Wade County Forever

Tonight ... my favorite athlete of my lifetime will play his last NBA game.

Dwyane Wade came into my life in June of 2003.   This is the same month that I started dating my wife and the same month that I received an offer to join Google.  In retrospect -- it was a life-altering month!!

I've been a Heat Lifer since day 1.  I was at the first ever Heat game in 1988 (where I can still name the starting five), suffered through their 0-17 start and beginning miserable years.

Enter in D.Wade in 2003.  His game was explosive and his fearlessness was magnetic.   I was an instant fan boy.   In 2006, I attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Miami and this will be a lifelong memory.  Miami was down 13 with 6 minutes to go.  My father looked at me and said "Let's go" ... It's one of the only times I remember punching my dad (in the arm) and I said "hell no -- you gotta believe" .... and the rest is history ... D.Wade led a comeback to win that game and the 3 games following to win the first ever Championship in Heat history.  It was so rewarding after 18 years of being a fan of a team - to finally win a championship - and that was delivered by D.Wade - no question.

Over the years - Dwyane Wade more firmly cemented his place as my favorite athlete of my lifetime on the court (Big 3) and off it.  He's such an amazing role model as a father and advocate for the less fortunate.

I am not alone in being a true fan of #3 and it brought me great joy to see more Heat fans in MSG last week than Knick fans.   I'm so happy that my kids got to see him live before he retired!

I truly appreciate the opportunity to watch Wade over the last 16 years and will never forget the impact he's had on my sports POV.  

Best of luck -- Wade County Forever!!

Paleo Diet Overview

Over the past 2 years, I've forwarded a version of this post to over 25 people.  I thought it finally more efficient to just post something here and send this page instead.

The Paleo Diet (which is very Whole30-like) has been successful for me because it gives me guidelines.  It’s a heck of a lot more healthy way to eat, but it doesn’t have to be starving yourself.  I probably ate more food in the first months under paleo eating guidelines than I did before -- it’s just the eating right natural food combinations.  

Here are the keys:

1. You have to read the ingredients of everything you eat.  This makes eating out at reseraunts difficult.  Obviously over time you don’t have to be so strict - but the first 30 days you should be as strict as possible to help train yourself the guidelines.  When you go out - you have to be "that person" and ask for no butter, etc.
2. PLAN and get into a rhythm -- my company makes it easy for me with all of the options of food available - but for the first few weeks it really helped to have meals and snacks PLANNED IN ADVANCE.  I planned the dinner meals for the week in advance so I wouldn’t be tempted to cheat. I ate the same snacks (Fruit in the morning, carrots and walnuts in the afternoon) almost every day.
3. Don’t weigh yourself until 30 days out - or even more!  I remember I went to the doctor 2 weeks in and I had lost only 2 or 3 pounds.  I started doubting the diet.  I decided to stop weighing myself altogether - and it worked out in the end (losing 25+ pounds in total - and have kept it off mostly for 2 years).
4. Talk about it with a lot of people.  The more people know you’re doing it - the more support you will get, the more pressure you'll feel to continue, and the more you will commit yourself to it.

Here are the eating guidelines as they stand for me - you should definitely read more about it elsewhere too.

• You can only eat: Protein, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts (no peanuts), naturals spices
• No Sugar
• No Dairy (almond milk or coconut milk only - again with no sugar)
• No grains (No rice, No quinoa),
• No beans (no corn),
• No Soy
• No Deli meats
• No chemicals - meaning if there’s something in the ingredients you cannot pronounce - you can’t eat it.  ONLY natural ingredients!
• I have gotten creative with the spices.  Cumin, Chili Pepper, Tumeric, Oregano, Ground Mustard, Pepper, Red Pepper, Cinnamon, Onion salt, garlic salt, etc.  Put as much as this as you want on your foods.
• You are not supposed to drink alcohol.  I didn’t for 30 days - but now I allow myself in moderation.
• Drinks: Water!, Coconut Water, HINT Water, unsweetened brewed (iced tea) or coffee PLAIN
• Again - READ every label you consume.  
  
  

Another key for me was finding substitutes for the things not on the diet that I felt I needed in my every day eating.  I get a bunch of my go-to items from Thrive Market that helps with this - things like avocado mayo, salad dressing, ghee, coconut aminos, paleonola, etc.

Finally -- I took a stab at creating a 5 day meal plan starter here:

 Good Luck!!

My Favorite Collective Meal

In my head, I often play the "if I didn't live in NYC where would I make sure I ate if I visited" game.
Having just come back from only my second time at Brooklyn Bowl, I can't say that I would add it to that rotation -- but -- I have started a new list in my head which is to create a "perfect meal" list... Obviously this will change over time (I probably would have put something from Macaroni Grill on the list 25 years ago), but thought I should document my thoughts.

So -- here is my perfect meal if I could craft it together:

Drinks from Angelo & Maxie's (RIP) - the drinks I drink pretty much taste the same everywhere (bourbon on the rocks with a splash of ginger ale) -- but there was always something about the drinks at Angelo & Maxie's that made me want to keep ordering them.

Appetizers:
- French Onion Soup Dumplings from Stanton Social
- Baked Crab Roll from KOI
- Crispy Rice Tuna from Nobu or Tao
- Spinach Artichoke Dip from Houston's (respect)

Entree's:
- Stone Crabs from Joe's in Miami (with that crack mustard sauce)
- Fried Chicken from Brooklyn Bowl (Blue Ribbon)
- Cheeseburger from Houston's (respect)

Dessert:
- Mini donuts from Stanton Social (?)  Kinda struggled with this one -- not really a desert freak.

