BOSTON BRUINS STOP THE CANADIANS’ TRADITION
Mighty F-350 Tonka Concept
Here are the five finalists for The 2011 Premier Player of College Baseball Trophy
Alex Dickerson OF, Indiana Hoosiers, Jr
Mike McGee RHP/OF, Florida State Seminoles, Sr.
Danny Hultzen LHP/1B/OF, Virginia Cavaliers, Jr.
John Stilson RHP, Texas A&M Aggies, Jr.
Sonny Gray RHP, Vanderbilt Commodores, Jr.
Here are the five finalists for The 2011 Premier Player of College Softball Trophy
Olivia Galati P/DP, Hofstra Pride, Sophomore
Stephanie Brombacher RHP, Florida Gators, Senior
Hillary Bach P, Arizona State Sun Devils, Junior
Ashley Guile DS, Nebraska Huskers, Junior
Jenna Marston SS, Missouri Tigers, Sophomore
The polls are open until July 8, 2011, at www.premierplayers.com Be sure to get your vote in and send your friends to the polls.
Features & Departments
PUBLISHING CEO & PUBLISHER Carnell Moore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Wright Marc Jenkins Carnell Moore Jason Spray Sam Smoot CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Carnell Moore Jennifer Dufek For advertising information e-mail: Advertise@premierplayers.com To submit editorials & ideas e-mail: editor@premierplayers.com or visit www.premierplayers.com Write to us at: P.O. Box 341064 Tampa, FL 33694-1064
Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki, left to right, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion celebrate after Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the Miami Heat on June 12, 2011, in Miami, FL. The Mavericks won 105-95 to win the series. See story on page 20.
Call us at: 800-470-0250 PHOTO CREDITS Winslow Townsend, front cover Wilfredo Lee, p5 Tom Tate, p6 & 7 Sue Ogrocki, p8 Eric Francis, p9 David Dozier, p12 Bill Nichols, p13 W. Virginia Sports Information, p14 Charles Krupa, p18 Mark Humphrey, p18 Yves Logghe, p18 Mary Ann Chastain, p18 Hector Gabino, p18 Lynne Sladky, p18 Mark Humphrey, p19 Tom DiPace, p20 Manu Fernandez, p23 Jonathan Hayward, p26 & 27 Rick Bowmer, p30
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
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Sound off. . . .
8
CWS Champion
Ministry Gives Kids A Season To Remember
12 NFL Lockout Report On Erik Walden
20 NBA Finals Fantastic
23 Community
Finish Content Disclaimer & Use The opinions expressed in Premier Players Magazine and on Premier Players Online do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, publishers and or their agents. For use of any material used in Premier Players Magazine or on Premier Players Online, please contact the publisher at 813-833-3495.
27 Bruins Stop The
Canadians’ Tradition
30 Player’s Ink
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By Carnell Moore The Idlewild Diamondbacks just wrapped up their season with lots of fun and memories. They were part of the recreation ministry at exciting Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, FL, which hosted almost 80 baseball and softball teams from March through May 2011. Over the past few years, Idlewild has seen its recreation ministry grow from a few hundred kids to thousands of children each year. The church offers baseball, softball, soccer, flag football, tackle football, fishing, golf and tennis. Participants do not have to be a member of the church. Rick Taveras, a law enforcement officer, and Chuck Watford, who works in banking, volunteered to coach the 3rd/4th grade Diamondbacks team. Members of the team included Ethan Carvajal, Ethan Cedre, Zachery Erickson, Logan Guzik, Matthew Massari, Logan Moore, John Pereira, Robert Rinchuse, Josiah Tate, Richard Taveras and Chip Watford. Richard and Chip were lucky to have their fathers as coaches, and Richard’s mom Sherry also helped in the dugout. The families have been a blessing to us, and we hope that our ministry has been a blessing to them, said Chris Basham, who manages IBC Recreation Ministry. “Our heart is to do what we do in a God-honoring fashion, and our heart is also to serve in every way we can.” Idlewild just completed a field for children with disabilities in preparation of further growth of the recreation ministry. For more information about the recreation ministry, go to www.idlewild.org or call 813-264-1515.
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College World S Arizona State University pitcher Dallas Escobedo, center, holds the 2011 Division I National Championship trophy in the air after Arizona State defeated Florida 7-2 in a Women’s College World Series championship series game in Oklahoma City on June 7, 2011. 8 PREMIER PLAYERS
eries Champions South Carolina players, including the tournament's most outstanding player Scott Wingo, right, pose with the trophy after beating Florida 5-2 in Game 2 of the NCAA baseball College World Series best-of-three finals, to win the championship, in Omaha, Neb., on June 28, 2011. PREMIER PLAYERS 9
2011 Lincoln Navigator Timeless Lincoln design and luxury amenities meet full-size SUV capability in the opulent 2011 Lincoln Navigator, a vehicle with performance and style that set it apart in the premium full-size SUV market.
