Established in 2005, Mollusk Surf Shop serves as an outlet for the craftspeople in the sport of surfing. Their site features short films and art galleries to showcase the many forms of media that help cultivate the surfing culture. There is also a section that features film and photography of the board shapers in action and their gorgeously crafted products. Currently, they have retail spaces in San Francisco, Venice Beach, and Brooklyn. However, you don’t have to leave the comforts of your home because many of their products are available through their online shop.

Source: Mollusk Surf Shop

The lasting memory of the 2011 baseball season for this sports fan will be the unbelievable drama that unfolded Wednesday night as the final playoff spots were decided. I was lucky enough to be in a sports bar with fans from every team involved with the races. The emotional swings were epic, and really, something you can only get in baseball, due mainly to the structure of the game. There is no time limit. You get 27 outs each, however long that takes. In the Rays’ case, maybe even a few more in their historical comeback victory. Sox fans screaming that the Yankees threw the game so Boston would be eliminated. Braves fans reliving all of their ‘oh, so close’ moments; despondent with Michael Bourn getting thrown out at third just before Dan Uggla hits a homerun, then Uggla later getting gunned down with a laser thrown by Hunter Pence in rightfield. All while Chris Carpenter throws a gem for the Cardinals, polishing off a resurgent September comeback. There have been two instances in baseball history when a team has squandered at least an eight game lead in September and failed to make the playoffs. The 2011 Atlanta Braves and the 2011 Boston Red Sox. What a month!

Baseball, however is a long season, so I am going to take a little time to acknowledge some of what has transpired over the past six months along with handing out my regular season awards. So, without further ado…

The winner of the American League MVP is…Jose Bautista! Bautista had an incredible offensive season. Led the league in homeruns, walks, slugging percentage, and OPS. The numbers he achieved in those categories along with a .304 batting average puts him in rarified air. Only five players in the history of the game have had seasons in which they reached those marks. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Barry Bonds, and Jason Giambi. He was the Bluejays’ only real offensive threat, as evidenced by his league-leading 24 intentional walks. His defense was questionable at times, but I give him a pass on that, since he moved from 3B to RF in the middle of the season. In baseball much more then any other sport, I discount team success when speaking about awards, since baseball is really a series of independent matchups. Bautista deserves the award.

The American League Cy Young Award goes to…Justin Verlander! I know, about as surprising as the sun rising, but there is no argument. I would be shocked if he doesn’t win unanimously, but then again, baseball writers are a little ‘out there’ sometimes. He led the league in, well, everything: wins, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, opponents’ batting average, opponents’ OPS, innings pitched, and just about every other stat that there is. But I’ll put it in more poignant terms. He is the first AL pitcher in 40 years with 24 wins and 250 strikeouts. He was 14-1 against his division. He was 22-2 since April. He was 16-3 following a Tigers’ loss. In total, Verlander faced 969 hitters this season. They ended up with a .192 batting average and .242 on-base percentage. No pitcher has ever achieved those numbers in the DH era. Case closed.

The winner of the American League Rookie of the Year is…Jeremy Hellickson, I guess. I say that because, although this year’s rookie crop was deep with the likes of Dustin Ackley, Eric Hosmer, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova, etc, no one jumped off the screen to me. Maybe I am a little biased, since I saw Hellickson pitch a few times in triple-A, and he looked great. He had by far the lowest batting average against on balls in play in baseball. Basically, what that says to me, is that his defense helped him out quite a bit. But, it’s hard to hold that against him. His 2.95 ERA is the best by a rookie in the AL in 20 years. In the history of the league, only five rookie starters have finished a season with an opponents’ batting average and ERA as low as Hellickson’s. The last one was in 1964.

