What are your non-negotiable? (Relationship Edition)

I have always been the guy that ladies vent their relationship problems too. I think the main reason for this is my relaxed and passive nature leads females to believe I have no alternative motive when I advise them.

Anyways, when most of my female friend decide to tell me about the new guy they are seeing or an upcoming first date they first start out with a list of negatives

Hes too short
He's too fat
He only has a job he doesn't have a career
He's not a good dresser
He's not a good speaker

Now I am not fan of a person settling for less than they deserve but the list of attributes and qualities of an ideal mate can be ridiculous.

A true list for finding a mate should be a two sides list have 1. negotiables and 2. non negotiables.

1.The non negotiable should be a short of the list and it should only list things you can't live with out ie religion, family values, etc. Even though you would love your dream man to be like Denzel Washington you must realize that he is already taken and if you were to spend a week with him you see his flaws and your perception of him would change.

2. The negotiables list shouldn't have request that the person can't physically change such as height, completion or family members (well you can always kill a family member but its shouldnt get that far). A negotiable can be a request such as I want my partner to be in better shape or I want my partner to have a better job but as my father always told me "you can lead a camel to water but you can't force it to drink". A person will not change their situation until they want to change it, we merely can hope that we motivate them into action.

In dating and in relationships we must always remember that the person we are dating may have physically stop growing but is still growing mentally and spiritually. The men and woman we idolize as perfect mates in entertainment are often in there late 40s and have gone through life altering experiences to shape them to be the men and women they are today. You can't expect a 26 year old man to be as eloquent as Barack Obama and you can't expect a 23 year old girl to be as classy as Michele. You are dating a person for what they will become and not what they are. Your non negotiables should reflect the seeds of those core qualities that you need to see blossom as your relationship grows deeper.

And always remember you're not perfect either!

,
Follow me @DrivenDre

Don't Facebook in the Morning

In this technology addicted world the first thing most of us do in the morning is check our email and social media. We get do caught up with post and tweets that the time flies by and we forget to take care of ourselves.

Looking at your email is looking at someone else's agenda. Think about it how many times does your email actually give You something. Your emails are usually companies trying to selling you something or newsletters discussing their opinion and pushing their agenda. (And no, that Prince in Africa who has left you millions of dollars in inheritance that's owed to you only if you X amount is sent to pay for lawyer fees )

Now I'm not saying that email, Twitter and Facebook are bad, nothing on this earth is inherently bad. The first thing on your agenda in the mornings shouldn't be about the world it should be about you. You have no excuses not too. It only takes 5 minutes of self talk or just thinking about how your day,week and/or month is going. Other thing to thing to do in the morning

1. Exercise
2. Meditate
3. Pray
4. Have a heart to heart with a loved one

Give some of these activities a chance one morning and do it before you check you email or a social media outlet . If it doesn't work i'll give you your money back (advice is free so you get nothing).

Follow me @DrivenDre

NFL Week 14 Power Rankings

NFL Week 14 Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Atlanta – Even though Atlanta lost, they lost in a respectable fashion to Cam Newton a top 10 QB.
2. Houston – The Texans just never seemed into the game, the usually attack of alot of Arian Foster with a sprinkle of Andre Johnson never got a chance to happen this game. When a team like the
3. Patriots – Domination of a top 5 team propels the Patriots higher in the power rankings. They not only beat the Texans but they mad it look easy and effortless.
4. San Francisco – I love watching these defense play and Colin and Gore running the ball will make the Niners a tough out in January
5. Broncos – The General Strikes again. The Broncos simply and consistently beat teams they are better than.


Bottom 5

28.Browns - Three in a row, I told you this team has some nice weapons on offense
29. Eagles – Nice win by the Eagles and Nick Foles, is he the QB of the future I am not sure but one thing I am sure of is he is not a turnover machine like Michael Vick.
30. Tennessee   – The Colts have the magic this year so the Titans didn't stand a chance.
31. Jaguars – Just not enought weapons and with Jet Killer MJD, the Jags had no chance here.
32. Chiefs – The emotion of the prior weeks events could only lead to one more win for the Chief, back to the regular business of losing

Fantasy Monster – Adrian Peterson is a man!!!!

Sanchez Watch – The Jets win despite Sanchez. His progression as QB has stalled and it appear the ceiling for Mark Sanchez is a backup Q.B

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

NFL Week 13 Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Houston – Just another day in the office (2 passing touchdowns for Schaub, 1 rushing TD for Foster and 1 sack for Watt)
2. Atlanta – A fairly easy win this past Thursday night thanks to Drew Brees playing the worst game of his career. The Falcons bolster one of the best records in NFL but most analyst feel they are the weakest of the top tier team. The answer is still yet to be seen but one thing we know for sure is the Falcons wins games by any means necessary.
3. San Francisco – The Kapernick magic train has hit a bump. I not going to put too much stock into this 49ers loss. I believe this loss was a hangover loss from the high off last week big divisional win against the Saints.
4. Broncos – The hate has gone too far and I would like to apologize to the Broncos fans. The Broncos play isn't flashy and isn't explosive but the Broncos play is consistently good and error free. Denver defense is also playing big and Von Miller has added his name to Defensive Player of the year candidates.
5. Patriots – Brady is looking like Brady again and things are starting to gel a bit more on defense with Talib. The scariest thing is Gronk isn't even playing.

Bottom 5

28. Jets – Even with a win this team doesn't leave the bottom five in my eyes. A very sloppy win for the Jets here. With Sanchez's benching he will probably never be a confident number one QB again.
29. Browns – I really like this team a lot for the future, all they're missing is a explosive receiver and a big time QB (only about 5 NFL teams have this combination anyway). Weeden is proven to be a professional NFL QB but his ceiling is as a second string QB at best.
30. Eagles – Vick done for year, Reid gone at the end of the year. Eagles fans will have to get used to being a AFC East cellar dweller for the next few years. I expect to see the Eagles blows up the team and starts from scratch...So much for the Dream Team
31. Jaguars – No shame here losing to a Bills team that has the tendency to under-performed (except for Sunday).
32. Chiefs – Big time emotional win in the face of a tragic Saturday Kansas City






Fantasy Monster – MegaTron 171 yards, 1 TD






Sanchez Watch – Finally benched!!! the inconsistent play had to stop. I had a nightmare last night the NY Jets QB’s next year were Tim Tebow and Michael Vick. yuuucckkyy






Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?






