'Beast of Brooklyn' washed up in New York

July 26, 2012
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/07/26/beast-brooklyn-washed-up-in-new-york

Mystery surrounds the discovery of a hideous creature washed up under the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.

Dubbed the "Manhattan monster," its ghoulish carcass has a mutilated face, hairless flesh and five human-like fingers at the end of its limbs. The gruesome find has sparked an array of theories as to whether it is a giant water-logged rodent, a cooked pig, a swollen dog -- or something more sinister.

Amateur photographer Denise Ginley snapped the mutant creature while walking along the East River on Sunday.

“We were horrified by it and we took some camera phone pictures," she said. “Then finally we decided to come back with my camera and I got up the courage to climb over the fence and get closer to it.”

Some claim it could be related to the mystery "Montauk Monster," which confounded New Yorkers when it washed up at Ditch Plains beach in the exclusive Hamptons in July 2008.

'We were horrified by it and we took some camera phone pictures.'

- Amateur photographer Denise Ginley
But the New York Parks Department shrugged off the horrifying find, insisting it was just a pig.

A spokesman said they had disposed of the creature, adding: “It was a pig left over from a cookout."

“It was a roasted pig. We didn't count its toes, we just threw it out.”

But people doubting the official line point to the beast’s creepy, human-like hands and feet -- which bear no resemblance to a porker's hooves.

“The Parks Department was probably very quick to identify it as a pig and dispose of it, but it is most certainly not a pig,” Ginley added.
“The most obvious sign being the lack of a cloven hoof, instead this creature has five digits all close together.”

She believes the creature is “some sort of raccoon or giant rodent.”
The photographer said: “The missing upper jaw makes it very difficult to identify and the lack of distinct canine teeth of the lower jaw is confusing.”

Wildlife specialist Dr. Paul Curtis suggests it could be a small dog that died and swelled in the murky river.

The Brooklyn Bridge Sea Monster

Here's some pictures of a creature that washed up beneath the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, the first picture on May 21, the second five days later. Notes Maureen O'Connor on Gawker.com: "It had the scales of a fish, body of a serpent, head of a pit bull and was the size of a large alligator." According to FoxNews.com, theories on what it is range from "horse to alligator to Loch Ness beast -- or even a relative of the Montauk Monster." Killjoy marine biologists claim it is merely a rotted-out Atlantic sturgeon. Yeah, right. And if you believe that, I got a bridge to sell you...

'Sea Monster' Discovered Beneath Brooklyn Bridge
May 26, 2011
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/05/26/sea-monster-discovered-beneath-brooklyn-bridge

Hall of Famer Duke Snider, 84, dies

Tony Jackson
ESPNLosAngeles.com
February 27, 2011
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=6164805

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Duke Snider, the longtime center fielder for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1980, died on Sunday morning following an undisclosed illness, both the Dodgers and the Baseball Hall of Fame have announced. He was 84.

Snider was the Dodgers' primary center fielder from 1947-62 and generally is considered one of the greatest among a long line of superb players who have worn the Dodgers uniform during the franchise's long, storied history. An eight-time All-Star, he still ranks as the franchise's all-time leader in home runs (389) and runs batted in (1,271). He led all major leaguers in the decade of the 1950s with 326 homers and 1,031 RBIs, and he hit four home runs in each of the 1952 and 1955 World Series.

Snider hit .320 with four homers and seven RBIs in the seven-game victory over the New York Yankees in the '55 World Series, giving the Dodgers their first world championship and the only one they would win in Brooklyn before moving three years later to Los Angeles.

"He was an extremely gifted talent, and his defensive abilities were often overlooked because of playing in a small ballpark, Ebbets Field," Vin Scully, the Dodgers' Hall of Fame broadcaster, said in a statement issued by the club. "When he had a chance to run and move defensively, he had the grace and the abilities of [fellow Hall of Famers Joe] DiMaggio and [Willie] Mays, and of course, he was a World Series hero that will forever be remembered in the borough of Brooklyn.