Congratulations to the American League Manager of the Year…Joe Maddon! Maybe the guy really is the incarnation of Norman Dale, besides looking exactly like him. But, just as Gene Hackman in Hoosiers, Maddon did more with less then anyone. Matt Garza, gone. Carl Crawford, gone. Carlos Pena, gone. A $41 payroll. About the same as the top two players on alot of teams. They started the season 0-6, and 1-8. Neither hole has a team ever climbed out of to make the playoffs. Oh yeah, and they were 9 games back one month ago. He is the most creative manager in the sport and his players love him. Those things go a long way in baseball.

 Now on the National League, and the MVP there is…Matt Kemp! I give Kemp the nod over Ryan Braun for a couple reasons. The numbers on both sides are impressive, as Kemp had a shot at the triple crown down the stretch. He also led the league in runs scored, and did so on a team that offered him almost no offensive protection. Also, he has turned into a pretty damn good centerfielder. I don’t know if the Dodgers win 60 games without Kemp.

And joining Mr. Kemp on stage, receiving the National League Cy Young Award, is Kemp’s teammate Clayton Kershaw! Yeah, I know, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay are great and you could toss in a couple other names, but I don’t even think this one is as close as one may realize. Kershaw won the NL pitching triple crown, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. He also lead in WHIP. No pitcher in history has done that and not won the award. Two final stats to validate my choice. Kershaw had 18 outings in which he allowed zero or one runs. He was 12-3 against teams with winning records, posting a 1.93 ERA. He needed to have an awesome season to beat the loaded NL field for this award, and he did it. At age 23, the sky is the limit for Kershaw. One of two lefties in history with 20+ wins and 240+ strikeouts before age 24. Yikes.

The National League Rookie of the Year is…Craig Kimbrel! Although there are some talented guys in the NL, this one ain’t close, folks. Yeah, he may have run out of gas a little towards the end of the year, but he pitched in 78 games. More then anyone else in baseball. Ready? 76+ innings, 126 strikeouts, 47 hits. Wow. Wait, wait, wait, there’s more. His 126 strikeouts were more then eight opening day starters. And now for my final blow. Kimbrel had 38 consecutive appearances without allowing a run. 38! You know how many pitchers have done that in the history of professional baseball. Zero.

And our final award for National League Manager of the Year goes to…Kirk Gibson! I can’t think of Kirk Gibson without recalling the single most memorable sports moment I have ever seen live, when he hobbled off the bench and blasted the homerun off of Dennis Eckersley to win game one of the 1988 World Series. That grit and fire has been infectious to the Diamondbacks. Arizona lost 97 games last year, finishing 27 out of first. They then started the season 15-22. Gibson never waivered and his team followed in rank. He was able to mold Justin Upton from a phenomenal athlete playing baseball into a baseball player, and an MVP candidate. We use the phrase “change the culture” often in sports, and Kirk Gibson is an example as to just how big an impact a change like that can have. Gibson was asked during the 1988 Series if he was going to cut his hair and maybe shave since there would be so much attention paid to him in the series. Gibson replied, “I’m not here to win a beauty contest. I’m here to win baseball games.” Gotta love it.

So those are my major award winners. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. A “thank you” to all our presenters tonight, and our host, Affion Crockett. Afterparty’s at Zuckerberg’s!

Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Rooney, You. The new Nike T90 Laser IV will help you get on your way to becoming the next great striker. The shoe was designed with the attacking player in mind. It is 20 percent lighter than its predecessor and has been tweaked to try and include every scientific advantage possible. The Laser IV has an enhanced fit and feel so you can always tell where the ball is. When you’re striking the ball, the swerve and shooting zones on the instep will naturally flex as you make contact with the ball. This helps to maximize your strike power and accuracy. All in all, it’s a marvel of shoe design. If you wear these boots, you’ll make Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick against Manchester City look like a tap in.

