MJ helped keep the Patriots in New England

Without Adam Vinateri, the New England Patriots wouldn’t have won three Super Bowl titles. Without Tom Brady Adam Vinateri wouldn’t have been in a position to give the Patriots those titles. Without Bill Belichick, Tom Brady’s quarterbacking wouldn’t have set-up Adam Vinateri to hit the kicks to win those titles. And without Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick wouldn’t have been in New England to help both Brady and Vinateiri win those titles. And without Michael Jackson (yes, that Michael Jackson), Bob Kraft wouldn’t have bought the New England Patriots and the dynasty that was may never have been.

As Forbes described in a 2005 article, Michael Jackon’s 1984 Victory tour was directly responsible for Kraft purchasing Foxboro Stadium in 1988, a transaction that eventually led to him being able to buy the team in 1994.

In 1988 Kraft and a partner put up $25 million to buy the Foxboro stadium from the Sullivan family, besting a $16 million offer from the Pats’ owner, Kiam. (Kraft would buy out his 50-50 partner for a small premium five years later.) [Former Patriots owner, and current Foxboro Stadium owner] Charles Sullivan had used the stadium as collateral to fund [Michael Jackson's] Victory Tour back in 1984. Overleveraged, Sullivan went bankrupt and was forced to sell the arena. To this day Kraft’s collection of photos and mementos includes a poster from the ill-fated tour.

Basically, Sullivan got in over his head funding Michael Jackson’s Victory tour (something that those concert organizers in London can commiserate with now) and was forced to sell the stadium because of the bad investment, a move which furthered Bob Kraft’s quest to own his hometown Patriots. (Because Kraft owned the stadium, the team couldn’t be sold without his approval. When new owner Victor Kiam wanted to sell to a St. Louis businessman intent on re-selling the team or moving it, Kraft stepped in and bid 50 percent more, buying the Patriots for $172 million in 1994.

It was a transaction that began a run toward three Super Bowls, a perfect regular season and the career of one of the greatest coaches and quarterbacks that the league has ever seen. And to think, it was all set in motion by the guy with the glove moonwalking across the stage. “Wanna’ Be Startin’ Somethin’” indeed.

Thanks, FanNation, via Boston Globe

LOS ANGELES - Harmless comic characters or racist robots?

The buzz over the summer blockbuster “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” only grew Wednesday as some said two jive-talking Chevy characters were racial caricatures.

Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact hatchbacks, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They’re forced to acknowledge that they can’t read. One has a gold tooth.

As good guys, they fight alongside the Autobots and are intended to provide comic relief. But their traits raise the specter of stereotypes most notably seen when Jar Jar Binks, the clumsy, broken-English speaking alien from “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace,” was criticized as a caricature.

“It’s one thing when robot cars are racial stereotypes,” he said, “but the movie also had a bucktoothed black guy who is briefly in one scene who’s also a stereotype.”

“They’re like the fools,” said 18-year-old Nicholas Govede, also of New York City. “The comic relief in a degrading way.”

“They were hilarious,” Jason said. “Every movie has their standout character, and I think they were the ones for this movie.”

That was the aim, director Michael Bay said in an interview.

“It’s done in fun,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s stereotypes — they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it.”

Actor Reno Wilson, who is black, voices Mudflap. Tom Kenny, the white actor behind SpongeBob SquarePants, voices Skids.

Wilson said Wednesday that he never imagined viewers might consider the twins to be racial caricatures. When he took the role, he was told that the alien robots learned about human culture through the Web and that the twins were “wannabe gangster types.”

“It’s an alien who uploaded information from the Internet and put together the conglomeration and formed this cadence, way of speaking and body language that was accumulated over X amount of years of information and that’s what came out,” the 40-year-old actor said. “If he had uploaded country music, he would have come out like that.”

It’s not fair to assume the characters are black, he said.

“It could easily be a Transformer that uploaded Kevin Federline data,” Wilson said. “They were just like posers to me.”

Kenny did not respond to an interview request Wednesday.

“I purely did it for kids,” the director said. “Young kids love these robots, because it makes it more accessible to them.”

This incredible three-quarter court flip shot by Brecksville-Broadview Heights Middle School’s Aaron Shutway needs to be seen to be believed … and even then I’m sure angry, bitter people will cry that the ball is computer generated. It sure looks legit. But have a look and decide for yourself.

