ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. had emergency cranial surgery just hours after his appearance on Sportscenter last night. Doctors believe that he will fully recover and should leave the hospital within the week.

Kiper has been a fixture on ESPN for a decade. His draft analysis segments on the network are a fan favorite and he also does a daily radio show. For the last several years, he has fought a private battle against a rare disease that is slowly transforming him. Helmethairalitis is so rare in fact, that Mel Kiper, Jr. is the only known person in the world to currently be afflicted with the disease. Years ago, Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton also suffered from a form of the debilitating illness. Fortunately for him, doctors caught it before it was too late..

Often referred to as “Helmet Hair”, the disease is apparently irreversible in Kiper’s specific situation. Researchers claim that his individual hair follicles and strands have mutated. They seem to be infused with a titanium graphite alloy that is impervious to scissors or motorized clippers. His hair has been growing at an alarming rate since the 2000 Draft. Since attempts to halt its growth were unsuccessful, doctors were left with no choice but to take radical action. 

Last night’s surgery was an effort to finally make the transformation complete and speed up the disease’s natural course. Using titanium screws and chicken wire, doctors fused a football face mask to Kiper’s cranium (see photos below). It will take several weeks to heal completely. A second surgery may be necessary down the road to affix a chin strap. As for now, Kiper should be back to work at ESPN in several days and he will be ready for full contact drills by the middle of February.

I grew up listening to Hip-Hop music. I grew up break dancing… the first time around. I grew up wearing fat laces in my Adidas. I grew up tagging my break dancing name (Krash, by the way) wherever I could. I grew up Hip-Hop. I still love Hip-Hop.

Feeling the way I do about the lifestyle, it sickens me to watch Hip-Hop get exploited by the sports world... the very same sports world that shuns it when it suits them.

The NBA implemented a dress policy this season that is obviously aimed at the black athlete and at the Hip-Hop generation. The problem? That same generation has lifted the league to the heights it’s at now. The NBA is arguably more successful and powerful than it has ever been in its history.

The Hip-Hop generation drives the retail market for NBA gear to the tune of millions of dollars a year. When was the last time you heard Black Sabbath playing in the background of an NBA game? Do you honestly think that if kids didn’t see rap stars wearing NBA jerseys and caps that they would sell the way they do? And if it isn’t the black youth of America buying their gear, the white youth of suburban America are buying it in bulk so that they can emulate the black youth, who emulate their Hip-Hop icons. Funny, huh?

The NBA wants Hip-Hop to buy the ingredients, cook the meal, set the table, and serve the food. They just won’t allow Hip-Hop to pull a chair up to the table.

I was watching an NFL game on Saturday and noticed that during a replay, the producers chose Hip-Hop as the background music. Three old white guys doing commentary over break beats. That’s hilarious! Those very same guys will then condemn number 84 for the amount of bling he might be wearing. Now, I don’t know about you, but it’s disturbing to me to hear old white guys say “bling”, but what’s worse is that in the same breath, they knock the culture that they just borrowed a word from. It’s hypocritical.

So what do I see last night during the Fiesta Bowl (where my Buckeyes manhandled Notre Dame)? The graphics team for the game used graffiti style images featuring…brace yourselves… graffiti artists spray painting walls all game long. The other problem here is that they can show those images without repercussions. Now, if they showed those very same images in a Hip-Hop video, the producers would be accused of promoting vandalism. When the Dixie Chicks did a video for “Earl had to Die” depicting them planning and executing his murder, it was cute. But if a Hip-Hop group does that same video, it may not get any airplay and deal with a swarm of negative publicity. By the way, isn’t it funny how the Dixie Chicks got away with that video, but were crucified for basically saying that George Bush sucks?

I will be the first to say that the negative images in Hip-Hop don't help. I despise the booty shaking videos and constant mention of weed, champagne and jewelry. Like anything, it can go too far sometimes. You can live and experience the culture without perpetuating the stereotypes. For every 50 Cent, there are a handful of intelligent, positive artists who will never be fully appreciated. Although, I did see Talib Kwali's promo for the Big Ten.

In the end, as far as Corporate America goes, Hip-Hop will always be that cool friend your parents never knew you had. You’d do anything just to hang out with him, but you knew you could never take him back to your neighborhood. Or the fat girlfriend who you never told your friends about, but you couldn’t stay away from because the sex was so good.

Hey, Major Sports World! Fat girls have friends… and they talk.