Preserving History: Take Your Talents Elsewhere

After each major sporting event, HHR takes a look at how it is portrayed in news print in some of the nation's leading dailies. Part out of curiosity, and part to preserve the dying medium.

Not sure if my favorite headline is "Mavalanche" or "Canned Heat."

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The Decision, Part II

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini, rumored to be a candidate for Miami’s head coaching job, announced today that he is not interviewing for the position.

Wait, an Ohio guy turning down more money to take his talents to South Beach? Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the anti-Lebron.

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Wade's Pep Talk: We'll Do It for Bronny!

To kick off Lebron's return to the Mistake By the Lake, Dwayne Wade was said to have given an inspiring call to arms to the Heat.

Here is his pre-game prep talk as re-enacted by Matt Dillon.

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What Should I Do?

Dont know which I like better. Cleveland's Quitness vid or the South Park Spoof.

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5 Minutes with Nick Mangold

HHR caught up this morning with Jets All-Pro Center Nick Mangold, who was spending his off-day hyping a joint promotion between MasterCard and Jet Blue Airlines.

If the Jets win Super Bowl XLV, JetBlue and MasterCard will refund select one-way and roundtrip flight purchases made online on Nov. 1 or 2, at jetblue.com by a cardholder in the metro New York area using a MasterCard for travel during the month of December.

With our five minutes with Mangold, we tried to hit a broad spectrum of topics including texts from his quarterbacks, his thoughts on Rex Ryan, his use of social media, and his feelings, as an Ohio native, on LeBron James' "Decision" and his on thoughts on team loyalty.



Visit jetblue.com/jets to learn more about how MasterCard and JetBlue can provide them with free airfare.

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LeBron's Heel Turn: It's Just Too Sweeeeeet!

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Video: Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel Reads Dan Gilbert's Letter To Lebron James

Personally, I prefer his original content.

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Washington Post: LeBron James Chooses XXX!

Eerily reminiscent of pre-written obituaries, the Washington Post had it's LeBron story in the hopper going into last night. Only, they forgot to change the URL to reflect the actual announcement.


Then again, with all the speculation and mistruths put out by the media during this whole charade, this may be an example of responsible journalism.

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ESPN Can't Confirm Their Own Story Involving Self

I saw this on the scroll this morning that "Chris Broussard has learned through independent sources." So hit the Internets to dig deeper.

It confirmed my hypothesis as to just how stupid this reporting is. Actually, that's not a hypothesis. Just an observation.

LeBron James is planning to announce the team with which he will sign during a one-hour special on ESPN Thursday night, ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard has learned through independent sources.

ESPN would only confirm that active discussions for the special are ongoing. But sources tell Broussard that representatives for James contacted the network, proposing that James makes his announcement during a 9 p.m. ET special.

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Lebron Wars: The Rap Video

But it's gonna be the Clips that pass the test
Take his mom far away from Delonte West

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Kenny "The Jet" Smith Talks Draft, Free Agency and Worldwide Wes with Cadillac Mescallade

With the NBA Draft tipping off tonight in New York City, TNT NBA analyst and former NBA guard Kenny "the Jet" Smith was kind of enough to spend a few minutes with HHR. Kenny is in the news for a tongue-in-cheek petition to reinstate the two dollar bill to coincide with Taco Bell's $2 Meal Deals.

We all know what Charles Barkley has done for the "box that rocks" with Taco Bell. Kenny jokingly assured us he isn't following in Charles' footsteps, because if that were the case there might not be any $2 meals left.

We touched on a wide variety of NBA topics, and here's what Jet had to say.

On the chemistry of he and Charles Barkley Inside the NBA...
It just kind of naturally happens, it's like when you have friend, you have chemistry with him or you don't. It's nothing that we plan or plot, I think we are so enthusiastic about the game of basketball which leads to good conversation. Once you lead to good conversation it leads to good television.

On John Wall's best attribute or skillset...
I think he has alot of skill sets and I don't know if he has one that is best. His infectious way of playing, I think that is going to carry him a long way in the point guard position

Free agency, how much movement?
There's gonna be movement for sure, there are too many great players available and when you have that many loaded up with free agency I don't think your gonna have a consistent 7-8 guys staying at home and staying with the teams they play on, I think there will be 7-8 guys that might move over to somewhere, there will be about 7-8 players that will move.

As a New York guy, where is Lebron headed, possible to the Knicks?
(Laughs) I think Lebron James has been playing it close to the vest for the last two months and we are all waiting in the wings to figure it out. I don't think anyone has the upper hand or any team has a clear advantage.

