Shady Records x GQ NFL Playoffs

Our friend and GQ Senior Editor Will Welch came up with the idea to have some Shady Records artists, Eminem and myself create bracket predictions and talk some smack about the NFL playoffs and who will emerge victorious in the Super Bowl.
The brackets started with Divisional Playoffs following Wild Card weekend. Slaughterhouse was in the studio in Detroit with Eminem and I was in town as well when we filled our brackets out, and everyone saw mine and balked. Eminem got his words in first with this interview that ran last week.
Turns out that I picked 3 out of 4 right in the first round. My bracket is below.

Check out my interview and amature opinion here. Interviews with Yelawolf as well as Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz of Slaughterhouse are coming soon. May the best man(ager) win! LET'S GO BIG BLUE!

The Beer Hoodie

As the summer drew to a close this year, a friend of mine sent me a link for a special kind of hoodie. No, this isn't designed by a famed street artist, and it's not a This Company X That Company cool guy collabo. It's a lot simpler than all of that. See, I appreciate the finer things in life, but I'm also easily satisfied with the simple and mundane practical items that the world has to offer. Ladies and gentleman, Sunday night's awful Giant's game marked the debut of my Beer Hoodie, which has a kangaroo style Joey-pouch to hold your beer, hands-free.

Hands get cold? No problem, throw it in the hoodie. Need to clap because your team just made an interception? No problem, throw it in the hoodie. Have to call your wife to check-in? No problem, use both hands to drunk dial: throw it in the hoodie. This is genius. I don't care if it's ridiculous. So is spending $10 per beer, but we do it anyway. Because we are committed fools. Yeah, you want one dude. Get it here.

Tony Romo Endorses Interscope

Is it a coincidence that this clip surfaced after the Romo/Simpson break-up? Probably, but because of the timing it gives it a little more kick. Glad Romo has a sense of humor.

Tony Romo: Product Spokesman from Tony Romo

UPDATED: I just added a football tag to the post labels. Football... remember that? It's coming back real soon. Can't wait... I always feel guilty though like I'm rushing the summer. But the fall is where it's at.

Paul The Lionhearted

I haven't written any posts about pro-football at all this season. At first I thought I was just being lazy, since all-original posts like this obviously take the most time. But as the season progressed, I realized it was because I was searching. Searching for an identity, searching for the truth, searching for a purpose.
Contrary to what non-fans would think, there is plenty of manly emotion in football. We've seen it in the recent press conferences of Tony Dungy, Mike Shanahan and especially in the post-game win on-field interview with Philly's Brian Dawkins. While we don't have our careers hanging in the balance on the NFL (unless we've literally bet the house), a lot of us have invested a great deal of time and belief in the game- and our team. It's a game, sure, but it's more than just that.
I grew up in suburban Detroit, MI. Both my grandfather and my father before me spent most of their lives as Detroit Lions fans. I was, quite literally, born into being a Lions fan. I could go on and on about the Sundays spent on the couch with my father and brother yelling at the television or waving our hands in disgust at the more often than not hapless Lions. It was my late grandfather Marvin Rosenberg, however, who said something to me probably 25 years ago that really took me a long time to grasp: "As long as Ford owns that team, they ain't never gonna be no good". While the phrase stuck with me and haunted me for years, it took a while to sink in. How could it be that a team's owner has that much to do with whether the players play well and whether the team is competitive?
As a child, you think that your team can win, plain and simple. Those guys on the field in the Lions' logo helmets were my heroes, and I'd be damned if I didn't support them. I believed in the Honolulu blue and silver for 35 years or so. Even 10 years after moving to New York, my allegiance didn't waiver. I'd be constantly made fun of by Giants or Jets fans, but I didn't care- I was a Detroit Lions fan. Period.
I'm not sure exactly what put me over the edge. There isn't one specific thing that I can point to (other than the obvious losing seasons year after year, the lamest draft picks over the last several seasons, the maddening decision by the front office to keep Matt Millen as the team's GM for 8 seasons), I think I just got sick of rooting for an organization that frankly were losers.
Millen's tenure as GM led to the worst eight-year record in the NFL (31-97) since World War II. The Lions have never been in a Super Bowl. In fact, the Lions have made it into the playoffs only nine times in the 50-plus years since winning the 1957 championship. Back in November of 1963, William Clay Ford, Sr. bought the team which began the 43-year period that continues today, during which the Lions have won just one playoff game. Turns out that Grandpa Marvin was right.
Now, I've been very clear in the past on where I stand on what team's people should be allowed to root for. For the sake of clarity, allow me to repeat from my October 2007 post entitled The Cowgirls:
In my opinion, you root for the team from where either a) you grew up, b) where you currently live (for at least a couple of years), c) if there is no team where you are from or where you currently live, you can pick one near by, or d) if the team where you currently live packed-up and bounced to some "expansion" city or otherwise, you can continue to root for that team (shouts out to the Los Angeles Raiders, Anaheim Rams, St. Louis Cardinals, and the Baltimore Colts). Sure, you can prefer one team win over another. You can even cheer for that team playing against a team that you despise. But to passionately root for a team that doesn't fit into any of the categories above, to the point that you wear their gear, sing their praises, and have "sports arguments" about that team is complete BULLSHIT. You know who you are. Stop it.
I moved to New York City full-time in June of 1996. That's almost 13 years ago. Since then, I've watched a lot of New York Jets and New York Giants games- mostly due to the fact that I didn't (and still don't) have DirectTV and the NFL Sunday Ticket, and the Jets and Giants games are always shown locally. I don't know exactly why, but I've always leaned more towards the Giants. I know there are some unwritten rules about where you live in the NY area which dictate who you should be a fan of (for the record, I've lived in New Jersey, Queens and New York City), but I mostly just went with my gut. It took a while, but around 5 or 6 years ago the Giants became my "second team".
In first position, up until this season, I always remained true to The Lions. Bad habits are hard to break, but I always just figured that it's what I was, and that's that. During the course of last season, while the Lions crashed and burned (they started the season 6-2 and ended the season at 7-9), I paid really close attention to the rising Giants. I'd say the point at which I really turned the corner was on November 18, 2007 when the Lions lost to the Giants 10-16. I was still rooting for the Lions at that point, but when they lost to my second team, I wasn't that mad. In fact, I vividly remember telling the friends I had that were over at my house to watch the game that I thought that when the Giants play at their best, they can beat anyone. And beat anyone they did.
So, I continued the rest of the '07 season caring less about Detroit and more about Big Blue. Sure, you can say I jumped on the proverbial bandwagon. And maybe I did. But when you have drank mud for so long and you get the opportunity to taste some champagne, it's easy to want more. That taste of winning, of being a winner, and having real hope is really something to behold.
Before the 2008 NFL season began, I sent an e-mail to a group of friends from The D that were also born Lions fans and had since dispersed around the country. The e-mail was as follows:

