As the match went on Tango just got better and sharper.  As her Tennis Coach, Paul Lizama, has said, “Gabriela’s desire, drive, calm assertiveness gives her the ability to improvise, adapt and overcome adversity that she encounters.  It is the same desire, drive, calm assertiveness which allows her to stand firm and not waiver under pressure.  Several times I have seen her down in a set 2-5 and to come back to win the set.  Not an easy task.  Gabriela’s feistiness is evident.”  Well, Coach Lizama wasn’t kidding because come back Gabriela did.  Every chance it looked like her opponent, Saadi, was building momentum and was about to start a rally Tango came back to deliver the goods!

Word of caution to those late to the Tango Bandwagon she prefers soft clapping, no loud cheering will be tolerated!  Even her Coach won’t instruct her during her Matches.  Luckily she is a quick study as Coach Lizama has noted, “Her work ethics are unending which is a superior quality she possess in that it it allows her to progress at a high rate.  Her attention to detail to breakdown components and reassemble them back together is another attribute that accelerates her learning abilities”.  It does indeed take a little more to be a Champion.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

The number one improvement is also the number one thing that makes any sports show good, A grade personalities and chemistry.  So instead of giving us a number of different panelists, just give us the A grade personalities. 

Let’s start off with Woody Paige who is always good for some obvious jokes, interesting thoughts on his chalkboard, telling us to “Look at the schedule!”and being a Denver Homer.  Also it doesn’t hurt he has 406 wins in 1797 appearances to give him a 22.6% winning percentage. 

After that there is J.A. Adande who loves taking us to the “J.A. Adande Lounge” and giving us LA References while being a Lakers Homer.  He has 218 wins in 793 appearances to give him the highest winning percentage at 27.5%. 

While the smartest panelist, Kevin Blackistone, has to be included for always blowing our minds with his knowledge of sports and the world in general.  He might only have 158 wins but it was in 659 appearances to give him a 24% winning percentage. 

After that my final pick is Tim Cowlishaw who takes homering to new heights with the way he talks of the Dallas Cowboys in particular and his blonde died tips always delighting the crowd.  He has 290 wins in 1078 appearances to give him the 2nd highest winning percentage at 26.9%.

After you have your four A grade personalities picked out they can then begin to develop their chemistry to new levels which will make for a much smoother program kind of like how US Basketball is running their Olympic Teams.

The number two improvement is the show’s timing.  Now I might Tivo Around the Horn but as Albert Qian has told me several times, “I don’t watch, it’s in the dead zone hours, 3-6 PM, I mean really?”  Now in the East Coast it comes on at 5 PM which is perfect for happy hour with everyone coming out of the office needing to unwind.  While for the West Coast not only are people at the office but they don’t even know it comes on at 2 PM!  Some might say we live in a Tivo World which I agree but a sports show really needs to come on at a time people are free to watch not while they are still at the office!

I honestly feel these two improvements will take Around The Horn from a B Grade Version of Pardon The Interruption which isn’t always watchable to an A- Grade Version of Pardon The Interruption that is always very watchable.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

So bascially your paying for a game ($30, $24.99 Download) plus a DLC ($7.49) just for a cut down version of Ridge Racer 7 (9 out of 10) from all the way back to 11/14/06!  I wanted to tell you just wait one week for Ridge Racer Unbounded on the PS3 but it’s been delayed to be delayed status.  In the mean time skip even renting Ridge Racer, download the demo (if you really want but I am scared to find out how cut down that version of it is) look at these Ridge Racer pretty pictures and hope whenever Ridge Racer Unbounded releases for the PS3 it’s awesome!

Ed Jones writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

Honestly, we aren’t comparing apples to apples since Top Spin 4 knocked the socks of Virtua Tennis 4.  Somehow Sega got more serious with Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour Edition and stepped everything up to knocked the socks of Virtua Tennis 4.  So I guess what I am trying to say is the graphics and game play on the PS Vita is equal and looks and plays at least equal if not better than the PS3.  Now if Top Spin 4 could make a PS Vita title we would really be in business.  But in the meantime feel free and rent Virtua Tennis 4 World Tour Edition and if you really want to buy a PS Vita title right now this my personal choice as the only game I would consider purchasing.  I mean the game plays so damn fast I couldn’t even take half way decent pictures of it (I had to cut and paste pictures from random websites)!

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

The Wizards got the best player in the trade, Nene, and have changed their culture all in one fell swoop.  There was no structure in Washington with McGee not even thinking while playing, making stupid play after stupid play, seen nightly on PTI.  Then there was Young just gunning the ball while never passing and playing zero defense.  Now if someone could just slap Andray Blatche upside the head the Wizards will be a playoff team next season with John Wall leading the show no longer looking around hoping and praying the young kids will behave, instead of their current 14th spot in the 15 team Eastern Conference (9-32 record).  The Clippers won BIG since they got Young for peanuts who will  now be forced to play defense and pass since he will share the back court with Chris Paul who runs a very tight ship.

