This latest edition of The Sports Snob has to start off with my sincere and deepest apologies to all the NBA video game franchises other than 2K Sports and their upcoming NBA2K11 game. Yeah, I’m talking to EA Sports and their NBA Live series and whatever other games will compete against NBA2K11, including the new NBA Jam.

You guys had a decent run and I’m sure there are some die-hard fans out there who will stubbornly stay loyal, but with the awesome news that NBA2K11 was not only going to have Michael Jordan on the cover, but that he would also be available to play as, there’s no real reason to buy any other basketball game. Any skepticism about the new installment should easily be silenced by the game’s new trailer, which is oozing epicness.

Wanna see the Greatest Of All Time re-create some of his most famous plays on a video game? The trailer has it. Are you more of a fan of guys like Patrick Ewing, Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Clyde Drexler? The trailer shows them all playing too. Plus it features Snoop Dogg rapping and several shots of today’s stars too. Check it below.

I for one am super excited about the release of the game on October 5th. As a non-Lakers fan who’s had to suffer through the last two championships and the exaggerated claims of their fanbase, I can’t wait for the chance to control Jordan and his 1990′s Chicago Bulls and open a can of legendary whoop-ass on all challengers. Sure there hasn’t been a definitive statement that says you can use previous teams, but it sure looks like it’s possible on the trailer.

Even if it’s not though, it features something called the “Jordan Challenge” that lets you play as Michael and try to re-create 10 of his most legendary performances. Think the 69 points he dropped on the Cleveland Cavaliers or the night he went into the Boston Garden during the playoffs and lit them up for 63 points.

That alone should provide for hours of fun, but the best part is what happens if you do pass the challenge. According to ESPN, it’ll unlock a new mode called “MJ: Creating a Legend.” It will be a single-player offline only mode, but will allow gamers the opportunity to draft Jordan and attempt to build his career up to the same heights Jordan reached. Check this quote from NBA2K11 producer Erick Boenisch, via the ESPN article.

“The idea behind MJ: Creating a Legend is that you’re going to step into today’s NBA with a rookie Michael Jordan,” Boenisch says. “He is rated a 79 overall, which gives you plenty of room to improve, but he has all of the physical tools of Michael as a rookie — the fast speed, the high jumping, the quickness — but he lacks a lot of the shooting skills and the offensive and defensive awareness. So you’re playing with a raw prospect who can do just about anything, but can’t deliver in the clutch just yet.

“And the cool thing about this mode is that you’re player-locked to Michael Jordan, so you’re kind of recreating the career and the legend of Michael Jordan.”

As if that wasn’t cool enough, you get to see Jordan literally go through the stages of his career, even down to his physical appearance. That means he’ll be rocking that short fade from the 80s, then change to his trademark bald cut. Much like the “My Player” that many of us 2K users are familiar with, you’ll be able to improve Jordan from the 79 rating he starts out with through drills and gameplay. But unlike our crappy created players, Jordan will start out with the same skills he had as a rookie, meaning insane hops and athleticism will allow you to take games over, even if the jumpshot is kinda shaky.

The mode allows you to use Jordan up until around when he turns 40 and the other teams will make trades, etc like any regular season. You can also draft him with any team you like, which doesn’t seem right but gives us all a chance to see if he can carry other franchises the same way he did the Bulls. I’m still not sold on the idea of drafting him to my Los Angeles Clippers because I don’t know if the 2K11 producers disabled the Clippers curse or not. Would hate to see him suffer a torn ACL in the first ten minutes of the season.

Either way though, for a basketball junkie like me, I can’t wait for the chance to re-live some classic Jordan moments, watch to see if Karl Malone and Ewing will still choke and show Diet Jordan that there’s nothing quite like having the best available instead of a knock-off.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

When it comes to basketball, there are no names greater than Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. No disrespect to all-timers like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, etc, but Jordan is widely regarded as the undisputed G.O.A.T. The man has his six championships and countless records, as well as the approval of the masses.

On the rap side, few rappers alive can boast the accomplishments of Brooklyn’s Jay-Z. He’s sold millions of records for what seems like the last 20 summers, the people love him, he’s moved onto the mogul side as co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and more. Throughout it all his confidence has seen him frequently proclaim himself as the “Mike Jordan of Recordin‘” as both a nod to his own talents and respect to Mike. It proved that it wasn’t just little kids and street ballers across the country wanted to be “like Mike”, even mega-rich rappers did too. The two modern cultural heavyweights finally linked up yesterday at a Hall of Fame event.

