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Articles on this Page
- 05/17/16--11:01: _VIDEO: Kyree Walker...
- 05/20/16--18:47: _Southern Jam Fest: ...
- 05/21/16--12:26: _Southern Jam Fest: ...
- 05/22/16--14:30: _Southern Jam Fest: ...
- 06/26/16--08:58: _Volleyball official...
- 07/09/16--06:24: _AAU track coach cha...
- 07/22/16--04:27: _VIDEO: LeBron James...
- 08/08/16--15:37: _Pay-for-play claims...
- 10/17/16--10:07: _NBA announces youth...
- 12/16/16--04:59: _Meet eighth-grade b...
- 12/22/16--07:00: _John Lucas urges pa...
- 02/07/17--06:47: _ALL-USA Watch: Char...
- 08/29/16--16:12: _AAU girls basketbal...
- 09/08/16--11:19: _Doyel: Why did a Mr...
- 09/15/16--06:16: _Insider on prep sch...
- 09/21/16--03:00: _Pay to play: The hi...
- 04/09/17--05:17: _VIDEO: LaMelo Ball ...
- 04/30/17--11:52: _adidas Gauntlet: Br...
- 05/17/16--11:01: VIDEO: Kyree Walker can already jump out of the gym, in eighth grade
- 06/26/16--08:58: Volleyball official reaches 10,000 games
- 07/09/16--06:24: AAU track coach charged with sex assault, child endangerment
- 08/08/16--15:37: Pay-for-play claims land at Florida athletic powerhouse Tampa Plant
- 10/17/16--10:07: NBA announces youth basketball guidelines for rest and participation
- 12/16/16--04:59: Meet eighth-grade basketball phenom Zion Harmon
- 08/29/16--16:12: AAU girls basketball teammates commit on same day
- 09/15/16--06:16: Insider on prep schools: Grass isn't always greener
- 09/21/16--03:00: Pay to play: The high cost of youth sports
- 04/09/17--05:17: VIDEO: LaMelo Ball scores 38 in AAU debut with dad LaVar coaching
- 04/30/17--11:52: adidas Gauntlet: Brock Cunningham is dominating the competition
We’re living in an era where the kids jump right out of the gym. Now they’re just doing it an increasingly younger ages.
The latest to steal headlines in Kyree Walker, an Oakland-based eighth grader who currently suits up for the AAU Oakland Soldiers. He’s an absolutely phenomenal athlete, as the Vine of a self-assisting dunk above is testament to, not to mention the more comprehensive highlight reels below.
At least one analyst (from Arizona’s Finest Mixtapes) is declaring Walker the nation’s top eighth grader. He may well be right, though it seems far too early to name anyone the top anything in the nation when they’re in eighth grade. If he continues progressing, there seems little question that Walker will be one of the nation’s foremost athletes and dunkers in the years ahead, no matter where he ends up competing in high school.
Kyree Walker has emerged as a top dunker and athlete before playing a game of high school basketball (Photo: YouTube)camasmith
HAMPTON, Va. – Two years ago as a freshman trying out for the varsity basketball team at Bethel (Hampton, Va.), Kyle Foster had the same dream as every other player gunning it down the hardwood doing Figure-8 drills trying to leave a lasting impression in hopes of making the Bruins’ roster.
“I wanted to get a D-I offer,” said Foster, who scored a game-high 20 points in WAWG-BWSL’s (Va.) 68-48 win against the NH Ballers (N.H.) Friday night at the Southern Jam Fest. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t know if that was realistic, though.”
It didn’t help his confidence when he ended up getting cut, and any confidence that lingered after that massive rejection left for good when he got cut again the following year.
“I knew I could play, but when you get cut you do question yourself,” Foster said. “I didn’t really think about that D-I offer anymore. I just felt like I was going through setback after setback.”
Despite the disappearance of his confidence, Foster’s reputation as a three-point marksman floated around the basketball circles in Hampton Roads and eventually found its way to WAWG coach Stefan Welsh, who just happened to be looking for a shooter to complete his AAU team.
“People were telling me that he could really shoot and they showed me video of him making this fadeaway three-pointer to win a summer league game while falling out of bounds,” Welsh said. “I saw that and said, ‘Tell him he’s on the team.”
The transition wasn’t smooth initially; Foster readily admits that he was unsure of whether he belonged after consecutive failings at the varsity level.
“I was struggling at first and one day Coach Welsh just came up to me and said, ‘You’re the best shooter in the state; you need to start acting like it,’ ” Foster recalled. “That just did something in me. It changed everything.”
Welsh is a legend in Hampton Roads; he led Woodside (Newport News, Va.) to back-to-back state titles in 2004 and 2005 and went on to star at Arkansas.
“He had a gift that he was wasting because of lack of confidence,” Welsh said. “I told him if he didn’t start shooting I was gonna take him out. I didn’t care where he shot it from; as long as his feet were set, he could let it fly. It just started to click for him.”
Foster, who grew from 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-3 over the last year, went on to average 20 points per game through the first few tournaments for WAWG and subsequently picked up offers from Howard, Maryland-Eastern Shore and College of Charleston.
After his stellar season on the summer circuit, Foster not only made Bethel’s team, he led the Bruins in scoring, averaging 15 points per game and leading the Peninsula District in three-pointers made.
He committed to Howard in April.
“Honestly, the whole situation just taught me to believe in myself more,” Foster said. “I got cut not once, but twice, and I never thought I could turn it around and still fulfil my dream of playing D-I. But Coach Welsh helped me build my confidence and it showed me what I’m capable of if I just do what I know I can do. It was the best lesson I’ve ever learned.”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
image1 (22)jabarnett13Kyle Foster (Photo: WAWG)
HAMPTON, Va. – Brandon Huffman won’t go as far as saying that it could make the difference between wins and losses, but he contends that a well-orchestrated slapping and shaking of the hands intertwined with a perfectly placed dab before, and sometimes during, games is as much a part of the game as flying chest bumps and floor slaps.
“It just adds that extra part of the game that you need,” said Huffman, a forward who runs with Team Loaded (N.C.). “It’s the perfect way to start the game.”
He’s certainly not alone in that assessment.
Not only did players competing in the Southern Jam Fest at the Boo Williams Sportslex Saturday cosign handshakes as a necessity, NBA stars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook, among many others, all engage in the pregame pastime.
“You want it to be something that people haven’t really seen,” Huffman said. “That makes it more live and gets you more hype.”
WE-R1 Blue (Del.) point guard Trevon Duval said he and teammate Eric Ayala engage in their original hand-smacking routines before and during games because it adds even more of the fun element.
“I feel like I play my best when I’m out there having fun,” Duval said. “It just makes us more hype out there when we’re doing things like that. I think handshakes definitely have a place in the game for that reason alone.”
Team Wall director/coach Kendrick Williams said he doesn’t mind his players engaging in said fun as long as they “know when to get serious.”
“I’m old school when it comes to things like that,” Williams said. “Stuff like that isn’t helping you put the ball in the hole or grab rebounds. I think it’s unnecessary, but as long as it’s not a distraction and they’re not disrespecting anyone I don’t mind them expressing themselves.”
Still, on the most basic level, it’s difficult to come up with original handshake routines when you’re not around your teammates.
Most teams pull players from all over their respective state as well as from adjoining states and may have one practice every week.
“We don’t really have handshakes on my AAU team,” Garner Road-West (N.C.) point guard Thomas Allen said. “We probably would if we were around each other more. I definitely have handshakes with my high school teammates. We’re always around each other so it’s easier to come up with different stuff.”
The general consensus among players is that the time invested in coming up with the wacky handshake routines goes a long way in building camaraderie, which in-turn builds on-court chemistry.
“And those things help you win games,” Duval said. “When you’re doing things like making up handshakes it’s like it’s something that’s just between you and your teammates. That’s y’all’s thing. Stuff like that pays off in the game.”
Shake on it.
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
image1 (24)jabarnett13Even pros such as Kyrie Irving and LeBron James have unique handshakes (Photo: Getty Images)
HAMPTON, Va. – Even though WE-R1 (Del.) has managed to open the spring circuit season on a dominant note, posing a 7-1 record in the competitive Under Armour Association, Trevon Duval and Eric Ayala were admittedly beginning to grow a bit restless.
“It’s cool playing, but it’s a little different when you’re playing for a championship,” Duval said. “We wanted a trophy.”
Ayala scored 34 points in a 75-65 win against Team Loaded VA in the Southern Jam Fest title game Sunday at the Boo Williams Sportsplex to make sure they left with the hardware.
“This was my first championship since like the eighth grade,” Ayala said. “I’m definitely gonna enjoy it. It’s big because of the way we won.”
Duval left two minutes into the game suffering from dehydration that led to severe leg cramps after an acrobatic layup.
“The trainer said if he kept playing he’d end up in the hospital because he’d need an I.V.,” WE-R1 coach James Johns said. “I just told the guys it was time to step up. Trey got you here now finish it. I knew they’d respond.”
Ayala certainly got the memo.
He drained six three-pointers and scored 21 points to give WE-R1 a commanding 48-31 halftime lead over Team Loaded VA.
“First, I had to make sure Trey was good,” Ayala said. “He’s my brother first so that’s important to me. When I saw he was OK, I knew it was time to go to work. I wasn’t gonna let us lose.”
WE-R1 kept the onslaught rolling in the second half, swelling the lead to as many as 22 early on demoralizing dunks like Talek Williams’ 360, two-handed jam that sent the Boo Eilliams Sportsplex into a state of pandemonium.
Team Loaded VA went on a three-point draining barrage of its own late and even cut the lead to six, but Ayala and Co. converted at the free-throw line down the stretch to secure the win.
“This was the perfect way to win because we all pulled together to get it done,” said Duval, who averaged 22 points and eight assists at the Southern Jam Fest this weekend. “That’s just how this team is; I went down and we didn’t miss a beat.
“I think this will help us a lot going forward when we’re playing for the Under Armour title later this summer”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
image1 (27)jabarnett13WE-R1 poses with the Southern Jam Fest trophy (Photo: Jason Jordan, USA TODAY Sports)
Lee Powell, a volleyball official from Garland, Texas, hit a significant milestone this weekend at the AAU Girls’ Junior National Volleyball Championships in Florida.
Powell, 73, officiated his 10,000th game, including AAU and high school, during a 48-year career.
Screen Shot 2016-06-26 at 11.56.58 AMjabarnett13
BERLIN, N.J. – A Berlin Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) track coach has been arrested and charged with child endangerment and aggravated criminal sexual contact, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday.
Jamal W. Balkman, 36, is being held on $250,000 bail.
According to NJ.com, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office said the victim is a juvenile male, and authorities are investigating whether Balkman met the boy through his coaching duties.
The prosecutor’s office said its Special Victims Unit worked in conjunction with Berlin Township Police after an investigation into a sexual misconduct allegation that was reported to them Wednesday.
LeBron James Jr. is already a fine young basketball player. He might even be among the best in his age. Now he’s starting to take another leap forward, incorporating some of his father’s signature moves while competing on the summer AAU circuit.
We already know that Bronny holds scholarship offers from multiple collegiate programs, allegedly including Kentucky and Duke. We also know that he can run the floor as a point guard par excellence, and that he has a solid shot from distance.
Apparently that shot has recently improved again — take a look at that halfcourt trey to start this highlight — and his ability to run his team’s offense continues to grow. Don’t write off the defense, either; it may not have been as dramatic as dear old Dad in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, but Bronny’s block to start a fast break was pretty impressive nonetheless. It certainly speaks to his commitment as a two-way player.
Any doubt about his continued commitment to self improvement can be wiped away in this highlight, too. Just check out LeBron Sr. on the sideline. That’s an involved, committed Dad, and he is excited about what Bronny is starting to produce on the floor.
Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 10.54.56 PMcamasmith
There are few phrases that instill more terror and concern in high school athletics than “pay-for-play.” When it’s used in connection with an established athletic powerhouse, the alarms are even louder.
That’s precisely what unfolded last week, when Tampa Plant High’s baseball program came under fire for longtime head coach’s Dennis Braun’s affiliation with an AAU baseball team that uses the same mascot and colors as Plant’s black and gold Panthers.
An investigation by the Tampa Tribune found that Braun had strongly encouraged baseball player’s in Plant’s district to play for the 14-and-under Tampa Panthers team, at a cost of $1,100 per season, paid twice per year. The psuedo-coerced non-school baseball affiliations have continued into players’ high school careers, the Tribune also found:
