Weekend Basketball Association

Happy Hoopin' Holidays!!

2011-12-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

One of the Landscape Architects in the office brought this lovely tree into our office for all to enjoy. Thanks to this brilliant picture by fellow architect Tony Lee, I thought I'd share this tree with those of you that patronize the WBA blogsite and hopefully participate in the weekly hoop chasing at the Chaparral. Next to the tree is the winner, albeit collapsed, of our City of LA, Architectural Division Gingerbread Competition. The competition was one of the many highlights of our annual Holiday (Christmas) luncheon. Following a sumptuous luncheon at the tented outdoor courtyard at the J Lounge Restaurant & Lounge (only a few yards from the Staple Center). It is a very nice setting, in fact, are Holiday (Christmas) luncheon was also located there last year. Years ago, this was the location of Little J's - for the young, that was a hub for urban types to socialize, dance and enjoy a bite to eat for dinner.

Okay, back to the luncheon; during the eating there was a drawing for various prizes, such as: custom designed jewelry, electronic devices and sundry other things. The drawings were based on tickets given to those entering the hall of the event. Unfortunately my number never came up. Then, following the eating, a pile of goodies were brought to the various tables at the luncheon. There were about 10 tables with about Graham crackers, a can of icing (for cakes), candy canes, rice crispy paddies, miscellaneous candy and etc. Then it was announced that there would be a ginger bread house competition. This is the type of things that brightens the eyes of architects and engineers. So, given about 15 minutes to complete the competition, the bell rang to start and everyone immediately came up with a ton of ideas. However, the tight schedule required a quick and clever solution. My table was up to the task and literally slapped something together. Ala those Food Channel cake competitions, we then had to lift the creations from our table to the judging table.

My table's entry is on the far right hand corner of the table.

As soon I lifted the cardboard platform on which we had built the house, the structure we built collapsed. So, we didn't even make it to be judged by the panel. Oh well...

Here I am with a couple of friends from the office.

I will be out for a while from the Saturday morning bliss. My wife took a temporary job up in Northern California, so I will be driving up there every other Saturday. The other Saturdays I will be allowing my knee to heal. I actually hurt it earlier in the year. So, there is no time like the present for healing ones body. I am not totally out of the mix though. I should return in a few weeks. It's a day-to-day thing, for the healing. I will probably come by to take a few pictures occasionally, so I would suggest that you be on your best behavior - just in case I show up. There could be fines and penalties otherwise.

I know that with the start of the NBA season, the WBA season will be enriched by watching all those millionaires run around in their shorts. Enjoy the Lakers and the newly re-born Clippers - it should be a great season in LA. Hopefully, the Lakers will have some Christmas gifts for us in their roster. Hopefully, it will be something "super". (You know what I mean, right?) We can only hope!!

Have a very,very Happy Holiday season!!!!

Good Weather with Early Clouds, Late Sun

2011-10-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

When I left my home in Chino Hills this morning, it was overcast and cool. About 15 to 20 minutes later when I arrived at the Chaparral it was sunny and warm. What a difference a few minutes and about 12 miles can make. Of course, I was pretty late arriving there. I didn't leave the house until it was about 9:00 am. However, I did get there in time to see Kent, Danny, Rich, Luis, Randy (Kobe), Larry, Eric, Ike, Victor and others involved in a game. You can catch a few videos of the game below.

Kent and Ike talk after Kent's last game.

Here are the videos:

Randy was visiting today from his home Las Vegas. Apparently, he is visiting his sister in Malibu and drove for 2 hours to come and play ball with the WB this morning. We were all very honored and pleased to see him today. Especially after knowing about the effort he put into coming. He had to leave his sister's place in Malibu at around 5 am to make it to the games this morning. It was good to see Randy (aka Kobe), he hasn't aged a day. He has switched jobs and is currently working at the airport out there.

I have a side bar dedicated to our good friend Zachary Delarosa, Victor's son. Unfortunately, he was involved in a pretty major accident. His car was hit and flipped over the median strip on Temple Street. His car was totaled but he was not. He is in relative good health following the accident. However, he did sustain an injury to his left arm. There was a pretty significant laceration on the arm that required stitches and skin grafting. He has also been hooked up to a small, portable pump to remove excess fluid from the site of the wound. Fortunately, he can continue his studies at Cal Poly Pomona while he recovers from the injury.

Check out an article in the Mountaineer regarding this event at the following location:

http://mountiewire.com/police-on-mt-sac-campus/

Let us all send Zach our well wishes and include him in our prayers for a speedy recovery.

Get well real soon Zach because you still have work to do here at the Chaparral on Saturday mornings!!

October Day - 10-08-2011

2011-10-10T00:19:00.000-07:00

Great Autumn day, cool and sunny. Who could ask for more? I got to the courts pretty late. I was pleasantly surprised to see 2 courts active. Although, one court had a four-on-four game underway, it still counts. I was actually seeking a three-on-three game because I wanted to take it easy on my leg. But, I ended up playing a few full court five-on-five, fully loaded games. However, I had to take it somewhat easy, knee is still recovering.

Here are a few pictures from Robert "Wei-Jin" Lee:

Saturday, September 17th, 2011 - That's Hoop-e-cating not Hallucinating

2011-10-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the September 17th get together. I love the overcast days. They tend to be cooler and therefore more fun than the super sunny, hot days.....

Here are the pictures:

I didn't play this day. Still recovering from a knee injury that won't seem to heal. But it continues to get better. Old bones heal slowly though....

Take care everybody....

September 10th 2011- In and Out

2011-09-25T23:36:00.000-07:00

Out.......

It was a great day this Saturday morning. Partly cloudy and cool, it was a welcomed break to the oppressive heat wave that dominated the week with temperatures peaking into the triple digits. Finally -relief from work, relief from the heat wave, relief from you fill in the blank. Weekends are the best time of the week. So, who could ask for much more than that? Certainly not me, although I might be guilty of looking forward to the looming holiday season, too.

Plenty of action in the WBA this Saturday, September 10, 2011. First, for the morning there was the action outdoors at the Chaparral. Then later in the day the indoor shift in Fullerton at the YMCA. A full day for all the participants with theduel activity; once again, there were the iron men that managed to make both stages:

DeAndre, Andre, Junior, Jerry……

Okay, so if I had gotten this blog posting done quickly,would that make me a fastidious person. Clue: I hope not…. Check out the answer at one of my favoritewebsites:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fastidious

In.....

I didn't get a lot of indoor pictures. But I did get a few. There were fewer people so I ended up playing more. Truthfully, I didn't sufficiently charge my camera's battery and it ran out of power. There were a few new faces there, but among the regulars there was Rich, Roy, Matt, Jerry, Junior, Richard, Tony and of course Mike.....

Here are the pictures:

Take care......

September 24, 2011 - Video Clippers

2011-08-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth about a trillion? Here are a bunch of videos for the Saturday morning action at the Chaparral......

Take care everybody!!!!

WBA Goes AM-PM, Outside-Inside Once Again

2011-08-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

What can be better on a cool summer morning in Southern California but two sites of WB ball? To which you would probably answer, “…three sites of WBA activity” - very good but having two sites of activity was pretty terrific. Of course, there was the usual Saturday morning get-together at Chaparral. Then later in the afternoon, there was the Mike Fox sponsored, romp in Fullerton at the YMCA.

Turnout was good at both sites. In the morning there was plenty to keep the games going. It appears as if there may be some new regulars starting up with the WB. But, Steve Jensen and Bruce the Bruiser were present and doing their usual bid of grabbing every possible rebound and hitting every jump shot.

Apparently, they haven't missed a step in the time that they were away from the games at the Chaparral. Great to have them back hopefully they make it a habit, again. Regulars: Steve, Larry, Rudy, Ben, Mike (the Doc), Rich, Danny and others all participated in the morning activity.

Weather has been great over the past few days and it got better for the weekend with the cooler weather punctuated by Cali sunshine early in the day. It was pretty nice in the afternoon too. One can only wish that it continues throughout the week this way.

In the afternoon, the group convened at the YMCA. There were about 15 persons that showed up. James, Mike’s friend John, Junior, Shane, Tony and his brother Richard showed up again this week. The new arrivals were Ike, Albert, DeAndre, Drew, Scott, and Ceasar. A few of the participants also played in the morning. My hat goes off to them, they are the ironmen of the WB. Albert, DeAndre, Drew, and Scott were the "Ironmen" doing the double duty. They played with energy, vigor and acuity. I never would have guessed that they had played in the morning. I found out from seeing the pictures from Robert. Everyone had a great time at the Y and got to play until their tongue was hanging out from exhaustion. Okay, maybe that was just me…. But, I think we would all agree that it was great fun playing indoors, with air conditioning, a big time clock, recorded scoring and game jerseys.

Check out the pictures, the YMCA is really a nice facility. An attendant from the facility ran the game clock and managed the scoring. And again, it was a new twist to the OC games that we played with 15 minute quarters. In the case of a tie, there would be a 2 minute overtime. There was at least one game with an overtime. The teams were really evenly matched and the games went very well. There were no real blowouts.