So - what did I miss??

So Long Land Line

I could be the last person of my generation I know of to do this, but today I finally convinced my wife to say good-bye to our monthly financial payment for having a "home phone number."

While I've been pushing to stop throwing away money every month on this - I understand the hesitancy.

• She's had the same number for 20 years.  It's old habit and once you say good-bye - it's gone.
• "What happens during a black-out or like emergency"?  Well... this week our cable/internet service went down in our apartment - and it was a reminder to me that in such "hopeful to never happen" moments -- the "land lines" aren't that anymore.  They are run by cable companies and need electricity to run and so these, too, would not work in these situations.

According to my service provider we spent 9 minutes on the phone in the last 60 days - which btw sounded HIGH to me.  When she told me that included incoming calls - it made more sense given telemarketer activity.

So - If you have my home phone number associated with me in some way (phone, contacts, etc), feel free to delete that bad boy.  The Goffins are officially solely in the mobile era FINALLY.

The 2016 Dwyane Wade Dilemma

As the 4 people who read this blog know....  I'm a Miami Heat Lifer as much as anyone who's ever been one. It is and always will be my favorite sports team and Mr. Dwyane Wade will likely always be my favorite player.  He brought us our first Championship and one cannot imagine a more franchise definition of South Florida, rivaling Mr. Dan Marino for sure.

Given all this - one would think I'd have to take the day off from work today given the news and status of the Heat-Wade relationship at the moment.  And yes - I would be really SAD if what is being discussed actually happened (him leaving for Denver or something like that), but I'm not sure I'd be MAD as it's truly a dilemma for the franchise. 

I believe in the Heat management and organization at large and within this - I'm not blinded by loyalty.  So - here's a PRO/CON list to help communicate what I believe is a true tough decision (as was the Whiteside signing - but that choice was made already). 

PROs
- Wade is the Miami Heat franchise - he deserves whatever he wants and defines the culture of #HeatLifers
- Wade was great last year and was the clutch reason the team got out of the first round of the play-offs
 - He has proven to attract fellow stars and sell Miami and the Heat organization

CONs
- He's clearly on the latter parts of the back 9 of his career (I'd say the back 4)
- He's a ball-stopper and he's a crutch for the team at-times.  The team played at it's worst last season when they just sat around and waited for D.Wade (or Joe Johnson) to do his thing.
- Paying him what he wants is likely to stifle the next 3-5 years of the franchise -- and there are truly some pieces in place particularly with Whiteside, Winslow and J. Richardson that are reason to balk beyond the current offer.

I've tried to put it in business terms I can relate to.  I work at Google and if another digital media/tech company came to me with a contract at a 30% pay increase for the next 3 years - I would certainly listen - yet I'd also weigh other factors in my decision making (the opportunity to learn/grow, etc.). While Wade may take more money for the next 3 years... he'd be cutting off roles in the Heat front office, etc - that I'm sure await him should he want that.  Just some things for him to ponder - and I won't be MAD at him with whatever decision he makes - although I may be sad.   I'm not sure how I'll feel if we over-pay him - but again - I gotta have trust in the franchise and as a HeatLifer that's what I'll do.

Nothing but love and respect for D.Wade - where-ever the decision may net out. 

Feeling Old from a Radio Station

Most people feel old as it relates to music when they start saying things like "artists today aren't half as talented as they were when I was growing up" or things like that.

I had an "I'm old moment" with music yesterday but it didn't have to do with this.

While I was driving in my car in a city I don't live in -- I found a station that I loved.  Turns out - the station was branded as "The Throwback Station" and turns out this is common across the country and on streaming services, etc.

I guess it's the same as when I was younger when there were "80's" stations or much like "Classic Rock" became a subcategory of "rock" music -- "Throwbacks" have become a sub-category of "Rap/Hip-Hop." 

I used to think that throwbacks were specific to Hip-Hop hits from the late 80s/early 90s -- but there's a "Throwback" station on Spotify that's only the early 2000s - and that's a "woah" (shot out to Black Rob).

Assuming I'm not alone -- but I'll embrace the Throwback station movement (and the concept of getting old).

When Cost Dwarfs Customer Service: A Beaches/Sandals Experience

Five Star pricing vs. Two Star Customer Service

While the below is a personal story/gripe/complaint about a recent family vacation -- it’s a business story that I thought was relevant to this platform, especially given what I read about Restoration Hardware CEO last week. (Especially this quote: "WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE ONE SINGLE CUSTOMER. NOT ONE. YOU WILL NEVER GET IN TROUBLE FOR MAKING A DECISION TO DELIGHT OUR CUSTOMERS. YOU WILL, HOWEVER, LOSE YOUR JOB IF YOU DON'T.")

Prior to one week ago, I was a huge advocate of the Beaches, Turks & Caicos “resort”.  I have taken my family there for the past 4 years.

My most recent trip, however, has changed my goodwill and future intentions. For those of you who are thinking about it for a family vacation (which is the only thing you should be considering it for) - here’s what you should be aware of given my 4 years of going there: Five Star pricing vs. Two Star Customer Service Experience.

