2

Meg

Editor-in-Chief & Graphics Designer

Deb

Advisor & Contributor

Reg

Advisor & Contributor

Tim Lumber Contributor

Cathy

MLB Contributor

Dust

NHL Contributor

Golden Stomind March Madness & NBA Contributor

Greg (Stealersrule) NFL Contributor

Jon M. Tessler (Reveryroadie)

NASCAR Contributor

Larry “Bud” Litle Fantasy Baseball

Contributor

Mike MMA Contributor

Ray DeVone Contributor

The list above consists of the

staff members who contributed to this month’s

edition of the magazine.

For a full list of the

magazine staff: Click on SJ Magazine

Staff.

Logo by: mattyp2002 // Magazine Layout by bbyao06 Designs

3

What is Sports Jabber? _______________________________________________ 4

The Madness Comes to A Conclusion ________________________________ 5

Matthew Pellowski: Basketball, Baseball, & Boogey-Men ________ 7

A Look into the 2011 Red Sox: Moves and More Moves _________ 11

MMA Pound 4 Pound Rankings ___________________________________ 13

Fantasy Baseball Season __________________________________________ 14

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview _______________________________ 15

Is Parity What Nascar “Really” Wants? __________________________ 17

“The Pirate” Knocks Them Out: Leroy Pinckney, Jr. _____________ 18

SJ’s Mock Draft Database _________________________________________ 20

Sports Jabber’s 2011 Mock Draft _________________________________ 21

SJ Official NBA Power Rankings __________________________________ 22

NBA Playoff Predictions ___________________________________________ 23

Shoot Like the Pros with Adam Filippi ___________________________ 25

Top 10 Quarterbacks Going into the 2011 Season_______________ 28

SJ Official Mock Draft Contest_____________________________________ 30

What’s New at SJ __________________________________________________ 31

SJ’s Social Networks & Home of SJ Magazine ____________________ 32

Recognition ________________________________________________________ 34

TABLE OF CONTENTS

4

SportsJabber.net provides complete coverage of the sporting world. While best-known for its always-active forums, it is much, much more. SJ is a multi-verse of inter-connected

sports fan sites.

It's an assembly of contributing blogger-authors providing expert analysis of their chosen sports, leaving no event uncovered or lacking importance. SJ provides a platform and an ex-

tensive marketing channel to promote the authors' original works.

SJ operates multiple interactive sites among the major social networks (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter) & our home platform, providing fun and informative sports exchange

among our many thousands of subscribers, "friends" and followers.

SJ operates one of the largest and most comprehensive NFL Mock Draft Databases on the net. With our own mock draft, created & maintained by our cross-fan team of experts at its

foundation, our database, unlike most, operates and is updated year-round.

Of course, Jabberheads also unite in our highly interactive member forums, 24-7, for discussion of breaking sports news & daily events, enjoyment of competitive fantasy

sports, & participation in fun & competitive prize-awarded contests.

If you kick, throw, hit, or drive it...or enjoy watching it done, it's a jabber world made for you.

Are you a Jabberhead? Do you want to be a Jabberhead? Step inside and join the fun.

Interested in Writing/Reading Articles? Interested in Intelligent Sports Discussion?

Interested in Exploring the Wide World of Sports?

Check out:

WWW.SPORTSJABBER.NET

WHAT IS SJ?

/The Disney World of Sports/

5

All good things must come to an end, but most people would have liked to send this year's NCAA tournament out in better style. In a

tournament where not a single 1 or 2 seed made the Final Four, this seemed to set the stage for a Cinderella.

Virginia Commonwealth, a team that many argued shouldn't have even made the tournament, made the Final Four for the first time

in their school's history and was the first double-digit seed to make it since George Mason in 2006. Point guard Joey Rodriguez and post man Jamie Skeen stole the show and made a name for

their selves. Skeen averaged 17.5 points and almost seven rebounds in the tournament while Rodriguez averaged nine

points and almost eight assists while leading their team to the Final Four. VCU had to knock off Kansas, the team many

considered the top team in the tournament and my personal pick to win it, in order to make the trip to Houston.

The defending runner-ups Butler seemed to shock the world once again. The Bulldogs defeated Old Dominion in the first round after a

Matt Howard buzzer-beater and never looked back. Butler went on to defeat the #1 seeded Pittsburgh, #4 seeded Wisconsin, and #2 seeded Florida in order to take down fellow Cinderella VCU in the Final Four.

Senior Matt Howard and guard Shelvin Mack led the team as they seeked redemption from last season. Without Howard's buzzer-beater

against Old Dominion and his free throws with under a second left against Pittsburgh, Butler would not have made it even close to where

they went. Howard averaged 14.8 points and seven rebounds while Mack averaged 20.3 points including a 30 point performance against Pittsburgh and 27 against Florida. The duo combined for 41 points

against VCU as Butler returned to the Finals with a 70-62 win. Butler would be the lowest seeded team to make the Finals since Villanova

won it back in 1985, but would not have the same result.

The Madness Comes to a Conclusion

WRITTEN BY: GOLDEN STOMIND

6

On the other side of the bracket, Kentucky had to pull of some buzzer-beaters of their own.

Freshman point guard Brandon Knight had a runner to beat Princeton in their opener as time expired and a jumper to beat top seeded Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen. Kentucky had only one

senior on their roster and was considered too young to make it as far as they did. Freshmen Knight and Terrance Jones headed the young roster and proved that their youth can beat

experienced teams. After Knight's two-point performance against Princeton (the two biggest points of the game) he went on to average 19.5 points, 5.25 rebounds, and 4.25 assists in his Fi-nal Four run. Jones' tournament consisted of 10.4 points and 8.4 boards per contest, but found their tournament come to an end in a 56-55 thriller against the eventual champs Connecticut.

