LeBron James back to the Cleveland Cavaliers

LeBron James officially announced his decision last Friday to return to his home state and play basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers again. In 2010 when James was a free agent the first time, he announced his decision to take his talents to South Beach via a live TV announcement at The Boys & Girls Club. He received harsh criticism for how he announced the news, which became known as The Decision and there were no harsher critics than Cleveland itself. His jerseys were burned, Cavs fans threw fits and the Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, blasted James through many media outlets, calling him a narcissistic coward. As the owner of the company Fathead, Gilbert reduced James’ wall sticker price to a mere $17.41 (Fatheads normally retail for approximately $50-100 each).

After 7 seasons as the face of the Cavs and continuously rising as a basketball star, Cleveland was distraught in disbelief that their son could do this to them. How? Why? It’s not right! James moved on to the Miami Heat where the Big 3 meshed, reigning as Eastern Conference Champions from 2011-2014 and heading to the NBA Finals in each of their 4 years together, winning 2 back-to-back NBA championships in 2012 and 2013.

Contrary to the publicity surrounding his 2010 decision, James quietly announced his decision this time through an exclusive essay published by Sports Illustrated with the headline “I’m Coming Home.” In the essay, James explains his decision to return to his hometown, stating the decision is greater than just basketball. He is a dad and has a family to think about, and feels a sense of responsibility to inspire kids growing up in the Northeast Ohio area. He is accepting the challenge to bring talent and success back into Cleveland.

All was instantly forgiven by the city of Cleveland and Cavs fans when James’ return was announced. Criticism of the actual decision was minimal this time around, partially because of James’ chosen delivery of the news. There was only class displayed by the Miami Heat too, as the organization announced respect for James’ decision and posted a picture of the superstar in his Heat jersey via social media outlets with the caption “Thanks for the memories.”

Perhaps 2015 will be the year the Cavs finally win an NBA Championship. They certainly have their work cut out for them, but an overall young and talented roster is a great start. The King himself along with #1 draft pick, Andrew Wiggins and point guard, Kyrie Irving are valuable assets to begin making this goal a reality.

MLB All-Star Game

It’s that time of the year again – fans who enjoy hot dogs and cold drinks on a warm summer day, sunshine spread wide across a freshly manicured field and the crack of a wooden bat striking a ball at the perfect moment, with the intent to launch it into the stands or beyond the park. Yes, it’s baseball season.

MLB All-Star week is a mid summer opportunity for players to showcase their talents and provide fans an entertaining occasion to watch these highlighted skills through events such as the Futures Game, the Home Run Derby and the All-Star game. The Futures Game is the opening event to all-star week and allows up-and-coming players to show their skills. It was designed to highlight “tomorrow’s stars.” 2014 will be the 16th year that the Futures Game is included among all-star activities. The Home Run Derby is held prior to the all-star game (Monday, July 14 this year) and includes the league’s top home run hitters. The goal is to see which player can hit the most home runs.

The All-Star game is played in a National League v. American League format. In 2013, the American League won 3-0. From 2010-2013 the National League claimed victory, but prior to 2010, the American League had won the previous 13 all-star games, excluding 2002 in which the teams tied.

Similar to the NBA all-star game, the MLB game moves to various host cities each year, offering different teams the chance to host and showcase what their city has to offer fans. This season’s all-star game takes place at Target Field, home to the Minnesota Twins. Target Field opened in 2010 and despite the Twins’ recent on-field performance, the stadium is well regarded among baseball fans nationwide. The design was carefully crafted and took over a decade to plan and then construct. In anticipation of the all-star game, Target Field has added two unique self-serve beer machines to the stadium. They debuted earlier in the month during a Twins home game and while they are self-serve, they still remain monitored.

This season’s all-star game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15 and will air on Fox.

Cleveland Browns

Cleveland is one of America’s oldest sports cities but is also said by some to be cursed. The Cleveland Browns have never won a Super Bowl, or even played in one. The Cleveland Indians last won the World Series in 1948 and the Cleveland Cavaliers have had one NBA Finals appearance in 2007, where they were swept by San Antonio in the first four games. Even having Lebron James as the city’s star athlete was not enough to break the curse.

