The Tragedy of the Kid: What if Griffey

Ken Griffey Jr. was a cultural icon in the 1990s, with his trendy Nikes, backwards cap, and room filling smile, no one person had made baseball as cool as Junior did. Every kid who watched baseball in the 90s and is now an adult knows exactly what a Ken Griffey homerun looked like and the famous strut when he knew he got all of the ball. His swing was dubbed as the “Sweetest Swing in Baseball” for its smoothness, and grace.

How good was Ken Griffey Jr.? At age 29 he was voted to the All Century Baseball Team alongside the greatest outfielders of all time like Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle. Around the same time, Hank Aaron said he believed Griffey would be the one who broke his All-Time Home Run record of 755, and based on his 398 homeruns through age 29 it was almost a certainty that his name would adorn the top of the list of baseball immortality.

At age 40, Griffey faded off into the shadows retiring with many asking the question ‘WHAT IF’. Griffey is undoubtedly a first ballot Hall of Famer, and seen as the one guy who did it 'right in a time (Steroids Era) where everyone was cheating to get the leg up.' Baseball historians still wonder today if Ken Griffey could have gone down in baseball's history as the mammoth character he was, rather than a tragic ending to a "What if."

Awesome Sauce!: A Capella DJ

*First off, I'd like to thank The Everything Bagel for inviting me to write, and after much procrastination, I'm finally posting.*

So, I love many things, and some of my top faves are art and music. It's always a joy when those things are combined, hence my obsession with Disney movies, lol. So, while clicking through "StumbleUpon" I...stumbled upon {insert laughter}....one of the coolest sites, Incredibox. This is not the first time I've been to this site, but apparently this particular one is Volume 2, and the design is different from what I had seen before. Incredibox is an interactive site that allows you play DJ and make your own compositions  in the form of an animated a capella group.

You have the option of choosing from a selection of beats, melodies, chorus', and voices. With a simple drag and drop, you can create some radio-worthy tracks. The combinations are practically endless, and you can easily waste hours of valuable life which could be better spent watching "Love& Hip Hop:Atlanta" or "Cake Boss". The best part, for all you wannabe  budding DJ's is that the site automatically matches the tempo of your selections, and everything pretty much sounds great together...it's fool-proof and great for the ego! Also, you can record a 30 second sample of your work and share it on the social network of your choice. Sooo, because I love ya'll so much, I put together a lil' sumthin sumthin. Unfortunately, they do not have the option to embed yet, but it appears to be coming soon. I call my masterpiece "Yeeeaaaaa Son". I hope it inspires your soul, lol.

So check it out! I'm sure there's more to it then I've discovered.

Toodles!

pic credits: http://avoision.com/2012/04/12/incredibox-2-0-even-more-a-capella-beat-box-fun.php

It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane…. The Dwightmare is OVER

It’s A Bird, It’s A Plane…. The Dwightmare is OVER

Since December of last year, Dwight Howard has been in and out of trade rumors, personal drama with the franchise, and a very awkward press conference where he opted in for a final year with the Magic. Let’s not forget the awkward interview where he puts his arm around Stan Van Gundy after Stan said less than a minute earlier that Dwight asked for him to be fired. Dwight Howard’s past year has looked like an episode of One Life to Live. First he would be a Laker, then a Net, then a Rocket, possible a Hawk, and maybe even a Maverick. Rumors and sources piled up day after day, and it was almost impossible to ignore and not become enthralled by the story. Also we learned how annoying the phrase “no deal is imminent” can be.

Finally after a conference call with the NBA League Office around Noon Eastern on Friday, a 4-team deal was finalized sending Dwight to the Lakers to follow in the footsteps of Mikan, Wilt, Kareem and Shaq (Unfortunately Vlade’s talents are not recognized).

