“We’ve had many Democratic presidents, and we will still have our guns”-Tony ViessmanWhen AllHipHop was in Denver we quickly stumbled over a base of support for Senator Barak Obama during the Democratic National Convention. Rednecks For Obama. Unable to speak to them at the time, we quickly snapped a picture of these two gentlemen, but they left an impression on us. After a couple of weeks and a few seconds of searching, we realize these guys are the real deal. “We hunt, fish, drink beer and support Barack Obama,” Tony Viessman told the New York Times last month. The 74-year old former Hillary Clinton supporter hails from from Rolla, Mo and has attended several events supporting Obama.Right now, the movement only consists of two members, Viessman and his friend Les. (seen in the picture below). The pair have adopted the motto ““We Hunt, Fish, Drink Beer and Support Barack Obama.” Viessman admits most of his hunting/fishing/drinking peers are not Obama supporters (there are some though), but that hasn’t prevented him from supporting the Democratic presidential candidate.“Rednecks for Obama” formally announced its presence outside the Pepsi Center during the Democratic National Convention coupled wth a hug banner that cause a lot of chatter and questions. Viessman owns 10 guns, hunts fishes and loves to drink beer, much of which is contrary to Obama’s ideals. Nevertheless, the Rednecks for Obama can see past these differences. “I don’t care about his beer, I care about his intelligence,” he said.Although their formal ranks are low, Obama appears to have an understated appeal in rural areas. One reader said, “Here in rural Appalachia, I see Obama stickers on pickup trucks and Obama yard signs on back country roads every single day.”The last word goes to Tony Viessman.”He is brilliant.  And he’s not an elitist, though he has the education to be”If you are a redneck (or not) and want a free bumper sticker to express your support, click here. (AllHipHop does not support or endorse the claims of Rednecks-4-Obama.com) “Rednecks for Obama” (Photo: Jae C. Hong/Associated Press)  WHOEVER YOU SUPPORT, CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TO VOTE!

The first week of the 2008-09 NFL season started out as one big episode of Gomer Pyle.  There was a lot of “golly” and “surprise, surprise, surprise”. Some of the biggest stories coming out of last weekend were injury related. There were plenty of them in Week 01 and the seasonal forecast for a few teams went from sunny to cloudy.  Here’s a look at some of the injuries from Week 01 courtesy of ESPN.com: Injury Report                     Brady, Merriman; done for the year     Colston, Young; missing action as well     Since we’re on the subject of Vince Young, let’s look at his past week. There was talk about his role on the team after a two interception performance on Sunday. Then, had his family worrying about his well being, the comments his mother, and now there’s talk of suicide from his therapist. V.Y. spoke to the media and cleared the air about the entire situation before the suicide story broke this weekend.     It seems as though Young is going through some serious issues. How much truth there is behind his situation remains to be seen, but whenever the word “suicide” is brought into the conversation, there’s always reason for concern. Hopefully he can get things straight in his life and get back to the field.   For the rest of the injury report, click here.   ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week Poll Answers Rivalry Week 8 of the 16 games this weekend are rivalry games.  So you know that Week 02 will have some sparks.  Speaking of rivalries, “The Professor”, John Clayton, did a list of the 5 best modern rivalries in the NFL. His list, in this order, is:   New England Patriots/Indianapolis Colts Dallas Cowboys/Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers /Cleveland Browns New York Jets/New England Patriots Minnesota Vikings/Green Bay Packers   So I ask you, based on Clayton’s list, which rivalry is the best in the NFL at the moment?   Poll Answers ALLHipHop.com Game of the Week Monday Night Football, 9/15/08, 8:30pm Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium, Irving, TX My Pick: Cowboys     Oh really? Apparently she didn’t learn her lesson from last year’s match-up at Texas Stadium between these two teams. Does this mean she’s the “kiss of death” for the Cowboys? No, she’s not.  She’s just a scapegoat when the team has a bad game and she’s in attendance. Plus, it makes for great jokes about Tony Romo.  The Cowboys are fine, but they better not take this game lightly.   The Eagles are riding high with their win last Sunday against the Rams. Donovan McNabb looked like the McNabb of old and the defense was as hard hitting as ever. You would think that Buddy Ryan was back as the head coach of the Eagles with the way they were laying out people.  Ask Steven Jackson. Jackson did hold on to the ball after the hit from Sheldon Brown, unlike Reggie Bush.   Here’s a look at the rest of the schedule:   Sunday 9/14/08 1pm Games   Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium Kansas City, MO My Pick: Chiefs   Reports have surfaced that there’s some discord in the Raiders’ organization.  Nooooo, there’s discord in the Raider organization? That’s inconceivable.   Damon Huard will get the start for the injured Brodie Croyle in this Sunday’s match-up. That’s better than nothing. With the way the Broncos threw the ball all over the place in last Monday’s match-up against the Raiders, don’t be surprised if the Chiefs do the same this Sunday against their old AFL rivals.   Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions Ford Field Detroit, MI My Pick: Packers   If Aaron Rodger’s play in last week’s game, is any indication of what’s in store the Packers this season, then look for a “Burn Brett Favre Jersey” night at Lambeau Field. The kid was sharp last week and Packer fans may soon forget the number “4” if he keeps it up.   The Lions let “Burner” Turner run for 220 yards with 2 TDs last week. This week they face off against the Packers’ Ryan Grant, if he’s healthy, and he’s been known to be explosive once the running game is established for Green Bay.  Not a good look for the Lions this weekend.  Look for the Lions to go 0-2 after Sunday.   Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals  Paul Brown Stadium Cincinnati, OH My Pick: Titans   With V.Y. out with his knee injury, veteran Kerry Collins will start for the Titans.  As insurance, the Titans also signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB, Chris Simms. Some people are happy with Collins getting the start because he’s a “pocket-passer” and many believe that the Titans’ offense is built for such a quarterback. We’ll see.   For now, the Titans should win this game. They held off a very good Jaguars team in last week’s match-up. This Bengals squad is nowhere near as good as the Jags, so this should be a sure win for the Titans.   The Bengals have no rushing attack and the Titans have one of the best rushing defenses in the league. As long as Collins don’t over think and do too much in this game, the Titans will have this one.    Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC My Pick: Bears   The Panthers pulled out a surprise win last Sunday against the Chargers while the Bears brought it to the Colts last Sunday Night.  Two teams, whose defense had been questioned for most of the pre-season, really stepped up their games last Sunday.   The Bears seem to have some stability at the QB position and a solid running game, for now. Also, the defense looked very strong against the Colts. I’m not sold on the Panthers just yet.  They played hard against the Chargers but the defense is still questionable and […]

    When Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, are on the same screen for two hours, you pay attention. You pay attention to their swagger, their aging features, and their maneuvers, even their gestures.  By today’s end, millions will be paying attention in the new film Righteous Kill, due in theatres today nationwide. Although Robert De Niro (Detective Turk) gets top billing in this one, it’s Al Pacino (Detective Rooster) who steals the show in this gripping, cop-gone-bad, thriller.   The plot is simple enough: two long-time homicide detectives have come upon their final murder investigation. The investigation starts with a single murder, which turns into two and by the middle of the film, raises to fourteen and a full-blown serial killing spree.   Detective Rooster is the cool partner between the two; concealing his anger with a nod, a quick witted comeback line or a hand gesture in court and in the field. Turk is the hot head, violently sexing it up with the female investigator (Carla Gugino), and losing his head when murderers and rapists get off on legal technicalities.   Along with Turk and Rooster, we have Det. Simon Perez (John Leguizamo), and Det. Ted Riley(Donnie Wahlberg), who share screen time as department rivals and co-horts in search for the killer. Perez plays counter Turk, whom he believes to be the actual serial killer. The eruptive scenes between the two are some of the most riveting scenes in the movie.   It’s almost too obvious that Perez has solved the crime but can’t seem to find the needed evidence. He and Turk argue with each other as if they have hated each other for years, yet beneath the hostility, anger, and resentment, they are bound by the badge.      Righteous Kill will make you think twice about the police and your respect for what they do and how they perform their jobs. If a rapist goes free, yet ends up dead the next day, was that justice or a righteous kill? You decide.   Curtis Jackson (50 Cent) has third billing after De Niro and Pacino in the opening credits. He portrays the drug dealing club owner Spider, whom the detectives are trying to take down throughout the movie. His lines and performance is minimally entertaining at best.   In a nutshell, this film is a definite for De Niro and Pacino fans. Although they’re getting older and wiser, their presence on the scene is still captivating. You can’t help but be riveted by their performances and rustle with the fact that they represent a dying form of righteousness.  

Get your wax into the digital world.Yes vinyl lovers, the 12” isn’t dead just yet. But the MP3 juggernaut is undeniable—ask iTunes making that cash, and the majors bleeding it while they try to catch up.However, one need not exist with the other and with ION’s iPTUSB turntable in your possession you can take those rare records with you on the go, without the backpain. The iPT is exactly what it says on the box, a portable turntable pluggable into any computer with a USB and in turn also a vinyl archiver that allows you to digitize your music into MP3 form.The actual turntable is functional and gets the job done. Basically built out of plastic it’s not super rugged but its small size makes it portable enough to take on record digging missions (it can run on six (6) D batteries, word to Radio Raheem). Since the turntable can be used for self if a computer isn’t in your budget it features knobs for pitch, tone and “audio” (read: volume). The built in speaker leaves much to be desired but it has headphone inputs and can easily be connected to whatever your current audio set up may be via RCA inputs. Of course, the platter can rotate at 33, 45 and even 78. The hardware is accompanied by a few key software programs, EZ Vinyl Converter for PC users and EZ Audio Converter for Mac users and Audacity for either platform [Ed. Note: these programs were tested on a MacBook after having issues on an iMac]. EZ Converter is geared to the layman and it pretty straightforward. Simply install the software from the included disc, start the program and it walks you through the process. Here is a vinyl rip of underground NYC group (circa ’95) Ten Thieves’ banger “It Don’t Matter.” Haven’t been able to find a MP3 of it though the quality is just ‘okay’. It Dont Matter – Ten ThievesOnce you have “uploaded” the song, EZ Audio Converter imports the file to your iTunes with the click of an icon. The interface is bare bones so if you’re looking to tweak your songs by removing popping sounds, static, etc., then you can use Audacity to do so. It would be the best way to clean up your tunes as you get ready to flip samples, if you have a production jones.As a standalone player we paired linked the turntable with a pair of these Alesis M1Active 320 monitors (left, MSRP $200 but you can cop them for half of that) for a thumping combination. These relatively small but effective speakers plug right into your computer’s USB port to help you realize what your MP3 stash is supposed to sound like. At the price (MSRP $130 but you can find it online for about $100, probably less if you’re savvy) the ION iPTUSB turntable is a pretty good deal with plenty of bang for your buck.