"Although it's ironic to say it, we have lost a giant."

Edwin Donald Snider, who was given the nickname "Duke" by his father when he was 5, was born in Los Angeles on Sept. 19, 1926. He played football, baseball and basketball at Compton High School before being signed by the Dodgers in 1943. In 16 years with the Dodgers, he batted .300 with a .385 on-base percentage and scored 1,199 runs.

Snider was sold to the New York Mets before the 1963 season, then to the San Francisco Giants a year later before he retired after 1964 with a career average of .295 with 407 home runs and 1,333 RBIs.

"I was Duke's teammate and looked up to him with respect," said Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, who was a young pitcher with the club during Snider's best seasons in Brooklyn. "Duke was not only a great player, but he was a great person, too. He loved his family and loved the Dodgers. He was the true Dodger and represented the Dodgers to the highest degree of class, dignity and character.

"He was my teammate and friend, and I will really miss him."

Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido.

Tony Jackson covers the Dodgers for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

‘Man v. Food’ star Adam Richman: How to eat in Brooklyn

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40088523/ns/today-books

‘Man v. Food’ star Adam Richman: How to eat in Brooklyn
He waxes poetic about the culinary offerings of his hometown
11/9/2010

Adam Richman, who spends his days crossing the country visiting restaurants and taking on challenges to eat enormous amounts of food, shares the culinary adventures of his hometown, Brooklyn, N.Y. Read an excerpt from his new book, "America the Edible."

From Chapter three: Greetings from Planet Brooklyn

With nearly 2.5 million residents, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, and if it were its own city (as it was until 1898), it would be second only to Manhattan as the most densely populated city in the country. It is the "Home to Everyone from Everywhere!" as a sign off the Belt Parkway declares. And indeed it is filled with people from everywhere who have influenced Brooklyn's food identity as profoundly as lobster-men in Portland, Maine, and Mexicans in Austin, Texas. In Brooklyn, the melting pot that is this great country can truly be enjoyed on the plate — all of the different cultures, most within walking distance of each other, and nearly every cuisine represented in some delicious way. There is an endless array of places to go and things to eat, from the South American food carts at the Red Hook Ball Fields to fine-dining restaurants that rival those of any other city.

When you go to Brooklyn — and you absolutely must — you can experience all of this. But you should seek out the real Brooklyn, the one that still remains from when I was a kid and even before that. You need to have an Italian hero, a slice at a pizza joint, and a meal at one of the many ethnic places that seem to transport you to another continent. Most of all, just relax and enjoy the realness (as rapper Redman would say).

Great Pizza Places in Brooklyn That Aren't Too Trendy Yet

1. Pino's Las Forchetta - Park Slope

2. Franny's - Prospect Heights

3. Lucali - Carroll Gardens

4. Totonno's - Coney Island

5. L & B Spumoni Gardens - Gravesend

It doesn't get much realer than the mile-long extravaganza of food, culture, and general high-spirited Brooklyn-ness known as the Atlantic Antic annual street fair.

One recent Sunday I woke up late in the afternoon, to quote Brooklyn native Adam "MCA" Yauch of the Beastie Boys, and heard the faint strains of music and commotion coming from outside. And then, like the torrent of images flooding the mind of a Manchurian Candidate assassin, I suddenly remembered the flyers and posters I'd seen strewn throughout my neighborhood.


"The Antic!" I shouted like an ass to nobody in particular. The Atlantic Antic, held on the second weekend of September on a main thoroughfare in northern Brooklyn, is a street fair that showcases the businesses that line the street itself, promotes awareness of civic causes (Take Your Man to the Doctor Week, voter registration, sign-ups for and against key issues affecting the borough, and so on), and creates a venue for some of the best food that the city has to offer. You can get tasty stuff from the Middle Eastern shops and restaurants that line Atlantic Avenue and from the gourmet and savory places that lie on the tributary streets of the affluent Cobble Hill neighborhood to the south and the well-to-do Brooklyn Heights to the north — all of this bordered by the somewhat chaotic grid of streets around Schermerhorn and public housing, like Wyckoff Gardens, where you'd be foolish to linger too long.