Ironically, the year of the Cinderella ended with the highest-seeded team in the Final Four taking

it home. #3 seed Connecticut finished their Big East regular season and began an undefeated 11-0 postseason run to win the Big East and NCAA title. Only one word was needed to describe

the run: Kemba. Junior guard Kemba Walker averaged 26 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in the Big East tournament and went on to average 23.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in the

NCAA tournament. Jaw-dropping numbers to say the least. UConn began their tournament with 81-52 and 69-58 routs over Bucknell and Cincinnati respectively. Their only 'upset' of the

tournament came in the Sweet Sixteen against the #2 seed San Diego State. The Huskies defeat-ed them 74-67 and went on to beat Arizona, Kentucky, and Butler in a snoozer to capture the 2011 crown. Kemba Walker's phenomenal play earned him the Final Four MVP honors and

rightly so.

It seemed as if last year was the year of the Cinderella, but 2011 proved that anything can hap-pen in March. Can't wait till next year? Neither can I.

The Madness Comes to a Conclusion (cont.)

WRITTEN BY: GOLDEN STOMIND

7

I did my most extensive internet search of my writing career. What started as a goal, to find an athlete who was involved in the

paranormal field, turned into a once in a lifetime interview chance. I have interviewed dozens of pro athletes in my day. I have never

interviewed a former college sports star, turned movie director. Here is a guy who was once ranked in the Top 10 of the NCAA for rebounds,

averaging 15 per game in basketball. He also won the Scholar Athlete Award. His father played for the New England Patriots, and was a

writer for stand-up comedy god, Rodney Dangerfield. I bring to you Redline Studios Director/Producer, Matthew Pellowski.

Read any of his profiles online, and you will see that this former sports star, has worked with the biggest stars in America. Just to name a few of the television shows he has worked on, including

Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Lost, ESPN Sidelines, The Liza Minnelli show, The Apprentice, John Leguizamos Sexaholic, NBC’s Sports Desk and Inside Edition. Maybe I also need to remind you, besides basketball and all these famous shows, he was a all-star for the legendary Downtown Bulls

semi-pro baseball team. I am not used to introducing a former athlete with so much star power.

As a producer and director, he has worked on numerous promotional broadcasts and productions for such artists and companies as Jennifer Lopez, Ron Howard, Cedric the Entertainer, AZN televi-

sion broadcasting, Warner Brothers, Trident, J. Walter Thompson Marketing, Prada Inc., Will Smith’s “Hitch,” H&M, ESPN, Harrah’s Commercials, Seinfeld, and CNN. After working steadily in

television for 5 years, Matthew later went on to help form the independent film production compa-ny, Red Line Studios. Try to keep your head up folks. I thought I was a success in life for writing

blogs. After reading this former athletes profile, I feel like a loser lol.

I recently had the chance to interview this superstar, at everything he does. Without further due, I bring you Sports Jabber fans, a Q&A with Matthew Pellowski.

Tim Lumber: Can you just start off, by telling us a little about your sports background?

Matthew Pellowski: I played baseball and basketball in high school at Hillsborough High in

New Jersey, I was the co-captain of my baseball team and later went on to play the same sports at Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey. In college, I was ranked in the Top 10 of the nation for rebounds, averaging 15 rebounds and 13 points a game if I recall correctly, although

it's been some time. I was always a better baseball player than basketball player but my coach in college was a jerk and both seasons I left the team before the season ended. I was captain of my

basketball team in college during my senior year and won the Scholar Athlete Award. When college finished up, I could have went on to play basketball at small schools but I tried to

realistically gauge my career in basketball and felt I was too small as a power forward (my position / I am 6'4) to ever go on to play professionally so I decided to pursue

my other love which is film.

MATTHEW PELLOWSKI: BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, & BOOGEY-MEN

WRITTEN BY: TIM LUMBER

8

Tim Lumber: I have seen on IMDd, a profile they have on you. It stated that your father played for

the New England Patriots for a brief time. He was also a successful writer. These are two traits you both have in common. Having a father who played in the NFL and who was also a

successful writer, do you think this pushed you harder to succeed in sports, and later on as a writer? And how instrumental do you think he was to your success?

Matthew Pellowski: My father, being a former athlete, did push me to be active in sports when I

was a child. Sports can be an amazing teaching tool for an individual. You learn a great deal about yourself when you play sports, how to be a leader, how to pursue and achieve something with hard work and integrity. During my college basketball career, I was on two different kinds of teams. One season, I was on a team that had a great deal of heart, played with pride, but we

lost a great number of games. The second team won more frequently but there was no team uni-ty, no togetherness, and no class in how we played. Understanding that to play with pride means that you give your blood sweat and tears and leave everything on the court regardless of the out-

come, is something I carried over in my career in the arts. I remember the feeling of losing a game where I gave my entire body and soul to the sport versus winning a game where less effort

was needed to put forth.

Although it seems like a cliché, it made me realize the truth value in understanding that it doesn't matter if you win or lose, but how you truly do play the game. It's not about the score in

the end and the school or fans you played for. It's playing in a fashion that you can feel good about yourself and what effort you gave. Understanding that losing in the end is not that

important if your effort has dignity and pride is something that has always driven my career. It's liberating to not be afraid to fail. I believe that drive works well in film and television where many times rejection is not dependent on effort or skill, but politics or other uncontrollable

factors. In our family, working in the arts or playing sports wasn't exactly demanded, but it was expected that what you do in life be nothing short of extraordinary in effort. I think as a

collective, our family has attempted to leave a mark, to be remembered or immortalized in the films we produce or the books we write. It's not for fame or fortune, but because what's

expected inherently in our general makeup. There is a phrase in sports that captains often lead by example, I think my father and family live by those virtues. Aside from my father and his work in sports and the arts, I have also drawn a great deal of inspiration from my mother in just the way she has worked very hard in life without question. They are tough people who

set the bar high.

