Nothin' better than free music, especially good free music. Following up their classic debut Train of Thought, Reflection Eternal is back with with a new album (Revolutions Per Minute) and they are creating anticipation for the album by dropping a mixtape, The Re:Union. Consisting of songs off of the original and new album, new remixes, and songs off both artists independent albums, it is 30 songs of absolute goodness.

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Like he needs it

For his 25th birthday, Shaq gave Lebron his second Phantom

Hi Barack

Story

List: Top 25 albums of 2009

Remember When...

Before he became an oft-injured over-paid malcontent, Tracy Mcgrady had quite the career

A Badger becomes a Timberwolf

In a salary dump, the Phoenix Suns traded Alando Tucker, a 2010 second round pick and cash to the Timberwolves for guard Jason Hart. Given how bad the Wolves wing play is, with the exception of the surprising Corey Brewer, Tucker might see some minutes. The second round pick is also of value as players like Manu Ginobli and Carlos Boozer have been taken in the second round. David Kahn just continues to right the sinking ship that was the Minnesota Timberwolves. Granted they are only 7-24...good grief...but after beating the Nets they handled the talented Wizards and tonight face the Spurs. Also, David Kahn will be at the Jewish Commmunity Center in St.Paul on Monday January 4th to speak about being a GM in the NBA. I will be in attendance, the man is SMART!

List: 100 most searched women on the web. Who searches for Mandy Moore?

It's Been a Pleasure - Drake featuring Young Jeezy

Just Begun - Reflection Eternal featuring Jay Electronica, J.Cole and Mos Def.

This kid has quite the future...

Video - A drunk 4 year-old steals neighbors christmas presents. Seriously.

Exhibit C - Jay Electronica

Royce White

There were such high expectations for Royce White. He was a prized recruit from a Minnesota powerhouse high school who was supposed to contribute right away to Tubby Smith's rebuilding effort with the Gophers. He is now, according to a Youtube video, quitting.

List: Top 40 movies of the past decade

2009

Another One

Hi Ri-Ri

Colbert Nation

The U.S. Speed-Skating sponsor takes over for Hova and performs Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys.

Watch This Show

100 great quotes from The Wire

Read Up

#44 is my #1

Pitchforks top 100 songs of 2009

I use my neighbors "Linksys"

25 hilarious WiFi network names

Drop the World: Lil' Wayne featuring Eminem

Better than smelling like B.O.

Lil' Wayne is having a hard time renting out his apartment due to some earthy aromas.

Corey Brewer

The Timberwolves dropped to 3-20 last night after losing to the Lakers. They have yet to find an identity as a team, maybe they should use Corey Brewer as an example.

Fore!

Tiger Woods, as only Deadspin can show you.

Tiger takes "Indefinite break."

Moneyball

Originally intended to be directed by Steven Soderbergh, Michael Lewis' story of Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane has gotten a restart.

Jay Mariotti: Lurking Tormenter of the Chicago Bar Scene

J.Cole pt.5

In an open letter, Cole describes his recent tour (with Jay-Z).

J.Cole's Website

I post a lot about this dude but in my opinion he is just what hip-hop needs. I love hip-hop and want to see it progress. This guy is part of the solution.

Check The Score

Even the YES network has turned against the Knicks

Joe Mauer

The AL MVP's next contract could be ground-breaking.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

With all due respect to It's Always Sunny and Philadelphia and 30 Rock, in my opinion Curb Your Enthusiasm is the funniest show on TV. He may be offensive, neurotic and sometimes a bit awkward but Larry David is hilarious. As is Leon, "I just went in that room and white'd that shit the fuck up!"

Some funny season 7 moments

Leon as Danny Duberstein

Larry .vs. The Black Swan

The Splashback

Relapse 2

I'm in the minority when I say that I liked Relapse and that's fine by me. Glad to see Eminem back and glad to see Refill dropping December 22nd.

Glimpse: A night on the road with J.Cole

Someday...

At some point in my life, I will see Jay-Z in concert.

Download: B.o.B. aka Bobby Ray the Features

Bobby Ray

Harrison Barnes

The nations top basketball recruit chooses the Tar Heels

T-Wolves Update

Not much to be said about the T-Wolves as of late, a 1-9 record will do that, so I will let David Kahn explain.

