Jay-Z drops the third installment of his Blueprint series with the title implying a return to the perfect balancing of street and commercial appeal he displayed on The Blueprint. What Jigga delivers are some flashes of the old Jay and some of the Kingdom Come Jay that began the “Jay-Z fell off” movement.

It’s a 50-50 album. Half the tracks give us what we want, and the other half are doomed by poor beats, and/or questionable flow. The thing is, Jay-Z’s an older cat playing a young man’s game. In that respect he reps himself well as the Hip Hop version of The Rolling Stones. Jay will probably be releasing albums and touring until he’s 60.. In other words, another five years.

I’m not going 15 rounds with the CD and breaking it down song by song. You can get those reviews here, here, and here. I’m placing each song in the context of professional sports today.

1. “What We Talkin’ About” (ft. Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun)
We talkin’ about Practice. Allen Iverson will be bumping this on the bench in Memphis, and then on the bench of the team that the Grizzlies trade him to. I’m an AI guy and it sucks to watch his career go this way. He’s probably never going to win a championship and he’ll be remembered as a ball-hogging malcontent instead of the best little man in NBA history.

2. “Thank You”
David Beckham, Mike Dunleavy, and Tyler Perry will hum “Thank You” every time they deposit their paychecks. Beckham and Dunleavy are straight up stealing money. Perry is running an intricate scam that involves him dressing up like a woman, and he’s rumored to be blackmailing TBS executives with compromising photos. Unfortunately for Becks, Dumbleavy, and TP, none of use are thankful for their performances.

3. “D.O.A.” (Death of Autotunes)
Twitter is the Autotunes of sports, and even though KRS-One and Jay-Z (Roger Goodell and David Stern) wish it would go away, it’s what the youngins want and it’s not going anywhere. I expect Jay-Z to have D.O.K.S.O.M.L. (Death of Kids Standing on my Lawn) on The Blueprint 4.

4. “Run this Town” (ft. Rihanna & Kanye West)
I’m not sure if Tim Tebow’s religious leanings allow him to listen to Jay-Z but he not only runs Gainesville, he runs Florida. And all the stories you hear about how great he is in person are true. I’ve interviewed Tebow twice, and I don’t want to sound like Thom Brenneman, but he is an impressive young man. Pause.

5. “Empire State of Mind” (ft. Alicia Keys)
The Yankees are in an empire state of mind right now. The new stadium and their lineup have them scoring a ton of runs, CC is pitching like they’re paying him $161 million over seven years, Jeter’s setting all-time marks, and they have the best record in baseball. The Yanks look like they’re gonna roll to their 27th World Series title and put the Empire back in effect. Baseball is more fun when there’s a legit reason to hate the Yankees.

6. “Real as it Gets” (ft. Young Jeezy)
Real as it gets is the only way to define Ron Artest. There won’t be anything better this NBA season than watching “The Ron Artest Show” in LA. Kobe has a best shot at keeping Ron-Ron in check, but nobody can really stop Ron from doing his thing(s).

7. “On to the Next One” (ft. Swizz Beatz)
Jay-Z’s tribute to the new NFL trend of firing the offensive coordinator just before the season starts. Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Buffalo all dumped their coordinators which can either be a reaction to the economy, or simply some terrible hirings by coaches already facing long seasons. If I was an OC in the league I’d be making sure my Careerbuilder.com page was up to date.

8. “Off That” (ft. Drake)
“Off That” is Hov’s way of saying he’s past doing all the lame stuff that us non-multi-millionaires are still doing. He needs to hop on his G5 to Los Angeles and perform this song at Dodger Stadium where “The wave” has made a comeback. Wavemania picked up again when FC Barcelona played at the Rose Bowl in August and now LA’s rockin the wave like it’s the 80s. Knock it off people. This is SoCal, not Cleveland.

