happening. 

When it came to the pitch, I started feeling chills. I spent the previous night watching videos of first pitch bloopers, so I was in this 'zone' where I felt this pressure like "Oh please don't let that be Sasha." As his name was called, the crowd was amazing. It was loud and just absolutely nits. I didn't expect that at all. With the way he's been playing lately, I was sure it would be either quiet or fans would boo. But I was wrong, thankfully. 

As he walked out, the excitement was building. He walked to the front of the mound, and then took a couple steps back to the pitcher's mound. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take a picture or not, but I got one right before the pitch. The pitch, from where I was standing had decent speed, and I didn't see Brad Ausmus'(the catcher) hand move at all, so, in my eyes, it was a perfect pitch.

After the pitch, I walked to my seat and got ready for what would be the most exciting Dodger game I had ever watched live. 

Ironically, before the game, I said that, lately, the Dodger games haven't been crowded like they usually are. Little did I know, there would over 50,000 rocking at Dodger Stadium. The energy was crazy. At one point, 'the wave' started and it was so crazy that everyone started doing it and didn't notice that Phillies' 2nd baseman Chase Utley hit a ball down the line, scoring 2 for the Phillies.

There were a lot of Phillie fans there. We were down for the entire game, so they were saying anything they could. We managed to get lucky on our 2nd run, where the ball bounced right under Phillies' outfielder Eric Bruntlett's glove, bringing Furcal home to make the score 3-2.

As the game went on, they showed a recap of Sasha's pitch and "The Bangles" singing the national anthem on the big scoreboard. When I saw Sasha's pitch from that angle, the pitch was perfect. And Sasha's reaction was the best, because not only was it excitement, it also seemed like he was relieved because of all the talk about him possibly bouncing the pitch.

The Dodgers' bullpen was the key to the game(along with some nice catches by outfielder Matt Kemp), keeping the Phillies scoreless from the 5th inning and on. When it got to the bottom of the 9th inning, a Phillie fan behind me said "Lidge will put this one in the fridge, he's gonna close it down."(Brad Lidge is the closer for the Phillies)

That 9th inning was...amazing. 2 outs just like that. Fans were about to leave. But Casey Blake kept it alive with a single, then James Loney worked out a walk. The biggest play to that 9th was the botched ground-ball to Phillies 3rd baseman Pedro Feliz, which allowed Russell Martin to be safe and put the game in Andre Ethier's hands.

Our seats were in the outfield, 1st base side, field level. When Ethier hit the first pitch into the outfield, it was right in front of us. We saw Eric Bruntlett's glove miss the ball just barely, and we won the game. I went crazy. I high-fived everyone. It was such an awesome feeling.

After the game, we were able to go down onto the field to watch the fireworks and it got crowded fast. I've been on the field once for the "Father's Day Catch" thing in 2007, and that was at daytime. This was at night-time and it was an amazing sight. Not only the fireworks, but to look up at the lights and the stadium all-around you, it's amazing. They shut down the lights and that was even cooler, because it's just a weird feeling, like "Why am I here? Why am I standing on the field of Dodger stadium, the field where so many legends have stood before? I'm not worthy, and why are the lights off?" It's a crazy feeling.

Then the fireworks went off as "Beat It"(Michael Jackson), "Panama"(Van Halen), and "Livin' On A Prayer"(Bon Jovi) played. It was the perfect ending to an exciting day. And to think, I would've never had that feeling if Sasha didn't throw the first pitch....

Also, Ethier's game-winning hit was the 2nd walk-off hit vs. the Phillies I have seen live. The previous walk-off was last year on August 12th. The Dodgers are 6-4 in games I go to, 2-0 vs. the Phillies.

Dodgers' Surprising Start Continues...

 The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their strong start to the season with a crazy May, going 20-9, it's highest win total in May since going 21-7 in 1962, all without Manny Ramirez. They also built on their lead in the National League West, leading the Giants by 8.5 games and also holding the best record in the Major Leagues.