Many, many, many thanks to Mike for sponsoring the event. In addition, thanks are in order to him and John for bringing refreshments. Also, thanks to Shane for bringing ice, water and refreshments. And, thanks to all who participated in the morning and afternoon events for making the WBA day such a special and memorable affair.

To Robert “Wei-Jin” Lee and Anthony Vallarta – thanks for the photographs!!! They are all so good that I decided to go with a slideshow rather than edit through them. I hope you all like the slideshows.

Have a great week everyone and see you Saturday morning!!

Hoop-ful Morning and an Event-ful Afternoon

2011-08-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

What more is there to ask than to sessions of our beloved game? That made this a very special weekend - two sessions of basketball; one of the sessions in the morning at the usual morning setting at the Chaparral, and the other a special event sponsored by Mike Fox at the YMCA in Fullerton. Both events were well attended. I know only from the pictures, but it appears as if there were approximately 12 to 15 persons at the Chaparral. Thankfully, Robert attended the event and took pictures.

I also see that Eric, Steve, Ben, Larry, Luis, Danny and Scott made it out to the outdoor games. Tom, Junior and his father also made it to the Chaparral. There are others I see in the pictures for whom I don’t have a name. But, I'm sure that you can fill in those names and match them to the faces, and that I will later learn the names for those new faces. But we welcome them all here to the WB.

I was surprised to see that there were a few that attended both of the events. Okay, well maybe that was just one person from all that I could tell, perhaps also the youngest person at either event too. There should be a special award for that, but at least for now I will give this acknowledgement here. To my amazement, Junior Ramirez attended both events. I don’t know about his play in the morning, but his play in Fullerton was pretty amazing. But I will get to that later.

The weather came through for those attending that morning session. The sun made a late appearance Saturday morning and spared the gamers a bit from over-heating. The temperature was reasonable, and the rise of the temps was gradual and kind. I was very aware of the temperature because I was out in the yard working during the morning. I had to repair my fence. I deeply appreciated the climate. I couldn't have asked for better. I’m sure my buddies at the Chaparral in the morning felt the same.

Fullerton is my old home town. I lived there in the early 90’s and loved it there. It was a special time then, and in many ways a transitional period for the City’s demographics. I am sad to hear about recent developments with the police department there. My only hope is that everything works out to the satisfaction of the citizens there. However, when I heard that the special event sponsored by Mike was going have was to be in Fullerton I was immediately in for it. Alright, it was also influenced by the fact that the facility is right next door to the Emergency Room at St. Jude’s Hospital. What can I say; I’ve been struggling lately…

Despite my term living in Fullerton, I got turned around finding the gym. It is a little bit off the beaten trail. What’s worse though is the fact that I have been there before. Of course that was over 15 years ago when I was last there. However, I called the facility and they gave the directions that lead me directly there. The “Event” was well attended too. And, apparently folks had no problem finding the facility. There were about 12 to 14 people there for the event. But not all were players (Junior’s Mom was there – Hi - apparently Dad had a job emergency and couldn’t attend). Fortunately, Mike brought refreshments, jerseys and prizes. He gathered and explained the point system for the games. A winner would be determined through a point system that soon reminded me of my college days and the times in my Differential Calculus class. Talk about deer in the headlights; thank God there was no traffic around. Of course, his system was not that bad, pretty straight-forward and easy to determine.

The points obtained by an individual were based on the performance of the team on which they were playing. The individual would gain either positive or negative points based on the difference between the points by which the team either lost or won the game. So positive “delta” points if you win and negative “delta” points if you lose. At the end of the day your points are added up and the winner is the person with the most points.

You can probably determine by the pictures who attended the Event. But I’ll tell you anyway, ‘cause I’m just that kinda guy….. Of course Mike was there and a friend of his family named John. Then there was his neighbor Matt, (who we haven’t seen in a while at Chaparral), James, Shane, Tony (with his scoring machine) and his brother; Junior, Eric and son Nick, and there may be a person or two whose name I did not get.

It was a great event. We all had a great time and everyone got plenty of playing time. Shane got every rebound; and, Junior and James made every shot. Okay, I am over stating it a bit, but that’s how it felt. That’s why I was shocked to see that Junior had played earlier in the day. He was a virtual scoring robot. I was just about to test to see that he indeed had a pulse and was not running on diesel fuel. Shane is always an amazing rebounder, no difference today. It was anywhere in the building Sane got it. Fortunately, I got to play on the same team with Shane and James. As a result, I did manage to get on a few winning teams. However, Shane was on a winning team the most out of all of us. Therefore, he won the day based on his accumulation of points.

I don’t recall the other winners at 2 and 3 – all I know is that I was tied at fifth place with a bunch of other guys. There were plenty of prizes anyway. And I went away with a handful. Many, many thanks to Mike Fox for sponsoring the event!!

On a separate note, our good friend Shane was recently promoted by his employer. As a result, we may be seeing less of him. He will eventually relocate to Nevada. Fortunately, it will take a while before he is completely moved. And the new job position will continue to bring him back to Southern California periodically. So, hopefully, we will continue to see him on occasion. Congratulations Shane!!

Eric takes a 3-point shot. Scoring was by 2 and 3 pointers during the event.

I hope that all of you have a great week! I will see you next week, but I will be in Fullerton again. What can I say? I like playing in air conditioning....

Take care everyone!!!!!

Summer Sun, Summer Fun

2011-07-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

Once again I arrived at the courts somewhat late. As I drove into the parking lot, I saw New Zealand Joe leaving. I was hoping there would still be activity left. After all, there were still a number of cars left in the parking lot. I said a few words to Joe. Apparently, he had hurt his back. I soon was walking toward the court and saw a couple of guys on the tennis court. Then, I finally got onto the courts where Ike was heading home from the action. Outside of that, there was vigorous activity still underway. There approximately 23 folks on site still. A few were on the side-lines looking on. The others were playing in 2 games.

Once one of the games ended I saw that Danny and few others were heading home as well. But there was still plenty of activity to go and several people left. On the feeder court (aka "Loser's Court"), Victor soon called for me to replace him in the game 'cause his team was to move over to the "Winner's Court". So what could I do but comply?

I was teamed with Larry, Daniel, Robert and another person who's name escapes me at the moment. We were opposing Drew, DeAndre, and female friend of DeAndre, and others of similar age. In essence, we played against a team whose collective age was still not adding up to mine. Okay, I'm being dramatic but suffice it to say that they were young and energetic. We were hammered. No respect for their seniors, they ran over me like a runaway locomotive. Somehow I enjoyed every minute of it, and no I'm not one of those persons that enjoys pain. But I like competition, the process not necessarily the ends.

I think I only won, one game all day; the last game of the day. Oftentimes, during the week, I don't remember whether I lost a game or not though. I remember who showed up and the fun we had. Most times for me, it is the times in between the games that are just as much fun as the games themselves. Catching up with the life of others; their triumphs, milestones and special events - can be very rewarding.

Next week, if you signed up, you can join Mike and a few of his friends out in Fullerton at the YMCA. He is renting the facility for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I will be joining him there next Saturday, so I want be at the Chaparral. But believe me, you will be on my mind. Hopefully, the great weather continues and the robust crowds continue. So, to all of you - enjoy your week, enjoy your co-workers, friends and families. Have a great week!!!

A Pleasant Summer Day...

2011-07-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

It was a very pleasant summer day. Started out being overcast and cool. Great weather for outdoor basketball. There were a few folks that felt the same way. There was a good turn-out for the games this morning. I got in kind of late, so, I may not have seen the full crowd. But, when I did make it out to the Chaparral, there were twenty persons hooping. Always a good sight for me, even though I was the unfortunate 21st person.

But that was a good thing in a way, because it gave me an opportunity to take a bunch of pictures. I am trying to follow the recommendation from the Commissioner, and get more action pictures. The difficulty is the speed of the shutter for my camera. I push the button for the picture but there is a slight delay. What can I say? The camera has it's own personality. It takes the photograph when it's good and ready.

Somehow I managed to get some action pictures though. And there was plenty this morning. Everyone was still fully charged even though most had been at it for a while, and most of the morning had fled away. I got in at about 9:00 AM. I thought I would be the last one in, but Zach and a friend of his got there about 20 minutes after me.
Father Victor got to Chaparral long before I did. I think I may become the new official late arrival guy, and steal the title from Victor. I won't complain though, at my advanced age, I need the additional rest more than anyone else there. I need far more than Victor, so he will have to relent and allow me to be the last person in. I hope your making a note of this Victor.

I'm sure your starting to wonder who was there....

Danny and Danny M.; Tony, Mike F., Tom, Virgil, Margaret, Nacho, Larry, New Zealand Joe; of course Victor, Zach and friend; Jerry and Junior, Albert, Shane, Scott and I probably forgot, or didn't see a few more. But, as always, it was great seeing everyone. For me, the best way to get the weekend started. I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a great week. See you all next week.....