9. “A Star is Born” (ft. J. Cole)
Joe Mauer, Matt Ryan, and Kevin Durant are three young athletes that seem destined to be superstars. Mauer’s been on the scene but playing in Minnesota doesn’t give him the kind of exposure a catcher batting .363 with 26 jacks and 82 RBIs deserves. Matt Ryan led the Falcons, with a lot of help from Michael Turner, and looked like a vet a lot of times last season. Matt Ryan’s headed for big things even if he takes a small step backwards this season. Kevin Durant is about to have his “Neo” moment, when he realizes he’s the one, in the 2009-10 season. His upside is unlimited causing some basketball folks to say KD will be better than LeBron James. It doesn’t seem likely, but being spoken about in the same breath as King James shows Durant is legit. He won’t enter superduperstar status until he leaves Oklahoma City.

10. “Venus vs. Mars”
Jay’s version of opposites attracting with the relationship eventually ending in ruin. This is the perfect jam for the 6-4, 272-pound Shawne Merriman to listen to while reflecting on his tumultous weekend with the 4-11, 98-pound Tila Tequila. My favorite part of this drama is Tila Tequila saying she doesn’t drink. Johnny Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jose Cuervo call bullshit.

11. “Already Home” (ft. Kid Cudi)
When LeBron James isn’t listening to Barry Manilow he’ll probably be playing track 11 from BP3. Jay raps:
“Nigga i been missing, nigga i been gone
The shit that you just witnessed is the shit that i been on
And as for the critics, tell me i don’t get it
Everybody can tell you how to do it, they never did it”

While Kid Cudi sings on the chorus:
Oh they want me to fall (Fall)
Fall from the top (Top)
They want me to drop (Drop)
They want me to stop (Stop)
They want me to go (Go)
I’m already gone (Already)
The sh-t that I’m on (Hey)
I’m already home
(Hey, I’m already home yeah)

I’d bet all the money upstairs in my mom’s purse that LeBron already knows where he’s signing next season. That’s why he’s already home.

12. “Hate” (ft. Kanye West)
I can picture Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick sitting side-by-side, sharing iPod earbuds, and listening to “Hate”. McNabb takes his share from the haters for reasons that are out of his control. Rush Limbaugh spouts off, TO acts like a jackass, or coach Reid pulls D-Mac and it’s number 5’s fault for some reason. Vick gets the hate because of his role in the dogfighting ring. Whether it’s from the fans, or media, Vick and McNabb better be ready for a long season.

13. “Reminder”
We allow Hova to re-reintroduce himself on this one. He feels the need to let us know he’s still a factor in the game like Ladainian Tomlinson did a few weeks ago with the LA Times’ Sam Farmer. Nothing takes the shine off of greatness like begging for people to recognize you does. LT can remind us of his past by putting together a better season than last year’s 1,100 yard effort.

14. “So Ambitious” (ft. Pharrell)
The next time Vince Young needs some alone time that sends his friends and family into a panic he’ll be driving around bumping this joint. The critics are saying VY will never make it which he should use as motivation. Vince broke the hearts of fans in Philly, D.C., Oakland, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay when he said he’ll be the next black quarterback to win the Super Bowl. Ambitious indeed considering he can’t get on the field.

15. “Young Forever” (ft. Mr. Hudson)
The undeniable worst track on the album. “Young Forever” is to The Blueprint 3 what the Oakland Raiders are to the sports world over the last six years. Garbage, a complete embarrassment, and not worthy of these 53 words I’m using. Tom Cable should punch Mr. Hudson and Kanye West in the face.

The funniest subplot in the NBA playoffs keeps getting better and better. LeBron James beefing with DeShawn Stevenson and Soulja Boy was good stuff. Now, even though he has no business stooping to something so low, Jay-Z has jumped into the fight.. What the hell is Jay-Z doing recording a diss track about a basketball player? Is he an owner, or LeBron’s bodyguard? I predicted that Soulja Boy would make a LeBron James diss track, but I never thought Jay-Z would get involved.

The best part of the Jay-Z DeShawn Stevenson diss track is when it debuted. Jigga recorded this on Friday, and got it to LeBron and crew in D.C. by Friday night. The Cavs were hanging out at Love, a D.C. area nightclub that also happened to host Gilbert Arenas’ 25th birthday party last year. The DJ played the track, and afterwards Damon Jones got on the mic and said a few things about DeShawn Stevenson, all with the Wizard’s Caron Butler in the building… The NBA, Where LeBron says he has no need to respond to DeShawn Stevenson but gets his big buddy Jay-Z to diss him anyways happens.

