The Date: Wednesday 7/31/2K13
The Locale: Outside of HENRI BENDEL boutique, West 57th Street and Firfth Avenue, New York City
The Event: Angela Simmons' E-Commerce launch for IAmAngela.com
RG: What is your brand of pugilistic artistry?
PQ: Well, you know, I already know how to be a street fighter. I went in, and learned how to actually box. A lot of guys go in the gym and learn how to defend themselves, and that's what makes me different. Between my amateur and pro records, I only gotten 45 bouts in so far, and the experts are comparing me to guys that's boxed in 200-300 amateur events, with a handful of pro fights mixed in. So it's just letting me know that when you come from the bottom, you are chosen by GOD, and I feel like I have a special gift not only with the people, but with what GOD is doing with me, and working inside of me, and I know that it's only big plans that He has in store for me.
RG: Where are you based at?
PQ: I'm now based here in Brooklyn, New York. I've been in New York since I was 18. I'm 30 now, and it's been life and trial, man. I've made a lot of errors, but we learn from a lot of those things and applied them to what I know now, and now I have WISDOM.
RG: If you had to compare your style to two notable boxers, past or present, who would they be?
PQ: I would say that I'm a combination of both Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard. Those are my idols and who I looked up to. I also got the swag and personality like Muhammad Ali. Just altogether, I look up those guys that stepped forth the footsteps for me to follow in, and through them, I am now trying to create my own footprints.
*As of Saturday 12/28/2K13, Quillin is currently the WBO World Middleweight champion.
Bronx, New York City-born and current Harlem USA representative Monet Merchand has been honing her craft as a Rap music artist since the early 2000's through hard work, perseverance, and the inspiration of her cousin and mentor - the late Andre 'Huddy 6' Hudson, who was instrumental in the careers of Platinum-selling artists Ma$e, Cam'Ron and countless others. But the twenty-something beauty of Dominican/Filipino/West Indian extraction to this point has been able to expertly build her own brand through the experiences of working behind-the-scenes and acquiring knowledge of the music business, and is primed to explode in a huge way in the Entertainment arena.
"Music is my 'drug,' my 'natural high,' and my main focus right now." said Merchand during my recent phone interview with her. "I just have the confidence and self-assuredness that I can do it. I know I am talented, and soon enough, everyone will be familiar with my name and how hard I put in work." Not only is Monet hot, on-the-rise rapper, she is also proactive as an actress who's been featured in popular VH1 network reality TV series such as 'Basketball Wives' and 'Love & Hip Hop: New York' thus far. With her hard grind, unbridled confidence, and immense business saavy, MONET MERCHAND will be a brand name that'll resonate within the global community for years to come!
Look for big things from the vivacious and eccentric Libra going into 2K14 with hot new music, more small screen projects, as well as on the big screen, and with her incredible looks and curvy physique, you can also anticipate potential layouts in some of the top men's magazines as well!
*Sending out a big THANKS to publicist ERNEST JACKSON of MNS Media Group (www.twitter.com/StricklyForTheP) for the opportunity to interview the intelligent, passionate and beautiful Monet!