My Kinda Day!!

2011-07-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

There was a momentary return to the kind of day I like. The counter-Socal day with the marine layer and clouds until mid-day. It was real nice to have a break from the excessive heat from earlier in the month. However, by the time I got to the courts (around 10 am) the sun was coming out from under the cloud cover. I can just imagine how the real, sun worshiping Southern Californians must have been cheering.

Virgil finishes his practice routine.

I arrived at the courts thinking that maybe things would be wrapping up, and that maybe I would get into the last game. Recently, things have been ending somewhat earlier than the tradition at the Chaparral. Traditionally, games would go on past 11 am, however, recently they terminate before 10 am at times. To my surprise, things were still going pretty heavy when I got there.

The Commish and Steve talk strategy.....

In a way that was good. I can't resist playing the game, but truthfully I was hoping that things would be done because I have been nursing my left knee. It had been stiff and swollen all week. But as I arrived and got settled, a game was finishing up and the Commissioner called for me to get into the game. Well, I can't say no to the Commish. That would be a suspend-able offense with potential fines attached. So, I jumped into the game. That game was the first of three that I would play.

Shane and Steve take a much deserved breather from the action.

It was all pretty encouraging for me to see that the games would continue until 11 am that morning. Things are picking up at the WBA as things at the NBA are on hold. Hopefully, if the NBA season is stalled and delayed, the activity at the WBA will keep are basketball addiction satisfied. I know it would work for me. Hopefully, everyone out there in the WBA universe agrees. Even though I haven't seen a few of you in a while.

Eric and Nick prepare to exit.

Of course I got there so late, I have no idea who else had come and gone. But, did catch up wit the Commish and the Judge (Roy). De'Andre was there with a few of his buddies, Andrew and Scott. Eric was there with his son Nick. And, I was able to catch up with Shane, Steve, Virgil, Luis, Jerry and his son Junior. There were others too, but the names escape me. You have to forgive me for that. There are cobwebs up there in my cranium that are older than some of you out there. So quite with the jibes. Yes, there is something between the ears. Air counts....

Have a good week everyone.

Summer's Here!!!

2011-06-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

The three amigos re-unite; Keith, Rojin and Ken.

My luck didn't hold out. For a while, the summer was mild. The marine layer was keeping temperatures cool and tolerable. It would form over the ocean and travel inland and delay the early bake from the summer sun on the Southland. I thought it was going to hold on for much longer. I was thinking that the gloom of June would continue and become the June Gloom of July. Of course, that does sound strange, kind of like saying the, "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim", or is it the "Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles". Well, we're all basketball fans here so really who cares?

Action on June 25, 2011.

I missed all the action the last Saturday in June (the 25th). But thank God for the official WBA photographer, Robert "Wei-Jin" Lee. He captured a multitude of all the antics, oops strike that, action of the day. The pictures of the re-uniting of the young "old" friends were especially nice. So, that is the lead off picture here; Ken, Rojin and Keith. Not in that order.....

Action on June 25, 2011.

From the looks of things though, there was a lot of action going on at the Chaparral to mark the end of June, 2011. Probably, never a dull moment. Probably one of the cooler days that we will experience for a few weeks. Summer is here, and that is a good thing. We have made it through the early season and as we are poised to continue the summer experience in the Southland, there are a few things to remember and learn if you didn't know already. Check out these links to some summer safety brochures:

Links for safety family safety CPR (PDF), Fire Safety (PDF), Heat Safety (PDF), First Aid (PDF),Water Safety (PDF). Please print them and read them and post them in your house.

We've already said our farewells to the month of June, however, let us not forget the birthdays that have come and gone with the month. Most significantly, there is our good friend and Commissioner; Bill "the Commish" Taylor. Bill is nothing short of amazing. A very, very youthful 72. Yes, you heard that right - Bill is turned 72 years old in June. Happy Birthday Bill!! Bill needs to give us all lessons on how to be so energetic and vivacious as our years increase! I am convinced that he's got the secret - good thing is that I think playing basketball long and often, is a part of his secret formula. Talk to Bill for the other secrets....

My grandson was born near the end of June this year. So, I will have to reserve a shout out to him, my daughter, grand-daughters and my son-in-law way out there in the OK..... And, to all of you that were born in June or in July, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Bill "the Commish" Taylor takes a shot over Danny on July 2, 2011.

Speaking of the July 4th weekend; it was a special weekend. Very hot, of course. No surprise there, but fortunately the multitudes ascended upon the Chaparral to partake in some basketball action to kick off the holiday weekend. There was about 32 people that participated. People come from as far away as Phoenix, AZ; Long Beach, Rancho Cucamonga and Hesperia to hoop at the Chaparral. That only goes to show the interest and excitement brought by the brand of weekend basketball played at the WBA the DBC.

Roy shoots over the Commish on July 2, 2011.

Rich tries to get a pass by Nacho on July 2, 2011.

Action on July 2, 2011.

De'Andre and Friends...July 2, 2011.

Photos from July 4, 2011

The turnout was moderate for the 4th of July. There were approximately 23 people. Again, a hot day. As a result, the play started early and finished fairly early.

Notice a lot of people sitting around? What can I say? It was hot and hot early, but many, many games were logged in. That's why everyone is sweating......

Photos from July 9, 2011

Hot again, yet there was another healthy turnout. Over 34 people.... There were three courts going with people waiting on the side to get into the action. It was a great morning. I hope the spike in attendance continues through the summer and into the fall. Looks like there will be a delayed NBA season if there is a season at all. But, not to worry, basketball is always in season at the WBA. So come on out and enjoy the action.....

Here is some right here......

Have a great week everybody!!!

Rained Out?

2011-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

The area received a little rain during the night and the early morning, so, no one came out to the courts but me. In the "old" days, it would be playable weather but the court surface was a little bit wet. I remember one morning many years ago it was little sprinkles when I arrived, then by the time I got to the court, the rain had started to pour. When I glanced to the main court, the game was going full force. However, the intensity of the rain soon reached a pitch that lead to the end of the game.

It's a new year and a new time, and I don't think the interest is as intense as it used to be during those days. Hopefully, the area will dry out and they'll be a vigorous "March Madness" kind of turnout at the Chaparral; and hopefully, everyone is making good use of this morning off from the usual hoopcentric routine of Saturday morning. Take care everyone and see you next week.

March Gladness....

2011-03-13T00:52:00.000-08:00

In my opinion, the perfect weather for outdoor activities is around 70 degrees with an overcast sky. This Saturday fit the bill as if I had ordered it via the Internet. I guess many others felt the same way. the turnout was one of the best for the year - there were about thirty ballers that showed up. Three courts were active during the early part of the day.

Many regulars returned. Some after recovering at least partially from injuries. James was back, although his shoulder was still slightly tender. Mike, Larry, Eric and Kent had been gone for a while but not because of injury. My guess is that they either have busy lives or went on some great vacation to some exotic destination.

I feel obligated to mention that the University of Washington Huskies have once again captured the Pac 10 Men's Basketball Championship. This is a repeat of last year. Last year they beat out the Cal Berkeley Bears for the title. This year they beat up on the University of Arizona Wildcats. Congratulations to Coach Lorenzo Romar and his team starring the quite appropriately named, Isaiah Thomas. One might think the second coming of the Detroit Piston franchise, but I have the feeling that he will forge a name for himself in the NBA despite being and under-sized guard at 5"-9". He hit a last second buzzer beating jump shot at the end of overtime to forge the win. It doesn't get more dramatic than that. He takes the shot, and the ball splashes in just as the lights and buzzer sound that ended the overtime, and fortunately, the game.

I don't know how the future "LA of Anaheim" team fared (hint: the Sacramento Kings). The odds are that the Kings will be operating out of Anaheim next season. My prediction is that they will call themselves, "the Los Angeles Kings of Anaheim" aka LAKA. Thereby following in the footsteps of their soon to be baseball cousins, "the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim".

The local teams fared well this weekend. The Lakers recovered from their embarrassing loss for the second time to the Miami Heat, by beating up on the Dallas Mavericks. That puts them 1/2 game behind Dallas in the standings for the Western Conference. So, perhaps if they keep winning, they can takeover the second position in the standings and have a little home court advantage to help them through the early rounds of the playoffs. Hopefully, their lackadaisical losses early in the season don't come back to haunt them during the playoffs, when having the home court advantage is so important.

The Clippers have morphed into an exciting team during the later stages of the season. Without such a lack-luster 0-13 start, I think they would be in contention for a playoff spot. The addition of Mo Williams to a team with high energy players like Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will spell a playoff contending season for next year. Hopefully, the team owner doesn't screw up and do something stupid again. Today the Clippers beat the Washington Wizards. My hometown team, I love watching the Clippers these days. Lets hope that they keep it up....

