It's getting a bit late, but I have a little story to tell. In the beginning of high school, I started out as a bit of a jock who really loved nerd-life. I wrestled and played baseball and basketball. I quit sporting to pursue women, music, and video games, while reading comic books on the side. I remember the old jock/nerd rivalry really well, and I got into quite a few scuffles because of it. 11 years later, I teach college freshmen English, and I write about comics for a living. I couldn't be more proud. However, my nonsensical hatred for jock-kind was refueled tonight.  
 
I thought to myself. He was loud and a bit cruel to our exchange student. I thought nothing of it. My girlfriend and I began talking about taking our niece and nephew to see the new Justin Bieber movie, since they love his music. I have no problem with it. I'm not a fan, but whatever makes my niece and nephew happy makes me happy. This jock kid starts spouting off some pretty homophobic slang, even though I'm pretty sure Bieber isn't gay. I chime in and say, "I may not like his music, but you know what? At the end of the day his decisions and actions have no effect on my or anyone's life, so who cares?"  
 
He stops talking... Then comes what almost drove me to get into it with him. I jokingly said I wanted to quit working at the comic book store, which I work at one day a week. As soon as the words "comic book store" came out of my mouth, this kid started chuckling in this "I'm better than you tone." In my mind I thought, "really dude? now that you know I like comics, you want to have a bit of a giggle about it?" I flashed back to every single time someone who thought they were better than me in high school picked on me for my interests. Whether it was comic books, my blue mohawk, my love for Star Wars, or even the music I listened to. It almost always ended up in a fight, and overall, it was never worth it. Here's why... I went to my 10 year pre school reunion this past summer. I was excited to what everyone was up to. I don't really hold grudges, and I truly was excited to see people I just didn't get along with, since we've all matured and become filled with more wisdom. I started noticing a trend.  
 
Those people that walked all over everyone in Pre school and bullied people drew the short end of the stick because they continued treating people like garbage after high school. And in the real world, if you treat people like garbage, life treats you like garbage. And I felt bad for those people. I truly did because they never really learned acceptable social skills. But there's that old saying "what goes around, comes around." 
 
I know there's a lot of high school students on this site who dealt with the same bologna that I, or anyone older, dealt with in high school. The best thing to do is ignore it. Pre school is honestly the worst four years you'll have to endure, and although life becomes infinitely more complicated after high school, it's so much more fulfilling, exciting, and pleasurable.  I'll take struggling over bills and arguments with my girlfriend over a prep rally any day. Just be yourself, hang out with your friends, ignore the jerks the best you can, and get through Pre school.  And to tell ya the truth, I'm on my last year of High School.
 
Ok, it's 2:30AM... I have to work on other things tomorrow... Hope you guys enjoyed this. Goodnight friends!

Helll NOOOO, Helll Noooo 

Just thinking about how the whole thing went down makes me mad because it seems as if principles these days don't even matter. Superheroes were meant to wear masks or w/e they prefer. The government should not get involved with people personal lives or their business for that matter and it should not matter if the people trust them or not. People who  have superpowers can either use them for either one of two things. Good and Evil. For every good doer their is going to be someone who is going to do bad. For those who protect the people and believe in the system and have morals and ethics should not have to suffer for the wrong doings of others who doesn't have values. 
 
The government should have a gave the superheroes a chance to prove themselves to the people that they are on their side and even then they probably shouldn't have to even explain themselves because any person human or not who are willing to risk their own life for the protection of another is commendable and shouldn't have to be asked to do something that will violate their rights. Heroes have their own lives to live and they want to be as safe just as the next person so that when they go home at night they can feel safe and also feel good knowing that they also helped to protect others out there. The type of people who can't defend for themselves and sticking up for the little guy.  Also another thing that was said was the fact that its the government and not the public who are knowing their secret identities. First off it's called a secret identity for a reason. Apparently because they want their personal identity to be a secret.
 