In the other Brazilian trade of 2012 NBA Trade Deadline the Toronto Raptors traded Leandro Barbosa and his 7.6 million expiring contract for a second-round draft pick to the Indiana Pacers.  The Rapors were able to unclog their back court while cleaning up shop (salary wise).  While the Pacers got closer to the league minimum (spent on contracts).  Sounds reasonable to me.

The New Jersey Nets traded Shawne Williams, Mehmet Okur and a first-round pick (top 3 protected) to the Portland Trailblazers for Gerald Wallace.  I love this move for the Nets since early season talk was the Orlando Magic wanted Wallace in a trade package for Dwight Howard and Wallace is the kind of player who can help any team even the Nets in their quest to at the very least keep Deron Williams around.  While it is clear the Trailblazers wanted to get more cap space this summer and clearing up playing time for Nicolas Batum.  But this wasn’t the only Trazilblazer deal.

The Blazers also send Marcus Camby to the Houston Rockets for Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn and Minnesota’s second-round pick.  The Blazers want to get younger and save money so mission accomplished.  While the Rockets have been trying ever since the summer to get a big man of their liking and I think they will like the Cambyman.  The only problem is at this point of his career Camby is only good for his defense, rebounding and shotblocking, his offense just isn’t the same.

The LA Lakers traded Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and a 2012 first-rounder to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga.  What a move by the Lakers to finally get rid of Walton and finally getting a decent starting point guard in Sessions.  I honestly don’t know what the Cavs were thinking.  But I do know the Lakers made one more trade.

The Lakers also traded Derek Fisher and a first round pick, acquired from Dallas, to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill.  I love this move as well for LA.  Hill is a 3rd year, 6-10 230 Pound Center-Powerforward, who is currently putting up 5 points and 5 rebounds who will easily step right into LA as their first big man of the bench.  The Rockets must have really wanted this first round pick.

The Golden State Warriors traded Stephen Jackson to the San Antonio Spurs for Richard Jefferson,  TJ Ford and a first-round pick.  Sounds like a win-win to me and to Farhan.  The Warriors want to tank with Jefferson being the less talented of the two while recieving a first-round pick and the Spurs want to win more with Jackson.  That wasn’t all for the Warriors.

The Warriors also bought a secound-round pick from the Atlanta Hawks.  Which I got to say I like.

The Memphis Grizzlies traded Sam Young to the Philadelphia 76ers for the rights to Ricky Sanchez.  Another nice move, the Grizzlies wanted to get Young’s contract off the books while the 76ers have been wanting a big swingman.

All in all a fine 2012 NBA Trade Deadline but I do wish if Dwight Howard had done more than just opted in for next season but made a longer term commitment to some team and of course for Josh Smith to finally be set free from the Atlanta Hawks.

Ed Jones writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

I for one am excited for the Warriors Playoff chances now even with Bogut out for the rest of the season.  Jackson will slide right into the starting shooting guard spot at 6-8, 220 not the little kid 6-3, 185 of Ellis and bring the size, leadership and defense Ellis never could while guiding the Warriors to the very least the Brink of the Playoffs if not the Playoffs.  Fantasy Basketball Players pick up Capt Jack NOW!  He will put all of his energies into proving to everyone his game hasn’t slipped while rewording you with SOLID NUMBERS across the board!

Please don’t cry over Ellis as Henry Abbott of ESPN reported this morning, “the Warriors are plus-15 this season when Steph Curry plays and Monta Ellis are on the bench but minus-119 when Ellis plays and Curry is on the pine. The season before, they were plus-23 with Curry and no Ellis but minus-191 with Ellis and no Curry. The season before that, the tally was plus-122 with Curry and no Ellis and minus-89 for the opposite. So, for the three seasons those two have been together, Golden State has outscored its opponents by 160 points when Curry plays and Ellis sits despite being badly outscored overall. And, in the opposite situation, the Warriors have been outscored by 399 points.”

End of the day I don’t blame Ellis for the Warriors mess but next to the Warriors starting point guard, fellow 6-3 185, Stephen Curry, it just wasn’t going to work out.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

 The thing is when the orginal cover came out in the 90′s with KG and Starbury everyone was going crazy over it. It’s still goes for $20 easy on ebay! And now there are two white boys not even trying re-making the same cover? It hurts my feelings. I mean it’s ok to be white but at least try to look cool and give me some entertainment. Compare the covers, there is no comparison. I need SLAM to give me what I want, not this slap in the face to my childhood.

Farhan Latif writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here

While it is true the 49ers need an upgrade at Wide Receiver more than at Quarterback.  Wide Receivers are a much tougher proposition to get right via drafting, waiting years and hoping for results, or via trades or signings, due to different offensive systems or their previous teams knowing their play or attitude is slipping and not informing you.  Quarterback will always be the most important position in all of sports since you can literally make all of your teammates better even the 49ers best Wide Receiver, Michael Crabtree, who struggled against the NY Giants in the playoffs which lead to his fellow Wide Receivers losing confidence since their flanker couldn’t make it happen.

Ed Jones writes exclusively for CloudFantasy. Email him here