Back at the Chaparral, I really need to make an effort to get names correct. Above there is a picture of Matt contesting a shot by Zach, with James, Ike, Kent, Margaret and a friend of Robert looking on. I don't know his name unfortunately.

Matt prepares to grab and inbound the ball.

Kenny calls the play and brings the ball into play....

Eric, Matt and Zach prepare to go after the rebound...

Kent looks on as Eric inbounds the ball....

James heads upcourt after securing the defensive rebound.

WBA action!!! Wow.....

Eric gets abck into the game after chasing down the ball....

Margaret brings the ball upcourt....

Kevin has returned for the second time after a long absence... Fortunately, so far I haven't had to play against him. I was on his team again this week.

Eric prepares for a three point shot....

Shot made, Kenny returns to the defensive side of the court....

Ike grabs a rebound and prepares for a shot.

Steve brings the ball up for another offensive play....

Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of Kenny's friend from Germany, Ben. But, he is the guy in the red shirt above. A terrific baller....

A Game Called H.O.R.S.E. ....

After all the serious ballers had left, Roy and I hung around to play a few games of horse.

You would never guess, but Roy is outstanding with his left hand going for lay-ups and scoop shots. He hardly missed any of the shots he took with the "south paw", as they say in boxing.

Fortunately, I had been working on using my left. I started writing, sketching and shooting with my left about two years ago and it really saved me during this impromptu tournament.

The pictures were taken by my wife who appeared after everyone had left the courts - by just in time to take these pictures. Thanks....

Of course, for some reason, she missed the 360 degree, 720 degree and reverse dunks that we were doing after the fifth game for the tie-breaker. Fortunately, the rim is still intact, but there was some rim shaking......

The March is On in 2011...

2011-03-09T00:32:00.000-08:00

March is here and that means so many things, like:
The time will spring ahead on the morning of March 13th, 2011,
Spring will arrive to many that are anxious for it to begin (most of them are in the eastern part of the country),
March Madness has begun with the various conference tournaments going on.

I am hoping theat the Husky's can repeat as Pac 10 champions. I should qualify that though - the Bruins of UCLA are also welcome to win the tourney since my daughter is attending school there.

I think many of us have been feeling pretty good with the healthy turnout that the Chaparral has experienced during this new year. The weather has been great, even though we have been rained out a few times already this year. But, when you live in a desert, you can't complain about the occasional rain. I lived in Seattle for 7 years. No amount of rain here will draw a complaint out of me....

There have been new faces for the year and the regulars. In fact, one might say that we have new regulars now. There were over twenty persons at the court. And, we have now experienced the re-emergence of JR and his sister, Jaylynn. Before this past Saturday, they hadn't been out in a year or so. Welcome back to them and all others that found there way back to the Chaparral for WBA hoops. Kevein was there also.

Unforyunatly, I don't thin I was able to get his picture because, fortunately, I was on his team with Brandon. We didn't lose a game. And, that is also why there are so few pictures this posting. Our official photographer Robert "Wei-Jin" Lee was not in attendance. So, I was on the court playing ball and couldn't take many pictures.

My understanding is that we had visitors that were from both New Zealand (John), and from Russia. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the person from Russia. However, they were both terrific guys and will soon return. There picture is above and below , next to Kenny.

Well, may the good people keep coming, the good weather keep happenning and the good times continmue!!! Have great week and I hope to see you on Saturday morning!

Clipper Game in LA?

2011-03-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

A little while ago, a group of us set out to watch a Clipper game at the Staple Center in Los Angeles. It was pretty exciting, a few of us had recently been re-energized by the prospect of the other LA team delivering a product worthy of pilgrimmage salutations. Member Blake Griffin had just recently impressed the world in this years slam dunk contest by scaling a Kia Optima to catch an alley-oop pass for a dunk from local product, Baron Davis, in his effort to blow away the feild and win the NBA's 2011 Slam Dunk contest. We believed...we bought in - we wanted to see... Unfortunately, although I have followed the Clippers for years, I had never been so inspired as to don any type of Clipper fan-type paraphanlia (stuff). This night I was soon to regret that I did not have a Clipper T shirt....

I eventually made it into the Staple Center (the 100 section), we had great seats. Perhaps the pictures I have here don't really give it justice. It was very easy to make out who the players were down on the court. And, it was easy to see the shot clock and etc. The angle was good for viewing the court.

But, at some point while settling into the chair, I must have been propelled through one of those worm holes that they're always talking about on the Discovery and SyFy channel. Because somehow and someway, I landed in Boston - what, is it Boston Garden where they play. You know, those Celtics play. Them, the others - I thought the enemy to all things basketball in LA. I thought there was a stop along the highway/ freeway along the California border where they confiscated things like; out-of-State fruit, produce, and Boston Celtic fan stuff.

I think they must have smuggled it in. Yeh, they must have smuggled in all the green Celtic jerseys and T shirts and sweatshirts and etc. But, all those smuggler type Boston Celtic fans were all over the Staple Center. As the game got under way, there was more cheering for the Celtics than there was for the Clippers. Iit felt like the Boston Garden. I was getting in the mood for a trip out to Cambridge, Massachusetts - or, to the banks of the Charles River - or, to Faneuil Hall - aka the "Cradle of Liberty".... Then I remembered that I was there for a basketball game in LA. So why all the green and Celtic fan stuff and the cheering for the wrong team? I guess the Celtics are an older well established team, which like the Lakers, that has a fan following throughout the nation. So, during the game I just cringed at the cheering and rode it out.....

Unfortunately, the Clippers lost. However, I just heard today that the Clippers actually got vengeance and beat the Celtics tonight in Boston 108 to 103. However, I don't think there were any Clipper paraphanalia in Boston Garden. I don't think so, but it would've been sweet if I were out there in Boston surrounded by Clipper fans the way I was surrounded by Celtic fans that Saturday night in Los Angeles. Cheers louder than the home team for the Clippers, yeh - sweet.

During the game Ralph Lawler was honored for having his 2,500th broadcast. As a result, Bill Walton was there to help in giving him a plaque and a Rolex watch.

Rained Out, But Not Wet .....Inside the New Gym

2011-02-19T11:36:00.001-08:00

I have had an interesting day. This morning I decided to go out to the courts and play ball. Apparently, I was the only one that had such a thought because when I got to Chaparral, nobody was there. I decided to just hang around and practice shooting. The weather was actually very good, sunny with a few clouds in the distance. However, no one ever showed up. That is one of the few times that that had ever happenned to me since I've been going there. But there was a lot of rain overnight, and the others, I'm sure, thought that the court surfaces would be wet. However, they were not, turns out there was enough time for the water to drain. Also, there was sufficient time for the surfaces to dry.

They recently built a gym out there. It was probably finished maybe October last year. We have all been anxious to use it. As I was taking shots, I looked toward the gym and thought that the door had been left open. I decided to walk over to see if there was anyone in the gym. When I got there, the door was wide open, but there was no one in the gym. I called out a few times and, of course, there was no answer. However, there were mats on the floor throughout the space. I assume there was either a yoga or gymnastics class that was held there.

I took a few shots at a couple of the 6 hoops that were in there, then I went back to my car to get my camera to take a few shots of the interior and exterior of the gym. It was actually very nice. They have two automated scoreboards (both had been left on) and the ability to house two seperate basketball games. There is a curtain that can fold down to seperate the gym into two different areas.

It is a very nice gymnasium....

Here are the pictures.....

Memories of January and February, 2011.......

2011-01-09T22:45:00.001-08:00

This posting will catch up with some of the pictures during the month of January and throughout February. There was quite a bit of rain during the month. So, a lot of February was rained out.

Saturday, January 8, 2011........

The 2nd Saturday of the year brings a moderate but healthy turnout. Here are a few pictures...

Another weekend filled with hoop exuberance. The year brings many with enough folks to support two courts. Sunny and cool, perfect temp for outdoor basketball.

Here are the January 15th pictures.....

Here are the January 22nd pictures.....

Another sunny morning in Southern California. Don't you just love it - so much of the country is covered in snow, and we SoCalians get to run around in t-shirts and shorts!!

Pictures from January 29, 2011.....

Sunny and cool - a great formula for the WBA.....

February alas, Here are the pictures for Saturday, February 5, 2011

Here are the pictures from Saturday, February 12, 2011.....

Take care all!!

Many Faces of the New Year - 1st Posting for the New Year

2011-01-09T22:03:00.000-08:00

The New Year and the new WBA season have both gotten off to a exuberant start. The turnout here at the WBA has been energetic. Just this past Saturday (January 29th, 2011) there was well over thirty (30) persons. And, that may be a conservative estimate at best and, perhaps inspired by the reversal in achievement of the Brian Griffin lead Los Angeles Clippers. Yes, the other LA team is demanding attention and selling out the Staple Center by the oft inspired and enthusiastic play of the second year “rookie” Blake Griffin. Unfortunately, for both him and we Los Angelinos, he was injured his true rookie year and had to sit out the season. Frankly, how many of us would love to see him in purple and gold? Then we could justifiably re-name the Staple Center to the Griffin Observatory.

