Cool Greys for Christmas

     I want to start off by saying Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone and I hope all of you got what you wanted.  As you can see by my previous post on these sneakers 6 months ago, that I've had my eye on the Christmas Eve Eve release of the Retro Air Jordan XI "Cool Grey" sneakers.  These are by far one of my favorites based on the design and colorway and the XI seems to be THE favorite among sneakerheads as well.  Last year's Christmas Eve release of the "SpaceJam" colorway ignited mini-riots at Foot Lockers across the country and kids sleeping out overnight in the winter cold waiting in line to get a chance at snagging a pair.
     I missed out on a pair of the SpaceJam and all white 20th Anniversary Jordan XI's and this time, I would not be denied.  My alarm was set for 10 minutes before midnight and I had two computers and multiple pages on refresh waiting for the midnight release.  The instant demand basically crashed all the servers at FootLocker, Finishline, FootAction, and Nikestore's websites.  After trying for a hour and 45 minutes, I was able to complete my order with Nike and a confirmation was received.  I WIN!!  (I'm still waiting on my credit from the half order that was placed with Finishline??)  I received these beautiful specimens the next day with Nike's free overnight shipping and they were as gorgeous as I could imagine.  Yes, i'm a grown man and I've obsessed over sneaks as long as I can remember.  Shout to Johnny Caps and the 5th and 6th grade playground playing kickball with our original Jordan V's.  I know a lot of women have some shoe addictions as well, so you can relate.
     All the sneaker websites had tons of coverage of this release but this picture from Dr. Jay's was my favorite for a couple reasons.  One being that it incorporated my Christmas gift to myself but even better was that it was an updated Norman Rockwell holiday painting.  My dad's favorite artist is and always has been Norman Rockwell.  He's as iconic as apple pie and illustrated the cover of The Saturday Evening Post along with numerous other publications, advertisements, and legitimate paintings for decades.  A lot of his works get published around the holidays since many of his works captures Americana during this great time of year.  Click on the name above to find out more about Norm.
Merry Christmas!!!

Number Ten - D.Jack

     I'm thinking of one thing today as I wake up and that's Mr. Jackson streaking across the tv this afternoon, going to the "house".  Not only do the Eagles and Giants meet up today in what essentially the NFC East Championship game, but he also starts for my CTC Fantasy team Voltron in the semi-finals.
In other words, we really need another tremendous game from Desean.  I really could have used last week's 215 yard explosion this week (4th best game by an Eagles receiver ever), but we all know that Vick and him could do that any game.  Let's hope today is that game.  Here's another Nike clip about number 10 to get you excited for today's game.  FLY EAGLES FLY

Dirty Cash I Never Heard Of Ya

     Money.  Everybody uses it but do we really know what we're putting in our pocket and exchanging with millions of other people every single day.  Who makes it, where does it come from, what is it, how dirty is it?  All these questions are answered and more at this groovy link.  Click for the entire story of the life of Cash Money.

Captain Rex

     Can't beat life size sculptures made of Lego's, especially when it's of a Star Wars Clone Trooper.  Here are pics from one I saw in a Toys R Us.  Made of 24,586 lego's and it took 165 hours to build.  It easily stood at 7 feet plus.  I need the job of the person who gets to put this together.

What We Do

     One of the best jams from the original Roc-A-Fella crew.  With Just Blaze on the production, he lays down a classic loop and beat for Freewizzle, Hov, and Beans to terrorize.  Guarantee to hype up any listener.  Here's the video for a Rizz Classic and you can catch glimpses of State Property.

Escalators

     It's great to see Freeway stay on  his grind while continuing to put out new records and stay in touch with his still growing fanbase.  Our local Philly lyric spitter has been putting it down since 2000 on his first appearance on Jay-Z's Dynasty album on "1-900-Hustla".  He's put out a few solo albums since then and even put out a great album this year with Jake One called Stimulus Package.  He's currently working on his next album Diamond in the Rough and has released one of the singles and video's called "Escalators" produced by Jake One.  I'm really enjoying both the song and video and definitely looking forward to the ablum.  He's got a sound all of his own and to stay relevant in the hip hop arena for this long takes hard work and of course talent.  His lyrics are super original and has a flow all his own.  Definitely a Rizz favorite artist and you can follow him on twitter @Phillyfreezer

Catch the video here:

RU HOF: Ray Rizzle

     One of the best exports that have come out of the banks of the good ol' Raritan is our very own Ray Rice.  The best running back our school has ever seen, Ray has been able to translate that to success on the professional level while playing for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL.  He's arguably one of the best backs in the league and a threat to score whenever he touches the ball, rushing or catching.
Ray is actively on Twitter @RayRice27 and he works out non-stop all year, clearly focused on the big picture.  Football is a 365 job.  He never gets in trouble and stays focused on the right things.  He's nothing but short of an ideal representation of all that is good with Rutgers.  With success comes opportunity and why not team up with one of the best brands in the world, Nike.  Here's a great commercial that lets people get to know Ray a little better.

