Been Awhile..

first, let me s/o Essence Carson and her new blog that i just found out about this morning.. that inspired me to get back to this one..

it's been a long time.. it's been a long ride.. it's been an interesting off-season.. it's been all of that and then some.. but now, it's time to get back to work.. the WNBA season is around the corner, and contrary to what people believe, i have been working.. silently.. figuring out what would be in store for my FAM this year.. it's been an off-season in which i had record numbers of players and agents reaching out to see how we could work together.. i feel honored.. but like my blog title states, i'm just one man.. i'm dedicated first to those that i've been riding for and championing for.. so, this off-season, i was working on figuring out the best way to continue to enhance their brands.. in some cases, that meant taking a step back, and not being around as much.. i needed a clear head.. i needed to observe..

that was all done..

now, there's a lot to be excited about for this 15th season.. the new President.. new players.. trades.. better teams.. a few good drafts by a few good teams that could make them even better.. all of that.. it will be interesting to watch.. i plan to be more of a fan this year.. business is business, and i'm going to try my best to keep them on separate pages of this book i call FAMLife.. it's hard when you care so much about the lives and brands of the players.. it's difficult when you see the inequalities in treatment of players.. but, i give the players props, because they keep going..

i'm at a weird place right now, because we have some exciting things that have been planned.. for instance, a lot can happen for Ketia Swanier and her Ketia4Kidz Foundation.. one of our biggest issues is timing, though.. not having completed travel schedules, practice schedules, etc, makes it hard to plan beneficial events.. from my side, i have to think about them as a player, because during this time, that's their job.. that's their livelihood.. playing in the WNBA.. so you don't want to interfere too much w/ that.. but this is really the ONLY time that they have to do things, so you want to plan, but you end up planning and things fall apart due to things out of your control.. what happens if you're injured? what happens if extra practices are called? what happens if travel is switched up? all of those things come into play, and i don't think people realize all of that.. this is not easy.. this is one of the toughest engineering courses i've ever taken, and y'all know that i earned 2 engineering degrees.. it shouldn't be this hard, but it is..

with that said, i still have to push on.. for my FAM.. for FAMLife.. for the women.. the league.. and more importantly the dreams of countless other young women who dream of one day having a league to play in.. so i'll keep pushing.. i'll let the hate fall to the side.. no time for that this year.. can't get caught up in that.. i'll just do what i do, and those that appreciate it, cool.. those that don't, cool.. either way, i'll keep pushing..

even though i'm just one man..

i-Q..

New Week..

what up, what up..

first blog this week, but I'll be back tomorrow as well.. really, this blog is all about Temeka Johnson.. she's shutting down the Phoenix area right now.. As you may or may not know, the Phoenix Mercury are having their "Mercury Cares" Week, and Temeka joined them as a player representative.. It has been a busy week for her.. From dinners, to games (that's the "fun" stuff), to helping building houses to interacting w/ the youth (that's even more fun), to supporting the Phoenix community that has supported her, she's been on the move..

she's truly been going non-stop, and has more to go today.. she spent the morning reading her Meek Moments children's book to the youth, and she had a GREAT time.. if you aren't following her on twitter, please do.. she's @Quickdeuce - and worth the follow..

while most have been playing overseas, Meek has made the CHOICE not to head over yet.. she realizes that her life is much more than basketball, although basketball is what pays the bills.. slowly but surely we're working on developing more income revenue streams so that she can stay around doing more.. I have my work cut out for me, as I have less than a month to make a few things happen to keep her here in the States for the rest of the off-season.. i've been working quietly behind the scenes, and I'm hoping that things come together in January.. trust me when I say that i'm working hard to make that a reality.. we need her here.. shoot, i need her here.. the youth def' need her here.. so, if you want her in your community, and you have any opportunities, don't hesitate to hit me up.. we'll make something happen!!

y'all enjoy this holiday season, and stay safe w/ the ever-changing weather!!

i - Q..

The Weekend Ahead..

it's Friday.. yup, it's Friday..

so much going on.. from Holiday media requests for my FAM, to planning for 2011, to discussions about the upcoming Free Agent Camp in Indy, and even some Pro Development Camps with Adrienne Goodson for players that are looking for training and spending the off-season preparing for the upcoming season.. it's all coming together..

had a few VERY long and insightful conversations yesterday about the league.. It's ironic that the post on Slam came up discussing the transition period w/ Donna moving on to other things.. it was interesting, but it was also written like a piece of fiction.. no disrespect.. but that's what most have to do when trying to cover the WNBA.. there's definitely a cloud of secrecy w/ the league, and that has it's pros and cons.. i'm not here to debate it.. i've sat myself on the bench for a little bit, as I have more pressing concerns related to getting the RIGHT attention on the players.. but i do understand the points that were made.. for the record, i have nothing bad to say about Donna.. i've met her and had a few conversations w/ her, and she always had the energy that you would want from a leader.. the business side is what it is, and NONE of us know what the true backend business is like w/ the league.. yea, we know it's not that financially sound, with teams folding, sponsorships dwindling, and teams trying to be creative as possible to get and keep fans in the stands..