The re-naming of the Staple Center may happen anyway if our beloved Lakers don’t manifest a sense of urgency, and start playing like they want to win the championship this season too. We fans are getting pretty tired of what sports writer Chris Whitlock calls, “the Championship hangover”. Pretty soon we will all trade the purple and gold paraphernalia, with Clipper stuff. Listen up Lakers, there are several remedies for hangovers all over the internet. And this year if you win the championship, take those hangover prevention pills that you can purchase over the counter at any neighborhood drugstore. Excuse me Mr. Buss, maybe that should be included in any championship gift bags – yes, the shirts, hats and ring can be included too. But, we just want our champions to play like the champions that they are….

Okay, back to the Chaparral. Turnout’s been great, so players, keep up the good work. Among the players have been those much welcomed faces from the WBA past, when it was boldly rising out of the primordial waters of Diamond Bar and making its way slowly and deliberately to the Chaparral. We’ve had cameo appearances by Steve (the musician), Angel, Danny, Rojen (Roy’s son), Marco, and others.

Mike brought celebratory cupcakes and sparkling apple cider on New Years. So, many thanks to him for that. Albeit late. On New Years weekend, Danny brought his beautiful family, that is excluding Danny, with his wife and daughter in tow. That is the pretty girl you see in the pictures on the pink electric car. Great fun seeing her ride around the courts that day.

Below there is a family picture, including freind, James Anderson holding Danny's daughter.

Mike and Eric layout the goodies provided for the New Year by Mike.

Below, a toast to the New Year!!!!!! Happy 2011 all!!

Danny with child....

Nothing wrong with more celebrating than hoop playing.....

Nothing like a group picture.... or two.

The arrival of DeAndre....

More group pictures to start the year....

There was a little action too that day, not just eating cake, sipping cider and taking group pictures. Here's the proof.

This posting may be a little late, but I sure hope that your having a wonderful year!!!!!!

Christmas Eve Pictures on Christmas....

2010-12-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

This is the second posting for the Christmas Eve activities at the Chaparral. This posting includes the pictures from our man Robert "Wei-Jin" Lee of the Christmas Eve basketball gathering.
It was brisk from the beginning. The day started with a modest count ansd a very short wait for the tenth man. But once the tenth person arrived, the flood gates openned and there were soon over thirty persons on the courts.

So , as is the custom, Eric Tate did the team formations for the first game. And, as usual his distribution of talent worked brilliantly, in that the first game took longer than the subsequent game formed for the second (feeder) court.

The first game went into the WBA version of overtime - a 15 point game that was one by two points.

Soon there was a bit of a surprise, when our good freind, Mike Fox arrived with bags filled with pies of every description.

There was a pie for everyone, so many that I was able to send one to my mother by express mail in Washington DC!! Alright, I'm kidding about the pie to Mom.... But, many thanks to Mike for his thoughtful gifts.

Of course, every posting must have a picture of Rich. Rich's brother Kyle also came by for the games despite having a dislocated shoulder. So, Kyle, my hat goes off to you - you are the iron man of the day....

Roy came by with his oldest son, Rojen. I always worry that I'll misspell Rojen's name. But, my personal thanks to Rojen for showing up. He actually lives in Arizona.

Nick (above in blue) is also a part of another father and son team. His Dad, Eric has been burning the nets with his three point shot. His sister, Amber, has been buring up the microphones, and busting up the MP3 players with her high-flying singing abilities. I want to get her autograph now before she starts bouncing Beyounce off the Top 40 Music Charts.

This was the one day the early departures went without chastisement. Therefore, I won't call out Danny, Ben and Angel for leaving early.....

Temperatures were around 41 degrees Fahrenheit when we started out, but soon rose to the upper 50's/ 60's.

Margaret above in the red trunks was one of the new faces that showed up at the Chaparral. She was soon known for her dribbling acumen and three point shooting.

Isaiah, in the grey muscle shirt above, was one of the other new faces. He is a relative of Victor and arrived at the courts with him. As with Zachary, we should not hold his affiliation with Victor against him.....(ha, ha, ha). I understand he is from Hawaii....

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!!! Peace and happiness to you, your friends and your families!! See you next week.....

Twas the Day Before Christmas.....

2010-12-24T17:51:00.000-08:00

T’was the day before Christmas at the WBA,
No ball was left idle or free from the fray
Each team was well chosen from at least thirty-two
It started with many and ended with few.

Okay I will spare you any more of this drivel. Yes, Christmas Eve is upon us. Not to mention Christmas and New Years Day. Am I the only one that feels that time has been micro waved? Time should be taking more time to unfold, but somehow it’s been accelerated. The year just got started after all…. But here we are on the precipice of a new year. For me so much has happened this year; some things good, some things bad and others indifferent. I hope that this Holiday Season finds you happy, content and fulfilled.

We had the best turn out that you can expect from a Christmas Eve outing at the Chaparral. There were approximately thirty-two people that showed up. Three courts were going at the peak of activities. A few familiar faces were there – and you’ll see them in the pictures…. And there were also a few new faces. The more outstanding of them was Margaret, a co-worker of our good buddy, Roger “Wei-Jen” Lee. Also, Victor brought a cousin or relative of his named Isaiah. Apparently, he’s visiting from Hawaii.

Mike Fox had a bunch of Christmas cheer for us all. He surprised all of us with a load of pies. I think he brought about 30 pies for the guys and gals that showed up. So many, many thanks to Mike for the gifts.

I wish each of you a Happy Holiday season and a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Prosperous New Year!!!

Roy and Rogjin are all smiles.....

...but quickly get into their game faces...

Rained Out!

2010-10-31T08:56:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we were all greeted in the morning by heavy showers. Actually too much rain even for the weekend warrior crowd at the Chaparral. Hopefully, everyone found a suitable alternative. I ended up going to Corner Bakery for breakfast, with my wife. Funny how the rain soon cleared up (by 8 am) and the day eventually looked like a typical Autumn day in Southern California.

I hope that those of you that participate in Halloween activities, have a good, but a safe time too. Remember to always check through the candy that is received by the children while "trick-or-treating". If you go through the streets, house-to-house be sure to carry a flashlight and look out for traffic. Be cautious, careful and concerned.... Don't ask what each means, just practice each of those according to your interpretation and things should be fine.

I was out at UCLA last night and the campus was filled with costumes and activity. Lots of fun to see, a lot of very imaginative costumes. I also had a drive through Hollywood last night and the costumes were out there in full force all along the Sunset strip - and, so was law enforcement and security......too.

Have a Happy Halloween and a great week!! I hope to see you all dressed as hoopsters and not ghosts or ghouls next Saturday morning.

October 23rd, 2010 - Week Three

2010-10-23T22:47:00.000-07:00

Would it be a cliche if I said that it was another great day in Southern California? A friend of a friend said that he had traveled to every corner of the Earth, and of all the places he had been and lived, the weather in Southern California was the best by far. I must agree, (even though I haven't been off of the continent), and to me that kind of sums up this Saturday morning. Although there was no real sunshine for most of the morning, the temperature and climate were just perfect for me. Not too hot and not too cold; there was some happy medium right in between the two that was realized and much appreciated.

The turnout was not the greatest. Especially when you consider that the NBA season starts so soon. Aren't you guys and gals out there enthused? On the eve of what promises to be one of the best NBA seasons in a decade or more, LeBron in Miami, Shaq in Boston and Kobe facing the possibility of another three-peat for the Lakers - now doesn't that get you motivated to go out and through the bean ball round? However, there were about 15 faithful souls that appeared. And, although, several folks left kind of early it was still a good outing. Of course, the games were among the best in Southern California. Perhaps the best on this side of the Mississippi River - hey, maybe even the best on the planet.

Eric and his son Nick were there. The night before, Eric's daughter lent her talent for vocals to the National Anthem before the Lakers game out in Ontario on Friday night. I am looking forward to getting a clip that I can load into this sight, so that we may all enjoy her talent.

One of my train commuter-mates received some tickets to the game from his boss, and attended the game that night in Ontario. I told him about Amber singing the anthem and that she was the daughter of a friend. He said that she, "nailed" the song. So, apparently she did very well. We should all join in to wish her many, many more opportunities to sing before the multitudes at the coming Lakers' games, whether they be in the Inland Empire or at the Laker home at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Great job Amber!!!

It was another morning where I forgot my camera. Thank goodness, that Robert was there. Many thanks to him for this weeks pictures.

Among the others that showed up at the Chaparral were; Virgil, brothers Scott and Eric, Ben, Ike, Rudy, two Tony's (one more and we would have a mid '90's Hip Hop group); Danny, Mike, Brandon, DeAndre, Raphael, Kent and of course the "Judge" - Roy.