As Black people in America, we have an obligation not only to those who have sacrificed before us, but to those who come after us to both honor what was given up and to provide more to those who are next.   As we evolve and progress in this country we come to a very interesting point in our history as the past few years have offered evidence both to the affirmative and negative of whether racism still exists. As Barack Obama stands with a legitimate chance to become President of the United States, we commemorate the 3 year anniversary of katrina, and the federal government’s lack of response.   As citizens who have been treated as second class for so long, and often seeing a different America than the one broadcast around the world, we take different stances on how we view this nation.  Some see America as a nation rife with hypocrisy, where you can pay taxes and work as hard as you can and still get harassed by police, live in violence plagued neighborhoods, and earn less for the same jobs while having less opportunity than our White counterparts.   Others see the glass as half full. They recognize the gains that Blacks have made in the 43 or so years since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (the true end of slavery and admission to majority citizenship).  They acknowledge the gains of People like Dick Parsons and Kenneth Chenault, Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, not as token examples of appeasement, but as monumental, legitimate blows to a white washed establishment.   What short circuits both of these views, and to an extent even any common ground is the search for racism in everything. Like the boy who cried wolf, the repeated cries numb people to reacting when it actually does exist.    As it pertains to Saturday’s editorial, I disagree with its basic premise. I don’t believe that the Republican party is anymore racist than the rest of society and the Democratic Party in particular. Depending on your perspective, which is more humane: being fed daily at someone else’s discretion, or being taught to cook with brutal efficiency, learn or lose? There are people who would line up on either side depending on their temperment.  What if they decide they don’t want to feed you anymore and decide to feed someone else? Conversely what if you aren’t fast enough to learn to cook the way it’s beind taught? Both valid retorts to the above stances.   This November you will have a choice in the most pivotal election in your lives. This isn’t a vote or die commercial.  I’m not on anyone’s payroll. But it is important that you look at the issues as they pertain to your families and your children and you vote for the candidate whose platform more closely services your concerns.  John McCain is a war hero.  So is Jose who just spent two tours of duty in Iraq while his children grow up with an absentee father and his wife is home alone.  That doesn’t qualify you necessarily to be president.  Learn to see through that.   Conversely, just because you deliver a speech better than 99% of the people who ever walked the face of the Earth, that doesn’t necessarily qualify you either.  You can move men to ill as easily as for good, so the charisma and leadership presence by itself doesn’t make you the right choice either.   This isn’t about a finding Black Messiah.  It’s about your home.  This weekend news came out that the federal government is taking control of Fannie Mae and Freedie Mac. Those aren’t farmers, they are who control most of the mortgage paper out there.  So not only are you paying for the earlier bailout, you can tack on probably another $25-$50 Billion once we find out how much bad paper they are actually holding.  So far, neither of the candidates has said anything about how they are going to deal with this.   The U.S. is no longer able to be an isolated economy so you as workers and especially your children will be competing in a global marketpalce with people who work longer hours without health insurance or unions bolstering their pay rates.  We got robots and unfortunately illegals are being exploited, so the opportunity for you to make money doing menial jobs is decreasing by the second.  Who is going to better prepare your children to make anough to feed their families?   There is a school voucher debate going on with both candidates taking positions on the issue but they aren’t really talking about it in the press.  Hopefully during the debates they will shed some light on their stances and you as a citizen will be able to make an informed observation. Will they open up opportunity for porrer families to participate in private schools, or will it behave like college where the private institution hike the tuition as the government subsidies rise?  If you have school-age children then that’s an important issue as your children have to be armed properly in order to compete in a global marketplace.   In conclusion, do yourselves and America a great service.  Tune out the Barack Muslim talk. Tune out the Palin five kids talk.  Tune out the McCain old man talk.  If you buy into that, then the mythical “they” have you right where “they” want you.  And “They” only care about green. Not the save the environment kind of green either. Really look at the issues at hand and vote. Protect your interests.  Protect your families. Protect America.  Vote on the issues. No matter who that person you select is.  

EXCLUSIVE Interview with Lightweight Champion Nate Campbell IBF, WBA, and WBO champ Nate “The Galaxxy Warrior” Campbell is currently in training for a September 13 grudge match against Joan Guzman. Completely focused on unifying the lightweight division, Campbell has promised to take out all the top fighters willing to face him in the ring. Graciously taking time with me before going out on a late night training run, Nate Campbell in this exclusive Knockout Nation interview talks about his rivals, the politics of boxing, and the one time he didn’t want to keep fighting in the ring. Knockout Nation: You’re now entering your last week of preparation for Joan Guzman, how has your training camp been overall? Campbell: It’s going great, man. I had a good group of guys with me from the trainers on down through the sparring partners. Of course with [trainer] John David Jackson we’re always doing our thing together. KN: There’s been a lot of trash talk back and forth between you and Guzman, with him even commenting on your recent marriage and using pictures of your ceremony. Are you taking this fight personally or do you just look at as business since people are speculating his management wrote the releases? Campbell: It’s always “personal business” with me. I know he hasn’t been saying most of the stuff; the people around him are going to do what they do. It’s to be expected, it’s boxing. KN: Guzman has fast hands but he’s prone to brawl and leaves himself open on the inside. Are you banking on taking advantage on the inside or are you looking more so to take the fight outside? Campbell: I’m not worried about what he’s gonna do because whatever he does I’m going to make it work for me. At this point he’s gonna do what he’s gonna do and I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do. At the end of the day, it’s a fight! KN: The last couple of years you’ve made it a habit of taking the 0s away from young, undefeated fighters. Do you think fans and media are prone to overrating fighters with undefeated resumes and not looking at the substance behind the records they bring to the ring? Campbell: They’ve always overrated guys. I just fight my fight. You are going to have to prove it to me [that you can fight]. KN: Because they’re so many titles and organizations out there, people have begun to look to RING magazine and the linear title to decide who the champ is. Since Golden Boy now owns RING magazine, that can be faulty as well. Talk a little about how the RING title is not the best system especially in your lightweight division. Campbell: First of all the RING is p##### off at me because I said “just because you have the RING belt doesn’t make you really the champion.” That’s my opinion. It doesn’t matter who has [that] belt or doesn’t. I’m the best lightweight in the world, like it or not. The belt I have doesn’t matter. You want to argue, that’s cool. Who has most of the belts? KN: That would be you. Campbell: Ok, then. KN: Do you have a pick for the Katsidis-Diaz fight coming up? Campbell: I haven’t stopped to think about that one. [It’s] two guys that I don’t care about. KN: You’re a student of boxing history. What do you notice as the biggest difference in boxing now from a few decades ago? Campbell: The undefeated record makes you a god in the eyes of people today. And all that is just fancy matchmaking. Back in the day you could have losses. Rocky Graziano finished his career at 67-10-6. And he’s in the Hall of Fame. Now, if you have a “0” in your record you must be great.  My goal is to show what my experience level is. KN: Let’s go back to the first Robbie Peden fight in 2004. Everyone derided you for dropping your hands and letting him hit you. Did you use that fight as inspiration because it seems like you gained a whole new focus after that bout.     Campbell: It was a great but grave defeat. If it wasn’t for that fight, I wouldn’t be world champion. I learned from the fight. And with boxing, it is what it is. KN: Not too many people talk about it anymore but you’ve referenced your hardest mental fight was against Ricky Quiles. Not because you were being physically pushed, but because it was obvious he had nothing left and was taking a beating round after round. How hard was it to continue doing your job when you knew the man in front of you had nothing left and couldn’t defend himself? Campbell: It was never hard [to keep punching] except for that fight. Before if a guy stopped punching, it would never bother me to keep throwing until there was nothing left. KN: A lot of experts picked Juan Diaz over you because of your age. However, you always point out that even though you’re older you have less wear and tear on you than most young fighters because you started your professional career in your late 20’s. Do you feel that’s given you an advantage along with your experience over the competition? Campbell: That’s one specific reason why. They keep making me out to be this old guy when I’m not. I’ve always taken care of myself in and out of the ring. KN: If you could change three things in boxing today to improve it, what would those things be? Campbell: The best should fight the best. I want the networks like NBC to get back in boxing. And fighters should be rewarded for winning fights, not given politics. KN: You did great commentating on ESPN2 a few weeks back. Is that a possible post-fight career option? Campbell: Thanks. Definitely, that’s one of the things I want to get into after my career […]