The final 12 man deal :

	Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, Earl Clark (Magic)
	Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, 2013 2nd Round, 2014 1st Round (Nuggets),  Josh McRoberts, Christian Eyenga, 2015 2nd Round, 2017 1st Round (Lakers) Nikola Vucevic, Mo Harkless, 2015 2nd Round, 2015 1st Round (76ers)
	Andrew Bynum (Lakers) Jason Richardson (Magic)
	Andre Iguodala (76ers)

 Winners:

Lakers – They get the Best Center of the League, instantly you would see that as a plus. The Lakers have had trouble defensively in recent years, and this year seemed to be no different. Dwight Howard’s presence in the middle will certainly put the Lakers into one of the better defenses in the league by himself. The Lakers' difficulty keeping players out of the paint, and pick and roll defense should be much more limited with Dwight in the paint. As Dwight said in the press conference, the Lakers brought him here primarily for his defense. Also it gives the Lakers more fluidity on offense. Howard is a post up player, but can also run the pick and roll very well. Andrew Bynum while more polished offensively than Howard, is more rigid on offense opting for very little movement, and strictly post play. With the addition of Steve Nash, Dwight is a much more cohesive piece because Nash has made a hall of fame career on the pick and roll. Another benefit the Lakers see is from passing out of the Center position. One of Bynum’s biggest weaknesses was recognizing, and passing out of double teams. All teams had to do was run help defense on Bynum, and it would cripple the Lakers offense into a Bynum travel or turnover. Howard is a much better passer, and has grown used to the double team being the number 1 option for 8 years. You cannot run a double on Dwight because he can pass out to the open man.  Another component of Dwight Howard in LA is his personality. From his spot on impressions, to giddy smile, he is everything that LA loves. A personality of Dwight's nature hasn't been around since Magic, and Dwight seems to be a perfect fit for LA. He also gives the Lakers a franchise player for a few years after Kobe leaves. As Kobe stated today ""I'll play 2-3 more years. Then the team is his. I'm excited because they have a player that can carry the franchise well after I'm gone." Chris Duhon & Earl Clark are no more than pieces to get the deal done. Clark is unlikely to see much time because he is 5^th on the depth chart in the front court, and Duhon is statistically one of the worst Point Guards in the league. Think Steve Blake, but worse. Maybe Duhon was brought in for his travel call?  Furthermore with the addition of Jodie Meeks for 2 year/ $3mil on Friday evening, the Lakers seem to have filled out their depth chart, and created the best Starting 5 in the league, all while improving their bench from worst in the league to league average.  Lakers look to done making moves as GM Mitch Kupchak stated there are “no more homeruns” but he also said that before he got Steve Nash & Dwight Howard.

Sixers – Got the biggest steal of the entire trade. They traded Andre Iguodala for Andrew Bynum & Jason Richardson. Iguodala is a great player, but with Evan Turner, Nick Young, Thaddeus Young all relatively capable of replacing Iggy, it seemed like a no-brainer to get rid of him and bring in the newly crowned Best Center in the East. The starting lineup of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes & Andrew Bynum has no player over 25. It was a great move to bring in Bynum to the Sixers because they had no star on the team. They needed to make a move or be relegated to a low seed playoff team for the near future, as their young guys slowly started to leave year-after-year. Bynum has not indicated that he would stay past this year, but it is a risk to take. With Bynum & JRich, the Sixers could have $6mil in cap space next season after re-signing Jrue who is a restricted Free Agent. Unfortunately, I think the Sixers are too young, and will miss Lou Williams too much to be a legitimate contender in the East, but if they play their cards right this was a great long term deal. Look for the Sixers to give a top 4 team in the East a scare in the first round of the playoffs.