MATTHEW PELLOWSKI: BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, & BOOGEY-MEN (cont.)

9

Tim Lumber: You have a new documentary movie titled "Eyes of the Mothman". It is the first real documentary made on the Mothman. I am really looking forward to

getting a copy of this on dvd.

You go to Point Pleasant, WV. for this documentary. I seen the first 5 minutes of it, and I enjoyed it. You interviewed

key witnesses and it also looks like you have some re-enactments in this movie as well. Can you give us a little info, on what made you want to do this project?

Matthew Pellowski: I have always been interested in the paranormal. I had been researching

strange and unusual phenomena since I was a child and I began writing about those subjects as a freelancer for various paranormal magazines in my late teens and early twenties. As I started to shift gears into film-making, I tried to merge my love for the paranormal and my career in film by producing projects that explored the unknown. I first discovered the story of the Mothman

when a movie I went to see at the theater was sold out so I wandered into the Mothman Prophecies. When I discovered that it was inspired by true events, I was shocked that in all of my

years of research, it was a tale I had never come across. Never had I witnessed a case involving the paranormal that had so many unusual elements, creatures, UFOs, men in black, curses and

extraterrestrial encounters. Reading the Mothman Prophecies book shortly after, I realized that for the story to be truly told in detail would require doing so via a documentary.

Although I enjoyed the narrative film, I thought to really do the story justice and incorporate all of the facets of the book, it had to be executed as a documentary. Our goal with producing this

film was to produce the most in-depth, detailed, grounded and thorough investigation of the sub-ject of Mothman and the curious history of events surrounding the town of Point Pleasant, West

Virginia. We spent over a year’s time just in our research and establishing a relationship with the community to make sure we produced a film that acted as one voice for those who were actually

there to witnesses these strange and tragic occurrences. We wanted our film to be a definitive authority on this story where someone researching the subject or visiting the town

can watch our film and acquire a complete understanding of what transpired.

Tim Lumber: You were a writer for UFO magazine, The Paranormal News in the UK, and Paranoia Magazine. I am sure you came across some wild stories while writing for these publications. If you had to name one, what would be the wildest story you covered while

writing for these publications?

Matthew Pellowski: I would have to say that to this day nothing has topped the collective strangeness of the story of Mothman.

MATTHEW PELLOWSKI: BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, & BOOGEY-MEN (cont.)

10

Tim Lumber: Did you play for the famous Downtown Bulls semi-pro baseball team?

Matthew Pellowski: Yes, the Downtown Bulls was a team I was on, I played third base and was selected as an All-Star one season. I recently retired completely from baseball due to too many

arm and back injuries that prohibited me from playing to my potential. I am however working on producing more paranormal content in film and television as well as sports-related content. We also have a new documentary we are slated to shoot this year called "Last of the Breed." Those interested can visit www.lastofthebreed.tv for info on that project. It's a documentary about a

famous bluegrass musician who was incarcerated for 8 years.

Tim Lumber: Is there anything you would like to add? This is your chance to say anything, and promote anything you would like.

Matthew Pellowski: Thank you for taking the time to interview me.

For people interested in our film, they can visit www.eyesofthemothman.com

Sports Jabber Magazine would like to thank Matthew for taking the time out of his busy schedule to do this interview with us. We wish

you the best of luck in all of your future projects and endeavors.

MATTHEW PELLOWSKI: BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, & BOOGEY-MEN (cont.)

11

The Boston Red Sox were quite busy this offseason, acquiring incredible offense in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and

bullpen help in Dan Wheeler and Bobby Jenks.

The additions of Gonzalez and Crawford will almost certainly help the Sox offensively, as Crawford is currently 2nd All-Time amongst

active players in Stolen Bases, while Gonzalez has added pop to his bat (which the Sox have been lacking since they traded Man-

ny Ramirez a couple of years ago). The addition of Gonzalez, however, will force

former 1st Baseman Kevin Youkilis to move back to 3rd base. Youkilis began his MLB

career at 3rd base, so he is very familiar with that position.

Wheeler and Jenks prove to be significant additions to the Sox bullpen. Jenks was the closer for the White Sox before coming to Boston, while Wheeler spent his first two Major League Seasons

in a Rays uniform before joining the Sox.

The Red Sox also made a change in their coaching staff this offseason by adding Curt Young as their new Pitching Coach. Young replaces John Farrell, who was the team’s previous pitching

coach but headed north of the border to manage the Toronto Blue Jays.

1). Jacoby Ellsbury, CF 2). Dustin Pedroia, 2B 3). Carl Crawford, LF 4). Kevin Youkilis, 3B

5). Adrian Gonzalez, 1B 6). David Ortiz, DH

7). JD Drew, RF 8). Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

9). Marco Scutaro, SS

A LOOK INTO THE 2011 RED SOX: MOVES AND MORE MOVES WRITTEN BY: CATHY

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A LOOK INTO THE 2011 RED SOX: MOVES AND MORE MOVES (cont.) WRITTEN BY: CATHY

1). Jon Lester, LHP 2). John Lackey, RHP

3). Clay Buchholz, RHP 4). Josh Beckett, RHP

5). Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP

91 Alfredo Aceves 51 Daniel Bard 61 Felix Doubront 52 Bobby Jenks 58 Jonathan Papelbon 49 Tim Wakefield 35 Dan Wheeler Despite all of the wonderful acquisitions they made during the offseason, the Sox haven't turned

out to be the team everyone thought they would be.

