Shaq Going to the Cavs

[ESPN] LeBron and Shaq get to hang out. Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic get to slide over to the Suns. The deal is supposed to go down on Thursday. The video is below.

Submit a Video: Win a Man Cave

[via DIY network] My wife watches a lot of HGTV, I mean A LOT of HGTV, which means that I also have the pleasure of watching wayyyyyyy too many renovation shows. Anyhow, they had some commercials on there about the DIY network and MLB network teaming up to give out a free MLB Baseball Man Cave based upon video submissions. You've got until July 24th to submit a video of you basically begging for a man cave on camera and then releasing it to the public, good luck and don't make a fool out of yourself (unless it gets you the win of course). Hit the jump to see the official contest site in a new window.

Go to site...

A Site Worth Fighting For

The NHL is disregarded. No one cares or even knows that the Stanley Cup Finals is going, let alone that its going into game 7 in Hockey town with the best story line hockey's had for decades. Am I going to try to convert you to hockey? Maybe. Are you going to spend hours on this site? Yep.

Imagine a website devoted only to the art of the enforcer, the art of hockey fighting.... welcome to hockeyfights.com. A site wholly devoted to the best fights in the game. This site ranks the best fights, the best team awards, keeps track of penalty minutes just from fighting, and number of punches landed. Here is one of their favorites.



This is why hockey is awesome. They do the face off, they drop the gloves without even thinking and just go at it! The art of the enforcer. Before you think these guys are just brainless brutes (which they are) understand that they do this for a reason. They beat down the other enforcers to protect their own skill guys (Why do you think Wayne Gretzky was so good? He had 2 of the greatest enforcers in the history of hockey. Most guys only get 1.) At any rate, Hockey is very underrated and I hope this site teaches you a thing or two.

Lebron vs Jordan III *fixed*

You've read my thoughts on the subject but I just thought I'd let the professionals chime in. The questions remains: Who is/was better AT THIS stage of his career, LeBron James or Michael Jordan?

We realize we tread on sacred ground here. Nobody has matched Jordan for an entire career, by almost any measure. But it's important to note that the legend of MJ owes as much to his six NBA titles as to his highlight reels, and that he didn't earn one until his seventh season in the league.

Insider Intel: LeBron over MJ

Through six seasons, LeBron James stacks up ahead of Michael Jordan

By Luke Cyphers

ESPN The Magazine

After a pair of Game 7 blowouts, it's pretty clear we all need something to talk about beyond "Wow, the Lakers were taller" and "The Celtics sure looked tired." We're here to help. On this rare NBA off day, we bring you a little conversation starter:

After six seasons, no one wants to get in LeBron's way.

Who is/was better at this stage of his career, LeBron James or Michael Jordan?

We realize we tread on sacred ground here. Nobody has matched Jordan for an entire career, by almost any measure. But it's important to note that the legend of MJ owes as much to his six NBA titles as to his highlight reels, and that he didn't earn one until his seventh season in the league.

So we start at the beginning, with the most-self-serving-yet-most-repeated-on-talk-radio statistical analysis in the history of sports, the Terry Bradshaw Ring Test. By that measure, which states that a superstar's worth is solely defined by how many pro championships he's won, neither LBJ nor MJ was very good through the sixth season of their respective careers. Certainly they're not Kobe Bryant (three titles) or Tim Duncan (two). Hell, they're not even Beno Udrih (two).

After that, things grow murkier, with arguments either way. Check out this comparison of their first six seasons, courtesy of basketball-reference.com:

LEBRON JAMES VS. MICHAEL JORDAN: FIRST SIX SEASONS

A comparison of LeBron James and Michael Jordan across the first six seasons of their careers. These numbers are per 36 minutes.