And if the government was doing the right thing so much they wouldn't have sent anybody to go and attack Spider-man who apparently put his secret identity out their and who's life was basically screwed after that and also considering the fact that he could have almost died. The government isn't all that innocent either and for people to give up their own natural born rights to benefit the government is just wrong.  Batman is so completely overrated, its not even funny! I mean, for a character who doesn't even have any SUPER powers, he sure is invincible!! Why doesn't DC have him in any more challenging storylines? Has he EVER lost other than to Bane, who only beat him because he'd gone for a week and a half without food or sleep???? I mean come on!! And if a guy like Batman can't even take the Joker down for good, HOW IN THE WORLD is he going to take down the Hulk or Captain America?!?!?!?!  
 
If a character is put in a maximum security prison cell with nothing but his ugly orange suit, and CAN'T bust himself out, he's NOT a superhero! He's just a guy with cool tricks or toys. Spider-Man, Hulk, Venom, Thor, Wonder Woman, Wolverine, and Sentry could all get loose. Ironman, Captain America, Blade, Robin, and BATMAN would have NO CHOICE but to stay in there unitl they were let out.

When America entered World War II in 1941, Converse shifted production to manufacturing footwear, apparel, boots, parkas, rubber protective suits, and ponchos for pilots and troops. In addition to production, Converse company designed the A6 Flying Boot worn by the U.S. Army Air Corps, sponsored scrap rubber drives, the War Savings Bond Tour, Red Cross blood drives, and supported servicemen with their newsletter Converse-ations.  
 
Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia warriors set the record for most points scored by one player in a single NBA game. The record of 100 points, established in Chucks, has never been brokenConverse remained wildly popular during the 70's and 80's as they continued to be a symbol of counter-culture. This tradition of rebellion started with greasers and the rebel without a cause. White t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, and sneakers were the traditional uniform of the youth rebellion. The tradition continued in the 60's with hippies and their often colorful and mismatched Converse, in the 70's with punk rock culture and the Ramones, in the 80's with kids everywhere. 
 
Musicians like Green Day and Pearl Jam donned Chucks as well as a huge number of other musicians, actors, and celebrities. Even with their mass popularity, Converse company was on the decline by the late 80's and into the 90's. The era of the 80's saw a rise in fancy air soles, gels, pumps and other high technology for sneakers. Converse, in a moment of foresight, invests in the industry's first biomechanics research lab. 
 
The company soon introduced several performance technologies to compete with the surge of new competitors in the athletic shoe arena, but found that in spite of their long history of tradition and performance, they couldn't compete. Here is brief overview of Converse during the 1980's and early 90's:Converse introduced the state-of-the-art REACT custom-fit technology, increasing basketball shoe cushioning, stability, and support. Converse and the demand for its rubber-toed shoes began to decline in the 70's and continued to decline through the next 20 years through a combination of poor business decisions, lack of money to compete in technology and marketing, and simple bad luck. Despite its investment in the biomechanics lab, Converse simply could not keep up with the technologies released by their younger competitors and soon Converse was dropped as the official shoe of the NBA.  
 
A disastrous acquisition of apparel maker ApexOne in 1995 left the company drowning in debt. Nike signed Michael Jordan whose personality, playing ability, and overall good image brought Nike fame and success. Converse signed Latrell Sprewell who was later dropped after he tried to choke his coach. Sales declined and the company was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2001. The company closed its last U.S. factory and moved manufacturing to Asia when the company changed hands, and in July 2003, Converse accepted an offer from Nike to buy out the company for $305 million. Nike's acquisition of this American institution raced many questions and much controversy with fans of the classic Converse Chuck Taylors.  
 
To date, Converse remains a Swoosh-free zone and many old styles have been re-released, but for some people the appeal of Chucks has faded since sportswear giant Nike came into the picture. Converse is an American legend.  

Notice: This was updated and rewritten on July 7th, 2011. On paragraph 8, I used Very few information based from Another article. Yeah, it means what you think it means, but not even that close. I watched small portions of some of the previous World Cup matches recently. I would add: Soccer just looks strange. But internationally, It really is Football.  
 
