Biggest Beefs of 2010 - Where did Lebron James vs. The Cavs rank?

The NYC Digital Elite got together courtesy of Jumpoff TV to discuss the biggest beefs of 2010. From Jay-Z and Hammer to Nicki Minaj and Lil' Kim to Lebron James and the Cavaliers. I got kind of emotional explaining my disgust for how Lebron left Cleveland. LOL... check it out

The Michael Vick Comeback

Yeah yeah yeah... I know we've been slacking over here with the Sista Sports posts. I recently did a year in review shoot with Jump Off TV and we discussed the Michael Vick comeback. We named him as having the biggest comeback of 2010. Check out the video:

Dwyane Wade Talks Chicago Hip Hop with Gatorade Replay

In light of Season 3 of Gatorade replay Chicago natives, Common, Lupe Fiasco, Jennifer Hudson, and No ID team up for a windy city anthem "We Can Do It Now" In this clip they talk about creating the record and D. Wade chimes in from time to time

Eb the Celeb previews Lombardi on Broadway

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a preview performance of Lombardi, a new play by Oscar winner Eric Simonson, that's based on the best-selling biography When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Maraniss.

Lombardi's story is dynamic whether you are a football fan or not. Just look at this quote:

The word 'play' is relative and can be used to refer to any aspect of your life. So I suggest going to see Lombardi on Broadway for anyone that strives to bull better than what they are. I'm hoping that's everyone in the world but at least those that read this blog. The play was witty, hilarious, and drama filled. The best part for me was the stadium seating. I've been to several Broadway plays and they all are set up the typical way with orchestra seating and balcony seating but the stadium seating for this play everyone feel as if they were apart of the story. Check out a montage of the play:

I want NBA Jam for the Wii

As much as I talk about how much I love my Wii on my blogs and on Twitter Nintendo and all the game making companies should have me on speed dial lined u to send me games when they come out. The only sports game I have with my Wii currently is Madden but its seems as if EA needs to go ahead and add NBA Jam to my collection. The game not only features athletes but you can also play with rappers and producers as well. Check out Rocnation Artist J. Cole being featured as well as Producer 9th Wonder.

PICS: Cowboys stadium tour & game day

This past weekend I went down to Dallas for the Cowboys season opener against the Chicago Bears. Yeah yeah yeah we lost but I still had a great time touring the best stadium in the world and being able to experience a game in the stadium. Check out my pics!

To check out video of my tour go HERE.

Football is back!!!!

Rejoice dear brethren! Football is back in full effect! Last Thursday, I was so happy, I burst into a full-on dance of joy. That was until Sunday came and my Panthers got molly-wopped by those dreadful New York Giants. *sigh*

I had high hopes for Matt Moore. I mean, he was the anti-Jake Delhomme, right? Apparently not. He channeled Mr. Bojangles on Sunday afternoon by throwing three interceptions in the end zone. Who does that? Then, we went from bad to worse putting in the rookie, Jimmy Clausen.

Dude, I get that you're green. A lil' wet behind the ears, even. You should know by now that playing scared ain't never won anybody a football game. It's up to you to step up and take this spot now. John Fox can not afford to ride the same failing quarterback. If Matt Moore has another Sunday like he had yesterday, I guarantee YOU will be starting. #stepitup

Thank GOD the Falcons and the Cowboys lost and the WNBA finals started yesterday or I would have been totally pissed off about my whole Sunday. I feel like every time the Falcons and Cowboys lose, an angel gets wings. *shrug*

Sidenote: The first game of the WNBA finals was thebomb.com. I am SO excited about this series, it's not even funny. Both Seattle and Atlanta brought it in Game 1. Game 2 is tomorrow night on ESPN 2. Watch, I know I will be!

Serena Williams Covers Hamptons Mag

Even though she's not participating in this year's U.S. Open due to injury, right before the festivities began she hosted an event in NYC to celebrate her Hamptons Magazine cover and help build awareness about Russell Simmons D.E.F. (Diamond Empowerment Fund.) Both were in attendance.

Ever since these pictures came out everyone has been talking about possible plastic surgery she may have gotten done. I can't confirm or deny but I know she looks gorgeous and I told her so when I interviewed her on the carpet so whatever surgeon she used should be very proud of his work. Check out this video where I caught up with both Serena and Russell.

Play Pigskin Pick Em With Eb

This Thursday is officially the start of the 2010 NFL season and I cannot wait. I started a pigksin pick em group to have a little fun with the Sista Sports readers throughout the season. Each week you just log in and pick the winners of each game for the week and I always have prizes up my sleeve so you never know what will be in store for the person that has the highest score at the end of the season.