The Nike T90 Laser IV is available for preorder at soccer.com

Source: Hypebeast

Pashley Cycles has been making beautiful handcrafted bikes since 1926 and have teamed up with Ralph Lauren to create the Rugby Tweed Run Bike. This two wheeled masterpiece adds sophistication to any man’s commute. Cream tires, brown leather bar tape, and a Brooks B17 saddle gives this cycle a very classic look. It goes hand in hand with Ralph Lauren’s Tweed Run collection. This bike, as well as the clothing line preserves a lasting style filled with curled mustaches, corduroy jackets, and a gentleman’s lifestyle. This old English apearance represents class and appreciation for things that are done the right way.

Pashley has taken extraordinary care in creating 50 of these limited edition Tweed Run Bikes. Each member of their team takes pride in their trade, and works to maintain a traditional way of manufacturing. A way that can not be matched by mainstream production of the present.

Watch the video below to get an inside look at the production process behind the bike and visit Ruby Ralph Lauren to order your very own Rugby Tweed Run Bike.

Rugby Ralph Lauren and Pashley Limited Edition Bike from RugbyRalphLauren on Vimeo.

Source: Acquire

Great inside look at how the Red Devils stay on top of their game.

Going back to the days of Jimmy Johnson and even prior, the swagger and bravado exuded from the football players at the University of Miami was bred from the environments in which they were living. Johnson made a concerted effort to recruit within Little Havana, The Grove, and other areas of Miami before exiled because those areas were deemed incapable of producing quality students, football players, and men. Coach saw it as an opportunity to bring those kids into the program and give the community a sense of pride in the program. It worked.

In interest of keeping this short, the University of Miami football program, while wrong, should not take the grunt of the blame for the epidemic that has been infiltrating college football for decades. Let us not oversee that the Miami AD during the time these alleged infractions took place was Paul Dee, the current Chairman of the NCAA’S Infraction Committee.

Be careful towards who you point a finger, because three will be pointing back at you.

National Geographic photographer Jimmy Chin finds it pretty hard to take tripods to his shoots. His most recent assignment placed him in Yosemite to capture the changing world of climbing at one of the most breathtaking spots on Earth, as captured in this beautifully created video from Camp 4 Collective. Chin spent over 60 days scaling mountains with fellow extreme climbing enthusiasts, trying to cover the “purity, physical and mental challenges” of the sport that seems to stay “out of the eye of the world.” His photos put him on the side of mountains not just with ropes and his wits, but a very expensive camera, intent on coming as close to “capturing the intensity” of the men and women who spend the more of their lives looking up instead of down.

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Read the rest of this post with more images at: Jimmy Chin’s National Geographic Assignment – Video by Camp 4 Collective

If you were to spend half a million dollars on something, what would it be? Well New Zealand artist Roy Stewart is hoping that his hand crafted luxury surfboards will strike your fancy. Designed with speed and efficiency in mind, these boards are also works of high art for surfers. In 2010, Roy announced that his board, based on his own opinion, was the surfboard of the year.

The boards feature a small and flexible body along with a thin tail, and created from environmentally friendly materials. Stewart’s hand crafted surfboards are made from local Paulownia wood, making his surfboards a cultural touchstone that should make both him and New Zealand very proud.

Source: Tablet Talk

Source: Huh Magazine

1. Arizona Cardinals acquire QB Kevin Kolb from the Philadelphia Eagles for CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 second-round draft pick.

The Eagles didn’t get as much as they originally wanted (a player and a first-rounder). Meanwhile, Arizona signed a relatively unproven quarterback to a five-year, $63.5 million deal after acquiring him. Kolb was good filling in for injured Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick as an Eagle. However, when he was the unquestioned starter, his game was shaky, to say the least.

2. Minnesota Vikings acquire QB Donovan McNabb from the Washington Redskins for a conditional pick in 2012 and 2013.

This is a great move for the Vikings. McNabb was disrespected in Washington and I think he will use last year’s disappointment as extra fuel to have a bounce back season. Not to mention, he has the top running back in the league behind him now, which should help the team’s passing game tremendously. Also, Minnesota needed someone to keep the quarterback seat warm while Christian Ponder learns the ropes of the big league.