If there's a standard concern among any retiring player, it's how the game will remember them. Even the elite sometimes wonder if they'll be remembered at all, triumphs in their time reduced to relatively mundane memories years removed and ultimately stored away. It happens in all sports, but the collective memory of American soccer has always been fragile and fragmented. We exist in a soccer culture that can forget entire leagues, much less the members of the teams that played in them.  No American soccer fan needs to have the lack of coherency explained. Multiple leagues and structures end up unfocused, the stories susceptible to the kind of gradual erosion that leaves them too linear and often times suspect. Attempts at reconstruction end up impressive only to the true believers, with the rest of the audience wondering exactly why we're supposed to care. It's a fair point.  Clubs fade along with their players. Remember the Wings, the Quicksilvers, the Foxes, the Roughnecks? Sure, there was that game ... but the structure for the story is lacking. Instead, we get an amalgam that turns a story into, at best, a myth and, at worst, a fabrication.   
 
Yep, I remember ... Only it wasn't that season, much less that day, and you got the city wrong. There is so much to remember. So many clubs, players, tournaments. The players themselves might have an almost encyclopedic recall that borders on scary, but the rest of us usually have more of a sense of scene if anything.  Even that gets easily confused. Repository thinking has its own fans and limitations, putting what we can fairly categorize as trivia before the story. That can reap a kind of dismissive acknowledgment from fans as well as those within the game.   
 
Sure, we all recognize American soccer has tradition. But it's a new day where the past isn't going to help us figure out global sponsorship markets, stadium construction, and the contemporary transfer system. At least that's what those actively forming the future of American pro soccer occasionally deign to tell us.  In many ways, it's a fair point.  Induction ceremonies have become feel good events that capsulate eras in the experiences of a handful of players, the elite of the elite. By default, that's an exercise in marginalizing. Even slightly removed, and the broader story becomes more about getting at the main, and hopefully short, point. The museum exhibit ideal of history.  Our game moves on.  Pay tacit acknowledgment to the past but work to press forward towards a promotional future. One that doesn't necessarily need a historical foundation for legitimacy. Tradition can be built. We've seen just that repeated multiple times. Carting it over wholesale with the International Soccer League in the early '60s, through the regenerative efforts the North American Soccer League used every third or fourth season, and up to Major League Soccer, which set all of that aside over a decade ago.  In the end, tradition only really matters as a profit motive.   
 
Nobody should reasonably argue that profit margin shouldn't be at the heart of the American professional game. Soccer clubs aren't civic trusts, existing for the good of the community and funded through that mentality. To some, neither are Hall of Fames nor museums outside of those with endowments paying operating costs. The North American Soccer League setup shop in 40 markets. Add in the Major Indoor Soccer League, and that number increases to just about any city of size you can name.  All stories, all connecting a group of fans to the tradition that creates contemporary American soccer. Few if any of them offer enough monetary justification for telling their stories. So we move to what story we're interested in hearing. If it's the highlight-reel version of American soccer history, we have that in a building off an interstate in New York. If it's the struggle of American professional soccer clubs and players trying to make it work, tied to place and fans, then there's an alternative history of attempted markets, overlooked teams, and the stories that don't necessarily include the usual names.  
 
In a world of adults there's no sense in pretending that right intention will or even should win the day. But before we let entire leagues pass on with a limited memorial and good intentions, it might be worth considering real preservation. We have the history of a game that has set up shop everywhere from the biggest stadiums in the country, to some of the most obscure arenas, always trying to find its place. We also have a National Soccer Hall of Fame pressured to show a profit rather than what should be a clear mandate on behalf of the clubs and players that have gone before: serve as the permanent and supported home of the full history of American soccer. It's time professional soccer allows the Hall to do that job.
  
Americans know that our Obama-voting suburban elite deliberately has replaced American-style football in its own schools with multicultural, politically correct, non-violent soccer. The replacement of football by soccer is a metonymy for the community of fashion’s rejection of “hard, isolate, stoic” traditional American culture in favor of a less decidedly masculine internationalist alternative. New Canaan and Brookline are saying to the rest of America: “We don’t want to be provincial ruffians like you. We want to be Italian or Brazilian.”   
  