Player	FG%	3FG%	FT%	ORB	DRB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
James	.471	.328	.738	1.1	5.1	6.2	5.9	1.6	0.8	2.9	1.8	24.4
Jordan	.516	.282	.848	1.7	4.1	5.8	5.5	2.6	1.0	3.0	2.9	30.3

Jordan comes out as a better scorer and defender (at least by the measure of steals), and James a better rebounder, passer and, surprisingly, outside shooter (at least from outside the 3-point line). Going deeper into Basketball Reference's numbers using Dean Oliver's win-shares metric, the argument grows still more complex:

JORDAN VS. JAMES WIN SHARES

A next-level look at the relative value of MJ and LeBron over their first six seasons.

Player Name	OWS	DWS	WS
LeBron James	55.6	27.8	83.4
Michael Jordan	65.4	23.8	89.2

Overall, Jordan has accumulated more win shares, thanks largely to his edge in point production. But it turns out that, despite an early reputation as a naïf learning to play D, James has been a better defensive "winner." A curiosity in all this is one stat sometimes overlooked in Jordan career retrospectives: durability. Through six seasons, MJ played 50 fewer games than LBJ. Almost all of that owed to a foot injury in Jordan's second year, but LBJ's minutes per game are higher for most of his early years:

LEBRON JAMES' FIRST SIX SEASONS: MINUTES

A look at The King's time on the floor across his first six seasons.

Year	Games	Games Started	MPG
2003-04	79	79	39.5
2004-05	80	80	42.4
2005-06	79	79	42.5
2006-07	78	78	40.9
2007-08	75	74	40.4
2008-09	81	81	37.7

MICHAEL JORDAN'S FIRST SIX SEASONS: MINUTES

MJ's time logged during his first six years in the league.

Year	Games	Games Started	MPG
1984-85	82	82	38.3
1985-86	18	7	25.1
1986-87	82	82	40.0
1987-88	81	81	40.2
1988-89	75	74	40.4
1989-90	82	82	39.0

A look back at Sam Smith's "The Jordan Rules" shows that MJ believed he wore down late in seasons and wanted to add strength to his post-up game. So he began seriously lifting weights, for the first time, in his seventh year, 1990-91, coinciding with his first title. Even though James was two years younger than MJ was when each entered the league, he grew up in a more fitness-crazed era, in a football-crazed state, where serious weight workouts were part of a high school athlete's routine. James has accelerated his training as a pro, adding more mass and explosiveness to his already unfair physique.

The Pistons physically punished Jordan early in his career.

And therein may be the final argument for LBJ, at least so far. Michael struck fear into opponents -- a fear of embarrassment. His incredible quickness and agility could land you on the wrong end of a poster, sure. But tougher to take was his ruthless competitiveness, which he used to humiliate opponents (and if the Rodney McCray stories are true, even teammates).

James inspires a different fear, the kind in which a player is scared for his own physical well-being. His combination of speed, bulk and explosiveness hasn't been seen since, well, ever. The Pistons beat up the young Michael Jordan in the playoffs. If you were quick enough to get in front of him, you didn't fear taking a charge. But who, seriously, would stand in the way of James at full tilt on a breakaway dunk?

Six seasons into his career, James inspires a kind of awe that not even early MJ possessed -- that of a man playing a different sport than everybody else, something akin to Lawrence Taylor or Jim Brown on a football field.

Of course, beginning with his seventh season, Jordan built his own aura with his six titles. And that aura is unlikely to be surpassed as a complete body of work. Unless, of course, LeBron wins a ring this year and hauls in five more.

Maybe there is something to that Bradshaw stat.

James White aka "Flight 75"

I consider myself a pretty big sports fan. I used to think I kept on top of the sports world until I just recently learned who James White is.


I was casually reading the lame University of Cincinnati paper when an article about James White jumped out at me on the back page. The article claimed this guy could do a between the legs dunk form the free throw line. From the free throw line??? Really?? And I've never heard of him?

Thanks to the goodness of YouTube, here is the proof via a Turkish slam dunk contest.



A couple of things stick out to me from the video. If you wanted to see the between the legs dunk only, it's at about 4:50 on the video. I recommend the entire viewing experience for the unintentional comedy.

