Paul Millsap - The Ultimate Shaft

So today I got home after a long morning and noticed that the NBA All Star Ballot was out. Even though I know its just a popularity contest I still wanted to go on and vote. I know that Chris Paul and Kobe will get the popular vote over Derron and Okur would not be likely out with a injury... But the avid jazz fan that I am I decided to hop on. D Will... Check! Okur... Check! AK?... Surprised! Jefferson... Check! Millsap.... um.... what... where is my boy Millsaps name?

To my despair he was left of the ballot! How could this be was the first thing that I thought. Then I thought, well maybe its just cause I am a Jazz fan and I think he is better only cause he is a Jazz player. So I did what any normal person would do... I compared the other forwards on the ballot, but not to my surprise Millsap was better than most then statistically. So here is what I did

I took the top 8 categories (Points, Rebounds, Assists, Field Goal %, Free Throw %, Steals, Blocks and Turnovers) I took the current to date stats of all the forwards on the west ballot and ranked them from 1-25 The best person in that category got 1 point and the worse got 25. I did that will all 8 categories and them added them up. And this is what I came up with

Click Here To See The Detailed Stats For Below

	Player	PPG	RBG	APG	FG%	FT%	SPG	BPG	TO	Total
1	Pau Gasol	6	2	1	3	12	16	2	9	51
2	Rudy Gay	4	14	4	5	2	3	8	16	56
3	Paul Millsap	8	9	5	2	14	9	11	5	63
4	Luis Scola	5	7	12	4	16	13	10	7	74
5	Carmelo Anthony	2	13	6	13	5	4	9	23	75
6	Kevin Durant	1	16	9	21	1	5	6	25	84
7	David West	15	17	14	7	7	7	7	12	86
8	Tim Duncan	19	8	10	6	21	14	1	15	94
9	LaMarcus Aldridge	11	12	13	18	11	8	4	24	101
10	Andrei Kirilenko	22	22	3	20	9	10	5	11	102
11	Al Jefferson	14	10	23	17	10	25	3	4	106
12	Dirk Nowitzki	3	11	21	14	3	24	12	20	108
13	Lamar Odom	16	6	2	1	25	22	21	17	110
14	Kevin Love	9	1	19	22	4	21	16	19	111
15	Zach Randolph	13	3	18	9	18	15	24	13	113
16	Ron Artest	25	25	17	23	6	2	17	1	116
17	David Lee	18	4	7	15	17	11	23	22	117
18	Michael Beasley	7	20	20	8	19	12	13	21	120
19	Blake Griffin	12	5	16	10	24	17	19	18	121
20	Hedo Turkoglu	21	24	11	16	15	18	14	2	121
21	Jeff Green	10	15	25	19	8	19	20	8	124
22	Grant Hill	23	19	15	12	13	20	15	10	127
23	Trevor Ariza	24	21	8	25	20	1	22	6	127
24	Carl Landry	17	18	24	11	23	23	25	3	144
25	Caron Butler	20	23	22	24	22	6	18	14	149

Additionally I thought, if Millsap was on a team like the Kings or Timberwolves where they did not have as much talent as the Jazz, Lakers or Spurs then his numbers would be higher. So I went back and while I can not penalize the players or take them out cause their teams suck, I had to put a HUGE asterisks next to their name that their numbers would not be as good if they were on one of the better teams. So I have made anyone that is on a team below .500 in red!

Surprisingly Millsap came out 3rd in total value according to my personal evaluation, which I think is a decent way of showing.

One might say that they kept him out cause they have to include all teams and even it out, so I took the ballot and looked at the teams and who had the most invites

Team	#
Hawks	6
Lakers	6
Bucks	5
Celtics	5
Grizzlies	5
Pistons	5
Suns	5
Bobcats	4
Bulls	4
Cavaliers	4
Clippers	4
Heat	4
Hornets	4
Jazz	4
Magic	4
Mavericks	4
Rockets	4
Sixers	4
Thunder	4
Warriors	4

The Utah Jazz have 4 total players on the ballot while teams like the Lakers (6) Hawks (6) Bucks (5) Celtics Grizzlies (5) Pistons (5) and Suns (5) have more. So its not a total team problem. Then I noticed that the Jazz had quite a few forwards in the mix, maybe that was the reason. they do have 3 forwards. But I also noticed that Al Jefferson is listed as a forward and has played every game for the Jazz as a center. Which hurts Big Al's chance cause the competition is tougher! Al could have easily been listed as a center and Millsap as a forward and kept it fair.