My 'notable' happenings and keynotes from the sports world this past week:
NFL: Denver Broncos quarterback and leading candidate for the league's MVP Peyton Manning set the new single season mark for most touchdowns thrown with his 51st tally of 2K13 in the team's 37-13 victory over the Houston Texans. The Broncos clinched a playoff berth, plus the AFC West title with the win. The New England Patriots (AFC East champs), Cincinnati Bengals (AFC North champs), defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers, and the Carolina Panthers also wrapped up postseason berths....Key injuries: Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo (Herniated disk, back; out for the season); Denver Broncos LB Von Miller (knee: out for the season)....32-year-old former All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha retires after 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles....Both the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will each have eight players represented in the annual Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii on Sunday 1/26/2K14....The Chicago Bears re-signed placekicker Robbie Gould to a four-year, $15M extension. ($9M guaranteed)
NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 12/16 - Sunday 12/22)....Eastern Conference - G Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat; Western Conference - F Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers....Dallas Mavericks veteran forward Dirk Nowitzki passed Hall-of-Famer Alex English for 13th place on the all-time scoring list....Key injuries: Oklahoma City Thunder G Russell Westbrook. (knee; out until around February 2K14)
*Associated Press Male and Female Athletes of the Year: LeBron James; Serena Williams
Men's College Basketball: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Arizona 2. Syracuse 3. Ohio State 4. Wisconsin 5. Michigan State 6. Louisville 7. Oklahoma State 8. Villanova 9. Duke 10. Wichita State
Women's College Basketball: Associated Press Top 10 - 1. U.Conn 2. Notre Dame 3. Duke 4. Stanford 5. Tennessee 6. Kentucky 7. Louisville 8. Maryland 9. Baylor 10. UNC
Super-talented and humble - big CHECK mark. Fun - double big CHECK mark. Unaveragely stylish and swaggarific - triple big CHECK mark. Stunningly gorgeous - quadruple big CHECK mark. Future superstar in the making - quintuple big CHECK mark! Urban Pop music recording artist/dancer/actress Jasmine Robinson, bka QT JAZZ, is all of the above and lots more, and if her catchy, hypnotic single HEELS BAGS (written and produced by her older brother G-Phonix: www.youtube.com/gphonix) featuring the equally talented and beautiful rhymestress BabyDoll from the hot, popular all-female trio THE OMG GIRLZ is any indication of what's to come in 2K14 and beyond, then music lovers of all age groups and ethnic backgrounds around the world are in for a uniquely refreshing treat to their collective ears from this lively Libra reppin' the city of Atlanta, Georgia! 'I would describe my music style as a combination of both (female artists) Jhene' Aiko and Ciara.' said QT during my recent phone interview with her. QT also mentioned that she would love to collaborate with the likes of Platinum-selling, award-winning artists such as Beyonce', Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake and hit-making legend producer Timbaland in the future. Look out for nothing but GREATNESS from QT JAZZ in 2K14, which includes her sure-to-be entertaining and amazing debut EP, along with new projects on the small screen and lots more!
*Sending out a big THANK YOU to publicists TARA THOMAS (www.TaraThomasAgency.com) and ERNEST JACKSON of MNS Media Group (www.twitter.com/StricklyForTheP) for both blessing me with the opportunity to interview such a promising, awesome and beautiful young lady in QT, who is truly indeed that - A CUTIE on ALL LEVELS!
My 'notable' happenings and keynotes from this past week in the sports world:
College Football: Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston became the second consecutive freshman to win the prestigious Heisman Trophy as the nation's top collegiate player in 2K13. Winston, despite dealing with some adversity off the field, was phenomenal on it - passing for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns with an astounding 190.1 QB rating and 68% completion rate. Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller AJ McCarron was the runner-up in the voting; Northern Illinois QB Jordan Lynch placed third....The Texas Longhorns announced that Mack Brown will command the sidelines for the final time as head coach on Monday 12/30 vs the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl after 16 seasons and one national championship. (2K5)
NFL: After finishing with the worst record in the league last season, the Kansas City Chiefs rebounded in a big way in 2K13 to clinch a playoff berth with a 56-31 victory over the Oakland Raiders on the road. Chiefs running back and sure-to-be league MVP candidate Jamaal Charles became the first player ever to scored four touchdowns as a receiver and one on the ground in the victory.
NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 12/9 - Sunday 12/15)....Eastern Conference - G Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers; Western Conference - F LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers.... After just six games returning from a torn Achilles tendon injury, Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant fractures his left knee against the Memphis Grizzlies, and will now miss an upwards of six weeks of action....As of Friday 12/20, the Indiana Pacers (21-5) continue to lead the East, while out West, league-leading scorer Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder are atop the standings at 21-4.
MLB: Notable free-agent signings....2B Brian Roberts, New York Yankees (one-year, $2M); Reliever Joaquin Benoit, San Diego Padres (two-years, $15.5M).
NHL: Washington Capitals All-Star winger Alex Ovechkin scored his 400th career goal is just his 634th game in the league in a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Ovechkin became the sixth-fastest to tally 400 shots successfully in the nets in NHL history.