Nuggets- This deal seemed to be more about numbers. Afflalo was owed $30.4 mil over 4 years, and Al Harrington was owed $21.445 over 3 years. Iguodala can have cut $40mil+ in contracts, and if he approves his player option to stay on in 2013, it is still at about $25mil saved in Denver. Iggy is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and amazing transition offensive player that Ty Lawson & Javale McGee ran beautifully in their 7 game series with the Lakers. Nuggets would have continued to be a low seeded team in the West like the Sixers in the East, and needed some shakeup. I don’t believe this makes them significantly better, but the cap space is enough to see this deal as favorable for the Nuggets. I think they have one of the best put together rosters in the NBA, but one thing is holding them back from leaving the first round… They do not have a STAR, or a definite closer. With the cap space in the next couple years, maybe they can finally entice a star to Denver.

The Loser

Magic- Really? This is the deal you held out for? You had dozens of better deals in the past 9 months, and this is what they take. Yes it gave them picks, and young players, and shed some salary, but let’s look at what they got. Out of their 6 picks, every one is protected. The 3 first round picks that they received were lottery protected, meaning if the team is a lottery team in the draft they keep the pick, if not the pick goes to Orlando. Post Lottery Picks are almost always crap shoot. Rarely is a superb talent seen post lottery. Maybe once every couple years do you get a solid rotation player. The young players they received; Aaron Afflalo is a solid SG who can give you 15 a night with the right pieces, but nothing to build a team around. Josh McRoberts is a journeyman in the NBA, who hasn’t figured out his game. Christian Eyenga is an athletic freak, but he is a huge project that needs a lot of development. Mo Harkless is a mixed bag, many think he will be a very good starter, some see him as a role player. Al Harrington is not young, and his contract is worse than Jason Richardson’s. It’s obvious that trading away Dwight should yield more than Aaron Afflalo and Al Harrington. The cap space they dumped by trading away Jason Richardson and Chris Duhon is almost nonexistent. For a team with so many bad contracts they still ended up keeping Hedo. 2014 is when they are banking on making moves as they have $40million in cap space. Yet I don’t expect them to get a star, and the team that signed Rashard Lewis to $20mil a year deal, and in 2012 Jameer Nelson to $8mil a year over 3 years is definitely going to squander all $40mil on bad signings. The Magic got bad picks, bad assets, and didn’t clear cap space any better than had they kept Dwight. Rob Henningan, the 30 year old Wunderkind GM of the Magic was overruled by the owner on this trade, and for whatever the reason, the owner handcuffed Hennigan into taking the worst deal on the table, and having to defend the bad deal all day. Maybe part of the blame goes on Hennigan for constantly moving the goal line on other teams to get Dwight, or maybe all the other deals were as bad, but whatever the case, this was one of the worst deals made when trading away a star.

Trade Grades:

76ers: A+ (Definite Steal. Long Term Move for Contention)

Lakers: A (Instant Favorites, but questions about Howard's back, and taking insignificant role players lessen grade)

Nuggets: B+ (Good move to open up space, and get a player that gels with Javale and Ty Lawson. Still missing a star)

Magic: D- (Could have been worse. But if failing was a 60. The Magic get a 61).

Final Thought

And with your first pick of the 2013 NBA Draft the Orlando Magic select……..?

2020 Breaking News:  Orlando Magic Star Center …… Has just signed a 4 year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers sources from Yahoo Sports are reporting.

 

Lakers Costing Themselves Title Contention

Lakers Costing Themselves Title Contention

Why the Lakers are Making a Huge Mistake NOT Using Their Mini Mid-Level Exception

  

The Lakers are a very cash-strapped team, despite having a 95 million dollar payroll. Their only two option of signing a Free Agent is through a Veteran’s Minimum Contracts, or a mini Mid-Level Exception worth $3 million dollars. The team of Tinsel town have upgraded tremendously with the acquisition of Steve Nash, Antwan Jamison for Veteran’s minimum, and re-signing Jordan Hill. While having a vastly improved bench, and starting Point Guard, the Lakers still lack the depth that will bring them to a title. Their youngest starter on opening night will be a 25 year old center (Andrew Bynum) entering his eight year with knee injuries that make Patrick Ewing cringe.  Steve Nash is 38, Kobe 34, entering season number 17, Metta World Peace 32,  is coming off his worst season, Pau Gasol 32, is beginning to see a decline in his efficiency.