Rutgers State of Mind

     Seems everybody is putting out there own version of this song and it has basically taken on a life of it's own.  This time it's a Rutgers University rendition by Deuce1's and 308 Productions.  With all that the Rutgers community has gone through this semester, anything positive is definitely welcome.  Rutgers has definitely become one of Jersey's greatest representer.  Check the end too when they give you a little something extra. Scarlet Knight's forever.

Empire State of Mind Strikes Back

     Big Worm with the big find of a version of Empire State of  Mind that is super galactic.  Star Wars fans, including myself, should love this video that puts a different view of the "Empire".

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Simplicity At It's Best

     I was recently put on to this photographer even though I've seen her work countless times on the covers of the most popular magazines.  Jill Greenberg has a style that is beautiful in it's simplicity and use of lighting.  It really puts the focus on the subject and makes them slightly surreal.  Check out her work and background at her website www.manipulator.com.

Buddy's Watchin You!!!

     A friend posted this on facebook the other day and I was bugging out watching it.  I barely remember them doing this since I was 10 years old when it came out and there was no such thing as the internet and basically had like 4 channels on tv.  I don't even know where to start with this, there's so much comedy, fashion faux pas, utter shock and back to more comedy.  This Eagles team had one of the best defenses with Reggie White, Clyde Simmons, Jerome Brown, and numerous other great Eagles.  Of course, coached by the infamous Buddy Ryan.  God Bless Jerome as he died tragically in 1990, but his outfit of black and red leather in this video is classic Michael Jackson Thriller.  Most of the team is rockin their sunglasses indoors, getting ultimate cool points while everybody contributes a verse.....even the kicker, Luis Zendejas who robotically spits his verse.  I can't stop watching this!  If the Eagles make the playoffs this year, I will try the Cunningham pencil mustache, it's just too cool.   Enjoy this in all its 1980's Kelly Green glory.

BOOM

     Nike has the best commercials ever (hint, hint, hire me).  Here's a new one that just came out with the man of the summer, Rick Ross.  BOOM!!!

Football Cathedrals

     One of the great social events of the Fall is watching football and especially college football.  Thousands of loyal alumni and fans tailgate all day on Saturdays and then enter their sacred stadiums where they cheer wildly for a few hours in hope that they're team take the victory.  I think college football brings the extra loyalty and fandom as compared to the pros'.  The long storied history of the schools and years of tradition creates a school-fan bond that goes on for lifetimes and generations.  College football stadiums also step their game up by providing some of the biggest stadiums in the country with some game attendance's going into 6 figures.  Only one NFL stadium can come close (FedEx field in DC).  Looking at a 100,000 screaming fans all wearing the same color is unforgettable.  Add in the marching bands, cheerleaders, mascots and the energy of a class of undergrads, you get an experience like no other.  Here's an article that can stir much debate, but it's great as a starting point to see who has the loudest stadium in the country.  Bleacher report came out with this article.  Have fun reviewing each one as I've been to a few myself.  See where you're school stacks up.  I've attended homecoming weekend at Rutgers, obviously, also West Virginia, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, University of South Carolina, University of Rhode Island, University of Delaware and I'm sure a few others that I can't recall at the moment.

Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ

Michael Vick = Eagles Starting QB 2010

     The time has arrived where Michael Vick has almost come full circle.  From starting quarterback on the Atlanta Falcons in 2006, to incarceration for a year and a half, to now starting quarterback of our Philadelphia Eagles.  Not many would have thought the story went like this, but we're here now.  I've had the privilege of watching Vick live play against the Eagles in Veterans stadium and he is truly one of the world's top notch athletes.  Nobody will ever condone the role he played in dog abuse and the heinous crimes he participated in, but he had his time in court and jail.  It will be interesting how the story plays out, but for now, he's in Eagles green and brings hope for the 2010 season.  Here's a great article from Sal Paolantonio discussing the topic.