With the Cleveland Browns having selected Johnny Manziel as the 22nd pick in this year’s NFL Draft, will 2014-2015 be the year this finally changes? Is Johnny Manziel enough to stop the curse?

Manziel, also known as Johnny Football, played quarterback at Texas A&M University. During his time at A&M, Manziel led the Aggies to a 20-6 record. He won the Heisman trophy in 2012 (the first freshman to ever win the award), and was also selected as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. In 2013, he was selected as the SEC Male Athlete of the Year. With numerous other accolades over the course of his college career, Johnny Football became a well-known name and a viable prospect for many NFL teams looking to start fresh and rebuild their team.

It surprised many fans that Manziel was selected 22nd in the draft, as sports analysts and fans alike predicted him to go much earlier. He was the second of two first round picks for the Cleveland Browns – they also selected Justin Gilbert, a cornerback from Oklahoma State University, with the 8th pick. Cleveland also has a new head coach, Mike Pettine, who was the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2013 and spent the three seasons prior to that as the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator. With a new coach and fresh top-tier talent, the Cleveland Browns are ready to begin their turnaround.

Upcoming opponents for the Browns this season include the usual AFC North rivals: Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, as well as the four NFC South teams: Saints, Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers among others. Their first game is scheduled for September 7th against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Browns’ home opener is set for September 14, where they will be hosting the New Orleans Saints.

House Keys

As humans, we tend to get in the same pattern of events on an almost daily basis. It can be eating the same food for breakfast, taking the same route to work each day or doing the same exercise routine at the gym twice a week. Sure, organization is good and definitely helpful, but changing things up even by the slightest details can alter your mood or add a slight spark to your day. We use the same objects constantly so adding a touch of character to one or two of them is a great way to spice things up and eliminate the boring feeling we’ve all experienced at some point. There are plenty of ways to do this. A simple one is changing up your daily necessities. For example, try a new flavor of coffee, part your hair differently or change the design of your house key.

Changing the design of your house key can save a little time when you’re in a hurry to leave for work in the morning, or anxious to get inside after a long day at the office. Distinguishing it from your other keys is a simple way to spend less time fumbling when you enter or exit. Plus, if you have multiple homes, offices or other properties, having unique keys for each is a great way to avoid confusion and again, save time from having to fumble for the correct key or try multiple incorrect keys before finding the one you actually need.

Perhaps you have a vacation house in Orlando. A Mickey Mouse key is a great way to identify the key for this home! Maybe you’re renting an extra apartment to your cousin who is a huge San Diego Padres fan. Having a Padres key for this apartment is an easy way to differentiate it from your other properties. Additionally, personalizing a house key is a great way to show your thoughtfulness and that you take note of others’ preferences.

The house key options don’t just end with sports team logos or Disney characters either!  Elvis, cute puppies, Betty Boop, Garfield and Family Guy are among the many options available for unique, decorative house keys.

World Cup 2014

Growing in popularity each year, the world has anxiously been awaiting the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, since 2010 when Spain defeated the Netherlands to win the coveted title. Like the Olympics, the World Cup occurs every four years, changing locations to bring together competing nations and enthusiastic fans across the globe.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was founded in 1904, is ruled by Swiss law and is based in Zurich. There are over 200 member associations belonging to FIFA and the overall goal of the organization and its members is to constantly improve the sport of football (soccer in the USA). The FIFA Congress announced earlier in June that it would be investing $900M dollars in development of the sport from 2015-2018. These funds will be used for a variety of purposes although priorities include the support of women’s funds and youth competitions as well as enhancing football’s information system.

The World Cup begins with a group format, intended to separate high ranking and geographically close teams. The USA is part of group G along with Germany, Ghana and Portugal. Scoring the groups is based on a point system: win = 3, draw (tie) = 1 and loss = 0. This system determines who advances to the knockout round.