By Jason Spray
Business As Usual for Erik Walden The NFL lockout maybe in full force and have many things on hold, but physical preparation is not one! The worst mistake an athlete can make is when the lockout cloud lifts, and it will, is reporting to training camp not physically prepared. As the old saying goes a chain “team” is only as strong as its weakest link. Green Bay Packers linebacker and Super Bowl Champion Erik Walden is no WEAK LINK! Walden has set high expectations for the 2011 season. That’s why the 6’2”, 250 lbs Dublin, GA, native headed to his old stomping grounds of Murfreesboro, TN, to train with strength and conditioning Coach Jason Spray. “Lot of guys go train with the Tom Shaw’s or out to Arizona, but Spray is my guy,” said Walden. “He has a passion for not only his craft but for me as person as well.” With training camp normally scheduled for late July and early August, Spray said its business as usual. “At this juncture, the lockout has no effect on Erik’s summer physical preparation. We are going to go thru all of Erik’s normal movement testing and training progressions. If the league is still in limbo approaching scheduled training camp dates we’ll handle Erik’s
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training accordingly.” Walden spends five days a week at the Middle Tennessee State University training facility. His weekly program covers everything from speed and agility, weight training to cold tubs and foam rolling. “Spray has every day structured to get the most out of each day. I know am in good hands”. Walden is not the only professional athlete training with Spray. Others include former Middle Tennessee defensive backs and current Winnipeg Blue Bomber Alex Suber, 2011 Jacksonville Jaguars 5th round draft pick Rod Issac, former Tennessee Titans and current UFL Omaha Nighthawks Reynaldo Hill, Baltimore Ravens Cary Williams and retired 13-year veteran Quarterback Kelly Holcomb. “It’s nice having several pro guys to train, run and compete with”. Walden plans on staying in Murfreesboro for the entire summer, or until the lockout ends. “I can’t control any of the outside things going on, but I can control spending time with my family and being in the best shape possible.” With that said, Walden looks forward to the lock out to end, and being united with his team mates and coaches defending there title.
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J.T. Thomas A Night For A Friend
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We know J.T. Thomas is a great player, but word is he is just as good a person off the field. In May, his actions showed his true character as the Chicago Bears draftee took 14year-old Joslyn Levell to her eighth grade dance. “I had no idea that something like this would get that much recognition because these are things that I would do for my cousins or for a friend of the family, something I would do for anyone, so to be honest I was being myself,� says Thomas. Levell has spina bifida, a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. She is confined to a wheelchair, but is an avid Chicago Bears fan. Dateless for her dance, Thomas asked Levell to accompany her and made it a special night that also touched the lives of many people around the country.
YOUR 2011 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM FIRST BASE SECOND BASE SHORT STOP THIRD BASE
CATCHER DESIGNATED HITTER LEFT FIELD RIGHT FIELD CENTER FIELD
YOUR 2011 NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STAR TEAM FIRST BASE SECOND BASE SHORT STOP THIRD BASE CATCHER DESIGNATED HITTER LEFT FIELD RIGHT FIELD CENTER FIELD
Sound off. . . . Fans dressed with Puerto Rico flag shirts at the NBA Finals cheering on fellow native Dallas Mavericks' point guard JJ Barea.
Their team didn’t win, but these Miami Heat fans danced until the music stopped.
Fans celebrate as the South Carolina baseball team arrives after winning the NCAA National Title for a second year, Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.
Dallas fans had much to cheer about as the Mavericks took down the Heat in Game 6. I just hope the ink is not permanent.
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Boston Bruins fans cheer during a rally in celebration of the team's NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff victory in Boston on June 18, 2011.