They partied together alongside former Chicago Bull/New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley and the New Orleans Hornets star Chris Paul.

Jordan was there preparing to present his former teammate Scottie Pippen into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as well as part of the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, which was also enshrined. I’m not sure where the event they all were together at was, but you can only imagine how exclusive that VIP section must have been.

Jay’s famous friend LeBron James wasn’t seen in any pictures there, which is understandable cause he’s probably moved past taking mental notes to readying his army for war against the bunch of retired legends who’ve criticized him. Except Jordan of course, because as his career showed, he’s one guy you don’t want to piss off or go up against. Much like the famous Jay Z line says, I’m sure Jordan has to give a look that says “I Will Not Lose.” and any opponent will Karl Malone themselves.

Jay-Z & Michael Jordan Are In The Building Tonight [VladTV.com]

- Will.

Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

It’s unlikely that LeBron James would ever admit it but it has to hurt him that his idol, Michael Jordan, is questioning his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. Jordan and Charles Barkley commented on James’ decision before teeing off at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. MJ reiterated his feelings Sunday in an interview on NBC at the golf tournament. Not beating them and then joining them was never an option for Michael.

It was less than a year ago that LeBron called for all players to stop wearing number 23 out of respect to Michael Jordan. Now MJ sounds like he’s lost some respect for the King. The only way for LeBron to get on the right side of Mike (and shut a lot of people up) is by winning a championship in his first year in Miami. Then the move is justified immediately. People will still find a way to criticize his game just like they do with Kobe. But a ring will make the past less relevant, just like it did for Kobe.

Welcome to The Sports Snob, a column that gives commentary on the sports world with an elitist slant that can only come from ravenously watching it your whole life. Be warned, this isn’t a place for fair-weather or ignorant sports followers, unless they want to convert over to the real fan side.

For the introductory post I want to talk about Los Angeles Lakers fans or as many of them deserved to be called – homers, frontrunners, bandwagoners, groupies, etc.

Before any legitimate Lakers followers get all upset, relax. If you’re not a groupie this isn’t directed at you.

This is aimed as the illogical, vastly uninformed group of part-time fans who incessantly inject themselves into basketball talk during the playoffs proclaiming nonsense like “OMG we won a game, we’re the best ever!” in between rushing to buy “trendy” car flags.

I’ve also got my bulls-eye set on the comical cult of Kobe Bryant members that think he’s better than Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan. It’s hard to tell whether they actually support the organization itself or if they think Kobe came down from the heavens and created the Lakers in 1996.

As a lifelong NBA fan that religiously follows the season from the pre-season until the final buzzer of the championship, I hate reading and hearing these people. It’s a disgusting stew of vomit-inducing hyperbole mixed with an utter lack of knowledge about historical context.

For instance, take the tired storyline asking if Kobe is the greatest Laker or even worst, greatest player ever. The subject has elicited responses from legends like Jerry West to hacks like Rick Reilly.

Look, Kobe is definitely one of the top 10 NBA players ever and he’s top five in Lakers history. But people need to relax with all this nonsense about him being the best Laker when his resume still doesn’t stack up to Magic and has glaring, undeniable blemishes. With a franchise as historic as the Lakers, it’s about a lot more than just titles.

Kobe and the Lakers blew a double-digit homecourt lead in the NBA Finals, leading to his 2nd straight Finals loss.(Getty Images/ESPN.com)

Kobe revisionists are going to hate this, but oh well. In the prime of his career Kobe not only failed to carry teams to titles but openly displayed a selfishness and ego that cost him and his team playoffs wins and rings.

Like the 2004 season where he denied Phil Jackson, Shaquille O’Neal, Karl Malone and Gary Payton some hardware after he got tired of being Robin to Shaq’s Batman and flushed their title hopes away with his 38 percent shooting and 23 shots per game. After that series Phil Jackson famously called Kobe “uncoachable” and Shaq was traded.

That led to missing the playoffs with a losing record and then losing two straight series, including a historical choke against the Phoenix Suns where he blew a 3-1 series lead and gave up in the crucial game seven.

When did you ever see Jordan or Magic just flat out quit? In Kobe’s world it’s all about him, and if it doesn’t serve his interests he’ll cut and run, teammates or fans be damned.

Kobe lost a 3-1 lead and was eliminated against the Phoenix Suns in 2006. He infamously took only 3 shots in the 2nd half of the crucial game 7 loss.(Getty Images/YouBeenBlinded Illustration)

Then there was yet another first round exit leading to Mr.Laker demanding a trade, publicly berating Andrew Bynum and team management. If it weren’t for Chris Wallace and Jerry West giving away Pau Gasol, Kobe’s true colors would still be showing.