While Beaches offers a unique kids-friendly facility, the prices are truly in the same range of the highest-end of resorts.  Most people (like me) have swallowed this recent upward trend due our kids enjoyment. The all-you-can eat inclusive meals that allow your kids to take every treat possible but only eat what they want, the Sesame Street show every night at 6:30pm, the water park of slides & lazy river located next to an ice cream shop that also has cookies and cotton candy….
When things didn’t go as planned, however, my Five Star cost was over-whelmed with “2 star” customer service.

The staff at Beaches (and Caribbean resorts stereotypically) is not what you would traditionally call empathetic or comforting.  It was very clear that the staff (even the most senior on-site management) are purely OPERATORS.  Their job is to fill rooms with appropriate room code. Customer service is not what they excel at and this is a major issue when the prices are what they are.
I’ll spare you the details of my personal gripe, but suffice it to say that it's an institutional problem.  Every level of customer service management did nothing to LISTEN to my issue.  They were merely defensive of their own position and that has just doesn't work for a resort that charges what they do.

I’ve paid more every year since I started going, and I wanted others to be aware of the trap.  If you go to Beaches in Turks and Caicos - you are likely to be paying a price that will not match the service.
Update since I wrote this: I emailed their CEO (guessing his email address) and was shocked to hear from customer service folks who said he forwarded my note on to them.  Not surprisingly though, their inevitable response back to me didn't address my ask.  They robotically just reiterated what the on-site staff had said and did not answer my questions.  So... the only thing I can do as a customer is to stop being a customer and write posts like this. That's it.

My Whole30 Paleo experience

Today is day 30 of following the eating guidelines of the whole30 program.  I followed the guidelines pretty strictly.  I didn't drink, I didn't consume any sugar, I was gluten-free, I was dairy-free, I didn't eat legumes, I drank all my coffee black.  I ate a lot of fruit, vegetables, chicken, and almonds.  I drank a lot of Hint water and coconut water.

Common questions answered below:

• Do I feel AMAZING?
• On one hand - I feel accomplished for sure.  I set a goal and I stayed with it.  I was recently sick for 72 hours and all I wanted was chicken noodle soup - but I was committed to the program.  I do feel great that I saw it through but I also feel great that I didn't really feel like it was a debilitating sacrifice (minus not drinking on a Saturday night).  Food as fuel (vs. reward or hobby) sank in - and I think that is definitely something that will hopefully help me moving forward.
• On the other hand - I can't tell you that I "feel revived" from an energy perspective.  I feel the same from a mental health standpoint.  Actually, in the first 10 days - I felt flat-out BAD and crazy lethargic.  I would wake up thinking I was in college again (needing to go to class after going to sleep 3 hours before).  My body seemed to bounce back, however, after that initial gut punch.

• Did I lose weight?
• This is my bad ... but I didn't do a great job setting a baseline.  I can't say for absolute certain how many pounds I lost for two reasons:  1) I don't know what I really started with and 2) depending on when I weigh myself during the day - the numbers vary DRASTICALLY (no joke - 7 pounds difference between morning and night).
• Anecdotal feedback says I did lose weight.  Both my wife and some co-workers have mentioned my appearance looking slimmer.  
• While I did exercise - I definitely could have ratcheted this up a bunch for a more powerful impact.  I was focused on preparing dinner vs working out - if I'm making excuses.

• What was the hardest part?
• For me it was the substantial increase in the kitchen prep time.  Whether it is dinner during the week, or preparing breakfast/lunch/snacks-on-the-go on the weekends... I live in a NYC apartment where I don't have a "chef-style kitchen."  Our fridge is small, our counter-space is small, etc. and so preparing 50 meals/snacks, etc over the last 30 days was the biggest amount of "work" that I wasn't used to.  I started buying pre-cut vegetables which I found helpful in this area (especially onions, peppers, etc).
• Some people say that during the day (at work) is the hardest part -- but this is the clincher of success for me.  The company I work for provides free, amazing food with plentiful options and variety.  It actually makes eating and snacking paleo a cinch during the week. 
• I also found the web resources WEAK for beginner paleo newbies.  Google search results tend to rank some pretty bad websites on the topic pretty high.

• Will I maintain eating paleo?
• I've definitely found the guidelines do-able.  I truly can't tell you that I missed a lot craving wise.  It's more about - will I have the motivation to cook a meal at 8pm when I don't have the goal at hand.  I hope so.  My goal moving forward to eat paleo Monday-Friday on a strict basis (minus drinking, yet reduced) and I'd ease some of the restrictions on the weekend (while still opting for paleo when the options are there).  We'll see how it goes.

• Would I recommend it?
• If you are someone who needs a guideline, I think it definitely provided that for me.  
• 30 days is a short-enough time to see the end in sight - yet long enough where it can begin to set the foundation for changing habits.  I've gotten in the habit of reading every ingredient on what I eat -- which is a good thing.  I am not looking at fat grams or calories, etc.  
• I also found it very supportive that my wife came along for the ride.  While she has an already established eating guideline in her life - she attempted to do the program with me and I found that really supportive and helpful.

My Advice For Daily Fantasy Sites

 I've been a huge fantasy sports fan since I was a kid.  I say "fan" because fantasy sports are an entertainment vehicle for me.  I love sports and I've traditionally excelled in math - and so yes - I've dreamed of being that data-driven General Manager who's athletic prime had passed way back when I was in 8th grade.  In being more realistic, I very much enjoy having my handful of fantasy sports leagues to quench some competitive desires.