Loving the all green 1960 throwback as well.  Cheers to the last Eagles championship team.  

Morgan Freeman Loves Soccer

     Morgan Freeman narrates the newest promotional video in USA's effort to bring a future World Cup Final to local soil.  I think the message is great and very true.  Here's the link to GoUSABid.com and see below.  Make sure to support them.

Dos Equis x Kaws

     Jersey City's Brian Donnelly aka Kaws has just recently collaborated with Mexican beer company Dos Equis in a bottle and package marketing campaign.  Kaws lends his trademark XX which makes perfect sense to work into the logo of Dos Equis.  It' a shame that it's a Mexico only distribution.  They released this cool video to go with the release.

G.O.O.D Fridays

   Kanye continues his on-slaught of being in the public eye in preparation of his new album.  The past month, he's been dropping free downloads on his website of brand new music from him and some of the biggest names in hip-hop.  Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Raekwon, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, and others lend to remixes and original music.  Mr. West has been in New York City for the most part this summer and has been in the studio finishing his upcoming album along with these gems.  He has dedicated doing his art for the people and giving this music out for his fans to play in their cars with the windows down and at barbecue's for the summer.
Click on this link to download all of the songs he's released every Friday for the past 5 weeks, calling it "GOOD Fridays".  We'll be keeping our eye on the Louis Vuitton Don this fall and winter to see what else he has in store.  Check his Twitter timeline if you want to read his apology to Taylor Swift last week.  Good read! Lol.

Karaoke Producer

     One of my favorite tracks on Drake's Thank Me Later  is Karaoke.  I think it's got a great musical quality with a driving beat but still slow and melodic.  Very poetic.  Here is the producer of that track, Francis Farewell Starlite of Francis And The Lights, discusses the process.  It's great to see artists be inspired by all kinds of genres as long as it's quality art being produced.  This is the last guy you expect to make music for one of Hip Hop's most popular artists.

MTV Shows

Badu Rozay Video

     This video was released a few weeks ago and I thought it was pretty dope.  No secret I am a huge Erykah Badu fan and a Rick Rozay fan.  I love that she's always been entrenched with Hip Hop while being as soulful as a late night smoky jazz club.  Here's a video for her Window Seat Remix featuring Rick Ross and it switches to Get Munny half way through.

Lanvin H&M Fall 2010 Collabo

     On November 23rd of this fall, H&M will start selling their collaboration line of clothing designed by Lanvin, one of the top design brands in the world.  I think the concept of H&M adding luxury to their brand rather than Lanvin going mainstream is a very smart way of marketing.  It's allowing the more common person who might be a fan of fashion, but doesn't necessarily have the means, express themselves with high end design.  H&M's press release with more information can be found on this link and the video clip found here, shows Lanvin's artistic director, Alber Elbaz, explaining the collaboration.

"All I Want Is You" - Miguel

     JCole has been getting the fire under his feet as an up and coming break out artist.  Signed to the Roc, he has a ton of expectations, but on this jam, he plays the feature as Miguel belts out a super smooth laid back chick ballad.  Ladies listen up to this humid love jam...video below.

Healing Heel Pain

Healing Heel Pain

I was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis many years ago after a softball injury and anybody that's had it can tell you, it's one of the more painful conditions you can have. There's a piece of tissue that connects your heal and forefoot and keeps you balanced and if you aggravate that tissue, plantars is what you get. It also causes bone spurs. It all equals very discomforting heal pain. Here's a stretch to help out with that.

Summer Grub Is The Best But...

     Fitness, fitness, fitness.....it's something we all need to make a priority, BUT, it's the Summer!!  You want to eat everything right, BBQ's, parties, any day of the week, is good for burgers, dogs, and potato salad.  I think we can all admit it's pretty bad for us, but here are some tips to make it through and also recognize the extra pound culprits.  Here are the summer's most fattening foods, check the link here.

Jerseys Jerseys And More Futbol Jerseys

    This site, Football Fashion, will be added to my favorites and you'll be able to check their link whenever you want from this site.  Pretty much one of the most comprehensive web sites dedicated to every new kit worn by a soccer team on the planet.  The best photo's, information, and complete coverage of every teams new uniforms.  Soccer jerseys will always be a fashion staple that represents the current times.  Colors, designs, and fabrics are always changing.  One of the most exciting parts of the new season is seeing your favorite club's brand new season's jersey.  Football Fashion is located here.
It hurts me to post the pic below, but I saw them live in this jersey and they are the current MLS champs, so respect due.