As of April 10th, 2011, they are currently 1-7.

13

2. George St. Pierre 21-2-0

5'10" (178 cm) 170 lbs (78 kg)

1. Anderson Silva 28 - 4 - 0

6'2" (188 cm) 185 lbs (84 kg)

3. Jose Aldo 18 - 1 - 0

5'7" (171 cm) 145 lbs (66 kg)

4. Gilbert Melendez 18-2-0

5’9” (175 cm) 155 lbs (70 kg)

5. Jake Shields 26 - 4 - 1

6'0" (183 cm) 170 lbs (78 kg)

6. Dominick Cruz 17-1-0

5’8” (173 cm) 135 lbs (61 kg)

5. Frank Edgar 13 - 1 - 1

5'6" (168 cm) 154 lbs (70kg)

8. Jon Fitch 23-3-1

6’1” (184 cm) 170 lbs (77 kg)

9. Rashad Evans 15-1-1

5’11” (108 cm) 205 lbs (93 kg)

10. Nick Diaz 24-7-0

6’1” (184 cm) 170 lbs (80 kg)

Rankings as of: Apr. 2011

14

If you had a really good fantasy draft ten years ago, you would be set for your fantasy baseball

season. Back then, the draft made or broke your season. You kept track of your players for injuries and an occasional gem of a free agent but not on a daily basis.

Much has changed since those days. Now everyone has access to the latest fantasy baseball

information at our fingertips with the Internet. Ten years ago, people were still looking at last year’s stats to determine who to draft and fantasy baseball magazines (with months’ old data)

were just starting to become popular. I remember during the middle of the 2000’s, having secret websites that gave me an advantage but now everyone knows about the RotoWorlds and

RotoWires of the Internet. There is not as much chance that you will be able to find those steals of the draft because everyone now knows about them.

Most leagues were Roto style leagues ten years ago. Traditional Roto style does not have a bench

so all of your players are in your line up continually. Many of those leagues would not let you pick up free agents unless you had injuries. Nowadays, Head to Head leagues and Roto leagues

with benches have replaced many of the traditional leagues and they demand that you pay attention to the lineup. You now have to manage a bench, off days, and probable starting

pitchers.

However, the draft is still important. You do not want to lay an egg at the draft. But if you don’t hit a home run at your draft, you can still win your league. You have to work your team and

roster daily. You need to find those key free agents, pick up and rotate your players appropriately. Some owners will do this through the first part of May and then start taking days

and then weeks off. Many owners will stop changing their lineup except once a week by the All-Star Break. If you are in a Head to Head league, you only need to make the playoffs to have a chance. I came back from a 15 point deficit at the All-Star Break in a traditional Roto League

because I stayed on my top of my team and also because of a little luck.

The key is to outwork your opponents. This is true for the draft and for the season. Do not let the long season wear you down. Stay on top of it if you want to win and it will pay off much of the time. With such a long season, the cream does float to the top unlike in Fantasy Football

where I have seen the best team not make the playoffs because of bad luck. I have won nine championships in

fourteen seasons (with 4 more Top 3 finishes) in my local traditional Roto League because I outworked my

opposition. You can do the same but you have to be dedicated to your fantasy team(s).

FANTASY BASEBALL SEASON

WRITTEN BY: LARRY “BUD” LITLE

15

As the season winds down and as the playoff picture becomes clearer and clearer, the 2011 NHL Playoffs are looking like it’ll be a very exciting and

entertaining two months of hockey. Here, exclusively on SJ Magazine, I give you the playoffs preview for the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs. = Must Watch

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview WRITTEN BY: Dust

16

2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview (cont.) WRITTEN BY: Dust

17

We are 7 races into the 2010 Nascar season, and some big names are outside the Top 12 in points, and some unlikely drivers are either in the Top 12 or are hanging around real close.

Is this what Nascar intended? More to the point is this good for the sport?

The season started off with 20-year old-Trevor Bayne shocking everyone by taking the Wood Brothers back to victory lane in the season’s biggest race, The Daytona 500. This Daytona race saw the two car tango as opposed to big packs of cars running single file, and made for exciting

racing, with more passing then ever before.

In the 2nd race at Phoenix, Jeff Gordon finally ended his long winless drought by taking the 24 car back to victory lane. People were wondering what happened to the guy who won everything

in sight, when partnered up with Ray Evernham, and the majority of the blame was on crew chief Steve Letarte. In the offseason, team owner Rick Hendrick swapped a bunch of his crew

chiefs around to see if that would create a spark, and so far it has.

Carl Edwards won at Las Vegas, and Kyle Busch won at Bristol, in a race that was rather boring compared to past few races with little to no "beating and banging". Kevin Harvick won at

California and Martinsville. This week we saw Matt Kenseth end his long winless streak by winning at Texas.

Looking at the standings after 7 races, we see some familiar names, and one not so familiar

name. Sitting in 6th place is Dale Jr. who is finally having the kind of season he was expected to have when he joined Hendrick Motorsports. He hasn't won a race yet, but he is definitely getting close to getting that monkey off his back. Sitting 8th is former IRL driver Juan Pablo Montoya. He

has finally toned down his rough driving style, and it has paid off for him. In 11th place is Paul Menard. Who is he you ask? He is the highest paid driver in the Richard Childress Racing (RCR)

stable. Menard has always been looked down on because he runs with sponsorship from his family’s business and was generally considered to be just a "rich kid playing with daddies mon-

ey".