The daily fantasy hype is something I've followed since the beginning.  Between the tens of millions of dollars being spent on advertising by two companies and the PR nightmare of a few weeks back, it got me thinking about the industry and it's future. 

First things first -- I have no idea about the legality of the practice.  I can tell you that it is a game of skill over the long-haul, however, so is poker and so is sports gambling.  The "professionals" in all 3 of these practices have proven track records of not relying on chance.  If "game of skill" is all that's needed to make it legal -- then DFS, Poker, and Sports Gambling should all be legal. 

So let's just assume that DFS passes all if it's legal noise.  The question I have is: How long (or how much) are "Avg. Joe's" going to participate once they realize they are playing an un-winnable game in the long-term?  Their $20 to win $1MM dreams are being crushed by hundreds of professionals with sophisticated algorithms spending over $2000 to win that $1MM.   The large marketing efforts needed to replenish the pools of "Avg Joe's" who are in it for the short ride are just not sustainable.   I play DFS as pure entertainment, yet it's not as enjoyable when I'm being hustled, which is why I'm not a heavy DFS player.  What IS enjoyable is avoiding the sharks and playing amongst my friends...Just like a home poker game.  

So here's my advice.  Diversify from merely trying to be "the casino" into so much more: licensed technology, media company, finance institution, etc.  Stop spending all of your VC money on those annoying ads (that need to think about FREQUENCY limits).  

Here's an idea example:  Either open up your sites for 3rd party development OR create "Private/custom season-long DFS contests" yourself.  By having this approach, you take the place of CBS,ESPN,YHOO as the service provider of choice.  I'm a willing commissioner in general - but the amount of work needed to run a season-long DFS league is unreasonable for anyone.  I love standard fantasy leagues - but the season-long aspect is what I like to call "experienced luck."  It's hard to brag/talk trash in traditional fantasy sports these days because it truly does come down to luck (after a certain amount of baseline skill).  DFS is skill on a season-long basis and it's something I'd be very interested in if the tools existed to do this.  (Here's a free idea:  What about SURVIVOR POOL MEETS DFS - you can only each player once in a season - woah! - right?)

In general - I'm very interested to seeing what happens in the DFS space and I'm rooting for the industry to innovate and just hope the companies leading here aren't satisfied with the status quo.

Miami Heat 14-15 Redux

I was optimistic about this years Miami Heat.  I'm a loyal fan through thick and thin - and this year fits the THICK side ... or is it the THIN side.... I'm not sure.  Either way - it was a frustrating year for Miami Heat fans.  It wasn't like 2008 where the team was the worst in the league.  It was worse because the team should have been above average.  They were not.  Here's my thoughts on the season:

1)  Injuries - When all is said and done - the Heat organization will get a pass this year because they had so many injuries.  While it's valid, they 100% still should have been a top 6 team in the East this year regardless of injuries.
2) Chris Bosh proved he was worth every penny.  He's a max player and this year - he backed it up.  I have confidence he'll get better in the offseason and will come back even more hungry in 2015-2016.
3) Eric Spoelstra: I love Eric's Spoeltra's basketball philosophy, his operational and data-driven approach, and his calm no-excuse demenoer.  This said, in the off season, he needs to hire an in-game manager.  It's clearly not Keith Smart or David Fisdale.  To me, this was the most frustrating controllable aspect of the season (injuries aren't controllable).  Dwayne Wade is my favorite basketball player of all time - BUT - having your 2 minute left in the 4th quarter offense be "D.Wade ISO from top of the key" just isn't going to cut it.  CALL PLAYS!
4) I never thought I'd say this - but - James Jones would have been a huge help on this team.  We had no true 3 point threat consistently.  HUGE need in the offseason.
5) Hassan Whiteside trick or treat.  Dude was such an unreal presence this season.  He makes difference on the floor in so many ways but in particular on the glass on effecting shots on the defensive end.  Oh - and he also has offensive game beyond a dominate offensive put-back sneaky game....  I don't like his body language most of the time and50% FT shooting just isn't going to cut it, BUT... I don't know why the team went away from him in crunch time.  Next year he'll not only be a bargain but will be in a contract year .... so ... should be exciting!!
6) Goran Dragic - He showed me he's got skills - can hit open 3s, yet definitely prefers to take the ball to the hoop - and as a lefty - he's crafty at the rim.  This said, he never really felt comfortable as a needed leader on the team.  He deferred to Wade 95% of the time - but I really liked what I saw with the 5%.  I hope he comes back and I think he wants to stay in Miami - but I'm not sure if the math is gonna work or not.  I'm OK if it does.
7) Pat Riley - this is the first season where I heard him admit that he's mostly a figure-head.  I still like him as the figure-head and I'm OK with that continuing as long as he wants.

That's it.  As a #HeatLifer I have no anger about this season (although I can't say I wasn't angry watching these games down the stretch - it was painful).  I believe in the organization and I'm looking forward to next year! 

NYC School - Governor Cuomo Drama

Disclaimer:  I am not educated on this topic.  I have read two articles and merely have an opinion to share on what I've read.