From: paulXXXX@XXXX.com
To: Group
CC:
Subject: RE: ROAR 2008
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:57:05 -0400

Save this e-mail: THE LIONS WILL HAVE THE WORST RECORD IN THE NFL IN THE '08 SEASON.
They spent the off-season creating a new slogan "BELIEVE IN NOW". I believe that now we seriously don't have a defense. At all. The only semi-decent linebacker we have is Ernie Sims and he's hurt forever. It will be a catastrophe the likes of which we are accustomed to, but maybe worse. Their draft picks were the laughing stock of the league. We still have no offensive line.
GO GIANTS

At the point I sent that e-mail, I was still trying on the idea of being a second team convert. Could I really have a fully changed heart? Could I actually care about the Giants as much or more than I cared about the Lions for 35 years?
Well, after the Lions obviously went on to a record-breaking 0-16 season (the first team to go winless in the era of 16-game seasons), it wasn't all that hard. But it wasn't until this past Sunday, after a season of rooting for the Giants and doing my best to ignore Detroit (I even went to a game this season at Ford Field though), when I went to the Giants playoff game against the Eagles that I learned the truth- I have become a Giants fan. I wasn't just casually bummed that the Giants lost, I was very upset. When you feel that kind of emotion, the conversion is real. I am a New York Giants fan.
Having said all of that, there will always be a place in my heart for The Detroit Lions, hence the title of this blog entry. Should the team get sold, or the Fords miraculously decide that they want to own a team that competes in the league and prove themselves as real winners, I'll be happy. I just refuse to spend the next 35 years (or depending on how you look at it, the second half of my life) rooting for and investing myself in a team that doesn't care. If the Fords don't care enough to win, why should I?
So, Grandpa Rosenberg, there you have it. I can see you crack a smile now and say in your gruff, old-school way "well, what took ya so long, boy?" It was hard, grandpa. But I've made the move, and I'm comfortable with it. If some of you out there aren't, try walking in my shoes for 35 years, then you can judge. Until then, GO BIG BLUE!