The opinions expressed in the following editorial do not necessarily reflect those of AllHipHop, its employees or its agents.   It’s hard to be a person of color in the United States.   Some of you will find the above statement incredibly banal. I know I do. To me, saying that racism is still alive is just like saying that the sky is blue or that water is wet. But like stating that George W. Bush lied us into the Iraq War even the most banal statements are true and they need to be repeated at the top of your lungs from the highest mountain.   It’s hard to be a person of color in the United States.   What makes it hard? Obviously racism comes in different forms, from violence to silent discrimination. It can come in a cold stare, in an off the cuff joke, or in just a word, but fundamentally what it all boils down to is respect. Jesus Christ once summed up inter-personal relations by saying, “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” Just show people the same respect you’d like and everything will be all good. Yet in America we still have a deep seated disrespect towards people of color that pervades everything. Usually this disrespect is under the table, hidden from the rest of the world, in the backrooms, the smoke filled dens, but occasionally it works its way to the light. And when it does it seems to find itself under the spotlight of the Republican Party.   A disclaimer before I begin: Am I saying that Democrats aren’t racist? No. Am I saying that racism doesn’t present itself in more virulent forms in groups other than the GOP? No. But, of the so-called mainstream political parties in America today, there is a swiftly amassing collection of evidence that the Republicans are a party of, to put it lightly, racist tendencies that are unabashed and proud.   The GOP claims to be the party of Lincoln, hiding under the Emancipator’s coattails every time they want to flash their civil rights credentials, but since LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act it seems that the worst elements of prejudice have fled to the Republicans who welcomed them with open arms. No more the party of Lincoln, the GOP is the party of Strom Thurmond, who ran for president on a platform of racial segregation, and Trent Lott, who on Thurmond’s one hundredth birthday said that America would be a better place if Thurmond had of been elected. The GOP is the party of Jesse Helms, who after dying months ago was regaled by the GOP as a bastion of the party. This was a man who was a raging homophobe and racist. This is party that called poor black mothers “Welfare Queens”, and who used fear of black males to win elections.      And all this brings us to the 2008 Republican National Convention, which should now and forever be known as the 2008 Republican Disrespect Convention. What was on parade in the last three days was some of the vilest and most insulting rhetoric ever seen on the national political stage. Time and time again Obama was dragged through the mud of condensation and sarcasm. When they weren’t calling him uppity they were attacking him as an elitist and when they weren’t saying he lacked experience they claimed what experience he had didn’t matter. According to Sarah Palin, “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.” According to Rudy Giuliani, Obama’s biography should be mocked as he sneered in the tone reserved for Don King, “Only in America.”   Now compare that to the Democratic Convention. Sure there were some red meat attacks. Sure they tied McCain to Bush, and yes they even made fun of the fact that McCain didn’t know how many houses he had. But when they spoke of McCain’s character they praised him for his service to America and his time as a POW, even when liberals said to keep their traps shut about it. They showed decency and, more importantly, respect. Yet is seems that the entire Republican party is incapable of showing Obama even a modicum of value and I can’t help thinking that much of this, if not all, is fueled by racism.   It’s not to say that McCain has much of a choice at this point. The Titanic had more hope than the GOP at this moment (hey, at least the ship had lifeboats). He’s got to swing for the rafters and hope that he can tear down Obama enough to get ahead, but in this case he can’t see the forest for the trees, and to win an election he’s ready to alienate every person of color in this country to motivate his ‘base,’ and I think we know who they are.   But I have a sense, and it’s only a feeling, that this time it won’t work. This time the character of the candidates, their intelligence, and their visions are just so unbalanced that the choice is becoming more and more obvious. I have a feeling that after eight years of the most incompetent, ignorant and downright delusional leadership in American history, people are fed up with the same old s###, and Lord knows, racism is the epitome of the same old s###. And finally I don’t think it will work because their complete disrespect for Obama flies in the face of truth. Recently I saw a press conference with Paul Azinger, who’s leading the Ryder Cup for America this year. When asked about the absence of Tiger Woods from his roster he said, and I paraphrase slightly, “It’s going to be hard not to have what is disputably the best player on Earth on your…wait, I mean it’s hard not to have the best player on Earth today, disputably the best player ever…” My father […]

It’s here!!! It’s time to pull out the team hoodies, t-shirts, and hats. It’s Kickoff Weekend!!!  I’m as happy as John Madden watching Brett Favre play football.  What better way to start off the 2008-09 NFL season than Thursday Night Football featuring the defending champs facing off against a divisional foe?   Before we get into the games, there are a few things we need to go over.   You meant Ochenta y Cinco, right? Now I failed Spanish in High School, but even I knew that “Ocho Cinco” meant “Eight-Five” and not “Eighty Five”. Apparently not Chad Javon Johnson. Last week Chad legally changed his name Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in the great state of Florida.  Not surprising that the state of Florida would co-sign on the name change considering that this is the home of one of the biggest screw-ups in the history of American politics. Go figure.    Now I already gave my two-cents on the situation on my blog, but I will ask this; there was nothing else you could have done better with your time than change your name?  On top of that, you used the wrong pronunciation.  Really? Word? This is life now? Focus on the game man, this extra stuff is the reason why you have issues with your head coach.   I will say this, it wouldn’t surprise me if word came out that the “big wigs” in the NFL’s Offices weren’t too happy about the name change despite the fact that this will be a major money maker in terms of marketing and sales of Johnson’s…excuse me, Ocho Cinco’s Bengals jerseys.        O-lineman shot in Jacksonville Jacksonville Jaguar’s OT Richard Collier was shot several times Tuesday morning in a downtown-suburban area of Jacksonville.    Collier and former Jaguars’ D-end Kenneth Pettway were waiting for two females they met at a club outside of an apartment complex when Collier’s Cadillac Escalade was swarmed by gunfire around 2:45 a.m., Tuesday morning.   Collier is the 3rd NFL player who has sustained injury from gunfire in the last year and a half. (Darrent Williams and Sean Taylor in 2007)   Nowadays, if it’s not an athlete who is involved in a shooting, it’s an athlete being robbed at gun point. The question that has to be asked is, “what can be done to stop this?”   If an athlete goes out and gets a security crew, then the press will be all over them about their “entourage”.  If the team or league installs a curfew for the players, then you’ll have players hollering about the fact that they are grown men and should not have a curfew.  This is a no win situation at the moment and something has to be done before there’s no more athletes left to play the game.   Our prayers go out to the family, friends and teammates of Richard Collier.   Vote for the ALLHipHop.com Game of the Week for Week 02of the NFL   Poll Answers With that aside, let pick some games:   Thursday Night Game 9/04/08   7:00 PM Washington Redskins at New York Giants Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ My Pick: Giants   It’s the season opener folks.  The season has begun and I’m going with the G-men in this game despite the hit they took on defense with the loss of Osi Umenyiora.   Although the key to the G-men’s success is their defense, I’m focusing on their offense this year. With no real leader on defense, it’s the offense’s time to step up.   I’m not sold on the Skins this season. There’s something about the Skins that just doesn’t fit right.  Although the Skins hired Jim Zorn as their head coach after the departure of Joe Gibbs, it’s something about their defense that’s missing. Their defense just doesn’t look strong enough to rock out in the NFC East. Playing in the NFC East, you’re defense has to be on point and this year, I don’t see big things coming from the Skins defense.   Sunday 9/07/08   1pm Games Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints SuperdomeNew Orleans, LA My Pick: Saints   At the moment, the Bucs are the current NFC South Champs. I don’t see it being their year to repeat as conference champs this season. The Saints made some moves during the offseason when they traded for TE Jeremy Shockey. With a healthy Deuce McAllistar in the mix, this offense is scary.   Hurricane Gustav may have thrown the Saints off schedule this week, but come Sunday, I believe the Saints will come marching into victory.   St. Louis Rams at Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA My Pick: Eagles   I’m actually very intrigued with this game. Both teams are about the same on offense, but the Eagles look a little stronger on defense with the addition of Asante Samuels.  The Rams did use their top draft picks on defense, but the Eagles are just a little stronger. Defense wins games, so I’m going with the Eagles on this one.   Take note; if both of these teams can stay healthy and shake off the injury bug that they suffered last season, the Eagles and the Rams can be a problem for a number of teams in the league.   New York Jets at Miami     Dolphin StadiumMiami, FL My Pick: Jets   I’m also very intrigued with this game as well. The back story behind this match-up is what makes this game interesting.  We know what happen with Favre and we know what happened to Chad once Favre became a Jet.  Now the two will face off in Week 01. This is so exciting!!!!   During the pre-season, both 1st team offenses looked good. Both teams moved the ball well on the ground and through the air.  So defense will be the key for victory in this game. The Jets have the better defense in this game, therefore, the Jets will win.   Kansas […]