Follow me @DrivenDre

Prescribed Gospel vs. Described Gospel

Dreadlocks aren't allowed in Church!
Jeans aren't allowed in Church!
Guys shouldn't have pierced ears that's a sin!
You have tattoo's all over your body that's a sin!
Your hair is relaxed and not natural that's a sin!
You're eating bacon that's a sin!
You're eating shrimp that's a sin!
You are having an alcoholic drink so you apparently must be a sinner?

How many of us have heard these accusations from our fellow brothers and sister in Christ. I know I personally have heard four of these (and yes my hair is natural). We tend to become down when we get a verbal spanking from our fellow saints but how do we know that the sin they are accusing us off is in fact a sin.

The real answer is they can't tell us that our actions are a sin unless they can reference it the bible. The way Holy Spirit may interpret the Bible messages and text to you in a completely different way then to someone else. So who are you to judge?

For example the Bible in Mark 1:17 Jesus says "come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men". The text does not prescribe that we can only make fishers of men in certain locations. So if the Holy Spirit leads you to go to the club to be the witness for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who has the right to demonize you. The Holy Spirit told you to GO!! and you went. Now we need to be truly careful that it is indeed the Holy Spirit that is leading in all aspects of life and not our own selfish intentions  The best way to validate this is to ask yourself WHY you are doing a particular action, if your intent is for the good of the kingdom then you can trust that nudge telling you to GO.

According to Dictionary.com

pre·scribe  - to lay down, in writing or otherwise, as a rule or a course of action to be followed; appoint, ordain, or enjoin

de·scribe  -to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of: He described the accident very carefully.

If we are going to advise our brothers and sister in Christ we need to insure that our source is prescribed from the text which God has given us and not described from us interpreting or altering the Bible for our own purpose.

At the end of the day Jesus tells us that our described church rituals and codes are not important i

Mark 7:18-23 NIV

18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean. 20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”   

Thoughts?

Follow me @DrivenDre

NFL Week 12 Power Rankings

NFL Week 12 Power Rankings

Top 5
1. Houston – With the help of the refs and the ridiculous rule that a challenge flag negates an actually challenge being reviewed helps the Texans win an overtime thriller.
2. Atlanta – Julio Jones was questionable until game time but ended up playing and stumbled upon 145 yards on six catches with a touchdown. Whenever someone has an off day another stud skilled position player steps up.
3. San Francisco – Team on the rise with Kaepernick at the helm. When Alex Smith was leading the 49ers there was always a sense that if this 49ers ever got behind by two touchdowns the game was over because he wouldn't bring them back. With Kaepernick’s elite arm strength and Farve like mentality he adds that missing dimension - (comeback-ability).
4. Bears – Cutler was slicing and dicing through the Vikings Defense (see what I did there Cut-ler slicing and dicing). Cutler’s play covers up the mistakes of a weak offensive line and his play turns B. Marshall into a top 5 receiver.
5. Ravens/Giants – The two Jeckel and Hyde teams of the NFL, you never know which version is going to show. Wouldn't I be surprised if these two met in the Superbowl


Honorable Mention- Broncos – I just don’t believe they would stand a chance against any of the top five teams but MVP Peyton Manning has been proving everyone wrong this year.

Bottom 5

28. Browns – Love the weapons and the future for this team, only a few skilled players away from being a contender
29. Jets – Embarrassing loss on national TV on Thanksgiving night.
30. Eagles – The Eagles secondary is scattered with first round picks but yet we don’t see first round talent or play. Andy Reid had a good run but it appears the Eagles are in need of some new blood at the head coach position.
31. Jaguars - Chad Henne continues to be a spark maybe the Jags were playing for the future to early!!
32. Chiefs – Right now the Chiefs are thinking about which QB they plan to select with the number one pick. At the beginning of the year the clear consensus #1 QB and # 1 pick was Matt Barkley but his stock has drastically dropped this year. The track record of recent USC QB’s in the league isn't helping him either (C. Palmer. M. Leiner, and M. Sanchez)

Fantasy Monster - Bryce Brown with a 178 yards and two touchdowns day (who?????????)

Sanchez Watch – No words, when your own offensive lineman's !#!#$!$ can cause a fumble I don't know what to say.

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

4 Tips on How not to overspend on Black Friday.

1. Budget - Have a set amount and stay within that set amount. Don't be persudade and woed by all the deals you see.

2. Need first, then want- Do you need that third plasma TV for the guess room or do you need that washing machine to replace your 30 year old one on the fritz.

3. Research - Don't buy anything that you havent researched and watched the price on. We often get suckered into buy a product we think is on "sale" when it really isnt a sale. Do your research and don't get suckered into the flashy 50% off signs you may see.

4. Bring a list - With a list in hand we are more likely to stay within budget and buy things which we need and have fully researched.

Follow me @DrivenDre

NFL Week 11 Power Rankings

 NFL Week 11 Power Rankings

Top 5
1. Houston – It only took overtime to beat the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars but the Houston Texans remain hot and remain at the number one spot . The offense was explosive as usually but the defense was completely under prepared not sure if this is the Texans missing B. Cushing or if  they were surprised by the talent of Jags replacement Chad Henne (do people game plan for Chad Henne)
2. Atlanta – This apparently was the week of struggles for the upper tier teams in the NFL but none the less the Falcons squeak out a win. Matt Ryan hurts his MVP candidacy big time with his five interception performance.
3. San Francisco – Defense was firing on all cylinders especially Aldon Smith with a career high five sacks in one game. Another note from this game last night is Alex Smith may have lost his job for good.
4. Bears – Mr. Checkdown aka Jason Campbell did what he does best and that is not taking any chances down the field. I am surprised Jay Cutler was able to stay injury free for so long behind the pitiful make up of an offensive line.
5. Ravens– It’s so hard to know which Joe Flacco you are getting from week to week but the Ravens compete in every game no matter how many which Joe shows up.