Top-line issue: Cuomo is pushing a plan that would make student tests and third-party one day evaluators account for a much bigger portion of teacher evaluations. 
This is from PS87 email on the plan (and west side rag article):

• 50% of a teacher’s rating will be based on state test scores(Currently it is 20%).
• 35% of a teacher’s rating will be based on the findings of an outside “independent observer” who will conduct a one time visit to the classroom. (This has never been done before. Currently our principal’s and assistant principals’ observations count for 60%.)
• 15% of a teacher’s rating will be based on observations by the principal or assistant principal. The very people who know our work best will have the least input into our evaluation.
• 50% + 35% = 85% of our evaluations will be removed from thehands of our community and placed in the hands of the state. And then, using these numbers, any teacher who is rated ineffective two years in a row can be fired. Principals may have no say in this.

Cuomo is pushing for reform because last year only 1% of NYC teachers were deemed ineffective by the scoring standards.

So ... here's my thought:  I agree that the notion that 99% of teachers in ANY school are effective is flawed.  Teaching is so hard - and I think we should truly appreciate every person who decides to get into the profession - but that doesn't mean that almost every teacher who gets into the profession is effective at their job. 

This said - I think that the following is stupid too:
1) Test scores being the most important metric for success. (test scores are one metric - but is more an indication of aggregated intelligence vs. effective broad based teaching).
2) ONE day evaluations having ANY barometer on performance for ANY job -- but especially for teachers. There are 180 school days - so this should count for 0.0056% of someones score (OK - round it up to 1% if you want).

Here's my very easy compromise and solution:
If teachers are satisfied with the current components and weighting of the performance factors -- keep them the same.  HOWEVER - MAKE THE PRINCIPLE/AMINISTRATORS PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS ON A CURVE.  Example: 10% of teachers are exceptional, 50% are good, 32% are average, 8% need improvement (or whatever works/makes sense).  Let these ranges and amounts be debated - but - surely anyone can understand that 1% of ineffective performance ratings is too low.  Perhaps the only way to police this is to force it. Oh - and publish the top 10%.  Give the best teachers a spotlight for their peers to try and emulate.

The adminstrators will have a hard time at first - but in the long-run - it will work. I found this out first-hand in my corporate job.  It works in businesses, in higher education, and it's just common sense.  Not everyone doing a job can be good or great at it.  5%-10% of people is reasonable to expect to get below passing grades.

Again - I don't know all the details - and politics are something I do not have patience for ... but from what I understand - it seems like the solution is being way to extreme vs. my proposed simple modification.

Miami Heat 2014-2015

Huge lag in posts again ... but that's the way it goes these days I guess....  Quick documentation of my thoughts prior to the Miami Heat start the upcoming season.

The past 4 years have been very enjoyable as a Miami Heat fan ... A very different "enjoyable" than a traditional Miami Heat basketball experience since 1988.  They were THE team with THE player that every 9 year-old wanted to root for.  I had to include "since 1988" with every statement that I was a Miami Heat fan.  It was enjoyable because watching Lebron James playing for YOUR team in his prime almost every other night was just fantastic.  Now that phase is over and I appreciate it for what it was. 

I am a HeatLifer and totally embrace the next phase.  I think back to the summer before Lebron took his talents to South Beach and if you would have told me that Lebron was going back to Cleveland, D. Wade would be staying with the Heat and would be joined by Chris Bosh and Loul Deng -- I would have been very happy.  Think about that -- no one thought Lebron was really leaving Cleveland and no one in Miami actually expected him to come.  He did - and it was amazing.  But - the point is that we have a team that I would have been psyched about 4 years ago.  Sure Wade is a lesser version of his 4 years ago self - but he's my guy. 

So - I'm actually looking forward to the new phase of Miami Heat fan enjoyment.  Rooting for the underdog.  Proving media types and haters wrong.  While I know it's not truly likely - I do believe the Miami Heat can win the championship this year.  Seriously - I think there's a chance - and that's what true fans should always feel like (when they're not in rebuilding years).  What's my internal rationale? 

• I drink the Wade County kool-aid. I  believe D.Wade is gonna give the middle finger to all the doubters for perhaps the last time in his career.   The media is talking about how Bosh is gonna be "the guy" ... I think he's gonna be 1B next to Mr. Wades 1A.  He may not have 25 PPG, but if he was a starting pitcher - he's going to lead the team in Wins.
• Loul Deng is an all-star.  Knock,down shooter, team player, top-tier defender - I hated when the Heat played against him when he was on the Bulls.  He'd shut down D.Wade in his prime.  Realistic #3 option on a championship team - seriously.
• Spo knows 2015 NBA basketball.  He's mentioned in the top tier of coaches but isn't getting that respect heading into this season.  Questions about Miami making the Eastern Conference play-offs??  Really?  Spo+Wade+Bosh should be good enough for a 4 seed alone.  
• Pesky point guards.  Cole, Napier, and Chalmers off the bench play their role.  They all have crazy confidence and are relentless.  PG by committee is a trend right now in the NBA and I think tough defender/knock down shooters with penetration ability is all these guys need to do and they've proven they can do it.
• Breakout player:  James Ennis.  Of course there's a chance he's another NBA summer league mirage - but dude has got true offensive skills and is 6'7''.  I believe he's gonna be an amazing change-of-pace player for the 15 minutes Wade sits every game...
• Veteran bigs.  I like Josh McRoberts fit in a Spolstra heavy pass offense.  Birdman is proven asset.  Haslem I'm less sold on - but every time I do that - he plays a solid role.  
• Reminder:  Eastern conference is still the Eastern conference.  9 of the other 14 teams are projected to be under .500 win percentage.  
• What are we missing?  3 point shooting.  Wishful thinking that the Heat will start out like 10-1 and Ray Allen realizes that they've got a shot and joins up.  Danny Granger not gonna cut it I fear... I don't mind the "risk/reward" shot in signing him - but from what I've seen thus far - I think his best basketball is in his rear-view.  Chalmers really represents the guy you'd go to in the final few seconds to hit a 3 right now.  Not ideal. (although we all know Bosh will be taking the corner 3 80% of the time in those instances).

