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Hall of Fame (http://deadspin.com/5038969/deadspin-hof-nominee-nightmare-ant), and he somehow failed to get the needed 75% vote.

I wrote about this in a blog entry and informed all who failed to vote for him that they would suffer at his hand for their insolence.  Indeed, his twitter account has told a tale of destruction that would leave Pol Pot jealous (http://twitter.com/nightmareant). 

Now, it seems that people have forgot about the harm inflicted that was reported in the twitter account.  I have gone back to visit the wonderful site that is Deadspin for all the fun sports topics fit to print, and I learned that the Nightmare Ant was up for another vote and lost once again!  This time, he was up against Fort Wayne's favorite, Isiah Thomas to see who moved on in the 2008 tournament to determine Deadspins Sports Human of the Year.  In a shocking vote (I heard the Supreme Iranian Leader may have had a hand in this election fraud), Thomas beat out Nightmare Ant to move on to the second round.  I fear what type of revenge Nightmare Ant will exact for this slight.

The other great player of the day was Earl Calloway.  He had 17 points and 7 rebounds, and I thought he did a great job of changing the pace of the game with his speed and his defense.  If he can keep this up on a consistent basis, he has a chance. 

The other impressive player was Jodie Meeks with the Bucks.  He is such a smart and fundamental player, and his footwork when it comes to shooting is very advanced.  He could be a real contributor for a young and rebuilding Bucks team. 

My top five of the day:

Blake Griffin
Anthony Morrow
Jodie Meeks
Chase Budinger
George Hill

Back with more later!

As for the game, I thought Austin Daye was the story of the day.  I was really impressed with his size and skill.  He can really shoot and score in a variety of ways.  I'm not sure if his lack of strength will allow him to do this when the big boys come calling, but yesterday was a glimpse of how good he can be.

Dajuan Summers, the Pistons second round pick was also very good.  He is very skilled, as well, and he was able to score in a variety of ways.  Jonas Jerebko looks like a really tough kid, but I am not sure how much he will help them next year. 

The next game I watched was the Bucks and the Bulls.  Nothing really to write about here.  I thought Brandon Jennings was very quick and certainly flashy, but I did not see any indication that he can shoot the ball.  I thought Jodie Meeks had a really nice game, and you can tell that he really knows how to play.  I suspect he is the Bucks plans for the upcoming season.  James Johnson for the Bulls had a tough day yesterday, but I still like his game and the way he plays.

I then watched the D-League select team against the Sacremento Kings.  The select team had a fantastic win, and I was really impressed with how they played together.  They played with purpose and determination, and they should all feel good about the win and how they are opening eyes.  The stand out guys for me were Othyus Jeffers, Trey Johnson, but almost all the players contributed.  Our guys, Coleman and Walker, had very solid games.  It is fun to watch Coleman play well here after what was at times a difficult season for him in Fort Wayne.  He deserves some success, and I am happy he is getting it here. 

For Sacremento, Jason Thompson was a load, and he ended up with 31.  Tyreke Evans did not have a very good game, and I thought the D-Leaguers did a nice job of forcing him to shoot jumpers, which he struggled with.

I didn't get to all games, but here are my top five perfomers:

Austin Daye
Dajuan Summers
Trey Johnson
Othyus Jeffers
Jason Thompson

Off to watch more today.  I'll have more for you later.

I also thought that Stephon Curry was really good.  He missed some shots, but he will make those in the long run and he had not issues getting his shot off.  I really liked how he ran the team and how he looked to include his teammates.  I think he is going to be a good one.

If you saw any of my obnoxious tweets yesterday, you know that I really liked James Johnson.  He plays at a great pace, and he has a lot of shake to his game.  He will help the Bulls this year.

Watched Blake Griffin last night, and he is a man among boys right now.  He is so strong, so balanced, and so skilled.  He is going to be fantastic. 

As for our guys, we had two play in games and two play in scrimmages.  For me, the star of the day was Ron Howard.  He was the starting two guard for the Knicks (looks like he beat out our former assigned player Alex Acker for the spot), and he showed no fear.  He attacked on offense and defense, and he was able to stick his jumper.  A very good start for Ron.

Earl played last night for the Hornets, and I thought he had a decent game.  He made one jumper, and I think he probably forced a couple of shots.  Where he really shined was the way he pushed the ball up the court and defended.  He really put pressure on the defense the way he got the ball up the court, and he gave the opposing backcourt fits with his quickness.  A solid game, but I think we will see better as the week progresses.

Walker and Coleman played in a scrimmage against the Japanese national team, and I frankly didn't take much away from it.  They played well, but it wasn't very good competition.  They play the Kings today, and that should be a good test.  I will say that there is a really good buzz about Walker and the way he is running a team right now.  Coleman also opened some eyes with his first game. 

One guy I am watching with particular interest is Kyle McAlarney from Notre Dame.  He can really shoot it, and I think he would be a good pick up for us in the D-League.  I'm hoping he will consider us over Europe. 

Okay, that is a quick recap of yesterday, and I will have another one after today.  For immediate reaction at the games, be sure to check out our team twitter account at www.twitter.com/themadants.

Alright, enough of the kissing up.  The team is currently out in Colorado, and it is good to see Chiekh Samb out on the court, even if it is with another team.  He looks like the same old Chiekh -- long, lean, and blocking anything that comes near him.  This will be a tough game for us to win, frankly.  They are loaded with talent (3 players assigned from the NBA), and we are without Ron Howard, who is still sore from injuring his knee last game (bone bruise from hyperextension).  So far, however, they are hanging tough after a quarter (down 36-31). 

Here is the big blog topic for tonight -- 70's night this Saturday against the Iowa Energy.  First, the best night we had last year was our 70's night.  It will be an absolute blast, and I hope you all come out to enjoy the fun.  Second, you have a chance to see two of the young Pistons players that they are sending down, Alex Acker and Walter Sharpe.  Acker is a great two guard shooter and Walter is a smooth playing three man.  Both should really help us, and it is a great opportunity to see some NBA players right in the Coliseum.  Come out and enjoy a great weekend with the Ants!

Alright, time to go to bed.  We're up by 10 at half (73 points -- a nice half for us), and I am going to cross every part of my body in the hopes that we can pull this off.  As for you folks, I hope you all had a very happy holiday season, and I hope you have a very fun and safe New Year's.