And if anything else, I am well aware that the All Star Game, really isn't the All Star Game as much as it is the Popularity Star Game and Mr Stern is more about the face than the actual game! But in my opinion Millsap deserves to be there more than anyone else on the Jazz... But Williams.

So was this on purpose? Or does stern and his "All Star Committee" really think that Millsap does not deserve to be on the list? I would put this as bad as when Williams got shafted in 2009 from the All Star team... But at least he was on the ballot!

Put your comments below with your opinion and don't forget to log in and vote Millsap as a write in on the ballot!

My Brother Bryce Is My Hero!

This last week was the wedding of my brother Bryce.  The day came quicker than I imagined and it still doesn't feel completely real that my little brother of 21 years old.... Has a family that I am not a part of! But I am so proud of the little guy!!!! He is my hero in many ways! Even though he is 5 years younger than me, he has set many examples for me in my life that I look up to him for. And even though he may not realize it he has helped me in so many ways!

I remember when I was in 9th grade I started wrestling and in Jr High Wrestling I took 2nd in state my first year. Although Jr High is so much easier than high school... It was my first year ever wrestling and I was proud of myself. That summer the coach worked with me and got me to wake up at 6am every morning (for those of you that know me know that is hard to do) to go lift weights to prepare myself for high school. I still remember to this day how excited I was to help my little brother Brycey learn how to wrestle cause he would have a head start on me and I could make him amazing! I took him a few times to lift weights but for the most part he was not into it. He more enjoyed playing his trumpet and choir. But he knew how much I wanted him to. When I was on my mission I had a REALLY hard time when I first went out there! Between not understanding Italian at all and the basic church stories that everyone knew that i did not pay attention to in primary and Sunday school caught up to me. I didn't feel like I was ready to do it and started wishing I was home with my friends and family. It got to the point where I talked to my mission president about it and he told me to call my family and talk to them. I talked to my mom and dad till 2-3 in the morning and shed a few tears cause to this point in my life I had never had a personal challenge like this. Talking with them helped and I ended up telling my president that I was fine and was not wanting to go home anymore. The support from everyone was amazing but I remember more than anything the next day going to check my email and I had a email from my little brother who at the time was 14 years old and the only part on the email I remember is when he said "Brandon I don't want you to come home, If you stay out there I promise that next year I will wrestle for you" I don't remember what else he said, and at that point I was already staying, but I couldn't believe that he would say that! I knew he didn't want to do that, and I realized how much he was looking up to me.  Through the rest of my mission anytime I had a hard time I would think back to this email and Bryce's few short words would help me get through those hard times.

I also have many fun memories with the little guy, I remember when I was in 5th grade Bryce was in kindergarden and we were in the same elementary school. I was the older brother and my mom had him walking home from school with me every day. Every day I would make my little 5 year old brother carry home all my books and stuff all the way from Wilson Elementary to the Turpin household (which was a good 15-16 blocks) and he always did. Never complained and was my little personal slave. This same year I started a personal business at school selling boondogle that my parents had bought for Hullaballoo but never used for 1/2 the price that the school was selling it to the kids. Everyone came to me for their boondogle and my dad even helped me build a wooden box to hold them all in so I did not loose them. Even though the school quickly shut me down due to the fact they could not compete with my low prices (funny a school stopped a child from creatively thinking) but every day after I was done doing my business outside the school Bryce would carry that wooden box home along with my books. And I don't ever remember him complaining about it!

I also liked to tease him a lot, I remember when Brittney was born me and Bryce were forced to share a room and have bunk beds. I was on the bottom most the time and loved to kick the bottom of his bed till he would get mad and wake up my parents, they would then come in and yell at him for being loud! I found this amusing that I could be bad and he would get in trouble for it.