If not Lebron, who is good for NY?
When you don't make the playoffs there is no one guy or two guys that you don't need. They're in a position of having a need in all areas.

His career in free agency, how did it compare to these days...
Well I think its a different era in terms of that. By the time I was a free agent I was in my fifth year, my decision was based solely on what players they had there, period. It had nothing to do with as much financially, everything was going to be about the same financially so it was all about the players that were there and would we have a chance to win an NBA championship and could I be a part of that puzzle.

Evolution of NBA Draft, any changes since his time (Smith was the 6th overall pick in 1987)?
The draft hasn't changed, it's still exciting stuff for players and family are involved, its an opportunity that people get to be a part of and its always exciting

Worldwide Wes, is he that well connected as articles and news pieces report?
Some of it's fact, some it's fiction. It's like the fish...how big is the fish you caught? There are a lot of guys in basketball, Wes included, that have been an integral part in helping guys guide their carers. He's no different form the rest. Lately the players he's been involved with have been better players. There are guys that are involved with 7th and 8th man on the team they just haven't been the best players. It's just a great cycle for him in terms of the guys he's involved with are very good players and now he's parlayed that into representing coaches.

William Wesley with LeBron James. (Paul Sancya/Associated Press)

Knicks back in playoffs?
It all depends on this summer, until we see what they have after July, then we'll know when they can make the playoffs or not.

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Separated at Birth: LeBron James...Potential Terrorist?

I still can't fathom that this is an actual picture of Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed and NOT King James.


Mookie from Stacheketball passed along the look-alike along with his rendition of LeBron in full Muslim head garb.


The Mohamed photo accompanied an AOL News article from about a month ago. See for yourself: UK Court Publishes Details of Alleged CIA Torture.

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Lebron: A decade of dunks (and tons of wasted chalk)

Has Lebron really been playing for a decade? Unreal.

The fellas over at Stepien Rules have put together a nice little collection of the poster-worthy dunks of King James over the past ten years.

A personal fave is #5 and a dunk on Delonte West. It's not so much the dunk but the reaction of two little portly fellas in the crowd.

They either just saw Basketball Jesus or they are fresh out of funnel cake.

A Decade of LeBron James Dunk Posters...from 10-1 (Stepien Rules)

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Audio: Bird and Magic on LeBron James' Pending Free Agency

As part of promotion for their recently release book, When the Game Was Ours, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird took questions from journalists and bloggers.

Here, Magic talks about the change in atmosphere in NY (or NJ) that LeBron would bring should he come to the Knicks or Nets, whereas Bird extols the virtues of Cleveland's fans and expresses hope that the King stays put in the state that he's from and on the team that drafted him - for the betterment of the game and League as a whole.

Magic adds that staying in Cleveland also gives him the best chance at winning, noting the salary purge that the Knicks would have to make in order to free up money to get James.

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I Dunked on 'Bron

Visit the shop here.

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Re-capping @jemelehill's Vodka-Induced, Un-Funny, Stereotype-Laden BET Awards Recap

In all likelihood, sports fans, you spent last evening in the same manner as I did - not watching the BET awards.

I was however, lucky enough that plenty of folks on Twitter felt the need to keep a Simmonsian running diary, including ESPN 1st & 10 mainstay Jemele Hill.

Among other things, the show somehow became a tribute to former Phillies/Mariners/Giants/Reds/Indians/Astros/Twins/White Sox reliever Mike Jackson.

I, for one, had no idea he was so popular in the R&B community.

Nor did I have any idea just how out of touch with the BET-watching community I, in essence, am.

Take it away Jemele...

If anyone wants to explain to me what exactly that action is referring to, by all means. Whitlock?

Last night's reunion performance, New Edition's 27th in the last 10 years, surprised and pleased only Jemele Hill. Then again, she remembers fainting when an adolescent Bobby Brown would strip off his shirt and dry hump the stage.

Apparently Jamie Foxx came out looking like this:

Is that Sheila E?

Jemele finds this amusing:

• Wow. Jamie Foxx came out with a Beat It jacket. I love this dude.about 13 hours ago from web
• Aight, Jamie, if you're going to do the Beat It reincarnation, i'mma need you to stay on beat.about 13 hours ago from web
• J Foxx has on some pants so tight I can see his butt cheeks flexinabout 13 hours ago from web
• If Jamie moves a bit too quickly, he coming out of those pantsabout 13 hours ago from we
• LMAO...Jamie Foxx just said his Michael Jackson pants are giving him a "camel toe." Now that's hysterical.about 13 hours ago from web

Clearly it doesn't take much to amuse Jemele Hill, and clearly Foxx fails to recognize and understand the subtle, yet distinct, differences between "camel toe" and "moose knuckle."