Barbecue, zeppolis, falafel, burgers, and chicken roti are all represented at the Antic. There are few better ways to take a big bite of Brooklyn than spending a day at the Antic.

I hit the streets ready for the savory goodness of Brooklyn street fair food, browsing booths hawking "mozzarepas," an unholy, cheese-filled union between mozzarella cheese and an arepa (corn cake); fried Oreos (better than they sound); and Philly cheese steaks (we're not in Philly, so they're phucking phake) until I finally came upon a cart selling one of my all-time-favorite fair foods: Italian sausage and peppers.

There are many, many carts at the fair, and to the novice, their products all look the same, but I have walked a mile ahead of ye, young sausage initiates, and I shall guide you in the ways of the link. If the signage is too flash and too polished, move on; those guys are more interested in attracting a large volume of customers than they are in the food. If it sells more than just sausage and peppers, move on; Italians in the know take pride in the meats they serve, and if it's a "sausage and pepper" cart, that should be all it serves. If it does not offer a choice between "sweet and mild" or "hot" sausage, move on; every good salumeria (Italian pork store) carries both, and every good vendor does too.

I walked over to a reasonably busy cart (always a good sign), and there, laid out on the cast-iron flattop grill like a bone Native American breastplate or meaty rows of matching parentheses, were fat sweet and hot Italian sausages browning next to one another. The sausages were shiny with grill oil and their own fat. Alongside this meaty armada was a softened, oily mass of red and green bell peppers and onions that were cooked to the point of translucence. The cart exuded a fragrance somehow melding backyard cookout, pizzeria, and the sweet-smokiness of caramelized veggies. r

I did as I usually do and ordered the hot sausage, as I consider the sweetness of the onions a great counterpoint to the red pepper flakes in the sausage. (Plus, I'm sweet enough — ba-dum-pum.) I asked for the sausage to be well done too, because when charred, the natural casings have a great, chewy, almost decadent juicy pop when you bite into them. The sweet, very tiny but loud lady who took my money grabbed a crusty length of Italian bread and loaded it with one of the brick red seven-inch sausages. Using one side of her tongs as a spoon, she scooped up some Technicolor, mushy wonderfulness of peppers and onions and laid an inch-thick layer of them atop the sausage. She wrapped it in waxed paper, gestured me in the direction of the condiments, and shot me a quick nod that seemed to say, "You're good? Great, now move the f--- down so I can feed the next guy."

A squirt of hot mustard and I was ready to perch on the bumper of a parked car and dig in. The smell was a rich, almost perfumey blend of oil, grilled meat, and pepper, and the first bite was utterly orgasmic. The fresh bread had a bit of a crunch that yielded to a toothy tear. The mustard and the unctuous vegetable mixture hit the roof of my mouth as my tongue and lower jaw cut through the spicy richness of the sausage, which gave way with an incredible, crispy snap.

Great Condiments You Probably Don't Have in Your House, but Should

• Huy Fong sriracha Asian pepper sauce (green top and rooster on the front

• Kewpie Japanese mayo

• Ssamjang (Korean fermented soybean paste — amazing)

• Gochujang (Korean red chile paste)

• Chipotle chiles (whole in adobo sauce or as a paste)

• Heinz HP sauce (British all-purpose condiment)

• Yellow miso paste

• Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend)

• Recaito or sofrito (major Puerto Rican flavors)

• Sazon (Latin spice blend)

• Tomato pickle (available at Indian markets)

• Mango chutney

• Fig jam

• Pickapeppa sauce (Jamaican flavoring)

• Taramasalata (Greek caviar spread)

• Giardineria (Italian pickled vegetables)

• Chowchow (pickled vegetable relish)

• Ajvar (Turkish red bell pepper spread)

• Creme fraiche) (like sour cream on steroids)

I finished my sandwich, bought a delicious Brooklyn-brewed Sixpoint ale, and walked on toward the East River end of Atlantic Avenue.