FOX News

The most recent episode of South Park took on Glenn Beck while The Daily Show's Jon Stewart has had an ongoing feud with Sean Hannity. It just isn't plausible to believe anything FOX reports or as Jon Stewart would say: FOX News Channel - We alter reality. You are sold a preconceived narrative.

Some funny Glenn Beck impersonations. This dude is such a moron.

All 6 feet of em'

Will Bynum can get up

Hi Sammy?

The Wire

The best show you have never seen is now being offered as a course at Harvard

Holy Catfight!

Don't mess with this girl

JJ Hardy

With the emergence of Denard Span as the Twins everyday center fielder and leadoff hitter and Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel and Delmon Young occupying the corner outfield spots, it should come as no surprise that GM Bill Smith traded Carlos Gomez today. Does the acquisition of Hardy mean Orlando Cabrera is on his way out? We shall see. Here's to hoping that Hardy regains his 07' and 08' form.

Opinion: Some good thoughts on the media and the Timberwolves

Colbert Nation

Colbert loves the Olympics, case and point.

Wrong Team Dude

Aren't you supposed to tackle the opposing team? This guy hasn't figured that out yet.

After 8 games

So this whole Favre thing is working out rather nicely huh? To be honest, this is probably the most excited I have ever been about the Vikings. 98' was comparable, 15-1 will excite anybody, but something special is brewing in Winter Park this year. The past couple years the Vikings have been good but they didn't really seem to play with any passion, almost like they lacked confidence or didn't expect to win. Brett Favre has changed all that. He has brought with him a winning agenda and that has filtered down through the whole organization. Every player seems to be playing better than they ever have and when the talent level is as high as it is in Minnesota, that equates to victories. I have held off proclaiming anything about the Vikings until now because I don't want to get ahead of myself, but these are some bad boys. Sweeping the Packers, beating the Ravens and narrowly missing victory in Steelerland has assured me that the Vikes are for real. How real? Only time will tell.

T-Wolves update -

After losing to the Suns last night, the Timberwolves are 1-2. They beat the Nets on opening night and lost to King James in the second game of the season. Opinions should not be based on the team's record however, as both GM David Kahn and Coach Rambis have said that the season is more about player evaluation and less about wins and losses. That being said, they don't look half bad. Chris Paul 2 (Jonny Flynn) is averaging 15.3 points a game and just looks like an NBA point guard. He can handle the ball, direct the offense, run the fast break and already seems to be commanding the respect of his teammates. This kid is special. Big Al looks a little lost in Rambis' modified triangle offense but eventually he will find his way. Gomes has been knocking shots down and Corey Brewer looks healthy and maybe even a few pounds heavier, which he needed. Wayne Ellington has been a nice surprise averaging 6.3 points in just under 23 minutes. Ellington could be a very nice player. He has range to Fargo and has championship pedigree. It is only 3 games in but the guys are playing hard and adapting to Coach Rambis' system. Encouraging start, excited to see how the T-Wolves will progress.

Sounds about right

Half-man half-idiot would be my description of A-Rod, but this works too.

The Talented Mr.Redick

If you think J.J. Redick's only talent is knocking down wide open 3's you are mistaken

Tunes

Beautiful Bliss: Wale featuring J.Cole and Melanie Fiona

Mirrors: Wale featuring Bun B

Carry Out: Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake

Video: "Empire State of Mind" - Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys

Lil' Wayne

The Mixtape Weezy is back...officially.

Want More?

No Ceilings

Chamilitary Man

Michael Jordan .vs. Chamillionaire

Seth Macfarlane

Never been a big fan of Family Guy. I'll watch The Simpsons or South Park if I need some cartoonage in my life. That being said, Seth Macfarlane has a new show and apparently his views have come off a bit racist.

Nasir

Joss Stone featuring Nas: Govermentalist

Felt 3

Video: Get Cake

Protaganists

New Drizzy

Drake featuring Timbaland - Say Something

Gucci Mane featuring Drake - Believe it or not

Drake - King Leon

Hi Kobe

Wale

Wale featuring Rihanna: Contemplate

So who is the Latin Kings?

Interesting take on the Dodgers vs. Phillies

Malcolm Gladwell

The author of Outliers questions the difference between dogfighting and football

J's

XXV

Hi Timberwolves

Good with words

A closer look at President Obama accepting the Nobel Prize

Winnings donated

Lupe the Fiasco

Is Lupe back? Lasers?