IS PARITY WHAT NASCAR “REALLY” WANTS? WRITTEN BY: Jon M. Tessler (Reveryroadie)

18

I have covered and have seen hundreds of football players in the semi-pro and arena leagues. The one player, I have

continued to cover is the legendary linebacker, Leroy Pinckney Jr. He is the captain of the Baltimore Pirates semi-pro football

team, and a U.S. war veteran from the legendary streets of Central Harlem. You can cover the local sports market and nev-

er come across a talent like Leroy in your lifetime.

Nicknamed "The Pirate", this guy hits 4 times harder than that little pirate BlackBeard! I once watched Leroy from the sideline

in a exhibition game. His hits were devastating. I heard one player saying, "I am never playing football again." after

“The Pirate," Leroy Pinckney Jr. KO'd him out of the game. All in all, 3 players would be pulled off the grounds unable to walk on their own two feet after feeling his

wrath!

This month for SJ, I bring you the most entertaining player in semi-pro football. I present to you Leroy Pinckey Jr., the middle linebacker and captain of the Baltimore Pirates semi-pro football

team. I recently caught up with the baddest damn Pirate in America, and here is what he had to say....

Tim Lumber: I first off want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule for "Sports

Jabber Magazine". I wanted to do something different with you, then I have ever done in my sports interviewing career. I always said, they could probably make a true story movie on you

one day. Who knows, maybe someone will read this, with some Hollywood muscle.

My first question is...anything you would want to share about when you lived in Harlem, NY, has it helped make you a tougher person, and is there any wild experiences you have had you

would want to share?

Leroy Pinckney Jr: I think the thing that I would most want people to know about me growing up in Harlem

is don’t always believe in statistics. People always said "you are a reflection of your environment." This is true. But you can do whatever you want in this life

no matter where you come from. I grew up during the crack cocaine era in Central Harlem where the movie

New Jack City was made. I overcame tremendous adversity to make it to be the person that I am today. Never believe in your naysayers. Always focus on the

bigger, better prize and you will always come out on top.

“THE PIRATE” KNOCKS ‘EM OUT: AFA STAR LB, LEROY PINCKNEY, JR. WRITTEN BY: TIM LUMBER

19

Tim Lumber: You are also a military man. Can you tell us a little about it?

Leroy Pinckney Jr: Yes, I served honorably in the U.S. Army for five years. I was deployed to Iraq

in 2003 and served my country in combat for 11 months. It gave me a lot of character and attention to detail. I would recommend service for anyone who needs a change in their life. It helped to sculpt me into the man that I am today. I have several lifelong friends be-

cause of my service. It helped me also with selfless service which allows me to help my fellow man and not to always think of self.

Tim Lumber: Out of any player I have ever covered, you by far have the most motivation, and you are the biggest team player by far. You are the captain of the Baltimore Pirates semi-pro football

team. Anything you would like to share with us on the Pirates or any football memories?

Leroy Pinckney Jr: The Baltimore Pirates are now in our second year of operation. People say a lot of things about us. Some are negative and some are positive. But this is for sure: We have tremendous heart, passion for the game, tenacity, and great leadership on this team. We also will play anyone, anywhere at any time and will NEVER back down from a

challenge. We have had a lot of ups and downs but our nucleus is still in tact. We have some really promising young players that I feel will be an impact in our spring league, the AFA (www.afaleague.com). Our coaches, Coach Paul, Coach Tim and Coach AP are grade A

guys. I respect them all tremendously as well as all of my teammates. I couldn't be the leader that people say I am if it wasn't for them. I love my team! I have too many

memories to put here, maybe in a future interview!!

Tim Lumber: I would also like to congratulate you and your wife on having a daughter this past October. I wanted to leave this last question, as basically a way for you to give a shout out to

anyone you want, or anything you want to say. Thanks for taking the time out to interview with Sports Jabber Magazine as well!

Leroy Pinckney Jr: I would like to give thanks to Him on high, our Father God for without

him, nothing is possible. i would also like to thank my beautiful wife, LaToie Pinckney and our kids for being there for me and supporting me. I also want to tell our fans and family

to have faith in us. We will not let you all down!! We will be competitive this upcoming season. Check us out at http://www.baltimorepiratesfootball.com/ for all info on the

Pirates, or join our Facebook fan page as well!!!

Once again Tim thank you for supporting my-self and on behalf of the entire Baltimore Pi-rates organization: THANK YOU!!! Look for-ward to seeing you at an upcoming game!!!

www.afaleague.com

“THE PIRATE” KNOCKS ‘EM OUT: AFA STAR LB, LEROY PINCKNEY, JR. (cont.)

20

The SJ Scott Wedell Memorial Mock Draft Database is one of the largest and most comprehensive mock draft databases on the net. We focus on the NFL Draft

year-round and have been focused since mid-2010 on the 2011 NFL Draft.

Sports Jabber will directly link you to hundreds of NFL mock drafts and player profiles by the time it’s over. This database is updated daily to provide you with

the most current projections possible.

So, BOOKMARK this page now and check back often!

SUBSCRIBERS TO (LISTINGS ON) THIS DATABASE ENJOY TREMENDOUS WORLDWIDE EXPOSURE & TRAFFIC TO THEIR SITES…FOR

FREE! FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR MOCK DRAFT, IN-CLUDING PARTICIPATION IN THE HIGHER-TRAFFIC-PRECIPITATING

“PREFERRED MOCKS” SECTION, CLICK HERE.