P.S. I hope I haven't offended any of the people at the Detroit Lions organization with whom I have become acquainted over the years. I had to get this off of my chest.
P.P.S. My fortunate 5 and-a-half month old daughter will grow up a Giants fan, and not have to endure the pain that I have. Plus, she can go to games in a shiny new stadium!

Spartans Going Too Far?

In and around the Michigan State University campus, and I'm not sure where else, there is some organization called Biting Rivals that has put up billboards about University of Michigan's loss to the Spartans and their lost season. Please visit the ridiculous website by clicking here.
I'm a Spartan, but is all this really necessary? Ok, maybe...

Commitment, Regression & Recycling

Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to make it to Ann Arbor, MI for the annual intra-state rivalry between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans. I went to MSU along with my brother. 90% of the rest of my family including my mother and my sister went to U of M. I probably have 30 (not exaggerating) cousins that went to U of M, and hardly any that went to State.
So every year I make an effort (have gone to the last three) to make it to either Ann Arbor or East Lansing, Michigan for the big rivalry.
There is one major problem with Big 10 college football- the league rules don't allow for any drinking inside stadiums and arenas. I guess they think that it curbs unacceptable behavior and public displays of stupidity, nudity, drunkenness, or otherwise. What I see, though, is an opposite effect. Thousands of people gather in various parking lots and/or fields around the stadiums for a tailgate party. This generally leads to people getting super loaded before the game because they know they can't have anything to drink when they get inside. This leads to many folks really overdoing it, hence the regression. Grown-ass men and women really acting like children or teenagers at best. I'm talking jell-O shots, keg stands, passing out, etc. What I notice the most is that people forget how to be drunk, like they don't remember how to keep their wits about them when drinking because they are out of practice. I saw a 40 year old woman fall on her ass. I saw a 50 year old man doing a keg stand. Maybe if they let people buy a drink or two inside then they wouldn't have to get so wasted before kick-off.

Now, on to the game. My boy Mikey hooked us up with field passes which allow you to go anywhere on the sidelines of the game to watch. This is every football fan's fantasy and I felt like a little kid out there. Truly amazing. The Spartans hung in there for there first victory in Ann Arbor in like 20 years, and it's my first time seeing them win a game against U of M in-person. Commitment, folks.
The thing about the state of Michigan that most people learned from an old Seinfeld episode is that it's the only state that gives 10 cents back on can deposits. So when you go to buy a six-pack, they charge you 60 cents extra, hoping you will bring the cans back and do the environment a favor and recycle. Most people at the tailgates just throw the cans anywhere and this leads to professional recyclers running around the game collecting cans to get cash. It's probably pretty lucrative actually, 10 cans are a buck. These guys probably make a couple of hundred dollars per game from it. Recycling.
Next thing to note is that the teams play in this annual game for an unofficial tournament trophy. It's called The Paul Bunyan Trophy, and whichever team wins they get to keep it for the year. My old nome de rap (yep) was Paul Bunyan. Coincidence? I think not. Next mission? Getting a flick with that weird wooden statue. I'm gonna do it and you will see it here first. Commitment. I bet you can't wait.

The Patriot Bar

I'm sure I must have noticed this bar before which is located on Chambers Street near Church Street in Tribeca, it's just a block or so away from the heart of where the New York Giants' victory parade took place this past Tuesday. As I walked by on my way to vote in the primaries, I noticed the irony- on the day that this little bar was at it's most ironic it ever will be.
Sorry it's sideways, I'm not that nice at this html stuff.
Notice the "We Won" scribbled on the external blackboard and the Giants' fans standing out front like they just took over someone's castle. I guess they kind of did.

Dog Day- 18 & NO!

I'm not going to spend this entire entry blasting the Patriots. Its unnecessary, the scoreboard said it all. At the end of the day, not perfect. Nope. Perfection is so rare that it eluded even the seemingly "best team ever".
Next season, the season after that, and the season following when people start talking about "they could go all the way undefeated" or "this could be a perfect season", just reach over and smack them. People are too quick to get excited about this possibility. Teams have bad games and get beat. Especially over a longer series of games. Who knows if the '72 Dolphins would have won 19 games straight? I'm not trying to take anything away from them, but come on. 17 is much different than 19. Just ask Bill. I'm just sayin'...
Now on to those Giants. What can you say? At the end of the day it boiled down to fundementals. Rush the passer, make sacks. Play physical and aggressive. Don't make stupid mistakes. And don't give up. EVER. That last Eli touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress (Go Green! Go White!) was so simple and basic. Quick slant to the corner of the end zone. Beat the coverage. Throw the football. BAM! Success. The Giants weren't flashy, weren't pulling trick plays, they were just performing.
And what more could we ask of Eli Manning? This Superbowl was his Bar Mitzvah. Eli became a man last night, and a true champion. Who would have ever thought? Don't give up. Ever. My wife even made Bridget Moynahan masks which we hung around the living room. They worked. Like magical football scarecrows or totem poles or something.
I remember back in week 8 of this past season when the Patriots played the Skins, and won 52-7. In the 4th quarter, with only like 7 or 8 minutes left, winning by like 40 points, on 4th down- New England went for a touchdown instead of taking the field goal. Against good old Joe Gibbs. Rubbing it in his face. This wasn't the first or last time during the regular season they poured it on like that. I didn't like it, I felt that it was nasty and disrespectful. Karma is a bitch. And sometimes, she's exactly what we need.