 This month's MVP would easily have to go to Juan Pierre. Being the replacement of an all-time great in Manny Ramirez would be tough, but Juan Pierre has done THE perfect job in filling in the gap. He's easily been the most consistent hitter, batting .374 this season, which, despite not qualifying as a team high, is misleading as he's been the starter for the entire month.

 The "stinkiest" player of the month was Andre Ethier, who was easily playing as the best player on the Dodgers in April. His average fell from .306 at the end of April to .256 now. I have faith that he'll get back to where he was, but he's easily been the only one affected negatively(performance-wise) by the Manny suspension.

 The most surprising player has been...well, I'd say Juan Pierre, but its actually been the entire team. I don't think anyone saw us being the top team at the start of the year and especially after the whole Manny thing. It's been a fun season to watch so far, you just have to pray it continues. 

 The player to watch this month is Hiroki Kuroda, who is scheduled to pitch tomorrow after being put on the disabled list after his opening day start. When he's healthy, he has proven to be very good for us.....here's hoping he isn't put on the DL again. Haha.

 The games to look forward this month: From the 12th-28th, Interleague play.(12th-14th at Rangers, 16th-18th vs. Athletics, 19th-21st at Angels, 23rd-25th at White Sox, 26th-28th vs. Mariners) Always interesting, although it's kicked our butt in recent years.

What Could've Been....

 "So, have you graduated yet?"

 I've been asked the question a couple times, seeing that the high school I was originally going to graduate from is having it's '09 graduation within 24 hours. As it got closer, the more people I talked to asked that question. But my answer every time was "No". That's all I'd say. Maybe a "nope" or something like that, but never a full detailed description of what was going on.

 I see the '09 graduation stuff all over myspace, facebook, that stuff. Signs in front of houses showing parents are happy of their kid. I've heard the cheesy quotes for upcoming graduations. And the strangest feeling is, I could've/should've/would've been a part of all of that.

 I've lied to people over the past 2 years saying I was in a good position to come back to the school to graduate with them. I got people's hopes up, only to let them down when I'd fail to even pass an online school. School just has never been my thing, and I believe I might never get a handle on it.

 I believe I'm a smart guy, I believe I am smarter that most of the kids graduating later today. But when it came to school, I disappeared. Dumb decisions and mistakes brought my downfall, and there was only myself to blame. 

 I can't make excuses when it comes to school, I just know that it's always kicked my ass. My dad, in his own quotes said something along the lines of "I remember you going into Kindergarten and getting good grades up until 3rd grade. Then everything kind of went downhill and it was the same C's and D's every year."

 I managed to pass every grade barely up until my Sophomore year in high school, where it just finally caught up to me. I was given a choice to stay or go to another school, and I look at that day as a reason I am here today. Who knows what would happen if I had stayed and had to work my ass off to stay another year. Who knows what would happen if I went to the school that I was recommended to go, where I heard that my friend graduated from 3 weeks ago? I chose the school my mom felt was "right" for me, and well, I failed. 

 But with all that free time on my hands, I realized my love for writing, my love for basketball, my love for my family, my love for many things, things I didn't love before. And I'm happy, which many people aren't nowadays. 

 Will I go anywhere in life sitting at my mom's house, on the computer all day? Probably not, but I'm happy in this life. I have an amazing friend in Alysa, who supports me all the way, in whatever I do, I guess. She's really the key to my life being the best it can be. Without her, I'm...lifeless probably. 

 But, the point is, I'm not graduating today. If I chose to stay at the school, I doubt I'd still be able to graduate, knowing I was in a position where it was tough to escape. It would have been interesting to have gone to the school though with Sasha playing the way he was last year, with the long hair, knowing I'd get the same compliments I get today. Haha.

 Honestly, I am happy for everyone who is graduating and I hope they are able to make a positive impact on this world. I'm with them all the way, and I want them to know I am there for them if for some reason things get crazy, no matter how well I know them.