As I strolled, I watched high schoolers perform dance routines and capoeira practitioners in a fighting circle do a demo, listened to our colorful borough prez speak about boroughwide concerns, and soaked it all in. As I neared a friend's home, where I hoped to hang for a bit, I ducked into the amazing Middle Eastern provisions store called Sahadi's for some goodies to take home, specifically a container of its legendary hummus.

When you walk into Sahadi's, you pass barrel after barrel of olives, dried fruits, and nuts, and imported cheeses, juices, sauces, and spices from the world over. If you walk to the back, there are two counters set at right angles to each other, from which are dispensed prepared salads, pastries, sandwiches, and the greatest, smoothest, most decadent hummus this side of Mesopotamia. Sahadi's has a spicy version, which is not to be trifled with, and regular. I bought a pound of the standard hummus, silky, almost puddinglike in its creaminess, and distinctly unlike the thicker, grainy, mortarlike hummus that is so ubiquitous. It is truly one of the finest foods available in the borough.

I stopped at my friend's home, in a great building a few blocks from the westernmost end of Atlantic, and we grabbed some cold beers and headed to the roof deck. From that lofty vantage point we watched a multicolored, multiscented, multi-aged mass of people that stretched as far as the eye could see eastward to Fourth Avenue, everyone rejoicing, reveling, performing, eating and drinking, flirting and browsing, growing, and growing old. A river of beautiful Brooklyn humanity, flowing toward the river and ebbing toward Prospect Park. A Benetton-worthy cross section of the many races and peoples who give Brooklyn its undiluted power, passion, and perspective.

The crowds broke off toward their respective neighborhoods as the sun sank behind the glittery geometry of the New York skyline. Manhattan — separated by only a river from the mighty working class that pumps the blood through its veins, the beats through its speakers, and history through its very core. Just a strip of murky mystery away from the sprawling, special, and indomitable spirit of the very people who make it and the nation great. The huddled masses have taken refuge in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, and in the process have formed a cultural and culinary tapestry as thrilling and tasty as any to be found in our great nation. Brooklyn, from Biggie to Dem Bums, from Greenpoint to Fort Greene, is Antic, sleepless, and hungry for more.

Excerpted from "America the Edible" by Adam Richman. Copyright (c) 2010, reprinted with permission from Rodale.

The Birthplaces of 10 Great American Foods

http://blogs.static.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/20040.html

The Birthplaces of 10 Great American Foods
by Streeter Seidell - November 10, 2008

We’ve compiled a list of all the foods you love, and all the places you need to thank for them.

1. Louis’ Lunch, New Haven, Conn.
The Hamburger

There are competing claims for the coveted “Inventor of the Hamburger” title, but according to Louis’ Lunch (and the Library of Congress, for that matter), this small New Haven restaurant takes the prize. The story goes something like this: One day in 1900, a rushed businessman asked owner Louis Lassen for something quick that he could eat on the run. Lassen cooked up a beef patty, put it between some bread, and sent the man on his way. Pretty modest beginnings for arguably the most popular sandwich of all-time, huh? If you visit Louis’ today, you’ll find that not much has changed. The Lassen family still owns and operates the restaurant, the burgers are still cooked in ancient gas stoves, and, just like then, there is absolutely no ketchup allowed.

2. The ChipShop, Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Fried Twinkie

Sometimes what counts isn’t being the inventor, it’s being the innovator. Take the fried Twinkie, for example. The Twinkie—in all its indestructible glory—has been around for ages, but when ChipShop owner Christopher Sell had the brilliant idea to freeze the snack, dip it in batter, and deep-fry it, the Twinkie took gluttony to new heights. Even The New York Times raved about how “something magical” happens when you taste the deep-fried Twinkie’s “luscious vanilla flavor.” Sell, who was trained in classical French cuisine, didn’t start with the Twinkie, though. In his native England, he fried up everything from M&M’s to Mars bars.