Dallas Maverick Cheerleaders perform during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. PREMIER PLAYERS 19
With one of the toughest shots to block, Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki shoots over Heat’s Chris Bosh in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on June 12, 2011, at American Airlines Arena in Miami, FL. The Mavericks won 105-95 to win the series and Dirk earning the MVP trophy. 20 PREMIER PLAYERS
By Marc Jenkins At the beginning of the 2010-11 NBA season, everyone was focused on the super team that was built down in Miami and the possibility of a dream NBA Finals matchup between the Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers. Once the second round of the 2011 playoffs ended, it found the two-time defending champion Lakers sent packing in sweep fashion at the hands of the eventual Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks. Even though that fantasy finals scenario fell apart, what took place in this year’s final series of NBA action was truly breathtaking and absolutely fantastic. The Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat played an extremely hard-fought, tough series with the Mavs claiming their first title in franchise history by a count of four games to two. Game one went to the Heat by a score of 92-84 while the Mavericks went on to win game two 95-93, resulting in a spilt down in South Beach with the scene shifting to Big D. Once play began in Dallas, the Heat found themselves on the victorious end of one of the NBA Finals best games during the past 10 seasons by a score of 88-86. The Mavs took the next three games (game 4 86-83, game 5 112-103 and game 6 10595) and the trophy to go along with it. During this series and the entire postseason, the Mavericks displayed the uncanny ability to make comeback after comeback which enabled them to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the conclusion of the 16th postseason win this year. Game two was a perfect example of the Mavs showing their resiliency when they rallied after being down by 15 points (88-73) with 7:15 remaining in the fourth quarter to squeeze out the twopoint victory. The 22-5 run that Dallas embarked on was the key turning point in not only that game, but the entire series. It all began to happen just seconds after LeBron James began punching Dwayne Wade on his chest in a celebratory manner; you can bet that’s something both Heat stars will probably look back at in regret once they begin watching film from the series. Following that enormous collapse of game two, the Heat seemed to be inspired thanks to a locker room speech given by Wade and Udonis Haslem, the two lone players remaining on the Miami roster from their 2006 NBA Championship team. The same team that pulled off an incredible comeback of their own after trailing Dallas 2-0 in that series and then eventually went on to win it 4-2. Game three showed the Heat playing well enough to win a close one in the final 40 seconds thanks to Chris Bosh’s 16-foot jump
Early on in the series, Dirk Nowitzki failed to receive the necessary help from his supporting cast, which is why the Mavs lost two of the first three games. However, once the Dallas supporting cast began to do their jobs, the Mavs took over in the series and found themselves and their stride. They went on to take the next three games. Nowitzki averaged 26 points per game during the Finals which was 6.2 points per game less than what he produced versus the Oklahoma City Thunder during the Western Conference Finals, but he played huge in the fourth quarter scoring a total of 62 points in the six fourth quarters as opposed to just 62 for the entire Miami big three (Wade, James and Bosh) combined during that same exact time span; clutch players make clutch plays! Following game three, Nowitzki spoke up to the media stating that he wasn’t getting the help he needed from his supporting cast and even went on to single Jason Terry out saying, “he hasn’t been a crunch-time, clutch player” during the Finals up to that point. After those words to the media along with a bit more added off court ammunition provided by Miami’s Wade and James in the form of mocking Nowitzki (claiming he wasn’t truly sick in game four), the Mavs went on to show exactly which team was the better between them. The Mavs roster contained several former perennial all-stars and other vets including nine players (if you include Caron Butler) who had never won an NBA Championship up until this point. For Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic, Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson, Brendan Hayward and Brian Cardinal, they have now experienced the greatest joy a professional athlete can possibly enjoy - the chance to win a title against all odds and on the road. Dirk was rightfully named MVP and now his name will be added to the long list of greats that have claimed that honor. This series was definitely a fitting end to a fantastic NBA season and postseason, possibly one of the best we have witnessed over the past 20 years. The action and excitement that was produced in this series generated huge ratings and tons of fan fare for all to see during this amazing series. The Dallas Mavericks and their long-list of veteran players without a ring can now finally say that they won it all and no one can take that away from them. PREMIER PLAYERS 21
Community
Barcelona's player Lionel Messi of Argentina poses with children after being appointed UNICEF goodwill ambassador at the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, Spain, last year. Barcelona's Argentine winger has been appointed a goodwill ambassador for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). He will be involved with UNICEF in a series of activities to support the rights of children.