So that's it.  I'm excited for this season.  I embrace whatever is going to happen - but I do believe!  A Heat-Cavs eastern conference finals would be AMAZING.  How great would it feel for the Heat organization to be in that position.  Yes - I'm optimistic - it's October as a #HeatLifer.

Let's Go Heat!!

Google Shopping Express

If you know my - you know I'm a Google Kool-Aid drinker.  Almost anything that this company that's employed me for 10+ years comes up with - I traditionally believe in.  (On a related topic - I should blog about my displeasure to date with Google Glass -- but that's not what this post is about)...

For the past few weeks, my wife and I have been testing the "Same Day Delivery" service Google just rolled out for NYC and LA.  For some background, our family lives in a doorman building in NYC and we have 2 children under the age of 5.  This means that for the past 5 years - we probably average 3 purchases a week from the likes of Diapers.com, Amazon, Soap.com, etc.. We've been loyal to these sties because of the convenience + we are always buying in bulk which traditionally means "free shipping." While there's a Target in NYC - we've been once in our car and it was more of an afternoon family activity then a cost savings effort (we'll always buy more than we need to in store).

So...now that Google is willing to pick-up these items from stores like Target, Costco, Fairway, Toys R Us, and more..... It's truly a no-brainer - especially for the first 6 months where Google is picking up the delivery tab.  It's like 2001 again with Kozmo and Urban Fetch - but this time with legitimate business justifcation.  (I'm happy to talk offline to folks who don't buy into this).

Anyway - if you live in LA or NYC - I think it's something you MUST sign-up for ASAP.  There's no downside.  Did you forget your daughter has a birthday party the next day and you forgot to pick up a gift?  No problem! I already signed up to be a Costco member solely out of the excitement... After a few orders - I'm a little more gun-shy because I forget we live in a Manhattan apartment that's extremely limited on space.

If you do try it -- Lemme know what you think!

"The Donald" (and it's not Trump)

Outside of imagining a Don Draper - Roger Sterling character MERGE... the "Donald Sterling" name has had a shitty brand name since I've ever known his name.  The audience aware of this prior to last week was limited to NBA junkies.  Now the whole world knows his name and it's shitty brand correlation. 

The events of this past week are historic -- but the desire for the NBA to get rid of Donald Sterling is historic as well... He's a billionaire, a shrewd asshole, and it appears a horrible racist. 

Follow me here ... I've been the Commissioner of a fantasy football league called The BigTime going on 15 years.  There have been some additions and subtractions over the years - but not many.  The owners are a mix-mash of social friends with it's own set of cliques.  As Commissioner, it's my job to bring it together.  The truth is that there's an individual or two that get on 80% of the league owners nerves at any point during the football season through antagonizing emails or complaining or whatever...  As commissioner, while this may annoy me at times too - I've never really considered kicking someone out of the league for being annoying.  Even if an owner crossed the line per se (went too far with trash talk, or was just generally a nuisance) it would probably take cheating or failing to pay or something like that to force me to kick them out. (FWIW - I'd never let a racist into the league in the first place so I wouldn't have to kick one out) Furthermore.... If someone acted up - there would be at least one or two owners to come to that individuals defense....

This brings us back to Donald Sterling..... I haven't heard a single voice of defense for Donald Sterling.  It seems as if NO ONE cares if he's banned - and even more - that they're excited to see him go... That's the price he pays for being an asshole all of those years I suppose. 

I obviously think the racist comments are disgusting and intolerable - period.  I get the feeling, though, that this is mostly a GREAT reason to do what the NBA has wanted to do for a really long time. 

He's being kicked out of a billionaire's club and I don't imagine it's going to be a quiet exit. Donald Sterling is 80 years old - and it seems like he doesn't give a crap about anything (especially his personal "brand").  

I'm looking forward to the day we don't talk about Donald Sterling, but thought I'd take the opportunity to document my thoughts.

Announcing My Retirement From Basketball

Since I was 5 years old - I've loved the game of basketball.  It was my fathers favorite sport and at the time we lived in Los Angeles - it was 1982 - APPEX of SHOWTIME.  We went to games and I fell in love.  My father (who played college basketball) loved it too.  I was into almost all sports but basketball was the only one I cared about watching at such a young age and I played it whenever I could. 

I went to summer camp at age 9.  I still remember my father telling my to-be counselor at the time (who turned out wasn't even my counselor) to help me strengthen my left hand dribbling...  I thrived those first few years at camp - and even my friends will tell you that my prime basketball playing days were when I was 11 or 12.  I was the "go-to" player as an 11 year old. As the years went on - I found my role as a "high-IQ player" who understood the game, hustled, rebounded, played solid defense, was a good passer, but horrific outside shooter and even worse foul shooter.  As I approach 40 ... that's still my game.  People say they enjoy playing with me because: 1) I'm not a liability on defense, 2) I do the little things, 3) I don't care if I shoot the ball a single time in a game.

