Scoreboards

North Korea is a mystery to most of the world. Their exclusionist attitude, the brain washing of the people, and their lack of association with anything that the rest of the world is involved with, has kept most people scratching their heads as to who they really are. The rather strange visit of Dennis Rodman to North Korea, along with his own bizarre behavior, has had an effect on North Korea when it comes to the topic of basketball. It appears, that the ‘dear leader’ (Kim Jong-Il) also loves basketball, but in his typical methodology, has created his own rules for the game.

Any time you ask anyone about their favorite or best moments in NBA finals history, you get a flurry of responses. Everyone has their favorite player, team or moment, and always wants to show off. Thanks to today’s technologies and mass internet, we can see the replays from the electronic scoreboards on the internet as many times as we want, and even share them in a friendly competition. Here are some of the most popular. In 1992 Michael Jordan was unstoppable. In Game 1 of the finals, he hit six 3-pointers, just in the first half. Suddenly, he stopped, turned to the announcers and made his now famous ‘shrug’ stating he didn’t understand why he was on fire.

Any fan will tell you that there are many nuances involved in a college basketball game. Beyond the game itself, are the players (and the favorites), the build-up on the electronic scoreboard, and of course the continued excitement generated by the cheerleaders and dancers. The latter can take a game that could be ho-hum, and pull it up to a reveled area of frenzy. While fans are focused on the people, there is a subliminal view of the uniforms and outfits. These can make or break a cheerleading team, and therefore there is a lot of competition when it comes to design, look and color. Some of the college basketball cheerleading uniforms are winners and some are rather questionable.

The competitive nature of the Asian communities is exemplified in their intense love and attitude for sports. Basketball, is by far, one of the top four favorite sports in Asian culture and there have been some controversies as to how and why it became so popular. Many Americans seem to believe that the excellent playing of China’s top player, Yao Ming, in the 2,000’s, catapulted basketball to the front of the fray for Asian sports. While there is no doubt that Yao’s fame is top notch in China, he is not followed in the rest of the Asian countries as a main reason for their love of basketball. If you look at the number of basketball jerseys worn by fans, you will by far see more of LeBrons, Jordan and Kobe shirts, than anything else.

It seems that every season brings out a new basketball star or hot team and the bar is getting set higher and higher for the demands. In the past, a team that had an excellent percentage rating in field goals while winning the games was all that mattered. Today’s basketball has become a lot more complicated as fans seem to need better, higher and more 3-point shots. A field goal measures the overall team effectiveness from a field standpoint. The standard points-scored-per-possession has always been the main theme of the game and author Dean Oliver, in his book “Basketball on Paper” details basketball’s four points: 40% Shooting, 25% Turnovers, 20% Rebounds, 15% Free Throws. The formula that is used was a gauge for a standard game, but the concept of ‘standard’ has made some rather drastic changes in the last few years.

NBA fans usually have their favorites when it comes to their home team, but there is a quickly rising star that is swaying even the most loyal fans to their side. Miami Heat has not only surprised and astounded with their incredible field goal averages (around 55.2%), but they are shooting at an average of 55.1% as a team! No one ever thought that the record set in 1984-1985 by the Los Angeles Lakers could really be beaten. That season presented one of the most stellar performances by the team, with a 54.5% field goal record. The Lakers were the darlings of the NBA and the fans. While the Lakers tipped the field goal scales, there didn’t seem to be that many attempts at 3-point shots. The 1994-1995 Utah Jazz team appeared to change that trend when they doubled the number of 3-point shots and came incredibly close to matching the Lakers’ record.

Cumming, Georgia is the kind of smaller town that makes you catch your breathe. There is a grace and charm that can only be attributed to the south. This is an area where people smile, waive and look you in the eyes when they are talking. There is a sincere interest in folks you speak to and a genuineness that seems to be a rarity these days. There is a calm beauty as you stroll around the streets and the town itself is a fine blend of the love of life, country and nature.

Planning the addition to any school program can often be a daunting task. Tax payers don’t want to be burdened and yet schools want the best they can get. When the Thomas High School Patriots Boosters in Maryland decided to get an electronic scoreboard, they did an imaginative outreach to help pay for it.

The Thomas Johnson High School has a wonderful history for education, the arts and music. They are one of the National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, with around ninety percent of their graduates continuing on to higher education. The lineup of awards for both the arts, music and sports, is quite impressive. The community supports their local teams and the sports events encompass a variety: tennis, swimming, volleyball, basketball, baseball, cross country, football, gymnastics and soccer. The teams themselves have proven a level of incredible excellence and this can be seen by the number of attendees to every type of game.