Men's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Arizona 2. Syracuse 3. Ohio State 4. Wisconsin 5. Michigan State 6. Louisville 7. Oklahoma State 8. Duke 9. Villanova 10. U.Conn
Women's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top Ten - 1. U.Conn 2. Duke 3. Tennessee 4. Notre Dame 5. Kentucky 6. Stanford 7. Louisville 8. Maryland 9. Baylor 10. South Carolina
The Date: Wednesday 7/31/2K13
The Locale: Outside of Henri Bendel boutique, New York City
The Event: E-Commerce website launch of AngelaIAm.com (Angela Simmons)
RG: Define your style of acting.
IS: I think I bring a natural style, because basically, everything that I learned in the streets growing up in southside Jamaica, Queens, I put it on to film. I put all those emotions into every character that I portray.
RG: How long have you've been doing the acting thing?
IS: I started out first as a solo Rap artist. (FONTY Records - that's the movement)....I had videos on BET, did mixtapes with DJ Whoo Kid of G-Unit. I just ran into the right person, asked if they was doing acting, they put me on and I just kind of lucked lucked up and made it happen for myself.
RG: What can we anticipate from you in five-to-ten years from now?
IS: You could see FONTY Records very poweful up in the Entertainment industry; You could see me close to making a billion dollars; You could see a lot of my films coming out and a lot of my music coming out from me and my company.
My 'notable' happenings and keynotes from this past week:
College Football (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 (Final regular season standings) - 1. Florida State 2. Auburn 3. Alabama 4. Michigan State 5. Stanford 6. Baylor 7. Ohio State 8. South Carolina 9. Missouri 10. Oregon.... The No. 1 Florida State Seminoles and the No. 2 Auburn Tigers will play each other on Monday 1/6/2K14 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California for the BCS National Championship....Reigning Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, fellow signal-callers Jameis Winston (Florida State), AJ McCarron (Alabama) and Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), along with running backs Tre Mason (Auburn) and Andre Williams (Boston College) are the finalists for the prestigious accolade of National College Football Player for 2K13. The winner will be crowned on Saturday 12/14 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City.
NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 12/2 - Sunday 12/8)....Eastern Conference - G Jordan Crawford, Boston Celtics; Western Conference - F LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers....Los Angeles Lakers veteran shooting guard Kobe Bryant played his first game of the season against the Toronto Raptors at home after tearing his Achilles tendon back in April. Bryant - officially entering his 18th NBA season with L.A. - scored nine points (2-9 FG), grabbed eight rebounds, handed out four assists and turned the ball over eight times (which was expected as he wears off the rust of not playing in a while) in 28 minutes of, for the most part, very productive action in his team's 106-94 loss to the Raptors....The Sacramento Kings traded guards Greivis Vasquez and John Salmons, along with big men Patrick Patterson and Chuck Hayes to the aforementioned Toronto Raptors for veteran talented swingman Rudy Gay, center Aaron Gray and forward Quincy Acy....Notable Milestones: Los Angeles Clippers forward Antwan Jamison became the 39th player in league history to reach the 20,000 career points plateau; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett added to his certain Hall-of-Fame credentials by grabbing career rebound number 14,000 in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the road.....As of Friday 12/13, the Indiana Pacers (20-3) and the Portland Trail Blazers (19-4) own the two top records in the league.
MLB: Former big-league managers Joe Torre, Tony LaRussa and Bobby Cox were all elected into the Baseball Hall-of-Fame by the Expansion Era Committee....Notable Free-Agent Pickups - 2B Omar Infante, Kansas City Royals (4-years, $30M); Pitcher Bartolo Colon, New York Mets (2-years, $20M); 1B Justin Morneau, Colorado Rockies (2-years, $12.5M)....Notable Re-Signings - 1B/DH Mike Napoli, Boston Red Sox (2-years, $32M); Pitcher Charlie Morton, Pittsburgh Pirates (3-years, $21M); Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, New York Yankees (1-year, $16M)....Two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Roy Halladay retires after 16 stellar big-league seasons and 203 career victories....New managerial hire: Matt Williams, Washington Nationals.
NFL: Embattled Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan benches talented but struggling young QB Robert Griffin III for the final three games of their highly disappointing 2K13 campaign. Kirk Cousins was penciled in to start as the team's signal-caller under center for the remainder of the season.....Both the Indianapolis Colts (AFC South champs) and the Denver Broncos clinched playoff berths....The No. 89 Chicago Bears football jersey of Hall-of-Fame player/head coach Mike Ditka was retired by the franchise....Denver Broncos place-kicker Matt Prater boomed a record-setting 64-yard field goal - barely clearing the uprights - in his team's 51-28 victory over the Tennessee Titans at home.