If you didn’t pay to play for the Tampa Panthers, parents and former Plant assistant coaches say, you’d likely never make the high school cut, creating an atmosphere that former pitching coach Scott Hurst, as well as former and current Plant parents, say is elitist and rigged to benefit the families who pay for offseason teams with which Braun is associated.
In his 11 years at Plant, Braun has been involved in three investigations, one by the school district in 2007 involving intimidation of a player and two by the FHSAA. The most recent one from the state came within the past year when it was discovered that all of Braun’s varsity players participated on the same non-school summer team — except one player, who was later cut his senior year.
According to some parents whose children opted against playing for Braun, the need for a Tampa Panthers background was practically an open secret in the region.
“It was a well-known fact. If you wanted to play for Plant, you had to play on (the Tampa Panthers) team prior to going to Plant. It was expensive. We had three kids in college,” Martee Craparo, whose youngest son played at Robinson High instead of Plant, told the Tribune. “We didn’t have the ability to come up with the excessive amount of money that was required to go, so we basically made the decision that we weren’t going to do it.”
A former Plant assistant, John LaRocca, has come forward to corroborate many of the claims against his former boss. In fact, he said that he was one-half of the scouting team responsible for identifying potential players for Braun’s AAU and American Legion teams. When one of the players they recommended refused to play for one of Braun’s summer-league teams, he systematically cut them from Plant’s varsity team the following season.
There are far more disturbing and damning details in the Tribune report right here. For now, most distressing of all is the following: At time of publication, Braun had been penalized just $250 after he agreed not to coach any of his players during the 2016 summer season. He’s still the head baseball coach at Plant High.
Longtime Tampa Plant baseball coach Dennis Braun, right, has been accused of orchestrating a pay-for-play scheme incorporating youth baseball teams in AAU and American Legion (Photo: Twitter)camasmith
The NBA and USA Basketball have partnered to develop a first-ever set of youth basketball guidelines to enhance the way children, parents and coaches experience the game, emphasizing the importance of player health and wellness, the NBA announced Monday.
The recommended playing and rest guidelines — which have been endorsed by a handful of organizations such as AAU, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Adidas, Nike, Under Armour and the NCAA — were established over the past six months by three working groups (health and wellness, playing standards and curriculum and instruction) made up of coaches, administrators, former players (including retired NBA champions Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen) and leading medical experts from around the world.
In addition to these guidelines, the health and wellness working group outlined eight key recommendations to “promote a positive and healthy youth basketball experience,” including the importance of delaying single-sport specialization until age 14 or older.
The announcement of the guidelines tips off the second annual Jr. NBA Week, during which all 30 NBA teams host clinics and events in their communities.
Visit youthguidelines.com for more.
We rarely post a series of tweets this long but we again make an exception for former NBA star and coach. Lucas hit on the topic of how parents need to do their research to prevent youth players from being used by the system.
This is a topic that Lucas touches on frequently on Twitter, and one we’ve referenced before. Click the link; it’s worth a read.
76ERS @ BULLETS JOHN LUCAS A BKN USA MDjabarnett13John Lucas (Photo: H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY Sports)
Sophomore Charles Bassey unintentionally made headlines for all the wrong reasons earlier this season when he was banned from competing for his St. Anthony Catholic squad due to an investigation by the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.
That’s Bassey, an ALL-USA preaseason selection, taking the ball on the perimeter, launching an assist to himself off the backboard and flushing home an outrageous slam dunk. In fact, outrageous may not be a strong enough adjective.
Yes II Success is a more essential part of Bassey’s training than ever before due to the decision that has barred him from the court at St. Anthony. If he keeps turning out highlights like this, few may even remember he spent his sophomore season off the court.
Charles Bassey threw down a monster slam for AAU squad Yes II Success (Photo: Twitter screen shot)camasmith
Two Nashville-area girls basketball players with AAU ties committed on Sunday, with East Nashville’s Erica Haynes-Overton choosing Memphis and Brentwood Academy’s Bria Dial selecting Chattanooga.
Dial chose Chattanooga over East Tennessee State, Troy, James Madison, North Carolina-Wilmington and Middle Tennessee State.
Both players were on their respective future campuses over the weekend.
“We were talking all weekend, when she was on her visit to UTC, and I was on mine to Memphis,” Haynes-Overton said. “I just felt like that was the right place for me to be. I felt like now was the right time. I planned to mention my decision before school ball, but it came earlier. I just went ahead and wrapped it up.”
Commitments are nonbinding for the athlete and school. Neither can sign until the early signing period, which begins Nov. 9.
Haynes-Overton, a 5-foot-5 senior guard, helped the Lady Eagles to a 32-2 record and the program’s first state championship in March, averaging 18.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.6 steals.
Ninth-year coach Melissa McFerrin led Memphis to an 18-13 overall record last season, falling to Tennessee-Martin in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Dial and Haynes-Overton both play AAU Basketball for one of the Team Brandan Wright squads.
Dial, a 5-10 forward, helped Brentwood Academy win its third consecutive Division II-AA state title, averaging 10.6 points and 6.5 rebounds last season.
Chattanooga is led by former Vanderbilt coach Jim Foster, who has an 82-16 record with the program.
Reach Craig Harris at 615-259-8238 and on Twitter @CHTennessean.
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tmp1472512873925.jpgtdunhamusatodayEast Nashville's Erica Haynes-Overton shoots during a win over CPA in last season's state tournament.Brentwood Academy's Bria Dial shoots over Briarcrest's Gabby Salazar during last season's Division II-AA state semifinals.
Southport senior Paul Scruggs is the latest Division I basketball recruit to leave the Indianapolis-area for a prep powerhouse — and the third serious candidate to remove himself from the running for 2017 IndyStar Mr. Basketball.
Depending on who’s doing the talking, Scruggs’ transfer on Tuesday to Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., is a logical decision — or a bizarre basketball move.
“It was a no-brainer,” Scruggs’ father, Dan, told me Tuesday.
“It’s chaos,” said a college basketball coach familiar with Scruggs, one of seven coaches I spoke with in an attempt to make sense of this story.
And I failed. Cannot make sense of it.
For one thing, Scruggs is transferring to a school that didn’t exist three years ago. For another, Prolific Prep isn’t a school at all. It’s a basketball team that sends its players to a Catholic school in Napa, Justin-Siena High School.
You hear me? Paul Scruggs just transferred to a P.O. box.
“Recruiting has gotten weird, we all know that, but this is too much,” another college coach told me. “Transferring one month into your senior year? That’s weird. Going across the country? That’s weird.”
This story involves the often complicated relationship between high school and AAU. It involves a sneaker company. But I’ll start with a former NBA player named Gary Trent, whose son — Gary Jr. — is one of the top recruits in the Class of 2017.
Gary Trent Jr. is at Prolific Prep, his third school in five months. He’s best friends with Paul Scruggs. They’ve known each other since second grade, and were AAU teammates for years. The families are close.
Gary Trent Sr. called the Scruggs family a few weeks ago and suggested they give Prolific Prep a look for Paul’s senior year.
“Gary Sr. told me how good the program there was,” Dan Scruggs said. “It really piqued our curiosity, and I saw the opportunity for Paul to improve on his academic schedule and his basketball skill level.
“My wife and I, we’re very religious,” Dan Scruggs continued. “We prayed about it and asked the Lord which way we should go, and he directed us in that direction.”
The story could end right there. Or it could go in another direction, a direction that starts in the Crispus Attucks school district, where Paul Scruggs lived through eighth grade. Indy Hoosiers AAU coach Mike Peterson has coached Scruggs for nearly a decade, a relationship that started before Scruggs could dribble with his left hand. Peterson, a Southport graduate, suggested Paul attend Southport High to learn from a staff led by Kyle Simpson and included former Notre Dame standout Chris Thomas, the IndyStar Mr. Basketball in 2001.
In three years at Southport, Scruggs moved to within 55 points of Kellon Thomas’ all-time school record. Since Scruggs’ junior season ended at semistate, Peterson says, he has heard from prep schools around the country wanting Scruggs for his senior season.
“I had a million calls,” Peterson said, mentioning La Lumiere in La Porte and Huntington (W.Va.) Prep. Two other schools involved were Brewster (N.H.) Academy and Findlay (Nev.) Prep, Gary Trent Jr.’s school for a few weeks before he settled at Prolific Prep.
As August approached the plan was for Scruggs to return to Southport, and he has been in class there for several weeks. But in recent weeks the plan changed. Why? Depends on who’s doing the talking, but the timing is curious. It was early last month that saw the breakup of Scruggs’ high school coach and his AAU coach.
It’s confusing, but in a nutshell: Simpson was running the local AAU program, funded in part by Under Armor, that oversaw Peterson’s Indy Hoosiers. Two men with two different visions, Peterson took his Indy Hoosiers one way and Simpson took his Under Armor sponsorship another. Simpson is joining forces with former Broad Ripple, IUPUI and Indiana Pacers standout George Hill for an AAU program that will be called G3 Grind.
Peterson, who also is close to Gary Trent Sr., is still looking for his basketball landing spot, but told me he’s not worried about it. He has a son playing high school football. He has been working on a computer app that would track a youth basketball player’s diet, academics and more, and went this spring to Under Armor headquarters in Baltimore to work on it but couldn’t make a deal.
What does the split of Scruggs’ high school coach and AAU coach have to do with his transfer to Prolific Prep — or “Pro Prep,” as the two-year-old basketball operation likes to be called? That’s a good question. Could be a coincidence.
“The timing is going to make it seem like it, but this has nothing to do with Kyle Simpson and Mike Peterson,” Peterson told me.
College coaches involved in Scruggs’ recruitment — he has been recruited hard by IU, Purdue, Xavier, UConn, Illinois and Michigan State, among others — don’t believe that.
“This is all about that rift,” one Division I coach told me.
“Everything was fine at Southport,” said another Division I coach, “until the drama started between the two coaches.”
Dan Scruggs says his son’s transfer has nothing to do with that.
“We spent a little time talking about it, praying about it, and this is where God has led us,” he said of Prolific Prep.
Whatever the reason, Scruggs becomes the third Class of 2017 standout to leave the IHSAA and his shot at Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, joining Park Tudor’s Jaren Jackson Jr. (who transferred to La Lumiere) and Pike’s Justin Roberts (transferred to Findlay Prep).
How does the transfer impact Scruggs’ recruiting? Coaches involved say it shouldn’t matter much, noting that recruiting is a 26-mile marathon — “and we’re in mile 25,” one told me. Scruggs considered committing to IU after his freshman season but has moved closer to Xavier over time. UConn, however, has become a major player in recent weeks.
As for the kid himself — this is about the kid, I hope — Paul Scruggs has two goals: be academically eligible for Division I next fall, and be physically ready for major college basketball in one year and the NBA shortly thereafter. Scruggs and his parents flew to California this weekend to check out Prolific Prep.
Only his parents came back.
Scruggs stayed in Napa. He’s taking classes at a Catholic school, living with a host family and playing basketball for a P.O. box. I wonder how many people really know why Paul Scruggs is out there. I wonder if Paul Scruggs is among them.
tmp1473185815147.jpgtdunhamusatodaySouthport guard Paul Scruggs is the latest Indiana product to take the prep school route.Had Paul Scruggs stayed at Southport, he likely would have left as the school's all-time leading scorer.Paul Scruggs, shown here playing with the Indiana Junior All-Stars, won't be an All-Star his senior year.
Three of the state’s top high school basketball seniors are gone to prep schools. On the bright side, three spots opened up on the IndyStar Indiana All-Star team.
Right? Is that a big deal anymore? The defections of Southport’s Paul Scruggs (Prolific Prep), Park Tudor’s Jaren Jackson Jr. (La Lumiere) and Pike’s Justin Roberts (Findlay Prep) might suggest it’s not. There’s obviously a lot more to it than that. Jackson Jr. and Roberts both cited a chance to play better competition, day in and day out in practice, as a primary reason to transfer to prep school.
To each their own. But I also wonder, too, how much they’ll miss it 10, 20, 30 years from now. Scruggs played in front of two of the most electric crowds I’ve seen in 16 years of covering sports — the packed house at Southport against Evansville Reitz in February of 2015 and the semistate game against Romeo Langford and New Albany in March at Richmond.