3. Myers Avenue Red Soda Co., Cripple Creek, Colo.
Root Beer Float

If you thought what happened up on Cripple Creek only happened in song, you’re sorely mistaken. In August of 1893, a failed gold-miner-turned-soda-company-owner named Frank J. Wisner was drinking a bottle of his Myers Avenue Red root beer while looking up at Cow Mountain. Just then, a full moon illuminated the snowcap on the otherwise black mountain, and Wisner had a brilliant idea—float a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a glass of his root beer. The new drink was christened the “black cow” and became an instant classic. Today, of course, most of us call it a root beer float.

4. Cozy Dog Drive In, Springfield, Ill.
Corn Dogs

In 1946, Ed Waldmire, Jr., revolutionized the stick-meat world when he debuted the Cozy Dog—the first corn dog on a stick. At first, he wanted to call his creation the “Crusty Cur,” but his wife convinced him to change the name to “Cozy Dog.” She felt people wouldn’t want to eat something described as “crusty.” Good call, Mrs. Waldmire. Shortly after the Cozy Dog’s inception, the Cozy Dog Drive In opened alongside old Route 66 and has been serving up corn dogs ever since.

5. Lombardi’s, New York City, N.Y.
The Pizzeria

Pizza has existed in one form or another for a long time, but America got her first true pizzeria when Gennaro Lombardi opened up a small grocery store in NYC’s Little Italy. An employee named Anthony “Totonno” Pero started selling pizzas out of the back, and in no time, Lombardi’s was concentrating on its burgeoning pizza business instead of plain old groceries. In 1905, the establishment was licensed as a pizzeria, and it’s stayed that way ever since. Well, almost. The original restaurant closed in 1984 but reopened down the street 10 years later. On its 100th anniversary in 2005, Lombardi’s decided to offer its pizza for the same price it’d been sold for in 1905—5 cents a pie. Needless to say, the line wrapped around the block.

6. R.U. Hungry, New Brunswick, N.J.
The Fat Darrell

You may not know what the Fat Darrell is, but when you hear what it contains, you’ll understand why it’s truly a work of inspired genius. Since 1979, Rutgers University has played host to a collection of mobile food vans collectively known as the “Grease Trucks.” Originally, they served a sandwich called the Fat Cat, which contained two cheeseburger patties, French fries, lettuce, tomato, and onions. Then one night in 1997, a hungry (and broke) student named Darrell W. Butler convinced one of the vendors to put chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, French fries, and marinara sauce on a sandwich. Strangely, the concoction sounded so appetizing that the next 10 people in line ordered it, and the Fat Darrell became a mainstay at the Grease Trucks. Hey, not any old sandwich gets to be named Maxim magazine’s top “Meat Hog” sandwich.

7. Pat’s King Of Steaks, Philadelphia, Pa.
Philly Cheesesteak

Philadelphia is known for many things (Ben Franklin, the Liberty Bell, and Rocky, for starters), but fine dining is not really its forte. That’s OK, though, because Philly is the home of Pat’s King of Steaks, and Pat’s King of Steaks is where the Philly cheesesteak was born. One day back in 1932, hot dog stand owners Pasquale (Pat) and Harry Olivieri decided to change things up and make a steak sandwich with onions. A cab driver who ate at Pat’s daily insisted on trying the new sandwich, and with the first bite declared, “Hey, forget ‘bout those hot dogs, you should sell these!” Cab drivers know fast food about as well as anyone, so the brothers did just what the cabbie suggested. In no time, the modest stand turned into the Pat’s that exists today. Controversy remains, however, over who’s responsible for putting the cheese in cheesesteak. Pat’s claims it was the first to do so (in 1951), but across-the-street rival Joe Vento of Geno’s Steaks (opened 1966) insists he added the finishing touches.