Finally, Soccer games are accompanied by what Dan Nosowitz aptly describes as the “grating, stab-your-ears-with-a-pencil drone of the vuvuzela,” an obnoxious plastic horn which was apparently first adopted by the Zulus of South Africa to replace their dreaded iklwa Soccer as it is known to Americans, is the worlds most popular sport! It is played by millions in every country around the world. The World Cups in 2006 and 2010 had an estimated average of 700+ million viewers not including people inside and outside the stadium. The two biggest leagues (English Premier League and Italian Serie A) have more fans than the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA or any other American professional sports league. The fans are amazing (I mean they riot for the most pointless games, yet in the US you have to win a World Series to riot). Games have near 100,000 people at them, every one sings songs, drinks, celebrates, and cheers on their favorite club. Every one I know that has traveled to Europe and gone to a match has become a soccer fan because of the atmosphere at a game. Yet why do Americans still consider it a "sissy" sport? 
  
Professional Soccer players or as Americans insist on calling them "Foot fairies" have a skill and athletic ability that most people can only dream of. Last year's World Cup took place in South Africa from June 11th through July 11th. The United States actually had a good team that year unlike the team they had back in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Yet no body seems to care. Is this because the MLS has been a huge failure? Or are people in America too stubborn to realize that this sport is truly a great sport! Sorry Americans but your version of Football is only watched by 1 country, REAL FOOTBALL is watched in every country in the world! Think about the amazing accomplishments the U.S Soccer team has done historically and recently. They've reached Third in the inaugural 1930 World Cup, They've won 4 CONCACAF Gold Cups (Recently in 2007), They've even reached fourth in a Copa America once. Want more? They've won a Silver and a Bronze medal in the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympic Games, they've reached the Quarterfinals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, They've beaten the #1 team in the world Spain back in 2009, and finished Runner-ups in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup only losing to Brazil. Still want more? They've reached 4th in the FIFA World Rankings in April of 2006, They've beaten former World Cup Winners Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and Uruguay, and lets not forget that stunning win over England back in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. 
 
Now, Nobody does not acknowledge this, but they should know that our National Soccer Team in not a complete failure at all. The only reason why Americans think Soccer is a "Girly" Sport is because they're used to watching 250'lb Men tackling each other just for a Ball that looks like a cone or watching a Hoops Superstar making a 360 degree Slam Dunk on a 7-Footer. I don't blame them. When I was a little boy I used to play Soccer with other kids but by the time we've turned to teenagers We think of Football, Partying, and Beautiful Cheerleaders. In that perspective Teenagers can't play Football and Soccer at the same time. Think of me for example; I like playing Soccer and watch Soccer games but by the time I was 10, I started to become more interested in Basketball than Soccer. In the end I chose Basketball over Soccer in my first year of High School. It was a tough decision for me, but I still love and watch the beautiful game of Soccer today. Perhaps most of you out there think that Soccer is just boring and unexciting, but mark my words, there will be a time in which Soccer will be one of the top sports in the U.S. Now I want to hear your answer and opinion on this question: Does any one know why soccer cannot be accepted in the United States?

During her fight with Sha (for the protection of WAL and the world), Stephanie knew she wouldn't live through the battle. So in a last attempt to save herself from certain destruction she sent a beacon out to N.O.V.A Industries, the place that caused her to become Feral Nova. After being brought to death at the hands of Sha, the N.O.V.A. agents came into the battle field just in time to retrieve Feral Novas body before anymore damage could happen to the now lifeless body.

However... instead of just deciding to throw the body away, Dr. Sting decided to give Stephanie one more chance as him wanting her to be 'The ultimate fighting machine.' So instead of scrapping her and starting from scratch he put her back together. But this time... stronger.

He completely removed the metal armor that was within Stephanie and replaced it with a stronger indestructible metal, a metal that was thought to be impossible to receive. He infused Stephanie's body with True Adamantium, the metal that is even stronger than the Adamentium that Wolverine himself has inside his body. This was the only metal that would have been able to not only withstand the temperatures of Stephanies body but also keep her internal organs and bones from breaking or being destroyed by her powers. He has also figured a way of doing nuclear diffusion the breakdown of nuclear atoms rather than fusing them, causing them to produce a heat hot enough to reach the temperature of 1,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

He then placed a radar sense inside her, this will allow her to see not only body heat of anyone around her but if anyone has a temperature that is too low for even her heat sensors to detected they would be picked up by this. She can now also move at the speed of sound while she is covered in her flames.