This begs the question: Can they actually run with the young guys in OKC? The answer is better than they could last year, but not enough to take a series. Last season the Lakers were the worst bench in the league scoring 20.5ppg, and giving up double digit leads on a nightly basis. Antwan Jamison, 36, who averaged 17.2ppg in 33.1mpg with the Cavaliers will definitely be a boost to the bench, but with his sub-par defense, and likely decrease in scoring in LA, is not enough to put the Lakers over the top. 

The Lakers can sign anyone they want at a Veteran’s Minimum, but very few players have actually indicated they’d sign for a minimum. For example, the Lakers have been linked to 3point gunner Jodie Meeks for a month, and yesterday his agent said "We're happy to talk, but we're not talking minimum for a guy like Jodie," Bauman told The Times in a phone interview on Monday. "He'll get more than the minimum wherever he signs."  Former Clipper, Kenyon Martin who is another target of the Lakers, has publicly refused to accept a veteran’s minimum. In the past few days, his reluctance has dwindled because many of his peers have taken league minimum, and his leverage has been hurt by this. Kenyon Martin's energy, and rebounding would be a great fit for a team looking for depth, as would Meeks' ability to hit the long ball.

With very few options that have been willing to accept a league minimum contract, the Lakers have recent worked out Rashad McCants, Patrick Beverley, and Vernon Macklin. I don’t have to explain that none of those guys are any better than one current Laker including recently drafted Darius Johnson-Odom, and Robert Sacre. 

This brings us to the discussion about the Mini Mid-Level Exception worth $3million. General Manager Mitch Kupchak has stated “We look to add value. We have a mini mid-level still available but I think it’s unlikely we’d use it unless there’s an incredible value out there.” The reason a team that makes $200million a year on their new TV deal with Time Warner is baffling. The reason that Mitch Kupchak says it is unlikely that they use the $3million exception is because of the new luxury tax. If they use the $3million on someone, it will cost an additional $3million in luxury tax. Essentially it is signing someone for $6million.

This is the Lakers, not the Charlotte Bobcats. This team has wiped their ass with millions of dollars for years. Now they are worried about $3million? 1.5% of their annual TV revenue, and that's the low end estimation of how much their new TV deal inks. It is evident that the reason they will not use it, is because of the luxury tax. Last year, career Role Player Josh McRoberts (or as I refer to him McBobaRambis, due to his Kurt Rambis like demeanor) was signed for the same $3mil exception that Lakers front office wizards refuse to use.

Another theory came about when the Lakers targeted Delonte West, ESPN reported “West's signing is not considered imminent as L.A.is wary about locking up its remaining open roster spots while a Dwight Howarddeal -- that will surely be multi-player or even multi-team when eventuallycompleted -- is still on the table.” I don’t buy into this story much because; 1. When is he going to be traded? Seriously, When? Orlando is killing me. 2. The Lakers had to be goaded into taking back Jason Richardson, so it is unlikely the Lakers take back more than 1 player with Dwight. The way it logistically is laid out, Lakers would be sending out multiple player, so roster spots are not a concern. Also there are a number of lesser role players that can be let go without worries.