Download Jay-Z ‘Blow The Whistle’ DeShawn Stevenson Diss

Jay-Z – Blow The Whistle (DeShawn Stevenson Diss). Courtesy of RealTalkNY

Stevenson. James. Now Jay-Z? This spat is getting serious. Courtesy of the Washington Post

Jay-Z, LeBron James, DeShawn Stevenson, Blow The Whistle, diss track

Eli Manning married his longtime girlfriend Abby McGrew over the weekend. The couple wed in Mexico in a small, private ceremony made up of close friends and family.. Speaking of the friends..

The ladies look good but I gotta ask.. Who took this picture? Bill Belichick and co.? I can picture the Patriots head coach in a camouflage hoody, snapping pictures and muttering something about a lucky catch… Eli and Abbey should’ve reached out to the person that handled Pat Burrell’s proposal photos.

Nobody asked him but Drew Rosenhaus has a little pre-marriage advice for Eli Manning. Make her sign a Prenup.

Abby’s been with Eli since college so I’m guessing she’s in it for the long haul. If she stuck by him while everybody in New York hated him, she’s not leaving him now that he’s on top.. Speaking of the top, somebody needs to explain to me what’s going on in New York. What’s the use in being the king of the city if you’re not gonna abuse enjoy your power. First Jay-Z gets married, now Eli Manning. Whatever’s going on, I guarantee Derek Jeter won’t be leaving the game anytime soon.

Eli Manning and Abby McGrew Wedding Photos Jacked from DotSpotter

Eli Manning, New York Giants, King Of New York, Abby McGrew, Wedding Pictures

A map of every sports blogger in North America. Courtesy of Ball Hype

David Carr wears gloves while holding balls for long periods of time. Courtesy of Larry Brown Sports

Mark Cuban wants to MMA with the stars. Courtesy of Sports By Brooks

Devin Hester is unlike anybody we’ve seen before. Courtesy of Cold Hard Football Facts

Who’s the Heisman winner? Courtesy of The Big Lead

Joe Gibbs got carded at Raymond James Stadium. Courtesy of D.C. Sports Bog

Beanie Sigel featuring Jay-Z: Gutted. Courtesy of Nah Right

Tim Tebow is a product of the liberal, white media…. Courtesy of The Nation Of Islam Sportsblog

The Toronto Sun should rip the Blue Jays for the right reasons. Courtesy of Out Of Left Field

Thanksgiving always means leftovers. Courtesy of Che Sing The Cool

Tags: Blogs, Sports Blogs, Thanksgiving, Tim Tebow, Jay Z

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oecRkOYNrNQ[/youtube]

When DJ Skee’s not droppin mixtapes, he’s working on Skee TV. If I every catch up with Skee, I’m gonna ask him is being a white DJ like being a black QB? I’m guessing he won’t care either way.

The above video was shot during the NBA All-Star weekend of 007 in Las Vegas. The big Hip Hop releases in the 4th quarter of 2006 were Snoop Dogg’s Blue Carpet Treatment, Nas’ Hip Hop Is Dead, Young Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 102, and Jay-Z’s Kingdom Come. I thought the Nas album was the best of the bunch, but according to the scientific, 2 man study in this video, NBA players preferred Jay-Z and Jeezy. And Juke… Who, in America, is known as “Joc”.