And as much as his fans try to use statistics as an argument, even those don’t match up to the sheer greatness of the two M.J’s.

Magic Johnson won five NBA championships, three regular season MVPs, an Olympic gold medal, NCAA title and three NBA Finals MVP trophies, including one his rookie year.

Jordan collected six NBA championships, five regular season MVPs, an Olympic gold medal, NCAA title, six NBA Finals MVP trophies, 10 scoring titles, has the highest career scoring average, rookie of the year and defensive player of the year.

Kobe has four championships, one regular season and one Finals MVP, an Olympic gold medal and two scoring titles.

Kobe apologists love to pretend all of the above never occurred, but it did.

It also amazes me when I see these fans badmouth Magic every time he criticizes the team. The fact that random nobodies sitting at home think they have more of a right to speak on the Lakers than Magic freaking Johnson says a lot about how dumb they really are.

Can this team win a championship? Obviously yes, and they probably will. But there’s more to a franchise as storied as the Lakers than simply just stacking rings. There’s the honor, legacies and stories of how those rings were won. The rings alone are nothing without the battles fought to earn them, and nobody knows that better than a guy like Magic.

Kobe recently said he “wasn’t a fan of Jordan.” Really? We don’t believe you, you need more people. Word to Jay-Z.(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images)

There used to be a time when only Kobe believed the nonsense he crafts about him being a great teammate and leader, about being a victim in the rape case and about being anywhere near Jordan when it comes to a winning pedigree or accomplishments. These days, thanks to moronic fans, he had the audacity to get on ABC during halftime of the Finals and say he wasn’t really a Jordan fan.

Coming from a guy who clearly idolized Jordan and has desperately mimicked him, it was incredibly unbelievable. The sad part is his fans actually tried to rationalize it as true.

It’s no shock though, because they are Laker fans. The same people who get excited about free $1 tacos during the NBA Finals or actually say stuff like this on Twitter after a pedestrian dunk from Kobe in game one;

“Omfggggg did y’all see that alleeey ooop kobe officailly gots my respect best player in the nba.” (Actual tweet)

There’s a reason why 98 percent of the people who say he’s the best are Lakers fans from this generation. Some of them might even be reading this and agree with that tweet or laugh at all this extra stuff about how rings are won. In their minds the only thing that counts is the number of rings and whether they win this year.

All I can say is, I’m not surprised.

It just helps prove why I’m a better sports fan than them.

- Will.

The Sports Snob will be published once a week here on YouBeenBlinded.com. Will R. is a journalist/writer who covers sports, news and music for several websites. His music work can be found on www.WestCoastRydaz.com

Last summer Jordan Crawford of Xavier dunked on LeBron James at his basketball camp. The King was embarrassed to the point that he and all his men tried to confiscate any videos of the slam. Several athletes called for LeBron to release the video, and when it finally surfaced it turned out to be a bunch of noise about nothing.

LeBron’s idol Michael Jordan had a similar experience back in the day minus the punking people for the videos part. MJ held a basketball camp and a high school kid named Shannon Smith blocked his dunk attempt. To hear Smith tell it, Jordan wasn’t happy after being shown up. That’s probably why we’ve never heard of Shannon Smith.

Granted MJ was ballin’ with his shirt tucked in his sweatpants but he still got his shot pinned by a high school kid. That’s why Kobe Bryant picks on people that have no shot against him.

South Park kicks off their 14th season tomorrow night and the first episode of the new campaign deals with sex addiction. Celebrity sex addiction to be more accurate. You already know Tiger Woods is going to be on South Park. The latest commercial for the season premiere shows Tiger with plenty of famous company including Michael Jordan, Ben Roethlisberger and David Letterman.

The Jordan-Roethlisberger connection makes sense for more than one reason. They’re both Nike guys and rumors suggests MJ is the ringleader of the athlete’s traveling sex circus. Jordan’s softball game in the Bahamas is a good example of this. There’s no sex in that video but you can how the boys (and Usual Suspects) pour out when Mike calls. Hopefully this South Park episode lives up to the hype.

Michael Jordan retired from the game of basketball for the first time on October 6, 1993, citing his lack of passion to play the game. Jordan was in his prime at 29 years old, had won seven scoring titles, and the Chicago Bulls had just won their third consecutive NBA championship with MJ as the Finals MVP. Mike and the Bulls had a chance to match the 1962-66 Boston Celtics by winning a fourth consecutive title, but instead Jordan chose to walk away.