Biggest Game Of The Season

With the biggest game of the season being this Sunday, when the Lakers play the Rockets in Game 7, it should be no surprise when you hear that fans are scared or nervous. As it gets closer, and the fans give their comments, fans feel less nervous and more pumped for the game.

For me, I am not worried about the game. I'm more worried about not being able to wake up in time, as it is an early game, which either gives you a whole day to celebrate the win or a whole day to come up with as many ideas as possible on how to deal with one of the worst losses in franchise history.

It isn't that I'm being over-dramatic and saying it's the biggest loss in history because I feel like it. This would truly be one of the biggest Laker losses ever. 

Going into this year, we were expected, from ESPN to the actual Lakers fans, to win it all. You heard it all the time, 'win or bust for the Lakers'. I guaranteed the Lakers would win the Finals a day after we lost to the Celtics last year. I've stuck by that all year and don't plan on giving that up.

Some Lakers fans have already said they have given up on the year, which is expected because a lot of people are overly negative and want to be perfect, want every game to be 100-0, free tacos for everyone, everyday. 

As someone who only cares about winning, whether it's been 115-76 or 115-114, I have treated every win as what it is, a win. The idea of every game is to win, and the Lakers have done that.

As a huge Jake Plummer fan, I grew to love winning games no matter what the score was. He went 40-18 with the Broncos, leading them to 3 straight playoff appearances. But because those wins weren't "flashy" enough for Mike Shanahan, he was replaced by Jay Cutler because Mike believed he was more "flashy" than Jake and would win games "flashier" than Jake would. Jay Cutler's record with Denver was 17-20.

So when it comes to the Lakers and how they're fans want a 50 point win every game, I kind of ignore that stuff. Yeah, I'll be honest, it would be cool to win by 50 every game, but, in the end, there's no difference between a win by 40 and a win by 13, because, as you can see from this series alone, we lost after we won 108-94 and we lost after we won 118-78. 

The Rockets have given us problems and have scared most fans out of their "fandom", but when we win this Sunday, and face the Nuggets in the next round, we'll be ready. 

My Thoughts On the Manny Ramirez News...

It was 8:52 AM, when I heard the news. I was refreshing twitter while playing NBA 2K9. I came across a post from mrquisp that said "manny is suspended." 

Not really knowing which 'Manny' it was(Pacquiao, Ramirez...), I went with Ramirez and put in "manny ramirez suspended" on google, went to news and it was the first link, Los Angeles Times. I didn't see the news on any other link, just that one. I was kind of laughing at the time because it seemed unreal.

The headline I saw was "Manny will be suspended 50 games for positive drug test." After seeing it online, I changed the channel to ESPN and sure enough, they were in the middle of talking about it. At that point, after seeing it on ESPN, it hit me. I wanted to cry, because I was so shocked.

As more and more found out about the news and more info was being said, I was posting it all over twitter, myspace, facebook, basically saying "I'm shocked.", "I'm gonna throw up.", all of that.

Then we found out the info of it being a female fertility pill. At that point, I didn't feel bad. Ya, he's suspended 50 games, and it's used as a post-steroid 'chaser', but if he passed all those drug tests before, he's clean to me. Why not? 

All signs point to him just making a mistake and getting unlucky. It was a personal thing and he was just unlucky that it happened to be on the list. 

I don't believe it'll affect him long term and I know many Dodger fans will be behind him, as we are all loyal to our players, maybe not Brett Tomko, but that's it. Haha.

I also believe it won't affect the Dodgers long-term either. Sure, they've lost the first 2 games at this point, but if they can win even 50% of the games that Manny is gone, I am fine, because I know, when Manny comes back, we'll be back to playing at a high level again. 

So, while all I read about Manny is negative, I believe they have to look at what he took, the passed drug tests of the past, his response, the doctor's mistake, the Dodger organization's response and Manny's past to make a real, thought out opinion, because all I see is the same answers. Everyone assumes it's steroids, yet they haven't even looked at the info.

So, until July 3rd, I'm pleading "Free Manny". 