for me, though, i'd love for this season to be more about the players and the quality of the game.. a big part of me feels that if the TALENT is displayed on EVERY team, then some of the issues w/ fan support would go away.. i'd love for the players to just bond together and start making their OWN product better.. no, this isn't a shot at the players, cuz they work hard.. but i do know that players have to fight for themselves and their own respect too.. it's hard to focus on just getting better, when you're looking for opportunities overseas, worrying if the league will fold, handling personal affairs, and scratching your temple as to why things are the way they are.. i get it.. i'm on their side.. i see it daily.. but i'm hoping that the players can help themselves.. i'm hoping some will get more than a week or 2 off before the season starts.. i'm hoping that training camp is lessened a bit, and the current players are able to bypass it, while those trying to make it (or on the bubble to get cut) spend more time.. because, it's nothing worse than seeing a player on a team that just doesn't belong on a team.. or a player that doesn't have the same talent, make it over someone who is head and shoulders over someone that has made it.. the little things matter.. i'm hoping this year, the players just ball out, and we'll see what happens from there..

one thing is for sure, my FAM will ball out!! that i know!!

i - Q..

Day 2..

it's another day on the grind.. so much going through my head, but i'm going to write my way through this one..

let me start w/ Twitter.. i am thankful for it.. i've met people that i actually refer to as friends.. i've met people that have become FAM.. and i've also met the exact opposite.. it's tricky.. but let me get to the point..

i'm cautiously excited about the whole #WNBAMovement thing.. excited, because it's good to see so many fans showing support.. "so many" is relative, i know, but still.. you have fans that have started to put player news pages up, and that's a good look.. potentially.. i've watched it a lil bit, but have yet to start following most of the pages, as i do realize that it's not the players, or their representatives tweeting that news.. that's fine, though.. a lot of us have way too much on our plate as it is, so handling a news page is difficult, especially when there's not much news to share.. during the season, it can work.. during the off-season, it may not.. potentially.. i'm optimistic, though, as i'm seeing people do all that they can to spread the WNBA voice.. i'm just really hoping no player's reputations are damaged.. i hope people understand that it's like an unofficial/official fan page.. i do know that my FAM's news pages will be handled well.. i trust the person running them, plus i know we'll feed news to them to make it current and accurate.. i hope it catches on..

i'm finally going to start watching college bball.. it's about that time.. i need to know who the players to watch are, etc.. if y'all can point me in the right direction, please hit me on twitter (@fuzion) w/ some names and teams.. while i'm 95% positive that i won't be adding any new names to the FAM roster (i already have a few people i'm considering), i will still help as many players as i possibly can.. "help" may be in the form of a phone conversation, an email, g chat or BBM convo.. it could also be on a situational basis.. plus i have this camp to spend the next 4 months planning and pulling together.. add on that what i plan to start the year out w/ my current FAM, and you can see that my time is dwindling.. i say this out of respect for my current FAM.. their situations have to be right, before i can bring anyone else in.. but anyway, help me out by leaving comments or hitting me on twitter.. i appreciate you!

ok, ok, that's enough for today.. let me get to work..

i - Q..

Guess Who's Back!!

dang..

so it's been 2 months, huh? i was building up momentum, then just hit the proverbial "wall".. sometimes you need a break, and i definitely needed a sanity break.. way too much was going on inside and outside of WBB.. but i'll be completely honest and say that i got fed up w/ a few things.. the lack of support.. the lack of quality of things related to WBB.. and just too many things that left me scratching my head as to why.. so instead of fighting, i just took a break..

i have to run the fine line of supporting my players, making our collective voice heard, and then fighting for the inequalities that exist in WBB.. my fight for equality had me doing and saying things that i stand behind, but maybe the *cough* world wasn't ready to hear.. i started to feel that i may have been doing harm for the players that i represent, by being so vocal.. so, i looked in the mirror, took inventory of the past year, and felt the need to slow up for a second..

with that said, i'm back, and rejuvenated for the long run..

i've watched from the sidelines as Temeka started to rep hard for the HOPE Foundation.. that was probably the hardest thing to do.. it's like the training wheels were off, and she was on her own.. riding around the block while i wasn't home.. personally, i needed to see this happen.. mainly so i can get a better view of things.. see what she felt would garner attention and traction.. behind the scenes, i was concentrating on more long-term things.. bigger opps, etc.. and i've had some success w/ that, as you all will see over the coming month.. bigger than that, though, i believe Temeka saw and faced some of the things i hid from her, or made look easier than it was.. from understanding what the media felt was "important", to people saying they could do "this or that", etc.. i try to hide some harsh realities from players, as i want them focusing on the things that they can control.. that's just the type of person that i am.. let me shoulder the issues and disrespect.. these players are bigger than the game, and can do so much, so i want them worrying about ways to do more, not about why a paper won't show up to a charity event, etc.. but, i stand here proud of what Temeka has done.. but now it's time for me to be back, and doing what i need to do for the remainder of this off-season..