Extra Lost

     Nice file of some extra bonus Lost footage, super interesting.  Supposed to be on the new DVD Season 6 release.     Thanks to Mr. Bill, enjoy the footage at this link.  It's the video file so put it on your iPhone.

Two Of My Favorites

    One of my favorite people sent me this link of a mash up of super different proportions.  Both favorites of mine, The Notorious and The XX.
Check the video here.....


juicy-r [the notorious b.i.g.'s juicy vs. the xx's vcr] - wait what (mashup) from wait what on Vimeo.

RZA Burger

     Yes, RZA burger, one of the funniest things I've heard from the Abbott, the genius, RZA.  Please check the interview below from Hard Knocks TV with Devi Dev.  RZA gives a lot of information and news on upcoming projects, ODB, and how the Wu-Tang Clan will be performing the entire Enter To The 36 Chambers album in it's entirety at the Rock The Bells concerts this summer.  He also dicusses working with The GZA on the next Liquid Swords 2 album and they're putting full focus on making that album a classic.  Looks like the Wu is coming full circle from when Wu-Tang's leader produced most of the group's solo albums and made some of the best Hip Hop ever back in the 90's and now he's back behind the boards on albums like OBFCL2.  He's also been working with Kanye on his new album as well.
Check the video to see what a RZA burger actually is.  BONG! BONG!

Can Never Have Enough G-Shocks

     Casio has a new line of G-Shocks (when don't they) in metallic colors that are poppin.  I'm a fan of rockin a G-Shock dressed up with a blazer or the usual casual gear as long as it matches  your kicks.  I've taken mine from Panama to South Beach, pools, beaches, hot tubs, clubs and they can really take a beating.  At the same time, always looking fresh and with all the colors and designs they offer, everybody can find one that's their favorite or just keep adding them to your collection.  Check the article here on the new Mirror Face Collection.

Who's Been Eating Hummus??

     School is getting close for all the kiddies and one thing that was always a must get was NEW SNEAKERS.  Deciding on whatever fresh pair of kicks you wanted for the first day of school and then convincing your parents to spend the dough to get them was always an August ritual.  Foot Locker is in full swing with their back to school promotions and they joined with Nike ont his new commercial featuring Amare Stoudamire, Rajon Rondo, Justin Tuck, Sanya Richards (track star) and our own Desean Jackson.  Peep "The Educators" commerical below.

Inception Decoder

     Inception will end up being the movie of the summer of 2010.  Starring Leo DiCaprio, this is definitely a thinking persons movie, but has enough action and intrigue to keep everybody's attention.  I finally saw it today considering I haven't heard one negative opinion and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about.  I did it enjoy it very much, but I think I need to see it again to give it my true opinion.  I did come across this graphic that definitely makes the movie a little easier to comprehend and follow the process of what they were trying to do.  Pretty neat stuff.

El Retrato Del Poder

     Mr. West has been making a full public come back in preparation of his new album being released this fall.  His first single Power, produced by Symbolyc One, has been out for a month or so now and he just released this video by Marco Brambilla.  Yeezy says it's a portrait, not a video, and the more you look at it, it definitely looks like a painting, a moving one.  Pretty brilliant.  It's not the full song but it definitely looks epic and something like no other artist has done.  Peep the portrait below and this link has more information on the video director and Ye's inspiration.

Best Catch Ever?

     Straight from the Pro Yakyu League in Japan, this is arguably one of the best catches ever.  Masato Akamatsu of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp defies gravity to make this astonishing snag.  

Happy Birthday To A Classic

     Today, August 1, 2010 is the 15 year anniversary of one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx by Raekwon the Chef featuring Ghostface Killah or otherwise known as the Purple Tape is a classic.  It was Scarface on wax, basically a movie through sound, provided by the RZA.  It's amazing to think that this much time has passed since it dropped, 1995, wow.  That was the summer before my senior year of high school and this was part of the soundtrack.  I eventually got a pair of Clark's Wallabee's a couple years after, but it's the intro to Glaciers of Ice that made me do it.  Even beyond the influence Rae and Ghost put on hood fashion and swag (before people even called it that), the album had it's own supersonic, soul, comic book, drug, kung-fu flick sound that was mind blowing.   You could never skip a song and each ballad is it's own masterpiece.  RZA completely produced the entire record and most of the Wu-Tang members and other guests all guest spot.  I still listen to this album often in it's entirety and there are so many singles on here I could call my favorite.  As a tribute, peep one of the best Wu video's and singles that was from this album, Ice Cream.  This album gets a very rare 5 Z out of 5 Z, all time classic rating in the catalog.
ZZZZZ

Senor Donovan

     Another reason Landon Donovan is the man.  The dude can speak fluent spanish as you can hear in this commercial.  Donovan is really embarking on being a global star after his great performance in this summers World Cup.  The next 6 months will be very interesting to see how he finishes up the MLS season and what transfer offers he will receive in the winter.  The LD show is just getting started.  Click here or view below.