Bottom 5

28. Jets – Not impressed!! the real test comes on Thursday against their hated rivals the New England Patriots
29. Eagles – Sad to see this will be Andy Reid’s last year as the coach of the Eagles. Hopefully Andy get the respect to finish out the season before he is forced “voluntary stepping down”
30. Browns – Led for a good chunk of this game but the cardiac Cowboys came through at the end. If Dallas could start every game with the mentality of being down by 10 and starting the 3^rd quarter maybe they could make an appearance in the first half.
31. Jaguars – Gave the Texans a real scare here but the results didn’t end the way the Jags wanted. Maybe C. Henne will be the spark needed to get this team out of the cellar of the NFL.
32. Chiefs – The Good – They held the lead at one point this weekend. The Bad – They still lost.

Fantasy Monster -. Justin Blackmon and RG3 – Rookies going offffff!!

Sanchez Watch – Amazing how Sanchez can look like a serviceable quarterback when he doesn’t make a stupid mistake early. I hope he has his head on straight for the Jets Thanksgiving match up against the New England Patriots

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

Boy to Man: 5 Phase of Man's evolution with Women

1. Infatuations - Age (Birth to 7) At these age we are babies in life and we don't know how to do anything on our own but we have the magically creature in our lives who feeds us, changes us and plays with us at a whim and her name is MOM. We love mom and she can do no wrong, sure when we get a bit older we get mad at mommy and have temper tantrums if we don't get our way but if we ever hurt ourselves and/or get scared of something we run to Mom for comfort.

2. Hate - (ages 7 to 12) Around this age we are starting to become too cool to hang out with Mom and all the girls in our social circle are now yucky. At this age us boys are big ball of activity and energy and for the most part the girls in our age group cant keep up with us. So in our heads we think what is the point of having girls around if they cant play catch as long as we do or run as fast as us "what good are they"

3. Infatuation (ages 13 to 15) At this stage us men start to realize that girls aren't that bad and we want to hang around them more. We start to have tingly feeling around girls, we start to stutter and become more self conscious when a pretty girl is around. We want to have our first girlfriend and discover if these mystical creatures can satisfy these new emotions and sensations we are feeling.  

4. Too Cool for School - (ages 16 - varies on maturity) In these later high school years we are no longer infatuated with girls because we have so many options. We have now become self aware of what qualities and traits we want in a women and we can discover that not one woman has all those traits so we tend to give women less respect then deserved. Also at this age it becomes a social badge of honor from our fellow men to see how many woman we can juggle. We have yet to understand that every women heart should be treated as delicately as we would treat that of our mother's or sisters. Yes not all relationships will work but their is a right and a wrong way to end things.

5 Infatuation - (Various) This is the age when we find that woman that we want to spend the rest of your life it. You feel the deep desire to protect this delicate flower at all cost, we put her needs above our own and we are all in. This is the woman that you want to have kids with and you are anxious to grow old with and share numerous adventures with.

I always thought the love for your significant other would only be surpassed by the love of a parent for their child but I am a first hand witness that this is not the case. I remember in my teens being in a argument with my mother and I guess I stood up too aggressively and then out of nowhere i was tackled by my father!!! I don't even remembering him being is the room when the argument started but he was willing to protect his Queen at all cost.

Will there be a regression by a man between the five stages...YES ,but our goal as men should be to dwell in the third and final stage of infatuation for the majority or our life.

Thoughts????

Follow me at @DrivenDre

NFL Week 10 Power Rankings

NFL Week 10 Power Rankings

Top 5
1. Houston – Beat a fellow top 5 team ins some horrible conditions. No glaring weakness on the team, this may be the only team in the AFC that can win the Superbowl.
2. Atlanta – Tough loss to New Orleans but still a top notch team. This game came at the right time for the saints and most experts thought this was a let down game for the Falcons and it was. 
3. Bears – Only wish this team had played the Texans in better conditions and with Jay Cutler for the whole game. Still my favorite to win it all.
4. San Francisco – Although this game ended in a tie it was more of a win for the lowly St, Louis Rams. Kaepernick played well replacing Smith and added a new element (a running QB) to the offense.
5. Giants – Eli and the boys are in a bit of a free fall the Bye week couldn't come any sooner for these guys. They will need to reassess and see what has happened to that explosive offense and hopeful find the elite pass rush the NY Giants are usually known (where are you Tuck and JPP)

Bottom 5

28  Eagles – Now no Vick ...yikes. Remember when N. Asomugha thought he was an elite corner. 

30. Browns – BYE

30. Jets - The WORST OFFENSE in the NFL. Thank God for a top ten caliber defense or my team would be worse

31. Jaguars – Running into a highly motivated Colts team and still without their team MVP MJD.

32. Chiefs – At least they had the lead for a bit but still a lose. Romeo oh Romeo it's so sad to see you go.

Fantasy Monster – Adrian "All Day" Peterson - 171 yards and 1 TD. And all this off an ACL tear last December.

Sanchez Watch – Another dreadful game, the script for the Jets team is keep it close in the first quarter and then a crippling turnover in the redzone that flips the games in the opponents direction.

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

NFL Midseason Awards

Vincent Lombardi Trophy (Super Bowl Champions) - Chicago Bears

The Pete Rozelle Trophy (Super Bowl MVP) – Charles Tillman

The Lamar Hunt Trophy (AFC Championship) - Green Bay Packers

The George Hales Trophy (NFC Championship) - Chicago Bears

Pro Football Writers of America MVP –Matt Ryan

AP Coach of the Year/ Pro Football Weekly /NFL Coach of the Year/Pro Football Weekly Coach of the Year – Mike Smith (Atlanta)

NFL Offensive Player of the Year – Matt Ryan or Peyton Manning – Ryan has the weapons and the team factor but Peyton will be the feel good story of the year and is Mr. Popular.

NFL Defensive Player of the Year – JJ Watt – He may contest with the single season sack record and he is cruising on the hype train.

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year - Andrew Luck (Ind)– substance over flash (RG3)

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year- Luke Kuechly (Car) – Nothing like a tackling machine at middle linebacker.