Fortunately, no injuries this week. And, Scott has almost fully recovered from his ankle sprain earlier during the Summer months. I have no reports on our buddy Rudy. But, I am sure he is close to a return to the courts-of-dreams (get it - a play on words from the "Field of Dreams" - clever huh?) here at the Chaparral.

Although a bit too late to see Eric's daughter sing, I will be attending the Lakers game on Halloween. My approach will be to dress up like a Laker and arrive on the back side of Staples Center. Therefore, I will be able to enter the Center with the team. I will use my uni to get into the locker room and later triumphantly enter the game with the team during the team introduction. I'm really looking forward to the game, they'll be playing the Golden State Warriors. So, please, be prepared with the money and all, in case the Lakers organization doesn't have a sense-of-humor and I need to get bailed out of jail for trespassing. It'll be worth it though, right?

Well, that's all for this week. I hope every one of you has a fantastic week and shows up bright, early and eager this coming Saturday morning. Take care.....

Double Post for October

2010-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

October 9th and 16th, 2010 all in one single posting.....

October 16, 2010 - Both 4-on-3 and 3-on-3 Basketball Play

When I started out from my house, there were mild sprinkles in Chino Hills, but the ground was dry. The drizzle was more like a mist. But as I drove toward toward the Chaparral, there were more and more pockets of a more aggressive mist/ drizzle. Then as I arrived in Diamond Bar the ground was wet. Finally arrived at the parking lot and I was pleasantly surprised that there were several cars in the parking lot.

There is a tradition at the Chaparral to play in mild rain. I've even seen games continue into a heavy downfall. So, a little bit of wet ground isn't a deterant to gaming at the WBA. I found 5 persons playing as I walked onto the court; Bill, Ben, Ike, Eric and Nick. I hurried to jump into the game and even out the teams.
Earlier, while I was still in Chino Hills, Roy had called and asked about the field conditions. I thought that I would encounter the same dry ground in Diamond Bar as I had in Chino Hills. As a result, Roy ventured out and arrived pretty quickly at the courts not too long after I arrived there.
Several three-on-four and three-on-three games were played. Ben left somewhat early. Conclusion, the WBA is channeling the US Post Office - rain won't stop the games. As it relates to hail, sleet and snow, well, we may never know about that out here in Southern California.

Funny, that the rain was never much more than a light drizzle and just as we finished playing - the ground dried. I hope everyone has a good week. Hopefully, dry ground next week at the Chaparral.....

Erics Villasenor's daughter, (and Nick's sister - Amber), will be singing the national anthem at the Lakers game scheduled for Friday, October 22nd in Ontario. Lets all hope that, that portion of the night's activities is also televised so that we can all share in Eric's pride and joy. Best of luck Amber, we're cheering already!!

October 9, 2010 - Sunshine and Basketball

There was plenty of sunshine and moderate temperatures on this day. Couple that with a healthy turnout and lively play and you have another great day of hoops out in the Inland Empire of Southern California.

Kent, Nacho and Brandon

Ike takes a shot at the basket.....

Who's that taking the shot? Anyone see Waldo?

Scotts back after his ankle injury, and taking a shot......

Rich's son studies the play book and makes recommendations for Rich's game.

Mike stretches it out......

Rich poses with his son and asks for a ride on his electric four-wheel drive ride.

Brandon and Virgil take a short break.

DeAndre with his brother Junior.

Everyone takes a break from the action.

DeAndre catched the ball with the back of his neck.

Kent takes a shot.....

First Basketball of October 2010

2010-10-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Some basketball fun for the month of October - October 2, 2010.

An interesting picture to start the first October posting.

Bruce is back......

Gotta hve Rich in the pics or it isn't a real posting.....

Is that Obama?

Mike, Eric and Nick...

Mike takes a shot.

Lasta....Catch-Up - September 25, 2010 - Last of September

2010-10-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Last Saturday of September

The last day of September brought out a few old faces to the court. Not old in years but old in the sense that they have not been out to the Chaparral for weeks or months. Angel, Steve and Mondo graced us with their prescence for the last that September had to offer.

Victor and Angel prepare to get things started.

Sagar and Eric take a break.

Bruce, Kent and Steve get prepared....

Bruce, Kent and Steve pose for a picture.

Bruce, Kent and Paul.

Mora....Playing Catch-Up - More of September

2010-10-16T18:06:00.001-07:00

Saturday, September 18, 2010

It was a busy day at the courts. Cool early on with fog. But the turnout for the day was good with two courts involved in basketball activity.

Brandon teaches his son how to defend against the dribble ....

Rich makes a pose for the camera.

Fog in the morning makes for an eerie scene.

Brandon teaches his son some fundamentals about dribbling.

Kenny and Danny kid around....

Fog in the morning was typical of the weather in September at the Chaparral.

Resta.....Playing Catch-Up - The Rest of September

2010-10-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Saturday, September 11, 2010

As previously mentioned, I am trying to catch up with all the posts that I have missed over the month of September. This was 9-11-2010.

Labor Weekend Pictures

2010-09-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

Playing Catch-Up w/ Postings - Early September, 2010

DeAndre and his Grandfather - David.

Labor Day Weekend – A Study in Contrasts

Well, here we are with another week, and another double post. It sounds appropriate. Double post brings on images of Pau Gasol on the left side and Andrew Bynum on the right both ready and positioned to receive the ball from either Derrick Fisher or Lamar Odom. But, though I hate to digress, I must because this double post is not quite the same as the million dollar front court for the Lakers. This double post is the product of a holiday weekend and the weekend after. Perhaps if I could actually count correctly, I’d notice that there are, in fact, three posts here - two for the Labor Day weekend (Saturday and the Monday after); and the following weekend. Holiday weekends are great, I know that is not a profound statement, but one that is pretty obvious. But, one cannot deny that pleasure of having that extra day of tagged onto your weekend.

One day blistering with the sun and elevated temps; the other day, cool and laid back.
It was indeed a terrific weekend and there’s always a bit of a letdown the day after a weekend. But, after leaving a holiday weekend fading distant in the rear view mirror, a visit to the local head-shrinker is often in order to defeat that certain drudgery about returning to work the next day. Would you agree that the better the weekend the harder the work day that follows? I guess these days; one should count ones blessings that one has a job. But, still there’re those unavoidable doldrums. That’s the great thing about having a memory boost about the good times. Never fear minions, for here reside a few pictures of some of the good times you felt during that blessed break. Coupled with a little bit of questionable commentary and it’s like you’re back in the weekend again - sweating profusely and longing for a shower, aspirin and a good chiropractor (maybe I should I just speak for myself).

Saturday Sunshine and the Heat is On – September 4, 2010

This Heat has nothing to do with the Miami Heat, LeBron James or any “Decision” that I or others are about to make. I’m talking about real heat here, elevated temperatures, blazing sun, blistering feet and speedy youngsters. Of course and unfortunately, I was not one of the speedy youngsters to which I refer, but one of the over-heated, sweaty, aspirin lusting chiropractor patients disguising myself as a actual b-baller. But despite the heat, the turnout on Saturday was surprisingly robust. There were over twenty people that showed up. Most to play ball, but a few blessed souls came out to watch friends and family. We had the family groups show up; like Victor, Zach, Zach’s friend and the WBA mascot – Lilo; and then there was, Raphael, DeAndre, DeAndre’s brother and then Deandre’s granddad – David. Then there were the friend groups; Matt, Ike, Mike and Mike (this grouping may be a little contrived for poetic license); then, there were just the individual friends like: Bill (the Commish), Joe, Roy (the Judge), Tony, Jason, Tony, Scott, Ben, Steve, Shane, Kenny (aka Holiday), Sager and a few others. A little over twenty people braved the heated courts of the Chaparral. And, as we all know twenty folks equal two courts of play. So, there was more playing than sitting. But, I’m sure for many sitting in the shade may have been the preference after the temp on the court reached into the triple digits.
Being that it was a holiday weekend; the courts inspired our good friend Kenny to grace us with his presence and his “skills”. He is soon to be known as “Holiday”, cause when it’s a holiday weekend he magically appears. Somehow he doesn’t miss a beat even with the sporadic appearances. I guess that what it means when you’ve got – “skills”. DeAndre and his brother ran us all into the ground with speed and their boundless energy. Oh, those days of youth, I remember them well……..

Scott pulled or bruised his ankle and left in crutches, but will hopefully heal quickly and return.

One of our newcomers - Mike.

Monday Clouds and Cool Running at the Chaparral – September 6, 2010

Steve called it on Saturday. He gets the credit for being on top of the weather forecasts. I will be calling, or emailing him when there may be a doubt, and taking to his weather proclamations. Cause, he hit the nail right on the head with his Monday morning forecast. He said that there would be about a twenty degree swing in the temperature, and low and behold – it was true. There must have been a twenty degree shift in temperatures between Saturday and Monday mornings. It felt like dropping out of the desert into some sort of mountain range. Like stumbling into a entirely new season of cool breezes and cloudy skies. It reactivated my Pacific Northwest memory cells and re-invigorated me for the mornings activities. I couldn’t have played ball again if the temperature hadn’t shifted. But it did and I did. I had a great time with some of the best guys in Southern Cal.