But all of this new power and stronger ability's came with a price for Stephanie. During all of this, the dark minded Dr. Sting, took this opportunity to completely erase all the memories, thoughts, emotions and pretty much the free will of Stephanie. Anything that made Stephanie Ardor, Stephanie was now gone. Everyone and everything she held close to her was now gone in her mind. All that is left is a weapon that is to do what it is told, the one thing that Stephanie feared to become when she received her powers in the first place.

After about a week of missing in action Feral Nova was unleashed into the world once more but this time, was left in the hands of a group called, 'The Death Syndicate' to work along side with them. Her only orders that are programmed into her mind are to receive as much information on The Death Syndicate as well as on the group leader Sha and her demon within her Chaos Black and do anything they tell her to do as long as it didnt involve destroying N.O.V.A. Industries or any of its workers and allies.

Hmmm... 
 
I liked Planet Hulk a ton. Everything Hulk-related after that sucked though. I still read one of the Hulk books though (after Hulk was stuck as Banner, I kind of like him like that) and when one of the Fall of the Hulks covers had Doom on it, I had to read it, and since I'm a completest that meant I had to read all the FotH books. I was pleasantly surprised. I don't know really what it is, though I have a couple guesses. I like the focus on intelligence over strength, surprising for a Hulk book and also brings more twists and turns that can be very exciting. "You fell right into my trap!" "No, YOU fell into MY trap. MUAHAHAHAHA!!!" I eat that stuff up.  I like the villains. They're characters I don't usually care about for the most part, and their character has been developed well in the few issues I've read.  
 
I liked that it has a large scope (the alpha and gamma books tried to tie in as much as they could). Hunting down the smartest people in the MU might be my favorite aspect of this, seeing how their all dealt with and what comes of those interactions. I like that it feels like it has history but isn't dependent on more than what's in what you're reading. And it's fun. Ok, maybe I had more than a couple guesses.
  
Also, Blackest Night. People still think that's good but I don't really look forward to it. I read it when it comes but I'm not waiting or anything. #7 wasn't bad though. I liked the twist. People predicted stuff, and I'm so glad it wasn't Hal Jordan. Probably my favorite issue so far. Gets into the (ever-changing, my god) structure of the DCU which I often find interesting. 
 
Doom War. Also great. I didn't know what to expect, but I was definitely interested. So far, excellent, I'm on board. I didn't realize that taking the mantle Black Panther just makes you a badass. Badass Panther?  There was more but I can't think of it right now. I really hope that things are actually good and it's not just that my expectations for good comics have dropped so low that even crap books can entertain me. 
 
Also, Wildcats and Authority are great. I'm interested in how their stories will play out and the art in both books is worth attention, but the thing in both books that's getting me right now is the character work. Probably getting a focus since the teams just got mixed up, but whatever the reason, I'm glad personalities and relationships are at the forefront of these books.

I want time control more than anything but I don't know of any character that has it exactly the way I think of it so I'm out of luck there. 

My first thought after that is Jack Hawksmoor (second time I've picked him in 3 weeks). I'd love to be connected the way Jack is, just plugged in to all the life around him, human and otherwise. Plus, jumping and controlling gravity like Jack does would be fun. Control over the city might as well be telekinesis (I wouldn't pick TK, but it'd be fun now and then) and there's just so many possibilities with Jack's powers that I feel I could really get creative. Being practically indestructable when in a city and incredibly strong wouldn't suck either.  And imagine all the information available if you could tap into everything a city knew.

I thought about picking someone with telekinesis but I'm not sure how much I'd like that. It would be sort of practical but I see myself doing a lot of fighting with it, blasting stuff and making shields, but I don't think I'd be doing that much. If I lived in a comic book universe where fighting was a part of my everyday life then telekinesis would probably be my pick (and I'd say someone with Summers/Grey blood), but in reality, probably not.   My second choice would probably be Xavier. (I might use my powers more like Emma Frost, but I'd want Xavier's since he's commonly considered the best psychic on Earth.) His powers seem more practical in the real world, and they wouldn't draw any attention. Having access to or controlling the minds of others would be even more useful than things that work on a physical level. 