NFL Comeback Player of the Year -Peyton Manning (DEN) (Guaranteed!!! A Lock)

Follow me @DrivenDre

NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Atlanta – M.Ryan had a bit of trouble passing on the Dallas defense but M.Turner had a solid game and the defense forced some turnovers.

2. Houston – Great job against a pesky Bills teams. A. Johnson decided to be a big time contributor with (118 yards) and A. Foster had his usually 100 yard game.

3. San Francisco – BYE

4. Bears –Defense, Defense, DEFENSE

5. Giants – Eli has been a bit off the past couple of weeks, the drops from the WR aren’t helping either.

Bottom 5

28 Eagles – The worst offensive line play I have ever seen. Are all the offensive lineman dog lovers who secretly hate Vick.  

29. Panthers – Good win against the Redskins a few more games like this and the Panthers will no longer be a bottom feeder.

30. Browns – If you can’t score touchdowns you can’t win especially with these defenses. Great fantasy game for Browns kicker Phil Dawson (5 field goals)

31. Jaguars – No skill players equals no chance. Team is missing a big time wide out and their all-pro running back,

32. Chiefs – So many top 5 draft picks in the past couple of years but still bad, it has to be coaching or player development

Fantasy Monster – Doug Martin – Rookie Breakout Game (repeated)

Sanchez Watch – It was a  peaceful week for since my Jets had a BYE but I can’t wait for all the Tebow talks starts up this week.

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

4 Reason LA Lakers Should Panic

The Lakers are 0-2 and the world is ending. Well were maybe not to that extreme yet but there are alot of warning signs that have appeared in the first few games that Lakers fans should worry about. 

1. Old People Get Hurt Easier - We all remember as a kid when we would fall off the monkey bars or trip over a rock. We would then realize what happened maybe cry a little bit for show and then bounce back up. Our bodies were young and efficient and we recovered from injury quickly. The Lakers have Nash (38) Kobe (34) and  Pau (32) who aren't exactly spring chickens and they also have some injury history. It will take perfect timing for the Lakers to have the best 5 players all healthy at playoff time.

2. Hard to Teach and Old Dog New Tricks - The first two games you could tell the Lakers were thinking more than playing and flowing naturally with the game. The reason for this thinking is the installment of "Princeton Offense". the Lakers have been running the triangle offense for more than a decade and became very efficient at it. It's always easier to build an offense that compliments your stars instead of building an offense for your stars to adapt too. 

3. Team Chemistry - We all saw the struggles the Heat had the first year of the big three experiment.  The Heat didn't really gel until midway into the following season. It will also be hard for the Nash-Kobe-Howard combination to every truly gel when one or all will be hurt at some point during the season. 

4. No slums in the West - Every western conference team has ballers and every team is going to give the Lakers their best shot. The east this year is the weaker conference by far as compared to the West. 

Disagree or Agree 

Follow me @ DrivenDre 

NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

NFL Week 8 Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Atlanta – Power house team with little to no flaws – 7-0
2. Houston – BYE
3. Giants – With much resistance the Giants have cracked the top 5. This team continues to find ways to win even if it only by a few inches of a finger tip.
4. San Francisco – Alex Smith had an extremely accurate night and the defense as usually looked great. This team looks a lot like the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.
5. Bears – Horrific game by Cutler but as a top 5 team does they find a way to win close games even when they aren't playing well. This game for the Bears was also an emotional hangover game from their big win the previous week so this lack luster effort get a one week excuse.


Bottom 5

27 Saints - This one time top 5 team has drop the on all experts power rankings. The offense has constant pressure to score 20+ points a game to hid the worst defense in the league. The value of a coach is often minimized but the lost of Sean Payton this year is proving to be a significant.
28. Panthers – The implosion has beginning. Once a QB starts to put the blame on others instead of taking it onto himself there is a problem. A QB by default is an leader and therefore Cam is the leader of this team. Cam needs to find some type of mentorship from an older veteran QB to understand how to become a leader of men.
30. Browns – Great game by Trent Richardson but was only able to put up seven points against an decline Chargers team. I’m not impressed
32. Jaguars – Tough to be good when you are missing your teams two best offensive players (MJD and Gabbert)
31. Chiefs – Another lost!!! The crazy stat is this team has not lead at any time during a  regulation game. Sad and sorry.

Fantasy Monster – Doug Martin – Rookie Breakout Game

Sanchez Watch – Sanchez didn’t play well but the special teams played worst. Hopeful over the upcoming bye week the Jets coaching staff will implement new plays to put a spark in this offense because this team is often painful to watch.

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

5 reasons Why the James Harden trade is good of OKC?

1. Not a Max Player -James Harden was not a max player. The way he disappeared in the final and at some points in regular season proves he wasn't worth 60 million.

2. Sergi Ibaka - With Harden gone and Martin with a expiring contact OKC has the option to sign Sergi. Sergi is the best defender on a other wise weak defense team and he more then likely this seasons Defensive Player of the Year.

3. No scoring drop off - The combination of Martin, Lamb and a now healthy a Manyor give OKC than enough scoring to cover Harden's 17.0 PPG.

4. The Rookies - This teams has a lot of young talent (Lamb and Jones III) to grow with their young leaders of Durant and Westbrook.

5. The Draft Picks -  OKC recieved 2 future first round picks from Houston. This team hasn't missed on a first round draft pick in the last 5 years. Sure Jeff Green isn't a superstar but he is a quality player along with every pick this team has had. 

Agree or Disagree

Follow Me - @DrivenDre

NBA 12-13 Season Awards Predictions

Comeback Player of the Year - Jeff Green - Loved his talent at Georgetown and in OKC before the trade, with the Celtics being so old I see Jeff getting 25+ minutes also the crop of SF/PF in the eastern conference is very week. If we get the Jeff Green from a few years ago we have the Comeback Player and possibly the Sixth Man of the Year Award winner.

Most Valuable Player - Lebron James - I think Lebron always thought he was the best player in the world but know he knows and that self realizations of your own greatness is a powerful weapon. He has gotten the NBA Champion Monkey off his back and now sky is the limit.

Rookie of the Year - Austin Rivers - The Hornets have nothing else and Rivers has a quick trigger finger to shoot the rock, what he lacks in defense will be covered up by Anthony Davis (#1 Pick, 2011 College Player of the Year).  Harrison Barnes will be  a close second.