Messi Gives Kids An Opportunity To Succeed By Sam Smoot Lionel Messi has been a great soccer player from a very young age, which explains why FC Barcelona paid for his medical treatments when he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency when he was only 11 years old. Messi became one of the greatest footballers in the entire world because FC Barcelona saw his potential despite his condition. Messi sees the same potential in the children who benefit from the Leo Messi Foundation. Messi realized his significant impact on children when he visited a hospital and saw the special joy he brought to the kids. Just his presence gave them the inspiration to fight their diseases, just as Messi did, and pursue their dreams. The smiles on the children’s faces motivated Messi to start the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007. One of the foundation’s biggest projects is the creation of the XICS AA’Atuya Centre. The social center for kids will be located in Anatuya, the fourth most populated provinces in Messi’s home country of Argentina. Anatuya is a very poverty stricken area in need of a center for socially and economically
vulnerable adolescents. The objectives of the XICS are to decrease the amount of school dropouts during critical time periods and prevent delinquency, drug abuse, violence, and prostitution by offering cultural and professional education. The center will also offer extracurricular activities to keep children off of the streets during non-school hours. The foundation also opened a children’s playground in front of the University Hospital Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona. The kids’ park is designed to allow access for handicapped visitors. It is equipped with structures that encourage the children in wheelchairs to participate in activities that work out their upper body muscles while still having fun. Lionel Messi, through his foundation, has given unprivileged children around the world the opportunity to succeed just as FC Barcelona did for him. He continues to fight to bring joy to the children with the same effort he gives to remain a successful footballer. To learn more about Messi and the Leo Messi Foundation’s efforts, go to www.fundacionleomessi.org. PREMIER PLAYERS 23
By Steve Wright In a sporting world that can often seem sterile and sameish, the NHL had something special on its hands in 2011. In a clash that managed to feel both fresh and historically significant at the same time, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks battled through an incredible 7-game series to crown the champions of hockey. It was USA vs. Canada, and the Boston Bruins made the Americans very proud with a 4-0 shut-out performance in game 7. This was hockey as it was meant to be played, the NHL as it was originally envisioned, in cities where people wear their colors with pride on frigid winter nights. Adding even more spice to the clash was that fans of these two teams have recently been starved of success. The Canucks were looking for their first ever Stanley Cup in this their third visit to the finals since
Boston Bruins' Tim Thomas looks up at his father Tim and mother Kathy as he holds onto the Conn Smythe Trophy following his team's win over the Vancouver Canucks in game 7 of NHL Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 15, 2011 26 PREMIER PLAYERS
joining the league in 1970. The Bruins are a much more storied franchise. They were an original member of the league in 1924, but they had won just two trophies since the Second World War, and none since 1972. Both of these teams believed that silverware was long, long overdue, but in the end, only the Bruins could hoist the Stanley Cup as the 2011 NHL Champions. Boston had been in this position before. Five times since 1972, the Bruins had made their way to the finals series, and each time they have had to watch their opponents lift the trophy. Four of those five series have been against Canadian teams, and the Bruins were determined to reverse this streak by going to their big players to step up and be counted. It is often said that a team can ride a hot goalie to a Stanley Cup, and with that inmind the battle between the Bruins Tim Thomas and the Canucks Roberto Luongo was the key matchup to watch. Luongo had been on top of his game for the past 16 months, a stretch of time that includes winning an Olympic gold medal for Canada. However, in game 7, Tim Thomas shut out the Canucks and earned the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player of the postseason. Vancouver did win the Presidents’ Cup for the best record in the league. The line of Swedes, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin, along with American Ryan Kesler had been nothing short of monstrous all year and was sure to give the Bruins defensemen fits throughout the finals. The strength of the line was their tenacity and unwillingness to give up, a trait that filters down through the team and made Vancouver a very dangerous opponent. Boston was not just here to make up the numbers, though, and they relied on the dogged, hardworking spirit that had brought them to the dance. Defense was the Bruins strength, and they looked to giant 6’9” Zdeno Chara to lead by example and shut down the potent Vancouver attack. He and fellow defensemen Dennis Seidenberg averaged over 28 minutes a game, putting in shift after shift, to give Boston a chance to win in every contest. As for a prediction on where the Stanley Cup would reside at the end of the 2011 season? I had considered this little fact: The last two times that a Canadian city had hosted the Winter Olympic Games, Montreal in 1976 and Calgary in 1988, the local NHL team had gone on to win the Cup the following year. Well, the city of Vancouver hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 2010 but the Boston Bruins has stopped the Canadians’ tradition - enjoy the Stanley Cup Boston.
Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, of Slovakia, hoists the cup following his team's 4-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals June 15, 2011, in Vancouver.
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Travel
* THE FREEDOM TRAIL
TOP ATTRACTIONS * MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
* BOSTON PUBLIC GARDEN * QUINCY MARKET
* FENWAY PARK * SAMS ADAMS BREWERY * MUSEUM OF SCIENCE * NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM * BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS * CHEERS BOSTON * BOSTON HARBOR CRUISES
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Player’s Ink
Portland Trail Blazer's power forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) displays his faith through a variety of tattoos. He is a 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), 240-pound power forward/center and is one of Portland's two team captains, with the other being Brandon Roy. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) 30 PREMIER PLAYERS
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