De La Hoya, Pacquiao Set to Battle on December 6   The legal wrangling and cryptic statements to the press are now over. Last Thursday (August 28), Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquaio formally announced plans to meet on December 6 for a super fight to be contested at the welterweight limit.   The bout was supposedly “dead” not even two weeks ago, and is now projected to gross more than $100 million.   In a teleconference call with media, both fighters explained their reasons for finally accepting the contest.   “I am older, I’m bigger and he’s younger and the pound-for-pound champion. But when people started saying ‘Manny can beat you, Manny can knock you out’ and Freddie Roach started saying, ‘Oscar can’t pull the trigger anymore,’ it started to become a challenge to me,” Oscar stated. “And now, it is very personal, especially when Manny Pacquiao beats all the legendary Mexican fighters. To me, it’s a challenge, especially because people are talking about Manny Pacquiao can beat me. We’ll see Dec. 6.”   For Pacquiao, the Filipino star sees the fight as one that will secure his legacy as an all time great fighter.   “This is my greatest challenge. When I take that walk to the ring to fight Oscar, I will carry all the people of the Philippines, the entire country, on my shoulders,” an impassioned Pacquaio revealed. “I promise I will fight with all of my heart and that I will give everything I have. Like my trainer Freddie Roach says, I have what it takes to win the biggest fight of my life.”   Pacquiao is coming off an impressive stoppage of David Diaz in June at 135 pounds, while De La Hoya won lopsided albeit lackluster decision over Steve Forbes at welterweight in May.   Pacquiao will jump two weight classes to the welterweight limit of 147 pounds and also concede four inches in height. Ever the strategist, the Golden Boy made sure to secure the bout with 8 ounce gloves which normally benefit punchers and larger fighters.   As expected hardcore fight fans have expressed their dissatisfaction with this fight taking place over more deserving challengers in each fighter’s weight class (Nate Campbell, Antonio Margarito etc). But we all know like every other mega fight we’ll be glued to the TV come December 6, especially after the inevitable blitzkrieg of promotion through such vehicles as HBO’s 24/7 series.   The one good thing I can see coming out of this is that if Manny can pull off the upset, it’s a sure bet that Floyd Mayweather would come out of the retirement to face him. Freddie Roach is on record as pushing that bout as well should Pacquiao take out the Golden Boy. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.     Calderon Retains Light Flyweight Title   Pound-for-pound elite Ivan Calderon again turned back his toughest challenger Hugo Cazares in controversial fashion, securing a technical decision due to an accidental clash of heads in the seventh round.   Calderon bagged the early rounds with his usual superb defense and counter-punching. In many instances Cazares was visibly frustrated and resorted to rushing Calderon in hopes of landing a home run shot.   Cazares started to gain some traction in round six, landing some thudding shots to the head and body.   Unfortunately, an accidental head butt opened a nasty, blood spurting cut on Calderon’s forehead.   In accordance to the rules the bout went to scorecards, which all favored Calderon 67-66 and 68-68 twice.   Due to the controversial nature of this bout, it would not be surprising to see these two lock horns again.   With the win Calderon retains the WBO 108 pound title and ups his record to 32-0, 6 KOs. Hugo Cazares falls to 26-5-1, 19 KOs.     Margarito-Clottey II Targeted as November PPV   With De La Hoya officially off the market, disgruntled welterweight champ Antonio Margarito now has to focus back on defending his crown against the talented top 10 of his division.   However, Margarito couldn’t resist some parting shots at the man he’s been calling out since defeating Miguel Cotto last month.   “How is it possible that Oscar is going to fight with a fighter who used to be a flyweight?” Margarito fumed to boxingscene.com. “This is all about money. There is no title at stake. He fights him, but he doesn’t dare fight me. I don’t want to see the fight. Honestly it doesn’t interest me. Oscar deserves no respect.”   Ironically, Margarito only called out De La Hoya for money, the same reason he is deriding Oscar for. But all is forgiven since the champ will likely be facing tough Ghanaian Johsua Clottey this November.   In their 2006 bout, Clottey dominated Margarito in the early rounds with exceptional lateral movement and stinging counterpunching.   But a hand injury at the end of the fourth round handicapped Clottey against a surging Margarito who overtook the second half of the bout and secured the decision. Since then, Clottey has been adamant that he would’ve cruised to victory without the injury.   Margarito has improved significantly since that fight, particularly the fact he’s shortened his previously wide, looping punches. The bout with Cotto is a clear example of this, as Antonio secured the first knockdown with tight left and right uppercuts on the inside.   This fight will be competitive, but Clottey is too defensive minded and routinely lulls into periods of inactivity. Expect Margarito to take a clear decision which hopefully leads to showdown with Paul Williams early next year.     Heavyweight Results   This past Saturday (August 30) saw two heavyweights make comebacks in hopes of making noise in their woeful division.   Former WBO champ Lamon Brewster scored a 5th round KO over journeyman Danny Batchelder, picking up the fringe NABA heavyweight title. The bout marks Brewster’s first since being stopped by Wladimir Klitschko last July.   Towering 7-foot […]

Wow!!!  There is honestly no other way to start this without thanking AllHipHop.com for this opportunity. I especially wanna thank my dude Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur for seeing my vision and being more than just talk (unlike the d**kheads that saturate the industry today).  So before I tell you about this new column and how you will benefit from it, I’m gonna take a minute to introduce myself and share with you what qualifies me for a column of this magnitude. I am professionally known as “Kangol Kid” and I am a member of one of the first nationally recognized rap groups.  The group was UTFO (Untouchable Force Organization) and was made popular by the mid 80’s classic “Roxanne, Roxanne”.  In that I song, I said, “Baby don’t you know/I could sing, rap and dance in just one show.” No other lyric has ever been truer in describing my abilities as a performer.  At the age of eight as an avid AM radio listener, I decided to become an entertainer, began singing and wrote my first Pop song “Rain Go Away.”  By the age of 16, I had become the most popular rapper/breakdancer in my hood of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York as well as won a dance contest at Radio Music Hall which led me to become the first dancer ever for a rap group. The group was Whodini (“Friends,,” “Freaks Come Out At Night”) which allowed me to travel the world with them as we introduced foreigners to Hip-Hop.Whodini “Freaks Come Out At Night” Video At the age of 17, I signed my first recording contract (as a minor and without a lawyer present) which led my group and me to our legendary status with accomplishments such as:•        First Rap Group to appear/perform at the world famous Apollo Theater.•        First rap group to record an R&B Love Ballad (“Fairytale Lover”)•        First rap group to integrate Rap with Reggae (“Pick Up The Pace”)•        First Breakdancers to appear on a national talk show (Phil Donahue (see video below) •        First Dancers for a rap group (Whodini)•        First rap group Rap & Breakdance Group•        First Haitian-American rap artist (Kangol Kid)•        First Hip-Hop Beef (UTFO vs. Roxanne Shante (see video below))  •        One of Hip-Hop’s First Sex Symbols (Kangol according to The Source Magazine)•        ….and the only group ever to have over 25 remakes to a record in one year (The Roxanne Phenomenon) which is worthy of appearing in the Guinness Book of World Records.  Though being a rap star was fun, that s**t was absolutely hard work and nothing like I dreamt it would be. I wish someone would have schooled me before I became this dude.  For example:  I thought making a girl faint would be the coolest thing in the world, until one day while in an arena before our show, I wander away from backstage into an area that I had no business being in and found myself among the fans that came to see us.  This one chick saw me and began screaming with excitement while crying happy-tears and within seconds she fainted then hit the ground HARD and passed the f**k Out.  As I reached down to help her, security guards ran toward us while yelling at me.  I explained that I was just trying to help her up and they angrily replied, “If she wakes up and sees you…she’s gonna pass out again.”  I was like, Duh?  They’re f**kin’ right.  I was then forced to leave the area like I had committed some crime.  Honestly, I was guilty of not understanding how the world viewed celebrity status and with no one to teach me any better, I continued to make more mistakes that can not be taught in any school or by any teacher.  This brings me to why I’ve decided to take on this project. I’ve been in this entertainment business for 25 years.  I am a father to my three sons.  My daddy skills is a combination of Mr. Huxtable meets Damon Wayans in “My Wife and Kids” meets Joe Jackson. As an official “Hip-Hop Pop”, I know what it takes to penetrate the entertainment industry and how to achieve that well-needed initial recognition.  That first impression is truly everything. Unfortunately, record companies find it no longer necessary to provide a true Artist Development division to prepare our up & coming artists for the challenges they face ahead.  If you’re like most starving artists, you can’t afford a lawyer nor do you know where to find publishers, promoters and/or proper management, and you don’t know where else turn and get the answers you need to succeed.  Well today we’re changing that. Introducing … “Yo Kangol”- The industry’s informative-advice column for aspiring artists that has found their talent but cannot find the answer of what to do with their God given talents.  This column is NOT for the stars and will not feature the stars.  This column is for the “Star Maker.”  The individuals whose titles mean nothing to the fans, but means everything towards one generating their own fans.  The A&R Department, Program Director, Choreographer, Manager, Designers, Stylists, Make-Up Artists, Sound Engineer, Video Director, Music Publisher, Photographer, Event Planners, Promoters… and more are never recognized for their contributions.  Fortunately, they will be the focus in this column as they help mold you into individuals that better understand and respect this culture. So how do we get started?  It’s simple.  Ask me anything.  You’ll notice that I am well versed in Language Arts as well as an Ebonic Scholar (LOL).  I swear like a sailor while verbally disarming you like an attorney. Just think of me as your Hip-Hop Dr. Phil and ask me questions like: Yo Kangol, My producer said we will go 50/50 on the songs I wrote but he sampled all his music.  Is that fair? – G. Thomas, Bklyn NY.   And I will reply, “Yo G, tell dat [redacted] to keep his hands out ur pockets.  If he didn’t write lyrics, he don’t get lyric money.  […]