Men's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Arizona 2. Syracuse 3. Ohio State 4. Wisconsin 5. Michigan State 6. Louisville 7. Oklahoma State 8. Duke 9. U.Conn 10. Villanova
Women's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. U.Conn 2. Duke 3. Tennessee 4. Notre Dame 5. Kentucky 6. Stanford 7. Louisville 8. Maryland 9. Baylor 10. South Carolina....Kentucky Lady Wildcats talented 6'3 forward and All-America candidate DeNesha Stallworth underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery, and will miss an upwards of four weeks of game action.
NHL: As of Friday 12/13, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks (51 points) and the Boston Bruins (46 points) have the two best records thus far in the early part of the 2K13 campaign on the ice.
Men's Pro Soccer: Sporting Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake 7-6 on penalty kicks to claim their first MLS Cup title in 13 years.
Pro Boxing: Paulie Malignaggi outlasted the seemingly washed-up Zab Judah in a 12-round unanimous decision to capture the NABF welterweight championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The Date: Saturday 10/19/2K13
The Locale: Walt 'Clyde' Frazier's WINE & DINE Restaurant, New York City
The Event: Cynthia and Peter's book signing for their debut release CARRY-ON LUGGAGE: OUR NONSTOP FLIGHT.
RG: Why was it important for both you and your wife to lay the foundation for the book?
Peter: When you watch 'Real Housewives of Atlanta,' you only get up to four minutes of segments from us, and there's about 5-6 million that watch the show when it comes on. So, you know, the people that's really checking for us - our fanbase - we just wanted to give them an extended version of the show in a memoir form as far as how me and Cynthia met, and how we've both grinded hard in order to secure a strong future for our family.
RG: When avid readers purchase your new book, what can they anticipate learning from it?
Cynthia: Marriage and relationships are not easy! It's a lot of work. What I hope for the book is to inspire couples of our age group to keep going on all levels; to keep the 'happy' going; to keep the love going; to keep the excitement in the bedroom going. Things don't just go on 'Auto-Pilot,' you know? Finding that balance is also important as well.
RG: What's the best piece of advice you could give to a young lady who has aspirations to become a successful entrepreneur like yourself in the future?
Cynthia: Just be willing to work. I think people look at the successful ones and say to themselves 'Oh, they got lucky.' and think that it's easy. Everyone that I know that is in a position of power/big money/success, they WORK, and all they do is WORK. I think that this generation assume that things should just be given to them, and they don't want to work for anything. If you are ambitious, and are willing to put the work in, you can have success in your life. And don't worry about looking at other people and what they are doing; DO YOU! You can't compare yourself to everybody else. Do YOU, carve your own lane and GO FOR IT!
My 'notable' happenings and keynotes of the sports world this past week:
NFL: The Seattle Seahawks upped their record to a league-best 11-1 with an impressive 34-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints, and is the first team to punch their ticket into the postseason dance....After losing their 11th game in a row to the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20 to drop their record to a league-worst 2-11, the Houston Texans fired head coach Gary Kubiak after leading the franchise to back-to-back NFC South titles last season and in 2K11. Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips will coach the final three games of the regular season on an interim basis.
NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 11/25 - Sunday 12/1)....Eastern Conference - F LeBron James, Miami Heat; Western Conference - F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder....Players of the Month (November 2K13): East - F Paul George, Indiana Pacers; West - F Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder....Rookies of the Month (November 2K13): East - G Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers; West - G Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings....Sharpshooting Atlanta Hawks veteran forward Kyle Korver set a new record by hitting at least one three-point field goal in 90 consecutive games....Sixers guard Michael Carter-Williams (27 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (26 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) became the first rookies in league history to each amass a triple-double in the same game - which was won by Carter-Williams and Philadelphia 126-125 in overtime.
MLB: Notable Free-Agent Signings: 2B Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners (10-years, $240M); OF Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees (7-years, $153M); OF Carlos Beltran, New York Yankees (3-years, $45M); OF Curtis Granderson, New York Mets (4-years, $60M); Relief Pitcher Joe Nathan (2-years, $20M).