Kobe V USA

     I'm really liking this simple USA colorway of the Kobe V.  One of the most comfortable sneakers I've ever worn and who doesn't love a red, white, and blue sneaker.  I would assume the V's are probably Kobe's most popular shoe to date since there seems to be a new color released every few weeks.  I'm not mad at em, but my wallet might be.  More info here.

AT-AT Day Afternoon

     Pretty cool video by Patrick Boivin, especially if you're a Star Wars fan and had the actual AT-AT toy back in the day.  See it below or click here.

RZA vs. Nike 6.0

     All-Time Genius Wonder RZA has collaborated with Nike and some top extreme athletes in a series of commercials.  RZA continues to broaden his vision by continuing to work with various artists, genre's, mediums and this is no different.  Peace to the God!

Click here to see the commercials.

Only The Best For The Best

     Here's a cool video of how the Louis Vuitton World Cup Case was made.  They make it look rather easy but these are the world's best craftsmen.  The handmade custom luggage adds a very nice touch to the world's most famous trophy, FIFA's World Cup.

I Want You

     This video and jam is a Rizz favorite.  Common's I Want You, produced and featuring will.I.am, is already 4 years old and will be added to the Kings Archive.  The video has an easy theme that most can relate to, the ex getting psycho and stalking the ex-boyfriend, as he moves on.  Lots of famous friends are in the video.  Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Kerry Washington, Serena Williams, Derek and Sophia Luke all take part.  The design on the set or apartment is pretty cool as well.  Click here or watch below.

KawsLo

     Complex's August/September 2010 cover is no other than Lindsay Lohan but with the classic Kaws perspective.  Brian Donnelly throws another major assist by blessing another Complex cover and with Lindsay being one of the hottest celebrities, this is a classic.  Kaws has bombed other Complex covers in the past with artists such as N*E*R*D and The Clipse.  LiLo not only has the looks but also has the high drama lifestyle that keeps her name in constant mention.  This cover is right on time considering she just checked into jail.  Enjoy the video from Complex celebrating the cover.   Now only if I could get subscription issues on time.....hey mailman, stop reading my mags.

Flashing FlashBack

     This song is one of my favorites for no one specific reason.  The violins in the background, the driving bass, the synthesizers, the lyrics, Dwele on the hook, the video, all reason enough for this to be a Yeezy classic.  I think this song from Graduation could have fit on 808's & Heartbreak, it has that feel to it.  The video is just as intriguing as Mr. West has video vixen Rita-G extracting revenge on her lover in her barely mentionables.
Enjoy this classic here.
4.5 out of 5 Z's

Schmidt Kicks

     These are a must buy for the Nike and Phillies fan.  Nike has chosen 5 baseball players as part of their Legends pack for the Nike Trainer 1.2 Mid.  Phillies Hall of Famer, Mike Schmidt is one of the selections and the sneaks are fashioned after the throwback maroon, white, and blue colors that he wore.  It also has his number and the year he won the World Series on the back heel as well.  More info here.

Post World Cup Depression

     So I thought my brother and I were the only ones who had this.  What do you do after a month of no work, getting drunk before noon and listening to Vuvezela's all day....and oh yeah, watch every game of the World Cup?  It's sad to know that the tournament is over and you have to wait another 4 years to witness the globe's best sporting event.  This article is amusing for others who are feeling post World Cup Depression.  At least the Premier League will start in a few weeks and the MLS is in full form.  Not the same, but it will have to do.

Cheddar Burning A Hole In Your Pocket?

     Saving money can be a very difficult thing to do in tough economic times.  The thing is that most people don't save when times are good.  It's easy to find things to spend money on from clothes, vacations, going out to eat and of course....sneakers.  That gives us instant gratification, but that only lasts so long.  Here's an article that brings up some great points about how spending too much can hold us back from security and consistent life.  Click here to read.