However, as it is often with the second clip of the holiday weekend, the turnout was slow in coming on Monday morning. But, like the ball running down hill increases in speed as it gets close to the bottom, folks started to come out of everywhere after the first game got started. The first game was so sparse it started as a four on four venture. It was concluded with the more familiar five-on-five format.

Probably the biggest surprise of the day was that there was no Holiday. You may pause and exclaim with great verve, “No Holiday, what are you talking about?” Well, I mean Holiday didn’t show up. You know, “Holiday”. Okay for those of you that are bit slow witted, I mean Kenny didn’t show up. Now, this could be grounds for a citation form the Commissioner, but the problem was that the Commissioner didn’t show up either.

Danny'd daughter on Labor Day biking.....

That’s Three, Three, Three Posts in One for the Last Saturday in August

2010-09-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

The mature among us will remember those commercials about doublemint gum, “…that’s two, (tap), two (tap), two mints in one…” Well, I'm giving you three posts in one, must be much netter than gum. Impressed? ....I didn't think so...

Anyway, probably lost to the youth among us, just remembrances of times and commercials long archived, sometimes remembered, but for the most part forgotten.
During week three - August 21, 2010 - Mike drives against the defense of Hunter (on the right) and Larry (to the left).

I’ve gone a few weeks without posting. One week without even taking pictures (forgot the camera). I think the heat was getting to me really. Fortunately, humans don’t melt, but it sure felt like I was gonna melt a few days ago out in Hollywood. However, God was merciful, and the cool weather has blown in. even out here in the desert, and I am re-energized.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Eric (on the left) and Blake (on the right) share a thought for the day.

I hope everyone is following the FIBA World Basketball Championship games. To date the USA is doing pretty well. The team that includes no real superstars, Durant, Westbrook (UCLA Alum), Rose, Chauncy Billups, are man – Lamar Odom, Rudy Gay, and Kevin Love (another UCLA Alum). The team is comprised of a great team of somewhat moderate NBA no-name stars who will soon be superstars in the NBA. Unfortunately, no USC Alums guys - sorry. Okay, no University of Washington alums either, I'll give you Trojans that. Team USA has beaten Croatia and Slovenia, and barely squeaked by Brazil. Tuesday, August 31st, they will play Iran. I'm hoping that they will remain undefeated throughout the entire tournament.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Roy (on the left) and Raphael (on the right) with Tom, Hunter, Blake in the background wait and position for the rebound.

I am posting these chronologically. So, I will start with the second week of August and progress to the last. As a well known Marvel artist often says,I hope y’all digs…”

August 14, 2010
Forgot the Camera – But Thank God I didn’t Forget My Shorts……..

No Pictures this week. Unfortunately I rushed out of the house this morning and forgot the camera. Really, there was no need to rush, but there is just something in me that feels that I should be rushing in the morning hours. It apparently kicks in whether or there is a real need to go somewhere or no need whatsoever. Bad habits die hard. So this week’s blog features no pictures. However, this morning was pretty unique in that I left a sunny Chino Hills community and drove into a unusually cloudy/ foggy Diamond Bar community. All along the way during my journey on the 71 Freeway (Corona Freeway) to the 60 freeway, I was bathed in the sunshine. However, as I exited on Grand Avenue and proceeded up Grand Avenue and approached the turn for Diamond Bar Boulevard, the fog began. Well, of course, I am a transplant from the Pacific Northwest, so fog is something I am not only accustomed to, but something that I somewhat enjoy. So it was a pleasure to bask in the fog for the short time that it was with us. So during that first game, I enjoyed “rusting” in the fog.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Blake (on the right) backs in on Roy (to the left) for a shot at the hoop.

The turnout at the Chaparral was a bit anemic though. Upon my arrival, there were only about seven other folks. We started out short-handed with a full-court game of 4 on 4. But, it quickly evolved into the usual 5 on 5 teaming, as the balance of folks soon arrived.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - fr.left to right - Jason, Eric, Tony and Danny - all rest after a challenging game.

Perhaps, now that the hoopla over the antics and “decisions” of LeBron (the former King of Cleveland), have died down, everyone has lost their interest in playing the best game ever invented by a Canadian for American participation and consumption. Soon the season will begin with a “stacked” team in Miami, and a “Shaq-ed” team in Boston; a potential super-team in New York, with the possible trade of super-star Carmelo Anthony and the signing of Amare Stoudemire. It should be one of the more entertaining seasons with newly created rivalries, and passionate disdain for the former King. I think everyone needs to make an extra effort to come on down to the Chaparral and get some sunshine and exercise with the super-friends of the Inland Empire. I can’t think of a better way of getting the weekend started.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - fr.left to right - Danny and Raphael, contemplate the next game.

On August 27, 2010 Mars was very close to the Earth. There was a hoax out that alleged that the Moon and Mars would be the same size to the naked eye in the night sky. Of course I got pretty excited about this because as you may alreadyy know, men are from Mars. And certainly, women are from Venus.... right? But, as the day approached and no news syndicates or TV shows pick on the story I got a little suspicious. Then I did some fact checking and found that Mars was close that night, but not close enough to be seen as the same size as the Moon in the night sky. But, I was told when you see a star that is especially bright, more than likely it is a planet. So, I did see something in the sky that night and a few nights nefore that appeared as a bright star. I figured that it was Mars. Although my son felt that it was the space station.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - WBA action at Chaparral.

So, I am very proud to say that I have personally seen the homeland with my bare eyes. And , as a result, I have become very motivated to get a telescope and take the star-gazing to another level. Then I'd be able to verify such sightings and answer such questions as to whether it was Mars (the Homeland for guys) or the space station. Frankly, either siting would be pretty exciting to me. Although reluctant, I must admit that I am a child of the US space program of the Sixties. My brothers and I would follow the launchings and the missions as if they were sports games. This "hoax" has reinvigored the sleeping child in me from the '60's that wants to hear about and see all things related to space.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Virgil prepares to "bust a move" at the Saturday games.

August 21, 2010

Some Faces Old, Some Faces New, and a Birthday Dude Dressed in Blue...

It was a fine day out here in the Inland Empire. Great weather, great company - it must be weekend basketball in Southern California!!

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Roy speaks with the two Mikes in between games.

As the title might suggest, there were some old faces that re-emerged at the courts, in the person of Blake, our pro back from the leagues out in Mexico. And a few new faces, (and bear with me here), like Mike's freind; Mike. Then there were a bunch of freinds, another Eric, another Scott, Jason, and others. More of the old that re-emerged are Hunter, DeAndre, Raphael, Joey and son.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Joey and son.

In my family, August is a big month. My mother, son and grand-daughter all have birthdays during the middle days of the month. Well, apparently, Roy had a birthday in mid-August as well. I'm not sure about the date. I do now his age, but that information is classified. You'd have to go through several clearances to be given that information from this source. However, if it's keeping you up at night, maybe you could catch up with Roy one of these Saturdays, and ask him for yourself.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Blake conducts the group during a chorus of "happy Birthday" for Roy.

We all gathered after a few games to sing "Happy Birthday" to Roy. No, we can't sing, but Roy insisted that we should. I think he had ear plugs.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Happy Birthday smiles.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Eric and Roy.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Another Eric with Virgil.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - And the fast break begins.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Luis, DeAndre and Virgil in the foreground.

During week three - August 21, 2010 - Tom defends offense by Blake.

August 28, 2010
The Last Weekend in August

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Nacho and Bruce (aka Da Bruiser).

Hard to believe that the month of August is soon done and we will begin the march to the end of the year with the "‘Ber" months. School is starting and the summer is ending. Life seems to be moving at an accelerated pace this year. Didn’t the year just get started the other day? It sure feels that way.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Eric defends the pass from the opposing team.

At the Chaparral things have been active. It appears that the good weather has brought everyone out of their nests. The turnout has been outstanding. This last chance at August hoop-hysteria brought close to thirty people to the courts. And no wonder, it was a welcomed break in a long series of bitter hot days. The morning started a bit overcast, but a cool, sunny day soon broke out.

Two courts were soon going with memorable WBA action.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Everyone looks on as Ike brings the ball into play.

Well guys and gals, next week is the first week of September. What better way to kick-off the "Ber months than to hoop wiith the folks at the Chaparral? It'd be great to see forty people out here to celebrate the new month. And if you haven't been out in a while, don't wait for January and all that "resolution" nonsense. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Start it out in September with a little outdoor hoopball.

Have a good week everyone!!

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Ben (left) and DeAndre (right) say hello.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Ben and DeAndre strategize for the next game.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Eric sets a screen for a fast-break.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Eric heads for the basket for a lay-up and one...

