In the wake of Osi Umenyiora’s season-ending knee surgery, the best news for Giants fans is that Michael Strahan is staying put in retirement.  Why, do you ask?  Because Strahan was a warrior for the Giants over his prolific 15-year career, and he deserves that his final chapter be written with its current fairy tale ending.  He went out healthy, he went out respected, and most importantly, he went out a champion.

Strahan’s leadership will sorely be missed in New York, but now is the time for Eli Manning to take the reins of the franchise. Eli’s fourth quarter in Super Bowl 42 demonstrated that not only is he capable, but also he is ready. Read more

The key to success? Be a nice guy. Seriously.

Obviously, be competent, smart and forward-thinking. But according to Tim Sanders, author of The Likeability Factor, your career success depends on having personal well-being and playing well with others.

‘The grim reality is that life is a popularity contest,’ says Sanders, a Loyola-Maramont graduate and former indie-rock musician. ‘There was a Harvard Business Review study about how people select who they want to work with. And you know what? Everyone would rather work for a likable fool than a competent jerk.’

Sanders is part of a new breed of managers who are looking for ‘emotional talent.’ rather than just physical and mental skills. Being a nice guy, he shared with us some tips to finding emotional satisfaction in our career, from finding a perfect job to loving the one you get. Read more

I consider myself a classy guy - opening doors for people, walking the not-so-able elderly across the street and occasionally giving food (or money) to the homeless. More importantly, I always make sure to keep constant with one thing when it comes to being charitable: equality.

If somebody needs assistance in any way, shape or form within reason I will help them, no questions asked. This brings me to the question at hand: why should being chivalrous be exclusive to women? Doesn’t everybody deserve equal treatment?

The phrase “that’s not how you treat a lady” has bothered me ever since I reached puberty. Who came up with the idea that women and women only deserve special respect? Is it not important enough to know how to “treat a man?” Does it not matter at all? Read more

Donda West, mother of outspoken hip-hop auteur Kanye West, passed away over the weekend from complications during cosmetic surgery. With big-name MCs like Jay-Z offering up condolences we figured today would be a good day to honor the greatest dedications to mothers in hip-hop.

Kanye West - “Hey Mama” (Late Registration)

In lieu of recent events Kanye’s “Hey Mama” has taken on a more important role: what was once a jubilant track dedicated to his mom raising him is now a heartfelt, last-goodbye on record. Over world-music inspired beatwork and gospel claps ‘Ye sounds far different than the heartless, egocentric MCs most associate him with. Humility goes a long way, and I’m sure he will revisit this subject with even more honesty in the near future. Read more