Out of No Where Rookie (not really an award) - Jared Sullenger - he reminds me of a  D.Blair (SA)  type. A smart player with below grade athletic ability. If Jared's knee and back hold up he can average close to a double double every night (10 pts 7 rb). Last year Kawhi Leonard would have won this award

Sixth Man of the Year - James Harden - An Olympian coming of the bench (need i say more). I can see someone on the Clippers second team winning this award (G.Hill, L.Odom, or J. Crawford) once there roles get sorted out.

Coach of the Year - Brooklyn Nets: -Avery Johnson - If he can get this team to the playoffs this award is a lock for Avery.

Most Improved Player - Brook Lopez - He was a Top 5 center prior too injury.  Now he is playing the eastern conference minus Dwight Howard.

Eastern Conference Playoffs

1. Heat
2. Celtics
3. Packers
4. Knicks
5. Hawks
6. 76ers
7. Nets
8. Bulls
9. On the bubble - Milwaukee

1. Lakers
2. Thunder
3. Spurs
4. Clippers
5. Nuggets
6. Memphis
7. Dallas
8. Portland
9 On the bubble - Minnesota (Depending on how effective Ricky Rubio is upon his return)

Eastern Conference Champion: Miami Heat
Western Conference Champions: La Lakers

NBA 2013 Champion - Miami Heat

Lebron has gotten the taste of what it means to be a champion and he is hungry for more. I have a hard time believing Nash and Howard will be full healthy for the Finals after playing a difficult 7 game series against the OKC Thunder.

NFL Week 7 Power Rankings

NFL Week 7 Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Atlanta – BYE – Still the best in the league

2. Houston – Blew-out a upper tier team, great game by Arian Foster and Matt Schaub

4. San Francisco – Team isn’t looking as efficient as they appeared in the first 3 weeks but always good when you get a win against a tough division rival

4. Bears – Defense looks great and the Cutler-Marshall combination is firing on all cylinders.

5. Ravens – Flacco was terrible. Chris Johnson had more rushing yards (195 yards) then Joe Flacco had passing yards (147 yards)

Bottom 5

28. Panthers – Cam has hit the sophomore slump and has hit it hard. This team was only a 6 win team last year and most people thought they were going to make the leap to an 8 to 10 win team but this team is still lacking weapons.

29. Titans – Late pick by Bills QB Fitzpatrick gave the Titans the game but a win is a win,  It is still a bit sad that with a near 200 yard rushing game by CJ2K you can only win by 1.

30. Browns – I like Weeden, he isn’t that horrible still a loss but Cleveland fights to the end in every game 

31. Chiefs – BYE, but still bad

32. Jaguars – A loss to Oakland and a loss of MJD and Gabbert. It just gets uglier and uglier in Jacksonville

Fantasy Monster – Chris Johnson is alive!!!!!- 195 yards.

Sanchez Watch – TEBOW TEBOW TEBOW. Everytime he drops back to pass I feel fear instead of anticipation.

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

Lift Your Own Weight

One of my favorite days to hit the gym is Mondays. You may ask what makes Monday so special.

1. Usually the start of a new cycle of lifts and I get to compete against what I did last week
and it's
2. Chest and Triceps Day

For most people this is also Chest and Tri's, my guess is this trend started when all the muscle magazines in the late 90's decided to make all their basic lifting programs begin with Chest on Mondays. But the reason that Chest and Tri's Monday are my favorite is not because what I plan to do but because of watching what everyone else is going to do. For some reason the male machismo and ego are at an all time high on Monday especially on the bench press. It never fails me seeing someone almost drop the bar on their chest during a bench press set, after me or someone else helps the nearly decapitated male I always let out a little chuckle.

In general there are no girls in the free weight section but for some reason people throw weight on the bar that they know they cant handle. Unless you are throwing up 315 lb for reps you are not going to get too many ohhh and ahhh in the weight room anyway. So if you struggling to lift 185 lb on the bench why add 30 lbs just because you notice the guy next to you is going up in weight.

Lift your own weight if your max is 185 lb gradually work your way up and stop competing with Mr. Wannabe Phil Heath next to you. If you end up hurting yourself trying to go too heavy you will end up losing progress and you max of 185 lb will quickly drop.

Always remember that big guy that you see bench pressing with 3 plates on each side started with just lifting the bar. Progress and strength grow with consistency and a gradually increase the weight.

NFL:Below Average, Average or Above Average (Thoughts on 3-3 teams)

Below Average, Average or Above Average (Thoughts on 3-3 teams)

Buffalo Bills – Average – Solid offense and under performing Defense, the one thing  I know is on those cold winter days in buffalo their two headed monster at running back (Fred Jackson and C.J Spiller) will cause teams a lot of the problems and maybe by then the defensive will start to gel and play better.  

 

Cincinnati Bengals – Above Average – A.J. Green is becoming a top 5 receiver, only thing missing is more consistent play of Andy Dalton and this team can easy catch and surpass the Baltimore Ravens   

                   

Denver Broncos – Below Average –The Broncos  seem to always fall behind by double digits and ever now and again comeback and win. Once teams learn to take away Peyton Manning’s short game and force him to throw it deep I see this team losing more games than they win.

Green Bay Packers – Above Average – Besides being cheated out of a game by the replacement refs this team is playing above average football. Aaron Rodgers also seems to thrive when people doubt him. The Pack this year will pull of a 4 game winning streak at some point this season

Miami Dolphins  - Average – They have so far avoided the curse of HBO’s Hard Knocks. Ryan Tannehill isn't that bad and the defense keeps the team in games which allows the Dolphins to sneak away with wins. Not a bad formula for a team with a rookie QB.

New England Patriots – Above Average – With such a prolific offense this team should have only one loss but for the advantages they have on offense they lack in the secondary. Tons of high draft picks in the secondary under performing cause this team to appear average when they really aren’t.

New York Jets – Below Average - The only team my team can score is through Special Teams and the defense either giving the offense a short field or scoring themselves. When a team has to use so many reverses and trick plays to move the ball on offense they are doomed.

