ESPN'S "WHO'S NOW": Mojo Meter Red-Lining with Kelly Slater

Slates has Cameron Diaz...Lebron has basically everything, but the question is: who has more mojo?

For those of you who haven't been following ESPN's "Who's Now" segment on Sportscenter - here's the update. "Who's Now" is basically ESPN's pop culture contest that determines which athlete is the most relevant based not only on what the athlete has done 'on the field', but also how, and how much, the athlete is relevant within pop culture. "Who's Now" attempts to determine who's got the most mojo. While mojo is an ambiguous, indefinable pop culture term, just like pornography, we know it when we see it.

Slater has tons of mojo. Nevertheless Slater has been penned the 'Sanjaya' of the "Who's Now" contest. An American Idol reference basically labeling Slater as an underdog who may have enough action sports street cred to topple a rather young, and let's face it, boring, Lebron James.

Tonight (Monday July 9, 2007), in the 'Billie Jean King' bracket, the NBAs LeBron James (AKA King James) is pitted against surfing's very own Kelly Slater. In our opinion Lebron has zero mojo. Look, being spotted buying diaper wipes at Wal Mart isn't mojo! Slater, on the other hand, has tons of it. Casually picking up Cameron Diaz on the rebound from Justin Timberlake and Gisele Bundchen from Leo DiCaprio, who would have thought Kelly could surpass Lebron in the rebound category?

Rebounds are not the only thing Kelly Slater has going for him tonight. Slater is, of course, our 8-time world champion and undeniably the best competitive surfer ever. But off the competitive stage Slater is even more formidable and the list below are the reasons Slater should dethrone the number one seed King James.

Slater's Mojo Resume:
1) dated supermodel Giselle Bundchen (pre-Tom Brady)
2) plays ukelele with Pearl Jams' Eddie Vedder
3) played himself as a penguin in major motion picture "SURF's UP"
4) 2007 nominated by ESPN as "Male Athlete of the Year"
5) Named "Sports Illustrated Sexiest Male Athlete"
6) Convened with Cameron Diaz (see above)

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The Complete Bracket

MICHAEL JORDAN REGION
July 1: (1) Tiger Woods def. (8) Matt Leinart (90% - 10%)
July 2: (4) Dwyane Wade def. (5) Shaun White (73% - 27%)
July 3: (2) LaDainian Tomlinson def. (7) David Beckham (50.8% - 49.2)
July 4: (3) Steve Nash def. (6) Serena Williams (57% - 43%)

MUHAMMAD ALI REGION
July 5: (1) Peyton Manning def. (8) Amanda Beard (80.5% - 19.5%)
July 6: (4) Dale Earnhardt Jr. def. (5) Chuck Liddell (61.7% - 38.3%)
July 7: (2) Alex Rodriguez def. (7) Terrell Owens (67.5% - 32.5%)
July 8: (3) Kobe Bryant vs (6) Ronaldinho

BILLIE JEAN KING REGION
July 9: (1) LeBron James vs (8) Kelly Slater
July 10: (4) Jeff Gordon vs (5) Barry Bonds
July 11: (2) Derek Jeter vs (7) Sidney Crosby
July 12: (3) Reggie Bush vs (6) Danica Patrick

BABE RUTH REGION
July 13: (1) Tom Brady vs (8) David Ortiz
July 14: (4) Maria Sharapova vs (5) Vince Young
July 15: (2) Roger Federer vs (7) Tony Parker
July 16: (3) Shaquille O'Neal vs (6) Michael Phelps