We’re one week away from the kickoff of the 2008-09 NFL season, and as my main man Jim “J.R.” Ross would say, “Business is about to pick up!”   Umenyiora done for the year, Strahan stays retired For the New York Giants, it’s a hard enough task to defend you Super Bowl championship.  Now it’s even harder when one of the major players on their defense is out for the season. Osi Umenyiora is out for the entire season with a knee injury. Umenyiora injured his knee last Saturday in a 10-7 loss to the New York Jets in their annual pre-season match-up.   When it was established that Umenyiora would be out for the remainder of the season, the Giants decided to get in touch with an old friend for a “welcome back” party. The G-men reached out to retired D-end Michael Strahan, to see if he would come out of retirement and play one more season. The Giants were willing to pay Strahan 8-12 million dollars for his return.  Strahan, who is currently signed with Fox Sports, decided to decline the offer and stay retired.    Honestly, whatever Strahan did in terms of this situation, would have been cool. You couldn’t get mad at him if he wanted to come back. It’s wasn’t like he retired and then wanted back in. He was already set to start his new life away from the game when the G-Men came a calling and he graciously turned them down.  Maybe he, who shall not be named, should take notes on how to handle certain situations in reference to making a comeback.     With Umenyiora out for the season, the G-Men moved linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end position. Kiwanuka played D-end at his alma mater, Boston College. That leaves a void at the linebacker position for the Giants.  Things are not looking good for the defending champs at the moment.  We’ll just have to wait and see.   Since we’re on the subject of injured D-linemen, while Osi’s season is done, another D-line on the Westside of town decided he wants play through the pain.   Merriman forgoes season ending surgery; will play in ‘08 San Diego Chargers star linebacker, Shawne Merriman, has opted out of season ending knee surgery and will play this year. Merriman, who has two torn ligaments in his left knee, feels he’s ready to play despite the diagnosis from four different doctors telling Merriman he should have the surgery and miss the season.     So you wanna be hardcore?   Look, we understand that football players are warriors and tough guys. We understand that you’re willing to put your body on the line for the good of the team. We understand that you’ll do anything you have to do in order to win that championship, but COME ON!!!!!   Dude, you’re 24 years old.  Take the surgery. You’ll miss one year of play for ten more years of longevity in the NFL. Why risk further damage? Hey if you don’t want to listen to me, then at least listen to what “The Dude” has to say about the situation:       I’m baaaack!!! Jones is reinstated Adam Jones was fully reinstated by the NFL this Thursday. Jones, who was partially reinstated on June 2, 2008 by Commissioner Goodell, can now play in the Dallas Cowboys season opener against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium.  A humbled Adam Jones spoke to the media after he received word from the NFL offices:     Now that Jones has been reinstated to play, I truly believe that he will have a solid season. It’s going take some time for him to get his “land legs” back once he gets in the game. He’s been out of football for 17 months; you can’t get back into playing form in one month of training camp. In a couple of games he’ll be back in form and when he does, get your popcorn ready.   I believe he’s coming out this season to shut-up all of the doubters about his lay off from the game, and will give Cowboy fans one hell of a performance this season   ALLHipHop.com’s Yahoo Pick’em League There are still plenty of openings for the Pick’em League if you want in. Spread the word. Let’s get it popping this season. If you still need the ID# and password to get down, just check out last week’s write-up. It’s towards the bottom of the page.   ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week This year we’re gonna try something new and let you pick the Game of the Week. Certain games will be chosen from the schedule each that may be more interesting than others. You get to choose which game will be ALLHipHop’s NFL Game of the Week. The poll will be at the bottom of each write-up.  So, without further ado, let’s picke’em:     You can always check out new and past posts on the Out of Bounds blog at: http://outofbounds-therowdyone.blogspot.com/ Poll Answers

Illseed is an AllHipHop.com columnist and independent cultural critic. The views expressed with in this editorial don’t necessarily reflect the views of AllHipHop.com or its staff. He thanks resident rabble rouser Kiko Michaels for letting him borrow his “Really” editorial series.     Really, John McCain…Really?   When I woke up Friday morning, I wanted to revel in the History was Barack Obama. The night before, I gazed at the television screen proudly as he accepted the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States of America.   The only problem is, when I finally got up from my slumber, I was irritated into a splitting headache by Republican John McCain.   This guy strategically decides to announce his running mate the day after Barack’s landmark speech. But that’s not what bothered me. It is who he picked.   McCain introduced first-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate early morning Friday, an act of contempt in my eyes.   “She’s exactly who I need. She’s exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of ‘Me first and country second,’ ” McCain said.   Really, McCain…Really?   I know you are fond of younger women, so perhaps this is what you need, but is this truly what the country needs?   You picked a 44-year-old, inexperienced a** mother of five, Tina Fey-looking, gun-toting, moose-skinning Alaskan for the vice presidency of the United States.   Really, McCain…Really?   So, what you have given America is a potentially disastrous quandary…an apocalyptic quagmire if you will.   You are a 72-year-old damaged war hero running for president and opt for a younger-less-experienced-and-less-inspirational-than-Barack vice presidential aspirant. I don’t think you drank any of the super serum that powered Captain America so it is possible that you could die in office. You might have drank some of that Houston drank making political missteps like this.   Furthermore, analysts say that U.S. presidents age about seven years faster than the rest of us due to the rigors of the gig. So, in theory, your senior tail could be exactly “100 years old” at the end of a four year term in office. (This doesn’t take into consideration a whole eight year possibility)   DUDE.   The thought of having a 44-to-48 year old first-term governor running America is as scarier than driving high with DMX and Amy Winehouse. You had cancer four times, my brother! You’re scaring the mess out of me.   So, is that was America needs or just you?   You seem to think you have tapped into the presumed disgusted and disenchanted legions of females that didn’t see their dreams come to fruition. Do you think this relative unknown is the republican Hillary Rodam Clinton? I think she is the Bizzarro Hillary – her opposite! Clue: this lady isn’t a Clinton or Geraldine Ferraro crazy a** either.   There are so many questions that I have of you. Here are a few.   You just met your pal Palin in February. What did she do to impress you so much in six months to bestow her with such an honor? I feel you have truly insulted females all over the nation by suggesting that this woman represents some quantum leap of progress. Hillary Clinton is a leap of progress, as was Geraldine, even though I cannot stand her.   Another question: Did you just scream, “Hail, Mary!” and throw Sarah Palin’s fairly unknown name out there like, “I hope American goes for this crazy s**t in November, because I don’t know what else to do with this Obama dude.” Or was it, “Women (including women that opposed just about everything else Palin stands for) are just gonna vote for her because she is a woman! Yay! They hate Barack!”   I love the strength of the female spirit, but I have to ask you another pertinent question.   Not seem sexist, but how does a self described “hockey mom from Alaska” function in a vice-presidential or presidential capacity?  She considered herself a longshot for the VP and will contend with balancing five kids, a husband, Iraq, Iran, and, oh yeah, turning America around.   Hey, Micckey, Did you read what I read from the Associated Press? If not, check it:   Alaska‘s former public safety director says he was fired in July by Palin after he refused to dismiss the governor’s former brother-in-law, who had been accused of making threats during a messy custody batle with Palin’s sister. A state probe of the allegation is due to be completed a week before the general election.    Hillary Clinton left 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, my dude? You let her say that to the ladies on your big day?   Really, McCain…Really?   I don’t know what you all are trying to pull, but get it together.   Bow out.   Cut this mess out right now and let Chi-town Obama and Delaware Biden win and you and Pal get out of the way of this movement.   You are going to get us all killed or run American into the ground worse than we already are with these nutty hijinks!   No way, no how…No McCain! (Word to Hillary.)   OK?   Just NO.Epilogue: I still haven’t forgiven the real Tina Fey for that “b***h is the new Black” mess so I’m not rockin’ with the look-a-like. OBAMA FOR AMERICA!

Following Hillary’s big speech at the convention Tuesday, we hit up your Boy Bun B, the OG emeritus of the South and got his opinion on both the election and politics in general.From there we decided we were going to hit the streets, and see what the general feeling was following the events at the convention.Event hustling is never easy because with so many people you have events that overlap but you want to get a look at everything.  On the the road we met up with Bun and our homie Davey D and we went to the Glassbooth/Do Something party hosted by John Kerry and Moby.  You’d think  Kerry would be the last person you would attach to young and hip but the crowd was good looking. Finally. One thing about Democrats is that the booze willbe flowing.  While there we hung out with the Obama girl, who is *gasp* dropping an album in an attempt to show the world that she has the talent to get it done. Hey all we know is that she’s hot in person.  I digress.Bun B is getting run up on by dozens of drunk young white guys,  in particular one who just saw him in Dallas a few weeks ago.  “Keep it Trill,” says the the obviously plastered dude.  Bun B is the mayor…until Chevy Chase arrives. The luckily we shrink to the background and enjoy open bar. Shout to the designated driver.As the party loses steam we get Nelly on the phone and he’s got an event.  Thank god for GPS.  We get to the spot and there are limo’s all over the place.  Note : if you want to push the whole green initiative and all that, you can’t have Hummer limos riding around getting 175 inches per gallon.  Put $200 in the tank and get down the block to the gas station.When we go inside (shout to Nelly and the St. Lunatics) we had no issue with security but before Nelly’s set there was country music and bluegrass playing.  We gave each other a collective “wuuuhat?” look and were about to haul it, when Nelly got on.  Good timing. Nelly and the ‘tics were going their thing, but when you party hopping you have to get while the getting is good. Definite highlight of the evening was a Hill Harper hosted (say that 3x fast) TV One event .  We were the last group they let in before they shut it down to the rest of the nobodies. We got in as Harper left.  So much for that interview but we got him already so meh.  Whodini was performing and you remember what a real stage show is.  The place was packed to the brim, with all kinds of heels and dresses and suits singing word for word. We got there too late for the great Slick Rick and the legendary DJ Red Alert.  “One Love,” “Five Minutes of Funk,” had people  singing word for word.  When they were done, the Diabolical One did a medley of hits.  People still love Bizmarkie and nobody was too tight to do the “Biz Dance.” Then he remixed his classic “Just A Friend,” to an Obama themed joint that had the crowd in full rally mode. The vets tore the stage down and Whodini, flanked by Dr. Ice, Biz, and TJ Swan got  a ton of love. Then the night got really funny.  You can tell they were not really used to dealing with the demographic.  The head security guy promptly got on the mic and asked everyone to leave which the entire place proceeded to ignore.  What he didn’t know was that he could have played “Before I Let Go” and turned the lights on and everyone would have automatically bounced.  Then there was only one exit so once the crowd stopped ignoring there was a door blockage. 20 minutes later we finally got out the building.********************************************************