8. Brown Derby, Los Angeles, Calif.
Cobb Salad

Let’s face it; most salads are wimpy little affairs meant for nothing more than occupying your mouth while you wait for the main course. Not the mighty Cobb, though. With lettuce, eggs, bacon, chicken, avocado, tomatoes, chives, watercress, Roquefort cheese, and a special dressing, the Cobb salad is not your traditional salad (or a healthy one, either). The man responsible for the concoction is Robert H. Cobb, owner of the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles. Late one night in 1937, Cobb and his friend, Sid Grauman (owner of the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre), were rooting around in the Derby kitchen looking for a snack. Cobb essentially grabbed whatever was left in the fridge, chopped it all up, and prepared a salad. Grauman came by the next day and ordered himself a “Cobb salad.” Word spread quickly (this was Hollywood, after all), and soon it became the landmark restaurant’s signature dish.

9. Pig Stand, Dallas, Texas
Onion Rings

According to most sources, the onion ring was invented when a careless cook at a Pig Stand location in Dallas accidentally dropped an onion slice in some batter, then pulled it out and tossed it in the fryer for lack of a better destination. Now, you’d think inventing the onion ring would be enough for one restaurant chain, but not Pig Stand. The company also lays claim to opening America’s first drive-in, inventing Texas toast, and being one of the first restaurants to advertise using neon signs. Not bad for a little outfit from Texas.

10. Melrose Inn, Prospect, Ky.
Derby Pie

A Kentucky favorite, derby pie is a chocolate and walnut tart with a pastry-dough crust—and that’s about all we know about it. Why? Because the recipe is jealously guarded by the Kern family. Melrose Inn manager George Kern created derby pie in the mid-1950s with help from his parents, Walter and Leaudra, and the dessert was such a hit that the family was soon baking the treat full-time. In fact, Mrs. Kern, being the crafty monopolist she was, copyrighted the name, and to this day, you can only get real “Derby-Pie®” through Kern’s Kitchen, Inc. Not only that, but a man from New England once handed Leaudra a blank check for the recipe so that his daughter could make the pie at home. She refused.

Jay-Z, James relationship should worry Cavs

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=At.hobCz9yapxql.FNlU2SPTjdIF?slug=aw-lebronjayz022508&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Jay-Z, James relationship should worry Cavs
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
Feb 25, 2008

As Jay-Z made a toast next to his co-host, LeBron James, at a VIP dinner during All-Star weekend, he spoke of branding, about a new world order of celebrity businessmen. They declared this the Two Kings dinner in New Orleans and the star-studded list of invitees included NBA owners and stars, music label executives and A-list performers. Jay-Z talked of a tomorrow when these two monuments to music and basketball will transform the rules of engagement for the iconic performer, one witness said. He talked of making history.

For the Cavaliers officials watching, there had to be something of a collective gulp. They have been uneasy witnesses to a dance between James and Jay-Z, a bond between a generation’s most celebrated entertainer and athlete. These two spend a lot of time together – traveling, talking and sharing big ideas.

What’s unnerving to Cleveland is that Jay-Z happens to be a part owner of the New Jersey Nets with unlimited access to James’ heart, mind and ambitions. Of course, the Nets are plotting a move to a sparkling new arena in Brooklyn, perhaps as soon as the 2011-2012 season. They’re clearing cap space and planning a pursuit of James when he can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2010.

Cleveland officials won’t talk about James and Jay-Z, but if you were wondering about the franchise’s fear of losing him to the brighter lights and bigger city, understand that the trade owner Dan Gilbert and general manager Danny Ferry made had everything to do with winning now and crushing James’ concerns that Cleveland is unable to surround him with a championship cast.

LeBron doesn’t want to just win titles. His stated wants include becoming sport’s first billionaire athlete. Among his advisors, he counts Warren Buffet. Jay-Z has helped James focus his mind on chasing something bigger than basketball. The question will be this: For the kid out of Akron, will his hometown – will even winning – be enough to hold onto LeBron James?

So yes, Sonny Vaccaro has been fascinated to study the burgeoning partnership since the days Jay-Z – whose real name is Shawn Carter – visited James at Vaccaro’s high school All-American camp in New Jersey. Vaccaro is responsible for some of the most profound marketing marriages in basketball history. He sold Nike on paying college coaches to be billboards for shoe companies, on spending everything they had on North Carolina’s Michael Jordan. When everyone else believed Jordan had a chance to be an excellent pro player, Vaccaro was convinced he would be transcendent for the company.

