Where to Download Basketball Games

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

(If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS/Atom feed. Thanks for visiting! - Michael)

Basketball Sky

Image by laffy4k via Flickr

I’ve referred to these links through various posts, but I figured I might as well compile them and make a post with an SEO friendly title (yes, I want to see if this results in more PV for the site)

(I know there are private torrent sites that specialize in sports, but I always have issues with them. I always share enough, but I have difficulty getting tracked properly. The sites below all are public/don’t need any special work to access)

Let’s go!

Btw, if you need help with torrents, see My Torrent Guide.

Enjoy and let me know of your own favorite sources!

Edit: Feb 21, found a great resource on Mixmakers, “NBA Game Data Base – Version 1.0 Release“- it’s a list of games available coupled with download link.s

Tags: , , , , , ,

Related posts

16.02.2010 Basketball, Sports No Comments

Bay Area Tales

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
San Francisco Bay Area highlighted in red on a...

Image via Wikipedia

I’m in the Taipei airport right now, waiting to board my flight back to Vietnam. A recap of my two and half weeks of California, USA fun:

  • Adventures:
    • Six Flags Magic Mountain on New Years Eve – X2 is still a fantastic ride, even if only for the first 15 seconds, but Batman and Goliath were closed
    • 49ers vs Lions, lower deck seats – 49ers win!
    • Warriors vs Suns – Warriors win!
    • Warriors vs Celics – Warriors win!
    • Sherlock Homes – might enjoy it more if I saw it again as I fell asleep towards the end (that only happens when I see movies soon after my returns from Vietnam, gave it 6/10)
    • Up in the Air – a movie that reminds me why I have to continue working; I can’t let someone fire me (gave it 8/10)
    • Star Trek Exhibit at the Tech Museum in San Jose – interesting, but way overpriced
    • Saw UFC 108 at M Cafe with Kyle, Tay, Midland, and Mike – great setup, a ton of TVs
  • Food:
    • KFC – The new grilled chicken is pretty good; it definitely has that picnic chicken taste to it. Great to have biscuits again…yummy, biscuits
    • Albertsons/Lucky’s Fried Chicken – traditionally my favorite fried chicken for taste and value, it didn’t hold up this time around.
    • SmokeEaters – formerly Cluck-u near Santa Clara University, had good wings and fries one of my first nights back meeting up with Andrew
    • Fiesta Del Mar – Mexican food! bBurrito during lunch with Kyle
    • Fenton’s Creamery & Restaurant -  this is the famous ice cream place mentioned in Pixar’s movie Up. Had my favorite, cookies n’ cream in a cone.
    • McDonalds – McChicken, fries
    • In-N-Out – cheeseburger and fries, and then a double double with fries. Both times were subpar for me. I’m a bit worried about their quality, and maybe it’s just in my head, but after reading In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules by Stacy Perlman, I am very, very concerned about their future.
    • El Pollo Loco – chicken and CHURROS! (best ever)
    • Costco – chicken warp (not as good as some would have me believe) and churro (not as good as El Pollo)
    • Harris Ranch – ordered ribs after heading home on I-5 with Mike on the Magic Mountain trip. Fries and Ribs were good, as they should have been for a $30 meal.
    • Mountain Mike’s – had pizza there while watching Cal lose their bowl game. Substandard, a bit dry, maybe a bit hurried. Wasn’t cheap either, I think it was near $20 for a medium.
    • Thai Pepper – my pad thai wasn’t so great, but maybe other items are better there.
  • Other:
    • Tried out Redbox to rent movies – $1/night’s a great value and very convenient. Probably not coincidentally, Blockbuster is closing a ton of brick and mortar stores, including one in downtown San Jose. How can they compete with Netflix and Redbox?
    • Used Yelp to research places to eat and go – my sister remarked, it feels like it’s early success came from Asian popularity, where you can feel that much of the writing comes from Asians
    • Tried out dad’s GPS tracker on the Magic Mountain trip. GPS is brilliant! Almost makes me want to move back to the US just to go on trips and have GPS lead the way.
    • Did some work. Poop.
    • Had light basketball workouts 7 times over the 2.5 weeks. Hopefully, I’ll be better for the mean courts of Vietnam (no joke, it’s tough out there)
Tags: , , , , , ,

Related posts

06.01.2010 Food, Sports, Travel 4 Comments

49ers vs Lions at Candlestick (Bay Area Tales)

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

Last weekend, I went to the 49ers vs Lions game in San Francisco at Candlestick. (Dad and I on the left) The 49ers got eliminated from the playoffs the previous weekend, but I was looking forward to it because it was the first 49er game I’d go to, and I had $71 lower deck seats for which I paid $55. What’s also great about being back in the US is that there’s no football in Vietnam, unless that football is actually soccer. So I can’t watch any games, I just read stuff.

