ESPN Turns 10 (and parties in LA)

ESPN Turns 10
Then, Now and Next
By, N’neka Hite


Kobe Bryant was 19 years old and the first issue of ESPN The Magazine dubbed him as the NEXT big thing in sports. Ten years later they’ve proven to be the authority on sports conversation and the world of athletics.

To celebrate the conversion of television and print, The Magazine hosted a party on each coast; last week in New York and on Tuesday the West Coast brought out the biggest names in sports and entertainment to recount the history, savior the moment, and prepare for the future of a mulit-billion dollar industry.

The scene was set at Area night club in Los Angeles, with drinks flowing\and athletic enthusiasts letting their hair down for a night of partying. DJ D-Nice kept the hits in heavy rotation as tennis stars Venus and Serena posted up in their booth with friends in complete party mode.

Among the attendees were Jerry Rice, who rocked his superbowl ring around his neck, Steve Smith, San Diego Chargers Shawn Merriman fell through larger than life and even Kendra Wilkinson came out to play.

The celebratory issue follows a decade for The Magazine and this latest issue hit newsstands last week featuring ten athletes and ten covers. Five of the athletes, Ichiro Suzuki, LaDaninian Tomlinson, Tim Duncan, Venus & Serena Williams and Shaun White represent the past ten years and the other half LeBron James, Sidney Crosby, Alex Rodriguez, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Vince Young represent the future.

Even the newest prospects to the world of pro-sports joined in on the party. Tyson Jackson who was rated one of the nation’s top Defensive Ends was in attendance along with fellow LSU player Chevis Jackson who are said to have heavy stock in the future NFL draft. Who knows, maybe they will be featured as The Magazine’s NEXT big thing in sports.

Trey Songs and J. Holiday at the House of Blues

Friday Night at the House of Blues was packed. There were roughly eight women to every man and each chick brought her A game. I don’t know if the exuberant dresses and needle thin pumps were for the small percentage of male attendees or for that fine ass J-Holiday.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have always taken to Trey Song’s melodic sound. He hit hard with his first album. It was actually the first show that I reviewed while interning at Vibe in 2006. But this time, he seemed a little played and old school opening up for what I would like to call, "The One."

J-Holiday came out on stage and his presence blew me away. First off his skin was as smooth as butter and slightly tinted with a glow. His pants were glittery, but not in the early 80’s Michael Jackson way. No, these pants were like sexy baggy jeans with magic glitter on them. The glitter flickered in the dark room and along the zipper there was even more glitter sparkling seeming to call out my name. It probably sounds weird, but it wasn’t. This cat pulled off wearing glittery jeans that had every woman in the house swooning over him.

I realized that night, after four shots of Patron, J-Holiday is truly sexy and maybe, just maybe, his song Bed is justified.

Snowboarding For the First Time

Thank god I brought my savvy little sister with me because I wouldn’t have had anyone to affectionately choke while riding on the ski lift. Yes folks, I did it, I actually rode on a ski lift and jumped off the wobbly hanging bench and at top speed banked down snow summit’s bunny slopes. It was my first time snowboarding and what a time it was. I grabbed my sister and close girlfriend Chris and we traveled deep into the San Bernardino Mountains to spend the day with nature.

I’ve always loved the snow. The way you feel when you’re in it makes you feel like a kid again, or at least that’s the way it effects me.

Arriving at the mountain I wondered how hard it would be to snowboard for the first time. But as soon as I got my ski tag and looked into his eyes, I knew it would be a day I wouldn’t soon forget.

His name was Chris. He was 28, stood about 6’2 and had the most piercing blue eyes I’d ever seen in the snow. His hair was unkept and curly and he wore a yellow instructor jacket. Chris invited me and my friends to his snowboarding course that was to take place in the next fifteen minutes. I politely declined but found myself standing along side his eager-to-learn students twenty minutes later. I didn’t think much of the fact that the hottest guy on the slopes was actually my instructor, but as the day went on, it was apparent that he was the one...for that day at least.



After a couple of Jager shots I took back to the slopes. This time bouncing on my ass trying to balance. But every time I fell, like an angel of sunshine that yellow jacket appeared and Chris rose me to my feet and guided me down the mountain hand and hand. Looking into his eyes as we slid across the ice made me sure that he thought I was the most special student he’d ever encountered.


Thank you Chris for making my first time memorable, unlike the jerks before you.