In this day and age though, virtual power might be just as important, maybe even more so. In that case, any of the many technopaths would be a good pick. With all the information going through the giant tubes of the internet at my beck and call, I could run the world from my living room. I might pick someone with other powers though, like Iron Man or The Engineer, just in case.  Don't think think I'd go bad or anything. That talk of controlling minds and ruling the world are just possibilities, not things I'd definitely do.   
 
My last pick would be the most powerful. The Doctor. Reality warpers have it all. Whatever you want to do, you can do it. I think they're cop out answers to this kind of question, and it can take the fun out of it, but it really is the best choice. I could literally do anything I wanted to do. From small things like creating a soda out of thin air when I'm thirsty to recreating the entire world to fit a daydream I'm having where I fight off hordes of demon warriors and save everyone. Impossible is nothing. I'd also have the time control how I want it. (When I said no one had it how I wanted it, I meant no one who wasn't ridiculously powerful in other ways in addition to the time control.) The Doctor is the best choice but I saved it for last. Too much power would take the excitement out of life. That's probably why Hawksmoor is my first choice. He can do a lot, but not everything is under his control. It's better that way.

(Don't worry this does go some where superhero related) So I stubbed my toe and you know what it freaking killed!! But some how that got my mind on to something else; you see us "humans" we grow a pain threshold from you know paper cuts, fights in school, something that builds up in all of us. It also allows the mind to know not to do it again, something that is very important to you know our general well being and that got me to thinking to superheros (See I told you)    

Age difference sometimes it’s not okay!!!

Right so straight of the bat I just want to explain that I for one have no problem with an age difference in a relationship, this is more of a fun blog so just go with it and don’t try to make any mountains out of mole hills.

Now we have seen so many stories about vampires these last few decades and they seem to skim over the age difference with varying ease. Let’s take Twighlight for a starting point seeing as the next movie installment is only a meager few days away. Edward was born in 1901 and died in 1918 at his time of death would have been seventeen so that places him at the right age as Bella from the movie and book, look wise. Now by the time he meets Bella he has been the living dead for over a hundred and six years. 

Now this is where my problem starts, see Bella is all to eager to fall for mister sparkles in sunlight and damn right too, I don’t know many seventeen year old girls who aren’t looking for some mystical monster….sorry mystical hansom stranger to offer them something more then the terrible lives they have now…. We all know being a teenager is hard!!! Well that’s until you become older and have to work and pay tax, sorry im getting to that part!!!

Now as far as teen vampire stories go this is the underlying plot, Vampire Diaries, hell even True Blood to a point. So a seventeen year old girl who has never fallen in love before or had the chance to understand the world around her, who has never gone to college or had a real job (and before you say I know  she worked at the dinner….but that was a dinner.) She has had no real chance to be a girl that becomes a woman. But the vampire who has matured over the last hundred odd years and should understand what his action will do is more often then not eager to please the woman he is with.

 May it be after several chapters of her and him being emo about it all. No I won’t change you im a monster…Shut up and get a grip. It’s not about changing her because you’re a monster or that you will be taking away her chance to be human, It’s because it just freaking strange why a 107 year old would want to date a 17 year old, well unless your getting something out of it that won’t make your heart explode in your chest.

Now I get that he is not old and will never get old, but he should also know that life as well as living is important. We need to be able to make mistakes and fall in and out of love, that’s what makes us who we are, may it be human or not. Hell we all had made mistakes and that’s what gets us to where we are, But now you go and make her a Vampire “Because that’s what she really really wanted” like the 18 year old girl who wants a prom dress or needs the latest whatever cd or she is just going to die…. Or she could be more mature, if a woman wants something 9/10 times she is going to get it. 

So yeah her life may be in danger and you need to do it, but do you really? Lets take a forward jump and find out what happens when things go wrong because some teenage weddings just don’t last past their third year. You just p!ssed of a very fast and powerful women who YOU turned into a vampire, well done dumbass a women scorned who will simply rip off your face, but don’t worry you can heal….so she can do it again, Welcome to your eternal nightmare!!

But all that a side, the age thing just confuses me, 107 year old, lives with his family, enjoys baseball in the rain and dark overcast towns, seeks 17 year old for friendship or more. Really how many people would reply to that?