Good thing, the 49ers won, which they should have- they were playing at home against the worst team in football. Unfortunately, while the defense looked solid, the offense did not. I was really surprised at Alex Smith’s final stats, they looked much better than his actual play.

Notes:

  • Great weather for the game, but things started getting cold at 3:30, with the sun coming down in the afternoon and the wind kicking in.
  • There was supposed to be Fan Appreciation Day, in which you get scratch cards when you enter. We did not get anything.
  • Alex Smith didn’t do much. The 49er has 6 turnovers, excellent field position a ton of times, and still only scored 20 points.
  • Though people can be against Alex, I’m still for him. But maybe that’s because truly, who else? Yeah, you could draft someone else, but the odds of a good QB coming in are crap, even in the first round. Go ahead and draft another QB if you like someone, but might as well stick with Alex for a full year, and let him repeat with the same offense coordinator for the first time in his career. I don’t necessarily think Alex will ever be a superstar quarterback, but maybe he can be top 12- consistent, solid playmaker. Add that to Frank Gore, good offensive line, and great defense, and that is a real contender.
  • Offensively, the 49ers looked like a confused mashup. As my sister says, the 49ers can run when they only run and the 49ers can pass when they only pass- they can’t seem to do both in a game. I think Frank Gore has the be the #1 option, and then let Alex push the offense beyond that.
  • I think the 49ers are two really good players away from being a legit contender, one and offense and the other on defense. On offense, maybe that’s a lineman because I think all the other pieces are there. Crabtree has played really well for a rookie, and the other receivers are young and improving. It’s just about Alex Smith, and that’s where a Pro Bowl level lineman can make things easier for him as well as Frank. On defensive, the 49ers need a pass rusher or just another high level player. The 49ers are 18th in yardage allowed, but only 6th in points, though some of that has to be due to their weak division.

The Gallery on Smugmug:

Tags: , , , , , ,

Related posts

03.01.2010 Sports No Comments

Christmas Cheer!

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

As I get older, more busy with work, it’s harder and harder to put time in the blog. I do love this blog though, posts just come in spurts. I am able to keep up my Twitter account active though, but I’m still waiting for a magic Twitter-like service with (cheap or free) SMS access in Vietnam.

Anyway, it’s nearing Christmas time (what, 2 months to go is plenty close enough for wish lists!) and this also means I’ll be returning to the US for my yearly vacation.

What I really mean is that it’s time to buy stuff! I’m mostly focused on getting some books, but here’s what I have planned for the credit card:

For sure:

image UFC: Ultimate 100 Greatest Fights (DVD)

In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules
The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy

image Giro Indicator Sport Bike Helmet

Maybe:

The Art of a Beautiful Game: The Thinking Fan’s Tour of the NBA (Sports Illustrated)
When the Game Was Ours
The Full Tilt Poker Strategy Guide: Tournament Edition

image Baseball – A Film By Ken Burns (1994)

image Rock Band 2 (Playstation 2)

Already Purchased:

The Bald Truth
Arcade Mania: The Turbo-charged World of Japan’s Game Centers

image Tupac: Resurrection (DVD)

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Related posts

04.11.2009 Books/Comics, Sports, Video Games No Comments

Singapore and F1 in Photos: Race Night

Monday, October 12th, 2009

(to see more photos, see my Smugmug: http://ispithotsoleyman.smugmug.com/M-2009)

Driver’s Parade:

The F1 Race:

Post Race:

Tags: , , , ,

Related posts

12.10.2009 Sports, Travel No Comments

Singapore and F1 in Photos: Qualifying and Pre-Race Sunday

Sunday, October 11th, 2009

(to see more photos, see my Smugmug: http://ispithotsoleyman.smugmug.com/M-2009)

Saturday: (Qualifying and Practice- other non-F1 racing goes on too!)

Sunday, pre-race:

Tags: , , , ,

Related posts

11.10.2009 Sports, Travel No Comments

Singapore and F1 in Photos: The City

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

(to see more photos, see my Smugmug: http://ispithotsoleyman.smugmug.com/M-2009)

City Shots:

F1 Around the City:

Tags: , , , ,

Related posts

10.10.2009 Sports, Travel No Comments

F1 Singapore!

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

F1 Singapore

Going to Singapore for the F1 late next month!

For a few years, I’d been wanting to go to F1 Malaysia, but it’s been an issue of timing and money. I liked Michael Shumacher (greatest F1 driver ever) a lot, and when he announced he would come out of retirement for the rest of the year, I had to make sure I got tickets take advantage of this last opportunity to see him.

Unfortunately, last week, he said he couldn’t make it out of retirement after all (http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/racing/f1/news/story?id=4390787).

But it’s ok. I haven’t been to Singapore in a while, and a short trip would be good for me, and I want to check out some things there anyway.