Maybe Prolific Prep is the best place for Scruggs, but I guarantee it can’t offer an environment like those two games. Will he become a better player at Prolific Prep? Is Roberts better off at Findlay Prep or Jackson Jr. at La Lumiere? That’s what we hear, but it’s impossible to say yes or no.
I asked Trey Lyles. Multiple times a year, beginning with his freshman season, I’d hear rumors that Lyles would transfer to a prep school. All the way up to his senior year. But Lyles never left Tech, winning the school’s first state championship and IndyStar Mr. Basketball in 2014.
“A couple of prep schools came after me and wanted me to take a look at their school,” Lyles said. “It was never a thing that was on my mind. I knew Tech was where I wanted to be. I never wanted to leave at all.”
Lyles said he can understand it, though. One of his grassroots teammates with the Speice program, JaQuan Lyle, transferred from Evansville Bosse to Huntington Prep (W. Va.) for his senior year. Tech beat that Huntington Prep team twice that season.
“I understand where guys go from a high school to a prep school to try to get those college looks or better competition,” Lyles said. “For me, Tech was the best option. I wanted to build something with IPS and do something for the team and the community. I didn’t want to end any friendships or relationships that I had already, and I already had my college offers. Playing at Tech, we basically played a national schedule. It was just as good as a prep school.”
There are reminders everywhere in the Tech gym of Lyles and that 2014 team. That won’t be the case at Southport for Scruggs, who would have been a surefire Indiana All-Star. His All-Star jersey will never hang in Southport’s fieldhouse. Maybe that doesn’t matter as much as it used to.
I asked D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera. When Smith-Rivera was a junior at North Central after the 2010-11 season, he was probably the frontrunner for Mr. Basketball going into the following season. And that was a stacked class with names like Gary Harris, Yogi Ferrell, Kellen Dunham, R.J. Hunter and Glenn Robinson III.
Instead of coming back to North Central, Smith-Rivera transferred to Oak Hill Academy. Smith-Rivera had a strong senior year at Oak Hill, one of the most reputable prep school programs in the country. But looking back, after the completion of his college career at Georgetown, Smith-Rivera does wonder what might have been. North Central won a state title in his sophomore year of 2010 and there was talk of a potential “three-peat.” But Bloomington South and Dee Davis upset the Panthers in the Class 4A semistate in 2011.
“I don’t regret the decision,” Smith-Rivera said. “But I do think about it a lot. North Central is close to my heart. Coach (Doug) Mitchell is close to my heart. The capability of that team my senior year would have been something special. I definitely would have been in the running for Mr. Basketball and would have had a great chance to win it. It’s a decision I made that I felt like was the best for me at the time. And I love Oak Hill as well.”
Scruggs, Jackson Jr. and Roberts are the latest, but players have been leaving for prep schools for a while. In addition to Lyles and Smith-Rivera, there’s Rapheal Davis, A.J. Hammons, Jalen Coleman-Lands, Mitch McGary, Justin Martin, Davon Dillard, Evan Gordon and several others who have gone the prep school route in the past seven or eight years.
Charlie Hall, the Indiana All-Star director, isn’t necessarily concerned.
“I’m not naïve enough to think being an All-Star would keep a family from making a move in their best interest,” Hall said. “But we’re not going to run out of good players. We’ve had a lot of kids who have fought to work with their college coaches to be a part of the All-Stars. So I think it does still mean a lot to them.”
Prep schools are recruiting from the same pool of players as major college programs. Trevon Bluiett, a 2014 Indiana All-Star at Park Tudor, was recruited heavily by prep schools from his sophomore year on. His father, Reynardo Bluiett, said the prep school route wasn’t considered “for one second.”
“He had offers,” Bluiett said. “But were very confident in our circle we had here.”
For some, the prep school experience worked out great. Davis had a strong senior year at La Lumiere before coming to Purdue. Smith-Rivera and Hammons both thrived at Oak Hill Academy.
John Murry was a different story. Murry transferred from North Central to a prep school called CCSE Prep in Sacramento, Calif., in 2012. The “school” was just 10 players living in a house with Francis Ngissah, the “president and CEO” of CCSE. Murry, now going into his senior season at Austin Peay, left after just seven games to attend another prep school in Florida.
A month after Murry departed California, Ngissah was arrested on suspicion of child abuse involving corporal punishment and willful cruelty, battery and false imprisonment of some teens in his basketball program. Murry wasn’t one of those involved. In 2014, Ngissah was sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.
“I was sold some false advertising,” Murry said in 2013. “Most likely, I should have just stayed (at North Central).”
More high-profile basketball players will be recruited by prep schools. For some it will be the right decision. For others, maybe not. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
“I think about (the 2014 Tech team) every day,” Lyles said. “The relationships that I built with those guys and the relationships we continue to have. That’s lifelong stuff. Everybody on the team will remember that the rest of their lives.”
Call IndyStar reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
tmp1473273836868.jpgtdunhamusatodayJustin Roberts has traded Pike for Nevada's Findlay Prep.A top area player his first three seasons at Park Tudor, Jaren Jackson Jr. will finish his high school career at La Lumiere.Paul Scruggs has decided to leave Southport for a prep school in California.FILE – Tech's Trey Lyles (41) holds up the team's State Championship trophy after winning the IHSAA Boys Basketball 4A State Finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, March 29, 2014.FILE – D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera was a star at North Central before taking the prep route.
Richie Prunesti only has one regret.
He wanted to play college or professional hockey. While classmates were collecting lifelong memories, he spent weeknights practicing in Long Island or New Jersey and weekends playing all over the country.
His entire family made sacrifices to keep the former New Rochelle standout on skates.
“Most hockey parents, they’re comfortable,” Prunesti said. “I know, in my family, hockey definitely put us a little behind. We would do things differently so, if we had a tournament on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Chicago, a lot of the kids would fly out Friday morning. The rest of us would leave late on Thursday, drive all night, get out of the car Friday morning and play. I was asleep in the back so it wasn’t a big deal, but my dad had to stay up all night to save money. We’d drive home and he’d maybe have $40 left in his wallet to last until the next Friday. … He enjoyed it as much as I did. To him, it was always worth it.”
That commitment is hardly unique in the rapidly expanding universe of youth sports. There was a time when club and travel teams were reserved for the select few standouts competing for college scholarships. Now, any parent with a checkbook can get a kid in the game. The difference, according to interviews with high school coaches, athletic directors, academics, parents and young athletes, is outside competition and specialized training have become almost commonplace for students who want to play varsity sports in high school.
“It used to be playing in high school was something relatively accessible to everyone,” said Karl Erickson, a faculty member at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University. “A small number who had aspirations beyond that would go outside to club and travel. For many people, that could be a great experience.
“Now there has been this shift to where the club and travel teams, which tend to be more expensive and year-round time intensive at times, are becoming par for the course or mandatory just to take part in a high school sport,” Erickson said. “Now, you’re either all-in, full-bore, year-round, or you’re not even in the system.”
Parents spend thousands of dollars a year to place their kids in club or travel programs, hundreds or even thousands each season on new equipment, and often hundreds per hour on private lessons or coaching.
The time commitment can be equally burdensome. Now, more than ever, kids spend more time year-round on athletics in hopes of being able to play next season, be it in high school or college.
It’s not unheard of for a high-level high school athlete to spend as much as $20,000 a year on team fees, equipment, travel, private coaching and personal training.
“Back when I started, they had leather helmets almost,” said North Rockland Athletic Director Joe Casarella, who has worked in high school athletics for 50 years. “Kids played everything. They enjoyed themselves. Now they’ve been cheated out of their childhood a little bit as you move on 50 years later. Young kids are put on travel teams when they’re 7 or 8 years old and they specialize in whatever sport it may be.”
Prunesti, 23, fell in love with hockey in the second grade. His dad was a baseball guy, but was soon all in with hockey. There were only a couple of years when Prunesti wasn’t on two teams. He always made a point of suiting up with classmates for New Rochelle games. The atmosphere with friends in the stands making noise was a reward and Prunesti went on to become The Journal News/lohud Player of the Year in 2011. The real work, though, was done on the region’s top club teams.
Homework got tossed into the back seat on rides to practice and play with the New Jersey Avalanche or New York Applecore. It’s a lifestyle that requires an intense commitment, one that most star athletes know well.
“That’s where you had to go in order to get real competition,” Prunesti said.
So he kept grinding, but two years after high school, the passion evaporated.
“I was in Michigan for an NAHL tryout. I was missing my friends. I was tired. I was looking for a chance to relax. I quit,” said Prunesti, who is now working for the city of New Rochelle. “That might have been the biggest mistake I ever made. Looking back on it now, I would give anything to get back in.”
The supremely dedicated athlete is asked to push nonstop.
“I go to school, I come home, I practice,” said Kyra Cox, a junior at John Jay High School, who ranks among the country’s top junior golfers. “I practice in the morning. I practice at night. Golf is my whole life. It’s amazing how much work has to go into this.”
“I’ve seen the gamut,” Carmel Athletic Director Susan Dullea said. “Students that are just trying to make the team. Average students who are just trying to get better, maybe get on the court more. And then we have that child who maybe is specializing and just loves the sport so much that they would do anything to keep playing.”
A lucrative industry
It’s difficult to quantify the size and scope of what is a loosely regulated industry, but leading experts agree that more than 25 million kids between the ages of 6-17 participated in an organized team sport in 2015. Insiders estimate club and travel programs generate nearly $9 billion in yearly revenue.
And even after a heavy investment in money, time and private lessons, there are no guarantees.
Fingers point in all directions whenever this topic is raised. It’s a volatile discussion because parents, athletes, high school coaches and administrators, private coaches and trainers all have separate agendas.
“Most (high) schools have moved away from a model that is organized around the principle of providing sport opportunities for all kids,” said Tom Farrey, who leads the Sports and Society Program at the Aspen Institute. “That means shutting down intramurals, getting rid of freshman teams, limiting junior varsity teams, cutting back on PE. They are generally moving toward a model that serves the best athletes in the school or the best-trained athletes in the school.”
Colleges do offer scholarship money to a limited number of elite athletes, primarily at the Division I and II levels. Parents do want the best for their kids, and if they’re able to mention at a dinner party that their child is going to Georgetown to play lacrosse, all the better.
“The amount of money offered in NCAA athletic scholarships has grown by a factor of five or six,” said Farrey, who wrote “Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children.” “In the early 1990s, when you started to see the travel team environment really take off, the schools were only handing out about $250 million a year in athletic aid. Now it’s at least $2.7 billion.”
The coach vs. the private instructor
That chase can lead to trouble for high schools, their coaches and administrators who, in theory, pick teams and distribute playing time to the most deserving athletes. Their opinions don’t always jibe with parents and their sons and daughters, who have to sort through varying opinions not always rooted in truth.
“I’ll make the argument loud and clear that there’s a disconnect, that the AAU coach, that elite coach, is telling that kid all the things they want to hear because the parents are paying and you want to keep that money coming in,” Yorktown Athletic Director Fio Nardone said. “They say, ‘He’s getting better. He needs to keep working on this.’ And he keeps coming, the family keeps coming, and then, when it comes back to the reality of the high school season, (he) goes back and is playing for our team and (he) isn’t really doing well compared to the other 12 kids on the basketball team and isn’t going to play as much as he thinks because the AAU coach told him he should be starting. And they start a controversy with our high school coaches. It happens all the time.”