same goes for Ketia.. she's been on her game as well.. plus she has one of the best Executive Director's out there w/ her father running the ship.. his military background comes into play, and works to all of our advantage.. i learn from him.. he introduced me to the term "flat dicking", and he doesn't play around w/ anyone that does that.. but Kesh is on the cusp of some great things, and if she doesn't win a Community Assist Award this year, then they need a new name for the award.. yea, i said it.. and i'll say it again!!

but, here i stand.. again.. ready for the future.. of my FAM.. of myself.. of WBB.. and i'm proud to announce that one of the biggest things i'll do this year is a free agent basketball camp for women.. some need more exposure.. some need an opportunity.. some need a second chance to prove that they can play the game.. so, in April, i've partnered to bring this thing together.. Indianapolis.. you'll hear more, soon..

i'm on it..

Q.

New FAM - Adrienne Goodson

told y'all i was working on a few things, didn't i?? well, we now have FAM Legends!! that is plural, but for now, we'll start w/ my FAM - "Goody"..

y'all know her.. former WNBA All-Star, multiple Community Assist Award winner, ABL All-Star, All-ABL, HS All-American, NCAA Champion, and more.. yea, that Goody or Goodie.. she has been great for me, and great for FAM.. providing insight from her playing days (also played an integral part in helping move the player/business interests forward w/ the league), she's a ridiculous trainer/coach (look at what she did at ODU), she's great for the community, and holds basketball clinics.. i was initially introduced to Goody through Ketia.. they went to Afghanistan w/ the NBA to support the troops.. so i was able to do my own research.. a year later, our paths cross and we built a synergy, then a relationship, then a partnership, and now FAM for LIFE!!

i know that i am only one man.. i get it.. i can't do it by myself.. i've had my own crash course over the last 3 years, and i swear that it changes every dang year.. something new.. something upsetting.. just something.. i needed more insight.. i needed a better understanding.. Goody came just when i felt like i had seen it all and been through it all.. she actually gave me more hope..

it's been a blessing to learn from her (and our other FAM Legends - names dropping sporadically).. i'm now on my job trying to get her back into the league to help players and teams.. she's already leading our team heading to Brasil for our 1st basketball clinic (part of a 6 year agreement).. shoutout to ESPN down in Brasil for continuing to publicize what we're doing down there (even if it was pushed back to Nov 5).. so, a special shoutout to Goody for allowing me to do what i do.. it's already been a great relationship, and i know it'll be more of that in the future..

now to watch Big Syl bully some poor team in the World Championships!!

i - Q..

My Team Is Better Than Yours!!

i don't know why i'm doing this, or what inspired me, but i wanted to put together the 12 player team (gotta make it more legit than 11 player teams) i would choose for the WNBA.. i chose the team based on style of play and my thoughts of a team that YOU couldn't beat.. i wanted to tie my hands behind my back, by not choosing players like Taurasi, etc.. i would love to debate my team vs anybody that thinks they can field a better team and beat my team.. i promise you that you won't beat my team.. and yes, I'd coach the team.. our offense would be ridiculous and the defensive schemes would put me in the Hall of Fame (only jokes, but i do feel good about my chances!).. i also made sure that my FAM was on the team.. plus i know their traits and skill set.. but let me get to it..

My Starting Lineup

PG: Temeka Johnson
SG: Cappie Pondexter
SF: Tamika Catchings
PF: DeLisha Milton-Jones
C: Sylvia Fowles

Reserves

PG: Epiphany Prince
G: Ketia Swanier
SF: Essence Carson
SF: DeWanna Bonner
SF: Tamera Young
F: Candace Parker
C: Erika De Souza

On paper, i know you're scratching your head.. No Sue Bird? No Lauren Jackson? And no Taurasi? yup, that's right.. there were a few players that i really wanted (like Crystal Langhorne), but i just couldn't fit them on the team.. i wanted a team that could play uptempo and a half-court game.. this team fits.. my biggest thing was making sure my bench would be able to run the other team off the court.. Epiphany is the game changer off the bench.. Essence and Tamera are my shutdown defenders.. They are my glue players.. They will defend whoever.. we saw Essence come into form during the playoffs.. she's not intimidated by anyone.. DeWanna is the ultimate glue player.. a player that can get me 15 and 8 in a blur.. Erika is a force.. just when you thought we were soft, she appears.. Candace i'd want inspired by being on the bench.. like how she was in Russia.. she murdered 2nd units.. Ketia will be able to flourish in a guard capacity.. i want her to be a blur.. i want her as a 1-person fast break.. point blank..

my starting lineup? come on now.. Meek is the general.. the team falls in line after her.. Cappie is my DWade.. she's going to give me buckets and get in the zone faster than any other player.. Catch is my LeBron.. does everything VERY well.. DeLisha? that's my bully.. she does the dirty work and can score w/o having plays designed for her.. Syl? what more can i say? on my team, she'd dunk EVERY game..

think you can put together a squad that beats us? let me know.. you won't win, but i love you thinking that you can!!

i - Q..