2013 NBA draft results: Chad Ford Draft Grades

Chad Ford gives the Sacramento Kings an 'A-' grade for their picks in the 2013 NBA draft!

Draft grades: 30 team evaluations

SACRAMENTO KINGS | GRADE: A-

Round 1: Ben McLemore (7)

Round 2: Ray McCallum (36)

Analysis: Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro has been on the job just nine days, but things are already looking up. Having McLemore, one of the two or three top talents in the draft, slide all the way to No. 7 was a godsend. The Kings wanted athleticism and shooting at the 2, and McLemore is a great fit. He has the chance, with hard work and greater confidence, to be the best player in the draft.

McCallum is a solid, no-frills point guard who might earn a lot more minutes if the Kings decide to clean house this summer.

SEC Storied Episode Guide

ESPN Films launched the “Storied” documentary series in September 2011, presenting fans the opportunity to explore the rich athletic history of the Southeastern Conference. From extraordinary athletes and coaches to defining games and moments, the “Storied” series features films from the SEC’s recent and more distant past.

1. Herschel Walker by Rory Karpf - September 16, 2011

Profiling former Georgia running back Herschel Walker. The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner overcame teenage bouts with bullying for being overweight and having a severe stutter.

2. The Play That Changed College Football by Jeff Cvitkovic - December 4, 2011

The Play That Changed College Football takes a look back at the first SEC Championship Game in 1992 between Florida and Alabama. The documentary dives into what the inaugural championship meant at the time and what it has meant to college football today.

3. 40 Minutes of Hell by Jose Morales - February 14, 2012

Explore the rise, fall and re-birth of legendary University of Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, at a time when the state of Arkansas was at the epicenter of American culture.

4. Lolo Jones by Rory Karpf - May 21, 2012

The appeal of the Lolo Jones story goes beyond the track and field community. It is one of heartbreak, adversity and the hope of triumph at the end, the kind of storyline that appeals to the masses. This is her story!

5. Croom - September 25, 2012

An insightful look at Sylvester Croom, the first African-American center at the University of Alabama and one of the school's first black players. After playing for legendary Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, then coaching under him for a decade, Croom eventually rose to become head football coach at Mississippi State University and, more importantly, the first African American head coach in the Southeastern Conference. Narrated by Terrence Howard.

6. Going Big by Jon Fish and Tom Friend - December 20, 2012

Plagued by injuries at UK and the NBA, Sam Bowie has always been overshadowed by his draft placement. The 7-foot-1 center was seen by many as a franchise player when he was selected by Portland with the second overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, just ahead of Michael Jordan. Sadly, injuries limited his success while Jordan helped the NBA reach new heights. Sam Bowie went on to a long and relatively productive professional careerr, despite recurring leg injuries. Still, he is labeled a bust because of lofty expectations. Going Big tells Bowie's story of perseverance and determination. Now a successful horse-owner in Lexington who never let his run of bad fortune deflate his spirit, Bowie has found success and happiness.

7. Miracle 3 by Rory Karpf - March 3, 2013

Trailing Mississippi State 59-56 with seconds left in regulation, Alabama forward Mykal Riley heaves a buzzer beater as time expires in the 2008 SEC men's basketball tournament. Unknowinly, his short saved thousand of lives. A few minutes into overtime, the Georgia Dome begins to shake. A major tornado is sweeping through downtown Atlanta, the first to hit the city since the 1880s. If the game ended in regulation, thousands would have been outside unprotected in the path of the oncoming twister. This "Miracle Three" prevented a major tragedy. What followed was also a "miracle three" days when rivals united, heroes emerged and underdogs prevailed.

8. Abby Head On - May 15, 2013

Abby Wambach never gives up. The soccer phenom has maintained an astonishing level of success, from helping the Florida Gators win their first and only national championship, to collecting a Founders Cup title with the WUSA's Washington Freedom and earning two Olympic gold medals. But her journey included setbacks - the collapse of a professional league, World Cup disappointments, and a career-threatening injury - all the while shouldering the changing of the guard of the Women's National Team. Abby: Head On shows how Wambach has persevred, making her mark on the sport and becoming one of the best this country has ever produced.

9. The Book of Manning - September 24, 2013 - Trailer

10. The Stars Are Aligned by Andy Billman - Thursday, August 14, 2014 at 9 p.m.

What do Ashley Judd, Darius Rucker, James Carville and Governor Rick Perry have in common? Well, they live and die with the fortunes of their respective SEC schools. In “The Stars Are Aligned,” 14 famous figures—each representing a different college in the Southeastern Conference—spill their emotions and explain why they’ll never forget where they came from. Among the other celebrities featured are Charlie Daniels, Amy Robach, Jonathan Papelbon, Melissa Joan Hart, Emmitt Smith, Shepard Smith and Ralphie May.