You people in Bristol just don't learn do you?

The real questions are:

• Why does BET have an awards show?
• Why does Jemele Hill have a career?
• Why am I following her Twitter feed?
  

A larger size uh what exactly?

After marveling over Bron's snug slacks, Hill goes on to Tweet about the following people I've never heard of:

• Keri Hilson
• Ne-Yo
• Neffei
• Keke Palmer
• XScape
  

That what she said.

If I followed this recipe but instead did so with Puerto Rican midgets and called in PRMET, I guarantee 2 things: 1. I would be deemed racist and offensive; 2. It would be more entertaining and successful than anything ever produced by BET. Bank it.

It took a fifth of vodka, but there we have it - Jemele's first and only amusing comment.


Jemele Hill, tearing down black stereotypes on Twitter since 2009.

This comment is applicable to:

A. BET's 2009 Awards Show
B. Jemele Hill's Tweetcap
C. This Post
D. All of the Above

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Dwight Howard Gets His Vitamins

With the Kobe/LeBron campaign up in flames, Vitamin Water rolls out a Dwight Howard spot...



Don't worry, LeBron. I'm sure ShopRite would still love to have you promote their "Water & Vitamins."

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Have You Gotten Your BlogsWithBalls Tickets Yet?

Video: LBJ vs. GQ Staffers

Earlier this week, it was reported that LeBron James will be GQ's February cover boy.

Writes FanHouse's Matt Watson:

This month, LeBron James graces GQ's cover, but instead of burdening him with the fate of athletics as a whole, they asked a simpler question: could a team of writers and editors beat LeBron James in a game of five-on-one?

Writer Joel Lovell and five of his colleagues drove from NYC to Cleveland to find out, and while James understandably balked, he did humor the group with a spirited game of 3-on-3.

GQ posted the video:

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Petition to Stop LeBron James Petitioners

Just stop.

Please.

LeBron James is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime talent, a franchise and league megastar destined to take the Association to new heights.

Fans know this. Players know this. Most of all, teams and NBA executives know this.

Therefore, you must know, NBA fans, that signing your name on a paper or online form will have little effect on your respective teams' desire, willingness and/or ability to sign LBJ.

Yet, you find the unhealthy need to be an activist. We are talking to you, specifically New Yorkers. And you too, Clevelanders (Clevelandites?). And you countless other NBA cities out there.

For who? For what?

That said, we implore you, HHR Nation and disgusted fans everywhere to join your collective voices in calling for an end to such infantile and pointless petitioning by clicking the link and signing the petition below.

It's your patriotic duty.

Petition to Stop LeBron James Petitioners

To: NBA Fans Nationwide

Whereas, LeBron James is being heralded as not only the most attractive free agent in sports history once he hits the market following the 2010 season, but also as the savior of the free world, re-builder of dreams for hoops fans across the country, eradicator of global hunger and poverty, and cure-all for every disease known to man; and

Whereas, the prospect of having James come to respective fans' franchise of choice has caused moistened panties in NBA cities throughout the land; and

Whereas, Cleveland fans have pinned their future existance on the hopes of LBJ resigning with the Cavs; and

Whereas, New Yorkers have made it their life's purpose to woo the guard to the Big Apple; and

Whereas, petitions to lobby NBA executives to sign LBJ to their teams have sprung up from New York to Cleveland to Kalamazoo,

We therefore call upon fans to join voices in petitioning petitioners to grow up, stop wasting their time, get a life and stop creating petitions regarding the signing of LeBron James.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Nets' Yormark on LBJ, Brooklyn and Dolphin Rumors

Brett Yormark was on WFAN's Boomer and Carton this morning. Among other things, the Nets CEO & President downplayed the Nets' chances of landing will-be free agent LeBron James, praised the work of Kiki Vandeweghe and Rod Thorn, and addressed the seemingly impossible task of finally getting to Brooklyn. Interestingly, Yormark also denied rumors he was offered a position with the Miami Dolphins, and shunned a statement by an unnamed source at the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority (as quoted by Carton) that the Meadowlands' Izod Center would be more profitable should the Nets, the arena's sole client, chose to abandon the venue.

He touched upon something that has seemed to be brushed aside with the Brooklyn snafu: the eminent domain case the team has been fighting.

Full interview audio here.