Wayne

I might give this to the mixtape Weezy

Michael Mann

From the director of Heat, Collateral, The Insider, and Last of the Mohicans, comes a possible film about the Spanish Civil War.

"Shooting Stars"

An excerpt from the LeBron James biography "Shooting Stars." Co-wrote(*wink*) by Buzz Bissinger, author of "Friday Night Lights."

Does Adderall count?

Interesting post about students helping themselves.

The Roots

Video: The Roots - "How I got Over"

Keep it a secret

Wanna see Joe Mauer cheat?

David Letterman

Nothing like the attraction of a co-worker

What's in a sequel?

What is your favorite movie sequel? Think about it...what did you come up with? Anything good? I have had this conversation several times in the past because everyone sees movies and everyone has an opinion. The best anyone can ever come up with is LOTR(Lord of the Rings) or the Lethal Weapon series. Granted, The Return of the King is good but it's no Fellowship. Can't say I've seen any of the Lethal Weapons, something about Mel Gibson...anyway, I hear they are good. Point is, there are not a lot of good movie sequels. Yet, everyone I know, including myself, always get super excited to see sequels. I remember being so stoked to see Matrix Reloaded and so let down after I saw it. I thought Neo would keep just kickin' ass and understanding himself and save the world. Then the keymasters got involved, and I got lost.

We expect sequels to be just as good as the original. Just as good of script, just as good of acting and just as good of directing yet, that never seems to be the case. I mean how bad has Halloween gotten. Is Michael Myers still alive? I used to be petrified of that guy, now he just seems like a pathetic old man that kills people and takes axes in the head. Or how about Saw. Saw 17 comes out tomorrow, go pick it up.

To prove this doesn't just happen with horror movies, how about The Karate Kid. I used to love Daniel Son and Miyagi. Then they went to China and Hilary Swank started fighting. Another that's often mentioned is Oceans 11,12,13. A re-make itself, the first one is classic. If they hadn't ever made 12 or 13, Ocean's 11 would be mentioned as a memorable heist film. It's reputation has been tainted by the sequels. Same thing with Scream, Basic Instinct, Star Wars(the new ones), Aladdin, The Mask, and many others. The list goes on.

There are however some sequels that need to keep being made no matter how bad some of the installments get. Examples include Batman and James Bond. I can always use a little Bruce Wayne or James Bond in my life, no matter how many Batman and Robins or Tomorrow Never Dies are made. And there are exceptions like Dumb and Dumber and Dirty Dancing, where the first one was so good people either don't know there was a sequel or don't care because the first one was so good. Then there are sequels that are good, but the sequel to the sequel sucks. Like they should have known the proper amount of sequels. Examples of this would be Indiana Jones, Terminator, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Alien. And then there is the ultimate exception, Godfather pt.2. It amazes me how few people have actually seen The Godfather, considering it is universally considered one of the top 2 movies of all time. Charles Foster Kane is no Michael Corleone that is for sure, but that's another conversation. Anyway, 2 is better than 1 and 3 was a disgrace, still not terrible, kinda good I thought, but clearly not worthy of carrying the name Godfather.

They don't always get it wrong though. Movies like Rounders and Taxi Driver have been talked about as sequels, but someone must have realized why screw up a good thing? Both classics in their respective genres and both remembered as pure and authentic, not corrupted by studios lust for the dollar.

To conclude, we got LOTR, Lethal Weapon and The Godfather. Three series of movies in which all the sequels maintain or improve the series as a whole. Considering how many sequels are made, that has to be a low percentage. I'm not saying don't see sequels, just don't trust their track record. Which reminds me, when does the next Harry Potter come out?

GQ Woman of the Year

And the winner is...interesting.

The One and Only

Sick of Joe Mauer yet? I'm not.

Tax dollars hard at work

I've played Wii bowling and there is no denying the joy involved but are you serious?

Joey Franchise

An early estimation for the Twins to sign Joe Mauer.

Gopher Basketball

Austin Hollins, son of Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, signed to play with the Gophers in 2010 today. With Rodney Williams and Royce White coming in this year, Tubby Smith and the Gophers just keep getting better.