SPORTS JABBER PRESENTS:

Scott Wedell Memorial Mock Draft Database

http://sportsjabber.net/mock-draft-database/

the

SJ’S OFFICIAL MOCK DRAFT DATABASE

To check out mocks from SJ members: SJ Member Mocks

21

1. Carolina (2-14) - Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri 2. Denver (4-12) - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama

3. Buffalo (4-12) - Cam Newton, QB, Auburn 4. Cincinnati (4-12) - A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

5. Arizona (5-11) - Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M 6. Cleveland (5-11) - Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina

7. San Francisco (6-10) - Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU 8. Tennessee (6-10) - Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn

9. Dallas (6-10) - Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska 10. Washington (6-10) - Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

11. Houston (6-10) - J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin 12. Minnesota (6-10) - Jake Locker, QB, Washington

13. Detroit (6-10) - Tyron Smith, OT, USC 14. St. Louis (7-9) - Julio Jones, WR, Alabama 15. Miami (7-9) - Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

16. Jacksonville (8-8) - Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue 17. New England - from Oakland (8-8) - Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

18. San Diego (9-7) - Cam Jordan, DE, California 19. New York Giants (10-6) - Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA

20. Tampa Bay (10-6) - Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri 21. Kansas City (10-6) - Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor

22. Indianapolis (10-6) - Nate Solder, OT, Colorado 23. Philadelphia (10-6) - Brandon Harris, CB, Miami

24. New Orleans (11-5) - Justin Houston, DE/OLB, Georgia 25. Seattle (7-9) - Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado

26. Baltimore (12-4) - Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami 27. Atlanta (13-3) - Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona

28. New England (14-2) - Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State 29. Chicago (11-5) - Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin

30. New York Jets (11-5) - Marvin Austin, DT, UNC 31. Pittsburgh (12-4) - Mike Pouncey, OG, Florida

32. Green Bay (10-6) - Martez Wilson, ILB, Illinois

Sports Jabber Brings You… Its Official 2011 NFL Mock Draft

SJ’S OFFICIAL MOCK DRAFT DATABASE

Click HERE to comment or discuss .

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Once again, brought to you by: Keith, mrtxstar, Chuck, and Reg.

The way it works:

Each member that

participates submits their own ranking to Reg which are then aggregated and

combined into one Official SJ NBA Power Ranking. However, if for any reason, there are any ties, they are broken by the point system (how they are ranked on everyone’s polls).

Do you agree or disagree with this week’s rankings? Want to make some predictions of

your own?

SJ’s NBA Week 23 Rankings

Want to see past weeks’ rankings?

SJ’s 2010-2011 NBA Rankings Archive Edition

SJ’S OFFICIAL NBA POWER RANKINGS

23

NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE

Bulls vs. Pacers Winner: Bulls

Series Projection: 4-0 Why the Bulls Win: Do I even need to explain this? The

Pacers are a sub-500 team that’s in the playoffs by default. The default being the NBA insists on putting 8 teams from

each conference in the playoffs & most of the Eastern Confer-ence sucks. The Bulls could take this series without D-Rose.

Magic vs. Hawks Winner: Magic

Series Projection: 4-2 Why the Magic Win: Dwight Howard, Dwight Howard & Dwight

Howard. The Hawks have a couple of nice players on Joe Johnson & Al Horford, but none that can match-up with

“Superman”. Throw in the Magic’s “Mystical Rain of Treys” and the Hawks have little-no chance in this series.

Celtics vs. Knicks Winner: Celtics

Series Projection: 4-2 Why the Celtics Win: The re-formed Knicks may contend next

season, but not this one. The aging, banged-up but title-contending Celtics will be far too much for the still-figuring-it-out

Knicks.

Heat vs. Sixers Winner: Heat

Series Projection: 4-1 Why the Heat Win: The Heat Big 3. Another case of a title contender going up against a team that’s in the playoffs due to no other sorry

team stepping up. The Sixers have some young guns, ie Elton Brand & Evan Turner, and are well-coached, though. The Heat have no bench, but they don’t need one against the fun-to-watch but not-ready-for-

prime-time Sixers.

The Reg-inator and Golden Stomind Bring You Their 2011 NBA Playoff Predictions

WRITTEN BY: Reg and Golden Stomind

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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE

Spurs vs. Grizzlies Winner: Spurs

Series Projection: 4-1 Why the Spurs Win: Experience vs. youth, but the experienced

team is more talented too. I may be going out on a limb by saying Memphis wins one game, but the Grizzlies did win both of their

home games against the Spurs this season. I don't see the Grizzlies pulling off any magic here, so San Antonio in 5.

Lakers vs. Hornets Winner: Lakers

Series Projection: 4-0 Why the Lakers Win: Los Angeles swept the regular

season series, and I expect the same here. New Orleans won't be able to handle the towers up front and that guy

named Kobe should be hard to stop as well. Hornets should be happy if they win one.

Mavericks vs. Trail Blazers

Winner: Trail Blazers Series Projection: 4-3

Why the Trail Blazers Win: Portland is coming into the playoffs hot, with a 4-1 record in April, with one win coming over Dallas. The Mavericks

have seemed to disappoint in the past couple years and are a bit banged up. The addition of Gerald Wallace have helped Portland tremendously and should be able to slow down Dirk with his top-notch defense. This

can go either way, but I think Portland pulls off the upset in seven games.

Thunder vs. Nuggets Winner: Thunder

Series Projection: 4-2 Why the Thunder Win: Denver has played surprisingly well after the Carmelo trade, but I don't see them winning this one. After last season, OKC now has a feel for the playoffs

and the combo of Durant and Westbrook are averaging almost 50 combined points per game. The Thunder are

underdogs no more.