To get in on the action just go here

http://tinyurl.com/EbpickEm 

The password is sportsista

GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY AND I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!

Eb sits down with Mike Hill from ESPN

If you aren't familiar with my other blog, I recently started this series called "Eating w/ Eb" where I go to different restaurants in the city with industry tastemakers, socialites, athletes, musicians, etc and chop it up over great food since I'm a foodie. I posted this on EbtheCeleb.com but since it's sports related figured I might as well post it here as well. In Episode 3 of Eating w/ Eb, Mike Hill gives me his predictions for this year's Superbowl. We also talk about ESPN has incorporated hip hop and what he has going on outside of ESPN. Check it out:

Eb loves Shaq Vs.

I'm not too fond of Shaq but he definitely knows how to put on a good show. The second season of Shaq vs. has been 20x better than the first season. In this week's episode Shaq tackles a sport that is near and dear to my heart. Track & Field against Rudy Gay. Wait til you see how skinny Shaq's legs are. He definitely lost some weight and did some training for this one because I've never seen him run up and down the court this fast LOL. Check it out

Pilar Sanders in VH1's Football Wives

Immediately after the success of Basketball Wives, Vh1 released a press release that Football Wives was on the way. I was actually optimistic. Having to deal with spouses in both sports, Football Wives are definitely a lot cooler, down to earth, and personable than the high maintenance basketball wives. Plus I was hoping they would actually use "wives" for the football spin-off. Things are looking on the up and up since Pilar Sanders (wife of the great retired Dallas Cowboy Deion Sanders) did a photo shoot recently with D magazine andVH1 cameras were on deck. I loooooooved the reality show her and Deion had together and I know if she's involved in this show there will at least be some class about it.

Still no word on when the show will premiere or any other wives that are involved but I will be watching. Here's video of D Magazine catching the Vh1 cameras in action during their photoshoot.

Eb attends Ocho Cinco vs. T.O. Game @ Rucker Park

I went out there to get an interview and it was so hectic out there that I never got the chance but I did get some highlights and footage of the two in Harlem's Rucker Park. Check it out:

Chad Ocho Cinco & Terrell Owens take over Rucker Park

 click on the pic to make it larger

On Monday, July 12th there will be a Ocho Cinco vs. T.O. came in Rucker Park. This should be a good one. Shouts to Greg of EBC for making this one happen. Also a quick reminder that both of their reality shows are finally premiering this Sunday on VH1 @ 9pm. Eb will most definitely be watching.

Some celebrations should be private Ron Artest

Y'all know how much I HATE athletes that all of a sudden think they are a rapper. Ron Artest is no exception and we have addressed the issue in his regard over here at Sista Sports previously. I'm all for all types of expression. When you win a championship there are so many ways one can get out all the emotions of happiness they are feeling but recording a record should not be one of them. When this mess came out right after the Lakers won I gave him a pass. Instead of crying and being overjoyed he headed to the studio.  But when remixes are involved and you call on T-Pain and Polow Da Don as if you are trying to take music seriously and not use it as a form of excitement for your win is when the madness has to stop. CLICK HERE if you feel compelled to listen to the track. Granted it's not the worst athlete rap I've heard but I'm still shaking my damn head.

Today in NYC - Entertainers Basketball Classic Kick off & Family Day

Date:	Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time:	12:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:	Rucker Park
Street:	155th St. & Frederick Douglass (8th Ave)

Chalk it up to a love of Harlem and all things Basketball - plus a zeal for seeing the kids have a ball, while smiling all-day.

This Saturday, Rucker Park will be full with Basketball Lovers, Basketball Players, Children, Celebrities, High School Teams, Rides, Ponies, Horses, Food, Fun, Performances and More. And it's free.

"It's a gift to the community," says Greg Marius, CEO and Founder of the Entertainers Basketball Classic, which puts the Family Day on and, since 1980, has brought Celebrities, Pro Players and Streetball to Harlem's Legendary Rucker Park. "It's more an event to let the community know we appreciate them on a whole, as well as them allowing us to play loud music late in the evening." Laughs Marius

On Saturday, kids can ride Ponies and Horses, get on several rides, eat for free and Play Play Play.