The conflict might be unavoidable. Athletes and their parents have turned to competition outside the school district because that’s where the vast majority of college recruitment takes place, even for Division II and III programs.
Many athletes consider activity outside their high school program essential. They believe it will further their individual development and their ability to thrive for the varsity and for the club teams that most often fuels their college recruitment.
“I play club and there are a lot of kids there being recruited,” said John Hufnagel, a sophomore who started on Iona Prep’s lacrosse team as a freshman. “If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be far behind those kids. Doing this keeps me up to speed with them. The other kids I’m going against are working 10 times as hard. I have to keep that in my mind so I know that I have to work 10 times harder than them.”
That is a common theme.
“You have to be there, playing all the time,” said Tatiana Cruz, a junior on the Suffern girls soccer team who’s played club with World Class FC and Players Development Academy. “It’s really demanding. Without travel and the high-level experience, I don’t think you’d be able to play in college because it’s very demanding and it’s very different so you have to be ready.”
Exploding business of travel and club teams
Statewide, 37,394 boys and 33,866 girls play at the high school level in Section 1, which includes public schools in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties, and parts of Dutchess. Statewide, the number of participants at NYS Public High School Athletic Association teams is 575,903.
According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, participation in team sports is down 4 percent since 2009, but the demand for spots on travel rosters is climbing.
Just ask Nick Daniello.
He had nearly 500 boys lacrosse players show up for tryouts late last month, all them hell bent on getting one of the 185 spots available on seven Prime Time squads. It probably had something to do with the fact that 19 players on the organization’s premiere teams graduated and joined Division I teams.
The gauntlet can easily determine a kid’s future.
“I think all of them have to play some kind of competitive travel lacrosse, whether it’s for me or somebody else,” said Daniello, who played at John Jay and is an assistant coach on the school’s varsity team. “It’s really important if you play for a traditional high school power. The days of picking up a stick in the spring and playing like a star are over. The talent I’m seeing at the younger ages is really good. We cut really good players. It’s gotten that competitive.”
Regardless of the sport, parents get used to writing checks right from the start of this process.
Defending the high cost of this world are entrepreneurs and coaches like Anthony Yacco.
“It requires a lot of money to run the organization,” said Yacco, a former minor league baseball prospect from Putnam County who now runs 4D Sports Performance Center in Mahopac. “You pay for professional baseball coaches, a nutritionist, a speed and strength coach, uniforms, league fees, insurance, administration fees. It’s a costly operation and parents are willing to foot the bill.”
Many clients will even pay for weekly individual pitching or hitting lessons at $100 a pop.
Not every club team has a strength and conditioning program, which provided another niche for industrious personal trainers.
“When we first got into the market, we felt like we really had to educate people on what they needed to do and who we are and what we could do to help someone,” said Brian Fee, the owner of Velocity Sports Performance in Elmsford. “Now, people are starting to seek us out. They know that, if they want to make the travel A-team, they have to start doing something to get to where they want to get to.”
“They know that if they want to make the travel A-team, they have to start doing something to get to where they want to get to.”
— Brian Fee, owner of Velocity Sports Performance in Elmsford
And no matter where a kid plays, parents have to pay for a lot of equipment. A top-shelf bat runs $450. A quality lacrosse helmet is $280. A pair of durable hockey skates go for $550. Those items are often quickly outgrown and have to be replaced.
“The interesting thing about this space is it’s going to get corporatized over the next few years,” Farrey said. “Right now it’s largely dominated by mom and pops. You’re now going to see a number of large players get into the space. Equity firms and media companies are waking up to the huge market that is youth sports and developing products that are going to meet the demand of this market better than it has been met in the past.”
It’s a significant investment, a risky investment, and it rarely pays off in the end.
“The coach says he improves. The coach says he gets better. But when you’re paying a guy $2,000 a season, it’s going to be hard for him to criticize you or you’re not going to come back.”
— Joe Casarella, North Rockland athletic director
“They get pitching coaches or goalie coaches or shooting coaches who get paid a lot of money. It’s become a big-time money maker for other people,” said North Rockland’s Casarella. “The coach says he improves. The coach says he gets better. But when you’re paying a guy $2,000 a season, it’s going to be hard for him to criticize you or you’re not going to come back.”
Specialization at an early age?
The path encourages specialization. A majority of the endangered three-sport athletes compete at high schools with fewer than 500 students. Those who play at larger schools, especially traditional powers like Mount Vernon basketball, Lakeland field hockey or Yorktown lacrosse, almost have to join the parade of club athletes in order to keep up.
“I’ve seen the older kids and their drive. I see what it takes to be a state champion, what you need to do in practice to be successful,” said Kelsey McCrudden, a junior on Lakeland field hockey, which has won seven straight state titles. “Every year, I was one of the younger kids and the older kids would take me out to the turf and teach me new tricks. It just kind of builds from there. That just keeps getting passed down in the program.”
Even in programs with a far less competitive culture, athletes have begun to strive for more. Josh Schultz, a recent graduate of Irvington High School, played his way onto the team at Western New England. Schultz had spent the last three years playing club lacrosse, but he started a strength and speed training program at Velocity this year to better prepare for college.
“It’s definitely so competitive and it almost makes you nervous that you have to prepare that much more to be as good as everyone else,” Schultz said in June. “I definitely see myself getting faster and stronger in ways I didn’t even know.”
Just a few weeks later into the summer, Schultz was even more convinced.
“I’ve lost a couple of pounds. I’ve gotten faster. I’ve worked on the technique of lifting,” he said. “Now I’m going (to college) knowing I’ll be ahead of the game.”
Schools aren’t likely to reverse direction and revamp a system that caters to the best athletes in each district. None of them have the money to expand current programs, much less restore teams cut when the recession put austerity budgets into play.
So, like any marketplace driven by supply and demand, the caveat is obvious: buyer beware.
“If you want your kid to get involved in sports and you’re going to pay whatever it takes,” Nardone said, “and you’re going to pay that all the way through high school; if you keep track of all that money — and I mean everything, from the cost of playing to the travel, to the food, to everything else involved with that journey — from 5 year old to 18 year old, if you look at that figure, you’re going to be astonished at how high it is. If you could put that same money away — do it both, if you’re in that perfect world financially — it’d be incredible how much you could pay for that college education. I think it’s be astonishing because the number is off the charts.”
ABOUT THE PROJECT: Journal News/lohud sports writers Josh Thomson and Mike Dougherty, along with photojournalist John Meore, fanned out this past spring and summer to investigate the growing world of youth sports in the Lower Hudson Valley for this series, Pay to Play.
tdunhamusatodayMatt Tauber, right, runs high school and college athletes through a work out at LIFT on the campus of SUNY Purchase in Purchase on Tuesday, June 7, 2016.Former New Rochelle standout Richie Prunesti went toe to toe with New Jersey Devils defenseman Steve Santini (right) when they were in high school. They also played on the same New York Applecore club team. The clashed in January of 2011 at Brewster Ice Arena.Richie Prunesti was the Westchester hockey Player of the Year in 2011. He continued to play junior hockey but was eventually worn down by the grind. " I was missing my friends. I was tired. I was looking for a chance to relax. I quit. That might be the biggest mistake I ever made. Looking back on it now, I would give anything to get back in.”High school and college athletes work out LIFT on the campus of SUNY Purchase in Purchase on Tuesday, June 07, 2016.Yorktown High School athletic director Fio Nardone photographed on July 19, 2016.High school and college athletes work out at Velocity Sports Performance in Elmsford on Wednesday, June 01, 2016.Matt Tauber, right, runs high school and college athletes through a work out at LIFT on the campus of SUNY Purchase in Purchase on Tuesday, June 07, 2016.North Rockland athletic director Joe Casarella photographed in the gymnasium of North Rockland High School on July 19, 2016.A college coach uses a radar gun to determine the pitch speed of a pitch by Stephen Hill of Carmel during the Perfect Game Invitational Baseball Tournament in Marietta, Ga. July 12, 2011. Hill plays for the World Yacht Clippers, which is comprised of high school baseball players primarily from Lower Hudson region. Thousands of the best high school baseball players in the nation gathered for two weeks to play games in front of college and professional scouts in the hope of receiving scholarships to colleges or being pursued major league organizations. ( Seth Harrison / The Journal News )Scouts use radar guns to determine pitch speed during the Perfect Game Invitational Baseball Tournament at the East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Ga. July 11, 2011. Thousands of the best high school baseball players in the nation gathered for two weeks to play games in front of college and professional scouts in the hope of receiving scholarships to colleges or being pursued major league organizations. ( Seth Harrison / The Journal News )Strength and fitness training becomes more important as teens begin to play at a more competitive level. High school and college athletes work out LIFT on the campus of SUNY Purchase in Purchase on Tuesday, June 07, 2016.Aundre Hyatt (21) boxes out during an Elite Youth Basketball League tournament at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on Saturday, April 16, 2016.North Rockland Athletic Director Joe CasarellaClifford Schultz of Tarrytown photographed during a club lacrosse game at SUNY Purchase on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Schultz's son, Josh, worked out at Velocity in Elmsford to get in shape to play college lacrosse.Yorktown High School Athletic Director Fio Nardone
After his very public complaints about his sons’ high school coach at Chino Hills (Calif.), LaVar Ball is coaching son LaMelo in AAU.
Playing for Big Ballers, LaMelo had 38 points Saturday in the team’s first game at the So Cal Spring Tip Off event, which is the season opener. This is LaMelo’s debut with the program; he just completed his sophomore season for Chino Hills.
Older brother Lonzo was also at the event in support of his family.
According to the Big Ballers AAU website, LaVar and Tina Ball “founded the organization in 2013, out of their love for the game of basketball. LaVar and Tina enjoy training and mentoring youth to play the sport on a highly competitive level.”
Big Ballers is also the name of LaVar Ball’s planned sports empire and agency that will represent his three sons.
Here are LaMelo’s highlights from Game 1:
XXX SPALDING HOOPHALL CLASSIC- CHINO HILLS VS. HIGH POINT CHRISTIAN_SPALDING HOOPHALL CLASSIC_8846.JPG S BKO, BKH USA MAjabarnett13
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – You’ll have to excuse Urban ASAK (Texas) forward Brock Cunningham, but he hasn’t had time to peruse the adidas Gauntlet stats lately, he’s been busy dropping buckets and taking names in actual games.
So it’s 100 percent authentic when he wears a perplexed frown and asks a follow-up question to the initial question: How does it feel to lead the Gauntlet in scoring?
“Are you serious?” Cunningham said. “I am?”
Cunningham tops the list, pumping in 23.5 points per game through two sessions, a substantial jump from the 14 points he managed during his high school season at Westlake (Austin, Texas).
“I had no clue I was leading,” said Cunningham, who checks in at No. 3 overall in the Gauntlet for rebounds at 10.8 per game. “That’s pretty nice. I still think I need to shoot the ball better, but I’ll keep working on it. The biggest thing for me isn’t scoring though; it’s defense.”
Yes, you read that right; Cunningham leads the league in scoring and, no, that wasn’t his primary focus.
“My biggest goal was to attempt to play lockdown defense and to win,” Cunningham said. “Scoring, for me, comes after I play good defense so once I get that down, maybe I’ll score more.”
Cunnigham’s rise doesn’t surprise Urban ASAK coach Mike Murphy at all.
Last July, Cunningham finished off the summer ball season with a preview of things to come this season averaging 22 points per game at a tournament in Vegas.
“He’s got great footwork, he knows where to be and he knows how to chase down rebounds,” Murphy said. “He’s also got range out to be about 30 feet. He’s an elite player, there’s no question. It’s just good to see that other people are starting to give him the credit he deserves.”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY


Soan Valley to be developed as tourist site
Rawalpindi : The Punjab government has prepared a master plan to develop Soan Valley as a tourist site. In first phase, uplift schemes costing Rs200 million would be started in the area.
This was revealed during a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar at the office of Urban Unit. Speaking at the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that uplift of social and industrial sectors and promotion of tourism are among priorities of the government. He directed that in order to decrease ‘pressure’ on big cities, planning be done keeping in view future needs.
He said that human development and social sectors had been ignored in the past but special attention is being paid to them now. He added that capacity building of human resource and use of IT can improve performance of departments.


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Nawazuddin Siddiqui Transforms Himself As Manto for a New Short Film
Nandita Das’ latest short film In Defence Of Freedom features Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the controversial writer Sadat Hassan Manto.
Nandita Das’ latest short film In Defence Of Freedom features Nawazuddin Siddiqui as the controversial writer Sadat Hassan Manto. The film gives a glimpse into Manto’s strong beliefs about freedom of speech in a democracy as Siddiqui is seen addressing a classroom, speaking on the importance of speaking up.
The short film premiered at the recently concluded India Today conclave and later was shared on Twitter by Siddiqui himself.
— Shamas N Siddiqui (@ShamasSiddiqui) March 20, 2017
Nawazuddin Siddiqui had earlier shared a first look of his character on Twitter. Dressed in a simple white kurta-pajama, wearing thick black frame glasses, the actor looked exactly like the late author.
Saadat Hasan Manto was a fierce man who lived on his own terms, with no care for social dogmas. He was irreverent and had an irrepressible desire to poke a finger in the eye of the establishment, often with sharp humour. Which is why a biopic on him holds relevance in today’s times, where right to express is often curtailed by the system.
The short film, perhaps, gives a glimpse to the poignant film that the director-actor duo are working on. The film also features Shashank Arora and Rasika Dugal.
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domain: entertainment


