A big area of concern in U.S. professional basketball is the very noticeable lack of recent victories when pitted against international competition. In the quadrennial World Championship tournament http://www.anaheimducksteamstore.com/ad … erg-jersey , a United States team has failed to win the top prize since 1994, and in the Olympics since 2000.

In the 2006 WC competition held in Saitama, Japan, the team only managed to come in third place, winning a bronze medal. The 2004 Athens Olympics produced the same result. The 2002 Indianapolis, IN WC tournament was disastrous, as a team riven by internal conflict placed sixth, the worst showing in history by an American squad in international competition.

This situation has brought on lots of hand wringing and harsh criticism as fans and commentators have taken turns lambasting the "lazy" players for not dominating foreign competition. Not surprisingly, there is no dearth of proposed "solutions" to address the problem. The 2007 World Championship tournament to qualify for the 2008 Olympics is scheduled to be hosted by Las Vegas, NV, Aug. 22 through Sept. 2. Time will tell what will happen.

There is a consistent theme here -- the U.S. no longer enjoys a huge advantage in hoops. Long gone are the days when a group of U.S. professional players could just show up and easily batter international opponents. That era passed after the first Dream Team, led by Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, won the gold medal in the 1992 Olympics according to observers, the greatest collection of talent on one team in any sport in history. Of late, the international teams, who feature a more pass-oriented, free-flowing version of hoops, smell weakness and are very eager to heap more indignities on the heads of the American players.

This state of affairs causes many to speculate as to whether the finest basketball is actually played in the NBA. Many media commentators have indicated their preference for the European-style game. Due to the fact that American teams have been soundly beaten in international competition for most of a decade, one would have to be very foolish to dismiss this notion.

Of particular significance is the fact that the team that wins the NBA championship is referred to as the "World Champion." How appropriate is that title? Shouldn't the championship team have to prove that it's the best team in the world?

Would it not be worthwhile to put together a true World Championship series between the American and Euroleague champions? The entertainment value, along with worldwide interest in such a series would be tremendous, and the games themselves would serve to settle all of the aforementioned questions regarding which side of the Atlantic the best brand of hoops is played on.
Planning a wedding can be a stressful time for a bride and groom. Imagine having to organize everything from the church and reception, the photographers and videographers, the clothes and the caterers in fact, you can probably imagine this all too well!

Aside from everything mentioned, the wedding cake is one of the most important items in the event. That s because the cutting and feeding of the cake by the bride and groom signifies their first meal together as a married couple. As it becomes the focus of attention at some point during the wedding affair, many couples want their cake to be just perfect.

To help couples choose what style of cake is stylish and suits them best, here are five fabulous new trends in wedding cakes to choose from.

Black and White

This style of cake has become popular in 2009 and is set to continue that way for the year ahead. This style is inspired by the fashion runways, with their current fondness for monochromatics and black Spanish lace. You can have your wedding cake designed in this classic color scheme, using white fondant icing and black or dark brown accents. This design works wonderfully if the design coordinates with the wedding dress or the bridesmaids gowns.

Hexagonal or square shapes

The typical heart or circular shaped wedding cakes have now become too conventional for many couples. So, cube layered or hexagonal layered cakes have recently become an emerging trend. These angular cakes can also double as lovely centerpieces during the reception, especially if they sport geometric accents in their designs.

Blue is the hue

The color blue in wedding cakes has also become popular of late with soon to be married couples. Shades of blue, sometimes meshed with green like aquamarine or turquoise, have made an appearance with couples who prefer a colorful cake. Incorporating this cake trend with a tropical wedding theme will work fabulously, especially if you use sky blue, aquamarine and turquoise as the base colors of your cake icing. Decorating the cake with white, silver, lilac or light grey accents will liven up your overall cake design.

Think pink

The color pink is projected to be used even more in 2010 as a wedding motif. So it s only natural to draw on pink for the wedding cake, coordinating with your bridesmaids dresses and bridal gown accents. Try using pink as the base color of your cake icing and decorating it with white, silver or pink embellishments and flowers. But if that s too much pink for your liking, try white as the cake base icing, and pink for the accents, like fresh roses.

Square cupcakes

Using a tower of cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake was also a huge trend in 2009. It s become fashionable to use cupcakes, which conveniently eliminates the need for a skilled and designated cake cutter. In this way, the guests each enjoy an individual treat of their own, with ease. Because it s practical, cute and inexpensive, it s expected that this trend will continue throughout the year, but with a twist: 2010 s cupcakes will often ac.