It’s time to face facts LakersNation, this team is running out of time, and the Front Office is damaging the team’s chances by worrying about a $3million tax. Leandro Barbosa is not going to receive $5million because most teams are out of cap space, or have their needs at Guard filled. The biggest competition is the Cavs, who are waiting as much as the Lakers for a Dwight Howard trade. In recent proposals, the Cavs would receive Andrew Bynum, this means Cleveland will need to keep a certain amount of cap space open. Barbosa would receive a similar amount of minutes on both teams, the difference is if he wants to play for a contender, or a rising young team. Barbosa is a likely candidate for the Lakers bench. But he will never sign for Veteran’s Minimum because he is an extremely solid bench player. It is time to use the $3million exception on him, and then you can wait for Dwight Howard. Barbosa, Jamison and Hill are an extremely solid bench. They give the Lakers the capability to rest Nash and Kobe for Barbosa, and Steve Blake at a lesser significance from last year. Jamison and Hill can relieve Pau and Bynum, and while defensively they are atrocious, it is the right amount of scoring, and energy that can hold onto leads that were often squandered in the second half. Barbosa scored 11.1ppg in 21.6 mpg for the Raptors and Pacers last season. Of course those points numbers will dip because of how many options the Lakers have, but it will not be a dip of more than 2 points, especially if he receives 20+ mpg. Barbosa is a quick, penetrating combo guard that can score in the paint, and make threes if left open. He also played 7 years with newly acquired Steve Nash in Phoenix, which is good for cementing roles in the rotation. It is clear the Lakers still need a little bit of help, and Barbosa clearly can be the guy that helps the Lakers get passed Oklahoma City.

But all of this worrying about money is absolute nonsense, and I’ll explain why. Entering his 10^th year, Leandro Barbosa would receive $1.352million if he signed a veteran’s minimum contract, multiplied by two that is a total of $2.704million hit to the Lakers including Luxury tax. If we sign him to a $3million deal that is $6million total hit. At a minimum price tag it is 45.06% of what they are extremely afraid to pay at $3million. For me it isn’t too much for me to worry about, but the Buss family has a business to run, I understand.

There are alternate routes. Christian Eyenga, 23, is currently our 4^th SF on our depth chart after Metta, Ebanks, and Jamison who is traditionally a SF. He’s on a 2 year contract, with the 3^rd year as a Restricted Free Agent. In the next 2 years, I don’t think of a scenario where he plays a total of 200 minutes. He’s an athletic freak, and can jump out of the gym, but is a huge project. He needs a few years to better develop his game, and he can’t get that here, especially when he needs playing time to improve. The Lakers can simply trade him. He’s a low risk contract, with potential upside. There are suitors for the kind of player that Eyenga is. Trading Eyenga’s $1.174million contract to a team for a Trade Player Exception would eliminate $2.348million in luxury tax.

Let’s go to math class my friends. Barbosa at $3mil = $6mil with tax.  If $2.704mil would have been spent anyway if he was signed for veteran’s minimum, that means the Lakers are $3.296million over what they want to spend. By trading Eyenga that is $2.348 mil that can be subtracted from the $3.296mil. This leaves $948K over what Lakers want to sign Barbosa for with tax. Divided by 2 = $474K more than they want to pay for Barbosa (equivalent to the contract of a Second Round Pick). What’s even worse is that the Lakers are paying Steve Nash $8.9million, $17.8mil if you factor tax. But suddenly worry about $3.296million extra for Barbosa.

It is nonsense if the Lakers don’t sign Barbosa because they are worried about a few million over a title. This type of penny pinching has killed teams before, and will again. The question is: Are the Lakers smart enough to risk small money for a title?

Download of the week...

This one is for my iPhone and iPod users; recently my computer crashed and I lost all of my music, documents, movies, music, music and oh yeah, my music. (R.I.P.) Luckily I had a "significant" amount of music on my iPhone but I would soon run into a problem. My iPhone was already synced to the computer that crashed and syncing it to my NEW computer would mean I had to erase my entire phone, therefore losing all my music. That was not an option, so I started searching online trying to figure out how I can sync my iphone to my new computer WITHOUT losing my music. After being unsuccessful with my search or what most call, lazy, I do what I always do.... go to www.AskJared.com. Once again he led me to the light with the simple text which was written in great detail might I add; it said.....""Senuti", bye". So I download it. It transferred the music off of my iPhone and put it in my new iTunes and then voila! I was able to sync my phone to my new computer and put the music right back on my iPhone. I was extremely satisfied with how smooth and easy this process was. So, if you're having or have the same issue I had, or feel like you could face this problem in the future, then I suggest you download the DOWNLOAD of the week, you wont be dissatisfied!