SD rodeo club event canceled after backlash from across the state
FAITH, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A rodeo club in Faith, SD planned an event for Monday, April 26th to raise money. Members called it a “Slave/Branding Auction.” The event started to receive backlash from people on social media this week.
Members of the school district said the club is not affiliated with the school, but the event was shown on the school’s events page on their website. Dakota News Now reached out to the school Thursday morning, and a staff member reiterated the club is not affiliated with the school, and the event has been canceled.
The idea behind the fundraiser is that members of the club would work for someone for a day in exchange for a donation to their group.
Copyright 2021 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.


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BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON D.C. KNOW YOUR MARKET
Local produce trend heats up around U.S. capital
08/12/2009 2:13:06 PMWithin the green-savvy Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metropolitan areas, local produce is a hot commodity... Read more.
Local produce depends heavily on relationship-building
08/12/2009 2:05:25 PMThe explosive growth in farmers markets in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., metropolitan area is posing a... Read more.
Baltimore/D.C. gets aggressive at retail to spur produce sales
08/12/2009 1:40:45 PMThe economic effects of the recession on the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., market has spurred aggressiveness from... Read more.

domain: food


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Spending so much time on a bicycle causes me to really abhor driving especially stop signs and red lights, two traffic features I tend to ignore when pedaling.
Consequently, I was delighted a few weeks ago to discovered the secret of navigating Boise's North End. If you turn at every street without a stop sign you can drive through the North End without stopping!
There is of course two minor hitches:
- You must drive through the North End at diagonals
- Major streets such as Harrison Blvd and 13th violate the rule

domain: geography


welcome to the RamforumZ
when you post a link from another forum, it will not show up in here
I sometimes post from another site, but i BREAK the link on purpose
i leave a space just before the .com
anyone can Copy & Paste it & use it in their Browser
or do it this way
Ram 1500 SLT Quad cab, 5.7 HEMI(R) MDS VCT, 5 speed auto 545RFE, 3.55 differential gears, 18" Magnaflow muffler, EGR bug deflector, Bushwacker fender flares, customized Nfab nerf bars, CB radio, Autonet wi-fi router, custom soft tonneau cover, Line_X bedliner, DEBO Step, build date 10/15/08 a Wednesday
Last edited by GTyankee; 12-15-2011 at 01:35 PM.


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To train Surgeons and Homeopaths with a solid preparation as General Practitioners and with the knowledge of Homeopathy that will allow them to participate efficiently in the prevention, medical care, and research of the health problems under their responsibility, contributing to raising the level and quality of life of Mexicans, as well as to the development and scientific and technological independence of Mexico.
The applicant to study the career of Medical Surgeon and Homeopath at the National School of Medicine and Homeopathy must have a vocation with scientific, humanistic, social and service characteristics in the medical area. In addition, to increase your chances of success, it is required that you adhere to the following profile:
Consolidates critical, innovative, creative, and participative attitudes based on the knowledge that allows him/her to have a frame of reference to understand and integrate scientific medical knowledge; relating the problems of the environment to understand the resulting pathological processes, with a critical attitude that allows him/her to analyze, reflect and propose prevention, rehabilitation, and health promotion, showing solidarity with the most unprotected and needy social groups, as well as the conviction to apply his/her knowledge as part of the continuous professional development.
The requirements to become a student at the Institute are:
Public and private health sector
Check the list of subjects, credits and total hours of the program on the website of each school.

domain: medical


August 18, 2009
Tribune creditors seek to pressure Zell
Tribune Co. creditors asked a U.S. bankruptcy judge for permission to hire a law firm to investigate billionaire Sam Zell's leveraged buyout of the company.
Having put up $315 million for stock options, Zell controls the company.However, an employee stock ownership plan owns Tribune, although it has no seat on the board that runs it, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.
The Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Labor Department are already investigating the takeover with a focus on the ESOP , which was set up to avoid taxes, the newspaper said.
Creditors have now asked to investigate the deal to pressure Zell to move aside and let creditors take over Tribune, which is $13 billion in debt, the newspaper said.
Zell privatized the company just as the Internet became a force for newspapers to reckon with, taking over advertising dollars and readers.
We have been fully cooperating with the review of our 2007 going-private transaction by the unsecured creditors' committee, Tribune Co. said in a statement.


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It seems not a week goes by without hearing from someone who has been harmed by either egg “donation” or surrogacy. Today is no different.
Melissa Cook, the California surrogate mom who refused to abort her unborn triplets, will not get the chance to argue her case before the U.S.
Dr. Francis Collins has not shown any pro-life leadership at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In fact, in an interview, Dr. Collins‘
Scientists in Oregon have successfully genetically modified human embryos, according to research published earlier this month. The researchers
A multiple-year legal battle and the lives of two human embryos, Emma and Isabella, may be over after a federal judge dismissed a case between
Gene-editing with CRISPR has been in the headlines over the past month and touted as a way of eliminating genetic diseases. But the cruder and
For the second time in a year, a group of scientists managed to create an artificial womb that one day could save very premature babies' lives.
A pregnant British mom hopes she and her unborn baby will be the answer to help prolong her ailing brother's life.
In late July, the MIT Technology Review published news many of us have been dreading: A team of scientists at Oregon Health and Sciences University
There continue to be reports of new attempts to create life, sometimes labeled “synthetic” or “artificial” because the entity is not
Some of the most powerful technologies ever invented–which can literally change human life at the DNA level–are moving forward with very
Despite Massive Hype and Billions of Dollars Embryonic Stem Cells Still Haven’t Cured a Single Patient
Stem cells. Those words can conjure up many images for those who hear them: cures, death of young human beings, millions and billions of taxpayer
Today the Charlotte Lozier Institute announced the release of its latest testimonial video at StemCellResearchFacts.org, a project of the Washington,

domain: biology


text:
Although there are exceptions, most startups sell stock only to accredited investors. Talk to your attorney about this!
An accredited investor is presumed, by the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission) to be sophisticated enough of an investor to purchase high-risk stock in startup companies. The SEC’s test for an accredited investor is that it is someone with either:
- A net worth of $1 million or,
- Income of at least $300K for each of the past 2 years
There are some exceptions. For example, an officer of your company is assumed to be an accredited investor for the purposes of purchasing stock in your company. So if you want to sell Aunt Maude stock, and she doesn’t otherwise qualify as an accredited investor, you could make her an officer of the corporation (but it’s not really a recommend tactic.) Also, it is actually possible to sell startup stock to a non-accredited investors, but your lawyer will have to cover additional steps to make it happen.
And there are exceptions that states can utilize. Oregon, for example, has a Community Public Offering law, which allows non-accredited investors to invest up to $2,500 in a startup, but there are important limitations and rules.