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Nacho drives for the basket for a contested lay-up.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Bruce, Tony, Nacho, Steve, Bill and Robert prepare for a rebound.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Robert says hello to the WBA universe.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Ben shoots a "J" from the top of the key.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - A mystery person leads a fast-break.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Ben takes a jump shot in the paint.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Nacho walks the ball up the court.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Eric sets his defense against Nacho's offensive preparations.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Mondo practices his winning jumpshot form.

During week four - August 28, 2010 - Mondo releases his jumpshot.

First Weekend in August

2010-08-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

August greets us with a cool cloudy morning that eventually opens up to a pleasantly sunny day. Really doesn't feel like summer here. Thank God for that, I don't miss 90 degree weather, but perhaps you do. The temperature was 52 degrees on the corner bank's thermometer as I turned onto Diamond Bar Bl from Grand Avenue. I sure hope to see the same reading there next week on Saturday morning. But the cooler temps make for more action and longer days at the Chaparral. Fortunately, the turnout was good. Unfortunately though, only one suspected Band member showed up this morning, Mike. However, Rojin, Keith and Ken showed up after a long hiatus. Also Bruce, Ben, Larry, Rich's friend - Mike, Mondo and Randy (from Las Vegas) all were at the courts.

The turnout for boba after the games was very meager by comparison. Only Steve and I. The usuals; Bill Taylor, Eric Tate, Ike, and Roy didn't make it out to the games this week; so of course they didn't make it out to the all important boba session that follows. Well, they missed out on all of my Shaq bashing, and LeBron bashing. And my other predictions for free agency and team successes. Poor Steve, he had to listen to all that.... Yeh, he was good about it, maybe the boba helped.

I don't think I have followed the NBA off-season as much as I have this year. Maybe the passion will return. I think a lot of LeBron's moves and Shaq's moves will create some passionate dislike between teams. But, even more among the fan base in the various Cities. Can you imagine how it will be when the Heat play in Chicago, Cleveland and/ or New Jersey? The audience will be like a sixth man on the court. I predict that the Heat will loose a few of these games on the road in these cities.

I'm sure you know about Shannon Brown who recently signed with the Lakers for another run at a championship. He's probably has a 38 to 45 inch vertical jump.

With this in mind, Danny is practising his vertical jump by warming up with jumping-jacks. If you closely inspect the picture, you'll notice the height that he's getting on his vertical jump.

I'd say Danny's vertical is anywhere from 6 to 8 inches. Wow, Shannon has nothing to worry about. I think Shannon will remain the the jumping champion in Southern California.

Ken puts some tight defense on Rich.

Rich surgically repairs the hoop. Now it will accept basketballs without regurgitating.

One of many rest stops on the way to basketball nirvana.

Rich and Mondo express greetings as Randy (aka Kobe) contemplates his next killa offensive basketball move.

Mike, Rojin, Larry and Eric take a breather.

Keith and Ken prepare for the next game.

Robert takes a fall, but recovers quickly.

Mike does his best Shaq impression even though the Big Aristotle (Shaq) ruined his legacy by signing with the dreaded Boston Celtics. How could he? I don't there'll be any Shaq jerseys hanging from rafters at the Staples Center following his retirement. Mike on the other hand may have a better shot at it than Shaq-Daddy.

Rojin prepares to put a move on Keith as Larry gets ready to give some help.

Brothers Brandon and Steve take a chair.

Rich puts on a move.

Robert the official photographer for the WBA.

Ben tries to teach Victor how to dribble. Victor enthusiastically looks on......

Hopefully, next week the turnout will be as good as it has been these past weeks. I hope you all have a good week and show up on Saturday morning with your best game turned on. Have fun!!

The Last Saturday in July

2010-07-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

Those of you that are astute are probably aware that in last weeks blog I called that Saturday (July 24th) out as the third Saturday of the month. However, somewhere around Thursday night, a light popped on in my mind and I realized that last Saturday was the fourth Saturday of July not the third. I checked the calendar and realized the error that I made. Fortunately, I was recently granted an artist's license. It works for both the visual and literary arts. So, as the fact-checking police approach, I have the license ready for review. The license also excuses me for misspelling or incorrectly naming and labeling pictures.

A couple of weeks ago I stated that Shaq was acquired by the Celtics. Yes, the license covers errors of that nature as well. I now you were all getting pretty excited 'cause you thought you had me on that one. Well, the rumor was close. It just turned out that it was the other O'Neal that was acquired, Jermaine O'Neal. The latest rumor I've heard was that Shaq may be going to Atlanta in a trade for Marvin Williams (and maybe other considerations like draft choices). Chances are pretty good that he will miss this season altogether.

We're all hoping that Shannon Brown will be re-signed by the Lakers, but apparently, the New York Knicks are interested. So to keep Shannon, the Lakers may have to dig in their pockets a little bit. Dig Jerry, dig, we want Shannon back.

I'm pretty proud of myself because I've learned the names of most of the Band of Cousins that showed up today. I'm just a little insecure with young lady's name that was with them. I think her name was Miranda. Then there was Shawn, Irvine, Richard, and (of course) Rob.

There were a few faces at the Chapparal that haven't been there in a while. There was our holiday man, Kenny who came by. I asked him what he was doing there on a day that was not a holiday and he said that it was Gopher Day. Gopher Day? I think he just used that excuse for his wife. But we were glad to have him on court, holiday or no holiday.

Bruce was also there. I haven't seen him in a long while. But judging by his play, he hasn't missed a beat either. Just like Kenny. These two (Kenny and Bruce) are always competative, no matter how long they are away from the Chapparal. Manny was also on board today. He came early, he left early though. Virgil's friend also came early and left after a couple of games. He represented well for Virgil, since Virgil didn't show up today.

It was a pretty cool morning, and overcast. It took a while for the sun to come out. And when it did the temperature started to rise. But the weather was always good, no complaints. It has been a great summer for the Chapparal. July checks in as another terrific month for outdoor play in Southern California.

One can see in the background that the new gymnasium on-site is nearing completion. They painted last week and appear to be adding an awning to the front of the structure.

Mondo also re-appeared after a long absence. Apparently, he had a few injuries that have been healing over the past weeks/ months. The hazards of league play. He suffered an injury that seperated the middle two fingers of his left hand. Ouch! Hopefully he'll be back again soon.

I hope everyone has a productive week and i'll see you all again next Saturday!!

Here is the mandatory picture of Richard, thanks Robert for the photograph.

The Band of Cousins, Rob, Shawn, Irvine and Miranda line up for foul shots.

Mondo, with Mike, Eric, Virgil's buddy and Bill.

Ike and Luis give the thumbs up sign, als well....

Robert and Kenny pose for a picture.

Kenny and Danny pose for a photograph after a competative opening game.

The Morning of Three

2010-07-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Three was the big number this morning for several reasons. How about three reasons why three is the big number this week? (1) It was the third Saturday in the month of July, (2) 33 people showed up at the courts; and, (3) three courts were going through most of the morning. In general, it was a great morning. Perfect weather, it was probably 83 degrees and there were maybe three clouds in the sky. The morning was terrific!

The Band of Cousins (BC) has made all the difference in the world. I am proud of myself in that I've actually started to learn a few of their names. Keep in mind that the BC is composed of anywhere from six to ten Rob's cousins, that have been gracing the Chaparral with their presence over the past few months of this year. Here are a few of their names: of course their's Rob, Richard, Geo (short for Geovani), Girrard, and his dad, Ian.

Now we have at least three sets of father and sons: Ian and Girrard; Victor and Zach; and, Eric and Nick. I can't think of a better place for father and son to spend a weekend morning if it isn't here at the WBA Chaparral playing basketball. So, please, all of you out their in the WBA/ Weekend Warrior universe, please join in and bring your sons and daughters. We also have some very skilled female hoopsters that come out and give lessons in the finer aspects of weekend basketball. One young lady did some time in the WNBA.

Now that we've invited all those other dads out there to bring there offspring to this hemishere of the weekend hoop nation, lets go out of our way to be great examples of good sportsmanship. Let's watch our tempers, our words and our actions out there, so one of these dads won't have to run of the court with child in hand saying never again. The Commish has spoken of penalties, for second offenses that total $25,000 for some offenses. He didn't mention in which currency the penalty must be paid. But unlike me he leans toward the British Sterling Pound and the Euro, unlike me who has has settled for Italian Lira, French Francs and Greek Drachmas as payment in the past.

As you gander at this picture of Virgil (the Doc) sweeping the court, I will sign out of this post so you can enjoy and reminisce at one terrific morning in July. But before I do here are the "thank you's". Many thanks to Robert "Wei-Jin" Lee for the pictures; thanks to Eric Tate and Bill Taylor for bringing cooled bottled water and drinks; thanks to Nacho and others for remaining patient while I foul them constantly; and thanks to all of you that get fouled or hurt by an unintended elbow, over-enthusiastic hack or otherwise get bumped, tripped, knocked down - thanks for your patience - for understanding - we are friends afterall and above all. Thats why we come to the Chaparral. Have a great week everyone!!!