$500,000 prank!

I would be pissed! Why!?? Watch the video and find out!

Massacre at Batman movie premiere...

First and foremost my heart goes out to the families who were negatively impacted by this shooting. I send my prayers out to you, may God comfort you in this painful time. For those who lost their lives to this senseless and heinous crime, may you be remembered for all the great things you have done or were seemingly destined to do. Your lives will be remembered in a positive light amongst the people who were closest to you and you are now deemed heroes to the rest of the world.

  I am not sure on what direction I want to go with this, my thoughts are literally scattered everywhere. I have so many points that I would like to make but I know I will not get to even half of them in this one post. I do know that I am immensely disturbed by the news I heard upon my wake up, another massacre-like shooting in the Colorado area. I was even more disturbed when I found out that it was at the premiere of the blockbuster movie, Batman Dark Knight Rises. It is honestly hard for me to find the words to say; I just feel so much anguish for everyone involved. I feel for the people who died, for the people who are family members and friends of these victims, for those who will face post traumatic stress disorder for just being there. It isn't fair that there are people in this world who get a kick out of hurting or killing complete INNOCENT strangers, just because they can. It isn't fair that the troubling signs of this 24 year old man probably weren't taken seriously by his parents, friends or specialist and whoever else has been in contact with him. There is no report out there yet that say's he has "mental issues"' or "the parents, friends etc knew something like this would happen" but I guarantee if not one then both of these types of reports will soon surface. Who is to blame? The government for not properly monitoring what matters most, no not drugs, but guns, bombs, bullet proof vest, tear gas, gas mask, riot gear, military type ammunition? Or do we blame the parents for not getting this young man help when they first noticed the signs? But what if it comes back that he's not mentally ill, and no one ever seen the signs of a terrorism within him; who do we blame then, society?? The fact is that people will find anyone or anything to blame, but I blame him. I have always had the philosophy that everything is a choice. If he was smart enough to assemble a plot to kill 12 people and hurt 38 more, then he was smart enough to know the consequences and smart enough to NOT carry out this vicious attack. As easy as it is to blame everyone but him, he has to take the blame. I do realize there are always other factors that contribute to a person’s decision, but in the end it is ourselves who make the final choice. I will only be more understanding to someone with SEVERE mental issues like schizophrenia; only because I know enough about it to know that it is really out of a persons hands when a disease like that takes over the brain. And because I am "more understanding" does not mean I wouldn't still blame an individual who committed a crime to the extent of this one.

   I am not saying don't blame society for exposing us to violence, sex, drugs and terrorism on television on a daily basis. I'm not saying don't blame the Internet for making "how to implement a terrorist plot" and "how to make a bomb", "how to buy and use tear gas" so accessible.  I'm not saying don't blame the government for caring more about the distribution of pharmacy drugs than guns and other illegal weapons or protection. I'm not saying don't blame the guy on the street selling arsenal type weaponry to others in order to feed his family. I'm not saying don't blame the mother, friends or professionals for not adhering to the serious signs that this 24 year old man would do something harmful to a group of people in the future...You have the right to blame who ever you want, but please don't forget to blame the person who made the choice to take several lives of innocent movie-goers, just because he felt he could. This is a sad story and hopefully "justice" is served, (whatever justice is to you); because what has been done to the many people and families in Aurora, Colorado on July 20 2012 can never be justified...

* I didn't get a chance to edit this. These are just my thoughts off the top,  so it might sound a little all over the place, but it is just a depiction of how my thoughts were forming at the time. Thanks for reading feel free to discuss this with me in the comment box below.

#ManLAW...what would YOU choose?