1. Who are these clowns judging this competition? They look like they grabbed some Turkish grocery store managers and said hey, "Hey, we'll give you 10 lira if you judge this competition. Don't worry, you don't have to know anything about basketball."
2. He makes it look effortless. Dunk after dunk from the free throw line and the guy's not breaking a sweat.
3. Do the fans have any idea what they are seeing? There's about 300 people in the stands and he gets a couple of cheers. Could you imagine if he's throwing these down at NBA all-star weekend? (Note: he signed a contract with the Rockets recently, so maybe we will get to see it).
4. What are those emcees wearing and where did they find those guys? Are they cool in Turkey? Do people like them or are they shunned from society? This all got me thinking that I have no idea what Turkey is like. You should read up, it's interesting.
5. Did you see the trophy he got for winning? Look at the trophy this kid won for little league; if I were in charge of that slam dunk contest, I would be embarrassed.
   

Finally, the acceptance speech is hilarious. What's going through his head? "None of these people know what I'm saying, but I better throw in my team name so I can keep my sweet endorsement deal."

Amazing Basketball Shots!

Alex showed us LeBron, Jordan, and Bird making some far out shots. Some real, some faked. Well, 6 regular guys have been making some very real, and very hard shots. They're called 'Dude Perfect'. Its unbelievable how good they are. The real questions are: How long have they been practicing? Is the NBA going to change the 3-point line to the half court line?


[DudePerfect.com] This is exactly the kind of thing the Man-Log is about: Real men doing amazing things.
These guys have even grabbed the attention of Good Morning America. Apparently they're just a few high school buddies that are now in college. They have two main videos: Amazing Basketball Shots, and Ranch Edition. Ranch edition is by far the best. Watch it below:




Thanks for the heads up Nate!

I Am Witnessing

This might look like a role reversal on par with Obama saying that everything in his campaign will be transparent but I have new evidence that must be revealed.


To keep my horse in the world of Michael Jordan, I must say that we didn't have Youtube when he was around. Otherwise, videos of this caliber would have arisen, I AM SURE OF IT!

But seriously, I'll give it to Lebron. He has been unreal with some unreal highlight reels this year. He was MVP, his team is running away with the play-offs and he looks like he has been playing in the special 'zone' or 'atmosphere' that only a very select few, namely Jordan and Bird, can elevate their game to this level. We saw the 60 minutes special shot, we saw the half court shot before the game, and now....witness this!



Oh wait, after looking harder, I found one for Michael Jordan..Good luck Lebron!

If Only Fletch Were Real....I'd Take Him

Here's the deal. You have a gun held to your head b a mob boss. He says you must create a NBA franchise that will win it all. All players are in their prime and we play in today's era of play. Who do you take with your first pick? The argument could come down to Shaq, Kareem, Johnson and others but for arguments sake I think it comes down to Lebron vs Jordan. Here's my take...

Lebron is a good guy, a great teammate, and a phenom of a player. He gets to the hole and is starting to play ferocious D. He can post up big man and guard ball handlers, he really is what a video game drew up. One could argue that he hasn't peaked and will only improve his jump shot and his D. And if he did that, the holes in his game would be forced to say the least.




However, with that said I would still take Jordan. And it doesn't even come down to any physical or basketball stats pulled. It's simply, if I was a GM and had to build a winning franchise around a player that would win the title that year - it would be Jordan. Nevermind that Jordan averaged 35pts a game one year, nevermind that he never lost a play-off series in his prime, nevermind that Jordan was named Defensive player of the year 10 times. Jordan simply had that killer instinct that drove fear into the other players. He talked trash, he played in your face D, and demanded the ball at crunch time. Lebron can take a game over but easily passes it off. He doesn't posses that instinctive desire to win! Jordan would cheat in poker against your grandma.He wouldn't have gotten swept by the Spurs a few years ago that's for sure. I think the final point that needs to be made is that Jordan took down Dumars, Bird, Johnson, Wilk, Barkley, Hakeem, Stockton v Malone, Kemp v Payton, Clyde Drexler, Starks v Ewing on in their primes and made them look weak. He didn't lose a SINGLE play-off series in his prime with a surprisingly crappy team. That's my choice, what's yours?