Fast Start For The Dodgers

The 2009 season for the Dodgers has started off hot, with an explosive offense led by Manny Ramirez and a youthful pitching staff led by Chad Billingsley. After one month, the Dodgers are leading the NL West division by 3.5 games and they're only 1 game back of the Cardinals for the best record.

The MVP for the Dodgers, in my opinion, isn't Manny Ramirez. It would have to be Andre Ethier. With a .306 batting average and a team-high 22 RBI, which is also tied for 4th in the entire league. Ethier is my favorite player, so it's exciting to see him playing well.

The 'stinkiest' player for the Dodgers would have to be Russell Martin, who is batting .205, lowest batting average of any starter on the team. However, without Martin, we are not the same team and his presence is felt whether he's going 4-4 or 0-4, but he's been struggling all season. Many will say it's because he is tired from playing at a high level for Canada in the World Baseball Classic, which I believe is probably it. I'm sure he'll be fine as the season goes on.

Most surprising player...Orlando Hudson, definitely. I remember when he was playing for the Diamondbacks and he always used to give us problems but noticed he was never anything special outside of that. With a .337 batting average, 2nd highest on the team for everyday starters, 32 hits(highest on the team), and 19 runs(tied for 1st on the team with Manny), he has definitely been a key player for us.

Player to watch this month: Jeff Weaver. He was called up before the Padres game and did a pretty good job. I think, especially with how inconsistent our bullpen has been, he could be key for us. 

Games to look forward to: May 12-14 at Philadelphia. NL championship rematch. May 22-24 vs. Angels. Always a fun matchup.

The Playoffs are coming/ "Best Friend Anniversary"

With the playoffs around the corner, I can't help but think of last season's playoffs. Last season, although ending in losing the Finals, was still huge for the franchise. I still can't believe last season to be honest...

Last season's playoffs really meant a lot to me. There was one game that really made my life special...

Lakers AT Jazz Game 6

A couple days before the game, I sent out a bulletin on myspace asking if anyone missed me. Although a strange post, I was a pretty strange kid. But I ended up getting a message from someone who I hadn't talked to in close to 2 years, my current best friend Alysa. It was basic "Ya, it's been a long time..." stuff until I asked her if she wanted to go to BJ's(restaurant) to watch the game.

 I didn't expect her to say yes, but she did and we ended up meeting up at the restaurant. 

 We ate and watched the game, I was trying my best to point out the players, saying that Sasha was my favorite player. I remember so clearly trying to talk to her but being glued to the TV.

I remember a little after pointing out who Sasha was, he ended up taking a charge that caused the entire place to go "Ooooh", like an "Ouch, that's gotta hurt" Oooh. I told Alysa "Yep, that's my favorite player." Haha.

 The moment that really was perfect though was the end. We were up by 3, 15 seconds left. I remember so clearly, looking around, Laker jerseys everywhere. One black woman was standing up against a wall, praying. 

So, Derek Fisher has a chance to put the game away with a free throw and misses it. At that point, I start to stand up. Jazz go up the court, Okur shoots a 3, misses it. Im standing up now, I didn't care if anyone was laughing at me then. Jazz get the rebound, Deron Williams has the ball and shoots a 3 and he misses and the game is over. The restaurant explodes with huge "YA!", and I end up high-fiving like 5 random people.

So, while I had a great time, I was unsure if Alysa had a great time. For it to be our first time seeing each other in 2 years and all of that happens, it was pretty crazy. But, like I said, I had no idea if she had a good time or not...

She did. Next day, on myspace, all over it, bulletins like "I love Daniel" or "Go Lakers!" were all over the place. I got a comment like "Sasha Vujacic is hot!" and at that point, we were best friends.

So, as the playoffs come, I can't help but think about a "Best Friend Anniversary". If the Lakers won the Finals last year, it wouldve been perfect. But maybe it was destiny. If it wasn't for losing the Finals, there wouldn't be a "Green ban" or as many "All we want to do is win a championship" interviews with Sasha.