So, Halle Berry is walking up to accept a Guy’s Choice award on Spike TV, Jamie Foxx is the presenter. Halle later says she was looking for “revenge” for what happened to her at the Academy Awards with Adrian Brody in 2002.

Mission Accomplished!

By the way, this is what she wanted revenge for.

You KNEW somebody was gonna remix it...HELLA FUNNY!

This is an instant YouTube sensation. President Obama killed a fly during an interview the old-fashioned way, with his hands. No Secret service needed. It’s actually kinda funny. The Big O is showing his down-to-earth persona.

The cold piece is that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has denounced the killing of the fly…and they are serious!  WHAT?

Ok PETA put your money where your mouth is and try to dump a can of paint, or throw some water, or throw a pie at Obama. You’ll get crushed to the ground on sight.

Better yet, PETA why are you after politicians and celebrities anyway? I’m not impressed. Send a message by clowning the common man and woman. Trying to embarrass Beyonce? That’s nothing! Dump paint on all the pimps wearing fur coats at the Players Ball…I’ll be impressd.

Before releasing Rebirth in August, Lil Wayne will take Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy and up-and-comer Drake on a 22-city tour called Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival. Tickets go on sale July 20th.

All four rappers have new albums targeted for release in the final third of 2009, with Wayne’s oft-delayed rap-rock Rebirth pushed to August 18th and Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 103, Soulja’s DeAndre Way and Toronto rapper Drake’s debut disc Thank Me Later all on the schedule. (For more on Drake’s rise from Degrassi to Weezy protégé, check out Drake’s Big Break.)

According to an official press release, an unnamed opening act will hit the stage prior to Drake, who will be followed by Soulja and Jeezy before Wayne closes out the evening. Get the full dates for the America’s Most Wanted trek after the jump.

Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival

August 15 - Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion

Combing two of my favorite things, SEGA games and positive hip hop.
Murs & 9th Wonder bring you Pusshhhhhh from the amazing album “Sweet Lord”.

In order, these are the games used (all Genesis / Megadrive):

MIGHT AND MAGIC
MORTAL KOMBAT 3
MR CHUNGA
BARBIE: SUPERMODEL
…
BIOHAZARD BATTLE
SONIC 3
AERO THE ACROBAT
ETERNAL CHAMPIONS
DOUBLE DRAGON
LAWNMOWER MAN
PUGGSY
AAAHH!! REAL MONSTERS
ARCUS ODYSSEY
FLASHBACK
RENT A HERO
MAGICAL GIRL
CHESTER CHEETAH WILD WILD QUEST
COOLSPOT
PUYO PUYO POP 2
SWORD OF VERMILLION
WERE BACK: A DINOSAURS TALE

(refrain)
PIRATES OF DARK WATER
RISTAR
THE IMMORTAL
STREET FIGHTER 2
RISKY WOODS
CHESTER CHEETAH WILD WILD QUEST
TWO CRUDE DUDES
BOOGERMAN
COMIX ZONE
SONIC 1 (AMY ROSE HACK)
MOONWALKER
DYNAMITE HEADDY

TOEJAM AND EARL
NO ESCAPE
GOLDEN AXE
ARCUS ODYSSEY
ALTERED BEAST
SPARKSTER
777 CASINO
BARBIE SUPERMODEL
MORTAL KOMBAT 3
BRAM STOKERS DRACULA
SHINING FORCE
BUBSY 2
JEOPARDY
JURASSIC PARK
BEAST II
AIR DIVER
GENERAL CHAOS

(refrain)
PIRATES OF DARK WATER
RISTAR
THE IMMORTAL
STREET FIGHTER 2
RISKY WOODS
CHESTER CHEETAH WILD WILD QUEST
TWO CRUDE DUDES
BOOGERMAN
COMIX ZONE
SONIC 3
MOONWALKER
DYNAMITE HEADDY

SKELETON KREW
BATTLE MANIA II
VECTORMAN
DINOSAURS FOR HIRE
SPLATTERHOUSE
ZOOOP
FLASHBACK
SYD OF VALIS
SHOVE IT
STREETS OF RAGE (BARE KNUCKLE)
JAMMIT
AIR DIVER
STREET FIGHTER 2
GHOSTBUSTERS
SHINOBI 2
RISKY WOODS
SMASH TV