Two years ago and maybe even last year, it was worthwhile to compare LeBron James to Kobe Bryant. But today, some fans have not yet acknowledged the obvious—King James reigns supreme and it’s not even close.

Of the several arguments that pervade the National Basketball Association today, there is none more controversial, more polarizing, and more litigious than the debate on whom the best player in the game is: Kobe Bean Bryant or LeBron Raymone James. Kobe Bryant embodies an extremely talented, hard-working, technically sound prodigy whose work-ethic is unknown to most of his peers. In LeBron James, players and fans alike see an enormously gifted, duly scintillating, freak of an athlete who is perhaps the only player in all of sports that has exceeded all the hype surrounding him, having garnered national attention early in his career. So which of these players is better?

When asked why he supported conservative and notorious racist Jesse Helms over Democrat Harvey Gantt in the 1996 North Carolina Senatorial race, Michael Jordan replied, “Republicans buy Nikes too.” And thus began the athlete’s 21st century business model: Dominate sport. Get endorsement contract. Obey the law … and stay out of politics.

Tiger Woods and LeBron James have followed this paradigm to perfection in becoming the wealthiest and most recognizable athletes of our generation. They and others like them all have an opportunity to influence the society by breaking down racial and gender barriers and by expressing their political views. Yet, they continually shy away from this responsibility for the sake of their reputation and their bank accounts.

The Denver Broncos traded Jay Cutler and a third round draft choice to the Chicago Bears in exchange for two first round picks and quarterback Kyle Orton. The most striking aspect of this deal is that it never had to happen. Cutler’s actions were reprehensible to the umpteenth degree, but he still had three years left on a 6-year $48 million contract. Cutler forfeited $100,000 when he skipped an off-season workout, but he wouldn’t have walked out on millions no matter how much he despised coach Josh McDaniels. When Broncos owner Pat Bowlen announced that his team would put Cutler on the trade block, Cutler expressed disappointment.

In 1959, reliever Elroy Face went 18-1 in 94 innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates. A year later, Hall-of-Fame Chicago sportswriter Jerome Holtzman observed that 10 of Face’s victories had come after he had blown a lead and the Pirates offense rallied to win the game. Holtzman also noticed that Cubs relievers Bill Henry and Don Elston had preserved far more leads than their Pittsburgh counterpart, yet carried pedestrian win-loss records to show for their efforts. Thus, the save was born. Nine years after Holtzman introduced the term, it became an official statistic. Since then, the save has given notoriety to relievers and changed the entire landscape of late-inning baseball.

While April Fool's Day conjures up thoughts of practical jokes and frivolity, the serious sports fan is cautioned not to dismiss the notable events of the day. Outstanding athletic achievement occurred on this date such as John Havlicek dropping 54 against the Hawks in a 1973 playoff game and Wayne Gretzky registering his 103rd assist in 1981 to break Bobby Orr's single season assist record. Notable athletes from knuckleballer Phil Niekro to Brook and Robin Lopez, who broke Cornell's heart in the 2008 Big Dance, claim this date as their birthdays. However, it is the unusual events of this date that peak one's curiousity.

My top five sports related stories of this date include in no particular order:

On New Year’s Day, for the first time in a long time, everybody seemed to be talking about hockey. The college football bowl games have been incredibly boring, everyone is sick of Roger Clemens, and no can get excited about a Charlotte Bobcats-Atlanta Hawks NBA matchup. Therefore, on Jan. 1, the NHL presented the “Winter Classic,” an outdoor game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., (the normal home of the Buffalo Bills) between the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Financially, the game was a big coup for the NHL. The contest was the highest rated regular-season NHL game in over a decade, with a bigger audience than last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. The stadium was full with Sabres fans who drank so much Genny Light that they didn’t feel the cold. In addition, media outlets who normally only talk about hockey when the Islanders’ Chris Simon commits a crime on the ice talked about the game ad nauseam.

Wait, the Patriots are 15-0? I hadn’t noticed. I guess I missed the constant articles, coverage, prime time games and the “Patriots” section of ESPN’s “Bottom Line.” Believe it or not, New England will in fact be going for a perfect regular season this weekend. I have ardently rooted against New England for 15 games, all for naught. Normally, this week I would continue my hatred of the Pats, but Saturday night’s matchup presents a conundrum for any Jets fan like myself – the Patriots against the Giants.

Right now, there are no two teams in the NFL than I hate more than these two. Because a Patriots victory would mean the second undefeated regular season in NFL history, I obviously will be watching the game. But who should I root for?

Congratulations Tiger Woods! Yes, Woods has won 12 majors, is a new father and could probably run Nike. But that is nothing compared to his most recent win in ESPN’s Who’s Now competition! Yeah! Every day for the past several weeks, ESPN’s Sportscenter has been running this inane competition and now that it is over, I feel like ESPN owes me my life back. I have not met a single person who either liked Who’s Now or thought it was a good idea. Yet, for some reason, ESPN executives were probably all congratulating themselves and high-fiving each other after coming up with the idea.