Rap Artist Fat Joe will perform center court at 6pm and the Denver Nuggets Star Carmelo Anthony will be on hand to run a Basketball Clinic for a pre-selected group of Harlem youth (This group has been pre-selected from charitable organizations that serve the youth of Harlem, all availability have been taken)

Entertainers Basketball Classic's Family Day Schedule:

8-11 am – Carmelo Anthony Clinic

12 noon – Mustang All Star Demonstration Game

1:30 pm – Jersey HS Championship

3:00 pm – Celebrity Game

5:00 pm – Bronx A HS Division Championship

6:30 – 8:00 pm – Performance by Fat Joe &
Additional Celebrity Artists

Staying With This Team Through Thick And Thin: A Review Of Mathematically Alive, A Story Of Fandom

A few years ago I heard about an interesting documentary about devout Mets fans like myself. My first thought was INTERVIEW MEEEEEEEEE! But my second thought was WHERE CAN I SEE THIS FILM?

Luckily for me I knew someone who knew the filmmaker and VOILA- I now own the DVD.

The interviews in Mathematically Alive - A Story of Fandom were conducted by filmmakers Joseph Coburn and Katherine Foronjy during the 2005-2006 seasons when it seemed like the Mets were going to take it all the way. And boy oh boy what an emotional time that was for myself and all Mets fans around the world! Throughout the award-winning film (it won Best Documentary at the 2007 New Jersey Film Festival), Coburn and Foronjy encounter die-hard collectors, fans who travel to away games, fans that wait by the players' entrance to speak to their favorite player and a shrink to help explain the insanity of it all.



"We are very social creatures," explains Dr. Daniel Wann, sports psychologist at Murray State University, "and it's very important to us to identify with something larger than the self." Dr. Wann also added that with social aspects of life like family and attending religious institutions on the decline, it only makes sense that sports has crept in to fill that void for many. And trust that no fans are as tightly knit as Mets fans... we're each others' support systems in the bad times and each others' cheerleaders in the good.

Not only did I find this documentary hella-informative, I must recommend it to one and all if for no other reason than to experience the CRAZINESS that is a real, true-orange-and-blue New York Mets fan. For example:

• The collectors who devote entire rooms in their homes to Mets memorabilia
• The guy in Port St. Lucie that painted his house blue and orange
• The chick who dumped her sister's ashes in left field at Shea Stadium
• The ladies that followed Mike Piazza EVERYWHERE he went (in their defense they weren't technically stalkers; most times it was Piazza inviting them!)
• The dude who has the Mets logo ON HIS TOOTH and named his son SEAVER... #iCan't

The film also includes such gems like the guy who exclaimed, "We'd rather be Republicans than Yankee fans," and the other who, after the Mets tanked in the playoffs versus the Cardinals in 2006, said he'd need counseling in the off-season. I cannot make this stuff up!

Dr. Wann makes it a point to say that many of these fans are addicted to their teams similar to how a junkie is addicted to crack. I mean, he didn't use those terms but that's what he was getting at. I think he's right, especially with regards to Mets fan. What else can explain our allegiance to a team that lets us down more often than not? Hell- I'm not afraid to admit it: I'm Jaded and I'm addicted to the New York Mets! But I'm not going to rehab so don't even bother...

Back to the documentary... one thing I noticed that was rather troubling, was how even the super devout fanatics began to doubt and poo-poo the team as soon as they performed poorly. After Game 3 against the Cardinals the interviewees were already walking away defeated. IT WAS ONLY GAME THREE- why the long face???

See, this is why we lose! All these "fans" sending their bad juju to the team at the first sign of disappointment. Someone even said, "Even when we're winning I'm always waiting for someone to knock us down." FOR REAL, THO? Girl, BYE! We don't need your kind fucking it up for the team... can you believe this mess?

*deep cleansing breaths*

All in all I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed the documentary (even though the players' faces had to be scrambled out of the shots!) and would recommend it to anyone who loves the Mets, loves sports and enjoys watching crazy fans act, well, crazy!

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Mathematically Alive - A Story of Fandom (2007). Directed and produced by Joseph Coburn & Katherine Foronjy. Now available on DVD. Photos courtesy of the filmmakers.

Lakers-Celtics: Rivalry Renewed

Somebody wake me the hell up!!! Throw some ice water on me or somethin'. I waited 21 years for my Celtics to get back to the NBA Finals vs the Lakers in '08 and now they're about to get busy once again 23 years later in 2010. That NBA rivalry between 84-87 was definitely the best that I've witnessed in my lifetime. The Lakers stars back then were Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott, A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes, Bob McAdoo and Michael Cooper. Celtics came to the court with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell, Gerald Henderson and Robert Parish. The Celtics were coached by KC Jones and the Lakers by Pat Riley.