11. Bo, Barkley and The Big Hurt by Larry Weitzman - Thursday, August 21, 2014 at 8 p.m.

It started with the unheralded arrival of a wisecracking heavyweight basketball player named Charles Barkley. Then came the recruitment of multi-sports legend Bo Jackson, a victory in itself since he might have gone to Alabama. When Frank Thomas wasn’t drafted by a major league baseball team, he decided to cast his fate with Auburn… as a football player. Told through an unforgettable reunion of the famed trio at the 2013 Iron Bowl, here’s the real story of how these future Hall of Famers turned the orange and blue of Tiger athletics into gold.

12. The Believer by Kenny Chesney and Shaun Silva - Wednesday August 27, 2014 at 8 p.m. - trailer

The SEC is in Steve Spurrier’s blood. He grew up in Tennessee as a fan of the Volunteers. He won the Heisman Trophy as the quarterback for the University of Florida, and then came back to coach the Gators to a national championship. Now he coaches the University of South Carolina, the team that produced the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Jadeveon Clowney. Co-executive produced by Kenny Chesney and Shaun Silva, “The Believer” reveals the essence of the most competitive man in the most competitive football conference in the nation.

13. It’s Time by Fritz Mitchell - Thursday September 4, 2014 at 8 p.m.

On October 28, 1989, Ole Miss defensive back Chucky Mullins hit Vanderbilt running back Brad Gaines in the back and separated him from the ball. While Gaines was uninjured, Mullins suffered a broken neck on the play, leaving him a quadriplegic. But in that heartbreaking moment, a friendship was born that lasted another two years, until Mullins died of a blood clot in a Memphis hospital room, with Gaines at his side. “It’s Time” will chronicle the inspirational journeys of these two men brought together by tragedy.

29. Before They Were Cowboys by Corey Frost - Saturday, Dec. 31, at 10:30 pm ET.

Before Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson teamed up as owner and head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, they were key players on Arkansas' unbeaten national champions in 1964. Examines how their time at Arkansas shaped their futures. Narrated by Trace Adkins.

07/16/2014 - ESPN Films to Debut Slate of Documentaries from SEC Storied Series on New SEC Network

ESPN Films - SEC Storied - Abby Head On

I watched Abby Head On by Erin Leyden and Gentry Kirby. This is the eighth film in the ESPN Films SEC Storied series. An episode guide for SEC Storied is here.

Abby Head On looks at the career of woman's soccer star Abby Wambach. It traces her career from high school to college to the woman's professional soccer league to the national team. Along the way, Wambach helped the Florida Gators win their first and only national championship, won a title with the WUSA's Washington Freedom and earned two Olympic Gold medals.

The film includes a lots of interviews with coaches and other players including Wambach’s high school, college and U.S. head coaches, current and former teammates including Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy and Alex Morgan, and Wambach’s family.

There is also of a wealth of footage of Wambach scoring goals. As prolific goal scorer, Wambach was known for headers. Today, as a U.S. women’s national team star, she is only four goals away from breaking Mia Hamm’s all-time international scoring record.

It is a solid documentary. It was a story that I nothing about which made it interesting. I was intrigued by the physical transformation of Wambach. Over a soft high school and college player, she become a fit, lean player on the national team.

Abby Head On is available in iTunes.

California Historical Landmark #799

Overland Emigrant Trail
California State Historical Landmark #799
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
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This plaque is located at southeast side of Wolf Creek Bridge on State Highway 49, 10 miles south of Grass Valley, California. There are 20 other California State Historical Landmarks in Nevada County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 03.713 W 121° 05.313.

You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com!

The plaque is missing.

Over a hundred years ago, this trail resounded to creaking wheels of pioneer wagons and the cries of hardy travelers on their way to the gold fields. It is estimated that over thirty thousand people used this trail in 1849. Here the old trail approaches the present highway.

Diamond Head Hike

When we were in Oahu, Sharon, Jack and I hiked up to the top of Diamond Head. Using Runkeeper on my iPhone, I logged the hike and then loaded the track into Google Earth. Here are a couple of views of the hike in Google Earth. In the second image, Waikiki Beach is in the upper center part of the picture.

The President is a Sick Man by Matthew Algeo

On the plane on the way back from Hawaii, I started reading The President is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth by Matthew Algeo. I stumbled across the book while wandering through Amazon.com and was intrigued by the description. This is part of my project to read books about all of the presidents.

Cleveland is the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms. He rose quickly from the Mayor of Buffalo to Governor of New York to the President of the United of States. Cleveland was elected president for the first time in 1884, lost to Harrison in 1888 and was elected again in 1892. He is one of only two presidents to win the popular vote more than two times (Cleveland and FDR) and one of only two candidates to win the popular vote, but lose the electoral vote (Cleveland and Gore). He was the second president to marry while in office, and the only president to have a wedding in the White House.