And I also remember as much hard time as I gave him (which was many) when ever we got in trouble (which was often) he would always want to come and sleep with me on my bed cause he was sad!

I also loved scaring him, there were 2 things that I remember always scaring him about. The first was a skeleton head that I got for Christmas one year. You would put ooze in its head and it would push out its nose mouth and ears. It also for some reason that I do not remember had glow in the dark teeth! I would put something in front of the head when we were put into bed. After about 10 min I would quietly get up and move the object in front of the head, lay back in my bed and point out to Bryce that it was there. He would FREAK out every time! HAHA! Man it was classic! Them my mom or dad would come in and tell me to not do it, take the teeth and leave. It never got old, I probably did it at least 20 times and every time, even though he knew exactly what it was he would freak out and cry!

I also loved listening to music when I would go to bed. I use to put on some Garth Brooks or one of my karaoke tapes and sing and imagine that I was singing on a stage in front of a million people! I LOVED IT! Well when I got my first CD player I acquired a hand me down CD from my dad called Milli Vanilli. It is the most amazing CD ever and I still know all the songs word for word. But on the end of that CD there was a song. In the middle of it this lady starts singing (or I think thats what it is) and she sounds like a freaking ghost. There is also deep beats leading up to this point that build the anticipation. But every time that lady started singing my brother would freak out as much as he would with the glow in the dark teeth! And I was able to do this many many more times than I was the skeleton head! I have even put a clip below so you can see how ridiculous the song is for yourself

If you scroll to 2:30 into the song you will hear the lead up and the lady ghost that scared the crap out of my brother

Even though when he went back to wrestle after promising to me he would, he quit within the first week cause he knew I was not coming home at this point. I love the kid more than anyone knows. Sometimes I think I don't let him know this as much as I probably should. We are not emotional to each other, a few punches and a laugh or 2 and we know we love each other. But I want to come out with words and say how much I love him, and how proud of him I am for what he has done. He is a great example to me and my sisters and I am greatfull he is my brother! 

2nd Annual Turpy's Christmas Mix

The time has come again for one of the most anticipated mixes to be released! This year I have taken some of the classics included last year, added a few new ones and taken out the ones that were not as popular.

As each of you know, or should know, I love Christmas!!! I love Christmas lights, I love Christmas trees, I love the smell of Christmas and cuddling in the cold to some hot chocolate or cider! I would say December is by far by favorite month. A HUGE part of the season is the music, with the right mix it could be the most amazing month ever! So I am taking my Christmas music expertize and passing it onto you.

I have made a compilation of 62 AMAZING songs. Just click on the link below and you will be able to download a zip file with all 62 songs that once you un-zip you can put in your media library

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

If you are not able to open the file than you can use the free program below to open the songs in it

DOWNLOAD WINRAR

The Power Within Yourself

Sometimes it feels like the world is out to get you, like you can not win! Sometimes I wonder if there is ever light in the future or if im going to get to where I want to go. Sometimes it feels like you have nothing left to give, you are exhausted and tired and do not want to try! The tank is empty and it might just be easier to give up and quit than have to continue. My wrestling coach used to say when you feel like you can not do anything more than you are doing, thats the most important time to push forward, those are the times you grow and become a champion.

I think often we just give up way to easy in life, we think things are too hard and we throw in the towel. But when we push through those tough times, that is when we come out on top. The only failure is when you stop trying or give up. 

So I am not going to give up, im going to push through the tough times and try my hardest not to fall, but if I do, I know that as long as I get back up and keep finishing then in the end, I can consider myself a success. I think often I look to outside sources to blame for short comings, its easier than admitting you failed. But from not on im not going to admit I failed, cause thats not what I am going to do, I am going to admit that I did something the wrong way, im going to get back up, and I am going to continue. Its not the first mile in the hike thats that hardest, its always the last... But its always when you finish that last mile that you get to your destination and have the most reward. So go ahead hit me, kick me, punch me, knock me down! Cause I will get back up, and I will win!

I WILL NOT GIVE UP!