Michael Jeffery Jordan. The man many think of as the most driven athlete of all-time suddenly lost his love for the game he was starting to dominate like no other. Imagine Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement after the 2002 season or after winning the title last year. It wouldn’t make sense. Guys like that always want more and know their place in history. They don’t leave the game until they’re a shell of themselves. Like Michael eventually did almost 10 years after his first retirement (and five years after his second retirement) in 2003.

Mike said he became burned-out on the game after leading the Dream Team to gold in the 1992 Olympics. That combined with his father’s death in the summer of 1993 could easily explain his desire to step away for awhile. At his press conference Jordan said he still would’ve have retired if his father had been alive and that media scrutiny didn’t play a role in his decision. This means Mike’s sole reason for leaving the NBA was a lack of desire.

The conspiracy theorists point to 1992-93 when making the case that Jordan was suspended from the NBA instead of willingly retiring. In 1992 a drug-dealer James “Slim” Bouler was found with a $57,000 check from Jordan. Michael initially said it was a business loan but under oath at Bouler’s drug and money-laundering trial he said it was payment for a weekend of gambling losses. That same year checks totaling $108,000 were found in the briefcase of murdered bail bondsman Eddie Dow. Again, Jordan attributed the payments to gambling losses. In 1993 San Diego businessman Richard Esquinas released a book, “Michael & Me: Our Gambling Addiction . . . My Cry For Help!”, in which he claimed to win $1.252 million over four years on the golf course with Jordan. Esquinas says MJ chipped the amount down to $900,000 and eventually agreed to a $300,000 payout. Michael would later say he only lost around $500,000 to Esquinas. It was also in 1993 when Jordan gambled at an Atlantic City casino late into the night before a playoff game against the Knicks. The NBA launched an investigation into Jordan’s gambling and the conspiracy theorists believe the findings led to his suspension. The NBA cleared Michael of any wrongdoing a few days after his retirement.

So was it a conspiracy? There’s no hard evidence that it was so I looked through the videos of Michael Jordan’s first retirement to see if anything stood out. A few things definitely did. Number one, MJ has become more comfortable with public speaking.

1. The first video starts with Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf explaining why Michael Jordan is retiring. He says he didn’t try to talk him out it and that Michael is doing the right thing.
2:00 MJ takes the mic for the first time.
2:12 He makes the distinction between not playing basketball and not playing basketball in the NBA.
He spends the rest of the time stating he doesn’t have the desire for the game anymore.

2. Mike starts this video by naming the things he’s going to miss about playing basketball, most notably “the things that men do in basketball.” Jordan means he’s going to miss the women and the nightlife.
1:44 Jordan says he hopes he doesn’t see the media in his retirement and that this is the first time he’s been around this much media without being involved in some sort of scandal.
3:12 Michael says he still plans to practice with the Bulls because “they haven’t banned me from practice like they have you guys [the media].”
4:22 He hasn’t ruled out a return to the game and that he’ll never say never.

3. Michael says he plans to relax in retirement and that he’ll play golf for fun but not professionally. The press conference suffers technical difficulties which lead Jordan, Reinsdorf, and the rest of the panel to believe the microphones are off. They’re not.
2:13 MJ smiles and shrugs after somebody jokes that he’s going to New York to play with Patrick Ewing. Then Reinsdorf says something to Michael that sounds like it starts with “Frank Thomas” and I swear I hear the word “contract” when the volume is cranked up. Jordan then says “I hope this works” before asking “are these things working?” in reference to the microphones. (The Big Hurt signed a new contract with the White Sox a couple of weeks after this press conference. The Sox were in the ALCS at the time and either reason could explain what Reinsdorf and Jordan are talking about.) The phrase “I hope this works” when MJ thought the microphones were off is sure to fuel the conspiracy side. The mic situation gets fixed and at five minutes into the video MJ talks about how he wants to be remembered.

4. Michael says it’s the perfect time for him to walk away.
1:07 He explains that he wanted to leave the game before his skills diminished. He’s obviously changed his position since then.
4:15 Johnny “Red” Kerr gets even with Jordan for all the talcum powder showers by clapping powder on MJ. From there Mike explains he didn’t call his retirement to upstage the White Sox in the playoffs.