Philadelphia Eagles - Above Average - All the pieces are there, the only thing missing is a QB that doesnt average three turnovers a game.

San Diego Chargers - Average - The lost on Monday night will be the tipping point for this team either they go down further in the drain or they become revitalized and win a very win-able division

St. Louis Rams  - Average - This team has a weapon on each level but not enough blue chip starters, they will be in every game until the end but anything better than an 8-8 record would be a surprise

Washington Redskins - Average - Decent weapons on offense with a average defense. RG3 will have his greatest test this weekend against the NY Giants pass rush. If the skins win this game they will be #1 in the NFC East.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Atlanta – Business as usually a lot closer game than expected but the Raiders can sneak up on people. Offense had a horrible game particular M. Ryan (3 INTS) but was able to move the ball down the field on that last drive to get the winning field goal. 

2. Houston – First big test under the spot lights and the offense didn't show up. The defense also looked like they were missing a linebacker.  

3. Ravens – With all the ESPN coverage I thought Ray Lewis announced his retirement yesterday; this injury won’t effect them too much on the field but Ray will be missed in the locker room.  

4. San Francisco – Deja Vu, The NFL is a league of match ups and I think the Giants may have their number but still no losing hope on this team.

5. Bears – This defense has really stepped up the   

Bottom 5

31. Titans – The steady hand of thee vet Hasselbeck led this team to win, No need to usher in the future too early Locker can wait. Look what waiting did for Rodgers

28. Raiders – Costly last pick six to Asante Samuel cost the time late, this team should be a lot but they seemed cursed.  

 30. Chiefs – So let me get this straight Kansas City you boo’ed an injured Matt Cassel for Brady Quinn……..

32. Browns – Weeden isn't as bad as I thought he was but he doesn't have enough weapons and one of his weapons T.Rich is hurt again.

29. Jaguars –  BYE         

Fantasy Monster – Holy Aaron Rodgers – Six Touchdowns (Welcome back MVP)

Sanchez Watch – A much better game for my boy Mark, I am still worried we beat the team with the worst record in the NFL. The bright side is we are in a four way tie for the division lead going into New England next week, the bad news is we are going into NEW ENGLAND!!!

Thoughts? Disagreements? Opinions?

Follow me @DrivenDre

1 Timothy 1:15

"Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief:" (ASV)

This book and particularly this verses is written by Paul. If you don't remember Paul was formally named Saul until his conversion through his encounter with Christ. It is safe to assume that since Paul had the job of persecuting citizens that he was an influential and rich member of society.  Living this lifestyle I believe Paul lived a very sinful life whether it be through drugs, sex and money. After Paul was converted he had a lust and a fire for God which changed the course of history. The thing I love about Paul is he remained transparent throughout his teaching. Paul knew people knew the man he used to be and wouldn't listen to his message if he was acting "holier than thou".

As a Christians we must own up to all our past mistakes and become an example needed for younger followers and unbelievers. People who knew our past lives and know our past sins will think we are being hypocrites unless we are willing to be transparent with our past mistakes.

I believe in order to draw others closer to God we may have to open up our secret closets and give unbelievers, younger Christians a full tour (even showing them the skeletons in the dark corners of your secret closet)

Are you willing to show them you will to be transparent? what is hold you back?

Full Commit before you Judge

I always find it funny when people say something doesn't work when we see it clearly worked for others. I believe people do not fully commit to a task and are quick to provide negative feedback. There are numerous home workout programs ie. Insanity, P90X and numerous diet plans and strategies ie. Weight Watchers, Jennie Craig, Paleo, Low Carb, Atkins etc. We see before and after pictures and read inspiring testimonials and then we think we can follow the same plan and get the results. So we go out and buy into the program but don't really buy in.

We get on our P90X or Weight Watchers and we go hard the first couple of days and then we start missing workouts or we start tweaking the program and start saying things like.

"I only can do half of today's routine"

"5 days a week is too much, I can just do 4 and go really hard one day"

"I don' need to track my points today, this is similar to what I ate yesterday"

"I know what five ounce of chicken looks like no need for me to weight this"

"I was good this week, so I can over eat on my weekly allowance"

And the list goes on and on..........

These same people are the first to write a negative review on Amazon, the first to tell friends Weight Watchers, P90X and  Insanity doesn't work. We have to fully commit to a program before we can past judgement on it. Wouldn't you want someone to spend the time to get to know you before they give others opinions about you, so then we should do the same for everything,

So after two month of Insanity tell me if it works, after 90 days of P90X tell me it works, after 12 weeks of following WeightWatchers system and reading all the basic material then and only then CAN YOU TELL ME IT WORKS

NFL Week 5 Power Rankings

Week 5 Power Rankings


Top 5

1. Houston – J.J Watt has replaced D. Revis as the best Defensive Back in the League
2. Atlanta – Closer game then expect against the Redskins but it shows the true quality of a team that pulls out a win when they aren't playing their best.
3. Ravens - Struggled against the Chief but the defense kept the game low scoring which allowed the offensive to sneak a win out. 
4. San Francisco – Complete and utter destruction of the Bills, If Alex Smith  is out for a bit Colin Kaepernick is a more than serviceable backup.
5. New England  – Patriots seem to getting their groove back, this is mostly to the addition of Wes Welker being a bigger part of the offense. This team will only get better once Aaron Hernandez is back.  

Bottom 5

28. Raiders - BYE Week (Looks like this team not playing has moved them up in the ranks)
29. Jaguars - I thought I was watching the 85' Bears Defense against this horrific Jags Offense 
30. Chiefs - Played the Ravens tough and  had a great game from Jamal Charles but the offense seem to stall in the red zone and only scoring field goals will not win you games. 
31. Titans - Hasselbeck possibly starting may be a blessing in disguise, I rather the veteran with a proven track record than the future career backup QB (J. Locker). 
32. Browns - Had a first half lead over the giants but Eli Cruz and Bradshaw decided to wake up and go off

Fantasy Monster – Giants Offense- Eli, Cruz, or Bradshaw take your pick!!

Knuckle Head of the Week - Chief Fans you can't boo a man that is hurt on the field even if he hasn't been playing well for you. 