domain: finance


text:
The Best Baddies in TV…
There has been a huge shift in television content of recent years. Something happened; something almost unheard of prior to this period which changed television forever. That ‘something’ being the rise in popularity of intelligent writing in television along with the increasing use of the ‘Anti-Hero’. This idea of character driven shows and writing made for an audience to actually have to put some thought into, it all started in 1997 when David Chase (writer, director & producer) filmed the pilot for a new series, ‘The Sopranos’. Nobody knew it would be a success… But, it was. The success was HUGE and came fast to the stars of the series which changed television forever. This was the series that set an incredibly high bar in terms of quality TV. This was the series that started what is now known as the ‘Golden Age’ of television. Now, in 2015, sixteen years on from the pilot of this show airing on HBO, it’s clear of the monumental impact that the show has had on everyone around and it’s clear to see that all of the critics favourites today have taken something from The Sopranos. 20. So without further ado, here is the countdown of the top 20 baddies in television. To kick off this star studded list of villains is slimy corrupt Lawyer and attorney Saul Goodman played by Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad). Although he doesn’t ever kill anybody like many others featuring on this list, he does greatly assist Walt and Jesse’s attempts by gaining them much needed contacts (recall their distributor throughout season 3 and 4?), and he also assists Walt and Skyler’s money laundering ploy. Who knows, Walt might have actually been behind bars or caught out sooner if he’d never met Saul. Known throughout for his eccentric dress sense and quirky personality to match, Saul was the go-to lawyer for criminals in Albuquerque who would help to get the worst of the worst criminals and low life’s back onto the streets of New Mexico. Goodman’s services as a lawyer give clients unbelievable access to his contacts, as no matter what situation may arise, he’s always at hand with a guy who knows a guy that can help. Saul has local notoriety as a “criminal lawyer”, and also for his extremely low budget tacky tv commercials. Saul Is however despite this, a good guy at heart and with a fantastic portrayal by Odenkirk who has the comic timing of pro, is mainly featured on this list due to his amazingly interesting and charming character rather than for him being a real bad guy.
19. Featuring at number nineteen on this countdown is Mad Men’s Don Draper (portrayed by Jon Hamm). The suave businessman who worked as Creative Director at the advertising firm ‘Sterling Cooper’ in Manhattan, is not your conventional villain, and is more of an intriguing character than a traditional bad guy. His dapper appearance along with his natural wit and charm make him a character that the audience can’t help but enjoy watching despite it’s obviousness that everything he says is as polished as his exterior. He’s an adulterer extraordinaire – if he wants someone he gets them, except if they’re from the workplace of course. He does live by his own moral code which dismisses any chance of a complex office romance, come on, he’s still got some tact, at least! As well as this he’s got a wife and children who are his only real family, and even this was a somewhat calculated decision on his part. Unfortunately when I view Mad Men, I mainly see a man with very few genuine human qualities, which doesn’t give him the overall likability factor many other characters on this list possess. Overall, Don Draper doesn’t kill anybody, he doesn’t end up in jail, and he doesn’t actually do too much wrong (well not in comparison to the rest of the list anyway) however he’s an extremely calculated and manipulative character, plus having to sit through unbearable scenes involving Betty Draper (especially the first season) give reason for him to be named a bad guy!
18. At eighteen in our countdown is Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) the addict turned dealer, turned murderer turned police/DEA informant. Despite his many criminal offences I don’t see him as much of an actual villain (otherwise he’d be closer to the No. 1 spot), as he is a vulnerable character, often looking for a fatherly figure and a friend in Mr White, who railroads him and manipulates him until the final season, when the tables are finally turned when Jesse begins to talk to agt. Hank Schrader about his partner’s deceptive nature and criminal activity. The character of Jesse Pinkman also brought the fabulous acting talents of Mr Aaron Paul to the forefront of the show, and by default also to the attention of millions. Paul showed a clear abundance of acting talent throughout the series, with great capabilities of acting through emotionally challenging scenes and storylines, I.e. the death of his girlfriend Jane that saw Jesse left devastated, something only to be worsened by the revelation later that Walt could have in fact saved her but chose not to. Jesse is so high up the countdown due to him being more of a ‘wannabe’ bad guy, than an actual bad guy.
17. At seventeen is yet another baddie from Breaking Bad, this time it’s Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) taking the No. 17 slot, what can we say? Vince Gilligan and his crew write bad guy characters incredibly well! Mike, once a police officer, got into a little trouble and then one thing led to another and suddenly he’s cleaning up Jesse’s apartment after the demise of his girlfriend Jane; oh it’s funny how things change. Classic good guy, turned bad guy type story, what matters most is that he’s involved with Heisenberg and co. That’s not a very good thing to get yourself involved with of course, as he says “you know when they say it’s been a pleasure? Well it hasn’t.” Involvement with ‘Heisenberg’ is good for nobody, even Walt. Mike works security for Los Pollos Hermanos, he also assists Gus Fring in an occasional dealing with the cartel. Mike is a real tough guy. Not just a ‘wannabe’ tough guy, he’s probably one of the few real tough guys on that show. However, behind this there’s also his absolute adoration for his granddaughter. Everything he does is for her. I know what you’re thinking, now where have we heard this before? But unlike Walt, Mike actually means it. He intends to give all of his earnings to his granddaughter who he obviously cares a great deal for. A true bad guy, but for good reason at least, it appears.
16. Coming in at No. 16 is the first of three females to feature on the countdown; Janice Soprano as portrayed by the brilliant Aida Turturro in the ground-breaking series The Sopranos. From her first appearance in the show to her last, something that’s always clear is that she’s related to mobster Tony Soprano. She shares his temper, and she has a desire for his success and his huge amounts of cash. Janice is constantly up to something or trying to get something from someone. She’s notorious for jumping in and out of relationships, and even had an affair with dirt-bag Ralph Cifaretto, the affair in question begun in a bathroom whilst his girlfriend was sitting downstairs, oh life can be so cruel… as can Janice. Her relationship with Ralph ends when she throws him down a flight of stairs, she also shares Tony’s violent streak. With fights at school football matches, murder a day before her wedding, and possessing the skills of a master manipulator all to add to her profile it’s really no wonder she’s made the list. Janice Soprano is a real bitch who will do almost anything for money and is one of the most manipulative and conniving baddies to make the list, she’d give most of these guys a run for their money, literally.
15. Securing the No. fifteen spot are Marco & Leonel Salamanca (A.K.A. The Cousins) played by Luis & Daniel Moncada. These two bad boys who work as hit men for the cartel really know how to add tension to a scene. Pretty much all they need to do is walk (and on one occasion crawl) slowly (very slowly) and everybody freaks out, because when they’re in town they really do mean business. They arrived in Albuquerque wearing shiny grey, almost silver, suits, and they donned silver skull capped boots. They really did look the part. This unique killer pair arrived in Walt’s bedroom waiting to take his life, but instead took their chances at murdering DEA agent Hank with an axe. This was a sticky end for this threatening duo as one received a hollow point bullet to the skull courtesy of Hank Schrader, and the other after losing his legs was poisoned and finished off by Mike.
14. At fourteen it’s grimacing, cynical Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand) mother of Tony, in The Sopranos. Her inability to accept that anything is good, to trust anybody, or to do much of anything on her own led to the creation of one of the series biggest baddies. After all, how many other mothers do you know who’ve put a hit out on their own son? She worked with her brother in law Junior Soprano, and decided that getting rid of her son might be for the best. Strangely as soon as Tony (her son) became aware of this, she experienced some coincidental memory loss which prevented her from commenting on her actions. Unfortunately Nancy Marchand’s brilliant portrayal wasn’t as lasting as we’d all hoped as she died midway through season 2, leading to major script changes in season 3. We unfortunately never will know just how bad Livia Soprano got!
13. Taking the No. thirteen slot is Corrado Soprano Jr. (Dominic Chianese), once again a character from the multi award winning HBO success; The Sopranos. Don’t be fooled by this old guy’s age or appearance, he may be the joker of the show, always at hand with a pun or two, but remember, he’s also always at hand with a gun, as I’m sure is something his nephew would rather forget. This old school, no nonsense Mafia boss despite his age outlived most others around him, and continued his plotting and scheming until the very end when it was brought to light that he had Alzheimer’s. This diagnosis however did not stop his torment as it even led to the eventual shooting of his nephew (the new boss of the family) leaving him in a critical state. …Most viewers will however remember that this was not the first attempt on Tony’s life at the hands of Junior, as he was of course also involved with the plot with his sister in law in season one, oh how I love a conventional family. To me despite all of his criminal activity, Junior’s most bad-ass moment has to be in season one when he slams a pie In his girlfriends face, now that. THAT was a real tough guy! Like Tony said at the end of this series “Cunnilingus and psychiatry brought us to this!”
12. The scheming husband Frank Underwood behind ‘House of Cards’ would be nothing without his conniving partner in crime, wife Claire Underwood. With Robin Wright’s extraordinary portrayal it really is difficult to imagine the show home to anyone else. As the saying goes, ‘behind every great man is an even greater women’, or in this case more along the lines of ‘behind every great man is a women with blood on her hands’, either way, this idea really comes into play and is put into context throughout House of Cards. No matter what Frank does she forgives him, hell she even gave her approval for him to sleep with another women, who just happened to also be a reporter who they then used to gain positive limelight. Her absolute devotion to Francis is what makes them one of the most powerful and manipulative pairs to make this list as they will do literally anything for one another and even more for themselves. A power couple with the same malignant chemistry as a pair of serial killers, each requiring the other in order to become lethal. With Claire’s absolute devotion to Frank, including everything she helps him with, it’s difficult to picture where his career would be without her.
11. Silvio Dante at number eleven here on our countdown, played by Steven Van Zandt who was perhaps more well known for his long lived rock career and position as guitarist and life long friend of rock star Bruce Springsteen prior to this role. We are of course talking about his role as consigliere for Tony, the title character In the now cult show ‘The Sopranos’. Van Zandt chosen by Chase to star as one of the leading characters in his newest show was a huge risk on Chase’s part being that it was Van Zandt’s first acting role. Of course, it was quickly clear that the risk paid off. Regarded as the joker of the pack in the North Jersey DiMeo crime family, Silvio Dante appearing in every single episode of the show quickly became a favourite amongst fans for his charming personality, sense of humour, and also for being one of the few reasonable gangsters in the show. That being said, he did go on to murder a primary character in the fourth season, but we won’t go into that… Silvio was actually a decent enough guy, but he does have a number of deaths on his hands (as with most in the show) and that along with his overall likability despite this makes him one of the shows most loveable baddies.
10. At ten is Brian Moser (Christian Camargo), although, he’s actually more commonly known by another name; ‘The Ice Truck Killer’. Yep, this is ‘Dexter’s serial killer renowned for his creativity and clue leaving in all of his murders, he was the main antagonist throughout the first season. Of course later that season there was also the shocking revelation that he was in fact Dexter’s brother. This was an extremely unexpected twist to the tail that led to most fans naming this their favourite season of Dexter. He is of course just like Dexter in the fact that he’s a killer, they just happen to have very different ways of doing things. Unfortunately Brian Moser’s interesting and complex relationship with Dexter was short lived as Dexter of course, being Dexter had to kill him, sad how things turn out, especially as the dynamic he added kept things in the show fresh and different. Nicely enough for fans though, he does make a brief comeback during season six taking up the role usually assigned to Harry as the person Dexter turned to in times of need, of course, it was never to be and even this was short lived.