Former President Ulysses S. Grant died a horrible death of mouth cancer in 1885. When Cleveland discovered a growth in his own mouth early in his second term, his physician was sure that it was also cancer. Partially due to the financial condition of the country, Cleveland and his closet advisors decided to have a secret surgery performed. The book explores these events and the aftermath, particularly the efforts that were undertaken to keep the surgery secret.

Although focusing on this event early in Cleveland's second term, the book does provides a good overview of Glover Cleveland. I was surprised to learn that one of the most volatile issues of the 1880s was whether the currency should be backed by gold and silver or by gold alone.

I enjoyed the book; I give it a B+. At some point, I am going to read a more comprehensive biography on Glover Cleveland.

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 61

On day 61, I rode 21.3 miles across Nebraska. Starting just south of the junction of Road 32 and Highway 385, I rode on Highway 385 skirting the town of Sidney and passing the Pole Creek Pony Express Station [41° 8' 58.80", 102° 54' 21.00"]. I finished the ride in the town of Lodgepole. It was a fast downhill ride; I averaged 20.3 miles per hour.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Rhye - Open

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!


Code Expiration: September 17, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Mavis Staples - Far Celestial Shore

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!


Code Expiration: September 17, 2013

Game of Thrones - Season Three

Catching up on episodes on the DVR from vacation, I finished watching season three of Game of Thrones. I finished season two in December and season one last October.

While I was shocked in season one at the number of the main characters that they killed off, after three seasons, this has become standard ware. It is interesting how the slaughter of main characters is used to advance the stories. Not having read the books, I have been surprised whenever it has happened.

I enjoyed season three and felt that it was overall a little better than season two. Apparently, season three was the first half of the third book. As a result, the season didn't seem to wrap itself up as well as season two did. There were alot of plot lines that were left hanging. We are going to have to wait nine months for season four...

I am still not sure that I will ever read the books. Based on listening to a number of podcasts, it appears the books go into a lot of detail about the back stories of the families and the history of the regions. My brother-in-law Tom has read the books. I am going to have to explore the subject with him again.

Walbeck Elite Baseball Practice

Almost two weeks ago in his first game back from vacation, Jack pulled an abdominal muscle charging a grounder while playing left field. After being checked out by his pediatrician, he took a week off skipping the game against Hard 90 on Tuesday, a group work out on Thursday and the College Showcase on Saturday.

After he and I threw and ran in the park in Friday night, he felt like he could test it on Sunday. The Walbeck Elite were scheduled to play a double header against MVP. Unfortunately, something got screwed up and MVP didn't show up. Matt took the team to Bella Vista High School for a practice. From Jack's perspective, this was probably the best thing that could have happened. He looked good. Jack said that it only bothered him a little. Hopefully, he is on the road to being full speed again.

As a footnote, I have not played catch with Jack recently. Using his right handed first baseman's glove (I am left handed), I thought that he was going to kill me when we played catch on Friday. I kept thinking that I was going to misplay one of his throws and get seriously hurt. Just more reinforcement of how big and strong he is getting...

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Sharon, Jack and I watched Star Trek: The Motion Picture on Friday night. Released in December of 1979, I can remember seeing this film in the theater in Davis (with Kim?). After seeing Star Trek into Darkness last weekend, I am going to start a project to go back and see all of the other Star Trek films in order like we did with the James Bond films.

Frankly, I found this movie pretty slow. There are long segments with the dramatic music showing the USS Enterprise at dock or the ship traveling through the alien cloud. The movie doesn't contain the fast paced action sequences that you get in contemporary movies. While that is not necessarily bad, Star Trek: The Motion Picture feels like it could have been an hour long television episode rather than a 2 hour and 10 minute movie.

I was surprised at how good the original the cast looked. At this point, William Shatner would have been 47.

Star Trek Films

06/21/2013 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture - December 7, 1979
07/03/2013 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - June 4, 1982
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - June 1, 1984
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - November 26, 1986
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - June 9, 1989
11/16/2013 - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - December 6, 1991
Star Trek Generations - November 18, 1994
11/15/2014 - Star Trek: First Contact - November 22, 1996
Star Trek: Insurrection - December 11, 1998
Star Trek: Nemesis - December 13, 2002
Star Trek - May 8, 2009
Star Trek into Darkness - May 16, 2013
Star Trek Beyond - July 22, 2016

California Historical Landmark #832

South Yuba Canal Office
California State Historical Landmark #832
See this location on Yahoo Maps in Flickr
See this location on Google Maps
This plaque is located at 134 Main Street, Nevada City, California. There are 20 other California State Historical Landmarks in Nevada County. The GPS coordinates for this location are N 39° 15.776 W 121° 01.011.

