Since his pride and joy Entourage aired its series finale, Doug Ellin has been working to get a few new series picked up, with Da Brick being the most relevant to what we do around these here pages. The series, produced by Spike Lee, would be based on Mike Tyson’s younger years with an emphasis on a young black man trying to find his place in white America.

Alas, that story will have to be told by another network, because HBO has passed. I assume they’re instead moving forward with the Tommy Gunn-inspired series, Hey, Pee in This Cup for Me.

Da Brick was to have starred Attack the Block’s John Boyega as Donnie, who after his release from juvenlie detention on his 18th birthday begins an exploration of what it means to be a man for himself and those around him.

Former boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, Entourage creator Ellin and his producing partnerJim Lefkowitz were attached as nonwriting executive producers, along with Tyson’s wife,Lakiha Tyson. Azim Spicer was attached as a nonwriting co-executive producer. Lee would have directed the pilot with L.A. Riots’ John Ridley on board to write and serve as showrunner. (The Hollywood Reporter)

I’m sure this show had the potential to be intelligent, well-written and mostly thought-provoking, but that ain’t the Mike Tyson that I, or mostly anyone else, want to see. In fact, if you’re going to have a show involving Tyson, I want it to be a debate-style talk show with a hot girl in a cage yelling random topics for Tyson to argue about with his panel of guests, including Jose Canseco, Randy Quaid and Janice Dickinson. That’s instant Emmy material right there.

Kim Kardashian rose to fame after a sex tape of her and Brandy’s brother, Ray J, “leaked” and then she latched on to other reality TV leaches like Paris and Nicky Hilton until she became the face of her own family’s empire. She also dated a number of popular athletes before marrying underwhelming derper Kris Humphries, and since her divorce she’s apparently been desperate to win back the public’s favor. Of course, her plan is to once again date a famous athlete.

She allegedly tried to snare Tim Tebow, but his will was thankfully too strong, so now she is using her connections with fellow reality TV diva La La Anthony (AKA Mrs. Carmelo) to set up a date with the sports world’s flavor of the month, Jeremy Lin. Please be false, pop culture gods. I don’t ask for much.

Kim’s publicist arranged for her to go on a “date” with NY Knicks player Jeremy Lin.

“She thinks [Jeremy] is cute, and she’s good friend’s with [Jeremy's teammate Carmelo Anthony's wife] Lala. It’s going to be a double date.” (Media Take Out via Black Sports Online)

As BSO points out, the source of this “news” is often wrong, but we’ve already watched this Linsanity thing rise to epic proportions with people throwing fits that a guy who has started 7 games isn’t being given a golden ticket to start at the All-Star Game, so a date with America’s most famous groupie would just make this feel-good story turn rotten. Especially with rumors abound that she has another sex tape floating around.

Lin’s obviously a smart guy, as he attended Harvard – the Stansbury of the East – but nobody really knows how this fame is affecting his ego. After all, he just moved from his brother’s couch into Amar’e Stoudamire’s old penthouse, so he’s a Bentley and rap video cameo away from fully turning NBA star on us. Kardashian would just be the cold sore on an otherwise perfect face.

All things considered, the New York Mets haven’t had too terrible of a season. Sure, they haven’t seen Johan Santana pitch in what feels like a decade, Jose Reyes has had his MVP-type season derailed by annoying little injuries, and David Wright has been more like David Wrong *rim shot, slide whistle, sad trombone*. But at least they’re only 3 games below .500 in a division that was won in April, and they didn’t freak out and trade Reyes or Wright, so as to maintain a little promise for the future.

But in a very strange attempt to lure fans to the ballpark this Friday, the Mets are offering the first 100 fans at Citi Field free tickets if they hug actor/DJ/MC/fake husband Nick Cannon. No word yet if they’re offering Burberry cologne removal.

Cannon, who is also the host of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” is planning to hug more than 1,800 people to break the existing record of hugs given out in an hour.

The first 100 fans to line up to hug Cannon will receive Mets tickets for that night’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:10 p.m. Everyone who hugs Cannon to help him break the record will receive a commemorative t-shirt. (Via The New York Mets)

And I just so happen to have a sneak preview of that free t-shirt after the jump.

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