Iceberg Slim

Video: Jay-Z on Oprah

Red Wing Shoes

Red Wing Shoes - Big Ass Boot

Red Wing Minnesota

What's not to like?

How can you not like the Minnesota Twins. They play baseball the way it is supposed to be played. They may not have the highest payroll or the big name players but when the season is winding down, they always seem to be in the mix. Case and point: This year. On August 18, the Twins were 5 games under .500 and 6.5 games back of the Detroit Tigers. They could have given in and written the season off. Liriano hadn't been what we expected, Glen Perkins was horrible and Joe Crede's back wouldn't allow him to play the everyday. It would have been the easy thing to do. But that's not how the Twins do things. They scrap. They fight. They will themselves to play every game like it matters. And in the end, they do all matter. With guys like Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert stepping up, The Twins just swept the Chicago White Sox at US Cellular and maintained the 2.5 game deficit in the AL Central. Michael Cuddyer has stepped in seamlessly for the injured Justin Morneau at first base and Jason Kubel has had a career year. They have won 9 out of 10 and everything seems to be coming together for the first time all year. I credit Ron Gardenhire for keeping this team together and keeping them optimistic. The front office also deserves credit for bringing in quality bullpen arms like Ron Mahay and Jon Rauch. People wonder why the Twins have such a loyal fan base and the answer is simple. They are a hard-working reliable team that does things the right way. They can be depended upon. Whether or not they make this playoffs, I really couldn't care less. Obviously I would like them to make it but just witnessing the resiliency they play with makes me proud to be a fan of the Minnesota Twins, now and forever.

Top GM's

The top NBA General Managers of the past decade. My vote was for McHale...Psyche!

J.Cole pt.4

Back to The Topic Freestyle

J.Cole speaks on Drake

Aubrey Graham

Drake's Rise to Fame and Fortune

Via Fader

Capitalism

Michael Moore provides those who see his movies with a glimpse, a liberal glimpse, but a glimpse nonetheless into matters which affect our country. First it was violence in our schools, then it was terrorism, and most recently it was healthcare. Now Michael Moore takes on Capitalism. I, for one, would like to try and understand exactly where all the money in this country is and how we got to the point we are at. Maybe Mr. Moore can inform me.

Brother Ali

Support Twin Cities hip-hop and go pick up Brother Ali's new album Us, which came out today (9/22).

HipHopDX Review.

I want this "Forever"

Video: "Forever" Drake, Lil' Wayne, Kanye and Eminem. Lebron plays online poker?

Off of the Lebron James Documentary More Than a Game

Interesting lyrical breakdown

Clipse

Complex Cover Story

"Strapped Like Rambo"

Apparently Delonte West needs guns, many, many guns.

Kobe goes for 81

Remember this?

Want more?

Tough

The NBA's toughest players

All Day

I think a couple teams want a re-do.

Couples Retreat

This could be funny

P-Ville Stand Up!

KiD CuDi interview

Review of Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

Dat Kid From Cleveland

A kiD named CuDi

Complex Feature

Kinda trippy and depressing but a good listen. Does anyone wear tighter jeans?

Wish I would have thought of that...

Some crazy inventions

Not A Good Look

A couple frisky Badgers

Viva La Hova

Just because I'm losing

Doesn't mean I'm lost.

You like? Download

I Hope they serve Beer in Hell

Funny Book, hopefully a funny movie.

Pac Div

Video: "Pac Div" 

Obama the Omniscient

The President has some choice words for Kanye West.

Knowledge

Brushing up on my Pokemon game. Holla at me!

VMA's

The VMA's are lame but Jay killed it. Lady Gaga is nuts. Kanye is emotional. Lil' Mama is gettin roasted on Fabolous' Twitter. I can't blame her though, I would have ran up there too all hyped and shit. It was one game Packer fans, and an ugly one at that. AP is a beast and I shot the worst round of golf today since I was about ten (no link included). My thoughts for the night. 

MVP

SI.com's Jon Heyman's picks for MVP.

Joe Mauer is The Perfect Catcher.

Mixtapes

The ten best mixtapes of the 2000s.

J.Cole pt.3

J.Cole talks about gettin' on A Star is Born.

Week One

Percy Harvin is intriguing. 

Lil' Wayne

If you missed it last night, probably because you were watching football, Lil' Wayne went Behind the Music. 

Rhythm?