AllHipHop coming to you live from Denver at the DNC.  We won’t waste any more time with Michelle Obama as we’re sure you’ve peeped her speech everywhere.  But like many conventions, after the show it’s the afterparty and Rock The Vote was more than happy to oblige.N.E.R.D. were co-headliners at the event with Fallout Boy and they rocked the crowd with their massive hit “Everybody Nose”, and N.E.R.D. standards “Lapdance” and “She Wants To Move.” To be honest, there hasn’t been many hotties here at the convention, but every one of them must have been sent an alert because all 20 of them joined Pharell on the stage for their finale.  Shout out to one lil homie who managed to sneak in both the show AND the afterparty…although his lady “friend” kept hopping on stage while he was outside.  Bag up lil homie!Mechanically, Pharell is getting good at performing and even though there were a ton of older Democrats in the building with the “WTF” look on their faces, they got into the show and Pharell and crew actually tore it down. Fallout Boy was brought on to close the show.  Although they came with tremendous energy, honestly they got “out rocked” by N.E.R.D. and their set was a bit anti-climactic.  They did get busy with “Thanks For the Memories,” and “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” from their last album.  The highlight of their set however was a cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” which they beefed up with a heavier guitar.After milling around for a while we went outside and caught a glimpse of that Obamania. What you gonna do, when the Black Candidate runs wild on you?  Sell bootleg Obama t shirts.  These cats in Denver would make 125th Street proud.  Obama buttons, Obama T-shirts (3 for $20), Obama hats.  They had everything but Obama condoms (there WAS  a shady vendor behind one of the buses AHEM). I don’t know about his tax plan but with all those t-shirts he’s already bosting the economy.The AFTERafter party was hosted by Nick Cannon who quite frankly did his thing.  He banged out the somewhat older crowd with soul and disco joints from the late 70’s early 80’s but he really hurt them with an 80s rock set with hits from Journey, Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, among others. Oh yeah free food and open bar. America is great.  After collecting swag bags we bumped into Murs, who is also running for president.  Of what you ask?  You be the judge:   Nick Cannon also weighed in on why he Rocks The Vote Special note to Democrats: When you’re on the dance floor and you flail about as if you were a fish out of water and we give you the thumbs up, I know it looks like it’s approval but it’s really just the green light to keep making a fool of yourself for our personal enjoyment. Rock on! ********************************************************************* The number of police officers, troopers and agents out here in Denver is amazing. A lot of people feel that it is very close to a police state, something unnerving to some in Denver, Colorado. We noticed that there are a lot of fresh new cameras on the city streets. Some appear to be for tickets and others for surveillance. They all look to be pristine, clean and new.   There is an officer every 20 feet when you walk about the area surrounding the Pepsi Center, where the DNC is being held. The officers are equipped with every weapon imaginable. On average, the authorities are don about 60-70 pounds of armor and weaponry. There are snipers on every rooftop, most of which are hidden. Helicopters are in the air and armored vehicles are riding with armed troops on them.  There are even behavioral detection officers so any suspicious people are spotted quickly.   Sadly, they need to have it. The authorities busted a man that allegedly plotted to do harm to the Democratic presidential hopeful. Here is a partial report from the Rocky Mountain News:   Authorities are investigating a possible threat against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.   Aurora police arrested a longtime drug user Sunday afternoon during a routine traffic stop where the man was seen “weaving,” sources said. Two possible other accomplices also were arrested, according to police.   Police found four weapons, including two rifles and two handguns, in a rented pickup. That arrest then led authorities to a second man staying at the Cherry Creek Hotel at 600 South Colorado Blvd in Glendale. When authorities knocked on the man’s door, they say he jumped out of his sixth floor window, landing on an awning and running from the scene. They say they soon found him with a broken ankle. He too was arrested.   Overall, there is a positive and festive atmosphere. People are friendly and , even with lighting bolts flying out of the lumbering clouds, little can dampen the human electricity in the air of Denver. ********************************************************************** For Yesterday’s Coverage of the DNC Click Here

**UPDATE** Monday, August 25, 2008 11:30 AM  EST As many of you have probably seen by now Michelle Obama just delivered her speech as the first keynote speaker of the DNC.  After an emotional day for the Democratic Party, featuring a tribute to former President and present humanitarian Jimmy Carter, and a courageous appearance from Democratic royalty Ted, Kennedy, it was left up to Michelle Obama to deliver the goods.   Consensus and prognosticators seem to agree that she nailed it.  She touched on all the issues that we prescribed above; drawing on those feeligns of family, and commonality and patriotism, but without making Barack seem like some schmuck husband.   She drew on her personal history and stories of her childhood and a father with multiple schlerosis not depending on help but forging ahead with rugged self determination.  She spoke on the strength of her mother in holding the family down, and the presence of her older brother as a positive male role model in her life, two things which normalized her experience not as solely Black, but American and relatable to all. In that frame we have a mission accomplished.   She gave obligatory kudos to Senator Clinton and used her own identity as both Black and female, referencing both the 88th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage, and the 45th anniversary of the March on Washington to evoke visions of an America where anything is possible.  This both brought people in emotionally and placated the still disgruntled Clinton supporters.  Mission accomplished.   The cherry on top came with the afterparty.  The Obama children in particular the precocious Sasha really brought home the idea of family and the genuine love and affection that is readily apparentis not something that could be faked.  This love is self evident and i think it went a long way towards humanizing Barack Obama without limiting him as a man, or reducing his stature as a potential head of state.    In a nutshell, Barack trusted his most prized treasure and secret weapon with the task of softening up America to his image. He chose his partner with his political destiny.  She, with three generations of her family in tow delivered in spades.  Full of emotion and absent of rhetoric she made the connection.  The ball is in Barack’s court now.*********************************************************************UPDATE**   Much has been made about celebrities injecting their opinions and star power into the general  political conversation.  Some sectors wonder aloud whether or not they should be there and what exactly qualify celebrities to even speak on world affairs with little more than their own fame to qualify them.  Alfre Woodard would tend to disagree:       *********************************************************************UPDATE**   High gas prices and increasing travel costs have combined with other issues to limit the number of protesters.  While expecting thousands of protesters, the Denver Police Department has numbered the protesters to around 1000.   The loud minority spoke on many issues including the war in Iraq, the crumbling economy, and human rights issues.  They are comprised of college students, high school activists, and veterans among others.  Perhaps the tremendous police presence has discouraged protesters from getting rowdy.  According to the Mayor of Denver, John Hickenlooper, the city spent roughly $50,000,000 in logistical and security measures to prepare for its first political convention in 100 years. At the time of this report only 4 protesters have been arrested for minor disturbing the peace transgressions.   The theme of the protestors in general has been “Recreate ’68” a reference to the Democratic Convention of 40 years ago.  The police would like to prevent incidents such as the political upheavel, riots, and assassination or anything even close to that which occured that same year.  They have adopted a zero tolerance policy and the Secret Service, as well as many intelligence entities such as NORAD, will be monitoring live video feeds.   As of yet there hasn’t been any violence from either side. ********************************************************** AllHipHop At The DNC. Monday, August 25, 2008 3:00 EST   AllHipHop will be bringing you color live from the Democratic National Convention here in Denver, Colorado.  Throughout the week we will update you on happenings, events, and the general tone of the convention.  As we journey through the next stage of developments towards this historic Election 2008, hopefully we can inform you and give you a different perspective and shed some light on things you didn’t know.   As the convention begins tonight, all eyes will be on Michelle Obama who is the headline speaker.  Her place in these events is of the utmost importance, as she is the first representative of Team Obama and will set the tone as how both she and her husband are viewed by America.   Mrs. Obama is no stranger to the campaign trail and has been an active participant thus far, providing a far different approach than Barack’s stadium filling speeches.  Michelle conversely has followed his performances with a far more intimate delivery, appearing in front of prospective voters in small towns and on smaller settings.  These appearances have given Michelle the nickname “The Closer,” as more often than not, those who hear her message generally change from the straddler to the converted.   Tonight’s program however, will have a decidedly different  tone. Her job will be to reintroduce herself as a wife and a mother; two roles that resonate with most Americans, and stands to soften the undercurrent of sentiment that she is aggressive and stand-offish.   Mrs. Obama will stand in front of 50,000 people tonight to combat the idea that Barack is high-brow, erudite, and out of touch with Middle America, despite both of their back stories speaking to the contrary. Michelle herself was raised in a one bedroom apartment above her aunts home with both her parents and her brother. This is the first and best chance to share her experiences and create that connection.   Family and the image of the common man will be prevalent in her speech.  As a […]