(cont.) The Reg-inator and Golden Stomind Bring You Their 2011 NBA Playoff Predictions

WRITTEN BY: Reg and Golden Stomind

25

A Sports Jabber-Exclusive Interview With Lakers' International Scouting Director & Author, Adam Filippi

Conducted by Reg & Ray DeVone

SJ: First off…I must inform you that you’re talking to the two world’s greatest Lakers fans, although Jack Nicholson THINKS

he is, LOL. So tell Kobe & the Purple & Gold Crew that Reg & Ray said….GOOOOO MIGHTY Lake Show!

You are the Lakers' Director of International Scouting---What

does your role entail?

Adam: I'm in charge of scouting the entire international scene. International scouting is a big part of the NBA. European basketball affects the whole of the NBA. NBA teams have to know what's going on with European players and how

it can affect the draft. I'm based in Italy, which is centrally located from an international basketball perspective. I've been with the Lakers for 10 years and with

the NBA for 13 years.

SJ: What NBA players have you scouted that have achieved NBA success?

Adam: Among many others...Pau & Marc Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, and Tony Parker...all of whom I scouted when they were really young. I also scouted Manu Ginobli. I was not,

however, working for the Lakers at the time. Manu was playing in the Italian 2nd Division. He had an unorthodox shooting form, but was a great competitor. What real-

ly caught my attention was that he was so athletic and smart. He was the 2nd to the last pick in the 1999 draft. I bet if that draft could be done over, Manu would be a top 4

pick. I got into scouting and player development at the right time.

SJ: We couldn't agree with you more about Manu. He's a great player. What other basketball or other sports-related-jobs have you had…in the NBA and

otherwise?

Adam: I've always worked in basketball...specifically in scouting. I've been involved as such since age 25. I started in Europe, then went on to the NBA. I also got involved

with individual player development coaching. Scouting and player development complement each other. Scouting is the blueprint for player development.

SHOOT LIKE THE PROS WITH ADAM FILIPPI WRITTEN BY: REG & RAY DEVONE

26

SJ: We read the Foreword to your new book…“Shoot Like The Pros: The

Road to a Successful Shooting Technique“, so we have a feel for the answer to this question. But for our readers who haven’t done so yet…What inspired

you to write this book?

Adam: As I said previously, I've focused a great deal on player development. I've always enjoyed teaching...shooting the most, with emphasis on player technique. Initially, I didn't know I was writing a book, as I was originally

writing an article. But I loved writing on the subject and the article became a booklet and then a book.

SJ: I (Reg) was never a very good basketball player…barely made my HS school team. I could nev-er shoot worth a dime…wish I’d had your book…Fred Flintstone & I definitely coulda used it,

LOL. But I shudder at what I see today as a lack of overall fundamental soundness in so many of today’s players. Is it just me? …Do you also see that?….in general and in shooting? Why is that?

What happened? Why aren’t fundamentals taught more diligently?

Adam: I grew up watching & studying the game in the 80's. No question that overall fundamentals have declined. Part of the reason is shorter college basketball seasons & restrictions on practice time. Hence, there's not enough time to properly work on fundamentals. Also, many of today's players do not study the history of the game. Therefore, they aren't aware of the greatness in

fundamentals that many great former players possessed. A counter-example though is Kobe Bry-ant. His father was a friend of mine and "Jelly Bean" instilled in Kobe at an early age a respect for &

need to grasp the game's history. So, Kobe became a student of the game at an early age.

SJ: Who could benefit from reading/following the instructions/guidance of this book?

Adam: Players and coaches at any level will benefit from this book. The great ones know how to coach themselves...Kobe Bryant for example. But players at all levels need direction and must be

given resources so they can learn to coach themselves.

SJ: Who have been &/or are your greatest influencers in basketball in general and of great shooting technique?..and in what way?

Adam: I developed my own way of coaching and teaching shooting. However, I've been influenced

to some degree with my shooting drills by Lakers' assistant coach Bill Bertka's overall methodology for basketball drills.

I've been a great observer since I was a kid. I still like to watch peo-

ple...how they walk, talk, dress, act, react, etc. Scouting is observ-ing. By watching players, I found that there are a lot of great

shooters, but they all don't shoot the same. There is no perfect shot.

SHOOT LIKE THE PROS WITH ADAM FILIPPI (cont.)

27

SJ: Give us the names of a few great players who in your mind exhibit or exhibited great shooting

technique.

Adam: I've studied many great shooters. I was mesmerized by Oscar Schmidt, the greatest shooter I've ever seen, yet he never played in the NBA. Walter Davis seemingly did not miss. Brian Winters

was another great shooter that majorly impressed me. Glen Rice and Ray Allen have shown the most consistent forms.

SJ: Phil Jackson said of your book..."The best book on this topic that I

have ever read." HMMMMmmm...Let's see..."PJ" has 11 rings. I'd say that you can't have a more solid endorsement than that of "PJ". So, where can

our readers purchase your great book?

Adam: My book can be purchased both online...ie, Amazon...or at bookstores.

SJ: Is there a link, phone number &/or publisher contact email address that our readers may have in case they want further pre-purchase information?

Adam: Josh Williams

Associate Publicist | Triumph Books | 542 S. Dearborn, Ste. 750 | Chicago, IL 60605 | (312) 252-1261 / (608) 469-8027 | j.williams@triumphbooks.com | www.triumphbooks.com

SJ: So…AHEM…"objectively" speaking…assess the Lakers’ chances for the 3-peat, please.

Adam: I like our chances. I'd be really happy for "PJ". The League is a lot more competitive though. We are not superior to anyone, but as I see it there's only a couple of teams that have the potential to beat us four times. I have tremendous respect for the Celtics, Spurs, and Heat. I think the Spurs have the experience but maybe not the personnel. The Celtics have both. The Bulls, I think, while possessing Rose and playing at a high level, are a bit too inexperienced right now. The Heat are

simply extremely talented. Having said all of that, I see added excitement to come from the likes of the Blazers, Nuggets, and Thunder.