Funny videos of white people dancing, or at least trying to.

An easier way to tailgate

Is it a cooler? Is it a grill? It's a gooler!

So she's a what?

Remember that South African He/She runner? 

Survival Skills

Krs-One and Buckshot featuring Slug (of Atmosphere): We Made It.

Give me this Poster

If rappers were Simpsons characters. I like this, "no homer."

If you can't say anything nice...

Some frustrated ignorant conservative yelling.

Should he be punished?

Song of the Summer

According to Vulture, the song of the summer is...go figure. I might have gone with "Pretty Wings."

Top 100 songs

According to Complex Magazine, the top 100 albums of the 2000s.

The Wire

Excellent rundown of the greatest characters from HBO's The Wire. The most honest and unforgiving TV show ever, The Wire explores urban Baltimore in ways TV has never done before. How's my hair look...? 

Drizzy

I never cried when Pac died

But I probly will when Hov does

And if my tears hold value

Then will drop one for every single thing he showed us

Drake: Fear

Lebron James

Lebron's upbringing unveiled. 

Ramon Sessions

A good pick-up for the Timberwolves. Versatile, young player with good up-side who adds to an expanding solid foundation. Kahn doesn't sleep.

Death of Autotune?

Want to use Autotune? There's an app for that.

"Trio with Aspirations"

Kurt Rambis has assembled an experienced and competent coaching staff.

Hit me in the head now!

Remember Pinky and the Brain?

Empire State of Mind

Sittin' court side Knicks and Nets give me high fives

I be Spike'd out I could trip a referee

Tell from my attitude I'm definitely from New York...

Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys: Empire State of Mind

Curt Schilling

Curt Schilling replacing Ted Kennedy? A republican replacing a democrat in Massachusetts? Can't see it happening but Schilling is pondering the idea.

Attention Deficit

Artwork for Wale's debut album Attention Deficit

History of J's

A cool look at the history of Air Jordans.

Remix!

If you don't like Jay you are a HATER

Ricky Rubio

The Timberwolves could have had Stephen Curry. They could have had Demar Derozan. They could have had Earl Clark. But instead, David Kahn went with Ricky Rubio, and now they won't even get him. I loved the Jonny Flynn pick, but leave it to a Minnesota GM to screw a chance at something positive up. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

ESPN TrueHoop

A Career in Covers

The Life and Times of Jay-Z Cover Art

Add-2

Download Tale of 2 Cities Vol.3

The boy is nice. Chicago stand up!

Read the Book

Anything Martin Scorcese directs, I will watch. Including this.

"Men Who Stare at Goats"

For men(or women) who stare at movies.

Why didn't they invite me?

Maybe my two favorite people in the world.

J.Cole pt.2

He Came Up. He Warmed Up. And with a verse on BP3, he is about to blow up. J.Cole people. J.Cole.

If you ain't peeped the trim by now with each rap I go up...

Hi Greg

*enter funny caption here*

"Time" to blog

If I had $1,400, I would buy this clock. Well probably not but it's pretty cool.

"Forever"

Listen to Forever

NBA 2K10

Kobe Bryant playing to to the tunes of Kanye West

NBA 2K10 Tracklist

Lebron James

Lebron's life is "More than a Game"

Top Producers

XXL's rundown of hip-hop's top beat-makers. No Just Blaze?

Kobe turns 31

Photoshop at its finest

The Lakers will repeat, I just thought this shit was funny.

God MC

If you don't know by now, I fux' wit' Jay-Z. As seen above, he is on the new XXL. A couple songs have leaked from BP3(all Timbaland produced) and I haven't posted them because I want people to experience the album in its entirety, not just random songs that leak. Well, if I did that I would be a hypocrite because I have already listened to them. So, here they are:

"Off That" featuring Drake

"Reminder"

"Venus .vs. Mars"

Some people hate on Jay calling him old and bitter and not knowing when to leave. Point is, no one can tell him anything. He has earned his place and can do whatever the hell he wants to. 

Hov's a living legend and I'll tell you why, everybody wanna be Hov and Hov still alive...

Add-2

A former Valparaiso classmate of mine, give Chicago native Add-2 a listen or read an interview.

Be Easy

What is Michael Beasley's deal? I didn't think it was possible to be depressed when you are a millionaire former number 2 pick playing in the NBA. But, what do I know. Here is the infamous pic. Don't do drugs kids.