De La Hoya Increases Pacquiao Offer Oscar De La Hoya is not a man used to being told no. For over ten years, the Golden Boy has been able to dictate purse splits over all his opponents due to his immense mainstream marketability. But in 2008, things have changed. Just a week after his 70-30 split was rejected by Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya is reportedly upping the bid in hopes of securing the blockbuster super-fight. As reported here last week, De La Hoya refused to negotiate to 60-40 from a flat 70-30 split for the proposed December bout. While this tactic worked last year on Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao promptly turned down the offer and instructed his promoter Bob Arum to begin negotiations for a November bout with Humberto Soto. Shocked, Oscar’s team immediately derided Pacquiao as making an uninformed decision and losing out on millions of dollars. To counter, De La Hoya publicly stated he would begin negotiations with junior middleweight titlist Sergio Mora, pending he defeats Vernon Forrest again next month. However with some time to sit on that plan De La Hoya likely realized a Sergio Mora fight is not exactly a blockbuster swan song to end a career. A few days ago, news broke courtesy of Filipino writer Dennis Principe that the offer has been raised to 67-33 in favor of De La Hoya. While details have not been confirmed, rumors are circulating that Pacquiao would get a 67-33 split for a certain number of PPV buys before changing over to 70-30. While on paper a 3% increase may seem insignificant, it means a difference of millions of dollars and can result in Pacquaio actually making more than the $25 million Mayweather grossed for outboxing the Golden Boy last year. Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach has offered to forego his training fee if Pacquiao loses. Golden CEO Richard Shaefer and Top Rank head Bob Arum have told media they would prefer to have the deal done in time to make an announcement this week.Pacquaio’s gamble appears to have paid off, much to the surprise of many. Will he be content with 67-33, or will Pacquaio push his luck and remain firm on his original 60-40 split? Judah Looks to Hire Floyd Mayweather, Sr as New Trainer Former undisputed welterweight champion Zab Judah thinks his figured out the solution to his post-title woes. The problem may be his trainer, and Judah is seeking to rectify that by replacing his father Yoel Judah with Floyd Mayweather, Sr. Publicly, Yoel Judah is claiming the switch is due to him focusing on getting Zab’s promotional company off the ground. According to him, despite Zab’s abysmal record since losing the title and his recent stoppage to Joshua Clottey, the Brooklynite remains a hot commodity. “Everyone wants to fight Zab. We know that we’re very marketable, and we know that when Zab comes he’s going to fight, win, lose, or draw,” Yoel reasoned to boxingscene.com. “Zab is like an Arturo Gatti at this point. Sometimes, a lot of good can come from a loss.” The Gatti comparison is correct in more ways than Yoel envisions. Since being upset for the title by journeyman Carlos Baldomir in 2006, Zab has gone 2-3 with 1 no contest in his last six fights. The two wins were lackluster decisions over unheralded Ryan Davis and Edwin Vazquez. At this stage, Zab is becoming a stepping stone for fighters to make their names or stay-busy. He’s offensive enough to give a few good rounds, but then takes a sustained beating over the second half of the fight. According to Yoel, offers have come in for a possible rematch with Miguel Cotto or Joshua Clottey. Also, Yoel mentioned his son facing Antonio Margarito, Paul Williams, and Andre Berto. Mayweather, Sr. or not, I give Zab only a chance early against Berto. A promoter who puts Judah anywhere near Margarito is sadistic and must damn near hate Zab. If anything, Zab needs to strongly consider dropping back down to 140 pounds, where he is not undersized and can make exciting matchups with new titlist Timothy Bradley, Kendall Holt, Paulie Malignaggi, rematch Junior Witter, or take on champ Ricky Hatton. US Olympic Boxing Team Records All Time Poorest Showing In past decades the boxing world would look to American Olympic medal showings to gauge the sport’s next top fighters. The ’60s saw gold medal wins from Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. The ’70s and ’80s featured the same from greats like Michael Spinks and Ray Leonard. Even recently, we’ve seen super-middleweight Andre Ward take home the gold in the 2004 games. However in 2008, the US Boxing team made its worst showing ever, taking home one bronze medal in the heavyweight division. China took home two gold medals in light-flyweight and light-heavyweight, while boxing powerhouse Cuba secured no gold but eight medals overall. America’s lone medal was courtesy of Deontay Wilder at heavyweight, who ironically was the most inexperienced pugilist on the team. The clear advantage other countries have gained over the US is that their teams are dedicated exclusively to amateur boxing. With the amateurs seen merely as a stepping stone in the United States, many young fighters opt early on to juggle many responsibilities from their managers and promoters while eyeing professional stardom. Due to this we’re seeing more glossy records, but fighters with poor boxing acumen, who get brutally exposed the first time they step up in competition. While this situation won’t change overnight, let’s hope that amateur boxing starts to take steps at improving their system for 2012’s games. Calderon Headlines Low-key August 30 PPV Undefeated top ten pound for pound fighter Ivan Calderon (31-0, 6 KOs) will defend his WBO title in a rematch with hard puncher Hugo Cazares (26-4, 19 KOs). In their 2007 bout, Calderon was dropped in the eighth and struggled to fight off Cazares’ pressure. Despite this, the champ was able to escape with a split decision win over his […]

Things are starting to heat up as we get closer to the start of the 2008-09 NFL season.  Here’s a few notes form this week:   Injuries Galore For you New England Patriots fans out there, QB Tom Brady is suffering a foot injury again. The injury is on the same leg that he suffered a right ankle sprain in the AFC Championship Game last season, but it’s a different type of injury.   Of course, we have no idea what the injury is because Patriots Head Coach, Bill Belichick, won’t reveal what the injury is to the media. Neither will Brady’s teammates. I guess Belichick has everyone on the team drinking the same Kool-Aid. They last time a group of people were in synch like that, it ended with the Jonestown Massacre.   It looks as though Brady will not play for the remainder of the preseason in preparation for the Pats’ home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.   Minnesota Vikings QB Tavaris Jackson suffered a sprained MCL last Saturday in a 23-15 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. ESPN is reporting that Vikes Head Coach, Brad Childress, will most likely hold Jackson out for the remainder of the pre-season in preparation for the Vikes season opener at against the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football.   Cincinnati Bengals WR Chad Johnson suffered a sprained shoulder in last Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions.  With Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (hamstring) out as well, the Bengals went outside for help, hence…   Home is where the Heart is The Bengals resigned WR Chris Henry four months after they released him.  In an effort to clean up the Bengals image, Henry, who has had multiple run-ins with the law, was one of many players who were cut from the team because of their off-field problems.   Henry won’t be available to play until Week 5 of the regular season because he’s serving a 4-game suspension for violating the league’s conduct policy.     Now Henry has been given a “do-over”.  Hopefully he read the write-up from the beginning of the month and makes the most of his “do-over” as well.    Speaking of players finding jobs, we can’t forget those who are unemployed.  So on that note…   Joe Horn released by the Falcons In an effort to rebuild their team from the embarrassment of the Michael Vick situation and the departure of Bobby Petrino, the Atlanta Falcons released disgruntled WR Joe Horn this week. Horn, who joined the Falcons last season after he was cut from the New Orleans Saints, joined the team with the hopes of playing with Vick.   Horn had one of his worst statistical seasons with the Falcons last year.  Horn recorded 27 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown.  Mind you, they signed him to a four-year, $14.5 million deal last season.  So after one year, he breaks out.    In a statement to the Associated Press, Horn said,   “It’s a sense of sadness because after every game last year and after the first two preseason games I had to look at Mr. Blank and know that he deserves a winning team and he deserves a championship. I was here and couldn’t make it happen. It’s kind of sad for me leaving.”   Then why leave?  You signed a four deal; honor it through the good and the bad.  So when you look at it, you pulled a Bobby Petrino and did the dip on the Falcons instead of fighting through it with your teammates.  Hey, whatever works?    The problem with that is this; Horn will find a team. He’ll have a job at some point this season.  The question you have to ask yourself is whether or not he’ll do the dip on the next team he signs with when the sh*t gets deep.  Everybody was throwing Chad Johnson under the bus when he wanted out of Cinncy, what makes Horn’s situation any different?    Hold-out Situations Back in April when I covered the NFL Draft for the site, St. Louis Rams RB, Steven Jackson, had some advice for the rookies.    “Don’t worry about the money, worry about getting that starting role on the team.  Once you get that role, the money comes to you. Focus on the game and it will payoff in the end.”   Jackson has focused on the game for his entire career and it has paid off this week.  Jackson ended a 27-day hold out with the Rams this week by signing a new six-year contract.    It’s a two-tier contract (I have no idea how that works; I’m not a sports agent).  Here’s ESPN.com’s explanation of the deal:   Jackson agreed to a two-tiered deal with the Rams. It’s either a three-year extension worth $29.3 million with $21 million guaranteed, or a five-year, $49.3 million contract that includes huge escalators in Years 4 and 5, a source told ESPN.com’s John Clayton. The way the contract works is that it is structurally a five-year deal lasting until 2013. The final two years can be voided based on Jackson’s performance, but his performance can also trigger the escalators to take the five-year deal to $49.3 million. Though a breakdown of the triggers of the deal isn’t fully known, a source told ESPN.com that Jackson has to perform similarly the next three seasons to the numbers he put up from 2005 through 2007 to fulfill the escalators. Okay, now it makes sense.  I think.   Boldin wants out of Arizona Arizona Cardinals WR, Anquan Boldin wants out.    Boldin signed a four-year, $22.75 million extension after the 2005 season.  He’s in the 3rd year of that contract and claims that the Cards offered to re-negotiate his contract, only to renege on the offer.   His teammate and fellow wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, signed a four-year, 40 million dollar deal last season, but Boldin is cool with that.  He believes the Fitzgerald earned that.   He also claims that […]

America LOVES the villain. From Al Capone to Al Pacino, real life or fantasy, we have always been an outlaw culture from the day we dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.  The best villains are not purely evil, but make you feel for their humanity and recognize parts of yourself within them.   With the passing of the great Sho’ Nuff, we have lost one of the truly original and stylistic villains we ever had.  Rather than be somber, we dedicate this piece to Sho’ Nuff.  The 10  Flyest Villains.  Feel free to add more if we missed a couple. .   Sho’ Nuff Was he the baddest?  Was he the prettiest? I don’t know but he was certianly the most ridiculous. The Shogun of Harlem?  Laughable.  But one thing was for certain.  Sho’nuff whupped so much a** that his hands glowed. His crew was wack, but Sho’nuff had the hood on lock down.  Before Jordans came out, he made you kiss the converse.  R.I.P.   Darth Vader Maury show paternity issues?  Check.  Ill voice?  Check.  Dope costume?  Double Check.  He had his own special plane that didnt look like the others and a light saber he used  to chop off his own son’s hand.  How cold?  Ice cold.  And oh yeah, fail him and get choked out while he’s watching you on camera. More force than a room full of Nikes.   Satan The first villain.  Nobody knows what he looks like so they make it up.  People blame everything on him.  More mythical than the “sucka mc”.  He can get you with lies or he can get you with the truth.  Is he a white guy in a business suit, or a bald buy with horns?  No matter what he is, he knows God on a first name basis..even if they don’t hang out no more.   Tony Soprano Everybody knows all the cool villians are fat guys.  Boss Hog. The Kingpin. Tony Soprano was a mob boss with a love for food, a gift of gab, and all the side chicks he could handle.  Never mind the fact it was all driving him crazy.  He had the robe like Ghostface,  The tracksuit like Biggie (Sergio Tachini  b######), and a crew with more nicknames than Wu-tang.   The Joker Purple was never so menacing.  Gas that makes you laugh until you can’t breath and die. Genuine mania.  Villainy not for money or power, but for the fun of it. The Joker has been making life hard for Gotham City for over 50 years, and actually managed to kill a Robin.  You’d think that Batman would just kill this guy but like Steven Segal, he’s notoriously hard to kill. The clown prince of crime has terror on lock.   Destro Despite the traditional mad scientist stuff, Destro had a chromed out head.  That’s more bling than you could imagine.  Then to take it up another notch, he switched to a gold head.  He took no crap from Cobra Commander, he made weapons you couldn’t believe like the weather dominator…and Cobra still lost every fight. Go figure.  Plus he had the Baroness for that good good.   Doctor Doom Son of a gypsy sorceress whose soul was stolen by the devil.  Diplomatic immunity, and a nuclear powered armor.  Cool, huh? He’s one of the most brilliant minds on earth with the technology and could probably turn your wii to a weapon of mass destruction. Then cast a spell on you to make you push the button.  By the way half the time you see him, it’s not him, but a robot that looks like him, just like half the time you see MF Doom on stage, it’s just a fat guy in a mask and not him. Ouch. Don’t be fooled by the sappy movie portrayal, Doom was the inspiration in part to Vader.   Full Force Whether they were beating up Russel in Krush Groove, or kicking Kid N Play’s f*****n aaassss, the titanic threesome has been handing out beat downs for years.. in the movies that is. They had muscles in the 80’s  when everybody was skinny.  You can’t beat that with a bat. Two words for you…Burning house!   Keyser Soze We didn’t even find out who he was until the end of the movie.  Kevin spacey’s chilling portrayal had a whole cast of people giving testimony about someone they never even saw.  Freestylin gwitness testimony from items in the interrogation room and masquerading as a cripple were just a few of his tricks.  He got game   Nino Brown Harlem’s own Nino Brown.  Nino shot his best friend in the head after he banged his girl out and made him turn to the crack pipe. This was after he poured champagne on the head of his ride or die wife after she couldn’t have kids for him. Shutting the clubs down, using babies for shields, and then snitching in court on the wrong dude all made Nino Brown a sonuvagun with no redemption.  And he never liked you anyway you pretty mother f*****s.  Bonus points for inspiring one of the funniest moments in Martin history                     *******************************************************         Poll Answers