Alright not necessarily man law, but here are some gadgets that were made to be appealing to men like myself, you know, the manly man. Okay, that was a joke, but I am intrigued by more than half of these gadgets and would definitely purchase them. Check them out, which gadget(s) would you choose???

Gadgets For Men

Steve Jobs iPhone Case in Carbonite

Facebook Like Button Coat Hanger

Aquaskipper

Jellyfish Tank

Ford e-Bike

Electric Paper Airplane Conversion Kit

Star Wars Xbox 360

Hoverbike

Kiki de Montparnasse Chess Set

Nerf Vortex Nitron Blaster

James Perse Ping Pong Table

Cectek King Cobra ATV

iCade

Audi Design Soccer Table

Keytool

Jetlev Flyer

Lego VW Camper Van

LaCie XtremKey Unbreakable USB Drive

Water Walking Ball

Tron Legacy Lightcycle

AK Ice Cube Tray

Porsche Design Johnnie Walker Bar

Lefroy Brooks Belle Aire Faucet

Porsche Design Shisha

The Cave Camping Tent

Copyright  http://extrove.com/

The truth told...

Lil Wayne and Eminem BETTER than Jay-z?!?

By: Fl3e
No, of course not, well not in my opinion anyway. But... they are the only two rappers I can recall who have single handedly slaughtered Jay-z on his own song. Well, Slaughtered is a strong word but it will cause controversy so ill keep that word in there. We all know that Jay-z is superior to many when it comes to this rap thing, but take a listen to how (the old) Weezy just FLOATS through Jay-z's "Show Me What You Got". This is the Lil Wayne that made me defend him every week when debating with my boys about who the top rappers in the game were, at that specific time. Now? It's no contest, I wouldn't defend him if he was my mother, nope, not with those lyrics. Still my dude though, just has to express my displeasure with his recent content.Nah, in all honesty I'll probably always support him just because he used to be my favorite rapper, but if he gets any worse I will disown him faster than a guy who gets caught with his side chick by his girlfriend. As for Renegade, it is a a more difficult debate. Because for one, they were both officially on the song together and actually went back and forth, making it easier to compare the two. Some people will say Jay-z's verses were better than Em's, others will say it was Em who was the better lyricist. As for me, I'm gonna roll with Nas on this one "And, Eminem murdered you on ya own sh*t" ...catch my drift? But take another listen, put your biases aside and decide for yourself. Make sure you take the poll at the bottom of the page!  We wanna see what the people think!

Lil Wayne vs. Jay-z



Eminem vs. Jay-z

Who was better on the song? Choose one for each song

The Graveyard....

By: Fl3e
Filmakers Basil Anatassiou and Paul Kentoffio come to one of 518's most ferocious, merciless and intense parks that the Albany, New York area has to offer. Washington Park, better known as "The Graveyard" is where this documentary was filmed. With the help of many Albany Natives, this films gives us an intimate but vigorous view of what really goes on inside of the Graveyard. If you are from Albany or visiting the area, I highly suggest you see this film which will be showing at the Spectrum Theatre on 290 Delaware Avenue, starting today (Thursday, 7/12/2012) and continuing to show for about two weeks. If you decided to go next Thursday (7/19/2012) 50% of all ticket proceeds will be donated to the African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region---> www.aacccr.org. Whatever  your decision may be, just make sure you make it out to #Support518! 

Here is a more in-depth synopsis of the film

The Film
"For millions of basketball players across America and throughout the world, there are no refs, no sneaker deals and no doctors on call. To get in the game, you have to show up at the local park or gym, claim a spot and fight to keep it. The next game isn't a guarantee. Every point matters. That's pickup basketball.
Ballin' at the Graveyard is a gritty, intimate look into the culture and community of pickup basketball as told by a group of hardcore ballers at Albany NY's Washington Park - aka, the Graveyard. It offers a courtside view of the unwritten rules, hierarchy and special code of ethics of pickup ball, and provides a revealing glimpse into the off-the-court struggles and triumphs of a core group of players who call the court their home. It's a thought-provoking portrait of urban basketball that will challenge what you think you know about the world behind the chain-link fence"

Watch the trailer 

How quickly they forget...