You can log your site to this site at waymarking.com!

This was the headquarters for the largest network of water flumes and ditches in the state. The South Yuba Canal Water Company was the first incorporated to supply water for hydraulic mining. The original ditch was in use in May 1850, and this company office was in use from 1857 to 1880. The company's holdings later became part of the vast PG&E hydroelectric system.

Fresno County Landmarks

California State Historical Landmarks in Fresno County
{GPS Coordinates of Site Location}
@NO. 344 ARROYO DE CANTUA - {36° 14' 50.40", 120° 18' 49.08"}
NO. 488 FRESNO CITY
NO. 584 FORT MILLER
NO. 803 SITE OF FIRST JUNIOR COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA
NO. 873 SITE OF THE FRESNO FREE SPEECH FIGHT OF THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD
NO. 916 FORESTIERE UNDERGROUND GARDENS
NO. 934 TEMPORARY DETENTION CAMPS FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS-FRESNO ASSEMBLY CENTER
NO. 934 TEMPORARY DETENTION CAMPS FOR JAPANESE AMERICANS-PINEDALE ASSEMBLY CENTER

List of California Counties

Inferno By Dan Brown

On the plane on the way back from Hawaii, I finished reading Inferno by Dan Brown. This is the sixth Dan Brown book that I have read. I read the Lost Symbol when it came out in 2009 and all of his earlier books in an eighteen month stretch ending in 2004.

After reading Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code in rapid succession in the last two weeks, Jack noted that "they are the same book." This is largely true of all four of the Robert Langdon novels. They all involve sequential chase scenes, female accomplices, secret conspiratorial agendas and puzzles.

With the exception of The Da Vinci Code, Brown's books all have of some kind of science theme at their core. Inferno is not exception; it has an unusual Mathusian message woven through the book. In an unexpected twist, the book has what I would characterize as a science fiction ending.

Dante's Inferno (Italian for "Hell") plays an important role in the puzzles in the book. Inferno is the first part of Dante's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy.

I particularly enjoy books that intersect with our love of exploring the world. The bulk of Inferno is set in Florence with a quick trip to Venice. Jack, Morgan, Sharon and I spent a couple of days in both Florence and Venice last summer. As the Robert Langdon character moves through Florence and Venice, he covered parts of the cities that we had explored. In particular, there is a scene on the balcony of St. Mark's Church in Venice. Jack and I wandered the balcony and saw the stones horses when we were there. There is an interesting section in the book about the history of the stone horses. The book ends somewhere we have not been, but I would be interested in exploring.

In spite of the its formulaic plot, I enjoyed the book as a light summer read. The Mathusian story line and science fiction ending provide some food for thought. I give the book a "B" grade.

ESPN Films - Nine for IX Short Film: Coach

In early July, ESPN Films is starting a new film series called Nine for IX about women in sports produced by women. As part of this series, ESPN has released the award winning short film Coach. The executive producer of the short is Whoppi Goldberg and the director is Bess Kargman.

Nine for IX Short: Coach

C. Vivian Stringer is one of the most prolific coaches in the history of college basketball. She was the first to lead three different schools to the NCAA Final Four (Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Iowa and Rutgers) and received the highest honor of all in 2009 -- a place alongside Michael Jordan, John Stockton, Jerry Sloan and David Robinson as an inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Coach Stringer became more well known to the non-sports world in 2007, when the words "nappy headed hoes" were used to describe the group of young women she led, in spite of tremendous odds, to the National Championship game that same year. Perhaps because Stringer is also a mother whose career successes have been intertwined with personal tragedy, her response to the 2007 incident showed she wasn't just a great coach, but the perfect example of grace under fire.

You can find Coach on the ESPN web site at http://espn.go.com/espnw/video/9345908/coach.

More about the film at: http://espn.go.com/espnw/w-in-action/nine-for-ix/article/8959294/nine-ix-short-film-summary-director-coach

Virtually Biking Across America - Day 60

On day 60, I rode 20 miles across Nebraska. Starting from the Mud Springs Pony Express Station [N41 28 57.6 W103 00 42.6], I rode south towards Colorado on Highway 385. Passing through the small towns of Dalton and Gurley, I ended the ride just south of the junction of Road 32 and Highway 385. As you can see from the Google Streetview, this is very wide open country.

The trip log for Virtually Biking Across America is here.

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Wee - Olo

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!


Test your tactics in this multiplayer game

Code Expiration: September 10, 2013

Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Bike Baron

The complete list of Starbucks iTunes picks of the week is here!

Code Expiration: September 10, 2013