The Kid is Back

After almost a decade, a few injuries, and a few extra pounds Ken Griffey Jr. stepped up once again as a Mariner to the plate of the house the he built. Ken Griffey earned the nickname "The Kid" as a 19 year prowling the outfield of the Kingdome nearly 20 years ago. From barreling into and scrambling up the outfield walls to his unmistakable swagger when he had hit the sweet spot, Ken Griffey Jr. lived "life without walls."

Two seasons ago Ken Griffey Jr. was very hesitant about returning as a visitor to the town who had once loved him so much. Prior to the 2000 season Griffey requested to be traded to the Cincinnati Reds and left the people of Seattle with a sour taste in their mouth. When Griffey stepped onto the field at Safeco in 2007 he received a standing ovation from a town that had forgotten any bitter feelings. For the entire weekend that the Reds were in town Seattle was abuzz. The weather was beautiful and the Safeco field was packed with people rising from their seats every time The Kid stepped to plate in hoe to catch a glimpse of the the good ol' days. During Griffey's visit to Seattle he teased the fans by mentioning that he would like to return to Seattle as a Mariner before retiring.

The of 2008 was not a good year in sports for the city of Seattle. The Mariners expected to lead their division, but lost over 100 games. The Supersonics were relocated to Oklahoma City as the Thunder. The Seahawks had a very uneventful season and the Huskies went 0-12. The woes of 2008 seemed to quickly slip to the back of Seattle's mind as Griffey stepped onto Safeco Field Tuesday night once again as a Mariner. Even though the good ol' days are probably gone along with flannel shirts, the return of Seattle's son has been accompanied with a 6-2 start for the M's. Even though it is still too early to predict, the return of Griffey brings a new hope for sports in Seattle and possibly some great baseball in October.

The Tiger Classic

As written by Ted Bauer...

The Masters starts today (here's the official ESPN The Magazine preview). One of the truest things our dad ever said: "Tournament is great and all, but how much will I care if Tiger Woods isn't within five strokes on Sunday?" It's fun when an underdog wins, but part of watching golf right now is watching for Tiger. Because we aren't golf experts, we decided to approach The Masters from a different angle: since Woods, like Peyton Manning, endorses virtually every product under the sun—we thought we'd rank the best Tiger Woods commercials of all-time. Now, sadly, we're not advertising experts either. We do, however, watch a lot of TV (inside info: there's some high-level stuff on ABC Family) and we know what we like. Tiger's been in some classic ads; here now is one attempt at ordering 'em.


Best ever commercial, you decide.

Here it is. Try to watch it and not cry. It's literally almost impossible. "I said 'Tiger, I promise you, you'll never meet a person as mentally tough as you in your entire life. And he hasn't. And he never will.'" Amazing. Sidebar question to debate with your friends: is this the best NIKE ad ever? Other candidates are here, here and here.

Sportscenter Not Top 10

Overall I always love the not top 10s but the #1 on this countdown is just priceless. People ask why Women's the game isn't as popular? Why were not that into it? Why do we think its a complete joke? Why do we think they play like 'poop? Watch....

Dancing in the NIT

Every year when March Madness begins, the NIT plays at the same time. Think about it like this. A bunch of people that are in the same high school and there prom is coming up in which 70% of the school can go. The whole year they have to compete in events to gain entrance to this 'ball.' The announcements come out and everyone is 'dancing' the Mayor's mansion in downtown. That is except for the other 30% who are now relegated to the school gym dance floor where the light we'll be left on and no hot girl will be there. My point is it's gotta be the most degratating thing as a basketball player to play in the NIT. There is NO REASON TO WATCH it, except this....




Did I get you excited enough yet? If not just know that it's a white kid, from Wyoming, trying to dunk..... There you go!

Let the Madness Begin

It is that time of year again. For some this will be the most excitement they see all year. It is the time when a man can leave a lasting impression...in the couch. For those wondering how you can get the most out of the NCAA tournment look no further (well, maybe a little bit further.)

Follow the link below to see live streaming video of any game in the tournament.
(You need to be using Internet Explorer to watch). Click Here