On The Plane With Spain

     This is a neat video of the victorious Spanish National Team on their flight home after winning the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.  The flight crew presents a cake to the winners and you can see the jubilation on all of their faces.  Villa, Ramos, Pique, Iniesta, Puyol are all seen enjoying being kings of the world.



Here's another great video of Spain celebrating their Semi-final win over Germany by singing and chanting while doing the human train.  Doing all this while Germany's Schweinsteiger tries to give a post game interview.  Pretty funny.

Jordan Judges Who Is Best..Kobe or Lebron

   Straight from the GOAT's mouth, Michael Jordan states that right now Kobe Bryant is better than Lebron James.  Hard to argue, Kobe = 5 rings,  LeBreezy = 0 rings.

The Social Network

     This looks like it should be interesting and more buzz has been growing lately.  "The Social Network" is based on the creators of Facebook.  Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg and it definitely doesn't look like facebook was a peaceful creation.  Should be out in October.

New York looks a little French

     One of soccer's most famous names. Thierry Henry, as joined the New York Red Bulls pro soccer team this week.  It's as big a splash as when David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy a few years ago.  The MLS is looking to build off the momentum of the World Cup in America and bring in some big name players.  Yes, we know he's not the goal scoring machine he was when he played with some of the world's  most famous clubs, Juventus, Aresenal and Barcelona, but his resume is second to none.  He's won pretty much every trophy including the 1998 World Cup as a French International.  He loves New York City and he's looking forward to representing the team and league.  The Red Bulls also have a brand new stadium that is really fantastic, so the timing is right as well.  Some are skeptical if this will be successful, but I already think it has been as I think the opinion of the MLS is changing in a very good way.  Beckham, Henry, and numerous other big names are rumored to join the MLS as well.  It's becoming a viable option for stars later in their career and their experience on the global level can only help the other players on these clubs and also garner more recognition for the teams and league.  Here's a nice highlight reel of Henry so you can get familiar.  I for one look forward to seeing him on the pitch here in the US. Click here or see below.

The Little Wizard!

     Great video of all 47  goals that the Little Wizard scored in La Liga  in the 2009-2010 season.  Lionel Messi is the world's best player and absolutely amazing to watch.   The Argentine national plays forward for FC Barcelona, the back to back Liga Champions and last year's EUFA Champions League Championship.  Click here for the video.

Sir Alex Stateside

     Great to hear from one of the all time greats comment on US Soccer and the MLS.  Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of the most popular soccer team in the world, Manchester United, provides this interview.
He answers questions at Toyota Park in Chicago as the Red Devils embark on their US tour, including playing in the MLS All-Star game against the MLS's best players.

Paul the Mystic Octopus

     Who knew the world's biggest sporting event, the World Cup, could be easily predicted?  Paul, that's who.  Check the article out about the prognosticating cephalopod who correctly chose the winner for 8 World Cup matches.

Nash Owns WhiteCaps

     It's well known that NBA All-Star, Steve Nash, is an avid soccer fan.  What I didn't know is that he is so much of a fan, he also owns part of a new MLS expansion team.  The Vancouver Whitecaps will start play in 2011.  Nash was part of the 2 year campaign to bring a MLS soccer team to Vancouver, which is in his home provence of British Columbia.  Additional information and comments can be found here.

Deuces aka Clint Dempsey

     I knew US Men's National Soccer Team's Clint Dempsey had a bit of an edge to his game and himself.  What I didn't know was that he was a hip hop artist on the side!  He goes by his nickname, Deuces, and as you can see with his rap video, he's repping the streets of Texas, where he grew up.   Hailing from Nagadoches,  South Texas near the Mexican border, he joins Big Hawk and XO on the track "Don't Tread" which is one of the mantra's of the US Men's Team (Don't Tread On Me).  With more than a million views, I'm a little late checking out Deuces.  He also pays tribute to his sister at the end by dedicating the video to her and then showing him leave flowers at her place of rest.  She passed away when they were growing up.  This enabled his parents to continue Clint playing soccer, so he dedicates everything to his sister, which explains in his hunger for the game....and also lyrics.  The ESPN segment that tell's his story, it's a must see if you haven't, is also below (sorry for quality, original links are now gone).  While on the topic of Deuces, he scored one of the nicest goals ever for his club side Fulham against legendary, Italian club, Juventus this year in a Europa League Quarterfinal that got his team to the next round.  See the video below to see the goal (and replay over and over).  World class goal.
It will be very interesting to see where Clint goes this fall.  There's been rumors of him leaving the English Premier League and maybe playing in Italy's top league, Serie A with either Napoli or AC Milan.  Wherever he ends up, Deuces will be representing US soccer and fighting 100%.