So, we'll see what happens this postseason. Maybe it's crazier, maybe it's not. Maybe I make a new best friend, maybe nothing happens. The Lakers are 3-0 in games when I watch them at BJ's and I have a history there, so you know where I'll be this postseason...

It's All A Tribute. That's All It Is.

 When I got comments like "you'll never be the next 'Machine'" or "you look nothing like Sasha" or (my favorite) "you sorta sound gay", I laughed and thought it was hilarious that people had me all wrong. 

 I don't wanna be the next anything. Sure, it would be great to have everything Sasha has, but then I'd be known as the "Sasha-wannabe" rather than Daniel Hays. 

 I mentioned it on my "Fan Spotlight" that my tribute to him was growing my hair out.(like when Pat Tillman died and Jake Plummer grew a beard and his hair out as a tribute)

 It was all a playful joke, but then people started catching on and telling me I look just like him. I also play a similar style of basketball, so it all makes me look like I want to be just like Sasha.

 And while the good comments of "you look just like Sasha" or "you look cute" or whatever are nice, I wanna make it clear that this is all a way of support. This isn't a child saying "I wanna be just like Sasha when I grow up". Haha, no. This is just a fun way of supporting him.

 It may sound like it, but I'm not angry about this. I love the attention, I gotta be honest. It's all fun, since the Fan Spotlight thing, things have thing amazing. I just wanted to make things clear. 

A Story That Needs That One....."Finishing Touch".

When I think of Sasha, I see an icon in my eyes. Most of his fans are females and most of them only like him for his looks. So it may be rare for some to see a male fan of Sasha's. It may be just me, but he's a hero of mine.

Years ago, Sasha was that unknown guy on the Lakers. The guy who doesn't get much playing time, usually found sitting on the bench. He had his moments but most of the time he was out there making silly mistakes. The guy who some saw as horrible or a bust. That was from 04-07.

Then here comes 2008, Sasha gets the playing time he believes he deserves. And he becomes one of the best players on the Lakers. He becomes "the Machine" and a fan favorite. Ladies start to notice him and they go crazy. Men question the long hair but love the facial hair. Sasha is just out there having the time of his life. But the Finals come and ruin the 'Cinderella' story...

2009 comes, he has ladies following his every move. He has struggled most of the season when it comes to shooting but he has done some things that you would've never thought he'd do before. Whether it's playing the game saving defense against the Pacers or throwing up that sick alley-oop to Powell, you can count on 'the machine' to do whatever it takes to win games. Sometimes it may not be pretty, but a win is a win and a wise man once said "You play to win the game."

Sasha basically has everything he wants. Ladies, respect, money, his own website run by beautiful women, pretty much everything men(and some women, I guess) dream of....

Except for that one 'thing'. That championship that he guaranteed after they lost in the Finals. That championship that he talks about in every interview. That championship that all Laker fans want so badly If Sasha and the Lakers gets that championship, it'll be an amazing story.

I believe I may cry. It'll be a crazy story. I'm cheering for the Lakers every day, game days, off days, all of that. I wanna do whatever I can to help the Lakers win the championship. There isn't much fans can do but whatever it takes, I'm always ready. Just like Sasha....

I Never Thought That The "Fan Spotlight" Would Shine On Me....

When I saw that it was posted, I was more nervous than ever before. I was nervous all weekend. As soon as I got that message from Emily, I got all excited but I almost wanted to decline the offer because I thought "This is too good to be true."

But I sucked it up and accepted, answered the questions and learned something about myself: I am a very impatient person. I was on my computer all weekend. I kept a page open just for Sasha's website, and refreshed every 5 seconds. And even though nothing changed, I could sense that it would be posted any second.

Answering those questions, the only thing I really worried about was the picture I had to send in. Being known as a "Sasha Vujacic look-alike", I wanted to send in a picture that "lived up to the expectations". I had a few pics of myself from the webcam on my laptop that were more up close but I also wanted to show my Sasha jersey. The pic that's up on the site, it was basically a quick, "we'll just send this one in and see what happens" kind of thing.