This years total cast of characters doesn't have the star power of that cast, but damn sure will bring as excitement once they tip-off. My Celtics squad returns the starting 5 that won the title in '08 with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. No one expected them to get back to the NBA Finals. No one!!! The Lakers as the defending '09 champions have Kobe Bryant who is arguably the best player in the game right now. The rest of the LA roster is a bunch of misfits. To be very honest, who cares about the rest of the squad??? Aiiight, they have basically the same squad from '08 with Gasol, Odom & Fisher. Having a 'somewhat healthy Andrew Bynum and the acquisition of Ron Artest in the '09 offseason was significant in propelling them back into the Finals. I respect the Lakers squad, but I don't like them at all. I can't help it cuz it's in my blood.



Even though I grew up in DC and constantly saw the Bullets, I became a Celtics fan. That's primarily because of my dad and granddad. My grandfolks lived in Roxbury, MA when I was real young. On those winter school breaks as a youngster, pop would take me from DC to Boston to visit the grandfolks for the holidays. Pops aint one for driving, so we always flew. During those trips we would find our way to the Boston Garden. There I was laced with a Nate 'Tiny' Archibald jersey, other Celtic trinkets andI quickly embraced the green and white as my team.



I grew up with tons of Celtics memorabilia and apparel. I personally have an autograph book with signatures of Larry Bird, Red Auerbach, Bailey Howell, Cedric 'Cornbread' Maxwell, John Havlicek & a ton other Celtics greats. I got all of those on my own walking various arenas before games when the Celtics were warming up. So understand that a second NBA Finals appearance in 3 seasons is a kid's dream. I've been to tons of Celtics games in my lifetime. I've flown to playoff games in other cities, home openers in Boston and more games vs the Bullets/Wizards than I can count since I do live in the DC area. I went to Game 2 of the '08 NBA Finals and my hope is to somehow get to Boston for a game this series. It might take a wing and a prayer, but I'm gonna find a way.



I cheered for a Celtics squad in '07 that won a total of 24 games and now they're going for their 2nd title in 3 years. Talk about the ping pong balls bouncing your way. I was mad when we didn't get the number one pick and a chance to get Greg Oden. One word: fortunate. Thanks Danny Ainge for the GM power moves, we all appreciate ya. I sure as hell never expected to be cheering for KG and Ray Allen in Celtic green. It almost seems unbelievable.



With all that being said, a brotha is full of energy anticipating the opening tip-off on Thursday night. Once it's all said and done I expect my Celtics squad to send Kobe home lookin' sad just like they did in '08. It's time to raise championship banner #18.



My prediction for the 2010 NBA Finals... Boston Celtics in 6. Just a reminder, I did predict a Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals back in Oct... Don't believe me? Click here...





Peace-N-Love...

G. Mo

The Newest Met: Hisanori Takahashi

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to an absolute welcomed addition to the Mets bullpen family, Mr. Hisanori Takahashi of Japan. The 35yr-old pitcher (#47) was signed to a minor league contract by the Mets in February, but his spring training performance quickly earned him a spot as a starter (especially since that knucklehead Oliver Perez got DEEE-moted!).

In his earlier career, Takahashi pitched in college and in Japan's Industrial League before landing a spot in the Nippon Professional League in 2000 for the Yomiuri Giants. He remained there until 2009 when he became an international free agent, scouted by teams like the Giants, Dodgers and Red Sox, but TOO BAD, SO SAD, we nabbed him!

So far, Takahashi has been doing the damn thing on the mound. In his 17 appearances (two starts), Takahashi has 4 wins and only one loss, a 2.13 ERA and 44 strikeouts.

This is pretty impressive considering he was not doing as well in Japan. Listen, whatever it is that's making him perform better *coughDRUGScough* I really don't care as long as he keeps those batters at bay. Is that wrong of me? Ask me if I care. WE NEED A CHAMPIONSHIP, DAMMIT!

Besides, it's nice to see some new talent on the mound; Santana can't do it all, and he's still recovering from his surgery. Takahashi- you have the Jaded Seal of Approval; BIENVENIDOS!!!

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MetsWatch '10: W25-L23-GB2
Next game: 5/28/10 VS. MIL @ Miller Park, Johan Santana (#57, 4-2 for the season) pitching

NBA Player Turned R&B Singer??

I've talked immensely about how much I hate the athletes that try to rap. To date it still hasn't been a good idea or a good look for any of them. I think this might be the first time where an athlete has decided to pursue a singing career. Kareem Rush definitely isn't the best singer, I kinda get a Montell Jordan vibe when I listened to this song and that's probably not a good thing since on most songs I wonder why he wasn't a ball player, considering his height. You take a listen for yourself though and hit me in the comments with whether or not you feel this ex-baller has a voice that the R&B world wants and needs to hear.