3. Philadelphia Eagles sign CB Nnamdi Asomugha to a 5 year contract.

Considered as one of the top cover cornerbacks in the league, the Eagles were able to beat out several high profile teams, including the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys for this Pro Bowl cornerback. The Eagles now have three Pro Bowl cornerbacks on their roster (Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel)…major moves right there.

4. New England Patriots acquired DT Albert Haynesworth from the Washington Redskins for a fifth-round pick in 2013.

Haynesworth wasn’t going to play for Mike Shanahan so you can’t fault the Redskins for getting rid of him. For the Patriots it’s just another project. Time will tell if Coach Belichick can bring back the monster who suited up for the Titans. At the very least, Haynesworth does a great job drawing double-team blocks and can even be used as a rush defensive end. At the end of the day, I believe Albert will still be an impact player.

5. Tennessee Titans sign QB Matt Hasselbeck.

I’m not sure why Tennessee decided to shell out Hasselbeck $21 million over three seasons. His health issues make me wonder if he’s already finished. However, if he can stay healthy, Hasselbeck immediately brings stability to the quarterback position, which they haven’t had in a long time. And assuming, the front office can work out a deal with their stud running back Chris Johnson, the Titans have the makings of an effective offense.

6. Seattle Seahawks sign WR Sidney Rice.

Nice pickup for Seattle but they also acquired Tarvaris Jackson at QB and the Jackson to Rice tandem wasn’t such a good combination in Minnesota.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars sign LB Paul Posluszny.

Posluszny is a tackling machine. Whether or not he’s worth $45 million with $15 million guaranteed, the Buffalo Bills wish they still had this beast.

8. Carolina Panthers re-sign RB DeAngelo Williams.

This may be the off-season’s worst move. The Panthers already have a Back ready to get unleashed in Jonathan Stewart. Instead of giving him his shot, they blow $43 million to retain DeAngelo Williams. In addition, they’re number one draft pick Cam Newton is a rushing quarterback and let’s not forget, Mike Goodson established himself as a solid third-down back last year. I think they could’ve used that chunk of money to address other issues (too many to list). 

9. New York Jets sign WR Plaxico Burress.

The former Super Bowl star with the New York Giants signed a one year deal with the Jets after serving nearly two years in prison for a gun charge. Burress gives the Jets a big receiver (he’s 6 foot 5) who can be a huge red zone presence to complement Santonio Holmes, Dustin Keller and a solid running game with Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson.

10. New Orleans Saints sign DT Aubrayo Franklin to a one year deal.

The 6-1, 317 pound Franklin is an eight year veteran and a proven run defender. His addition adds depth to an interior defensive line that already includes 6-4, 350 pound Shaun Rogers and 6-1, 307 pound Sedrick Ellis. These monsters will give the Saints more power inside and should immediately help their defense. Combine a better defense with Drew Brees at quarterback and Sean Payton running the offense, the Saints should be once again in the running for the top spot in the NFC.

BONUS:

WR Randy Moss retires.

Considered as one of the best deep threats in NFL history, Moss leaves the game with some of the brightest statistics posted by a receiver. His 153 touchdowns are tied with Terrell Owens for second on the career list, and he’s also fifth in yards (14,858) and tied with Hines Ward for eighth in receptions (954). Although coaches despised his negative antics and lack of respect for authority, the majority of his teammates loved the charisma he showed behind closed doors. If this retirement stays official (see Brett Favre), the game will miss this once in a generation blend of size, speed and intelligence.

This is just a small portion of the action that has taken place this off-season. The NFL signing period has been a whirlwind and should continue for another couple of weeks, considering there are still a few impact players out there in limbo (i.e. Osi Umenyiora, Chris Johnson). It will be interesting to see how long it will take for these players to get settled in their new situations. With all of these transactions taking place, we should have another electrifying season. I’m just happy that football is back! “Sunday Funday” will be back in full effect soon enough.