When it was posted, I had to tell my mom about it and even though she was "excited and happy for me", she didn't like the picture. She said that it didn't even look like me and that it was just a bad picture. I laughed and said "It all starts now."

By saying that, I believed that, while being a huge Sasha fan, being young, and being featured on my hero's website, I have a lot in store for the future.

My thoughts on the Vlad/'Stache+Shannon Brown Trade

As all Laker fans know by now, the Lakers traded Forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobcats for Forward Adam Morrison and Guard Shannon Brown.

Laker fans are already optimistic about the trade, saying it was a "low risk, high reward" kind of trade. I personally am happy, although I will miss Vlad. He was my 1st favorite Laker, got his autograph and everything.

But we got Adam Morrison. As a Jake Plummer fan, I grew to love facial hair. Adam Morrison's arrival doubles that.

Known for his mustache, his long crazy hair, and his Gonzaga years, he's a rare kind of player. Someone who looks like he wouldnt be a basketball player and he is good. Great shooter, his numbers in Gonzaga were ridiculous. I'm happy he's here.

Shannon Brown...I dont know much about him. All I know is the last time the Lakers played Charlotte, he was key in that game.

But I'm excited for these new guys, especially Morrison. It's amazing that he's playing in Los Angeles.....

My Pick For Super Bowl 43....

It should be no surprise who I pick in the Super Bowl. The team where Jake Plummer started. That's right, the Arizona Cardinals.

If you know me well enough, you know that I haven't liked the Pittsburgh Steelers since January of 2006, the 2005 AFC Championship game. Jake Plummer's Denver Broncos vs. Big Ben's Pittsburgh Steelers. Still the worst and best game I ever watched.

But we're not talking about Jake Plummer(sadly). We're talking about Kurt Warner vs. Ben Roethlisberger.

Many saw Kurt Warner's career as dead. He led the St. Louis Rams to 2 straight Super Bowls, winning one. But after that, he was never quite good enough to push his team to that level. When he was on the Giants and was replaced by Eli Manning, you almost couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy.(Obviously back then we didn't know how well Eli would turn out)

Then he went to Cardinals where he sat behind Mr. Matt Leinart. Matt was injured last year so Kurt Warner played most of the season and had the advantage in the pre-season between the 2 quarterbacks because of Leinart's questionable shoulder.

Little did we know that Mr. Kurt Warner would lead the Cardinals to 9-7, win the NFC West, and earn a playoff berth.

To be honest, I chose against the Cardinals every week of the playoffs(Falcons, Panthers, Eagles) and they won every game. Also, since I got my Arizona Cardinals Jake Plummer jerseys on Christmas(Thanks Desiree), the Cardinals have won every game.

So this Sunday, I will be wearing my Jake Plummer Arizona Cardinals Home jersey, beer in hand(just kidding), and have my eyes glued to that T.V.

I want the Cardinals to win, not only because I hate the Steelers, not only because it's Jake Plummer's old team, and not only because Jake wants them to win. I want them to win because I would love for Arizona to finally have the respect they deserve, and they need it, especially after that embarassing blowout win by Obama in November.

Final Score- Cardinals 23 Pittsburgh 16

It's Official: Sasha Vujacic's Official Myspace!!!

I, like many people, couldn't believe the game against Charlotte. A double-overtime loss in a game Sasha couldve won at the end of the 1st OT if Luke wasn't so blind on the inbound pass. I was very sad and distraught, mainly at the fact that most Laker fans were angry at Sasha for this game. I was just very sad. But then I got some really great news.....Sasha has his own myspace!!! http://www.myspace.com/sasha_vujacic

When I heard, I knew it was real. Many doubted, I believed it as soon as I checked it out. So I went to go add him but as I went to go check it, I noticed I had a friend request but ignored it cause I wanted to see his profile so bad. So I went to go add him and he accepted but when I went back to my home page and checked the friend request, it was him. So he tried to add me before I added him. That's a little weird, it's kind of like destiny.