Come on man

If you got gender tested, what would the results be?

Since when did it become necessary to test someone's gender? Is it really that hard to know if you are male or female? At the World Championships, a supposedly female South African runner is undergoing gender-testing after winning the 800-meter. Juwanna Mann anyone?

The Roots

New Roots single titled, How I Got Over. There is something wrong with you if you don't like the Roots.

Wale

Good Wale interview. Self-aware person with real emotion.

The Grapes of Wrath

Imagine living in the 1920/30's, having a farm with vast acreage and sharecropping. Imagine being able to support your family with this farm, raising generation after generation happily without worry. Then one day it is all gone. Your farm has been been repossesed by contractors and you are forced to cross the country in a 25 dollar truck packed with 9 people in search of work, not knowing whether or not you will find any. The Grapes of Wrath was written in 1939 by John Steinbeck and later adapted to film by the legend John Ford. Knowing where we come from is essential to knowing where we want to go. For those interested in the Great Depression and its effect on the people of this country, please read this book or see this movie. The human spirit is a wonder to behold.

Drake

October's Own is a Killer...

Run This Town

Video for Run This Town- Jay-Z feat: Rihanna and Kanye West.

Joe Mauer

Maybe it is his quiet demeanor or his unassuming attitude. Or maybe it is just that he plays for the small-market Twins and I could get a hit off that pitching staff right now. But will someone please recognize the season this guy is having! He is on pace for the best hitting season ever for a catcher and still plays gold-glove defense every day. Not trying to jinx him but is .400 possible? Too bad it will all be lost unless the Twins go on a long winning streak. I am not holding my breath.

Blueprint 3

Official tracklist from Jay-Z.com. Album available 9/11.

No Nas feature?

Hi Brett

Mike at 46

At 46 years young, Michael Jordan still remembers how to hoop.

Felt

New Slug and Murs

Felt 3 Details

Brother Ali

A Twin Cities breath of Fresh Air

Pac Div

Pac Div is the name, good hip-hop's the game. Hailing from the West coast(Pac Div=Pacific Division), these dudes deserve some attention. Check out their website and listen to Whiplash. Download their Champion's League Mixtape or watch a good interview.

Brett Favre...again

According to FoxSports Jay Glazer, Brett Favre will be with the Vikings by the end of the preseason. Favre is a Diva, this is ridiculous.

The Tiger Slayer?

I didn't get to watch(stupid work), but apparently some Yang guy beat Tiger. I don't believe it. Hopefully I wake up tomorrow and find out it was a dream.

PGA Championship

I was tempted to write this yesterday after the first round, but the PGA Championship is over. Tiger is 8-0 when he leads a major after 36 holes, which is the case this week at beautiful Hazeltine. He will probably shoot 70-71 and walk away with it. Take pleasure in watching this guy while you can. Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever and we should be honored to be able to watch him. I know I am.

Rakim

The Microphone Fiend is back. Rakim's long-awaited return is finally here.

The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker is a strange title but don't let it get in the way of seeing this movie, it is outstanding. Focusing on the Bravo Company, a bomb squad section of the U.S. Army, The Hurt Locker recounts three soldiers last forty-five days in duty. The movie was written by Mark Boal, a journalist who was embedded in Iraq with a bomb squad. Needless to say it is a first hand account of what the the Iraqi war is like for certain soldiers. I have seen all the classic war movies, from Apocalypse Now to Saving Private Ryan, but this movie captivated me like no other. It is directed by Kathryn Bigelow and stars Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie with cameos from Guy Pierce and Ralph Fiennes. It is certified fresh and to quote a review I read earlier, "Are we sure this isn't actual footage from the war?" See this movie and you will understand.

Bad Sports Uniforms

Some pretty bad sports uniforms. I'd say the Bungals or the Canucks jersey's are the worst. Personally I like those Nuggets Jerseys, I'll rock that Dik throwback any day.  

If God Left Me One Album...