I still love the game of basketball and I very much enjoy playing.  I'm not someone who needs to win every game I play - but moreso just enjoy the run...Until recently when I felt like after I played I was just relieved when I escaped a game without injury.  About a year ago I got plantar fasciitis, which is basically extreme heel pain and there isn't a nea-term fix to it that I'm aware of.  I've taken 2 cortisone shots - and neither had any effect. The last 3 times I've played, I literally have trouble walking for 3 days - it sucks.  It's made playing hoops just not worth it.

So - until further progress on this front - I'm going to refrain from playing basketball for the time being.  I'm calling it a "retirement" because that's more dramatic, but I'll need to find a light-weight activity that I enjoy more than running... 

Thanks to mainly my Wah-Nee alum for keeping me active in regular hoop run cadence.  Here's hoping my retirement doesn't stay permanent. 

What's Wrong With The Miami Heat?

There are two answers to this very simple question: 

One answer is:  "Nothing, Idiot."
If the NBA did a survey of each team and asked them which team they'd least like to face in the play-offs -- I'm pretty sure The Miami Heat would be the overwhelming leader on that list.  The Heat are the Champs and any second-guessing from the media talking heads is only for the purposes of having something to talk about on TV.  The Heat have what it takes to win it all.  Championships are won in June, not in January and February.

The Second Answer is:  "They are tired and lack regular season motivation."
I've been saying for 3 years that the regular season doesn't really matter for the Heat.  For 3 years+, this team has been playing in sold-out arenas and have a huge target on their backs every night.  They've proven over the last 3 years that they aren't really to be questioned.  (Won 11 out of 12 play-off series in the last 3 years).  They're veterans and they really felt the grind of the 27 game win streak last year.  What they're doing could possibly be viewed as "over-correcting" at years end ... but again ... from where I stand they've earned the right to be trusted. 

This said - I do think it''ll be really tough to get through both the Pacers and Thunder (my prediction for West champ) come May/June.  Those teams are STARVING (they were hungry the last 2 seasons) and I'm not sure the Heat are gonna be able to find the extra gear when the time comes.  Nothing about the Heat's regular season performance is the reason why I think that, though.  It's more what I'm seeing from the other teams.  They are deeper and more experienced than the past and they both have players who can shut-down LBJ when he turns into a one-man show.

I still believe the Heat can 3 peat.  That would be the obvious best outcome - especially considering the contract situations of the big 3.  No way any of them walk away from going for a 4th in a row.... 

For now, "nothing is wrong with the Heat."  They're doing what they need to do and I'd prefer not to talk about it until the play-offs begin...

Quality Score for Super Bowl Commercials

Last night I did what 40 million+ other people did.  I sat in front of my TV for 4 straight hours (minus putting kids to bed, etc) and watched the Superbowl.  I thought it was a little overboard that they read the Declaration of Independence at the start of the broadcast (to symbolize how American the Super Bowl is?), but I digress....

The Superbowl ad spots fetched roughly $4MM for a 30 second spot (gulp), and several brands think it's a bargain.  The mere reach and PR value is hard to argue - even from a performance driven marketer like myself....  BUT.... Another reason why I think they're so valuable is because people ACTUALLY watch the ads.  The Superbowl has become the one instance in modern television where people watch BECAUSE of the ads!

The fastest way to change this fact, however, is to have a few years in a row like we did in 2014.  The ads were below average.  There were maybe 3 ads I thought were "great" and every other one was average or worse.  So in order to preserve the "huge amounts of your customers actually watch the ads" belief - I think that the networks (or NFL) should include a "Quality Score" metric, much like Google does.  If ads are clicked on more than any others - Google often rewards advertisers for being of value to it's users, which makes it more likely (and sometimes less costly) for those advertisers with strong quality scores.

How could this be done?  Well - I was thinking that there were 3 possibilities (or more I'm sure):

1. Network charges advertisers, say, $5MM per spot - and then they give $ back at a sliding scale based upon YouTube AdBlitz or a similar rating system.
2. They have a panel of "judges" that pre-screens spots to give even either financial discounts OR preferential placement based upon judged "quality."
3. Many advertisers have a history of commercials in the Superbowl - and I think there could be an "established" score that brands receive over time that gives them (again) discounts or first choice of placements. First time advertisers would receive the "average" slots.

Bottom-line -- I think the ad industry needs to take responsibility for ensuring that quality content meets customers expectations for this special event.  I get that fact that the network only thinks about "selling eyeballs" but if the ad quality is ignored - the value of the time will greatly diminish over time. I'd like to see Quality Score's equivalent show up for the Superbowl in the years to come.

Two Year Anniversary of The Worst Day of My Life

Yesterday (12/22) was the two year anniversary of our family losing a baby girl at 38 weeks of pregnancy.  Each year the day of 12/22 is going to be a hard one, but hopefully they'll get less hard as the years move on.

Alexa is now 4+ and asks some tough questions when the topic comes up  We definitely want her to be able to continue to ask anything she wants - so we try our best not to avoid her very direct questions like "why couldn't she come home from the hospital?" or "did she have a name?" (both of which she asked yesterday).

On Sunday we spent "Family Day" together which was nice.  In the afternoon, we went to the pier near our apartment and released 2 pink balloons in the memory baby girl goffin.  I had tears in my eyes when we did it as did Amy, but it's the first time I've seen either of us get overly emotional about it in the last few months.