In the USA’s first match, Ghana was defeated 2-1. USA goals were scored by Dempsey and Brooks. In their second game which took place Sunday, June 22, the USA started out down 0-1 against Portugal but came back to score two goals (by Jones and Dempsey). It seemed like a sure thing that the USA was set for victory until a last second goal by Varela of Portugal’s team tied the game! This resulted in a draw.

As with any great sporting tournament, upsets, surprises and controversies make for exciting news and so far, the World Cup has had no shortage of them! Greece beat Ivory Coast 2-1 in their match on June 24. Uruguay’s Luis Suarez was accused of biting Italian Giorgio Chiellini’s ear in their most recent game and Costa Rica has surprised many teams and soccer fans worldwide, rising to the top spot in Group D and advancing to the knockout round.

Games began on June 12 and continue through July 13. The semi-finals will occur on July 8-9, the third-place game takes place on July 12 and the final match is set for July 13. The USA plays Germany next on Thursday, June 26 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

HBO Hard Knocks

HBO has always offered a variety of captivating dramas, comedies and documentaries. The sports documentary series Hard Knocks (in partnership with NFL Films) is no exception. The show captures the routine of both players and coaches during training camp and pre-season games as they prepare for the upcoming season. It gives football fans an inside look at team operations, practice, contract negotiations, the “grind” players endure to keep their spot on the team and prove their worth, the battle for positions, the adjustments rookie players must make as well as a glimpse into the players’ personal lives. The show has won three Sports Emmy Awards, one in 2009 and two in 2010.

Hard Knocks first premiered in 2001 featuring the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, the following teams have been featured: Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys and Bengals have each been featured twice. Due to uncertainty with the NFL’s labor situation in 2011, Hard Knocks was not produced. The NFL implemented rules in 2013 listing reasons a team is eligible to avoid Hard Knocks if they wish: if they have a new head coach, if they have reached the playoffs in the past two seasons, or if they have appeared on Hard Knocks within the past 10 years.

Hard Knocks enters its ninth season this year, featuring the Atlanta Falcons. 2014 will be the Falcons’ seventh season under head coach, Mike Smith. The Falcons have made playoff appearances in 4/6 of the past seasons under Smith. This season should have plenty of exciting directions for storylines including anticipation around returning high-profile veterans like Matt Ryan and Roddy White, the recovery path of superstar Julio Jones after a season-ending foot injury last October, and integration of the Falcons’ sixth draft pick, offensive lineman, Jake Matthews. This season will also feature the team’s trip to Texas for a combined practice with the Houston Texans prior to their pre-season game at NRG Stadium on August 16.

HBO’s film crew will shoot more than 1500 hours of footage with unlimited access for the series. Hard Knocks premieres August 5 at 10:00 p.m. EST on HBO.

Money Clips

Guys typically don’t carry around bags toting all their goods so an accessory with multiple functions makes the perfect pocket pal. Money clips are designed to keep your cash together, neatly, without taking up substantial space in an already limited environment. Money clips provide quick, easy access to your cash and feature a compact, lightweight design. They are perfect for eliminating the bulkiness of a wallet while holding on to your essentials. They are also ideal for going out at night or hitting the beach, as you generally don’t need the same amount of credit and ID cards, wallet photos and receipts for outings like this.

Many money clips are designed with multi-purposes in mind, including additional features such as bottle openers and card holders. A money clip with a built-in card holder can eliminate the need to carry a wallet all together in some situations. A money clip featuring a bottle opener is perfect for tailgating or golfing, as it’s one less item you need to remember to pack for your outing.

Money clips provide a great opportunity for personalization that cannot always be achieved through the standard black or brown leather wallet. Baseball season and NASCAR races are in full swing and football is less than three months away. Now is the perfect time to rep your favorites, showing pride in your team with a subtle touch of style through a money clip. Even if you’re not a big sports fan, money clips feature additional designs, for example, pewter emblem animals. Money clips are available in both leather and steel, to meet various style preferences. This accessory can be a great conversation piece and at an affordable price, money clips offer the option to change styles more frequently than a wallet, depending on your destination, the sports season and more.

Money clips are perfect for occasions such as groomsmen gifts, corporate gifts and stocking stuffers. Money clips make a great gift for Dad too!