Sanchez Watch – For some reason he always throw interceptions in the red zone, is it play calling is it nerves I have no idea but one thing I do know is Tim Tebow needs more snaps. 

Thoughts?

Finish the Move

There are two kinds of people, those who finish what they start and so on
Robert Byrne

I pride myself that when I start something I finish it, it may not look pretty or it may not be fully effective but if I start something I finish. I remember a few years back a buddy of mine at the gym suggested we do a aerobic step class. Being a "Brotha" I had never had a problem at rhythm or keeping beat to a song. To my surprise I was huffing and puffing, tripping over the step and struggling to keep on pace with the teacher. I saw fellow new comers leave the class early but not me I refused to be defeated by the class and I refused to quit before the end of the session. 

I often see people quitting during work outs or even quitting during sets, I clearly understand that circumstances may come up (ie. injury or family emergency) but I refuse to believe that all these quitters have a legit excuses. I see people do a bench press and the bar moves 2 inches, I see people performing the squat and barely bending their knees. It frustrates me seeing people starting a task and not finishing it, whats the point of starting if your not going to finish. Even though you may realize mid task that you don't enjoy it you should still finish because you will learn something from that experience.

We should apply this mindset in all aspects of life.

If you payed for a movie why leave before the closing credits!

If you are attending a sporting event why leave before the final whistle (I left David Cone's perfect game in 1996) 

If you are in the gym performing a prescribed workout why leave until you have checked of the last item

We may not be being it perfect but we do it till the end and before you know it you will be head of the class! 

(Only in about 2 to 3 month my steppers was up front right next to the instructor and I was with her step for step)

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

Week 4 - Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Houston – Just consistent, I see this team in the top three all season.
2. Atlanta – Too many weapons for one team to cover
3. Ravens - Close game against the Browns but Joe Flacco made all the clutch throws down the stretch.
4. San Francisco – Treated my Jets like a practice squad, they decided to test out some of their trick plays and most of them worked.
5. Green Bay – Beat an already beaten Saints but good win for the Pack, Rodgers seems to be getting back to MVP form.
5. Arizona – The defense is forreal and they seem to find a way to win the close games, not sure how long it will last but you can tell this team believes they are better than people think they are. Miami should have won this game.


Bottom 5

28. Jaguars - MJD struggled and Gabbert couldn't stretch the field, you can never win a game playing like that.
29. Chiefs - This team on paper is so much better, not sure Cassel is the answer here.
30. Raiders - If this team isn't playing in California they cant compete, I don't know how this team beat the Steelers last week
31. Titans - The one time Chris Johnson goes off its in garbage time and now Jake Locker is hurt again. Could we please bring back Eddie George and Steve McNair.
32. Browns - Geno Smith and Trent Richardson is starting to look like the backfield of the future.

Fantasy Monster – Dress Brees – Welcome back we have missed you!!!

Knuckle Head of the Week - Dez Bryant - so much talent but running wrong route and dropping balls. Will he ever get it together 

Sanchez Watch – Jets had 145 yards of total offense on Sunday. Brian Hartline (253), Roddy White (169) and Marques Colston (153) alone had more yard then an entire football team. I think it may be time for the a change.


Any agreement or disagreements?

NFL Week 3 Power Rankings

Week 3 - Power Rankings

Top 5

1. Houston – Just a consistent team playing in a weak conference, the only question for this team is will they get over their playoff woes (+1)

2. Atlanta – Julio Jones was traded for a lot of draft picks but he may actually live up to the expectation unlike Ricky Williams. (+2)

3. Ravens – Nothing like playing with a heavy heart but Torry Smith was inspired and played the best game of his life (+2)

4. San Francisco – I am hoping the lose to the Vikings was just  hangover game from Week 1 and 2 (-3)

5. Green Bay – Was tempted to put Arizona here but I still don’t believe in them, Arizona maybe last  Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins (hot starts but flamed out). As for Green Bay, it's hard to drop a team out of the top 5 after getting cheated out of game (-2)

Bottom 5

31. Jaguars: A win over the Colts has this team slow rising out of the basement.

28. Chiefs/Saints: Nice win for the Chief but if the game was played 10 straight times my money would be on the Saints. Are the Saints really this bad, Sean Payton you are missed.  

30. Raiders: Great win over the Steelers, this is the team I expected to see.  

29. Titans: Tennessee tired every different way to lose this game and still found a way to win it....Congrats PSA- If anyone has found the real Chris Johnson please return him back to the Titans.

32. Browns – You would think a team with so many high draft picks year after year would be better. (Need to follow SF model)

Fantasy Monster - Jamal Charles – He single handedly won me a league game this week. THANKS

Knuckle Head of the Week. MNF Refs – Twitter almost exploded last night after this controversy, I cant with the hear what the Commissioner has to say this week

Sanchez Watch – Back to Back games with a completion percentage under 50%. Luckily with the Jets win and the MNF controversy the NY media will lay off him this week but the leash is getting shorter  

Any agreement or disagreements?

Its in their eyes

"eyes are the windows to the soul"

"its the eye of the tiger"

So this morning in the gym as I was lifting I noticed a lot of eyes were on me. I admit i do the occasional grunting and throwing of weights but today I wasn't doing much of that. I still pushed on through with laser focus and concentrated on my form and mind muscle connection. As I was driving home I decided to think why were some many people watching me and not focusing on your workout, and then it came to me.

In between sets I often get close to the mirrors and look at my eyes with my eyes (hope that made sense). I notice and intensity and fire in my eyes, there is a passion to not be defeated and not to give up. I did a mental walk down memory lane and I noticed the people with sub-par physics or potential newbies had this dear in head lights look about them. The people who I noticed have good to great physics or have lost some weight have the same passion and fire to be better that I have in my eyes.

So for your next lift, run, cross fit, walk, aerobic DVDs etc, take a look in the mirror at your eyes and charge up passion and fire and dare to become better. Your eyes wont ever lie so make sure you do it with fire.

30% of life at work!