SJ: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview, Adam. Good luck with your book and your ca-reer. Please pass along our thanks to Josh & Stephen at Triumph Books for organizing this inter-

view and providing the books for our giveaway-promotions*.

*For a chance to win copies of Adam's book, play SJ NBA PLAYOFFS SWAMI.

SHOOT LIKE THE PROS WITH ADAM FILIPPI (cont.)

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Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have been fan favorites for years. Using the last three years’ statistics, and other weighted factors, it appears they are not the top of the class any more, but

are still Top Ten. Mike Vick deserves Honorable Mention but he has only recently played the last two years and I felt while he is a Top Ten quarterback, it is not fair to include him and

handicapped him for the first year (2008) I considered.

The quarterbacks I considered were (not in final rated order):

1. Peyton Manning 2. Phillip Rivers

3. Aaron Rodgers 4. Drew Brees 5. Tom Brady 6. Matt Ryan

7. Tony Romo 8. Ben Roth

9. Matt Cassel 10. Brett Favre 11. Eli Manning

12. Carson Palmer 13. Joe Flacco

14. Donovan McNabb

In doing my research for this article I used weighted factors to classify who is Top Ten and who is not. I excluded Brett Favre as he has likely retired for the 2011 season.

The considerations I used are:

1.Won Division 2. Went to Conference Championship

3. Went to Super Bowl 4. QB Rating

5. % Completions 6. # Yards Passing

7. Yards lost due to Sacks 8. Interceptions

9. # Fumbles 10. # Yards Rushing

11. Yards Per Attempt 12. It Factor

TOP TEN QUARTERBACKS GOING INTO THE 2011 SEASON WRITTEN BY: Greg (Stealersrule)

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Items 1 through 11 were obtained through Yahoo Sports Stats. Item 12 is subjective values based on the quarterbacks come from behind abilities, leadership factors, teammates willing-ness to follow you, winning clutch games, recent playoff success. Etc… After putting this all to-gether my final top ten list of QBs going into 2011 (with honorable mention to Joe Flacco and

Mike Vick):

1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Drew Brees

3. Peyton Manning 4. Ben Roethlisberger

5. Eli Manning 6. Tom Brady

7. Phillip Rivers 8. Tony Romo 9. Matt Ryan

10. Matt Cassel

These ratings may be skewed if you have personal bias towards one of the quarterbacks, but from the what have you done for me lately perspective, going into 2011, it is a fair analysis.

TOP TEN QUARTERBACKS GOING INTO THE 2011 SEASON (cont.) WRITTEN BY: Stealersrule

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Be ready because this is not the only contest you are going to see....our mock team is really working hard. This will be the first of some exciting things made available for your participation.

RULES:

1. One entry per person. Final edit must be done before actual draft begins. Mark will lock the

thread at the appropriate time.

2. Each line entry is worth a maximum of 3 points: a. 1 point for matching team and draft position

b. 1 point for matching player and position c. 1 point for matching player and team

3. Partial points will be awarded as follows: a. 2 points for matching player and position

b. 2 points for matching player and team

4. No points will be awarded for matching team and draft position ONLY.

5. A maximum score of 96 is possible.

6. As a tie-breaker, please complete the full Lions draft for all 7 rounds. (Good luck with that! )

7. Thread will be closed before the draft. Mike will lock the thread at the appropriate time.

Scoring examples: Contest entry Actual NFL Draft results Points 1. DET, Matt Stafford 1. DET, Matt Stafford 3 2. STL, Aaron Curry 2. STL, Andre Smith 0 3. KC, Mark Sanchez 8. KC, Mark Sanchez 2

4. SEA, Michael Crabtree 4. MIN, Michael Crabtree 2

Please post your best first-round mock draft (with tie-breakers) HERE in THIS thread.

Entries outside this thread or on any other forum will not be accepted.

Go here to enter and for more information:

Sports Jabber Mock Draft Contest Thread

SJ MOCK DRAFT CONTEST

31

There's always something new at SJ, because...well...that's what we do.

Since our last edition, we have had some changes and new additions at Sports Jabber, to make the site and forum run a little bit smoother as well as to recognize all of those for

their accomplishments.

Some great new and exciting additions to the Sports Jabber community are several contests in which you can enter and win fantastic prizes, simply by using your sports knowledge or a simple “eenie, meenie, miney, moe” technique which

we all know and love.

SJ NBA PLAYOFFS SWAMI

Third Annual Sports Jabber Mock Draft Contest

We also have an ongoing Mock Selection Draft in the

SJ Official NFL Draft Headquarters where our members are voting on who the NFL teams will pick in the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft.

DeMOCKracy 2011

And last but not least, as always, we bring to you, up-to-date coverage of the

ongoing playoffs in both the NBA and NHL arenas. Want to predict who will win each round? Want to talk smack about your team’s rival? Visit these threads and

get all of your latest NBA and NHL Playoff Coverage brought to you by your SJ Family.

NBA Playoff Coverage/Discussion Threads

NHL Playoff Coverage/Discussion Threads

WHAT’S NEW AT SJ?

32

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SPORTS JABBER AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

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to SJ Magazine?

Contact: Meg (bbyao06) at sportsjabbermag@gmail.com.

Check us out at the

Home of SJ Magazine: http://sportsjabber.net/sj-magazine/

You can also find archived editions and the

SJ Magazine Staff listed there.

SPORTS JABBER MAGAZINE

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