9. At No. nine is Miami Metro Homicide’s finest, expert forensic and blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) from the Showtime hit; Dexter. Charming, mild mannered nice-guy Dexter Morgan who would do literally anything for his son and his sister Deb… Oh did I forget to mention that he’s a serial killer? Blood splatter analyst by day, and blood slide collecting by night, this character always has a trick or two up his sleeve. Born in blood, he feels it’s his duty to the world to rid it of all the murderers. Like some super-hero like character he goes about Miami in search for his next victim, what makes us as viewers love Dexter so much is that he’s actually doing the world a favour. He lives by a special ‘code’, to only kill baddies (except on special occasions of course when he’s had the occasional slip up). He pretty much lives by his father’s word who’s one of the few to have known of Dexter’s nasty habit. Of course he couldn’t live with it and ended his own life because of it… again, who cares about the details? He goes years without anybody suspecting a thing due to him genuinely not ever seeming like the type, he’s too polite and neat and tidy to be capable of murder right? We actually believe it too, even after we’ve seen what he does, we still can’t get out head’s around it.
8. Kevin Spacey’s award winning portrayal of power hungry politician Frank Underwood gains him the number eight spot on the countdown. Underwood has everything, but wants, needs more. He’s got an adoring wife (who also makes the list), a job he’s got a real passion for, and a bit on the side who is willing to publish whatever story he gives her; lets just say that life is good to be Underwood. However, on the other hand, he’s also got the lying and manipulation skills of well, a politician, at least two murders he’s accountable for, every single aspect of his life is calculated. Everything he does is planned, everything he plans is to benefit himself, and everything that benefits himself is at the downfall of somebody else. Suave suit wearing Frank Underwood might have just gotten himself the deal of a lifetime, he’s manipulated and worked at everyone around him for so long, he’s finally gotten to the top, without a single vote, as his famous quote goes “democracy is so overrated”… how long it will last, well that’s a mystery, but we all know what happens to cards…how long will it be before the House of Cards he’s so carefully built up, eventually comes tumbling down?
7. Coming in at number seven on our countdown is Johnny Sack played by the ever talented Vincent Curatola. I believe that this guy is literally made for playing bad guys because he’s so brilliant at it! Johnny Sack, the overall very cool, chain smoking Mafioso from New York,his utter devotion to his wife Ginny made fans fall in love with him, especially for him showing this softer side to his tough guy personality. Once he was boss nobody could get in his way. He eliminated anybody who had potential to pose a threat to him, and was partial to stirring up trouble amongst others too. Unusually for such a powerful man, he stayed ever faithful to his wife Ginny who he had a clear abundance of respect and admiration for. Curatola’s astounding acting talent is worth definite recognition for this role, unlike some who may think of this sort of character as an aggressive and shouting type, Curatola played him in a very modest and understated way, a way in which made him come across to the viewers as one of the more threatening characters. He would just whisper. He spoke quietly, and when he shouted, it meant he really did mean business. He depicted the character of Johnny Sack as a ticking time-bomb type man who would be calm and quiet, but who however could flip at any moment. He enjoyed lavish living; he drove expensive cars and wore stylish clothing, Johnny Sack is one of the most memorable no nonsense characters to come out of the show that changed television forever! This ruthlessly calm and calculated gangster unfortunately met his demise in the final season after losing his battle with lung cancer.
6. Yet another entry to the countdown from The Sopranos, lets face it, they’re all baddies on that show. This time it’s New York’s Phil Leotardo (Frank Vincent) taking the slot. The main reason for his presence on the countdown is that he’s the one responsible for putting a hit out on Tony, Silvio and Bobby, and how many others can say they were partly responsible for possibly the most talked about TV finale ever? This guy was finally released from prison after twenty years in 2004, just in time for season five. Phil got into more trouble once released from jail, by getting into a financial dispute with Tony Soprano, not something recommended for any sane person. Phil openly hated to see any effeminate qualities, especially in made men, and his excessive homophobia, worsened even by his cousin’s husband (Vito) being revealed as to be gay only added to his tough guy exterior and he was presented as being an ‘old-school’ type gangster who liked to keep things very traditional. Phil’s exit to the show was also particularly memorable as he is shot in the head by a member of the DiMeo crime family, and his car then proceeds to roll over and crush his skull. A very sticky ending for the man who got Bobby killed, and left Silvio in a coma only the episode prior to this.
5. At five it’s Arthur Mitchell/More commonly known as “The Trinity Killer” (John Lithgow), polled by fans of the hit Showtime series ‘Dexter’ as one of the all time greatest antagonists of the entire series. His eventual kill count amassed to more than any other single character in the show (although with Dexter definitely catching up). One of his most memorable and evil deeds committed throughout the series was when he viciously murdered a main character in the show, who just so happened to also be Dexter’s wife Rita. His cycle of murders which spans over three decades was unearthed by special Agt. Frank Lundy who paid the price for his discovery, as he was soon shot dead by Mitchell (something highly disapproved of by myself, especially with Lundy being one of my favourite and most genuinely likable characters in the series). Mitchell constantly terrorized his own family, something which eventually led to their being placed into witness protection, however this move did not help his family in the long run as his son Jonah was evidently shown to be a killer just like his father too. Overall Lithgow’s superb portrayal of possibly the deadliest and most dangerous killer in the entire series won him both an Emmy and a Golden Globe award for his astounding work during the fourth series, as well as a positioning within the top ten TV baddies to feature on this countdown.
4. At No. four on the countdown is Ralph Cifaretto portrayed by the fantastic Joe Pantoliano, yet another entry to the countdown from the HBO cult classic, The Sopranos. Ralphie Cifaretto is one of my all time favourite characters from both TV & film. Ralph is the ultimate sleaze bag, he’s got a unique and eccentric dress sense that would give even Saul Goodman a run for his money, he was once uncovered as a bit of a sexual deviant, he has been known for excessive cocaine use, and oh, did I mention that he’s also in the Mafia? After returning to New Jersey to resume his work for Tony Soprano in the DiMeo crime family, he was eventually promoted to Caporegime (capo) to Tony Soprano’s dismay. Known throughout New Jersey for his terrible timing especially when concerning inappropriate comments, bad taste in terms of jokes (recall his beef with Johnny Sack anybody?), his obsession with the film Gladiator (which he used to incessantly quote on frequent occasions), his obnoxious personality, perhaps the most memorable death on his hands was that of a stripper he was sleeping with, and his famously terrible choice in women (*cough* anybody recall his brief but surreptitious relationship with Janice Soprano?), he unfortunately came to his premature demise in season four when he got on the wrong side of Mr. Soprano for a final time, a disagreement which memorably resulted in Ralphie’s head (lacking his blonde lock of hair after a humorous revelation) being placed into a bowling ball carrier. Ralph’s conniving and speculating days were over (in my opinion far too soon), however, hate him or love him, Joey Pants’ impressive portrayal of the slimy character of Ralph will always be remembered by fans of the series as one of it’s greatest and also funniest bad guys.
3. Finally, we’re down to the top 3 and Walter White, known by many in the drug trade under the pseudonym ‘Heisenberg’ is taking the number three slot. Bryan Cranston’s genius portrayal of this chemistry teacher turned drug manufacturer gained him along with the show huge recognition and countless nominations and wins dominating almost every award ceremony, and it was for good reason. Vince Gilligan (creator of Breaking Bad) has claimed that he initially when trying to sell the idea of the show described Walter White as “Mr Chips meets Scarface”, and he wasn’t too far off there… Murderous Walter White gains notoriety and fame throughout the drug trade as one of the best crystal meth cooks in existence, this status of course doesn’t come without it’s occasional occupational hazard. He’s got deaths on his hands; too many to count, he’s lost his family; the reason he started all of this in the first instance, meaning that without them he can finally admit why he continues his work, the best way of explaining this is in one sentence. The answer he gives to a simple question from Jesse (his accomplice). Jesse asks “Are we in the Meth business or the money business?”, Walt replies “Neither, we’re in the empire business…”, it’s no longer about doing right by his family, he just wants to be successful, not only successful, he needs to be the BEST, nothing else will be good enough for him. Due to the many deaths on his hands, his other illegal deeds committed, and also the overall likability factor that Cranston brings to his character, Walter Hartwell White is ranked among the top baddies ever to have graced our screens.
2. One of only two characters to make the list, who’re ranked to be bigger baddies than Walter White, it’s his one time boss, Gustavo ‘Gus’ Fring portrayed by the fabulously talented Giancarlo Esposito. Gus Fring, owner of popular chicken restaurant ‘Los Pollos Hermanos’ as well as a drug empire to match sits Gus probably as the wealthiest character to make the list. He ran the most successful drug empire in history without ever getting caught; well that was of course until Walter White caught up with him. He would hardly ever partake in his own criminal deeds (such as killing or cooking meth), as he ran a tight ship he’d always have somebody lower down in the ranks to take care of business for him. He was known to the inner circle at the DEA, as he worked closely with them in support of their work, this move was done with obvious ulterior motives and worked as an attempt to keep their suspicions aimed elsewhere. When Fring eventually met his match in the season four finale when Walt memorably uses an explosion to blow half of his face off in one of the fan favourite season finales, this occurs prior to knowledge of his drug empire and involvement with Heisenberg comes to light with the DEA and the rest of Albuquerque. Gus Fring; killer, drug lord, and overall perfectionist, this list wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of the man who helped to create one of the best dramas of recent years.most dynamic and thought provoking show in TV history.
1. Finally, at No. 1 for being in our opinion THE greatest bad guy ever it’s Mr Tony Soprano. If it wasn’t for James Gandolfini’s fantastically breath-taking portrayal of this lovable bad guy this whole list wouldn’t even exist as neither would any of these unforgettable shows mentioned. None more unforgettable than this one of course, it’s The Sopranos; it ran for a decade and has left a lifelong legacy behind. It’s often regarded as the most dynamic and thought provoking show in television history. It ran for six seasons, and a huge eighty six episodes in total, it’s been named “the greatest show in TV history” by Vanity Fair, an opinion shared by many.
But what makes Tony Soprano the greatest bad guy in TV history? He’s an emotional guy, don’t get us wrong he’s a real tough guy, but he’s got emotions. He cares about his family (both of them), he gets upset, he gets angry, he gets frustrated, he gets hurt. All of these characteristics are humanly qualities. We don’t want to watch an actor portray a character like stone, Gandolfini has the outstanding ability to bring his characters to life, with his emotion-filled eyes that can give or take anything from an entire scene. He doesn’t even need to speak, all he does is looks at the camera and you know what he’s thinking. This emotional side to Tony Soprano makes his vulnerabilities show, this is the side to him that we want to see. This is the side to his personality that we can absolutely relate to. This is why we love him and feel so in touch with him as a character.
Mob boss of the DiMeo crime family of North Jersey,Tony Soprano didn’t just get hurt, he did the hurting too. He viciously murdered many, and had hits put out on others, he was a compulsive liar, he was a womaniser who always had a girlfriend on the side, despite his obvious love for his wife Carmela. He was a devoted family man, and cared equally for both families. His crew were blood to him, and he’d do anything for them. After nearly being killed twice, being on the run numerous times, years spent dodging the FBI, time spent fighting racketeering charges, multiple arrests and frequent home raids Tony Soprano’s life finally came to an abrupt end (well the documented part of his life did at least) in 2007 when the final episode of the Sopranos aired and left the world shocked and devastated about the surprise cut to black ending of the Show leaving the actual occurrences of the final scene up to the imagination of the viewer. Some say he lived, some say he died, no matter what actually happened to him, it got people’s imagination, it got people talking, and people will always remember his iconic character and the brilliant Mr Jim Gandolfini who brought him to life on the screen, and for this lasting impression he’s left on the world of TV and film, who else could possibly be named the greatest bad guy in television history?