I don't expect people to remember the tough day (like a birthday), but it's been interesting to witness people's reaction on hearing that it's been two years... Most sensitive people make a simple comment like "I understand that this must be a tough time a year for you."  Several other people just assume that Amy and I have gotten over the loss because of Ben's arrival 11 months+ ago.

Yes - we have Ben for the last 11 months+ and he's amazing.  He definitely helps to blur out some of the pain and both Amy and I feel very lucky to have both of our amazing kids.   I have had a much easier time trying to move on (but not forget), yet Amy's come a really long way over this year.  Yes - it's tough when she see's a couple of sisters 2 years apart sometimes and has some tougher emotional days than others. ... but 12/22/11 is not a day either of us will ever forget. 

I'm hopeful that it remains the worst day of my life for a very long time.

Shawn Carter Ranking Jay-Z Albums

In case you didn't see, Jay-Z ranked his own albums on his site Life and Times a week or so ago.

Here's how Jay-Z ranked his own albums (with his own brief commentary):

1. Reasonable Doubt (Classic)2. The Blueprint (Classic)3. The Black Album (Classic)4. Vol. 2 (Classic)5. American Gangster (4 1/2, cohesive)6. Magna Carta (Fuckwit, Tom Ford, Oceans, Beach, On the Run, Grail)7. Vol. 1 (Sunshine kills this album…fuck… Streets, Where I’m from, You Must Love Me…)8. BP3 (Sorry critics, it’s good. Empire (Gave Frank a run for his money))9. Dynasty (Intro alone…)10. Vol. 3 (Pimp C verse alone… oh, So Ghetto)11. BP2 (Too many songs. Fucking Guru and Hip Hop, ha)

12. Kingdom Come (First game back, don’t shoot me)

For starters - I think it's awesome that Jay-Z would do this.  In fact, I think it's actually crazy that he didn't make it a bigger deal (Example:  Hired Mr. Andrew Fried.... Gotten some heavyweights to sit around a table, debate it, film it, edit it - BAM - you have an hour-long prime time ABC special).

Secondly, anyone who massively disagrees with him is entitled to their opinion, but it's like some intern at Google disagreeing with Larry Page on the biggest priorities of the company. The man is the actual source (and pun NOT intended to reference the magazine).

I, personally, agree with most of his choices give or take a slot or two with only one major personal choice.  I don't think American Gangster is a top 5 Jay-Z album.  I'm sure it's probably in his top 5 "projects" (being involved with the movie and having one of your solo albums be a movie soundtrack), but if you told me that I, Brett Goffin, could only pick 5 Jay-Z albums to have with me on a year-long journey.... I definitely don't come close to picking American Gangster -- I probably rank that one 11th.  I think I pick either BluePrint 3 or Volume 3 as #5.   

BP3 may have a couple of tracks I'm choosing to skip - but not too many.  It also COULD end up (sadly) having the Jay-Z sound that's most played 30 years from now (Empire State of Mind).

Volume 3 is listen from start to finish exercise for me.  May press "repeat" on Dope Man, Big Pimpin, Watch Me, and Come and Get Me.

I don't chose Volume 1 as Top 5 because there are a bunch of songs I can do without HOWEVER - it arguably has the single track I listened to the most number of times in a short time frame.  "Who You Wit" was on constant repeat in my car pretty much my entire junior year of college - I don't think I'm exaggerating on that.

While I could probably go deeper on some of my thoughts -- I really just wanted to document that I thought it was really cool that S.Carter did this and in case any of my blog readers weren't aware of it.

Dolphin Drama

First of all ... It's frustrating enough being a Dol-phan in general since Dan Marino's departure.  The last thing we need is some "housewives of the Miami Offensive Line" drama.  Part of me wonders if the Dolphins weren't playing against an 0-8 team on Monday night football on ESPN if the story would get so much airtime, but I digress....

I don't know all of the details and I'm not sure anyone does yet.  There will be two sides of the story and I don't think people have to pick a single side, but that's what seems to be happening.

The truth is - I'm currently in the middle.  This whole issue seems like it's a high school after school special - which is why I'm torn.  On one hand, bullying anyone is wrong and it sounds like Richie Icognito is just one of those guys that's cool if he's in your inner circle and an absolute dick if not. Those people exist throughout the world -- and yes -- there are a lot more of them who are 17 than who are, say 30.

On the other hand, when you are a professional athlete and 300 pounds - I am not sure the same 'bullying" rules can apply to you.  Jonathan Martin is a Stanford grad - he's gotta have an IQ 5x larger than Richie Icognito.  He shouldn't be able to feel like he has no other options than to just "take it." Either do what every parent tells their 3 year old "USE YOUR WORDS" (to coaches or whomever), rise above it, or break through it.

I think Richie Icognito is a dick - but I also think it's ridiculously lame that Jonathan Martin is portraying himself as a defense-less victim.  He's an NFL player - not a child.

Also - if Jonathan Martin is soft - then the Dolphins shouldn't have drafted him. Which brings me to the only positive thing about this drama ...  That Jeff Ireland should get dragged in the mud!!!  The guy is the worst General Manager in the history of the NFL.  I'm convinced he has naked pictures of the owner or some major dirt on him.  Stephen Ross (a Michigan Man) is smarter than this!!!