College Football (Associated Press Top 10): 1. Florida State 2. Ohio State 3. Auburn 4. Alabama 5. Missouri 6. Oklahoma State 7. Stanford 8. South Carolina 9. Baylor 10. Michigan State
Men's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 -- 1. Michigan State 2. Arizona 3. Kentucky 4. Syracuse 5. Ohio State 6. Kansas 7. Louisville 8. Wisconsin 9. Oklahoma State 10. Duke
Women's College Basketball (Div. I): Associated Press Top 10 -- 1. U.Conn 2. Duke 3. Tennessee 4. Notre Dame 5. Kentucky 6. Stanford 7. Louisville 8. Maryland 9. Baylor 10. Penn State
Men's Pro Golf: World Rankings (Top 10) - 1. Tiger Woods (USA) 2. Adam Scott (Australia) 3. Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 4. Phil Mickelson (USA) 5. Justin Rose (England) 6. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) 7. Matt Kuchar (USA) 8. Steve Stricker (USA) 9. Brandt Snedeker (USA) 10. Jason Day (Australia)
Pro Boxing: Oscar De La Hoya, Felix 'Tito' Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
My 'notable happenings' in the sports world this past week:
College Football: Northern Iowa University quarterback Jordan Lynch rushed for 321 yards - the most ever in one game for a signal-caller - and three rushing touchdowns in a 33-14 rout over Western Michigan. As of this posting, Lynch has rushed for an ungodly 1,755 yards and 20 rush TDs thus far, and should absolutely be a finalist for the 2K13 Heisman Trophy....Associated Press Top 10: 1. Alabama 2. Florida State 3. Ohio State 4. Auburn 5. Missouri 6. Clemson 7. Oklahoma State 8. Stanford 9. Baylor 10. South Carolina
NBA: Players of the Week (Monday 11/18 - Sunday 11/24)....Eastern Conference - G John Wall, Washington Wizards; Western Conference - F LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers....Chicago Bulls' All-Star point guard Derrick Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee in the team's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, and will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing successful surgery. Rose missed all of last season recovering from torn ACL injury to his left knee....The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed their franchise player and future Hall-of-Famer Kobe Bryant to a two-year, $48.5M contract extension, ensuring him that he will play 20 years in the Purple and Gold uniform....As of Friday 11/29, the Indiana Pacers continue to own the league's best mark at 15-1, while the defending champion Miami Heat are right behind them in the East conference at 13-3 with a nine-game winning streak as of this posting. The San Antonio Spurs lead the West with a 14-2 record.
MLB: Notable free-agent signings....Catcher Brian McCann, New York Yankees (5-years, $85M); Shortstop Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals (4-years, $53M)....Former Atlanta Braves Cy Young Award-winning teammates Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux, as well as former Chicago White Sox hitting great Frank Thomas headline as finalists for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Men's College Basketball (Division I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. Michigan State 2. Kansas 3. Kentucky 4. Arizona 5. Oklahoma State 6. Duke 7. Ohio State 8. Syracuse 9. Louisville 10. Wisconsin....As of Friday 11/29, Duke Blue Devils freshman forward Jabari Parker has scored 20+ points in each of his first seven career games, and during the same clip, Kentucky Wildcats freshman forward Julius Randle has hit double-digit scoring and rebounding tallies in each game.
Women's College Basketball (Division I): Associated Press Top 10 - 1. U.Conn 2. Duke 3. Tennessee 4. Louisville 5. Notre Dame 6. Stanford 7. Kentucky 8. Maryland 9. Baylor 10. Nebraska....Legendary Stanford Lady Cardinal head coach and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Tara VanDerveer became the fifth women's coach in history to reach the 900-win plateau with her team's 83-59 victory over Florida - Gulf Coast at the Hardwood Tournament of Hope.
Pro Boxing: Manny Pacquiao returned to his winning ways by defeating upstart Brandon Rios via unanimous decision and capturing the WBO International welterweight title. Pacquiao upped his career record to 55-5-2 in an emotional victory after his native Philippines suffered massive loss and devastion as a result of the deadly wrath of Typhoon Haiyan.
