Snoop Dogg stopped by in a guest appearance on ESPN’s “Around The Horn” with J.A. Adande this afternoon. Snoop weighed in on LeBron James possibly leaving Cleveland to go play for Jay-Z’s soon-to-be-Brooklyn Nets and encouraged the move. Woody Paige offered a spirited rebuttal and said Snoop should leave the show (jokingly)…. Snoop laughed and then left.

It was a brief encounter, but it also showed how much BETTER this show would be if they mixed in personalities other than Jay Mariotti and Woody Paige. Check the video….

Continuing our weeklong celebration of NBA training camps opening this week, we give the people what they want and turn our eyes to teams in Sportaphile’s own backyard, breaking down the grind that is the Western Conference’s Pacific Division:

(Last year’s record)

(48-34) When things go bad, they sure do fall apart quickly. First, the Warriors win 48 games but still miss the playoffs. Then the front office fronted on its offer to Baron Davis, resulting in Boom Dizzle going Hollywood, albeit to the Clippers. Then there’s Monta. So truthfully, I don’t know what to make of the messy Golden State affairs. I don’t even think newcomer Coery Maggette and Captain Jack will be able to S.O.S. this thing before it capsizes. I hate to say it but I think the Warriors can RSVP right now for the 2009 Draft Lottery.

(23-59) It sure must feel good to be back at home for Baron Davis. He has gotten on the Boom Dizzle diet plan courtesy of Jenny Craig and is having a grand ol’ time chilling with Cash W. and Jessica Alba and all his other celebrity cronies. Even without Elton Brand, who surprisingly dipped to Philly, things still look promising for LA’s stepchild team. With the addition of Marcus Camby, I really think the Clips can have about 40-44 wins, which might even leave enough in the tank to trump whoever is hanging on for that final playoff spot. Read the rest of this entry »

During an interview with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Deion Sanders a few weeks back, Deion mentioned that Snoop Dogg said hip hop needs an authority figure like Mr. Goodell to oversee things.

While I typically disagree with Roger, I do respect his ability to frighten young black men more than anyone on earth not wearing a badge. So I present to you, a list of things that would happen under Roger’s reign in rap music.

If Roger Goodell were the commissioner of hip hop….

DMX would be banned – So lets get this straight….. he hasn’t released a good album OR a good movie since Aaliyah passed away, he doesn’t know who Barack Obama is, and he’s been arrested five times this year alone??? Roger wouldn’t stand for such foolishness.. BANNED.

If Roger Goodell were the commissioner of hip hop….

You wouldn’t be allowed to diss legends unless you have more than 2 hit albums – Am I the only hip hop fan who gets sick of headlines like “Jim Jones disses Jay-Z”, or “Yung Berg hates 2pac” or something else equally foolish? Who decided it was okay to give these clowns attention? Hip hop culture doesn’t respect it’s elders and Roger simply wouldn’t go for it.

If Roger Goodell were the commissioner of hip hop….

“Video Vixens” can’t release any more tell-all books – It was okay at first, but how many more books are we going to have to endure in this genre? Okay, you gave Lil Wayne head at Summer Jam, now do you have anything else noteworthy to say?… I didn’t think so. Uncle Roger don’t love dem hoez.
Read the rest of this entry »

It wasn’t that long ago that black men weren’t even allowed to play alongside whites, let alone own a piece of the most prestigious franchise in the MLB. Jay-Z is looking to become a minority owner in the New York Yankees, according to Time Out Magazine.

He’s already part owner of the New Jersey Nets, and almost bought into London-based soccer team Arsenal Football Club in 2005 before the deal fell through.

“I had invested in the Nets, and they (Arsenal bosses) asked me if I was interested in investing. But I get that from time to time,” Jay told London’s Time Out magazine. “Someone told me yesterday that someone else had a piece of the New York Yankees, ‘We wanna talk to you, yadda yadda yadda.’ I mean, I love the Yankees so I’m in the middle of following that through, but sometimes it comes to be nothing. That (Arsenal) was one of the times it came to nothing.”

All this will be worth if it I can just see George Steinbrenner through up the ROC diamond at a Yankees game…. .seriously.

Mauricia Grant, a 32 year old black woman is filing a $225 million dollar lawsuit against NASCAR for racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.

My initial reaction upon learning about this suit was utter shock. Not because of the racism and harassment, but because there was actual a black woman working for NASCAR. Could we possibly find a bigger mismatch?

Anywho, Grant’s complaints fall in line with everything you imagined a black person surrounded by rednecks would endure.

“In the lawsuit, she alleged she was referred to as “Nappy Headed Mo” and “Queen Sheba” by co-workers, was often told she worked on “colored people time” and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan.

In addition, Grant said she was subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom allegedly exposed themselves to her, and graphic and lewd jokes.

There are a few other disgusting incidents in the report (worse than what you read above), you can head over to ESPN to read the article here.

I could say things like, “well I’m never supporting NASCAR for as long as I live”, or “I’m never watching another broadcast”, or “NASCAR will never be written about on Sportaphile again’… but all those things were true before this lawsuit came about in the first place. Watching men drive in a circle for 3 hours isn’t remotely entertaining to me.

I remember when Jay-Z put Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick in his music video for “Show Me What You Got” in some attempt at cross promotion. I have never been less interested in a Jay-Z video in my life.