Time spent in life:
1/3 Sleep
1/3 Work
1/3 Doing what ever you want
(give or take peoples' individual situation)

Being a math dork I like to use percentages all the time. I use percentages on how i'm feeling, on how long a task will take me,on how much of my food I have eaten, and etc. I am the guy who doesn't see the glass as half full or half empty, I see the glass at approximately 50%.

So if we plan to spend a third of our life on something why spend it on something you hate or makes you miserable. Most people will say it for the money but if you are overworked and miserable can you truly enjoy that money, I think not. Of course there isn't going to be all high moments even if we are working a "dream job" but I feel there is a peace of mind knowing you are doing something that makes you truly happy. I don't think people truly understand how much a third of something is.

Would Miami Heat Big Three win a Championship without Chris Bosh....No
Would the Three Amigo be funny without Mo....... No
Can we live a life and get to Heaven without the Father, Son or Holy Spirit.....No 

Would the Police make be legendary music with out Sting...... No
Would Run DMC rock the crowd with out Rev Run ...... No
Would Rice Krispie Cereal taste great with out Snap..... No 

We need to treasure and value every moment we have on this earth and I refuse to give up a third on something I don't love. As I am currently venturing and searching for a better third. I ask all you to do the same!

Week 2 NFL Top & Bottom 5

Week 2 - Power Rankings (my power rankings are based on which team would beat a team below them on a neutral field.

Top 5

1. San Francisco - Best Defense in the League and Alex Smith does just enough to keep his team in the game.

2. Houston - Ground and Pound, hard to lose when you have two top 20 backs on one team and oh yeah and the have a man named ANDRE JOHNSON

3. Green Bay - Rodgers is the best QB in the league but this team will go as far as their Defense will take them. 

4. Atlanta - Solid and fast defense and two monster receivers time for Matt  Ryan to get some playoff wins under his belt. 

5. Ravens - Make or break year for Joe Flacco, the window is closing quickly on the defensive side of the ball Ray Ray and Reed aren't getting any younger plus Suggs is out

Bottom 5
28. Chiefs: Still think this team has playoff potential, they wont be here long

29. Titans: What happened to CJ2K!@!#!$!#!

30. Raiders: I had high hopes the with a full training camp Carson Palmer would be better, I was clear wrong.
31. Jaguars: MJD maybe should have sat out and saved his legs for another season
32. Browns - Weeden played better but the future QB is clearly Matt Barkley or Laundry Jones.

Fantasy Monster - Reggie Bush  (Dolphins) - No Kardashian = Good Bush

Knuckle Head of the Week. Josh Morgan (Redskins) - The person the retaliates always gets caught, we learned this in 5th grade Josh

Sanchez Watch - So me boy Mark Sanchez didn't play well but im not too mad at him. There were a lot of drops and its on the Offensive coordinator to give the QB some short plays i.e screens and quick slant to get our qb back on track.

Any agreement or disagreements?

Acts 20:24

"But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received"

Thoughts: In this verse Paul is stating his priorities in life and the reason for his existence on earth. In the first line here " none of these things move him " I believe he is referring to all earthly possessions, rewards and/or titles. Paul is brushing off everything on earth and stating that none of these things matters to him, and that his eyes are fixated on the bigger picture which is living an acceptable life with God and spreading His word. 

Paul even considers his life as not significant. We are often caught up in setting goals and achieve earthly reward and  forget our true mission. I am not saying personal goals are not necessary but all of our personal goals should be a sub-bullet to the major goal of  life which is living right with God and spreading His word. This verse reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "pray without ceasing", (I always remembered this verse just in case I got called on to site a memory verse in Sunday school), it would be impracticable to pray all the time every minute everyday. Imagine driving, walking and eating with our heads down and our eyes closed, A lot of people would go and see the Lord a lot earlier. The meaning behind 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is that God want us to have him on our mind at all time. The Lord wants us to think of him with every action.  

During the early phase of our Christian journey this hand in hand walk and the ability to have earthly things and our life not matter will be difficult. Am I there yet...NO, but I believe that the more time I spend in God's word and presence the less things will move me, the less I will not count my life as dear, and praying/thinking without ceasing will become second nature. 

Thoughts?

Squats and Deadlifts oh my

So yesterday in the gym I noticed that I was smiling in the gym, for no particlar reason (yes there were pleanthnof pretty girls to smile at in tje gum but that wasnt why). I decided to take a step back to figure out why I was smirking, then I realized it was because I love weight lifting. I love weigh lifting because I am a competition junkie and every time I lift a weight I am striving to be better than my last lift.

I was particular working legs yesterday and doing my all time favorite exercise the squat. Although odds are there will never be a time I will have to squats 400 plus pounds in everyday life I find it amazing that my body has been trained to do it if need be.

Do you guys every find yourself astonished by how much and why you lift? why do you workout? If you don't why not?

Introduction

Hi all my name is Dre and welcome to my blog.

Three of my biggest passions in my life are:
Lifting...my hands to Jesus
Lifting...my hands and voice while watching sports
and,
Lifting...heavy weights in the gym

These three aspects of my lifting life will generally be my topic of all my post . A little bit about me born and raised in the Bronx, NY by my Jamaican parents. Currently living in Virginia and working in Washington DC.

I have been a Christian for the majority of my life. Growing up in church I think you took God and Jesus for granted. As I grew older and became more tested in life I learned that I need God more than he needs me. Everyday I strive to become a strong christian because at the end of the day all else will fade but my Soul.

I am a fan of New York Jets, Mets, and Knicks (yes I know vote for all the sorry teams in NY but its not my fault). Favorite NY Jet of all time is Curtis Martin, Favorite NY Knick is Charles Oakley, and Favorite NY Met of all time Doc Gooden.

I am currently on a weight loss journey, my highest weight has been 350lbs and I am currently around 280lbs. My goal is to be a solid 235lbs. In order to reach these goals I have become a bit of gym rat and have fallen in love with lifting weights. When I lift weights I train hard and I train heavy and I have seen good results so far. On the cardio end of things I will usually do a spinning, cardio kickboxing or a Zumba class (don't jugde me, dudes can Zumba too).

Anyways thanks for reading my intro I look forward to share my main rants and observations of the world around me. Feel free to hit me with many thoughts or questions (rumor has it I give great relationship advice)

Dre Out!