Practically everyone has worn a modern-day Nike baller ID band, from multi-color straps to those with labels like Respect or Player, and of course the sports bracelet that boosted ID band popularity - the yellow LiveStrong wristbands. These silicone bracelets became all the rage and was created for a very good cause, by him who fought testicular cancer and never flinched, but even went on to achieve cycling greatness.

Well, Lance Armstrong is back, and with him comes the sustained popularity of the sport of cycling, and more importantly, a serious and more vigorous undertaking to promote cancer awareness. Say what you will about the restless status of his relationships (with a side remark on BFF Matthew McConaughey), but we can never deny his awesome power to inspire and sway people to his side.

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So is Michael Phelps the greatest Olympian of all time?

I suppose there are two safe answers. Yes and no.

Dangle a 36-year old Olympic record before a go-getting 23-year old swimming scud missile from Baltimore, Maryland and you get a riveting nine-day odyssey. Phelps tried to deflect early pressure by saying it was primarily the media, which wanted him to break the record Mark Spitz set in 1972. It was media hype, not personal ambition, according to Phelps. It was, however, clear upon his first taste of Beijing gold that the super shark wanted more. He wanted it all. Eight gold medals for 8 events. This means Phelps wasn’t just aiming for domination. He wasn’t just going for intimidation. Here was an athlete ambitious enough to target perfection in an ultra-competitive field. Read the rest of this entry »

Before Team USA got on their way to redeeming Olympic basketball glory, three of their stars took a breather from an exhibition game in Shanghai, enjoying themselves to a game of good ol’ billiards. I’ll take Bata, Django, and Alex over Kobe, LeBron, and Melo any day of the year, though.

Kobe and LeBron photos after the jump.

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For American swimming scud missile Michael Phelps, the heart-pounding race to Olympic immortality is well underway. He’s captured 3 gold medals so far. Three down, 5 to go. The goal is for Phelps to knife through water like never before and win 8 gold medals in Beijing. Phelps aims to smash the record American swimmer Mark Spitz, at 7 gold medals, set in the Munich games in 1972. Poor Mark Spitz. He already felt severely overlooked by Olympic organizers by not being invited to grace the Beijing games. Now, he’ll have to watch the most serious assassination attempt at his 36-year old record from his living room. Read the rest of this entry »

Training camp has begun for the NFL, and for hardcore fans, it’s great news, what with all the wheeling and dealing, and another Brett Favre drama to boot. And with a game so complex and the odds very hard to determine, it’s a league worth following, right? Or maybe halftime shows at the Super Bowl float your boat (Michael Jackson popping out of several locations in the stadium for SB XXVII was a classic). Well, here are a couple more reasons to be a fan of the NFL.

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