Spies Like Us

     Wanted to make sure everybody did see this and there are real life 007's.  We just caught a gaggle of Russian spies here in the States and we "traded" them back to Russia for some of our own jailed agents.  They said the end result was to keep relations between the US and Russia at peace.  Works for me as long as we realize that spies are still among us.  Watch em Jim!

Best Sneakers Ever

I've already missed the Space Jam release and the Jordan 25th Anniversary editions of the Air Jordan XI's. I can not miss these. The Cool Grey colorway has been confirmed for a December 2010 release. Just in time to get on everyones holiday wish list. One of my all time favorite sneakers.  Courtesy of SneakerNews of course.

Sippin On That Sizzurp...

Jemarcus Russell getting arrested for possession of prescription cough syrup with Codeine has brought the topic into the spotlight. ESPN Outside The Lines has a good video that pretty much explains the whole phenomenon of the illegal usage of this prescription drug. A lot of people aren't that familiar with this but most hip hop fans would tell you that it's been around for quite some time. DJ Screw in Houston, TX was a pioneer but passed away from using the illegal substance. Same with Pimp C from the legendary rap duo UGK who also passed away from the usage of the cough syrup. The usage has still been prominent with songs from 3 6 Mafia's "Sippin on That Sizzurp.." and Lil Wayne constantly references it in his lyrics and has been seen openly drinking it.

Kaws Exhibition in Connecticut 2010

KAWS Museum Exhibit Opening from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.

This is a cool video that's from the Kaws Exhibition Opening at the The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. It includes a retrospective showing of a bunch of different mediums of his work from art to vinyl to sculptures to graphic design. The solo exhibition goes from June 27, 2010 to January 2, 2011. His mix of street and pop culture make for great displays at his shows. I definitely plan to attend very soon and will provide an in person re-cap.

How to Get Over the World Cup Hangover

Here's a little video from video vixen, Rosa Acosta and friends, to help you get over the World Cup almost being over. By now, most fans favorite teams have been eliminated and we have to wait another 4 years before we can get another chance at the planets most coveted trophy.
Who knows, I might even kids by then, but in the mean time, I have Rosa to console me.

Mwanga es Numero Uno

This is a great highlight video of 2010 MLS Number One Overall Draft Pick for the Philadelphia Union. As he scored his 5th goal in his last 6 games, Danny Mwanga, is really coming on as a leading scoring threat for the 1st year franchise. Along with the Frenchmen, Sebastian Le Toux, and midfielder Torres, the Union have shown the ability to create scoring opportunities and finish. Let's not forget that he's still 18, turning 19 this July. The sky's the limit. Shout out to 723FootballFilms for putting this video together.

New Look at Brooklyn

     Pretty cool video from Gregory Solenstrom.  The music is slightly different than the album version  of Hello Brooklyn 2.0 produced by Bigg D. I'm going to try and find out who did this one, but none the less, enjoy the creativity.

Jay Z - "Hello Brooklyn" from Greg Solenström on Vimeo.

Two Stars Making Heat - Rozeezy

     Rick Ross and Kanye West have just released their new collaboration called "Live Fast, Die Young" and looks like Yeezy is continuing on his hip hop comeback.  The music he produced on his latest single "Power" and the beat he produced on this track sound more like his usual catalog, previous to 808's and Heartbreak (and even Graduation).  Rick Rozay is pretty much the hottest thing going in hip hop right now and it only makes sense for these artists to make magic.  Listen to what Kanye says about the collabo here. Great to see him making classics again after hiding out a bit.

Plastic Bottles = US Soccer Jersey

     I thought this was super cool and now we have an explanation.  I bought my 2010 US Mens' National Team Donovan jersey to support our squad and he's my favorite player with my favorite number.  (Pause) I also found out when they unveiled the new jersey in May that it was actually made from recycled plastic bottles?!?!  Yeah, plastic bottles.  How they do that??  Well we have a pretty good explanation below, check it out.  Go Green, Red, White, and Blue!!