Ice Cube and Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) want you to take them seriously, yet Keke Palmer just wants to keep showing her skills. In The Longshots, all three – Durst, the films director, Ice Cube, its producer and co-star and its leading lady, Palmer – get a chance to spread their wings. Due to release nationwide this weekend, The Longshots is the truest underdog story. Nobody expects much from Curtis Plummer (Cube) or Jasmine (Palmer); both were content in his or her own little worlds existing but not really making any marks on the world. By chance, Jasmine’s mom, Claire, portrayed by my new favorite home girl Tasha Smith, needed someone to step in to watch her 11-year old daughter. Her uncle, Curtis, just happens to be the best choice; at least he’s her blood. Agreeing reluctantly, Curtis tries to connect to his niece; but with football and beer as options for conversation, he’s limited. Jasmine doesn’t make it easy on him. “You smell!” was her favorite phrase; so believably played by real life 14-year old Palmer. As an unenthused, hard-to-impress, yet mild teenager, Palmer, again outdid herself by gracefully playing a girl on and off the field. The juice, of course, comes when Curtis sparks Jasmine’s interest in playing football. You could look into her eyes and see she was intrigued about learning something new – that a girl can be a quarterback and take her team to the Superbowl. Yes, the real Superbowl. The films’ on-the-field shots were reasonably pulled off yet nothing as spectacular as Any Given Sunday. However, when Jasmine was under her helmet, no one would be able to tell that she was a girl. It made for added drama; when she’d throw the ball so forcefully, you could feel the tale wind in the movie theater. Jasmine’s development into being a strong football team member were some of the most riveting scenes, because it allowed both Palmer and Cube to first bond as a team of two. He believed in her and her skills even before she did. This isn’t the first time Cube and Palmer have been a team. Cube Productions hired Palmer for her very first acting part in 2002 in the sequel, Barbershop 2, as Queen Latifah’s niece who riffs with Cedric the Entertainer of a mini grilled hamburger. Six years and several films later, The Longshots, again, allowed both exceptional artists a chance to take their mentor and mentee bond to a higher level. Thankfully, you can see their growth. On screen, it seems real, as real as most underdogs. And this is a real story; the story of Ms. Jasmine Plummer who just a few years ago, took The Minden Browns, a losing local team to the national championship as their first string star quarterback. The Longshots is really an amazing story; not just for football fans but for anybody who roots for the underdog. The movie is not so serious that you can’t appreciate the characters’ exceptional performances; comical enough to keep your attention yet moving enough that you want them to win. You’ll appreciate the neighborhood of misfits that join in on the fun as the Minden Browns go from a nobody team to national contenders. Check out scenes with comedians Earthquake and Michael Colyar, who play Carl and Ennis, respectively with zest and humanity. You’ll also recognize Garrett Morris portraying the local minister whose church help raise the money for the Browns to make the championship game in style. Jill Marie Jones portrays Plummers’ school crush, youthfully and with innocent sex appeal. Their on-screen spark made the film seem almost vintage. Take your kids to see The Longshots. You never can tell when another movie will come around that actually motivates them to do something they never thought could be done.

Grand Opening/Grand Closing: Pacquiao Rebuffs De La Hoya OfferNot even a full week after announcing that negotiations had begun, Top Rank head Bob Arum has confirmed that his client Manny Pacquiao has declined to accept Oscar De La Hoya’s proposal for a December superfight.The stalling point was De La Hoya’s proposed 70-30 revenue split in his favor. Floyd Mayweather accepted a similar deal last year, and received a purse of $20 million after PP V sales were counted.“Oscar wanted 70-30 and Richard (Shaefer, Golden Boy CEO) and I figured that there would be room for movement. Oscar was supposed to come in [to Los Angeles] this week to meet with Richard in person, but he didn’t make it and had to do it on the telephone,” Arum explained to ESPN. “Oscar was adamant about it being 70-30 or no deal. Richard told me that and then I transmitted it to Pacquiao and his people in the Philippines. They told me that there was no deal and to look to make another fight.”Golden Boy CEO Richard Shaefer was shocked at Pacquiao’s refusal, and made it clear he felt the lightweight star did not have a clear grasp of how much money he’s turning down.“Pacquiao has an adviser and lawyer [Franklin “Jeng Gacal] who basically is caught up in percentages. But if you go buy a car or a house or food do you pay in percentages or in money?” Shaefer reasoned. “The answer is you pay in currency not percentages. I hope this has been properly explained to Manny.”With the fight off the table for now, De La Hoya has turned attention to an underwhelming final bout against 154 pound title holder Sergio Mora. Mora is coming off an upset win against Vernon Forrest, and the Latin Snake will have to repeat the feat next month to secure the December 6 date against the Golden Boy.Pacquiao is now working towards securing a fight with junior lightweight Humberto Soto, who would move up to 135 for the bout.It’s interesting to note that Mayweather attempted the same hardball negotiations with Oscar, but after one week relented when De La Hoya gave him the same “take it or leave it” demand Pacquiao now has.It turned out to be a wise decision for Floyd, as he became a mainstream star and went on to have the highest grossing year of his professional career ($50 million including the Hatton fight).Pacquiao’s situation mirrors Floyd as he is now the pound for pound number one fighter in the sport. But he lacks the popularity Mayweather had going into his bout with Oscar in 2007. Pacquiao’s last PPV with David Diaz fell short of 200,000 buys, while Floyd was able to do over 300,000 with Carlos Baldomir of all people.Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach is attempting to get in contact with Manny, as he also feels a mistake is being made in rejecting this bout.And with how limited De La Hoya looked in his last bout against Stevie Forbes, Pacquiao should definitely reconsider this superfight that will make him at least $15million, besting his previous career-high payday of $5 million.Poll AnswersCalzaghe Claims He Will Retire After Jones Fight, Dismisses PavlikAt a recent media conference super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion Joe Calzaghe confirmed that he will be retiring after his November 8 superfight with Roy Jones, Jr.“It’s a massive fight and it will be my last,” Calzaghe explained. “I’ve known for awhile when I wanted to go out and as long as I put on a great performance this is my time.”Calzaghe went on the offensive against middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik, who last week accused the Welshman of ducking a potential fight.“We actually tried to get Pavlik after the Jeff Lacy fight and he declined,” Calzaghe detailed to Wales Online. “We asked him again after he won the middleweight title and he declined again. So it’s funny how people come knocking on your door when you decide to fight someone else. I think he is just trying to get publicity off the back of me which is something lots of fighters try to do.”Pavlik will be facing Bernard Hopkins in October, and currently sports an undefeated pro record with two wins over Jermain Taylor. Calzaghe remains unimpressed and defends his choice of facing a faded Jones.“You can’t even speak of him (Pavlik) as a great fighter yet because to be one you have to consistently be in the big fights. Roy Jones is a legend, that’s the difference,” Calzaghe reasoned. “You’re not fighting a promising champion, you are fighting a legend and that’s what it’s all about.”Even though Calzaghe is obviously facing Jones for the big payday, you cannot ignore his record over the past two years.He’s faced the two most dangerous young challengers to his super-middleweight throne (Lacy, Kessler) and defeated both soundly. From there, he moved up in weight and defeated the linear light-heavyweight champion.I hope he decides to go for a triple crown and defeat Pavlik, but if he doesn’t Calzaghe has more than proved himself to critics who derided him as a protected champion.Margarito Camp Lashes Out at De La Hoya and WilliamsAfter a week of seeing his name dragged through the mud, welterweight champion Antonio Margarito is furious at Oscar De La Hoya and Paul Williams for what he feels are petty games being played by his rivals.Since his spectacular win against Miguel Cotto last month, Margarito has seen De La Hoya dismiss him as a potential opponent for his final December 6 bout.Sure that Cotto would emerge victorious; Oscar expressed his desire to face the winner of Cotto-Magarito. But now with Margarito coming out the victor, De La Hoya stated on ESPN radio that Margarito has unfinished business with Paul Williams and doesn’t deserve a shot. The Golden Boy went on to say that Margarito was being “disrespectful” to Paul Williams by even proposing a bout with him.Margarito of course is not pleased with De La Hoya’s comments.“Oscar needs to stop disrespecting the boxing fans,” a […]