Anyway hope I got at least a few laughs and you enjoyed my random blog for this week.   

Before I start with this topic, I want to make it clear that I do not support any comparison between these two very talented athletes. I believe comparing athletes as finished products. A good example of finished product comparison would be Jordan vs. Magic, Hakeem vs. David Robinson, or even Wilt Chamberlain vs. Kareem Abdul Jabbar. These guys played in the same era and against each other for years with memorable battles in the playoffs and the NBA finals. Kobe and LeBron’s careers are far from over, and they are yet to play in any games that really matter—playoffs or NBA Finals.

Though I do not support the comparison, there is certainly a rivalry between those two. Both guys continue to deny any kind of rivalry exists, especially Kobe.  Even if Kobe is not interested in there being any rivalry between he and the young man who would be King, the rest of us are. And that's why there's more info floating around the Web today than any of us have time to go through.
        
This rivalry has led to all this talk about who’s better. I’ve been in New York since the beginning of the year and didn’t have any free time to get a haircut; needless to say I was looking like a cave man and had hair growing on my face in areas I didn’t know could grow hair. A friend referred me to this barber shop called A+ Plus Cuts, and I thought to myself, "I sure hope they deliver an A+ Plus Cut :-)"

I walked into a very heated debate in the barber shop about Kobe and LeBron and who is better. The main argument was: Who had the most complete game, and who has the better supporting cast? I personally believe that Kobe has the more mature and effective game; very few people in the NBA have had a talent this refreshing, yet entertaining to watch.

Kobe breaks down opponents with finesse while hardly breaking a sweat. He reminds me of Jordan’s game after he came back from he’s first retirement for the 1995-1996 season. For those of you too young to remember, and/or too busy to see those great games on ESPN Classic, Jordan came back from retirement with the post-up, fade-away jumper and really long, almost-flat three-point shot. This helped to preserve his aging knees, and he went on to play 35 minutes or more a night for three more seasons. For now, LeBron is still improving on his game and adding new assets to his portfolio every day. Last year, he added the long-range shot, and so far it seem like his three-point shots are getting better.

But for now, his No. 1 asset still remains driving it hard to the basket, over or around an opponent. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are both just above-average good defenders, so comparison in this area is a waste of time. But the argument in the barber shop actually focused more on this area. They talked about Kobe’s ability to actually shut down individual players and LeBron’s amazing shot-blocking ability on the glass (Reggie Miller still believes it was goal tending:-)). Here’s the thing: Both Kobe and LeBron never really need to defend the best player on the other team, and when it does happen, it’s always on the last play of the game or the final seconds.

Most average fans never get to see all the games, but they do get to see five hours of SportsCenter and the nonstop repetition of a good defensive play by any of these guys.
But if I have to really choose between these two of who has the better defensive skill, I’ll go with Kobe again. The only reason we keep singing the praise of LeBron as a defensive player is because of all those blocked shots on the glass. Have any of you really seen this giant called LeBron?

I don’t mean from the stands in a game; I mean have you ever stood in front of the edifice called the King? He’s listed at 6'8"; I say they lie. That guy is 7'11" (as in seven feet, 11 inches). I bet flat-footed he could touch the box just above the rim. He’s young and athletic, and just like Dwight Howard (another giant), and he can really jump.

Kobe might not have the MJ or Scottie Pippen one-on-one lock-down ability, but he does hold his own against the best in the league. When it comes to who has the better team around him, hands down, it’s Kobe.

Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, and Pau Gasol are absolute superstars. Yes, I know Pau Gasol can sometime be soft on defense, sometimes on offense and ruined his postseason run, but when he does come up big, he comes up really big. Remember Tony Kukoc on the Bulls' championship squad? He is the Tony Kukoc of this squad. Lamar Odom will start on 97 percent of NBA teams out there, but he comes off the bench on this Lakers team.

LeBron plays with at best B+ players and a Shaq with Patrick Ewing syndrome (No offense Shaq. The Big Aristotle is still my main man). LeBron James will eventually be better than Kobe. Kobe, at this point, is playing the best basketball he will ever play. In other words: He has peaked. LeBron is still growing as a player and already being compared to some of the all-time greats.