I’m no F1 superfan- I mainly read about it on ESPN rather than watch it, but I do like car racing, and I used to be a huge Indycar fan when I was a kid when Michael Andretti was still racing (he failed his one year in F1 though). Now, I’ll be rooting for Lewis Hamilton.

I’m going alone, which kind of sucks at first thought, but I’m ok with it- it’s been a long time since I went on a trip alone, and I was quite fine before. I tend to get too dependant on other people, and being alone helps me focus on what I want to do and feel more natural doing it because I’m less self-conscious. I’m also staying at a hostel for the first time- this ones looks super nice and is in an ideal location. Hotels are at least $110 USD (and are rising) per night, but I decided to go with a hostel to try something new and saving money is never a bad thing.

Mapping out the trip:

(Check out Flair Candy for a pretty good article on her trip last year: http://www.flaircandy.com/2009/03/watching-the-singapore-formula-1-grand-prix-on-a-budget/- it helped me plan out what I wanted to do)

  • F1 3 Day Walkabout Tickets $135 USD – this is expensive, but also the cheapest option by far.
  • Singapore Flyer: http://www.singaporeflyer.com/ – I guess this is the London Eye of Singapore
  • Night Safari: http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/ – Wanted to do this a few years ago, but it ended up raining when I was there
  • Random Shopping: I don’t think I will actually buy anything (I am sure I will spend enough money at the actual race on random stuff and food) but will probably go look for jerseys (Peninsula Shopping Center) and second hand stuff in my spare time, mainly out of curiosity.

I was going to go see Beyonce for the recently announced F1 Rocks concert, but tickets are a ridiculously expensive $125 USD (not even for seats!) to go see her and Black Eyed Peas on the Saturday of the F1 weekend.

Formula 1 sessions schedule:

The race itself sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve never been to a car race before, and this will be a night race in the city, the only one in F1. I don’t think I will make the Friday session, but I plan to do most of Saturday, and of course Sunday.

  • Friday 25th September
    • Free practice 1: 19:00-20:30
    • Free practice 2: 21:30-23:00
  • Saturday 26th September
    • Free practice 3: 19:00-20:00
    • Qualifying: 22:00-23:00
  • Sunday 27th September
    • Race: 20:00
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Related posts

19.08.2009 Sports, Travel 2 Comments

Vote for Pablo Sandoval (The Panda!)

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
The Adventures of Pablo Sandoval and His Bubblegum

Image by acordova via Flickr

You have to at least love the nickname! Vote ends Thursday, 4PM.

The Giants are good again, I kind of want to watch some baseball. But that is impossible from Vietnam.

Tags: , , , ,

Related posts

07.07.2009 Sports No Comments

Tyson [Review]

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

image Tyson is a basically a video recording of one and a half hours of Mike Tyson talking about himself spliced with footage from Tyson’s life, such as his boxing fights and news reports. It tries to tell the story of Mike Tyson chronologically, but purely from his eyes.

That doesn’t mean it’s not interesting. It is, but while it’s fascinating to hear Tyson talk about himself and explain his life and choices and errors, it’s hard to say this feels like a documentary. Oftentimes, it seems like Tyson’s reading off of a script, and the directors doesn’t seem willing to force Tyson to address some of the tough things he may be in denial about or unwilling to admit such as beating Robin Givens and the rape trial. From Tyson’s mind, he essentially claims he never beat Robin Givens and he never committed the rape. He basically denies those things happened. While he does admit his last fights were purely for the money, that he slept around on his girlfriends and wives, and has the wisdom to reflect and understand things better than in his younger days, he still ultimately feels he is a good guy. Almost a soft guy who just fights. Someone who claims he has found some happiness, some peace, some wisdom, but in the back of your mind, we ask have we really heard the last from him?

Perhaps though, that is the point of the movie. Maybe it’s not the story of Tyson’s life, but actually just a closer look at the man that we’re supposed to pay attention to. I think I can understand that, you see a human in front of you, incredibly flawed, but someone beyond the punching monster we saw only previously depicted through HBO and gossip columns for so many years.

Basically, if you interested in Tyson, you’ll find this worth watching. I gave it a 7/10 on IMDB.

(Even though it won’t be released in the US until starring April 24, Tyson’s available on torrent already. This is one of those movies, however, that would never be released in theaters here in Vietnam or sold here legally.)

Early on, there’s footage of young Tyson (when he’s around 20) practicing his combos in a gym. To see his speed and know his power is really scary. If he had thrown one combo at me at that speed, I know I would be dead. I have no doubt, I couldn’t survive it, it’s just when you hear about his power and then see how fast he unleashed it, it’s a scary sight, and you can start to understand why he was so dominant when he was young.

See below for the the official trailer:

Related articles on the Internet:
Tags: , , , , ,

Related posts

12.04.2009 Movies, Reviews, Sports No Comments