5. Jordan continues with the no desire to play theme to start the video but by the end he’s taken another shot at the media, talked money, and joked about the gambling investigation.
:50 Michael speaks on the media again.
2:00 He says he’s not leaving because of money or because Larry Johnson got $84 million over 12 years.
4:41 Reinsdorf “I would say it’s a pretty good bet that nobody will wear number 23 on the Chicago Bulls again.” Jordan “That wasn’t a bet. He doesn’t bet.” The audience laughs.
5:55 Mike says he can’t think of playing for a team other than the Bulls.

6. The video starts with Michael saying people tried to talk him out of retiring but his mind was made up. From there he talks about his bromance with Charles Barkley.
1:07 Jordan talks about his friendship with Barkley and Ewing.
2:24 He says his decision to retire was made before his father’s death.
3:27 Mike says he has nothing left to prove in basketball.
4:52 Michael says he isn’t trying to be like Jim Brown by retiring in his prime.

7. Michael starts the last video by saying he has no interest in owning a team and then says “never say never” but it’s not something he desires and it looks like a lot of hard work. The final video contains the quote that the conspiracy theorists hang their argument on nine out of 10 times. “If David Stern let’s me..”
1:18 Jordan says their comes a time when you have to walk away from the games whether it’s by your choice or someone else’s.
2:46 Mike talks about the league surviving without him.
3:50 MJ says he doesn’t rule out coming back and then said this famous quote “Five years down the line, if the urge comes back, if the Bulls will have me, if David Stern lets me back in the league, I may come back.”

Michael mentioned more than once that he now had time to spend with his family since he was retiring. It took a little under six months for him to grow tired of his family and sign a deal with a Chicago White Sox minor league team. Jordan returned to the NBA March 18, 1995. If you believe he was suspended it probably started in September 1993 making it an 18-month suspension. If you believe he retired then Michael Jordan is a lot more wishy-washy than he’s perceived to be now. He retired two more times after this press conference but said last year don’t be surprised if he plays at 50. It’s hard to believe that a guy that can’t let go was able to do so with ease in the prime of his career.

Michael Jordan held a celebrity softball game on the grounds of the Atlantis hotel in the Bahamas. The rosters included Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Wayne Gretzky, Marcus Allen, Ben Roethlisberger, Spike Lee, Johnny Damon, Brandi Chastain, and Mia Hamm. If Michael Jordan asks you to be somewhere you have to be there. Unless you’re Tiger Woods. He gets a pass this year.

There are more pics from the game here. It’s a lot of the same people that played in MJ’s celebrity golf tournament. I look at those pictures and can only think one thing.. Rachel Uchitel, or somebody like her, made a killing that weekend… And not by selling autographed softball bats and balls.

Michael Jordan is suing two Chicago-area grocery stores for using his likeness in ads without his permission. The ads were to congratulate MJ for being accepted into the Basketball Hall of Fame but that’s not the point. Mike is about his chedda.

Grocers Jewel and Dominick’s are named in the suit for infringing on Jordan’s image.

From Chicago Breaking Sports:

Both suits, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, claim the ads, each congratulating Jordan on his long list of achievements, were actually clever and unauthorized ways of linking the former league-leading scorer to their stores.

In the Dominick’s ad, for example, the top half of the ad congratulates Jordan and features his trademark number, 23, while the bottom features a coupon on a Rancher’s Reserve steak, a trademark of Dominick’s parent company, Safeway.

Jordan was never contacted about the ad and would never be associated with the Dominick’s steaks, as it would conflict with steakhouses and a direct-mail steak business Jordan has lent his name to, the suit states.

Man the economy is affecting everybody. Gazillionaire Michael Jordan has to sue a couple of grocery stores and sell steaks online to make ends meet while his long-time running mate Charles Oakley explores a career as a fashion consultant. At least Mike has high expectations for his beef.

From MichaelJordanSteaks.com:

High Standards. Great Taste.
Michael Jordan has set a lasting standard of excellence to his every endeavor. Here, as in the restaurants that bear his name, Michael Jordan presents excellence in steaks.

Sourced from the top beef purveyors in the country, Michael Jordan Signature Steaks are branded with quality, consistency and delicious flavor to ensure a whole-hearted experience.

Michael Jordan joined Miami Heat President Pat Riley for the Cleveland Cavaliers-Miami Heat game. I know people are gonna find it strange that MJ was at the game since he’s the head of basketball operations for the Charlotte Bobcats, but think about it. The ‘cats played in Detroit. Why would Jordan wanna freeze his ass off watching two going-nowhere teams when he could chill on South Beach, and swing by the University of Central Florida to finalize the sneaker deal?

It’s great to see the four of them together.