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 2004 and I was a senior at Tartan High School. My music provider and friend Kyle handed me a CD and told me, "This is going to change the game." He could not have been more right. The CD was The College Dropout; Kanye West's classic debut album. The album patented the sped-up soul sample, which has since become played-out, and had Kanye, "Take Freeway throw him on tracks with Mos Def." In other words, Kanye West started doing things hip-hop had never seen or heard. He also had an all-star lineup consisting of Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Common, Mos Def, Freeway, Syleena Johnson, Consequence, GLC, Twista, Jamie Foxx and Ludacris...Damn. Not to mention Kanye produced the entire album and had Jigga Man spit two of the best verses of his life on "Never Let Me Down." Hell, even my sister likes this album. From top to bottom, no album I have ever heard is more complete. If you haven't heard it, listen to it. If you have heard it, listen to it again. If you love this album, you have my respect. Here's to the ROC...

How come my coaches never did this?

Coach Pete Carrol and his USC Trojans.

Percy Harvin

An excerpt from SI's Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback:

Percy Harvin, split wide right outside the numbers, versus cornerback Marcus Walker, playing inches across the line from him, planning to get a bump on Harvin in the five-yard bump zone to knock him off his route. Harvin juked almost imperceptibly left-right-left at the snap of the ball. Walker lunged at him but only got a piece of him as Harvin got outside Walker's left shoulder at the line. NFL corners, and highlight producers in TV stations across the country, are going to see a lot of this. Harvin is so quick off the line, then so fast, that if you give him a half-step and don't have a safety over the top for double-coverage help, the Vikings are going to throw a lot of deep touchdowns to this man. On this play, Walker never caught up, and the deep throw nestled cleanly in Harvin's arms. Touchdown.

Kurt Rambis

After an elaborate and strenuous search for a new coach, Timberwolves General Manager David Kahn has agreed to a 4 year/$8 million dollar deal with Kurt Rambis. Known for his grit determination as a player (see pic above, yes that is former coach Kevin Mchale going WWE on Rambis), Rambis will try to instill this same type of play in his new team. I credit Kahn for leaving no stone unturned in his search for a new coach while eventually settling on Rambis. I am excited about the hire and the direction of the franchise.

David Ortiz

What else can go wrong in baseball? I mean seriously. Are we gonna find out Ken Griffey Junior used steroids (God Forbid)? Are we gonna find out Hank Aaron was on HGH? Is it possible that there are women playing in MLB that have taken truckloads of testosterone and became men? Maybe everyone that ever played baseball was on steroids. Maybe every single record that exists right now is due to "performance enhancers". Bonds was bitter, Sosa was obvious, Mcgwire was sad, Palmeiro was funny and now David Ortiz. To be honest, I did not see this one coming. As he says it, "I always tried to do things the right way." Can't these guys just not cheat. As a baseball fan and just a person, I would like to see these guys play by the rules for everyones sake. The game of baseball depends on it.

T-Wolves

Not sure if this is official or not, but word is Kurt Rambis will be the next coach of the T-Wolves. Personally, I think Mark Jackson would have done a great job of molding Jonny Flynn(and hopefully Rubio) into great NBA point guards. I can't argue with Rambis however. He has NBA playing experience, coached under Phil Jackson, and won rings both as a coach and player. We'll see what happens.

Jay-Z

Tracklist and cover art for Blueprint 3.

Brother Ali

New Brother Ali track titled "Us". Just a snippet but classic Ali sound. Look for his next album also titled Us available september 22nd.

Eminem

If you have heard "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey, then you will want to hear this.

Eminem went off, "You gonna ruin my career you better get one."

Weirdest NBA players

Funny rundown of the 8 weirdest players in the NBA.

Brett Favre

A couple months ago, I wrote that Favre would be a Viking. I was convinced he was not done playing and wanted revenge on Mike McCarthy and the Packers. News broke today that he is indeed not coming back. I was wrong. 

At first, I was not thrilled about Favre playing for the Vikes but as Favre's indecision lingered(no surprise there) I began to warm up to the idea. Suddenly, I was thinking about Favre handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson and throwing swing passes to Percy Harvin out of the backfield. I was beginning to think that the Vikes would be unstoppable with Favre. He knew our offense and had a good relationship with OC Darrell Bevell. He also knows Green Bay's system and is familiar with all the teams in the NFC North. As Much as I didn't want a former Packer to lead us to the promised land, I thought that he was going to.