Of course I added a cheesy comment on his profile:

"Sasha, thank you so much for the add. Youa are my favorite player of all time
and it means so much to me to actually talk to one of my heroes. Thank you once
again."

Notice how I added the a to "you", I was nervous. I was shaking and everything. If I get a comment back, I'm gonna go crazy. There was also a lot of hating on him on the site, something I hope Sasha erases as the season goes on.

Okay, So I Was Wrong About My Guarantee But I Have An Excuse.....

I know I guaranteed that Sasha would score 15 points(scored his only 2 in the last 2 minutes) against the San Antonio Spurs and that he would leave Manu Ginobili under 20 points(I don't think Sasha was ever on him but he had less than 20) but my excuse for my failed guarantee was an unexpected entrance by Jordan Farmar.

I didn't see it coming and I was surprised. But the way he came in and blew everyone away was crazy. It looked like he was never even injured. He was amazing on offense and played good defense.

The sad part about this though is if Farmar continues to play like this, Sasha won't get much playing time. Oh well, as long as we are winning games, we'll be fine. Well, I'll be fine.

Sasha Vujacic: "The Manu-Stopper"

The last time the Lakers played San Antonio, it was one of those games Laker fans would like to forget mainly because 1. It's the Spurs and 2. The refs gave them the game.

One positive of that game was that we only lost by one on their home court without one of our best bench players, Sasha Vujacic, who is known(at least around the Laker Nation) as "The Manu Stopper". Spurs guard Manu Ginobili went off for 27 points in that game and was left open for 3's numerous times, something "The Machine" won't let happen this Sunday afternoon.

I'm 100% confident that he will keep Manu under 20 points and Sasha will score 15+. Trust me.

Jake Plummer smiled when Shanahan was fired.

"Shanahan was a great coach, to a certain level," Plummer said. "But I have to admit, I had a smile on my face when I heard he was fired. Not that it did me any good."

http://www.milehighreport.com/2009/1/17/726883/jake-plummer-smiled-when-s

Anytime I read an article about Jake Plummer, I get excited. I love the guy and I miss him but when I hear he's happy playing handball in Idaho or playing in a tournament in Seattle, I get excited.

As a huge Jake Plummer fan, I loved that quote. I smiled when (former Broncos coach) Mike Shanahan was fired. At first glance I was shocked but then I let it sink in and then I realized I loved that he was fired.

Knowing Shanahan though, he'll probably take a year off, wait for the Cowboys to fall apart(it's kind of already happening) under Wade Phillips, and then come back to the NFL and join Dallas. He'll take them to the Superbowl and then everyone will forget his firing from Denver.

On the brighter side of that article, Jake seems happy that the Cardinals are in the Superbowl.

"I know I'll be cheering for them. That's my old team."

Introducing Myself....

Welcome to my blog. I'm Daniel Hays. I have been a crazy blogger on Myspace but I felt restricted there so I chose to move to a bigger site(blog-wise). I usually write about my life, sports(mainly Lakers, Dodgers, NFL) and whatever else everyone is talking about.

I enjoy watching the Lakers. They will win it all this year, I know it. My favorite player is Sasha Vujacic. I love his energy, his shooting, and pretty much everything about him. I am a guy but I'll admit, I love him. Haha. I have't worn green since he banned it and I am not cutting my hair till we win the championship, like he is doing. (I'm obsessed.)

I also love the Dodgers. I predicted Manny was gonna come and well, he did. My favorite player is Andre Ethier. He's one of the Dodgers' more consistent players. Also, the way he goes about himself is entertaining.

I don't have an NFL team but my all-time favorite player is Jake Plummer. He's one of my biggest heroes. I met him in Colorado and it was life changing.

I am a positive person, when things are going bad and most people would get angry, I slow things down and try to make myself comfortable. I've learned over the years that I am much better than I expected.

Well, I'll post more later. I'm planning on posting about the Superbowl, the Lakers, and more.