By: @Fl3e
Every time an exceptional guard comes along (a Kobe Bryant or a Lebron James) there is and has been this automatic comparison to the great Michael Jordan. Some say it is rightfully so, because if we are looking at the similarities of their game and skill level then yes, they are comparable. Others say if we are looking at their accolades then no, they in no way match up with Jordan. Which brings me to conclude that this argument will be one for the ages; I mean, unless a exceptionally skilled guard comes along and gets NBA Rookie of the Year, 7 NBA championships, 7 NBA Finals MVP awards, 6 NBA MVP awards, makes 15 All-star appearances, wins 11 scoring titles, Leads the league 4 times in Steals, 2x Defensive player of the year awards, 11x All-NBA First team, Zero All-NBA Second team, 10x NBA All-Defensive team First Team, 4 NBA All-Star MVP awards, 3x NBA Slam Dunk Champ, Retires, play baseball and come back for his third 3-peat...and....well you get the point. Even with those accolades and skill level of this imaginary, legendary, basketball player I just made up, there will be someone oppose to believing that he is better than Jordan, Lebron or Kobe, but hey, what can I say opinions make the world go round. But for me? I'll stick with Jordan, Kobe and then Lebron...UNTIL further notice; I am sure that will change, if not sooner, then later. Since Lebron is the "new" comparison to Jordan and the Kobe-Jordan comparison era has seem to exhaust itself with time, this video gives you a side to choose...watch and choose wisely young grasshopper!

Jussst in case...

I came across a website that has ip addresses to some of the most relevant websites in today's times. I guess someone out there figures the government is going to one day ruin the internet in its entirety...sooo yeaaa...(right) BUT if it so happens to come to fruition, here is the list of ip addresses to help you get to those website you just cant live without. You just select the ip address and copy it and paste it to your browser and voila! 
.....alright its not that exciting but just 
Check it out---> HERE

Prisoner of the moment...

If there is anything I have learned from listening to The Herd with Colin Cowherd (every morning), is to never become a prisoner of the moment. Too often we get caught up in the "here and now" which can hinder us from thinking logically about the future events. So, you are probably wondering what I am talking about, well allow me to further explain. For the past 13 years the west has been DOMINATED by two teams, the Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers (yes, I know the Mavs won a chip too); so it was only right that the up and coming, young and extremely talented Oklahoma City Thunder would have to go through the west's most prominent teams of the last decade to get to the finals. So that makes it very understandable why everyone and their mother was rooting for OKC, especially the way they ran through the west and dismantled and outplayed the "best" team in the league, the San Antonio Spurs. Rooting is fine but you  "fans" sure know how to take it a step further by crowning OKC the 2011-2012 NBA champions before they even played a single game verses their opponent; who just so happened to make it to the NBA finals too! You thought that was bad? OKC wins their first game at HOME (which they're supposed to do) and people started saying OKC is going to win in 4 or 5!!!!? A sweep!?? Really???? I sat back for the most part, laughed in amazement, made a few beneficial bets, shook my head a bit and then tried to explain my "somewhat" logical theory. This is where I get into the whole "prisoner of the moment" thing. I get it, OKC LOOKED unstoppable and like no one could ever beat them again in life, but my friends, if you have ever watched an ounce of basketball in your life, you know that looks can be deceiving. You also know, that you NEVER crown a team champion when the opposing team has not even had the chance to defend their home-court; ESPECIALLY when that opposing team has a man named Lebron James on it. It is illogical and will have any set of fans looking really stupid in the end. My point here is not to anger you OKC fans but to teach you and any other die hard fan that no matter what, you must never, I mean EVER, be a prisoner of the moment! It honestly isn't over... until it is over. Trust me I know---> 2006