Philly Always Loved McNabb

     Donovan McNabb will be one of my favorite Eagles of all time, yes, I said it.  In an age of players who get in trouble every other weekend for guns, drugs, booze, sexual assualts, this man represented our club better than anyone.  He had tremendous success and you can't blame not winning a Super Bowl on one person.  He gave us much more happy times than bad ones and let's all remember what the Eagles were before he got here.....exactly.  Anyway, I was personally pleased to hear his comments in this interview when asked about Philly and his relationship, since he is now a Redskin....still sounds terrible.

Check it out here.

Nike and Kobe, Perfect Together

     Nike has been really stepping up their commercial game with a bunch of new commercials that are creative and entertaining.  Following the release of their new soccer commercials, they featured a new Kobe commercial that showcases his career highlights as he is on his quest for his fifth title.  (Check the Barkley cameo holding up a zero, which is how many titles he has, ha.)

     Along with the new commercial, Nike has also released a new color way of Kobe's signature Nike sneaker, the Kobe Zoom V.  It's called the Big Stage Editon and the all white, gold, and clear sneaks pay tribute to the finals and Kobe's career highlights with laser etching on the white upper.  These are some of the cleanest looking sneaks I've seen in a while and is a must get.  Not to mention, one of the most comfortable kicks out there.  The gold accents reminds everyone that there is a very nice piece of hardware on the line as the two previous NBA champs do battle in this year's final.  Ties right into the golden Finals logo and uniform patches.  The Nike Kobe commercial and pictures of the sneaks can both be found here.

Edison Arantes do Nascimento's take on World Cup 2010

     The World's Greatest Footballer ever, better known as Pele, recently gave his opinions on the upcoming World Cup.  The Brazilian champion discusses soccer's role in the world and the responsibility of the game.  Also talks about soccer in the United States and the change in style that Brazil nows play with.

Click here for the video.

Get That Crap Out of the Fridge

     I'm the first one to say mayo makes it better and who can argue against spreadable fat?  Thought so, but we all know that's a one way ticket to heart attack city.  When trying to be healthier and help your body out, dieting, exercising, you want to try and find shortcuts around anything.  If at least, simple tips to try and make it easier to eat healthier.  This article from WebMD gives a great run down of what foods to keep out of your fridge.  Of course, a lot of these items are our favorites, but everything in moderation usually works.....unless you're on this top ten list, ha!

OG Stars Wars Trilogy told in 2 Minutes........using Lego's

     Doesn't get much better than Star Wars and Lego's.  The partnership has been a long-standing one with tons of Lego Star Wars toys made, video games, and various other joint ventures.  I've seen pictures of giant Star Wars dioarama's that were created by loyal fans (and slick Lego architects - how they do that?).

This takes it to that next level with a summary of the Original Trilogy all in around 2 minutes.  You'll have to watch it a few times to hear the commentary of the characters, but it's worth listening to Darth tell Luke that he's his father....in not so many words.

Teflon Don aka Albert Anastasia

     Again, mixtapes are basically the new decades super commercial.  If you're anybody trying to put out a new album or just build your brand, a free mixtape will always do the trick.  Especially if you're a top of the line artist and at this point, Rick Ross most definitely is.
     Perfect drop for the Memorial Day weekend and Rick Ross drops a mixtape that again, is as good as any major label album.  This does have the single with Ne-Yo, but the whole mixtape is a gem and as an all-star roster of guest spots including a Diddy rant, Trey Songz, John Legend, Yo Gotti, and Styles P to name a few.   No holds barred, Rick Ross knows he's a star and plays the part.  He's been grinding for the past few years and his albums have progressively gotten better with each release.    He released this mixtape as a warmup to his official album, but you will enjoy both as the same, I guarantee it.  Download now and bump it all Memorial Day weekend.  You'll be happy you did, download it here.  MAYBACH MUSIC....(or more like Ford Fusion Music, lol).

Download the Albert Anastasia EP here.

~KR

Complex Six Word Recap Shout Out

     Complex magazine has a daily question on Twitter where they ask their followers to recap the previous nights most important game in six words or less.  They then pick their favorite tweet of the day and post it on their site.  Well, today is the King's lucky day since his tweet was chosen by Complex in regards to what could possibly be Lebron's last game as a Cavalier.  They basically quit at the end against the Boston Celtics who defeated the Cavs 4 games to 2 and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Orlando Magic.  Should be a great series, but all the attention has been on Bron Bron and his next move with his pending free agency this summer.
Click here to see how I summed up the game in six words or less.  Shout out to Complex Magazine, been a subscriber since 2004 (looking at the Aug/Sep 04 issue with Eve on the cover right now).  Holla!

~KR