We know now that this won't happen. I have to say I am a bit relieved. If the Vikes would have gone 12-4 and made it to the NFC Championship(or further), all anyone would have said was, "You only made it there because of Favre," especially those cheese eating drunks from Wisconsin. Now the Vikings need to move forward. Accept the team that you have and try and win with those guys. The Vikes won the division last year without Favre, who is to say we can't do it again? We have added more weapons and hopefully our quarterbacks will make better decisions. I like the team the Vikings have assembled, even without Favre. It is time for Minnesota, the team and the people of Minnesota, to not dwell on this. We didn't get Favre...who cares. We still have a very competitive team that needs our support.

"Run This Town"

Run This Town  Jay-Z featuring Rihanna and Kanye West.

Jay came weak as shit on this. 

Think LeBron plays high?

So Lebron James smoked weed in high school. I guess I will stop liking him because he is obviously a bad person. 

MLB top 100

Good article on Top 100 baseball players in the majors.

Hoop Dreams

Good story by Seth Davis about the classic documentary, Hoop Dreams.

09 British Open

Damn I wanted Tom Watson to win, all 59 years of him. What a story. Oldest man to win a major was 48. If Watson would have won he would have been the oldest to win a major by 11 years. Can't explain how much I was rooting for him as was my 57 year-old dad and I am sure many other elder statesmen. Hats off to Stewart Cink though. He played well and deserved it.

Chrisette Michelle

I am a sucker for some good R&B music. Nothing like sittin' back and listenin' to some heartfelt love songs. Call me fragile, I don't care. If you like R&B, listen to Chrisette Michelle's Epiphany including "What You do" featuring Ne-Yo. 

J.Cole

Someone hit the lights please, this man is turnin' hip-hop on again. Think Nas's classic 90's sound and Jay's wordplay and you got J.Cole. I realize that is saying a lot but just trust me. A graduate of St John's in New York, the North Carolina product grew up listening to Andre 3000, Nas, Jay-Z, and Cannibus. You can hear their influence in his music and his appreciation for them cannot be overlooked. If hip-hop wants to get back to the glory days, rappers need to appreciate those that came before them and pay homage to them, something J.Cole has no problem doing. Being the first signee to Jay-Z's label ROC Nation isn't bad either. Download his Warm-Up Mixtape here. A very articulate and intelligent rapper,a rarity in hip-hop, J.Cole gives a good interview.

Drake Download

Drake had released some new songs on yet another mixtape, Heartbreak Drake Pt. 2. Hopefully this is his last mixtape before his debut album, Thank Me Later. Enjoy!

Michael Jackson

In honor of the passing of MJ, I thought I would share my opinions on my favorite Jackson albums.

1.) Off the Wall: Michael's first album, post Jackson 5, and in my opinion his magnum opus. Recorded and released in 1979, Off the Wall blends disco, pop, soft-rock and jazz. It was the first collaboration of MJ and the legendary Quincy Jones. One of the best partnerships in the history of music, they would later collaborate on Jackson's album's Thriller and Bad. Off the Wall set the benchmark for Jackson's career and contributed heavily to the anticipation and success of Thriller. Best songs: It's the Falling in Love, Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough. 

2.) Dangerous: The birth of Michael Jackson as an individual artist. Of the 14 tracks, Jackson produced or co-produced 12 of them. This was also the first album Jackson did not work with Quincy Jones, who urged Jackson to change his approach to music and recommended Teddy Riley and his revolutionary New Jack Swing sound. MJ also wrote 12 of the 14 songs, letting his voice be known as opposed to previous albums where the songs were written by other artists such as Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Best songs: Who is it, Give in to Me, Why You Wanna Trip on Me.

3.) Bad: Originally intended to be a duet between Jackson and Prince, Bad is MJ's third solo studio album. Jackson wrote 9 of the 11 tracks and Quincy Jones handled the production, Bad being the last collaboration between the two. Building on his previous album Thriller, Jackson continued his pop chart dominance by debuting, for the first time in his career, at number one on the Billboard Top 200 and remained there for 6 weeks while amassing 30 million records sold. Best songs: Man in the Mirror, Dirty Diana, The Way You Make Me Feel.

Billie Jean is my favorite MJ song of all time but the rest of Thriller just isn't that good with throwaways like Baby Be Mine and The Girl is Mine. This being the reason that Thriller did not make my top 3, top 5 definitely, but not top 3. I wish there were more MJ albums on the way but sadly this is not the case.