Travis Barker & DJ AM Superbowl Intro

In case you missed it, our clients Travis Barker and DJ AM did justice to the NFL theme on Fox. Check it out below.

Super Chicken Heat

ABC's Nightline had a peice about the hottest chicken wings on the planet tonight at a place in Chicago called Jack Melnick's Corner Tap. I am not the kind of person that likes their wings so hot that it becomes uncomfortable... I just don't see the point. I do like them very hot, but these just sound silly. They use a pepper called the Red Savina, which is supposedly 65 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper.
Big coincidence, because there was another article I saw today about Hooter's chain, which claims that they sell a million wings on Superbowl Sunday in the Chicago and Tampa areas alon, compared to the 650,000 these restaurants sell on a normal week.
It seems that even the real media gets excited about eating chicken wings and writes about it prior to Super Sunday. Just like Paul Rosenblog.

Collie Buddz- "Blind to You" NY Giants Dub

Check out the vocal remix/dub of dancehall/reggae artist Collie Buddz song "Blind to You". Even though this guy is born and raised in Bermuda, he's rooting for the G-Men in the big game a week from today... (Although I suspect this came with substantial prodding and urging from his NY manager Dino!).
If you haven't bought it yet, Collie Buddz' debut self-titled album is out now. It's very solid... I especially like "Come Around", "Sensimillia" & "Defend Your Own".

Karmic Cast?

Can it be that the Patriots' karma is catching up to them? Let's all stay tuned. And as posted below before the pre-season started (The End 12/11/07), I have adopted the Giants as my second team. Its totally valid, I've lived in NYC over 10 years... And give a guy a break. Remember, I'm a Lions fan.

L.V. Loses a Bet!

I have a friend and business partner named L.V. who lost a bet to me. See, around the 5th week of the NFL season (Oct. 12th to be exact) when I was foolishly boasting (see post below 2-0 Swag) about the potential of the Detroit Lions, L.V. started in about his Oakland Raiders. L.V. bet me that if the Lions ended up with a better season win/loss record than the Raiders he would deface his car with pro-Detroit slogans and drive around L.A. with it for a WEEK. Needless to say, I won... The other condition of the bet was that MarK Hoppus would get to blog about it mercilessly. This is all very satisfying. Oh... if I lost? I would have had to wear a Raiders t-shirt for the day and have myself photographed and for Mark to mercilessly blog about that too. But, I won and its very satisfying. He even added a "Kitna window" for extra measure.
Doesn't L.V. look so happy? He even decided to bring in a football as a prop. How cute.

Giants/Cowboys

This video is unreal. I don't know what better results Giants fans could hope for than a video of TO crying about their loss. It's like a late X-mas gift for Big Blue. Somebody needs to stop this guy from talking to the press after games. Ok, maybe before and during the games too.
The stage was set in Irving TX for the Cowboys' 21-17 upset loss to the New York Football Giants yesterday. From Romo's exploits with Daisy Duke to the Giants' excellent play in the last few games of the season and Wild Card, we all felt this was gonna go down. I am satisfied that one of the 2 teams I really hoped wouldn't make it to the Superbowl will not be there. The other team? Well, that's another story that seems written in scripture on tablets of destiny, unfortunately.

Decorative Football Face Paint

I don't really like this. Grease paint on football players' cheekbones is supposed to prevent glare from the sun and the stadium lights from bouncing off of sweat and oil on players faces into their eyes... Ok, fair enough. But when you paint white letters and numbers over the black paint, it kind of defeats the purpose. Furthermore, why are supposed tough guys painting cute little letters and numbers on their faces? Its almost as bad as those stupid little elbow ties that players wear, a la The Ultimate Warrior. Do those serve a purpose? I don't see how. The NCAA should ban this silly area code and random message practice.