Vaccaro is out of the game, but forever connecting and consulting with those shaping the landscape. If nothing else, he is sure of this: In two years, Cleveland could be fighting a perfect storm of circumstances.

“I think that LeBron will have to look long and hard about leaving Cleveland,” Vaccaro said. “Dan Gilbert and the city have embraced him. They’ve done everything they can to make a championship-type trade. Danny Ferry did a good job with that. But knowing LeBron and knowing the world as I see it, the most appetizing thing would not be the New York Knicks for him, but the Nets with Jay-Z.

“Jay-Z is the one person that I can put in a parallel universe with LeBron from where they started and where they are now. If LeBron has a role model in life, it’s Jay-Z. I’ve never been around a more perfect match of young genius. What would be better than these two kids in New York?

“Maybe this is only able to happen once, when the money is there in New Jersey, and his contract is up in Cleveland. When you think of the marketing roll that LeBron could be on after winning gold in Beijing, wow. …I’m not sure the sun and moon have ever aligned like this.”

Jay-Z is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, the ex-president of a record label, a club owner, a clothier, a hotelier. Now, he has started a new ad company – Translation Advertising. This is the kind of fortune, the kind of legacy, that James is chasing for the long run.

This drive and determination isn’t lost on Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner who absorbed several million more dollars in salary and luxury tax with the trade that brought Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West to the team on Thursday.

James initially sounded cautious about the trade. After a blowout victory over Memphis on Sunday night, James gushed over its promise. Ferry delivered James shooting and the ultimate wildcard, Wallace. If Wallace has nothing left from his Detroit days, this deal could be doomed. Still, Cleveland feared the status quo in the East. Between the Cavs and the conference’s two best teams, Boston and Detroit, the gap has grown too profound.

Two years ago, the Cavaliers heard Jay-Z’s public position on LeBron’s future and could only imagine what might be said in private. When asked about the possibility of him someday joining the franchise, the Nets’ part-owner paid no mind to league tampering rules and gushed, “How amazing would that be? I tell people all the time, he’s my friend first. If Cleveland is building a championship team around him then my advice is to stay there. If it’s the Nets who are building a championship team that could be around him then my advice is to come to the Nets.”

The league office noticed the comments, but never leveled a fine for tampering. What can Cleveland do? Complain? No chance the Cavs will try to tell James who his friends can be, especially when they pre-date his days in the NBA.

When it comes to branding, nothing and nowhere could be bigger for James’ global profile than becoming the King of New York. There has always been a belief that his endorsement deals, including Nike, include clauses that trigger bigger payouts if James lands in a major market.

The Nets are clearing cap space for a free-agent class that includes James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but James is the unmistakable target. So much so, the Nets have an internal business plan for the move into the new Brooklyn arena that includes a modest section on his eventual recruitment, estimates of his marketing worth and the salary-cap space that needs to be cleared for his signing.

This is the kind of advanced planning every team does, but there’s a credibility to the Nets’ pursuit that comes out of Jay-Z’s relationship. As for changing the landscape as iconic branders, it was no coincidence that James showed up at a New York-Cleveland American League division series game in October wearing a Yankees cap. Whatever calls of traitor ensued in Cleveland, the deed was done: Suddenly, the world identified LeBron as a Yankees fan.

Mere months later, Nike has a LeBron-Yankees shoe planned for March release. For those wanting to believe James is setting the stage for a move to the big city, the line of shoes does forward the idea that he wants to be identified with New York.

Between now and the summer of 2010, this promises to be a fascinating story line. Jay-Z has opened LeBron James’ mind to looking far beyond basketball, beyond the traditional journeys to superstardom. Together, they talked about changing everything for the global icon. Between now and 2010, the Cavaliers have to sell LeBron James that all that can still happen in Cleveland.

Adrian Wojnarowski is the NBA columnist for Yahoo! Sports.