Tags: NBA, DJ Skee, Interviews, Sports, Hip Hop, Jay Z, Nas, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, Rip Hamilton, You Tube, utube, Snoop Dogg

Why do Jay-Z and the Chief’s Larry Johnson live together? Courtesy of Bol at XXL

70 year old golfer+Lightning= 6 under for the day. Courtesy of Signal To Noise

cRap Music Fantasy League. Courtesy of Dallas Penn

Jeter and Timberlake: Battle of the Babes. Courtesy of The Big Lead

Buy Matt Geiger’s house. Watussi sold separately. Courtesy of Sports By Brooks

Lauren London’s stock is climbing. Courtesy of I Fux

It’s draft day. Courtesy of The Hype Guy

Myles Brand is clockin dough. Courtesy of Wizard Of Odds

The dark side of wrestling. Courtesy of The Serious Tip

Check out Tracy. Courtesy of Barstool Sports

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Jay-Z/Michael Jordan: Jay donned himself the MJ of rap and everybody rolled with it. Both are considered by many to be the greatest to ever do it in their fields.. although Jay and MJ came out of retirement with performances that made us wish they had stayed away. Whether its Tupac/Biggie/Rakim or Magic/Bird/Wilt, somebody will use one of those names in an argument against Sean Carter or Michael Jordan. They’re similar all the way down to their work ethic and figure head positions.

Dr. Dre/Phil Jackson: If you’re having a problem getting your project or your team to the next level these are the guys you want to call. Phil Jax has the rings, Dre has the plaques. Lately, neither has shown a sense of urgency about current projects, and will let cats sit on the bench for no given reason.

 Eminem/Larry Bird: White guys that dominated the “Brothas Game”. If Bird was a teenager today he’d be listening to Em’s “Lose Yourself” on his mp3 player while warming up before some AAU tournament.. Their forays into the front office have brought mixed results. Both lost a close teammate recently.

Young Buck/Stephen Jackson: Neither are superstars but they’re valuable parts on a team.. Opponents get nervous just thinking about ‘em. They will both have your back in a scrap no questions asked, and both show glimpses of greatness that they can’t reach consistently.

Ice Cube/Doctor J: They took an element of their fields and raised it to new heights.. Gangsta rap and the dunk contest are boring now, but their contributions will always be remembered. They get mentioned in top ten lists and occasionally somebody will call them the greatest ever. Does a parallel between the ABA and the late 80s West Coast rap scene work?

Dame Dash/Isiah Thomas: They were critical parts of great teams in the past. Their independent ventures are unsuccessful whether it’s a league or a record label.. Both would get 85 cents back on change for a dollar, but somehow always land on their feet.

50 Cent/Kobe Bryant: Kobe’s balling skills are 100 times better than 50’s rapping skills, but that’s not the comparison I’m making. They’re the two most polarizing people in their professions. Hate ‘em or Love ‘em you can’t deny Kobe’s hoop game or 50’s business game. You never have to wait long to hear their names in the news, and they both go for 50 every night.

Here’s a few outside of the NBA…

Ras Kass/Ken Griffey Jr: Two dudes that seemed like mortal locks to be in the greatest of all time argument. Both are still decent but neither was able to maximize their potential. You have to worry if they’ll get hurt or hurt themselves when they walk outside.

DMX/Mike Tyson: Drugs, jail and wildin out. Check, check and check. Both exploded onto the scene. Both imploded when they reached the top and eventually went to Arizona to chill out. You shouldn’t let either of the two borrow your car.

LL Cool J/Brett Favre: Their contributions to the game have to be recognized but LL and Brett are currently over staying their welcome. Aside from padding their numbers, neither has any business performing anymore.

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A recap of Suns/Spurs game 5. Courtesy of The Basketball Jones podcast

49 year old track coach plus 17 year old girl equals jail time. Courtesy of With Leather

Henry Abbott of True Hoop interviewed. Courtesy of The Big Picture

Sarah Shahi aka Tony Soprano’s Vegas vixen. Courtesy of I Fux is Hip Hop…

Ike Turner wrongfully arrested..this time. Courtesy of Concrete Loop

R.I.P. DeAndre Adams. Courtesy of Ladiesdotdotdot

Deadspin’s Will Leitch speaks. Courtesy of The Starting Five

Amy Winehouse Rehab remix featuring Jay-Z. Courtesy of Nah Right

Ted Turner de-cartoons Miss Gossip. Courtesy of Miss Gossip of AOL Fanhouse

NAMBLA, The NBA, and David Blaine. Courtesy of Straight Bangin (scroll down)

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